" The assay was
subsequently made, and the result officially announced. The gold is
declared to be from 3 to 8 per cent. purer than American standard gold
coin.
ANOTHER ASSAY.--The following is the report of an assay of Californian
gold dust, received by Mr. T.O. Larkin, United States consul at
Monterey.
"New York, Dec. 8, 1848.
"Sir,--I have assayed the portion of gold dust, or metal, from
California, which you sent me, and the result shows that it is fully
equal to any found in our Southern gold mines. I return you 10-3/4
grains out of the 12 which I have tested, the value of which is 45
cents. It is 21-1/2 carats fine--within half a carat of the quality of
English sovereigns or American eagles--and is almost ready to go to the
mint. The finest gold metal we get is from Africa, which is 22-1/2 to
23 carats fine. In Virginia we have mines where the quality of the gold
is much inferior--some of it so low as 19 carats--and in Georgia the
mines produce it nearly 22 carats fine. The gold of California, which I
have now assayed, is fully equal to that of any, and much superior to
some produced from the mines in our Southern States.
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