1890.] Archeology and Ethnology. 1095 
thought of the phonograph?’’ ‘That question can only be in part 
: answered, What they really thought is unknown to me, but some of 
* their remarks about it were rather interesting. Some of those who 
gave me songs declared that there was a person hidden in the machine 
who repeated what they sang; others said that the machine was be- 
witched. But not one of those whom I asked, except some squaws, 
seemed afraid of the instrument, or if they were afraid did not manifest 
it in any way. A Laguna Indian, who wasa visitor in Zufii at the time 
of my visit, philosophically remarked, as translated for me, that the white 
men used many machines which he did not understand, and as he knew 
these were not bewitched there was no reason to suppose that the pho- 
nograph was possessed of any such powers. I cannot, however, but 
think that all who saw the instrument mentally reiterated what the 
Zufii silversmith, Kuishte, said to me in Spanish (perhaps not the 
purest Castalian), * Mecano sabe mucho." XI permitted them to hear 
the records which they had given, and in every case to my question 
whether the record was accurate or not they responded with that uni- 
versal Zufi word to which so many different shades of meaning are 
given by inflection, koksi, good. 
It was my good fortune to witness in Zufii, in August of the present 
year, an ancient dance of interesting character. This ceremonial is a 
.corn dance, and is known among the Zuüians as the OfoenmareA. 
The ancient name is Hamponey. This dance is rarely performed, and 
has seldom been witnessed by white men, as it occurs only after intervals 
of several years. The Hamponey is reputed by all to be most ancient, 
and there are many ceremonies in it which indicate its antiquity. It 
was therefore with great interest that I made elaborate notes upon it, 
and sought particularly to obtain records of its songs on the cylinders of 
the phonograph for preservation. Through the kindness of one of 
the Indians, who occupied an important office in the ceremony, I was 
reasonably successful with the latter. When one considers the changes 
which yearly come to the Indians, and the probability that in a few 
years many of their customs will be greatly modified or disappear for- 
ever, the necessity for immediate preservation of their songs and 
rituals is imperative, In the case of the Hamponey, which is celebrated 
only once in from five to eight years, the necessity of preservation by 
observers is increased in proportion to the rarity of its occurrence. 
Eight years in the life of a New Mexican Pueblo may profoundly affect 
its whole social and religious characters; and when once lost t 
religious rites and ceremonials, which are survivals of the ancient 
indigenous culture of the southwestern territories of the United 
States, are lost forever. 
Am. Nat.—N 
