54 CALIFORNIA. 



principal streets, and also taking part in the festivities by 

 firing shots and crackers at random. 



Many thousands of people joined the procession, and it 

 was a grand sight to see all the different banners carried by 

 representatives of all nationalities. The Chinese looked 

 extremely curious and gaudy, and were numerous. Many 

 were the barrels filled up with crackers and fired by the shop- 

 keepers. What with the gun and the pistol shots, and the 

 uproar of the people, it was an infernal noise ; but fortunately 

 there were no accidents nor fires, a fact which can be con- 

 sidered as remarkable in a town built of wooden houses. 



At night there was a general illumination, which was also 

 well worth seeing. The effect was magnificent. 



