362 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



from the mouth over the slab. When the tire is burnt out, the slab is 

 seen to be black from the oil of the squash seeds. The greater por- 

 tion of the bed of coals is removed, and a flat stone is placed across the 

 end of the walls supporting the slab to keep the drafts from fanning 

 the remaining coals. A pound or more of raw pinon gum in pieces of 

 good size is rubbed over the slab, and when this is melted the rubbing 

 is continued as long as the stone will absorb the gum. Pine twigs are 

 employed to brush off the surplus gum, each twig or bunch of twigs 

 being passed but once over the stone. After a few such sweepings, 

 twigs are held firml}^ in the hand and rubbed hard over the stone. 

 The pine twigs are finalh^ discarded for juniper, which are used until 

 the slab has the appearance of polished black lava. A quantity of 

 juniper twigs is crushed and sprinkled over the stone to remain until 

 needed for baking. 



No word must be spoken above a whisper from the beginning to 

 the completion of the dressing of the slab. Should the voice of any- 

 one present be raised above a whisper, the stone would crack in the 

 polishing process. The writer once observed a stone cracked in 

 two places, and as no one had spoken aloud the conclusion was reached 

 that the worker had a bad heart. 



The corn to be used for the he'we is first crushed on the coarsest 

 milling stone and then toasted in a bowl placed on stones in one of the 

 right-angle fireplaces and stirred continually with a bunch of slender 

 sticks or osiers. When the meal leaves the fire it is placed in a mill 

 of the next degree of fineness, and afterward it passes through the 

 third and last mill, in which it is ground to a fine flour. A quantit}^ 

 of this flour is mixed with cold water and stirred into a pot of boiling 

 water; the mixture is stirred constantly during the cooking. When 

 the mush is done and so far cooled that the hand may be introduced 

 without scalding it, the pot is placed at the side of the maker of the 

 he'we. A thin batter of uncooked meal made with cold water is placed 

 in one side of a large bowl. If the bread is to be of bluish-green color, 

 lime is slaked and the water poured from it into the batter. A double 

 handful of nuish is dipped from the pot and deposited in the bowl on 

 the opposite side from the batter; then a handful of batter is added 

 to the mush, and when they are thoroughh^ mixed, a quantity is dipped 

 with the hand and swept thinly over the heated slab, which is always 

 placed at one side of the fireplace. The hand passes from i-ight to left, 

 beginning at the far side of the slab, until the whole slab has received a 

 film of the mixture. By the time the spreading is complete the gauz}^ 

 sheet is baked, and it is lifted and laid to one side on a mat, where it soon 

 cools and becomes somewhat crisp. After a number of sheets are 

 baked they are placed on the hot slab, and on becoming warm may 

 be rolled or folded without breaking. The bread is now piled in 

 baskets and is readj^ to be eaten. Occasionall}^ the Zunis color he'we 



