SAN FRANCISCO. 45 



CHAPTER V. 



CALIFORNIA. 



Principal Buildings of San Francisco Iron House Chinese Consulate 

 - Immigration of Chinese Derbec Collecting Objects of 

 Natural History Humming-Birds Remarkable Animals peculiar 

 to California The California!! Vulture Elks Bears Cahfornian 

 Salmon Insects peculiar to California Giant Trees Climate 

 Aspect of the Country. 



SAN FRANCISCO. 



PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS. 



jHE principal buildings which existed in San Francisco in 

 1851, were the Town Hall, the ancient theatre, a large 

 and &quot;fine building, the frontage being of white marble. The 

 Government had just bought it for the sum of 500,000 dollars. 

 The Custom House, which was not quite finished, a very large 

 brick building, erected at a cost of 300,000 dollars, two play 

 houses, the Jenny Lind, and another in which French companies 

 were usually playing, many music halls, and a large number 

 of gambling houses, some of which were sumptuously furnished, 

 the California Exchange, several banks, one of which was 

 entirely constructed of iron sheets, sent from New York. A 

 heavy rent was charged in that bank for the keeping of 

 valuables, documents, and the like, and I have no doubt that 

 it paid well ;- fifteen Catholic and Protestant churches, several 

 colleges and schools, hotels, nearly all of which were built of 

 wood, a private Museum, containing a fine collection of 

 minerals, chiefly specimens of auriferous quartz, gold nuggets, 

 and gold dust. There was also a collection of Californian 

 birds and mammals, especially rich in Anatidae, or Ducks. 

 Specimens of cereals, vegetables and fruits were also ex 

 hibited, and I was much impressed with the beauty and size 

 of some of them. I saw there a specimen of potatoe weighing 

 fifteen pounds. The entrance fee was one dollar. In conse 

 quence of the frequent fires, they were beginning to build 



