68 
CALIFORNIA ILLUSTRATED. 
covering of canvas, his anvil-block and forge, and was busily 
engaged in repairing a damaged vehicle. (See Plate.) 
Our cook is busily engaged in preparing supper, while Mr. 
Cooper and myself devote the few remaining moments of twi¬ 
light, to sketching the surrounding scene. The snowy peaks of 
the Sierra Nevada are seen looming up in the distance, now gilded 
by the last rays of the setting sun, and now a dark imposing 
mass. Our teamster has just returned after a weary search for 
pasturage for our mules. I am visited by an individual whose 
personal appearance proclaims his own history more eloquently 
than it can be described. He might be termed one of the oldest 
inhabitants, having taken up his residence in the country before 
the gold excitement. He claimed to be on terms of intimacy with 
the delirium tremens , was deaf, had the rheumatism and scurvy, 
and said “he was not very well himself.” His entire system 
seemed palsied by the use of rum, and so little control had he 
over the lineaments of his face, that he could only open his eyes 
by opening his mouth at the same time; hence, in closing his 
mouth upon his pipe (which was in constant use) he was obliged 
to part the lids of his left eye with his thumb and finger; so 
confirmed had he become in this habit, that a protuberance had 
raised upon his eyebrow and cheek-bone by the appliance. He 
was extremely loquacious and imparted much valuable informa¬ 
tion gratis, constantly keeping that 'piercing eye upon our brandy 
bottle. Mr. Cooper, who was seated upon a log near, cast an 
inquisitive glance upon him, and I tried to detect a family resem¬ 
blance between the two. I was unable to learn, however, that 
they were in the least connected, nor am I prepared to say that 
their present acquaintance ripened into an intimacy. Two ami¬ 
able donkeys are standing patiently under their loads while 
their masters are extracting “vegetables” from a demijohn. 
We were serenaded, as usual, during the night. We had been 
under the impression that the music was gratis, but learned, on 
this occasion, that it was supported by direct taxation , one of the 
worthies having taken a ham from our camp-kettle during the 
night. In addition to this, I had the pleasure, in the morning, 
of adding a note to his scale , with which he seemed so much 
pleased, that he went off repeating it , until he was out of sight. 
