Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/82



The following  copies  of  statements  may  be  relied upon as  correct,  word  for  word  with  the  respective originals. And as  first  in  importance  I  give  the  ac- count delivered me  from  his  own  lips  by  General Sutter.

One rainy  afternoon  in  January  1848,  Marshall,  dripping  with  water,  en- tered my office,  next  the  gnanl  houie,  in  a  hurried  excited  manner,  and  a  k:nl to see  me  alone  in  the  big  house,  wliieh  was  my  private  office,  and  the  clerk ;' offices. I was  surprised,  because  the  day  before  I  sent  up  all  that  he  wanted, mill-iron and  everything. I could  not  imagine  wliat  he  wanted,  yet  I  con- ducted him to  my  private  rooms,  parlor  and  bedroom,  and  we  entered  and shut the  door. In this  parlor  I  had  veiy  ancient  furniture  made  l)y  the  Rus- sians at  Fort  Ross,  the  first  manufactured  in  California,  being  of  laurel,  and very  clumsy.  Yob  it  was  better  than  the  chairs  in  many  rich  men's  liome3  of that  period.  Often  have  I  gone  into  the  house  of  a  well-to-do  owner  of  large lierd^  of  cattle,  and  have  l)een  offered  a  IniUock's  liead  to  sit  on,  as  a  chair. Marshall asked  me  if  the  door  was  locked. I said,  'no,  l)ut  I  will  lock  it.' H3  was  a  singular  man,  and  1  took  this  to  l)e  some  freak  of  his. I was  not in the  least  afraid  of  him. I had  no  weapon. There was  no  gun  in  tl^e room. I only  supposed,  as  he  was  queer,  that  he  took  this  queer  way  to  tell me some  secret.

He first  said  to  me,  'Are  we  alone?'  I  replied,  'Yes.'  'I  want  two bowls of  water,'  said  he. I rang  the  bell  for  a  servant. I had  six  different signals for  six  different  clerks  and  servants. The l)owls  of  water  were brought.  'Now  I  want  a  stick  of  redwood,'  said  Marshall,  'and  some  twine and  some  sheet  copper.'  '  Wliat  do  you  want  of  all  these  things,  Marshall  ? ' said  I.  'I  want  to  make  some  scales,'  he  replied.  'But  I  have  scale? enough  in  the  apothecary's  shop,'  said  I.  I  had  all  the  time  a  doctor,  when I  could  get  one,  and  a  hospital,  and  treated  people  without  charge.  'I  did not  tliink  of  that,'  said  Marshall.     I  went  myself  and  got  some  scales.

Meajiwhile the  door  had  become  unlocked  again,  and  so  remained,  although it was  on  the  side  of  the  room  adjoining,  my  rooms  being  double. It was not my  office,  but  my  private  rooms.

When I  returned  with  the  scales,  I  shut  the  door,  but  did  not  lock  it again. Then Marshall  pulled  out  of  his  pantaloons'  pocket  a  white  cotton rag, which  contained  sometliing  rolled  up  in  it. Just a 5  he  was  unfolding  it to  show  me  the  contents,  the  door  .was  opened  by  a  clerk  passing  through, who did  not  know  that  we  were  in  the  room,  "ihere,'  exclaimed  Marshall, quickly  thrusting  the  cotton  cloth  again  in  his  pocket,  '  did  not  I  tell  you  we had  listeners  ?  '  I  appea  :ed  him,  ordered  the  clerk  to  retire,  and  locked  the door.  Then  he  broiiglit  out  his  mysterious  secret  again.  Opening  the  clotli he  held  it  l^efore  me  in  his  hand.  It  contained  what  might  have  been  about an  ounce  and  a  half  of  gold-dust,  flaky  and  in  grains,  the  largest  piece  not  quite so  large  as  a  pea,  and  from  that  down  to  le^s  than  a  pin-head  in  size.  'I believe  tliis  is  gold,' said  Marshall,  '  Init  the  people  at  the  mill  laughed  at me,  and  called  me  crazy.'  I  carefully  examined  it,  and  said  to  him,  'Well, it  looks  so;  we  will  try  it.'  Then  I  went  to  the  apothecary's  shop,  and  got aqua fortis  and  applied  it. The stuff  stood  the  test. Marshall asked  me  if I  had  any  silver. I said,  *  yes, '  and  produced  a  few  dollars. Then we  put an equal  quantity  in  weight  of  gold  in  one  side  and  silver  in  the  other,  and drojjping the  two  in  the  bowls  of  water,  the  gold  went  down  and  outweighed the silver  under  water. Then I  brought  out  a  volume  of  the  old  American encyclopedia, a  copy  of  which  I  happened  to  have,  to  see  what  other  tests there Avere. Then I  said  to  him,  '  I  believe  this  is  the  finest  kind  of  gold. '

Then he  said  he  wished  I  would  accompany  him  immediately  to  the  mill. It was  about  supper-time,  and  i-aining  hard. I said,  '  You  had  better  take supper now;  I  will  go  up  early  in  the  morning,  as  soon  as  I  have