HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 75 



lashes on his bare back, have his ears cut off, and his 

 head shaved, so that he might be every where recog 

 nized in the mining districts. This sentence gave 

 general satisfaction. The poor wretch was at once 

 fastened by his hands to the branch of a tree, and the 

 fellows proceeded to shave his head, whilst some 

 sailors of the party set to work manufacturing cats. 

 His feet were then tied together to the foot of the tree, 

 and when his head had been shaved, a doctor lopped 

 off his ears. He bled a good deal ; but, when the 

 blood was staunched, they set to flogging him, and 

 they didn't spare him either. After this, they kicked 

 him out. 



" Well, he went off, and when he was about half a 

 mile away, stole a mule, and rode over to the < Cala- 

 veras' diggins, where the animal was claimed by the 

 owner. He was thereupon tried for mule-stealing, 

 and sentenced to receive another flogging ; but when 

 the miners came to strip him, they found his back so 

 shockingly cut up, that they took compassion on him, 

 and contented themselves with driving him out of the 

 district, where he never appeared again." 



During the summer season, when exposure and 

 labor in the mines, together with unwholesome food, 

 produce a great prevalence of fever and dysentery, 

 the native Californians make use of a singular remedy. 

 It is called the temascal ; being a sort of hot air bath, 

 shaped something like a sentry-box. It is built of 

 wicker-work, and afterwards plastered with mud until 

 it becomes air tight. The mode of application of this 

 remedy is as follows : A large fire is built close up 

 to the door of the structure a narrow aperture, just 

 large enough for a man to squeeze through. This is 

 allowed to burn itself out, having while burning, 



