lg I. Gustav Eisen: 



more thari half an hour, did not permit them to come up. These 

 Indians stopped every little while upon sonie height, watching our 

 folk, and evidencing the fear which the foreignerss caused them by 

 the very thing they did to allay it. They thrust one point of their 

 bows down in the soil, and grasping it by the other extremity they 

 danced and whirled about with unspeakable velocity; but as soon as 

 they saw our folk near, they again withdrew themselves with the same 

 lightfootednes." The Indians soon however became friendly and showed 

 the Spaniards where a river and water could be found." A river came 

 down from the high Sierras thro' a spacious canada. At a gunshot 

 from it and outside the wood, was discovered a pueblo or rancheria 

 (Indián settlement). It was composed of huts of a pyramidal shape 

 and covered with earth. On sighting their companions with the 

 Spaniards all came out of their houses to receive them, men, women 

 and children, proffering their houses to their guests. The women 

 came in décent garb, covered from waist to knee with close-woven 

 and doubled nets. The pueblo consisted of some 30 tr 40 families: 

 and at one side of it an enclosure stood guard, made of branches 

 and trunks of trees. In this they gave to understand that they took 

 refuge to défend themselves from their enemies: a fortification in- 

 expugnable to the arms in use aniong them. These natives are of good 

 figure, well-built and agile. They go naked without more clothing 

 than a girdle of ixtle (Agave), or very fine maguey fibre, woven in 

 the form of a net. They get this thread from a plant called the 

 Lechuguilla. Their quivers which they [bind in between the girdle 

 and the body, are of skins of wildcat, coyote, wolf or deer ; and their 

 bows are two varas (66 inches) long. Besides these arms, they use 

 a species of warclub of very hard wood, the form of which is like 

 that of a short and curved cutlass, which they fling edgewise and it 

 cleaves the air with much violence. They hurl it to a greater distance 

 than a stone. Without it they never go forth in the field; and if 

 they see a viper or other obnoxious animal, they throw this „manaca" 

 at it and comonly sever it in half. According to the expérience 

 afterwards in the continuai intercourse with our Spaniards, they are 

 of haughty temper, daring, covetous, great jesters and braggarts ; altho' 

 of little valor, they make great boast of their powers, and hold the 

 most vigorous for the most valiant. They crave whatsoever rag; but 

 when we hâve clothed différent ones of them on repeated occasions, 

 they would présent themselves the folloving day stark naked. The 

 principal sustenance of the Indians around this port is fish. They 



