68 THE QUICKSILVER MINES 
continuing on by land to Monterey ; but I here learned 
that it would be impossible to proceed further by land, 
as the heavy rains and freshets a few weeks before, had 
carried away the bridges, and rendered the streams im- 
passable, except by swimming the horses. This I did 
not feel disposed to do: so the only alternative was to 
return to San Francisco, and go to San Diego by water. 
We accordingly took the stage at 8 o’clock, with twen- 
ty-one passengers inside and out; and reached San 
Francisco at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. 
I remained in San Francisco six days, waiting for a 
steamer to San Diego; and during this time I had the 
pleasure of meeting with Captain Sutter, whose name 
is well known to all who have heard or read of the 
recent history of California. The history of his early 
adventures has been on several occasions presented to 
the public by letter-writers; so that it will be super- 
fluous at this time to relate them, excepting the follow- 
ing anecdote, which I have not seen in print. 
‘While in Oregon, whither he had come from the 
United States, Captain Sutter met with a party who 
gave such a glowing account of California and particu- 
larly of the valley of the Sacramento, that he determin- 
ed to visit it, believing it to be precisely the rich coun- 
try and salubrious climate of which he was in search. But 
to get there was not so easy, there being then no com- 
munication from Oregon by sea. He therefore shaped 
his course for the Sandwich Islands, and from thence 
to Mexico. At San Blas or Mazatlan, he found a vessel 
about sailing for Monterey ; he embarked in her, and 
afterwards reached the Bay of San Francisco, nearly 
twelve months after leaving Oregon. But the country 
