not fathom.  One day a party of us were seated around the table talking matters over.  It was proposed that each should reveal to the others what he expected to do and his motives for the expedition.  We each related our expectations and the motives that had inspired us.  My aristocratic friend was one of the party.  My curiosity was at its height to know his views.  He said:  “Well, gentlemen, you have all been candid in your statements, and I shall be the same; I am going to California to deal Faro, the great American gambling game, and I don’t care who knows it.”

Later on in my narrative, I shall have occasion to refer to Colonel B. again under other circumstances.  The fourth day out being the fourth of July, was duly celebrated on the steamer in true American style.  Our course was to the east of Cuba.  We passed in sight of the green hills of San Domingo to our left, and in sight of Jamaica to our right, crossing the Caribbean sea, whose grand, gorgeous sunsets I shall never forget.  I could not buy a ticket in New York for the steamer from Panama to San Francisco, but was informed at the office in New York that sixty tickets were for sale in Panama by Zackery, Nelson & Co., the American Consul, who were agents for the steamer on the Pacific side.  I naturally supposed that those who offered their money first for those tickets could buy them.  The price was $300 for the first cabin, and $150 for the second, from Panama to San Francisco; but a fraction of the passengers had a ticket for the Pacific side.

The objective point was to get to Panama to secure a ticket, so I made an arrangement with four others; three were to take charge of the baggage of the five, and take it leisurely, and Lieutenant M., of South Carolina, and myself were selected to run an express across the Isthmus and get there ahead of the other passengers and secure tickets for the five, and try and be the first to land at Chagres.  We came to anchor in the bay.  The captain announced that no passengers would be permitted to go ashore until the government officials had inspected the vessel.  A boat came from shore with the officials.  After a short stay the officials went down the side of the steamer to their boat to return to the shore.  There was a guard to keep all but the proper persons from getting into the boat.  I had a small carpet bag in my hand, passed the guard, slipped a $5 gold piece in his hands, and took my seat in the boat, and, of course, passed as one of the officials, and was the first passenger to land from the steamer.  The first point to be made was to secure a boat for passage up the Chagres river.  I was recommended to Colonel P., who was the head man in that business there.  He was a colonel in the Granadian army.  I found him a full-blooded African, but an active business man in his way.  I got his price for a boat and two of his best men, and then offered double the price if they would row night and day, and an extra present to the men if they made good time, for