We were not altogether satisfied with the result; still, we had just commenced, and, perhaps, were not sufficiently near the granite. Our “lead” was the best one on the bar—we knew by the looks of it—and the next twenty buckets must show a different result. Our ambition was again up, and our machine in motion, and, if possible, with increased energy. After running through several buckets of dirt, we raised the screen. There was not much gold on the top, but there was some; and we worked on, thinking that we had not yet reached the best part of our lead. I noticed that after raising the screen, the machine was rocked with less energy; and it seemed to add to the weight of my pick-axe. We resolved to visit the General. They had done a fine morning’s work, and were in high spirits. They told us of many who had opened “leads,” and worked them two or three days without success, when some one else would step in, and make a fortune the first day. This was precisely our case. We had got our “lead” almost opened, and if we should step out, some one would step in, and get the fortune. This we were not disposed to do. We had got on track, and were determined not to give way to any one. We looked up, but there was no one in our “lead.” On our way back we discovered many natural advantages that our “lead” had over the General’s, and an even exchange would have been to us no object.
Our machine was again in motion. The sun had now almost gained the meridian. The heat was excessive. Bent’s red flannel was outside of his pantaloons, dripping with perspiration. My blue one was in the same condition. I would think of those abandoned “leads,” and wish I had two buckets. He would think of them, flourish his dipper, and rock the machine, until its very sides would quake. We finally prepared to adjourn for dinner, took out the screen, put the contents of our machine in a pan, and commenced to wash out the dirt, which required some time, then walked up to dinner. On our arrival at the tent, we weighed the gold, and found it worth one dollar.
As it was our first day in the mines, we resolved to dine on pork, a favorite dish in California. We cut a quantity into slices, put it into the frying-pan, laying on it a quantity of sea-biscuit, filling the pan with water, and covering it with a tin plate. We kept it on the fire until the water evaporated—it was then ready for use. Our coffee, in the mean time, was boiled in the tin coffee-pot. Seating ourselves on rocks in front of the tent, we expressed our appreciation of the swine tribe in unmeasured terms. We take a respite of an hour, and return to our labor. We are anxious to get down to the granite, as we are sure of finding there a rich deposite. Towards evening we struck the granite, and were within reach of a fortune, deposited here by nature for our express benefit. As it was late, we resolved to wash down what we had in the machine, and prepare for a successful effort on the following day. On our arrival at the tent, we found “Harry” and “Sam,” stretched out on the ground, groaning with fatigue, declaring that they had never worked so hard before, nor would they again. They had seen enough of the mines, and were determined to return to Sacramento. After telling them of the brilliant success that was about to attend our efforts, they agreed to remain another day. We had pork for supper, and spent the night in dreams of luxury. After an early breakfast we were again at our “lead.” We were particular to scrape the granite, as we uncovered it, and after running through ten buckets, we raised the screen; to our surprise, we were doing no better than on the previous day. This we could not account for. The only solution was, that the gold had never been there, and why, we could not divine. It had the same appearance as the General’s lead, which was paying the three from fifty to eighty dollars per day.
We worked on for some time, when “Bent” went up to cook the dinner, (we had resolved to have pork,) and I took the pick, shovel, and pan, and went “prospecting.” After walking some distance, I found a place which combined, as I thought, every indication of a rich deposit, and my only surprise was, that it had not been discovered before. It was on the lower side of a large rock, which must, at high water, break the current, forming an eddy below, where the gold must settle. On discovering a “lead,” one has only to leave his pick, and his title is indisputable. I left my implements, and hurried up to the tent. After dinner we carried our machine to the spot, and were soon in a profuse perspiration. “Bent” would frequently lift the screen, and it was very apparent that the prospect beneath was not brilliant. He had become a kind of thermometer to our success, and at every inspection his energy would lag, and my bucket would grow the heavier. Late in the afternoon we washed down our half-day’s work, and went up. Harry and Sam were writhing with fatigue. Harry had over-heated himself; Sam, being a mulatto, could endure the heat,—but his muscles had lost their tension, and every bone was cracked. He was willing to stay, if I wished him to, but Harry was bound for Sacramento. Bent said but little, still I could plainly see a cloud in his horizon. He had an impediment in his speech; and when I asked him what he thought of the prospect, he got into close proximity to some very hard words, and, with great magnanimity, wished the mines in the possession of an individual of brimstone notoriety, whose name I will not mention. After supper, we weighed our afternoon’s work, and had seventy-five cents. The man for whom Harry and Sam had been working, had taken possession of a bar, which was paying him well. As a general thing, the bars had been “prospected,” and the parts that would pay taken possession of. There was, however private “leads” opened daily, from which something could be made. Harry and Sam were too sore to start down the next day, consequently they resolved to rest; and Bent was willing to work the machine another day. As for myself, I must confess that the camp-kettle had lost one coat of its gilding, and the rocks were about the same color as those in the States.
We took an early start, and devoted an hour to “prospecting.” This time we were more successful, we found a “lead” from which we got twenty particles of gold in the first pan-full. We soon had our machine on the spot. As we were placing it several miners passed on the way to their work. They all looked, we thought, as if they considered us the most fortunate of men, and we detected a lurking envy in their expression. As soon as they left, our machine was put in motion; we now had no doubt as to the result, and after running through ten buckets of dirt we raised the screen, but, to our astonishment, there was not a particle of gold to be seen. This was beyond our comprehension. We could not conceive of a more convenient place for gold to deposite than this particular one, and determined not to abandon it until we had reached the granite. This we reached, and toiled on until noon, when we emptied our machine, and had two dollars’ worth of gold. We adjourned to dinner, and learned that a team had just arrived and was to return to Sacramento city the next day. Harry, Sam, and Bent immediately resolved to take passage. They had had their expenses paid to California, and were to work under the direction of the Company, and have a portion of the proceeds. They, no doubt, considered the dividends too small in proportion to the labor. I determined to make a more thorough trial of the mines, and not wishing to be encumbered sold the provisions, cooking utensils, &c., hired the tent carried back, and the next morning the teamster had every individual that accompanied our mule-team up, excepting a young man who had been sleeping on the ground near our tent and myself. They all, no doubt, had the same exalted opinion of the mines, and returned with purses equally well filled. Harry and Sam had earned $40 beside what Bent and myself had earned. This, together with what I received for provisions, &c., amounted to $200, which I put into the hands of Harry to give to one of the firm, who was at Sacramento city.
I was now alone. The two companions of the young man spoken of above, had left him, and circumstances seemed to throw us in each other’s way, and makes us companions. His name was Tracy. He and his companions, Scillinger and Hicks, were from Sante Fé; they had crossed the mountains, eaten their proportion of mule steak, and endured every conceivable hardship. We were at once friends. We determined to gain a higher point on the river, and, if possible, find a place where our efforts would be more liberally rewarded. We consequently filled a small camp-kettle with pork and hard bread, rolled up our blankets, to which we lashed our pick and shovel, and slung them over our shoulders. Our camp-kettle, coffee-pot, rifles, and tin-pans, in hand, we set out on our expedition. We first ascended the mountain, and when at the summit stopped to view the magnificent scenes around us; the heat was intense; the thermometer stood at 100°; still we were looking upon a range of mountains shrouded in eternal winter.
Our route lay over a succession of mountains, the peaks of which bore unmistakable signs of volcanic formation, being covered with lava. Our journey was a most fatiguing one, and at noon, having gained an elevated point, we sat down to rest. I here noticed, for the first time, a phenomenon which is of frequent occurrence during the summer months. A heavy white cloud resembling a bank of snow rises from the Snowy Mountains (Sierra Nevada,) and after gaining a certain altitude passes off to the south, and is succeeded by another. After disposing of a certain quantity of hard bread and pork, and kissing our flask, we stretched ourselves out on the ground under the shade of a pine tree, and were soon in the embrace of Morpheus. In one hour we were again under way, and at 3 o’clock, P.M., arrived at the “dry diggings,” (now Auburn.) This was a place of three tents, situated on the main road leading to the Oregon trail, which it intersects twenty miles above. These mines were not being worked to any extent, owing to the scarcity of water. There were a few, however, engaged in carrying dirt, a mile on their backs, and washing it at a puddle, in town. It was very uncertain business. The gold found here was in larger particles than in the river “diggings,” but there was a much greater uncertainty in obtaining it, some toiling for weeks without making a dollar, and sometimes finding pieces worth from $50 to $500. The gold has the appearance of having been thrown up in a molten state, perhaps during a volcanic eruption, and dropped into the earth.
After an hour’s detention we were again under way, and after traveling sometime over mountains, changed our course, wishing to reach the river. After an hour of the most fatiguing effort we were on a brink, with the river beneath our feet, but so distant that it had the appearance of a meandering pencil mark. We could, however, hear its subdued murmuring as it struggled through its rocky channel. After a short rest, we commenced the descent, which we found extremely precipitous, requiring the greatest caution and attended with the most painful exertions. Sometimes losing our foothold, we would slide down until we could catch by the shrubs for support, and at others, be precipitated to the bottom of the step. We at length reached the base and found ourselves on a small bar. It being after sunset, we kindled a fire, steeped some green tea, broiled a quantity of pork, by putting it on the end of a stick and holding it in the fire, and after toasting the sea-biscuit, we sat down on the rocks and paid our cook a most flattering compliment. I must confess that I never felt the gnawings of hunger more keenly than on this occasion, nor did I ever more fully appreciate the influence of green tea. We were much fatigued, and after removing some of the larger stones, spread our blankets and prepared for sleep.
We were strangers, never having spoken until a few hours previous; yet, having been thrown together by chance in a strange land, we felt a mutual interest that could scarcely have been stronger, had we been brothers. I must here say, that I was associated with Mr. Tracy for the succeeding three months, and no brother could have been more attentive or sympathetic. Soon after we were blanketed, the moon gained a sufficient altitude to look down into the cañon upon us. Our situation was novel in the extreme. The mountains rose on either side to the height of more than a mile, almost perpendicular. The moon and stars looking in upon us with unusual brilliancy. The distant and incessant howl of numerous packs of wolves, the restless gurgling and chafing of the river, as it struggled angrily through its rocky channel, our lonely and isolated situation, all conspired to generate strange thoughts, and to bring up strange, and often unpleasant associations. To look at the moon and think that our friends might be, at that moment, looking at the same orb, and thinking of us—thinking, perhaps, that we were already preparing to return home, having accomplished our most sanguine expectations; then to look at the reality, think of the dark prospect ahead, of the time that must intervene before we could think of returning, of the innumerable hardships and privations that still awaited us, a gloom imperceptibly stole over our imaginations, and hung upon our thoughts like an incubus. But sleep soon dispelled our melancholy, and wild fancy restored us to our friends.