30 Reminiscences of 



was a heap good for bone sick — evidently meaning 

 for rheumatism. 



These Indians often engaged in gathering grass- 

 hoppers when they were plentiful, in the following 

 manner: First, by sinking a well -hole in a convenient 

 locaUty, of some five or six feet in depth and of 

 equal width, keeping it half full of water; then en- 

 gaging all hands with bushes and tree branches in 

 beating forward the grasshoppers on the ground to- 

 ward and into the well, where they were soon drowned ; 

 then heating some large stones on a fire made for the 

 purpose, from which the stones were rolled forward 

 when sufficiently heated into the well, and the 

 water, heating up, cooked the hoppers. When ac- 

 counted done by the head chef, the hoppers were 

 raked out upon the adjoining ground to dry; the 

 latter effect being reached, they were then packed 

 away in skins for use. 



With them a good and prosperous season occurred 

 when acorns and grasshoppers were plentiful. Even 

 if the clover were deficient, it may be assumed that 

 a good acorn stew enriched with a few handfuls of 

 grasshoppers, and possibly a bunch or two of clover, 

 would make a very appetizing meal for a Digger 

 Indian as a change from pine cone, nuts, and ground 

 squirrels. 



Although the Digger Indians in the State are now 

 reduced to very small numbers, there are still a good 

 many of other tribes, more conspicuous than the 

 Diggers were for intelligence, some of whom in early 

 days were conspicuous for their opposition to the 

 white invaders. A few thousand of these still exist, 

 huddled together in small squads in various sec- 



