principally drums and flageolets, were also made.




Chapter Seven.

MYTHS AND LEGENDS.


The Indians of the Yosemite Valley and vicinity have a great fund
of mythological lore, which has been handed down verbally from
generation to generation for hundreds of years, but they are very
reluctant to speak of these legends to white people, and it is
extremely difficult to get reliable information on the subject.
Moreover, the Indians most familiar with them have not a
sufficient knowledge of the English language to be able to
express their ideas clearly.

Many Yosemite legends have been published at different times and
in various forms, and it is probable that most of them have had
at least a foundation in real Indian myths, but many are
obviously fanciful in some particulars, and it is impossible to
tell how much is of Indian origin and how much is due to poetic
embellishment. When asked about some of these legends, many years
ago, one of the old Yosemite Indians remarked contemptuously,
"White man too much lie."

On the other hand, red men as well as white men are sometimes
given to romancing, and I have known of cases where "legends"