He reached the South American Continent at Payta, Peru, in time; took the English steamer of October to Panama, and thence went on to Kingston, Jamaica, where he found a sailing vessel bound for New Orleans.

On reaching New Orleans, he telegraphed to the War Department his arrival; but so many delays had occurred that he did not reach Washington in time to have the matter embraced in the President's regular message of 1848, as we had calculated.

Still, the President made it the subject of a special message, and thus became "official" what had before only reached the world in a very indefinite shape.

Then began that wonderful development, and the great emigration to California, by land and by sea, of 1849 and 1850.
As before narrated, Mason, Warner, and I, made a second visit to the mines in September and October, 1848.

As the winter season approached, Colonel Mason returned to Monterey, and I remained for a time at Sutter's Fort.