The Travels and Adventures of Monsieur Violet in California, Sonora, and Western Texas | Page 6

brought with him a great warrior of the pale faces, who was a
mighty chief in his tribe; he has given us a young chief who is a great
hunter; in a few years he will be a great warrior, and lead our young
men in the war-path on the plains of the Wachinangoes[2], for Owato
Wanisha[3] is a Shoshone, though his skin is paler than the flower of
the magnolia.
[Footnote 2: Name given to the half-breeds by the Spaniards, but by
Indians comprehending the whole Mexican race.]
[Footnote 3: The "spirit of the young beaver;" a name given to me
when I was made a warrior.]
"Nanawa has also given to us two Makota Konayas[4], to teach wisdom
to our young men; their words are sweet, they speak to the heart; they
know everything and make men better. Nanawa is a great chief, very
wise; what he says is right, what he wishes must be done, for he is our
father, and he gave us strength to fight our enemies."

[Footnote 4: Two priests, literally two black gowns.]
"He is right; the Shoshones must have their lodges full of corn and
tobacco. The Shoshones must ever be what they are, what they were, a
great nation. But the chief of many winters hath said it; the hedge-hogs
and the foxes may dig the earth, but the eyes of the Shoshones are
always turned towards their enemies in the woods, or the buffaloes in
the plains."
"Yet the will of Nanawa must be done, but not by a Shoshone. We will
give him plenty of squaws and dogs; we will bring him slaves from the
Umbiquas, the Cayuses, and the Wallah Wallahs. They shall grow the
corn and the tobacco while we hunt; while we go to fetch more slaves,
even in the big mountains, or among the dogs of the south, the
Wachinangoes. I will send the vermilion[5] to my young warriors, they
will paint their faces and follow me on the war-path. I have spoken!"
[Footnote 5: When a chief wishes to go to war, he sends to his warriors
some leaves of tobacco covered with vermilion. It is a sign that they
must soon be prepared.]
Thus ended the hopes of making agriculturists of the wild people
among whom we lived; nor did I wonder; such as they were, they felt
happy. What could they want besides their neat conical skin lodges,
their dresses, which were good, comfortable, and elegant, and their
women, who were virtuous, faithful, and pretty? Had they not the
unlimited range of the prairies? were they not lords over millions of
elks and buffaloes?--they wanted nothing, except tobacco. And yet it
was a pity we could not succeed in giving them a taste for civilization.
They were gentlemen by nature; as indeed almost all the Indians are,
when not given to drinking. They are extremely well bred, and stamped
with the indubitable seal of nobility on their brow.
The council was broken up, as both Christianity and his own peculiar
sentiments would not permit the Prince Seravalle to entertain the
thought of extending slavery. He bowed meekly to the will of
Providence, and endeavoured by other means to effect his object of
enlightening the minds of this pure and noble, yet savage race of men.

CHAPTER III
.

This breaking up, for the time, of our agricultural settlement took place
in the year 1838. Till then, or a few months before, I had passed my
time between my civilized and uncivilized instructors. But although
educated, I was an Indian, not only in my dress but in my heart.
I mentioned that in the council called by the Prince I was present,
having been admitted as a chief, being then about seventeen years old.
My admission was procured in the following manner: when we
received intelligence of the murder, or disappearance of our seven
white men, whom the Prince had sent to Monterey to procure cattle, a
party was sent out on their track to ascertain what had really taken
place, and at my request the command of that party was confided to me.
We passed the Buona Ventura, and followed the track of our white men
for upwards of 200 miles, when we not only could trace it no further,
but found our small party of fifteen surrounded by about eighty of our
implacable enemies, the Crows.
By stratagem, we not only broke through them, but succeeded in
surprising seven of their party. My companions would have put them to
death, but I would not permit it. We secured them on their own horses,
and made all the haste we could, but the Crows had discovered us and
gave chase.
It was fifteen days' travelling to our own country, and we were pursued