The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-09-28

Gle 10 the accompaniment or luneIal urge
Of rattles and monOtonOus chanting.
After a snake had been thus carried
around the circle il was deposited IN sl-
cred lodge Of cottonwood sapplngs covered
with a buffalo robe, and its place taken by
another. Thus it was not hard TO calculate
The number used which wss not far from
one hundred, rather over than under, and
one half the number were rattlesnakes.
THE PROCESSION
entered through an arcsde, marching IN
line of arrow heads four times around 4
great circle, embracing both the sacred
lodge and the sacred rock, and then formed
in two single ranks. The chorlsterS facing
toward the precipice and the dancers facing
the sacred lod9c, the "high priest" as | call
him, took station directly IN front OF the
sacred lodge and between II and the sacred
rock. which latter is grim-looklng pile OF
weatber-worn sandstone, twenty or thirty
feet high, having a slight resemblance TO
human head. At the foot OF 1t is niche,
i'm which Is a piece Of block stone bearing a
very vague appearance Of the human trunk.
At the base OF this idol are many naive
offerings 10 proptiate the Deity 10 send
plentiful rains. mn
As tbe procession files around the little
plaza the "hisb priest" >prIpkles the
ground with water, using an talthen Dowl
aud an eagles feather as a sprinkler. a
second medicine. man tHlrls peculiar
sling and makes noise Ike the i'Illng
of copious showers. Wien the TWO
lines are halted The dancers, who
are at first provided with eagle'iea-
thers, wave them gently downward 10
the right and left. while chorlsleIs
shake their rattlers, making noise IKE rat
tlesnakes, and at the sape time sing 10"
and not unrausical chant. When TINS i mn
ished the high priest holds the DOW towards
the sacred lodge, utters low but
AUDIBLE PRAYER,
and sprinkes the ground again with tbe
water.
The singing aud feather.waving are re-
heated, and the first scene Is over
Noibinp at all horrible has occurred YET,
bnt no time is lost before the second part OF
the ceremony commences. Chorl'ters re-
main i'm their places with the "h'gn
prje,t.v while the dancers, two by TWO anu
arm.in-arm, tramp with measured tread I'D
- Iong circle, embracing the sacred points
already mentioned. Your blood ehlils as
you see held by the men on the lett snakes
of all kinds wriggllng and writing, wnile
the right-hand man keeps The reptiie ais-
ttacted bv tanning its head with eagle Yea.
tbers. There is no discount on TINS part oi
the busipess. Snakes are carried III
HAND AND IN THE MOUTH,
and. as have already said, some OF the rat
tlesnakes were so large-Oyer hNe leelI
that the dancer could not grasp the Wbole
diameter IN his mouth. As the procession
6led passed the squaws at as the Iale'
threw corn.meaI before them on the ground
These snakes, when thrown TO the eaItu'
showed themselves I'm most eases 10 be eN-
tremely vicious, and struck al any one
coming near. ,...,- .-,,.I ,,os
In such an event a little eornmesi was
thrown upon the meal, an assistant run
ming ND 10 them famed them Wlth the eSSio
feathers until they coiled up, ana tIeh ne
auickly seized them back oi the hecA' an"
after all :be snakes had been put
UxDER THE BUFFILO ROBE
covering the sacred lodge there was anolner
urayer. and the second scene eudea.
The third scene commenced almost lmme-
dlstelv. and was almost az follows ne
akes were seized by ones, tTos, ana haIi.
dozens. and thrown into tins circle at " Z,
where they were covered with corn-mesI.
A signal was given, and a Rumber OF neet
roua,S men grabbed the snakes IN handtuls,
,.n X fuil speed down the almost
vertical psths in the faee OF tue
Ness' and upon reaching is foot let
I'm 90 free TO the north, the seuth,
Inc east, and the west. The young men
hen c3me back at full run, dashed through
he crowd and on to one OF the Estala''
Tbcre we were told they had to swallow
notion 10 induce copiOus Vomiting ana
n undergo other treatment to ned'FSli|e
oy bltes they might have received.
0f one thing am asSured-tbe ho1uls
,esiclne.men know more about SNAKES
nan any people on the face OF the eSriu'
he Asiatic snake cnarnfers not excepted