AND RETURN TO SAN FRANCISCO. 29 
Mr. Knight isa young man from Vermont, who 
came across the continent about seven years before our 
visit, with the first emigrants to Oregon. As the 
country did not suit him, he pushed his way south- 
ward, until he struck this valley. He owns a large 
tract of land here; but in consequence of his distance 
from market, he has, very wisely, turned his attention 
from cultivating the soil, to that of raising stock. His 
isolated position, and the hills of grass and wild oats 
which surround him on every side, render it a most 
advantageous one for this purpose. Although sur- 
rounded by wild beasts and warlike Indians, and with 
no neighbor within twelve miles of him, he had not 
forgotten all the enjoyments that belong to civilized 
communities, as was evinced by a piano-forte and a 
case well filled with books. 
An Indian village stood a few hundred yards from 
the house; and at my request Mr. Knight went out 
and brought me three of the most intelligent among 
them, from whom I obtained a full vocabulary of their 
language. Like many other tribes of the country, and 
of this region in particular, they appeared to have no 
name for themselves as a people. By the white peo- 
ple, these and all other Indians between the Sacra- 
mento and the coast, and thence through the central 
parts of the State, are called ‘‘ Diggers,” or ‘‘ Digger 
Indians,” from the fact that they live chiefly on roots, 
which they collect by digging. I therefore set them 
_down as Indians of Napa Valley. We had met with 
several small bands, and passed a few villages on our 
way up; but from none could I learn that they had 
any name for their tribe. This fact will account for 
