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7. 279

The feathers tied directly to the tuft of hairs on the crown were not painted. They must be such as were taken from the right wing of an eagle, a raven, a large or small mountain hawk, a sparrow hawk, a long tailed hawk, or a large chicken hawk. But those from the right wing of the eagle, or large mountain hawk, were most highly esteemed. The feathers to be dyed red, & tied to the ends of the large tail feathers of the eagle & large mountain hawk. These were three or four inches long (it is said.)
These feathers were not exposed to public view, but when the priest received them from the hand of the messenger, he took them immediately to a thicket, or some unfrequented place, where he tied them in bunches & hung them on the boughs.                   
 The next morning, ^before eating he went in search of materials for colouring. There, in the first instance, were leaves, or, if not a time of leaves, the bark of the root, of a low shrub, called Ta lo ny. Not the common Talony used for smoking, but another species, more rare, and growing on high mountains.  After procuring this, he got some of the inside bark of a kind of black oak. These he took to the place where he had left the feathers, and spread them out to dry, by the sun, is possible, if not, by a fire. He might then eat and drink, but not before, even if it should take hims till night to accomplish the business.
 The next morning before eating he took his mortar, washed it, put in the above ingredients, pounded them to a powder, and as he pounded, poured in a little strong lic?, which turned the composition to a beautiful green. Having done this, he prepared his pot, and filled it with pure water, - made a fire of holy fire, and then put the dye stuff into the pot. He then took the feathers to be dyed, and holding a bunch between the thumb and finger of the right hand, dipped it into the water four times, and then, on putting it in the fifth time, sunk it to the bottom. Thus with every bunch he was to colour. While doing this he offered up prayers for a Divine influence to accompany the feathers. He now put the pot on the fire and kept it simmering all day, till just before sun set. He then took the ^feathers out, put them away to dry. They were now a most brilliant yellow.
On the morning of the next day the priest, having selected & notified boys of unquestioned purity, to assist him, commenced his search for a root called, the Blood. This was scarce, and often difficult to obtain. It consists of