EMPIRES CHILDREN: THE PEOPLE OF TZINTZUNTZAN FOSTER 



125 



[Tabulation continued from page 124] 



This is as built, without floor and without the apla- 

 nado de lodo, the outside and inside plastering which 

 a good house should have. 



(6) The kitchen is 5 m. square, outside dimension, 

 with a door but no window. Old lumber was used, 

 so there was no cost for this. Vicente broke the rock 

 for the fundation himself, taking it from a nearby 

 wall. It was laid less deep than for a house. Adobes 

 also, since roof weight is moderate, were laid length- 

 wise, not crosswise. Vicente also built the crude 

 wooden door. Actual costs out of pocket: 



500 adobes 



500 tiles 



Mason's charge 



Mud daub on inside wall. 

 Erection of the stove 



27.50 



50.00 



72.00 



7.00 



5.00 



Total $ 161.50 



Shelves and adobe benches on the inside were 

 arranged by Vicente himself. This is a far less sub- 

 stantial structure than his house, and has a dirt floor 

 only. As kitchens go, it is well built and should last 

 with a minimum of repairs for many years. 



(c) This is a hypothetical house of two rooms, 5 

 by 6 m., of the very best possible construction. 



4,000 adobes at 860 a thousand S 



3.000 tiles at S125 a thousand 



Cracked rock for foundation 



6 carved stone bases for porch pillars . . . 

 6 pillars at $15 each 



6 zapatas (carved pillar tojjs) at SIO eacli 



1 ridge pole of 12 m 



Lintels 



7 plantillas at $7 each 



72 12-inch by 6-inch beams at $85 a dozen 



48 roof beams at $50 a dozen 



12 dozen fajillas (cross sticks on roof 



beams to support tiles) at $10 a dozen 

 1,000 small boards 1-inch by 2-inch for 



attie 



(or 20 cargas of 200 tejamaniles. laid 



double and covered with thin layer of 



mud) 



Large double door 



4 small doors at $50 each 



240 



375 



120 



150 



90 



60 



30 



50 



49 



510 



200 



120 



360 



(240) 

 150 

 200 



2 windows at $50 each 100 



20 kilos nails 60 



Hinges and locks 55 



Carpenter 150 



Mason, aided by peon. 6 weeks, work . . . 300 



4,000 floor tiles 400 



Mason to place tiles 75 



Mud coating, outside and in, including 



labor 56 



Total $3,900 



This appears to be a very high figure and 

 probably represents Ignacio's "dream" house. 

 Apparently, depending on finish and exact size, 

 a good two-room house in 1945 would cost be- 

 tween $1,500 and $ 3,000. Probably the poorest 

 house, built by the owner himself, could be 

 constructed with a cash expenditure of $100 or 

 a bit more. 



CANDLE MAKING 



Two or three individuals make candles as a 

 part-time profession. The beeswax used is the 

 local product of Tzintzuntzan beekeepers. After 

 taking the comb from the hive it is placed in a 

 basket and crushed with the hand to loosen the 

 honey which runs out of the wax, through the bot- 

 tom of the basket and into a cazuela. Hot water 

 is then poured over the comb to remove the rest 

 of the honey. The resulting sweetened water 

 may be used to cook squash or other candied 

 dishes. The wax itself is melted and poured into 

 small cazuelas or tin molds in the bottom of 

 which is placed a little water. The wax floats on 

 top and when hard the mold is turned over; 

 the water at the bottom of the mold causes the 

 solid block to fall out. 



Tlie first step in making candles is to bleach 

 the wax. It is placed in a large cazuela, water 

 is added in equal proportions, and the whole 

 thing placed on a fire so that the wax will melt. 

 With an hojeador, a wooden disk 30 cm. in 

 diameter with a handle 12 cm. long (fig. 31, b) 

 the worker dips into the wax and lifts, so that a 

 thin sheet of wax adheres to the bottom of the 

 disk. This is immediately placed in another ca- 

 zuela filled with soapy water, which hardens the 

 wax and dislodges it from the disk. This process 

 is continued until all of the wax has been 

 removed, leaving only hot water. Next the thin 

 sheets of wax are spread in the sun to bleach, 

 preferably on grass so that they will not melt. 



