New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-28
CALIFORNIA.
Indian Customs of Mourning.
oorespon Of The N. Y. Tribune;
GRASS VALLEY. Monday. March %. 1855.

ooUespon6ence Of The ~ T. Tribune;
GRASS VALLEY, Monday, March 20, 1855.
"Lol the poor Indian whose untutore ed mind
Sees God in clouds OF hears him in the wind"
have seen many tribes between the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans have Witnessed many of their strange customs and
ceremonies have lived with of them but until
last night never attended mourning festival of the
mountain tribes of California Different tribes have Gus
toms that not unfrequenty differ in respects from
others but here the custom OF mourning for their dead a"
stated periods universal both with the valley and noun
tain tribes though the ceremonies vary little Grass Val
ley the seat OF royalty for it is here that AnS Wemar
holds his Court and from this favored spot issues the man
dates which control the actions of several tribes clans
The territory of King Wemars bounded the north by
the Yuba the south by Bear River, the east by the
lofty ridge Of the Sierra Nevada and the west by the
Valley ofthe Sacramento embracing extent of country
perhaps fifty miles in length from east TO west by something
fke from twety twenty five miles in width In appear
and habits the subjects of this great Napoleon
more inviting than the other wild tribes of California
that the great majority now able to sport shirt cast
of coat and pantaOOns OF poor miner when three
years ago they all clad in Adams livery with scarcely
fig leaf before them. Weimar is man of much good
sense and his early penetration discovered the the
whites and except few early outbreaks which perhaps he
could not control, he has been the warm and undevia
ting friend of the whites In this he finds security for
his weak subjects for American moests them and they
their part cautious in giving oense. "a gathering
of the clans was to be held TO for their dead ut
good to mourn the ashes of the dead said Weimsr
1.-The spirits OF friends happy when they We do
not forget them. Ii fathers did so we do
for them and so will children do for They hover
around us when we mourn they drink in grief with
delight and they drive off evil from lodges Ii good
20 mourn
The tribes were gathered in Tie trails filled with
swaby dusky forms and the streets of little town were
alive with men, holding in hand the cedar bow and
culver of pointed which they invariably carry
peace and women of all ages from sweet sixteen
(heaven the mark to the greyhe of sixty SHOWS
with their conical baskets hanging their backs pendant
by strap passing their foreheads There was nothing
unusual to mark the but many of the women were
prepared for the mournfu occasion by external mark of
grief Their heads and faces were smeared with black pitch
resembling tar, and their hair cut short filled with
hard black resin giving the covering appearance of
skull cap.
Their rendezvous was little over a mile from town.
higher up the mountain; and about O'Clock in the
morning prompted by curiosity set for the scene of
mourning. As approached the place of meeting by a
solitary trail discovered the ridge through the tall
dark pines, the gimmelng Of many fires and the
deep cry of waing reached my In the deep stiffness
Of the night and amid the prmeva forest of the noun
tsns, the mournful sound of their voices produced
strange sensation which cannot describe | almost fan.
ced that the spirits OF the departed Fastening by to
meet again Their friends of earth in happy re union.
As drew nearer the sounds became more distinct and
soon stood IN the solemn assembly Perhaps four hun
dred men and children stood together in mass
weeping and waing in accents of the most heartfelt sor
row. while clustering around numerous fires were hundreds
more who were either atgued with weeping or who were
awaiting their turn when others Of their brethren sboud
become exhausted Altogether there may have been from
eight 10 ten hundred sOels
Without jostlng the mOlrners crowded in aooog .bern
As far as could get toward the center in order 10 have
view OF what was going on in the center of the crowd
a hrt thought that two chiefs Were dancing for saw head
dresses with tall feathers moving ap and down with tern
Nchorean undulaons but obtaining better noson d.
covered that they rude images fastened 10 heard
Of red CLOTH the other white bound wiz, colored [
pirally wound around them and pendant from what S"nJ
De the breast hung the shell OF pearl oyser which
nong their most valuable ornaments These ra 80
the hands OF two squaws who gave them the oons Of
iancing AS they moved slowly around the crowd gae
way for them, extending their arms toward the ma@s o
hrowng them out into vacancy uering at the sams tia
he most heartfelt sounds Of grief with tears stream;n
iown Their cheeks which and anon each wned from
me others eyes. Sometimes one Iad his hand unon an
ther head as invoking blessing Then again extend
my naked arm with the hand hat made slight noons i;
ne sI sometimes the women, in double files with tbe;r
; urowh around the one before Them moved in nro
WIN me dancing images at their head but naver
burial c. i ~ direction from the main BODY Their
should MOI INV nave described elsewhere but tbose
snV Vm not DC conounded with this " '"' 'Ao'0
a. ~ sn iohg they Kept up their lamentations and ha
.iie nioinns csme, the spirits were made bonn ,.i
uDes returned 70 ther seyeralhomes They , anu ~
in lnis way ,hIee or Tour tunes year. ' ''oo'"0i
Notwithstanding the sincerity of their o;s ,
tain the Indian characteristic OF hostility To- ney nam
perpetual feud seems 10 exist between ,b enemies
mountain tribes Day before yesterday an IS;hey and
the valley through false sense Of security rom
his vicinity Ostensiby 10 make friendly visit 10 ~ to
mars Without sD ing much by your leave nel
ms ARRIVAL tn.y shot sixteen BODY
er protection TO the house Of Mr. T. Storm Ia friend 81