Page:The Indian History of the Modoc War.djvu/208

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opening" the stream pours in a wide stream known as Link River, which, falling about one hundred feet to the mile, finds its level in lower Klamath Lake, which again, in turn, tears along to the Pacific Ocean through the mountains for nearly one hundred miles.

On the east side of Link River near its upper end, there are streams of hot water bursting from the depts of the earth in continuous flow. These springs are said to possess wonder- ful healing properties. When the winds blow from the south, the waters of the upper Klamath Lake are forced back like a great tide, leaving Link River almost dry, save the deep holes and pools left in the channel. In the middle of this channel the water has cut in the stone, curious holes, said to resemble the feet of a large man. Near the footprints, another won- drous work of nature, wrought in the image of a man.

The ragged sides of the cleft mountain; the stream jets and hot springs; the footprints and the great stone image in the middle of the river ; the effect of the south winds upon the lake above, all together, have furnished this singular spot of the earth with unusual requisites for Indian sacred lands. Here for untold generations have they come to worship the great Ka-iiioo-kum-chii.v (God); to fish, and hold councils; believ- ing, as they do, that the holes in the rock are the footprints of God, and the rough-shaped stone in the river, is His image. The people who inhabited this place were of a somewhat differ- ent character from other Indians of America. They were formerly known as the La-la-cas. They claimed to be the children of God, having among them traditions reaching as far back as any written history of man. That they were different from other Indians was declared by the Modoc War. Of the several characters developed by that war, none stands out with more claim to an honorable place in history than Wi-ne-ma (the woman-chief), who is the subject of this sketch. She was born on Link River, and very near the sacred lands of the La-la-cas (the tribe from whence sprang the Modocs). Her father was a brother of the hero, martyr-chief, Captain Jack. Her mother is said to have belonged to a family of Indians remarkable for one peculiarity, that of having very