ELDORADO 313 



The main party continued their journey u]) the 

 coast, sometimes along the seashore and sometimes 

 over spurs of mountains, suffering from the effects of 

 cactus thorns and sharp rocks on feet poorly protected. 

 They continued their journey until the twenty-fourth 

 of June, when they arrived at San Diego. Hungry, 

 ragged and destitute, they saw above the military 

 station at that place the Stars and Stripes flying, 

 which they greeted with a hearty good will. The 

 "Dolphin" renewed her endeavor to reach San Fran- 

 cisco and succeeded in working as far north as to be 

 within sixty miles of Monterey, where a landing was 

 made for supplies of wood and water. Some cattle 

 were found and one was killed and taken on board. 

 Adverse winds were more violent north of Point Con- 

 ception, and the schooner driven back so far that the 

 men who remained with her abandoned all hope of 

 ever reaching San Francisco and bore away for San 

 Diego, where thev ultimatelv arrived with the vessel 

 in a sinking condition. Melville died the dav before 

 her arrival and was buried there. He was an intelli- 

 gent voung man, a good companion and a true friend. 

 His heroic fortitude and long sufferine-s endeared him 

 to all his companions. The wreck of the Dolphin was 

 condemned and sold and the proceeds divided pmonfst 

 the passengers and crew who then made the best of 

 their wav to San Francisco and the mines. 



