ereby exempting themselves from personal service throughout
the year. In that way the yoke of the polos and personal service is
loaded on those of less influence. Consequently the personal service
comes upon the Indians more frequently; _e.g._, although the village
can have two months of rest (if there is order and harmony), it is
usual for lack of that to have a return [of the personal service]
every month, or every six weeks, if the minister does not attend
to it, or intervene in the distribution of the personal service,
by investigating and showing up these frauds of the cabezas.

"Fourth, in the tree-cuttings that arise for the king or for the
village, all those who are cited do not go, many redeeming themselves
with money which they give to their cabeza or to the petty officer
[who exacts the work], thus burdening with all the work those who
go--from which it follows that the felling of the timber is extended
in time, and lasts longer than is necessary; and also that the petty
officers or the cabezas make the Indians work for their own private
interests. All of the above cannot be remedied unless the minister
undertake to station secret spies, to advise him of the number of
those who go, and also of those who work there more than is necessary
for the king or for the village--so that those who shall be involved
in such frauds may be punished, and so that they may be made to pay
what they have usurped.

"Fifth, the gobernadorcillos of the villages appoint the officials
whom they wish to help in their government. Many of them buy off
their personal attention to it with money, which they give to the
gobernadorcillo, and only help on Sundays with their authority,
remaining the rest of the time in their houses. Consequently,
the personal service of the village falls on very few, because of
these and other like exemptions by the gobernadorcillos and cabezas
for money, by which they themselves alone profit. For this reason,
one must assign a definite number of bilangos or constables, outside
of which number the gobernadorcillo cannot assign others. It appears
sufficient that in villages of five hundred tributes twelve bilangos
be appointed, so that each week four may aid, together with their
constable-in-chief and lieutenant. In smaller villages nine are
sufficient, so that three may aid every week. In very large villages
there may be fifteen or eighteen, so that five or six may assist every
week. Thus in all the village