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Show 104 PERSONAL ADVENTURES . I had no home; and every night, as I left the coffee-house, after supper, I was generally drenched to the skin before I reached my casa on the hill. The inhabitants, in addition to these annoyances, suffered greatly from the scarcity of provisions until their townsmen returned from the rnines, ·when things resumed their accustomed course, and became comparatively comfortable. The arrival of a small vessel from San Francisco, with some brandy, caused general rejoicing. This liquor sold for fifty cents a glass for several weeks, until a fresh cargo arrived, when the price went do,vn to twenty-five cents, just quadruple the price charged for it in the States. The news had reached us some time before that several boats' crews had deserted from the American vessels of war, notwithstanding the severe precautions adopted by the ComJnodore to prevent it. One evening, a runa, vay negro rode into the yard at the rear of the house where I slept, and, fastening his horse to a stake in the fence, entered the room IN CALIFORNIA. 105 where I was seated with Stevenson and his wife, whom he saluted as old acquaintances. The forrner, after a hearty shake of the hand, hastened to the front door, to see if it was fastened, then looked into the yard, and returned to his seat, apparently reassured. " Well, Hector," said he, " how have you been getting on?" "Oh,'' replied our sable visitor, "I clone fust rate. You heerd, I s'pose, dat after I leabe dis 'ere place I go right up to Macalamo diggins. Dere I dig a tremendious sight o' goold in berry few days. How much you tink I make now-eh ?" "I'm sure I can't tell." ''Jist guess." " Well, somewhere about twenty ounces. " '' Haw ! haw ! twenty ounces! What a clebber chap you be ! What tink you ob four tousan' dollars, now-eh ?" '' Four thousand dollars !" ejaculated Ste .. venson, in amazement. "Four thousand dollars !" echoed his wife, F5 |