96 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



the showers of sparks, the brightly-lighted foreground, 

 and the lurid glare that encompassed the shadowy woods 

 in the background, produced a sight that seemed most 

 strange, and recalled visions of the uncanny creatures that 

 are supposed to dwell in deep and unearthly places. Loading 

 our guns, we marched towards the fire, and, on approaching 

 it, saw on the top the dead body of an Indian undergoing 

 a process of cremation. We knew then that we were 

 spectators of a Digger funeral ceremony and a literal 

 dance of death, and I certainly was glad to have had an 

 opportunity of seeing both. While looking on, he of the 

 trowsers asked for the cougar, that he might burn it 

 on the funeral pyre with the body, as he would then be 

 sure that his kinsman had entered the Spirit Land as a 

 recognized true brave. He was told that if he would skin 

 it he could have the carcass, and without another word he 

 undertook the business. While he was engaged in this 

 operation we were closely watching the strange spectacle 

 before us. The young men and women were wailing fearfully, 

 and jumping around the pyre with all their might, but 

 the aged and infirm were content with walking and moan- 

 ing. When the cougar was skinned, the carcass was thrown 

 into the flames, near the corpse, amid indescribable yelling, 

 the butcher being the most vehement shouter, or wailer. 

 We spent half an hour gazing on this weird, wild scene, 

 then returned home, I, for one, feeling as if I had been a 

 spectator of some orgie among the fabulous creatures that 

 inhabit subterranean abodes. Two days after this strange 

 ceremony, the dancers passed the house, and their heads and 

 features were so bedaubed with tar that they bore a strong 

 resemblance to veritable imps of darkness. I learned, sub- 

 sequently, that it is a custom among the Diggers to mix 

 the ashes left by the funeral pyre with tar, and to bedaub 

 themselves with it, as a sign of mourning, and as they do not 

 remove it until it falls off through age, they sometimes look like 

 ogres and ogresses for six months. This is the reason, I believe. 



o o * * 



that the Californians are locally called " Tar Heads," in con- 

 tradistinction to the natives of North Carolina, who are known 



