34 ' CALIFORNIA. 



from the town. The rent of the house was sixty dollars 

 monthly, equivalent to £,\2. It was a place considered to be 

 more secure and more healthy than the town, and it was 

 inhabited by many merchants. 



It w^as a pleasant walk from the bay to San Francisco, 

 but at night, the roads were invaded by a prodigious quantity 

 of fearless rats, and it was nearly impossible to walk without 

 treading upon some of them. I believe they were the common 

 European rat (Mus decuinanus) , imported by ships ; but 

 here it is about three or four times larger. Besides these 

 animals, the streets and roads were always encumbered with 

 all sorts of clothes, pants, shirts, etc. The reason of this 

 was that it was cheaper to buy these articles of apparel new, 

 than to have them washed. The usual prices of washing were 

 four shillings for a shirt, and sixpence for a handkerchief, and 

 so on in proportion. In consequence of large arrivals of 

 goods of that description, you could buy them new, cheaper 

 than the cost of washing. 



Life at home was not very expensive, if you chose to 

 live on fishes, game, beef, vegetables, and fruits, but other 

 commodities, as fresh eggs and chickens fetched extraordinary 

 prices, such as two shillings for an ^^%^ and £,\ for a 

 chicken. In dry goods, wines, and conserves, there was a 

 great fluctuation in prices, varying one hundred per cent, or 

 more in the week. Sometimes you could buy them cheaper 

 than in the European ports, and at other times you had to 

 pay very high prices for them. All depended upon the arrival of 

 ships carrying the same provisions, so that the market was 

 often overstocked with some sorts of goods, meanwhile others 

 were scarcely to be had at any price. During my stay, I have 

 seen good claret and other wines sold as low as tenpence per 

 bottle, and at another time, at four shillings a bottle, and so 

 on with all sorts of goods. Paper for the printing of journals 

 cost occasionally as much as one shilling per sheet. Several 

 sorts of fruit and vegetables also fetched good prices. But, 

 as I said before, if you contented yourself with buying what 

 was abundant in the market, you could live tolerably well 

 and cheaply. Salmon of superior quality and many other 

 good fishes, elks, and even bears, were common enough, and 

 cheap at times. Eggs of Guillemots were always excessively 

 abundant during the season, and could be had at two shillings 

 per dozen. Although very different in taste to hens' eggs, 

 they are very palatable and much larger. I have eaten them 

 prepared in all manners, hard boiled, fried, in omelettes, and 



