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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 2 



spices (mayjoram, innce/nte, etc.) The trip to 

 Petatlan takes a total of 18 clays (see itinerary 

 below) ; San Geronimo is 5 days farther. A 

 round trip usually takes about 6 weeks. 



J. G. also leaves on a Thursday. Leaving his 

 burro at Patzcuaro, he goes to Quiroga to buy 

 pottery (probably on the bus, as he does not 

 take his burros). Returning to Patzcuaro, on 

 one trip he bought 500 strings of garlic, 15 

 liters of oils at $1.50 a liter (salad oil, olive oil, 

 accites de razar, malza manteqidlla, canaldo, 

 mastral, and verbena) , and spices {pimiente, 

 rosemary, mandruje, flor de azalco, and manza- 

 iiilla horaja) , and 2\U dozen wooden spoons of 

 assorted sizes. 



At Paso de la Vaca, J. G. began to sell a 

 little, but only enough to buy food (he had run 

 out of money) . His itinerary is similar to that 

 of M. F., but he made one more stop. On his 

 return he loaded one burro with dried meat 

 and rode the other because he was sick. For 

 the same reason he spent 8 days at one place. 

 The two itineraries follow : 



Arrive M. F. 



Pichataro Thursday. . 



Patzcuaro Friday 



Santa Clara Saturday. . . 



Ario de Resales Sunday , . . 



Alinonzita Monday , 



Corral de Piedras 



Cayaco Tuesday . . . 



Guadaloupe Wednesday 



Rio de las Balsas Thursday. 



Paso de las Vacas Friday 



J. G. 

 Thursday 

 Friday 

 Saturday 

 Sunday 



Monday 

 . Tuesday 

 Wednesday 

 Thursday 

 Friday 

 (began to sell) 



Limon Saturday . 



(began to sell) 



Zopilote Saturday 



Tepehuaje Sunday Sunday 



Colmenaros Monday Monday 



La Union Tuesday Tuesday 



La Onia (close to 



Pacific from here on) Wednesday, Wednesday 



Pantla Thursday Thursday 



Puerto Sijuatanejo Friday Friday 



Cuicuayul Saturday 



San Geronimito Saturday Sunday 



Petatlan Sunday Monday 



San Geronimo is 5 days' traveling beyond 

 Petatlan; Acapulco is 6 days' traveling from 

 San Geronimo. 



Another example is C. S. C. who makes only 

 one trip a year, a visit to Holy Week in 

 Petatlan, Guerrero. He carries woodwork from 



Paracho and brings back coconuts and dried 

 meat. He normally travels only a half day. 

 (However, his half day would mean a dawn 

 start and continuing normally until midafter- 

 noon.) His stops are as follows: Pichataro, 

 Sirawen, Ario, Las Palmas, La Playa, Cayaco, 

 Guadaloupe, Las Balsas, Corcoles, La Limon, 

 Tepehuaje, Colmeneros, La Union, Pantla, 

 Puerto Sijuatanejo, San Geronimito, and 

 Petatlan. 



Arrieros probably have superior techniques 

 for handling burros. Criolina is carried for 

 treating saddle sores, and burros are shod 

 "when the burro catches cold in his feet." 

 Dysentery {"posicion") is the most frequent 

 cause of loss of burros on trips. 



Arrieros also observe special ceremonies. A 

 candle and prayer are offered to San Antonio 

 before going on a trip, and thanks are rendered 

 on return. The arrieros also maintain a 

 mayordomia for San Antonio, which is de- 

 scribed elsewhere. 



In general, knowledge of the economics of 

 the arrieros' activities is unsatisfactory. It 

 would be extremely difficult to gain an accurate 

 idea of the amount of goods exchanged by this 

 method or to discover the monetary or other 

 rewards obtained by the arricro. 



The importance of the arricro class un- 

 doubtedly will wane rapidly with the extension 

 of highways and truck trails. Already the 

 importance of the arricro in the Coalcoman 

 region has greatly diminished as a result of 

 truck trails opened up in recent years. When 

 a direct connection is made between the high- 

 land and the developing truck trail system in 

 the Balsas Basin, the arriero probably will 

 rapidly disappear. 



TRANSPORTATION 



As has been indicated at various points in 

 the preceding pages, the burro is the most com- 

 mon means of transportation still, supplemented 

 occasionally by horses or mules. Poor traders 

 may even make long journeys carrying their 

 goods on their backs. Nevertheless, a revolu- 

 tion in transportation is under way in Cheran. 



One alteration in the transportation picture 

 is the truck which picks up bulk goods in Cheran 

 for markets that formerly were closed to these 

 items. As much as 4,000 kilos of wheat has 



