84 
CALIFORNIA ILLUSTRATED. 
halloo but bis eye again fell upon the piece of gold and be 
did not. We found several smaller pieces, and were now satisfied 
that we bad at last found the place for which we had been so 
long and anxiously looking. We followed down the side to 
the river, and there found a small bar, into which the gold must 
find its way, as it was washed from the crevices above. We 
examined the bar and found particles of gold, and decided to 
take possession at once. It was late in the afternoon, but at this 
particular time, we decided not to put off till to-morrow what 
ought to be done to-day, and immediately started for our machine, 
which was a mile distant. We were soon underway ladened 
with our implements, with perspiration gushing from every pore. 
We found our task a hard one; were often obliged to rest, and 
as often would our success flit across our imaginations, when we 
would again shoulder our machine, and push on. It was dark 
long before we reached our destination; we were obliged to 
climb over crags of rocks, where one misstep would have precip¬ 
itated us into the river below. We toiled on, and at length 
reached our destination. We would gladly have remained here 
during the night, but our clothes were saturated with perspira¬ 
tion, and, although the days were hot, the nights were on the 
other extreme, sometimes rendering it uncomfortably cold, even 
under our woollen blankets. There was no alternative but to 
return, and we again ascended the precipice, and after a most- 
fatiguing march reached our encampment. I had heard of peo¬ 
ple’s bones aching “ out loud,” but this was the first exhibition 
of the kind I had ever witnessed. We were soon in the embrace 
of Morpheus, and fancy carried us home. 
We arose much fatigued, but hope was preeminent, and we 
were soon under way, with the brightest anticipations. Our 
machine was again in motion; I never felt stronger, and at every 
bucket-full Tracy would give his dipper an extra flourish, his 
India-rubber suspender fairly grinning with excitement. We 
did not fear for the result, and kept our machine in motion until 
noon, when on raising the screen we found we had made about 
fifty cents. We had, however, not yet reached the granite, and 
our spirits were not dampened. We worked during the after¬ 
noon, reaching and scraping the granite, and at night would 
have been one dollar richer than in the morning, if some one 
