rnal snow and formed a landmark for miles away.

Into this valley, which appeared to be the general watershed of the
district, ran several small streams, that united in the middle of it in
one deep gulch, which overflowed in winter with a foaming torrent--
although there was now little or no water, and the grass and shrubs
around seemed parched and withered for want of moisture. The
"location," however, was a pleasant one, possessing all the proper
requisites for a stationary camp such as they contemplated; for, within
hand-reach they could have wood, water, and forage for their baggage
animals. The teams they had hired were at once unloaded and started
back to the settlement, but there remained with them twelve pack-mules,
which Mr Rawlings had purchased in order to have means of sending down
for provisions whenever required.

Gold mining, it may be mentioned, is almost if not quite as precarious
as that of silver. The former metal is found over a very extensive
tract of country in California west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains,
while silver is found in Nevada, Utah, and in fact over a vast expanse
of country stretching almost down to the south of Mexico. Silver seldom
is found in a lode extending with any great regularity. The lode,
indeed, may be traced for long distances, but whereas one mine may be
fabulously rich, those lying on the lode on either side of it may not
find enough gold to pay expenses. It lies, in fact, in great "pockets,"
as English miners would call them, or in "bonanzas," as they are termed
in Nevada. So long as these pockets last a mine will pay enormously;
when they are cleared out it becomes worthless, as English shareholders
in these mines have often found to their cost. In "Mineral Hill" and
the "Emma" hundreds of thousand pounds' worth of ore were taken out in a
few months, and then the mines were not worth working.

East of the Rocky Mountains, in Colorado and Dakota, gold is found as
well as silver. It is found in quartz veins, and wherever there is
quartz, some, although often an almost infinitesimally small amount of
gold, is found; while in other places patches of quartz are struck
containing immensely rich deposits of the precious metal.

No search was made for the exact spot indicated on the map, so long as
the teamsters who had brought up the mining' stores remained. These
believed that it was a mere exploring party, and although they wondered
at the quantity of mining m