Evening star., 1899-01-28

when discovered by the Spaniards over two
centuries ago
Beneath the arid soil skirting them for a
hundred miles south and west lie scores Of
buried cities, once-doubtless a thousand
years aso-bustling with the commence and
INDUSTRIES of their ancestors. The govern
ment Is anxious to excavate the thousands
of rare archaeolosic specimens known TO
repose here among the ashes of a fallen
empire. They retain the history of several
lost, semi-nomadic races who back in the
centuries, interniingled during their wan
derings and became the ancestors of those
whose voices have just heard. though. as
L said, they were two thousand miles away.
To prospect for these treasures and to
learn from the Hopi the precise details of
thelr traditions relating to the lost cities of
LIT LIT ancient ancestors, Dr. j. Walter
feWkes, the noled arena aologic and eth
noIogic explorer, left here IN September
he mas lived with the Hopi ever since. and
would nave been with them still had no
not been driven away by an outbreak Of
smallpox among them which he feared was
growing epidemic.
Lived Like Natives.
DR.. -Fewkes was accompanied by his wife
VINO during the entire period of his Study
hVed Indian with him in a one-room
apartments by wagon-sheet When they
reached the foot of the mesa after
Journey &cross the arid desert The lJoni
elders or Naipi-the village ylsited-c,rns
uo"n TO greet them, haninss the doctor as
Na4oipl medicine bowl-which title they
Sohielrea upon MN several years ago when
ne visited them before Inueed inc aIb-
nolosist was not Unknown Ia his hostS ia
mas Tor some years been one of their h.pb
priests, admitted into ali of their sarrod
ceremonies and rituals, whose secrets are
never connded even TO the initiated amonp
them. "iiiohs
Inc Doctors little house was built on tba
Loothils at the base of the mesa, by the
men, women and children of that diyisicm
Oh the Hopi known as the corn clan" The
cornerstone laying of the edifice was
ceremony of great soemnity When the
front wall, of stone and mud, had reached
shouider helght an opening eight iucnes
sguare was lett alongside the entrance In
thls' win great ceremony. was deposited a
morsel OF every kind of food preyiouslv
eaten at feast held in Walpi-the village.
also number of prayer offerings of sticks
anu teathels. The opening was then tightly
scared ana the building proceeded. This odd
rite, according to DR.. Fewkes, was consist
eht Wlth the customs of a few primitive.
peoples, especially of the old world Among
the primitive Germans human being was
sometimes walled up as a sacrifice within
the foundation of a newly commenced edi-
hce- In Africa and Alaska a live slave
was sometimes buried beneath one fufnda
non post. The Hopi sacrifice of food like
these saCrlhces of human life, was made to
the household god expected to guard the
future occupants. Had not these forms been
strictly complied with calamity. in the opin-
IONS OF the superstitfous Hopi. would have
oefalIen Dr. and Mrs. Fewkes, while their
abode would not have been regarded as
safe place for visitors. AS it was the eth
nologist and his wife entertained continu-
ally. They arranged boxes about their
hafr
guests would recline for hours while con-
hding the traditions handed down by their
ancestors.
Preserving n Language.
DR.. Fewkes is the first ethnologist to have
ever successfully preserved Indian language
phonographically for scientific study. He
brought back with him dozens of cylinders
hiled with all manner of whoops, pow-wows
songs and weird incantations with which
he entertained me during the interview. a
mesapfone attached to the transmitter
maSpihed the sound until almost as LOUD
as the original. The instrument was a
source of intense interest to tho Hopi, and
thereby hangs tale. At Walpf there was
an organized society of clowns whose func-
ton 1t was, especially during the depres-
sion caused by very solemn and impressive
rites, to go about among the kivas ana
Greer the downcaSt. These clowns impro-
vised clever buriesque on the phonOgraph.
cealed himself in big box from which
projected a large stove funnel. clown on
the outside called loudly into the funnel
from which the same words repeated by
the rogue inside, soon issued to the great
delight of the audience. The Hopi named
the phonograph "tawalauno," which means
speaking to the sum-"
OF all the linguistic specimens thus pre-
served DR.. Fewkes values most highly a
number of songs chanted during a cere-
mony known as the new fire dance"
which he witnessed and which he will de-
scribe in a future government report.
Among the ancestors of the Hopi it was
the custom each November to kindle a 4
sacred fire from which every hearth in the
village was to be lighted This ceremony is
invariably repeated each year. The par
Elephants are the members of four religious
societies whose names. translated into
English. mean tobacco" century plant"
horn and 1.-The old thinkers" The chief
OF each of these priesthoods has dedicated
doors or windows at the side and which
must be entered by ladders through a trap
door in the roof.
4 Curious Ceremony.
The ceremony witnessed by DIR. Fewkes
was held IN the kiva of the chief priest of
the Tobacco Society. The ethnologist being |
a medicine man was allowed to take |
notes upon and to make sketches of all |
which he beheld but it was forbidden that |
he exhibit his drawings to the uninitiated. |
At nightfall. upon the appointed day, the /
societies entered the tobacco priests kiva |
In solemn procession, naked, except for |
their breech cloths. Each order was allot- |
ted its separate corner of the room The
chief priest of the century plants" veiied |
n a blanket, posed silently behind the CEN
trail fireplace, the god of fire." After |
many strange gesticulations and songs two 1
groups, each of three men, took their posi-
ions at the fireplace and commenced the /
OF two curious contrivances 4
With which the sacred fire was to be
brought to life. Two of the actors in one /
group took turns at the rapid revolution of |
/ small stick between their palms. the end
II the stick fitting I'm notch previously |
lrilled into an elongated stone slab. The 1
third of the group held the stone until the
friction of the stick so rapidly revolving
against 1t ignited the sawdust which had
resulted from the grinding. AS soon as the
smoke was perceptible some strips of dried
cedar bark were placed upon the sawdust
md quickly blazed. lighting the interior |
If the dark chamber. The other group
1ad simultaneously operated with a con-
rfyance similar to that described, save |
hat block OF wood was substituted for
he slab of stone. Those using the wood
produced smoke In twenty seconds and fire
a one minute. while the friction against
he stone had to be continued q minute
md fwenfv sfcnpdS f,Afora fha cy,naIz nnv,- |