had previously put one of his own tribe to death for a trifling

cause.

The Americans of my party were all armed with rifles; the Californians with lances and riatas; the Indians with bows and arrows, lances and knives, the lance-heads, arrowpoints and knives being made of obsidian. The whole party were encamped on the borders of the American Fork, and I immediately proceeded to organize our forces.

The Californians certainly deserved great credit for turning out in such numbers, and showed themselves worthy of becoming citizens of the United States. They brought along a large supply of excellent horses which were of the greatest service, and they took the almost entire charge of the caballada, and of all things pertaining to the horses. With proper drilling, and with officers of the right kind, there is no doubt that the rancheros would make excellent cavalry, for they are by no means deficient in courage, and in the management of their animals are not surpassed by the Cossacks or Mamalukes.

Captain Sutter had called in all his savage Indians, and by way of a caution to evil disposed persons, the gateway of the fort was ornamented with the scalp of an Indian, the long black hair hanging dejectedly down, as if mourning for the death of its late proprietor. I speak lightly of this scalp because it had been the property of an Indian who had been sent since my last visit-it was said by Castroto burn the wheat crop of New Helvetia, and if possible to kill Captain Sutter himself. In endeavoring to put his nefasious purposes into practice he had met with his death, and his scalp was nailed to the outer-wall to deter others from engaging in similar undertakings.

My arrangements were now entirely completed, and it was extremely gratifying to review such a gallant body of men gathered together at such short notice in a country which a few days before had belonged to a nation at war with our own. I flattered myself that if we came across

an enemy we should give a good account of ourselves, and the amphibious position I occupied added zest to the sport in prospect. But accidents will happen in the best regulated families-screws will get loose in the most perfect machinery-there is no use in counting chickens before they are hatched--and there's many a slip between the cup and the lip,-all these philosophical reflections came over me like a wet blanket, when, just as we were about to mount, I was surprised and confounded by a visit from old YellowBird himself, the head-chief of the Walla-wallas, accompanied by other chiefs of his nation. It was very annoying, and I could have wished that the old fellow was farther off, at the head of his Indians, in battle array, while I was leading a most terrific charge into the midst of his warriors. The propensity of men to practice their professions is very striking. The soldier hates to miss a battle; the sailor is furious when he cannot come to an engagement; the lawyer abhors the settlement of a suit which he is cocked and primed to argue, with resistless eloquence and consummate science; and, for aught I know, the doctor secretly regrets the sudden recovery of a promising invalid. I have noticed that boys at a fire look with regret upon the successful efforts of the firemen to extinguish the flames, and absolutely consider themselves defrauded of their rights when the conflagration ceases. Such was my first impulse at being disappointed in my reasonable expectations of a fight with the Indians; but, of course, such unholy regrets very soon vanished.

Old Yellow-Bird and his party came up to the fort on excellent horses, and they were entirely unarmed, well understanding that their weakness would be sure to protect them. He had come to have a 66 talk ;" and as his request to that effect was reasonable, and my military occupation, for the present, in abeyance, I did not hesitate to gratify this highly respectable savage. After the usual preliminaries, he spoke, with commendable brevity, as follows:

"I have come from the forests of Oregon with no hostile intentions. You can see that I speak the truth, because I have brought with me only forty warriors, with their women and little children, and because I am here with few followers, and without arms. We have come to hunt the beasts of the field, and also to trade our horses for cattle; for my people require cattle, which are not so abundant in Oregon as in California. I have come, too, according to the custom of our tribes, to visit the grave of my poor son, Elijah, who was murdered by a white man. But I have not travelled thus far only to mourn. I demand justice! The blood of my slaughtered son calls for vengeance! I have told you what brought me here; and when these objects are accomplished, I shall be satisfied, and shall return peaceably to my own country. When I came to California, I did not know that the Boston men had taken the country from the Spaniards. I am glad to hear it; for I have always been friendly to the Boston men, and have been kind to those who have passed through my territories. It must be plain to you that we did not set out on a hostile expedition against your countrymen."

Having had some experience in making speeches to the Indian aristocracy, I replied to the address of Yellow-Bird without much embarrassment. Those curious in such matters, are welcome to a sketch of my brief remarks:

"I am glad to hear you disclaim hostile intentions. If you continue on friendly terms with our people you will not regret it; and I hope you will let the chiefs in Oregon know that any hostile movement will be severely punished by the powerful nation who possess that territory. You came here to ask vengeance upon the man who killed your son; but you must remember that he was killed before the United States had conquered California. I doubt if our tribunals can properly interfere with offences committed while Mexico owned the country; but I will take the matter into consideration, and if I think it right to interfere at

all, I will make the case known to the civil authorities, who will do what is right. It is certain that I cannot take cognizance of it. Proceed with your traffic; visit the grave of your son; and depart in peace to your own country."

As soon as I had concluded these remarks the council broke up, and the old man visited the grave of his son, which was not far off from the fort. Having performed this pious rite, he returned to his camp on Feather river.

The settlers in the valley had become alarmed at the reports of an Indian invasion, and the rumors of war lost nothing by circulation and repetition. As, in the olden times, the feudal vassals flocked, at the first approach of strife, to the strongholds of the bold and doughty barons, so now did the settlers on the Sacramento gather for safety in the fort at New Helvetia. Nor did they give credence to the plausible story of old Yellow-Bird, but imagined that danger was lurking in the movements of the wily savage.

Although I was inclined to believe that the valley was safe enough, the occasion seemed favorable for making a demonstration of our strength to overawe the local Indians, who were sometimes disposed to be troublesome. Not requiring, however, the entire force under my command, I dismissed a portion of the recruits, and proceeding up the valley of the Sacramento as far as the Butes, we encamped in their vicinity. The Butes consist of several remarkable hills, which rise, like pyramids, from the broad bosom of the plain. They are thickly covered with forest trees, and form a striking and agreeable feature in the landscape. In the rainy season, the bears and other animals take refuge in the coverts of these primeval pyramids, which reared their verdant heads heavenward, ere Cheops and Cephrenes were known to fame, and will survive the very memory of the massive piles, which the Egyptians believed would be sempiternal. When the rains are uncommonly heavy, the whole plain is deluged, and the water is sometimes of suffi

HISTORY OF THE INVASION.

159

The settlers say

cient depth to be navigable for canoes. that the hunting on the Butes is unsurpassed; but, owing to the abundance of the grisly bears, is apt to be attended with danger. These animals are more abundant in the Sacramento valley than in any other part of California; or, probably, than in any section of the continent of America. The great influx of gold seekers to that auriferous region, will doubtless have the effect of very sensibly thinning the ranks of the grisly monsters.

The valley of the Sacramento is still populated by numerous tribes or families of Indians, who live like all California Indians, in independent rancherias. They inhabit various spots along the whole length of the main river, and branch off along the borders of its tributaries. They resemble very closely their brethren of the Laguna and other portions of the Territory, in manners, customs, language, and nastiness.

Before starting on my expedition to the Butes, I had despatched a party of old Indian hunters as scouts, with instructions to scour the entire valley up to the Cañon, or head waters of the Sacramento. These men returned to me at our camp, on a creek near the head of Feather River, to report the result of their reconnoisance, and their account agreed with the facts I am about to relate.

The Walla-wallas had arrived at night-fall at the cabin of the remotest settler, with their whole caballada, which, from the nature of their expedition, was very numerous. The solitary settler was taken all aback, and his fears were not diminished by the fact, that he had some time before been advised that the Walla-Wallas contemplated a hostile visit to California. Expecting to obtain authentic information from his wild unbidden guests, he inquired of the headchief whether there were more warriors behind. YellowBird, understanding neither English nor Spanish, was compelled to resort to signs, and by way of intimating that there were a few of the same sort left," held up nine of