28 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY— PUBLICATION NO. 



lowing day the Mass is celebrated and afterward a proces- 

 sion through the pueblo. At 3 p. m. the distribution of fruits 

 of tlie harvest takes place. An arch erected over the Saint 

 and his scepter (haston) are loaded with offerings for the 

 Senor priest (Sr. cura), and the remaining offerings are dis- 

 tributed to the poor. The following day (the 16th of May), 

 the will (U'stiiiiiiiiin) of San Isidro is read, which assigns 

 tasks to those wliu iiave not lulfined their obligations to the 

 Saint. 



FISIIIXG 



The third and, from the point of view of the mimljer 

 of inhabitants, smallest (jf the three major divisions 

 of the Moche commtinity is the playa, or beach. 

 Physically the beach is squarely divided bv a re- 

 cently built summer resort called Las Delicias, given 

 over during the hot season to the pleasure of Tru- 

 jillo residents who can afford to own or rent cot- 

 tages there. A number of shops, a ceinent-sidewalked 

 plaza with electric lights, a seaside promenade, and 

 a casino made of planks constitute this vacation set- 

 tlement, in addition to some 30 cottages (pi. 8, 

 middle . left). However, Las Delicias normally is 

 inhabited only during the latter part of December 

 and the months of January and February. It is 

 an outside intrusion which plays no functional part 

 in the community life of Moche, other tlian as a 

 temporary source of sales and employment for a 

 few j\Iocheros during the "season." During the re- 

 mainder of the year it is totally deserted. The pro- 

 fessional fishing families of Moche are distributed 

 along the dunes overlooking the beach for about 

 a half mile on each side of Las Delicias. There are 

 seven houses to the northwest and seven to the south- 

 east. Counting a few chocas about the mouth of 

 the river to the northeast and a few more fisher 

 families who inaintain their dwellings ,back from the 

 beach (mas adcntro), the total fishing community 

 consists of perhaps 30 families. It is said that this 

 is considerably less than in former times, and that 

 as recently as 10 years ago there were as many as 

 50 fishermen's houses on the beach. 



When speaking of the fishing eleinent in the com- 

 munity, I refer to those families whose principal 

 activity is devoted to fishing, which is their main 

 source of livelihood. Almost everyone in the Moche 

 community goes to the beach occasionally to try his 

 luck, and also fishes in the ditches and the river, 

 but only the fishers (Pescadores), properly speaking, 

 try to make a living out of it. 



Except for occasional short trips with the Huan- 

 chaco fishermen, who sometimes visit these waters 



during the suinmer season, the Moche fishermen use 

 no water craft in their profession and all fishing is 

 done either from the shore of the sea or in the river 

 or the irrigation ditches. The following fishing ap- 

 paratus is used: (1) The cahiidii, a dip net for 

 catching shrimp, crabs, etc. (pi. 8, lower (right)); 

 (2) the eliiiiehorro (pi. 8, upper (right)), a large 

 two-man net of the general shape of a tennis net, 

 btit wider and lunger, used for fishing nff the beach 

 by wading into the surf; (3) the atarraya, a casting 

 net: (4) the red, a set net staked out at night; 

 ( ."1 ) the iiaza, a conical trap of cane set out in the 

 river or irrigation ditch: and (6) the espinel. a set- 

 line with hooks (fig. 1 ). 



SEA 



CUEROA(f) 



iHOOKS(d) 



-UNDERTOW 



rONDA (b) 



I 



TiRA(a') 



CURRENT 



1~IGURE 1. — Explanatory diagram of setline used for fisliing 

 (espint'l). (For explanation, see p. J9.) 



All of these appliances are made by the fishermen 

 themselves. The caiman is made of cotton thread. 

 As can be seen from the photograph (pi. 8, lower 

 (right)), the net is a purse-shaped affair supported 

 on two sticks held in the hands. Across the front 

 edge runs a thin rope to which are attached several 

 small lead weights, totaling about one-half pound, 

 which keeps this edge deep in the water when fishing 

 for shrimp, crabs, and small fish. The mesh is fine, 

 about one-quarter of an inch. The net is used both 

 in the sea and in fresh water. Two kinds of shrimp 

 are caught, muy-wny (sea shrimp), also called 



