Eight volumes of incoming and outgoing correspondence as recorded daily by Larkin. Larkin is from a small New England town -- the same town as Aspinwall and Howland who instrumental in building of a train and canal across Panama. Larkin would have been the person involved with receiving ships from New York or New England and facilitating US shipping from East coast to west. This was a period of time when the "ownership" of California was not clear. It was not yet part of the US (not until 1850). It was claimed by Mexico and European countries that claimed Mexico. Californians claimed their own Independence as the "California Republic". Larkin's were most often to and from Washington DC. I have not mentioned the great agricultural land or the 1848 Gold Strike. Larkin's Papers have been published in 8 volumes. I have 4 of them.