to the ditches and the river as to make the established distri- bution of water unfair. When a man organizes a farm, that is clears it of brush and digs a ditch to it, he inquires of the “judge of water,” a special official whose business it is to look after water disputes, as to how much water he may take and obtains a decision. In good years each farmer may take as much as he likes; but when the river is low the judge of water has to settle a host of cases, for disputes are of almost daily occurrence. Feuds arise and grow the more bitter, because the valley is restricted in population and because families are intimately related by village or social groups scattered up and down the valley. The quarrel of one thus becomes the quarrel of the group to which he belongs,
Said the manager of one of the mining companies at Co- piap6é in 1838, a year of particularly severe drought: “It would be difficult for any one who has not experienced it to believe in the robbery and quarreling constantly on foot with respect to rations of water in this extraordinary and desert district, along the whole course of the valley from the town to the cordillera, a distance of ninety miles—all the lands being dependent for irrigation upon a little contemptible stream of water whose volume at any one point is barely sufficient to fill the weir of an ordinary flour mill.
“Notwithstanding the regulations that have been made by the authorities—and heavy fines imposed on infringements— such are the difficulties of proof and such the localities of the district that abuses can be practiced with impunity…”
On more than one occasion | got myself into an embarrassing position on account of seemingly harmless questions about water rights. I soon found that a social guide was needed one who could tell me who were friends and who were enemies. At times it was necessary to exercise great care in receiving various officials and townspeople who were kind enough to call upon me, lest there should be formed an uncongenial group. It would be difficult for A to join B in polite explana- tions when A's servant had but lately broken B's servant's head. B would not feel nearly so badly about the broken head as about the alfalfa held that would now be ruined on account
