HOFFMAN.] ETHNOGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS. 473 



the most terrific electrical displays. The hot air of the surrounding 

 valleys and deserts ascends the mountain-sides, where it condenses by 

 coming in contact with a cooler medium, forming vapor which finally 

 descends in copious precipitation. These showers are nearly of daily 

 occurrence, but, owing to the sandy and porous nature of the soil, the 

 water is instantly absorbed, and but little reaches the base of the moun- 

 tains over the surface. The Indians being naturally superstitious, such 

 terrific but short storms, attended with extraordinary flashes of light- 

 ning and the continued rumbling sounds of thunder in one locality, are to 

 them inexplicable, and they therefore attribute it to incensed gods and 

 evil beings. 



The Coyoteros, upon the death of a member of the tribe, partially wrap 

 up the corpse and deposit it into the cavity left by the removal of a small 

 rock or the stump of a tree ; after the body has been crammed into the 

 smallest possible space the rock or stump is again rolled into its former 

 position, when a number of stones are placed around the base to keep 

 out the coyotes. The nearest of kin usually mourn for the period of 

 one month, during that time giving utterance at intervals to the most 

 dismal lamentations which are apparently sincere. During the day 

 this obligation is frequently neglected or forgotten, but when the 

 mourner is reminded of his duty he renews his howling with evident in- 

 terest. This custom of mourning for the i^eriod of thirty days corres- 

 ponds to that formerly observed by the Natchez.* 



7. Stone circles and signals. 



On the trail leading from Eureka southward towards Hot Spring 

 Canon and Belmont, Xev., I saw at various localities the remains of 

 stone circles which had been placed there by the Shoshonees. The 

 ranges of mountains and foot-hills generally are covered with piiion 

 pines {Pinus edulis, Eagelm.), and the Indians who occupy small patches 

 of soil for permanent encampments are in the habit of selecting suita- 

 ble places along the foot-trails for gathering the fruit of this tree and 

 storing it for future use, as well as for such of the tribe as may be unable 

 to reach camp, or in want of food. All the Shoshonees in the south- 

 ern interior of Nevada provide for one another in this manner. Their 

 mode of doing so is in this wise : a number of stones are collected, each 

 of them from one-half to one cubic foot in bulk, which are arranged in 

 the shape of a circle having a diameter of from 2 to 4 feet. When fruit 

 is abundant (which happens but once in three years in respective local- 

 ities), it is collected and piled into this circle, covered over with sticks 

 and leaves, and finally a layer of earth, so as to secure them from 

 rodents and birds. Still, the former more frequently discover these 

 deposits than the benighted warrior for whom they are intended. The 

 Shoshonees do not know of any circles connected with religious or 

 burial ceremonies. Circles of similar construction are sometimes found 

 upon elevated points of land, where they are located as a post from 

 which a good view of the surrounding country can be obtained. Here 

 sentinels are posted, or a voluntary watcher may take his station to 

 notify his camp of the approach of game or of strangers, where his. 

 time is employed in making or mending bows, arrows, or other trap- 

 pings. Frequently the ground around such watch-stations is literally 

 covered with chirt or flint chippings. These, however, are not of very- 

 recent date, as stone darts are not as numerous as they were previous 



* Jones's citation of Father le Petit's account of the Natchez Indians. <Explor. 

 Aborig. Rem. ofTeuu., p. 21. [S. C. No. 259.] 



