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Show 276 PERSONAL ADVENTURES CHAPTER XXVII. Unhealthiness of San Francisco-Prevalent maladiesClimate of California generally considered-Precautions to be observed by emigrants-Lack of women-Desirableness of female immigration- Mrs. Farnham's scheme frustrated-Advice to young ladies about to emigrateDear tooth-drawing-Dolores-The first street-organ in California-Success of enterprise-Competition even in itinerant music-Theatricals in California-Proclamation against foreigners digging in the mines-ConsequencesFrench spirit versus American intolerance-The IndiansA murder, and sanguinary retaliation-Population of California. The town of San Francisco did not appear to me-from the experience I had of it, and from the information I derived at the hands of others who had longer inhabited it-to be particularly healthy. Rheumatism, fever, ague, and diarrhma were the prevalent maladies dur· ing the entire summer season, numerous deaths occurring from them every week. One man IN CALIFORNIA. 277 died of ague under rather peculiar and distressing circumstances. He had come down from the mines, and taken up his lodgings at the Buckland, his intention being to return to Oregon by the next vessel bound for that place. fie had with him a bag containing 7,000 dollars'-worth of gold, the produce of his toil in the mines. Unhappily for his visions of future happiness, he fell sick of ague, took an over-dose of quinine-which, by the way, he paid an enormous sum for-and died. Executors \vere appointed to take care of his property ; but I never ascertained what became of it. He was a fine, tall, handsomelooking man, and had a wife and large family dependent upon him for support. We heard a great deal about the ravages the Asiatic cholera was making in the United States; but the general opinion in California was, that this country would escape it, as the high winds prevalent along the coast \vould blow it past us. I do not know whether science would bear out the theory; but, however that may.. be ' the cholera did not visit us. |