HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 69 



employed Tvith great success. I have made a sketch 

 of those most in use amongst the diggers, as my 

 readers may feel desirous of acquainting themselves 

 with the latest improvements introduced in the art of 

 mining, as practised in this country. They consist, 

 in the first place, of the washing-rocker, or ^ cradle,' 

 which has, in numerous instances, formed the model 

 for ruder machines, constructed by the miners them- 

 selves, whilst in the mountains. The lid, at the bottom 

 of which lie the holes through which the gold and soil 

 pass, is fastened by hinges at the back, in order that 

 it may be raised up, the more readily to throw off, 

 from time to time, the stones that accumulate. Three 

 men are required to work this rocker with success, 

 and there are few processes in which a smaller num- 

 ber could operate without extraordinary labor. One 

 person throws the soil upon the lid, another pours on 

 the water, whilst a third is engaged in rocking the 

 cradle by the handle attached to it for the purpose. 

 In this way these men keep each other constantly 

 employed ; and, indeed, this cradle, like its prototype, 

 has often proved the bond of union between indi\iduals 

 who would otherwise have separated, for this simple 

 reason, that one man could not work it half so profit- 

 ably alone. The cross pieces, observable at the bot- 

 tom, serve to intercept the gold as it flows towards 

 the smaller end of the machine, whilst the dirt is 

 carried off by the admixture with the water produced 

 by the continual 'rocking.' As the earth becomes 

 thoroughly dissolved, the gold naturally gravitates to 

 the bottom ; and thus it is impossible for any but the 

 very finest particles of the ore to escape. 



" The second machine, in importance, is the gold- 

 borer. It is particularly useful in examining the 



