e thus
cast out; but aside from their religious use, the _co'tce_ are often
visited by the Indians for the cleansing and invigorating effect of
the bath, with no thought of ceremonial. The Navaho, as a race or
individually, are not remarkable for cleanliness, but they use the
_co'tce_ freely.

[Illustration: Fig. 240--Low earth-covered shelter]

During the _Yeb[)i]tcai_ dance or ceremony four _co'tce_ are set around
the song house, about 40 yards distant from it, one at each cardinal
point. The _qacal'i_, or chief medicine-man, sweats the patient in them
on four successive mornings, just at dawn, beginning with the east and
using one each morning. The _co'tce_ on the east is merely an uncovered
frame, and after the patient enters it and hot stones have been rolled
in it is covered with many blankets and a large buckskin is spread over
all. On this skin the _qacal'i_ sprinkles iron ochers and other colored
sands in striated bands, symbolic of the rainbow and sunbeams which
covered the early mythic houses. He and his assistants stand near the
hut shaking rattles and singing a brief song to Qastcej[)i]ni, at the
conclusion of which the patient is released. The initial spark of the
fire used at these ceremonies and for all religious purposes is obtained
by friction, and is regarded as essentially different from fire produced
by flint and steel or otherwise, because the first spark of friction
fire was brought from Qastcej[)i]ni, who is the god of the underworld
fire. The production of fire by friction is a very simple matter to
these Indians and is often done in play; frequently, under the windy
conditions that prevail in their country, in but little more time than a
white man can accomplish the same result with matches. For this purpose
they often use the dry, brittle stalks of the common bee weed (_Cleome
pungens_). The drill, which is whirled between the palms of the hands,
consists of a stalk perhaps a quarter of an inch in diameter. This is
made to revolve on the edge of a small notch cut into a larger stalk,
perhaps an inch in diameter. A pinch of sand is sometimes placed under
the point of the drill, the rapid revolution of which produces a fine
powder. This powder runs down the notch or groove, forming a little pile
on the ground. Smoke is produced in less than a minute, and finally, in
perhaps two minutes, tiny sparks drop on the little pile of dry powder,
which takes fire from them. By careful fostering by feed