THE GRAVEL: THE AREA WORKED AT LITTLE YORK. 



159 



Cariboo Diggings, to the west, the top dirt is made up partly of small rounded stones and pebbles, 

 partly of decomposing slate, together with the usual red dirt, so common in connection with, the 

 gravel deposits. Among the small stones in this ravine were some of a porphyrinic character, quite 

 different from any of the pebbles found in the Little York or Empire gravel, and also different 

 from any rock in place in the neighborhood. 



Another feature of the Cariboo Ravine is the magnificent boulder of white quartz. Its maxi- 



mum dimensions are fourteen feet in length, seven in width, and four in thickness. Its average 

 length would be fully twelve feet, and its width five and a half. The thickness of this block is 

 pretty uniformly four feet, the sides being parallel, as if the mass had come directly from a quartz 

 lode. This boulder shows, it is true, signs of wear from water ; the surfaces are all smooth and 

 the angles rounded. But still there are, quite close to the surface, numerous vugs and cavities 

 containing quartz crystals ; one of the largest of these crystals, which is more than half an inch 

 long, projects within a quarter of an inch of the surface of the boulder, and is perfectly sharp on 

 all its edges and. angles, showing no sign of wear. It seems impossible that this particular piece 

 of rock can have been carried to any great distance, or subjected to any considerable amount of 

 erosive action. A hundred and fifty feet farther up the ravine there is another large boulder, of 

 bluish quartz ; which, however, is inferior in size to the one just mentioned. These two masses 

 of quartz are different from anything else found in the neighborhood, and add to the general mys- 

 tery which hangs over the Cariboo gravel deposit. 



The same reasons which prevented our getting full and complete details of the management of 

 the mines at Dutch Flat appeared in even greater force at Little York. The best which could be 

 .done was, to get measurements for an approximate calculation of the amount of gravel which has 

 been washed away in that district. The original surface, however, must have been far from even, 

 and my estimates as to the thickness of gravel may be considered too high by some, and too low 

 % others. The results, such as they are, here follow : On Christmas Hill, forty-four acres 

 worked out to a depth of thirty-five feet ; in and around Scott's Ravine and Little York, as far as 

 the You Bet road (excepting Manzanita Hill), thirty-two and a half acres, to an average depth of 

 sixty-five feet ; on the northerly slope of Manzanita Hill, thirty-five and a half acres, to a depth 

 of forty-five feet ; and at Empire Hill, eighteen acres, to a depth of thirty feet ; or, in cubic yards, 

 in round numbers : 



Christmas Hill 



Little York and Scott's Ravine 



Manzanita Hill 



Empire Hill 



Total, . 



. 2,500,000 



3,500,000 



. 2,500,000 



875,000 



. 10,375,000 



The number of cubic yards of gravel still remaining to be washed it is impossible to estimate, 

 With even a tolerable degree of exactness. On Manzanita Hill, on the gently-sloping bed-rock, 

 there is still considerable gravel, but not depth enough to make a profitable bank for hydraulic 

 working, until the upper end of the hill is reached. Hero there are still good banks in sight ; 



ut it will be necessary to clear away some of the old remnants in front, before they can be worked 

 with profit. In Scott's Ravine, the accumulation of boulders has been so rapid that the sluices 

 are full, and a considerable outlay will be required to get things in running order again. But 



l ero is gravel, enough between Little York and the Empire Hill bank to last several seasons yet, 

 oven with the best facilities for piping and sluicing. The gravel left on Christmas Hill is so high, 



at it seems hardly a profitable undertaking to bring the water to that point, as long as there is 

 SO good a demand for all that can be furnished at the lower claims. The old flumes have been 

 Partially destroyed, and will probably not be rebuilt for the next two or three years, at any rate. 



egotiations were said to be pending for the sale of the whole ditch and gravel property at Little 

 *ork to an English company.* 



* See farther on, page 161. 



