realized a profit of about fifteen hundred dollars.  Warner also got a regular leave of absence, and contracted with Captain Sutter for surveying and locating the town of Sacramento.  He received for this sixteen dollars per day for his services as surveyor; and Sutter paid all the hands engaged in the work.  The town was laid off mostly up about the fort, but a few streets were staked off along the river bank, and one or two leading to it.  Captain Sutter always contended, however, that no town could possibly exist on the immediate bank of the river, because the spring freshets rose over the bank, and frequently it was necessary to swim a horse to reach the boat-landing.  Nevertheless, from the very beginning the town began to be built on the very river-bank, viz., First, Second, and Third Streets, with J and K Streets leading back.  Among the principal merchants and traders of that winter, at Sacramento, were Sam Brannan and Hensley, Reading & Co.  For several years the site was annually flooded; but the people have persevered in building the levees, and afterward in raising all the streets, so that Sacramento is now a fine city, the capital of the State, and stands where, in 1848, was nothing but a dense mass of bushes, vines, and submerged land.  The old fort has disappeared altogether.

During the fall of 1848, Warner, Ord, and I, camped on the bank of the American River, abreast of the fort, at what was known as the “Old Tan-Yard.”  I was cook, Ord cleaned up the dishes, and Warner looked after the horses; but Ord was deposed as scullion because he would only wipe the tin plates with a tuft of grass, according to the custom of the country, whereas Warner insisted on having them washed after each meal with hot water.  Warner was in consequence promoted to scullion, and Ord became the hostler.  We drew our rations in kind from the commissary at San Francisco, who sent them up to us by a boat; and we were thus enabled to dispense a generous hospitality to many a poor devil who otherwise would have had nothing to eat.

The winter of 1848 ’49 was a period of intense activity throughout California.  The rainy season was unfavorable to the operations of gold-mining, and was very hard upon the thousands of houseless men and women who dwelt in the mountains, and even in the towns.  Most of the natives and old inhabitants had returned to their ranches and houses; yet there were not roofs enough in the country to shelter the thousands who had arrived by sea and by land.  The news had gone forth to the whole civilized world that gold in fabulous quantities was to be had for the mere digging, and adventurers came pouring in blindly to seek their fortunes, without a thought of house or food.  Yerba Buena had been converted into San Francisco.  Sacramento City had been laid out, lots were being rapidly sold, and the town was being built up as an entrepot to the mines.  Stockton also had been chosen as a convenient point for trading with the lower or southern mines.  Captain Sutter was the sole proprietor of the former, and Captain Charles Weber was the owner of the site of Stockton, which was as yet known as “French Camp.”