THE PLACE AND THE PEOPLE 



on map 3 are also used by autoinohiles, except that 

 in the rainy season the river cannot usually be 

 forded. The main footpaths are from 2 to 4 feet 

 in width. The smaller ones, connecting the 

 houses with one another and with the main paths 

 and roads, accommodate only single files. Cid- 

 vcrts for the passage of the irrigation ditches are 

 covered over in most cases by logs and earth; but 

 crossing the smaller paths the ditches are usuall}^ 

 left open, to be stepped over by the pedestrian. 



The irrigation ditches vary in width from 1 to 2 

 feet. Only the main ones are shown on map 3, 

 but it can be seen that every part of the delta is 

 fed by the network. The truck lands that are 

 watered from the ditches are cultivated in small 

 raised beds and the v.-atcr flows between them when 

 it is required. Any of the ditches can be cut off" 

 by a barrier of branches, rocks, and earth; sluice 

 gates are not used. During the rainy season the 

 main ditches must be watched carefully at their 

 sources lest the water flow beyond control. Dur- 

 ing the dry season, on the other hand, there is often 

 a shortage of water and only part of the network 

 can be used at one time. A certain amount of 

 cooperation is therefore required throughout the 

 year among those who make use of the irrigation 

 system. 



' The census of 1921 (Guatemala, 1924, Fourth 

 Census, pt. 2, pp. 186-187) is the latest published 

 census report which subdivided the populations 

 of the mui^iciplos by location. (The detailed 

 results of the 1940 census are not published.) 

 The 1921 census subdivides the rnunicipio of 

 Panajachel as follows: 



The puoblo of Panajachel, population 1,041 



The hamlet of Patanatic, population 82 



The plantations of La Dicha, Sta. Victoria, Nativi- 

 dad, Jesiis Maria, and S. FeUpe Bella Flcr, 



population 2.57 



The flour mill of S. Buenaventura, population 8 



The lake ports of Tzanjuyii and Monterrey, popula- 

 tion 62 



Of these divisions, the only ones included in 

 this study are the pueblo (which occupies the delta 

 portion of map 3) and the two "lake ports," the 

 first of which lies just beyond the southwest corner 

 of the map and the second a short distance to the 

 east. Both Tzanjuyii and Monterrey are sites of 

 hotels, and at the time of this study the second was 

 not a port at all. On the other hand, when this 

 study was made there was another port, called 

 Santander, still farther to the east. 



Patanatic is a settlement of Indians who came 

 two or three generations ago from the municipio 

 of Totonicapan to the northwest. It may be con- 

 sidered a colony of Totonicapenos ^ who remain 

 socially and economically distinct from the Indians 

 of Panajachel. Patanatic is located in the hills 

 north of Panajachel along the automobile highway 

 just before it descends to the river and delta of 

 Panajachel (map 2). The plantations Santa 

 Victoria, Natividad, and Jesus Maria arc to the 

 north (map 2). La Dicha and Bella Flor are in 

 the east delta (map 3). They are not plantations 

 in the sense of having a permanent popuJation of 

 laborers. San Buenaventura, called a flour mill in 

 the census, was at the time of this study a large 

 and populous coff'ee plantation. The main portion 

 of it is near the lake shore on a small delta just 

 west of the Panajachel delta (map 2). 



POPULATION 



To the 1921 census figure of 1,041 for the 

 "pueblo" should he added the population of the 

 ports and the two plantations of the delta, for a 

 total of 1,113 living in the main delta portion. 

 Records in the municipal hall show that in the 

 15 years from 1921 to 1936, 365 more births were 

 registered than deaths (table 1). The pueblo's 

 portion of this increase would be some 288, and 

 the 1,113 of 1921 should have increased natinally 

 to 1,401. Such a figure takes no account of immi- 

 gration or emigration; but I know no reason to 

 believe that one outweighed the other greatly 

 diu-ing this period. The 1940 census gave an 

 "urban" population (probably including every- 

 thing but Patanatic) of 1,871. Yet in 1936, we 

 could account for only about 1,200 inhabitants in 

 the delta. A careful census of the Indians re- 

 vealed a few less than 800, and since ordy 62 

 Ladino families and 7 odd individuals were 

 casually counted, it is not likely that there were 

 more than about 400 Ladinos. Whatever the 

 cause of the discrepancy between my figures and 

 those inferred from official sources, for the pur- 

 poses of this study the population will be taken 

 as about 1,200. 



The distinguishing characters of Ladinos and 

 Indians, the two classes of people officially 

 recognized in Guatemala, differ to some extent in 



* Tlie Spanish manner of designating inhabitants of towns will be used in 

 this report; thus, an Atiteeo is from Atitl&ii. an .\ntoiiero from San .Intonio 

 Palopo, etc. 



