The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-25

watermelon, peppers and squashes.
and in favored spots, cotton AMI
peaches On the uncultiVated
stretches which occupy the main por-
ton of the region, focks of sheep are
grazed, and donEeys and ''burros,
and if one of the latter so far forgets
himself as to intrude on corn-held
and regale his palate with the juicy
plant, one of his ears is cut off as
punishment. A second offense causes
the loss of the other ear, giving the
Animal a grotesque look.
The corn, having at last ripened I'M
der the glorious autumnal sun OF
Arizona, in spite of drouth and raven,
and donkey, the latter Snail-paced
steed is driven down to the fields and
there laden with the golden and purple
ears in bags with which he ascends
to the summit of the mesa in response
to the loud "sho-o-o-o' of the driver
and an occasional punch with stick.
Many a man takes a load himself
by the shorter trail and lands it at his
home without apparent fatigue. So
accustomed to this climbing up ana
Gown are they that their muscles are
hardened and their lungs developed
till it is done with little effort All the
houses have fiat roofs and on these
the corn is spread out to dry and
harden for storage in the rooms set
aside for the purpose, where the ears
are not thrown in a heap, but are most
carefully laid up with precision and
regularity.
At least a years supply is always
kept on hand to guard against a fail
ure of crops and consequent famine,
but nevertheless they usually have a
good deal TO sell. Watermelons are also
PILED up in storage in the same way as
the corn, in the secluded inner rooms,
and so thoroughly dry and aseptic is
this wonderful air of Arizona that the
watermelons are easily kept over till
the following February at least. The
writer has seen them and eaten them
in that month, but as they were per-
fectly sound it is likely that they
could endure a month or six weeks
longer.
Preparing Corn for Food.
In preparing corn fore eating the
Nok has his own method, similar, how
ever, to that of other tribes in his own
condition and kind of culture, and
learned not from any white man, but
from his fathers, and his grandfathers
and his many times great grandfath-
ers. First it is reduced to meal The
mills used, like those of the gods, grind
slowly, but they grind in a fashion
that is perfectly satisfactory to the
Moki.
4 mill. or rnetate, in this region. con-
sists of a thin fiat slab of sandstone
set up at an angle of about thirty-five
degrees surrounded by a curb of fiat
stones or boards to prevent the meal
from scattering Usually there are
three in a row of these grinding slabs.
back of the higher side of which, the
operators. the young girls of the
household kneel, and with a rubbing
stone crush the grain, each carrying
the process one step further till the
requisite degree of fneness is arrived
at on the last stone.
This work is usually accompanied
by singing of a peculiar sort-a shrill
high note, varied and vibratory-that
suggests the song OF the priestesses
In the opera of Aida" This singing
goes on and on in monotous way,
flling the surrounding air with its
weirdnes. tin ona Is half ready TO be-
lieve himself a denizen OF another
world.