916 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



is liis residence also. l^os. 2, 6, and 8 denote scaftblds for food, the 

 accumulated material being apparent upon the transverse poles. At the 

 residence at ISTo. 3 smoke is emerging from the smoke hole in the roof, 

 and someone is also upon the roof of the entrance reaching outward 

 toward what may have been intended for a scaffold, but which, because 

 of erosion, had become partly obliterated, as have also portions of the 

 human beings beneath. The next house, No. 4, also has a column of 

 smoke rising from the smoke hole, while several vertical lines before 

 the entrance indicate the original portrayal of the necessary storehouse 

 or food scaffold. No. 5 is another permanent habitation, while at No. 

 7, over the roof of the entrancetto the house, is the outline of a man, hor- 

 izontal and with the hand thrown downward as if making a common 

 gesture sign for lying doivn, or to lie there, having reference perhaps to 

 the recumbent position of the occupant, who may be sick and for whose 

 benefit the ceremonies are in operation. A heavy column of smoke is 

 issuing from the chimney. 



Upon the house No. are .two persons apparently interested in 

 something or someone at No. 7, no doubt referring to the sick man. 

 At No. 10 is designated the entrance to the house No. 9, and upon the 

 roof are four persons; the one at the right holding in one hand tam- 

 bourine drum, while with the other hand he is beating it, the sound 

 therefrom passing forward over the group of dancers before the house. 

 In the rear of the drummer are three assistant musicians, and from the 

 absence of drums or rattles they appear to be singers, the belief being 

 furthermore strengthened from the fact that each of tlie three has an 

 arm or hand elevated; the one at the right appearing to place his 

 hand before his mouth to denote in gesture language speech, voice, 

 song, a common portrayal in various Indian pictographs, as well as 

 Maya, Mexican, Egyptian, and Ilittite hieroglyphs and objective repre- 

 sentations of voice in various forms. The remaining figures also appear 

 to have their hands directed upward before the face, an approach in 

 gesture to the preceding. The sign for sing, singing, is made by hold- 

 ing the palm upward and passing the hand ui)ward and forward from 

 the month, though beginning before the neck and passing at from 6 to 

 10 inches before the mouth. 



The narrow vertical line with streamers of cloth or calico attached, 

 and surmounted by the wooden efQgy of a bird, is a votive offering or 

 "shaman stick" erected upon the roof of the house No. 9 in commenjo- 

 ration of one of the household. 



The character at No. 12 is another shaman, armed with a drum, which 

 he holds in one hand and with the other strikes the head with a drum- 

 stick, which is seen crossing the surface in the endeavor to drive away 

 one of the evil spirits or demons hovering about in the air after being 

 expelled by exorcism from the body of the sick man. 



The group embracing nine figures. No. 13, denotes the assistant 

 shamans driving about and punishing the evil spirits— the same one 



