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71 Monday 10th 1849.

Commenced work in a new hole given us by a friend. Occupied the morning in throwing off the stones - washed during the afternoon 50 buckets of dirt and got $14.00. Bought a barrell of Hard Brad $60.00 pr crot. Prices in this country are alarming to all new comers - indeed they look bold to the old miner. Butter Keg - $2.50 per pound - Cheese $2.00. Flour $80.00 pr bbl - Port $50 per crot - Mollasses $5.00 pr gall. Sugar brown $75. per crot - Indian Mean 50 cts pr lb - Coffe green - 40 cts pr lb - and all other provisions in similar ratio. These prices are high enough - but they are nothing to those in mines - farther removed from the city. At the Mills - food averages $1.00 per lb - a party of Miners arrived to day from the Yuba Rive - provisions so dear and the digging so poor - they were obliged to leave. Boots from $50 to $100 pr pr - Sperm Candles $1.00 eah - Before Spring I expect prices - will have advance far above their present rates. The first effect of prices in arriving in this country - with bound from $20.00 to $30.00 each week, is to astound - and make a man think - the inhabitants - a set of sharping villians. But this gradually wears off - and now I thin should I reach the States again - goods will appear so dog cheap - that in shall be tempted to buy everything that comes under our eye

Thursday December 13th 1859.

A storm commencing last Teusday night has prevented us from mining since that time. Clouds began to overcast the sky during the day - and at evening the wind was blowing from the NW. It [?] to the S.E before 10 oclock - blowing with violence. Soon the rain fell in deluges. After going to bed the wind became so violent - that we feared a downfall to our tent. It shook - and trembled and flapped in the blast. I lay on my back not unphased with the roaring without - as the wind surged up between the hills - and shook