222 HISTORY OF CALIFOKNIA. 



equal to that of any of the other placers. The mouth 

 of the river, which empties into Trinity Bay, has been 

 surveyed, and, being considered a very good harbor, 

 a town has been projected, to be situated upon the 

 shore at the mouth of the river. Rich diggings have 

 been opened near Mariposa, and on one occasion, a 

 mass of gold and quartz, weighing fifty pounds, was 

 taken from them, and sold for sixteen hundred dollars. 

 Several important discoveries have been made on the 

 Mokulumne River. Out of one hole, three men, in two 

 days, took the sum of four thousand dollars. It is 

 thought that more bullion will be obtained during the 

 dry season of the present year, 1850, than has been 

 received since the commencement of the gold-digging. 

 This seems to falsify the predictions of some persons, 

 that the gold region would be speedily exhausted. 



The following is an account of some bloody trans- 

 actions upon the North Fork of the American River. 

 We extract it from the Pacific News of May 15th, 

 1850:— 



" About two weeks ago, a party of Indians came 

 stealthily upon a few miners who were sleeping after 

 their work was over in their tents on the North Fork, 

 some twenty miles above Auburn. Before the Indians 

 gave any warning to the whites of their presence, they 

 killed two, wounded another, and then succeeded in 

 making their escape. On Friday of last week, a 

 trader, who was travelling with his team, was sur- 

 rounded by Indians when about fifteen miles above 

 Auburn. The arrows from their bows took effect up- 

 on his person, and he only saved his life by a preci- 

 pitous flight. They carried off his coat which he left 

 in his wagon, with $600 worth of gold dust in the 

 pocket. They also robbed his wagon of several valu- 



