STEVENSON. 



THE SNAKE ORDER. 89 



painted, and they wear tlieir hair doue up in the usual kuot and their 

 feet bare.' They wear instead of the kilt a white cotton breechcloth. 

 The women who do not take part in the dance wear their ordinary 

 dress, the cotton gown being discarded. 



Upon the opening of the song and dance the ho'uaaite procures a 

 snake at the entrance of the grotto and holding it horizontally with 

 both hands presents it to the novitiate, who receives it in the same 

 manner, clasping the throat with the right hand ; the ho'naaite and 

 novitiate pass back and forth north of the line from the grotto four 

 times, now and then the novitiate allowing the snake to wrap itself 

 around his throat. The ho'naaite then takes the snake and returns it 

 to the man in the grotto. If there be a second novitiate he and the 

 first one change places, and the ho'naaite inquires of the second whom 

 he wishes for a father and companion ; the boy designates a member 

 of the Snake division, and the chosen one is required by the ho'naaite 

 to take his place by the side of the novitiate and accompany him to 

 the grotto; he again receives a snake which he hands to the boy and 

 the former ceremony is repeated. When the novitiates have concluded, 

 each member of the Snake division takes his turn in passing back and 

 forth four times with a snake, the snake being handed him by a com- 

 panion member. The song and dance does not cease until each snake 

 has been passed through the ceremony. Two of the novitiates, if there 

 be two or more, if not, a novitiate and a member, are requested by the 

 ho'uaaite to enter the grotto and receive the vases from the man in- 

 side. These they carry to a cave about half a mile distant, and here the 

 bearers of the vases take out each snake separately and placing it 

 upon the ground say : "Go to your home; go far and be contented." 

 The first snake is deposited to the north, the second to the west, the 

 third to the south, and the fourth to the east; this is repeated until all 

 the snakes are disposed of. The vases are then placed in the cave and 

 the entrance covered with a large slab. The ho'naaite returning to the 

 house takes the ya'ya from the tail of the sand-painted cougar and 

 holding it in his left hand places the palm of his right hand to the cou- 

 gar and draws from it a breath and rubs his hand over his breast, after 

 which all evidences of the sand-painting are soon erased by the mem- 

 bers who hasten forward and rub their bodies with the sand that they 

 may be mentally and physically purified. 



When Mr. Stevenson dis(;overed that the Sia held ceremonials with 

 snakes he induced the vicar of the snake society to conduct him to the 

 locality for that special rite. Leaving Sia in the early morning a ride 

 of 6 miles over sand dunes and around blufls brought the party, in- 

 cluding the writer, to the structure known as the snake house, hid away 

 among chaotic hills. Every precaution had been observed l!0 maintain 



* All the figures show the feet as they are colored before the moccasins are put on. The red spot on 

 the body designate.s the heart, the black spot on the figure of the member of the fire society indicates 

 the coal wliich is eaten. The white around the face, .irms, and legs is down from the breast of the 

 hawk. 



