292 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 
The lighter and poorer qualitics of gold are found nearest to 
its edges, while the heavier and finer portions have found their 
way to the deeper places, near the centre. Trees and pieces 
of wood, more or less petrified and changed in their nature, 
which once floated in its waters, are also everywhere encoun- 
tered throughout this stratum. 
‘“‘ The clay and fine gravel in which these pebbles and boul- 
ders are found to be tightly packed, is of a light-blue color, 
which gives the name to the lead. Much of this clay is re- 
markably fine and free from coarse particles, and is smooth and 
unctuous to the touch. It is said to be strongly impregnated 
with arsenic, as was shown by chemical analysis, and contains 
large quantities of iron and sulphur in solution, for pyrites and 
sulphurets of iron are deposited in shining metallic crystals in 
every vacant crevice. Fine gold is found among this clay, and 
the heavier particles beneath it, upon the bed-rock. This stra- 
tum varies in thickness from eighteen inches to eight or ten 
feet, while the whole lead varies in width from a hundred and 
fifty to five hundred feet. 
“The same lead has been found at Sebastopol, four miles 
above Monte Cristo, and also higher up among the mountains. 
It appears at M: nte Cristo, which is four miles above the high- 
lying Downieville, and over three thousand feet above it, and 
at Chapparal Hill on the side of a deep ravine; then at the 
City of Six, which is also on very high land, about four miles 
from Downieville, across the North Yuba. It is next found 
at Forest City, on both sides of a creek, and is there traced 
directly through the mountain to Alleghany Town and Smith’s 
Flat, on the opposite side. There it is again cut in twain by 
a deep ravine. It crops out on the other side at Chip’s Flat, 
where it has been followed by tunnels passing completely 
through the mountain to Centreville and Minnesota on the 
other side. Here it is obliterated by the Middle Fork of the 
Yuba, but it is believed to be again found at Snow Point, on 
the opposite side of the river; and again at Zion Hill, several 
uules beyond. There is no reason for doubting that after thus 
