The land of gold; or, Three years in CaliforniaColton, Walter
History
The land of gold; or, Three years in California
Colton, Walter
California -- Gold discoveries; California -- History -- 1846-1850
To avoid the Californians, who were coming down in great numbers from
the north to join their comrades in the south, the party of ten held
their course to the east. They spent several days in attempting to find
the pass which leads through the first range of the Californian
mountains to the valley of the San Joaquin; but being unacquainted with
the topography of the country, their utmost efforts were baffled. During
this time they suffered greatly from hunger and thirst: the rugged
steeps, among which they were straying, yielded neither streams nor
game. At last, they fell in with a Cholo, the Arab of California, who
kindly offered to conduct them to the mountain pass, and surrendered the
use of his horse to carry their knapsacks and blankets. The pass was
gained; but their hospitable guide still continued with them till they
reached a tribe of Indians on the opposite side. Here he took leave of
them, declining all compensation for his pains, and started back for his
wild mountain home.
The Indians received them kindly, gave them their best acorns to eat,
and their purest water to drink. These are the Indians who were brought
before me a few months since, charged with an attempt to steal a drove
of horses from Carmel. There being no positive proof of guilt, they were
kindly treated, and instead of being threatened with dungeons and death,
were dismissed with many beautiful presents. These presents they still
preserved, and exhibited them with evident gratification and pride to
their new guests.
Lieut. Talbot and party, guided by these faithful Indians, now held
their course through the valley of the San Joaquin. Their progress was
delayed by the sickness of one of their companions, whom they were
obliged to carry on a litter. They subsisted entirely on the wild game
which they killed. They were all on foot; and after travelling nearly
five hundred miles in this manner, reached Monterey, where they were
welcomed to the camp of Col. Fremont with three hearty cheers.
TUESDAY, NOV. 10. The merchant ship Euphemia arrived to-day from the
Sandwich Islands, bringing the intelligence that the Columbus, bearing
the broad pennant of Com. Biddle, had sailed from Honolulu for
Valparaiso. We shall not then see that noble ship on this coast; she is
bound homeward round the Cape. Her eight hundred men, with Com. Biddle
at their head, would have been a great accession to our strength. It is
not, however, a naval force of which we stand in greatest need. The war
in California can never be decided from the deck. We want some five
hundred horsemen, thoroughly accustomed to the saddle and the rifle, and
a few pieces of flying-artillery. Without these we shall have constant
attempts at revolution. They will invariably end in the defeat of those
who get them up, but will involve private property and the public
tranquility.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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