y made up of many nationalities; and among the rest China sent a
battalion some fifty thousand strong.

John Chinaman has remained with us ever since, despised and abused,
being neither a co-worshiper nor a co-sympathizer in aught save
the getting of gold. In dress, custom and language his is still a
nationality as distinct from ours as are the waters of the Gulf Stream
from those of the ocean.

It is possible that this may be but the second migration of Tartars to
the American shore. It is possible that the North American Indian and
the Chinaman may be identical in origin and race. Close observers find
among the aboriginal tribes resident far up on the north-west American
coast peculiar habits and customs, having closely-allied types among
the Chinese. The features of the Aleuts, the natives of the Aleutian
Islands, are said to approximate closely to those of the Mongolians.
The unvarying long black hair, variously-shaded brown skin, beardless
face and shaven head are points, natural and artificial, common to
the Indian and Mongolian. There is a hint of common custom between the
Indian scalplock and Chinese cue.

"John" has been a thorough gleaner of the mines. The "superior race"
allowed him to make no valuable discoveries. He could buy their
half-worked-out placers. The "river-bed" they sold him when its
chances of yielding were deemed desperate. When the golden fruitage
of the banks was reduced to a dollar per day, they became "China
diggings." But wherever "John" settled he worked steadily, patiently
and systematically, no matter whether his ten or twelve hours' labor
brought fifty cents or fifty dollars; for his industry is of an
untiring mechanical character. In the earlier and flusher days of
California's gold-harvest the white man worked spasmodically. He
was ever leaving the five-dollar diggings in hand for the fifty- or
hundred-dollar-per-day claims afar off in some imaginary bush. These
golden rumors were always on the wing. The country was but half
explored, and many localities were rich in mystery. The white vanguard
pushed north, south and east, frequently enduring privation and
suffering. "John," in comparative comfort, trotted patiently after,
carrying his snugly made-up bundle of provisions and blankets at one
end of a bamboo pole, his pick, shovel, pan and rocker at the other,
to work over the leavings. The leavings sometimes turned out more gold
than "new ground," much to the chagrin of the impati