234 Audubon's Western Journal 



Many lots of land, valued last year at one thou- 

 sand dollars, are now valued at ten thousand 

 dollars, but sooner or later the fall must come. 



Sutter's Fort appears to have been built with 

 great care as to its means of defence, though at 

 first sight a visitor would be puzzled to know why 

 it was called a fort at all ; closer examination shows 

 that it once had, from all appearances, four square 

 towers, some twenty-five feet high, one at each 

 corner, each tower mounting four, eighteen, or at 

 most, twenty-four pound carronades, and the 

 effect of these on the Indians was all that was 

 required for protection, for the Indians here are 

 a very low class and poor race, far inferior to the 

 eastern tribes, and like the Mexicans cowardice is 

 their chief trait, or at least their most prominent 

 one; and if Mr. Sutter could have had twenty 

 faithful followers, he must have been ''monarch 

 of all he surveyed." 



The swampy neighborhood, bad atmosphere, 

 and malarial conditions must render this section 

 of country unhealthy to a great degree for half the 

 year; for as autumn comes on the daily supply of 

 freshly-melted snow-water from the mountains 

 will no longer purify the lagoons and bayous of 

 the vicinity. 



Fever and ague is very prevalent now, and 

 dysentery feared by all. Many of the farmers I 

 find here tell me they are only working to get 



