I 



176 



THE AURIFEROUS GRAVELS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA. 





length of about a mile before entering Steep Hollow. The extent of the gravel opened on the end 

 of the spur at Eemington is about five or six acres, over a large portion of which the bed-rock has 

 been exposed. The character of the gravel is much the same as of that at Lowell Hill, although 

 the lower stratum has fewer large-sized boulders. As at the last-named place, there are heavy 

 masses of clay interstratified with the deposit. The bed-rock is slate, which in many places is jet- 

 black in color. This peculiar discoloration seems to be due to some local causes, as the patches of 

 black are irregularly scattered all over the exposed surface. The bed-rock is very flat, there being 

 no rim discovered at all, or indications of a channel such as are expected to be ordinarily found 

 under the gravel deposits. Besides the open gravel diggings, there has been considerable drifting 

 under the lava with which the main ridge is capped. The two principal tunnels are known as 

 Frank's and Joyce's. The mouth of the former is a little more than an eighth of a mile east of 

 the principal house at Eemington, or about a quarter of a mile east of the main open gravel, and 

 it discharges into Snake Creek. This tunnel runs nearly due north for a couple of hundred feet, 

 then north-northwest for four hundred farther, to the gravel, on which it has been run lor a dis- 

 tance of about two hundred feet. Joyce's Tunnel is a short distance farther north. In neither 

 of these excavations have any signs of a rim been discovered. 



The direction of the channel at Remington seems to be a matter in regard to which the miners 



The finding of gravel under the lava in the tunnels has suggested to 



themselves have no theory, 

 some the idea that the main channel passed directly across the ridge. But this seems hardly prob- 

 able ; and it is more likely that this deposit will be found to have been connected with that at 

 Klipstein's, striking along on the southeastern side of the present ridge, as will be noticed when 

 describing that locality. The altitude of the Remington Hill bed-rock was made, by barometrical 

 observation, 3,870 feet ; this is higher than the eastern rim at Lowell, and the bed-rock at Mel- 

 bourne Hill. It is possible that the channel crossed to Lowell, and went thence to Liberty Hill ; 

 or it may be that Lowell and Melbourne are only relics of the time when Steep Hollow spread over 

 that whole width of country ; with our present knowledge it is impossible to come to a positive 

 decision in regard to this point. 



Klipstein's Claim is about three quarters of a mile, in an easterly direction, from Remington 

 Hill. This gravel deposit covers several acres, and lies on a spur between Democrat and Lucky 

 John's ravines, both of which empty into the North Fork of Steep Hollow, half or three quarters 

 of a mile above its junction with the main creek. The general course of Democrat Ravine at Klip- 

 stein's is S. 25° E. (magnetic). On the west side of the ravine there is also a small patch of 

 gravel. These deposits have been well prospected by means of tunnels. One of them, run in on 



■ 



the bed-rock on the Democrat Ravine side, was found to have an altitude of 4,020 feet, which is 

 150 feet above the bed-rock at Remington Hill. This tunnel runs in an easterly direction, is 180 

 feet long, and is nearly level : at its end the bottom is fully ten feet below the gravel. At a dis- 

 tance of 140 feet from the mouth of this tunnel a branch, was started, in a north-northeasterly 

 direction, soon curving round, however, so as to run parallel with the main tunnel and about fifty 

 feet distant from it. From the form of the surface of the bed-rock, as shown in these excavations, 

 it would appear that there is here a basin-shaped depression, rather than a regular channel. The 

 gravel is, however, well rounded, and some portions are well cemented together, and the larger 

 boulders, which are quite numerous, are smoothed and polished ; thus presenting all the peculiari- 

 ties of the ordinary channel deposits. 



There are other reasons for supposing that Klipstein's gravel forms a portion of an old channel. 

 On the opposite bank of the North Fork of Steep Hollow, and bearing from about the middle of 

 the gravel at Klipstein's in a direction K 38° E. (magnetic), is the deposit known as Excelsior, or 

 Secret Hill. This is on the spur which starts from the main lava ridge and descends between 

 Steep Hollow and its northern fork. At a point as nearly as could be estimated on the same level 

 with the Excelsior bed-rock, the height of the latter was found to be 4,090 feet, or seventy feet 

 higher than Klipstein's Tunnel. Between the two places, it is true, there could not have been a 

 perfectly straight channel, on account of a little spur of high bed-rock between Lucky John's Ra- 



