The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-13
Tha Gold Rsxians.

The Gold Regions.
The following is extracted from letter received
by gentleman in this city from his friend in Cal
ifornia. The writer is physician, who desired TO
take the short cut TO fortune His account is, per-
haps, more minute than is often given by the adj
venturers to the new FL Dorado;
MONTEREY, California; Jan. Is, 1850.
MY DEAR FaIEsD: We left Rio on the 18th OF
March, and stopped one week at Valparaiso, where
we had an agreeable time We came round the
Horn in good style, and. on the whole, in pretty
fair weather. Had long voyage from Chill to
California; weather warm-long Gains. Reached
Francisco July %. where Immediately joined two
young men from New York who were going to the
mines, and were TO be furnished with all things
necessary for mining credit We remained two
days at San Francisco. Reached Sacramento city
about the middle Of August In week got to-
gether tools and provisions, and started for the
mines. Our things we're hauled up in OK team,
we going on foot, hating at night with the team.
Distance from Sacramento city to Suffers Mills,
fifty miles. Remained some days at the mill; saw
the spot where the first gold found, COM
pletely torn up. We here procured a mule, packed
her with few tools and provisions for two weeks,
and away we went in true miner style, Luckily,
my companion Zone of our number fell sick at Sa-
cramento) had one dollar in his pocket, and thai
we paid for crossing the bridge; which done, we
had not cent between We journeyed over
the widest. toughest country, up and down the
talest kind of hills Cat home we call them noun
tans,) across streams, along valleys, through ra-
vines, &c. &C.; at noon hating to rest beast,
and bait our own hunger with hard bread and cool
water, and stopping at night by spring on the
road, where prepared and ate our supper of salt
pork, hard biscuit and coffee, and lay down con-
tentedly to rest on our hard bed, consisting Of two
blankets--one beneath and one above us-with
saddle or bag of meat for pillow. Thus we pa
tiently journeyed on, and reached our destination
last of August and, after having prospccted"
some days, we selected spot to work. To "pros-
pect' is to try the dirt in various places, washing
with pan to test the quantity of gold in it. If this
pays few dollars to the painful it is considered
worth washing in a machine. good machine
will run through several hundred pans in day.
This is called rocking the baby" We began by
turning the of the stream by means of a
race and dam, and then working up the bed of the
river as far the water would permit, washing the
earth at the bottom. At the end of seven weeks
the rains drove us out. We had become connected
with nine others, making eleven in ALL Our several
shares nearly S 500, all in the pure, genuine
dust. One day severally made $l8l. So
much for +" rocking the baby"
The life at the mines Is a hard one, with many
privations, especially in the way of provisions; yet
it has its pleasures Every thing is very high; one
has to make at least his ounce day to live. The
mines during the past season were full of people;
how it will be the next, it is impossible to say.
Many thousands will be there, yet room enough
for all. Some parts of the mines are very sickly
others quite the contrary. Wo to the poor fellow
caught by disease in them In the summer the
beds of the streams and their banks the best
" dggins"-called the toet, in contrast to the dry
found upon the submits and sides of the hills, in
rains swell the streams-the rain and snow afford
ing abundance of water for washing the gold, al
ways found mixed with the earth. The process of
digging, washing, blowing and drying the earth,
is simple, even in detail and easily acquired by
any one.
We returned to Sacramento in November. This
time, in crossing the bridge at the mill, had our
pockets full of rocks" The dust carried
round the waist, rolled in handkerchief in
eathern bag. ! came in December to San Fran
cisc-sent nearly all my dust home by friend
thence to this place, where expect to pass the
winter and return to the mines in March.
You have now account of my journeyings
since last wrote-truly changing scene. New
social intercourse, should be happy. For some
time to come this is denied me- May not hope
that this want will be supplied by the kindness Of
absent friends2 letter from friend is indeed
acceptable to one deprived of congenial society.
Let me, then, hear from you soon. Address to San
Francisco j.. F.