The gold district
Sickness and selfishness
The dead become the prey of the wolf
Malcomb'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' 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.
I stayed with Malcolm throughout the next few days, and spent a good
part of my time out of doors among the gold-washers, but still I felt
no inclination to take part in their labours. Fever was very prevalent,
and I found that more than two-thirds of the people at this settlement
were unable to move out of their tents. The other third were too
selfish to render them any assistance. The rainy season was close at
hand, when they would have to give over work, but meanwhile they sought
after the gold as though all their hopes of salvation rested on their
success. I was told that deaths were continually taking place, and that
the living comrades of those whose eyes were closed in that last sleep
when "the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest,"
denied the poor corpses of their former friends a few feet of earth for
a grave, and left the bodies exposed for the wolf to prey upon.
In a couple of days Malcolm was sufficiently recovered no longer to
require my assistance. At his instigation, I took my departure towards
Sutter's Fort, where McPhail or Lacosse might perhaps still be waiting
for me. I felt that he was in good hands, and that his kind Californian
nurse and her husband would do all that they could for him. Their kind
treatment of my poor friend offered a striking contrast to the callous
selfishness around.
I journeyed by slow marches along the banks of the Sacramento, passing
several colonies of gold-finders on my way. At noon I halted at one of
these, and loitered some little time round about the camp. The
rapidly-decaying vegetation--here unusually rank--was producing a
malaria, and sickness was doing its ravages; but still the poor
infatuated people, or rather such of them as were not prevented by
positive inability, worked on until they sunk under the toil. Every one
seemed determined to labour as hard as possible for the few weeks left
before the rainy season set in, and the result was, that many of them
met their deaths. There were others, though, who sought to enrich
themselves with the shining gold by a quicker and, perhaps, less
dangerous process than all this weary toil.
According to the accounts I heard, life and property were alike
insecure. The report ran, that as soon as it became known that a man
had amassed a large amount of gold, he was watched and followed about
till an opportunity presented itself of quietly putting him out of the
way. There had been but few known deaths, but the number of persons who
had been missed, and whose own friends even had not thought it worth
while to go in search of them, was very large. In every case the man's
stock of gold was not to be found in his tent; still there was nothing
surprising in this, as every one made a point of carrying his gold
about him, no matter how heavy it might happen to be. One or two dead
bodies had been found floating in the river, which circumstance was
looked upon as indicative of foul play having taken place, as it was
considered that the poorest of the gold-finders carried fully a
sufficient weight of gold about them to cause their bodies to sink to
the bottom of the stream. Open attempts at robbery were rare; it was in
the stealthy night time that thieves prowled about, and, entering the
little tents, occupied by not more than perhaps a couple of miners,
neither of whom, in all probability, felt inclined to keep a weary
watch over their golden treasure, carried off as much of it as they
could lay their hands on. By way of precaution, however, almost every
one slept with their bag of gold underneath their pillow, having a
rifle or revolver within their reach.
That same night I reached the camp of gold-washers, where Lacosse and
the trapper had had their horses and packs of provisions stolen from
them. The robbery, I believe, was committed by men almost on the verge
of want, who thought it a more convenient way of possessing themselves
of a stock of provisions than performing a journey to the lower
settlements for that purpose would have been, and a cheaper way than
purchasing them here, where they run scarce, and where the price of
them is exorbitantly high. Other things are in proportion. Clothing of
any description is hardly to be had at any price, and the majority of
the miners go about in rags. Collected round a rude shanty, where
brandy was being dispensed at a dollar a-dram! I saw a group of ragged
gold-diggers, the greater part of them suffering from fever, paying
this exorbitant price for glass after glass of the fiery spirit, every
drop of which they consumed was only aggravating their illness, and, in
all probability, bringing them one step nearer to their grave.
The big bony American, who treated Lacosse and the trapper in such a
peremptory manner, and who seemed to be the terror of these diggings,
was pointed out to me. I learnt, however, that he had accumulated a
very large amount of gold, over sixteen thousand dollars' worth, it was
said; and his suspicions that parties were lying in wait to plunder him
of it was the cause of his acting as he had done. He thought they only
came to his shanty with an excuse, for the purpose of observing its
weak points, and that no doubt they had a scheme in their heads for
robbing him, either at night time, or while he was absent digging and
washing during the day. The men he had shot, it seems, were common
thieves--one, a deserter from the garrison at Monterey, and the other
belonging to a similar band of robbers to that by which our party had
been attacked, and our gold carried off.
I reached Sutter's Fort the next day, and found it like the most
crowded localities of some of our great cities, with the exception that
the bulk of the people we met with belonged to a totally different
race. I saw Captain Sutter for a few moments, when he informed me that
Mr. Bradley and his party had left a couple of days ago; and that a
gentleman, accompanied by a man named Joe White, who, as the Captain
said, used to trap for him before the gold fever came up, had been
making inquiries at the Fort respecting Mr. Bradley that very day. I at
once saw that this could be no other than Lacosse, and set off to see
if I could meet with him. After some search, I was fortunate enough to
discover him at the newly opened hotel here, where he had intended
stopping for the night. I remained with him and shared his room--a
little box not more than ten feet by twelve, or thereabouts; but we
considered ourselves fortunate in having obtained even that, the place
being tremendously crowded.
I heard from Lacosse that Captain Sutter had informed him that the
leader of the band of desperadoes who had plundered us had been seen
down at the Fort with some of his companions not more than ten days
ago. He was quite sure he was right in the man; for Tomas Maria, who
had been shot, belonged to his gang, and was, in fact, his chief
lieutenant. The name of El Capitan was Andreas Armjo; and Captain
Sutter said he recommended Bradley to make his way to San Francisco,
where, in all probability, he would meet with him, as when he left the
Fort he had taken the road towards the coast.
The next day we started off towards San Francisco, and, from inquiries
made on the road, found that we were on the correct track--Bradley, Don
Luis, McPhail, and José, having passed through a day or two previous.
We arrived at the end of our journey without meeting with any
adventures worth noting, and at once made our way to Sweeting's hotel,
glad to find it one of the few houses in this town that were not shut
up. Here we met with our friends, who had been there now nearly two
days, and were then on the point of starting off in pursuit of Andreas
and his comrades. We learned from them, that directly they heard the
important information which Captain Sutter had communicated to them,
they started off in pursuit, but not with any expectation of coming up
with the gentlemen they were in search of before arriving at San
Francisco. They had constant tidings of them all along the route, as El
Capitan was too well known to many a poor ranchero whom he had
plundered of the dollars produced by the sale of his hides, while on
his journey home from the sea-coast.
When they arrived at San Francisco, they made inquiries whether any
ships had recently left the harbour, and were glad to find that there
was not a merchant vessel in port with enough hands on board to weigh
the anchor. Every ship had been more or less deserted by its crews, who
had hastened off for a few weeks' labour at the gold-diggings. They
found, however, that Andreas Armjo and his men had been making
inquiries on board of several of the vessels to ascertain when any of
them left port. On finding none were sufficiently manned to do so,
they offered the captain of one schooner a thousand dollars to land
them at any port in Mexico he pleased, and said they would themselves
help to work the ship. The captain, however, declined the offer.
After receiving this intelligence, they went to the house of the first
alcalde, to consult with him on what steps should be taken to arrest
the robbers, who were then doubtless at some place near the coast. They
found, however, that he had gone to the mines with the rest of the
people, and they made their way to the residence of the second alcalde,
in the hope of being more fortunate; but he too had gone to the mines
with his superior. Further inquiries satisfied them that there was not
an officer of justice left in the town of San Francisco, and they had
therefore determined to make their way forthwith to Monterey, as, in
all probability, the gang would proceed there in the hope of meeting
with a ship.
Lacosse and myself determined to accompany them, and the old trapper
volunteered his services, which were accepted. We obtained fresh horses
from Sweeting, and set off in gallant style, determined to shorten the
distance by hard riding. It was early on Wednesday morning when we
arrived at Monterey; and McPhail and Bradley proceeded to board all the
ships in the bay, while Don Luis, Lacosse, and myself made inquiries
about the town. We soon learnt that Andreas Armjo and his party had been
paying it a visit; and, moreover, one of the gang, who thought he had
disguised himself so as not to be recognised, had been seized as a
deserter from the garrison here. The others were not interfered with,
as there was no specific charge out against them. Our robbery had, of
course, not been heard of here. Don Luis and myself, after having
dispatched Lacosse to communicate this intelligence to Bradley and
McPhail, sought an interview with Colonel Mason, and, on informing him
of the robbery and the circumstances attending it, received from him an
order to see the soldier who was then under arrest. By promises of not
proceeding against him, for any share he might have had in the robbery,
we induced him to confess the whole circumstances connected with it,
and also to inform us of the route intended to be taken by El Capitan
and the two others of the gang. This, it seems, was along the great
Spanish Trail to Santa Fé.
On rejoining our companions, we decided to continue here the remainder
of the day, and to start off the next morning in pursuit. We informed
Colonel Mason of the circumstance, and he stated that he would have
furnished us with a guard to accompany us, if he did not feel certain
that the men would desert to the mines directly they got outside the
town.
At four o'clock the next morning we commenced the journey, each of
us taking a stock of provisions sufficient to last for a fortnight;
although we hoped, and fully expected, that we should be back to
Monterey several days before that time had expired. It was purely a
question of hard riding. Andreas and his party had started, as far
as we could learn, three days in advance of us, and no doubt knew
the track better than the old trapper who had undertaken to
accompany us as guide. He had never penetrated further than the foot
of the Sierra, so that if we were compelled to cross the mountains
we should have to seek for some Indians to guide us on our course.
By pressing our horses hard we succeeded in crossing the hills of
the coast range that night, and encamped some slight way down the
descent, in as sheltered a spot as we could manage to select. The
night was quite frosty, but we made up a blazing fire, and, well
wrapped up in our serapes, slept till morning, without feeling much
inconvenience from the cold. Next day we struck the river of the
lakes, and found it thickly hemmed in with timber along its whole
course. We soon found a fording place, and encamped at night a few
miles from the east bank. The following morning we fell in with some
civilized Indians, who informed us, in answer to our inquiries, that
a party of three whites passed along the trail the evening before
last, and that they would have encamped not far from this spot.
These Indians, Don Luis informed me, had all of them been attached
to the Californian Missions; but, since the downfall of these
establishments, they had moved across the coast range, and had
located themselves in the neighbourhood of the Tule Lakes,
subsisting chiefly on horseflesh. To gratify their appetites,
however, instead of giving chase to the number of wild horses--here
called mustangs--that are scattered over the extensive prairies in
the neighbourhood of the lakes, they adopt a much lazier method of
supplying their larder. This is, to make predatory excursions across
the mountains, and to drive off a large herd of tame horses,
belonging to some poor ranchero, at a time; these they slaughter,
and subsist on as long as the flesh lasts, when they set out again
on a similar expedition. Sometimes they are pursued, and, if
overtaken, butchered forthwith; but, in general, they manage to
escape some little distance into the interior, where they are safe
not to be followed.
We put spurs into our horses, and soon cleared the marshy ground
intervening between us and the Fork, which we forded, and rode for
several miles through a country thickly covered over with oak trees
and intersected by numerous small rivulets. Large herds of elk were
frequently started, and during the whole day their shrill whistle
was continually being heard.
We encamped to-night without having heard anything more of Andreas
Armjo and his companions. Several parties of Indians we met a few
hours before sundown stated that they had not seen any white men
along the trail. I felt disposed, as far as I was myself concerned,
to give over the pursuit, as my horse was already worn out by the
journey; but my companions would not listen to it, and determined,
at any rate, to see what would result from following it up briskly
during the next day. We had all noticed that there were no new signs
of horses that had been shod passing along the trail, but Bradley
was of opinion that the party would be mounted on unshod beasts, as
very few of the native Californians had their horses shod, unless
they were going a journey across a rough broken country.
Next day we fell in with several more parties of Indians, from whom
we learnt that the men we were in pursuit of were full two days
journey before us. One party, who had seen them encamped the
preceding evening more than forty miles ahead, told us that they had
inquired of them where the trail turned off to Los Angelos. As this
town was at least five or six days' journey distant, and as the
Sierra had to be crossed to reach it, we concluded among ourselves
that it would be best for us to return to Monterey forthwith. This
decision was readily come to, as there was now no hope of overtaking
the party, and every step we proceeded we were getting into a more
hostile country. In all probability, if we had pursued them to Los
Angelos, we should have discovered that they had struck off on to
the great Spanish Trail, as was their original intention, or else
have found that they had been to Los Angelos and had taken their
departure for some other place.
We therefore turned our horses' heads, and retraced our steps
towards the coast in no merry mood. We rode along, in fact, in
sullen silence, only broken to mutter out our expressions of
disappointment at the escape of those who had robbed us of the
fruits of so many months of toil, exposure, and hardship. We
encountered nothing very remarkable during our three days' journey
to Monterey. There were the same prairies to cross, the same
thickets to penetrate, and the same streams to ford. Herds of elk
and mustangs were continually seen upon the heights, and every now
and then we met with some small parties of Indians, many of the
chiefs dressed in the Spanish fashion. We were too well armed, and
too many in number, for any of them to venture to attack us, had
they been so inclined; but generally their intentions seemed to be
perfectly pacific.