Page:History of California (Bancroft) volume 6.djvu/58



started for  the  saw-mill. When half-way  there, or more,  he  saw  an  object  moving  in  the  bushes at one  side. " What  is  that  ?  "  demanded  Sutter  of his  attendant. " The  man  who  was  with  you  yester- day," was  the  reply. It was  still  raining. "Have you been  here  all  night?" asked Sutter  of  Marshall ;  for it was  indeed  he. " No,"  Marshall  said,  "  I  slept  at the  mill,  and  came  back  to  meet  you." As they  rode along Marshall  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  whole country was  rich  in  gold. Arrived at  the  mill,  Sutter took up  his  quarters  at  a  house  Marshall  had  lately built for  himself,  a  little  way  up  the  mountain,  and yet not  far  from  the  mill. During the  night  the  water ran in  the  race,  and  in  the  morning  it  was  shut  off. All present  then  proceeded  down  the  channel,  and jumping into  it  at  various  points  began  to  gather gold.^* With  some  contributions  by  the  men,  added to what  he  himself  picked  up,  Sutter  secured  enough for a  ring  weighing  an  ounce  and  a  half,  which  he  soon after exhibited  with  great  pride  as  a  specimen  of  the first gold. A private  examination  by  the  partners  up the  river  disclosed  gold  all  along  its  course,  and  in  the tributary ravines  and  crceks.'^^

Sutter regarded  the  discovery  as  a  misfortune. Without laborers  his  extensive  works  must  come  to a  stop,  presaging  ruin. Gladly would  he  have  shut the knowledge  from  the  world,  for  a  time,  at  least. With the  men  at  the  mill  the  best  he  could  do  was  to make  them  promise  to  continue  their  work,  and  say nothing of  the  gold  ^discovery  for  six  weeks,  by  which time he  hoped  to  have  his  Hour-mill  completed,  and

^*Bigler, Diary y  MS.,  65-6,  gives  a  joke  which  they  undertook  to  play  on the  Old  Cap,  as  Marshall  called  Sutter. This was  nothing  less  than  to  salt the iiiiiie  in  order  that  Sutter  in  his  excitement  might  pass  the  hottle. Wim- mer's l)oy,  running  on  before,  picked  up  the  gold  scattered  in  the  race  for  the harmless  surprising  of  Sutter,  and  thus  spoiled  their  sport.

'*•' Indeed,  Sutter  claims  that  he  picked  with  a  small  knife  from  a  dry  gorge a solid  lump  weighing  nearly  an  ounce  and  a  half,  and  regarde«l  the  tributaries as the  richer  sources. The work-people  obtained  an  inkling  of  their  discovery, although they  sought  henceforth  to  dampen  the  interest. One of  the  Indians who seems  to  have  worked  in  a  southern  mine  published  his  knowledge. Pere, Jiem.y MS.