Six Months in the Gold Mines: From a Journal of Three Years Residence in Upper and Lower California 1847-48-49. Reviews

Interesting first-hand account of the laborious occupation of gold mining in 1840s California. The author never really struck it rich, but managed to make a decent living regardless. His meticulous descriptions of mining techniques and the day-to-day tedium of sifting, digging, and scrounging for the "yellow stuff" can get a bit tedious, but he makes up for it in the wealth of info on early California people and places. Worth a look.