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passengers might think I had no friends, I shouted "Good bye, Muggins," and had the satisfaction of having a shabby man much inebriated, reply as he swung his rimless hat, "Good bye, my brother." Not particularly elated at this recognition, I tried it again, with, "Good bye, Colonel," whereat thirty-four respectable gentlemen took off their hats, and I got down from the position that I had occupied on a camp stool, with much dignity, inwardly wondering whether my friends were all aids to Bigler, in which case their elevated rank and affection for me would both be satisfactorily accounted for.

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Away we sped down the bay, the captain standing on the wheel-house directing our course. "Port, Port a little, Port," he shouted. "What's he a calling for?" inquired a youth of good-natured but unmistakable verdancy of appearance, of me. "Port wine," said I, "and the storekeeper don't hear him, you'd better take him up some. "I will," said Innocence; "Iv'e got a bottle of first rate in my state room." And he did, but soon returned with a particularly crest-fallen and sheepish appearance. "Well, what did he say to you," inquired I. "Pointed at the notice on that tin," said the poor fellow "Passengers not allowed on the wheel-house." "He is, though, ain't he?" added my friend with a faint attempt at a smile, as the captain in an awful voice shouted, "Starboard!" "Is what?" said I, "Loud on the wheel house!" Good God! I went below.

At 9 o'clock in the evening we arrived at Monterey, where our modest salute was answered by the thundering

response of a 24-pounder from the fort. This useful defensive work, which mounts some twenty heavy guns and contains quarters for a regiment, was built in 1848, by Halleck, Peachy & Billings. It is now used as a hermitage by a lonely officer of the U. S. Army. The people of Monterey have a wild legend concerning this desolate recluse. I was told that he passes the whole of his time in sleep, never by any chance getting out of bed until he hears the gun of a steamer, when he rushes forth in his shirt, fires off a 24-pounder, sponges and reloads it, takes a drink and turns in again. They never have seen him; it's only by his semi-monthly reports they know of his existence. "Well," said I to my informant, a bustling little fellow named Bootjacks, who came off on board of us, "suppose, some day a steamer should arrive and he should not return her gun? "Well sir," replied Bootjacks, with a quaint smile, "we should conclude that he was either dead, or out of powder." Logical deduction this, and a rather curious story, altogether; how I should like to see him! Bootjacks kindly presented me with the following state of the markets, &c. in Monterey, which will give you a better idea of the large business and commercial prosperity of that flourishing city, than any thing that I can write on those subjects.

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MONTEREY MARKETS.

The arrival of a stranger by the Maj. Tompkins from San Francisco, during the past week, with specie to the amount of $4 871, most of which has been put in circulation, has produced

an unprecedented activity among our business men.

Confidence

is in a great measure restored, and our merchants have had no reason to complain of want of occupation. The following is the state of our market, for the principal articles of domestic consumption:

FLOUR-Twenty-five pounds, imported by Boston, & Co. per Major Tompkins, still in first hands; flour in small quantities is jobbing readily at 15 @ 18 cents. We notice sales of 10 by Boston, & Co., to Judge Merritt, on private terms.

PORK-The half bbl. imported by Col. Russell, in March last, is nearly all in the hands of jobbers; sales of 4 b at $1, half cash; remainder in note at 4 months. A half bbl. expected by Bootjack & Co., early in September, will overstock the market.

CANDY-Sales of 6 sticks by Boston & Co. to purser of Maj. Tompkins, on private terms; the market has a downward tendency; candy is jobbing in sticks at 6 @ 8 cents.

POTATOES-We notice arrival of 10 t from the Santa Cruz,

no sales.

DRY GOODS-Sales of two cotton pocket hdkfs. by Mc Kinley & Co. at 621 @ 75 cents; indorsed note at 6-months.

Lively place this.

Thank Heaven my lot is not cast there it was once, but the people sold it for taxes. Having taken on board the U. S. mail, containing one letter (which I believe must have been the resignation of the Collector), our noble steamer bore away to the Southward.

Four bells tinkled from the little bell aft; four bells chimed from its deep-toned brother forward, and being of a retiring disposition, I retired.

9

PHOENIX IS ON THE SEA.

BRIGHT and beautiful rose the sun, from out the calm blue sea, its early rays gleaming on the snow-white decks of the Northerner, and "gilding refined gold" as they penetrated the state-room "A," and lingering, played among the tresses of the slumbering McAuburn. It was a lovely morning, "the winds were all hushed, and the waters at rest,” and no sound was heard but the throbbing of the engine and the splash of the paddle wheels as the gallant old Northerner sped on her way, "tracking the trackless sea." Two sailors engaged in their morning devotions with the holy stones near my room, amused me not a little. One of them, either accidentally or with "malice prepense," threw a bucket of water against the bulwark, which ricocheting, struck the other on his dorsal extremity, as he leaned to his work, making that portion of his frame exceedingly damp and him exceedingly angry. "You just try that again, your soul," exclaimed the offended one," and I'll slap your chops for you." “Oh,

yes you will," sarcastically rejoined he of the water bucket; "I've heerd of you afore! You're old chop-slapper's son, aint you? Father went round slapping people's chops, didn't he?" Then followed a short fight, in which, as might have been expected, "Old chop-slapper's son" got rather the worst of it.

There was no excuse for being sick that morning, so our passengers, still pale, but with cheerful hope depicted in their countenances, soon began to throng the deck, segars were again brought into requisition, and we had an opportunity of ascertaining "whether there was any Bourbon among us." A capital set of fellows they were. There was Moore, and Parker, and Bowers (one of Joe Bowers' boys), and Sarsaparilla Meade, and Freeman, which last mentioned gentlemen, so amusing were they, appeared to be travelling expressly to entertain us. And there were no ladies, which to me was a blessed dispensation.

"Oh, woman! in our hours of ease
Uncertain, coy, and hard to please;
When pain and anguish wring the brow,
A ministering angel thou."

Certainly but at sea, Woman, you are decidedly disagreeable. In the first place, you generally bring babies with you, which are a crying evil, and then you have to have the best state-room and the first seat at the table, and monopolize the captain's attention and his room, and you make remarks to one another about us, and our segars and profanity, and

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