e, it
appears, sailed from San Francisco for the Klamath River with a company
of adventurers, and after an absence of two weeks, returned with news of
the discovery of a beach of golden sand, on the coast, twenty-seven
miles north of the mouth of Trinity River. From the fact of this beach
being bounded by a bluff from one to four hundred feet in height, the
name of "Gold Bluff" was given to the locality. The beach extends for a
distance of six miles and is from twenty to fifty yards in width. It is
a mixture of gray and black sand, through which the gold is disseminated
in particles so fine that it cannot be separated with ordinary washing.
This sand is constantly shifting, under the action of the waves, and at
times the ocean covers the entire beach, breaking against the bluffs.
The amount of gold in the sand is variously represented, at from ten
cents to ten dollars. A constant surf breaks along the shore, rendering
the landing in the boats impracticable except in very calm weather,
while it is almost equally difficult to reach the spot by land.

An Association called the "Pacific Mining Company" was immediately
formed, with a stock of 12,000 shares at $100 each. One thousand shares
were sold immediately, and several vessels were put up at once for the
Gold Bluff, the miners flocking from all parts of the diggings, to join
in the adventure. The original stockholders, however,--about thirty in
number--lay claim to the best parts of the beach, and have erected log
cabins and laid in a large store of provisions, preparatory to washing
the sand on an extensive scale. The reports of the richness of this
locality are doubtless very greatly exaggerated.

Business in San Francisco and the inland towns and trading communities
of the mountains, was remarkably dull. Goods had been sold at very low
rates, in some instances lower than the first cost. The winter has been
so remarkably clear and fine, that the miners--who had removed to the
dry diggings, in anticipation of rain--have been greatly embarrassed in
their operations. They have occupied themselves in throwing up dirt, and
only await a week's rain to wash out sufficient gold to restore the
trade of the country. New discoveries of gold in quartz rock continue to
be made, and some of the specimens, which have been assayed, are of
almost incredible richness. The mining region in the north, on the
Klamath, Shaste, and Umpqua Rivers, is yielding a rich return. The
agricultural