Four Months among the Gold-Finders in Alta California: being the diary of an expedition from San Francisco to the gold districts

Preface

. The accompanying diary — some interesting circumstances connected with which will be found in a letter given at the end of the present volume — was sent home by the Author merely for the entertainment of the members of his own family and a few private friends. It has been submitted to the public in the hope that, as an authentic record of a variety of interesting particulars connected with the original discovery and present condition of the Gold Districts of California, it will not fail to prove acceptable. London, 1849. ■5 CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Clearing the Faranolles — Making the entrance to the Bay of San Francisco — The passage through the Strait — Appearance of the Bay — Town of San Francisco — The anchor is let go — The Author goes on shore — His bad luck — Sweeting's Hotel — The Author and Mr. Malcolm propose visiting the American settlements — They become acquainted with Captain Fulsom and Mr. Bradley — Object of the Author's visit to California — Mr. M'Phail leaves for Sonoma — The houses of San Francisco, and their inhabitants — Native Californians — Senoritas and cigarettes . 1

Chapter II

Start for Monterey — Horse equipments in California — The advantages of them — Rifles and ruffians — Californian scenery — Immense herds of cattle — Mission of Santa Clara — Pueblo of San Jose — A Californian farm-house — What it is like inside and out— Prolific crops of wheat — Saddle-sickness — The journey is resumed— Mission of San Jose— Arrival at Monterey —The Author's visit to Colonel Mason— Surgeons not wanted CONTENTS. VIII in California— Rumours of gold being found on the Sacramento —Characteristics of Monterey— Don Luis Palo and his sisters— What all Californian dinners cousist of— The party return to San Francisco " 12

Chapter III

An arrival at San Francisco from the gold district — Captain Fulsom intends visiting the mine — The first Alcalde and others examine the gold — Parties made up for the diggings — Newspaper reports — The Government officers propose taking possession of the mine — The Author and his friends decide to visit the Sacramento Valley — A horse is bought — Increase of the gold excitement — Work-people strike work and prepare to move off — Lawyers, store-keepers, and others follow their example — The Author's journey delayed — Ten dollars a-day for a negro waiter — Waiting for a saddler — Don Luis Palo arrives from Monterey on his way to the mines — The report of the Government taking possession of the mines contradicted — Desertion of part of the Monterey garrison — Rumoured extent of the mines — The Author and his friends agree to go in company — Return of M'Phail — Preparations for the journey — " Gone to the diggings" 13—20 i^qUIq

Chapter IV

The party leave San Francisco— Cross to Sausalitto with horses and baggage— Appearance of the cavalcade — Jose's CONTENTS. IX ■26 34 method of managing horses — Character of the country passed through — Stay at Sonoma for the night — A Yankee hotel-keeper's notion — The Author meets with Lieutenant Sherman — Receives from him a letter of introduction to Captain Sutter — Napper Valley — Sleep at the house of a settler — Troublesome bedfellows — Wild-looking soenery — Brad ley is injured by a fall from his horse — Difficulties in the way of pitching a tent — A hint to the bears — Supper and bed — Resume the journey — Sacramento Valley — Elk and wild fowl — A long halt — A hunting party — A missing shot . .21

Chapter V

Encampment for the night — Symptoms of neighbours not far off — Reach the Sacramento River — Sutter's Fort — Captain Sutter — His offer of accommodation — Various matters to be seen to — A walk through the Fort; — Desertion of the guard to the " diggings" — Work and whisky — Indians and their bargains — A chiefs effort to look like a civilized being — Yankee traders — Indians and trappers — "Beats beaver skins" — Death to the weakest — A regular Spanish Don and his servant — Captain Sutter a Swiss Guard — His prejudice in favour of " constituted authorities" 27-

Chapter VI

The journey delayed — A walk to the camp — A list of wants — Captain Sutter's account of his first settlement in California — X CONTENTS. -30 ■47 How he served the Indians, and how he civilized them — Break fast — Captain Sutter's wife and daughter — Ridiculous stories about the discovery of the gold mines — Joe Smith's prophecy — An Indian ghost — Something about a ship-load of rifles 35-

Chapter VII

Captain Sutter's account of the first discovery of the gold — His surprise at Mr. Marshall's appearance at the Fort — Mr. Marshall's statement — The mill-wheel thrown out of gear — The water-channel enlarged — Mr. Marshall's attention attracted by some glittering substance — Finds it to be gold — First imagines it to have been buried there — Discovers it in great abundance — Takes horse to Sutter's Fort — Captain Sutter and Mr. Marshall agree to keep the matter secret — They start off to the mill — Proceed up the Fork — Find the gold in great abundance — Return to the mill — The work-people meet them — A knowing Indian and a sly Kentuckian — A labouring party organized — Digging and washing for gold — The news spreads — People flock to the diggings — Arrival of Mormons — The gold found to be inexhaustible — Men of science as blind as the rest of the world 40-

Chapter VIII

The Author and his friends leave Sutter's Fort — Tents in the bottom — A caravan in motion — Green hills and valleys — Indian villages — Californian pack-horses — A sailor on horseback — Lunch at noon — A troublesome beast — Sierra Nevada — First CONTENTS. XI view os the lower mines — How the gold is dug and washed — The "cradle" — The diggers and their stock of gold — A store in course of construction — The tent is pitched — The golden itch — First attempts at gold-finding — A hole in the saucepan — Sound asleep 48 — 57

Chapter IX

Two horses stray away — How orders were enforced at the diggings — Sunday work — Nature of the soil — Inconveniences even in gold getting — Dinner and rest — A strike for higher wages — A walk through the diggings — Sleeping and smoking — Indians and finery — Californians and Yankees — Runaway sailors and stray negroes — A native-born Kentuekian — " That's a fact" — A chapel at the diggings — A supper with an appetite . 58 — 63

Chapter X

Digging and washing, with a few reflections — A cradle in contemplation — Scales to sell, but none to lend — Stock of gold weighed — More arrivals — Two new-comers — Mr. Biggs and Mr. Lacosse — Good order prevails at the mines — Timber bought for the cradles — The cradles made — The cradles worked — The result of the first day ' s trial 64 — 71

Chapter XI

The proceedings of the week — Visit from Mr. Larkin — What will the Government do? — What "enough" is— San Francisco — CONTE-NTS. XII ■83 -92 Houses and ships deserted — A captain and ship without a crew — A ship without a crew or captain — Wages, newspapers, and shovels — The Attorney-General to the King of the- Sandwich Islands — Something for the lawyers — Gold-diggers by moon light — Mr. Larkin's departure — Provisions run short — Seek a supply at Sutter's — Good luck — Diggings' law — Provisions arrive — A wagon wanted — Arrival of Californians and their families — Gay dresses and coquettish manners — Fandangos — El Jarabe — The waltz — Lookers-on and dancers — Coffee, and something stronger — No more Sunday work — Joss; and the saints — The Virgin Mary cheated — Contemplated migration 72-

Chapter XII

The party leave the Mormon diggings — Cradles sold by auction — Laughter and biddings — The wagon sent back — The route to the saw-mills — A horse in danger — A miss at a Koyott — An antelope hit — Mr. Marshall — Venison stakes for supper — The saw-mills — Indians at work — Acorn bread — Where the gold was — How it was got — Gentlemen and horses — New-comers — "Yankee Doodle" and the "Star-spangled Banner" . 84-

Chapter XIII

The party again shift their quarters— The river forded — Horry in the water — Mr. Sinclair's party of Indians — Deserted Indian villages — Weber's Creek — A halt made — Cradles hollowed out — A commotion in the camp — Colonel Mason arrives on a tour of inspection — His opinions as to what Congress should do CONTENTS. XIII Military deserters, and what ought to be done with them — Return of Colonel Mason's party to Sutter's Fort — Bradley accompanies it with a stock of gold — How the gold was packed, and what precautions were taken for its security . . 93 — 101

Chapter XIV

Smoking and sleeping — Fever, and how caused — Bradley returns — A doctor wanted — A doctor's fee at the mines — Medicine scarce — A hot air bath and a cold water bath — Indians engaged to work — Indian thimble-rigging — An Indian gamester, and the stake he plays for — More sickness — Mormons move off— A drunken dance by Indians — An Indian song about the yellow earth and the fleet rifle — An immodest dance by Indian women 102—108

Chapter XV

The party determine to start for Bear River — Sickness at the mines — What happened to a drunken Indian — An old trapper and his stories — Captain Sutter's first settlement — Indians partial to horse-flesh — A score of horses stolen — An expedition to revenge the theft — A rancheria demolished — A chorus of yells — Indians routed and then brought to labour — Tin — Bear River— The trapper engaged as guide— Preparations for the journey — An addition to the party — The journey commenced —Rocky country— Cross the North Fork— An accident to a mule— Flour cakes and bacon scraps— Resume the journey — Precipitous ravines— End oi the journey . . . 109 to CONTENTS.

Chapter XVI

A rest — A solitude — No gold to be found — An exploring party — Good fortune — Food and security — More cradles — A fortified shanty in preparation — A dessert after dinner — Dejection — Thoughts about home — No other gold-finders to be seen — Mormon trail — Salt Plain and the Great Salt Lake — A weary day' s journey without water — Saline exhalations — The inland sea and its desolate shores — A terrible whirlpool — The shanty finished — The trapper's services retained — The camp visited by an Indian tribe — A friendly sign — The pipe of peace — A "trade" with the Indians declined — Some depart and some remain — Provisions run short — Hunting expeditions — Some thing about a bear . 1 19 — 128

Chapter XVII

A rich mine of gold discovered— A guard both night and day — A good morning's work— An Indian scout — How he served Dowling, and how Dowling served him— A look-out— Indians seen advancing— A moment of fear— A yell — Arrows and rifles —A wounded chief carried off— The field of battle— The return to the camp— Horses driven off by Indians— Where Jose was found— The wounded attended to— An after-dinner discussion- How the watch went to sleep, and how they were woke up M'Phail missing— Wolves, deer, and a puma— A party set out in search of M'Phail 129 CONTENTS. XV 147 152

Chapter XVIII

Where M'Phail was last seen — The trapper's keen eyes — A nap in the open air — The Author woke up — Camp-fires— A surprise attempted — Horses left in charge — The tactics of the advance and the retreat — A shot from a rifle, and a man wounded — A salute — The rifle-shot explained — Horses driven off— A volley fired — Poor Horry scalped — The trapper promises vengeance — The wounded man — Grief at the loss of a friend — A mystery explained — Horry's grave — His funeral and monument . 139 —

Chapter XIX

The party strengthen their defences — No tidings of M'Phail — The trapper goes in search of him — Returns, having met with no success — M'Phail makes his appearance accompanied by guides — His adventures while away— Finds he is lost — Loses his rifle — No supper — Loses his horse — No food for three days — Sinks into a stupor — Is discovered by two Indians — Their humane treatment of him — They conduct him by slow marches to the camp 148 —

Chapter XX

The Author inclined to return to the coast— Sickness in the camp — Provisions run low — What is to be done with the gold ? — Proposal to convey it to the coast — Short rations — Indians CONTENTS. 171 visit the camp— The invalids of the party— The conveyance ot the gold again discussed — Suspicions begin to arise — Captain Sutter's receipt missing— Bradley's explanation — Further dis cussions about the gold— The matter at last arranged— No chance of rain 15^ 159

Chapter XXI

The party start for the coast — How the carrying of the gold was arranged — The escort — Character of the country they passed through — Halt at noon — An alarm — A discovery — The escort return, keeping a sharp look-out — A merry evening — The narrative resumed — A loud whistle — " The best part of the gold is lost" — The party are sullen and angry — Malcolm is missing — Don Luis's explanation — A lasso whirls through the air — A horse shot — Malcolm falls to the ground — Bradley fires, and with effect — Retire to cover — A discharge of rifles — The enemy wheel off — Malcolm's horse is missing — Malcolm found to be insensible — More horsemen — Tomas Maria Carillo — Robberies at the mines — Brutal conduct — A litter procured — Malcolm conveyed to a shanty — A kind Californian woman — A volley of inquiries about the gold — "It is the doctor you have to thank for that " — The Author's reflections . 160 —

Chapter XXII

The stock of gold remaining weighed and shared— Squabbling over it — The party separate — The Author and others start off — CONTENTS. XVII They meet with Lacosse and the trapper — Lacosse' s explanation — Arrive at Sutter's — Purchase flour at eighty-five dollars a-barrel — Camps of miners — A gold-washing colony — Encamp for the night — Horses and flour missing in the morning — Visit a big bony American — A hole threatened in their skulls — How quarrels are settled — Lacosse promises to join the party at Sutter's — The march resumed — Arrive at Malcolm's shanty — The doctor prescribes for his patient — Malcolm's first idea ofthe lasso — The party leave for Sutter's . . 172 — 180

Chapter XXIII

The gold district — Sickness and selfishness — The dead become the prey of the wolf— Malcolm's gradual recovery — The kindness of his nurse — A malaria — Life and property alike insecure — The wealthy gold-finder laid in wait for — Bodies in the river — Gold for a pillow — Robberies — Rags — Brandy at a dollar a dram — The big bony American again — Sutter's Fort — Intelligence of Lacosse — Intelligence of the robbers — Sweeting's Hotel again — A meeting — " El Capitan" — Desertions from the ships— Andreas's offer to a captain— The first Alcalde gone to the mines— The second Alcalde follows his superior— Start for Monterey in pursuit of Andreas— Board the vessels in port A deserter arrested — Leave Monterey— Cross the coast range —Meet with civilized Indians— Intelligence of the robbers — Indian horse-stealers— Continue the pursuit— Abandon it, and return to Monterey 181—195 CONTENTS. XVIII ■198 •207

Chapter XXIV

The Author and his friends part company — Their regrets at the separation — Friendship in the wilderness — Friendship at a supper — The Author findi himself alone — Monterey deserted — High wages — Officers' servants not to be obtained — A few arrivals from the mines — Stores shut, houses locked up, and ships left defenceless 196 — !

Chapter XXV

Letter from the Author to his Brother in England . 199—: FOUR MONTHS AMONG THE GOLD-FINDERS IN ALTA CALIFORNIA

Chapter I

Clearing the Faranolles — Making the entrance to the Bay of San Francisco — The passage through the Strait — Appearance of the Bay — Town of San Francisco — The anchor is let go — The Author goes on shore — His bad luck — Sweeting's Hotel — The Author and Mr. Malcolm propose visiting the American settlements — They become acquainted with Captain Fulsom and Mr. Bradley — Object of the Author's visit to California — Mr. M'Phail leaves for Sonoma — The houses of San Francisco, and their inhabitants — Native Californians — Senoritas and cigarettos. * * * I felt heartily glad to hear that we were then clearing the Faranolles, and soon hurried up on deck, but we continued beating about for several hours before we made the entrance to the Bay of San Fran cisco. At length, however, we worked our way in between the two high bluffs, and along a strait a couple of miles wide and nearly five miles long, B FOTJK MONTHS AMONG THE flanked on either side with bold broken hills — passing on our right hand the ricketty -looking fortifications erected by the Spaniards for the defence of the passage, but over which the Yankee stars and stripes were now floating.

On leaving the strait we found ourselves on a broad sheet of rippling water looking like a great inland lake, hemmed in on all sides by lofty hills on which innumerable herds of cattle and horses were grazing, with green islands and clusters of rock rising up here and there, and a little fleet of ships riding at anchor. On our right was the town of San Francisco. I had suffered so much from the voyage, that when the anchor was let go I felt no inclination to hurry on shore. M'Phail and Malcolm, however, went off, but promised to return to the ship that night. I soon after turned into my hammock, and, thanks to the stillness of the water in which we rode, slept soundly till morning. April 29th. — This morning we all rose early, and went on shore. The little baggage we had we took in the boat.

Malcolm told me that he had heard the war was over between the United States and Mexico, and I bitterly congratulated myself on experiencing my usual run of bad luck. We made our way to Sweeting's hotel, which Malcolm and M'Phail had visited yesterday, and stated to be the best of the three hotels which have sprung up here since the Americans became masters of the place. Malcolm intends making an excursion to the interior. He proposes to visit the American settlements, and to satisfy himself as to the reputed advantages which California presents as an agricul tural country. I have agreed to accompany him. We have fallen in with two very pleasant American gentlemen at our hotel to-day — one, a Captain Ful som, holding some appointment under Government here ; the other, a young friend of his named Bradley.

We had some conversation together on the subject of the Mexican war, in the course of which I learnt that Mr. Bradley has been a resident in California for the last eight years, and that he was one of the officers of the volunteer corps attached to the army of the United States, while military operations were going on in this country. I told him of my desire to enter as a surgeon in the service of the States, and he promised to speak to Captain Fulsom on the subject, and obtain from him a letter to Colonel B Mason, the new governor ; but he is afraid there is little chance of my meeting with success, as nearly all the volunteer corps have been, or are about to be, disbanded. Both Mr. Bradley and Captain Fulsom speak very favourably of the climate and soil of California, and say that an enterprising agriculturist is sure to make a speedy fortune.

Mr. Bradley, who has agreed to accompany us on our trip, strongly advises Malcolm to shift his quarters from Oregon, and settle here, saying that he is sure my friend will do so when he has once seen the farms in the Sacramento valley, whither we are to start early next week. M'Phail left us to-day, to make a trip to Sonoma. San Francisco, although as yet but a poor place, will no doubt become a great emporium of commerce. The population may be about a couple of thousands; of these two-thirds are Americans. The houses, with the exception of some few wooden ones which have been shipped over -here by the Americans, are nearly all built of unburnt bricks. The appearance of the native Californian is quite Spanish. The men wear high steeple-like hats, jackets of gaudy colours, and breeches of velvet, generally cotton.

They are a handsome, swarthy race. The best part in the faces of the women are their eyes, which are black and very lustrous. The Californian belles, I am sorry to say, spoil their teeth by smoking cigarettos.

Chapter II

Start for Monterey — Horse equipments in California — The advantages of them — Riaes and Ruffians — Californian scenery— Immense herds of cattle — Mission of Santa Clara— Pueblo of San Jose — A Californian farm. house — What it is like inside and out — Prolific crops of wheat — Saddle. sickness — The journey is resumed — Mission of San Jose — Arrival at Monterey — The Author's visit to Colonel Mason — Surgeons not wanted in California — Rumours of gold being found on the Sacramento — Characteristics of Monterey — Don Luis Palo and his sisters — What all Californian dinners consist of — The party return to San Francisco. Monterey. May 4th. — Started off early on the morning of the 2nd on our journey to Monterey. We found our horses in readiness in the hotel yard, in charge of a servant (here called a vaquero) of Mr. Bradley's. The latter, having business to transact at Monterey, accompanied us.

My horse was equipped after the Spanish fashion, with the usual high-pommelled cum brous saddle, with a great show of useless trappings, and clumsy wooden stirrups, and for a long time I found the riding sufficiently disagreeable, though, doubtless, far more pleasant than a coast journey would have been, with a repetition of the deadly sea-sickness from which I had already suffered so much. I soon found out, too, the advantages of the Spanish saddle, as enabling one to keep one's seat when travelling over the rough broken country through which our road ran. Bradley had told us to have our rifles in readiness, as no one travels any distance here without that very necessary protection, the mountains near the coast being infested with lawless gangs of ruffians, who lay in wait for solitary travellers.

The first part of our ride lay through a dense thicket of underwood, and afterwards across parched up valleys, and over low sandy hills; then past large grazing grounds— where cattle might be counted by the thousand — and numerous ranchos or farms, the white farm buildings, surrounded by little garden patches, scattered over the hill sides. We at length came to an extensive plain, with groups of oaks spread over its surface, and soon afterwards reached the neglected Mission of Santa Clara, where we halted for a few hours. On leaving here our road was over a raised causeway some two or three miles in length, beneath an avenue of shady trees, which extended as far as the outskirts of the town of St. Jose. This town, or pueblo as it is called, is nothing EOUR MONTJHS AMONG THE more than a mass of ill-arranged and ill-built houses, with an ugly church and a broad plaza, peopled by three or four hundred inhabitants.

Not being used to long journeys on horseback, I felt disposed to stop here for the night, but Bradley urged us to proceed a few miles farther, where we could take up our quarters at a rancho belonging to a friend of his. Accordingly we pushed on, and, after a ride of about seven miles, diverged from the main road, and soon reached the farm-house, where we were well enter tained, and had a good night's rest. Like the generality of houses in California, this was only one story high, and was built of piles driven into the ground, interlaced with boughs and sticks, and then plastered over with mud and whitewashed. The better class of farm-houses are built of adobes, or unburnt bricks, and tiled over. The interior was as plain and cheerless as it well could be. The floor was formed of the soil, beaten down till it was as firm and hard as a piece of stone.

The room set apart for our sleeping accommodation boasted as its sole ornaments a Dutch clock and a few gaudily coloured prints of saints hung round the walls. The beds were not over comfortable, but we were too tired to be nice. In the morning I took a survey of the exterior, and saw but few cattle stalled in the sheds around the house. The greater part, it seems, after being branded, are suffered to run loose over the neighbouring pastures. There was a well-culti vated garden in the rear of the house, with abundance of fruit trees and vegetables. While we were at breakfast, Malcolm asked our host several questions about his crops, and soon found that he was no practical agriculturist. He had, how ever, at Bradley's suggestion, discarded the native wooden plough for the more effective American implement.

He told us that he calculated his crop of wheat this year would yield a hundred fanegas for every one sown ; and, on our expressing our surprise at such a bountiful return, said that sixty or over was the usual average. If so, the soil must be something wonderful. After expressing our thanks, for the hospitality shown us, to the wife of our host, who was a very pretty little dark-eyed woman, with a most winning way about her, we started off to resume our journey. For my own part, I felt very loth to proceed, for I was terribly fatigued by my performance of yesterday, and suffered not a little b3 from that disagreeable malady called "saddle-sickness." Our Californian accompanied us some short distance on our road, which lay for many miles through a wide valley, watered by a considerable stream, and overgrown with oaks and sycamores.

Low hills rose on either hand, covered with dark ridges of lofty pine trees, up which herds of elk and deer were every now and then seen scampering. We at length entered upon a narrow road through a range of green sheltering hills, and, passing the Mission of San Juan, crossed a wide plain and ascended the mountain ridge which lay between us and Monterey, where we arrived late in the day. Next morning Mr. Bradley accompanied me to the Governor's house, where we saw Colonel Mason, the new governor of the State. He received us with great politeness, but said that the war, if war it deserved to be called, was now at an end, that but a small number of troops were stationed in the country, and that there was no vacancy for a surgeon. " Indeed," he said, "considering that we have given up head-breaking, and that the climate is proverbially healthy, California is hardly the place for doctors to settle in. — Besides," said he, " the Native Californians all use the Temeschal (a sort of air bath) as a remedy for every disorder."

Colonel Mason than asked Mr. Bradley if he had heard the reports of gold having been found on the Sacramento, as Mr. Fulsom had casually mentioned in a letter to him that such rumours were prevalent at San Francisco. Bradley replied that he had heard something about it, but believed there was no truth in the matter, although a few fools had indeed rushed off to the reputed gold mines forthwith. With this our interview terminated. Monterey seems to be a rising town. The American style of houses is superseding the old mud structures, and numbers of new buildings are being run up every month. The hotel we stopped at has only been recently opened by an American. Monterey is moreover a port of some importance, if one may judge from the number of vessels lying at anchor. May 7th. — On Friday we dined at the house of Don Luis Palo, a Californian gentleman of agreeable manners, whose father held office here under the Spanish government previous to the Mexican Revolu tion.

I believe it is Don Luis's intention shortly to return to Spain. He is unmarried, and his two sisters are the handsomest women I have yet seen in this country ; their beauty is quite of the Spanish style. A dinner in California seems to be always the same — first soup and then beef, dressed in various ways, and seasoned with chillies ; fowls, rice, and beans, with a full allowance of pepper and garlic to each dish. On Saturday we set out on our return, and after two days' hard riding reached San Francisco to-day at 4, P. M.