230 GEOLOGY OF THE BLACK niLLS. 



1874, by Ross and McKay, miners accompanying the expedition under 

 command of General G. A. Custer, but from want of time they were unable 

 to ascertain definitely whether the gold existed in paying quantities, although 

 obtaining by a few days' work quite encouraging prospects. 



About three weeks later this field was visited by the Rev. S. D. Hin- 

 man, with an escort from the agencies on White River, in search of a suit- 

 able location for a reservation, but not finding any evidences of gold, on 

 their return they threw some discredit on the reports of the existence of the 

 precious metal in the Black Hills. 



A party of twenty-five miners from Sioux City reached French Creek 

 December 23, 1874, and built a stockade and cabins near the location of 

 General Custer's camp. They passed the winter prospecting very indus- 

 triously for gold in the vicinity, opening several quartz ledges in the schist- 

 ose rocks of the park and sinking pits on the flats and gravel bars along 

 the stream. 



Before cold weather was over and the frost out of the ground, so that 

 the diggings could be opened on a scale large enough to practically test the 

 richness and extent of the gravel deposits, these miners were removed by 

 the military to Fort Laramie. 



When I reached French Creek, June 16, 1875, about fifteen miners 

 were found camjjed four miles above the stockade, where they had been at 

 work for several weeks, and had staked off claims, built small dams, and were 

 digging ditches preparatory to commencing sluicing on the bars along the 

 banks of the stream. These miners were very enthusiastic in regard to the 

 mineral wealth of the gulch; they were reporting from 5 to 27 cents to the 

 pan from the pay gravel, and made the most extravagant statements as to 

 the yield which would be obtained as soon as they coinmenced working 

 with sluices. But they were working under unfavorable circumstances; 

 the water-supply was very small, not exceeding 50 miner's inches, with every 

 indication that it would soon fail entirely, and the grade of the valley was so 

 small that it was difficult to get a good head of water for sluicing. On 

 testing, by washing, the pay gravel from the diff'erent prospecting holes 

 already opened, with a pan, and weighing the gold obtained, it was found 

 that the usual yield along the stream was from four to eight colors to the 

 pan (about one-tenth to ono-fiftli of a cent), and, in favorable and some- 



