I 



25 Q HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



morning two hundred had left the town with a full 

 supply of provisions and four hundred mules. Those 

 who could not go were hiring others in their stead. 

 The length of the journey and the quantity of provi- 

 sions required, there being no stores in the region, 

 rendered an outfit rather expensive. Mules and 

 horses had doubled in value, and §400 were considered 

 no more than enough to furnish a proper start. 



The distance to Gold Lake was first reported two 

 hundred miles ; the best informed, however, say that 

 it is but little more than half of that. It lies at a 

 very considerable elevation among the mountains that 

 divide the waters of the Soutli Fork of Feather from 

 those of the north branch of the Yuba. The direction 

 from Marysviile is a little north of east. The story 

 has of course spread ere this far and wide among the 

 miners high up on the Feather and Yuba, and the 

 spot mil be as crowded as all other good places are, 

 ere the tardy adventurer from this region could reach 

 it. The region of the Gold Lake wonders is a new 

 one, however, and lies between what are established 

 to be diggings of unsurpassed richness. It is our 

 belief that it is better for one who has got some initia- 

 tion into the gold mysteries, (if there be any,) not to 

 be content in old ' used up' localities, but to push along 

 to the great field yet unexplored; and that, though 

 the search be long and laborious, the big lift is ulti- 

 mately pretty sure for those who are patient and per- 

 severing. 



The same paper of July 18th, contains additional 

 particulars, having a tendency to add plausibility to 

 the reports. Among other things, a man by the name 

 of McLelland came into Marysviile on the 17th, with 

 $7000, the result of four days' labor at Gold Lake. 



