Part 52 (1/2)

'Parentage and other relations of consanguinity are no obstacles to matrimony.' _Farnham's Life in Cal._, p. 367. 'Souvent une femme presse son mari d'epouser ses soeurs, et meme sa mere, et cette proposition est frequemment acceptee.' _Marmier_, _Notice_, in _Bryant_, _Voy. en Cal._, p. 235. 'Este metodo de comprar las mugeres era comun a entrambas naciones (Runsienes y Eslenes), bien que entre los Runsienes hacia mucho mas solemne el contrato la intervencion de los parientes de los novios, contribuyendo los del varon con su quota, la qual se dividia entre los de la novia al tiempo de entregar a esta.' _Sutil y Mexicana_, _Viage._ p. 171.

[544] _Johnston_, in _Schoolcraft's Arch._, vol. iv., p. 223.

[545] _Powers_, in _Overland Monthly_, vol. xii., p. 23.

[546] _Delano's Life on the Plains_, p. 306. At Santa Cruz, 'the Gentile Indian, when he wishes to marry, goes to the hut of her he desires for a wife, and sitting himself close by her, sighs without speaking a word, and casting at her feet some beads on a string, goes out, and without further ceremony he is married.' _Comellas' Letter_, in _Cal. Farmer_, _April 5, 1860_. At Clear Lake 'rape exists among them in an authorized form, and it is the custom for a party of young men to surprise and ravish a young girl, who becomes the wife of one of them.' _Revere's Tour_, pp. 125-6.

[547] _Marmier_, _Notice_, in _Bryant_, _Voy. en Cal._, p. 234. At Clear Lake 'if the parties separate the children go with the wife.' _Gibbs_, in _Schoolcraft's Arch._, vol. iii., p. 112.

[548] _Powers' Pomo, MS._

[549] 'The Yukas are often brutal and cruel to their women and children, especially to the women.' _Powers_, in _Overland Monthly_, vol. ix., p.

308. In the vicinity of Fort Ross, 'sie lieben ihre Kinder mit grosser Zartlichkeit.' _Baer_, _Stat. u. Ethno._, p. 77.

[550] _Wimmel_, _Californien_, p. 178. 'The practice of abortion, so common among the Chinooks and some other tribes in Oregon, is unknown here.' _Gibbs_, in _Schoolcraft's Arch._, vol. iii., pp. 112-13.

[551] Mr Powers, in his _Pomo, MS._, makes this a.s.sertion upon what he states to be reliable authority.

[552] For a full account of this custom of the couvade, as it existed in various parts of the world, see _Tylor's Researches_, pp. 293-302, and _Max Muller's Chips_, vol. ii., pp. 271-9. For its observance in California, see _Venagas_, _Noticias de Cal._, tom. i., p. 94, and _Farnham's Life in Cal._, p. 367.

[553] 'It was not a thing at all uncommon, in the days of the Indians'

ancient prosperity, to see a woman become a mother at twelve or fourteen. An instance was related to me where a girl had borne her first-born at ten, as nearly as her years could be ascertained, her husband, a White Man, being then sixty-odd.' _Powers_, in _Overland Monthly_, vol. ix., p. 500.

[554] For further authorities on family and domestic affairs, see: _Muhlenpfordt_, _Mejico_, tom. ii., pt. ii., p. 456; _Delano's Life on the Plains_, pp. 306; _Forbes' Cal._, p. 190; _f.a.ges_, in _Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1844, tom. ci., pp. 317-26. Also quoted in _Marmier_, _Notice_, in _Bryant_, _Voy. en Cal._, pp. 232-35; _Wimmel_, _Californien_, p. 178; _Johnston_, in _Schoolcraft's Arch._, vol. iv., pp. 223-4; _Comellas' Letter_, in _Cal. Farmer_, _April 5, 1860_; _Palou_, _Vida de Junipero Serra_, p. 217; _Powers_, in _Overland Monthly_, vol. ix., pp. 308, 500-6, vol. x., p. 325; _Pickering's Races_, in _U. S. Ex. Ex._, vol. ix., pp. 106-8; _Sutil y Mexicana_, _Viage_, pp. 170-1; _Borthwick's Three Years in Cal._, p. 129; _La Perouse_, _Voy._, tom. ii., p. 303; _Rollin_, in _Id._, tom. iv., pp.

57-8; _Laplace_, _Circ.u.mnav._, tom. vi., p. 145; _Gibbs_, in _Schoolcraft's Arch._, vol. iii., pp. 112-13; _Wilkes' Nar._, in _U. S.

Ex. Ex._, vol. v., pp. 201, 259; _D'Orbigny_, _Voy._, p. 457; _Gilbert, McAdam, and Jewett_, in _Ind. Aff. Rept._, 1856, pp. 242-4; _Revere's Tour_, p. 126; _Reid_, in _Los Angeles Star_, 1852; _Farnham's Life in Cal._, pp. 367-70; _Baer_, _Stat. u. Ethno._, p. 77; _Kostromitonow_, in _Baer_, _Stat. u. Ethno._, pp. 83-8.

[555] Every traveler who has seen them dance enters into details of dress, etc.; but no two of these accounts are alike, and the reason of this is that they have no regular figures or costumes peculiar to their dances, but that every man, when his dress is not paint only, wears all the finery he possesses with an utter disregard for uniformity. 'At some of their dances we were told that they avoid particular articles of food, even fowls and eggs.' _Gibbs_, in _Schoolcraft's Arch._, vol.

iii., p. 113. Dancing is executed at Santa Cruz, by forming a circle, a.s.suming a stooping posture, raising a loud, discordant chant, and, without moving from their places, lifting and lowering a foot, and twisting the body into various contortions. _Archives of Santa Cruz Mission._ 'In their dances they sometimes wear white masks.' _Wilkes'

Nar._, in _U. S. Ex. Ex._, vol. v., p. 192. 'Se poudrent les cheveux avec du duvet d'oiseaux.' _Choris_, _Voy. Pitt._, part iii., p. 4. When a Wallie chief 'decides to hold a dance in his village, he dispatches messengers to the neighboring rancherias, each bearing a string whereon is tied a certain number of knots. Every morning thereafter the invited chief unties one of the knots, and when the last but one is reached, they joyfully set forth for the dance.' _Powers_, in _Overland Monthly_, vol. x., p. 325. For descriptions of dances of Neeshenams, see _Powers_, in _Overland Monthly_, vol. xii., pp. 26-7.

[556] 'Each one had two and sometimes three whistles, made of reeds, in his mouth.' _San Francis...o...b..lletin_, _Oct. 21, 1858._ 'Some had whistles or double flageolets of reed which were stuck into their noses.' _Revere's Tour_, p. 133. 'The Gentiles do not possess any instrument whatever.' _Comellas' Letter_, in _Cal. Farmer_, _April 5, 1860_. 'Their own original instrument consists of a very primitive whistle, some double, some single, and held in the mouth by one end, without the aid of the fingers; they are about the size and length of a common fife, and only about two notes can be sounded on them.' _Cal.

Farmer_, _Oct. 26, 1860_.

[557] 'They use a species of native tobacco of nauseous and sickening odour.' _Gibbs_, in _Schoolcraft's Arch._, vol. iii., p. 107. 'They burned the aulone sh.e.l.l for the lime to mix with their tobacco, which they swallowed to make them drunk.' _Taylor_, in _Cal. Farmer_, _April 27, 1860_. 'A species of tobacco is found on the sandy beaches which the Indians prepare and smoke.' _Wilkes' Nar._, in _U. S. Ex. Ex._, vol. v., p. 202. 'Se pusieron a chupar y repare en ellos la misma ceremonia de esparcir el humo hacia arriba diciendo en cada bocanada unas palabras; solo entendi una que fue _esmen_ que quiere decir sol; observe la misma costumbre de chupar primero el mas princ.i.p.al, luego da la pipa a otro, y da vuelta a otros.' _Palou_, _Noticias_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, serie iv., tom. vii., p. 69; see also p. 77.

[558] On the subject of amus.e.m.e.nts, see _Kotzebue's Voy._, vol. i., p.

282. _Delano's Life on the Plains_, p. 307; _Helper's Land of Gold_, pp.

271-2; _Baer_, _Stat. u. Ethno._, pp. 72, 76-7; _Kostromitonow_, in _Id._, pp. 85-92; _Holinski_, _La Californie_, p. 173; _Comellas'

Letter_, in _Cal. Farmer_, _Oct. 5, 1860_; _Wimmel_, _Californien_, p.

178; _Drake's World Encomp._, p. 128; _Revere's Tour_, pp. 120-133; _San Francis...o...b..lletin_, _Oct. 21, 1858_, _Nov. 29, 1871_; _Powers_, in _Overland Monthly_, vol. ix., pp. 307-8, 501-5, vol. x., pp. 325-7; _Power's Pomo, MS._; _Laplace_, _Circ.u.mnav._, tom. vi., p. 150; _Kotzebue's New Voy._, vol. ii., p. 127; _Hutchings' Cal. Mag._, vol.

iii., pp. 442-6; _Farnham's Life in Cal._, p. 367; _Hist. Chretienne_, pp. 53-4; _Muhlenpfordt_, _Mejico_, tom. ii., pp. ii., p. 456; _Choris_, _Voy. Pitt._, pt. iii., pp. 4-5; _La Perouse_, _Voy._, vol. ii., pp.

306-7.

[559] The Meewocs 'believe that their male physicians, who are more properly sorcerers, can sit on a mountain top fifty miles distant from a man they wish to destroy, and compa.s.s his death by filliping poison towards him from their finger-ends.' _Powers_, in _Overland Monthly_, vol. x., p. 327.

[560] 'I incautiously entered one of these caverns during the operation above described, and was in a few moments so nearly suffocated with the heat, smoke, and impure air, that I found it difficult to make my way out.' _Bryant's Cal._, p. 272.

[561] 'Zur Heilung bedienen sich die Schamane der Krauter und Wurzeln, grosstentheils aber saugen sie mit dem Munde das Blut aus der kranken Stelle aus, wobei sie Steinchen oder kleine Schlangen in den Mund nehmen und darauf versichern, sie hatten dieselben aus der Wunde herausgezogen.' _Kostromitonow_, in _Baer_, _Stat. u. Ethno._, p. 95; see also pp. 83, 91, 94-5. 'Until now it has not been ascertained that the Indians had any remedy for curing the sick or allaying their sufferings. If they meet with an accident they invariably die.'

_Comellas' Letter_, in _Cal. Farmer_, _April 5, 1860_. 'Ring-worm is cured by placing the milk of the poison oak in a circle round the affected part.' _Hutchings' Cal. Mag._, vol. iii., p. 440. 'Among the Meewocs stomachic affections and severe travail are treated with a plaster of hot ashes and moist earth spread on the stomach.' _Powers_, in _Overland Monthly_, vol. x., p. 327. See further: _Pet.i.t-Thouars_, _Voy._, tom. ii., p. 140; _Farnham's Life in Cal._, p. 370; _Holinski_, _La Californie_, p. 173; _Humboldt_, _Essai Pol._, tom. i., p. 324; _Beechey's Voy._, vol. ii., pp. 35, 78; _San Joaquin Republican_, _Sept., 1858_; _La Perouse_, _Voy._, tom. iv., p. 63; _Gibbs_, in _Schoolcraft's Arch._, vol. iii., pp. 103, 107; _Wilkes' Nar._, in _U.

S. Ex. Ex._, vol. v., p. 193; _Pickering's Races_, in _Id._, vol. ix., p. 109; _f.a.ges_, in _Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1844, tom. ci., p.

333; also quoted in _Marmier_, _Notice_, in _Bryant_, _Voy. en Cal._, p.

237; _Kneeland's Wonders of Yosemite_, p. 52; _Kelly's Excursion to Cal._, vol. ii., p. 284; _Powers' Pomo, MS._; _Sutil y Mexicana_, _Viage_, p. 166; _Thornton's Ogn. and Cal._, vol. ii., p. 94; _Delano's Life on the Plains_, p. 295; _Laplace_, _Circ.u.mnav._, tom. vi., p. 152.

[562] 'From north to south, in the present California, up to the Columbia river they burnt the dead in some tribes, and in others buried them. These modes of sepulture differed every few leagues.' _Taylor's Indianology_, in _Cal. Farmer_, _June 8, 1860_. A dead Oleepa was buried by one woman in 'a pit about four feet deep, and ten feet in front of the father's door.' _Delano's Life on the Plains_, p. 301. At Santa Cruz 'the Gentiles burn the bodies of their warriors and allies who fall in war; those who die of natural death they inter at sundown.' _Comellas'