IN THE MINING DISTRICT 205 



hard labor, that we have never handled the tools, much 

 less acquired any knack in handling them, and that aside 

 from this, Olias has been unwell since yesterday and un- 

 able to work — considering all this it seems to me that 

 the result is not very bad. The former owner took out 

 from this claim from 5 to 7 Dollars a day, all by him- 

 self. 



The weather is very clear and pleasant, at noon even 

 oppressively warm, so that the miners have to suspend 

 work. Of course during the summer it is much hotter 

 here; for this reason we do not intend to pass it on this 

 bar; but will go further up in the mountains, which are 

 now inaccessible on account of snow. 



The work of a miner is now-a-days anything but easy. 

 To move heavy stones under a burning sun at mid-day, 

 to loosen the ground with the pick, to shovel it then into 

 the rocker, to cany 50 or 60 buckets of water a day from 

 a distance of several hundred yards over a rough, stony 

 path up and down hill, is no child's play. But then, we 

 lead a life as free as the bird in the air. The miner is 

 nobody's master and nobody's slave; there is no law for 

 him except that which he makes for himself. 



In the course of time I shall get used to this work 

 which as yet causes my back somewhat to ache. If I re- 

 main well I shall not soon return to San Francisco. This 

 wild free life, the sweat of the brow, the pistol in the 

 belt, the pick in hand— this is just what suits me— it dis- 

 perses thoughts which at times make me feel very heavy 

 at heart. 



Continue to write to me to San Francisco; I have made 

 arrangements for the prompt and safe delivery of your 

 letters. It distresses me very much that as yet I have 

 not received any letters from you. Can it be possible 

 that they have been lost? I am awaiting your answer 

 to four letters of mine; Nos. 9 and 10 from Valparaiso, 

 Xos. 11 and 12 from San Francisco. Yesterday Emil 

 Boettcher received a letter from Konigsberg; how I en- 

 vied him! Emil will inclose these lines in his letter to 

 hi i mother and so T hope that yon will receive them; but 



