STEVKNSONI 



SOCIAL CUSTOMS 293 



of equal Ijreadth extending at rioht angles from one of the longer walls 

 of the room, the projecting wall being so placed as to ]>rotect the tir(>- 

 place from the doorway. A commodious mantel usuall}' extends over a 

 part of the fireplace, and on it rests the masonry chimney, reaching 

 up through the roof, while the exterior chimney is composed of old 

 potter}' vessels with perforated bottoms. Cooking vessels are set on 

 stones in the fireplaces; food is also cooked in the coals and ashes. 

 One room of every dwelling of an}" pretension has a fireplace of 

 peculiar construction. It is from (J to 12 feet wide and has a projection 

 above like a Chinese awning. When the great ceremonial caldrons 

 are used for the feasts, they are balanced on stones in this fireplace. 

 He'we (wafer bread) is also baked in this fireplace upon highly polished 

 stone slabs. The room, however, is not exclusively set apart for this 

 cooking. Like most of the rooms, except the general living room and 

 the one immediately adjoining, it is used largely as a storage room. 



Candles are never used in a Zuni house nor are lamps used for ordi- 

 nary lighting. A lamp made of baked clay and somewhat resembling 

 a Roman lamp is employed on the occasion of certain. ceremonial-^. It 

 gives very little light. 



The domestic life of the Zunis might well serve as an exampk' Un- 

 the civilized world. As has been stated, the husband lives with his 

 wife's parents, and it is common to find several families, under the 

 same roof. The Zunis do not have large families, and the members 

 are deeply attached to one another. The writer found great enjoy- 

 ment in her visits to the general living room (see plate lxxvii) in the 

 early evening, after the day's labors were over and ])efore the elders 

 were called away to their fraternities or elsewhere. The young 

 mothers would be seen caring for their infants, or perhai)s the fathers 

 would be fondling them, for the Zuni men are very devoted to tiieir 

 children, especially the babies. The grandmother would have one of 

 the younger children in her lap, with perhaps the lu>ad of another 

 resting, against her shoulder, while the rest would ho sitting near or 

 busying themselves about household matters. When a stoiy was told 

 by the grandfather or some younger member of the group, intense 

 interest^'would be depicted on the faces of all old enough to appreciate 



the recital. 



The Zuni child is rarely disobedient, and the writer has known 

 but one parent to strike a child or to use harsh words with it. The 

 children play through the livelong day without a <iuairel. Tii.' young- 

 est childrennever disturb or touch anything belonging to others. In 

 years of experience with the Zunis and othei- Indians the writer has 

 never lost an article through them, either of food or otherwise. 



The boys have manv i-hildish anuisements, which they greatly enjoy. 

 One of their especial delights at night is to run about with burning 

 brands made of balls of fiber attached to slender poles. The boys and 

 girls do not play much together. In fact the girls seem to have little 



