Indians of the Yosemite Valley and Vicinity Part 6

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photograph by Foley_ HALF DOME (TIS-SA'-ACK). 5,000 Feet.

Named for a woman in Indian mythology who was turned to stone for quarreling with her husband. See "Legend of Tis-sa'-ack."]

To-tau-kon-nu'-la was much pleased with his fair visitor, and built a large _o'-chum_ for her and her companions on the summit of the great dome at the east end of the Valley [Half Dome], and this dome still retains her name.

And she tarried there and taught the women of Ah-wah'-nee how to make the beautiful baskets which they still make at the present day; and To-tau-kon-nu'-la visited her daily, and became charmed with her loveliness, and wanted her to remain and be his wife, but she denied him, saying, "I must return to my people," and, when he still persisted, she left her _o'-chum_ in the night and was never seen again. And the love-stricken chieftain forgot his people, and went in search of her, and they waited many moons for his return and mourned his long absence, but they never saw him more.

This was the beginning of a series of calamities which nearly destroyed the great tribe of Ah-wah-nee'-chees. First a great drouth prevailed, and the crops failed, and the streams of water dried up. The deer went wild and wandered away. Then a dark cloud of smoke arose in the East and obscured the sun, so that it gave no heat, and many of the people perished from cold and hunger.

Then the earth shook terribly and groaned with great pain, and enormous rocks fell from the walls around Ah-wah'-nee. The great dome called Tis-sa'-ack was burst asunder, and half of it fell into the Valley. A fire burst out of the earth in the East, and the _ca'-lah_ (snow) on the sky mountains was changed to water, which flowed down and formed the Lake Ah-wei'-yah [Mirror Lake]. And all the streams were filled to overflowing, and still the waters rose, and there was a great flood, so that a large part of the Valley became a lake, and many persons were drowned.

After a time the Great Spirit took pity on his children, and the dark cloud of smoke disappeared, the sun warmed the Valley again into new life, and the few people who were left had plenty of food once more.

Many moons afterwards there appeared on the face of the great rock To-tau-kon-nu'-la the figure of a man in a flowing robe, and with one hand extended toward the West, in which direction he appears to be traveling. This figure was interpreted to be the picture of the great lost Chieftain, indicating that he had gone to the "happy hunting grounds" of his ancestors, and it is looked upon with great veneration and awe by the few Indians still living in Yosemite. At about the same time the face of the beautiful Tis-sa'-ack appeared on the great flat side of the dome which bears her name, and the Indians recognized her by the way in which her dark hair was cut straight across her forehead and fell down at the sides, which was then considered among the Yosemites as the acme of feminine beauty, and is so regarded to this day.

ANOTHER LEGEND OF TIS-SA'-ACK.

Tis-sa'-ack and her husband traveled from a far-off country, and entered the Valley footsore and weary. She walked ahead, carrying a great conical burden-basket, which was supported by a band across her forehead, and was filled with many things. He followed after, carrying a rude staff in his hand and a roll of woven skin blankets over his shoulder. They had come across the mountains and were very thirsty, and they hurried to reach the Valley, where they knew there was water. The woman was still far in advance when she reached the Lake Ah-wei'-yah [Mirror Lake], and she dipped up the water in her basket and drank long and deep. She was so thirsty that she even drank up all the water in the lake and drained it dry before her husband arrived. And because the lake was dry there came a terrible drouth in the Valley, and the soil was dried up and nothing grew.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photograph by Fiske_ A BURDEN BEARER.

The women are the princ.i.p.al burden bearers and all loads are carried in large baskets, supported by a band across the forehead.]

And the husband was much displeased because the woman had drunk up all the water and left none for him, and he became so angry that he forgot the customs of his people and beat the woman with his staff. She ran away from him, but he followed her and beat her yet more. And she wept, and in her anger she turned and reviled her husband, and threw her basket at him. And while they were in this att.i.tude, one facing the other, they were turned into stone for their wickedness, and there they still retain. The upturned basket lies beside the husband, where the woman threw it, and the woman's face is tear stained with long dark lines trailing down.

Half-Dome is the woman Tis-sa'-ack and North Dome is her husband, while beside the latter is a smaller dome which is still called Basket Dome to this day.

LEGEND OF THE GRIZZLY BEAR.

The significance and derivation of the name "Yosemite," as given by old Tenei'-ya, chief of the tribe, have been explained in another chapter, but there is also a legendary account of its origin, which may be of interest.

Long, long ago, when the remote ancestors of the Yosemite Indians dwelt peacefully in the valley called Ah-wah'-nee [Yosemite Valley], one of the stalwart young braves of the tribe went early one morning to spear some fish in the lake Ah-wei'-yah [Mirror Lake]. Before reaching his destination he was confronted by a huge grizzly bear, who appeared from behind one of the enormous boulders in that vicinity, and savagely disputed his pa.s.sage.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photograph by Foley._ EL CAPITAN (TO-TAU-KON-NU'-LA), 3,300 Feet.

Indians believe that this great rock grew from a small boulder.

See "Legend of the Tul-tok'-a-na."]

Being attacked in this unexpected manner, the Indian defended himself to the best of his ability, using for the purpose the dead limb of a tree which was near at hand, and, after a long and furious struggle, in which he was badly wounded, he at length succeeded in killing the bear.

His exploit was considered so remarkable by the rest of the tribe that they called him Yo-sem'-i-te (meaning a full-grown grizzly bear), in honor of his achievement, and this name was transmitted to his children, and eventually to the whole tribe.

LEGEND OF THE TUL-TOK'-A-NA.

There were once two little boys living in the Valley of Ah-wah'-nee, who went down to the river to swim. When they had finished their bath they went on sh.o.r.e and lay down on a large boulder to dry themselves in the sun. While lying there they fell asleep, and slept so soundly that they never woke up again.

Through many moons and many snows they slept, and while they slept the great rock [El Capitan] on which they lay was slowly rising, little by little, until it soon lifted them up out of sight, and their friends searched for them everywhere without success. Thus they were carried up into the blue sky, until they sc.r.a.ped their faces against the moon; and still they slept on.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photograph by Fiske_.

NORTH DOME (TO-KO'-YA). 3,725 Feet.

This rock is believed by the Indians to represent Tis-sa'-ack's husband, turned into stone for beating his wife. The lower dome to the right is the basket which she threw at him. See "Legend of Tis-sa'-ack."]

Then all the animals a.s.sembled to bring down the little boys from the top of the great rock. Each animal sprang up the face of the rock as far as he could. The mouse could only spring a hand's breadth, the rat two hands' breadths, the racc.o.o.n a little more, and so on. The grizzly bear made a great leap up the wall, but fell back like all the others, without reaching the top. Finally came the lion, who jumped up farther than any of the others, but even he fell back and could not reach the top.

Then came the _tul-tok'-a-na,_ the insignificant measuring worm, who was despised by all the other creatures, and began to creep up the face of the rock. Step by step, little by little, he measured his way up until he was soon above the lion's jump, and still farther and farther, until presently he was out of sight; and still he crawled up and up, day and night, through many moons, and at length he reached the top, and took the little boys and brought them safely down to the ground. And therefore the rock was named for the measuring worm, and was called Tu-tok-a-nu'-la.

LEGEND OF GROUSE LAKE.

I will here relate a personal experience which occurred in September, 1857, while out with a large party of Indians on a deer hunt in the mountains.

One day, after a long tramp, I stopped to rest by the side of a small lake about eight miles from the present site of Wawona, and I then named it Grouse Lake on account of the great number of grouse found there. Very soon a party of Indians came along carrying some deer, and stopped on the opposite side of the lake to rest and get some water. Soon after they had started again for their camp I heard a distinct wailing cry, somewhat like the cry of a puppy when lost, and I thought the Indians must have left one of their young dogs behind.

When I joined the Indians in camp that night I inquired of them about the sound I had heard. They replied that it was not a dog--that a long time ago an Indian boy had been drowned in the lake, and that every time any one pa.s.sed there he always cried after them, and that no one dared to go in the lake, for he would catch them by the legs and pull them down and they would, be drowned. I then concluded that it must have been some unseen water-fowl that made the cry, and at that time I thought that the Indians were trying to impose on my credulity, but I am now convinced that they fully believed the story they told me.

Po-ho'-no Lake, the headwaters of the Bridal Veil Creek, was also thought to be haunted by troubled spirits, which affected the stream clear down into the Yosemite Valley; and the Indians believed that an evil wind there had been the cause of some fatal accidents many years ago. The word Po-ho'-no means a puffing wind, and has also been translated "Evil Wind," on account of the superst.i.tion above referred to.

LEGEND OF THE LOST ARROW.

Tee-hee'-nay was a beautiful Ah-wah'-nee maiden, said to be the most beautiful of her tribe, and she was beloved by Kos-su'-kah, a strong and valiant young brave. Valuable presents had been made to the bride's parents, and they had given their consent to an early marriage, which was to be celebrated by a great feast.

To provide an abundance of venison and other meat for this banquet, Kos-su'-kah gathered together his young companions and went into the mountains in search of game. In order that Tee-hee'-nay might know of his welfare and the success of the hunt, it was agreed between the lovers that at sunset Kos-su'-kah should go to the high rock to the east of Cho'-lak [Yosemite Falls], and should shoot an arrow into the Valley, to which should be attached a number of grouse feathers corresponding to the number of deer that had fallen before the skill of the hunters.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photograph by Fiske_.

BRIDAL VEIL FALL (PO-HO'-NO). 940 Feet.

The-source of this stream is supposed by the Indians to be haunted by troubled spirits, which affect the water along its whole course. The word Po-ho'-no means a "puffing wind."]

At the time appointed Tee-hee'-nay went near the foot of the great cliff and waited, with her eyes raised to the towering rocks above, hoping with her keen sight to see the form of her lover outlined against the sky, but no form could she see, and no arrow fell into the Valley. As darkness gathered, gloomy forebodings took possession of her, and she climbed part way up the canyon called Le-ham'-i-tee [now known as Indian Canyon]

because the arrow-wood grew there, and finally she stood at the very foot of the rocky wall which rose to dizzy heights above her, and there she waited through the long night.

With the first streak of dawn she bounded swiftly up the rough canyon, for she was fully convinced that some terrible fate had overtaken the brave Kos-su'-kah, and soon she stood upon the lofty summit [Yosemite Point], where she found her lover's footsteps leading towards the edge of the precipice. Drawing nearer she was startled to find that a portion of the cliff had given way, and, upon peering over the brink, what was her horror to discover the blood-stained and lifeless body of Kos-su'-kah lying on a rocky ledge far beneath.

Summoning a.s.sistance by means of a signal fire, which was seen from the Valley below, a rope was made of sapling tamaracks lashed firmly together with thongs from one of the deer that was to have furnished the marriage feast, and Tee-hee'-nay herself insisted on being lowered over the precipice to recover the body of her lover. This was at last successfully accomplished, and when his ghastly form lay once more upon the rocky summit, she threw herself on his bosom and gave way to pa.s.sionate outburst of grief.

Finally she became quiet, but when they stooped to raise her they found that her spirit had fled to join the lost Kos-su'-kah and that the lovers were re-united in death!

The fateful arrow that was the cause of so much sorrow could never be found, and the Indians believe that it was taken away by the spirits of Kos-su'-kah and Tee-hee'-nay. In memory of them, and of this tragedy, the slender spire of rock [sometimes called "The Devil's Thumb"] that rises heavenward near the top of the cliff at this point is known among the Indians as Hum-mo', or the Lost Arrow.

Appendix

HINTS TO YOSEMITE VISITORS.

Secure stage seats in advance.

Take only hand baggage, unless for a protracted visit. For a short trip, an outing suit and two or three waists, with a change for evening wear, will be found sufficient. The free baggage allowance on the stage lines is fifty pounds.