anxiety to escape fevers and expenses on the Isthmus, several parties thrust themselves with foolhardy thoughtlessness into log canoes, to follow the coast to the promised land, only to perish or be driven back after a futile struggle with winds and currents.22 Yet they were not more unfortunate than several who had trusted themselves to the rotten hulks that presented themselves.23

After a prosperous voyage of four weeks, prolonged by calls at Acapulco and San Blas, San Diego and Monterey," the steamer California entered the bay of San Francisco on February 28, 1849, a day forever memorable in the annals of the state. It was a galaday at San Francisco. The town was alive with wintering miners. In the bay were ships at anchor, gay with bunting, and on shore nature was radiant in sunshine and bloom. The guns of the Pacific squadron opened the welcome with a boom, which rolled over the waters, breaking in successive verberations between the circling hills. The blue line of jolly tars manning the yards followed with cheers that found their echo in the throng of spectators fringing the hills. From the crowded deck of the steamer came loud response, midst the flutter of handkerchiefs and bands of music. Boats came out, their occupants boarding, and pouring into strained ears the most glowing replies to the all-absorbing questions of the new-comers concerning the mines-assurances which put to flight many of the misgivings conjured up by leisure and reflection; yet

22 One party of 23 was passed far up the coast by a steamer, a month out, and obtained supplies, but they soon abandoned the trip. Santa Cruz Times, Feb. 26, 1870; Taylor's Eldorado, i. 29–30.

23 It is only necessary to instance the voyages of the San Blaseña and the Dolphin, the latter related in Stillman's Golden Fleece, 327-52, from the MS. of J. W. Griffith and I. P. Crane; also in Quigley's Irish Race, 465-8; San José Pioneer, Dec. 29, 1879, etc. Tired of the slow progress and the prospect of starvation, a portion of the passengers landed on the barren coast of Lower California, and made their way, under intense suffering, to their destination. Gordon's party sailed from Nicaragua in a seven-ton sloop. Sufferings related in Hitchcock's Stat., MS., 1-7.

24 When near here the coal supply of the California was reported exhausted, and spare spars had to be used; the proposed landing to cut logs was fortunately obviated by the discovery of a lot of coal under the forward deck.

THE CALIFORNIA' AND 'OREGON.'

137

better far for thousands had they been able to translate the invisible, arched in flaming letters across the Golden Gate, as at the portal of hell, LASCIATE OGNI SPERANZA, VOI CH'ENTRATE all hope abandon, ye who enter here. Well had it been were Minos there telling thein to look well how they entered and in whom they trusted,25 if, indeed, they did not immediately flee the country for their lives.

28

Before the passengers had fairly left the steamer she was deserted by all belonging to her, save an engineer, and was consequently unable to start on the return trip. Captain Pearson of the Oregon, which arrived on April 1st,27 observed a collusion between the crew and passengers, and took precautions, anchored his vessel under the guns of a man-of-war, and placed the most rebellious men under arrest. Nevertheless some few slipped off in disguise, and others by capturing the boat. He thereupon hastened away, April 12th, with the scanty supply of coal left, barely enough to carry him to San Blas, where there was a deposit. The Oregon accordingly carried back the first mail, treasure, and passengers. When the Panamá entered San Francisco Bay on June 4th,30 the

29

25 The anniversary of the arrival has been frequently commemorated with mementos, as in the volume First Steamship Pioneers. Sherman tells of excitement created at Monterey, and how he there boarded the steamer for S. F. Mem., i. 32, 61-5; Alta Cal., Feb. 29, 1872, June 2, 1874; Crosby, Stat., MS., 10-11, places the ships then in the bay at Sauzalito; not so the S. F. Bulletin, Feb. 28, 1865; Alameda Co. Gaz., Mar. 8, 1873; Oakland Transcript, Mar. 1, 1873: Gwin's Mem., MS., 6–7; S. F. Directory, 1852-3, 10.

26 The third assistant, F. Foggin, who was subsequently rewarded with the post of chief engineer. Capt. Forbes accordingly resumed charge, and asked Com. Jones for men to protect the steamer. Crosby's Stat., MS., 12. Valiejo Recorder, Mar. 14, 1868, has it that Capt. Marshall remained true.

27 U. S. Gov. Doc., 32d cong. 1st sess., Sen. Doc. 50; Manrow's Vig. Com., MS., 67; Willey's Pers. Mem., MS., 3; Williams' Stat., MS., 7; Marysville Appeal, April 3, 1864; Petaluma Argus, April 4, 1873. All agree on April 1, 1849, but Hittell, Hist. S. F., 139, who says March 31. Concerning her trip, see Capt. Pearson's speech at the anniversary, 1868, in Vallejo Recorder, Mar. 14, 1868.

28 Especially after the desertion of the carpenter at Monterey, who swam ashore at night at great risk.

29 He had 70 tons. The refractory sailors were kept in irons till they submitted to accept an increase of pay from $12 to $112 à month. The coal-ship Superior arrived at S. F. some weeks later.

30 Alta Cal., June 4, 1862, and June 4, 1867; Alameda Co. Gazeue, May 29, 1875; S. F. Bulletin, June 4, 1869; Low's Statement, MS., 2. The official

California had obtained coal and a crew, and had departed for Panamá. From this time she and the other steamers, with occasionally an extra vessel, made their trips with tolerable regularity." Three regular steamers were added to the line by 1851; and on March 3d of this year the postmaster-general authorized a semi-monthly service.

statement of June 8th appears, therefore, wrong in this case.

She was short

of coal, like the California, and had to burn some of her woodwork. 31 The following statement of mail service will show the order and dates of the trips of the Panamá steamers during 1849 and part of 1850:

U. S. Gov. Doc., 32d cong. 1st sess., Sen. Ex. Doc. 50, p. 42-44. The three original steamers plied here for a number of years, but were in time replaced on that route by newer vessels. In the S. F. Bulletin, Feb. 28, 1865, we read: "The California is now lying at Acapulco, whither she was taken to run between the Mexican ports. The Panamá and Oregon are plying between this city and ports on the northern coast. Again, the Olympia Transcript, June 17, 1876, states that all three 'have disappeared from the passenger trade, but are still in service. The Oregon is a barkentine engaged in the Puget Sound lumber trade. The Panamá is a storeship at Acapulco; and the Cali fornia is a barkentine in the Australian trade.' The three steamers added were the Columbia and Tennessee in 1850, and the Golden Gate in 1851. tween Mar.-Oct. 1850, 50 per cent was added to the mail compensation, and 75 per cent after this, or $348,250 per annum in all. U. S. Gor. Doc., as above, 7 et seq.; l'ioneer Arch., 157-60; Alta Cal., June 7, 1876. The accommodation of the Pacific line has ever been superior to that of the Atlantic. A depôt for repairs was early established at Benicia. Land was bought at that place and at San Diego. The Northerner arrived Aug. 1850. In March 1851 a rival line had four steamers, which, with odd vessels, made fifteen steamers on the route.

Be

The transit of the Isthmus was facilitated by the opening in January 1855 of the Panamá Railway,32 which gave the route a decided advantage over others. Continental crossings drew much of the traffic from the voyage by way of Cape Horn, four or five months in duration, and involving a quadruple transmigration of terrestrial zones, capped by the dangerous rounding of the storm-beaten cliffs of Tierra del Fuego, often in half-rotten and badly fitted hulks. Indeed, the

circumnavigation of the southern mainland by American gold-seekers was not undertaken to any extent after the first years. As the resources of California developed, sea travel below Panamá began to stop,

32 Which reduced the expense and hardships of the long mule-and-boat journey, while lessening the exposure to fevers. Concerning the contracts and mistakes of the projectors, the five years of struggle with the undertaking, and its immense cost in life and money, I refer to the interoceanic question in Hist. Cent. Am., iii., this series.

and distribute itself over the different crossing-places opened by explorers for interoceanic communication: across Mexico by way of Tampico, Vera Cruz, and Tehuantepec; across Central America via Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panamá. The last named maintained the lead only for a brief period, and Nicaragua, the chief rival of the Panamá route, distanced all the rest. Many had taken this route in 1849 on the bare chance of finding a vessel on the Pacific side. They usually met with disappointment, but they paved the way for later comers, and encouraged American capitalists, headed by Cornelius Vanderbilt, to form a transit company, with bimonthly steamers between New York and California, for which concessions were obtained from Nicaragua in 1849-51, under guise of a canal contract. With cheaper fares and the prospective gain of two days over the Panamá route, together with finer scenery and climate, the line quickly became a favorite; but it was hampered by inferior accommodation and less reliable management, and the disturbed condition of Nicaragua began to injure it, especially in 1856, after which business dissensions tended to undermine the company.3

35

33 In 1854 Costa Rica granted a charter to a N. Y. co. for a transit route, which gave the privilege of navigating the San Juan river. Wells' Walker's Exped., 238-9. It proved abortive.

34 Instance the severe experiences of Hitchcock. Stat., MS., 1-7; and Doolittle. Stat., MS., 1-21. See also Belly, Nic., ii. 91.

85 The gold rush brightened the prospects of the American Atlantic and Pacific Ship Canal Co., which held a concession for a canal through Nicaragua. A new body headed by Jos. L. White and C. Vanderbilt undertook to revive it, and obtained from the state a renewal of the contract dated Sept. 22, 1849, amended April 11, 1850, against a yearly payment of $10,000 till the canal should be completed, when twenty per cent of the net profit, besides stock shares, should follow; meanwhile paying ten per cent of the net profit on any transit route. Several articles provided for protection, exemptions, etc. See U. S. Gov. Doc., 31st cong. 1st sess., H. Ex. Doc. 75, x. 141-5; Id., 34th cong. 1st sess., Sen. Doc. 68, xiii. 84-103; Nic., Contrato de Canal, 1849, 1-16; Id., Contratos Comp. Vapor., 1-2; Cent. Am. Pap., v. 53-5. Other details in Hist. Cent. Am., iii., this series. The incorporation act at Leon is dated March 9, 1850. Cent. Am. Misc. Docs, 45; Belly, Nic., ii. 70-3. The Clayton-Bulwer treaty of April 19, 1850, between the U. S. and Eng., gave additional guarantees to this company; but U. S. Minister Squier's guarantee of the contract was not ratified by his government. Squier's Cent. Am., ii. 232 et seq. The aim of the projectors being really to secure the right of transit, an Accessory Transit Company was formed, for which, on Aug. 14, 1851, a charter was obtained from the Granada faction, then in power, which