STEVENSON] RETREAT OF SHi'WANNI OF NADIR. 175 



Nai'uchi calls for a vase of water, which is brought by the female 

 associate, and, dipping six gourdf iils, empties it into the medicine bowl 

 on the west side of him, and hands six gourdfiils to the associate oppo- 

 site, who empties the water into the medicine bowl on his side of the 

 line. The shi'wanni now sprinkles meal into his bowl and drops six 

 concretion fetishes for fructification separately into the water; as he 

 holds each one he prays to the u'wannami (rain-makers) of one of the 

 six regions. The associate forms a cross of powdered root and encir- 

 cles the cross with it, afterward sprinkling the root over the surface 

 of the water. 



After Nai'uchi, with long prayers, consecrates the water in his bowl, 

 he stands and whirls the rhombus, while the associate whips the mix- 

 ture in his bowl into frothy suds, sj'mbolic of clouds. A single reed 

 is used in making the suds, a more slender one being applied to keep 

 them in place in the bowl." 



The other associate on the east side plays the liute. All this is an 

 invocation to the gods for rain — the one great and perpetual prayer of 

 the people of this arid land. The shi'wanni now lays aside the rhom- 

 bus and, dipping his two eagle plumes into the consecrated water, 

 sprinkles the offerings. This dipping of the plumes into the water 

 and sprinkling is repeated six times, and quiet reigns for a short 

 while. Again the shi'wanni stands and whirls the rhombus while 

 an associate plays the Hute, and the recently ordained meinl)er 

 shakes the rattle of shells suspended from a crooked stick to which 

 plumes are attached. This rattle is used only in ceremonials of the 

 A'shiwanni. The other associate constanth" sprinkles meal over the 

 meal line, beginning always at the far end of the line, with prayers, 

 which continue throughout the ceremony of invocation to the rain- 

 makers,* to enter and pass up the line of pollen and meal. The shi'- 

 wanni and associates each in turn sprinkle meal up the line, though 

 the shi'wanni is the principal actor. All night the appeal to the 

 gods continues in low, weird, yet musical tones. The invocation is as 

 follows: 



Iiiroratioii io the V irnniiami 



I 



Come j'OU, ascend the ladder; all come in; all s^it down. 

 We were poor, poor, poor, poor, poor, poor, 

 When we came to this world through the poor j)lac-e, 

 Where the body of water dried for our passing. 



" The Sia Indians are much more expert than the Zuiiis in making suds mid keeping the mass in 

 place. It was not observed that the Sia used the extra reed, yet they bank the suds much higher 

 than the Zuiiis. 



bit will be borne in mind that the rain-makers are the deceased A'shiwi. 



