The captain and his guest climbed into the steamer; then the whale-boat unloaded. Goodness gracious, there were not only the travel-worn men, but two women also! Up the side they all toiled2, the men lean and brown and whiskered, the two women fully3 as distressful4 looking, with their hair faded, and their skin tight over their cheek-bones. The majority of the men were clad in old deer-skins and moccasins, and carried only hand-baggage of bundles.
"Well, holy smoke!" exclaimed Mr. Grigsby, at sight of one of the men. "Is that you, Bentley?"
"Hello, Sam," wearily responded the man. "It's what's left of me."
"Where'd you come from?"
"From the States, by way of the Gila trail across the desert. Nigh starved to death, too."
"You look it," commented Mr. Grigsby. "Is this all your party?"
"No. Part of us branched off for Los Angeles, on this side of the Colorado Desert; part of us never got through, and some are buried and some aren't. The rest of us struck for the sea, by the San Diego fork, as fast as we could. And I tell you, this steamer looks mighty7 good!"
"Pshaw!" murmured Mr. Grigsby, while Charley felt a great wave of sympathy for Mr. Bentley and all. And the Frémonter added: "I suppose you're bound for the gold fields, like everybody else."
"Yes," answered the tattered emigrant9. "But all the gold in Californy can't pay me for what I've gone through. Hunger and thirst and heat and cold and Injuns—we met 'em. It's a terrible trail, Sam, as I reckon you know. And queer enough, those two women—those two wives in the party—stood it without a whimper. Gentlemen," he spoke10 to the crowd, "those are the heroes."
"You bet," responded several voices. "And there are more women like 'em."
The emigrant Bentley passed on, following his fellows. Mr. Grigsby had known him in trapper days. They had hunted beaver11 together.
No one made any objection to taking these additional passengers aboard. Anyway, now it was only a few days to San Francisco. The new gold seekers all had harrowing stories to tell. As Mr. Bentley had said, the most of them had traveled from the Missouri River, in Arkansas and Missouri, by a southern route across New Mexico which included what is to-day Arizona, from Santa Fé striking west for the Gila River. It was a parched12 and barren country, rife13 with the Apaches and Navajos and Yumas and other fierce tribes, who stole their horses and cattle and harassed14 their camps. Skeletons of men and animals, from other parties, lined the trail; and there was one march of fifty miles without water.
Two in the company had even crossed Mexico, and had been lost, until they emerged from the mountains and sighted the desert of southern California. All in all, thought Charley (and his father agreed) people were taking astounding15 risks to get to California.
There was the trip clear around Cape16 Horn, by boat; and the trip across the Isthmus17; and trips across Mexico, from Vera Cruz and other points; and the Gila River trail, through the dry desert; and several trails, further north, more crowded and almost as perilous18. Why, the whole West and Southwest must be divided off every few hundred miles by regular processions of gold seekers! He hoped, did Charley, that Billy Walker would get through all right.
The army officer proved to be a young lieutenant19—Lieutenant William T. Sherman, Third Artillery20, now Adjutant General of the Division of the Pacific, with headquarters at San Francisco, whither he was returning. Mr. Adams managed to strike up a conversation with him, for the lieutenant was affable, especially with anyone like Mr. Adams, who had been a soldier under General Scott.
"Have you any news for us gold seekers, Lieutenant?" invited Mr. Adams.
"From where, sir?"
"From San Francisco and the gold fields."
"News!" exclaimed the lieutenant, smiling with his steady gray eyes. He had a long, rather stern face, of russet complexion21, but he was pleasant. "There's news every hour. This crowd you've taken aboard is only a sample of the people who are pouring in by thousands."
"It exceeds any reports, sir."
"How about other business? What is the chance in San Francisco?"
"San Francisco is growing at the rate of thirty houses and a hundred people a day. All kinds of supplies are in demand, and all kinds of labor23 and professions. The chief trouble is to get them. The harbor is full of vessels24 without crews, stores are without clerks and houses without servants, and the army almost without soldiers. You are aware, I suppose, that this very steamer, the first steamship25 into the harbor, last February, was immediately deserted26 by every sailor, who all put out to the mines. She was held at anchor for a week or two, trying to ship a crew so as to make the return trip to Panama. Whole companies of soldiers have followed the example of the sailors. Colonel Mason, when he was military governor of California, found himself obliged to cook his own meals; and General Persifor Smith, the present commander of the division, has been abandoned by every servant. We officers all are doing our own housework. As it is, ordinary laborers27 are getting ten and twenty dollars a day, and house servants ask and are getting $200 a month! Everybody figures on making twenty dollars a day at the mines, with chance of making much more; so ordinary wages don't tempt28. The whole country is simply crazy." And Lieutenant Sherman turned on his heel and marched off, as if indignant—and well he might be, for it was soon found out that the army officers in California were having hard work to live within their small pay.
The California steamed northward29, with the hilly California coast much in sight on the right, although distant. Some of the table-lands and hills shone yellow as if gold-plated, and raised high hopes among many of the passengers. Wasn't this the Land of Gold, at last? But Lieutenant Sherman and Mr. Grigsby, and a few others familiar with the country, explained that the yellow was immense fields of wild oats, already ripening30.
At sunset was passed an island called Santa Catalina Island, inhabited by thousands of wild goats. It was owned by a Spanish family who annually31 killed the goats for their meat and hides. Out of sight inland, was said to be the town of Los Angeles, the largest inland town of California, and older than San Francisco.
The next stop would be Monterey. During the night the wind blew hard, kicking up the roughest sea of the whole voyage, and once throwing Charley out of his bunk32, almost on top of Mr. Grigsby's cot.
"Hello," grunted33 the Frémonter, "hold fast, there. We must be rounding Cape Conception, above Santa Barbara. That's a sort of a Cape Horn of this coast, dividing it off. But we'll have fair sailing again, on the other side."
In the morning the storm had waned34, but the seas still ran high, in immense white-crested waves that tossed and foamed35, and leaping at the steamer tried to climb aboard. The sky was gloriously blue, without a cloud, and the air tasted salty crisp. Now the Coast Range of California loomed36 large; its hither bases spotted37 with the yellow of oats and the green of trees. Ramparts of high cliffs, separated by strips of green and brown low-lands, bordered the ocean.
After breakfast a long point, jutting38 out from the shore ahead, was hailed by the knowing ones aboard as Point Pinos (Pines Point), guardian39 of the harbor of Monterey. Gradually the steamer turned in; another harbor opened, with a cluster of white, red-roofed houses behind it, at the foot of the hills. Sweeping40 in past the pine-ridged point the California, with boom of gun, dropped anchor in the historic bay of Monterey.
The captain and Lieutenant Sherman, and any passengers who wished, went ashore41 here, for the California was to take on wood for fuel to San Francisco.
Monterey had long been the capital of Upper California, and was the first place captured by the United States, in July, 1846, after war with Mexico was begun. Mr. Grigsby knew it well, for hither he had marched from the north with Frémont's battalion42 of Volunteer Riflemen. It was a pleasant old town, of white-washed, tile-roofed clay buildings, a custom-house at the wharf43, a large, yellow town hall, and an army post on the bluff44 overlooking town and bay. The town sloped to the low surf of the wave-flecked bay encircled by cliffs and bluffs45. Beyond the town rose higher hills, well timbered with oaks and pines.
"The flag was raised July 7, Forty-six, over this custom-house," stated Mr. Grigsby. "Commodore Sloat sent ashore 250 men from the flag-ship Savannah, and the ships Cyane, Warren and Levant, which he had in the bay; and Lieutenant Edward Higgins did the raising, at ten in the morning. Purser Rodney Price made the proclamation to the people."
"Where were you, then?" asked Charley.
"Oh, I was up north at Sutter's Fort, with Frémont and the rest, waiting to get supplies—this shirt, among other things." For Mr. Grigsby had donned his star-collar shirt, as if in honor of the occasion. "We marched in later."
Monterey seemed to be a very quiet, sleepy old place. The majority of the citizens were the native Californians, wearing their picturesque46 costumes of slashed47 velvet48 trousers loose at the bottom and tight at the knee, red sashes about their waists, silk shirts and short velvet jackets, and peaked, wide-brimmed, tasseled49 felt hats. The morning air was chilly50, although the sun shone brightly. In front of many of the stores and in the plaza51 or square little fires had been built, around which the people were huddling52, to get warm. Mr. Grigsby explained that there wasn't a stove in town, probably, that everybody cooked in small fireplaces, and that until the Americans came and introduced the bonfire the natives were "too blamed lazy" to do more than shiver themselves warm!
"Why, these natives wouldn't walk across a street," he said. "They all rode—that is, the men. And why not, when horses were to be had for nothing. Ten dollars would buy the best horse in the territory."
Considerable of a crowd had gathered in front of the town hall, clustered and craning and gazing at some object in their midst. Mr. Grigsby, stalwart and proud in his Frémont shirt, sauntered to see. Presently he called and beckoned53.
"Here you are. Here's what you're looking for."
So Mr. Adams and Charley crossed, also. The crowd gave way courteously54, exposing a smiling, good-looking Californian, leaning against the heavy saddle of his horse.
"Here you are," repeated Mr. Grigsby, who was fingering the contents of a small canvas sack, evidently the property of the horseman. "You want to see gold? Take a look at it."
Following his father, Charley peeped within. The canvas sack was half full of dull yellow—a yellow like the yellow which the buckskin sack had contained, in St. Louis. However, this yellow was coarser.
"Si, señors," smilingly answered the native. And continued, in good English: "From the American River."
"Yes, and more. Everybody finds it who looks."
"How long were you gone?" asked Mr. Adams.
"Who knows, señor? Coming and going, perhaps two weeks, but I stopped with friends along the way."
"How long were you in finding this, then?"
"Four, maybe five, days. It is easy."
"What will you do with it, señor?" inquired Mr. Grigsby.
"Who knows? When one has money he has friends. For a few days I can be rich. When I am poor again, there is plenty more gold to be had."
"Were there many other people searching?" asked Mr. Adams.
"An army, señor. They are working like ants."
They thanked the man for his courtesy, and returning him his treasure started on, for the town hall doorway58.
"He'll spend that before another morning," declared Mr. Grigsby. "That's the curse of easy money—especially out here, where the natives can get along on a little. Wait a minute. I'll go in and find the alcalde—he's the mayor. Colton's his name. He was chaplain on the frigate59 Congress, and was appointed alcalde after Monterey was captured. I knew him in Forty-six. Fine man. Maybe we can call on the governor, General Bennet Riley, and pay our respects."
Mayor Colton sent word that he'd be pleased to see them, but that the governor was in San Francisco. However, the mayor (who, as Mr. Grigsby had said, was a minister, a navy chaplain, and indeed a fine man) showed them through the town hall, which he had caused to be built out of the fines and fees in the town treasury60. It had been finished only this March, and contained a large public hall on the second floor, and a school and jail and other departments on the ground floor. It certainly was a credit to Monterey, away out here in California.
"Gold?" exclaimed Alcalde Colton, waving his hands in despair at the mention of it. "Yes, I've been up to the mines myself, on several occasions. I was there as early as last September, and dug some for myself. But it's the ruination of Monterey and the rest of the coast. Nobody'll work, except we Government and other public officers who have to; everybody's crazy, talking and dreaming only of easy riches; and even an old woman cook of mine, too feeble to go away, won't clean a fowl61 until she's examined its crop for a nugget."
"By the way, where's Colonel Frémont?" queried Mr. Grigsby. "Is he still out here?"
"Certainly. You're a Frémont man, I see. He's here, and so are his wife and daughter. They came out just ahead of you, on the Panama. They make their home in Monterey, but they're up north now, with the colonel. He's mining on his big Mariposa ranch6, in the interior back of San José. They have the only four-wheeled vehicle in the territory—a surrey brought around the Horn for them."
However, interesting as Monterey was, nobody aboard the California wanted to stay long here. San Francisco was only about twelve hours ahead; and then, the gold!
On again steamed the California, threshing the waves with her huge paddles, and all the passengers scrutinizing62 the shore line, many of them rather expecting to see gold out-cropping on the cliffs and ridges63.
"We'll probably get in at evening, and spend the night aboard," remarked Charley's father.
During the day the coast grew more bare and sandy, with sandy, rolling hills behind it. In the afternoon it appeared to bulge64 out, before, and in the bulge appeared a gap.
"There you are," directed Mr. Grigsby, to Charley, and pointing. "See that gap? Yes? It's the Golden Gate channel into the Bay of San Francisco."
"That's what it's reckoned at, now," assented66 the Frémonter. "But it was named before gold was discovered. Frémont named it; you'll see it on his map of Forty-seven. It's the Golden Gate, whichever way you look at it—from the outside, toward the land, or from the inside, toward the sunset."
True enough. Even now the sun had set, and all the wide west fronting the gateway67 was a deep golden sheen, and the water and the shore was dyed with the richness. Turning her stern on the sunset, the steamer headed in, for the golden shore.
The gap opened, wider and wider, to form a broad strait. In it an island gleamed white.
"That's Alcatraz Island, at the inside end of the channel," explained Mr. Grigsby, who served as a very good guide. "You'll see Yerba Buena Island—some call it Goat Island—in a minute, on the right of it, and Angel Island on the left. That big round peak straight ahead, on the mainland, is Mount Diablo. Now we're getting opposite Fort Point; see the flag. The town is around on our right, other side of this first line of hills separating the bay from the ocean."
Through the Golden Gate was slowly and majestically68 steaming the California. The gate was really a pair of jaws69, set half-open—great promontories70 of rock and sand, the one on the left or the north being almost a mountain chain. Within the jaws was the bay, like the mouth. Everything was tinged71 with the wondrous72 golden glow.
Several sailing boats were beating in and out of the strait, which was narrowest at Fort Point. Beyond Fort Point the tips of masts began to appear, over the tops of the lower hills on the right; and as the California gradually rounded the further side of this peninsula, ships at anchor came into sight. The bay itself opened, extending on right and left of the entrance, against a background of rolling, yellowish hills.
"Around the corner, now—and there you'll see San Francisco," announced Mr. Grigsby, he peering as intently as anybody.
Between Alcatraz Island and Goat Island passed the California, swinging to the right more and more, describing a half circle; the ships at anchor increased to a dense73 mass floating many flags; and then, hurrah74, on the near shore, against the hills of this the west side of the bay appeared a straggling jumble75 of low buildings, already enshadowed by dusk and dotted with lights, some stationary76, others moving. The murmur8 of many voices, punctuated77 by shouts and hammering, floated across the smooth water, and from the shipping78 sounded frequent hails. Through the shipping weaved the California, with all her passengers peering excitedly; then "Boom!" spoke her signal gun, and not far from the water-front, where a clear place had been left, she dropped anchor. From her decks arose a mighty cheer; and listen—the people running down to the water-front replied! So everybody cheered again, Charley swinging his hat and "hooraying" as hard as anybody.
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1
tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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distressful
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| adj.苦难重重的，不幸的，使苦恼的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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emigrant
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| adj.移居的，移民的；n.移居外国的人，移民 | |
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10
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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11
beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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12
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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13
rife
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| adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的 | |
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14
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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15
astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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17
isthmus
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| n.地峡 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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24
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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steamship
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| n.汽船，轮船 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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laborers
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| n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工 | |
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tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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ripening
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的现在分词 )；熟化；熟成 | |
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annually
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| adv.一年一次，每年 | |
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bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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33
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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34
waned
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| v.衰落( wane的过去式和过去分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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35
foamed
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| 泡沫的 | |
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loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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38
jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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39
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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40
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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42
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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44
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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45
bluffs
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| 恐吓( bluff的名词复数 )； 悬崖； 峭壁 | |
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46
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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47
slashed
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| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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48
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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49
tasseled
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| v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须( tassel的过去式和过去分词 )；使抽穗， （为了使作物茁壮生长）摘去穗状雄花；用流苏装饰 | |
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50
chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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51
plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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52
huddling
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| n. 杂乱一团, 混乱, 拥挤 v. 推挤, 乱堆, 草率了事 | |
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53
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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55
flake
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| v.使成薄片；雪片般落下；n.薄片 | |
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56
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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57
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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58
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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60
treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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61
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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62
scrutinizing
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的现在分词 ) | |
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ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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bulge
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| n.突出，膨胀，激增；vt.突出，膨胀 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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majestically
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| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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promontories
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| n.岬，隆起，海角( promontory的名词复数 ) | |
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tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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jumble
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| vt.使混乱，混杂；n.混乱；杂乱的一堆 | |
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stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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punctuated
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| v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物 | |
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shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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