378 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



BEAD MAKING 



The more precious beads of the Zunis of shell, black, red, and white 

 stone are antique, and are not manufactured at present. The}" still 

 make beads of turquoise, white shells, preferably the olive-shell, and 

 spond3'lus prinoeps. They also color shells red in imitation of the 

 last-named shell. Though the turquoises are sometimes ground to 

 correspond to the white shell beads, the stones are usually left in the 

 form in which the}" are secured. Coral beads are purchased from 

 traders and vary somewhat in form, though they are generally cylin- 

 drical or round. The ancient stone beads are as a rule cylindrical; 

 some few are flat. The white shell beads are flat." 



The process of bead making is long and tedious. Shells are broken 

 into bits and each piece is rubbed on a stone slab until it is of the 

 desired thinness. The more delicate the ))ead the more valuable it is; 

 After each piece has passed through the rub})ing process it is laid to 

 one side until there are enough pieces to form a string of beads; then 

 the boring is begun (see plate xcvi). As each stone is pierced it is 

 usually slipped on a string for safe-keeping until the boring is com- 

 pleted, when the irregular pieces are rubbed separately on the stone 

 to form them into symmetrical disks less than one-eighth of an inch 

 in diameter. From four to six strings form a necklace. The coral 

 })eads are sprinkled among the turquoise and the more numerous 

 white shell beads. The beads never reach the end of the string; a 

 finger's length is left bare of beads. The older necklaces, which were 

 more carefully made than the modern ones, are very valuable, a single 

 string bringing a number of horses. 



WAGON MAKING 



The only commercial wagon in Zuiii is owned by Mr Graham, the 

 agent. The Indian wagon is of home manufacture, although of Spanish 

 origin (see plate xcvii). The wheels are heavy blocks, carved in the 

 rudest fashion; the bed is composed of beams or poles and the sides 

 of slender poles. The structure is lined, when necessary, with hide. 

 It is drawn by oxen, and the whole is of the most primitive character.* 



AUCTIONEERING 



Auctioneering with the Zuiiis is quite as much of a feature as it is 

 with civilized people, and the auctioneer is a conspicuous character. 

 When the larder becomes overstocked with some varieties of food and 

 is deficient in others, the head of the household looks anxiously for 



<i A fine specimen of a cylindrical turquoise bead three-fourths inch in length, found at a ruin near 

 the Zuiii salt lake, was secured for the National Museum. 



&Mr Stevenson secured one of these wagons from a Rio Grande pueblo for the National Museum 

 at Washington 



