TRIPS TO BENECIA, SACRAMENTO, STOCKTON, CALEVARAS DIGGINGS, &c.
I took the steamer Wilson G. Hunt for two days and went up to Benecia,
the pacific mail station, where I met my old friend Catherwood, and
talked of Palestine matters. Rode out to Vallejo, the newly designed
capital of California. The officers of the U.S. Barracks politely
offered horses for the excursion; vast quantities of game, and immense
number of cattle grazing in the neighborhood, but not a house yet
erected, and doubtful if there will be. Crossed over to Martinez, and
was amused at the horsemanship of the native Californian or Mexican
race, who run their horses at full speed and bring them down suddenly
on their haunches. Continued with next steamer to Sacramento up the
river; streets muddy, from excessive rain; could not get in the
country. The gambling-houses with bands of music in full blast; the
miners crowding around with bags of gold, staking their all; the city
building up rapidly; every variety of character to be found in this new
country, good, bad, and indifferent. So much has been said by others
it would be useless to enlarge. Expenses enormous; everybody employed
at something. One young gentleman of New York was driving team at ten
dollars per day; another, turned carpenter, was shingling a roof at
the same wages; never drove a nail in his life until he came here,
but necessity knows no law. A single crab costs fifty cents, equal to
the price of an egg. With the tide of emigration these things will
regulate themselves, and with more resources California will become one
of the most productive States in the Union. Returned to San Francisco;
took the steamer up San Pablo Bay, and the cut-off to Stockton, in
company with a friend, the proprietor of a quartz-mine, in order to
visit the gold district. Having procured a strong wagon and a pair
of horses, india-rubber covers and blankets, a supply of barley for
feed, off we started. The rain came down in torrents; stopped at a
ranche and dried ourselves, drove to another, and passed the night in
a double bed and mattress on the floor; sack wet through, clothing
out to dry by a fire. Price, for horses and wagon twenty dollars per
day; feed, each time twelve pounds of barley at two shillings, three
dollars; meals a dollar and a half each. Next day rode to Cherokee
Ranche; met a party of Americans, with arms in hand, in pursuit of
Mexicans, near the Hawk’s Eye Ranche, and dared not stop, as they
threatened the extermination of the Greasers, as they called the
Mexicans. Passed a disagreeable night in a log-cabin. A vagabond of
a fellow has just killed a Mexican in the woods near the cabin; the
half-drunken scoundrel could not be turned out, and sat before a huge
fire; the chimney of logs was carried up outside the rude hut. We lay
in bunks upon our blankets and straw. I slept with one eye open, and
my six-shooter in hand; finally at a late hour, in came a German in a
red shirt and slouched hat, whom I soon recognised as being from Puerto
Cabello. He told me, that in the war between Gen. Paez and Monagas he
was obliged to fly. He was well connected, I had known his family,
and it was a relief to meet him. Next day arrived at Carson’s Creek,
having passed Calaveras Creek diggings, Angel’s Creek, and looked at
the rocking-cradles and long toms of the miners, and passed through the
villages of tents of the Mexicans who had deserted; met them on the
road flying with their women, children, and donkeys.
The lassoing of a bull attracted my attention; the position of the
horse, the shot, and falling of the animal, reminded me of the bull
fights in Havana and Spain.
We finally arrived upon the summit of a high hill in a mountainous
country; the valley filled with tents, and the earth thrown up by the
diggers as by an earthquake. We lodged in an open cabin, built of
staves rived out of the tree, without floor; a rude pine table; fried
beef and potatoes, with coffee, and hot, hard, wheaten cakes was our
food. The quartz rock produced abundantly. The opening, ten feet by
seven, and ten feet in depth, had already produced the value of fifty
thousand dollars. There were three casks in the cabin, headed up, full
of quartz strongly charged with gold, besides sacks and bags. This
important discovery was not yet known, otherwise it would have been
dangerous; we were six persons sleeping upon straw, with a blazing
fire, which gave light sufficient for an enemy to point through the
opening anywhere, and kill the party. I felt anxious, and was glad
to get away within three days. The operation of breaking the quartz
was performed with rollers of stone drawn by mules; the more valuable
pieces were broken with a pestle; some lumps weighed eight pounds.
There were seven partners in this valuable claim. We came down with a
quantity of the specimens, accompanied by Jack Hayes, the famous Texian
ranger, who exhibited his skill with pistols in shooting the gopher,
a little animal not unlike a ground mole. Ground squirrels abound in
California, and are destructive to the crops. The scenery was at times
magnificent; the thick heather, or undergrowth of the grizzly bear,
in some parts is prominent. At one ranche the owner showed us some
young cubs. There was some beautiful prairie country, capable of fine
cultivation, and excellent grazing, which produces fine horses and
horned cattle.
The wood-pecker provides for himself singularly in this country. I was
struck with the mosaic appearance of some trees, and on examination
found that this bird had bored holes in the thick bark, and set in the
acorns for his winter’s supply. At one ranche the hogs, sheep, and
cattle looked remarkably well. At another stopping point, the owner
has a pet ram, who knew a Mexican at sight, and bucked him with his
head; he had a perverted taste for an animal, and was very fond of
tobacco. His owner had an inveterate hate for an Indian, who had killed
a brother of his. The Indians are fast disappearing. I was glad to get
back to San Francisco, to prepare for my Oregon trip.
1851.