230 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



niglit, but every thing was quiet, and as I said yester- 

 day, I believe the danger, if any was to be appre- 

 hended, had passed away. But the excitable feelings 

 of the hundreds of Americans now under arms had to 

 be indulged, and hearing that a camp, mostly com- 

 posed of foreigners, situated about seven miles from 

 Sonora, had mounted Mexican, Chilian, and French 

 flags, (what truth there is in the report, I know not,) 

 they have started out this morning to avenge the in- 

 sult, and chastise the temerity of the "greasers" and 

 "outsiders." I sincerely trust there will be good 

 sense enough in the party to refrain from wanton ag- 

 gression. 



Gov. Burnett has sent Hon. John Bidwell and Judge 

 H. A. Schoolcraft in charge of the block of stone con- 

 tributed by California to the Washington Monument. 

 It is thus described : 



" This block of gold-bearing quartz, is from the 

 Mariposa diggings, near Fremont's mines, and weighs 

 about one hundred and twenty-five pounds. In shape 

 it is irregular, approaching a square, its sides varying 

 from eighteen to twenty inches in length. It averages 

 in thickness nine inches — across its face diagonally it 

 is twenty-one inches by measurement. Very little 

 gold is perceptible to the naked eye, but it is estimated 

 to contain about eighty dollars worth." 



Since the above events were recorded, another most 

 disastrous fire has occurred in the city of San Fran- 

 cisco. It broke out in the Sacramento House, situated 

 in the wealthiest portion of the city, on the 17th of 

 June, 1850, at eight o'clock, A. M., and in the short 

 space of three hours, about two-thirds of the wealthiest 

 district was consumed. The shipping in the harbor 



