Polynesian., 1858-07-10
No. 10.

stay there. and wait for the fall of the waters.
But to stay there and buy grub at present rates,
would not paw. The following is the prevailing
rates of provisions at the Falls Flour, SlOO per
bbl., sugar, s. per b.. coffee and tea, 81 per lb,
ham, 81 25 per To-, and beans, 81 per ID. There
were no fresh provisions.
The Indians were very troublesome. They would
seize upon the dirt dug by the whites and wash out
the gold. They would even take the tools from
the miners. The whites were afraid to resist, as
they would have been overwhelmed by numbers.
In tye minutes time. five hundred Indians could be
gathered at Hills Bar. These Indians were yery
expert thieves They would steal the pistols from
under the head of sleeping man, and the very
clothes from his person.
The country the river is rich and beautiful.
There Is plenty of timber. The Indians raise no
tltoes by just thrusting them in the SOIL with no
spading or attention, There is no use to attempt
ascending without Indian pilots. These charge
now 81 per day, and all they can steal. At first
they could be hired for plug of tobacco now they
want besides money, pants, shirts, etc.
Mr.. Wilbur has shown u veritable specimen
of the ''dust," dug by him above Sailors Dg,ings
1t is in very fine scales, of dark red COLOR as if
alloyed with copper, and can well conceive that
quicksilver is necessary in saving it. 1t will be
recollected that Mr. Wilbur wrote letter ON his
way up, which We published recently in the Bul-
ktin.
On HILLS Bar, the CLAIMS were twenty-five feet
front on the river bank running back at liberty
All the ground was taken up on Hills Bar Above,
the claims hundred feet on the river bank
There are undoubtedly plenty of bars above con-
tanning gold. The gold is only found on the river
banks, and is all fine. With quicksilver, twice as
much gold could be saved as some of it is as fine
as flour, almost inperceptible to the eye. There
is quicksilver to be got. Some had sold for so
per ID. Rocker irons were much in demand some
havin. bern sold for $50.
Mr. Wilbur lett two partners up there, holding
his claimS-One named Alh-rt Wood ami the 9TH
er named lillian Whit. The three are sailors,
and they got up as high the riv as anybudy.
Mr.. Wilbur clme down 10 get supplies, and will
return in about a month. He thinks it is folly for
people 70 90 up now they can do nothing till the
/ watrr falls Especially should rome 90 wi; .out
carrying their supplies of prnvisious-th,. more
the better. That the mines will pay when the
water is down, Mr. Wilbur has no doubt. The
trouble is to get to the river. One place between
Fort Yale and Sailors Diggings, where everything
had to be packed they had to crawl OF their hands
and knees over Il ravine. of 200 feet, upon four
sticks, when single slip would have percipitated
/ them to the bottom
| Mr.. W. is an intelligent young man, well con-
nected in this city, and what he SAYS can be relied
upOn. He knows as much about the mines as
probably any other Imam does, who has returned.
From Sailors Diggings it took him day and half
to get down to the mouth of the river in a canoe,
floating down with the current, without much labor.
He camped at Point Roberts day and half, and
| from Point Roberts he reached Bellingham Bay in
| four hours. He remained at Bellingham Bay one
week. and sailed in the Panama for San Francisco
| last Saturday morning.
| At BeIlingham Bay Mr.. Wilbur left about two
thousand persons, camping out. He did not know
how they lived. He supposed they had money to
| buy provisions. There no game there, but
| plenty Of salmon. 1t would be impossible to get
along without money there. He thinks the BIG
| CITY will be located somewhere about Point
/ Roberts.
From the fact that the gold is only found on the
river banks, Mr.. Wilbur is certain that the gold
| bearing country is above. The river is about
quarter of mile in average width. 1t is full of
bars, that are exposed when the waters subside,
all of which must be full Of gold. When the
freshet is over, the miners ascend higher, and
the higher up they 90, the richer and coarser the
gold appears to be. Canoes were selling at Fort
Langley for one hundred dollars each. The Indians
were very reacherous, and had to be watched. They
would cut the towlines of canoes they were hired
to tow up, and sometimes jump out and desert you
when on the rocks.