CRUZ DAS almas: a BRAZILIAN VILLAGE — PIERSON 



59 



you one (striking once with the hammer), I give 

 you two (striking again). No one will give 

 more?" Pausing and carefully looking aroiuid 

 the crowd, he then added, "I give you three, and 

 sold to that gentleman there. Here it is, ray 

 friend, the glass is yours. Come up and get it and 

 put your gaita'^^° in the basket." Taking up a 

 roasted chicken, Bicava then said, "My good peo- 

 ple, a roasted chicken that smells mighty good. 

 It was roasted by Quim (a villager whose 

 skill in cooking is well known). It is some- 

 thing very special. You can have it for only 15 

 cruzeiros * * *." 



As he continued, Bicava became more effusive 

 and his efforts were more and more admired by the 

 bystanders who were enjoying the mannerisms 

 that accompanied the words, watching and listen- 

 ing with quite evident interest and pleasure. 

 His original selection as the village leiloeiro was 

 an informal process, and reflected a general feel- 

 ing that his abilities dictated that choice. Not 

 only in the village, but at religious festas held at 

 wayside chapels elsewhere in the community, he 

 is asked to sei-ve as auctioneer. His status in the 

 community undoubtedly is enhanced by this role, 

 in which he feels secure since there are no pro- 

 spective competitors. Once when he was unable 

 to be present and another man was substituted, 

 persons were heard to remark, ^^Qn-d! to do an 

 auction right, it's Bicava that's needed." 



The fogueteiro, or man who makes the fireworks 

 used at village festas also has an important func- 

 tion which is described elsewhere (Making of 

 Fireworks, p. 83). As indicated, this is done by 

 the mail carrier, as also, in most cases, is the actual 

 setting off of the rockets, although on occasions 

 when he cannot be present, either at festas in the 

 village or elsewhere in the community, another 

 man may take his place (pi. 19, d). 



Officials appointed by either the State or the 

 mu7ucipio government include the tax collector, 

 the registrar of vital statistics, the sub-'prefeito^ 

 the fiscal of the prefeitura, the village grave dig- 

 ger, the juiz de pa2, the suh-delegado and the sol- 

 dado. The tax collector keeps the State tax list 

 for the distrito, furnishes information to owners 

 of real estate, and collects taxes laid upon it. The 

 present official also owns and works a farm. He 

 is especially proud of the way in which he has 



'" Slang expression for money. 



discharged his responsibilities. "I have been tax 

 collector for 29 years," he says, "and I've never had 

 the least complaint either from my superiors or 

 from people in the community. The inspector in 

 Boa Vista goes over my books every month. In 

 all these years, there's never been the least thing 

 wrong with them. Not the least thing !" In the 

 community, he is known and respected as a person 

 and not merely as an official. When the tax rate 

 is raised, complaints are directed at "the Govern- 

 ment"; never at the man himself. "He only does 

 what the Government tells him to do," villagers 

 and farmers say. "He has to obey the law." The 

 collector is looking forward to retiring on a pen- 

 sion next year. "The work isn't so hard," he says. 

 "But I like to fish, and when I have work to do, I 

 can't go fishing. Suppose I closed and the inspec- 

 tor came and found me away ; it would be awful. 

 If I retire, I can go fishing whenever I like." 



During the past 49 years, there have been four 

 registrars of vital statistics in the village, one of 

 whom served nearly 40 years. The present regis- 

 trar has been 6 years in the village. He is an able 

 and conscientious public servant, 57 years old. 

 He also takes pride in discharging his obligations 

 well. "If I can help it," he says, "nothing goes 

 unrecorded." 



The sub-prefeito serves without pay under in- 

 structions from the prefeito, or principal adminis- 

 trative officer in the government of the municipio, 

 the seat of which is located in Boa Vista. The posi- 

 tion is at present vacant in the village, the fiscal 

 assuming the few responsibilities involved. The 

 fiscal normally is charged with collecting fees for 

 licenses, charges for water service from the village 

 reservoir, and similar levies. The present fiscal 

 also owns and works a small piece of land. The 

 sui-delegado is the law enforcement official under 

 orders of the delegado at the seat of the municipio, 

 and also serves without pay. The present suh- 

 delegado is a farmer and part-time carpenter who 

 recently sold his land and moved to the village. 

 He is usually asked to build the dooi-s and windows 

 for a new house and, on more rare occasions, to 

 make rough tables and chairs. He also constructed 

 one of the three water wheels in the community 

 (see pi. 15, c) . "This is the third time in 20 years," 

 he remarks with pride, "that I've been named siib- 

 delegado. My boss in Boa Vista says, 'You handle 

 things very well.' There really isn't much to do. 



