HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 73 



supply of gold to be inexhaustible, they persisted in 

 this reckless course, and discovered only when it be- 

 came too late to redeem their error, that even here 

 gold cannot always be procured. They went on until 

 the placers failed to yield, and were then reduced to 

 great extremities. 



" The miners were by no means averse to lending 

 * dust' to those who required it, notwithstanding that 

 the lenders often experienced some difficulty in getting 

 back the advance. One of Van's party, for instance, 

 lent another six ounces of gold, which not being 

 returned at the stipulated period, nor for some time 

 afterwards, he dunned his debtor at every meal, until 

 the latter, who had quietly submitted to the importu- 

 nity, begged him to 'just wait, ten minutes, and time 

 it.' He shouldered his pickaxe, as he said this, and 

 going out of the shed, returned within the time, bring- 

 ing back more than sufficient to liquidate the debt. 

 This little incident created much amusement." 



The whole of the gold region lies between the San 

 Joachin and Sacramento Rivers and the California 

 range of mountains. The principal mines are the 

 Towallomie, the Stanislaus, the Macalamo, the Merced, 

 Fremont's Diggings, or Mariposa, the Calaveras, the 

 Macassime, the South, Middle, and North Forks, 

 Bear Creek, Yuba, Feather River, and the Sacra- 

 mento. The mines are nothing more than so many 

 ravines, which run across from the range of mountains, 

 and are flooded by the torrents which pour down from 

 the upper region during the rainy season, and which 

 have been supposed to bring the gold down with them. 



The Macalamo Dry Diggings is considered one of 

 the richest placers in the gold region. It is a long 

 ravine, the soil of which is red, and sometimes blueish 



7 



