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Show 216 PERSONAL ADVENTURES In this dilemma, I began looking up the stragglers; for, unless I succeeded in getting together a small party of tny own, the only alternative left me would be the disagreeable and dangerous one of journeying alone. As may be imagined, the hest n1en were already gone, and I therefore had to select such as I could find-an unfortunate circumstance for the kind of expedition I contemplated. !lowever, I got together five individuals, who, consenting to my proposition, immediately subscribed to a code of regulations drawn up by myself, one of which was to the effect that all property, not purchased nor tnade use of avowedly for the comrnon good, should be considered private, and respected accordingly. The preliminaries being thus far arranged, my next step was to make the necessary purchases; but, to my great disappointment, oxen, horses, mules, carts, and in fact everything required for our expedition, had become scarce, and had increased inordinately in value; and, as our means were limited, this circumstance threatened to prove fatal to our under- IN CALIFORNIA. 217 taking. Two hundred dollars were asked us for one yoke of oxen, which sum being too high for our exchequer, we declined the offer, although the animals were certainly in fine working order; and we finally struck a bargain for another yoke and a cart, at the price of one hundred and fifty dollars. Both of our cattle had been used up by hard work, and were in bad condition, one of them being, moreover, blind of an eye; but it was our last resource, and, for 'vant of better at the price, we took them, and I now only awaited the funding of the common stock of cash, to pay for them. Meanwhile, I sought to procure a horse for my own particular convenience, but my entire stock of money did not exceed forty dollars, and a portion of this had to be set aside, as my share of the price of the yoke and cart. Whilst I was deliberating how to make the most of my small capital, a coloured man of Monterey carne to see me, who chanced to have a horse to dispose of. But he wanted fifty dollars for it, and refused to take a VOL. I. L |