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    May 24, 1851.] W&t &£&&£?* 491

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    kelly's California. An Excur.i en to Cal...

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    May 24, 1851.] W&T &£&&£?* 491

    May 24 , 1851 . ] W & t & £ && £ ?* 491

    Kelly's California. An Excur.I En To Cal...

    kelly's California . An Excur . i en to California over the Prairiet , Rocky Mountains , and Greit Sierra Nevada . With a Stroll through the Diggins and Ranches of that Country . By William Kelly , J . P . 2 vols . Chapmau and Hall . ( Second Notice . ) In returning to these spirited volumes for more extract , the only difficulty is where to stop , and what to omit . Here is a peep into THE GAMBLING-HOUSES . " But the establishments that commanded the largest and steadiest trade , and -where the circulating medium beat with the strongest pulsatisn , were the pandemoniums , which were crowded morning , noon , and night , and certainly with the most mixed and motley congregations I ever before witnessedwhites , half-castes , copper , mahogany , and blacksdelegates from every nation that takes any part or interest ( in the commerce or intercourse of the world , their features more varied than their ^ colours , and their costumes representing the fashions of their

    several countries . The jargon of voices , mutters , and exclamations of those votaries of fortune , made a most strange medley of sounds , and you could pretty well discover the various national characteristics of the players in the progress of the game ; the cool indifference of the Russian or the Turk , the latter placidly stroking his beard under the frowns of the fickle goddess ; while the Frenchman at his elbow ¦ was sibilating his sacres , and the Yankee opposite cursing and thumping the table with boisterous vehemence ; Paddy down at the end consoling himself with the philosophic reflection , that the worse luck now the better again '—* Come my hearties , send round the ball—a faint heart never won a fair

    ladyhurroo ; ' the cloaked Spaniard and the phlegmatic German laying down their stakes mechanically from the outside ; the Scotch chiel poking in his head from the same region , just so see how the chances ran afore he risked his siller ; ' while Italians smoked and hummed , and Chinese looked as innocent as if tricks were no part of their training . All the new-comers staked coin , the miners dust , some of them putting down large purses at a single venture , exclaiming , 'Now for it—home or the diggins ? ' ' The diggins by Heaven ! ' as the president raked the bag into the infernal coffers ; and up got the miner to go dig another fortune , and again to have it charmed from his grasp . "

    A GLIMPSE AT SACKAMEKTO . " There was one peculiarity about the city , then containing about 10 , 000 soul ' s , that could not fail striking a stranger immediately , which was the total absence of women and children . Native Californians wereconstantly coming to and fro , galloping , as is always their custom , at full speed , even through the most crowded thoroughfares ; but they manage their horses with admirable skill , and can rein them up in an instant , from the tremendous severity of

    their bits . Numbers , too , ' of the native Indians were constantly strolling about , too idle to hire themselves out , even at the high rates offered , engaged in groups , gambling , not with cards , but a kind of thimble-rig , in which one man takes a small ball , and , after shuffling his hands , so as to puzzle the sight ; then holds them out for the parties to guess in which the ball is , each taking their turns at hiding it . I was greatly amused standing over them as they were squatted under a large tree at the ead of ona of the main streets , swaying theirXbodies about and gruntiug during the progress of the ^ jame . "

    DON T SI . KKP IN A FORESAIL . " We weighed anchor by moonlight with a fine breeze ; but just as we hove in stays on our first tack , we had reached on to a bank , getting fast aground , and , as the tide rose , kept thumping and drifting for some hours . Although the seu did not run very high , our situation wus attended with danger , as our bark was one of those frail craft got lip hurriedly to meot the demand for river navigation , iuul was neither timbered , fastened , or found substantially , without even a kedge on board to bouso her off . However , as the wind sets steadily

    from the same point from February till October , we knew sho would forge in the sumo direction all night , and proliably stagger into deep water ere morning ' s tide . The air was very sharp , but sleep or comfort was not to be obtained , for she would bo awhile on her larboard beam-end , bumping and thumping , then suddenly rising on even keel in deeper water , as suddenly fall down on her starboard beam , huddling passengers , furniture , and all odds and ( mkIh in tho cabin into a kaleidoscopic heap , inflicting Roverul serious cuts , wounds , and bruises .

    The deck wiw altogether unsafe , for the bulwarks wore ho low they afforded no protection from a sharp lint ; but as her sails wero lowered and not furled , I bethoug ht mo that probably tho Wag of the foresail might , afford a tolerable hammock . tSo crawling forward during an interregnum , I made fast the boom of it securely , and , dropping myself down , was soon swayed into a profound sleep , which was broken in upon in tho middle of tho night by the noise of tho crow and the shouting of the captain to hoist the Hails . I could not instantly bring to mind my

    situation , and made no effort to arise till I found the canvas sppping sensibly in folds from under me , and the boom swinging violently , when I became conscious of my situation and danger , roaring with might and main without making myself heard . I then endeavoured to get upright , but every lift of the sail upset me , and as it was fast getting chock up , I felt the peril of my position : grasping at the reef-points , two of which I got hold of , and , being in the second row , they just enabled me to reach my toes to the boom ; however , as I was to leeward , the bagging of

    the sail to a stiff breeze made my hold very insecure and fearfully dangerous , being wholly unperceived in the dark , and the vessel going free , full eight knots . I tried again to attract attention , but my efforts were drowned by the rushing of the waters and the whistling of the wind through the cordage . My hold and footing now got more difficult and uncertain , rendering me dreadfully nervous and exhausted . Just as I was about abandoning all hopes , the man at the helm , suffering her to take a yaw to leeward , the sail jibed , and , as it passed over the deck , I dropped down almost in a state of insensibility /'

    Mr . Kelly ' s experience of the Indians is very various . He finds them squalid , degraded , noble , generous , treacherous , base , cowardly , revengeful . His chapters are enlivened by many episodes of Indian friendship and Indian warfare . "We will quote one : — "We pitched our tents on a high bank overhanging the ford of the river , from which we had under our gaze a large Indian village below it , on the opposite side ; there was a sort of half-shaded dell near our camp , where we drove the animals , the grass being tall , but cf the tinge and nature of old hay ; however , for want of better , they eat it with a good appetite . We were not well settled when a party of Indian visitors waited opon usgood-looking fellows , and well-limbed : they both

    talked , and understood a little Spanish , promising us fish , and giving us all assurances of friendship , which , nevertheless , they soon after attempted to betray . Two of our party , having gone out in pursuit of deer , parted company , each attended b y a few Indians , who , the moment ' D . ' discharged his rifle , seized hold of it by the barrel , endeavouring at the same time to pinion him and extract his bowie-knife from the sheath : he was fortunate , however , in having a revolver in his belt , with which he soon put them to rout , the savage who wrested the rifle from him dropping it in his flight . The other deerstalker did not happen to meet any game , and consequently escaped with his rifle and his scalp , for had he had occasion to shoot he might probably have been minus both , not having any side-arms .

    " Some short time after our men returned to camp , the chief and his squaw , with four attendants , approached , evidently with the intention of explaining away the affair , and apologizing for his subjects' conduct ; but we resolved they should not come again into our quarters . So I went forward , beckoning them back in rather an angry mood , at which I could see the old potentate was nettled , but , like a good tactitian , who understood and appreciated the seductive influences of female interposition , he brought forward his royal partner , both making soothing and conciliatory gestures . However , by an unusual effort , my duty overcame my gallantry , and I resisted

    the soft blandishments , repeating my repulsive motions with a growl in the unknown tongues ; upon which the old chief flared up with great rage and savage dignity , rushing forward a few steps , and shouting out , in a voice of madness , " Arra , arra , nrra !' ' at the same time swinging the back of his hand very violently towards us , which one of our friends understood was tantamount to warning us off his territory in tho most peremptory manner . He then retired , and we had sufficient light to see , when he returned to the village , that he mustered all his men around him , gesticulating violently , all looking in the direction of our camp .

    " I felt bo satisfied they would attack us before morning , that I arranged a general watch of all hands for the night , carrying all the arms we could stick around our persons , which we previously shot off , for tho double purpose of loading them anew and letting the enemy know tho strength of our armoury . Between rifles , revolvers , double and single-barrelled pistols , and double-shot guns , we came up to the formidable number of tifty-three discharges—a pretty fair amount for a cohort six strong , which produced a very wurlike effect , fired in quick but regular succession . We then picketed our horses in a crescent form , hemming in tho oxen between thorn and the steep bunk , on tho edge of which stood tho waggon , distributing ourselves ut equal intervals , inarching and counter-marching , without exchanging a word for a few hours , or being able to notice any strange or hostile movement .

    " At length tho uneasiness of one of tho horses put us upon the alert , and the next moment some arrows whizzed past us , upon which Mr . S c fired a loud of buck shot in tho direction ho supposed them to como from , which elicited a perfect shower , one taking effect in his shoulder , others wounding throe of the oxen and on © of tho homo . The discharge

    was followed by a quick movement , rendered audible by the crushing of dried leaves and branches , which guided us , in some measure , in our aims , as we fired one round ; soon after which all noise was hushed for the night . Mr . S e ' s wound was slight and superficial ; but there was one of the oxen rendered unfit for present use , thus reducing our team to two yoke . We could ' not ascertain if we wounded or killed any of the assailants , as , if at all possible , they carry off their dead to prevent their being scalped , which next after death they are most fearful of . JBut when morning broke we saw them mustered in all their forces on the bank above the ford ; from which position , I suppose , they calculated to intercept our crossing and enjoy perfect security , while we would be altogether exposed to their arrows and missiles .

    " Their numbers , as closely as we could compute them , were from ninety to one hundred—rather an overmatch for six ; but our fire-arms counted largely , the balance ; for had wehesitatedor wavered in the least , it would have given those savages a confidence which might have completed our destruction before we could check it . So , after a very early and simple in our favour ; and our prompt determination turm d breakfast , we commenced preparations as if nothing occurred , or nothing was apprehended , another and I going to the edge of the bank , with two rifles of the

    largest calibre , that would carry well over to our opponents—a distance of five hundred yards—which I believe they conceived impossible ; for when I raised my gun to cause them to retire , they set up a hideous yell of derision , which was soon lulled by the fall of one of them . My companion , an excellent marksman , also fired , and hit the chief , who reeled , but did not fall ; after which a hurried and general movement in retreat took place , that stayed us fiom repeating our discharges , showing them all we required was a free and unmolested passage .

    " After some little delay in tending their wounded , they planted themselves in about equal numbers on the tops of their huts , which areformodt by excavating the earth in a circular form , aboutwelve feet in diameter and four feet deep , then bend ing over them , in a semiglobular form , stout saplingse and binding and twining them closely with vm tendrils , over which they put a coating of adhesiv clay , that renders ^ them impervious to rain , an openg ing large enough to admit of entrance in a crawling posture being left in the side , on a level wit the ground . In external shape they resemble j mound ; consequently , at a distance , the village h ; : the appearance of a number of little tumuli , and ih Indians on their crowns , armed with all their primi " tive weapons , produced a strange picture , entirely in

    keeping with the locality . Ihey took up their position with a quiet but determined air , showing they were resolved to repel our apprehended assault , ami defend their ' household gods' to the death . A < soon as we observed their determination , my companion and I crossed over , leaving two others in our old position , and undercover of our guns the waggon commenced crossing—a task of doubtful com pit - tion , owing to the steepness of the banks , the crippling of our team , and the absence of manual assistance , as we were otherwise employed ; however , after a multitude of pauses , and a large expenditue of wattles , the thing was accomplished , and our mm vh continued , with all our arms in requisition , having for despatch made cartridges for all our guns ; md rifles .

    " As we receded from the village the Indians descended , but did not attempt following ; nevertheless , we bore in mind the rule of Indian retribution , which is two lives for one , and resolved to loop a vigilant look-out while in their territory . It , is a deplorable circumstance that , even after the oIIImtiling party have passed on , they . satiate their unquenchable revenge on the first white-skin they cau-h in their power , which often hurries an innocent and unsuspecting victim to a premature death . "

    The hardships undergone by Mr . Kelly and his companions are something terrible even to read of ; but the moment they were passed the elastic spirits of the adventurers converted them into pleasurable reminiscences . We shall close our fragmentary notice of this Nxcursion by a passage which rerals the famous shipwreck in Don Juan . u By a very early start we calculated on reaching tho river in one day ,. and did accomplish it a t \ 'w hours after suriHCt , accompanied most attentively l > y a deluge of rain . We brought the men on the opposite bunk to hail , by discharging our rifles , but iIk-v

    declined attempting the ferry until morning ; so wo had no nhift but to sit down MupperlrrtH in the ; tciming torrents ; and when morning came , we found tin ; river had risen far beyond any of its former limits , still rising and roaring with terrific import , tlio heavens Bending down their liquid contents in nctiril streams , giving rise to a feeling of nervousness at . theidea of crossing in a crank little canoe ; but in n BiippcrlcttM over night . Blinking " sosdteU clothes , nn < l with extra stowage for broukfaHt , woro satisfied to risk u little in getting to comfortable quarters . However , we wore soon relieved from all anxiety about . our personal safety , by the information that no 01

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 24, 1851, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24051851/page/15/