rgraves is the hero of the Australian, so is James
W. Marshall of the Californian, gold discovery. Before giving the
account of his discovery, however, I will quote the following passage
from a letter written on May 4, 1846, by Thomas O. Larkin, then United
States consul at Monterey, California, to James Buchanan, Secretary of
State:

"There is said to be black lead in the country of San Fernando, near San
Pedro [now Los Angeles County]. By washing the sand in a plate, any
person can obtain from one dollar to five dollars per day of gold that
brings seventeen dollars per ounce in Boston; the gold has been gathered
for two or three years, though but few have the patience to look for it.
On the southeast end of the island of Catalina there is a silver mine
from which silver has been extracted. There is no doubt but that gold,
silver, quick-silver, copper, lead, sulphur, and coal mines are to be
found all over California, and it is equally doubtful whether, under
their present owners, they will ever be worked."

James W. Marshall, in a letter dated January 28, 1856, and addressed to
Charles E. Pickett, gave the following account of the gold discovery:
"Toward the end of August, 1847, Captain Sutter and I formed a
copartnership to build and run a sawmill upon a site selected by myself
(since known as Coloma). We employed P.L. Weimer and family to remove
from the Fort (Sutter's Fort) to the mill-site, to cook and labor for
us. Nearly the first work done was the building of a double log cabin,
about half a mile from the mill-site. We commenced the mill about
Christmas. Some of the mill-hands wanted a cabin near the mill. This was
built, and I went to the Fort to superintend the construction of the
mill-irons, leaving orders to cut a narrow ditch where the race was to
be made. Upon my return, in January, 1848, I found the ditch cut as
directed, and those who were working on the same were doing so at a
great disadvantage, expending their labor upon the head of the race
instead of the foot.

"I immediately changed the course of things, and upon the 19th of the
same month of January discovered the gold near the lower end of the
race, about two hundred yards below the mill. William Scott was the
second man to see the metal. He was at work at a carpenter's bench near
the mill. I showed the gold to him. Alexander Stephens, James Brown,
Henry Bigler, and William Johnston were likewise working in front of the
mill, framing the uppe