the children when they discovered their own people and not gods afforded
much amusement to the spectators. The masks were laid upon a blanket and
the girls and boys were commanded to look upon them. Hostjoboard placed
her mask upon the face of each boy and girl and woman in the line,
beginning at the north end of the line, giving a hoot each time the mask
was placed upon anyone. Great care was taken that the mask should be so
arranged upon the face that the eyes might look directly through the
eyeholes, for should any blunder occur the sight of at least one eye
would be lost. It is scarcely on before it is removed. After the masks
had been placed on all the faces it was laid beside Hasjelti's. The man
personating Hasjelti sprinkled his mask and then Hostjoboard's with
pollen, and the man personating Hostjoboard sprinkled Hasjelti's mask
and then his own with pollen. The boy to the north end of the line was
called out and from the pollen bag took a pinch of pollen and sprinkled
first the mask of Hasjelti and then Hostioboard's. This was repeated by
each boy, girl, and woman in the line. In approaching the masks they
always pass back of the line around to the north side and then step in
front of the masks. The mask is sprinkled in this wise: A line of pollen
is run from the top of the head down to the mouth; passing around to the
right the line is drawn upward over the left cheek; the hand continues
to move outside of the mask to a point below the right cheek, then up
the right cheek. The younger children's hands were guided by the
representatives of the gods. It would be a great fatality to sprinkle a
drop of meal over the eye holes; the individual committing such an error
would become blind at least in one eye. Great care is also taken that
the line is run up the cheek, for if it was run down not only would
vegetation be stunted, but the lives of the people would become so, as
all people and things should aim upward not downward. The line running
down through the center of the face calls upon the gods above to send
down rain upon the earth and health to all people. Two or three children
started through ignorance to run the meal down one of the cheeks; they
were instantly stopped by Hasjelti, but not until the people looking on
had expressed great horror. All in the line having gone through this
ceremony the crowd of spectators sprinkled the masks in the same manner.
I was requested to sprinkle them, and at the same time wa