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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bcae233 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #68972 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68972) diff --git a/old/68972-0.txt b/old/68972-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 3d3819c..0000000 --- a/old/68972-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6699 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Sixteen months at the gold diggings, -by Daniel B. Woods - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Sixteen months at the gold diggings - -Author: Daniel B. Woods - -Release Date: September 11, 2022 [eBook #68972] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at - http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images - available at The Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIXTEEN MONTHS AT THE GOLD -DIGGINGS *** - - - - - - SIXTEEN MONTHS - - AT THE - - GOLD DIGGINGS. - - BY - - DANIEL B. WOODS. - - NEW YORK: - - HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, - 82 CLIFF STREET. - 1852. - - - - - Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand - eight hundred and fifty-one, by - LEONARD WOODS, - In the Office of the Clerk of the District Court of the Southern - District of New York. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -It is almost inconceivable what an excitement was produced upon nations -and individuals by the discovery, less than four years since, of gold -among the mountains of Upper California. Tides of human life soon set in -toward this one point; currents here met, whirling and contending with -increasing force; and, where all was silent and calm before, was heard -the roar, and seen the violence and agitation of the maelstrom. - -The writer was for sixteen months employed in the gold mines, chiefly -upon the American and Tuolumne Rivers and their tributaries. His reasons -for compiling his notes and presenting them to the public may be briefly -stated. It was the request of several friends that he would keep a -journal of his mining life, exhibiting its lights and shades, its -fortunes and misfortunes. This he did, jotting down from day to day the -incidents as they occurred. Many mining companions, aware of this fact, -requested him to prepare his journal for the press, that their friends -might thus have a view of their circumstances and employments. - -Having so long been a miner, and acquainted with all his privations and -sufferings; having experienced his elation at success and his -depression at failure; having passed through the trying season of -acclimation, and lain once beneath a lone oak, expecting, as he looked -up to the stars shining clear above him, there to end his days; having -rocked the gold-digger’s cradle, wielded his pick and spade, messed and -slept with miners, he is prepared to present a correct view of his -subject for those who have friends at the mines. - -He considers that it will be proper to present incidents of travel on -his journey to California, in connection with the more important object, -both to afford a view of the dangers and difficulties of the earlier -emigrants to this country, and also to maintain the unity of his plan. - -He hopes to make this little volume useful to those who are, or who -expect to be, engaged in the arduous employments of mining. If any shall -be encouraged to perseverance--especially if any young men who shall be -thus thrown into circumstances where immorality and vice are so -prevalent, and to which many give themselves up too easy victims, shall -be put upon their guard, his best wishes will have been accomplished. He -recalls, with sadness, the case of a merchant of education and -refinement, who left a large circle of friends and a young family. With -bright hopes he started for the gold placers. Disheartened by several -failures, depressed at his separation from his family, he sought in the -social cup to forget his sorrows and disappointments. Within three -months from the time he arrived in the country he became a subject of -_mania a potu_, and died in the streets of San Francisco. The path of -vice in California lies not through the ordinary influences of life; it -leads not, as elsewhere, through a long course. It lies rather on an -inclined plane, and speedily runs down into despair and ruin. - -I intend to make this volume a miner’s manual, in which he may find -important directions relating to the various mining operations. - -Another motive with the writer is the desire to induce all who are doing -_well enough_, who are living within their means and laying by a little, -to remain satisfied at home. The question is often asked, _Who should go -to the mines?_ It is very sure that a man with a family depending upon -his daily efforts should not go. He should not exhaust his slender -means, and run himself in debt, with the hope of making himself -independent in one or two years. Let such a one, who is inclined to do -this, picture to himself his wife struggling alone with poverty or -sickness, his children left without a father’s presence and love to -guide and protect, and himself a homeless wanderer, subjected to the -privations, hardships, and sickness incident to such a vagrant life. - -Let the young man go, if he will, who has no family depending upon -him--who has a strong constitution, and stronger moral courage; who is -sober and persevering; who has little prospect of making a comfortable -living at home, and who can make up his mind to spend five years from -it, and to enjoy as few comforts as did Diogenes. To such a one there -may be some comfort in even a miner’s life. He has not, like the man of -family in a similar condition, to experience how much the heart can -bear and not break--to live only in the future, while he - - “Drags at each remove a lengthening chain.” - -His is not the history of an _exile heart_. He may enjoy the rest of the -laboring man beneath God’s own glorious canopy. The hardships which he -endures in this, the _gold-age_ of his life, may make him more satisfied -with his situation when he returns home, while the troubles which once -annoyed him will not there be experienced. - - DANIEL B. WOODS. - -_Philadelphia, July 1, 1851._ - - - - -SIXTEEN MONTHS - -AT - -THE GOLD DIGGINGS. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY. - - -California extends from Oregon to Sonoma and Lower California, and from -the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. It shows a coast-front extending ten -degrees of latitude, from the thirty-second to the forty-second -parallel. To the voyager it presents only high and forbidding -headlands--mountain ranges which step down from the broad table-lands in -the interior, and push a bold foot far out into the waters of the ocean. - -This country possesses 420,000 square miles, and is remarkable for its -lofty ranges of mountains, among which lie interspersed limited but -beautiful valleys and more extensive plains. Its diversity of climate -and soil is as great as the varieties of its surface. - -The channel which forms the entrance into this singular country from the -Pacific is two miles in width and three in length, and is opposite, -under the same parallel of latitude, to the Straits of Gibraltar. After -passing through this channel, the lowest of the series of bays, that of -San Francisco, opens broadly before you, dotted with several islands -clothed with verdure, and rocks white with their coating of guano, -around and upon which hover and settle immense flocks of sea-fowls. -Above the ranges of hills, in the east, rises the distant Sierra, -crowned till July with its winter snows. The bay opposite the city is -twelve miles wide, and, with the bays above, contains anchorage ground -sufficient to accommodate every vessel, from the ship of war down to the -schooner, in the whole world. In the north, the bay contracts into a -narrow passage, and opens soon into a second spacious bay, ten miles in -diameter. Still another strait connects this bay with a third, -containing numerous islands, and receiving, at its head, the waters of -the Sacramento and the San Joaquin. These, with the Colorado, are the -principal rivers of California. - -The mountain ranges may be briefly described. Fifty miles from the -barren and sandy shore of the Pacific, and running parallel with it, is -the coast-range, well defined, but not so elevated as the other more -remarkable range. This is the Sierra Nevada, or Snowy Range, which bears -its lofty peaks, covered even into summer with snow, far into the sky. -This range is one hundred and fifty miles farther inland, and also runs -parallel with the coast. - -Within all this lies the available portion of California, which consists -of several fertile valleys, among which I shall notice particularly -those of San Juan, and of the Sacramento and San Joaquin. The former is -of limited extent, being not more than twenty miles long by twelve -wide, but of great fertility. This may be regarded as the garden of -California. There can not be found a more salubrious or more equable -climate in any part of the world. It is said to resemble that of -Andalusia, in Spain. This valley is situated between the coast-range and -the Pacific, and extends from the Bay of San Francisco north and south. - -The valley of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin lies between the -coast-range and the Sierra Nevada. It may be considered as one -continuous valley, the two rivers uniting their waters at the head of -the bays. It extends in length from about the forty-first parallel of -latitude, three hundred miles to the delta of the Sacramento, and thence -to the head waters of the San Joaquin. Over this whole region is found -scattered the evergreen oak, resembling the trees of an old -apple-orchard, and upon the ridges grows the red-wood. A fine growth of -pine is found among the mountains. - -All the tributaries of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin rise among the -Sierra Nevada. It is of importance to have the position of these well -understood. The first branch worthy of note in descending the Sacramento -is called Feather River. Bear Creek and the Yuba are streams emptying -into this river. The American River is another branch of the Sacramento, -fed by those streams named North, Middle, and South Forks. In proceeding -south up the San Joaquin, the Stanislaus is the first river of note. The -next branch is the Tuolumne, and then the Merced--the Rio de los -Mercedes of Old California, and abbreviated into Mercey by the miners. -Higher up are the Marepoosa, King’s, and some smaller rivers. All these -are rapid, clear mountain streams, containing abundant supplies of the -finest salmon. The Sacramento and the San Joaquin have no tributaries on -the lower or western side. - -Still within these interior limits last described lies a comparatively -narrow belt of land, difficult of access, guarded by a thousand dangers -and privations, yet possessing all the extraordinary and magical -influence of Aladdin’s cave, and realizing our boyhood’s dreams when we -filled our hats with the shining coins. This--the heart of the -country--is the true, the mysterious _California_--the shrine at which -tens of thousands of weary and exile pilgrims do homage, and where -already great multitudes have left their bones. This is -_California_--the country lately an uninviting wilderness, where the -Indian and the bear disputed possession, now, all along its streams, -upon its bars, in its gulches and ravines, covered with the tented home -of the miner, while its hill sides echo back ten thousand eager voices, -the din of innumerable picks and shovels, and the scraping and grating -sounds of a thousand cradles incessantly rocked, emptied, and refilled. - -Let us attempt a description. - -Between the Sierra Nevada on the east, and the Sacramento and San -Joaquin on the west, and at about twenty-five miles distance from both, -are the foot or lower hills of the Nevada. These foot-hills embrace, or -rather constitute, the gold region. They are perfectly defined upon the -lower side, where they rise abruptly from the level plain below. Upon -the upper side they are irregular, often running up toward the -mountains, and rising to an elevation of three or four thousand feet. -This belt of land is five hundred miles in length and fifty in width. It -is traversed by the tributaries of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin -which have been mentioned. These streams, rising in the Sierra Nevada, -and flowing west, cut their channels through these foot-hills. They also -receive, in their progress, the arroyos from a thousand springs, which -burst out over all this enchanted region. These creeks and rivulets, -sometimes gliding smoothly along to their meeting, and sometimes -becoming impetuous mountain torrents, form the world-renowned ravines -and gulches of the California gold diggings. During the prevalence of -some great freshet, or other cause sufficient to produce such an effect, -these streams are sometimes pushed out of their former channels, which -instead are filled up, sometimes to the depth of thirty or even forty -feet, with a loose foreign soil. Such placers constitute many and the -most important of the “dry diggings,” which sometimes spread themselves -out over valleys to some considerable extent, and were doubtless formed -by washings from the hills in the vicinity. - -The “river diggings” include the bars and auriferous portions of the -channels of the tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, during -their passage through the foot-hills. - -Though the broad belt of ground which has been here described is named -the gold region, it is by no means to be supposed that the precious -metal is found equally distributed over its surface, as if it had -rained down, or been thrown broadcast by some volcanic action over the -whole country. The placers where the auriferous dust is found are, in -comparison with the whole extent of the country so named, exceedingly -limited. The miner often travels many miles over this region--he wanders -for days along its river banks and over its bars, and turns aside into -some of its numerous ravines--he often pauses to examine spots which -appear to him favorable, and with his pick, shovel, and knife--always -his companions--digs his fifty holes, testing each with his pan, without -success. And even when he comes to the favored bar or placer from which -many pounds of gold may have been taken, there is perhaps one chance in -fifty in favor of his collecting any considerable amount of gold. Upon -these very localities thousands of industrious miners barely make their -living. The hopeful miner eagerly hastens, with high expectations, to -the diggings. He chooses his bar, and marks off a claim; this he -faithfully “prospects,” then abandons it for another and another, till -he comes to the conclusion that the whole business is a lottery. - -The primitive formations prevailing through the gold diggings are the -soft granite and the talcose slate. The superstrata are various, and -depend upon the formations in the hills adjoining. The first in -importance, as being intimately combined with the gold, is the quartz. -This is found in broken fragments, from the fine pebbles to the huge -masses, over the whole surface of the country. It is often seen crowning -the hill-tops, and sometimes is found in veins in the valleys. There -can be no doubt that the quartz and the gold were formed in combination. - -This is now so universally admitted as not to require to be -substantiated. It is also placed beyond a doubt that the gold of the -mines has been attrited, and taken to the various deposits by the action -of water; and the gold is found in coarser or finer particles, according -as it is exposed to a greater or less degree of this action. In some -cases, the gold has been found running in veins, more or less rich, -through the quartz, and so closely combined that they must be reduced to -powder before they can be separated. With but few exceptions, however, -the working of these veins has not proved profitable. - -Perhaps there is no part of my whole subject so difficult to be -described as the climate of California. One cause of this is, that it is -so different in various parts of the state, and in the same part during -the various seasons. In general there are two seasons--a wet and a dry. -The first commences about the middle of October, and continues to the -first or middle of April. It must not be supposed that there is rain -continually during this season. My journal exhibits the following -statistical results: - -In October, 1849, it rained two days--the 9th and 10th. - -In November, 1849, it rained fourteen days--cloudy three days. - -In December, 1849, it rained eight days--cloudy three days, and snow one -day. - -In January, 1850, it rained seventeen days--cloudy one day, and snow -three days. - -In February, 1850, it rained four days--cloudy three days, and snow -three days. - -In March, 1850, it rained nine days--cloudy three days, and snow one -day. - -In April, 1850, it rained one day--April 5th. - -During the months of October, November, and December, 1849, and of -January, 1850, the mean average temperature indicated by the thermometer -was as follows: - -At sunrise, 36°. - -At noon, 50°. - -Lowest at sunrise, 23°. - -Highest at sunrise, 48°. - -Lowest at noon, 40°. - -Highest at noon, 50°. - -In February, 1850, in the morning, 36°. - -In February, 1850, at noon, 62°. - -In March, at morning, 39°. - -In March, at noon, 58°. - -The Hon. T. Butler King estimates, in his report to government, that the -soil west of the Sierra Nevada covers an area of between fifty and sixty -thousand square miles, and is capable of supporting a population equal -to that of Ohio or New York at the present time. A large portion of this -land, although fertile, can not be cultivated, owing to the drought. The -portion of the soil capable of irrigation is comparatively small, and -lies upon the rivers and streams. - -The products of this state are various. The climate and soil are well -suited to the cultivation of wheat, rye, barley, and oats, the last of -which grows spontaneously over the whole length of the sea-coast, and -for many miles into the interior. Irish potatoes, turnips, onions, and -beets are produced in great perfection. The various fruits are -cultivated with facility. - -It is not the design of this work to give a history of California -previous to the discovery of its gold. But it may be proper, in -connection with the geography of the country, to present a brief history -of the mines and the operations of the miners. - -In the spring of the year 1848, Mr. Sutter employed two men to make an -exploring tour along the branches of the American River, where it passes -through the foot-hills already described, to find a growth of pine -timber, and a suitable site for a mill for sawing it into boards. The -site and the timber were found upon the south branch of that river. -Little dreamed those day-laborers, as they broke ground for their rude -mill, in that solitary wilderness, that the results of that day’s labor -would give employment to thousands and tens of thousands of such -implements as they then used; that the one spadeful of red dirt, at -which they gazed so intently, at the bottom of which a few yellow bits -of shining dust appeared, was soon to exert a mysterious, a profound -influence upon the commerce, the welfare, the destinies of the whole -human family. An influence was about to go forth from that narrow ditch -which would return again, and bring with it an innumerable multitude, -thronging from every quarter of the world, overcoming all difficulties, -bringing with them their houses and supplies, and spreading themselves -over the hills and valleys of this country. That moment was an epoch in -the world’s history. It was the discovery of GOLD; and, which is of far -more importance, it was the _planting of the_ ANGLO-SAXON _upon the -shores of the Pacific_. - -At this time California contained but fifteen thousand people. The belt -of gold country was comparatively uninhabited, and entirely without -supplies of provisions, except such as might be procured by the rifle of -the hunter, and as entirely destitute of shelter. In a few weeks after -the 1st of June, 1848, it is estimated that there were five thousand -miners. As they came generally without provisions, these commanded an -exorbitant price. At the time Rev. Alcalde Colton visited the mines, -which was some time after the discovery, flour sold for $4 the pound, -sugar and coffee at $4, a tin pan $6, laudanum $1 the drop, rum $20 a -quart, and picks sold at $18 each. It was not until the summer and fall -of 1849 that the American emigration began to arrive. They came across -the plains, through Mexico, by the Isthmus, and around the Horn; and -before the winter it was calculated that there were fifty thousand -engaged in this business. During this season the miners extended -themselves along many of the streams and through many of the ravines of -the gold region. The provisions were scanty and unsuitable. Very few -vegetables, and little fresh meat, were to be purchased at any price. -Flour and pork were the staples, which were sold at $1 the pound till -the rainy season commenced, when they sold for $2. A few bottles of -pickles which reached the mines were sold at $6 and $8 the bottle. In -the winter good boots brought $96, and ordinary $32 and $64. - -The year 1850 opened more favorably in the supplies furnished at the -mines. It was estimated by Mr. King, who wrote at that time, that during -the year there would be one hundred thousand miners employed. Many of -them had built themselves comfortable log or stone houses--provisions -were more abundant, and at lower rates. Vegetables, fresh meats, and -fish were constantly supplied, many of them from the vicinity of the -mines. - -It will be perceived that the statistics which I have prepared of the -profits of mining differs essentially from other published tables. I -have only to say in defense of my own, that they are the result of the -most careful observation and inquiry during sixteen months’ residence in -the mines. They are furnished by individuals most of whom have given -their names and residences in connection with the results of their -labors. The table presents the average profits in their most favorable -aspect, being furnished by a class of industrious and persevering -miners. The winter averages of fifty-six miners in the best of the -southern diggings is $3 26 for each day to each miner. - -The summer averages were based upon the operations of mining companies -located upon the most profitable bars of the Tuolumne, and furnished in -every case but one by the secretaries of those companies. The table -gives the result of thirty-five thousand eight hundred and seventy-six -working days, which was bullion valued at $113,633 95, or an average of -$3 16 for each day’s labor to each man. - -Hon. T. Butler King, in his report to government, gives the average as -$16 per diem. It is a question of some importance which of these is the -correct estimate. Let us present the aggregate amount of gold taken out -of all the California mines during the year, according to both -estimates. According to that of Senator King, and allowing the year to -have three hundred and thirteen working days, the one hundred thousand -miners would give the sum total of $500,800,000, or over half a billion -dollars yearly, while the average sum would be $5008 to each miner. The -other estimate would average $1004 73, and present the total profits of -the mines for the year as $100,473,000. One would think that the rest of -the world should be satisfied with having picked from the pockets of -this old California miser who has hoarded his treasures so long, nearly -a hundred million of dollars in one year! Half a billion! that would be -taking too much! - -Not only is the digging of gold the most uncertain of all employments, -it is also one in which science and all past experience are at fault. No -rules can be given, no evidences furnished for finding the concealed -veins or opening the rich deposits. The miner is not sure of his gold -till he holds it in his hand, and then it seems very difficult for him -to hold on to it. One of our coins is very properly denominated the -eagle, since it seems endued with wings, and is so apt to fly away. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -VOYAGE TO CALIFORNIA. - - -On the 1st of February, 1849, we embarked, at the foot of Arch Street, -Philadelphia, on board the barque Thomas Walters, under command of -Captain Marshman, for Tampico, thence intending to cross Mexico, and, -re-embarking at Mazatlan, to proceed up the Pacific coast to San -Francisco. Our company consisted of about forty persons, known as the -Camargo Company. There were among them men from all the professions and -pursuits in life--young and old, grave and gay, married and unmarried. - -After the usual amount of adventures, sea-sickness, and home-sickness, -we arrived at Tampico on the 21st of February, where we were most happy -to exchange the monotony, the junk and other salt provisions, and the -green waves of a sea life, for the pleasing variety, the delicious -fruits and vegetables, and the beautiful fields of a tropical climate. - -We must take our readers with us, first to the theatre of Tampico, where -we went, not as spectators, but as actors upon its boards. The first -night after our arrival we appeared upon its stage, performing our parts -in the celebrated farce, the California Gold Diggers--a play which has -since been performed a thousand times, and with unabated interest. To -explain myself, our quarters, while in the city, were in the old -theatre, the various rooms of which we occupied as sleeping and eating -apartments. - -This city is pleasantly located upon an elevated promontory, being -almost an island, having the River Panuco on the one side, and a lake -upon the other. It contains about seven thousand inhabitants, many of -whom are Americans. There are several large plazas or public squares, -and some pleasant houses. The American consul, Captain Chase, took us to -the spot where his heroic wife raised the American flag, and maintained -it in spite of the threats of the Mexicans. - -The furnishing of such a company as ours with all the horses and mules -necessary for a journey of about eight hundred miles was not to be -accomplished at once. On the morning of the 8th of March, and the -fifteenth day after our arrival, we were mounted on “mustangs,” a small -and hardy horse, peculiarly adapted to the mountains over which we were -to travel, our provisions and clothing being on the backs of mules. All -being ready, we slowly filed out from the hacienda of Mr. Laffler, a -large farmer from Ohio, who was under contract to supply us with animals -to Mazatlan. We had spent some days here preparing for the march, and -amusing ourselves in spearing fish, and in shooting deer and alligators, -being ourselves likewise the sport of innumerable swarms of musquitoes, -ticks, fleas, and jiggers. This latter insect, though very small, is the -occasion, at times, of great inconvenience and suffering. These tropical -insects handled us so cruelly, that we were compelled to write, eat, and -sleep with gloves. To avoid them at night, I encased myself in a bag, -made of cotton, which I drew up over my whole body, then bringing it -around my head. This arrangement proved so much to my advantage that I -continued it during the whole time of my absence. - -Upon the march, a _Caballero_, mounted upon his mule, took the lead, -followed by the whole train of draught mules and the attendants. Then -came the guide and the company, sometimes drawn up, under our military -captain, in regular order of march, and sometimes extended out over the -trail as far as the eye could reach. We were advised to keep well -together, and never to dispense with the night-guard, on account of the -guerillas, who would ever be on the watch for an opportunity to attack -us. - -For several days our march lay across the level plains of the Tierra -Caliente, the region of perpetual spring, and clothed with verdure. -Having reached the foot-hills of the Sierra Madre, or Andes of Mexico, -one day’s travel brought us up into the temperate region. This was the -lower table-land. The landscape was no longer gay with flowers, but -abounded in immense forests. Here were found the varieties of the -musquite, the stately cypress, and the banyan. The whole undergrowth was -a thorny thicket, in which the prickly pear and the cactus predominated. -After traveling a day over this region, we came to a valley, into which -we descended, and where, in the midst of a fertile country, we entered -Villa de Vallee. This town contains a cathedral in ruins, which, like -those of many of the towns of Mexico, were partially destroyed at the -time of the revolution, and have never since been repaired. One of the -wings was occupied as a chapel, while the residence of the _Padre_ was -in a kind of shed behind. - -A letter from Bishop Kendrick, of Philadelphia, which he kindly sent me -as I was about leaving home, procured me every attention here. This -general letter of introduction, written in the Latin language, gained -for me much valuable information from the priests of Mexico. The -assistance, and in some cases the protection, which it secured to our -whole company, can not be overrated. It is as follows: - - “Nos Franciscus Patricius Kendrick, Dei et Apostolicæ Sedis Gratia, - Episcopus Philadelphiensis Universis has litteras inspecturis notum - facimus et testamur Danielem B. Woods, in Statu Massachusetts - natum, et per aliquot annos hujus urbis incolam, civem esse - spectabilem moribus, et fama integra, quem suorum negotiorum causa - alio migrantem, omnibus commendamus, ut si qua indiguerit opera - amica, ea fruatur. - - “In quorum fidem has litteras dedimus Philadelphiæ die XXX. mensis - Januarii anno MDCCCXLIX. - - “FRANCISCUS PATRICIUS, Ep. Phil.” - - - -Padre Calisti endorsed this letter in Spanish. - -The houses of Villa de Vallee were of one story, and generally made of -mud-bricks dried in the sun. The people seemed all poor and very -indolent, the women, as is the case through Mexico, being far superior -to the men in industry and intelligence. We remained here several days -to have our animals shod, a necessary preparation for crossing the -mountains. The day before we left, the padre invited me to dine with -him. - -After the animals were made ready, we proceeded over the plains toward -the mountains, some of the peaks of which we could see. Before we -reached these we crossed the Tomwin River at a small town where we -passed the night. The place for the entertainment of travelers was near -the banks of the river, and late in the afternoon we walked out to the -stream, where were gathered men, women, and children, floundering and -bathing in the water. Nor was it long before several of our company were -joining in their wild and gleeful sports. - -For some time reports of a revolution in the country about us reached -our ears, and hearing from some villagers that, if we kept on our -course, we should meet the insurgents the next day, we concluded to turn -aside at once into the mountains, though we should thus be compelled to -ascend by a path which is seldom attempted. We were three days in -climbing the mountains and clambering over the rocks--such as I hope not -to see again. Its precipices were fearful. We would sometimes wind our -way up or down the face of a mountain by paths cut in the side, over -which a person might be let down many hundred feet by ropes. It was a -volcanic country, and its conical peaks were surrounded for miles with -scoria and pumice-stone, which tore the shoes from the feet of our -animals, rendering it almost impossible to travel. This was a country -fitted for the ladrones and guerillas. And the frequent crosses planted -by the path told of murders which had been committed here, and where -the traveler was, if so disposed, to offer up prayers for the repose of -the souls of the murdered. We were cautioned to be on our guard, and to -maintain a constant watch at night. But, notwithstanding such cautions, -we were often tempted, for the sake of avoiding the dust, to travel in -advance of the train. In company with a gentleman who was armed as well -as myself, I started on, not expecting to meet our companions again till -we halted for the night. We were about three miles in advance of the -train, and, as we rode around the angle of a large rock near the path, -six or seven men, who were lying there apparently watching for us, -started suddenly to their feet and sprung to our side. Our guns were -fortunately in our hands, and in a position that we could use them; we -were also armed with revolvers and knives at our belts. Seeing that we -were not intimidated by their violent gestures, but were calm and ready, -they soon dropped behind us, and after a time disappeared. These robbers -never attack travelers if every chance is not in their favor. A small -party of five persons belonging to our company were placed in greater -danger even than ours. They were traveling some days before us, and not -far from this same spot. They had been warned at the last town that a -party of twenty guerillas had gone out early in the morning for the -purpose of attacking them. As they rode slowly on, they came in sight of -the robbers, who had chosen well their positions, and were waiting for -them. Five of the twenty-one robbers were stationed in the path, while -the others were divided up into small gangs on each side and in the -rear. All these were mounted but one, who was employed as a runner -between the different parties. The Americans halted, newly capped their -rifles and revolvers, and slowly proceeded on their way. With pale -faces, but undaunted hearts, they rode up to the Mexicans, who, as they -came on, retired and allowed them to pass. When they reached the summit -of a hill a half mile distant, and looked back, the robbers were still -in the same position. The knowledge, on their part, of the certainty, in -case of an encounter, of the death of some of their number, daunted -them. - -At length we reached the summit of the table-land, eight thousand feet -above the level of the sea, which spread out a vast plain before us, -from which many lofty volcanic peaks sprung up, attaining to an -elevation of fourteen thousand feet. - -Excepting in the valleys, there is but little vegetation upon these -plateaus. And we could not imagine where the supplies for the markets of -the cities could be obtained. For several days our path lay through palm -and palmetto groves. The parasol shade of their small tops was no -shelter from the heat of the sun at noon, but rather increased its -intensity. And the whole day long would come, screaming over us, the -never-ending flocks of parrots. Their cry, to a weary traveler, is -almost intolerable. The cactus, Mexico’s national flower, and emblazoned -upon her coat of arms, and stamped upon her coin, is found here in a -thousand varieties. The beautiful flower itself is often three feet in -height. After leaving these palm groves, we entered upon a very barren -and desolate region. It was a desert of sand and dust, almost without -water. Our mules would raise such a cloud of dust, especially if there -was any wind, as to be nearly suffocating. The great elevation to which -we had attained caused the most disagreeable sensations. On lying down -at night, or rising in the morning, there would be a painful giddiness. -The skin became parched and dry, and the spirits were oppressed. While -traveling over this region, we were overtaken one day by a dust storm, -which was as novel as it was oppressive. It was near night. We saw -before us, which after a time spread out all around us, many wild -whirlwinds which extended up into the sky, carrying with them apparently -solid conical masses of clouds. We counted upward of sixty cones formed -and forming at the same time. As the sun was setting, these extended at -the top, opening something in the form of an umbrella, the cones still -continuing to play up their heaving masses into its expanding bosom, -which presented a most unearthly and terrific appearance. It was the -_blackness of darkness_, which suddenly became illuminated by the lurid -flashes of lightning darting through it, and forming a picture of that -wrath which, we may suppose, broods and bursts over the bottomless pit. -Suddenly its edges closed down around us, snatching away the remaining -light of day, and shrouding us in darkness, like that of Egypt, through -which we groped, calling and shouting to each other, yet not able to see -a yard before us. - - “Eripiunt subito nubes cœlumque, diemque - Teucrorum ex oculis; ponto nox incubat atra.” - -Again a rush was heard, which came nearer and more near, filling us -with dread, till it struck us with the suddenness of a blow. It was as -though all those cones had drawn closer and closer together, till they -were piled into one consolidated mountain of dust, pressed down by the -mass in the air upon our heads. For a time all our efforts to see or to -speak were vain. We could hardly breathe. If we moved at all, it was by -setting our backs against the elements and pushing with all our -strength. There was not a drop of rain; it was a storm of dust--a -_sirocco_. Fortunately for us, we were near the _meson_, which we -entered after being half an hour exposed to its fury, and as it was -abating. Every thing was penetrated by it, and it seemed as though water -could not clean our eyes or our throats. - -In the _mesons_, the various apartments for travelers, the stables, the -eating-room, and all the offices, are built around a spacious paved -court, upon which all the windows and doors open. A large gate forms the -entrance, which is closed and bolted at night. The rooms for travelers, -often twenty feet square, are entirely unfurnished. He is to supply his -own bed and bedding, which he spreads out upon a floor which seems never -to have been swept. For his meals he must go to the _fonda_, and order -what he may choose or what they may have. One dish at a time is spread -upon the bare table, which is often furnished with plates, but not often -with knives, forks, or spoons. A variety of soups, made hot with red -pepper, and a slice of bread, forms the first course. Then follows rice, -with thin Indian cakes. Sometimes squash fried in lard is added. A -favorite dessert is the Mexican custard, made of rice or chocolate. -Coffee, wine, or _pulque_, a drink made of the maguey, closes the -entertainment. There are distilleries in the country where the pulque is -converted into a most hateful species of whisky. - -In the morning the horses and mules are led out into the court, every -preparation is made, and the travelers take their leave, throwing behind -them their hasty adieus. These mesons in city and country are very -filthy, and much infested with vermin. In one instance we saw a number -of _Tarantulas_--the venomous black spider of the tropics--hanging upon -the walls of our room after we had slept upon its floor. - -On the 22d of March we entered San Luis Potosi. This is a large city, -possessing considerable wealth. It is near the silver mines, and -contains a mint. - -We saw here, for the first time, a stage-coach. It was up for the city -of Mexico, distant about three hundred miles, which journey is -accomplished in six days, at an expense of $25 for a seat. The coach -consists of a large unwieldy frame, upon which is swung the body, which -is comparatively small. - -The ignorance of the Mexicans is equal to their superstition. We were -amused at an instance afforded us in the case of a schoolmaster. While -describing to him the modes of traveling in America, we told him about -the steamers, at which he was not much surprised, having heard of them -before; but when we told him of the rail-road, he listened with the same -incredulity with which the King of Siam heard the missionaries describe -ice; but when we told him of the telegraph, he slowly arose, wrapped -his _serapi_ around him, and moved off, without deigning us a word or a -look. - -We were present at a cock-fight, one of the favorite amusements of the -Mexicans in general, and of Santa Anna in particular. A low fence -inclosed the pit, within which were the attendants exhibiting the game -cocks, and the owners who were taking the bets of the spectators. Among -these were several padres, always known by their peculiar dress. The -crowd around exhibited no excitement. Gambling with the Mexicans is a -regular pursuit, and not a means of diversion or excitement. There was -no difference in their appearance, whether they were at church or at -their cock-fights. After all the betting was done, long steel spears, -made very sharp, and three inches in length, were fastened upon the legs -of the cocks, and they were pitted to fight. In the first encounter, one -cock thrust his spear into the breast of the other, which died very soon -after. In the second, two fine cocks were pitted, and more interest than -usual was felt and deeper betting elicited. In less than half a minute, -one was lying dead, the spear of the other being thrust so far through -his head that it was with difficulty withdrawn. - -In one of our rambles through the city, we were accosted in the most -remarkable manner by a well-dressed and beautiful sigñorita. She was -seated at a window of one of the houses of the wealthy. As we caught her -piercing black eye, she smiled a cordial greeting, to which one of the -party responded by a respectful “Buenos dias, sigñorita!” Her reply was -a terrible oath, and a most obscene expression in English, and yet there -was that about her manner and tone which denoted that she meant to say -that which was very civil and kind. We were told, when relating the -incident afterward to an Englishman residing in the city, that some -American soldiers very basely amused themselves, while pretending to -teach the sigñoritas our language, by making them repeat just the -expressions we had heard, and other similar ones, as forms of polite -salutation. - -We spent two days in the city to give rest to our animals, and then -proceeded on our way toward Guadalaxara. Between these two cities the -country is more uneven. The scenery is often very beautiful. We received -many cautions to be on our guard, as we were to pass through a part of -the country where many depredations and murders had been committed. We -were told of travelers who had been suddenly dragged from their horses -by the lasso, and murdered. One day we witnessed an instance of the -surprising skill of the Mexicans in the use of the lasso. One of the -horses threw his rider, and went galloping off across the plain. In a -moment a muleteer had spurred his mule forward in pursuit, coiling up -his rope as he went. Presently the coil darted through the air, and fell -with unerring aim over the head of the horse, bringing him at once to a -pause. - -The most beautiful city we saw in Mexico was Santa Maria de los Lagos. -Its cathedral was grand, towering high above its houses, and, as we rode -through the streets, was inviting, by its chimes, to vespers. This town -appeared to be more thriving and prosperous than any we had seen. The -remark has often been made that the views of the city and its environs, -from the tower of the cathedral, are similar to those of Jerusalem. San -Juan de los Lagos, another city a day’s journey from the former, was -almost equal in beauty. Its cathedral was even more splendid. The first -object which caught our attention, as we were crossing the plaza on -which it fronted, was a woman creeping on her knees toward the steps of -the cathedral, probably as a penance. - -It was not without some apprehension, after having heard so much of -guerilla parties, that we saw before us, the day after we left the last -town, a company of armed men coming toward us. We were ordered to -examine our arms, and have them ready for use. They proved to be -government troops, which were marching to meet the insurgents in -Tamaulipas county. At their head were several American deserters, but -not Americans, who were leading along some females by the hand. We also -met a company of “_Volunteers_,” who had just been “pressed” into -service. They were chained together in gangs of ten or more, and were -driven along--the most desperate-looking wretches. - -On the 2d of April, 1849, we reached Guadalaxara. This is the second -city in Mexico, and contains a population of 125,000. Some of the -cathedrals have cost millions. Many of the public buildings and squares, -and the palaces of the wealthy, are very beautiful. The interiors of the -cathedrals glistened with their silver shrines, chandeliers, and -railing. The rude floors were covered with kneeling worshipers. The -tones of the bells are very clear and sonorous. This is probably owing -to the large amount of silver used in their composition. This, like the -city of Mexico, is very compact, the streets straight, broad, and well -paved. The houses, with their heavy-grated windows upon the streets, and -their huge door-ways in the centre, gave them the appearance of so many -fortresses. It is behind these walls and gates that the Mexican is -luxurious and extravagant. His house is most gayly furnished, nor does -he spare any expense in procuring that which will please his fancy. The -women never wear bonnets. The covering for the head is called the -_reboso_. This is a kind of scarf, some six feet long and three wide, -which covers the head, and is drawn closely down over the face, and then -crosses in front. It is a very common practice with the Mexican women to -smoke the _cigarrito_. - -In this city we were first made rather painfully aware of a custom of -the country, of uncovering the head while passing the front portal of -the cathedral. Two or three stones, well aimed, removed the hats which -our hands should have removed. The streets, as in the cities generally, -are here cleaned by the convicts, who are chained and guarded by -soldiers. As we were passing one of these gangs, I had fallen behind my -companions, and was alone. One of the soldiers came to me, and, saying -“Amigo” (friend), suddenly thrust his hand into my pocket. Supposing -that he wanted tobacco, I told him I had none. While I was speaking, -another soldier put his hand into a pocket on the other side. - -Here we witnessed the procession of the Host. The priest, carrying the -sacred emblems, rode in a carriage, followed by a band of music, and -numerous attendants bearing a flag, upon which was painted the likeness -of a lamb, about which were many persons bearing lighted lanterns. Then -came a crowd of citizens. As the procession passed, all in the street -knelt. - -One among the many cathedrals we visited greatly interested us. It was -filled with beautiful exotics, brought there from the gardens of the -wealthy in honor of the approaching Easter holidays. As we were passing -through the aisles, examining the flowers, a lady of rank and fortune, -perceiving us, called a lad to her, whispering to him. He went out by a -side door, but soon returned, followed by a venerable-looking priest, -who addressed us in correct English. When he had read Bishop Kendrick’s -letter, he gave us a cordial welcome, and led us into his library, one -of the largest on the continent. This contained many of our own standard -works, and was ornamented by the portraits of distinguished men, among -which we noticed a splendid portrait of Washington. Assuring me we -should want nothing to render our journey agreeable and safe, he sent an -attendant to show us the paintings and treasures of the cathedral. - -On the 4th of April we left Guadalaxara, having received notice from an -officer of government that no travelers were permitted to enter or to -leave the city during the Easter solemnities. In a few hours we entered -the wild passes of a very picturesque and mountainous country. The first -time for many days our road led us along over many fine mountain -streams, and through forests, where we began to find our own pine and -oak. “A song for the brave old oak” was heartily responded to by all. As -night set in, we pitched our camp in a narrow defile, surrounded by high -peaks, which we were to ascend on the morrow. The inhabitants seemed as -wild as their country. Every hour our guides were coming to us with -stories of recent robberies and murders, and committed upon the very -spot, perhaps, where we then were. In one deep gorge of the mountains -into which we were passing, we were told that three hundred armed -guerillas awaited us. And, in another place, a few days previous, some -government soldiers had met a large company of robbers, and had -dispersed them, after shooting several of the most desperate. In -corroboration of these stories, we suddenly came upon a scene so -fearfully in keeping with our own excited state of feeling, and the wild -character of the country around us, that we shall never lose the -impression left upon our imaginations. In the midst of a field charred -and blackened by a fire which had passed over it, stood out in bold -relief a gallows, upon which were hanging three mangled and distorted -bodies. There they had hung about six weeks, after having murdered -twenty persons. Over the gallows, which was a painted one, were printed -these words of warning: “Asi Castiga La Ley Al Ladron Y Al Asesino.” - -Magdalena is a pleasant town, situated among the mountains, on the banks -of a beautiful lake. Here we saw the first of the dramatic street -representations of the closing scenes in the life of our Savior. These -consisted in enacting each day in their order the events recorded in -Scripture. Most of the day and one entire night were devoted to these -exhibitions, in which all the people participated. In Magdalena the -procession paraded the streets during the night, with torches, and -accompanied by a band performing solemn music. The image of the Savior, -which was Spanish in its features, like all the sacred images of Mexico, -had a bandage over the eyes, and was led away by a band of ruffians, as -if for trial. At a distance the image of the Virgin Mary was borne along -by weeping females. We saw nothing more--not again entering any -town--till the third night, when we reached Tocotes. At this stage in -the series the Savior was represented as borne by the centurions and -soldiers to the tomb. The image was placed in a glass coffin strewed -with flowers. This was borne by men. At a distance was the image of Mary -led by women, her hands folded in an attitude of grief. The cathedral -was decorated with a profusion of flowers, in the midst of which was the -tomb. These tragical scenes were followed, at the close, by a -_fandango_, which is a dance peculiar to the country. It is a lazy -shuffle, accompanied by music upon the guitar, varied occasionally by a -song, in the chorus of which all present join. - -During one evening of Easter, soon after we had arrived at the _meson_, -some one came rushing in, informing us that the guerillas had surrounded -us. Seizing our arms, we hastened to the court, where all was -confusion. There were thirty robbers outside the walls. They said that -they were government soldiers, and loudly demanded admittance, asserting -that they came from the alcalde. The proprietor told them they were -ladrones, and refused to admit them. They left soon after, threatening -to return. The alcalde came in much alarmed, and told us that they were -robbers; that the troops of government never traveled during Easter, and -if they did they were bound to report themselves to him. We mutually -pledged ourselves, in case of an attack during the night upon the town -or upon our quarters, to aid the citizens or they us, as the case might -be. We made our preparations for defense, and slept with our arms at our -sides. Nothing more was heard of the robbers. In the vicinity of Tocotes -we crossed over a remarkable mountain. For several hours we were -ascending by zigzag paths, each turn bringing us higher among the -clouds. When we had reached the summit point, we were several thousand -feet above many of our companions and all the mules, a distance of more -than two miles by the road, but in a direct line not more than one -quarter of a mile, for we could distinctly hear the loud talking of the -company and the shouts of the mule-drivers. We looked over the edge of -the precipice, and watched our companions as they wound their way slowly -up. The view was very grand, though it produced a painful giddiness. -Soon after ascending this mountain, our way led us through the crater of -an old volcano. There were the pumice-stone, the scoria, and the charred -and blackened rocks, as though they had but just issued, boiling and -bursting, from the bowels of the earth. We could imagine that we smelt -the sulphurous vapor and felt the volcanic heat arising from the pent-up -fires below, so fresh did the whole field of desolation and ruin appear. -And our imaginations were carried back to the fearfully terrific scenes -which had been enacted here. The descent from the table-land down to the -shores of the Pacific is abrupt and steep. On the 12th of April we -reached San Blas, a dull and unhealthy sea-port. At this place, our -company, which had hung together in fragments, was dissolved. Men alone -are not social beings; and the numerous attempts to bind them together -in California gold-mining associations are as vain as the attempt to -make a rope of sand. - -After some delay in making our preparations, we embarked at San Blas on -the 12th of April, in the San Blasiña, a schooner of twenty-three -tons--being thirty-six feet long and twelve wide--for San Francisco. In -this miserable, unseaworthy craft, thirty-eight of us took passage. It -was represented to us that the Pacific was so quiet that it would be -safe to go up in open boats. Alas for our error! Yet it was only too -common. In some instances, emigrants, in their extreme anxiety to -proceed on their way, have embarked in whale boats at Panama, hoping to -reach San Francisco. Our voyage to Mazatlan was most disagreeable. We -were so cramped for room on deck, the hold being filled with bananas, -that three of us slept in a canoe hewed from a log, which was made -secure on deck. The portion of it which I occupied was two and a half -feet long and three and a half wide. There I slept for eight nights. On -the 20th of April we reached Mazatlan, after having been put upon an -allowance of water, and the last day having no water at all. This is an -important sea-port and a fine city. Though it possesses no public -buildings of note, many of the dwelling houses are spacious and -pleasant. Its fine bathing-ground forms its principal attraction. A -small and inferior chapel is the only place of worship, while the -amphitheatre for the bull-fights is a spacious inclosure, capable of -accommodating many hundred persons. This “Plaza de los Toros,” as it is -called, is an amphitheatre covering about one quarter of an acre. Around -this the seats are arranged in tiers. On one side are the pens for the -bulls, on the other the elevated seat of the manager, fancifully -decorated. Large show-bills state the number and qualifications of the -various animals, brute and human, to be brought forward, and invite all -who are so disposed to be present. The Sabbath is generally the day -selected for the spectacle, and on the morning of that day a procession -of the _valiant and brave_, already equipped for the encounter, and -accompanied by martial music, parade the streets. During the pauses in -the music, a crier, in a loud voice, boasts the victories they expect to -achieve. Many of the spectators are females. Nothing but unmingled -disgust and loathing can be excited by the scene. It is a disgraceful -and cowardly butchery, in which the poor animal has not even one chance -of defense or escape. - -A great number of Americans were waiting at this place for opportunities -to go to San Francisco. Many of them had exhausted their means, and -were engaging in various employments to raise money to take them -through. - -There are about seven millions of inhabitants in Mexico. The rich class -are very wealthy, own most of the land in the country, and live in -palaces in the cities. They are few in number. Among them may be classed -a portion of the priests. The poor class constitute the great majority, -seldom owning any property, and the larger proportion being abjectly -poor. - -We took our departure from Mazatlan on May 4th, having spent two weeks -in litigation respecting the schooner, which resulted in favor of the -passengers, and made us, the first time in our lives, _ship-owners_. The -whole had been an unfortunate operation, and we had already paid more -for our passage than the schooner was worth. The owners had _lost_ the -money which had been advanced to them, and were unable to comply with -the terms of the contract, by putting the schooner in sailing order in -Mazatlan. Papers were accordingly made out, giving us undisputed -possession of twenty-three tons burden of shipping. Our captain, a very -old man, had not been to sea for twenty years before this memorable -voyage. I shall presently have to relate an account of the _adroit_ -manner in which he upset a boat-load of us to pass half an hour among -the sharks and waves before we could get to land. Our mate was a -Frenchman, and the only skillful sailor among us. He knew that we were -proceeding on a wrong course, and as it was mutiny to put the vessel on -a right course by daylight, as soon as it was dark enough he would put -the “ship about,” so that what we lost in the day we gained in the -night. The rest of the crew were sailors drafted from the passengers. We -were again short of water, and having been unable to procure a supply -along the coast, we anchored off San José, a small town near the cape. -The captain requested me to accompany him on shore. The waves ran very -high, and it was dangerous to attempt a landing, unless under the -guidance of one who understood “surfing a boat.” After every third wave -which breaks upon the shore, there is a lull, short indeed, but of -sufficient length to permit a boat which follows instantaneously upon it -to get beyond the reach of the first wave of the next series. The only -method is to row nearly to the line where the waves show a long white -crest before they break upon the shore, and then to rest upon the oars. -As soon as the third wave has passed, the rowers must urge the boat -promptly and vigorously in. If this one rule is neglected, the -“swamping” of the boat must inevitably be the result. The captain -explained this so accurately that we could not doubt his skill. We had -four stout rowers, breathlessly awaiting the signal upon the brink of -the breakers. But, unfortunately, the signal came between the second and -third waves. We were a hundred yards from the landing. Suddenly we heard -the warning roar, like the low tone of the distant thunder. I looked -behind, and the wave was moving toward us like an impending wall, six -feet above the boat. Suddenly it broke, showing the white crest rapidly -extending itself along as far as the eye could reach. Its first -approach tossed the boat, like a straw, on one side, and instantly the -whole wave came toppling down upon us, burying the boat and three of -those who were in it beneath the rushing tides. I had risen from my -seat, and the wave struck me many feet toward the shore, crushing my hat -over my face and eyes, so that some moments and several waves passed -over me before I could again see. When I was able to look around me, the -captain and one of my companions were swimming for land. The others were -clinging to the keel of the boat, after having been buried beneath it -till they were nearly strangled. Those who were swimming were soon on -shore, the captain so completely exhausted that he sank down into the -water, and was dragged back to the dry sand. In half an hour all were -safe on the beach, grateful for so remarkable a deliverance. Our danger -was greatly increased by the fact that the place was infested with -sharks. The next day, as we were walking along the shore, two fish -darted out of the water, and were instantly followed by two large -sharks, which pursued them high upon the beach. We made several attempts -to double the cape and proceed on our way, but were driven back each -time by heavy head winds. In our third attempt we were becalmed, and -spent the most of the day in rowing our schooner along, which we did at -the rate of three miles an hour. After we had turned in, and were -sleeping upon some water and provision casks in the hold, made level by -laying down sticks of wood and boards between them, a severe gale sprang -up, and drove us at a fearful rate from our course. The sails were -rent, and flapped wildly in the wind. No one but the mate dared to -approach them. He was at the helm, which he lashed down while he drew in -and furled the refractory sails. Our danger was great, and during the -long hours of that night there was little sleep among us. Eight, each -unknown to the others, formed a resolution, that if we lived to reach -the land, we would never again risk our lives in the San Blasiña. Near -the close of the next day, we anchored in a narrow roadstead off the -cape. The mate and many of the passengers went on shore, which was half -a mile distant, taking the torn sails to be mended. The boat was also -hauled up on the beach, and turned over to be caulked. It was near night -of the following day, and we were all scattered over the beach and in -the village, when alarm guns from the schooner arrested our attention. -To our surprise, the vessel had changed her position, having dragged her -only anchor. She was already nearly two miles distant, those on board -having lost much time in ineffectual attempts to bring her back to -anchorage. By the time the mate and a crew daring enough to venture out -could be found, she was almost at sea, and already pitching about over -the waves. Soon a dark, cloudy night obscured the schooner and the boat -alike from our view. We kindled a large beacon-fire on the beach, and, -wrapping ourselves in our blankets, anxiously awaited the return of our -companions. In the morning the schooner was safely moored near the -shore. - -At this place our ship’s company was divided, a part being determined -to proceed on their journey by sea, while another part intended to walk -up to San Francisco, a distance of twelve hundred miles, over a barren -country, and uninhabited except by Indians. Of these latter, a portion -started by an almost imperceptible path, which led them toward the -Atlantic coast, while the remaining four of us expected to proceed up -the gulf coast. As we ascended the hills behind the village, we caught a -last look of the schooner, already out some distance at sea. When we -reached San José, to our joy we found the Scottish barque Collooney, -Capt. Livingston, for San Francisco, anchored there, having put in for -water. We were received on board, and on May 25th weighed anchor and -were again on our way. The Collooney was from Panama, having on board -two hundred passengers, with accommodations for twenty. At the time for -meals, two assistant stewards, mounted upon the long boat near the two -galleys, called over the names of the passengers belonging to their -divisions. As his name was called, each one walked up if it was calm, -and reeled up if it was rough, to the galleys, and received in a tin -plate and dipper his allowance. It was a tedious voyage of thirty-five -days from the cape to San Francisco. On several Sundays I was invited to -preach upon the quarter-deck. On these occasions we were sometimes -favored with original hymns from the pen of T. G. Spear, of -Philadelphia, who was a passenger on board. I shall give a part of one -of these as very appropriate. - - “Our path is on the mighty deep, - But God is with us there, - To guard us in the night, asleep, - And in the noonday’s glare. - - Our barque, a speck beneath the sky, - His hand conveys along; - He makes the winds around her fly, - Be gentle or be strong. - - Here let us pause, and praise, and pray, - And seek that boon sublime, - That opens up a brighter day, - And smooths the storms of time.” - -Much of the time was passed in vexatious calms. We were such a picture -as Coleridge had in his mind when he wrote, - - “Day after day, day after day, - We stuck, nor breath nor motion, - As idly as a painted ship - Upon a painted ocean.” - -June 25th, 1849, we reached San Francisco, seventy-four days from San -Blas, and one hundred and forty-five days from Philadelphia. This -wonderful city is an uninviting spot. There is but a small strip of -level land, crowded down to the bay, surrounded by high, sandy hills, -covered with short bushes, while not a tree is to be seen. The city is -composed chiefly of tents. Each day regularly, at about ten o’clock, -there arrives in the city, coming down with a rush over the bleak and -barren hills, a cold, chilling wind, which takes one at once from the -summer to the winter solstice. Fires are comfortable, and cloaks or -serapis are necessary. Gambling seems to be universal. Rents are held at -the most exorbitant prices. I almost fear to risk my credibility by -stating that the Parker House rents at $150,000 a year. On the -afternoon of the second day after our arrival, the 27th of June, our -luggage being transferred from the Colooney to a river schooner which -was taken alongside, we “set sail” up the bay. - -We spent the first night at Benicia, anchoring near the landing. Taking -our blankets, as we would our umbrellas at home, we called upon the Rev. -Mr. W., and were introduced by him to a trader, who kindly permitted us -to sleep in a large unfinished room, while in another part of the same -room were a party consisting of a Mexican master and his peons, on their -way to the mines. - -June 29th. Arrived at Sacramento City, the present of which is under -canvas, and the future on paper. Every thing is new except the ground, -and trees, and the stars, beneath a canopy of which we slept. Quarreling -and cheating form the employments, drinking and gambling the amusements, -making the largest pile of gold the only ambition of the inhabitants. As -each one steps his foot on shore, he seems to have entered a magic -circle, in which he is under the influence of new impulses. The wills of -all seem under the control of some strong and hidden agency. The city is -every day newly filled, then emptied but to be filled again. The crowd -ever presses on, elate with hope, excited by expectations, which it -would be impossible to define or realize. The world-renowned Sutter’s -Fort, which is two miles from the landing, is a rude structure made of -sun-dried bricks, about five hundred feet long and two hundred wide. It -is now used for other purposes, a part of it being fitted up as a -hospital. - -July 2d. Walked from Sacramento to Mormon Island, a distance of -twenty-nine miles; and the next day, each one having forty pounds of -baggage upon his back, consisting of a cradle, tools for mining, -provisions, blankets, &c., walked eight miles farther up the south fork -of the American River to Salmon Falls, there to commence our mining -operations. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -NORTHERN MINES. - -Salmon Falls, South Fork of the American River, July 4th, 1849. - - -Here we are, at length, in the gold diggings. Seated around us, upon the -ground, beneath a large oak, are a group of wild Indians, from the tribe -called “Diggers,” so named from their living chiefly upon roots. These -Indians are of medium size, seldom more than five feet and eight or ten -inches high; are very coarse and indolent in appearance, of a dark -complexion, with long black hair which comes down over the face; are -uncivilized, and possess few of the arts of life. They weave a basket of -willow so closely as to hold water, in which they boil their mush, made -of acorns dried and pounded to a powder, or their flour, purchased at -some trading tent. You will perhaps ask how water can be boiled in a -basket without the fire’s burning it. This is done simply by heating -stones and putting them into the water, which is thus, in a short time, -raised to the boiling point. They have brought us in some salmon, one of -which weighs twenty-nine pounds. These they spear with great dexterity, -and exchange for provisions, or clothing, and ornaments of bright -colors. We are surrounded on all sides by high, steep mountains, over -which are scattered the evergreen and white oak, and which are -inhabited by the wolf and bear.[A] This will always be to us a memorable -fourth of July, as being our first day at the mines. We have spent the -day in “_prospecting_.” This term, as it designates a very important -part of the business of mining, requires explanation. I should first, -however, give some description of the bar upon which we are to labor. -This lies on both sides the river, and is covered with smooth, -brassy-looking rocks, some of which weigh many tons. It is a little -higher than the water-level; but we find, as we dig down, that the water -soon begins to flow in, and must be “baled out.” This bar, or rather -succession of bars, extends a distance of some miles up and down the -river, over which the water runs with surprising rapidity in the -freshets, which are common during the rainy season, and break up and -reduce the gold-bearing quartz, tearing it away from its primitive bed, -robbing it, in its course, of its virgin gold, and attriting it till it -is at length deposited, in greater or less abundance, within some -crevice or some water-worn hollow, or beneath some rock so formed as to -receive it. These bars vary from a few feet to several hundred yards in -width. In order to find the deposits, the ground must be “prospected.” A -spot is first selected, in the choice of which science has little and -chance every thing to do. The stones and loose upper soil, as also the -subsoil, almost down to the primitive rock, are removed. Upon or near -this rock most of the gold is found; and it is the object, in every -mining operation, to reach this, however great the labor, and even if it -lies forty, eighty, or a hundred feet beneath the surface. If, when this -strata-belt of rock is attained, it is found to present a smooth -surface, it may as well be abandoned at once; if soft and friable, or if -seamed with crevices, running at angles with the river, the prospect of -the miner is favorable. Some of the dirt is then put into a pan, and -taken to the water, and washed out with great care. The miner stoops -down by the stream, choosing a place where there is the least current, -and, dipping a quantity of water into the pan with the dirt, stirs it -about with his hands, washing and throwing out the large pebbles, till -the dirt is thoroughly wet. More water is then taken into the pan, and -the whole mass is well stirred and shaken, and the top gravel thrown off -with the fingers, while the gold, being heavier, sinks deeper into the -pan. It is then shaken about, more water being continually added, and -thrown off with a sideway motion, which carries with it the dirt at the -top, while the gold settles yet lower down. It must be often stirred -with the hands to prevent “baking,” as the hardening of the mud at the -bottom is called. When the dirt is nearly washed out, great care is -requisite to prevent the lighter scales of gold from being washed out -with the magnetic sand, which is best done by pushing back the gold, and -cleaning the sand from the edge of the pan with the thumb. At length a -ridge of gold scales, mixed with a little sand, remains in the pan, from -the quantity of which some estimate may be formed of the richness of -the place. If there are five to eight grains, it is considered that “it -will pay.” If less gold is found, the miner digs deeper or opens a new -hole, till he finds a place affording a good _prospect_. When this is -done, he sets his cradle by the side of the stream, in some convenient -place, and proceeds to wash all the dirt. This is aptly named -_prospecting_, and is the hardest part of a miner’s business. Thus have -we been employed the whole of this day, digging one hole after -another--washing out many test-pans--hoping, at every new attempt, to -find that which would reward our toil, and we have made _ten cents_ -each. - -July 5th. My share to-day is $1 25. These details may appear dull and -uninteresting; but the reader will bear in mind that it is the writer’s -object to give a full and true description of a miner’s life. He might -pass by all the days and months of profitless labor, and record only the -days of success; but those who have friends at the mines, and those who -purpose going there, will certainly wish to know what are the trials and -discouragements of such a life. They wish to know the _truth_. - -July 6th. We have to-day removed to the opposite side of the river. -This, with pitching our tent, has occupied most of the day. Still, we -have made $4 each. I have been seated for several hours by the river -side, rocking a heavy cradle filled with dirt and stones. The working of -a cradle requires from three to five persons, according to the character -of the diggings. If there is much of the auriferous dirt, and it is -easily obtained, three are sufficient; but if there is little soil, and -this found in crevices, so as only to be obtained with the knife, five -or more can be employed in keeping the cradle in operation. One of these -gives his whole attention to working the cradle, and another takes the -dirt to be washed, in pans or buckets, from the hole to the cradle, -while one or two others supply the buckets. The cradle, so called from -its general resemblance to that article of furniture, has two rockers, -which move easily back and forth in two grooves of a frame, which is -laid down firmly on the edge of or over the water, so that the person -working it may at the same time dip up the water. It must be inclined a -few degrees forward, that the dirt may be washed gradually out, and must -be so placed that the mud may be carried off with the stream. Cleets are -nailed across the bottom of the body, over which the loose dirt passes -with the water, and behind which the magnetic sand and gold settle. An -apron is placed beneath the hopper, and conducts the water, dirt, &c., -from that to the body below--a construction similar to that of the -common fanning-mill. The hopper, which is placed at the top of the -cradle behind, is a box, the bottom of which is a sheet of tin, zinc, or -sheet iron, perforated with holes from the size of a gold dollar up to -that of a quarter eagle. Through these the dirt, gravel, and gold are -all carried by the water upon the apron and into the body below, leaving -only the pebbles, too large to be passed through, in the hopper, which -are thrown out by raising it in the hands, and by a sudden forward, then -backward motion, depositing them on one side in a heap. To facilitate -this operation, the hopper is sometimes made with hinges, by which -means, by the raising the forward end, the dirt falls over behind. There -is generally a handle, so placed on one side that the cradle may be -rocked with the left hand, leaving it to the choice of the person -rocking whether to stand or sit while at work. The dirt taken from the -hole is turned into the hopper at the top. The person, rocking the -cradle with his left hand, at the same time uses his right in dipping up -continually ladles of water, which he dashes upon the dirt in the -hopper. Twenty-five buckets of dirt are generally washed through, the -mass in the body of the cradle being occasionally stirred up to prevent -its hardening, and thus causing the gold to slide over it and be lost. -It is then drawn off into a pan through holes at the bottom of the -cradle, and “panned out,” or washed, in the same way as in prospecting. -While this is being done by one of the company, it is common for the -others to spend the ten minutes’ interval in resting themselves. Seated -upon the rocks about their companion, they watch the ridge of gold as it -dimples brightly up amid the black sand, seeming to me always _the smile -of hope_, while many enlivening remarks and the cheering laugh go round. -At length, the washing completed, the pan passes from one to another, -while each one gives his opinion as to the quantity. The holes in the -bottom of the cradle are stopped, more dirt is thrown into the hopper, -and again the grating, scraping sounds are heard which are peculiar to -the rocking of the cradle, and which, years hence, will accompany our -dreams of the mines. - -July 7th. This morning witnessed an instance of that remarkable success -in mining which rarely occurs, but which, when it takes place, turns the -heads of so many. I might aptly quote Virgil’s figurative description of -Rumor, and apply it to these gold stories. They go out quite respectable -in appearance, furnished with hat and cane at the start, but, as they -proceed, they suddenly expand to the proportions of Hercules, with his -trunk of a tree for a club. We met this story long afterward, after it -had returned from its voyage to the States and to Europe, and, but for -its having claimed Salmon Falls as its birth-place, it could not have -been recognized at all. The facts were simply these: Two Irishmen -followed the “lead” of the Jordan brothers, who had made their gold by -penetrating into a bank which had evidently been detached from the -mountains behind in some convulsion of nature, and pushed forward over -the bar. They commenced in the bank at the edge of the bar, and when -they reached the line in which the Jordans had found their vein, they -were so fortunate as to find it again. This vein is about seven inches -wide, and ten feet below the surface of the bank, and is imbedded in a -stratum of hard clay, through which the fine scale gold is richly -sprinkled. The vein runs, in a compact body, diagonally across the -claims which have been and are being “worked out,” and so on, in a -straight line, to the edge of the bar, where it is broken, scattered, -and lost by its descent. At this remarkable place, these two men, before -breakfast this morning, took out $422. As I witnessed their success, for -we are working within three yards of them, and when I held a large -bottle, nearly full of the beautiful gold, in my hands, I was at first -conscious of feelings of elation and hope. This has given place, this -evening, to temporary despondency, for I have been compelled to contrast -our own small operations with their brilliant success. Poor Jemmie, one -of these Irishmen, and who had never before been the owner of a -sovereign, said to me to-day, “Every body is talking about my good luck, -but, I don’t know how it is, I can’t feel so; and, faith, I think _a -sovereign looks to me more!_” Our company have been engaged to-day in -“prospecting,” and preparing for work. The last washings, near night, -gave us fifty cents to the pan, which is considered encouraging. - -July 8th, Sunday. All the miners upon the bar, with the exception of one -man, who is working by himself below, have laid aside their labors for -the day. This is, partly at least, owing to a regard for its sacredness. -And when may we be so much sustained by the encouragements, cheered by -the promises, or influenced by the restraints of religion, as in the -circumstances in which we are now placed? Religion--Heaven’s most -precious gift to man--comes and offers to lead us, and to be with us in -all our weary exile from home. - -July 9th. To-day we have made $20 each. One of the conclusions at which -we are rapidly arriving is, that the chances of our making a fortune in -the gold mines are about the same as those in favor of our drawing a -prize in a lottery. No kind of work is so uncertain. A miner may happen -upon a good location in his very first attempt, and in a very few days -make his hundreds or thousands, while the old miners about him may do -nothing. Two foreigners, who had been some time in the mines, began to -work their respective claims, leaving a small space between them. The -question arose to which of them this space belonged. As they could not -amicably settle the dispute, they agreed to leave it to the decision of -an American who happened by, and who had not yet done an hour’s work in -the mines. He measured off ten feet--which is allowed by custom--to each -of the claimants, taking for his trouble the narrow strip of land lying -between them. In a few hours, the larger claims, belonging to the old -miners, were abandoned as useless, while the new miner discovered a -deposit which yielded him $7435. - -July 10th. We made $3 each to-day. This life of severe hardship and -exposure has affected my health. Our diet consists of hard bread, flour, -which we eat half cooked, and salt pork, with occasionally a salmon -which we purchase of the Indians. Vegetables are not to be procured. Our -feet are wet all day, while a hot sun shines down upon our heads, and -the very air parches the skin like the hot air of an oven. Our drinking -water comes down to us thoroughly impregnated with the mineral -substances washed through the thousand cradles above us. After our days -of labor, exhausted and faint, we _retire_--if this word may be applied -to the simple act of lying down in our clothes--robbing our feet of -their boots to make a pillow of them, and wrapping our blankets about -us, on a bed of pine boughs, or on the ground, beneath the clear, -bright stars of night. Near morning there is always a change in the -temperature of the air, and several blankets become necessary. Then the -feet and the hands of the novice in this business become blistered and -lame, and the limbs are stiff. Besides all these causes of sickness, the -anxieties and cares which wear away the life of so many men who leave -their families to come to this land of gold, contribute, in no small -degree, to this same result. It may with truth be said, “the whole head -is sick, and the whole heart faint.” I have to-day removed to the top of -the hill above the encampment, and beneath a large oak-tree, for the -benefit of a cooler air and shade during the intense heat of noon. - -Aug. 20th. After my last date I was prostrated at once by the -acclimating disease of the country, and rendered as helpless as a child. -All day and all night long I was alone under my oak, and without those -kind attentions so necessary in sickness, and which can not be had here. -I was reduced to a very low state, with but little hope, under the -circumstances, of recovery. It did seem hard to lie down to die there, -and to think that I was no more to see my beloved family. Yet I feared -not to die. Indeed, I marked off the spot under the oak where my grave -should be, and prayed for submission to God’s righteous will, and that -his love would protect and bless those dear to me. - -The lines of an Englishman, addressed, as he was dying at the mines, “to -a gold coin,” vividly described my feelings at that time: - - “For thee, for thee, vile yellow slave, - I left a heart that loved me true! - I crossed the tedious ocean-wave, - To roam in climes unkind and new. - The cold wind of the stranger blew - Chill on my withered heart--the grave - Dark and untimely met my view-- - And all for thee, vile yellow slave!” - -At this critical time, a gentleman from New Orleans, hearing of my case, -came up to see me, and gave me a few pills, which, fortunately, he had -with him. They checked the disease, and after a few hours I could eat a -bird shot and cooked for me by a kind friend. Not soon shall I forget -this noble-hearted friend, B. Rough as a grisly bear, he was yet one of -nature’s noblemen. At home he filled, at one time, the office of -sheriff. He said that the office cost him too much, and was making him -poor. If he was sent to seize a destitute woman’s effects for rent, he -would be sure to pay that rent, and then would send her a bag of flour -from his own farm. Thus we learn that many of the most valuable traits -of character and excellencies of heart lie, like the purest gold, -concealed beneath a rough surface. - -Not thinking it best, in the feeble state of my health, to return to -mining immediately, as soon as I was strong enough, with my blankets -upon my back, I walked to “Sutter’s Mill,” now named Coloma. When I -first reached the country, a school had been offered me in this place at -a stipulated compensation of $16 a day. After spending a few days with -Mr. W., one of the two who discovered the first gold, while engaged in -digging a mill-race for Mr. Sutter, a spot now regarded with peculiar -interest, my health was so much improved that I concluded to return to -the mines. - -On reaching Salmon Falls, to my surprise I found Mr. C., a French -gentleman, and who had formerly had the charge of the French classes in -my seminary, and who was now waiting to invite me to join himself and a -friend, a dentist from Philadelphia, in a prospecting tour upon the -north and middle forks. We spent two weeks in this exploring tour, and -on our return to Salmon Falls spent several days in mining there. When -all our expenses were paid and a dividend made, we had $2 each, the -result of three weeks of hard toil. - -Hearing of good diggings at Weaver’s Creek, I proposed to my companions -to go over, and, after prospecting, send them word. One of them -accompanied me on my way as far as Coloma. As he was leaving me to -return, after spending the night together in an emigrant’s wagon we -found by the roadside, a miner who had just arrived, after a long and -dangerous journey across the plains, rode up to me. He told me he was -without money, and without provisions or tools for mining, having -exhausted his means on his long journey. This miner, named W., had been -a Texas Ranger. When he told me his condition, I went with him into -Coloma, and succeeded in procuring all he wanted on a credit of a few -days. He manifested his gratitude by offering to pack my provisions with -his own upon his mule, and to accompany me wherever I was going. After -traveling three miles, we stopped under a tree to cook slap-jacks--a -fried batter--and pork, and wait for the cool of the evening. About four -o’clock we again started for the diggings on Weaver’s Creek, five miles -distant. Taking the wrong trail, we lost our way, and wandered on six -miles till it was too dark to see the path. We were in a wild gorge of -the mountain, hungry and tired, with no means of kindling a fire, and my -feet badly blistered. But our most serious want was that of water, our -thirst having become intolerable. We tied a rope to the neck of our -mule, keeping one end of it in our hands, hoping that his instinct would -lead him to water; but we were disappointed; and hungry, thirsty, and -tired, we laid us down where we could feel a place in the dark which was -smooth enough. - -In the morning we found, to our surprise, that we had been sleeping in -the middle of the road, and within a few yards of us was a fine spring -of water. Yesterday morning we reached Weaver’s Creek, and, after -prospecting some hours, located ourselves on the spot where we now are -at work, with some good prospect of success. Just below us is a Georgia -miner, who showed me to-day nine pounds of gold he made last week with -the assistance of two hired men. The mountains here are very precipitous -and abrupt, hanging over our heads in wild grandeur. The creek is only -accessible through wild ravines and over steep mountains. Owing to their -great depth, and their being shut up on all sides by mountains so lofty -that the sun rises two hours later, and sets two hours earlier than upon -the plains, the heat is most intense. We have spent our first day in -making preparations for our work. W. is now putting up a brush arbor, to -guard us more effectually against the heat of the sun. Beneath the same -large and wide-spreading tree are two other companies of miners. In one -of these companies is a Missourian, shivering beneath the hot sun with a -violent attack of fever and ague. For several days I have remonstrated -with him against going into the cold water when heated, and standing -there while washing out the gold. To-day he became much heated, and in -this state repeated the experiment, and in ten minutes was seen creeping -into his blankets. In a little time he sent for me. His look was very -wild and wandering as I went to his side, and he said, looking up -shivering into the tree above him, “Woods, if you don’t remove this -tree, my fever never _will_ break.” - -Weaver’s Creek, Aug. 21st. Our mining company has been to-day increased, -two others having joined us, making our number five. One of these has -been engaged in walling in a spring where we obtain our -drinking-water--another is making a cradle. The others have been -employed in removing the stones and top soil, and carrying the -auriferous dirt on hand-barrows, made of hides, down to the edge of the -water, ready to be washed. From every indication, we have “struck a rich -lead.” We find much gold on the rocks: on one I counted twenty-five -scales. - -Aug. 22d. We have finished our cradle, and washed a little dirt this -forenoon, which yielded us about $10 in all. Our hopes are bright for -the morrow. - -Aug. 23d. How is “the gold become dim!” After all our preparations and -hopes, our toil early and late, toil of the most laborious kind, digging -down in the channel of the river till the water was up to our knees, -giving ourselves barely time to eat, we have made but $4 each. We sat -down upon the rocks, and looked at the small ridge of gold in the pan, -and then at each other. One fell to swearing, another to laughing; I -tried to say some encouraging things. Our way indeed is dark, and great -are our difficulties, and oft-repeated our failures, and we experience -the bitterness of the “hope deferred which maketh the heart sick,” but -our motto must be _press on_. The motives which induced us to come here -were good--our object is good--then, trusting in God’s merciful -providence, let us _persevere_. - -One young man near us has just died. He was without companion or -friend--alone in his tent. Not even his name could be discovered. We -buried him, tied down his tent, leaving his effects within. Thus is a -home made doubly desolate. Years will pass, and that loved son, or -brother, or husband still be expected, and the question still repeated, -Why don’t he come? Right below me, upon a root of our wide-spreading -oak, is seated an old man of three-score and ten years. He left a wife -and seven children at home, whose memory he cherishes with a kind of -devotion unheard of before. He says when he is home-sick he can not cry, -but it makes him sick at his stomach. He is an industrious old man, but -has not made enough to buy his provisions, and we have given him a -helping hand. Is it surprising that many fly to gambling, and more to -drink, to drown their disappointments? To-day I have weighed my little -store of gold, after paying all expenses, and find it amounts, after -over six weeks of hard labor, to $35. - -Aug. 25th. Yesterday I returned to Salmon Falls, and am again encamped -beneath the old oak upon the hill, Mr. C. and his friend being with me. -They have slung their hammocks up among the branches, where they sleep -comfortably, protected from the ants and vermin. My bed is, as usual, -upon the ground, where even my night-bag does not guard me from the -annoying attacks of the ants and lizards. Last night, after I had fallen -asleep, my companions were aroused by hearing a ciote barking near us, -and soon they saw him come and smell of my hands and face, seeming to -doubt whether he could take a bite without being detected. - -A company of nineteen have just commenced damming the river at the head -of an island above the falls, nearly a mile in length, by which they -expect to lay bare the channel, on one side, the whole length of the -island. The proceedings of a meeting of the company to-day, with -reference to my admission, were truly Californian. It was first resolved -that I should be admitted, and then, as they had been at work two days, -that I should furnish the company five bottles of brandy as the -condition of my membership. The brandy was bought and drank, and then a -committee waited upon me to notify me that I was a member, and that the -trader had furnished them brandy to the amount of $10 on my account. As -they knew that there was no other way by which they could obtain a -“treat” from me, it was bought and drank before I was informed of the -transaction. - -On my way from Weaver’s Creek yesterday, I made the acquaintance of an -intelligent gentleman from Washington City, who had held there a -profitable office under government, and had left a family behind him. He -came hoping to better a good condition. A few days labor in the mines -was sufficient to convince him that it would have been better to “let -well enough alone.” His is not a solitary case. The mines are full of -such. The wonderful instances of success which those at home are made to -believe are common, are about in the proportion of one to a thousand. Of -the nine hundred and ninety-nine cases of failure, or at least of -limited success, those at a distance know nothing--nothing of the -privations and discouragements, trials, dangers, and deaths. - -Aug. 26th. On my way to the place for preaching to-day, I stepped into a -hornet’s nest, and was badly stung on my hand. These hornets, called -“yellow jackets,” live around and in our tents, and share our -provisions. I have had twenty of them on my plate at once. My hand was -much swollen, and I feared I should be unable to fulfill my engagement -with the company by preaching to them. The kindness of the wife of one -of the miners, who brought a bottle of hartshorn from the tent, and -bathed my hand with it, soon relieved me. Our church was “God’s first -temple.” My audience were seated upon the grass on the river bank, -beneath a cluster of pine trees. There they were, from all the -states--from Europe, from Africa, from Oceanica. Such hours of worship -on God’s holy day, spent with my mining companions, or with some beloved -Christian brother who remained “steadfast, unmoveable” in his integrity -amid the corrupting vices of the mines, will never be forgotten. When we -could not walk to the house of God in company, we sometimes walked upon -the mountains, and there together sang the songs of Zion, and prayed to -the Father ever merciful and good in a strange land. I take pleasure in -recalling to my mind such a noble-hearted Christian, who had devoted one -fourth of all his anticipated earnings in California to religious -charities. It was my pleasure afterward, when in San Francisco, to send -him, through the Secretary of the American Bible Society, a quantity of -Bibles, hymn-books, and sermons, his purpose being to form a Bible class -among the miners. He wished them to be sent as early as possible, as “he -hoped,” he said, “to get possession of the ground, and thus keep out the -gambling table and the brandy bottle.” - -Sept. 3d. We are yet at work throwing a dam over the river. It would be -thought, from the manner in which some members of the company talk about -what they “know must be” in the channel of the river, that they expect -to do no more work after this. A perfect Mohammedan heaven, with its -tree bearing every luxury, its beautiful treasures, its arbors where no -care or trouble exist, seem ready to be revealed as soon as the water -which curtains them over shall be drawn aside. An interesting incident -occurred to-day. A young Englishman in our company, from the Society -Islands, was returning to his tent during the interval at noon for -lunch and rest. On his way, one of the many strangers he met inquired -the way to certain mines below. From this they fell into a conversation -upon some indifferent topic, and both being wearied, they sat down, side -by side, upon a rock, little thinking what an interesting and beautiful -revelation was about to be made to them. In the conversation, one -incidentally inquired of the other where he was from. “From the Society -Islands,” was the reply. With an awakened interest in his manner, he -inquired, “Which island?” “Tahiti,” was the answer. He looked into the -face of the other with a searching gaze, and with deep emotion inquired, -“What is your name?” “ H.,” he said, “_You are my brother!_” And they -were locked in each other’s arms. There they are, on the bar below me, -walking arm in arm, and conversing with intense interest. I afterward -learned more of these brothers from a lady, whose father was the first -missionary to Tahiti. - -Sept. 8th. Our damming operation has been an entire failure. We spent -many days in constructing the dam, which, when completed, drained a -large portion of the river. When this was done, we thoroughly prospected -the whole, and found nothing. The banks and bars of the river were rich -in some places, but there was not a grain of gold in the channel. - -Sept. 9th. Attended preaching at Mormon Island to-day. Being late out, I -called to spend the night with a company of gentlemen from Cincinnati, -who are encamped in a solitary place some two miles below Salmon Falls, -upon the river. We had just finished our supper an hour since, during -which they were relating to me some difficulties they had with the -Indians, who had stolen $200 from them. After this theft, and the -measures which had been resorted to for the recovery of the money, the -Indians would frequently come after dark and throw stones across the -river into their camp. - -Sept. 15th. Upon a bar above our dam some miners lately met with some -success. Rumors of this success, but much exaggerated, were circulated. -Ounces were reported pounds. The change at once was magical. Trading -tents, the signs of rival physicians, eating and gambling booths have -sprung up, and the noise and confusion of a large village are heard. -More than a hundred men are at work upon the bar. The auriferous dirt -must be taken a quarter of a mile to the river to be washed. Some do -this by packing the dirt in bags upon mules, and some pack this upon -their own backs. One company, from Hartford, gave us a surprise this -morning. They had with them a quantity of hose, and by this means -brought the water from the river upon the bar, thus saving the labor of -packing the dirt. The gold is chiefly found in one vein, running in -nearly a direct line at right angles to the river. The few who have -found this vein have done comparatively well. All the rest “spend their -labor for that which is not bread.” A company of Cincinnati miners have -invited me to work with them a “claim” upon this bar. They have just -told me that the Indians came last night in large numbers, and made an -attack upon their camp, which they were compelled to abandon at -midnight, and, swimming the river, to take refuge with a company of New -York miners. - -Sept. 18th. There is but little dirt upon this bar, and it is now -regarded as “worked out,” and the miners are leaving as fast as they -came. Our company have made upon the bar $65 each. I have been now three -months in the mines, and have made $390. There is much sickness here. -One half of the whole population are sick. I have to-day been informed -of the mournful death of a merchant from Philadelphia, a fellow-voyager -from Cape San Lucas. He was the object of anxious solicitude to his -friends soon after his arrival at San Francisco. He had come on with -bright hopes, which were sadly disappointed. To drown his sorrows and -disappointments, he had given himself up to drink. Many times had they -expostulated with him, but in vain. He died at San Francisco. - -Sept. 30th. Left Salmon Falls on Wednesday last for San Francisco. My -object in taking this journey was to get my letters from home. On my -arrival in the country I had received letters, but it is now five months -since my last were dated. My anxiety to hear from my family had become -very great. A friend offered me the use of a vicious mule for the -journey to Sacramento. No bridle could be borrowed, and, besides, I was -to be mounted upon a pack-saddle without stirrups. Imagine me, then, as -thus starting off, my hair and beard of truly patriarchal length, all -unshorn and unshaven. Such superfluities as coat, vest, collar, cravat, -&c., were only remembered with the other comforts once enjoyed. My red -flannel garments gave me a rather warlike appearance. Thus habited and -mounted, a rope’s end was tied around my mule’s neck, which passed in a -running noose over his nose, while I checked his movements by the other -end, which I held in my hand. He did his best several times to run with -me and to throw me, and my companions enjoyed their sport at my expense. -The mule had a most ludicrous way of throwing up his head and braying as -he was about starting to run. From this circumstance I named him -“Roaring Lion.” They were compelled to acknowledge that in these trials -of strength I had the “upper hand.” - -At Sacramento I inquired for a bag of clothing which I supposed had been -stored in the place, and, after a long search, it was pointed out to me -hanging in a tree-top in the town. The friend with whom I left it in -charge to store had put his own clothing in it, and, to avoid paying the -exorbitant price charged for storage, had deposited it where found. On -reaching San Francisco, after a tedious voyage of five days, I hastened -at once to the office of Livingston & Co. to get my letters. When I -inquired for them, I was told there were a number for me, but, on -looking for them, it was found that they had been forwarded, only the -day before, to the mines. My disappointment was great. All the other -privations and trials to which I had been subject were truly light -compared with this. But, like them all, it had this good effect: it led -me to set a higher and more true estimate upon the blessings of our -native land. How priceless, when thus deprived of them, become our -homes--better than fine gold! On turning away from the office, oppressed -with anxiety and disappointment, I was walking slowly up the street, -when the lively notes of a piano struck my ear. I stopped to listen. It -was a favorite home song--“We have lived and loved together.” My -feelings were moved with emotions of inexpressible tenderness and -sorrow. - -San Francisco, Oct. 19th. Have spent nearly three weeks in this city, -waiting for letters. Col. Moore, post-master, kindly interested himself -in the recall of those sent to the mountains, but they have not been -received. Two mail steamers have arrived since I have been here, and, -though three mails were due, have brought none. Not only one gulf, but -parts of two oceans and one continent, are between me and my family, -while the only comfort which reaches me is the thought that those I love -are under the protecting care of an Almighty Friend. - -There is much sickness now in this city. Many come down sick from the -mines. The situation of such is desperate indeed. There is a heartless -unconcern in the community generally to the sufferings and wants of the -many who are dying wretched deaths in the midst of them. It may not, -perhaps, be possible that it should be otherwise. Every man is too much -occupied with his own concerns to be able to search out objects of -charity; and there are so many such cases constantly recurring, as to -induce a feeling of indifference, the result of familiarity with the -sufferings of others. I was present at a religious meeting when this -subject was mentioned, and means were suggested for some systematic and -efficient relief. Some cases were related which called for immediate -aid. The case of one young man, in particular, awakened my sympathy, and -I devoted the next forenoon to an effort to find him. I was at length -directed to a large open lot bordering upon the shore, and covered with -bales, boxes, and barrels of goods of all descriptions. After walking up -and down over this lot, I could discover no object of distress, or no -place where he could have found a resting-place, and gave up the -pursuit. Three days afterward, as I was standing at the door of a store -opposite this lot, a small crowd gathered there, and were looking at -some object with intense interest. I crossed over, and there, beneath a -hide stretched over two boxes, and crouched down between these boxes, -was the corpse of the poor man I had sought, who had died there -unfriended and alone. His head was leaning upon his hand, placed upon an -edge of the box. No one could have supposed that a human body was -concealed there. I had twice passed by that very spot in my search for -him. The least groan could have been heard from the street. At the -religious meeting I have mentioned, held beneath the tent chapel of the -Presbyterian church, it was stated that there had been lately twelve -cases of suicide in San Francisco. Yesterday a young man from New -England left his tent in “Happy Valley,” and went to a retired place, -untied his cravat and hung it upon the bushes, took a razor from its -case, and put the case upon his cravat, and then deliberately cut his -own throat. Pecuniary losses, it is supposed, was the cause. - -The house in which I have passed my time since I came to the city is one -occupied by Rev. Mr. W., in the suburbs--soon to be the heart of the -city. Across the street from us are some canvas tents, and below these a -shed-house, in which is kept a restaurant; then comes a house made of -hides stretched over a frame, and still lower down are more tents, adobe -and frame houses, containing men, women, and children from all parts of -the world. And there below me extends, far away, the noble bay, covered -with its ships from all nations, to which new arrivals are daily added. -Throngs of people, horses, wagons, oxen, carts, and mules, are ever -passing. And this moment there goes toward the “Presidio” a heavy piece -of ordnance. Here follow two merry young Americans on horseback, each -with a gayly-dressed sigñorita before him, both without bonnets, and -laughing merrily; and hear those glad and happy shouts of children! -Stretched away before me is the world of San Francisco--and what a -world! How the tide of human life flows and dashes upon its shores! -Crowds every day arrive, and other crowds every day leave. Old friends -meet, exchange a few words, and hasten on to the shrine of _Mammon_. -Multitudes die, the waves close over them, and they are forgotten. It -can hardly be supposed that people come to California _to live_, since -they are here only _preparing to live_--much less do they come here _to -die_. I pray that my life may be spared till I return to a land of -friends, and where man is united to man by the sympathies of life! - -The indifference of a class of the population here even to the lives of -others, was illustrated by the grave-digger, who has generally to dig -eight or more graves in a day, but yesterday only having three ordered, -he cursed the Yankees for cheating him out of half his day’s earnings. - -Last evening I walked around to about fifty of the gambling tables. A -volume could not describe their splendor or their fatal attractions. The -halls themselves are vast and magnificent, spread over with tables and -implements for gambling. The pictures which decorate them no pen of mine -shall describe. The bar-rooms are furnished with the most expensive -liquors, no care or attention being spared in the _compounding and -coloring_ of them. The music is performed often by professors, and is of -the best kind. The tables are sometimes graced, or disgraced, by -females, who came at first masked, and who are employed to deal the -cards, or who come to play on their own account. “The Bank” consists of -a solid pile of silver coin, surmounted by the golden currency of as -many countries as there are dupes about the table. Often a sack or two -of bullion, which has cost the poor miner months of labor, is placed -upon the top of all. Sufficient money to send one home independent -changed owners during my short stay. A boy of ten years came to one of -the tables with a few dollars. His “run of luck” was surprising, and to -him bewildering. In ten minutes he was the owner of a _pile_ of silver, -with some gold. In one minute more he was without a dollar. Thinking by -one turn of the cards to double his profits, he lost the whole. The -instances of great good luck on the part of the players are very rare. -But they sometimes occur. A lawyer of this city recently swept three -tables in one evening. A young man came from the States in one of the -last steamers, and was preparing to go to the mines. He borrowed ten -dollars, and went to one of the faro banks. During the night and a part -of the next forenoon, he had won $7000, when he made a resolution never -to play more, and returned home in the next steamer. Mr. Davidson, the -agent of the Rothschilds, says that some of the professed gamblers send -home by him to England the average sum of $17,000 a month. Many tricks -are resorted to in order to bring persons to the table. An eye-witness -assures me that he has seen the president of the bank slip secretly into -the hand of some one, employed for the purpose of decoying others, a -quantity of coin. On receiving this, he would leave the room, but soon -return, and present himself in a noisy manner at the table, and boldly -“plank down” the very money he had received. In five minutes the table -would be surrounded by eager players. - -There are but few women yet in California. Several merchants, and others -who intend to spend some years in the country, send for their families. -But the situation of these ladies is not the most comfortable, owing to -the want of society, and to the utter impossibility of procuring -servants in the family. By the death of their husbands, the condition of -the wives would be pitiable, though there seem to be enough who would -persuade them to change their solitary life as soon as possible. A lady -now in this city, soon after her arrival here lost her husband. Before -he had been dead a week, she received three proposals of marriage. - -The price of labor is yet very high, though not as high as it was in the -spring. Good carpenters and masons command their $8 a day. The citizens -frequently send their clothes to the Sandwich and Society Islands, and -even to Valparaiso, and other places on the coast, to be washed, to -avoid the great expense for washing here. All kinds of goods are lower -than they were a few months since. Coal, which was $100, is now $9 a -ton. Vegetables have fallen from $1 to 25 cts. a lb. Eggs maintain their -high price, selling at $20 a dozen. - -After much inquiry, we have determined to go, for our next mining -season, to the southern mines. We are led to this determination chiefly -on account of the better health enjoyed there. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -SOUTHERN MINES. - - -Having made our preparations, and engaged passage on board a schooner -for Stockton, on the 19th day of October we started. Our company was -made up chiefly of young gentlemen from Boston. Our sail up the bays and -the San Joaquin River was accomplished in six days. We furnished our own -provisions, which, owing to the length of our journey, proved -insufficient. Notwithstanding the very heavy dews, we were compelled to -sleep on deck. In consequence, one of our company took so severe a cold -that he returned to San Francisco from Stockton, abandoning mining; -while another, a young man from Uxbridge--alas! will disregard all the -earnest advice of his friends to return, and will go on, a doomed -man--will reach the mines, and we shall there leave him in his grave. -Poor C., may his sad story be a warning to multitudes of young men, -having good business and good prospects at home, to remain there, -contented with small, but steady and sure gains! Sad, sad was his fate -to be, for we were soon to bury him, in sight, and within a few yards of -those rich deposits, the exaggerated accounts of which are now luring -him, and will lure so many others to their ruin! Poor friend! even the -hardened muleteers, having charge of our provisions, pity his sorrows, -and walk themselves, that they may supply a mule for his faltering and -fainting steps. All see death in his haggard countenance and sunken -eyes, yet _he sees it not_. Never shall I forget my interview with him, -while I walked by the mule on which he was riding, a few days only -before his death. He was telling me of the bright and happy future -before him. Taking from his vest pocket a daguerreotype, he placed it in -my hands, requesting me to open it. What simplicity, what truth were -portrayed in that lovely countenance! Well might he think his future a -happy one. I could hardly conceal from him my emotion as I returned his -priceless treasure, and thought, never will you take to your bosom the -loving and the loved! In a few days I communicated to his friends the -intelligence of his death. - -Stockton, Oct. 25th. An escape so remarkable occurred to-day that it -should not be omitted. Calling at the store of Paige & Webster to -purchase provisions, I stood conversing with the clerk, the bag -containing the supplies lying at my feet. Thinking the string was loose, -I stooped over to examine it. At that very moment there was the sharp -crack of a pistol in the store adjoining, and separated only by a cloth -partition. On rising hastily, I perceived that the bullet had passed -through the tent directly in range of my body. Without moving, I took -the measurement, and found that, had I not moved the _very second_ I -did, the ball must have gone directly through my heart. It passed within -an inch or two of my spine. A little crowd were instantly upon the spot, -wondering at this almost miraculous escape. - -Our journey from Stockton to Marepoosa, a distance of one hundred and -twenty miles, was accomplished between Oct. 27th and Nov. 15th. We took -our own provisions and cooking utensils with us, there being few eating -tents on the way. After three days’ travel the rainy season set in, and -we found it necessary to pitch our tents--sometimes doing this in the -mud, spreading down our blankets upon the wet and cold ground, there to -remain for two or three days. After we had crossed the plain of the San -Joaquin and entered among the mountains, we had fine scenery and -beautiful sunsets. Our guide was endeavoring to take us by a new track -to the mines, and on our march, Nov. 2d, we were lost among the -mountains. After a consultation, the guide and muleteers concluded to -cross a high mountain, without a path and very steep. In ascending, two -of the mules missed their footing, rolling over and over, down the -precipitous sides of the hill, till arrested uninjured by some rock or -stump. By the time we had reached the summit of the mountain, and passed -across an extent of table-land to an abrupt bluff, at the foot of which -was to be seen the beautiful Tuolumne, night had crept upon us. With the -night came torrents of rain, driving through our thin canvas roof in a -shower of large drops. During the night I was conscious of a sensation -of coldness which had completely benumbed me. When sufficiently awake to -ascertain the cause, I found that, owing to the unevenness of the -ground, I had slid down till my feet were immersed in a cold bath -outside the tent. All the next day we kept our tent, amusing ourselves -by reading, sewing, and conversing. The morning after, the clouds had -disappeared, and the sun rose in splendor. The birds sang their most -enlivening songs. It was like our May at home. On walking out of our -tents, we perceived the huge foot-prints of the grisly bear at just -twenty-six paces distant, and there were the holes where he had -scratched up the ground in pursuit of the ants and bugs, which he -devours with avidity. The centipedes and tarantulas occasioned us no -little apprehension and uneasiness. After the rain commenced, we -frequently found them between and under our blankets. - -On one of the mornings of our march, my feet being lame, I started in -advance of the train, that I might take time to rest, not expecting to -see the party again till they overtook me at the end of the day’s march. -When I left, all preparations for a start had been made, and the -muleteers had gone out for their mules. Two of them, however, were -missing, and so much of the day was spent before they were found, that -the guide concluded to remain in camp till the next morning. Upon -reaching the spring where I supposed we were to encamp, and having -quenched my thirst, hungry and weary, I went to a large and shady tree a -short distance from the path, and sat down to await my companions. For -some time I occupied my mind with reading the “Pilgrim’s Progress,” -which I had in my pocket. Soon, however, Bunyan’s dream began to mingle -with my own, and I fell into a long, deep sleep. When I awoke, -bewildered and confused, it was near night, and nowhere were my -companions to be seen. Had they passed me during the day, and gone on to -the next encampment, or had some accident delayed them, were becoming -anxious questions to me. I perceived, by new tracks, that several trains -had passed while I was asleep. Was mine one of them? I determined--why, -I hardly know--to retrace my morning steps. But soon a new source of -anxiety arose. My course in the morning had been across a plain at the -foot of the mountains, till at length it brought me up among them. As I -descended the last steeps of these, and saw the plain extended out below -me, far in the distance, and very far from the trail I had come, I saw a -mule-train which I thought must be mine, and concluded that I had been -all this time wandering out of my way. Fixing their direction in my mind -before descending upon the plain, and while the sun was setting, I -struck across, leaving my path, and hoping to intersect theirs by the -time they should come into camp. If I could not effect this, I must -spend the night without food, or water, or blankets, with also the -prospect of being _lost_ among the mountains. This, in my situation, -would be attended with much inconvenience and some danger. Several have -been lost in this manner, and never seen again. At length I succeeded in -reaching the train, and found it was not mine; but I had the -satisfaction of hearing from my companions, and that they were still at -their last night’s camp. At about ten o’clock I reached our encampment. -Tired and hungry as I was, I stood for some time struck with the scene -before me. In addition to the usual camp-fires, giving to every thing a -wild, gipsy-like air, my friends had cut down a large tree, and, piling -up all the branches and a quantity of dry fuel, had made a grand -bonfire. The whole country about was lighted up. Hastening to the camp, -I first snatched up the coffee-pot, and, finding it half full, began to -drink heartily of the contents, too thirsty to judge of its quality. -When I joined the cheerful party around the blazing fire, I was appealed -to to decide a question which they had been and still were eagerly -discussing. The subject was one which, being brought up under our -circumstances, and at such a distance from home, was calculated to -awaken a lively interest. It was respecting the comparative merits of -the Boston Common and the New York Battery, and was agitated by young -miners from those cities. - -As we approach the mines, accounts vary greatly as to the prospects of -the miners. Those who are, like ourselves, going toward the Marepoosa -diggings, hear a thousand exasperated stories of success; but the -multitude who are already leaving this region for other mines bring back -the most discouraging reports. As we have found it elsewhere, so it is -here; at a distance--in Stockton, in San Francisco, in the States, the -Marepoosa diggings are regarded as very rich, and are thought by some to -be the ancient Ophir. Now that we are within a few miles, the -enchantment which distance lends has vanished. It is found that, in -general, the miners are not making a living. At the River Mercedes we -saw some Indians, called Savage’s Indians, from an American with that -name, who shot the chief and took his place in the tribe. He was -formerly a companion of Colonel Fremont. These Indians were fishing for -salmon, at which business they are very expert and successful. All the -Indians in the country are _openly_ friendly, but their friendship is -not to be trusted. They have acquired a growing distrust of the emigrant -miners, so often are they made the subjects of the most cruel and -barbarous impositions. To me their whole deportment appears threatening. -Even when they come into our camps with presents or to trade, their -conduct says plainly, “We bide our time!” It may be delayed, but the -time will come when they will seek revenge; and woe be to those who are -among these wild mountain fastnesses when that fearful time comes! - -I have seen but few birds among the mountains of California. The large -French woodpecker is the most common. It feeds upon the acorn, of which -it lays up immense supplies after they have fallen from the trees. It -can not put its stores in the ground, for the bears and squirrels would -scratch them up and devour them. They pick a hole in the bark of the -tree, of such a size that the acorn will exactly fit into it; then they -fly down, and, taking one in the bill, drive it deep into the hole. -There are thousands of these acorns sometimes in a single tree, which -have the appearance of so many bullets shot into it. There is a singular -species of the frog, similar to the “horned frog” of Texas. It is as -large as the common frog, but covered with scales, with two of the same -scales, but larger, protruding out from its head. There are abundance -of elk, deer, and antelope; but the most remarkable animal is the grisly -bear. This animal is eight to eleven feet in length, and four to six in -girth. It is of a dark brown color, with long, shaggy hair. It possesses -wonderful strength, and a single blow of its iron-clawed paw would fell -an ox; yet it rarely attacks unless provoked. It never lies in wait for -its prey. It is dangerous to attack him. Few persons have the hardihood, -when alone, to fire upon him, and then look for a tree to which they may -retreat. - -We passed, on our way, through “Fremont’s camp,” where, a year since, -the colonel had a large number of Indians working for him. It is now -quite a settlement; and the very day we passed through, a company of -sixty men was organized to pursue and punish the Indians for various -depredations lately committed. Finding so little which was favorable in -our prospect, we started for Sherlock’s diggings, led by new stories of -wonderful success. The two brothers Sherlock, who discovered this place, -are said to have taken out $30,000 from a small square spot of ground. -They went to Monterey to deposit their money and make preparations to -continue their profitable labors. While there, in an unguarded manner, -one day, they let fall some hints concerning their success. These were -not lost upon two sailors belonging to a man-of-war then lying in the -bay, and who happened to be present. They returned on board, asked and -obtained a furlough for seven weeks, made their preparations, and when -the Sherlocks started, they started also. It was not long before the -Sherlocks suspected the purpose of the sailors, and, to elude them, very -quietly arose at midnight, packed their mules, and silently proceeded on -their way. What was their surprise in the morning to find their pursuers -still following them. Every means was resorted to in order to avoid them -or mislead their search, but all in vain. They were always _there_. -Seeing that they were “in for it,” they made a virtue of necessity, took -the sailors with them, gave them valuable instructions, and every -assistance in their power. A few weeks since, and before the expiration -of their furlough, the two sailors returned on board with ninety pounds -of gold. - -Here we encountered severe hardships, camping in leaky tents, upon wet -and muddy ground, from which we raised ourselves only by spreading down -pine boughs beneath us, being chilled with the cold rain and snow. -Yesterday a friend was seated by me upon a log at the opening of the -tent. “Oh!” said he, “let me be at home with my wife and little -daughter, and I will live on one meal a day. I have often wondered,” he -continued, “how the poor Irish _could live_ in their hovels, but look -here at _our home_! Their situation is Paradise compared to ours! My -wife would cry herself to death if she could see what I suffer!” - -Nov. 16th. To-day we commenced our labors at Sherlock’s, contracting to -pay $5 a day for an old cradle, while the sum total of our first day’s -labor has been one dollar. One of my companions amused us by telling us, -while speaking of the wrong ideas those form of the mines who have never -seen them, the advice his father gave him. He told him not to work too -hard, but to buy a low chair and a small iron rake, and, taking his -seat, to rake over the sand, and, picking up the pieces of gold as they -came to view, to put them in a box. - -Nov. 17th. The sum total made to-day is 25 cents; and this when -provisions are selling at $1 25 a pound, with the prospect of being -still higher. We returned this evening to our camp tired and hungry, -and, finding very little here to eat, have put on a kettle of acorns to -boil, upon which, with a little venison, we shall make our supper. There -are many depredations committed by the Indians. Mules are stolen, and -driven away to be eaten. - -Nov. 19th. To-day we have made 50 cents each. This evening, as I was -passing through the village on my way to the trading-tent, I perceived -an old, drunken sailor cooking some nice steaks from the grisly bear. I -had never yet tasted the meat, and when I expressed a curiosity to do -this, a tin plate, with a generous slice of the savory meat, was placed -before me on the ground, with a bottle of brandy. The latter I eschewed, -while the former I chewed, and found it delicious--similar to young -pork. While we were enjoying the feast, the old sailor related to me a -remarkable instance of success in his own case a few days before. His -account was corroborated by others, who gave me some particulars which -he withheld. He was walking, or rather staggering, for he had been -drinking pretty deeply, upon the bank, below which the miners were hard -at work. As he was thus proceeding, singing as he went, he kicked his -foot against a stone, causing it to roll over. Turning around, and at -the same time raising his clinched fist, he began to curse the stone, -when his attention and oaths were all arrested together, for he saw at -the bottom of the hole from which the stone was displaced something -yellow and bright. In an instant he was upon his knees, knife in hand, -and soon held up a beautiful lump of nearly pure gold, valued at $500. -In one week he had drank and gambled the whole away. Such instances as -this have given rise to the opinion among the miners that the worthless, -drinking, and gambling characters have better success than the sober and -persevering laborer. - -Nov. 21st. It is now about seven months since my last letter from my -family. My feelings may then be imagined when, late yesterday afternoon, -I heard there were letters for me at Fremont’s camp, eight miles -distant, over the mountain. Although suffering greatly from blistered -feet, I started early this morning, after passing a sleepless night. -Alas! what was my disappointment at finding my letters were from San -Francisco, soliciting the votes and influence of our company in favor of -the election of a candidate to some office! Indeed, it is not surprising -that, amid such trials and hardships, so many become disheartened, and -resort to forbidden and fatal pleasures and stimulants. - -Dec. 1st. Finding all our efforts unavailing, and that none around us -were succeeding, we visited Aqua Frio some days since, and have now -removed here. There does not appear to be much doing here, but it is a -larger settlement, but few now remaining at Sherlock’s. It is, on this -account, more safe from the encroachments of the Indians, and provisions -are more easily obtained. These are, however, constantly rising. Each -dash of rain adds one or two shillings a pound to the price of every -article. This is owing to the fact that, as the rains render the roads -worse, the price for transportation proportionally increases. We are now -paying $1 50 a pound for provisions. The price of a barrel of flour here -would go far toward supporting a family at home for a year. Four pounds -of hard, moldy bread for our mule cost us about $6. And yet, with these -high prices, the miners in the best diggings in the region do not -average $1 50 a day. We have not done this. - -Dec. 3d. Lying awake in my tent last night, I overheard three miners, -who had come in partially intoxicated at midnight to their tent, within -a few feet of us, talking over their plans. It seemed that one of them -had just weighed the gold they had made that day, and found it nine -ounces. They were to be up early, and start for the same place again. I -conformed my movements to theirs the next forenoon, with an experienced -miner for a companion. With our picks and spades, we soon reached the -place where they were at work. They were in the middle of the channel, -having turned the stream from its course, up to their knees in the mud -and water, while one of their number was constantly employed in “bailing -out.” We prospected near them for a few hours, as they told us many -others had done, unsuccessfully. They did not themselves expect to find -employment for more than two days, the deposit already beginning to -fail. - -Dec. 4th. There was a large fall of snow last night, which pressed so -heavily upon our tent that it fell in upon us; but we kept our beds till -morning, the bank of snow above us adding not a little to the warmth of -our blankets. I went down, after breakfast, to the diggings, and -brushing away the snow, and breaking the ice, attempted to wash out some -gold in a pan; but I made nothing. Becoming thoroughly chilled, with my -hands and feet frost-bitten, I returned to my tent; but here it is -almost as bad. The canvas, of which our tent is made, is under the snow, -our provisions _scarce_, the fire out, and the day very cold. Two of my -companions, feeling the pressure of hunger, went to the tent of an -acquaintance, where they found some venison steaks and bread, which had -been left at breakfast. They made their dinner from these, being -comforted by the thought that some ciote or stray dog would bear the -blame. What renders our situation more deplorable is the want of proper -clothing. Good boots are so scarce that $96 are readily given for a -pair. - -A miner related in my hearing to-day the manner in which he employed -others to work for him. He marked off a claim ten feet square, and -commenced digging in one corner of it. Finding it likely to be a more -serious job than he anticipated, and being tired of it, and yet not -willing to abandon it without knowing what lay at the bottom, he -concealed several pieces of gold, one weighing two ounces, in a corner -of his claim. Watching his opportunity when several persons were near, -he artfully uncovered one of the lumps, seeming, at the same time, -anxious to conceal it. In a few moments several spectators were eyeing -his movements. Soon he turned up two or three more small pieces, and -then the larger one. In ten minutes the ground all about him was marked -off, and many picks and shovels were employed in prospecting for him, -while he went back to his tent, pleased with the success of his -maneuver. Several good offers were made him for his claim, and, had he -been so disposed, he might have made a good bargain; but he was -satisfied with the amount of labor he thus procured. In many cases the -grossest impositions have been practiced. Persons have scattered gold in -the dirt of a claim they held, then have offered it for a high price, -exhibiting a pan full of the rich soil as a specimen. We have now spent -many days at Aqua Frio without finding any prospect of success; on the -contrary, being involved in debt; and have determined to break up our -camp, and, disposing of our tents, cooking utensils, &c., to retrace our -steps toward Stockton. One of our company is disposed a little longer to -try his fortunes--or rather his misfortunes--at the Marepoosa mines. -Another remains in his lonely grave. All the others, excepting myself, -intend to return to San Francisco, and, as soon as they are able, to -leave for home. - -On Monday, Dec. 10th, we started with a mule-train bound for Stockton, -which took a few pounds of freight for us, while I packed twenty pounds -upon my back. The first day we traveled fifteen miles over the -mountains, and saw hundreds going to and from the mines. Burns’s tent -was so filled with travelers that we were compelled to sleep out in the -open air, which was so severely cold that the water froze by our side. -The next night we slept at Montgomery’s ranch, after walking -twenty-three miles. Spreading our blankets down upon the ground, beneath -a canvas roof, we slept so closely packed that no person could have -stepped between us. For breakfast we had tea, hard bread, beans, and -pork, and a few pickles, for all which we paid $2 each. The following -day we traveled in the rain twenty-five miles, fording the Tuolumne. My -companions had all dropped behind, half frozen and tired out, seeking -shelter and rest in some trading or eating tents we had passed. I pushed -on with the mule-train, hoping at night to reach a comfortable shelter; -but night found us completely exhausted, and far from any settlement. -The company traveling with the mule-train had a tent, but there was no -spare room which they could offer me. I had to make up my mind to spend -the night alone in the drenching rain, and it was a night I shall never -forget. A large log-fire was burning, by which I sat till a late hour, -when I happened to remember that I had seen a large hollow tree by the -road side, at some little distance from our camp. Taking a blazing -brand, I went and examined the tree, and found that the hollow would -afford my body a shelter by sitting upright, and leaving my feet exposed -to the rain. I kindled a fire, collecting some brush and bark with which -to replenish it during the night. Then, with the ax I had borrowed, I -removed a quantity of dead leaves and filthy rubbish accumulated at the -bottom of my cavern. To my alarm, I found among this rubbish fresh marks -of a large bear, which had lately found refuge here from a storm such as -now drove me to its shelter. But there seemed no alternative, and I -thought, besides, that my fire would be a protection against wild -beasts; so I wrapped my blankets about me, and, sinking down into my -novel bed, with my feet in a cold bath, I listened to the pattering of -the rain, thinking of those far away. Soon my fire began to fail, and I -had placed the last piece of bark upon it, and fallen asleep. When I -awoke it was pouring in torrents, and my fire was entirely out. Then -came thoughts of the bear, and I instinctively drew in my legs, not -wishing to place temptation within his reach, should he be prowling -about me. It would not do; I was nearly frozen; the water began to find -its way into my bed, which I apprehended I should soon be compelled to -share with old Bruin. Then it was so dark. I got up, took my blankets -over my arm, and started to return to the log-fire, which I saw dimly -burning in the distance. In my haste, I forgot that there was a bend in -the bank of the stream below us, making it necessary for me to take a -circuit round in order to reach my companions. I soon found myself -lodged among the bushes and stones at the bottom of the bank. Then came -over me a nervous feeling like a nightmare, and I could already feel -myself in the grasp of the grisly bear--his claws and teeth were in my -flesh. Dropping my ax, and every thing but my blankets, and losing one -of my shoes, I began an imaginary scramble and flight from my imaginary -pursuer. The remainder of the night I passed, wrapped up in my blankets, -by the log-fire. A walk of twelve miles the day following brought me to -the Stanislaus, where I was to separate from my companions, who had not -yet come up--they going on to Stockton, and I to the Stanislaus -diggings. The rain continued to pour down. Little dreamed our friends at -home of our situation then! With scarcely a dollar in our pockets, a -long journey before us, cold, hungry, and wet, our oppressed hearts were -ready to sink. Alas! little did I anticipate what a gloomy future was -before two of those companions! One of them was the only and the -idolized son of his parents, and tenderly and dearly loved by his -sisters. His home possessed every comfort and convenience. He had come -far from his father’s house to perish with hunger. He resolved, “I will -arise and go to my father.” But that father and that heart-broken mother -he was no more to see. A year after we parted--and oh! what a year of -suffering and privation must that have been--with that companion of his -boyhood and youth, he reached Chagres in most destitute circumstances. -To raise money enough to take him home, he engaged as a boatman on the -river, took the fever, and died. In consequence of my recent exposure, I -had a severe cold, and was entirely unable to travel; yet I had no means -of paying my expenses at a ranch. Under these circumstances, I crossed -the Stanislaus, went to the ranch of Mr. George Islip, a gentleman from -Canada, and told him my situation. “Give yourself no uneasiness,” he -said; “you are welcome as long as you choose to remain with us; all I -request of you is that you will feel yourself at home.” I passed a very -pleasant week with this noble-hearted man, and was treated as a brother. -The wind had blown down his house, and torn the canvas roof to ribbons, -and we were without shelter from the pelting rain; but warm fires, kept -up in the middle of the temporary shelter, made us comfortable. To -protect my body from the rain, I would creep under the table, managing -to keep my feet near the fire. After a week of interesting and wild -adventure, I was set over the river by my friend, and started for the -mines again. The roads were very muddy, and the streams forded with -difficulty. In my first day’s walk I passed three wagons which were -mired--a common occurrence at this season of the year. There were many -dead animals by the road side. My Christmas eve I spent most cheerlessly -at Green Spring, and the next day reached Woods’s diggings. On the 26th -Dec. I visited Sullivan’s diggings, Jamestown, Yorktown, and Curtis’s -Creek. A residence in this portion of the mines was, in every way, more -desirable than in the more distant mines at this season. Provisions were -cheaper, and there was less danger of attacks from the Indians. All the -places I have mentioned, together with the Chinese diggings, Mormon -Gulch, Sonora, and others, were a cluster of mines lying near to each -other, and between the Stanislaus and Tuolumne Rivers. At each of these -places were trading tents and dwellings of the miners, chiefly of -canvas, with some log and hide houses, and one or two frame buildings. -Sonora is the principal of these, the residence chiefly of Mexicans and -Chilinos, of whom there are some twelve thousand. Here are furnished -provisions, clothing, tools, &c., at almost as low rates as at Stockton. -Its hotels, restaurants, and trading tents presented a very busy -appearance; and there is no place in the mines where gambling is so much -_the business_. Some comfortable houses have been erected here. After -visiting all the mines, and finding but indifferent prospects at any of -them, I located myself at Curtis’s Creek, to labor in the winter -diggings. I was without a companion, and had heard of a gentleman from -New England who was desirous of sharing his tent and provisions with -some one. He had been out of health, but was supposed to be improving. -My name had been mentioned to him by a friend before I arrived, and he -had expressed a desire to enter into such an arrangement as might be of -mutual advantage. He was considered a man of great intelligence and -worth; and it was partly with the hope of having him as a mining -companion that I had visited Curtis’s. His tent was a mile from the -settlement. Taking my roll of blankets, I walked over to see him. Judge -of my surprise, on reaching his tent, and raising the curtains at the -entrance, and stepping in, to find myself standing before a _corpse_, -laid out upon a hammock! I learned from a colored man, who soon came in, -that Mr. H. had died half an hour before. He was alone, and seemed to -have just been reaching from his bed for something. The last sentiment -to which he gave utterance was, “I believe I left home a moral and a -religious man; I have brought morality and religion with me, and, with -God’s assistance, I will keep them to the last.” Neither he nor others -supposed that he was dangerously sick. With the black man, I went out, -and we selected a spot beneath a large tree, and there we dug his grave. -The noon of the next day was the time named for the funeral, and notice -accordingly was sent to the various mines near by. It being -impracticable to provide a coffin, the body was wrapped in several -blankets, and a quantity of pine boughs spread at the bottom of the -grave. At the time appointed for the burial, most of the miners might be -seen leaving their various employments, and slowly walking in small -groups toward the grave. Another group--the bearers and friends--met -them, and all proceeded together on the way. How solemn and impressive, -under those circumstances, “the burial service” of the Church, which was -then performed. An appropriate hymn was sung, and the body laid in its -last repose, then covered with pine boughs, and the grave was filled up. -Having purchased the tent and a part of the provisions, I spent the two -following days, assisted by a friend--young Dr. R., of New Jersey--in -removing the tent, and preparing for the labors of mining. On the Sunday -following--the 30th Dec.--I was requested to go over to Woods’s diggings -and attend the funeral of a young man from Philadelphia. We had formerly -both listened together to the faithful preaching of the Rev. Mr. Fowles. -Could it have been anticipated, as I fixed my eye upon that healthy, -intelligent countenance at the close of the services, that in the wilds -of California I should so soon be called to pronounce over him the -solemn sentence--in this case sadly solemn--“_Earth to earth, ashes to -ashes, dust to dust!_” The brother of young A. was with him at the -mines, but he died alone. The next morning, the last of the year, Dr. R. -and myself started upon a prospecting excursion; and we returned at -night as wise, as rich, and a little more tired than we were when we -left in the morning. - -Jan. 1st, 1850. It has rained hard all day. Engaged in washing and -mending clothes, cooking, writing, and reading. Before we separated for -the night, my friend, Dr. R., requested me to conduct “family worship.” -It was a simple request and a simple act, like every act of faith, and -appropriate to our situation and to the day, being the first of the -year. Only those who have experienced it, especially in a situation like -ours, know of the refreshing fountain of comfort which springs up in the -soul while kneeling before the throne of “our Father in heaven.” It was -family prayer; and we realized the delightful import of this expression. -The Being to whom we addressed our prayers was at that moment looking -with an eye of love upon each member of our dear families at home, and -our prayers would bring peace, protection, and blessings to them. It was -family prayer; and at that moment we felt the privilege of being united -with the great and happy family that worship the glorious and good Being -who loves and cares for all. - -Jan. 2d. During the last night there was a robbery in the settlement, -which caused great excitement. A miner, formerly from Ohio, but who had -been many years in Oregon, where he had a pleasant home, had been -induced, by the hope of making a rapid fortune, to sell his valuable -property, and, taking his large family, to remove to the mines. There, -by hard labor and trading, he had laid up about $4000. Most of this sum -was in a trunk at the foot of the bed in their tent. During the night -this trunk was taken, and the next morning was found at some distance, -broken open, and the money gone. A boarder was immediately arrested on -suspicion, but, after a well-conducted trial, was released. We have made -37 cents each. - -Jan. 3d. It has rained hard most of the day, and there was some thunder, -a very unusual occurrence in California. Spent a part of the day and all -the evening with Dr. R., singing, reading, &c. At the close of our -pleasant interview, again we “lifted the heart and bent the knee” in -prayer to Almighty God. In our visits to each other on these rainy days, -like the ladies at home, we often take our sewing with us. To-day I took -a pair of stockings to darn, one of my shoes to mend, and the -“Democratic Review” to read. While we plied our needles, our tongues -were equally busy speaking of mutual friends and hopes. - -Jan. 4th. It has been clear to-day, but, owing to the high state of the -water, we could do but little. I have been favored with an introduction -to Captain Wadsworth, of Connecticut, a descendant of the captain of the -same name who is famous for having concealed the charter of the colony -in the Charter Oak. He cordially invited me to share with him a -pleasant house which he had spent some weeks in building, and which was -more comfortable than any thing I had seen in the mines. The house was -about ten feet square, inclosed by split rails, driven into the ground -perpendicularly side by side, and filled in with clay, the whole covered -with a tight canvas roof stretched over the rafters. The chimney was -large, and, when well filled with blazing wood, imparted an air of -comfort to every thing. We enjoyed luxuries uncommon in the mines--a -table and chairs. I soon found myself at home here. - -Jan. 5th. It rained again; but we could not afford to be idle, though we -made a mere trifle by severe and exposing labor. To-night we have -weighed our week’s earnings, and find that they amount to $1 80. It is -more trying to the miner to be compelled to spend a day in idleness than -to engage in the most severe labor, even though that labor be -unprofitable. I have often been driven out by my own anxious thoughts to -work in a severe rain. - -Jan. 6th, Sunday. A cloudy, unpleasant day. This forenoon, made a -“duff;” but what was to be done for a string with which to tie the bag? -I looked every where, but in vain. At last I thought of my shoe-string, -which I used for this purpose. When all was ready, I found that the duff -was too large for the kettle, so I boiled one end first, and then turned -the other, and boiled that. - -Jan. 7th. Prospected with Captain Wadsworth at the Chilian diggings. -This is an open, level field, through which a stream formerly ran, but -which now has so little water that many of the miners take the dirt to -the river to be washed. Here was a large settlement of Chilinos, who -have come from their own gold mines to try their fortune here. They -often bring their families with them. I saw one family, the father of -which, assisted by the older children, was “panning out” gold on a -stream near his rude home made of hides. The mother was washing clothes, -while the infant was swinging in a basket made fast to the branches -overhead. An interesting girl of five years, with a tiny pick and spade, -was digging in a hole, already sunk two feet, and putting the dirt in a -pan, which she would take to the stream and wash, putting the scale or -two of gold into a dipper a little larger than a thimble. A heavy rain -drove us home, wet and cold. It continued to rain, with a few intervals, -during the remainder of the week; but a trunk of valuable books, owned -by Captain Wadsworth, served to occupy our minds. These employments, -with the writing of letters, singing, roasting our coffee, cooking, -visiting, &c., filled up the hours of these rainy days. We have made, -the whole week, $3 each. - -I must again remind my reader that, if these details are uninteresting, -they are yet necessary as the filling up of a miner’s life. The bright -and glowing pictures presented to the public--the “news from -California”--“$2,000,000 in gold-dust”--“rich discoveries”--“new -diggings,” &c., must all be filled up with a back-ground of cloudy days, -of rainy weeks, broken hopes, privations, sickness, many a gloomy -death-scene, and many a lonely grave. With how much surprise, and often -indignation, do the miners read the “accounts from the mines,” which -come back to them in the newspapers from home! And with how much -satisfaction do they read the few truthful descriptions which they meet. - -Jan. 13th, Sunday. The roads were so impassable to-day, from the late -rains, that I was unable to preach a funeral sermon at Woods’s, as I had -promised. There was preaching at Curtis’s in the forenoon, by a -Methodist, who gave us a good sermon, its only fault being its great -length. At the close, he invited all so disposed to attend a -class-meeting. Among others, a German, having an imperfect acquaintance -with our language, was called upon for his “experience.” With some -reluctance and hesitation, he arose, and said these few words: “I find -religion good when I do my duty; and when I don’t do my duty, I find -religion bad; but _I shall try to try_!” In the afternoon I selected for -my reading-desk and pulpit the stump of a tree which had been cut down, -on a level spot, in the midst of the settlement. The logs and large -branches of this tree had not yet been removed for fire-wood, and -furnished seats for my congregation. Our worship was very primitive, and -the whole scene would have been impressive to one of our assemblies at -home; but we remembered, to our edification, that God looks not upon the -outward appearance, but upon the heart. The singing was excellent, -conducted by a professor from the Boston Academy. After the preaching, I -invited all who wished to join a choir for mutual improvement in singing -to remain. A good number were present, and the professor was duly -elected chorister. Our arrangement was to meet before worship on Sunday, -and on Wednesday evenings, and devote two hours to this delightful -employment. Those hours I shall not soon forget. Sometimes, when some -old familiar tune was sung, which brought each one’s home circle before -his mind, silent but eloquent tears would start in many eyes. - -Jan. 14th. In company with Captain W. and Dr. R., selected a spot where -a mountain ravine opens into the river, and a few yards below the place -where a company of Frenchmen took out, a few months since, a large -amount of gold. Our best prospect was in the channel of this mountain -stream. We spent some hours in diverting the stream from its course by a -dam and a canal on a small scale. Then, by bailing, we succeeded in -opening the channel. Most of the upper soil, with the stones, must be -removed, nearly to the primitive rock below, often a distance of some -feet, always ankle or knee deep in the mud. We were greatly encouraged, -in the present instance, by an indication of gold rarely presented. -About four inches from the surface of the ground, and in the loose upper -soil, I found a lump of gold weighing nearly three pennyweights. Greatly -cheered by this circumstance, we worked away with spade and pick, with -cradle and pan, hour after hour, and were rewarded by finding in our -treasury at night a few bright scales of gold, amounting to 25 cents. - -Jan. 15th. This morning, notwithstanding the rain, we were again at our -work. We _must_ work. In sunshine and rain, in warm and cold, in -sickness and health, successful or not successful, early and late, it -is work, _work_, WORK! _Work or perish!_ All around us, above and below, -on mountain side and stream, the rain falling fast upon them, are the -miners at work--not for _gold_, but for _bread_. Lawyers, doctors, -clergymen, farmers, soldiers, deserters, good and bad, from England, -from America, from China, from the Islands, from every country but -Russia and Japan--all, all at work at their cradles. From morning to -night is heard the incessant rock, rock, rock! Over the whole mines, in -streamlet, in creek, and in river, down torrent and through the valley, -ever rushes on the muddy sediment from ten thousand busy rockers. -Cheerful words are seldom heard, more seldom the boisterous shout and -laugh which indicate success, and which, when heard, sink to a lower ebb -the spirits of the unsuccessful. We have made 50 cents each. - -Jan. 16th. A friend put into my hands to-day a copy of the Boston -Journal. We laid it aside to read in the evening. But how was this to be -accomplished? The luxury of a candle we could not afford. Our method was -this: we cut and piled up a quantity of dry brush in a corner near the -fire, and after supper, while one put on the brush and kept up the -blaze, the other would read; and as the blaze died away, so would the -voice of the reader. Our work to-day has amounted to 80 cents each. - -Jan. 17th. A very rainy, cold day. As Captain W. is sorely afflicted -with an eruption, which covers his whole body, probably the effects of -having handled the “poison oak,” which grows over the whole country, we -conclude to remain in, and finish the paper. Cutaneous diseases are -cured by the use of the soap-plant--_amole_. Captain W. has tried it -to-day, and been greatly benefited. We use it in bathing, washing -clothes, dishes, &c. - -Jan. 18th. It has continued to rain. There has been some excitement in a -ravine near where we were at work. A company of six men found a place -from which they have taken out $18 to each every day through the week. -The place is now thronged. Every foot is taken up; and yet, of the -hundreds there, not five have made more than their living. Some only -made 12½ cents. We have worked there to-day, and made $2 each. This -evening we have had a pleasant meeting of our choir. - -Jan. 19th. A fine day. We have made $1 each. Upon the bank of Curtis’s -Creek, two men to-day opened a rich deposit, and have brought to their -tent $105, while two others, hearing of their success, commenced just -above, and a company of five more below them. Those above in a short -time took out $64, and those below, $112. These instances of success, -being talked of at noon, created a great excitement. This afternoon the -bar presented a busy scene, and before night every foot of the lower -part of the bar was marked off and claimed. - -Jan. 20th, Sunday. The singing and religious services were held to-day -in the trading-tent of Mr. Capps. My reading-desk was a brandy-cask; and -perhaps this might be said in favor of the change--it had long enough -been appropriated to the service of Satan, and its conversion to a -better cause was not undesirable. - -Jan. 21st. The report of the success on the bar below on Saturday has -gone abroad and done its work. Many miners, much excited by the rumors, -greatly exaggerated by passing through the mouths of the traders, have -begun to come in. New tents are springing up, and new faces are seen; -but success through the day has been confined to the one deposit, which -proves to have run in a rich vein for some sixty feet, occasionally -disappearing, but always coming up again in the same line. A company of -six miners, from Illinois, made over four pounds of gold last week, then -gave up their claim, supposing it exhausted, to some friends, who made -three pounds more from it to-day. - -Jan. 22d. In company with several experienced and successful miners, -went to some of the tributaries of the Tuolumne. We had gone three miles -from home, and were prospecting some of the higher ravines, the lower -being too full of water. It had been cloudy when we started, but we were -so accustomed to the rains of this country that we felt no concern; but -about noon a severe, cold wind sprung up, driving before it a storm of -snow. It came cutting and freezing into our faces. It was one of those -evils which must be met. I carried a spade in one hand, and a crow-bar -in the other; and that piece of cold iron penetrated into my soul. I -thought I had never before experienced the sensation of pure, unrelieved -_cold_. The ice-water into which I plunged my hands half an hour since, -on my return, felt warm. We were not at all prepared for such an event. -Ah! this mountain ramble, the heavy snow-flakes and hail pelting in our -faces, our hands and feet almost frozen, have gone far toward curing us -of any slight remains of the “yellow fever” which may have been clinging -to us! - -Jan. 23d. A clear and cold day. The ground is covered with snow. Alone I -went to my cold and cheerless work. Those who are counting their bright -yellow coins think little of the privations which have been undergone, -the agonies which have been endured--think not of the living death, the -dying life it has cost to draw from the mines their golden eagles. Made -to-day 75 cents. - -Jan. 24th. Last night it was intensely cold, and near morning commenced -snowing, which it has continued to do the whole day. A mail-agent has -come in to-day, and still no letters for me. It is now thirty-nine weeks -since my last letter from home was dated. I would purchase one line from -my wife with all the gold I have made during those thirty-nine weeks. - -To-day, while a friend was seated by me, before Captain W.’s blazing -fire, we were speaking of the great number of persons who come to the -mines, and, after working a few days, become discouraged, and abandon -mining. He related the following instance, which he knows to have taken -place. A merchant from New York recently came up with high expectations, -having made all his arrangements and preparations to carry on mining for -one season. The fascinating interest which invests this whole subject at -a distance had drawn him on. Being a strong and vigorous man, blessed -with the grace of perseverance, he attributed the want of success, of -which so many complained, to their indolence or want of energy. The -question he frequently put, on his way to the mines, was, “How much may -be made by _hard and persevering_ labor?” as if he thought that _such_ -labor must succeed. He reached the mines--saw, on the bar below him, -some miners _hard_ at work. As he watched them, he thought, “That, -indeed, is hard work, and here is an opportunity to judge for myself.” -He directed the muleteer to wait while he went down to the bar. There he -saw the preparations which had been made for washing, the stones and -dirt which had been removed before the gold could be reached. He saw the -men at the bottom of the pit, knee deep in mud, filling the buckets. He -followed those buckets to the cradle, watched the operation of washing -the dirt through, the cradle. As they prepared to wash down in pans, he -inquired, “How many buckets of dirt have been washed to procure the gold -now in the machine?” “Twenty-five,” was the reply. “And how many buckets -can be washed out in a day?” “Sometimes more and sometimes less; we wash -out one hundred and fifty.” “How many men in your company?” “Four.” -“While these inquiries were going on, one of the company was panning -down the gold, and brought it to where they were seated upon some rocks. -“How much gold is there in that pan?” he eagerly inquired. One said -there was $2, while the others thought there was not so much. It was -weighed, and found to be $1 62. He could make his own calculations of -their day’s labor. The sum total was $9 72; for each of the four men, -$2 43. He looked about him. There was all that pile of rubbish to be -removed--enough to employ them the whole day--before they could wash the -gold at all. “Where are your tents?” he asked. “We have none.” “Where -are your provisions?” “This money is to purchase them.” “You had better -purchase mine, which can be done cheap, as I shall be on my way to San -Francisco in ten minutes.” And to San Francisco he returned, and in -three weeks was established in a commission auction store. - -Jan. 28th. Since my last date it has rained constantly, and some of the -time in torrents; but little work has been done. Yesterday a miner was -tried for stealing a small amount of gold, and, upon conviction, was -sentenced to receive five lashes, and to leave the mines in five days. -Reports have been circulating among us of some large lumps of gold -having been found at Sonora, one of which, it is asserted, weighs -seventy pounds. - -Jan. 29th. It is a lovely spring morning, but the water is so high it is -impossible to work. The notes of the robin, the thrush, and the American -nightingale are heard, bringing back thoughts of the homes we have left. -The miners are beginning to talk of the summer diggings upon the rivers. -Many parties have gone on exploring expeditions, and it is said that -thousands of miners have all their provisions purchased, and but await -the melting of the snow from the mountains to cross over and take -possession of the _real_ El Dorado. Very little is doing here. We are -not averaging a dollar a day on the whole creek. A gentleman from New -England has just been telling me that he left a business, when he came -from home, which enabled him to lay up $500 a year; but that, since he -left home, which is now over a year, he has not made $200. Surely not -enough to support him. A newspaper, which has strayed into the mines -to-day, brings the astounding intelligence of the murder of Dr. Parkman, -and the arrest and trial of Professor Webster as the murderer. - -Feb. 2d. Prospected to-day with Mr. L., of Livingston Manor, upon the -Hudson River. Mr. L. has a quiet, easy way, as he is seated upon some -rock, examining the dirt, and turning over the stones at the bottom of -some hole, which gives the impression to any one who may happen to be -looking on from a distance that he is picking up pieces of gold. We were -thus seated to-day, and he was scraping the clay from a stone, and -showed me several small scales, when two miners, who had been working -all day above us, hurried down, and eagerly asked what we _had_ found. -They would not believe when we told them, but sat there an hour, -watching every movement, ready, on the appearance of the lumps, to take -possession of the next claim. Miners practice many arts to deceive -others with regard to what they may be doing. Especially is this the -case if they are doing well, when they generally say they are doing -nothing, reasoning as did Sir Walter Scott after he had published -“Waverley,” and wishing to conceal his authorship. People had no right -to ask if he was the author, and therefore it was right for him to -deceive them. I found it was better to tell the truth. The very purpose -of concealment was thus better accomplished, for, speak as you might, -you were sure not to be believed, and you were thus spared the sin of a -falsehood. The only indication by which I came to judge that miners were -doing well in any place was to find them early and late, and constantly, -at their work. Our prospecting gave us 25 cents each. - -Feb. 4th. This is a day to be remembered. _Letters from home!_ If any -one would learn the full significance of these words, let him pass ten -months in California without one word from his loved ones, an unhappy -exile from his own family. They may be sick, suffering, dying, and he -who should be near them, to care for, and protect, and comfort them, is -far away, and knows not their condition. It is an era in the mines--the -arrival of the mail-agent. How cheerfully are our two dollars a letter -paid. It was like receiving back my family from the _dead_--those -letters, after so _long_ and _weary a silence_. I am _happy_, and I am -_miserable_! I am _calm_, and I am _fearfully excited_! It is an era in -the miner’s life when such, although tardy, messengers reach him. I have -been present when many of these have given up to their owners their -treasures of love or their burden of wretchedness. One has just opened -his letter, and bursts into immoderate weeping. I inquire the cause. “My -wife and child are both dead!” A physician of one of the hospitals told -me that they dared not give their letters from home to those who were -very sick; that in several instances they had seen persons in this -condition, upon reading their letters, turn over and die. - -A party of individuals, from the ranches on the plains below, passed us -on their way to the headwaters of the Tuolumne, in pursuit of Indians -who had stolen some of their mules. They were joined by numbers of the -miners. - -Feb. 5th. There is some excitement with regard to a bar one mile above -us. Captain W. and myself have spent the day there, and have made $5 37 -each. The lump of gold found at Sonora, and which, it was said, weighs -seventy pounds, weighs only twenty-two pounds. The miner through whom I -received my information had a claim next to the one in which this lump -was found. It lay within two inches of the very spot where he was at -work. One blow of his pick would have given him possession of it. - -Feb. 6th. We have to-day made 75 cents each. - -An interesting instance of success happened recently in a gulch upon the -Stanislaus in our vicinity. Two young men, on their way to the mines, -heard of this gulch, and concluded to commence their mining at that -place; but, when they arrived there, they found the whole ground, -considered favorable, occupied. Not knowing what to do or where to go, -they made their first essay in a small ravine, across which a log was -thrown for the convenience of the crowd constantly passing. In this -ravine, and by the side of that log, they dug their hole. They came to a -crevice in the rock, and saw opened before them a sight which makes the -miner’s heart glad--pounds of pure virgin gold, lying in lumps and -scales, but awaiting their slightest effort to transfer it to their own -pockets. - -Feb. 7th. This forenoon my share was 25 cents. In the afternoon visited -Yorktown. The diggings here are at a distance from any stream, upon the -plain; but it is probable the stream once ran over the ground where the -gold is now found. Before the gold can be taken out, excavations must be -made, from twelve to twenty feet in depth. One cup showed about eight -ounces of beautiful gold taken out in five hours; but it must be -remembered that three men had been hard at work “clearing off” for seven -days, during which time no gold had been made. This work is so severe -and exposing that many at Yorktown are sick with rheumatism. - -Feb. 8th. We divide to-day 12 cents to each man. - -The party previously mentioned, who went out in pursuit of the Indians, -returned late last night, having with them the scalp of one Indian, -which they had taken after decoying him into ambush. They had mutilated -the body, and then dragged it about with ropes, made fast to the pummel -of the saddle. They rode through the settlement, almost too drunk to -keep their seats, firing their guns and pistols, while from their mouths -issued volleys of shrieks and imprecations. It must be mentioned, in -justice to several who started with this party, that, becoming disgusted -with the proceedings of their companions, they left them, and -consequently must not share in the disgrace of these transactions. - -Feb. 9th. We visited a wild mountain ravine, and made $4 10 each to-day. - -Feb. 11th, Monday. In the same place, we have made to each $5 62. - -Feb. 12th. Have made 15 cents. - -Feb. 13th. I must place a cipher against all our labors to-day. How -expressive the miner’s phrase, “Worked out!” Others may go after him and -make pounds of gold; but, do what he can, labor as he may, become -discouraged and leave, then return again and again, for him it is -“_worked out_,” and with “longing, lingering looks,” he at length -abandons it as a hopeless task. - -Feb. 14th, Mormon Gulch. The rainy season seems to have passed. To-day, -in company with several companions, who purpose trying the ravine and -dry diggings with me, came to this place. This is a settlement about -four miles from Curtis’s. We found considerable excitement existing at -Woods’s as we came through. A miner, who was well known and esteemed, -was found near that settlement murdered. He started yesterday, with -considerable gold, intending to establish himself in some business in -Stockton. His life was taken for his money. - -A quartz mountain near Woods’s, rising abruptly from the valley, and -showing its glittering white crest at its summit, drew our attention. -Some experiments have been made here to obtain gold from the rock, but -thus far without success. - -All the winter encampments are breaking up. The miners are on the move. -The log and stone houses, and sometimes the tents, are deserted. Within -a short distance, we saw over three hundred pack-mules, moving about in -every direction. - -Feb. 18th. Have spent the time since my last date in collecting the -statistics of winter mining from numerous miners in the various -encampments near me, and in writing to those at a greater distance. Have -brought over our effects to Mormon Gulch, and selected a spot upon which -to pitch our tent, at the foot of a mountain torrent, which descends -here almost at once--sometimes playfully, sometimes angrily--into the -valley. The mountains on both sides are high and precipitous. Directly -at the foot of the cascade, it widens out into a kind of bar. Upon this -we have selected a spot for our home. It is altogether one of the most -romantic spots I have ever seen. From this place we have a view of a -picturesque valley below and a wild cascade above us. When the stream is -swollen after a heavy rain, the cascade loses its beauty, but becomes -madly wild. Before we had erected our tent, the clouds, which had been -lowering over us, began to pour down their contents upon us. We were all -unprepared. Our provisions, clothing, and blankets were all wet. We -find--too late, alas!--that we have committed the same kind of error -with Cowper’s birds, who anticipated pairing time, and built their nests -too early. We had thought the winter over and gone, and the rainy season -past, and, leaving our winter homes, had only a small and leaky tent for -our shelter. There are four of us in company. Two of these are young -friends, like brothers, who left home, and have since remained together, -industrious, sober, and worthy young men, formerly in the employ of one -of the Lawrence manufacturing companies. The third is a -sailor--noble-hearted, sincere, frank, and full of fun and glee, yet a -most persevering and hard-working miner. - -Feb. 20th. Our first day’s labor has given to each of us 45 cents. We -have worked in a loose, talcose slate, on the edges of the stream. The -gold is here coarser than in the rivers. - -Feb. 21st. Have to-day made $1 each. Finding a place which seemed -favorable, lying upon the bed of the stream, we began to dig down and -throw off the top soil. We were soon interrupted by some persons, who -said we could not work there, as they claimed it. We inquired why they -had not left their pick or spade there, according to the custom. They -replied that all the miners there were bound to stand by each other in -maintaining their claims, which were known to each other. We find that -most of the ground is held in this way, without being marked off or -designated. The present alcalde, it is said, holds thirty of these -claims. - -Feb. 22d. Two of the company went over to the Stanislaus to prospect. In -the place of gold, they brought back with them a bouquet of wild -flowers, which would have graced the centre-table of any parlor. Our -day’s labor gave $1 12 to each. We have been ejected from two claims -to-day, after working some time upon them. It seems that comparatively a -few persons have undertaken to monopolize most of the gold soil in the -gulch. They have driven off a large number of French miners from what is -called “French Bar,” and have likewise taken possession of that. - -Feb. 23d. We have to-day divided our forces. Two of us commenced sinking -a hole upon French Bar, while the others went to a small stream running -through an extent of table-land on the top of the mountain. Those on the -bar below, of course, labored without present remuneration, as a deep -excavation must be made, requiring our united efforts for a week or ten -days. Those on the hill have made enough to divide $5 10 to each of us. - -Feb. 25th. Those from the mountain have brought home $5 60 to each. We -have been delayed in our work in the valley by the caving in of the dirt -upon us, owing to the rain. At last we were compelled to abandon it for -the present. - -During the last night we had a violent snow-storm, which broke down our -tent over our heads. - -Feb. 26th. We commenced working upon another claim, but were again -driven from it. Appealed to the alcalde, who decided against us, but at -the same time pointed to another place, farther from the stream, where -he advised us to work. We had spent two hours in digging here, when two -miners laid claim to the ground, and soon brought the alcalde, who said -it was a misunderstanding, and that he had intended to give us another -place, upon which he then stood. There was then no doubt, and we worked -all the afternoon upon that place. From the mountain we received $1. 87 -each. To our joy, we have found a plant which makes an excellent salad. -It grows abundantly about us. We have lived so long without vegetables -that this is a luxury. - -Feb. 27th. It has been a cold day, with occasional dashes of snow. On -reaching our claim in the valley, we found a miner in possession. On -appealing to the alcalde, who had so decidedly given us the place only -yesterday, to our surprise he again decided against us. Those upon the -mountain made $6 62 to each of us. We all abandoned the valley, only -retaining our claim upon the French Bar, where we left our crow-bar as -our legal representative. - -Feb. 28th. We had barely reached our place of labor this morning, upon -the mountain, when it came on to rain so violently as to drive us home. -We have spent the day in our tent, reading, writing, cooking, and -sleeping. - -March 4th, Monday evening. We have been kept from work for several days -by the rain. Improved the time in prospecting upon the Stanislaus. Heard -of a ravine near the Green Springs where much gold has been found. In -the fall, when I was at Mr. Islip’s, I met an eccentric man named Texas -Jack. He told me that, early in the spring previous, while passing to -the Stanislaus mines by a nearer path across the mountains, he had -prospected in a ravine, and from one pan full of dirt had taken nearly a -pound of gold. I took the direction to the place, but, having learned -not to be led by such wonderful stories, I never visited the spot. Some -miners, a few weeks since, happened upon this very place, and, before -their secret was discovered, had made $8000. Several others had done -well there. - -March 5th. We have all worked together upon the mountain to-day. During -the forenoon the vein ran out, and was nowhere to be found again. We -made many trials, but without success. Made $2 06 each. - -March 6th. We worked in a ravine where a few rich deposits have been -found. One of our number, while working with his knife, in a few -moments took out three lumps, which together were worth $21 75; but, -during the whole of the day, the others of the company did not make 25 -cents. The fields and the mountain sides begin to be clothed with the -most beautiful and variegated flowers. I had heard and read much of the -flowers of California, but they far surpass my highest anticipations. -They spring up at the close of the rainy season, thrive amid frost and -snow, live a short life of exceeding beauty, and soon die, cut down by -the heat of the dry season. - -March 7th. We were driven in by the rain this afternoon, after having -made $1 25 each. - -March 16th, Saturday. Since my last date, more than a week since, we -have dug to the bottom of our claim, though it caved in several times -upon us. We were so deep in the ground that we could not throw out the -dirt, and were compelled to throw it up upon a platform, and then from -the hole. After digging down eighteen feet, we were troubled with water, -which came in upon us so fast as to require one to be kept bailing much -of the time. At last we reached the bottom, washed the gold-dirt -carefully, and, as the result of a week’s labor for four of us, we -shared the sum of $1 87. We have had severe and continued rains. Every -thing is completely drenched. Our clothes, our blankets, our provisions, -are all wet and moldy. Our fire is extinguished. The water stands in -puddles under the pine boughs beneath our blankets. We were compelled to -cut small drains from the middle of the tent to the large drain which -surrounds it, and throw away the wet boughs, which Jack calls our -feathers. Then we kindled a large fire in the tent to dry it. The -playful stream, which lately ran by us so harmless, now roars and rages, -and is yet rising. The miners are pitching their tents farther up the -hill. - -March 17th, Sunday. It was a beautiful morning. The sun shone out clear -and bright. We hung out our clothes and blankets to dry. The birds sang -their sweetest notes. All things seemed to be filled with grateful love -to the Creator and Preserver of all. Surely our hearts should not be -less disposed to devout praise and adoration. It was pleasant to follow -in the services of worship, as we thought it was being conducted at -home, and to make a sanctuary of our own hearts. By allowing a -difference of about three hours between the time at home and here, we -could enjoy this pleasure, and, at the same time with friends so far -from us, be engaged in the duties of worship. These were the meetings of -the heart--the reunions of faith; and they strengthened us, and led us -to trust more sincerely in the good promises of our Father. - -March 18th. Formed, to-day, a company for trading purposes. Three of us -gave each $100. With this $300, one of our number has gone down to -Stockton to purchase goods. The rest of us went over, this morning, to -the Stanislaus, to prospect. During the ramble, I had collected -twenty-nine varieties of flowers, some of them most beautiful. - -April 1st. During the remainder of the month, and in the absence of our -companion at Stockton, we made but $4 28 each. The weather became -moderate, and the dry season seemed to be setting in. The wind kept -steady from the dry quarter. The peculiarities of a Frenchman working -near us have amused us. Rain or shine, he is always seen without his -hat. He carries his rifle over his shoulder, and several pistols and his -knife in his belt. When he reaches his claim, he puts down a pistol on -each side of him, and his hole resembles a fort, of which he is the -undisputed owner. He came from New York with his son. He was doing a -business there worth $2000 a year to him, and gave $5000 for their -outfit. In the ten months since he left home, he has made nothing. - -There is a company here from York county, Pennsylvania, numbering -fourteen strong, hard-working men. They have made but $50 the last four -weeks, or an average of 14 cents a day to each one. During this time we -have been exposed, every or every other day, to severe rains or snows, -the ice being sometimes half an inch thick. Crowds of miners still flock -in here, attracted by the fabulous reports of the richness of these -mines. Some have done well--a few very well--while the miners generally -have not made enough to support them. - -Our trading operation did not amount to any thing. The expenses of -traveling, transportation of goods, time, &c., ate up the profits. I -have to-day received a letter from some friends and traveling companions -from Philadelphia, inviting me to visit them with reference to some -mining operations for the summer. They are living at Jacksonville, on -the Tuolumne River, some miles distant from us. - -April 2d. To-day have walked over to Jacksonville, where I was greeted -with a cordial welcome. This is quite a settlement. There are some -comfortable houses here. As in every other settlement, the houses are of -every possible variety, according to the taste or means of the miner. -Most of these, even in winter, are tents. Some throw up logs a few feet -high, filling up with clay between the logs. The tent is then stretched -above, forming a roof. When a large company are to be accommodated with -room, or a trading depot is to be erected, a large frame is made, and -canvas is spread over this. Those who have more regard to their own -comfort or health, erect log or stone houses, covering them with thatch -or shingles. I have seen some very good houses at Aqua Frio made and -roofed with slate. Some comfortable wigwams are made of pine boughs -thrown up in a conical form, and are quite dry. Many only spread a piece -of canvas, or a blanket, over some stakes above them, while not a few -make holes in the ground, where they burrow like foxes. The covers of -these sometimes extend above ground, and are roofed with a plaster of -clay, looking like so many tombs. The Mexicans and Chilinos put up rude -frames, which they cover with hides. In two cases I have seen a kind of -basket, looking like a large nest, made fast among the branches, high up -in the trees. These may have been used by the Californians to guard -against wild beasts. The huts of the Indians are of various kinds, -always rude in their construction. They are similar to the wigwams of -the wild Indians found in the Western States. There is one house, -however, which deserves a passing notice. It is named _Tamascal_. It is -made under ground, in the vicinity of the Indian settlement. In this the -sick and infirm are sweated. This is a barbarous custom, and often ends -the life of the poor patient. - -We have spent much of the night in conversing on our plans, and I have -determined to remove to this place. My friend, Mr. A., invites me to -share with him his tent. He offers also to accompany me to Mormon Gulch -to-morrow for my provisions, &c. - -April 4th. Yesterday we walked over to the Gulch, where I made my few -arrangements, received from my companions there the exact amount which I -had deposited with them for trading purposes, and, having taken leave -this morning, we returned, bringing sixty pounds between us, to -Jacksonville. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -SOUTHERN MINES CONTINUED. - -RULES OF AN ENCAMPMENT--HART’S BAR COMPANY--ARTICLES OF -AGREEMENT--CANAL--AQUEDUCT--RESULTS OF MINING. - - -April 5th. Having arranged all our matters, also inclosed and dug up a -spot for a garden, and planted potatoes, turnip, cabbage, and other -seed, we started this afternoon, under the direction of Colonel M., upon -a scientific prospecting tour. This gentleman has spent his life in the -gold mines of Georgia, and possesses great experience and skill in the -business of mining. We spent some hours upon the Kanacca Creek, making -one excavation after another, down to the rocks, the colonel panning and -testing each. We had no success. The colonel could show a few specks of -fine gold in every pan, but, like all old miners, threw it out as not -worth preserving. Finding our efforts fruitless, we climbed the sides of -a high mountain, hanging over Jacksonville, to obtain a view of the -country. There was not much in the view to please, but we soon found -ourselves enjoying a most exciting sport. It was that of rolling down -large stones from the summit over the precipitous sides of the mountain, -and watching them as they rushed, leaped, bounded, crashing and tearing -far away into the valley. - -It is yet too early to do much in the river diggings, except in the -making of canals, and other preparations for working the channel when -the rivers are low. A large company have been thus engaged at this place -for six months. Their canal is a stupendous work for this country, and -is intended to drain more than a mile of the river. They expect to make -at least $10,000 for each member. Their shares are sold at $1200. They -are governed by strict regulations, and their officers consist of a -president--a most worthy, efficient man--a vice-president, a secretary, -a treasurer, and a board of directors. They have some of America’s best -and most esteemed citizens. One of their number is B., of New England, -an original, and always full of fun. His wit and his anecdotes do much -to keep up the spirits of his companions. With his good humor, he -possesses also a good heart. One very warm day I passed the canal where -they had been at work, but were resting a short time under the shade of -a tree. As they were rising to resume their spades and picks, B. said, -“Keep your seats, gentlemen!” Then he continued, evidently under the -impression that his own quiet lounge was at an end unless he could -contrive to interest his listeners by spinning one of his yarns, “That -reminds me,” said he, “of an old lady in our town, who was very -self-conceited, and withal somewhat deaf. One Sunday she came to church -very late. As she entered, the congregation, which was a crowded one, -were rising for prayer. Thinking that the stir was on her account, and -that all were rising to offer her a seat, she spoke out, loud enough to -be heard half way up the aisle, ‘Keep your seats, gentlemen! keep your -seats! don’t rise for me!’ So, gentlemen,” he continued, pulling one of -his companions, who had risen, back again into his seat, “keep your -seats!” A stranger, standing upon the bank of their canal, and looking -down upon such a gang of Irish-appearing, hard-working miners, habited -in their red flannel shirts, rough as the grisly bear, long beards, long -hair, old hats, no shoes, or shoes variously patched, would hardly -believe that there were those among them accustomed to the etiquette of -Broadway and Chestnut Street, carrying beneath that rough exterior all -which made them valued friends and citizens, faithful husbands and -fathers. There was among them the nephew of Sir Robert Peele, who was -accustomed to the gayety and fashion of a life at court. The miners are -like the gold they seek, surrounded with dirt, rough looking, yet often -possessing that sterling worth which will give them currency among the -good, the gifted, and the beautiful. - -As the bars upon our rivers are being occupied by such communities, it -may not be uninteresting to know by what rules and regulations such -communities are governed. Those here presented were drawn up by -experienced lawyers, and men of wise heads and good hearts, and may -serve as illustrating the mode of government common among the miners. - -The following laws and regulations for the internal government of the -encampment of Jacksonville were passed at a meeting held in the town for -that purpose, in front of Colonel Jackson’s store, on the 20th of -January, 1850: - - -ARTICLE I. - -The officers of this district shall consist of an alcalde and sheriff, -to be elected in the usual manner by the people, and continue in office -at the pleasure of the electors. - - -ARTICLE II. - -In case of the absence or disability of the sheriff, the alcalde shall -have power to appoint a deputy. - - -ARTICLE III. - -Civil cases may be tried by the alcalde, if the parties desire it; -otherwise they shall be tried by a jury. - - -ARTICLE IV. - -All criminal cases shall be tried by a jury of eight American citizens, -unless the accused should desire a jury of twelve persons, who shall be -regularly summoned by the sheriff, and sworn by the alcalde, and shall -try the case according to the evidence. - - -ARTICLE V. - -In the administration of law, both civil and criminal, the rule of -practice shall conform, as near as possible, to that of the United -States, but the forms and customs of no particular state shall be -required or adopted. - - -ARTICLE VI. - -Each individual locating a lot for the purpose of mining, shall be -entitled to twelve feet of ground in width, running back to the hill or -mountain, and forward to the centre of the river or creek, or across a -gulch or ravine (except in cases hereinafter provided for); lots -commencing in all cases at low-water mark, and running at right angles -with the stream where they are located. - - -ARTICLE VII. - -In cases where lots are located according to Article VI., and the -parties holding them are prevented by the water from working the same, -they may be represented by a pick, shovel, or bar, until in a condition -to be worked; but should the tool or tools aforesaid be stolen or -removed, it shall not dispossess those who located it, provided he or -they can prove that they were left as required; and said location shall -not remain unworked longer than one week, if in condition to be worked, -otherwise it shall be considered as abandoned by those who located it -(except in cases of sickness). - - -ARTICLE VIII. - -No man or party of men shall be permitted to hold two locations, in a -condition to be worked, at the same time. - - -ARTICLE IX. - -No party shall be permitted to throw dirt, stones, or other obstructions -upon located ground adjoining them. - - -ARTICLE X. - -Should a company of men desire to turn the course of a river or stream -for the purpose of mining, they may do so (provided it does not -interfere with those working below them), and hold and work all the -ground so drained; but lots located within said ground shall be -permitted to be worked by their owners, so far as they could have been -worked without the turning of the river or stream; and this shall not be -construed to affect the rights and privileges heretofore guarantied, or -prevent redress by suit at law. - - -ARTICLE XI. - -No person coming direct from a foreign country shall be permitted to -locate or work any lot within the jurisdiction of this encampment. - - -ARTICLE XII. - -Any person who shall steal a mule, or other animal of draught or burden, -or shall enter a tent or dwelling, and steal therefrom gold-dust, money, -provisions, goods, or other articles, amounting in value to one hundred -dollars or over, shall, on conviction thereof, be considered guilty of -felony, and suffer death by hanging. Any aider or abettor therein shall -be punished in like manner. - - -ARTICLE XIII. - -Should any person willfully, maliciously, and premeditatedly take the -life of another, on conviction of the murder, he shall suffer death by -hanging. - - -ARTICLE XIV. - -Any person convicted of stealing tools, clothing, or other articles, of -less value than one hundred dollars, shall be punished and disgraced by -having his head and eye-brows close shaved, and shall leave the -encampment within twenty-four hours. - - -ARTICLE XV. - -The fee of the alcalde for issuing a writ or search-warrant, taking an -attestation, giving a certificate, or any other instrument of writing, -shall be five dollars; for each witness he may swear, two dollars; and -one ounce of gold-dust for each and every case tried before him. - -The fee of the sheriff in each case shall be one ounce of gold-dust, and -a like sum for each succeeding day employed in the same case. - -The fee of the jury shall be to each juror half an ounce in each case. - -A witness shall be entitled to four dollars in each case. - - -ARTICLE XVI. - -Whenever a criminal convict is unable to pay the costs of the case, the -alcalde, sheriff, jurors, and witnesses shall render their services free -of remuneration. - - -ARTICLE XVII. - -In case of the death of a resident of this encampment, the alcalde shall -take charge of his effects, and dispose of them for the benefit of his -relatives or friends, unless the deceased otherwise desire it. - - -ARTICLE XVIII. - -All former acts and laws are hereby repealed, and made null and void, -except where they conflict with claims guarantied under said laws. - - ABNER PITTS, JR., Sec’y. - -_Jacksonville, Jan. 20, 1850._ - - -April 15th. Many rumors reached us respecting certain rich diggings ten -miles distant, among the mountains. They are named Savage’s diggings, -and lie upon or near the Rattlesnake Creek. Large numbers of miners have -been for some time going in that direction, while multitudes, who have -been but to be disappointed, are returning. One of our friends, the -president of the Jacksonville company, left for this place, promising to -send us back information as to his success. We were therefore much -gratified, the next day, to receive intelligence of the most encouraging -character, accompanied by a message for us to hasten up as soon as -possible. We made our arrangements very hastily--stewed venison, baked -several loaves of bread, and made some pies of the red berry called -_manzanita_, which has some resemblance to the cherry. It grows upon a -shrub ten feet high, the bark of which is smooth, and of bright orange -color. On the 11th instant we started for Savage’s diggings, in our way -clambering up one of the steepest mountains I have ever seen. After a -very fatiguing walk, we reached the ground by the middle of the -afternoon, and were so anxious to try our luck among the crowd of -adventurers, that we commenced prospecting at once. Our friend, who had -come up before us, had been successful the first day; but all this was -over before we reached him. Very little gold rewarded our labors. As -night came on, threatening to be a cold one, we prepared to pass it as -comfortably as we might. Piling up logs and brush, a bright blaze shed -its cheering influence upon us. Wrapping our blankets about us, and -stretching our feet to the fire, we slept soundly. - -Our stay upon the mountain was brief. There was so little encouragement -that it was considered best to retrace our steps. Lame, hungry, and -tired, we arrived the next night at our encampment near Jacksonville. - -During the following week we worked upon the banks of the river, with -but small success. One day we made $2 50 each, and the other days we -made nothing. - -May 1st. Since my last date, we have not made enough to buy us our -provisions. Much of the time, my companions being engaged upon the -canal, I labored by myself. One day I made $6; and then, for a week, did -not average 6 cents a day: so uncertain is the employment of mining. -Cases are very frequent of persons making $100 in a day, and sometimes -in a single hour, and the whole week following making nothing. I heard -of a case which illustrates this point. A young man of rather indolent -habits, and without the perseverance and application which, it would be -supposed, are necessary to insure success in mining, happened into a -valuable claim. Hiring a man to aid him, he took out, in six weeks, -$4500. Near him was a company of six industrious and persevering miners. -They labored on assiduously, week after week, for a period of four -months, and at the end of that time they had all made about $1500. We -are hoping for better success in the river diggings when the water is -low. At present there is very little being accomplished. Laborers may be -hired at $2 50 and $3 a day. - -May 15th. During the three days immediately following my last date, I -made, while working by myself, $17. Was invited to join a few miners -working near me, who intend to organize a company for the purpose of -mining at Hart’s Bar--a place two miles below Jacksonville--when the -river shall be low enough to be worked. All of these are Southern -gentlemen. One of them, a nephew of Commodore Turner, U. S. N., lost a -fortune by a sudden decline in the price of cotton, and, with the hope -of retrieving his condition, came to California. He has messing with him -two young friends, one from Annapolis, Maryland, the other from Mobile, -Alabama. There is also in the company a person who has spent eight years -in the gold mines of Georgia, and possessing great skill in tracing up a -vein of gold. I was not long in deciding to connect myself with them, -and the next day we labored together. - -One day last week, as I was walking down from Jacksonville, where I had -been to purchase provisions, I saw a number of men dragging some heavy -object to the edge of a hill hanging over me. Presently they pushed it -over the brow, and it came tumbling, like a bag of wool, over and over, -down the side of the mountain. It was a grisly bear, which had just been -killed, and which weighed six hundred pounds. As the river was too high -to allow crossing that evening to my camp, I accepted an invitation from -the miner who had killed the bear to be his guest for the night. We -feasted upon the flesh, which was tender and sweet. During the following -week we had no success in gold-digging, the river being too high. It was -also too early to commence working upon our canal; but on May 10th we -organized into a company, put up stakes with flags, designating our -claim, and made advertisement of the same in Jacksonville, leaving a -certified copy with the alcalde. Then we adjourned, to meet for work on -the 4th of July, in the mean time having a common purse, and sharing -mutually in the profits of the whole till that time. A part of the -company went up to the Rattlesnake Creek, prospecting. At this time an -association--named the Adelphi Mining Association--was formed, chiefly -of miners from Jacksonville, numbering twenty-nine persons. Their object -was to drain a portion of the channel of Woods’s Creek, in which was a -deep hole, nearly the width of the creek, and twenty yards in length. -The place is two miles above the junction of the creek with the -Tuolumne. Much gold had been found all along the banks, encouraging the -belief that, could we drain the stream and work the bed of it, it would -“pay well.” The company was a very mixed one. There were the good and -the bad, the serious and the gay. As there was nothing else at this -time to occupy my attention, and as it was expected to work out the -claim before it would be possible to work in the river, I accepted an -invitation to join this company. With seventy pounds’ burden upon my -back, I walked up from Hart’s Bar, and accepted an invitation from a -miner to use his tent during his absence. Last night I slept upon the -ground, spreading my blankets upon a mat at the bottom of the tent. Here -I slept alone, and at a distance from any other encampment. This noon, -coming up to cook my dinner, a large snake crept from under the mat in -the tent, and quickly disappeared in a hole near by. With a spade I dug -him out, and, after killing him, found that he measured three feet ten -inches. I don’t know his name, but he has a flat head, looks very -brassy, and has a sharp horn at the tail. It answers the description of -the horned snake. It is said that, taking the end of its tail in its -mouth, it will form a perfect hoop with its body, rolling rapidly over -till it reaches the object at which it aims, upon which it inflicts a -severe, and sometimes fatal blow, with the horn in the tail. As I am -disposed to shun the society of such suspicious creatures, I have just -swung my hammock outside the tent, between two trees. - -June 1st. The Adelphi Company commenced their labors on the 16th ult. We -were early at work, and toiled cheerfully on, sustained by the hope that -we were about to meet with success. I hardly dared to give myself up to -the bright, golden anticipations of my companions; and still they seemed -well founded and reasonable. The gold had been traced, in numerous rich -layers and veins, down to the very edges of the deep hole in the -channel. Doubtless, then, as it would naturally sink down, and settle at -the lowest point, washed in by every freshet, if that point could be -reached, we should find a rich deposit. A canal must be made so deep as -to drain the bottom of this hole, and then a dam must turn the water -around the hole, through a new channel. The canal was cut through solid -slate. The work was very heavy, requiring the largest bars and picks. We -worked all the time in the water. After nine days’ labor, we at length -completed the canal, which is about one hundred feet in length, four in -width, and five in depth. The only fear was lest it should not -effectually drain the hole, without which all our labor was lost. We -made the dam on the tenth day, and anxiously awaited the result. Fears -were expressed, but we left at night, to meet in the morning, by which -time the water would have been reduced to its level. In the morning we -were there, and found, after all we could do, that there were three feet -of water in the hole we wished to drain. Nothing but steam forcing-pumps -would have enabled us to prosecute the work, and we silently and sadly -abandoned it. I went up to my tent, and was there alone. All my efforts -had failed. I was already deeply in debt for my provisions. Had I any -prospect of success? Could I hope even to make enough to enable me to -return to my family? The future seemed dark to me. I was desolate and -disheartened. In the midst of my sadness and gloom, there came a -whisper! A voice dear to me had spoken it before in my sorrow; memory -now brought back the same voice, whispering to me, - - “Fear not, but trust in Providence!” - -That voice had never failed to cheer and comfort me, and it failed not -now. That kind Providence had ever blessed me, and I could trust on, and -hope ever! - -The gold-digger may not stand still. No stone must be left unturned--the -treasure may lie beneath the next. This is the miner’s work: he must -spend his efforts and his years in rolling over stones, even though his -heart is sick with hope deferred--it may be under the next. - -I had cooked my dinner with my breakfast--some venison and bread, with a -dish of beans and a dipper of coffee. Going to take my dinner, I found -the whole gone--eaten clean and the coffee drank, probably by some miner -more hungry than myself. I acknowledged myself indebted to some one, as, -by taking my thoughts from myself, and giving me employment, he did me a -kindness. - -The next day I came up into the mountains to join my companions at -Rattlesnake Creek. It was late at night when I reached their camp, which -was a wild spot beneath some trees. A camp-fire, dimly burning, lighted -me to the place. The pure mountain air and my long mountain ramble gave -me a good appetite, for which the kindness of my friends provided most -amply. Our prospect of success here is good. Some miners have done very -well. We have been engaged for a few days in turning the water of the -creek, that we may work in the channel. We lead here a strangely wild -life. As we had no mules to bring our provisions, implements for cooking -and labor, &c., we were obliged to bring them ourselves. We therefore -left behind us every thing which could by any possibility be dispensed -with. An iron pan, which we use for washing gold, serves also for -boiling our coffee. A frying-pan is our only cooking utensil. In this -one of the company--who leaves work before the others for the -purpose--fries some pork, which is rancid, and then, in the fat, fries -some flour batter. After it is done on one side, he tosses it whirling -up, catching it as it comes down upon the other side, which is then -fried in turn. We have neither knife, fork, spoon, nor plate. A spade -answers very well for a plate. We use coffee without sugar, bread -without salt, salad without vinegar. - -Our prospects so far are not favorable. Four of us were at work, when a -pretty vein of gold was discovered, passing down the channel and into -the bank. We have to-day made $18 25 each. - -June 2d. The vein has run up into the bank, and all our efforts to find -it are in vain. This wild mountain creek is fast filling up with miners. -Some considerable sums have been taken out. Along the whole length of -the creek are closely scattered groups of Mexicans, Chilinos, Indians, -Europeans, Americans. At the head of the creek, upon an extensive plain, -several large lumps of gold have been found, and a company has been -organized to drain and work the lower part of the plain. - -June 5th. We are still at work at the old place--still hoping somewhere -to find the lost vein. We have sunk several holes at some distance from -the channel, in the bank, thinking thus to intercept the treasure we -have lost. While thus engaged, a messenger arrived from the head of the -creek--a settlement named “Big Oak,” located upon the plain I have -mentioned--calling for all the men and guns, as the Indians had attacked -them. Not having any inclination to join in the fight, I remained at the -camp. One American and a few Indians were killed, and several Indians -severely wounded. The quarrel arose between the chief of the Indians and -an American, who were both drunk. After the flight of the Indians, their -encampment was robbed, and it was with difficulty that a few humane -persons present interfered to prevent the cruel treatment of some aged -and sick females left behind. - -June 8th. For several days the Indians have kept us in a state of alarm. -All the white men upon the creek were summoned to meet at a log house, -which they fortified, to guard against a night attack. It was said that -fifty Indian warriors from the Mercedes were on the way to attack us. -During the next day the excitement was increased by the rumor that the -attack was to take place during that night. Nearly all left for the -lower settlements, or assembled at the log house. We remained quietly at -our camp, only taking the precaution to extinguish our camp-fires. - -June 9th. The Indians have to-day manifested their desire of peace by -returning to the settlement, digging up and burning, according to their -custom, the bodies of their chief and the other Indians who had been -killed. All is quiet, and the miners are returning in crowds. Mr. S., -the Georgia miner, having heard that six Mexicans had made seventy-five -pounds of gold in ten days, in a ravine near us, went over to-day to see -the place. He found every foot of it occupied. There is much sickness at -the mines. Many whose cases would yield to a little kind nursing, if -they were promptly attended, become desperately ill, and often die from -neglect of the early symptoms. We often hear of instances of success in -mining, some of them most remarkable. - -At Sullivan’s Camp, a few miles from us, a Dutchman followed a vein of -gold down to a large rock, which continually became richer as he -progressed. Aided by some friends, he succeeded in removing the rock, -and in two hours’ time took out forty pounds of the precious ore. - -June 21st. Since my last date we have not made -enough to defray our expenses, but to day have added -to the treasury $32. - June 22d. Company made 50. - “ 23d. Sunday. - “ 24th. Company made 25. - “ 25th. “ “ 83. - “ 26th. “ “ 98. - “ 27th. “ “ 68. - “ 28th. “ “ 84. - “ 29th. “ “ 7. - ----- - In eight days $447. - -Dividend to each of five members, $89 40; average per day to each one, -$11 17. - -The Sabbath is generally observed as a day of physical rest by the -miners. There are few who engage in mining upon this day. But all find -it indispensable to give attention to some necessary personal business. -In every encampment are found those who improve the day in reading the -Bible and other books, and in singing the songs of home in a strange -land. Still, it must be confessed, there is more gambling and drinking -upon that day than upon all the other days of the week. When there is -preaching at the mines, which is rarely the case, it is well attended, -and listened to with respect. - -July 29th. We continued at Rattlesnake Creek till the 3d of July, but -without much success. On that day we came down from the high mountains, -to attend the meeting of the Hart’s Bar Company on the 4th. On our way -down, an old Californian showed us the valuable medicinal plants “Buena -herba” and “Canchalagua.” We found much alarm prevailing at Jacksonville -on account of the many murders recently committed in the vicinity. A -nightly patrol has been kept up. The river was very high. Several have -been drowned in attempting to cross. On the morning of the 4th we -endeavored to cross at the ferry. There were nine persons in a boat of -the ordinary size. Before putting out into the current, which runs very -rapidly by, we passed by a cluster of young trees and bushes in the -water. One of the passengers unguardedly caught at one of the bushes, -which caused the boat immediately to sway about and dip water. It was -instantly half full, and five of the passengers had jumped out, and were -clinging to the bushes. The others of us made our way as soon as -possible to the shore, and then contrived to rescue our companions from -their dangerous situation. - -On that day dined with my kind friend A. from Philadelphia, on the bank -of the river, near Hawkinsville--a sort of pic-nic, with “porter for -two.” While in the village, I was introduced to a miner from Virginia, -whose brief history while at the mines is interesting. On his arrival at -San Francisco, about a year previous, he purchased a good supply of -provisions, which he packed upon mules, and with a muleteer he started -for Deer Creek. Not meeting with any person to direct him, he crossed -the creek, not knowing that it was such. Going on for some distance, he -came suddenly, and to his great alarm, to a settlement of Indians, who, -however, through his Mexican muleteer, expressed friendship and a desire -to trade. He was induced to pitch his tent, and remain with them. The -business proved so profitable, that he returned to Stockton for a larger -supply. In a short time he had many Indians working for him, and in a -few weeks was able to send home $17,000, retaining $3000 for his future -operations. Since that time he has had no success; had sunk the fund he -had retained, and was now working as a hired laborer for the means to -take him to his family. - -On our way back we met the mail agent, who had letters for me. He -declines taking gold-dust to San Francisco, on account of the danger. -Remarked that he traveled feeling that he might be shot at any moment, -and that the assassin might be concealed behind the next bush. Twelve -murders have been committed within a week in and near Sonora. There is -so much alarm that a volunteer company has been organized, till a -regiment of dragoons can be ordered here. This state of things is no -doubt owing, in part, to the heavy tax imposed upon foreigners, which -deprives many of them of employment. In consequence, they become -desperate, often being destitute of the means with which to purchase -their daily supplies. They are accordingly driven to steal and to -murder. - -The river being yet too high to allow us to commence our work upon -Hart’s Bar, we postponed our meeting for a week, and returned to the -mountains, hoping to find another vein of gold; but our efforts were not -rewarded. - -On the 9th instant we came down to Hart’s Bar to attend a company -meeting; but the river being still too high for profitable labor, we -returned again to the mountains, where, and at Woods’s Creek, we have -worked till this time, not averaging 50 cents a day. - -To-day we have come down to Hart’s Bar, to make all necessary -arrangements--lay in our provisions, purchase mining tools, pitch our -tents, erect brush arbors--before we begin the work. I have selected a -spot for my arbor-home, a little above the bar, on a gentle rise, and at -a short distance from the encampment of my companions, which consists of -a picturesque group of tents and arbors on the bar below. Just behind me -the mountain ascends abrupt and steep. I am making my arbor beneath a -large pine, the only tree upon the bar. It is called the -“medicine-tree,” because its pitch is used as a balsam for all burns and -bruises. This tree forms one of the supporters of my arbor. Driving into -the ground three posts, and putting poles across these, supported also -by branches of the pine, I have covered the frame thus formed with brush -and boughs, throwing them on the top, and interweaving them into the -sides. This forms for me a cool, shaded room, about ten feet square, -where I may find a shelter from the intense heat of the sun, which is -to-day 113° in the shade. Between a pin driven into the tree and a post -at the back of the arbor I have swung my hammock, in which, dressing -myself and creeping into the bag, as I have already described, I shall -spread my blankets over me. I can fancy this will be a sort of magnetic -telegraph office, whence, as soon as I am asleep, I shall be transported -home with lightning speed, and spend many a sweet hour with my distant -family. On a post in the middle of the arbor, which supports also the -poles and boughs overhead, I have left the short prongs, upon which I -hang my clothes, bags, &c., excepting the small bag containing my -letters and Daguerreotypes, which hangs upon the post at the head of my -hammock. My provisions are stored in the back part of my arbor, while my -kitchen is all out doors. - -July 30th. We have to-day commenced our labors. So much has been said of -the mining operations upon the rivers, especially upon the Tuolumne, -which is believed to be very rich, that I am led, for the information of -my readers, to go more into detail in describing this, the closing -portion of my mining life. The gold is often found, in rich deposits, in -the channels of these rivers. To be obtained, the river must first be -turned by dam and canal. As this is an operation requiring the united -labor of many individuals, it is customary to form companies, which -elect their officers, form their laws, and mutually share the expense -and labor of the preparatory work, and also divide equally the profits. - -The Hart’s Bar Draining and Mining Company was organized in May. The -following Articles of Agreement were adopted in July, at a meeting of -the company, when twenty-one entered their names as members, and elected -their officers. It should be remarked that mining associations enjoy all -the privileges and immunities of corporate bodies; their just claims and -rights are sacredly regarded; and any violence done to these rights -would be visited by the vengeance of all the miners for miles around. No -code of laws or staff of police could more fully establish a miner in -the possession of his ten feet square. No well-drawn writing, from the -royal charter down to the simple deed of conveyance, could be a surer -guarantee. He would not be obliged to wait a tedious process at law, or -pay his last dollar for a bill of ejectment. The work of restitution and -retribution at the mines is speedy, summary, and effective. - - ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT OF THE HART’S BAR DRAINING AND MINING - COMPANY. - - PREAMBLE. - - We, the undersigned, having associated ourselves together for the - purpose of draining and mining that part of the Tuolumne River - known as Hart’s Bar, and to work out the portion of the bed of the - river so drained, do adopt the following articles of agreement, to - govern us in the prosecution of the said work: - - - ARTICLE I. - - This company shall be known by the name of The Hart’s Bar Draining - and Mining Company. - - - ARTICLE II. - - This company shall not number over twenty-five members. - - - ARTICLE III. - - The officers of this company shall be a president, a secretary--who - shall likewise perform the duties of treasurer--and four directors, - which shall be elected from its own body, in such manner as they - may see fit, a majority constituting an election; and the officers - so elected shall continue in office during the pleasure of the - company. - - - ARTICLE IV. - - It shall be the duty of the president to call all meetings of the - company, and to preside at them. He shall put to vote all motions - duly made, and, in all cases of a tie in voting, he shall give the - casting vote. - - - ARTICLE V. - - The duties of the president shall devolve on the chief director in - all cases of his absence or disability to serve. - - - ARTICLE VI. - - It shall be the duty of the secretary and treasurer to keep minutes - of the proceedings of the company, and to take charge of all books - and papers belonging to the office. He shall keep an accurate - account of the time, as given him by the directors, and shall - report to the company each Saturday evening, immediately after - adjourning the work of the day. It shall likewise be his duty to - take charge of all moneys belonging to the company, and to pay such - demands upon the same as may come to him approved by the company - and signed by the president. - - - ARTICLE VII. - - The board of directors shall discharge the duties of engineers. - Each director shall keep an accurate account of the time employed - by each man under his charge, and shall report the same to the - secretary every Friday evening. They shall superintend and direct - all operations of the company. They shall divide the company into - parties, each party to be headed by a director, who shall oversee - their working, and take charge of the daily proceeds of the same, - which he shall deliver to the treasurer every night, and take his - receipt therefor. - - - ARTICLE VIII. - - Of the proceeds arising from the operations of the company for the - current week, ending on Friday, the treasurer shall make a report - to the company on the next day, in the following manner: The weekly - distribution shall be equal among the members, except in cases of - absence, when an amount shall be deducted from his share - corresponding with the hourly earnings of the company for the week. - In cases of sickness or unavoidable absence, substitutes may be - employed, if approved by the directors. - - - ARTICLE IX. - - All specimens of unusual beauty or value shall be sold at auction, - and the proceeds put in the treasury. - - - ARTICLE X. - - The working time of the company shall be from seven to twelve - o’clock A. M., and from half past one to half past five o’clock P. - M.; and each member shall be charged at the rate of $3 per hour for - the time he shall lose, to be paid at or before the regular meeting - next after the one on which it is reported. - - - ARTICLE XI. - - All amendments and additions to these Articles of Agreement shall - be decided upon by a two thirds vote. - - - ARTICLE XII. - - All applications for membership in this company shall be determined - by votes with black and white pebbles; and two black pebbles shall - exclude from membership. - - - ARTICLE XIII. - - Any member wishing to sell his share, the company shall have the - first right of purchase; which if they decline, he may sell it, - but only to such person as the company approves. - - - ARTICLE XIV. - - No member of this company shall be allowed to hold two claims on - the river, capable of being worked, at the same time. - - * * * * * - - The following officers were elected: T. P. Hotchkiss, president; D. - B. Woods, secretary and treasurer; William Marlatt, chief director; - R. E. Thompson, second director; F. Ridout, third director. - -I have received into my arbor, as a camp-mate, my valued friend M. He is -a young sailor--a man with a brave heart in danger, but with a kind -heart to those he loves--rough or gentle, like the ocean he has -navigated. He has to-day made a bed-frame, nailing some bags on the -bottom for sacking; also, some camp-stools, while the company’s -carpenter has made me a table; so that our mining home presents an -unusual air of comfort. We have sent to Stockton for a supply of -provisions. M. is a first-rate cook, and many of the dishes he can -furnish would be relished in any place where there are good appetites. -The living at the mines is much better than it has been. We have more -vegetables, better flour, and a greater variety of provisions generally. -Provisions are also cheaper than they have been at any time previous. - -The work before us is truly an arduous one, made doubly so by the -limited means we have of prosecuting it. The clay for the construction -of our canal must be carried in hand-barrows, borne between two -persons, from the side of the hill down a steep bank, then along over a -stony path to the canal, a distance varying from one eighth to one sixth -of a mile; and this must be done day after day for weeks. Then the -lumber for the aqueduct is to be sawed by hand, from logs cut and rolled -from the tops and sides of the mountains, with whip-saws. This part of -the business is under the direction of a master architect from London. - -Sept. 24th, 1851. We prosecuted both parts of our work at the same time. -A part were employed in carrying the clay to the canal. An account was -kept one day, and it was ascertained that each barrow was carried, -during the day, fourteen miles. Since my last date I have carried such a -barrow four hundred and twenty miles. The clay was put in large heaps, -where we could easily obtain it when it should be wanted in the making -of the canal. This was a most arduous undertaking. Sometimes it must -pass through a solid ledge of hard asbestos rock, and then through deep -holes in the river, where it has washed into the banks. In such a case, -a heavy wall, filled with clay, must be made. When completed, the canal -was six hundred and thirty-eight feet in length, and sixteen in width. -Making the aqueduct to convey the water from the canal, which passed -through Paine’s Bar, above us, was the most difficult task. The logs, -which were cut upon the mountain, were rolled to the pits, and then -sawed by hand. Piers were constructed by making crates of logs, which -were firmly pinned together, then sunk in their places by being filled -with large stones. Another large pier was made by rolling and carrying -stones into the river a distance of thirty feet. The sleepers of the -aqueduct were laid upon this and the laden crates. When it was finished, -it was a handsome piece of workmanship, of which we were justly proud. -It was one hundred and two feet in length, and twelve wide. This kind of -labor--yielding no remuneration, only being preparatory to the more -exciting, though laborious process of gold-digging--was prosecuted from -July the 30th to this date, Sept. 24th. We were awakened at dawn by the -second director, who came out before his tent, and sang, in a loud, -clear voice, “Up in the morning early, boys!” That song, which often -brought me out of my dreams, to this day I carry back into my dreams. -After a short time allowed for taking breakfast, the roll was called, -and we went to our daily labor. And oh! when night came again, how -sweet, after a bath in the river, was “the rest of the laboring man!” On -the 20th of September the pleasure was ours of seeing the whole channel -of the river opposite our bar laid bare for our operations. It was -_ours_, after contending with difficulties, privations, and hardships -innumerable, and of no ordinary kind, and which have deprived of health -many of our company. It was all _ours_, with the joyous anticipation of -soon receiving the reward of our efforts, and returning home with at -least a competence. About two weeks since--it was the 6th instant--we -were alarmed by a considerable rise of the river. While at breakfast -upon that day, the water of the river became suddenly muddy. Soon after -we perceived this, intelligence was brought down to us from the -Jacksonville company that they were expecting to see their dam washed -away. The river continued gradually to rise for an hour, when there was -a sudden freshet, caused by the giving way of some dam above us. We -hastened, with the aid of other companies, to open the head of the -canal, and to roll heavy stones into the aqueduct. The water came up to -the floor, then a few inches above it. We looked on, expecting to see -all our works, which we had spent weeks in completing, at once -destroyed. But the water ceased to rise, then slowly subsided, showing -behind it the wet ground and the line of foam, chips and dirt marking -the limits of the encroachment. Soon we were able to return to our labor -with lightened spirits, and some with other kinds. Many cradles, -buckets, and other things floated past us in the river. - -The shares of the company immediately advanced several hundred dollars. -One share was sold for $1200, while $2500 was refused for another. - -Two days since we commenced making a ditch under the wall of the canal, -to carry off the water which leaked through its embankments. Two cradles -were set, and the dirt from the bed of the ditch was washed through, and -in three hours there was deposited in the treasury $176. - -Yesterday we continued to work upon the ditch, adding two more cradles, -and during the day made $415 75. At midnight, and in the rain, we were -called out to repair the walls of the canal, and stop several leaks. The -river was very high, and slowly rising. After several hours’ -night-labor, we succeeded in stopping every leak but one. In one place -the water rushed through in a torrent. - -This morning--Sept. 24th--the water was rising in its might. -Notwithstanding our aqueduct and canal, the bed of the river was nearly -full. We hastened to remove all our mining implements. Slowly, but -surely, the freshet came, till the destruction of all our works seemed -inevitable. - -We thought not of hunger, though we had been laboring hard much of the -night and all the morning. About ten o’clock there was a pause of -fearful suspense. The rising seemed arrested--might it not be on the -turn? For a short time there was hope; the pendulum vibrated each moment -between our hopes and our fears. We hastened up the hill side--after all -had been done which could be--to a spot commanding a view of the whole, -to see our hopes or our fears realized. We perceived at once that the -existence of all our works depended upon the Paine’s Bar dam above us. -Would that stand the torrent? Should that maintain its position, we were -safe; let that go, _all_ would be swept away! As we kept our eyes fixed -upon this--it was a quarter of a mile above us--the black line of wall -was suddenly broken, and the torrent poured through a small opening -forced in the dam, and in a few seconds the river ran foaming over the -entire length of the wall, which bowed and sank before the irresistible -force. Then and there was heard a sound new and strangely startling to -me. It was caused by large stones _rushing_ and _grinding_ under water, -borne on by the tremendous power of the current. It might be imagined -that the thousand submerged chariots and cars of Pharaoh’s host were -driving impetuously over that river channel. As soon as the dam above us -gave way, the water rose with great rapidity--two, three, four, six, -eight feet--till it poured over the top of the aqueduct. Still it nobly -stood, held in its place by the immense weight of the water which poured -through it from the canal above. It was indeed surprising to see a thing -so light resisting that mad and mighty force. It was but a moment! -Gently and gracefully it yielded, swayed forward, and moved away with -the ease and rapidity of a thing of life. Thus, in one moment, we saw -the work of _one thousand and twenty-nine days_ done by the company -swept away and rendered useless. Within five minutes of the time when -the aqueduct disappeared around the bend of the river, a meeting of the -company was called, and a resolution presented to proceed with our work -by means of wing-dams. - -Oct. 8th. From the time of the freshet to the 30th of Sept., the river -was too high to permit us to commence our new operations. On that -day--Monday--the directors led the way, shuddering, and actually -shrieking, from the sudden chill, into the cold stream. A line was -formed, extending out to the middle of the river, those at the end of -the line working in four feet water, where the current was so strong -that our feet would often be forced from under us, and we would be -whirled away down the current, to scrabble on shore as we could. To -appreciate the difficulties of our arduous and dangerous task, and to -understand the kind of work which was to be done, let my reader imagine -himself standing by me, and looking at what is going on below us, while -I describe the scene to him. The whole force of the company, aided by -some thirty Mexicans we have employed to work for us, is concentrated -upon the wall which is to be the head of the dam. This is to run from -the shore out to the middle of the river, or about forty feet. Two walls -are thrown up parallel to each other, and about two feet apart. The -difficulty of this is almost inconceivable. We must roll the stones and -adjust them where there is a rapid current four feet in depth. Sometimes -a whole section of this will be swept off at once, and must be done all -over again. After the walls are completed, strong cloth is spread down -against the lower wall, and over its whole surface. The space is then -filled up with small twigs, sand, and clay. After the wall is carried -thus to the middle of the river, it must turn, forming a right angle, -and run down through the middle of the river, parallel to the shore, a -distance of two hundred and fifty feet, till it passes over some falls, -by which means the water is partially drained from a portion of the -channel. This portion so drained is then divided off into pens, which -are surrounded by small walls, so made as to exclude the water, which is -then bailed out, and all the space within the walls of the pens is thus -worked. The cradles are set just over the walls, on the outer side, and -some six or eight of them are sometimes being rocked at the same time, -supplied with dirt by the dozen or twenty miners in the pens. It is a -busy scene. It will be seen that this work is not only laborious, but -in an extreme degree exposing. At times nearly all the company may be -seen working together, waist deep, in the water, which, coming from the -Sierra Nevada, is very cold. This we must endure, while a burning sun is -shining hotly down upon the head. - -There are two servants, belonging to members of the company, at work -with the rest, and right hard-working men they are. One of them, who is -from Mississippi, is as athletic and vigorous a man as I have ever seen. -If any work is to be done which requires great strength, he is called -upon; and he always engages in it singing some merry song. The other -servant is an old man, named Allen, belonging to our president, who -tells me he shall give him free papers when he leaves the country. - -Direct your attention once again to the interesting tableau in the river -below us. Among the group of Mexicans and Americans--black, brown, and -white--is one remarkable person. He is a tall, stout man, having the -appearance of one accustomed to command, and some of the severity of one -who has commanded those who never dared dispute his authority. He had -been a boatman upon the Mississippi. He was our chief director; and, -though he ruled with unquestioned sway, he was light-hearted, jovial, -and free. He was known among us by the name of “Red,” from the fact -that, whenever there was any fighting to be done, or when he was “going -upon a spree,” he put on a red flannel shirt. By our “Articles of -Agreement,” in the absence of the president, the duty of presiding over -the meetings devolved upon him, as chief director. At a meeting which -was called at the regular time of work, the president being absent, the -chair was to be taken--speaking figuratively, for such a thing as a -chair was unknown at the mines--by this remarkable individual. The -thought that he was so far to submit his own opinion to the decision of -others as to permit them an opportunity of expressing dissent even by -their votes, did not seem to enter into his calculations. The meeting -had been called to decide whether or not we should work on that Saturday -afternoon. Under the circumstances, most were in favor of adjourning -work till Monday morning. What was the dismay of those who had -anticipated no difficulty in carrying the question in the affirmative, -and who came prepared to talk down or to talk _out_ all opposition, if -they had to talk till night, when Red entered with the air of one who is -for deeds, and not words. He was strongly opposed to the proposed -measure. “Boys,” he said, as he came by, spade in hand, as if on his way -to labor, impatient of any delay, and waving all ceremony--“Boys, I say, -go to work. All who are in favor say ‘Ay!’” One emphatic “_Ay!_” by -himself, was the only response. “Those who are opposed,” he continued, -at the same time starting on his way, “say nothing, and go to work!” In -five minutes every man was at his post, wondering how it had happened. I -was desirous, for one, to have the afternoon to myself, as I had -promised to preach on the morrow, and wanted the time to arrange my -thoughts. As it was, I selected my subject, studied and arranged my -plan, while at work in the canal. Early the next day--Sunday--I stepped -to the entrance of my brush arbor, and to a post driven into the ground, -upon the top of which was nailed a chip, hewed flat for the purpose, -which served for a reading-desk. My audience were already seated about, -some upon rude stools, and most upon the ground. - -This afternoon, our wall being completed, and two pens, twelve feet -square, inclosed, we set our cradles, and commenced “rocking.” The books -of the treasurer exhibit the following results to Nov. 9th, when river -mining was generally suspended for the season: - -Oct. 8th $50 00 - “ 9th 26 00 - “ 10th. Work upon the wing-dam. - “ 11th 155 25 - “ 12th 1,280 00 - “ 13th, Sunday 302 00 - “ 14th. Work upon the wing-dam. - “ 15th. “ “ “ “ “ - “ 16th. “ “ “ “ “ - “ 17th 1,404 00 - “ 18th 4,198 00 - “ 19th 894 00 - “ 20th, Sunday. - “ 21st 1,449 00 - “ 22d 688 00 - “ 23d 1,102 00 - “ 24th 1,034 00 - “ 25th 701 00 - “ 26th 27 50 - “ 27th, Sunday. - - “ 28th 179 00 - “ 29th. Work upon the wing-dam. - “ 30th 6 00 - “ 31st. Work upon the wing-dam. -Nov. 1st 297 25 - “ 2d 437 25 - “ 3d, Sunday. - “ 4th 949 10 - “ 5th 809 60 - “ 6th 168 00 - “ 7th 547 00 - “ 8th 380 00 - “ 9th 40 00 - ---------- - Total $17,123 95 - Deduct company expenses, viz., } -implements, labor, and incidentals, } 3,528 05 - ----------- - Leaving in the treasury $13,595 90 - -Dividend to each of twenty-one members of the company, $647 42. Average -per day, from July 30th to Nov. 9th, 1850, $7 28. - - * * * * * - -A large amount of gold came into the treasury, the care of which was -somewhat burdensome. It puzzled me to know what to do with it. There was -no lock and key in the place. My arbor was upon the hill, retired from -the rest of the settlement. There were many Mexicans and strangers -constantly upon the bar, and it was dangerous to have a large amount of -gold in possession. As a means of security for myself, I changed my -quarters every night; and to secure the gold, I tied the various -packages into one bundle, to which I attached one end of a string, -tying the other end about my wrist. The bundle, so secured, I folded -within my coat, placing the whole beneath my head as a pillow. Any -attempt to take this from me would have been instantly detected. - -It will be seen, by reference to the dates, that the company labored at -mining on one Sabbath. When it was decided, at a meeting on Saturday, -the 12th of October, to work the next day, I was allowed to enter my -protest, which still remains upon the records; and I was also excused -from manual labor. By noon of that Sunday, all had left work, and it was -never even proposed again. - -During the last weeks of our labors, we hired many Americans, and more -than fifty Mexicans. The heavy tax upon foreigners has driven them to -seek employment from companies. They may be hired at $4 and $6 a day. -These Mexicans, who speak imperfect Spanish, are generally very -indolent, and must be closely watched. Many times in the day, whatever -may be the business, they will stop, take out a small, square piece of -white paper, and putting upon it a small pinch of loose tobacco, roll it -into a cigarito, and lighting it with a piece of punk or a match, smoke -with apparent relish. The women are as fond of their cigaritos as the -men. - -A few nights before I left the mines, I accepted an invitation from -“Red” to accompany him on a night fishing expedition. He carried in his -hand a long and peculiarly pointed spear, with a spring barb, which -opened as it entered the flesh of the fish, and prevented his escape. -Several others bore torches made of light wood, which, while they -dazzled the fish, showed the spear-man where to strike. After two hours’ -fishing on the banks of the river, we returned, rewarded for our toil -with several large salmon. - -A remarkable instance of an attack made by a bear upon the inmates of a -tent occurred lately near us. He was no doubt attracted by the smell of -the fresh meat which was being cooked. Infuriated by the resistance -which he met, he made a most violent attack upon his assailants, killing -two men and one woman, who was cooking. One of the men and the bear lay -dead side by side. - -A bird of very large size has frequently flown over us, soaring very -high in the air, which we have supposed was the California eagle; but -one, coming within the range of the rifle, was shot, and fell at our -feet upon the bar. It proves to be a species of the vulture, and -measures, between the tips of its wings, eight feet and eleven inches. -The quill which I now have is of great size. - -There was upon the bar a case of delirium tremens, that most fearful -display of the Divine displeasure against intemperance. The young man -was from England--had been an officer in the British army. Soon after he -came to the mines, he gave himself up to intemperate habits. He was -suddenly attacked in the night, imagining himself pursued by horrible -fiends, which came to torture him. At midnight he came rushing into my -tent, and almost knocked me out of my hammock as he crept under it, to -conceal himself from his enemies. He would then dart through the side -of my arbor, densely interwoven with brush and boughs, and into a tent -near by, where he narrowly escaped being shot as a robber. In the day he -would sit near the bank of the river, and converse by the hour with -imaginary persons on the hill opposite. He carried on a curious -courtship with a woman who was dancing over the river, surrounded by her -fifty children. He requested me to marry him to this woman of his -imagination; and then, soon after, came in trembling, and told me that -the husband was alive, and in his jealous rage was seeking to kill him. - -There was much sickness upon the bar during the latter part of the -season. Much of this was the result of the fearful exposures to which we -were subject. The sickness at length assumed a malignant and dangerous -form. It commenced in a violent attack of diarrhœa, running into -symptoms resembling the cholera, which was then fatally prevalent in the -cities of California. The first person attacked was a vigorous and -strong German sailor. Nothing could be learned of him or his -friends--even his name was unknown to us. We buried him deep in the -sand, on the banks of the Tuolumne; and while the burial services were -being performed, a crowd--not, however, of our own members--surrounded -the gambling-table on the bar. At this time there were three or four -gambling companies with us, called into life by the short-lived success -of our mining operations. - -Poor Charlie! would it lessen the loneliness of your last resting-place -to know that you “sleep your last sleep” by the side of the gifted and -noble-hearted friend who watched over you night and day in your -sickness, and who thus contracted his own death malady? Alas! how sad -and overpowering are my thoughts, as I stand, for the last time before -leaving for my own far-distant home, by the grave of Franklin H. Ridout, -of Annapolis, Maryland! Soon after the death of Charlie, he was -prostrated by a most violent attack of the same disease. During his -short sickness, every possible attention and assistance was rendered him -by a few devoted friends; but how often he must have felt the want of -the attentions of his own happy home--the home of piety and refinement! -After he had received from his physician the intelligence that there was -no hope in his case--intelligence to which he listened with Christian -resignation--he sent for me. It was the 21st of October, and so warm and -genial was the weather that the dying man was outside his tent, lying -beneath its shade. That conversation, and others which followed, I shall -never forget. I was the learner, and he the teacher. His quiet Christian -resignment to the will of the Supreme Being, while it was very -affecting, was also consoling to our feelings. But one thing he seemed -to wish different. “If I might die at home,” he said, “it would be so -sweet!” The last sentence he spoke contained the dear and sacred name -“mother!” His last thought was of her. A short time before his death, -the sacrament of the holy communion was administered to him, at which a -large number of persons were present. A meeting of the company was -called in the evening, and the following resolutions were passed: - - Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to take from among us a beloved - friend and companion, therefore, - - _Resolved_, 1st. That by the death of Franklin H. Ridout we have - lost one whom we all esteemed most highly for his many virtues. - - _Resolved_, 2d. That we sincerely sympathize with his afflicted - mother and relatives in this sad bereavement. - - _Resolved_, 3d. That we will attend his funeral to-morrow, at - twelve o’clock, M. - - _Resolved_, 4th. That this company will defray the expenses of his - funeral. - - Resolved, 5th. That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the - family of the deceased; and that an invitation to attend the - funeral be extended to the neighboring companies. - - DANIEL B. WOODS, Secretary. - -_Hart’s Bar_, Oct. 21, 1849. - - - -Several were dangerously ill at the time of Mr. Ridout’s death, and, -soon after, our worthy president was at once prostrated by a similar -attack. For many hours we watched over him, endeavoring to cheer and -comfort him. At the last, he came to the conclusion that he must die. -Sending for me, he made me promise to visit his family on Red River, and -be the bearer to them of the sad intelligence; also of many messages, -which he delivered with the fortitude of a Christian philosopher; but -once, when speaking of his wife, his voice was choked, and the strong -man turned aside his head to weep. To my earnest entreaty that he would -postpone the subject till he was better--indeed, my own feelings were -so much overcome, that I feared I should lose control of myself in his -presence--he replied that he must finish, and then his mind would be at -rest. He feared not to die, but he would have desired to be at home, if -it had been the will of God; but he could not complain. He gave me, for -his family, his journal, a few articles of value, and his bag of gold. -His tent, clothing, tools, &c., he gave to his servant, old Allen, to -whom he had promised his freedom when he should leave the country, and -to whom he requested me to give free papers in the event of his death. -He told me, in conclusion, where he wished to be buried, and the mode of -his burial. Hearing that my valued friend, Dr. Candee, of Park Place, -New York, was in the neighborhood, I sent to him, urgently requesting -him to visit Dr. Hotchkiss. To my great relief, he was soon at his side, -and his prescriptions were blessed to his recovery. - -These cases of sickness very much hastened the breaking up of our mining -operations for the season. Many of the company left for the mountains, -to be ready for the winter diggings. - -Nov. 9th. This is my last day at the mines. We removed our cradles this -morning to the portion of the channel from which we had taken out the -largest amount of gold, hoping that we might find the vein again. There -were favorable indications close under the centre wall; but the vein -dipped below the wall, and we worked on, at every step undermining it, -and still led on by the hope of reaching one of those rare deposits in -which thousands are found. We were more encouraged in this idea by -learning, on good evidence, that from one small spot near us, in the -same channel, one miner, the last year, took $17,000. Why might not we -strike it also? Every appearance encouraged us, when we were aroused by -a sudden and loud call from one of the directors, who had discovered two -leaks in the dam, a few feet apart. In an instant we all rushed, with -our spades and barrows of dirt, to the breaches, which each moment gaped -wider, and presented a more hopeless appearance. All our efforts would -have been vain, and the dam swept away, but for the aid of another -company near us. There was no more work, however, to be done that day, -every thing being under the water. That was the last of my gold-digging. - -Nov. 10th. For the last time, I have just climbed the mountain above -Hart’s Bar. On looking back, below me is spread out the narrow, winding -valley, between its two mountains, widening at that point into an -extensive bar, through which, on account of the many dams, canals, and -other obstructions, the tortured river seems to have infinite difficulty -in forcing its way. There is also the collection of tents, and the -miners engaged in cooking, and collected in small groups about their -camp-fires, for it is a cool morning. There stand the wrecks of our -aqueduct and canal; the bare half channel of the river, and the surface -of the bar scarred and pitted over. There is the scene of my labors for -long months. There is my own arbor, and its last fire still smoking; and -there our place of worship; and lower down is where our company meetings -were held. And there are the graves of our lost companions. But I must -break from these scenes of disappointment and sadness--of broken hopes -and broken hearts--and, invoking the blessing of a kind and gracious -Father in heaven upon myself and those left behind, direct my steps to -San Francisco. - -On the road, where before there were only tents or rude arbors, are now -some frame buildings. And it was cause of surprise to see the great -number of wagons and mule-trains, heavily laden for the mines. Where -were to be found consumers for all this? Then came the news-man, with -almost a mule-load of New York Heralds. I had come alone, and entirely -unarmed, and it was a source of amusement to me to meet the emigrants on -their way to the mines, completely armed. A mile out from Stockton, I -met a Frenchman, armed with a double hunting-gun, pistols, dirk, &c., -who came up to me, looking carefully on this side and on that, and -inquired anxiously, “Is there any danger about the bear?” He seemed -surprised when I told him I had come down from the mines alone and -unarmed; that on my way across the plain I had seen a few elk and deer, -and immense herds of antelope. - -At Stockton I received letters from home of three months’ later date; -and the same evening left, in one of the river steamers, for San -Francisco, where I arrived early the next morning. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -SAN FRANCISCO. - -GENERAL ESTIMATE OF GAINS--RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA. - - -San Francisco, which has already been several times burned down, and as -often, Phœnix-like, arisen from its ashes, seems to be improved by each -conflagration. A new edition, revised and improved, has just been -issued. I should not have known the city. Indeed, there was little -there--excepting the land, and that cut down and changed--which had been -there when I left. The city of tents and sheds was changed to one of -substantial edifices, while some blocks of very respectable brick houses -had been built. One could not pass through the city without being -impressed with the sentiment which seems to describe the whole thing, -“_Enterprise run mad._”[B] Each one of the vast throng hastens on, busy -in his own plans and pursuits. Nothing can so well give the idea, by a -single image, of San Francisco, as naming it a moral whirlpool. A -mysterious, but all-pervading and powerful attraction, emanating from -this wonderful point, has been felt in the remotest parts of the earth. -Civilized, semi-barbarous, and savage--American, European, Asiatic, and -African--feel it. The missionary and the gambler, the praying and the -profane man, have all felt it. Drawn from the pulpit, the farm, the -forum, the bench, they all rush--giddy, mazed--into this one vortex. -Happy the few who escape unharmed! - -To give such a sketch of society in San Francisco as could be understood -and appreciated-- - - “To force it sit, till he has pencil’d off - A faithful image of the form he views”-- - -would indeed be a difficult task. Every thing is in such a state of -transition and change, from month to month, that a truthful description -now would not be such one short year hence. When I first visited the -city, the gamblers generally set their tables under large tents, which -answered the purpose, also, of eating-rooms. In my second visit, these -tents had given place to magnificent saloons. In these vast and splendid -establishments, the mind was bewildered, the senses were fascinated. -Appeals--almost irresistible to the young, often to the aged, and even -to those who had ministered at the altar--were made, calculated to -arouse the deepest and strongest passions of our nature. There was wine, -and the more intoxicating eye of beauty, to kindle and to madden. There -was music, by the most accomplished and able professors of the art, to -captivate. There were paintings, such as my pen may not describe; and -there were treasures of silver and gold, which _might_ be theirs on the -turn of a card. - -In my third visit to the city, these saloons had been burned down, and -replaced with others more splendid and attractive. The wine, the music, -the tables of gold, coined and uncoined, are all there; but no longer do -such excited and eager crowds throng around the tables. There are still -some who are risking and losing their all; but, comparatively, they are -few. - -While at San Francisco, an unusual case of success in mining has been -made public, and created much excitement even in this city of -wonders--so much so as to show that such instances are very rare. Three -miners had worked a claim, from which, in the course of a few weeks, -they took $84,000. Their expenses for labor, provisions, &c., were about -$24,000; But they had with them each about $20,000. I was informed that -several hundred miners had been attracted to the same bar by the success -of these men, but that no other rich deposits had been found, and, in -general, the others were not making a living. Notwithstanding the -overgrown fortunes which have been, in some few cases, so rapidly -accumulated, I hazard the assertion that in no other part of the United -States can there be found so many persons abjectly poor, in proportion -to the population, as among those who have resorted to California for -purposes of mining. Much is now said, and considerable excitement felt, -on the subject of the quartz mining. When two exceptions are made, I -know of no locations where the quartz-crushing operations can be at -present successfully prosecuted. Two reasons may be given for this -opinion. One is, the high price of labor; the second is, the difficulty -of replacing parts of the machinery in case of a break. Many -individuals and many companies will be losers by entering into the -quartz mining speculations. - -The mode of conducting business in the cities is anomalous. No skill in -business transactions; no far-sighted, clear judgment; no long -experience in matters of commerce, insure success here. It is much as it -is at the mines. A happy hit, if made by the novice--and it is as likely -to be made by him as by any--makes the poor man to-day a rich man -to-morrow. In the spring of 1849, the single article of saleratus sold -for $12 a lb.; it could be purchased in New York at 4 cents. One hundred -dollars invested in this single article, deducting all expenses, would -yield at the least $25,000. At that same time, building lots in -Sacramento City were held at $500; in six weeks they brought $25,000. -Let any one calculate for himself what would be the amount made from -fifty lots at this rate. In the space of six months, the owner of $100 -_might_ be worth a million! - -Such glittering and gilded castles as these, floating through the -imaginations of thousands, led to those wild speculations in lumber, -provisions, and other things, which, in the end, have come tumbling down -upon the heads of the builders. - -While at San Francisco I had opportunity of obtaining information -respecting the companies which had been formed in the States. Not one of -these, so far as I could learn, continued together; they were often -dissolved before they reached the mines. And even if they held a -charter, and were bound to each other under heavy liabilities, they soon -fell to pieces on reaching the gold placers. One intelligent gentleman, -who had enjoyed every opportunity for observation, related to me the -history of the company with which he left New York. They numbered one -hundred and forty-one members. One of this company made $15,000 by -trading; another made $7000 in the same way. Two had made $6000; one as -a tin manufacturer, the other by mining. Three had made $2000; two by -mining and trading, and one by teaming. One had made $1500, and another -$1000. Half the remainder made a living by mining, gambling, or trading, -and the remainder have died. - -Before I left the mines, I applied to the secretaries or other officers -of mining companies upon the Tuolumne for statements respecting their -operations during the past season. These were companies extending along -the river a few miles both above and below Hart’s Bar. Their operations -were generally more successful than those of other damming companies, -excepting, perhaps, some upon the Yuba River. I speak within bounds when -I say that four out of five of the river damming operations, through the -whole mines, were failures. The averages of the fourteen companies given -below were generally obtained from their books. In some instances, their -mining operations were continued after I left, but only in a limited -degree, and, in general, were entirely suspended, and the members were -scattering among the various winter diggings, or, in a few cases, -seeking their distant homes. - - -No. 1. - -_Sigñorita Bar Company._ - -Worked by Green T. Martin, of Rodney, Miss., and R. N. Wood, of -Shreveport, La. - -Total number of days, 1354. - -Highest number of hands one day, 96. - -Commenced on the 3d of September, and left on the 25th of October. - -Total amount taken from bar, $9700. - -Highest amount in one day, 7 lbs. 4 oz. - -Length of dam, 290 feet. - -Loss by rise of river in repairs, $1400. - -$1000 taken out since we left. Our force was too large to be longer -profitably employed. The upper part of the bar was poor, and on the west -side the bed was black slate, with a deposit of three or four feet, and -on the slate was found pieces of pine and other timber; and the whole -had the appearance of ashes or ash-bed, the water upon it resembling -soap-suds. All the specimens found contained greater or less quantities -of quartz. - - R. N. WOOD. - - -No. 2. - -_Stephens’s Bar Damming and Mining Company._ - -Gross amount of gold taken out this year from Stephens’s Bar Damming and -Mining Company, $12,000. - -October 26th, took out $1224. - -Length of canal, 1200 yards. - -Number of men in the company, 38. - -Number of days’ work put on by each member, 120. - -Name of treasurer, Wm. Canfield, New York. - -Name of secretary, John F. Sullivan, Baltimore. - - -No. 3. - -_Items of the Third Bar Company, Tuolumne River._ - -Organized 25th July, 1850. - -Number of members, private, 6. - -J. W. Morrel, president. - -C. Powell, secretary and treasurer. - -Number of members, aggregate, 8. - -Number of Mexicans employed, average, 60. - -Number of days’ labor, 4260. - -Length of canal, 730 yards. - -Length of dam, 88 yards. - -Cost of labor for day, $5 each Mexican. - -Cost of labor, and other expenses, to complete the job, $239 48. - -Amount of gold and other valuables obtained from the above labor, 00. - - -No. 4. - -_Philadelphia Company._ - -5 members; 210 days; amount of gold, 00. - - -No. 5. - -_Extension Company._ - -12 members; 1100 days. - -Amount, $2250. - -Average for day, $2 04. - - -No. 6. - -_Hawkins’s Bar Company._ - -N. Kingsley, president; John Richardson, secretary; Geo. Goodhart, -treasurer. - -108 members. - -Time of labor, 7776 days. - -Amount of gold, $35,500. - -Average for day, $4 56. - - -No. 7. - -_Ficket Company._ - -Robert Armstrong, treasurer. - -14 members; 434 days. - -Amount made, $4368. - -Average for day, $10 06. - - -No. 8. - -_Payne’s Bar Company._ - -20 members; 1820 days; amount, $6792. - -Average for day, $3 73. - - -No. 9. - -_Grisly Company._ - -Geo. Buttress, president; D. F. Smyers, secretary and treasurer. - -10 members; largest day’s work, $2600. - -Time of labor, 540 days. - -Amount, $11,000. - -Average for day, $20 37. - - -No. 10. - -_Wild Yankee Company._ - -15 members; time, 450 days; amount, $4000. - -Average for day, $8 88. - - -No. 11. - -_Jacksonville Company._ - -Thos. Sayre, president; G. N. Harris, secretary; Geo. Somers, treasurer. - -50 members; time of labor, 10,000 days. - -Amount taken out, $10,900. - -Average for day, $1 09. - - -No. 12. - -_Extension Company._ - -20 members; time, 720 days; avails, 00. - - -No. 13. - -_York Bar Company._ - -20 members; 714 days; avails, 00. - - -No. 14. - -_Hart’s Bar Company._ - -Thos. S. Hotchkiss, president; Daniel B. Woods, secretary and treasurer. - -Number of members, 21. - -Largest day’s work, $4198. - -Number of days’ labor, 1938. - -Total amount, $17,123. - -Average per day, $8 83. - - * * * * * - -Number of members in these fourteen companies, 344. - -Total number of days’ labor, 35,876, or 114 years of 313 working days -each. - -Total amount taken out, $113,633. - -Average for each day’s labor, $3 16. - - * * * * * - -My efforts to obtain averages of the winter mines were attended with -much greater difficulty. But few of the miners kept any account of the -results of their labors, and those who did were often unwilling that -their names should appear in connection with such inconsiderable -profits. In my journal I have the names of _fifty-six_ miners, generally -of my acquaintance, who were laboring in the richest portions of the -mines, and who have given me information respecting their operations. -All whose names and averages I took were industrious, persevering, and, -in some cases, skillful miners, so that the result given must be -regarded as one which presents the most favorable view. It is probable, -if an average could by any means be obtained of all the operations of -all the miners, day by day, it would be much less than that at which I -arrive. - -My estimate commences at the time I reached the Marepoosa diggings, -which was the 12th day of November, 1849, and a few days after the rainy -season commenced, and ends at the time I went to Jacksonville, April 3d, -1850, and covers a period of one hundred and twenty-one working days to -each of fifty-six miners, or six thousand seven hundred and seventy-six -days in the aggregate. - - Number of miners, 56. - - Length of time, 121 working days. - - Total number of days’ work, 6776. - - Whole amount made, $22,089 76. - - The aggregate amount each day, averaged, $182 56. - - Average to each of 56 miners, each day, $3 26. - -It would exhibit curious results were I prepared to present a statement -of the mining operations of one hundred and twenty-nine miners with whom -I have been connected since I came to California. Most of these left -the mines before I did, some of them to return home, and many to engage -in other pursuits. Some remained only a few days. One of these, though I -was not connected with him otherwise than as being with him on a -prospecting tour for a day, was a novelty among us. He seemed to have -just turned out of Broadway, or to have been turned out of a band-box. -He was an exquisite, even to the white kid gloves, eye-glass, and -Cologne water, with dancing pumps, and a small gold box suspended about -his neck by a gold chain, in which to put his gold. With his dirk-knife, -elegantly chased, he would go into a hole already dug, and spend an hour -in scraping the dirt from the rocks, which he washed with great care, -putting the few scales in the gold box around his neck. He had been -transplanted from some greenhouse to these rough mountains, and soon -faded away and died. - -Nov. 26th, 1850. We set sail in the French ship Chateaubriand, “homeward -bound.” On January 8th, 1851, reached Panama. After spending twenty days -upon the Isthmus, on January 28th weighed anchor; had a rapid run, the -Georgia putting into Havana for coal, and to part with a portion of her -six hundred and fifty passengers; and on Saturday, February 8th, arrived -at New York, and the same night at Philadelphia, after an absence of two -years and eight days. - -And now, as I take leave of my reader, he will find me seated again at -my old writing-desk--the Christmas present of my dear pupils, some of -whom have already called in to see me. How familiar it looks! And how -light and cheerful every thing is, as if I had been shut up in a dark, -close room _so long_! And how familiar and dear are all the scenes and -faces of home, only grown older and larger! I imagine myself, only one -moment, back at the top of the hill from which I last saw my companions. -I think they were then looking miserable in the distance, and I think -they still look and feel so now. If they could hear me, I would wish -them soon that happiness which can make them forget that they have not -come home with their weight in gold, though they may find that which is -more than worth it, for there _are_ treasures more valuable than gold. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -HINTS TO MINERS. - - -The experience of sixteen months in the mines enables me to make a few -suggestions which may be of importance to those intending to become -miners. - -And with regard to the preparations which should be made, a great error -has been committed by most California emigrants, in making too much -preparation. A change of substantial clothing, with several pairs of -well-made water-proof boots, form a good outfit in that line. It is -important, where so much work is to be done in the water, to wear -flannel, even in the summer. It is attended with great inconvenience and -much expense to transport a large chest or trunk from place to place. I -have known many, on arriving at San Francisco, who sell off, at a great -loss, the greatest part of all their stores, reducing them to one change -of clothing. There is great risk, also, of losing one’s effects by fire -or by water, or by the breaking up of the establishment in which they -are stored. The Amity and Enterprise Association, formed before we left -Philadelphia, can speak knowingly upon this subject. Each individual of -this association had an outfit which would have lasted three or four -years. In addition, they had company property, in provisions, tents, -mining utensils, &c., to a considerable amount. Most of this was sent -around the Horn by several shipments. The rest we took with us to -Tampico. When we reached this place, finding that the transportation -across Mexico would be about $50 a hundred, we packed most of our -individual property in a large box, and shipped it back to the States to -be forwarded to California. This is the last we ever saw of its -contents. Our provisions we sold at Tampico, which did not pay the -custom-house duties upon them. Of those which were sent around the Horn, -the provisions did not pay the freight and commissions on the sale; and -most of our clothing, &c., were stored in San Francisco, and burned in -the second great fire in that city. I do not know of a company which did -not meet with losses in proportion to the extent of their outfits. The -losses of those who crossed the plains in this respect were very great. -Large quantities of valuable mining implements, hundreds of hams, bags -of flour, and other provisions--even wagons, in large numbers--were left -upon the road. It is often the case that persons suffer very seriously -from their ignorance of the difficulties and expenses to which they will -be liable after reaching California. Many find themselves in San -Francisco with cramped means, and sometimes none at all, and with a long -and expensive journey to the mines before them, besides many necessary -articles which should be procured. Every miner should have $150 by him -on his arrival in the country. More would not be amiss. - -I believe all who are at the mine would agree with me in recommending to -the new miner to leave all machinery behind him. If he takes any thing -in that line, let it be the best _mining pick_ and _spade_ he can find, -with a stout sheath-knife, and a horn for crevassing. The “cradle” is -found any where in the settlements or in the mines. If it is intended to -engage in the quartz-crushing operations, the most simple machinery is -the best. The very complicated and expensive machinery which has, in -several instances, been taken to the mines, has been useless. The least -breakage will delay the whole work for months, till it is replaced from -the States. - -By all means avoid companies which are got up at home for mining. -Whatever facilities they offer; whatever array of influential names they -present; whatever they purpose or promise to accomplish--if they come to -you with a charter, or a ship, of which you are to share the -advantages--_avoid companies formed at home_! They work badly; they -cramp your energies; they entangle all your operations. In the mines, it -will always be necessary for you to associate yourself with one or two, -and sometimes with twenty, or even fifty mining companions. These -associations are formed and terminate with the necessity of the -occasion. - -Much time is lost in the mines by those who are led, by exaggerated -stories of success, from a place where they are working with some -advantage, to seek a better location. Leave the work of prospecting, -principally, to the more experienced miners. There is an excitement -connected with the pursuit of gold which renders one restless and -uneasy--ever hoping to do something better. The very uncertainty of the -employment increases this tendency. A person may be making his quarter -ounce a day, and hears that a person a few miles from him is making an -ounce. He is accordingly dissatisfied, and removes to the new diggings, -there, probably, to be again disappointed. These exaggerated stories are -most generally got up by traders in the place, in order to bring -customers to their stores. I have noticed that those who remain most -constantly in one place are in the end most successful. - -When you have marked off your claim upon a bar--a place which has been -proved--_dig down to the rock_! Many have been losers by relinquishing -their work before it is finished. The gold is generally scattered upon -the primitive rock. All the rich deposits are here. You may dig over the -quarter part of your claim and find little gold, while a parcel -containing pounds may lie concealed in the last corner. A friend from -Philadelphia, who marked off a claim at the Chinese diggings, dug it -partly out, came to water, which disheartened him, and gave it up. Three -miners went into it at once, and in a few hours had taken out $375. The -necessity of perseverance in such an employment must be apparent to all. -You can not hope to accomplish any thing without it. Your motto must be, -“_Hope on, hope ever!_” The treasure you seek may lie at the bottom of -your next claim--it may be beneath the next stone. - -_Be careful of your health!_ This once gone, your hopes are at an end. -An unfortunate miner at the Marepoosa diggings, who had brought upon -himself an attack of scurvy by the neglect of his health, said to me, -during a visit made to him, “I would give all the gold of California, if -I had it, for the health I had two weeks ago!” Fortunately, the -supplies of provisions at the mines are better and more abundant than -they were; and there will be yet greater improvement in this respect. -Vegetables, of which we had none at first, are now regularly furnished. -The great care should be, to guard against the influence of working in -the water. To this you are necessarily exposed; and, from my observation -on this point, the danger arising from this exposure may, in general, be -safely met by the care the miner takes of himself in his hours of rest. -It is not his being wet during the time of labor which is most likely to -prove injurious, but his remaining so during the reaction which takes -place in the system at the close of labor. As you value your health, -then, do not enter upon your hour of rest at noon, and especially do not -leave work at night, without throwing aside your wet garments and -putting on dry ones. You will soon be aware of a great change which -takes place in the temperature of the air, among the mountains, during -every night of the year. You may lie down, wet and tired, at night, and -perhaps not need a blanket, while before morning you will feel the need -of two or three. It is not generally the most robust or vigorous who -best stand the labor, the privations, or the exposure they are sure to -meet. These seem the most liable to the many diseases of the country; -and perhaps it is for the very reason that, trusting to their strength -and vigor of constitution, they do not take the necessary care of their -health. - -There are many other points to which I might profitably call your -attention, but respecting which experience will be your best teacher. - -A few thoughts as to the various kinds of gold and gold-digging. (See -the Appendix.) The gold deposits are found in the quartz and slate -formations, in decomposed granite, in sand and gravel beds, and in clay. -The largest specimens are found between the layers of slate over which -the stream flows vertically. The rocks and soil are frequently volcanic, -like those of Pompeii. Lumps of gold are often found alone, and are no -indication of the existence of a rich deposit. But the scale and dust -gold is not found in this detached state; it exists generally in veins, -though sometimes much scattered through the soil by the action of the -water. - -The river diggings are sometimes upon the bars over which the stream has -formerly run. These bars are covered with stones, which, with a portion -of the soil below, must be removed, to the distance of several feet. -When, by experiment, it is found to yield gold, the cradle is placed by -the river side, and the dirt is washed through it, while the gold -settles at the bottom of the machine. At the close of the work, this is -washed down in pans, and then is dried in the sun or by the fire, and is -still farther cleaned by blowing, by the magnet, or by quicksilver. The -river diggings found in the channels require much more labor in the -preparation, and must be worked by companies, sometimes of one hundred -persons. A canal and dam must be made, to turn the water from the -channel of the river. After that, the process is the same as the bar -working. These constitute, generally, the summer diggings, as the rivers -are low, and in a better state for being worked. The winter diggings -are found among the ravines and gulches, and upon the plains where the -streams have formerly run. These are dry in summer, and can only be -worked after the rainy season commences. But the Mexicans and Chilinos -have a method of “dry washing,” or winnowing the gold-dirt, much as -grains are winnowed, the dirt being blown away, and the gold falling -into the blanket or skin. The dry diggings are sometimes worked during -the dry season, and the dirt thrown up in heaps, to be washed out when -there is water. If worked in the rainy season, the water must be turned -by small dams and canals, leaving the channel and its banks dry. This -kind of labor is very difficult, but often pays well. The other kind of -dry digging is the most laborious of all. It is sometimes the case that -very rich deposits are found upon the small plains lying between the -mountains. The river which formerly ran here has been displaced by the -soil, which accumulates to a great depth. The soil must be removed, -sometimes to the depth of twenty, thirty, or even forty feet, before the -gold is found. When found, it sometimes proves very rich, but more -frequently very poor. I have seen a company of nine persons labor for -two weeks, keeping down the water with pumps, and, after all their toil, -not find a grain of gold to reward their efforts. It is truly one of the -most discouraging circumstances in a miner’s life, that, although he may -one day make his pounds, the next he may make little or nothing. It is -equally disheartening to him to be working all day for the merest -trifle, while by his side, and within a few feet of him, another is -taking out his pounds. But let him persevere, and success may be his -reward. - -The actual time favorable for mining during the year is very limited, -the greater proportion of which is spent in preparations. Some of the -river companies spent five, and one six months’ time, in making their -canal, dam, and other preparations for two months’ mining, in September, -October, and November. Much time is lost during the excessive heat of -the dry and the storms of the rainy season, and more in the profitless, -but arduous labor of _prospecting_. Then much time must be spent in -removing, in purchasing provisions, in building houses, &c. If all the -days of actual _mining_ were set down, they would not, I think, amount -to more than seventeen weeks in the year. - -Much was anticipated, at the commencement of the last rainy season, from -the use of the submarine armor in working the channels of the rivers. -Much money was expended, and much time lost in making experiments, but -to little advantage. In every instance where they were tried on the -Tuolumne, they were soon abandoned as useless. The experiments tried -near me were made by an old Georgia gold miner, and one who had been -accustomed to the use of the submarine suit, which he had worn in -recovering some treasures from a ship sunk in the Mississippi. But he -never accomplished any thing with it at the mines. In addition to the -cradle, which has been always in use in the mines, the North Carolina -rocker and the Long Tom are used to advantage upon the placers where the -gold is very fine. These are both, however, made on the same general -principle as the simple cradle. The principal difference is, that they -are larger and longer. - -Before closing this chapter of miscellanies, I will endeavor to guard -you against some moral evils--or I might better name them _immoral -influences_--to which you will be exposed. - -Why it is so, it is not my purpose now to inquire; but such is the fact, -that in California there are circumstances which render vice very -attractive and alluring, and which, unless resolutely resisted, draw the -mind to become familiar with it, and in the end to embrace it. The man -esteemed virtuous at home becomes profligate, the honest man dishonest, -and the clergyman sometimes a profane gambler; while, on the contrary, -the cases are not few of those who were idle or profligate at home, who -come here to be reformed. It can not be known what influence such trials -and temptations will exert upon the character till they are tried. If -they are resisted, the character is strengthened; if they are not -resisted, the propensity to vice is proportionally increased. But not -only does vice seem more alluring here--it comes, from the very -circumstances in which the miner is placed, to be a substitute for -common amusement. He has not the society of the home circle to cheer and -enliven him. Disheartened, often reduced to the depths of melancholy, he -has no longer the friends--the innocent recreations to which he has been -accustomed. On the Sabbath morning, no church is open for the sad and -dispirited wanderer, self-exiled from his father’s house! No mother, or -sisters, or beloved wife can cheer him by their conversation and -smiles. Is it to be wondered at, then, that in his gloom he listens to -the voice of the Syren, and turns away to seek those broken cisterns -which can hold no water? Do you not perceive that he is exposed to -peculiar and great danger? But recollect, if the danger is great, so -much greater is the virtue of overcoming it. If the trial is severe, so -much stronger the energy and resolution which is requisite to vanquish -it. And if the temptation is resisted, the moral principles are -strengthened just in proportion to the degree of temptation. The young -man who returns home from California untainted, and of whom it may be -said, - - “Among the faithless, faithful he,” - -may ever after be trusted. He has been tried as gold is tried, and the -trial has but served to exhibit the excellence of his character; and -well may his friends esteem and love him more, even if he returns to -them without an ounce of gold, than if he came home with his thousands -with a ruined character. - -As I entered one of the magnificent gambling saloons of San Francisco, -and proceeded from one table to another, I saw, to my surprise, a young -man, who had come from one of the most religious families in his native -city, placing down his money upon the table. I stepped to his side. In a -moment the card was turned, and a small amount of silver was added to -that already in his hand. He looked anxiously at me, and said, “I would -not have my mother know what I am doing for all the money in this room.” -“Why then do it?” I asked; “have you thought to what the first step may -lead?” “But what can I do,” he said, earnestly; “I came not here to -gamble, but to find amusement; and can you tell me what other amusement -is within my reach?” I think that was the first, and am sure it was the -last time that my friend visited the saloons for the purpose of -gambling. But it affords an illustration of the subject--the danger, in -the absence of proper subjects of interest and amusement, of seeking -these in wrong and sinful ways. Many a person in California becomes a -professed gambler in consequence of taking the _first step_ from desire -of amusement. It can not be impressed upon your mind too deeply that the -gambling table is the place of the greatest danger. It is one of the -most ensnaring inventions of the great enemy of souls. - -But how shall I speak of a kindred subject, so fraught with danger that -numbers of our most gifted citizens have yielded themselves to it. I -think _intemperance_ may be named as, next to gambling, the most -prevailing vice of California. They generally go hand in hand. In this -country, where the common restraints are removed which formerly imposed -a salutary check, this vice gains disgusting and dangerous prominence. -All that it is in its secluded orgies, all that it becomes in its -favorite haunts elsewhere, it is in California in open day. It blushes -not to show itself in its most fearful forms even in the public streets. -Many a poor miner, who becomes discouraged and sinks down into gloom, -flies to strong drink as he would to a friend from whom he expects to -receive relief. Occasionally, the Daguerreotype likenesses of dear -friends at home, or the sight of the neglected Bible--(for most miners -have both of these, almost their only treasures)--or the reception of a -letter, the miner’s only luxury, recalls him to his better self, puts -new hopes, new resolutions, and new life into him. But gradually he -yields the ground again; again he stands on slippery places, and soon he -staggers into his grave, for soon does vice of every kind perfect its -work here. _Licentiousness_, which is so destructive an evil in large -cities in Europe and America, is found also in California, and there -produces its bitter fruits. _Profanity_--a kind of its own; a bold, -independent, and startling profanity--is far too common in the mines, as -it is in the settlements. Several have told me that they have fallen -into this habit unconsciously, and, in some instances, have asked, as an -act of friendship, that I would aid them in correcting it. In one case, -a company of young men from New England mutually pledged themselves to -each other and to me to refrain from this habit. For the very reason -that it is so insinuating, and creeps so gradually upon one, should it -be more sedulously avoided. In my own case, I could perceive that the -constant listening to profane language produced a familiarity which -continually lessened the sense of repugnance it occasioned. This would -have been more and more the case, had I not adopted an expedient, which, -while it aimed at the good of others, had the effect to guard my own -mind against the moral contagion. The expedient which I adopted was -this: when I heard a profane oath, I accompanied it with a petition to -Heaven in behalf of him who had uttered it. - -No man, young or old, should go to California unless he has firmness of -principle enough to resist, and forever hold at bay, all the vices of -the country, in whatever disguise they may present themselves, and in -however fascinating shapes they may appear. - -If I were asked what was the state of religion in the mines, I could -only say, it is in _no state_. There are many men there who maintain -their integrity and their piety. If there is preaching, it is well and -respectfully attended. Many, perhaps most, occasionally read their -Bibles or tracts. There is a respect for religion, as there is a respect -for every thing which reminds one of home; but society must be in a very -different condition--it must be settled, and have some elements of -permanence--before a decidedly religious influence can be brought to -bear upon it. When I say that the sound of the pick, spade, and rocker -are seldom heard on the Sabbath--that the Bible is often and devoutly -read--that often, from beneath some cluster of trees, the cheering sound -of some hymn and the preacher’s voice are heard, it is as much as can be -said. - -As to the operation of the laws at the mines, and their effects upon the -interests of the community, I can only give the facts in the case, -without discussing the subject. When we first reached the gold diggings, -life and property were comparatively secure. Without law, except the law -of honor; without restraint, except that imposed by the fear of summary -punishment, which was sure to follow the only crimes cognizable under -the new code--those of _stealing_ and of _murder_--we were comparatively -safe. If the “way of the transgressor was hard,” it was also speedily -terminated. It was the reign of the rifle and the halter. And yet this -was a people who had been accustomed to the laws of civilized countries, -and who yet loved order. The principles of a republican government were -only adapting themselves to a new and untried emergency. The crime was -committed, and proved in the presence of a competent and impartial jury, -who were also required to award the punishment. The sentence was -pronounced by the alcalde, a grave was dug, the sharp crack of the rifle -was heard, the body was buried, and every man proceeded silently to his -own work. I have never yet heard of the case in which the verdict given -under the first system was an unrighteous one, or the punishment -inflicted undeserved. - -But a change came; civil laws were enacted in the mines; and what was -the result? Why, crimes of every kind were committed, and the very -officers of justice were met by the taunt, “Catch me, if you can!” -Seldom was the criminal caught; and when caught, more seldom was he -brought to punishment. And there is but one opinion among the miners, -that the system _without civil law, but with summary justice_, is, _in -the state of society which now exists_ in California, incomparably -better than the system _with such law, but without justice_. - -Ere long, California will have a truly _golden age_, when _law and -justice, and every moral and Christian virtue_ shall prevail. - - - - -APPENDIX. - - -I give extracts from a letter which was written by Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, -president of Amherst College, as containing some valuable hints to the -miner. The reader will be struck by the accuracy of the opinions so -early expressed, and which correspond so exactly with the facts since -developed. It will be considered that Dr. Hitchcock could not then have -seen even the first official report from the Mint, as it was some time -after the receipt of his letter that the author had the pleasure of -hearing Dr. Patterson read that report in manuscript. The first deposit -of gold was made at the Mint December 8th, and the letter is dated -December 25th, 1848. - - - _To the Rev. Daniel B. Woods._ - - DEAR SIR,--I believe that in almost every case gold mines that are - worked occur in loose soil, sand and gravel, where the gold is in - grains, and has been washed out of the rocks. Such is the case in - the Uralian Mountains and Siberia, where I believe that not one - mine is worked in the solid rocks, although some veins are known. I - should not, therefore, search for veins in the mountains, but try - to find the best spots on the banks of rivers. Success must depend - much, indeed, upon chance, though practice doubtless would afford - some marks that would be of service. If you should find veins in - the rocks, I doubt whether they would be profitable to work. I have - a strong suspicion that gold will be found all along the western - part of our Continent; perhaps through the whole of California and - Oregon; for I suspect that this is the eastern side of a vast gold - deposit in Asia, reaching as far west as the Uralian Mountains. If - this opinion would increase the gold fever, I think you had better - not mention it. It may not prove true. - - I hope you will improve your health, if not your fortunes, by this - voyage. Let your expectations of success in gold-digging be - moderate, and then I think the jaunt will do you good. That God’s - providence may be over you is the wish and prayer of - - Yours respectfully and sincerely, - EDWARD HITCHCOCK. - -_Amherst, December 25th, 1848._ - - P.S.--Magnetic iron sand is an almost invariable attendant of good - deposits of gold, and I should not be very sanguine of finding good - deposits when this is wanting. - - - _Letter from Geo. F. Dunning, Esq., Clerk in the Mint of the United - States._ - - MINT OF THE UNITED STATES, } - _Philadelphia, June 18, 1851_. } - - DEAR SIR,--In compliance with your request, I proceed to give you - some information respecting the Mint establishment, and the terms - upon which it receives bullion for coinage. You are doubtless - correct in supposing that much misapprehension exists both as to - the character of the establishment and the routine of its business. - Within the limits of a letter, I can, of course, do little else - than notice briefly a few prominent subjects. - - A uniform and reliable currency being a national benefit, our - government regards the support of the Mint establishment as - properly a national expense. Any person may bring his bullion to - the Mint, and have it converted into coin without charge. Many - well-informed persons suppose that all the coinage of the Mint is - for government account. On the contrary, the bullion is all - deposited by individuals, and is coined for them. Government simply - receives the bullion, ascertains its value, converts it all to a - uniform standard, shapes it into coins, and puts a stamp upon it - that shall give assurance of its value. From the coins thus made, - each depositor is paid the exact value of his bullion. - - The term _bullion_, as used at the Mint, includes all gold and - silver, whether in the shape of bars, lumps, grains, plate, or - foreign coins. All these varieties of bullion are received at the - Mint for coinage, but no deposit is received of less value than one - hundred dollars. - - The _weights_ used at the Mint are Troy weights, and they are - always expressed in ounces and decimals of an ounce. Thus, 18 oz. - 15 dwt. is written 18·15 oz. - - The _fineness_ of bullion is expressed in thousandths. The standard - of our coins, as fixed by law, is 900 thousandths; that is, in 1000 - ounces of coin, 900 ounces must be pure metal, and 100 alloy. The - fineness of deposits is similarly expressed. Thus, 860 thousandths - fine signifies that of a given weight (of gold, for instance) 860 - thousandth parts are pure gold, and the remainder (140 thousandths) - some other metal. - - When bullion is left at the Mint for coinage, a receipt is given to - the depositor, bearing the date and number of the deposit as - entered in the weigh-book, and made payable to him or his order. - In this receipt, of course, only the weight of the bullion before - melting can be stated; its value depends upon its weight after - melting, and its fineness, which is to be subsequently determined - by assay. - - Each deposit is separately assayed and reported upon by the - assayer. Its value is then calculated, and a detailed memorandum - prepared, exhibiting the number, date, depositor’s name, kind of - bullion, weights before and after melting, fineness, silver parted - (if the deposit is gold), value of the gold, value of silver - parted, deductions, and net value payable to the depositor. This - memorandum is given to the depositor with his coin. Deposits are - assayed, calculated, and ready for payment generally within a week - after they are made; and they are paid on the surrender of the - original Mint receipt. - - I have said that the Mint makes no charge for converting bullion - into coin. This is strictly true; but, inasmuch as depositors will - frequently find by their “memorandums” that certain deductions have - been made by the Mint from the proceeds of their bullion, some - farther explanations are required. A miller who should grind wheat - and corn without taking _toll_, would be correctly said to grind - without charge. And if a farmer should carry his wheat in the - sheaf, or his corn in the ear, or corn and wheat mixed together in - the same bag, he would hardly object to pay the miller for - thrashing, shelling, or separating. If a depositor brings to the - Mint bullion “fit for coinage,” that is, of standard fineness and - properly alloyed, he will receive in return an equal weight of - coins, without charge or deduction of any kind. If, however, his - bullion requires _refining_, _alloying_, _toughening_, or - _separating_, to make it “fit for coinage,” this preliminary - expense, carefully determined by experience, is deducted from the - proceeds of the deposit. - - The discovery of the California mines has suddenly increased the - deposits at the Mint from five or six millions of dollars annually - to thirty or forty millions. The whole amount received at the Mint - and branches, from December, 1848, to this date, is about sixty-six - millions of dollars. Of this, about twenty-four millions belong to - the present year. - - The fineness of California gold ranges from about 825 to 950 - thousandths. The bulk of them, however, are between 870 and 900, - the average being about 884. At this fineness, if entirely free - from dirt, an ounce of gold, with the silver contained (deducting - Mint charges), is $18 34. There is usually present in California - gold a portion of dirt, averaging five or six per cent. of the - weight. Five per cent. of dirt would reduce the average value given - above to $17 42. - - The gold of California contains usually about eleven per cent. of - silver. This silver is separated for the benefit of the depositor, - when the amount contained in the deposit is sufficiently large to - pay the expense of separating, and yield a surplus of at least five - dollars. If the surplus is less than this, the depositor receives - no benefit from it, the law requiring that it shall accrue to the - Mint, and be used for paying ordinary expenses. It is therefore for - the interest of depositors to make their deposits sufficiently - large to secure the silver contained. At the average fineness of - 884, this would require from 75 to 80 ounces. - - For more complete information on this subject, your readers may be - referred to a small work entitled “New Varieties of Coins and - Bullion, &c., by J. R. Eckfeldt and W. E. Du Bois, Assayers of the - Mint. 1850,” and to a pamphlet entitled “Guide to the Value of - California Gold, by Geo. W. Edelman, U. S. Mint, 1850.” - - Very respectfully, your obedient servant, - GEO. F. DUNNING. - - - Rev. Daniel B. Woods, Philadelphia. - - P.S.--The following rules for making calculations of weight and - value may not be unacceptable to the readers of your book. - - 1. _To convert Pounds Avoirdupois to Ounces Troy._--From the - avoirdupois weight, expressed in pounds and decimals of a pound, - subtract one eighth. Divide the sum thus obtained by ·06, and the - quotient will be the Troy weight in ounces and decimals. - - 2. _To convert Ounces Troy to Pounds Avoirdupois._--Multiply the - Troy weight in ounces and decimals by ·06. To this product add its - seventh, and you have the avoirdupois weight in pounds and - decimals. - - 3. _To find the Standard Weight of Gold or Silver, the gross weight - and fineness being given._--Multiply the gross weight, in Troy - ounces and decimals, by the fineness in thousandths, and divide the - sum by 900. The quotient will be the standard weight in ounces and - decimals. - - 4. _To find the Value of Gold and Silver._--GOLD. Multiply the - standard weight, in Troy ounces and decimals, by 800, and divide - the product by 43. The quotient is the value in dollars and cents. - - SILVER. To the standard weight, in Troy ounces and decimals, add - its one eleventh part, and eight tenths of one eleventh. The sum - will be the value in dollars and cents. - - 5. _To convert the fineness expressed in Carats into - Thousandths._--Multiply the carats by 41⅔. The product is the - equivalent fineness in thousandths. - -Since the completion of my work, I have received from Col. J. J. Abert, -of Washington, the Report of P. T. Tyson, Esq., presented to the Senate -of the United States by the Secretary of War. - -Although it is too late to avail myself of the valuable information -contained in this report from one who has made a thorough and scientific -reconnoissance of the mineral and vegetable wealth, the climate and -agriculture of California, I am induced to present a few extracts, which -refer more immediately to the mines. It was a source of much -gratification to find the views and statements I have given so fully -corroborated by this report. - -It will be noticed that the averages of the daily profits of the miners -arrived at by Mr. Tyson, as the result of careful observation, differs -but a trifle from the averages given in this volume. In his article upon -the gold regions, he writes: - -“Although a large amount of gold has been collected in California within -the past eighteen or twenty months” (he writes at the close of 1849), -“yet, considering the number of persons engaged in digging for it, the -average amount to each is far less than is generally supposed. This -conclusion is forced upon the mind irresistibly, when the results of the -actual experience of a large number of the operators are taken into -consideration. - -“The newspapers frequently relate instances of the return of individuals -with considerable sums of gold. Many of these are much overrated, and -the far greater number obtained it by other means than digging with -their own hands--one portion by honest trading; but much of the -hard-earned treasure in the hands of returned individuals has been borne -off in triumph, and brought home as the spoils of the conqueror, in -contests where honor belongs to neither winner nor loser. - -“Representations from and about California are to be received with many -grains of allowance. The preternatural excitement which has been -produced by divers causes, in some cases to promote individual benefit, -has really impaired to a large extent the faculty of seeing things as -they would otherwise have been viewed. And there is yet no prospect of -an end to this state of things, because, as soon as the public mind -begins to recover from the effects of previous causes of undue -excitement, additional ones are presented in the shape of most -exaggerated accounts of golden discoveries. Whether the public good will -be promoted by this state of things may well be doubted. A reference to -_some_ of these causes it is proper to give. - -“It is the interest of the numerous traders within the gold region to -collect around them as many diggers as possible, and each is very -naturally induced to regard favorably the diggings of his own vicinity, -and takes means to spread accounts of its richness. Wonderful stories -are circulated, in some instances, to increase the population at a -particular spot; and when the diggers flock to it, they often find it no -better than the one they left, and sometimes less productive. A very -large proportion of those persons we saw in the gold region were _in -transitu_; and, upon inquiry, we learned from them usually that the -place they had left was unproductive, and they were bound for another -which they had _heard_ was producing very largely; and on the same day, -perhaps, would be seen other parties _prospecting_, as they term it, or -looking for better diggings than the poor ones they had left, and in -many cases just from the reported _good diggings_ the first party were -going to. At some of these places you would hear of some one being very -fortunate, and that they averaged per day a half ounce, one, two, or -three ounces; but, like the tariff for postage, they never appear to get -1½, 2½, 3½, and so on. These accounts from particular spots sometimes -find their way into California papers, and from them are copied and -spread far and wide at home. Notwithstanding all this waste of time, and -that nine out of ten who left their homes under erroneous expectations -in reference to the facility with which the gold could be had, have been -cruelly disappointed, yet the extent and number of the ravines -containing gold is such that the _large number_ of diggers have, in the -aggregate, produced a considerable amount of this metal. - -“It is impossible to ascertain the amount of labor there has been -required, or, in other words, the average number who have worked at the -diggings, and the number of days’ work of each. * * If we suppose only -ten thousand to have worked steadily during three hundred days out of -about six hundred since the digging began, and suppose each to have -gained an average amount of $3 per day, the aggregate would amount to -$9,000,000, being very much more than the whole amount exported in -_every way_ from California up to the first December last, to all -countries, Oregon inclusive. As the cost of living fully equals $3 per -day, it would appear that gold-digging is not as good as laboring at -home, where the laborer can save something. * * - -“Many of our citizens hastened to California during the past year in -consequence of the numerous exaggerated, one-sided stories which were -circulated in reference to the facility with which gold could be -gathered. They had been told of various individuals who had collected -large sums; a _few_ had done so; but the experience of the _many_, who -did not pay expenses by gold-digging alone, from the nature of the case, -is far less likely to be known. - -“As with _lotteries_, the _few_ who draw large prizes become subjects of -conversation; but nothing is heard of the _many_ who draw blanks, or -prizes too small to pay the cost of the tickets. * * * - -“Divesting the newspaper accounts from California of certain expressions -bordering rather too much upon the hyperbolic order, they amount to the -fact that the outcrops of certain veins”--of gold-bearing quartz--“have -been removed. Such expressions might have materially increased _the -fever_ but for the frequency of similar causes, which at length but -slightly affect the body politic, because, like the body corporate in -certain cases, it is becoming _acclimated_. Some of the expressions -alluded to, and copied from California papers into our own, about -‘_gold-bearing quartz said to be found in inexhaustible masses or -quarries through the whole mountainous region which forms the western -slope of the Sierra Nevada_,’ and ‘_these quartz mountain quarries_, and -divers others, are indicative of a state of aurimania. Accounts are also -given of the yield of gold said to be averages of these great _gold_ -‘_quarries_.’ That the specimens from which the gold was extracted -contained the stated proportions is most likely, but that is a very -different affair from the _average_ rate of productions of a vein.” - - -THE END. - - * * * * * - -LIGHT READING FOR TRAVELERS, - -PUBLISHED BY - -HARPER & BROTHERS, 82 CLIFF STREET, N. Y. - -Harper’s Library of Select Novels. - - -No. - -1. PELHAM. By Bulwer. 25 cents. - -2. THE DISOWNED. By Bulwer. 25 cents. - -3. DEVEREUX. By Bulwer. 25 cents. - -4. PAUL CLIFFORD. By Bulwer. 25 cents. - -5. EUGENE ARAM. By Bulwer. 25 cents. - -6. THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII. By Bulwer. 25 cents. - -7. THE CZARINA. By Mrs. Hofland. 25 cents. - -8. RIENZI. By Bulwer. 25 cents. - -9. SELF-DEVOTION. By Miss Campbell. 25 cents. - -10. THE NABOB AT HOME. 25 cents. - -11. ERNEST MALTRAVERS. By Sir E. Bulwer Lytton. 25 cents. - -12. ALICE, OR THE MYSTERIES. By Sir E. Bulwer Lytton. 25 cents. - -13. THE LAST OF THE BARONS. By Sir E. Bulwer Lytton. 25 cents. - -14. FOREST DAYS. By James. 12½ cents. - -15. ADAM BROWN, the Merchant. By Horace Smith. 12½ cents. - -16. THE PILGRIMS OF THE RHINE. By Sir E. Bulwer Lytton. 12½ cents. - -17. THE HOME. By Miss Bremer. 12½ cents. - -18. THE LOST SHIP. By Capt. Neale. 25 cts. - -19. THE FALSE HEIR. By James. 12½ cts. - -20. THE NEIGHBORS. By Miss Fredrika Bremer. 12½ cents. - -21. NINA. By Miss Bremer. 12½ cents. - -22. THE PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTERS. By Miss Fredrika Bremer. 12½ cents. - -23. THE BANKER’S WIFE. By Mrs. Gore. 12½ cents. - -24. THE BIRTHRIGHT. 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He remarked, in a letter to a friend, “As -soon as you reach San Francisco you will think every one is crazy; and -without great caution, you will be crazy yourself.” - - -Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber: - -the year 1848, Mr. Suter employed=> the year 1848, Mr. Suter employed -{pg 17} - -at whcih they gazed=> at which they gazed {pg 17} - -during the rainy reason=> during the rainy season {pg 50} - -anxiety and disappoinment=> anxiety and disappointment {pg 71} - -those rich deposites=> those rich deposits {pg 77} - -BULES OF AN ENCAMPMENT=> RULES OF AN ENCAMPMENT {pg 123} - -Do you nct perceive=> Do you not perceive {pg 188} - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIXTEEN MONTHS AT THE GOLD -DIGGINGS *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Woods</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Sixteen months at the gold diggings</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Daniel B. Woods</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: September 11, 2022 [eBook #68972]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images available at The Internet Archive)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIXTEEN MONTHS AT THE GOLD DIGGINGS ***</div> -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/cover.jpg"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" -height="550" alt="[The image of -the book's cover is unavailable.]" /></a> -</p> - -<table style="border: 2px black solid; -margin:1em auto;max-width:45%; -padding:1%;"> -<tr class="c"><td class="smcap"> -Contents: -</td></tr> -<tr><td class="smcap"> -<a href="#PREFACE">Preface.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_I">Chapter I., </a> -<a href="#CHAPTER_II"> II., </a> -<a href="#CHAPTER_III"> III., </a> -<a href="#CHAPTER_IV"> IV., </a> -<a href="#CHAPTER_V"> V., </a> -<a href="#CHAPTER_VI"> VI., </a> -<a href="#CHAPTER_VII"> VII. </a><br /> -<a href="#APPENDIX">Appendix.</a><br /> -</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Some typographical errors have been corrected; -<a href="#transcrib">a list follows the text</a>.<br /> -(etext transcriber's note)</td></tr> -</table> - -<div class="blk"> -<h1>SIXTEEN MONTHS<br /><br /> -<small><small>AT THE</small></small><br /><br /> -GOLD DIGGINGS.</h1> - -<p class="c"><small>BY</small><br /><br /> - -<span class="lspc">DANIEL B. WOODS.<br /><br /><br /> - -NEW YORK:<br /><br /> -HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,<br /> -82 CLIFF STREET.<br /> -1852.</span> -</p> -</div> - -<p class="c"> -Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand<br /> -eight hundred and fifty-one, by<br /> -<span class="smcap">Leonard Woods</span>,<br /> -In the Office of the Clerk of the District Court of the Southern<br /> -District of New York.<br /> -</p> - -<h2><a id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> is almost inconceivable what an excitement was produced upon nations -and individuals by the discovery, less than four years since, of gold -among the mountains of Upper California. Tides of human life soon set in -toward this one point; currents here met, whirling and contending with -increasing force; and, where all was silent and calm before, was heard -the roar, and seen the violence and agitation of the maelstrom.</p> - -<p>The writer was for sixteen months employed in the gold mines, chiefly -upon the American and Tuolumne Rivers and their tributaries. His reasons -for compiling his notes and presenting them to the public may be briefly -stated. It was the request of several friends that he would keep a -journal of his mining life, exhibiting its lights and shades, its -fortunes and misfortunes. This he did, jotting down from day to day the -incidents as they occurred. Many mining companions, aware of this fact, -requested him to prepare his journal for the press, that their friends -might thus have a view of their circumstances and employments.</p> - -<p>Having so long been a miner, and acquainted with all his privations and -sufferings; having experienced<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_vi">{vi}</a></span> his elation at success and his -depression at failure; having passed through the trying season of -acclimation, and lain once beneath a lone oak, expecting, as he looked -up to the stars shining clear above him, there to end his days; having -rocked the gold-digger’s cradle, wielded his pick and spade, messed and -slept with miners, he is prepared to present a correct view of his -subject for those who have friends at the mines.</p> - -<p>He considers that it will be proper to present incidents of travel on -his journey to California, in connection with the more important object, -both to afford a view of the dangers and difficulties of the earlier -emigrants to this country, and also to maintain the unity of his plan.</p> - -<p>He hopes to make this little volume useful to those who are, or who -expect to be, engaged in the arduous employments of mining. If any shall -be encouraged to perseverance—especially if any young men who shall be -thus thrown into circumstances where immorality and vice are so -prevalent, and to which many give themselves up too easy victims, shall -be put upon their guard, his best wishes will have been accomplished. He -recalls, with sadness, the case of a merchant of education and -refinement, who left a large circle of friends and a young family. With -bright hopes he started for the gold placers. Disheartened by several -failures, depressed at his separation from his family, he sought in the -social cup to forget his sorrows and disappointments. Within three -months from the time he arrived in the country he became a subject of -<i>mania a potu</i>, and died<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_vii">{vii}</a></span> in the streets of San Francisco. The path of -vice in California lies not through the ordinary influences of life; it -leads not, as elsewhere, through a long course. It lies rather on an -inclined plane, and speedily runs down into despair and ruin.</p> - -<p>I intend to make this volume a miner’s manual, in which he may find -important directions relating to the various mining operations.</p> - -<p>Another motive with the writer is the desire to induce all who are doing -<i>well enough</i>, who are living within their means and laying by a little, -to remain satisfied at home. The question is often asked, <i>Who should go -to the mines?</i> It is very sure that a man with a family depending upon -his daily efforts should not go. He should not exhaust his slender -means, and run himself in debt, with the hope of making himself -independent in one or two years. Let such a one, who is inclined to do -this, picture to himself his wife struggling alone with poverty or -sickness, his children left without a father’s presence and love to -guide and protect, and himself a homeless wanderer, subjected to the -privations, hardships, and sickness incident to such a vagrant life.</p> - -<p>Let the young man go, if he will, who has no family depending upon -him—who has a strong constitution, and stronger moral courage; who is -sober and persevering; who has little prospect of making a comfortable -living at home, and who can make up his mind to spend five years from -it, and to enjoy as few comforts as did Diogenes. To such a one there -may be some comfort in even a miner’s life. He has not, like the man of -family in a similar condition, to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_viii">{viii}</a></span> experience how much the heart can -bear and not break—to live only in the future, while he</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Drags at each remove a lengthening chain.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>His is not the history of an <i>exile heart</i>. He may enjoy the rest of the -laboring man beneath God’s own glorious canopy. The hardships which he -endures in this, the <i>gold-age</i> of his life, may make him more satisfied -with his situation when he returns home, while the troubles which once -annoyed him will not there be experienced.</p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">Daniel B. Woods.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p><small><i>Philadelphia, July 1, 1851.</i></small><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_9">{9}</a></span></p> - -<h1>SIXTEEN MONTHS<br /><br /> -<small>AT</small><br /><br /> -THE GOLD DIGGINGS.</h1> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.<br /><br /> -<small>GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY.</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">California</span> extends from Oregon to Sonoma and Lower California, and from -the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. It shows a coast-front extending ten -degrees of latitude, from the thirty-second to the forty-second -parallel. To the voyager it presents only high and forbidding -headlands—mountain ranges which step down from the broad table-lands in -the interior, and push a bold foot far out into the waters of the ocean.</p> - -<p>This country possesses 420,000 square miles, and is remarkable for its -lofty ranges of mountains, among which lie interspersed limited but -beautiful valleys and more extensive plains. Its diversity of climate -and soil is as great as the varieties of its surface.</p> - -<p>The channel which forms the entrance into this singular country from the -Pacific is two miles in width and three in length, and is opposite, -under the same parallel of latitude, to the Straits of Gibraltar.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_10">{10}</a></span> After -passing through this channel, the lowest of the series of bays, that of -San Francisco, opens broadly before you, dotted with several islands -clothed with verdure, and rocks white with their coating of guano, -around and upon which hover and settle immense flocks of sea-fowls. -Above the ranges of hills, in the east, rises the distant Sierra, -crowned till July with its winter snows. The bay opposite the city is -twelve miles wide, and, with the bays above, contains anchorage ground -sufficient to accommodate every vessel, from the ship of war down to the -schooner, in the whole world. In the north, the bay contracts into a -narrow passage, and opens soon into a second spacious bay, ten miles in -diameter. Still another strait connects this bay with a third, -containing numerous islands, and receiving, at its head, the waters of -the Sacramento and the San Joaquin. These, with the Colorado, are the -principal rivers of California.</p> - -<p>The mountain ranges may be briefly described. Fifty miles from the -barren and sandy shore of the Pacific, and running parallel with it, is -the coast-range, well defined, but not so elevated as the other more -remarkable range. This is the Sierra Nevada, or Snowy Range, which bears -its lofty peaks, covered even into summer with snow, far into the sky. -This range is one hundred and fifty miles farther inland, and also runs -parallel with the coast.</p> - -<p>Within all this lies the available portion of California, which consists -of several fertile valleys, among which I shall notice particularly -those of San Juan, and of the Sacramento and San Joaquin. The former is -of limited extent, being not more than twen<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_11">{11}</a></span>ty miles long by twelve -wide, but of great fertility. This may be regarded as the garden of -California. There can not be found a more salubrious or more equable -climate in any part of the world. It is said to resemble that of -Andalusia, in Spain. This valley is situated between the coast-range and -the Pacific, and extends from the Bay of San Francisco north and south.</p> - -<p>The valley of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin lies between the -coast-range and the Sierra Nevada. It may be considered as one -continuous valley, the two rivers uniting their waters at the head of -the bays. It extends in length from about the forty-first parallel of -latitude, three hundred miles to the delta of the Sacramento, and thence -to the head waters of the San Joaquin. Over this whole region is found -scattered the evergreen oak, resembling the trees of an old -apple-orchard, and upon the ridges grows the red-wood. A fine growth of -pine is found among the mountains.</p> - -<p>All the tributaries of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin rise among the -Sierra Nevada. It is of importance to have the position of these well -understood. The first branch worthy of note in descending the Sacramento -is called Feather River. Bear Creek and the Yuba are streams emptying -into this river. The American River is another branch of the Sacramento, -fed by those streams named North, Middle, and South Forks. In proceeding -south up the San Joaquin, the Stanislaus is the first river of note. The -next branch is the Tuolumne, and then the Merced—the Rio de los -Mercedes of Old California,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_12">{12}</a></span> and abbreviated into Mercey by the miners. -Higher up are the Marepoosa, King’s, and some smaller rivers. All these -are rapid, clear mountain streams, containing abundant supplies of the -finest salmon. The Sacramento and the San Joaquin have no tributaries on -the lower or western side.</p> - -<p>Still within these interior limits last described lies a comparatively -narrow belt of land, difficult of access, guarded by a thousand dangers -and privations, yet possessing all the extraordinary and magical -influence of Aladdin’s cave, and realizing our boyhood’s dreams when we -filled our hats with the shining coins. This—the heart of the -country—is the true, the mysterious <i>California</i>—the shrine at which -tens of thousands of weary and exile pilgrims do homage, and where -already great multitudes have left their bones. This is -<i>California</i>—the country lately an uninviting wilderness, where the -Indian and the bear disputed possession, now, all along its streams, -upon its bars, in its gulches and ravines, covered with the tented home -of the miner, while its hill sides echo back ten thousand eager voices, -the din of innumerable picks and shovels, and the scraping and grating -sounds of a thousand cradles incessantly rocked, emptied, and refilled.</p> - -<p>Let us attempt a description.</p> - -<p>Between the Sierra Nevada on the east, and the Sacramento and San -Joaquin on the west, and at about twenty-five miles distance from both, -are the foot or lower hills of the Nevada. These foot-hills embrace, or -rather constitute, the gold region. They are perfectly defined upon the -lower side, where they<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_13">{13}</a></span> rise abruptly from the level plain below. Upon -the upper side they are irregular, often running up toward the -mountains, and rising to an elevation of three or four thousand feet. -This belt of land is five hundred miles in length and fifty in width. It -is traversed by the tributaries of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin -which have been mentioned. These streams, rising in the Sierra Nevada, -and flowing west, cut their channels through these foot-hills. They also -receive, in their progress, the arroyos from a thousand springs, which -burst out over all this enchanted region. These creeks and rivulets, -sometimes gliding smoothly along to their meeting, and sometimes -becoming impetuous mountain torrents, form the world-renowned ravines -and gulches of the California gold diggings. During the prevalence of -some great freshet, or other cause sufficient to produce such an effect, -these streams are sometimes pushed out of their former channels, which -instead are filled up, sometimes to the depth of thirty or even forty -feet, with a loose foreign soil. Such placers constitute many and the -most important of the “dry diggings,” which sometimes spread themselves -out over valleys to some considerable extent, and were doubtless formed -by washings from the hills in the vicinity.</p> - -<p>The “river diggings” include the bars and auriferous portions of the -channels of the tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, during -their passage through the foot-hills.</p> - -<p>Though the broad belt of ground which has been here described is named -the gold region, it is by no means to be supposed that the precious -metal is found<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_14">{14}</a></span> equally distributed over its surface, as if it had -rained down, or been thrown broadcast by some volcanic action over the -whole country. The placers where the auriferous dust is found are, in -comparison with the whole extent of the country so named, exceedingly -limited. The miner often travels many miles over this region—he wanders -for days along its river banks and over its bars, and turns aside into -some of its numerous ravines—he often pauses to examine spots which -appear to him favorable, and with his pick, shovel, and knife—always -his companions—digs his fifty holes, testing each with his pan, without -success. And even when he comes to the favored bar or placer from which -many pounds of gold may have been taken, there is perhaps one chance in -fifty in favor of his collecting any considerable amount of gold. Upon -these very localities thousands of industrious miners barely make their -living. The hopeful miner eagerly hastens, with high expectations, to -the diggings. He chooses his bar, and marks off a claim; this he -faithfully “prospects,” then abandons it for another and another, till -he comes to the conclusion that the whole business is a lottery.</p> - -<p>The primitive formations prevailing through the gold diggings are the -soft granite and the talcose slate. The superstrata are various, and -depend upon the formations in the hills adjoining. The first in -importance, as being intimately combined with the gold, is the quartz. -This is found in broken fragments, from the fine pebbles to the huge -masses, over the whole surface of the country. It is often seen crowning -the hill-tops, and sometimes is found in veins in<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_15">{15}</a></span> the valleys. There -can be no doubt that the quartz and the gold were formed in combination.</p> - -<p>This is now so universally admitted as not to require to be -substantiated. It is also placed beyond a doubt that the gold of the -mines has been attrited, and taken to the various deposits by the action -of water; and the gold is found in coarser or finer particles, according -as it is exposed to a greater or less degree of this action. In some -cases, the gold has been found running in veins, more or less rich, -through the quartz, and so closely combined that they must be reduced to -powder before they can be separated. With but few exceptions, however, -the working of these veins has not proved profitable.</p> - -<p>Perhaps there is no part of my whole subject so difficult to be -described as the climate of California. One cause of this is, that it is -so different in various parts of the state, and in the same part during -the various seasons. In general there are two seasons—a wet and a dry. -The first commences about the middle of October, and continues to the -first or middle of April. It must not be supposed that there is rain -continually during this season. My journal exhibits the following -statistical results:</p> - -<p>In October, 1849, it rained two days—the 9th and 10th.</p> - -<p>In November, 1849, it rained fourteen days—cloudy three days.</p> - -<p>In December, 1849, it rained eight days—cloudy three days, and snow one -day.</p> - -<p>In January, 1850, it rained seventeen days—cloudy one day, and snow -three days.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_16">{16}</a></span></p> - -<p>In February, 1850, it rained four days—cloudy three days, and snow -three days.</p> - -<p>In March, 1850, it rained nine days—cloudy three days, and snow one -day.</p> - -<p>In April, 1850, it rained one day—April 5th.</p> - -<p>During the months of October, November, and December, 1849, and of -January, 1850, the mean average temperature indicated by the thermometer -was as follows:</p> - -<p>At sunrise, 36°.</p> - -<p>At noon, 50°.</p> - -<p>Lowest at sunrise, 23°.</p> - -<p>Highest at sunrise, 48°.</p> - -<p>Lowest at noon, 40°.</p> - -<p>Highest at noon, 50°.</p> - -<p>In February, 1850, in the morning, 36°.</p> - -<p>In February, 1850, at noon, 62°.</p> - -<p>In March, at morning, 39°.</p> - -<p>In March, at noon, 58°.</p> - -<p>The Hon. T. Butler King estimates, in his report to government, that the -soil west of the Sierra Nevada covers an area of between fifty and sixty -thousand square miles, and is capable of supporting a population equal -to that of Ohio or New York at the present time. A large portion of this -land, although fertile, can not be cultivated, owing to the drought. The -portion of the soil capable of irrigation is comparatively small, and -lies upon the rivers and streams.</p> - -<p>The products of this state are various. The climate and soil are well -suited to the cultivation of wheat, rye, barley, and oats, the last of -which grows<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_17">{17}</a></span> spontaneously over the whole length of the sea-coast, and -for many miles into the interior. Irish potatoes, turnips, onions, and -beets are produced in great perfection. The various fruits are -cultivated with facility.</p> - -<p>It is not the design of this work to give a history of California -previous to the discovery of its gold. But it may be proper, in -connection with the geography of the country, to present a brief history -of the mines and the operations of the miners.</p> - -<p>In the spring of the year 1848, Mr. Sutter employed two men to make an -exploring tour along the branches of the American River, where it passes -through the foot-hills already described, to find a growth of pine -timber, and a suitable site for a mill for sawing it into boards. The -site and the timber were found upon the south branch of that river. -Little dreamed those day-laborers, as they broke ground for their rude -mill, in that solitary wilderness, that the results of that day’s labor -would give employment to thousands and tens of thousands of such -implements as they then used; that the one spadeful of red dirt, at -which they gazed so intently, at the bottom of which a few yellow bits -of shining dust appeared, was soon to exert a mysterious, a profound -influence upon the commerce, the welfare, the destinies of the whole -human family. An influence was about to go forth from that narrow ditch -which would return again, and bring with it an innumerable multitude, -thronging from every quarter of the world, overcoming all difficulties, -bringing with them their houses and supplies, and spreading themselves<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_18">{18}</a></span> -over the hills and valleys of this country. That moment was an epoch in -the world’s history. It was the discovery of <small>GOLD</small>; and, which is of far -more importance, it was the <i>planting of the</i> <span class="smcap">Anglo-saxon</span> <i>upon the -shores of the Pacific</i>.</p> - -<p>At this time California contained but fifteen thousand people. The belt -of gold country was comparatively uninhabited, and entirely without -supplies of provisions, except such as might be procured by the rifle of -the hunter, and as entirely destitute of shelter. In a few weeks after -the 1st of June, 1848, it is estimated that there were five thousand -miners. As they came generally without provisions, these commanded an -exorbitant price. At the time Rev. Alcalde Colton visited the mines, -which was some time after the discovery, flour sold for $4 the pound, -sugar and coffee at $4, a tin pan $6, laudanum $1 the drop, rum $20 a -quart, and picks sold at $18 each. It was not until the summer and fall -of 1849 that the American emigration began to arrive. They came across -the plains, through Mexico, by the Isthmus, and around the Horn; and -before the winter it was calculated that there were fifty thousand -engaged in this business. During this season the miners extended -themselves along many of the streams and through many of the ravines of -the gold region. The provisions were scanty and unsuitable. Very few -vegetables, and little fresh meat, were to be purchased at any price. -Flour and pork were the staples, which were sold at $1 the pound till -the rainy season commenced, when they sold for $2. A few bottles of -pickles which reached the mines were sold at $6 and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_19">{19}</a></span> $8 the bottle. In -the winter good boots brought $96, and ordinary $32 and $64.</p> - -<p>The year 1850 opened more favorably in the supplies furnished at the -mines. It was estimated by Mr. King, who wrote at that time, that during -the year there would be one hundred thousand miners employed. Many of -them had built themselves comfortable log or stone houses—provisions -were more abundant, and at lower rates. Vegetables, fresh meats, and -fish were constantly supplied, many of them from the vicinity of the -mines.</p> - -<p>It will be perceived that the statistics which I have prepared of the -profits of mining differs essentially from other published tables. I -have only to say in defense of my own, that they are the result of the -most careful observation and inquiry during sixteen months’ residence in -the mines. They are furnished by individuals most of whom have given -their names and residences in connection with the results of their -labors. The table presents the average profits in their most favorable -aspect, being furnished by a class of industrious and persevering -miners. The winter averages of fifty-six miners in the best of the -southern diggings is $3 26 for each day to each miner.</p> - -<p>The summer averages were based upon the operations of mining companies -located upon the most profitable bars of the Tuolumne, and furnished in -every case but one by the secretaries of those companies. The table -gives the result of thirty-five thousand eight hundred and seventy-six -working days, which was bullion valued at $113,633 95, or<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_20">{20}</a></span> an average of -$3 16 for each day’s labor to each man.</p> - -<p>Hon. T. Butler King, in his report to government, gives the average as -$16 per diem. It is a question of some importance which of these is the -correct estimate. Let us present the aggregate amount of gold taken out -of all the California mines during the year, according to both -estimates. According to that of Senator King, and allowing the year to -have three hundred and thirteen working days, the one hundred thousand -miners would give the sum total of $500,800,000, or over half a billion -dollars yearly, while the average sum would be $5008 to each miner. The -other estimate would average $1004 73, and present the total profits of -the mines for the year as $100,473,000. One would think that the rest of -the world should be satisfied with having picked from the pockets of -this old California miser who has hoarded his treasures so long, nearly -a hundred million of dollars in one year! Half a billion! that would be -taking too much!</p> - -<p>Not only is the digging of gold the most uncertain of all employments, -it is also one in which science and all past experience are at fault. No -rules can be given, no evidences furnished for finding the concealed -veins or opening the rich deposits. The miner is not sure of his gold -till he holds it in his hand, and then it seems very difficult for him -to hold on to it. One of our coins is very properly denominated the -eagle, since it seems endued with wings, and is so apt to fly away.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_21">{21}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.<br /><br /> -<small>VOYAGE TO CALIFORNIA.</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the 1st of February, 1849, we embarked, at the foot of Arch Street, -Philadelphia, on board the barque Thomas Walters, under command of -Captain Marshman, for Tampico, thence intending to cross Mexico, and, -re-embarking at Mazatlan, to proceed up the Pacific coast to San -Francisco. Our company consisted of about forty persons, known as the -Camargo Company. There were among them men from all the professions and -pursuits in life—young and old, grave and gay, married and unmarried.</p> - -<p>After the usual amount of adventures, sea-sickness, and home-sickness, -we arrived at Tampico on the 21st of February, where we were most happy -to exchange the monotony, the junk and other salt provisions, and the -green waves of a sea life, for the pleasing variety, the delicious -fruits and vegetables, and the beautiful fields of a tropical climate.</p> - -<p>We must take our readers with us, first to the theatre of Tampico, where -we went, not as spectators, but as actors upon its boards. The first -night after our arrival we appeared upon its stage, performing our parts -in the celebrated farce, the California Gold Diggers—a play which has -since been performed a thousand times, and with unabated interest. To -explain myself, our quarters, while in the city, were<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_22">{22}</a></span> in the old -theatre, the various rooms of which we occupied as sleeping and eating -apartments.</p> - -<p>This city is pleasantly located upon an elevated promontory, being -almost an island, having the River Panuco on the one side, and a lake -upon the other. It contains about seven thousand inhabitants, many of -whom are Americans. There are several large plazas or public squares, -and some pleasant houses. The American consul, Captain Chase, took us to -the spot where his heroic wife raised the American flag, and maintained -it in spite of the threats of the Mexicans.</p> - -<p>The furnishing of such a company as ours with all the horses and mules -necessary for a journey of about eight hundred miles was not to be -accomplished at once. On the morning of the 8th of March, and the -fifteenth day after our arrival, we were mounted on “mustangs,” a small -and hardy horse, peculiarly adapted to the mountains over which we were -to travel, our provisions and clothing being on the backs of mules. All -being ready, we slowly filed out from the hacienda of Mr. Laffler, a -large farmer from Ohio, who was under contract to supply us with animals -to Mazatlan. We had spent some days here preparing for the march, and -amusing ourselves in spearing fish, and in shooting deer and alligators, -being ourselves likewise the sport of innumerable swarms of musquitoes, -ticks, fleas, and jiggers. This latter insect, though very small, is the -occasion, at times, of great inconvenience and suffering. These tropical -insects handled us so cruelly, that we were compelled to write, eat, and -sleep with<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_23">{23}</a></span> gloves. To avoid them at night, I encased myself in a bag, -made of cotton, which I drew up over my whole body, then bringing it -around my head. This arrangement proved so much to my advantage that I -continued it during the whole time of my absence.</p> - -<p>Upon the march, a <i>Caballero</i>, mounted upon his mule, took the lead, -followed by the whole train of draught mules and the attendants. Then -came the guide and the company, sometimes drawn up, under our military -captain, in regular order of march, and sometimes extended out over the -trail as far as the eye could reach. We were advised to keep well -together, and never to dispense with the night-guard, on account of the -guerillas, who would ever be on the watch for an opportunity to attack -us.</p> - -<p>For several days our march lay across the level plains of the Tierra -Caliente, the region of perpetual spring, and clothed with verdure. -Having reached the foot-hills of the Sierra Madre, or Andes of Mexico, -one day’s travel brought us up into the temperate region. This was the -lower table-land. The landscape was no longer gay with flowers, but -abounded in immense forests. Here were found the varieties of the -musquite, the stately cypress, and the banyan. The whole undergrowth was -a thorny thicket, in which the prickly pear and the cactus predominated. -After traveling a day over this region, we came to a valley, into which -we descended, and where, in the midst of a fertile country, we entered -Villa de Vallee. This town contains a cathedral in ruins, which, like -those of many of the towns of Mexico, were partially destroyed at the -time of the revolution, and have<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_24">{24}</a></span> never since been repaired. One of the -wings was occupied as a chapel, while the residence of the <i>Padre</i> was -in a kind of shed behind.</p> - -<p>A letter from Bishop Kendrick, of Philadelphia, which he kindly sent me -as I was about leaving home, procured me every attention here. This -general letter of introduction, written in the Latin language, gained -for me much valuable information from the priests of Mexico. The -assistance, and in some cases the protection, which it secured to our -whole company, can not be overrated. It is as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>“Nos Franciscus Patricius Kendrick, Dei et Apostolicæ Sedis Gratia, -Episcopus Philadelphiensis Universis has litteras inspecturis notum -facimus et testamur Danielem B. Woods, in Statu Massachusetts -natum, et per aliquot annos hujus urbis incolam, civem esse -spectabilem moribus, et fama integra, quem suorum negotiorum causa -alio migrantem, omnibus commendamus, ut si qua indiguerit opera -amica, ea fruatur.</p> - -<p>“In quorum fidem has litteras dedimus Philadelphiæ die XXX. mensis -Januarii anno MDCCCXLIX.</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Franciscus Patricius</span>, Ep. Phil.”<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>Padre Calisti endorsed this letter in Spanish.</p> - -<p>The houses of Villa de Vallee were of one story, and generally made of -mud-bricks dried in the sun. The people seemed all poor and very -indolent, the women, as is the case through Mexico, being far superior -to the men in industry and intelligence. We remained here several days -to have our animals shod, a necessary preparation for crossing the -mountains.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_25">{25}</a></span> The day before we left, the padre invited me to dine with -him.</p> - -<p>After the animals were made ready, we proceeded over the plains toward -the mountains, some of the peaks of which we could see. Before we -reached these we crossed the Tomwin River at a small town where we -passed the night. The place for the entertainment of travelers was near -the banks of the river, and late in the afternoon we walked out to the -stream, where were gathered men, women, and children, floundering and -bathing in the water. Nor was it long before several of our company were -joining in their wild and gleeful sports.</p> - -<p>For some time reports of a revolution in the country about us reached -our ears, and hearing from some villagers that, if we kept on our -course, we should meet the insurgents the next day, we concluded to turn -aside at once into the mountains, though we should thus be compelled to -ascend by a path which is seldom attempted. We were three days in -climbing the mountains and clambering over the rocks—such as I hope not -to see again. Its precipices were fearful. We would sometimes wind our -way up or down the face of a mountain by paths cut in the side, over -which a person might be let down many hundred feet by ropes. It was a -volcanic country, and its conical peaks were surrounded for miles with -scoria and pumice-stone, which tore the shoes from the feet of our -animals, rendering it almost impossible to travel. This was a country -fitted for the ladrones and guerillas. And the frequent crosses planted -by the path told of murders which<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_26">{26}</a></span> had been committed here, and where -the traveler was, if so disposed, to offer up prayers for the repose of -the souls of the murdered. We were cautioned to be on our guard, and to -maintain a constant watch at night. But, notwithstanding such cautions, -we were often tempted, for the sake of avoiding the dust, to travel in -advance of the train. In company with a gentleman who was armed as well -as myself, I started on, not expecting to meet our companions again till -we halted for the night. We were about three miles in advance of the -train, and, as we rode around the angle of a large rock near the path, -six or seven men, who were lying there apparently watching for us, -started suddenly to their feet and sprung to our side. Our guns were -fortunately in our hands, and in a position that we could use them; we -were also armed with revolvers and knives at our belts. Seeing that we -were not intimidated by their violent gestures, but were calm and ready, -they soon dropped behind us, and after a time disappeared. These robbers -never attack travelers if every chance is not in their favor. A small -party of five persons belonging to our company were placed in greater -danger even than ours. They were traveling some days before us, and not -far from this same spot. They had been warned at the last town that a -party of twenty guerillas had gone out early in the morning for the -purpose of attacking them. As they rode slowly on, they came in sight of -the robbers, who had chosen well their positions, and were waiting for -them. Five of the twenty-one robbers were stationed in the path, while -the others were divided up into small gangs<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_27">{27}</a></span> on each side and in the -rear. All these were mounted but one, who was employed as a runner -between the different parties. The Americans halted, newly capped their -rifles and revolvers, and slowly proceeded on their way. With pale -faces, but undaunted hearts, they rode up to the Mexicans, who, as they -came on, retired and allowed them to pass. When they reached the summit -of a hill a half mile distant, and looked back, the robbers were still -in the same position. The knowledge, on their part, of the certainty, in -case of an encounter, of the death of some of their number, daunted -them.</p> - -<p>At length we reached the summit of the table-land, eight thousand feet -above the level of the sea, which spread out a vast plain before us, -from which many lofty volcanic peaks sprung up, attaining to an -elevation of fourteen thousand feet.</p> - -<p>Excepting in the valleys, there is but little vegetation upon these -plateaus. And we could not imagine where the supplies for the markets of -the cities could be obtained. For several days our path lay through palm -and palmetto groves. The parasol shade of their small tops was no -shelter from the heat of the sun at noon, but rather increased its -intensity. And the whole day long would come, screaming over us, the -never-ending flocks of parrots. Their cry, to a weary traveler, is -almost intolerable. The cactus, Mexico’s national flower, and emblazoned -upon her coat of arms, and stamped upon her coin, is found here in a -thousand varieties. The beautiful flower itself is often three feet in -height. After leaving these palm groves, we entered upon a very barren -and des<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_28">{28}</a></span>olate region. It was a desert of sand and dust, almost without -water. Our mules would raise such a cloud of dust, especially if there -was any wind, as to be nearly suffocating. The great elevation to which -we had attained caused the most disagreeable sensations. On lying down -at night, or rising in the morning, there would be a painful giddiness. -The skin became parched and dry, and the spirits were oppressed. While -traveling over this region, we were overtaken one day by a dust storm, -which was as novel as it was oppressive. It was near night. We saw -before us, which after a time spread out all around us, many wild -whirlwinds which extended up into the sky, carrying with them apparently -solid conical masses of clouds. We counted upward of sixty cones formed -and forming at the same time. As the sun was setting, these extended at -the top, opening something in the form of an umbrella, the cones still -continuing to play up their heaving masses into its expanding bosom, -which presented a most unearthly and terrific appearance. It was the -<i>blackness of darkness</i>, which suddenly became illuminated by the lurid -flashes of lightning darting through it, and forming a picture of that -wrath which, we may suppose, broods and bursts over the bottomless pit. -Suddenly its edges closed down around us, snatching away the remaining -light of day, and shrouding us in darkness, like that of Egypt, through -which we groped, calling and shouting to each other, yet not able to see -a yard before us.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Eripiunt subito nubes cœlumque, diemque<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Teucrorum ex oculis; ponto nox incubat atra.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Again a rush was heard, which came nearer and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_29">{29}</a></span> more near, filling us -with dread, till it struck us with the suddenness of a blow. It was as -though all those cones had drawn closer and closer together, till they -were piled into one consolidated mountain of dust, pressed down by the -mass in the air upon our heads. For a time all our efforts to see or to -speak were vain. We could hardly breathe. If we moved at all, it was by -setting our backs against the elements and pushing with all our -strength. There was not a drop of rain; it was a storm of dust—a -<i>sirocco</i>. Fortunately for us, we were near the <i>meson</i>, which we -entered after being half an hour exposed to its fury, and as it was -abating. Every thing was penetrated by it, and it seemed as though water -could not clean our eyes or our throats.</p> - -<p>In the <i>mesons</i>, the various apartments for travelers, the stables, the -eating-room, and all the offices, are built around a spacious paved -court, upon which all the windows and doors open. A large gate forms the -entrance, which is closed and bolted at night. The rooms for travelers, -often twenty feet square, are entirely unfurnished. He is to supply his -own bed and bedding, which he spreads out upon a floor which seems never -to have been swept. For his meals he must go to the <i>fonda</i>, and order -what he may choose or what they may have. One dish at a time is spread -upon the bare table, which is often furnished with plates, but not often -with knives, forks, or spoons. A variety of soups, made hot with red -pepper, and a slice of bread, forms the first course. Then follows rice, -with thin Indian cakes. Sometimes squash fried in lard is added. A -favorite dessert is the Mexican<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_30">{30}</a></span> custard, made of rice or chocolate. -Coffee, wine, or <i>pulque</i>, a drink made of the maguey, closes the -entertainment. There are distilleries in the country where the pulque is -converted into a most hateful species of whisky.</p> - -<p>In the morning the horses and mules are led out into the court, every -preparation is made, and the travelers take their leave, throwing behind -them their hasty adieus. These mesons in city and country are very -filthy, and much infested with vermin. In one instance we saw a number -of <i>Tarantulas</i>—the venomous black spider of the tropics—hanging upon -the walls of our room after we had slept upon its floor.</p> - -<p>On the 22d of March we entered San Luis Potosi. This is a large city, -possessing considerable wealth. It is near the silver mines, and -contains a mint.</p> - -<p>We saw here, for the first time, a stage-coach. It was up for the city -of Mexico, distant about three hundred miles, which journey is -accomplished in six days, at an expense of $25 for a seat. The coach -consists of a large unwieldy frame, upon which is swung the body, which -is comparatively small.</p> - -<p>The ignorance of the Mexicans is equal to their superstition. We were -amused at an instance afforded us in the case of a schoolmaster. While -describing to him the modes of traveling in America, we told him about -the steamers, at which he was not much surprised, having heard of them -before; but when we told him of the rail-road, he listened with the same -incredulity with which the King of Siam heard the missionaries describe -ice; but when we<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_31">{31}</a></span> told him of the telegraph, he slowly arose, wrapped -his <i>serapi</i> around him, and moved off, without deigning us a word or a -look.</p> - -<p>We were present at a cock-fight, one of the favorite amusements of the -Mexicans in general, and of Santa Anna in particular. A low fence -inclosed the pit, within which were the attendants exhibiting the game -cocks, and the owners who were taking the bets of the spectators. Among -these were several padres, always known by their peculiar dress. The -crowd around exhibited no excitement. Gambling with the Mexicans is a -regular pursuit, and not a means of diversion or excitement. There was -no difference in their appearance, whether they were at church or at -their cock-fights. After all the betting was done, long steel spears, -made very sharp, and three inches in length, were fastened upon the legs -of the cocks, and they were pitted to fight. In the first encounter, one -cock thrust his spear into the breast of the other, which died very soon -after. In the second, two fine cocks were pitted, and more interest than -usual was felt and deeper betting elicited. In less than half a minute, -one was lying dead, the spear of the other being thrust so far through -his head that it was with difficulty withdrawn.</p> - -<p>In one of our rambles through the city, we were accosted in the most -remarkable manner by a well-dressed and beautiful sigñorita. She was -seated at a window of one of the houses of the wealthy. As we caught her -piercing black eye, she smiled a cordial greeting, to which one of the -party responded by a respectful “Buenos dias, sigñorita!” Her reply<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_32">{32}</a></span> was -a terrible oath, and a most obscene expression in English, and yet there -was that about her manner and tone which denoted that she meant to say -that which was very civil and kind. We were told, when relating the -incident afterward to an Englishman residing in the city, that some -American soldiers very basely amused themselves, while pretending to -teach the sigñoritas our language, by making them repeat just the -expressions we had heard, and other similar ones, as forms of polite -salutation.</p> - -<p>We spent two days in the city to give rest to our animals, and then -proceeded on our way toward Guadalaxara. Between these two cities the -country is more uneven. The scenery is often very beautiful. We received -many cautions to be on our guard, as we were to pass through a part of -the country where many depredations and murders had been committed. We -were told of travelers who had been suddenly dragged from their horses -by the lasso, and murdered. One day we witnessed an instance of the -surprising skill of the Mexicans in the use of the lasso. One of the -horses threw his rider, and went galloping off across the plain. In a -moment a muleteer had spurred his mule forward in pursuit, coiling up -his rope as he went. Presently the coil darted through the air, and fell -with unerring aim over the head of the horse, bringing him at once to a -pause.</p> - -<p>The most beautiful city we saw in Mexico was Santa Maria de los Lagos. -Its cathedral was grand, towering high above its houses, and, as we rode -through the streets, was inviting, by its chimes, to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_33">{33}</a></span> vespers. This town -appeared to be more thriving and prosperous than any we had seen. The -remark has often been made that the views of the city and its environs, -from the tower of the cathedral, are similar to those of Jerusalem. San -Juan de los Lagos, another city a day’s journey from the former, was -almost equal in beauty. Its cathedral was even more splendid. The first -object which caught our attention, as we were crossing the plaza on -which it fronted, was a woman creeping on her knees toward the steps of -the cathedral, probably as a penance.</p> - -<p>It was not without some apprehension, after having heard so much of -guerilla parties, that we saw before us, the day after we left the last -town, a company of armed men coming toward us. We were ordered to -examine our arms, and have them ready for use. They proved to be -government troops, which were marching to meet the insurgents in -Tamaulipas county. At their head were several American deserters, but -not Americans, who were leading along some females by the hand. We also -met a company of “<i>Volunteers</i>,” who had just been “pressed” into -service. They were chained together in gangs of ten or more, and were -driven along—the most desperate-looking wretches.</p> - -<p>On the 2d of April, 1849, we reached Guadalaxara. This is the second -city in Mexico, and contains a population of 125,000. Some of the -cathedrals have cost millions. Many of the public buildings and squares, -and the palaces of the wealthy, are very beautiful. The interiors of the -cathedrals glist<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_34">{34}</a></span>ened with their silver shrines, chandeliers, and -railing. The rude floors were covered with kneeling worshipers. The -tones of the bells are very clear and sonorous. This is probably owing -to the large amount of silver used in their composition. This, like the -city of Mexico, is very compact, the streets straight, broad, and well -paved. The houses, with their heavy-grated windows upon the streets, and -their huge door-ways in the centre, gave them the appearance of so many -fortresses. It is behind these walls and gates that the Mexican is -luxurious and extravagant. His house is most gayly furnished, nor does -he spare any expense in procuring that which will please his fancy. The -women never wear bonnets. The covering for the head is called the -<i>reboso</i>. This is a kind of scarf, some six feet long and three wide, -which covers the head, and is drawn closely down over the face, and then -crosses in front. It is a very common practice with the Mexican women to -smoke the <i>cigarrito</i>.</p> - -<p>In this city we were first made rather painfully aware of a custom of -the country, of uncovering the head while passing the front portal of -the cathedral. Two or three stones, well aimed, removed the hats which -our hands should have removed. The streets, as in the cities generally, -are here cleaned by the convicts, who are chained and guarded by -soldiers. As we were passing one of these gangs, I had fallen behind my -companions, and was alone. One of the soldiers came to me, and, saying -“Amigo” (friend), suddenly thrust his hand into my pocket. Supposing -that he wanted tobacco, I told him I had none.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_35">{35}</a></span> While I was speaking, -another soldier put his hand into a pocket on the other side.</p> - -<p>Here we witnessed the procession of the Host. The priest, carrying the -sacred emblems, rode in a carriage, followed by a band of music, and -numerous attendants bearing a flag, upon which was painted the likeness -of a lamb, about which were many persons bearing lighted lanterns. Then -came a crowd of citizens. As the procession passed, all in the street -knelt.</p> - -<p>One among the many cathedrals we visited greatly interested us. It was -filled with beautiful exotics, brought there from the gardens of the -wealthy in honor of the approaching Easter holidays. As we were passing -through the aisles, examining the flowers, a lady of rank and fortune, -perceiving us, called a lad to her, whispering to him. He went out by a -side door, but soon returned, followed by a venerable-looking priest, -who addressed us in correct English. When he had read Bishop Kendrick’s -letter, he gave us a cordial welcome, and led us into his library, one -of the largest on the continent. This contained many of our own standard -works, and was ornamented by the portraits of distinguished men, among -which we noticed a splendid portrait of Washington. Assuring me we -should want nothing to render our journey agreeable and safe, he sent an -attendant to show us the paintings and treasures of the cathedral.</p> - -<p>On the 4th of April we left Guadalaxara, having received notice from an -officer of government that no travelers were permitted to enter or to -leave the city during the Easter solemnities. In a few hours we<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_36">{36}</a></span> entered -the wild passes of a very picturesque and mountainous country. The first -time for many days our road led us along over many fine mountain -streams, and through forests, where we began to find our own pine and -oak. “A song for the brave old oak” was heartily responded to by all. As -night set in, we pitched our camp in a narrow defile, surrounded by high -peaks, which we were to ascend on the morrow. The inhabitants seemed as -wild as their country. Every hour our guides were coming to us with -stories of recent robberies and murders, and committed upon the very -spot, perhaps, where we then were. In one deep gorge of the mountains -into which we were passing, we were told that three hundred armed -guerillas awaited us. And, in another place, a few days previous, some -government soldiers had met a large company of robbers, and had -dispersed them, after shooting several of the most desperate. In -corroboration of these stories, we suddenly came upon a scene so -fearfully in keeping with our own excited state of feeling, and the wild -character of the country around us, that we shall never lose the -impression left upon our imaginations. In the midst of a field charred -and blackened by a fire which had passed over it, stood out in bold -relief a gallows, upon which were hanging three mangled and distorted -bodies. There they had hung about six weeks, after having murdered -twenty persons. Over the gallows, which was a painted one, were printed -these words of warning: “Asi Castiga La Ley Al Ladron Y Al Asesino.”</p> - -<p>Magdalena is a pleasant town, situated among the mountains, on the banks -of a beautiful lake. Here<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_37">{37}</a></span> we saw the first of the dramatic street -representations of the closing scenes in the life of our Savior. These -consisted in enacting each day in their order the events recorded in -Scripture. Most of the day and one entire night were devoted to these -exhibitions, in which all the people participated. In Magdalena the -procession paraded the streets during the night, with torches, and -accompanied by a band performing solemn music. The image of the Savior, -which was Spanish in its features, like all the sacred images of Mexico, -had a bandage over the eyes, and was led away by a band of ruffians, as -if for trial. At a distance the image of the Virgin Mary was borne along -by weeping females. We saw nothing more—not again entering any -town—till the third night, when we reached Tocotes. At this stage in -the series the Savior was represented as borne by the centurions and -soldiers to the tomb. The image was placed in a glass coffin strewed -with flowers. This was borne by men. At a distance was the image of Mary -led by women, her hands folded in an attitude of grief. The cathedral -was decorated with a profusion of flowers, in the midst of which was the -tomb. These tragical scenes were followed, at the close, by a -<i>fandango</i>, which is a dance peculiar to the country. It is a lazy -shuffle, accompanied by music upon the guitar, varied occasionally by a -song, in the chorus of which all present join.</p> - -<p>During one evening of Easter, soon after we had arrived at the <i>meson</i>, -some one came rushing in, informing us that the guerillas had surrounded -us. Seizing our arms, we hastened to the court, where<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_38">{38}</a></span> all was -confusion. There were thirty robbers outside the walls. They said that -they were government soldiers, and loudly demanded admittance, asserting -that they came from the alcalde. The proprietor told them they were -ladrones, and refused to admit them. They left soon after, threatening -to return. The alcalde came in much alarmed, and told us that they were -robbers; that the troops of government never traveled during Easter, and -if they did they were bound to report themselves to him. We mutually -pledged ourselves, in case of an attack during the night upon the town -or upon our quarters, to aid the citizens or they us, as the case might -be. We made our preparations for defense, and slept with our arms at our -sides. Nothing more was heard of the robbers. In the vicinity of Tocotes -we crossed over a remarkable mountain. For several hours we were -ascending by zigzag paths, each turn bringing us higher among the -clouds. When we had reached the summit point, we were several thousand -feet above many of our companions and all the mules, a distance of more -than two miles by the road, but in a direct line not more than one -quarter of a mile, for we could distinctly hear the loud talking of the -company and the shouts of the mule-drivers. We looked over the edge of -the precipice, and watched our companions as they wound their way slowly -up. The view was very grand, though it produced a painful giddiness. -Soon after ascending this mountain, our way led us through the crater of -an old volcano. There were the pumice-stone, the scoria, and the charred -and blackened rocks, as though they had but just issued, boiling and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_39">{39}</a></span> -bursting, from the bowels of the earth. We could imagine that we smelt -the sulphurous vapor and felt the volcanic heat arising from the pent-up -fires below, so fresh did the whole field of desolation and ruin appear. -And our imaginations were carried back to the fearfully terrific scenes -which had been enacted here. The descent from the table-land down to the -shores of the Pacific is abrupt and steep. On the 12th of April we -reached San Blas, a dull and unhealthy sea-port. At this place, our -company, which had hung together in fragments, was dissolved. Men alone -are not social beings; and the numerous attempts to bind them together -in California gold-mining associations are as vain as the attempt to -make a rope of sand.</p> - -<p>After some delay in making our preparations, we embarked at San Blas on -the 12th of April, in the San Blasiña, a schooner of twenty-three -tons—being thirty-six feet long and twelve wide—for San Francisco. In -this miserable, unseaworthy craft, thirty-eight of us took passage. It -was represented to us that the Pacific was so quiet that it would be -safe to go up in open boats. Alas for our error! Yet it was only too -common. In some instances, emigrants, in their extreme anxiety to -proceed on their way, have embarked in whale boats at Panama, hoping to -reach San Francisco. Our voyage to Mazatlan was most disagreeable. We -were so cramped for room on deck, the hold being filled with bananas, -that three of us slept in a canoe hewed from a log, which was made -secure on deck. The portion of it which I occupied was two and a half -feet long and three<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_40">{40}</a></span> and a half wide. There I slept for eight nights. On -the 20th of April we reached Mazatlan, after having been put upon an -allowance of water, and the last day having no water at all. This is an -important sea-port and a fine city. Though it possesses no public -buildings of note, many of the dwelling houses are spacious and -pleasant. Its fine bathing-ground forms its principal attraction. A -small and inferior chapel is the only place of worship, while the -amphitheatre for the bull-fights is a spacious inclosure, capable of -accommodating many hundred persons. This “Plaza de los Toros,” as it is -called, is an amphitheatre covering about one quarter of an acre. Around -this the seats are arranged in tiers. On one side are the pens for the -bulls, on the other the elevated seat of the manager, fancifully -decorated. Large show-bills state the number and qualifications of the -various animals, brute and human, to be brought forward, and invite all -who are so disposed to be present. The Sabbath is generally the day -selected for the spectacle, and on the morning of that day a procession -of the <i>valiant and brave</i>, already equipped for the encounter, and -accompanied by martial music, parade the streets. During the pauses in -the music, a crier, in a loud voice, boasts the victories they expect to -achieve. Many of the spectators are females. Nothing but unmingled -disgust and loathing can be excited by the scene. It is a disgraceful -and cowardly butchery, in which the poor animal has not even one chance -of defense or escape.</p> - -<p>A great number of Americans were waiting at this place for opportunities -to go to San Francisco. Many<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_41">{41}</a></span> of them had exhausted their means, and -were engaging in various employments to raise money to take them -through.</p> - -<p>There are about seven millions of inhabitants in Mexico. The rich class -are very wealthy, own most of the land in the country, and live in -palaces in the cities. They are few in number. Among them may be classed -a portion of the priests. The poor class constitute the great majority, -seldom owning any property, and the larger proportion being abjectly -poor.</p> - -<p>We took our departure from Mazatlan on May 4th, having spent two weeks -in litigation respecting the schooner, which resulted in favor of the -passengers, and made us, the first time in our lives, <i>ship-owners</i>. The -whole had been an unfortunate operation, and we had already paid more -for our passage than the schooner was worth. The owners had <i>lost</i> the -money which had been advanced to them, and were unable to comply with -the terms of the contract, by putting the schooner in sailing order in -Mazatlan. Papers were accordingly made out, giving us undisputed -possession of twenty-three tons burden of shipping. Our captain, a very -old man, had not been to sea for twenty years before this memorable -voyage. I shall presently have to relate an account of the <i>adroit</i> -manner in which he upset a boat-load of us to pass half an hour among -the sharks and waves before we could get to land. Our mate was a -Frenchman, and the only skillful sailor among us. He knew that we were -proceeding on a wrong course, and as it was mutiny to put the vessel on -a right course by day<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_42">{42}</a></span>light, as soon as it was dark enough he would put -the “ship about,” so that what we lost in the day we gained in the -night. The rest of the crew were sailors drafted from the passengers. We -were again short of water, and having been unable to procure a supply -along the coast, we anchored off San José, a small town near the cape. -The captain requested me to accompany him on shore. The waves ran very -high, and it was dangerous to attempt a landing, unless under the -guidance of one who understood “surfing a boat.” After every third wave -which breaks upon the shore, there is a lull, short indeed, but of -sufficient length to permit a boat which follows instantaneously upon it -to get beyond the reach of the first wave of the next series. The only -method is to row nearly to the line where the waves show a long white -crest before they break upon the shore, and then to rest upon the oars. -As soon as the third wave has passed, the rowers must urge the boat -promptly and vigorously in. If this one rule is neglected, the -“swamping” of the boat must inevitably be the result. The captain -explained this so accurately that we could not doubt his skill. We had -four stout rowers, breathlessly awaiting the signal upon the brink of -the breakers. But, unfortunately, the signal came between the second and -third waves. We were a hundred yards from the landing. Suddenly we heard -the warning roar, like the low tone of the distant thunder. I looked -behind, and the wave was moving toward us like an impending wall, six -feet above the boat. Suddenly it broke, showing the white crest rapidly -extending itself<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_43">{43}</a></span> along as far as the eye could reach. Its first -approach tossed the boat, like a straw, on one side, and instantly the -whole wave came toppling down upon us, burying the boat and three of -those who were in it beneath the rushing tides. I had risen from my -seat, and the wave struck me many feet toward the shore, crushing my hat -over my face and eyes, so that some moments and several waves passed -over me before I could again see. When I was able to look around me, the -captain and one of my companions were swimming for land. The others were -clinging to the keel of the boat, after having been buried beneath it -till they were nearly strangled. Those who were swimming were soon on -shore, the captain so completely exhausted that he sank down into the -water, and was dragged back to the dry sand. In half an hour all were -safe on the beach, grateful for so remarkable a deliverance. Our danger -was greatly increased by the fact that the place was infested with -sharks. The next day, as we were walking along the shore, two fish -darted out of the water, and were instantly followed by two large -sharks, which pursued them high upon the beach. We made several attempts -to double the cape and proceed on our way, but were driven back each -time by heavy head winds. In our third attempt we were becalmed, and -spent the most of the day in rowing our schooner along, which we did at -the rate of three miles an hour. After we had turned in, and were -sleeping upon some water and provision casks in the hold, made level by -laying down sticks of wood and boards between them, a severe gale sprang -up, and drove us<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_44">{44}</a></span> at a fearful rate from our course. The sails were -rent, and flapped wildly in the wind. No one but the mate dared to -approach them. He was at the helm, which he lashed down while he drew in -and furled the refractory sails. Our danger was great, and during the -long hours of that night there was little sleep among us. Eight, each -unknown to the others, formed a resolution, that if we lived to reach -the land, we would never again risk our lives in the San Blasiña. Near -the close of the next day, we anchored in a narrow roadstead off the -cape. The mate and many of the passengers went on shore, which was half -a mile distant, taking the torn sails to be mended. The boat was also -hauled up on the beach, and turned over to be caulked. It was near night -of the following day, and we were all scattered over the beach and in -the village, when alarm guns from the schooner arrested our attention. -To our surprise, the vessel had changed her position, having dragged her -only anchor. She was already nearly two miles distant, those on board -having lost much time in ineffectual attempts to bring her back to -anchorage. By the time the mate and a crew daring enough to venture out -could be found, she was almost at sea, and already pitching about over -the waves. Soon a dark, cloudy night obscured the schooner and the boat -alike from our view. We kindled a large beacon-fire on the beach, and, -wrapping ourselves in our blankets, anxiously awaited the return of our -companions. In the morning the schooner was safely moored near the -shore.</p> - -<p>At this place our ship’s company was divided, a<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_45">{45}</a></span> part being determined -to proceed on their journey by sea, while another part intended to walk -up to San Francisco, a distance of twelve hundred miles, over a barren -country, and uninhabited except by Indians. Of these latter, a portion -started by an almost imperceptible path, which led them toward the -Atlantic coast, while the remaining four of us expected to proceed up -the gulf coast. As we ascended the hills behind the village, we caught a -last look of the schooner, already out some distance at sea. When we -reached San José, to our joy we found the Scottish barque Collooney, -Capt. Livingston, for San Francisco, anchored there, having put in for -water. We were received on board, and on May 25th weighed anchor and -were again on our way. The Collooney was from Panama, having on board -two hundred passengers, with accommodations for twenty. At the time for -meals, two assistant stewards, mounted upon the long boat near the two -galleys, called over the names of the passengers belonging to their -divisions. As his name was called, each one walked up if it was calm, -and reeled up if it was rough, to the galleys, and received in a tin -plate and dipper his allowance. It was a tedious voyage of thirty-five -days from the cape to San Francisco. On several Sundays I was invited to -preach upon the quarter-deck. On these occasions we were sometimes -favored with original hymns from the pen of T. G. Spear, of -Philadelphia, who was a passenger on board. I shall give a part of one -of these as very appropriate.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Our path is on the mighty deep,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">But God is with us there,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_46">{46}</a></span><br /></span> -<span class="i1">To guard us in the night, asleep,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And in the noonday’s glare.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i1">Our barque, a speck beneath the sky,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">His hand conveys along;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">He makes the winds around her fly,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Be gentle or be strong.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i1">Here let us pause, and praise, and pray,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And seek that boon sublime,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">That opens up a brighter day,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And smooths the storms of time.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Much of the time was passed in vexatious calms. We were such a picture -as Coleridge had in his mind when he wrote,</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Day after day, day after day,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">We stuck, nor breath nor motion,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">As idly as a painted ship<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Upon a painted ocean.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>June 25th, 1849, we reached San Francisco, seventy-four days from San -Blas, and one hundred and forty-five days from Philadelphia. This -wonderful city is an uninviting spot. There is but a small strip of -level land, crowded down to the bay, surrounded by high, sandy hills, -covered with short bushes, while not a tree is to be seen. The city is -composed chiefly of tents. Each day regularly, at about ten o’clock, -there arrives in the city, coming down with a rush over the bleak and -barren hills, a cold, chilling wind, which takes one at once from the -summer to the winter solstice. Fires are comfortable, and cloaks or -serapis are necessary. Gambling seems to be universal. Rents are held at -the most exorbitant prices. I almost fear to risk my credibility by -stating that the Parker House rents at $150,000 a year. On the -aft<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_47">{47}</a></span>ernoon of the second day after our arrival, the 27th of June, our -luggage being transferred from the Colooney to a river schooner which -was taken alongside, we “set sail” up the bay.</p> - -<p>We spent the first night at Benicia, anchoring near the landing. Taking -our blankets, as we would our umbrellas at home, we called upon the Rev. -Mr. W., and were introduced by him to a trader, who kindly permitted us -to sleep in a large unfinished room, while in another part of the same -room were a party consisting of a Mexican master and his peons, on their -way to the mines.</p> - -<p>June 29th. Arrived at Sacramento City, the present of which is under -canvas, and the future on paper. Every thing is new except the ground, -and trees, and the stars, beneath a canopy of which we slept. Quarreling -and cheating form the employments, drinking and gambling the amusements, -making the largest pile of gold the only ambition of the inhabitants. As -each one steps his foot on shore, he seems to have entered a magic -circle, in which he is under the influence of new impulses. The wills of -all seem under the control of some strong and hidden agency. The city is -every day newly filled, then emptied but to be filled again. The crowd -ever presses on, elate with hope, excited by expectations, which it -would be impossible to define or realize. The world-renowned Sutter’s -Fort, which is two miles from the landing, is a rude structure made of -sun-dried bricks, about five hundred feet long and two hundred wide. It -is now used for other purposes, a part of it being fitted up as a -hospital.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_48">{48}</a></span></p> - -<p>July 2d. Walked from Sacramento to Mormon Island, a distance of -twenty-nine miles; and the next day, each one having forty pounds of -baggage upon his back, consisting of a cradle, tools for mining, -provisions, blankets, &c., walked eight miles farther up the south fork -of the American River to Salmon Falls, there to commence our mining -operations.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_49">{49}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.<br /><br /> -<small>NORTHERN MINES.</small><br /><br /> -<small>Salmon Falls, South Fork of the American River, July 4th, 1849.</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Here</span> we are, at length, in the gold diggings. Seated around us, upon the -ground, beneath a large oak, are a group of wild Indians, from the tribe -called “Diggers,” so named from their living chiefly upon roots. These -Indians are of medium size, seldom more than five feet and eight or ten -inches high; are very coarse and indolent in appearance, of a dark -complexion, with long black hair which comes down over the face; are -uncivilized, and possess few of the arts of life. They weave a basket of -willow so closely as to hold water, in which they boil their mush, made -of acorns dried and pounded to a powder, or their flour, purchased at -some trading tent. You will perhaps ask how water can be boiled in a -basket without the fire’s burning it. This is done simply by heating -stones and putting them into the water, which is thus, in a short time, -raised to the boiling point. They have brought us in some salmon, one of -which weighs twenty-nine pounds. These they spear with great dexterity, -and exchange for provisions, or clothing, and ornaments of bright -colors. We are surrounded on all sides by high, steep mountains, over -which are scattered the evergreen<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_50">{50}</a></span> and white oak, and which are -inhabited by the wolf and bear.<a id="FNanchor_A_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</a> This will always be to us a memorable -fourth of July, as being our first day at the mines. We have spent the -day in “<i>prospecting</i>.” This term, as it designates a very important -part of the business of mining, requires explanation. I should first, -however, give some description of the bar upon which we are to labor. -This lies on both sides the river, and is covered with smooth, -brassy-looking rocks, some of which weigh many tons. It is a little -higher than the water-level; but we find, as we dig down, that the water -soon begins to flow in, and must be “baled out.” This bar, or rather -succession of bars, extends a distance of some miles up and down the -river, over which the water runs with surprising rapidity in the -freshets, which are common during the rainy season, and break up and -reduce the gold-bearing quartz, tearing it away from its primitive bed, -robbing it, in its course, of its virgin gold, and attriting it till it -is at length deposited, in greater or less abundance, within some -crevice or some water-worn hollow, or beneath some rock so formed as to -receive it. These bars vary from a few feet to several hundred yards in -width. In order to find the deposits, the ground must be “prospected.” A -spot is first selected, in the choice of which science has little and -chance every thing to do. The stones and loose upper soil, as also the -subsoil, almost down to the primitive rock, are removed. Upon or near<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_51">{51}</a></span> -this rock most of the gold is found; and it is the object, in every -mining operation, to reach this, however great the labor, and even if it -lies forty, eighty, or a hundred feet beneath the surface. If, when this -strata-belt of rock is attained, it is found to present a smooth -surface, it may as well be abandoned at once; if soft and friable, or if -seamed with crevices, running at angles with the river, the prospect of -the miner is favorable. Some of the dirt is then put into a pan, and -taken to the water, and washed out with great care. The miner stoops -down by the stream, choosing a place where there is the least current, -and, dipping a quantity of water into the pan with the dirt, stirs it -about with his hands, washing and throwing out the large pebbles, till -the dirt is thoroughly wet. More water is then taken into the pan, and -the whole mass is well stirred and shaken, and the top gravel thrown off -with the fingers, while the gold, being heavier, sinks deeper into the -pan. It is then shaken about, more water being continually added, and -thrown off with a sideway motion, which carries with it the dirt at the -top, while the gold settles yet lower down. It must be often stirred -with the hands to prevent “baking,” as the hardening of the mud at the -bottom is called. When the dirt is nearly washed out, great care is -requisite to prevent the lighter scales of gold from being washed out -with the magnetic sand, which is best done by pushing back the gold, and -cleaning the sand from the edge of the pan with the thumb. At length a -ridge of gold scales, mixed with a little sand, remains in the pan, from -the quantity of which some esti<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_52">{52}</a></span>mate may be formed of the richness of -the place. If there are five to eight grains, it is considered that “it -will pay.” If less gold is found, the miner digs deeper or opens a new -hole, till he finds a place affording a good <i>prospect</i>. When this is -done, he sets his cradle by the side of the stream, in some convenient -place, and proceeds to wash all the dirt. This is aptly named -<i>prospecting</i>, and is the hardest part of a miner’s business. Thus have -we been employed the whole of this day, digging one hole after -another—washing out many test-pans—hoping, at every new attempt, to -find that which would reward our toil, and we have made <i>ten cents</i> -each.</p> - -<p>July 5th. My share to-day is $1 25. These details may appear dull and -uninteresting; but the reader will bear in mind that it is the writer’s -object to give a full and true description of a miner’s life. He might -pass by all the days and months of profitless labor, and record only the -days of success; but those who have friends at the mines, and those who -purpose going there, will certainly wish to know what are the trials and -discouragements of such a life. They wish to know the <i>truth</i>.</p> - -<p>July 6th. We have to-day removed to the opposite side of the river. -This, with pitching our tent, has occupied most of the day. Still, we -have made $4 each. I have been seated for several hours by the river -side, rocking a heavy cradle filled with dirt and stones. The working of -a cradle requires from three to five persons, according to the character -of the diggings. If there is much of the auriferous dirt, and it is -easily obtained, three are sufficient; but if there<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_53">{53}</a></span> is little soil, and -this found in crevices, so as only to be obtained with the knife, five -or more can be employed in keeping the cradle in operation. One of these -gives his whole attention to working the cradle, and another takes the -dirt to be washed, in pans or buckets, from the hole to the cradle, -while one or two others supply the buckets. The cradle, so called from -its general resemblance to that article of furniture, has two rockers, -which move easily back and forth in two grooves of a frame, which is -laid down firmly on the edge of or over the water, so that the person -working it may at the same time dip up the water. It must be inclined a -few degrees forward, that the dirt may be washed gradually out, and must -be so placed that the mud may be carried off with the stream. Cleets are -nailed across the bottom of the body, over which the loose dirt passes -with the water, and behind which the magnetic sand and gold settle. An -apron is placed beneath the hopper, and conducts the water, dirt, &c., -from that to the body below—a construction similar to that of the -common fanning-mill. The hopper, which is placed at the top of the -cradle behind, is a box, the bottom of which is a sheet of tin, zinc, or -sheet iron, perforated with holes from the size of a gold dollar up to -that of a quarter eagle. Through these the dirt, gravel, and gold are -all carried by the water upon the apron and into the body below, leaving -only the pebbles, too large to be passed through, in the hopper, which -are thrown out by raising it in the hands, and by a sudden forward, then -backward motion, depositing them on one side in a heap. To facilitate -this operation,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_54">{54}</a></span> the hopper is sometimes made with hinges, by which -means, by the raising the forward end, the dirt falls over behind. There -is generally a handle, so placed on one side that the cradle may be -rocked with the left hand, leaving it to the choice of the person -rocking whether to stand or sit while at work. The dirt taken from the -hole is turned into the hopper at the top. The person, rocking the -cradle with his left hand, at the same time uses his right in dipping up -continually ladles of water, which he dashes upon the dirt in the -hopper. Twenty-five buckets of dirt are generally washed through, the -mass in the body of the cradle being occasionally stirred up to prevent -its hardening, and thus causing the gold to slide over it and be lost. -It is then drawn off into a pan through holes at the bottom of the -cradle, and “panned out,” or washed, in the same way as in prospecting. -While this is being done by one of the company, it is common for the -others to spend the ten minutes’ interval in resting themselves. Seated -upon the rocks about their companion, they watch the ridge of gold as it -dimples brightly up amid the black sand, seeming to me always <i>the smile -of hope</i>, while many enlivening remarks and the cheering laugh go round. -At length, the washing completed, the pan passes from one to another, -while each one gives his opinion as to the quantity. The holes in the -bottom of the cradle are stopped, more dirt is thrown into the hopper, -and again the grating, scraping sounds are heard which are peculiar to -the rocking of the cradle, and which, years hence, will accompany our -dreams of the mines.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_55">{55}</a></span></p> - -<p>July 7th. This morning witnessed an instance of that remarkable success -in mining which rarely occurs, but which, when it takes place, turns the -heads of so many. I might aptly quote Virgil’s figurative description of -Rumor, and apply it to these gold stories. They go out quite respectable -in appearance, furnished with hat and cane at the start, but, as they -proceed, they suddenly expand to the proportions of Hercules, with his -trunk of a tree for a club. We met this story long afterward, after it -had returned from its voyage to the States and to Europe, and, but for -its having claimed Salmon Falls as its birth-place, it could not have -been recognized at all. The facts were simply these: Two Irishmen -followed the “lead” of the Jordan brothers, who had made their gold by -penetrating into a bank which had evidently been detached from the -mountains behind in some convulsion of nature, and pushed forward over -the bar. They commenced in the bank at the edge of the bar, and when -they reached the line in which the Jordans had found their vein, they -were so fortunate as to find it again. This vein is about seven inches -wide, and ten feet below the surface of the bank, and is imbedded in a -stratum of hard clay, through which the fine scale gold is richly -sprinkled. The vein runs, in a compact body, diagonally across the -claims which have been and are being “worked out,” and so on, in a -straight line, to the edge of the bar, where it is broken, scattered, -and lost by its descent. At this remarkable place, these two men, before -breakfast this morning, took out $422. As I witnessed their success, for -we<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_56">{56}</a></span> are working within three yards of them, and when I held a large -bottle, nearly full of the beautiful gold, in my hands, I was at first -conscious of feelings of elation and hope. This has given place, this -evening, to temporary despondency, for I have been compelled to contrast -our own small operations with their brilliant success. Poor Jemmie, one -of these Irishmen, and who had never before been the owner of a -sovereign, said to me to-day, “Every body is talking about my good luck, -but, I don’t know how it is, I can’t feel so; and, faith, I think <i>a -sovereign looks to me more!</i>” Our company have been engaged to-day in -“prospecting,” and preparing for work. The last washings, near night, -gave us fifty cents to the pan, which is considered encouraging.</p> - -<p>July 8th, Sunday. All the miners upon the bar, with the exception of one -man, who is working by himself below, have laid aside their labors for -the day. This is, partly at least, owing to a regard for its sacredness. -And when may we be so much sustained by the encouragements, cheered by -the promises, or influenced by the restraints of religion, as in the -circumstances in which we are now placed? Religion—Heaven’s most -precious gift to man—comes and offers to lead us, and to be with us in -all our weary exile from home.</p> - -<p>July 9th. To-day we have made $20 each. One of the conclusions at which -we are rapidly arriving is, that the chances of our making a fortune in -the gold mines are about the same as those in favor of our drawing a -prize in a lottery. No kind of work is so uncertain. A miner may happen -upon a good<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_57">{57}</a></span> location in his very first attempt, and in a very few days -make his hundreds or thousands, while the old miners about him may do -nothing. Two foreigners, who had been some time in the mines, began to -work their respective claims, leaving a small space between them. The -question arose to which of them this space belonged. As they could not -amicably settle the dispute, they agreed to leave it to the decision of -an American who happened by, and who had not yet done an hour’s work in -the mines. He measured off ten feet—which is allowed by custom—to each -of the claimants, taking for his trouble the narrow strip of land lying -between them. In a few hours, the larger claims, belonging to the old -miners, were abandoned as useless, while the new miner discovered a -deposit which yielded him $7435.</p> - -<p>July 10th. We made $3 each to-day. This life of severe hardship and -exposure has affected my health. Our diet consists of hard bread, flour, -which we eat half cooked, and salt pork, with occasionally a salmon -which we purchase of the Indians. Vegetables are not to be procured. Our -feet are wet all day, while a hot sun shines down upon our heads, and -the very air parches the skin like the hot air of an oven. Our drinking -water comes down to us thoroughly impregnated with the mineral -substances washed through the thousand cradles above us. After our days -of labor, exhausted and faint, we <i>retire</i>—if this word may be applied -to the simple act of lying down in our clothes—robbing our feet of -their boots to make a pillow of them, and wrapping our blankets about -us, on a bed of pine boughs, or on the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_58">{58}</a></span> ground, beneath the clear, -bright stars of night. Near morning there is always a change in the -temperature of the air, and several blankets become necessary. Then the -feet and the hands of the novice in this business become blistered and -lame, and the limbs are stiff. Besides all these causes of sickness, the -anxieties and cares which wear away the life of so many men who leave -their families to come to this land of gold, contribute, in no small -degree, to this same result. It may with truth be said, “the whole head -is sick, and the whole heart faint.” I have to-day removed to the top of -the hill above the encampment, and beneath a large oak-tree, for the -benefit of a cooler air and shade during the intense heat of noon.</p> - -<p>Aug. 20th. After my last date I was prostrated at once by the -acclimating disease of the country, and rendered as helpless as a child. -All day and all night long I was alone under my oak, and without those -kind attentions so necessary in sickness, and which can not be had here. -I was reduced to a very low state, with but little hope, under the -circumstances, of recovery. It did seem hard to lie down to die there, -and to think that I was no more to see my beloved family. Yet I feared -not to die. Indeed, I marked off the spot under the oak where my grave -should be, and prayed for submission to God’s righteous will, and that -his love would protect and bless those dear to me.</p> - -<p>The lines of an Englishman, addressed, as he was dying at the mines, “to -a gold coin,” vividly described my feelings at that time:<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_59">{59}</a></span></p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“For thee, for thee, vile yellow slave,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">I left a heart that loved me true!<br /></span> -<span class="i1">I crossed the tedious ocean-wave,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">To roam in climes unkind and new.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">The cold wind of the stranger blew<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Chill on my withered heart—the grave<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Dark and untimely met my view—<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And all for thee, vile yellow slave!”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>At this critical time, a gentleman from New Orleans, hearing of my case, -came up to see me, and gave me a few pills, which, fortunately, he had -with him. They checked the disease, and after a few hours I could eat a -bird shot and cooked for me by a kind friend. Not soon shall I forget -this noble-hearted friend, B. Rough as a grisly bear, he was yet one of -nature’s noblemen. At home he filled, at one time, the office of -sheriff. He said that the office cost him too much, and was making him -poor. If he was sent to seize a destitute woman’s effects for rent, he -would be sure to pay that rent, and then would send her a bag of flour -from his own farm. Thus we learn that many of the most valuable traits -of character and excellencies of heart lie, like the purest gold, -concealed beneath a rough surface.</p> - -<p>Not thinking it best, in the feeble state of my health, to return to -mining immediately, as soon as I was strong enough, with my blankets -upon my back, I walked to “Sutter’s Mill,” now named Coloma. When I -first reached the country, a school had been offered me in this place at -a stipulated compensation of $16 a day. After spending a few days with -Mr. W., one of the two who discovered the first gold, while engaged in -digging a mill-race for Mr.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_60">{60}</a></span> Sutter, a spot now regarded with peculiar -interest, my health was so much improved that I concluded to return to -the mines.</p> - -<p>On reaching Salmon Falls, to my surprise I found Mr. C., a French -gentleman, and who had formerly had the charge of the French classes in -my seminary, and who was now waiting to invite me to join himself and a -friend, a dentist from Philadelphia, in a prospecting tour upon the -north and middle forks. We spent two weeks in this exploring tour, and -on our return to Salmon Falls spent several days in mining there. When -all our expenses were paid and a dividend made, we had $2 each, the -result of three weeks of hard toil.</p> - -<p>Hearing of good diggings at Weaver’s Creek, I proposed to my companions -to go over, and, after prospecting, send them word. One of them -accompanied me on my way as far as Coloma. As he was leaving me to -return, after spending the night together in an emigrant’s wagon we -found by the roadside, a miner who had just arrived, after a long and -dangerous journey across the plains, rode up to me. He told me he was -without money, and without provisions or tools for mining, having -exhausted his means on his long journey. This miner, named W., had been -a Texas Ranger. When he told me his condition, I went with him into -Coloma, and succeeded in procuring all he wanted on a credit of a few -days. He manifested his gratitude by offering to pack my provisions with -his own upon his mule, and to accompany me wherever I was going. After -traveling three miles, we stopped under a tree to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_61">{61}</a></span> cook slap-jacks—a -fried batter—and pork, and wait for the cool of the evening. About four -o’clock we again started for the diggings on Weaver’s Creek, five miles -distant. Taking the wrong trail, we lost our way, and wandered on six -miles till it was too dark to see the path. We were in a wild gorge of -the mountain, hungry and tired, with no means of kindling a fire, and my -feet badly blistered. But our most serious want was that of water, our -thirst having become intolerable. We tied a rope to the neck of our -mule, keeping one end of it in our hands, hoping that his instinct would -lead him to water; but we were disappointed; and hungry, thirsty, and -tired, we laid us down where we could feel a place in the dark which was -smooth enough.</p> - -<p>In the morning we found, to our surprise, that we had been sleeping in -the middle of the road, and within a few yards of us was a fine spring -of water. Yesterday morning we reached Weaver’s Creek, and, after -prospecting some hours, located ourselves on the spot where we now are -at work, with some good prospect of success. Just below us is a Georgia -miner, who showed me to-day nine pounds of gold he made last week with -the assistance of two hired men. The mountains here are very precipitous -and abrupt, hanging over our heads in wild grandeur. The creek is only -accessible through wild ravines and over steep mountains. Owing to their -great depth, and their being shut up on all sides by mountains so lofty -that the sun rises two hours later, and sets two hours earlier than upon -the plains, the heat is most intense. We have spent our first day in<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_62">{62}</a></span> -making preparations for our work. W. is now putting up a brush arbor, to -guard us more effectually against the heat of the sun. Beneath the same -large and wide-spreading tree are two other companies of miners. In one -of these companies is a Missourian, shivering beneath the hot sun with a -violent attack of fever and ague. For several days I have remonstrated -with him against going into the cold water when heated, and standing -there while washing out the gold. To-day he became much heated, and in -this state repeated the experiment, and in ten minutes was seen creeping -into his blankets. In a little time he sent for me. His look was very -wild and wandering as I went to his side, and he said, looking up -shivering into the tree above him, “Woods, if you don’t remove this -tree, my fever never <i>will</i> break.”</p> - -<p>Weaver’s Creek, Aug. 21st. Our mining company has been to-day increased, -two others having joined us, making our number five. One of these has -been engaged in walling in a spring where we obtain our -drinking-water—another is making a cradle. The others have been -employed in removing the stones and top soil, and carrying the -auriferous dirt on hand-barrows, made of hides, down to the edge of the -water, ready to be washed. From every indication, we have “struck a rich -lead.” We find much gold on the rocks: on one I counted twenty-five -scales.</p> - -<p>Aug. 22d. We have finished our cradle, and washed a little dirt this -forenoon, which yielded us about $10 in all. Our hopes are bright for -the morrow.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_63">{63}</a></span></p><p>Aug. 23d. How is “the gold become dim!” After all our preparations and -hopes, our toil early and late, toil of the most laborious kind, digging -down in the channel of the river till the water was up to our knees, -giving ourselves barely time to eat, we have made but $4 each. We sat -down upon the rocks, and looked at the small ridge of gold in the pan, -and then at each other. One fell to swearing, another to laughing; I -tried to say some encouraging things. Our way indeed is dark, and great -are our difficulties, and oft-repeated our failures, and we experience -the bitterness of the “hope deferred which maketh the heart sick,” but -our motto must be <i>press on</i>. The motives which induced us to come here -were good—our object is good—then, trusting in God’s merciful -providence, let us <i>persevere</i>.</p> - -<p>One young man near us has just died. He was without companion or -friend—alone in his tent. Not even his name could be discovered. We -buried him, tied down his tent, leaving his effects within. Thus is a -home made doubly desolate. Years will pass, and that loved son, or -brother, or husband still be expected, and the question still repeated, -Why don’t he come? Right below me, upon a root of our wide-spreading -oak, is seated an old man of three-score and ten years. He left a wife -and seven children at home, whose memory he cherishes with a kind of -devotion unheard of before. He says when he is home-sick he can not cry, -but it makes him sick at his stomach. He is an industrious old man, but -has not made enough to buy his provisions, and we have given him a -helping hand. Is it surprising that many fly to gambling, and more to -drink, to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_64">{64}</a></span> drown their disappointments? To-day I have weighed my little -store of gold, after paying all expenses, and find it amounts, after -over six weeks of hard labor, to $35.</p> - -<p>Aug. 25th. Yesterday I returned to Salmon Falls, and am again encamped -beneath the old oak upon the hill, Mr. C. and his friend being with me. -They have slung their hammocks up among the branches, where they sleep -comfortably, protected from the ants and vermin. My bed is, as usual, -upon the ground, where even my night-bag does not guard me from the -annoying attacks of the ants and lizards. Last night, after I had fallen -asleep, my companions were aroused by hearing a ciote barking near us, -and soon they saw him come and smell of my hands and face, seeming to -doubt whether he could take a bite without being detected.</p> - -<p>A company of nineteen have just commenced damming the river at the head -of an island above the falls, nearly a mile in length, by which they -expect to lay bare the channel, on one side, the whole length of the -island. The proceedings of a meeting of the company to-day, with -reference to my admission, were truly Californian. It was first resolved -that I should be admitted, and then, as they had been at work two days, -that I should furnish the company five bottles of brandy as the -condition of my membership. The brandy was bought and drank, and then a -committee waited upon me to notify me that I was a member, and that the -trader had furnished them brandy to the amount of $10 on my account. As -they knew that there was no other way by which<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_65">{65}</a></span> they could obtain a -“treat” from me, it was bought and drank before I was informed of the -transaction.</p> - -<p>On my way from Weaver’s Creek yesterday, I made the acquaintance of an -intelligent gentleman from Washington City, who had held there a -profitable office under government, and had left a family behind him. He -came hoping to better a good condition. A few days labor in the mines -was sufficient to convince him that it would have been better to “let -well enough alone.” His is not a solitary case. The mines are full of -such. The wonderful instances of success which those at home are made to -believe are common, are about in the proportion of one to a thousand. Of -the nine hundred and ninety-nine cases of failure, or at least of -limited success, those at a distance know nothing—nothing of the -privations and discouragements, trials, dangers, and deaths.</p> - -<p>Aug. 26th. On my way to the place for preaching to-day, I stepped into a -hornet’s nest, and was badly stung on my hand. These hornets, called -“yellow jackets,” live around and in our tents, and share our -provisions. I have had twenty of them on my plate at once. My hand was -much swollen, and I feared I should be unable to fulfill my engagement -with the company by preaching to them. The kindness of the wife of one -of the miners, who brought a bottle of hartshorn from the tent, and -bathed my hand with it, soon relieved me. Our church was “God’s first -temple.” My audience were seated upon the grass on the river bank, -beneath a cluster of pine trees. There they were, from all the -states—from Europe, from Africa, from Oceanica. Such hours of worship<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_66">{66}</a></span> -on God’s holy day, spent with my mining companions, or with some beloved -Christian brother who remained “steadfast, unmoveable” in his integrity -amid the corrupting vices of the mines, will never be forgotten. When we -could not walk to the house of God in company, we sometimes walked upon -the mountains, and there together sang the songs of Zion, and prayed to -the Father ever merciful and good in a strange land. I take pleasure in -recalling to my mind such a noble-hearted Christian, who had devoted one -fourth of all his anticipated earnings in California to religious -charities. It was my pleasure afterward, when in San Francisco, to send -him, through the Secretary of the American Bible Society, a quantity of -Bibles, hymn-books, and sermons, his purpose being to form a Bible class -among the miners. He wished them to be sent as early as possible, as “he -hoped,” he said, “to get possession of the ground, and thus keep out the -gambling table and the brandy bottle.”</p> - -<p>Sept. 3d. We are yet at work throwing a dam over the river. It would be -thought, from the manner in which some members of the company talk about -what they “know must be” in the channel of the river, that they expect -to do no more work after this. A perfect Mohammedan heaven, with its -tree bearing every luxury, its beautiful treasures, its arbors where no -care or trouble exist, seem ready to be revealed as soon as the water -which curtains them over shall be drawn aside. An interesting incident -occurred to-day. A young Englishman in our company, from the Society -Islands, was returning to his tent during<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_67">{67}</a></span> the interval at noon for -lunch and rest. On his way, one of the many strangers he met inquired -the way to certain mines below. From this they fell into a conversation -upon some indifferent topic, and both being wearied, they sat down, side -by side, upon a rock, little thinking what an interesting and beautiful -revelation was about to be made to them. In the conversation, one -incidentally inquired of the other where he was from. “From the Society -Islands,” was the reply. With an awakened interest in his manner, he -inquired, “Which island?” “Tahiti,” was the answer. He looked into the -face of the other with a searching gaze, and with deep emotion inquired, -“What is your name?” “ H.,” he said, “<i>You are my brother!</i>” And they -were locked in each other’s arms. There they are, on the bar below me, -walking arm in arm, and conversing with intense interest. I afterward -learned more of these brothers from a lady, whose father was the first -missionary to Tahiti.</p> - -<p>Sept. 8th. Our damming operation has been an entire failure. We spent -many days in constructing the dam, which, when completed, drained a -large portion of the river. When this was done, we thoroughly prospected -the whole, and found nothing. The banks and bars of the river were rich -in some places, but there was not a grain of gold in the channel.</p> - -<p>Sept. 9th. Attended preaching at Mormon Island to-day. Being late out, I -called to spend the night with a company of gentlemen from Cincinnati, -who are encamped in a solitary place some two miles below Salmon Falls, -upon the river. We had just fin<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_68">{68}</a></span>ished our supper an hour since, during -which they were relating to me some difficulties they had with the -Indians, who had stolen $200 from them. After this theft, and the -measures which had been resorted to for the recovery of the money, the -Indians would frequently come after dark and throw stones across the -river into their camp.</p> - -<p>Sept. 15th. Upon a bar above our dam some miners lately met with some -success. Rumors of this success, but much exaggerated, were circulated. -Ounces were reported pounds. The change at once was magical. Trading -tents, the signs of rival physicians, eating and gambling booths have -sprung up, and the noise and confusion of a large village are heard. -More than a hundred men are at work upon the bar. The auriferous dirt -must be taken a quarter of a mile to the river to be washed. Some do -this by packing the dirt in bags upon mules, and some pack this upon -their own backs. One company, from Hartford, gave us a surprise this -morning. They had with them a quantity of hose, and by this means -brought the water from the river upon the bar, thus saving the labor of -packing the dirt. The gold is chiefly found in one vein, running in -nearly a direct line at right angles to the river. The few who have -found this vein have done comparatively well. All the rest “spend their -labor for that which is not bread.” A company of Cincinnati miners have -invited me to work with them a “claim” upon this bar. They have just -told me that the Indians came last night in large numbers, and made an -attack upon their camp, which they were compelled to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_69">{69}</a></span> abandon at -midnight, and, swimming the river, to take refuge with a company of New -York miners.</p> - -<p>Sept. 18th. There is but little dirt upon this bar, and it is now -regarded as “worked out,” and the miners are leaving as fast as they -came. Our company have made upon the bar $65 each. I have been now three -months in the mines, and have made $390. There is much sickness here. -One half of the whole population are sick. I have to-day been informed -of the mournful death of a merchant from Philadelphia, a fellow-voyager -from Cape San Lucas. He was the object of anxious solicitude to his -friends soon after his arrival at San Francisco. He had come on with -bright hopes, which were sadly disappointed. To drown his sorrows and -disappointments, he had given himself up to drink. Many times had they -expostulated with him, but in vain. He died at San Francisco.</p> - -<p>Sept. 30th. Left Salmon Falls on Wednesday last for San Francisco. My -object in taking this journey was to get my letters from home. On my -arrival in the country I had received letters, but it is now five months -since my last were dated. My anxiety to hear from my family had become -very great. A friend offered me the use of a vicious mule for the -journey to Sacramento. No bridle could be borrowed, and, besides, I was -to be mounted upon a pack-saddle without stirrups. Imagine me, then, as -thus starting off, my hair and beard of truly patriarchal length, all -unshorn and unshaven. Such superfluities as coat, vest, collar, cravat, -&c., were only remembered with the other comforts once enjoyed.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_70">{70}</a></span> My red -flannel garments gave me a rather warlike appearance. Thus habited and -mounted, a rope’s end was tied around my mule’s neck, which passed in a -running noose over his nose, while I checked his movements by the other -end, which I held in my hand. He did his best several times to run with -me and to throw me, and my companions enjoyed their sport at my expense. -The mule had a most ludicrous way of throwing up his head and braying as -he was about starting to run. From this circumstance I named him -“Roaring Lion.” They were compelled to acknowledge that in these trials -of strength I had the “upper hand.”</p> - -<p>At Sacramento I inquired for a bag of clothing which I supposed had been -stored in the place, and, after a long search, it was pointed out to me -hanging in a tree-top in the town. The friend with whom I left it in -charge to store had put his own clothing in it, and, to avoid paying the -exorbitant price charged for storage, had deposited it where found. On -reaching San Francisco, after a tedious voyage of five days, I hastened -at once to the office of Livingston & Co. to get my letters. When I -inquired for them, I was told there were a number for me, but, on -looking for them, it was found that they had been forwarded, only the -day before, to the mines. My disappointment was great. All the other -privations and trials to which I had been subject were truly light -compared with this. But, like them all, it had this good effect: it led -me to set a higher and more true estimate upon the blessings of our -native land. How priceless, when thus deprived of<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_71">{71}</a></span> them, become our -homes—better than fine gold! On turning away from the office, oppressed -with anxiety and disappointment, I was walking slowly up the street, -when the lively notes of a piano struck my ear. I stopped to listen. It -was a favorite home song—“We have lived and loved together.” My -feelings were moved with emotions of inexpressible tenderness and -sorrow.</p> - -<p>San Francisco, Oct. 19th. Have spent nearly three weeks in this city, -waiting for letters. Col. Moore, post-master, kindly interested himself -in the recall of those sent to the mountains, but they have not been -received. Two mail steamers have arrived since I have been here, and, -though three mails were due, have brought none. Not only one gulf, but -parts of two oceans and one continent, are between me and my family, -while the only comfort which reaches me is the thought that those I love -are under the protecting care of an Almighty Friend.</p> - -<p>There is much sickness now in this city. Many come down sick from the -mines. The situation of such is desperate indeed. There is a heartless -unconcern in the community generally to the sufferings and wants of the -many who are dying wretched deaths in the midst of them. It may not, -perhaps, be possible that it should be otherwise. Every man is too much -occupied with his own concerns to be able to search out objects of -charity; and there are so many such cases constantly recurring, as to -induce a feeling of indifference, the result of familiarity with the -sufferings of others. I was present at a religious meeting when this -subject was mentioned, and means<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_72">{72}</a></span> were suggested for some systematic and -efficient relief. Some cases were related which called for immediate -aid. The case of one young man, in particular, awakened my sympathy, and -I devoted the next forenoon to an effort to find him. I was at length -directed to a large open lot bordering upon the shore, and covered with -bales, boxes, and barrels of goods of all descriptions. After walking up -and down over this lot, I could discover no object of distress, or no -place where he could have found a resting-place, and gave up the -pursuit. Three days afterward, as I was standing at the door of a store -opposite this lot, a small crowd gathered there, and were looking at -some object with intense interest. I crossed over, and there, beneath a -hide stretched over two boxes, and crouched down between these boxes, -was the corpse of the poor man I had sought, who had died there -unfriended and alone. His head was leaning upon his hand, placed upon an -edge of the box. No one could have supposed that a human body was -concealed there. I had twice passed by that very spot in my search for -him. The least groan could have been heard from the street. At the -religious meeting I have mentioned, held beneath the tent chapel of the -Presbyterian church, it was stated that there had been lately twelve -cases of suicide in San Francisco. Yesterday a young man from New -England left his tent in “Happy Valley,” and went to a retired place, -untied his cravat and hung it upon the bushes, took a razor from its -case, and put the case upon his cravat, and then deliberately cut his -own throat. Pecuniary losses, it is supposed, was the cause.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_73">{73}</a></span></p> - -<p>The house in which I have passed my time since I came to the city is one -occupied by Rev. Mr. W., in the suburbs—soon to be the heart of the -city. Across the street from us are some canvas tents, and below these a -shed-house, in which is kept a restaurant; then comes a house made of -hides stretched over a frame, and still lower down are more tents, adobe -and frame houses, containing men, women, and children from all parts of -the world. And there below me extends, far away, the noble bay, covered -with its ships from all nations, to which new arrivals are daily added. -Throngs of people, horses, wagons, oxen, carts, and mules, are ever -passing. And this moment there goes toward the “Presidio” a heavy piece -of ordnance. Here follow two merry young Americans on horseback, each -with a gayly-dressed sigñorita before him, both without bonnets, and -laughing merrily; and hear those glad and happy shouts of children! -Stretched away before me is the world of San Francisco—and what a -world! How the tide of human life flows and dashes upon its shores! -Crowds every day arrive, and other crowds every day leave. Old friends -meet, exchange a few words, and hasten on to the shrine of <i>Mammon</i>. -Multitudes die, the waves close over them, and they are forgotten. It -can hardly be supposed that people come to California <i>to live</i>, since -they are here only <i>preparing to live</i>—much less do they come here <i>to -die</i>. I pray that my life may be spared till I return to a land of -friends, and where man is united to man by the sympathies of life!</p> - -<p>The indifference of a class of the population here<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_74">{74}</a></span> even to the lives of -others, was illustrated by the grave-digger, who has generally to dig -eight or more graves in a day, but yesterday only having three ordered, -he cursed the Yankees for cheating him out of half his day’s earnings.</p> - -<p>Last evening I walked around to about fifty of the gambling tables. A -volume could not describe their splendor or their fatal attractions. The -halls themselves are vast and magnificent, spread over with tables and -implements for gambling. The pictures which decorate them no pen of mine -shall describe. The bar-rooms are furnished with the most expensive -liquors, no care or attention being spared in the <i>compounding and -coloring</i> of them. The music is performed often by professors, and is of -the best kind. The tables are sometimes graced, or disgraced, by -females, who came at first masked, and who are employed to deal the -cards, or who come to play on their own account. “The Bank” consists of -a solid pile of silver coin, surmounted by the golden currency of as -many countries as there are dupes about the table. Often a sack or two -of bullion, which has cost the poor miner months of labor, is placed -upon the top of all. Sufficient money to send one home independent -changed owners during my short stay. A boy of ten years came to one of -the tables with a few dollars. His “run of luck” was surprising, and to -him bewildering. In ten minutes he was the owner of a <i>pile</i> of silver, -with some gold. In one minute more he was without a dollar. Thinking by -one turn of the cards to double his profits, he lost the whole. The -instances of great good luck on the part of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_75">{75}</a></span> players are very rare. -But they sometimes occur. A lawyer of this city recently swept three -tables in one evening. A young man came from the States in one of the -last steamers, and was preparing to go to the mines. He borrowed ten -dollars, and went to one of the faro banks. During the night and a part -of the next forenoon, he had won $7000, when he made a resolution never -to play more, and returned home in the next steamer. Mr. Davidson, the -agent of the Rothschilds, says that some of the professed gamblers send -home by him to England the average sum of $17,000 a month. Many tricks -are resorted to in order to bring persons to the table. An eye-witness -assures me that he has seen the president of the bank slip secretly into -the hand of some one, employed for the purpose of decoying others, a -quantity of coin. On receiving this, he would leave the room, but soon -return, and present himself in a noisy manner at the table, and boldly -“plank down” the very money he had received. In five minutes the table -would be surrounded by eager players.</p> - -<p>There are but few women yet in California. Several merchants, and others -who intend to spend some years in the country, send for their families. -But the situation of these ladies is not the most comfortable, owing to -the want of society, and to the utter impossibility of procuring -servants in the family. By the death of their husbands, the condition of -the wives would be pitiable, though there seem to be enough who would -persuade them to change their solitary life as soon as possible. A lady -now in this city, soon after her arrival here lost her husband. Before<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_76">{76}</a></span> -he had been dead a week, she received three proposals of marriage.</p> - -<p>The price of labor is yet very high, though not as high as it was in the -spring. Good carpenters and masons command their $8 a day. The citizens -frequently send their clothes to the Sandwich and Society Islands, and -even to Valparaiso, and other places on the coast, to be washed, to -avoid the great expense for washing here. All kinds of goods are lower -than they were a few months since. Coal, which was $100, is now $9 a -ton. Vegetables have fallen from $1 to 25 cts. a lb. Eggs maintain their -high price, selling at $20 a dozen.</p> - -<p>After much inquiry, we have determined to go, for our next mining -season, to the southern mines. We are led to this determination chiefly -on account of the better health enjoyed there.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_77">{77}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.<br /><br /> -<small>SOUTHERN MINES.</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Having</span> made our preparations, and engaged passage on board a schooner -for Stockton, on the 19th day of October we started. Our company was -made up chiefly of young gentlemen from Boston. Our sail up the bays and -the San Joaquin River was accomplished in six days. We furnished our own -provisions, which, owing to the length of our journey, proved -insufficient. Notwithstanding the very heavy dews, we were compelled to -sleep on deck. In consequence, one of our company took so severe a cold -that he returned to San Francisco from Stockton, abandoning mining; -while another, a young man from Uxbridge—alas! will disregard all the -earnest advice of his friends to return, and will go on, a doomed -man—will reach the mines, and we shall there leave him in his grave. -Poor C., may his sad story be a warning to multitudes of young men, -having good business and good prospects at home, to remain there, -contented with small, but steady and sure gains! Sad, sad was his fate -to be, for we were soon to bury him, in sight, and within a few yards of -those rich deposits, the exaggerated accounts of which are now luring -him, and will lure so many others to their ruin! Poor friend! even the -hardened muleteers, having charge of our provisions, pity his sorrows, -and walk<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_78">{78}</a></span> themselves, that they may supply a mule for his faltering and -fainting steps. All see death in his haggard countenance and sunken -eyes, yet <i>he sees it not</i>. Never shall I forget my interview with him, -while I walked by the mule on which he was riding, a few days only -before his death. He was telling me of the bright and happy future -before him. Taking from his vest pocket a daguerreotype, he placed it in -my hands, requesting me to open it. What simplicity, what truth were -portrayed in that lovely countenance! Well might he think his future a -happy one. I could hardly conceal from him my emotion as I returned his -priceless treasure, and thought, never will you take to your bosom the -loving and the loved! In a few days I communicated to his friends the -intelligence of his death.</p> - -<p>Stockton, Oct. 25th. An escape so remarkable occurred to-day that it -should not be omitted. Calling at the store of Paige & Webster to -purchase provisions, I stood conversing with the clerk, the bag -containing the supplies lying at my feet. Thinking the string was loose, -I stooped over to examine it. At that very moment there was the sharp -crack of a pistol in the store adjoining, and separated only by a cloth -partition. On rising hastily, I perceived that the bullet had passed -through the tent directly in range of my body. Without moving, I took -the measurement, and found that, had I not moved the <i>very second</i> I -did, the ball must have gone directly through my heart. It passed within -an inch or two of my spine. A little crowd were instantly upon the spot, -wondering at this almost miraculous escape.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_79">{79}</a></span></p> - -<p>Our journey from Stockton to Marepoosa, a distance of one hundred and -twenty miles, was accomplished between Oct. 27th and Nov. 15th. We took -our own provisions and cooking utensils with us, there being few eating -tents on the way. After three days’ travel the rainy season set in, and -we found it necessary to pitch our tents—sometimes doing this in the -mud, spreading down our blankets upon the wet and cold ground, there to -remain for two or three days. After we had crossed the plain of the San -Joaquin and entered among the mountains, we had fine scenery and -beautiful sunsets. Our guide was endeavoring to take us by a new track -to the mines, and on our march, Nov. 2d, we were lost among the -mountains. After a consultation, the guide and muleteers concluded to -cross a high mountain, without a path and very steep. In ascending, two -of the mules missed their footing, rolling over and over, down the -precipitous sides of the hill, till arrested uninjured by some rock or -stump. By the time we had reached the summit of the mountain, and passed -across an extent of table-land to an abrupt bluff, at the foot of which -was to be seen the beautiful Tuolumne, night had crept upon us. With the -night came torrents of rain, driving through our thin canvas roof in a -shower of large drops. During the night I was conscious of a sensation -of coldness which had completely benumbed me. When sufficiently awake to -ascertain the cause, I found that, owing to the unevenness of the -ground, I had slid down till my feet were immersed in a cold bath -outside the tent. All the next day we kept our tent,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_80">{80}</a></span> amusing ourselves -by reading, sewing, and conversing. The morning after, the clouds had -disappeared, and the sun rose in splendor. The birds sang their most -enlivening songs. It was like our May at home. On walking out of our -tents, we perceived the huge foot-prints of the grisly bear at just -twenty-six paces distant, and there were the holes where he had -scratched up the ground in pursuit of the ants and bugs, which he -devours with avidity. The centipedes and tarantulas occasioned us no -little apprehension and uneasiness. After the rain commenced, we -frequently found them between and under our blankets.</p> - -<p>On one of the mornings of our march, my feet being lame, I started in -advance of the train, that I might take time to rest, not expecting to -see the party again till they overtook me at the end of the day’s march. -When I left, all preparations for a start had been made, and the -muleteers had gone out for their mules. Two of them, however, were -missing, and so much of the day was spent before they were found, that -the guide concluded to remain in camp till the next morning. Upon -reaching the spring where I supposed we were to encamp, and having -quenched my thirst, hungry and weary, I went to a large and shady tree a -short distance from the path, and sat down to await my companions. For -some time I occupied my mind with reading the “Pilgrim’s Progress,” -which I had in my pocket. Soon, however, Bunyan’s dream began to mingle -with my own, and I fell into a long, deep sleep. When I awoke, -bewildered and confused, it was near<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_81">{81}</a></span> night, and nowhere were my -companions to be seen. Had they passed me during the day, and gone on to -the next encampment, or had some accident delayed them, were becoming -anxious questions to me. I perceived, by new tracks, that several trains -had passed while I was asleep. Was mine one of them? I determined—why, -I hardly know—to retrace my morning steps. But soon a new source of -anxiety arose. My course in the morning had been across a plain at the -foot of the mountains, till at length it brought me up among them. As I -descended the last steeps of these, and saw the plain extended out below -me, far in the distance, and very far from the trail I had come, I saw a -mule-train which I thought must be mine, and concluded that I had been -all this time wandering out of my way. Fixing their direction in my mind -before descending upon the plain, and while the sun was setting, I -struck across, leaving my path, and hoping to intersect theirs by the -time they should come into camp. If I could not effect this, I must -spend the night without food, or water, or blankets, with also the -prospect of being <i>lost</i> among the mountains. This, in my situation, -would be attended with much inconvenience and some danger. Several have -been lost in this manner, and never seen again. At length I succeeded in -reaching the train, and found it was not mine; but I had the -satisfaction of hearing from my companions, and that they were still at -their last night’s camp. At about ten o’clock I reached our encampment. -Tired and hungry as I was, I stood for some time struck with the scene -before me. In<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_82">{82}</a></span> addition to the usual camp-fires, giving to every thing a -wild, gipsy-like air, my friends had cut down a large tree, and, piling -up all the branches and a quantity of dry fuel, had made a grand -bonfire. The whole country about was lighted up. Hastening to the camp, -I first snatched up the coffee-pot, and, finding it half full, began to -drink heartily of the contents, too thirsty to judge of its quality. -When I joined the cheerful party around the blazing fire, I was appealed -to to decide a question which they had been and still were eagerly -discussing. The subject was one which, being brought up under our -circumstances, and at such a distance from home, was calculated to -awaken a lively interest. It was respecting the comparative merits of -the Boston Common and the New York Battery, and was agitated by young -miners from those cities.</p> - -<p>As we approach the mines, accounts vary greatly as to the prospects of -the miners. Those who are, like ourselves, going toward the Marepoosa -diggings, hear a thousand exasperated stories of success; but the -multitude who are already leaving this region for other mines bring back -the most discouraging reports. As we have found it elsewhere, so it is -here; at a distance—in Stockton, in San Francisco, in the States, the -Marepoosa diggings are regarded as very rich, and are thought by some to -be the ancient Ophir. Now that we are within a few miles, the -enchantment which distance lends has vanished. It is found that, in -general, the miners are not making a living. At the River Mercedes we -saw some Indians, called Savage’s Indians, from an American with that<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_83">{83}</a></span> -name, who shot the chief and took his place in the tribe. He was -formerly a companion of Colonel Fremont. These Indians were fishing for -salmon, at which business they are very expert and successful. All the -Indians in the country are <i>openly</i> friendly, but their friendship is -not to be trusted. They have acquired a growing distrust of the emigrant -miners, so often are they made the subjects of the most cruel and -barbarous impositions. To me their whole deportment appears threatening. -Even when they come into our camps with presents or to trade, their -conduct says plainly, “We bide our time!” It may be delayed, but the -time will come when they will seek revenge; and woe be to those who are -among these wild mountain fastnesses when that fearful time comes!</p> - -<p>I have seen but few birds among the mountains of California. The large -French woodpecker is the most common. It feeds upon the acorn, of which -it lays up immense supplies after they have fallen from the trees. It -can not put its stores in the ground, for the bears and squirrels would -scratch them up and devour them. They pick a hole in the bark of the -tree, of such a size that the acorn will exactly fit into it; then they -fly down, and, taking one in the bill, drive it deep into the hole. -There are thousands of these acorns sometimes in a single tree, which -have the appearance of so many bullets shot into it. There is a singular -species of the frog, similar to the “horned frog” of Texas. It is as -large as the common frog, but covered with scales, with two of the same -scales, but larger, protruding out from<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_84">{84}</a></span> its head. There are abundance -of elk, deer, and antelope; but the most remarkable animal is the grisly -bear. This animal is eight to eleven feet in length, and four to six in -girth. It is of a dark brown color, with long, shaggy hair. It possesses -wonderful strength, and a single blow of its iron-clawed paw would fell -an ox; yet it rarely attacks unless provoked. It never lies in wait for -its prey. It is dangerous to attack him. Few persons have the hardihood, -when alone, to fire upon him, and then look for a tree to which they may -retreat.</p> - -<p>We passed, on our way, through “Fremont’s camp,” where, a year since, -the colonel had a large number of Indians working for him. It is now -quite a settlement; and the very day we passed through, a company of -sixty men was organized to pursue and punish the Indians for various -depredations lately committed. Finding so little which was favorable in -our prospect, we started for Sherlock’s diggings, led by new stories of -wonderful success. The two brothers Sherlock, who discovered this place, -are said to have taken out $30,000 from a small square spot of ground. -They went to Monterey to deposit their money and make preparations to -continue their profitable labors. While there, in an unguarded manner, -one day, they let fall some hints concerning their success. These were -not lost upon two sailors belonging to a man-of-war then lying in the -bay, and who happened to be present. They returned on board, asked and -obtained a furlough for seven weeks, made their preparations, and when -the Sherlocks started, they started also. It was not long be<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_85">{85}</a></span>fore the -Sherlocks suspected the purpose of the sailors, and, to elude them, very -quietly arose at midnight, packed their mules, and silently proceeded on -their way. What was their surprise in the morning to find their pursuers -still following them. Every means was resorted to in order to avoid them -or mislead their search, but all in vain. They were always <i>there</i>. -Seeing that they were “in for it,” they made a virtue of necessity, took -the sailors with them, gave them valuable instructions, and every -assistance in their power. A few weeks since, and before the expiration -of their furlough, the two sailors returned on board with ninety pounds -of gold.</p> - -<p>Here we encountered severe hardships, camping in leaky tents, upon wet -and muddy ground, from which we raised ourselves only by spreading down -pine boughs beneath us, being chilled with the cold rain and snow. -Yesterday a friend was seated by me upon a log at the opening of the -tent. “Oh!” said he, “let me be at home with my wife and little -daughter, and I will live on one meal a day. I have often wondered,” he -continued, “how the poor Irish <i>could live</i> in their hovels, but look -here at <i>our home</i>! Their situation is Paradise compared to ours! My -wife would cry herself to death if she could see what I suffer!”</p> - -<p>Nov. 16th. To-day we commenced our labors at Sherlock’s, contracting to -pay $5 a day for an old cradle, while the sum total of our first day’s -labor has been one dollar. One of my companions amused us by telling us, -while speaking of the wrong ideas those form of the mines who have never -seen them,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_86">{86}</a></span> the advice his father gave him. He told him not to work too -hard, but to buy a low chair and a small iron rake, and, taking his -seat, to rake over the sand, and, picking up the pieces of gold as they -came to view, to put them in a box.</p> - -<p>Nov. 17th. The sum total made to-day is 25 cents; and this when -provisions are selling at $1 25 a pound, with the prospect of being -still higher. We returned this evening to our camp tired and hungry, -and, finding very little here to eat, have put on a kettle of acorns to -boil, upon which, with a little venison, we shall make our supper. There -are many depredations committed by the Indians. Mules are stolen, and -driven away to be eaten.</p> - -<p>Nov. 19th. To-day we have made 50 cents each. This evening, as I was -passing through the village on my way to the trading-tent, I perceived -an old, drunken sailor cooking some nice steaks from the grisly bear. I -had never yet tasted the meat, and when I expressed a curiosity to do -this, a tin plate, with a generous slice of the savory meat, was placed -before me on the ground, with a bottle of brandy. The latter I eschewed, -while the former I chewed, and found it delicious—similar to young -pork. While we were enjoying the feast, the old sailor related to me a -remarkable instance of success in his own case a few days before. His -account was corroborated by others, who gave me some particulars which -he withheld. He was walking, or rather staggering, for he had been -drinking pretty deeply, upon the bank, below which the miners were hard -at work. As he was thus proceeding, singing as he went, he kicked<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_87">{87}</a></span> his -foot against a stone, causing it to roll over. Turning around, and at -the same time raising his clinched fist, he began to curse the stone, -when his attention and oaths were all arrested together, for he saw at -the bottom of the hole from which the stone was displaced something -yellow and bright. In an instant he was upon his knees, knife in hand, -and soon held up a beautiful lump of nearly pure gold, valued at $500. -In one week he had drank and gambled the whole away. Such instances as -this have given rise to the opinion among the miners that the worthless, -drinking, and gambling characters have better success than the sober and -persevering laborer.</p> - -<p>Nov. 21st. It is now about seven months since my last letter from my -family. My feelings may then be imagined when, late yesterday afternoon, -I heard there were letters for me at Fremont’s camp, eight miles -distant, over the mountain. Although suffering greatly from blistered -feet, I started early this morning, after passing a sleepless night. -Alas! what was my disappointment at finding my letters were from San -Francisco, soliciting the votes and influence of our company in favor of -the election of a candidate to some office! Indeed, it is not surprising -that, amid such trials and hardships, so many become disheartened, and -resort to forbidden and fatal pleasures and stimulants.</p> - -<p>Dec. 1st. Finding all our efforts unavailing, and that none around us -were succeeding, we visited Aqua Frio some days since, and have now -removed here. There does not appear to be much doing here,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_88">{88}</a></span> but it is a -larger settlement, but few now remaining at Sherlock’s. It is, on this -account, more safe from the encroachments of the Indians, and provisions -are more easily obtained. These are, however, constantly rising. Each -dash of rain adds one or two shillings a pound to the price of every -article. This is owing to the fact that, as the rains render the roads -worse, the price for transportation proportionally increases. We are now -paying $1 50 a pound for provisions. The price of a barrel of flour here -would go far toward supporting a family at home for a year. Four pounds -of hard, moldy bread for our mule cost us about $6. And yet, with these -high prices, the miners in the best diggings in the region do not -average $1 50 a day. We have not done this.</p> - -<p>Dec. 3d. Lying awake in my tent last night, I overheard three miners, -who had come in partially intoxicated at midnight to their tent, within -a few feet of us, talking over their plans. It seemed that one of them -had just weighed the gold they had made that day, and found it nine -ounces. They were to be up early, and start for the same place again. I -conformed my movements to theirs the next forenoon, with an experienced -miner for a companion. With our picks and spades, we soon reached the -place where they were at work. They were in the middle of the channel, -having turned the stream from its course, up to their knees in the mud -and water, while one of their number was constantly employed in “bailing -out.” We prospected near them for a few hours, as they told us many -others had done, unsuccessfully. They did not themselves ex<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_89">{89}</a></span>pect to find -employment for more than two days, the deposit already beginning to -fail.</p> - -<p>Dec. 4th. There was a large fall of snow last night, which pressed so -heavily upon our tent that it fell in upon us; but we kept our beds till -morning, the bank of snow above us adding not a little to the warmth of -our blankets. I went down, after breakfast, to the diggings, and -brushing away the snow, and breaking the ice, attempted to wash out some -gold in a pan; but I made nothing. Becoming thoroughly chilled, with my -hands and feet frost-bitten, I returned to my tent; but here it is -almost as bad. The canvas, of which our tent is made, is under the snow, -our provisions <i>scarce</i>, the fire out, and the day very cold. Two of my -companions, feeling the pressure of hunger, went to the tent of an -acquaintance, where they found some venison steaks and bread, which had -been left at breakfast. They made their dinner from these, being -comforted by the thought that some ciote or stray dog would bear the -blame. What renders our situation more deplorable is the want of proper -clothing. Good boots are so scarce that $96 are readily given for a -pair.</p> - -<p>A miner related in my hearing to-day the manner in which he employed -others to work for him. He marked off a claim ten feet square, and -commenced digging in one corner of it. Finding it likely to be a more -serious job than he anticipated, and being tired of it, and yet not -willing to abandon it without knowing what lay at the bottom, he -concealed several pieces of gold, one weighing two ounces, in a corner -of his claim. Watching his opportunity when<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_90">{90}</a></span> several persons were near, -he artfully uncovered one of the lumps, seeming, at the same time, -anxious to conceal it. In a few moments several spectators were eyeing -his movements. Soon he turned up two or three more small pieces, and -then the larger one. In ten minutes the ground all about him was marked -off, and many picks and shovels were employed in prospecting for him, -while he went back to his tent, pleased with the success of his -maneuver. Several good offers were made him for his claim, and, had he -been so disposed, he might have made a good bargain; but he was -satisfied with the amount of labor he thus procured. In many cases the -grossest impositions have been practiced. Persons have scattered gold in -the dirt of a claim they held, then have offered it for a high price, -exhibiting a pan full of the rich soil as a specimen. We have now spent -many days at Aqua Frio without finding any prospect of success; on the -contrary, being involved in debt; and have determined to break up our -camp, and, disposing of our tents, cooking utensils, &c., to retrace our -steps toward Stockton. One of our company is disposed a little longer to -try his fortunes—or rather his misfortunes—at the Marepoosa mines. -Another remains in his lonely grave. All the others, excepting myself, -intend to return to San Francisco, and, as soon as they are able, to -leave for home.</p> - -<p>On Monday, Dec. 10th, we started with a mule-train bound for Stockton, -which took a few pounds of freight for us, while I packed twenty pounds -upon my back. The first day we traveled fifteen miles over the -mountains, and saw hundreds going to and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_91">{91}</a></span> from the mines. Burns’s tent -was so filled with travelers that we were compelled to sleep out in the -open air, which was so severely cold that the water froze by our side. -The next night we slept at Montgomery’s ranch, after walking -twenty-three miles. Spreading our blankets down upon the ground, beneath -a canvas roof, we slept so closely packed that no person could have -stepped between us. For breakfast we had tea, hard bread, beans, and -pork, and a few pickles, for all which we paid $2 each. The following -day we traveled in the rain twenty-five miles, fording the Tuolumne. My -companions had all dropped behind, half frozen and tired out, seeking -shelter and rest in some trading or eating tents we had passed. I pushed -on with the mule-train, hoping at night to reach a comfortable shelter; -but night found us completely exhausted, and far from any settlement. -The company traveling with the mule-train had a tent, but there was no -spare room which they could offer me. I had to make up my mind to spend -the night alone in the drenching rain, and it was a night I shall never -forget. A large log-fire was burning, by which I sat till a late hour, -when I happened to remember that I had seen a large hollow tree by the -road side, at some little distance from our camp. Taking a blazing -brand, I went and examined the tree, and found that the hollow would -afford my body a shelter by sitting upright, and leaving my feet exposed -to the rain. I kindled a fire, collecting some brush and bark with which -to replenish it during the night. Then, with the ax I had borrowed, I -removed a quantity of dead<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_92">{92}</a></span> leaves and filthy rubbish accumulated at the -bottom of my cavern. To my alarm, I found among this rubbish fresh marks -of a large bear, which had lately found refuge here from a storm such as -now drove me to its shelter. But there seemed no alternative, and I -thought, besides, that my fire would be a protection against wild -beasts; so I wrapped my blankets about me, and, sinking down into my -novel bed, with my feet in a cold bath, I listened to the pattering of -the rain, thinking of those far away. Soon my fire began to fail, and I -had placed the last piece of bark upon it, and fallen asleep. When I -awoke it was pouring in torrents, and my fire was entirely out. Then -came thoughts of the bear, and I instinctively drew in my legs, not -wishing to place temptation within his reach, should he be prowling -about me. It would not do; I was nearly frozen; the water began to find -its way into my bed, which I apprehended I should soon be compelled to -share with old Bruin. Then it was so dark. I got up, took my blankets -over my arm, and started to return to the log-fire, which I saw dimly -burning in the distance. In my haste, I forgot that there was a bend in -the bank of the stream below us, making it necessary for me to take a -circuit round in order to reach my companions. I soon found myself -lodged among the bushes and stones at the bottom of the bank. Then came -over me a nervous feeling like a nightmare, and I could already feel -myself in the grasp of the grisly bear—his claws and teeth were in my -flesh. Dropping my ax, and every thing but my blankets, and losing one -of my shoes, I began an imaginary scram<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_93">{93}</a></span>ble and flight from my imaginary -pursuer. The remainder of the night I passed, wrapped up in my blankets, -by the log-fire. A walk of twelve miles the day following brought me to -the Stanislaus, where I was to separate from my companions, who had not -yet come up—they going on to Stockton, and I to the Stanislaus -diggings. The rain continued to pour down. Little dreamed our friends at -home of our situation then! With scarcely a dollar in our pockets, a -long journey before us, cold, hungry, and wet, our oppressed hearts were -ready to sink. Alas! little did I anticipate what a gloomy future was -before two of those companions! One of them was the only and the -idolized son of his parents, and tenderly and dearly loved by his -sisters. His home possessed every comfort and convenience. He had come -far from his father’s house to perish with hunger. He resolved, “I will -arise and go to my father.” But that father and that heart-broken mother -he was no more to see. A year after we parted—and oh! what a year of -suffering and privation must that have been—with that companion of his -boyhood and youth, he reached Chagres in most destitute circumstances. -To raise money enough to take him home, he engaged as a boatman on the -river, took the fever, and died. In consequence of my recent exposure, I -had a severe cold, and was entirely unable to travel; yet I had no means -of paying my expenses at a ranch. Under these circumstances, I crossed -the Stanislaus, went to the ranch of Mr. George Islip, a gentleman from -Canada, and told him my situation. “Give yourself no uneasiness,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_94">{94}</a></span>” he -said; “you are welcome as long as you choose to remain with us; all I -request of you is that you will feel yourself at home.” I passed a very -pleasant week with this noble-hearted man, and was treated as a brother. -The wind had blown down his house, and torn the canvas roof to ribbons, -and we were without shelter from the pelting rain; but warm fires, kept -up in the middle of the temporary shelter, made us comfortable. To -protect my body from the rain, I would creep under the table, managing -to keep my feet near the fire. After a week of interesting and wild -adventure, I was set over the river by my friend, and started for the -mines again. The roads were very muddy, and the streams forded with -difficulty. In my first day’s walk I passed three wagons which were -mired—a common occurrence at this season of the year. There were many -dead animals by the road side. My Christmas eve I spent most cheerlessly -at Green Spring, and the next day reached Woods’s diggings. On the 26th -Dec. I visited Sullivan’s diggings, Jamestown, Yorktown, and Curtis’s -Creek. A residence in this portion of the mines was, in every way, more -desirable than in the more distant mines at this season. Provisions were -cheaper, and there was less danger of attacks from the Indians. All the -places I have mentioned, together with the Chinese diggings, Mormon -Gulch, Sonora, and others, were a cluster of mines lying near to each -other, and between the Stanislaus and Tuolumne Rivers. At each of these -places were trading tents and dwellings of the miners, chiefly of -canvas, with some log and hide houses, and one or<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_95">{95}</a></span> two frame buildings. -Sonora is the principal of these, the residence chiefly of Mexicans and -Chilinos, of whom there are some twelve thousand. Here are furnished -provisions, clothing, tools, &c., at almost as low rates as at Stockton. -Its hotels, restaurants, and trading tents presented a very busy -appearance; and there is no place in the mines where gambling is so much -<i>the business</i>. Some comfortable houses have been erected here. After -visiting all the mines, and finding but indifferent prospects at any of -them, I located myself at Curtis’s Creek, to labor in the winter -diggings. I was without a companion, and had heard of a gentleman from -New England who was desirous of sharing his tent and provisions with -some one. He had been out of health, but was supposed to be improving. -My name had been mentioned to him by a friend before I arrived, and he -had expressed a desire to enter into such an arrangement as might be of -mutual advantage. He was considered a man of great intelligence and -worth; and it was partly with the hope of having him as a mining -companion that I had visited Curtis’s. His tent was a mile from the -settlement. Taking my roll of blankets, I walked over to see him. Judge -of my surprise, on reaching his tent, and raising the curtains at the -entrance, and stepping in, to find myself standing before a <i>corpse</i>, -laid out upon a hammock! I learned from a colored man, who soon came in, -that Mr. H. had died half an hour before. He was alone, and seemed to -have just been reaching from his bed for something. The last sentiment -to which he gave utterance was, “I believe I left home<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_96">{96}</a></span> a moral and a -religious man; I have brought morality and religion with me, and, with -God’s assistance, I will keep them to the last.” Neither he nor others -supposed that he was dangerously sick. With the black man, I went out, -and we selected a spot beneath a large tree, and there we dug his grave. -The noon of the next day was the time named for the funeral, and notice -accordingly was sent to the various mines near by. It being -impracticable to provide a coffin, the body was wrapped in several -blankets, and a quantity of pine boughs spread at the bottom of the -grave. At the time appointed for the burial, most of the miners might be -seen leaving their various employments, and slowly walking in small -groups toward the grave. Another group—the bearers and friends—met -them, and all proceeded together on the way. How solemn and impressive, -under those circumstances, “the burial service” of the Church, which was -then performed. An appropriate hymn was sung, and the body laid in its -last repose, then covered with pine boughs, and the grave was filled up. -Having purchased the tent and a part of the provisions, I spent the two -following days, assisted by a friend—young Dr. R., of New Jersey—in -removing the tent, and preparing for the labors of mining. On the Sunday -following—the 30th Dec.—I was requested to go over to Woods’s diggings -and attend the funeral of a young man from Philadelphia. We had formerly -both listened together to the faithful preaching of the Rev. Mr. Fowles. -Could it have been anticipated, as I fixed my eye upon that healthy, -intelligent countenance at the close of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_97">{97}</a></span> services, that in the wilds -of California I should so soon be called to pronounce over him the -solemn sentence—in this case sadly solemn—“<i>Earth to earth, ashes to -ashes, dust to dust!</i>” The brother of young A. was with him at the -mines, but he died alone. The next morning, the last of the year, Dr. R. -and myself started upon a prospecting excursion; and we returned at -night as wise, as rich, and a little more tired than we were when we -left in the morning.</p> - -<p>Jan. 1st, 1850. It has rained hard all day. Engaged in washing and -mending clothes, cooking, writing, and reading. Before we separated for -the night, my friend, Dr. R., requested me to conduct “family worship.” -It was a simple request and a simple act, like every act of faith, and -appropriate to our situation and to the day, being the first of the -year. Only those who have experienced it, especially in a situation like -ours, know of the refreshing fountain of comfort which springs up in the -soul while kneeling before the throne of “our Father in heaven.” It was -family prayer; and we realized the delightful import of this expression. -The Being to whom we addressed our prayers was at that moment looking -with an eye of love upon each member of our dear families at home, and -our prayers would bring peace, protection, and blessings to them. It was -family prayer; and at that moment we felt the privilege of being united -with the great and happy family that worship the glorious and good Being -who loves and cares for all.</p> - -<p>Jan. 2d. During the last night there was a robbery in the settlement, -which caused great excite<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_98">{98}</a></span>ment. A miner, formerly from Ohio, but who had -been many years in Oregon, where he had a pleasant home, had been -induced, by the hope of making a rapid fortune, to sell his valuable -property, and, taking his large family, to remove to the mines. There, -by hard labor and trading, he had laid up about $4000. Most of this sum -was in a trunk at the foot of the bed in their tent. During the night -this trunk was taken, and the next morning was found at some distance, -broken open, and the money gone. A boarder was immediately arrested on -suspicion, but, after a well-conducted trial, was released. We have made -37 cents each.</p> - -<p>Jan. 3d. It has rained hard most of the day, and there was some thunder, -a very unusual occurrence in California. Spent a part of the day and all -the evening with Dr. R., singing, reading, &c. At the close of our -pleasant interview, again we “lifted the heart and bent the knee” in -prayer to Almighty God. In our visits to each other on these rainy days, -like the ladies at home, we often take our sewing with us. To-day I took -a pair of stockings to darn, one of my shoes to mend, and the -“Democratic Review” to read. While we plied our needles, our tongues -were equally busy speaking of mutual friends and hopes.</p> - -<p>Jan. 4th. It has been clear to-day, but, owing to the high state of the -water, we could do but little. I have been favored with an introduction -to Captain Wadsworth, of Connecticut, a descendant of the captain of the -same name who is famous for having concealed the charter of the colony -in the Charter Oak.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_99">{99}</a></span> He cordially invited me to share with him a -pleasant house which he had spent some weeks in building, and which was -more comfortable than any thing I had seen in the mines. The house was -about ten feet square, inclosed by split rails, driven into the ground -perpendicularly side by side, and filled in with clay, the whole covered -with a tight canvas roof stretched over the rafters. The chimney was -large, and, when well filled with blazing wood, imparted an air of -comfort to every thing. We enjoyed luxuries uncommon in the mines—a -table and chairs. I soon found myself at home here.</p> - -<p>Jan. 5th. It rained again; but we could not afford to be idle, though we -made a mere trifle by severe and exposing labor. To-night we have -weighed our week’s earnings, and find that they amount to $1 80. It is -more trying to the miner to be compelled to spend a day in idleness than -to engage in the most severe labor, even though that labor be -unprofitable. I have often been driven out by my own anxious thoughts to -work in a severe rain.</p> - -<p>Jan. 6th, Sunday. A cloudy, unpleasant day. This forenoon, made a -“duff;” but what was to be done for a string with which to tie the bag? -I looked every where, but in vain. At last I thought of my shoe-string, -which I used for this purpose. When all was ready, I found that the duff -was too large for the kettle, so I boiled one end first, and then turned -the other, and boiled that.</p> - -<p>Jan. 7th. Prospected with Captain Wadsworth at the Chilian diggings. -This is an open, level field, through which a stream formerly ran, but -which now<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_100">{100}</a></span> has so little water that many of the miners take the dirt to -the river to be washed. Here was a large settlement of Chilinos, who -have come from their own gold mines to try their fortune here. They -often bring their families with them. I saw one family, the father of -which, assisted by the older children, was “panning out” gold on a -stream near his rude home made of hides. The mother was washing clothes, -while the infant was swinging in a basket made fast to the branches -overhead. An interesting girl of five years, with a tiny pick and spade, -was digging in a hole, already sunk two feet, and putting the dirt in a -pan, which she would take to the stream and wash, putting the scale or -two of gold into a dipper a little larger than a thimble. A heavy rain -drove us home, wet and cold. It continued to rain, with a few intervals, -during the remainder of the week; but a trunk of valuable books, owned -by Captain Wadsworth, served to occupy our minds. These employments, -with the writing of letters, singing, roasting our coffee, cooking, -visiting, &c., filled up the hours of these rainy days. We have made, -the whole week, $3 each.</p> - -<p>I must again remind my reader that, if these details are uninteresting, -they are yet necessary as the filling up of a miner’s life. The bright -and glowing pictures presented to the public—the “news from -California”—“$2,000,000 in gold-dust”—“rich discoveries”—“new -diggings,” &c., must all be filled up with a back-ground of cloudy days, -of rainy weeks, broken hopes, privations, sickness, many a gloomy -death-scene, and many a lonely grave. With how<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_101">{101}</a></span> much surprise, and often -indignation, do the miners read the “accounts from the mines,” which -come back to them in the newspapers from home! And with how much -satisfaction do they read the few truthful descriptions which they meet.</p> - -<p>Jan. 13th, Sunday. The roads were so impassable to-day, from the late -rains, that I was unable to preach a funeral sermon at Woods’s, as I had -promised. There was preaching at Curtis’s in the forenoon, by a -Methodist, who gave us a good sermon, its only fault being its great -length. At the close, he invited all so disposed to attend a -class-meeting. Among others, a German, having an imperfect acquaintance -with our language, was called upon for his “experience.” With some -reluctance and hesitation, he arose, and said these few words: “I find -religion good when I do my duty; and when I don’t do my duty, I find -religion bad; but <i>I shall try to try</i>!” In the afternoon I selected for -my reading-desk and pulpit the stump of a tree which had been cut down, -on a level spot, in the midst of the settlement. The logs and large -branches of this tree had not yet been removed for fire-wood, and -furnished seats for my congregation. Our worship was very primitive, and -the whole scene would have been impressive to one of our assemblies at -home; but we remembered, to our edification, that God looks not upon the -outward appearance, but upon the heart. The singing was excellent, -conducted by a professor from the Boston Academy. After the preaching, I -invited all who wished to join a choir for mutual improvement in singing -to remain. A good num<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_102">{102}</a></span>ber were present, and the professor was duly -elected chorister. Our arrangement was to meet before worship on Sunday, -and on Wednesday evenings, and devote two hours to this delightful -employment. Those hours I shall not soon forget. Sometimes, when some -old familiar tune was sung, which brought each one’s home circle before -his mind, silent but eloquent tears would start in many eyes.</p> - -<p>Jan. 14th. In company with Captain W. and Dr. R., selected a spot where -a mountain ravine opens into the river, and a few yards below the place -where a company of Frenchmen took out, a few months since, a large -amount of gold. Our best prospect was in the channel of this mountain -stream. We spent some hours in diverting the stream from its course by a -dam and a canal on a small scale. Then, by bailing, we succeeded in -opening the channel. Most of the upper soil, with the stones, must be -removed, nearly to the primitive rock below, often a distance of some -feet, always ankle or knee deep in the mud. We were greatly encouraged, -in the present instance, by an indication of gold rarely presented. -About four inches from the surface of the ground, and in the loose upper -soil, I found a lump of gold weighing nearly three pennyweights. Greatly -cheered by this circumstance, we worked away with spade and pick, with -cradle and pan, hour after hour, and were rewarded by finding in our -treasury at night a few bright scales of gold, amounting to 25 cents.</p> - -<p>Jan. 15th. This morning, notwithstanding the rain, we were again at our -work. We <i>must</i> work. In sunshine and rain, in warm and cold, in -sickness<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_103">{103}</a></span> and health, successful or not successful, early and late, it -is work, <i>work</i>, <small>WORK</small>! <i>Work or perish!</i> All around us, above and below, -on mountain side and stream, the rain falling fast upon them, are the -miners at work—not for <i>gold</i>, but for <i>bread</i>. Lawyers, doctors, -clergymen, farmers, soldiers, deserters, good and bad, from England, -from America, from China, from the Islands, from every country but -Russia and Japan—all, all at work at their cradles. From morning to -night is heard the incessant rock, rock, rock! Over the whole mines, in -streamlet, in creek, and in river, down torrent and through the valley, -ever rushes on the muddy sediment from ten thousand busy rockers. -Cheerful words are seldom heard, more seldom the boisterous shout and -laugh which indicate success, and which, when heard, sink to a lower ebb -the spirits of the unsuccessful. We have made 50 cents each.</p> - -<p>Jan. 16th. A friend put into my hands to-day a copy of the Boston -Journal. We laid it aside to read in the evening. But how was this to be -accomplished? The luxury of a candle we could not afford. Our method was -this: we cut and piled up a quantity of dry brush in a corner near the -fire, and after supper, while one put on the brush and kept up the -blaze, the other would read; and as the blaze died away, so would the -voice of the reader. Our work to-day has amounted to 80 cents each.</p> - -<p>Jan. 17th. A very rainy, cold day. As Captain W. is sorely afflicted -with an eruption, which covers his whole body, probably the effects of -having handled the “poison oak,” which grows over the whole<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_104">{104}</a></span> country, we -conclude to remain in, and finish the paper. Cutaneous diseases are -cured by the use of the soap-plant—<i>amole</i>. Captain W. has tried it -to-day, and been greatly benefited. We use it in bathing, washing -clothes, dishes, &c.</p> - -<p>Jan. 18th. It has continued to rain. There has been some excitement in a -ravine near where we were at work. A company of six men found a place -from which they have taken out $18 to each every day through the week. -The place is now thronged. Every foot is taken up; and yet, of the -hundreds there, not five have made more than their living. Some only -made 12½ cents. We have worked there to-day, and made $2 each. This -evening we have had a pleasant meeting of our choir.</p> - -<p>Jan. 19th. A fine day. We have made $1 each. Upon the bank of Curtis’s -Creek, two men to-day opened a rich deposit, and have brought to their -tent $105, while two others, hearing of their success, commenced just -above, and a company of five more below them. Those above in a short -time took out $64, and those below, $112. These instances of success, -being talked of at noon, created a great excitement. This afternoon the -bar presented a busy scene, and before night every foot of the lower -part of the bar was marked off and claimed.</p> - -<p>Jan. 20th, Sunday. The singing and religious services were held to-day -in the trading-tent of Mr. Capps. My reading-desk was a brandy-cask; and -perhaps this might be said in favor of the change—it had long enough -been appropriated to the service of Satan, and its conversion to a -better cause was not undesirable.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_105">{105}</a></span></p> - -<p>Jan. 21st. The report of the success on the bar below on Saturday has -gone abroad and done its work. Many miners, much excited by the rumors, -greatly exaggerated by passing through the mouths of the traders, have -begun to come in. New tents are springing up, and new faces are seen; -but success through the day has been confined to the one deposit, which -proves to have run in a rich vein for some sixty feet, occasionally -disappearing, but always coming up again in the same line. A company of -six miners, from Illinois, made over four pounds of gold last week, then -gave up their claim, supposing it exhausted, to some friends, who made -three pounds more from it to-day.</p> - -<p>Jan. 22d. In company with several experienced and successful miners, -went to some of the tributaries of the Tuolumne. We had gone three miles -from home, and were prospecting some of the higher ravines, the lower -being too full of water. It had been cloudy when we started, but we were -so accustomed to the rains of this country that we felt no concern; but -about noon a severe, cold wind sprung up, driving before it a storm of -snow. It came cutting and freezing into our faces. It was one of those -evils which must be met. I carried a spade in one hand, and a crow-bar -in the other; and that piece of cold iron penetrated into my soul. I -thought I had never before experienced the sensation of pure, unrelieved -<i>cold</i>. The ice-water into which I plunged my hands half an hour since, -on my return, felt warm. We were not at all prepared for such an event. -Ah! this mountain ramble, the heavy snow-flakes and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_106">{106}</a></span> hail pelting in our -faces, our hands and feet almost frozen, have gone far toward curing us -of any slight remains of the “yellow fever” which may have been clinging -to us!</p> - -<p>Jan. 23d. A clear and cold day. The ground is covered with snow. Alone I -went to my cold and cheerless work. Those who are counting their bright -yellow coins think little of the privations which have been undergone, -the agonies which have been endured—think not of the living death, the -dying life it has cost to draw from the mines their golden eagles. Made -to-day 75 cents.</p> - -<p>Jan. 24th. Last night it was intensely cold, and near morning commenced -snowing, which it has continued to do the whole day. A mail-agent has -come in to-day, and still no letters for me. It is now thirty-nine weeks -since my last letter from home was dated. I would purchase one line from -my wife with all the gold I have made during those thirty-nine weeks.</p> - -<p>To-day, while a friend was seated by me, before Captain W.’s blazing -fire, we were speaking of the great number of persons who come to the -mines, and, after working a few days, become discouraged, and abandon -mining. He related the following instance, which he knows to have taken -place. A merchant from New York recently came up with high expectations, -having made all his arrangements and preparations to carry on mining for -one season. The fascinating interest which invests this whole subject at -a distance had drawn him on. Being a strong and vigorous man, blessed -with the grace of perseverance,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_107">{107}</a></span> he attributed the want of success, of -which so many complained, to their indolence or want of energy. The -question he frequently put, on his way to the mines, was, “How much may -be made by <i>hard and persevering</i> labor?” as if he thought that <i>such</i> -labor must succeed. He reached the mines—saw, on the bar below him, -some miners <i>hard</i> at work. As he watched them, he thought, “That, -indeed, is hard work, and here is an opportunity to judge for myself.” -He directed the muleteer to wait while he went down to the bar. There he -saw the preparations which had been made for washing, the stones and -dirt which had been removed before the gold could be reached. He saw the -men at the bottom of the pit, knee deep in mud, filling the buckets. He -followed those buckets to the cradle, watched the operation of washing -the dirt through, the cradle. As they prepared to wash down in pans, he -inquired, “How many buckets of dirt have been washed to procure the gold -now in the machine?” “Twenty-five,” was the reply. “And how many buckets -can be washed out in a day?” “Sometimes more and sometimes less; we wash -out one hundred and fifty.” “How many men in your company?” “Four.” -“While these inquiries were going on, one of the company was panning -down the gold, and brought it to where they were seated upon some rocks. -“How much gold is there in that pan?” he eagerly inquired. One said -there was $2, while the others thought there was not so much. It was -weighed, and found to be $1 62. He could make his own calculations of -their day’s labor. The sum total was $9 72; for each<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_108">{108}</a></span> of the four men, -$2 43. He looked about him. There was all that pile of rubbish to be -removed—enough to employ them the whole day—before they could wash the -gold at all. “Where are your tents?” he asked. “We have none.” “Where -are your provisions?” “This money is to purchase them.” “You had better -purchase mine, which can be done cheap, as I shall be on my way to San -Francisco in ten minutes.” And to San Francisco he returned, and in -three weeks was established in a commission auction store.</p> - -<p>Jan. 28th. Since my last date it has rained constantly, and some of the -time in torrents; but little work has been done. Yesterday a miner was -tried for stealing a small amount of gold, and, upon conviction, was -sentenced to receive five lashes, and to leave the mines in five days. -Reports have been circulating among us of some large lumps of gold -having been found at Sonora, one of which, it is asserted, weighs -seventy pounds.</p> - -<p>Jan. 29th. It is a lovely spring morning, but the water is so high it is -impossible to work. The notes of the robin, the thrush, and the American -nightingale are heard, bringing back thoughts of the homes we have left. -The miners are beginning to talk of the summer diggings upon the rivers. -Many parties have gone on exploring expeditions, and it is said that -thousands of miners have all their provisions purchased, and but await -the melting of the snow from the mountains to cross over and take -possession of the <i>real</i> El Dorado. Very little is doing here. We are -not averaging a dollar a day on the whole<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_109">{109}</a></span> creek. A gentleman from New -England has just been telling me that he left a business, when he came -from home, which enabled him to lay up $500 a year; but that, since he -left home, which is now over a year, he has not made $200. Surely not -enough to support him. A newspaper, which has strayed into the mines -to-day, brings the astounding intelligence of the murder of Dr. Parkman, -and the arrest and trial of Professor Webster as the murderer.</p> - -<p>Feb. 2d. Prospected to-day with Mr. L., of Livingston Manor, upon the -Hudson River. Mr. L. has a quiet, easy way, as he is seated upon some -rock, examining the dirt, and turning over the stones at the bottom of -some hole, which gives the impression to any one who may happen to be -looking on from a distance that he is picking up pieces of gold. We were -thus seated to-day, and he was scraping the clay from a stone, and -showed me several small scales, when two miners, who had been working -all day above us, hurried down, and eagerly asked what we <i>had</i> found. -They would not believe when we told them, but sat there an hour, -watching every movement, ready, on the appearance of the lumps, to take -possession of the next claim. Miners practice many arts to deceive -others with regard to what they may be doing. Especially is this the -case if they are doing well, when they generally say they are doing -nothing, reasoning as did Sir Walter Scott after he had published -“Waverley,” and wishing to conceal his authorship. People had no right -to ask if he was the author, and therefore it was right for him to -deceive them. I found it was better to tell<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_110">{110}</a></span> the truth. The very purpose -of concealment was thus better accomplished, for, speak as you might, -you were sure not to be believed, and you were thus spared the sin of a -falsehood. The only indication by which I came to judge that miners were -doing well in any place was to find them early and late, and constantly, -at their work. Our prospecting gave us 25 cents each.</p> - -<p>Feb. 4th. This is a day to be remembered. <i>Letters from home!</i> If any -one would learn the full significance of these words, let him pass ten -months in California without one word from his loved ones, an unhappy -exile from his own family. They may be sick, suffering, dying, and he -who should be near them, to care for, and protect, and comfort them, is -far away, and knows not their condition. It is an era in the mines—the -arrival of the mail-agent. How cheerfully are our two dollars a letter -paid. It was like receiving back my family from the <i>dead</i>—those -letters, after so <i>long</i> and <i>weary a silence</i>. I am <i>happy</i>, and I am -<i>miserable</i>! I am <i>calm</i>, and I am <i>fearfully excited</i>! It is an era in -the miner’s life when such, although tardy, messengers reach him. I have -been present when many of these have given up to their owners their -treasures of love or their burden of wretchedness. One has just opened -his letter, and bursts into immoderate weeping. I inquire the cause. “My -wife and child are both dead!” A physician of one of the hospitals told -me that they dared not give their letters from home to those who were -very sick; that in several instances they had seen persons in this -condition, upon reading their letters, turn over and die.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_111">{111}</a></span></p> - -<p>A party of individuals, from the ranches on the plains below, passed us -on their way to the headwaters of the Tuolumne, in pursuit of Indians -who had stolen some of their mules. They were joined by numbers of the -miners.</p> - -<p>Feb. 5th. There is some excitement with regard to a bar one mile above -us. Captain W. and myself have spent the day there, and have made $5 37 -each. The lump of gold found at Sonora, and which, it was said, weighs -seventy pounds, weighs only twenty-two pounds. The miner through whom I -received my information had a claim next to the one in which this lump -was found. It lay within two inches of the very spot where he was at -work. One blow of his pick would have given him possession of it.</p> - -<p>Feb. 6th. We have to-day made 75 cents each.</p> - -<p>An interesting instance of success happened recently in a gulch upon the -Stanislaus in our vicinity. Two young men, on their way to the mines, -heard of this gulch, and concluded to commence their mining at that -place; but, when they arrived there, they found the whole ground, -considered favorable, occupied. Not knowing what to do or where to go, -they made their first essay in a small ravine, across which a log was -thrown for the convenience of the crowd constantly passing. In this -ravine, and by the side of that log, they dug their hole. They came to a -crevice in the rock, and saw opened before them a sight which makes the -miner’s heart glad—pounds of pure virgin gold, lying in lumps and -scales, but awaiting their slightest effort to transfer it to their own -pockets.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_112">{112}</a></span></p> - -<p>Feb. 7th. This forenoon my share was 25 cents. In the afternoon visited -Yorktown. The diggings here are at a distance from any stream, upon the -plain; but it is probable the stream once ran over the ground where the -gold is now found. Before the gold can be taken out, excavations must be -made, from twelve to twenty feet in depth. One cup showed about eight -ounces of beautiful gold taken out in five hours; but it must be -remembered that three men had been hard at work “clearing off” for seven -days, during which time no gold had been made. This work is so severe -and exposing that many at Yorktown are sick with rheumatism.</p> - -<p>Feb. 8th. We divide to-day 12 cents to each man.</p> - -<p>The party previously mentioned, who went out in pursuit of the Indians, -returned late last night, having with them the scalp of one Indian, -which they had taken after decoying him into ambush. They had mutilated -the body, and then dragged it about with ropes, made fast to the pummel -of the saddle. They rode through the settlement, almost too drunk to -keep their seats, firing their guns and pistols, while from their mouths -issued volleys of shrieks and imprecations. It must be mentioned, in -justice to several who started with this party, that, becoming disgusted -with the proceedings of their companions, they left them, and -consequently must not share in the disgrace of these transactions.</p> - -<p>Feb. 9th. We visited a wild mountain ravine, and made $4 10 each to-day.</p> - -<p>Feb. 11th, Monday. In the same place, we have made to each $5 62.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_113">{113}</a></span></p> - -<p>Feb. 12th. Have made 15 cents.</p> - -<p>Feb. 13th. I must place a cipher against all our labors to-day. How -expressive the miner’s phrase, “Worked out!” Others may go after him and -make pounds of gold; but, do what he can, labor as he may, become -discouraged and leave, then return again and again, for him it is -“<i>worked out</i>,” and with “longing, lingering looks,” he at length -abandons it as a hopeless task.</p> - -<p>Feb. 14th, Mormon Gulch. The rainy season seems to have passed. To-day, -in company with several companions, who purpose trying the ravine and -dry diggings with me, came to this place. This is a settlement about -four miles from Curtis’s. We found considerable excitement existing at -Woods’s as we came through. A miner, who was well known and esteemed, -was found near that settlement murdered. He started yesterday, with -considerable gold, intending to establish himself in some business in -Stockton. His life was taken for his money.</p> - -<p>A quartz mountain near Woods’s, rising abruptly from the valley, and -showing its glittering white crest at its summit, drew our attention. -Some experiments have been made here to obtain gold from the rock, but -thus far without success.</p> - -<p>All the winter encampments are breaking up. The miners are on the move. -The log and stone houses, and sometimes the tents, are deserted. Within -a short distance, we saw over three hundred pack-mules, moving about in -every direction.</p> - -<p>Feb. 18th. Have spent the time since my last date in collecting the -statistics of winter mining<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_114">{114}</a></span> from numerous miners in the various -encampments near me, and in writing to those at a greater distance. Have -brought over our effects to Mormon Gulch, and selected a spot upon which -to pitch our tent, at the foot of a mountain torrent, which descends -here almost at once—sometimes playfully, sometimes angrily—into the -valley. The mountains on both sides are high and precipitous. Directly -at the foot of the cascade, it widens out into a kind of bar. Upon this -we have selected a spot for our home. It is altogether one of the most -romantic spots I have ever seen. From this place we have a view of a -picturesque valley below and a wild cascade above us. When the stream is -swollen after a heavy rain, the cascade loses its beauty, but becomes -madly wild. Before we had erected our tent, the clouds, which had been -lowering over us, began to pour down their contents upon us. We were all -unprepared. Our provisions, clothing, and blankets were all wet. We -find—too late, alas!—that we have committed the same kind of error -with Cowper’s birds, who anticipated pairing time, and built their nests -too early. We had thought the winter over and gone, and the rainy season -past, and, leaving our winter homes, had only a small and leaky tent for -our shelter. There are four of us in company. Two of these are young -friends, like brothers, who left home, and have since remained together, -industrious, sober, and worthy young men, formerly in the employ of one -of the Lawrence manufacturing companies. The third is a -sailor—noble-hearted, sincere, frank, and full of fun and glee, yet a -most persevering and hard-working miner.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_115">{115}</a></span></p> - -<p>Feb. 20th. Our first day’s labor has given to each of us 45 cents. We -have worked in a loose, talcose slate, on the edges of the stream. The -gold is here coarser than in the rivers.</p> - -<p>Feb. 21st. Have to-day made $1 each. Finding a place which seemed -favorable, lying upon the bed of the stream, we began to dig down and -throw off the top soil. We were soon interrupted by some persons, who -said we could not work there, as they claimed it. We inquired why they -had not left their pick or spade there, according to the custom. They -replied that all the miners there were bound to stand by each other in -maintaining their claims, which were known to each other. We find that -most of the ground is held in this way, without being marked off or -designated. The present alcalde, it is said, holds thirty of these -claims.</p> - -<p>Feb. 22d. Two of the company went over to the Stanislaus to prospect. In -the place of gold, they brought back with them a bouquet of wild -flowers, which would have graced the centre-table of any parlor. Our -day’s labor gave $1 12 to each. We have been ejected from two claims -to-day, after working some time upon them. It seems that comparatively a -few persons have undertaken to monopolize most of the gold soil in the -gulch. They have driven off a large number of French miners from what is -called “French Bar,” and have likewise taken possession of that.</p> - -<p>Feb. 23d. We have to-day divided our forces. Two of us commenced sinking -a hole upon French Bar, while the others went to a small stream run<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_116">{116}</a></span>ning -through an extent of table-land on the top of the mountain. Those on the -bar below, of course, labored without present remuneration, as a deep -excavation must be made, requiring our united efforts for a week or ten -days. Those on the hill have made enough to divide $5 10 to each of us.</p> - -<p>Feb. 25th. Those from the mountain have brought home $5 60 to each. We -have been delayed in our work in the valley by the caving in of the dirt -upon us, owing to the rain. At last we were compelled to abandon it for -the present.</p> - -<p>During the last night we had a violent snow-storm, which broke down our -tent over our heads.</p> - -<p>Feb. 26th. We commenced working upon another claim, but were again -driven from it. Appealed to the alcalde, who decided against us, but at -the same time pointed to another place, farther from the stream, where -he advised us to work. We had spent two hours in digging here, when two -miners laid claim to the ground, and soon brought the alcalde, who said -it was a misunderstanding, and that he had intended to give us another -place, upon which he then stood. There was then no doubt, and we worked -all the afternoon upon that place. From the mountain we received $1. 87 -each. To our joy, we have found a plant which makes an excellent salad. -It grows abundantly about us. We have lived so long without vegetables -that this is a luxury.</p> - -<p>Feb. 27th. It has been a cold day, with occasional dashes of snow. On -reaching our claim in the valley, we found a miner in possession. On -appealing to the alcalde, who had so decidedly given us the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_117">{117}</a></span> place only -yesterday, to our surprise he again decided against us. Those upon the -mountain made $6 62 to each of us. We all abandoned the valley, only -retaining our claim upon the French Bar, where we left our crow-bar as -our legal representative.</p> - -<p>Feb. 28th. We had barely reached our place of labor this morning, upon -the mountain, when it came on to rain so violently as to drive us home. -We have spent the day in our tent, reading, writing, cooking, and -sleeping.</p> - -<p>March 4th, Monday evening. We have been kept from work for several days -by the rain. Improved the time in prospecting upon the Stanislaus. Heard -of a ravine near the Green Springs where much gold has been found. In -the fall, when I was at Mr. Islip’s, I met an eccentric man named Texas -Jack. He told me that, early in the spring previous, while passing to -the Stanislaus mines by a nearer path across the mountains, he had -prospected in a ravine, and from one pan full of dirt had taken nearly a -pound of gold. I took the direction to the place, but, having learned -not to be led by such wonderful stories, I never visited the spot. Some -miners, a few weeks since, happened upon this very place, and, before -their secret was discovered, had made $8000. Several others had done -well there.</p> - -<p>March 5th. We have all worked together upon the mountain to-day. During -the forenoon the vein ran out, and was nowhere to be found again. We -made many trials, but without success. Made $2 06 each.</p> - -<p>March 6th. We worked in a ravine where a few rich deposits have been -found. One of our number,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_118">{118}</a></span> while working with his knife, in a few -moments took out three lumps, which together were worth $21 75; but, -during the whole of the day, the others of the company did not make 25 -cents. The fields and the mountain sides begin to be clothed with the -most beautiful and variegated flowers. I had heard and read much of the -flowers of California, but they far surpass my highest anticipations. -They spring up at the close of the rainy season, thrive amid frost and -snow, live a short life of exceeding beauty, and soon die, cut down by -the heat of the dry season.</p> - -<p>March 7th. We were driven in by the rain this afternoon, after having -made $1 25 each.</p> - -<p>March 16th, Saturday. Since my last date, more than a week since, we -have dug to the bottom of our claim, though it caved in several times -upon us. We were so deep in the ground that we could not throw out the -dirt, and were compelled to throw it up upon a platform, and then from -the hole. After digging down eighteen feet, we were troubled with water, -which came in upon us so fast as to require one to be kept bailing much -of the time. At last we reached the bottom, washed the gold-dirt -carefully, and, as the result of a week’s labor for four of us, we -shared the sum of $1 87. We have had severe and continued rains. Every -thing is completely drenched. Our clothes, our blankets, our provisions, -are all wet and moldy. Our fire is extinguished. The water stands in -puddles under the pine boughs beneath our blankets. We were compelled to -cut small drains from the middle of the tent to the large drain which -surrounds it, and throw away the wet boughs, which<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_119">{119}</a></span> Jack calls our -feathers. Then we kindled a large fire in the tent to dry it. The -playful stream, which lately ran by us so harmless, now roars and rages, -and is yet rising. The miners are pitching their tents farther up the -hill.</p> - -<p>March 17th, Sunday. It was a beautiful morning. The sun shone out clear -and bright. We hung out our clothes and blankets to dry. The birds sang -their sweetest notes. All things seemed to be filled with grateful love -to the Creator and Preserver of all. Surely our hearts should not be -less disposed to devout praise and adoration. It was pleasant to follow -in the services of worship, as we thought it was being conducted at -home, and to make a sanctuary of our own hearts. By allowing a -difference of about three hours between the time at home and here, we -could enjoy this pleasure, and, at the same time with friends so far -from us, be engaged in the duties of worship. These were the meetings of -the heart—the reunions of faith; and they strengthened us, and led us -to trust more sincerely in the good promises of our Father.</p> - -<p>March 18th. Formed, to-day, a company for trading purposes. Three of us -gave each $100. With this $300, one of our number has gone down to -Stockton to purchase goods. The rest of us went over, this morning, to -the Stanislaus, to prospect. During the ramble, I had collected -twenty-nine varieties of flowers, some of them most beautiful.</p> - -<p>April 1st. During the remainder of the month, and in the absence of our -companion at Stockton, we made but $4 28 each. The weather became -moderate, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_120">{120}</a></span> the dry season seemed to be setting in. The wind kept -steady from the dry quarter. The peculiarities of a Frenchman working -near us have amused us. Rain or shine, he is always seen without his -hat. He carries his rifle over his shoulder, and several pistols and his -knife in his belt. When he reaches his claim, he puts down a pistol on -each side of him, and his hole resembles a fort, of which he is the -undisputed owner. He came from New York with his son. He was doing a -business there worth $2000 a year to him, and gave $5000 for their -outfit. In the ten months since he left home, he has made nothing.</p> - -<p>There is a company here from York county, Pennsylvania, numbering -fourteen strong, hard-working men. They have made but $50 the last four -weeks, or an average of 14 cents a day to each one. During this time we -have been exposed, every or every other day, to severe rains or snows, -the ice being sometimes half an inch thick. Crowds of miners still flock -in here, attracted by the fabulous reports of the richness of these -mines. Some have done well—a few very well—while the miners generally -have not made enough to support them.</p> - -<p>Our trading operation did not amount to any thing. The expenses of -traveling, transportation of goods, time, &c., ate up the profits. I -have to-day received a letter from some friends and traveling companions -from Philadelphia, inviting me to visit them with reference to some -mining operations for the summer. They are living at Jacksonville, on -the Tuolumne River, some miles distant from us.</p> - -<p>April 2d. To-day have walked over to Jackson<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_121">{121}</a></span>ville, where I was greeted -with a cordial welcome. This is quite a settlement. There are some -comfortable houses here. As in every other settlement, the houses are of -every possible variety, according to the taste or means of the miner. -Most of these, even in winter, are tents. Some throw up logs a few feet -high, filling up with clay between the logs. The tent is then stretched -above, forming a roof. When a large company are to be accommodated with -room, or a trading depot is to be erected, a large frame is made, and -canvas is spread over this. Those who have more regard to their own -comfort or health, erect log or stone houses, covering them with thatch -or shingles. I have seen some very good houses at Aqua Frio made and -roofed with slate. Some comfortable wigwams are made of pine boughs -thrown up in a conical form, and are quite dry. Many only spread a piece -of canvas, or a blanket, over some stakes above them, while not a few -make holes in the ground, where they burrow like foxes. The covers of -these sometimes extend above ground, and are roofed with a plaster of -clay, looking like so many tombs. The Mexicans and Chilinos put up rude -frames, which they cover with hides. In two cases I have seen a kind of -basket, looking like a large nest, made fast among the branches, high up -in the trees. These may have been used by the Californians to guard -against wild beasts. The huts of the Indians are of various kinds, -always rude in their construction. They are similar to the wigwams of -the wild Indians found in the Western States. There is one house, -however, which deserves a passing <span class="pagenum"><a id="page_122">{122}</a></span>notice. It is named <i>Tamascal</i>. It is -made under ground, in the vicinity of the Indian settlement. In this the -sick and infirm are sweated. This is a barbarous custom, and often ends -the life of the poor patient.</p> - -<p>We have spent much of the night in conversing on our plans, and I have -determined to remove to this place. My friend, Mr. A., invites me to -share with him his tent. He offers also to accompany me to Mormon Gulch -to-morrow for my provisions, &c.</p> - -<p>April 4th. Yesterday we walked over to the Gulch, where I made my few -arrangements, received from my companions there the exact amount which I -had deposited with them for trading purposes, and, having taken leave -this morning, we returned, bringing sixty pounds between us, to -Jacksonville.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_123">{123}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.<br /><br /> -<small>SOUTHERN MINES CONTINUED.<br /><br /> -RULES OF AN ENCAMPMENT—HART’S BAR COMPANY—ARTICLES OF -AGREEMENT—CANAL—AQUEDUCT—RESULTS OF MINING.</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">April</span> 5th. Having arranged all our matters, also inclosed and dug up a -spot for a garden, and planted potatoes, turnip, cabbage, and other -seed, we started this afternoon, under the direction of Colonel M., upon -a scientific prospecting tour. This gentleman has spent his life in the -gold mines of Georgia, and possesses great experience and skill in the -business of mining. We spent some hours upon the Kanacca Creek, making -one excavation after another, down to the rocks, the colonel panning and -testing each. We had no success. The colonel could show a few specks of -fine gold in every pan, but, like all old miners, threw it out as not -worth preserving. Finding our efforts fruitless, we climbed the sides of -a high mountain, hanging over Jacksonville, to obtain a view of the -country. There was not much in the view to please, but we soon found -ourselves enjoying a most exciting sport. It was that of rolling down -large stones from the summit over the precipitous sides of the mountain, -and watching them as they rushed, leaped, bounded, crashing and tearing -far away into the valley.</p> - -<p>It is yet too early to do much in the river diggings, except in the -making of canals, and other prepara<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_124">{124}</a></span>tions for working the channel when -the rivers are low. A large company have been thus engaged at this place -for six months. Their canal is a stupendous work for this country, and -is intended to drain more than a mile of the river. They expect to make -at least $10,000 for each member. Their shares are sold at $1200. They -are governed by strict regulations, and their officers consist of a -president—a most worthy, efficient man—a vice-president, a secretary, -a treasurer, and a board of directors. They have some of America’s best -and most esteemed citizens. One of their number is B., of New England, -an original, and always full of fun. His wit and his anecdotes do much -to keep up the spirits of his companions. With his good humor, he -possesses also a good heart. One very warm day I passed the canal where -they had been at work, but were resting a short time under the shade of -a tree. As they were rising to resume their spades and picks, B. said, -“Keep your seats, gentlemen!” Then he continued, evidently under the -impression that his own quiet lounge was at an end unless he could -contrive to interest his listeners by spinning one of his yarns, “That -reminds me,” said he, “of an old lady in our town, who was very -self-conceited, and withal somewhat deaf. One Sunday she came to church -very late. As she entered, the congregation, which was a crowded one, -were rising for prayer. Thinking that the stir was on her account, and -that all were rising to offer her a seat, she spoke out, loud enough to -be heard half way up the aisle, ‘Keep your seats, gentlemen! keep your -seats! don’t rise for me!’ So, gentlemen,” he<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_125">{125}</a></span> continued, pulling one of -his companions, who had risen, back again into his seat, “keep your -seats!” A stranger, standing upon the bank of their canal, and looking -down upon such a gang of Irish-appearing, hard-working miners, habited -in their red flannel shirts, rough as the grisly bear, long beards, long -hair, old hats, no shoes, or shoes variously patched, would hardly -believe that there were those among them accustomed to the etiquette of -Broadway and Chestnut Street, carrying beneath that rough exterior all -which made them valued friends and citizens, faithful husbands and -fathers. There was among them the nephew of Sir Robert Peele, who was -accustomed to the gayety and fashion of a life at court. The miners are -like the gold they seek, surrounded with dirt, rough looking, yet often -possessing that sterling worth which will give them currency among the -good, the gifted, and the beautiful.</p> - -<p>As the bars upon our rivers are being occupied by such communities, it -may not be uninteresting to know by what rules and regulations such -communities are governed. Those here presented were drawn up by -experienced lawyers, and men of wise heads and good hearts, and may -serve as illustrating the mode of government common among the miners.</p> - -<p>The following laws and regulations for the internal government of the -encampment of Jacksonville were passed at a meeting held in the town for -that purpose, in front of Colonel Jackson’s store, on the 20th of -January, 1850:<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_126">{126}</a></span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article I.</span></h3> - -<p>The officers of this district shall consist of an alcalde and sheriff, -to be elected in the usual manner by the people, and continue in office -at the pleasure of the electors.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article II.</span></h3> - -<p>In case of the absence or disability of the sheriff, the alcalde shall -have power to appoint a deputy.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article III.</span></h3> - -<p>Civil cases may be tried by the alcalde, if the parties desire it; -otherwise they shall be tried by a jury.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article IV.</span></h3> - -<p>All criminal cases shall be tried by a jury of eight American citizens, -unless the accused should desire a jury of twelve persons, who shall be -regularly summoned by the sheriff, and sworn by the alcalde, and shall -try the case according to the evidence.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article V.</span></h3> - -<p>In the administration of law, both civil and criminal, the rule of -practice shall conform, as near as possible, to that of the United -States, but the forms and customs of no particular state shall be -required or adopted.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article VI.</span></h3> - -<p>Each individual locating a lot for the purpose of mining, shall be -entitled to twelve feet of ground in<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_127">{127}</a></span> width, running back to the hill or -mountain, and forward to the centre of the river or creek, or across a -gulch or ravine (except in cases hereinafter provided for); lots -commencing in all cases at low-water mark, and running at right angles -with the stream where they are located.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article VII.</span></h3> - -<p>In cases where lots are located according to Article VI., and the -parties holding them are prevented by the water from working the same, -they may be represented by a pick, shovel, or bar, until in a condition -to be worked; but should the tool or tools aforesaid be stolen or -removed, it shall not dispossess those who located it, provided he or -they can prove that they were left as required; and said location shall -not remain unworked longer than one week, if in condition to be worked, -otherwise it shall be considered as abandoned by those who located it -(except in cases of sickness).</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article VIII.</span></h3> - -<p>No man or party of men shall be permitted to hold two locations, in a -condition to be worked, at the same time.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article IX.</span></h3> - -<p>No party shall be permitted to throw dirt, stones, or other obstructions -upon located ground adjoining them.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_128">{128}</a></span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article X.</span></h3> - -<p>Should a company of men desire to turn the course of a river or stream -for the purpose of mining, they may do so (provided it does not -interfere with those working below them), and hold and work all the -ground so drained; but lots located within said ground shall be -permitted to be worked by their owners, so far as they could have been -worked without the turning of the river or stream; and this shall not be -construed to affect the rights and privileges heretofore guarantied, or -prevent redress by suit at law.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XI.</span></h3> - -<p>No person coming direct from a foreign country shall be permitted to -locate or work any lot within the jurisdiction of this encampment.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XII.</span></h3> - -<p>Any person who shall steal a mule, or other animal of draught or burden, -or shall enter a tent or dwelling, and steal therefrom gold-dust, money, -provisions, goods, or other articles, amounting in value to one hundred -dollars or over, shall, on conviction thereof, be considered guilty of -felony, and suffer death by hanging. Any aider or abettor therein shall -be punished in like manner.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XIII.</span></h3> - -<p>Should any person willfully, maliciously, and premeditatedly take the -life of another, on conviction of the murder, he shall suffer death by -hanging.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_129">{129}</a></span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XIV.</span></h3> - -<p>Any person convicted of stealing tools, clothing, or other articles, of -less value than one hundred dollars, shall be punished and disgraced by -having his head and eye-brows close shaved, and shall leave the -encampment within twenty-four hours.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XV.</span></h3> - -<p>The fee of the alcalde for issuing a writ or search-warrant, taking an -attestation, giving a certificate, or any other instrument of writing, -shall be five dollars; for each witness he may swear, two dollars; and -one ounce of gold-dust for each and every case tried before him.</p> - -<p>The fee of the sheriff in each case shall be one ounce of gold-dust, and -a like sum for each succeeding day employed in the same case.</p> - -<p>The fee of the jury shall be to each juror half an ounce in each case.</p> - -<p>A witness shall be entitled to four dollars in each case.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XVI.</span></h3> - -<p>Whenever a criminal convict is unable to pay the costs of the case, the -alcalde, sheriff, jurors, and witnesses shall render their services free -of remuneration.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XVII.</span></h3> - -<p>In case of the death of a resident of this encampment, the alcalde shall -take charge of his effects, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_130">{130}</a></span> dispose of them for the benefit of his -relatives or friends, unless the deceased otherwise desire it.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XVIII.</span></h3> - -<p>All former acts and laws are hereby repealed, and made null and void, -except where they conflict with claims guarantied under said laws.</p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">Abner Pitts, Jr.</span>, Sec’y.<br /> -</p> - -<p><i>Jacksonville, Jan. 20, 1850.</i></p> -</div> - -<p>April 15th. Many rumors reached us respecting certain rich diggings ten -miles distant, among the mountains. They are named Savage’s diggings, -and lie upon or near the Rattlesnake Creek. Large numbers of miners have -been for some time going in that direction, while multitudes, who have -been but to be disappointed, are returning. One of our friends, the -president of the Jacksonville company, left for this place, promising to -send us back information as to his success. We were therefore much -gratified, the next day, to receive intelligence of the most encouraging -character, accompanied by a message for us to hasten up as soon as -possible. We made our arrangements very hastily—stewed venison, baked -several loaves of bread, and made some pies of the red berry called -<i>manzanita</i>, which has some resemblance to the cherry. It grows upon a -shrub ten feet high, the bark of which is smooth, and of bright orange -color. On the 11th instant we started for Savage’s diggings, in our way -clambering up one of the steepest mountains I have ever seen. After a -very fatiguing walk, we reached the ground by the middle<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_131">{131}</a></span> of the -afternoon, and were so anxious to try our luck among the crowd of -adventurers, that we commenced prospecting at once. Our friend, who had -come up before us, had been successful the first day; but all this was -over before we reached him. Very little gold rewarded our labors. As -night came on, threatening to be a cold one, we prepared to pass it as -comfortably as we might. Piling up logs and brush, a bright blaze shed -its cheering influence upon us. Wrapping our blankets about us, and -stretching our feet to the fire, we slept soundly.</p> - -<p>Our stay upon the mountain was brief. There was so little encouragement -that it was considered best to retrace our steps. Lame, hungry, and -tired, we arrived the next night at our encampment near Jacksonville.</p> - -<p>During the following week we worked upon the banks of the river, with -but small success. One day we made $2 50 each, and the other days we -made nothing.</p> - -<p>May 1st. Since my last date, we have not made enough to buy us our -provisions. Much of the time, my companions being engaged upon the -canal, I labored by myself. One day I made $6; and then, for a week, did -not average 6 cents a day: so uncertain is the employment of mining. -Cases are very frequent of persons making $100 in a day, and sometimes -in a single hour, and the whole week following making nothing. I heard -of a case which illustrates this point. A young man of rather indolent -habits, and without the perseverance and application which, it would be -supposed, are necessary to insure<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_132">{132}</a></span> success in mining, happened into a -valuable claim. Hiring a man to aid him, he took out, in six weeks, -$4500. Near him was a company of six industrious and persevering miners. -They labored on assiduously, week after week, for a period of four -months, and at the end of that time they had all made about $1500. We -are hoping for better success in the river diggings when the water is -low. At present there is very little being accomplished. Laborers may be -hired at $2 50 and $3 a day.</p> - -<p>May 15th. During the three days immediately following my last date, I -made, while working by myself, $17. Was invited to join a few miners -working near me, who intend to organize a company for the purpose of -mining at Hart’s Bar—a place two miles below Jacksonville—when the -river shall be low enough to be worked. All of these are Southern -gentlemen. One of them, a nephew of Commodore Turner, U. S. N., lost a -fortune by a sudden decline in the price of cotton, and, with the hope -of retrieving his condition, came to California. He has messing with him -two young friends, one from Annapolis, Maryland, the other from Mobile, -Alabama. There is also in the company a person who has spent eight years -in the gold mines of Georgia, and possessing great skill in tracing up a -vein of gold. I was not long in deciding to connect myself with them, -and the next day we labored together.</p> - -<p>One day last week, as I was walking down from Jacksonville, where I had -been to purchase provisions, I saw a number of men dragging some heavy -object to the edge of a hill hanging over me. Pres<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_133">{133}</a></span>ently they pushed it -over the brow, and it came tumbling, like a bag of wool, over and over, -down the side of the mountain. It was a grisly bear, which had just been -killed, and which weighed six hundred pounds. As the river was too high -to allow crossing that evening to my camp, I accepted an invitation from -the miner who had killed the bear to be his guest for the night. We -feasted upon the flesh, which was tender and sweet. During the following -week we had no success in gold-digging, the river being too high. It was -also too early to commence working upon our canal; but on May 10th we -organized into a company, put up stakes with flags, designating our -claim, and made advertisement of the same in Jacksonville, leaving a -certified copy with the alcalde. Then we adjourned, to meet for work on -the 4th of July, in the mean time having a common purse, and sharing -mutually in the profits of the whole till that time. A part of the -company went up to the Rattlesnake Creek, prospecting. At this time an -association—named the Adelphi Mining Association—was formed, chiefly -of miners from Jacksonville, numbering twenty-nine persons. Their object -was to drain a portion of the channel of Woods’s Creek, in which was a -deep hole, nearly the width of the creek, and twenty yards in length. -The place is two miles above the junction of the creek with the -Tuolumne. Much gold had been found all along the banks, encouraging the -belief that, could we drain the stream and work the bed of it, it would -“pay well.” The company was a very mixed one. There were the good and -the bad, the serious and the gay.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_134">{134}</a></span> As there was nothing else at this -time to occupy my attention, and as it was expected to work out the -claim before it would be possible to work in the river, I accepted an -invitation to join this company. With seventy pounds’ burden upon my -back, I walked up from Hart’s Bar, and accepted an invitation from a -miner to use his tent during his absence. Last night I slept upon the -ground, spreading my blankets upon a mat at the bottom of the tent. Here -I slept alone, and at a distance from any other encampment. This noon, -coming up to cook my dinner, a large snake crept from under the mat in -the tent, and quickly disappeared in a hole near by. With a spade I dug -him out, and, after killing him, found that he measured three feet ten -inches. I don’t know his name, but he has a flat head, looks very -brassy, and has a sharp horn at the tail. It answers the description of -the horned snake. It is said that, taking the end of its tail in its -mouth, it will form a perfect hoop with its body, rolling rapidly over -till it reaches the object at which it aims, upon which it inflicts a -severe, and sometimes fatal blow, with the horn in the tail. As I am -disposed to shun the society of such suspicious creatures, I have just -swung my hammock outside the tent, between two trees.</p> - -<p>June 1st. The Adelphi Company commenced their labors on the 16th ult. We -were early at work, and toiled cheerfully on, sustained by the hope that -we were about to meet with success. I hardly dared to give myself up to -the bright, golden anticipations of my companions; and still they seemed -well founded and reasonable. The gold had been traced, in nu<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_135">{135}</a></span>merous rich -layers and veins, down to the very edges of the deep hole in the -channel. Doubtless, then, as it would naturally sink down, and settle at -the lowest point, washed in by every freshet, if that point could be -reached, we should find a rich deposit. A canal must be made so deep as -to drain the bottom of this hole, and then a dam must turn the water -around the hole, through a new channel. The canal was cut through solid -slate. The work was very heavy, requiring the largest bars and picks. We -worked all the time in the water. After nine days’ labor, we at length -completed the canal, which is about one hundred feet in length, four in -width, and five in depth. The only fear was lest it should not -effectually drain the hole, without which all our labor was lost. We -made the dam on the tenth day, and anxiously awaited the result. Fears -were expressed, but we left at night, to meet in the morning, by which -time the water would have been reduced to its level. In the morning we -were there, and found, after all we could do, that there were three feet -of water in the hole we wished to drain. Nothing but steam forcing-pumps -would have enabled us to prosecute the work, and we silently and sadly -abandoned it. I went up to my tent, and was there alone. All my efforts -had failed. I was already deeply in debt for my provisions. Had I any -prospect of success? Could I hope even to make enough to enable me to -return to my family? The future seemed dark to me. I was desolate and -disheartened. In the midst of my sadness and gloom, there came a -whisper! A voice dear to me had spoken it<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_136">{136}</a></span> before in my sorrow; memory -now brought back the same voice, whispering to me,</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Fear not, but trust in Providence!”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">That voice had never failed to cheer and comfort me, and it failed not -now. That kind Providence had ever blessed me, and I could trust on, and -hope ever!</p> - -<p>The gold-digger may not stand still. No stone must be left unturned—the -treasure may lie beneath the next. This is the miner’s work: he must -spend his efforts and his years in rolling over stones, even though his -heart is sick with hope deferred—it may be under the next.</p> - -<p>I had cooked my dinner with my breakfast—some venison and bread, with a -dish of beans and a dipper of coffee. Going to take my dinner, I found -the whole gone—eaten clean and the coffee drank, probably by some miner -more hungry than myself. I acknowledged myself indebted to some one, as, -by taking my thoughts from myself, and giving me employment, he did me a -kindness.</p> - -<p>The next day I came up into the mountains to join my companions at -Rattlesnake Creek. It was late at night when I reached their camp, which -was a wild spot beneath some trees. A camp-fire, dimly burning, lighted -me to the place. The pure mountain air and my long mountain ramble gave -me a good appetite, for which the kindness of my friends provided most -amply. Our prospect of success here is good. Some miners have done very -well. We have been engaged for a few days in turning the water of the -creek, that we may work in the channel<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_137">{137}</a></span>. We lead here a strangely wild -life. As we had no mules to bring our provisions, implements for cooking -and labor, &c., we were obliged to bring them ourselves. We therefore -left behind us every thing which could by any possibility be dispensed -with. An iron pan, which we use for washing gold, serves also for -boiling our coffee. A frying-pan is our only cooking utensil. In this -one of the company—who leaves work before the others for the -purpose—fries some pork, which is rancid, and then, in the fat, fries -some flour batter. After it is done on one side, he tosses it whirling -up, catching it as it comes down upon the other side, which is then -fried in turn. We have neither knife, fork, spoon, nor plate. A spade -answers very well for a plate. We use coffee without sugar, bread -without salt, salad without vinegar.</p> - -<p>Our prospects so far are not favorable. Four of us were at work, when a -pretty vein of gold was discovered, passing down the channel and into -the bank. We have to-day made $18 25 each.</p> - -<p>June 2d. The vein has run up into the bank, and all our efforts to find -it are in vain. This wild mountain creek is fast filling up with miners. -Some considerable sums have been taken out. Along the whole length of -the creek are closely scattered groups of Mexicans, Chilinos, Indians, -Europeans, Americans. At the head of the creek, upon an extensive plain, -several large lumps of gold have been found, and a company has been -organized to drain and work the lower part of the plain.</p> - -<p>June 5th. We are still at work at the old place—still hoping somewhere -to find the lost vein. We<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_138">{138}</a></span> have sunk several holes at some distance from -the channel, in the bank, thinking thus to intercept the treasure we -have lost. While thus engaged, a messenger arrived from the head of the -creek—a settlement named “Big Oak,” located upon the plain I have -mentioned—calling for all the men and guns, as the Indians had attacked -them. Not having any inclination to join in the fight, I remained at the -camp. One American and a few Indians were killed, and several Indians -severely wounded. The quarrel arose between the chief of the Indians and -an American, who were both drunk. After the flight of the Indians, their -encampment was robbed, and it was with difficulty that a few humane -persons present interfered to prevent the cruel treatment of some aged -and sick females left behind.</p> - -<p>June 8th. For several days the Indians have kept us in a state of alarm. -All the white men upon the creek were summoned to meet at a log house, -which they fortified, to guard against a night attack. It was said that -fifty Indian warriors from the Mercedes were on the way to attack us. -During the next day the excitement was increased by the rumor that the -attack was to take place during that night. Nearly all left for the -lower settlements, or assembled at the log house. We remained quietly at -our camp, only taking the precaution to extinguish our camp-fires.</p> - -<p>June 9th. The Indians have to-day manifested their desire of peace by -returning to the settlement, digging up and burning, according to their -custom, the bodies of their chief and the other Indians who<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_139">{139}</a></span> had been -killed. All is quiet, and the miners are returning in crowds. Mr. S., -the Georgia miner, having heard that six Mexicans had made seventy-five -pounds of gold in ten days, in a ravine near us, went over to-day to see -the place. He found every foot of it occupied. There is much sickness at -the mines. Many whose cases would yield to a little kind nursing, if -they were promptly attended, become desperately ill, and often die from -neglect of the early symptoms. We often hear of instances of success in -mining, some of them most remarkable.</p> - -<p>At Sullivan’s Camp, a few miles from us, a Dutchman followed a vein of -gold down to a large rock, which continually became richer as he -progressed. Aided by some friends, he succeeded in removing the rock, -and in two hours’ time took out forty pounds of the precious ore.</p> - -<table> -<tr><td colspan="2">June 21st. Since my last date we have not made<br /> -enough to defray our expenses, but to day have added<br /> -to the treasury:</td><td class="rtb">$32.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">June</td><td>22d. Company made</td><td class="rtb">50.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>23d. Sunday.</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>24th. Company made</td><td class="rtb">25.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>25th. Company made</td><td class="rtb">83.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>26th. Company made</td><td class="rtb">98.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>27th. Company made</td><td class="rtb">68.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>28th. Company made</td><td class="rtb">84.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>29th. Company made</td><td class="rtb">7.</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="2">In eight days</td><td class="rtbb">$447.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>Dividend to each of five members, $89 40; average per day to each one, -$11 17.</p> - -<p>The Sabbath is generally observed as a day of<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_140">{140}</a></span> physical rest by the -miners. There are few who engage in mining upon this day. But all find -it indispensable to give attention to some necessary personal business. -In every encampment are found those who improve the day in reading the -Bible and other books, and in singing the songs of home in a strange -land. Still, it must be confessed, there is more gambling and drinking -upon that day than upon all the other days of the week. When there is -preaching at the mines, which is rarely the case, it is well attended, -and listened to with respect.</p> - -<p>July 29th. We continued at Rattlesnake Creek till the 3d of July, but -without much success. On that day we came down from the high mountains, -to attend the meeting of the Hart’s Bar Company on the 4th. On our way -down, an old Californian showed us the valuable medicinal plants “Buena -herba” and “Canchalagua.” We found much alarm prevailing at Jacksonville -on account of the many murders recently committed in the vicinity. A -nightly patrol has been kept up. The river was very high. Several have -been drowned in attempting to cross. On the morning of the 4th we -endeavored to cross at the ferry. There were nine persons in a boat of -the ordinary size. Before putting out into the current, which runs very -rapidly by, we passed by a cluster of young trees and bushes in the -water. One of the passengers unguardedly caught at one of the bushes, -which caused the boat immediately to sway about and dip water. It was -instantly half full, and five of the passengers had jumped out, and were -clinging to the bushes. The others of us made our way as soon as -possible<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_141">{141}</a></span> to the shore, and then contrived to rescue our companions from -their dangerous situation.</p> - -<p>On that day dined with my kind friend A. from Philadelphia, on the bank -of the river, near Hawkinsville—a sort of pic-nic, with “porter for -two.” While in the village, I was introduced to a miner from Virginia, -whose brief history while at the mines is interesting. On his arrival at -San Francisco, about a year previous, he purchased a good supply of -provisions, which he packed upon mules, and with a muleteer he started -for Deer Creek. Not meeting with any person to direct him, he crossed -the creek, not knowing that it was such. Going on for some distance, he -came suddenly, and to his great alarm, to a settlement of Indians, who, -however, through his Mexican muleteer, expressed friendship and a desire -to trade. He was induced to pitch his tent, and remain with them. The -business proved so profitable, that he returned to Stockton for a larger -supply. In a short time he had many Indians working for him, and in a -few weeks was able to send home $17,000, retaining $3000 for his future -operations. Since that time he has had no success; had sunk the fund he -had retained, and was now working as a hired laborer for the means to -take him to his family.</p> - -<p>On our way back we met the mail agent, who had letters for me. He -declines taking gold-dust to San Francisco, on account of the danger. -Remarked that he traveled feeling that he might be shot at any moment, -and that the assassin might be concealed behind the next bush. Twelve -murders have been committed within a week in and near Sonora. There is<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_142">{142}</a></span> -so much alarm that a volunteer company has been organized, till a -regiment of dragoons can be ordered here. This state of things is no -doubt owing, in part, to the heavy tax imposed upon foreigners, which -deprives many of them of employment. In consequence, they become -desperate, often being destitute of the means with which to purchase -their daily supplies. They are accordingly driven to steal and to -murder.</p> - -<p>The river being yet too high to allow us to commence our work upon -Hart’s Bar, we postponed our meeting for a week, and returned to the -mountains, hoping to find another vein of gold; but our efforts were not -rewarded.</p> - -<p>On the 9th instant we came down to Hart’s Bar to attend a company -meeting; but the river being still too high for profitable labor, we -returned again to the mountains, where, and at Woods’s Creek, we have -worked till this time, not averaging 50 cents a day.</p> - -<p>To-day we have come down to Hart’s Bar, to make all necessary -arrangements—lay in our provisions, purchase mining tools, pitch our -tents, erect brush arbors—before we begin the work. I have selected a -spot for my arbor-home, a little above the bar, on a gentle rise, and at -a short distance from the encampment of my companions, which consists of -a picturesque group of tents and arbors on the bar below. Just behind me -the mountain ascends abrupt and steep. I am making my arbor beneath a -large pine, the only tree upon the bar. It is called the -“medicine-tree,” because its pitch is used as a balsam for all burns and -bruises. This tree forms one of the supporters of my arbor. Driving into -the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_143">{143}</a></span> ground three posts, and putting poles across these, supported also -by branches of the pine, I have covered the frame thus formed with brush -and boughs, throwing them on the top, and interweaving them into the -sides. This forms for me a cool, shaded room, about ten feet square, -where I may find a shelter from the intense heat of the sun, which is -to-day 113° in the shade. Between a pin driven into the tree and a post -at the back of the arbor I have swung my hammock, in which, dressing -myself and creeping into the bag, as I have already described, I shall -spread my blankets over me. I can fancy this will be a sort of magnetic -telegraph office, whence, as soon as I am asleep, I shall be transported -home with lightning speed, and spend many a sweet hour with my distant -family. On a post in the middle of the arbor, which supports also the -poles and boughs overhead, I have left the short prongs, upon which I -hang my clothes, bags, &c., excepting the small bag containing my -letters and Daguerreotypes, which hangs upon the post at the head of my -hammock. My provisions are stored in the back part of my arbor, while my -kitchen is all out doors.</p> - -<p>July 30th. We have to-day commenced our labors. So much has been said of -the mining operations upon the rivers, especially upon the Tuolumne, -which is believed to be very rich, that I am led, for the information of -my readers, to go more into detail in describing this, the closing -portion of my mining life. The gold is often found, in rich deposits, in -the channels of these rivers. To be obtained, the river must first be -turned by dam and canal. As this is an operation<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_144">{144}</a></span> requiring the united -labor of many individuals, it is customary to form companies, which -elect their officers, form their laws, and mutually share the expense -and labor of the preparatory work, and also divide equally the profits.</p> - -<p>The Hart’s Bar Draining and Mining Company was organized in May. The -following Articles of Agreement were adopted in July, at a meeting of -the company, when twenty-one entered their names as members, and elected -their officers. It should be remarked that mining associations enjoy all -the privileges and immunities of corporate bodies; their just claims and -rights are sacredly regarded; and any violence done to these rights -would be visited by the vengeance of all the miners for miles around. No -code of laws or staff of police could more fully establish a miner in -the possession of his ten feet square. No well-drawn writing, from the -royal charter down to the simple deed of conveyance, could be a surer -guarantee. He would not be obliged to wait a tedious process at law, or -pay his last dollar for a bill of ejectment. The work of restitution and -retribution at the mines is speedy, summary, and effective.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><h3>ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT OF THE HART’S BAR DRAINING AND MINING -COMPANY.</h3> - -<p class="c"><small>PREAMBLE</small>.</p> - -<p>We, the undersigned, having associated ourselves together for the -purpose of draining and mining that part of the Tuolumne River -known as Hart’s Bar, and to work out the portion of the bed of the -river<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_145">{145}</a></span> so drained, do adopt the following articles of agreement, to -govern us in the prosecution of the said work:</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article I.</span></h3> - -<p>This company shall be known by the name of The Hart’s Bar Draining -and Mining Company.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article II.</span></h3> - -<p>This company shall not number over twenty-five members.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article III.</span></h3> - -<p>The officers of this company shall be a president, a secretary—who -shall likewise perform the duties of treasurer—and four directors, -which shall be elected from its own body, in such manner as they -may see fit, a majority constituting an election; and the officers -so elected shall continue in office during the pleasure of the -company.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article IV.</span></h3> - -<p>It shall be the duty of the president to call all meetings of the -company, and to preside at them. He shall put to vote all motions -duly made, and, in all cases of a tie in voting, he shall give the -casting vote.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article V.</span></h3> - -<p>The duties of the president shall devolve on the chief director in -all cases of his absence or disability to serve.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_146">{146}</a></span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article VI.</span></h3> - -<p>It shall be the duty of the secretary and treasurer to keep minutes -of the proceedings of the company, and to take charge of all books -and papers belonging to the office. He shall keep an accurate -account of the time, as given him by the directors, and shall -report to the company each Saturday evening, immediately after -adjourning the work of the day. It shall likewise be his duty to -take charge of all moneys belonging to the company, and to pay such -demands upon the same as may come to him approved by the company -and signed by the president.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article VII.</span></h3> - -<p>The board of directors shall discharge the duties of engineers. -Each director shall keep an accurate account of the time employed -by each man under his charge, and shall report the same to the -secretary every Friday evening. They shall superintend and direct -all operations of the company. They shall divide the company into -parties, each party to be headed by a director, who shall oversee -their working, and take charge of the daily proceeds of the same, -which he shall deliver to the treasurer every night, and take his -receipt therefor.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article VIII.</span></h3> - -<p>Of the proceeds arising from the operations of the company for the -current week, ending on Friday, the treasurer shall make a report -to the company on the next day, in the following manner: The weekly -dis<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_147">{147}</a></span>tribution shall be equal among the members, except in cases of -absence, when an amount shall be deducted from his share -corresponding with the hourly earnings of the company for the week. -In cases of sickness or unavoidable absence, substitutes may be -employed, if approved by the directors.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article IX.</span></h3> - -<p>All specimens of unusual beauty or value shall be sold at auction, -and the proceeds put in the treasury.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article X.</span></h3> - -<p>The working time of the company shall be from seven to twelve -o’clock A. M., and from half past one to half past five o’clock P. -M.; and each member shall be charged at the rate of $3 per hour for -the time he shall lose, to be paid at or before the regular meeting -next after the one on which it is reported.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XI.</span></h3> - -<p>All amendments and additions to these Articles of Agreement shall -be decided upon by a two thirds vote.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XII.</span></h3> - -<p>All applications for membership in this company shall be determined -by votes with black and white pebbles; and two black pebbles shall -exclude from membership.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XIII.</span></h3> - -<p>Any member wishing to sell his share, the company shall have the -first right of purchase; which<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_148">{148}</a></span> if they decline, he may sell it, -but only to such person as the company approves.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Article XIV.</span></h3> - -<p>No member of this company shall be allowed to hold two claims on -the river, capable of being worked, at the same time.</p> - -<hr style="width: 45%;" /> - -<p>The following officers were elected: T. P. Hotchkiss, president; D. -B. Woods, secretary and treasurer; William Marlatt, chief director; -R. E. Thompson, second director; F. Ridout, third director.</p></div> - -<p>I have received into my arbor, as a camp-mate, my valued friend M. He is -a young sailor—a man with a brave heart in danger, but with a kind -heart to those he loves—rough or gentle, like the ocean he has -navigated. He has to-day made a bed-frame, nailing some bags on the -bottom for sacking; also, some camp-stools, while the company’s -carpenter has made me a table; so that our mining home presents an -unusual air of comfort. We have sent to Stockton for a supply of -provisions. M. is a first-rate cook, and many of the dishes he can -furnish would be relished in any place where there are good appetites. -The living at the mines is much better than it has been. We have more -vegetables, better flour, and a greater variety of provisions generally. -Provisions are also cheaper than they have been at any time previous.</p> - -<p>The work before us is truly an arduous one, made doubly so by the -limited means we have of prosecuting it. The clay for the construction -of our canal<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_149">{149}</a></span> must be carried in hand-barrows, borne between two -persons, from the side of the hill down a steep bank, then along over a -stony path to the canal, a distance varying from one eighth to one sixth -of a mile; and this must be done day after day for weeks. Then the -lumber for the aqueduct is to be sawed by hand, from logs cut and rolled -from the tops and sides of the mountains, with whip-saws. This part of -the business is under the direction of a master architect from London.</p> - -<p>Sept. 24th, 1851. We prosecuted both parts of our work at the same time. -A part were employed in carrying the clay to the canal. An account was -kept one day, and it was ascertained that each barrow was carried, -during the day, fourteen miles. Since my last date I have carried such a -barrow four hundred and twenty miles. The clay was put in large heaps, -where we could easily obtain it when it should be wanted in the making -of the canal. This was a most arduous undertaking. Sometimes it must -pass through a solid ledge of hard asbestos rock, and then through deep -holes in the river, where it has washed into the banks. In such a case, -a heavy wall, filled with clay, must be made. When completed, the canal -was six hundred and thirty-eight feet in length, and sixteen in width. -Making the aqueduct to convey the water from the canal, which passed -through Paine’s Bar, above us, was the most difficult task. The logs, -which were cut upon the mountain, were rolled to the pits, and then -sawed by hand. Piers were constructed by making crates of logs, which -were firmly pinned together, then sunk in their places<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_150">{150}</a></span> by being filled -with large stones. Another large pier was made by rolling and carrying -stones into the river a distance of thirty feet. The sleepers of the -aqueduct were laid upon this and the laden crates. When it was finished, -it was a handsome piece of workmanship, of which we were justly proud. -It was one hundred and two feet in length, and twelve wide. This kind of -labor—yielding no remuneration, only being preparatory to the more -exciting, though laborious process of gold-digging—was prosecuted from -July the 30th to this date, Sept. 24th. We were awakened at dawn by the -second director, who came out before his tent, and sang, in a loud, -clear voice, “Up in the morning early, boys!” That song, which often -brought me out of my dreams, to this day I carry back into my dreams. -After a short time allowed for taking breakfast, the roll was called, -and we went to our daily labor. And oh! when night came again, how -sweet, after a bath in the river, was “the rest of the laboring man!” On -the 20th of September the pleasure was ours of seeing the whole channel -of the river opposite our bar laid bare for our operations. It was -<i>ours</i>, after contending with difficulties, privations, and hardships -innumerable, and of no ordinary kind, and which have deprived of health -many of our company. It was all <i>ours</i>, with the joyous anticipation of -soon receiving the reward of our efforts, and returning home with at -least a competence. About two weeks since—it was the 6th instant—we -were alarmed by a considerable rise of the river. While at breakfast -upon that day, the water of the river became suddenly<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_151">{151}</a></span> muddy. Soon after -we perceived this, intelligence was brought down to us from the -Jacksonville company that they were expecting to see their dam washed -away. The river continued gradually to rise for an hour, when there was -a sudden freshet, caused by the giving way of some dam above us. We -hastened, with the aid of other companies, to open the head of the -canal, and to roll heavy stones into the aqueduct. The water came up to -the floor, then a few inches above it. We looked on, expecting to see -all our works, which we had spent weeks in completing, at once -destroyed. But the water ceased to rise, then slowly subsided, showing -behind it the wet ground and the line of foam, chips and dirt marking -the limits of the encroachment. Soon we were able to return to our labor -with lightened spirits, and some with other kinds. Many cradles, -buckets, and other things floated past us in the river.</p> - -<p>The shares of the company immediately advanced several hundred dollars. -One share was sold for $1200, while $2500 was refused for another.</p> - -<p>Two days since we commenced making a ditch under the wall of the canal, -to carry off the water which leaked through its embankments. Two cradles -were set, and the dirt from the bed of the ditch was washed through, and -in three hours there was deposited in the treasury $176.</p> - -<p>Yesterday we continued to work upon the ditch, adding two more cradles, -and during the day made $415 75. At midnight, and in the rain, we were -called out to repair the walls of the canal, and stop several leaks. The -river was very high, and slowly<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_152">{152}</a></span> rising. After several hours’ -night-labor, we succeeded in stopping every leak but one. In one place -the water rushed through in a torrent.</p> - -<p>This morning—Sept. 24th—the water was rising in its might. -Notwithstanding our aqueduct and canal, the bed of the river was nearly -full. We hastened to remove all our mining implements. Slowly, but -surely, the freshet came, till the destruction of all our works seemed -inevitable.</p> - -<p>We thought not of hunger, though we had been laboring hard much of the -night and all the morning. About ten o’clock there was a pause of -fearful suspense. The rising seemed arrested—might it not be on the -turn? For a short time there was hope; the pendulum vibrated each moment -between our hopes and our fears. We hastened up the hill side—after all -had been done which could be—to a spot commanding a view of the whole, -to see our hopes or our fears realized. We perceived at once that the -existence of all our works depended upon the Paine’s Bar dam above us. -Would that stand the torrent? Should that maintain its position, we were -safe; let that go, <i>all</i> would be swept away! As we kept our eyes fixed -upon this—it was a quarter of a mile above us—the black line of wall -was suddenly broken, and the torrent poured through a small opening -forced in the dam, and in a few seconds the river ran foaming over the -entire length of the wall, which bowed and sank before the irresistible -force. Then and there was heard a sound new and strangely startling to -me. It was caused by large stones <i>rushing</i> and <i>grinding</i> under water, -borne on by the tremendous power of<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_153">{153}</a></span> the current. It might be imagined -that the thousand submerged chariots and cars of Pharaoh’s host were -driving impetuously over that river channel. As soon as the dam above us -gave way, the water rose with great rapidity—two, three, four, six, -eight feet—till it poured over the top of the aqueduct. Still it nobly -stood, held in its place by the immense weight of the water which poured -through it from the canal above. It was indeed surprising to see a thing -so light resisting that mad and mighty force. It was but a moment! -Gently and gracefully it yielded, swayed forward, and moved away with -the ease and rapidity of a thing of life. Thus, in one moment, we saw -the work of <i>one thousand and twenty-nine days</i> done by the company -swept away and rendered useless. Within five minutes of the time when -the aqueduct disappeared around the bend of the river, a meeting of the -company was called, and a resolution presented to proceed with our work -by means of wing-dams.</p> - -<p>Oct. 8th. From the time of the freshet to the 30th of Sept., the river -was too high to permit us to commence our new operations. On that -day—Monday—the directors led the way, shuddering, and actually -shrieking, from the sudden chill, into the cold stream. A line was -formed, extending out to the middle of the river, those at the end of -the line working in four feet water, where the current was so strong -that our feet would often be forced from under us, and we would be -whirled away down the current, to scrabble on shore as we could. To -appreciate the difficulties of our arduous and dangerous task, and to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_154">{154}</a></span> -understand the kind of work which was to be done, let my reader imagine -himself standing by me, and looking at what is going on below us, while -I describe the scene to him. The whole force of the company, aided by -some thirty Mexicans we have employed to work for us, is concentrated -upon the wall which is to be the head of the dam. This is to run from -the shore out to the middle of the river, or about forty feet. Two walls -are thrown up parallel to each other, and about two feet apart. The -difficulty of this is almost inconceivable. We must roll the stones and -adjust them where there is a rapid current four feet in depth. Sometimes -a whole section of this will be swept off at once, and must be done all -over again. After the walls are completed, strong cloth is spread down -against the lower wall, and over its whole surface. The space is then -filled up with small twigs, sand, and clay. After the wall is carried -thus to the middle of the river, it must turn, forming a right angle, -and run down through the middle of the river, parallel to the shore, a -distance of two hundred and fifty feet, till it passes over some falls, -by which means the water is partially drained from a portion of the -channel. This portion so drained is then divided off into pens, which -are surrounded by small walls, so made as to exclude the water, which is -then bailed out, and all the space within the walls of the pens is thus -worked. The cradles are set just over the walls, on the outer side, and -some six or eight of them are sometimes being rocked at the same time, -supplied with dirt by the dozen or twenty miners in the pens. It is a -busy scene. It will be seen that<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_155">{155}</a></span> this work is not only laborious, but -in an extreme degree exposing. At times nearly all the company may be -seen working together, waist deep, in the water, which, coming from the -Sierra Nevada, is very cold. This we must endure, while a burning sun is -shining hotly down upon the head.</p> - -<p>There are two servants, belonging to members of the company, at work -with the rest, and right hard-working men they are. One of them, who is -from Mississippi, is as athletic and vigorous a man as I have ever seen. -If any work is to be done which requires great strength, he is called -upon; and he always engages in it singing some merry song. The other -servant is an old man, named Allen, belonging to our president, who -tells me he shall give him free papers when he leaves the country.</p> - -<p>Direct your attention once again to the interesting tableau in the river -below us. Among the group of Mexicans and Americans—black, brown, and -white—is one remarkable person. He is a tall, stout man, having the -appearance of one accustomed to command, and some of the severity of one -who has commanded those who never dared dispute his authority. He had -been a boatman upon the Mississippi. He was our chief director; and, -though he ruled with unquestioned sway, he was light-hearted, jovial, -and free. He was known among us by the name of “Red,” from the fact -that, whenever there was any fighting to be done, or when he was “going -upon a spree,” he put on a red flannel shirt. By our “Articles of -Agreement,” in the absence of the president, the duty of presiding over -the meetings devolved upon<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_156">{156}</a></span> him, as chief director. At a meeting which -was called at the regular time of work, the president being absent, the -chair was to be taken—speaking figuratively, for such a thing as a -chair was unknown at the mines—by this remarkable individual. The -thought that he was so far to submit his own opinion to the decision of -others as to permit them an opportunity of expressing dissent even by -their votes, did not seem to enter into his calculations. The meeting -had been called to decide whether or not we should work on that Saturday -afternoon. Under the circumstances, most were in favor of adjourning -work till Monday morning. What was the dismay of those who had -anticipated no difficulty in carrying the question in the affirmative, -and who came prepared to talk down or to talk <i>out</i> all opposition, if -they had to talk till night, when Red entered with the air of one who is -for deeds, and not words. He was strongly opposed to the proposed -measure. “Boys,” he said, as he came by, spade in hand, as if on his way -to labor, impatient of any delay, and waving all ceremony—“Boys, I say, -go to work. All who are in favor say ‘Ay!’<span class="lftspc">”</span> One emphatic “<i>Ay!</i>” by -himself, was the only response. “Those who are opposed,” he continued, -at the same time starting on his way, “say nothing, and go to work!” In -five minutes every man was at his post, wondering how it had happened. I -was desirous, for one, to have the afternoon to myself, as I had -promised to preach on the morrow, and wanted the time to arrange my -thoughts. As it was, I selected my subject, studied and arranged my -plan, while at work in the canal. Early the next day<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_157">{157}</a></span>—Sunday—I stepped -to the entrance of my brush arbor, and to a post driven into the ground, -upon the top of which was nailed a chip, hewed flat for the purpose, -which served for a reading-desk. My audience were already seated about, -some upon rude stools, and most upon the ground.</p> - -<p>This afternoon, our wall being completed, and two pens, twelve feet -square, inclosed, we set our cradles, and commenced “rocking.” The books -of the treasurer exhibit the following results to Nov. 9th, when river -mining was generally suspended for the season:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td class="c">Oct.</td><td>8th</td><td class="rt">$50 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>9th</td><td class="rt">26 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>10th. Work upon the wing-dam.</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>11th</td><td class="rt">155 25</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>12th</td><td class="rt">1,280 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>13th, Sunday</td><td class="rt">302 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>14th. Work upon the wing-dam.</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>15th. Work upon the wing-dam.</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>16th. Work upon the wing-dam.</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>17th</td><td class="rt">1,404 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>18th</td><td class="rt">4,198 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>19th</td><td class="rt">894 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>20th, Sunday.</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>21st</td><td class="rt">1,449 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>22d</td><td class="rt">688 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>23d</td><td class="rt">1,102 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>24th</td><td class="rt">1,034 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>25th</td><td class="rt">701 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>26th</td><td class="rt">27 50</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>27th, Sunday.</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>28th</td><td class="rt">179 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>29th. Work upon the wing-dam.</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>30th</td><td class="rt">6 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>31st. Work upon the wing-dam.</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Nov.</td><td> 1st</td><td class="rt">297 25</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>2d</td><td class="rt">437 25</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>3d, Sunday.</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>4th</td><td class="rt">949 10</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>5th</td><td class="rt">809 60</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>6th</td><td class="rt">168 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>7th</td><td class="rt">547 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>8th</td><td class="rt">380 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">“</td><td>9th</td><td class="rt">40 00</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Total</td><td> </td><td class="rtbb">$17,123 95</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c" colspan="2">Deduct company expenses, viz.,<br /> -implements, labor, and incidentals,</td><td class="rt">3,528 05</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c" colspan="2">Leaving in the treasury</td><td class="rtbb">$13,595 90</td></tr> -</table> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_158">{158}</a></span> - -<p>Dividend to each of twenty-one members of the company, $647 42. Average -per day, from July 30th to Nov. 9th, 1850, $7 28.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>A large amount of gold came into the treasury, the care of which was -somewhat burdensome. It puzzled me to know what to do with it. There was -no lock and key in the place. My arbor was upon the hill, retired from -the rest of the settlement. There were many Mexicans and strangers -constantly upon the bar, and it was dangerous to have a large amount of -gold in possession. As a means of security for myself, I changed my -quarters every night; and to secure the gold, I tied the various -packages into one<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_159">{159}</a></span> bundle, to which I attached one end of a string, -tying the other end about my wrist. The bundle, so secured, I folded -within my coat, placing the whole beneath my head as a pillow. Any -attempt to take this from me would have been instantly detected.</p> - -<p>It will be seen, by reference to the dates, that the company labored at -mining on one Sabbath. When it was decided, at a meeting on Saturday, -the 12th of October, to work the next day, I was allowed to enter my -protest, which still remains upon the records; and I was also excused -from manual labor. By noon of that Sunday, all had left work, and it was -never even proposed again.</p> - -<p>During the last weeks of our labors, we hired many Americans, and more -than fifty Mexicans. The heavy tax upon foreigners has driven them to -seek employment from companies. They may be hired at $4 and $6 a day. -These Mexicans, who speak imperfect Spanish, are generally very -indolent, and must be closely watched. Many times in the day, whatever -may be the business, they will stop, take out a small, square piece of -white paper, and putting upon it a small pinch of loose tobacco, roll it -into a cigarito, and lighting it with a piece of punk or a match, smoke -with apparent relish. The women are as fond of their cigaritos as the -men.</p> - -<p>A few nights before I left the mines, I accepted an invitation from -“Red” to accompany him on a night fishing expedition. He carried in his -hand a long and peculiarly pointed spear, with a spring barb, which -opened as it entered the flesh of the fish, and prevented his escape. -Several others bore torches<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_160">{160}</a></span> made of light wood, which, while they -dazzled the fish, showed the spear-man where to strike. After two hours’ -fishing on the banks of the river, we returned, rewarded for our toil -with several large salmon.</p> - -<p>A remarkable instance of an attack made by a bear upon the inmates of a -tent occurred lately near us. He was no doubt attracted by the smell of -the fresh meat which was being cooked. Infuriated by the resistance -which he met, he made a most violent attack upon his assailants, killing -two men and one woman, who was cooking. One of the men and the bear lay -dead side by side.</p> - -<p>A bird of very large size has frequently flown over us, soaring very -high in the air, which we have supposed was the California eagle; but -one, coming within the range of the rifle, was shot, and fell at our -feet upon the bar. It proves to be a species of the vulture, and -measures, between the tips of its wings, eight feet and eleven inches. -The quill which I now have is of great size.</p> - -<p>There was upon the bar a case of delirium tremens, that most fearful -display of the Divine displeasure against intemperance. The young man -was from England—had been an officer in the British army. Soon after he -came to the mines, he gave himself up to intemperate habits. He was -suddenly attacked in the night, imagining himself pursued by horrible -fiends, which came to torture him. At midnight he came rushing into my -tent, and almost knocked me out of my hammock as he crept under it, to -conceal himself from his enemies. He would<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_161">{161}</a></span> then dart through the side -of my arbor, densely interwoven with brush and boughs, and into a tent -near by, where he narrowly escaped being shot as a robber. In the day he -would sit near the bank of the river, and converse by the hour with -imaginary persons on the hill opposite. He carried on a curious -courtship with a woman who was dancing over the river, surrounded by her -fifty children. He requested me to marry him to this woman of his -imagination; and then, soon after, came in trembling, and told me that -the husband was alive, and in his jealous rage was seeking to kill him.</p> - -<p>There was much sickness upon the bar during the latter part of the -season. Much of this was the result of the fearful exposures to which we -were subject. The sickness at length assumed a malignant and dangerous -form. It commenced in a violent attack of diarrhœa, running into -symptoms resembling the cholera, which was then fatally prevalent in the -cities of California. The first person attacked was a vigorous and -strong German sailor. Nothing could be learned of him or his -friends—even his name was unknown to us. We buried him deep in the -sand, on the banks of the Tuolumne; and while the burial services were -being performed, a crowd—not, however, of our own members—surrounded -the gambling-table on the bar. At this time there were three or four -gambling companies with us, called into life by the short-lived success -of our mining operations.</p> - -<p>Poor Charlie! would it lessen the loneliness of your last resting-place -to know that you “sleep your last sleep” by the side of the gifted and -noble-heart<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_162">{162}</a></span>ed friend who watched over you night and day in your -sickness, and who thus contracted his own death malady? Alas! how sad -and overpowering are my thoughts, as I stand, for the last time before -leaving for my own far-distant home, by the grave of Franklin H. Ridout, -of Annapolis, Maryland! Soon after the death of Charlie, he was -prostrated by a most violent attack of the same disease. During his -short sickness, every possible attention and assistance was rendered him -by a few devoted friends; but how often he must have felt the want of -the attentions of his own happy home—the home of piety and refinement! -After he had received from his physician the intelligence that there was -no hope in his case—intelligence to which he listened with Christian -resignation—he sent for me. It was the 21st of October, and so warm and -genial was the weather that the dying man was outside his tent, lying -beneath its shade. That conversation, and others which followed, I shall -never forget. I was the learner, and he the teacher. His quiet Christian -resignment to the will of the Supreme Being, while it was very -affecting, was also consoling to our feelings. But one thing he seemed -to wish different. “If I might die at home,” he said, “it would be so -sweet!” The last sentence he spoke contained the dear and sacred name -“mother!” His last thought was of her. A short time before his death, -the sacrament of the holy communion was administered to him, at which a -large number of persons were present. A meeting of the company was -called in the evening, and the following resolutions were passed:<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_163">{163}</a></span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to take from among us a beloved -friend and companion, therefore,</p> - -<p><i>Resolved</i>, 1st. That by the death of Franklin H. Ridout we have -lost one whom we all esteemed most highly for his many virtues.</p> - -<p><i>Resolved</i>, 2d. That we sincerely sympathize with his afflicted -mother and relatives in this sad bereavement.</p> - -<p><i>Resolved</i>, 3d. That we will attend his funeral to-morrow, at -twelve o’clock, M.</p> - -<p><i>Resolved</i>, 4th. That this company will defray the expenses of his -funeral.</p> - -<p>Resolved, 5th. That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the -family of the deceased; and that an invitation to attend the -funeral be extended to the neighboring companies.</p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">Daniel B. Woods</span>, Secretary.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="nind"> -<i><small>Hart’s Bar</small></i>,<small> Oct. 21, 1849.</small><br /> -</p></div> - -<p>Several were dangerously ill at the time of Mr. Ridout’s death, and, -soon after, our worthy president was at once prostrated by a similar -attack. For many hours we watched over him, endeavoring to cheer and -comfort him. At the last, he came to the conclusion that he must die. -Sending for me, he made me promise to visit his family on Red River, and -be the bearer to them of the sad intelligence; also of many messages, -which he delivered with the fortitude of a Christian philosopher; but -once, when speaking of his wife, his voice was choked, and the strong -man turned aside his head to weep. To my earnest entreaty that he would -postpone the subject<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_164">{164}</a></span> till he was better—indeed, my own feelings were -so much overcome, that I feared I should lose control of myself in his -presence—he replied that he must finish, and then his mind would be at -rest. He feared not to die, but he would have desired to be at home, if -it had been the will of God; but he could not complain. He gave me, for -his family, his journal, a few articles of value, and his bag of gold. -His tent, clothing, tools, &c., he gave to his servant, old Allen, to -whom he had promised his freedom when he should leave the country, and -to whom he requested me to give free papers in the event of his death. -He told me, in conclusion, where he wished to be buried, and the mode of -his burial. Hearing that my valued friend, Dr. Candee, of Park Place, -New York, was in the neighborhood, I sent to him, urgently requesting -him to visit Dr. Hotchkiss. To my great relief, he was soon at his side, -and his prescriptions were blessed to his recovery.</p> - -<p>These cases of sickness very much hastened the breaking up of our mining -operations for the season. Many of the company left for the mountains, -to be ready for the winter diggings.</p> - -<p>Nov. 9th. This is my last day at the mines. We removed our cradles this -morning to the portion of the channel from which we had taken out the -largest amount of gold, hoping that we might find the vein again. There -were favorable indications close under the centre wall; but the vein -dipped below the wall, and we worked on, at every step undermining it, -and still led on by the hope of reaching one of those rare deposits in -which thousands are found. We<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_165">{165}</a></span> were more encouraged in this idea by -learning, on good evidence, that from one small spot near us, in the -same channel, one miner, the last year, took $17,000. Why might not we -strike it also? Every appearance encouraged us, when we were aroused by -a sudden and loud call from one of the directors, who had discovered two -leaks in the dam, a few feet apart. In an instant we all rushed, with -our spades and barrows of dirt, to the breaches, which each moment gaped -wider, and presented a more hopeless appearance. All our efforts would -have been vain, and the dam swept away, but for the aid of another -company near us. There was no more work, however, to be done that day, -every thing being under the water. That was the last of my gold-digging.</p> - -<p>Nov. 10th. For the last time, I have just climbed the mountain above -Hart’s Bar. On looking back, below me is spread out the narrow, winding -valley, between its two mountains, widening at that point into an -extensive bar, through which, on account of the many dams, canals, and -other obstructions, the tortured river seems to have infinite difficulty -in forcing its way. There is also the collection of tents, and the -miners engaged in cooking, and collected in small groups about their -camp-fires, for it is a cool morning. There stand the wrecks of our -aqueduct and canal; the bare half channel of the river, and the surface -of the bar scarred and pitted over. There is the scene of my labors for -long months. There is my own arbor, and its last fire still smoking; and -there our place of worship; and lower down is where our company meetings -were held. And there are the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_166">{166}</a></span> graves of our lost companions. But I must -break from these scenes of disappointment and sadness—of broken hopes -and broken hearts—and, invoking the blessing of a kind and gracious -Father in heaven upon myself and those left behind, direct my steps to -San Francisco.</p> - -<p>On the road, where before there were only tents or rude arbors, are now -some frame buildings. And it was cause of surprise to see the great -number of wagons and mule-trains, heavily laden for the mines. Where -were to be found consumers for all this? Then came the news-man, with -almost a mule-load of New York Heralds. I had come alone, and entirely -unarmed, and it was a source of amusement to me to meet the emigrants on -their way to the mines, completely armed. A mile out from Stockton, I -met a Frenchman, armed with a double hunting-gun, pistols, dirk, &c., -who came up to me, looking carefully on this side and on that, and -inquired anxiously, “Is there any danger about the bear?” He seemed -surprised when I told him I had come down from the mines alone and -unarmed; that on my way across the plain I had seen a few elk and deer, -and immense herds of antelope.</p> - -<p>At Stockton I received letters from home of three months’ later date; -and the same evening left, in one of the river steamers, for San -Francisco, where I arrived early the next morning.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_167">{167}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.<br /><br /> -<small>SAN FRANCISCO.</small><br /><br /> -<small>GENERAL ESTIMATE OF GAINS—RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA.</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">San Francisco</span>, which has already been several times burned down, and as -often, Phœnix-like, arisen from its ashes, seems to be improved by each -conflagration. A new edition, revised and improved, has just been -issued. I should not have known the city. Indeed, there was little -there—excepting the land, and that cut down and changed—which had been -there when I left. The city of tents and sheds was changed to one of -substantial edifices, while some blocks of very respectable brick houses -had been built. One could not pass through the city without being -impressed with the sentiment which seems to describe the whole thing, -“<i>Enterprise run mad.</i>”<a id="FNanchor_B_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_B_2" class="fnanchor">[B]</a> Each one of the vast throng hastens on, busy -in his own plans and pursuits. Nothing can so well give the idea, by a -single image, of San Francisco, as naming it a moral whirlpool. A -mysterious, but all-pervading and powerful attraction, emanating from -this wonderful point, has been felt in the remotest parts<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_168">{168}</a></span> of the earth. -Civilized, semi-barbarous, and savage—American, European, Asiatic, and -African—feel it. The missionary and the gambler, the praying and the -profane man, have all felt it. Drawn from the pulpit, the farm, the -forum, the bench, they all rush—giddy, mazed—into this one vortex. -Happy the few who escape unharmed!</p> - -<p>To give such a sketch of society in San Francisco as could be understood -and appreciated—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“To force it sit, till he has pencil’d off<br /></span> -<span class="i1">A faithful image of the form he views”—<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">would indeed be a difficult task. Every thing is in such a state of -transition and change, from month to month, that a truthful description -now would not be such one short year hence. When I first visited the -city, the gamblers generally set their tables under large tents, which -answered the purpose, also, of eating-rooms. In my second visit, these -tents had given place to magnificent saloons. In these vast and splendid -establishments, the mind was bewildered, the senses were fascinated. -Appeals—almost irresistible to the young, often to the aged, and even -to those who had ministered at the altar—were made, calculated to -arouse the deepest and strongest passions of our nature. There was wine, -and the more intoxicating eye of beauty, to kindle and to madden. There -was music, by the most accomplished and able professors of the art, to -captivate. There were paintings, such as my pen may not describe; and -there were treasures of silver and gold, which <i>might</i> be theirs on the -turn of a card.</p> - -<p>In my third visit to the city, these saloons had been<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_169">{169}</a></span> burned down, and -replaced with others more splendid and attractive. The wine, the music, -the tables of gold, coined and uncoined, are all there; but no longer do -such excited and eager crowds throng around the tables. There are still -some who are risking and losing their all; but, comparatively, they are -few.</p> - -<p>While at San Francisco, an unusual case of success in mining has been -made public, and created much excitement even in this city of -wonders—so much so as to show that such instances are very rare. Three -miners had worked a claim, from which, in the course of a few weeks, -they took $84,000. Their expenses for labor, provisions, &c., were about -$24,000; But they had with them each about $20,000. I was informed that -several hundred miners had been attracted to the same bar by the success -of these men, but that no other rich deposits had been found, and, in -general, the others were not making a living. Notwithstanding the -overgrown fortunes which have been, in some few cases, so rapidly -accumulated, I hazard the assertion that in no other part of the United -States can there be found so many persons abjectly poor, in proportion -to the population, as among those who have resorted to California for -purposes of mining. Much is now said, and considerable excitement felt, -on the subject of the quartz mining. When two exceptions are made, I -know of no locations where the quartz-crushing operations can be at -present successfully prosecuted. Two reasons may be given for this -opinion. One is, the high price of labor; the second is, the difficulty -of replacing parts of the machinery in case of a break. Many<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_170">{170}</a></span> -individuals and many companies will be losers by entering into the -quartz mining speculations.</p> - -<p>The mode of conducting business in the cities is anomalous. No skill in -business transactions; no far-sighted, clear judgment; no long -experience in matters of commerce, insure success here. It is much as it -is at the mines. A happy hit, if made by the novice—and it is as likely -to be made by him as by any—makes the poor man to-day a rich man -to-morrow. In the spring of 1849, the single article of saleratus sold -for $12 a lb.; it could be purchased in New York at 4 cents. One hundred -dollars invested in this single article, deducting all expenses, would -yield at the least $25,000. At that same time, building lots in -Sacramento City were held at $500; in six weeks they brought $25,000. -Let any one calculate for himself what would be the amount made from -fifty lots at this rate. In the space of six months, the owner of $100 -<i>might</i> be worth a million!</p> - -<p>Such glittering and gilded castles as these, floating through the -imaginations of thousands, led to those wild speculations in lumber, -provisions, and other things, which, in the end, have come tumbling down -upon the heads of the builders.</p> - -<p>While at San Francisco I had opportunity of obtaining information -respecting the companies which had been formed in the States. Not one of -these, so far as I could learn, continued together; they were often -dissolved before they reached the mines. And even if they held a -charter, and were bound to each other under heavy liabilities, they soon -fell to pieces on reaching the gold placers. One intelligent gentleman, -who had enjoyed every opportunity for observa<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_171">{171}</a></span>tion, related to me the -history of the company with which he left New York. They numbered one -hundred and forty-one members. One of this company made $15,000 by -trading; another made $7000 in the same way. Two had made $6000; one as -a tin manufacturer, the other by mining. Three had made $2000; two by -mining and trading, and one by teaming. One had made $1500, and another -$1000. Half the remainder made a living by mining, gambling, or trading, -and the remainder have died.</p> - -<p>Before I left the mines, I applied to the secretaries or other officers -of mining companies upon the Tuolumne for statements respecting their -operations during the past season. These were companies extending along -the river a few miles both above and below Hart’s Bar. Their operations -were generally more successful than those of other damming companies, -excepting, perhaps, some upon the Yuba River. I speak within bounds when -I say that four out of five of the river damming operations, through the -whole mines, were failures. The averages of the fourteen companies given -below were generally obtained from their books. In some instances, their -mining operations were continued after I left, but only in a limited -degree, and, in general, were entirely suspended, and the members were -scattering among the various winter diggings, or, in a few cases, -seeking their distant homes.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<h3>No. 1.<br /><br /> -<i>Sigñorita Bar Company.</i></h3> - -<p>Worked by Green T. Martin, of Rodney, Miss., and R. N. Wood, of -Shreveport, La.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_172">{172}</a></span></p> - -<p>Total number of days, 1354.</p> - -<p>Highest number of hands one day, 96.</p> - -<p>Commenced on the 3d of September, and left on the 25th of October.</p> - -<p>Total amount taken from bar, $9700.</p> - -<p>Highest amount in one day, 7 lbs. 4 oz.</p> - -<p>Length of dam, 290 feet.</p> - -<p>Loss by rise of river in repairs, $1400.</p> - -<p>$1000 taken out since we left. Our force was too large to be longer -profitably employed. The upper part of the bar was poor, and on the west -side the bed was black slate, with a deposit of three or four feet, and -on the slate was found pieces of pine and other timber; and the whole -had the appearance of ashes or ash-bed, the water upon it resembling -soap-suds. All the specimens found contained greater or less quantities -of quartz.</p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">R. N. Wood.</span><br /> -</p> - -<h3>No. 2.<br /><br /><i>Stephens’s Bar Damming and Mining Company.</i></h3> - -<p>Gross amount of gold taken out this year from Stephens’s Bar Damming and -Mining Company, $12,000.</p> - -<p>October 26th, took out $1224.</p> - -<p>Length of canal, 1200 yards.</p> - -<p>Number of men in the company, 38.</p> - -<p>Number of days’ work put on by each member, 120.</p> - -<p>Name of treasurer, Wm. Canfield, New York.</p> - -<p>Name of secretary, John F. Sullivan, Baltimore.</p> - -<h3>No. 3.<br /><br /><i>Items of the Third Bar Company, Tuolumne River.</i></h3> - -<p>Organized 25th July, 1850.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_173">{173}</a></span></p> - -<p>Number of members, private, 6.</p> - -<p>J. W. Morrel, president.</p> - -<p>C. Powell, secretary and treasurer.</p> - -<p>Number of members, aggregate, 8.</p> - -<p>Number of Mexicans employed, average, 60.</p> - -<p>Number of days’ labor, 4260.</p> - -<p>Length of canal, 730 yards.</p> - -<p>Length of dam, 88 yards.</p> - -<p>Cost of labor for day, $5 each Mexican.</p> - -<p>Cost of labor, and other expenses, to complete the job, $239 48.</p> - -<p>Amount of gold and other valuables obtained from the above labor, 00.</p> - -<h3>No. 4.<br /><br /> -<i>Philadelphia Company.</i></h3> - -<p>5 members; 210 days; amount of gold, 00.</p> - -<h3>No. 5.<br /><br /> -<i>Extension Company.</i></h3> - -<p>12 members; 1100 days.</p> - -<p>Amount, $2250.</p> - -<p>Average for day, $2 04.</p> - -<h3>No. 6.<br /> - -<br /><i>Hawkins’s Bar Company.</i></h3> - -<p>N. Kingsley, president; John Richardson, secretary; Geo. Goodhart, -treasurer.</p> - -<p>108 members.</p> - -<p>Time of labor, 7776 days.</p> - -<p>Amount of gold, $35,500.</p> - -<p>Average for day, $4 56.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_174">{174}</a></span></p> - -<h3>No. 7.<br /><br /> -<i>Ficket Company.</i></h3> - -<p>Robert Armstrong, treasurer.</p> - -<p>14 members; 434 days.</p> - -<p>Amount made, $4368.</p> - -<p>Average for day, $10 06.</p> - -<h3>No. 8.<br /> - -<br /><i>Payne’s Bar Company.</i></h3> - -<p>20 members; 1820 days; amount, $6792.</p> - -<p>Average for day, $3 73.</p> - -<h3>No. 9.<br /> - -<br /><i>Grisly Company.</i></h3> - -<p>Geo. Buttress, president; D. F. Smyers, secretary and treasurer.</p> - -<p>10 members; largest day’s work, $2600.</p> - -<p>Time of labor, 540 days.</p> - -<p>Amount, $11,000.</p> - -<p>Average for day, $20 37.</p> - -<h3>No. 10.<br /> - -<br /><i>Wild Yankee Company.</i></h3> - -<p>15 members; time, 450 days; amount, $4000.</p> - -<p>Average for day, $8 88.</p> - -<h3>No. 11.<br /> - -<br /><i>Jacksonville Company.</i></h3> - -<p>Thos. Sayre, president; G. N. Harris, secretary; Geo. Somers, treasurer.</p> - -<p>50 members; time of labor, 10,000 days.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_175">{175}</a></span></p> - -<p>Amount taken out, $10,900.</p> - -<p>Average for day, $1 09.</p> - -<h3>No. 12.<br /><br /> -<i>Extension Company.</i></h3> - -<p>20 members; time, 720 days; avails, 00.</p> - -<h3>No. 13.<br /><br /> -<i>York Bar Company.</i></h3> - -<p>20 members; 714 days; avails, 00.</p> - -<h3>No. 14.<br /><br /> -<i>Hart’s Bar Company.</i></h3> - -<p>Thos. S. Hotchkiss, president; Daniel B. Woods, secretary and treasurer.</p> - -<p>Number of members, 21.</p> - -<p>Largest day’s work, $4198.</p> - -<p>Number of days’ labor, 1938.</p> - -<p>Total amount, $17,123.</p> - -<p>Average per day, $8 83.</p> -</div> -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>Number of members in these fourteen companies, 344.</p> - -<p>Total number of days’ labor, 35,876, or 114 years of 313 working days -each.</p> - -<p>Total amount taken out, $113,633.</p> - -<p>Average for each day’s labor, $3 16.</p> -</div> - -<p>My efforts to obtain averages of the winter mines were attended with -much greater difficulty. But few of the miners kept any account of the -results of their labors, and those who did were often unwilling that<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_176">{176}</a></span> -their names should appear in connection with such inconsiderable -profits. In my journal I have the names of <i>fifty-six</i> miners, generally -of my acquaintance, who were laboring in the richest portions of the -mines, and who have given me information respecting their operations. -All whose names and averages I took were industrious, persevering, and, -in some cases, skillful miners, so that the result given must be -regarded as one which presents the most favorable view. It is probable, -if an average could by any means be obtained of all the operations of -all the miners, day by day, it would be much less than that at which I -arrive.</p> - -<p>My estimate commences at the time I reached the Marepoosa diggings, -which was the 12th day of November, 1849, and a few days after the rainy -season commenced, and ends at the time I went to Jacksonville, April 3d, -1850, and covers a period of one hundred and twenty-one working days to -each of fifty-six miners, or six thousand seven hundred and seventy-six -days in the aggregate.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>Number of miners, 56.</p> - -<p>Length of time, 121 working days.</p> - -<p>Total number of days’ work, 6776.</p> - -<p>Whole amount made, $22,089 76.</p> - -<p>The aggregate amount each day, averaged, $182 56.</p> - -<p>Average to each of 56 miners, each day, $3 26.</p></div> - -<p>It would exhibit curious results were I prepared to present a statement -of the mining operations of one hundred and twenty-nine miners with whom -I have<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_177">{177}</a></span> been connected since I came to California. Most of these left -the mines before I did, some of them to return home, and many to engage -in other pursuits. Some remained only a few days. One of these, though I -was not connected with him otherwise than as being with him on a -prospecting tour for a day, was a novelty among us. He seemed to have -just turned out of Broadway, or to have been turned out of a band-box. -He was an exquisite, even to the white kid gloves, eye-glass, and -Cologne water, with dancing pumps, and a small gold box suspended about -his neck by a gold chain, in which to put his gold. With his dirk-knife, -elegantly chased, he would go into a hole already dug, and spend an hour -in scraping the dirt from the rocks, which he washed with great care, -putting the few scales in the gold box around his neck. He had been -transplanted from some greenhouse to these rough mountains, and soon -faded away and died.</p> - -<p>Nov. 26th, 1850. We set sail in the French ship Chateaubriand, “homeward -bound.” On January 8th, 1851, reached Panama. After spending twenty days -upon the Isthmus, on January 28th weighed anchor; had a rapid run, the -Georgia putting into Havana for coal, and to part with a portion of her -six hundred and fifty passengers; and on Saturday, February 8th, arrived -at New York, and the same night at Philadelphia, after an absence of two -years and eight days.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_178">{178}</a></span></p> - -<p>And now, as I take leave of my reader, he will find me seated again at -my old writing-desk—the Christmas present of my dear pupils, some of -whom have already called in to see me. How familiar it looks! And how -light and cheerful every thing is, as if I had been shut up in a dark, -close room <i>so long</i>! And how familiar and dear are all the scenes and -faces of home, only grown older and larger! I imagine myself, only one -moment, back at the top of the hill from which I last saw my companions. -I think they were then looking miserable in the distance, and I think -they still look and feel so now. If they could hear me, I would wish -them soon that happiness which can make them forget that they have not -come home with their weight in gold, though they may find that which is -more than worth it, for there <i>are</i> treasures more valuable than gold.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_179">{179}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.<br /><br /> -<small>HINTS TO MINERS.</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> experience of sixteen months in the mines enables me to make a few -suggestions which may be of importance to those intending to become -miners.</p> - -<p>And with regard to the preparations which should be made, a great error -has been committed by most California emigrants, in making too much -preparation. A change of substantial clothing, with several pairs of -well-made water-proof boots, form a good outfit in that line. It is -important, where so much work is to be done in the water, to wear -flannel, even in the summer. It is attended with great inconvenience and -much expense to transport a large chest or trunk from place to place. I -have known many, on arriving at San Francisco, who sell off, at a great -loss, the greatest part of all their stores, reducing them to one change -of clothing. There is great risk, also, of losing one’s effects by fire -or by water, or by the breaking up of the establishment in which they -are stored. The Amity and Enterprise Association, formed before we left -Philadelphia, can speak knowingly upon this subject. Each individual of -this association had an outfit which would have lasted three or four -years. In addition, they had company property, in provisions, tents, -mining utensils, &c., to a considerable amount. Most of this was sent -around the Horn by several shipments. The rest we took<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_180">{180}</a></span> with us to -Tampico. When we reached this place, finding that the transportation -across Mexico would be about $50 a hundred, we packed most of our -individual property in a large box, and shipped it back to the States to -be forwarded to California. This is the last we ever saw of its -contents. Our provisions we sold at Tampico, which did not pay the -custom-house duties upon them. Of those which were sent around the Horn, -the provisions did not pay the freight and commissions on the sale; and -most of our clothing, &c., were stored in San Francisco, and burned in -the second great fire in that city. I do not know of a company which did -not meet with losses in proportion to the extent of their outfits. The -losses of those who crossed the plains in this respect were very great. -Large quantities of valuable mining implements, hundreds of hams, bags -of flour, and other provisions—even wagons, in large numbers—were left -upon the road. It is often the case that persons suffer very seriously -from their ignorance of the difficulties and expenses to which they will -be liable after reaching California. Many find themselves in San -Francisco with cramped means, and sometimes none at all, and with a long -and expensive journey to the mines before them, besides many necessary -articles which should be procured. Every miner should have $150 by him -on his arrival in the country. More would not be amiss.</p> - -<p>I believe all who are at the mine would agree with me in recommending to -the new miner to leave all machinery behind him. If he takes any thing -in that line, let it be the best <i>mining pick</i> and <i>spade</i> he can<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_181">{181}</a></span> find, -with a stout sheath-knife, and a horn for crevassing. The “cradle” is -found any where in the settlements or in the mines. If it is intended to -engage in the quartz-crushing operations, the most simple machinery is -the best. The very complicated and expensive machinery which has, in -several instances, been taken to the mines, has been useless. The least -breakage will delay the whole work for months, till it is replaced from -the States.</p> - -<p>By all means avoid companies which are got up at home for mining. -Whatever facilities they offer; whatever array of influential names they -present; whatever they purpose or promise to accomplish—if they come to -you with a charter, or a ship, of which you are to share the -advantages—<i>avoid companies formed at home</i>! They work badly; they -cramp your energies; they entangle all your operations. In the mines, it -will always be necessary for you to associate yourself with one or two, -and sometimes with twenty, or even fifty mining companions. These -associations are formed and terminate with the necessity of the -occasion.</p> - -<p>Much time is lost in the mines by those who are led, by exaggerated -stories of success, from a place where they are working with some -advantage, to seek a better location. Leave the work of prospecting, -principally, to the more experienced miners. There is an excitement -connected with the pursuit of gold which renders one restless and -uneasy—ever hoping to do something better. The very uncertainty of the -employment increases this tendency. A person may be making his quarter -ounce a day, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_182">{182}</a></span> hears that a person a few miles from him is making an -ounce. He is accordingly dissatisfied, and removes to the new diggings, -there, probably, to be again disappointed. These exaggerated stories are -most generally got up by traders in the place, in order to bring -customers to their stores. I have noticed that those who remain most -constantly in one place are in the end most successful.</p> - -<p>When you have marked off your claim upon a bar—a place which has been -proved—<i>dig down to the rock</i>! Many have been losers by relinquishing -their work before it is finished. The gold is generally scattered upon -the primitive rock. All the rich deposits are here. You may dig over the -quarter part of your claim and find little gold, while a parcel -containing pounds may lie concealed in the last corner. A friend from -Philadelphia, who marked off a claim at the Chinese diggings, dug it -partly out, came to water, which disheartened him, and gave it up. Three -miners went into it at once, and in a few hours had taken out $375. The -necessity of perseverance in such an employment must be apparent to all. -You can not hope to accomplish any thing without it. Your motto must be, -“<i>Hope on, hope ever!</i>” The treasure you seek may lie at the bottom of -your next claim—it may be beneath the next stone.</p> - -<p><i>Be careful of your health!</i> This once gone, your hopes are at an end. -An unfortunate miner at the Marepoosa diggings, who had brought upon -himself an attack of scurvy by the neglect of his health, said to me, -during a visit made to him, “I would give all the gold of California, if -I had it, for the health I had<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_183">{183}</a></span> two weeks ago!” Fortunately, the -supplies of provisions at the mines are better and more abundant than -they were; and there will be yet greater improvement in this respect. -Vegetables, of which we had none at first, are now regularly furnished. -The great care should be, to guard against the influence of working in -the water. To this you are necessarily exposed; and, from my observation -on this point, the danger arising from this exposure may, in general, be -safely met by the care the miner takes of himself in his hours of rest. -It is not his being wet during the time of labor which is most likely to -prove injurious, but his remaining so during the reaction which takes -place in the system at the close of labor. As you value your health, -then, do not enter upon your hour of rest at noon, and especially do not -leave work at night, without throwing aside your wet garments and -putting on dry ones. You will soon be aware of a great change which -takes place in the temperature of the air, among the mountains, during -every night of the year. You may lie down, wet and tired, at night, and -perhaps not need a blanket, while before morning you will feel the need -of two or three. It is not generally the most robust or vigorous who -best stand the labor, the privations, or the exposure they are sure to -meet. These seem the most liable to the many diseases of the country; -and perhaps it is for the very reason that, trusting to their strength -and vigor of constitution, they do not take the necessary care of their -health.</p> - -<p>There are many other points to which I might profitably call your -attention, but respecting which experience will be your best teacher.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_184">{184}</a></span></p> - -<p>A few thoughts as to the various kinds of gold and gold-digging. (See -the Appendix.) The gold deposits are found in the quartz and slate -formations, in decomposed granite, in sand and gravel beds, and in clay. -The largest specimens are found between the layers of slate over which -the stream flows vertically. The rocks and soil are frequently volcanic, -like those of Pompeii. Lumps of gold are often found alone, and are no -indication of the existence of a rich deposit. But the scale and dust -gold is not found in this detached state; it exists generally in veins, -though sometimes much scattered through the soil by the action of the -water.</p> - -<p>The river diggings are sometimes upon the bars over which the stream has -formerly run. These bars are covered with stones, which, with a portion -of the soil below, must be removed, to the distance of several feet. -When, by experiment, it is found to yield gold, the cradle is placed by -the river side, and the dirt is washed through it, while the gold -settles at the bottom of the machine. At the close of the work, this is -washed down in pans, and then is dried in the sun or by the fire, and is -still farther cleaned by blowing, by the magnet, or by quicksilver. The -river diggings found in the channels require much more labor in the -preparation, and must be worked by companies, sometimes of one hundred -persons. A canal and dam must be made, to turn the water from the -channel of the river. After that, the process is the same as the bar -working. These constitute, generally, the summer diggings, as the rivers -are low, and in a better state for being worked. The winter dig<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_185">{185}</a></span>gings -are found among the ravines and gulches, and upon the plains where the -streams have formerly run. These are dry in summer, and can only be -worked after the rainy season commences. But the Mexicans and Chilinos -have a method of “dry washing,” or winnowing the gold-dirt, much as -grains are winnowed, the dirt being blown away, and the gold falling -into the blanket or skin. The dry diggings are sometimes worked during -the dry season, and the dirt thrown up in heaps, to be washed out when -there is water. If worked in the rainy season, the water must be turned -by small dams and canals, leaving the channel and its banks dry. This -kind of labor is very difficult, but often pays well. The other kind of -dry digging is the most laborious of all. It is sometimes the case that -very rich deposits are found upon the small plains lying between the -mountains. The river which formerly ran here has been displaced by the -soil, which accumulates to a great depth. The soil must be removed, -sometimes to the depth of twenty, thirty, or even forty feet, before the -gold is found. When found, it sometimes proves very rich, but more -frequently very poor. I have seen a company of nine persons labor for -two weeks, keeping down the water with pumps, and, after all their toil, -not find a grain of gold to reward their efforts. It is truly one of the -most discouraging circumstances in a miner’s life, that, although he may -one day make his pounds, the next he may make little or nothing. It is -equally disheartening to him to be working all day for the merest -trifle, while by his side, and within a few feet of him, another is -taking out his<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_186">{186}</a></span> pounds. But let him persevere, and success may be his -reward.</p> - -<p>The actual time favorable for mining during the year is very limited, -the greater proportion of which is spent in preparations. Some of the -river companies spent five, and one six months’ time, in making their -canal, dam, and other preparations for two months’ mining, in September, -October, and November. Much time is lost during the excessive heat of -the dry and the storms of the rainy season, and more in the profitless, -but arduous labor of <i>prospecting</i>. Then much time must be spent in -removing, in purchasing provisions, in building houses, &c. If all the -days of actual <i>mining</i> were set down, they would not, I think, amount -to more than seventeen weeks in the year.</p> - -<p>Much was anticipated, at the commencement of the last rainy season, from -the use of the submarine armor in working the channels of the rivers. -Much money was expended, and much time lost in making experiments, but -to little advantage. In every instance where they were tried on the -Tuolumne, they were soon abandoned as useless. The experiments tried -near me were made by an old Georgia gold miner, and one who had been -accustomed to the use of the submarine suit, which he had worn in -recovering some treasures from a ship sunk in the Mississippi. But he -never accomplished any thing with it at the mines. In addition to the -cradle, which has been always in use in the mines, the North Carolina -rocker and the Long Tom are used to advantage upon the placers where the -gold is very fine. These are<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_187">{187}</a></span> both, however, made on the same general -principle as the simple cradle. The principal difference is, that they -are larger and longer.</p> - -<p>Before closing this chapter of miscellanies, I will endeavor to guard -you against some moral evils—or I might better name them <i>immoral -influences</i>—to which you will be exposed.</p> - -<p>Why it is so, it is not my purpose now to inquire; but such is the fact, -that in California there are circumstances which render vice very -attractive and alluring, and which, unless resolutely resisted, draw the -mind to become familiar with it, and in the end to embrace it. The man -esteemed virtuous at home becomes profligate, the honest man dishonest, -and the clergyman sometimes a profane gambler; while, on the contrary, -the cases are not few of those who were idle or profligate at home, who -come here to be reformed. It can not be known what influence such trials -and temptations will exert upon the character till they are tried. If -they are resisted, the character is strengthened; if they are not -resisted, the propensity to vice is proportionally increased. But not -only does vice seem more alluring here—it comes, from the very -circumstances in which the miner is placed, to be a substitute for -common amusement. He has not the society of the home circle to cheer and -enliven him. Disheartened, often reduced to the depths of melancholy, he -has no longer the friends—the innocent recreations to which he has been -accustomed. On the Sabbath morning, no church is open for the sad and -dispirited wanderer, self-exiled from his father’s house! No mother, or -sisters, or beloved<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_188">{188}</a></span> wife can cheer him by their conversation and -smiles. Is it to be wondered at, then, that in his gloom he listens to -the voice of the Syren, and turns away to seek those broken cisterns -which can hold no water? Do you not perceive that he is exposed to -peculiar and great danger? But recollect, if the danger is great, so -much greater is the virtue of overcoming it. If the trial is severe, so -much stronger the energy and resolution which is requisite to vanquish -it. And if the temptation is resisted, the moral principles are -strengthened just in proportion to the degree of temptation. The young -man who returns home from California untainted, and of whom it may be -said,</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Among the faithless, faithful he,”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">may ever after be trusted. He has been tried as gold is tried, and the -trial has but served to exhibit the excellence of his character; and -well may his friends esteem and love him more, even if he returns to -them without an ounce of gold, than if he came home with his thousands -with a ruined character.</p> - -<p>As I entered one of the magnificent gambling saloons of San Francisco, -and proceeded from one table to another, I saw, to my surprise, a young -man, who had come from one of the most religious families in his native -city, placing down his money upon the table. I stepped to his side. In a -moment the card was turned, and a small amount of silver was added to -that already in his hand. He looked anxiously at me, and said, “I would -not have my mother know what I am doing for all the money in this room.” -“Why then do it?” I asked; “have you thought to what the first step may -lead?” “But what can I<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_189">{189}</a></span> do,” he said, earnestly; “I came not here to -gamble, but to find amusement; and can you tell me what other amusement -is within my reach?” I think that was the first, and am sure it was the -last time that my friend visited the saloons for the purpose of -gambling. But it affords an illustration of the subject—the danger, in -the absence of proper subjects of interest and amusement, of seeking -these in wrong and sinful ways. Many a person in California becomes a -professed gambler in consequence of taking the <i>first step</i> from desire -of amusement. It can not be impressed upon your mind too deeply that the -gambling table is the place of the greatest danger. It is one of the -most ensnaring inventions of the great enemy of souls.</p> - -<p>But how shall I speak of a kindred subject, so fraught with danger that -numbers of our most gifted citizens have yielded themselves to it. I -think <i>intemperance</i> may be named as, next to gambling, the most -prevailing vice of California. They generally go hand in hand. In this -country, where the common restraints are removed which formerly imposed -a salutary check, this vice gains disgusting and dangerous prominence. -All that it is in its secluded orgies, all that it becomes in its -favorite haunts elsewhere, it is in California in open day. It blushes -not to show itself in its most fearful forms even in the public streets. -Many a poor miner, who becomes discouraged and sinks down into gloom, -flies to strong drink as he would to a friend from whom he expects to -receive relief. Occasionally, the Daguerreotype likenesses of dear -friends at home, or the sight of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_190">{190}</a></span> neglected Bible—(for most miners -have both of these, almost their only treasures)—or the reception of a -letter, the miner’s only luxury, recalls him to his better self, puts -new hopes, new resolutions, and new life into him. But gradually he -yields the ground again; again he stands on slippery places, and soon he -staggers into his grave, for soon does vice of every kind perfect its -work here. <i>Licentiousness</i>, which is so destructive an evil in large -cities in Europe and America, is found also in California, and there -produces its bitter fruits. <i>Profanity</i>—a kind of its own; a bold, -independent, and startling profanity—is far too common in the mines, as -it is in the settlements. Several have told me that they have fallen -into this habit unconsciously, and, in some instances, have asked, as an -act of friendship, that I would aid them in correcting it. In one case, -a company of young men from New England mutually pledged themselves to -each other and to me to refrain from this habit. For the very reason -that it is so insinuating, and creeps so gradually upon one, should it -be more sedulously avoided. In my own case, I could perceive that the -constant listening to profane language produced a familiarity which -continually lessened the sense of repugnance it occasioned. This would -have been more and more the case, had I not adopted an expedient, which, -while it aimed at the good of others, had the effect to guard my own -mind against the moral contagion. The expedient which I adopted was -this: when I heard a profane oath, I accompanied it with a petition to -Heaven in behalf of him who had uttered it.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_191">{191}</a></span></p> - -<p>No man, young or old, should go to California unless he has firmness of -principle enough to resist, and forever hold at bay, all the vices of -the country, in whatever disguise they may present themselves, and in -however fascinating shapes they may appear.</p> - -<p>If I were asked what was the state of religion in the mines, I could -only say, it is in <i>no state</i>. There are many men there who maintain -their integrity and their piety. If there is preaching, it is well and -respectfully attended. Many, perhaps most, occasionally read their -Bibles or tracts. There is a respect for religion, as there is a respect -for every thing which reminds one of home; but society must be in a very -different condition—it must be settled, and have some elements of -permanence—before a decidedly religious influence can be brought to -bear upon it. When I say that the sound of the pick, spade, and rocker -are seldom heard on the Sabbath—that the Bible is often and devoutly -read—that often, from beneath some cluster of trees, the cheering sound -of some hymn and the preacher’s voice are heard, it is as much as can be -said.</p> - -<p>As to the operation of the laws at the mines, and their effects upon the -interests of the community, I can only give the facts in the case, -without discussing the subject. When we first reached the gold diggings, -life and property were comparatively secure. Without law, except the law -of honor; without restraint, except that imposed by the fear of summary -punishment, which was sure to follow the only crimes cognizable under -the new code—those of <i>stealing</i> and of <i>murder</i>—we were comparatively -safe. If<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_192">{192}</a></span> the “way of the transgressor was hard,” it was also speedily -terminated. It was the reign of the rifle and the halter. And yet this -was a people who had been accustomed to the laws of civilized countries, -and who yet loved order. The principles of a republican government were -only adapting themselves to a new and untried emergency. The crime was -committed, and proved in the presence of a competent and impartial jury, -who were also required to award the punishment. The sentence was -pronounced by the alcalde, a grave was dug, the sharp crack of the rifle -was heard, the body was buried, and every man proceeded silently to his -own work. I have never yet heard of the case in which the verdict given -under the first system was an unrighteous one, or the punishment -inflicted undeserved.</p> - -<p>But a change came; civil laws were enacted in the mines; and what was -the result? Why, crimes of every kind were committed, and the very -officers of justice were met by the taunt, “Catch me, if you can!” -Seldom was the criminal caught; and when caught, more seldom was he -brought to punishment. And there is but one opinion among the miners, -that the system <i>without civil law, but with summary justice</i>, is, <i>in -the state of society which now exists</i> in California, incomparably -better than the system <i>with such law, but without justice</i>.</p> - -<p>Ere long, California will have a truly <i>golden age</i>, when <i>law and -justice, and every moral and Christian virtue</i> shall prevail.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_193">{193}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="APPENDIX"></a>APPENDIX.</h2> - -<div class="blockquot2"> -<p><span class="smcap">I give</span> extracts from a letter which was written by Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, -president of Amherst College, as containing some valuable hints to the -miner. The reader will be struck by the accuracy of the opinions so -early expressed, and which correspond so exactly with the facts since -developed. It will be considered that Dr. Hitchcock could not then have -seen even the first official report from the Mint, as it was some time -after the receipt of his letter that the author had the pleasure of -hearing Dr. Patterson read that report in manuscript. The first deposit -of gold was made at the Mint December 8th, and the letter is dated -December 25th, 1848.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="c"><i>To the Rev. Daniel B. Woods.</i></p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>,—I believe that in almost every case gold mines that are -worked occur in loose soil, sand and gravel, where the gold is in -grains, and has been washed out of the rocks. Such is the case in -the Uralian Mountains and Siberia, where I believe that not one -mine is worked in the solid rocks, although some veins are known. I -should not, therefore, search for veins in the mountains, but try -to find the best spots on the banks of rivers. Success must depend -much, indeed, upon chance, though practice doubtless would afford -some marks that would be of service. If you should find veins in -the rocks, I doubt whether they would be profitable to work. I have -a strong suspicion that gold will be found all along the western -part of our Continent; perhaps through the whole of California and -Oregon; for I suspect that this is the eastern side of a vast gold -deposit in Asia, reaching as far west as the Uralian Mountains. If -this opinion would increase the gold fever, I think you had better -not mention it. It may not prove true.</p> - -<p>I hope you will improve your health, if not your fortunes, by this -voyage. Let your expectations of success in gold-digging be -moderate, and then I think the jaunt will do you good. That God’s -providence may be over you is the wish and prayer of</p> - -<p class="c"> -Yours respectfully and sincerely,<br /> -<span class="smcap">Edward Hitchcock</span>.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="nind"> -<i>Amherst, December 25th, 1848.</i><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_194">{194}</a></span></p> - -<p>P.S.—Magnetic iron sand is an almost invariable attendant of good -deposits of gold, and I should not be very sanguine of finding good -deposits when this is wanting.</p></div> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="c"><i>Letter from Geo. F. Dunning, Esq., Clerk in the Mint of the United -States.</i></p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">Mint of the United States</span>, }<br /> -<i>Philadelphia, June 18, 1851</i>. }<br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>,—In compliance with your request, I proceed to give you -some information respecting the Mint establishment, and the terms -upon which it receives bullion for coinage. You are doubtless -correct in supposing that much misapprehension exists both as to -the character of the establishment and the routine of its business. -Within the limits of a letter, I can, of course, do little else -than notice briefly a few prominent subjects.</p> - -<p>A uniform and reliable currency being a national benefit, our -government regards the support of the Mint establishment as -properly a national expense. Any person may bring his bullion to -the Mint, and have it converted into coin without charge. Many -well-informed persons suppose that all the coinage of the Mint is -for government account. On the contrary, the bullion is all -deposited by individuals, and is coined for them. Government simply -receives the bullion, ascertains its value, converts it all to a -uniform standard, shapes it into coins, and puts a stamp upon it -that shall give assurance of its value. From the coins thus made, -each depositor is paid the exact value of his bullion.</p> - -<p>The term <i>bullion</i>, as used at the Mint, includes all gold and -silver, whether in the shape of bars, lumps, grains, plate, or -foreign coins. All these varieties of bullion are received at the -Mint for coinage, but no deposit is received of less value than one -hundred dollars.</p> - -<p>The <i>weights</i> used at the Mint are Troy weights, and they are -always expressed in ounces and decimals of an ounce. Thus, 18 oz. -15 dwt. is written 18·15 oz.</p> - -<p>The <i>fineness</i> of bullion is expressed in thousandths. The standard -of our coins, as fixed by law, is 900 thousandths; that is, in 1000 -ounces of coin, 900 ounces must be pure metal, and 100 alloy. The -fineness of deposits is similarly expressed. Thus, 860 thousandths -fine signifies that of a given weight (of gold, for instance) 860 -thousandth parts are pure gold, and the remainder (140 thousandths) -some other metal.</p> - -<p>When bullion is left at the Mint for coinage, a receipt is given to -the depositor, bearing the date and number of the deposit as -entered<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_195">{195}</a></span> in the weigh-book, and made payable to him or his order. -In this receipt, of course, only the weight of the bullion before -melting can be stated; its value depends upon its weight after -melting, and its fineness, which is to be subsequently determined -by assay.</p> - -<p>Each deposit is separately assayed and reported upon by the -assayer. Its value is then calculated, and a detailed memorandum -prepared, exhibiting the number, date, depositor’s name, kind of -bullion, weights before and after melting, fineness, silver parted -(if the deposit is gold), value of the gold, value of silver -parted, deductions, and net value payable to the depositor. This -memorandum is given to the depositor with his coin. Deposits are -assayed, calculated, and ready for payment generally within a week -after they are made; and they are paid on the surrender of the -original Mint receipt.</p> - -<p>I have said that the Mint makes no charge for converting bullion -into coin. This is strictly true; but, inasmuch as depositors will -frequently find by their “memorandums” that certain deductions have -been made by the Mint from the proceeds of their bullion, some -farther explanations are required. A miller who should grind wheat -and corn without taking <i>toll</i>, would be correctly said to grind -without charge. And if a farmer should carry his wheat in the -sheaf, or his corn in the ear, or corn and wheat mixed together in -the same bag, he would hardly object to pay the miller for -thrashing, shelling, or separating. If a depositor brings to the -Mint bullion “fit for coinage,” that is, of standard fineness and -properly alloyed, he will receive in return an equal weight of -coins, without charge or deduction of any kind. If, however, his -bullion requires <i>refining</i>, <i>alloying</i>, <i>toughening</i>, or -<i>separating</i>, to make it “fit for coinage,” this preliminary -expense, carefully determined by experience, is deducted from the -proceeds of the deposit.</p> - -<p>The discovery of the California mines has suddenly increased the -deposits at the Mint from five or six millions of dollars annually -to thirty or forty millions. The whole amount received at the Mint -and branches, from December, 1848, to this date, is about sixty-six -millions of dollars. Of this, about twenty-four millions belong to -the present year.</p> - -<p>The fineness of California gold ranges from about 825 to 950 -thousandths. The bulk of them, however, are between 870 and 900, -the average being about 884. At this fineness, if entirely free -from dirt, an ounce of gold, with the silver contained (deducting -Mint charges), is $18 34. There is usually present in California -gold a portion of dirt, averaging five or six per cent. of the -weight. Five per cent. of dirt would reduce the average value given -above to $17 42.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_196">{196}</a></span></p> - -<p>The gold of California contains usually about eleven per cent. of -silver. This silver is separated for the benefit of the depositor, -when the amount contained in the deposit is sufficiently large to -pay the expense of separating, and yield a surplus of at least five -dollars. If the surplus is less than this, the depositor receives -no benefit from it, the law requiring that it shall accrue to the -Mint, and be used for paying ordinary expenses. It is therefore for -the interest of depositors to make their deposits sufficiently -large to secure the silver contained. At the average fineness of -884, this would require from 75 to 80 ounces.</p> - -<p>For more complete information on this subject, your readers may be -referred to a small work entitled “New Varieties of Coins and -Bullion, &c., by J. R. Eckfeldt and W. E. Du Bois, Assayers of the -Mint. 1850,” and to a pamphlet entitled “Guide to the Value of -California Gold, by Geo. W. Edelman, U. S. Mint, 1850.”</p> - -<p class="c"> -Very respectfully, your obedient servant,</p> -<p class="rt"><span class="smcap">Geo. F. Dunning</span>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Rev. Daniel B. Woods, Philadelphia.</p> - -<p>P.S.—The following rules for making calculations of weight and -value may not be unacceptable to the readers of your book.</p> - -<p>1. <i>To convert Pounds Avoirdupois to Ounces Troy.</i>—From the -avoirdupois weight, expressed in pounds and decimals of a pound, -subtract one eighth. Divide the sum thus obtained by ·06, and the -quotient will be the Troy weight in ounces and decimals.</p> - -<p>2. <i>To convert Ounces Troy to Pounds Avoirdupois.</i>—Multiply the -Troy weight in ounces and decimals by ·06. To this product add its -seventh, and you have the avoirdupois weight in pounds and -decimals.</p> - -<p>3. <i>To find the Standard Weight of Gold or Silver, the gross weight -and fineness being given.</i>—Multiply the gross weight, in Troy -ounces and decimals, by the fineness in thousandths, and divide the -sum by 900. The quotient will be the standard weight in ounces and -decimals.</p> - -<p>4. <i>To find the Value of Gold and Silver.</i>—<span class="smcap">Gold.</span> Multiply the -standard weight, in Troy ounces and decimals, by 800, and divide -the product by 43. The quotient is the value in dollars and cents.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Silver.</span> To the standard weight, in Troy ounces and decimals, add -its one eleventh part, and eight tenths of one eleventh. The sum -will be the value in dollars and cents.</p> - -<p>5. <i>To convert the fineness expressed in Carats into -Thousandths.</i>—Multiply the carats by 41⅔. The product is the -equivalent fineness in thousandths.</p></div><p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_197">{197}</a></span></p> - -<p>Since the completion of my work, I have received from Col. J. J. Abert, -of Washington, the Report of P. T. Tyson, Esq., presented to the Senate -of the United States by the Secretary of War.</p> - -<p>Although it is too late to avail myself of the valuable information -contained in this report from one who has made a thorough and scientific -reconnoissance of the mineral and vegetable wealth, the climate and -agriculture of California, I am induced to present a few extracts, which -refer more immediately to the mines. It was a source of much -gratification to find the views and statements I have given so fully -corroborated by this report.</p> - -<p>It will be noticed that the averages of the daily profits of the miners -arrived at by Mr. Tyson, as the result of careful observation, differs -but a trifle from the averages given in this volume. In his article upon -the gold regions, he writes:</p> - -<p>“Although a large amount of gold has been collected in California within -the past eighteen or twenty months” (he writes at the close of 1849), -“yet, considering the number of persons engaged in digging for it, the -average amount to each is far less than is generally supposed. This -conclusion is forced upon the mind irresistibly, when the results of the -actual experience of a large number of the operators are taken into -consideration.</p> - -<p>“The newspapers frequently relate instances of the return of individuals -with considerable sums of gold. Many of these are much overrated, and -the far greater number obtained it by other means than digging with -their own hands—one portion by honest trading; but much of the -hard-earned treasure in the hands of returned individuals has been borne -off in triumph, and brought home as the spoils of the conqueror, in -contests where honor belongs to neither winner nor loser.</p> - -<p>“Representations from and about California are to be received with many -grains of allowance. The preternatural excitement which has been -produced by divers causes, in some cases to promote individual benefit, -has really impaired to a large extent the faculty of seeing things as -they would otherwise have been viewed. And there is yet no prospect of -an end to this state of things, because, as soon as the public mind -begins to recover from the effects of previous causes of undue -excitement, additional ones are presented in the shape of most -exaggerated accounts of golden discoveries. Whether the public good will -be promoted by this state of things may well be doubted. A reference to -<i>some</i> of these causes it is proper to give.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_198">{198}</a></span></p> - -<p>“It is the interest of the numerous traders within the gold region to -collect around them as many diggers as possible, and each is very -naturally induced to regard favorably the diggings of his own vicinity, -and takes means to spread accounts of its richness. Wonderful stories -are circulated, in some instances, to increase the population at a -particular spot; and when the diggers flock to it, they often find it no -better than the one they left, and sometimes less productive. A very -large proportion of those persons we saw in the gold region were <i>in -transitu</i>; and, upon inquiry, we learned from them usually that the -place they had left was unproductive, and they were bound for another -which they had <i>heard</i> was producing very largely; and on the same day, -perhaps, would be seen other parties <i>prospecting</i>, as they term it, or -looking for better diggings than the poor ones they had left, and in -many cases just from the reported <i>good diggings</i> the first party were -going to. At some of these places you would hear of some one being very -fortunate, and that they averaged per day a half ounce, one, two, or -three ounces; but, like the tariff for postage, they never appear to get -1½, 2½, 3½, and so on. These accounts from particular spots sometimes -find their way into California papers, and from them are copied and -spread far and wide at home. Notwithstanding all this waste of time, and -that nine out of ten who left their homes under erroneous expectations -in reference to the facility with which the gold could be had, have been -cruelly disappointed, yet the extent and number of the ravines -containing gold is such that the <i>large number</i> of diggers have, in the -aggregate, produced a considerable amount of this metal.</p> - -<p>“It is impossible to ascertain the amount of labor there has been -required, or, in other words, the average number who have worked at the -diggings, and the number of days’ work of each. * * If we suppose only -ten thousand to have worked steadily during three hundred days out of -about six hundred since the digging began, and suppose each to have -gained an average amount of $3 per day, the aggregate would amount to -$9,000,000, being very much more than the whole amount exported in -<i>every way</i> from California up to the first December last, to all -countries, Oregon inclusive. As the cost of living fully equals $3 per -day, it would appear that gold-digging is not as good as laboring at -home, where the laborer can save something. * *</p> - -<p>“Many of our citizens hastened to California during the past year in -consequence of the numerous exaggerated, one-sided stories which were -circulated in reference to the facility with which gold could be -gathered. They had been told of various individuals who had collected -large sums; a <i>few</i> had done so; but the experience of the <i>many</i>,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_199">{199}</a></span> who -did not pay expenses by gold-digging alone, from the nature of the case, -is far less likely to be known.</p> - -<p>“As with <i>lotteries</i>, the <i>few</i> who draw large prizes become subjects of -conversation; but nothing is heard of the <i>many</i> who draw blanks, or -prizes too small to pay the cost of the tickets. * * *</p> - -<p>“Divesting the newspaper accounts from California of certain expressions -bordering rather too much upon the hyperbolic order, they amount to the -fact that the outcrops of certain veins”—of gold-bearing quartz—“have -been removed. Such expressions might have materially increased <i>the -fever</i> but for the frequency of similar causes, which at length but -slightly affect the body politic, because, like the body corporate in -certain cases, it is becoming <i>acclimated</i>. Some of the expressions -alluded to, and copied from California papers into our own, about -‘<i>gold-bearing quartz said to be found in inexhaustible masses or -quarries through the whole mountainous region which forms the western -slope of the Sierra Nevada</i>,’ and ‘<i>these quartz mountain quarries</i>, and -divers others, are indicative of a state of aurimania. Accounts are also -given of the yield of gold said to be averages of these great <i>gold</i> -‘<i>quarries</i>.’ That the specimens from which the gold was extracted -contained the stated proportions is most likely, but that is a very -different affair from the <i>average</i> rate of productions of a vein.”</p> - -<p class="fint">THE END.</p> -</div> - -<hr style="width: 45%;" /> - -<p class="c">LIGHT READING FOR TRAVELERS,</p> - -<p class="c">PUBLISHED BY</p> - -<p class="c">HARPER & BROTHERS, 82 CLIFF STREET, N. Y.</p> - -<p class="c">Harper’s Library of Select Novels.</p> - -<p>No.</p> - -<p>1. PELHAM. By Bulwer. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>2. THE DISOWNED. By Bulwer. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>3. DEVEREUX. By Bulwer. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>4. PAUL CLIFFORD. By Bulwer. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>5. EUGENE ARAM. By Bulwer. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>6. THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII. By Bulwer. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>7. THE CZARINA. By Mrs. Hofland. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>8. RIENZI. By Bulwer. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>9. SELF-DEVOTION. By Miss Campbell. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>10. THE NABOB AT HOME. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>11. ERNEST MALTRAVERS. By Sir E. Bulwer Lytton. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>12. ALICE, OR THE MYSTERIES. By Sir E. Bulwer Lytton. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>13. THE LAST OF THE BARONS. By Sir E. Bulwer Lytton. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>14. FOREST DAYS. By James. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>15. ADAM BROWN, the Merchant. By Horace Smith. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>16. THE PILGRIMS OF THE RHINE. By Sir E. Bulwer Lytton. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>17. THE HOME. By Miss Bremer. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>18. THE LOST SHIP. By Capt. Neale. 25 cts.</p> - -<p>19. THE FALSE HEIR. By James. 12½ cts.</p> - -<p>20. THE NEIGHBORS. By Miss Fredrika Bremer. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>21. NINA. By Miss Bremer. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>22. THE PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTERS. By Miss Fredrika Bremer. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>23. THE BANKER’S WIFE. By Mrs. Gore. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>24. THE BIRTHRIGHT. By Mrs. Gore. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>25. NEW SKETCHES OF EVERY-DAY LIFE. By Miss Bremer. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>26. ARABELLA STUART. By G. P. R. James, Esq. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>27. THE GRUMBLER. By Miss Ellen Pickering. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>28. THE UNLOVED ONE. By Mrs. Hofland. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>29. JACK OF THE MILL. By William Howitt. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>30. THE HERETIC. By Lajetchnikoff. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>31. THE JEW. By Spindler. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>32. ARTHUR. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>33. CHATSWORTH. By Ward. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>34. THE PRAIRIE BIRD. By Charles A. Murray, Esq. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>35. AMY HERBERT. By Miss Sewell. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>36. ROSE D’ALBRET. By James. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>37. TRIUMPHS OF TIME. By Mrs. Marsh. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>38. THE H——FAMILY. By Miss Fredrika Bremer. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>39. THE GRANDFATHER. By Miss Ellen Pickering. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>40. ARRAH NEIL. By James. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>41. THE JILT. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>42. TALES FROM THE GERMAN. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>43. ARTHUR ARUNDEL. By Horace Smith. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>44. AGINCOURT. By James. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>45. THE REGENT’S DAUGHTER. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>46. THE MAID OF HONOR. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>47. SAFIA. By De Beauvoir. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>48. LOOK TO THE END. By Mrs. Ellis. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>49. THE IMPROVISATORE. By H. C. Andersen. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>50. THE GAMBLER’S WIFE. By Mrs. Grey. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>51. VERONICA. By Zchokke. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>52. ZOE. By Miss Jewsbury. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>53. WYOMING. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>54. DE ROHAN. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>55. SELF. By the Author of “Cecil.” 25 cents.</p> - -<p>56. THE SMUGGLER. By James. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>57. THE BREACH OF PROMISE. By the Author of “The Jilt.” 25 cents.</p> - -<p>53. THE PARSONAGE OF MORA. By Miss Fredrika Bremer. 12½ cents.</p> - -<p>59. A CHANCE MEDLEY OF LIGHT MATTER. By T. C. Grattan. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>60. THE WHITE SLAVE. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>61. THE BOSOM FRIEND. By Mrs. Gray. 25 cents.</p> - -<p>62. 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Cheever’s The Whale and his Captors; or, the Whaleman’s -Adventures and the Whale’s Biography, as gathered on the Homeward Cruise -of the “Commodore Preble.” With Engravings. 18mo, Muslin, 60 cents.</p> - -<p>James’s Dark Scenes of History. 12mo, Muslin, $1 00; Paper, 75 cents.</p> -</div> - -<div class="footnotes"><p class="cb">FOOTNOTES:</p> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_A_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_A_1"><span class="label">[A]</span></a> We were induced to come to this place by the accounts we -received of the success of two brothers—Jordan—who, in a few weeks, -made $3000 here, and are now on their way home.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_B_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_B_2"><span class="label">[B]</span></a> The following anecdote will illustrate this sentiment. A -foreigner of considerable wealth hastened with the crowd to California. -After spending a few days in San Francisco, he left for home, without -making an investment of his money. He remarked, in a letter to a friend, -“As soon as you reach San Francisco you will think every one is crazy; -and without great caution, you will be crazy yourself.”</p></div> - -</div> -<table style="padding:2%;border:3px dotted gray;" -id="transcrib"> -<tr><th>Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:</th></tr> -<tr><td> -<p class="nind">the year 1848, Mr. Suter employed=> the year 1848, Mr. Suter employed -{pg 17}</p> - -<p class="nind">at whcih they gazed=> at which they gazed {pg 17}</p> - -<p class="nind">during the rainy reason=> during the rainy season {pg 50}</p> - -<p class="nind">anxiety and disappoinment=> anxiety and disappointment {pg 71}</p> - -<p class="nind">those rich deposites=> those rich deposits {pg 77}</p> - -<p>BULES OF AN ENCAMPMENT=> RULES OF AN ENCAMPMENT {pg 123}</p> - -<p>Do you nct perceive=> Do you not perceive {pg 188}</p> -</td></tr></table> - -<hr class="full" /> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIXTEEN MONTHS AT THE GOLD DIGGINGS ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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