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82 



ATJKIFEKOUS GEAYELS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA 



subject will be essentially that of Mr. Goodyear's route in the field, and may 

 be followed on the accompanying sketch-map showing the distribution of 

 the Volcanic and Gravel Formations over a portion of Placer and El Dorado 

 counties. (Plate B.) This map is an approximation only for the region high 

 up among the numerous branches of the Middle Fork of the American River, 

 that district never having been topographically surveyed. A portion of El 

 Dorado County, south of the Middle Fork of the American, — which separates 

 El Dorado from Placer County, — extending as far south as Georgetown, 

 is also to be found on this diagram ; but the region east of this, at the head 

 of the South Fork of the Middle Fork — also visited by Mr. Goodyear — 

 has been omitted for want of the necessary data. For the immediate vicinity 

 of Placerville — an interesting and important mining district — a special 

 sketch-map, on a scale of three miles to the inch, is introduced. 



The route pursued by Mr. Goodyear in his investigations was nearly as 

 follows : From Colfax across the North Fork of the American to Iowa Hill, 

 Wisconsin Hill, Elizabeth Hill, Sucker Flat, Monona, Wolverine, Strawberry, 



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and the other important mining towns between the American and the branch 

 of it called Shirt Tail Canon; then to Damascus and the Forks House, near 

 the head of Shirt Tail ; then to Canada Hill, Millers' Defeat, Last Chance, 

 and the other mining camps at the head of the North Fork of the Middle Fork 

 of the American ; from the head of the Middle Fork down to Deadwood 

 and Michigan Bluff, respectively on the east and west sides of El Dorado 

 Canon, thence down the south side of the divide between the Middle Fork 

 and Shirt Tail, through the extremely important mining localities between 

 Michigan Bluff and Todd's Valley, including Bath, Forest Hill, the Dardanelles, 

 and Todd's Valley. From Forest Hill the north side of the same divide was 

 visited, including Yankee Jim's and the different branches of Brushy Canon. 

 Crossing the Middle Fork of the American, Mr. Goodyear's route next took 

 him to the mining districts along the divide north of Otter Creek, to Volcano- 

 villc, and to the various localities north of Georgetown, on both sides of 

 Canon Creek. At this point the work was suspended for a short time, in 

 order to refit and repair. On recommencing, a start was again made from 

 Colfax, and some localities about Iowa Hill, Forest Hill, and Michigan Bluff 

 were revisited. Another trip was also made to the region high up on the 

 Middle Fork, about Last Chance and Startown ; thence down the valley to 

 Peckham Hill, and across the Middle Fork to Spanish Dry Diggings, and by 

 way of Greenwood to Georgetown again. From the last-named place an 



