strong minded female, is refuse from the
mines filling the channel of the river and ruining navigation. It is
produced by hydraulic mining, powerful streams of water washing the dirt
down from the hills into the river. Boyton found the slickens very
trying to the eyes.

At the mouth of Feather river he met a boat load of Sandwich Islanders,
who were up that far fishing, they kept along with him for several
miles and he found them to be very intelligent companions. That night he
landed at a ranch and sounded his bugle. No one answering, he climbed
to the top of a high hank and discovered a number of Chinamen coming
toward him. At sight of him they all returned to the house in a hurry
and Paul knew it was useless to apply for accommodation there. He
entered the river again and paddled on until he reached another ranch.
At the call of the bugle, a man came out and in answer to Boyton's
request for lodging, said:

"Why, certainly Captain, glad to have you come in. I've heard all about
you."

On entering the house, the host explained that he was a bachelor and all
alone, at the same time bustling about, baking biscuits and boiling
eggs. Next morning there was the same liberal supply of eggs and as Paul
was devouring a goodly share of them, the bachelor remarked:

"You needn't think, Captain, that because we had eggs last night and
this mornin' too, they're cheap. No, sir. Why, 'pon honor, Cap, them
eggs is worth fifteen cents a dozen in Sacramento."

The Captain assured him that they were most nutritious food and that he
heartily enjoyed them. Before resuming the voyage that morning, Paul
discovered, that back of the ranch, thousands of acres of splendid land
was overflowed and rendered useless by the slickens falling into the
Sacramento.

From the egg producing ranch, the river took on the appearance of a
southern bayou. Trees and festoons of vines hung in the water, which
was clear and beautiful and numbers of water snakes were continually
crossing and recrossing. Seeing one handsome yellow fellow, Paul paddled
after and captured it. It made no attempt to bite; but coiled tightly
around his wrist and hand. It was three feet long and beautifully
marked. He stowed it in the Baby and it remained his companion for the
rest of the journey.

Groups of Chinamen were occasionally seen, fishing from the banks or the
branches of overhanging trees. Some of these stared at him while
others r