Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-05-21

Sees God in Clouds hears him in the wind"
| have seen many tribes bet~ cen the Allan
tic and Pacific Oceans; have Witnessed many
Of their strange customs and ceremonies, have
even lived with some of them. but until last
night never attended morning festival of
The monttain tribes OF California. Different
tribes have costumes that not unfreqnently dif
ter in some respects from others. but here tile
castom Of mourning for their dead at stated pc
RODS, is universal both with the valley and
mountain tribes though the ceremonies va.
ry a little Grass Valley is the seat of roy
atty, for it is here that King Wcimer holds
his Court. and from this favored spot issues
the mandates which control the actions OF sew
eral tribes or clans.
The territory oi King Wcimer is bounded
on the North by Yuba. and the south by Bear
River. on the east by the lofty ridge OF the
Sierra Nevada, and on the west by the Valley
I of the Sacramento. embracing an extent ot
country. perhaps fifty miles in length from
east to west. by something like twenty tn
| twenty-five miles In width. II. appearance
and habits the subj jecs of this great Napoleon.
are not more inviting than the other wild tribes
of fCaliforna save that the great maiority are able
| to sport a shirt or cast.of coat and panialoons
o some poor miner. when three years ago
| they were all clad in Adams livery, with
scarcely fig ea before them. Weimer Is q
man oi much good sense and his early pene
tration discover d the power OF the whites,
and excepta few early outbreaks, which per
haps he could not control he has been he
warm and underwriting friend Of the whites.
In this LIE fluids security for his weak subjects,
for no American moests them and they on
their part are cautious in giving offence. "A
gathering of the clans" was to DO held TO
mourn for their dead, "lt is good to mourn
| over the ashes OF the dead" said Weimer.
The spirits of our frends arc happy when
they see do not forget them. 1t was so
our fathers did, it is so we do for them, and 30
will our Children do for u.s. They hover a.
round us when we mourn ; they drink in our
grief with delight, and they drive off evil from
| our lodges. Ii is good to mourn"
The tribes were gathered in. The trails
were filed with swarthy, dusty forms. and the
streets of our little town.were alive with men,
holding in one hand The cedar bow and quiver
of stone-pointed arrows which they invariably
carry IN peace or war, and women of all ages.
from "sweet" sixteen (heaven save the markD
to the gray heads of sixty SHOWS, with their
comcal baskets hanging on their backs. pend.
ant by a strap passing over their foreheads.-
There was nothing unusual TO mark the men,
but many OF the women were prepared for the
mournful occasion by an external mark OF grief
Their heads and faces were smeared with
black pitch. resembling tar, and their hair cut
short, was filled with hard, black rosIn. giving
the covering an appearance OF skull-cap.
Their rendezvous was a little over a mile
from town. higher upon the mountain; and n
bout o. clock in the morning, prompted by
curiosity, set out for the scene OF mourning.
As approached the place Of meeting, by n
solitary trail.I discovered on tho ridge. through
the TALL dark pines. the gllmmering OF many
fires. and soon the deep cry Of wall reached
my ears In the deep stiffness Of tho night,
and amid the prmeva forest of the mountains
the mournful sound Of their voices produced a
strange sensation which | cannot describe. |
almost fancied that the spirits Of tho departed
were Fastening by To meet again their friends
OF earth in happy reunion.
As drew nearer the sounds became more
distinct. and soon stood in the solemn assem-
bly,. Perhaps four hundred men, women and
children stood together in mass, weeping and
wailing in accents OF the most heartfelt sorrow.
while clustering around numerous fires were
hundreds more. who we're either fatigued with
weeping or who were whiting their turn when
others of their brethren should become ex-
from eight to ten hundred souls
Without lostling III. mourners. | Glow ded
in among them as far as | could get toward
the center in order to have view of what was
going on in the center ofthe crowd. at first
thought that two chiefs were dancing. for
saw head dresses with tall feathers moving up
and down with terpsichorean undulations, but
obtaining better position, discovered that
they were rude images fastened to board
one of red cloth, the other of white bound
with colored CATERS spirally wound around
them: and pendant from what should be the
breast hung the shell of pearl oyster which
is among their most valuable ornaments. These
images were il the hands Of two squaws. who
give them tho motion of dancing. AS they
moved slowly around the crowd give way for
them, extending their arms toward the images
or throwing them out into vacancy, uttering at
the same time the most heartfelt sounds Of
grief with tears streaming down their cheeks
which ever and anon each wiped from the
Il had hav