MODERN PUEBLOS. 119 



ceremony. The ])riests smoke, blowing; the smoke 

 toward the ahar; clouds of tobacco smoke are also 

 blown from a cloud blower; and a priest appointed 

 for the purpose sprinkles a specially prepared liquid 

 upward and over the altar. Many prayers are uttered 

 and eight songs are sung. This ceremony is repeated 

 each morning after the fifth, throughout the ceremony. 

 A messenger is sent out each afternoon with pra3'er 

 offerings to be placed on the various shrines. The 

 first day he visits the most distant ones making a 

 cu-cuit of many miles; on the three rernaining days 

 the distances are decreased. On the afternoon of the 

 seventh day water is brought by a messenger from a 

 distant spring. Before the water is taken a prayer- 

 stick is set up and the following prayer is uttered : — 



"Now, then, this here (prayer offerings) I have brought for you. 

 With this I have come to fetch you. Hence, being arrayed in this, 

 thus rain on our crops! Then will these corn-stalks be growing up by 

 that rain; when they mature, we shall be glad over them. Then these 

 our animals when they eat will also be happy over it. Then all living 

 things will be in good condition. Therefore do we thus go to the trouble 

 of assembling Hence it must be thus. Therefore have pity on us. 

 Now let us go! We shall all go. There let no one keep any one back. 

 You all follow me." (Voth, 320.) 



In the early morning of the two last days of the 

 ceremony, two snake priests dressed as warriors pass 

 four times around each of the kivas and enter them. 

 They have in their hands buUroarers and hghtning 

 frames. The first are sticks fastened to a string which 

 when rapidly whirled make a noise like falling rain. 

 The hghtning frames consist of a series of crossed sticks 



