Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-25
EARLY FRENCH F|L|BUSTERS,
Their Exploits on the Pacific
Coast Outlined.
The Adventures of Count Rand de
RaOusset BOullOn.
His Attempts to Carve Out an Em-
pire in Mexico-The Disas.
tr0us Conclusion OF the
Expedition.

Expedition.
The discovery of gold had brought to
California crowd of foreigners, attract.
ed by lucre and especially by the ac'
counts OF the marvellous abundance oi
the precious metals. Naturally and
properly, the French were not the last
to betake themselves to the placers.
About 1851 several we'll known causes
introduced savage animosity between
the Saxon and the Latin races OF North
ern California, and the French contin.
ued to bsar part OF the persecution di-
rected especially against the Spanish
Americans.
They then made com mon cause with
the other peoples belonging to their
race, and the Mexican government
judged it expedient to cement this un-
ion by inviting the French to establish
themselves on the Mexican frontiers as
colonists, with all the legal privileges
of exploring the rich gold mines OF So
nora.
Relying upon such promises, hun
valley of Sonora under the leadership OF
the Marquis Charles de Pindray, the
descendant OF an illustrious ruined
French family.
As might have been expected, the
Mexican authorities, harassed on all
sides by the rebellious Indians, refused to
fulfill the promises of the federal gov
eminent. Under these sad omens, the
distress caused discouragement and de-
sertion among the French, especially
after the suicide of the Marquis de Pin
dray, who, in fit of dependency, had
shot himself.
Nevertheless, the French colonists
were too resolute to be discouraged at
the first repulse, and the call of new
chief was sufficient to electrify the buc-
cancers and TO revive in them the fever
for the gold mines of Sonora.
The parsonage who had just given ex-
preston to the dissatisfaction of the
French WAS none other than M. lie Count
CASTOR Raoul de Raousset Boulbon.
This hero, worthy of ancient Greece, was
born at Avignon in 1917
Although he was of poor family, he
be had received careful education.
From infancy he had been remarkable
for his violence and had received on that
account the cognomen of Little Wolf.
He had enlisted early in the French
army and had shown decided taste for
military affairs. Having become aide.
de- camp to Duke d'Aumale, he joined
the campaign of Kabylie at the side of
General Bugeaud. Endowed with the
most noble and chiva!ric qualities, brave
and rash to the last degree, he never re-
treated before anything-Dot even pleas
ures. Enthusiastic even to delirium,
he put into actual practice the old pro-
verb of our ancient cavaliers, "Noblesse
oblige."
In spite of his adventurous and ro-
mantle disposition, he was man of firm
convictions and deeply religious. He
had imbibed from pious mother the
sacred principles of faith which makes
great heroes, and he never scrupled to
give free rein to his Christian senti-
ments. A man of fastidious literary
taste and skilIful draughtsman, he did
not hesitate to lay aside the pen
and the pencil to devote himself to his
favorlte passion-fencing.
Although supported by genuine tai
ents, his ambition had suffered cruel
blow in 1848. He lived several years in
Algeria, but his forced sojourn there was
the necessary consequence of a period
he had passed at Paris in the midst OF
pleasures, and drawn into the vortex of
all the giddy tournaments of the modern
Babylon.
At the beginning of the revolutionary
struggle, soon after the fall of Louis
Philippe, he left Algeria and fastened
to Paris, where he entered the political
arena as journalist and republican can
didate.
An absolute failure here completely
discouraged him. Ruined in his aspira-
tions and his fortune, he determined to
tollow the movement that was directing
itself towards the gold mines of Califor-
MIA.
He arrived at San Francisco on the
22d of August, 1850. Reduced to the
] utmost destitution, he attempted little
of everything. By turns he was dav
laborer, miner and hunter, and in every
thing and everywhere he saw fate pur-
suing him with relentless animosity.
He was then 33 years old. Although of
stature and reputation lilliputian, com.
pared to that of his friend and prede-
cessor, the marquis of Pindray, whom
the Americans had surnamed Apollo
Hercules, he yielded to the \former
, nothing in respect to decision of char
acter and the thirst for glory in bold
and hazardous undertakings.
In spite OF his physical inferiority, ne
proved himself as great az his prede-
csssor on all occasions, and his chivalric
temerity led him to undertake the most
dangerous and difficult enterprises.
Imbued from his earliest years with
the marvellous exploits OF his ancestors,
he believed that he might find in Cali
fornia an ample field for his irrepressi-
BILE activity. 1t was for him fortune
and who knows-perhaps also the glory
of which he dreamed; although during
his sojourn at Paris celebrated sorcerer
had warned him against such adven-
lures, even predicting for him tragic
end. Indeed, among the verses which
he left there was found the following
stanza, which leaves no doubt OF his own
presentiments
's Mon occur en- desespere
Court la pretentaine
Que peut savoir 81 j'irai
Jusqu' a la trentaine?
Mais que pavenir soft gal
Ou Qu' on me fusille
Baisez-mOi, Cam lille, o guel
Baisez-moi, Camille!"
Certainly nature had neglected moth
ing that might render him capable of
succeeding in all his romantic enter
prises. Although small and thin. he
possessed masculine beauty and had