our own,
And, 'mid the brotherhood of states, not ours the feeblest one.
Then proudly shout, ye bushy men with throats all brown and bare,
For, lo! from 'midst our flag's brave blue, leaps out a
_golden_ star.

After reading the above lines, Mr. B. pronounced beautifully a very
splendid oration. Unlike such efforts in general, it was exceedingly
fresh and new, so that, instead of its being that infliction that
Fourth of July orations commonly are, it was a high pleasure to listen
to him. Perhaps, where nature herself is so original, it is impossible
for even thought to be hackneyed. It is too long for a letter, but as
the miners have requested a copy for publication, I will send it to you
in print.

About half an hour after the close of the oration the ladies from the
hill arrived. They made a pretty picture descending the steep,--the one
with her wealth of floating curls turbaned in a snowy nubia, and her
white dress set off by a crimson scarf; the other with a little Pamela
hat placed coquettishly upon her brown braided tresses, and a
magnificent Chinese shawl enveloping her slender figure. So lately
arrived from the States, with everything fresh and new, they quite
extinguished poor Mrs. B. and myself, trying our best to look
fashionable in our antique mode of four years ago.

The dinner was excellent. We had a real live captain, a very
gentlemanly person, who had actually been in action during the Mexican
War, for president. Many of the toasts were quite spicy and original;
one of the new ladies sang three or four beautiful songs; and
everything passed off at Rich Bar quite respectably. To be sure, there
was a small fight in the barroom, which is situated just below the
dining-room, during which much speech and a little blood were spouted.
Whether the latter catastrophe was caused by a blow received, or the
large talking of the victim, is not known. Two peacefully inclined
citizens, who at the first battle-shout had rushed manfully to the
rescue, returned at the subsiding of hostilities with blood-bespattered
shirt-bosoms, at which fearful sight the pretty wearer of the Pamela
hat--one of the delinquents being her husband--chose to go faint, and
would not finish her dinner, which, as we saw that her distress was
real, somewhat marred our enjoyment.

On our way home, half a dozen gentlemen who preceded us stepped in
front of a cabin full of infant phenomena and gave nine cheers for the
mothe