The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-02-17
A Ceremonial of the Zuni Sun Festival.

MI Nu'HlIlp Scuonu paper OH WY
Adventures in Zuni, y is a strong illus
trated feature of the February Century,
and contains minute account Of the
Zuni Sun Festival. one scene of which
is described as follows;
Toward midnight, my "brother' ex-
planned TO me, that in each new room
and sacred house Of Zuni, the twelve
medicine orders Of the tribe were to
meet, aud that, as he was prizes. of
one OF them, could 90 with him, if
| would sit very quiet in one corner,
and not move, sleep, nor speak during
the entire night
AS we entered the closely crowded,
spacious room into which the first par
ty Of dancers had retired, space was
being cleared lengthwise through the
center from the altar down toward the
opposite end. With many a hasty adj
monition, the Governor placed me in
corner so near the hearth that, for
long time, controlled by his directions,
was nearly suifocated by the heat
Along the northern side Of the room
were the dancers, their masks now laid
aside Conspicuous among them were
the two priests, who were engaged in
long, rhythmical prayer, chant, or rit-
ual, over eight or ten nearly PROSTATE
Indians who squatted on the floor near
their feet AS soon AS this prayer was
ended, great steamng bowls of meat,
trays Of peppered bread, and baskets of
melons were placed in rows along the
cleared space, A loud prayer was ut
tered over them by an old priest, who
held in his hands bow, some arrows,
and war club, and who wore over
one shoulder a strange badge of buck
skin ornamented with sea-shells and
flint arrow heads. He was followed by
the Priest of the Sun, from the other
end of the room. The little iire-god
then passed along the array Of victuals,
waving his torch over them, with which
the feast was pronounced ready.
Many of the dishes were placed be-
fore the dancers and priests and "A group
of singers whose nearly nude bodies
were grotesquely painted with streaks
and daubs Of white They were gath
cred, rattles in hand, around an i'm
mensc earthern kettle-drum at the left
side of the altar, opposite the now
crouching monster. As soon as the
feast was concluded, many of the wo-
men bore away on their heads in huge
bowls, such Of the food as remained
The singers then drawing closely
around the drum, facing one another,
struck up loud chant, which, accom-
panied by the drumming and the rat
ties, filled the whole apartment with a
verberating din, to me almost unepdu-
rable. Two by two the dancers would
rise, step rapidly and high from one
foot 10 another, Until, covered with
perspiration and almost exhausted they
were relieved by others. AT the close
of each verse in the endless chant, the
great figure by the altar would start up
from its half-sitting posture, until its
head nearly touched the ceiling, and,
with startling series of reports, would
clap its long beak and roll its protud-
| ing eyes in time to the music.
When the little iire-god took his place
| in the center Of the room, no one re-
lleNeu MN TOT more llldn IN nOuT anu
half, and feared momentarily that he
would drop from sheer exhaustion.
But learned later that this was trial
ceremonial, and that il was one of the
series of preparations which he had to
pass through before becoming a priest
to which his birth rendered him eligible
Just as the morning star was rising,
the music ceased the congregation be-
came silent, and the chief dancer was
led to the center of the room, where he
was deliberately costumed. Then the
Priest of the Sun took him up the lad
der to the roof, where, facing the east,
he pronounced in measured, solemn
tones, long prayer to the waning Sun
of the Old Year Descending, he pro-
nounccd before the multitude (signaliz-
ing the end of each sentence with a
clang of his rattles) a metrical ritual OF
even greater length. Then the specta-
! tors gathered around the altar, and
hastily said their prayers, the sound of
which reminded me of a recitation in
concert in large school-room. The
sun rose and they dispersed to theil
yoriOuS homes.