STEVENSON] "^hlk'wekwe 465 



before them as thej^ take their positions in Si'aa' te'wita, and the three 

 men behind the boxes pla}- on the notched sticks. This music is said 

 to be controlled by the Beast Gods, the musicians beinu- merely their 

 agents. Each player wears the upper leg skins of the bear or cougar 

 over his lower arms." Variation in the music is produced l»y different 

 movements of the bones over the sticks. The three musicians, who 

 must come from the O'he'wa ki'wi'sine, as only the people of this 

 ki'wi'sine sing these particular songs, draw the bones f lom the far end 

 of the sticks toward them. After this motion is repeated four times 

 the bones are run from the near side of the stick to the far end, 

 this being repeated four times; then the l)()nes are rapdily drawn 

 back and forth several times, after which they are again drawn to 

 the near side four times, beginning at the fourth notch from the 

 player; and then the bone is again run from the player over the four 

 notches, and afterward is moved very quickly back and forth over the 

 four notches, after which the first movement is repeated. The songs 

 sung at this time are the same as those sung in the circle dance in the 

 closing scene of the scalp ceremonial, but the harmony of the songs is 

 destroyed on the present occasion by the grating noise of the bones 

 rumiing over the sticks. The et'towe and bows and arrows are moved 

 downward in time with the song from dawn until sunrise, or until the 

 sunlight strikes the plaza. 



When the nmsic ceases the party leave the plaza in single tile by 

 the western way, the bearer of 4de'ettone and tlie two men with the 

 bows and arrows returning to the ceremonial chamber of the 'Hle'- 

 wekwe, the others going to the house whence they came. As the 

 party of et'towe-bearers leave the plaza the nuisicians draw the ])ones 

 lightly over the notched sticks and, bringing the bones to their mouths, 

 draw a breath from them, repeating a prayer aloud, and return them 

 to their position on the box. The nmsician at the south end of the 

 line now rises and passes to the east of the boxes, when the others tip 

 the larger box toward them to allow him to remove the small basket 

 of meal from under the box. Returning to his seat with the l)asket, 

 he offers a short prayer and, bringing the basket close to his lips, 

 draws a l)reath. inhaling all that is good from the meal; then he passes 

 the basket to the others. ^Vhen each man has repeated the prayer and 

 drawn a breath, the basket is passed to the man at the south end of the 

 line, who returns it to its place under the box while the others tip the 

 box'toward them. In a short time the et'towe and bows and arrows 

 are again brought to the plaza. This time, however, ti>e 'hle'et'tone 

 is carried 1)V another girl, the bows and arrows are in other hands, 

 and there is an additional nmsician at the boxes. All the^ther 



a It is claimed that these skins are very old, and from their appearance the truth of the statement 



can not be questioned. 



23 ETH— 04 30 



