CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTHWEST GUATEMALA—McBRYDE 171 
avocadoes, /imas, and limes). The east shore of Lake 
Atitlan may be seen in the distance, with San Antonio 
Palopé left of center. 
c, The two pieces of sacking (1 by 2 yd. each) are tied to 
two canes about 6 feet long and one diagonal about 
9 feet long, making a tapered trap. Placed in shallow 
water, the canes float, leaving the sacking hanging to 
the bottom. Small fish (not over 2 in. long) are 
driven into the opening (about 2 yd. wide). The 
tall stumps were formerly trees growing along fence 
lines when the water was lower (until the rise began, 
about 1930; see Appendix 1, p. 132). A strip of rich 
gently sloping alluvial land about 150 yards wide was 
flooded between 1930 and 1935 (December 25, date of 
this picture). 
d, This seine, about 3!4 feet by 15 feet, is of very fine mesh, 
for catching only small (2-inch) fish. Only 2 seines 
were reported in Santa Cruz, and none of this type 
were observed elsewhere around the Lake. 
e, The younger men at each end, 30-35 years old, wear blue 
coats and black and white rodjlleras over hand-woven 
cotton knee-trousers, white with fine blue vertical 
lines one-half to three-quarters of an inch apart. 
Shirts are bought ready-made. The three other men, 
ranging in age from 40 to 65 (center), wear black 
wool capivais over hand-woven cotton shirts and knee- 
trousers, white with red stripes. The change in dress 
reportedly began about 1900. 
f, These insipid citrus fruits, which look like large round 
lemons with prominent navels, are among the chief 
products of Santa Cruz and especially, Tzununa; (see 
Appendix 3, p. 147). Oranges from here and San 
Marcos, also appear in quantity in the markets. The 
men in the picture are part of a group of 18, 5 with 
limas, 3 with oranges (and some limas), 5 with 
tomatoes, 5 with greens and onions from Tzununa, 
e 
Prate 28 
The animal market (feria) is in an enclosure off to the left. 
Small pigs especially are sold there (p. 79). In the 
right foreground is the section where most of the 
pottery is sold. In the background is the small Cal- 
vario church, with the cemetery beyond. Eucalyptus 
trees and Australian pine have been planted in the 
plaza. Most of the surrounding hills are covered with 
pines and oaks. Photograph taken from the top of 
the principal church (pl. 29, a), February 1932. 
PLATE 29 
a, The pottery in the foreground comes mainly from San 
Crist6bal Totonicapan. The merchants are Chichi- 
castenango men who will resell them in the Lowlands 
and elsewhere. Many local men may be seen standing 
and kneeling on the church steps, in the background, 
swinging incense burners, smoke from which fills the 
air. 
b, A Chichicastenango woman is kissing one of the silver 
images extended to her. 
c, Sheep are grazed in many Highland regions, such.as this 
one, and since they crop the grass very close, little 
binder is left where they have overgrazed. Once 
started, gullying proceeds rapidly. Many roads and 
trails in the Highlands are, like this one, lined with 
maguey plants. These are unusually small ones, re- 
cently planted. The pots in the cargo shown are held 
on by ropes passed through the handles and attached 
to a wooden frame. A cargo net is passed around 
them; here not reaching the upper ones. 
Piate 30 
a, Great areas in the high mountains (altitude here 2,500 
m., 8,202 ft.) are almost completely covered with this 
course, sedgelike grass. Clearing it with hoes (note 
man, lower left) is an arduous process. A large patch 
(center and lower right) has already been cleared. 
b, Men are thatching the larger house with bunchgrass (seen 
growing in immediate foreground, right). Maize in 
the fields is about 6 weeks old (date of photograph, 
May 4, 1936). The distant slopes beyond the fence 
line have been cultivated within recent years (old 
furrows are visible), but are being left to go back 
to bush. They will probably remain fallow for 10 
years. The small structure in the middle of the milpa 
is a shelter for lookouts, to be occupied when the 
grain is ripe. 
c, This is 20 km. south of Sacapulas, elevation 1,800 m., or 
5,900 feet, February 8, 1941; planting here is in 
March; harvest, October. These carefully made fur- 
rows, usually about 3 feet apart, may be as deep as 18 
inches. Furrows follow the contour of slopes. For 
a description of this process, see p. 20. 
d, Except for the ear on the left end, which is from near 
Guatemala City, all of these ears are from Santa 
Cruz. From left to right, they are as follows: (1) 
white flint, (2) yellow flint, (3) white flint, (4) 
“black” (dark purplish blue) flint, (5) white flint, 
(6) white flint, (7) white dent, (8) “black” (dark 
blue and purplish with scattered yellow grains) flint. 
The two on the end are 8 inches (about 20 cm.) long. 
I rarely found ears longer than 10 inches (25 cm.) in 
Guatemala; the largest was about 12 inches (30 cm.) 
long (San Pedro Pinula, 1,550 m., eastern Guatemala). 
Most maize ears from high altitudes (above 2,500 or 
8,202 ft.) are even smaller than (1), though otherwise 
‘resembling it, averaging about 4 inches. No. 6 has 
the largest grains of any I saw, some of them being 
nearly one-half inch (1 cm.) in’width. Flour corn 
ears are usually the size and shape of No. 7, very 
light and chalky white, the grains soft and floury. 
e, At the ground surface (top of picture) may be seen in 
cross section old furrows of a milpa or of a wheat 
field. Lateral gullies are starting to form at the fur- 
rows. The top of a road culvert appears at the lower 
right; the road in the extreme corner. 
f, These pinnacles, the larger ones as high as 60 feet, may 
have started as shown in e. Many of them are capped 
with well consolidated sand and they can retain sharp, 
symmetrical spires (right foreground). Though these 
riscos, which are tourist attractions on the edge of the 
town of Momostenango, are not extensive, there are 
many badly eroded areas of less advanced stage in 
the region. This reduction of cultivable surface may 
