318 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



docino, in California, and the mouth of the Umpqua River, in 

 Oregon, the beach-sand contains gold, and in some places it is 

 very rich. The beach is narrow, and lies at the foot of a bluff 

 bank of auriferous sand. In times of storm, the waves wash 

 against this bank, undermine it, sweep away the pieces which 

 tumble down, leaving the gold on the beach. The gold is in 

 very fine particles, and it moves with the heavier sand, which 

 alters its position frequently under the influence of the waves 

 and surf. One day, the beach will have six feet depth of sand ; 

 the next, there will be nothing save bare rocks. The sand 

 differs greatly in richness at various times : one day, it will be 

 full of golden specks ; a few days later, at the same place, it 

 will be barren. The sand in the mean time has been moved 

 by the waves, and replaced by other sand. 



It is a very difficult matter to know where the sand is rich 

 and where it is not. The companies employed in mining on 

 the beach number about ten men ; and there is a foreman, who 

 rides out early every morning, following the beach about two 

 miles to the northward and two miles to the southward of the 

 camp, for the purpose of finding where the sand is the best. 

 So changeable is the sand, that a new examination is made 

 every day ; and only three or four men are supposed to be 

 good judges of the quality of sand, from its appearance. 



When the foreman has selected a place, he orders all the 

 men to it, and they gcnfcvith twenty pack mules, which carry 

 the sand in alforjas, or rawhide sacks, to the place of wash- 

 ing, which is up on the bluff, probably a mile or more distant 

 from the spot where the sand is obtained. It happens occa- 

 sionally that the foreman rides long distances on the beach, 

 and sometimes he will order the sand to be obtained ten miles 

 from the washing place. The sand must, of course, be very 

 rich to pay for such transportation, but the beach sand at 

 times in the sunlight is said to be actually dazzling yellow 

 with gold. The purpose of going upon the bluff to wash it is 

 to get fresh water for washing ; for the sea water is not so good, 



