. Later, as San Francisco enlarged, as
the first attempts to put down violence and bloodshed were made,
gambling in the gold stocks and mines assumed huge proportions. New
mines, or new water-courses rich in gold dust, came forward daily.
Shares often attained one hundred times their original value in a
week. Beggars became rich, the millionaire a pauper in the same time.
We shudder when we read of a suicide at "Monte Carlo" once or twice
in the season. At the time of which I write there were often two or
three at San Francisco in a day! That it should be so, was perhaps
natural, for never, I believe, in this world's history were there
such violent and sudden ups and downs as California then witnessed.

While I was at San Francisco an English man-of-war came into the bay.
She was an object of great interest, and crowds flocked on board to
see her--the result a wholesome appreciation of England's naval
power. The fighting power of the United States at sea is very
limited. She has really no navy to speak of. Odd that it should be
so, but it is no less a fact. Congress is well aware of this, and
admits it. But it will not be long thus, for the Americans realize
how truly helpless they are in this way, and have commenced to remedy
the defect as fast as they can. The United States, almost as much as
England, need fear no foes except from over the water, but her
position to-day in that respect is a sad one. Did war occur between
Great Britain and the States, there is not a town on her sea-board
which could not be annihilated by British men-of-war. America,
isolated as she is, need fear no European or Asiatic convulsions, and
the time is distant, if it ever come, that Canada, without England's
support, though her neighbour, will be able to cope with her in the
field. But to give her a voice among nations, a navy is a necessity,
and, as I have said, she has now fully realized that fact.

Of the United States' army I can say but little, for I saw but little
of it. That little I was not favourably impressed with. No one who
recalls the war between the North and South, can doubt the material
is at hand, the question is whether the best is made of it. The
physique of the American (national physique can only be spoken of
generally) is perhaps not equal to the physique of some European
nations, still the inferiority, if it exists, is slight, and physique
has not so much to say in battle now as in times gone by. A soldier
is more of