A. W. Chase—Gravel Deposit of Gold Bluffs. 381 
for the mouth of the Trinity River, which, instead of being in 
reality an affluent of the Klamath, was supposed to have a sep- 
arate mouth. One of the party was J. Johnson, now a resident 
of Crescent City. At a favorable spot on the beach they saw 
glittering particles in the sand, and on examination found them 
be gold. Gathering some of this gold, they went back, 
greatly excited, to Trinidad, to procure provision. 
On their return, however, they found nothing but a bed of 
gravel, a change in the direction of the surf having carried 
7 or covered up the glittering treasure. It may re- 
marked here that when the direction of the wind is such that 
the surf breaks square on the beach, it rolls up masses of coarse 
gravel, and no black sand is visible; but that, when it cuts the 
beach at an angle, the gravel is washed into heaps in certain 
spots, and in others black sand is deposited, more or less rich 
in : 
After this discovery ensued the so-called ‘“‘ Gold Bluff excite- 
ment.” The first mining claim was taken up the same /_ ay 
wi 
, panned it 
out in a little pool of water left by the receding tide. rim 
them were used. Each mule — a = 
Coarse canvas attached to the pack saddle. Hac 
tain about 150 Ibs. of sand aed 60k the mule packing there- 
~ 300 lbs. ; and the train of sixteen, 4800 lbs., or nearly two 
ns and one-half at a trip. 
© top pees Aeihs aie off, the underlying sand was 
gathered into little piles. ile the men were thus evesged 
the superintendent invited my attention to the appearance o 
