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, storekeepers, 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 McPhail
Preparations for the journey
"Gone to the diggings."
_May 8th_.--Captain Fulsom called at Sweeting's to-day. He had seen a
man this morning who reported that he had just come from a river called
the American Fork, about one hundred miles in the interior, where he
had been gold-washing. Captain Fulsom saw the gold he had with him; it
was about twenty-three ounces weight, and in small flakes. The man
stated that he was eight days getting it, but Captain Fulsom hardly
believed this. He says that he saw some of this gold a few weeks since,
and thought it was only "mica," but good judges have pronounced it to
be genuine metal. He talks, however, of paying a visit to the place
where it is reported to come from. After he was gone Bradley stated
that the Sacramento settlements, which Malcolm wished to visit, were
in the neighbourhood of the American Fork, and that we might go there
together; he thought the distance was only one hundred and twenty
miles.
_May 10th_.--Yesterday and to-day nothing has been talked of but the
new gold "placer," as people call it. It seems that four other men had
accompanied the person Captain Fulsom saw yesterday, and that they had
each realized a large quantity of gold. They left the "diggings" on the
American Fork (which it seems is the Rio de los Americanos, a tributary
to the Sacramento) about a week ago, and stopt a day or two at Sutter's
fort, a few miles this side of the diggings, on their way; from there
they had travelled by boat to San Francisco. The gold they brought has
been examined by the first Alcalde here, and by all the merchants in
the place. Bradley showed us a lump weighing a quarter of an ounce,
which he had bought of one of the men, and for which he gave him three
dollars and a half. I have no doubt in my own mind about its being
genuine gold. Several parties, we hear, are already made up to visit
the diggings; and, according to the newspaper here, a number of people
have actually started off with shovels, mattocks, and pans to dig the
gold themselves. It is not likely, however, that this will be allowed,
for Captain Fulsom has already written to Colonel Mason about taking
possession of the mine on behalf of the Government, it being, as he
says, on public land.
_May 13_.--It is now finally settled that we start off on Wednesday to
the Sacramento Valley. To-day, under Bradley's direction, I have bought
a good horse, for which I paid only fifteen dollars. It will be very
little more expense than hiring a horse of the hotel-master here,
besides being far more agreeable to have a horse of one's own; for
everybody, the commonest workman even, rides in this country. The gold
excitement increases daily, as several fresh arrivals from the mines
have been reported at San Francisco. The merchants eagerly buy up the
gold brought by the miners, and no doubt, in many cases, at prices
considerably under its value. I have heard, though, of as much as
sixteen dollars an ounce having been given in some instances, which I
should have thought was over rather than under the full value of gold
in the United States. I confess I begin to feel seriously affected with
the prevailing excitement, and am anxious for Wednesday to arrive.
_May 17th_.--This place is now in a perfect furor of excitement; all the
work-people have struck. Walking through the town to-day, I observed
that labourers were employed only upon about half a-dozen of the fifty
new buildings which were in course of being run up. The majority of the
mechanics at this place are making preparations for moving off to the
mines, and several hundred people of all classes--lawyers, store-keepers,
merchants, etc.,--are bitten with the fever; in fact, there is a
regular gold mania springing up. I counted no less than eighteen houses
which were closed, the owners having left. If Colonel Mason is moving a
force to the American Fork, as is reported here, their journey will be
in vain.
Our trip has been delayed to-day, for the saddler cannot get our
equipments in readiness for at least forty-eight hours. He says that
directly he has finished the job he shall start off himself to the
diggings. I have bribed him with promises of greatly increased pay not
to disappoint us again. As it was, we were to pay him a very high
price, which he demanded on account of three of his men having left
him, and there being only himself and two workmen to attend to our
order.
I told Mr. Bradley of our misfortune. He promised to wait for us, but
recommended me to keep going in and out of the saddler's all day long,
in order to make sure that the man was at work, otherwise we might be
kept hanging about for a fortnight.
_May 20th_.--It requires a full amount of patience to stay quietly
watching the proceedings of an inattentive tradesman amid such a
whirlpool of excitement as is now in action. Sweeting tells me that his
negro waiter has demanded and receives ten dollars a-day. He is forced
to submit, for "helps" of all kinds are in great demand, and very
difficult to meet with. Several hundred people must have left here
during the last few days. Malcolm and I have our baggage all in
readiness to start on Monday.
_May 22nd_.--To-day all our arrangements have been changed; the saddler
did not keep his promise, and while Malcolm, Bradley, and myself were
venting our indignation against him, Don Luis Palo made his appearance.
The gold fever had spread to Monterey, and he had determined to be off
to the mines at once. He had brought his servant (a converted Indian,
named José) with him, and extra horses with his baggage; he intended to
set to work himself at the diggings, and meant to take everything he
required with him. He says the report about Colonel Mason's moving a
force off to the mines to take possession of them is all nonsense; that
some of the garrison of Monterey have already gone there, is quite
true, but they have deserted to dig sold on their own account. Colonel
Mason, he says, knows too well that he has no efficient force for such
a purpose, and that, even if he had, he would not be able to keep his
men together. It appears, also, that the mines occupy several miles of
ground, the gold not being confined to one particular spot. On hearing
this intelligence we at once determined to follow Don Luis's example,
and although there seemed a certain degree of absurdity in four people,
all holding some position in society, going off on what might turn out
to be only a fool's errand, still the evidence we had before us, of the
gold which had actually been found, and the example of the multitudes
who were daily hastening to the diggings, determined us to go with the
rest. We therefore held a council upon the best method of proceeding,
at which every one offered his suggestions.
While we were thus engaged, McPhail, our fellow-passenger from Oregon,
made his appearance, having only just then returned from Sonoma. He had
heard a great deal about the new gold placer, and he had merely come
back for his baggage, intending to start off for the mines forthwith.
The result of our deliberations was to this effect. Each man was to
furnish himself with one good horse for his own use, and a second horse
to carry his personal baggage, as well as a portion of the general
outfit; we were each to take a rifle, holster pistols, etc. It was
agreed, moreover, that a tent should be bought immediately, if such a
thing could be procured, as well as some spades, and mattocks, and a
good stout axe, together with a collection of blankets and hides, and a
supply of coffee, sugar, whisky, and brandy; knives, forks, and plates,
with pots and kettles, and all the requisite cooking utensils for a
camp life. The tent is the great difficulty, and fears are entertained
that we shall not be able to procure one; but Bradley thinks he might
buy one out of the Government stores.
I followed the saddler well up during the day, and was fortunate enough
to obtain our saddles, saddle-bags, etc., by four o'clock. On going to
his house a couple of hours after about some trifling alteration I
wished made, I found it shut up and deserted. On the door was pasted a
paper with the following words, "Gone to the diggings."