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70 Saturday December 8th 1849. The weather continues fair and pleasant. Ice makes every night - and heavy frosts - but the sun dispels - before midday - all these marks of cold. An old resident told me that December would prove a pleasant month - seeing that the rains had commenced so early. Thus far it has proved so. I am told the north and west winds bring fair weather - the south and east - foul. This fact with regard to rain may be owing to the nature of this coast. The winds blow regular down the coast six months and up the remainder of the year. Travellers who have come overland complain of heavy winds on the plains and storms similar to those on the sea. The moisture for rains - seem by this statement to be exhaled from the mountains and plains - eastward - and not from the ocean westward. Can this be true? We have had but little or no wind for the week past. Once just at night it blem smartly from the eastward. Weighed on amalgun - 8 days work - 12 ounces. This will be about $100. in gold. Poor success this! I am arrived prodigously! Torrence our companion comes in nightly - with almost as much as both Señor and myself. Why are we so behind our fellows?