Chapter I: Preface

Nothing that I can say here will blind the reader to the deficiency of these pages; they are in truth, as their title expresses, the recollections of a “Journal burnt,” and I present here but an outline of what I have seen or heard during three years of my life; and if I am wanting in figures and statistics and anything of weight as regards the country written of, it is certainly because I recalled this Journal unexpectedly, and far from the scenes it once depicted.

I may have remembered too little, but that is preferable to remembering too much.

I have tried to confine myself to what is most pleasant, and it may be that a rambling truthful story is the best, if to make the work elaborate one must have recourse to fiction.

It is right that a man should submit anything he does modestly, yet for all that a preface need not be an apology; for I look on a tale written as a tale told, with this advantage to the reader, that if the tale written please him not, he can close the book and have done with it. I am no button-holder, and would rather, sir, that you would desert me at my second chapter, than that you should wade wearily through this volume, and then, because we do not suit each other, say that I have bored you.

In these days, when new discoveries of Nature’s gifts, and increased facilities of communication with them invite man to roam, any record of travel should possess some interest for the adventurous.

I have proved to myself, what these pages may not show, that a man with health may plant himself in any country in the world, and by the exercise of those reasonable faculties that are denied to few, may there live well and happily.

It is nothing, perhaps, to state this for a fact, but I would have each emigrant hug it to his breast as a warm hope that will uphold him in the hours of adversity and trial that will meet him in the path he pioneers for himself in a new country.

Reader, these pages are so much black and white, and will pass as nearly all such matter does, rapidly to oblivion; but if they bring no smile to you, nor help momentarily to efface a care, I would ask that they should bring no frown, for they are written earnestly, and with a good intention, even though from first to last they stand against me as printed errors, to cause regret in later years.

FRANK MARRYAT.

_December 1st, 1854._

NOTE.--As my sketches were destroyed by fire, I have been unable to illustrate the scenery of California, but in the accompanying drawings I have endeavoured to be faithful to the characteristics of the people.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

Chagres River--Curiosity--Isthmus of Panama--Washington Hotel--Ants--A Native of Virginia--Gold Train--Robbery--Panama Bells--An Emigrant Ship--An Affecting Preacher--San Francisco 1

CHAPTER II.

A Great Country--Improvement--Adventurers--Drinking-Saloons--The Old Judge--Banks--Mine Speculators--Gambling Houses--“Don’t Shoot”--Climate--High and Dry 21

CHAPTER III.

Benicia--Barnes--A Mad Bloodhound--His Death--Grasshoppers--Don Raymond--A Blessed City--Wicked Mules--“Camping Out”--Napa--Fourth of July--Agriculturists--Sonoma--Competition--An Irascible Bull 39

CHAPTER IV.

Spanish Grants--Squatters--Squatter Fights--A Spanish Ranche--Good Quarters--Fleas--Vanity--Vaccaros--Quilp--English Saddles--Antelope Hunt--Rattle-Snakes--Quilp Waltzes--Californian Horses--Saddles--Horse-Breaking--A Tame Horse 58

CHAPTER V.

Spanish Priests--Indians--Quilp forgets himself--Habits of Native Californians--Father Bartoleméo--The Lasso--Good Riders--Cattle Branding--Raymond provides Mules--Russian River--We Encamp--Saw-mill--I propose to “Squat” 78

CHAPTER VI.

The Little Valley--Three Martyrs--Mountain Life--The Poor Does--Castor-oil--A Sick Dog--The Carpentaro--Grey Squirrel--Digger Indians--Red-wood Tree--American Rifles--Grizzly Bear Hunt--Sheldon Wounded--Difficulty in Killing the Bear--Habits of the Bear--A Thief 97

CHAPTER VII.

Deer Hunting--Wild Bulls--Wild Fowl--A Duck Gun--Driving an Ox-Team--I Reflect--An Estampede--The Tiger Cat--Rainy Season--Indian Fires--Wasps--We are Robbed by the Indians--I kill a Bear--Crossing a Swollen River 122

CHAPTER VIII.

Quilp departs for the South--San Luis--Ramsey--I am left for Dead--The Early History of California--Discovery of San Francisco--Spanish Missions--A Digression--Digression, continued--A Rainy Season--A Little Crab 144

CHAPTER IX.

The Old Crab-Catcher--Mr. Warren--American Friendship--The American Press--Education in America--Americans Good Colonists--Californian Correspondence 164

CHAPTER X.

Long Wharf--Clipper Ships--Chinese Emigrants--The May Fire--An Exciting Scene--Iron Houses--Vallejo--The Coyote--Wild Geese 180

CHAPTER XI.

Coyote Hunting--My Dominions are Invaded--Thomas kills a _Bear_--A Trial of Strength--Rowe’s “Lot”--Choctaw--Elk--A Butchery--Rough Life--Fertility of the Soil 197

CHAPTER XII.

Another Fire--My Geological Friend--“Burnt Out”--Sacramento--Levee-- Hulks--Rats--Vigilance Committee--Start for Volcano--Crocket--“Right Side Up” 216

CHAPTER XIII.

An Old She-goat--Our Mineralogist--Gold Diggers--Murderer’s Bar--The Theorist puzzled--Mining Laws--Jumping Claims--The Miner’s Life--“Let her slide”--Hostile Indians--We are disgusted--Fire-proof Houses 231

CHAPTER XIV.

Joe Bellow--Stockton--A Bear Trapper--Bear and Bull Fights--An Uneasy Bear--Californian Inns--Natural Roads--Good Driving--I Kill a Flea--Sonora--The Evening commences--French Emigrants--A Drinking Bar--Number Eighty--A Corral and a Moral 248

CHAPTER XV.

The Gold Mine--The Innocence of Sonora--Sunday in Sonora--Selling a Horse--Carrying Weapons--Bob--We leave Vallejo--We are “Bound to go”--The Shadow of a Crow 269

CHAPTER XVI.

I explain to the Patient Reader--Pioneers--A Lady’s Boot--Mainspring--Mexican Robbers--Victims of Prejudice--Works on America--Two Pigs--Power of the Human Will 286

CHAPTER XVII.

Yield of Gold--Its Duration--Mormon Gulch--The Distribution of Gold--Tunnelling--Damming Rivers--Holden’s Garden--Energy in the Mines--Quartz Mines--Quartz Mining successful--The Author gets out of his Depth 304

CHAPTER XVIII.

Transport Machinery to the Mine--The Carpenter Judge, and Constable Rowe--Cut-throat Jack--Greasers--French Miners--John Chinaman--Chinese Ferocity--The Feast of Lanterns--Chinese Despotism--False Sympathy 323

CHAPTER XIX.

The Firemen of San Francisco--“We strive to Save”--A Barber’s Saloon--Oysters--Places of Amusement--A Pickled Head--Shooting on Sight 341

CHAPTER XX.

Rat-Catchers--Drays--Crested Partridge--A Marvellous Story--Sailors in the Mines--A Verdict--The Quartz has the best of it--I leave Tuttle-town 356

CHAPTER XXI.

Advice to Emigrants--Gold Countries--Self-Doctoring--Advice continued--I arrive at Stockton 373

CHAPTER XXII.

Elections--Executions--Reforms--Exiles--“Know Nothings”--Testimonials--Speaking Trumpets--Ocean Steamers--Life-Buoys--Air-Boats--Confidence necessary--Fitting a Raft--A Suggestion 387

CHAPTER XXIII.

“Hercules” fails--Land Crabs--Mr. Bobbins--Rushing the Ship--New York 406

CHAPTER XXIV.

Yellow Fever--A Wooden Head--Hard Times--A Gale--We Spring a Leak--Acapulco--Smuggling--Cholera--Conclusion 417