70 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



bottom of streams, and consists of a short conical 

 cylinder at the end of a long handle, containing inside, 

 at its lower extremity, a valve, arranged so as to 

 admit the earth and gold, and prevent their escaping 

 when the receptacle is full. This instrument is used 

 in the same manner as an augur. The third machine, 

 the pan, is also of late introduction, but has been 

 found rather too deep for the purpose for which it is 

 intended. 



"Notwithstanding the success which seemed to 

 attend the labors of the Sonomeans, I subsequently 

 discovered that the entire quanity of gold thus painfully 

 obtained, disappeared at the gambling-stalls. They 

 were generally clad most wretchedly, many of them 

 wearing nothing more than a dirty shirt, a pair of 

 light pantaloons, and the wide sombrero peculiar to the 

 inhabitants of this country and Mexico. Some few 

 sported a serapa, but they were men of superior native 

 rank, of which this garment is a distinctive character- 

 istic. 



" Continuing my route up the ravine, I met a man 

 named Corrigan, galloping along with two fine horses, 

 one of which he was leading. He stopped as soon as 

 he recognized me, and we were soon engaged in a very 

 interesting conversation respecting the doings at the 

 'diggins.' The substance of his information was, that 

 he had made a great deal of money at the mines by 

 digging, but infinitely more by speculation. He thought 

 of buying a ranchS, marrying, and settling down. He 

 was then going to seek for pasture for his horses ; 

 and, bidding me a hasty good-bye, galloped off, and 

 soon disappeared. 



" As I advanced, the ground became drier and more 

 sandy, rock and slate of various kinds abounding; 



