by his friends to relinquish for the time being what they deemed a most Quixotic project. Regretting that in his youthful ardor he had thoughtlessly given pain to the hearts of those "loved ones at home," he concluded to return to his native city, allay the fears and anxieties of his parents and endeavor to make arrangements for carrying out, under more favorable auspices, his cherished project of "seeing the world." His friends assayed in vain to induce him to abandon the idea, but it had become the ruling passion of his life, and circumstances soon occurred which afforded him an opportunity of gratifying it.

Early in 1834, an expedition to the South Seas was fitted out by some merchants in New York, under the command of the celebrated navigator, Capt. Benj. Morrell. A beautiful clipper brig, the Margaret Oakley, was built at Baltimore, and fitted, armed and equipped for the purpose; and young Woodworth, having obtained the reluctant consent of his parents, embarked in the expedition as captain's clerk. This vessel after cruising among the islands of the South Pacific for about three years, and while returning home by way of China and the Cape of Good Hope, was wrecked upon the Island of Madagascar, where our young adventurer was compelled to remain many months among a rude and barbarous people, living almost in a state of nature. He finally contrived to leave the island in a small launch, and succeeded in reaching Mauritius, or the Isle of France, from which he returned to his anxious friends at home, after an absence of nearly four years.

Mr. Woodworth's spirit of adventure being now fairly awakened, and filled with a fresh desire to pursue his wanderings, he applied for and obtained an appointment as midshipman in the U. S. Navy, with the object of joining the U. S. Exploring Expedition, then being fitted out under command of Capt. Wilkes. His application for orders was successful; but by an unfortunate mistake, the "yellow document" was forwarded to the Brooklyn post-office instead of to New York, and he did not receive it until several days after the sailing of the expedition.

After the lapse of a few months, Mr. Woodworth was ordered to join the Ohio, 74, in which ship he sailed for the Mediterranean in the winter of 1838, and spent three years cruising

on that station, visiting in the mean time all the different countries bordering on that and the adjacent seas, and feasting his poetical imagination on the classic treasures of that wondrous region. Returning home in 1841, the succeeding four years were spent cruising in the Gulf of Mexico, among the West India Islands, and along the coast of Africa.

In the spring of 1846, having obtained an unlimited leave of absence for the purpose, Mr. Woodworth resolved to carry out the darling project of his youth, and cross the continent to the Pacific. With this view he left home on the 1st of April of the year named. Having spent about a month in St. Louis and completed the arrangements for his journey, he finally left Independence, Mo., on the 15th of May, and accomplished the trip to the Oregon settlements, on the Columbia River, in a little over sixty days. This is one of the quickest trips across the plains on record. Remaining in Oregon until the following winter, he then came down the coast, and landed at "Yerba Buena," the site of the present City of San Francisco.

Shortly after Mr. Woodworth's arrival here, information was received of the dreadful situation of a party of unfortunate immigrants who had lost their way in the mountains, and were perishing with cold and hunger in the snows. Our hero immediately volunteered to take command of a party, raised for the purpose, to go to their relief. An open launch was soon fitted out and furnished with supplies of stores, provisions, clothing and other necessaries; and with his hardy little band Lieut. Woodworth started on this forlorn hope, in aid of suffering humanity. It required eleven days to navigate the little craft up the Sacramento River, against the swollen current of the stream which had been rendered doubly powerful by the severe freshets of that memorable winter. The party were compelled to warp their boat along the banks nearly the whole distance, until they arrived at the embarcadero of Sutter's Fort, the site of the present Sacramento City. This place was completely overflowed at that time, so that the whole space between the embarcadero and the fort, was navigable with canoes. The party arrived at the fort, and that gallant old soldier, Capt. John A. Sutter, whose heart and purse were ever open to relieve the sufferings of

his fellow-creatures, at once entered warmly into their plans of mercy, and furnished them with whatever was lacking to carry out their enterprise, including pack mules and a number of his Indian servants. During the course of the perilous journey, and at convenient distances on the route, deposits of provisions were made and cached, for future use in returning from the mountains. When the region of snow was reached, the party were compelled to send back their mules and pack their remaining supplies upon their own backs, for many days, over mountains almost impassable and over snows in many places from sixty to eighty feet deep. On finally arriving at the camp of the unfortunate sufferers a scene of horror was presented to them which would have shocked the sensibilities of the strongest nerve. There remained alive about seventy of the original party of immigrants. Many had died from cold and hunger, and for many days the only means the survivors possessed of sustaining life, was by feeding upon the dead bodies of their comrades. In one instance, a father was discovered lying upon the ground and eating the carcase of his own child! Some were raving maniacs, and others were so stupefied and benumbed, as to have lost all desire or power of exertion. All who were found alive, however, were safely brought in, and thus, by the almost superhuman exertions of this gallant little band, nearly seventy human lives were saved from destruction, among whom are some of the present most distinguished citizens of our State.

After returning from this mountain expedition, Lieut. Woodworth reported himself for duty, and was ordered, as master, to join the U. S. ship Warren, then lying at Monterey. He was afterwards appointed to the command of the U. S. transport Anita. This command he retained until the close of the war with Mexico, doing much important service on the coast in transporting supplies, men and munitions of war, to and from the various ports between San Diego and the Columbia River.

In the fall of 1849, at the urgent solicitations of his fellowcitizens of Monterey, of which place he was at that time a resident, Capt. Woodworth consented to have his name presented to the people of that county as a candidate for the State Senate at the first session of our Legislature. Having been elected, he re

signed his post in the navy, and served his constituents in the senate chamber of the State during the first two sessions at San José. During the last session of his term, the County of Monterey was infested by a reckless gang of desperadoes, horse thieves, robbers and murderers, who committed all manner of outrages upon the peaceable inhabitants, until it was found absolutely necessary to extirpate them under authority of the State. Under commission from Gov. McDougall, Mr. Woodworth raised a company of rangers, and after many weeks of incessant effort, the campaign resulted in completely breaking up the gang, by the arrest of a number who were tried and found guilty, and several of whom were executed.

Mr. Woodworth built the first house in San Francisco upon a water-lot. It was upon the spot now occupied as the Clay Street Market. The project of erecting a store out over the water, while so much unoccupied land remained, was ridiculed at the time as visionary; but the sequel proved the wisdom of the act. In consequence of the position, the firm of Woodworth & Morris possessed for a long period the exclusive trade of the lighterage of the port.

Although firm, determined and courageous, self-reliant and persevering, Mr. Woodworth is nevertheless one of the most quiet of men in his habits, and seems to prefer nature in her simplicity and purity, to all the bustle and turmoil of the city, the honors and emoluments of politics, and the fripperies and false glare of society. On a little island in the bay, half way between San Francisco and Benicia, he has taken up his abode, where like a second Robinson Crusoe he can sit by his fire, and shoot the wild fowl he may choose from the flocks which swim close by his hearth-stone, or from the very steps of his cottage catch the finny visitant of the fishing grounds of "Red Rock." Yet, although so retiring and fond of quiet, there is not a man in California whose heart would sooner respond to the call of suffering humanity, or who would less calculate the cost of wealth, life or limb, than he, in flying to its relief; no one on whom his fellow-citizens might more implicitly rely where toil and dangers were to be met and overcome, and the great principle of doing good to man carried out under the most formidable difficulties.

THIS gentleman is extensively known as a prominent, useful and prosperous citizen of San Francisco. Modest and unassuming, yet honest, industrious and energetic, he has worked himself forward to an enviable position in the community. Mr. Payne was born in the City of New York, on the 12th of December, 1816. He was educated for the profession of a merchant; and during his residence in his native city, devoted his attention to mercantile pursuits, in which he exhibited the qualities of an active, intelligent and talented business man. When the California gold excitement first began to prevail in the Atlantic States, he was impressed with the favorable opportunities afforded by the immense current of emigration that immediately commenced westward, for the further display and more successful exercise of the spirit of enterprise he so eminently possessed. He concluded to embark without delay for the newly discovered regions of adven