An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California. Containing a history of Los Angeles County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day, Part 4

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1092

USA > California > Los Angeles County > An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California. Containing a history of Los Angeles County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 4

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"Should the husband beat the wife and ill- treat her, she gave advice of it to her lodge, when her relations collected all the money which had been paid at her marriage, took it in depu- tation to the husband's lodge, left it with him and led off the wife, whom they married im- mediately to another.

LETTER VIII .- BIRTII AND BURIAL.

"Immediately on the birth of a child, the mother and infant were purified, in the follow- ing manner: In the center of a hut a large hole was dug, and an immense fire was kindled in which large stones were heated until red-hot. When nothing remained but hot embers and the stones, bundles of wild tansy were heaped on the same and covered all over with earth, with the exception of a small chimney or aperture. The mother had then to stand over the aperture with her child wrapped up in a mat, flannel fash- ion. Water was then poured by degrees in at the opening, which caused immense quantities

of steam or vapor, causing the patient to hop and skip a little at first and provoked profuse perspiration afterward. When no more steam was procurable, the mother and child lay down on the heap, covered up, until the steaming was renewed again. Three days was the term of purification, morning and evening being the times of sweating. No food was allowed the mother during that time, and her drink (water) was warmed. She was now allowed to eat of everything at discretion, with the exception of animal food, which was debarred her for two months. Her diet at length complete, three pills were prepared of the size of a musket-ball, composed of one part of meat and one part of wild tobacco. These swallowed, she was allowed to eat meat; but she was not permitted to share her husband's bed until the child was able to run.

" When a person died, all the kin collected to lament and mourn his or her loss. Each one had his own peculiar mode of erying or howling, and one could be as easily distinguished from the other as one song from another. After lamenting awhile, a mourning dirge was sung in a very low tone, accompanied by a shrill whistling, by blowing into deers' bones. Danc- ing can hardly be said to have formed a part of their rites, as it was merely a monotonous action of the foot by stamping on the ground. This was continued until the body showed signs of decay, when it was wrapped up in its covering with the hands across the breast and tied from hand to foot. A grave having been dug in their burial place, the body was interred according to the means of the family, by throwing in seeds, etc. If deceased was the head of the family, or a favorite son, the hut was set fire to, in whieli he died, and all of his goods and chattels burned with it, reserving only some article with which to make a feast at the end of twelve months."

[Between Los Angeles and the coast, near San Pedro, gravestones were erected to the inem- ory of the deccased, or perhaps simply to identify the location of the body, so that his friends might come to offer food, and to mourn. On

HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

one specimen are etchings resembling the figure of a whale, evidently carved there to show that the deceased had been a fisherman or a whale- hunter. Among the Innuits of Southern Alaska a similar custom prevails.]

LETTER IX .- MEDICINE AND DISEASES.

[In the following letter the term "shaman" would be more appropriate than "medicine man." The seer was an individual whose pro- fession was distinct from that of the shaman. In some tribes there are rain-makers, etc. Dur- ing the performance of religions or professional ceremonies the shaman resorts to many and various utterances and movements not under- stood by the uninitiated. Rattlers, small dried animals or skins, curiously shaped vegetable growths, rare sparkling minerals and wrought stones of odd forms are employed as fetiches. Among the last named the writer found both oblong and pyriform polished stones, such as have hitherto been considered and described as "plnmmets, plumb-bobs, sinkers and weights." An old Tobikhar said that snch stones- would require too much time and labor to be used only to be cast into the sea. The Indians term them " medicine stones," and consider them as pos- sessing medical properties.

That the shaman also prepared arrow poison, there is no doubt. Nearly all the tribes be- tween the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mount- ains had more or less knowledge of plants, insects or other materials, which rendered it capable of producing septicaemia in any person or animal wounded thereby.]

" Medicine men were esteemed as wizards or seers; for they not only cured disease, but caused disease and poisoned people, made it rain when required, consulted the Great Spirit and received answers, changed themselves into the form of diverse animals and foretold coming events. The medicine man collected the poison for dip- ping the heads of arrows. Fire was supposed to destroy its hurtful properties; consequently the flesh of animals so killed were eaten without any misgivings. The seers pretended not only to

know poisons which destroyed life by giving it internally, but also others which the simple touch was sufficient to produce the desired effect; and that some were instantaneous, and that others required one, two or even twelve months before action took effect.

" Rhenmatism comprised nearly all the general complaints. Syphilis was unknown. [It must, however, have made its appearance among them at a very early day.] Toothache seldom troubled them. Rheumatism was treated by applying a string of blisters, each the size of a dime, to the affected part. The fur off the dry stalks of nettles was used for blistering. This was rolled up, compressed and applied with saliva; then fire was applied, when it burned like punk. As one was extinguished another was lit. For lumbago, they drank of a sweating herb and lay down for twenty or thirty hours in hot ashes. Fever was treated by giving a large bolns of wild tobacco mixed with lime of shells, causing vomiting, besides other herbs and manipulations of the seer.

" Local inflammation was scarified with pieces of sharp flint and procuring as much blood as possible from the part. Paralysis, stagnation of the blood, etc., was treated by whipping the part or limb with bunches of nettles for an hour or two, likewise drinking the juice of thorn- apple, which cansed ebriety for two or three days. Decline (of rare occurrence) was treated by giv- ing the cooked meat of the mud turtle for a period of time.

" Shell lime was well known, but none made from limestone. For an emetic, it was mixed with wild tobacco and taken immediately in bolus; but in a more agreeable form it was pounded up and formed into a cake, and used in fragments as required.

"Strangury was treated by sweating, as in the lying-in woman, only marsh mallows were employed instead of tansy; then a large bolus of chewed tobacco produced general laxation and prostration, which often produced relief at once. If this failed, drawing blood by sucking the abdomen immediately above the bladder hardly

HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

ever failed to give relief. This operation was performed with a great many rites prior to the suction, such as smoking to the Great Spirit, pressure and frotation [sic] of the abdomen with the hands, and a song at the end of every verse, concluded with the words.

Non im mainoc, ni mainoc, Non im mainoc, ni mainoc, Yobare ;

I do what I am doing, I do what I am doing, O Cburch !

" Bites of snakes were cured by the applica- tion of ashes and herbs to the wound, and the same, with fine dust found at the bottom of ants' nests, given internally. Red clay was sometimes applied to the hair, covering it all over and allowing it to remain for twenty-four hours, when it was washed off, to prevent the hair from splitting. Chilicotes were burnt to charcoal and applied morning and evening to cure baldness.

LETTER X .- TRADITION.

" There were seven brothers who married seven sisters,-according to their respective ages,-who lived in a large hnt together. The husbands went daily to hunt rabbits, and the wives to gather flag-roots, for food. The husbands invariably returned first, and on the wives' arrival reported always bad luck in hunt- ing, with the exception of the youngest brother, who invariably handed his wife a rabbit. Consequently the poor women fared badly in regard to animal food. This continued as a daily occurrence for a length of time, until in a conference held by the women they ex- pressed a conviction of being cheated by their husbands, declaring it strange that with the sole exception of the youngest husband nothing was ever killed. At the same time, to find out the truth, they agreed that the youngest should remain at home the following day under pretense of toothache and watch the return of the party. Next day the men as usual took their bows and arrows and set forth. The six 2

sisters then departed, leaving the other hidden among flags and rushes at the back of the house, in such a position as to command a view of everything transacted within. Several hours before sunset the hunting party returned laden with rabbits, which they commenced roasting and eating, with the exception of one, which the youngest put apart. The others called him a fool, telling him to eat the rabbit, which, how- ever, he refused to do, saying he esteemed his wife a little and always intended to reserve one for her. 'More fool you,' said the others; ' we care more for ourselves than for them.'

" The feast concluded, the bones were carefully gathered together and concealed in a suitable place outside. After some time, the youngest wife arose and presented herself in the hut, to the surprise of the males, who asked her where she came from. 'I have been asleep at the back of the house,' answered she, 'and I have only this minute awoke, having had to remain behind from toothache.' After a while the women came home, who ran to their sister asking for her health. They soon found opportunity to leave the hut and learn the results of the espion- age, besides visiting the place where the bones were deposited. They cried very much, and talked over what they should do. ' Let us turn to water,' said the eldest. This was objected to by all the rest, saying that their husbands would then drink them, which would never do. The second proposed that they should turn into stones, which was likewise rejected, because they would be trod upon. The third wanted them to turn into trees; rejected, as their husbands would use them for fire-wood; and so on until it came to the turn of the youngest, who pro- posed that they should change themselves into stars; an objection was made on the ground that their husbands would always see them, which was at length overruled from the circumstance of being out of reach. They accordingly went to the lagoon where they procured flag-roots, and making an engine (flying concern) out of reeds they ascended to the sky and located them- selves as the seven stars.

HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

" Only the youngest brother appeared to be vexed at the loss of his wife, and sought ler daily. One day, having wandered to the edge of the lagoon, his wife had compassion on him and spoke directing his attention to the machine they had made, telling him to ascend. He did so; but, not wishing him in their immediate vicinity, they placed him a little way off. .

" A song survives, having reference to the seven stars.

LETTER XI .- SPORTS AND GAMES.

" Few games, and those of a gambling nature. The principal one was called churchúrki (or peon, Spanish). It consists in guessing in which hand a small piece of stick was held concealed, by one of the four persons who composed a side who sat opposite to each other. They had their singers, who were paid by the victorious party at the end of the game. Fifteen pieces of stick were laid on each side, as counters, and a per- son named as umpire, who, besides keeping account, settled the debts and prevented cheat- ing, and held the stakes. Each person had two pieces of wood, one black and one white. The white one alone counted, the black being to pre- vent frand, as they had to change and show one in each hand. The arms crossed and the hands hidden in the lap, they kept changing the pieces from one hand to the other. Should they fail to guess right, he lost his peon, and counters allotted to the others, and so on until the counters were gone, or all the peons killed, when the others had a trial. They bet almost every- thing they possessed. The umpire provided the fine and was paid by the night.

" Another game, called charcharake, was played between two, each taking a turn to throw with the points down eight pieces of split reed, eight or ten inches long and black one side.

" Another game, called huraricuar, consisted in throwing rods or canes of the length of a lance, at a ring put in motion, and see who could insert it. The ring was made of buck- skin with a twig of willow inside, and four inches in diameter. This is not played now.

[It is, however, played by other tribes of Indians. The Indians at Santa Barbara also played a similar game, using a barrel-shaped stone ring three inches in diameter and four in length at which the players shot arrows, the idea being to penetrate the hole while the ring was in motion. The players stood up on either side of the course.]

" Football was played by children and by those swift of foot. Betting was indulged in by the spectators.

LETTER XII .- A LEGEND.

[Mnhuvit, referred to below, was probably the country of the Mojaves, the tribal name of which was Amoqawi, or Amoqami, pronouncing the q like the German ch. The western range of their territory formerly extended along the northern slope of the San Fernando Range, but how far westward is not known.]

" In Muhuvit, which lies behind the hills of San Fernando, a woman married a captain of Verdugos. The woman was very stingy and selfish, and when the people brought them roast rabbit, shedevoured italone and never invited any one to eat with her. The young chief's would surround her, but she never invited any of them. They returned to their houses, and when their mothers inquired if they had partaken of the feast, said, No. Then the people got angry about it and asked the husband to send her home again to her mother. She by this time had a daughter. Old men spoke with him; ' Do what you like,' said the husband.

" The old men accordingly ordered the people to hunt rabbits as usual, but to stuff them, before roasting, with pieces of wet buckskin, lizards and other unpalatable reptiles. They did so, before giving the repast. The old men asked of the chief what was to be done with the daughter, whether to take her away or not. · Leave her,' said he, ' to die with her mother.' This day, however, she invited her spectators; for, on taking out the leg of a toad, she in- .quired what it was. ' It is a quail,' she was answered. ' Eat it thon, then,' said she; and so she proceeded, taking out strange substances

HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

and giving them away. An order was likewise given to refuse her water, and being very lazy it was presumed she would not go to the spring. The repast gave her great thirst. ' Give me water; ' but none was procurable. She proceeded from hut to hut, with like success, until she arrived at the last where a large basket of urine was prepared for her; she nearly finished it at three sups, only leaving a little for her dangh- ter. This occurred every day; at the end of ten days all her hair fell out, and from being very pretty she became old and wrinkled.

" Seeing herself in such a state, she deter- mined to return to her father, and taking her daughter in her arms she left; bnt on the road she repented having taken her danghter, and said, ' What a fool I am to be carrying this load, as if they liked me so much!' So shie threw it away. After going some little dis- tance she looked back and seeing her little infant stretch out its little arms to her, her heart softened, and she exclaimed, ' What fault has it committed?' and she turned back and took it up again. She went on and on until she got so weak she could go no further. At last she was at a great rock, when she took the child by the heels and dashed its brains out, the blood of which is still visible at this day! Many affirm the child did not die, but turned into a squirrel.

" Then the mother went on alone until she came to the place where her mother usually kept her seeds and acorns, and lay down with the Charnuca. At length her mother came to take out food and on putting in her hand gave a loud cry and jumped back. 'Yes, be afraid of me,' said the daughter, ' after all the injury you have heaped upon me by marrying me to a man who did not care for me.' The mother then heard the story, and left to inform the father, taking him out of the hut so no one might hear it.

" The father proceeded with his wife to take food to their daughter, and every day they brought her the same, and herbs to drink, so as to restore her to health and purge her of the

filth she had eaten; also to restore her hair and eyebrows, which she had lost, they applied the fat or oil of the hamisar, a black berry. In three moons she was well again, fat, young and beau- tiful, hair nearly equal to her father's and brother's, which reached to the ground. She was commanded then by her father to go and bathe herself daily in her brother's bathing place. She did so, and the brother, from see- ing the water when he came not limpid as usual, suspected something. At last, coming one day shortly after the other had done, he was con- vinced, and more so on finding a half the length of his own. This troubled him much, that others were bathing in his well, and he be- came sad. At last, arriving one day, he caught her in the bath, and saying, 'So it is you who daily dirty the water of my well,' caught her by the leg and threw her out. She fell back, and he beheld her nakedness. This caused her so great grief and shame that she left, and pro- ceeded to the seashore to drown herself. She made a run twice to throw herself into the sea, but each time turned back; but the third time she accomplished it.

"The brother returned to the house and told his mother of having found an unknown woman in his bath, and threw her out of it and saw her nakedness. The father and mother left the hut together, and on seeking their daughter could not find her. 'She has gone from shame,' said the mother; ' where shall we find her?' The father took the twig of a willow, made a ring of it, and covered it with buckskin. This was thrown to the north; it returned again. He threw it to the south, and the same result. He then threw it east, then west, the ring follow- ing all the turnings and windings of the daugh- ter. The father followed the ring until it came to the seashore. 'She has drowned herself,' said he, when he saw the ring enter the ocean. He returned, debating with himself whether it was better to punish his son first, or the chief of Verdugos; he determined on the former first.

"On arriving home he told his wife, who

HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

cried bitterly, which amazed the people much. Calling together all his people he told them they must take his son with them on a hunting excursion, and let him be killed by wild beasts. His son was accordingly decked out in all his ornaments and money beads, and told to go with the people hunting, when they were to stay out all night. He went, and they slept out, and the next morning a fire was kindled, at which all were warming themselves. One of the old seers had brought a screech-owl with him, hidden, which was no other than the father of the boy, which he let ont and frightened all the people, who ran off, leaving the boy alone, when a large bird, the cuwot (cry cu, nothing of which save its shadow had ever been seen), said to be the boy's father in another form, came and took him up. Then the people came back, crying, ' The cuwot has carried off the chief's son!' As they came up the bones came tum- bling down from above. The bones were then buried, and the people returned to their huts.

" Shortly afterward the chief saw some one coming, and went to meet him. «Where are yon going? where are you from?' ' From Ver- duga.' 'Oh!' said the chief, ' how are you get- ting ou there?' ' Very well; the chief is getting another wife and a great feast is preparing.' ' Be it so,' said he; ' they have langhed much at me, now we shall laugh and all perish together. What were they doing when you left this morn- ing?' 'The women had all gone to gather prickly pears.' Ilearing this he went to where the women were gathered, and said: « What are yon gathering so many prickly pears for?' ' For the feast,' said they, 'as the captain is to be married.' ' Take a sieve,' said he to an old woman, 'and fill it with tuñas," and sift the fine thorns into my eyes.' She refused; he in-

sisted, and others told her to do as he com- manded. He opened his eyes wide and she com- menced, when all the women set up a wail at once. They were blind. He burst out laughing, and said: ' Now I langh; it is my turn now.'

" He left them and went to where the feast was prepared, and going around to the west side changed himself into a huge eagle, and went, low down, to where the feast was. On seeing an eagle come they cried out, 'Catch it! catch it!' with the exception of an old woman who was taking care of her grandchildren during her daughter's absence, who immediately cov- ered the children with a blanket, and cried ont to the people not to touch the eagle, as it was a human being and not a bird. The people only called her an old liar, and proceeded to catch it. ' Let us pull its wings off,' said they; and they did so. Blood gushed out from one side and green matter from the other. Fever and bilious vom- iting commenced among them, and killed all the people but the old woman and her two grandchildren. The old woman had to bury the dead the best way she could, and to burn the things. The eagle soared up above and never more was heard of.

" The old woman brought up the young ones, and when old enough she constructed a bow with an arrow for the boy, and a batea for the girl, teaching the one how to shoot and the other to clean seed. The boy at last killed first a lizard, then a monse, then a gopher. When old enough she married them, but shortly after- ward the girl turned out bad. At first she gave the old woman to eat, but afterward she refused to give her any meat brought by the husband. The old woman, to be revenged, took an awl made of deer's bone, and placing it where the other sat, she hurt herself. She put it into the bath, and again hurt herself. When her hus- band came home she acquainted him, saying: ' I have injury done me twice, and know I have to die. At any time you are out in the hills and I die you will know it by feeling some drops of water falling on your left shoulder.' Not

* These were the edible fruit of several varicties of the broad- leaved cactus. There were sometimes crushed and mixed with the meal of reeds or acorne. Many of the mortars found in Southern California are merely circular, fiat stones, having a slight depression on one side, upon which the pounding was done. To prevent the scattering of peed s funnel-shaped basket was constructed, similar to those used for carrying fruit, etc. ; the lower spex was cut off, allowing the hole to be nearly as large as the stone morter. The cut edge of the basket was then temporarily secured to the mortar by applying a thick coating of bitumen. The basket thus served as a hopper. When the surface of & mortar became smooth by use, It waa sgein roughed hy pecking It with a sharp piece of quartz or chalcedony, both of which are abundant.

HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

long after, when out hunting, he felt the drops, as he had been told he would. He threw the bow and arrow away and hastened home. In the meantime the old woman had burned and buried the body. ' Where is my wife?' ' I have bur- ied her.' ' Thon hast done this and shalt die for it,' taking up a billet of wood to knock her brains ont, when she changed into a gopher and hid in the ground. The husband remained three days and nights by his wife's grave. On the third day he saw a small whirlwind arise, and followed it. After going a long distance he perceived footprints on the ground where it passed over. 'This is my wife's,' said he, and he followed an immense distance, and a voice from the whirlwind addressed him, and said: ' Return to your hut.' ' No,' said he, ' I intend going with thee forward.' 'That cannot be.' said the spirit, ' for I am not as formerly; I am dead to the world, and you cannot go, for no human being can go where I am going, nor can earthly eyes behold our figures; therefore re- turn.' He would not. ' Well,' said the voice, ' how can I take thee? there is an immense sea to pass.'

" At last finding him positive, she bound him to her waist with her sash, telling him to hold his breath as they went through the air. They arrived at last in the land of spirits, where he could see nothing like human forms, and only heard innumerable voices exclaiming, ' What a stench of something 'earthly! You must have brought that.' The wife acknowledged she had, but exculpated herself on the ground that the being she brought was a superior one, being not only a great hunter, but could do anything. . Return him to the earth again; take him away,' exclaimed the voices. But one voice at length said, ' Let us try him first and see what he can do.' He was ordered to climb a pole of great length, and bring down a feather from the top. He felt afraid to ascend, but his wife told him to try, but not to look down while doing so. He accomplished the feat and there was great applause, when the voices cried out, 'Our broth- er-in-law is good at climbing.' IIe was then

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Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1092

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1092