ELDORADO 299 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



An Account of the Sufferings of a Party of 

 Argonauts who were Compelled to Abandon 

 THEIR Vessel "The Dolphin" on the Penin- 

 sula of Lower California, and make their 

 Way on Foot to San Diego. 



The incidents contained in the following narrative 

 have been obtained from various authentic sources. 

 They are a part of the history of that wild and an- 

 omalous rush of half a century ago of those fearless 

 adventurers who sought these distant shores in search 

 of the elusive Golden Fleece. A short account of the 

 company that sailed in the schooner "San Blazina" 

 from Mazatlan, and landed at Cape St. Lucas was 

 published in the Overland Monthlv in September, 



1875- 



As the winter of 1849 advanced the excitement 

 caused by the discovery of gold in California contin- 

 ued to increase. At the Isthmus of Panama two or 

 three thousand persons were collected waiting trans- 

 portation. Every craft that could float was engaged at 

 an extraordinary price and fitted up for the long voy- 

 age. Only small sailing vessels at that time were ply- 

 ing the waters of the Pacific for passenger traffic. 

 Thev set sail from Panama overcrowded like a city^ 

 electric car at the hour when the clerks and oper- 

 atives are hurrying to their homes. 



