The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-03-05
CURIOUS lrDIaT CEREMONIES IN
CALIFORNIA.


, the following account Of some curious IN
dian ceremonies, Of which she was a wit
ness:
few DAYS since. on rising from tho
breakfast tabie--wherc we had discussed
over our coffee the overland mail ard tele-
graph, the long looked for, but never to ar
rive. new line of steamers, the surrounding
diggings, and last 'big strikes'-we became
aware Of the fact that an outsileF WIS view
, ing Us with great apparent interest, who,
with nose hattened upon ihe window pans
his way of knocking:) coolly continued his
, survey until hidden to come in. He i'm
nedia.ely made his way to the kitchen Ere.
and, standing there, warming his bare feet,
chilled ny walking on the frosty ground, hs
presented good type of the present race Of
California Indians.
Cesar indignantly rejects the name If
, Digger, (apphed to them because they Dig
worms and roots and cat the same, cook
ed on hot stones; and on our first acqaaint-
ance denied having any name. 'lndiano'
: or 'Americano,' saying, 'Me no nhme.;-
After proposing several for his ncceptanca
which did not suit, 'Ceasar' was mentiontu,
aud seemed to tickle his fancy, and he has
responded 20 it ever since.
He is tall, straight, and vel! built: hn,
regular features, thin moustache. brish,
eyes, n pleasant expression, long black kaiI,
tied up on the back Of his head, and, in coo;
weather. covered with head dress. knit like
II tidy Of cotton cord. and stained in rari.
Gus patterns with red aod black paint,
Feathers and beads are sometimes placed III
it, and q strip of fur t0und around tie
forehead. Ear rirgs Of bone, stained black,
necklace IF beads or sh-lls, WOODEN shirt and
trowsers, and belt Of cotton cloth, complete
his costume. He always carries his bow
and arrows in his hands, the latter wrapped
in fox skin.
He is not the bravest Of the brave, iudg-
ing from his report Of himself at recent
fight. 'Me no fight: me mucho look on.'
There is, however, nothing cringIng in his
manner. He always detnan,is-as, 'Give
me bread'- and never entreats.-We hire
him occasionally to perform the duties of
washerw oman, 'hewer Of wood and drawer
of water and find him faithful to his work
for half II day, at least, ard always honest.
He had to come 10 inform us t.tat tie In.
dams have mucho big time one sleep at old
compoodee. Indian come ell around, Ca1i-
tain Tomecome-Yesh! Mucho burn, mall
ala mucho cry, yesh p from which jargon
t'we gathered that the annual lament WAS tn
take place the next night, about quarter
Of mile distant, at their old camping
ground, on an elevated spot that oveilooks
this little valley, wh.eh they say was big
lake long time agn-mucho fish catch
4 All that dnv Indians came struggling
along from different directions, in small
parties the matalas isquaws) bending under
heavy burdens, maehalas ichlld.en) running
beside them, and dogs Of all degrees Of
leanness, everywhere.
Fires were lighiei in various places;
councils held, guns fred, and whoops and
wells heard occasionally during the night
By the next night about two hundred were
assembled, and after it was fairly dark,
words cannot describe the dismal, horrid
sounds that reached our ears from their
burning.
Sleep was out Of tAe question, and about
an hour before daylight, when the grand
climax is generally attained, We set out for
the camp. A little rGse of ground hid it
from our view ntil we came quite near then
the wild strange scene, in the framework Of
a gloomy night, was very striking. A lingo
fire biazed up from the centre of the stump,
which was about sixty feet in circumference,
md nccsed by a breastwor& of logs, trees,
Gnd bushes. about five feet high.
A-ound the fire was circle Of mahalas.
swinging their bodies 10 and fro as if in an
agony of grief; and, amid the sobs. moans
and snrieks of some, Others poured forth
the shrlil mournfnl 'crv.' 'Oh h-h-wah-ge-
ye-eeo,' and few braves Just without the
circle Joined in with deep gutteral sound,
i 'Oh-wah Oh-h h-wahahn sometimes ending
in n perfee, yell of despair and grief. When
one was exhausted another would step in
and take her place, fold her blanket tightly
around her. or put 1t over her head and i'm
meiiately fall into the stsse of woe Of tho
others.--Is is the custom of these Indians
to burn their dead, the ashes being Sscreiiv
preserved and mixed with black paint
With this female relatives smear their hair
and cheeks. Some If the monrners were
thus d!sfgured, and probably were relatives
Of an Ini,an who died last autumn.
just behind them was circle Of GhoI.
thirty poles, from fifteen to twenty fee, IN
hight, planted firmly in the ground and,
jus, iooming up almos: into the darkness
bevond the fire light, these were covered
with the greater part of the possessions rs
the poor savages, which they have been ,ot-
ing TO obtain ssnce the burning of has. an,
ltumn, and, with a self sacrificing devntion
thnt might put civilized nations to tbssblu~h,
tnev were soon to b. commit, ed to tha
flames. with the fond belief shat :hey wauii
ascend in the smoke 10 the spirit land. aGd
be given by the Good Spiri: 10 their friends
,here.
The greater par! of the offerings seemed
to bs baskets of all sizes and shapes, made
Of willow. aud stained in beautiful, Patterns.
They We're placed IN regular order, accord
ing to their sizes, on the poles, two together,
and from the top of the poles hung hong
stccamers of ribbon. punches Of feathers, Of
many colors, strings of shells and beads,
some os the latter three OF four feet Tong,
and as large AS could be clasped in tho
hand. Long cords, made of small white
feathers, belts aud gaily colored handker-
, chiefs Of silk and cotton, head dresses OF AT
kinds, necklaces and ear rings 10 great
, quantities ornamcn,cd with buttons, beads
} and wampum. Upon other poles we're val
liable furs, principally bear-ahiah ths
hunters had killed on the Sierra Nevadas.
blankets, clothing, bows and srrows, hAau-
tifuliy ornamented game bags knit Of cSltan
= cord, and on the ground, huge baskets fii-
ed with nuts, acorns, roots, berries, -Four
and articles Of food unknown to the naTra-
3 tor. .~
a The space back OF these pcics was filed
. with Indians seated around little fres, look
ing on grave'v, some sadly. The children
] looked almost oviish in gravity ana watch
, fulness. A few young braves we're samh-
q ling with little sticks in remote corner, in
perfect silence, and some we're walking
> abor: silently outside tho camp; and just
before davbreak al! gathered around the
q central Ere, became dsepiy interested. ths
| mournsrs howled louder than ever, II pos.
. sible, whils Captain Tom and sone Of
e the head men tore down the poles, cns after
+. the other, stripped off their burdens, and
the burning commenced in earnest. pa f..
, The most Of the Indians affected to be ut
{ terry unconscious Of our presence. How
D ever, 'Ceasar' came to ne, and with infinite
e dignity aud laconism suswered our q"es.
= tions. The fame had been fed a: Intervals
all night, he said, with offerings; but new
: each brave 10 turn threw on all be hnd there.
and with his fsaaily and the mourners, 'cri.
, ed for all his friends that had died. Tba