226 ELDORADO 



chairman. It was adopted without a dissenting voice. 

 A resolution was then offered to pay Lieutenant Ham- 

 ilton, who was engaged in engrossing the Constitu- 

 tion upon parchment, the sum of $500, for his labors. 

 This magnificent price, probably the highest ever paid 

 for a similar service, is on a par with all things else 

 in California. The sheet for the signers' names was 

 ready and the Convention decided to adjourn for half 

 an hour, and then meet for the purpose of signing. 



"I amused myself during the interval by walking 

 about the town. Everybody knew that the Conven- 

 tion was about closing and it was generally under- 

 stood that Captain Burton had loaded the guns at 

 the fort and would fire a salute of thirty-one guns at 

 the proper moment, he citizens, therefore, as well as 

 the members, were in an excited mood. Monterey 

 never before looked so bright, so happy, so full of 

 pleasant expectation. About one o'clock the Conven- 

 tion met again ; few of the members, indeed, had left 

 the hall. Mr. Semple, the chairman, called them to 

 order, and after having voted General Riley a salary 

 of $10,000 and Mr. Halleck, Secretarv of State, $6000 

 a year, thev proceeded to affix their names to the 

 completed Constitution. At this moment a signal was 

 given, the American colors ran up the flag-staff in 

 front of the government buildings, and streamed out 

 on the air. A second afterwards the first gun boomed 

 from the fort and its stirring echoes came back from 

 one hill after another till they were lost in the dis- 

 tance. All the native enthusiasm of Captain Sutter's 

 blood was aroused ; he was the old soldier again. He 

 sprang from his seat and, waiving his hand around his 



