Nowhere among American Indians are more languages found in a smaller space
than in California. Those spoken near the Coast, within the area of the
Missions, appear to belong to at least nine language families or stocks.
In Powell’s map the state looks like a piece of patchwork, so many are the
bits of color, which represent different languages. These Coast Indians of
California were ugly to see. They were of medium stature, awkwardly
shaped, with scrawny limbs; they had dull faces, with fat and round noses,
and looked much like negroes, only their hair was straight. In disposition
they were said to be sluggish, indolent, cowardly, and unenterprising.
Some tribes in the interior were better, but none of the California
Indians seem to have presented a high physical type or much comfort in
life.
We shall say little about the life and customs of the California Indians,
and what we do say will be chiefly about the Coahuilla tribe. These
Indians live in the beautiful high Coahuilla Valley in Southern
California. Formerly at least part of the tribe were “Mission Indians.”
Some of them were connected with the San Gabriel Mission near the present
city of Los Angeles. They appear to present a better type than many of the
Mission Indians, being larger, better built, and stronger. Ramona, who was
the heroine of Helen Hunt Jackson’s story, is a Coahuilla Indian, still
living. If she ever was beautiful, it must have been long ago, although
she is not an old woman. These Indians live in little houses, largely
built of brush, scattered over the valley. They have some ponies and
cattle, and cultivate some ground. Near every house, perched upon big
boulders, are quaint little structures made of woven willows and like big
beehives in form; they are granaries for stowing away acorns or grain.
[Illustration.]