744 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



spring, bending under the weight of a large jar which they carry 

 on their back by means of a blanket, the ends of which are tied in a 

 knot on their forehead. No wonder these women grow prema- 

 tiirely old. Winter for them, however, has its advantages, for 

 they have an ingenious way of utilizing the snow to save them from 

 the necessity of going down the mesa for water. One of the most 

 extraordinary sights I saw was that of a Hopi woman and her little 

 girl trudging along, each bent almost to the ground under the 

 weight of an immense snowball. These they were carrying home 

 on their backs, enveloped in a blanket. About half a mile from 

 the pueblo, back on the mesa, reservoirs have been scooped out in 

 the soft sandstone, which are often partially filled by the spring 

 rains, but the water soon becomes brackish and is not potable, but is 

 used for washing clothes. 



The costume of the woman consists ordinarily of four pieces — 

 a blanket, dress, belt, and moccasins. The blanket is of wool, and 

 is about four feet square. It is blue in color, with a black border 

 on two sides. These two edges are usually bound with a heavy 

 green or yellow woolen thread. To make the dress, this blanket 

 is once folded and is sewn together with red yarn at the long side, 

 except for a space sufficiently large to accommodate one arm. The 

 folded upper border is also sewn for a short space, which rests on 

 one of the shoulders. The other shoulder and both arms are bare, 

 except as they may be partially covered by the blanket. The belt 

 or sash is of black and green stripes, with a red center, ornamented 

 with geometric designs in black; it is about four inches wide, and 

 is long enough to permit of being wound around the waist two or 

 three times. The moccasins are of unpainted buckskin, one side of 

 the top of which terminates in a long, broad strip, which is wound 

 round the leg several times and extends up to the knee, thus form- 

 ing a thick legging. More than half the time the Hopi woman is 

 barefooted. The girls wear silver earrings, or suspend from the 

 lobe of the ear small rectangular bits of wood, one side of which is 

 covered with a mosaic of turquoise. This custom is of some an- 

 tiquity, as ear pendants exactly similar to these have been found in 

 the Hopi ruins of Homolobi, on the Little Colorado River. 



In addition to this regulation costume, worn on all ordinary 

 occasions, each Hopi woman is supposed to own a bridal costume 

 and two special blankets, which are worn only in ceremonies, and 

 hence need not here be described. The bridal costume consists of 

 a pair of moccasins, two pure white cotton blankets, one large and 

 the other small, both having large tassels of yellow and the black 

 yarn at each corner, and a long, broad, white sash, each end of which 

 terminates in a fringe of balls and long thread. All three garments. 



