HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 475 



Appendix J. 



We have already given the substance of Governor 

 Mason's despatch to the government, giving an ac- 

 count of the gold discovery and a visit to the placers. 

 There is, therefore, no necessity for inserting that 

 official document. The appearance in Upper Cali- 

 fornia, in July 1848, of Don Pio Pico, the former gov- 

 ernor of the territory, gave rise to serious apprehen- 

 sions of another insurrection. The despatch of Col. 

 Stephenson, the commander of the garrison at Los 

 Angeles, to Colonel Mason, contains an account of the 

 matter, together with a description of the ex-governor. 



Headquarters Southern Military District, 



Los Angeles, California, July 20, 1848. 



Sir : By the last mail I informed you of the ar- 

 rival of Don Pio Pico in this district. I subsequently 

 learned that he had passed through San Diego with- 

 out presenting himself to Captain Shannon, or in any 

 manner reporting his arrival. Immediately after his 

 arrival, rumors reached me of conversations had by 

 him with his countrymen, in which he stated that he 

 had returned with full powers to resume his guberna- 

 torial functions, and that he had only to exhibit his cre- 

 dentials to you to have the civil government turned 

 over to him. I found the people becoming very much 

 excited, and some rather disposed to be imprudent. I 

 sent for Jose Ant. Carrillo and some others in the 

 town, who were giving currency to these reports, and 

 informed them that I should hold them responsible 

 for any imprudent or indiscreet act of their country- 

 men, and that, at the first appearance of any dis- 

 respect to the American authorities, I should arrest 

 and confine them in the guard-house. This had the 



