THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA INDIANS IS THAT THEY TRAVELED BY FOOT AND THEY WERE ABLE TO SEND MESSAGES TO NEARBY TRIBES WITH RUNNERS WHO HAD GOOD MEMORIES.
THEY TRAVELED FOR RESOURCES, MEETING OTHER TRIBES, AND THEY LOVED TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. IT IS INCREDIBLE TO THINK THAT SOME FOLKS COVERED NEARLT 100 MILES PER DAY! THEY WOULD RUN OFTEN WITHOUT FOOD. AND THE KEPT WATER IN SPECIAL TIGHTLY WOVEN BASKETS UNDERGROUND SO THEY COULD KEEP HYDRATED. THEY KNEW EVERY FEATURE OF THEIR LANDSCAPE AND DETERMINED WHERE EACH SPRING AND STREAM WENT AND HOW MUCH WATER THEY COULD FIND IN THE DESERT.
THEY HAD MAPS IN THEIR HEADS...AS STEPHEN POWERS WROTE " IT IS WONDERFUL HOW THESE INDIANS (WAILAKI) HAVE ALL THE FOREST AND PLAIN MAPPED OUT ON THE TABLET OF THEIR MEMORY. THERE IS SCARCELY A BOULDER,GULCH, PROMINENT TREE,SPRING, KNOLL, GLADE, CHAMP OF BUSHES, CAVE OR BIT OF PRAIRIE WITHIN A RADIUS OF TEN MILESWHICH IS NOT PERFECTLY FAMILIAR.. HE WILL CONDUCT YOU TO THE DESIRED PLACE WITH THE ABSOLUTE INFALLIBILITY OF THE SUN'S RAYS IN FINDING OUT THE HIDDEN CORNERS OF THE EARTH."
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