404 
GUATEMALA. 
genus Heros), pepesca, and chimbolo. At times an erup¬ 
tion of sulphurous gases partly asphyxiated the fish, 
driving them to the shores, where they fell a prey to 
the fishermen. What the fishermen did on occasion of 
greater disturbances is told in the following extract from 
a Guatemaltecan journal; 1 the author, Don Camillo Gal¬ 
van, formerly Visitador-General, writes as follows: — 
“ The people of the pueblos around the lake, Cojute- 
peque, Texacuangos, and Tepezontes, say that when the 
earthquakes came from the lake, which they knew by the 
disappearance of fish, it was a sign that the monster lord 
of those regions who dwelt in the depths of the lake was 
eating the fish, and probably would consume them all 
shortly, unless provided with a more delicate and juicy 
diet worthy of his power and voracity; for they say that 
the monster only eats fish as men eat fruit, to refresh and 
allay hunger. The natives, deeply afflicted by the fish 
famine, the failure of an article of commerce and their 
ordinary diet, collected at the command of their chiefs. 
Then the sorcerers (los hnijos ) commanded the people to 
throw flowers and fruits into the lake: if the trem¬ 
blings continued, they were to cast in animals, preferring 
conies (Lepus Douglassii), taltusas (Geornys heterodus), 
then armadillos ( Dasypus ), and mapachines (Procyon 
cancrivorus). These animals must be caught alive and 
cast living into the water, under penalty of no less than 
hanging with the vine zinak. If some days passed, and 
the tremors continued, and the fish did not come out of 
their caves, they (the brujos) took a girl of from six to 
nine years old, decked her with flowers, and at midnight 
the wizards took her to the middle of the lake and cast 
1 La Sociedad Economica, No. 6, March 14, 1880. 
