68 CALIFORNIA. 



wet-diggings gold is collected in the slime of torrents, rivers, 

 and brooks, the gold is distributed equally, and the result is 

 certain. They are worked in a very simple manner, and 

 require very few apparatus. One tin basin is all that is 

 necessary. 



As much auriferous earth is put in the basin as it will 

 contain, and sunk in the water, being shaken about with the 

 hand. All pebbles are taken away by hand, and by moving 

 the basin in a semi-circular way, the light earth is gradually 

 carried away. Gold, being heavier than the earth, has a 

 a tendency to remain at the bottom, where it lays mixed 

 with black sand. This is easily disposed of by blowing upon, 

 and the gold dust is put away in a leather bag which the 

 miner always carries in his belt, along with his revolver and 

 bowie knife. 



As can be seen, it is very primitive, and much gold is 

 lost by such a process. That is the reason why several 

 companies have been formed tor the washing of the refuse 

 of the first miners with mercury, and have been doing well. 



In the dry-diggings it is only a matter of looking for the 

 nuggets in the interstices of rocks. Sometimes much gold is 

 found, and at others none at all. It depends entirely on 

 chance, although there are some miners called buscones 

 (searchers), who have had great experience, and know more 

 or less where to look for the metal. Some large nuggets of 

 puregold, weighing several pounds, havebeenfoundin that way. 



From 1848 to the middle of 1852, 174 millions, 780 

 thousand, 877 dollars are said to have been extracted from the 

 mines of California ; but it is probable that it is under 

 estimated, because a large quantity of gold must have been 

 found in the vears 1848-49 on which no report has ever been 

 made. It is estimated that the extraction of 1852 alone 

 reached the fabulous amount of sixtv millions of dollars, or 

 ^12,000,000. All the other mines of the world did not pro 

 duce half that sum during the same year. The ordinary pay 

 for miners w r hen working for companies was /, i per day for 

 outdoor work, and i ros. for underground work. 



In the dry-diggings, the work can be done profitably only 

 during six months, March to July. In the other months, the 

 scarcity of water makes them unprofitable. The best season 

 for working the wet-diggings is during the fall of water from 

 June to November. During the remainder of the year, less 

 profit is made, and the melting of snow in the spring stops 

 all the works. 



