FIRST DISCOVERY OF GOLD BY A RUSSIAN. 65 



stubbornness of the chief of the Russian Colony that all this 

 wealth has not been acquired by Russia. 



As I related before, between 1814 and 1842 a Russian 

 colony, the same which sold its houses, cattle, etc., to Captain 

 Sutter, had been formed in California. It was despotically 

 ruled by Commandants appointed by the Russo-American 

 Company. 



One day one of the colonists appeared before his Com 

 mandant, and told him that he had seen in a rivulet close by, 

 some brilliant grains, looking like gold. 



Nonsense,&quot; replied the Commandant, who did not think 

 that such a thing was possible. &quot; Go on with your work, and 

 dorit occupy yourself with what is not business of yours.&quot; 



If that Commandant was alive when the first discovery of 

 gold in California was reported to all the world, and exactly 

 on the site of the colony, what remorse he must have felt at 

 his own foolishness ! ! 



That discovery came as a truly unexpected event, and 

 took the world by surprise. 



The scientific explorations formerly made in California 

 by the celebrated geologist, Mr. Dana, Attache to the 

 expedition commanded by Captain Wilkes, did not ascertain 

 the presence of gold in that country. He only remarks that 

 the rocks of the districts Uruqua and Shaste resemble in 

 many respects the auriferous rocks of the other regions, 

 concluding with : &quot; But gold, if it exists, remains to be 

 discovered.&quot; It is not a positive affirmation, but the indication 

 of a possibility. Mr. Dana had, however, studied with much 

 care the mineralogic character of the country from the river 

 Columbia to San Francisco, through the valley of Sacramento, 

 at about 40 miles from the place where an accident brought 

 about the discovery which has had such an influence on the 

 destinies of the whole world. 



This great discovery took place in January, 1848. Two 

 workmen, Messrs. Marshall and Bennett, were working at the 

 construction of a saw mill for Captain Sutter, in the meridianal 

 branch of the American River (Rio de los Americanos), about 

 fifty miles from New Helvetia, now Sacramento. The place 

 was covered with oaks, pines and cedar trees. The saw-mill 

 being concluded, it was found necessary to widen the space 

 required for the wheel. Amongst a lot of accumulated mud, 

 Marshall saw something brilliant. 



&quot;It is gold,&quot; said he, and in a short space of time, he and 

 his fellow workman collected one hundred and fifty dollars 



