186 
CALIFORNIA. 
small stick, like that so much in use among the Feejees. Most of them 
had some slight marks of tattooing on their breast, somewhat similar 
to that of the Chinooks. Several of them had their ears bored, and 
wore in the opening round pieces of wood or bone, some of which were 
carved. 
Their rancheria, or village, consisted of no more than five or six 
huts, built around a larger one, which appeared somewhat like the 
“ tamascals”—sweating-houses. All their houses were formed in the 
following manner: a round pit is dug, three or four feet deep and from 
ten to twenty feet in diameter; over this a framework of sticks is 
raised, woven together, upon which is laid dried grass and reeds ; the 
whole is then covered with earth. They have one small opening, into 
which it is necessary to creep on all-fours; another is left on the top, 
which is extended upwards with bundles of grass, to serve as a 
chimney; in some of the houses there was a kind of hanging-shelf, 
apparently for the purpose of drying fish. Thetamascal differed in no 
respect from the others, except in its size, and appeared sufficiently 
large to contain half the inhabitants of the rancheria; but, unlike the 
rest, it had several instead of one opening; all of these had coverings, 
which are intended for the purpose of retaining the heat as long as 
possible. The Indians are particularly fond of these baths, and make 
constant use of them. The roofs of their houses are strong enough to 
bear the weight of several persons, and the Indians are usually seen 
sitting on the top of them. Previous to our gentlemen reaching the 
rancheria, their women had all decamped, excepting one old one, who, 
on perceiving the party close to her, dropped her load, and in excessive 
fear darted off like a wild animal. Around the huts were scattered 
vast quantities of the mussels’ shells and acorns, which would therefore 
seem to be the principal articles of food. Near the huts, large branches 
of trees had been stuck up for shade. Some water-tight baskets and 
bulrush mats were their only fabrics. They do not appear to pay any 
attention to cultivation, and the only appearance of it was in a species 
of Cucurbita (mock orange), planted near their village; but what use 
they made of this was not learned. 
This rancheria is said to contain between two and three hundred 
warriors, who are a fair specimen of the tribes of the country, and are 
the most troublesome to the trappers, with whom they generally have a 
fight once a year. On one occasion, the Hudson Bay Company left 
their cattle in their charge, and when the delivery was demanded they 
refused to give them up; war was accordingly made on them, and 
after they had lost forty of their warriors, they consented to return the 
