Miscellaneous Papers. 209 



thin layer upon a flat rock over the fire, where it bakes rapidly. 

 When done, it is taken off and a new layer is spread. These 

 papers, as fast as baked, are laid one on top of another till the 

 thickness of the combined layers is a little less than an inch. 

 This bread is dipped in water to moisten it when eaten. Cof- 

 fee is the usual Jemez drink. While eating, the family are 

 usually seated on the earth floor in a circle surrounding the 

 water-jars and baskets which contain the eatables. 



After the meal is completed, the governor, having been in- 

 formed that the left bank of the irrigating ditch west of the 

 river has been broken by an overplus of water during the 

 night, starts out on his tour around the village ordering the 

 men out to fix the ditch, his harangue sounding like that of a 

 show manager when announcing the parts of a circus to be 

 acted. The governor has not been in the street long till he 

 is followed by the two lieutenant-governors and finally by the 

 fiscal (ditch commissioner), each one delivering in like man- 

 ner a harangue to the people. At last, after an immense 

 amount of persuasion — there is not the interest shown in pub- 

 lic works that there is in private affairs — the men turn out 

 and fix the ditch. Then they return to their own work. 



Threshing wheat is the order of the day now. The wheat 

 in the straw is hauled from the field in just the wagon-bed, 

 the ponies being too small to haul a larger load. It is then 

 piled on the threshing-fioor, which usually consists of a level 

 circular spot of earth. After a sufficient amount of the grain 

 has been hauled, the wheat is tramped out of the straw with 

 horses. Then comes the tedious cleaning process, which is 

 only accomplished by shaking the tramped product in the 

 wind, thus allowing the wheat to drop to the ground and the 

 lighter particles, such as straw and chaff, to blow away. The 

 particles of earth, however, which have accumulated in the 

 tramping, are not removed in this process but must be washed 

 out. This last act is accomplished by the women at a later 

 time. 



Suddenly there comes a lull. The meridian-hour has been 

 reached, and the people quit their work to partake of the 

 noonday meal; and for one hour the village is wrapped in 

 silence. 



After the siesta, the people return to their work, hauling, 

 threshing and cleaning wheat as before. It is much pleasanter 

 now, however, than it was in the ante-meridian hours. The 



' -14 



