154 THE ZUNI INDIAN'S [eth. ann. 23 



The ceremonial father of Shu'laawi'si, the personators of Shu'laawi'si, 

 Sa'yatiisha, Yil'muhakto, Hu'tutu, a second Ya'muhakto, and the 

 Sha'lako, with their fellows, come next. The director of the Hunters 

 fraternity follows some distance behind alone/' and after him a man of 

 Deer clan and one of Badger clan go on burros. After these follow the 

 Ko'pekwin with his Ko'pi'"lashiwanni and then the ten Ko'yemshi.* 



After sunset the canteens are tilled at a spring, then the party 

 ascends a mountain, where they camp for the night. After the even- 

 ing meal the Ko'mosona requests the party to dance. Early in the 

 morning they proceed on their journey, arriving at the forks of the 

 road. A mile or so from Ko'thluwala'wa the Ko'yemshi take the right- 

 hand trail, which leads northwest to their mountain. The Ko'mosona 

 and others take the left-hand trail, which carries them southwest to 

 Kor'kokshi mountain, which the}" ascend. *■ 



The Ko'mosona and Ko'pekwin, each with his Pi"Mashiwanni, the 

 one to the Ko'mosona preceding and carrying a torch, enter a cave on 

 the summit of the mountain. They are supposed to go by an irmer 

 passagewa}^ to the depths of Ko'thluwala'wa and return. Each car- 

 ries a number of te'likinawe, which are deposited within the cave. 



The Zuni priests humbug their people by declaring that there is a direct passageway 

 from this cave to the dwelling place of the Council of the Gods in the depth of the 

 lake, and that, opening from this passageway, there are four chambers, equal distances 

 apart, where those privileged to enter the underground road may rest on their jour- 

 ney to and from the lake. A stone whicli was carefully placed to conceal the 

 entrance to this shallow cave was removed in 1881 by Mr Stevenson, and two of his 

 party and himself, including the writer, succeeded in squeezing in to the depth of 

 16 feet. At the end of this passageway thej' found a space of not more than 3 feet. 

 It was examined carefully by candlelight, and it was discovered that nothing of any 

 size could pass beyond. Numbers of te^likinawe were found in the passageway. 



The visit of Mr Stevenson and the writer to Ko'thluwala^wa was interesting. 

 Spending one night in St. John, Ariz., they left there with a view to visiting the lake. 

 Most cautiously they approached their Indian guide on the subject, but on learning 

 their object he declared they must not go. Extreme persuasion was necessary to induce 

 him to guide them to the sacred spot. As the day advanced and the party proceeded 

 on their journey the old Indian, so fearless in battle, became greatly alarmed; he 

 declared the marshy ground which the party crossed with difficulty was made so by 

 the gods who did not wish them to approach the lake; his usually merry voice was 

 reduced to a whisper; in fact before camp was made he was unable to speak. 

 He said to the writer: "If you insist on going, I will show you the way, but I 

 shall offend the gods and I shall surely die." Finally, after the party had 

 traveled for several hours, he said in a low whisper: " We will camp here." As the 

 writer could see no water, she thought the Indian had yielded to his superstitious 



a The director of the Hunters and his deputy alternate in the quadrennial visits to Ko'thluwala'wa. 



bin the intervening years the personators of the gods, including the Ko'yemshi, visit a spring 

 south of Zufii, while the others go to To'seluna spring at Ojo Caliente. 



<; These mountains are prominent landmarks. According to a Zuni legend, Kor'kokshi mountain 

 is the spot where their first ancestral god and goddess originated; and the other is the home of 

 the Ko'yemshi. It was on Ko'yemshi mountain that the Gods of War prepared for the attack 

 upon the Kla'nakwe. The vast amount of flint chips show it to have been a great center for arrow- 

 making. 



