324 THE NISHINAM. 
nothing is more certain than that, if an Indian comes along hungry, they 
will divide with him to the uttermost crumb. 
The Indians immediately south of Bear River observe the following 
fixed dances: The most important is the first-grass dance (kam’-min, the 
generic word for “dance”, hence the dance of the year), which is held in 
autumn or winter, after the rains have fully set in and started the grass. 
None but a resident of California can appreciate the joyfulness of the feel- 
ing which gives rise to this festival, when, after the long, weary summer of. 
drought, the first cool rain commences trickling down on the parched plains 
and the naked foot-hills, and they clothe themselves again with a soft, pale 
green. Assembled in the dance-house together, both men and women, the 
men dance with such extraordinary enthusiasm and persistence that they 
sometimes fall exhausted and lie in a trance for hours. 
The next is the second-grass dance (yo'-mus-si), which is celebrated 
in the spring, when the grass takes its second growth, after the dry season 
is well established, but before the clover has faded from its blossoming 
glory. Hence this is held in the open air—a féte champétre. Otherwise it 
is like the first, the dancers being in two concentric circles, the men in one 
inside, the women in the other—the former decorated with feather mantles, 
the latter more modestly with beads, ete. It continues three or four days, 
accompanied with plenty of good eating. The musicians at this dance play 
on whistles of reeds, and the more of them an Indian can get in his mouth 
the more sweet and ravishing his strains are held to be. If he has his mouth 
full from corner to corner, all pitched on the same key, and giving forth 
blasts from alternate sucking and blowing of the breath, then he has at- 
tained the perfection of art. 
Pretty early in the spring there comes a gala-day, which is the occa- 
sion of a great deal of enjoyment. It is called we’-da, though that is only 
one and the most important of the exercises of the day. Its purpose is to 
prevent the snakes from biting them during the summer, and though held 
for so momentous a purpose it is a very gay and sportive affair. First, the 
sports are initiated in the morning by the han'-pa-wa-ho, a grand spectacular 
ballet-dance, performed by the women and girls in the open air (as all the 
sports are). There is extremely little art in it, and nothing is represented 
