374 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



Creek, we walked over the hill to Lowhee, a smaller . 

 creek, lying about three miles off in a yet narrower 

 ravine. The workings were very similar, but the 

 gold was richer and brighter, the pieces more 

 jagged and angular, as if they had not been carried 

 very far from the original quartz reef. The Lowhee 

 gold is very pure, being '920 against '8o0 of William's 

 Creek. 



Before taking leave of Cariboo, we must not 

 forget to mention glorious "Judge '' Cox, magistrate 

 and gold commissioner there, prime favourite of all 

 the miners, and everybody's friend. The '^ judge," 

 as he is invariably called, after Yankee fashion, 

 decides the cases brought before him by common 

 sense ; and, strange to say, both winners and losers, 

 fascinated by the man, appear to be equally delighted 

 with his judgments. We received much kindness 

 from him, and spent many pleasant hours in his 

 genial society. 



Nor would it be just to leave unnoticed the 

 sumptuous dinner at which we were entertained 

 on the eve of our departure. The giver of the 



feast. Dr. B ^k, selected the ward of the 



hospital as an appropriate dining-room, the single 

 unfortunate patient in at the time being veiled 

 from sight by a sheet of green baize suspended 

 from the wall. We had soup, roast beef, boiled 

 mutton, and plum pudding, with abundance of 

 champagne. The company was somewhat mixed, 

 yet all fraternised with easy cordiality. We had 

 Mr. C , manager of the Cariboo branch of the 



