Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/56



CHAPTER III.

FURTHER   RUMORS    OF    THE    EXISTENCE    OF    GOLD  IN  CALI- FORNIA PRIOR TO  THE  DISCOVERY  BY   MARSHALL.

J* Is  yellow  dirt  the  passion  of  thy  life  ?

Look but  on  Gripus  or  on  Gripus'  wife.

— Pope.

Nearer the  mythic  than  any  we  have  yet  encoun- tered, in point  of  elaboration  at  least,  is  the  story  told in 1865  by  the  Paris  correspondent  of  the  London Star. The writer  claims  to  have  discovered,  in  a  pri- vate collection in  Paris,  belonging  to  an  antiquai'ian named M.  le  Carpentier,  the  first  gold  found  in  Cali- fornia. It was  in  this  wise:  During  the  revolution of 1830,  and  for  years  afterward,  M.  le  Carpentier had felt  somewhat  nervous  lest  his  collection  should be seized  by  a  mob  or  by  burglars,  for  it  was  now very valuable. While in  this  frame  of  mind  he  was startled, late  one  night  in  1837,  by  a  loud  knocking  at the  street  door. After some  delay  he  opened  it  with great precaution,  and  there  stood  a  middle-aged  man, emaciated, apparently  in  wretched  health,  and  in  tat- tered garments.

" You  do  not  know  me,"  began  the  individual, speaking somewhat  wildly,  "  but  I  know  you,  and that  is  enough.  I  want  you  to  assist  me  in  applying to  government  for  a  vessel  and  a  hundred  men,  and  I will  bring  back  a  ship-load  of  gold." The antiquary's face  showed  what  hft  thought  of  the  proposal.

" Oh,  I  am  not  mad,"  the  invalid  continued. " See here!  You  are  wise.  You  know  the  value  of  this" — producing from  his  pocket  a  large  piece  of  quartz, richly impregnated  with  gold. M. le  Carpentier  was