This is a black and white political cartoon titled “Things as They Are.” It depicts a chaotic scene related to the California Gold Rush. The scene is dominated by a rugged mountain range labeled “Gold Region.” A winding, rough road leads up the mountainside, crowded with people of various ethnicities and social classes rushing towards the gold. Some are carrying shovels, picks, and other mining tools, while others are pulling carts laden with supplies. At the bottom left, a uniformed man is pushing a cart, and a speech bubble above him reads, “Hold on Capt Bragg! don’t waste your ‘Gripe’ ‘til nothing but a ‘Side-folk’ bar extra Session shall regulate California.” In the upper left, a group of ghostly figures are gathered around a tombstone that reads, “In Memory of the Administration of 1849.” A speech bubble above them says, “As you say General, but by G-d I’d like to make him smell of Buena Vista.” On the right side of the image, a group of men are gathered around a barrel labeled “Foreigners.” One man is pointing at another, and a speech bubble reads, “Clear you D-d Foreigner our law is the law of might.” Above them, a ghostly figure of a man is floating in the clouds, and a speech bubble reads, “The happiest day of my administration, We will take unto ourselves the wings of the morning and depart into the depths of California.” The overall impression is one of chaos, greed, and social unrest, with a clear commentary on the political and social issues surrounding the California Gold Rush. The cartoon is signed “Serrill & Perkins Lith & Pub 75 Nassau St. N.Y.” and “W.H. Ellis 59 Nassau St. N.Y.”