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 porphyritic 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 generai 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 
by 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 é 7 ; d . : ‘ , . 2,500,000 
Little York and Scott’s Ravine . ; ‘ ‘ , : : 3,500,000 
Manzanita Hill. : ; ; : : : : i . 2,500,000 
Empire Hill : . ; : : 875,000 
Total, ~: F ‘: ‘ A . 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. Here there are still good hanks in sight ; 
but 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 
there is gravel enough between Little York and the Empire Hill bank to last several seasons yet, 
even with the best facilities for piping and sluicing. The gravel left on Christmas Hill is so high, 
that 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. 
Negotiations were said to be pending for the sale of the whole ditch and gravel property at Little 
York to an English company.* 
* See farther on, page 161. 
