rant of the existence of gold in the Sierra Nevada
districts. The Creoles had often bought it from the
Indian hunters, and in the time of the Spaniards the
missions had secretly procured it in large quantities.
The only obstacles which for a century had hindered
the working of these mines by white men were the
well known ferocity of the wild Indians, and ignorance
of the exact position of the placers. After having
made several excursions in the country pointed out to
him by M. Gorieff, Sutter went to the governor at
Monterey and asked a grant of the lands. This
grant, which comprised an area measuring eighty
kilometres in length and sixteen in width, was
traversed by the route from San Francisco to the
American posts on the Columbia river. It was a
virgin region, abounding in game, profusely watered,
rich in pasturage, and surrounded by mild-mannered
tribes. There Sutter established himself as trapper,
hunter, and ao-riculturist. When in 1841 the Rus-
sians evacuated Ross they sold to him their material,
by which means he became strong enough success-
fully to withstand the provincial government. Thus
was due to the Russians, the conclusion is, the gold
discovery in California, and her consequent greatness."
Here ends Count Scala, whom I have translated
accurately, if somewhat freely.
It is possible, even probable, that the Russians of Ross and Bodega knew of the existence of gold in the Sierra foothills. They had every opportunity for acquiring such knowledge, being in frequent commu- nication with the inhabitants of that region; and there was no special inducement for them to notify the Mexicans of the fact. But as for Sutter being aware beforehand of the existence of gold in the vicinity of New Helvetia, I am sure that he was not ; first, because he told me so, and secondly, be- cause, if he had known it his line of conduct would have been different. Further than this, it is not true that the Indios bravos were so fierce as successfully
