to drink, but he made off unhurt.

CHAPTER V.

Encampment for the night
Symptoms of neighbours not far off
Reach the Sacramento River
Sutter's Fort
Captain Sutter
His offer of accommodation
Various matters to be seen to
A walk through the Fort
Desertion of the guard to the "diggings"
Work and whisky
Indians and their bargains
A chief's effort to look like a civilised being
Yankee traders
Indians and trappers
"Beats beaver skins"
Death to the weakest
A regular Spanish Don and his servant
Captain Sutter a Swiss Guard
His prejudice in favour of "constituted authorities."

_May 29th_.--Last night we encamped under a group of oaks, and we "knew
by the smoke that so gracefully curled" over other parts of the valley,
that there were several other camps pitched at no great distance. When
we started in the morning we fell in with a few parties moving towards
the Sacramento. A ride of a few hours brought us to the borders of that
noble river, which was here about a couple of hundred yards wide, and
we immediately made preparations for crossing it. After several mishaps
and delays, we at length succeeded in getting over in a launch. The
new town of Suttersville, numbering some ten or twelve houses, is laid
out within half a mile of the banks of the river. From here a brisk
ride over a level plain--parcelled out into fields of wheat and
pasture-grounds, dotted with hundreds upon hundreds of grazing cattle,
and here and there a loitering team--brought us to Sutter's Fort, an
extensive block of building planted on the top of a small hill which
skirts a creek running into the Americanos, near its junction with the
Rio Sacramento. A schooner and some small craft were beating up the
Americanos River towards the Fort, and alongside the landing-place
several launches were lying unshipping cargoes. As we made the spot,
we soon saw that here all was bustle and activity. Boatmen were
shouting and swearing; wagoners were whistling and hallooing and
cracking their whips at their straining horses, as these toiled along
with heavily-laden wagons to the different stores within the building;
groups of horsemen were riding to and fro, and crowds of people were
moving about on foot. It was evident that the gold mania increased in
force as we approached the now eagerly longed for El Dorado.

On inquiring of a squaw we met at the entrance of the Fort, and who
knew just sufficient English to