114 MARAUDING PARTIES. approached the islet, and some Indians drawing a net in front of the village, stopped work to observe us. The poor wretches had good cause to suspect us. The Californians often went on a foray in quest of servants, and this species of kidnapping, practised up to the time the United States acquired possession, is one great reason why the Indians hate the rancheros. A number of these "hijos del pais," desiring servants, or farm hands, would club together, being well armed and mounted, and attended by their allies, the "Christiano" Indians, who, like all mercenary apostates, love to oppress those from whom they have separated. As no man is so low as not to imagine he has inferiors, so these "Christianos" like no better sport than to show their superiority to the "Gentiles" in the art of war, while at the same time they gratify that propensity to hunt something which is inherent in the nature of man. These marauding parties went forth to the Indian country, and suddenly coming upon a village, made an attack when least expected, killing such as resisted, and carrying off to the settlements such as they thought best suited for servants. Sometimes these infamous expeditions were planned by the Mexican officer or Alcalde of the District, who called in the aid of volunteers. These war parties were much dreaded by the Indians, and hence their selection of places like this islet, which could not be approached by surprise. But perhaps the controlling reason for founding a village on this particular site was the facilities it afforded for catching fish, an occupation much less troublesome than hunting. An advantage of this kind is a God-send to the Indian of California. If there is anything he hates and dreads it is labor, or anything that has the name or semblance of labor of any description. If he hunts in this game-stocked country, it is not because he loves hunting, or because, like our more northern Indian, he may profit by selling skins; but solely because he is pushed to the last extremity for food, and can no longer obtain the AN INDIAN CHIEF. · 115 miserable apology for it upon which he is accustomed to subsist. I crossed to the islet in a tulé-boat, which consists of two bundles of dried tulé lashed up like a hammock in the shape of cigars, and bound together at the ends. They float very lightly, are dry and secure, drawing, with a heavy load, only an inch or two of water, which is due to the extremely light and cellular character of the rush. They can be made in an hour or so after the tulé is cut, and exactly suit the lazy habits of the Indians, who could hardly be induced to build a wooden boat. I found a village of low conical tulé huts, arranged in a sort of street, running parallel to the shore of the lake, and every one of these wigwams was "like the sweet South That breathes upon the banks of Newfoundland- The two or three hundred inhabitants appeared very anxious to see us, some of the women and children having never seen a white man. Whether they thought the sight worth seeing after all, I am not able to say. The old chief was as ancient in his aspect as fish-like in his smell, and his want of resemblance to Mr. Forrest in the classic tragedy of Metamora, was very striking. In fact, this venerable chief had nothing whatever to say about "the Great Spirit," was utterly silent on the prolific theme of the "red man and the pale 'faces,' and apparently ignored "the hunting-grounds and graves of his forefathers." As to his " wigwam," it was there, and there was no escaping it; but he did not brag of it; and, in short, if the naked truth must be told, he was for all the world like any other Indian nudity squatted on a mat, except that he wore around his neck a polished pearllike shell, as a badge of authority. The quality of his perfumery might have been cavilled at by those who ima 116 INDIAN HUMILITY. gine that their own musks and pomatums are more endurable than the aroma of stale fish; but, for my part, I inhaled the nosegay with perfeet composure, inwardly exclaiming, however, "O! his offence is rank!-it smells to heaven!" I think I may with great propriety congratulate my countrymen upon the enlistment of many thousand representatives of this true "Democratic stock," under the banner of our free institutions." If they only possessed votes, the future demagogues of California could fraternize with them to their hearts' content. But I am neglecting the ancient piscatorial chieftain. This worthy disciple of Massaniello received with apparent satisfaction, the intelligence that the United States had taken possession of the country, but like a wary old diplomatist, he would not commit himself or his "isleñas" to any decided course at present. In policy, indeed, he was a wily old fox, and his mind seemed made up not to take sides until it was apparent which side was strongest. It was evident, that the dread inspired by the Californians, who two years before had harried his rancheria and carried off numbers into servitude (my interesting Christiano in repreter Santos making one of the nice party), weighed heavily on the old man, and made him cautious of compromising himself with foreigners, whom he knew only as a race of roving hunters, totally inferior to the rancheros in numbers and civilization. Still, it is not to be supposed that he thought us at all on a level with his own race; on the contrary, these people possess more of that Christian grace called humility, than most of the eloquent preachers who regularly recommend it once a week to their congregations, and of course are themselves meeker than Moses. These Indians, however, are so positively humble, that many persons of eminent piety might profit by their example. 117 66 SACRED TOWN. The chief seemed much astonished that a person of “reason,”—all whites are called "gente de razon,”—should visit his rancheria on any other errand than to make captives. When he accompanied us to our camp, he was evidently very proud of the slightest condescension on the part of the razons," the Californians being accustomed to treat the Indians, chiefs and all, with sovereign contempt. The preparation of supper excited a most intense interest among the natives, each man of our party having brought along a choice piece of venison or elk-meat. It was quite evident that the Indians of the rancheria had become tired of fish, a party having already started off on the back track to secure what was left of the elk, whose remains we had left some twenty miles in the rear. We had plenty of volunteer cooks, and spread out a most abundant supper. The preparation of tea was the most exciting topic of the banquet, our guests having never before heard of that exhilarating beverage. Upon asking my dragoman, Santos, why he laughed so loudly, he told me that the old chief had at last found out that the tea was tobacco, which the generous white man had prepared in a new form with hot water as an agreeable refreshment, which wonderful discovery the shrewd old savage was communicating to his astounded auditors. The next morning our road lay around the Sierra facing the islet, on the mainland side or neck of the promontory, which was too precipitous to admit of going around on the lake side. We crossed a wide plain, sterile and dreary, covered with fragments and large blocks of obsidian, a sort of black volcanic glass. Towards afternoon, however, we came into a beautiful diversified country of pleasant glades, broad meadows, and rich level savannahs, again catching a view of the far-expanding lake. Towards sunset, we arrived at Sacred Town, one of the largest rancherias of the Laguna Indians. Here were excellent enclosed fields of corn, calabashes, &c., and riding through the rancheria, we stripped saddles in a fine oak-grove near the border of a pretty stream, well removed from the filth and smell of the "sacred" precincts. Though it was late, I held a conference with the principal chiefs, who, having been informed by our Indians of our peaceable intentions, brought us a supply of vegetables, fruits and other refreshments. This was the home of the six sub-chiefs who had accompanied us, and here we left them. I announced a grand council for all the head men of the rancherias in the vicinity, and as we intended remaining here a few days, I spent the intermediate time in acquiring information respecting the Indians. |