292 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



The lighter and poorer qualities of gold are found nearest to 

 its edges, while the heavier and finer portions have found their 

 way to the deeper places, near the centre. Trees and pieces 

 of wood, more or less petrified and changed in their nature, 

 which once floated in its waters, are also everywhere encoun- 

 tered throughout this stratum. 



" The clay and fine gravel in which these pebbles and boul- 

 ders are found to be tightly packed, is of a light-blue color, 

 which gives the name to the lead. Much of this clay is re- 

 markably fine and free from coarse particles, and is smooth and 

 unctuous to the touch. It is said to be strongly impregnated 

 with arsenic, as was shown by chemical analysis, and contains 

 large quantities of iron and sulphur in solution, for pyrites and 

 sulphurets of iron are deposited in shining metallic crystals in 

 every vacant crevice. Fine gold is found among this clay, and 

 the heavier particles beneath it, upon the bed-rock. This stra- 

 tum varies in thickness from eighteen inches to eight or ten 

 feet, while the whole lead varies in width from a hundred and 

 fifty to five hundred feet. 



" The same lead has been found at Sebastopol, four miles 

 above Monte Cristo, and also higher up among the mountains. 

 It appears at Monte Cristo, which is four miles above the high- 

 lying Downieville, and over three thousand feet above it, and 

 at Chapparal Hill on the side of a deep ravine ; then at the 

 City of Six, which is also on very high land, about four milea 

 from Downieville, across the North Yuba. It is next found 

 at Forest City, on both sides of a creek, and is there traced 

 directly through the mountain to Alleghany Town and Smith's 

 Flat, on the opposite side. There it is again cut in twain by 

 a deep ravine. It crops out on the other side at Chip's Flat, 

 Avhere it has been followed by tunnels passing completely 

 through the mountain to Centreville and Minnesota on the 

 other side. Here it is obliterated by the Middle Fork of the 

 Yuba, but it is believed to be again found at Snow Point, on 

 the opposite side of the river ; and again at Zion Hill, several 

 miles beyond. There is no reason for doubting that after thus 



