with people from all parts of the world. As my health permitted I
investigated matters there. I took a walk out. I met what looked like a
laboring man. I asked him how long he had been there? He said two
months. I said to him: "And not gone up to the mines yet?" He said to me
he was in no particular hurry. He said he had a row-boat and made $20 a
day rowing passengers to and from the vessels (there was then no dock).
He had his boy with him, who gathered mussels and sold them. Between the
two they averaged $30 per day, which explained why he was in no hurry to
go to the gold diggings.

Lumber was bringing fabulous prices. It looked very favorable for my
house ventures. Mr. G., the Englishman, had been very anxious to buy
them. He had seen the specifications of the carpenter on the steamer
coming up. On Saturday P.M. I called at his office. He asked me if I had
made up my mind to sell him the houses. I said to him: "If I should put
a price on them you would not take me up." He said "try me." I named a
price. He said he would take them and go to my lawyer to draw up the
contract. I said I would just as soon go to his (which was a fatal
mistake). I knew his was a State senator from Florida, and had come up
on the steamer with us. We found the lawyer in his office, and he
commenced drawing up the contract. I made my statement that I sold the
houses from my carpenter's specifications (not from any representations
I made myself), and from the bills of lading and from my insurance
policy, which ranked the ship _Prince de Joinville_, formerly a Havre
packet, classed A, No. 1. He was to deposit bills of lading of the ship
_St. George_ from Liverpool, consigned to him, in value to the amount of
$50,000, with a third party, as collateral security, that on the
arrival of the _Prince de Joinville,_ and the delivery of the houses, he
was to pay me the sum agreed upon.

The lawyer, after writing a little, complained of a headache, and asked
if it made any difference if he put it off until Monday morning. I said,
Mr. G. had been very anxious to buy the houses, and I had not cared
about selling them to arrive, preferring to take my chances when the
vessel got here, but since I had consented to sell them, I preferred to
have it on the solid. I said, I supposed the transaction was not of
great importance to Mr. G., but I had all that I was worth in the world
at stake on the venture, and would prefer to have it closed now. He
commenced wr