DoasEr.J HUNTING CUSTOMS FEAST DEPARTURE. 2*5 



Then the food was served out to the guests, the best portions of it 

 being placed before the chiefs. Each person who received a portion 

 thanked the host, using the appropriate kinship term, as, "Hau! ji n 4e'ha!" 

 Thanhs! elder brother /— "Hau! kage!" Thanks! younger brother!— 

 "Hau! negiha!" Thanhs! mother's brother! The old men present 

 thanked the host, chiefs, and young men. Food is precious to them, so 

 they talked a long time about it. The young men left some of the food 

 in the kettles for the criers and old men, who then ate out of the ket- 

 tles instead of bowls. The feast ended, smoking succeeded, after which 

 the guests rose in succession, thanked the host, and passed out of the 

 lodge in an orderly manner, beginning with those on the left of the en- 

 trance and fireplace. These passed in single file before the head chiefs, 

 and round the rest of the circle of the guests, till they reached the en- 

 trance when they passed out. Then those on the right of the fireplace 

 made a complete circuit of the lodge, passed before the head chiefs and 

 went out of the lodge. In each case the guest followed the course of 

 the sun as he appears to revolve around the earth. The criers sang 

 through the village in praise of the host, whom they thanked for his 

 hospitality. They also thanked the chiefs and young men who were 

 present at the feast; and they proclaimed to the people the decision of 

 the council. 



§ 131. Preparations for the departure.— The women buried in caches 

 whatever they wished to leave. Food, etc., was placed in a blanket, 

 which was gathered up at the corners and tied with a thong; then the 

 bundle was allowed to fall to the bottom of the cache. Many of such 

 bundles were put into a single cache. Then the women went over the 

 corn-fields to see that all the work had been finished. They prepared 

 their pack-saddles and litters, and mended moccasins aud other cloth- 

 ing. The young men spent part of the time in dancing in honor of the 

 "watcigaxe ji ime<f6 aka," the men at whose lodges the dancing socie- 

 ties met. 



§ 132. The departure.— The day for their departure having arrived, 

 the women loaded their horses and dogs, and took as great weights on 

 their own backs as they could conveniently transport. Such lodges as 

 were left unoccupied by aged or infirm people were secured by closing 

 the entrances with large quantities of brushwood. Those men who 

 -were the owners of many horses were able to mount their families on 

 horseback, but the most of the people were obliged to go afoot. Be- 

 fore starting the place for passing the night was determined and an 

 Ifike-sabe man was sent through the village as crier saying, "Maja n/ 

 ga<|-uadi<fa}ite,ai,a<fa+!'-_ They say, indeed, that you shall pitch the tents 

 in that land which is out of sight! He described the location of the 

 place as he made this proclamation, so that the abae-ma (hunters or 

 scouts) might know where they were expected to rejoin the people. 

 This precaution was taken each succeeding night, or else on the inor 

 row before the departure of the hunters. 



