82 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 79 



stuck under it, the strangulation being brought about by twisting 

 it. As the animals are thus killed they are carried into the house, 

 where some pots with hot water stand ready. The skin is scalded 

 with the hot water, and the hair is scraped off, whereupon the stomach 

 is opened and the flesh cut in the ordinary way. 



Of the flesh the priest and priestess receive each one thigh as a 

 part of the payment for their services at the feast. The rest of it, 

 with the exception of the heads and the bones, is kept on special 

 shelves until midnight, when it is cooked. The heads and the bones, 

 again, are roasted and kept until the day of the departure of the 

 guests, being then divided among them. 



When darkness sets in the dance hantsem/ita, as usual, commences 

 and is continued, with two intervals, until dawn. The first of these 

 intervals occurs at about 10 o'clock in evening, when the distilled 

 manioc wine is made definitely ready. The clay pot containing the 

 roasted and masticated manioc substance which, during the first day 

 of the feast, had been arranged for the distillation of the drink 

 is moved forward and placed on the ground. The priest, pro- 

 ceeding with the utmost care, removes the kaehlni and apai leaves 

 with which the masticated substance had been covered. Then he 

 removes the manioc substance itself with the same care, laying it 

 in another vessel. Finally, in the same way, he removes the apai 

 leaves which had been laid on the shuya sticks collected in the pot, 

 as well as the shuya sticks themselves, which together with the leaves 

 are laid on a special large leaf. The dark-brown essence which has 

 remained in the bottom of the pot is the manioc Avine {sangucha 

 shiki). The priest asks for another smaller clay pot and for a gourd, 

 which are given him by the women. Then he pours the whole quan- 

 tity of wine into the new clay vessel, and also a little into the gourd. 

 The gourd is then placed over the mouth of the clay pot so that it 

 covers it, and the gourd is covered with leaves; the whole thing is 

 thereafter kept in a special place until the following morning, when 

 the drink will be consumed. 



This work being finished, the dance hantsemata is continued until 

 about 1 o'clock in the morning, when the cocks are heard crowing, 

 and the host declares it to be the right time to cook the flesh of the 

 swine slaughtered. Various fires have previously been kindled in 

 different parts of the house, large clay pots are placed upon them, 

 and the flesh is divided up among the pots. At the same time a 

 number of chickens are killed by wringing their necks; these are 

 plucked and prepared on the spot, their flesh being cooked in special 

 pots. AVhile the cooking goes on the Indians dance the hantsemata 

 with more vigor than usual, all the men and women taking part 

 in it. After the flesh is boiled the pots are removed from the fires. 



