I dont believe a word about itI dont, remarked Jones, with the dogged air of a man who shouldnt, wouldnt, and didnt believe, and yet felt, somehow, that he couldnt help it.
Nother do I, said another, Its all a sham; come, now, aint it, Bill? he added, turning to a bronzed veteran who had visited California two years before.
A sham! exclaimed Bill. I tell e wot it is, messmate, when you comes for to see the miners in San Francisco drinkin shampain like water, an payin a dollar for a glass o six-water grog, youll
How much is a dollar? inquired a soft-looking youth, interrupting him.
Bill said it was bout four shillins, and turned away with a look of contempt at such a display of ignorance.
Four shillins! exclaimed the soft youth, in amazement.
Clear the anchor, and clew up the main-topsail, shouted the mate.
In another moment the crew were scattered, some aloft to lay out on the topsail yard, some to the clew-lines, and some to clear the anchor, which latter had not been disturbed since the Roving Bess left the shores of Old England.
Chapter Six.
San FranciscoAn Unexpected DesertionCaptain Bunting takes a Gloomy View of Things in GeneralNew Friends and New PlansSingular Facts and Curious Fancies
The Golden Gates, as they are called, of San Francisco, are two rocky headlands, about a mile apart, which form the entrance to one of the finest harbours, or rather land-locked seas, in the world. This harbour is upwards of forty miles long, by about twelve miles broad at its widest point, and receives at its northern end the waters of the noble Sacramento river, into which all the other rivers in California flow.
Nearly opposite to the mouth of the Sacramento, on the southern shores of the bay, stands the famous city of San Francisco, close to which the Roving Bess let go her anchor and clasped the golden strand.
The old adage that, truth is strange, stranger than fiction, was never more forcibly verified than in the growth and career of this wonderful city. No dreams of Arabian romance ever surpassed the inconceivable wonders that were matters of every-day occurrence there during the first years of the gold-fever; and many of the results attributed to Aladdins wonderful lamp were almost literally accomplishedin some cases actually surpassedin and around the cities of California.
Before the discovery of gold, San Francisco was a mere hamlet. It consisted of a few rude cottages, built of sun-dried bricks, which were tenanted by native Californians; there were also a few merchants who trafficked in hides and horns. Cruisers and whalers occasionally put into the harbour to obtain fresh supplies of water, but beyond these and the vessels engaged in the hide-trade few ships ever visited the port, and the name of San Francisco was almost unknown.
But the instant the rumour got abroad that gold had been discovered there, the eyes of the world were turned towards it. In a few months men and ships began to pour into the capacious harbour; a city of tents overspread the sand-hills on which the hamlet stood; thousands upon thousands of gold-hunters rushed to the mines; the golden treasures of the land were laid bare, and immense fortunes were made literally in the course of a few weeks. In many cases these were squandered or gambled away almost as soon as made; but hundreds of men retired from the gold-fields after a few months labour, and returned home possessed of ample fortunes. Thousands, too, failedsome from physical inability to stand the fatiguing labour of the mines, and some from what they termed want of luck, though want of perseverance was, in nine cases out of ten, the real cause; while many hundreds perished from exposure and from the diseases that were prevalent in the country.
Well would it have been for these last had they remembered Gods word, Make not haste to be rich; but the thirst for gold, and the prospect of the sudden acquisition of enormous wealth, had blinded them to the fact that their frames were not equal to the rough life at the mines.
The excitement was at its height when the Roving Bess anchored off the shores of this land of gold.
The sun was just setting as the anchor dropped, and the crippled ship swung round towards the shore, for the tide had just begun to rise.
Faix, its a quare town, said Larry ONeil to Ned, who was gazing in wrapt, astonishment and admiration ever the stern.
It was indeed quare. The entire city was made up of the most flimsy and make-shift materials that can be conceived. Many of the shops were mere tents with an open framework of wood in front; some were made of sheet-iron nailed to wooden posts; some were made of zinc; others, (imported from the States), of wood, painted white, and edged with green; a few were built of sun-dried bricks, still fewer of corrugated iron, and many of all these materials pieced together in a sort of fancy patchwork. Even boats were used as dwellings, turned keel up, with a hole cut in their sides for the egress of a tin smoke-pipe, and two others of larger size to serve as door and window.
Finding space scarce, owing to the abrupt rise of the hills from the shore, many enterprising individuals had encroached upon the sea, and built houses on piles driven into the sand nearly half-a-mile below the original high water mark.
Almost every nation under the sun had representatives there, and the consequent confusion of tongues was equal to that of Babel.
The hills overhanging the lower part of the town were also well covered with tents, temporary houses, and cottages that had some appearance of comfort about them.
Such was the city on which the sun went down that night, and many were the quaint, sagacious, and comic remarks made by the men as they sat round their various mess-tables in the forecastle of the Roving Bess, speculating noisily and half-seriously on the possibility of getting a run into the interior for a day or two.
But there was a party of men in the ship whose conversation that night was neither so light-hearted nor so loud. They sat in a dark corner of the forecastle talking earnestly in subdued tones after the watch for the night was set. Their chief spokesman was a rough, ill-looking fellow, named Elliot.
Ye see, lads, said this man to the half-dozen comrades around him, we must do it to-night, if were to do it at all. Theres the captains small boat layin out astarn, which comes quite handy, an, as we lose all our pay by the dodge, I dont see why we shouldnt take it.
The man struck his fist into his left palm, and looked round the circle for opinions.
I dont half like it, said one; it seems to me a sneaking way of doin it.
Bah! ejaculated another, wot gammon you do talk. If he lose the boat, dont we lose the tin? Besides, are we agoin to let sich a trifle stand in the way o us an our fortins?
Have ye spoken to the other men, Elliot? inquired one of the group.
Ay, in coorse I have; an theyre all agreeable. Young Spense stood out pretty stiff at first; but I talked him over. Only I said nothing to Larry ONeil or Bill Jones. I know its of no use. Theyll never agree; and if we wos to speak of it to either on em, hed go right away aft an tell the captain. Their watch below ll come on in an hour, an then the watch on deckll be on our side. So, lads, go and git readyan sharps the word.