Saturday morning visitor., 1849-01-06
Coo. .TEasOn's Report ora the
Cold Region.
headquarters lOfh Military Del'

| headquarters loM Military Dep. !
Monterey, California, aug. II, lS48.
SrR 81 have the honor to inform you
that, accompanied by Lieut.. w. T. Sher.
man, Sd Artillery, A. A. A. General, /
started on the 18th Of June last, TO make
a four through the northern part of Cali
fornia. Ny principal purpose, however,
was TO visit the newly-dlscoyered gold
"placir" in the valley of the Sacramento.
| had proceeded about forty miles when
was overtaken by an express bringing
me intelligence of the arri. al at Monterey,
Of the United States slip Southampton,
with important letters from Commodore
Shubrick and Lieut. Burton. re-
turned at once 10 Monterey, and despatch
ed what business was most important, and
on the l7th resumed my journey. We
reached San Francisco on the 20ih, and
found that all or nearly all its male inhab-
itants had gone 10 the mines. The town
which, few months ago, was so busy and
thriving, vas then almost deserted. On
the evening of the 24lh, the horses. Of the
escort were crossed 10 Sousoleto in a
launch, and, OH The following dsy. we re-
sumcd the journey, by way Of Bodega and
Sonolna TO Suffers fort, where we arrived
on the morning of the % July. Along
the whole route, mills were living idle.
fields Of wheat were lying open 10 cattle
and horses, houses vacant, and farms going
TO waste. AT Sutter's there was more
life and business. Launches were dis
charging their carroes a, the river, and
carts were hauling goods to the fort, w here
already were established several stores.
a hotel, SC. CAPTAIN Sulter had only ~ O
mechanics in his empty Ga wagon maker
and blacksmith.) whom he was then
paying $40 day. Merchants nav him
monthly rem, Of ;lOO per room. and whilst
/ was there, two-storv house in the fort
was rented as hotel, for $500 month.
Al the urgent solicitation of many gen.
tlemen, DELAYED there TO participate in
the FIRST public celebration of our national
Anniversary at that fort, but on the 5.ii
resumed The journey, and proceeded TWEEN.
ty-f,e miles up the American Fork, to
point on it now known as the Lower
Mines, or Mormon Dissinss. The Hill
sides were ihickly strewnwi,h canvass
tents and bush srlors; store was erect.
ed, and several boarding shanlies in oye-
ration. The day was intensely hot, vet
about two hundred men were at work in
the full glare of tie sun, washing for gold
some with lin pans, some with close wo-
ven Indian baskets, but the greater part
had rude machine, known as the cradle.
This is on rockers, six or eight feet long,
open a, the foot, and at IFS head has coarse
CRATE, or sieve; the bottom is rounded,
with small elects nailed across. -Four
men are required TO work this machine
one digs the ground in The bank close by
the stream, another carries it to the cradle
and enplies it on the CRATE /; third gives
violent rocking motion 10 the machine.
whilst fourth dashes on water from the
stream itself. The sieve keep The coarse
stones from entering the cradle, The cur
rent OF water washes OF the earthly mat
Ter, and the gravel is gradually carried ou,
at the foot of the machine, leaving the gold
mixed with heavy fine black sand above
the first elects. The sand and gold mix
ed together are then drawn off through
auger holes into pan below, are dried in
the sun, and afterwards separated by blow
ing off the sand. A party OF four men
thus employed at the lower mines average
800 dav. The Indians, and those who
have nothing but pans or willow baskets. |
gradually wa.h out the earth and separate |
ihe gravel by hand, leaving nothing but
the gold mixed with sand, which ia sepa- |
rated in the manner before described. The |
gold in the lower mines is in fine bright
scales, oil which send several speci-
mems.
As we ascended the south branch of