HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 43 



baskets, but the greater part had a rude machine, 

 known as the cradle. This is on rockers, six or eight 

 feet long, open at the foot, and at its bead has a coarse 

 grate, or sieve; the bottom is rounded, with small 

 cleats nailed across. Four men are required to work 

 this machine; one digs the ground in the bank close 

 by the stream ; another carries it to the cradle and 

 empties it on the grate ; a third gives a violent rock- 

 ing motion to the machine ; while a fourth dashes on 

 water from the stream itself. 



" The sieve keeps the coarse stones from entering 

 the cradle, the current of water washes off the earthy 

 matter, and the gravel is gradually carried out at the 

 foot of the machine, leaving the gold mixed with a 

 heavy, fine black sand above the first cleats. The 

 sand and gold, mixed together, are then drawn off 

 through auger holes into a pan below, are dried in the 

 sun, and afterward separated by blowing off the sand. 

 A party of four men thus employed at the lower 

 mines, averaged §100 a day. The Indians, and those 

 who have nothing but pans or willow baskets, gradu- 

 ally wash out the earth and separate the gravel by 

 hand, leaving nothing but the gold mixed with sand, 

 which is separated in the manner before described. 

 The gold in the lower mines is in fine bright scales, 

 of which I send several specimens. 



" From the mill [where the gold was first discovered], 

 Mr. Marshall guided me up the mountain on the 

 opposite or north bank of the south fork, where, in 

 the bed of small streams or ravines, now dry, a great 

 deal of coarse gold has been found. I there saw 

 several parties at work, all of whom were doing very 

 well ; a great many specimens were shown me, some 

 as heavy as four or fire ounces in weight, and I send 



