STEVENSON] ^HLE'WEKWE 



475 



bunches of 3^arn tied around them below the knee, with sleigh bells 

 hanging, and dance moccasins. The maidens hold a Milu^sipone" in 

 each hand (see plate cxii b, c). The 3^outh holds his mi'li between 

 his hands. 



The Mu'waij'e advance like drilled soldiers, keeping perfect time 

 with their heads, hands, and feet. This trio is closely followed by 

 the a'mosi and a'mosono'^kia of the choir, the drummer and choir, 

 which consists of about KK) men of the Chu'pawa ki'wi'sine, grouped 

 immediately behind them. The a'mosi wear black velvet trousers, 

 native-woven shirts of black, elaborately ornamented with red and 

 green ribbons, and quantities of necklaces, the hair being done up 

 in the usual way. The a'mosono"lda are dressed similarly to the 

 et'towe-bearers, all being adorned with as many necklaces as they can 

 secure from relatives and friends. The air rings with the song, which 

 is quite independent of the 'Hle'wekwe choir on the western side of 

 the plaza. The et'towe and 'hla'we bearers linger in line on the north 

 side of the plaza until the Mu'waiye are fully in the plaza, when 

 they move on very slowly, circling round the boxes four times, each 

 person frequently sprinkling meal into them. They leave the plaza 

 by the western way, proceeding to a house of the Badger clan, where 

 the et'towe are received by their keepers, four aged women. They 

 are deposited in flat baskets partly filled with meal, and placed in line 

 from north to south in the center of the floor of the large room. The 

 ancient *hla'we are laid across the baskets north of the et'towe. with 

 the tip ends pointing east. Mu'chailiha'nona and each bearer of 

 fetish carries a pinch of meal held in the left hand four times around 

 the head and sprinkles it over the et'towe.'' Meal is now taken in the 

 right hand and sprinkled over the fetishes with a prayer for rains. 

 The girls take their seats on the north ledge of the room, and Mu'chail- 

 iha'nona returns to the chamber of the *Hle'wekwe. 



After the fetish-bearers and the leader leave the plaza they are 

 followed bv the *Hle'wekwe choir, and the ^Mu'waiye with their choir 

 have the plaza to themselves. The Chu'pakwe do not proceed far- 

 ther than the northeastern corner of the plaza until the Mu'waiye 

 have passed four times around the ])oxes. The nmsic, which is the 

 same as that sung to the accompaniment of the notched sticks earlier 

 in the day, and which is now to be heard free from the grating noises 

 of the deer-leg bones rubbed over the notched sticks, is rich and 

 melodious. 



a The .hlu'.sipone is made like the ancient 'hla'we. The stems are painted white and white duck 

 feathers take the place of the silvery leaves. The various seeds are wrapped m cotton at the cms o 

 the thlu'-sipowe. The .Hlem'mosona of the fraternity presented to the writer two 'hhi .si,h.« e ( plural 

 of .hlu'tsipone), having the white feathers and two <hla'we with -hlai'aluko plumes, which arc now 

 in the National Museum. ^ „. ,„^, 



b'One failing to sprinkle the meal would be troubled with excrescences and swellings; perhaps 



one, perhaps many, would come." 



a 



