370 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



day. One hundred feet of the Cameron Claim, held 

 in the name of another man, produced 120,000 

 dollars. 



The wealth thus rapidly obtained is generally 

 dissipated almost as quickly. The lucky miner 

 hastens down to Victoria or San Francisco, and sows 

 his gold broadcast. No luxury is too costly for him, 

 no extravagance too great for the magnitude of his 

 ideas. His love of display leads him into a thousand 

 follies, and he proclailns his disregard for money by 

 numberless eccentricities. One man who, at the end 

 of the season found himself possessed of 30,000 or 

 40,000 dollars, having filled his pockets with twenty- 

 dollar gold pieces, on his arrival in Victoria pro- 

 ceeded to a '' bar-room," and treated '' the crowd " to 

 champagne. The company present being unable to 

 consume all the bar-keeper's stock, assistance was 

 obtained from without, and the passers-by compelled 

 to come in. Still the supply held out, and not 

 another " drink " could any one swallow. In this 

 emergency the ingenious giver of the treat ordered 

 every glass belonging to the establishment to be 

 brought out and filled. Then raising his stick, with 

 one fell swoop he knocked the army of glasses off 

 the counter. One hamper of champagne, however, 

 yet remained, and, determined not to be beaten, he 

 ordered it to be opened and jDlaced upon the floor, 

 and jumping in, stamped the bottles to pieces beneath 

 his heavy boots, severely cutting his shins, it is said, 

 in the operation. But although the champagne was 

 at last finished, he had a handful of gold pieces to 



