STEVENSON] SOCIAL CUSTOMS 309 



thoroughly; the eyes were closed, hut the mouth was left open. The 

 face was much swollen and nearly black, though death had occurred 

 but six hours before, and the day was cool for July." There was a 

 clot of blood about an inch in diameter upon the forehead, caused, 

 they said, by a lancet wound. The mouth was also covered with 

 t)lood. After the face and head had been washed they were covered 

 with meal by the daughter-in-law, who tore off the calico garment, 

 leaving the camis. She then passed her hand under th(> camis and 

 rubbed meal over the loins, and proceeded to wash thc^ entire bodv, 

 going down from the neck. No cloth was used for drying the body, 

 and the loins were bathed by rubbing with the danipened camis. 

 The body, which was not swollen, was then covered with meal, not 

 sprinkled, but rubbed on. At one time the husband requested that 

 the camis be brought up a little so as not to expose so nuich of the 

 body; extreme modesty was observed throughout. The soles of the 

 feet, which were very dii'ty. were cleansed with a corncob in addition 

 to the suds. When there was the slightest indication of discharge at 

 the mouth, corn meal was laid heavily on the face. One of the women 

 scattered a quantity of dry sand b}'" the side of the corpse to catch the 

 water with which it was bathed. Two small locks of hair were cut 

 from the head of the corpse and laid separately in a niche in the wall. 

 A superstition exists that if a person takes a l)it of hair of a deceased 

 friend, burns it, and inhales the smoke he will have good health 

 and not die. but go to sleep and thus pass on to Kt)'thluwala'wa. 

 After the body was bathed the daughter-in-law and her assistant 

 proceeded to dress the corpse amidst the greatest Aveeping and wailing. 

 Holding the head and feet, they moved the body to one side, out 

 of the water, after which they put on a calico shirt, a cotton under 

 garment, a woolen dress, and a belt; then the rest of the l)asket of 

 meal was scattered over the face. The knit blue leggings were put on 

 last, and the body was again moved. A blanket was spread diagonally 

 on the floor; several yards of red calico and white cotton were placed 

 upon this, and over these a white cotton camis was laid; the body 

 was then lifted and laid on the camis and covered b}- folding the 

 fabrics over it. The daughter-in-law, who apparently first thought of 

 placing a pair of knit shoes on the feet, laid them })eside the corpse. 

 As soon as this was done, the blanket being left slightly open at the 

 head, all hands dipped meal from a small bowl and sprinkled it 

 through the opening upon the face, the youngest child being led by 

 the grandfather to perform this rite. 



As soon as the son and the grandson returned from prcjjaring the 

 grave, they also sprinkled meal through the opening in the blanket. 

 The son then proceeded to close the opening with two yucca strings, 



"All that could be learned about the cause of death was that the woman died from vomiting. 



