286 THE MAIDU. 
gorgeous head-dresses and long mantles of black eagle’s feathers, and take 
their stations on opposite sides of one of the posts supporting the roof. 
Resting their chins on this, with their faces turned up toward heaven, each, in 
turn, makes a solemn and earnest supplication to the spirits, chanting short 
sentences in their occult priestly language, to which the other occasionally 
makes response. At longer intervals the whole congregation respond ‘“ Ho!” 
equivalent to “amen”, and there is a momentary pause of profound silence, 
during which a pin could be heard to drop. Then the dance is resumed, and 
the whole multitude join in it, while one keeps time by stamping with his 
foot on a large hollow slab. These exercises continue for many hours, and 
at imtervals acorn-porridge is handed about, of which all partake liberally 
without leaving the dance-house. Of the religious character of these exer- 
cises there can be no doubt. 
Then there is the clover dance (he’-lin ka-mi'-ni, “the great dance”), 
which is celebrated in the blossom-time of clover, in concentric circles like 
the above, but outdoors, and not attended with anything that could be called 
religious ceremonies. The men often dance with a fanatic violence and 
persistence until they are reeking with perspiration, and then plunge into 
cold water or stretch themselves at full length on the ground in a manner 
that would insure a white man the rheumatism. 
Upon the ripening of manzanita berries comes the manzanita dance, 
(wi'-du-kan ka-mi'-ni, “the little dance”), which is about like that last 
described. 
Then there is the great spirit dance (he'-lin ka-ki’-ni ka-mi'-ni), which 
is held in propitiation of the demons. The reader must not for a moment 
confound this great spirit with the being so called by the Algonkin races, 
for he has nothing whatever to do with their cosmogony ; he created noth- 
ing, is powerful only for evil, and is nothing more nor less than the chief of 
the imps or goblins supposed to haunt certain hills or other localities. 
The dance for the dead (tsi’-pi ka-mi'-ni, “the weeping dance”) will 
be found described in the last chapter. 
Lastly there is a dance called walin-hu'-pi ka-mi'-ni, (this will not bear 
translation), which is held in the open air at pleasure, chiefly in the clover 
season. ‘The maidens dance this alone in the evening. They join hands in 
