STEVENSON] ''hle'wekwe 467 



A number of the men have two swords in their throats at the same 

 time, running the second down the throat after the first has ])een 

 swallowed; two swallow three and one even four swords in this waj'. 

 Others run first one sword down the throat and, withdrawing it, run 

 another down. Only one woman swallows two swords at once. Each 

 fraternity father is followed by his children, and when a child fails to 

 run the sword down the throat until the handle only is exposed, the 

 fraternity father takes the sword and swallows it. He also swallows 

 the swords of the juvenile members, there being no attempt on the 

 part of these children to do more than place the tip of the sword 

 between the lips. As the circle continues around there is a repetition 

 of the swoi-d swallowing, ])ut in the third circuit the form of sword 

 swallowing is changed; two or three now step from the circle at the 

 same time, or rather in close succession, and swallow their swords. 



When the 'Hle'wekwe return to the ceremonial cham))er after the 

 early morning dance they group themselves around the painting of 

 A'chiyillil'topa and, placing their hands near the figure, but not upon 

 it, bring them to their lips and draw a breath. A female memljer 

 now erases the figure by brushing the sand from the four cardinal 

 points to the center with a tepi (native broom), and brushing the sand 

 with the broom into her left hand, she deposits it in the blanket thrown 

 over the left arm of a male member." 



The boiled root medicine of A'chiyalii'topa, which is taken from the 

 pot the first four mornings of the ceremonial and laid on the east 

 ledge of the room, and a la'showanne (one or more plumes attached 

 to a cotton cord), composed of a white flufi'y eagle plume and a 

 feather from a bird of each of the six regions, the end of the cord 

 extending 6 inches, with a single ko'hakwa (white shell) bead strung 

 on it, are deposited with the sand in the spring at the black rocks 

 where the original 'Hlem'mosona is supposed to have disappeared, 

 with the words: ''Go to your home, I'amakwi (Zenith),'' referring 

 to the home of A'chiyala'topa. 



A feast is now enjoyed and the fraternity rest until about half past 

 9 o'clock, when the *klem'mosona goes to the plaza alone, where a 

 number of spectators are gathered. The nuisicians again sit at the 

 boxes and play and sing while the 'Hleni'mosona faces the north and 

 swallows his sword. The sword swallowing is repeated at the west, 

 south, and east, and at the last point he swallows his sword three 

 times, for the East, Zenith, and Nadir. Eigure ?>'! shows 'Hlem'mosona 

 swallowing his sword. In making the circuit each time before swal- 

 lowing the sword he stops at each of the cardinal points and stamps 

 several times. The sword swallowing at the six regions is r epeated, 



" a No one must cross the meal lines on the roof while the painting remains on the floor, and these 

 people, entertaining great fear of such a calamity, allow no one but members of the fratermty on 

 the house top, though there is no reason why one can not walk ..n any other portion of the roof. 



