64 [APPENDIX 



Kanaka Flats ; crossing the Middle Yuba, it is found at Orleans Flat, 

 Moore's Flat, New Flats, thence across the south Yuba, by the towns of 

 Eureka, Washington, and Poor Man's Creek, and at Mule Springs. This 

 vicinity has presented an area of nine miles in which this formation has 

 been found. Crossing Bear River, it is again met at each side of the 

 American Forks, and is particularly well developed in the vicinity of 

 Sarahsville, extending from thence to Georgetown. South of this, but 

 very little is known of its location. 



Within the extremes of north and south named above, the banks of 

 an ancient stream are distinctly marked out, and can be as easily traced 

 as if the waters were still flowing in their original bed. It must have 

 existed at a date when the adjacent country maintained a much less ele 

 vation than that now existing ; this is proven from the fact that, even at 

 this time a terraced form is observable in many places, in 'each of which 

 the same peculiarities aboiind. The organic matters deposited are per 

 fect in their forms, the most delicate parts of leaves are truthfully pre 

 served to nature ; the material in which they are imbedded is that 

 usually found suspended in waters that were but slightly disturbed, and 

 when disintegrated yields an almost impalpable powder not a pebble, 

 nor even coarse sand is to be found in any part of it. In fact every fea 

 ture that would indicate a quiet state of waters is fulfilled in the section 

 under consideration. Had it been otherwise, the leaves and other ten 

 der parts of plants would have exhibited a different appearance from 

 that they now present. 



The remains of plants found in these localities are extinct on this part 

 of the coast at the present date, the fruit, leaf, and structure of the sap- 

 vessels, differ from those of every other section of the country, either 

 fossil or living. I have been enabled to obtain six varieties of leaves, 

 and two varieties of fruits, which will be described as soon as opportuni 

 ty &|iall offer. The depth at which these specimens were obtained from 

 the surface was one hundred seventy feet, and near the end of an adit 

 whose length was five hundred eighty feet, the principal bed was found 

 in the Arcana Tunnel, at the town of Minesota. 



The position of this formation has been stated in the preceding pages, 

 to be below the tertiary groups and diluvial drift of the other placers. 

 It will be unnecessary to roam over the entire State to illustrate or prove 

 this point, as we have an adjacent district where both may be studied 

 with ease and facility in an hour's ride between them. This locality is 

 .found at Chipseg's arid Smith's Flats, about midway between Minesota 

 and Oregon Creek. The ^different formations will be given as they occur 

 at Smith's Flat and Minesota, which will fully illustrate the existing dif 

 ferences 



A_t Minesota we find the following in the descending order : First, 

 volcanic tufa ; second, diluvial drift, -containing no gold and having a 

 depth of seventy feet ; below this is found a bed of clay and imperfectly 

 formed slates beneath which a boulder formation of thirty-eight feet 

 composed almost exclusively of quartz ; succeeding this the formation 

 in question, containing tne silicified woods, and leaves and fruits, the lat 

 ter in the form of lignites, and in abundance. Following a direct line 

 from this locality to Smith's Flat and at the distance of half a mile from 

 the latter we meet an outcrop of the slates, above these slates the drift 



