CALIFORNIA. 185 



numerous than formerly; indeed, it is alleged that the lower country, 

 near the San Joachim, was once so infested with these bears, that the 

 Indians were obliged to keep to the high lands when travelling. 



It does not at all times kill its enemies when it has them in its 

 power ; rarely attacks a man unless he comes upon him by surprise, and 

 is not considered a dangerous animal. 



Anecdotes are told of hunters who had fallen into the power of grisly 

 bears, which would cover them up with brush, grass, and leaves, and 

 put them down, without further molestation, so long as they remained 

 quiet ; if they attempted to rise again, the bear would again put them 

 down, cover them over as before, and finally leave them unhurt. 



Three or four are usually seen feeding together. The cubs are 

 remarkably small in proportion to the full-grown animal. 



Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold, Dr. Pickering, and Mr. Geiger, 

 landed to procure an interview with the chief, who, with some others, 

 was prevailed upon to accompany them to their encampment. The 

 chief presented them with a tuft of white feathers, stuck on a stick 

 about one foot long, which was supposed to be a token of friendship. 

 These Indians were naked, and some of them had feathers in their hair, 

 arranged in different ways. One among them was seen pitted with the 

 small-pox, which was the only instance that had been observed of the 

 sort. Their fillets of feathers somewhat resembled those worn by the 

 chiefs at the Sandwich Islands ; and feather cloaks were seen at the 

 village, resembling some we had seen to the north, near the Straits of 

 De Fuca. 



Their bows and arrows were precisely like those described as used 

 by the more northern tribes. The arrows were about three feet long, 

 and the bows were of yew, encased with sinew. Their arrows, as well 

 as their spears, which were very short, were pointed with flint. 



These Indians were generally fine robust men, of low stature, and 

 badly formed ; but the chiefs, five or six in number, were fully equal in 

 size to the whites, though inferior in stature and good-looking as com- 

 pared with the generality of the Polynesians. They had a strong 

 resemblance to the latter, except that the nose was not so flat and their 

 colour rather darker. Although the men go naked, the women are said 

 to wear the maro. The males seemed to be exceedingly jealous, on 

 account, it is said, of the unprincipled conduct of the whites who have 

 occasionally passed among them. Their hair is not worn as long as it 

 is by the northern Indians, and is much thicker. They had beards and 

 whiskers an inch or two long, very soft and fine. 



One of them was observed to have stuck in his head a long pin or 

 vol. v. Q.2 24 



