he had lost only a few minutes before. He had a run of bad luck, and,
when he left off, had to work for six weeks, at gold-washing, for his
antagonist, who fed him on nothing better than acorn bread. Mr. Neligh,
who told me of this circumstance, had seen the man at work duly
fulfilling his engagement.

The sickness amongst the miners continues to increase, and in our own
party Lacosse has been laid up for two days with fever; however, I
think he is now doing well. The climate does not appear to be
unhealthy. It is the exposure to the work which does the mischief.
There is some talk afloat among our party of removing further up the
country, nearer to the mountains, where gold is said to be in greater
abundance. Yesterday, a large party--many of them Mormons--started for
the Bear River, a small stream which runs into the Sacramento, and is
said to be about fifty miles distant, due north from where we are
encamped.

The Indians at work here have caused the price of pisco and whisky to
rise to a most exorbitantly high rate. They content themselves with
feasting on the bitter acorn bread, and spend all their earnings on
"strong water" and a little finery. Sometimes a party of them, when
intoxicated, will get up one of their wild dances, when the stamping
and yelling are of a far more fearful character than is generally the
case at these singular exhibitions. The dance begins generally with a
rude song, the words being of the usual harsh guttural character, but
the ideas are generally striking and peculiar. One has been explained
to me which recites the praises of the "yellow earth," because it will
procure the Shoshonee the fleet rifle with which he can slay his Pawnee
foe. It says nothing, however, about the "strong water," which renders
the arm of the war-chief weaker than that of a child; for, with all