Tour of the Gold-fields 217 



Hawkin's [Hawkins's] bar, on the Tuolomne. We 

 were assured before we left that "Woods" now only 

 giving five dollars at the most to good workers, 

 once gave as many ounces, and is now kept up on its 

 past reputation by the storekeepers, as all pros- 

 pectors must pay something; one takes a drink, 

 another some fresh meat, another a pair of boots; 

 all is sold at exorbitant prices, and storekeepers get 

 rich if no one else does. We are now leaving 

 Layton for Sonora Camp, and I, for Hawkin's 

 Bar. 



Every turn gives some vista of beauty in this 

 Garden of Eden; the soft southerly breeze is per- 

 fumed with the delicate odor of millions of the 

 smaller varieties of prairie flowers, in some places 

 so abundant as to color acres, whole hillsides, so 

 thickly as to hide the ground, and my mule had to 

 eat flowers rather than grass. One without home 

 ties might well feel all his days could be passed in 

 the beauties of these valleys, roseate yellow and 

 blue, so soft that the purest sky cannot surpass the 

 color for delicacy. Tangled masses of vines climb 

 everywhere, hiding the hard surfaces of the quartz 

 rocks, and beyond this exquisite vegetation always 

 some view, wild and impressive, meets the eye. 



But to facts: Bob Layton says: "Don't bring 

 your wagons through Chinese Diggings;" and I 

 agree with him, unless you have nine yoke of 

 pretty good oxen to your load of three thousand 



