PREFACE. 
The word ‘“Pomo” (from pum, pauwm, pom, which signify “earth” in 
various languages) denotes “‘earth-people”. Though it is the specific name 
of only one nation on Russian River, it is equally applicable to all the 
aborigines of California, since they all believe that their first ancestors 
were created directly from the soil of their respective present dwelling- 
places. 
There are several ideas which the reader who is acquainted only with 
Atlantic tribes must divest his mind of, in taking up the study of the Cali- 
fornia Indians. Among them is the idea of the “Great Spirit”, for these 
people are realistic and seek to personify everything; also that of the 
“Happy Hunting Grounds”, for the indolent Californian reared in his balmy 
clime knows nothing of the fierce joy.of the Dakota hunter, but believes 
in a heaven of Hedonic ease and luxury.. The reader must also lay aside 
the copper-color, the haughty aquiline beak, and the gorgeous, barbaric 
ornamentation of the person. He must lay aside the gory scalp-lock (for 
the most part), the torture of the captive at the stake, the red war-paint of 
terrible import (the Californians used black), the tomahawk, the totem, 
and the calumet. As the plain and simple ‘‘Pomo” is to the more resound- 
ing ‘Algonkin”, so is the California aborigine to his Atlantic cousin. . 
It is a humble and a lowly race which we approach, one of thé lowest 
on earth; but I am greatly mistaken if the history of their lives does not 
teach more wholesome and salutary lessons—lessons of barbaric providence, 
plenty, and contentment, of simple pleasures and enjoyments, and of the 
capacities of unprogressive savagery to fill out the measure of human 
happiness, and to mass dense populations—than may be learned from the 
more romantic story of the Algonkins. 
Perhaps it is too much to ask any one to believe that there are regions 
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