﻿Vol.2] 
  THE 
  AYMARA 
  — 
  TSCHOPIK 
  525 
  

  

  A 
  third 
  type 
  of 
  dragnet 
  is 
  towed 
  at 
  night 
  by 
  two 
  one-man 
  balsas. 
  

   It 
  has 
  a 
  rectangular 
  mouth, 
  some 
  4.9 
  feet 
  (1.5 
  m.) 
  by 
  3 
  feet 
  (1 
  m.), 
  and 
  

   is 
  6 
  feet 
  (2 
  m.) 
  long. 
  

  

  Perhaps 
  the 
  most 
  common 
  technique 
  used 
  at 
  night 
  is 
  called 
  "fence" 
  

   fishing. 
  The 
  fence, 
  whichjs 
  3 
  feet 
  (1 
  m.) 
  high, 
  is 
  made 
  of 
  single 
  reeds 
  

   fastened 
  to 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  grass 
  rope 
  anchored 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  

   reeds 
  float 
  upward. 
  It 
  extends 
  some 
  65 
  feet 
  (20 
  m.) 
  perpendicularly 
  

   from 
  the 
  totora 
  marshes 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  shore 
  into 
  open 
  water. 
  The 
  

   fisherman 
  anchors 
  his 
  balsa 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  fence 
  and 
  puts 
  out 
  a 
  

   conical 
  net, 
  5.7 
  feet 
  (1.75 
  m.) 
  in 
  diameter 
  and 
  4.9 
  feet 
  (1.5 
  m.) 
  long, 
  

   tied 
  into 
  a 
  pole 
  frame 
  (fig. 
  47, 
  bottom). 
  The 
  fences 
  are 
  owned 
  in- 
  

   dividually 
  and 
  are 
  rebuilt 
  each 
  year 
  (fig. 
  48) 
  . 
  

  

  Flares 
  of 
  dry 
  totora 
  reed 
  or 
  grass 
  are 
  used 
  only 
  with 
  the 
  scoop 
  net 
  

   (fig. 
  47, 
  top), 
  which 
  is 
  employed 
  during 
  January 
  and 
  February. 
  The 
  

   fisherman 
  wades 
  in 
  the 
  shallow 
  lagoons 
  near 
  the 
  lake 
  shore 
  or 
  along 
  the 
  

   banks 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  rivers. 
  The 
  scoop 
  net 
  is 
  29.5 
  inches 
  (75 
  cm.) 
  in 
  

   diameter 
  with 
  a 
  handle 
  4.9 
  feet 
  (1.5 
  m.) 
  long. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  owned 
  by 
  the 
  Lake 
  Spirit 
  (see 
  p. 
  559), 
  who 
  allows 
  

   them 
  to 
  be 
  caught 
  provided 
  they 
  are 
  well 
  treated. 
  The 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  

   most 
  perfect 
  fish 
  in 
  each 
  catch 
  are 
  burned 
  in 
  the 
  stove 
  with 
  coca, 
  while 
  

   the 
  fisherman 
  appeals 
  to 
  the 
  Lake 
  Spirit 
  that 
  his 
  luck 
  may 
  continue. 
  

   La 
  Barre, 
  following 
  Wegner, 
  describes 
  an 
  interesting 
  rite 
  in 
  which 
  fish 
  

   are 
  offered 
  coca 
  and 
  chicha 
  so 
  that 
  they 
  will 
  become 
  abundant 
  (La 
  

   Barre, 
  ms.). 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  carnival, 
  the 
  fishermen 
  of 
  each 
  community, 
  headed 
  by 
  

   their 
  leader, 
  who 
  owes 
  his 
  position 
  to 
  superior 
  knowledge 
  and 
  ability, 
  

   engage 
  a 
  magician 
  (paqo; 
  see 
  p. 
  564) 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  nocturnal 
  sacrifice 
  to 
  

   the 
  Lake 
  Spirit. 
  He 
  consults 
  coca 
  to 
  find 
  the 
  best 
  hour 
  for 
  the 
  sacrifice, 
  

   burns 
  the 
  offering, 
  and 
  makes 
  libations 
  in 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  an 
  old 
  balsa, 
  

   after 
  which 
  the 
  balsa 
  is 
  cut 
  adrift. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  event 
  of 
  trespass 
  by 
  a 
  man 
  from 
  another 
  community, 
  the 
  

   angry 
  fishermen 
  engage 
  a 
  witch 
  (laiqa) 
  to 
  spoil 
  the 
  culprit's 
  luck 
  or 
  to 
  

   cause 
  him 
  to 
  have 
  an 
  accident. 
  His 
  luck 
  may 
  also 
  be 
  spoiled 
  by 
  

   placing 
  three 
  leaves 
  of 
  coca 
  one 
  over 
  the 
  other, 
  dull 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  leaf 
  

   uppermost. 
  The 
  trespasser 
  is 
  then 
  named, 
  the 
  Lake 
  Spirit 
  invoked 
  to 
  

   spoil 
  his 
  luck, 
  and 
  the 
  coca 
  leaves 
  crushed 
  and 
  thrown 
  into 
  the 
  wind. 
  

  

  Food 
  preparation. 
  — 
  The 
  majority 
  of 
  foods 
  — 
  meat 
  or 
  fish 
  cooked 
  

   with 
  potatoes, 
  chufiu, 
  quinoa, 
  ocas, 
  greens, 
  etc. 
  — 
  are 
  boiled 
  and 
  eaten 
  

   either 
  as 
  stews 
  or 
  drained 
  and 
  eaten 
  dry. 
  Occasionally, 
  meat 
  and 
  

   fowl 
  are 
  roasted 
  on 
  spits 
  over 
  coals, 
  and 
  potatoes 
  are 
  roasted 
  in 
  earth 
  

   ovens. 
  In 
  Bolivia, 
  ovens 
  are 
  rare, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  difficulty 
  of 
  getting 
  

   fuel. 
  

  

  Cheese 
  is 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  milk 
  of 
  cattle 
  or 
  sheep, 
  using 
  Colonial 
  Spanish 
  

   techniques 
  throughout. 
  Bread 
  is 
  prepared 
  from 
  toasted 
  and 
  ground 
  

   quinoa 
  (pi. 
  103, 
  bottom) 
  mixed 
  with 
  salt 
  and 
  water. 
  Small^pats 
  

  

  