ger
A miss at a Koyott
An antelope hit
Mr. Marshall
Venison steaks for supper
The saw-mills
Indians at work
Acorn bread
Where the gold was
How it was got
Gentlemen and horses
New-comers
"Yankee Doodle" and the "Star-spangled Banner."
_Sunday, July 2nd_.--Yesterday, in accordance with the resolutions
debated this day week, we left the Mormon diggings, and pursued our
course up the Americans' River. It was on Thursday night that we
adopted the final determination of moving off from our late quarters;
and, accordingly, next day I walked with Bradley and McPhail through
the diggings, to try to find purchasers for our cradles. This was not a
difficult task. We had plenty of offers; and we were so importuned by
some six or eight people, who were anxious to trade with us, that we
decided in a minute on having an auction of them. I was not bold enough
to play the part of auctioneer myself; but Bradley very coolly mounted
on the top of one of the machines, and called upon "gentlemen traders"
for their biddings. This was a capital move. The highest offer we had
previously obtained was one hundred and sixty dollars for the largest
of the two machines; but Bradley succeeded in coaxing the purchasers
on--stopping now and then to expatiate on the mint of gold which, he
guessed, he would warrant it to produce daily; and then calling to
their minds the fact that this was "the identical cradle into which the
lump of gold weighing two ounces and three-quarters--the largest piece
ever found at the Mormon diggings--was about to have been shovelled,
when it was discovered and seized hold of by the fortunate digger--the
gentleman on my right hand--who, as you all know, in accordance with
the admirable laws of these diggings, laid claim to it as his private
property." This produced a roar of laughter; but, what was better, it
produced a roar of biddings, and the cradle was knocked down at one
hundred and ninety-five dollars, payable in gold dust, at the standard
rate of fourteen dollars the ounce, or a discount of ten per cent, if
settled in broad silver pieces. The other cradle fetched us one hundred
and eighty dollars.
For these two cradles, therefore, we got three hundred and seventy-five
dollars' worth of dust. The same night we occupied ourselves in
constructing strong bags, made of rough hides, and well strapped round
the person for the conveyance of the gold dust and scales which we had
already ama
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