64 CALIFORNIA. 



For a time he was a professor of Mathematics. After that he 

 was nominated in Washington, Officer of Engineers, and 

 entrusted with the making of geographical maps. It was he 

 who sug-ofested to the American Government to send a com- 

 mission of exploration through the Rocky Mountains to the 

 Pacific Ocean. He was entrusted and appointed Chief of the 

 Commission. With less than one hundred men, chiefly French, 

 born in Canada, he successfully accomplished his first expe- 

 dition in 1842. Two more successful expeditions followed 

 the first. If it had not been for him, it is probable that the 

 annexation of California would have been not only delayed, 

 but possibly would not have taken place at all. Soon after 

 the annexation gold placers, silver, and- quicksilver mines 

 were found, from the Sierra Nevada to the Pacific, and from 

 Oregon to los Angeles ; but Sacramento and San Joaquin 

 were the first countries explored. It is between these two 

 rivers that most of the gold has been found. Sacramento is 

 the route to the northern mines. San Joaquin that of the 

 southern ones. Sacramento River is navigable to a distance 

 of ninety miles up to the new town of Sacramento, built on 

 the precise site w^here Captain Sutter had formed his establish- 

 ment called New Helvetia. By its commercial activity, its 

 population of 15,000 inhabitants, and its marvellous prosperity, 

 Sacramento was considered in 1851, as the second city of 

 California. Ships went direct from Europe or United States 

 to Sacramento. Several steamers ply daily between that 

 town and San Francisco. Others run from Sacramento to 

 Marysville by Feather's River. Stage coaches run between 

 Sacramento aud the neighbouring places, pertaining to its 

 territory. Hotels, Theatres, Gambling Houses, Concert 

 Rooms, etc., are nearly as abundant as in San Francisco. 



Sacramento, by its peculiar and favourable position on 

 the route from San Francisco to New York, is the centre of 

 the gold placers, and has in perspective a great future, as also 

 has San Joaquin, with its river, navigable for about 120 miles 

 up to Stockton. On a length of 400 to 500 miles, gold is 

 found everywhere, either as dust nuggets, or contained in 

 quartz. All the tributaries of Sacramento and San Joaquin 

 contain gold, and great finds have been made where the 

 course of the river suddenly change its direction, forming a 

 curve. Gravel, lime, clay, all of them contain gold. In 

 fact, it is found more or less everywhere, even close to the sea 

 shore. How all that gold has come there is a problem which 

 has not been satisfactorily solved yet. it is only by the 



