No. 2. Charm Stones. 19 



ra Indians. "The moment these stones were shown to 

 these Indians I was told that they were medicine or 

 sorcery stones." 



"The sorcerer arranged twenty of these stones, the 

 proper number, in a circle, pushed them violently to- 

 gether, sprinkled water over them and smoke issued 

 from them. - At San Buenaventura substan- 



tially the same account was received. Here it was 

 said twelve was the number required by the medicine 

 men, exclusive of a center stone of different character. 

 The center stone shown to me, called Tu-cait, is a flat- 

 fish round, beach-worn pebble of quartzite, unworked, 

 and stained black with iron. It was, as I was told, a 

 peculiar power in rain making, and as an evidence of 

 its power, the Indian held it for a few moments tightly 

 grasped in his hands, when moisure was visible on it, 

 caused by contact with the moist hand." 



The moisture was pointed to as visible evidence of 

 its rain-making power. 



The use of the medicine stones among the San 

 Buenaventura Indians was as follows: 



The twelve sorcery stones were arranged in a circle 

 close together; [ n the center was arranged the Tucait; 

 Chia, the generic name for seed-meal, # together with 

 down from the breast of the white goose, was then 

 spread over the stones, and then red ochre spread over 

 the whole. Around this a dance was held, while three 

 old men sang, keeping time with rattles. 



This or similar ceremonies were observed for cur- 

 ing the sick, bringing rain, putting out fires in the 

 mountains, calling fish up the streams, and when war 

 was to be made. 



Several other stones of various shapes were shown 

 to me, some in their natural condition; one a piece of 

 iron-pyrites, another resembling a natural concretion. 



Those of the third class were fashioned with care 

 and were about 4 inches long, somewhat tapering in 

 shape and encircled with several rings; to all of these 

 mysterious properties were assigned, and it is proba- 



* Salvia Columbarise, Benth, (Mrs. Bingham.) 



