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two hundred varieties of fish in the ocean, bays, rivers, and lakes of the State, many of them entirely unknown ⚫ elsewhere. Shell-fish are abundant, and the variety very great. Oysters are scarce and small, mussels and clams plenty. Crabs are of great size, some species being more than a foot in width, and are an article of common table food. The "mother-of-pearl oyster" is found in the bays on the lower coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. The squid grows to a great size on the coast, some being more than three feet in length, with arms in some cases over seven feet long. Shrimp, the counterpart of a young lobster, swarm in myriads in the bays; they are about the size of an overgrown grasshopper; they have a thin, tough shell like a lobster; in the restaurants and hotels they are a common article of food, and are much liked by many. Lobsters are plentiful, and grow to a great size, in some instances measuring a foot and a-half in length: strange to say, none of them have the large claws of the Atlantic lobster.

WHALE. The Pacific ocean, from Behring's strait southward to the coast of California, is the great whaleground of the world. Fleets of vessels are yearly engaged in the whale fishery, making Honolulu their headquarters. Few whales are caught upon the coast of California, although hundreds of them can be seen blowing and spouting along the entire coast, from Panama to the Columbia river; occasionally one of these monsters of the deep finds himself inside the Golden Gate, where his dashing about like a goldfish in a globe and his spouting attracts the boatmen, who give him lively chase. At other times a "northwester" dashes one

upon the beach, where he lies stranded like some "gallant ship;" upon such occasions, "whale" is in the mouth of everybody. The fortunate finder of a stranded whale generally “locates" a "claim" upon him, erects a wall around him, and collects an admission fee from the curious who desire to see a "big fish." In the Bay of Monterey, and at other points along the southern coast, a small species of whale is caught, and considerable quantities of oil are made.

There is but one species of fish in California which in quantity and rich flavor surpasses the species of the Atlantic ocean: that is the salmon, so abundant in all the principal streams of the coast, from the Golden Gate to Behring's strait. About November, they enter the Bay of San Francisco; and from that period until they again seek the ocean, in June following, they are caught in great numbers in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and all the rivers north. They are a staple article of food, and can be found in good supply fresh in the markets every day in the year. Some of them are of great size, weighing as high as sixty pounds; but the general weight is from twenty-five to thirty pounds.

Sturgeon are abundant in the bays and rivers, but are coarse, cheap, and generally not much liked as food. Trout are plentiful in most of the lakes and streams of the State, but are neither so beautiful nor sweet as the Atlantic trout. All the fish on the coast except the salmon, smelt, and trout are long, coarse, poor, and tasteless, compared with the same species on the Atlantic coast. A small, poor quality of mackerel is caught in and about Monterey bay. A small but very good

quality of herring is very abundant, and is caught in great quantities in spring in the Bay of San Francisco and along the coast. The real cod is not found on the coast of California, but is abundant, although of a small class, on the coast of British Columbia and Alaska. Rock-cod, a very bony fish, is plentiful; also tomcods, smelts, and soles or flatfish. The eel is not found on the Pacific coast, although several species resembling it, called eels, are to be found, but all inferior.

Besides those mentioned, there are a great many other kinds of fish in California, the market being supplied every day in the year with great abundance and variety; the prices are very low.

CHAPTER XX.

The precious metals-First mention of gold-Gold in Eden-Gods of the heathens-Aaron's golden calf-Ornaments of Jerusalem— Gold of the Romans-First gold in America-Gold in South America and Mexico-Gold in Asia and Europe-Gold-mining in the United States-Discovery of gold in California-Sir Francis Drake's voyage-Expedition of Commodore Wilkes to California-Product of gold-Mining operations-Quartz and quartz-mining-Rich mines-Quartz mills-Discovery of gold in Australia: yield of the precious metals in-On the Pacific coast -Mineral wealth of Great Britain - Progress of mining in Australia-Chinese in the gold-fields-Precious metal in the

world.

IN the chapters of this volume treating upon the early gold discovery, geology, counties, &c., will be found much information respecting mining in California. (See these chapters.)

The discovery of gold brought California prominently before the world. Had it not been for that event, more than likely San Francisco would be to-day an obscure outpost upon our western coast; Oregon would still be a Territory, Alaska still under the imperial flag of the Czar, and the great valleys of California untilled.

From the earliest period of which we have any knowledge, the precious metals have been sought for by all nations and classes, and the effects of their influence understood and appreciated. The earliest records of the human family make mention of gold, and the kings, priests, and prophets of ancient times seem to have fully understood its value. Abraham's riches, as mentioned in Genesis xiii, 2, are said to have consisted of cattle, silver, and gold. Even the Garden of Eden is supposed to have contained the precious metals. In Genesis ii, 11, 12, gold is spoken of simul

taneously with the creation, and as existing in the land of Havilah, which was encompassed by the first river running from the Garden of Eden.

Gold formed the gods and idols of the ancients; and Aaron formed a calf of gold for the children of Israel, but Moses reduced it to powder by burning it in a fire. Solomon employed gold in great abundance in ornamenting the temple of Jerusalem.

South America early produced her share of gold. Atahuallpa, the Inca of Peru, offered gold to the value of $15,480,710 for his ransom when a captive of war. The land of Ophir (the location of which is still a mystery) supplied the Phoenicians and Israelites with gold; once in three years the ships of King Solomon completed a voyage there and back. The Pyrenees and Alps supplied the Romans with much of their gold. Spain obtained her supply of the precious metals along the Tagus; and the Athenians obtained gold in Thessaly and the island of Thasos.

At the time of the discovery of America, in 1492, the total value of the precious metals in the whole of Europe was estimated at one hundred and seventy million dollars. In the year 1600, it had increased to six hundred and fifty million dollars-an increase of four-fold in a century. So, in a corresponding degree, the value of gold decreased, in the fact that every commodity of merchandise had advanced four-fold in this period, and a corresponding increase in every article of consumption keeps pace with the increase of the precious 'metals.

The total amount of the precious metals in circulation throughout the world, in 1872, is estimated at four

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