176 ELDORADO 



cautious among them. In this disguise he would enter 

 a herd and shoot the unsuspecting animals with ar- 

 rows until a wounded one would put the rest to flight. 



Having no boats but such as they made from bull- 

 rushes, the Indians were expert swimmers, and with 

 a bunch of dried grass or rushes floating on the wa- 

 ter and concealing their heads, they would float among 

 the water fowl and, taking'them by the feet, would pull 

 them under water, wring their necks, and tuck their 

 heads under a belt worn about the waist. They would 

 continue this game until they had satisfied their wants 

 and return to land without disturbing the balance of 

 the flock. 



Bear and bull fights, in those early days, were the 

 chief amusements of the miners and other whites, and 

 always transpired on Sunday, as that was the day 

 usually set apart for relaxation from ordinary labor, 

 whether mining or ranching. Washing garments, 

 cooking or playing cards was the general order of the 

 dav. During my first two years in California no op- 

 portunity was presented to attend religious services of 

 any kind, with one notable exception. A professed 

 minister of the gospel put in an appearance at our 

 mining camp near Hangtown, and after delivering a 

 short discourse passed the hat and received a liberal 

 contribution from the small crowd of listeners. A 

 short distance a game of three card monte was being 

 played behind a big pine tree and it was said that the 

 preacher and the gambler were seen to meet soon aft^r 

 and divide the proceeds from each little enterprise. In 

 mv individual case T have never failed to treat every- 

 thing of a religious nature with respect and reverence, 

 and T ever felt an abhorrence of every kind of dissi- 



