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—ANative of Virginia—Gold Train—Robbery—Panama Bells—AnEmigrant Ship—An Affecting Preacher—San Francisco[1]
[CHAPTER II]
A Great Country—Improvement—Adventurers—Drinking-Saloons—TheOld Judge—Banks—Mine Speculators—Gambling Houses—“Don’tShootâ€�—Climate—High and Dry[21]
[CHAPTER III]
Benicia—Barnes—A Mad Bloodhound—His Death—Grasshoppers—DonRaymond—A Blessed City—Wicked Mules—“Camping Outâ€�—Napa—Fourthof July—Agriculturists—Sonoma—Competition—AnIrascible Bull[39]
[CHAPTER IV]
Spanish Grants—Squatters—Squatter Fights—A Spanish Ranche—GoodQuarters—Fleas—Vanity—Vaccaros—Quilp—EnglishSaddles—Antelope Hunt—Rattle-Snakes—Quilp Waltzes—CalifornianHorses—Saddles—Horse-Breaking—A Tame Horse[58]
[CHAPTER V]
Spanish Priests—Indians—Quilp forgets himself—Habits of NativeCalifornians—Father Bartoleméo—The Lasso—Good Riders—CattleBranding—Raymond provides Mules—Russian River—WeEncamp—Saw-mill—I propose to “Squatâ€�[78]
[CHAPTER VI]
The Little Valley—Three Martyrs—Mountain Life—The Poor Does—Castor-oil—ASick Dog—The Carpentaro—Grey Squirrel—DiggerIndians—Red-wood Tree—American Rifles—Grizzly Bear Hunt—SheldonWounded—Difficulty in Killing the Bear—Habits of theBear—A Thief[97]
[CHAPTER VII]
Deer Hunting—Wild Bulls—Wild Fowl—A Duck Gun—Driving anOx-Team—I Reflect—An Estampede—The Tiger Cat—RainySeason—Indian Fires—Wasps—We are Robbed by the Indians—Ikill a Bear—Crossing a Swollen River[122]
[CHAPTER VIII]
Quilp departs for the South—San Luis—Ramsey—I am left forDead—The Early History of California—Discovery of San Francisco—SpanishMissions—A Digression—Digression, continued—ARainy Season—A Little Crab[144]
[CHAPTER IX]
The Old Crab-Catcher—Mr. Warren—American Friendship—TheAmerican Press—Education in America—Americans Good Colonists—CalifornianCorrespondence[164]
[CHAPTER X]
Long Wharf—Clipper Ships—Chinese Emigrants—The May Fire—AnExciting Scene—Iron Houses—Vallejo—The Coyote—Wild Geese[180]
[CHAPTER XI]
Coyote Hunting—My Dominions are Invaded—Thomas kills a Bear—ATrial of Strength—Rowe’s “Lotâ€�—Choctaw—Elk—A Butchery—RoughLife—Fertility of the Soil[197]
[CHAPTER XII]
Another Fire—My Geological Friend—“Burnt Outâ€�—Sacramento—Levee—Hulks—Rats—VigilanceCommittee—Start for Volcano—Crocket—“RightSide Upâ€�[216]
[CHAPTER XIII]
An Old She-goat—Our Mineralogist—Gold Diggers—Murderer’s Bar—TheTheorist puzzled—Mining Laws—Jumping Claims—TheMiner’s Life—“Let her slideâ€�—Hostile Indians—We are disgusted—Fire-proofHouses[231]
[CHAPTER XIV]
Joe Bellow—Stockton—A Bear Trapper—Bear and Bull Fights—AnUneasy Bear—Californian Inns—Natural Roads—Good Driving—IKill a Flea—Sonora—The Evening commences—French Emigrants—ADrinking Bar—Number Eighty—A Corral and a Moral[248]
[CHAPTER XV]
The Gold Mine—The Innocence of Sonora—Sunday in Sonora—Sellinga Horse—Carrying Weapons—Bob—We leave Vallejo—We are“Bound to goâ€�—The Shadow of a Crow[269]
[CHAPTER XVI]
I explain to the Patient Reader—Pioneers—A Lady’s Boot—Mainspring—MexicanRobbers—Victims of Prejudice—Works onAmerica—Two Pigs—Power of the Human Will[286]
[CHAPTER XVII]
Yield of Gold—Its Duration—Mormon Gulch—The Distribution ofGold—Tunnelling—Damming Rivers—Holden’s Garden—Energyin the Mines—Quartz Mines—Quartz Mining successful—TheAuthor gets out of his Depth[304]
[CHAPTER XVIII]
Transport Machinery to the Mine—The Carpenter Judge, and ConstableRowe—Cut-throat Jack—Greasers—French Miners—JohnChinaman—Chinese Ferocity—The Feast of Lanterns—ChineseDespotism—False Sympathy[323]
[CHAPTER XIX]
The Firemen of San Francisco—“We strive to Saveâ€�—A Barber’sSaloon—Oysters—Places of Amusement—A Pickled Head—Shootingon Sight[341]
[CHAPTER XX]
Rat-Catchers—Drays—Crested Partridge—A Marvellous Story—Sailorsin the Mines—A Verdict—The Quartz has the best of it—Ileave Tuttle-town[356]
[CHAPTER XXI]
Advice to Emigrants—Gold Countries—Self-Doctoring—Advice continued—Iarrive at Stockton[373]
[CHAPTER XXII]
Elections—Executions—Reforms—Exiles—“Know Nothingsâ€�—Testimonials—SpeakingTrumpets—Ocean Steamers—Life-Buoys—Air-Boats—Confidencenecessary—Fitting a Raft—A Suggestion[387]
[CHAPTER XXIII]
“Herculesâ€� fails—Land Crabs—Mr. Bobbins—Rushing the Ship—NewYork[406]
[CHAPTER XXIV]
Yellow Fever—A Wooden Head—Hard Times—A Gale—We Springa Leak—Acapulco—Smuggling—Cholera—Conclusion[417]
APPENDIX[433]

ERRATUM.

Page 204, fifteenth line, for “Athletes,� read “Athletæ.� [Corrected by ebook transcriber.]

LIST OF PLATES.
DRAWN ON STONE BY MESSRS. HANHART, FROM DESIGNS BY FRANK MARRYAT.

PAGE
[WHERE THE GOLD COMES FROM][Frontispiece]
[HIGH AND DRY][37]
[CHAGRES RIVER][92]
[WINTER OF 1849][162]
[BAR ROOM AT SONORA][224]
[HORSE AUCTION][274]
[SAN FRANCISCO—A FIREMAN’S FUNERAL][344]
[CROSSING THE ISTHMUS][406]

LIST OF WOODCUTS.
DRAWN ON WOOD BY MR. L. C. MARTIN, FROM DESIGNS BY FRANK MARRYAT.

PAGE
[VACCARO AND INDIAN][67]
[QUILP][74]
[CAMPING OUT][95]
[THE THREE MARTYRS][101]
[THE SHOOTING BOX][103]
[ROWE’S LOT][208]
[A PROSPECTER][232]
[THE SONORA STAGE][259]
[THE UMBRELLA][282]
[OLD SOLDIER AND CHOCKTAW][283]
[THE LADY’S BOOT][292]
[THE CARPENTER JUDGE][328]
[FRENCH MINER][330]
[JOHN CHINAMAN][333]
[FEAST OF LANTERNS][335]
[THE MINER’S GRAVE][365]
[DRAWING STRAWS][367]
[MR. BOBBINS][411]