Although two large ships, four barks, and eight or ten
brigs and schooners have arrived here since my return from the mineral
country, about four weeks since, with large cargoes of merchandise,
their entire invoices have been sold. Vessels are daily arriving from
the islands and ports upon the coast, laden with goods and passengers,
the latter destined for the gold-washings.
"Much sickness prevails among the gold-diggers; many have left the
ground sick, and many more have discontinued their labours for the
present, and gone into more healthy portions of the country, intending
to return after the sickly season has passed. From the best information
I can obtain, there are from two to three thousand persons at work at
the gold-washings with the same success as heretofore."
THE DIGGINGS.--Extract of a letter from Monterey, Aug. 29.
"At present the people are running over the country and picking it out
of the earth here and there, just as a thousand hogs, let loose in a
forest, would root up ground-nuts. Some get eight or ten ounces a-day,
and the least active one or two. They make the most who employ the wild
Indians to hunt it for them.
Pages:
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330