EARLY HISTORY. \vn 



The numeration system of a people is a relic of a remote age, and 

 therefore of importance for tracing the ancient connections of tribes. The 

 quinary system is the most frequent counting method in America, and often 

 combines with the vigesimal. The pure quinary S3^stem prevails in Ara, in 

 the Chimariko, Yuki, and in the Shasti-Pit River family, in Sahaptin and 

 Wayiletpu, and it is also the S3'stem found in Klamath. Curiously enough, 

 the Maidu Indians count by fifteens, and the decimal system forms the basis 

 of the Wintiin, Mutsun, and Selish dialects. The mvstic or "sacred" 

 number occurring hundreds of times in mythologic stories is five among all 

 the Oregonian tribes. 



To sum up the result of the above linguistic inquiry, it may be stated 

 that our present knowledge does not allow us to connect the Klamath lan- 

 guage genealogically with any of the other languages compared, but that 

 if stands as a lincjiiistic family for itself. It has adopted elements from the 

 tongues spoken in its neighborhood; and a common element, chiefl}' pro- 

 nominal, underlies several of these and the American languages in general. 



THE HISTORIC PERIOD. 



'Ex Se mil xa) TriQrn navTa MaTtiFXitra ytyvsrai. 



On account of the superstition previously alluaed to, the traditional 

 historic lore which forms so attractive a feature in the unwritten literature of 

 the nations east of the Rocky Mountains and of Mexico is wanting entirely 

 among the Maklaks, and we have to rely upon the meager reports of trav- 

 elers and Government agents for accounts of the condition of the tribes in the 

 earlier part of this century. Such notices of historic events are as follows: 



According to a tradition recorded by Stephen Powers, an epidemic of 

 small-pox broke out among the Modoc Indians in 1847, by which one hun- 

 dred and fifty individuals perished. 



The earliest historic conflict which can be ascertained with some chro- 

 nological accuracy is the massacre of eighteen immigrants to Oregon by 

 individuals of the Modoc tribe, and Ben Wright's massacre, consequent upon 

 that bloody deed. The massacre of the immigrants occurred at a place on 

 Tule or Rhett Lake, since called Bloody Point. Undoubtedly this was only 



