d by the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers than will pay the cost
of the present war with Mexico a hundred times over. No capital is
required to obtain this gold, as the labouring man wants nothing but
his pick and shovel and tin pan, with which to dig and wash the gravel,
and many frequently pick gold out of the crevices of rocks with their
knives, in pieces of from one to six ounces.

"Gold is also believed to exist on the eastern slope of the Sierra
Nevada; and, when at the mines, I was informed by an intelligent Mormon
that it had been found near the Great Salt Lake by some of his
fraternity. Nearly all the Mormons are leaving California to go to the
Salt Lake; and this they surely would not do unless they were sure of
finding gold there, in the same abundance as they now do on the
Sacramento.

"I have the honour to be,

"Your most obedient Servant,

"R.B. MASON, Colonel 1st Dragoons, commanding.

"Brigadier-General R. Jones,
Adjutant-General, U.S.A., Washington, D.C."

CHAPTER XVII.

Rate of Wages
Mode of procuring the Gold
Extent of Gold Region
Price of Provisions.

It will be seen, from the later accounts that each new report continues
to realize the wildest expectation. The following letter dated
Monterey, November 16th, is highly interesting--

"We can now call ourselves citizens of the United States. We have now
only to go by law, as we formerly went by custom; that is, when
Congress gives us a government and code. The old foreign residents of
California, having done very well ten or twenty years without law, care
but very little whether Congress pays early or late attention to the
subject. Those who have emigrated from the Atlantic States within the
last three or four years deem the subject an important one; I only call
it difficult. The carrying out a code of laws, under existing
circumstances, is far from being an easy task. The general Government
may appoint governors, secretaries, and other public functionaries; and
judges, marshals, collectors, etc., may accept offices with salaries of
3000 or 4000 dollars per annum; but how they are to obtain their petty
officers, at half these sums, remains to be seen. The pay of a member
of Congress will be accepted here by those alone who do not know enough
to better themselves. Mechanics can now get 10 to 16 dollars per day;
labourers on the wharfs or elsewhere, 5 to 10 dollars; clerks and
storekeepers, 1000 to 3000 dollars per annum--s