no one sings, whistles, or
makes other strange or musical sounds resembling those of earthenware
under the circumstances above described during the smoothing,
polishing, painting, or other processes of finishing. The being thus
incited, they think, would surely strive to come out, and would break
the vessel in so doing. In this we find a partial explanation of the
native belief that a pot is accompanied by a conscious existence. The
rest of the solution of this problem in belief is involved in the
native philosophy and worship of water. Water contains the source of
continued life. The vessel holds the water; the source of life
_accompanies_ the water, hence its dwelling place is in the vessel
with the water. Finally, the vessel is supposed to contain the
treasured source, irrespective of the water--as do wells and springs,
or even the places where they have been. If the encircling lines
inside of the eating bowl, _outside_ of the water jar, were closed,
there would be no exit trail for this invisible source of life or for
its influence or breath. Yet, why, it maybe asked, must the source of
life or its influence be provided with a trail by which to pass out
from the vessel? In reply to this I will submit two considerations. It
has been stated that on the earliest Southwestern potteries decoration
was effected by incised or raised ornamentation. Any one who has often
attempted to make vessels according to primitive methods as I have has
found how difficult it is to smoothly join a line incised around a
still soft clay pot, and that this difficulty is even greater when the
ornamental band is laid on in relief. It would be a natural outgrowth
of this predicament to leave the ends unjoined, which indeed the
savage often did. When paint instead of incision or relief came to be
the decorative agent, the lines or bands would be left unjoined in
imitation. As those acquainted with Tylor's "Early History" will
realize, and myth of observation like the above would come to be
assigned in after ages. This may or may not be true of the case in
question; for, as before observed, some classes of sacred receptacles,
as well as the most ancient painted bowls, are not characterized by
the unjoined lines. Whether true or not, it is an insufficient
solution of the problem.

[Illustration: FIG. 547.--Conical or flat-bellied canteen.]

It is natural for the Pueblo to consider water as the prime source of
life, or as accompanied by it, for