Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/295



During the  winter  of  1852-3,  the  miners  of  the lower portion  of  the  valley  of  California,  then  sub- merged, were driven  into  the  cities. Most of  them were destitute;  others  had  a  little  bag  of  hard- earned gold-dust;  men  unaccustomed  to  the  ways  of laro-e  cities  fell  victims  to  the  sleio-ht-of-hand  sharks of Long  Wharf:  beino;  either  inveio-led  under  some pretext into  a  low  den,  and  there  robbed,  or  induced to bet  on  some  sure  things  with  the  usual  result  of the  dust  changing  hands  The  sad  spectacle  was  then presented in  San  Francisco  of  hundreds  of  men  and some women  actually  starving  for  food;  men  and women tenderly  reared,  honest,  intelligent,  educated, without money,  without  work,  without  friends;  and too proud  to  let  their  necessities  be  known. Many an act  of  khid,  unrecorded  charity  was  then  done  by strangers  as  well  as  friends, — unrecorded  here,  but written of  a  surety  in  the  angel's  book  of  remem- brance.

Strange how  custom  and  tradition  impregnate  the blood and  retain  their  hold  upon  their  victims  for generations after  their  death  1  The  time  was  when  a bull-fight  was  an  imposing  spectacle;  when  royalty graced the  arena,  and  the  proudest  nobles  and  fairest daughters of  Castile  cheered  the  performers;  when  the tows were  powerful  and  severe,  the  jyicadores,  clad  like knights with  all  the  appurtenances  of  chivalry  and mounted on  mettlesome  caparisoned  steeds,  were the most  dashing  horsemen  the  world  could  find; when the  banderilleros,  in  their  light  close-fitting  cos- tume, assisted by  the  chulos,  were  the  quickest  and most agile  of  foot-fighters,  and  the  matador  with  one thrust of  his  keen  sword  could  stretch  the  foaming infuriated animal  lifeless  upon  the  ground. The car- cass of this  pastime  was  raised  occasionally  by  its adherents after  the  advent  of  the  gold-seekers,  but there was  little  of  the  pristine  sport  about  it,  the  effort usually proving  sadly  abortive,  a  mere  burlesque  upon the ancient  custom. The  unhappy  bull,  fa