“I was two nights at a tent occupied by eight Americans, viz., two sailors, one clerk, two carpenters, and three daily workmen.  These men were in company; had two machines, each made from one hundred feet of boards (worth there 150 dollars, in Monterey 15 dollars—­being one day’s work), made similar to a child’s cradle, ten feet long, without the ends.

“The two evenings I saw these eight men bring to their tents the labour of the day.  I suppose they made each 50 dollars per day; their own calculation was two pounds of gold a-day—­four ounces to a man—­64 dollars.  I saw two brothers that worked together, and only worked by washing the dirt in a tin pan, weigh the gold they obtained in one day; the result was 7 dollars to one, 82 dollars to the other.  There were two reasons for this difference; one man worked less hours than the other, and by chance had ground less impregnated with gold.  I give this statement as an extreme case.  During my visit I was an interpreter for a native of Monterey, who was purchasing a machine or canoe.  I first tried to purchase boards and hire a carpenter for him.  There were but a few hundred feet of boards to be had; for these the owner asked me 50 dollars per hundred (500 dollars per thousand), and a carpenter washing gold dust demanded 50 dollars per day for working.  I at last purchased a log dug out, with a riddle and sieve made of willow boughs on it, for 120 dollars, payable in gold dust at 14 dollars per ounce.  The owner excused himself for the price, by saying he was two days making it, and even then demanded the use of it until sunset.  My Californian has told me since, that himself, partner, and two Indians, obtained with this canoe eight ounces the first and five ounces the second day.

“I am of the opinion that on the American fork, Feather River, and Copimes River, there are near two thousand people, nine-tenths of them foreigners.  Perhaps there are one hundred families, who have their teams, wagons, and tents.  Many persons are waiting to see whether the months of July and August will be sickly, before they leave their present business to go to the ‘Placer.’  The discovery of this gold was made by some Mormons, in January or February, who for a time kept it a secret; the majority of those who are working there began in May.  In most every instance the men, after digging a few days, have been compelled to leave for the purpose of returning home to see their families, arrange their business, and purchase provisions.  I feel confident in saying there are fifty men in this ‘Placer’ who have on an average 1,000 dollars each, obtained in May and June.  I have not met with any person who had been fully employed in washing gold one month; most, however, appear to have averaged an ounce per day.  I think there must, by this time, be over 1,000 men at work upon the different branches of the Sacramento; putting their gains at 10,000 dollars per day, for six days in the week, appears to me not overrated.