OF LOS ANGELES CO., CALIFORNIA. 7 



Caller, forest. No word to signify tree, all varieties 

 have their special names. 

 Cabatcho, good looking. 

 Zizu, devil, an evil spirit. 

 Ayopu-cushna, brother-in-law. 

 Qua-o-aVj God. Held in great reverence, and the name 

 was seldom pronounced among them. They gener- 

 ally used the term, Y-yo-ha-riv-gnina, that which 

 gives us life. 



LETTER V. 



Government, Laws and Punishment. 



The government of the people was in the hands of the 

 chiefs, each captain commanding his own lodge. The 

 command was hereditary in a family, descending from 

 father to son, and from brother to brother. If the riglit 

 line of descent ran out, they immediately elected one of 

 the same kin nearest in blood. Laws in general were 

 made as they were required, with the exception of some 

 few standing ones. Robbery and thieving were unknown 

 among them, and murder, which was of rare occurrence, 

 was punished by shooting the delinquent with arrows until 

 dead. Incest was held in deep abhorrence and punished 

 with death ; even marriages between kinsfolk were not 

 allowed. The manner of death was by shooting with 

 arrows. 



All prisoners of war were invariably put to death, after 

 being tormented in a most cruel manner. This was done 

 in presence of all the chiefs, for as war was declared and 

 conducted by a council of the whole, so they had to attend 

 to the execution of enemies in common. A Avar dance, 

 on such an occasion, was therefore grand, solemn and 

 maddening.^ 



If a quarrel ensued between two parties the chiefs of 



