STEVENSON. ] NINTH DAY—SECOND CEREMONY. Dito 
dance was to take place, and Navajo men and women clad in their bright 
colored blankets and all their rare beads and silver encircled each fire. 
Logs were piled 5 or 6 feet high. In addition to these eight fires there 
were many others near and far, around which groups of gamblers gath- 
ered, all gay and happy. Until this night no women but those who car- 
ried food to the lodge had been present at any of the ceremonies except 
at the initiation of the children. To say that there were 1,200 Navajo 
would be a moderate calculation. This indeed was a picture never to 
be forgotten. Many had been the objections to our sketching and writ- 
ing, but throughout the nine days the song-priest stood steadfastly by 
us. One chief in particular denounced the theurgist for allowing the 
medicine to be put on paper and carried to Washington. But his words 
availed nothing. We were treated with every consideration. We were 
allowed to handle the masks and examine them closely, and at times 
the artists working at the sand painting really inconvenienced them- 
selves and allowed us to crowd them that we might observe closely the 
many minute details which otherwise could not have been perceived, as 
many of their color lines in the skirt and sash decorations were like 
threads. The accompanying sketches show every detail. 
The green or dressing room was a circular inclosure of pine boughs 
at the end of the avenue. It was about 10 feet high by 20 feet in diam- 
eter made of pifon branches with their butts planted in the ground, 
their tops forming a brush or hedge. Within this inclosure the masks 
were arranged in a row on the west side. A large fire burned in the 
center affording both heat and light. The different sets, when a change 
of dress from one set of men to another was to be made, repaired to 
this green room for that purpose. This inclosure was also the resort 
during the night for many Indians who assisted the dancers in their 
toilets. 
At 10 o’clock the ceremonies opened by the entrance upon the avenue 
of the song-priest who came from the green room. He wore a rich red 
blanket and over this a mountain lion skin; immediately after him fol- 
lowed Hasjelti, leading the four Htsethle (the first ones). These repre- 
sented first, natan (corn); second, natin (rain); third, nanase (vegeta- 
tion); fourth, jadetin (corn pollen). Their masks were blue ornamented 
with feathers and were similar to the masks worn by the dancers; their 
bodies were painted white with many rare beads around their necks, 
and they wore loin skirts with silver belts; a gray fox skin was attached 
pendant to the back of the belt, and blue stockings, tied with red gar- 
ters, and moccasins completed their dress. They carried in their right 
hands gourd rattles painted white. The handles of these may be of any 
kind of wood, but it must be selected from some tree near which light- 
ning has struck, but not of the wood of the tree struck by lightning. 
Corn pollen was in the palms of their left hands and in the same hand 
they carried also a pinon bough. Hasjelti wore a suit of velvet orna- 
mented with silver buttons; he never speaks except by signs. They 
