324 JOURNEY. 



swimming the mules by our side; we then 

 travelled over a mountainous country, bar- 

 ren and arid in the extreme, with an in- 

 tense sun scorching us beyond measure, 

 and parching the soil and scanty herbage 

 to excess. We passed several old washings 

 of the Indians, which I dismounted to ex- 

 amine. 



These are generally on the declivity of 

 a hill, where they erect a temporary dam 

 of stones and clay, about seven or eight 

 inches above the surface, and about three 

 feet in length; they form a narrow conduit 

 or channel to this from the nearest moun- 

 tain torrent, to convey the water to the 

 dam. Having discovered, by the nature of 

 the soil, that gold may be found, they 

 begin from the top of the eminence to scrape 

 the earth with an instrument for the pur- 

 pose. They go down the hill gradually, 

 and work the earth as they go, driving the 



