FOUR MONTHS AMONG THE GOLD-FINDERS IN ALTA CALIFORNIA
Being the Diary of an Expedition
from San Francisco to the Gold Districts
By
J. TYRWHITT BROOKS, M.D.
[Illustration: THE GOLD DISTRICTS OF ALTA CALIFORNIA.
Lith de Thierry Frères à Paris]
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.
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. McPhail leaves for Sonoma
The Houses of San Francisco, and their inhabitants
Native California
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
Francisco. 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, 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. McPhail 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 McPhail
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 agricultural
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
Fulsom, 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
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.
McPhail 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.