WANDERING HABITS—ORIGIN OF GOVERNMENT. 319 
ably to give the vermin the slip; and always after a death has occurred in 
one they abandon it. Nomadic habits among savages of a low grade are 
littlo better than death to the aged and infirm, for they cannot readily fol- 
low, and the few poor conveniences and comforts which they collect around 
themselves when stationary have often to be abandoned. In fact, it would 
be hard for a tribe to devise a better way of ridding themselves of those 
whom they accounted burdensome. ‘The spectacle which is sometimes pre- 
sented among the mining towns of poor, old, purblind, tattered wretches, 
perhaps laden with all they can carry, feebly tottering after the stronger 
ones, is a melancholy and pitiable one indeed. They wander about much 
more now than they did before the Americans came among them, because 
they have been jostled out of their ancient narrow limits, are fewer in num- 
ber, and can roam widely without trespassing on the soil of some neighbor- 
ing little village. Then, too, let it be remembered that these removes 
really amount to nothing, for they go to and fro, and it is very seldom that 
a Nishinam, after all his infinite little migrations, dies a mile from the place 
of his birth. They are thoroughly home-loving and home-keeping (count- 
ing a certain valley or flat a home), like all California Indians. 
As for their political organization, like the snakes of Ireland, it can be 
described in three words: there is none. True, they have their hereditary 
captains, or headmen, in the villages, but their authority is the most sha- 
dowy thing in the world. 
The origin of government is something like this: We will suppose 
there is a secession, and a village establishes an independent existence. A 
large, round dance-house is built, and the prominent men entertain their 
friends in it in a succession of feasts, which are very bald affairs indeed, so 
far as the viands are concerned. They make presents to their followers 
aecording to their wealth—shell-money, bows and arrows, ete. Always at 
these gatherings there isa great deal of petty bickering and quarreling. 
The more earnest and grave old men of the tribe notice these matters; they 
observe the aspirant whose personal influence is most successful in keeping 
order among the young fellows. He is finally pitched on as the leader, and 
on a certain day he is informally proclaimed in the dance-house and makes 
a talk to them, wearing or displaying all his beadery. If he has not enough 
