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THREE  YEiARS 


CALIFORNIA, 


llEV.  WALTER  COLTON,  U.  S.  N. 

LATE  ALCALDE  OF  MONTEREY  ;    AUTHOR  OF  "  DECK  AND  PORT,' 
ETC.,  ETC. 


WITH     ILLUSTRATIONS. 


NEW   YORK: 
PUBLISHED    BY   A.   S.  BARNES  &   CO. 

NO.  51    JOHN-STREET. 
CINCINNATI:— H.  W.  DERBY  &  CO. 
1850.    . 


Of*' 


^ 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  Eighteen  Hundred  and  fifty, 

Bv  A.  S.  BARNES  &  COMPANY, 

111  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New  York. 


Stxrxottpxd  dt 

RICHARD  C.  VALENTINE. 

N»w  York. 


F.  C.  GtJTlERREZ,  Primer, 
No.  SI  John-ilreel,  comer  of  Dutch, 


GEN.  MARIANO  GUADALUPE  VALLEJO, 


ONE  OF  CALIFORNIA  S  DISTINGUISHED  SONS, 


TUE  INTERESTS  OF  FREEDOM,  HUMANITY,  AND  EDUCATION 


HAVE  FO0ND  AN  ABLE  ADVOCATE  AND  MUNIFICENT  BENEFACTOR, 


iaiji©  llolumc 


IS  HOST  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 


BY   HIS   FRIEND 


THE    AUTHOR. 


Grt  /<  o  c  a 


PREFACE. 


Many  events  of  moment  occurred  in  California  during  my 
residence  of  three  years  in  that  country,  and  which  were  sketched 
in  a  journal  kept  by  me  at  the  time.  They  are  interspersed  with 
anecdotes  and  incidents  of  a  less  general  concern,  but  which 
may  not  be  without  some  interest  with  the  reader,  as  affording  a 
clue  to  the  leading  features  of  society,  and  traits  of  individual 
character.  The  circle  of  engaging  objects  in  a  community,  just 
emerging  into  the  refinements  of  civilization,  is  never  broad ; 
but  every  phase  in  the  great  change  going  on  possesses  an  in- 
tense individuality,  and  leaves  its  ineffaceable  impression,  like  a 
ship  sweeping  a  solitary  sea,  or  a  bird  scaling  a  sunset  cloud. 
California  will  be  no  more  what  she  has  been :  the  events  of  a 
few  years  have  carried  her  through  the  progressive  changes  of  a 
century.  She  has  sprung  at  once  from  the  shackles  of  colonial 
servitude  to  all  the  advantages  and  dignities  of  a  sovereign 
state. 

Her  emigrants  are  rusliing  from  every  continent  and  isle ;  they 
crest  every  mountain,  they  cover  every  sea ;  they  sweep  in  like 
a  cloud  from  the  Pacific,  they  roll  down  like  a  torrent  from  the 
slopes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  They  crowd  to  her  bosom  to 
gather  gold ;  their  hammers  and  drills,  their  mattocks  and  spades 
divert  the  deep  stream,  and  are  echoed  from  a  thousand  caverned 
hills ;  the  level  plain,  the  soaring  cliff  and  wombed  mountain, 
give  up  their  glowing  treasures.  But  the  gifts  of  nature  here 
are  not  confined  to  her  sparkling  sands  and  veined  rocks,  they 
extend  to  the  productive  forces  of  her  soil ;  they  lie  along  her 
water-courses,  through  her  verdant  valleys,  and  wave  in  her 
golden  grain  ;  tliey  reel  in  her  vintage,  they  blush  in  her  fruits, 
while  her  soft  zephyrs,  as  they  float  the  landscape,  scatter  per- 
fume from  their  odorous  wings. 

But  with  all  these  gifts  disease  is  here  with  its  pale  victuns, 
and  sorrow  with  its  willovz-wove  shrine.     There  is  no  hind  Ic&s 

1* 


6  PREFACE. 

relieved  by  the  smiles  and  soothing  cares  of  woman.  If  Eilen 
witli  its  ambrosial  fruits  and  <fuiltless  joys  was  still  sad  till  the 
voice  of  woman  mingled  witli  its  melodies,  California,  with  all 
her  treasured  hills  and  streams,  must  be  cheerless  till  she  feels 
the  presence  of  the  same  enchantress.  It  is  woman  alone  that 
can  make  a  home  for  the  human  heart,  and  evoke  from  the  re- 
cesses of  nature  the  bright  and  beautiful :  where  her  footsteps 
light,  the  freshest  flowers  spring;  where  her  voice  swells,  the 
softest  echoes  wake  :  her  smiles  garland  the  domestic  hearth ; 
her  sympathy  melts  through  the  deepest  folds  of  grief;  her  love 
clothes  the  earth  with  liglit.  When  night  invests  the  heaven, 
when  the  soft  pleiads  in  their  storm-rocked  cradle  sleep,  and  the 
sentinel  stars  on  tlieir  watch-towers  wane  dim,  her  vigil  flame 
still  pours  its  faithful  beam,  still  struggles  with  the  encroaching 
darkness  till  tiie  day-spring  and  the  siiadows  flee  away.  Of  all 
these  sources  of  solace  and  hope  multitudes  in  California  are 
now  bereft;  but  the  ties  of  kindred,  the  quick-winged  ship,  and 
the  steed  of  flame,  on  his  iron-paved  track,  will  soon  secure  them 
these  priceless  gifts.  The  miner,  returning  from  his  toil,  will  j^et 
half  forget  the  labors  of  the  day  in  tiie  greetings  of  his  home: 

'•  At  Icnirtti  liis  lonely  cot  appears  in  view, 
lieneath  the  shelter  of  an  aged  tree  ; 
«  Til'  expectant  tcee  tliing-s,  toJdlin',  stacher  thro' 

To  meet  Uieir  dad,  wi'  flichterln  noise  an'  glee. 
His  wee  bit  in^le,  blinkin'  bonnily, 

His  clean  hearth-stane,  his  thriflie  xcife's  smile, 
The  lisping  infant  prattling  on  his  knee, 

Does  a'  his  weary  corking  cares  beguile, 
An'  makes  him  quite  furgct  his  labor  an'  his  toil." 

PuiLADiLniiA,  July,  leSO.  W.  C. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  r.— The  flag.— Meeting  of  citizens.— Disposition  of  forces.— CoL 
Fremont's  band. — Alcalde  of  Monterey. — Indian  mother. — Military  leaders. — 
A  California  fai-m 13 

CHAPTER  II. — Fecundity  of  the  Califomians. — First  intelligence  of  the  war. — 
Wild  Indians  on  board  ship. — The  chief. — First  newspaper  published  in  Cali- 
fornia.— Raising  the  materials. — The  rival  suitors.— Flight  of  Gen.  Castro«- 
A  Californian  on  horseback J 27 

CHAPTER  HI. — A  thief  obeying  orders. — Game. — No  penitentiary  system. — 
The  California  cart  on  a  gala-day. — The  runaway  daughter. — Faith  of  the  In- 
dians.— Return  from  the  war. — First  trial  by  jury. — Indian  and  his  squaw  on 
the  hunt.— Whales  in  the  bay. — The  two  gamblei-s. — Ladies  on  horseback. — 
MeiTiment  in  death. — The  Englishman  and  his  mistress 39 

CHAPTER  IV.— Funeral  ceremonies.— Elected  alcalde.— Flight  of  Gen.  Cas- 
tro.— Los  Angeles  taken. — Oven-bath. — Grog  in  a  chimney. — The  flea. — First 
rain. — Rising  of  the  Califomians. — Measures  of  Com.  Stockton. — Mormons  .     54 

CHAPTER  V. — Fire  on  the  mountains. — Emigi-ants. — Pistols  and  pillows. — 
Leaders  of  the  insurrection. — California  plough. — Defeat  at  San  Pedro. — Col. 
Fremont's  band. — The  Malek  Adhel. — Monterey  threatened. — Soldier  out- 
witted.— Raising  men. — Bridegroom. — Culprits 72 

CHAPTER  VI.— Santa  Barbara  taken.— Lieut.  Talbot  and  his  ten.— Gambling 
in  prison. — Recruits. — A  funny  culprit. — Movements  of  Com.  Stockton. — 
Beauty  and  the  grave. — Battle  on  the  Salinas. — The  captain's  daughter. — 
Stolen  pistols. — Indian  behind  a  tree. — Nuptials  in  California 89 

CHAPTER  VII.— San  Josi^  gai-risoned.— A  California  rain.— Escape  of  convicts. 
—Shooting  Edwards.— Two  washerwomen.— Death  of  Mr.  Sargent.— Indian 
hens.— Hunting  curlew.— The  California  horse.— An  old  emigrant.— The 
grizzly  bear 106 

CHAPTER  VIII.— Little  Adelaida.— Col.  Fremont's  battalion.— Santiago  in  love. 
—Sentiments  of  an  old  Californian.— The  prize  Julia.— Fandango.— Winter 
climate  —Patron  Saint  of  California.— Habits  of  the  natives.— Insuirection 
in  the  north. — Drama  in  a  church.— Position  of  Com.  Stockton 121 


8  CONTENTS. 

Page 
CHAPTER  IX.— Dny  of  the  Santos  Innocentes.— Letting  off  a  lake.— Arrival 
of  tlie  Dale  with  home  letters.— The  dea<l  year.— Kewly-arrived  emigrants.— 
FjrK-brenkini<  festivities.— Concealment  of  Chaves. — Plot  to  capture  the  al- 
CJildc ^34 

CHAPTER  X— Destruction  of  dogs.— The  wnsh-tub  mail.— The  surrender  in 
the  north.- Rdhhing  the  Californians. — Death-scene  in  a  shanty. — The  men 
whotiMik  up  arms.- -Arrival  of  the  Independence. — Destitutionof  our  troops. 
— Capture  of  los  Angeles H9 

CHAPTER  XI.— -Arrival  of  the  Lexington.— The  march  to  los  Angeles,  and 
battle  of  San  Gabriel. — ^The  capitulation.— Mihtary  characteristics  of  the  Cali- 
fornians.— Biu-ricades  down 163 

CILAPTER  Xn.- Return  of  T.  O.  Larkin.— The  tall  partner  in  the  Califomian. 
— Mexican  officers.— Tlie  Cyane. — War  mementoes. — Drama  of  Adam  and 
Eve. — Carnival. — Birth-<lay  of  Washington. — A  California  captain. — .Appli- 
cation  for  a  divorce.— .\rrival  of  the  Columbus  173 

CH.\PTF.R  XIII.— The  people  of  Monterey.— The  guitar  and  runaway  wife. — 
Motfler  nrderetl  to  Hot;  her  son. — Work  of  the  prisoners. — Catching  sailors. 
— Court  of  Admiralty. — Gamblers  ciught  and  fined. — Lifting  land  bounda- 
ries     189 

CH.\PTER  XIV. — A  convict  who  would  not  work. — Lawyers  at  Monterey. — 
Who  conquered  California. — Ride  to  a  rancho. — Leopaldo. — Party  of  Cali- 
fornians.— A  da-sh  into  the  forests. — Chasing  a  deer. — Killing  a  bear. — Ladies 
with  firearms. — A  mother  and  volunteer 199 

CII.VPTER  XV. — A  California  pic-nic. — Seventy  and  seventeen  in  the  dance. — 
Chililren  in  the  grove. — .\  California  bear-hunt. — The  bear  and  bull  baled. 
— The  Russian's  cabbage  head 210 

CHAPTER  XVI.— A  Califomian  jealous  of  his  wife.— Hospitality  of  the  na- 
tives.— Honors  to  Guadalupe. — .Application  from  a  Lothario  for  a  divorce. — 
Capture  of  Mazatlan. — Larceny  of  C.'uiton  shawls. — .\n  emigrant's  wife 
claiming  to  have  taken  the  country. — A  wild  bullock  in  Main-street 220 

CHAPTER  XVII.— Rains  in  Califomia.— Fundionsof  the  alcalde  of  Monterey. 
—Orphans  in  C;ilifornia.— Slip  of  the  gallows  rope.— Making  a  lather  whip 
his  boy.— .4  convict  as  prison  cook.— The  knacka. — Thorn.  Cole. — A  man 
robbing  himself. — A  blacksmith  outwitted 230 

CHAPTER  XVIIT.— First  discoverj-  of  gold.— Prison  guard.— Incredulity  about 
the  cold. — Santiago  getting  married.- Another  lumpof  gold. — Effects  of  the 
gold  fever. — The  court  of  an  alc;ilde. — Mosquitoes  as  constables. — Bob  and 
his  bag  of  gold. — Return  of  citizens  from  the  mines. — A  man  with  the  gold 
cholic. — The  mines  on  individual  credit. 242 

CH.4PTER  XIX.— Tour  to  the  gold-mines.— -Loss  of  horses.— First  night  in  the 
woods.- Arrival  at  San  Juan.— Under  way.— Camping  out.— Bark  of  the 


CONTENTS.  9 

Page 
■w-olves.— Watch-fires.— San  Jos6.— A  fresh  start.— Camping  on  the  slope  of 
a  hill. — Wild  features  of  the  country. — Valley  of  the  San  Joaquin. — Band  of 
wild  horses 257 

CHAPTER  XX. — ^The  grave  of  a  gold-hunter. — Mountain  spurs.— A  company 
of  Sonoranians. — A  night  alarm. — First  view  of  the  mines. — Character  of 
the  deposits. — A  woman  and  her  pan. — Removal  to  other  mines. — Wild  In- 
dians and  their  weapons. — Cost  of  provisions. — A  plunge  into  a  gold  liver. — 
Machines  used  by  the  gold-diggers 2(59 

CHAPTER  XXI. — Lump  of  gold  lost. — Indians  at  their  game  of  arrows. — 
Camp  of  the  gold-hunters. — A  Sonoranian  gold-digger. — Sabbath  in  the 
mines. — The  giant  Welchman. — Nature  of  gold  deposits. — Average  per  man. 
— ^New  discoveries 282 

CHAPTER  XXII. — Visit  to  the  Sonoranian  camp. — Festivities  and  gambling. 
— The  doctor  and  teamster. — An  alcalde  turned  cook. — The  miner's  tattoo. — 
The  little  Dutchman.— New  deposits  discovered. — A  woman  keeping  a 
monte  table. — Up  to  the  knee  and  nine-pence. — The  volcanoes  and  gold. — 
Arrival  of  a  baiTel  of  rum 295 

CHAPTER  XXIII. — Natural  amphitheatre. — No  scientific  clue  to  the  deposits 
of  gold. — Soil  of  the  mines. — Life  among  the  gold-diggers. — Loss  of  our 
caballada. — The  old  man  and  rock. — Departure  from  the  mines. — Travelling 
among  gorges  and  pinnacles. — Instincts  of  the  mule. — A  mountain  cabin 309 

CHAPTER  XXIV.— A  lady  in  the  moimtains.— Town  of  Stockton.— Crossing 
the  valley  of  the  San  Joaquin. — The  robbed  father  and  boy. — Ride  to  San 
Jos6. — Rum  in  California.— Highwayman. — Woodland  life. — Rachel  at  the 
well. — Farewell  to  my  camping-tree 324 

CHAPTER  XXV. — Cause  of  sickness  in  the  mines. — The  quicksilver  mines. — 
Heat  and  cold  in  the  mines. — Traits  in  the  Spanish  character. — Health  of 
California  ladies. — A  word  to  mothers. — The  pingrass  and  blackbird. — The 
Redwood-tree.— Battle  of  the  eggs 339 

CHAPTER  XXVI.— The  public  domain.— Sceneiy  around  Monterey.— Vine- 
yards of  los  Angeles. — Beauty  of  San  Diego. — The  culprit  hall. — The  rush 
for  gold. — Land  titles. — The  Indian  doctress. — Tufted  paitridge. — Death  of 
Com.  Biddle 351 

CHAPTER  XXVII.— The  gold  region.- Its  locality,  nature,  and  extent.— For- 
eigners in  the  mines. — The  Indians'  discovery  of  gold. — Agi-icultural  capa- 
bilities of  California. — Services  of  United  States  officers. — First  decisive 
movement  for  the  organization  of  a  civU  government. — Intelligence  of  the 
death  of  Gen.  Kearny 365 

CHAPTER  XXVin.— Ride  of  Col.  Fremont  from  los  Angeles  to  Monterey  and 
back. — Character  of  the  country. — The  rincon.— Skeletons  of  dead  horses. — 
A  stampede. — Gray  bears. — ^The  return. — The  two  horses  rode  by  Col.  Fre- 
mont.— An  experiment. — The  result. — Characteristics  of  the  California  horse. 


]0  CONTENTS. 

Page 
— Fomil  remains.— The  two  classes  of  emigrants.— Life  in  California.— Heads 
■gainst  tails  3/7 

CIIAPT?:R  X.XI.X.— The  trapedy  at  San  Mieuel.— Court  and  culprits.— Age 
BMil  circumstanci-s  of  those  who  should  come  to  California. — Condition  of  the 
professions.— The  wrongs  of  California.— Claims  on  the  Christian  commimi- 
ly . — Journalists 391 

CH.APTER  XXX.— The  gold-bearing  quartz.— Their  locality.— Richness  and 
extent. — Tlie  suitable  machinery  to  be  used  in  the  mountains.— The  court  of 
adrniriUly  at  Monterey. — Its  organization  and  jurisdiction. — The  cases  deter- 
mined.—Aile  of  the  prizes. — Convention  and  Constitution  of  California. — 
Difllculties  and  compromises. — Spirit  of  the  instrument 403 

CHAPTER  XXXI.— Glances  at  towns  sprung  and  springing.— San  Francisco. 
—Benicia.— Sacramento  City.— Sutler. — Vernon.— Boston. — Stockton. — New 
York. — .Mvezo.— St:uiislaus. — Sonora. — Crescent  City. — Trinidad 414 

CH.\PTER  XXXII. — Brief  notices  of  persons,  whose  portraits  embellish  this 
volume,  and  who  are  prominently  connected  with  California  affairs 435 

Cn.\PTER  XXXIII.— Tlio  mission  establishments  in  California.— Their  origin, 
objects,  localities,  lands,  revenues,  overthrow. — California  Railroad 439 


LIST   OF   PORTRAITS, 


Captain  John  A.  Suttek. 
Thomas  0.  Laekin,  Esq. 
Hon.  J.  C.  Fremont. 
Hon.  Wm.  M.  G  win. 
Hon.  G.  W.  "Wright. 
Jacob  R.  Snyder,  Esq. 


11 


A  LIST 

OF  THE  DELEGATES  IN  CONVENTION 

ASSEMBLED    AT  MONTEREY,  UPPER   CALIFORNIA,  SEPTEMBER 
AND  OCTOBER,  A.  D.   1849. 


NAMES. 

WHERE  BORN. 

RESIDENCE. 

AGE. 

Robert  Semple. 

Kentucky. 

Benicia. 

Forty-two. 

John  A.  Sutter. 

Switzerland. 

New  Helvetia. 

Forty-seven. 

Thomas  O.  Larkin. 

Massachusetts. 

Monterey. 

Forty-seven. 

M.  G.  Vallejo. 

Calil'ornia. 

Sonoma. 

Forty-two. 

Wm.  M.  Gwin. 

Tennessee. 

San  Francisco. 

Forty-four. 

H.  W.  HalleeU. 

New  York. 

Monterey. 

Thirty-two. 

Wm.  M.  Steuart. 

Maryland. 

San  Francisco. 

Forty-nine. 

Joseph  Hobson. 

"Do. 

Do. 

Thirty-nine. 

Thos.  L.  Vermeule. 

New  Jersey. 

Loetown. 

Thirty-five. 

O.  M.  Wozencraft. 

Ohio. 

San  Joafiuin. 

Tliirty-four. 

B.  F.  Moore. 

Florida. 

Do. 

Twenty-nine. 

Wm.  E.  Shannon. 

New  York. 

Sacramento. 

Twenty-seven, 

Winfiold  S.  Sherwood. 

Do. 

Do. 

Tliirty-two. 

Elam  Brown. 

Do. 

San  Jos6. 

Fifty-two. 

Joseph  Aram. 

Do. 

Do. 

Thirty-nine. 

J.  D.  Hoppe. 

Maryland. 

Do. 

Thirty-five. 

Jno.  MiDougal. 

Ohio. 

Sntter. 

Thirty-two. 

Ehsha  O.  Crosby. 

Tompkins  Co.,  N.  Y. 

Vernon. 

Thirty-four. 

K.  H.  Dimmick. 

New  York. 

Pueblo  San  Jos6. 

Thirty-four. 

Julian  Hanks. 

Connecticut. 

Do. 

Thirty-seven. 

M.  M.  McCarver. 

Kentucky. 

Sacramento  City. 

Forty-two. 

Francis  J.  Lippitt. 

Rhode  Island. 

San  Francisco. 

Thirty-seven. 

Rodman  M.  Price. 

New  York. 

Do. 

Thirty. 

Lewis  Dent. 

Missouri. 

Monterey. 

Twenty-six. 

Henrv  Hill. 

Virginia. 

Do. 

Thirty-three. 

Oh.  t.  Bolts. 

Do. 

Do. 

Forty. 

Myron  Norton. 

Vermont. 

San  Francisco. 

Twenty-seven. 

J.  M.  Jones. 

Kentucky. 

San  Joaquin. 

Twenty-five. 

P.  Sainsevain. 

Bordeaux. 

San  Jo.se. 

Trente  ans. 

Jos6  M.  Covarrubias. 

France. 

Santa  Barbara. 

Forty-one. 

Antonio  Ma.  Pico. 

California. 

San  Jose. 

Forty. 

Jacinto  Rodriguez. 

Do. 

Monterey. 

Thirty-six. 

Stephen  C.  Foster. 

Maine. 

Los  Angeles. 

Twenty-eight. 

Henry  A.  Tellt. 

New  York. 

San  Luis  Obispo. 

Twenty-si.\. 

J.  M.  H.  Hollingsworth. 

Maryland. 

San  Joaquin. 

Twenty-five. 

Abel  Stearns. 

Massachusetts. 

Los  Angeles. 

Fifty-one. 

Hugh  Reid. 

Scotland. 

San  Gabriel. 

Thirtv-eight. 

Benj.  S.  Lippincott. 

New  York. 

San  Joaquin. 

Thirty-four. 

Joel  P.  Walker. 

Virginia. 

Sonoma. 

Fifty-two. 

Jacob  R.  Snyder. 

Pennsylvania. 

Sacramento  City. 

Thirty-four. 

L.  W.  Hastings. 

Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio. 

Sacramento. 

Tliirty. 

Pablo  de  la  Guerra. 

California. 

Santa  Barbara. 

Thirty. 

Jose  Ant".  Carrillo. 

Do. 

Angeles. 

Fifty-tliree. 

Man!  Doniinguez. 

Do. 

Do. 

Forty-six. 

P.  Ord. 

Maryland. 

Monterey. 

Thirty-three. 

Edw.  Gilbert. 

New  York. 

San  Francisco. 

Twenty-seven 

Miguel  de  Pedrorena. 

Spain. 

San  Diego. 

Forty-one. 

A.  J.  Ellis. 

New  York. 

San  Francisco. 

Tiiirty-three. 

# 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE   FLAG. — MEETING    OF    CITIZENS. — DISPOSITION    OF   FORCES. — COL.    FRE- 

MONt's    band. ALCALDE    OF    MONTEREY. INDIAN    MOTHER. — MILITARY 

LEADERS. A  CALIFORNIA  FARM. 

A  FEW  words  will  place  within  the  clear  compre- 
hension of  the  reader,  the  posture  of  public  affairs  in 
California  at  the  time  my  journal  opens.  The  U. 
S.  flag  was  raised  at  Monterey  and  San  Francisco 
on  the  10th  of  July,  1846.  This  event  was  wholly 
unexpected  by  the  Californians,  and  struck  the  pub- 
lic heart  with  the  deepest  surprise ;  other  causes  of 
alarm  and  apprehension  faded  into  shadow  in  the 
presence  of  this  decisive  measure ;  they  were  the  ad- 
monitory vibrations,  but  here  was  the  earthquake  it- 
self The  people  were  more  astounded  than  indig- 
nant, and  quite  as  intent  over  problems  of  preserva- 
tion as  measures  of  resistance. 

At  a  public  meeting  held  at  Monterey,  in  which 
the  patriotism,  talents,  and  sagacity  of  the  country 
were  largely  represented,  the  question  of  throwing 
the  territory  under  the  protection  of  England,  through 

2 


11  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

the  naval  forces  commanded  by  Admiral  Seymour, 
who  was  on  the  coast  at  the  time,  was  excitingly  dis- 
cussed. But  this  proposition  received  its  quietus  un- 
der the  successful  railery  of  Don  Raphael,  of  Mon- 
terey. "  Our  object,"  said  this  witty  counsellor,  "  is 
to  preserve  our  country  ;  but  she  is  gone, — California 
is  lost  to  us :  and  this  proposal  to  invoke  the  protec- 
tion of  England,  is  only  to  seek  another  owner.  The 
redress  is  worthy  of  the  market-woman  :  a  dog  had 
robbed  her  hamper  of  a  leg  of  mutton,  and  she  sent 
another  dog  more  powerful  after  him  to  get  it  away ; 
when  asked  what  good  that  w'ould  do  her,  she  replied, 
it  would  be  some  satisfaction  to  see  i\\Q  first  dog  de- 
prived of  the  stolen  leg.  And  so  it  is  with  us ;  the 
mutton  is  gone,  and  a  choice  of  the  dog  only  remains  : 
others  may  prefer  the  bull-dog,  but  I  prefer  the  regu- 
lar hound ;  he  has  outstripped  the  other  in  the  chase, 
and  so  let  him  have  the  game."  The  convention 
broke  up  without  adopting  any  decisive  measures ; 
leaving  each  one  to  act  as  his  impulses  or  convictions 
of  duty  suggested. 

The  military  forces  of  the  country  w^ere  at  this 
time  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Jose  Castro,  an 
officer  of  high  pretensions,  but  utterly  deficient  in 
strength  and  steadiness  of  purpose,  and  that  capacity 
which  can  work  out  important  results  with  slender 
and  inapposite  means.  His  followers  had  gathered 
to  him  with  as  little  discipline,  sobriety,  and  order,  as 
would  characterize  a  bear-hunt.  Their  prime  im- 
pulse lay  in  the  excitement  w-hich  the  camp  present- 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  15 

ed.  It  was  the  same  thing  to  them  whether  their 
weapon  was  a  rifle  or  a  guitar, — whether  they  were 
going  to  a  skirmish  or  a  fandango.  With  six  or 
eight  hundred  of  these  waltzing  warriors  Gen.  Castro 
was  now  on  his  march  into  the  southern  department, 
with  the  evident  purpose  of  taking  up  his  position 
near  the  Pueblo  de  los  Angeles. 

Such  was  the  posture  of  aflfairs  when  Com.  Stock- 
ton resolved  to  rest  in  no  half-way  measures.  The 
wave  had  been  set  in  motion  and  must  roll  on, 
or  its  returning  force  might  sweep  him  and  his  tem- 
porary garrisons  into  the  Pacific.  And  yet  aggres- 
sive measures  in  the  present  condition  of  the  squad- 
ron seemed  to  border  on  rashness.  The  Portsmouth, 
under  Commander  Montgomery,  must  be  left  at  San 
Francisco  to  garrison  the  posts  occupied  by  the  flag ; 
the  Savannah,  commanded  by  Capt.  Mervin,  must 
remain  here  to  hold  Monterey ;  the  Warren,  under 
Commander  Hull,  was  at  Mazatlan ;  only  the  Con- 
gress, Lieut.  Livingston  commanding,  and  the  Cyane, 
under  Commander  Du  Pont,  remained.  With  the 
crews  of  these,  and  a  hundred  and  sixty  men  under 
Col.  Fremont,  California  was  to  be  conquered  and 
held,  and  this  too  in  the  presence  or  defeat  of  a 
military  force  that  had  the  entire  resources  of  the 
country  at  their  command.  But  a  gallant  purpose 
will  often  achieve  what  a  questioning  prudence  would 
relinquish.  The  mountain  torrent,  with  its  impetu- 
osity, sweeps  away  the  barrier  which  effectually  ob- 
structs the  level  stream. 


10  THREE  YEARS   IN   CALIFORXFA. 

MoNDAV,  July  27.  The  bustle  of  preparation  is 
active  in  the  squadron.  Commander  Du  Pont  re- 
ceived orders  last  evening  to  have  the  Cyane  ready 
for  sea  in  twenty-four  hours.  She  has  tripped  this 
afternoon,  and  is  off  for  San  Diego,  though  it  has  been 
given  out  on  shore  that  she  is  bound  elsewhere,  but 
this  is  a  war  stratagem.  She  has  on  board  Col. 
Fremont  and  a  hundred  and  fifty  of  his  riflemen. 
The  wind  is  fresh,  and  they  are  by  this  time  cleverly 
sea-sick,  and  lying  about  the  deck  in  a  spirit  of  resig- 
nation that  would  satisfy  the  non-resistant  principles 
of  a  Quaker.  Two  or  three  resolute  old  women 
might  tumble  the  whole  of  them  into  the  sea.  But 
they  will  rally  before  they  reach  their  port,  and  see 
that  their  rifles  spring  true  to  their  trust. 

The  colonel  is  a  man  of  small  stature,  of  slender 
but  wiry  formation,  and  with  a  countenance  indica- 
tive of  decision  and  firmness.  This  is  the  fifth  time 
he  has  crossed  the  continent  in  connection  with  his 
scientific  purposes.  His  enterprises  are  full  of  hard- 
ship, peril,  and  the  wildest  romance.  To  sleep  under 
the  open  heaven,  and  depend  on  one's  rifle  for  food, 
is  coming  about  as  near  the  primitive  state  of  the 
hunter  as  a  civilized  man  can  well  get ;  and  yet  this 
life,  in  his  case,  is  adorned  with  the  triumphs  of  sci- 
ence. The  colonel  and  his  band  are  to  land  at  San 
Diego,  secure  horses,  and  advance  upon  the  position 
of  Gen.  Castro,;  at  los  Anjreles. 

"  War's  great  events  lie  so  in  Fortune's  scale. 
That  oft  a  feather's  weight  may  kick  the  beam." 


THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  17 

Tuesday,  July  28.  Com.  Stockton  informed  me 
to-day  that  I  had  been  appointed  Alcalde  of  Mon- 
terey and  its  jm-isdiction.  I  had  dreamed  in  the 
course  of  my  life,  as  most  people  have,  of  the  thou- 
sand things  I  might  become,  but  it  never  entered  my 
visions  that  I  should  succeed  to  the  dignity  of  a 
Spanish  alcalde.  I  much  preferred  my  beith  on 
board  the  Congress,  and  that  the  judicial  functions  in 
question  should  continue  to  be  discharged  by  the  two 
intelligent  gentlemen,  Purser  R.  M.  Price  and  Dr. 
Edward  Gilchrist,  upon  whom  they  had  been  de- 
volved. But  the  services  of  these  officers  were 
deemed  indispensable  to  the  efficiency  of  the  ships  to 
which  they  were  attached.  This  leit  me  no  alterna- 
tive ;  my  trunks  were  packed,  my  books  boxed,  and 
in  an  hour  I  was  on  shore,  a  guest  in  the  house  of 
our  consul,^  T.  O.  Larkin,  Esq.,  whose  munificent 
hospitalities  reach  every  officer  of  the  squadron,  and 
every  functionary  in  the  interest  of  the  flag.  This  is 
the  more  appreciated  from  the  fact  that  there  is  not 
a  public  table  or  hotel  in  all  California.  High  and 
low,  rich  and  poor,  are  thrown  together  on  the  pri- 
vate liberality  of  the  citizens.  Though  a  quasi  war  -^ 
exists,  all  the  amenities  and  courtesies  of  life  are  pre- 
served ;  your  person,  life,  and  liberty,  are  as  sacred 
at  the  hearth  of  the  Californian  as  they  would  be  at 
your  own  fireside.  He  will  never  betray  you ;  the 
rights  of  hospitality,  in  his  generous  judgment,  re- 
quire him  to  peril  his  own  life  in  defence  of  yours. 
He  may  fight  you  on  the  field,  but  in  his  family,  you 


18  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

may  dance  with  his  daughters,  and  he  will  himself 
wake  the  waltzing  string. 

Wednesday,  July  29.  The  sloop-of-war  Levant, 
under  Commander  Page,  sailed  to-day,  with  Com. 
Sloat  on  board,  for  the  United  States.  We  gave 
the  commodore  a  parting  salute.  He  has  render- 
ed the  squadron  under  his  command  efficient,  and 
preserved  harmony  among  the  officers.  The  expe- 
diency of  his  measures  in  California  will  be  canvassed 
elsewhere.  He  acted  on  the  light  and  intelligence 
within  his  reach.  If  war  has  been  declared,  the  lau- 
rel awaits  him. 

The  Levant  takes  home  in  her  my  friend,  Lieut, 

T :  he  has  resigned  his  commission  in  the  navy, 

and  takes  orders  in  the  church.  He  is  a  pretty  good 
classical  scholar,  and  has  made  himself  familiar  with 
the  principles  of  biblical  exegesis.  All  this  has  been 
accomplished  during  those  few  leisure  hours  which 
the  duties  of  a  watch-officer  leave  one  at  sea.  It  is 
seemingly  reversing  the  order  of  things  for  the  navy 
to  supply  the  church  with  spiritual  teachers.  But 
few,  however,  have  left  the  deck  for  the  pulpit ;  a 
much  larger  number  have  reached  it  from  the  dia- 
grams and  drills  of  West  Point.  Among  them  are 
some  of  our  most  eloquent  and  impressive  preachers. 
Of  this  class  is  the  present  Bishop  of  Ohio. 

We  have  all  been  busy  in  writing  letters  home, 
and  shall  inake  up  a  pretty  large  mail,  filled  with  ten- 
der recollections,  and  overflowing  with  the  California 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  19 

news.  How  the  intelligence  of  our  proceedings  here  ^* 
will  strike  our  friends  and  the  country  at  large,  is 
mere  matter  of  conjecture.  We  are  acting,  however, 
not  only  in  view  of  the  alleged  collision  between  the 
American  and  Mexican  forces  on  the  Rio  Grande, 
but  in  reference  to  the  anarchy  and  confusion  into 
which  this  country  has  been  thrown  by  a  revolution 
which  did  not  originate  with  us. 

Thursday,  July  30.  To-day  I  entered  on  the  du- 
ties of  my  office  as  alcalde  of  Monterey  :  my  jurisdic- 
tion extends  over  an  immense  extent  of  territory,  and 
over  a  most  heterogeneous  population.  Almost  every 
nation  has,  in  some  emigrant,  a  representative  here — 
a  representative  of  its  peculiar  habits,  virtues,  and 
vices.  Here  is  the  reckless  Californian,  the  half- wild 
Indian,  the  roving  trapper  of  the  West,  the  lawless 
Mexican,  the  licentious  Spaniard,  the  scolding  Eng- 
lishman, the  absconding  Frenchman,  the  luckless 
Irishman,  the  plodding  German,  the  adventurous 
Russian,  and  the  discontented  Mormon.  All  have 
come  here  with  the  expectation  of  finding  but  little 
work  and  less  law.  Through  this  discordant  mass  I 
am  to  maintain  order,  punish  crime,  and  redress  in- 
juries. 

Friday,  July  31.  Nearly  all  the  houses  in  Mon- 
terey are  of  one  story,  with  a  corridor.  The  walls 
are  built  of  adobes,  or  sun-baked  brick,  with  tiled 
roofs.     The  centre  is  occupied  by  a  large  hall,  to 


20  THREE   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

which  the  dining-room  and  sleeping  apartments  seem 
mere  appurtenances.  Every  thing  is  in  subordina- 
tion to  the  hall,  and  this  is  designed  and  used  for 
dancing.  It  has  a  wood  floor,  and  springs  nightly  to 
the  step  of  those  who  are  often  greeted  in  the  whirl 
of  their  amusements,  by  the  risen  sun.  The  dance 
and  a  dashing  horse  are  the  two  objects  which  over- 
power all  others  in  interest  with  the  Californians. 
The  fiddle  has  been  silent  since  our  flag  went  up, 
from  the  fact  that  many  of  the  gentlemen  have  left 
to  join  Gen.  Castro.  But  if  they  return,  though  cov- 
ered with  disaster,  the  fiddle  w'ill  be  called  upon  to 
resume  its  fantastic  functions.  You  misfht  as  well 
attempt  to  extinguish  a  love  of  air  in  a  life-preserver 
as  the  dancing  propensity  in  this  people. 

Saturday,  Aug.  1.  The  Congress  has  sailed  to- 
day, with  all  her  marines  and  full  complement  ot 
men,  for  San  Pedro.  Com.  Stockton  intends  to 
land  there  with  a  force  of  some  three  hundred, 
march  to  the  Pueblo  de  los  Angeles,  capture  that  im- 
portant place,  and  fall  upon  Gen.  Castro,  w  ho,  it  is 
now  understood,  has  posted  himself,  with  some  eight 
hundred  soldiers,  in  a  pass  a  few  miles  below.  The 
general  will  find  his  southern  retreat  cut  off  by  Col. 
Fremont's  riflemen  and  the  sailors  of  the  Cyane,  his 
western  route  obstructed  by  the  Colorado,  while  the 
forces  of  the  Congress  will  bear  down  upon  him  from 
the  north.  He  has  seemingly  no  escape,  and  must 
fight  or  capitulate.     But  his  sagacity,  his  thorough 


THREE  YEARS   IN  CALIFORNIA.  21 

knowledge  of  the  country,  and  his  fleet  horses,  may- 
extricate  him.  We  shall  know  in  a  few  days ;  the 
interest  felt  here  in  the  result  is  most  intense.  Many 
mothers  have  sons  and  many  wives  husbands  involved 
in  the  issue. 

Sunday,  Aug.  2.  I  officiated  to-day  on  board  the 
Savannah.  It  is  much  to  the  credit  of  the  officers  of 
this  ship  that  though  without  a  chaplain,  they  have 
had,  during  a  three  years'  cruise,  their  religious  ser- 
vices regularly  on  the  Sabbath.  Four  of  their  num- 
ber, two  lieutenants,  the  surgeon,  and  master,  are 
professors  of  religion,  and  exert  a  deep  influence 
through  their  consistent  piety.  Their  Sabbath  exer- 
cise has  consisted  in  reading  prayers,  selections  from 
the  Scriptures,  and  a  brief,  pertinent  sermon.  They 
have  had,  also,  their  Sabbath-school.  Such  facts  as 
these  will  win  for  the  navy  a  larger  share  of  pubhc 
confidence  than  the  capture  of  forty  barbaric  for- 
tresses. The  American  people  love  valor,  but  they 
love  religion  also.  They  will  confer  their  highest 
honors  only  on  him  who  combines  them  both. 

Monday,  Aug.  3.  An  Indian  woman  of  good  ap- 
pearance came  to  our  office  to-day,  stating  that  she 
had  been  for  two  years  past  a  domestic  in  a  Mexican 
family  near  Monterey  ;  that  she  had,  during  this  time, 
lost  her  husband,  and  now  wished  to  marry  again ; 
but  wished,  before  she  did  this,  to  recover  her  child, 
which  was  forcibly  detained  in  the  family  in  which 


22  TirEEE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

she  had  served.  It  appeared  that  the  father  of  this 
family  had  baptized  her  child,  and  claimed,  according 
to  custom  here,  a  sort  of  guardianship  over  it,  as  well 
as  a  right  to  a  portion  of  its  services. 

I  asked  her  if  her  child  would  be  kindly  treated 
where  it  now  was :  she  said  she  thought  so  ;  but 
added,  she  was  a  mother,  and  wanted  it  with  her. 
We  told  her  as  she  was  going  to  marry  again,  she 
had  better  perhaps  leave  the  child  for  the  present ; 
and  if  she  found  her  husband  to  be  a  good,  indus- 
trious man,  and  disposed  to  furnish  her  with  a  com- 
fortable home,  she  might  call  again  at  our  office,  and 
we  would  get  her  child.  She  went  away  with  that  mild 
look  of  contentment  which  is  as  near  a  smile  as  any 
expression  which  lights  an  Indian's  face. 

Tuesday,  Aug.  4.  The  military  chieftains,  wh6 
have  successively  usurped  the  government  of  Califor- 
nia, have  arbitrarily  imposed  such  duties  on  foreign 
imports  as  their  avarice  or  exigency  suggested.  A 
few  examples  will  be  sufficient  to  show  the  spirit  and 
character  of  these  imposts.  Unbleached  cottons, 
which  cost  in  the  United  States  six  cents  the  yard, 
cost  here  fifty,  and  shirtings  cost  seventy-five.  Plain 
knives  and  forks  cost  ten  dollars  the  dozen ;  coarse 
cowhide  shoes  three  dollars  the  pair ;  the  cheapest 
tea  three  dollars  the  pound  ;  and  a  pair  of  common 
truck-wheels  seventy-five  dollars.  The  duty  alone 
on  the  coarsest  hat,  even  if  made  of  straw,  is  three 
dollars. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  23 

The  revenues  derived  from  these  enormous  imposts 
have  passed  into  the  pockets  of  a  few  individuals, 
who  have  placed  themselves,  by  violence  or  fraud,  at 
the  head  of  the  government,  and  have  never  reached 
the  public  in  any  beneficial  form.  These  exactions, 
enforced  by  an  irresponsible  tyranny,  have  kept  Cali- 
fornia poor,  have  crushed  all  enterprise,  and  have 
rolled  back  the  tide  of  emigration  from  her  soil  as  the 
resisting  rock  the  rushing  stream.  But  the  barriers 
are  now  broken,  and  broken  forever.  California  is 
free, — free  of  Mexican  rule  and  all  domestic  usurpers. 

Wednesday,  Aug.  5.  We  have  in  one  apartment 
of  our  prison  two  Californians,  confined  for  having 
robbed  a  United  States  courier,  on  his  way  from 
Monterey  to  San  Francisco,  with  public  dispatches. 
They  have  not  yet  been  tried.  Yesterday  they  ap- 
plied to  me  for  permission  to  have  their  guitars. 
They  stated  that  their  situation  was  very  lonely,  and 
they  wanted  something  to  cheer  it.  Their  request 
was  complied  with ;  and  last  evening,  when  the 
streets  were  still,  and  the  soft  moonlight  melted 
through  the  grates  of  their  prison,  their  music 
streamed  out  upon  the  quiet  air  with  wonderful 
sweetness  and  power.  Their  voices  were  in  rich 
harmony  with  their  instruments,  and  their  melodies 
had  a  wild  and  melancholy  tone.  They  were  sing- 
ing, for  aught  they  knew,  their  own  requiem. 

Thursday,  Aug.  6.    It  sounds  strange  to  an  Ameri- 


24  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORXIA. 

can,  and  much  more  so  to  an  Englishman,  to  hear  Cali- 
Ibrnians  talk  of  farms.  They  never  speak  of  acres, 
or  even  miles  ;  they  deal  only  in  leagues.  A  farm  of 
four  or  five  leagues  is  considered  quite  small.  It  is  not 
so  large,  in  the  conception  of  this  people,  as  was  the 
one-acre  farm  of  Horace  in  the  estimation  of  the  Ro- 
mans. Capt.  Sutter's  farm,  in  the  valley  of  the  Sac- 
ramento, is  sixty  miles  long.  The  Californians  speak 
in  the  same  way  of  the  stock  on  their  farms.  Two 
thousand  horses,  fifteen  thousand  head  of  cattle,  and 
twenty  thousand  sheep,  are  only  what  a  thrifty  farmer 
should  have  before  he  thinks  of  killing  or  selling. 
They  are  to  be  his  productive  stock,  on  which  he 
should  not  encroach,  except  in  an  emergency.  Only 
fancy  a  farm  covering  sixty  miles  in  length  !  Why, 
a  man  would  want  a  railroad  through  it  for  his  own 
private  use.  Get  out  of  the  way,  ye  landlords  of 
England  and  patroons  of  Amsterdam,  with  your  bor- 
oughs and  dykes,  and  give  place  to  the  Californian 
with  his  sixty  mile  sweep! 

Friday,  Aug.  7.  The  Mormon  ship  Brooklyn, 
which  we  left  at  Honolulu,  has  arrived  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  her  passengers  have  debarked  on  the 
shores  of  that  magnificent  bay.  They  have  not  vet 
selected  their  lands.  The  natives  hold  them  in  great 
horror.  They  seem  to  think  cannibalism  among  the 
least  of  their  enormities.  They  consider  the  term 
Mormon  the  most  branding  epithet  that  can  be  ap- 
plied to  a  man.     A  mother  complained  to  me,  a  few 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  25 

days  since,  that  a  gentleman  in  Monterey  had  struck 
her  son  and  called  him  a  Mormon.  She  dwelt  with 
great  earnestness  on  the  opprobrious  character  of  the 
epithet,  and  appeared  to  consider  its  application  to 
her  son  a  higher  crime  than  that  of  his  fist.  I  told 
her  what  sort  of  people  these  Mormons  were ;  but  it 
was  to  her  as  if  I  had  represented  Satan  as  an  angel 
of  light.     I  lectured  the  wrong-doer. 

Saturday,  Aug.  8.  Capt.  Fauntleroy,  of  the  Sa- 
vannah, and  Maj.  Snyder,  with  fifty  mounted  men 
under  their  command,  occupy  San  Juan,  which  lies 
inland  about  thirty  miles  from  Monterey.  A  report 
reached  them  a  few  days  since,  that  a  hundred  wild 
Indians  had  descended  upon  the  town  of  San  Jose 
and  driven  off  over  two  hundred  horses.  They 
started  immediately  with  twenty  men,  well  mounted, 
got  upon  their  trail,  and  came  up  with  them  at  a  dis- 
tance of  sixty  miles.  The  Indians  finding  themselves 
hotly  pressed,  left  their  horses  and  took  to  the  bush, 
throwing  back  upon  their  pursuers  the  most  wild  and 
frantic  imprecations.  Three  or  four  of  their  number 
only  were  killed.  The  denseness  of  the  forest  and 
the  approach  of  night  rendered  further  pursuit  im- 
practicable. 

The  horses  were  all  recaptured  and  brought  back 
to  their  owners,  who  received  them  with  acclama- 
tions of  surprise  and  gratitude.  This  was  the  first 
time,  they  said,  that  their  property  had  been  rescued 
from  savages  by  the  government,  and  they  run  up  the 


20  THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

American  flag.  This  prompt  interference  of  Capt. 
Fauntleroy  and  Maj.  Snyder  will  do  more  to  win  the 
confidence  of  the  Californians  than  forty  orations  de- 
livered in  the  most  liquid  Spanish  that  ever  rolled 
from  a  Castilian  tongue.  There  is  something  in 
action  which  the  most  simple  can  appreciate,  and 
which  the  most  crafty  cannot  gainsay. 


Sunday,  Aug.  9.  I  officiated  to-day  on  board  the 
Savannah.  The  weather  was  pleasant,  and  several 
gentlemen  from  the  shore  attended.  There  was  no 
service  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  owning  to  the 
absence  of  one  of  the  priests  and  the  infirmities  of  the 
other.  But  when  there  is  service,  only  a  few  of  the 
people  attend.  It  is  sometimes,  however,  forced  upon 
them  in  the  shape  of  penance.  When  a  friend  of 
mine  here  was  married,  it  was  necessary  that  he 
should  confess.  The  penance  imposed  on  him  for  his 
previous  negligences  and  transgressions  was,  that  he 
should  attend  church  seven  Sabbaths. 


27 


CHAPTER    II. 

FECUNDITY  OF  THE  CALIFOENIANS. FIRST    INTELLIGENCE  OF   THE    WAR. 

WILD  INDIANS    ON    BOARD    SHIP. THE  CHIEF. — FIRST    NEWSPAPER  PUB- 
LISHED IN  CALIFORNIA. RAISING  THE  M.\TERIALS. THE  RIVAL  SUITORS. 

— FLIGHT  OF  GEN.  CASTRO. A  C.\LIFORNIAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Monday,  Aug.  10.  The  fecundity  of  the  Cahfor- 
nians  is  remarkable,  and  must  be  attributed  in  no 
small  degree  to  the  effects  of  the  climate.  It  is  no 
uncommon  sight  to  find  from  fourteen  to  eighteen 
children  at  the  same  table,  with  their  mother  at  their 
head.  There  is  a  lady  of  some  note  in  Monterey, 
who  is  the  mother  of  twenty-two  living  children. 
The  youngest  is  at  the  breast,  and  must  soon,  it  is 
said,  relinquish  his  place  to  a  new-comer,  who  will, 
in  all  probability,  be  allowed  only  the  same  brevity  of 
bliss. 

There  is  a  lady  in  the  department  below  who  has 
twenty-eight  children,  all  living,  in  fine  health,  and 
who  may  share  the  "envied  kiss"  with  others  yet 
to  come.  What  a  family — what  a  wife — what  a 
mother!  I  have  more  respect  for  the  shadow  of  that 
woman  than  for  the  living  presence  of  the  mincing 
being  who  raises  a  whole  village  if  she  has  one  child, 
and  then  puts  it  to  death  with  sugar-plums.  A 
woman  with  one  child  is  like  a  hen  with  one  chicken ; 
there  is  an  eternal  scratch  about  nothing. 


28  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORMA. 

Tuesday,  Aug.  11.  A  deserter  from  Gen.  Castro's 
camp  presented  himself  at  my  office  to-day  and  gave 
himself  up  to  the  American  authorities.  He  repre- 
sents the  general  as  in  rather  a  forlorn  condition. 
His  troops,  it  appears,  are  daily  deserting  him.  His 
present  force  is  estimated  at  less  than  six  hundred. 
He  is  anxious  to  fly  into  Mexico,  but  is  unable  to 
raise  a  sufficient  number  of  volunteers.  The  ex- 
pectation here  is,  that  he  will  surrender  to  Com. 
Stockton. 

The  British  brig-of-war  Spy  anchored  in  the  harbor 
of  Monterey  this  evening.  She  is  from  San  Bias, 
with  dispatches  for  Admiral  Seymour.  Her  officers 
are  perfectly  silent  as  to  news  from  the  United  States 
and  Mexico.  She  leaves  in  a  few  hours  for  the  Col- 
lingwood  at  the  Sandwich  Islands.  She  has,  un- 
doubtedly, news  of  moment,  but  will  not  reveal  it. 

Wednesday,  Aug.  12.  The  U.  S.  ship  Warren, 
under  Commander  Hull,  arrived  this  afternoon  in 
thirty  days  from  Mazatlan,  bringing  the  eventful  in- 
telligence that  war  had  been  declared  between  the 
United  States  and  Mexico.  The  mysterious  silence  of 
the  officers  of  the  Spy  is  now  explained.  But  their 
secrecy  has  availed  them  for  only  twenty-four  hours. 

The  war  news  produced  a  profound  sensation  here. 
The  whole  population  were  instantly  thrown  into 
groups  in  the  corridors  and  at  the  corners  of  the 
streets.  The  hum  of  voices  continued  late  into  the 
night.     It  was  an  extinguisher  on  the  hopes  of  those 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  29 

who  had  looked  to  Mexico  for  aid,  or  who  had  clung 
to  the  expectation  that  the  American  government 
would  repudiate  our  possession  of  California,  and 
order  the  squadron  withdrawn.  They  now  relinquish 
all  idea  of  a  return  to  their  old  political  connection,  and 
appear  resigned  to  their  fate,  which  seems  inevitable. 
These  disappointed  families  compose  but  a  part  of  the 
population ;  another  portion  has  become  thoroughly 
wearied  with  revolutions,  and  are  prepared  to  counte- 
nance almost  any  government  that  promises  stability. 

Thursday,  Aug.  13.  The  Warren  sailed  this 
morning  for  San  Pedro,  to  convey  the  war  intelli- 
gence to  Com.  Stockton.  It  will  throw  a  new  aspect 
upon  his  operations  in  California.  Expediency  gives 
place  to  moral  necessity.  We  have  now  a  double 
motive  for  exertion — national  honor,  which  looks  at 
home,  and  an  enlarged  philanthropy,  which  looks 
here.  It  is  of  but  little  moment  what  the  ultimate 
action  of  our  government  may  be  in  reference  to 
California.  It  cannot  change  her  destiny.  She  is 
severed  forever  from  Mexico.  Should  our  govern- 
ment attempt  to  throw  her  back  on  that  country,  she 
will  not  stay  thrown  back.  The  rebound  will  carry 
her  further  off  than  ever.  She  is  on  a  wave  which 
will  not  ebb  till  this  generation  have  mouldered  in 
their  graves. 

Friday,  Aug.  14.  Sixty  of  a  tribe  of  wild  Indians, 
who  live  in  the  mountains,  about  two  hundred  miles 

3* 


30  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

distant,  made  a  descent  a  few  days  since  upon  a  farm 
within  thirty  miles  of  Monterey,  and  carried  off  a 
hundred  horses.  Twenty  of  the  tribe,  with  the  chief, 
remained  behind  to  secure  further  booty.  Intelli- 
gence of  this  having  reached  Capt.  Mervin,  he  dis- 
patched a  mounted  force,  apprehended  them  in  their 
ambush,  and  brought  them  to  Monterey,  and  delivered 
them  over  to  our  court  for  trial. 

They  were  as  wild  a  looking  set  of  fellows  as  ever 
entered  a  civil  tribunal.  The  chief  was  over  seven 
feet  high,  with  an  enormous  blanket  wrapped  round 
him  and  thrown  over  the  shoulder  like  a  Spanish 
cloak,  which  set  forth  his  towering  form  to  the  best 
advantage.  His  Ions;  black  hair  streamed  in  dark- 
ness  down  to  his  waist.  His  features  strikingly 
resembled  those  of  Gen.  Jackson.  His,  forehead  was 
high,  his  eye  full  of  fire,  and  his  mouth  betrayed  great 
decision.  His  step  was  firm  ;  his  age  must  have  been 
about  fifty.  He  entered  the  court  with  a  civil  but 
undaunted  air.  When  asked  why  he  permitted  the 
men  of  his  tribe  to  steal  horses,  he  replied  that  the 
men  who  took  the  horses  wei'e  not  properly  members 
of  his  tribe,  that  they  had  recently  attached  them- 
selves to  him,  and  now,  that  he  had  found  them 
horse-thieves,  he  should  cut  them.  I  could  get  at  no 
satisfactory  evidence  that  he,  or  the  twenty  with  him, 
had  actively  assisted  those  who  took  off  the  horses.  I 
delivered  them  over  to  Capt.  Mervin,  who  commanded 
the  military  occupation  of  the  town. 

The  United  States  troops  were  formed  into  a  hollow 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  31 

square,  and  they  were  marched  into  the  centre  where 
they  expected  to  be  shot,  and  still  not  a  muscle  shook, 
and  the  features  of  each  were  as  set  as  if  chiselled  from 
marble.  What  must  have  been  their  unbetrayed  sur- 
prise, when  Capt.  Mervin  told  them  they  were  ac- 
quitted by  the  tribunal !  He  then  told  the  chief  he 
should  recognize  him  as  king  of  the  tribe — that  he 
must  not  permit  any  of  his  men  to  commit  the  slight- 
est depredations  on  the  citizens,  that  he  should  hold 
him  responsible  for  the  conduct  of  his  tribe,  and  that 
he  must  come  and  report  himself  and  the  condition  of 
his  tribe  every  two  moons.  To  all  this  the  chief  fully 
assented. 

They  were  then  taken  on  board  the  frigate,  where 
the  crew  had  been  mustered  for  the  occasion.  Here 
they  were  told  how  many  ships,  men,  and  guns  we 
had  at  our  command ;  so  much  to  inspire  them  with 
awe  :  and  now  for  their  good  will.  The  whole  party 
were  rigged  out  with  fresh  blankets,  and  red  handker- 
chiefs for  each,  which  they  use  as  a  turban.  The 
chief  was  attired  in  a  uniform  of  one  of  our  tallest 
and  stoutest  officers  :  navy  buttons,  epauletts,  sword, 
cap  with  a  gold  band,  boots,  and  spurs ;  and  a  silver 
chain  was  put  about  his  neck,  to  which  a  medal  was 
attached,  recognizing  him  as  the  high  chief  of  the 
tribe.  He  looked  every  inch  a  chief  The  band 
struck  up  Hail  Columbia,  and  they  departed,  vowing 
eternal  allegiance  to  the  Americans.  The  sailors 
were  delighted  with  these  savages,  and  half  envied 
them  their  wild  life. 


32  THREE  YEARS  IN'   CALIFORNIA. 

Saturday,  Aug.  15.  To-day  the  first  newspaper 
ever  published  in  Cahfornia  made  its  appearance. 
The  honor,  if  sucii  it  be,  of  \vriting  its  Prospectus, 
fell  to  me.  It  is  to  be  issued  on  every  Saturday,  and 
h  published  by  Semple  and  Colton.  Little  did  I 
think  \vhen  relinquishing  the  editorship  of  the  A'^orth 
American  in  Philadelphia,  that  my  next  feat  in  this 
line  would  be  ofl"  here  in  California.  My  partner  is 
an  emigrant  from  Kentucky,  who  stands  six  feet  eight 
in  his  stockings.  lie  is  in  a  buckskin  dress,  a  fox- 
skin  cap ;  is  true  with  his  rifle,  ready  with  his  pen, 
and  quick  at  the  type-case. 

He  created  the  materials  of  our  office  out  of  the 
chaos  of  a  small  concern,  \\hich  had  been  used  by  a 
Roman  Catholic  monk  in  printing  a  few  sectarian 
tracts.  The  press  was  old  enough  to  be  preserved 
as  a  curiosity  ;  the  mice  had  burrowed  in  the  balls  ; 
there  were  no  rules,  no  leads,  and  the  types  were 
rusty  and  all  in  pi.  It  was  only  by  scouring  that  the 
letters  could  be  made  to  show  their  faces.  A  sheet 
or  two  of  tin  were  procured,  and  these,  with  a  jack- 
knife,  were  cut  into  rules  and  leads.  Luckily  we 
found,  with  the  press,  the  greater  part  of  a  keg  of  ink  ; 
and  now  came  the  main  scratch  for  paper.  None 
could  be  found,  excefpt  what  is  used  to  envelop  the 
tobacco  of  the  cigar  smoked  here  by  the  natives.  A 
coaster  had  a  small  supply  of  this  on  board,  which  we 
procured.  It  is  in  sheets  a  little  larger  than  the 
common-sized  foolscap.  And  this  is  the  size  of  our 
first  paper,  which  we  have  christened  the  Californian. 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  33 

Though  small  in  dimensions,  our  first  number  is  as 
full  of  news  as  a  black-walnut  is  of  meat.  We  have 
received  by  couriers,  during  the  week,  intelligence 
from  all  the  important  military  posts  through  the  ter- 
ritory. Very  little  of  this  has  transpired ;  it  reaches 
the  public  for  the  first  time  through  our  sheet.  We 
have,  also,  the  declaration  of  war  between  the  United 
States  and  Mexico,  with  an  abstract  of  the  debate  in 
the  senate.  A  crowd  was  waiting  when  the  first 
sheet  was  thrown  from  the  press.  It  produced  quite 
a  little  sensation.  jVever  was  a  bank  run  upon 
harder ;  not,  however,  by  people  with  paper  to  get 
specie,  but  exactly  the  reverse.  One-half  of  the 
paper  is  in  English,  the  other  in  Spanish.  The  sub- 
scription for  a  year  is  five  dollars ;  the  price  of  a 
single  sheet  is  t%velve  and  a  half  cents ;  and  is  con- 
sidered cheap  at  that. 

Sunday,  Aug.  16.  A  brilliant  day,  and  no  sounds 
to  disturb  its  tranquillity  save  the  moan  of  the  pine- 
grove  as  the  wind  sighs  through  it,  and  the  thunder 
of  the  breaking  waves  on  the  beach.  We  had  divine 
service  on  board  the  Savannah, — a  much  more  grate- 
ful occupation  to  me  than  the  investigation  of  crimes 
in  the  Alcaldean  court. 

Till  the  Americans  took  possession  of  Monterey, 
the  Sabbath  was  devoted  to  amusement.  The  Indians 
gave  themselves  up  to  liquor,  the  Mexicans  and  Cali- 
fornians  to  dancing.  Whether  the  bottle  or  the  fid- 
dle had  the  most  votaries  it  would  be  difficult  to  say. 


34  THREE  YEARS  I\  CALIFORNIA. 

But  both  had  so  many,  that  very  few  were  left  for  the 
church.  Some,  however,  attended  mass  before  they 
dressed  for  the  ball-room.  But  their  worship  and 
their  waltz  came  so  close  together,  that  a  serious 
thought  had  only  time  to  dodge  out  of  the  way. 

Monday,  Aug.  17.  A  complaint  was  lodged  in  my 
court  this  morning,  involving  the  perplexities  of  a 
love-matter.  The  complainant  is  a  Californian  mo- 
ther, who  has  a  daughter  rather  remarkable  for  her 
personal  attractions.  She  Kas  two  rival  suitors,  both 
anxious  to  marry  her,  and  each,  of  course,  extremely 
jealous  of  the  attentions  of  the  other,  and  anxious  to 
outdo  him  in  the  fervency  and  force  of  his  own  assi- 
duities. The  family  are  consequently  annoyed,  and 
desire  the  court  to  interfere  in  some  way  for  their  re- 
pose. I  issued  an  order  that  neither  of  the  rival 
suitors  should  enter  the  house  of  the  complainant, 
unless  invited  by  her,  till  the  girl  had  made  up  her 
mind  which  she  would  marry ;  for  it  appeared  she 
was  very  much  perplexed,  being  equally  pleased  with 
both  :  and  now,  I  suppose,  roses  and  all  the  other  si- 
lent tokens  of  affection  will  pass  plenty  as  protesta- 
tions before. 

"  The  course  of  true  love  never  did  run  smooth." 

Tuesday,  Aug.  18.  The  ado  made  to  reach  the 
hand  of  the  undecided  girl  shows  how  very  rare  such 
specimens  of  beauty  are  in  these  parts.  She  has 
nothing  lo  recommend  her  as  a  sober,  industrious, 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  35 

frugal  housekeeper.  She  knows  how  to  dance,  to 
play  on  the  guitar  and  sing,  and  that  is  all.  She 
would  be  as  much  lost  in  the  kitchen  as  a  dolphin  on 
dry  land.  She  would  do  to  dress  flowers  in  the  bal- 
cony of  a  millionaire,  but  as  the  wife  of  a  Californian, 
her  children  would  go  without  a  stocking,  and  her 
husband  without  a  shirt.  Her  two  suitors  own,  prob- 
ably, the  apparel  which  they  have  on  and  the  gay 
horses  which  they  ride,  but  neither  of  them  has  a  real 
in  his  pocket.  Yet  they  are  quite  ready  to  be  mar- 
ried :  just  as  if  the  honey-moon  had  a  horn  of  plenty 
instead  of  a  little  urn  of  soft  light,  which  gushes  for  a 
few  brief  nights,  and  then  leaves  its  devotee  like  one 
of  the  foolish  virgins,  whose  lamp  had  gone  out ! 

Wednesday,  Aug.  19.  Several  of  Gen.  Castro's 
officers  have  just  arrived  in  town,  delivered  them- 
selves up,  and  been  put  upon  parole.  They  state  that 
the  general's  camp,  near  the  Pueblo  de  los  Angeles, 
broke  up  a  few  days  since  in  the  night ;  that  the  gen- 
eral and  Gov.  Pico  had  started  for  Sonora  with  fifty 
men  and  two  hundred  horses ;  that  their  flight  was 
hastened  by  the  approach  of  Com.  Stockton,  with  the 
forces  of  the  Congress,  on  the  north,  and  Maj.  Fre- 
mont, with  his  riflemen,  on  the  south.  The  commo- 
dore had  reached,  it  appears,  within  a  few  hours' 
march  of  his  camp.  The  general  had  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  send  forward  in  advance  a  portion  of  his 
horses,  to  serve  as  fresh  relays  on  his  arrival.  He  ex- 
pects to  leave  Col.  Fremont  on  the  right,  and  will  be 


3t5  THREE  YEARS  IX   CALIFORNIA. 

obliged  to  cross  an  immense  sandy  plain,  lying  be- 
tween the  Pueblo  and  Red  River,  where  his  horses 
will  be  for  two  days  without  water  or  food.  He  is  to 
cross  Red  River,  a  broad  and  rapid  stream,  on  a  raft, 
the  construction  of  which  will  detain  him  a  day  ;  his 
horses  will  swim,  for  California  horses  are  trained  to 
rush  over  mountain-torrents.  The  only  hope  of  his 
capture  lies  in  his  detention  at  the  river,  unless  Col. 
Fremont,  anticipating  his  flight,  has  thrown  a  force 
south  to  intercept  him.  Once  across  the  river  he  is 
safe ;  nothing  but  a  tornado,  or  a  far-striking  thun- 
derbolt, can  overtake  a  Californian  on  horseback. 

Thursday,  Aug.  20.  An  Indian  was  brought  be- 
fore me  to-day,  charged  with  having  stolen  a  horse. 
He  was  on  his  way,  it  appears,  to  Monterey,  and 
when  within  thirty  miles,  his  own  horse  having  given 
out,  he  turned  him  adrift,  and  lassoed  one  belonging 
to  another  man,  which  he  rode  in,  and  then  set  him  at 
liberty  as  he  had  his  own.  The  owner  arrived  soon 
after,  recovered  his  horse,  and  had  the  Indian  arrest- 
ed, who  confessed  the  whole  affair,  and  only  plead  in 
excuse  that  his  own  horse  had  become  teo  tired  to  go 
further.  I  sentenced  the  Indian  to  three  months'  la- 
bor on  the  public  works.  He  seemed  at  first  very 
much  surprised  at  what  he  considered  the  severity  of 
the  sentence ;  but  said  he  should  work  his  time  out 
faithfully,  and  give  me  no  further  trouble.  As  he 
was  half-naked,  I  ordered  him  comfortable  apparel, 
and  then  deUvered  him  over  to  Capt.  Mervin,  to  be 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  37 

employed  in  excavating  a  trench  around  the  newly- 
erected  fort. 

Friday,  Aug.  21.  A  Californian  is  most  at  home 
in  his  saddle  ;  there  he  has  some  claims  to  originality, 
if  not  in  character  then  in  costume.  His  hat,  with 
its  conical  crown  and  broad  rim,  throws  back  the 
sun's  rays  from  its  dark,  glazed  surface.  It  is  fast- 
ened on  by  a  band  which  passes  under  his  chin,  and 
rests  on  a  red  handkerchief,  which  turbans  his  head, 
from  beneath  which  his  black  locks  flow  out  upon  the 
wind. 

The  collar  of  his  linen  rolls  over  that  of  his  blue 
spencer,  which  is  open  under  the  chin,  is  fitted  close- 
ly to  his  waist,  and  often  ornamented  with  double 
rows  of  buttons  and  silk  braid.  His  trowsers,  which 
are  fastened  around  his  loins  by  a  red  sash,  are  open 
to  the  knee,  to  which  his  buckskin  leggins  ascend 
over  his  white  cotton  drawers.  His  buckskin  shoes 
are  armed  with  heavy  spurs,  which  have  a  shaft  some 
ten  inches  long,  at  the  end  of  which  is  a  roller,  which 
bristles  out  into  six  points,  three  inches  long,  against 
which  steel  plates  rattle  with  a  quick,  sharp  sound. 

His  feet  rest  in  stirrups  of  wood,  carved  from  the 
solid  oak,  and  which  are  extremely  strong  and  heavy. 
His  saddle  rises  high  fore  and  aft,  and  is  broadly 
skirted  with  leather,  which  is  stamped  into  figures, 
through  the  interstices  of  which  red  and  green  silk 
flash  out  with  gay  effect.  The  reins  of  his  bridle  are 
thick  and  narrow,  and  the  headstall  is  profusely  orna- 

4 


38  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

mented  with  silver  plate.  His  horse,  with  his  long 
flowinff  mane,  arching  neck,  broad  chest,  full  flanks, 
and  slender  legs,  is  full  of  fire.  He  seldom  trots,  and 
will  gallop  all  day  without  seeming  to  be  weary.  On 
his  back  is  the  Californian's  home.  Leave  him  this 
home,  and  you  may  have  the  rest  of  the  world. 

Saturday,  Aug.  22.  Our  little  paper,  the  Califor- 
nian,  made  its  appearance  again  to-day.  Many  sub- 
scribers have  sent  in  their  names  since  our  last,  and 
all  have  paid  in  advance.  It  is  not  larger  than  a  sheet 
of  foolscap  ;  but  this  foolscap  parallel  stops,  I  hope, 
with  the  shape.  Be  this  as  it  may,  its  appearance  is 
looked  for  with  as  much  interest  as  was  the  arrival  of 
the  mail  by  the  New  Yorkers  and  Bostonians  in  those 
days  when  a  moon  waxed  and  waned  over  its  transit. 

Sunday,  Aug.  23.  Officiated  to-day  on  board  the 
Savannah.  There  is  no  Protestant  church  here. 
Emigrants  have  generally  become  Roman  Catholics. 
Policy,  rather  than  persuasion  or  conviction,  sug- 
gested it.  Men  who  make  no  pretensions  to  religion, 
have  nothing  to  give  up  in  the  shape  of  creeds  or 
conscientious  scruples.  They  are  like  driftwood, 
which  runs  into  the  eddy  which  is  the  strongest ;  or 
like  migratory  birds,  which  light  where  they  can  find 
the  best  picking  and  the  softest  repose.  The  wood- 
pecker never  taps  an  undecayed  tree  ;  and  a  world- 
ling seldom  embraces  a  thoroughlv  sound  faith. 


39 


CHAPTER    III. 

A  THIEF    OBEYING      ORDERS. — GAME. — NO      PENITENTIARY     SYSTEM. — THK 
CALIFORNIA  CART  ON  A  GALA-DAY. — THE    RUNAWAY    DAUGHTER. — FAITH 

OF  THE  INDIANS. RETURN    FROM    THE  WAR. FIR.ST    TRIAL  BY  JURY. 

INDIAN  AND  HIS  SQUAW  ON  THE  HUNT. WHALES  IN  THE  BAY. THE  TWO 

GAMBLERS. LADIES     ON     HORSEBACK. MERRIMENT     IN      DEATH. — THE 

ENGLISHMAN  AND  HIS  MISTRESS. 

Monday,  Aug.  24.  One  of  our  officers,  bound 
with  dispatches  to  San  Juan,  fell  in  with  an  Indian 
to-day,  on  a  horse,  without  saddle  or  bridle,  save  a 
lasso ;  and  knowing  from  this  circumstance  that  he 
had  stolen  the  animal,  ordered  him  to  come  to  Mon- 
terey and  deliver  himself  up  to  the  alcalde,  and  then 
passed  on.  So  on  the  Indian  came  with  the  horse, 
and  presented  himself  at  our  office. 

I  asked  him  what  he  wanted  ;  he  told  me  the  order 
he  had  received ;  but  I  could  not  at  first  comprehend 
its  import,  and  inquired  of  him  if  he  knew  why  the 
order  had  been  given  him.  He  replied,  that  it  was 
in  consequence  of  his  having  taken  the  horse  of  an- 
other man.  I  asked  him  if  he  had  stolen  the  animal ; 
he  said  yes,  he  had  taken  him,  but  had  brought  him  in 
here  and  given  himself  up  as  ordered ;  that  he  could 
not  escape,  as  the  Americans  were  all  over  California. 
I  told  him  stealing  a  horse  was  a  crime,  and  sentenced 
him  to  three  months'  labor  on  the  public  works.  He 
was  half  naked.     I  ordered  him  comfortable  clothes, 


40  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

and  gave  him  a  plug  of  tobacco,  and  in  an  hour  he 
•svas  at  his  task,  chewing  and  cheerful.  He  is  not 
wanting  in  intelligence  ;  and  if  he  only  had  as  much 
respect  for  the  rights  of  property  as  he  has  for  mili- 
tary orders,  he  might  be  a  useful  member  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Oats  in  California  grow  wild.  The  last  crop  plants 
the  next,  without  the  aid  of  man.  The  yield  is  suffi- 
cient to  repay  the  labors  of  the  husbandman,  but  is 
gratuitously  thrown  at  his  feet.  But  the  fecundity 
of  nature  here  is  not  confined  to  the  vegetable  king- 
dom, it  is  characteristic  of  the  animals  that  sport  in 
wild  life  over  these  hills  and  valleys.  A  sheep  has 
two  lambs  a  year;  and  if  twins,  four:  and  one  litter 
of  pigs  follows  another  so  fast  that  the  squeelers  and 
grunters  are  often  confounded. 

Wednesday,  Aug.  26.  The  Californians  breakfast 
at  eight,  dine  at  twelve,  take  tea  at  four,  supper  at 
eight,  and  then  go  to  bed — unless  there  is  a  fandango. 
The  supper  is  the  most  substantial  meal  of  the  three, 
and  would  visit  anybody  but  a  Californian  with  the 
nightmare.  But  their  constant  exercise  in  the  open 
air  and  on  horseback,  gives  them  the  digestion  of  the 
ostrich. 

The  only  meat  consumed  here  to  any  extent  is 
beef.  It  is  beef  for  breakfast,  beef  for  dinner,  and 
beef  for  supper.  A  pig  is  quite  a  rarity  ;  and  as  for 
chickens,  they  are  reserved  for  the  sick.  The  woods 
are  full  of  partridges  and  hare ;  the  streams  and  la- 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA,  41 

goons  are  covered  with  ducks  and  wild  geese  ;  and  the 
harbor  abounds  witli  the  most  delicious  fish.  But  no 
Californian  will  angle  or  hunt,  while  he  has  a  horse 
or  saddle  left.  And  as  for  the  Indians,  but  very  few 
of  them  have  any  hunting  gear  beyond  the  bow  and 
arrow ;  with  these  they  can  kill  the  deer  and  elk,  but 
a  partridge  and  hare  are  too  shy  and  too  quick.  They 
spear  a  large  salmon  which  frequents  Carmel  river, 
three  miles  distant,  and  bring  it  in  to  market.  This 
fish  is  often  three  feet  long,  extremely  fat,  and  of  a 
flavor  that  takes  from  Lent  half  the  merit  of  its  absti- 
nence. Spearing  them  is  high  sport  for  the  Indian, 
and  is  another  feature  in  California  life. 

Thursday,  Aug.  27.  Nothing  puzzles  me  so  much 
as  the  absence  of  a  penitentiary  system.  There  are 
no  work-houses  here  ;  no  buildings  adapted  to  the 
purpose  ;  no  tools,  and  no  trades.  The  custom  has 
been  to  fine  Spaniards,  and  whip  Indians.  The  dis- 
crimination is  unjust,  and  the  punishments  ill  suited 
to  the  ends  proposed.  I  have  substituted  labor  ;  and 
have  now  eight  Indians,  three  Californians,  and  one 
Englishman  at  work  making  adobes.  They  have  all 
been  sentenced  for  stealing  horses  or  bullocks.  I 
have  given  them  their  task :  each  is  to  make  fifty 
adobes  a  day,  and  for  all  over  this  they  are  paid. 
They  make  seventy-five,  and  for  the  additional  twen- 
ty-five each  gets  as  many  cents.  This  is  paid  to 
them  every  Saturday  night,  and  they  are  allowed  to 
get  with  it  any  thing  but  rum.     They  are  comfort- 

4* 


42  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORXIA. 

ably  lodged  and  fed  by  the  government.  I  have 
appointed  one  of  their  number  captain.  They  work 
in  the  field  ;  require  no  other  guard ;  not  one  of  them 
has  attempted  to  run  away. 

Friday,  Aug.  28.  The  ox-cart  of  the  Californian 
is  quite  unique  and  primitive.  The  wheels  are  cut 
transversely  from  the  butt-end  of  a  tree,  and  have 
holes  through  the  centre  for  a  huge  wood  axle.  The 
tongue  is  a  long,  heavy  beam,  and  the  yoke  resting 
on  the  necks  of  the  oxen,  is  lashed  to  their  horns, 
close  down  to  the  root ;  from  these  they  draw,  in- 
stead of  the  chest,  as  with  us ;  and  they  draw  enor- 
mous loads,  but  the  animals  are  large  and  powerful. 

But  to  return  to  the  cart.  On  gala  days  it  is  swept 
out,  and  covered  with  mats ;  a  deep  body  is  put  on, 
which  is  arched  with  hoop-poles,  and  over  these  a 
pair  of  sheets  are  extended  for  a  covering.  Into  this 
the  ladies  are  tumbled,  when  three  or  four  yoke  of 
oxen,  with  as  many  Indian  drivers,  and  ten  times  as 
manv  dogs,  start  ahead.  The  hallooing  of  the  dri- 
vers,  the  barking  of  the  dogs,  and  the  loud  laughter 
of  the  girls  make  a  common  chorus.  The  quail  takes 
to  the  covert  as  the  roaring  establishment  comes  on, 
and  even  the  owl  suspends  his  melancholy  note. 
What  has  his  sad  tone  to  do  amid  such  noise  and 
mirth  ?  It  is  like  the  piping  cry  of  an  infant  amid 
the  revelry  and  tumult  of  the  carnival, 

Saturday,  Aug.  29.    Four  Californians — a  girl,  her 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  43 

father,  mother,  and  lover,  all  well  clad  and  good-look- 
ing— presented  themselves  before  me  to-day.  The 
old  man  said  he  had  come  to  reclaim  his  daughter, 
who  had  run  away  with  the  young  Mexican, — that  he 
had  no  objection  to  his  marrying  her,  but  this  run- 
ning away  with  her  didn't  look  decent.  The  rash 
lover  stated  in  his  defence  that  he  was  ready  to 
marry  her,  had  run  away  with  her  for  that  purpose, 
had  placed  her  immediately  wnth  his  sister,  and  that 
she  was  still  as  chaste  and  pure  as  the  driven  snow. 
To  all  this  the  father  and  mother  assented. 

I  now  expected  we  should  have  a  wedding  at  once, 
and  that  I  might  be  called  upon  to  officiate.  But  to 
my  utter  surprise,  on  asking  the  girl  if  she  insisted  on 
marrying  her  lover,  she  declined.  She  said  her  es- 
cape with  him  was  a  wild  freak  ;  she  had  now  got 
over  it,  and  wished  to  return  with  her  father.  This 
fell  like  a  death-knell  on  the  ears  of  her  lover,  who 
again  protested  his  affection  and  her  purity.  Having 
been  once  myself  a  disappointed  suitor,  I  had  a  fel- 
low feeling  for  him,  and  advised  the  girl  to  marry 
him  ;  but  she  said  no,  that  she  had  changed  her  mind  : 
so  I  delivered  her  to  her  father,  and  told  my  brother 
in  misfortune  he  must  wait ;  that  a  woman  who  had 
changed  her  mind  once  on  such  a  subject,  would 
change  it  again. 

Sunday,  Aug.  30.  Several  gentlemen  and  ladies 
of  Monterey  were  present  to-day  at  our  service  on 
board  the  Savannah.     I  have  it  in  contemplation  to 


44  TIIEEE  YEAKS  I\  CALIFORXIA. 

establish  a  service  on  shore.  There  are  plenty  of 
halls,  which  are  now  used  for  dancing,  and  I  should 
have  as  little  scruple  in  converting  one  of  them  into 
a  church,  as  Father  Whitfield  had  in  appropriating 
to  his  use  the  popular  airs  of  the  day,  when  he  said 
he  had  no  notion  of  letting  the  devil  run  away 
with  all  the  fine  tunes.  Blessings  on  the  memory 
of  that  devoted  missionary  !  ,  He  has  embalmed  in 
his  church  melodies  that  wdll  live  when  the  profane 
lyres  from  which  they  flowed  have  long  since  been 
silent. 

The  wild  Indians  here  have  a  vague  belief  in  the 
soul's  immortalit}-.  They  say,  "  as  the  moon  dieth 
and  cometh  to  life  again,  so  man,  though  he  die,  will 
again  live."  But  their  future  state  is  material ;  the 
wicked  are  to  be  bitten  by  serpents,  scorched  by 
lightning,  and  plunged  down  cataracts  ;  while  the 
good  are  to  hunt  their  game  with  bows  that  never 
lose  their  vigor,  with  arrows  that  never  miss  their 
aim,  and  in  forests  where  the  crystal  streams  roll 
over  golden  sands.  Immortal  youth  is  to  be  the  por- 
tion of  each ;  and  age,  and  pain,  and  death,  are  to  be 
known  no  more. 

Monday,  Aug.  31.  I  am  at  last  forced  into  a 
systematic  arrangement  of  my  time  ;  without  it,  I 
could  never  get  through  with  my  duties.  I  rise  with 
the  sun,  read  till  eight  o'clock,  and  then  breakfast ; 
at  nine,  enter  on  my  duties  as  alcalde,  which  confine 
me  till  three,  r.  .m.,  then  dine ;  and  at  four  take  my 


THREE  YEARS   IN  CALIFORNIA.  45 

gun  and  plunge  into  the  woods  for  exercise  and  par- 
tridges ;  return  at  sunset,  take  tea,  and  in  the 
evening  write  up  my  journal,  and  an  editorial  for  the 
Californian. 

When  the  Sabbath  comes,  I  preach ;  my  sermons 
are  composed  in  the  woods,  in  the  court-room,  or  in 
bed,  just  where  I  can  snatch  a  half-hour.  I  often 
plan  them  while  some  plaintiff  is  spinning  a  long 
yarn  about  things  and  matters  in  general,  or  some 
defendant  is  losing  himself  in  a  labyrinth  of  apolo- 
getic circumstances.  By  this  forbearance  both  are 
greatly  relieved  ;  one  disburdens  himself  of  his 
grievances,  the  other  lightens  his  guilt,  and,  in  the 
mean  time,  my  sermon  develops  itself  into  a  more 
tangible  arrangement.  My  text  might  often  be — 
"  And  he  fell  among  thieves." 

Tuesday,  Sept.  1.  It  is  singular  how  the  Cal- 
ifornians  reckon  distances.  They  will  speak  of  a 
place  as  only  a  short  gallop  off,  when  it  is  fifty  or  a 
hundred  miles  distant.  They  think  nothing  of  riding 
a  hundred  and  forty  miles  in  a  day,  and  breaking 
down  three  or  four  horses  in  doing  it,  and  following 
this  up  by  the  week.  They  subsist  almost  exclu- 
sively on  meat,  and  when  travelling,  sleep  under  the 
open  sky.  They  drive  their  ox-carts,  loaded  with 
lumber  or  provisions,  two  hundred  miles  to  market. 
Their  conceptions  seem  to  annihilate  space. 

Wednesday,  Sept.  2.     The  officers  of  Gen.  Castro 


46  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

have  been  permitted  to  return  to  their  homes,  after 
having  taken  an  oath  that  they  w^ill  not,  on  pain  of 
death,  be  found  in  arms  against  the  United  States 
during  the  existence  of  the  present  war.  A  few, 
perhaps  from  national  pride,  refused  at  first  the  oath, 
but  were  compelled  to  take  it,  or  be  treated  as  pris- 
oners of  war.  They  of  course  preferred  the  former. 
The  ladies  don't  seem  to  care  much  about  these  nice 
points  in  military  etiquette  :  they  want  their  hus- 
bands at  home  ;  and  their  return,  though  on  parole, 
is  the  signal  for  getting  up  a  ball.  A  Californian 
would  hardly  pause  in  a  dance  for  an  earthquake,  and 
would  be  pretty  sure  to  renew  it,  even  before  its  vi- 
brations had  ceased.  At  a  wedding  they  dance  for 
three  days  and  nights,  during  which  time  the  new- 
married  couple  are  kept  on  their  feet.  No  compas- 
sion is  shown  them,  as  they  have  so  much  bliss  in 
reserve. 

Thursday,  Sept.  3.  Dispatches  were  received 
this  morning,  by  courier,  froni  Com.  Stockton,  dated 
at  the  Pueblo  de  los  Angeles.  They  contain  his 
second  address  to  the  people  of  California,  which  de- 
fines the  new  attitude  in  which  the  country  is  placed 
by  the  declaration  of  war  between  the  United  States 
and  Mexico.  The  address  is  humane  in  its  tone, 
expansive  and  vigorous  in  its  spirit.  It  has  had  the 
salutary  effect  to  set  the  community  at  rest,  by  es- 
tablishing in  the  minds  of  the  wavering  the  full  con- 
viction that  California  is  henceforth  a  part  of  the 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  47 

United  States.  Ex-Gov.  Pio  Pico,  it  seems,  did  not 
escape  with  Gen.  Castro,  but  has  surrendered  to  the 
commodore.  He  is  one  of  the  few  who  commanded 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  pubHc. 

Friday,  Sept.  4.  I  empannelled  to-day  the  first 
jury  ever  summoned  in  CaHfornia.  The  plaintiff  and 
defendant  are  among  the  principal  citizens  of  the 
country.  The  case  was  one  involving  property  on 
the  one  side,  and  integrity  of  character  on  the  other. 
Its  merits  had  been  pretty  widely  discussed,  and  had 
called  forth  an  unusual  interest.  One-third  of  the 
jury  were  Mexicans,  one-third  Californians,  and  the 
other  third  Americans.  This  mixture  may  have 
the  better  answered  the  ends  of  justice,  but  I  was 
apprehensive  at  one  time  it  would  embarrass  the 
proceedings ;  for  the  plaintiff  spoke  in  English,  the 
defendant  in  French,  the  jury,  save  the  Americans, 
Spanish,  and  the  witnesses  all  the  languages  known 
to  California.  But  through  the  silent  attention  which 
prevailed,  the  tact  of  Mr.  Hartnell,  who  acted  as  in- 
terpreter, and  the  absence  of  young  lawyers,  we  got 
along  very  well. 

The  examination  of  the  witnesses  lasted  five  or  six 
hours ;  I  then  gave  the  case  to  the  jury,  stating  the 
questions  of  fact  upon  which  they  were  to  render 
their  verdict.  They  retired  for  an  hour,  and  then 
returned,  when  the  foreman  handed  in  their  verdict, 
which  was  clear  and  explicit,  though  the  case  itself 
was  rather  complicated.     To  this  verdict,  both  parties 


48  THREE  YEARS   IX   CALIFORNIA. 

bowed  without  a  word  of  dissent.  The  inhabitants 
who  witnessed  the  trial,  said  it  was  what  they  liked — 
that  there  could  be  no  bribery  in  it — that  the  opinion 
of  twelve  honest  men  should  set  the  case  forever  at 
rest.  And  so  it  did,  though  neither  party  completely 
triumphed  in  the  issue.  One  recovered  his  property, 
which  had  been  taken  from  him  by  mistake,  the 
other  his  character,  which  had  been  slandered  by 
design.  If  there  is  any  thing  on  earth  besides  re- 
ligion for  which  I  would  die,  it  is  the  right  of  trial 
^y  jury. 

Saturday,  Sept.  5.  I  encountered  on  my  hunting 
excursion  to-day  a  wild  Indian,  with  a  squaw  and 
papoose.  They  were  on  horses,  he  carrying  his  bow, 
with  a  large  quiver  of  arrows  hung  at  his  side,  and 
she  W'ith  the  child  in  the  bunt  of  her  blanket,  at  the 
back.  They  w-ere  dashing  ahead  in  the  wake  of  their 
dogs,  which  were  in  hot  chase  of  a  deer.  The  squaw 
stuck  to  her  fleet  animal  as  firmly  as  the  saddle  in 
which  she  sat,  and  took  but  little  heed  of  the  bogs 
and  gullies  over  which  she  bounded.  His  glance 
was  directed  to  a  ridge  of  rocks,  over  which  he 
seemed  to  expect  the  deer  to  fly  from  the  field  of 
wild  oats  through  which  the  chase  lay.  I  w^atched 
them  till  they  disappeared  in  their  whirlwind  speed 
over  the  ridge.  Whether  the  deer  fell  into  their 
hands  or  escaped,  I  know  not ;  but  certainly  I  would 
not  hazard  my  neck  as  they  did  theirs  for  all  the 
game  even  in   the  California  forests.     But  this,  to 


TIUIEE   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA.  49 


them,  is  lile ;  they  seek  no  repose  between  the  cradle 
and  the  grave. 


Sunday,  Sept.  6.  The  bell  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
chm'ch,  which  has  been  silent  some  weeks,  rung  out 
loud  and  clear  this  morning.  I  directed  the  prisoners, 
sentenced  to  the  public  works,  to  be  taken  to  the  ser- 
vice. I  had  given  them  soap,  and  sufficient  time  to 
clean  their  clothes,  on  Saturday ;  though  having  but 
one  suit,  they  had  only  their  blankets  for  covering 
while  these  were  washing  and  drying.  With  a  ma- 
rine at  their  head,  armed  and  equipped,  they  made 
quite  a  respectable  appearance.  Their  conduct,  du- 
ring service,  was  reported  to  me  as  very  becoming. 
They  may  yet  reform,  and  shape  their  lives  after  the 
precepts  of  morality  and  religion.  My  own  service 
was  on  board  the  Savannah,  where  we  had  the  offi- 
cers of  the  Erie. 

Monday,  Sept.  7.  We  have  been  looking  for  a 
whale-ship,  or  spouter,  as  she  is  called  by  our  sailors, 
to  come  in  here,  and  take  care  of  the  whales  which 
are  blowing  around  us.  One  belonging  to  the  gen- 
uine old  Nantucket  line,  came  to  anchor  last  evening. 
She  had  been  on  the  northwest  coast  in  pursuit  of 
the  black  whale ;  but  found  them  so  wild,  owing  to 
the  havoc  that  has  been  made  among  them,  that  she 
captured  but  very  few. 

This  morning  her  boats  were  lowered,  and  their 
crews  put  off  in  pursuit  of  one  of  these  monsters, 

o 


50  THREE   YEARS   IN   CALIFORMA. 

The  fellow  plunged  as  they  approached,  and  was  out 
of  si^ht  for  some  minutes,  when  he  hove  up  at  a  dis- 
tance.  "There  she  blows!"  was  the  cry,  and  off 
they  darted  again  ;  but  by  the  time  they  had  gained 
the  spot  another  plunge  was  heard,  and  only  a  deep 
foaming  eddy  remained.  The  next  time  she  lifted 
they  were  more  successful,  and  lodged  one  of  their 
harpoons.  The  reel  was  soon  out,  and  away  the  boat 
flew,  like  a  little  car  attached  to  a  locomotive.  But 
the  harpoon  at  last  slipped  its  hold,  and  the  whale 
escaped.  The  loss  seemed  proportionate  to  the  bulk 
of  the  monster. 

Tuesday,  Sept.  8.  We  have  had  for  the  last  five 
days  hardly  an  hour  of  sunshine,  owing  to  the  dense 
fogs  which  prevail  here  at  this  season.  These  murky 
vapors  fill  the  whole  atmosphere ;  you  seem  to  walk 
in  them  alone,  like  one  threading  a  mighty  forest. 
A  transcendentalist  might  easily  conceive  himself  a 
ghost,  wandering  among  the  cypresses  of  a  dead 
world.  But,  being  no  ghost  or  transcendentalist,  I 
had  a  fire  kindled,  and  found  refuge  from  the  fog  in 
its  cheerful  light  and  warmth. 

Wednesday',  Sept.  9.  A  Californian  came  into 
my  court  in  great  haste  last  evening,  and  complained 
that  another  Californian  w^as  running  away  with  his 
oxen.  Suspecting  the  affliir  had  some  connection 
with  a  gambling  transaction,  Iiimmediately  handed 
him  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  the  fugitive,  w'hen  oflf 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA,  51 

he  started  at  the  top  of  his  speed  to  execute  it.  In 
less  than  an  hour  he  returned  with  his  pinsoner. 

I  then  asked  the  plaintiff  if  the  oxen  were  his ;  he 
said  they  were.  I  asked  him  of  whom  he  obtained 
them ;  he  said  of  the  man  who  attempted  to  run 
away  with  them.  I  asked  him  what  lie  gave  for 
them ;  this  was  a  puzzler,  but  after  hemming  and 
hawing  for  a  minute,  he  said  he  had  played  for  them, 
and  won  them.  I  asked  him  what  else  he  had  won 
of  the  man ;  he  replied,  the  poncho,  and  a  thin  jacket, 
both  of  which  he  had  on.  I  then  ordered  them  both 
into  the  calaboose  for  the  night.  The  winner,  who 
had  apprehended  the  other,  and  who,  no  doubt,  ex- 
pected to  get  the  oxen  at  once,  looked  quite  con- 
founded. 

This  morning  I  had  the  two  gamblers  before  me : 
neither  of  them  looked  as  if  he  had  relished  much  his 
prison-couch.  I  made  the  winner  return  all  his  ill- 
gotten  gains,  oxen,  poncho,  and  jacket,  and  then  fined 
them  each  five  dollars.  The  one  who  had  served  the 
warrant  shrugged  his  shoulders,  as  if  he  had  made 
a  great  mistake.  There  was  no  escape  from  the 
judgment,  so  they  paid  their  fine  and  departed.  The 
next  time  they  gamble,  they  will  probably  settle 
matters  between  themselves,  without  a  resort  to  the 
alcalde. 

Thursday,  Sept.  10.  My  alcalde  duties  required 
me  to-day  to  preside  at  the  executive  sale  of  two 
dwelling-houses  and  a  store.     I  was  about  as  au  fait 


52  THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

at  the  business  as  Dr.  Johnson  at  the  auction  of 
widow  Thraies'  brewery,  when  he  informed  the  bid- 
ders, in  his  towering  language,  that  he  offered  them, 
not  a  few  idle  vats  and  worms,  but  the  "  potentiality 
of  becoming  rich."  The  property  sold  well,  forty 
per  cent,  higher  than  it  would  under  the  Mexican 
flag.  All  real  estate  has  risen  since  our  occupation 
of  the  territory.  This  tells  what  the  community 
expects,  in  terms  which  none  can  mistake.  A  Cali- 
fornian  told  me  to-day  that  he  considered  his  lands 
worth  forty  thousand  dollars  more  than  they  were 
before  our  flag  was  hoisted.  The  old  office-holders 
may,  perhaps,  grumble  at  the  change,  but  they  whose 
interest  lies  in  the  soil  silently  exult.  They  desire 
no  ebb  in  the  present  tide  of  political  affairs. 

Friday,  Sept.  11.  An  express  came  in  to-day, 
bringing  the  intelligence  that  a  thousand  Wallawalla 
Indians  had  reached  the  Sacramento  from  Oregon. 
They  have  come,  as  the  express  states,  to  avenge  the 
death  of  a  young  chief,  who  was  wantonly  and  wick- 
edly kilied  about  a  year  since,  by  an  American  emi- 
grant. They  belong  to  a  tribe  remarkable  for  their 
intelligence,  hardihood,  and  valor.  Their  occupation 
is  that  of  trappers,  and  they  are  thoroughly  used  to 
fire-arms.  Capt.  Mervin  has  sent  a  force  from  the 
Savannah,  and  Capt.  Montgomery  another  from  the 
Portsmouth,  to  arrest  their  progress.  Capt.  Ford, 
with  his  company  of  California  rangers,  who  under- 
stand the  bush-fight,  will  also  be  on  the  spot. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  53 

Saturday,  Sept.  12.  My  partner  in  the  "Cali- 
fornian"  has  been  absent  several  weeks.  All  the 
work  of  the  office  has  devolved  upon  a  sailor,  who 
has  set  the  type  for  the  whole  paper,  with  fingers  stiff 
as  the  ropes  around  which  they  have  coiled  them- 
selves into  seeming  fixtures.  Yet  the  "  Californian" 
is  out,  and  makes  a  good  appearance.  Who  would 
think,  except  in  these  uttermost  ends  of  the  earth,  of 
issuing  a  weekly  journal,  with  only  an  old  tar  to  set 
the  type,  and  without  a  solitary  exchange  paper !  By 
good  fortune,  a  hunter  brought  along  a  copy  of  the 
"Oregon  Spectator;"  it  was  quite  a  windfall,  though 
the  only  intelligence  it  contained  from  the  United 
States,  was  that  brought  its  editor  by  some  overland 
emigrant.  The  "  Spectator"  speaks  of  the  institu- 
tions of  the  "City  of  Oregon"  with  as  much  reverence 
as  if  they  had  the  antiquity  of  the  Egyptian  Pyra- 
mids ;  when  there  is  scarce  a  crow's  nest  which  does 
not  date  further  back.  But  age  is  no  certain  evi- 
dence of  merit,  since  folly  runs  to  seed  as  fast  as 
wisdom. 

5* 


54 


CHAPTER    IV. 

FUNERAL    CEREMONIES. — ELECTED    ALCALDE. FLIGHT    OF    GEN.  CASTRO. — • 

LOS  ANGELES  TAKEN. OVEN-BATH. GROG  IN  A  CHIMNEY. — THE  FLEA. 

FIRST  RAIN. RISING  OF  THE  CALIFOKNIANS. MEASURES  OF  COM.  STOCK- 
TON.— MORMONS. 

Sunday,  Sept.  13.  Officiated  to-day  on  board  the 
Savannah,  and  called  on  my  way  to  see  a  sick  child, 
whose  mother  seems  at  a  loss  whether  to  grieve  or 
rejoice  in  prospect  of  its  death.  If  it  dies,  she  says  it 
will  at  once  become  a  little  angel :  if  it  lives,  it  will 
l)e  subject  to  sorrow  and  sin.  She  desires,  for  her 
sake,  that  it  may  live;  but,  for  its  own,  that  it  may 
die.  This  balancing  between  life  and  death,  is  com- 
mon here  among  mothers.  Their  full  persuasion  of 
an  infant's  future  bliss,  forbids  that  they  should  mourn 
its  loss.  They  therefore  put  on  no  weeds,  and  utter 
no  lamentations.  The  child,  when  its  pure  spirit  has 
fled,  is  dressed  in  white,  and  stainless  roses  are  strewn 
upon  its  little  shroud.  It  is  borne  to  the  grave  as  if 
it  were  to  be  laid  at  the  open  portal  of  heaven,  and 
few  are  the  tears  which  fall  on  that  threshold  of  im- 
mortal bhss. 

Monday,  Skpt.  14.  A  letter  from  the  Sacramento, 
received  to-day,  informs  me  of  the  arrival  of  two 
thousand  emigrants  from  the  United  States.  They 
are  under  the  guidance  of  experienced  men,  and  have 


THREE  YEARS  IN'  CALIFORNIA.  55 

been  but  a  little  over  four  months  on  the  way.  The 
Mormons  are  selecting  the  site  of  their  city,  which 
they  intend  shall  be  the  paradise  of  the  west. 

Tuesday,  Sept.  15.  The  citizens  of  Monterey  elect- 
ed me  to-day  alcalde,  or  chief  magistrate  of  this  juris- 
diction— a  situation  which  I  have  been  filling  for  two 
months  past,  under  a  military  commission.  It  has 
now  been  restored  to  its  civil  character  and  func- 
tions. Their  election  is  undoubtedly  the  highest 
compliment  which  they  can  confer  ;  but  this  token  of 
confidence  brings  with  it  a  great  deal  of  labor  and 
responsibility.  It  devolves  upon  me  duties  similar  to 
those  of  mayor  of  one  of  our  cities,  without  any  of  those 
judicial  aids  which  he  enjoys.  It  involves  every 
breach  of  the  peace,  every  case  of  crime,  every  busi- 
ness obligation,  and  every  disputed  land-title  within  a 
space  of  three  hundred  miles.  From  every  other  al- 
calde's court  in  this  jurisdiction  there  is  an  appeal  to 
this,  and  none  from  this  to  any  higher  tribunal.  Such 
an  absolute  disposal  of  questions  affecting  property 
and  personal  Hberty,  never  ought  to  be  confided  to 
one  man.  There  is  not  a  judge  on  any  bench  in 
England  or  the  United  States,  whose  power  is  so  ab- 
solute as  that  of  the  alcalde  of  Monterey. 

Wednesday,  Sept.  16.  The  Congress,  bearing  the 
broad  pennant  of  Com.  Stockton,  returned  last  even- 
ing from  her  trip  to  the  south.  She  has  captured, 
during  her  absence,  Santa  Barbara,  San  Pedro,  and 


56  THREE  YEARS   IS   CALIFORNIA. 

the  Pueblo  de  los  Angeles.     Over  these  the  American 
flag  is  now  flying. 

Gen.  Castro  hud  taken  up  his  position  just  outside 
the  Pueblo,  on  an  elevation  which  commands  the 
town  and  adjacent  country.  He  was  well  supplied 
with  field-pieces,  and  had  a  force  of  seven  hundred 
men.  Com.  Stockton  landed  at  San  Pedro  with  three 
hundred  seamen  and  marines  from  the  Congress,  and 
marched  against  him.  His  route,  which  extended 
some  thirty  miles,  lay  through  several  narrow  passes, 
which  Gen.  Castro  might  easily  have  defended  against 
a  much  superior  force.  But  the  general  kept  in  his 
entrenched  camp ;  and  informed  the  commodore  by 
a  cou^rier,  that  if  he  marched  upon  the  thwn  he  would 
find  it  the  grave  of  his  men.  "Then,"  said  the  com- 
modore, "  tell  the  general  to  have  the  bells  ready  to 
toll  in  the  morning  at  eight  o'clock,  as  I  shall  be  there 
at  that  time."  He  was  there  ;  but  Castro,  in  the 
mean  time,  had  broken  up  his  camp,  mounted  with 
an  armed  band,  and  fled  towards  Sonora,  in  Mexico. 
The  town  was  taken,  the  American  flag  hoisted  and 
cheered. 

Thursday,  Sept.  17.  The  U.  S.  ship  Cyane,  under 
Commander  Du  Pont,  proceeded  from  this  port  to 
San  Diego,  took  that  important  place,  and  landed 
Col.  Fremont,  with  his  riflemen,  who  hastened  to  cut 
oflT  the  retreat  of  Castro.  He  would  have  done  it 
could  he  have  anticipated  his  route ;  but  to  overtake 
him  was  impossible,  as  the  general  had  taken  the  pre- 


THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  57 

caution  to  send  on  in  advance  relays  of  fresh  horses, 
sufficient  to  take  him  and  his  band  beyond  the  reach 
of  any  pursuit. 

Friday,  Sept.  18.  A  bearer  of  dispatches  from 
Commodore  Stockton  to  our  government  is  to  leave 
to-morrow  morning  in  the  Erie,  and  we  are  all  busy 
in  writing  letters  home  by  him.  The  Erie  is  to  take 
the  dispatch-bearer  to  Panama,  and  then  proceed  to 
the  Sandwich  Islands.  We  have  not  received  any 
letters  from  home  since  we  sailed  from  Callao ;  the 
year  has  rolled  from  the  buds  of  spring  into  the  sear 
leaf  of  autumn  since  any  intelligence  has  reached  us 
from  those  we  love.  Death  may  have  stricken  them 
into  the  grave,  but  the  sad  tidings  is  yet  a  melancholy 
secret.  We  ought  to  have  a  regular  mail  between 
the  United  States  and  California.  We  seem  remark- 
ably eager  to  possess  ourselves  of  foreign  territory, 
and  then  leave  the  wild  geese  to  convey  all  intelli- 
gence. If  the  land  is  only  ours,  and  those  at  home 
can  hear  from  it  once  in  fifty  or  a  hundred  years,  that 
will  do ;  a  more  frequent  communication  would  be 
quite  superfluous.  Had  we  possessed  Egypt  in  the 
days  of  Cheops,  all  information  would  still  be  con- 
sidered seasonable  which  should  come  when  his  pyra- 
mid had  crumbled. 

Saturday,  Sept.  19.  I  encountered  to-day  a  com- 
pany of  Californians  on  horseback,  bound  to  a  pic- 
nic, each  with  his  lady  love  on  the  saddle  before  him. 


58  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

He,  as  in  duty  bound,  rides  behind,  throws  his  teet 
forward  into  the  stirrups,  liis  left  hand  holds  the  reins, 
his  riffht  encircles  and  sustains  her,  and  there  she  rides 
safe  as  a  robin  in  its  nest ;  sprigs  of  evergreen,  with 
wild  flowers,  wave  in  her  little  hat,  and  larger  clusters 
in  his  ;  both  are  gayly  attired,  and  smiles  of  light  and 
love  kindle  in  their  dark  expressive  eyes.  Away  they 
gallop  over  hill  and  valley,  waking  the  wild  echoes  of 
the  wood.  One  of  my  hunting  dogs  glanced  at  them 
for  a  while,  and  seemed  so  tickled,  he  had  to  plunge 
into  the  bushes  to  get  rid  of  his  mirth. 

Sunday,  Sept.  20.  At  the  invitation  of  Captain 
Richardson,  I  preached  this  afternoon  on  board  the 
Brooklyn.  The  crew  assembled  in  the  cabin,  which 
the  captain  had  converted  for  the  occasion  into  a 
chapel.  None  attended  by  compulsion,  but  all  were 
present  of  their  free  will.  The  good  order  and  re- 
spectful attention  which  prevailed  showed  the  spirit 
which  pervaded  the  ship,  and  conveyed  a  testimony 
of  the  wise  and  Christian  conduct  of  the  captain 
which  none  could  mistake.  I  have  never  met  with  a 
ship  where  a  greater  degree  of  harmony  and  alacrity 
in  duty  were  observable  ;  all  this,  too,  without  any  re- 
sort to  physical  force ;  such  is  the  result  of  moral  in- 
fluence when  brought  into  full  play.  Give  us  more  of 
this  in  the  navy. 

Monday,  Sept.  21.  A  Californian  mother  came  to 
me  to-day  to  plead  her  son  out  of  prison.     He  had 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  59 

driven  off  a  herd  of  cattle  \Yhich  had  another  owner, 
and  sold  them,  and  I  had  sentenced  him  to  the  public 
works  for  a  year.  She  felt  as  a  good  mother  must 
feel  for  her  son,  and  plead  for  his  liberation  with  a 
pathos  that  half  shook  my  resolution.  Nothing  but 
an  iron  sense  of  duty  kept  me  firm.  There  is  some- 
thing in  a  mother's  tears  which  is  almost  irresistible  ; 
she  wept  and  trembled,  and  would  have  kneeled,  but 
I  would  not  let  her.  I  lifted  her  to  her  feet,  and  told 
her  I  once  had  a  mother,  and  knew  what  her  sorrows 
were.  I  told  her  I  would  liberate  her  son  if  I  could, 
but  it  was  impossible ;  law  and  justice  were  against 
it.  But  if  he  behaved  well,  I  would  take  off  a  few 
months  from  the  close  of  the  year  ;  and  in  the  mean 
time  she  might  see  him  as  often  as  she  desired.  She 
thanked  me,  lingered  as  if  she  would  plead  again,  and 
departed.    What  depths  there  are  in  a  mother's  soul ! 

Tuesday,  Sept.  22.  The  frigate  Savannah  sailed 
this  morning  for  San  Francisco.  She  left  her  berth, 
where  she  has  lain  since  our  flag  was  raised  here,  and 
with  her  royals  set,  glided  gracefully  out  of  the  bay. 
The  Congress  gave  her  three  cheers  as  she  passed, — 
still  she  goes  with  a  heavy  heart.  The  time  of  her 
crew  is  out ;  they  are  almost  half  the  circuit  of  the 
globe  from  their  home,  and  have  now,  seemingly,  as 
little  prospect  of  reaching  it  as  they  had  a  year  since. 
Com.  Stockton  went  on  board  a  few  days  since  and 
addressed  them,  but  even  with  his  happy  tact  in  in- 
spiring enthusiasm,  it  was  difficult  to   arouse  their 


GO  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

despondency,  and  make  them  cheerful  in  a  resignation 
to  their  lot.  The  war  being  against  a  power  un- 
armed at  sea,  is  with  them  a  mere  bubble.  To  chase 
or  capture  a  privateer  is  a  game  not  worth  the  candle. 
Were  an  English  or  French  squadron  in  this  ocean, 
in  declared  hostility,  they  would  not  murmur  while 
a  tattered  sail  could  be  set,  or  a  shot  be  found  in 
the  locker.   ' 

Wednesday,  Sept.  23.  I  was  waked  this  morning 
by  sounds  of  merriment  in  the  street.  Day  had  only 
begun  to  glimmer,  and  its  beam  was  contending  with 
the  glare  of  rockets,  flashino-  over  the  lino-erinff  shad- 
ows  of  night.  The  child  which  I  had  visited  a  few 
evenings  since  had  died,  and  this  was  its  attendant 
ceremony  to  the  grave.  It  had  become,  in  the  ap- 
prehension of  those  who  formed  the  procession,  a 
little  angel — and  they  were  expressing  their  joy  over 
the  transformation.  The  disruption  of  ties  which 
bound  it  here — its  untimely  blight — and  the  darkness 
of  the  grave — were  all  forgotten.  Its  little  coffin 
was  draped  in  white,  and  garlanded  with  flowers ; 
and  voices  of  gladness,  ringing  out  from  childhood 
and  youth,  heralded  its  flight  to  a  better  world. 

Thursday,  Sept.  24.  An  Englishman  called  at 
the  court  to-day,  and  desired  me  to  issue  a  warrant 
for  the  apprehension  of  his  mistress,  who  he  said  had 
run  away  and  carried  off*  a  rich  shawl  and  diamond 
breastpin  which  did  not  belong  to  her.     I  told  him. 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  61 

when  he  entered  into  a  criminal  compact  of  that 
kind  with  a  person,  he  might  expect  just  such  resuhs 
as  he  had  experienced, — and  as  for  a  warrant,  I  should 
issue  none,  and  would  not  if  she  had  carried  off  every 
thing  in  his  house,  and  him  too ;  for  I  should  consider 
the  community  quit  of  two  persons  who  could  in  no 
way  benefit  its  morals.  He  looked  not  a  little  sur- 
prised at  this  decision,  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and 
departed.  The  first  thing  a  foreigner  does  here  is  to 
provide  himself  with  a  horse ;  the  second,  with  a 
mistress ;  the  third,  with  a  pack  of  cards.  These, 
with  a  bottle  of  aguardiente,  are  his  capital  for  this 
world  and  the  next.  This  is  true  of  many,  but  not 
all ;  there  are  some  high  and  honorable  exceptions. 

Friday,  Sept.  25.  The  Congress  left  her  moor- 
ings last  evening,  and  held  her  course  majestically 
out  of  the  bay  for  San  Francisco.  Com.  Stockton 
proposes,  while  there,  to  construct  batteries  which 
can  command  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  and  afford 
protection  to  our  merchantmen  in  the  absence  of  our 
squadron.  The  new  city  will  probably  be  located 
before  his  return.  It  is  the  point  towards  which  all 
eyes  are  now  turned.  The  tide  of  emigration  is  set- 
ting there  with  as  much  steadiness  and  strength  as 
the  rivers  which  roll  into  its  capacious  bosom.  The 
day  is  coming  when  the  spires  of  a  great  city  will  be 
mirrored  in  its  waters. 

Saturday,  Sept.  2G.     The  Indians  here  are  prac- 
6 


G2  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORMA. 

tical  Thomsonians  or  Hydropathists ;  they  sweat  for 
every  kind  of  disease.  Their  bath  is  a  large  ground- 
oven,  to  which  you  descend  by  a  flight  of  narrow 
steps,  and  which  has  a  small  aperture  at  the  top  for 
the  escape  of  the  smoke.  In  the  centre  of  this  they 
build  a  fire,  close  the  entrance,  and  shut  themselves 
in  till  the  temperature  reaches  an  elevation  which 
throws  them  into  a  profuse  perspiration.  They  then 
rush  out  and  plunge  themselves  into  a  stream  of  cold 
water.  This  is  repeated  every  day  till  the  disease 
leaves  or  death  comes. 

But  many,  without  any  ailment,  resort  to  this  bath 
as  a  luxury.  They  will  stay  in  the  oven  till  they  are 
hardly  able  to  crawl  out  and  reach  the  stream.  It  is 
great  fun  for  the  more  sturdy  ones  to  lift  out  the  ex- 
hausted and  dash  them  in  the  flood.  You  hardly 
expect  to  see  them  rise  again,  but  up  they  come,  and 
regain  the  earth  full  of  life  and  vigor.  The  reaction 
is  instantaneous,  and  the  effect,  I  have  no  doubt,  in 
many  cases  beneficial.  It,  at  least,  gives  them  a  good 
washing,  which  they  would  hardly  get  without,  and 
which  they  too  often  need.  The  Indian  also  takes  to 
the  water  to  quench  the  flames  of  rum.  His  poor 
mortal  tenement  is  often  wrapped  in  such  a  confla- 
gration. It  would  be  a  good  thing  if  all  the  rum- 
drinkers  could  be  marched  once  a  week  under  the 
falls  of  Niagara. 

Sunday,  Sept.  27.  There  is  no  day  in  the  week 
in  which  mv  feelings  run  homeward  so  stronglv  as  on 


THREE   YEARS   IN  CALIFORNIA.  G3 

the  Sabbath.  That  day  makes  me  feel  indeed  as  an 
exile.  A  vast  moral  desolation  spreads  around  me  : 
only  here  and  there  a  speck  of  verdure  sprinkles  the 
mighty  waste.  All  else  is  bleak  and  barren.  You 
turn  your  eyes  to  the  hills  where  you  were  born,  the 
church  where  you  were  baptized,  and  would  rush 
back  to  them  on  the  steep  wave  of  time. 

Monday,  Sept.  28.  When  Monterey  was  taken  by 
our  squadron,  an  order  was  issued  by  the  commander- 
in-chief  that  all  the  grog-shops  should  be  closed.  The 
object  of  this  was  to  prevent  disorder  among  the  pop- 
ulace and  among  the  sailors,  whose  duties  as  a  patrol 
confined  them  to  the  shore.  It  was  with  great  diffi- 
culty that  this  order  could  be  enforced.  All  moder- 
ate fines  failed  to  secure  its  observance.  The  price  of 
aguardiente  rose  to  four  and  five  dollars  the  bottle, 
more  than  ten  times  its  original  cost :  for  such  a  pre- 
mium the  shopkeeper  would  run  the  hazard  of  the 
penalty. 

We  searched  for  it  as  for  hid  treasures,  but  only  in 
one  instance  found  its  hiding-place.  This  was  in  a 
chimney,  hanging  about  midway  from  the  top.  When 
discovered,  the  shopkeeper  laughed  as  loudly  as  they 
who  made  the  search.  He  was  fined,  not  for  having 
grog  in  his  chimney,  for  that  is  a  very  good  place  for 
it,  but  for  retailing  it  at  his  counter.  An  offer  of  four 
or  five  dollars  from  a  customer  never  failed  to  bring 
down  a  bottle.  He  paid  his  fine  of  twenty-five  dol- 
lars, but  begged  hard  for  the  liquor.     I  took  it  into 


Gl  THREE  YEARS  IX  CALIFORNIA. 

my  custody,  and  told  him  to  call  for  it  when  the  last 
American  man-of-war  had  left  port. 

Tuesday,  Sept.  29.  A  brother  and  sister  of  a 
Mexican  family  applied  to  me  to-day  for  permission 
to  leave  their  mother.  On  inquiring  the  cause  of  this 
singular  request,  they  stated  that  their  father  was 
dead,  and  that  their  mother  by  her  immoralities  had 
brought  sore  discredit  on  their  house.  I  ascertained 
from  other  sources  the  truth  of  their  statement,  and 
then  gave  them  permission  to  rent  another  dwelling. 
They  were  both  modest  and  genteel  in  their  appear- 
ance, but  jealousy  of  a  sister's  fair  reputation  had  pre- 
vailed with  the  brother  over  filial  affection.  And  yet 
when  he  spoke  of  his  mother  his  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

Wednesday,  Sept.  30.  An  express  amved  last 
night  from  the  Pueblo  below,  bringing  the  startling 
intelligence  that  the  populace  had  risen  upon  the 
small  American  force  left  there  under  command  of 
Capt.  Gillespie — that  the  insurgents  had  entire  pos- 
session of  the  town — that  the  Americans  were  closely 
besieged  in  their  quarters,  and  it  was  doubtful  if  they 
would  be  able  to  hold  out  much  longer.  The  express 
stated  that  he  left  the  town  under  a  volley  of  mus- 
ketry, which  he  narrowly  escaped,  but  whch  took 
such  deadly  effect  on  his  horse,  that  he  dropped  under 
him  about  two  leagues  out. 

He  had  a  permit  from  the  American  alcalde  to 
press  horses  wherever  found.     He  rode  the  whole 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  65 

distance — four  hundred  and  sixty  miles — in  fifty-two 
hours,  during  which  time  he  had  not  slept.  His  in- 
tellisience  was  for  Com.  Stockton,  and  in  the  nature 
of  the  case  was  not  committed  to  paper,  except  a  few 
words  over  the  signature  of  the  alcalde,  rolled  in  a 
cigar,  which  was  fastened  in  his  hair.  But  the  com- 
modore had  sailed  for  San  Francisco,  and  it  was 
necessary  he  should  go  on  a  hundred  and  forty  miles 
further.  He  was  quite  exhausted ;  I  ordered  him 
a  bowl  of  strong  coffee,  which  revived  him,  and  a 
hearty  supper,  which  he  eagerly  devoured.  He  was 
allowed  to  sleep  three  hours :  in  the  mean  time  I  pro- 
cured fresh  horses,  and  penned  a  permit  for  him  to 
press  others  when  these  should  begin  to  flag.  Before 
the  day  glimmered  he  was  up  and  away. 

Thursday,  Oct.  1.  Com.  Stockton,  before  the  de- 
parture of  the  Congress,  appointed  T.  H.  Green,  Esq., 
collector  of  customs  at  this  port.  Mr.  G.  is  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  has  resided  in  this  country  several 
years,  and  enjoys  a  wide  reputation  for  business 
habits,  and  sterling  integrity  of  character.  Mr.  Hart- 
y-jVell,  an  Englishman  by  birth,  has  been  appointed  in- 
spector and  translator.  He  is  familiar  with  all  the 
languages  spoken  in  California,  and  filled  the  same 
office  under  the  Mexican  government  to  which  he 
has  been  appointed  under  this.  But  we  are  gratified 
with  his  appointment  for  another  reason.  He  has 
some  twenty  children  of  his  own,  and  in  addition  to 
these,  five  adopted  orphans. 

G* 


66  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORMA. 

Friday,  Oct.  2.  A  Spaniard  of  some  note  and 
noise  here,  and  consul  of  her  Christian  Majesty,  at- 
tempted in  court  to-day  to  flourish  down  the  claim  of 
an  humble  Californian  to  \\hom  he  was  indebted  some 
eight  hundred  dollars.  He  said  this  creditor  was 
once  his  servant,  that  he  could  neither  read  nor  write, 
and  that  he  felt  quite  indignant  that  he  should  have 
th»  assurance  to  bring  him  into  court.  I  told  him  the 
first  question  was,  whether  he  really  owed  the  man 
the  amount  claimed :  this  being  settled,  we  could 
very  easily  dispose  of  the  belles-lettres  part  of  the 
matter.  He  at  first  recollected  nothing,  except  that 
the  man  had  once  been  his  servant,  but  on  beinar 

o 

shown  the  account,  reluctantly  admitted  that  it  might 
be  correct.  I  told  him,  if  correct,  and  he  had  the 
means,  he  must  pay  it,  though  the  creditor  were  fresh 
from  Congo.  Finding  that  we  had  in  our  court  only 
a  horizontal  justice,  holding  its  level  line  alike  over 
kings  and  slaves,  he  signed  an  obligation  for  the  pay- 
ment in  six  months,  and  gave  the  security  required. 
So  much  for  attempting  to  liquidate  a  debt  by  an 
hidalgo  flourish.  Law  which  fails  to  protect  the 
humble,  disgraces  the  name  which  it  bears. 

Saturday,  Oct.  3.  A  heavy  mist  hung  over  the 
landscape  this  morning  till  the  sun  was  high  in  the 
heavens,  and  many  began  to  predict  rain,  a  phenome- 
non which  I  have  not  yet  witnessed  in  California. 
But  towards  noon  the  mist  departed  like  a  shadow 
di.ssolved  in  liaht.      The  scorched   hills  hfted   their 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  67 

naked  summits,  and  the  deep  ravines  revealed  their 
irregular  lines  of  lingering  verdure.  In  these  the 
cattle  still  graze,  though  the  streams  which  once 
poured  their  waters  through  them  exist  now  only  in 
little  motionless  pools,  hardly  sufficient  to  drift  a  duck. 
A  stranger  looking  at  these  hills  might  be  excused  if 
he  inquired  the  distance  to  Sodom.  It  would  never 
enter  his  most  vagrant  dreams  that  he  had  reached 
that  land  towards  which  the  tide  of  emigration  was 
rolling  over  the  cliffs  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Sunday,  Oct.  4.  The  presiding  priest  of  this  ju- 
risdiction applied  to  me  a  few  days  since  to  protect 
the  property  of  the  San  Antonio  Mission.  A  Span- 
iard, it  seems,  who  owns  a  neighboring  rancho,  had, 
under  color  of  some  authority  of  the  late  administra- 
tion, extended  his  claims  over  the  grounds  and  build- 
ings, and  was  appropriating  the  whole  to  his  private 
purposes.  I  summoned  the  Spaniard  before  me,  and 
asked  for  the  evidence  of  his  right  and  title  to  the  es- 
tablishment. He  had  no  document  to  exhibit.  His 
sole  claim  evidently  rested  in  some  vague  permission, 
in  which  the  lines  of  moral  justice  were  wholly  omit- 
ted, or  too  faintly  drawn  to  be  seen. 

I  therefore  ordered  that  the  mission  buildings  and 
grounds  should  be  delivered  back  to  the  presiding 
priest,  and  that  the  fixtures,  which  had  been  removed, 
should  at  once  be  restored.  The  order  was  forthwith 
carried  into  effect.  This  decision  is  of  some  moment, 
as  it  will  serve  as  a  precedent  in  reference  to  other 


08  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORXIA. 

missions.  These  sacred  domains  are  the  patrimonial 
inheritance  of  the  Indian,  and  they  once  embraced 
the  wealth  of  California.  But  they  have  fallen  a  prey 
to  state  exigencies  and  private  rapacity.  They  ought 
at  once  to  be  restored  to  their  primitive  objects,  or 
converted  into  a  school-fund. 

Monday,  Oct.  5.  A  courier  arrived  to-day  from 
San  Francisco,  bringing  the  intelligence  that  the  Sa- 
vannah had  sailed  for  San  Pedro.  They  will  there 
land  a  large  force,  which  will  march  at  once  to  the 
Pueblo  de  los  Angeles,  and,  if  possible,  bring  the  in- 
surgents to  an  engagement.  But  the  probability  is, 
that  they  will  instantly  disband  and  fly  to  the  forests. 
If  they  declined  battle,  with  Gen.  Castro  and  his  reg- 
ular troops  at  their  head,  they  will  undoubtedly  do  it 
when  left  to  themselves,  unless  frantic  passion  has 
entirely  overcome  inherent  fickleness. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  G.  The  usual  rate  of  interest  for 
money  loaned  here  on  good  security,  is  twenty-four 
per  cent.  This  is  sufficient  evidence  of  its  scarcity, 
and  yet  it  is  almost  valueless  when  you  come  to  the 
question  of  labor.  A  foreigner  may  be  induced  to 
work  for  money,  but  not  a  Californian,  so  long  as  he 
has  a  pound  of  beef  or  a  pint  of  beans  left.  Nor  is  it 
much  better  willi  the  Indian  :  take  from  him  the  in- 
ducements to  labor  which  rum  and  gambling  present, 
and  he  will  refuse  to  work  for  you.  The  blanket, 
wliich  he  wore  last  year,  will  answer  for  this  ;  his 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  69 

shirt  and  pants  can  easily  be  repaired ;  his  food  is  in 
every  field  and  forest,  and  he  seems  to  have  as  little 
scruple  in  taking  it  from  the  one  as  the  other. 

Hunger  is  unknown  here ;  the  man  who  has  not  a 
foot  of  land  seems  about  as  independent  as  he  who 
has  his  ten-league  farm,  and  has  vastly  less  trouble 
and  vexation.  It  is  true  he  will  now  and  then  kill  a 
bullock  that  is  not  his,  but  the  fact  that  there  are  vast 
herds  roaming  about  which  never  had  an  owner, 
seems,  in  his  estimation,  greatly  to  diminish  the  pri- 
vate trespass  w^hich  he  commits.  It  is  v/ith  him  only 
as  if  he  had  taken  a  pickerel  from  a  pond  instead  of 
the  ocean. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  7.  The  great  Mormon  compa- 
ny, wdio  came  out  in  the  Brooklyn,  have  had  a  split. 
The  volcano,  it  seems,  has  been  rumbling  for  some 
time,  and  has  at  last  broke  forth  in  flame.  The  ex- 
plosion will  undoubtedly  throw  them  into  different 
parts  of  California,  and  defeat  any  attempts  at  a  dis- 
tinct political  community.  The  difficulty  lay  in  the 
assumptions  of  the  leader.  He  has  all  the  ambition 
of  their  lost  prophet,  without  any  of  his  affected  meek- 
ness. He  attempted  the  iron  rod,  without  first  hav- 
ing persuaded  those  who  Avere  to  feel  its  force  that  it 
had  been  put  in  his  hands  by  a  higher  povver. 

Thursday,  Oct.  8.  One  of  the  rooms  in  the  house 
which  I  have  rented,  has  been  occupied  by  some  of 
the  goods  and  chattels  of  the  previous  tenant.     To- 


70  THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA, 

day  they  were  called  for,  and  I  observed  among  them 
a  large  basket  filled  with  egg-shells.  They  had  been 
perforated  at  both  ends,  and  their  contents  blown 
out.  But  to  what  use  could  any  one  put  these  empty 
shells  ?  They  had  been  prepared,  it  seems,  for  the 
festivities  of  the  carnival.  On  this  occasion  they 
are  to  be  filled  with  scented  water  or  tinsel,  the 
apertures  closed  with  wax,  and  then  broken,  in  mer- 
riment, over  the  heads  of  guests.  This  liberty  with 
caps  and  wigs  is  warranted  only  where  some  inti- 
macy exists  between  the  parties.  Where  this  is 
found,  the  eggs  fall  thick  as  hail.  The  young  and 
old  float  in  lavender  and  cologne.  This  expensive 
frolic  is  often  indulged  in  by  those  who,  perhaps, 
have  hardly  money  enough  left  to  purchase  one  of 
the  forty  hens  that  laid  the  eggs. 

Friday,  Oct.  9.  The  trouble  of  young  and  old 
here  is  the  flea.  The  native  who  is  thorou2;hlv  inured 
to  his  habits  may  little  heed  him,  but  he  keeps  the 
stranger  in  a  constant  nettle.  One  would  suppose, 
from  his  indiscriminate  and  unmitigated  hostility,  he 
considered  himself  the  proprietor  of  all  California. 
Indeed,  he  does  seem  to  be  the  genuine  owner  of  the 
soil,  instead  of  a  tenant  at  will.  It  is  true  he  may 
construct  no  dwellings,  but  he  will  plant  himself  in 
every  nook  and  corner  of.  the  one  which  you  may 
construct.  He  jumps  into  your  cradle,  jumps  with 
you  all  along  tlnuugh  life,  and  well  would  it  be  for 
those  who  remain  if  he  jumped  with  you   out  of  it. 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CAMIOUNJA.  71 

But  no,  he  remains  still ;  and  grief  for  your  loss  will 
half  forget  its  bereavement  in  parrying  his  assaults. 

Saturday,  Oct.  10.  We  are  waiting  with  some 
anxiety  for  news  from  the  Pueblo  de  los  Angeles.  A 
rumor  reached  here  yesterday,  that  the  small  Ameri- 
can force  there  would  not  be  able  to  hold  out  much 
longer  against  the  overwhelming  odds  of  the  insur- 
gents. But  the  Savannah  must  by  this  time  have 
reached  San  Pedro,  and  her  crew  be  on  their  march 
to  the  scene  of  action.  They  are  a  body  of  brave, 
unflinching  men,  and  are  commanded  by  officers  of 
great  firmness  and  force.  A  sailor  on  land  never 
thinks  of  running  more  than  he  would  at  sea.  He 
is  trained  to  stand  to  his  post,  and  will  do  so  on  the 
field  as  well  as  the  deck.  The  last  man  who  left  the 
ground  in  that  disreputable  retreat  from  Bladensburg 
was  a  sailor.  When  the  rest  were  far  out  of  sight  he 
remained  at  his  gun,  and  was  wadding  home  to  give 
the  enemy  another  shot.  In  the  fight  of  the  Essex 
many  threw  themselves  out  of  the  ports,  determined 
to  drown  sooner  than  surrender. 

Sunday,  Oct.  11.  Another  bright  and  beautiful 
Sabbath  has  dawned  ;  but  there  is  little  here  to  re- 
mind one  of  its  sacredness.  A  few  of  the  larger 
stores  are  closed,  but  the  smaller  shops  are  all  open. 
More  liquors  are  retailed  on  this  day  than  any  other 
three.  I  have  the  power  to  close  these  shops,  and 
shall  do  it. 


CHAPTER      V. 

FIKE  OS  THE  MOUNTAINS. EMIGRANTS. — PISTOLS  AND  PILLOWS. — LEADERS 

OK  THE  I.VSURRECTION. — CALIFORNIA   PLOUGH. — DEFEAT   AT    SAX  PEDRO. 

— COL.  Fremont's  band. — the  malek  adhel. — monteret  threatened. 

soldier  outwitted. — RAISING  MEN. BRIDEGROOM. — CULPRITS. 

Monday,  Oct.  12.  A  wide  conflagration  is  sweep- 
ing over  the  hills. which  encircle  the  bay  of  Monte- 
rey. The  forests,  and  the  grass  with  which  they  are 
feathered,  are  as  dry  as  tinder,  and  the  flame  rolls  on 
with  its  line  of  fire  clearly  and  fearfully  defined. 
This  has  become  still  more  grand  and  awful  since 
the  night  set  in.  The  clouds  seem  to  float  in  an  at- 
mosphere of  fire  ;  and  the  billows,  as  they  roll  to  the 
rock-bound  shore,  are  crested  with  flame.  The  birds 
are  flying  from  their  crackling  covert,  and  the  wolves 
go  howling  over  the  hills.  It  is  a  t3pe  of  that  final 
conflagration  in  which  the  great  frame  of  nature  will 
at  last  sink. 

TuESD.w,  Oct.  13.  Emigrants  from  the  United 
States  are  still  pouring  into  the  rich  valley  of  the 
Sacramento.  A  letter  from  one  of  them  says  : — "  It 
may  not  be  uninteresting  to  you  to  know  that  the 
emigrants  by  land  the  present  season  far  exceed  the 
expectation  of  the  most  sanguine.  No  less  than  two 
thousand  are  now  in  the  interior,  and  within  a  hun- 
dred miles  of  the  settlements.     Thev  brine:  with  them 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  73 

a  large  amount  of  intelligence,  wealth,  and  industry, 
all  of  which  are  greatly  needed  in  their  new  home. 
The  Mormons  alone  have  a  train  of  more  than  three 
hundred  wagons." 

These  emigrants  will  change  the  face  of  California. 
We  shall  soon  have  not  only  the  fruits  of  nature,  but 
of  human  industry.  We  shall  soon  be  able  to  get  a 
ball  of  butter  without  churning  it  on  the  back  of  a 
wild  colt ;  and  a  potatoe  without  weighing  it  as  if  it 
were  a  doubloon.  Were  it  possible  for  a  man  to  live 
without  the  trouble  of  drawing  his  breath,  I  should 
look  for  this  pleasing  phenomenon  in  California. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  14.  The  success  of  the  insur- 
gents at  the  south  has  emboldened  the  reckless  here. 
Bands  have  been  gathering  in  the  vicinity  to  make  a 
night  assault  on  Monterey.  Their  plan  is  to  capture 
or  drive  out  the  small  American  force  here,  and  plun- 
der the  town.  Those  engaged  in  it  are  men  of  des- 
perate fortunes.  The  streets  to-day  have  been  barri- 
caded, and  the  true  and  trusty  among  the  citizens 
have  been  formed  into  a  night  patrol.  I  sleep  with 
my  rifle  at  my  bedside,  and  with  two  pistols  under 
my  pillow.  My  servant,  who  is  a  brave  little  fellow, 
is  also  armed  to  the  teeth.  He  ought  to  be  brave, 
for  he  was  born  in  St.  Helena,  close  to  the  tomb  of 
Napoleon,  and  must  have  caught  some  fire  from  the 
hero's  ashes.  My  house  has  grated  windows,  and  an 
entrance  that  is  easily  defended  against  odds,  so  that 
we  shall  probably  make  a  pretty  good  fight  of  it. 

7 


74  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

One  thing  is  certain,  neither  of  us  go  out  alive.  I 
will  not  be  taken,  tortured,  and  hacked  to  pieces,  as 
two  of  our  countrymen  were  a  few  months  since. 

Thursday,  Oct.  15.  No  assault  yet ;  but  a  com- 
pany of  horsemen  have  been  seen  to-day  crossing  the 
southern  plain,  and  winding  off  behind  the  hills  at 
the  west.  They  have,  as  a  messenger  informs  us, 
joined  another  party  much  larger  than  their  own,  and 
are  now  encamped  in  the  woods.  The  citizens  here 
who  have  been  true  to  our  flag,  feel  deeply  alarmed ; 
and  in  truth  they  have  some  occasion,  for  if  the  town 
is  sacked  they  will  be  among  the  first  sufferers.  I 
have  sent  an  express  to  Com.  Stockton,  who  is  at 
San  Francisco,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  raising 
and  dispatching  a  heavy  force  for  San  Pedro.  He 
will  be  here  with  the  Congress  as  fast  as  the  winds 
and  waves  can  bring  him. 

Friday,  Oct.  16.  Our  relief  has  come.  The  Con- 
gress arrived  to-day,  and  the  commodore  immediately 
landed,  under  Capt.  Maddox,  U.  S.  marine  corps,  a 
sufficient  force  to  repel  any  attack  that  may  be  made. 
Our  friends  now  breathe  more  freely.  They  may  go 
outside  the  town  without  the  fear  of  having  their  re- 
treat cut  off  by  a  flying  horseman,  and  sleep  at  night 
without  the  apprehension  of  awaking  under  a  flaming 
roof.  The  noble  tars  of  the  Congress,  when  they  saw 
our  flag  still  flying  on  the  fort,  hailed  it  with  three 
stout  cheers,  which  were  heard  over  all  Monterey. 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  75 

They  feared,  and  not  without  reason,  that  it  had  been 
captured  ;  and  when  tliey  saw  it  still  streaming  on  the 
wind,  their  enthusiasm  and  joy  broke  forth. 

Saturday,  Oct.  17.  As  soon  as  the  intelligence 
of  the  insurrection  below  reached  Com.  Stockton,  he 
dispatched  the  Savannah  to  San  Pedro ;  and  sent 
fast  in  her  wake  a  quick  coaster,  with  Col.  Fremont 
and  two  hundred  riflemen  on  board,  who  are  to  land 
in  the  night  at  Santa  Barbara,  and  take  the  place  by 
surprise.  This  was  managed  with  so  much  celerity 
and  secrecy,  that  the  disaffected  here  are  still  ignorant 
of  the  fact. 

What  will  be  the  surprise  of  the  insurgents  at  los 
Angeles,  if  defeated  by  the  forces  of  the  Savannah,  to 
find  their  retreat  cut  off"  by  the  riflemen  of  Col.  Fre- 
mont !  Between  these  two  fires  there  will  be  little 
chance  of  escape.  Not  a  few  of  them  have  given 
their  parol  of  honor  that  they  will  not,  on  pain  of 
death,  take  up  arms  against  the  United  States.  They 
are  now  in  the  field,  and  their  treachery  may  cost 
them  their  lives.  It  is  painful,  but  may  be  necessary 
to  make  examples  of  them.  California  will  never 
have  any  repose  while  they  are  in  it.  They  have 
headed  every  revolution  that  has  taken  place  for 
years,  and  they  have  now  headed  their  last. 

Sunday,  Oct.  18.  I  issued,  a  few  days  since,  an 
ordinance  against  gambling — a  vice  which  shows  it- 
self here  more  on  the  Sabbath  than  any  other  day  of 


76  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

the  week.  The  effect  of  it  has  been  to  drive  the 
gamblers  from  the  town  into  the  bushes.  I  have  been 
informed  this  evening,  that  in  a  ravine,  at  a  short  dis- 
tance, some  thirty  individuals  have  been  engaged 
through  the  day  in  this  desperate  play.  They  selected 
a  spot  deeply  embowered  in  shade,  and  escaped  the 
eye  of  mv  constables.  But  there  is  an  eye  from  the 
glance  of  which  the  gloom  of  the  forest  and  even  the 
recesses  of  night  afford  no  refuge. 

Monday,  Oct.  19.  Some  twenty  men  left  the  pre- 
cincts of  Monterey,  last  night,  to  join  the  insurgents 
at  the  south.  They  are  all  men  of  desperate  fortunes, 
and  may  find  that  they  have  started  too  late.  They  who 
have  been  duped  may  perhaps  be  spared,  but  the  ring- 
leaders are  doomed.  There  is  only  one  resting-place 
for  them  in  California.  He  who  breaks  his  solemnly 
plighted  faith,  can  claim  no  mercy  for  the  past  and 
no  confidence  for  the  future. 

Were  this  frantic  insurrection  sustained  by  the 
slightest  probability  of  success,  it  would  relieve,  per- 
haps, its  madness  and  atrocity.  But  they  who  insti- 
gated it  knew  it  must  end  in  disaster  and  blood. 
They  knew  its  only  trophies  must  be  a  little  plunder, 
cursed  by  the  crimes  through  which  it  had  been  pro- 
cured. They  threw  themselves  down  this  cataract, 
and  will  never  again  reascend  its  steep  wave. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  20.  The  mode  of  cultivating  land 
in  California  is  eminently  primitive.    In  December  or 


<i  ^ 


^•'*^- 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  77 

January  they  take  a  piece  of  wood  in  the  shape  of  a 
ship's  knee,  dress  it  down  a  Uttle  with  a  dull  axe,  and 
spike  a  piece  of  iron  to  the  lower  point.  A  pole,  by 
which  the  oxen  draw,  runs  from  the  inner  bend  of  the 
knee  to  the  yoke.  This  pole  has  a  mortise,  about 
eight  inches  long,  made  slanting,  and  about  a  foot 
from  the  after  end  ;  a  piece  of  wood,  about  two  inches 
by  six,  runs  up  through  the  plough  and  pole,  and  is  so 
wedged  into  the  mortise  of  the  pole,  as  to  make  the 
plough  run  shallow  or  deep  as  required.  But  if  the 
ground  happens  to  be  hard  the  plough  will  not  enter 
an  inch,  and  if  there  are  roots  in  the  ground  it  must 
be  lifted  over,  or  it  will  be  invariably  broken.  Such 
is  a  California  plough ;  such  a  fair  specimen  of  the 
arts  here. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  21.  If  late  in  the  season,  the 
Californian  rarely  prepares  the  ground  by  any  furrow- 
ing attempts.  He  scatters  the  seed  about  the  field, 
and  then  scratches  it  in  with  the  thing  which  he  calls 
a  plough.  Should  this  scratching  fail  of  yielding 
him  sixty  bushels  to  the  acre,  he  grumbles.  In  reap- 
ing he  cuts  so  high,  to  save  a  little  trouble  in  thresh- 
ing, which  is  done  here  by  horses,  that  he  loses  one- 
eighth  of  his  crop ;  but  this  eighth  serves  for  seed  the 
next  season ;  and  what  to  him  is  better  still,  saves  the 
trouble  of  sowing.  So  that  his  second  crop  plants  it- 
self from  the  first,  and  is  often  nearly  as  large  as  its 
predecessor.  Even  the  third  self-planted  crop  is  quite 
respectable,  and  would  satisfy  a  New  England  farmer 


78  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

for  his  laborious  toil ;  but  here  it  generally  goes  to  the 
blackbirds. 

Thursday,  Oct.  22.  A  mother  came  to  me,  to-day, 
with  a  request  that  I  would  summon  before  me  an- 
other woman,  who  had  slandered  her  daughter.  1 
tried  to  dissuade  her  from  it — told  her  that  persevering 
virtue  would  outlive  all  scandal.  But  she  said  she 
was  a  poor  widow,  and  the  reputation  of  her  family 
was  all  she  had  to  depend  on.  So  I  summoned  the 
woman,  who  confessed  her  injurious  words,  but  said 
they  had  been  uttered  in  passion,  and  that  she  now 
deeply  regretted  them.  On  her  assurance  that  she 
would  repair  as  far  as  in  her  power  any  injury  she  had 
done,  I  dismissed  the  parties. 

Friday,  Oct.  23.  The  merchant  ship  Vandalia  is 
just  in  from  San  Pedro,  with  intelligence  from  the 
seat  of  war.  Capt.  Gillespie,  it  seems,  had  been  obliged 
to  capitulate;  but  the  terms  were  that  he  should  leave 
the  Pueblo  with  all  the  honors  of  war.  He  marched 
out  of  the  town  with  his  flag  flying  ;  and,  on  arriving 
at  San  Pedro,  embarked  on  board  the  Vandalia. 

The  frigate  Savannah  soon  hove  in  sight.  Her 
forces  under  Capt.  Mervin,  and  those  from  the  Van- 
dalia under  Capt.  Gillespie,  started  at  once  for  the 
Pueblo.  After  a  march  of  fifteen  miles,  they  encamped 
for  the  night.  But  their  slumbers  were  soon  disturbed 
by  a  shot,  which  thundered  its  way  into  their  midst. 
They  seized  their  arms,  but  in  the  darkness  of  the 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  79 

nitrht  nothincT  could  be  seen,  and  nothins;  heard  save 
the  distant  tramp  of  horses.  At  break  of  day  they 
renewed  their  march,  but  had  not  proceeded  far  be- 
fore they  were  attacked  by  a  CaUfornian  force  on 
horseback,  drawing  a  four-pounder.  Their  enemy 
kept  out  of  the  range  of  their  muskets,  fled  as  fast 
as  they  charged,  and,  having  gained  a  safe  dis- 
tance, wheeled  and  played  upon  them  with  their 
four-pounder,  charged  with  grape.  Capt.  Mervin, 
finding  himself  unable  to  bring  the  enemy  to  a  gen- 
eral engagement,  and  having  five  of  his  men  killed, 
and  a  greater  number  wounded,  ordered  a  retreat, 
and  returned  without  further  molestation  on  board 
the  Savannah.  His  defeat  lay  in  the  fact  that  his 
men  were  all  on  foot,  and  without  any  artillery  to 
protect  them  against  the  longer  range  of  the  piece 
which  the  enemy  had  brought  into  the  field. 

Saturday,  Oct.  24.  Col.  Fremont  having  fallen  in 
with  the  Vandalia,  and  ascertained  from  her  that  no 
horses  could  be  procured  for  his  men  at  Santa  Bar- 
bara, decided  on  returning  in  the  Sterling  to  this  port. 
His  arrival  has  been  delayed  by  a  succession  of  light 
head  winds,  and  dead  calms.  When  within  fifty  miles 
of  the  port,  a  boat  was  dispatched,  which  is  just  in. 
Several  of  his  men  came  in  her,  who  are  to  start  in 
advance  in  quest  of  horses.  They  will  probably  have 
to  go  as  far  as  the  Sacramento,  for  all  the  horses  in 
this  immediate  vicinity  have  been  driven  south  by 
the  insurgents.     I  have  lost  both  of  mine ;  but  what 


80  THREE    YEAUcJ    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

are  two  to  the  hundred  and  fifty  which  were  driven 
from  the  farm  of  one  man.  If  misery  loves  company, 
I  have  a  plenty  of  that  sort  of  consolation.  But  the 
extent  of  a  misfortune  depends  not  so  much  on  what 
is  taken,  as  what  is  left.  The  last  surviving  child  in 
a  family  is  invested  with  the  affections  which  en- 
circled the  whole. 

Sunday,  Oct.  25.  With  us  the  sound  of  the 
church-going  bell  has  been  exchanged  for  the  roll  of 
the  drum.  One  of  the  moral  miseries  of  war  is  the 
profanation  of  the  Sabbath  which  it  involves.  There 
is  something  in  military  movements  which  seems  to 
cut  the  conscience  adrift  from  its  moorings  on  this 
subject. 

Monday,  Oct.  26.  We  shall  soon  see  what  the 
genius  of  Com.  Stockton  is  equal  to  in  a  great  emer- 
gency. He  will  arrive  at  San  Pedro  without  horses, 
or  any  means  of  procuring  them.  They  are  all 
driven  off,  or  under  men  who  seem  as  if  born  on  the 
saddle.  He  will  encounter  on  his  march  to  los 
Angeles  the  same  flying  artillery  which  foiled  the 
forces  under  Capt.  Mervin.  But  he  will  have  several 
well-mounted  pieces  ;  they  must  be  drawni,  however, 
by  oxen  over  a  deep  sandy  road.  If  the  enemy 
comes  within  range,  he  will  open  and  give  them  a 
volley  of  grape.  In  this  way  he  will  reach,  recap- 
ture the  place,  and  unfurl  the  stars  and  stripes.  But 
how  he  Avill  maintain  himself — how  he  will  procure 


THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  81 

provisions  with  the  country  around  in  the  hands  of 
a  mounted  enemy,  remains  to  be  seen.  Mihtary 
genius,  however,  asserts  its  fullest  force  in  the  greatest 
emergency.  It  is  like  the  eagle  exulting  in  peril,  and 
throwing  its  strong  pinions  on  the  mountain  storm. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  27.  The  prize  brig  Malek  Adhel, 
commanded  by  Lieut.  W.  B.  Renshaw,  arrived  in 
port  this  afternoon  in  thirty  days  from  Mazatlan. 
She  brings  the  first  intelligence  of  her  own  capture. 
The  U.  S.  ship  Warren,,  under  Commander  Hull, 
anchored  off  Mazatlan  on  the  sixth  ult.,  and  found 
there  the  Malek  Adhel,  moored  within  a  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  of  the  mole,  with  sails  unbent,  and  running 
rigging  unrove.  The  next  day  her  rudder  was  to 
have  been  unshipped,  and  she  was  to  have  been  hauled 
up  the  creek  for  safe  keeping.  Commander  Hull  de- 
termined immediately  to  cut  her  out ;  hauled  his  ship 
in  close  to  the  bar,  and  sent  sixty  men  in  the  launch 
and  the  three  cutters,  under  charge  of  Lieuts.  Rad- 
ford and  Renshaw,  with  orders  to  bring  her  out,  or 
finding  that  impracticable,  to  burn  her.  On  their  ap- 
proach, the  officer  in  charge  escaped  to  the  shore  : 
they  boarded  her  without  opposition,  unmoored  and 
warped  her  outside  the  bar.  While  doing  this,  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  Mexican  soldiers  mustered  on 
the  mole  ;  another  party  dragged  a  field-piece  up  the 
hill  abreast  of  the  brig,  commanding  her  and  the  channel 
to  the  bar ;  but  upon  a  second  thought  the  governor 
determined  to  offer  no  resistance,  alleging  that  the 


82  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

Warren's  guns  would  do  more  damage  to  the  town 
than  the  brig  was  worth.  The  Malek  Adhel,  however, 
is  a  valuable  prize,  being  a  fine  sailer  and  a  good  sea- 
boat  ;  she  was  gallantly  captured. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  28.  The  Sterling  is  just  in  with 
Col.  Fremont  and  his  riflemen.  They  are  in  a  half- 
starved  condition,  having  been  for  several  days  on 
the  very  shortest  commons.  I  never  met  with  a  more 
famished  crew.  The  call  for  meat  and  bread  roused 
up  all  the  butchers  and  bakers  in  Monterey.  What 
an  energy  there  is  in  downright  hunger ! 

Thursday,  Oct.  29.  Our  Indian  scouts,  who  came 
in  yesterday,  reported  the  discovery  of  a  large  band 
of  Californians  in  the  cover  of  the  hills  within  the 
vicinity  of  Monterey.  They  probably  purposed  an 
attack  on  the  town  last  night,  as  the  garrison  had 
been  weakened  by  the  absence  of  thirty  men,  who 
had  left,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Maddox,  for 
San  Juan.  But  the  unexpected  arrival  of  Col.  Fre- 
mont frustrated  their  plans.  We  might  have  a  battle 
with  them  were  there  horses  here ;  but  to  attempt  it 
on  foot,  would  be  like  a  man  with  a  wooden  les 
chasing  a  hare. 

Monterey  has  at  present  much  the  aspect  of  a  mil- 
itary garrison.  The  streets  are  barricaded  ;  a  pa- 
trol is  kept  up  night  and  day  ;  no  one  is  permitted 
to  leave  without  a  written  passport,  and  no  one  al- 
lowed to  enter  without  reporting  himself  to  the  police. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  83 

No  one  can  be  in  the  streets  after  nine  without  the 
countersign.  Every  thing,  of  course,  in  the  shape 
of  amusement  is  at  an  end  ;  even  ordinary  business 
is  in  a  great  measure  suspended.  You  hear  only  the 
roll  of  the  drum  at  muster,  and  the  toll  of  the  bell 
over  some  one  going  to  his  last  rest. 

Friday,  Oct.  30.  One  of  the  guard  in  charge  of 
Col.  Fremont's  horses,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  town,  was 
approached,  this  afternoon,  by  two  Californians  on 
horseback,  who  inquired  if  he  had  seen  a  buck  break 
from  the  woods  near  by.  Having  by  this  natural 
question  laid  suspicion,  they  entered  into  conversa- 
tion on  other  topics,  watched  their  opportunity,  seized 
his  rifle,  shot  him,  and  dashed  off"  at  full  speed.  The 
nefarious  act  produced  a  profound  sensation  in  the 
camp.  The  shot,  however,  proves  not  mortal,  so  that 
the  wounded  man  may  yet  haye  an  opportunity  of 
facing  his  foe  in  the  field. 

Saturday,  Oct.  31.  Enlistments  are  going  on  ac- 
tively among  the  emigrants  recently  arrived  on  the 
banks  of  the  Sacramento.  The  women  and  children 
are  placed  in  the  missions  ;  the  men  take  the  rifle 
and  start  for  the  battle-field :  such  is  their  welcome 
to  California.  The  Israelites  entered  the  land  of 
promise  by  arms,  and  established  themselves  by  the 
force  of  their  military  prowess.  But  this  is  not  quite 
the  land  of  promise,  nor  are  these  Israelites  who 
stream  over  the  Rocky  Mountains.     But  they  are  a 


84  THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

sturdy  band,  whose  enterprise  will  cover  these  fertile 
hills  with  golden  harvests.  They  have  pitched  their 
tents  by  the  water-courses,  and  those  tents  they  will 
never  strike. 

They  are  enlisted  into  the  service  mainly  through 
the  activity  of  Capt.  Montgomery,  who  commands 
the  Portsmouth,  and  is  military  commandant  of  the 
northern  department  of  California.  His  measures 
have  been  judicious,  his  action  prompt,  and  he  has 
rendered  substantial  service  in  supplying  from  the 
emigrations  the  sinews  of  war.  Every  American  in 
California  shows  his  entire  stature ;  no  one  is  lost  in 
the  crowd  ;  no  voice  is  drowned  by  a  general  clamor ; 
every  action  tells.  It  is  a  blow  which  thunders  by 
itself  on  the  great  anvil  of  time.  It  is  another  rock 
rolled  into  the  foundations  of  a  mighty  empire. 

Sunday,  Nov.  1.  An  Indian  was  taken  up  by  one 
of  our  scouts  yesterday,  who  confessed  that  he  was 
the  beai-er  of  a  message  from  a  Roman  Catholic 
priest  to  a  party  that  were  arming  themselves  to  join 
the  insurrection.  The  message  conveyed  intelligence 
of  the  approach  of  our  forces.  The  Indian  was  sent 
back  to  his  master  with  the  intelligence  that  if  he  at- 
tempted any  further  correspondence  w4th  the  enemy, 
it  would  be  at  the  peril  of  his  life. 

Monday,  Nov.  2d.  Our  bay  is  full  of  the  finest 
fish,  and  yet  it  is  rare  to  meet  one  on  the  table.  There 
is  not  a  boat  here  in  which  one  can  safelv  trust  him- 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  85 

self  a  cable's  length  from  land.  And  if  there  were, 
there  would  be  no  Californians  to  row  it.  Could 
they  go  to  sea  on  their  horses,  and  fish  from  their 
saddles,  they  would  often  be  seen  dashing  through 
the  surf ;  but  to  sit  quietly  in  a  boat  and  bob  a  line, 
is  entirely  too  tame  a  business.  Put  a  fish  on  land, 
and  give  him  the  speed  of  the  buck,  and  he  would  have 
a  dozen  Californians  and  forty  hounds  on  his  trail. 

Tuesday,  Nov.  3.  A  Californian  in  my  employ 
asked  me  to-day  to  pay  him  a  small  sum  in  advance 
of  his  services,  stating  that  he  was  on  the  eve  of  be- 
ing married,  and  wanted  this  advance  to  enable  him 
to  put  silver  mountings  on  his  saddle  and  bridle. 
Had  he  asked  me  for  money  with  which  to  pay  the 
priest,  I  should  have  understood  the  propriety  of  the 
request ;  but  the  connection  between  a  silver  star  on 
the  head-stall  of  his  bridle  and  a  marriage  celebration, 
surpassed  my  dim  comprehension.  However,  as  there 
was  a  lady  in  the  case,  I  let  him  have  the  money. 
But  it  seems  it  is  the  custom  here,  for  the  bridegroom 
to  appear  on  his  wedding-day  upon  a  splendid  horse, 
elegantly  caparisoned.  It  is  then  the  silver  star 
shines  out.  The  noble  steed  and  glittering  trappings 
divide  with  the  bride  the  admiration  of  the  crowd. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  4.  The  Californians  now  in 
arms  number  twelve  or  fourteen  hundred.  They  are 
from  every  section  of  the  country.  Their  rallying 
point   is    los   Angeles       They   have    made    a   clean 


86  THREE  YEARS  IX  CALIFORNIA. 

sweep  of  all  the  horses  along  the  coast.  Natives  as 
well  as  foreigners  are  left  to  get  along  on  foot.  This 
is  not  an  easy  task  in  a  country  where  furlongs  stretch 
into  leagues. 

Of  these  twelve  hundred  in  arms,  probably  not  a 
hundred  have  a  foot  of  land.  They  drift  about  like 
Arabs,  stealing  the  horses  on  which  they  ride,  and  the 
cattle  on  which  they  subsist.  They  are  ready  to  join 
any  revolution,  be  its  leaders  whom  they  may.  If 
the  tide  of  fortune  turns  against  them,  they  disband 
and  scatter  to  the  four  winds.  They  never  become 
martyrs  in  any  cause.  They  are  too  numerous  to  be 
brought  to  punishment.  No  government  has  been 
strong  enough  to  set  them  at  defiance,  or  dispense 
with  their  venal  aid.  They  have  now,  however,  to 
deal  with  a  power  too  sagacious  to  be  cajoled,  and 
too  strong  to  be  overawed.  They  will  not  be  per- 
mitted to  spring  a  revolution,  and  leave  its  conse- 
quences to  others.  The  results  will  follow  them  into 
every  forest  and  fastness.  They  have  but  one  es- 
cape, and  that  leads  into  Mexico.  Men  of  substance 
will  regret  their  loss  about  as  much  as  the  Egyptians 
the  disappearance  of  the  locusts. 

Thursday,  Nov.  5.  The  second  rain  of  the  season 
fell  last  night.  It  came  down  copiously  for  several 
hours :  multitudes  forgot  their  dreams  in  listening  to 
its  grateful  patter  on  the  roof  The  effects  of  the  first 
shower,  which  fell  a  few  days  since,  are  visible  in  the 
landscape. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA,  87 

From  the  moist  meadow  to  the  withered  hill, 
Led  by  the  breeze,  the  vivid  verdure  runs, 
And  swells  and  deepens  to  the  cherished  eye. 

Friday.  Nov.  6.  Two  Californians  were  arrested 
to-day  by  one  of  my  constables,  charged  with  having 
broken  open  a  shop  and  robbed  it  of  many  valuable 
articles.  The  burglary  was  committed  several  nights 
since,  but  no  clue  to  the  perpetrators  could  be  ob- 
tained. By  keeping  silent  on  the  subject,  one  of  them 
had  at  last  the  imprudence  to  offer  for  sale  one  of  the 
stolen  articles,  which  was  immediately  identified,  and 
led  to  the  detection  of  both.  Most  of  the  property 
was  found  in  their  possession,  and  restored  to  its 
owners.  The  evidence  of  their  guilt  being  conclu- 
sive, and  there  being  no  young  lawyer  here  to  pick  a 
flaw  in  the  indictment,  or  help  them  to  an  alibi,  they 
were  sentenced  each  to  the  public  works  for  one 
year.     The  way  of  transgressors  is  hard. 

Saturday,  Nov.  7.  In  Monterey,  as  in  all  other 
towns  that  I  have  ever  seen,  crimes  are  perpetrated 
mostly  at  night.  The  Indian,  however,  steals  when 
the  temptation  pi'esents  itself,  and  trusts  luck  for  the 
consequences.  And  in  truth  if  any  being  has  a  right 
to  steal,  it  is  the  civilized  Indian  of  California.  All 
the  mission  lands,  with  their  delicious  orchards,  wav- 
ing grain,  flocks  and  herds,  were  once  his,  and  were 
stolen  from  him  by  the  white  man.  He  has  only  one 
mode  of  retaliating  these  wrongs.     But  Californians 


88  THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORMA. 

and  foreigners,  more  wary,  steal   at  night.     It  is  as 
true  here  as  elsewhere — 

"  Tliat  -wlien  the  searching  eye  of  heaven  is  hid 
Behind  the  globe,  and  lights  the  lower  world. 
Then  thieves  and  robbers  range  abroad  unseen, 
In  murders,  and  in  outrage,  bloody  here ; 
But  when,  from  under  this  terrestrial  baU, 
He  fires  the  proud  tops  of  the  eastern  pines. 
And  darts  his  light  through  every  guilty  hole. 
Then  murders,  treasons,  and  detested  sins. 
The  cloak  of  night  being  plucked  from  off  their  backs, 
Stand  bare  and  naked,  trembling  at  themselves." 

Sunday,  Nov.  8.  There  is  not,  except  myself,  a 
Protestant  clergyman  in  California.  If  the  tide  of 
emigration  continues,  there  will  be  thousands  here 
without  a  spiritual  teacher.  Years  must  elapse  be- 
fore any  can  be  trained  here  for  the  sacred  office. 
The  supply  must  come  from  abroad.  The  American 
churches  must  wake  up  to  their  duty  on  this  subject. 
These  emigrants  are  their  children,  and  they  should 
extend  to  them  their  most  jealous  care. 


'/^^'y':^-i^<^  (1^. 


^^^ 


89 


CHAPTER    VI. 

SANTA  BARBARA  TAKEN. — LIEUT.  TALBOT  AND  HIS  TEN. — GAMBLING  IN 
PRISON. RECRUITS. — A  FUNNY  CULPRIT. MOVEMENTS  OF  COM.  STOCK- 
TON.— BEAUTY  AND  THE  GRAVE. — BATTLE  ON  THE  SALINAS. — THE  CAP- 
TAIn's  DAUGHTER. STOLEN  PISTOLS. — INDIAN  BEHIND  A  TREE. — NUP- 
TIALS IN  CALIFORNIA. 

Monday,  Nov.  9.  The  guard  of  ten,  commanded 
by  Lieut.  T.  Talbot,  and  posted  at  Santa  Barbara  to 
maintain  the  American  flag,  arrived  here  last  evening. 
When  the  insurrection  broke  out  at  the  south,  they 
were  summoned  by  some  two  hundred  Californians  to 
surrender.  They  contrived,  however,  under  cover  of 
night,  to  effect  their  escape.  Their  first  halt  was  in 
a  thicket,  to  which  they  were  pursued  by  some  fifty 
of  the  enemy  on  horseback.  They  waited,  like  lions 
in  their  lair,  till  the  foe  was  within  good  rifle  shot, 
and  then  discharged  their  pieces  with  terrific  eflJect. 
The  surviving  assailants  left  their  dead,  and  rushed 
back  for  reinforcements  :  but  in  the  mean  time,  the 
hardy  ten  had  pushed  their  way  several  leagues  to  the 
east,  and  gained  a  new  ambush.  An  Indian  might 
perhaps  have  trailed  them  ;  but  their  pursuers  had 
not  this  wild  sagacity.  They  rode  here  and  there, 
penetrating  every  thicket,  but  the  right  one,  and  to 
prevent  their  escape  at  night,  set  fire  to  the  woods. 
But  one  ravine,  overhung  with  green  pines,  covered 
them  with  its  mantling  shadows  ;  through  this  they 
made  their  noiseless  escape. 

8* 


90  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

To  avoid  the  Californians,  who  were  coming  down 
in  ffreat  numbers  from  the  north  to  join  iheir  com- 
rades  in  the  south,  the  party  of  ten  held  their  course 
to  the  east.  They  spent  several  days  in  attempting 
to  find  the  pass  which  leads  through  the  first  range  of 
the  Californian  mountains  to  the  valley  of  the  San 
Joaquin  ;  but  being  unacquainted  with  the  topography 
of  the  country,  their  utmost  efforts  were  baflEled. 
During  this  time  they  suffered  greatly  from  hunger 
and  thirst :  the  rugged  steeps,  among  which  they  were 
straying,  yielded  neither  streams  nor  game.  At  last, 
they  fell  in  w'ith  a  Cholo,  the  Arab  of  California,  who 
kindly  offered  to  conduct  them  to  the  mountain  pass, 
and  surrendered  the  use  of  his  horse  to  carry  their 
knapsacks  and  blankets.  The  pass  was  gained  ;  but 
their  hospitable  guide  still  continued  with  them  till 
they  reached  a  tribe  of  Indians  on  the  opposite  side. 
Here  he  took  leave  of  them,  declining  all  compensa- 
tion for  his  pains,  and  started  back  for  his  wild  moun- 
tain home. 

The  Indians  received  them  kindly,  gave  them  their 
best  acorns  to  eat,  and  their  purest  water  to  drink. 
These  are  the  Indians  who  were  brought  before  me  a 
few  months  since,  charged  with  an  attempt  to  steal  a 
drove  of  horses  from  Carmel.  There  being  no  posi- 
tive proof  of  guilt,  they  were  kindly  treated,  and 
instead  of  being  threatened  with  dungeons  and  death, 
were  dismissed  with  many  beautiful  presents.  These 
presents  they  still  preserved,  and  exhibited  them  with 
evident  gratification  and  pride  to  their  new  guests. 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  91 

Lieut.  Talbot  and  party,  guided  by  these  faithful 
Indians,  now  held  their  course  through  the  valley  of 
the  San  Joaquin.  Their  progress  was  delayed  by  the 
sickness  of  one  of  their  companions,  whom  they  were 
obliged  to  carry  on  a  litter.  They  subsisted  entirely 
on  the  wild  game  which  they  killed.  They  were  all 
on  foot ;  and  after  travelling  nearly  five  hundred  miles 
in  this  manner,  reached  Monterey,  where  they  were 
welcomed  to  the  camp  of  Col.  Fremont  with  three 
hearty  cheers. 

Tuesday,  Nov.  10.  The  merchant  ship  Euphemia 
arrived  to-day  from  the  Sandwich  Islands,  bringing 
the  intelligence  that  the  Columbus,  bearing  the  broad 
pennant  of  Com.  Biddle,  had  sailed  from  Honolulu  for 
Valparaiso.  We  shall  not  then  see  that  noble  ship 
on  this  coast ;  she  is  bound  homeward  round  the 
Cape.  Her  eight  hundred  men,  with  Com.  Biddle 
at  their  head,  would  have  been  a  great  accession  to 
our  strength.  It  is  not,  however,  a  naval  force  of 
which  we  stand  in  greatest  need.  The  war  in  Cali- 
fornia can  never  be  decided  from  the  deck.  We 
want  some  five  hundred  horsemen,  thoroughly  accus- 
tomed to  the  saddle  and  the  rifle,  and  a  few  pieces 
of  flying-artillery.  Without  these  we  shall  have  con- 
stant attempts  at  revolution.  They  will  invariably 
end  in  the  defeat  of  those  who  get  them  up,  but  will 
involve  private  property  and  the  public  tranquillity. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  11.     I  found  one  of  our  prison- 


92  THREE  YEARS  IX  CALIFORNIA. 

ers  at  work  to-day  without  a  shirt,  and  supposed  at 
first  that  he  was  indulging  in  some  whim ;  but  ascer- 
tained, upon  further  inquiry,  that  he  had  gambled  it 
away  to  a  fellow-prisoner.  They  had  no  cards  or 
dice,  but  had  managed  to  substitute  a  bone,  which 
they  whirled  into  the  air,  and  which  decided  the  game 
by  falling  with  this  or  that  end  into  the  ground. 
I  made  the  winner  give  back  the  shirt,  which  he 
did  with  evident  reluctance,  as  he  had  played  his 
own  against  it,  and  would  have  been,  had  he  lost,  as 
naked  as  his  neighbor.  An  Indian,  and  Californian 
too,  will  gamble  to  the  skin  of  their  teeth,  and  even 
part  with  their  grinders  were  they  articles  of  value  to 
others.  But  a  tooth  is  much  hke  the  principle  of 
life,  which  avails  no  one  save  its  owner. 

Thursday,  Nov.  12.  Capt.  Grigsby  arrived  to- 
day from  Sonoma  with  thirty  mounted  riflemen  and 
sixty  horses,  and  joined  Col.  Fremont's  encampment. 
Capt.  Hastings  is  expected  in  every  day  from  San 
Jose  with  sixty  men,  well  mounted,  and  twice  that 
number  of  horses.  Every  rider  here,  destined  on  an 
arduous  expedition,  must  have  one  or  two  spare 
horses,  especially  at  this  season  of  the  year,  when  no 
feed  can  be  procured  except  the  slender  grass  which 
has  sprung  up  in  the  recent  showers,  and  which  con- 
tains very  little  sustenance.  It  is  easier  to  procure 
provender  for  a  thousand  horses  on  a  march  in  the 
United  States  than  ten  here.  And  yet  the  table-lands 
here  are  covered  throus-h  the  summer  with  wild  oats. 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  93 

But  where  are  the  reapers  ?  On  horseback,  galloping 
about  and  carousing  at  this  rancho  and  that.  Their 
sickles  are  the  rein,  their  sheaves  a  pack  of  cards,  their 
flails  a  guitar. 

"  No  cocks  do  them  to  rustic  labor  call, 

From  village  on  to  village  sounding  clear ; 
To  tardy  swain  no  shriU-voiced  matron's  squall, 
Nor  hammer's  thiunp  disturbs  the  vacant  ear." 

Friday,  Nov.  13.  Two  fellows  of  Mexican  origin 
were  brought  before  me  to-day,  charged  with  break- 
ing open  the  money-chest  of  the  eating-house  where 
they  had  transiently  stopped,  and  taking  from  it  about 
five  hundred  dollars.  The  owner  having  immediate 
occasion  to  go  to  his  chest,  dicovered  his  loss,  and 
suspected  at  once  the  persons  concerned  in  it.  They 
were  apprehended,  and  soon  after  the  money  was 
found  in  the  back  yard,  where  it  had  been  hastily 
buried  after  having  been  tied  up  in  a  handkerchief, 
which  was  identified  as  the  neck-cloth  of  one  of  the 
accused.  One  discovery  led  to  another,  till  the  evi- 
dences of  guilt,  involving  both,  were  fully  established. 

One  of  them  then  said  there  was  no  use  in  trying 
to  get  rid  of  the  business  any  longer,  and  he  would 
now  tell  the  whole  story  straight  as  an  arrow.  He 
said  that  he  and  Antonio  had  talked  over  the  matter 
the  night  before,  and  that  he  then  attempted  to  reach 
the  chest,  but  that  the  person  in  whose  room  it  lay, 
and  who  had  been  asleep,  suddenly  stopped  snoring, 
and  getting  alarmed   he   ran  down  stairs.     But  this 


94  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

morning,  while  Antonio  was  entertaining  the  rest,  and 
treating  them  to  cocktails,  he  slipped  up  to  the  cham- 
ber, broke  the  lock,  and  filled  his  pockets  with  the 
coin.  He  had  no  time,  he  said,  to  pick  out  the  gold, 
which  would  have  been  a  great  convenience,  but 
scraped  up  silver  and  gold  as  they  came,  leaving  in 
the  chest  about  as  much  as  he  took.  It  was  very 
vexatious,  he  said,  to  leave  so  much,  but  his  pockets 
would  hold  no  more :  he  was  really  afraid  they  would 
fetch  away  with  what  they  had  got.  But  he  buoyed 
them  up  with  his  hands,  reached  the  back  yard,  where 
he  delivered  the  money  over  to  Antonio,  who  received 
it  in  his  handkerchief  and  buried  it;  but  buried  it  in  ex- 
actly the  wrong  spot,  for  he  went  off  into  a  corner  in- 
stead of  sinking  it  where  everybody  must  step  over  it. 
He  told  this  story  with  a  countenance  which  played 
between  a  tragic  and  comic  expression.  Antonio, 
who  had  been  both  diverted  and  alarmed  by  the  narra- 
tive of  his  accomplice,  when  it  came  his  turn  to  speak, 
said  his  companion  was  the  funniest  fellow  alive  ;  he 
believed  he  would  joke  on  the  scaffold,  if  he  could 
shake  a  kink  out  of  the  rope,  and  get  breathing  time 
for  it.  They  were  both  a  strange  compound  of  wit 
and  villany.  They  were  sentenced  to  the  public 
works  for  three  years. 

Saturday,  Nov.  14.  The  Savannah  arrived  here 
to-day  from  the  leeward,  and  reports  the  Congress  on 
her  way  to  San  Diego,  where  she  had  gone  to  re- 
enforce  the  garrison.     This  important  post  had  been 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA,  95 

recaptured  by  the  Americans,  under  the  command  of 
Capt.  Menit,  an  emigrant  officer  of  undaunted  cour- 
age. He  had  been  obhged  to  evacuate  it  a  few  weeks 
before,  and  was  fortunate  in  being  able  to  get  his  men 
on  board  a  whale  ship  lying  in  the  offing  at  the  time. 
But  a  portion  of  the  force  opposed  to  him  having 
been  withdrawn  to  support  the  Mexican  flag  at  los 
Angeles,  he  landed  again  in  the  night,  and  took  the 
garrison  by  surprise.  This  being  the  most  southern 
post  in  California,  Com.  Stockton  deemed  it  of  the 
first  importance  to  make  its  possession  secure.  To 
effect  this  object,  he  was  obliged  to  postpone  his  pur- 
pose of  recapturing  at  once  the  capital  of  the  prov- 
ince. The  best  way  to  fight  the  Californians  is  to 
hem  them  in.  They  never  turn  upon  you  as  lions  at 
bay.  The  possibility  of  an  escape  is  an  element  in 
their  courage.  They  never  borrow  resolution  from 
despair.  They  are  so  accustomed  to  range  at  free- 
dom, to  make  their  homes  wherever  adventure  or 
caprice  may  carry  them,  that  the  idea  of  being  cooped 
up  to  one  place  has  almost  as  much  privation  and 
misery  in  it  as  the  slave-ship  inflicts  upon  its  cap- 
tives. 

They  still  might  deem  their  scope  too  pent, 
Though  each  had  leave  to  pitch  his  tent 
Where'er  his  mldest  wish  might  urge, 
Within  creation's  utmost  verge. 

Sunday,  Nov.  15.     One  of  the  most  beautiful  ladies 
in  Monterey  has  this  day  been  consigned  to  the  silent 


96  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

grave.  She  was  in  the  bloom  of  life,  and  visions  of 
happiness  threw  their  enchantments  along  the  vista  of 
her  future  years.  She  had  all  that  wealth  and  beauty 
can  bestow.  Her  personal  charms  were  rivalled  only 
by  those  of  her  mind.  Her  heart  trembled  through 
every  fibre  of  her  frame. 

"  ^Miene'er  with  soft  serenity  she  smiled, 

Or  caught  the  orient  blush  of  quick  surprise, 
How  sweetly  mutable,  how  brightly  wild. 

The  liquid  lustre  darted  from  her  eyes ! 
Each  look,  each  motion,  waked  a  new-born  gi*ace, 

That  o'er  her  form  a  transient  glory  cast : 
Some  lovelier  wonder  soon  usurped  the  place, 

Chased  by  a  charm  still  lovelier  than  the  last." 

But  she  is  gone !  she  has  left  us  like  the  bird  which 
carolled  in  the  morn,  and  departed  upon  its  slanting 
ray.  But  her  virtues  survive  in  a  brighter  sphere  ; 
her  beauty  is  stamped  with  immortality  ;  her  hand 
strikes  a  harp  that  will  pour  its  melodies  when  the 
groves  and  streams  of  earth  are  silent. 

Monday,  Nov.  16.  A  Delaware  Indian,  quite  out 
of  breath,  entered  Col.  Fremont's  camp  this  morning 
with  the  intelligence  that  an  irregular  engagement 
took  place  last  evening  between  a  party  of  forty 
Americans,  and  a  hundred  and  fifty  Californians,  on 
the  Salinas  river,  about  fifteen  miles  from  Monterey. 
The  Americans  were  coming  down  from  San  Juan, 
and  had  with  them  three  hundred  fresh  horses  which 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORMA.  97 

they  had  brought  from  the  Sacramento.  The  intel- 
hgence  of  their  approach  had  reached  the  Californi- 
ans,  who  had  mustered  all  their  force  in  this  quarter, 
more  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  the  horses  than 
their  riders.  But  the  Americans,  who  were  sixty 
strong,  anticipating  the  possibility  of  an  attack  in 
crossing  the  river,  left  their  horses,  except  those  they 
rode,  in  the  rear  with  twenty  of  their  number,  while 
forty  came  ahead  to  engage  the  Californians.  They 
were  surprised  at  their  numbers,  but  rushed  at  once 
into  the  encounter.  Capt.  Foster  was  killed  in  the 
first  charge,  and  Capt.  Burrows,  who  was  wounded 
in  the  first,  fell  in  leading  the  second.  Two  Ameri- 
can privates  were  killed,  and  a  number  of  Californi- 
ans. The  encounter  took  place  near  sunset,  and  the 
Americans  remained  in  possession  of  the  ground. 

The  Delaware  Indian,  when  the  firing  had  slack- 
ened, left  the  field  to  bring  the  intelligence  to  Col, 
Fremont ;  but  having  to  turn  the  enemy's  line,  he 
was  attacked  by  three  Californians — one  of  whom  he 
shot  with  his  rifle,  another  he  killed  with  his  toma- 
hawk, and  the  third  fled.  His  horse  broke  down  be- 
fore he  got  in,  and  he  ran  the  rest  of  the  way  on  foot. 
He  reports  that  Thomas  O.  Larkin,  Esq.,  the  Ameri- 
can consul,  had  been  captured  the  night  before,  while 
at  a  rancho  between  this  and  San  Juan.  He  had 
left  Monterey  to  visit  a  sick  child  at  San  Francisco, 
and  stopped  for  the  night,  when  he  was  suddenly 
pounced  upon  :  nor  wife  nor  child  will  in  any  proba- 
*  bility  see  him  soon  again.     He  will  be  closely  guard- 

9 


98  THREE  YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

ed  ;  his  life  will  be  considered  good  for  that  of  several 
prominent  Californian  officers  who  have  broken  their 
parol ;  and  not  unlikely  some  half-dozen  may,  in  the 
event  of  disaster,  be  redeemed  through  his  liberation. 

Tuesday,  Nov.  17.  Col.  Fremont,  w^ith  his  three 
hundred  riflemen,  took  his  departure  from  Monterey 
this  morning.  They  presented  a  very  formidable 
line  as  they  wound  around  the  bay  and  disappeared 
in  the  shadows  of  the  hills. 

Spur  on  my  men ;  the  bugle  peals 

Its  last  and  stern  command, — 
A  charge !  a  charge  ! — an  ocean  burst 

Upon  a  stormy  strand. 

The  artillery  is  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
McLain,  an  officer  of  much  private  worth  and  pro- 
fessional merit.  He  has  at  present  two  beautiful 
brass-pieces,  well  mounted,  and  will  have  two  more 
of  the  same  description  on  leaving  San  Juan.  With 
these  he  will  be  able  to  do  good  execution.  Nothing 
alarms  the  Californians  so  much  as  a  piece  of  flying- 
artillery.  They  had  rather  see  the  very  Evil  One 
come  scracTorlincT  over  the  hills. 


'OO' 


Wednesday,  Nov.  18.  The  horses  which  the  Cal- 
ifornians were  endeavoring  to  reach  in  their  rencoun- 
ter on  the  river,  w^ere  all  preserved.  Their  loss 
w^ould  have  been  irretrievable  in  this  campaign. 
The  twenty  men  with  whom  they  were  left,  declared 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  99 

they  would  perish  to  a  man  sooner  than  give  them 
up.  Rash  as  this  resolution  may  seem,  it  would,  had 
the  emergency  occurred,  have  been  terribly  realized. 
The  American  engaged  in  this  war  puts  his  life  on 
the  die.  He  must  prevail  or  perish.  If  there  shall 
be  a  general  engagement  between  the  forces  now  in 
the  field,  it  will  be  one  of  the  most  frightful  on  record. 
The  Americans  are  outnumbered  three  to  one, — still 
they  are  determined  to  hazard  the  issue  ;  and  would, 
probably,  were  the  odds  much  greater.  As  horse- 
men, the  Californians  excel  them ;  but  they  are  great- 
ly their  superiors  in  the  use  of  the  rifle  and  in  ma- 
neuvering artillery.  And  these,  after  all,  are  the 
weapons  and  engines  that  must  decide  a  hot  engage- 
ment. Neither  party  has  any  veteran  cuirassiers  to 
hew  their  way  to  triumph  through  the  cloven  crests 
of  the  foe.  The  most  terrific  encounters  on  the  field 
of  Waterloo  were  between  those  who  wielded  the 
glaive.     With  them,  at  least, 

"  An  earthquake  might  have  passed  unhcededly  away." 

Thursday,  Nov.  19.  How  strangely  the  lights  and 
shadows  of  life  are  blended !  As  I  passed  this  even- 
ing the  house  of  Capt.  de  la  T ,  a  light  strain  of 

music  came  floating  out  from  the  corridor  upon  the 
silent  air.  It  was  the  daughter  of  the  captain  whose 
hand  swe-pt  the  guitar  which  accompanied  the  modu- 
lations of  her  melodious  voice.  Her  father  and  her 
uncle  are  both  in  the  ranks  of  the  Californians,  lead- 


100  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

ing  a  forlorn  hope,  after  having  broken  their  parol 
of  honor,  and  forfeited  their  lives.  And  yet  she  is 
gay  as  if  her  father  were  only  out  hunting  the  ga- 
zelle. Just  list  the  numbers  as  they  break  from  her 
thoughtless  heart : — ■ 

Fly  not  yet,  'tis  just  the  hour 
When  pleasure,  like  the  midnight  flower, 
That  scorns  the  eye  of  vulgar  light. 
Begins  to  bloom  for  sons  of  night. 
And  maids  who  love  the  moon ! 

And  yet  that  moon  before  it  wanes  may  gleam 
upon  her  father's  grave.  But  she  knows  it  not.  She 
thinks  this  war  will  end  as  other  Californian  wars — 
in  smoke.  But  it  is  a  tempest-cloud  charged  with 
bolted  thunder. 

Friday,  Nov.  20.  A  German  complained  to  me 
this  morning  that  one  of  the  volunteers,  a  country- 
man of  his,  under  Col.  Fremont,  had  stolen  from  him 
a  pair  of  valuable  pistols.  He  strongly  suspected  the 
person  who  had  taken  them.  I  sent  for  him ;  he 
confessed  the  act,  delivered  up  the  pistols,  and  begged 
me,  as  this  was  his  first  offence,  not  to'  expose  him. 
He  was  a  youth  of  eighteen  or  so,  slightly  built,  and 
with  a  fair  and  remarkably  ingenuous  countenance. 
I  told  him  he  must  take  heed,  as  one  offence  often 
paves  the  way  to  another  ;  but  as  he  was  in  the  cam- 
paign, and  might  soon  be  on  the  field  of  peril  and 
death,  his  error  should  rest  in  silence  with  his  own 
conscience.     The  tears  stood  in  his  eyes. 


THREE  YEAilS  iVcALlVoRIVlA.  101 

Saturday,  Nov.  21.  Capt.  Foster,  it  appears,  was 
not  shot  in  the  heat  of  the  eno-ao-ement  on  the  river. 
He  had.  rushed  forward  in  advance  to  reconnoiter, 
and  was  suddenly  surrounded  from  an  ambush,  and 
fell,  bravely  fighting  to  the  last.  A  Delaware  Indian, 
who  was  hastening  to  his  rescue,  finding  himself  hot- 
pressed,  jumped  from  his  horse  behind  a  tree,  from 
which  he  shot  three  of  his  antagonists,  and  then  ef- 
fected his  escape.  His  living  breastwork  now  shows 
in  its  scathed  rind,  how  well  it  served  him.  It  looks 
as  if  the  auger- worm  had  bored  there  for  an  age. 

There  is  something  about  a  tree,  with  an  Indian 
behind  it,  armed  with  a  rifle,  pointing  this  way  and 
that,  which  awkwardly  tests  a  man's  nerves.  You 
seem  to  be  shooting  at  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle  instead 
of  him  ;  and  that  is  not  the  worst  of  it,  he  is  all  the 
while  shooting  at  you.  If  partial  concealment  lends 
a  charm  to  beauty,  it  also  lends  terror  to  an  Indian. 
We  think  of  the  brake  as  much  as  the  serpent  coiled 
in  its  shadows.  Were  lightning  to  fall  without  thun- 
der, people  would  put  conductors  on  their  bean-poles  ; 
and  yet  the  blazing  bolt  strikes  and  shivers  while  the 
lagging  thunder  is  yet  unheard. 

Sunday,  Nov.  22.  As  soon  as  it  will  be  prudent 
to  withdraw  our  men  from  their  posts  on  the  Sab- 
bath, I  intend  to  propose  a  religious  service.  We 
shall  soon  be  able  to  gather  fifty  or  more.  Every 
house  here  has  a  ball-room  where  the  gay  may  dance, 
and  a  Madonna  to  whom  the  afflicted  may  kneel ; 
9* 


102r'''.  •   '■'    '  .'TEfEfiE'VDAhs'ilV'crALIFORNIA. 

but  none  have  a  chapel ;  and  if  they  had,  the  forms 
of  Protestant  worship  would  be  held  a  profanation. 
There  is  only  one  way  to  get  to  heaven  here,  and 
that  is  through  the  absolving  power  of  the  Papal  See. 
Every  other  path  leads  to  purgatorial  pangs  and 
penal  fire. 

Monday,  Nov.  23.  It  is  said  the  Californians  are 
born  on  horseback  ;  it  may  also  be  said  they  are  mar- 
ried on  horseback.  The  day  the  marriage  contract 
is  agreed  on  between  the  parties,  the  bridegroom's 
first  care  is  to  buy  or  borrow  the  best  horse  to  be 
found  in  his  vicinity.  At  the  same  time  he  has  to 
get,  by  one  of  these  means,  a  silver-mounted  bridle, 
and  a  saddle  with  embroidered  housings.  This  sad- 
dle must  have,  also,  at  its  stern,  a  bridal  pillion,  with 
broad  aprons  flowing  down  the  flanks  of  the  horse. 
These  aprons  are  also  embroidered  with  silk  of  differ- 
ent colors,  and  with  gold  and  silver  thread.  Around 
the  margin  runs  a  string  of  little  steel  plates,  alterna- 
ted with  slight  pendants  of  the  same  metal.  These, 
as  the  horse  moves,  jingle  like  a  thousand  mimic 
bells. 

The  bride,  also,  comes  in  for  her  share  in  these 
nuptial  preparations.  The  bridegroom  must  present 
her  with  at  least  six  entire  changes  of  raiment,  nor 
forget,  through  any  sentiment  of  delicacy,  even  the 
chemise.  Such  an  oversight  might  frustrate  all  his 
hopes  ;  as  it  would  be  construed  into  a  personal  in- 
difference,— the  last  kind   of  indifference  which  a 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  103 

California  lady  will  forgive.  He  therefore  hunts  this 
article  with  as  much  solicitude  as  the  Peri  the  gift 
that  was  to  unlock  Paradise.  Having  found  six 
which  are  neither  too  full  nor  two  slender,  he  packs 
them  in  rose-leaves  which  seem  to  flutter  Hke  his 
own  heart,  and  sends  them  to  the  lady  as  his  last  bri- 
dal present.  She  might  naturally  expect  him  to 
come  next. 

The  wedding-day  having  arrived,  the  two  fine 
horses,  procured  for  the  occasion,  are  led  to  the  door, 
saddled,  bridled,  and  pillioned.  The  bridegroom  takes 
up  before  him  the  godmother,  and  the  godfather  the 
bride,  and  thus  they  gallop  away  to  church.  The 
priest,  in  his  richest  robes,  receives  them  at  the  altar, 
where  they  kneel,  partake  of  the  sacrament,  and  are 
married.  This  over,  they  start  on  their  return, — but 
now  the  gentlemen  change  partners.  The  bride- 
groom, still  on  the  pillion,  takes  up  before  him  his 
bride.  With  his  right  arm  he  steadies  her  on  the 
saddle,  and  in  his  left  hand  holds  the  reins.  They 
return  to  the  house  of  the  parents  of  the  bride,  where 
they  are  generally  received  with  a  discharge  of  mus- 
ketry. Two  persons,  stationed  at  some  convenient 
place,  now  rush  out  and  seize  him  by  his  legs,  and, 
before  he  has  time  to  dismount,  deprive  him  of  his 
spurs,  which  he  is  obliged  to  redeem  with  a  bottle  of 
brandy. 

The  married  couple  then  enter  the  house,  where 
the  near  relatives  are  all  waiting  in  tears  to  receive 
them.      They  kneel  down  before  the  parents  of  the 


104  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

lady,  and  crave  a  blessing,  which  is  bestowed  with 
patriarchal  solemnity.  On  rising,  the  bridegroom 
makes  a  signal  for  the  guests  to  come  in,  and  another 
for  the  guitar  and  harp  to  strike  up.  Then  com- 
mences the  dancing,  which  continues  often  for  three 
days,  with  only  brief  intervals  for  refreshment,  but 
none  for  slumber :  the  wedded  pair  must  be  on  their 
feet ;  their  dilemma  furnishes  food  for  good-humored 
gibes  and  merriment.  Thus  commences  married  life 
in  California.  This  stream,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  is  much 
smoother  than  its  fount. 

Tuesday,  Nov.  24.  Monterey  has  been  for  the 
last  two  days  remarkably  quiet.  The  excitement  oc- 
casioned by  the  battle  on  the  Salinas  has  sunk  into  a 
dead  calm.  They  who  fell  have  received  Christian 
burial ;  and  they  who  survived  have  departed,  some 
to  find  graves  elsewhere.  "  The  great  tragedy  of  life 
here  is  so  filled  with  incident  that  it  requires  no  stage 
effect.  It  is  the  visionary  sword  which  eluded  the 
grasp  of  Macbeth,  turned  into  flashing  steel. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  25.  A  Californian  in  trouble, 
often  disregards  the  suggestions  of  national  pride  and 
personal  resentment,  and  seeks  succor  where  it  can 
best  be  had.  One  of  them  who  had  been  danger- 
ously wounded  in  the  late  engagement,  came  into 
Monterey  this  morning,  and  applied  to  our  surgeon 
to  have  the  ball  extracted  from  his  hip.  He  seemed 
to  think  that  as  he  had  been  disabled  by  one  Amer- 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  105 

ican,  it  was  only  right  and  proper  he  should  be  re- 
stored by  another.  He  will  then  probably  be  off  to 
fight  us  again.  Nor  does  this  in  him  argue  a  want 
of  gratitude.  He  seeks  the  field  to  encounter  his 
foes,  much  on  the  same  principle  that  you  do  the 
wood  to  hunt  wild  game.  You  level  your  rifle  at  the 
hawk,  not  because  he  has  injured  you,  but  partly  to 
exercise  your  skill,  and  partly  because  he  is  a  saucy 
fellow,  screeching  about  and  frightening  the  other 
birds.  I  never  yet  saw  the  little  king-bird  chase  a 
hawk,  or  the  sword-fish  pursue  a  whale,  without  a 
sentiment  of  delight.  Neither  have  harmed  me  ;  but  I 
hate  all  tyrants,  whether  they  are  on  wings,  fins,  or  legs. 

Thursday,  Nov.  26.  Some  of  the  shopkeepers 
here  have  been  so  long  in  the  habit  of  smuggling 
under  the  former  high  rate  of  duties,  that  now  they 
hardly  know  how  to  give  up  the  trick,  though  there 
is  very  Uttle  motive  for  pursuing  it.  I  caught  a 
Frenchman  to-day  endeavoring  to  evade  the  muni- 
cipal duty  on  rum.  He  had  a  hundred  subterfuges, 
and  flew  from  one  to  another,  like  a  frightened  cat- 
bird in  the  bush.  His  words  fell  so  thick  and  fast 
that  they  quite  covered  up  his  falsehoods ;  the  leaves 
of  a  wind-shaken  tree  in  autumn  conceal  the  nuts 
which  fall  with  them  to  the  ground.  It  is  idle  to  ex- 
pect honesty  in  a  man  who  resorts  to  it  only  in  the 
failure  of  his  craft  and  cunning.  His  integrity  is  like 
the  religion  of  some  sailors — breaking  out  in  ship- 
wreck. 


lot) 


CHAPTER    VII. 

SAN    JOSE    GARRISONED. — A    CALIFORNIA     RAIN. ESCAPE     OF     CONVICTS. 

SHOOTING    EDWARDS. TWO   WASHERWOMEN. — DEATH    OF    MR.  SARGENT. 

— l.NDIAN     HENS. — HUNTING     CURLEW. THE     CALIFORNIA     HORSE. AN 

OLD  EMIGRANT. THE    GRIZZLY    BEAR. 

Friday,  Nov.  27.  The  prize  brig  Julia,  Lieut. 
Selden  commanding,  arrived  here  to-day  from  San 
Francisco.  She  left  there  the  Savannah  and  War- 
ren. Fifty  of  the  Savannah's  men  had  been  sent 
by  Capt.  Mervin  to  San  Jose,  under  command  of 
Lieut.  Pinkney,  where  they  will  form  a  military  post, 
of  sufficient  strength,  it  is  believed,  to  repel  any  hos- 
tile attacks,  and  maintain  the  flag.  The  northern 
half  of  California  is  now  pretty  safe  ;  the  ranchos 
may  suffer  from  marauding  parties  of  the  enemy,  and 
some  acts  of  violence  be  committed,  but  no  import- 
ant post  can  be  wrenched  from  our  possession.  In 
the  south  we  hold  San  Diego,  and  have  an  enemy  in 
the  field  at  los  Angeles.  They  will  probably  break 
covert  at  two  or  three  different  points ;  some  will  fly 
for  Mexico,  and  some  for  the  sheltered  coves  of  the 
San  Joaquin.  Let  those  catch  them  who  can ;  J 
would  as  soon  track  a  chamois  among  the  clefts  and 
pinnacles  of  the  Alps. 

Saturday,  Nov.  28.     It  is  now  near  the  close  of 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  107 

that  month  which  in  other  climes  is  often  one  of  the 
most  unpleasant  in  the  year ;  but  here  it  has  been 
one  of  unrivalled  brilliancy.  The  sky  has  been  al- 
most without  a  cloud,  the  winds  have  slept,  and 
the  soft  air  has  lain  on  the  landscape  like  a  golden 
slumber.  Such  is  the  tranquil  beauty  in  which  the 
vernal  year  here  sinks  to  repose. 

"  Ah !  'twere  a  lot  too  bless'd, 
Forever  in  thy  color'd  shades  to  sti'ay ; 
Amid  the  kisses  of  the  soft  southwest 

To  rove  and  dream  for  aye ; 

And  leave  the  vain  low  strife 
That  makes  men  mad ;  the  tug  for  wealth  and  power, 
The  passions  and  the  cares  that  wither  Ufe, 

And  waste  its  little  hour." 

BETANT. 

Sunday,  Nov.  29.  Two  Californians  called  upon 
me  to-day,  to  decide  a  difficulty  which  had  arisen 
between  them  in  some  money  transactions.  I  told 
them  to  call  on  some  week-day — that  I  attended  to 
no  business  matters  on  the  Sabbath.  They  apolo- 
gized for  interfering  with  my  recreations ;  I  told  them 
I  had  no  recreations  to  be  disturbed,  but  I  would  not 
open  my  office  for  business  on  the  Sabbath.  Had  I 
told  them  I  was  going  to  a  cock-fight,  their  only  won- 
der would  have  been  that  they  had  not  heard  of  the 
sport ;  and  both  would  have  forgotten  their  business 
in  hunting  their  cash  for  the  ring.  Such  is  the  moral 
obtuseness  which  a  pei-version  of  the  Sabbath  in- 
duces.    The  heart  on  w^hich  the  dews  of  this  sacred 


108  THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

inorn  have  never  melted,  will  be  desolate  of  moral 
verdure ;  though  here  and  there  a  leaf  may  spring 
like  flowers  in  the  cleft  of  a  rock. 

Monday,  Nov.  30.  We  have  had  at  last  a  true 
specimen  of  California  showers.  The  wind  blew  a 
gale  from  the  south.  Cloud  on  cloud  was  piled  into 
the  zenith,  till  the  whole  dome  of  heaven  was  filled 
with  substantial  darkness.  The  earth  lay  in  an, 
eclipse.  A  few  heavy  rolls  of  thunder,  and  the  rain 
fell  in  torrents  ;  it  lasted  twelve  hours.  Every  roof 
and  frowning;  cliff"  became  a  cascade.  Down  each 
ravine  rolled  an  exulting  tide.  The  aquatic  bird 
dashed  onward  in  its  foam  to  the  sea.  Suddenly  the 
wind  veered  into  the  west,  and  in  a  few  moments  the 
sky  was  without  a  cloud.  Field  and  forest  flashed 
out  in  the  splendors  of  the  sun ;  and  on  the  soft  wind 
came  gushes  of  music  from  the  wild-wood.  Instead 
of  bleak  November,  you  would  have  said  : 

"  Fairer  and  brighter  spreads  the  reign  of  May  ; 
The  tresses  of  the  woods 
With  the  light  dallying  of  the  west  wind  play  • 
And  the  full  briming  floods, 
As  gladly  to  their  goal  they  run, . 
Hail  the  returning  sun." 

PERCIVAL. 

Tuesday,  Dec.  1.  I  was  startled  from  my  slum- 
bers last  night  by  the  report  of  a  musket  under  my 
window ;  and,  seizing  my  rifle,  rushed  to  the  door, 
but  could  perceive  no   one  near,  and  only  heard,  in 


THREE   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA.  109 

the  darkness,  the  sound  of  retreating  footsteps.  The 
mystery  was  soon  explained  :  the  convicts  had  es- 
caped from  prison,  and  the  sentry,  posted  near  my 
residence,  had  fired  upon  them  as  they  rushed  past. 
Several  of  the  guard  went  immediately  in  pursuit,  and 
succeeded  in  apprehending  two ;  but  seven  others, 
favored  by  the  darkness  and  storm  of  the  night,  had 
cleared  the  town. 

It  appeared,  on  investigation,  that  the  sentry,  post- 
ed at  the  prison,  had  stolen  the  keys  from  the  guard- 
room, where  they  were  kept,  unlocked  the  outer  and 
inner  doors,  and  then  run  himself  with  the  convicts. 
Another  sentry,  by  a  preconcerted  plan,  had  also 
joined  them.  Only  one  prisoner  remained  in  the 
apartment  which  had  been  unlocked.  When  asked 
by  me  why  he  did  not  run,  he  said  he  would  not  be 
seen  running  from  Tophet  in  such  company.  This 
was  the  funny  fellow  who  stole  the  money.  One  of 
those  who  escaped,  was  a  great  overgrown  Califor- 
nian — a  monstrous  mass  of  flesh  and  bone.  He  had 
been  shot  in  the  leg  in  a  previous  fray,  and  always 
affected  the  cripple,  hobbling  about  on  huge  crutches, 
which  fairly  bent  under  him.  But  last  night,  when 
his  pursuers  were  close  on  his  trail,  he  bounded  for- 
ward like  a  rabbit.  Crutches,  and  all  occasion  for 
them,  had  been  left  behind.  You  would  have  thought 
some  shape  of  air  were  flitting  before  you,  but  for  the 
heavy  puffs  which  heaved,  at  brief  intervals,  from  his 
laboring  trunk.  An  innocent  man  escaping  from 
violence  has  often  a  hard  time  of  it,  but  a  felon  es- 

10 


110  THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

caping  from  justice   much  harder ;    his  guilty  con- 
science will  long  keep  the  pursuer  at  his  heels. 

Wednesday,  Dec.  2.  A  party,  well  mounted  and 
armed,  started  this  morning  in  pursuit  of  the  con- 
victs. They  overtook  one  of  them  and  the  two  sen- 
tries about  twenty  miles  distant.  The  sentries  still 
had  their  arms,  which  they  surrendered,  and  delivered 
themselves  up  without  resistance.  The  convict  was 
shot  down  through  the  impetuosity  of  one  of  the 
party.  There  is  a  degree  of  ferocity  in  shooting 
down  an  unarmed  man  at  which  humanity  revolts. 
We  can  hardly  find  an  apology  for  it,  even  in  the 
brutal  instincts  of  the  savage.  The  fate  of  the  two 
sentries  concerned  in  liberating  the  prisoners  whom 
they  were  posted  to  guard,  is  uncertain.  If  tried  by 
a  court-martial,  their  sentence  will  be  death ;  if 
delivered  over  to  the  civil  authority,  they  will  be 
sentenced  to  the  public  works  for  a  long  term  of 
years. 

Thursday,  Dec.  3.  The  convict  Edwards,  found 
with  the  two  sentries,  and  who  had  been  shot  after  he 
had  surrendered,  was  left  in  a  dying  condition  on  the 
public  road.  My  constable  left  this  morning  to  find 
him,  but  was  unable  to  cross  the  Salinas  river  on  ac- 
count of  the  freshet,  and  its  extreme  rapidity.  His  horse 
got  frightened  and  refused  to  swim  him  over.  He 
fastened  him  on  this  side,  and,  divesting  himself  of 
his  hat,  shoes,  and  coat,  plunged  in  ;  but  the  current, 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  Ill 

after  sweeping  him  down  a  mile  or  more,  landed  tiim 
on  the  same  side  from  which  he  had  started. 

He  is  a  man  of  great  humanity  as  well  as  courage 
and  resolution,  and  it  was  not  with  his  consent  that 
Edwards  was  left  at  night-fall,  wounded  and  dying, 
exposed  to  a  pitiless  storm,  and  to  be  devoured  by 
wild  beasts.  It  was  inhuman  to  leave  him  in  this  con- 
dition, when  he  might  have  been  brought  in,  or  taken 
to  some  house  in  the  neighborhood.  Those  in  fault, 
now  that  the  wrong  has  been  done,  and  is  irretrieva- 
ble, would  gladly  veil  it  from  the  public  eye.  There 
is  a  tongue  in  cruelty,  which  those  who  inflict  it  can 
never  silence.  It  will  speak  out  and  awaken  pangs 
in  the  most  callous  conscience.  If  we  have  no  mercy 
on  others,  how  can  we  expect  it  for  ourselves  in  that 
day  when  we  most  need  it  ? 

"  Teach  me  to  feel  another's  woe, 
To  hide  the  faults  I  see  ; 
The  mercy  I  to  others  show, 
That  mercy  show  to  me." 

Friday,  Dec.  4.  The  moment  a  child  is  born  on 
a  farm  in  California,  and  the  nurse  has  had  time  to 
dress  it,  it  is  given  to  a  man  on  horseback,  who,  with 
its  future  godfather  and  godmother,  ride  post-haste 
w'ith  it  to  some  mission,  and  present  it  to  a  priest  for 
baptism.  This  ceremony  concluded,  the  party,  full 
of  glee,  start  on  their  return  ;  and  the  little  new- 
comer may  now,  perhaps,  rest  a  week  or  two  before 
he  starts  on  another  excursion  ;  but  after  that,  hardly 


112  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

a  day  will  elapse  without  his  b^g  on  horseback. 
He  literally  rides  from  his  ci;adle  wf^is  grave.  Thus, 
by  the  time  a  boy  is  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age,  he 
becomes  an  expert  i^er,  is  devoted  to  the  saddle,  and 
looks  upon  pedestrial  motion  as  a  contemptible  w^ay 
of  getting  through  the  world.  He  would  sooner 
travel  a  hundred  miles  on  horseback  than  ten  on 
foot,  and  connect  less  fatigue  and  hardship  with  the 
result.  Most  of  his  labors,  too,  are  on  the  saddle.  He 
has  a  farm  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles  to  ride  over  ; 
vast  wheat-fields  to  survey,  and,  perhaps,  ten  thou- 
sand head  of  cattle  to  keep  from  straying.  He  would 
have  but  little  time  for  repose  if  he  went  by  steam. 

Saturday,  Dec.  5.  Of  all  the  women  I  have  had 
to  deal  with  here  the  washer-women  are  the  most 
unmanageable.  Two  of  them  entered  my  office  to- 
day as  full  of  fight  as  the  feline  antagonists  of  Kil- 
kenny. It  seems  they  had  been  out  w'ashing  in  one 
of  the  little  pools  created  by  the  recent  showers, 
when  one  had  taken  that  part  of  the  margin  previous- 
ly occupied  by  the  other.  War  offensive  and  defen- 
sive immediately  commenced.  One  drew  a  knife, 
which  had  a  blade  two  mortal  inches  in  length,  and 
the  other  a  sharp  ivory  bodkin.  But  what  their 
weapons  wanted  in  terror  and  strength  their  ungentle 
anger  supplied. 

At  last  one  cried  out,  "  the  alcalde ;"  the  other 
echoed  it,  and  so  they  both  rushed  down  to  the  office 
to   have   their   difficulties   settled.     Both  of  course 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  113 

commenced  talking  at  the  same  time ;  and  their 
stories  ran  together  hke  two  conflicting  rivulets 
forced  into  the  same  channel.  There  was  plenty  of 
tumult  and  bubble.  When  these  had  a  httle  sub- 
sided, I  began  cautiously  to  angle  for  the  truth — a 
difficult  trout  to  catch  in  such  waters.  But  one 
darter  after  another  was  captured,  till  I  had  enough 
to  form  some  opinion  of  those  that  had  escaped. 
These  we  discussed  till  bitter  feelins;,  like  biting 
hunger,  became  appeased.  The  rest  was  very  easily 
settled.  Both  went  away  declaring  either  margin  of 
the  pool  good  enough,  and  each  urging  on  the  other 
the  first  choice. 

How  gentle  is  forgiveness !  and  liow  sweet 
To  feel  the  severed  heart  flow  back  again 
To  one  we  loved,  estranged  by  hasty  words ! 

Sunday,  Dec.  6.  Mr.  Sargent,  who  came  out  in 
the  Congress  in  the  capacity  of  clerk  to  the  purser, 
and  who  had  been  left  here  several  weeks  since  for 
the  restoration  of  his  mind  and  health,  was  missed 
from  his  quarters  on  Tuesday  last.  He  has  been  la- 
boring for  some  time  under  mental  aberrations  which 
wear  a  reasoning  show,  and  which  alarm  only  the 
close  observer.  His  amiable  disposition  and  exem- 
plary life  exempted  him  from  all  reproach,  and  have 
excited  a  general  sympathy  and  concern  for  his  un- 
certain fate.  He  was  last  seen  winding  his  way 
through  the  forest  which  skirts  Monterey,  towards  a 
ledge  of  rocks  which  overhangs  the  boiling  surf  of 
10* 


114  THREE  YEARS  I\  CALIFORNIA. 

the  bay.  I  have  traversed  the  beach  for  miles,  and 
watched  each  swell  as  it  rolled  in,  to  see  if  it  bore 
on  its  crest  aught  like  a  human  form.  But  nothing 
came  to  the  shore  or  eddied  in  the  surge,  to  resolve 
mystery  and  give  a  painful  certainty  to  doubt.  The 
sea  itself  is  an  awful  mystery,  and  becomes  doubly  so 
when  the  fate  of  one  we  loved  is  locked  in  the 
tongueless  silence  of  its  unfathomed  depths. 

The  vraves  tell  not  the  fate  of  those 
On  whom  their  hasty  waters  close ; 
But  deeper  still  their  secrets  spread. 
That  travel  with  their  drifting  dead. 

Monday,  Dec.  7.  The  simplest  article  for  the 
table  is  often  beyond  the  reach  of  your  money  here. 
I  have  found  it  so  difficult  to  procure  a  few  eggs, 
when  required,  that  I  have  at  last  gone  to  keeping 
hens.  I  purchased  six  of  an  Indian  woman  for  six 
dollars,  and  a  rooster  for  fifty  cents.  On  asking  the 
woman  why  she  charged  only  half  price  for  the 
rooster,  she  replied  that  the  fellow  laid  no  eggs, 
and  as  for  his  cro.ving  that  did  nobody  any  good. 
Sounder  reasons  than  these  could  not  be  furnished  in 
a  much  higher  place  than  a  hencoop.  The  habits  of 
these  hens  are  a  little  singular.  They  are  perfectly 
tame,  and  are  as  much  at  home  in  the  kitchen  as  the 
cook.  They  never  trouble  themselves  much  about 
a  nest,  but  deposite  their  eggs  where  they  find  it 
most  convenient ;  one  takes  the  tea-tray,  another  the 
ironinor-table,  a  third  the  oven,  and  there  is   one  that 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  115 

always  gets  into  the  cradle.  She  is  not  at  all  dis- 
turbed by  the  tossing  of  the  little  fellow  on  whose 
premises  she  is  obtruding.  Neither  she  nor  any  of 
her  feathered  sisters  cackle  when  they  leave  the  nest. 
They  don't  seem  to  think  that  any  thing  worth  ma- 
king  an  ado  about  has  come  to  pass.  The  rooster,  it 
is  true,  perks  up  a  little,  and  perhaps  feels  a  feather 
taller.  But  this  is  the  vanity  of  his  sex.  There 
are  a  great  many  who  crow  over  what  others  have 
done. 

Tuesday,  Dec.  8.  The  banditti,  that  have  hov- 
ered for  some  weeks  past  in  the  vicinity  of  Monte- 
rey, have  made  it  unsafe  to  venture  out  on  our  hunt- 
ing excursions,  unless  in  sufficient  numbers  to  repel 
an  attack.  But  last  evening,  the  want  of  exercise, 
and  of  something  to  relieve  the  endless  monotony  of 
beef  on  the  table,  induced  me  forth.  I  took  my  boy, 
and  put  into  his  hands  one  of  Colt's  revolving  rifles, 
and  took  myself  the  fowling-piece.  We  had  hardly 
got  a  mile  from  town,  when  two  horsemen  broke 
from  the  covert  of  the  woods,  and  dashed  down  in  our 
direction.  1  had  but  little  more  than  time  to  exchange 
pieces  with  my  boy,  when  they  were  within  rifle-shot. 
Their  garb  showed  them  to  be  Californians.  My 
heart  beat  a  great  deal  louder  than  usual.  But  they 
suddenly  wheeled,  and  soon  disappeared  behind  one 
of  the  hills  which  look  out  on  the  bay.  They  had  no 
arms,  except  pistols  at  the  saddle-bow.  Whether 
they  had  hostile  intentions,  I  know  not :    their  move- 


116  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

ments  had  very  much  that  appearance  ;  and  I  must 
say  I  never  before  experienced  so  fully  those  feelings 
men  describe  in  going  into  battle.  They  are  not  fear 
so  much  as  an  intensity  of  excitement,  which  seems 
as  if  it  would  suffocate  life :  it  is  dispelled  with  the 
first  gun.  I  had  once  occasion  to  repel  an  exaspe- 
rated Spaniard  with  a  pistol,  and  though  I  had  antici- 
pated his  attack,  was  prepared  for  it,  and  believed 
that  the  aim  of  the  pistol  would  make  him  sheath  his 
knife ;  still  there  was  for  a  moment  an  intensity  of 
feeling  that  would,  if  prolonged,  destroy  one.  We 
continued  our  hunting,  but  changed  our  ground  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  sea,  and  brought  home  a  dozen  curlew, 
which  almost  rival  in  flavor  the  canvas-back  duck. 

Wednesday,  Dec.  9.  The  horses  of  California  are 
of  a  hardy  nature ;  and  it  is  well  for  them  that  they 
are,  considering  the  inhuman  manner  in  which  they 
are  generally  treated  by  the  natives.  If  a  man 
wants  to  ride  forty  or  fifty  miles  from  his  residence, 
he  mounts  his  horse,  and  spurs  off  upon  the  gallop. 
On  arriving  at  the  place  of  his  destination,  he  ties 
him  to  a  post,  where  he  stands  two  or  three  days, 
waiting  for  his  master.  During  this  time  he  is  not 
once  fed,  and  is  quite  fortunate  if  he  gets  a  swallow 
of  water.  At  last,  his  rider  comes,  mounts  him,  and 
he  takes  him  back  again  at  the  same  free  and  easy 
gait  with  which  he  first  started.  This,  of  course,  is 
confined  to  the  summer  season,  when  the  grass  has 
the  most  substance  and  nutriment :    still  it  is  almost 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  117 

incredible.  Besides  the  weight  of  his  heavy  rider,  the 
horse  generally  carries  fifty  or  sixty  pounds  in  the 
gear  of  his  saddle,  and  double  this  in  a  soaking  rain. 
It  requires  two  large  tanned  ox  hides  to  fit  out  a  Cali- 
fornian  saddle ;  then  add  to  this,  the  wooden  stiiTups, 
three  inches  thick,  the  saddle-tree,  with  its  stout  iron 
rings  and  buckles,  a  pair  of  goat-skins  across  the 
pommel,  holsters  and  pistols,  and  spurs  at  the  heels  of 
the  rider,  weighing  from  four  to  six  pounds,  and  we 
have  some  idea  of  what  aCalifornian  horse  has  to  carry. 
Still  he  is  cheerful  and  spirited,  and  never  flags  till 
nature  sinks  with  exhaustion.  A  man  who  can  abuse 
such  an  animal,  ought  to  be  bitted  and  saddled 
himself. 

Thursday,  Dec.  10.  The  old  as  well  as  the  young 
are  coming  over  the  mountains.  I  had  an  emigrant 
to  dine  with  me  to-day,  who  has  recently  arrived, 
and  who  is  seventy-six  years  of  age.  His  locks  are 
as  free  of  gray  hairs  as  those  of  a  child,  and  his  eye 
still  flashes  with  the  fires  of  youth.  He  is  among  the 
volunteers,  and  you  may  see  him  every  day  on  a  spir- 
ited horse,  with  a  rifle  at  his  saddle-bow.  He  has 
four  sons  with  Col.  Fremont.  They  enlisted  before 
they  had  time  to  unpack  their  saddles,  and  have  with 
them  the  remnants  of  the  biscuit  and  cheese  which 
they  brought  from  the  United  States.  I  asked  the 
old  man  what  could  induce  him  at  his  age  to  come 
to  California.  He  said  his  children  were  coming, 
and  so  he  determined  to  come  too.     I  asked  him  if  he 


118  THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

had  no  compunction  in  taking  up  arms  against  the 
inhabitants  the  moment  of  his  arrival.  He  said  he 
had  Scripture  example  for  it.  The  Israelites  took  the 
promised  land  of  the  East  by  arms,  and  the  Ameri- 
cans must  take  the  promised  land  of  the  West  in  the 
same  way.  I  told  him  that  would  do,  if  he  could 
show  the  same  high  commission.  But  I  find  this  kind 
of  parallel  running  in  the  imagination  of  all  the  emi- 
grants. They  seem  to  look  upon  this  beautiful  land 
as  their  own  Canaan,  and  the  motley  race  around 
them  as  the  Hittites,  the  Hivites,  and  Jebusites, 
whom  they  are  to  drive  out.  But  they  have  gone  at 
it  with  other  weapons  than  ram's  horns,  except  as 
powder-flasks. 

Friday,  Dec.  11.  The  grizzly  bear  is  the  most 
formidable  and  ferocious  animal  in  California ;  and 
yet,  with  all  this  ferocity  of  disposition,  rarely  attacks 
a  man  unless  surprised  or  molested.  The  fellow  never 
lies  in  wait  for  his  victim.  If  the  hunter  invades  his 
retreat  or  disputes  his  path  he  wdll  fight,  but  other- 
wise contents  himself  with  the  immunity  which  he 
finds  in  the  wildness  of  his  home  and  the  savage 
grandeur  of  his  nature.  It  is  never  safe  to  attack 
him  with  one  rifle ;  for  if  you  fail  to  hit  him  in  a  vital 
part,  he  is  on  you  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  Your 
only  possibility  of  escape  is  up  a  near  tree,  too  slen- 
der for  his  giant  grasp  ;  and  then  there  is  something 
extremely  awkward  in  being  on  the  top  of  a  tree  with 
such  a  savage  monster  at  its  root.     How  Ions:  he  wiJl 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  119 

remain  there  you  cannot  tell ;  it  may  be  a  day,  and  it 
may  be  a  week.  Yom'  antagonist  is  too  shrewd  to 
hand  you  up  your  rifle,  or  let  you  come  down  to  get 
it.  You  are  his  prisoner,  more  safely  lodged  than  in 
a  dungeon,  and  he  will  set  you  at  liberty  when  it 
suits  him.  He  sleeps  not  himself  at  his  post ;  day  and 
night  his  great  flashing  eyes  are  fastened  upon  you. 
The  lyre  of  Orpheus  may  have  lulled  to  sleep  the  sen- 
tinel of  Hades,  but  its  magic  tones  have  never  charmed 
to  slumber  the  sentinel  of  the  California  forest. 

The  full-grown  Califoi-nia  bear  measures  from  eight 
to  ten  feet  in  length,  and  four  or  five  in  girth.  His 
strength  is  tremendous,  his  embrace  death.  Had  the 
priest  of  Apollo  failen  into  his  folds,  he  would  have 
perished  without  any  of  those  protracted  agonies 
which  the  sympathetic  muse  has  wailed  round  the 
world.  Nature  has  thrown  over  him  a  coat  of  mail, 
soft  indeed,  but  impervious  to  the  storm  and  the  ar- 
row of  the  Indian.  The  fur,  which  is  of  a  dark  brown 
color,  is  nearly  a  span  long,  and  when  the  animal 
is  enraged  each  particular  hair  stands  on  end.  His 
food  in  the  summer  is  chiefly  berries,  but  he  will  now 
and  then,  on  some  of  his  feast  days,  slaughter  a  bull- 
ock. In  winter  he  lives  on  acorns,  which  abound  in 
these  forests.  He  is  an  excellent  climber,  and  will 
ascend  a  large  oak  with  the  rapidity  of  a  tar  up  the 
shrouds  of  his  ship.  In  procuring  his  acorns,  when  on 
the  tree,  he  does  not  manifest  his  usual  cunning. 
Instead  of  threshing  them  down  like  the  Indian,  he 
selects  a  well-stocked  limb,  throws  himself  upon  its 


120  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

extremity,  and  there  hangs  swinging  and  jerking  till 
the  limb  sives  way,  and  down  thev  come,  branch, 
acorns,  and  bear  together.  On  these  acorns  he  be- 
comes extremely  fat,  yielding  ten  or  fifteen  gallons  of 
oil,  which  is  said  to  be  sufficiently  pungent  and  nu- 
tritive as  a  tonic  to  tuft  a  statue's  marble  head. 

The  she  bear  has  one  peculiarity  that  must  puzzle 
even  the  philosophical  inquirer.  As  soon  as  she  dis- 
covers herself  wdth  young,  she  ceases  to  roam  the 
forest,  and  modestly  retires  from  the  presence  of 
others,  to  some  secluded  grotto.  There  she  remains, 
while  her  male  companion,  with  a  consideration  that 
does  honor  to  his  sex,  brings  her  food.  She  reap- 
pears at  length  with  her  twin  cubs,  and  woe  to  the 
luckless  wight  who  should  attempt  to  injure  or  molest 
them.  They  are  guarded  by  an  affection  and  ferocity 
with  which  it  would  be  madness  to  trifle.  For  them 
she  hunts  the  berries,  and  dislodges  the  acorns.  Her 
maternal  care  is  a  beautiful  trait  in  her  savage  na- 
ture, and 

"  Sliiues  like  a  good  deed  in  a  naughty  world." 


i 


.*?%", X 


^^^i-2^  A-i^    \^— 


121 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

LITTLE    ADELAIDA. COL.    FREMONX's     BATALLION. SANTIAGO    IN    LOVE. 

SENTIMENTS  OF  AN  OLD  CALIFORNIAN. THE  PRIZE  JULIA. FANDANGO. 

■WINTER  CLIMATE. — PATRON  SAINT    OF    CALIFORNIA. HABITS  OF  THE  NA- 
TIVES.  INSURRECTION  IN  THE  NORTH. DRAMA  IN  A  CHURCH. POSITION 

OF  COM.  STOCKTON. 

Saturday,  Dec.  12.  Our  paper,  the  only  one  pub- 
lished in  California,  made  its  hebdomadal  appearance 
again  to-day.  It  is  a  little  fellow,  but  is  half  filled  or 
more  with  original  matter.  A  paper  is  much  like  an 
infant ;  the  smaller  it  is,  the  more  anxious  the  atten- 
tions which  it  requires.  My  partner  promised  to 
stick  by  me,  but  has  been  the  greater  part  of  the  time 
since  its  commencement  on  the  bay  of  San  Fi'an- 
cisco.  He  went  there  to  locate  a  city,  but  if  rumor 
speaks  truly,  has  gone  off  in  quest  of  his  Aphrodite 
before  he  builds  her  shrine.  I  suppose  he  thinks  there 
is  but  little  use  in  a  cage  without  a  bird,  but  there  is 
still  less  in  a  bird  without  a  cage.  Birds,  however, 
always  pair  before  they  rear  their  nests.  So  that  my 
partner  is  after  all  in  nature's  great  line,  however 
wide  it  may  run  from  the  columns  of  the  Californian. 

Sunday,  Dec.  13.  I  miss  very  much  the  light  step 
and  laughing  eye  of  my  little  friend  Adelaida,  the 
infant  daughter  of  our  consul,  Mr.  Larkin.  She  was 
a  sweet  child,  and  beguiled  with  her  gladness,  many 

11 


122  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

a  moment  that  had  else  passed  less  lightly.  But  a 
change  came  over  her  briehtness,  an  eclipse  whose 
shadow  passes  not.  We  watched  its  dim  veil,  and  idly 
dreamed  it  might  still  pass,  when  its  faint,  inwoven 
light  was  lost  in  spreading  darkness.  She  passed 
away  like  a  bird  from  its  clouded  bower  ;  and  though 
her  flight  lay  over  dark  waters,  she  now  sings  in  the 
purple  land  of  the  blest.  There  no  shadows  fall,  and 
death  has  no  trophies.  One  eternal  spring,  with  its 
sparkling  founts  and  fragrant  blossoms,  reigns  through 
the  vernal  year.  The  soft  airs  as  they  stir,  wake  the 
strings  of  invisible  lyres ;  and  the  tender  leaves 
whisper  in  music.  There  walk  the  pure  ;  there  sur- 
vive the  meek  who  wept  with  us  here.  They  wait 
to  welcome  our  flight  to  their  joys  and  sinless  repose. 
O  that  I  had  wings  like  the  dove  that  I  might  fly 
away  and  be  at  rest! 

Monday,  Dec.  14.  It  is  now  two  weeks  since  Col. 
Fremont  broke  up  his  encampment  in  the  vicinity  of 
San  Juan,  and  commenced  his  march  south.  His 
progress  has  been  retarded  by  a  succession  of  heavy 
rains,  and  it  is  feared  that  some  of  the  rivers  which  he 
must  cross,  swollen  by  torrents  from  the  mountains, 
have  been  rendered  impassable.  His  horses  may 
perhaps  swim  them,  but  his  artillery  and  ammunition 
must  be  floated  over  on  rafts.  The  construction  of 
these,  especially  where  the  material  is  not  at  hand, 
will  occasion  long  and  impatient  detentions.  The 
condition  of  the  roads,  soaked  as  they  are  with  rain, 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  123 

will  Still  further  delay  his  progress  ;  still,  with  all 
these  drawbacks,  we  believe  he  will  reach  his  desti- 
nation. 

He  moves  upon  no  idle  or  vague  object.  The 
great  body  of  the  Californians  now  in  arms  are  at  the 
capital  of  the  southern  department,  waiting  his  hos- 
tile arrival.  They  intend  to  give  him  battle,  and  re- 
deem, if  possible,  some  of  the  laurels  which  they  lost 
in  their  precipitate  retreat  before  Com.  Stockton. 
Their  forces  outnumber  his  two  or  three  to  one  ;  they 
excel  them  as  horsemen,  but  fall  far  short  of  them  in 
the  dexterous  use  of  the  rifle.  They  want  that  cool- 
ness, deliberation,  self-reliance,  and  resolute  firmness 
which  appertain  to  the  character  of  the  Americans. 
We  wait  the  issue  of  the  encounter  with  a  profound 
interest.  Com.  Stockton  may,  perhaps,  march  from 
San  Pedro  and  capture  los  Angeles,  as  he  has  done 
once  before  ;  but  with  the  country  around  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  enemy,  and  the  cattle  driven  off"  upon 
distant  plains,  and  the  wheat  and  flour  removed  into 
the  gorges  of  the  mountains,  he  could  not  subsist  his 
forces.  So  at  least  it  would  seem ;  but  we  shall  see. 
It  was  the  prospect  of  famine  that  drove  Napoleon 
from  Moscow. 

Wednesday,  Dec.  16.  An  old  Californian,  much 
respected  for  his  intelligence  and  patriotic  virtues, 
sent,  a  few  days  since,  a  communication  to  our  paper, 
written  in  good,  vigorous  Castilian,  and  which  will 
find  an  echo   in  the  heart  of  all  the  considerate  por- 


124  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

tion  of  the  community.    He  opens  his  article  in  these 
words : — 

"  The  political  aspirants  in  California  have  inflicted 
upon  her  since  1836,  only  a  continued  succession  of 
evils.  They  have  seized  all  the  national  property 
and  all  the  missions,  as  though  they  were  their  own 
patrimony.  These  riches  they  have  distributed  with 
a  prodigal  hand  among  their  satellites  ;  a  multitude  of 
officers  were  created,  for  whom  there  was  no  employ- 
ment ;  and  military  grades  established  more  abun- 
dantly than  in  Paraguay,  though  with  this  difference 
in  the  result.  Doctor  Francia,  when  he  died,  left 
eight  millions  of  dollars  in  the  public  coffers  ;  while 
the  military  chieftains  in  this  country,  at  the  close  of 
their  brief  career,  have  left  the  country  overwhelmed 
in  debt.  And  now,  to  gratify  their  infatuated  ambi- 
tion, and  secure  further  plunder,  have  again  hoisted 
the  Mexican  flag,  which  they  have  long  hated  and 
cursed.  The  rash  step  taken  by  these  men  at  the 
town  of  the  Angeles  has  only  compromised  their 
brethren,  and  ruined  many  families.  The  wealth  of 
this  country  consists  in  cattle  and  agriculture  ;  to 
maintain  the  one  and  carry  on  the  other,  horses  are  in- 
dispensable ;  but  these  frantic  men  have  driven  off"  the 
horses  and  cattle  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  war.  They 
have  given  their  afflicted  country  her  death-stroke, 
merely  because  they  are  not  permitted  to  retain  those 
offices  which  they  are  not  capable  of  filling.  And 
such  outrageous  ambition  is  called  by  them,  love  of 
country  !     If  there  ever  existed  a  spark  of  patriotism 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.         125 

in  their  hearts,  they  would  never  have  attempted  the 
shghtest  revolutionary  act.  They  would  have  seen 
and  felt  that  it  could  end  only  in  general  disaster  and 
ruin." 

Thus  writes  an  old  Californian,  with  the  frosts  of 
seventy  winters  on  his  head.  He  understands  the 
condition  of  this  country,  and  the  character  of  her 
military  chieftains,  and  has  the  moral  courage  to  tell 
the  world  what  he  thinks. 

Thursday,  Dec.  17.  The  United  States  brig  Julia, 
a  prize  to  the  Cyane,  left  our  harbor  this  morning  for 
the  southern  coast.  She  is  a  beautiful  vessel,  rides 
the  water  like  a  duck,  and  sails  with  the  speed  of  the 
wind.  Her  masts  rake  to  an  angle  that  might  almost 
startle  a  Baltimore  clipper.  She  is  commanded  by 
Lieut.  Selden,  an  officer  to  whose  professional  attain- 
ments she  may  be  safely  confided.  She  goes  south 
to  communicate  with  Col.  Fremont  at  the  Rincon, 
a  narrow  pass  below  Santa  Barbara.  The  colonel's 
route  will  lead  him  through  this  pass,  which  lies 
hemmed  in  between  the  bluff  of  a  mountain  ransre 
and  the  dashing  surge  of  the  sea.  A  small  force  can 
defend  it  against  immense  odds.  Its  advantages  are 
well  knoAvn  to  the  Californians.  They  have  often 
in  their  previous  revolutions  made  a  stand  here, 
though  they  have  never  made  it  quite  a  Thermopylae. 
Should  they  post  themselves  in  this  pass,  the  well- 
trained  gun  of  the  Julia  may  dislodge  them,  or,  at 
least,  act  in  concert  with  Col.  Fremont  on  his  arri- 
11* 


126  THREE  YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

val.     A  man  wants  the  eyes   of   Argus  in  this  Cali- 
fornia war. 

Friday,  Dec.  18.  The  ladies  of  Monterey  have 
so  many  relatives,  near  and  remote,  involved  in  the 
issue  of  the  war,  that  they  have  had  but  little  heart 
for  their  customary  amusements.  But  time,  which 
assuages  grief,  has  slowly  quelled  a  sense  of  peril,  and 
they  are  gradually  coming  back  into  their  more  gay 
and  social  element.  The  lively  tones  of  their  gui- 
tars salute  you  from  their  corridors,  and  often  the 
fandango  shakes  its  hght  slipper  in  the  saloon.  It  has 
been  customary  here  for  a  person  giving  a  dance  to 
apply  to  the  alcalde  for  a  permit,  which  was  never 
refused,  and  which  always  brought  to  the  purse  of 
this  functionary  three  dollars  in  the  shape  of  a  fee. 
A  similar  application  was  made  to  me  a  few  days 
since.  To  grant  it  would  be  to  sanction  the  fan- 
dango ;  to  refuse  it  would  be  an  arbitrary  exercise  of 
power.  Tack  which  way  I  would,  I  must  run  on  a 
rock,  so  I  determined  not  to  tack  at  all,  and  told  the 
applicant  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  his  fiddles,  fandan- 
goes, or  fees,  so  long  as  the  public  peace  was  not  dis- 
turbed. 

Saturday,  Dec.  19.  The  season  is  now  verc-ing 
towards  mid-winter,  and  we  have  not  yet  experienced 
the  first  wrinkling  frost.  The  hills  and  valleys,  since 
the  recent  rains,  are  mantled  with  fresh  verdure,  and 
here  and  there  the  violet  opens  its  purple  eye  to  the 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  127 

sun.  The  children  are  out  at  play,  as  in  June  ;  their 
glancing  feet  are  unshod,  and  their  muslin  slips  but 
half  conceal  their  pulsing  limbs.  Even  the  old  men, 
from  whom  the  ethereal  fires  have  escaped,  are  abroad 
in  the  same  garments  which  covered  them  in  mid- 
summer. Such  is  the  climate  of  a  California  winter, 
or,  at  least,  its  interludes,  and  these  will  continue  to 
visit  us  like  sunbows  between  the  showering  clouds. 

Monday,  Dec.  21.  The  house  of  the  humbler  Cali- 
fornian  has  often  but  one  apartment,  and  is  without 
fireplace  or  floor.  Here  a  family  of  ten  or  fifteen 
tumble  in  and  sleep  on  the  ground.  If  they  have 
guests,  which  is  often  the  case,  they  turn  in  among 
the  rest.  The  thicker  they  lie,  of  course  the  less 
covering  they  need.  The  walls  of  this  promiscuous 
dormitory  are  formed  of  rough  piles,  driven  in  the 
ground,  just  sufficiently  to  support  a  roof  that  is 
thatched  with  flag.  Through  the  chinked  piles  the 
night-wind  whistles  in  gusty  glee  ;  through  the  roof 
the  star-light  falls  in  broken  flakes.  The  shower- 
cloud  often  pauses  over  it,  and,  as  if  in  wanton  mis- 
chief, empties  its  floating  cistern.  But  Httle  heed  the 
sleepers  these  freaks  of  the  elements  :  they  have  been 
familiar  with  them  from  their  birth.  The  only  beings 
that  seem  at  all  disturbed  are  the  fleas  ;  but  they  still 
manage  to  dodge  the  shower-drops  and  secure  their 
nocturnal  repast.  Those  on  whom  they  commit  their 
depredations  spring  no  .rattle,  raise  no  cry  of  alarm. 
The  thief  is  there,  but  they  know  it  not.     Habit  has 


128  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

exempted    them  from    even    a   perception    of    their 
wrongs.     Happy  flea  of  CaHfornia  ! 

When  nigLt-birds  fill  with  waking  numbers 

The  star-lit  pauses  in  the  storm, 
He  deftly  springs  where  Beauty  slumbers, 

And  feasts  on  her  seraphic  form. 

She  httle  knows  who  shares  her  pallet, 

Has  heard  no  lover  lift  the  latch, 
And,  waking,  only  hears  the  ballet 

Danced  by  rain-drops  on  her  thatch. 

"Were  all  om*  ills  which  others  tell  us. 

And  all  that  darken  fancy's  dream. 
Confined  to  those  we  knew  befell  us. 

How  few  our  real  woes  would  seem. 

Tuesday,  Dec.  22.  A  com'ier  arrived  last  evening 
from  the  north,  with  the  starthng  intelligence  that 
forty  or  fifty  mounted  Californians  had  sallied  from 
the  hills  in  the  vicinity  of  San  Francisco,  and  cap- 
tured several  Americans ;  among  them  Mr.  Bartlett, 
chief  magistrate  of  that  jurisdiction.  Capt.  Weber, 
as  soon  as  the  news  reached  him  on  his  station  at 
San  Jose,  started  with  fifty  mounted  volunteers  in 
pursuit ;  and  fifty  more  have  left  Monterey  this  morn- 
ing under  the  command  of  Capt.  Maddox.  One  party 
is  to  come  down  upon  them  from  the  north,  and  the 
other  is  to  cut  off  their  retreat  to  the  south.  The 
plan  is  well  laid,  and  we  shall  know  in  a  few  days  if 
it  has  been  executed  with  any  decisive  results. 

Wednesday,  Dec.  23.     It  becomes  us  to  keep  a 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  129 

pretty  sharp  look-out  here,  or  another  hostile  party- 
may  take  advantage  of  the  absence  of  the  forces 
under  Capt.  Maddox,  and  pay  us  a  flying  visit.  No 
one  here  can  tell  when  these  visits  are  to  be  expected  ; 
when  you  feel  most  secure,  they  are,  perhaps,  nearest 
the  door.  In  all  other  lands,  war  bears  on  its  front 
such  a  flaring  banner  that  you  see  its  terrific  insignia 
long  before  you  feel  its  presence  ;  but  here,  it  comes 
like  the  descent  of  the  eagle  from  his  mountain  eyrie 
— you  hear  not  his  pinions  till  they  beat  the  air  in  his 
reascending  :  you  look  for  the  milk-white  lamb  that 
frolicked  in  your  flock,  and  it  is  gone.  Peril  here, 
like  death,  borrows  half  its  terrors  from  the  secrecy 
in  which  it  wraps  its  footsteps. 

Thursday,  Dec.  24.  As  soon  as  the  sun  had  gone 
down,  and  twilight  had  spread  its  sable  shadows  over 
the  hills  and  habitations  of  Monterey,  the  festivities 
of  Christmas  Eve  commenced.  The  bells  rang  out  a 
merry  chime  ;  the  windows  were  filled  with  stream- 
ing light ;  bonfires  on  plain  and  steep  sent  up  their 
pyramids  of  flame ;  and  the  sky-rocket  burst  high 
over  all  in  showering  fire.  Children  shouted ;  the 
young  were  filled  with  smiles  and  gladness ;  and  the 
aged  looked  as  if  some  dark  cloud  had  been  lifted  from 
the  world. 

While  the  bonfires  still  blazed  high,  the  crowd 
moved  towards  the  church  ;  the  ample  nave  was  soon 
filled.  Before  the  high  altar  bent  the  Virgin  Mother, 
in  wonder  and  love,  over  her  new-born  babe ;  a  com- 


130  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

pany  of  shepherds  entered  in  flowing  robes,  with 
high  wands  garnished  with  silken  streamers,  in  which 
floated  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  and  surmounted 
with  coronals  of  flowers.  In  their  wake  followed  a 
hermit,  with  his  long  white  beard,  tattered  missal, 
and  his  sin-chastising  lash.  Near  him  figured  a  wild 
hunter,  in  the  skins  of  the  forest,  bearing  a  huge  trun- 
cheon, surmounted  by  an  iron  rim,  from  which  hung 
in  jingling  chime  fragments  of  all  sonorous  metals. 
Then  came,  last  of  all,  the  Evil  One,  with  horned 
frontlet,  disguised  hoof,  and  robe  of  crimson  flame. 
The  shepherds  were  led  on  by  the  angel  Gabriel,  in 
purple  wings  and  garments  of  light.  They  ap- 
proached the  manger,  and,  kneeling,  hymned  their 
wonder  and  worship  in  a  sweet  chant,  w^hich  was 
sustained  by  the  rich  tones  of  exulting  harps.  The 
hermit  and  hunter  were  not  among  them  ;  they  had 
been  beguiled  by  the  Tempter,  and  were  lingering  at 
a  game  of  dice.  The  hermit  seemed  to  suspect  that 
all  was  not  right,  and  read  his  missal  vehemently  in 
the  pauses  of  the  game ;  but  the  hunter  was  troubled 
by  none  of  these  scruples,  staked  his  soul,  and  lost ! 
Emboldened  by  his  success,  the  Tempter  shoved  him- 
self among  the  shepherds ;  but  here  he  encountered 
Gabriel,  w^ho  knew  him  of  old.  He  quailed  under 
the  eye  of  that  invincible  angel,  and  fled  his  presence. 
The  hermit  and  hunter,  once  more  disenthralled,  paid 
their  penitential  homage.  The  shepherds  departed, 
singing  their  hosannas,  while  the  voices  of  the  whole 
assembly  rose  in  the  choral  strain. 


THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  131 

Friday,  Dec.  25.  At  our  last  advices,  Com.  Stock- 
ton was  at  San  Diego ;  the  Congress  and  Cyane 
had  been  warped  into  the  harbor,  and  a  large  portion 
of  the  officers  and  crews  were  in  camp  near  the  town. 
The  Californians  were  in  possession  of  the  country, 
and  often  presented  a  formidable  force  on  the  sur- 
rounding hills.  They  were  well  mounted,  and  had  it 
in  their  power  to  dash  down  at  night  on  the  camp  of 
the  commodore.  Still,  it  was  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance to  maintain  this  position  ;  but  aggressive  move- 
ments were  deemed  here  impracticable.  The  idea 
has  never  been  seriously  entertained  here,  that  the 
commander-in-chief  could  march  a  body  of  seamen 
and  marines,  drilled  into  an  infantry,  to  los  Angeles, 
in  the  face  of  the  flying-artillery  of  the  Californians  ; 
and  still  less  that  he  could  subsist  his  forces  there 
with  all  the  resources  of  the  country  in  the  hands  of 
the  enemy.  The  war  here  is  not  on  a  great  scale, 
but  it  impinges,  at  certain  points,  with  terrific  energy. 
It  is  not  always  the  magnitude  of  the  field  and  of  the 
interests  at  issue,  which  test  most  severely  the  re- 
sources of  the  general.  This  California  war  has  to 
be  carried  on  by  means  which  requires  consummate 
tact,  coolness,  and  courage.  A  few  weeks  more  will 
decide  the  fate  of  the  southern  department,  and  with 
that,  the  whole  tide  of  affairs  here.  That  department 
lost  in  the  pending  engagement,  our  northern  posi- 
tions will  be  put  in  imminent  peril.  It  is  an  idle 
dream  to  suppose  the  Californians  will  not  fight ;  give 
them  faithful  and  competent  leaders,  and  they  evince 


132  THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

a  dashing  bravery  which  lifts  them  immeasurably 
above  contempt.  He  who  presumes  on  their  timidi- 
ty will  learn  his  error  when  it  may  be  too  late.    •' 

Saturday,  Dec.  26.  It  is  an  old  custom  here  for 
the  shepherds,  when  they  have  performed  their  sacred 
drama  in  the  church,  to  repeat  it,  during  the  holy- 
days,  in  the  residences  of  some  of  the  citizens.  One 
of  the  first  personages  to  whom  they  pay  their  re- 
spects is  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  jurisdiction ;  I 
was  accordingly  saluted  this  evening  with  their  fes- 
tive compliment. 

The  large  hall,  occupying  the  centre  of  the  build- 
ing, was  sufficiently  ample  to  accommodate  them,  and 
some  fifty  gentlemen  and  ladies  as  spectators.  They 
brought  their  own  orchestral  accompaniment,  which 
consisted  entirely  of  violins  and  guitars.  Their  pre- 
lude had  so  many  sweet  harmonies  that  the  listener 
determined  to  listen  on.  The  dialogue  and  chant  of 
the  shepherds  would  have  awakened  their  appropriate 
associations,  but  for  the  obtrusions  of  the  hermit,  hun- 
ter, and  devil,  who  now  gave  much  freer  scope  to 
their  characteristic  peculiarities  than  they  did  in 
church.  The  hermit  forgot  that  his  lash  was  intend- 
ed for  himself,  and  began  to  use  it  on  others.  The 
hunter  left  off  snaring  birds,  and  commenced  setting 
springes  to  catch  Satan  ;  but  his  intended  victim  not 
only  managed  to  escape,  but  to  decoy  the  hunter 
himself  into  his  own  net.  The  hermit  tried  to  disen- 
chant him  through  the  power  of  his  missal ;  but  this 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  133 

having  no  effect,  he  threatened  to  chastise  the  subtle 
author  of  the  mischief,  but  wanted  some  one  to  seize 
and  hold  him,  for  fear  his  horn,  hoof,  or  tail  might 
come  in  conflict  with  the  life-glass.  During  this 
side-acting,  the  dialogue  and  chant  of  the  shepherds 
went  on,  though  it  would  be  difficult  to  conceive  of 
any  two  things  more  wide  asunder  in  their  spirit  and 
effect.  The  whole  was  concluded  with  the  riata- 
dance,  by  the  shepherds,  who  executed  its  airy  move- 
ments with  a  lightness  and  precision  of  step  that 
would  have  thrown  enchantment  on  any  occasion 
less  sacred  in  its  associations  than  the  present. 
12 


134 


CHAPTER     IX. 

DAT  OF  THE  SANTOS  INNOCENTES. LETTING  OFF  A  LAKE. — ARRIVAL  OF  THE 

DALE  WITH  HOME  LETTERS. THE    DEAD    TEAR. NEWLT -ARRIVED   EMI- 
GRANTS.  EGG-BREAKING      FESTIVITIES. — CONCEALMENT    OF     CHAVES. 

PLOT  TO  CAPTURE   THE   ALCALDE. 

Sunday,  Dec.  27.  The  dramatic  shepherds  have 
just  passed  my  door  on  their  way  to  the  mansion  of 
Gen.  Castro,  where  they  are  to  perform  their  pas- 
torals. Their  drama  is  ill  suited  to  the  sacredness  of 
the  Sabbath  :  its  grotesque  appendages,  in  the  person 
of  the  wild  hunter  and  apocalyptic  dragon,  are  but  ht- 
tle  short  of  a  burlesque  on  the  devotional  chant  of  the 
shepherds.  Indeed,  there  is  not  a  truth  connected 
with  man's  redemption  which  can  derive  any  force 
from  scenic  representation.  Every  passage  in  the 
life  of  the  Redeemer,  eveiy  act  that  he  performed,  and 
every  precept  that  he  inculcated,  are  invested  with  a 
solemnity  which  should  exempt  them  from  the  attempts 
of  dramatic  art.  They  have  a  significancy  and  force 
which  transcend  the  evanescent  triumphs  of  the  stage. 
The  tragedy  of  the  Cross  stands  alone  ;  no  human 
passion  can  approach  it ;  it  is  shielded  in  its  sorrows 
by  the  divinity  of  the  sufferer ;  its  love  overwhelmed 
angels  ;  its  agony  awoke  the  dead. 

Monday,  Dec.  28.  This  is  the  festival  day  of  the 
Santos  Innocentes,  and  is  devoted  by  the  lovers  of 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  135 

fun  to  every  kind  of  harmless  imposition  on  the  sim- 
plicity of  others.  The  utmost  ingenuity  is  exercised  in 
borrowing,  for  every  article  lent  has  to  be  redeemed. 
Although  aware  of  this,  still,  in  a  moment  of  forget- 
fulness,  one  succeeded  in  borrowing  my  spurs.  A 
gentleman,  who  has  lived  here  from  his  boyhood,  lent 
his  cloak,  another  his  saddle-  and  bridle,  and  a  third 
his  guitar.  Two  ladies  performed  feats  that  would 
have  been  difficult  on  any  day.  One  borrowed  mo- 
ney of  a  broker,  and  the  other  a  rosary  of  a  priest. 
It  is  rumored,  but  not  credited,  that  a  client  has  in- 
duced his  lawyer  to  allow  his  case  to  be  amicably 
adjusted  ;  that  a  patient  has  actually  persuaded  his 
physician  to  permit  the  aid  of  nature  in  throwing  off 
his  disease  ;  and  that  a  customer  has  made  a  shop- 
keeper confess  an  imperfection  in  his  wares.  It  is  said, 
but  doubtecf,  than  an  old  Spanish  hidalgo,  after  being 
told  that  his  -son  is  engaged  in  marriage  to  a  peasant 
girl,  will  probably  sleep  before  he  disinherits  him.  It 
is  also  said,  thousfh  few  believe  it,  that  a  wife,  whose 
husband  is  going  to  sea,  has  consented  that  he  shall 
take  the  family  breeches  with  him.  It  is  further 
stated,  but  on  no  good  authority,  that  a  political  par- 
tizan  has  hesitated  about  voting  for  his  candidate  on 
account  of  his  having  been  once  sentenced  to  the 
penitentiary  for  sheep-stealing.  Several  other  ru- 
mors are  afloat,  but  they  are  not  credited.  One  is, 
that  a  disappointed  lover  has  persuaded  himself  that 
his  suit  has-been  rejected  without  any  parental  inter- 
ference ;  another  is,  that  a  young  collegian  has  writ- 


13G  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

ten  a  letter  to  his  grandmother  without  quoting  a 
word  of  Greek  ;  another  is,  that  a  young  clergy- 
man has  composed  an  entire  sermon  without  anything 
about 

"  Fixed  fate,  free  will,  foreknowledge  absolute." 

Another  is,  that  a  man  of  giant  intellect  and  protound 
erudition  has  selected  as  his  life-partner  a  woman  of 
sense  ;  another,  that  a  lady  who  has  had  an  offer  of  mar- 
riage and  rejected  it,  has  kept  it  to  herself;  another, 
that  an  old  bachelor  has  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
he  is  less  captivating  with  the  girls  than  he  was  when 
younger ;  another,  that  a  young  military  officer  has 
taken  tea  with  his  aunt  without  having  on  his  regi- 
mentals ;  that  a  midshipman  has  entertained  a  lady 
fifteen  minutes  without  a  gale  or  disaster  ;  that  a  sex- 
ton had  been  seen  shedding  a  tear ;  that  a  Mormon 
has  confessed  Joe  Smith's  Bible  a  little  less  authentic, 
from  the  absence  of  the  original  plates  ;  that  a  Mil- 
lerite  has  forgiven  a  debt,  on  account  of  the  nearness 
of  the  last  conflagration  ;  that  a  mesmerite,on  account 
of  the  death-intelligence  conveyed  by  his  clairvoyant, 
has  gone  into  mourning ;  that  an  Englishman  has  been 
seen  with  a  smile  on  his  countenance  without  a  plum- 
pudding  in  his  stomach ;  that  an  American  has  said 
grace  at  his  table  without  stopping  to  expectorate  ; 
that  a  Frenchman  has  stopped  his  prattle  before  death 
had  stopped  his  breath ;  and,  finally,  that  a  new  moon, 
with  a  drooping  horn,  has  been  followed  by  a  dry 
month. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  137 

While  these  incredible  rumors  were  afloat,  the 
public  ear  was  startled  with  the  intelligence  that  a 
large  ship  had  been  driven  on  the  rocks,  just  behind 
Point  Pinos.  The  whole  population  rushed  at  once 
in  that  direction, — the  women  to  see  her  go  to  pieces, 
the  men  to  seize  her  cargo,  and  a  widow,  who  has  a 
son  at  sea,  to  save  the  sailors.  But  the  ship  proved 
to  be  the  "  Flying  Dutchman,"  with  phantom  hull  and 
masts,  and  sails  through  whose  gossamer  the  setting 
sun  poured  its  effulgent  beam.  Some  laughed  as  the 
spectral  fabric  dissolved,  some  grieved  in  silence  over 
their  loss,  and  one  old  wrecker  hung  himself  with 
disappointment.  Thus  ended  the  day  of  the  Santos 
Innocentes. 

Tuesday,  Dec.  29.  During  the  rains  which  pre- 
vail at  this  season  of  the  year,  a  multitude  of  small 
streams  rush  from  the  hills  which  encircle  Monterey 
into  the  lagoon  which  lies  in  the  vicinity  of  the  town. 
This  natural  basin,  replenished  by  these  foaming  rivu- 
lets, presented  this  week  quite  a  deep  and  spacious 
lake,  and  began  to  threaten  with  inundation  the 
buildings  upon  its  margin.  As  it  lay  several  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  with  only  an  intervening 
ridge  of  sand,  it  occurred  to  me  that  it  would  be  a 
good  scheme  to  cut  a  channel  between  the  two. 
The  work  was  easily  accomplished ;  but  my  channel 
of  two  feet  soon  widened  to  forty,  and  the  whole 
lake  came  rushing  down  in  a  tremendous  torrent. 
It  swept  every  thing  before  it,  and  carried  two  boats, 
12* 


138  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

which  lay  on  the  beach,  so  far  out  to  sea  that  tliey 
have  not  been  seen  or  heard  of  since.  Even  the 
sea-birds,  that  have  dashed  about  here  among  the 
breakers  ever  since  they  got  out  of  their  eggs,  seemed 
frightened,  and  took  wing.  Their  screams  came 
back  on  the  wind  like  the  howling  of  wild  beasts  on 
a  sinking  Avreck.  The  lake  disappeared ;  its  waters, 
where  the  stars  had  mirrored  themselves  in  tranquil 
beauty,  went  otf  to  join  the  roaring  ocean,  and  left 
on  its  sandy  bottom  only  a  few  floundering  fish.  How 
tame  is  a  lake  when  its  bottom  is  laid  bare !  It  is 
like  the  heart  of  a  coquette  when  the  illusions  of  love 
have  fled. 

Wednesday,  Dec.  30.  The  phantom  ship,  which 
rounded  into  our  harbor  a  few  weeks  since,  and  de- 
parted without  token  or  sign,  turns  out  to  be  a  good 
sound  oak  reality,  in  the  shape  of  a  sloop-of-war,  hon- 
ored with  the  name  of  Dale,  bearing  the  stars  and 
stripes,  and  commanded  by  Wm.  W.  M'Kean.  She 
sailed  from  New  York  on  the  Gth  of  June,  and  has 
stopped  on  her  way  out  at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Valparaiso, 
Callao,  Payta,  and  Mazatlan.  She  has  brought  a 
large  mail  for  the  Pacific  squadron.  What  an  eager 
breaking  of  seals  there  will  be  ! 

I  am  indebted  to  her  for  a  large  package  of  letters, 
and  for  the  receipt  of  one  which  was  written  several 
weeks  after  she  sailed.  It  was  dispatched  alone  to 
Jamaica,  thence  by  the  mail  steamer  to  Chagres, 
thence  over  the  Isthmus  to  Panama,  and  thence  by 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  139 

the  steamer  to  Callao,  and  then  to  Lima.  Here  it 
came  into  the  care  of  my  esteemed  friend,  Mr.  M'Call, 
who  forwarded  it  by  the  Dale.  It  brings  me  the  in- 
telHgence  of  the  birth  of  a  son,  and  of  the  safety  and 
happiness  of  a  young  mother  over  her  first-born. 
Had  this  letter,  in  one  of  the  many  mischances  to 
which  it  was  exposed,  failed  of  reaching  me,  months 
might  have  passed  away  without  any  inteUigence  to 
relieve  my  solicitude.  There  is  a  Providence,  whose 
care  extends  to  the  condition  of  each  one.  Not  a  spar- 
row falls  to  the  ground  without  his  notice.  But  a  long 
interval  of  waning  moons  must  pass,  and  half  the 
earth's  circuit  be  traversed,  before  I  can  see  that  infant 
being  whose  dawning  light  has  shed  a  gladness  on  my 
hearth.  In  this  slow  lapse  of  time  what  changes  may 
betide,  what  fearful  shadows  may  fall ! 

"  My  child,  my  child  !  when  I  shall  reach  my  door, 
If  heavy  looks  should  tell  me  thou  art  dead, 
It  seems  as  I  should  struggle  to  believe 

Thou  wert  a  spirit,  to  this  nether  sphere 
Sentenced  for  some  more  venial  crime  to  grieve ; 
Didst  sigh,  then  spring  to  meet  Heaven's  quick  reprieve, 
While  we  wept  idly  o'er  thy  little  bier !"  Coleridge. 

Thursday,  Dec,  31.  Com.  Stockton  is  still  en- 
camped near  San  Diego,  expecting  to  march  in  a  few 
days  for  the  town  of  the  Angels.  He  has  under  his 
command  detachments  from  the  crews  of  the  Con- 
gress, Cyane,  and  Portsmouth,  with  some  thirty  vol- 
unteers, and  has  with  him  several  pieces  of  artillery. 
His  plan  evidently  is,  to  attack  the  position  of  the 


140  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

Californians  from  the  south  at  the  same  time  that 
Col.  Fremont  comes  down  upon  them  from  the  north. 
Hemmed  in  by  these  encountering  forces,  they  will 
be  obliged  to  surrender,  or  attempt  a  disastrous  flight. 
Public  expectation  is  on  the  tip-toe  to  learn  the  re- 
sult ;  but  several  days  must  elapse  before  it  can  be 
known  here.  /     ,  A 

Friday,  Jan.  1.  Last  night,  while  the  sentinel 
stars  were  on  their  mid-watch,  the  old  year  resigned 
its  sceptre,  and  departed  amid  the  wailing  hours  to 
join  the  pale  shadows  of  the  mighty  past.  The  strong 
winds,  awaking  in  grief,  shook  the  forest  leaves  from 
their  slumbers,  and  poured  from  cloud  and  cliff  their 
stormy  dirge. 

"  As  an  earthquake  rocks  a  corse 

In  its  coffin  in  the  clay, 
So  white  Winter,  that  rough  nurse, 

Rocks  the  death-cold  year  to-day : 
Solemn  hours  !  wail  aloud, 
For  your  mother  in  her  shroud."  Shelley. 

But  nature  never  leaves  the  throne  of  time  vacant. 
An  heir  to  her  wide  domain  was  invested  at  once 
with  the  imperial  purple,  while  woods  and  water-falls, 
the  organ  cloud  and  the  sounding  sea,  sung  his  coro- 
nation hymn.  The  great  tide  of  time  moved  on  as 
before,  rolling  in  events  pregnant  with  the  fate  of 
nations.  But  men,  blind  to  these  momentous  issues, 
hail  the  eventful  year — in  which  perhaps  their  own 
coffins  swing — with  egg-nog !    Out  on  their  frivolity  ! 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  141 

Their  mirth  is  the  bubble  that  paints  the  rainbow  on 
Niagara's  thundering  verge. 

Sunday,  Jan.  3.  The  deceased  year  is  in  its  grave, 
but  its  deeds  remain.  But  few  of  them,  it  is  true,  are 
to  be  found  in  the  archives  of  earth  ;  they  have  been 
sealed  up  and  transmitted,  by  invisible  hands,  to' 
Heaven's  high  chancery.  There  they  will  remain, 
above  the  ranges  of  time  and  the  wreck  of  worlds. 
When  the  sun's  last  ray  has  expired,  every  line  and 
letter  will  flash  out  in  characters  of  living  light.  It 
will  then  be  seen  that  our  minutest  action  here 
touches  a  string  that  will  vibrate  forever  in  the  soul ; 
and  that  issues  of  happiness  or  woe,  vast  as  eternity, 
take  their  rise  in  the  silent  pulses  of  a  hidden  thought. 
We  live  between  two  worlds  ;  every  impulse  we  take 
from  this  throws  an  action  into  the  infinitude  of  the 
next ;  we  follow  it  ourselves  soon  and  fast :  once  be- 
yond the  dim  veil,  we  return  no  more ;  not  a  whisper 
comes  back  to  those  we  love.  We  have  gone  like  a 
shooting- star  over  the  steep  verge  of  night. 

Monday,  Jan,  4.  It  is  mid- winter,  and  yet  the 
robins  are  all  out,  singing  as  if  the  buds  of  May  were 
bursting  around  them.  You  miss  none  of  your  fa- 
vorites in  meadow  or  grove.  Hill  and  vale  are  echo- 
ing with  their  wild  numbers.  This  is  not  a  gush  of 
music  that  is  to  be  followed  soon  by  silence ;  it  is 
not  an  interval  of  sun-light  that  is  to  be  succeeded 
bv  cloud  and  hail.     All  these  charms  belono;  to  the 


142  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

season,  and  make  you  forget  that  it  is  winter.  You 
look  to  the  sun,  and  see  that  he  circles  indeed  far  to 
the  south ;  but  you  look  around  you  and  find  the  spark- 
ling streams  unfettered  by  frost,  and  hear  the  whistle 
of  the  ploughman  as  he  breaks  the  glebe.  You  say 
to  yourself,  there  is  no  winter  in  California. 

Tuesday,  Jan.  5.  Many  of  the  emigrants  who 
have  recently  arrived,  are  now  with  Col.  Fremont  at 
the  south.  By  enlisting  in  this  campaign,  they  will 
have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  every  important  part 
of  California,  jand  will  be  able  to  locate  themselves 
with  some  confidence  in  their  selection  of  grounds. 
This  will  compensate  them  in  some  degree  in  fore- 
going their  first  year's  tillage.  Besides,  they  generally 
arrive  here  with  very  little  means  beyond  their  own 
enterprise.  They  are  now  receiving  twenty-five 
dollars  a  month,  and  have  but  few  temptations  for 
spending  it ;  they  will  consequently  find  themselves 
in  funds,  small  to  be  sure  ;  but  there  is  a  period  in 
almost  every  man's  life  when  a  penny  takes  the  im- 
portance of  a  pound.  "  It  is  more  difficult,"  said  the 
late  Stephen  Girard,  "  to  make  the  first  hundred  dol- 
lars, than  the  next  thousand."  But  with  all  due  defer- 
ence to  that  eminent  economist,  I  have  found  it 
extremely  difficult  to  make  either,  and  when  made, 
still  more  difficult  to  keep  it.  It  has  slipped  out  of 
my  hands  like  a  squirming  eel  in  its  slime.  But  this 
has  very  little  to  do  with  the  emigrants.  They  will, 
it  is  hoped,  soon  be  able  to  return  to  their  families. 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  143 

who  are  now  scattered  about  in  the  missions,  and  in 
shanties  oa  the  Sacramento,  without  the  comforts  of 
hfe.  Thev  liave  suffered  greatly  from  being  massed 
together  in  these  temporary  lodgments ;  and  have 
often,  no  doubt,  wished  themselves  where  they  came 
from.  The  pioneers  of  civilization  have  always  a 
rough  path.  They  force  the  bear  from  his  covert, 
not  to  make  room  for  a  palace,  but  that  they  may 
themselves  take  his  jungle. 

Wednesday,  Jan.  6.  As  I  was  sitting  in  the 
house  of  an  old  Californian  to-day,  conversing  very 
quietly  about  the  condition  of  the  country,  I  felt  some- 
thing break  on  my  head,  and,  starting  around,  dis- 
covered two  large  black  eyes,  lighted  with  their 
triumph.  It  flashed  upon  me,  that  the  annual  egg- 
breaking  festival  here  had  commenced.  The  rules  of 
this  frolic  do  not  allow  you  to  take  offence,  whatever 
may  be  your  age  or  the  gravity  of  your  profession  : 
you  have  only  one  alternative,  and  that  is,  to  retaliate 
if  you  can.  You  have  not  to  encounter  the  natural 
contents  of  the  egg — these  are  blown  out ;  and  the 
shell  is  filled  with  water,  scented  with  cologne,  or  la- 
vender ;  or  more  often,  with  gold  tinsel,  and  flashing 
paper,  cut  into  ten  thousand  minute  particles.  The 
tinsel  is  rubbed  by  a  dash  of  the  hand  into  your  hair, 
and  requires  no  little  combing  and  brushing  to  get  it 
out.  Ladies  will  work  at  it  for  hours,  and  find  some 
of  the  spangles  still  remaining.  When  a  liquid  is 
used,  the  apertures  are  closed  with  wax,  so  that  the 


144  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

belligerent  may  carry  it  about  his  person.  The  an- 
tagonist is  always  of  the  opposite  sex.  You  must 
return  these  shots,  or  encounter  a  railery,  which  is 
even  worse.  Having  finished  my  chat,  I  bade  my 
good  old  Californian  friend,  and  his  daughter,  my 
egg-shell  opponent,  good  morning  ;  but  turned  into  a 
shop,  procured  an  egg  or  two,  and  re-entered  the 
mansion  of  my  friend  by  a  side  door,  where  I  watched 
for  my  victim.  A  few  moments  brought  her  along, 
all-unconscious  of  her  danger.  I  slipped  from  my 
covert,  and,  unperceived,  dashed  the  showering  egg 
on  her  head.  Her  locks  floated  in  cologne.  I  was 
avenged,  and  now  stood  square  with  the  world,  so  far 
as  egg-breaking  is  concerned.  This  seems  like  chil- 
dren's play ;  but  here  you  are  forced  into  it  in  self- 
defence. 

Thursday,  Jan.  7.  Two  or  three  of  the  Califor- 
nians  who  w^ere  engaged  against  the  Americans  on 
the  Salinas,  have  since  been  in  town  ;  among  these, 
the  leader,  Chaves,  who  was  wounded  on  that  occa- 
sion. Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  take  him, 
but  he  has  always  managed  to  elude  the  search. 
Last  night,  however,  he  had  an  extremely  narrow  es- 
cape. The  officer  in  command  of  the  garrison,  hav- 
ing been  informed  that  he  was  in  a  particular  house, 
silently  posted  his  sentinels  around  it,  and  at  about 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  unceremoniously  entered. 
Quick  footsteps  were  heard  here  and  there,  and  only 
a  part  of  the  ladies  were  found  in  the  parlor ;   but 


THREE   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA.  145 

these  were  calm  as  moonshine,  and  extremely  polite 
and  amiable. 

The  officers  apologized  foi;  their  abrupt  intrusion, 
and  stated,  very  frankly,  what  their  object  was  :  the 
ladies  assured  them  that  they  were  quite  right,  and 
they  should  afford  them  every  facility  and  aid  that 
might  lead  to  the  discovery  of  the  obnoxious  person. 
They  took  lights  and  piloted  them  through  every 
apartment  of  the  house,  opening  every  closet,  and 
lifting  every  bed-curtain.  There  was  no  place  in 
garret,  cellar,  kitchen  or  out-house  on  which  their 
tapers  did  not  shed  their  light ;  but  in  none  could  a 
trace  of  the  officer  whom  they  sought  be  found  :  sa 
they  renewed  their  apologies  to  the  ladies  and  de- 
parted— when  out  slipped  Chaves  from  between  two 
ladies,  who  had  jumped  into  a  bed  for  the  purpose  of 
conceaUng  him.  They  had  lain  there  while  the 
officers  were  in  the  chamber  ;  their  dark  locks  float- 
ing over  the  pillows,  and  their  large  eyes  closed  in 
seeming  slumber.     Between  them 

"  He  had  been  hid — I  don't  pretend  to  say 

How,  nor  can  I,  indeed,  describe  the  where  ; 
Young,  slender,  and  pack'd  easily,  he  lay, 
No  doubt,  in  little  compass,  round  or  Square." 

Friday,  Jan.  8.  We  have  as  yet  no  further  in- 
telligence in  reference  to  the  party  of  Californians 
who  carried  off  Mr.  Bartlett,  of  San  Francisco.  He 
had  gone  into  the  country,  it  seems,  to  attend  to  some 
of  his  official  duties,  when  he  was  captured,  and  is 

Ij 


146  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

now  detained  as  a  hostage.  I  came  very  near  falling 
into  a  similar  trap,  a  few  weeks  since.  A  farmer  in 
Santa  Cruze  had  extended  his  improvements  over  the 
lands  of  another,  which  lay  contiguous  to  his  own, 
and  it  became  necessary  to  go  and  define  the  bound- 
aries by  the  original  titles.  The  day  was  fixed  when 
I  was  to  be  there,  and  the  parties  interested  were 
summoned  to  appear  on  the  spot.  But  the  night  be- 
fore I  was  to  leave,  intellisrence  reached  me  that  an 
armed  party  of  Californians  were  encamped  close  to 
the  road  which  T  should  have  taken.  But  for  this 
inforrtiation,  brought  in  by  a  citizen  of  Monterey,  I 
should  now  be  sleeping  here  and  there,  under  the  open 
heaven,  without  a  change  of  apparel,  and  with  ban- 
dits for  bed-fellows :  on  such  slender  threads  hangs 
security  here.  I  have  been  told  by  Calilbrnians,  who 
are  my  friends,  that  plans  have  been  laid  by  their 
countrymen  to  slip  me  quietly  out  of  my  house  at 
night,  or  entrap  me  in  my  hunting  excursions,  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  town.  I  began  to  think,  last  night, 
that  this  attempt  was  to  be  realized.  Quick  footsteps 
and  a  loud  rap  came  to  my  door,  followed  by  an  ex- 
cited call  for  the  alcalde.  My  boy  went  out,  with 
his  pistols  swung  at  his  side ;  but  the  call  proved  to 
be  an  honest  one.  A  shop  had  been  robbed,  and  a 
warrant  was  wanted  for  the  arrest  of  the  supposed 
felons. 

Saturday,   Jan.    9.      How    many    inventions     a 
Californian   lady  has !     One   who   was  harboring   a 


THREE  YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA.  147 

Mexican  officer  that  had  broken  his  parol,  wishing 
to  do  away  with  all  possible  suspicion,  got  up  a  fan- 
dango, to  which  she  took  special  pains  to  invite  all 
the  American  officers.  Such  open-door  hospitality — 
such  challenging  of  the  public  eye — threw  an  air  of 
freedom  and  frankness  over  her  whole  house.  Every- 
body acquitted  her  at  once  of  the  least  shadow  of  sus- 
picion. But  while  the  violins  and  guitars  were  trem- 
bling and  thrilling  in  concert,  and  the  floor  of  the  old 
hall  was  springing  to  the  bounding  measures  of  the 
fandango,  and  bright  eyes 

"  Were  looking  love  to  eyes  that  spake  again," 

the  Mexican  officer  was  snugly  taking  a  nap  in  the 
great  oven,  which,  near  the  cook-house,  silently 
loomed  into  the  moonlight.  It  must  have  been  a  long 
nap,  for  the  stars  that  kept  the  mid-watch  were  re- 
lieved before  the  company  broke  up.  The  officer  was 
then  at  liberty  to  leave  his  oval  dormitory  to  the 
baker  ;  and  creeping  forth,  had,  no  doubt,  a  good 
laugh  with  his  ingenious  hostess  over  the  success  of 
the  fandango.  There  is  no  disguise  so  deep  as  that 
which  seems  to  seek  none. 

Sunday,  Jan.  10.  I  held  service  to-day  on  board 
the  U.  S.  ship  Dale.  Though  on  deck,  no  inconve- 
nience was  experienced  from  the  weather.  The  air 
was  soft,  and  hardly  a  ripple  disturbed  the  mirror  of 
the  sea.  Capt.  McKean,  in  the  absence  of  a  chap- 
lain, reads  the  service  himself.     He  appreciates  the 


148  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

force  of  moral  influences  in  the  government  of  his 
crew,  and  is  well  sustained  in  its  exertion  by  his  in- 
telligent officers.  It  is  rarely  that  you  meet  with  a 
commander  in  the  service  who  is  indifferent  to  the 
religious  character  of  his  crew.  If  he  has  no  rehgion 
himself,  still  he  respects  it  in  others,  and  places  his 
greatest  reliance  w^here  it  exerts  a  controlling  influ-- 
ence.  Religion,  wherever  possessed,  vindicates  its 
celestial  origin. 

The  captain  of  a  whale-ship  applied  to  Mr.  Damon, 
of  Honolulu,  to  preach  on  board  his  vessel,  stating 
very  frankly  that  he  had  no  religion  himself,  but  then 
he  wanted  his  ship  to  appear  "  a  little  decent."  Now 
when  a  captain  applies  for  a  religious  service  to  give 
an  air  of  respectability  to  his  vessel,  it  shows  that 
moral  truth  is  in  the  ascendancy,  at  least  in  the  dig- 
nity of  its  claims.  There  was  a  time  when  no  such 
expedient  was  deemed  necessary ;  but  a  higher  light 
has  struck  the  mariners  who  float  the  great  Pacific. 
Their  hosannas  will  yet  be  rolled  to  heaven  in  con- 
cert with  the  loud  anthem  of  her  many- voiced  waves. 


^^ 


149 


CHAPTER     X. 

DESTRUCTION    OF    DOGS. TUE   ■WASH-TUB   MAIL. — THE   SURRENDER    IN  THE 

NORTH. — ROBBING   THE    CALIFORNIANS. — DEATH-SCENT:   IN    A    SHANTY. 

THE    MEN    WHO    TOOK    UP    ARMS. ARRIVAL    OF    THE    INDEPENDENCE. 

DESTITUTION    OF    OUR    TROOPS. — C.UTURE    OF    LOS    ANGELES. 

Monday,  Jan.  11.  I  never  expected,  when  thread- 
ing the  streets  of  Constantinople,  where  dogs  inherit 
the  rights  of  citizenship,  to  encounter  such  multitudes 
of  them  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  But  Cali- 
fornia is  more  than  a  match  for  the  Ottoman  capital. 
Here  you  will  find  in  every  littlp  village  a  thousand 
dogs,  who  never  had  a  master :  every  farm-house  has 
some  sixty  or  eighty  ;  and  every  Indian  drives  his  cart 
with  thirty  or  forty  on  its  trail.  They  had  become 
so  troublesome,  that  an  order  was  given  a  few  days 
since  to  thin  their  ranks.  The  marines,  with  their 
muskets,  were  to  be  the  executioners.  The  order,  of 
course,  very  naturally  runs  into  dog-erels. 

The  dogs,  the  dogs  !  my  gallant  lads — 

Let  each  one  seize  his  gun, 
And  lead  the  battle's  fiery  van, 

Though  Mars  himself  should  rua 

Remember  Lodi's  blazing  bridge, 

Marengo's  shaking  plain, 
And  Borodino's  thundei--clouds, 

Where  Cossacks  fell  like  rain. 
13* 


150  THREE  YEARS   IN  CALIFORNIA, 

Now  hurl  their  howling  squadrons  down 

To  Lethe's  silent  shore ; 
They  bark  so  loud,  we  scarce  can  hear 

Our  sleeping  sentries  snore. 

Lay  low  the  watch-dog  first  of  all ; 

For  he's  a  saucy  loon, 
That  bays  all  night  the  modest  man 

Who  figures  in  the  moon. 

Then  down  the  pointer  :  he  it  is 

That  threads  the  leaves  and  grass- 
To  train  the  sportman's  ready  fire 

At  some  poor  luckless  ass. 

Then  wing  the  lap-dog,  that  pert  imp 

Befondled  by  the  fair, 
And  catching  all  the  tender  looks 

Old  bachelors  should  share. 

O'er  him,  who  falls  in  this  dread  strife, 

The  thunder-clouds  shall  roll. 
Through  shaking  cliffs  and  caverned  hills, 

A  requiem  to  his  souL 

And  dewy  stars  shall  softly  bend 

From  their  celestial  bowers, 
To  greet  the  meek-eyed  spring,  that  comes 

To  strew  ^s  grave  with  flowers. 

Tuesday,  Jan.  12.  After  three  weeks,  in  which  we 
had  a  cloudless  sky  and  balmy  air,  the  wind  has 
hauled  into  the  southeast,  and  a  gentle  rain  has  com- 
menced falling.  Its  having  crept  upon  us  so  softly, 
is  a  symptom  that  it  will  continue  with  us  some  time. 
The  first  break  of  sunshine  may  be  a  week  hence. 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  151 

Wednesday,  Jan.  13.  We  have  no  intelligence, 
as  yet,  from  the  seat  of  war.  The  solicitude  of  the 
public  to  know  the  result  is  at  the  highest  pitch.  No 
one  doubts  that  the  issue  has  been  very  decisive.  A 
report  reached  us  to-day  that  the  town  of  los  Angeles 
had  been  taken  by  our  troops,  and  that  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  Californians  had  laid  down  their  arms. 
This  rumor  comes  through  the  washerwomen  of  this 
place.  They  get  their  intelligence  from  the  Indians, 
who  cross  the  streams  in  which  they  wash  their 
clothes.  Singular  as  this  sort  of  mail  may  seem,  it 
very  often  conveys  news,  not  only  with  wonderful 
dispatch,  but  with  extraordinary  accuracy. 

The  first  capture  of  los  Angeles,  by  Com.  Stockton, 
was  announced  here  by  these  washerwomen ;  they  were 
also  the  first  to  spread  the  intelligence  of  the  breaking 
out  of  the  insurrection  at  the  same  place,  and  knew  of 
the  retreat  of  the  Americans  at  San  Pedro  before  any 
other  class  of  people  in  Monterey.  So  much  for  a 
wash-tub  mail.  You  may  think  lightly  of  it  as  of  the 
soap-bubbles  that  break  over  its  rim ;  but  if  you  are 
wise  you  will  heed  its  intelligence.  It  is  an  old  mail 
that  has  long  been  run  in  California ;  and  has  an- 
nounced more  revolutions,  plots,  and  counterplots, 
than  there  are  mummies  in  Memphis.  Who,  in  other 
lands,  would  dream  of  going  to  an  old  woman,  wash- 
ing her  clothes  in  a  mountain  stream,  for  the  first 
tidings  of  events  in  which  the  destinies  of  nations 
tremble  ?  Mr.  Morse  need  hardly  come  here  with  his 
magnetic  machine.     One  of  these  women  would  snap 


152  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

the  news  from  a  napkin  or  shirt  before  his  lightning- 
mail  had  got  under  way. 

Thursday,  Jan.  14.  The  small  party  of  Califor- 
nians  who  recently  took  up  arms  on  the  bay  of  San 
Francisco,  soon  increased  to  two  hundred.  They 
were,  with  few  exceptions,  men  of  the  better  stamp — 
men  who  had  a  permanent  interest  in  the  soil,  and 
who  had  refused  to  join  the  rash  spirits  at  the  south. 
They  had  captured  Mr.  Bartlett,  the  chief  magistrate  of 
the  jurisdiction,  and  several  other  Americans,  whom 
they  held  as  hostages. 

Capt.  Marston,  with  fifty  men  from  the  Savannah, 
and  Capt.  Maddox,  with  a  company  of  mounted  vol- 
unteers, and  Capt.  Weber,  with  another  band  of  reso- 
lute spirits,  met  them.  A  general  and  decisive  en- 
gagement was  anticipated  ;  but  after  a  few  hours  of 
pretty  sharp  fighting,  the  Californians  withdrew  from 
Santa  Clara,  which  was  entered  by  our  forces.  A 
flag  of  truce  was  sent  in,  and  the  leading  spirits  on 
both  sides  assembled  under  the  shadows  of  a  great 
native  oak.  The  Californians  stated  that  they  had 
taken  up  arms,  not  to  make  war  on  the  American 
flag,  but  to  protect  themselves  from  the  depredations 
of  those  who,  under  color  of  that  fiag,  were  plunder- 
ing them  of  their  cattle,  horses,  and  grain  ;  and  that 
on  assurance  being  given  that  these  acts  of  lawless 
violence  should  cease,  they  were  ready  to  return 
quietly  to  their  homes.  These  demands  were  not  en- 
forced in  a  spirit  of  menace,  but  with  that  moral 


THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  153 

firmness  which  belongs  to  a  deep  sense  of  wrong. 
They  were  acceded  to,  and  the  parties  separated, 
never  again,  I  hope,  to  meet  as  belligerents. 

This  is  a  much  better  mode  of  settling  differences 
than  through  the  arbitrament  of  the  bayonet.  It  is 
an  easy  thing  to  dislodge  a  man's  argument  by  dis- 
lodging his  life  ;  but  this  summary  process  of  getting 
rid  of  an  opponent  will  generally  be  followed  by 
something  worse.  There  is  terror  even  in  the  ghost  % 
of  a  misdeed.  " 

Friday,  Jan.  15.  We  have  further  intelligence 
from  the  seat  of  war.  General  Kearny,  with  his  staff 
and  a  guard  of  one  hundred  dragoons,  arrived  on  the 
6th  ult.  from  New  Mexico  at  San  Pasqual,  about 
thirty  miles  from  San  Diego.  Here  he  encountered 
a  hundred  and  sixty  Californians,  under  Andres  Pico, 
well  mounted,  and  armed  with  rifles  and  lances.  A 
sanguinary  engagement  ensued,  marked  by  the  most 
daring,  determined  conduct  on  both  sides.  Captain 
Johnson,  with  twelve  dragoons,  led  the  charge,  and 
was  shot  dead  in  the  furious  onset.  Captain  Moore, 
with  fifty  dragoons,  rushed  to  the  front :  the  enemy 
wavered — retreated ;  when  this  gallant  officer,  with  a 
few  of  his  men  who  were  better  mounted  than  the 
the  rest,  rushed  on  in  pursuit.  The  enemy  suddenly 
wheeled ;  and  now  it  was  hand  to  hand  between 
the  heavy  sword  and  lance.  Captain  Moore,  on 
his  white  charger,  was  a  mark  which  none  could 
mistake.     Lance  after  lance   was   shivered   by   his 


154  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

flashing  steel,  till,  at  last,  he  sunk  overpowered.  All 
this  lasted  but  a  few  minutes,  but  long  enough  to  reach 
its  tragic  results  before  the  remainder  of  the  guard 
could  come  up. 

The  Californians  at  last  retreated,  and  Gen.  Kearny 
encamped  on  the  disputed  field.  But  what  a  night  it 
must  have  been  !  The  camp  fire  threw  its  pale  fight 
on  the  countenances  of  nineteen,  who  sprung  to  their 
saddles  at  the  break  of  day,  but  who  were  now  locked 
in  the  still  embrace  of  death.  The  burial  rites  per- 
formed, and  another  sun  in  the  heavens,  the  general 
was  again  on  his  way.  But  another  hill  bristling  with 
lances  obstructs  his  march ;  it  is  stormed,  carried, 
and  here  again  the  weary  and  the  wounded  require 
repose.  Through  the  energies  of  Lieut.  Beale,  who 
seems  ever  to  be  where  the  hardiest  enterprise  de- 
mands, a  message  is  conveyed  through  the  beleaguering 
lines  of  the  enemy  to  the  camp  of  Com.  Stockton, 
and  a  detachment  of  seamen  and  marines,  under 
Lieut.  Gray,  of  the  Congress,  is  sent  out.  This  fresh 
force  obliged  the  Californians  to  relinquish  their  pur- 
pose of  another  engagement.  Had  they  not  arrived, 
it  was  the  intention  of  Gen.  Kearny  to  cut  his  way 
to  San  Diego,  be  the  odds  against  him  what  they 
might.  His  gallant  guard  had  shown  the  reliance 
which  might  be  reposed  in  them,  by  the  desperate 
valor  which  they  had  already  evinced.  The  conduct 
of  Capt.  Turner,  of  Lieut.  Emory,  and  Capt.  Gillespie 
might  give  a  feature  to  any  field  where  life  is  perilled 
and  laurels  won;  while  the  muse  of  history  would 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.         155 

inscribe  her  glowing  eulogy  on  the  tombs  of  a  John- 
son, a  Moore,  and  a  Hammond.  They  sleep  in  the 
soil  of  CaUfornia,  where  the  undying  year 

"  Garlands  with  fragrant  flowers  their  place  of  rest." 

Saturday,  Jan.  16.  The  depredations  complained 
of  by  those  who  took  up  arms  in  the  neighborhood  of 
San  Francisco,  were  committed  by  some  of  the  volun- 
teers, previous  to  their  joining  Col^  Fremont  on  his 
present  campaign.  They  are  a  class^of  persons  who 
have  drifted  overjhfi-mountains  into  this  country  from 
the  boi'ders  of  some  of  our  western  stateg.  It  is  a 
prime  feature  in  their  policy  to  keep  in  advance  of  ^  i^^ 
law  and  order,  and  to  migrate  as  often  as  these  trench 
on  their  irresponsible  privileges.  Their  connection 
with  our  military  operations  here  is  a  calamity  that 
can  only  find  a  relief  in  the  exigencies  of  war. 

Were  their  lawless  proceedings  directed  against 
those  who  are  active  participators  in  this  revolution, 
the  evils  which  they  inflict  would  have  some  pallia- 
tion. But  the  principal  sufferers  are  men  who  have 
remained  quietly  on  their  farms,  and  whom  we  are 
bound  in  honor,  as  well  as  sound  policy,  to  protect. 
To  permit  such  men  to  be  plundered  under  the  filched 
authority  of  our  flag  is  a  national  reproach.  No  tem- 
porary triumph  can  redeem  the  injuries  inflicted,  or 
obliterate  their  stain.  But  the  rash  acts  committed 
by  one  portion  of  the  Californians,  and  the  wrongs 
endured  by  another,  are  fast  drawing  to  a  close. 


156  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

Sunday,  Jan.  17.  As  I  was  passing  this  morning 
one  of  the  Uttle  huts  sprinkled  around  the  skirts  of 
Monterey,  my  steps  were  arrested  by  the  low  moans 
which  issued  from  its  narrow  door.  On  entering,  I 
found  on  a  straw  pallet  a  mother  whom  disease  had 
wasted  to  a  mere  shadow,  but  whose  sufferings  were 
now  nearly  over.  She  did  not  notice  my  entrance, 
or  any  thing  around  ;  her  eyes  were  lifted,  fixed,  and 
glassed  in  death.  A  slia-ht  motion  drew  mv  attention 
to  another  corner  of  the  hut,  w'here  I  discovered,  in 
the  dim  twilight  of  the  place,  a  little  boy  lying  on  a 
mat,  whom  I  supposed  asleep ;  his  young  sister  was 
near  him,  and  trying  to  cross  his  hands  on  his  breast. 
She  did  not  seem  to  notice  me,  spake  not  a  word,  but 
went  on  with  her  baffled  task,  for  the  hand  which  she 
had  adjusted  would  roll  off  while  she  was  attempting 
to  recover  the  other.  Now  and  then  she  stopped  for 
a  moment  and  kissed  the  lips  which  could  return 
none,  while  her  tears  fell  silently  on  the  face  of  her 
dead  brother.  In  a  few  minutes  two  women  entered, 
who,  it  seems,  had  gone  out  to  call  their  clergyman 
to  administer  the  last  rites  to  the  mother.  He  was 
too  late  :  her  spirit  had  fled.  He  spoke  to  her,  called 
her  by  name — but  there  was  no  answer  ;  he  turned 
to  the  little  boy,  whispered  Raphael,  but  all  was  silent 
and  still.  Directing  the  women  where  to  procure 
grave-clothes  at  the  expense  of  the  alcalde's  office,  I 
w^ended  my  way  home.  How  little  heeds  the  great 
stream  of  life  the  silent  rivulets  of  sorrow  which  min- 
gle with  its  noisy  tide  ! 


THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  157 

Monday,  Jan.  18.  It  is  deeply  to  be  regretted  that 
the  military  operations  in  California  should  prevent, 
at  this  time,  an  experimental  proof  of  the  fertility  of 
her  soil.  The  rain  that  has  already  fallen  is  so  abun- 
dant, that  all  the  arable  land  will  retain  its  moisture 
sufficiently  to  enable  the  crops  to  come  to  maturity. 
But  this  war  has  broken  up  every  agricultural  arrange- 
ment, and  defeated  every  possibility  of  a  generous 
harvest.  The  calamity  will  be  felt  most  severely  by_ 
the^migrant^.  They  arrive  here  with  very  slender 
means  ;  and  the  idea  of  paying  twenty  dollars  ajjarrgl 
for  flour  covers  them  with  dismay.  Instead  of  having 
reached  a  land  of  plenty,  they  hastily  conclude  that 
they  are  to  suffer  the  miseries  of  destitution,  and  yield 
to  a  despondency  deeper  than  that  which  shook  the 
faith  of  the  Israelites  before  their  wants  were  miracu- 
lously supplied.  But  there  is  no  manna  here,  and  no 
quails,  except  those  which  are  secured  by  the  hunter's 
skill.     The  day  of  miracles  is  over,  even  in  California. 

Tuesday,  Jan.  19.  One  of  my  boys  caught  a  dove, 
a  few  days  since,  clipped  his  wing,  and  placed  him  in 
our  yard,  which  has  a  high  wall  around  it.  He  looked 
very  lonely  at  first,  but  his  mate  soon  came,  hovered 
around  on  the  wall,  and  finally  preferring  captivity 
wdth  him  to  freedom  without,  flew  down  to  his  side. 
How  beautiful  is  that  affection  which  never  forsakes 
in  adversity,  but  becomes  deeper  and  stronger  as  the 
waves  of  affliction  roll  higher  over  the  object  of  its 
sympathy  and  trust ! 

14 


158  THREE  YEAKS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

Wednesday,  Jan.  20.  There  is  one  feature  in  our 
military  operations  here  which  is  far  asunder  from 
that  system  of  order  which  appertains  to  a  well-dis- 
ciplined army.  V  Every  one  who  can  raise  among  the 
emigrants  thirty  or  forty  men,  becomes  a  captain,  and 
starts  off  to  fight  pretty  much  on  his  own  hook.  »Nor 
is  he  very  scrupulous  as  to  the  mode  in  which  he  ob- 
tains his  horses,  saddles,  and  other  equipments.  He 
takes  them  wherever  he  can  find  them,  and  very  often 
without  leaving  behind  the  slightest  evidence  by  which 
the  owner  can  recover  the  value  of  his  property.  He 
plunders  the  Californian  to  procure  the  means  of 
fighting  him.  Public  exigency  is  the  plea  which  is 
made  to  cover  all  the  culpable  features  in  the  trans- 
action. This  may  justify,  perhaps,  taking  the  prop- 
erty, but  it  never  can  excuse  the  refusal  or  neglect 
to  give  receipts.  It  is  due  to  Com.  Stockton  and 
Col.  Fremont  to  say,  that  this  has  been  done  without 
their  sanction.  Still,  it  reflects  reproach  on  our 
cause,  and  is  a  source  of  vast  irritation  in  the  com- 
munity. No  man  who  has  any  possible  means  of  re- 
dress left  will  tamely  submit  to  such  outrages  ;  and 
yet  we  expect  the  Californians  to  hug  this  chain  of 
degradation,  and  help  to  rivet  its  links.  Let  foreign- 
ers land  on  our  own  coast,  and  do  among  us  what 
Americans  have  done  here,  and  every  farmer,  in  the 
absence  of  a  musket,  would  shoulder  his  pitchfork 
and  flail.  Human  nature  is  the  same  here  as  there, 
and  a  sense  of  w'rong  will  burn  as  deeply  in  the  one 
place  as  the  other.     I  utter,  for  one,  my  note  of  re- 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  159 

monstrance,  though  it  be  as  little  heeded  as  the  whis- 
pers  of  a  leaf  in  the  roar  of  a  storm-swept  forest. 

Thursday,  Jan.  21.  The  scarcity  of  provisions  in 
Monterey  continues.  Flour  is  twenty-five  dollars 
the  barrel,  and  there  is  hardly  a  barrel  in  the  place 
at  that.  We  have  in  our  garrison  about  a  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  and  all  are  on  a  short  allowance  of 
bread.  There  is  wheat  in  the  interior,  but  the  mules 
which  should  be  there  to  grind  it  have  gone  to  the 
wars.  Even  that  sorry  animal  seems  here  not  wholly 
insensible  to  military  glory.  The  trump  of  fame  finds 
an  echo  even  in  his  long  ears. 

Friday,  Jan.  22.  The  flag  on  the  fort  informed  us 
this  afternoon  of  the  approach  of  a  ship  within  the 
rim  of  our  bay.  As  she  neared,  the  signals  on  the 
Dale  told  her  to  be  an  American  man-of-war.  We 
conjectured  at  once  that  she  must  be  the  Congress  ; 
but  as  she  rounded  into  her  berth  we  could  not  re- 
cognize, in  her  majestic  form,  the  features  of  our  old 
friend.  She  proved  to  be  the  Independence,  com- 
manded by  Capt.  Lavellette,  and  bearing  the  broad 
pennant  of  Com.  Shubrick.  She  sailed  from  the  U. 
States  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  August,  and  arrived  at 
Rio  de  Janeiro  in  fifty-three  days ;  remained  there 
ten  days ;  doubled  the  Cape  and  reached  Valparaiso 
in  thirty-four  days  ;  stopped  there  seven,  and  reached 
here  in  thirty-eight.  This  is  splendid  sailing  ;  but 
the  Independence  is  one  of  the  fastest,  as  well  as  one 


100  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

of  the  most  powerful  ships  in  our  service.  Though 
razeed  of  her  carronades,  all  her  effective  force  re- 
mains. Her  battery  is  a  frowning  mass  of  thunder. 
Her  officers  are  men  of  enterprise  and  professional 
merit.  They  have  brought  a  mail,  well  filled  with 
letters  and  papers,  from  the  United  States.  If  you 
would  know  the  value  of  a  single  letter,  let  an  ocean 
roll  between  you  and  your  home. 

Saturday,  Jan.  23.  The  Independence  left  the 
Columbus  at  Valparaiso,  under  the  broad  pennant  of 
Com.  Biddle,  who  has  instructions  to  favor  us  here 
with  a  visit.  The  Columbus  was  in  want  of  supplies, 
and  would  be  detained  several  days  in  procuring 
them.  She  had  better  lay  in  all  she  will  require,  for 
there  is  nothing  here.  Unless  a  transport  arrives 
soon,  there  will  not  be  salt  provisions  enough  on  the 
coast  to  enable  our  squadron  to  go  to  sea  two  wrecks. 
There  has  not  been  a  transport  here  for  six  months  ; 
our  sailors  have  been  Uving  on  fresh  meat  till  they 
hanker  for  the  salt  more  than  they  ever  did  for  the 
fresh.  As  for  clothing,  they  can  hardly  muster  a  shirt 
a  piece,  and  one  pair  of  shoes  among  half  a  dozen  is 
becoming  rather  a  rare  sight.  This  is  a  hard  case, 
when  our  markets  at  home  are  glutted  with  these  ar- 
ticles. The  sailor  is  required  to  be  faithful  to  the 
government,  and  the  government  should  be  faithful 
to  him.  He  should  not  be  left  here  barefooted  to 
patter  about  like  a  duck  in  shallow  water.  It  is  well 
for  him  that  it  is  a  California  winter  through  which 


THREE  YEARS   IN  CALIFORNIA.  161 

he  is  obliged  to  pass  in  his  destitution  ;  in  the  same 
latitude  on  the  Atlantic  he  would  nearly  have  per- 
ished. 

Sunday,  Jan.  24.  It  is  difficult  to  make  the  Cali- 
fornians  understand  why  you  will  not  attend  to  office 
duties  on  the  Sabbath.  The  apology  that  you  want  it 
as  a  day  of  recreation,  would  be  appreciated  ;  but  the 
plea  of  its  sanctity  is  with  many  wholly  unintelligi- 
ble. If  you  would  make  a  person  respect  the  Sab- 
bath, you  must  rear  him  in  its  sacred  observance. 

Monday,  Jan.  25.  The  wash-tub  mail  is  still  fur- 
ther establishing  its  claims  to  confidence.  Its  intelli- 
gence is  no  bubble  breaking  over  its  rim,  and  evapora- 
ting into  thin  air ;  but  a  chain  of  facts  carrying  with 
them  the  destinies  of  a  nation.  All  that  has  reached 
us  through  this  singular  mail  is  confirmed  this  morn- 
ing by  a  California  youth  who  has  arrived  from 
below. 

He  left  los  Angeles  some  fourteen  days  since,  and 
states  that  previous  to  his  departure,  Com.  Stockton 
had  entered  the  town  at  the  head  of  the  American 
forces  from  San  Diego.  He  says  there  had  been 
some  pretty  hard  fighting,  in  which  the  Californians 
had  suffered  severely.  Col.  Fremont,  he  states,  was 
within  two  days'  march  of  the  Pueblo,  and  in  a  posi- 
tion to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  Californians  to  the 
north.  He  believes  that  most  of  them  have  surren- 
dered. This  intelligence  is,  in  every  essential  partic- 
14* 


1G2  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORXIA. 

ular,  identical  with  that  which  reached  us  several  days 
since  through  the  washerwomen  of  this  town.  They 
must  have  obtained  it  from  those  who  swept  through 
to  the  north  when  the  rout  below  first  commenced. 

Tuesday,  Jan.  .  26.  A  Californian  made  me  a 
present  to-day  of  a  wild  goose  which  he  had  just 
killed.  I  value  the  gift  for  the  giver,  rather  than  any 
benefit  it  may  be  to  me.  I  live  mostly  on  mush ; 
such  a  thing  as  a  wild  goose  never  floats  within  the 
shadows  of  my  domestic  dreams.  Even  the  drum  of 
the  partridge  is  rarely  heard  there.  Wild  geese  pre- 
vail here  in  the  greatest  abundance  ;  every  lagoon, 
lake,  and  river  is  filled  with  them.  They  fly  in 
squadrons,  which,  for  the  moment,  shut  out  the  sun ; 
a  chance  shot  will  often  bring  two  or  three  to  the 
ground.  The  boys  will  often  lasso  them  in  the  air. 
This  is  done  by  fastening  two  lead  balls,  several  yards 
from  each  other,  to  a  long  line,  which  is  whirled  into 
the  air  to  a  great  heisrht.  In  its  descent  the  balls  fall 
on  opposite  sides  of  the  neck  of  some  luckless  goose, 
and  down  he  comes  into  the  hands  of  the  urchin 
hunter  ;  sometimes  a  pair  are  brought  down,  but  one 
generally  manages  to  effect  his  escape.  The  boy 
little  heeds  the  domestic  relation  that  may  have  sub- 
sisted between  them  ;  and  yet  there  is  something  in 
killing  the  mate  of  even  a  goose  that  might  be  re- 
lieved in  the  thought  that  no  other  goose  loved  him. 


li' 


'^//^J^-y.l 


^^C-(^~Zyp-J 


i^'^^ 


163 


CHAPTER   XI. 

ARRIVAL  OF    THE    LEXINGTON. — THE   MARCH  TO  LOS  ANGELES,  AND  BATTLE 

OF    SAN  GABRIEL. THE  CAPITULATION. MILITARY  CHARACTERISTICS  OF 

THE    CALIFORNIANS. — BARRICADES  DOWN. 

Thursday,  Jan.  28.  Our  harbor  has  been  en- 
Uvened  to-day  by  the  arrival  of  the  U.  S.  ship 
Lexington,  commanded  by  Lieut.  Theodorus  Bailey, 
an  officer  that  might  well  have  been  promoted  years 
ago.  Capt.  Tompkins  and  his  company  of  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  men,  and  field  train  of  artillery,  are  on 
board.  She  brings  out  also  Capt.  Halleck,  U.  S.  En- 
gineer, vv^ho  is  intrusted  with  the  erection  of  fortifi- 
cations at  this  place  and  San  Francisco.  The  Lex- 
ington is  laden  with  heavy  battery  guns,  mortars, 
shot,  shells,  muskets,  pistols,  swords,  fixed  ammunition, 
and  several  hundred  barrels  of  powder.  She  has  also 
a  quantity  of  shovels,  spades,  ploughs,  pickaxes,  saws, 
hammers,  forges,  and  all  the  necessary  utensils  for 
building  fortifications  of  the  first  class  ;  and  what  is 
better  still,  she  brings  with  her  a  saw-mill  and  a 
good  grist-mill. 

Friday,  Jan.  29.  The  U.  S.  ship  Dale,  W.  W. 
McKean  commander,  sailed  to-day  for  Panama. 
She  takes  the  mail  which  is  to  cross  the  isthmus,  and 
reach  the  United  States  by  the  West  India  steamers. 
As  soon  as  her  destination  was  known,  a  hundred  pens 


1G4  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

were  at  work,  transferring  to  paper  affections,  fond 
remembrances,  kind  wishes,  and  a  tiiousand  tender, 
anxious  inquiries.  How  absence  melts  the  heart ! 
The  cold  is  kindled,  the  indifferent  clothed  with  in- 
terest, antipathies  melt  away,  and  endearments  re- 
vive with  undying  power.  I  love  the  very  stones 
over  which  my  truant  footsteps  ran,  and  could  kiss 
the  birch  rod  that  chastised  my  youthful  follies. 
What  language,  then,  can  portray  the  love  which 
clings  to  one  who  throws  sunlight  through  the  shad- 
ows of  this  dark  world,  or  paint  the  cherished  hope 
that  buds  into  being  with — 

MY  INFANT  BOY. 

I  have  not  seen  thy  face,  my  child ; 

Tliey  say  each  look  and  line, 
Which  o'er  thy  father's  aspect  plays, 

Is  miniatured  in  thine. 

They  tell  me  that  thy  infant  voice — 

Its  wildly  warbled  tone, 
Seems  to  thy  mother's  listening  ear 

Tlie  echo  of  my  own. 

I  know  it  not,  but  fondly  deem 

Tliat  such  a  thing  may  be, 
And  trust  tliy  fatlier's  better  hopes 

May  long  survive  in  thee. 

I  have  not  seen  thy  face,  my  child, 

Thougli  weary  moons  have  set 
Since  mine  and  thy  glad  mother's  eyes 

In  tender  transport  met : — 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  165 

For  ere  thy  being  dawned  to  light, 

Or  knew  what  life  might  mean, 
Our  ship  had  earth's  mid  circuit  swept, 

And  oceans  rolled  between. 

I  waft  thee  back  a  father's  kiss — 

A  pledge  of  that  wild  joy, 
Which  o'er  his  yearning  heart  will  rush,  /J  -^» 

To  clasp  his  infant  boy.       -»    fj     ^jm    V  *^- 

/gM'l  -t4^>C-    ^^^^.JO.   ' 

Saturday,  Jan.  30.  The  long-looked  for  intelli- 
gence has  come  at  last  in  an  authentic  shape.  The  )f 
American  forces,  commanded  by  Com.  Stockton, 
aided  by  Gen.  Kearny,  broke  camp  at  San  Diego  on 
the  29th  ult.,  and  took  up  the  line  of  march  for  los 
Angeles.  Their  route  lay  through  a  rugged  country 
of  one  hundred  and  forty  miles,  drenched  with  the 
winter  rains,  and  bristling  with  the  lances  of  the  ene- 
my. Through  this  the  commodore  led  our  seamen 
and  marines,  sharing  himself,  with  the  general  at  his 
side,  all  the  hardships  of  the  common  sailor.  The 
stern  engagements  with  the  enemy  derive  their  he- 
roic features  from  the  contrast  existing  in  the  condi- 
tion of  the  two.  The  Californians  were  well  mount- 
ed, are  the  most  expert  horsemen  in  the  world,  and 
whirled  their  flying-artillery  to  the  most  commanding 
positions.  Our  troops  were  on  foot,  mired  to  the  an- 
kle, and  with  no  resource  except  in  their  own  in- 
domitable resolution  and  courage.  Their  exploits 
may  be  lost  in  the  shadow  of  the  clouds  which  roll 
up  from  the  plains  of  Mexico,  but  they  are  realities 
here,  which  impress  themselves  with  a  force  which 


IGO  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

reaches  the  very  foundations  of  social  order.  The 
march  of  the  American  forces  from  San  Diego  to 
the  Pueblo  below,  and  their  engagements  with  the 
enemy,  are  vividly  described  in  a  letter  to  me  from 
one  of  the  officers  attached  to  the  expedition.  This 
writer  says  : 

"  Com.  St^kton,  at^the  head  of  a  force  amounting  to  about  six 
liundred  men,  including  a  detachment  of  the  1st  regiment  of  U.  S. 
dragoons,  under  Gen.  Kearny,  left  San  Diego  on  the  morning  of  the 
29th  of  December,  for  los  Angeles.  Our  line  of  march  lay  through  a 
rough  and  mountainous  country  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  with  impediments  on  every  side,  and  constant  apprehensions 
of  an  attack  from  the  enemy  :  our  progress  was  nevertheless  rapid ; 
and  though  performed  mostly  by  sailor  troops,  would  have  done 
credit  to  the  best  disciplined  army. 

"  On  the  moruiug  of  the  8th  of  January,  we  found  om-selves,  after 
several  days'  hard  marching  and  fatigue,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  river 
San  Gabriel ;  on  the  north  side  of  which  the  enemy  had  fortified 
themselves  to  the  number  of  five  hundred  mounted  men,  with  four 
pieces  of  artillery,  under  Gen.  Flores,  and  in  a  position  so  command- 
ing, that  it  seemed  impossible  to  gain  any  point  by  which  our  troops 
could  be  protected  from  their  galling  fire.  They  presented  their 
forces  in  three  divisions — one  on  our  right,  another  on  our  left,  and  a 
third  in  front,  with  the  artillery.  On  reaching  the  south  side  of  the 
river,  the  commodore  dismounted,  forded  the  stream,  and  commanded 
the  troops  to  pass  over,  which  they  did  promptly  under  the  brisk  fire  of 
the  enemy's  artillery.  He  ordered  the  artillery  not  to  unhmber  till 
the  opposite  bank  should  be  gained ;  as  soon  as  this  was  effected,  he 
ordered  a  charge  directly  in  the  teeth  of  the  enemy's  guns,  which 
soon  resulted  in  the  possession  of  the  commanding  position  they  had 
just  occupied.  The  first  gun  fired  was  aimed  by  the  commodore  before 
the  charge  was  made  up  the  hill ;  this  overthrew  the  enemy's  gun, 
which  had  just  poured  forth  its  thunder  in  our  midst.  Having 
gained  this  important  position,  a  brisk  cannonading  was  kept  up  for 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORX-IA.  167 

some  time.  AVe  encamped  on  the  spot  for  the  night.  The  next  day 
■we  met  the  enemy  again  on  the  plains  of  the  Mesa,  near  the  city. 
They  made  a  bold  and  resolute  stand  ;  tried  our  lines  on  every  side ; 
and  manoeuvred  their  artillery  with  much  skill.  But  the  firm  and 
steady  courage  with  which  our  troops  continued  to  defend  them- 
selves, repelled  their  attempts  at  a  general  charge,  and  we  found 
ourselves  again  victorious.  We  encamped  again  near  the  battle- 
ground, and  on  the  morning  of  the  tenth  marched  into  the  city,  while 
the  adjacent  hills  were  glistening  with  the  lances  of  the  enemy." 


Sunday,  Jan.  31.  It  is  sweet  in  a  land  of  tumult 
and  strife  to  see  the  Sabbath  sun  come  up.  Its 
sacred  light  melts  over  the  rough  aspects  of  war 
like  melting  dew  down  the  frontlet  of  the  crouched . 
lion.  May  the  spirit  of  devotion,  in  its  ascending 
flight,  bear  into  a  serener  element  the  aspirations  of 
the  human  heart!  There  let  faith,  and  hope,  and  im- 
mortal love  build  their  tabernacle.  It  shall  be  a 
dwelling  for  the  soul  when  the  palaces,  temples,  and 
towers  of  earth  are  in  ruins.  Over  its  gem-inwoven 
roof  shall  stream  the  light  of  stars  that  never  set ; 
flowers  that  cannot  die  shall  wreath  its  colonnade,  and 
hang  in  fragrant  festoons  from  its  walls ;  while  the 
voices  of  streamlets,  as  they  flash  over  their  golden 
sands,  shall  pour  unceasing  music  on  the  wandering  air. 

Monday,  Feb.  1.  The  forces  under  Col.  Fremont 
were  within  a  few  leagues  of  the  town  of  the  Angels 
when  Com.  Stockton  entered  it.  Their  approach  cut 
off  the  retreat  of  the  Californians  to  the  north.  The 
forces  of  the  commodore  were  on  foot,  and  of  course 


1G8  THREE  YEARS  I\  CALIFORNIA. 

unable  to  follow  up  their  brilliant  successes.  The 
enemy  were  mounted,  and  might  have  held  the 
country  around.  If  attacked,  they  had  only  to  re- 
treat, and  return  again  on  the  retiring  footsteps  of 
their  foes.  But  at  this  critical  juncture,  Col.  Fre- 
mont, with  his  battalion,  came  down  upon  them,  leav- 
ing them  no  alternative  but  to  capitulate  or  attempt 
a  disastrous  flight  into  Mexico.  They  wisely,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few,  determined  to  abide  the  con- 
ditions of  a  treaty.  The  terms  of  capitulation  are 
couched  in  a  spirit  of  great  libea'ality  and  justice. 
One  would  hardly  think  that  men  so  amiable  and 
confiding  in  their  terms  of  peace,  could  have  just  been 
on  the  eve  of  taking  each  others  lives.  But  this  is 
one  of  those  exhibitions  of  forbearance  and  generosi- 
ty which  not  unfrequently  relieve  the  calamities  of 
war. 

The  articles  of  capitulation,  in  substance,  were, 
that  the  Californians  shall  surrender  their  arms  to 
Col.  Fremont,  return  peaceably  to  their  homes,  and 
not  resume  hostilities  during  the  continuance  of  the 
war  with  Mexico  ; — that  they  shall  be  guarantied  the 
protection  of  life  and  property,  and  equal  rights  and 
privileges  with  the  citizens  of  the  United  States. 
These  terms  were  duly  subscribed  by  the  commis- 
sioners appointed  by  the  parties  to  the  compact,  and 
ratified  by  Col.  Fremont.  They  were  liberal  in  their 
spirit,  wise  in  their  purpose,  and  just  in  their  applica- 
tion. More  rigorous  terms  would  have  involved  a 
sense  of  humiliation  in  one  party,  without  any  advan- 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  169 

tage  to  the  other.  The  CaUfornians  were  defeated, 
but  not  crushed.  They  have  those  salient  energies 
which  rebound  from  misfortune,  as  their  native 
forests  sweep  back  into  the  face  of  heaven,  when  the 
tempest  has  passed.  They  never  took  the  field  out  of 
reverence  for  the  Mexican  flag  :  it  was  a  wild  im- 
pulse, deriving  its  life  from  a  love  of  adventure,  and 
the  excitements  of  the  camp.  They  had  had  their 
tragedy,  acted  their  part,  and  were  now  willing  the 
dim  curtain  should  drop ;  and  Col.  Fremont  very 
wisely  clenched  it  to  the  stage.  A  few  in  the  orches- 
tra still  piped  ;  but  the  actors  were  away,  the  side- 
scenes  vacant,  and  the  spectators  at  their  homes ; 
and  there  may  they  remain,  till  the  sword  shall  be 
beaten  into  the  ploughshare,  and  the  spear  into  the 
pruning-hook,  and  the  art  of  war  be  known  no 
more. 

V 

Thursday,  Feb.  4.  The  Californians  who  left 
Monterey  to  join  the  outbreak  at  the  south  are  now 
returning  to  their  homes.  Every  day  brings  back 
two  or  three  to  their  firesides.  They  look  like  men 
who  have  been  out  on  a  hunt,  and  returned  with  very 
little  game.  Still,  it  must  be  confessed  that  they  have 
materially  strengthened  their  claims  to  military  skill 
and  courage.  They  have  been  defeated,  it  is  true, 
but  it  has  cost  their  victors  many  sanguinary  strug- 
gles, and  many  valuable  lives.  They  have  raised 
themselves  above  that  contemptuous  estimation  in 
which  they  were  erroneously  held  by  many,  and  se- 
15 


170  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

cured  a  degree  of  respect,  which  will  contribute  to 
mutual  forbearance.  This  result  is  to  be  ascribed  to 
the  prowess  of  the  few,  rather  than  the  conduct  of 
the  many.  The  mass  were  governed  by  impulse  and 
the  pressure  of  circumstances.  It  was  not  that  calm, 
heroic  spirit  which  disregards  personal  safety,  and 
exults  in  the  hour  of  peril ;  nor  was  it  that  deep  sense 
of  patriotic  duty  which  makes  a  man  firm  in  disaster 
and  death.  It  was  rather  that  recklessness  which 
springs  from  wounded  pride,  but  which  often  crowns 
with  laurels  a  forlorn  hope. 

Friday,  Feb.  5.  The  outbreak  at  the  north  has 
passed  away,  and  the  last  wave  of  commotion  per- 
ished with  it.  This  result  is  to  be  ascribed  to  the 
energy  of  Capt.  Mervin,  to  the  moderation  and  firm- 
ness of  Capt.  Marston  and  his  associates,  and  to  the 
good  conduct  of  the  forces  under  their  command. 
Nor  should  it  be  forgotten  that  the  Californians 
evinced,  on  this  occasion,  a  disposition  well  suited  to 
bring  about  an  amicable  treaty.  They  took  up  arms, 
not  to  make  war  on  the  American  flag,  but  in  vindi- 
cation of  their  rights  as  citizens  of  California,  and  in 
defence  of  their  property.  They  had  been  promised 
protection — they  had  been  assured  that  they  should 
not  be  molested,  if  they  remained  quietly  at  their 
homes — and  these  pledges  had  been  glaringly  violated. 
Their  horses  and  cattle  had  been  taken  from  them, 
under  cover  of  public  exigency,  and  no  receipts  given, 
to  secure  them  indemnification,  till  at  last  they  deter- 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  171 

mined  to  have  their  rights  respected,  or  to  die  Uke 
men.  Still,  it  was  necessary  to  meet  them  in  arms, 
and  in  sufficient  force  to  inspire  respect.  They  were, 
however,  well  mounted,  and  might,  had  they  so  hsted, 
have  prolonged  the  struggle.  But  this  was  not  their 
object,  and  they  sent  in  a  flag  of  truce.  The  condi- 
tions of  the  treaty  were,  that  they  should  lay  down 
their  arms,  release  their  prisoners,  and  that  their  prop- 
erty should  be  restored,  or  such  vouchers  given  as 
would  enable  them  ultimately  to  recover  its  value. 
This  was  a  reasonable  requirement  on  their  part,  and 
the  American  officers  had  the  good  sense  to  appreci- 
ate its  force.  We  must  be  just  before  we  attempt  to 
be  brave.  Laurels  won  through  wrong  are  a  dis- 
honor. 

Saturday,  Feb.  6.  We  have  another  rain  ;  not  a 
cloud  is  to  be  seen  ;  but  the  whole  atmosphere  is  filled 
with  a  thick  mist,  which  dissolves  in  a  soft  perpetual 
shower.  It  seems  as  if  nature  had  relinquished 
every  other  occupation,  and  given  herself  up  to  this 
moist  business.  She  calls  up  no  thunder,  throws  out 
no  lightning  ;  she  only  squeezes  her  great  sponge,  and 
that  as  quietly  as  a  mermaid  smooths  her  dripping 
locks, 

Sunday,  Feb.  7.  Com.  Shubrick  has  ordered  the 
barricades  removed.  Thank  God !  we  are  at  last 
relieved  of  martial  law.  It  is  one  of  the  greatest 
calamities  that  can  fall  on  a  civilized  nation.     It  tram- 


172  THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

pics  on  private  rights,  trifles  with  responsibility,  and 
cuts  the  conscience  adrift  from  its  moorings.  Men 
are  thrown  into  this  eddy  of  excess,  and  then  act 
like  rudderless  ships  in  a  tempest- tost  sea.  Years  will 
elapse  before  the  moral  sentiments  which  have  been 
unhinged  by  military  violence  can  be  restored.  Even 
California,  where  revolutions  come  and  go  like  the 
shadows  of  passing  clouds,  will  long  show  the  traces 
of  the  one  which  has  now  passed  over  her.  Its  light- 
ning has  shivered  the  tree  before  the  fruit  was  ripe, 
and  blasted  a  thousand  buds  that  might  have  bloomed 
into  fragrant  beauty. 

Monday,  Feb.  8.  Much  to  the  relief  of  the  citi- 
zens. Com.  Shubrick  has  given  orders  that  the  volun- 
teers on  service  here  shall  be  paid  off"  and  discharged. 
They  are  principally  sea-beachers  and  mountain- 
combers,  and  some  of  them  are  very  good  men  ;  but 
others  seem  to  have  no  idea  of  the  proprietorship  of 
property.  They  help  themselves  to  it  as  canvas-back 
ducks  the  grass  that  grows  in  the  Potomac,  or  mi- 
gratory birds  the  berries  which  bloom  in  the  forests 
through  which  they  wander.  They  hardly  left  fowls 
enough  here  on  which  to  keep  Christmas.  Could  dis- 
membered hens  lay  eggs,  they  would  have  more 
chickens  in  their  stomachs  than  they  ever  had  dollars 
in  their  pockets. 


173 


CHAPTER    XII. 

RETURN  OF  T.  O.  LARKIN. — THE  TALL  PARTNER  IN  THE  CALIFORNIAN. — MEX- 
ICAN OFFICERS. — THE  CYANE. WAR  MEMENTOES. — DRAMA  OF  ADAM  AND 

EVE. — CARNIVAL. — BIRTH-DAY  OF  WASHINGTON. — A  CALIFORNIA  CAPTAIN. 
— APPLICATION  FOR  A  DIVORCE. — ARRIVAL  OF  THE  COLUMBUS. 

Tuesday,  Feb.  9.  The  U.  S.  ship  Cyane,  S.  F. 
Duponl  commander,  is  just  in  from  San  Diego.  She 
was  dispatched  to  bring  up  General  Kearny  and 
suit,  and  our  consul,  T.  O.  Larkin,  Esq.  The  arrival 
of  the  Independence  was  not  known  at  San  Diego 
when  the  Cyane  sailed.  The  return  of  Mr.  Larkin 
was  warmly  greeted  by  our  citizens.  Even  the  old 
Californians  left  their  corridors  to  welcome  him  back. 
He  was  captured  by  those  engaged  in  the  outbreak 
some  three  months  since,  and  has  been  closely  guarded 
as  a  prisoner  of  war.  Still,  in  the  irregularities  of  the 
campaign,  and  the  easy  fidelity  of  those  who  kept 
watch,  he  has  had  many  opportunities  of  effecting  his 
escape,  but  declined  them  all.  He  was  on  the  eve, 
at  one  time,  of  being  taken  to  Mexico,  and  got  ready 
for  the  long  and  wearisome  journey  ;  but  some  of  his 
captors  relented,  and  he  was  allowed  to  remain  at  the 
town  of  the  Angels,  when  the  success  of  the  Ameri- 
can arms  relieved  him.  He  experienced  during  his 
captivity  many  acts  of  kindness.  Even  the  ladies, 
who  in  California  are  always  on  the  side  of  those  who 
suffer,  sent  him  many  gifts,  which  contributed  essen- 

15* 


174  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

tially  to  liis  comfort.  But  he  is  once  more  with  his 
family,  and  long  may  it  be  before  he  takes  another 
such  trip  as  his  last. 

Wednesday,  Feb.  10.  My  tall  partner  in  the  Cali- 
fornian  is  back  at  last  from  his  three  months'  trip  to 
San  Francisco.  I  excused  his  long  absence,  and 
cheerfully  endured  all  the  toil  of  getting  out  the  paper, 
with  only  the  assistance  of  a  type-setting  sailor, 
under  the  vague  impression  that  he  was  hunting  up  a 
wife.  But  he  has  come  back  as  single  as  he  came  into 
the  world.  Whether  his  solitude  is  a  thing  of  choice 
or  necessity  I  have  not  inquired.  A  man's  celibacy 
is  a  misfortune,  with  which  it  seems  wicked  to  trifle. 
It  is  too  selfish  for  pity  and  too  serious  for  mirth.  But 
let  my  partner  go  ;  he  will  get  a  wife  in  due  time ; 
indeed  he  has  had  one  already  ;  and  that  is  about  the 
number  which  nature  provides.  Some,  it  is  true, 
take  a  second,  and  a  few  totter  on  to  a  third,  seemingly 
that  they  may  have  company  when  they  totter  into 
the  grave.  Go  down  to  your  narrow  house  alone  in 
the  majesty  of  an  unshaken  faith,  and  trust  to  meet 
the  partner  of  your  youth  in  heaven.  She  waits  there 
to  beckon  you  to  the  hills  of  light.  Meet  her  not  with 
a  harem  of  spirits  at  your  side,  but  singly,  as  on 
earth. 

When  first  beneath  the  ha\rthorn's  shade, 
The  love  slie  long  had  veiled  from  view, 

Her  soft,  uplifted  eyes  betrayed, 
As  fell  their  broad,  bright  glance  on  yovL 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  175 

Thursday,  Feb.  11.  Two  of  the  officers  of  Gen.  Cas- 
tro sent  through  me  to-day  to  Com.  Shubrick,  appUca- 
tions  for  permission  to  return  to  Mexico.  They  are 
very  poor,  having  received  no  pay  since  our  flag  was 
raised.  There  are  many  more  in  the  same  situation. 
They  are  entitled  to  our  sympathy.  They  have 
tried,  it  is  true,  to  retake  the  country ;  but  they  are 
not  to  blame  for  that :  who  would  not  have  done  the 
same,  situated  as  they  have  been  ?  We  may  call 
their  courage  sheer  rashness  ;  but  even  that  has 
higher  claims  to  respect  than  pusillanimity.  They 
fought  for  their  places,  it  is  true,  but  I  do  not  see  why 
there  is  not  quite  as  much  honor  in  a  man's  fighting 
for  bread  with  which  to  feed  his  children,  as  for  a 
feather  with  which  to  plume  his  ambition.  Very  few 
in  these  days  fight  from  pure  patriotism.  Some  hope 
of  profit  or  preferment  lights  their  path  and  lures  them 
on.  There  has  been,  I  apprehend,  quite  as  much 
love  of  country  in  the  Californian  as  the  American, 
in  the  storm  of  battle  which  has  swept  over  this 
land. 

Friday,  Feb.  12.  The  Cyane  sailed  to-day  for 
San  Francisco,  where  she  will  be  allowed  a  short  re- 
pose. And  truly  she  merits  this  indulgence ;  she  has 
been,  under  her  indefatigable  commander,  for  six 
months  incessantly  on  duty,  and  has  performed  some 
exploits  that  will  figure  in  history.  All  our  ships 
on  this  coast  have  been  extremely  active,  and  their 
crews  more  active  still.     Wherever  they  have  let  go 


17G  THREE  YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

their  anchors,  it  has  been  for  service  on  shore.  They 
have  furled  their  sails  only  to  unfun  eir  flags,  and 
have  relinquished  the  rope  only  to  handle  the  carbine. 
Not  a  man  of  them  has  been  missed  in  the  hour  of 
peril ;  not  a  murmur  has  escaped  their  lips  in  priva- 
tion and  fatigue.  They  have  done  the  duty  of  sol- 
diers as  well  as  sailors.  They  have  conquered  Cali- 
fornia. 

Saturday,  Feb.  13.  The  great  scarcity  of  provis- 
ions here,  and  the  difficulty  experienced  in  subsisting 
.our  forces,  has  induced  Com.  Shubrick  to  issue  a  cir- 
cular, throwing  the  ports  open  for  six  months  to  all 
necessary  articles  of  food.  This  step  is  characterized 
by  sound  policy  as  well  as  humanity.  It  will  have 
the  efiect  of  lowering  the  exorbitant  prices  which  we 
are  now  paying  for  these  articles,  and  go  far  to  secure 
the  good  will  of  the  citizens.  Every  measure  which 
relieves  the  present  exigency,  will  be  fully  appre- 
ciated. The  scarcity  is  the  result,  in  some  measure, 
of  the  war  ;  in  this  we  have  a  responsibility,  and  the 
least  we  can  do  is  to  relieve,  so  far  as  it  lies  in  our 
power,  the  calamity  which  it  has  entailed. 

Sunday,  Feb.  14.  The  bones  which  bleach  on 
the  battle-field,  and  the  groans  which  load  the  re- 
luctant winds,  are  not  the  saddest  memorials  of  war. 
They  lie  deeper ;  they  are  coffined  in  decayed  virtue, 
and  in  the  convulsions  of  outraged  humanity.  They 
convert  the  heart  of  a  nation  into  a  charnel-house, 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  177 

where  the  gloomy  twilight  only  serves  to  betray  the 
corruption  whx  .'festers  within.  Flowers  may  bloom 
over  it,  and  garlands  be  woven  of  their  fragrant 
leaves,  but  within  is  death.  We  shudder  at  a  recol- 
lection of  the  Deluge,  and  still  gaze  with  wonder  and 
fear  at  its  ghastly  memorials :  that  catastrophe,  how- 
ever, swept  the  earth  but  once,  and  then  departed ; 
but  war  has  for  ages  trampled  over  it  in  blood,  fol- 
lowed by  the  shrieks  of  fatherless  children,  and  the 
wail  of  ruined  nations. 

Where'er  the  blood-stained  monster  trod 
Fell  deep  and  wide  the  curse  of  God. 

Monday,  Feb.  15.  We  have  had  the  drama  of 
Adam  and  Eve  as  a  phase  in  the  amusements,  which 
have  been  crowded  into  the  last  days  of  the  carnival. 
It  was  got  up  by  one  of  our  most  respectable  citizens, 
who  for  the  purpose  converted  his  ample  saloon  into 
a  mimic  opera-house.  The  actors  were  his  own 
children,  and  those  near  akin.  They  sustained  their 
parts  well  except  the  one  who  impersonated  Satan  ; 
he  was  of  too  mild  and  frank  a  nature  to  represent 
such  a  daring,  subtle  character.  It  was  as  if  the 
lark  were  to  close  his  eyes  to  the  touch  of  day,  or 
the  moon  to  invest  herself  with  thunder.  But  Eve 
was  beautiful,  and  full  of  nature  as  an  unweaned 
child.  She  rose  at  once  into  full  bloom,  like  the 
Aphrodite  of  Phidias  from  the  sparkling  wave.  Every 
sound  and  sight  struck  on  her  wondering  sense,  as 
that  of  a  being  just  waked  to  life.     Her  untaught 


178  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

motions  melted  into  flowing  lines,  soft  and  graceful 
as  those  of  a  bird  circling  among  flowers. 

"  Her  eyes  as  stars  of  twilight  fair ; 
Like  twilight's  too  her  dusky  hair : 
But  all  things  else  about  her  drawn, 
From  May-time  and  the  cheerful  dawn." 

The  features  of  Adam  betrayed  his  affinity  to  Eve. 
It  was  a  brother's  pride  hovering  over  a  sister's  love- 
liness. This  imparted  the  highest  moral  charm  to 
the  association.  No  unhallowed  thought  cast  an  am- 
biguous shadow  on  the  purity  of  their  bliss.  It  was 
dashed  by  the  evil  one  while  yet  untouched  by  sor- 
row. When  all  was  lost,  Adam  sustained  himself  in 
his  irreparable  calamity  with  majestic  resignation. 
In  a  moment  of  fofgetfulness  he  cast  the  blame  on 
his  companion,  but  her  silent  tears  instantly  subdued 
him,  and  he  clasped  her  to  his  heart.  There  is  no 
affection  so  deep  as  that  which  springs  from  sympathy 
in  sorrow.  Tears  fell  here  and  there  among  the 
spectators,  as  the  exiled  pair  left  forever  their  own 
sweet  Eden.  The  birds  became  silent  as  if  they  had 
sung  only  for  the  ear  of  Eve ;  the  flow^ers  would  not 
lift  themselves  from  the  light  pressure  of  her  depart- 
ing footstep ;  and  the  streamlet  trembled  in  its  flow, 
as  if  afraid  it  might  lose  the  image,  which  her  disap- 
pearing form  had  cast  upon  its  crystal  mirror. 

Tuesday,  Feb.  16.  It  is  past  midnight,  and  I  have 
just  come  from  the  house  of  T.  O.  Larkin,  Esq., 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  179 

where  I  left  the  youth,  the  beauty,  the  wisdom,  and 
worth  of  Monterey.  There  are  more  happy  hearts 
there  than  I  have  met  with  in  any  other  assemblage 
since  I  came  to  California.  This  is  the  sunshine  that 
has  followed  the  war-cloud.  This  being  the  last  night 
of  the  carnival,  every  one  has  broken  his  last  egg- 
shells. But  few  of  them  contained  cologne  or  laven- 
der ;  nearly  all  were  filled  with  golden  tinsel.  Ladies 
and  gentlemen  too  are  covered  with  the  sparkling 
shower,  and  the  lights  of  the  chandeliers  are  thrown 
back  in  millions  of  mimic  rays.  Two  of  the  young 
ladies,  remarkable  for  their  sprightliness  and  beauty, 
broke  their  eggs  on  the  head  of  our  commodore,  and 
got  kissed  by  way  of  retaliation.  They  blushed,  but 
still  enjoyed  their  triumph.  I  did  not  venture  the  lex 
tnliones  in  this  form,  but  I  had  eggs,  and  came  off 
pretty  even  in  the  battle.  The  hens  will  now  have  a 
little  peace,  and  be  allowed  to  hatch  their  chickens. 
The  origin  of  this  egg-breaking  custom  I  have  not 
been  able  to  learn.  It  seems  lost  in  the  twilight  of 
antiquity.  I  must  leave  it  to  those  walking  mum- 
mies, who  love  to  grope  among  the  catacombs  of  per- 
ished nations :  should  they  discover  it,  their  shouts 
will  almost  shake  down  the  Egyptian  pyramids. 

Wednesday,  Feb.  17.  A  convict  on  our  public 
works  managed  to  escape  to-day,  carrying  off  his  ball 
and  chain.  Well,  if  he  only  will  stop  stealing,  he  may 
run  to  earth's  utmost  verge.  I  always  like  to  see  a 
fellow  get  out  of  trouble,  and  sometimes  half  forget 


180  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORXIA. 

his  crimes  in  his  misfortunes.  This  is  not  right,  per- 
haps, in  one  situated  as  I  am ;  but  I  cannot  help  it ; 
it  is  as  much  beyond  my  will  as  the  pulses  which 
throb  in  my  veins. 

Friday,  Feb.  19.  The  volunteers,  who  accompa- 
nied Col.  Fremont  to  the  south,  are  beginning  to  re- 
turn to  their  homes  on  the  Sacramento.  Several  of 
them  have  stopped  here  on  their  way  up, 'and  report 
every  thing  tranquil  below.  They  murmur  in  deep 
undertones  over  their  failure  to  reach  the  Pueblo 
before  the  forces  under  Com.  Stockton,  and  ascribe 
their  disappointment  to  a  want  of  confidence  in  their 
courage  and  skill.  I  know  not  how  this  may  be ;  but, 
certainly,  many  and  most  of  them  could  have  had  but 
very  little  experience  in  California  modes  of  warfare. 
They  may  have  been  as  brave  as  Caesar,  and  their 
very  daring  have  contributed  to  their  defeat.  The 
secret  of  success  here,  where  lances  are  used,  lies  in 
a  commander's  keeping  his  troops  compact ;  but  this 
is  almost  a  moral  impossibility  where  men  are  well 
mounted  and  as  full  of  enthusiasm  as  a  Cape  Horn 
cloud  of  storms  ;  without  the  severest  discipline,  they 
will  dash  ahead,  and  take  consequences  however 
fatal.  It  was  this  error  which  cost  Capt.  Burrows 
and  his  brave  companions  their  lives. 

Saturday,  Feb.  20.  We  have  had  a  fresh  stir  to- 
day, in  the  arrival  of  Lieut.  Watson,  of  the  navy,  with 
dispatches  for  Com.  Shubrick  and  Gen.  Kearny,  and 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  181 

with  private  letters  to  many  of  the  officers.  I  have 
one  dated  quite  into  November,  and  from  my  own 
hearth  and  home.  I  ruslied  into  the  middle  of  it, 
then  to  each  end,  to  ascertain  that  all  were  well ; 
and  felt  there  was  still  one  spot  of  earth  covered  with 
golden  light. 

Mr.  Watson  sailed  from  New  York,  November 
twelfth,  in  the  brig  Sylvan,  landed  at  Chagres,  and 
reached  Panama  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  the  same? 
month  ;  was  detained  there  waiting  for  a  convey- 
ance till  December  the  twenty-fifth,  when  he  took 
passage  in  an  English  steamer  for  Callao,  fell  in  with 
the  U.  S.  storeship  Erie,  at  Payta,  on  January  third, 
went  on  board  of  her,  and  arrived  at  San  Francisco 
in  thirty-nine  days.  But  for  the  detention  in  Panama, 
he  would  have  reached  here  from  New  York  in  sixty- 
seven  days.  But  even  this  passage  may  be  still  fur- 
ther abridged  by  a  line  of  steamers.  The  day  is  not 
distant  when  a  trip  to  California  will  be  regarded 
rather  as  a  diversion  than  a  serious  undertaking.  It 
will  be  quite  worth  the  while  to  come  out  here  merely 
to  enjoy  this  climate  for  a  few  months.  It  is  unri- 
valled, perhaps,  in  the  world. 

Sunday,  Feb.  21.  The  American  Tract  Society 
has  sent  me  out,  by  the  Lexington,  a  large  box  of 
their  publications.  Nothing  could  be  more  timely.  I 
have  not  seen  a  tract  circulating  in  California.  Em- 
igrants are  arriving,  settling  here  and  there,  without 
bringing  even  their  Bibles  with  them.     The  same  is 

16 


J  82  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

true  of  the  United  States  troops.  All  these  are  to  be 
suppHed  from  home,  and  by  those  two  great  insti- 
tutions which  are  now  throwing  the  light  of  life  over 
continents  and  isles.  It  remains  for  the  Missionary 
Society  to  do  its  duty,  and  dispatch  to  this  shore  the 
self-denying  heralds  of  the  Cross. 

Monday,  Feb.  22.  This  is  the  birth-day  of  Wash- 
fngton.  Th^  Independence  and  Lexington  are  bril- 
Irantly  dressed  ;  the  flags  of  all  nations  stream  over 
them  in  a  gorgeous  arch.  A  salute  of  twenty-eight 
guns  from  the  Independence  has  expressed  the  hom- 
age of  each  state  to  the  occasion.  Even  here,  and 
among  the  native  population,  Washington  is  known, 
and  his  virtues  are  revered.  People  speak  of  him  as 
a  being  exempted  from  the  weaknesses  of  our  nature 
— as  one  commissioned  of  Heaven  for  a  great  and 
glorious  purpose,  and  endowed  with  the  amazing 
powers  requisite  for  its  accomplishment.  It  is  the 
character  of  Washington  that  will  never  die.  His 
achievements  will  long  survive  on  the  page  of  history, 
but  his  character  is  embalmed  in  the  human  heart. 
It  is  not  a  man's  deeds  that  of  themselves  render  him 
immortal.  There  must  be  some  high  consecrating 
motive.  He  who  reared  the  most  gigantic  of  the 
pyramids  has  perished.  He  sought  an  eternal  remem- 
brance in  his  monument,  and  not  in  any  virtues  which 
it  was  to  perpetuate.  The  monument  remains,  but 
where  is  its  builder  ? 

"  Gone,  glimmeriDg  through  the  twilight  of  the  past" 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  183 

Tuesday,  Feb.  23.  We  are  eagerly  looking  for 
the  arrival  of  store-ships  from  the  United  States. 
Our  squadron  is  without  provisions,  except  fresh  grub 
from  the  shore.  Our  ships,  as  far  as  sea-service  is 
concerned,  are  of  about  as  much  use  as  so  many  nau- 
tical pictures.  They  look  stately  and  brave,  as  they  ride 
at  anchor  in  our  bay  ;  but  let  them  go  to  sea,  and 
they  would  carry  famine  with  them.  It  is  a  strange 
policy  that  keeps  a  squadron  on  this  coast  in  such  a 
disabled  condition.  One  would  suppose  the  Department 
had  concluded  men  could  live  at  sea  on  moonshine. 

Wednesday,  Feb.  24.  A  Californian  woman  com- 
plained to  me,  several  months  since,  of  very  ill-treat- 
ment from  her  husband.  He  was  thoroughly  indo- 
lent, cross,  and  abusive.  She  had  him  and  the  chil- 
dren to  feed  and  clothe,  while  he  did  nothing  but 
lounge  about,  find  fault,  and  abuse  her.  She  asked 
for  a  divorce  ;  but  I  told  her  she  must  be  satisfied,  for 
the  present,  with  a  separation.  So  I  called  him  be- 
fore me,  and  ordered  him  to  gather  up  his  traps,  and 
leave  the  house  for  six  months.  He  grumbled  a  little, 
but  obeyed  the  order. 

To-day,  the  woman  returned,  and  said  she  would 
try  to  live  with  her  husband  again  ;  that  he  often 
now  walked  past  the  house,  and  looked  very  lonely 
and  dejected  ;  that  she  felt  sorry  for  him,  and,  if  I  was 
willing,  she  would  try  him  again.  I  told  her,  with  all 
my  heart ;  that  this  was  good  Christian  conduct  in 
her,  and  much  better  than  a  divorce.     She  seemed 


184  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

gratified  with  this  warm  commendation  ;  so  did  her 
husband  with  the  permission  to  return.  How  the 
restoration  will  turn  out,  remains  to  be  seen.  But 
how  forgiving  is  the  heart  of  woman !  Where  she 
has  once  loved,  the  affection  never  dies.  Neglect 
may  chill  it,  but  it  will  bud  again,  as  plants,  over 
which  the  snows  of  winter  have  been  spread. 

Thursday,  Feb.  25.  A  courier  arrived  to-day  from 
los  Angeles.  Every  thing  continues  quiet  there. 
The  Californians  had  entirely  dispersed,  and  retired 
to  their  ranchos,  with  the  exception  of  those  few  who 
had  gone  upon  a  forlorn  hope  to  Sonora.  They  will 
never  be  able  to  raise  a  force  there  sufficient  to  make 
any  impression  here.  Mexico  has  enough  to  do  in 
her  own  borders,  without  an  attempt  to  retake  Cali- 
fornia. 

Friday,  Feb.  26.  A  captain  of  artillery  in  the 
Californian  army,  said  to  me  a  few  days  since,  that 
his  military  career  was  now  over,  that  he  had  a  nu- 
merous family  to  maintain,  and  he  thought  of  engag- 
ing in  making  adobes,  if  I  would  sell  him  a  small 
patch  of  ground  for  that  purpose,  belonging  to  the 
municipality ;  but  stated  that  he  had  no  money,  and 
was  not  a  little  puzzled  to  know  how  he  was  to  pay 
for  it,  unless  I  would  suggest  some  method  by  which 
he  could  work  it  out  with  his  boys  and  team.  I  told 
him  I  was  drawing  stone  for  a  prison  ;  that  he  could 
engage  in  this,  and  should  be  allowed  the  highest 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  185 

cash  price.  To-day  I  found  him,  with  his  boys,  at 
the  quarry,  hfting  the  stone  into  his  cart.  To  show 
him  that  I  connected  no  idea  of  degradation  with  the 
work,  I  turned  to  and  assisted  in  heaving  in  one  of 
the  hugest  in  the  pile.  He  wanted  to  know  if  the 
people  in  the  United  States  generally  worked.  I  told 
him  all,  except  a  few  loafers  and  dandies,  who  were 
regarded  as  a  public  nuisance.  He  said  he  was  glad 
to  hear  it ;  for  he  must  now  work  himself,  and  it 
would  be  an  easier  lot  with  others  to  share  it  with 
him.  I  assured  him  he  would  have  company  enough, 
as  the  emigration  poured  in  over  the  mountains.  1 
must  say,  I  have  more  respect  for  this  working  cap- 
tain of  artillery,  than  for  forty  of  his  rank  clinging 
to  the  shreds  of  office,  and  shrinking  from  honest 
labor. 

Saturday,  Feb.  27.  The  weather  continues  bright 
and  beautiful.  The  air  is  soft,  the  sky  clear,  the 
trees  are  in  bud,  and  the  fields  are  medallioned  with 
flowers.  A  bouquet  of  these  floral  offerings  was  sent 
me  to-day  by  a  California  lady,  with  a  little  note  in 
liquid  Castiiian,  that  I  would  accept  them  as  emblems 
of  those  hopes,  which  were  timidly  expanding  into 
life  for  California.  Long  may  those  hopes  remain, 
and  long  the  gentle  being  who  has  sent  these  tokens 
live  to  walk  in  their  light.  She  is  one,  over  whom 
adversity  has  swept ;  but  she  breaks  from  its  gloomy 
veil,  bright  as  a  star  from  the  shadow  of  the  departed 
cloud. 

IG* 


186  THREE   i'EARS  IN   CALIFORXIA, 

Sunday,  Feb.  28.  It  is  Lent ;  and  the  family  that 
live  the  next  door  to  mine,  are  at  their  evening 
prayers.  They  were  merry  as  a  marriage- bell  dm-ing 
carnival,  and  now  they  are  in  sackcloth  and  ashes. 
Religion  has  a  wide  vibration  to  reach  these  extremes 
of  mirth  and  melancholy.  But  life  itself  is  made  up 
of  vicissitudes  ;  wealth  disappears  in  poverty ;  smiles 
dissolve  in  tears  ;  and  the  light  of  our  mortal  being 
goes  out  in  the  night  of  the  grave.  But  there  is  a 
higher  life  that  is  never  overcast — a  spirit-home, 
where  sorrow  and  change  come  not.  Thither  let  the 
weary  lift  the  eye  of  faith,  and  forget  the  cares  which 
environ  their  pilgrimage  here. 

Monday,  Feb.  29.  Our  harbor  has  been  thrown 
into  some  commotion  again  by  another  of  the  great 
leviathans  of  the  deep.  The  U.  S.  ship  of  the  line 
Columbus,  commanded  by  Capt.  Wyman,  and  bear- 
ing the  broad  pennant  of  Com.  Biddle,  entered  our 
bay  in  stately  majesty  this  morning.  She  came  in 
before  a  light  breeze,  under  a  vast  cloud  of  canvas, 
and  rounded  to  in  splendid  style,  near  the  Indepen- 
dence. She  is  the  largest  ship  that  has  ever  been  on 
this  coast.  Ladies  and  gentlemen  watched  from 
hill-top  and  balcony  her  approach.  She  is  last  from 
Callao ;  her  crew  have  recovered  from  the  effects  of 
the  East  India  climate,  and  her  officers  are  all  in  ex- 
cellent spirits.  They  preferred,  of  course,  a  more 
immediate  return  home,  but  evinced  no  want  of 
alacrity  in  obeying  the  mandate    that    has   brought 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  187 

them  here.  I  find  among  them  my  esteemed  friend, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Newton,  highly  and  justly  respected  in 
the  service.  We  separated  in  Philadelphia  to  meet 
in  California!  After  this  we  may  expect  to  encounter 
each  other  at  the  North  Pole ! 

Tuesday,  March  3.  The  U.  S.  ship  Warren,  under 
Commander  Hull,  is  in  from  San  Francisco.  She  is 
now  in  the  fourth  year  of  her  cruise,  and  has  hardly 
copper  enough  on  her  to  make  a  warming-pan. 
Some  say  she  will  tumble  to  pieces  if  an  attempt  is 
made  to  get  her  around  Cape  Horn.  But  she  has 
weathered  many  stormy  headlands,  and  would  un- 
doubtedly weather  that.  Still,  she  may  be  detained 
here  as  a  harbor-ship ;  but  wiser  heads  than  mine  will 
determine  that  question.  Her  crew  ought  to  be  per- 
mitted to  return  ;  it  is  cruel  to  keep  men  out  as  they 
have  been.  The  sailor's  lot  is  hard  enough,  indeed, 
when  every  suitable  effort  is  made  to  relieve  it. 
There  are  but  few  drops  of  real  happiness  in  his  cup 
of  sorrow.  He  has  his  pastimes,  it  is  true,  but  they 
partake  more  of  insanity  than  sober  gladness.  He  is 
cradled  in  adversity,  reared  in  neglect,  and  dies  in 
the  midst  of  his  days ;  and  over  his  floating  bier  the 
ocean  thunders  its  dirge. 

Wednesday,  March  4.  The  convict  that  escaped 
a  short  time  since  was  overtaken  by  my  constable 
ninety  miles  distant,  and  brought  back  to-day.  He 
looked  like  one  whose  last  desperate  hope  had  been 


188  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

baffled.  I  asked  what  he  attempted  to  run  away  for. 
He  said  the  devil  put  it  into  his  head.  I  told  him  the 
poor  old  devil  had  enough  to  answer  for  without  being 
charged  with  his  offences,  and  doubled  the  time  of 
his  sentence,  which  was  only  for  six  months,  and  sent 
him  back  to  the  public  works.  He  is  rather  a  hai-- 
dened  character,  but  if  he  has  got  a  good  vein  in  him, 
I  will  try  to  find  it.  And  in  the  mean  time  I  shall 
set  the  prisoners  quarrying  stone  for  a  school-house, 
and  have  already  laid  the  foundations.  The  building 
is  to  be  sixty  feet  by  thirt}' — two  stories,  suitably  pro- 
portioned, with  a  handsome  portico.  The  labor  of 
the  convicts,  the  taxes  on  rum,  and  the  banks  of  the 
gamblers,  must  put  it  up.  Some  think  my  project 
impracticable  ;  we  shall  see. 


189 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

THE   PEOPLE  OF  MOXTERET. — THE  GUITAR   AND    RUNAWAY  ■WIFE. — MOTHER 

ORDERED    TO    FLOG     HER     SON. WORK    OF    THE    PRISONERS. CATCHING 

S.^ILORS. — COURT    OF    ADMIRALTY. — GAMBLERS     CAUGHT     AND    FINED. 

LIFTING  LAND  BOUNDARIES. 

Saturday,  March  6.  I  have  never  been  in  a 
community  that  rivals  Monterey  in  its  spirit  of  hos- 
pitality and  generous  regard.  Such  is  the  welcome 
to  the  privileges  of  the  private  hearth,  that  a  public 
hotel  has  never  been  able  to  maintain  itself.  You 
are  not  expected  to  wait  .for  a  particular  invitation, 
but  to  come  without  the  slightest  ceremony,  make 
yourself  entirely  at  home,  and  tarry  as  long  as  it 
suits  your  inclination,  be  it  for  a  day  or  for  a  month. 
You  create  no  flutter  in  the  family,  awaken  no  apolo- 
gies, and  are  greeted  every  morning  with  the  same 
bright  smile.  It  is  not  a  smile  which  flits  over  the 
countenance,  and  passes  away  like  a  flake  of  moon- 
light over  a  marble  tablet.  It  is  the  steady  sunshine 
of  the  soul  within. 

If  a  stranger,  you  are  not  expected  to  bring  a  for- 
mal letter  of  introduction.  No  one  here  thinks  any 
the  better  of  a  man  who  carries  the  credentials  of  his 
character  and  standing  in  his  pocket.  A  word  or  an 
allusion  to  recognized  persons  or  places  is  sufficient. 
If  you  turn  out  to  be  different  from  what  your  first 


190  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

impressions  and  fair  speech  promised,  still  you  meet 
with  no  frowning  looks,  no  impatience  for  your  de- 
parture. You  still  enjoy  in  full  that  charity  which 
suffereth  long,  and  is  kind.  The  children  are  never 
told  that  you  are  a  burden;  you  enjoy  their  glad 
greetings  and  unsuspecting  confidence  to  the  last. 
And  when  you  finally  depart,  it  will  not  be  without  a 
benison  ;  not  perhaps  that  you  are  worthy  of  it ;  but 
you  belong  to  the  great  human  family,  where  faults 
often  spring  from  misfortune,  and  the  force  of  un- 
toward circumstances.  Generous,  forbearing  people 
of  Monterey !  there  is  more  true  hospitality  in  one 
throb  of  your  heart,  than  circulates  for  years  through 
the  courts  and  capitals  of  kings. 

Tuesday,  March  16.  Met  Com.  Biddle  and  Gen. 
Kearny  to-day  by  appointment,  and  gave  them  a 
history  of  California  affairs  from  the  time  the  flag 
w^as  raised.  Both  expressed  a  little  surprise  at  some 
of  the  events  that  had  occurred,  but  neither  called  in 
question  the  wisdom  of  the  policy  which  had  been 
pursued.  The  report  of  a  disposition  on  the  part  of 
these  distinguished  officers  to  cast  reproach  on  events 
in  California,  are  without  a  shadow  of  foundation. 
Com.  Biddle  has  not  come,  it  is  true,  to  prosecute  the 
measures  of  his  predecessors,  nor  has  he  come  to  re- 
pudiate them.  He  desires,  so  far  as  his  instructions 
wall  permit,  to  let  them  remain  as  he  found  them,  and 
leave  to  time,  that  moral  touchstone  of  wisdom  and 
folly,  the  tests  of  their  expediency. 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  191 

WedpJesday,  March  17.  I  met  a  Californian  to- 
day with  a  guitar,  from  which  he  was  reeling  off  a 
merry  strain,  and  asked  him  how  it  was  possible  he 
could  be  so  light-hearted  while  the  flag  of  his  country 
was  passing  to  the  hands  of  the  stranger.  Oh,  said 
the  Californian.  give  us  the  guitar  and  a  fandango, 
and  the  devil  take  the  flag.  This  reveals  a  fact 
deeper  than  what  meets  the  eye.  The  Californians 
as  a  community  never  had  any  profound  reverence 
for  their  nominal  flag.  They  have  regarded  it  only 
as  an  evidence  of  their  colonial  relation  to  Mexico  ; 
a  relation  for  which  they  have  felt  neither  affection 
nor  pride. 

Thursday,  March  18.  A  poor  fellow  came  to  me 
to-day,  and  complained  that  his  wife  had  run  away 
with  another  man,  and  wanted  I  should  advise  him 
what  to  do.  1  asked  him  if  he  desired  her  to  come 
back ;  he  said  he  did,  for  he  had  five  children  who  re- 
quired her  care.  I  told  him  he  must  then  keep  still : 
the  harder  he  chased  a  deer,  the  faster  it  would  run; 
that  if  he  kept  quiet  she  would  soon  circle  back  again 
to  him. 

He  hardly  seemed  to  understand  the  philosophy  of 
inaction  :  I  told  him  there  was  hardly  an  animal  in  the 
world  that  might  not  be  won  by  doing  nothing  ;  that 
the  hare  ran  from  us  simply  because  we  had  chased 
it ;  that  a  woman  ran  for  the  same  reason,  though 
generally  with  a  different  motive  :  the  one  ran  to 
escape,  the  other  to  be  overtaken.     He  consented  to 


192  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

try  the  do-nothing  plan,  and  in  the  mean  time  I  shall 
try  to  catch  the  villain  who  has  covered  an  humble 
family  with  disaster. 

Thursday,  March  25.  A  California  mother  com- 
plained to  me  to-day,  that  her  son,  a  full  grown 
youth,  had  struck  her.  Usage  here  allows  a  mother 
to  chastise  her  son  as  long  as  he  remains  unmarried 
and  lives  at  home,  whatever  may  be  his  age,  and  re- 
gards a  blow  inflicted  on  a  parent  as  a  high  offence. 
I  sent  for  the  culprit ;  laid  his  crime  before  him,  for 
which  he  seemed  to  care  but  little ;  and  ordered  him 
to  take  off  his  jacket,  which  was  done.  Then  putting 
a  riata  into  the  hands  of  his  mother,  whom  nature 
had  endowed  with  strong  arms,  directed  her  to  flog 
him.  Every  cut  of  the  riata  made  the  fellow  jump 
from  the  floor.  Twelve  lashes  were  enough ;  the 
mother  did  her  duty,  and  as  I  had  done  mine,  the 
parties  were  dismissed.  No  further  complaint  from 
that  quarter. 

Monday,  April  12.  The  old  prison  being  too 
confined  and  frail  for  the  safe  custody  of  convicts,  I 
have  given  orders  for  the  erection  of  a  new  one. 
The  work  is  to  be  done  by  the  prisoners  themselves ; 
they  render  the  building  necessary,  and  it  is  but  right 
they  should  put  it  up.  Every  bird  builds  its  own 
nest.  The  old  one  will  hold  an  uninventive  Indian, 
but  a  veteran  from  Sidney  or  Sing  Sing  would 
work  his  way  out  like  a  badger  from  his  hole,  which 


THREE  YEARS  i:V  CALIFORNIA.  193 

the  school  urchin  had  obstructed.  1  had  an  experi- 
ment with  one  a  few  nights  since,  and  he  went 
through  the  roof  with  ball  and  chain.  How  he  ever 
reached  the  rafters,  unless  the  man  in  the  moon  mag- 
netized him,  I  cannot  conjecture.  But  out  he  got, 
and  it  cost  me  a  California  chase  to  catch  him. 

Thursday,  April  16.  Six  of  tlie  crew  of  the 
Columbus  ran  from  one  of  her  boats  this  morning. 
They  cleared  the  town  in  a  few  minutes,  and  plunged 
into  a  forest  which  shadows  a  mountain  gorge.  The 
officer  of  the  boat  came  with  a  request  from  Capt. 
Wyman  that  I  would  have  them  caught  and  brought 
back.  My  constables  were  both  absent,  and  I  ordered 
three  Californians  who  were  well  mounted  to  go  in 
pursuit.  The  native  people  are  always  inclined  to 
aid  a  sailor  in  his  attempt  to  escape ;  they  seem  to 
think  he  is  of  course  running  from  oppression  or 
wronar,  when  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  he  is  runnins; 
upon  some  sudden  impulse,  and  continues  the  race 
because  he  has  begun  it. 

In  this  instance  an  order  was  given  and  it  was 
obeyed ;  the  sailors  were  promptly  apprehended  and 
brought  back.  But  had  I  offered  a  reward  of  fifty 
dollars  each  for  them,  and  left  the  Californians  to 
pursue  or  not  as  they  preferred,  not  one  of  them 
would  have  been  apprehended.  I  have  never  known 
a  Californian  to  molest  a  runaway  sailor  or  soldier  to 
secure  the  reward  offered.  He  will  obey  my  order 
to  arrest  him,  and  he  would  do  the  same  if  ordered  to 

17 


194  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

arrest  his  own  brother,  but  he  will  not  do  it  to  secure 
any  pecuniary  consideration.  He  seems  to  look  upon 
it  as  a  breach  of  national  hospitality.  Were  the 
De'il  himself  to  call  for  a  night's  lodging,  the  Califor- 
nian  would  hardly  find  it  in  his  heart  to  bolt  the  door. 
He  would  think  they  could  manage  against  his  horn 
hoof  and  tail  in  some  way. 

Saturday,  April  18.  The  Pacific  squadron  having 
captured  several  prizes  not  in  a  condition  to  be  sent 
round  the  cape  for  adjudication  in  the  United  States, 
the  necessity  of  a  court  of  admiralty  here  to  deter- 
mine upon  them,  has  induced  Com.  Biddle  and  Gen. 
Kearny  to  take  the  responsibility  of  its  organization. 
They  have  installed  me  in  this  new  office,  invested 
with  the  authority  which  emanates  through  them  from 
the  national  executive,  and  the  still  higher  sanctions 
derived  ex  necessitatt  rei.  And  now  comes  the 
task  of  looking  up  those  legal  authorities  which  may 
serve  as  guiding  lights  and  safe  precedents.  But 
even  here,  on  this  dim  confine  of  civilization,  loom  to 
light  all  the  bright  particular  stars  which  have  shed 
their  rays  on  the  intricacies  of  national  law  and  ad- 
miralty jurisprudence.  We  have  the  eloquent  com- 
mentaries of  Kent,  the  able  dissertations  of  Wheaton, 
the  lucid  expositions  of  Chitiy,  and  the  authoritative 
decisions  of  Sir  William  Scott.  These,  with  half  a 
dozen  young  lawyers  ready  to  throw  in  their  own 
effulgent  beam,  as  the  glow-worm  turns  the  sparkle 
in  its  tail  to  the  sun.  will  enable  us  perhaps  to  escape 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  195 

the  breakers,  where  much  richer  argosies  than  ours 
have  been  wrecked.  But  one  thing  is  pretty  certain, 
my  journal  in  the  midst  of  all  these  perplexing  duties 
will  find  some  breaks  in  it.  I  must  hunt  my  rabbits, 
quail,  and  curlew,  or  stagnate  on  beef;  a  sirloin  may 
regale  the  hungry  for  a  time,  but  even  that,  if  con- 
fined to  it,  palls  on  the  appetite  worse  than  a  one- 
stringed  fiddle  on  the  ear,  or  the  low,  wordless,  mo- 
notonous grumble  of  a  discontented  wife. 

Wednesday,  May  12.  A  nest  of  gamblers  arrived 
in  town  yesterday,  and  last  evening  opened  a  monte 
at  the  hotel  honored  with  the  name  of  the  Astor 
House.  I  took  a  file  of  soldiers,  and  under  cover  of 
night  reached  the  hotel  unsuspected,  where  I  stationed 
them  at  the  two  doors  which  afforded  the  only 
egresses  from  the  building.  In  a  moment  I  was  on 
the  stairs  which  lead  to  the  apartment  where  the 
gamesters  were  congregated.  I  heard  a  whistle, 
and  then  footsteps  flying  into  every  part  of  the  edi- 
fice. On  entering  the  great  chamber,  not  a  being 
was  visible  save  one  Sonoranian  reclining  against  a 
large  table,  and  composedly  smoking  his  cigarito.  I 
passed  the  compliments  of  the  evening  with  him,  and 
desired  the  honor  of  an  introduction  to  his  compan- 
ions. 

At  this  moment  a  feigned  snore  broke  on  my  ear 
from  a  bed  in  the  corner  of  the  apartment. — "  Ha ! 
Dutre,  is  that  you  ?  Come,  tumble  up,  and  aid  me 
in  stirring  out  the  rest."     He  pointed  under  the  bed, 


lf>G  THREE  YEARS  IX  CALIFORXIA. 

where  I  discovered,  just  within  the  drop  of  the  val- 
ance a  multitude  of  feet  and  legs  radiating  as  from  a 
common  centre.  "  Hallo  there,  friends — turn  out  I" 
and  out  came  some  half-dozen  or  more,  covered  with 
dust  and  feathers,  and  odorous  as  the  nameless 
furniture  left  behind.  Their  plight  and  discovery 
threw  them  into  a  laugh  at  each  other.  From  this 
apartment,  accompanied  by  my  secretary,  I  pro- 
ceeded to  others,  where  I  found  the  slopers  stowed 
away  in  every  imaginable  position — some  in  the  beds, 
some  under  them,  several  in  closets,  tw^o  in  a  hogs- 
head,   and   one  up    a   chimney.     Mr.  R ,   from 

Missouri — known  here  under  the  soubriquet  of  "  the 
prairie-w^olf" — I  found  between  two  bed-ticks,  with 
his  coat  and  boots  on,  and  half  smothered  with  the 
feathers.  He  was  the  ringleader,  and  raises  a  monte 
table  wherever  he  sfoes  as  regularlv  as  a  whale  comes 
to  the  surface  to  blow.  All  shouted  as  he  tumbled 
out  from  his  ticks.  Among  the  rest  I  found  the 
alcalde  of  San  Francisco,  a  gentleman  of  education 
and  refinement,  who  never  plays  himself,  but  who,  on 
this  occasion,  had  come  to  witness  the  excitement. 
I  gathered  them  all,  some  fifty  in  number,  into  the 
large  saloon,  and  told  them  the  only  speech  I  had  to 
make  was  in  the  shape  of  a  fine  of  twenty  dollars 
each.  The  more  astute  began  to  demur  on  the  plea 
of  not  guilty,  as  no  cards  and  no  money  had  been 
discovered ;  and  as  for  the  beds,  a  man  had  as  good 
a  right  to  sleep  under  one  as  in  it.  I  told  them  that 
was  a  matter  of  taste,  misfortune  often  made  strange 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  197 

bedfellows,  and  the  only  way  to  get  out  of  the  scrape 

was  to  pay  up.    Dr.  S was  the  first  to  plank  down. 

"Come,  my  good  fellows,"  said  the  doctor,  "pay  up, 
and  no  grumbling  ;  this  money  goes  to  build  a  school- 
house,  where  I  hope  our  children  will  be  taught  bet- 
ter principles  than  they  gather  from  the  example  of 
their  fathers."  The  "prairie-wolf"  planked  down  next, 
and  in  ten  minutes  the  whole,  Chillanos,  Sonoranians, 
Oregonians,  Californians,  Englices,  Americanos,  de- 
livered in  their  fines.  These,  with  the  hundred  dol- 
lar fine  of  the  keeper  of  the  hotel,  filled  quite  a  bag. 
With  this  I  bade  them  good  night,  and  took  my  de- 
parture. I  hope  the  doctor's  prediction  will  prove 
true ;  certainly  it  shall  not  be  my  fault  if  it  turns  out 
a  failure.  In  all  this  there  was  not  an  angry  look  or 
petulant  remark ;  they  knew  I  was  doing  my  duty, 
and  they  felt  that  they  atoned  in  part  for  a  violation 
of  theirs  through  their  fines.  If  you  must  hold  office 
be  an  alcalde,  be  absolute,  but  be  upright,  impartial, 
and  humane. 

Thursday,  May  27.  A  ranchero,  living  some  forty 
miles  distant,  not  liking  his  own  land,  had  lifted  his 
boundary  line,  and  projected  it  some  six  miles  over 
that  of  his  neighbor.  Quite  a  lap  this  would  be 
among  farmers  in  the  United  States,  but  a  small  slice 
here.  I  was  called  upon  to  decide  the  difficulty. 
Taking  with  me  from  the  public  archives  a  certified 
copy  of  the  original  grant  to  each  of  the  rancheros, 
I  proceeded  to  the  spot,  where  I  found  some  twenty 
17* 


198  THREE  YEARS   IN  CALIFORNIA. 

men  under  the  shadow  of  a  great  oak-tree,  and  each 
ready  to  locate  the  boundaries  agreeably  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  party  that  had  summoned  him.  I 
listened  to  the  stories  of  each,  and  then  asked  the 
raiichero,  who  had  lifted  his  line,  to  show  me  his 
grant.  He  drew  it  from  his  pocket — a  document 
signed,  sealed,  and  delivered  with  all  the  formalities 
of  law.  I  then  drew  out  the  original,  and  found  their 
topographical  lines  as  much  alike  as  the  here  and 
there  of  an  unresting  squatter.  The  fact  was,  the 
man  had  two  grants ;  but  the  last  one  being  a  palpa- 
ble invasion  of  his  neighbor's  domain,  as  secured  to 
him  under  the  seal  of  the  state,  he  must  of  course 
retreat  within  the  limits  of  the  first.  A  township  of 
land  being  thus  judicially  and  justly  disposed  of,  I 
started  on  my  return ;  fell  in  with  a  grizzly  bear — 
levelled  and  fired — but  without  waiting  to  see  if  the 
ball  took  effect,  dashed  on.  A  loadless  rifle,  with  an 
enraged  bear  at  your  heels,  makes  you  value  a  fleet 
horse  in  California. 


199 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

A  CONVICT  WHO  WOULD  NOT  WORK. — LAWYERS  AT  MONTEREY. WHO   CON- 
QUERED    CALIFORNIA. — RIDE     TO     A    RANCHO. LEOPALDO. PARTY     OF 

CALIFORNIANS. A  DASH  INTO  THE  FORESTS. CHASING  A  DEER. KILLING 

A  BEAR. LADIES  WITH  FIREARMS. A  MOTHER  AND  VOLUNTEER. 

Friday,  June  18.  One  of  the  prisoners,  who  is  an 
Englishman,  ventured  a  criticism  on  the  stonework 
of  another  prisoner,  which  revealed  the  fact  of  his 
being  a  stonecutter  himself.  I  immediately  sat  him 
at  work  at  his  old  trade.  But  he  feigned  utter  igno- 
rance of  it,  and  spoiled  several  blocks  in  making  his 
feint  good.  I  then  ordered  him  into  a  deep  well, 
where  the  water  had  given  out,  to  drill  and  blast 
rocks.  He  drove  his  drills  here  for  several  days,  and 
finding  that  the  well  was  to  be  sunk  some  twenty  or 
thirty  feet  deeper,  concluded  it  was  better  for  him  to 
work  in  the  upper  air,  and  requested  that  he  might 
be  permitted  to  try  his  chisel  again.  Permission  was 
given,  and  he  is  now  shaping  stones  fit  to  be  laid  in 
the  walls  of  a  cathedral.  He  was  taken  up  for  dis- 
orderly conduct,  and  he  is  now  at  work  on  a  school- 
house,  where  the  principles  of  good  order  are  the  first 
things  to  be  taught. 

Saturday,  June  19.  We  have  at  this  time  three 
young  lawyers  in  Monterey,  as  full  of  legal  acuteness 


200  TIIRKE  YEARS   I\   CALIFORNIA. 

as  the  lancet  cup  of  a  jtlilebotoniist.  All  want  clients, 
and  fees,  and  the  privilege  of  a  practice  in  this 
court.  Mexican  statutes,  which  prevail  here,  permit 
lawyers  as  counsel,  but  preclude  their  pleas.  They 
may  examine  witnesses,  sift  evidence,  but  not  build 
arguments.  This  spoils  the  whole  business,  and  every 
effort  has  been  made  to  have  the  impediment  removed, 
and  the  floodgate  of  eloquence  lifted.  I  should  be 
glad  to  gratify  their  ambition,  but  it  is  impossible.  I 
should  never  get  through  with  the  business  pressing 
on  mv  hands  in  every  variety  of  shape  which  civil 
and  criminal  jurisprudence  ever  assumed.  I  tell  them 
after  the  evidence  has  been  submitted,  the  verdict  or 
decision  must  follow,  and  then  if  any  in  the  court- 
room desire  to  hear  the  arguments,  they  can  adjourn 
to  another  apartment,  and  plead  as  long  as  they  like. 
In  this  way  justice  will  go  ahead,  and  eloquence  too, 
and  the  great  globe  still  turn  on  its  axle. 

Saturday,  July  17.  Com.  Stockton  has  left  us 
on  his  return  home  over  the  continent.  His  mea- 
sures in  California  have  been  bold  and  vigorous,  and 
have  been  followed  by  decisive  results.  He  found 
the  country  in  anarchy  and  confusion,  and  the  greater 
part  under  the  Mexican  flag,  and  has  left  it  in  peace 
and  quietness  beneath  the  stars  and  stripes.  His  po- 
sition in  the  march  of  the  American  forces  from  San 
Diego,  and  in  the  battle  of  San  Gabriel,  has  not  been 
changed  by  any  subsequent  information  in  the  judg- 
ment of  the  candid  and  impartial.      He  tendered  the 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  201 

command  of  the  expedition  to  Gen.  Kearny,  which 
that  gallant  officer  deferred  to  the  commodore,  out  of 
regard  to  his  position  at  the  head  of  the  naval  forces 
upon  which  the  success  of  the  enterprise  must  de- 
pend. The  propriety  of  this  arrangement  is  seen  in 
the  fact  that  the  general  had  but  sixty  dragoons  at 
his  command,  and  those  on  foot,  while  the  Pacific 
squadron  poured  six  hundred  seamen  and  marines 
upon  the  field.  There  was  no  confusion  of  orders  or 
evolutions  on  the  route ;  every  general  movement 
emanated  from  Com.  Stockton,  with  the  good  under- 
standing and  harmonious  action  of  Gen.  Kearny. 

It  is  deeply  to  be  regretted  that  any  thing  subse- 
quently occurred  to  disturb  this  spirit  of  mutual  defer- 
ence and  generous  devotion  to  the  crisis  which 
pressed  upon  our  ams.  It  is  not  my  purpose  to  com- 
ment on  this  feature  in  the  affairs  of  California ;  but 
it  is  due  to  truth  that  history  should  be  set  right ; 
that  facts  warped  from  their  true  position  should  be 
reinstated  on  their  own  pedestals.  The  army  has 
covered  itself  with  laurels  on  the  plains  of  Mexico, 
and  might  have  won  honors  here  with  an  adequate 
force  ;  but  to  rely  on  sixty  dragoons  in  the  face  of  a 
thousand  Californians,  armed  with  the  rifle  and  lance, 
and  accustomed  to  the  saddle  from  their  birth,  is  to 
trifle  with  the  stern  solemnities  of  war.  It  is  requir- 
ing too  much  of  us,  who  have  lived  here  through  the 
war,  and  are  conversant  with  its  history,  to  claim  our 
assent  to  the  allegation,  that  California  has  been  con- 
quered through  the  achievements  of  the  army.     That 


202  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

unshrinking  arm  of  the  nation  has  done  its  work  well 
and  fast  elsewhere,  but  only  the  vibrations  of  its 
blows  have  trembled  across  the  confines  of  California. 
For  matter  of  these  the  Mexican  flag  would  still  be 
flying  over  these  hills  and  valleys.  The  seamen  of 
the  Pacific  squadron,  as  reliable  on  land  as  faithful  on 
the  deck,  and  the  emigrants,  who  have  come  here  to 
find  a  home,  have  wrenched  this  land  of  wealth 
and  promise  from  the  grasp  of  Mexico,  and  unfurled 
the  stars  and  stripes,  where  they  will  wave  evermore. 
Let  the  laurel  light  where  it  belongs. 

Tuesday,  Aug.  10.  An  Indian  galloped  to  my 
door  this  morning,  having  in  lead  a  splendid  pied 
horse,  richly  caparisoned,  and  with  an  invitation  from 
a  ranchero,  forty  miles  distant,  that  I  would  come 
and  spend  a  few  days  with  him  at  his  country-seat ; 
so  I  placed  the  office  in  the  hands  of  Don  Davido, 
well  competent  to  its  duties,  and  with  my  secretary, 

Mr.  G ,  mounted  on  another  noble  animal,  started 

for  the  mansion  of  my  old  friend  from  the  mountains 
of  Spain,  now  in  the  winter  of  age,  but  with  a  heart 
warm  as  a  sunbeam.  The  town,  with  its  white 
dwellings,  soon  vanished  behind  the  pine  and  ever- 
green oak,  which  crown  the  hills,  that  throw  around 
it  their  arms  of  waving  shade.  The  little  lakes,  na- 
velled  in  the  breaks  of  the  forest,  flashed  on  the  eye  ; 
the  water-fowl,  in  clouds,  took  wing  ;  the  quail 
whirled  into  the  bushes  ;  and  the  deer  bounded  off"  to 
their  woodland  retreats.     A  grizzly  bear,  with  a  storm 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  203 

of  darkness  in  his  face,  stood  his  ground,  and  never 
even  bhnked  at  the  crack  of  our  pistols. 

We  were  now  on  the  bank  of  the  Sahnas,  through 
which  we  dashed,  allowing  our  horses  a  taste  of  its 
yellow  waters,  then  up  the  opposite  bank,  and  away- 
over  the  broad  plain,  which  stretches  in  vernal  beauty 
beyond.  Our  horses  required  no  spur,  were  in  fine 
condition,  high  spirits,  never  broke  their  gallop,  and 
swept  ahead,  like  a  fawn  to  its  covert.  Mine  be- 
longed to  the  daughter  of  the  Don,  to  whose  hearth 
we  were  bound,  and  had  often  rattled  about  among 
these  hills  beneath  his  fair  owner,  whose  equestrian 
graces  and  achievements  might  throw  a  fresh  en- 
chantment on  the  chase  that  had  gathered  to  its 
rivalries  the  beauty  and  bravery  of  Old  England. 
Another  mountain  stream — a  dash  through  its  foam- 
ing tide,  and  away  again  through  a  broad  ravine,  which 
bent  its  ample  track  to  the  steep  hills,  which  threw 
the  shadows  of  thear  waving  trees  over  a  thousand 
echoing  caverns.  Where  the  forests  broke,  the  wild 
oats  waved,  like  golden  lakes,  and  mirrored  the  pass- 
ing cloud ;  while  the  swaying  pines  rolled  out  their 
music  on  the  wind,  like  the  dirge  of  ocean.  And  now 
another  luxuriant  plain,  where  cattle,  and  horses,  and 
sheep  gambolled  and  grazed  by  thousands  ;  and  on 
the  opposite  side  the  white  mansion  of  our  host, 
crowning  the  headland,  and  glimmering  through  the 
waving  shade,  like  the  columns  which  consecrate 
Colonna.  Here  we  alighted  without  weariness  to  our- 
selves or  our  spirited  animals,  though  we  had  swept 


204  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORMA. 

through  the  forty  miles  in  three  hours  and  a  half. 
The  senorita,  who  had  sent  me  her  horse,  vaulted 
into  the  saddle,  which  I  had  just  relinquished,  and 
patting  the  noble  fellow,  whom  she  called  Leopaldo, 
induced  him  to  exhibit  a  variety  of  his  cunning  evo- 
lutions. He  knew  his  rider  as  well  as  a  Newfound- 
lander his  mistiess,  or  an  eagle  his  mountain  mate. 

It  was  a  festive  eve  at  the  Don's  ;  youth  and  beau- 
ty were  there ;  and  as  the  sable  hues  of  night  sunk 
on  silent  tree  and  tower,  the  harp  and  guitar  woke 
into  melodious  action  ;  the  hour  was  late  when  the 
waltz  and  song  resigned  their  votaries  to  the  calmer 
claims  of  slumber.  My  apartment  betrayed  the  rural 
diversions  of  some  fairy,  one  whose  floral  trophies 
threw  their  fragrance  from  every  variety  of  vase. 
The  air  was  loaded  with  perfume,  and  could  hardly 
be  relieved  by  the  visits  of  the  night- wind  through 
the  lifted  window.  My  dreams  ran  on  tulips  and 
roses.  Morn  blazed  again  in  the  east ;  the  soaring 
lark  sung  from  its  cloud  ;  the  guests  were  up,  glad 
voices  were  heard  in  the  hall ;  light  forms  glanced 
through  the  corridors,  and  a  huenos  dios  rolled  in 
sweet  accents  from  lips  circled  with  smiles.  Coffee 
and  tortillas  went  round,  mingled  with  salutations  and 
those  first  fresh  thoughts  which  spring  from  the  heart 
like  early  birds  from  the  tree,  which  the  sunlight  has 
touched,  while  the  dew  yet  sparkles  on  its  leaves. 
The  horses  of  the  Don  were  now  driven  to  the  door — 
a  sprightly  band — vieing  in  their  hues  with  the  flow- 
ers that  sprinkled  the  meadows  where  they  gambolled, 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  205 

and  the  guests  were  invited  to  make  their  selection. 
My  choice  fell,  of  course,  on  Leopaldo,  who  had 
brougiit  me  from  Monterey  ;  but  his  fair  owner  would 
want  him ;  no,  he  was  delivered  to  me,  as  the  seno- 
rita  took  another  quite  as  full  of  fire. 

The  ladies  were  now  tost  into  their  saddles,  and 
the  gentlemen,  belted  and  spurred,  vaulted  into  theirs. 
We  all  struck  at  once  into  a  hand  gallop,  and  swept 
over  the  broad  plain  which  stretches  from  the  acrop- 
olis of  the  Don,  to  the  broken  line  of  a  mountain 
range.  Here  we  spurred  into  a  broad  shadowy  ra- 
vine, overhung  with  toppling  crags,  and  breaking 
through  the  bold  ranges  of  rock,  which  threw  their 
steep  faces  in  wild  fantastic  forms  on  the  eye.  "  A 
coyote !"  shouted  those  in  the  van,  and  started  in 
chase  ;  but  this  prairie-wolf  had  his  den  near  at  hand, 
and  soon  vanished  from  sight.  Another,  and  a  third, 
but  the  chasm  yielded  its  instant  refuge.  A  fourth 
was  started,  who  gave  us  a  longer  pursuit ;  but  he 
soon  doubled  from  sight  around  a  bold  bluff  into  a 

jungle.     Here   the   horse   of  seilorita  S dashed 

ahead  of  the  whole  caballada,  with  his  dilated  eye 
fastened  on  a  noble  buck,  and  swept  up  the  sloping 
side  of  the  ravine  to  gain  the  ridge,  and  cut  oft"  his  es- 
cape in  that  direction,  while  the  whole  troop  spurred 
hot  and  fast  upon  his  retreat  below.  We  were  now 
in  for  a  chase,  brief  though  it  might  be.  The  buck 
seemed  confused;  and  no  wonder,  with  such  a  shout- 
ing bevy  at  his  heels,  and  with  the  senorita  streaming 
along  the  ridge,  and  dashing  over  chasm  and  cliff  like 

18 


206  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

the  storm-swept  cloud  where  "  leaps  the  live  thunder." 
But  the  proud  buck  was  not  be  captured  in  this  way ; 
and  as  soon  as  the  other  side  of  the  ravine  began  to 
slope  from  its  steep  line,  up  its  bank  he  sprung,  and 
bounded  along  its  ridge  as  if  in  exulting  rivalry  at  the 
rattling  chase  of  the  senorita.  "  Two  deers,"  shouted 
one  of  the  caballeros,  "  and  neither  of  them  to  be 
caught." 

We  here  wheeled  into  another  mountain  gorge, 
which  opened  into  a  long  irregular  vista  of  savage 
wildness.  A  gallop  of  two  or  three  miles  brought  us 
to  a  spot  where  the  rocky  barriers  retreated  on  either 
hand,  shaping  out  a  bowl,  in  the  centre  of  which 
stood  a  cluster  of  oaks.  On  the  lower  limb  of  one, 
which  threw  its  giant  arm  boldly  from  the  rough 
trunk,  a  dark  object  was  descried,  half  lost  in  the 
leaves.  "  A  bear,  a  bear  !"  shouted  our  leader,  and 
dashed  up  to  the  tree,  which  was  instantly  surround- 
ed by  the  whole  troop,  "  Give  us  pistols,"  exclaimed 
the  senoritas,  as  bravely  in  for  the  sport  as  the  rest. 
Click,  crack  !  and  a  storm  of  balls  went  through  the 
tree-top.  Down  came  old  bruin  with  one  bound  into 
the  midst,  full  of  wrath  and  revenge.  The  horses  in- 
stinctively wheeled  into  a  circle,  and  as  bruin  sprung 
for  a  death-grapple,  the  lasso  of  our  baccaros,  thrown 
with  unerring  aim,  brought  him  up  all  standing.  He 
now  turned  upon  the  horse  of  his  new  assailant ;  but 
that  sagacious  animal  evaded  each  plunge,  and  seemed 
to  play  in  transport  about  his  antagonist.  The  pis- 
tols were  out  again,  and  a  fresh  volley  fell  thick  as  hail 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  207 

around  the  bear.  In  the  smoke  and  confusion  no 
one  could  tell  where  his  next  spring  might  be  ;  but 
the  horse  of  the  baccaro  knew  his  duty  and  kept  the 
lasso  taught.  Bruin  was  wounded,  but  resolute  and 
undaunted  ;  the  fire  rolled  from  his  red  eyes  like  a 
flash  of  lightning  out  of  a  forked  cloud.  Foiled  in 
his  plunges  at  the  horse,  he  seized  the  lasso  in  his 
paws,  and  in  a  moment  more  would  have  been  at  his 
side,  but  the  horse  sprung  and  tripped  him,  rolling 
him  over  and  over  till  he  lost  his  desperate  hold  on 
the  lasso.  The  pistols  were  reloaded,  and  senoritas 
and  caballeros  all  dashed  up  for  another  shower  of 
fire  and  lead.  As  the  smoke  cleared,  bruin  was  found 
with  the  lasso  slack,  a  sure  evidence  that  the  hoirse 
who  managed  it  knew  his  antagonist  was  dead. 

This  was  sport  enough  for  one  day ;  we  galloped 
on  through  the  defile,  which  wound  round  a  moun- 
tain spur,  till  it  struck  a  precipitous  stream,  which 
sent  into  the  green  nooks  the  wild  echoes  of  its  cas- 
cades. Following  the  ravine  through  which  it  poured 
its  more  tranquil  tide,  we  debouched  at  length  upon 
the  plain,  crowned  with  the  hospitable  mansion  of 
our  host.  The  feats  of  the  morning  astonished  even 
the  old  Don,  who  offered  his  favorite  roan  to  the  one 
whose  bullet  had  killed  the  bear.  The  meed  was 
challenged  by  each  and  all,  but  no  one  could  make 
good  and  exclusive  claim.  The  gentlemen  relinquished 
their  claim,  but  that  only  made  the  matter  worse,  as 
it  narrowed  the  contest  to  the  circle  of  the  senoritas. 
Dinner  was  announced;  then  came  the  siesta,  fol- 


208  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

lowed  by  the  soft  twilight,  with  the  harp,  guitar,  aiid 
song,  which  mehed  away  into  sweet  sleep.  In  the 
morning  Mr.  G.  and  myself,  with  the  glorious  Leo- 
paldo,  waved  our  adieu,  and  returned  to  Monterey. 

Monday,  Sept.  6.  A  mother,  who  lives  with  a  man 
out  of  wedlock,  applied  to  me  this  morning  to  take 
her  two  daughters  from  an  aunt,  with  whom  they 
w^ere  living,  and  place  them  in  another  family.  When 
asked  for  her  reasons,  she  stated  that  this  aunt  had 
not  a  good  reputation,  and  though  bad  herself,  she 
did  not  want  to  see  her  daughters  so.  I  told  her  she 
could  hardly  expect  me  to  make  her  daughters  better 
than  their  mother;  that  parental  example  was  stronger 
than  law  ;  that  if  she  wanted  to  keep  her  daughters 
pure,  she  must  be  so  herself.  She  shed  tears  :  I  said 
no  more ;  but  ordered  her  daughters  into  the  family 
where  she  desired. 

Tuesday,  Sept.  7.  One  of  the  volunteers  broke 
into  my  coral  last  night,  with  the  intention  of  reach- 
ing the  hen-roost,  but  was  frightened  nearly  to  death 
by  a  discharge  of  mustard-seed  from  an  old  fowling- 
piece,  with  which  my  servant  had  armed  himself  for 
the  protection  of  his  poultry.  Some  of  the  volun- 
teers, and  I  hope  much  the  larger  portion,  are  upright, 
honest  men,  but  there  are  others  who  will  steal  any 
thing  and  every  thing,  from  a  horse  to  a  hen.  One  of 
the  evils  of  a  soldier's  lot  is,  that  the  good  are  often 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  209 

confounded  with  the  bad.     But  every  profession  suf- 
fers in  the  same  way. 

Tuesday,  Sept.  10.  Our  bay  is  full  of  sardines  ; 
an  Indian  jumped  into  the  surf  and  scooped  up  for 
me,  with  his  blanket,  half  a  peck  in  a  few  minutes. 
The  pelican  follows  these  small  fish,  and  pounces 
down  upon  them  with  a  savage  ferocity.  There  is 
something  in  such  a  sudden  destruction  of  life,  even 
in  a  minnow,  which  you  don't  like.  I  have  often 
wished  the  bird  just  shot  again  on  the  wing. 

We  are  looking  every  moment  for  the  return  of 
the  Cyane,  under  Commander  Du  Pont,  from  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  where  she  has  been  on  important 
service.  She  is  the  water-witch  of  the  Pacific — if 
ceaseless  motion  can  claim  that  honor.  Her  com- 
mander enjoys  so  thoroughly  the  confidence  and 
aifection  of  his  officers  and  crew,  they  go  with  him 
through  all  this  exhausting  service  without  a  mur- 
mur. It  is  a  happy  tact  that  can  maintain  discipline 
and  w  ield  at  any  moment  the  whole  moral  ^nd  physi- 
cal power  of  such  a  ship. 

18* 


210 


CHAPTER   XV. 

A  CALIFORNIA  PIC-NIC. SEVENTY  AND  SEVENTEEN   IN    THE    DANCE. — CHIL- 
DREN   IN    THE     GROVE. A    CALIFORNIA     BEAR-HUNT. THE     BEAR     AND 

BULL  BATED. THE  RUSSIAN'S  CABBAGE  HEAD. 

Wednesday,  Sept.  22.  The  lovers  of  rural  pas- 
times were  on  an  early  stir  this  morning  with  their 
pic-nic  preparations.  Basket  after  basket,  freighted 
with  ham,  poultry,  game,  pies,  and  all  kinds  of  pastry, 
took  their  course  in  the  dn-ection  of  a  wood  which 
stands  three  miles  from  town,  and  shades  a  sloping 
cove  in  the  strand  of  the  sea.  The  sky  was  without 
a  cloud,  and  the  brooding  fog  had  lifted  its  dusky 
wings  from  the  face  of  the  bright  waters.  At  every 
door  the  impatient  steed,  gayly  caparisoned,  was  wait- 
ing his  rider.  Into  the  saddle  youth  and  age  vaulted 
together,  while  the  araba  rolled  forward  with  its  liv- 
ing freight  of  laughing  childhood.  The  dogs  swept 
on  before,  barking  in  chorus,  and  flaring  the  gay 
ribbon  which  some  happy  child  had  fastened  round 
the  neck. 

This  mingled  tide  of  health  and  social  gladness 
flowed  on  to  the  grove  of  pine  and  birch,  which  threw 
their  branching  arms  in  a  verdant  canopy  over  a  plat 
of  green  grass,  which  had  been  shorn  close  to  the 
level  earth.  Around  this  arena  strayed  every  variety 
of  twig-inwoven  seat,  where  matron  and  maiden,  in 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  211 

the  flow  of  the  heart,  forgot  their  disparity  of  years. 
The  children  wreathed  each  other's  locks  with  coronals 
of  flowers,  the  soft  breeze  whispered  in  the  pines,  and 
the  little  billo-w  murmured  its  music  on  the  strand. 
And  now  the  violin,  the  harp,  and  guitar  woke  the 
bounding  dance.  Forth  upon  the  green  the  man  of 
seventy,  still  erect  and  tall,  led  the  blooming  girl  of 
sixteen.  Age  had  whitened  his  locks,  but  the  light 
of  an  unclouded  spirit  still  rolled  in  his  eye,  and  the 
salient  bound  of  youth  still  dwelt  in  his  limbs.  His 
young  partner,  with  her  tresses  of  raven  darkness, 
inwoven  with  snow-white  flowers, — with  a  cheek, 
where  the  mantling  tide  of  health  was  curbed  into  a 
blush — and  a  step  light  and  elastic  as  that  of  the 
gazelle,  seemed  as  one  of  Flora's  train,  just  lighted 
there  to  swim  in  youth  and  beauty  in  the  wild  wood- 
land merriment.  By  the  side  of  these,  others,  in 
mingled  youth  and  age,  lead  down  the  double  files, 
and  balance  and  whirl  in  the  mazy  measures  which 
roll  from  the  orchestral  band.  As  these  retire,  others 
still  spring  to  the  arena,  and  the  dance  goes  on,  ever 
changing,  and  still  the  same.  No  faltering  step 
delays  its  feathered  feet,  no  glance  of  envy  disturbs 
its  love-lit  smiles,  no  look  of  clouded  care  over- 
shadows its  real  mirth : 

"  The  garlands,  the  rose-odors,  and  the  flowers. 
The  sparkling  eyes,  and  flashing  ornaments, 
The  white  arms  and  the  raven  hair,  the  braids 
And  bracelets,  swan-like  bosoms,  the  tliin  robes 
Floating  like  hght  clouds  'twixt  our  gaze  and  heaven." 


i>r2  TIIKKE  YEARS  I\  CALIFORMA. 

And  now  they  glide  to  the  tables,  which  stretch 
away  under  the  embowering  trees,  and  where  the 
rich  larder  has  emptied  its  choicest  stores.  Thei'e 
the  savory  venison  scents  the  still  air;  and  the  wild 
strawberries  blush  between  the  green  leaves.  There 
the  domestic  fowl,  the  swift-footed  hare,  and  the  timid 
quail  have  met  in  strange  brotherhood.  There  the 
juice  of  the  native  grape,  and  the  cool  wave  of  the 
gushing  rock,  sparkle  in  the  flowing  goblet.  These 
were  discussed,  and  the  festive  board  was  relinquished 
to  the  children,  who  were  too  full  of  glee  to  note  if 
aught  more  than  the  fruit  and  confectionery  remained. 
The  ripe  berry  sought  in  vain  to  add  color  to  their 
lips,  or  rival  the  bloom  which  lent  its  rosy  hue  to  the 
round  cheek.  Golden  locks  floated  around  e3'es  w^hich 
sparkled  with  light  and  love,  and  the  accents  of  glad- 
ness rung  out  in  joyous  peals,  like  the  song  of  birds 
when  the  storm-cloud  has  passed. 

"Theirs  was  the  shout!  the  song!  the  burst  of  jov  ! 
'Wliich  sweet  from  childhood's  rosy  hp  resouudeth; 
Tlieirs  was  the  eager  spirit  naught  could  cloy, 

And  the  glad  heart  from  which  all  grief  reboundetL" 

The  music  from  the  harp  and  guitar  streamed  out 
again,  and  the  green  plat  was  full  of  glancing  forms, 
where  youth  and  age,  maternal  dignity  and  maiden 
charms,  led  down  the  merry  dance.  As  these  glided 
to  their  seats,  childhood  crowned  with  wild-flowers 
sprung  to  the  arena,  with  motions  light  as  the  meas- 
ures through  which  it  whirled  its  infantile  forms.     A 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  213 

sylvan  Pan  might  have  fancied  his  fays  had  left  their 
green- wood  covert  to  frolic  on  the  green  beneath  the 
soft  light  of  the  dying  day.  But  ere  the  evening  star 
ascended  its  watchtower  the  merry  groups  were  on 
their  fleet  steeds,  bounding  over  hill  and  valley  to 
their  homes.  The  shadows  of  the  moonlit  trees  fell 
in  softness  and  silence  where  all  this  mirth  had  been ; 
only  the  silver  tones  of  the  streamlets  were  heard  as 
they  murmured  their  music  in  the  ear  of  night.  The 
echoes  of  our  voices  will  all  cease  in  the  places 
that  have  known  us  as  we  glide  at  last  to  the  "  dim 
bourn,"  nor  will  a  leaflet  tremble  long  in  the  breath 
of  memory.  The  myriads  who  people  the  past  are 
still,  the  stir  of  their  existence  is  over,  the  great  ocean 
of  their  being  is  at  rest.  The  wandering  wind  only 
sighs  over  their  tombless  repose. 

Friday,  Oct.  10.  Captain  Hull,  who  has  been  out 
here  nearly  four  years  in  command  of  the  Warren, 
left  us  to-day  for  the  United  States.  He  has  ren- 
dered good  service  to  the  country  during  his  long 
exile.  May  prosperous  breezes  waft  him  safely  to 
his  distant  home.  Lieut.  J.  B.  Lanman  succeeds 
to  the  command  of  the  WaiTen ;  an  oflicer  justly 
esteemed  for  his  gentlemanly  deportment  and  pro- 
fessional intelligence.  It  is  this  foreign  duty  that 
puts  the  competency  and  fidelity  of  an  officer  to  the 
test.  It  is  easy  to  carry  on  duty  at  a  navy  yard,  but 
duty  on  board  ship  with  a  heterogeneous  crew,  is  an- 
other thing ;  it  calls  for  the  last  resources  of  the  officer, 


214  TIIEEE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

in  the  maintenance  of  discipline,  harmony,  and   ef- 
ficiency. 

For  a  person  who  has  been  but  a  few  months  in  a 
man-of-war,  and  never  been  at  sea  in  any  other  situ- 
ation, to  attempt  to  enhghten  the  public  on  the  dis- 
cipline of  the  navy,  or  any  of  the  duties  which  belong 
on  board  ship,  is  an  exhibition  of  impertinent  vanity. 
He  has  no  practical  knowledge  of  the  subjects  upon 
which  he  is  delivering  his  sage  lecture.  He  has  a 
certain  theory  with  which  he  proposes  to  test  the 
wisdom  or  folly,  the  humanity  or  cruelty,  of  every 
thing  in  the  service ;  and  when  this  theory  gets 
snagged,  which  is  often  the  case,  he  is  for  rooting  out 
the  whole  concern.  He  don't  reflect  that  his  land 
theory  is  as  much  out  of  its  element  at  sea  as  a 
stranded  porpoise  would  be  out  of  his.  All  the  habits 
and  usages  of  a  man-of-war,  are  heaven  wide  of 
those  which  obtain  on  land.  They  require  rules  and 
regulations  suited  to  their  genius.  Reforms  must 
necessarily  be  of  slow  growth ;  they  must  take  root 
in  the  service  itself,  and  not  in  the  novelties  of  any 
land  theory. 

Thursday,  Oct.  28.  The  king  of  all  field-sports  in 
California  is  the  bear-hunt:  I  determined  to  witness 
one,  and  for  this  purpose  joined  a  company  of  native 
gentlemen  bound  out  on  this  \\M  amusement.  All 
were  well  mounted,  armed  with  rifles  and  pistols,  and 
provided  with  lassoes.  A  ride  of  fifteen  miles  among 
the   mountain  crags,  which  frown  in  stern  wildness 


THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  215 

over  the  tranquil  beauty  of  Monterey,  brought  us  to  a 
deserted  shanty,  in  the  midst  of  a  gloomy  forest  of 
cypress  and  oak.  In  a  break  of  this  swinging  gloom 
lay  a  natural  pasture,  isled  in  the  centre  by  a  copse 
of  willows  and  birch,  and  on  which  the  sunlight  fell. 
This,  it  was  decided,  should  be  the  arena  of  the  sport : 
a  wild  bullock  w'as  now  shot,  and  the  quarters,  after 
being  trailed  around  the  copse,  to  scent  the  bear, 
were  deposited  in  its  shade.  The  party  now  retired 
to  the  shanty,  where  our  henchman  tumbled  from  his 
panniers  several  rolls  of  bread,  a  boiled  ham,  and  a 
few  bottles  of  London  porter.  These  discussed,  and 
our  horses  tethered,  each  wrapped  himself  in  his 
blanket,  and  with  his  saddle  for  his  pillow,  rolled  down 
for  repose. 

At  about  twelve  o'clock  of  the  night  our  watch 
came  into  camp  and  informed  us  that  a  bear  had  just 
entered  the  copse.  In  an  instant  each  sprung  to  his 
feet  and  into  the  saddle.  It  was  a  still,  cloudless 
night,  and  the  moonlight  lay  in  sheets  on  rivulet, 
rock,  and  plain.  We  proceeded  with  a  cautious, 
noiseless  step,  through  the  moist  grass  of  the  pasture 
to  the  copse  in  its  centre,  where  each  one  took  his 
station,  forming  a  cordon  around  the  little  grove. 
The  horse  was  the  first  to  discover,  through  the  glim- 
mering  shade,  the  stealthful  inovements  of  his  antago- 
nist. His  ears  were  thrown  forward,  his  nostrils 
distended,  his  breathing  became  heavy  and  oppressed, 
and  his  large  eye  was  fixed  immovably  on  the  dim 
form  of  the  savage  animal.    Each  rider  now  uncoiled 


210  THREE    YEARS    I\    CALIFORNIA. 

his  lasso  from  its  loggerhead,  and  held  it  ready  to 
sj)ri!inr  fVom  his  hand,  like  a  hooped  serpent  from  the 
hrake.  The  bear  soon  discovered  the  trap  that  had 
been  laid  for  him ;  plunged  from  the  thicket,  broke 
through  the  cordon,  and  was  leaping,  with  giant 
bounds,  over  the  cleared  plot  for  the  dark  covert  of 
the  forest  beyond.  A  shout  arose — a  hot  pursuit  fol- 
lowed, and  lasso  after  lasso  fell  in  curving  lines 
around  the  bear,  till  at  last  one  looped  him  around 
the  neck  and  brought  him  to  a  momentary  stand. 

As  soon  as  bruin  felt  the  lasso,  he  growled  his  de- 
fiant thunder,  and  sprung  in  rage  at  the  horse.  Here 
came  in  the  sagacity  of  that  noble  animal.  He  knew, 
as  well  as  his  rider,  that  the  safety  of  both  depended 
on  his  keeping  the  lasso  taugl>t,  and  without  the  ad- 
monitions of  rein  or  spur,  bounded  this  way  and  that, 
to  the  front  or  rear,  to  accomplish  his  object,  never 
once  taking  his  eye  from  the  ferocious  foe,  and  ever 
in  an  attitude  to  foil  his  assaults.  The  bear,  in  des- 
peration, seized  the  lasso  in  his  griping  paws,  and 
hand  over  hand  drew  it  into  his  teeth  :  a  moment 
more  and  he  would  have  been  within  leaping  distance 
of  his  victim  ;  but  the  horse  sprung  at  the  instant, 
and,  with  a  sudden  whirl,  tripped  the  bear  and  extri- 
cated the  lasso.  At  this  crowning  feat  the  horse 
fairly  danced  with  delight.  A  shout  went  up  which 
seemed  to  shake  the  wild-wood  with  its  echoes.  The 
bear  plunged  again,  when  the  lasso  slipped  from  its 
loggerhead,  and  bruin  was  instantly  leaping  over  the 
field  to  reach  his  junde.     The  horse,  without  sour  c 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  217 

rein,  dashed  after  him.  While  his  rider,  throwing 
himself  over  his  side,  and  hanging  there  like  a  lamp- 
ereel  to  a  flying  stm'geon,  recovered  his  lasso,  bruin 
was  brought  up  again  all  standing,  more  frantic  and 
furious  than  before ;  while  the  horse  pranced  and 
curveted  around  him  like  a  savage  in  his  death-dance 
over  his  doomed  captive.  In  all  this  no  overpower- 
ing torture  was  inflicted  on  old  bruin,  unless  it  were 
through  his  own  rage, — which  sometimes  towers  so 
high  he  drops  dead  at  your  feet.  He  was  now  lassoed 
to  a  sturdy  oak,  and  wound  so  closely  to  its  body  by 
riata  over  riata,  as  to  leave  him  no  scope  for  break- 
ing or  grinding  off  his  clankless  chain  ;  though  his 
struffsles  wei'e  often  terrific  as  those  of  Laocoon,  in 
the  resistless  folds  of  the  serpent. 

This  accomplished,  the  company  retired  again  to 
the  shanty,  but  in  spirits  too  high  and  noisy  for  sleep. 
Day  glimmered,  and  four  of  the  baccaros  started  off 
for  a  wild  bull,  which  they  lassoed  out  of  a  roving 
herd,  and  in  a  few  hours  brought  into  camp,  as  full  of 
fury  as  the  bear.  Bruin  was  now  cautiously  un- 
wound, and  stood  front  to  front  with  his  horned  antag- 
onist. We  retreated  on  our  horses  to  the  rim  of  a 
large  circle,  leaving  the  arena  to  the  two  monarchs  of 
the  forest  and  field.  Conjectures  went  wildly  round 
on  the  issue,  and  the  excitement  became  momently 
more  intense.  They  stood  motionless,  as  if  lost  in 
wonder  and  indignant  astonishment  at  this  strange 
encounter.  Neither  turned  from  the  other  his  blaz- 
ing^  eyes  ;  while  menace  and  defiance  began  to  lower 

19 


218  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORMA. 

in  the  looks  of  each.  Gathering  their  full  strength, 
the  terrific  rush  was  made  :  the  bull  missed,  when  the 
bear,  with  one  enormous  bound,  dashed  his  teeth  into 
his  back  to  break  the  spine  ;  the  bull  fell,  but  whirled 
his  huge  horn  deep  into  the  side  of  his  antagonist. 
There  they  lay,  grappled  and  gored,  in  their  convul- 
sive struggles  and  death-throes.  We  spurred  up,  and 
with  our  rifles  and  pistols  closed  the  tragedy  ;  and  it 
was  time  :  this  last  scene  was  too  full  of  blind  rage 
and  madness  even  for  the  wild  sports  of  a  California 
bear-hunt. 

Tuesday,  Nov.  2.  Byron  says,  a  hog  in  a  high 
wind  is  a  poetical  object.  Had  he  lived  here,  he 
might  have  put  a  mischievous  boy  on  the  top  of  that 
grotesque  animal,  and  it  would  have  helped  out  the 
poetical  image  immensely.  The  boys  here  begin 
their  equestrianism  on  the  back  of  a  hog  or  bullock, 
and  end  it  on  the  saddle,  to  which  they  seem  to  grow, 
like  a  muscle  to  a  rock. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  3.  A  Russian,  who  carries  on 
a  farm  at  Santa  Cruz,  called  at  my  office  a  few  days 
since,  and  presented  me  with  a  cabbage-head.  I  was 
sure  from  this  garden  gift,  the  old  Cossack  had  some- 
thing in  tow  yet  out  of  sight ;  but  it  soon  came  in  the 
shape  of  a  request  that  1  would  summon  a  debtor  of 
his,  and  order  payment. 

The  creditor  of  the  Russian  proved  to  be  a  young 
Frenchman,  who  had  run  away  Avith  the  old  man's 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  219 

daughter,  married  her,  and  then  quartered  himself 
and  wife  on  her  father.  I  told  the  Frenchman  he 
must  pay  board,  or  run  away  again  with  his  wife  ; 
but  if  he  came  back  he  must  satisfy  arrears  :  so  he 
concluded  to  run.  This  running  before  the  honey- 
moon is  pleasant  enough ;  but  running  after  that 
sweet  orb  has  waned,  is  rather  a  dismal  business. 

Col.  Burton,  with  his  command,  is  in  Lower  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  has  maintained  the  flag  against  des- 
perate odds.  His  officers  and  men  have  acquitted 
themselves  with  honor.  The  powder  and  ball  of  the 
enemy  were  stnuggled  in  by  an  American — a  wretch 
who  ought  to  be  shot  himself. 

Monday,  Nov.  8.  After  being  six  months  without 
rain,  the  first  shower  of  the  season  fell  this  evening. 
Its  approach  had  been  announced  for  several  days  by 
a  dim  atmosphere,  which  was  filled  with  a  soft,  thick 
vapor,  that  swung  about,  like  a  limitless  cloud. 
The  rain  itself  was  warm,  and  sunk  into  the  earth, 
like  flattery  into  the  heart  of  a  fool. 


220 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A    CALIFOUNIAN  JEALOUS  OF  HIS  WIFE. HOSPITALITY    OF    THE    NATIVES. 

HONOKS   TO    GUADALUPE. — APPLICATION     FROM    A   LOTHARIO    FOR    A    DI- 
VORCE.  CAPTURE      OF    MAZATLAN. LARCENV     OF    CANTON    SHAWLS. 

AN     emigrant's    WIFE     CLAIMING    TO    HAVE   TAKEN     THE     COUNTRY. A 

WILD  BULLOCK  IN  MAIN-STREET. 

Saturday,  Nov.  20.  I  was  tumbled  out  of  my 
dreams  last  night  by  a  succession  of  rapid  and  heavy 
knocks  at  my  office  door.  Unbarring  it,  I  found 
Giuseppe,  a  townsman,  who  stated,  under  an  excite- 
ment that  almost  choked  his  voice,  that  he  had  just 
returned  from  the  Salinas ;  that  on  entering  his 
house  he  had  discovered,  through  the  window  in  the 
door  leading  to  his  bedroom,  by  the  clear  light  of  the 
moon,  which  shone  into  the  apartment,  a  man  re- 
posing on  his  pillow  by  the  side  of  his  faithless  spouse, 
and  desired  me  to  come  and  arrest  him.  I  had 
understood  that  the  sposa  had  not  the  reputation  of 
the  "  icicle  that  hung  on  Dian's  temple,"  and  had  no 
great  confidence  in  Giuseppe's  domestic  virtues 
either ;  but  that  was  no  valid  reason  why  he  should 
be  so  unceremoniously  ousted  of  his  domestic  claims. 
I  therefore  ordered  the  constable,  whom  this  mid- 
night noise  had  now  awoke,  to  go  with  him  and  bring 
the  culprit  before  me. 

Oir  they  started,  well  armed  with  batons  and  re- 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  221 

volvers.  On  reaching  the  premises  the  house  was 
carefully  reconnoitred,  and  every  egress  from  the  build- 
ing securely  bolted.  They  were  now  inside,  and  had 
conducted  their  operations  so  silently  they  were  un- 
suspected. The  door  leading  to  the  bedroom  was  at 
the  other  end  of  the  hall ;  they  crept  over  the  floor 
with  steps  so  low  and  soft,  each  heard  his  heart  beat, 
and  the  clock  seemed  to  strike  instead  of  ticking  its 
seconds.     Giuseppe's  thoughts  ran — 

"  I'll  see  before  I  doubt ;  when  I  doubt,  prove  ; 
And,  on  the  proof,  there  is  no  more  but  this." 

Through  the  panes  of  glass  which  relieved  the 
panels  of  the  door,  they  saw  in  the  faint  moonlight, 
which  fell  through  the  opposite  window,  the  dark  locks 
of  the  guilty  intruder  flowing  over  the  husband's  pil- 
low. "  I  have  a  mind,"  whispered  Giuseppe,  "  to  rush 
in  and  plunge  my  knife  at  once  to  his  cursed  heart." 
"  No,  no ;"  returned  my  faithful  constable,  "  we  are 
here  to  execute  the  orders  of  the  alcalde,  and  if  you 
.  are  going  to  take  the  law  into  your  own  hands  I  will 
leave  you.  Hush  !  hark !  he  stirs !  No ;  it  was  the 
shadow  of  the  tree  that  frecks  the  moonlight."  All 
was  still  and  waveless  again.  The  door  was  on  the 
jar,  and  drawing  one  good  long  relieving  breath,  in 

they  rushed,  and  seized what  ?     A  muff"!     The 

husband  could  not  believe  his  own  eyes,  and  mussed 
the  muff"  up,  jerking  it  this  way  and  that,  as  if  to 
ascertain  if  there  was  not  a  man  inside  of  it.  "  You 
return  late,  Giuseppe,"  murmured  his  wife,  scarce  yet 
19* 


2-3'2  TIIKEC  YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

awake.  "Oh,  yes,  yes,  my  dear,  late,  late,"  stammered 
the  husband.  "  You  have  a  friend  with  you,"  con- 
tinued the  unsuspecting  s])osa.  "  Yes,  my  darling ;  a 
friend  from  the  Salinas,  whom  I  have  invited  to  take 
a  night's  lodging,"  replied  Giuseppe.  "  Well,  you 
will  find  a  bed  for  him  in  the  opposite  room,  and  a 
candle  and  matches  on  the  table,"  rejoined  the  sposa. 
So  the  twain  went  out,  and  having  disturbed  the  bed 
assigned  the  friend  sufficiently  to  give  it  the  appear- 
ance of  having  been  slept  in,  my  constable  slipped 
out  and  came  home,  denouncing  all  jealous  husbands 
and  ladies'  muffs.  This  fluster  cost  me  two  hours' 
sleep,  and  Giuseppe  a  fee  of  three  dollars  to  the  con- 
stable. He  would  have  paid  forty  times  that  sum  to 
get  free  of  the  joke.  Nothing  so  completely  con- 
founds a  Californian  as  to  find  himself  the  dupe  of  his 
suspicions.  It  is  more  vexatious  than  the  wrong 
which  his  mistaken  ansrer  soujrht  to  avenge.  Mu- 
tual  confidence  is  the  basis  of  all  domestic  endear- 
ment, and  the  cause  which  is  allowed  to  disturb  it, 
should  be  as  weighty  as  the  happiness  it  wrecks.  So 
reads  my  homily. 

Tuesday,  Dec.  7.  There  are  no  people  that  I  have 
ever  been  among  who  enjoy  life  so  thoroughly  as  the 
Californians.  Their  habits  are  simple ;  their  wants 
few ;  nature  rolls  almost  every  thing  spontaneously 
into  their  lap.  Their  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep  roam 
at  large— ^not  a  blade  of  grass  is  cut,  and  none  is  rCv 
quired.     The  harvest  weaves  wherever  the  plough  and 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  223 

harrow  have  been ;  and  the  grain  which  the  wind 
scatters  this  year,  serves  as  seed  for  the  next.  The 
slight  labor  required  is  more  a  diversion  than  a  toil ; 
and  even  this  is  shared  by  the  Indian.  They  attach 
no  value  to  money,  except  as  it  administers  to  their 
pleasures.  A  fortune,  without  the  facilities  of  enjoy- 
ing it,  is  with  them  no  object  of  emulation  or  envy. 
Their  happiness  flows  from  a  fount  that  has  very  httle 
connection  with  their  outward  circumstances. 

There  is  hardly  a  shanty  among  them  which  does 
not  contain  more  true  contentment,  more  genuine  glad- 
ness of  the  heart,  than  you  will  meet  with  in  the  most 
princely  palace. '  Their  hospitality  knows  no  bounds  ; 
they  are  always  glad  to  see  you,  come  when  you 
may  ;  take  a  pleasure  in  entertaining  you  while  you 
remain  ;  and  only  regret  that  your  business  calls  you 
away.  If  you  are  sick,  there  is  nothing  which  sym- 
pathy and  care  can  devise  or  perform  which  is  not 
done  for  you.  No  sister  ever  hung  over  the  throb- 
bing brain  or  fluttering  pulse  of  a  brother  with  more 
tenderness  and  fidelity.  This  is  as  true  of  the  lady 
whose  hand  has  only  figured  her  embroidery  or  swept 
her  guitar,  as  of  the  cottage-girl  wringing  from  her 
laundry  the  foam  of  the  mountain  stream  ;  and  all 
this  from  the  heart !  If  I  must  be  cast  in  sickness  or 
destitution  on  the  care  of  the  stranger,  let  it  be  in 
California ;  but  let  it  be  before  American  avarice  has 
hardened  the  heart  and  made  a  god  of  gold. 

Monday,  Dec.  13.     A  Californian,  who  had  been 


221  TIIREi;   VUAIlri   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

absent  some  two  years  in  Mexico,  where  he  had  led 
a  gav  irregular  life,  finding  or  fancying  on  his  return 
grounds  for  suspecting  the  regularityof  his  wife,  applied 
to  me  for  a  decree  of  divorce,  a  vinculo  matrvnonii.  I 
told  him  that  it  was  necessary,  that  on  so  grave  a  sub- 
ject, he  should  come  into  court  with  clean  hands  ; 
that  if  he  would  swear  on  the  Cross,  at  the  peril  of 
his  soul,  that  he  had  been  faithful  himself  during  his 
long  absence,  I  would  then  see  what  could  be  done 
with  his  wife.  V  He  wanted  to  know  if  that  was  Uni- 
ted States  law ;  I  told  him  it  was  the  law  by  which  I 
was  governed — thejaw  of  the  Bible — and  a  good  law, 
too — let  him  that  is  without  sin  cast  the  first  stone.  K 
"  Then  I  cannot  cast  any  stone  at  all,  sir,"  was  the 
candid  reply.  "  Then  go  and  live  with  your  wife  ; 
she  is  as  good  as  you  are,  and  you  cannot  require  her 
to  be  any  better."  He  took  my  advice,  is  now  living 
with  his  wife,  and  difficulties  seem  to  have  ceased. 
Nothing  disarms  a  man  like  the  conscious  guilt  of  the 
offence  for  which  he  would  arraign  another. 

Tuesday,  Dec.  21.  The  old  church  bell  has  been 
ringing  out  all  the  morning  in  honor  of  Guadalupe, 
the  patron  saint  of  California.  Her  festivities  com- 
menced last  evening  in  illuminated  windows,  bon- 
fires, the  flight  of  rockets,  and  the  loud  mirth  of 
children.  I  wonder  if  Guadalupe  knows  or  cares 
much  about  these  exhibitions  of  devotional  glee.  Can 
the  shout  of  boyhood  around  the  crackling  bonfire 
reach  to  her  celestial   pavillion  ?  can  the  flambeau 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  225 

throw  its  tremulous  ray  so  far  ?  will  she  bend  her 
ear  from  the  golden  lyres  of  heaven  to  catch  the 
sound  of  a  torpedo  vibrating  up  over  the  cloud- 
cataracts  which  thunder  between  ?  If  Guadalupe  be 
in  heaven,  where  I  hope  she  is,  she  has  done  with 
the  crackers  and  bonfires  of  earth,  and  heeds  them  as 
little  as  the  glow-worm  that  glimmers  on  her  grave. 
But  let  the  old  bell  peaj  on ;  it  matters  but  little 
whether  it  be  for  this  saint  or  that ;  it  is  only  a 
metallic  hosanna  to  either.  There  is  more  true 
homage  in  one  silent  prayer,  breathed  from  the 
depths  of  a  meek  confiding  heart,  than  in  all  the  peals 
ever  rung  from  cathedral  towers.  The  only  worship 
which  approaches  that  of  a  resigned  heart  is  the  hymn 
of  the  forest,  as  its  leaves  in  the  fading  twilight 
softly  tremble  to  rest.  He  who  can  listen  unmoved 
to  these  vesper  melodies,  can  have  no  sensibility  in 
his  soul,  and  no  God  in  his  creed.  When  this  fevered 
being  shall  sink  to  rest,  let  me  be  laid  beneath  some 
green  tree,  whose  vernal  leaves  shall  whisper  their 
music  over  my  sleep.  And  yet  it  would  be  lonely 
were  there  none  beloved  in  life  to  linger  there  in 
death. 

When  the  bright  sun  upon  that  spot  is  shining 

With  purest  ray, 
And  the  small  shrubs  their  buds  and  blossoms  twining, 

Burst  through  that  clay, 
Will  there  be  one  still  on  that  spot  refining 

Lost  hopes  away  ? 

Wednesday,  Dec.  22.      We  are  now  carrying  the 


\S 


226         THREE  YEARS  I\  CALIFORNIA. 

\var  into  the  enemy's  camp  ;  the  Pacific  squadron, 
under  the  broad  pennant  of  Com.  Shubrick,  is  in 
front  of  Mazatlan.  That  important  position  was  cap- 
tured on  the  twelfth  ult.,  and  is  now  garrisoned  by 
three  hundred  and  fifty  seamen  and  marines.  Capt. 
Lavelette,  well  qualified  by  his  intelligence,  urbanity, 
and  moral  firmness  for  the  post,  is  governor  of  the 
town.  The  country  around,  and  all  the  great  ave- 
nues leading  through  it,  are  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  who  can,  at  any  moment,  bring  two  thousand 
horsemen  into  the  field.  They  only  want  a  leader  of 
sufficient  resolution,  and  they  might  force  our  garrison 
upon  the  last  resource  of  their  courage  and  strength. 
But  Gen.  Telles  is  weak  and  vacillating,  and  has 
not  the  confidence  even  of  the  troops  which  he  com- 
mands ;  while  many  of  the  citizens,  who  have  pro- 
perty at  issue,  prefer  the  protection  extended  to  them 
under  the  flag,  to  the  anarchy  and  confusion  into 
which  they  might  be  thrown  by  the  success  of  their 
own  arms.  It  was  a  bold  and  decisive  movement  on 
the  part  of  our  commodore,  and  executed  with  a 
vigor  that  has  impressed  itself  on  the  apprehensions 
of  Mexico.  Our  flag  now  waves  from  ocean  to  ocean, 
through  the  plains  and  mountain  fastnesses  of  that 
^  dismayed  country. 
NX." 

Friday,  Jan.  7.  The  captain  of  a  merchant  ship 
complained  to  me  this  mornino:,  that  one  of  his  crew 
had  taken  a  package  of  rich  Canton  shawls  on  shore, 
and  clandestinely  disposed  of  them.      I  had  the  sailor 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  227 

before  me,  and  wormed  out  of  him  the  name  of  every 
person,  as  he  alleged,  with  whom  he  had  communi- 
cated ;  but  he  omitted  the  name  of  one  suspicious 
character.  I  took  the  constable,  and  went  imme- 
diately to  her  house,  and  demanded  the  shawls  :  she 
seemed  shocked,  and  denied  all  knowledge  of  them. 
Her  manner  half  staggered  me ;  but  I  told  the  con- 
stable to  take  her  to  prison,  not  intending,  however, 
to  put  her  in  without  some  evidence  of  her  guilt ; 
but  she  had  not  gone  many  steps  from  her  door  be- 
fore her  resolution,  which  had  been  as  firm  as  ada- 
mant, broke  down,  and  she  told  where  the  shawls 
might  be  found.  They  were  secreted  in  the  mattress 
of  her  bed  ;  and  the  whole  fifteen  were  recovered. 
Had  the  sailor  mentioned  her  name  among  the  rest, 
I  should  have  been  extremely  puzzled.  A  seeming 
frankness  is  often  the  deepest  disguise. 

Saturday,  Jan.  8.  An  assistant  alcalde,  residing 
at  San  Juan,  in  reporting  a  case  that  came  before 
him,  states  that  one  of  the  witnesses,  not  having  a 
good  reputation  for  veracity,  he  thought  it  best  to 
swear  him  pretty  strongly ;  so  he  swore  him  on  the 
Bible,  on  the  cross,  by  the  holy  angels,  by  the  blessed 
Virgin,  and  on  the  twelve  Evangelists.  I  have 
written  him  for  some  information  about  eight  of  his 
evangelists,  as  I  have  no  recollection  of  having  met 
with  but  four  in  my  biblical  readings. 

Monday,  Jan.  10.      A  woman,  from  our  western 


228  THREE  YEARS  1\  CALIFORNIA. 

border,  ^vho  had  drifted  into  California  over  the 
mountains,  and  looking  as  if  she  had  well  survived 
the  hardships  of  the  way,  walked  into  my  office  this 
morning,  and  rather  denian^ed,  than  invoked,  a  de- 
cree, that  her  husband  might  cutjimber  on  the  lands 

of  Senor  M .  I  asked  her  if  her  husband  had  rented 

the  land.  "No."  If  he  had  any  contract  or  agreement 
with  the  owner.  "  No."  "  Why  then,  my  woman,  do 
you  claim  the  right  of  cutting  the  timber  ?"  "  Right, 
sir!"  she  exclaimed  ;  "  why,  have  jve  nojJLaJven  the 
country  ?"  I  told  her  it  was  true,  we  had  taken  the 
country ;  but  we  had  not  taken  the  private  land  titles 
with  it :  she  seemed  to  think  that  was  a  distinction 
without  a  difference.  This  anecdote  will  furnish  a 
clue  to  the  spirit  with  which  the  patient  Californians 
have  had  to  contend. 

Tuesday,  Jan.  18.  Main-street  was  thrown  into 
confusion  this  morning  by  a  wild  bullock,  who  had 
broken  the  lasso  of  his  keeper.  He  plunged  down  the 
peopled  avenue  in  foaming  fury,  clothed  with  all  the 
terrors  of  the  Apocalyptic  beast :  men,  women,  and 
children  fled  in  every  direction.  I  was  standing  at 
the  moment  in  the  portico  of  our  Navy  Agent,  and 
before  I  could  clear  it,  he  swept  through  a  corner, 
dashing  to  the  earth  a  huge  stanchion.  His  next  ren- 
counter was  with  the  high  paling  which  protected  a 
shade-tree,  and  which  he  carried  off"  as  Samson  the 
gates  of  Gaza.  Something  attracted  his  flashing 
eyes  to  the  door  of  a  small  dwelling ;  in  an  instant  it 


THREE  YEAES  IN  CALIFORNIA.  229 

flew  into  fragments  before  his  impetuous  strength  ; 
fortunately  it  contained  no  tenant  except* the  wild 
monster  himself,  who  soon  issued  from  the  door,  and 
seemed  for  a  moment  lost  in  his  phrensy.  A  caballero, 
mounted  on  a  spirited  horse,  and  with  his  lasso  whirl- 
ing high  in  air,  now  rushed  up ;  I  erspected  for  a 
moment  to  see  a  desperate  plunge  from  the  beast  at 
the  courser's  side,  but  the  rider  and  his  steed  under- 
stood their  occupation  too  well ;  the  lasso  fell  over 
his  horn,  and  in  an  instant  he  was  tumbling  in  the 
sand.  He  recovered  himself,  but  it  was  only  to  be 
thrown  again,  till  a  second  lasso  secured  his  flying 
heels,  and  the  knife  of  the  Indian  finished  the  rest. 
A  wave  of  lava  let  loose  from  its  crater,  an  avalanch 
that  has  slipped  from  its  Alpine  steep,  and  a  wild  bull 
that  has  broken  his  lasso,  are  among  the  most  terrific 
objects  that  dash  on  human  vision. 
20 


v^^ 


230 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

E.UXS    IN    CALIFORNIA. — FUXCTIONS    OF  THE  ALCALDE    OF   MONTEEET. OR- 
PHANS IN  CALIFORNIA. SLIP  OF  THE  GALLOWS  ROPE. — M.\KING  A  FATHER 

WHIP    HIS  BOY. — A  CONVICT    AS    PRISON    COOK. THE    KANACKA. THOM. 

COLE. — A  MAN  ROBBING  HIMSELF. — A  BLACKSMITH  OUTWITTED. 

Mo\D.\Y,  Feb.  7.  The  rains  in  California  are  mostly 
confined  to  the  three  winter  months — a  few  showers 
may  come  before,  or  a  few  occur  after,  but  the  body 
of  the  rain  falls  within  that  period.  The  rain  is  re- 
lieved of  nearly  all  the  chilling  discomforts  of  a 
winter's  storm  in  other  climes  ;  it  falls  only  when  the 
wind  is  from  a  southern  quarter,  and  is  consequently 
warm  and  refreshing.  It  is  by  no  means  continu- 
ous ;  it  pays  its  visits  like  a  judicious  lover — with 
intervals  sufficient  to  keep  up  the  affection  ;  and  like 
the  suitor,  brings  with  it  flowers,  and  leads  the  fair 
one  by  the  side  of  streamlets  never  wrinkled  with 
frost,  and  into  groves  where  the  leaf  never  withers, 
and  where  the  songs  of  birds  ever  fill  the  warbling  air. 

Thursd.w,  Feb.  10.  By  the  laws  and  usages  of  the 
country,  the  judicial  functions  of  the  Alcalde  of  Mon- 
terey extend  to  all  cases,  civil  and  criminal,  arising 
within  the  middle  department  of  California.  He  is 
also  the  guardian  of  the  public  peace,  and  is  charged 
with  the  maintenance  of  law  and  order,  whenever 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  231 

\  and  wherever  threatened,  or  violated ;  he  must  arrest, 
fin^  imprison,  or  sentence  to  the  public  works,  the  law- 

l  less  and  refractory,  and  he  must  enforce,  through  his 
executive  powers,  the  decisions  and  sentences  which 
he  has  pronounced  in  his  judicial  capacity.     His  pre- 

\  rogatives  and  official  duties  extend  over  all  the  multi- 
plied interests  and  concerns  of  his  department,  and 

.    reach  to  every  grievance  and  crime,  from  the  jar  that 

j  trembles  around  the  domestic  hearth,  to  the  guilt 
which  throws  its  gloom  on  the  gallows  and  the  grave. 

Thursday,  Feb.  17.  There  is  no  need  of  an  Or-  - 
phan  Asylum  in  California.  The  amiable  and  benev-  /^ 
olent  spirit  of  the  people  hovers  like  a  shield  over 
the  helpless.  The  question  is  not,  who  shall  be  bur- 
dened with  the  care  of  an  orphan,  but  who  shall 
have  the  privilege  of  rearing  it.  Nor  do  numbers  or 
circumstances  seem  to  shake  this  spirit ;  it  is  trium- 
phant over  both.  A  plain,  industrious  man,  of  rather 
limited  means,  applied  to  me  to-day  for  the  care  of 
six  orphan  children.  I  asked  him  how  many  he  had 
of  his  own ;  he  said  fourteen  as  yet.  "  Well,  my  friend," 
I  observed,  "  are  not  fourteen  enough  for  one  table, 
and  especially  with  the  prospect  of  more  ?"  "  Ah,"  said 
the  Californian,  "  the  hen  that  has  twenty  chickens 
scratches  no  harder  than  the  hen  that  has  one."  So 
I  told  him  I  would  inquire  into  the  present  condition 
of  the  children,  and  then  decide  on  his  application. 
His  claim  lay  in  the  fact  that  his  wife  was  the  god- 
mother of  the  orphans. 


232  THREE  YEARS  I\  CALIFORNIA. 

Wednesday,  Feb.  23.  One  of  my  Indian  prisoners, 
sentenced  to  the  works  for  theft,  managed  this  morn- 
in<T  to  effect  his  escape,  but  was  overtaken  by  the 
constable  on  the  Salinas,  and  brought  back.  When 
asked  by  me  what  he  ran  for,  he  said  the  devil  put  it 
into  his  head.  I  asked  him  if  he  thought  a  ball  and 
chain  would  keep  the  evil  one  off;  he  said  it  might, 
but  then  if  he  once  got  at  him,  he  should  stand  no 
chance  with  one  of  his  legs  chained.  I  told  him  I 
should  let  his  leg  go  for  the  present,  but  if  he  at- 
tempted to  run  again,  I  should  chain  both  of  them.  ■* 
"  And  my  hands  too,"  said  the  Indian,  to  assure  me 
of  his  good  conduct. 

Friday,  March  3.  There  is  an  old  Mexican  law, 
or  usage,  here,  which  has  sometimes  exempted  from 
death  the  murderer  who  has  reached  the  sanctuary 
of  the  church,  or  been  favored  with  some  accident,  in 
the  execution  of  the  extreme  sentence.  Two  des- 
peradoes, of  Mexican  and  Indian  blood,  were  brought 
before  me,  charged  with  a  wilful,  deliberate  murder. 
A  jury  of  twelve  citizens,  the  largest  scope  of  chal- 
lenge having  been  allowed,  was  empanneled.  The 
prisoners  were  convicted  and  sentenced  to  be  hung. 
But  by  some  strange  accident,  or  design,  both  knots 
slipped,  and  down  they  came,  half  imagining  them- 
selves still  swinging  in  the  air.  The  priest  who 
confessed  them,  and  who  was  present  among  the 
great  crowd,  immediately  declared  the  penalty  paid 
and  the  criminals  absolved,  and  started  post-haste  to 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  233 

Gen.  Mason  for  his  mandate  to  that  effect.  The 
general  told  him  the  prisoners  were  sentenced  to  be 
hung  by  the  neck  till  dead,  and  when  this  sentence 
had  been  executed,  the  knot-slipping  business  might 
perhaps  be  considered.  This  may  seem  to  have 
been  dictated  by  a  want  of  humanity,  but  had  the 
accident  or  stratagem  in  question  rescued  the  crimi- 
nals, not  a  noose  in  California  would  have  held. 
The  murderers  were  executed,  and  the  crime  for 
which  they  suffered  vanished  from  the  future  records 
of  the  court. 

Wednesday,  March  15.  A  lad  of  fourteen  years 
was  brought  before  me  to-day  charged  with  stealing 
a  horse.  The  evidence  of  the  larceny  was  conclu- 
sive ;  but  what  punishment  to  inflict  was  the  ques- 
tion. We  have  no  house  of  correction,  and  to  sen- 
tence him  to  the  ball  and  chain  on  the  public  works, 
among  hardened  culprits,  was  to  cut  off  all  hope  of 
amendment,  and  inflict  an  indelible  stigma  on  the 
youth  ;  so  I  sent  for  his  father,  who  had  no  good  repu- 
tation himself,  and  placing  a  riata  in  his  hand,  direct- 
ed him  to  inflict  twenty-four  lashes  on  his  thieving 
boy.  He  proceeded  as  far  as  twelve,  when  I  stopped 
him ;  they  were  enough.-  They  seemed  inflicted  by 
one  attempting  to  atone  in  this  form  for  his  own 
transgressions.  "  Inflict  the  rest,  Soto,  on  your  own 
evil  example ;  if  you  had  been  upright  yourself,  you 
might  expect  truth  and  honesty  in  your  boy ;  you 
are  more  responsible  than  this  lad   for  his  crimes ; 

20* 


234  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

you  can  never  chastise  him  into  the  right  path,  and 
continue  yourself  to  travel  in  the  wrong."  With 
these  remarks  I  dismissed  the  parties. 

Saturday,  March  18.  Horse-stealing  has  given 
me  more  trouble  than  any  other  species  of  offence  in 
California.  It  has  grown  out  of  a  loose  habit  of 
using  the  horses  of  other  people  without  their  con- 
sent, at  a  time  when  they  were  of  very  little  account ; 
and  what  was  once  a  venial  trespass  has  become  a 
crime.  It  is  very  difficult  to  arrest  it ;  much  must 
be  left  to  time,  the  higher  influences  of  moral 
sentiments,  and  the  administration  of  more  specific 
laws.  Nor  are  the  Americans  here  a  whit  better 
than  the  natives ;  they  have  a  facility  of  conscience 
which  easily  suits  itself  to  any  prevailing  vice. 
Many  of  them  appear  to  have  left  their  good  prin- 
ciples on  the  other  side  of  Cape  Horn,  or  over  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  They  slide  into  gambling,  drink- 
ing, and  cheating,  as  easily  as  a  frog  into  its  native 
pond.  They  seem  only  the  worse  for  the  restraints, 
which  law  at  home  partially  exerted.  They  are  like 
a  froward  urchin  who  retaliates  the  wholesome  visits 
of  the  birch  by  some  act  of  fresh  audacity  the  mo- 
ment he  is  beyond  its  reach.  But  they  will  find  a 
little  law  even  in  California,  and  this  little  enforced 
with  some  steadiness  of  purpose.  It  is  not  the  law 
which  threatens  loudest  that  always  exerts  the  great- 
est restraint.  Thunder,  with  all  its  uproar,  don't 
strike  ;  it  is  the  lightning  that  cleaves  the  gnarled  oak. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  235 

Thursday,  March  23.  A  clergyman,  who  had 
just  arrived  in  Cahfornia,  called  on  me  to-day,  with 
letters  of  introduction  from  several  of  the  first  rectors 
in  New  York.  They  spoke  of  him  in  high  terms  of 
commendation,  and  invited  that  confidence  and  re- 
gard which  might  secure  him  success  in  his  foreign 
adventure  ;  while  they  knew  him  to  be  a  loquacious 
shallow  booby.  They  had  probably  been  so  much 
annoyed  by  him  in  one  shape  and  another,  that  they 
had  taken  this  method  of  getting  rid  of  him,  thinking 
that  the  afflictions  of  Providence,  like  his  blessings, 
should  be  more  equally  distributed. 

Saturday,  March  25.  To-day  I  remitted  the  sen- 
tence of  my  prison  cook.  He  is  a  Mulatto,  a  native 
of  San  Domingo  ;  had  drifted  into  California ;  was 
attached,  in  a  subordinate  capacity,  to  Col.  Fre- 
mont's battalion  ;  and  while  the  troops  were  quar- 
tered in  town,  had  robbed  the  drawer  of  a  liquor 
shop  of  two  hundred  dollars.  For  this  offence,  I  had 
sentenced  him  to  two  years  on  the  public  works. 
Discovering  early  some  reliable  traits  about  the  fel- 
low, I  began  to  confide  in  him,  soon  made  him  cook 
to  the  rest  of  the  prisoners,  and  allowed  him  the  pri- 
vileges of  the  town,  so  far  as  his  duties  in  that  capa- 
city required.  He  has  never  betrayed  my  trust,  and 
has  always  been  the  first  to  communicate  to  me  any 
stratagem  on  the  part  of  the  prisoners  to  effect  their 
escape.  I  have  trusted  him  with  money  to  purchase 
provisions,  and  he  has  faithfully  accounted  for  every 


230  THREE  YEARS  I\   CALIFORMA, 

shillintj.  He  has  always  been  kind  and  attentive  to 
the  sick.  For  these  faithful  services,  I  have  remitted 
the  remainder  of  his  sentence,  which  would  have  con- 
fined him  nine  months  longer,  and  have  put  him  on 
a  pay  of  thirty  dollars  per  month  as  cook.  There  is 
a  string  in  every  man's  breast,  which,  if  you  can 
rightly  touch,  will  ''  discourse  music."' 

Thursday,  April  6.  I  met  a  little  California  boy 
to-day  in  tattered  garments,  and  without  hat  or  shoes. 
He  had  a  small  fish  in  his  hand,  which  he  had  just 
hooked  up  from  the  end  of  the  wharf.  I  offered  him 
half  a  dollar  for  it ;  he  said  no,  he  wanted  it  him- 
self I  offered  him  a  dollar  ;  he  still  said  no,  he  was 
going  to  make  a  dinner  on  it.  The  result  would  pro- 
bably have  been  the  same  had  I  offered  him  five 
dollars.  No  one  here  is  going  to  catch  fish  for  you 
or  any  one  else  while  he  wants  them  himself 

Saturday,  April  15.  I  made  another  pounce  this 
evening  on  the  gamblers,  and  captured  their  bank  ; 
but  most  of  the  players  had  slipped  their  money  into 
their  pockets  before  I  could  reach  the  table.  No  one 
rescued  a  dollar  after  my  cane,  with  its  alcalde  in- 
signia, had  been  laid  on  the  boards.  The  authority 
of  that  baton  they  always  respect.  How  comfortable 
it  is  for  one  to  carry  his  moral  powder  on  the  top  of 
his  cane.  It  almost  justifies  the  Roman  Catholic 
exegesis — and  Jacob  worshipped  the  top  of  his  staff. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  237 

Monday,  April  17.  I  had  sent  one  of  my  con- 
stables to  the  SaHnas  river,  and  the  other  to  San 
Juan,  and  retired  to  rest ;  but  about  midnight  was 
startled  from  my  dreams,  by  a  loud  rap  at  my  office 
door.  Throwing  my  cloak  around  me,  I  unbolted 
the  portal,  and  there  stood,  in  the  clear  moonlight,  a 
tall  Kanacka,  who  reverently  lifted  his  hat,  and  ob- 
served, "  The  town,  sir,  is  perfectly  quiet."  I  thanked 
him  for  the  information,  and  closed  the  door.  The 
fellow  had  been  drinking,  and  in  the  importance 
which  liquor  sometimes  imparts,  had  imagined  him- 
self at  the  head  of  the  police. 

Thursday,  April  27.  Thorn.  Cole,  whose  moral 
vision  could  never  yet  discover  any  difference  between 
possession  and  ownership,  where  a  horse  was  concerned, 
was  brought  before  me  this  morning,  mounted  on  a  fleet 
steed  belonging  to  a  citizen  of  the  town.  He  had  re- 
moved  the  brand  of  the  rightful  owner  and  substituted 
his  own ;  but  the  disguise  was  easily  penetrated,  and 
the  horse  identified.  Thom.  averred  the  horse  was 
found  on  his  rancho;  but  he  was  ordered  to  deliver  him 
to  his  proper  owner,  who  stood  by  to  receive  him.  At 
this  moment  Thom.  sprung  into  his  saddle  and  was  off, 
horse  and  all,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  I  applied 
to  Gen.  Mason  for  a  file  of  soldiers ;  they  were 
promptly  ordered,  and  stationed  on  the  three  streets, 
through  one  of  which  Thom.  must  make  his  egress 
from  town.  He  soon  came  sweeping  on  at  the  top 
of  his  speed,  when  he  suddenly  found  three  muskets 


238  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

levelled  at  him,  with  an  order  to  dismount.  There 
was  no  discharge  in  that  war,  and  down  he  jumped,  and 
was  soon  delivered  over  to  me.  How  changed  !  a 
moment  before  setting  the  whole  world  at  defiance ; 
and  now  praying  to  be  saved  from  the  fleas  of  the 
prison.  As  the  flea  could  only  punish  him  without 
benefiting  the  town,  I  determined  to  reach  him 
through  another  channel,  by  which  both  purposes 
should  be  answered ;  and  fined  him  fifty  dollars  for 
contempt  of  court.  So  Thom.  lost  his  horse  and  fifty 
dollars,  and  got  a  lesson  of  humiliation  which  quelled 
his  spirit  like  a  wet  blanket  thrown  on  a  flaxen  flame. 

Tuesday,  May  2.  I  was  roused  from  my  sleep 
last  night  by  a  loud,  hurried  knocking  at  my  door, 
and  a  voice  exclaiming,  "  Alcalde,  alcalde !"  On 
reaching  the  door  I  found  there  a  young  Mexican, 
the  clerk  of  a  store  near  by,  without  hat  or  shoes,  and 
only  a  blanket  wrapped  around  him.  He  told  me  the 
volunteers  had  broken  into  his  store,  and  were  rob- 
bing the  money-chest.  By  this  time  my  constable 
was  up,  and,  throwing  on  our  clothes,  we  hastened 
with  the  clerk  to  his  store ;  but  not  a  human  being 
was  to  be  seen.  He  showed  us  the  bolt  that  had  been 
forced,  the  chest  that  had  been  broken,  the  pistol  that 
he  had  snapped,  and  the  wound  that  he  had  received 
on  the  head.  I  sent  the  constable  to  the  captain  of 
the  volunteers,  who  immediately  searched  his  quar- 
ters, where  he  found  every  man  in  his  berth,  except 
those  on  guard.     With  these  unsatisfactory  results  I 


THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  239 

returned  to  my  office  and  bed,  and  directed  the  con- 
stable to  keep  an  eye  on  the  clerk. 

Wednesday,  May  3.  This  morning  I  examined 
into  all  the  circumstances  connected  with  the  rob- 
bery. The  wound  of  the  clerk,  which  he  says  he  re- 
ceived from  a  cudgel,  is  a  slight  cut,  apparently  made 
by  some  sharp  instrument.  The  chisel,  with  which 
the  chest  was  forced,  corresponds  in  width  to  one  for 
sale  on  the  shelf  Of  the  thousand  dollars  locked  up 
in  the  chest  and  drawers,  not  one,  it  seems,  escaped  ; 
not  a  quarter  or  fip  fell  to  the  floor ;  all  went  into  the 
sack  of  the  robbers,  though  they  worked  in  the  dark. 
And  then,  as  he  alleges,  the  robbers  were  volunteers 
without  their  uniform,  and  with  their  faces  blacked. 
If  so  thoroughly  disguised,  how  could  he  know  they 
were  volunteers  ?  From  these  circumstances  I  have 
no  doubt  the  rogue  robbed  himself,  and  raised  the 
hue  and  cry  to  cover  the  transaction.  But  we  shall 
see;  the  thing  will  out  yet. 

Sunday,  May  9.  This  is  my  birth-day.  I  am  on 
the  shaded  side  of  that  hill  which  swells  midway  be- 
tween the  extremities  of  life.  The  past  seems  but  a 
dream,  and  the  future  will  soon  be  so.  To  what  has 
been  and  to  what  may  be,  I  seem  to  myself  almost 
indifferent.  I  know  the  vanities  in  which  human 
hopes  end  ;  I  know  that  life  itself  is  only  a  bubble 
that  has  caught  the  hues  of  some  falling  star.  And 
yet  this  airy  phantom  is  not  all  such  as  it  would 


240  THREE   VEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

seem  ;  there  is  something  besides  shadow  in  its  eva- 
nescent form.  Our  visions  of  happiness  may  prove 
an  illusion,  but  our  sorrows  are  real.  It  is  no  fancied 
knell  that  shakes  the  bier;  no  imaginary  pall  that 
wraps  the  loved  and  the  lost.  The  grave  is  invested 
with  the  awful  majesty  of  the  real. 

Monday,  May  10.  I  had  directed  the  constable  to 
get  a  pair  of  iron  hinges  made  for  one  of  the  doors  of 
the  prison.  He  gave  the  order  to  a  blacksmith,  a 
crabbed  old  fellow,  who  charged  eight  dollars  for  his 
coarse  work.  As  the  charge  was  an  imposition,  I 
told  the  constable  not  to  take  the  hinges ;  when  up 
came  the  blacksmith  with  them  to  the  office,  and,  in 
a  fit  of  passion,  hurled  them  at  my  feet,  as  I  stood  in 
the  piazza.  I  handed  the  constable  eight  dollars,  and 
told  him  to  call  on  the  blacksmith,  pay  him  for  the 
hinges,  take  his  receipt,  and  then  bring  him  before 
me.  All  which  was  done,  and  before  me  stood. the 
smith,  with  his  choler  yet  up.  I  told  him'  that  his 
violence  and  indignity  would  not  be  passed  over ; 
that  I  should  fine  him  ten  dollars  for  the  benefit  of 
the  town,  which  he  might  pay  or  go  to  prison.  After 
a  few  moments'  hesitation,  he  laid  the  ten  dollars  on 
the  table,  and  took  his  departure  without  uttering  a 
word.  When  clear  of  the  office  he  grumbled  out  to 
the  constable,  "  For  once  in  my  life  I  have  been  out- 
witted ;  that  Yankee  alcalde  has  not  onlv  got  mv 
hinges  for  nothing,  but  two  dollars  besides.  I  don't 
wonder  he  can  swing  his  prison  doors  at  that  rate  ;  I 


THREE  YEAKS  IN  OAT.IFORNIA.  241 

would  have  tried  the  calaboose  but  for  the  infernal 
fleas."  The  constable  told  him  the  next  time  he 
made  hinges  he  must  charge  what  they  were  worth, 
and  curb  his  towering  temper. 

Wednesday,  May  17.  The  ire  of  a  Californian  of 
hidalgo  extraction  flashes  from  his  dark  eyes  like 
heat-lightning  on  a  July  cloud — you  see  the  blaze, 
but  hear  no  thunder ;  while  the  wit  of  a  California 
lady  glances  here  and  there  like  the  sun-rays  through 
the  fluttering  leaves  of  a  wind-stirred  forest.  We 
have  several  ladies  here  celebrated  for  their  brilliant 
sallies,  but  Donna  Jimeno  carries  off"  the  palm.  A 
friend  showed  her  this  morning  a  picture  of  the  Is- 
raelites gathering  manna.  "  Ah  !  they  are  the  Cali- 
fornians,"  said  the  Donna,  "  they  pick  up  what  heaven- 
rains  down."  He  showed  her  Moses  smiting  the 
rock.  "  And  there,"  said  the  Donna,  "  is  a  Yankee  ; 
he  can  bring  water  out  of  a  rock."  But  humor  and 
wit  are  not  the  highest  characteristics  of  this  lady. 
She  possesses  a  refinement  and  intelligence  that 
might  grace  any  court  in  Europe ;  and  withal,  a  be- 
nevolence that  never  wearies  in  reaching  and  reliev- 
ing the  sick.  Her  care  of  Lieut.  Miner,  one  of  the 
officers  attached  to  this  post,  will  long  live  in  grateful 
remembrance.  She  hovered  over  him  till  his  spirit 
fled,  and  wept  as  she  thought  of  his  mother. 

21 


24 '> 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

FIRST    DISCOVERY    OF    GOLD. PRISON    GUARD. INCREDULITY    ABOUT    THE 

GOLD. SANTIAGO    GETTING     MARRIED. ANOTHER    LUMP    OF    GOLD. 

EFFECTS     OF    THE    GOLD     FEVER. —  THE    COURT    OF    AN    ALCALDE. MOS- 
QUITOES   AS   CONSTABLES. — BOB     AND     HIS     BAG     OF    GOLD. — RETURN    OF 

CITIZENS    FROM   THE    MINES. A   MAN    WITH   THE    GOLD    CHOLIC. THE 

MINES    ON    INDIVIDUAL    CREDIT. 

Monday,  May  29.  ^Our  town  was  startled  out  of 
its  quiet  dreams  to-day,  by  the  announcement  that 
gold  had  been  discovered  on  the  American  Fork. 
The  men  wondered  and  talked,  and  the  women  too ; 
but  ndther  believed.  The  sibyls  were  less  skeptical ; 
they  said  the  moon  had,  for  several  nights,  appeared 
not  more  than  a  cable's  length  from  the  earth  ;  that 
a  white  raven  had  been  seen  playing  with  an  infant ; 
and  that  an  owl  had  rung  the  church  bells. 

Saturday,  June  3.  The  most  faithful  and  reliable 
guard  that  I  have  ever  had  over  the  prisoners,  is  him- 
self a  prisoner.  He  had  been  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Mexican  army,  and  was  sentenced,  for  a  flagrant 
breach  of  the  peace,  to  the  public  works  for  the  term 
of  one  year.  Being  hard  up  for  funds,  I  determined 
to  make  an  experiment  with  this  lieutenant;  had  him 
brought  before  me ;  ordered  the  ball  and  chain  to  be 
taken  from  his  leg,  and  placed  a  double-barrelled  gun, 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.         243 

loaded  and  primed,  in  his  hands.  "  Take  that  musket, 
and  proceed  with  the  prisoners  to  the  stone  quarry  ; 
return  them  to  their  cells  before  sunset,  and  report  to 
me."  "  Your  order,  Sehor  Alcalde,  shall  be  faith- 
fully obeyed,"  was  the  reply.  I  then  ordered  one  of 
the  constables,  well  mounted  and  armed,  to  recon- 
noitre the  quarry,  and,  unseen  by  the  prisoners  or 
guard,  ascertain  how  things  went  on.  He  returned, 
and  reported  well  of  their  regularity.  At  sunset,  the 
lieutenant  entered  the  office,  and  reported  the  pris- 
oners in  their  cells,  and  all  safe.  "  Very  well,  Jose  ; 
now  make  yourself  safe,  and  that  will  do."  He 
accordingly  returned  to  his  prison,  and  from  that  day 
to  this,  has  been  my  most  faithful  and  reliable  guard. 

^  Monday,  June"5.  Another  report  reached  us  this 
morning  from  the  American  Fork".  The  rumor  ran, 
that  several  workmen,  while  excavating  for  a  mill- 
race,  had  thrown  up  little  shining  scales  of  a  yellow 
ore,  that  provedjto  be  gold  ;  that  an  old  Sonoranian, 
A\lio  had  spent  his  life  in  gold  mines,  pronounced  it 
the  genuine  thing.  Still  the  public  incredyJily  re-^ 
mained,  save  here  and  there  a  glimmer  of  faith,  like 
the  flash  of  a  fire-fly  at  night.  One  good  old  lady, 
however,  declared  that  she  had  been  dreaming  of 
gold  every  night  for  several  weeks,  and  that  it  had 
so  frustrated  her  simple  household  economy,  that  she 
had  relieved  her  conscience,  by  confessing  to  her 
priest — 

"  Absolve  me,  father,  of  that  sinful  di'eam^" 


i>-It  TFIREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

Tuesday,  June  6.  Being  troubled  with  the  golden 
dream  almost  as  much  as  the  good  lady,  I  determined 
to  put  an  end  to  the  suspense,  and  dispatched  a  mes- 
senger this  morning  to  the  American  Fork.  He  will 
have  to  ride,  going  and  returning,  some  four  hundred 
miles,  but  his  report  will  be  reliable.  We  shall  then 
know  whether  this  gold  is  a  fact  or  a  fiction — a  tan- 
gible reality  on  the  earth,  or  a  fanciful  treasure  at  the 
base  of  some  rainbow,  retreating  over  hill  and  water- 
fall, to  lure  pursuit  and  disappoint  hope. 

Saturday,  June  10.  My  boy  Santiago  has  taken 
it  into  his  head  to  get  married  ;  and  being  a  Protes- 
tant, finds  it  extremely  difficult  to  get  through  the 
ecclesiastical  hopper.  Were  the  person  whom  he 
wishes  to  wed  of  the  same  faith  with  himself,  there 
would  be  but  little  impediment ;  but  as  she  is  a  Ro- 
man Catholic,  it  is  necessary  that  he  should  become 
one  too.  He  has  been  to  the  presiding  priest  to  see 
if  he  could  not  get  his  permission  to  retain  a  few  ar- 
ticles of  his  own  religion,  just  enough  to  save  his  con- 
science. But  his  reverence  told  him  he  must  give  it  up 
in  toto,  renounce  it  as  a  heresy,  and  come  without  a 
scruple  into  the  mother  church.  lago  is  not  much  of 
a  theologian,  but  has  sense  enough  to  know  that  con- 
scientious scruples  are  not  things  of  which  a  man  can 
free  himself  at  will.  His  love,  none  the  less  deep  and 
sincere  for  his  humble  condition,  urges  him  to  a  com- 
pliance with  the  canonical  requirement,  but  these 
very  scruples  hold  him  back.     How  he  will  extricate 


/ 


r- 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  2  15 

himself  I  know  not.  He  will  probably  compound  the 
matter  with  his  conscience  by  some  mental  reserva- 
tions, as  Galileo  did  when  awed  into  the  indignant 
confession  that  the  earth  was  flat.  Verily,  if  a  man 
cannot  marry  in  this  world  without  becoming  a  hyjxv 
crite  or  apostate  from  the  faith  of  his  lathers,  the 
sooner  Miller's  conflagrating  dream  becomes  a  i-eality 
the  better.  Perhaps  some  shape  of  flame  might 
emerge  from  its  drifting  embers,  that  would  dare 
glimmer  towards  heaven  without  the  leave  of  a  prag- 
matic priest.  I  wonder  if  Adam  asked  Eve  if  she 
were  a  Roman  Catholic  before  they  celebrated  their 
nuptials.  This  is  an  important  question,  and  ought 
to  be  looked  into,  though  now  rather  late  in  the  day. 
I  commend  it  to  my  venerable  friend,  the  Bishop  of 
New  York,  who  has  recently  issued  an  edict  that  no 
Protestant  shall  marry  a  Roman  Catholic  without 
first  passing  his  children.  prosj)ectively,  through  his 
baptismal  font. 

]MoNDAV,  JrxE  1*2.  A  straggler  came  in  to-dnv 
froni  the  American  Fork,  bringing  a  piece  o(  yellow 
ore  weighing  an  ounce.  The  young  dashed  the  dirt 
from  their  eyes,  and  the  old  from  their  spectacles. 
One  brought  a  spyglass,  another  an  iron  ladle  ;  some 
wanted  to  melt  it.  others  to  hammer  it,  and  a  few 
were  satisfied  with  smelling  it.  All  were  full  of 
tests;  and  many,  who  could  not  be  gratitii>il  in  ma- 
king their  ex[>eriments.  declared  it  a  humbug.  One 
lady  sent  me  a  huge  gold  ring,  in  the  hope  of  reach- 

'21* 


210  THREE  YEARS   I\  CALIFORNIA. 

iiifT  the  truth  by  comparison ;  while  a  gentleman 
placed  the  specimen  on  the  top  of  his  gold-headed 
cane  and  held  it  up,  challenging  the  sharpest  eyes  to 
detect  a  difference.  But  doubts  still  hovered  on  the 
minds  of  the  great  mass.  They  could  not  conceive 
tliat  such  a  treasure  could  have  lain  there  so  long 
undiscovered.  The  idea  seemed  to  convict  them  of 
stupidity.  There  is~nothing  of  which  a  man  is  more 
tenacious  than  his  claims  to  sagacity.  He  sticks  to 
them  like  an  old  bachelor  to  the  idea  of  his  personal 
attractions,  or  a  toper  to  the  strength  of  his  temper- 
ance ability,  whenever  he  shall  wish  to  call  it  into 
play. 

Thursday,  June  15.  Found  an  Indian  to-day  per- 
fectly sober,  who  is  generally  drunk,  and  questioned 
him  of  the  cause  of  his  sobriety.  He  stated  that  he 
wished  to  marry  an  Indian  girl,  and  she  would  not 
have  him  unless  he  would  keep  sober  a  month  ;  that 
this  was  but  his  third  day,  and  he  should  never  be 
able  to  stand  it  unless  I  would  put  him  beyond  the 
reach  of  liquor.  So  I  sentenced  him  to  the  public 
works  for  a  month  ;  this  will  pay  off  old  scores,  and 
help  him  to  a  wife,  who  may  perhaps  keep  him  sober, 
though  I  fear  there  is  little  hope  of  that. 

Tuesday,  June  20.  My  messenger  sent  to  the 
mines,  has  returned  with  specimens  of  the  gold ;  he 
dismounted  in  a  sea  of  upturned  faces.  As  he  drew 
forth  the  yello.w  lumps  from  his  pockets,  and  passed 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  247 

them  around  among  the  eager  crowd,  the  doubts, 
which  had  Hngered  till  now,  fled.  All  admitted  they 
were  gold,  except  one  old  man,  who  still  persisted 
they  were  some  Yankee  invention,  got  up  to  reconcile 
the  people  to  the  change  of  flag.  The  excitement 
produced  was  intense ;  and  many  were  soon  busy  in 
their  hasty  preparations  for  a  departure  to  the  mines. 
The  family  who  had  kept  house  for  me  caught  the  mov- 
ing infection.  Husband  and  wife  were  both  packing 
up  ;  the  blacksmith  dropped  his  hammer,  the  carpen- 
ter his  plane,  the  mason  his  trowel,  the  farmer  his 
sickle,  the  baker  his  loaf,  and  the  tapster  his  bottle. 
VAll  were  off"  for  the  mines,  some  on  horses,  some  on 
carts,  and  some  on  crutches,  and  one  went  in  a 
litter.  An  American  woman,  who  had  recently  es- 
tablished a  boarding-house  here,  pulled  up  stakes,  and 
was  off  before  her  lodgers  had  even  time  to  pay  their 
bills.  Debtors  ra_n^of  course.  I  have  only  a  com- 
munity of  women  left,  and  a  gang  of  prisoners,  with 
here  and  thei'e  a  soldier,  who  will  give  his  captain 
the  slip  at  the  first  chance.  I  don't  blame  the  fellow 
a  whit ;  seven  dollars  a  month,  while  others  are  mak- 
ing two  or  three  hundred  a  day !  that  is  too  much 
for  human  nature  to  stand. 

Saturday,  July  15.  The  gold  fever  has  reached 
every  servant  in  Monterey  ;  none  are  to  be  trusted 
in  their  engagement  beyond  a  week,  and  as  for  com- 
pulsion, it  is  like  attempting  to  drive  fish  into  a  net 
with  the  ocean  before   them.     Gen.  Mason,  Lieut. 


213  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFOKXIA. 

Lanman,  and  myself,  form  a  mess  ;  we  have  a  house. 
and  all  the  table  furniture  and  culinaiy  apparatus  re 
quisite ;  but  our  servants  have  run,  one  after  another, 
till  we  are  almost  in  despair :  even  Sambo,  who  we 
thought  would  stick  by  from  laziness,  if  no  other 
cause,  ran  last  night ;  and  this  morning,  for  the  forti- 
eth time,  we  had  to  take  to  the  kitchen,  and  cook  our 
own  breakfast.  A  general  of  the  United  States  Army, 
the  commander  of  a  man-of-war,  and  the  Alcalde  of 
Monterey,  in  a  smoking  kitchen,  grinding  coffee, 
toasting  a  herring,  and  pealing  onions  !  These  gold 
mines  are  going  to  upset  all  the  domestic  arrange- 
ments of  society,  turning  the  h^ad  to  the  tail,-and  the 
tail  to  the  head._^  Well,  it  is  an  ill  wind  that  blows  no- 
body any  good :  the  nabobs  have  had  their  time,  and 
now  comes  that  of  the  "niggers."  We  shall  all  live 
just  as  long,  and  be  quite  as  fit  to  die. 

Tuesday,  July  18.  Another  bag;  of  gold  from  the 
mines,  and  another  spasm  in  the  community.  It  was 
brought  down  by  a  sailor  from  Yuba  river,  and  con- 
tains a  hundred  and  thirty-six  ounces.  It  is  the  most 
beautiful  gold  that  has  appeared  in  the  market ;  it 
looks  like  the  yellow  scales  of  the  dolphin,  passing 
through  his  rainbow  hues  at  death.  My  carpenters, 
at  work  on  the  school-house,  on  seeing  it,  threw  down 
their  saws  and  planes,  shouldered  their  picks,  and 
are  off  for  the  Yuba.  Three  seamen  ran  from  the 
Warren,  forfeiting  their  four  years'  pay ;  and  a 
w  hole  platoon  of  soldiers  from  the  fort  left  only  their 


THRKE  YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA.  219 

colors  behind.  One  old  woman  declared  she  would 
never  again  break  an  egg  or  kill  a  chicken,  without 
examining  yolk  and  gizzard. 

Saturday,  July  22.  The  laws  by  which  an  al- 
calde here  is  governed,  in  the  administration  of  jus- 
tice, are  the  Mexican  code  as  compiled  in  Frebrero 
and  Alverez — works  of  remarkable  comprehensive- 
ness, clearness,  and  facility  of  application.  They 
embody  all  the  leading  principles  of  the  civil  law,  de- 
rived from  the  institutes  of  Justinian,  The  common 
law  of  England  is  hardly  known  here,  though  its 
rules  and  maxims  have  more  or  less  influenced  local 
legislation.  But  with  all  these  legal  provisions  a  vast 
many  questions  arise  which  have  to  be  determined 
ex  cathedra.  In  minor  matters  the  alcalde  is  often 
himself  the  law ;  and  the  records  of  his  court  might 
reveal  some  very  exquisite  specimens  of  judicial  pre- 
rogative ;  such  as  shaving  a  rogue's  head — lex  talio- 
nis — who  had  shaved  the  tail  of  his  neighbor's  horse  ; 
or  making  a  busybody,  who  had  slandered  a  worthy 
citizen,  promenade  the  streets  with  a  gag  in  his 
mouth ;  or  obliging  a  man  who  had  recklessly  caused 
a  premature  birth,  to  compensate  the  bereaved  father 
for  the  loss  of  that  happiness  which  he  might  have 
derived  from  his  embryo  hope,  had  it  budded  into 
life.  This  last  has  rather  too  many  contingencies 
about  it ;  but  the  principle,  which  reaches  it  and 
meets  the  offender,  does  very  well  out  here  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  would  not  be  misapplied  in  some  of  those 


2o0  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

pill-shops  which  slope  the  path  to  crime  in  the  United 
States, 

Thursday,  July  27.  I  never  knew  mosquitoes 
turned  to  anv  good  account  save  in  California ;  and 
here  it  seems  they  are  sometimes  ministers  of  justice. 
A  rogue  had  stolen  a  bag  of  gold  from  a  digger  in  the 
mines,  and  hid  it.  Neither  threats  nor  persuasions 
could  induce  him  to  reveal  the  place  of  its  conceal- 
ment. He  was  at  last  sentenced  to  a  hundred  lashes, 
and  then  informed  that  he  would  be  let  off  with  thirty, 
provided  he  would  tell  what  he  had  done  with  the 
gold ;  but  he  refused.  The  thirty  lashes  were  in- 
flicted, but  he  was  still  stubborn  as  a  mule. 

He  was  then  stripped  naked  and  tied  to  a  tree. 
The  mosquitoes  with  their  long  bills  went  at  him, 
and  in  less  than  three  hours  he  was  covered  with 
blood.  Writhing  and  trembling  from  head  to  foot 
with  exquisite  torture,  he  exclaimed,  "  Untie  me,  un- 
tie me,  and  I  will  tell  where  it  is."  "  Tell  first,"  w^as 
the  reply.  So  he  told  where  it  might  be  found. 
Some  of  the  party  then,  with  wisps,  kept  off  the  still 
hungry  mosquitoes,  while  others  went  where  the  cul- 
prit had  directed,  and  recovered  the  bag  of  gold.  He 
was  then  untied,  washed  with  cold  water,  and  helped 
to  his  clothes,  while  he  muttered,  as  if  talking  to  him- 
self, "  I  couldn't  stand  that  anyhow." 

Friday,  July  28.  A  little  laughing  girl  tripped 
into   the  office  to-dav,  and   handed  me   a  bunch  of 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  251 

flowers,  which  she  said  her  mother  sent  me.  "  And 
who  is  your  mother,  my  sweet  one?"  I  inquired.  She 
told  me,  and  I  then  remembered  that  I  had  recovered 
for  her  a  silver  cup,  which  an  Indian  had  stolen ;  and 
these  flowers  had  now  come  as  a  memento. 

"  Fee  me  with  flowers,  they  hold  no  sordid  bribe." 

Saturday,  Aug.  12.  My  man  Bob,  who  is  of  Irish 
extraction,  and  who  had  been  in  the  mines  about  two 
months,  returned  to  Monterey  four  weeks  since, 
bringing  with  him  over  two  thousand  dollars,  as  the 
proceeds  of  his  labor.  Bob,  while  in  my  employ,  re- 
quired me  to  pay  him  every  Saturday  night,  in  gold, 
which  he  put  into  a  little  leather  bag  and  sewed  into 
the  lining  of  his  coat,  after  taking  out  just  twelve  and 
a  half  cents,  his  weekly  allowance  for  tobacco.  But 
now  he  took  rooms  and  began  to  branch  out ;  he  had 
the  best  horses,  the  richest  viands,  and  the  choicest 
wines  in  the  place.  He  never  drank  himself,  but  it 
filled  him  with  delight  to  brim  the  sparkling  goblet  for 
others.  I  met  Bob  to-day,  and  asked  him  how  he  got 
on.  "  Oh,  very  well,"  he  replied,  "  but  I  am  off"  again 
for  the  mines."  "How  is  that.  Bob?  you  brought 
down  with  you  over  two  thousand  dollars  ;  I  hope 
you  have  not  spent  all  that :  you  used  to  be  very 
saving ;  twelve  and  a  half  cents  a  week  for  tobacco, 
and  the  rest  you  sewed  into  the  lining  of  your  coat." 
"  Oh,  yes,"  replied  Bob,  "  and  I  have  got  that  money 
yet ;  I  worked   hard  for  it ;  and  the  diel  can't  get  it 


252  THREE   YEARS   IN   CALIFORMA. 

awav  ;  but  the  two  thousand  dollars  came  asily  by 
good  luck,  and  has  gone  as  asily  as  it  came."  Now 
Bob's  story  is  only  one  of  a  thousand  like  it  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  has  a  deeper  philosophy  in  it  than  meets 
the  eye.  Multitudes  here  are  none  the  richer  for  the 
mines.  He  who  can  shake  chestnuts  from  an  ex- 
haustless  tree,  won't  stickle  about  the  quantity  he 
roasts. 

Thursday,  Aug.  16.  Four  citizens  of  Monterey 
are  just  in  from  the  gold  mines  on  Feather  River, 
where  they  worked  in  company  with  three  others. 
They  employed  about  thirty  wild  Indians,  who  are  at- 
tached to  the  rancho  owned  by  one  of  the  party.  They 
worked  precisely  seven  weeks  and  three  days,  and 
have  divided  seventy-six  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
forty-four  dollars, — nearly  eleven  thousand  dollars  to 
each.  Make  a  dot  there,  and  let  me  introduce  a  man, 
well  known  to  me,  who  has  worked  on  the  Yuba 
river  sixty-four  days,  and  brought  back,  as  the  result 
of  his  individual  labor,  five  thousand  three  hundred 
and  fifty-six  dollars.  Make  a  dot  there,  and  let  me 
introduce  another  townsman,  who  has  worked  on  the 
North  Fork  fifty-seven  days,  and  brought  back  four 
thousand  five  hundred  and  thirty-four  dollars.  Make 
a  dot  there,  and  let  me  introduce  a  boy,  fourteen  years 
of  age,  who  has  worked  on  the  Mokelumne  fifty- four 
days,  and  brought  back  three  thousand  four  hundred 
and  sixty-seven  dollars.  Make  another  dot  there,  and 
let  me  introduce  a  woman,  of  Sonoranian  birth,  who 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  253- 

has  worked  in  the  dry  diggings  forty-six  days,  and 
brought  back  two  thousand  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  dollars.  Is  not  this  enough  to  make  a  man 
throw  down  his  leger  and  shoulder  a  pick  ?  But  the 
deposits  which  yielded  these  harvests  were  now 
opened  for  the  first  time  ;  they  were  the  accumula- 
tion of  ages ;  only  the  foot-prints  of  the  elk  and  wild 
savage  had  passed  over  them.  Their  slumber  was 
broken  for  the  first  time  by  the  sturdy  arms  of  the 
American  emigrant.  v- 

K 

Tuesday,  Aug.  28.     The  gold  mines  have  upset  all 

social  and  domestic  arrangements  in  Monterey ;  the 
master  has  become  his  own  servant,  and  the  servant 
his  own  lord.  The  millionaire  is  obliged  to  groom 
his  own  horse,  and  roll  his  wheelbarrovi^ ;  and  the 
hidalgo — in  whose  veins  flows  the  blood  of  all  the 

Cortes — to  clean  his  own  boots  K  Here  is  lady  L , 

who  has  lived  here  seventeen  years,  the  pride  and 
ornament  of  the  place,   with  a  broomstick    in  her 

jewelled  hand !     And  here  is  lady  B with  her 

daughter — all  the  way  from  "  old  Virginia,"  where 
they  graced  society  with  their  varied  accomplish- 
ments— now  floating  between  the  parlor  and  kitchen, 
and  as  much  at  home  in  the  one  as  the  other !     And 

here  is  lady  S ,  whose  cattle  are  on  a  thousand 

hills,  lifting,  like  Rachel  of  old,  her  bucket  of  water 

from  the  deep  well !     And  here  is  lady  M.  L , 

whose  honeymoon  is  still  full  of  soft  seraphic  light, 
unhouseling  a  potatoe,  and  hunting  the  hen  that  laid 

22 


254  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


the  last  egg.  And  here  am  I,  who  have  been  a  man 
of  some  note  in  my  day,  loafing  on  the  hospitality  of 
the  good  citizens,  and  grateful  for  a  meal,  though  in 
an  Indian's  wigwam.  Why,  is  not  this  enough  to 
make  one  wish  the  gold  mines  were  in  the  earth's 
flaming  centre,  from  which  they  sprung?  Out  on  this 
yellow  dust!  it  is  worse  than  the  cinders  which 
buried  Pompeii,  for  there,  high  and  low  shared  the 
same  fate ! 

Saturday,  Sept.  9.  I  met  a  Scotchman  this  morn- 
ing bent  half  double,  and  evidently  in  pain.  On  in- 
quiring the  cause,  he  informed  me  that  he  had  just  seen 
a  lump  of  gold  from  the  Mokelumne  as  big  as  his 
double  fist,  and  it  had  given  him  the  cholic.  The 
diagnosis  of  the  complaint  struck  me  as  a  new  feature 
in  human  maladies,  and  one  for  which  it  would  be 
difficult  to  find  a  suitable  medicament  in  the  thera- 
peutics known  to  the  profession  ;  especially  in  the 
allopathic  practice,  which  has  stood  still  for  three 
thousand  years,  except  in  the  discovery  of  quinine 
for  ague,  and  sulphur  for  itch.  The  gentlemen  of 
this  embalmed  school  must  wake  up ;  their  antedilu- 
vian owl  may  do  on  an  Egyptian  obelisk,  but  we  must 
have  a  more  wide-awake  bird  in  these  days  of  pro- 
gress. Here  is  a  man  bent  double  with  a  new  and 
strange  disease,  taken  from  looking  at  gold :  your 
bleeding,  blistering,  and  purging  won't  free  him  of  it. 
What  is  to  be  done  ?  shall  he  be  left  to  die,  or  be  de- 
livered over  to  the  homoeopathies  ?     They  hjave  a 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  255 

medicament  that  acts  as  a  specific,  on  the  principle 
that  the  hair  of  the  dog  is  good  for  the  bite.  If  you 
burn  your  hand,  what  do  you  do — clasp  a  piece  of 
ice  ? — no,  seize  a  warm  poker ;  if  you  freeze  your  foot, 
do  you  put  it  to  the  fire? — no,  dash  it  into  the  snow  ; 
and  so  if  you  take  the  gold-chohc,  the  remedy  is, 
aurum — similia  similihus  curantur. 

Saturday,  Sept.  16.  The  gold  mines  are  pro- 
ducing one  good  result ;  every  creditor  who  has 
gone  there  is  paying  his  debts.  Claims  not  deemed 
worth  a  farthing  are  now  cashed  on  presentation  at 
nature's  great  bank.  This  has  rendered  the  credit 
of  every  man  here  good  for  almost  any  amount. 
Orders  for  merchandise  are  honored  which  six 
months  ago  would  have  been  thrown  into  the  fire. 
There  is  none  so  poor,  who  has  two  stout  arms  and 
a  pickaxe  left,  but  he  can  empty  any  store  in  Monte- 
rey. Nor  has  the  first  instance  yet  occurred,  in 
which  the  creditor  has  suffered.  All  distinctions  in- 
dicative of  means  have  vanished  ;  the  only  capital 
required  is  muscle  and  an  honest  purpose.  I  met  a 
man  to-day  from  the  mines  in  patched  buckskins, 
rough  as  a  badger  from  his  hole,  who  had  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  in  yellow  dust,  swung  at  his  back. 
Talk  to  him  of  brooches,  gold-headed  canes,  and  Car- 
penter's coats  !  Why  he  can  unpack  a  lump  of  gold 
that  would  throw  all  Chesnut-street  into  spasms. 
And  there  is  more  where  this  came  from.  His  rights 
in  the  great  domain    are    equal    to   yours,   and    his 


O.lfi  THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORMA. 

prospects  of  getting  it  out  vastly  better.  With  these 
advantages,  he  bends  the  knee  to  no  man,  but 
strides  along  in  his  buckskins,  a  lord  of  earth  by  a 
hi'^her  prescriptive  privilege  than  what  emanates 
from  the  partiality  of  kings.  His  patent  is  medallion- 
ed  with  rivers  which  roll  over  golden  sands,  and 
embossed  with  mountains  which  have  Hfted  for  ages 
their  golden  coronets  to  heaven.  Clear  out  of  the 
way  with  your  crests,  and  crowns,  and  pedigree  trees, 
and  let  this  democrat  pass.  Every  drop  of  blood  in 
his  veins  tells  that  it  flows  from  a  great  heart,  which 
God  has  made  and  which  man  shall  never  enslave. 
Such  are  the  genuine  sons  of  California ;  such  may 
they  live  and  die. 

"  They  will  not  be  the  tyrant's  slaves, 
While  heaven  has  light,  or  earth  has  graves." 


977772 


257 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

TOUR  TO  THE  GOLD-MIXES. — LOSS  OF  HORSES. FIRST  KIGUT  IN  THE  WOODS. 

ARRIVAL  AT  SAN   JUAN. UNDER  WAT. CAMPING   OUT. BARK  OF  THE 

■WOLVES. WATCH-FIRES. SAN     JOSE. A     FRESH    START. CAMPING     ON 

THE  SLOPE  OF  A  HILL. WILD  FEATURES  OF  THE    COUNTRY. VALLEY  OF 

THE  SAN  JOAQUIN. BAND  OF  WILD  HORSES. 

Wednesday,  Sept.  20.  A  servant  of  James 
McKinley,  Esq.,  led  to  my  door  this  morning  a  beau- 
tiful saddle-horse,  with  a  message  from  his  master, 
desiring  me  to  accept  the  animal  as  a  token  of  his 
regard.  The  gift  was  most  opportune,  as  I  was  on 
the  eve  of  a  trip  to  the  gold-mines.  To  guard  against 
contingencies  I  purchased  another,  and,  to  prevent 
their  being  stolen,  placed  them  both  in  the  govern- 
ment coral,  where  a  watch  is  posted  night  and  day. 
My  companions  on  the  trip  were  to  be  Capt.  Marcy, 
son  of  the  late  secretary  of  war,  Mr.  Botts,  naval 
storekeeper,  and  Mr.  Wilkinson,  son  of  our  ex- 
minister  to  Russia. 

Having  procured  a  suitable  wagon,  we  freighted  it 
lightly  with  provisions,  articles  of  Indian  traffic,  tools 
for  working  in  the  mines,  cooking  utensils,  and  blank- 
ets to  sleep  in.  To  this  we  attached  four  mules,  but 
little  used  to  the  harness,  and  of  no  great  power,  but 
they  were  the  best  that  could  be  got  at  the  time. 
The  whole  was  put  under  the  charge  of  a  man  who 
was  half  sailor  and  half  teamster,  and  not  much  of 
22* 


•J.-,S  THREE  YEAUS  IV  CAI.IFOR^'l A. 

fth.-r.  Thus  accoutred,  the  team  was  sent  ahead, 
and  we  were  to  follow  the  next  day. 

Thursday,  Sept.  21.  The  hour  for  starting  having 
arrived,  I  sent  my  man  to  the  government  coral  for 
my  horses.  He  returned  in  a  few  moments  with  the 
intelligence  that  a  i)arty  of  the  volunteers  had  broken 
into  the  coral  during  the  night,  and  carried  off  ten 
liorsrs,  and  among  them  both  of  mine  !  There  was  no 
time  now  for  ferreting  out  thieves,  or  hunting  stolen 
animals.  Our  wagon  was  on  the  way,  and  my  com- 
panions were  mounted  and  waiting.     I  hurried  to  Mr. 

S ,  who  I  knew  had  a  fine  horse  in  his  yard,  and 

ollered  him  two  hundred  dollars  for  the  animal,  but 
he   declined   parting  with   him.     My  only  resource 

now  was  with  Mr.  T ,  who  had  three  horses  in 

his  coral,  but  they  were  otf  a  long  journey  the  night 
before.  I  struck  a  bargain  at  a  hundred  dollars  for 
one  of  them,  and  throwing  on  my  saddle,  was  under 
way  in  a  few  minutes. 

My  horse  held  out  pretty  well  for  twenty  miles, 
and  then  suddenly  broke  down.  We  were  on  the 
plain  of  the  Salinas,  and  there  was  but  little  prospect 
of  my  being  able  to  procure  a  substitute.  But  just  at 
this  crisis  the  mail  rider  hove  in  sight,  with  a  horse 
in  lead.  I  arranged  with  him  for  the  spare  animal, 
transferred  my  saddle  to  him.  and  with  a  farewell  to 
my  wearied  steed,  started  again.  We  had  directed 
our  wagoner  to  proceed  to  San  Juan,  and  expected 
to  overtake  him  at  that  place  before  dark.     But  niwht 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  259 

set  in  while  we  were  eight  or  ten  miles  distant,,  and  it 
was  a  night  of  Egyptian  darkness.  We  lost  our  way, 
and  brought  up  in  the  woods.  To  proceed  was  im- 
possible ;  so  we  dismounted,  tied  our  horses  together, 
felt  for  some  dry  leaves,  and  fired  them  with  a  lucifer 
which  had  been  given  us  by  a  traveller  an  hour  be- 
fore. 

With  brush  and  bits  of  bark  we  managed  to  sustain 
our  fire,  but  our  prospect  for  the  night  was  rather 
gloomy — without  a  drop  of  water,  without  any  food, 
without  an  overcoat  or  blanket  to  cover  us,  with 
heavy  thunder  over  head,  and  the  wolves  barking 
around.  But  we  divided  ourselves  into  four  watches  ; 
one  was  to  keep  up  the  fire  while  the  other  three 
slept,  and  each  take  his  turn  in  feeding  the  flame. 
My  watch  came  first,  and  it  was  the  longest  two 
hours  I  ever  experienced.  Every  old  snag  I  drew  to 
the  fire  seemed  to  exhaust  the  httle  strength  that  re- 
mained. My  eyelids  would  fall,  and  it  seemed  im- 
possible to  lift  them.  I  heai-d  the  wolves  bark,  but  it 
was  like  a  noise  in  one's  dream.  But  my  relief  came 
at  last,  and  throwing  myself  down  close  to  the  fire,  I 
slept  too  sound  even  for  the  thunder.  It  was  the  cold 
dim  gray  of  advancing  morn  when  I  awoke.  A  ride 
of  an  hour  brought  us  to  San  Juan,  where  we  found 
our  baggage-wagon  at  a  stream,  the  mules  tethered, 
and  whistling  a  piteous  welcome  to  our  steeds,  and 
the  driver  blowing  into  a  bundle  of  reeds  and  straw, 
from  which  a  slender  thread  of  smoke  was  rising  into 
the  chill  atmosphere. 


260  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

San  Juan  is  thirty-four  miles  from  Monterey  ;  the 
..Illy  buildings  are  a  gigantic  church  and  the  contig- 
uous dwelling— once  occupied l^y  the  priests  and  their 
Indian  neophytes.  The  sanctuary  remains  ;  but  the 
priests  arc  gone,  and  the  Indians  are  on  the  four 
winds,  save  those  over  whom  the  pine  sings  its  re- 
(juiem.  We  broke  our  long  fast  on  hard  bread, 
broiled  pork,  and  coffee  without  milk.  The  sun  was 
high  when  our  mules  were  harnessed,  and  the  crack 
of  the  driver's  whip  told  that  we  were  on  the  way. 
A  few  miles  brought  us  to  the  foot  of  a  hill ;  when 
half-way  up  our  mules  balked,  and  the  wagon  began 
to  travel  backward.  We  blocked  the  wheels,  and 
trie.l  to  cheer  and  force  them  on  ;  but  a  mule  has 
that  peculiar  virtue  which  is  insensible  alike  to  flat- 
teries and  frowns.  Still  we  coaxed,  and  whipped,  and 
cheered,  but  in  vain — there  stuck  our  old  wagon,  fast 
as  a  thunder-cloud  on  a  mountain's  bluff.  We  had 
to  turn  lighters,  and  carry  the  greater  part  of  the 
load,  by  hand,  to  the  top  of  the  hill.  One  of  the 
mules  whistled  out  in  seeming  derision  ;  while  his 
fallow  looked  sorry,  as  if  smitten  with  compunction. 
This  delay  consumed  several  hours,  and  the  sun  w^as 
far  down  his  western  slope  when  we  reached  a  few 
shanties  on  a  plain  covered  in  spots  with  the  surviv- 
ing verdure  of  the  year :  here  we  camped  for  the 
night.  One  tethered  the  animals;  two  brought  wood 
and  water ;  and  one  turned  cook.  We  made  our 
supper  by  the  light  of  our  watch-fire,  smoked  our 
cigars,  and  turned  down  upon  the  earth,  with   our 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  261 

saddles  for  our  pillows.  A  blanket  served  to  protect 
each  from  the  dews  and  the  night  air.  How  little 
man  wants  here !  His  palace  seems  to  tower  in  idle 
grandeur,  between  a  cradle  and  a  coffin. 

Friday,  Sept.  22.  Day  glimmered  over  the  hills 
and  we  were  up ;  the  gathered  brands  of  our  watch- 
fire  kindled  again  under  our  camp-kettle.  Our  break- 
fast was  soon  dispatched,  our  mules  in  harness,  our 
blankets  stowed,  and  we  were  on  the  way.  Ten 
miles  farther,  and  my  third  horse,  which  I  had  pro- 
cured at  San  Juan,  began  to  give  out,  and  I  was 
thrown  upon  my  feet,  till  relieved  by  the  opportune 
arrival  of  a  gentleman  with  a  spare  horse,  which  I 
purchased  at  his  own  price,  leaving  my  own  to  shift 
for  himself  "When  on  my  feet,  my  thoughts  ran  bit- 
terly back  to  the  two  fine  horses  with  which  I  had 
expected  to  leave  Monterey.  We  are  the  least  for- 
giving when  we  feel  most  the  need  of  that  of  which 
we  have  been  robbed. 

Our  road  lay  through  a  level  plain,  into  which  the 
spur  of  a  mountain  range  had  thrown  its  bold  ter- 
minus. Doubling  this,  we  wound  into  a  deep  cove, 
where  wild  oats  waved,  and  a  copious  spring  gushed 
from  a  cleft  of  the  rock.  It  was  yet  two  hours  to 
sunset ;  but  the  next  stream  lay  ten  miles  ahead,  and 
we  decided  to  camp  where  we  were.  Our  horses 
and  mules  were  turned  into  the  ample  cove  unte- 
thered  ;  and  in  half  an  hour  we  had  gathered  suffi- 
cient wood  for  a  strong  fire  through  the  night.      We 


I 


0(..»  TIIRKK  YEARS   IN'   CALIFORNIA. 

were  near  the  rancho  of  Mr.  Murphy,  and  the  kind 
old  gentleman  called,  and  invited  us  to  his  house  ; 
but  we  deemed  it  more  prudent  to  stay  by  our  ani- 
mals. Our  supper  of  hard  bread,  broiled  pork,  and 
coffee  was  quickly  prepared,  and  as  quickly  disposed 
of  The  shadows  of  eve  fell  fast ;  we  arranged  our 
watches  for  the  night ;  and  each,  in  his  blanket 
wound,  cooiposed  himself  to  sleep.  Mine  was  the 
mid-watch:  I  found  the  camp-fire  bright,  and  the 
clitfs  around  lit  with  its  rays.  I  numbered  the  ani- 
mals to  see  that  none  had  strayed,  and  then  sat  down 
to  watch  the  motions  of  a  wolf,  who  was  reconnoiter- 
ing  our  camp,  with  step  as  soft  and  low — 

"  As  that  of  man  on  guilty  errand  bent." 

Saturday,  Sept.  23.  We  broke  camp,  were  Up 
and  away  while  the  dew  was  yet  fresh  on  the  grass. 
Ten  miles  brought  us  to  Fisher's  rancho,  where  w^e 
procured  soft  bread  and  fresh  milk.  But  our  animals 
fared  hard  ;  the  grasshoppers  had  been  there  before 
them.  We  had  yet  three  hours  of  sun  when  we 
reached  the  lagoon  near  San  Jose,  but  camped  there 
on  account  of  the  grass.  A  shanty  stood  near  by, 
where  we  procured  a  few  potatoes  and  onions,  and  a 
piece  of  fresh  meat,  with  which  we  made  a  stew — 
t]uite  a  luxury  on  a  California  road.  The  owner  of 
the  shanty  invited  me  to  a  night's  lodging,  which  I 
accepted,  but  found  my  host  much  more  hospitable 
llian  his  fleas,  for  I  was  driven  back  to  my  camp  be- 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CAMFORNIA.  263 

fore  midnight.     A  California  flea  is   not  be  trifled 
with  ;  his  nippers  drive  you  into  spasms.  ■ 

Sunday,  Sept.  24.  This  is  the  Sabbath,  and  we 
are  in  San  Jose,  in  the  house  of  Dr.  Stokes,  to  whose 
hospitahty  we  are  indebted  for  a  good  table  and  quiet 
apartments.  I  must  here  relate  a  domestic  incident 
in  the  doctor's  family,  which  fell  under  my  eye  while 
he  resided  at  Monterey,  and  which  pictured  itself 
strongly  on  my  mind.  It  was  evening,  and  the  hour 
for  rest  with  the  children,  when  six  little  boys  and 
girls  knelt  around  the  chair  of  their  father,  repeating 
the  Lord's  prayer,  and  closing  with  the  invocation — 
"  God  bless  our  dear  parents,  and  brothers,  and  sis- 
ters, and  grant  that  we  meet  in  heaven  at  last." 
Then  came  the  good-night,  and  the  cheerful  foot- 
steps to  the  chamber  of  soft  sleep.  What  are  gold 
mines  to  this  ?  A  glow-worm's  light  beneath  a  star 
that  shall  never  set ! 

Monday,  Sept.  25.  San  Jose  is  sixty-five  miles 
from  Monterey,  and  stands  in  the  centre  of  a  spacious 
valley  which  opens  on  the  great  bay  of  San  Francis- 
co. It  is  cultivated  only  in  spots,  but  the  immense 
yield  in  these  is  sufficient  evidence  of  what  the  valley 
is  capable.  A  plough  and  harrow,  at  which  a  New 
England  crow  would  laugh,  are  followed  by  fields  of 
waving  grain.  Within  this  valley  lie  the  rich  lands 
of  Com.  Stockton,  and  they  will  yet  feel  the  force  of 
his   vivifying  enterprise.     The   mission    buildings  of 


201  THREE    TEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

Santa  Clara  lift  their  huge  proportions  on  the  eye. 
The  bells  that  swing  in  their  towers  are  silent,  but 
thev  will  yet  find  a  tongue  and  fill  the  cliffs  with  their 
glad  echoes.  The  Anglo-Saxon  blood  will  yet  roll 
here  as  if  in  its  first  leap. 

Such  are  the  representations  of  the  roads  between 
this  and  the  mines,  that  we  have  concluded  to  part 
with  our  wagon  and  pack  our  mules.  Mr.  Botts,  one 
of  our  companions,  has  received  intelligence  which 
requires  his  return  to  Monterey.  We  must  proceed 
without  his  agreeable  society.  Wm.  Stewart,  Esq., 
secretary  of  Com.  Jones,  and  Lieut.  Simmons,  of  the 
Ohio,  have  just  arrived,  on  their  way  to  the  mines. 
Two  of  our  mules  were  now  packed,  the  third  mount- 
ed by  our  wagoner,  and  the  fourth  driven,  to  guard 
against  contingencies.  Thus  equipped,  we  started 
again  for  the  mines ;  but  we  had  hardly  cleared  the 
town  when  one  of  our  mules  took  fright,  plunged  over 
the  plain,  burst  his  girth,  and  scattered  on  the  winds 
the  contents  of  his  pack.  Capt.  Marcy  and  Mr.  Wil- 
kinson, with  the  mules  and  their  driver,  returned  into 
town  to  repack,  and  I  proceeded  on  in  the  company 
of  Mr.  Stewart  and  Lieut.  Simmons. 

We  passed  the  mission  of  San  Jose,  which  stands 
three  leagues  from  the  town.  The  massive  propor- 
tions of  the  church  lay  in  shadow,  but  the  crowning 
cross  was  lit  with  the  rays  of  the  descending  sun. 
No  hum  of  busy  streets  or  jocund  voice  of  childhood 
saluted  the  ear.  No  eye  regarded  us  but  that  of  the 
owl  gazing  in  wise  wonder  from  his  ivy  tower.     He 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  265 

seemed  to  marvel  at  the  vanity  that  had  brought  us 
here  ;  and  as  we  hurried  past  on  our  gold  destination, 
sent  after  us  an  ominous  hoot !  The  purple  twilight 
was  settling  fast  when  we  reached  a  stream  singing 
along  between  the  slopes  of  two  hills.  Here  we 
camped  for  the  night.  The  grass  was  scanty  and  the 
ground  uneven,  but  it  was  now  too  late  to  look  for 
other  spots.  The  dry  willows,  which  skirted  the 
stream,  furnished  us  with  fuel.  The  lid  of  our  coffee 
kettle  was  soon  trembling  over  the  steam,  while  the 
fresh  steaks,  curling  on  the  coals,  scented  the  evening 
air.  Our  supper  over,  we  talked  of  friends  far  away, 
and  spread  our  blankets  for  the  night.  The  ground 
was  so  descending  I  put  a  stone  at  my  feet  to  keep 
from  slipping  down,  but  must  have  rolled  from  my 
pedestal,  for  on  awaking  at  daybreak,  I  found  myself 
at  the  foot  of  the  slope,  and  close  on  the  verge  of  the 
bubbling  stream.  My  ground-blanket  remained  where 
it  had  been  spread,  though  it  seemed  higher  up  the 
hill,  as  I  clambered  back  to  it  from  my  somnambulic 
roll. 

Tuesday,  Sept.  26.  My  companions,  who  had  re- 
turned to  San  Jose  to  repack  the  mules,  arrived  at 
our  camp  about  mid-day,  accompanied  by  W.  R. 
Garner,  so  long  my  secretary  in  the  office  of  alcalde. 
Our  own  horses  were  soon  saddled,  and  we  were  off. 
all  the  more  light-hearted  for  this  accession  to  our 
numbers.  Our  road  lay  through  a  rolling  country 
covered  with  live-oak  and  pine,  and  through  small 

23 


0(50  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

l-rairies,  cradled  in  emerald  repose  among  the  hills.  It 
was  quite  dark  when  we  reached  the  small  farm- 
house of  Mr.  Livermore.  Here  we  camped.  A  snag- 
fence  supi)lied  us  with  fuel,  and  Mr.  L.  furnished  us 
with  a  sheep  ready  dressed.  Our  large  camp-fire 
sent  up  its  waving  flame,  which  threw  its  red  light 
over  a  group  gathered  around  in  every  attitude  which 
hunger  and  culinary  care  could  assume.  What  was 
the  howl  of  the  wolves  on  the  hills  to  us,  engaged  in 
jiicking  the  bones  of  that  sheep  ?  A  camp-life  teaches 
vou  the  value  of  three  things — meat,  salt,  and  fire ; 
with  these  you  can  travel  the  globe  round. 

Wednesday,  Sept.  27.  The  night  had  been  dark, 
the  wind  bleak,  and  the  rack  was  driving  on  the  sky, 
when  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  kindled  the  soaring 
clilfs.  We  had  the  great  Tulare  plain  to  pass,  and 
lost  no  time  in  finishing  our  breakfast  and  effecting 
an  early  start.  Crossing  the  plain  attached  to  the 
rancho,  wiiich  we  had  left,  our  road  lay  among  steep 
conical  hills  feathered  with  pine,  and  pyramids  of 
rock  piled  in  naked  majesty.  From  these  we  opened 
on  the  great  plain  of  the  San  Joaquin,  stretching 
awiiy  like  a  Sahara,  and  without  an  object  on  which 
the  eye  could  rest.  The  sun  was  hot,  and  not  a 
breath  of  wind  crept  over  the  cheerless  expanse.  A 
column  of  cloud,  soaring  on  the  distant  horizon, 
showed  where  the  fearful  flame  was  at  work. 

We  were  now  in  the  midst  of  the  plain,  when  a 
moving  object,  dim   and   distant,  rapidly   advanced 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  267 

into  more  distinct  vision.  It  was  a  band  of  wild 
horses,  rushing  down  the  plain  like  a  foaming  torrent 
to  the  sea. 

"  With  flowing  tail  and  flying  mane, 
With  nostrils  never  stretched  by  pain, 
Mouths  bloodless  to  the  bit  or  rein ; 
And  feet  that  iron  never  shod, 
And  flanks  unscarred  by  spur  or  rod, 
A  thousand  horse — the  wild,  the  free — 
Like  waves  that  follow  o'er  the  sea — 
Came  thickly  thundering  on." 

We  instantly  seized  the  halters  of  our  pack-mules, 
and  not  knowing  whether  to  advance  or  retreat, 
waited  the  issue  where  we  stood.  They  swept  past 
us  but  a  short  distance  ahead,  heeding  us  as  little  as 
the  Niagara  the  reeds  that  tremble  on  its  bank.  The 
very  ground  shook  with  the  thunder  of  their  hoofs. 
Their  arching  necks  and  flowing  mane,  their  glossy 
flanks  and  sinewy  bound  made  you  begrudge  them 
their  freedom.  You  thought  what  a  flight  you  might 
make  on  them  into  the  mines.  It  seeme  I  a  pity  that 
so  much  celerity  and  strength  should  be  thrown 
away  upon  a  stampede. 

As  we  advanced  the  line  of  the  horizon  began  to 
lift  itself  into  irregular  shapes,  like  a  broken  coast 
at  sea.  These  emerging  forms  proved  to  be  the 
broad  tops  of  a  belt  of  trees,  which  seemed  not  more 
than  half  a  league  distant,  but  which  retreated  as 
we  advanced,  like  the  bow  which  childhood  pursues. 
It  was  a  weary  ride  before  we  reached    them,  but 


ocq  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFOKXIA. 

ihe  tedium  of  the  way  was  relieved  by  several  ad- 
ventures among  the  wild  geese,  which  hovered  near 
our  path  in  immense  flocks.  Mr.  Stewart,  who  is  an 
excellent  shot,  brought  several  to  the  ground :  with 
these  trophies  we  camped  for  the  night.  Some  water- 
ed and  tethered  the  animals,  others  gathered  wood, 
and  others  ground  the  coflee  and  picked  the  geese. 
Having  in  our  panniers  a  few  onions  and  potatoes, 
with  a  piece  of  pork,  we  prepared  for  a  stew.  But 
our  geese  must  have  been  the  goslins  of  those  that 
went  into  the  ark,  for  neither  fire  nor  steam  could 
make  an  impression  on  their  sinewy  forms.  We 
tried  them  with  the  puncture  of  our  long  knives ; 
found  them  tough  as  ever,  and  then  swung  off  the 
pot.  There  was  enough,  with  bread  and  coffee,  with- 
out the  geese,  and  as  we  threw  the  legs  and  wings 
this  way  and  that,  an  owl  watched  the  flying  frag- 
ments, as  much  as  to  say,  it  is  an  ill  wind  that  blows 
nobody  any  good. 


269 


CHAPTER    XX. 

THE  GRAVE  OF  A  GOLD-HUNTER. MOUNTAIN  SPURS. A  COMPANY  OF  SONO- 

RANIANS. A  NIGHT    ALARM. FIRST  VIEW  OF    THE    MINES. CHARACTER 

OF    THE     DEPOSITS. A    WOMAN    AND     HER    PAN. REMOVAL    TO     OTHER 

MINES. WILD  INDIANS  AND    THEIR    WEAPONS. COST  OF    PROVISIONS. 

A  PLUNGE  INTO  A  GOLD  RIVER. MACHINES  USED  BY  THE  GOLD-DIGGERS. 

Thursday,  Sept.  28.  We  slept  soundly  last  night. 
The  sun  had  been  up  an  hour  before  we  finished  our 
coffee  and  vaulted  into  our  saddles.  A  short  ride 
brought  us  to  the  San  Joaquin  river,  which  we 
crossed  in  the  primitive  way.  We  threw  our  sad- 
dles and  packs  into  a  boat,  and  then  getting  in  our- 
selves, rowed  off,  leading  at  the  stern  one  of  our 
little  mules,  called  Nina.  The  horses  being  driven 
in,  followed  in  her  wake  and  swam  to  the  opposite 
bank.  The  moment  they  reached  the  shore,  every 
one  lay  down  and  rolled,  covering  himself  with  a 
layer  of  sand.  My  own  for  once  seemed  to  have 
caught  the  mine  fever,  and  without  waiting  for  the 
saddle,  much  less  his  rider,  went  snorting  up  the 
bank. 

A  mile  or  two  further  on,  and  we  passed  the  grave 
of  one  whom  I  had  known  well  in  Monterey.  He 
was  a  young  man  of  many  amiable  and  excellent 
qualities ;  was  on  his  way  to  the  mines ;  but  in 
crossing  a  gulch,  now  entirely  dry,  but  through 
which  a  freshet  then  swept,  became  entangled  with 

23* 


270  TiinnE  vkar.>  i\  California. 

the  gearing  of  liis  horses,  and  was  drowned.  An 
evergreen  tree  throws  its  perpetual  shadows  on  the 
mound  where  he  rests,  and  the  wild  birds  sing  his 
reciuicMi.  His  widowed  mother,  who  dwells  by  the 
rushing  tide  of  the  Missouri,  will  long  look  for  his  re- 
turn, and  still  doubt  in  her  grief  the  story  of  his 
death.  But  never  will  her  eyes  again  rest  on  his. 
Till  the  heavens  be  no  more  he  shall  not  awake,  nor 
be  raised  out  of  his  sleep. 

Our  road  for  ten  miles  lay  through  a  level  plain 
corresponding  in  its  cheerless  aspect  to  that  we  had 
passed  on  the  other  side  of  the  San  Joaquin.  We 
encountered  a  drove  of  wild  elk  with  their  forest  of 
branching  horns,  but  they  kept  beyond  the  range  of 
our  rides,  and  our  horses  were  too  tired  to  be  put  on 
the  pursuit.  We  had  only  the  satisfaction  of  venting, 
in  words,  our  spleen  on  their  speed,  but  little  cared 
they  for  that.  They  run  away  at  times,  as  it  would 
seem,  from  their  own  horns,  for  our  road  was  strewn 
with  these  cast-off  coronets. 

Leaving  the  plain  we  ascended  into  a  rolling  coun- 
try lightly  timbered  with  oak,  pine,  and  birch.  We 
wound  rapidly  forward,  till  we  encountered  a  stream, 
and  a  plot  of  green  grass  which  had  escaped  the  fire 
that  had  been  straggling  about  among  the  hills.  We 
were  without  a  guide,  and  on  a  trail  which  at  times 
became  rather  faint  and  difficult,  and  no  one  knew 
where  we  might  next  meet  with  water,  so  we  teth- 
ered, collected  our  wood  for  the  night,  and  lit  our 
camp-fire.     We  had  no  more  potatoes  or  onions  for 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  271 

a  stew,  and  made  our  supper  on  broiled  pork,  hard 
bread,  and  coffee.  We  had  our  saddles  for  our  pil- 
lows, the  green  earth  for  our  couch,  and  the  bright 
stars  to  light  us  to  our  rest. 

Friday,  Sept.  29.  One  of  our  company  discov- 
ered near  our  camp  this  morning  a  little  lake,  with 
fish  darting  about  in  its  lucid  waters.  Our  twine 
was  soon  out  and  hooked,  the  alder  supplied  us  with 
poles,  and  we  answered  exactly  to  Dr.  Johnson's  defi- 
nition of  angling — "  Line  and  rod,  with  a  worm  at 
one  end  and  a  fool  at  the  other,"  for  not  a  fish  would 
bite ;  they  were  not  to  be  caught  with  a  poor  wrig- 
gling worm,  when  golden  flies  were  floating  about. 
They  were  fish  of  a  better  taste ;  and  we  had  to 
breakfast  as  we  had  done  before,  on  broiled  pork, 
hard  bread,  and  coffee.  A  famished  crow,  as  if  in 
sympathy  with  our  wants,  rattled  his  bones  near  by 
on  a  dry  limb. 

The  trail  which  we  were  following  accommodated 
itself  to  the  wild  country  through  which  it  lay.  The 
bold  bluff"  and  deep  chasm  bent  it  into  a  constant 
succession  of  quick  circles  and  sharp  angles.  The 
head  of  our  train  was  never  in  sight  of  those  who 
occupied  the  rear,  except  when  we  wound  over  those 
more  gradual  slopes  which  here  and  there  relieved 
the  ruggedness  of  the  landscape.  We  met  a  com- 
pany of  Californians  about  mid-day,  on  their  return 
from  the    mines,  and  a  more  forlorn  looking  group 


rj7t>  THREE  YEARS  I\  CALIFOEXIA. 

never  knocked  at  the  gate  of  a  pauper  asylum.  They 
were  most  of  them  dismounted,  with  rags  fastened 
round  their  bhstered  feet,  and  with  clubs  in  their 
hands,  with  which  they  were  trying  to  force  on  their 
skeleton  animals.  They  inquired  for  bread  and 
meat :  we  had  but  little  of  either,  but  shared  it  with 
them.  They  took  from  one  of  their  packs  a  large 
bag  of  gold,  and  began  to  shell  out  a  pound  or  two  in 
payment.  We  told  them  they  were  welcome ;  still 
they  seemed  anxious  to  pay,  and  we  were  obliged  to 
be  positive  in  our  refusal.  This  company,  as  I  after- 
wards ascertained,  had  with  them  over  a  hundred 
thousand  dollars  in  grain  gold.  One  of  them  had  the 
largest  lump  that  had  yet  been  found ;  it  weighed 
over  twenty  pounds  ;  and  he  seemed  almost  ready  to 
part  with  it  for  a  mess  of  pottage.  What  is  gold 
where  there  is  nothing  to  eat  ? — the  gilded  fly  of  the 
angler  in  a  troutless  stream. 

Saturday,  Sept.  30.  We  camped  last  night  in  a 
forest,  where  a  small  opening  let  in  the  sun's  rays 
upon  a  plot  of  green  grass  and  a  sparkling  spring. 
Our  slumbers  were  broken  in  the  night  by  the  dis- 
charge of  a  pistol  by  one  of  our  company,  who  saw, 
or  thought  he  saw,  a  wolf  snuffling  about  his  blanket. 
We  seized  our  arms,  thinking  the  wild  Indians  were 
u{»on  u.s,  but  found  no  enemy.  It  was  probably  the 
phantom  of  a  disturbed  dream.  We  scolded  the 
young  man  soundly  who  gave  the  alarm,  and  turned 
down  on  the  earth  again  to  finish  our  night's  repose. 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  273 

The  scenery,  as  we  advanced,  became  more  wild 
and  pictm-esque.  The  hills  lost  their  gentle  slopes, 
and  took  the  form  of  steep  and  rugged  cones  :  the 
mountain  ranges  were  broken  by  dark  and  rugged 
gorges  ;  over  crags  that  toppled  high  in  air,  the  soar- 
ing pine  threw  its  wild  music  on  the  wind ;  while 
merry  streams  dashed  down  the  precipitous  rocks,  as 
if  in  haste  to  greet  the  green  vale  below.  A  short 
distance  beyond  us  lay  the  richest  gold  mines  that  had 
yet  been  discovered  ;  and  nature,  as  if  to  guard  her 
treasures,  had  thrown  around  them  a  steep  mountain 
barrier.  This  frowning  wall  seemed  as  if  riven  in 
some  great  convulsion.  The  broad  chasm,  like  a 
break  in  a  huge  Roman  aqueduct,  dropped  to  the 
level  plain  ;  while  the  bold  bluffs  of  the  severed  bar- 
rier gazed  at  each  other  in  savage  grandeur.  Beyond 
this  gateway,  a  valley  wandered  for  some  distance, 
and  then  expanded  into  a  plain,  in  the  midst  of  which 
stood  a  beautiful  grove  of  oak  and  pine.  Crossing 
this,  we  wound  over  a  rough,  rocky  elevation,  and 
turned  suddenly  into  a  ravine,  up  which  we  discov- 
ered a  line  of  tents  glittering  in  the  sun's  rays.  We 
were  in  the  gold  mines  !  I  jumped  from  my  horse, 
took  a  pick,  and  in  five  minutes  found  a  piece  of  gold 
large  enough  to  make  a  signet-ring. 

We  had  the  unexpected  pleasure  of  meeting  here 
Gov.  Mason  and  Capt.  Sherman,  who  had  arrived  the 
evening  before  in  their  tour  of  observation ;  and  Dr. 
Ord,  recently  of  the  army,  and  Mr.  Taylor,  of  Mon- 
terey.     They  invited  us  to  their  camp  and  a  supper 


271  Timr.E  years  i\  California. 

which  we  enjoyed  with  a  keen  relish.  If  you  want 
to  know  what  it  is  to  have  an  appetite,  which  scruples 
at  nothing  and  enjoys  every  thing,  travel  on  horse- 
hack  and  sleep  in  the  open  air.  Railroads  and  hotels 
are  the  graves  of  invalids.  But  I  forgot  our  horses : 
we  could  find  no  grass  ;  there  was  a  poor  pasture 
several  miles  distant ;  but  it  was  now  near  sunset  ; 
we  gathered  acorns  for  them,  which  a  horse  will  eat 
when  pinched  with  hunger.  Our  camp-fire  was  kin- 
dled, and  we  rolled  down  for  the  night. 

Sunday,  Oct.  1.  Another  Sabbath,  and  our  first 
in  the  mines.  But  here  and  there  a  digger  has  re- 
sumed his  work.  With  most  it  is  a  day  of  rest,  not 
so  much  perhaps  from  religious  scruples,  as  a  convic- 
tion that  the  system  requires  and  must  have  repose. 
He  is  a  blind  philosopher,  as  w^ell  as  a  stupid  Chris- 
tian, who  cannot  see,  even  in  the  physical  benefits  of 
the  Sabbath,  motives  sufficient  to  sanctify  its  observ- 
ance. He  must  be  a  callous  soul,  who,  wdth  the  hope 
of  heaven  in  his  dreams,  can  wantonly  profane  its 
spirit. 

Monday,  Oct.  2.  I  went  among  the  gold-diggers ; 
found  half  a  dozen  at  the  bottom  of  the  ravine,  tear- 
ing up  the  bogs,  and  up  to  their  knees  in  mud.  Be- 
neath these  bogs  lay  a  bed  of  clay,  sprinkled  in  spots 
with  gold.  These  deposits,  and  the  earth  mixed  with 
them,  were  shovelled  into  bowls,  taken  to  a  pool  near 
by,  and  washed  out.     The  bowl,  in  working,  is  held 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  275 

in  both  hands,  whirled  violently  back  and  forth 
through  half  a  circle,  and  pitched  this  way  and  that 
sufficiently  to  throw  off  the  earth  and  water,  while 
the  gold  settles  to  th^  bottom.  The  process  is  ex- 
tremely laborious,  and  taxes  the  entire  muscles  of  the 
frame.  In  its  effect  it  is  more  like  swinging  a  scythe 
than  any  work  I  ever  attempted. 

Not  having  much  relish  for  the  bogs  and  mud,  I 
procured  a  light  crowbar  and  went  to  splitting  the  slate- 
rocks  which  project  into  the  ravine.  I  found  between 
the  layers,  which  were  not  perfectly  closed,  particles 
of  gold,  resembling  in  shape  the  small  and  delicate 
scales  of  a  fish.  These  were  easily  scraped  from  the 
slate  by  a  hunter's  knife,  and  readily  separated  in  the 
wash-bowl  from  all  foreign  substances.  The  layers 
in  which  they  were  found  generally  inclined  from  a 
vertical  or  horizontal  position,  and  formed  an  acute 
angle  with  the  bank  of  the  ravine,  in  the  direction  of 
the  current.  In  the  reverse  of  this  position,  and 
where  the  inclination  was  with  the  current,  they 
rarely  contained  any  gold.  The  inference  would 
seem  to  be,  that  these  deposits  are  made  by  the  cur- 
rents when  swelled  by  the  winter  rains,  and  poured 
in  a  rushing  tide  down  these  channels.  It  is  only  the 
most  rapid  stream  that  can  carry  this  treasure,  and 
even  that  must  soon  resign  it  to  some  eddy,  or  the 
rock  that  paves  its  footsteps. 

There  are  about  seventy  persons  at  work  in  this 
ravine,  and  all  within  a  few  yards  of  each  other. 
They  average  about  one  ounce  per  diem  each.    They 


i»76  THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

who  get  less  are  discontented,  and  they  who  get  more 
are  not  satisfied.  '  Every  day  brings  in  some  fresh 
report  of  richer  discoveries  in  some  quarter  not  far 
remote,  and  the  diggers  are  consequently  kept  in  a 
slate  of  feverish  excitement.  One  woman,  a  Sonora- 
nian,  who  was  washing  here,  finding  at  the  bottom 
of  her  bowl  only  the  amount  of  half  a  dollar  or  so, 
hurled  it  back  again  into  the  water,  and  straightening 
herself  up  to  her  full  height,  strode  off  with  the  indig- 
nant air  of  one  who  feels  himself  insulted.  Poor 
woman  !  how  little  thou  knowest  of  those  patient 
females,  who  in  our  large  cities  make  a  shirt  or  vest 
for  ten  cents!  Were  an  ounce  of  diamonds  to  fall 
into  one  of  our  hands  every  day,  we  should  hold  out 
the  other  just  as  eager  and  impatient  as  if  its  fellow 
were  empty.  Such  is  human  nature  ;  and  a  misera- 
ble thing  it  is,  too,  especially  when  touched  with  the 
gold  fever. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  3.  We  parted  to-day  with  the  so- 
ciety of  Mr.  Stewart  and  Mr.  Simmons  :  they  were 
on  a  tour  of  observation  ;  were  bound  to  Sutter's 
Fort,  and  availed  themselves  of  the  company  of  Gov. 
Mason  and  Capt.  Sherman,  who  were  soinof  in  the 
same  direction  ;  may  they  have  an  agreeable  journey, 
and  each  find  a  lump  of  gold  as  big  as  Vulcan's  anvil. 
We  ordered  up  our  own  horses,  packed  our  mules, 
and  started  for  a  ravine  some  seven  miles  distant. 
Our  path  lay  over  the  spur  of  a  mountain,  so  ruo-aed 
and   steep  that  we  were  obliged  to  dismount.     The 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  277 

soaring  masses  were  piled  around  us  in  the  wildest 
sublimity,  presenting  those  thunder-scarred  fronts 
which  the  volcano  in  its  terrific  energy  throws  into 
the  eye  of  the  sun.  You  had  a  dim  persuasion  that 
some  fearful  charm,  some  unseen  treasure  lurked  in 
the  sunless  recesses  of  these  stupendous  piles  ;  and  so 
it  seemed,  for  out  walked  a  grizzly  bear  from  a  moun- 
tain gorge,  and  fixed  his  burning  eyes  steadfastly  on 
us.  Not  being  certain  of  our  rifles,  as  we  had  not 
used  them  for  several  days,  we  deemed  prudence  the 
better  part  of  valor,  and  gave  the  old  monarch  of  the 
woods  a  pretty  wide  berth. 

We  examined  several  spots  on  our  route  for  gold, 
but  found  none,  either  on  the  table-rock,  or  in  the 
channels  of  the  mountain  streams.  If  it  ever  existed 
there,  it  had  been  swept  below,  or  remained  in  the 
veins  of  the  rock  beyond  the  reach  of  pickaxe  and 
spade.  On  the  plain  we  fell  in  with  the  camp  of  Mr. 
Murphy,  who  invited  us  into  his  tent,  and  set  before 
us  refreshments  that  would  have  graced  a  scene  less 
wild  than  this.  His  tent  is  pitched  in  the  midst  of  a 
small  tribe  of  wild  Indians  who  gather  gold  for  him, 
and  receive  in  return  provisions  and  blankets.  He 
knocks  down  two  bullocks  a  day  to  furnish  them  with 
meat.  Though  never  before  within  the  wake  of 
civilization,  they  respect  his  person  and  pro;;isrty. 
This,  however,  is  to  be  ascribed  in  part  to  the  fact 
that  he  has  married  the  daughter  of  the  chief — a 
young  woman  of  many  personal  attractions,  and  full 
of  that  warm  wild  love  which  makes  her  the  Haide 

24 


278  THREE  YEARS   IN   CALIFOUMA. 

of  the  woods.  She  is  the  queen  of  the  tribe,  and 
walks  among  them  with  the  air  of  one  on  whom  au- 
thority sets  as  a  native  grace,— a  charm  which  all 
feel,  and  of  which  she  seems  the  least  conscious. 

The  men  and  boys  were  busy  with  their  bows  and 
arrows.  A  difficulty  had  arisen  between  this  tribe 
and  one  not  far  remote,  and  they  were  expecting  an 
attack.  Though  the  less  powerful  tribe  of  the  two, 
they  seemed  not  the  least  dismayed.  The  old  men 
looked  stern  and  grave,  but  the  boys  were  full  of  glee 
as  if  mustering  for  a  deer-hunt.  The  mothers  with 
Spartan  coolness  were  engaged  in  pointing  arrows 
with  flint  stones,  so  shaped  that  they  easily  penetrate 
and  break  oft"  in  the  eftbrt  to  extract  them,  and  always 
leave  an  ugly  wound.  They  project  these  arrows 
from  their  bows  with  incredible  force,  often  burying 
them  to  the  feather  in  the  luckless  elk  ;  the  deer  gives 
his  last  life-bound  and  falls,  while  the  unsuspecting 
foe  drops  unwarned  from  his  saddle.  I  saw  no  signs 
of  intoxication  among  these  Indians,  and  was  told  by 
Mr.  Murphy  that  he  allowed  no  liquors  in  the  camp. 
He  said  a  trader  brought  there  a  few  days  since  a 
barrel  of  rum,  and  that  he  gave  him  exactly  five 
minutes  in  which  to  decide  whether  he  would  quit 
the  grounds,  or  have  the  head  of  the  barrel  knocked 
in.  He  of  course  took  his  fire-curse  to  some  other 
place. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  4.  Our  camping-ground  is  in  a 
broad  ravine  through  which  a  rivulet  wanders,  and 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  279 

which  is  dotted  with  the  frequent  tents  of  gold-dig- 
gers. The  sounds  of  the  crowbar  and  pick,  as  they 
shake  or  shiver  the  rock,  ai-e  echoed  from  a  thousand 
cHffs  ;  while  the  hum  of  human  voices  rolls  off  on 
the  breeze  to  mingle  with  the  barking  of  wolves, 
who  regard  with  no  friendly  eyes  this  intrusion  into 
their  solitude.  They  resemble  their  great  progene- 
trix,  trembling  in  stone,  as  the  Vandals  broke  into 
Rome.  But  little  care  the  gold-diggers  about  the 
wolves,  it  is  enough  for  them  to  know  that  this  ra- 
vine contains  gold  ;  and  it  must  be  dug  out,  though  an 
earthquake  may  slumber  beneath.  If  you  want  to 
find  men  prepared  to  storm  the  burning  threshold  of 
the  infernal  prison,  go  among  gold-diggers. 

The  provisions  with  which  we  left  San  Jose  are  gone, 
and  we  have  been  obliged  to  supply  ourselves  here. 
We  pay  at  the  rate  of  four  hundred  dollars  a  barrel 
for  flour  ;  four  dollars  a  pound^jm'jDOorJjxawe-sttga*^ — 
andTour  dollars  a  pound  for  indifferent  coffee.  And 
as  for'^Tireal,  there  is  nonT^foTbe  gof^xcept  jerked-  i^ C? 


beef,  which  is  the  flesh  of  the  bullock  cut  nito  strings 
and  hung  up  in  the  sun  to  dry,  and  which  has  about 
as  much  juice  in  it  as  a  strip  of  bark  dangling  in  the 
wind  from  a  dead  tree.  Still,  when  moistened  and 
toasted,  it  will  do  something  towards  sustaining  life  ; 
so  also  will  the  sole  of  your  shoe.  And  yet  I  have 
seen  men  set  and  grind  it  as  if  it  were  nutritious  and 
sweetly  flavored.  Oh  ye  who  lose  your  temper  be- 
cause your  sirloin  has  rolled  once  too  much  on  the  spit, 
come  to  the  mines  of  California  and  eat  jerked-beef! 


290  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORXTA. 

Thursday,  Oct.  5.  The  rivulet,  which  waters  the 
ravine,  collects  here  and  there  into  deep  pools.  Over 
one  of  these  a  low  limb  had  thrown  itself,  upon  which 
I  ventured  out  with  an  apparatus  for  scooping  up  the 
sand  at  the  bottom.  But  just  as  I  had  lowered  my 
dipper  the  limb  broke,  and  down  I  went  to  the  chin 
in  water.  It  was  some  minutes  before  I  could  extri- 
cate myself,  and  when  I  did  there  was  not  a  dry 
thread  on  my  body.  The  chill  of  the  stream  reduced 
the  gold  fever  in  me  very  considerably.  I  had 
brought  no  outward  garments  but  those  in  which  I 
stood ;  I  wrung  out  the  water  and  hung  them  up  in 
the  sun  to  dry,  and  wound  myself,  like  an  Indian,  in 
my  blanket.  But  I  was  not  more  savage  in  my  as- 
pect than  in  my  feelings.  This,  however,  soon  passed 
otr,  and  I  could  laugh  with  others  at  the  gold  plunge. 
But  nothing  is  a  novelty  here  for  more  than  a  min- 
ute ;  were  a  man  to  cast  his  skin  or  lose  his  head,  no 
one  would  stop  to  inquire  if  he  had  recovered  either, 
unless  they  suspected  foul  play,  and  then  they  would 
arraign  and  execute  the  culprit  before  one  of  our  law- 
yers could  pen  an  indictment.   "^ 

Friday,  Oct.  6.  The  most  efficient  gold-washer 
here  is  the  cradle,  which  resembles  in  shape  that  ap- 
pendage of  the  nursery,  from  which  it  takes  its  name. 
It  is  nine  or  ten  feet  long,  open  at  one  end  and  closed 
at  the  other.  At  the  end  which  is  closed,  a  sheet-iron 
pan,  four  inches  deep,  and  sixteen  over,  and  perfo- 
rated in   the  bottom  with  holes,  is  let  in  even  with 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  281 

the  sides  of  the  cradle.  The  earth  is  thrown  into  the 
pan,  water  turned  on  it,  and  the  cradle,  which  is  on 
an  inclined  plane,  set  in  motion.  The  earth  and 
water  pass  through  the  pan,  and  then  down  the  cra- 
dle, while  the  gold,  owing  to  its  specific  gravity,  is 
caught  by  elects  fastened  across  the  bottom.  Very 
little  escapes ;  it  generally  lodges  before  it  reaches 
the  last  cleet.  It  requires  four  or  five  men  to  supply 
the  earth  and  water  to  work  such  a  machine  to  ad- 
vantage. The  quantity  of  gold  washed  out  must  de- 
pend on  the  relative  proportion  of  gold  in  the  earth. 
The  one  worked  in  this  ravine  yields  a  hundred  dol- 
lars a  day  ;  but  this  is  considered  a  slender  result. 
Most  of  the  diggers  use  the  bowl  or  pan  ;  its  lightness 
never  embarrasses  their  roving  habits ;  and  it  can  be 
put  in  motion  wherever  they  may  find  a  stream  or 
spring.  It  can  be  purchased  now  in  the  mines  i'or 
five  or  six  dollars  ;  a  few  months  since  it  cost  an 
ounce — sixteen  dollars  for  a  wooden  bowl !  But  I 
have  seen  twenty-four  dollars  paid  for  ajx)x  of  seid- 
litz-powders,  and  forty  dollars  for  as  many  drops  of 

laudanum. 

24* 


282 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

LUMP    OK    GOLD     LOST.— INDIANS    AT    THEIR     GAME    OF    ARROWS.— CAMP 

OK  THE  GOLD- HUNTERS. A  SONORAMA.V  GOLD-DIGGER. SABBATH  r\  THE 

MIXES.— THE  G1A.\T  WELCHMAN. — NATURE  OF  GOLD  DEPOSITS. — AVERAGE 
PER  M.O*. — NEW  DISCOVERIES. 

Saturday,  Oct.  7.  I  had  come  to  the  mines  with- 
out a  pick,  but  this  morning  fell  in  with  a  trader  who 
had  one  for  sale  :  his  price  was  ten  dollars  in  specie, 
or  eighteen  in  gold  dust.  I  gave  him  the  specie  ;  the 
pick  weighed  about  four  pounds,  was  of  rude  manu- 
facture, and  without  a  handle  ;  but  this  appendage 
was  readily  supplied  from  the  limb  of  an  ash.  Thus 
accoutred  I  strode  down  the  ravine,  not  doubting  but 
what  I  should,  before  night,  strike  upon  some  deposit 
which  would  fill  my  pockets.  Passing  groups  who 
were  engaged  in  digging  into  this  bank  and  that,  I 
fell  in  with  a  sailor,  whom  I  recognized  as  one  of  the 
men  who  had  been  honorably  discharged  from  the 
Savannah.  He  was  gi'oping  about  as  if  in  quest  of 
something  he  had  lost.  "  What  is  the  matter,  Jones?" 
I  inquired  ;  he  sprung  to  his  feet,  gave  me  his  rough 
hand,  and  pointed  to  a  cliff  which  overhung  the  glen. 
"  There,  on  that  crag,"  said  he,  "  I  have  been  at  work 
ever  since  the  peep  of  day,  and  got  out  several  bits 
of  gold,  and  one  good-sized  lump:  I  put  them  in  my 
tin  run.  when,  striking  away  again,  my  pick  glanced, 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  283 

struck  the  cup,  and  knocked  it,  gold  and  all,  half-way 
across  this  ravine ;  and  I  might  as  well  hunt  a  clam 
in  the  Pacific  as  that  gold,  though  it  was  a  jewel  of  a 
piece — the  biggest  I  have  seen  here."  So  I  laid  down 
my  pick,  ascended  the  cliff,  ascertained,  as  near  as 
possible,  the  direction  in  which  the  cup  flew,  and 
commenced  the  search.  Every  bunch  of  leaves,  eve- 
ry hole  and  gulley  were  examined,  and  the  cup  re- 
covered, but  the  gold  was  not  in  it. 

Fatigued,  I  threw  myself  into  the  shade  of  a  scrub- 
oak,  and  went  to  sleep ;  but  the  gold  of  poor  Jones 
glanced  through  my  dreams.  I  saw,  in  that  fantastic 
realm,  a  small  birch-tree,  a  bubbling  spring  at  its 
root,  and  in  its  fount  a  piece  of  gold.  I  seemed  to 
know  at  the  time  it  was  only  a  dream  ;  still  the  pic- 
ture remained  in  my  mind  so  clear,  so  distinct,  that 
on  awaking  I  identified  at  a  glance  the  birch,  and 
springing  to  its  root  found  the  little  fount,  and  with  a 
hoe  fetched  up  the  piece  of  gold  ! — the  same  that  had 
been  lost,  for  none  other  could  answer  so  exactly  to 
the  description  which  had  been  given.  It  weighed 
about  three  ounces,  but  did  not  seem  larger  than  the 
sparkling  eye  of  the  sailor  as  I  placed  it  in  his  hand. 
They  may  laugh  who  will  at  dreams,  but  now  and 
then  some  Sibyl  leaf  floats  through  them.  I  tried  to 
dream  again  where  gold  might  be  found ;  saw  plenty 
of  birch-trees  and  fountains,  but  never  discovered  an 
ingot  in  either. 

Monday,  Oct.  9.     On  returnmg  to  our  campmg- 


28^4  THREE  YEAnS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

tree  this  afternoon,  I  found  three  wild  Indians  quietly 
squatted  in  its  shade.  They  had  been  attracted  there 
by  a  red  belt,  which  hung  from  one  of  the  limbs. 
They  could  speak  only  their  native  dialect,  not  a 
word  of  which  could  I  understand.  We  had  to  make 
ourselves  intelligible  by  signs.  They  wanted  to  pur- 
chase the  belt,  and  each  laid  down  a  piece  of  gold, 
which  were  worth  in  the  aggregate  some  two  hun- 
dred dollars.  I  took  one  of  the  pieces,  and  gave  the 
Indian  to  whom  it  belonged  the  belt.  They  made 
signs  for  a  piece  of  coin  ;  I  offered  them  an  eagle, 
but  it  was  not  what  they  wanted, — a  Spanish  mill 
dollar,  but  they  wanted  something  smaller, — a  fifty- 
cent  piece,  and  they  signified  it  would  do.  Taking 
the  coin  they  fastened  it  in  the  end  of  a  stick,  so  as 
to  expose  nearly  the  entire  circle,  and  set  it  up  about 
forty  yards  distant.  They  then  cast  lots  by  a  bone, 
which  they  threw  into  the  air,  for  the  order  in  which 
they  should  discharge  their  arrows.  The  one  who 
had  the  first  shot,  drew  his  long  sinewy  bow  and 
missed  ;  the  second,  he  missed ;  the  third,  and  he 
missed, — though  the  arrow  of  each  flew  so  near  the 
coin  it  would  have  killed  a  deer  at  that  distance. 
The  second  now  shot  first  and  grazed  the  coin  ;  then 
the  third,  who  broke  his  string  and  shot  with  the  bow 
of  the  second,  but  missed  ;  and  now  the  first  took  his 
turn,  and  struck  the  coin,  whirling  it  off  at  a  great 
distance.  The  other  two  gave  him  the  belt,  which 
he  tied  around  his  head  instead  of  his  blanket,  and 
away  they  started  over  the  hills,  full  of  wild  life  and 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  285 

glee,  leaving  the  coin,  as  a  thing  of  no  importance,  in 
the  bushes  where  it  had  been  whirled. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  10.  My  companions,  who  have 
been  out  on  a  gold-hunt  for  several  hours,  have  just 
returned,  bringing  with  them  about  an  ounce  of  gold 
each.  They  are  so  thoroughly  fatigued  they  prefer 
sleep  to  a  dinner,  connected  with  the  trouble  of  pre- 
paring it.  And  there  is  no  other  way  here  ;  every 
man  is  obliged  to  be  his  own  cook.  We  have  our 
henchman,  it  is  true,  but  he  is  in  a  ravine  some  four 
miles  distant,  in  charge  of  our  horses  and  mules.  If 
he  will  keep  them  from  straying,  or  being  stolen  by 
the  wild  Indians,  we  shall  be  content  to  wait  on  our- 
selves. Several  of  the  persons  at  work  in  the  ravine 
turned  their  horses  adrift  on  their  arrival,  which  they 
might  safely  do,  for  the  poor  things  have  not  got 
strength  enough  to  climb  its  steep  sides.  They  sub- 
sist on  the  acorns  which  they  gather,  and  a  few  tufts 
of  grass  as  dry  and  scorched  as  the  clover  over  which 
the  flames  of  Sodom  rolled.  But  what  think  men  of 
the  hunger  or  thirst  of  dumb  animals,  when  the  gold 
fever  is  throwing  its  circle  of  fire  around  the  soul. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  11.  It  is  near  sunset,  and  the 
gold-diggers  are  returning  from  their  labors,  each  one 
bearing  on  his  head  a  brush-heap,  with  which  he  will 
kindle  his  evening  fire.  Their  wild  halloos,  as  they 
come  in,  fill  the  cliffs  with  their  echoes.  All  are 
merry,  whatever  may  have  been  the  fortunes  of  the 


280  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

iluv  With  them.  Not  one  among  the  whole  can  an- 
ticipate a  more  luxurious  supper  than  a  cake  baked 
in  the  ashes,  with  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  bit  of  jerked- 
beef,  except  in  the  case  of  a  new-comer,  who  has 
I)rought  with  him  a  few  pounds  of  buckwheat  flour ; 
lie  can  have  a  pancake,  that  is  if  he  has  any  thing 
with  which  to  grease  his  pan,  which  is  extremely 
doubtful.  There  is  not  a  bottle  of  liquor  in  the  ra- 
vine, and  every  one  must,  per  force,  turn  in  sober. 
Every  streamlet  preaches  temperance,  and  the  wind- 
stirred  pine  sings  its  soft  eulogy  on  the  charmed  air. 

Thursday,  Oct.  12.  I  found  near  our  camp  this 
morning  a  boulder  of  trap  and  quartz  w'hich  had 
evidently  travelled  some  distance,  as  nothing  of  the 
kind  existed  in  the  ravine.  I  had  no  means  of  de- 
molishing the  mass,  and  could  with  my  pick  only  dis- 
lodge a  few  of  the  quartz :  these  I  found  veined  with 
gold.  But  it  is  the  only  specimen  of  this  combina- 
tion with  which  I  have  met.  Where  the  fellow  came 
from,  I  know  not ;  but  had  he  tumbled  into  New  York 
or  Philadelphia,  instead  of  this  Canada,  the  whole 
community  would  have  been  filled  with  prattling 
wonders.  How  much  the  marvellous  depends  on  cir- 
cumstances ! 

Friday,  Oct.  13.  I  passed  a  few  days  since  a 
Sonoranian  at  work  against  a  steep  bank  of  decom- 
posed granite  and  clay,  which  was  so  firm  that  he 
could  hardly  make   an   impression  upon  it  with  a 


> 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  287 

heavy  sharp-pointed  crowbar.  "And  what,  my  friend," 
I  inquired,  "  are  you  going  to  get  out  there  ?"  to  which 
he  rephed,  "  A  pocket  of  gold,  sir,  as  soon  as  I  can 
reach  it."  "  And  what  makes  you  think,"  I  con- 
tinued, "  that  you  will  find  a  deposit  there  ?"  to  which 
he  responded,  "  Do  you  see  that  blow-hole  on  the  \^\y\ 
other  side  of  the  ravine,  where  the  slate  rock  stands  p^  \  \ 
out  so  rough,  with  a  savage  mouth  in  the  centre  ? 
Well,  sir,  that  was  the  devil's  blow-hole,  and  he  bio  wed 
the  gold  straight  across  the  ravine  into  this  bank, 
where  I  wall  find  it,  if  I  work  long  enough."  I  thought  j 

him  some  half-crazy  fellow,  and  passed  on.     He  dug  ! 

away  all  that  day  without  reaching  his  pocket ;  but 
on  the  following  day  took  out  two  pounds  of  gold,  in 
small  pieces,  resembling  in  shape  the  seeds  of  the 
watermellon.  As  soon  as  this  was  known,  four  of 
the  New  York  volunteers  struck  in  each  side  of  the 
Sonoranian,  and  dug  him  out ;  and  the  old  man  very 
quietly  retired.  The  intruders  dug  away  through  the 
remainder  of  the  day,  but  found  no  gold,  and  then 
quit  the  spot,  concluding  that  the  Sonoranian  had  got 
out  the  only  pocket  which  existed  there.  The  next 
morning,  however,  the  Sonoranian  renewed  his  attack 
on  the  bank,  and  with  his  sharp-pointed  crow-bar  and 
pick,  penetrated  beyond  the  layer  where  the  volun- 
teers had  knocked  off.  Before  night  he  struck  an- 
other pocket,  and  took  out  a  pound  and  a  half  of 
gold  of  the  same  shape  and  size  as  the  other.  The 
volunteers  were  now  roused,  and  returned  to  the  spot, 
determined  to  dig  down  the  whole  bank  ;  but  one  day 


288  TIIRHE  YEARS   IN'  CALIFORNIA. 

of  hard  work,  unrewarded  by  a  single  particle  of  gold, 
was  enough.  They  quitted  the  bank  in  disgust.  The 
oM  Sonorauian  told  me  it  contained  no  more  pockets. 
1  lis  theory  about  the  blow-hole  is  by  no  means  confined 
to  his  own  wild  imagination  ;  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Black,  who  is  one  of  the  most  successful  gold-hunters 
in  the  ravine,  is  guided,  in  his  researches,  by  the  same 
seemingly  absurd  theory.  It  is  possible  that  these 
blow-holes,  as  they  are  called,  were  the  vents  of  vol- 
canoes, performing  the  same  functions  as  those  found 
beneath  the  shaking  cone  of  Etna. 

Saturday,  Oct.  14.  A  party  of  seven  Americans 
are  just  in  from  the  higher  slopes  of  the  Sierra,  where 
they  have  been  prospecting  for  gold.  They  penetra- 
ted to  the  snow,  tearing  up  roots,  overturning  rocks, 
and  draining  fountains,  but  discovering  no  gold.  It 
is  the  foot  range  of  the  Sierra  that  contains  the  de- 
posits ;  this  has  been  cut  into  segments  by  rapid 
streams,  rising  higher  up,  and  which  have  sunk  their 
channels  into  deep  gorges.  The  larger  portion  of  the 
gold,  subjected  to  the  action  of  these  torrents,  has 
been  swept  out  upon  the  plain,  or  buried  deep  in 
some  nearer  undulation,  where  it  \vill  I'emain  undis- 
turbed till  the  deposits  nearer  the  surface  have  been  ex- 
hausted. These  deeper  treasures,  like  the  inhumed  re- 
mains of  a  Herculaneum,  will  then  be  brought  to  light. 

SuxDAY,  Oct.  15.  A  quiet  day  among  the  gold- 
diggers  ;  but  few  are  at  work  with  pick  or  pan  ; 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  289 

small  parties  have  gone  over  the  hills  "  prospecting," 
but  the  masses  are  beneath  the  oak  and  pines,  which 
shadow  the  canadas.  Missionaries  might  find  a  field 
here  in  this  rolling  population  ;  the  waving  grain,  as 
well  as  the  still,  falls  before  the  sickle  of  the  reaper. 
There  is  something  inspiring  in  wild- wood  worship ;  jy 
you  are  with  nature  and  nature's  God  :  every  thing 
around  you  trembles  in  the  breath  of  the  Almighty  : 
the  glad  rivulet  whispers  his  name,  and  the  pine-grove 
pours  its  sweeping  anthem ;  your  spirit  soars  on 
lighter  wings,  and  religion  becomes,  as  another  has 
beautifully  expressed  it,  the  play  of  the  soul  in  the 
sunbeams  of  God. 

Monday,  Oct.  16.  I  encountered  this  morning,  in 
the  person  of  a  Welchman,  a  pretty  marked  specimen 
of  the  gold-digger.  He  stood  some  six  feet  eight  in 
his  shoes,  with  giant  limbs  and  frame.  A  leather 
strap  fastened  his  coarse  trowsers  above  his  hips,  and 
confined  the  flowing  bunt  of  his  flannel  shirt.  A 
broad-rimmed  hat  sheltered  his  browny  features,  while 
his  unshorn  beard  and  hair  flowed  in  tangled  confu- 
sion to  his  waist.  To  his  back  was  lashed  a  blanket 
and  bag  of  provisions  ;  on  one  shoulder  rested  a  huge 
crowbar,  to  which  were  hung  a  gold-washer  and  skil- 
let ;  on  the  other  rested  a  rifle,  a  spade,  and  pick,  from 
which  dangled  a  cup  and  pair  of  heavy  shoes.  He 
recognized  me  as  the  magistrate  who  had  once  ar- 
rested him  for  a  breach  of  the  peace.  "  Well,  Senor 
Alcalde,"  said  he,  "  I  am  glad  to  see  you  in  these  dig- 

25 


•j;)0  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

fMngs.  You  had  some  trouble  with  me  in  Monterey  ; 
I  was  on  a  burster ;  you  did  your  duty,  and  I  respect 
vou  for  it ;  and  now  let  me  settle  the  difference  be- 
tween us  with  a  bit  of  gold :  it  shall  be  the  first  I 
strike  under  this  bog."  I  told  him  there  was  no  differ- 
ence between  us ;  that  I  knew  at  the  time  it  was  rum 
which  had  raised  the  rumpus.  But  before  I  had  fin- 
ished my  disclaiming  speech,  his  traps  were  on  the 
ground,  and  his  heavy  pick  was  tearing  up  bog  after 
bog  from  the  marl  in  which  it  had  struck  its  tangling 
roots.  These  removed,  he  struck  a  layer  of  clay  : 
"  Here  she  comes !"  he  ejaculated,  and  turned  out  a 
piece  of  gold  that  would  weigh  an  ounce  or  more. 
"  There,"  said  he,  "  Senor  Alcalde,  accept  that ;  and 
when  you  reach  home,  where  I  hope  you  will  find 
all  well,  have  a  bracelet  made  of  it  for  your  good 
lady." 

He  continued  to  dig  around  the  same  place,  but 
during  the  hour  I  remained  with  him  found  no  other 
piece  of  gold — not  a  particle.  This  is  no  uncommon 
thing  ;  I  have  seen  a  piece  weighing  six  ounces  taken 
from  some  little  curve  in  a  bank  undulating  in  its 
bed,  while  not  another  of  any  size,  after  the  most  la- 
borious search,  could  be  found  in  its  vicinity.  This 
holds  true  of  the  larger  pieces,  but  rarely  of  the  scale 
gold.  Where  you  find  half  an  ounce  of  that,  you 
may  be  pretty  sure  there  is  more  near  by.  The 
same  law  which  deposited  that,  has  carried  its  results 
much  further ;  and  you  will  find  a  clue  to  them  in 
the  curves  of  the  channel,  or  the  character  and  posi- 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  291 

tion  of  the  rocks  which  project  into  it.  If  the  projec- 
tion is  smooth,  or  forms  an  obtuse  angle  with  the 
current,  there  is  no  gold  there,  and  you  must  look  to 
the  eddy  directly  below  it.  This  eddy,  or  its  deposit, 
can  be  examined  only  when  the  water  has  subsided. 
During  the  rainy  season,  and  when  the  snows  are 
melting  on  the  Sierra,  no  such  investigations  can  be 
successfully  prosecuted.  Of  all  metals  the  most  diffi- 
cult to  reach  and  secure  under  water  is  gold.  It  has 
a  thousand  modes  of  eluding  your  search,  and  escap- 
ing your  scooping  implements. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  17.  A  German  this  morning,  pick- 
ing a  hole  in  the  ground,  near  our  camping-tree,  for 
a  tent-pole,  struck  a  piece  of  gold,  weighing  about 
three  ounces.  As  soon  as  it  was  known,  some  forty 
picks  were  flying  into  the  earth  all  around  the  spot. 
You  would  have  thought  the  ground  had  suddenly 
caved  over  some  human  being,  who  must  be  instant- 
ly disenhumed  or  die.  But  the  fellow  sought  was 
not  the  companion  of  the  digger,  but  the  mate  of  the 
yellow  boy  accidentally  found  by  the  German.  But 
no  such  mate  was  discovered ;  the  one  found  had 
slumbered  thus  alone  like  Adam  before  the  birth  of 
Eve.  How  solitary  that  couch,  though  in  Paradise ! 
Think  of  that,  ye  devotees  of  celibacy,  who  people 
your  dreams  with  fairies,  and  imagine  a  bliss  amid 
the  wrecks  of  the  fall,  which  was  not  the  portion  of 
man  even  before  that  moral  catastrophe. 

But  I  forget  the  piece  of  gold  ;  no  fellow  was  found 


202         THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

for  it  here ;  but  in  a  ravine,  seven  miles  distant,  a 
little  girl  this  morning  picked  up  what  she  thought  a 
curious  stone,  and  brought  it  to  her  mother,  who,  on 
removing  the  extraneous  matter,  found  it  a  lump  of 
pure  gold,  weighing  between  six  and  seven  pounds. 
The  news  of  this  discovery  silenced  all  the  picks 
here  for  half  an  hour,  and  set  as  many  tongues  going 
in  their  places.  Twenty  or  thirty  started  at  once  to 
explore  the  wonders  of  this  new  locality.  Gold 
among  hunters,  like  a  magnet  in  the  midst  of  ferrugi- ' 
nous  bodies,  attracts  every  thing  to  itself 

^  Wednesday,  Oct.  18.  We  are  camped  in  the 
centre  of  the  gold  mines,  in  the  heart  of  the  richest 
deposits  which  have  been  found,  and  where  there  are 
many  hundred  at  work.  I  have  taken  some  pains  to 
ascertain  the  average  per  man  that  is  got  out ;  it 
must  be  less  than  half  an  ounce  per  day.  It  might 
be  more  were  there  any  stability  among  the  diggers ; 
but  half  their  time  is  consumed  in  what  they  call 
prospecting ;  that  is,  looking  up  new  deposits.  An 
idle  rumor,  or  mere  surmise,  will  carry  them  off  in  this 
direction  or  that,  when  perhaps  they  gathered  noth- 
ing for  their  weariness  and  toil.  A  locality  where 
an  ounce  a  day  can  be  obtained  by  patient  labor  is 
constantly  left  for  another,  which  rumor  has  enriched 
with  more  generous  deposits,  jk  They  who  decry  this 
nistability  in  others,  may  hold  out  for  a  time,  but 
yield  at  last  to  the  same  phrensied  fickleness.  I  have 
never  met  with  one  who  had  the  strength  of  purpose 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  293 

to  resist  these  roving  temptations.  He  will  not  swing 
a  pick  for  an  ounce  a  day,  with  tlig  runjtpr  of  ^Qynds 
ringing  in  his  ears.  He  shoulders  his  implements  to 
chase  this  phantom  of  ho|De. 

Thursday,  Oct.  19.  All  the  gold-diggers  through 
the  entire  encampment,  were  shaken  out  of  their 
slumbers  this  morning  by  a  report  that  a  soliti  pocket 
of  gold  had  been  discovered  in  a  bend  of  jJie_Stanis-  ^ 
laus.  In  half  an  hour  a  motley  multitude,  covered 
with  crowbarsT^pickaxes,  spades,  rifles,  and  wash- 
bowls, went  streaming  over  the  hills  in  the  direction 
of  the  new  deposits.  You"woiITd  have  thought  some 
fortress  was  to  be  stormed,  or  some  citadel  sapped. 
I  had  seen  too  much  of  these  rumored  banks  of  gold 
to  be  moved  from  my  propriety,  and  remained  under 
my  old  camping-tree.  Near  this  I  pecked  out  from  a 
small  crevice  of  slate  rock,  a  piece  weighing  about 
half  an  ounce.  It  had  evidently  travelled  some  dis- 
tance, and  taken  refuge  from  the  propulsive  storms  of 
ages  in  this  little  hiding-place,  as  a  good  man  from 
the  persecutions  of  the  world  glides  down  at  last  to 
his  sainted  repose.  But  I  have  no  compunction  for 
having  disturbed  this  piece  of  gold  ;  it  may  yet  be 
shaped  into  an  ear-drop,  and  kiss  the  envied  cheek  of 
beauty ;  or  it  may  be  studded  with  diamonds,  and 
swell  on  a  billow  that  seems  to  blush  at  the  flash  of 
its  ray ;  or  it  may  be  shaped  into  the  marriage-ring, 
and  set  its  seal  on  the  purest  bliss  that  greets  the 
visits  of  angels  ;  or  it  may  be  stamped  into  a  coin, 


I 


or)  I  TIIKEE  YEARS  I\  CALIFORNIA. 

and  as  it  dro]is  into  the  hands  of  the  widow  or  or- 
jihan,  prove  that — 

"  The  secret  pleasure  of  a  generous  act 
Is  the  great  mind's  great  bribe." 

But  evening  is  returning,  and  with  it  the  gold-dig- 
gers from  their  pursuit  of  the  new  deposit.  Their 
jokes,  as  they  clatter  down  the  slopes  of  the  ravine, 
are  sufficient  evidence  that  they  have  been  on  a  wild- 
goose  chase.  Disappointment  will  make  a  single  man 
sober,  but  when  it  falls  on  a  multitude,  is  often  con- 
verted into  a  source  of  railery  and  fun.  There  is 
something  extremely  consoling  in  having  the  com- 
pany of  others,  when  we  have  been  duped  through 
our  vanity  or  exaggerated  hopes.  This  comfort  was 
deeply  felt  by  the  diggers  this  evening.  All  had  lost 
a  day,  and  with  it  the  most  enchanting  visions  of 
wealth.  All  had  returned  hungry  as  a  wolf  on  a 
desert ;  or  a  recluse  listening  in  his  last  penance  to 
the  sound  of  his  cross-bones,  shaken  by  the  wind. 


295 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

VISIT  TO  THE  SONORANIAN  CAMP. FESTIVITIES  AND   GAMBLING. THE  DOC- 
TOR AND  TEAMSTER. AN  ALCALDE  TURNED  COOK. THE  MINEr's  TATTOO. 

THE     LITTLE    DUTCHMAN. NEW     DEPOSITS     DISCOVERED. A  WOMAN 

KEEPING   A   MONTE    TABLE. UP   TO     THE   KNEE   AND    NINE-PENCE. THE 

VOLCANOES  AND  GOLD. ARRIVAL  OF  A  BARREL  OF  RUM. 

Friday,  Oct.  20.  I  threw  myself  into  my  sad- 
dle at  an  early  hour  this  morning,  and  started  for  a 
Canada,  about  ten  miles  distant.  The  foot-trail  which 
I  followed,  lay  over  several  sharp  ridges  to  the  quick 
waves  of  the  Stanislaus,  and  then  up  a  steep  moun- 
tain spur.  I  was  obliged  to  dismount,  draw  myself 
up  by  the  bushes,  and  trust  to  the  fidelity  of  my 
horse  to  follow.  At  last  we  gained  the  summit,  but 
it  was  only  to  gaze  down  a  wild  precipitous  descent, 
where  the  cliffs  hung  in  toppling  terror.  A  vein  of 
white  quartz  run  along  the  ridge,  like  a  line  of  un- 
melted  snow,  with  here  and  there  spangles  of  gold 
glittering  in  the  sun.  I  had  no  implement  with  me 
but  my  hunting-knife,  and  vainly  broke  the  point  of 
that.  I  tried  one  of  my  pistols ;  the  bullet  knocked 
out  the  gold-drop,  but  jewel  and  lead  went  over 
the  steep  verge  together.  I  let  myself  down  by  the 
bushes,  blessing  every  lythe  limb  and  steadfast  root, 
while  my  horse,  more  sagacious,  fetched  a  circuit,  and 
reached  the  plain  before  me. 


*>yG  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

Ascending  another  ridge,  the  ravine,  which  had 
induced  this  adventure,  lay  in  jagged  wildness  be- 
neath. It  was  in  uproarious  hie  ;  an  elk  had  been 
shot ;  and  the  miners  were  feasting  on  its  fat  ribs. 
The  repast  was  hardly  over,  when  the  nionte  table, 
with  its  piles  of  gold,  glimmered  in  the  shade.  It 
was  the  great  camp  of  the  Sonoranians,  and  hundreds 
were  crowding  around  to  reach  the  bank,  and  de- 
posit their  treasures  on  the  turn  of  a  card.  They 
seemed  to  play  for  the  excitement,  and  often  doubled 
their  stakes  whether  they  won  or  lost.  They  ap- 
parently connect  no  moral  obliquity  with  the  game  ; 
one  of  them,  who  sleeps  near  my  camping-tree,  will 
kneel  by  the  half  hour  on  the  sharp  rock  in  his  Ave 
Marias,  while  the  keen  night-wind  cuts  his  scarce 
clad  frame,  then  rise  and  stake  his  last  dollar  at  monte. 
At  the  break  of  day  he  is  on  his  knees  again,  and  his 
prayer  trembles  up  with  the  first  trill  of  the  waking 
birds.  It  was  in  this  ravine  that  a  few  weeks  since 
the  largest  lump  of  gold  found  in  California  was  dis- 
covered. It  weighs  twenty-three  pounds,  is  nearly 
pure,  and  cubic  in  its  form.  Its  discovery  shook  the 
whole  mines  ;  the  shout  of  the  eureka  swelled  on  the 
wind  like  the  cheer  of  seamen  when  the  pharos  breaks 
through  a  stormy  night.  I  waved  my  adieu  to  the 
miners,  and  fetching  a  bold  circuit  to  the  east,  reached 
at  night-fall  my  camping-tree. 

Saturday,  Oct.  21.  Extravagant  charges  here  are 
often  made  as  offsets.     A  doctor  of  my  acquaintance, 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  ,  297 

wishing  to  remove  to  another  cailada  a  few  miles  off, 
tost  his  machine  into  an  empty  wagon,  bound  in  that 
direction,  and  on  arriving,  asked  the  teamster  what 
he  was  to  pay ;  the  reply  was  a  hundred  dollars  ! 
which  was  planked  down  without  a  word.  Soon  after 
this  the  teamster  had  a  grip  of  the  cholic,  from  which 
he  sought  relief  in  two  or  three  of  the  doctor's  pills. 
The  relieved  patient  now  asked  what  lie  was  to  pay  ; 
the  doctor,  after  a  few  moment's  abstraction,  in  which 
he  seemed  to  be  rummaging  his  memory  more  than  his 
medicines,  replied,  "  The  charge  is  exactly  one  hundred 
dollars !"  "  Ah,"  said  the  wagoner,  "  I  knew  that 
cradle  would  yet  rock  thunder  at  me."  But  he  paid 
the  fee,  and  scjuared  the  account. 

I  have  been  out  for  several  hours  this  morning 
scouring  a  conical  hill  crowned  with  quartz.  I  took 
with  me  the  sailor,  who  knocked  his  cup  of  gold  out 
of  sight  by  an  accidental  glance  of  his  pick.  We 
searched  the  hill  from  top  to  bottom,  shivered  the 
quartz  on  its  summit,  and  rummaged  among  the  frag- 
ments of  the  same,  which  the  storms  of  ages  had 
swept  to  its  base,  but  we  found  no  gold.  Following 
one  of  the  slopes  which  terminated  in  a  glen,  over- 
hung with  willows,  and  where  a  current  had  flowed, 
we  struck  into  a  confined  basin,  where  we  found, 
among  the  pebbles,  a  deposit  of  gold,  and  gathered, 
in  the  course  of  the  day,  about  two  ounces  ;  with 
beautiful  trophies  we  returned  to  camp. 

Monday,  Oct.  23.     It  was  now  near  noon,  and 


i>gQ  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

iiiv  day  to  cook  the  dinner  ;  so  I  hastened  back  to 
our  camping-tree,  and  piHng  up  the  half-extinguished 
l)rands,  soon  raised  a  fire.  Then  taking  a  tin  pan, 
which  served  alternately  as  a  gold-washer  and  a 
bread-tray,  I  turned  into  it  a  few  pounds  of  flour,  a 
small  solution  ofsaleratus,  and  a  few  quarts  of  water, 
and  then  went  to  work  in  it  with  my  hands,  mixing 
it  up  and  adding  flour  till  I  got  it  to  the  right  con- 
sistency ;  then  shaping  it  into  a  loaf,  raked  open  the 
embers,  and  rolled  it  in,  covering  it  with  the  live 
coals.  While  this  baking  was  going  on,  I  placed  in 
a  stew-pan,  after  pounding  it  pretty  well  between  two 
stones,  a  string  of  jerked-beef,  with  a  small  quantity 
of  water,  and  lodged  it  on  the  fire.  Then  taking 
some  coffee,  which  had  been  burnt  the  evening  be- 
fore, I  tied  it  in  the  end  of  a  napkin,  and  hammering 
it  to  pieces  between  two  stones,  turned  it  into  a 
cofl'ee-pot  filled  with  water,  and  placed  that,  too,  on 
the  fire.  In  half  an  hour  or  so  my  bread  was  baked, 
my  jerk-beef  stewed,  and  my  coffee  boiled.  I  settled 
the  latter  by  turning  on  it  a  pint  of  cold  water.  The 
bread  was  well  done ;  a  little  burnt  on  one  side,  and 
somewhat  puffed  up,  like  the  expectations  of  the  gold- 
digger  in  the  morning,  or  the  vanity  of  a  stump-ora- 
tor just  after  a  cheer.  My  companions  returned,  and 
seating  ourselves  on  the  ground,  each  with  a  tin  cup 
of  coffee,  a  junk  of  bread,  and  a  piece  of  the  stewed 
jerky,  our  dinner  was  soon  dispatched,  and  with  a 
relish  which  the  epicure  never  yet  felt  or  fancied. 
The  water  here  is  slightly  impregnated  with  iron  and 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  299 

sulphur ;  the  one  acting  as  a  tonic,  the  other  as  an 
aperient.  And  then  this  fine  mountain  air,  some 
eight  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  all  con- 
duce to  health  and  buoyancy  of  spirits.  Among  the 
hundred  gold-diggers  around,  not  one  hypochondriac 
throws  on  rock  or  rill  the  shadow  of  a  long  counte- 
nance. Even  they  who  hardly  get  out  gold  enough  to 
pay  their  way,  laugh  at  their  bad  luck,  and  hope  for 
better  success  to-morrow.  They  have  yet  plenty  of 
tickets  in  the  lottery,  and  some  of  them  may  turn  out 
prizes.  At  any  rate,  they  are  not  going  to  despond 
while  these  glens  contain  an  undisturbed  bar,  or 
these  hills  lift  their  cones  of  white  rock  in  the  sun. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  24.  The  ravine  in  which  we  are 
camped  runs  nearly  north  and  south,  and  is  walled 
by  lofty  ranges  of  precipitous  rock.  It  is  near  ten 
o'clock  of  the  day  before  the  rays  of  the  sun  strike 
its  depths  ;  but  when  they  do  reach  you,  it  is  with  a 
power  that  drives  you  at  once  into  the  shade.  It  is 
twilight  in  the  glen,  while  the  cliffs  above  still  blaze 
in  the  radiance  of  the  descending  orb.  As  darkness 
comes  on,  the  camp-fires  of  the  diggers,  kindled  along 
the  ravine,  throw  their  light  into  every  recess,  where 
forms  are  seen,  gathered  in  groups,  or  glancing  about, 
while  every  now  and  then  some  merry  tale  or  apt 
joke  explodes  in  a  roar  of  laughter.  At  eight  o'clock 
every  tin  pan  and  brass  kettle  is  put  in  requisition, 
and  the  thumpers  beat  a  tattoo,  which  is  concluded 
with  the  simultaneous  discharge  of  several  muskets. 


.'JOO  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

The  jargon  is  enough  to  frighten  the  wolf  out  of  his 
cavern  ;  and  yet  no  harmony  that  ever  rolled  from 
theatrical  orchestra  or  cathedral  choir,  can  charm 
you  iialf  as  much.  It  is  the  music  of  the  heart  reel- 
ing itself  off  through  tin  pans  in  melodious  numbers. 
But  the  musicians  are  now  all  sound  asleep  ;  their 
cami)-fires  wane,  and  there  is  only  heard  the  dirge  of 
the  pines,  murmuring  in  the  night-wind.  Thousands 
who  lie  on  beds  of  down,  under  canopies  of  silk,  might 
envy  the  sleepers  on  these  rocks  their  quiet  repose. 
The  stars  gaze  on  no  groups  where  slumber  shakes 
from  its  wings  such  a  refreshing  dew. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  25.  A  little  Dutchman  came  to  me 
this  morning,  and  informed  me,  in  whispers,  that  he 
and  his  companion  had,  unbeknown  to  the  rest,  stolen 
off  to  a  glen  about  three  miles  distant,  where  they 
had  found  a  rich  deposit,  and  then  invited  me  to 
come  and  share  it  with  them.  He  took  my  pan, 
which  had  served  as  a  bread-tray,  and  we  wound 
over  the  hills  to  his  glen.  Here  we  found  his  red- 
haired  companion,  knee-deep  in  mud,  which  he  was 
shovelling  out  to  reach  the  bed  of  clay  beneath.  On 
tliis  bed  lay  the  gold  in  grains  about  the  size  of  wheat- 
kernels.  Every  now  and  then  the  water,  which  was 
as  cold  as  ice,  would  gather  in  the  hole,  and  required 
to  be  bailed  out  or  drained  off.  The  chill  of  the 
water  was  enough  for  me  ;  I  had  tried  that  once  be- 
fore, and  felt  no  disposition  to  repeat  the  experiment. 
The  mud  I  could  stand,  for  I  was  already  dirty  as  a 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  301 

pig  just  rolling  out  of  his  siesta.  So  I  told  my  young 
friends  to  go  to  work,  and  I  would  poke  about  the 
edges.  They  urged  me  to  jump  in  ;  and  truly  the 
temptation  was  strong,  and  required  some  share  of 
prudence  to  resist  it,  but  I  contented  myself  with  work- 
ing where  I  could  keep  my  feet  dry.  But  they  sev- 
eral times  called  for  my  pan,  and  filled  it  with  earth, 
scraped  from  the  clay  bed,  which  I  washed  out,  and 
then  found  at  the  bottom  fifteen  or  twenty  dollars  in 
gold.  They  obtained,  as  the  result  of  their  joint  la- 
bors through  the  day,  about  a  thousand  dollars. 
Night  was  advancing,  and  I  returned  over  the  hills 
to  our  camping-tree. 

Thursday,  Oct.  26.  Where  is  the  little  Dutchman 
and  the  red-haired  Paddy  ?  ran  in  excited  inquiry 
through  the  ravine  this  morning,  for  they  had  now 
been  missed  from  the  camp  twenty-four  hours,  and 
no  doubt  existed  on  the  minds  of  many  that  they  had 
found  a  rich  deposit  somewhere,  and  were  secretly 
working  it  out.  I  knew  well  where  they  were,  but 
no  one  thought  of  questioning  me  on  the  subject,  for 
I  was  looked  upon  as  a  sort  of  amateur  gold-hunter, 
very  much  given  to  splitting  rocks  and  digging  in 
unproductive  places  ;  and,  indeed,  this  was  not  far 
from  the  truth,  for  my  main  object  was  information, 
and  a  specimen  of  wild  mountain  life. 

But  to  return  to  the  little  Dutchman.  All  knew 
him  to  be  a  shrewd  gold-hunter,  and  determined  to 
find  him  before  he  should  exhaust  his  discovery.    No 

26 


3()'3  THKEE  YKARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

cliild  lost  in  the  woods  ever  awakened  half  the  con- 
cern :  some  started  in  this  direction,  others  in  tha^t, 
till  all  the  cardinal  points  in  the  heaven,  and  all  the 
glens  between,  had  men  travelling  towards  them. 
The  most  curious  feature  in  this  business  is,  that  out 
of  a  regiment  of  gold-hunters,  where  the  utmost  ap- 
parent confusion  prevails,  the  absence  of  two  men 
should  be  noticed.  But  the  motions  of  every  man 
are  watched.  Even  when  he  gathers  up  his  traps, 
takes  formal  leave,  and  is  professedly  bound  home, 
he  is  tracked  for  leagues.  No  disguise  can  avail 
him  ;  the  most  successful  war-stratagem  would  fail 
here. 

Friday,  Oct.  27.  I  have  just  returned  from  an- 
other ravine,  five  miles  distant,  where  there  are  eighty 
or  a  hundred  gold-diggers.  They  are  mostly  Sono- 
ranians,  and,  like  all  their  countrymen,  passionately 
devoted  to  gambling.  They  were  playing  at  monte ; 
the  keeper  of  the  bank  was  a  woman,  and  herself  a 
Sonoranian.  There  was  no  coin  on  the  table  ;  the 
bank  consisted  of  a  pile  of  gold,  weighing,  perhaps,  a 
hundred  pounds ;  and  each  of  the  players  laid  down 
his  ounce  or  pound,  as  his  means  or  courage  permit- 
ted. The  woman,  on  the  whole,  appeared  to  be  the 
winner,  though  one  man,  in  the  course  of  half  an 
hour,  took  ten  pounds  from  her  yellow  pile.  But 
such  a  loss  was  felt  only  for  the  moment,  and  only 
had  the  effect  to  stimulate  others  to  lose  what  little 
they  had  left.     A  Sonoranian   digs  out  gold  simply 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  303 

and  solely  that  he  may  have  the  wherewithal  for 
gambling.  This  is  the  rallying  thought  which  wakes 
with  him  in  the  morning,  which  accompanies  him 
through  the  day,  and  which  floats  through  his  dreams 
at  night.  For  this  he  labors,  and  cheerfully  denies 
himself  every  comfort.  All  this  is  the  result  of  habit. 
A  Mussulman  looks  upon  gambling  as  a  species  of  lar- 
ceny,— as  a  crime  which  deserves  the  bastinado.  I 
saw  a  Turkish  cadi  at  Smyrna  sentence  a  man  to 
thirty-nine  lashes  for  having,  as  he  termed  it,  swin- 
dled another  out  of  fifty  dollars  at  faro.  Give  me  a 
Turk  where  there  is  a  rogue  to  be  caught  or  a  crime 
punished.  The  flashings  of  the  sword  of  justice  fol- 
low the  crime  as  light  the  shark  in  a  phosphoric  sea. 

Saturday,  Oct.  28.  A  portion  of  the  party  that 
went  in  qiUfet  of  the  little  Dutchman  have  found  him, 
and  helped  him  to  dig  out  his  new  deposit — a  sort  of 
assistance  for  which  he  can  feel  no  very  profound 
obligation.  It  was  much  like  that  rendered  by 
Prince  Hal  in  the  division  of  the  spoils  secured 
by  the  knight  of  sack  at  Gad's  hill.  A  successful 
gold-hunter  is  like  the  leader  of  hounds  in  the  chase 
— the  whole  pack  comes  sweeping  after,  and  are  sure 
to  be  in  at  the  death.  No  doubling  hill,  or  covert,  or 
stream  throws  them  upon  a  false  scent.  I  advise  all 
fox-hunters  to  come  here  and  train  their  hounds,  and 
throw  away  their  horns.  Even  his  Grace  of  Wel- 
lington, who  is  still  so  hotly  keen  in  the  chase,  that 
the  snows  of  eighty  winters  fall  from  his  locks  unper- 


301  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORMA. 

ceivcd,  might  catch  some  valuable  hints  in  the  gold 
mines  of  California. 

Monday,  Oct.  30.  I  encountered  to-day,  in  a 
ravine  some  three  miles  distant,  among  the  gold- 
washers,  a  woman  from  San  Jose.  She  was  at  work 
with  a  large  wooden  bowl,  by  the  side  of  a  stream. 
I  asked  her  how  long  she  had  been  there,  and  how 
much  gold  she  averaged  a  day.  She  replied,  "  Three 
weeks  and  an  ounce."      Her  reply  reminded  me  of 

an  anecdote  of  the  late  Judge  B ,  who  met  a  girl 

returning  from  market,  and  asked  her,  "  How  deep  did 
you  find  the  stream  ?  what  did  you  get  for  your  but- 
ter ?"  "  Up  to  the  knee  and  nine-pence,"  was  the 
reply.  Ah !  said  the  judge  to  himself;  she  is  the  girl 
for  me — no  words  lost  there  :  turned  back,  proposed, 
was  accepted,  and  married  the  next  \^iJMt ;  and  a 
more  hajipy  couple  the  conjugal  bonds  never  united  : 
the  nuptial  lamp  never  waned  ;  its  ray  w-as  steady 
and  clear  to  the  last.  Ye,  who  paddle  off  and  on  for 
seven  years,  and  are  at  last  perhaps  capsized,  take 
a  lesson  of  the  judge.  That  "  up  to  the  knee  and 
nine-pence  "  is  worth  all  the  rose  letters  and  melan- 
choly rhymes  ever  penned.  But  I  am  wandering  ; 
I  did  intend  to  write  this  journal  without  an  episode, 
but  they  will  keep  forcing  themselves  in,  like  the  cu- 
riosity of  the  crowd  in  a  family  jar,  or  remembrances 
of  wrong  u\nm  a  guilty  conscience.  I  know  the  in- 
terest of  a  journal  depends  much  on  the  continuity  of 
its  thread  ;   iiut  it  is  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  to 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORMA.  305 

be  continuously  stupid,  and  that  is  my  apology  for 
these  episodical  breaks.  If  the  reader  don't  like  this 
reason,  then  let  him  look  up  a  better ;  while  I  plunge 
into  that  o'ershadowed  glen,  and  see  if  it  contains 
any  gold. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  31.  I  have  collected,  since  my 
arrival  in  the  mines,  several  singular  and  beautiful 
specimens  of  the  gold.  One  of  the  pieces  resembles 
a  pendulous  ear-drop,  and  must  have-  assumed  that 
shape  when  the  metal  was  in  a  state  of  fusion.  That 
all  the  gold  here  has  once  been  in  that  state  is  suffi- 
ciently evident  from  the  forms  in  which  it  is  found. 
I  have  a  specimen,  weighing  several  ounces,  in  which 
the  characteristics  of  the  slate  rock  are  as  palpable 
as  if  they  had  been  engraved.  I  have  another  speci- 
men, in  whifljk  a  clear  crystal  of  quartz  is  set,  with  a 
finish  of  execution  which  no  jeweller  can  rival.  I 
have  another  specimen  still,  where  the  gold  gleams 
up,  in  the  shape  of  buck-shot,  from  a  basis  of  sand- 
stone ;  and  another  still,  where  it  has  taken  the  form 
of  a  paper-folder,  and  'may  be  used  to  cut  the  leaves 
of  a  book,  which  have  escaped  the  knife  of  the  binder. 
A  most  interesting  cabinet  of  curiosities  might  be  ga- 
thered from  the  variety  of  combinations  and  forms 
which  the  gold  in  these  mines  has  assumed.  Nature 
never  indulged  in  fancies  more  elegant  and  whimsi- 
cal. If  these  are  the  works  of  the  volcano,  then  jew- 
ellers, instead  of  looking  to  the  laboratories  of  Paris, 
or  Amsterdam,  for  models,  should  come  and  seat 
26* 


.•)fln  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

themselves  by  the  side  of  these  craters.  Here  are 
hiboratories,  which  no  human  power  has  constructed, 
and  models,  which  no  human  skill  can  rival. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  1.  There  are  several  persons 
among  the  gold-diggers  here  who  rarely  use  any 
implement  but  their  wooden  bowls.  Into  these  they 
scrape  the  dirt  left  by  others,  which  they  stir  and 
whirl  till  the  gold  gradually  works  its  way  to  the  bot- 
tom. The  earth,  as  these  heavier  particles  descend, 
is  thrown  off  by  the  hands,  and  the  gold  remains. 
This  process  is  what  they  call  dry  washing  :  it  is  re- 
sorted to  where  there  is  no  water  in  the  vicinity,  and 
will  answer  pretty  well  where  the  gold  is  found  in 
coarse  grains ;  but  the  finer  particles,  of  course,  es- 
cajie.  The  Sonoranians  obviate  this  difficulty  to 
some  extent  by  calling  their  lungs  into  requisition. 
Thev  rub  the  earth  into  their  bowls,  throuo-h  their 
hands,  detaching  and  throwing  away  all  the  pebbles, 
and  then  blow  off"  the  sand  and  dust,  leaving  the  gold 
at  the  bottom.  But  on  some  of  the  streams,  particu- 
larly the  Yuba,  the  gold  is  too  fine  even  for  this  pro- 
cess. It  is  amusing  to  see  a  group  of  Sonoranians, 
seated  around  a  deposit,  blowing  the  earth  out  of 
their  bowls.  But  for  the  dust  they  raise,  you  would 
think  they  were  cooling  hasty-pudding.  Their 
cheeks  swell  out,  like  the  chops  of  a  squirrel,  car- 
rying half  the  beech-nuts  on  a  tree  to  his  hole.  A 
more  provident  fellow  he  than  his  two-legged  supe- 
rior !     He  lays  in  his  stores  against  the  inclemency  of 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  307 

winter  ;  while  tlie  Sonoranian  squanders  his  at  the 
gambling-table.  There  is  more  practical  wisdom  in 
an  ant-hill  than  is  often  found  in  a  city.  But  I  am 
digressing  again — a  propensity  which  I  shall  never 
get  over.  / 

Thursday,  Nov.  2.  Quite  a  sensation  was  pro- 
duced among  the  gold-diggers  this  morning  by  the 
arrival  of  a  wagon  from  Stockton,  freighted  with 
provisions  and  a  barrel  of  liquor.  The  former  had 
been  getting  scarce,  and  the  latter  had  long  since  en- 
tirely given  out.  The  prices  of  the  first  importation 
were — flour,  two  dollars  a  pound ;  sugar  and  coffee, 
four  dollars ;  and  the  liquor,  which  was  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  New  England  rum,  was  twenty  dollars 
the  quart.  But  few  had  bottles  :  every  species  of  re- 
tainer was  resorted  to ;  some  took  their  quart  cups, 
some  their  coffee-pots,  and  others  their  sauce-pans ; 
while  one  fellow,  who  had  neither,  offered  ten  dollars 
to  let  him  suck  with  a  straw  from  the  bung.  All 
were  soon  in  every  variety  of  excitement,  from  prat- 
tling exhilaration,  to  roaring  inebriety.  Some  shouted, 
some  danced,  and  some  wrestled :  a  son  of  Erin 
poured  out  his  soul  on  the  beauties  of  the  Emerald 
isle ;  a  German  sung  the  songs  of  his  father-land ;  a 
Yankee  apostrophized  the  mines,  which  swelled  in 
the  hills  around ;  an  Englishman  challenged  all  the 
bears  in  the  mountain  glens  to  mortal  combat ;  and  a 
Spaniard,  posted  aloft  on  a  beetling  crag,  addressed 
the  universe.     The  multitudinous  voices  which  rang 


309  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

iVoin  every  chasm  and  cove  of  the  ravine,  rivalled 
ihe  roar  that  went  up  around  the  tower  of  Babel. 
I'ut  night  has  come ;  the  camp-fires  burn  dim ;  and 
the  revellers  are  at  rest,  save  here  and  there  one  who 
strides  about  in  his  delirium,  commanding  silence 
among  the  wolves  who  bark  from  the  hills.  What 
exciting,  elevating,  and  expanding  powers  there  are 
in  a  barrel  of  New  England  rum !  It  makes  one  to- 
day monarch  of  peopled  realms,  and  their  riches  ;  but 
leaves  him  to-morrow  in  rags,  and  with  only  ground 
enough  in  which  to  sink  his  pauper  grave. 

"  Tlion  sparkling  bowl !  thou  sparkling  bowl ! 

Though  lips  of  bards  thy  brim  may  press, 
And  eyes  of  beauty  o'er  thee  roll, 

And  song  and  dance  thy  power  confess — 
I  will  not  touch  thee  ;  for  there  clings 
A  scorjDion  to  thy  side  that  stiags." 

PlEE  PONT. 


K 


309 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

NATURAL  AMPHITHEATEE. — NO  SCIENTIFIC  CLUE  TO  THE  DEPOSITS  OF  GOLD. — 

SOIL  OF   THE    MINES. LIFE    AMONG   THE    GOLD-DIGGERS. — LOSS    OF    OUR 

CAB.\LLADA. THE  OLD  MAN  AND  ROCK. DEPARTURE  FROM  THE  MINES. 

TRAVELLING  AMONG  GORGES  AND  PINNACLES. — INSTINCTS  OF  THE  MULE. 

A  MOUNTAIN  CABIN. 

Friday,  Nov.  3.  At  the  head  of  the  ravine,  where 
our  camping-trees  wave,  stands  an  amphitheatre 
reared  by  nature,  and  unrivalled  in  the  grandeur  of 
its  proportions,  and  the  stateliness  and  strength  of 
its  architecture.  It  unrolls  its  wild  magnificence  on 
the  eye  with  a  more  majestic  power  than  even 
Rome's  great  wonder.  From  its  ample  arena,  circling 
ranges  of  crags  soar  one  over  the  other  to  the  lofty 
sweep  of  the  architrave,  where  sentinel-trees  toss  their 
branches  against  the  sky.  Had  nature  reared  this 
theatre  on  the  banks  of  the  Tiber,  the  beauty  and 
bravery  of  Rome  would  have  flashed  over  the  arena's 
gladiatorial  tumult.  But  it  was  here  in  California, 
where  even  the  Roman  eagle,  in  its  earth-embracing 
circuit,  flew  not. 

A  new  deposit  was  discovered  this  morning  near 
the  falls  of  the  Stanislaus,  and  in  the  crevices  of  the 
rocks  over  which  the  river  pours  its  foaming  sheet. 
An  Irishman  had  gone  there  to  bathe,  and  in  throw- 
ing off"  his  clothes,  had  dropped  his  jack-knife,  which 


310         THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

slipped  into  a  crevice,  where  he  first  discovered  the 

rroU\.  He  was  soon  tracked,  and  in  less  than  an  hour 
o 

a  storm  of  picks  and  crowbars  were  shivering  the 
ri'cks.  Ti)e  accessible  pockets  were  readily  exhaust- 
ed, but  beyond  these  only  the  drill  and  blast  of  the 
j)ractical  miner  can  extend.  And  this  is  true  of  all 
the  rock-gold  in  California;  the  present  harvest  glows 
near  the  surface  ;  but  there  are  under-crops,  which 
the  sunlight  has  never  visited.  Deep  mining  here,  as 
elsewhere,  will  be  attended  with  uncertain  results  ; 
but  a  fount  so  capacious  on  its  rim,  must  have  its  re- 
l)lenishing  depths.  The  largest  fish  are  taken  with 
the  longest  line. 

Saturday,  Nov.  4.  The  deposits  here  bafflff  all 
the  pretensions  of  science.  The  volcanoes  did  their 
work  by  no  uniform  geological  law ;  they  burst  out 
at  random,  and  scattered  their  gold  in  wanton  ca- 
price. Were  not  those  old  Vulcans  dead,  they  would 
laugh  at  the  blundering  vanity  exhibited  around  them. 
The  old  landmarks  are  the  quartz ;  these  are  general 
indications,  but  too  vague  when  applied  to  alluvial 
deposits,  and  frequently  serve  only  to  bewilder  and 
betray.  We  have  a  young  geologist  here  who  can 
unroll  the  whole  earth,  layer  by  layer,  from  surface 
to  centre,  and  tell  the  properties  of  each,  and  how 
it  came  to  be  deposited  there,  who  unsuspectingly 
walked  over  a  bank  of  gold,  which  a  poor  Indian 
afterwards  stirred  out  with  a  stick.  I  have  seen  this 
sarcni   camp  down  and  snore  soundly  through  the 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  311 

night,  with  a  half-pound  piece  of  gold  within  a  few 
inches  of  his  nose  ;  and  then  rise  at  peep  of  day  to 
push  his  learned  theory  into  some  ledge  of  rocks, 
where  not  a  particle  of  the  yellow  ore  ever  existed. 
I  have  seen  a  digger  take  from  a  bank  of  decomposed 
granite,  in  a  space  not  larger  than  a  man's  hat,  between 
three  and  four  pounds  of  gold,  while  his  only  clue  to 
it  was  a  blast  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  glen,  through 
which  he  believed  the  deil  had  blown  the  gold  into 
the  bank,  where  he  was  at  work.  What  a  burlesque ' 
on  all  geological  laws  as  applied  to  gold  deposits ! 
There  is  only  one  of  these  laws,  in  reference  to  allu- 
vial deposits,  worth  a  pin,  and  that  is  the  simple  fact 
that  a  heavy  body  will  tumble  down  hill  faster  than 
a  lighter  one,  or  that  a  nut  shaken  from  a  tree  will 
drop  through  the  fog  to  the  ground. 
^/ 
Sunday,  Nov.  5.  I  rose  this  morning  with  the  in- 
tention of  proposing  to  the  diggers  a  religious  service. 
But  mid-day  came,  and  only  here  and  there  one 
broke  from  slumbers  doubly  deep  from  the  overpower- 
ing fatigues  of  the  week  In  a  shaded  recess  of  the  hills 
three  of  us  found  a  little  sanctuary :  neither  of  the  two 
with  me  was  a  professor  of  religion,  but  each  retained 
in  vivid  remembrance  the  rehgious  instructions  of  his 
childhood  and  youth.  Time  and  distance  had  not 
effaced  these  impressions;  each  lettered  trace  re- 
mained as  legible  as  the  footprints  of  the  primeval 
bird  in  the  fossil  rock.  Such  is  the  inscription  of  pa- 
rental fidelity  on  the  heart  of  a  child  :'  the  wave  may 


312  TIIUF.E  YEARS  IX  CALIFORNIA. 

wear  away  the  mound  which  it  laves,  and  the  niarble 
dissolve  under  the  touch  of  time,  but  that  inscription 
remains. 

Monday,  Nov.  6.  Vein-gold  in  these  rocks  is  as 
uncertain  and  capricious  as  lightning;  it  straggles 
where  you  least  expect  it,  and  leaves  only  a  stain 
where  its  quick  volume  seemed  directed.  It  threads 
its  way  in  a  rock  without  crevice  or  crack,  and  where 
its  continuity  becomes  at  times  too  subtle  for  the  naked 
eye,  and  then  suddenly  bulges  out  like  a  lank  snake 
that  has  swallowed  a  terrapin.  The  great  Hebrew 
proverbialist  says  there  are  three  things  about  which 
there  is  no  certainty, — the  way  of  an  eagle  in  the  air, 
the  way  of  a  serpent  upon  a  rock,  the  way  of  a  ship 
in  the  midst  of  the  sea  ;  and  he  might  have  added — 
the  way  of  a  thread  of  gold  in  a  vein  of  California 
quart/. ;  but  probably  California,  with  its  treasures, 
had  not  then  been  discovered,  though  some  of  our 
wiseacres  arc  trying  to  make  out  that  this  el  dorado 
was  the  Ophir  of  the  Old  Testament :  if  so,  the  men 
of  .Iiippa  must  have  been  pretty  good  seamen,  espe- 
cially as  they  had  no  compass.  It  may  be,  but  I 
somewhat  doubt  it,  that  the  Hottentots  or  Patago- 
nians  are  the  descendants  of  some  shipwrecked  men 
bound  in  a  wherry  from  Tarsus  to  California.  The 
adventurers,  even  in  that  case,  would  have  been  quite 
as  sober  in  their  calculations  as  some  who  put  to  sea 
on  a  gold-hunt  in  these  days. 


I 


THREE  YEAR3  I\   CALIFORNIA.  313 

Tuesday,  Nov.  7.  The  price  of  provisions  here  is 
no  criterion  of  their  market  value  on  the  seaboard, 
o:  even  at  the  embarcadaros  nearest  the  mines.  The 
cost  of  a  hmidred  pounds  of  flour  at  Stockton,  only 
sixty  miles  distant,  is  twenty  dollars  ;  but  here  it  is 
two  hundred  dollars.  This  vast  disparity  is  owing  to 
the  difficulty  of  transportation  and  the  absence  of 
competition.  But  few  can  be  persuaded  to  leave  the 
expectations  of  the  pick  for  the  certainties  of  the 
pack — the  promises  of  the  cradle  for  the  fulfilments 
of  the  freighted  wagon.  All  live  on  drafts  upon 
the  future,  and  though  disappointed  a  hundred  times, 
still  believe  the  results  of  to-morrow  will  more 
than  redeem  the  broken  pledges  of  to-day.  Though 
all  else  may  end  in  failure,  hope  is  not  bankrupt 
here. 

The  soil  in  the  mines  is  evidently  volcanic  ;  it  re- 
sembles in  places  the  ashes  which  cover  Pompeii. 
You  can  walk  through  it  w^hen  dry,  though  every 
footstep  stirs  a  httle  cloud ;  but  when  saturated  with 
the  winter  rain  you  slump  to  the  middle.  No  horse 
can  force  his  way  forward ;  every  struggle  but  sinks 
him  the  deeper,  and  the  miner  himself  retires  to  his 
cabin,  as  thoroughly  cut  off  from  the  peopled  districts 
of  the  coast,  as  a  sailor  wrecked  on  some  rock  at 
sea.  Years  must  elapse  before  human  enterprise  can 
bridge  a  path  to  these  mines,  or  render  communica- 
tion practicable  in  the  rainy  season  ;  nor  at  any  pe- 
riod can  heavy  machinery  be  transported  here  with- 
out an  immense  outlay  of  capital.     The  quartz  rock 

27 


f 


314  THREE   YEARS  1\   CALIFORNIA. 

has  yet  some  time  to  roll  back  the  sunlight  before  it 
crumbles  under  the  steam-stamper. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  8.  Some  fifty  thousand  persons 
are  drifting  up  and  down  these  slopes  of  the  great 
I  Sierra,  of  every  hue,  language,  and  clime,  tumultuous 
*  and  confused  as  a  flock  of  wild  geese  taking  wing  at 
the  crack  _of  a  gun,  or  autumnal  leaves  strown  on  the 
atmospheric  tides  by  the  breath  of  the  whirlwind. 
All  are  in  quest  of  gold  ;  and,  with  eyes  dilated  to  the 
circle  of  the  moon,  rush  this  way  and  that,  as  some 
new  discovery,  or  fictitious  tale  of  success  may  sug- 
gest. Some  are  with  tents,  and  some  without ;  some 
have  provisions,  and  some  are  on  their  last  ration  ; 
some  are  carrying  crowbars ;  some  pickaxes  and 
spades  ;  some  wash-bowls  and  cradles  ;  some  ham- 
mers and  drills,  and  powder  enough  to  blow  up  the 
rock  of  Gibraltar — if  they  can  but  get  under  it,  as 
the  monkeys  do,  when  they  make  their  transit,  through 
a  sort  of  Thames  tunnel,  from  the  golden  but  barren 
sands  of  Africa  to  the  green  hills  of  Europe.  Wise 
fellows  they,  notwithstanding  the  length  of  their  tails 
— they  won't  stay  on  the  Congo  side  of  the  strait,  to 
gather  gold,  when,  by  crossing,  they  can  gather 
grapes.     Wisdom  is  justified  of  her  children. 

But  I  was  speaking  of  the  gold-hunters  here  on  the 
slopes  of  the  Sierra.  Such  a  mixed  and  motley 
crowd— such  a  restless,  roving,  rummamno-,  rago-ed 
multitude,  never  before  roared  in  the  rookeries  of 
man.     As  for  mutual  aid  and  sympathy — Samson's 


THREE   YEAKri  IN   CALII'OKNIA.  315 

foxes  had  as  much  of  it,  turned  tail  to,  with  firebrands 
tied  between.  Each  great  camping-ground  is  de- 
noted by  the  ruins  of  shovels  and  shanties,  the  bleach- 
ing^ bones  of  the  dead,  disinhumed  by  the  wolf,  and 
the  skeleton  of  the  culprit,  still  swinging  in  the  wind,  "A 
from  the  limb  of  a  tree,  overshadowed  by  the  raven. 
From  the  deep  glen,  the  caverned  cliif,  the  plaintive 
rivulet,  the  croaking  raven,  and  the  wind-toned  skel- 
eton come  voices  of  reproachful  interrogation — 

"  Slave  of  the  dark  and  dirty  mine ! 
What  vanity  has  brought  thee  here  ?" 

Thursday,  Nov.  9.  Our  baccaro  came  in  this 
morning,  and  startled  us  with  the  intelligence  that 
last  night,  while  he  was  on  the  watch — sound  asleep, 
of  course — the  wild  Indians  came,  and  stole  all  our 
horses  and  mules,  save  one,  little  Nina,  whom  he  had 
tethered  close  to  his  post.  Rather  an  awkward  pre- 
dicament for  us,  in  the  California  mountains,  three 
hundred  miles  from  home,  and  our  horses  and  mules 
in  the  hands  of  wild  Indians,  driving  them  off  into 
some  unknown  fastness,  to  be  killed  for  food  !  But  I 
was  on  the  trail  of  a  small  piece  of  gold,  and  followed 
it  up  with  that  sort  of  listless  equanimity  with  which 
a  man  will  sometimes  pick  up  a  curious  shell  on  the 
rocks  where  his  vessel  floats  in  fragments.  If  you 
would  acquire  those  habits  which  no  disaster  can  dis- 
turb, come  to  California.  One  year  here  will  do 
more  for  your  philosophy  than  a  life  elsewhere.     I 


31(5  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFOKMA. 

have  seen  a  man  sit,  and  quietly  smoke  his  cigar, 
while  his  dwelling  went  heavenward  in  a  column  of 
flame.  It  seemed  as  if  it  were  enough  for  him  that 
his  wife  and  children  were  safe,  and  that  the  green 
earth,  with  its  bright-eyed  flowers  and  laughing  rills, 
remained  ;  so  let  the  old  tenement  pass  off  in  smoke 
to  pall  some  mountain  peak,  or  throw  its  dusky  shad- 
ow where — 

"  The  owlet  builds  his  ivy  tower." 

Friday,  Nov.  10.  The  Sonoranian,  who  has  been 
one  of  the  most  successful  diggers  in  the  ravine,  be- 
sieged me  to-day  to  sell  him  my  pistols.  They  are 
an  elegant  pair,  silver  mounted  and  rifle  bore,  and 
good  for  duck  or  duelist — no  matter  which  —  for 
twenty  or  -thirty  paces.  He  offered  me  a  pound  of 
gold  ;  so  I  determined  to  try  the  non-resistant  prin- 
ciple, and  let  him  have  them.  As  he  belted  them 
about  his  waist,  and  strode  off,  you  would  have  ad- 
vised even  a  California  bear  to  get  out  of  his  way. 
How  well  prepared  for  a  last  extremity  is  a  man  with 
a  new  weapon  at  his  side,  or  a  new  patent  pill  in  his 
pocket !  The  only  difference  is,  that  with  the  former 
he  may  chance  to  kill  some  one  else,  and  with  the 
latter  he  is  pretty  sure  to  kill  himself  But  I  prom- 
ised to  make  no  more  remarks  ;  my  apology  must 
be  the  loss  of  our  horses,  the  probable  necessity 
of  being  obliged  to  pick  our  way  home  on  foot,  and 
the  refuge  which  even  an  irrelevant  thought  affords 


THREE  YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA.  317 

from  such  a  dismal  prospect.  Men  have  betrayed 
flashes  of  humor  on  the  block — an  evanescent  ray  on 
the  verge  of  endless  night !  Then  why  should  not 
my  poor  pill  have  place  in  the  pedestrian  prospect  of 
three  hundred  miles,  and  that,  too,  through  a  region 
marked  only  by  the  footprints  which  linger  dimly  in 
the  trail  of  the  wild  Indian  ? 

Saturday,  Nov.  11.  I  encountered  an  old  man 
to-day,  sitting  listlessly  on  a  rock  under  the  broken 
shade  of  a  decayed  oak.  A  few  gray  hairs  strayed 
from  under  his  camping-cap,  and  his  face  was  deeply 
wrinkled  ;  but  his  eye  flashed,  at  intervals,  with  the 
fires  of  an  unquenched  spirit.  He  had  not,  as  he  told 
me,  obtained  an  ounce  of  gold  in  this  ravine,  and  was 
about  trying  some  other  locality.  I  advised  him  to 
roll  over  the  rock  on  which  he  was  sitting ;  he  said 
he  would  do  it  to  please  me  ;  but  as  for  gold,  he 
might  as  well  look  for  a  weasel  in  a  watchman's  rat- 
tle. The  rock  was  easily  rolled  from  its  inclined  po- 
sition ;  beneath  it  was  found  a  layer  of  moss,  and 
beneath  this,  in  the  crevices  of  another  rock,  a  depos- 
it of  gold,  in  the  shape  of  pumpkin-seeds,  bright  as  if 
fresh  from  the  mint,  and  weighing  over  half  a  pound. 
The  eyes  of  the  old  man  sparkled  ;  but  he  was  think- 
ing of  his  home  and  those  left  behind. 

Sunday,  Nov.  12.  Could  the  parents  of  the  youth 
in  these  glens  cast  a  glance  at  their  children,  what  a 
tide   of  affection   and  concern  would  rush  through 

27* 


;H8  three  years  ix  California. 

their  hearts!  No  treasured  ship  at  sea  was  ever  en- 
vironed bv  deeper  perils;  storms  lower  in  thick  dark- 
ness above,  and  breakers  thunder  below,  and  no 
jiharos  throws  its  friendly  ray  from  the  shrouded  clJtf. 
The  only  light  they  have  to  guide  them  is  in  their 
own  tempest-tost  bark,  and  the  lamp  in  the  binnacle 
is  dim.  The  merchant  who  should  send  his  ship  to  sea 
without  compass  or  rudder,  would  not  be  more  frantic 
and  foolish  than  the  parent  who  sends  his  son  out  upon 
the  world  without  any  religion  in  his  soul.  These 
youths  in  these  glens  are  to  shape  the  destinies  of 
California  ;  under  their  hands  her  political,  social, 
and  moral  institutions  are  to  be  reared.  Unless  reli- 
gion lie  at  the  foundations,  these  structures,  though 
columned  with  gold,  will  fall.  It  was  frailty  and  rot- 
tenness at  the  base  that  has  left  all  the  proud  fabrics 
of  the  Old  World  a  storied  mass  of  ruins. 

Monday,  Nov.  13.  A  mounted  compa.iy  of  gold- 
diggers  arrived  on  our  camping  premises  last  even- 
ing, and  we  struck  in  for  four  horses,  which  we  pur- 
chased at  their  own  prices.  Mine  is  an  Indian  pony 
from  Oregon,  full  of  heart  and  hardihood;  but  as  for 
ease  of  motion,  you  might  as  well  ride  a  trip-hammer. 
But  an  extremity  makes  the  most  indifferent  gift  of 
nature  a  blessed  "boon. 

We  reduced  our  effects  to  the  fewest  articles  possi- 
ble, and  packing  these,  with  provisions  for  three  or  four 
days,  upon  little  Nina,  were  ready  for  a  start.  Two 
Oregonian  trappers  joined  us,  and  before  the  sun's  ravs 


THREE  YEARS  I\  CALIFORNIA.  319 

struck  the  depths  of  the  ravine,  we  were  off,  with 
three  hearty  cheers  from  the  diggers.  An  hour 
brought  us  to  the  summit  of  an  elevation,  beneath 
which  lay,  in  panoramic  life,  the  ravines,  rivulets, 
rambling  paths,  and  roving  groups  of  the  gold-hunters. 
I  have  walked  on  the  roaring  verge  of  Niagara, 
through  the  grumbling  parks  of  London,  on  the  laugh- 
ing boulevards  of  Paris,  among  the  majestic  ruins  of 
Rome,  in  the  torch-lit  galleries,  of  Herculaneum, 
around  the  flaming  crater  of  Vesuvius,  through  the 
w'ave-reflected  palaces  of  Venice,  among  the  monu- 
mental remains  of  Athens,  and  beneath  the  barbaric 
splendors  of  Constantinople  :  but  none  of  these,  nor 
all  combined,  have  left  in  my  memory  a  page  graven 
with  more  significant  and  indelUble  characters  than 
the  gold  diggins  of  California. 

Our  route  lay  for  several  miles  through  a  succes- 
sion of  narrow  ravines,  above  which  soared  the  stu- 
pendous steeps  of  a  mountain  range,  through  which 
some  convulsion  of  nature  had  sunk  these  shadowy 
chasms.  Here  and  there  some  giant  bluff  had  plunged 
into  the  winding  abyss,  as  if  to  shut  out  the  profane 
intruder  from  its  silent  sanctuaries.  These  granite 
gates  became  at  last  so  frequent,  that  we  determined 
to  try  the  ridge,  the  table-rock,  or  less  precipitous 
slope.  We  wound  up  the  steep  sides'  of  the  pass  one 
by  one,  as  a  weary  bird  at  sea  scales  the  tempest- 
cloud  ;  and  at  last  ^emerged  upon  a  lofty  range  of 
trap,  feathered  by  the  fir  and  low  pine,  and  where  the 
eagle  had   made   himself  a   home.     A   wide    sea  of 


3"^0  TIIunE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

chasms  and  dines  lay  around  us.  These  were  evi- 
dentlv  the  bleak  monuments  of  volcanoes,  which  ages 
since  had  rested  from  their  labors.  The  sun  threw 
its  level  rays  along  their  summits,  while  the  abysses 
lay  in  perpetual  shadow.  No  path  threw  its  trail  on 
the  eye.  Rounding  a  pinnacle,  which  stood  as  a  for- 
tress at  the  abrupt  termination  of  one  of  the  ranges, 
we  discovered  a  slope  which  slanted  off  less  steeply 
than  the  rest.  Here,  dismounting,  we  let  ourselves 
down  for  several  hundred  yards  by  the  bushes  ;  Ni- 
na, sure  of  foot  as  a  fox,  followed  first ;  my  Indian 
pony  next ;  and  then  the  rest,  as  the  docility  or  cour- 
age of  each  induced.  All  our  horses  had  been  trained 
by  mountaineers,  and  well  knew,  if  left  behind,  what 
must  be  their  fate.  What  a  strange  affection  for 
such  an  animal  springs  up  at  such  an  hour  as  this !  As 
he  comes  down  to  join  you,  selecting  you  out  as  his 
rider,  snuffing  about  you,  and  inviting  you  to  mount 
again,  you  involuntarily  throw  your  arms  about  his 
neck,  and  try  to  make  him  understand  the  kindness 
you  feel  for  him. 

We  discovered  in  the  last  flashes  of  twilight  a  gush 
of  waters  from  the  rocks,  which  beetled  over  a  Canada, 
where  the  grass  was  fresh  from  the  showering  spray. 
We  had  struck  this  spot  through  no  sagacity  of  our 
own  ;  Nina,  snuffing  the  water  long  before  it  flashed 
upon  us.  had  turned  into  the  ravine,  and  dashed  ahead 
upon  the  gallop.  Here  we  camped  for  the  night 
The  dried  willows  supplied  us  with  fuel,  the  cascade 


THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORMA.  321 

with  water,  and  our  panniers  with  a  piece  of  pork,  and 
a  few  pounds  of  flour,  which  the  kneading-tray  and 
embers  soon  converted  into  bread.  The  stones  were 
made  to  grind  our  coffee,  and  we  were  soon  seated 
to  a  supper  from  which  the  epicure  might  perhaps 
turn  away,  but  which  these  rough  mountains  made 
a  luxury.  And  then  the  repose,  though  on  the  earth 
with  your  saddle  for  a  pillow,  yet  how  refreshing  and 
profound !  Nor  bark  of  wolf,  nor  murmur  of  cas- 
cade, nor  rustle  of  the  bear  disturbed  my  dreams  that 
night. 

Tuesday,  Nov.  14.  We  were  up,  had  taken  our 
coffee,  and  were  ready  for  a  start,  while  as  yet  only 
the  whispering  trees  on  the  higher  cliffs  had  been 
greeted  by  the  sun.  Our  course,  which  was  determined 
by  a  pocket-compass,  now  lay  among  mountain  spurs, 
till  we  reached  the  rollers,  which  ridge  the  plain  of 
the  San  Joaquin.  In  a  copse  of  birch,  which  shadows 
one  of  these,  we  discovered  a  spring,  where  we  lunched 
and  rested  for  an  hour,  while  our  animals  refreshed 
themselves  on  the  gras.s,  still  green  on  the  marge  of 
the  fount.  We  were  now  off"  for  a  hard  ride  of  several 
hours.  My  little  Indian  hammered  into  it  with  a  res- 
olution that  paid  but  little  heed  to  the  discomfort  of 
his  rider.  Our  object  was  to  reach  before  nightfall 
the  cabin  of  an  old  friend,  who  had  nested  himself 
out  here  among  these  wild  mountain  crags.  We 
dashed  around  this  steep,  and  over  that,  like  hunters 
in  the  chase  ;  while  Nina,  without  rein  or  rider,  led 


',i22  TIlREn  YEARS   IN'   CALIFORMA. 

the  way.  We  had  no  trail  to  guide  us, — only  the  in- 
stinct of  our  animals,  and  that  sagacity  which  a 
mountain  life  converts  into  a  sort  of  prophetic  knowl- 
edge. The  day  was  dying  fast,  and  no  gleam  of  the 
cabin  cheered  the  eye.  The  night  would  render  all 
search  hopeless.  At  last  we  struck  the  stream  on 
which  we  knew  the  cabin  stood,  but  whether  up  or 
down  its  current,  we  could  not  decide  ;  but  Nina, 
after  pausing  a  moment,  led  quick  and  resolutely  up 
the  stream,  and  we  struck  in  after.  The  step  of  a 
weasel  may  turn  the  balanced  rock. 

Three  miles  of  fast  riding  brought  us  to  a  grove  of 
oak,  now  WTapped  in  the  purple  twilight.  Along 
this  we  streamed  till  reaching  a  bold  bend,  which 
circled  up  into  its  shadows,  when  the  fagot  flame  of 
the  cottage  struck  the  eye.  Our  horses  bounded  for- 
ward on  the  gallop,  knowing  as  well  as  we  that  the 
weary  day  was  now  over.  Here  we  found  my  friend. 
Dr.  Isabel!  and  his  good  lady,  who  gave  us  a  hearty 
welcome.  True,  their  cabin  had  but  one  room  in  it ; 
but  what  of  that  ?— hearts  make  a  home  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Our  first  care  was  for  our  animals,  which  were 
soon  watered  and  turned  into  a  rich  meadow,  with  a 
faithful  Indian  to  w^atch  them  through  the  night. 
Our  busy  hostess  soon  announced  supper— beefsteak, 
omelet,  hot  rolls,  and  coffee,  with  sugar  and  cream  !  If 
you  want  to  know  how  that  supper  relished,  come 
and  live  a  month  in  the  mines  of  California.  We 
run  over  our  adventures  since  leaving  Monterey,  and 
they  chimed  in   well  with  those  of  our  host  in  his 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  323 

wild-wood  home.  Kindred  and  friends  far  away 
came  sweeping  down  on  the  stream  of  memory,  and 
gathered  Hfe-like  and  warm  at  om'  sides.  We  Hved 
over  again  all  om*  school-days,  om'  rustic  sports,  our 
husking-bees,  our  youthful  loves,  and  those  stolen 
kisses,  which  the  sterner  rules  of  refinement  have  in- 
terdicted only  to  give  place  to  Polkas,  in  which 
modesty  is  too  much  bewildered  to  blush.  Our  hos- 
pitable friends  welcomed  us  to  all  the  sleeping  com- 
forts which  their  cabin  afforded ;  but  we  camped 
under  the  trees,  and  were  soon  afloat  in  the  realm  of 
dreams,  amid  its  visioned  forms. 

"  Alas !  that  dreams  are  only  dreams  1 
That  fancy  cannot  give 
A  lasting  beauty  to  those  forms, 
Wliich  scarce  a  moment  hve." 


324 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

A  lADY  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. — TOWN    OF  STOCKTON. — CROSSING  THE  VALLEY 
OF  THE    SAN   JOAQUIN. — THE   ROBBED    FATHER    AND  BOY. — RIDE    TO    SAN 

JOSE.— RUM  IN  CALIFORNIA. HIGHWAYMEN. WOODLAND  LIFE. — RACHEL 

AT  THE  WELL. FAREWELL  TO  MY  CAMPING-TREE. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  15.  Another  day  had  dawned 
fresh  and  brilliant ;  we  breakfasted  with  our  friends, 
who  ordered  up  their  horses,  and  started  with  us  for 
Stockton,  twelve  miles  distant.  Our  lady  hostess  and 
mv.<;elf  led  off;  she  had  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains 
on  horseback  into  California,  and  was,  of  course,  at 
home  in  the  saddle.  She  was  mounted  on  a  spirited 
animal,  and  my  little  Indian  almost  blew  the  wind 
out  of  him  to  keep  up.  My  companion,  though  ac- 
complished in  all  the  refinements  of  metropolitan  life, 
was  yet  in  love  with  the  wild  scenes  in  which  her  lot 
had  been  cast.  The  rose  of  health  blushed  in  her 
cheek,  and  the  light  of  a  salient  soul  revelled  in  her 
eye.  "  I  would  not  exchange,"  she  said,  "  my  cabin 
for  any  palace  in  Christendom.  I  have  all  that  I 
want  here,  and  what  more  could  I  have  elsewhere  ? 
I  have  tried  luxury  without  health,  and  a  wild  moun- 
tain life  with  it.  Give  me  the  latter,  with  the  free 
air,  the  dashing  streams,  the  swinging  woods,  the 
laughing  flowers,  and  the  exulting  birds ;  and 

"  Let  liim  wlio  crawls  enamored  of  decay, 
Cling  to  his  couch,  and  sicken  years  away.'  " 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  325 

We  were  now  at  Stockton,  the  nucleus  of  a  town 
at  the  head  waters  of  a  narrow  arm  of  the  San  Joa- 
quin. The  site  is  well  chosen ;  its  central  position 
to  the  gold  mines,  the  broad  fertile  plain  which 
spreads  around  it,  and  the  water  communication 
which  connects  it  with  the  commerce  of  the  Sacra- 
mento and  San  Francisco,  will  lift  it  into  a  town  of 
the  first  importance.  Charles  Weber,  a  gentleman 
much  esteemed  for  his  liberality  and  enterprise,  is  the 
owner  of  the  land  now  occupied  by  the  town,  and 
many  leagues  adjacent.  He  has  given  spacious  lots 
to  all  who  would  erect  buildings.  His  policy  is 
marked  with  wisdom  ;  he  will  find  his  advantage  in 
the  results.  His  ample  store  is  well  filled  with  pro- 
visions, groceries,  and  ready-made  clothing.  The 
amount  of  business  is  immense,  and  the  profits  would 
phrensy  our  Philadelphia  merchants. 

We  found  Stockton  without  a  hotel,  the  private 
houses  unfinished  ;  and,  caring  but  little  for  either, 
camped  under  the  trees,  We  took  supper  with  Mr. 
Weber,  and,  at  a  late  hour,  wound  ourselves  in  our 
blankets  for  repose.  The  dew  fell  heavy,  but  we 
slept  through  it  without  the  least  harm.  A  hydropa- 
thist  might  have  exchanged  his  sheet  for  a  twist  in 
one  of  our  wet  blankets.  But  we  had  no  rheumatic 
joints  to  be  relaxed,  and  no  bone-burrowed  mercu- 
ry to  be  douched.  What  an  envied  lot,  that  of  the 
pearl-diver  !  He  gets  not  only  his  bath,  but  a  pearl 
besides.  And  what  a  happy  fellow  is  a  fish !  He  is 
always  head  and  tail  in  the  hydropathic  process.  I 
28 


;j>(;  THREE  years  in  California. 

wonder  if  it  is  not  this  that  gives  the  shark  such  an 
appetite,  and  lends  wings  to  the  flying-fish.  Even  the 
bullfrog  comes  up  only  to  twang  his  joy,  and  the  whale 
to  blow  off  his  excess  of  pleasure,  while  the  mermaid, 
lost  io  transport,  sings  in  her  coral  hall  till  the  listen- 
inflf  naiads  feel 

"  Their  souls  dissolve  in  her  melodious  breath." 

Thlrsday,  Nov.  16.  Replenishing  our  panniers 
with  hard  bread,  and  a  few  pounds  of  dried  venison 
and  coffee,  we  bade  adieu  to  our  Oregonian  friends 
and  the  hospitable  proprietor  of  Stockton,  and  were  off 
for  our  distant  home.  Our  trail  for  sixteen  miles  lay 
through  an  arid  plain,  when  we  brought  up  on  the 
bold  bank  of  the  San  Joaquin.  Our  saddles,  bridles, 
packs,  and  persons  were  thrown  into  a  boat,  our 
horses  driven  into  the  stream,  and  over  w^e  dashed  to 
the  opposite  bank,  where  we  paid  two  dollars  each 
for  our  ferriage,  and  mounted  for  a  fresh  start.  It 
was  near  sunset  when  w-e  reached  the  line  of  trees 
which  belt,  with  their  thick  umbrage,  the  great  valley 
which  stretches  in  barrenness  beyond.  Here  we 
camped  for  the  night,  and  soon  found,  to  our  pleasur- 
able  surprise,  our  friends  Lieut.  Bonnycastle  and 
Lieut,  Morehead,  of  the  army,  in  a  camp  not  more 
than  an  arrow's  flight  distant.  They  w^ere  on  their 
way  to  the  mines,  and  if  excellent  qualities  of  head 
and  heart  can  secure  success,  must  return  with  for- 
tunes.    Night  deepened  apace,  and  our  simple  repast 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  327 

finished,  we  wrapped  ourselves  in  our  blankets,  and 
were  soon  in  sound  sleep. 

Friday,  Nov.  17.  The  day  glimmered  over  the 
hill-tops  :  a  cup  of  coffee,  a  cake  of  hard  bread,  and 
a  scrap  of  dried  venison,  and  we  were  under  way 
again.  Our  trail  lay  for  fifteen  miles  over  the  prairie 
of  the  San  Joaquin.  Though  now  in  November,  yet 
the  heat  was  oppressive.  We  encountered  groups  of 
disbanded  volunteers,  on  their  way  to  the  mines. 
The  soldiers'  improvidence  had  left  but  very  few  the 
means  of  procuring  horses,  and  they  were  generally 
on  foot,  and  crippled  with  blisters.  Going  to  the 
mines  is  one  thing ;  returning  from  them  is  another. 
A  dream  of  victory  animates  the  soldier,  and  visions 
of  sold  stimulate  the  digger.  It  is  onlv  the  result 
under  which  the  heart  droops  and  the  muscles  give 
way. 

It  was  mid-day  when  we  struck  the  hills  which  roll 
their  low  forests  to  the  verge  of  the  prairie.  In  a 
glen,  where  sparkled  a  spring  and  the  pine  threw  its 
shadows,  we  encountered  an  elderly  man  and  his  lit- 
tle boy.  The  parent  was  silent,  downcast,  and  ab- 
stracted, and  his  boy  was  evidently  trying  to  cheer 
him.  The  father,  in  reply  to  our  inquiries,  informed 
us  that  they  had  been  in  the  mines,  where,  by  great 
industry  and  good  fortune,  they  had  got  out  twen- 
ty pounds  of  gold ;  that  on  their  return  they  had 
camped  for  the  night  near  Stockton ;  that  leaving 
their  camping-tree  for  a  few  hours  to  renew  their 


n:?8  THREE   YEARS  1\  CALIFORNIA. 

Stock  of  provisions,  they  had  buried  their  bagof  goM 
under  the  tree ;  but  on  their  return  their  gold  could 
not  be  found !  that  the  most  diligent  search  had  led 
to  no  results  ;  that  he  had  been  robbed!  that  the  loss 
was  less  for  him,  but  that  he  had  eight  motherless 
children,  dependent  on  him  for  a  support.  Who  could 
listen  to  such  a  tale  as  this  and  not  feel  his  blood  tin- 
gle at  the  callous  wretch  who  could  thus  ruin  an- 
other? Even  the  forgiving  Uncle  Toby  w^ould  de- 
liver him  over  to  the  avenging  angel,  to  be  driven 
down  under  double-bolted  thunder  :  nothing  could 
rescue  him,  unless  the  Universalists  catch  him  in 
their  creed,  which  saves  a  man  in  spite  of  the  Evil 
One,  and  in  spite  of  himself,  too. 

We  invited  the  father  and  son  to  join  our  com-  • 
pany  ;  and  when  on  the  way,  the  little  boy,  who  was 
mounted  on  a  pony  at  my  side,  told  me  a  subscription 
had  been  started  at  Stockton  for  his  father,  and  that 
]Mr.^^'eber  and  Dr.  Isabell  had  subscribed  a  pound  of 
gold  each.  Blessings  on  those  liberal  men  !  such  a 
charity  will  throw  a  circle  of  light  around  misfortune, 
should  it  ever  be  their  lot.  The  sun  was  far  down 
his  western  dip  when  we  reached  the  hospitable 
hearth  of  our  friend  Mr.  Livermore  ;  but  finding  that 
he  had  no  grain  for  our  horses,  and  that  the  grass 
around  had  utterly  perished  under  the  summer's 
drought,  we  determined  to  push  on  ;.  and,  crossing  a 
plain  of  eight  miles,  reached  the  mountain  rollers, 
where  we  struck  into  a  ravine,  through  which  a 
streamlet  murmured,  and  where  a  plot  of  grass  still 


THREE   YEARS   IN  CALIFORNIA.  329 

preserved  some  portion  of  its  freshness;  Here  we 
tethered  and  camped.  The  brief  twilight  that  re- 
mained had  passed  into  night's  bosom  before  we  had 
gathered  sufficient  wood  for  our  camp-fire  :  and  we 
needed  a  large  pile  ;  for  the  air  was  chill  and  pene- 
trating. We  made  our  supper  on  hard  bread,  dried 
venison,  and  coffee  ;  while  clouds,  the  sure  precursors 
of  the  winter  rains,  drifted  above  in  sluggish  masses. 
Our  camp-fire  threw  its  column  of  waving  flame  on 
the  beetling  crags  ;  not  a  sound  from  cavern  or  clift' 
distuz'bed  the  silence  ;  we  gazed  into  the  fire,  lost  in 
pensive  musing ;  and  a  more  melancholy  group  sel- 
dom gathers  over  that  face — 

"  Where  life's  last  parting  pulse  has  ceased  to  play," 

when  an  owl  perched  near,  gave  a  deep  hoot !  Each 
broke  into  an  involuntary  laugh.  The  philosophy  of 
that  transition  I  leave  to  those  whose  metaphysical 
acumen  can  spht  the  shadow  which  falls  between 
melancholy  and  mirth. 

Saturday,  Nov.  18.  Another  morn  full  of  rosy 
charms  comes  blushing  over  the  hills  ;  at  the  glance 
of  her  eye  the  shadows  flee  away,  and  the  birds 
awaken  into  song.  The  stir  of  preparation  rustles 
the  leaves  under  our  camping-tree,  and  while  the  dew 
yet  gems  the  grass,  we  are  up  and  away.  What  sal- 
ient freshness  and  force  are  in  the  heart  which  takes 
its  pulses  from  the  waving  wild-wood  and  the  dashing 
stream !  The  exhilaration  in  its  fullest  tide  never 
28* 


330         THREE  YEARS  I\  TALIFORMA. 

ebbs  ;  it  bears  you  on  with  sympathies  and  enjoy- 
ments still  expanding,  till  all  nature,  with  her  intense 
life  and  rapture,  is  yours. 

Our  path,  which  lay  through  a  mountain  gorge, 
bent  its  line  to  a  winding  rivulet,  laughing  and  sing- 
ing through  the  sohtude.  Little  cared  that  for  mar- 
ble fount  or  sculptured  dolphin  ;  it  was  happy  in  its 
own  free  life,  and  the  kisses  of  the  enamored  pebbles, 
which  danced  in  its  hmpid  wave.  And  now  the 
white  walls  of  the  old  church,  where  the  mission  of 
San  Jose  reared  its  altars,  glimmered  into  vision. 
Fast  and  far  the  separating  interval  was  left  behind, 
when  we  dashed  up  to  its  welcome  portal.  Here  we 
found  an  Irish  restaurant,  and  set  its  culinary  func- 
tions in  motion — 

"  Nothing's  more  pure  at  moments  to  take  hold 
Of  the  best  feelings  of  mankind,  which  gi-ow 
More  tender,  as  we  every  day  behold, 

Than  that  all-softening,  overpowering  knell, 
The  tocsin  of  the  soul — the  dinner-bell !" 

Sunday,  Nov.  19.  My  companions  pushed  on 
last  evening  to  San  Jose — fifteen  miles  distant.  My 
old  Russian  friend,  who  occupies  one  of  the  mission 
buildings,  invited  me  to  spend  the  Sabbath  with  him  ; 
an  invitation  which  I  gladly  accepted,  as  it  aflforded 
a  refuge  from  the  restaurant,  with  the  roar  of  its  rev- 
elry and  rum.  The  United  States  have  sent  out 
enough  of  this  fire  here  to  burn  up  a  continent.  The 
conflagration,  kindled  by  the  battle-brand  or  bolt  of 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  331 

the  electric  cloud,  may  sweep  a  forest,  or  lay  a  city 
in  ashes  ;  but  from  the  smouldering  ruins  new  struc- 
tures will  rise,  and  a  new  generation  of  plants  spring; 
but  where  the  spirit  of  rum  hath  spread  its  flame  a 
desolation  follows,  which  the  skill  of  man  and  the  re- 
viving dews  of  heaven  can  never  reach.  It  is  bar- 
ren and  verdureless  as  the  sulphurous  marl  which 
paves 

"  The  deep  track  of  hell." 

Monday,  Nov.  20.  For  a  moment  this  morning  I 
regretted  having  parted  with  my  pistols,  and  thrown 
myself  on  the  non-resistant  principle.  I  was  alone, 
and  on  my  way  to  San  Jose,  when  two  horsemen  sud- 
denly broke  from  the  covert  of  the  woods  on  my  left, 
and  swept  down  upon  the  line  of  my  path.  They  were 
w^ell  mounted,  and  had  the  dare-devil  air  of  the  bri- 
gand. It  was  near  this  spot,  too,  that  a  young  friend 
of  mine  had  been  recently  murdered.  To  attempt 
flight  on  my  Indian  pony  from  the  lightning  hoof-  of 
my  pursuers,  would  have  given  to  consternation  itself 
a  hue  of  the  ludicrous.  I  determined  to  die  decently, 
if  die  I  must.  My  supposed  assailants  dashed  close 
to  my  side,  and  then,  without  uttering  aAvord,  spurred 
back  to  the  forest,  from  which  they  had  debouched. 
They  were  foreigners,  disguised  as  Californians  ;  for 
a  native  always  salutes  you,  and  would,  were  his  hand 
on  the  trigger  of  his  pistol.  They  went  as  they 
came,  and  the  secret  of  their  impetuous  visit  is  in 
their  own  keeping.      I  was  quite  willing  to  part  with 


.'J32  TJIRKE  YHARS   IN  CALIFORNIA. 

their  company,  and  ascribe  their  intrusion  to  a  violent 
curiosity,  or  any  other  motive  untouched  by  crime, 
so  that  they  would  let  me  pass  in  peace  to  the 
I'ueblo  of  San  Jose. 

Tl-esdav,  Nov.  21.  Arriving  at  the  Pueblo,  I 
found  my  companions  had  hired  four  horses,  accus- 
tomed to  the  harness,  attached  them  to  the  wagon, 
which  we  had  left  here,  on  our  way  to  the  mines,  and 
were  ready  to  start  for  Monterey.  I  threw  my  sad- 
dle, l^ridle,  and  blanket  into  the  wagon,  and  parted 
with  my  Indian  pony  :  he  had  done  me  good  service, 
and  got  me  out  of  a  bad  fix  in  the  mines ;  he  had 
pounded  me  some,  it  is  true  ;  but  that  was  no  fault  of 
his  ;  nature  never  intended  him  to  tread  on  flowers 
without  bending  their  stems.  May  his  new  owner 
treat  him  kindly ;  and  when  age  has  withered  his 
strengtji,  not  turn  him  out  on  a  public  common  to 
die  !  Had  we  as  little  mercy  shown  us  as  we  extend 
to  the  noblest  animal  committed  to  our  care,  we 
should  never  get  to  heaven. 

The  sun  was  far  down  his  western  slope  when  we 
reached  the  rancho  of  Mr.  Murphy,  and  camped  for 
the  niglit  under  the  evergreen  oaks,  which  throw  the 
soft  shade  of  their  undying  verdure  over  a  streamlet 
thai  murmurs  near  his  door.  The  old  gentleman  in- 
vited us  in  to  share  his  restricted  apartments,  but  we 
had  so  long  slept  under  trees,  that  we  preferred  the 
iVce  air,  the  maternal  earth,  and  the  stars  to  light  us  to 
our  slumber.     Truly  I  never  slept  so  soundly  on  the 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  333 

garnished  couch,  and  never  found  in  sleep  such  a 
renovating  refreshment.  I  can  now  comprehend  why 
it  is  the  hunter  chngs  to  his  wild  life,  and  prefers  the 
precarious  subsistence  of  his  rifle  to  teeming  stalls. 
He  lives  out  of  himself;  his  sympathies  are  with 
nature  ;  his  sensations  roll  through  boundless  space. 
It  is  for  his  eye  the  violet  blooms,  and  the  early  cloud 
catches  the  blush  of  morn  ;  it  is  for  his  ear  the  bird 
sings  from  its  green  covert,  and  the  torrent  shouts 
from  its  cliff;  it  is  to  cheer  his  footsteps  that  the  twi- 
light lingers,  and  the  star  blazes  in  the  coronet  of 
night :  all  the  changes  of  the  varied  year  are  for 
him;  and  around  his  wild- wood  home  the  seasons 
lead  the  hours  in  perpetual  dance ;  and  when  his  be- 
ing shall  resign  its  trust,  the  dirge  of  the  deep  wood 
will  sing  his  requiem,  and  the  wings  of  the  wind, 
filled  with  the  fragrance  of  flowers,  bear  his  spirit  to 
its  bright  abode. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  22.  We  broke  camp  at  sun- 
rise, took  our  coffee,  harnessed  up,  and  began  to  lum- 
ber ahead.  Our  driver,  who  owned  the  dull  steeds 
which  he  reined,  was  a  native  of  New  England,  and 
betrayed  his  origin  in  the  perpetual  hum  of  a  low 
plaintive  tune,  which  spun  on  for  hours  in  the  same 
unconscious  monotony.  Even  the  crack  of  his  whip, 
which  came  in  frequently,  had  only  the  effect  to  give 
some  note  a  slight  emphasis,  while  the  low  dirge  still 
murmured  on,  true  to  its  unbroken  flow  as  the  tick  of 
the  death-watch  to  its  admonitory  errand,     Thus  ■'ic 


33  i  THREE  YEARS  IN'  CALIFORNIA. 

liours  of  the  day,  their  tender  requiem  being  sung, 
stole  siltjntly  into  the  past. 

But  now  occurred  a  wayfaring  incident  which 
could  not  thus  be  charmed  to  rest.  Our  team,  about 
half  wav  up  the  long  hill  of  San  Juan,  balked,  and 
the  wagon  began  to  roll  back  to  its  base.  We  jumped 
out  and  clogged  the  wheels,  for  we  had  no  idea  of  re- 
turning again  to  the  mines.  Having  breathed  a 
moment,  we  made  another  attempt,  but  without  suc- 
cess ;  we  now  put  our  shoulders  to  the  wheels,  while 
the  lash  fell  fast  on  the  flanks  of  our  horses.  But  no 
pushing,  coaxing,  or  whipping  availed  ;  our  journey  for 
the  day  was  done,  and  abruptly  too  as  that  of  a  mi- 
gratory goose  struck  by  a  rifle  ball.  The  shadows  of 
the  mountain  pines  were  lengthening  fast,  and  we  re- 
tired into  a  glen  at  a  short  distance,  and  camped.  It 
\\as  my  duty  to  procure  water  for  coffee ;  the  spring 
where  the  horses  drank  was  too  full  of  impurities ;  I 
followed  up  the"  unseen  vein  marked  by  the  green 
willows,  till  its  flowing  wave  murmured  on  the  ear 
from  the  depths  of  a  shadowy  chasm.  But  the 
method  of  reaching  it  puzzled  me  as  much  as  the 
faithful  proxy  of  the  Patriarch  would  have  been,  but 
for  the  pitcher  and  line  of  the  gentle  Rachel.  How 
free  of  affectation  and  false  alarm  that  daughter  of 
Israel,  as  her  snow-white  arms  drew  the  limpid  tide 
Jo  quench  the  stranger's  thirst !  How  free  of  a  dis- 
trustful spirit,  or  disdaining  pride,  when  told  that  one 
whom  her  father  loved,  sued  for  her  bridal  hand !  The 
wave  which  swelled  in  her  milk-white  bosom  may 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORMA.  335 

have  trembled  a  moment,  like  the  leaf  stirred  in  the 
rosy  twilight,  and  the  dream  of  her  pillowed  slumber 
may  have  flushed  through  the  snow-curl  of  her  cheek, 
but  with  the  early  lark,  she  was  up  and  away — happy 
in  her  own  youth  and  innocence,  and  in  the  thought 
that  these  were  inwoven  with  the  happiness  of  an- 
other. How  hollow  the  pretexts  of  protracted  delay, 
when  touched  by  the  light  which  glimmers  down 
through  ages  from  the  example  of  this  primitive 
maiden !  But  where  am  I  ? — in  the  infant  world  in- 
stead of  these  chasmed  rocks,  which  frown  through 
the  wrinkles  of  its  decrepitude  and  age.  How  thought 
annihilates  time  and  space!  The  flower  that  first 
bloomed  on  the  verge  of  the  globe,  as  it  emerged  from 
chaos,  and  the  cinder  that  will  fade  last  in  the  embers 
of  its  final  conflagration,  lie  side  by  side  in  the  domain 
of  thought ;  and  the  star  that  hailed  its  birth,  and  the 
planet  that  will  guard  its  tomb,  are  twin-born  in 
the  eternity  of  time.  But  I  am  oft'  again  in  a  phi- 
losophic revery,  and  must  come  back  to  my  coffee- 
pot and  chasm !  With  the  aid  of  a  long  riata,  my 
bucket  was  lowered  sufficiently  to  dip  the  unseen 
stream;  but  drawing  it  up  I  discovered  in  its  wave,  as 
the  surface  became  tranquil,  what  might  well  startle 
any  one  whose  nerves  were  not  of  steel.  It  was  a 
human  face  of  bronze  hue,  half  covered  with  tano-led 
locks,  and  a  beard  of  hermit  growth,  and  so  like  that 
bent  above,  there  was  a  relief  in  the  ripple  that  de- 
stroyed the  resemblance.  But  my  camping  compan- 
ions will  never,  at  this  rate,  get  then"  coffee. 


33G  TflREE   YEARi   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

TinTRSDAY,  Nov.  23.  We  escaped  this  morning 
another  balk  of  our  aniinaJs  by  a  circling  road  which 
in  the  dusk  of  the  last  eve  we  had  missed.  It  was 
mid-day  when  we  rumbled  from  the  hills  of  San  Juan 
upon  the  plain  of  the  Salinas,  and  near  sunset  when 
we  reached  the  river,  which  rolls  its  yellow  w'ave  fif- 
teen miles  from  Monterey.  We  might  have  pushed 
through,  but  why  be  impatient  over  a  night's  delay.? 
I  had  no  one  there  watching  a  husband's  return,  or 
waiting  a  father's  kiss.  These  objects  of  endearment 
were  in  other  lands,  and  oceans  rolled  between. 
More  than  three  lojjg  years  had  worn  away  since  I 
waved  my  adieu,  and  weary  moons  must  set  before 
my  return.  I  may  find  the  eyes  that  beamed  so 
kindly,  closed  forever;  the  bud  of  infant  being,  on 
which  their  last  light  fell,  withered. 

We  were  roused  in  the  night  by  screams  from  the 
river ;  an  o.vcart,  with  three  women  in  it,  had  tum- 
bled down  the  opposite  bank.  The  cattle  seemed  as 
much  frightened  as  their  passengers,  and  fared  better, 
as  they  had  struck  a  shallower  bottom.  We  plunged 
in  and  reached  the  cart.  Our  first  impulse  was  to 
take  the  women  out  and  tote  them  ashore,  but  their 
great  size  and  weight  forbade.  We  wished  to  carry 
the  thing  through  as  gallantly  as  it  had  been  begun; 
but  after  casting  about— the  cold  stream  all  the  while 
lowering  the  thermometer  of  our  enthusiasm — we 
concluded  to  drive  the  team  out,  and  scramble  out 
ourselves. 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  337 

Friday,  Nov.  24.  We  broke  camp  at  an  early 
hour,  and  were  off  for  Monterey.  I  left  my  camping- 
tree  as  one  parts  with  a  tried  friend.  It  was  the  last 
of  a  vernal  band,  that  had  thrown  over  me,  at  burning 
noon  and  through  the  chilly  night,  their  protecting 
shade.  While  our  driver  hummed  his  low  monoto- 
nous stave  to  his  steeds,  my  neglected  reed  murmured 
in  the  counter — 

TO  MY   CAMPING-TREE. 

Farewell  to  thee,  mj  camping-tree, 

The  last  to  shade  this  breast,  ^ 
Where  twilight  weaves,  with  tender  leaves, 

Her  couch  of  rosy  rest. 

Thy  trembling  leaf  seemed  shook  with  grief, 

As  on  it  gleamed  the  dew  ; 
As  woke  the  bird,  by  night-winds  stirred, 

The  stars  came  dancing  through. 

In  lucid  dreams  I  caught  the  gleams- 
Through  chasmed  rocks  unrolled — 

Of  gems,  where  blaze  the  diamond's  rays, 
And  massive  bars  of  gold. 

I  saw  a  ship  her  anchor  trip, 

All  stowed  with  gold  below. 
Depart  this  bay  for  Joppa's  quay, 

Three  thousand  years  ago  ! 

A  star-lit  dome,  of  amber  foam. 

Loomed  in  the  liquid  blue, 
Where  reigned  of  old,  on  thrones  of  gold, 

The  Incas  of  Pern. 

20 


f 


238  TUKEE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORXIA. 

The  midnight  moans,  and  phrensied  groans, 

Of  miners  near  their  last, 
In  tones  that  cursed  the  gold  they  nursed. 

Came  trembling  on  the  blast. 

Wliile  one  apart,  with  gentler  heart, 
His  still  tears  dashed  aside. 

Tluit  he  might  trace  a  pictured  face^ 
At  which  he  gazed,  and  died 

On  steep  and  vale,  m  calm  and  gale. 

Like  music  on  the  sea — 
Sweet  slumber  stole,  within  my  soul. 

Beneath  the  camping-tree. 

A  low-voiced  tone,  the  wind  hath  tlirown 

Upon  my  dreaming  ear. 
Of  oxE,  whose  smiles,  and  gentle  wiles, 

Are  still  remembered  here  : — 

Of  one,  whose  tears — where  each  endears 
The  more  the  heart  that  wept — 

From  swimming  lid  in  silence  slid. 
And  on  her  bosom  slept. 

A  blue-eyed  child,  with  glee  half  wild, 

In  infant  beauty's  beams, 
And  lock  tliat  rolled,  in  waving  gold. 

Came  glancing  through  my  dreams. 

Farewell  to  thee,  my  camping-tree ; 

Till  life's  last  visions  gleam, 
Tby  leaves  and  limbs,  and  vesper  hymns, 

Shall  float  in  memoiy's  dream. 


^^ 


\ 


339 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

CAUSE  OF  SICKNESS  IN  THE  MINES. — THE    QUICKSILVER  MINES. HEAT   AND 

COLD  IN  THE  MINES. TRAITS  IN  THE  SPANISH    CHARACTER. HEALTH  OF 

CALIFORNIA  LADIES. A  WORD  TO  MOTHERS. THE  PINGRASS  AND  BLACK- 
BIRD.  THE  REDWOOD-TREE. BATTLE  OF  THE  EGGS. 

Saturday,  Dec.  2.  I  found  Monterey,  on  my  re- 
turn from  the  mines,  under  the  same  quiet  air  in 
which  her  green  hills  had  soared  since  I  first  beheld 
their  waving  shade.  Many  had  predicted  my  pre- 
cipitate return,  from  the  hardships  and  baffled  attempt 
of  the  tour ;  but  I  persevered,  taking  it  rough  and 
tumble  from  the  first,  and  have  returned  with  im- 
proved health.  I  met  with  but  very  few  cases  of  sick- 
ness in  the  mines,  and  these  obviously  resulting  from 
excessive  imprudence.  What  but  maladies  could  be 
expected,  where  the  miner  stands  by  the  hour  in  a 
cold  mountain  stream,  with  a  broiling  sun  overhead, 
and  then,  perhaps,  drinking  every  day  a  pint  of  New 
England  rum  ?  Why,  the  rum  itself  would  shatter 
any  constitution  not  lightning-proof.  I  wish  those 
who  send  this  fire-curse  here  were  wrapped  in  its 
flames  till  the  wave  of  repentance  should  baptize 
them  into  a  better  life. 

I  have  missed  but  two  things,  since  my  return,  from 
my  goods  and  chattels — my  walking-cane  and  my  Bi- 
ble ;  both  have  been  carried  off  during  my  absence. 


I 


340  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

I  hope  the  latter  will  do  the  person  who  has  taken  it 
much  good  :  I  forgive  the  burglary  for  the  sake  of  the 
benefit.  Prometheus  was  chained  to  the  Caucasian 
rock  for  having  filched  fire  from  heaven  ;  but  no  such 
fearful  retribution  awaits  him  who  has  stolen  my  Bi- 
ble, flooded  though  it  be  with  a  higher  light  than  ever 
dawned  on  the  eyes  of  the  guilty  Titan.  May  its 
spirit  reach  the  offender's  soul,  and  quicken  thoughts 
that  shall  wander  without  rest  till  they  light  on  the 
Cross,  where  hang  the  hopes  of  the  world. 

Tuesday,  Dec.  12.  The  quicksilver  mines  of  Cal- 
ifornia constitute  one  of  the  most  important  elements 
in  her  mineral  wealth.  Only  one  vein  has  as  yet 
been  fully  developed ;  this  lies  a  few  miles  from  San 
Jose,  and  is  owned  by  Hon.  Alexander  Forbes,  Brit- 
ish consul  at  Type,  in  Mexico — a  gentleman  of  vast 
means  and  enterprise— and  who  has  a  heart  as  full  of 
generous  impulses  as  his  mine  is  of  wealth.  Many 
of  our  countrymen,  in  misfortune,  have  shared  his 
munificent  liberality.  His  mine,  in  the  absence  of 
suitable  machinery,  has  been  worked  to  great  disad- 
vantage;  and  yet,  with  two  whaling-kettles  for  fur- 
naces, he  has  driven  off'  a  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  a 
day  of  the  pure  metal.  If  this  can  be  done  with  an 
apparatus  intended  only  for  trying  blubber,  a  ton  may 
be  rolled  from  a  capacious  retort  constructed  for 
the  purpose.  The  title  of  Mr.  Forbes  to  this  mme 
has  excited  some  inquiry,  but  it  will  be  found  among 
the  soundest  in  California. 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  341 

Instead  of  attempting  to  shake  this  title,  a  more 
wise  and  profitable  course  will  be  to  open  a  fresh 
vein.  They  lie  in  the  contiguous  spurs  of  the  same 
mountain  range,  and  only  require  a  small  outlay  of 
labor  and  capital  to  develop  their  untold  wealth.  The 
metal  need  not  travel  from  California  to  find  a  mar- 
ket ;  vast  quantities  will  be  required  in  the  gold 
mines :  the  cradle  and  bowl  must  give  place  to  more 
complicated  machinery  ;  the  sands  of  the  river  pass 
through  a  more  delicate  process  ;  and  the  quartz  of 
the  steep  rock,  crumbled  under  the  stamper,  surren- 
der its  gold  to  the  embrace  of  quicksilver.  This  stu- 
pendous issue  is  close  at  hand  ;  and  they  who  antici- 
pate it,  will  find  the  fruits  of  their  sagacity  and  enter- 
prise in  sudden  fortunes. 

Monday,  Dec.  25.  The  multitudes  who  are  in  the 
mines,  suflTer  in  health  and  constitution  from  the  ex- 
treme changes  of  temperature  which  follow  day  and 
night.  In  some  of  the  ravines  in  which  we  camped, 
these  variations  vibrated  through  thirty  and  forty 
degrees.  In  mid-dav  we  were  driven  into  the  shade 
to  keep  cool,  and  in  the  night  into  two  or  three  blan- 
kets to  keep  warm.  The  heat  is  ascribable  in  part 
to  the  nature  of  the  soil,  its  naked  sandy  features,  its 
power  of  radiation,  and  the  absence  of  circulation  in 
the  glens.  But  the  cold  comes  with  the  visits  of  the 
night  wind  from  the  frosty  slopes  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada. 

These  extreme  variations  follow  the  miner  through 
29* 


SVi  THREE   YEARS   I\   CALIFORNIA. 

the  whole  region  in  which  his  tempting  scenes  of 
labor  lie,  and  require  a  degree  of  prudence  seldom 
met  with  in  that  wild  woodland  life.  The  conse- 
quence is,  a  group  of  maladies  under  which  the  strong- 
est constitution  at  length  breaks  down.  But  I  am 
convinced  fi-om  personal  experience,  that  with  proper 
precaution  and  suitable  food,  many,  and  most  of  these 
evils  may  be  obviated.  The  southern  mines  are  in 
elevations  which  exempt  them  from  the  maladies  in- 
cident to  the  low  lands  which  fringe  the  streams 
farther  north.  There  are  no  stagnant  waters,  no  de- 
composition of  vegetable  matter,  no  miasma  drifting 
about  in  the  fog,  to  shake  and  burn  you  wdth  alternate 
chill  and  fever.  I  never  enjoyed  better  health  and 
spirits  ;  and  never  encountered  in  a  great  moving 
mass,  notwithstanding  their  irregularities,  so  few  in- 
stances of  disease  traceable  to  local  causes.  I  have 
seen  more  groaners  and  grunters  in  one  metropolitan 
household,  than  in  any  swarming  ravine  in  the  south- 
ern mines 

^-.  V/  Sunday,  Ja\.  7.  Lapses  from  virtue  are  not  un- 
frequently  associated,  in  the  character  of  the  Spanish 
female,  with  singular  exhibitions  of  charity  and  self- 
denial.  She  is  often  at  the  couch  of  disease,  un- 
shrinkingly exposed  to  contagion,  or  in  the  hovel  of 
destitution,  administering  to  human  necessity.  She 
pities  where  others  reproach,  and  succors  where 
others  forsake.  The  motive  which  prompts  this  un- 
wearied charity,  is  a  secret  within  her  own  soul.     It 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  343 

may  be  as  a  poor  expiation  for  conscious  error,  or  the 
impulse  of  those  kindly  sentiments  not  yet  extinct,  or 
gratitude  for  that  humanity  which  foregoes  merited 
reprehension.  Be  the  cause  what  it  may,  it  justly 
retains  her  within  the  pale  of  Christian  charity,  and 
entitles  her  to  that  sympathy  in  her  own  misfortunes 
which  she  so  largely  bestows  on  the  sorrows  of 
others. 

Denunciation  never  yet  protected  the  innocent, 
confirmed  the  wavering,  or  recovered  the  fallen. 
That  spirit  of  ferocity  which  breaks  the  bruised  reed, 
partakes  more  of  relentless  pride  than  virtuous  dis- 
approbation. Many  sever  themselves  from  all  sympa- 
thy with  the  erring,  from  the  mistaken  apprehension 
that  the  wider  the  chasm,  the  more  advantageous  the 
light  in  which  they  will  appear.  But  that  chasm 
which  seems  so  wide  to  them,  narrows  to  a  faint  line 
in  the  eye  of  Omniscience.  Forgiveness  is  our  duty ; 
not  that  forgiveness  which  scorns  and  forsakes  the 
object  on  which  it  is  bestowed,  but  which  seeks  to 
i*eclaim  the  erring,  and  reinstate  the  fallen  in  merited 
confidence  and  esteem.  When  repentant  guilt  trem- 
bled and  blushed  in  the  presence  of  Him  whose 
divine  example  is  our  guide,  no  frown  darkened  His 
brow,  no  malediction  fell  from  His  lips ;  His  absolv- 
ing injunction  was — go,  and  sin  no  more.  The  bright- 
est stars  are  they  which  have  emerged  from  a  horizon 
of  darkness. 

Tuesday,  Jan.  16.      The  climate  on  the  seaboard 


IMI  TIIUEE  YEARS  IN  CALIFOKMA. 

is  remarkably  equable  ;  it  varies  at  Monterey,  the 
year  round,  but  little  from  sixty.  You  never  lay 
aside  vour  woollen  apparel,  and  always  feel  ready  for 
a  bear-hunt,  or  any  other  field-sport  that  may  tempt 
vour  taste  or  skill.  Till  the  Americans  came  here 
there  was  hardly  a  house  in  the  town  which  contained 
a  fireplace  ;  even  the  cooking  was  done  in  a  de- 
tached ;ipartment,  seemingly  to  avoid  the  straggling 
ravs  of  its  grate.  The  children  ran  about  in  the 
winter  months  without  a  shoe,  and  in  their  httle  cot- 
ton slips,  the  perfect  pictures  of  health.  The  girl  of 
seventeen,  the  mother  of  forty,  and  the  venerable 
lady,  who  had  reached  her  threescore  and  ten,  were 
never  seen  hovering  around  a  fire  :  they  were  at  their 
household  affairs,  in  apartments  where  a  coal  had 
never  been  kindled ;  or  in  their  gardens,  where  the 
last  rain  had  revived  their  drooping  plants  ;  or  out  in 
the  woods  at  })ic-nics,  where  the  very  birds  sung  out 
in  rivalry  of  their  jocund  mirth.  Health  spread  its 
rose  in  the  cheek,  and  elastic  life  thrilled  in  the  bound- 
ing limb.  The  birth  of  a  child  was  only  a  momentary 
pause  in  this  scene  of  pleasurable  activity,  and  more 
than  compensated  for  its  brief  encroachment  in  a 
new  bud  of  being,  to  be  clustered  among  the  rest — 
now  blooming  in  fragrant  life  around  the  parent  tree. 
Think  of  this,  ye  mothers  who  cloister  your  daugh- 
ters in  air-tight  parlors,  with  furnaces  blowing  in 
hot  steam  from  below.  It  is  no  wonder  they  wither 
from  their  cradles,  and  that  their  bridal  couch  is 
olten  ashes.     Your  mistaken  tenderness,  vanity,  and 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  345 

pride  have  supplied  death  with  trophies  long  enough. 
Look  here  to  California  ;  among  all  these  mothers 
and  daughters,  there  is  not  one  where  the  canker- 
worm  of  that  disease  is  at  work  which  has  spread 
sorrow  and  dismay  around  your  hearths..  The  insidi- 
ous disguises  and  sapping  advances  of  the  ct)nsump- 
tion  are  not  known  here ;  I  have  not  yet  met  with 
the  first  instance  where  this  disease,  contracted  here, 
has  found  a  victim.  It  is  your  in-door  habits,  hot 
parlors,  prunellas,  and  twisting  corsets,  that  clothe 
this  generation  with  weeds,  and  bequeath  to  the  next 
constitutions  that  fall  like  grass  under  the  scythe  of 
death.  If  your  daughters  won't  take  out-door  exer- 
cise from  persuasion,  then  drive  them  forth  as  the 
guardian  angel  of  Eden  your  erring  progenitrix.  It 
may  have  been  that  the  development  of  her  physical 
forces,  as  well  as  retributive  justice,  induced  her  ex- 
pulsion from  the  luxurious  roses,  the  balmy  airs,  and 
lulling  streams  of  her  first  abode.  But  your  Eves 
will  come  back  again,  and  sparkling  eyes,  and  buoy- 
ant spirits,  and  a  vigorous  pulse  will  commend  your 
maternal  wisdom  ;  and  when  a  man,  worthy  of  your 
confidence  and  the  aflfections  of  your  daughters, 
wants  a  wife,  his  choice  will  not  lie  in  a  group  of 
valetudinarians.  He  carries  off  a  bird  that  floats  a 
strong  wing,  and  that  can  sing  in  concert  with  him 
as  they  build  the  nest  out  of  which  other  harmonies 
are  to  charm  the  warbling  grove  ;  and  then,  too,  the 
young  fledglings  will  come  back  to  you,  all  bright  and 
beautiful,  and  touched  with  the  spirit  of  gladness  in 


310  THRF.n  YEARS  I.\  CALIFORNIA. 

\vhich  their  breezy  cradle  swung.  Why,  is  not  this 
enough  to  make  a  mother's  soul  leap  to  her  laughing 
eyes ! 

Wednesday,  Jan.  24.  Nature  never  leaves  any 
portion  of  her  troubled  domain  without  a  compensa- 
tion. Here,  where  the  hills  and  plains,  under  the 
long  summer's  drought,  become  so  parched  and  dry 
that  the  grasshoppers  cease  to  sing,  she  presents  a 
pingrass,  on  which  the  cattle  still  thrive ;  and  when 
this  fails,  it  has  already  dropped  a  seed  even  more 
nutritious  than  the  stem  which  sustained  its  bulbous 
cradle.  For  this,  a  California  horse  will  leave  the 
best  bin  of  oats  that  ever  waved  in  the  harvest-moon. 
The  first  copious  shower,  which  usually  occurs  in 
November,  destroys  it,  but  around  its  ruins  another 
grass  springs,  to  throw  its  green  velvet,  inwrought 
with  millions  of  flowers,  on  the  charmed  eye.  It  is 
no  wonder  the  birds  here  sing  through  the  year,  and 
forego  those  migrations  to  which  they  are  subjected 
in  other  climes.  The  lay  of  the  robin,  the  whistle  of 
the  quail,  and  the  tender  notes  of  the  curlew,  are  al- 
ways piping  in  the  grove,  or  filling  with  melody  the 
garden-tree. 

Were  the  blackbird  to  migrate,  and  never  come 
back,  no  farmer  would  regret  his  absence ;  for  he  is 
a  mischievous  bird,  who  has  no  respect  for  the  rights 
of  property.  He  squats  by  millions  where  he  likes, 
and  would  rob  a  wheat-field  of  its  last  kernel  with  a 
thousand    thunders   rattling   overhead.     His  lections 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.         347 

darken  the  heaven  where  they  fly,  and  drown  all  other 
harmonies  in  the  jargon  of  their  obstreperous  chatter. 
They  are  said  to  be  good  for  a  pot-pie ;  and  there  are 
enough  of  them  here  to  plump  a  pie  around  which 
nations  might  sit  and  carve  at  will :  and  how  much 
better  to  be  carving  a  common  pie  than  carving  into 
each  other's  lands, — to  be  popping  at  blackbirds  than 
shooting  each  other.  There  is  not  a  blackbird  but 
what  laughs  under  his  glossy  wing  when  he  sees  a 
man  levelling  his  gun  at  another,  which  the  sable 
rogue  knows  ought  to  be  levelled  at  him ;  and  when 
the  smoke-clouds  loom  up  from  the  field  of  battle,  he 
chatters  in  very  glee,  and  even  the  eyes  of  the  sedate 
raven  are  filled  with  unwonted  light.  Man  makes 
himself  a  mournful  tragedy  and  ludicrous  comedy  in 
the  great  creation  of  God. 

Wednesday,  Feb.  7.  There  is  one  tree  in  Cali- 
fornia that  is  worthy  of  note,  which  is  peculiar  to  the 
country,  and  as  deserving  a  place  on  her  coat-of-arms 
as  her  grizzly  bear,  and  much  more  so,  unless  her 
people  intend  to  overawe  their  neighbors  with  the 
terrors  of  their  insignia.  This  tree  is  called  the  red- 
wood, and  closely  resembles,  in  its  texture,  size,  and 
antiseptic  qualities,  the  giant  cedars  which  have 
pinnacled,  through  the  storms  of  a  thousand  years, 
the  steeps  of  Lebanon.  It  is  found  on  the  table-lands 
between  the  coast  range  and  the  sea,  and  grows  in 
distinct  forests,  like  the  savage  tribes  which  once 
slumbered  in  its  shadows.    Its  shaft  rises  straight  and 


;{18  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

Ircc  uf  limbs,  till  high  over  the  wave  of  other  trees  it 
can  spread  its  emerald  sails  to  the  wind,  compact  as 
the  royals  of  a  ship  of  the  line.  The  wqod  is  of  a 
pale  red  hue,  and  easily  yields  to  any  shape  under  the 
implements  of  the  carpenter,  but  is  not  sufficiently 
firm  for  the  severer  tests  of  cabinet  work.  It  resists 
decav,  whatever  may  be  its  exposure,  and  in  the 
ground  or  on  the  roof  is  true  to  its  trust.  The  same 
shingle  which  shook  the  rain  from  your  grandsire, 
wards  it  from  you ;  and  the  same  board  which  pan- 
nelled  his  coffin,  echoes  to  the  rumbling  sounds  of 
yours  as  you  go  down  to  join  him.  In  a  grove  of 
these  trees,  only  a  short  ride  from  Monterey,  stands 
one  measuring  sixty  feet  in  circumference !  Of  its 
height  I  am  not  certain,  as  I  had  no  means  of  meas- 
uring it — say  three  hundred  feet — or  at  least  as  high 
as  the  steeple  of  that  church,  a  warden  of  which, 
who  had  caught  the  spirit  of  its  elevation,  is  reported 
to  have  said  in  reply  to  a  proposition  for  the  intro- 
duction of  lamps  and  an  evening  service,  "  this  line 
goes  through  by  daylight."  Let  those  versed  in 
moral  mensuration  determine  the  elevation  of  that 
warden  s  spn-itual  pride,  and  they  will  have  the  height 
of  my  tree  exactly. 

Friday,  Feb.  16.  Mr.  Larkin  has  closed  the 
amusements  of  the  carnival  with  a  splendid  entertain- 
ment, graced  with  all  the  beauty  and  bravery  of 
Monterey.  As  no  egg  could  be  broken  after  mid- 
night, without  trenching  on  the  solemnities  of  Lent, 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  349 

each  went  equipped  with  these  weapons,  ready  for  an 
early  contest.  Several  small  volleys  opened  the  en- 
gagement between  some  of  the  parties ;  while  the 
fandango  engrossed  the  attention  of  others.  In  this 
oval  war  the  ladies  are  always  the  antagonists  of  the 
gentlemen,  and,  generally,  through  their  dexterity, 
and  larger  supply  of  ammunition,  bear  off  the  palm. 
They  will  sometimes  carry  two  or  three  dozen  rounds 
each,  and  as  snugly  stowed  away  as  cartridges  in  the 
box  of  a  new  recruit.  Still  both  parties  will  fight  it 
out — 

"  With  blow  for  blow,  disputing  inch  by  inch, 
Where  one  will  not  retreat,  nor  t'other  flinch." 

But  there  were  two  shot  in  the  company,  in  the 
shape  of  goose  eggs,  well  filled  with  cologne,  to  which 
an  unusual   interest   attached.       One   of   them  had 

been  brought   by  Gen.  M ,  the  other  by  Donna 

J ,  and  each  was  only  watching  an  opportunity 

for  a  crash  on  the  head  of  the  other.  Both  were  en- 
dowed with  physical  force,  dexterity,  and  firmness, 
and  a  heart  in  which  pity  relaxed  none  of  these  ener- 
gies. Neither  turned  an  eye  but  for  a  moment  from 
the  other  ;  but  in  that  moment  the  donna  dashed  to 
the  side  of  the  general,  and  would  have  crashed  her 
egg  on  his  head,  had  not  the  blow  been  instantly  par- 
ried. The  assailed  now  became  the  assailant,  and 
both  were  in  for  the  last  tests  of  skill — 

"  While  none  who  saw  them  could  divine 
To  which  side  conquest  would  incline." 

30 


S')0  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

The  donna  changed  her  tactics,  stood  on  the  defen- 
sive and  parried,  and  in  one  of  these  dexterous  foils 
(lashed  her  egg  on  the  head  of  her  antagonist,  who, 
in  the  same  instant,  brought  his  down  plump  on  hers. 
Both  were  drenched  in  cologne ;  both  victors  in  de- 
feat :  a  shout  followed,  which  shook  the  rafters  of  the 
old  tenement.  The  engagement  now  became  gene- 
ral ;  each  had  his  antagonist,  and  must  "do  or  die  ;" 
the  battle  swayed  this  way  and  that — sometimes  in 
single  combat,  and  at  others  in  vollied  platoons  ;  and 
then  along  the  whole  blazing  line  :  each  recoil  was  re- 
covered by  a  more  vigorous  assault ;  each  retreat  in 
rallied  thunder,  more  than  redeemed ;  while  first  and 
foremost,  where  wavered  or  withstood  the  foe — 

"  Tlie  donna  cheered  her  band." 

But,  in  this  most  critical  crisis  of  the  field,  the  fire 
began  to  slacken  along  the  line  of  the  men  ;  their 
ammunition  was  giving  out ;  only  a  few^  rounds  here 
and  there  remained ;  the  heroines  perceived  this, 
and  opened  with  double  round  and  grape  on  their 
foes — 

"  Who  f(irm— unite— charge— waver — all  is  lost!" 

The  bell  tolled  the  hour  of  midnight,  and  Lent  came 
in  with  her  ashes  to  bury  the  dead !  They  may  trifle 
who  will  with  this  field  ;  but  there  was  more  in  it 
worthy  of  a  good  man's  remembrance  than  half  the 
fields  fought  from  Homer's  day  to  this.  If  this  be 
Irea.son  to  the  bullet  and  blood  chivalry — make  the 
most  of  it. 


351 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

THE    PUBLIC    DOMAIN. — SCENERY  AROUND  MONTEREY. — VINEYARDS    OF   LOS 

ANGELS. BEAUTY  OF  SAN  DIEGO. THE    CULPRIT    HALL. THE  RUSH  FOR 

GOLD. LAND    TITLES. THE    INDIAN    DOCTRESS. —  TUFTED    PARTRIDGE. 

DEATH  OF  COM.  BIDDLE. 

V 

Saturday,  Feb.  24.  All  the  land  grants  in  Cali- 
fornia are  blindly  defined ;  a  mountain  bluff,  lagoon, 
river,  or  ravine  serve  as  boundaries  ;\and  these  not 
unfrequently  comprehend  double  the  leagues  or  acres 
contemplated  in  the  instrument.  No  accurate  sur- 
veys have  been  made ;  and-  the  only  legal  restrictions 
falling  within  these  vague  limits,  is  in  the  shape  of  a 
provision  that  the  excess  shall  revert  to  the  public 
domain.  This  provision,  which  is  inserted  in  most 
of  the  grants,  will  throw  into  the  market,  under  an 
accurate  survey,  some  of  the  best  tracts  in  Califor- 
nia. These  will  be  seized  upon  by  capitalists  and 
speculators,  and  held  at  prices  beyond  the  means  of 
emigrants,  unless  some  legislative  provision  shall  ex- 
tend peculiar  privileges  to  actual  settlers. 

The  lands  which  lie  through  the  gold  region  are 
uninvaded  by  any  private  grants,  except  one  on  the 
Maraposa,  owned  by  Col.  Fremont ;  one  on  the 
Cosumes,  owned  by  W.  E.  P.  Hartnell,  and  the 
limited  claims  of  Johnson  on  Bear  river,  and  Capt, 
Sutter  on  the  Americano.  All  the  other  lands  stretch- 
ing from  Feather  river  on  the  north,  to  the  river  Reys 


r52  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

on  the  south,  covering  five  hundred  miles  along  the 
slopes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  belonging  to  the  public 
domain.^nd  should  never  become  private  property 
so  lonfT  as  it  is  for  the  interests  of  the  United  States 
to  encourage  mining  in  California,  Any  system  of 
private  proprietorship  will  result  in  monopoly  and 
bloodshed.  Let  companies  lease  their  sections,  and 
private  individuals  pay  their  license;  and  let  every 
rerrulation  look  more  to  the  encouragement  it  extends, 
than  the  revenue  it  exacts. 

Tuesday,  Feb.  27.  At  an  early  hour  this  morn- 
ing a  huge  floating  mass,  with  her  steep  sides  dark  as 
night,  was  seen  winding  into  the  bav  without  sail, 
wind,  or  tide.  Such  a  wizard  phenomenon  was  never 
seen  before  on  this  coast,  and  might  well  alann  the 
natives,  especially  when  the  great  guns  of  the  fort 
rolled  their  thunder  at  her :  and  still  she  neared ! 
heaving  the  still  waters  into  cataracts  at  her  side, 
and  sending  up  her  steep  column  of  smoke,  as  if  a 
young  Etna  were  at  work  within.  They  who  had 
witnessed  such  things  in  other  parts  of  the  world, 
shouted  "The  steamer!  the  steamer!"  and  instantly 
the  echo  came  back  with  redoubled  force  from  a 
hundred  crowded  balconies.  The  whole  community 
was  thrown  into  excitement,  wonder,  and  gratula- 
tion  ;  cheers  and  shouts  of  welcome  rent  the  air  ;  all 
liquors  were  free  to  brim  the  bumpers ;  and  basket 
after  basket  of  champagne  went  gratuitously  into  the 
streets,  till  their  flying  corks  rose  like  musket-shot  in 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  353 

a  general  feu  de  joie.  The  last  distrust  of  good  faith 
in  the  government  vanished ;  and  all  saw  the  dawn  of 
a  higher  destiny  breaking  over  California.  The  en- 
terprise of  a  Rowland  and  Aspinwall  blazed  in  this 
new  aurora,  and  filled  the  whole  horizon  with  lisht. 
The  golden  promise  which  had  floated  in  doubt  and 
earnest  hope  had  been  redeemed  and  the  union  of 
California  with  the  glorious  confederacy  achieved. 
What  now  were  oceans  and  an  isthmus  ! — only  a  few 
waves  and  a  narrow  line  of  earth,  unfelt  under  the 
conquering  powers  of  steam.  Such  was  the  tumult 
of  transport  which  hailed  the  first  steamer ;  such  her 
welcome  to  the  el  dorado  of  the  West.  No  gold  mine 
sprung  in  the  Sierra  ever  roused  half  the  wonder, 
hope,  and  general  joy. 

Monday,  March  5.  The  scenery  around  Mon- 
terey and  the  locale  of  the  town,  arrest  the  first 
glance  of  the  stranger.  The  wild  waving  background 
of  forest-feathered  cliffs,  the  green  slopes,  and  the 
glimmering  walls  of  the  white  dwellings,  and  the  dash 
of  the  billows  on  the  sparkling  sands  of  the  bay,  fix 
and  charm  the  eye.  Nor  does  the  enchantment  fade 
by  being  familiarly  approached ;  avenues  of  almost 
endless  variety  lead  off  through  the  circling  steeps, 
and  winding  through  long  shadowy  ravines,  lose 
themselves  in  the  vine-clad  recesses  of  the  distant 
hills.  It  is  no  wonder  that  California  centred  her 
taste,  pride,  and  wealth  here,  till  the  Vandal  irruption 
of  gold-hunters  broke  into  her  peaceful  domain.  Now 
30* 


354  TUREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNTA. 

all  eves  are  turned  to  San  Francisco,  with  lier  mud 
bottoms,  her  sand  hills,  and  her  chill  winds,  which  cut 
the  stranger  like  hail  driven  through  the  summer  sol- 
stice. Avarice  may  erect  its  shanty  there,  but  con- 
tentment, and  a  love  of  the  wild  and  beautiful,  will 
construct  its  tabernacle  among  the  flowers,  the  waving 
shades,  and  fragrant  airs  of  Monterey.  And  even 
they  who  now  drive  the  spade  and  drill  in  the  mines, 
when  their  yellow  pile  shall  fill  the  measure  of  their 
purposes,  will  come  here  to  sprinkle  these  hills  with 
the  mansions  and  cottages  of  ease  and  refinement. 
Among  these  soaring  crags  the  step  of  youth  will  still 
spring,  and  beauty  garland  her  tresses  with  wild- 
flowers  in  the  mirror  of  the  mountain  stream.  Alas ! 
that  eyes  so  bright  should  be  closed  so  soon,  and  that 
a  step  so  light  and  free  should  lead  but  to  that  narrow 
house  which  holds  no  communion  with  the  pulses 
which  will  still  roll  through  nature's  great  heart ! 

Wednesday,  March  7.  Emigrants,  when  the 
phrensy  of  the  mines  has  passed,  will  be  strongly 
attracted  to  los  Angeles,  the  capital  of  the  southern 
department.  It  stands  inland  from  San  Pedro  about 
eight  leagues,  in  the  bosom  of  a  broad  fertile  plain, 
and  has  a  population  of  two  thousand  souls.  The 
San  Gabriel  pours  its  sparkling  tide  through  its  green 
borders.  The  most  delicious  fruits  of  the  tropical 
zone  may  flourish  here.  As  yet,  only  the  grape  and 
fig  have  secured  the  attention  of  the  cultivator ;  but 
the  capacities  of  the  soil  and  aptitudes  of  the  climate 


THREE  YEAUS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  355 

are  attested  in  the  twenty  thousand  vines,  which  reel 
in  one  orchard,  and  which  send  through  Cahfornia  a 
wine  that  need  not  blush  in  the  presence  of  any  rival 
from  the  hills  of  France  or  the  sunny  slopes  of  Italy. 
To  these  plains  the  more  quiet  emigrants  will  ere 
long  gather,  and  convert  their  drills  into  pruning- 
hooks,  and  we  shall  have  wines,  figs,  dates,  almonds, 
olives,  and  raisins  from  California.  The  gold  may 
give  out,  but  these  are  secure  while  nature  remains. 

San  Diego  is  another  spot  to  which  the  tide  of 
immigration  must  turn.  It  stands  on  the  border  line 
of  Alta  California,  and  opens  on  a  land-locked  bay  of 
surpassing  beauty.  The  climate  is  soft  and  mild  the 
year  round  ;  the  sky  brilliant,  and  the  atmosphere 
free  of  those  mists  which  the  cold  currents  throw  on 
the  northern  sections  of  the  coast.  The  sea-breeze 
cools  the  heat  of  summer,  and  the  great  ocean  her- 
self modulates  into  the  same  temperature  the  rough 
airs  of  winter.  The  seasons  roll  round,  varied  only 
by  the  fresh  fruits  and  flowers  that  follow  in  their 
train.  I  would  rather  have  a  willow-wove  hut  at 
San  Diego,  wath  ground  enough  for  a  garden,  than 
the  whole  peninsula  of  San  Francisco,  if  I  must  live 
there. '  The  one  is  a  Vallambrosa,  where  only  the  ^ 
zephy  rstirs  her  light  wing ;  the  other  a  tempest-swept 
cave  of  iEolus,  where  the  demons  of  storm  shake  their 
shivering  victims.  The  lust  of  gold  will  people  the 
one,  but  all  that  is  lovely  in  the  human  heart  spread 
its  charm  over  the  other.  Before  the  eyes  that  fall 
on  these  pages  are  under  death's  shadow,  San  Diego 


S'lG  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

will  have  become  the  queen  of  the  south  in  California, 
encircled  with  vineyards  and  fields  of  golden  grain, 
and  gathering  into  her  bosom  the  flowing  commerce 
of  the  Colorado  and  Gila. 

Thursday,  March  8.  The  town-hall,  on  which 
I  have  been  at  work  for  more  than  a  year,  is  at  last 
finished.  It  is  built  of  a  white  stone,  quarried  from  a 
neighboring  hill,  and  which  easily  takes  the  shape 
you  desire.  The  lower  apartments  are  for  schools  ; 
the  hall  over  them — seventy  feet  by  thirty — is  for 
public  assemblies.  The  front  is  ornamented  with  a 
portico,  which  you  enter  from  the  hall.  It  is  not  an 
edifice  that  would  attract  any  attention  among  pub- 
lic buildings  in  the  United  States  ;  but  in  California 
it  is  without  a  rival.  It  has  been  erected  out  of  the 
slender  proceeds  of  town  lots,  the  labor  of  the  con- 
victs, taxes  on  liquor  shops,  and  fines  on  gamblers. 
The  scheme  was  regarded  with  incredulity  by  many; 
but  the  building  is  finished,  and  the  citizens  have  as- 
sembled in  it,  and  christened  it  after  my  name,  which 
will  now  go  down  to  posterity  with  the  odor  of  gam- 
blers, convicts,  and  tipplers.  I  leave  it  as  an  hum- 
])le  evidence  of  what  may  be  accomplished  by  rigidly 
adhering  to  one  purpose,  and  shrinking  from  no  per- 
sonal efforts  necessary  to  its  achievement.  A  prison 
has  also  been  built,  and  mainly  through  the  labor  of 
the  convicts.  Many  a  joke  the  rogues  have  cracked 
while  constructing  their  own  cage  ;  but  they  have 
worked  so  diligently  I  shall  feel  constrained  to  pardon 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  357 

out  the  less  incorrigible.  It  is  difficult  here  to  dis- 
criminate between  offences  which  flow  from  moral 
hardihood,  and  those  which  result,  in  a  measui'e,  from 
untoward  circumstances.  There  is  a  wide  difference 
in  the  turpitude  of  the  two ;  and  an  alcalde  under 
the  Mexican  law,  has  a  large  scope  in  which  to  exer- 
cise his  sense  of  moral  justice.  Better  to  err  a  fur- 
long with  mercy  than  a  fathom  with  cruelty.  Un- 
merited punishment  never  yet  reformed  its  subject ; 
to  suppose  it,  is  a  libel  on  the  human  soul. 

Friday,  March  9.  There  is  one  event  in  the  re- 
cent history  of  California,  which  has  carried  with  it 
decisive  moral  results.  Till  the  intelligence  of  peace  )  ^ 
reached  here,  a  bewildering  expectation  had  been  en- 
tertained by  many,  that  Mexico  would  never  consent 
to  part  with  this  portion  of  her  domain.  This  idea, 
vague  and  groundless  as  it  was,  interfered  with  all 
permanent  plans  of  action  affecting  individual  capital 
and  enterprise.  To  this  state  of  uncertainty  the 
news  of  peace,  which  reached  here  in  August,  gave 
an  effectual  quietus.  The  event  was  announced  to 
the  community  by  order  of  Gen.  Mason,  through  a 
national  salute  from  the  fort ;  and  hardly  had  the 
echoes  died  away  among  the  hills,  when  its  certainty 
sunk  deep  and  firm  into  the  convictions  of  all.  The 
result  was  a  revulsion  of  feeling  towards  Mexico, 
which  no  repentant  action  on  her  part  could  ever 
overcome.  The  native  people  felt  that  they  had  been 
sold,  and  expressed  in  no  measured  terms  their  indig- 


35S  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORMA. 

nation.  They  had  no  objections  to  the  transfer  of  al- 
legiance ;  but  they  scorned  the  barter,  and  denounced 
the  treachery,  as  they  termed  it,  which  had  put  a 
price  upon  their  heads.  The  old  Spanish  blood  was 
up,  and  flaming,  like  the  lake  which  rolls  its  tide  of 
fire  in  the  breast  of  Vesuvius.  From  that  day  to  this, 
I  have  never  heard  one  native  citizen  express  for 
jNIexico  even  that  poor  sentiment  of  regard  with 
which  pity  sometimes  softens  an  indignant  contempt. 
The  only  regret  was,  that  the  American  arms  were 
withdrawn  from  that  country,  and  that  her  national 
existence  was  not  extinct.  This  feeling  remains,  and 
will  still  be  felt  in  the  various  relations  of  society, 
when  the  native  mass  has  been  swallowed  up  in  the 
emigrant  tide,  as  a  rivulet  in  the  majesty  of  the  moun- 
tain stream. 

Sunday,  March  11.  What  crowds  are  rushing 
out  here  for  gold !  what  multitudes  are  leaving  their 
distant  homes  for  this  glittering  treasure  !  Can  gold 
warrant  the  hazards  of  the  enterprise  ?  Can  it  com- 
pensate the  toils  and  suffering  which  it  imposes  ?  Can 
it  repair  a  shattered  constitution,  or  bring  back  the 
exhilarating  pulse  and  play  of  youth  ?  Let  the  wrecks 
of  those  who  have  perished  speak  ;  let  the  broken 
hearts  and  hopes  of  thousands  utter  their  admonition : 
their  voices  come  surging  over  these  pines,  breaking 
from  these  cliffs,  sighing  in  the  winds,  and  knelling 
from  the  clouds.  Your  treasures  you  must  resign  at 
the  dark  portal  of  the  grave  ;  there  the  glittering  heap, 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  350 

and  the  stioiig  arms  which  wrenched  it  from  the  mine, 
lie  down  together  ;  the  spirit  walketh  alone  through 
that  troubled  night ;  but  a  ray  twinkles  through  its 
long  aisle  of  darkness  :  follow  that  in  meekness  and 
faith,  and  it  will  lead  you  to  the  spirit-land.  There 
dwell  your  kindred  who  adorned  virtue  with  a  spirit 
of  contentment, — there  the  parent  whose  latest  prayer 
was  for  you, — there  the  sister,  who,  in  the  hush  of 
voices  around,  heard  the  sweet  strains  of  an  unseen 
harp,  and  was  charmed  away  from  the  delusive  dreams 
of  earth,  ere  a  hope  of  the  heart  had  been  broken,  or 
sorrow  had  saddened  a  smile.  What  is  wealth  to 
such  an  inheritance  ?  what  the  society  of  kings  to 
such  companionship  ?  XPlume  your  wing  for  heaven 
ere  it  droops  in  the  death-dew  of  its  dissolving 
strength.  V 

Tuesday,  March  20.  The  land-titles  in  California 
ought  to  receive  the  most  indulgent  construction. 
But  few  of  them  have  all  the  forms  prescribed  by 
legislative  enactments,  but  they  have  official  insignia 
sufficient  to  certify  the  intentions  of  the  government. 
To  disturb  these  grants  w^ould  be  alike  impolitic  and 
unjust ;  it  would  be  to  convert  the  lands  which  they 
cover  to  the  public  domain,  and  ultimately  turn  them 
over  to  speculators  and  foreign  capitalists.  Better 
let  them  remain  as  they  are :  they  are  now  in  good 
hands  ;  they  are  held  mostly  by  Californians, — a  class 
of  persons  who  part  with  them  on  reasonable  terms. 
No  Californian  grinds  the  face  of  the  poor,  or  refuses 


3d0  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

an  emigrant  a  participation  in  his  lands.  I  have 
seen  them  dispose  of  miles  for  a  consideration  less 
than  would  be  required  by  Americans  for  as  many- 
acres.  You  are  shut  up  to  the  shrewdness  and  sharp- 
ness of  the  Yankee  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  libe- 
rality of  the  Californian  on  the  other.  Your  choice 
lies  between  the  two,  and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  say- 
ing, give  me  the  Californian.  If  he  has  a  farm,  and 
1  have  none,  he  will  divide  with  me ;  but  who  ever 
heard  of  a  Yankee  splitting  up  his  farm  to  accom- 
modate emigrants  ?  Why,  he  will  not  divide  with  his 
own  sons  till  death  has  divided  him  from  both. 
Yankees  are  good  when  mountains  are  to  be  levelled, 
lakes  drained,  and  licrhtninc:  converted  into  a  vesi;eta- 
ble  manure ;  but  as  a  landholder,  deliver  me  from  his 
map  and  maw.  He  wants  not  only  all  on  this  side 
of  creation's  verge,  but  a  leette  that  laps  over  the 
other. 

Wednesday,  March  28.  A  young  friend  of  mine 
had  been  several  months  in  Monterey,  confined  to  his 
room,  and  nearly  helpless,  from  an  ugly  sore  on  one 
of  his  limbs.  The  skill  of  the  whole  medical  profes- 
sion here,  in  the  army  and  navy,  and  out  of  them, 
had  been  exerted  in  this  case,  and  baffled.  At  last, 
the  discouraged  patient  sent  for  an  old  Indian  wo- 
man, who  has  some  reputation  among  the  natives  for 
medical  sagacity  in  roots  and  herbs.  She  examined 
the  sore,  and  the  next  day  brought  to  the  patient  a 
poultice  and  pot  of  tea.     The  application  was  made 


THREE   YEAKS   IN   CALIFORNIA.  361 

and  the  beverage  drank  as  directed.  These  were  re- 
newed two  or  three  times,  and  the  young  man  is  now 
running  about  the  streets,  or  hunting  his  game,  sound 
as  a  nut. 

This  same  Indian  woman  is  the  only  physician  I 
had  when  attacked  with  the  disease  which  carried  off 
Lieut.  Miner  and  several  others  attached  to  the  pub- 
lic service.  In  a  half-delirious  state,  which  followed 
close  upon  the  attack,  I  looked  up  and  saw  bending 
over  me  the  kind  Mrs.  Hartnell — one  of  the  noblest 
among  the  native  ladies  of  California — and  at  her 
side  stood  this  Indian  woman  feeling  my  pulse.  Mrs. 
H.  remained,  while  her  medical  attendant  went  away, 
but  returned  soon  with  the  Indian  medicaments  which 
were  to  arrest,  or  remedy  this  rapid  and  critical  dis- 
ease. I  resigned  myself  to  all  her  drinks  and  baths  ; 
she  did  with  me  just  what  she  pleased.  She  broke 
the  fever  without  breaking  me ;  restored  my  strength, 
and  in  a  week  I  was  in  my  office,  attending  to  my 
duties.  What  she  gave  me  I  know  not,  but  I  believe 
her  roots  and  herbs  saved  my  life,  as  well  as  the  leg 
of  my  friend. 

Saturday,  April  7.  The  quail,  or  tufted  partridge, 
abounds  in  California,  and  is  a  delicious  bird.  A 
walk  of  ten  minutes  in  any  direction  from  Monterey, 
will  bring  you  into  their  favorite  haunts.  But  they 
are  extremely  shy  ;  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  strike  them 
on  the  wing :  they  are  out  of  one  bush  and  into  an- 
other before  you  can  level  your  piece,  unless,  like  the 
31 


;j;;3  TlIRnF,  years   in  CALIFORNIA. 

Irishman  hitting  his  weasel,  you  fire  first  and  take 
aim  afterwards.  I  must  attribute  my  success  fre- 
quently to  hits  of  this  kind  ;  for  a  deliberate  aim  was 
sure  to  come  too  late, — ^just  like  an  old  bachelor's 
proposal  of  marriage,  which,  as  his  vanity  whispers 
him,  might  have  been  accepted  had  it  been  made  a 
little  sooner,  but  now  the  dulcinia  has  changed  her 
mind,  and  the  fat  is  all  in  the  fire.  What  a  pity  that 
such  a  pelican  should  be  left  alone  in  this  world's 
wilderness,  and  the  community  be  deprived  of  all  the 
little  pelicans  that  might  have  been !  But  I  was 
speaking  of  quail,  and  not  of  pelicans,  and  of  the  diffi- 
culty of  hitting  them.  Gen.  Mason  is  the  best  shot 
here ;  a  quail,  to  fly  his  fire,  must  be  as  quick  on  the 
wing  as  a  message,  in  its  sightless  career,  over  one  of 
INIorse's  magnetic  wires.  To  me  one  of  the  most  en- 
ticing features  in  California  life  is  presented  in  her 
game.  It  comes  in  every  variety  of  form,  from  the 
elk  and  buck  that  rove  her  forests  and  prairies,  to  the 
rabbit  that  undermines  the  garden-hedge  ;  and  from 
the  wild  goose  and  duck,  which  sweep  in  clouds  her 
ruflled  waters,  to  the  little  beca  that  feeds  on  her  figs. 
A  good  sportsman  might  live  the  year  round,  amid 
these  meadows  and  mounds,  on  the  trophies  of  his 
fowling-piece  and  rifle,  and  as  independent  of  civilized 
life  as  any  savage  that  ever  bent  the  bow  or  steadied 
his  bark  canoe  over  the  rushing  verge  of  the  cascade. 

Tuesday,  April  17.    That  spirit  of  prophecy  which 
sometimes  trembles  in  an  adieu,  occurred  forcibly  to 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  3G3 

me  on  receiving  the  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Com. 
Biddle.  His  last  words  were  omens,  if  such  a  thing 
may  be.  He  had  ordered  the  Columbus  to  be  ready 
for  sea  the  next  morning,  and  had  come  ashore  for  a 
walk  in  the  woods  which  skirt  Monterey.  We  had 
ascended  the  summit  of  a  hill  which  commands  a 
wide  range  of  waving  woods,  gleaming  meadows,  and 
ocean's  blue  expanse.  The  great  orb  of  day  was  on 
the  horizon,  and  the  eye  of  the  commodore  was  fast- 
ened upon  it  as  it  sunk  in  solemn  majesty  from  sight. 
He  had  not  spoken  for  several  minutes ;  when,  turn- 
ing to  me,  he  said — "  This  is  my  last  walk  among 
these  hills,  and  something  whispers  me  that  all  my 
walks  end  here."  This  was  said  with  that  look  and 
manner  in  which  the  undertone  of  a  man's  thoughts 
will  sometimes  find  words  without  his  will.  It  was 
utterly  at  variance  with  the  cool,  philosophical  habits 
which  were  eminently  characteristic  of  the  commo- 
dore, and  which  he  seldom  relinquished,  except  in 
some  sally  of  humor  and  wit.  This  remark  woke 
like  a  slumber  of  the  shroud,  on  the  sudden  intelli- 
gence of  his  death.  It  may  be  a  superstition,  but  I 
shall  never  resign,  to  a  skeptical  philosophy,  the 
omen  and  its  seeming  fulfilment.  The  future  is  often 
prefigured  in  an  incident  or  sentiment  of  the  present. 

"  An  undefined  and  sudden  thrill, 
That  makes  the  heart  a  moment  still — 
Then  beat  with  quicker  pulse,  ashamed 
Of  that  strange  sense  itscK  had  liAmed." 


301  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

The  hill-top  and  the  waving  forest  remain,  but  the 
commodore — where  is  he  ?  Gone,  like  a  star  from  its 
darkened  watch-tower  on  high !  But  the  night  which 
quenched  the  beam  is  still  fringed  with  light.  To 
this  surviving  ray  we  turn  in  bereavement  and  grief 
His  genius  lighted  the  objects  of  thought  on  which  it 
touched,  and  glanced,  with  an  intuitive  force,  through 
the  subtle  problems  of  the  mind.  His  mental  horizon 
was  broad,  and  yet  every  object  within  its  wide  cir- 
cle was  distinctly  seen,  and  seen  in  its  true  position 
and  relative  importance.  The  trifling  never  rose 
into  the  great,  and  the  majestic  never  became  tame. 
Each  stood,  in  his  clear  vision,  as  truth  and  reason 
had  stamped  it.  He  was  cool  and  collected  without 
being  stoical,  and  immovably  firm  without  being  ar- 
bitrary. He  had  that  courage  which  could  never  be 
shaken  by  surprise,  made  giddy  with  success,  or 
quelled  by  disaster.  Whatever  subject  he  assayed, 
he  mastered.  He  has  left  but  few  behind  him,  out  of 
the  legal  profession,  more  thoroughly  versed  in  ques- 
tions of  international  law  and  maritime  jurisprudence. 
Had  not  his  early  impulses  taken  him  to  the  deck,  he 
might  have  been  eminent  at  the  bar,  in  the  cabinet, 
or  hall  of  legislation.  He  had  all  the  clearness  and 
comprehensiveness  of  a  great  statesman.  Gratitude 
twines  this  leaf  of  remembrance  and  respect  into  that 
chaplet  which  the  bereavement  of  the  service  has 
woven  on  his  grave. 


365 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  GOLD     REGION. — ITS     LOCALITT,   NATURE,    AND    EXTENT. — FOREIGNERS 

IN     THE     MIXES. THE     INDIANS*    DISCOVERT    OF    GOLD. AGRICULTURAL 

C.VP ABILITIES  OF  CALIFORNIA. SERVICES  OF  UNITED  STATES  OFFICERS. 

FIRST  DECISIVE  MOVEMENT  FOR   THE   ORGANIZATION  OF  A  CIVIL  GOVERN- 
MENT.— INTELLIGENCE  OF  THE  DEATH  OF  GEN.  KEARNY. 

Thursday,  April  26.  The  gold  region,  which  con- 
tains deposits  of  sufficient  richness  to  reward  the 
labor  of  working  them,  is  strongly  defined  by  nature. 
It  lies  along  the  foot  hills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada — a 
mountain  range  running  nearly  parallel  with  the 
coast — and  extends  on  these  hills  about  five  hundred 
miles  north  and  south,  by  thirty  or  forty  east  and  west. 
From  the  slopes  of  the  Sierra,  a  large  number  of 
streams  issue,  which  cut  their  channels  through  these 
hills,  and  roll  with  greater  or  less  volume  to  the 
Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  rivers.  The  Sacra- 
mento rises  in  the  north,  and  flowing  south  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles,  empties  itself  into  the  Suisun,  or 
upper  bay  of  San  Francisco.  The  San  Joaquin  rises 
in  the  south,  and  flowing  north  two  hundred  miles, 
discharges  itself  into  the  same  bay.  The  source  oi 
the  San  Joaquin  is  a  narrow  lake  lying  still  further 
south,  and  extending  in  that  direction  about  eighty 
miles. 

The  streams  which  break  into  these  rivers  from 
31* 


306  THREE  YEARS   1\  CALIFORNIA. 

tlie  Sierra  Nevada,  are  from  ten  to  thirty  miles  dis- 
tant from  each  other.  They  commence  with  Feather 
river  on  the  north,  and  end  with  the  river  Reys  on 
the  south.  They  all  have  numerous  tributaries  ;  are 
rapid  and  wild  on  the  mountain  slopes,  and  become 
more  tranquil  and  tame  as  they  debouch  upon  the 
l)lain.  Still  their  serpentine  waters,  flashing  up  among 
the  trees  which  shadow  their  channels,  give  a  pic- 
turesque feature  to  the  landscape,  and  relieve  it  of 
that  monotony  which  would  otherwise  fatigue  the 
eye.  But  very  few  of  these  rivers  have  sufficient 
depth  and  regularity  to  render  them  navigable.  Their 
sudden  bends,  falls,  and  shallows  would  puzzle  even 
an  Indian  canoe,  and  strand  any  boat  of  sufficient 
draft  to  warrant  the  agency  of  steam. 

The  alluvial  deposits  of  gold  are  confined  mainly 
to  the  banks  and  bars  of  these  mountain  streams,  and 
the  channels  of  the  gorges,  which  intersect  them, 
and  through  which  the  streams  are  forced  when 
swollen  by  the  winter  rains.  In  the  hills  and  table- 
lands, which  occupy  the  intervals  between  these  cur- 
rents and  gorges,  no  alluvial  deposits  have  been 
found.  Here  and  there  a  few  detached  pieces  have 
been  discovered,  forming  an  exception  to  some  gene- 
ral law  by  which  the  uplands  have  been  deprived  of 
their  surface  treasures.  The  conclusion  at  which  I 
have  arrived,  after  days  and  weeks  of  patient  re- 
search, and  a  thousand  inquiries  made  of  others,  is, 
that  the  alluvial  dejwsits  of  gold  in  California  are 
mainly  confined  to  the  banks  and  bars  of  her  streams, 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  367 

and  the  ravines  which  intersect  them.  The  only 
material  exception  to  this  general  law  is  found  in 
those  intervening  deposits,  from  which  the  streams 
have  been  diverted  by  some  local  cause,  or  some  con- 
vulsion of  nature.  Aside  from  these,  no  surface  gold 
to  any  extent  has  been  found  on  the  table-lands  or 
plains.  Even  the  banks  of  the  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin,  stretching  a  distance  of  five  hundred  miles 
through  their  valleys,  have  not  yielded  an  ounce. 
The  mountain  streams,  long  before  they  discharge 
themselves  into  these  rivers,  deposit  their  precious 
treasures.  They  contribute  their  waters,  but  not 
their  gold.  Like  cunning  misers  they  have  stowed 
this  away,  and  no  enchantments  can  make  them  whis- 
per of  its  whereabouts.  If  you  would  find  it,  you 
must  hunt  for  it  as  for  hid  treasures. 

Monday,  May  14.  Much  has  been  said  of  the 
amounts  of  gold  taken  from  the  mines  by  Sonora- 
nians,  Chilians,  and  Peruvians,  and  carried  out  of  the 
country.  As  a  general  fact,  this  apprehension  and 
alarm  is  without  any  sound  basis.  Not  one  pound  of 
gold  in  ten,  gathered  by  these  foreigners,  is  shipped 
off  to  their  credit :  it  is  spent  in  the  country  for  pro- 
visions, clothing,  and  in  the  hazards  of  the  gaming- 
table. It  falls  into  the  hands  of  those  who  command 
the  avenues  of  commerce,  and  ultimately  reaches  our 
own  mints.  I  have  been  in  a  camp  of  five  hundred 
Sonoranians,  who  had  not  gold  enough  to  buy  a 
month's  provisions — all  had  gone,  through  their  im- 


nf;8  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

1-rovident  habits,  to  the  capacious  pockets  of  the  Amer- 
icans. To  drive  them  out  of  California,  or  interdict 
their  operations,  is  to  abstract  that  amount  of  labor 
from  the  mines,  and  curtail  proportion  ably  the  pro- 
ceeds. If  gold,  slumbering  in  the  river  banks  and 
mountains  of  California,  be  more  valuable  to  us  than 
when  stamped  into  eagles  and  incorporated  into  our 
national  currency,  then  drive  out  the  Sonoranians : 
but  if  you  would  have  it  here  and  not  there,  let  those 
diggers  alone.  When  gold  shall  begin  to  fail,  or  re- 
quire capital  and  machinery,  you  will  w'ant  these 
hardy  men  to  quarry  the  rocks  and  feed  your  stamp- 
ers ;  and  when  you  shall  plunge  into  the  Cinnebar 
mountains,  you  will  want  them  to  sink  your  shafts 
and  kindle  fires  under  your  great  quicksilver  retorts. 
They  will  become  the  hewers  of  w^ood  and  drawers 
of  water  to  American  capital  and  enterprise.  But  if 
you  want  to  perform  this  drudgery  yourself,  drive 
out  the  Sonoranians,  and  upset  that  cherished  system 
of  political  economy  founded  in  a  spirit  of  wisdom 
and  national  justice. 

Tuesday,  May  22.  I  was  in  possession  of  a  fact 
wnich  left  no  doubt  of  the  existence  of  gold  in  the 
Stanislaus  more  than  a  year  prior  to  its  discovery  on 
the  American  Fork.  A  wild  Indian  had  straggled 
into  Monterey  with  a  specimen,  which  he  had  ham- 
mered into  a  clasp  for  his  bow.  It  fell  into  the  hands 
of  my  secretary,  W.  R.  Garner,  who  communicated 
the  secret  to  me.    .  The  Indian  described  the  locality 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  369 

in  which  it  was  found  with  so  much  accuracy  that 
Mr.  G.,  on  his  recent  excursion  to  the  mines,  readily 
identified  the  spot.  It  is  now  known  as  "  Carson's 
diggings."  No  one  who  has  been  there  can  ever  for- 
get its  wild  majestic  scenery,  or  confound  its  soaring 
cliffs  or  sunless  chasms  with  the  images  projected 
from  other  objects.  It  was  the  full  intention  of  Mr. 
G.  to  trail  this  Indian  at  the  first  opportunity,  and 
he  was  prevented  from  doing  it  only  by  the  impera- 
tive duties  of  the  office.  His  keeping  the  discovery 
a  secret,  proceeded  less  from  any  sinister  motive  than 
an  eccentricity  of  character.  He  had  another  min- 
eral secret  which  has  not  yet  transpired — the  exist- 
ence of  a  tin  mine,  near  San  Louis  Obispo.  The  ex- 
tent is  not  known,  but  certainly  the  specimen  shown 
me  was  very  rich.  Mr.  Garner  is  now  dead  :  it  was 
his  melancholy  fate  to  fall  with  five  others  by  the 
wild  Indians  on  the  river  Reys.  To  that  party  I 
should  have  been  attached  had  I  remained  in  Califor- 
nia another  month.  How  narrow  those  escapes 
which  run  their  mystic  thread  between  two  worlds ! 
On  the  grave  of  my  friend,  gratitude  for  important 
services,  and  a  remembrance  of  many  sterling  vir- 
tues, might  well  erect  a  memorial. 

Thursday,  May  24.  The  capabilities  of  the  soil 
of  California  for  agricultural  purposes  involve  a  ques- 
tion of  profound  interest,  and  one  which  is  not  easily 
answered.  There  are  no  experimental  facts  of  suffi- 
cient scope  to  warrant  a  general  conclusion.     Where 


.'{70  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

the  soil  itself  leaves  no  doubt  of  its  richness,  its  pro- 
ductive forces  may  be  baffled  by  local  circumstances 
or  atmospheric  phenomena.  Some  of  the  largest 
crops  that  have  ever  rewarded  the  toil  of  the  hus- 
bandman, have  been  gathered  in  California ;  and  yet 
those  very  localities,  owing  to  a  slender  fall  of  the 
winter  rains,  have  next  season  disappointed  the 
hopes  of  the  cultivator.  The  farmer  can  never  be 
certain  of  an  abundant  harvest  till  he  is  able  to  sup- 
pi  v  this  deficiency  of  rain  by  a  process  of  irrigation. 
This  can  be  done,  in  some  places,  by  the  diversion  of 
streams,  and  must  be  accomplished  in  others  through 
artesian  wells.  It  will  be  some  years  before  either 
will  be  brought  into  effective  force  in  the  agricultural 
districts. 

The  lands  on  which  cultivation  has  been  attempt- 
ed occupy  a  nari'ow  space  between  the  coast  ranges 
and  the  sea ;  it  seldom  exceeds  in  width  thirty  miles, 
and  is  often  reduced  to  ten  by  the  obtrusion  of  some 
mountain  spur.  East  of  this  range  no  plough  has 
ever  travelled ;  no  furrow  has  ever  been  turned  in 
the  long  valley  of  the  San  Joaquin ;  and  if  the  other 
sections  of  this  valley  correspond  to  those  over  which 
I  passed,  there  can  be  very  little  encouragement  for 
the  introduction  of  husbandry.  The  soil  is  light  and 
gravelly ;  the  grass  meagre  and  sparse ;  even  the 
wild  horses  and  elk  seek  its  margin,  as  if  afraid  to 
trust  themselves  to  the  Sahara  of  its  bosom.  Still, 
in  some  of  its  bays,  the  evidences  of  fertility  exist, 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  371 

but  as  a  district  it  will  never  add  much  to  the  agri- 
cultural wealth  of  California. 

The  valley  of  the  Sacramento  has  many  localities 
of  great  fertility ;  but  few  of  them,  as  yet,  have  been 
subjected  to  the  plough  and  harrow ;  their  adaptation 
to  agriculture  is  inferred  from  their  vigorous  vegeta- 
tion. The  same  evidences  of  productive  force  cover 
several  tracts  north  of  San  Francisco,  on  the  Rus- 
sian river,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Sonoma.  But  the 
most  fertile  lands  in  California,  as  yet  developed,  lie 
around  the  missions  of  Santa  Clara  and  Santa  Cruz, 
through  the  long  narrow  valleys  of  San  Jose  and  San 
Juan,  along  the  margin  of  the  Salinas,  through  the 
dells  of  San  Louis  Obispo,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  los 
Angeles.  These,  and  other  insular  spots,  may  be 
made  perfect  gardens  ;  but  take  California  as  a  whole, 
she  is  not  the  country  which  agriculturists  would 
select.  Her  whole  mining  region  is  barren  ;  nature 
rested  there  with  what  she  put  beneath  the  soil.  You 
can  hai^dly  travel  through  it  in  midsummer  without 
loading  your  mule  down  with  provender  to  keep  him 
alive.  The  productive  forces  of  such  a  state  as  New 
York,  Ohio,  or  Pennsylvania,  sweep  immeasurably 
beyond  the  utmost  capabilities  of  California.  It  is 
the  golden  coronet  that  gives  this  land  her  pre-emi- 
nence, and  puts  into  her  hand  a  magic  wand,  that 
will  shake  for  ages  the  exchanges  of  the  civilized 
world. 

Tuesday,  June  12.  At  the  return  of  Gen.  Kearny, 


372  THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

the  command  of  the  military  posts  of  the  country, 
the  suppression  of  popular  disturbancies,  the  protec- 
tion of  property  from  the  incursion  of  the  Indians, 
and  the  collection  of  the  custom-house  revenues  have 
devolved  on  Gen.  Mason.  To  these  complicated 
duties  he  has  surrendered  his  energies  with  an  un- 
wearied fidelity  and  force.  No  one  great  interest  con- 
fided to  his  indomitable  activity  has  languished.  He 
has  derived  indispensable  aid  from  the  intelligent  ser- 
vices of  Col.  Stevenson,  Maj.  Folsom,  Capt.  Halleck, 
and  Lieut.  Sherman,  of  the  army,  and  Lieut.  Lanman, 
of  the  navy.  These  officers,  and  others  that  might 
be  named,  without  any  increased  compensation,  and 
subjected  to  heavy  expenses,  have  cheerfully  dis- 
charged the  onerous  duties  devolved  upon  them  by 
the  condition  of  the  country. 

The  regiment  of  volunteers  under  Col.  Stevenson 
arrived  too  late  for  any  active  participation  in  the 
war.  The  insurrection  had  been  suppressed,  and  the 
country  was  in  the  peaceful  occupation  of  the  Ameri- 
cans. Still  they  were  with  great  propriety  retained 
in  the  service,  and  their  presence  at  different  points 
tended  to  discourage  any  attempts  at  revolutionary 
movements.  They  were,  many  of  them,  youth  who 
had  not  been  reared  under  the  most  auspicious  cir- 
cumstances, and  the  adventures  of  a  camp  life  were 
i)ut  little  calculated  to  supply  the  defects  of  education. 
They  gave  the  colonel  and  his  officers  some  trouble, 
and  the  communities  where  they  were  stationed  some 
solicitude.     But  they  are  now  in  a  condition,  where 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  373 

every  one  is  thrown  upon  his  own  resources,  where 
every  thing  good  in  a  man  may  be  developed.  They 
have  been  sowing  their  wild  oats,  and  will  now  go  to 
planting  corn. 

Saturday,  June  16.  The  primary  movements  in 
California  for  the  organization  of  a  civil  government 
had  no  connection  with  any  instructions  from  Wash- 
ington. ''  The  first  great  meeting  on  the  subject  was 
held  in  Monterey  in  January,  1849.  At  this  meeting 
I  was  called  upon  to  draft  a  preamble  and  resolutions, 
setting  forth  the  condition  of  the  country,  the  ne- 
cessity of  a  civil  organization,  and  providing  for  the 
election  of  proper  delegates  to  a  convention,  to  be  held 
at  San  Jose  on  the  27th  of  February,  in  which  all 
the  districts  of  the  Territory  were  to  be  represented, 
and  where  a  suitable  constitution  was  to  be  framed. 
These  resolutions  were  sent  to  all  the  principal  towns, 
and  adopted.  But  upon  more  mature  reflection,  it 
was  deemed  expedient,  in  order  to  prevent  any  col- 
lision with  the  possible  action  of  Congress,  to  post- 
pone the  assembling  of  the  convention  to  the  first  of 
May,  that  the  proceedings  of  that  body  might  be 
known.  This  is  the  true  history  of  those  primary 
and  decisive  measures  which  have  resulted  in  that 
noble  constitution  which  now  throws  its  sacred  aegis 
over  California.  The  friends  of  the  last  and  present 
administration,  instead  of  contending  for  the  honor 
of  an  active  participation  in  the  origin  and  progress 
of  this  instrument,  deftly  box  back  and  forth  the 
32 


37i  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

responsibility  of  its  provisions.  But  their  political 
timidity  is  without  any  just  grounds;  for  neither 
afforded  any  countenance  or  aid  till  the  rubicon  had 
been  passed:  so  that  all  this  shuttlecock  business 
l)etween  the  last  and  present  administration,  is  a  su- 
perfluous exhibition  of  dexterity  and  skill.  Much 
o-ood  may  it  do  the  players,  only  let  not  California 
suffer  too  much  while  the  sport  is  going  on. 

Wednesday,  June  20.  The  causes  which  exclude 
slavery  from  California  lie  within  a  nut-shell.  All 
here  are  diggers,  and  free  white  diggers  wont  dig 
with  slaves.  They  know-  they  must  dig  themselves  : 
they  have  come  out  here  for  that  purpose,  and  they 
wont  degrade  their  calling  by  associating  it  with 
slave-labor :  self-preservation  is  the  first  law  of  na- 
ture. They  have  nothing  to  do  wdth  slavery  in  the 
abstract,  or  as  it  exists  in  other  communities  ;  not  one 
in  ten  cares  a  button  for  its  abolition,  nor  the  Wilmot 
proviso  either  :  all  they  look  at  is  their  own  position ; 
they  must  themselves  sw-ing  the  pick,  and  they  w^ont 
swing  it  by  the  side  of  negro  slaves.  That  is  their 
feeling,  their  determination,  and  the  upshot  of  the  w^hole 
business.  An  army  of  half  a  million,  backed  by  the 
resources  of  the  United  States,  could  not  shake  theii 
purpose.  Of  all  men  with  whom  I  have  ever  met, 
the  most  firm,  resolute,  and  indomitable,  are  the  emi- 
grants into  California.  They  feel  that  they  have  got 
into  a  new  world,  where  they  have  a  right  to  shape  and 
settle  things  in  their  own  way.     No  mandate,  unless 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  375 

it  comes  like  a  thunder-bolt  straight  out  of  heaven,  is 
regarded.  They  may  offer  to  come  into  the  Union,  but 
they  consider  it  an  act  of  condescension,  like  that  of 
Que6n  Victoria  in  her  nuptials  with  Prince  Albert. 
They  walk  over  hills  treasured  with  the  precious 
ores  ;  they  dwell  by  streams  paved  with  gold ;  while 
every  mountain  around  soars  into  the  heaven,  circled 
with  a  diadem  richer  than  that  which  threw  its  halo 
on  the  seven  hills  of  Rome.  All  these  belong  to 
them  ;  they  walk  in  their  midst ;  they  feel  their  pres- 
ence  and  power,  and  partake  of  their  grandeur. 
Think  you  that  such  men  will  consent  to  swing  the 
pick  by  the  side  of  slaves  ?  Never!  while  the  stream 
owns  its  source,  or  the  mountain  its  base.  You  may 
call  it  pride,  or  what  you  will,  but  there  it  is — deep 
as  the  foundations  of  our  nature,  and  unchangeable  as 
the  laws  of  its  divine  Author. 

Tuesday,  June  26.  The  intelligence  of  the  death 
of  Gen.  Kearny  has  been  received  here  with  many 
expressions  of  affectionate  remembrance.  During 
his  brief  sojourn  in  California,  his  considerate  dispo- 
sition, his  amiable  deportment  and  generous  policy, 
had  endeared  him  to  the  citizens.  They  saw  in  him 
nothing  of  the  ruthless  invader,  but  an  intelligent, 
humane  general,  largely  endowed  with  a  spirit  of  for- 
bearance and  fraternal  regard.  The  conflict  which 
arrested  his  progress  at  Pasquel,  and  the  disaster  in 
which  so  many  of  his  brave  men  sunk  overpowered, 
were  contemplated,  by  the  more  considerate  of  the 


A 


376  THREE  YEARS  JX  CALIFORNIA. 

inhabitants,  rather  with  a  sentiment  of  regret  than 
an  air  of  triumph.  They  seemed  to  regard  these 
events  as  a  waste  of  life — as  a  reckless  resistance  on 
their  part,  which,  if  successful  for  a  time,  could  only 
have  the  effect  to  continue,  for  a  brief  period,  the 
sway  of  leaders  in  whose  prudence  and  patriotism 
they  had  no  confidence.  They  took  leave  of  him 
with  regret,  and  have  received  the  tidings  of  his 
death  with  sympathy  and  sorrow.  It  is  not  for  me 
to  write  his  eulogy ;  it  is  graven  on  the  hearts  of  all 
who  knew  him.  His  star  set  without  a  cloud ;  but 
its  light  lingers  still :  when  all  the  watch-fires  of  the 
tented  field  have  gone  out,  a  faithful  ray  will  still 
light  the  shrine  which  affection  and  bereavement 
have  reared  to  his  worth. 

"  Still  o'er  the  past  -warm  memory  wakes, 
And  fondlv  broods  with  miser-care  ; 
Time  but  the  impression  deeper  makes, 
As  streams  their  chamiels  deeper  wear." 


I 


iO^^^ 


^2^ 


377 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

HIDE  OF  COL.  FREMONT  FROM  LOS  ANGELES  TO  MONTEREY  AND  BACK. — THE 

PARTY. THE  RELAYS. CHARACTER    OK    THE  COUNTRY. THE  RINCON. 

SKELETONS  OF  DEAD  HORSES. A  STAMPEDE. GRAY  BEARS. RECEPTION 

AT  MONTEREY. THE  RETURN. THE  TWO  HORSES  RODE  BY  COL.  FREMONT. 

AN  EXPERIMENT. THE    RESULT. CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE    CALIFOR- 
NIA    HORSE. FOSSIL     REMAINS. THE   TWO    CLASSES    OF    EMIGRANTS. 

LIFE  IN  CALIFORNIA. HEADS  AG^UNST  TAILS. 

'  The  ride  of  Col.  Fremont  in  March,  1847,  from 
the  ciudad  de  los  Angeles  to  Monterey  in  Alta  Cali- 
fornia— a  distance  of  four  hundred  and  twenty  miles — 
and  back,  exhibits  in  a  strong  light  the  iron  nerve  of 
the  rider,  and  the  capacities  of  the  California  horse. 
The  party  on  this  occasion,  consisted  of  the  colonel, 
his  friend  Don  Jesuse  Pico,  and  his  servant  Jacob 
Dodson.  Each  had  three  horses,  nine  in  all,  to  take 
their  turn  under  the  saddle,  and  relieve  each  other 
every  twenty  miles ;  while  the  six  loose  horses  gal- 
loped ahead,  requiring  constant  vigilance  and  action 
to  keep  them  on  the  path.  The  relays  were  brought 
under  the  saddle  by  the  lasso,  thrown  by  Don  Jesuse 
or  Jacob,  who,  though  born  and  raised  in  Washing- 
ton, in  his  long  expeditions  with  Col.  Fremont,  had 
become  expert  as  a  Mexican  with  the  lasso,  sure  as  a 
mountaineer  with  the  rifle,  equal  to  either  on  horse 
or  foot,  and  always  a  lad  of  courage  and  fidelity. 
2'>* 


378  THREE  YEARS   IX  CALIFORMA. 

The  party  left  los  Angeles  on  the  morning  of  the 
22d,  at  daybreak,  though  the  call  which   took  the 
colonel  to  Monterey,  had  reached  him  only  the  eve- 
ning before.     Their  path  lay  through  the  wild  moun- 
tains of  San  Fernando,  where  the  steep  ridge  and 
precipitous  glen  follow  each  other  like  the  deep  hol- 
lows and  crested  waves  of  ocean,  under  the  driving 
force  of  the  storm.     It  was  a  relief  when  a  rough 
ravine  opened  its  winding  gallery  on  the  line  of  their 
path.     They  reached  at  length  the  maritime  defile  of 
El  Rincon,  or  Punto  Gordo,  where  a  mountain  bluff 
shoulders  its  way  boldly  to  the  sea,  leaving  for  fifteen 
miles  only  a  narrow  line  of  broken  coast,  lashed  at 
high  tide,  and  in  the  gale,  by  the  foaming  surf     The 
sun  was  on  the  wave  of  the  Pacific,  when  they  issued 
from  the  Rincon;  and  twilight  still  lingered  when  they 
reached  the  hospitable  rancho  of  Don  Thomas  Rob- 
bins — one  hundred  and  twenty-five   miles   from  los 
Angeles.      The   only  limb  in   the    company  which 
seemed  to  complain  of  fatigue  was  the  right  arm  of 
Jacob,    incessantly    exercised    in    lashing    the    loose 
horses  to  the  track,  and  lassoing  the  relays.     None  of 
the  horses  were  shod — an  iron  contrivance  unknown 
here,  except   among   a   few  Americans.     The   gait 
through  the  day,had  been  a  hand-gallop,  relieved  at 
short  intervals  by  a  light  trot.     Here  the  party  rested 
for  the  night,  while  the  horses  gathered  their  food 
from  the  young  grass  which  spread  its  tender  ver- 
dure on  the  field. 

Another  morning  had  thrown  its  splendors  on  the 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  379 

forest  when  the  party  waved  their  adieu  to  their  hos- 
pitable host,  and  were  under  way.  Their  path  lay 
over  the  spurs  of  the  Santa  Barbara  mountains ;  and 
close  to  that  steep  ridge,  where  the  California  battal- 
ion, under  Col.  Fremont,  encountered  on  the  25th 
Dec,  1846,  a  blinding  storm,  which  still  throws  its 
sleet  and  hail  through  the  dreams  of  those  hardy  men. 
Such  was  its  overpowering  force,  that  more  than  a 
hundred  of  their  horses  dropped  down  under  their 
saddles.  Their  bleaching  bones  still  glimmering  in 
the  gorges,  and  hanging  on  the  cliffs,  are  the  ghastly 
memorials  of  its  terrific  violence.  None  but  they, 
who  were  of  their  number,  can  tell  what  that  battal- 
ion suffered.  The  object  of  that  campaign  accom- 
plished, and  the  conquest  of  California  secured,  the 
colonel,  with  his  friend  and  servant,  was  now  on  his 
brief  return.  Their  path  continued  over  the  flukes 
and  around  the  bluffs  of  the  coast  mountains,  relieved 
at  intervals  by  the  less  rugged  slopes  and  more  level 
lines  of  the  caiiada.  The  hand-gallop  and  light  trot 
of  their  spirited  animals  brought  them,  at  set  of  sun, 
to  the  rancho  of  their  friend,  Capt.  Dana,  where  they 
supped,  and  then  proceeding  on  to  San  Luis  Obispo, 
reached  the  house  of  Don  Jesuse,  the  colonel's  com- 
panion, at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening — one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  miles  from  the  place  where  they  broke 
camp  in  the  morning ! 

The  arrival  of  Col.  Fremont  having  got  wind,  the 
rancheros  of  San  Luis  were  on  an  early  stir,  deter- 
mined to  detain  him.     All  crowded  to  his  quarters 


380  TJIKEE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

with  their  gratulations,  and  the  tender  of  a  splendid 
entertainment,  but  his  time  was  too  pressing :  still 
escape  was  impossible,  till  a  sumptuous  breakfast  had 
been  served,  and  popular  enthusiasm  had  expressed 
its  warm  regard.  This  gratitude  and  esteem  were 
the  result  of  that  humane  construction  of  military 
law,  which  had  spared  the  forfeited  lives  of  the  leaders 
in  the  recent  insurrectionary  war.  It  was  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  morning  before  the  colonel  and  his 
attendants  were  in  the  saddle.  Their  tired  horses 
had  been  left,  and  eight  fresh  ones  taken  in  their 
places,  while  their  party  had  been  increased  by  the 
addition  of  a  California  boy,  in  the  capacity  of  vaquero. 
Their  path  still  lay  through  a  wild  broken  country, 
where  primeval  forests  frowned,  and  the  mountain 
torrent  dashed  the  tide  of  its  strength.  At  eight  in 
the  evening  they  reached  the  gloomy  base  of  the 
steep  range  which  guards  the  head  waters  of  the 
Salinas  or  Benaventura,  seventy  miles  from  San 
Luis.  Here  Don  Jesuse,  who  had  been  up  the  greater 
part  of  the  night  previous,  with  his  family  and  friends, 
proposed  a  few  hours  rest.  As  the  place  was  the 
favorite  haunt  of  marauding  Indians,  the  party  for 
safety  during  their  repose,  turned  off  the  track,  which 
ran  nearer  the  coast  than  the  usual  rout,  and  issuino- 
through  a  Canada  into  a  thick  wood,  rolled  down  in 
their  serapes,  with  their  saddles  for  their  pillows, 
while  their  horses  were  put  to  grass  at  a  short  dis- 
tance, with  the  Spanish  boy  in  the  saddle  to  keep 
watch.     Sleep  once  commenced,  was  too  sweet  to  be 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  3S1 

easily  given  up ;  midnight  had  passed  when  the  party- 
were  roused  from  their  slumbers  by  an  estampedo 
among  their  horses,  and  the  loud  calls  of  the  watch 
boy.  The  cause  of  the  alarm  proved  not  to  be  In- 
dians, but  gray  bears,  which  infest  this  wild  pass.  It 
was  here  that  Col.  Fremont  with  thirty-five  of  his 
men,  in  the  summer  preceding,  fell  in  with  several 
large  bands  of  these  ferocious  fellows,  who  appeared 
to  have  posted  themselves  here  to  dispute  the  path. 
An  attack  was  ordered,  and  thirteen  of  their  grim 
file  were  left  dead  on  the  field.  Such  is  their  ac- 
knowledged strength  and  towering  rage,  when  as- 
saulted, the  bravest  hunters,  when  outnumbered, 
generally  give  them  a  wide  berth.  When  it  was 
discovered  that  they  had  occasioned  this  midnight 
stampede,  the  first  impulse  was  to  attack  them ;  but 
Don  Jesiise,  who  understood  their  habits  and  weak 
points,  discouraged  the  idea,  stating  that  "  people 
gente  can  scare  bears,"  and  with  that  gave  a  succes- 
sion of  loud  halloos,  at  which  the  bears  commenced 
their  retreat.  The  horses  by  good  fortune  were  re- 
covered, a  fire  kindled,  and  by  break  of  day,  the  party 
had  finished  their  breakfast,  and  were  again  in  the 
saddle.  Their  path,  issuing  from  the  gloomy  forests 
of  the  Soledad,  skirted  the  coast  range,  and  crossed 
the  plain  of  the  Salinas  to  Monterey,  where  they 
arrived  three  hours  to  set  of  sun,  and  ninety  miles 
from  their  last  camping-tree. 

The  principal  citizens  of  Monterey,  as  soon  as  the 
arrival  of  Col.  Fremont  was  announced,  assembled  at 


38"3  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

the  office  of  the  alcalde,  and  passed  resolutions  in- 
viting him  to  a  public  dinner;  but  the  urgency  of  his 
immediate  return  obliged  him  to  forego  the  proffered 
honor.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  day 
succeeding  that  of  their  arrival,  the  party  were  ready 
to  start  on  their  return.  The  two  horses  rode  by  the 
colonel  from  San  Luis  Obispo,  were  a  present  to  him 
from  Don  Jesiise,  who  now  desired  him  to  make  an 
experiment  with  the  abilities  of  one  of  them.  They 
were  brothers,  one  a  year  younger  than  the  other, 
both  the  same  color — cinnamon — and  hence  called  el 
canelo,  or  los  canelos.  The  elder  was  taken  for  the 
trial,  and  lead  off  gallantly  as  the  party  struck  the 
plain  which  stretches  towards  the  Salinas.  A  more 
graceful  horse,  and  one  more  deftly  mounted,  I  have 
never  seen.  The  eyes  of  the  gathered  crowd  follow- 
ed them  till  they  disappeared  in  the  shadows  of  the 
distant  hills.  Forty  miles  on  the  hand-gallop,  and 
they  camped  for  the  night.  Another  day  dawned, 
and  the  elder  canelo  was  again  under  the  saddle  of 
Col.  Fremont,  and  for  ninety  miles  carried  him  with- 
out change,  and  without  apparent  fatigue.  It  was 
still  thirty  miles  to  San  Luis,  where  they  were  to  pass 
the  night,  and  Don  Jesiise  insisted  that  canelo  could 
easily  perform  it,  and  so  said  the  horse  in  his  spirited 
look  and  action.  But  the  colonel  would  not  put  him 
to  the  trial ;  and  shifting  the  saddle  to  the  younger 
brother,  the  elder  was  turned  loose  to  run  the  remain- 
ing thirty  miles  without  a  rider.  He  immediately 
took  the  lead,  and  kept  it  the  whole  distance,  entering 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  383 

San  Luis  on  a  sweeping  gallop,  and  neighing  with 
exultation  on  his  return  to  his  native  pastures,  llis 
younger  brother,  with  equal  spirit,  kept  the  lead  of 
the  horses  under  the  saddle,  bearing  on  his  bit,  and 
requiring  the  constant  check  of  his  rider.  The  whole 
eight  horses  made  their  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles 
each  in  this  day's  ride;  after  having  performed  forty 
the  evening  before.  The  elder  cinnamon,  who  had 
taken  his  rider  through  the  forty,  carried  him  ninety 
miles  further  to-day,  and  would  undoubtedly  have 
taken  him  through  the  remaining  thirty  miles  had 
Col.  Fremont  continued  him  under  the  saddle. 

After  a  detention  of  half  a  day  at  San  Luis  Obispo 
by  a  rain-storm,  the  party  resumed  the  horses  they 
had  left  there,  and  which  took  them  back  to  los  An- 
geles in  the  same  time  they  had  brought  them  up. 
Thus  making  their  five  hundred  miles  each  in  four 
days,  with  the  interval  of  repose  occupied  in  the  ride 
from  San  Luis  to  Monterey  and  back.  In  this  whole 
journey  from  los  Angeles  to  Monterey  and  back — 
making  eight  hundred  and  forty  miles — the  party  had 
actually  but  one  relay  of  fresh  horses ;  the  time  on 
the  road  was  about  seventy-six  hours.  The  path 
through  the  entire  route  lies  through  a  wild  broken 
country,  over  ridges,  down  gorges,  around  bluffs,  and 
through  gloomy  defiles,  where  a  traveller,  unused 
to  these  mountains,  would  often  deem  even  the  slow 
trot  impracticable.  The  only  food  which  the  horses 
had,  except  a  few  quarts  of  barley  at  Monterey,  was 
the  grass  on  the  road  ;  though  the  trained  and  do- 


384  TJIKEE   YEARtJ  IX   CAI-IFORMA. 

mesticated  horses,  like  the  canelos,  will  eat  or  drink 
almost  every  thing  which,  their  master  uses.  They 
will  take  from  his  caressing  hand  bread,  fruits,  sugar, 
cotlee  ;  and,  like  the  Persian  horse,  will  not  refuse  a 
bumper  of  wine.  They  obey  with  gentlest  docility 
his  slightest  intimation  ;  a  swing  of  his  hand,  or  a  tap 
of  his  whip  on  the  saddle,  will  spring  them  into  in- 
stant action,  while  the  check  of  a  thread-rein  on  the 
Spanish  bit  will  bring  them  to  a  dead  stand  ;  and  yet 
in  these  sudden  stops,  when  rushing  at  the  top  of 
their  speed,  they  manage  not  to  jostle  their  rider,  or 
throw  him  forward.  They  go  where  their  master 
directs,  whether  it  be  a  leap  on  the  foe,  up  a  flight  of 
stairs,  or  over  a  chasm.  But  this  is  true  only  of  the 
conduct  and  behavior  of  those  horses  trained  like  the 
canelos,  who  vindicate,  in  the  mountain  glens  of  Cal- 
ifornia,  their  Arabian  origin.  They  are  all  grace, 
fleetness,  muscle,  and  fire  ;  gentle  as  the  lamb,  lively 
as  the  antelope,  and  fearless  as  the  lion. 

MARINE  REMAIXS. 

The  hills  around  Monterey  are  full  of  marine  shells. 
You  can  turn  them  out  wherever  you  drive  your 
spade  into  the  ground.  The  Indians  dig  and  burn 
them  for  lime,  which  is  used  in  whitewashing  the 
adobe  walls  of  houses,  and  which  makes  them  glim- 
mer in  the  sun  like  banks  of  freshly-driven  snow.  It 
has  not  sufficient  strength  for  the  mason,  but  no  other 
was  in  use  when  we  landed  at  Monterey.  The  first 
regular  lime-kiln  was  burnt  by  me  for  the  town-hall. 


THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  385 

1  found  the  stone  about  ten  miles  from  Monterey, 
and  the  lime  it  produced  of  a  superior  quality.  When 
the  lime,  hair,  lath,  and  sand  were  brought  together, 
no  little  curiosity  was  awakened  bv  the  heteroaceneous 
mass,  and  the  admiration  was  equally  apparent  when 
each  took  its  place  and  performed  its  part  in  the 
plaster  and  hard  finish  of  the  wall  and  ceiling.  Thou- 
sands came  to  see  the  work  ;  it  was  the  lion  of  the 
day.  But  the  curiosity  of  the  geologist  would  turn 
from  this  to  the  fossil  oyster-shells  in  the  hills ;  and 
when  he  has  exhausted  those  on  the  coast,  let  him 
turn  inland,  and  he  will  find  on  the  mountains,  two 
hundred  miles  from  the  sea,  and  on  elevations  of  a 
thousand  feet,  the  same  marine  productions ;  and  not 
only  these,  but  the  skeleton  of  a  whale  almost  entire. 
How  came  that  monster  up  there,  high  and  dry,  glim- 
mering like  the  pale  skeleton  of  a  huge  cloud  between 
us  and  the  moon  ?  Did  the  central  fire  which  threw 
up  the  mountain  ridge,  throw  him  up  on  its  crest  ? 
How  astonished  he  must  have  been  to  find  himself 
up  there,  blowing  off  steam  among  volcanoes  and 
comets  !  Now  let  our  savcais  quit  their  cockle-shells 
and  petrified  herring,  and  tell  us  about  that  whale. 
They  will  find  him  near  the  rancho  of  Robert  Liver- 
more,  on  a  mountain  which  overlooks  the  great  val- 
ley of  the  San  Joaquin.  There  he  reposes  in  grim 
majesty,  while  the  winds  of  ages  pour  through  his 
bleaching  bones  their  hollow  dirge. 
33 


380  THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

THE    TWO     CLASSES     OF     EMIGRANTS. 

The  emigrants  to  California  are  composed  of  two 
classes — those  who  come  to  live  by  their  wits,  and 
those  who  come  to  accumulate  by  their  work.  *  The 
wit  capitalists  will  find  dupes  for  a  time — small  fish 
in  shallow  waters — but  a  huge  roller  will  soon  heave 
them  all  high  and  dry !  This  is  the  last  country  to 
which  a  man  should  come,  who  is  above  or  beneath 
the  exercise  of  his  muscles.  Every  object  he  meets 
addresses  him  in  the  admonitory  language  which 
gleams  in  the  motto  of  the  Arkansas  bowie-knife — 
"  root,  hog,  or  die."  But  then  he  has  this  encourage- 
ment :  he  can  root  almost  anywhere,  but  root  he 
must.  They  who  come  relying  on  their  physical 
forces,  and  who  are  largely  endowed  with  the  organs 
of  perseverance,  will  succeed.  But  if  they  stay  too 
long  in  San  Francisco,  their  enthusiasm  will  have  an 
ague-fit,  and  their  golden  dream  turn  to  sleet  and  hail. 
They  should  hasten  through  and  dash  at  once  into 
their  scene  of  labor ;  nor  should  they  expect  success 
without  corresponding  efforts  ;  if  fortune  favors  them 
to-day,  she  will  disappoint  them  to-morrow  ;  her  fa- 
vors and  frowns  fall  with  marvellous  caprice  ;  the 
digger  must  be  above  the  one  and  independent  of  the 
other  ;  he  must  rely  upon  his  own  resources  ;  and 
upon  his  fidelity  to  one  unchanged  and  unchangeable 
purpose.  '■  He  comes  here  to  get  gold,  not  in  pounds 
or  ounces,  but  in  grains  ;  his  most  instructive  lesson 
will  be  by  the  side  of  the  ant-hill.     There  he  sees  a 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  387 

little  industrious  fellow,  foregoing  the  pastimes  of 
other  insects,  and  bringing  another  grain  to  his  heap ; 
working  on  with  right  good  heart  through  the  day, 
and  sometimes  taking  advantage  of  the  moon,  and 
plying  his  task  through  the  luminous  night.  Let  him 
watch  that  ant,  and  go  and  do  likewise,  if  he  would 
return  from  California  with  a  fortune.  I  don't  rec- 
ommend him  to  come  here  and  convert  himself  into 
a  pismire  for  gold  ;  but  if  he  will  come,  the  more  he 
has  of  the  habits  of  that  little  groundling  the  better. 

CALIFORNIA  ON  CHARACTER. 

Life  in  California  impresses  new  features  on  old 
characters,  as  a  fresh  mintage  on  antiquated  coins. 
y  The  man  whose  prudence  in  the  States  never  forsakes 
him,  and  whose  practical  maxim  is,  "  a  bird  in  the 
hand  is  worth  two  in  the  bush,"  will  here  throw  all 
his  birds  into  the  bushes,  seemingly  for  the  mere  ex- 
citement of  catching  them  again.  He  finds  himself 
in  an  atmosphere  so  strongly  stirred  and  stirring,  that 
he  must  whirl  with  it,  and  soon  enjoys  the  strong 
eddy  almost  as  much  as  the  still  pool.  .^  He  may  hang 
perhaps  a  moment  on  the  verge  of  a  cataract,  but  if 
it  spreads  below  to  a  tranquil  lake,  down  he  goes, 
and  emerges  from  the  boiling  gulf  calm  and  confident 
as  if  lord  of  the  glittering  trident.  Or  he  may  have 
been,  while  in  the  States,  remarked  for  his  parsimony, 
pinching  every  cent  as  it  dropped  into  the  contribu- 
tion-box as  if  there  was  a  spasm  between  his  avarice 
and  alms.      Bui  in  California  that  cent  so  awfully 


3R8  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

l)inched  soon  takes  the  shape  of  a  doubloon,  and 
slides  from  his  hand  too  easily  to  leave  even  the  odor 
of  its  value  behind.  I  have  known  five  men,  who 
never  contributed  a  dollar  in  the  States  for  the  sup- 
port of  a  clergyman,  subscribe  here  five  hundred  dol- 
lars each  per  annum,  merely  to  encourage,  as  they 
termed  it,  "  a  good  sort  of  a  thing  in  the  community.'"' 
I  have  seen  a  miser,  who  would  have  sold  a  hob-nail 
from  his  heel  for  old  iron,  in  bartering  oflf  his  saddle 
throw  in  the  horse  ;  and  then  exchange  a  lump  of  per- 
fectly pure  gold  for  one  half  quartz,  merely  because  it 
struck  his  fancy  !  Such  are  some  of  the  anomalies  in 
character  which  a  life  in  California  produces.  If  you 
doubt  it,  make  the  experiment,  and  you  will  soon  find 
your  own  heart,  thousrh  srnarled  as  a  knot,  crackins: 
open,  and  turning  inside  out  like  a  kernel  of  parched 
corn. 

HEADS  AND  TAILS. 

My  friend  William  Blackburn,  alcalde  of  Santa 
Cruz,  often  hits  upon  a  method  of  punishing  a  trans- 
gressor, which  has  some  claims  to  originality  as  well 
as  justice.  A  young  man  was  brought  before  him, 
charged  with  having  sheared,  close  to  the  stump,  the 
sweeping  tail  of  another's  horse.  The  evidence  of 
the  nefarious  act,  and  of  the  prisoner's  guilt,  was  con- 
clusive. The  alcalde  sent  for  a  barber,  ordered  the 
offender  to  be  seated,  and  directed  the  tonsor  to  shear 
and  shave  him  clean  of  his  dark  flowing  locks  and 
curling  moustache,  in  which  liis  pride  and  vanity  lay. 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  389 

This  was  hardly  done,  when  Mr.  B,  counsel  for  the 
prisoner  entered,  and  moved  an  arrest  of  judgment. 
"  Oh,  yes,"  said  the  alcalde,  "  as  the  shears  and  razor 
have  done  their  work,  judgment  may  now  rest." 
"  And  under  what  law,"  inquired  the  learned  counsel, 
"  has  this  penalty  been  inflicted  ?"  "  Under  the  Mo- 
saic," replied  the  alcalde :  "  that  good  old  rule — eye 
for  eye,  tooth  for  tooth,  hair  for  hair."  "  But,"  said 
the  biblical  jurist,  "  that  was  the  law  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, which  has  been  abrogated  in  the  New."  "But 
we  are  still  living,"  returned  the  alcalde,  "  under  the 
old  dispensation,  and  must  continue  there  till  Con- 
gress shall  sanction  a  new  order  of  things."  "  Well, 
well,"  continued  the  counsel,  "old  dispensation  or 
new,  the  penalty  was  too  severe — a  man's  head  against 
a  horse's  tail !"  "  That  is  not  the  question,"  rejoined 
the  alcalde  :  "  it  is  the  hair  on  the  one  against  the 
hair  on  the  other  ;  now  as  there  are  forty  fiddles  to 
one  wig  in  California,  the  inference  is  just,  that  horse- 
hair of  the  two  is  in  most  demand,  and  that  the 
greatest  sufferer,  in  this  case  is  still  the  owner  of  the 
steed."  "  But,  then,"  murmured  the  ingenious  coun- 
sel, "  you  should  consider  the  young  man's  pride." 
"  Yes,  yes,"  responded  the  alcalde,  "  I  considered  all 
that,  and  considered  too  the  stump  of  that  horse's 
tail,  and  the  just  pride  of  his  owner.  Your  client  will 
recover  his  crop  much  sooner  than  the  other,  and  will 
manage,  I  hope,  to  keep  it  free  of  the  barber's  de- 
partment in  this  court ;"  and  with  this,  client  and 
counsel  were  dismissed. 

33* 


300  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

SPANISH  COL'RTESIES. 

The  courtesies  characteristic  of  the  Spanish  linger 
in  California,  and  seem,  as  you  encounter  them  amid 
the  less  observant  habits  of  the  emigration,  like  gold- 
en-tinted leaves  of  Autumn,  still  trembling  on  their 
stems  in  the  rushing  verdure  of  Spring.  They  ex- 
hibit themselves  in  every  phase  of  society  and  every 
walk  of  life.  You  encounter  them  in  the  church,  in 
the  fandango,  at  the  bridal  altar,  and  the  hearse  :  they 
adorn  youth,  and  take  from  age  its  chilling  severity. 
They  are  trifles  in  themselves,  but  they  refine  social 
intercourse,  and  soften  its  alienations.  They  may 
seem  to  verge  upon  extremes,  but  even  then  they 
carry  some  sentiment  with  them,  some  sign  of  defer- 
ence to  humanity.  I  received  a  cluster  of  wild- 
flowers  from  a  lady,  with  a  note  in  pure  Castilian, 
and  bearing  in  the  subscription  the  initials  of  the 
words,  which  rudely  translated  mean,  "  I  kiss  your 
hand."  One  might  have  felt  tempted  to  write  her 
back — 

Thou  need'st  not,  lady,  stoop  so  low 

To  print  the  gentle  kiss : 
Can  hands  return  what  lips  bestow, 
m  Or  blu^h  to  show  their  bliss  ? 


391 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

THE  TRAGEDY  AT  SAN  MIGUEL. — COURT  AND  CULPRITS. AGE  AND  CIRCUM- 
STANCES OF  THOSE  WHO  SHOULD  COME  TO  CALIFORNIA. — CONDITION  OF 
THE  PROFESSIONS. — THE  WRONGS  OF  CALIFORNIA. — CLAIMS  ON  TUK 
CHRISTIAN  COMMUNITY. JOURNALISTS. 

Retribution  follows  fast  on  the  heels  of  crime  in 
California.  Two  persons,  a  Hessian  and  Irishman, 
whom  I  had  met  in  the  Stanislaus,  left  the  mines  for 
the  seaboard.  On  their  way  to  Stockton,  they  fell  in 
with  two  miners  asleep  under  a  tree,  whom  they 
murdered  and  robbed  of  their  gold ;  with  this  booty 
they  hastened  across  the  valley  of  the  San  Joaquin, 
and  skirting  the  mountains  to  avoid  all  frequented 
paths,  held  their  course  south  to  La  Solidad.  Here 
they  fell  in  with  three  deserters  from  the  Pacific 
squadron,  who  joined  them,  and  the  whole  party  pro- 
ceeded south  to  San  Miguel,  where  they  quartered 
themselves  for  the  night  on  the  hospitality  of  Mr. 
Reade,  an  English  ranchero  of  respectability  and 
wealth.  In  the  morning  they  took  their  depfrture, 
but  had  proceeded  only  a  short  distance,  when  it  was 
agreed  they  should  return  and  rob  their  host.  During 
the  ensuing  night  they  rose  on  the  household,  con- 
sisting of  Mr.  Reade,  his  wife,  and  three  children,  a 
kinswoman  with  four  children,  and   two  Indian  do- 


4 


H[)2  TIIKEK  YEARS  IN  CALIFORMA. 

iiiestics,  and  murdered  the  whole!  Having  rifled  the 
money-chest  of  a  large  amount  of  gold  dust,  the  blood- 
stained party  renewed  their  flight  south,  and  had 
reached  a  secluded  cove  in  a  bend  of  the  sea,  below 
Santa  Barbara,  where  they  were  overtaken  by  a  band 
of  citizens,  who  had  tracked  them  from  the  neighbor- 
hood of  San  Miguel.  The  fugitives  were  armed,  and 
avowed  their  determination  to  shoot  down  any  person 
who  should  attempt  to  apprehend  them.  The  citizens, 
though  few,  and  badly  provided  with  weapons,  were 
resolute  and  determined.  A  desperate  conflict  ensued, 
in  which  one  of  the  felons  was  shot  dead;  another,  hav- 
ing discharged  the  last  barrel  of  his  revolver,  jumped 
into  the  sea  and  was  drowned ;  the  remaining  three 
were  at  length  disarmed  and  secured.  Of  the  citizens 
several  were  wounded,  and  one — the  father  of  a  be- 
loved family — lay  a  corpse !  The  next  morning,  as 
there  was  no  alcalde  in  the  vicinity,  the  three  prison- 
ers were  brought  before  a  temporary  court  organized 
for  the  purpose,  wherein  twelve  good  and  lawful  men 
took  oath  to  render  judgment  according  to  conscience. 
Each  person  when  brought  to  the  bar  told  his  own 
story,  inextricably  involving  his  associates  in  the 
guilt  of  deliberate  murder,  and  who,  in  their  turn, 
wove  the  same  terrible  web  about  him.  Of  their  guilt, 
though  convicted  without  the  testimony  of  an  im- 
partial witness,  no  doubt  remained  to  disturb  the 
convictions  of  the  court.  They  were  sentenced  to 
death,  and  before  the  sun  went  down  were  in  their 
graves!     The   whole   five   were    buried    among;   the 


THREE  YEARS   IN  CALIFORNIA.  393 

Stern  rocks  which  frown  on  the  sea,  and  which  seem 
as  if  there  to  stay  the  tide  of  crime,  as  well  as  the 
storms  of  ocean.  What  a  tragedy  of  depravity  and 
despair!  Thirteen  innocent  persons — men,  women, 
and  children — swept  in  an  unsuspecting  moment  from 
life ;  and  the  five  perpetrators  of  the  crime,  crushed 
into  a  hurried  grave,  under  the  avenging  arm  of  jus- 
tice !  There  is  a  spirit  in  California  that  will  rightly 
dispose  of  the  murderer ;  it  may  at  times  be  hasty, 
and  too  little  observant  of  the  forms  of  law,  b'ut  it 
reaches  its  object ;  it  leaves  the  guilty  no  escape 
through  the  defects  of  an  indictment,  the  ingenuity 
of  counsel,  or  the  clemency  of  the  executive.  It 
plants  itself  on  the  ground  that  the  first  duty  society 
owes  itself,  is  to  protect  its  members  ;  and  to  secure 
this  object,  it  throws  around  the  sanctity  of  life,  the 
defenses  found  in  the  terrors  of  death.  The  grave  is 
the  prison  which  God  has  sunk  in  the  path  of  the 
murderer.     Let  not  man  attempt  to  bridge  it. 

WHO  SHOULD  STAY  AND  WHO  COME. 

The  indiscretion  with  which  so  many  thousands 
are  rushing  to  California  will  be  a  source  of  regret  to 
them,  and  of  sorrow  to  their  friends.  Not  one  in  twen- 
ty will  bring  back  a  fortune,  and  not  more  than  one  in 
ten  secure  the  means  of  defraying  the  expenses  of  his 
return.  I  speak  now  of  those  whose  plans  and  efforts 
are  confined  to  the  mines,  and  who  rely  on  the  pro- 
ceeds of  their  manual  labor :  when  they  have  de- 
frayed the  expenses  incident  to  their  position,  liqui- 


394  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

dated  all  demands  for  food,  clothing,  and  implements 
for  the  year,  their  yellow  heap  will  dwindle  to  a  point. 
This  might  serve  as  the  nucleus  of  operations  which 
are  to  extend  through  a  series  of  years ;  but  as  the 
result  of  the  enterprise,  involving  privation  and  hard- 
ship, is  a  failure,  no  man  should  come  to  California 
under  the  impression  that  he  can  in  a  few  months 
pick  a  fortune  out  of  its  mines.  He  may  here  and 
there  light  on  a  more  productive  deposit,  but  the 
chances  are  a  hundred  to  one  that  his  gains  will  be 
slenderly  and  laboriously  acquired.  He  is  made 
giddy  with  the  reports  of  sudden  wealth ;  these  are 
the  rare  prizes,  while  the  silence  of  the  grave  hangs 
over  the  multitudinous  blanks. 

A  young  man  endowed  with  a  vigorous  constitu- 
tion, and  who  possesses  sterling  habits  of  sobriety  and 
application,  and  who  has  no  dependencies  at  home, 
can  do  well  in  California.  But  he  should  come  with 
the  resolute  purpose  of  remaining  here  eight  or  ten 
years,  and  with  a  spirit  that  can  throw  its  unrelaxed 
energies  into  any  enterprise  which  the  progress  of 
the  country  may  develop.  He  must  identify  him- 
self for  the  time  being  with  all  the  great  interests 
which  absorb  attention,  and  quicken  labor.  If  he  has 
not  the  enterprise  and  force  of  purpose  which  this 
requires,  he  should  remain  at  home.  There  is  an- 
other class  of  persons  whom  domestic  obligations 
and  motives  of  prudence  should  dissuade  from  a  Cali- 
fornia adventure.  It  is  blind  folly  in  a  man,  who  has 
a  family  dependent  on  him  for  a  support,  to  exhaust 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  395 

the  little  means,  which  previous  industry  and  frugality- 
have  left,  in  defraying  the  expenses  of  a  passage  here, 
with  the  vague  hope  that  in  a  year  or  two  he  can  re- 
turn with  an  ample  competence.  I  respect  his  feel- 
ings and  motives,  but  honorable  intentions  cannot 
save  him  from  disappointment.  When  the  expenses 
which  the  most  rigid  economy  could  not  avoid  have 
been  paid,  and  the  obligations  connected  with  the 
support  of  his  family  at  home  have  been  discharged, 
the  results  of  his  enterprise  will  leave  him  poor.  He 
may  never  tell  you  of  broken  hopes  and  a  shattered 
constitution,  but  his  hearth-stone  is  strewn  with  their 
pale,  admonitory  fragments.  Let  me  persuade  those 
whom  God  has  blessed  with  a  faithful  wife  and  in- 
teresting family,  not  to  abandon  these  objects  of  affec- 
tion for  the  gold  mines  of  California.  Do  not  come 
out  here  under  the  delusive  belief  that  you  can  in  a 
few  months,  or  a  brief  year,  on  the  proceeds  of  the 
mattock  and  bowl,  accumulate  a  fortune.  This  has 
rarely  if  ever  been  done,  even  where  the  deposits 
were  first  disturbed  by  the  more  fortunate  adven- 
turer. If  it  could  not  be  done  in  the  green  tree, 
what  are  you  to  expect  in  the  dry  ?  If  when  the 
placers  were  fresh,  many  gathered  but  little  more  than 
sufficient  to  meet  their  current  wants,  what  can  you 
anticipate  when  they  are  measurably  exhausted  ? 
They  who  inflame  your  imagination  with  tales  of  in- 
exhaustible deposits  which  only  wait  your  spade  and 
wash-bowl,  abuse  your  credulity,  and  dishonor  their 
own  claims  to  truth. 


,'};)(}  TriIlEE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 


THE    PROFESSIONS     AND    PURSUITS. 

All  the  secular  professions  and  more  privileged  or 
prescribed  pursuits  in  California  are  crowded  to  over- 
llowing.  Physicians  are  without  patients ;  lawyers 
without  clients ;  surveyors  without  lands ;  hydro- 
graphers  without  harbors;  actors  without  audiences; 
painters  without  pupils ;  financiers  without  funds  ; 
niinters  without  metals ;  printers  without  presses  ; 
hunters  without  hounds,  and  fiddlers  without  fools. 
And  all  these  must  take  to  the  plough,  the  pickaxe, 
and  spade.  Even  California,  with  all  her  treasured 
hills  and  streams,  fell  under  that  primal  malediction 
which  threw  its  death-shade  on  the  infant  world.  It 
is  as  true  here  as  among  the  granite  rocks  of  New 
England — in  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat 
bread.  Let  none  think  to  escape  this  labor-destiny 
here  ;  it  environs  the  globe,  and  binds  every  nation 
and  tribe  in  its  inexorable  folds. 

The  merchant,  whose  shrewdness  avails  him  eve- 
rywhere else,  will  often  be  wrecked  here.  The  mar- 
kets of  a  single  month  have  all  the  phases  of  its  fickle 
moon.  The  slender  crescent  waxes  into  the  circle  ; 
and  the  full  orb  passes  under  a  total  eclipse.  The 
man  that  figured  on  its  front  is  gone,  and  with  him 
the  hopes  of  the  millionaire.  The  bullfrog  in  his 
croaking  pond,  and  the  owl  in  his  hooting  tree,  re- 
main ;  but  the  speculator,  like  a  ghost  at  the  glimmer 
of  day,  hath  fied.  You  can  only  dimly  remember  the 
phantom's  shape  and  where  he  walked,  and  half  doubt 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  397 

the  dream  in  which  he  denizened  and  dissolved  from 
sight.  But  still  the  gulf  of  vision  swarms  with  reali- 
ties— with  beings  Avhere  the  play  of  life  and  death, 
joy  and  grief,  wealth  and  want,  are  the  portion  of  the 
living  and  the  legacy  of  the  dead.  CaUfornia  is  a 
continent  swelling  between  the  hopes  of  the  future 
and  the  wrecks  of  the  past ;  but  like  all  other  conti- 
nents, will  be  visited  with  the  alternation  of  day  and 
night.  The  cloud  will  travel  where  the  sunbeam 
hath  been. 

•VTROXGS  OF  CALIFORNIA.  '^ 

The  neglect  and  wrongs  of  California  will  yet  find 
-  a  tongue.  From  the  day  the  United  States  flag  was 
raised  in  this  country,  she  has  been  the  victim  of  the 
most  unrelenting  oppression.  Her  farmers  were  rob- 
bed of  their  stock  to  meet  the  exigences  of  war  ;  and 
her  emigrants  forced  into  the  field  to  maintain  the 
conquest.  Through  the  exactions  of  the  custom- 
house the  comforts  and  necessaries  of  life  were  op- 
pressively taxed.  No  article  of  food  or  raiment  could 
escape  this  forced  contribution;  it  reached  the  plough 
of  the  farmer,  the  anvil  of  the  smith  ;  the  blanket 
that  protected  your  person,  the  salt  that  seasoned 
your  foc4,  the  shingle  that  roofed  your  cabin,  and 
the  nail  that  bound  your  coffin.  Even  the  light  of 
heaven  paid  its  contribution  in  its  windowed  tariff". 
And  who  were  the  persons  on  whom  these  extortions 
fell  ?  Citizens  whom  the  government  had  promised 
to  relieve  of  taxation,  and  emigrants  who  had  exhaust- 

34 


398 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


ed  their  last  means  in  reaching  their  new  abode  ! 
There  was  treachery  and  tyranny  combined  in  the 
treatment  which  they  received.  A  less  provocation 
sunk  the  dutied  tea  in  the  harbor  of  Boston,  and  sev- 
ered the  indignant  colonies  from  the  British  crown. 

Nor  does  this  gross  injustice  stop  here  :  this  op- 
pressive tax  was  enforced  at  a  time  when  there  was 
but  little  specie  in  the  country;  the  whole  circulating 
medium  was  absorbed  in  its  unrighteous  demands. 
Nor  was  the  case  materially  relieved  by  the  discovery 
of  gold  ;  this  precious  ore  was  extorted  at  ten  dollars 
the  ounce,  and  forfeited  at  that  arbitrary  valuation  if 
not  redeemed  within  a  given  time.  There  was  no 
specie  by  which  it  could  be  redeemed,  and  it  went  to 
the  clutches  of  the  government  at  ten  dollars,  when 
its  real  value  at  our  mints  is  eighteen  dollars.  If  this 
be  not  robbery,  will  some  one  define  what  that  word 
means  ?  It  was  worse  than  robbery — it  was  swin- 
dling under  the  color  of  law.  All  this  has  been  car- 
ried on  against  a  community  without  a  representation 
in  our  national  legislature,  and  without  any  civil  ben- 
efits in  return.  Not  even  a  light-house  rose  to  relieve 
its  onerous  injustice.  Hundreds  of  thousands,  not  to 
say  millions  thus  extorted,  are  now  locked  up  in  the 
sub-treasury  chest  at  San  Francisco.  Evfry  doub- 
loon, dollar,  and  dime  that  reaches  the  country  is 
forced  under  that  inexorable  key.  In  this  absorption 
of  the  circulating  medium,  commercial  loans  can  be 
effected  only  on  ruinous  rates  of  interest,  and  the  civil 
government  itself  is  bankrupt. 


•  ♦. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  399 

Every  dollar  of  these  ill-gotten  gains  should  be 
placed  forthwith  at  the  disposal  of  the  state  of  Cali- 
fornia. It  belongs  to  her  ;  it  never  was  the  property 
of  the  United  States  under  any  law  of  Congress.  It 
has  been  exacted  under  executive  circulars,  under 
the  naked  dictates  of  arbitrary  power.  I  blame  not 
the  revenue  functionaries  of  the  general  government 
in  California  ;  they  were  bound  by  the  orders  and  in- 
structions which  they  received ;  the  responsibility 
rests  nearer  home  :  it  rests  with  those  who  have 
usurped  and  exercised  powers  not  conferred  by  the 
Constitution,  or  the  consent  of  the  American  people. 
Nor  do  these  aggressions  and  wrongs  stop  here.  Who 
has  authorized  a  captain  of  U.  S.  dragoons  to  drive, 
at  the  point  of  his  flashing  glaive,  peaceful  citizens 
from  their  gardens  and  dwellings  on  the  bay  of  San 
Francisco,  under  the  pretext  of  a  government  reserva- 
tion, and  then  to  farm  out  those  grounds  under  a  ten 
years'  lease  ?  Who  has  conferred  this  impudent 
stretch  of  authority,  and  this  private  monopoly  of  the 
public  domain  ?  Let  the  citizens  thus  trampled  upon 
maintain  their  right,  even  with  their  rifles,  till  they 
can  be  made  the  proper  subjects  of  judicial  investiga- 
tion or  legislative  action. 

CLAIMS  ON  THE  CHRISTIAN. 

With  the  Christian  community  California  has  higher 
claims  than  those  which  glitter  in  her  mines.  The 
moral  elements  which  now  drift  over  her  streams  and 
treasured  roftcs  will  ere  long  settle  down  into  abiding 


400  THREE   YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

forms.  The  impalpable  will  become  the  real,  and  the 
unsubstantial  assume  a  local  habitation  and  a  name. 
Shall  these  permanent  shapes,  into  which  society  is 
to  be  cast,  take  their  plastic  features  from  the  im- 
press of  blind  accident  and  skeptical  apathy,  or  the 
moulding  hand  of  religion?  These  primal  forms 
must  remain  and  wear  tor  ages  the  traces  of  their  de- 
formity or  beauty,  their  guilty  insignificance  or  moral 
grandeur.  Through  them  circulates  your  own  life- 
blood  ;  in  them  is  bound  up  the  hopes  of  an  empire. 
Not  only  the  destiny  of  California  is  suspended  on 
the  issue,  but  the  fate  of  all  the  republics  which  cheer 
the  shores  of  the  Pacific.  The  same  treason  to  reli- 
gion which  wrecks  the  institutions  of  this  country, 
will  sap  the  foundations  of  a  thousand  other  glorified 
shrines.  It  is  for  you,  Christian  brethren,  to  prevent 
such  a  disaster  ;  it  is  for  you  to  pour  into  California 
an  unremitted  tide  of  holy  light.  The  Bible  must 
throw  its  sacred  radiance  around  every  hearth,  over 
every  stream,  through  every  mountain  glen.  The 
voice  of  the  heralds  of  heavenly  love  must  be  echoed 
from  every  cliff  and  chasm  and  forest  sanctuary. 
On  you  devolves  this  mission  of  Christian  fidelity. 
It  is  for  your  faith  and  philanthropy  to  say  what 
California  shall  be  when  her  swelling  population  shall 
burst  the  bounds  of  her  domain.  You  can  write  her 
hopes  in  ashes,  or  stars  that  shall  never  set.  Every 
school-book  and  Bible  you  throw  among  her  hills 
will  be  a  source  of  penetrating  and  pervading  light, 
when  the  torch  of  the  caverned  miner  ^as  gone  out. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  401 

The  images  which  you  impress  on  her  gold,  age  will 
efface ;  but  the  insignia  of  truth,  stamped  into  her 
ardent  heart,  will  survive  the  touch  of  tune,  and 
gleam  bright  in  the  night  of  the  grave. 

PROPHETIC  SHADOWS  AND  JOURNALISTS. 

Coming  events  cast  their  shadows  belbre.  When 
Com.  Jones,  several  years  since,  captured  Monterey, 
no  political  seer  discovered  in  the  event  the  precursor 
of  an  actual,  permanent  possession.  No  flag  waved 
on  the  horoscope  save  the  Mexican ;  no  thunder 
broke  on  the  ear  of  the  augur,  except  what  disturbed 
the  wrong  quarter  of  the  heaven;  and  even  the  birds, 
which  carried  the  fate  of  nations  in  their  sounding 
beaks,  flew  in  a  wrong  direction.  But  the  first  occu- 
pation, though  it  came  and  went  as  a  shadow,  was  an 
omen,  which  has  now  become  a  reality — a  great  event- 
ful fact  in  the  history  of  the  age.  The  commodore, 
who  struck  this  first  uncertain  blow,  is  now  here  en- 
trusted with  the  defence  of  the  new  acquisition.  His 
spirit  of  intelligence  and  enterprise  is  making  itselt 
felt  in  every  department,  that  justly  falls  within  the 
prerogatives  of  a  commander-in-chief. 

There  are  a  multitude  of  topics  connected  with  the 
wild  life  and  new  condition  of  affairs  in  California, 
which  must  escape  the  pen  of  any  one  journalist. 
Some  of  them  are  touched  with  vivid  force  in  the 
graphic  pictures  of  "  El  Dorado,"  others  are  sketched 
with  lively  effect  iinEe~p"agCs  of  "  Los  Gringos," 
while  California  as  she  was,  before  gold  had  cankered 

31* 


.102  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

her  barbaric  bliss,  is  thrown  wildly  on  our  vision,  by 
the  author  of  "  Two  Years  Before  the  Mast."  Her 
geography,  the  habits  of  her  citizens,  and  her  re- 
sources, when  little  known  beyond  the  furtive  glances 
of  the  coaster,  are  faithfully  delineated  in  the  pioneer 
pages  of  Col.  Fremont,  Capt.  Wilkes,  and  Mr.  Robin- 
son. Every  traveller  can  find  in  California  some 
new  untouched  feature  for  a  sketch.  They  unroll 
themselves  on  the  eye  at  every  glance.  With  the 
reader  they  are  rather  sources  of  wonder  and  amuse- 
ment, than  solid  advantage.  Our  globe  was  invested 
with  no  claims  to  utility  till  it  had  emerged  from 
chaos ;  then  verdure  clothed  its  hills  and  vales ;  then 
flowing  streams  made  vocal  the  forest  aisles ;  then 
rolled  the  anthem  of  the  mornins  star. 


403 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

THE    GOLD-BEARING    QUARTZ. THEIR    LOCALITY. RICHNESS  AND    EXTENT. 

SPECIMENS  AND  DOUBTF0L    CONCLUSIONS. THE    SUITABLE    MACHINERY 

TO  BE  USED  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. THE  COURT  OK  ADMIRALTY  AT  MON- 
TEREY.  ITS  ORGANIZATION  AND  JURISDICTION. THE  CASES  DETER- 
MINED.  SALE    OF    THE     PRIZES. CONVENTION     AND     CONSTITUTION    OF 

CALIFORNIA. DIFFICULTIES  AND  COMPROMISES. SPIRIT  OF  THE  IN- 
STRUMENT. 

The  surface  gold  in  California  will  in  a  few  years 
be  measurably  exhausted  ;  the  occasional  discovery 
of  new  deposits  cannot  long  postpone  such  a  result ; 
nor  will  it  be  delayed  for  any  great  number  of  years, 
by  any  more  scientific  and  thorough  method  of  secur- 
ing the  treasure.  California  will  prove  no  exception 
in  these  respects  to  other  sections  of  the  globe  where 
surface  gold  has  been  found.  The  great  question  is, 
will  her  mountains  be  exhausted  with  her  streams  and 
valleys  ?  Will  her  rock  gold  give  out  with  her  allu- 
vial deposits  ?  The  gold-bearing  quartz  is  the  sheet- 
anchor  at  which  the  whole  argosy  rides  ;  if  this  parts, 
your  golden  craft  goes  to  fragments. 

When  an  old  Sonoranian  told  me  in  the  mines  that 
the  quartz  swetted  out  the  gold,  all  the  young  savans 
around  laughed  at  the  old  man's  stupidity  ;  and  I  must 
say    the  perspiration   part   of   the   business   rather 


40  i  THREE   YEARS   IN   CALIFORNIA. 

Staggered  my  credulity,  which  has  some  compass, 
where  there  are  no  laws  to  guide  one.  But  the  old 
difT<Ter  was  nearer  the  truth  than  many  who  have  more 
felicitous  terms  in  which  to  express  their  theories. 
Though  the  gold  may  not  ooze  from  the  quartz  as 
water  drips  from  a  rock,  yet  it  is  thei^e,  and  often 
beads  from  the  surface  like  a  tear  that  has  lost  its 
way  among  the  dimples  of  a  lady's  cheek.  In  other 
instances  it  shows  itself  only  in  fine  veins ;.  and  in 
others  still,  is  wholly  concealed  from  the  naked  eye, 
and  even  eludes  the  optical  instrument ;  but  when 
reduced  to  powder  with  the  quartz,  flies  to  the  em- 
brace of  quicksilver,  and  takes  a  virgin  shape,  mas- 
sive and  rich.  The  specimens  of  quartz  which  have 
been  subjected  to  experiment,  have  yielded  from  one 
to  three  dollars  the  pound.  These  specimens  were 
gathered  at  different  points,  in  the  foot  range  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  and  are  deemed  only  a  fair  average 
of  the  yield  that  may  be  derived  from  the  quartz. 

The  gold  rocks  of  Georgia  and  Virginia  yield,  on 
an  average,  less  than  half  a  cent  to  the  pound,  and 
yet  the  profits  are  sufficient  to  justify  deep  mining. 
What  then  must  be  the  profits  of  working  a  rock 
which  lies  near  the  surface,  and  which  yields  over  a 
dollar  to  the  pound !  The  result  staggers  credulity  ; 
and  we  seek  a  refuge  from  the  weakness  of  faith  in 
the  more  reasonable  persuasion,  that  the  specimens 
tested  are  richer  than  the  average  of  the  veins  and 
quarries  which  remain.  And  yet  the  poorest  speci- 
inen,  which  the  casual  blow  of  the  sledge  has  knocked 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  405 

from  the  sunlit  peak,  has  seemingly  more  gold  in  its 
shadow,  than  the  rock  unhouseled  from  its  mine  in 
Virginia  beneath  forty  fathoms  of  darkness.  The 
only  real  defence  for  our  incredulity  lies  in  the  pre- 
sumption, that  the  gold-bearing  quartz,  like  the  sur- 
face deposits,  has  its  confined  localities.  And  yet 
Mr.  Wright,  our  member  of  Congress  from  Califor- 
nia, who  has  traversed  the  slopes  of  the  Sierra,  col- 
lected more  specim.ens,  and  made  more  experiments 
than  any  other  individual,  is  sanguine  in  the  opinion 
that  the  gold-bearing  quartz  occupies  a  broad  contin- 
uous vein  through  the  entire  extent  of  the  foot  range  : 
and  in  this  opinion  the  Hon.  T.  Butler  King,  in  his 
lucid  report,  coincides.  Still  such  a  wide  departure 
in  nature  from  all  her  known  laws,  or  capricious  im- 
pulses, in  the  distribution  of  gold,  leaps  beyond  my 
belief.  In  no  other  part  of  her  wide  domain  has  she 
deposited  in  the  quartz  rock  a  proportion  of  gold  more 
than  sufficient  barely  to  compensate  the  hardy  miner : 
and  it  is  difficult  to  believe,  that  with  all  her  affection 
for  California,  she  has  been  so  prodigal  of  her  gifts. 
It  surpasses  the  rainbow-inwoven  coat  bestowed  by 
the  partial  love  of  the  patriarch  on  his  favorite  child. 
When  a  simple  swain  saw  a  necromancer  break  a 
cocoanut  shell  and  let  fly  half  a  dozen  canary  birds, 
he  remarked,  there  was  no  doubt  the  young  birds 
were  hatched  in  the  cocoanut ;  but  what  puzzled  him 
was,  to  know  how  the  old  bird  could  get  in  to  lay 
the  eggs.  But  a  deeper  puzzle  with  me  is,  that  each 
and  every  cocoanut   on   this  California  tree,  should 


•100  THREE   YEARS  I\  CALfFORNIA. 

have  a  nest  of  canaries  in  it.  And  yet,  with  all  these 
dogged  doubts  and  dismal  dissuasives,  were  I  going  to 
invest  in  California  speculations,  my  inklings  would 
turn  strongly  to  quartz  and  stampers. 

But  I  would  send  out  no  machinery  which  should 
have  a  piece  in  it  weighing  over  seventy  or  eighty 
pounds  :  no  other  can  be  taken  through  the  gorges, 
and  over  the  acclivities  to  the  lofty  steeps  where  the 
quartz  exists.  The  machinery  which  can  be  readily 
taken  to  the  mines  in  Virginia,  would  cost  a  fortune 
in  its  transportation  to  the  proper  locahties  in  Cali- 
fornia. The  heaviest  capitalist  would  find  himself 
swamped  before  he  got  to  work.  Every  piece  must 
be  taken  over  elevations  where  a  man  can  hardly 
draw  himself  up,  and  where  his  life  is  often  suspended 
on  the  strength  of  the  fibres  which  twine  the  bush  to 
the  fissures  of  the  rock.  It  should  be  so  light  as  to 
render  its  removal  to  any  new  and  more  productive 
locality  practicable,  without  involving  a  ruinous  ex- 
pense. A  machine  wielding  the  force  of  one  man, 
and  stamping  on  the  spot,  will  be  more  productive 
than  a  forty-horse  power  working  at  a  distance.  All 
the  transportation  must  be  done  by  hand,  for  no  ani- 
mal can  subsist  among  the  steeps  where  the  quartz 
prevail.  Watch  the  eagle  as  he  soars  to  his  high  cliff 
with  a  writhing  snake  in  his  beak,  and  then  seize 
your  light  machinery  and  pursue  his  track.  But, 
chained  to  a  heavy  engine,  you  would  make  about  as 
much  progress  as  that  mountain  bird  with  his  talons 
driven  inlo  the  back  of  a  mastodon  or  whale. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  407 


COURT  OF   ADMIRALTV. 

There  were  seven  prize  cases  introduced  into  the 
court  of  admiralty  at  Monterey,  on  which  condemna- 
tion and  sale  of  the  property  libelled  ensued.  They 
were  all  clearly  cases  of  legal  capture,  and  came  un- 
der the  well-established  rule  of  international  law,  that 
the  hostile  character  attaches  to  the  commerce  of  the 
neutral  domiciled  in  the  enemy's  country.  This  rule 
is  enforced  by  every  consideration  of  sound  policy 
and  national  justice.  If  the  flag  of  the  neutral  can 
protect  the  property  over  which  it  waves,  the  entire 
commerce  of  the  belligerent  might  assume  this  neu- 
tral garb,  and  be  as  safe  in  time  of  war  as  peace. 
To  prevent  such  an  abuse,  the  comiiy  of  nations  has 
conceded  the  general  principle,  that  all  commerce 
flowing  to  or  emanating  from  a  mercantile  house, 
established  in  the  enemy's  country,  shall  be  deemed 
hostile,  and  be  held  liable  to  seizure. 

A  much  more  difficult  question  arose  connected 
with  the  competency  of  the  court.  Its  organization 
arose  out  of  the  exigences  of  war  ;  the  alternative  lay 
between  a  recognition  of  its  jurisdiction,  and  the  ex- 
treme right  of  the  belligerent  to  burn  and  sink  his 
captures.  Congress,  in  a  declaration  of  war,  vir- 
tually invests  the  executive  with  authority  to  prose- 
cute it,  and  secure  the  ends  for  which  it  has  been 
waiged.  He  is  necessarily  entrusted  with  extraordi- 
nary discretion  and  corresponding  powers  ;  when,  in 
the  due  prosecution  of  these  measures,  he  finds  himself 


408  THUEE    YEARri    IS    CALIFORNIA. 

borne  beyond  their  statutory  provisions,  and  sur- 
rounded by  exigences,  lying  at  the  time  perhaps  be- 
yond the  ])urview  of  legislative  enactment,  he  must 
either  forego  tiie  objects  which  animated  the  acts  of 
the  national  legislature,  or  temporarily  assume  the 
responsibility  which  the  crisis  demands.  He  must 
authorize  the  maintenance  of  civil  government  in 
territories  acquired  by  our  arms,  and  judicial  proceed- 
ings in  cases  of  capture  on  the  high  seas,  which  can- 
not be  brought  within  the  jurisdiction  of  our  estab- 
lished courts. 

A'or  is  there  any  thing  in  such  judicial  proceedings 
which  trenches  upon  the  laws  of  nations  ;  these  laws 
never  assume  the  right  to  define  the  powers  vested 
in  the  executive  of  a  realm.  They  claim  no  authority 
to  bring  into  court  the  constitutional  prerogatives  of  a 
prince  or  of  the  president  of  a  republic ;  these  are 
questions  which  appertain  to  the  forms  of  government 
where  the  acts  originate,  where  the  power  is  exercised, 
and  which  must  be  disposed  of  as  the  wisdom  of  the 
nation  may  deem  proper.  It  is  enough  that  national 
law  allows  the  captor  at  his  peril  to  burn  or  sink  his 
prize.  Any  executive  measure  to  prevent  such  a 
precipitate  result,  and  to  subject  the  legality  of  the 
capture  to  the  forms  of  a  judicial  investigation,  is  in 
accordance  with  every  dictate  of  moral  justice,  and 
that  strong  sense  of  right  which  binds  every  civilized 
nation  in  a  period  of  war  as  well  as  peace.  Norman 
the  captor,  from  a  want  of  jurisdiction  in  the  court 
that  determines   his   case,  lose    his    prize.      .All  the 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  409 

claimant  can  do  is  to  require  him  to  appear  before  a 
court  of  competent  authority,  where  the  case  must 
be  examined  and  decided  de  novo  on  its  merits.  This 
great  principle  in  maritime  jurisprudence  has  been 
recognized  and  confirmed  in  the  decision  of  the  High 
Court  of  Admiralty  in  England.  Half  a  century  has 
rolled  over  that  decision,  but  its  authoritative  force 
remains  firm  and  unshaken  as  the  base  of  the  sea-girt 
isle. 

It  devolved  on  the  court  at  Monterey  not  only  to 
determine  the  prize  cases  submitted,  but  to  assume 
an  onerous  responsibility  in  the  disposal  of  the  prop- 
erty libelled  and  condemned.  The  cargo  of  one  of 
these  prizes  consisted  of  a  large  amount  of  cotton, 
paper,  and  iron,  destined  to  a  Mexican  market,  and  for 
which  there  was  no  adequate  demand  in  California. 
The  highest  cash  bid  that  could  be  procured  at  a  sale 
duly  notified,  was  $34,000.  To  this  bid  the  property 
must  be  knocked  down,  or  surrendered  to  a  credit 
bid  of  $60,000,  involving  conditions  for  the  benefit  of 
the  purchaser  wholly  inadmissible  in  law.  In  this 
perplexity  I  bid  the  ship  and  cargo  in ;  placed  a  faith- 
ful, competent  agent  and  crew  on  board,  and  sent  the 
whole  to  Mazatlan,  which  had  become  a  port  of  entry. 
The  result  was,  that  after  discharging  all  claims  exist- 
ing against  the  property,  I  paid  over  to  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy,  as  the  net  proceeds  of  the  sales,  the  sum 
of  ^8,000,  and  stand  credited  with  that  amount  on  the 
books  of  the  department.  But  this  is  rather  a  matter 
of  personal  service  than  a  topic  of  public  interest;  it 

35 


410  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

is,  however,  connected  with  official  duty,  and  exhibits 
one  of  the  many  forms  in  which  private  responsibility 
may  be  tasked  in  saving  from  sacrifice  property  con- 
fided to  its  care.  A  failure  in  such  cases  often  brings 
ruin  ;  and  even  success  may  be  obliged  to  seek  its 
meagre  remuneration  through  the  slow  forms  of  legis- 
lative relief. 

CONSTITUTION  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

The  desires  of  the  people  of  California  for  a  civil 
government,  suited  to  their  new  condition,  at  length 
found  utterance  at  the  ballot-box.  The  best  informed 
and  most  sedate  of  her  citizens  were  elected  in  their 
several  districts,  and  commissioned  to  proceed  to 
Monterey,  for  the  purpose  of  drafting  in  concert  the 
provisions  of  a  constitution.  Never  were  interests, 
habits,  and  associations  more  diverse  than  those  rep- 
resented in  this  body.  Unanimity  could  be  reached 
only  through  the  largest  concessions.  It  was  the 
conquerors  and  the  conquered,  the  conservatives  and 
the  progressives  ;  they  who  owned  the  lands,  and  they 
who  worked  the  mines,  assembling  to  frame  organic 
laws  which  should  equally  secure  and  bind  the  inter- 
ests of  all.  No  cloud  ever  cast  its  shadow  on  equal 
incongruities  grouped  in  cliffs  and  chasms,  pinnacles 
and  precipices,  without  having  it  broken  into  a  thou- 
sand fragments.  But  the  honest  and  patriotic  jDur- 
pose  which  animated  the  convention,  raised  that  body 
above  all  national  prejudice  and  local  interests,  and 
poured  its  spirit  in  blending  power  over  its  measures. 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  411 

They  had  been  commissioned  to  plan  and  perfect  a 
constitution  for  California,  and  they  were  true  to 
their  trust.  Day  after  day  they  labored  at  that  event- 
ful instrument ;  no  passion,  no  prejudice  disturbed 
their  counsels :  where  opinions  clashed,  they  were 
softened  ;  where  interests  jarred,  they  were  harmo- 
nized ;  where  local  feeling  sought  assertion,  it  was 
surrendered.  Till  at  last,  through  this  spirit  of  def- 
erence, compromise,  and  public  concern,  the  instru- 
ment was  finished.  And  now  let  us  glance  at  its 
prominent  features. 

This  constitution  is  thoroughly  democratic ;  no 
prescriptive  privileges,  or  invidious  distinctions  are 
recognized ;  the  interests  of  the  great  mass  fill  every 
provision.  Political  and  social  equality  are  its  bases, 
while  the  rights  of  private  judgment  and  individual 
conscience  flow  untrammelled  through  its  spirit.  It 
is  the  embodiment  of  the  American  mind,  throwing 
its  convictions,  impulses,  and  aspirations  into  a  tangi- 
ble, permanent  shape.  It  is  the  creed  of  the  thousands 
who  wield  the  plough,  the  plane,  the  hammer,  the 
trowel,  and  spade.  It  is  the  palladium  of  freedom, 
rolled  in  from  the  seaboard,  and  down  from  the 
mountains,  and  which  has  caught  its  echoes  from 
every  river,  steep,  and  valley.  It  is  the  fraternal 
oath  of  a  great  people,  uttered  in  the  presence  of  God 
and  the  hearing  of  nations.  Millions  will  turn  their 
eyes  to  the  fulfilment  of  its  promises,  w^hen  time  and 
disaster  have  engulfed  the  monuments  of  their  own 
splendor  and  strength. 


41  "J  THREE  YEARri  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

The  13th  of  October,  1849,  will  never  fade  from 
the  annals  of  California.  It  was  not  the  sun,  circhng 
up  into  a  broad  and  brilliant  heaven,  that  gave  this 
morn  its  brightness  :  it  was  not  the  thunder  of  the 
Pacific  on  the  sea-beaten  strand,  that  gave  the  day  its 
impressive  force  :  it  was  not  the  long  heavy  roll  of 
the  artillery  that  most  signalized  the  hour  ;  nor  the 
harmony  of  the  winds  rolling  their  anthems  from  the 
steep  forests  that  stirred  most  strongly  the  human 
heart.  It  was  the  silent  signatures  of  the  members 
of  the  convention  to  the  constitution,  which  had  been 
confided  to  their  wisdom  and  patriotic  fidelity.  It 
was  this  last  crowning  act  in  an  eventful  moral  enter- 
prise, having  its  source  in  the  exigences  of  a  great 
community.  I  wonder  not  the  old  pioneer  of  the 
Sacramento  pronounced  it  the  greatest  day  of  his 
life  ;  I  wonder  not  that  the  veteran  "  Hero  of  Con- 
treras"  forgot  the  laurels  gathered  on  that  field  of 
fame,  in  the  higher  and  nobler  honors  showered  upon 
him  in  this  day's  achievements.  It  was  his  steady 
purpose  and  fearless  responsibility  that  threw  into 
organized  forms  and  practical  results,  the  plans  and 
purposes  of  the  people  of  California.  He  will  find 
his  reward  in  the  happiness  and  prosperity  of  a  great 
state,  over  which  the  flag  of  the  Union  shall  never 
cease  to  wave.  The  tide  of  Anglo-Saxon  blood  stops 
not  here  ;  it  is  to  circulate  on  other  shores,  con- 
tiiiriiis,  and  isles;  its  progress  is  blent  with  the  steady 
triumphs  of  commerce,  art,  civilization,  and  religion. 
It  will   yet  flow  the  globe  round,  and  beat  in  every 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  413 

nation's  pulse ;  morn  will  not  blush,  or  twilight  fade 
where  its  swelling  wave  is  not ;  its  guiding-star  is 
above  the  disasters  in  which  the  purposes  of  man  are 
sphered. 

I  regret  my  limits  will  not  permit  me  to  follow  the 
Pacific  squadron,  under  the  command  of  Com.  Shu- 
brick,  to  the  Mexican  coast.  The  capture  and  occu- 
pation of  Mazatlan  has  hardly  stirred  a  whisper  in 
the  trump  of  fame,  which  has  poured  out  such  strains 
on  the  other  side  of  the  continent.  And  yet  this 
achievement  of  the  commodore  had  in  it  a  spirit  of 
wisdom,  resolution,  and  firmness  that  might  emblazon 
a  much  loftier  page  than  mine.  When  the  history  of 
the  Mexican  war  shall  be  written,  and  the  services 
of  those  who  shared  in  its  hardships  and  perils  be 
duly  recognized,  Com.  Shubrick,  with  the  gallant  offi- 
cers and  brave  men  attached  to  his  command,  will 
receive  a  lasting  meed  of  merited  renown.  It  is  now 
silently  written  in  that  international  compact  which 
terminated  the  apprehensions  of  one  republic  and 
sealed  the  triumphs  of  another.  It  was  the  waving 
of  the  stars  and  stripes  on  the  strand  of  the  Pacific 
which  left  a  forlorn  hope  without  a  refuge,  and 
coerced  the  terms  of  an  honorable  peace ;  and  long 
may  that  peace  remain  unbroken  by  the  monster  of 
discord  and  war. 

35* 


414 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

GLANCES    AT  TOWNS    SPRUNG    AND    SPRINGING. SAN    FRANCISCO. BENICIA. 

SACRAMENTO     CITY. — SUTTER. — VERNON. BOSTON. — STOCKTON. — NEW 

YORK. — ALVEZO. — STANISLAUS. — SONORA. — CRESCENT  CITY. — TRINIDAD. 

The  growth  of  towns  in  California  is  so  rapid,  that 
before  you  can  sketch  the  last,  a  new  one  has  sprung 
into  existence.  You  go  to  work  on  this,  and  dash 
down  a  few  features,  when  another  glimmers  on  your 
vision,  till  at  last  you  become  like  the  English  surgeon 
at  the  battle  of  Waterloo ;  who  began  by  bandaging 
individuals,  but  found  the  wounded  brought  in  so  fast 
he  declared  he  must  splinter  by  the  regiment. 

San  Francisco. — This  town  has  twice  been  laid 
in  ashes ;  but  the  young  phoenix  has  risen  on  ampler 
wings  than  those  which  steadied  the  consumed  form 
of  its  parent.  It  must  be  the  great  commercial  em- 
porium of  California  in  spite  of  competition,  wind, 
and  flame.  Its  direct  connection  with  the  sea,  its 
magnificent  bay  and  internal  communications,  have 
settled  the  question  of  its  ultimate  grandeur.  It  may 
be  afflicted  with  grog-shops  and  gamblers,  and  the 
mania  oT  speculation,  but  these  are  temporary  evils 
which  time,  a  higher  moral  tone,  and  the  more 
steady  pursuits  of  man  will  remedy.    Three  years  ago 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  415 

only  a  dozen  shanties  sprinkled  its  sand-hills ;  now, 
even  with  its  heart  burnt  out,  it  looks  like  the  skele- 
ton of  a  huge  city.  That  heart  will  be  reconstructed, 
and  send  the  life-blood  leaping  through  the  system. 

Benicia. — This  town  on  the  straits  of  Carquenas 
has  the  advantages  of  a  bold  shore,  a  quiet  anchorage, 
and  depth  of  water  for  ships  of  any  size.  Even  with- 
out being  a  port  of  entry,  it  must  become  in  time  a 
large  commercial  depot.  The  small  craft  which  float 
the  waters  of  the  Suisun,  Sacramento,  and  San  Joa- 
quin, and  which  are  ill  suited  to  the  rough  bay  below, 
will  here  deposit  their  cargoes.  It  has  been  selected 
as  the  most  feasible  site  for  a  navy-yard,  and  the 
army  stores  are  already  housed  on  its  quay.  It  was 
first  selected  as  the  site  of  a  city  by  Robert  Semple, 
president  of  the  Constitution  Convention,  and  rose 
rapidly  into  importance  under  his  fostering  care,  and 
the  energetic  measures  of  Thomas  O.  Larkin. 

Sacramento  City. — The  site  of  this  town  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  Sacramento,  at  its  junction  with 
the  Rio  Americano,  presents  many  picturesque  fea- 
tures. It  is  a  town  in  the  woods,  with  the  native 
trees  still  waving  over  its  roofs.  The  sails  of  the 
shipping  are  inwoven  with  the  masses  of  shade,  which 
serve  as  awnings.  Roads  diverge  from  it  to  the 
mines  on  the  North,  Middle,  and  South  l^'orks.  Bear, 
Juba,  and  Feather  rivers.  The  town  has  been  swept 
by  one  inundation  from  the  overflow  of  the  Ameri- 


i 


410  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

cano.  It  came  upon  the  inhabitants  like  a  thief  in 
the  night ;  they  had  only  time  to  jump  from  their 
beds ;  the  roaring  flood  was  at  their  heels :  some 
reached  the  shipping,  and  some  sprung  into  the  tops 
of  the  trees.  But  a  levee  is  now  going  up  which 
will  shut  out  the  flood ;  while  brick  and  slate  will 
ward  oir  the  flame.  This  place  is  destined  to  figure 
among  the  largest  towns  of  California. 

Sutter. — This  town,  which  bears  the  name  of  the 
old  pioneer  on  whose  lands  it  stands,  is  beautifully 
located  on  the  Sacramento,  at  the  head  waters  of  navi- 
gation. From  it  issue  the  roads  leading  to  all  the 
northern  mines ;  the  site  is  not  subject  to  overflow, 
and  the  country  around  possesses  great  fertility.  It 
has  a  large  commercial  business :  its  central  position 
must  secure  its  prosperity.  Its  proprietors  are  Capt. 
Sutter  and  John  McDugal,  lieutenant-governor  of  the 
state — gentlemen  who  pursue  the  most  liberal  policy, 
and  reap  their  reward  in  the  growth  of  their  town. 

Vernon. — This  is  the  only  town  on  Feather  river, 
and  stands  at  the  confluence  of  that  stream  with  the 
Sacramento.  It  is  above  the  reach  of  any  inunda- 
tion, and  commands  a  country  of  wildly  varied  as- 
pect. Its  location,  rather  than  buildings  or  business, 
invest  it  with  interest.  Its  importance *is  prospec- 
tive ;  but  the  future  is  fast  becoming  the  present. 
Its  projectors  are  Franklin  Bates,  E.  O.  Crosby,  and 
Samuel  Norris. 


THREE  YZARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  417 

Boston. — This  town  is  located  on  the  American 
Fork  at  its  junction  with  the  Sacramento.  The  plot 
of  the  town  is  beautiful — its  situation  afrreeable.  Di- 
rect  roads  issue  from  it  to  the  placers  of  the  Yuba, 
Feather  river,  the  North,  Middle,  and  South  forks  of 
the  Americano.  Like  Sacramento  City,  it  is  located 
within  the  grant  of  Capt.  Sutter,  whose  title  to  the 
enterprising  proprietors  will  undoubtedly  be  found 
valid.  Several  buildings  have  been  erected,  which 
give  an  air  of  stability  to  the  flapping  tents  which 
shadow  its  avenues. 

Stockton. — This  flourishing  town  is  located  at  the 
head  of  an  arm  of  the  Suisun  bay,  and  is  accessible 
to  small  steamers.  It  stands  in  the  centre  of  a  vast 
fertile  plain,  and  on  a  position  sufficiently  elevated  to 
exempt  it  from  inundation.  It  is  the  commercial  de- 
pot for  the  southern  mines  ;  the  miners  on  the  Moke- 
lumne,  Stanislaus,  Tuolumne,  Mariposa,  Mercedes, 
and  King's  river,  are  supplied  with  provisions  and 
clothing  from  its  heavy  storehouses.  It  will  yet 
loom  largely  in  the  map  of  California. 

New  York. — This  town  is  located  on  the  triangle 
formed  by  the  junction  of  the  San  Joaquin  river  and 
Suisun  bay,  with  its  base  resting  on  a  broad  plain, 
covered  with  clusters  of  live-oak.  The  banks  of  the 
river  and  bay  are  bold,  and  above  the  reach  of  tide 
and  freshet.  The  bay  is  represented  on  the  surveys 
which  have  been  made  as  having  sufficient  depth  for 


I> 


418         THREE  YEARS  I\  CALIFORNIA. 

merchantmen  of  the  largest  class.  The  communica- 
tion with  the  sea  lies  through  the  broad  strait  of  the 
Carquinas.  The  town  will  naturally  command  the 
commerce  of  the  San  Joaquin  and  its  numerous  trib- 
utaries. The  projectors  of  the  town  are  Col.  Ste- 
venson and  Dr.  Parker. 

Alvezo. — This  town  is  situated  at  the  head  of  the 
great  bay  of  San  Francisco,  on  the  Gaudalupe,  which 
flows  through  it.  It  is  the  natural  depot  of  the  com- 
merce which  will  roll  in  a  broad  exhaustless  tide, 
through  the  fertile  valleys  of  Santa  Clara  and  San 
Jose.  It  lies  directly  in  the  route  to  the  gold  and 
quicksilver  mines,  with  a  climate  not  surpassed  by 
that  of  any  locality  in  the  northern  sections  of  Cali- 
fornia. The  fertility  of  the  surrounding  country 
must  ere  long  make  itself  felt  in  the  growth  and  pros- 
perity of  this  town.  San  Francisco  is  dependant  on 
the  products  of  its  horticulture.  Fortunes  might  be 
made  by  any  persons  who  would  go  there  and  devote 
themselves  exclusively  to  gardening.  But  it  is  not 
in  man  to  raise  cabbages  in  a  soil  that  contains  gold. 
The  proprietors  of  the  town  are  J.  D.  Hoppe,  Peter 
H.  Burnett,  and  Charles  B.  Marvin. 

Stanislaus. — This  town,  situated  at  the  junction 
of  the  Stanislaus  and  San  Joaquin,  is  fast  rising  into 
consideration.  It  is  the  highest  point  to  which  the 
lightest  steamer  can  ascend,  and  is  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  richest  mines  in  California.     From  its 


THREE   YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  419 

Storehouses  supplies  are  destined  to  flow  through  the 
whole  southern  mines.  The  placers  on  the  Stanis- 
laus, Tuolumne,  Mercedes,  and  King's  river  must 
contribute  to  its  growing  wealth.  It  is  in  the  direct 
route  from  Monterey  to  the  mines — a  route  which 
has  been  surveyed  in  reference  to  a  great  public 
road,  and  through  which  a  portion  of  the  commerce 
of  the  Pacific  will  one  day  roll.  This  town  was  pro- 
jected by  Samuel  Brannan,  the  sagacious  leader  of 
the  Mormon  battalion  in  California. 

SoNORA  and  Crescent  City. — These  towns,  perch- 
ed up  among  the  gold  mines  which  overlook  the  San 
Joaquin,  derive  their  importance  from  no  river  or 
bay  ;  their  resources  are  in  the  rocks  and  sands  of 
the  mountain  freshet.  They  are  the  miner's  home — 
his  winter  quarters — his  metropolis,  to  which  he 
goes  for  society,  recreation,  repose,  frolic,  and  fun. 
Through  the  livelong  night  the  rafters  ring  with  re- 
sounding mirth,  while  the  storm  unheeded  raves  with- 
out. Of  all  the  sites  for  a  hamlet  which  I  have  met 
with  in  the  mining  region,  I  should  prefer  the  one  at 
the  head  of  a  ravine  near  the  sources  of  the  Stanis- 
laus. It  is  a  natural  amphitheatre,  throwing  on  the 
eye  its  sweeping  wall  of  wild  cliffs  and  waving  shade. 
From  the  green  bosom  of  its  arena  swells  a  slight 
elevation,  covered  with  beautiful  evergreen  trees.  A 
little  rivulet  leaps  from  a  rock,  and  sings  in  its  spark- 
ling flow  the  year  round  ;  while  the  leaves,  as  if  in 
love  with  the  spot,  whisper  in  the  soft  night-wind. 


420  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

Many  a  night  have  I  stood  there  in  silent  revery, 
watching  the  bright  stars,  the  trembling  shadows  of 
the  trees,  and  listening  to  the  silver  lay  of  the  stream- 
let. The  Coliseum,  with  its  melancholy  night-bird 
and  solemn  grandeur,  can  never  rival  this  temple  of 
nature. 

THE  ONE  MOON  TOWN. 

The  recent  discovery  of  Trinidad  bay,  which  lies 
about  two  hundred  miles  north  of  San  Francisco, 
will  have  a  material  effect  on  the  local  interests  of 
the  country.  It  will  open  a  new  channel  of  com- 
merce into  the  northern  mines,  and  render  accessible 
the  finest  forests  in  California.  This  bay,  as  repre- 
sented, has  sufficient  depth  and  capacity  to  shelter  a 
large  marine.  A  town  has  already  been  laid  out  on 
the  curve  of  its  bold  shore  ;  streets,  squares,  and  edi- 
fices have  ceased  to  figure  on  the  map,  and  become  a 
reality.  Where  but  one  moon  since  the  shark  and 
seal  plunged  and  played  at  will,  freighted  ships  are 
riding  at  anchor ;  while  the  indignant  bear  has  only 
had  time  to  gather  up  her  cubs  and  seek  a  new 
jungle. 

Before  this  sheet  can  get  to  press,  there  will  be  a 
daily  on  Trinidad  bay,  with  the  price-current  of  New 
York  and  London  figuring  in  its  columns,  and  an 
opera  of  Rossini  singing  its  prelude  between  the  reel- 
ing anthems  of  the  church-going  bell.  Why,  man  ! 
you  talk  of  the  slumbers  of  Rip  Van  Winkle,  and  the 
visions  of  the  seven  sleepers  of  Ephesus  !     Know  you 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  421 

not  the  whole  world  is  asleep,  save  what  wakes  and 
works  on  Trinidad  bay  ?  It  takes  an  age  in  other 
lands  to  rear  a  city ;  but  here,  one  phase  of  the  fickle 
moon,  and  up  she  comes,  like  Venus  from  the  wave, 
or  the  peak  of  Pico  at  the  call  of  the  morning  star. 
Clear  the  coast  with  your  old  dormitory  hulks  of 
slumbering  ages,  and  let  this  new  Trinidad  launch 
her  keeled  thunder!  Her  pennant  unrolls  itself  in 
flame  on  the  wind,  and  her  trident  is  tipt  with  the 
keen  lightning.  The  great  whale  of  the  Pacific  turns 
here  his  startled  gaze — plunges,  and  blows  next  half 
way  to  Japan. 

Hurra  for  Trinidad  !    Let  nations  sleep, 

And  empires  moulder  in  their  misty  shroud  ; 
She  shakes  her  trident  on  her  golden  steep. 

O'er  ■waving  woods,  in  solemn  reverence  bowed ; 
Her  bright  aurora  throws  its  flashing  ray- 
Where  primal  worlds  in  sunless  darkness  stray  I 

A  shout  from  those  touched  orbs  comes  rolling  back, 
As  rose  the  antiieni  of  this  earth,  when  first 

Around  the  night  that  sj^hered  her  rayless  track, 
The  breaking  morn  in  golden  splendors  burst — 

The  king  of  chaos  sees  the  new-bom  light, 

And,  howhng,  plunges  down  the  gulf  of  night. 

OLD  AND  AVELL-TRIED  FRIENDS. 

I  must  not  forget  in  my  reveries  over  the  map 

marvels  of  the  new  towns,  the  fireside  friends  of  good 

old  Monterey.     Among  them  my  three  years  circled 

their  varied  rounds,  now  stored  with  memories  that 

-       36 


422         THREE  VEAKS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

can  never  die.  I  must  introduce  them  to  the  reader 
before  we  part,  and  pay  them  the  tribute  of  a  farewell 
word.  They  have  no  splendor  of  outward  circum- 
stance to  stir  your  wonder,  but  hearts  as  true  as  ever 
throbbed  in  the  human  breast.  Here  is  David  Spence, 
from  the  hills  of  Scotland,  a  man  of  unblemished  in- 
tegrity and  sterling  sense,  married  to  a  daughter  of 
the  late  Don  Jose  Estrada,  a  resident  of  twenty-five 
years  in  Monterey,  my  predecessor  in  the  office  of 
alcalde,  and  recently  prefect  of  the  department. 
Here  is  W.  P.  Hartnell,  from  England,  married  into 
the  Noriega  family,  the  best  linguist  in  the  country, 
and  the  government  translator,  with  the  claims  of  a 
twenty-seven  years'  residence,  and  a  circle  of  chil- 
dren, in  which  yours,  my  gentle  reader,  would  only 
appear  as  a  few  more  added  to  a  sweeping  flodk. 

Here  is  Don  Manuel  Dias,  a  native  of  Mexico, 
married  to  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Spence,  a  gentleman 
whose  urbanity  and  intelligence  honors  his  origin. 
Here  is  James  McKinley,  a  gentleman  of  liberality 
and  wealth  from  the  Grampian  Hills,  married  to  a 
daughter  of  a  Spanish  Don  from  the  Bay  of  Biscay. 
Here  is  Don  Manuel  Jimeno,  once  secretary  of  state, 
married  into  the  Noriega  family,  to  a  lady  of  spark- 
ling wit  and  gentle  benevolence.  Here  is  Milton 
Little,  a  man  of  mind  and  means,  who  broke  into 
California  many  years  ago  from  the  west,  and  whom 
I  joined  in  wedlock  to  a  fair  daughter  of  the  empire 
state.  Here  is  Don  Jose  Abrigo,  blest  with  wealth, 
enterprise,  and  a  fine  family  of  boys.     Here  is  J.  P. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  423 

Lease,  from  Missouri,  long  resident  in  California,  with 
ample  fortune  and  generous  heart,  and  whose  amia- 
ble wife  is  the  sister  of  Gen.  Vallejo.  Here  is  James 
Watson,  born  on  the  Thames ;  came  to  Monterey 
twenty-five  years  since,  married  a  lady  of  the  country, 
is  now  a  heavy  capitalist,  with  a  charity  open  as  day. 
Here  is  Charles  Walter,  of  German  origin,  a  resident 
of  many  years,  married  into  the  Estrada  family,  and 
possessed  of  wealth.  Here  is  Gov.  Pulacio,  from 
Lower  California — a  gentleman  of  the  old  school — 
with  a  wife  and  daughter  imbued  with  the  same  spirit 
of  refinement.  Here  is  J.  F.  Dye,  from  our  own 
shores,  long  identified  with  the  interests  of  the  country, 
and  married  to  one  of  its  daughters.  Here  are  Messrs. 
Toomes  &  Thoms,  bosom  friends,  partners  in  busi- 
ness, and  men  of  enterprise  and  substance.  Here  is 
James  Stokes,  from  England,  for  twenty-five  years  a 
citizen  of  Monterey,  a  merchant,  farmer,  and  doctor, 
married  to  a  lady  of  the  country,  in  whom  the  afflicted 
always  find  a  friend. 

Here  is  Senor  Soveranez,  whose  saloon  is  lit  by 
eyes  bright  as  nuptial  tapers,  and  where  the  Castilian 
flows  soft  as  if  warbled  by  a  bird.  Here  is  Padre 
Ramirez,  an  intelligent,  liberal,  and  warm-hearted 
canon  of  the  Catholic  church ;  and  also  the  Rev.  S. 
H.  Willey,  of  the  Protestant  persuasion,  who  is  or- 
ganizing a  society,  and  who  has  the  zeal  and  energy 
to  carry  the  enterprise  through.  Monterey  lost  one 
of  its  most  cherished  ladies,  when  Mrs.  Larkin  took 
her  departure.     Here  for  eighteen  years  she  had  lent 


42  i  THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

a  charm  to  its  society.  She  was  the  first  lady  from 
the  United  States  that  settled  in  California.  Long 
will  the  good  old  town  lament  the  departure  of  T.  H. 
Green.  His  enterprise  and  integrity  as  a  merchant, 
and  his  benevolence  as  a  citizen,  were  everywhere 
felt.  The  widow  and  the  orphan  ever  found  in  him 
a  generous  friend.  Nor  must  I  forget  the  young  and 
gentle  Saladonia,  who  has  often  hovered  like  a  minis- 
tering angel  in  the  family  of  the  poor  emigrant.  Nor 
must  I  pass  unheeded  the  grave  of  my  revered  friend 
Don  Juan  Malerine,  beloved  in  life,  and  who  died 

"  Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  Ues  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 


425 


CHAPTER   XXXIl. 

BRIEF  NOTICES    OF  PERSONS  WHOSE    PORTRAITS    EMBELLISH    THIS  VOLUME, 
AND  WHO  ARE  PROMINENTLY  CONNECTED  WITH  CALIFORNIA  AFFAIRS. 

JOHN  CHARLES  FREMONT 

Is  a  native  of  South  Carolina — was  born  in  1813 — 
received  his  education  at  Charleston  College,  and 
first  evinced  the  vigor  of  his  mathematical  genius  in 
the  eflicient  aid  rendered  the  accomplished  Nicollet 
in  his  survey  of  the  basin  of  the  upper  Mississippi. 
The  importance  of  this  service  was  acknowledged  by 
the  governnient  in  his  appointment  as  a  lieutenant  in 
the  corps  of  Topographical  Engineers.  In  1841  the 
war  department  confided  to  him  the  interests  and  ob- 
jects of  an  expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in 
which  he  discovered  and  mapped  the  South  Pass. 
The  scientific  results  of  this  adventure  awakened  in 
the  public  mind  an  intense  enthusiasm  for  a  more 
extended  exploration.  In  the  following  year  he  left 
the  frontier  settlements  at  the  head  of  a  small  party, 
crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains,  discovered  and  sur- 
veyed the  great  valley  of  the  Salt  Lake,  and  extended 
his  researches  into  Oregon  and  California.  Tiiese 
explorations,  which  occupied  the  greater  portion  of 
two  years,  were  not  confined  to  topographical  ques- 
tions ;  they  embraced  all  the  departments  of  natural 

36* 


426  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORMA. 

history,  with  extended  meteorological  observations. 
They  fill  a  volume,  in  which  the  trophies  of  science 
are  blended  with  the  incidents  of  the  wildest  adven- 
ture. 

In  1844,  the  explorer  left  the  United  States  again 
for  the  western  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  had 
descended  into  California,  when  the  declaration  of 
war  suspended  his  scientific  pursuits,  and  summoned 
him  to  the  field.  He  had  been  honored  successively 
with  the  rank  of  captain,  major,  and  colonel.  A  bat- 
talion of  riflemen  enrolled  themselves  under  his  com- 
mand. Their  campaign,  in  the  winter  of  1846,  im- 
pressed its  intrepid  spirit  and  heroic  action  on  the 
fate  of  the  war.  Constrained  by  the  orders  of  a  su- 
perior, Col.  Fremont  was  again  in  the  United  States  ; 
where,  having  declined  a  return  of  his  commission, 
which  he  had  adorned  with  eminent  service,  he  threw 
himself,  with  unrepressed  spirit,  on  his  own  energies, 
and  started  again  for  California.  This  was  his  sev- 
enth adventure  across  the  continent ;  and  owing  to 
the  lateness  of  the  season,  was  attended  with  hard- 
ships and  privations,  in  which  many  of  his  brave 
mountaineers  perished.  But  his  force  of  purpose  tri- 
umphed over  the  elements,  and  carried  him  through. 
The  new  territory,  in  the  vast  accessions  of  a  rush- 
ing emigration,  had  suddenly  risen  to  the  dignity  of 
a  commonwealth.  A  United  States  senator  was  to 
be  chosen  :  it  was  the  highest  office  within  the  gift 
of  the  people,  and  they  conferred  it,  without  distinc- 
tion of  party,  on  Col.  Fremont.     The  decree  of  a 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  427 

military  tribunal,  bound  to  those  rigid  rules  of  disci- 
pline which  never  bend  to  the  force  of  circumstance, 
may  dispose  of  the  parchment  honors  of  a  commis- 
sion, but  the  public  services  and  private  worth  of  the 
individual  must  remain  ;  the  substantial  benefits  con- 
ferred on  mankind  must  remain  ;  the  path  opened  to 
the  golden  gates  of  the  west  must  remain  ;  the  flag 
of  the  country  still  fly  along  its  fortified  line,  and  the 
great  tide  of  emigration  roll  through  its  avenue  for 
ages.  If  Humboldt  be  the  Nestor  of  scientific  travel- 
lers, and  Audubon  the  interpreter  of  nature,  Col.  Fre- 
mont is  the  Pathfinder  of  empire. 

WILLIAM  M.   GWIN 

Was  born  in  Sumner  county,  Tennessee,  in  1805. 
His  father,  the  Rev.  James  Gwin,  was  a  distinguished 
divine  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  one  ot 
its  founders  in  the  West.  He  was  for  fifty  years  the 
intimate  and  confidential  friend  of  Gen.  Jackson,  and 
chaplain  to  his  army  during  the  late  war  with  Eng- 
land. Dr.  Gwin  was  graduated  at  Transylvania  Uni- 
versity, in  Kentucky,  and  practised  his  profession, 
with  eminent  success  for  several  years,  in  his  native 
state  and  Mississippi.  He  relinquished  his  profession 
in  1833,  and  was  appointed,  by  Gen.  Jackson,  Mar- 
shal of  Mississippi, — an  office  which  he  filled  until 
after  the  election  of  Gen.  Harrison  to  the  presidency, 
when  he  became  a  candidate  for  congress,  and  was 
elected  by  a  large  majority. 

He  was  remarked,  during  the  session,  as  a  ready. 


428  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

forcible  debater,  and  was  renominated  by  his  district 
with  great  unanimity,  but  decUned  running,  owing  to 
pecuniary  embarrassments  incurred  while  he  held  the 
office  of  marshal,  and  brought  about  by  the  paper 
money  system,  which  involved  Mississippi  in  bank- 
ruptcy, and  especially  the  public  officers,  who,  like 
Dr.  Gwin,  had  been  induced,  under  the  decisions  of 
the  courts,  to  take  this  irresponsible  paper  in  payment 
of  executions.  In  1846,  Dr.  Gwin  removed  to  New 
Orleans,  and  was  soon  after  appointed  commissioner 
to  superintend  the  erection  of  the  custom-house  in  that 
city,  destined  to  be  one  of  the  largest  public  edifices  in 
the  country.  From  this  position  he  retired  on  the 
election  of  Gen.  Taylor  to  the  presidency,  and  emi- 
grated to  California,  where  he  engaged  actively  in 
organizing  a  state  government.  He  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  convention  from  San  Francisco,  and 
bore  a  prominent,  influential  part  in  its  debates  and 
proceedings,  which  resulted  in  the  present  noble  con- 
stitution. The  importance  of  these  services  were 
duly  recognized  by  the  people  of  Cahfornia,  and  they 
testified  their  regard  and  confidence  in  conferring  on 
him  the  dignity  of  a  United  States  senator.  He  will 
have  it  in  his  power  to  do  much  for  the  new  state, 
and  we  feel  assured  she  will  find  in  him  a  resolute 
champion  of  her  rights. 

THOMAS  OLIVER  LARKIN, 

Born  in  Charleston,  Mass.,  1803,  and  emigrated  to 
California  eighteen  years  since.     The  same  spirit  of 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  429 

adventure  which  took  him  to  this  country,  charac- 
terized his  subsequent  career.  He  came  here  with- 
out capital,  and  with  no  sources  of  reliance  save  in 
his  own  enterprise  and  activity.  There  was  then  no 
gold  out  of  which  a  fortune  could  be  suddenly  piled, 
and  no  established  channels  of  business  through 
which  a  man  could  become  regularly  and  safely  rich. 
But  this  unsettled  state  of  affairs  was  suited  to  the 
enterprising  spirit  of  Mr.  Larkin.  He  often  projected 
enterprises  and  achieved  them,  seemingly  through  the 
boldness  of  the  design  ;  but  there  was  ever  behind 
this  a  restless  energy  that  pushed  them  to  a  success- 
ful result.  Many  and  most  of  the  public  improve- 
ments were  planned  and  executed  by  him  ;  the  only 
wharf  and  custom-house  on  the  coast  were  erected 
through  his  activity. 

Through  all  the  revolutions  which  convulsed  the 
country,  he  held  the  post  of  United  States  consul, 
and  vigilantly  protected  our  commercial  interests  and 
the  rights  of  our  citizens.  He  was  deeply  concerned 
in  all  the  measures  which  at  length  severed  Califor- 
nia from  Mexico,  and  loaned  his  funds  and  credit  to 
a  large  amount  in  raising  means  to  meet  the  sudden 
exigences  of  the  war.  The  Californians,  to  cut  off 
these  supplies,  managed  at  last,  very  adroitly,  to  cap- 
ture him,  and  held  him  as  a  hostage  in  any  important 
contingency.  But  the  work  had  already  been  meas- 
urably accomplished,  and  a  restoration  of  prisoners 
soon  followed.  Mr.  Larkin  early  engaged  in  the  or- 
ganization  of  a   civil  government — was   a   delegate 


430  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

from  Monterey  to  the  convention  for  drafting  a  con- 
stitution, and  impressed  his  practical  genius  on  many 
of  its  provisions.  He  has  never  been  a  candidate  for 
any  office,  and  resigned  that  of  Navy  Agent,  with 
which  he  had  been  honored,  as  soon  as  the  condition 
of  pubUc  affairs  would  allow.  His  commercial  en- 
terprise and  sagacity  work  best  where  they  have  the 
most  scope  ;  they  have  secured  to  him  an  ample  for- 
tune. His  house  has  always  been  the  home  of  the 
stranger ;  his  hospitalities  are  ever  on  a  scale  with 
his  ample  means. 

GEORGE  W.  WRIGHT. 

Among  the  successful  adventurers  into  California, 
Mr.  Wright  holds  a  prominent  place.  He  was  born 
in  Massachusetts  in  1816,  where  he  received  a  busi- 
ness education,  and  commenced  life  with  no  capital 
beyond  his  own  enterprise  and  sagacity.  Through 
these  he  won  his  way  to  a  partnership  in  a  large 
commercial  house,  extensively  engaged  in  the  wha- 
ling service  and  its  correlative  branches  of  trade. 
Without  disturbing  these  relations,  he  determined  to 
push  his  adventures  into  California,  where  he  arrived 
soon  after  the  discovery  of  the  placers,  and  engaged 
in  the  commerce  of  the  country.  Success  and  a 
rapid  accumulation  of  capital  attended  his  efforts.  A 
large  banking-house  at  San  Francisco  was  proposed, 
and  he  became  the  leading  partner.  This  house  has 
withstood  all  the  shocks  which  have  carried  ruin  to 
miiny  others,  and  maintained  its  credit  mishaken.    At 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  431 

the  adoption  of  the  constitution,  two  members  of  Con- 
gress were  to  be  chosen,  and  Mr.  Wright  was  elected 
to  this  honorable  position.  This  token  of  confidence 
and  regard  was  the  more  to  be  appreciated,  as  it  re- 
sulted from  no  constrained  party  organization,  but 
the  decided  preference  of  the  citizens,  expressed  at 
the  ballot-box. 

Mr.  Wright  was  the  first  to  collect  specimens  of 
the  gold-bearing  quartz.  He  traversed  the  foot  hills 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada  for  this  purpose,  and  underwent 
many  hardships  and  perils.  He  was  often  for  days 
on  the  very  shortest  allowance,  and  obliged  to  share 
even  this  with  his  famished  mule.  The  quartz  fre- 
quently seam  the  loftiest  ridges,  and  can  be  reached 
only  through  the  most  exhausting  fatigue.  None  but 
those  of  iron  muscles  can  scale  the  soaring  steep,  or 
dislodge,  with  steady  hand  and  head,  the  treasured 
vein  in  the  giddy  verge.  Against  these  obstacles 
Mr.  Wright  persevered,  and  gathered  a  great  variety 
of  specimens,  curious  in  themselves  and  often  rich, 
but  valued  mainly  as  indications  of  the  wealth  of  the 
quartz,  and  as  leading-clues  to  their  localities.  They 
will  serve  to  stimulate  the  exertions  and  guide  the 
footsteps  of  the  subsequent  miner.  They  are  not 
stowed  away  as  secrets  for  the  exclusive  benefit  of 
the  discoverer  :  the  information  they  impart  is  free 
to  all.  The  only  danger  lies  in  conclusions  too 
glowing  for  the  reality,  and  those  hasty  adventures 
in  which  anticipation  overleaps  the  laborious  process. 
The   specimens    are    genuine,  and    have    been    pro- 


432  THREE   YEARS   IX   CALIFORMA. 

nounced  at  the  mint  the  richest  that  have  been  test- 
ed. The  extent  to  which  the  gold-bearing  quartz 
prevails  can  be  thoroughly  known  only  in  the  results 
of  mining  operations.  It  has  been  found  in  different 
localities  between  Feather  river  and  the  Mariposa  ; 
and  if  it  approaches  in  value  the  most  ordinary  spe- 
cimens gathered  by  Mr.  Wright  and  myself,  will  mu- 
nificentlv  reward  the  labors  of  the  miner,  and  will 
upset  all  geological  deductions  connected  with  gold- 
bearing  quartz  in  other  countries. 

JACOB  R.   SXYDER. 

Born  in  Philadelphia,  1813,  emigrated  to  the  west 
in  1834,  and  has  been  for  the  last  five  years  a  citi- 
zen of  California.  At  the  commencement  of  hostilities 
in  that  country.  Com.  Stockton,  then  in  command  of 
the  land  and  naval  forces,  confided  to  him  the  organi- 
zation of  an  artillery  corps,  and  subsequently  con- 
ferred on  him  the  appointment  of  quarter-master  to 
the  battalion  of  mounted  riflemen  under  Col.  Fre- 
mont, which  office  he  continued  to  fill  during  the  war. 
At  the  restoration  of  peace,  Mr.  Snyder  was  appointed 
by  Governor  Mason  surveyor  for  the  middle  depart- 
ment of  California,  where  his  activity  and  science 
were  called  into  play  in  the  settlement  of  many  ques- 
tions of  disputed  boundary  in  land  titles.  In  the  or- 
ganization of  a  civil  government,  he  was  elected 
delegate  from  Sacramento  district  to  the  convention, 
and  was  one  of  the  committee  for  drafting  the  con- 
st! lution.    His  remarks  in  the  convention  are  charac- 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  433 

terized  for  their  pertinency,  brevity,  and  sound  sense. 
He  is  a  good  specimen  of  that  versatility  which  be- 
longs to  the  "  universal  nation."  Fond  of  adventure, 
and  with  resources  in  himself  to  meet  all  its  exio-en- 
cies, — partial  to  new  positions,  new  duties,  and  re- 
sponsibilities, and  yet  perfectly  at  home  in  each — 
ever  with  some  beckoning  object  ahead,  which,  when 
attained,  is  to  be  relinquished  for  one  of  still  greater 
magnitude, — and  all  this  with  a  sound  judgment,  in- 
flexible  integrity,  and  unostentatious  generosity.  He 
was  one  of  the  original  projectors  of  Sacramento 
City,  and  is  still  largely  concerned  in  its  prosperity. 
His  liberal  policy,  sustained  by  that  of  his  enter- 
prising, intelligent  partner.  Major  Reading,  is  ex- 
hibited in  the  ample  reservations  which  have  been 
made  for  churches,  school- houses,  and  public  squares. 

CAPT.  JOHN  A.  SUTTER. 

The  leading  features  of  interest  in  the  adventurous 
life  of  Capt.  Sutter  are  connected  with  California 
affairs.  He  -was  born  in  Switzerland  near  the  close 
of  the  last  century,  and  early  relinquished  its  glaciers 
and  lakes  for  the  sunny  fields  of  France.  His  love 
of  adventure  turned  his  attention  to  the  camp,  where 
his  gallant  conduct  soon  secured  him  an  honorable 
commission.  But  the  wars  of  the  continent  being 
over,  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  having 
resided  several  years  in  Missouri,  turned  his  roving 
eye  to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific. 

Through  a  series  of  adventures,  which  seem  more 
37 


434         THREE  YEARS  I\  CALIFORNIA. 

like  fictions  than  realities,  he  at  length  reached  the 
valley  of  the  Sacramento,  where  he  procured  from 
the  government  the  grant  of  a  large  tract  of  land. 
The  country  around  was  in  the  possession  of  wild 
Indians,  some  of  whom  he  conciliated,  and  through 
their  labors  constructed  a  fort  to  protect  himself  from 
the  rest.  His  influence  over  these  children  of  the 
forest  was  such  that  in  a  few  years  he  had  over  a 
thousand  of  their  number  at  work  on  his  farm.  He 
was  upright  in  all  his  dealings  with  them,  and  paid 
each  as  punctually  as  if  he  had  been  a  king.  His 
place,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  New  Helvetia, 
was  for  years  the  emigrants  goal,  —  the  land  ot 
promise,  which  glimmered  in  warm  light  through  his 
cold  mountain  dream.  There  he  was  sure  of  a  cor- 
dial welcome,  and  a  hospitality  that  new  no  bounds  ; 
no  matter  from  what  clime  he  came,  or  what  were 
his  credentials ;  it  was  enough  for  his  generous  host 
to  know  that  he  was  an  adventurer,  poor  in  all  things 
save  a  manly  purpose.  But  often  the  bounty  of  Capt. 
Sutter  has  gone  forth  to  meet  the  emigrant ;  it  was 
his  sympathy  and  active  benevolence  that  mainly 
rescued  the  emigrants  of  forty-six  from  starvation  in 
the  California  mountains.  When  his  relief  reached 
them,  their  last  animals  had  been  killed  and  consumed 
for  food,  their  last  pound  of  provisions,  and  their  last 
means  of  subsistence  had  given  out ;  thev  were  em- 
bayed in  depths  of  snow  which  baffled  their  ex- 
hausted strength,  and  hunger  hung  in  horror  over  the 
dead. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  435 

It  was  on  the  lands  of  Capt.  Sutter  that  gold  was 
first  discovered ;  the  cut  of  a  mill-race  revealed  the 
entrancing  treasure ;  but  all  were  welcome  to  the 
results ;  no  spirit  of  monopoly  obstructed  the  digger, 
or  enriched  the  proprietor ;  fortunes  went  freely  to 
the  pockets  of  those  who  drove  the  spade  and  turned 
the  bowl.  When  a  civil  organization  was  proposed, 
the  generous  captain  was  deputed  by  the  electors  in 
his  district  to  represent  them  in  the  convention.  He 
there  favored  all  measures  calculated  to  secure  the 
interests  of  the  emigrants,  and  develop  the  resources 
of  the  country.  When  he  put  his  own  signature  to 
the  constitution,  he  dropped  the  pen  in  very  glad- 
ness ;  the  light  of  other  days  encircled  his  spirit,  he 
was  a  child  again  ;  all  felt  the  tears  which  filled  the 
eyes  of  the  old  pioneer,  and  wept  in  joyous  sympathy 
with  their  source.  The  work  was  done,  and  Califor- 
nia was  henceforth  to  revolve  among  the  glorious  orbs 
of  the  republic ! 

DON  MARIANO  GUADALUl'E  VALLEJO. 

This  distinguished  Californian  was  born  in  Mon- 
terey, 1817 ;  his  father  held  a  military  command 
under  the  crown  of  Spain,  and  subsequently  under 
the  Mexican  republic ;  he  lived  to  the  advanced  age 
of  95,  and  saw  his  children  allied  in  marriage  to  the 
most  influential  families  in  the  province.  Don  Mari- 
ano entered  the  service  of  the  government  as  a 
cadet  ;  rose  rapidly  to  a  post  of  commanding  influ- 
ence, but  always  evinced  a  repugnance  to  Mexican 


436  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

rule.  In  1837,  assisted  by  his  nephew,  Alverado,  he 
succeeded  in  driving  the  satellites  of  that  ill-starred 
republic  out  of  the  country,  and  in  the  organization 
of  the  new  government,  was  honored  with  the  post 
of  commandante-general. 

■  When  the  United  States  flag  was  raised,  Gen. 
Vallejo  saw  in  it  the  opportunity  of  securing  the 
permanent  tranquillity  and  prosperity  of  California  : 
a  thousand  of  his  noble  horses  went  under  the  saddles 
of  our  mounted  riflemen.  The  war  over,  he  was 
first  and  foremost  in  measures  for  a  civil  organiza- 
tion, and  represented  the  district  of  Sonoma  in  the 
convention  for  drafting  a  constitution.  His  liberal 
views  and  sound  policy  pervade  every  provision  of 
the  instrument.  He  was  subsequently  elected  a 
senator  to  the  state  legislature,  and  might  have  been 
a  successful  candidate  for  any  office  within  the  gift 
of  the  people.  He  is  a  large  landed  proprietor  ;  his 
cattle  are  on  a  hundred  hills,  and  his  horses  in  as 
many  vales ;  while  a  thousand  Indians,  whom  he  has 
won  from  savage  life,  cultivate  his  fields,  and  garner 
his  grains.  His  munificent  Uberality  and  profound 
interest  in  the  cause  of  education,  and  the  claims  of 
humanity,  may  be  gathered  from  the  following  state- 
ment contained  in  the  report  of  the  committee  of  the 
California  legislature  on  public  buildings  and  grounds, 
in  relation  to  the  permanent  location  of  the  seat  of 
government.     This  committee  say  : 

Gen.  Vallejo,  a  native  of  California,  and  now  a  member  of  the 
legislature,  offers  a  site  lying  upon  the  Straits  of  Carquinas  and  Napa 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  437 

river,  where  he  proposes  to  lay  out  (he  capital  to  be  called  Eureka, 
or  such  other  name  as  the  legislature  may  suggest.     He  proposes— 

1st.  That  said  permanent  seat  of  government  may  be  laid  out  in 
such  form  as  five  Commissioners  may  direct,  three  of  whom  shall 
be  appointed  by  tiie  legislature,  and  two  by  himself. 

2d.  That  he  proposes  to  grant  to  the  state,  for  the  following  pur- 
poses, free  of  cost : 

Acres. 

Capitol  and  grounds 20 

Governor's  house  and  grounds 10 

Offices  of  Treasurer,  Comptroller,  Secretary  of  State,  &c 5 

State  Library  and  Translator's  office 1 

Orphan's  Asylum  20 

Male  Charity  Hospital 10 

Female  Charity  Hospital 10 

Asylum  for  the  Blind 4 

Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum 4 

Lunatic  Asylum  20 

Four  Common  Schools 8 

State  University 20 

State  Botanical  Garden  4 

State  Penitentiary 20 

Also,  your  memorialist  proposes  to  donate  and  pay  over  to  the 
state,  within  two  years  after  the  acceptance  of  his  propositions,  the 
following  sums  of  money,  for  the  faithful  payment  of  wliich  he  pro- 
poses to  give  to  the  state  ample  security. 

For  building  State  Capitol $125,000 

Furnishing  the  same 10,000 

Building  Governor's  House 10,000 

Furnishing  the  same  5,000 

State  Library  and  Translator's  Office 5,()00 

State  Library 5,000 

For  the  building  of  the  Offices  of  Secretary  of  State,  Comp- 
troller, Attorney-General,  Surveyor-General,  and  Treas- 
urer, should  the  Commissioners  deem  it  proper  to  sepa- 
rate them  from  the  State  House 20,000 

Building  Orphan's  Asvlum 20,000 

Building  Female  Charitv  Hospital 20,000 

Building  Male  Charitv  Hospital 20,0fi0 

Building  Asylum  for  Rhnd 20,000 

Building  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum 20.000 

Building  State  Universitv 20,000 

For  University  Library  .!' 10,000 

Scientific  Apparatus  therefor  5,000 

Chemical  Laboratory  therefor 3,000 

Mineral  Cabinet  therefor 8,000 

Four  Common  School  Edifices  10,000 

Purchasuig  Books  for  same 6,000 

37* 


438  THREE   VEARS   IX  CALIFORXIA. 

For  the  Building  of  a  Lunatic  Asylum $20,000 

For  a  Stiite  Penitentiary 20,000 

For  a  State  Botanical  Collectioa 3,000 

In  accordance  ■with  another  proposition  of  Gen.  Yallejo,  the  com- 
mittee further  report  in  favor  of  submitting  this  offer  to  the  accept- 
ance of  the  people,  at  the  next  general  election.     The  report  adds  : 

"  Your  committee  cannot  dwell  with  too  much  v/annth  upon  the 
magniticent  propositions  contained  in  the  memorial  of  Gen.  Vallejo. 
Tliev  breathe  throughout  the  spirit  of  an  enlarged  mind,  and  a  sincere 
public  benefactor,  for  which  he  deserves  the  thanks  of  this  body,  and 
tile  gratitude  of  Califoiuia.  Such  a  proposition  looks  more  like  the 
logacv  of  a  prince  to  his  people,  than  the  free  donation  of  a  private 
planter  to  a  great  state." 


439 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

THE    MISSION    ESTABLISHMENTS    IN    CALIFORNIA. — THEIR    ORIGIN,  OBJECTS, 
LOCALITIES,  LANDS,  REVENUES,  OVERTHROW. 

The  missions  of  California  are  the  most  prominent 
features  in  her  history.  They  were  established  to 
propagate  the  Roman  faith,  and  extend  the  domain 
of  the  Spanish  crown.  They  contemplated  the  con- 
version of  the  untutored  natives,  and  a  permanent 
possession  of  the  soil.  They  were  an  extension  of 
the  same  system  which,  half  a  century  previous,  had 
achieved  such  signal  triumphs  on  the  peninsula  and 
through  the  northern  provinces  of  Mexico.  The 
founders  were  men  of  unwearied  zeal  and  heroic  ac- 
tion ;  their  enterprise,  fortitude,  and  unshaken  pur- 
pose might  rouse  all  the  slumbering  strings  of  the 
religious  minstrel. 

In  Alta  Cahfornia  these  missions  formed  a  religious 
cordon  the  entire  extent  of  the  coast.  They  were 
reared  at  intervals  of  twelve  or  fourteen  leagues  in 
all  the  great  fertile  valleys  opening  on  the  sea.  The 
first  was  founded  in  1769  ;  others  followed  fast,  and 
before  the  close  of  the  century  the  whole  twenty 
were  in  effective  operation.  Each  establishment 
contained  within  itself  the  elements  of  its  strength,  the 
sources  of  its  aggrandizement.  It  embraced  a  mas- 
sive church,  garnished  with  costly  plate  ;  dwellings, 


440  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

Storehouses,  and  workshops,  suited  to  the  wants  of  a 
growing  colony  ;  broad  lands,  encircling  meadows, 
forests,  streams,  orchards,  and  cultured  fields,  with 
cattle,  sheep,  and  horses,  grazing  on  a  "  thousand 
hills,"  and  game  in  every  glade  ;  and  above  all,  a 
faith  that  could  scoop  up  whole  tribes  of  savages, 
dazzling  them  with  the  symbols  of  religion,  and  im- 
pressing them  with  the  conviction  that  submission  to 
the  padres  was  obedience  to  God. 

These  vast  establishments  absorbed  the  lands,  cap- 
ital, and  business  of  the  country  ;  shut  out  emigra- 
tion, suppressed  enterprise,  and  moulded  every  interest 
into  an  implement  of  ecclesiastical  sway.  In  1833, 
the  supreme  government  of  Mexico  issued  a  decree 
which  converted  them  into  civil  institutions,  subject 
to  the  control  of  the  state.  The  consequence  was, 
the  padres  lost  their  power,  and  with  that  departed 
the  enterprise  and  wealth  of  their  establishments. 
The  civil  administrators  plundered  them  of  their 
stock,  the  governors  granted  to  favorites  sections  of 
their  lands,  till,  with  few  exceptions,  only  the  huge 
buildings  remain.  Their  localities  will  serve  as  im- 
portant guides  to  emigrants  in  quest  of  lands  adapted 
to  pasturage  and  agriculture,  and  their  statistics  will 
show,  to  some  extent,  the  productive  forces  of  the 
soil.  These  have  been  gathered,  with  some  pains, 
from  the  archives  of  each  mission,  and  are  grouped 
for  the  first  time  in  these  pages.  They  are  like  the 
missions  themselves — skeletons.  California,  though 
seemingly  young,   is  piled  with   the  wrecks   of  the 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  441 

past ;  around  the  stately  ruin  flits  the  shade  of  the 
padre  ;  his  warm  welcome  to  streaming  guests  still 
lingers  in  the  hall ;  and  the  loud  mirth  of  the  festive 
crowds  still  echoes  in  the  darkened  arches.  But  all 
these  good  olden  times  are  passed — their  glorious 
realities  are  gone — like  the  sound  and  sun-lit  splen- 
dors of  the  wave  dashed  and  broken  on  the  remorse- 
less rock. 

MISSION  OF  DOLIORES. 

This  mission  is  situated  on  the  south  side  of  the 
bay  of  San  Francisco,  two  miles  from  the  town.  Its 
lands  were  forty  leagues  in  circumference.  Its  stock, 
in  1825,  consisted  of  76,000  head  of  cattle,  950  tame 
horses,  2000  breeding-mares,  84  stud  of  choice  breed, 
820  mules,  79,000  sheep,  2000  hogs,  456  yoke  of 
working-oxen,  18,000  bushels  of  wheat  and  barley, 
$35,000  in  merchandize,  and  $25,000  in  specie.  It 
was  secularized  in  1834  by  order  of  Gen.  Figueroa, 
and  soon  became  a  wreck.  The  walls  of  the  huge 
church  only  remain.  Little  did  the  good  padre  who 
reared  them  dream  of  the  great  town  that  was  to 
rise  in  their  shadows  ! 

MISSION  OF  SANTA  CLARA. 

This  mission  is  situated  in  the  bosom  of  the  great 
valley  that  bears  its  name,  six  miles  from  the  embar- 
cadara  which  strands  the  upper  bend  of  the  great 
bay  of  San  Francisco.  Around  it  lie  the  richest 
lands  in  California — once  its  own  domain.     In  1823 


442         THREE  YEARS  I\  CALIFORNIA. 

it  branded,  as  the  increase  of  one  year,  22,400  calves. 
It  owned  74,280  head  of  full-grown  cattle,  407  yoke 
of  working-oxen,  82,540  sheep,  1890  trained  horses, 
4235  mares,  725  mules,  1000  hogs,  and  i  120,000  in 
goods.  The  church  is  a  gigantic  pile,  and  was  once 
adorned  with  ornaments  of  massive  silver.  The 
property  was  secularized  in  1834  by  order  of  Gen. 
Figueroa,  when  the  frolicking  citizens  of  the  Pueblo 
de  San  Jose  began  to  revel  on  its  ruins.  It  has  still 
a  fine  vineyard,  where  the  grape  reels  and  the  pear 
mellows 

MISSION  OF  SAN  JGSIE. 

This  mission  was  founded  in  1797,  fifteen  miles 
from  the  town  which  bears  its  name,  and  at  the  ter- 
minus of  a  valley  unrivalled  in  fertility.  It  supplied 
the  Russian  Company  with  grain,  who  sent  yearly 
several  large  ships  for  stores  for  their  northern  settle- 
ments. It  is  stated,  in  the  archives  of  this  mission, 
that  the  mayordomo  gathered  8,600  bushels  of  wheat 
from  80  bushels  sown  ;  and  the  following  year,  from 
the  grain  which  fell  at  the  time  of  the  first  harvest, 
5200  bushels !  The  priest  told  me  that  Julius  Csesar 
deposited  in  the  temple  of  Ceres  362  kernels  of  wheat, 
as  the  largest  yield  of  any  one  kernel  in  the  Roman 
empire  ;  and  that  he  had  gathered  and  counted,  from 
one  kernel  sown  at  this  mission,  365 — beating  Rome 
in  three  kernels  !  This  mission  had,  in  1825,  3000 
Indians,  62,000  head  of  cattle,  840  tame  horses,  1500 
mares,  420  mules,  310  yoke  of  oxen,  and  62,000  sheep. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA  443 

It  has  still  a  vineyard,  in  which  large  quantities  of 
luscious  grapes  and  pears  are  raised.  It  was  secular- 
ized in  1834  ;  and  the  old  church  bell,  as  if  indignant 
at  the  change,  has  plunged  from  its  chiming  tower. 

MISSION  OF  SAN  JUAN  BOUTISTA. 

This  mission  looms  over  a  rich  valley,  ten  leagues 
from  Monterey — founded  179<|r  Its  lands  swept  the 
broad  interval  and  adjacent  hills.  In  1820  it  owned 
43,870  head  of  cattle,  1360  tame  horses,  4870  mares, 
colts,  and  fillies.  It  had  seven  sheep-farms,  contain- 
ing 69,530  sheep  ;  while  the  Indians  attached  to  the 
mission  drove  321  yoke  of  w'orking-oxen.  Its  store- 
house contained  $75,000  in  goods  and  $20,000  in  spe- 
cie. This  mission  was  secularized  in  1834  ;  its  cattle 
slaughtered  for  their  hides  and  tallow,  its  sheep  left 
to  the  w^olves,  its  horses  taken  by  the  dandies,  its  In- 
dians left  to  hunt  acorns,  while  the  wind  sighs  over 
the  grave  of  its  last  padre. 

MISSION  OF  SAN  CARLOS. 

This  mission,  founded  1770,  stands  in  the  Carmel 
valley,  three  miles  from  Monterey.  Through  its 
ample  lands  flows  a  beautiful  stream  of  water,  which 
every  governor  of  the  country,  for  the  last  thirty 
years,  has  purposed  conducting  to  the  metropolis. 
Its  gardens  supply  the  vegetable  market  of  Monterey. 
Its  pears  are  extremely  rich  in  flavor.  In  its  soil 
were  raised,  in  1826,  the  first  potatoes  cultivated  in 
California.     So  little  did  the  presiding  padre  think  of 


444  THREE    YEARS    IX    CALIFORNIA. 

this  strange  vegetable,  he  allowed  the  Indians  to  raise 
and  sell  them  to  the  whalers  that  visited  Monterey, 
without  disturbing  their  profits.  He  was  satisfied  if 
the  Indians  would  give  him  one  salmon  in  ten  out  of 
the  hundreds  they  speared  in  the  stream  which  swept 
past  his  door.  This  mission,  in  1825,  branded  2300 
calves  ;  had  87,600  head  of  cattle,  1800  horses  and 
mares,  365  yoke  of  oxen,  nine  sheep-farms,  with  an 
average  of  about  6,000  sheep  on  each,  a  large  assort- 
ment of  merchandise,  and  $40,000  in  specie,  which 
was  buried  on  the  report  of  a  piratical  cruiser  on  the 
coast.  It  was  secularized  in  1835.  The  church  re- 
mains ;  but  the  only  being  I  found  in  it  was  a  large 
white  owl,  who  seemed  to  mourn  its  fall. 

MISSION  OF  SAXTA   CRUZ. 

This  mission  stands  near  the  coast  on  the  northern 
side  of  the  bay  of  Monterey,  in  a  tract  of  land  re- 
markable for  its  agricultural  capacities,  which  it  de- 
veloped in  the  richest  harvests.  In  1830  this  mission 
owned  all  the  lands  now  cultivated  or  claimed  by  the 
farmers  of  Santa  Cruz.  It  had  42,800  head  of  cattle, 
3200  horses  and  mares,  72,500  sheep,  200  nmles, 
large  herds  of  swine,  a  spacious  church,  garnished 
with  §25.000  worth  of  silver  plate.  It  was  secular- 
ized in  1834  by  order  of  Gen.  Figueroa,  and  shared 
the  fate  of  its  Carmel  sister.  Only  one  padre  lingers 
on  the  premises,  and  he  seems  the  last  of  a  perished 
race. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  445 

MISSION  OF  SOLEDAD. 

This  mission  is  situated  fifteen  leagues  southwest 
of  Monterey,  in  a  fertile  plain,  known  by  the  name 
of  the  "  llano  del  rey."  The  priest  was  an  indefati- 
gable agriculturist.  To  obviate  the  summer  drought, 
he  constructed,  through  the  labor  of  his  Indians,  an 
aqueduct  extending  fifteen  miles,  by  which  he  could 
water  twenty  thousand  acres  of  land.  In  1826  this 
mission  owned  about  36,000  head  of  cattle,  and  a 
greater  number  of  horses  and  mares  than  any  other 
mission  in  the  country.  So  great  was  the  reproduc- 
tion of  these  animals,  they  were  given  away  to  pre- 
serve the  pasturage  for  cattle  and  sheep.  It  had 
about  70,000  sheep,  and  300  yoke  of  tame  oxen.  In 
1819  the  mayordomo  of  this  mission  gathered  3400 
bushels  of  wheat  from  38  bushels  sown.  It  has  still 
standing  about  a  thousand  fruit-trees,  which  still  bear 
their  mellow  harvests  ;  but  its  secularization  has  been 
followed  by  decay  and  ruin. 

MISSION  OF  SAN   ANTONIO. 

This  mission  is  situated  twelve  leagues  south  of 
Soledad,  on  the  border  of  an  inland  stream,  upon 
w^hich  it  has  conferred  its  name.  The  buildings 
vv^ere  inclosed  in  a  square,  twelve  hundred  feet  on 
each  side,  and  walled  with  adobes.  Its  lands  were 
forty-eight  leagues  in  circumference,  including  seven 
farms,  with  a  convenient  house  and  chapel  attached 
to    each.      The    stream    was    conducted   in    paved 

38 


446  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

trenches  twenty  miles  for  purposes  of  irrigation  ; 
large  crops  rewarded  the  husbandry  of  the  padres. 
In  1822  this  mission  owned  52,800  head  of  cattle, 
1800  tame  horses,  3000  mares,  500  yoke  of  working- 
oxen,  600  mules,  48,000  sheep,  and  1000  swine.  The 
climate  here  is  cold  in  winter,  and  intensely  hot  in 
summer.  This  mission,  on  its  secularization,  fell  into 
the  hands  of  an  administrator,  who  neglected  its 
farms,  drove  oft'  its  cattle,  and  left  its  poor  Indians  to 
starve. 

MISSION  OF  SAN  MIGUEL. 

This  inland  mission  is  situated  sixteen  leagues  south 
of  San  Antonio,  on  a  barren  elevation  ;  but  the  lands 
attached  to  it  sweep  a  circuit  of  sixty  leagues,  and 
embrace  some  of  the  finest  tracts  for  agriculture. 
Of  the  sethe  Estella  tract  is  one  ;  its  fertility  is  enough 
to  make  a  New  England  plough  jump  out  of  its  rocks ; 
and  a  hundred  emigrants  will  yet  squat  in  its  green 
bosom,  and  set  the  wild  Indians  and  their  warwhoop 
at  defiance.  In  1822  this  mission  owned  91,000  head 
of  cattle,  1100  tame  horses,  3000  mares,  2000  mules, 
170  yoke  of  working  oxen,  and  47,000  sheep.  The 
mules  were  used  in  packing  the  products  of  the  mis- 
sion to  Monterey,  and  bringing  back  drygoods,  gro- 
ceries, and  the  implements  of  husbandry.  But  now 
the  Indian  neophytes  are  gone,  the  padres  have  de- 
parted, and  the  old  church  only  remains  to  interpret 
the  past. 


THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA.  447 


MISSION    OF    SAN    lUIS    OBISPO. 

This  mission  stands  fourteen  leagues  southeast  of 
San  Miguel,  and  within  three  of  the  coast.  It  has 
always  been  considered  one  of  the  richest  missions 
in  California.  The  presiding  priest,  Luis  Martinez, 
was  a  man  of  comprehensive  purpose  and  indomita- 
ble force.  His  mission  grant  covered  an  immense  tract 
of  the  richest  lands  on  the  seaboard.  Every  mountain 
stream  was  made  to  subserve  the  purposes  of  irriga- 
tion. He  planted  the  cotton-tree,  the  lime,  and  a  grove 
of  olives,  which  still  shower  their  abundant  harvests 
on  the  tables  of  the  Californians.  He  built  a  launch 
that  run  to  Santa  Barbara,  trained  his  Indians  to  kill 
the  otter,  and  often  received  thirty  and  forty  skins  a 
week  from  his  children  of  the  bow.  His  storehouse 
at  Santa  Margarita,  with  its  high  adobe  walls,  was 
one  hundred  and  ninety  feet  long,  and  well  stowed 
with  grain.  His  table  was  loaded  with  the  choicest 
game  and  richest  wines  ;  his  apartments  for  guests 
might  have  served  the  hospitable  intentions  of  a 
prince.  He  had  87,000  head  of  grown  cattle,  2000 
tame  horses,  3500  mares,  3700  mules,  eight  sheep- 
farms,  averaging  9000  sheep  to  each  farm,  and  the 
broad  Tulare  valley,  in  which  his  Indians  could 
capture  any  number  of  wild  horses.  The  mayordomo 
of  this  mission  in  1827,  scattered  on  the  ground, 
without  having  first  ploughed  it,  120  bushels  of  wheat, 
and  then  scratched  it  in  with  things  called  harrows, 
and  harvested  from  the  same  over  7000  bushels.  This 


418  THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA, 

was  a  lazy  experiment,  but  shows  what  the  land  may 
yield  when  activity  shall  take  the  place  of  indolence. 
Father  Martinez  returned  to  Spain,  taking  with  him 
^100,000  as  the  fruits  of  his  mission  enterprise.  On 
the  secularization  of  the  mission  in  1834,  the  property 
fell  a  prey  to  state  exigency,  and  private  rapacity. 
A  gloomy  wreck  of  grandeur  only  remains. 

MISSION    OF  LA  PURISIMA. 

This  mission  is  located  eighteen  leagues  south  of 
San  Luis,  at  the  base  of  a  mountain  spur,  in  the  coast 
range ;  its  lands  covered  about  thirteen  hundred 
square  miles,  and  were  at  one  time  so  filled  with  wild 
cattle,  the  presiding  priest  granted  permits  to  any 
person  who  desired  to  kill  them  for  their  hides  and 
tallow,  the  meat  being  thrown  away.  Thousands  in 
this  shape  fell  under  the  lasso  and  knife,  and  still  the 
mission  numbered^!!  1830  over  40,000  head  of  cattle 
sufficiently  domesticated  to  be  coralled,  300  yoke  of 
working-oxen,  2600  tame  horses,  4000  mares,  30,000 
sheep,  and  5000  swine,  which  were  raised  for  their 
lard — 110  one  eating  the  meat.  The  horses  on  this 
mission  were  celebrated  for  their  beauty  and  speed ; 
they  performed  feats  under  the  saddle  worthy  of  the 
most  brilliant  page  in  the  register  of  the  turf  But 
now  the  steed  and  his  rider  are  gone,  and  the  willow 
sighs  over  the  mouldering  ruin. 

MISSION   OF  SANTA  INEZ. 

This  mission  is  seven  leagues  to  the  southward  of 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  449 

La  Purisima,  and  thirteen  north  of  Santa  Barbara. 
Its  lands  were  more  circumscribed  than  those  of 
other  missions  ;  still  it  had  vast  herds  of  cattle  and 
sheep,  and  its  horses  vied  in  beauty  and  strength  with 
those  of  its  sister  missions.  Its  property,  in  1823,  was 
valued  at  $800,000.  A  portion  of  its  lands  remain 
unalienated,  and  must  be  held  for  the  benefit  of  its 
Indian  neophytes,  or  accrue  to  the  public  domain. 
The  last  government  decree  left  the  whole  in  the 
hands  of-  an  administrator,  who  thought  more  of  his 
own  revenues  than  the  claims  of  the  poor  Indians 
whom  law  had  betrayed. 

MISSION  OF  SANTA  BARBARA. 

This  mission  is  twelve  leagues  south  of  ^anta  Inez. 
Between  the  two  a  steep  n'lountain  range  shoulders 
its  way  to  the  sea.  No  wheeled  vehicle  has  ever 
been  driven  over  it,  except  that  which  transported 
the  field-piece  attached  to  Col.  Fremont's  battalion. 
The  mission  being  near  the  beautiful  town  of  Santa 
Barbara,  its  profuse  hospitality  contributed  largely  to 
the  social  pleasures  of  the  citizens.  Its  vintage  never 
failed,  and  its  friendly  fires  ever  burnt  bright ;  many  a 
gay  merrianda  has  kindled  the  eye  of  beauty  in  its  soft 
shade.  The  main  building  is  elaborately  finished  for 
California.  The  lands  of  the  mission  embraced  many 
leagues.  In  1828  it  had  40,000  head  of  cattle,  1000 
horses,  2000  mares,  80  yoke  of  oxen,  GOO  mules,  and 
20,000  sheep.  It  is  now  under  a  civil  administrator, 
and  a  portion  of  its  land?  still  remain  vested  in  their 
38* 


450  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

original  object.  Around  this  mission  emigrants  will 
ere  long  settle  in  great  numbers,  and  devote  them- 
selves to  agriculture  and  the  cultivation  of  grapes, 
olives,  figs,  for  which  the  climate  is  peculiarly  adapted. 

MISSION  OF  SAN  BUENAVENTURA. 

This  mission  is  situated  about  nine  leagues  south 
of  Santa  Barbara,  near  the  seaboard.  Its  lands  cov- 
ered an  area  of  fifteen  hundred  square  miles,  of  which 
two  hundred  are  arable  land.  In  1825  it  owned 
37,000  head  of  cattle,  600  riding  horses,  1300  mares, 
200  yoke  of  working-oxen,  500  mules,  30,000  sheep, 
200  goats,  2000  swine,  a  thrifty  orchard,  two  rich 
vineyards,  $35,000  in  foreign  goods,  $27,000  in  spe- 
cie, with  church  ornaments  and  clothing  valued  at 
$61,000.  It  w^as  secularized  in  1835,  and  has  since 
been  under  a  civil  administrator,  but  all  its  wealth 
soon  became  a  wreck.  A  small  portion  of  its  lands 
remain,  and  will  tempt  the  horticultural  emigrant  to 
its  fertile  bosom. 

MISSION  OF  SAN  FERNANDO. 

This  mission,  founded  1797,  is  situated  about  six- 
teen leagues  south  of  San  Buenaventura,  in  the  midst 
of  a  beautiful  plain,  and  has  always  been  celebrated 
for  the  superior  quality  of  the  brandy  distilled  from 
its  grapes.  In  1826  it  owned  56,000  head  of  cattle, 
1500  horses  and  mares,  200  mules,  400  yoke  of  work- 
ing-oxen, 64,000  sheep,  and  2000  swine.  It  had  in 
its  stores  about  $50,000  in  merchandise,  $90,000  in 


THREE    YEARS    IN    CALIFORNIA.  451 

specie  ;  its  vineyards  yielded  annually  about  2000 
gallons  of  brandy  and  as  many  of  wine.  Its  secular- 
ization was  followed  by  the  dispersion  of  its  Indians 
and  ruin  of  its  property.  The  hills,  at  the  foot  of 
w^hich  this  mission  stands,  have,  within  the  last  ten 
years,  produced  considerable  quantities  of  gold.  One 
house  exported  about  830,000  of  it.  This  was  the  first 
gold  discovered  in  California,  and  the  discovery  was 
made  three  or  four  years  previous  to  that  on  the 
American  Fork.  The  marvel  is  the  search  for  it  did 
not  extend  further. 

MISSION  OF  SAN  GABRIEL. 

This  mission,  located  a  little  below  los  Angeles, 
was  founded  in  1771,  and  for  several  years  led  the 
others  in  enterprise  and  wealth.  Its  lands  cover  one 
of  the  most  charming  intervals  in  California ;  the 
soil  and  climate  are  both  well  adapted  to  fruit.  In 
its  gardens  bloomed  oranges,  citrons,  limes,  apples, 
pears,  peaches,  pomegranates,  figs,  and  grapes  in 
great  abundance.  From  the  latter  were  made  an- 
nually from  four  to  six  hundred  barrels  of  wine,  and 
two  hundred  of  brandy,  the  sale  of  which  produced 
an  income  of  more  than  812,000.  In  1829  it  had 
70,000  head  of  cattle,  1200  horses,  3000  mares,  400 
mules,  120  yoke  of  working-oxen,  and  54,000  sheep. 
The  charming  rancho  of  Santa  Anita  belongs  to  this 
mission;  it  is  situated  on  a  gentle  acclivity,  where  fruit 
trees  and  flowers  scatter  their  perfume ;  while  a  clear 
lake  lies  calmly  in  front,  to  which  the  leaping  rivulets 


452  THREE  YEARS  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

rush  in  glee.  Here  the  emigrant  will  find  more 
charms  in  the  landscape  than  he  has  left  behind, 
and  a  more  balmy  air  than  he  ever  yet  inhaled. 

MISSION  OF  SAN  JUAN  CAPISTRANO. 

This  mission,  situated  eighteen  leagues  south  ot 
San  Gabriel,  was  founded  in  1776,  and  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  most  opulent  in  the  country.  Its 
lands  extended  fifteen  leagues  along  the  seaboard,  and 
back  to  the  mountains,  where  they  swept  over  many 
ravines  of  fertile  soil  and  sequestering  shade.  Through 
these  roamed  vast  herds  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  horses ; 
while  the  sickle,  pruning-knife,  and  shuttle  gleamed 
in  the  dexterous  hand  of  the  domestic  Indian.  The 
earthquake  of  1812  threw  down  the  heavy  stone 
church,  as  if  in  omen  of  the  disasters  which  have 
since  befallen  the  mission.  The  cattle  have  gone  to 
the  shambles,  the  Indians  are  in  exile,  the  mass  is 
over,  and  the  shuttle  at  rest. 

MISSION  OF  SAN  LUIS  RET. 

This  mission,  located  near  the  sea,  and  twelve 
leagues  south  of  San  Juan,  was  founded  in  1798  by 
padre  Peyri,  who  had  devoted  himself  for  years  to 
the  improvement  of  the  Indians.  The  buildings  oc- 
cupy a  large  square,  in  the  centre  of  which  a  foun- 
tain still  plays;  along  the  front  runs  a  corridor, 
supported  by  thirty-two  arches,  ornamented  with 
latticed  railings;  while  the  interior  is  divided  into 
apartments  suited  to  the  domestic  economy  of  a  large 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  453 

establishment.  Here  the  wool  of  the  sheep  which 
grazed  on  the  hills  around,  was  woven  into  blankets, 
and  coarse  apparel  for  the  Indians,  while  the  fur- 
rowed field  waved  for  miles  under  the  golden  grain. 
The  reeling  grape,  the  blushing  peach,  the  yellow 
orange,  the  mellow  pear,  and  luscious  melon  filled 
the  garden,  and  loaded  the  wings  of  the  zephyr  with 
perfume.  In  1826  it  had  three  thousand  Indians, 
70,000  head  of  cattle,  2000  horses,  140  yoke  of  tame 
oxen,  300  mules,  68,000  sheep,  and  a  tract  of  land, 
around  half  of  which  you  could  not  gallop  between 
sun  and  sun.  Its  massive  stone  church  still  remains, 
and  the  remnants  of  its  greatness  are  now  in  the 
hands  of  an  administrator  who  little  heeds  the  object 
which  animated  its  founder. 

MISSION  OF  SAN  DIEGO. 

This  mission,  situated  fourteen  leagues  south  of 
San  Luis  Rey,  and  near  the  town  that  bears  its 
name,  was  founded  in  1769  by  padre  Junipero-  L^rra, 
and  was  the  first  established  in  Alta  California.  Its 
possessions  covered  the  whole  tract  of  land  which 
circles  for  leagues  around  the  beautiful  bay  upon 
which  its  green  hills  look.  Here  the  first  cattle  were 
coralled,  the  first  sheep  sheared,  the  first  field  fur- 
rowed, the  first  vineyard  planted,  and  the  first  church 
bell  rung.  The  Indian  heard  in  this  strange  sound 
the  invoking  voice  of  his  God,  and  knelt  reverently 
to  the  earth.  The  success  of  this  mission  paved  the 
wav  for  the  establishment  of  others,  till   the  whole 


454  THREE  VEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

coast  was  sprinkled  with  their  churches,  and  every 
green  glade  filled  with  their  wild  converts  and  lowing 
herds.  But  the  padres  and  their  neophytes  are  gone, 
and  all  the  memorials  that  remain  are  a  cumbrous 
ruin.     Gigantic  skeletons  of  things  that  were  ! 

THE  RAILROAD  TO  CALIFORNIA. 

The  facilities  of  social  and  commercial  intercourse 
between  our  Atlantic  and  Pacific  borders,  yet  to  be 
created,  present  a  problem  of  great  practical  import- 
ance. The  present  route,  via  Chagres  and  Panama, 
may  be  regarded  as  a  necessity  to  be  superseded  as 
soon  as  practicable,  by  a  railroad  directly  across  the 
continent,  within  our  own  jurisdiction.  Besides  the 
formidable  political  objections  to  being  dependent  on 
foreign  powers  for  a  connection  between  our  remo- 
test and  most  important  commercial  points,  the  dis- 
tance, via  Chagres  and  Panama,  or  by  any  railroad 
or  canal  across  the  Isthmus  yet  to  be  made,  in  con- 
nection with  the  effects  of  a  hot  climate  on  animal 
and  vegetable  products,  as  subjects  of  trade  between 
our  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts,  present  most  insupera- 
ble obstacles  to  a  permanent  reliance  on  that  route. 
It  is  now  ascertained,  that  instead  of  thirty  days  be- 
tween New  York  and  San  Francisco,  or  forty  days  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river  by  steam,  or  three 
to  six  months  by  sailing  craft,  either  of  these  points 
may  be  reached  in  seven  to  eight  days  by  railroad 
direct,  avoiding  altogether  the  deleterious  effects  of 
climate  on  articles  of  trade,  as  well  as  on  health  and 
life.  These  two  considerations,  so  potent  and  over- 
ruling in  commercial  intercourse,  will  undoubtedly 
prove  paramount  to  all  antagonistic  interests,  and  the 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  455 

railroad,  directly  across,  may  be  regarded  as  already 
decided  by  the  demands  of  trade  between  these  re- 
mote parts  of  our  present  extended  domain. 

But  what  shall  be  the  plan,  Mr.  Whitney's  or  a 
government  enterprise?  If  the  government  under- 
take it,  the  chances  are  a  thousand  to  one,  that,  like 
the  Cumberland  road,  it  will  be  broken  down  by 
party  strifes.  Neither  of  the  two  great  parties  of  the 
country  would,  in  any  probability,  risk  the  respon- 
sibility of  taking  it  on  its  shoulders  as  a  government 
work.  Shall  it,  then,  be  done  by  a  corporate  com- 
pany, with  an  adequate  loan  of  public  credit,  as  has 
been  proposed  ?  Besides  other  insuperable  objections 
to  a  plan  of  this  kind,  of  a  party  political  character, 
it  must  be  seen,  that  all  transport  on  a  road  built  on 
this  plan,  must  pay  a  toll  to  satisfy  the  interest  of  the 
capital  invested ;  whereas,  on  the  Whitney  plan,  no 
loll  will  be  exacted,  except  to  keep  the  road  and  its 
machinery  in  repair.  This  difference,  in  its  opera- 
tion on  trade  and  commerce,  w'ill  be  immense,  suffi- 
cient, as  any  one  may  see,  to  decide  the  question  at 
once  and  forever  between  the  two  plans.  The  com- 
pany proposed  will  have  to  borrow  its  capital,  the 
interest  of  which  must  be  provided  for  by  tolls.  This 
tax  on  trade  and  intercourse  will  necessarily  prevent 
that  grand  movement  of  commercial  exchanges  be- 
tween the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  states,  between 
the  United  States  and  Asia,  and  between  Europe 
and  Asia,  which  is  the  great  object  of  the  enterj)rise. 
But  the  Whitney  plan  does  not  borrow,  but  creates, 
by  its  own  progress,  out  of  the  increased  value  of  the 
lands  through  which  it  passes,  the  cai)ital  required  to 
build  the  road;  and  thus  dispensing  with  all  tolls  to 
pay  for  the  use  of  capital,  it  will   invite  and  secure 


450  THKEE  VEAKi  l.\  CAI.IFORMA. 

the  passage  on  this  line  of  the  great  bulk  of  commerce 
around  the  entire  globe,  and  between  the  great 
masses  of  the  industrial  and  producing  portions  of 
the  human  family,  which,  as  will  be  seen,  lie  on  one 
great  belt  of  the  earth,  demanding  precisely  the  di- 
rect and  cheap  channel  of  intercommunication  here 
proposed,  instead  of  the  circuitous,  long,  and  expen- 
sive routes  of  commerce  heretofore  used. 

Moreover,  on  the  company  plan,  the  increased 
value  of  the  lands  on  the  route,  will  all  go  to  the 
corporation ;  whereas,  on  the  Whitney  plan,  it  wnll 
go  to  the  people  of  the  United  States,  whose  property 
it  is,  and  to  the  benefit  of  that  trade  and  commerce 
which  it  sets  in  motion. 

The  Whitney  plan,  once  executed,  will  merge  in 
one  the  interests  of  our  population  on  the  Pacific 
slope  of  this  continent  and  those  of  our  population  on 
the  Atlantic  slope,  and  by  that  means  they  will  re- 
main one  forever.  But  the  failure  of  this  enterprise, 
by  the  neglect  of  Congress  to  authorize  it,  would 
make  the  interests  of  these  two  vast  regions  forever 
independent  of  and  opposed  to  each  other.  Such  a 
dereliction  of  duty,  so  apparent,  would  ere  long,  as  a 
natural  if  not  necessary  consequence,  create .  an  in- 
dependent nation  on  the  Pacific. 


THE  EXD. 


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