the malady.® Men hastened to arrange their affairs,
dissolving partnerships, disposing of real estate, and
converting other eflFects into ready means for depart-
ure. Within a few days an exodus set in that startled
those who had placed their hopes upon the peninsular
metropolis.* "Fleets of launches left this place on
Sunday and Monday," exclaims Editor Kemble,
"closely stowed with human beings. . .Was there
ever anything so superlatively silly ?"^^ But sneers,
expostulations, and warnings availed not with a multi-
tude so possessed.
The nearest route was naturally sought — by water up the Bay into the Sacramento, and thence where fortune beckoned. The few available sloops, lighters, and nondescript craft were quickly engaged and filled for the mines. Many who could not obtain passage in the larger vessels sold all their possessions, when necessary, and bought a small boat;^^ every little rickety cockleshell was made to serve the purpose; and into these they bundled their effects, set up a sail, and steered for Carquines Strait. Then there were two routes by land: one across to Sauzalito by launch, and thence by mule, mustang, or on foot, by way of San Rafael and Sonoma, into the California Valley; and the other round the southern end of the Bay and through Liver more Pass.
'Brooks writes in his diary, ander date of May 10th: 'Nothing has been talked of but the new gold placer, as people call it. ' * Several parties, we hear, are already made np to visit tlie diggings. ' May 1 3th : * The gold excite- ment increases daily, as several fresh arnvals from the niinei) have been re- ported at San Francisco.' Four Months among the Gold-fndftrH^ 14-1.").
- * Several hundred people must have left hero during the last few days,'
writes Brooks in his diary, ander date of May 20th. ' lu the month of May it was computed that at least ITiO people had left 8. F., and every day since was adding to their number.' Annals S. /*., 203. The census taken the
March previous showed 810, of whom 177 were women and 60 children; so
that 150 would be over one fourth of the male popula
Baasham to Cooper, May 15th, in VaUejOj Doc.f M8., xxxv. 47. Those with-
out means have only to go to a merchant and borrow from $1,000 to $2,000, <
and give him an order on the gold mines, is the way Coutts, Diary ^ MS., 1 13,
pats it.
- Cal, Stetr, May 20, 1848. Kemble, who is fast coming to grief, cnrses
the whole bnsiness, and pronounces the mines 'all sham, a supurb (sic) take- in as was ever got up to ffuzzle the gullible. '
" 'Little row-boats, that before were probably sold for $50, were sold for v $400 or $500.' QiUetpie, Vig, Com., MS., 3.
