Fewkes.l 456 [Jan. 2, 
west of the pueblo overlooking the ancient site of Walpi. There 
they halted, standing in hne at the edge of the cliff facing west, 
each man holding the embers in the melon rind in his right hand, 
' the sacred meal in his left. He first dropped a little meal in the 
fire and then waAcd his left hand in sinistral circuit four times 
above his head, and cast the remainder of the meal toward the 
west, after which he tossed the rind containing the embers over 
the cliff. This was practically performed simultaneously by all 
the members. 
The other three societies in their respective kivas, each by 
itself, carefully disposed of their fire exactly as the KwakioantlX 
had done. The members of these societies passed through 
Sitcomovi to the summit of the ledge to the east of Walla, and 
there standing in line, facing west, made purifications in the same 
way the KvmkwantlX had at the western end of the mesa. All 
the societies performed this rite simultaneously ; the TataukyamlX 
and WilioutcimW, standing near together as they did so. The 
participants were not especially costumed for this ceremony but 
had blankets wrapped about them. The above described purifi- 
cation rites were performed just before sunrise. ^ 
It will be seen from the above observations that the disposition 
of the embers of the new fire in the different kivas is a matter of 
ceremony, and it is said that this purification is presci'ibed both in 
the Wuioiltcimt'Ct and Naacnaiya. In the latter this rite eluded 
us but it undoubtedly occurred. The manner of disposition of 
the new fire intimates that the embers even are looked upon as 
sacred,^ and indeed it is said that direful troubles will come to 
any one who should light a cigarette from this fire or profane the 
sacred flame. 
1 While there is every reason to believe that elaborate new lire ceremonials exist 
in other pueblos of the southwest, unfortunately for comparative purposes, they yet 
await description. As I have already said ( p. 193 ) in my Naacnaiya article, Mr. 
Hough has referred to the existence of this ceremony at Zuili on authority of Col. 
Stevenson, and it is to be hoped that the exact details of this rite will be described in 
the articles on Zufii ceremonials by Mr. Gushing and Mrs. Stevenson, which are 
expected from the Bureau of Ethnology. 
2 As I have elsewhere jjointedout, all whittlings, fragments of strings, and even the 
bottle of some pipes used ceremoniously are not simply cast away, but are carefully 
gathered up, sprinkled with sacred meal, and thrown over the did in a manner which 
recalls the way the new lire embers are disposed of, except that it is generally done 
by the chief and not by the whole society. The idea back of both is the same, and we 
have similar rites in all rituals including the Christian (see piscina and its use, 
ecclesiastical encyclopaedias). 
