rissell] 



GAMES 



175 



ably owing to tlie fear of provoking Navitco, the deity who gave the 

 gourd to man. 



In common with other American Indians the Pima laiew naught 

 of "hick" or "chance." He felt himself aided or opposed by super- 

 natural beings, whose assistance he sought by gifts of beads and other 

 sacrifices deposited on altars in the recesses of the liills, which will be 

 described later. A favorite place of prayer for gamblers was the 

 ceremonial hill northeast of Casa Blanca, near the center of Pimeria. 

 The following games were played by the men : 



Icljfel-j 



Fig. S9. Ki»tskQt. 



KI^TS 



Under the name of " ghing-skoot " this game has been described 

 as played bj' the Papagos." The Pima name of the game is ki"ts, of 

 the sticks ki°tsktit. Four sticks are used in playing. The set col- 

 lected (fig. 89) '' is of giant cactus wood. The 

 sticks are not named "old man," "old woman," 

 etc., as among the Papagos, but are designated as 

 follows : 



No. 1 — Ki-ik, "finir. '' 



No. 2— Tco-otp', -'si.x. " 



No. 3 — Si-Ika, meaning of word unknown to informants. 



No. 4 — Ki''t8, meaning also unknown. 



The players sit about 10 feet apart and put the 

 sticks m play by striking from below with a flat 

 stone held in the left hand. The sticks are held 

 nearly vertical, but are inclined a little forward so 

 that they will fall in the center of the space between the players, 

 who rake them back with a long stick after each tlirow. 



The count is similar to that described for the Papago game, if we 

 substitute the Pima names for the pieces, as follows: 



2 backs and 2 faces count 2. 



1 liack and 3 faces count 3. 



Ki-ik facing up and others down count 4. 



All faces up count 5. 



Tco-otp' facing up and others down count 6. 



All faces down count 10. 



Si-ika facing up and others down count 14. 



Ki"ts facing up and others down count 15. 



The counts are kept upon a rectangle marked upon the ground 

 usually approximating 12 by 8 feet, having 10 holes or pockets, 

 counting the corners each tijne, along each side. At two alternate 

 corners are 2 quadrants called ki, "houses," of 5 holes each, not 



o Culin ill Report National Museum, 1896, 738. His description is from notes and material collected 

 by McGee. 



fe Length, 222 mm.; widtli, 17 mm.: tbidcness, 7 mm.; hemispherical in .seetion; not eolon^d on 

 either side. 



