Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-03-30

The principal formation or subsatum in these hills, is
talcose slate the supersratum, sometimes penetrating 10
great depth, quartz This however, does not cover the
face of the country but extends large bodies in var
drectons-s found in masses and small fragments on
the surface and along the avnes and in the mountains
overhangng the rivers and IN the hill IN i's
beds. 1t crops out in the valleys and the tops OF the
hills, and forms striking feature of the entire country over
which extends. From innumeabe evidences and indica
tions, it has to be the universally admitted opinion
among the miners and intelligent men who have examined
this region, that the gold chefher in detached PARTICLES and
pieces, pens, created IN combination ,oth the
quartz Gold not found the surface OF the country pre-
senng the appearance of having been thrown and scat
tered in all directions by volcanic action. is only found in
particular localities, and attended by peculiar circumstances
and Indications is found in the bars and shoals OF the
rivers, in ravnes and what are called the dry dsgngs
The rivers, in forming their channels, or breaking their
way through the hills have come in contact with the quartz
containing the gold VEINS and by constant attron cut the gold
into fine fakes and DUST and is found among the sand and
gravel of their beds those places where the swness OF the
reduces it, in the dry season, to the narrowest posi-
BILE limits and where wide margin consequently left on
each side, which the water ushes during the wet
son, with great force.
As the velocity of some streams greater than Others SO
is the gold found in fine particles, apparently
spending the degree Of aion to which has been expos
ed The from the hills and upper valleys in finding
its the rivers has deep ravnes, and, wherever
in contact with the quartz has dissolved or crumbed
in pieces.
In the dry season these channels mostly without. water
and gold is found in the beds and margins of many Of them
in large quantities, but in much state than in the
rivers; owing, undoubtedly, to the moderate flow and tempo
rary continuance of the current which has reduced to
smooth shapes not unlike pebbles but had sufficient force
| to cut it into fakes or dust.
The dry dggngs places where quartz containing gold
has cropped out and been disinegraed, cumbed TO fg
ments pebbles and DUST by the action Of the water and the
atmosphere. The gold has been left made, in all
the imaginable shapes pieces of all sizes, from grain
to several pounds in weight The evidences that it
ted in combination with quartz and striking
TO admit of doubt cavil They found in combna-
| T.aD, IN IurfreD tnrycfr
very large proportion Of the pieces Of gold found in these
situations have less quartz adheng to them In
specimens they combined they cannot be separa
ted without reducing the whole to POWDER and subject
ing II to the action of quicksilver.
This gold not having been exposed to the attriton of
strong of water, retains in great Degree its original
conformation. !.
These diggngs places spread valleys of
siderable extent which have the appearance of aluvion
formed by washng from the adjoining hills of deconposed
quartz and slate earth and vegetable matter.
In addition these facts is beyond doubt true that
raj have been discovered in the quartz from which
specimens have been taken, showing the minute
connexon between the gold and the rock, and indicating
value hitherto unknown in gold mining
These veins do not the appearance of places where
gold may have been lodged by violent eruption II is
combined with the quartz, in all imaginable forms and degrees
of richness ,.
The rivers present very striking and it would SEEM con-
elusive evidence respecting the quantity Of gold remaining
undiscovered in the quartz veins is not probable that the
gold in the dry dggngs, and that in The rversthe former
That which found in the rivers has undoubtedly been
from the veins in the rock with which their currents
have in contact All of them appear to be equally RICH
This is shown by the fact that laborng man may collect
nearly much in river he in another They in
and through the gold region, running from east to
west at irregular distances Of fifteen to twenty, and perhaps
some Of them thirty miles apart
Hence appears that the gold veins equally rich in oil
parts Of that remarkable section of country Were
wanting there further proofs of this in the ravnes and dry
dggings, which uniformly confirm what nature plainly
shows in the rivers
For the purpose Of forming opinion respecting the
probable amount value Of in the gold region, it
will be proper the estimates which have been made Of
| the quantity collected since its discovery
Gold first discovered the south fork of the American
river, place called Suffers mill, Cooma, late
May early in June, ls4s. Information which could be
relied announcing this discovery received in this
city until late in the following autumn.
No immigration into the mines could therefore, have taken
place from the old States in that The number Of miners
consequently limited to The population of the Territory
five hundred from Oregon Mexicans and other TO-
regne who happened to be in the country, or came into
during the and autumn and the Indians who We
employed by or sold their gold to the whites.
1t is supposed there not far from five thousand men
employed in collecting gold during that season. we sup
they obtained Of one thousand dollars each
which regarded by welnormed persons low estimate,
the aggregate amount will be S5,00O,0Oo.
Information Of this discovery spread in all directions during
the oing winter and, the commencement OF the dry
in s49 people into the Territory from all quar-
ters from Chill Peru, and other States the Pacific coast
Of South America, from the OF Mexico the Sand
witch Islands, China, and New Holland.
The emigration from the United States in last, If
except those who the shmus of Panama and
up the Steamers and few who sailed early the
voyage round Cape Horn.
l. The American emigration did in by sea- much
force until July and August and that overland did not begin
TO arrive until the last Of August and first of September The
Cbnos and Mexicars early in the country. In the
month Of July supposed there were fifteen thousand
foreigners in the mines At place called Sonoranan camp,
it believed there least ten thousand Mexcans.
They had quite city of tents booths and hotels
restaurants stores and shops Of all descriptions furnishing
whatever money could procure. Ice brought from the
Sierra and cecreams added to other Injuries An
enclosure made of the trunks and branches Of trees and lined
with cotton cloth, served sort Of amphtheare for bull
fights; other amusement characteristic of the Mexcans
TO be seen in all directions
The foreigners resorted principally the southern mnes
which gave them great superiority in numerical force
the Americans and enabled them take possession of
Of the richest in that part Of the country In the early part
Of the the Americans mostly employed the
forks Of the American and Bear Uba and Feather rivers
As their numbers increased they spread themselves the
southern mines, and collisions threatened between them
and the foreigners The latter, however for cause
either fear, having satisfied their cupdiy, both, began
to leave the mines late in August and by the end Of Septem
Der many Of them out Of the country
1t is not probable that during the first part Of the season
there than five six thousand Americans in the
mines This would swell the whole number, including for
egner about twenty thousand the beginning Of September
This period embraced about half of the during which
gold may be success ully collected in the rivers.
Very particular and extensive inquiries respecting the daily