i82 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. III. 



c), was a rectangular space surrounded by a stone wall in a con- 

 dition of semi-decay. Here all three halted and Lomanakshu took 

 from the meal bag the nakwakwosi which had been given him 

 by the Antelope priest and the four nakwakwosis which he had 

 previously made and consecrated, as has already been described, 

 uttered a prayer over them and deposited them in a cleft in the rocks 

 in a corner of the shrine. Above this were noticed several old bahos 

 deposited during former ceremonies. The prayer that Lomanakshu 

 uttered before depositing the bahos was as follows: 



Pai uma nongakni, shoshoyamu iima oomawhtu yijyahta nongakni. 

 Uma nongaqoe yan itanatwangu ang um uh balaye akv angnankwu- 

 shaqoe, itahnatwangu angpociwaqoe, itahtu angnonoshani. Yan hakam 

 itanaam ang itamu ayalalawaa. Owi uma itch nongakni. 



[Now, you emerge! All you clouds come out arrayed. And 

 having come out and thus letting your rain water meander through 

 our crops, they will sprout and our children will (have something 

 to) eat. Thus our fathers have sent us. Therefore, you come out 

 quickly.] 



Again he sprinkled meal over them and handed a pinch to the 

 other two men, who did likewise, when they resumed their journey 

 toward the top of the mesa, which was reached. about twelve o'clock. 



Arriving at the top of the mesa the snake hunt began in earnest. The 

 sight was an exceedingly pleasing one, as the three men began an eager 

 search here and there, one going in one direction, another in another, 

 coming, going, now all together, now widely separated, but always mov- 

 ing at a rapid rate, beating the sage brush with their digging sticks and 

 never ceasing in their earnest search for a moment. All three of the 

 men were entirely naked except for a scant loin cloth and moccasins. 

 The hair was permitted to hang freely from the head. One man was 

 followed on this hunt until late in the afternoon, when, owing to the 

 excessive heat and the failure to provide food and water, the author 

 was obliged to abandon the hunt and return to the village. During 

 that time, however, it was not learned that any of the men had been 

 successful in their search for snakes, and they were evidently becom- 

 ing very restive under the belief that their lack of success was due to 

 the presence of a stranger. At one time early in the search a hole 

 was discovered which it was thought might conceal a snake (see PI. 

 LXXXV, </), whereupon the priest Choshnimtiwa, dropping upon his 

 knees, began digging, first with his hands and then with the digging 

 stick, at a furious rate. The excavation was continued to the depth 

 of about three feet, when, the hole growing larger, he was able by 

 thrusting his arm into the hole up to his elbow to reach the end of the 



