CHARACTER OF THE GOLD. 235 



The sluices were soon in place, and this, bar most thoroughly tested, 

 under the direction of Mr. Koberson. The result of the first day's work 

 of eight hours, four men being employed most of the time, was 2 penny- 

 weights 8 grains troy of coarse gold, valued at $2.30. 



The second day not only the gravel was put through the sluice, but 

 the whole surface of the bed-rock exposed by both da}V work was most 

 carefully cleaned up and washed. The return, however, was but 1 penny- 

 weight 9 grains troy of gold, equal to $1.10. 



The work of both days may be summed up: 



i men 1 day, result $2 30 



6 men 1 clay, result .„ 1 10 



10 men 1 day, result , 3 40 



or a yield of 34 cents per day per man. 



This result was a disappointment to every one, and seemed to indicate 

 that the richness of the gravel at first obtained was due to a concentration 

 of the gold on rim-rock, and that the cleaning of the bed-rock probably 

 yielded only a very small proportion of the gold, the greater quantity 

 being derived from the compact gravel. 



The gold obtained was in coarse, flat scales, or small, spongy grains, 

 and was quite deceptive in its appearance, nearly all the miners guessing 

 the weight of the dust very much too high. 



Gold was found in small quantities in gravel deposits along the numer- 

 ous creeks flowing east from Harney Peak, but the region is so inaccessi- 

 ble, and so many difficulties are encountered in attempting to prospect it, 

 that but little could be done by myself and assistants in that area, while 

 the rush to the discoveries on Spring and Castle Creeks carried all the 

 miners in the Hills far to the north, and left this region but partly pros- 

 pected. 



Some prospecting was done on Amphibious, Minnekata, and Red Canon 

 Creeks, small streams draining the southern portion of Custer Park. On 

 Amphibious, near its headwaters, a few colors of gold were obtained from 

 small gravel deposits, but the water-supply was so small, the stream being 

 dry at the time, that prospecting was very difficult. About five miles below 

 the head of this creek a number of dry ravines enter it from the east, cut- 



