CALIFOItNIA AND ITS INHABITANTS.* THE author of this book appears
to be the agent of a London quartz-crushing gold-mining company, whe was sent to Cali- fornia with some heavy machinery, but little money or credit, to move the implements and erect them when they reached the diggings. His time was chiefly occupied in forming plans and driving bargains-in connexion with the work, riding about the country during the fine weather, and stopping at home in the rainy season. Of what he heard and saw he kept a journal, en- largekby-extracts from the Californian papers ; and of this Jour- -nal for the year 1852 the volumes before us consist. The author is a genuine Englishman in his likes and dislikes, and the latter are strong against the Californians. Every fact in the way of murder, lawlessness, partiality in the administration
justice, or " smart" practice, is carefully recorded, accom- panied by comments. There is a strong muster of evil deeds, be- sides plenty of vanity and bad manners. No doubt, the scene is rough and violent "enough: we are not so sure that the writer is justified in arguing as he does from California to America in general. The Californian diggings attracted the loosest and most lawless persons from every State. Late doings at Washington, however, show that even Representatives and Senators are not very much better than the rabble at the diggings. It is in the reality of these daily pictures that the interest of the book con- sists ; for the personal adventures of the author were insignifi- cant, and his general sketches and observations are of slender value.
• California, its Gold and its Inhabitants. By the Author of " Seven Years on Oa Slave Coast of Africa," 4c. In two volumes. Published by Newby. The wood-built city of Sacramento was burnt down, and to author gives the following story as an example of sharp dealing. We do not know that the speculation was illegitimate according to the morals of trade; is certainly an example of that prompt enterprise on the part of the Americans of which several other in- stances may be found in the book. " Immediately the destruction of the city was evident, some speculators despatched emissaries to Nevada, Marysville, Stockton, and other places, to buy up all the lumber, then selling at about seventy dollars the thousand feet : they also chartered a steamer to go to San Francisco, with the en- gagement that the vessel should hold no communication with that place until the charterers had been landed some hours.
- " This was all fulfilled: the speculators bought up all the lumber every- where; and as the winter had just begun, people in Sacramento must have houses, so they could only buy from those who held the lumber, which in- stantly rose to nearly two hundred and fifty dollars per thousand feet! Vul- tures hasten to the carrion!"
" When Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of war." Soon afterwards, the journalist has to note—
"The merchants who sold the lumber to the Sacramento speculators will not deliver it, because they say they were unaware of the cause of the pur- chase. Now the party buying only did so to make a profit of it, and for what other purpose is it now withheld ? "
The following remarks on American skill in shooting are con- trary to what is commonly reported and believed : but perhaps the writer did not meet with first-rate shots.
- " Very few of the Americans can shoot game when flying and running : ndeed, their rifle is not calculated to be used without a rest; it is very long and heavy even with a rest. I have seen them certainly half-a-minute tiling aim; then, if not interrupted, they strike the object generally with precision. In this manner I saw P—n cut the head off a quail with a ball, and another of our own party shot asquirrel through the head, both having previously stated where the ball would strike • but I do not think their firing generally would equal that of our riflemen, whom I have seen strike either the bull'ii-eye, or close to it in the target, almost every shot, at three hundred yards, firing quickly from the shoulder, without a rest : the ad- vantage certainly must be on the side of him who fires with rapidity and precision."
Excitement appears to be the great feature of American life. It is love of excitement that drives them on to specu- lation and enterprise, as much as the love of money merely as money. Excitement makes them politicians, and forward in getting up processions and the like, which to our author's eye seem merely ridiculous, and probably are with the slender ap- pliances of California. Love of excitement is perhaps at the bot- tom of their filibustering expeditions, the sensation periodically created by some foreign question, their habit of grand talk, and theix.exqberapee of manner. This writer, however, notes that they soon tire of anything, especially when the result does not equal their expectations. Semething of this excitement is visible in the party described, and the " Express " affair alluded to, in the following extract. "Invited by Mr. C—1 to attend to an evening party dansante. Went, of course, in order to see the elite of Sacramento. The rooms could-fairly claim two or three attractive faces, but the American ladies-are wanting in figure; they too much resemble the mould of their clipper-ships, very straight and flat Linea. They dance polkas and quadrilles, the ladies calling across the-let to those opposite; loud laughter when anything witty was said; and romping rather than dancing. It reminded me of a servants' hew-year's merrymaking in England. "-Live vy American is a politician. Here I find them mad about the affair of the British ship_ Express firing at the Prometheus. I went to. a hardware shop for some article, and the man no sooner recognized my na= tionality than he said, ' Woll, Mister, your Queen is bound to send that- Express captain away, guess.' I asked for what I wanted. He con- tinued, 'If she don't, our President have got to take Canada, sure.' Con- tinuing to state my wants, instead of my views of the Express case, he turned me over, as hopeless, to his foreman, who evidently felt more about dollars and cents than of the attack upon the glorious stars and stripes'
on board the Prometheus. * • * • *-
" Another select party this evening : everything as before, except that one gentleman ' there had shot the husband of his present wife, deliberate- ly, one day. Such people are well received in California!"
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