ELDORADO 301 



found but six barrels of water on board and no others 

 to be had, and as the tank had proved unserviceable 

 they procured two large canoes and secured them on 

 deck, one on each side, filled them with water, and 

 covered them with boards. The space below deck 

 was fitted up with berths, and they took along such 

 provisions as the market afforded, such as jerked beef, 

 beans, rice, pumpkins, etc. The city had been stripped 

 of all proper ships' stores by vessels that had pre- 

 ceded them. One of the company was a man named 

 Rossiter who had successfully navigated a schooner 

 on the Hudson River, and upon him devolved the 

 responsible duty of steering the Dolphin to California. 

 When the time arrived to comply with the terms 

 of the sale it was found that the required amount of 

 money could not be collected. In this emergency, one 

 Captain Winslow. proposed to take her off their hands 

 and they were to pay their passage money to him. 

 Sixty-eight persons, including officers and crew, were, 

 stowed away in this small vessel ; among them was 

 Tames McClatcliy, who afterwards became the dis- 

 tinguished editor of one of the best papers in the State, 

 the "Sacramento Bee." They arrived ai Mazatlan 

 without any serious mishap and left that port on the 

 r^th of April. For twenty-five days thev sailed on 

 their course and had gone about one tlif>usand miles, 

 when, having about two barrels of water left in the 

 hold, it was thought best to broach that in the canoes 

 on deck. To their consternation it was found to be so 

 impregnated with the bitter and nauseating jM-operties 

 of the wood that it was wholly imfit for use even for 

 cooking purposes. All hands were immediately ]xit 

 on a daily allowance of a pint to each man, and the 



