36 CALIFORNIA. 



commodities for gold dust or nuggets ; but even these were 

 liable to be murdered by the suspicious and lazv characters 

 which always abound in such places. 



Add to that, the insalubrity of the country where the 

 placers are, especially the intermittent fever reigning during 

 the rainy season, the exorbitant prices paid for everything, 

 such as one dollar for a fresh egg, or for a glass of brandy, 

 and everyone will be convinced that the profession of miner 

 in California, in the year 1851, was not such a Paradise as 

 many thought. 



About the time when Gamier came back from the placers, 

 there were two French celebrities residing in San Francisco, 



&amp;gt; 



where I had the opportunity of seeing them. One was the 

 Marquis de Phidrav, the other Count Raousset dc Bonlbon. 

 The last one was young, active, and ambitious. He was of a 

 good French family. Young and rich, but eager of emotions, 



o ^ o o 



he engaged as a volunteer in the African army in which he 

 served as attache to the Duke d Aumale. Later on, being 

 nearly ruined, he went to California with the hope of 

 remaking his tortune ; but when I saw him he was far from it. 

 In fact, he had to work at everything to make a living. For 

 a time he subsisted by hunting elks and bears ; but naturally 

 no fortune could be made that way. At that time rumours 

 circulated in San Francisco that very rich gold placers had 

 been found in the Sonora. The Marquis de Pindray and 

 Count Raousset Boulbon were verv anxious to go there with a 



- O 



number of followers. Meetings were called to that effect, and 

 Count Raousset, who was a good talker, convinced many of 

 the unfortunate and unsuccessful miners who were in town 

 at that time, to accompany them. Gamier, who had known 

 Count Raousset in Africa, was one of the first to enlist as an 

 officer. About two hundred, chiefly French, were willing to 

 go with them. Shortly after, they embarked and sailed for 

 Guaymas. I do not know exactly what happened there 

 between Count Raousset and the Marquis de Pindray, but 

 there must have been some misunderstanding between them, 

 as they separated. The Marquis de Pindray went with his 

 followers in the Alta Sonora, and Count Raousset, ac 

 companied by Gamier went to Mexico, and soon after returned 

 to San Francisco. 



Some days after his return, he convoked several meetings 

 asking 200 followers to go with him, to work the gold mines 

 of the Upper Sonora. Six hundred replied to his call. On 

 the ist of June, 1852, they arrived at Guaymas. His troop 



