.MTA1MQ.NzAyOTI

38 The meat which had been distributed before noon by the seven whippers, had been cooked, and was now called for by the speaker, The flesh pieces were pounded and boiled, & the bony pieces boiled by themselves. Bread was made of dry new corn pounded; and also mush and homany. Potatoes, beans, & all kinds of same? they had were cooked & brought forward. Long branches were set in the council house hard, and the provision placed in order? upon them. The priest then, after praying, directed all to eat. This was just before sunset. The seven counsellors, however, and the seven women appointed to fast, must not eat till about dark, and then priest & his right hand man were obliged to wait still longer before eating. On this night the people danced? till about midnight and then such as wished could go home & sleep. (But according to some the women danced all night.) On the second day the seven whippers went through with all the ceremonies of the first day, and distributed the meat, but the yo wea was not sung, and the people generally could eat during the day at the houses in the town, but the priest, his right hand man, seven counsellors & the seven women continued still to fast as the day before. A little before sunset victuals was brought as on the first day and all ate except the sixteen mentioned above. The third day passed as the second in all respects, and the fourth was as the first. The Yowa was sung three times, the whippers proceeded as usual, the meat was distributed, all fasted till near sunset - all bathed in the afternoon plunging seven times as on the first day - the sacrifice was offered, and the oracle u la sa ta? consulted, victuals and all at the direction of the priest as before. The priest however & his right hand man could not eat till late at night, nor the seven counsellors and the seven fasting women till after dark. Thus there last mentioned persons unclear the priest-his right hand man & seven counsellors and the seen women fasted ten days successively, eating only a little, after dark, over in twenty four hour, and all the people fasted two days and spent two whole nights in entire wakefulness, all put off all their dirty clothes, & all plunged entirely fourteen times in running water, and on the fourth night all must keep entirely awake, none must eat or sleep. The women danced all night. On the morning of the next day sacrifice was offered & the people retired free, as they supposed, rom all pollution This feat was annually on the first of September, or soon after; and also during the year, when any dangerous sickness was feared, the yowa was sung & the above feast unclear