PROSPECTING ON FKENCII ('K'I:i:K. 2;>8 



showed that tlio richest gravel was from a hole sunk to bed-rock on the 

 bank of the creek, four pans of the pay dirt givinf^ ;| <rrain troy ^ li cents 

 gold, or ^ of a cent to the pan. Washing twelve buckets of this gravel in 

 a rocker yielded 4^ grains troy of gold =17 cents, or Sl.li* per cubic 

 yard; nearly the same result as was obtained with the pan. 



Most of the prospecting holes had been sunk early in spring, when the 

 ground was full of water and the locations selected with regard to the rini- 

 rock, so that the bed-rock might be reached before the depth of the shaft 

 became so great that it would be flooded with surface water. In order to 

 test the deeper channels in the flats near the stockade, a place was selected 

 where the configui-ation of the surface of the ground indicated an old chan- 

 nel filled with gravel to the present surftice of tiie bar. 



A shaft 5 feet by 7 feet was sunk to bed-rock, which was reached at a 

 depth of 15 feet, passing through gravel filled with large water-worn bowl- 

 ders 2 to 3 feet in diameter. Four men were constantly em])loyed for three 

 days in sinking this shaft ; the bowlders had to be broken with sledges and 

 hoisted out with a windlass, and the water 'was so troublesome as to require 

 constant bailing to keep the shaft dry. The bed-rock was found to be 

 granite. On cleaning up the whole surface the size of the bottom of the 

 shaft and panning the gravel not a color of gold was obtained , a result 

 which was unlooked-for by the miners, the gravel passed through having 

 been quite promising in appearance. 



Having forwarded to Washington a written report embodying the 

 results of the prospecting and exploration made up to date, (June 25), I 

 left French Creek, and, accompanied by my miners, made an excursion 

 north, for the purpose of examining the valleys of Spring and Rapid Creeks, 

 and on my return, July 8, I found that some new discoveries had been 

 made, and considerable work done by the miners in my absence. 



A party of miners about five miles above the stockade had j)ut in a 

 small sluice, and reported that the}- obtained by one day's work 27 penny- 

 weights of gold, or nearly S27 ; three men being employed in shoveling 

 the gravel into the sluice. Unfortunately the work on this bar was stopped 

 by the stampede to the new discoveries in Spring and Castle Creeks before 



