They still paint and tattoo their faces, hands and wrists, in lines, triangles and circles.  On their bodies also stripes of irregular design and varying colors are often used, all having a symbolic meaning originally, now lost, however, at least to all the younger members of the tribe.  Painting the face has a definite and useful purpose.  It softens the skin and prevents the frosts of winter from cracking it.

Their dwellings are of the rudest character, mere brush shacks in summer, and in winter, nondescript structures of brush, old boards, railroad ties, tin cans, barrel-staves, old carpet, canvas, anything that will sustain a roof and keep out wind, rain and as much of the cold as possible.  Their name for this structure is campoodie.  Of course there is no pretense of sanitation, cleanliness or domestic privacy.  The whole family herds together around the smoking fire, thus early beginning the destruction of their eyesight by the never-ceasing and irritating smoke.

Their native food consists of fish, the products of the chase, which include deer, antelope, an occasional bear, rabbits, squirrels and even coyotes, mountain-lions and wildcats, with acorns, manzanita berries, currants and the seeds of wild peaches and the various grasses, together with a large assortment of roots.  While they gather and eat pine nuts, they generally save them for purposes of barter or sale.  Their carrying baskets contain a good wheelbarrow load and are called mo-ke-wit.

They are great gamblers, their chief game being a guessing contest, where sides are chosen, the fortune of each side depending on its ability to guess who holds a certain decorated stick.  Men and women alike play the game, though generally the sexes separate and play by themselves.  Quiet chanting or singing often accompanies the game.  All alike smoke the cigarette.

[Illustration:  Dat-so-la-le, the artistic Washoe basket maker]

[Illustration:  One of Dat-so-la-le’s masterpieces, ‘Our Hunters’ design]

[Illustration:  ‘Our Ancestral Hunters’ design]

[Illustration:  Washoe baskets made by Dat-so-la-le, ‘Happy Homes’ design]

Of their religious beliefs little can be said.  The fact is their simple nature-worship and the superstitions connected with it have been abolished, practically, by their association with the whites, and we have given them nothing as substitutes.  As Mrs. W.W.  Price says in a letter to me: 

In several talks with Susan and Jackson, after the death of Susan’s sister, I endeavored to find out some of their religious beliefs.  But these talks were not very satisfactory.  Neither one knew what he did believe.  Their old Indian religion—­whatever it may have been—­seemed to have passed, and the religion of the white man had not taken very deep hold.

While Susan felt that she must cut her hair short and burn all her sister’s things