HOUSES OF THE SIERRA TARASCANS — REALS, CARRASCO, McCORKLE 



•13 



each pillar. In any case, carved ornamentation is 

 common, often covering roof beam, capital, and 

 even the upper part of the pillars (pi. 5, lower, 

 right). The pillars at each end of the veranda 

 usually have a gi'oove to receive the ends of the 

 side-wall beams. 



The topmost two wall planks and the beam 

 above the pillars are usually one vara longer than 

 the others, and the ends are cut into a curve and 

 often carved. In addition, a special carved piece 

 of red heartwood called a "cornisa" may surmount 

 the usual wall. 



The top of the wall and the beam supported by 

 the pillars in front of the veranda must now be 

 carefully leveled again. A morticed cross beam, 

 "atravesano dd tapanco" (uanaoekua), is generally 

 placed in the middle of the room at the top of the 

 walls. The ceiling is laid directly over the tops 

 of the walls, and wooden pins attach the two outer 

 planks to the waUs. As the ceiling serves as the 

 floor of the attic, the planks are usually of the 

 same thickness as the lower floor. In one corner, 

 almost always over the veranda, but occasionally 

 inside the room, an opening is left to provide access 

 to the loft or attic. 



Upon the "jilanchas" is erected the frame of the 

 roof. First are placed the "tijeras" (jauarakua) 

 consisting of pau-s of fir poles about Hi varas apart. 

 Half of the upper end of each pole is cut away, 

 and the two are nailed together or, more com- 

 monly in Cheran, they are fastened with a wooden 

 pin. The lower ends rest in sockets cut in the 

 "planchas." Two pah's of rafters arc now leaned 

 toward each other and fastened together. Usually, 

 three groups of rafters of four each are used. At 

 each end of the house another rafter is now placed 

 with a deep notch in the upper end. Within this 

 notch is fitted a ridge pole (fig. 7, d, e). For 

 further strength, pairs of rafters may be braced 

 by crosspieces nailed to them below the apex of 

 the roof. 



In other toAvmis the ridge pole is not used (pi. 5, 

 lower, left). Additional smaller rafters may also 

 be added after the main framework is erected, 

 but in Cheran the house normally has 14 rafters 

 of equal size, 3 groups of 4 and 1 at each end 

 supporting a ridge pole. 



Stringers, "Jajillas" or "costillas" (latasA), are 

 fastened horizontally to the rafters. The distance 

 apart depends upon the length of shakes used. 

 Nails arc ordinarily employed now to fasten the 



stringers, but wooden pegs (taniju) of pine heart- 

 wood or wild crabapple, or string of maguey or 

 bark fibers, may be used. The method of attach- 

 ment is such that each shed of the roof is a sepa- 

 rate unit and, by removing the wooden pins, may 

 be lifted off intact in case it is desired to move the 

 house to another location (pi. 5, upper, right). 

 The stringers are crudely made with ax or saw. 

 They are not measured, but after fastening, any 

 surplus length is cut off. 



The shakes are laid in two layers with the thick 

 sides facing in opposite directions (fig. 8). They 



c 



Figure 8. — Methods of attaching and laying shakes. 



are fastened down now usually with 2- or 3-inch 

 nails. However, they may also be fastened with 

 small pins (pu-enc'A) of red-pine wood, or, prefer- 

 ably, of wild crab apple, tejocofe. If pins are 

 employed, a hole is made with an awl. The 

 shakes must be put on while green; othei-wise 

 si)litting is excessive. If it is necessary to use 

 old shakes, they are fu-st soaked in water. 



In addition to the above methods, shakes may 

 be held in place by long thin strips of wood placed 

 on top of the shakes. Stones are placed on the 

 wooden strips at intervals. This method is rarely 

 used now on houses, where the steep pitch of the 

 roofs makes it rather insecm-e, but it is common 

 on the roofs of sheds and stables and is not infre- 



