On reaching San Francisco Bennett heard of one
Isaac Humphrey, who,among other things, knew some-
thing of gold-mining. He had followed that occupa-
tion in Georgia, but hardly expected his talents in
that direction to be called in requisition in California.
Bennett sought an introduction, and again brought
forth his purse. Thus Sutter's secret was in a fine
way of being kept I Humphrey at once pronounced
the contents of the purse to be gold. At Monterey
Mason declined to malTe any promise respecting title to
lands,* and Bennett consoled himself for the failure of
his mission by offering further glimpses of his treasure.
In order to prevent a spreading infection among his dependents, Sutter determined that so far as pos- sible all communication with the saw-mill should for the present be stopped. Toward the latter end of February, however, he found it necessary to send thither provisions.* To a Swiss teamster, as a per-
the California Valley. Bid well, California 1841-8^ MS., 231, says he was the first to proclaim the news in Sonoma and S. F. ' I well remember Vallejo's words,* he writes, 'when I told him of the discovery and where it had taken
Slace. He said, ^'As the water flows through Sutter's mill-race, may the gold ow into Sutter's purse."* This must have bwn after or at the time of Ben- nett's journey; I do not think it preceded it. Bid well calls the chief ruler at Monterey Gov. Riley, instead of Col Mason; and if his memory is at fault upon 80 conspicuous a point, he might easily overlook the fact that Bennett preceded iiim. Furthermore, we have many who speak of meeting Bennett at 8. F., and of examining his gold, but not one who mentions Bidwells name in that connection. Sutter was adopting a singular course, certainly, to have his secret kept. Gregson, Stai, , MS. , 8, thinks that the first gold was taken by McKinstry in Sutter s launch to S. F., and there delivered to Folsom. Such statements as the following, though made in good faith, amount to little in determining as to the first. That nrst seen or known by a person to him is first, notwithstanding another's first may have been prior to his. ' 1 saw the firat gold that was brought down to S. F. It was in Howard & Melius' store, and in their charge. It was in four-ounce vial, or near that size.' Ayer's Per' aonal Adv.^ MS., 2.
- Sherman, Memoirs^ i. 40, states that this application was made by two
persons, from which one might infer that Humphrey accompanied Bennett to Monterey. They there displayed * about half an ounce of placer gold. * They presented a letter from Sutter, to which Mason replied * that Califor- nia was yet a Mexican province, simply held by us as a conquest; that no laws of the U. S. yet applied to it, much less the land laws or preemption laws, which could only apply after a public survey.* See, further, Buffum's Six MoniJis in Gold MintSy G8; Bifjler's Diary of a Mormon^ MS., 66; BidwelVs Col- \fornia lS41-8y MS., 2,31; Browne's Min. lies., 14; HitteWa JJist. S, F., 125. Grei^n, Stat., MS., says that Bennett died in Oregon.
^' We had salt salmon and boiled wheat, and we, the discoverers of gold.
