THE MALAY RACE. 



105 



On the 27th, elk were frequent on the western bank ; and a herd of 

 some thirty of them made a fine appearance, rallying at intervals and 

 facing us, but not allowing a near approach. A distant fire was seen 

 in the evening ; but the following day was passed without further signs 

 of natives, except the remnant of a platform of poles with cordage, at 

 the water's edge, erected apparently for the purpose of taking salmon. 



About noon on the 29th, we had our first interview with the Sa- 

 cramento TRIBES. Several men made their appearance on the bank, 

 armed with bows and arrows and some inferior javelins, and kept 

 pace with the boats in silence. For quivers, they used the skins of 

 quadrupeds, such as the fox, lynx, and cub-bear, suspended at the 

 side, or sometimes carried in the hand. 



Shortly afterwards, we landed on the western bank, where three 

 natives were seated, awaiting our approach; but they appeared rather 

 shy, and we could communicate only by signs. Other natives gra- 

 dually joined them, and a young man, who appeared to be the chief, 

 presented Captain Ringgold with a plume of white feathers ; which 

 we regarded as a sign of friendship. Several of the natives wore 

 feathers on the head, either in a tall upright plume, or large ones 

 single ; and one man had a tuft of blackish feathers, stripped in 

 halves and twisted, so as to resemble the frigate-bird plumes of the 

 Western Paumotuans. They were in general, fine stout men, of 

 superior stature to the Oregon tribes, and fully equalling in this 

 respect the European standard. Polynesian expressions of counte- 

 nance were remarked ; and the hair was not worn long, as with the 

 northern tribes ; but the scantiness of beard seemed a perplexing 

 circumstance, together with its deficiency in length. It is true, we 

 saw no aged persons; and the men almost universally had some show 

 of a beard, an inch or so in length, but very soft and fine. I subse- 

 quently found, that Mr. Marsh also regarded "the Californians as more 

 hairy than the tribes of the United States." 



Most of the men had some slight marks of tattooing ) 

 on the breast; disposed like a necklace, uniformly 

 according to the pattern represented in the accom- 

 panying figure. The presence of the custom among 

 the Malay Americans, should be noted, in consider- 

 ing tlie origin of the slight tattooing found occasionally among the 

 Chinooks and the more northern tribes ; even, it is said, to the vici- 

 nity of Bhering Straits. 



After a while, the natives invited us to the village ; which was visi- 



27 



