280 



a strap of rawhide, the two ends of which are attached to another strap, 

 called tapal, of the size and form of a large hand. The burden is placed 

 on a stone, or some other elevated object, and the man, stooping down, 

 puts the tapal on the top of his head, and lifting his burden trots off 

 with it. When a paterfamilias, going on a journey, has baggage to 

 carry, either his wife or one of his children accompanies him to carry 

 his provisions. A professional carrier dispenses with such company 

 and secures his provisions on the top of the load. In most instances 

 his food consists of tortillas and a few peppers as a condiment, to which, 

 exceptionally, some boiled beans are added. Carriers always take with 

 them, in a little bag, some meal of toasted maize mixed with scraped 

 brown sugar (dulce). A handful of this mixture put in hot water forms 

 their only beverage, for they never touch fresh water, and whatever they 

 drink must be warm. For preparing this beverage every one carries 

 with him a small iron pot. All these articles are put in a netted bag, 

 called matate. There are, at certain intervals on the road, places where 

 the carriers rest during the day or at night. Such places are generally 

 near to a brook, if there is one by the road, or to a rancho, where there 

 are always some sticks of wood left glimmering by the previous party 

 for making a fire and preparing the drink (pinol). The usual weight 

 of a man's load is from 4 to 5 arrobas, an arroba being fixed by law at 

 25 pounds. Occasionally a man will carry a great deal more for a short 

 distance. To protect the load from rain every carrier takes with him 

 a kind of cloak (soyacal) made of the leaflets of a palm, stitched to- 

 gether in such manner as to overlap each other and form a short cone 

 with a broad base. This cloak is rolled up and secured to one side of 

 the load, indicating the nationality of the bearer; for by this he is at 

 once recognized as an inhabitant of Guatemala whenever he comes to 

 the neighboring states. This mode of carrying loads is undoubtedly 

 the cause of the fashion in which men wear their hair, which is clipped 

 short in front and on the top of the head, but allowed to grow to some 

 length on the back part. A similar fashion is observed by the Hanaks, 

 the inhabitants of the fertile plain of Central Moravia. The hair on the 

 top of the head of a professional carrier becomes much abraded. 



A specimen of carrying frame from British Honduras begins to fore- 

 shadow the apparatus used in the Andes for transporting travelers. It 

 consists of a stout wooden frame like the seat of a child's carriage elon- 

 gated, and is fastened to the back as in the Mexican basket carrier. 

 All sorts of luggage are brought within the lines of the British trading 

 posts on the backs of men in frames of this sort. (Fig. 33.) 



The far-famed coffee carriers of Rio usually go in troops, numbering 

 ten or twenty individuals, of whom one takes the lead and is called 

 the captain. These are generally the largest and strongest men that 

 can be found. While at work they seldom wear any other garment 

 than a pair of short pantaloons ; their shirt is thrown aside for the time 

 as an incumbrance. Each one takes upon his head a bag of coffee, 



