IMPRESSIONS OF CALIFORNIA 275 



To this his father objected and the reasons which he gave 

 are plain enough and I believe that his father ivas right 

 in doing as fee did. How could Grriinhagen, or how could 

 I— or how could any one with common sense— being with- 

 out means, unfamiliar with the country and with life 

 here; without friends, even without reliable acquaint- 

 ances—how could we in any way expect to succeed with- 

 out a struggle ? Yea, without a hard struggle and with- 

 out severe disappointments— having come here to make 

 our fortune and with the firm resolve to succeed in spite 

 of everything and of everybody? Any man, who has the 

 use of reason, must know beforehand that such a battle 

 cannot be won in the twinkling of an eye, considering the 

 terrible odds which confronted us. Inasmuch as we be- 

 came familiar with our arms and realized the strength of 

 the enemy, after the battle of western life had begun, I 

 consider the experience thus gained too precious and too 

 hard won a treasure to turn my back to it. And now 

 should his father have given his consent and let his boy 

 run away after the first attempt? Though the battle was 

 seemingly lost— we are richer by the experience. Is not 

 the best and most glorious victory, a victory won over 

 many reverses? Would not the runaway, whoever ho 

 may be, make himself utterly ridiculous and contemptible 

 in the eyes of all sensible people? To be made the laugh- 

 ing stock of the community is almost worse than a curse. 

 Whe*n I left Hamburg, I had made up my mind to de- 

 vote five years of my life towards accomplishing the pur- 

 pose which led me to the New World, and which consists 

 in: Making money enough so that at the expiration of 

 the time set I should be enabled to found my own home 

 with a good and thrifty wife at my side, and that, with 

 such an occupation as would suit me, I might live in ease 

 and some comfort.* One year has gone by and I have 

 reason to hope that it was the worst of the five, and, 

 while it has not brought me nearer to the goal, it has 

 made me familiar with the field of operations, I have 



*And, bless his soul, he succeeded ! — Transl. 



