New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-11-15
BlYARD TAYLOR'S LETTERSnnSO. XVIII.
The DiggInss on Mokaiume River.


Monday morning last, after having rested three
days under the hospitabe oaks OF Ma Graham 5
camp, we had our mules driven from his cqral1da
and saddled for our journey % the Digglngs.
The sun was shining holly az we rode over the
plain 70 Stockton, and the ten. streets OF the MI
raculous town glowed ike the avenues OF BRICK
kiln. The thermometer stood az = and the
parched, sandy soil burnt through orr very boot
soles. We therefore determined 70 wait TIL
evening before starting for another stage to the
Moksl1mG Mr.. Raney who has asst e'taoIisheo
line OF conveyance TO these digglngs andy
offered TO accompany Us as far as his rancho on
the Casveras Rive, "a miles distant
We started at O'Clock, when pleasant breeze
had sprung Up, aad rode on over the level PLAIN
through beautiful groves Of oak. The trail was
crossed By deep dry srroyoa which in the rainy
season, make the country almost imPas'obie now
however, the very bess OF the tue marshes are
beginning n dry up. The ar was thicker than
ever with the smoke Of burning tge, and as we
journeye1 along in the hszy moonlight the lower
slopes Of he Sierra Nevada were not visible tai
we reached Mr.. Raney's rancho, which les AZ
their base. We gave cor tired mules good feed
Of barley, ard, after an excellent supper which he
had prepared betook ourselves TO rest. The tent
wss made Of saphngs, rooted With canvas, bat
had cost 3 900 the plain all around was covered
deep with dust, which the passing trains Of mules
kept constantly ia the air. Nevertheless, TOR the
frat time in several days, we slept In bed-the
bed Of CElaveris River, and in the deepest hollow
of its gold .besprinked sands. The stream, which
in the Spring Is 30 feet deep was perfectly Dry
and the timber on It's banks made roof far above
which shut out the wind and sand, bat let IN the
ght. Heaping the loose gravel for pillows
We enjoyed a delightful sleep, interrupted only
once by tie bowling q p large gray wolf pTowl-
ing In the lhicse,s over Us. Ia sinking wei. IN
the river, for Supplying tho rancho :io lump OF
gold was found.
Leaving soon after sunrise, We entered the hills
The county was dotted with picturetque cumPs
of oak. and. as the ground became higher aud more
broken, with pines Of splendid growth. Around
their feet were scattered piles Of immense cones
which had been broken up Tor the sake Of the
spicy kernels they contain. Trails OF deer could
BE- seen on all toe hills, leading down to chance
green spots in the holiows which month ago
=
furnished water. Now, however, the ground was
parched M in furnace the vegetation snapped
ike glass under the hoo's Of our mules, and the
cracks and seams in the arid soil seemed to give
out an intense heat from some subteranesn tire
In tho slens AID caGddaS, where tue little al;
stirring was cut or the mercury rose to llO' l'r
spiratlon was dried SIS soon as formed, ana oe'
gan 70 think | should soon be done t. turn. -
Aner travelling 4 miles we were joned by three
pountaiueers. and turned from the main road lnto
a faint trail leading over tho bills to tins place
The winding canon Up which we passed must be
paradse in Spring; even now the dry bed OF the
stream is shaded by trees Ct every picturesque
firm that a painter coull desire. Crossing several
steep spurs, We reached the top Of the divide
overlooking the Mokslumo Valley and here one
of the most charming mountain landscapes IN the
world opened to our view. Under our very ieet'
as it seemed, flowed the river, and little corner
of level bottom wedged betw cen the bases OF the
hills WAS dotted with the tents of the sold
ers. whom we could see burrowing along the
winter. The mountains range behind range, spot
ted with timber, made a grand, indlstlnct back
sronnd in the smoky ara large, fortress Ike
INIT toward the Costume River, the most promi
pent of all. Had the atmosphere been clearer
the sunny crown OF the Nevada, hey ond all, would
have made the picture equal TO any IN TyroL
Coming down the slmost perpendicular side OF
the hin. my saddle began 20 slip over the mule
straight shoulders, and dsmouutlng, ! wAded the
rest o! the way knee.deep in dust. Near the bot
tom We came upon the Sonoran Town, as 1t Il
called from the number Of Mexican miners en-
csmped here. The place, which 10 regularly
laid out town Of sapling houses, without walls aht
rooted with loose oak boushs has sprung up In TIM
wilderness in three weeks. There are probably
2oo rerson. living in or nesr it. Under the opeI
canopies of oak we heard, as we passed along
the Jingle Of coin At the monte tables, and saw
crowds gathered to watch the progress OF th'
game. One " the first men Lieut. Beale saw
was Baptste Perrot a mOUntsineer WHO had beei
| il his party last winter. He Keeps hotel here
and soon hsd US comfortably Installed for the night
Our first move was for the river bottom, whert
| A number Of Americans, Sonorians kanakas an'
French were at work in the hot sun. The bar, O.
IT IS called. is nothing more nor less than leve
space al the junction OF the river with dry ar
! royo OF eu'cn, which WINDS Tor ABOUT elSh
miles among the hills. Its hard and rocky, Will
no loose sand except such as has lodged botweel
the large masses CT stone, which must OF cours
be thrown sside - get st the gold The Who'll
space, containing about four acres appeared {
hSve been turned over with great labor, and a
the holes santing down between the b-okel
strata Of slate 10 have been explored TO the , I
tom. No spot could appear more imposing 70 III
inexperienced goid-hunter. Yet the Sonorisns
| washing out the loose dust snd dlrt hich the,
scrape up among the rocks obtain from 10 - Nv
ounces daily. The first party we saw had jas
succeeded in cutting new channel Tor the shrunk
en- waters OF the Mokslume, and were commend
ing operations on about 20 yards OF the new-oec
which they had laid bare. They were ten u
number and their only implements were shovel'
a rude cradle for the top layer OF earth and hs
wooden bowls for washing out the sands. Bsp
,iste took one ofthe bowls which was ldll OF sand
and in five minutes show ed Us & dozen grains c
brigh, god. The company had made in the lore
noon about lbs: we watched them st their wor
TIL the evening when lbs. more were pro iuced
making an average Of oE. ios each man. Ih
/ F nd ma