Eldorado, Or, Adventures in the Path of Empire
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Eldorado, or, Adventures in the path of empire ELDORADO, OR, ADVENTURES IN THE PATH OF EMPIRE: COMPRISING A VOYAGE TO CALIFORNIA, VIA PANAMA; LIFE IN SAN FRANCISCO AND MONTEREY; PICTURES OF THE GOLD REGION, AND EXPERIENCES OF MEXICAN TRAVEL: BY BAYARD TAYLOR, AUTHOR OF “VIEWS A-FOOT,” “RHYMES OF TRAVEL,” ETC. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE AUTHOR. VOL. II. SECOND EDITION. NEW YORK: GEORGE P. PUTNAM, 155 BROADWAY. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY. Eldorado, or, Adventures in the path of empire http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.123 1850. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1850, by BAYARD TAYLOR, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. C. W. BENEDICT, Stereotyper and Printer, 201 William st. CONTENTS OF VOL. II. CHAPTER I. PAGE Election Scenes and Mining Characters—Voting on the Mokelumne— Incidents of Digging—An Englishman in Raptures—“Buckshot”—Quicksilver—My own Gold Digging 5 CHAPTER II. The Rainy Season—The Ferry—Deception of the Diggers—Dry Creek and Amador's Creek—A Ranche and its Inhabitants—A Female Specimen—A Vision Relinquished 10 CHAPTER III. Night in Sacramento City—Perils of a Stroll—The City Music—Ethiopian Melodies—A Californian Theatre—Playing the Eavesdropper—Squatters' Quarrels—Fate of my Mare 26 CHAPTER IV. The Overland Emigration of 1849—Its Character—The Cholera on the Plains—Salt Lake City—The Great Basin—The Nevada—Descent of the Mountains—Apathy in Peril—The Close 34 CHAPTER V. The Italy of the West—Steam on the Sacramento—The Sunsets of California—A Company of Washmen—A Voracious Donkey—Attempt at Squatter Life 46 2 CHAPTER VI. San Francisco four months Later—Character of Business—Life and Society —Unfathomable Mud—Streets and Men 55 CHAPTER VII. Society in California—The Transformation of the Emigrant—The Norsemen Revived—The Energies of Society—California Democracy 64 CHAPTER VIII. Leaving San Francisco—A German Crew and Chilian Schooner —Weathering a South-Easter—The Fire on Shore—We put Back in Distress—The Burnt District —Stemming a Flood Tide—The Steamer—Paso del Mar—Down the Coast 69 CHAPTER IX. Mazatlan—A Chinese Boniface—The Streets by Night and Day—The Atmosphere of the Gulf —Preparations to Leave—Solemn Warnings 80 CHAPTER X. Travel in the Tierra Caliente— Tropical Winter—A Lazy Mule—Night at a Ranche—A “Caminador”—Evening at a Posada— Eldorado, or, Adventures in the path of empire http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.123 Breakfast in El Rosario—A Jolly Hostess—Ride to La Bayona—The Palm and the Pine—Indian Robbers—Chat with the Natives—El Chucho—The Ferry of Rio Santiago—A Night of Horror 87 CHAPTER XI. The Ascent to the Table-Land—My Friend and Caminador—A Bargain—The People—Tepic—Sacred Mysteries at San Lionel—The Massacre of the Innocents—A Valley Picture—Crossing the Barranca 104 CHAPTER XII. The Robber Region—Meeting a Conducta— Tequila Below—Suspicions—The Robbers at Last—Plundered and Bound—My Liberation—A Gibbet Scene—The Kind Padre of Guadalajara 116 CHAPTER XIII. Three Days in Guadalajara— My Hosts—An Unlucky Scotchman—Financiering—The Cabal—Notoriety—Movable Fortresses —The Alameda—Tropic Beauty by Moonlight—An Affectionate Farewell 127 3 CHAPTER XIV. In the Diligence to Guanajuato—Pleasant Travel—The Cholera—San Juan de los Lagos —The Valley of Leon—An Enchanted City—The Eve of a Robber's Death 137 CHAPTER XV. The Dividing Ridge and Descent to the Valley of Mexico—The Bajio—An Escort—A Gay Padre —Zurutuza's Hacienda—The Pass of Capulalpan—Mexico 147 CHAPTER XVI. Scenes in the Mexican Capital—Interior of the Cathedral—Street Characters—Smoking in the Theatre—Aztec Antiquities 153 CHAPTER XVII. Mexican Politics and Political Men—The Halls of Congress— Presentation of the American Minister—Herrera, his Government and Ministers 161 CHAPTER XVIII. Chapultepec and the Battle Fields—The Panorama of the Valley 168 CHAPTER XIX. The Base of Popocatapetl—Another View of the Valley—The Pine Woods of Rio Frio—Malinche —Popocatapetl and the Pyramid of Cholula—Puebla at Night 176 CHAPTER XX. Glimpses of Purgatory and Paradise—The Plains of Perote—The Rim of the Table-Land—Magnificent View— Paradise—Orizaba Mountain—The Delights of Jalapa—The Field of Cerro Gordo—The Continent Crossed 185 CHAPTER XXI. Vera Cruz and San Juan d'Ulloa—Homeward 195 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. SAN FRANCISCO IN 1849, FRONTISPIECE. SACRAMENTO CITY—FACING CHAPTER III PAGE 26 PORTSMOUTH SQUARE, SAN FRANCISCO, “ 55 MAZATLAN, “ 8 CHAPTER I. Eldorado, or, Adventures in the path of empire http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.123 ELECTION SCENES AND MINING CHARACTERS. ON my arrival at the Lower Bar, I found Mr. Raney, of Stockton, who had made the journey with the greatest difficulty, the roads being almost impassable. The rainy season had now fairly set in, and as it came a month earlier than usual, the miners, in most cases, were without their winter supplies. Provisions of all kinds had greatly advanced in price, and the cost of freight from Stockton ran up at once to 75 cts. per lb. Flour was sold on the river at $1 per lb. and other articles were in the same proportion. Much anxiety was felt lest the rains should not abate, in which case there would have been a great deal of suffering on all the rivers. The clouds gradually lowered and settled down on the topmost pines. Towards evening a chill rain came on, and the many gullies on the hill-sides were filled with brown torrents that brawled noisily on their way to the swollen Mokelumne. The big drops splashed dismally on our tent, as we sat within, but a double cover kept us completely dry and the ditch dug inside the pins turned off the streams that poured down its sides. During the night, however, the wind blew violently down the ravines, and 6 the skirts of our blankets nearest the side of the tent were thoroughly soaked. My boots stood under a leaky part of the canvas, and as I hastened to put them on next morning, without examination, I thrust my foot into about three inches of water The Election Day dawned wet and cheerlessly. From the folds of our canvas door, we looked out on the soaked and trickling hills and the sodden, dripping tents. Few people were stirring about the place, and they wore such a forlorn look that all idea of getting up a special enthusiasm was at once abandoned. There was no motion made in the matter until towards noon, as the most of the miners lay dozing in their tents. The Alcalde acted as Judge, which was the first step; next there were two Inspectors to be appointed. I was requested to act as one, but, although I had been long enough in the country to have held the office, I declined to accept until after application had been made to some of the inhabitants. The acquiescence of two of the resident traders relieved me of the responsibility. The election was held in the largest tent in the place, the Inspectors being seated behind the counter, in close proximity to the glasses and bottles, the calls for which were quite as frequent as the votes. I occupied a seat next the Alcalde, on a rough couch covered with an Eldorado, or, Adventures in the path of empire http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.123 India-rubber blanket, where I passed the day in looking on the election and studying the singular characters present. As there were two or three candidates for State offices in the place, the drumming up of voters gave one a refreshing reminiscence of home. The choosing of candidates from lists, nearly all of whom were entirely unknown, was very amusing. Names, in many instances, were made to stand for principles; accordingly, a Mr. Fair got many votes. One of the candidates, who had been on the river a few days previous, wearing a high-crowned silk hat, 7 with narrow brim, lost about twenty votes on that account. Some went no further than to vote for those they actually knew. One who took the opposite extreme, justified himself in this wise:—“When I left home,” said he, “I was determined to go blind. I went it blind in coming to California, and I'm not going to stop now. I voted for the Constitution, and I've never seen the Constitution. I voted for all the candidates, and I don't know a damned one of them. I'm going it blind all through, I am.” The Californians and resident Mexicans who were entitled to vote, were in high spirits, on exercising the privilege for the first time in their lives. It made no difference what the ticket was; the fact of their having voted very much increased their self-importance, for the day at least. The votes polled amounted to one hundred and five, all of which were “For the Constitution.” The number of miners on the Bar, who were entitled to vote, was probably double this number, but those who were at work up among the gulches remained in their tents, on account of the rain. A company on the other side of the river was completely cut off from the polls by the rise of the flood, which made it impossible for them to cross. The Inspectors were puzzled at first how far to extend the privilege of suffrage to the Mexicans. There was no copy of the Treaty of Queretaro to be had, and the exact wording of the clause referring to this subject was not remembered.