240 SPORT, TRAVEL, AND ADVENTURE 



calabash-shell. The lower part is black and the upper 

 is red, while the mouth is furnished with ,wax lips 

 and wooden teeth. Between the small eyeholes is a 

 nose of wax, placed unnaturally high, and a hanger 

 of black and brown feathers falls down behind ; while 

 long, slender palm-leaves, hung from a belt or girdle, 

 form a skirt, which covers the body of the masquerader. 

 But these three classes of masks do not include all 

 the modifications used by the tribe, for each village 

 has its own particular kind, and many medicine-huts 

 are crammed with the most diverse types. 



If a hunting or fishing expedition has been success- 

 ful, and there is an abundance of food on hand, the 

 chief of the village may determine to hold a masquerade 

 festival, which shall continue as long as provisions 

 hold out, whereupon the entire village hums with 

 activity for many days preparing for the celebration. 

 The women busy themselves making ready meat and 

 drink, employing all their culinary skill ; while the 

 men, if not hunting and fishing, are occupied with the 

 preparation of the dance costumes. One dance is dis- 

 tinguished from another by being performed exclu- 

 sively by some one person or family, and handed down 

 from father to son ; and each one is executed 

 to the accompaniment of songs, which are apparently 

 in an antiquated form of speech, unintelligible to the 

 rest of the people. Each animal represented is indi- 

 cated by the constant repetition in the songs of the 

 peculiar note or sound characteristic of that animal. 

 For example, the paca cries, ' Heyon hey ! Heyon hey ! ' 

 the alligator, * Huu ! Huu ! ' and another beast, ' Too 

 koo ! Too koo ! Too-hoo-oo-oo-oo ! ' 



The women and children are merely spectators at 



