and inhabited; the Parker House, one of the largest buildings in town, which had cost about thirty thousand dollars to erect, and which brought in twelve thousand dollars rent every month-of course, mostly by innumerable gambling-tables in the large saloons-was again raised, five days afterwards, and a bargain had been made with the architect to have it ready for habitation in sixteen days.

But if the town needed enormous sums for its improvement, it also had an enormous income, and the custom-house in particular drew extraordinary quantities of money. The officers there were, in fact, not able any longer to count the silver, sO they measured it first, and afterwards-as even that could not be done quickly enough-they weighed the silver in large scales, using shovels to fill them. And in spite of this there was a great deal of smuggling going on from nearly all the ships in the harbour. When once taken from the vessel, nobody asked any farther about it, even if you landed fifty boat-loads on any wharf you pleased. Officers are put on board to see the freight discharged, and nothing is easier than to unload whatever you want during night; or, if skippers do not like to run any risk at all, to pay these custom-house officers, who have a very small salary, a certain sum, and then do nearly anything they please. But they must not be too careless,

notwithstanding, as only lately three ships were confiscated, whose masters had calculated rather too confidently upon the negligence of the customhouse officers.

Confiscated goods are always sold by public auction; but the custom-house alone does not bring them, but also the street commissioners, who from time to time hold regular auctions of similar stores which they take away in the streets. It was their business to see the streets cleared of the quantities of goods, which merchants not unfrequently left at that time before their houses, because they could not get them in. The commissioners gave the owners of goods, in such a case, a certain time to take their goods away; and if the latter did not do it, the former did. They also often found goods nobody claimed, the costs of transport or storage amounting to more than the goods were worth. All these were sold, and the proceeds used for street improvements in town.

Houses and lumber arrived in immense quantities; ready-made buildings were imported, principally from China, and with Chinamen in the bargain. Wherever you saw in the streets a man on the top of a little frame-house, nailing up the shingles, or doing something else to it, you could bet ten to one it was a Chinese. Large sums were lost, though, in the timber and lumber trade; and whole cargoes sold by auction only to cover the

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fight, id not even fereh half that sometimes,

the transport being so very high from the ship to the tora. A rise in the price of lumber was experted with the next large fre, of which people spoke, as if it was a thing which must regularly return, like summer and winter Perisices rese and fell, just as vessels came in, or were expected; buying and selling was as good as playing at hazard, or putting one's money upon a montetable. The worth of money, therefore, was also extraordinary. Years were pressed into months, and interest was calculated in the same manner; six per cent. per month was the common interest for money, but ten, twelve, and even more, was frequently given.

With regard to literary productions there had been very little done in San Francisco as yet; literature was a matter of money like everything else. But there already existed three papers in the city, the "Alta California," the "Pacific News," and a "Commercial Bulletin."

Speaking of literature, I may just as well mention a book here, which appeared in England, and was translated nearly into every other language, as it was the first of the kind: "Four Months among the Gold-finders in California," I believe was the title, written by Mr. Tyrwitt Brooks. I had translated it myself into German, and showed a copy of it afterwards in San Francisco to Captain

Sutter; but though Mr. Brooks related how kindly he had been received by Captain Sutter, and gave at the same time a rather glowing description of this gentleman's lovely daughter, Captain Sutter knew nothing about him, and another thing, his family was at that time in Switzerland, and only came to California in 1850. Brooks also introduces a dreadful tale of a sailorboy whom the Indians scalped, and though it is very well related, I am bound to say the Indians in California do not scalp at all.

Mr.

But enough of town life at present, I must return here in any case, before I leave California again; and the reader may throw his blanket upon his back, if he has a mind to see the mines, and take a trip with me to the mountains.