XI, A. 5 Lednicky: The Palidartr-slide Mine 249 



to keep the others somewhat appeased. Whenever a theft is 

 discovered, some one must be punished. More cafiaos are 

 necessary, and curious trials to determine the culprit are held. 



The women remain continent during the mining season, and 

 never wash their bodies so long as the vein is producing, for 

 fear that the gold will disappear. If it thunders, the Igorots 

 must perform a cafiao, and if any cloth is burned near the mine, 

 they will not work until the proper anito has been appeased. 

 They burn nothing but pitch in the workings; a lighted candle 

 taken into the mine would create much excitement. 



About 60,000 pesos in gold are produced yearly out of Palidan, 

 Most of this, or about 45,000 pesos' worth, is sold to buyers, 

 who use the old Spanish custom of buying by the old Mexican 

 peso weight (28.34 grams). Ordinarily about 20 to 30 pesos 

 are paid per peso weight of gold. By taking advantage of 

 natives who are forced to sell in order to give cafiaos, unscru- 

 pulous buyers are able to get a large fraction of the output at 

 an even lower figure. The remainder of the gold not sold 

 outright is made into jewelry or buried under the houses until 

 needed. 



Good miners are known to take out several hundred grams 

 of dust in a single season. These are, of course, expected to 

 give larger caiiaos, so they remain practically as poor as the 

 rest. 



