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Thursday December 20th 1849 I labor under a strong feeling of discouragement. We are unable to work and have to live idling in the tent. Passing wearily the precious hours. Are we fated to druge forever along the tract of [unclear]. Always between wind and water and never to ful. like strong [unlcear] [unlcear] that we are masters of the waves of misfortune. I consider it an unfortunate position when a man fals weary [unclear] is valuable and yet is hindered from applying his powers. Discouragement are for titularly annoying in this country. When gold sums plenty success like a shadow is always just before. This man is making an ounce or two per day. that man had been lucky and found a pocket of six or twelve ounces. Wherever you [Unclear] a man [Unclear] has gold in his [Unclear] tent contains the precious dust- gold is plenty. None are in want and yet where is the gold which shall land with us at home and make us independent in future years. We ses much yet where is that which should be ours? Frank the lucky miner of whom I spoke last Saturday- the next day took [Unclear] bucket of dirt and found $335.00 in it. The high water has since prevented him from making in his place. Such [Unclear] is [Unclear] Exiting to the rest of us. We had about concluded Franks luck [Unclear] a point of encouragement to us [unclear] thinking the high water had caused the fine deposits in the hole. When all our holes were [Unclear] in the discovery that this gold nus undoubtedly that which a [unclear] lost last year which engaged in making the dam, It ms about $500 and was secured in a bag. Accidently he [unclear] it in the river and employed himself ineffectually a long time to fish it out. I should enjoy this mining life finely if out [unclear] [unclear] only bright. I hope the sun may break the clouds which now hang [unclear] our house. yesterday [unclear] to cold dismal day. The [unclear] down to the island and marked till the [unclear] sitting in drove us off. I was hard labor the water chilled me through while the labor fatigued me greatly. The [unclear] [unclear] do easily when in have to make so unstadily. It requires a day to renew old habits. The wind came on at night furiously from the eastward. It shook our tent like a [unclear]. The [unclear] rattled down the poles bent and swayed and