CHAPTER XIII.

Hopitse-wah, or, Sacred Town-The Author's "Talk"-Reply of

the Chief, Hallowney-An Indian Dance-An Indian Fight—A Homily entirely out of place-Walter Scott's Description of the Laguna.

I COULD learn no other name for the immense body of water, on whose shore we were encamped, except that of the 66 Laguna," or "THE LAKE," from which I inferred that there was no other lake of any magnitude in that district of country, which, by the way, is probably the best watered of any in California.

"Hopitse-wah," or "Sacred Town," is the principal rancheria of the Laguna; and the aged chief of that fragrant metropolis luxuriates in the name of "Hallowney," which has such a decidedly Hibernian sound, that the antiquarian is at liberty to infer that he is descended from that wondrous Phenecian stock, which peopled the Green Isle, and made it the abode of civilization, while England was yet a howling wilderness.

It was through old Hal that I summoned deputations from the neighboring rancherias of Gentiles, he having despatched runners for that purpose; and on the third day after our arrival, we held a council in the grove of old oaks, where we had established our head-quarters. Although the bill of the performance was made as attractive as possible, the attendance was not large, the poor fellows at a distance having suffered severely from the incursions of the

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rancheros, and feeling shy and uncomfortable in the company of white men. I could almost fancy one of these remote chiefs answering my summons with a significant gesture, and the usual

Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes,

which, with "E Pluribus Unum," has probably penetrated the Indian country by this time. But although our council was not large, it was very select; and those who shall read my "eloquent remarks" on the occasion, may perhaps declare the "audience fit, though few.”

A circle having been formed, and the preliminary pipe having gone gravely round-that being the last ceremony these people would omit-I arose, and, through my dragoman, Santos, addressed the assembled wisdom of the various tribes, substantially as follows:

I have called you together to have a talk with you. The country you inhabit no longer belongs to Mexico, but to a mighty nation whose territory extends from the great ocean, you have all seen or heard of, to another great ocean thousands of miles towards the rising sun. The country inhabited by that nation, is called the United States, and its millions of people are called Americans. I am an officer of that great country, and, to get here, have traversed both of those great oceans in a ship of war which, with a terrible noise, spits forth flames, and hurls forth instruments of destruction, dealing death to all our enemies. Our armies are now in Mexico, and will soon conquer the whole country. But you have nothing to fear from us, if you do what is right. Our magnanimous government will protect you, and make you a happier and better people than you now are, if you are faithful to your new rulers. A stop will be put to the oppressions of the rancheros; for ours is a country of laws, and we do not suffer the crime of kidnapping to go unpunished. We shall do what we can to better your condition, and we shall ex

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HALLOWNEY'S REPLY.

pect you to do all you can to help yourselves. Your ancestors have roamed the plains, and mountains, and forests of California for centuries; but they have accomplished nothing. We come to prepare this magnificent region for the use of other men, for the population of the world demands more room, and here is room enough for many millions, who will hereafter occupy and till the soil. But, in admitting others, we shall not displace you, if you act properly; but we shall be glad to see yoù advancing in civilization side by side with the white man. You can easily learn, but you are indolent. I hope you will alter your habits, and be industrious and frugal, and give up all the low vices which you practise; but if you are lazy and dissipated, you must, before many years, become extinct. We shall watch over you, and give you true liberty; but beware of sedition, lawlessness, and all other crimes, for the arm which shields can assuredly punish, and it will reach you in your most retired hiding-places."

When my harangue was ended, a perfect silence prevailed, and it became a matter of doubt with me whether its effect has been impressive or soporific. At length, the venerable chief Hallowney got upon his legs and delivered himself of a "talk," in a guttural but not unpleasant tone, and seemingly with considerable energy, as he jerked the words out as if he were spitting some fiery substance from his mouth. He spoke nearly in these words:

"I am glad to see you, and so are my friends and neighbors. We know your people and respect them. They do not maltreat us like the Californians, who hunt us down and steal our children from us to enslave them. They are always ready to wage a war of extermination against us, but they never have sent any one to talk to us about such good things as we have heard this day. They think words would be wasted on miserable Indians, and many of my neighbors cannot yet believe that you have come to talk soberly and justly to us. We are sensible of your conde

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scension, and we think well and thankfully of your visit. We desire nothing more than to be allowed to live in peace like our ancestors. If we are not molested in our far-off forest retreats, we will not only refrain from stealing your cattle and horses, but will detect and deliver up all thieving Indians. We will also work in harvest-time for your farmers, and do what we can to better our own condition. All we want is just treatment, and you may tell your people that we will requite it."

In the evening, after the council had broken up, we had a visit from a party of Indians, both male and female, attired in head-dresses composed of the black feathers of the large Californian vulture, which fell down their backs. The men were painted all over with stripes and spots, and the women wore kilts or short petticoats made of flax or hemp hackled out and fastened round the waist, but so fashioned as not to impede the motions of their limbs. They wore besides, various articles of savage finery on different parts of their persons, and all were masked. We followed this motley party to the lawn near the tamascal, where were seated on the ground several chiefs and medicine-men of the rancheria, some of whom had whistles or double flageolets of reed, which were stuck into their noses. Their musicians sung, in a monotonous tone something like a recitative, with a nasal flageolet accompaniment, while the men and women paired off into couples, and danced or rather trotted around, the men keeping time and singing, and at the same time rattling a small dried calabash like a child's rattle.

Great preparations had evidently been made, but I soon got tired of an exhibition so absurd and unmeaning, and not thinking it necessary to stand upon ceremony with my unpolished entertainers, I took French leave. After dark, I' strolled in the same direction, and some of our party toldme that the Indians had stripped off all their finery, and

had bundled promiscuously together into the tamascal, where they were enjoying a stew.

The next morning we started at early day-light, and riding through the rancheria found it nearly deserted, the Indians being in a torpid state, and sleeping off the effects of the night's debauch. The old chief, Hallowney, however, came out of his lodge, and on my giving him a plug of tobacco and a red handkerchief, presented me with a pretty cora or Indian basket, and offered to send me any number of warriors in case I wanted them.

It was quite apparent that the Indians had become better convinced of the superiority of our countrymen, a result contributed to not a little by the skill of our party in the use of fire-arms, of which they had seen memorable instances during our brief visit. perfect God-send to the poor starving in the midst of plenty. the sacred village we found elk and deer in abundance, and we astonished the natives by keeping them supplied with these delicacies.

Our rifles were indeed a fellows, who were almost Within a mile or two from

After leaving the rancheria, we travelled along the line of the Lake, at a distance of a mile from its margin, through a broad plain, which Mr. Chiles, a practical and knowing man in such matters, pronounced equal to any land he had ever seen for farming purposes. This fertile plain was principally prairie, but relieved by occasional strips of timber. We rode on it until noon, when we dismounted in a pleasant dell, by the side of a cool spring, ate a repast of venison, and enjoyed a glorious siesta until the sun began to decline from the meridian. Again we mounted, feeling like giants refreshed, and leaving the Lake to the right we began to ascend, for now we had to surmount the Sierra lying between the Lake and the valley of the Russian river "Rio de los Russes."

We had reached the first plateau of the Serania, and were riding leisurely along, when a shout from the foremost