e men and three
women carry food and tesvino to the grave, the relatives remaining
at home. On their return they stop at a distance from the house and
throw ashes over each other's heads before entering.

For the third function, which is the largest, an animal is selected
from among those last acquired by the deceased, and quantities of food
and beer are prepared. This feast is the final effort to despatch the
dead. A large earthen bowl is made especially for the purpose. It is
about two feet in diameter and six inches deep. It is filled with
water, and a drinking-gourd placed inside of it, upside down. The
shaman beats this gourd with a corn-cob fastened to the end of a
little stick. His assistants help him, one by swinging the rattle,
the other by singing. After a while the shaman lifts the bowl up and
after carrying it about in three ceremonial circuits throws it into
the air. It falls to the ground and breaks into many pieces, and the
people dance and trample on the shreds and on the drinking-gourd.

The young people conclude the function by running a race of some
hundred yards. The men have their ball, and as they run they scatter
ashes to the four cardinal points to cover the tracks of the dead. They
return rejoicing, manifesting their delight by throwing up their
blankets, tunics, and hats, because now the dead is at last chased
off. If the deceased be a woman, the women run a race with rings
and sticks.

A very elaborate third function, given by a widow, was described to me
as follows: There were five patios. On one, for the dead, was erected
one large cross and two small ones, and three gourds with tesvino and
a basket with uncooked meat were placed near by. A fire was lighted,
and one man had to watch here. On another patio one cross was raised,
and a branch from a pine-tree placed next to it. Here, too, a jar
with tesvino and a basket with uncooked meat were deposited, and one
man and two women kept watch, but no ceremonies were performed. A
third patio was for the hikuli cult, where the shaman rasped and
sang. On the fourth patio, yumari was danced, and one large cross
and two smaller ones had been erected. Finally, on the fifth patio
four torches of resinous pinewood, each a yard high, were placed at
the four cardinal points. A peculiar feature was that one man alone
danced here between these four torches, cutting with his knife three
times through each flame as he danced. This he did in reprises.

Acc