d
washing operations. Streams naturally pure as crystal, become changed to
a thick, yellow mud, from this cause, early in their passage out from
the hills. Many of them are turned out of their original channels,
either directly for mining purposes, or in consequence of the great
masses of soil and gravel that come down from the gold washings above.
Thousands of acres of fine lands along their banks are ruined forever,
by deposits of this character. The mining interest respects no rights
but its own. A farmer may have his whole estate changed to a barren
waste, by a flood of sand and gravel from some hydraulic mining up the
stream. If a fine orchard or garden stands in the way of the working of
a rich gulch or bank, orchard and garden are doomed. They are torn down,
dug out, washed to pieces, and then washed over side hills. Where the
process of hydraulic mining has been, or is being carried on, the
country presents an appearance of devastation and ruin that is scarcely
imaginable; forming a frightful blot upon the face of nature.

For this sort of mining on a large scale, we had no facilities, so we
were compelled to work in a very small way, and be satisfied with
correspondingly small results. News of our successful establishment of
the old mine, in some way reached Santa Fe, and, rushing to the
conclusion that we had found a new Eldorado, all the floating population
of that decaying city swooped down upon us, and we soon found quite a
populous settlement growing up around us.

A very decided change in our situation resulted from this, and some
rather exciting events transpired, but these I will leave for another
chapter. Soon after the accessions to our community had become so
numerous, my friend and partner, Ned Harding, fell ill. This put a
sudden stop to our mining operations, and for several weeks I was
compelled to remain by the side of his rude couch, attending to his
wants, and doing all that I could to facilitate his recovery.

Among the new arrivals at our "diggings" was a Mexican, who had followed
the profession of a _medico_ in former times, but who was now an
inveterate gold hunter; one of the sort who are perpetually on the move
from place to place, seeking placers of fabulous richness, but never
working any claim long enough to fairly develop it. Perhaps they have no
sooner commenced operations in one place, when a rumor comes of rich
finds at some far distant point, and off they go, to repeat the same