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Show 58 PERSONAL ADVENTURES than a. ll the big lumps would n1ake put toge-ther." ''Yes; it seems, from what little I know about the matter, that these are few and far between.'' "As for that, one place is as likely as another, for the big pieces are not scarcer below than they are above." " What do you think, now, of the lower diggins ? Are they better than the upper, or those which are nearest to the mountains?" " I think they are; but those near the San Joachin and- Sacran1ento have been pretty well worked out by this time, and they who try their luck further up will have to work harder the higher they go, and to look out sharp for provisions." " I beard that the Macalamo is the richest mine of all." " Yes, though formerly the Stanislaus was considered superior. It lies north-west from Monterey, at a distance of about two hundred miles, and is a twenty-one days' journey with waggons. The people dig for gold in two IN CALIFORNIA. 59 gulcltes, or ravines; one of these is at the foot of a hill, where the road seems to con1e to a stop, and which is called the '' Macalan1o Dry Diggins;" and the other lies a quarter of a mile lower down, nearer the river, the descent to it being some six hundred feet. Our party stopped at the " Dry Diggins;" and the first thing we did was to fix onr tents, kill and salt our oxen, cut up the beef, and hang it out to dry. .We turned our Californian waggon-wheels into seats, covered our waggons with ra\V hides, so as to make them waterproof, and then set to work digging." " Were you successful?" " Was I? Yes, I was ; pretty well, ancl so were a fe\v others. The lucky ones n1ade very large sums in a few hours, but the unluc. ky did not get more than an ounce a day, which was considered poor wages." "What is the character of this tnine ?" "It's a long ravine, the soil of which is red, and somewhat blueish in places, sand predominating. The blue clay is considered |