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agriculture. It is  nevertheless,  of  great  importance, and I  have  the  satisfaction  of  assuring  you  that  it forms  ii  California  one  of  the  most  valuable  resources which that  department  contains."

The bed  whence  the  gold  was  obtained  was  of gravel,  and  the  cuts  into  the  banks,  even  as  late  as 1845,  did  not  exceed  thirty  feet. Some of  the  more experienced miners,  were  able  by  merely  looking  at the  ground,  to  tell  whether  or  not  it  contained  gold, and would  scrape  the  surface  with  a  scoop  or  spoon made of  bullock's  horn. The earth  was  then  thrown into a  basket,  which  was  emptied  on  a  platform  made of stakes  about  three  feet  high,  driven  close  together into the  ground,  with  poles  placed  lengthwise  and filled in  with  grass,  the  whole  being  covered  with  a cotton  sheet. Then water  from  a  distance  of  six feet was  thrown  over  the  mud,  and  in  an  hour  or two  the  dirt  would  be  washed  away  while  the  gold remained.

As soon  as  this  gold  discovery  was  more  generally known, many  people  flocked  to  the  mines,  and  in  May 1844, Ignacio  del  Valle  was  appointed  juez  de  policia, and Zorrilla,  his  substitute,  to  keep  order,  as  well  as to  levy  dues  upon  the  sale  of  liquors,  to  portion  out. the land,  and  to  impose  taxes  if  necessary. It was his business  likewise  to  collect  fees  for  wood,  pasture, and mineral  privileges. About this  time  there  were one hundred  persons  at  work  in  the  mines ;  but  the numbers decreased  as  the  running  water  failed,  which they continued  to  do  until  the  miners  were  unable to obtain  enough  to  drink. They were  a  steady and hardworking  people,  but  with  all  their  labor  were unable to  earn  more  than  from  one  to  two  dollars  a day. So scanty  indeed  were  their  earnings  that  no taxes  or  dues  were  levied  for  that  year.

Abel Stearns  in  November  1842  sent  to  the  Phila- delphia mint for  assay,  as  specimens  of  this  placer gold, eighteen  and  three  quarter  ounces  mint  weight, and  twenty  ounces   by  California   weight,  which  in

C'al. I^'T.