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Show 178 PERSONAL ADVENTURES the volunteers, with whom I forthwith claimed acquaintance. The "\vhole party had come from the mines, as was easily to be seen from their appearance, which 'vas somethin()' the {') \VOrse for wear, their countenances being "\veatherbeaten and bronzed by exposure; "\vhilst their attire, consisting of buckskin coats, leather leggings, and broad-brimmed hats, denoted the sort of labour in which they bad been recently engaged. I learned from them, in the course of a subsequent conversa· tion, that they had all of them been success· ful at the "diggins." One of the number had made, or " picked," two thousand dol· lars, and the rest, fro1n that to nine thousand dollars each, within the space of a few months. With this, however, they "\Vere far from satis· fied, most of them being deterruined to realize a large fortune before they quitted the country; for not one of thern seemed to have the re· Inotest intention of settling. An individual of this nutnber nevertheless, ' was compelled to remain longer than he anti· cipated; for, having returned to the mines, IN CALIFORNIA. ] 79 and there procured as much gold as satisfied him, be was robbed of the whole, on his 'vay back to San Francisco. He thereupon coolly went back to the " diggins," and recommenced his labours ; 'vith what success I know not; but he ren1ained there during the whole period of my sojourn in the country. The party had come down frorn the mines to make purchases, and to enjoy a little recreation. They were adn1irable specimens of their class -hardy in appearance, and rough in demeanour; but shrewd, withal, and toil-enduring. For the moment, their conversation turned upon the prospects of the newly-landed emigrants-for I should have stated that there were one or two arrivals in the harbour- and they were unsparing of their remarks upon such of the new-comers as by their dress, or any physical peculiarity, offered a fair target for their witticisms, which were not less pointed than coarse. With regard to the town towards 'vhich all were pressing, they expressed an unani-mou s op·in i·o n. It was the most wonderful |