CALIFORNIA. 
189 
short time procured half a bushel of them. They had also larger 
nets, which very much resemble our own; but on close examination, 
the manner of forming strands of the cordage was found to be dif¬ 
ferent. 
Their language is soft compared to that of the northern Indians, 
and as much so as that of the Polynesians. In but a few cases was 
the guttural sound of tch observed; and the repetition of syllables is 
frequent, as “wai-wai,” and “ hau-hau-hau.” Lieutenant-Comman¬ 
dant Ringgold obtained a small vocabulary of the language from a 
chief, and Captain Suter furnished much information respecting it. 
According to him, although there are many tribes, yet they speak no 
more than two distinct languages, one of which prevails on the east 
and the other on the west side of the Sacramento. This information, 
however, was contradicted by other authorities; but as this subject 
belongs to the report on philology, I must refer the reader to Mr. 
Hale’s book on that subject for further information. 
According to the best authorities, these Indians, so far from being 
cannibals, will not eat any kind of animals that eat man. They 
carry burdens in the same manner as the northern tribes, with a 
strap round the forehead. They live upon various plants, in their 
several seasons, besides grapes, and even use the Artemisia. A species 
of lobacco is found on the sandy beaches, which the Indians prepare 
and smoke. 
Their bows and arrows were carefully made, and the latter were 
kept in quivers made of fox-skins, young bears, &c. In each of these 
they had about forty arrows, pointed with flint and neatly made. 
The vegetation throughout the whole course of the Sacramento 
showed evident traces of salt, and in some places the prairies seemed 
to be incrusted with it. 
At the place where the survey ended, the river was two hundred 
feet wide, its banks being twenty feet above the river; but it was 
evident that its perpendicular rise exceeded this, as there was every 
appearance of its overflowing them ; and, according to the testimony 
of the Indians, the whole country was annually inundated. 
On the afternoon of the 31st of August, the party turned to go down 
the stream, and with the aid of the current made rapid progress. 
Towards sunset they entered the small stream called Bute, on whose 
banks they encamped. Here they were much disturbed, both with 
bears and musquitoes. 
On the 1st of September, they made an early start, and about noon 
reached the village where the theft of Dr. Pickering’s pistol had been 
committed. 
