CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTHWEST GUATEMALA—McBRYDE 177 
Quiché Indian men, who also make heavy rubber 
bands from inner tubes. A sharp knife is used to 
cut out the sandals, which are outlined in pencil on the 
inside of the casing. Most of the cord is cut away, 
and the tread leveled down a bit with the knife. An 
ear-shaped extension on each side (larger on the out- 
side of the foot) near the’back of the sandal, in line 
with the ankles, serves to hold the tapered leather 
thong, which is a meter (about 39 in.) long and one- 
fourth of an inch wide. Four round holes (less than 
one-fourth in.) are made through the sandal, one 
through each ear, and two in line near the toe, about 
three-fourths of an inch apart; the same distance from 
the end and inside the great toe. The thong is passed 
through both holes, the big end, split and twisted, 
wedging in the front one, passing under the sandal 
and up through the rear hole. It is then passed 
through each ear, and tied in a bow over the instep. 
These sandals are very widely worn by the Indian 
men in the Highlands, where many prefer them to 
leather ones for comfort and wear. Six-ply truck 
tires, though heavy on the feet, are especially prized 
for long wear. In the warm Lowlands rubber sandals 
are worn less frequently, because of the greater heat- 
ing and perspiring of the feet on rubber. On various 
occasions in Highland Guatemala markets, I have 
been asked by Quiché sandalmakers if I wanted to 
sell my spare tire. 
e, Here the Rio Negro, flowing from west to east (right to 
left) is seen near the center of the picture, with light- 
colored salt playa left of center, and the rows of 
houses (about 25) for cooking salt just beyond. The 
village of Sacapulas (elevation about 1,200 m. or 
3,937 ft.) is near the river (upper center) and leading 
from it, across a bridge, is the road (extreme right) 
to Cunen, Cotzal, and Nebaj. This is a steep ascent 
up the high north face of the valley. Except for the 
salt playa, the clearings seen in the valley are corn- 
fields ; there is some sugarcane in the wet river bottom 
at the extreme right. The vegetation along the lower 
slopes is mostly thorn bush and cactus, with wooded 
areas of pine and oak higher up (above about 1,400 m. 
or 4,593 ft.). 
f, This is the last step in the making of Sacapulas cake salt, 
which appears in quantity in the local market and 
others in the vicinity ; sometimes in distant ones. Men 
carry the heavy baskets of dirt, but women partici- 
pate in other steps, such as pouring water from tinajas 
over the dirt to leach it, and pouring fluid salt into 
molds; for this industry, see page 60. The huipil worn 
here is white, scalloped at the bottom, and worn out- 
side of the skirt, which is jaspe patterned, blue or 
variegated (mostly red). There may be red scallops 
embroidered on the collar. Zutes are large, with 
blue jaspe patterns, and fringed. A many-colored 
head band is wrapped around and bunched in front 
and at one side of the head. 
g, The Guatemala piece is of various colors, mostly black, 
red, green, and yellow, whereas the Italian textile is 
pale green on white. In both there may be seen con- 
ventionalized birds, the tree of life, and geometric 
654162—47—13 
designs. Undoubtedly all such motifs came in with 
the Spaniards, and many of them may be traced to 
the eastern Mediterranean, 
PLATE 43 
a, (For the various steps in this craft, see p. 57.) Stones 
are piled up, leaving only a shallow space at the top, 
where thick layers of soot are accumulated. Flames 
may be seen on the ends of sticks of pitch pine ‘held 
by the man stooping at the right. The neighbor 
standing in the background is wearing trousers made 
of a flour sack having a prominent label across the 
front, not an uncommon sight where white cotton 
trousers are worn. 
b, The pitcher at the left is filled with soot, which is poured 
as needed into the large clay pot where the man 
is working. Finished jicaras, polished and incised 
and ready for the market, are seen in the basket at the 
lower left. The man is seated on a chair so small 
that it is not noted in the photograph (b and c). 
f, Several of the gourdlike fruits may be seen on the upper 
branches of the tree; also, at the extreme upper 
left, epiphytic bromeliads, commonly used to decorate 
churches and altars (pl. 17, b). 
PLATE 44 
a, In the background are large rolled-up rush mats from 
San Antonio Aguascalientes (c). Through the ruined 
arch is Agua volcano, the peak obscured by clouds. 
All the churches of Antigua were severely damaged by 
the earthquake (June 29, 1773), though local tradition 
holds that some were also blown up with gunpowder 
to break the power of the Church. 
b, This is a view to the southeast. Patches of pine woods, 
as in the foreground, cover only limited summits 
and steep-sided' barrancas, since most of the level 
land is cleared for maize and wheat. The volcanoes 
in the background are Agua (left center), and 
Pacaya, faintly visible to the left of it; Acatenango 
and Fuego are at extreme right. 
c, The man’s suit is of white cotton; his capixai (here called 
codiarte) is of dark-blue wool. 
d, Antigua Guatemala, which appears prominently in the 
picture, at the lower left, was the capital of Guate- 
mala from 1543 until 1773, when it was destroyed 
by an earthquake (see a). (The present capital, 
built after the abandonment of Antigua, was also 
badly wrecked by an earthquake in December 1917.) 
In the distance at the left, beyond Antigua, may be 
seen Ciudad Vieja, formerly called Almolonga, capital 
of Guatemala from 1527 (after the move from 
Iximché) until 1541, when a September rainy period 
resulted in flooding which destroyed it (pl. 19, e). 
The patch of white off to the right of Antigua is 
another village, probably Jocotenango or San Felipe. 
Several zones of vegetation are visible in the picture. 
The plateau in the vicinity of the villages in exten- 
sively wooded, with fine coffee groves interspersed 
with milpas (cornfields); above that, slopes are 
cleared for corn as along the base of the volcanoes; 
pine and oak forests clothe much of the middle and 
