MISSIONS AND MISSION INDIANS OF CALIFORNIA. 467 



dull, heavy, and stupid countenance, devoid of sensibility or the 

 least expression." 



A few years later, in 180G, Langsdorff describes the same In- 

 dians with somewhat more detail, as follows : " These Indians are 

 of a middling, or rather of a low stature, and of a dark-brown color 

 approacjiing to black. . . . They have large, projecting lips, and 

 broad, flat, negro-like noses ; indeed, many of their features, as well 

 as their physiognomy, and almost their color, bear a strong resem- 

 blance to the negroes. Their hair is, however, extremely different, 

 being long and straight ; if left to grow, it will hang down even 

 to the hips, but they commonly cut it to the length of four or 

 five inches, sticking it out like bristles ; this has a very disagree- 

 able appearance in the eyes of a European : the hair grows very 

 far down toward the eyes, so that the forehead is extremely low ; 

 the eyebrows are small and the beards thin; many shave them 

 close with mussel-shells. None of the men that we saw were 



Mat* 



Fig. 1.— Group of Mission Indians from Mesa Grande, San Diego County. 



above five feet high ; they were ill-proportioned, and had such a 

 dull, heavy, negligent appearance that we all agreed we had never 

 seen a less pleasing specimen of the human race." 



The Indians of Santa Clara Mission, many of whom were 

 from the interior tribes, appear to have impressed Langsdorff 

 much more favorably, and he concludes his description of 

 them with the statement that "the people of this mission are. 



