to join a company of gold-washers who had a cheap-made machine, and receive one ounce per day, that returned to the settlement with not a vest pocket-full of gold.  Some left with only sufficient to pay for a horse and saddle, and pay the physician six ounces of gold for one ounce of quinine, calomel, and jalap in proportion.  An ounce of gold for advice given, six ounces a visit, brings the fever and ague to be rather an expensive companion.  A ‘well’ man has his proportionate heavy expenses also, to reduce his piles or bags of gold.  Dry beef in the settlements, at 4 cents per lb., at the Placer, 1 to 2 dollars per lb.; salt beef and pork, 50 to 100 dollars per barrel; flour, 30 to 75 dollars per barrel; coffee, sugar, and rice, 50 cents to 1 dollar per lb.  As washing is 50 cents to 1 dollar a garment, many prefer throwing away their used-up clothes to paying the washerwoman; that is, if they intend returning to the settlements soon, where they can purchase more.  As to shaving, I have never seen a man at the Placer who had time to perform that operation.  They do not work on Sundays, only brush up the tent, blow out the emery or fine black sand from the week’s work.  Horses that can travel only one day, and from that to a week, are from 100 to 300 dollars.  Freight charge by launch owners for three days’ run, 5 dollars per barrel.  Wagoners charge 50 to 100 dollars per load, 20 to 50 miles, on good road.  Corn, barley, peas, and beans, 10 dollars a-bushel.  Common pistols, any price; powder and lead very dear.  I know a physician who, in San Francisco, purchased a common made gold-washer at 20 or 30 dollars, made of 70 or 80 feet of boards.  At a great expense he boated it up to the first landing on the Sacramento, and there met a wagoner bound to one of the diggings with an empty wagon, distant about 50 miles.  The wagoner would not take up the machine under 100 dollars.  The doctor had to consent, and bided his time.  June passed over, rich in gold; all on that creek did wonders, when the wagoner fell sick, called on his friend the doctor, whose tent was in sight; the doctor came, but would not administer the first dose under the old sum of 100 dollars, which was agreed to, under a proviso that the following doses should be furnished more moderate.  When a man’s time is worth 100 dollars a-day, to use a spade and tin pan, neither doctors nor wagoners can think much of a pound of gold, and you may suppose merchants, traders, and pedlars are not slow to make their fortunes in these golden times.  In San Francisco there is more merchandize sold now, monthly, than before in a year.  Vessels after vessels arrive, land their cargoes, dispose of them, and bag up the dust and lay up the vessel, as the crew are soon among the missing.  The cleanest clear out is where the captain follows the crew.  There are many vessels in San Francisco that cannot weigh anchor, even with the assistance of three or four neighbouring vessels.  Supercargoes must land cargo on arriving,