Vallejo had refused to purchase for California, the canny Captain Sutter purchased for himself.

This was great good fortune for Captain Sutter. Heretofore he had been of modest ways. In August of 1840 he had completed his year of residence and had been awarded his citizenship papers

-as well as a grant of eleven square leagues; from August until December 13, when the Ross equipment was placed at his disposal, he must be subservient to this citizenship; but now, was he suddenly provided with ready-made buildings, with laurel furniture, and with cannon.

As rapidly as practicable he transported the main portion of his new estate from Ross down the Coast and into the Bay of San Francisco and up the Sacramentoall by his own schooners; and set it up again at New Helvetia.

Behold New Helvetia, heretofore only a clutter of Indian huts and a few larger houses grass thatched, expanded to a fortress, of adobe walls fifteen high and two feet thick, mounting a dozen brass cannon and surrounding a group of substantial wooden buildings. Behold Captain Sutter, heretofore humble and apparently content with his privileges, now stirred by the word that Hudson Bay trappers had received permission to hunt along the Sacramento in his neighborhood, protesting arrogantly against such invasion of his thirty-three square miles. He informed General Vallejo, November 8, 1841:

"Very curious Rapports come to me from belaw, but the poor wretches don't know what they do. I explained now to Mr. Spence to explain to these ignorant people, what would be the consequences if they do injure me, the first french freggate who came here will do me justice. The people don't know me yet, but soon they will find out what I am able to do. It is too late now to drive me aut of the country the first step they do against me is that I will make a Declaration of Independence and proclaim California for a Republique independent from Mexico. I am strong now, one of my best friends a German Gentleman came from the Columbia River with plenty people, another party is close by from Missouri. One of the party arrived here, some of my friends and acquaintances are among them, they are about 40 or 50 men of Respectability and property, they came in the intention to settle here. I am strong enough to hold me till the courriers go to the Waillamet

for raise about 60 & 70 good men, an another party I would dispatche to the mountains and call the Hunters and Shawnees and Delawares with which I am very well acquainted, the same party have to go to Missouri and raise about 2 or 300 men more. That is my intention sir, it they lete me not alone. 10 guns are well mounted for protect the fortress, and two field pieces, I have also about 50 faithful Indians which shot their musquet very quick. The whole day and night, we are under arms and you know that foreigners are very expensive, and for this trouble, I will be payed when a french Freggate come here."

Thus as Gobernador de Fortaleza de Nueva Helvecia threatened Captain Sutter. He was unmolested. His New Helvetia became a rallying place for the Americans, both hunters and settlers, sifting in from north and south and east. Here they met with open-handed hospitality; here they were afforded sympathy and creature comfort; and no person west of the Sierras was better appreciated than was Captain Sutter-soldierly, generous, a "hale, blue-eyed, jovial German, short and stout of stature, with broad forehead, head bald to the crown, and altogether a ruddy, good-humored expression of countenance."

His estate was one of magnificence and beauty. Through a broad, gently sloping valley, well timbered, well grassed, and in the spring golden with poppies, under the mild blue sky swept the lordly American Fork-the Rio de los Americanos. From the juncture with the Sacramento was a clear water-way to the ocean.

Forty-two-hundred cattle, 2000 horses, 1900 sheep, were Captain Sutter's; in his employ were some thirty whites-Americans, French and Germans-and uncounted Indians. The resident Indians he clothed in cotton; he would instruct them to weave blankets and hats, and to till the fields; a company of them he had armed and drilled, and even had uniformed. The whites were his blacksmiths, farmers, sailors, millers. The settlement was self-sustaining. For trading purposes it sent its schooners clear to Vancouver, and trafficked not only in wheat but in beaver skins.

When in March, 1844, the exhausted party of Lieutenant John Charles Fremont gladly toiled into it, they found the fort proper to be a "quadrangular adobe

structure, mounting twelve pieces of artillery (two of them brass), and capable of admitting a garrison of a thousand men; this, at present, consists of forty Indians, in uniform-one of whom was always found on duty at the gate. As might be expected, the pieces were not in very good order."

According to Lieutenant Joseph Warren Revere of the United States Sloop-ofwar Cyane, in 1846, the walls were flanked by the customary bastions or towers at diagonally opposite corners. There was an inner wall, "the space between it and the outer wall being roofed and divided into work-shops, quarters, etc., and the usual offices provided, and also a well of good water." In the center of the fort was the Sutter dwelling, fitted with the cumbersome furniture, handmade of laurel at the Ross establishment. The well was supplemented by a "large distillery house." There were blacksmithy and flour-mill, a woolen mill was planned,

and a saw-mill.

The governor, Juan Bautista Alvarado (from slim youth transformed to "a plump and paunchy lover of singing, dancing and feasting") had retired, and Don Manuel Micheltorena had succeeded. The memory of his beautiful wife lingers yet. Out of thirst for more land our hero Captain Sutter supported the Micheltorena administration against the customary revolutionists, and led his rifle corps of Indians and trappers to the field.

Alvarado himself was the opponent of this ungrateful captain; and to oppose the trappers, John Gantt and Isaac Graham, he arrayed other trappers under William Workman of Missouri, and B. D. Wilson. The hired legionnaires respected one another's valor; there was no bloodshed;

the opera bouffe war ended, and Governor Micheltorena's cause was lost. Don Pio Pico was installed in his place. Captain Sutter retired in high dudgeon to his castle.

However, Sutter's Fort was about to play another hand; the cards had been dealt by Destiny, and the game must go

on.

Now in the winter of 1845 Captain Fremont had come, and gone again; he ascertained that his previous intrusion across the Sierras "had created some excitement among the Mexican authorities"; and in March, at bay on Gavilan or Hawk Peak of the hill-divide about thirty miles. east from Monterey, he defied General Castro to eject him. His challenge was not accepted. Like the leisurely retreat of a ruffled bear he marched down the San Joaquin, up the poppy-strewn valley of the Sacramento, and again past Sutter's Fort, for the north.

Alta California and particularly that portion between Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the chief seditions and the chief immigrations were housed, was divided into two principal camps; one of resident native people favoring American jurisdiction, if the government failed, the other of those favoring England or France. And there were the Mexican supporters, and the American settlers, additional ingredients of the boiling pot.

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The anti-American sentiment seemed to be gaining ground. Signed with the popular Mexican watchword, knightly in its ring, "God and Liberty", on the 30th of April, 1846, had been issued from Monterey a banda or proclamation against the "multitude of foreigners abusing our local circumstances without having come with the requisites provided by law." Indeed, these rough-and-ready gringos from the frontiers beyond the mountains certainly were of a type to astound and seriously to disturb the easy-going Californians. Many of them were ex-trappers and backwoodsmen, respecting not God nor the devil, and least of all, the don.

Imagine Dr. Robert Semple, "six feet six inches tall and about fifteen inches in diameter, dressed in greasy buckskin from head to foot, and with a fox-skin cap." Fancy Ezekiel Merritt, "tall and spare.