THE

NATIVE RACES
OF

THE PACIFIC STATES

OF

NORTH AMERICA.

BY

HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT.

VOLUME I.

WILD TRIBES.

NEW YORK:
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY,
1875.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the ys.ir one thousand eight hundred and
seventy four, by

HUBERT H. BANCROFT.
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE:
PRINTED BV H O HOITOHTOV AND COMPANY.
 TO

MY BBOTHEB

ALBERT L. BANCROFT
I DEDICATE THIS WORK.
 PREFACE.

In pursuance of a general plan involving the produc

tion of a series of works on the western half of North

America, I present this delineation of its aboriginal in

habitants as the first. To the immense territory border

ing on the western ocean from Alaska to Darien, and in
cluding the whole of Mexico and Central America, I give
arbitrarily, for want of a better, the name Pacific States.
Stretching almost from pole to equator, and embracing
within its limits nearly one tenth of the earth s surface,

this last Western Land offers to lovers of knowledge a

new and enticing field ; and, although hitherto its several

parts have been held somewhat asunder by the force

of circumstances, yet are its occupants drawn by nature
and will be brought yet
into nearness of relationship,
nearer by advancing civilization; the common oceanic
highway on the one side, and the great mountain ram
parts on the other, both tending to this result. The
characteristics of this vast domain, material and social,
are comparatively unknown and are essentially peculiar.
To its exotic civilization all the so-called older nations
of the world have contributed of their energies; and
thiscomposite mass, leavened by its destiny, is now
working out the new problem of its future. The modern
history of .this West antedates that of the East by over
a century, and although there may be apparent hetero-

486816
viii PREFACE.

geneity in the subject thus territorially treated, there is

an apparent tendency toward ultimate unity.

To some it may be of interest to know the nature and

extent of my resources for writing so important a series
of works. The books and manuscripts necessary for the
task existed in no library in the W orld; hence, in 1859,
7

I commenced collecting material relative to the Pacific

States. After securing everything within my reach in

America, I twice visited Europe, spending about two
years in thorough researches in England and the chief
cities of the Continent. Having exhausted every avail
able source, I was obliged to content myself with lying
in wait for opportunities. Not long afterward, and at
a time when the prospect of materially adding to my
collection seemed anything but hopeful, the Biblioteca
Imperial de JMejico, of the unfortunate Maximilian, col
lected during a period of forty years by Don Jose Maria

Andrade, litterateur and publisher of the city of Mexico,

was thrown upon the European market and furnished
me about three thousand additional volumes.
In 1869, having accumulated some sixteen thousand
books, manuscripts, and pamphlets, besides maps and
cumbersome files of Pacific Coast journals, I determined
to go to work. But I soon found that, like Tantalus,
while up to my neck in water, I was dying of thirst.
The facts which I required were so copiously diluted

with trash, that to follow different subjects through this

trackless sea of erudition, in the exhaustive manner I
had proposed, with but one life-time to devote to the
work, was simply impracticable. In this emergency my
friend, Mr Henry L. Oak, librarian of the collec

tion, came my to After many* consultations,

relief.

and not a few partial failures, a system of indexing the

 PREFACE. IX

subject-matter of the whole library was devised, suffi

ciently general to be practicable, and sufficiently partic

ular to direct me immediately to all authorities on
my
any given point. The system, onstands the test,
trial,
and the index when completed, as it already is for the
twelve hundred authors quoted in this work, will more
than double the practical value of the library.
Of the importance of the task undertaken, I need
not say that I have formed the highest opinion. At
present the few grains of wheat are so hidden by
the mountain of chaff as to be of comparatively little
benefit to searchers in the various branches of learn

ing; and to sift and select from this mass, to extract

from bulky tome and transient journal, from the archives
of convent and mission, facts valuable to the scholar
and interesting to the general reader; to arrange these
facts in a natural order, and to present them in such a
manner as to be of practical benefit to inquirers in the
various branches of knowledge, is a work of no small

import and responsibility. And though mine is the

labor of the artisan rather than that of the artist, a forg

ing of weapons for abler hands to wield, a producing

of raw materials for skilled mechanics to weave and
color at will; yet, in undertaking to bring to light from
sources innumerable essential facts, which, from the

very shortness of life if from no other cause, must other

wise be left out in the physical and social generalizations
which occupy the ablest minds, I feel that I engage in
no idle pastime.

A word as to the Nations of which this work is a de

scription, and my method of treating the subject. Abo
riginally, for a savage wilderness, there was here a dense
population; particularly south of the thirtieth parallel,
X .
PREFACE.

and along the border of the ocean north of that line.

Before the advent of Europeans, this domain counted
its aborigines by millions; ranked among its people
every phase of primitive humanity, from the reptile-
eating cave-dweller of the Great Basin, to the Aztec and
Maya-Quiche civilization of the southern table-land,
a civilization, if we may credit Dr Draper,
"

that

might have instructed Europe,"

a culture wantonly
crushed by Spain, who therein destroyed races more
"

civilized than herself."

Differing among themselves in minor particulars only,

and bearing a general resemblance to the nations of east
ern and southern America; differing again, the whole,
in character and cast of features from every other people
of the w orld, we have here presented hundreds of
r

nations and tongues, with thousands of beliefs and

customs, wonderfully dissimilar segregated a

for so

humanity, yet wonderfully alike for the inhabitants of

a land that comprises within its limits nearly every phase
of climate on the globe. At the touch of European
civilization, whether Latin or Teutonic, these nations

vanished; and their unwritten history, reaching back

for thousands of ages, ended. All this time they had
been coming and going, nations swallowing up nations,
annihilating and being annihilated, amidst human con
vulsions and struggling civilizations. Their strange
destiny in an instant they disappear; and all
fulfilled,
we have of them, besides their material relics, is the
glance caught in their hasty flight, which gives us a
few customs and traditions, arid a little mythological
history.
To gather and arrange in systematic compact form all
is known of these
that people; to rescue some facts,
 PKEFACE. xi

perhaps, from oblivion, to bring others from inaccessible

nooks, to render all available to science and to the
general reader, is the object of this work. Necessarily
some parts of it may be open to the charge of dryness;
I have not been able to interlard my facts with interest

ing anecdotes for lack of space, and I have endeavored

to avoid speculation, believing, as I do, the work of the
collector and that of the theorizer to be distinct, and
that he who attempts to establish some pet conjecture
while imparting general information, can hardly be
trusted for impartial statements. With respect to the
territorial divisions of the first volume, which is con
fined to Wild Tribes, and the necessity of giving
the

descriptions of the same characteristics in each, there

may be an appearance of repetition; but I trust this

may be found more apparent than real. Although there
are many similar customs, there are also many minor

differences, and, as one of the chief difficulties of this

volume was to keep it within reasonable limits, no delin
eation has been repeated where a necessity did not ap
pear to exist. The second volume, which treats of the
Civilized Nations, offers a more fascinating field, and
with ample space and all existing authorities at hand,
the fault is the writer s if interest be not here combined
with value. As regards Mythology, Languages, Antiq
uities, and Migrations, of which the three remaining
volumes treat, it has been my aim to present clearly and
concisely all knowledge extant on these subjects; and
the work, as a whole, is intended to embody all facts that
have been preserved concerning these people at the time
of their almost simultaneous discovery and disappear
ance. It will be noticed that I have said little of the
natives or their deeds since the coming of the Euro-
xii PREFACE.

peans; of their wars against invaders and among them

selves; of repartimientos, presidios, missions, reserva
tions, and other institutions for their conquest, conver

sion, protection, or oppression. My reason for this is

that all these things, so far as they have any importance,

belong to the modern history of the country and will

receive due attention in a subsequent work.
In these five volumes, besides information acquired
from sources not therein named, are condensed the re
searches of twelve hundred writers, a list of whose works,
with the edition used, is given in this volume. I
have endeavored to state fully and clearly inmy text
the substance of the matter, and in reaching my conclu
sions to use due discrimination as to the respective value
of different authorities. In the notes I give liberal quo
tations, both corroborative of the text, and touching points
on which authors differ, together with complete references
to all authorities, including some of little value, on each
point, for the use of readers or writers who may either
be dissatisfied with my conclusions, or may wish to in
vestigate any particular branch of the subject farther
than my limits allow.
I have given full credit to each of the many authors
from whom I have taken material, and if, in a few in
stances, a scarcity of authorities has compelled me to
draw somewhat largely on the few who have treated par
ticular points, I trust I shall be pardoned in view of

the comprehensive nature of the work.

Quotations
are madein the languages in which they are written,
and great pains has been taken to avoid mutilation of
the author s words. As the books quoted form part of
my private library, I have been able, by comparison
with the originals, to carefully verify all references after
 PREFACE, xiii

they were put in type; hence I may confidently hope

that fewer errors have crept in than are usually found
in works of such variety and extent.
The labor involved in the preparation of these volumes
will be appreciated by few. That expended on the first
volume alone, with the material before me, is more
all

than equivalent to the well-directed efforts of one person

for ten years. In the work of selecting, sifting, and ar
ranging iny subject-matter, I have called in the aid of a
large corps of assistants, and, while desiring to place on
no one but myself any responsibility for the work, either
in style or matter, I would render just acknowledgment
for the services of all especially to the following gentle
;

men, for the efficient manner in which, each in his

special department, they have devoted their energies and
abilities to the carrying out of my
plan; to Mr T.

Arundel-Harcourt, in the researches on the manners

and customs of the Civilized Nations to Mr Walter M.
;

Fisher, in the investigation of Mythology to ;

Mr Albert
Goldschmidt, in the treatise on Language; and to Mr
Henry L. Oak, in the subject of Antiquities and Aborig
inal History.
 CONTENTS OF THIS VOLUME.

CHAPTEK I.

ETHNOLOGICAL INTRODUCTION.
PAGE.
Facts and Theories Hypotheses concerning Origin Unity of Race
Diversity of Race Spontaneous Generation Origin of Animals
and Plants Primordial Centres of Population Distribution of
Plants and Animals Adaptability of Species to Locality Classifi
cation of Species Ethnological Tests Races of the Pacific First
Intercourse with Europeans 1

CHAPTEK II.

HYPERBOREANS.
General Divisions Hyperborean Nations Aspects of Nature Vegeta
tion Climate Animals The Eskimos Their Country Physical
Characteristics Dress Dwellings Food Weapons Boats
Sledges Snow-Shoes Government Domestic Affairs Amuse
ments Diseases Burial The Koniagas, their Physical and Social
Condition The Aleuts The Thlinkeets The Tiimeh . . 33

CHAPTER III.

COLUMBIANS.
Habitat of the Columbian Group Physical Geography Sources of
Food Supply Influence of Food and Climate Four extreme Classes
Haidahs Their Home Physical Peculiarities Clothing Shel
ter Sustenance Implements Manufactures Arts Property-
Laws Slavery Women Customs Medicine Death TheNoot-
kas The Sound Nations The Chinooks^The Shushwaps The
Salish The Sahaptins 150

CHAPTER IV.
CALIFORNIANS.

Groupal Divisions; Northern, Central, and Southern Californians, and

Shoshones Country of the Califomians The Klamaths, Modocs,
Shastas, Pitt River Indians, Eurocs, Cahrocs, Hoopahs, Weeyots,
xvi CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Tolewahs, and Rogue River Indians and their Customs The Teha-
mas, Pomos, Ukiahs, Gualalas, Sonomas, Petalumas, Napas, Sus-
cols, Suisunes, Tamales, Karquines, Tulomos, Thamiens, Olchones,
Runsiens, Escelens, and others of Central California The Ca-
huillos, Diegueiios, Islanders, and Mission Rancherias of Southern
California The Snakes or Shoshones proper, Utahs, Bannocks,
Washoes and other Shoshone Nations 322

CHAPTEK V.
NEW MEXICANS.

Geographical Position of this Group, and Physical Features of the Ter

ritory Family Divisions; Apaches, Pueblos, Lower Californians,
and Northern Mexicans The Apache Family: Comanches, Apaches
proper, Hualapais, Yumas, Cosninos, Yampais, Yalchedunes, Ya-
majabs, Cruzados, Nijoras, Navajos, Mojaves, and their customs
The Pueblo Family: Pueblos, Moquis, Pimas, Maricopas, Papa-
gos, and their Neighbors The Cochimis, Waicuris, Pericuis, and
other Lower Californians The Seris, Sinaloas, Tarahumares, Con-
chos, Tepehuanes, Tobosos, Acaxees, and others in Northern
Mexico 471

CHAPTER VI.
WILD TRIBES OF MEXICO.
Territorial Aspects Two Main Divisions; Wild Tribes of Central Mex
ico, and Wild Tribes Southern Mexico The Coras and others in
of
Jalisco Descendants of the Aztecs The Otomis and Mazahuas

Adjacent to the Valley of Mexico The Fames The Tarascos and

Matlaltzincas of Michoacan The Huaztecs and Totonacos of Vera
Cruz and Tamaulipas The Chontales, Chinantecs, Mazatecs, Cui-
catecs, Chatinos, Miztecs, Zapotecs, Mijes, Huaves, Chiapanecs,
Zoques, Lacandones, Choles, Mames, Tzotziles, Tzendales, Cho-
chones and others of Southern Mexico 615

CHAPTER VII.
WILD TRIBES OF CENTRAL AMERICA.
Physical Geography and Climate Three Groupal Divisions; First, the
nations of Yucatan, Guatemala, Salvador, Western Honduras, and
Nicaragua; Second, The Mosquitos of Honduras; Third, the na
tions of Costa Rica and the Isthmus of Panamd The Popolucas,
Pipiles and Chontales The Descendants of the Maya-Quiche Races
The Natives of Nicaragua The Mosquitos, Poyas, Ramas, Len-
cas,Towkas, Woolwas, and Xicaques of Honduras The Guatusos
of the Rio Frio The Caimanes, Bayamos, Dorachos, Goajiros,
Mandingos, Savanerics, Sayrones, and Viscitas living in Costa Rica
and on the Isthmus 684 .