Both men and women frequently wore moccasins made of dressed deer or elk skin.

Young children generally went entirely nude.
[Illustration: _Drawing by Jorgensen_.
YOSEMITE MAIDEN IN NATIVE DRESS.
This buckskin costume has now been replaced by the unpicturesque calico of civilization.] CHARACTERISTICS.
The Indians of the various tribes in this part of the Sierras vary somewhat in physical characteristics, but in general are of medium height, strong, lean and agile, and the men are usually fine specimens of manhood.

They are rather light in color, but frequently rub their bodies with some kind of oil, which gives the flesh a much redder and more glossy appearance.

The hair is black and straight, and the eyes are black and deep set.

The beard is sparse, and in former times was not allowed to grow at all, each hair being pulled out with a rude kind of tweezers.
They are naturally of a gentle and friendly disposition, but their experience with the white race has made them distant and uncommunicative to strangers.
Most of the older Indians still cling to their old customs and manner of living, and are very slow to learn or talk our language, but the younger ones are striving to live like the white people, and seem proud to adopt our style of dress and manner of cooking.