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Show 54 THE SHORTEST ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA. forward and back till the friction would cause the tinder, which he had placed against the foot of the stick in the cavity, to ignite. In this way I saw him produce fire in a few seconds." As illustrative of the character of these Indians, and the kind of country to which they attach the most value, the writer gives one more extract from his journal of May 27 : " An old Digger Indian has visited our camp, and represents that we are the first white persons he has ever seen. He says there are a large number of Indians living around, but they have run away from fear of us. I asked him why he had not been afraid. He said he was so old, that it was of no consequence if he did die. I told him to say to them that we would be always glad to see them, and whenever they saw a white man, always to approach him in a friendly way, and they would not be hurt. He has been round eating at the different messes, and at length had so gorged himself as to be unable to eat more, until he had disgorged, when he went around again to renew the pleasure. " I showed him my watch, the works of which he looked upon with a great deal of wonder. He said he would believe what I told him about the magnetic telegraph, the next time he was told it. He is at least sixty years old, and sajs he has never had a chief. I asked him if his country was a good one. He said it was ; he liked it a good deal better than any other. I asked him why. Because, he said, it had a great many rats. I asked him if they ever quarreled about their rat country. He said they |