Passing out of the mass of shipping to the left, opens out the pass to the ocean, and ahead of us, surrounded by beautiful hills, smooth but steep, green and velvety to look upon, a few tall redwoods ended the view to the south. The water was as smooth as a lake, and the moon rose on so calm a sheet that its reflection was a long, straight line of light, almost as brilliant as itself, and I sat late on the deck to admire it, and to think of all at home, but at last went down to the filthy cabin, wrapped myself in my blankets and lay down in a corner possibly a shade less dirty than the others.
We reached Stockton, and after a day in the mud I found my goods stored safely and all ready for packing, Mr. Starbuck to whom I had entrusted them having been most faithful. We went to the hotel for supper which was worth, perhaps, ten cents, but cost a dollar and a half each. After which, with Browning, Simson, Stevens, Bloomfield and some of the others, I took a look up and down the town. The gambling was going on as usual, the tables had changed hands in some instances, but the many are still sitting behind their "banks." A young English nobleman, who asked me to keep his name a secret, laughed and said: "We are all bankers here." One young man, too young for such work, terrible at any age, I felt sorry to see; he had evidently been a winner to judge from the large amount before him, having a wall of gold dust ounce high and three rows deep, leaving a space of nearly a foot square inside, well filled with gold pieces of all stamps and countries, the 16, 8 and 4 of the Spanish, the eagles and half-eagles of the United States, sovereigns and half sovereigns of England, and others from apparently all over the world, lumps even of unalloyed gold, had all fallen into his hands today. He seemed quite alone; his candles were still burning, and he rested his cheek on a delicate, well formed hand, which looked as if it had not been made for the shovel and pick of the mines. He was a very handsome young fellow, I should judge from Virginia, with a profusion of half curling light hair and deep grey eyes. Suddenly he rose, looked about him, and said in a quivering voice: "Well, I came here to make my fortune, I've made it, there it is, but, Oh God, how can I face my mother." He burst into tears and dashed from the room, which for an instant was in absolute stillness. Two men came up, spoke to the banker [?] in low tones, swept the gold into two canvas bags and followed the youth, or so I presume.
CHAPTER VII
A TOUR OF THE GOLD-FIELDS
January 2d, 1850. Leaving Stockton we tramped through mud and water, so like the coast of Louisiana (the Mississippi) that it might have been winter there, instead of in California. We had packed the day before leaving, so left early for our walk of twenty miles after our pack-mules, and went over a partially sandy prairie to the Stanislaus River, and at eight that night reached good wood and water, and encamped about three miles from the river. Next morning, January 3d, we left in the rain for the ferry, but owing to the bad weather, heavy roads and exhaustion of Bachman and McGown, stopped at a good camping ground, with excellent grass, after going only three miles. The rain poured all day and all night, and we lost two days here in consequence, for the river rose so rapidly that we could not cross our mules. The next day the most of us did get over, and Clement and Hudson remained behind to look after the mules.
January 6th. Leaving the middle ferry, known as Islip's, our first day was over a good road with occasional quicksands in the way. The next day, January 7th, 1850, as we had a cold northeast drizzle, we lay by, and the following morning, January 8th, left for our destination, the Chinese Mines. Many of the views before us, as we mounted hill after hill looking towards the mountains, are very beautiful park-like country; the roads are a series of mud-holes and quicksands at this season, and the trees, either swamp, or post-oak, with occasionally a fine ridge of a species of live-oak. At times we had to pack the cargoes of the weaker mules, every few hundred yards, and at one place, had nine mules mired at the same time, the mud being so tenacious that even when the packs were taken off, the poor animals could not get out without our help. Three days of such travelling brought us to our present camp, the soil red clay and sand, mixed thinly with white quartz of various sizes, but generally small, not more than two, or at most, three inches in diameter, and generally even smaller.
[No date.] We went up to the "diggings"[39] on the morning after our arrival, and looked round to see what prospects were ahead of us. We found the little branches bored, and pitted, and washed out in every direction, so much so that we tried to "prospect" for ourselves, and we lost three days. We found the men already there kind and polite, showing the mode of working and washing, of digging and drawing most willingly, and tomorrow open a pit close beside some of the most fortunate.
The uncertainty of digging renders the life of the miner, for profit, that of a gambler, for most of his good luck depends on chance. At times you may see two pits side by side, one man getting two ounces a day, and the other hardly two dollars: we heard of one instance of much greater disparity; two friends working next each other found that at the end of the week, one had an ounce of gold, worth about twenty dollars, the other gold worth six thousand dollars. So it goes, and we shall all have to work hard. Again and again I am overwhelmed by the thought that I am at these dreary mines—I, who started intent on drawing and obtaining new specimens—to have so different a destiny thrust upon me, is bewildering.
The ground here is beautiful rolling valley of sandy clay, so like the post-oak country of Texas that one might almost fancy himself there. A few pines are scattered about, the cones are very large, say six inches long, and three in diameter; the seed is a pleasant nut, about the size and shape of a small, shelled almond; the quantity of resin contained is very great, and at the end of every leaf of the cones, quite a lump is seen.
The ultramarine jay, and Steller's, the red-shafted woodpecker and California quail are abundant, and many finches, some new, and others that I know, are everywhere; but I have no time to skin and preserve specimens. Then too, the black-tailed deer, California hare, and grizzly bear, are common, as well as the small hare. There are some few squirrels and a marmot or two, but I have not been able to procure them; I have also seen the robin of this country and many others. The country is otherwise barren, I wish I was out of it.
January 20th, 1850. Chinese Diggings. It does not seem possible, remembering the difficulties of the road, that we are only seventy miles from Stockton. The men began "rocking" yesterday, one cradle, and get about a dollar an hour, but hope to get more when in the way of it. Those at work around us get an average of fourteen a day, and at times much more; then again a week's work is lost. The quantity of gold, so I am told by those who know more of it than I do, is very great, but so diffused that great labor is required to get it. The lottery of the whole affair is beyond belief. The richest gulches are supposed to be those on the river, the Tuolome [Tuolumne], or the creeks leading to the river. The pit, or piece of ground allotted to each man is sixteen feet square, this having been settled by the diggers, and the law is enforced by an alcalde. Many is the week's work, the men say, when they do not get the price of their board, and again large amounts are found. One individual told me he was getting two ounces a day, and gave his claim up, to join a company in digging out the bed of a river which they had drained off. He worked a month at the river scarcely making two dollars a day, while the man who bought his first place, had accumulated several thousands. I have heard fifty such stories, but as a whole this country will pay the laborer and the mechanic better than the miners, unless the latter have capital. Had we come my route and reached here with a hundred mules, a fortune could soon have been made by packing. But, alas! against my better judgment I allowed myself to be swayed by Col. Webb, who had his own way at the cost of twenty-seven thousand dollars, thirteen lives, and the loss of many months to all the men who came through.