memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第15节

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。　　I　remember　the　proclamation　made　by　Burton　and　Captain　Bailey；　in　taking　possession；　which　was　in　the　usual　florid　style。　Bailey　signed　his　name　as　the　senior　naval　officer　at　the　station；　but；　as　it　was　necessary　to　put　it　into　Spanish　to　reach　the　inhabitants　of　the　newly…acquired　country；　it　was　interpreted；　〃El　mas　antiguo　de　todos　los　oficiales　de　la　marina；〃　etc。；　which；　literally；　is　〃the　　most　ancient　of　all　the　naval　officers；〃　etc。；　a　translation　at　which　we　made　some　fun。

The　expedition　to　Mazatlan　was；　however；　for　a　different　purpose；　viz。；　to　get　possession　of　the　ports　of　Mazatlan　and　Guaymas；　as　a　part　of　the　war　against　Mexico；　and　not　for　permanent　conquest。

Commodore　Shubrick　commanded　this　expedition；　and　took　Halleck　along　as　his　engineer…officer。　　They　captured　Mazatlan　and　Guaymas；　and　then　called　on　Colonel　Mason　to　send　soldiers　down　to　hold　possession；　but　he　had　none　to　spare；　and　it　was　found　impossible　to　raise　other　volunteers　either　in　California　or　Oregon；　and　the　navy　held　these　places　by　detachments　of　sailors　and　marines　till　the　end　of　the　war。　　Burton　also　called　for　reenforcements；　and　Naglee'a　company　was　sent　to　him　from　Monterey；　and　these　three　companies　occupied　Lower　California　at　the　end　of　the　Mexican　War。　Major　Hardie　still　commanded　at　San　Francisco　and　above；　Company　F；　Third　Artillery；　and　Shannon's　company　of　volunteers；　were　at　Monterey；　Lippett's　company　at　Santa　Barbara；　Colonel　Stevenson；　with　one　company　of　his　regiment；　and　the　company　of　the　First　Dragoons；　was　at　Los　Angeles；　and　a　company　of　Mormons；　reenlisted　out　of　the　Mormon　Battalion；　garrisoned　San　Diegoand　thus　matters　went　along　throughout　1847　into　1848。　　I　had　occasion　to　make　several　trips　to　Yerba　Buena　and　back；　and　in　the　spring　of　1848　Colonel　Mason　and　I　went　down　to　Santa　Barbara　in　the　sloop…of…war　Dale。

I　spent　much　time　in　hunting　deer　and　bear　in　the　mountains　back　of　the　Carmel　Mission；　and　ducks　and　geese　in　the　plains　of　the　Salinas。　　As　soon　as　the　fall　rains　set　in；　the　young　oats　would　sprout　up；　and　myriads　of　ducks；　brant；　and　geese；　made　their　appearance。　　In　a　single　day；　or　rather　in　the　evening　of　one　day　and　the　morning　of　the　next；　I　could　load　a　pack…mule　with　geese　and　ducks。　　They　had　grown　somewhat　wild　from　the　increased　number　of　hunters；　yet；　by　marking　well　the　place　where　a　flock　lighted；　I　could；　by　taking　advantage　of　gullies　or　the　shape　of　the　ground；；　creep　up　within　range；　and；　giving　one　barrel　on　the　ground；　and　the　other　as　they　rose；　I　have　secured　as　many　as　nine　at　one　discharge。　　Colonel　Mason　on　one　occasion　killed　eleven　geese　by　one　discharge　of　small　shot。　　The　seasons　in　California　are　well　marked。　　About　October　and　November　the　rains　begin；　and　the　whole　country；　plains　and　mountains；　becomes　covered　with　a　bright…green　grass；　with　endless　flowers。　　The　intervals　between　the　rains　give　the　finest　weather　possible。　　These　rains　are　less　frequent　in　March；　and　cease　altogether　in　April　and　May；　when　gradually　the　grass　dies　and　the　whole　aspect　of　things　changes；　first　to　yellow；　then　to　brown；　and　by　midsummer　all　is　burnt　up　and　dry　as　an　ashheap

When　General　Kearney　first　departed　we　took　his　office　at　Larkin's；　but　shortly　afterward　we　had　a　broad　stairway　constructed　to　lead　from　the　outside　to　the　upper　front　porch　of　the　barracks。　　By　cutting　a　large　door　through　the　adobe…wall；　we　made　the　upper　room　in　the　centre　our　office；　and　another　side…room；　connected　with　it　by　a　door；　was　Colonel　Mason's　private　office。

I　had　a　single　clerk；　a　soldier　named　Baden；　and　William　E。　P。　Hartnell；　citizen；　also　had　a　table　in　the　same　room。　　He　was　the　government　interpreter；　and　had　charge　of　the　civil　archives。　After　Halleck's　return　from　Mazatlan；　he　was；　by　Colonel　Mason；　made　Secretary　of　State；　and　he　then　had　charge　of　the　civil　archives；　including　the　land…titles；　of　which　Fremont　first　had　possession；　but　which　had　reverted　to　us　when　he　left　the　country。

I　remember　one　day；　in　the　spring　of　1848；　that　two　men；　Americans；　came　into　the　office　and　inquired　for　the　Governor。　　I　asked　their　business；　and　one　answered　that　they　had　just　come　down　from　Captain　Sutter　on　special　business；　and　they　wanted　to　see　Governor　Mason　in　person。　　I　took　them　in　to　the　colonel；　and　left　them　together。　　After　some　time　the　colonel　came　to　his　door　and　called　to　me。　　I　went　in；　and　my　attention　was　directed　to　a　series　of　papers　unfolded　on　his　table；　in　which　lay　about　half　an　ounce　of　placer　gold。　　Mason　said　to　me；　〃What　is　that？〃　I　touched　it　and　examined　one　or　two　of　the　larger　pieces；　and　asked；　〃Is　it　gold？〃　Mason　asked　me　if　I　had　ever　seen　native　gold。　　I　answered　that；　in　1844；　I　was　in　Upper　Georgia；　and　there　saw　some　native　gold；　but　it　was　much　finer　than　this；　and　that　it　was　in　phials；　or　in　transparent　quills；　but　I　said　that；　if　this　were　gold；　it　could　be　easily　tested；　first；　by　its　malleability；　and　next　by　acids。　　I　took　a　piece　in　my　teeth；　and　the　metallic　lustre　was　perfect。　　I　then　called　to　the　clerk；　Baden；　to　bring　an　axe　and　hatchet　from　the　backyard。　　When　these　were　brought；　I　took　the　largest　piece　and　beat　it　out　flat；　and　beyond　doubt　it　was　metal；　and　a　pure　metal。　　Still；　we　attached　little　importance　to　the　fact；　for　gold　was　known　to　exist　at　San　Fernando；　at　the　south；　and　yet　was　not　considered　of　much　value。　　Colonel　Mason　then　handed　me　a　letter　from　Captain　Sutter；　addressed　to　him；　stating　that　he　（Sutter）　was　engaged　in　erecting　a　saw…mill　at　Coloma；　about　forty　miles　up　the　American　Fork；　above　his　fort　at　New　Helvetia；　for　the　general　benefit　of　the　settlers　in　that　vicinity；　that　he　had　incurred　considerable　expense；　and　wanted　a　〃preemption〃　to　the　quarter…　section　of　land　on　which　the　mill　was　located；　embracing　the　tail…race　in　which　this　particular　gold　had　been　found。　　Mason　instructed　me　to　prepare　a　letter；　in　answer；　for　his　signature。　　I　wrote　off　a　letter；　reciting　that　California　was　yet　a　Mexican　province；　simply　held　by　us　as　a　conquest；　that　no　laws　of　the　United　States　yet　applied　to　it；　much　less　the　land　laws　or　preemption　laws；　which　could　only　apply　after　a　public　survey。　Therefore　it　was　impossible　for　the　Governor　to　promise　him　（Sutter）　a　title　to　the　land；　yet；　as　there　were　no　settlements　within　forty　miles；　he　was　not　likely　to　be　disturbed　by　trespassers。　　Colonel　Mason　signed　the　letter；　handed　it　to　one　of　the　gentlemen　who　had　brought　the　sample　of　gold；　and　they　departed。　　That　gold　was　the　first　discovered　in　the　Sierra　Nevada；　which　soon　revolutionized　the　whole　country；　and　actually　moved　the　whole　civilized　world。　　About　this　time　（May　and　June；　1848）；　far　more　importance　was　attached　to　quicksilver。　　One　mine；　the　New　Almaden；　twelve　miles　south　of　San　Jose；　was　well　known；　and　was　in　possession　of　the　agent　of　a　Scotch　gentle　man　named　Forties；　who　at　the　time　was　British　consul　at　Tepic；　Mexico。　　Mr。　Forties　came　up　from　San　Blas　in　a　small　brig；　which　proved　to　be　a　Mexican　vessel；　the　vessel　was　seized；　condemned；　and　actually　sold；　but　Forties　was　wealthy；　and　bought　her　in。　　His　title　to　the　quicksilver…mine　was；　however；　never　disputed；　as　he　had　bought　it　regularly；　before　our　conquest　of　the　country；　from　another　British　subject；　also　named　Forties；　a　resident　of　Santa　Clara　Mission；　who　had　purchased　it　of　the　discoverer；　a　priest；　but　the　boundaries　of　the　land　attached　to　the　mine　were　even　then　in　dispute。　　Other　men　were　in　search　of　quicksilver；　and　the　whole　range　of　mountains　near　the　New　Almaden　mine　was　stained　with　the　brilliant　red　of　the　snlphuret　of　mercury　（cinnabar）。　　A　company　composed　of　T。　O。　Larkin；　J。　R。　Snyder；　and　others；　among　them　one　John　Ricord　（who　was　quite　a　character）；　also　claimed　a　valuable　mine　near　by。　Ricord　was　a　lawyer　from　about　Buffalo；　and　by　some　means　had　got　to　the　Sandwich　Islands；　where　he　became　a　great　favorite　of　the　king；　Kamehameha；　was　his　attorney…general；　and　got　into　a　difficulty　with　the　Rev。　Mr。　Judd；　who　was　a　kind　of　prime…minister　to　his　majesty。　　One　or　the　other　had　to　go；　and　Ricord　left　for　San　Francisco；　where　he　arrived　while　Colonel　Mason　and　I　were　there　on　some　business　connected　with　the　customs。　　Ricord　at　once　made　a　dead　set　at　Mason　with　flattery；　and　all　sorts　of　spurious　arguments；　to　convince　him　that　our　military　government　was　too　simple　in　its　forms　for　the　new　state　of　facts；　and　that　he　was　the　man　to　remodel　it。　　I　had　heard　a　good　deal　to　his　prejudice；　and　did　all　I　could　to　prevent　Mason　taking　him；　into　his　confidence。　We　then　started　back　for　Monterey。　　Ricord　was　along；　and　night　and　day　he　was　harping　on　his　scheme；　but　he　disgusted　Colonel　Mason　with　his　flattery；　and；　on　reaching　Monterey；　he　opened　what　he　called　a　law…office；　but　there　were　neither　courts　nor　clients；　so　necessity　forced　him　to　turn　his　thoughts　to　something　else；　and　quicksilver　became　his　hobby。　　In　the　spring　of　1848　an　appeal　came　to　our　office　from　San　Jose；　which　compelled　the　Governor　to　go　up　in　person。　　Lieutenant　Loeser　and　I；　with　a　couple　of　soldiers；　went　along。　　At　San　Jose　the　Governor　held　some　kind　of　a　court；　in　which　Ricord　and　the　alcalde　had　a　warm　dispute　about　a　certain　mine　which　Ricord；