Daily national Democrat., 1858-09-11
The History of Ancient or Lower Cali.
fOrnia.
Translated from the Spanish Of ClaVijero, for
the San Diego Herald
FEAsTs AND HEADMEN.

FEASTS AND HEADMEN.
In time of peace, besides exercising
themselves in hunting and fishing, they
diverted themselves by dancing, wrest
ling, and racing. Speaking of their
dances, the Father Valvatirna, the cele-
brated founder of those missions, says
as follows: "We had passed the feast of
the Nativity Of Christ, with much Joy
and devotion, as we'll on our part as on
that of the Indians, among whom were
IA great number of catechumens. The
Christian children had their dances. of
which they have more thai twenty kinds,
each figurative, representing hunting,
fishing, war, their journeys, burials, and
other similar things. 1t caused much
diversion to see child ofthree or four
years participate Joyfully in the dance"
They have dances in celebration of their
marriages, the birth of son, their sue
cess in hunting, or in fishing, or in gath
ering their crops fruit, or victory over
their enemies. The dances are neither
very frequent nor very joyous, except
in the happy season of the pitlhayas,
which, according to the missionary ci-
ted, is their carnival, at which time they
are beside themselves with contentment.
They usually invite other tribes to these
feats, and challenge them to wrestle and
to racing.
One of the most celebrated of the
feasts of the Calfornians was that of
the distribution of deer skins, which the
Cochimies gave annually. At a day
previously agreed upon, the neighbor-
ing tribes met at an appointed place,
each carrying all the deerskins that they
had killed during the year. They made
a large circular arbor, opened a street
that terminated in it, which they tapes
tried with all the deer skins. Within
a hut they served up to the principal
hunters the game and fruit which they
had prepared as fest, and after hav
ing ate, they smoked, according to their
custom, the wild tobacco in cane pipes.
A guGnea-that is cryer-seating him.
self in the entrance of the arbor, pub
lished in frightful screams the praises of
the hunters, and in the meantime the
Indians ran, and sung, and danced, in
the tapestred street. When the cryer,
fatigued, ceased yelling, the races also
ceased. Then the principal men, sally
ing from the arbor, distribute the skins
among the women, to the great delight
of all, especially the women themselves,
who, having nothing else with which to
cover their backs, valued it as a gift
from Heaven ITSELF
Among the Californians there was no
head of government, nor distinction OF
classes. Neither the nations nor the
tribes were subject to any chief or su,
perior, nor did they recognize any dis
tinctioLs arising from birth, employ.
ment, or inheritance Of any kind. The
sameness of language was the only tie
which united the different tribes of a
nation, and the relations Of consanguini
ty brought together the different fam
lies ola tribe. The principal men were
those who, by their valor or by theil
skill, elected fear or respect. OF those
they appointed their generals in time o
war, or their leaders in hunting an.
fishing; and to them was left to nam'
the time and place for such employ
ments. Besides that they recognized
no other superiority, except that which
each father had naturally in his owr
family.
The authority of the husband was ab
solute and unlimited, especially amoni
the Pericus, who were addicted to polyg
amy. They had as many wives a
they wished, and the more, instead c
being expensive, were useful to them
Upon the wives devolved the duties {
searching for fruit and seeds and othe
comestibles for their husbands, prepar
ing them to eat, and other domestic o
fees, while the men diverted themseve
in dances and other exercises to thei
tastes. The fortune of the women dC
pended on the caprices oftheir husbands
who could discard them at pleasure
and, one repudated, it was not easy t.
find another husband. Thus, from fea
of being subjected to this disgrace, the.
were very solicitous to please their hus