316 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. anx. 23 



him, and it was distressing to observe this poor afflicted man sitting apart 

 from the others, overwhehned in his silent grief. The stepdaughter 

 was almost beside herself with grief, while Ha'lian struggled to keep 

 back the tears which he deemed unmanly. Nina was the only member 

 of the famil}' w^ho showed little feeling; she busied herself ironing the 

 clothing of strange Americans until the last moments of Nai'uchi's 

 life, when all the rest were grief-stricken, and A-et the love of the old 

 man for his favorite grandchild was supreme. The warrior who had 

 been so pow^erful in his tribe was a gentle subject for her to manage. 

 Nina fully appreciated her power over the old man and never failed to 

 make use of it. In justice to her, it must be said that she was often 

 seen to caress her grandfather during his life. 



There was a fresh outburst of grief when Me'she began to cover the 

 remains with the blanket; at the same moment a member of the family 

 placed two pairs of soiled cotton trousers and two shirts beside the 

 corpse. The lower corners of the blankets were first drawn over the 

 feet, then the corners each side were wrapped tightly around the body 

 and secured b}^ passing a cord through the blanket at intervals of 

 about a foot and knotting it. When the bod}' was covered up to the 

 neck, Me'she returned to his seat on the ledge, and the associate rain 

 priest, who sat north of the remains, proceeded to decorate the face 

 and head. He first dipped a wad of raw cotton in a bowl of water, 

 and delicately washed the face, then drew a line of black over the 

 face, passing across the upper lip, and then painted the chin black 

 down to the throat. Corn pollen was stippled on with a mop of raw 

 cotton over the upper portion of the face, great care being observed 

 to place it evenly". The priest then removed raw cotton from a basket, 

 soon formed it into a sheet, and with dextrous manipulation made a roll 

 on one side, and then placed the cotton over the head, with the roll next 

 to the face. This cotton hood is the same in form as that worn by the 

 Sha'lilko bearers (see plate lx). Then the immediate family prayed 

 over the remains and sprinkled meal upon the blanket over the 

 breast. The writer was requested to be very careful not to drop a 

 particle of meal upon the face. This would have been a terrible 

 calamity. Many last farewells wei'e taken before the family was will- 

 ing to part from their beloved. Me'she covered the face by folding- 

 over the blanket and fastening it as described. The remains were 

 carried to the grave and buried by the son and nephew, one holding 

 the head, the other the feet. After they reached the grave the knots 

 in the blanket were cut so that the spirit might pass out. Soon after 

 the remains were carried out, each member of the family had his front 

 hair and hands washed by each female clan relative present. 



The lateness of the hour prevented the burial of Nai'uchi's belong- 

 ings and the prayer plumes the day of the death, as the Sun Father 

 would have passed over the road of day and could not receive the 



