Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-03-26
. Remarkable Indian Tradition.

A Remarkable Indian Tradition.
The following remarkable Indian tradi-
ton was first published III an exchange
some eight or ten years, with an editorial
assurance that the facts embodied were
derived from a perfectly reliable source.
Among the old men of the Indian tribes,
who until recently lived in the vicinity OF
San Francisco Bay, were preserved le-
gendary tales of their forefathers achieve
ments, and still the facts embraced In the
sketch below live in recollection. 1t IS
said of these Indians, that there are those
who have welcomed their parents return
from hostile excursions into the country
living near Monterey, by route along
the seacoast, passing over country since
submerged, and where the opening of the
Bav of San Francisco now lies. by its
perusal the reader will derive new light
concerning the geographical structure OF
California, and the changes she may have
undergone within brief period OF time:
THE LAKE OF CALIFORNIAN INDIAN
TRADITION.
The aborigines of California, like those
of every other portion of America, have
long been fading away before the progress
sive march of civilization, or mixing with
the Spaniards who conquered them two
centuries ago, have lost their identity as
aborigines. Like their eastern brethren
they are leaving their ancient hunting
grounds, the homes and sepulchres OF
their fathers, and wandering they hardly
know whittier, while the whiteman as by
right divine, takes and calls their lands
his own. But still they have their legends
and traditions, and even now they gather
round their broken council fires-a mock
cry Of PALMER days-and tell the fathers
to their sons, the tales Of former times,
which their forefathers had told them.
Among the traditions current among
them is the following, which is certainly
interesting. They relate that where the
Bay of San Francisco now is, there was
formerly great lake, longer and broader
and deeper than the bay. According to
their accounts this lake was more than
three hundred miles in length, with no
outlet to the ocean except in the rainy
season, when it would overflow its banks
and small stream would flow to the
ocean some thirty miles south of the
present outlet of the Bay.
The ridge of hills along the coast was
then unbroken and served as dyke to
prevent the waters of the lake from escap-
ing to the ocean. The level of the lake
was many feet above that of the ocean,
and its waters extended far up to what is
known as the Sacramento Valley, and
southwark covering the valley of the San
Joaquin.
On the banks of this lake, centuries ago,
populous tribes of Indians dwelt, whose
villages lined its shores. Indeed, if Gre
dence is to be given to the tales of the
Indians, the population Of California will
never equal those ancient days, when the
red man fshed in the fresh waters OF the
lake, and hunted the deer undisturbed
through the forests.
The hills along the coasts are formed OF
soft sandstone, and through this, the ira
dition relates. the water began to make
breach, which yearly grew wider, until
it burst through the hills with tremendous
power, leaving steep cliffs and precipices
to mark its way. And what was once
lake several hundred miles in length is
now a bay not forty miles long. This
NAV have been the cause for such a
change, but it would seem more reason
able to attribute it to some volcanic COM
motion, which, in those days, might have
been as prevalent here as they are now in
Mexico and Central America.
How far this legend can be corroborated
must be determined by those who have
the means. But no one who has wit
messed the steep bluffs around San Fran
cisco, or has passed the singular entrance
of the Bay, called the Golden Gate, with
its perpendicular walls, or has seen the no
less singular bluffs of Raccoon Straits,
few miles north of San Francisco, can for
moment doubt but that they were
formed by a powerful agency, either fire
or water.
On the hills around San Francisco fresh
water shells are found, and the small
island of Yerba Buena, which lies directly
opposite the town, rising out of the Bay
at least one hundred feet, is completely
covered with shells, which go far to prove
the truth of this tradition, which has no
doubt been handed down from former
generations, an era no less important in
Indian tradition than the Deluge is in sa-
cred history. This event may have taken
place thousand years, or even twenty
centuries ago, as the traditions afford no
data as to when it occurred. 1t is a sub
ject well worthy of study, and which may
throw some light as to the origin of the
gold dust and the manner of its distribu-
ton over so large a tract of country.