June, 1902. The Mishongnovi Ceremonies — Dorsey. 185 



was handed to the other priest, who repeated the performance. Just 

 after this consecration of the nakwakwosis began the boys all left 

 the kiva. 



On returning to the Snake kiva it was noticed that the morning 

 meal had been concluded and the food bowls and refuse had been 

 removed from the kiva. Choshnimtiwa left the kiva and soon returned 

 with a large native water jar, flat on one side and globular on the 

 other. Sitting down on the platform, with a sharp-pointed stone 

 he proceeded to break a hole in its upper side which was enlarged to 

 about two inches in diameter. He then fastened several bits of corn 

 cobs together by means of a yucca string and fitted them to the 

 aperture as a stopper, another stopper being provided in the same 

 manner for the regular opening of the jar. This work concluded, he 

 left the kiva again and soon returned with a blanket containing sand. 

 This sand was gotten from one of the sand hills west of the mesa. 

 Usually a man of the Sand clan gets the sand used in ceremonies, 

 but if none is obtainable any one may get it, preference, however, 

 being given to clan members related to the Sand clan. Sometimes a 

 man is called that belongs to the Sand clan, though he may be no 

 participant of that particular ceremony. He passed the blanket to 

 Nakwayeshwa who carried it to the southeast corner of the kiva, and 

 the sand was there spread out on the stone floo^ to the depth of about 

 two inches, covering an area of about two by three feet. On this 

 sand bed was placed the large water jar, with the flat side down and 

 the globular side with the hole upwards (see PI. LXXXHI, /;). 

 Lomanakshu, who had been sitting just to the south of the fireplace, 

 now lighted the pipe of old Homiwushyoma by means of the cedar 

 bark fuse which was now exhausted, whereupon Choshnimtiwa made 

 another one. With the new fuse Lomanakshu lighted two additional 

 pipes, one of which he handed to his brother, Nakwayeshwa, and the 

 other he smoked himself. Thus, as they smoked, they were in the 

 usual position which had been maintained up to this tirrve, with Homi- 

 wushyoma on the east and Nakwayeshwa on the west. While they 

 -were smoking Choshnimtiwa left the kiva and returned with a pine 

 box two feet in length and a foot in height. In the bottom of this 

 box he cut a hole about two inches in diameter which he provided 

 with a corn-cob stopper, as in the case of the earthenware vessel. 

 The box was then placed by the side of the water vessel in the south- 

 east side of the kiva, with its lower arm buried in the sand. Nakwah- 

 ungwa entered the kiva, bringing with him a small red cotton bag 

 containing a snake, which he placed by the side of the other bags and 

 the sleeve. This Snake man, it will be remembered, was the one who 



