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Curious Method of Obtaining Gold

bank is a little reservoir, containing per- usually longer. Sometimes the pipe will haps in it more than 200 gallons, into be eight inches in diameter when it conwhich the water runs constantly, and nects with the hose, and not more than from which the hose extends down to the two inches at the mouth, and the force bottom of the claim. The hose is of with which the stream rushes from it is heavy duck, sometimes double, sewn by so great that it will kill a man instanmachine. This hose, when full, is from taneously, and tear down a hill more five to ten inches in diameter, and will rapidly than could a hundred men with bear a perpendicular column of water fifty shovels. feet high; but a greater height will burst This stream is directed against the it. Now, as the force of the stream in- bank with such force that soon the cliff is creases with the height of the water, it is undermined, and the large mass of dirt a matter of great importance to have the tumbles down. This the shovel-men wash hose as strong as possible; so for this away into the sluice or timber-lined ditch, purpose in some claims it is surrounded when they commence at the bottom of by iron bands, which are about two inches the bank again, and so on. The gold in wide, and are connected with four ropes, the "dirt" is caught in riffles, or crosswhich run perpendicularly down. The bars, placed here and there in the sluice, rings are about three inches apart. or impeded in other ways; and then at The pipe at the end of the hose is like leisure-generally once a week-cleaned the pipe of a fire-engine hose, though up by the company to which it belongs.