Hoyt, who had a store in Sacramento, and was on the point of moving up to a ranch, for which he had bargained, on Bear Creek, on which was afterward established Camp “Far West.”  He afterward sold the mules, wagon, etc., for me, and on the whole I think I cleared, by those two months’ work, about six thousand dollars.  I then returned to headquarters at Sonoma, in time to attend my fellow aide-de-camp Gibbs through a long and dangerous sickness, during which he was on board a store-ship, guarded by Captain George Johnson, who now resides in San Francisco.  General Smith had agreed that on the first good opportunity he would send me to the United States as a bearer of dispatches, but this he could not do until he had made the examination of Oregon, which was also in his command.  During the summer of 1849 there continued to pour into California a perfect stream of people.  Steamers came, and a line was established from San Francisco to Sacramento, of which the Senator was the pioneer, charging sixteen dollars a passage, and actually coining money.  Other boats were built, out of materials which had either come around Cape Horn or were brought from the Sandwich Islands.  Wharves were built, houses were springing up as if by magic, and the Bay of San Francisco presented as busy a scene of life as any part of the world.  Major Allen, of the Quartermaster’s Department, who had come out as chief-quartermaster of the division, was building a large warehouse at Benicia, with a row of quarters, out of lumber at one hundred dollars per thousand feet, and the work was done by men at sixteen dollars a day.  I have seen a detailed soldier, who got only his monthly pay of eight dollars a month, and twenty cents a day for extra duty, nailing on weather-boards and shingles, alongside a citizen who was paid sixteen dollars a day.  This was a real injustice, made the soldiers discontented, and it was hardly to be wondered at that so many deserted.

While the mass of people were busy at gold and in mammoth speculations, a set of busy politicians were at work to secure the prizes of civil government.  Gwin and Fremont were there, and T. Butler King, of Georgia, had come out from the East, scheming for office.  He staid with us at Sonoma, and was generally regarded as the Government candidate for United States Senator.  General Riley as Governor, and Captain Halleck as Secretary of State, had issued a proclamation for the election of a convention to frame a State constitution.  In due time the elections were held, and the convention was assembled at Monterey.  Dr. Semple was elected president; and Gwin, Sutter, Halleck, Butler King, Sherwood, Gilbert, Shannon, and others, were members.  General Smith took no part in this convention, but sent me down to watch the proceedings, and report to him.  The only subject of interest was the slavery question.  There were no slaves then in California, save a few who had come out as servants, but the Southern people