Page:History of California (Bancroft) volume 6.djvu/61



Sutter disclosed  his  weakness  in  several  ways. Al- though enjoining secrecy  upon  all  concerned,  and  show- ing extreme fear  lest  the  discovery  should  be  known  by those  about  him,  the  inconstant  Swiss  could  not  him- self resist the  temptation  of  telling  it  to  his  friends  at a  distance. Writing Vallejo  the  10th  of  February, he says:  "I  have  made  a  discovery  of  a  gold  mine, which,  according  to  experiments  we  have  made,  is  ex- traordinarily rich."^  Moreover,  not  wholly  satisfied with his  Indian  title,  Sutter  determined  to  despatch  a Uiossenger  to  Monterey,  for  the  purpose  of  further securing the  land  to  himself  and  Marshall  through Colonel R.  B.  Mason,  chief  representative  of  the United States  government  in  California. For this mission was  chosen  Charles  Bennett,  one  of  Marshall's associates,  and  standing  next  to  him  in  intelligence and ability  at  the  saw-mill. The messenger  was  in- structed to say  nothing  about  the  discovery  of  gold, but to  secure  the  land  with  mill,  pasture,  and  mineral privileges, giving  as  a  reason  for  including  the  last the appearance  of  lead  and  silver  in  the  soil.*  The man, however,  was  too  weak  for  the  purpose. With him in  a  buckskin  bag  he  carried  some  six  ounces  of the  secret,  which,  by  the  time  he  reached  Benicia, became too  heavy  for  him. There, in  Pfister  s  store, hearing it  said  that  coal  had  been  found  nearTVIonte del Diablo,  and  that  in  consequence  Califoriilu  vvuuld assume no  small  importance  in  the  eyes  of  her  new owners, Bennett  could  contain  himself  no  longer. will beat  coal>  and  make  this  the  greatest  country  in the  world."  Whereupon  he  produced  his  bag,  and passed  it  around  among  his  listeners.®
 * CoalI" he  exclaimed;  **I  have  something  here  which

^ The  accompliBhcd  potentate  writes  every  man  in  his  own  language,  though his Spanish  is  not  much  better  than  his  English. '* Y  he  hecho  un  descubri- niieuto de  roina  de  oro,  q*  sigun  hemos  esperinientado  es  extraordinarimente rica.' ValUfo,  Docs,  MS.,  xiL  332.

'Thia on  the  authority  of  Bigler. Diary of  a  Mormon,  MS.,  66. Some ■ay that  Bennett  held  contracts  with  Marshall  under  Sutter. Hunt's Mer,  Slcig,, XX. 59; but  for  this  there  is  no  good  authority. He set  out  for  Monterey toward the  middle  of  February.

' Several  claim  the  honor  of  carrying  the  first  gold  beyond  the  precmcla  ol