.MTA1Mw.NzA2NzA
477 and 60 penciled at top of page
Feasts etc. There are various methods of making rain. Some conjurers pray first to the great mountains to send the clouds. Then to the small mountains. Then to the mountain without reference to great or small. Then to the level country. Then to the otter, and last of all to the corn above, who had fixed the white seats on the mountains, to entreat God to send the cloud out of the mountain and water the corn below. He then goes into a stream about waiste deep, and sings to the objects above mentioned, and while singing, throws water into the air with both hands, and then dives. On arising, he looks up stream, and if it is soon to rain, he sees a snake in the water approaching him etc. This set of conjurers, I believe, suppose that once the corn died & went above, leaving a spirit or seed, behind, telling it that in every time of need it must look to its mother above. These conjurers, therefore, probably substitute corn above for the woman above, of the others. Thus they pray to the corn above in order to turn a storm of wind from the corn.