176 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



creams added to numerous other luxuries. An in- 

 closure made of the trunks and branches of trees, 

 and lined with cotton cloth, served as a sort of am- 

 phitheatre for bull-fights. Other amusements, charac- 

 teristic of the Mexicans, were to be seen in all direc- 

 tions. 



*' The foreigners resorted principally to the southern 

 mines, which gave them a great superiority in nume- 

 rical force over the Americans, and enabled them to 

 take possession of some of the richest in that part of 

 the country. In the early part of the season, the 

 Americans w^ere mostly employed on the forks of the 

 American, and on Bear, Uba, and Feather Rivers. 

 As their numbers increased, they spread themselves 

 over the southern mines, and collisions were threat- 

 ened between them and the foreigners. The latter, 

 however, for some cause, either fear, or having satis- 

 fied their cupidity, or both, began to leave the mines 

 late in August, and by the end of, September many 

 of them were out of the country. 



"It is not probable that, during the first part of 

 the season, there were more than five or six thousand 

 Americans in the mines. This would swell the whole 

 number, including foreigners, to about twenty thou- 

 sand the beginning of September. This period em- 

 braced about half the season, during which gold may 

 be successfully collected in the rivers. 



" Very particular and extensive inquiries respect- 

 ing the daily earnings and acquisitions of the miners 

 lead to the opinion that they averaged an ounce per 

 day. This is believed by many to be a low estimate ; 

 but, from the best information I was able to procure, 

 I am of opinion it approaches very near actual re- 

 sults. The half of the season, up to the 1st of Sep- 



