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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 Piniiry. Always between wind and water and never to ful. like strong ..... .... that we are masters of the waves of misfortune. I consider it an unfortunate position when a man fals weary ...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 must .... tent contains the precious dust- gold is plenty. .... 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 ... bucket of dirt and found $335.00 in it. The high water has since prevented him from making in his place. Such .... Exiting to the rest of us. We had about concluded Franks luck [Unclear] a point of encouragement to us Statirmiane 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 himslef ineffectually a long tome to fish it out.