Enter a name, company, place or keywords to search across this item. Then click "Search" (or hit Enter).
Indians of California by Edward Chever (12 pages)
Go to the Archive Home
Go to Thumbnail View of this Item
Go to Single Page View of this Item
Download the Page Image
Copy the Page Text to the Clipboard
Don't highlight the search terms on the Image
Show the Page Image
Show the Image Page Text
Reset View and Center Image
Zoom Out
Zoom In
Rotate Left
Rotate Right
Toggle Full Page View
Flip Image Horizontally
More Information About this Image
Get a Citation for Page or Image - Copy to the Clipboard
Go to the Previous Page (or Left Arrow key)
Go to the Next Page (or Right Arrow key)
Page: of 12
LOST AND FOUND 123
Figure 2. Indian Stalking an Antelope.
fish were thrown out; then still another and the fellow
was soon cooking his dinner.
The spearing of salmon by torch-light, is very
°xciting. It is done on moonless nights and usually in
parties of three to each canoe. One Indian guides the
oat, a boy kneels in front with a blazing torch held
ear the surface of the water, while the one with the
spear watches for the flash of the salmon as he darts
oward the light. The spear is a loose point of bone
vith a hole through the centre, and one end fitted in a
ocket at the end of a light strong pole, and secured
o the staff by a cord through the center of the bone.
Vhen a fish is struck the bone is drawn out from its
ocket and left in the fish, making what sailors call a
toggle,” the cord holding it in spite of its struggles.
Vhen the Indian is about to spear the salmon, you
ee him to advantage, and he gives his orders full of
arnestness. “Hoddom! Hoddom! Pue-ne! Pue-ne!
lon-de! Hip-pe-ne! Mip! Mip! Wedem-pou!” as the
struggling fish is drawn to the canoe. These words
translated are: There, there! East, east! Lower!
Higher! Hold, hold! The last word is an exclamation
of surprise.
No Christian has stronger faith that his Father will
provide for his wants, than these Indians had that the
Great Spirit would send the salmon into their nets, or
the grasshoppers to vary their bill of fare. Although
grasshoppers are regarded with dread by the white
settlers in some sections, the Indians go out to meet
them rejoicing. They pile up the dry bunch grass for
a center and then forming a wide circle, and swinging
branches of trees, they advance driving the swarms
of grasshoppers, until they take refuge under the pile
of bunch grass. The grass at every point is set on fire
simultaneously, and burns like gunpowder. When the
smoke has rolled away the roasted grasshoppers are
picked up by the basket full.