memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第21章

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On　the　next　day　we　crossed　over　the　Santa　Cruz　Mountains；　from　which　we　had　sublime　views　of　the　scenery；　first　looking　east　toward　the　lower　Bay　of　San　Francisco；　with　the　bright　plains　of　Santa　Clara　and　San　Jose；　and　then　to　the　west　upon　the　ocean；　the　town　of　Monterey　being　visible　sixtv　miles　off。　　If　my　memory　is　correct；　we　beheld　from　that　mountain　the　firing　of　a　salute　from。　the　battery　at　Monterey；　and　counted　the　number　of　guns　from　the　white　puffs　of　smoke；　but　could　not　hear　the　sound。　　That　night　we　slept　on　piles　of　wheat　in　a　mill　at　Soquel；　near　Santa　Cruz；　and；　our　supplies　being　short；　I　advised　that　we　should　make　an　early　start　next　morning；　so　as　to　reach　the　ranch　of　Don　Juan　Antonio　Vallejo；　a　particular　friend；　who　had　a　large　and　valuable　cattle…ranch　on　the　Pajaro　River；　about　twenty　miles　on　our　way　to　Monterey。　　Accordingly；　we　were　off　by　the　first　light　of　day；　and　by　nine　o'clock　we　had　reached　the　ranch。　　It　was　on　a　high　point　of　the　plateau；　overlooking　the　plain　of　the　Pajaro；　on　which　were　grazing　numbers　of　horses　and　cattle。　　The　house　was　of　adobe；　with　a　long　range　of　adobe…huts　occupied　by　the　semi…civilized　Indians；　who　at　that　time　did　all　the　labor　of　a　ranch；　the　herding　and　marking　of　cattle；　breaking　of　horses；　and　cultivating　the　little　patches　of　wheat　and　vegetables　which　constituted　all　the　farming　of　that　day。　　Every　thing　about　the　house　looked　deserted；　and；　seeing　a　small　Indian　boy　leaning　up　against　a　post；　I　approached　him　and　asked　him　in　Spanish；　〃Where　is　the　master？〃　　〃Gone　to　the　Presidio〃　（Monterey）。　　〃Is　anybody　in　the　house？〃　　〃No。〃　　　〃Is　it　locked　up？〃　　〃Yes。〃　　　〃Is　no　one　about　who　can　get　in？〃　　〃No。〃　〃Have　you　any　meat？〃　　〃No。〃　　　〃Any　flour　or　grain？〃　　〃No。〃　　　〃Any　chickens？〃　　〃No。〃　　　〃Any　eggs？〃　　〃No。〃　　　〃What　do　you　live　on？〃　〃Nada〃　（nothing）。　　The　utter　indifference　of　this　boy；　and　the　tone　of　his　answer　〃Nada；〃　attracted　the　attention　of　Colonel　Mason；　who　had　been　listening　to　our　conversation；　and　who　knew　enough　of　Spanish　to　catch　the　meaning；　and　he　exclaimed　with　some　feeling；　〃So　we　get　nada　for　our　breakfast。〃　　I　felt　mortified；　for　I　had　held　out　the　prospect　of　a　splendid　breakfast　of　meat　and　tortillas　with　rice；　chickens；　eggs；　etc。；　at　the　ranch　of　my　friend　Josh　Antonio；　as　a　justification　for　taking　the　Governor；　a　man　of　sixty　years　of　age；　more　than　twenty　miles　at　a　full　canter　for　his　breakfast。　　But　there　was　no　help　for　it；　and　we　accordingly　went　a　short　distance　to　a　pond；　where　we　unpacked　our　mules　and　made　a　slim　breakfast；　on　some　scraps　of　hard　bread　and　a　bone　of　pork　that　remained　in　our　alforjas。　　This　was　no　uncommon　thing　in　those　days；　when　many　a　ranchero　with　his　eleven　leagues　of　land；　his　hundreds　of　horses　and　thousands　of　cattle；　would　receive　us　with　all　the　grandiloquence　of　a　Spanish　lord；　and　confess　that　he　had　nothing　in　his　house　to　eat　except　the　carcass　of　a　beef　hung　up；　from　which　the　stranger　might　cut　and　cook；　without　money　or　price；　what　he　needed。　　That　night　we　slept　on　Salinas　Plain；　and　the　next　morning　reached　Monterey。　　All　the　missions　and　houses　at　that　period　were　alive　with　fleas；　which　the　natives　looked　on　as　pleasant　titillators；　but　they　so　tortured　me　that　I　always　gave　them　a　wide　berth；　and　slept　on　a　saddle…blanket；　with　the　saddle　for　a　pillow　and　the　serape；　or　blanket；　for　a　cover。　　We　never　feared　rain　except　in　winter。　　As　the　spring　and　summer　of　1848　advanced；　the　reports　came　faster　and　faster　from　the　gold…mines　at　Sutter's　saw…mill。　　Stories　reached　us　of　fabulous　discoveries；　and　spread　throughout　the　land。　　Everybody　was　talking　of　〃Gold！　gold！〃　until　it　assumed　the　character　of　a　fever。　　Some　of　our　soldiers　began　to　desert；　citizens　were　fitting　out　trains　of　wagons　and　packmules　to　go　to　the　mines。　　We　heard　of　men　earning　fifty；　five　hundred；　and　thousands　of　dollars　per　day；　and　for　a　time　it　seemed　as　though　somebody　would　reach　solid　gold。　　Some　of　this　gold　began　to　come　to　Yerba　Buena　in　trade；　and　to　disturb　the　value　of　merchandise；　particularly　of　mules；　horses；　tin　pans；　and　articles　used　in　mining：　I　of　course　could　not　escape　the　infection；　and　at　last　convinced　Colonel　Mason　that　it　was　our　duty　to　go　up　and　see　with　our　own　eyes；　that　we　might　report　the　truth　to　our　Government。　　As　yet　we　had　no　regular　mail　to　any　part　of　the　United　States；　but　mails　had　come　to　us　at　long　intervals；　around　Cape　Horn；　and　one　or　two　overland。　　I　well　remember　the　first　overland　mail。　　It　was　brought　by　Kit　Carson　in　saddle…bags　from　Taos　in　New　Mexico。　　We　heard　of　his　arrival　at　Los　Angeles；　and　waited　patiently　for　his　arrival　at　headquarters。　　His　fame　then　was　at　its　height；　from　the　publication　of　Fremont's　books；　and　I　was　very　anxious　to　see　a　man　who　had　achieved　such　feats　of　daring　among　the　wild　animals　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　and　still　wilder　Indians　of　the　Plains。　　At　last　his　arrival　was　reported　at　the　tavern　at　Monterey；　and　I　hurried　to　hunt　him　up。　　I　cannot　express　my　surprise　at　beholding　a　small；　stoop…shouldered　man；　with　reddish　hair；　freckled　face；　soft　blue　eyes；　and　nothing　to　indicate　extraordinary　courage　or　daring。　　He　spoke　but　little；　and　answered　questions　in　monosyllables。　　I　asked　for　his　mail；　and　he　picked　up　his　light　saddle…bags　containing　the　great　overland　mail；　and　we　walked　together　to　headquarters；　where　he　delivered　his　parcel　into　Colonel　Mason's　own　hands。　　He　spent　some　days　in　Monterey；　during　which　time　we　extracted　with　difficulty　some　items　of　his　personal　history。　　He　was　then　by　commission　a　lieutenant　in　the　regiment　of　Mounted　Rifles　serving　in　Mexico　under　Colonel　Sumner；　and；　as　he　could　not　reach　his　regiment　from　California；　Colonel　Mason　ordered　that　for　a　time　he　should　be　assigned　to　duty　with　A。　J。　Smith's　company；　First　Dragoons；　at　Los　Angeles。　　He　remained　at　Los　Angeles　some　months；　and　was　then　sent　back　to　the　United　Staten　with　dispatches；　traveling　two　thousand　miles　almost　alone；　in　preference　to　being　encumbered　by　a　large　party。

Toward　the　close　of　June；　1848；　the　gold…fever　being　at　its　height；　by　Colonel　Mason's　orders　I　made　preparations　for　his　trip　to　the　newly…discovered　gold…mines　at　Sutter's　Fort。　　I　selected　four　good　soldiers；　with　Aaron；　Colonel　Mason's　black　servant；　and　a　good　outfit　of　horses　and　pack…mules；　we　started　by　the　usually　traveled　route　for　Yerba　Buena。　　There　Captain　Fulsom　and　two　citizens　joined　our　party。　　The　first　difficulty　was　to　cross　the　bay　to　Saucelito。　　Folsom；　as　quartermaster；　had　a　sort　of　scow　with　a　large　sail；　with　which　to　discharge　the　cargoes　of　ships；　that　could　not　come　within　a　mile　of　the　shore。　　It　took　nearly　the　whole　day　to　get　the　old　scow　up　to　the　only　wharf　there；　and　then　the　water　was　so　shallow　that　the　scow；　with　its　load　of　horses；　would　not　float　at　the　first　high　tide；　but　by　infinite　labor　on　the　next　tide　she　was　got　off　and　safely　crossed　over　to　Saucelito。　We　followed　in　a　more　comfortable　schooner。　　Having　safely　landed　our　horses　and　mules；　we　picked　up　and　rode　to　San　Rafael　Mission；　stopping　with　Don　Timoteo　Murphy。　　The　next　day's　journey　took　us　to　Bodega；　where　lived　a　man　named　Stephen　Smith；　who　had　the　only　steam