STEVENSON] ARTS AND INDUSTRIES 359 



At sunrise on the niorninj^- foUowino- tlie arrival of the salt-gatherers 

 at the lake, the elder and younoei- Ijrother Bow priests, with the 

 additional warriors of the party, visit the home of the Gods of 

 War, which is supposed to be in the depths of the crater, where they 

 deposit offerings to these gods. The rain priest deposits in his house 

 in the lake plume offerings to the Salt Mother, and the (ireat Father 

 Ko'yemshi, having- received prayer plumes for the Council of the Gods 

 from each person present, plants them in his house, which is near that 

 of the rain priest. 



After the ceremonial of plume planting and prayers they all pass 

 into the lake, each provided with a blanket or a piece of cloth in 

 which to gather salt, which is scraped from the bed of the lake 

 where the crystals are deposited. When thoroughly cleansed the salt 

 is white and most excellent. Each man has two ears of corn. Father 

 corn and Mother corn, which he covers with clay containing salt from 

 the bed of the lake. These ears are afterward placed with plume 

 offerings amid the stacked corn in the house, where they remain until 

 the cobs have lost all of the grains, when they are deposited in the 

 river to go to Ko'thluwala'wa and others are substituted, for no corn 

 heap must be without the Father and jNIother corn. No Indian would 

 dare part with the parent corn, fearing the wrath of the Salt Mother, 

 "whose ghost self is ever about the Zufiis," though death would befall 

 the one who endeavored to see her. An ear of corn having a direct 

 line of grains is of special signiticance for the parent corn, as it is 

 s3'mbolic of the straight path of life its possessor should follow. 



As soon as the salt-gatherers are sufficiently near home, they always 

 make signal fires to notify the people of their return. In 1902, smoke 

 from the first fire was discovered at half -past 7 in the morning, and the 

 villagers at once began the watch. Several fires were lighted, each 

 one nearer the village, before the voices of the salt-gatherers were 

 heard. Their song grew more and more distinct as the party drew 

 near. The part}^ was greeted warmly by all, especially by the 

 religious and civil officers of the town. As the beasts of burden 

 were driven to the doors of the dwellings they were surrounded l)y 

 those eager to assist in unloading the salt and conveying it to the 

 houses. The three pedestrians carried the two ears of corn (Father 

 Corn and Mother Corn) in husks covered with nuul from the salt lake, 

 together with a slab of salt crystal, closely wrapped in cloth, in deep 

 baskets on their backs. The other members of the party were on 

 burros and were kept busy managing the little animals laden with 

 sacks of salt. Each man of the party went directly to his t)wn door 

 on reaching the village; those on foot entered the house at once; the 

 others proceeded to unload the aninuils. assisted by members »)f their 

 families and ])y neighbors. The salt is not only necessary to their 

 physical comfort, but it has a sacred value to them beyond price. 



