ccsHiNG] THE MIDDLE-DETERMINING COUNCIL. 429 



rested over the middle of the phiiu and valley of Ziifii; and when he 

 drew ill his flnger-legs, lo ! there were the trail-roads leading out and 

 in like stays of a spider's net, into and forth from the place he had 

 covered. 



THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FATHERS AND THEIR TABERNACLE 

 AT HALONAWAN OR THE ERRING-PLACE OF THE MIDDLE. 



Then the fathers of the people built in that spot, and rested thereat 

 theii' tabernacle of sacred treasures. But K'yaniis'tipe had swerved in 

 lowering, and their town was reared a little south of the very midmost 

 place. IJfevertheless, no longer in after time sounded the warnings. 

 Hence, because of their great good fortune {hdloiHlin) in thus land- 

 ing the stable middle of the world, the j^riest- fathers of the people 

 called this midmost town the Abiding place of Hapi)y Fortune (HAlo- 

 nawan). 



THE FLOODING OF THE TOWNS, AND THE BUILDING OF THE 

 CITY OF SEED ON THE MOUNTAIN. 



Yet, because they had erred even so little, and because the first 

 priest of after times did evil, lo ! the river to the southward ran full, 

 and breaking from its pathway cut in twain the great town, burying 

 houses and men in the mud of its impetuosity. Whence, those who 

 perished not and those of the flooded towns rounded about fled to the 

 toj) of the Mountain of Thunder, they with all their Seed people and 

 things, whence the villages they built there were named Taaiya'hltoua 

 'Hliielawa, or the "Towns-allabove of-the-seed-all." 



THE STAYING OF THE FLOOD BY SACRIFICE OF THE YOUTH AND 

 MAIDEN, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF HALONA ITIWANA 

 ON THE TRUE MIDDLE. 



But when by the sacrifice of the youth priest and maiden priestess (as 

 told in other speech) the waters had been made to abate and the land 

 became good to walk upon, all the people descended, calling that high 

 mouutaiu place, which ever after hath eclioed thunder, Taaiyalane, 

 or the Mountain of Thunder. When all the towns were rebuilded, 

 then on the northern side of the river they builded anew the Town of 

 the Middle, calling it Hsilona Itiwana (Halona the Midmost) ; but the 

 desolated part they called Ilalonawan, because they had erred there 

 (hdJoui(il<'-y(i), though even so little. 



THE CUSTOM OF TESTING THE MIDDLE IN THE MIDDLE TIME. 



Now at last never more did the world rumble; yet the fathers of the 

 people questioned in their hearts, fearing further misfortune to their 

 children, if so be they still erred in the resting place of the sacred mys- 

 teries whatsoever. So, when the sun had reached the middle between 

 winter and summer, they devised an ordinance and custom whereby this 

 might be tested. They brought out the things of lightning and the 



