The Sierra citizen., 1854-07-22

ton about looking for the North Fork,
Eof which we had heard, and we thought
the best way to find it was to SO North.
Accordingly we packed up, and took up
| the hill from McNair's Island.
| After sea-sawing over the hillside for
about half day we got to the top; but a
poor prospect greeted us. We saw where
we supposed from the lay Of the land, the
North Fork must be; how to get there
was another matter. Unpackng and d.
viding the company, we began looking
about for water or to find some way Of
getting down from the dry and barren
ridge. -Four of US came along the back
bone of the hill in the direction of the
Forks, and when we came to the rocky
point above Bryfogle Flat we got a
glimpse of the river; fastening down, we
took good drink and then two of the men
wanted to go back. Albert and myself
kept on down the river, but the other two
sat down on rock and said they would
60 no farther. After while they came
after US in great haste-they had heard
something in the bushes which changed
their notion of stopping there.
When We got to the first island above
the Forks they insisted On going back,
but l told them that if they would only go
with me round the next point would go
with them. 10 this they consented
When we came round the point, there
were the Forks which have since become
so famous. The spot where the town now
stands was the pleasantest | have ever
seen in the mines. Long willows waved
along the banks of the North Fork, where
the Craycroft building now stands =
clusters of small pines stood On the pre-
sent site of the ST. Charles Hotel-the
hillside was covered with oaks, with here
and there tall pine towering above them.
What capital liberty poles they would
have made had they been spared by the
settlers axe!
When we came to the junction of the
two streams, we noticed that the North
Fork was not SO clear as the other
branch-it looked muddy; we therefore
concluded that somebody was at work
above, and accordingly started up the
stream to explore. We found company
at work on a little bar just below the
Blue Banks, who were a little bit sur
prised to see us, and made haste to hide
the gold they had in the pan; but one OF
the boys was sharp enough to see it, which
was lucky for us, as we were thereby con-
WINGED that gold was there, and different
looking gold from any we had seen at
Billiards. Bar. ! tried to get into con-
versation with them ind learn something
about the diggings, but it was no USE
took drink of water, lit my pipe and
tried them again-asked them whether
the gold was coarse or fine, but / could
get nothing out of them but Eyes," mo"
"can't say" etc. then asked them what
chance there was to get claim, "Not
much chance of that in this part of the
mines" but they had claim that they
would sell. There were three of them at
work in one crevice-one digging, one
carrying dart and one rocking; and
verify believe that they thought when that
crevice was worked out, the gold diggings
would be done for in California.
Seeing it was useless to try longer to
get any information from them we left,
and returned to camp. I knew we could
find out-wc had the right kind of COM
pany for that, and we made our grum
neighbors aware Of the fact before many
days. We returned to camp and reported
progress.
& The next morning we packed ont for
the Forks. The trail was very bad, and
sometimes mule would slide down the
hill hundred feet or more; and to pre-
vent them from going clear to the bottom,
each Of US took the long rope used for
tying them up at night, and coiled it up
IN our hand, so that when mule was
likely to go too far down hill, we could
bring him head up, or head to wind
we got along rather hard until we got in
sight OF the Forks, and then the poor
mules started of their own accord and
never stopped until they were. in the
water. Welhad calnped two days and
one night without water, in going from
McNair's Island to the Forks, about one