NORTH CALIFORNIA. 
pendulous, with cones hanging from their 
points like sugar-loaves in a grocer's shop. 
These cones are, however, only seen on 
the loftiest trees, and the putting myself in 
possession of three of these (all I could 
obtain) nearly brought my life to a close. 
As it was impossible either to climb the 
tree or hew it down, I endeavoured to 
knock off the cones by firing at them with 
ball, when the report of my gun brought 
eight Indians, all of them painted with red 
earth, armed with bows, arrows, bone-tip- 
ped spears, and flint-knives. They appear- 
ed any thing but friendly. I endeavoured 
to explain to them what I wanted, and they 
seemed satisfied, and sat down to smoke, 
but presently I perceived one of them 
string his bow, and another sharpen his 
flint-knife with a pair of wooden pincers, 
and suspend it on the wrist of the right 
hand. Further testimony of their inten- 
tions was unnecessary. To save myself 
by flight was impossible, so, without hesi- 
tation, I stepped back about five paces, 
my gun, drew one of the pistols 
out of my belt, and holding it in my left 
hand and the gun in my right, showed my- 
self determined to fight for my life. As 
. much as possible I endeavoured to preserve 
my coolness, and thus we stood looking at 
9ne another without making any movement 
9r uttering a word for perhaps ten minutes, 
when one, at last, who seemed the leader, 
gave a - that they wished for some to- 
: this I signified that they should 
have, if they fetched me a quantity of 
They went off immediately in 
Search of them, and no sooner were they 
ne out of sight, than I picked up my three 
Cones and some twigs of the trees, and 
de the quickest possible retreat, hurry- 
De to my camp, which I reached be- 
dusk. The Indian who last undertook 
z^ " guide to the trees, I sent off be- 
or mp my encamy t, lest he should 
et ly me. How irksome is the darkness 
mght to one under my present circum- 
1 Stances! I cannot speak a word to my 
E Po I a book to divert my 
e ch are continually occupied 
‘with the dread lest the hostile Indians 
181 
should trace me hither, and make an attack ; 
I now write lying on the grass, with my 
gun cocked beside me, and penning these 
lines by the light of my Columbian Can- 
dle, namely an ignited piece of rosiny wood, 
—To return to the tree which nearly cost 
me so dear. The wood is remarkably fine- 
grained and heavy; the leaves short and 
bright-green, inserted, five together, in a 
-very short sheath; of my three cones one 
measures fourteen inches and a half, and 
the two others are respectively half an inch 
and an inch shorter, all full of fine seed. 
A little before this time of year the Indi- 
ans gather the cones and roast them on the | 
embers, then quarter them and shake out 
the seeds, which are afterwards thoroughly 
dried and pounded into a sort of flour, or 
else eaten whole. 
Friday the 27th. My last guide went 
out at midnight in search of trout, and 
brought me home a small one, which serv- 
ed for breakfast. Two hours before day- 
light he rushed in with great marks of ter- 
ror, uttering a shriek which made me spring 
to my feet, as I concluded that my enemies 
of yesterday had tracked out my retreat. 
He, however, gave me to understand, by 
gesture, that he had been attacked by a 
Grisly Bear. I signed to him to wait till 
daylight, when I would go out and look for 
and perhaps kill the creature, A little be- 
fore sun-rise Bruin had the boldness to 
pay us a visit, accompanied by two cubs, 
one of last year’s brood and one of this; 
but as I could not, consistently with safety, 
receive these guests before daylight, I had 
all my articles deposited in the saddle-bags, 
and driven upon one horse to a mile distant 
from the camp, when I returned, mounted 
on the animal Mr. M‘Loughlin had given 
me, and which stands fire remarkably well, 
and found the bear and her two young ones 
feeding on acorns under the shade of a 
large oak. I allowed the horse to walk to 
within twenty yards, when all three stood 
up and growled at me. I levelled my gun 
at the heart of the old one, but as she — 
protecting her young by keeping them 
right under her, the shot entered the palate 
of one of these, coming out at the back of 
