ill) 



EXPLORATIONS ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN OF UTAH. 



course, west of south; mountain-range continues parallel to road on north side, three 

 miles off, and on south side of river there is another, five miles off. Notice along- the 

 road three claim-shanties, and some ditching for mining- purposes. 



After proceeding 7.4 miles from camp, come to China Town, on Carson River ; 

 elevation ahove the sea, 4,360 feet. This is a mining town of twelve houses, and 

 contains about fifty Chinese. Including all engaged in mining in a vicinity of six 

 miles, the population is about one hundred and fifty. Can clear at these diggings, 

 called the Gold Canon Flat Diggings, when there is water, from $5 to $8 per day per 

 man. These diggings have been worked since 1852. The material is taken out of 

 the ravine, or arroya, which is composed of sand and cobblestones, and the gold sifted 

 from it by a "rocker" or "cradle." Quality of the gold-dust, $13 to the ounce. 



There are some new diggings seven miles northwest from this place up Gold Canon, 

 which were commenced last" April, and which yield an average of $15 per day to the 

 hand, with the cradle. Two men have been known, with one rocker, to make in one 

 dav *ir>:>; quality, $12i to the ounce. (It is in this vicinity that the late splendid 

 discovery of silver-ore, "ailed the Washoe mines, has been made.) The great difficulty 

 is the want of water, and en this account the mines are worked only in winter. There 

 is a talk of tapping Carson River high up, or Bigler Lake, and thus supplying the 

 mines with water. A rocker is a simple cradle with a sieve, through which the material 

 passes on water being thrown upon it and it is rocked. The "long torn" is one or more 

 long troughs connected, and a sieve at the end and a lower receiver. In this trough 

 the materia] and water are introduced and the gold collected all along, the finest on the 

 lowest platform or receiver. 



China Town has two stores, one recently kept by E. Sam, a Chinese, who was 

 drowned the other dav in attempting to ford Carson River on horseback, and the other 

 by Keller & Cohen. *I am indebted to Mr. Long, who is at present in charge of E. 

 Sam's store, for the above information in relation to the mines of this region, and he 

 has given me the prices of commodities, as follows: Sugar, 3 pounds for $1; coffee, 

 3 pounds for $1; beef, 17 and 18 cents per pound; bacon, 37 J cents per pound; pota- 

 toes, 8 cents per pound; dour, 16 cents; shoes, ordinary kind, S3; boots, (pegged,) $G 

 to $10; hickory shirts, ^ 1 ."25; barley, 10 cents per pound; oats, 10 cents per pound; 

 whisk v, $.'> per gallon. The timber they use is pine, and it is hauled twenty-five miles 

 from Washoe Valley; cost at mill, $20 per thousand ; at China Town, $10. 



Mr. Long conducted me to a room where a couple of the principal Chinamen were 



head supported by a stool or bench, between them was a lamp burning. The'y had 

 a pipe of about two feet long, the bowl of it being two-thirds of the distance from the 

 mouth-end. One or the other keeps the bowl, charged with opium, constantly applied 

 to the lamp, and, drawing hard, passes the smoke through the nose and mouth. Mr. 

 Long says $8 worth of opium will last two persons about six months. It stupefies, 

 rather than enlivens, and, when indulged in excessively, perfectly paralyzes the energies. 

 He also showed me a ro< an in which there were six of these fellows gambling. They 

 have a large number of pieces, like don duos, and counters, and take a great deal of 

 interest in the game; run through it with the greatest dexterity and rapidity. They 



