OF LOS ANGELES CO., CALIFORNIA. 13 



When a person died all the kin collected to lament and 

 mourn his or her loss. Each one had his own peculiar 

 mode of crying or howling, and one could be as easily 

 distinguished from the other, as one song from another. 

 After lamenting awhile, a mourning dirge was sung in a 

 very low tone, accompanied by a shrill whistling by blow- 

 ing into deers' bones. Dancing can hardly be said to have 

 formed a part of their rites, as it was merely a monoto- 

 nous action of the foot by stamping on the ground. This 

 WMS continued until the body showed signs of decay, 

 when it was wrapped up in its covering with the hands 

 across the breasts and tied from head to foot. A grave 

 having been dug in their burial place, the body was in- 

 terred according to the means of the family, by throwing 

 in seeds, etc.^ If deceased was the head of a family, or a 

 favorite son, the hut was set fire to, in which he died, and 

 all of his goods and chattels burned with it, reserving 

 only some article with which to make a feast at the end of 

 twelve months. 



LETTER IX. 



Medicine and Diseases. 



Medicine men^*^ were esteemed as wizards and seers, for 

 they not only cured disease, but caused disease and poi- 

 soned people ; made it rain Avhen required ; consulted the 

 Great Spirit and received answers ; changed themselves 

 into the form of diverse animals, and foretold cominir 

 events. 



The medicine man collected the poison used for dipping 

 the heads of arrows. Fire was supposed to destroy its 

 hurtful properties, consequently the fiesh of animals so 

 killed were eaten Avithout any misgivings. The Seers 

 pretended not only to know poisons which destroyed life 

 by giving it internally, but also others which the simple 



