462 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



left to right around the two boxes. The circle is gradually enlarged 

 bj^ the addition of girls — the youngest being 8 or 10 years of age, the 

 oldest not over 20 — who often require persuading and in many cases 

 are forced into their places by the a'mosi and others. When all the 

 girls are on the floor the youths and young men join the ring, each 

 taking his place by the side of the girl of his choice, and with clasped 

 hands, which they swing backward and forward, they dance for more 

 than an hour. Some of the girls try to drop out, but without success, 

 as they are caught in a good-natured way and made to return to the 

 ring. After this dance the girls flock together in the northwest corner 

 of the room, where they have a merry time, the young men bringing 

 them water to drink and chatting with them. The musicians at the 

 boxes pray, each drawing in a breath from his stick and deer-leg bone, 

 and then leave the chamber, closing the ceremonies for the night. 



The 'Hle'wekwe repeat the dancing the last three nights of the 

 rehearsals of the Mu'waij^e, and the Sword order of the Great Fire 

 fraternity appear on the fourth and sixth nights, remaining the fifth 

 night in their own ceremonial chamber, where, in addition to swallow- 

 ing the swords, they perform feats with fire. On the fourth night of 

 the rehearsal the a'mosi of the Mu'waiye distribute the la'showawe, 

 which they received from the sun priest, among the Chu'pakwe choir, 

 breathing upon each la'showanne and placing it to the lips of the 

 recipient, who remains seated, and then tying it to a lock of hair to 

 the left side of the head, when a short prayer is repeated. 



At daylight on the fifth morning of the ceremonies of the *Hle'wekwe 

 a man makes a picture of dry colors of Achiyala'topa on the stone 

 floor of the ceremonial chamber, immediately befoue the cloud symbol 

 of meal. Upon the completion of the picture, which is about 80 

 inches long, a broad line of meal, bordered with black, is extended 

 from the head of the figure toward the east; eight arrow points are 

 laid upon the line of meal, and a stone fetish is stood on a meal line 

 that extends from the cloud symbol to the figure. A line of corn 

 pollen extends from the heart of the figure to the mouth, symbolic 

 of truth, and a crystal is placed at the lower end of this line, sym- 

 bolizing purit}^ of heart (see plate cviii). 



The figure of Achiyiila'topa often performs wonderful things, but 

 onl}" when the fraternity is absent from the ceremonial chamber and 

 dancing in the plaza. The aged man of the Bear clan who is left 

 alone in the chamber sees the arrow^s, which are placed at equal dis- 

 tances apart, move, and on their return the fraternit}^ finds them in 

 closer proximit}^ to one another, and strands of hair taken from heads 

 of those destroyed by Achiyiila'topa between the arrow points. Ora- 

 cles are whispered by this figure to the lone watcher and wonderful 

 disclosures are made. A strand of hair is always laid by the figure 

 before it is consulted. On the present occasion the solitary watcher 

 is told by the oracle that there is talk among the Americans of build- 



