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As practice naturally produces perfection, their excellence in dancing is not to be wondered at, it being their principal occupation in time of peace. They dance at their weddings; on any good success in hunting or fishing; at the birth of a child at a plentiful harvest; at a victory over their enemies; and on every other occasion to which they annex any idea of importance. To these festivities the ranchieras usually invite one another, and likewise send challenges for wrestling, leaping, running, and other trials of strength and agility; to which whole weeks and months are sometimes devoted.

The chief characteristics of the Californians are want of reflection, inconstancy, abhorrence of labour, an inordinate love of pleasure; and in short, a total want of every thing which renders man inventive, tractable, and useful to himself and society. It is in vain to represent to them any future advantages which will result from their making such and such exertions; the relation of means and ends being beyond the reach of their faculties; nor have they the least idea of pursuing such intentions as will procure some future good, or avert impending evil. Their will is proportionate to their faculties; and all their passions move in a very confined sphere. Equally free from avarice and ambition they seem to have no care beyond that of procuring food for the present day, and enjoying their most favourite amusements.

The hatred and revenge of these people are excited by the slightest causes; but they are easily appeased, and even without any satisfaction, if they meet with opposition; for although they appear extremely proud of their courage, it may be said with truth, that they have not the least notion

of true bravery. The most trivial circumstance is sometimes sufficient to daunt them, and when once they begin to yield, their fear induces them to stoop to the basest indignities, But if they happen to gain an advantage, or their enemies become disheartened, they behave in the most haughty and overbearing manner. It is but justice however, to observe, that the Californians have few of those bad dispositions for which many of the other American Indians are infamous, No strong liquors are used among them; and it is only on their public festivals that they intoxicate themselves with the smoke of wild tobacco; quarrels are rarely known among them, their malice and rage being reserved for their enemies; and so far are they from harshness or cruelty, that nothing can exceed their gentleness and peaceable disposition.

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All authors agree that hitherto no idolatry has been found among the Californians; for when the missionaries first went among them, they neither worshipped creatures nor images, nor did their external performances show the least knowledge of God; yet it is mentioned as a remarkable fact, that they had not only some idea of the nature of God, but also some faint glimmerings of the Trinity, the eternal existence of Christ, and other articles of the Christian religion, though mixed with a great number of absurdities; so that some writers have been induced to suppose that they originally descended from some nation which had received the truths of the Gospel.

They affirm, that there resides in Heaven a powerful being, called Niparaya, who created the earth and the sea, who supplies all creatures, with food, and can do whatever he pleases, but is never seen, because he has not a body like man.

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Niparaya has a wife called Anayicoyondi, who, like himself, has no body; and he has likewise three sons, one of whom, named Quaayayp has been with the southern Indians and instructed them. He was very powerful, and had a great number of men; for he went into the earth, and brought people from thence. At length, the Indians, through hatred, killed him, and at the same time put a wreath of thorns about his head; but though he is dead, he still remains very beautiful and without any corruption, and although, as being dead, he does not speak, he has a bird that speaks for him.-They likewise assert, that in Heaven there are many more inhabitants than on earth, and that formerly there were great wars in that place: A person of eminent power called Wac Tuparan rose up against the Supreme Lord Niparaya, and being joined by numerous adherents, dared to stand an engagement with him; but Niparaya immediately stripped the rebellious chief of all his power, hurled him and ́. his followers into a vast cave under the earth; and created the whales in the sea, to be as guards, that the offenders might never quit the place of their confinement.-They add, that Niparaya does not like that people should fight, and that those who die by a spear or an arrow do not go to Heaven: but, on the contrary, Wac Tuparan wishes that all people were continually fighting, because all who are killed in battle go to

his cave.

The tenets of the Loretto nation are as follow: They say, that in the north part of Heaven resides Gumongo, "the lord of spirits," who in former ages sent down another spirit named Gugiaguai, to visit the earth: that he was no

sooner come than he began to sow the land with pitahayas, and likewise made the creeks along the coast of the gulf, till he came to a vast stone in a spacious creek near Loretto. Here he resided for some time, the inferior spirits, his attendants, supplying him with pitahayas, fish, and other provisions, whilst he was employed in making vestments for his priests. After some time, Guyiaguai continued his visitation, sowing pitahayas, and making creeks along all the coast of the Loretto nation; and as a memorial, he left a painted table, which the priests make use of at their entertainments.-They add, that the sun, moon, and the morning and evening stars, are men and women; that every night they fall into the western ocean, whence they swim out by the way of the east; that the other stars are lights made in Heaven by Guyiaguai and his attendants; and that when they become quenched by the sea water, he goes toward the sun to light them again.

The nation of the Cochines believe that there is in Heaven a Supreme Being, who signifies "He who lives," and that he had a son, whose name implied perfection. Besides him, they say, there is another to whom they also give the appellation of Lord; yet when asked how many Lords there are, they answer" One, who made the earth, the trees, and all living creatures." They have likewise some notion of devils; for they say that "He who lives" created certain beings which revolted against him, and are enemies both to him and mankind; wherefore they are called liars and ensnarers. They add, that when men die, these evil spirits come and bury them, that they may not see the Supreme Lord.- -From these notions,

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which, however mingled with absurdities, have an evident connection with many of the truths of the Gospel, it is highly probable that some storm or other accident formerly carried to the coast of California some Europeans, of whom no memory now exists; that these people endeavoured to instil into the Indians the leading doctrines of Christianity; and that their instructions became more and more blended with error till the subjugation of the country by the Spaniards.

The Californian priests are frequently called hechiceros or sorcerers, and their supposed commerce with invisible spirits, together with a variety of mystic rites and' ceremonies, serves to procure them great authority over their ignorant countrymen. This authority appears most conspicuous at the public feasts; for although the whole consists of eating, drinking, dancing, talking and laughing, yet the presence of the priests makes them considered as religious solemnities. The habit worn by the priests on these Occasions consists of a large cloak, covering them from head to foot, and entirely composed of human hair: the head is adorned with a plume of hawk's feathers, and in their hands they carry a fan of the same materials.-The Southern Edues, when they cannot procure feathers, adorn their heads with the tails of deer; and the Cochines of the north add two strings of the hoofs of the same beast; one as a chain round the neck, and the other as a girdle.

Having intoxicated themselves with the smoke of wild tobacco, these priests open the entertainment with an oration on their tenets, which they deliver with wild gestures and frightful vocifera

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