220 CHRISTIE. 



Regarding the value of stone filters, no statistics exist. 



It appears from the foregoing that the most important branch 

 of the quarry work at San Esteban is at present the making of 

 rice mortars; the second in importance, that of making paving 

 stones. Probably the value of the stone filters made, owing to 

 the comparatively high price of these articles, has been greater 

 during the past two years than that of the handmills. I propose 

 to give a brief description of these four classes of articles as 

 made at San Esteban, and of the procedure in making them. 



It is reported that formerly material for these articles could 

 be found on the beach, but at present the makers get it from 

 the bottom of the Bay of San Esteban. It is said that it is 

 obtained sometimes at a depth of 6 or 7 meters. According to 

 my own observation, added to the best reports I could get, it is 

 not necessary usually to go deeper than 3 or 4 meters. The 

 procedure is as follows: 



A party of men set out from shore, each on board of one of 

 the small rafts (rakit) used by fishermen. The bottom is ob- 

 served until a lump of stone suitable for the purpose is seen. 

 Then one or two of the men dive with a stout bar to loosen the 

 stone from the bottom. When the stone has been pried loose, 

 one of the men dives with a rope which is passed around it. 

 The free end of the rope is then fastened to a stout pole laid 

 crosswise on two or three small rafts. A bar fastened to this 

 pole enables the men to give the pole a few turns, winding in 

 the rope and jerking the stone oif the bottom whenever an 

 obstacle is encountered. No attempt is made to land the stone 

 on the rafts. By means of paddles and poles the rafts — now 

 fastened together — are propelled to the shore, dragging the stone 

 along the bottom. When shallow water is reached, the men get 

 off the rafts and roll the stone up the beach where it is rough- 

 hewn with an ax. After this it is rolled up into the yard or 

 under the house of one of the workers. With ax and bolo the 

 stone, which is very soft for some time after being taken from 

 the water, is further shaped and smoothed. The maker now 

 scratches two circles on the stone, one marking the outer and 

 the other the inner circumference of the filter's rim. The 

 chisel and hammer are now brought into play to hollow out the 

 stone. The bolo is also freely used to shape, smoothe, and hol- 

 low the article until it is finished. To use the filter, it is only 



