Page:History of California (Bancroft) volume 6.djvu/63



son specially  reliable,  this  mission  was  intrusted. The man  would  indeed  die  rather  than  betray  any secret of  his  kind  countryman  and  master;  but  alas  I he  loved  intoxication,  that  too  treacherous  felicity. Arrived at  Coloma,  the  teamster  encountered  one  of the  Wimmer boys,  who  exclaimed  triumphantly,  "We have  found  gold  up  here." The teamster  so  ridiculed the idea  that  the  mother  at  length  became  some- what nettled, and  to  prove  her  son  truthful,  she  not only produced  the  stuff,  but  gave  some  to  the  teamster. Returned to  the  fort,  his  arduous  duty  done,  the  man must have  a  drink. Often he  had  tried  at  Smith  and Brannan's store  to  quench  his  thirst  from  the  whis- kay barrel,  and  pay  for  the  same  in  promises. On this occasion  he  presented  at  the  counter  a  bold  front and demanded  a  bottle  of  the  delectable,  at  the  same time laying  down  the  dust. " What  is  that? "  asked Smith. " Gold,"  was  the  reply. Smith thought  the fellow was  quizzing  him;  nevertheless  he  spoke  of  it to  Sutter,  who  finally  acknowledged  the  fact.*

About the  time  of  Bennett's  departure  Sutter's schooner  went  down  the  river,  carrying  specimens  of the  new  discovery,  and  Folsom,  the  quartermaster  in San  Francisco,  learned  of  the  fact,  informed,  it  is  said, by McKinstry. Then John  Bidwell  went  to  the  Bay and spread  the  news  broadcast. Smith, store-keeper at the  fort,  sent  word  of  it  to  his  partner,  Brannan; and thus  by  various  ways  the  knowledge  became  gen- eral.

It was  not  long  before  the  saw-mill  society,  which numbered among  its  members  one  woman  and  two

were livinff  on  that  when  gold  was  fonnd,  and  we  were  suffering  from  scurvy afterward. Oregtton^a Statement^  MS.,  9. An infliction  this  man  might  un- dergo almost anywhere,  being,  if  like  his  manuscript,  something  of  a  scurvy fellow. Mark the  *we,  the  discoverers  of  gold,'  before  noticed. GregEoa was not  at  the  mill  when  gold  was  found.

soems that  the  gentle  Swiss  always  ^und  his  beloved  aboriginals  far  leas treacherous than  the  white-skinned  parasites. See StUter's  Rem. , MS.,  171-^; Inter PoeulOf  this  series;  HtUchinga*  Mag.^  ii. 196; Duitbar'a  Romance  of  th» Affe, 114-15.
 * * I  should  have  sent  my  Indians,*  groaned  Sutter  28  years  afterward.  It