body of the miners are at work, is found in little particles like sand. No quicksilver had been used; but when that is attainable, the yield will be greatly augmented. At Hill's Bar, those at work averaged fifty dollars per day during the whole time they had been there. The Indians are as rich in gold and as excited as the whites. While the river remains at its height, trails have to be resorted to above Fort Hope, and these are difficult. When the water falls, the river is navigable for canoes almost to its source, with the interruption of a few short portages. CHAPTER XVI. FROM LONDON TO SAN FRANCISCO. It is well to keep to facts-bald facts in a work of this kind and therefore the reader will fix his reliance more upon what is said than turn over the leaves, seeking the amusement of a romance, or the fun of comedy. This book may shape the destiny of hundreds, pardon my egotism, therefore it behoves me to consider of the responsibility of my task, and, however sprightly may be my step, not to stumble into the ditch of error. then proceed, reader, arm in arm—that is to say -with our spades and pickaxes, up the golden river of our hopes. Anything for money; we' Let us cannot do without it, and that is the reason we pay our sixty per cent. for money, and half that swallowed up in gilt jewelry, and-deliver us, ye gods-a picture. However, Moses must suffer a postponement; if the diggings pay, he's sure to be glad to see us again-in the mean time creditors' proceedings must be adjourned till our return to town-next year but one. Moses will like that. Unanimously resolved that we go to the diggings, and take our petty cash with us instead of into the Queen's Bench. Let us fancy ourselves off, whizzing across country, under arches and over bridges, past the brightly gleaming light -the red flare of the Lancashire furnaces, bang into the Lime Street station at Liverpool. Then far away over the dancing waves of the merry Atlantic to the Parian spires and the islet-strewed bay of New York-the city of bricks and marble, of beautiful women and fried oysters-of gorgeous hotels and flirtations. Then away with the rabble, nine hundred at least, to the Isthmus, where Aspinwall lies as flat as a pancake half hid in a swamp, and looking most blistered and brown. By the way at Jamaica, the steamer may call to take in her dinner of coals, when women alone to the feeding are set, while the lords of creation sit by, and bamboo-faced Englishmen tear about town as though they were treading Dundee, when of course all the time it is as hot as Bombay, and as dusty as Melbourne in May. From Aspinwall, starting by railway, you go with a mountain of forest in view, built up on each side in impervious growth, rank and gigantic and wild. Ten to one but we shall have to get out before we are half way across, to give the engine a push along. Such is travelling across the Isthmus. Panama is an old tumble-down city, with ancient and defenceless walls and narrow streets, but possessing, however rocky and treacherous it may be, a picturesque and lovely bay, decked out with flower-clad isles, and overlooked by the mighty Andes, that loom far and high in the enchanting distance. After the arrival of the train all Panama will be tramped over and blockaded by the eight hundred live Yankees; all the cafés and barrooms will be overcrowded, and Panama will seem to writhe under the din and weight of the sacrilegious strangers. A gun is fired-all rush down to the beach-a tender takes us off batch after batch to the steamer yonder; away we go. A sudden squall springs up, we career gaily over, and sing and drink amidst the clamour of nearly a thousand voices. There is scarcely moving room on board, yet there is a life-belt slung up for every soul of us-happy consolation-where's mine ? It is all eating, drinking, and anticipation till we reach San Francisco. They don't care so much about our arrival now as they do of the El Dorado ships, but still they are very glad to see us in their way. It is the twentyninth of May. On shore we go, leaping like so many frogs from the whole side-length of the steamer. Here we are; what a hubbub! We drink cocktails and gum-ticklers to amuse ourselves. We go with the crowd to "book" for the next steamer to Victoria we have to wait our turn-there are at least five hundred before us, and just as many coming up behind. Glorious country! We have reached it at last. - Once more I stand on the shores of California, and the bay of San Francisco. It is the rosy month of Juue. On three |