6Q HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



with provisions, and occasional presents of articles of 

 trifling value to him, but highly esteemed by the 

 Indians. They were watched by an American over- 

 seer, who was employed by him, to assist in the general 

 business, particularly in slaughtering ; for, as beef 

 was scarce, he used to send his man in quest of cows 

 and oxen ; which he killed, cut up, salted and dried, 

 in his shed, and watching the most favorable moment 

 for the operation — namely, when meat could not be 

 procured at the ' diggins' — never failed to realize his 

 own price for it. 



"Proceeding higher up the ravine, I observed a 

 large tent erected on the slope of a hill, within a few 

 yards of the bottom, where the gold is usually found. 

 It was surrounded by a trench, the clay from which, 

 as it was dug up, had apparently been thrown out 

 against the canvas, forming a kind of embankment, 

 rendering it at once water and weather-proof. I ven- 

 tured into it, encountering on my way an immense 

 piece of raw beef, suspended from the ridge-pole. 

 Upon some stones in front, inclosing a small fire, stood 

 a frying-pan, filled with rich looking beef collops, 

 that set my mouth watering, and severely tested my 

 honesty ; for, although acorns are all very well in 

 their way, and serve to stay the cravings of the 

 stomach for awhile, I did not find my appetite any the 

 less sharp, notwithstanding the quantity I had eaten. 

 But I resisted the temptation, and penetrated further 

 into the tent. At one side of it lay a crow-bar, and 

 an old saddle that had seen rough service ; yet not a 

 soul appeared, and my eyes were again ogling the 

 collops, whilst an inward voice whispered how impru- 

 dent it was to leave them frizzling there, when, all at 

 once, a little man, in a * hickory shirt/ with his face 



