THE CHANNEL : ON THE KIDGE BETWEEN THE YTJBAS. 



201 



or upper end, the first and highest appearance of the gravel is at Snow 

 Point, on the north slope of the ridge overlooking the Middle Yuba, and the 

 localities lying west of it, known as Orleans, Moore's, and Woolscy's Flats. 

 These are obviously portions of the main channel, now separated by modern 

 ravines. At Woolsey's Flat the gravel channel evidently turns to the south, 

 and with a clearly descending grade passes under a high ridge of lava and 

 disappears from view. At North Bloomfield, three or four miles southwest- 

 erly from Woolsey's, it reappears on the south slope of the main ridge, and 

 continues uncovered by lava with a southwesterly course toward Lake City, 

 two or two and a half miles distant. Somewhere under the lava covering 

 before referred to it is believed that the channel is joined by a branch com- 

 ing in from the southeast, the only uncovered portion of which on this 

 ridge appears at Relief Hill near the South Yuba. 



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The main channel at Lake City is again partly covered by lava, but only 

 lor a comparatively short distance ; beyond which it continues with a west- 

 erly course and on the south slope of the crest of the ridge, toward Columbia, 

 ■Hill and Cherokee (the last-named place about five miles distant), being 

 joined near Spring Creek, two miles below Lake City, by another branch 

 coming from the southeast (Grizzly Hill). 



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At Cherokee the channel turns to the north, reaching the Middle Yuba 



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Kiver in the distance of a mile or a, mile and a half, where it is abruptly cut 

 away by that stream at Badger Hill. Thence the modern channel is sup- 

 posed to have followed generally the course of the older for live or six miles 



oan Juan, sweeping the gravel entirely away along that part of its course. 

 At San Juan the ancient channel reappears upon the ridge, and is an almost 

 continuous body of gravel for six miles or more to French Corral, its con- 



ln uity being only broken by two or three modern ravines.'' 



The point of gravel at Relief Hill, mentioned by Mr. Hague as being prob- 

 ably an indication of a tributary channel coming in from the southeast, 

 a Ppears to be continued on the other side of the South Yuba in a series of 

 grwel areas, extending in the line of Relief Hill, through Cold Hill and other 

 smaller patches to the important mining localities known as Alpha and 



mega. In these various localities the channel appears distinctly indicated, 



le gravel masses being very closely connected with each other, and the 

 grade suitable.* 



According to Mr. Skidmore (in the Seventh Report of the Commissioner of Mining Statistics) the 

 j^Vei at Omega Hill lias been found very rich, having yielded up to 1874 at least $ 1,500,000, and there 

 l »g a large area of ground left to be washed ; enough, as is supposed, for twenty seasons' work. 



