g
their masks. The eastern post was of white shell, the southern of
turquoise, the western of abalone, and the northern of jet. Two jewel
pipes lay beside a god sitting on the western side of the hogan. These he
filled with tobacco and lighted, passing one each to his right and his
left. All assembled smoked, the last to receive the pipes being two large
Owls sitting one on each side of the entrance way at the east. They drew
in deep draughts of smoke and puffed them out violently. While the smoking
continued, people came in from all directions. At midnight lightning
flashed, followed by heavy thunder and rain, which Tonenili, Water
Sprinkler, sent in anger because he had not been apprised of the dance
before it was time to begin it; but a smoke with the assembled Holy People
appeased him. Soon after the chant began and continued until morning.

Some of the gods had beautiful paintings on deerskins, resembling those
now made with colored sands. These they unfolded upon the floor of the
hogan during the successive days of the _hatal_.

The last day of the dance was very largely attended, people coming from
all holy quarters. Bilh Ahati{~COMBINING BREVE~}ni through it all paid close attention to
the songs, prayers, paintings, and dance movements, and the forms of the
various sacred paraphernalia, and when the _hatal_ was over he had learned
the rite of Kleje Hatal. The gods permitted him to return to his people
long enough to perform it over his younger brother and teach him how to
conduct it for people afflicted with sickness or evil. This he did,
consuming nine days in its performance, after which he again joined the
gods at Tse{~COMBINING BREVE~}gyii, where he now lives. His younger brother taught the
ceremony to his earthly brothers, the Navaho, who yet conduct it under the
name of Kleje Hatal, Night Chant, or Yebichai Hatal, The Chant of Paternal
Gods.

CEREMONIES--THE NIGHT CHANT

[Illustration: _Yebichai_ Sweat - Navaho]

_Yebichai_ Sweat - Navaho

_From Copyright Photograph 1904 by E.S. Curtis_

Each morning during the first four days of the Navaho Yebichai healing
ceremony, or Night Chant, the patient is sweated--sometimes inside a small
sweat-lodge, oftener by being placed upon a spot previously heated by a
fire and covered with heavy blankets. The three figures are medicine-men,
or singers, chanting. The patient lies under the blankets surrou