The daily gazette., 1882-03-30
RITES OF THE xUNI TN.
~ DIAM6. Ia
cEREMoN1ALs IN THE 'ooEAN OF SUN

-
CEREMoNIALs IN THE 'ooEAN OF SUN
RIsE"-cURIoUs sAcR1F1cEs TO THE
ocBAN GoDs--A PRAYER SMOKE
WITH SACRED cIaARETTRs-lNIA-
TIoN OF A PALE FACE, ETc.O
BosToN, March 28.-The Zuni In
dians, who have betn here nearly O
week under the care of Mr.. Gushing,
Of the Smithsonian Institution, per-
formed their mystic rite in the "Ocean
OF Sunrise" SO called, this afternoon.
Their main object in ecming to Bos-
ton was to get as far east as possible,
and 20 dip from the ocean q supply OF
salt water TO be used In their ceremo,
malls at the summer solstice, when
they pray for good crops. They have
had supply Of salt water in their
tribe for many years, and the suppo>
sitiou is that 1t was brought from the
Gulf OF Mexico by one of their ances.
tors, aud has since been held as
sacred. A few drops Of it has been
mixed with ordinary water and used
to moisten the paint oftheir featnered
prayer sticks. !ea
The "Ocean of Sunrise" which no
Zuni had ever seen before the present
visit, is venerated, because they con-
slider it the origin of all water, and
because 1t is the residence of many Of
their ancestors.
The ci.y's steamer was placed at
their disposal for the ceremony, and
they were accompanied by Mayor
Green, Collector Beard, Rev. Phillips
Brooks. d. D., Profs. Horsford and
Putnam, of Harvard College, and
about two hundred other interested
persons. Arriving at Deer Island,
they prepared in tent for the cere-
monies, decorating themselves in full
war paint and donning ornaments and
insignia of rank. They then pro-
ceeded to the beach, muttered their
prayers, threw handfuls of sacred -four
into the water, and then climbing on
some rocks continued their appeals
and exhortations to their gods for
about twenty Eve minutes. The water
meanwhile had risen and they were
in some danger of being cut off from
the mainland. They believed for q
time that the rise of the water was
simply q manifestation of satisfaction
of their gods, as the ocean was coming
to be taken up in reply to their pray
ers, but finally they were induced tC
seek safer positions.
They next sat around sacred tray, ,oE
which were placed their prayer-sticks
They prayed to the gods Of ocean, the
gods of their ancestors, and followed
this with a ''prayer smoke" They
lighted sacred cigarettes made OF canC
tubes moistened with ocean water anC
; filed with tobacco made and prayed
over by the priests Of the sun In Zunl
and the smoke was waited over thu
water.
Two of the chiefs then waded knee
deep into the sea emptled out from bagi
!. quantities of meal, representing the veg
etabletfood of the Zunis. This was
sacrifice to the ocean gods. The higt
priest next waved q sacred gourd (Which
was of the vessels in which the watel
was first brought from the Gulf OF Mex
! ico) to the four quar-; ers of the earth and
dipped it into the ocean. Another CHIEF
dipped the points OF two pieces of hard
wood into the water, retaining one and
giving the other TO Mr.. Cushing. Two
vases were also filled with the water,
and the Indians, in solemn procession,
then marched to the tent. Facing the
setting sun they prayed again, and the
ceremonial ceased.
Mr.. Gushing was then initiated into
the Order Okla Ka and fail brotherhood
with the tribe. These ceremonies we're
somewhat simple, tembling baptism
the ocean water being used upon his
head.
| Throughout the ceremonies the speCta
tors earnestly watched every movement
of the chiefs. Shortly before sundown
the Znnis returned TO the city.
In the evening they were astonished
at what they saw at Boston Theatre,
where the "World" is being performed, 3,
the water scenes b cine chiefly interest
ing to them.