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16 and respectfully attended. Many, per haps most, occasionally read their Bibles or tracts. There is a respect for religion, as there is a respect for everything which reminds one of home: but society must be in a very different condition—it must be settled, and have some elements of permanence —before a decidedly religious influence can be brought to bear upon it. When 1 say that the sound of the pick, spade, and rocker are seldom heard on the Sabbath —that the Bible is often and devoutly read —that often, from beneath some cluster of trees, the cheering sound of some hymn and the preacher’s voice are heard, it is as much as can be said.” The author tells us in another place, that only on one occasion did any com pany in which he was employed, work upon the Sabbath. He frequently per formed religious services in circumstances at once picturesque and grotesque. The narrative is in diary form—straight forward and natural. The results of each day's labour are mentioned, and it is strange enough to mark the vicissitudes of the miner’s fortunes—varying from nothing to hundreds of dollars! True indeed, melancholy true, is his reminder to the reader. ‘The bright and glowing pictures presented to the public in the news from California, “$2,000,000 in gold dust,” “rich discoveries,” “new diggings,” &c., &c., must be filled up with a dark back-ground of cloudy days, rainy weeks, broken hopes, privations, sickness, many a gloomy death scene, and many a lonely grave.’ There are many graphic and in teresting passages in this book—for a few’ of which we propose to make room. The first describes the destruction, by a fresh et, of the dam at Hart’s Bar, on the Tuolumne River, a work of great extent and cost. “This morning—Sept. 24th—the water was lising in its might. Notwithstand ing our aqueduct and canal, the bed of the river was nearly full. We hastened to remove all of our mining implements. Slowly, but surely, the freshet came, till the destruction of all our works seemed inevitable. We thought not of hunger, though we had been labouring hard much of the night and all the morning. About ten o’clock there was a pause of fearful sus pense. The rising seemed arrested— might it not be on the turn] For a short time there was hope; the pendu lum vibrated each moment between our hopes and our fears. We hastened up the hill side—after all had been done which could be—to the spot commanding a view ot the whole, to see our hopes oi SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE. our fears realized. W T e perceived at once that the existence of all our works de pended upon the Paine's Bar dam above us. Would that stand the torrent] — Should that maintain its position, we were safe; let that go, all would be swept away ! As we kept our eyes fixed upon this—it was a quarter of a mile above us—the black line of wall was suddenly broken, and the torrent poured through a small opening forced in the dam, and in a few seconds the river ran foaming over the entire length of the wall, which bowed and sunk before the irresistible force. Then and there was heard a sound new and strangely start ling to me. It was caused by large stones rushing and grinding underwater, borne on by the tremendous power of the cur rent. It might be imagined that the thousand submerged chariots and cars of Pharaoh’s host were driven impetuously over that river channel. As soon as the dam above us gave way, the water rose with great rapidity—tw 7 0, three, four, six, eight feet —till it poured over the top of the aqueduct. Still it nobly stood, held in its place by the immense weight of the water which poured through it from the canal above It was indeed surpri sing to see a thing so light resisting that mad and mighty force. It was but a mo ment ! Gently and gracefully it yielded, swayed forward, and moved away with the ease and rapiditv of a thing of life. Thus, in one moment, we saw the work of one thousand and twenty-nine days done by the company swept aw r ay and rendered useless. Within five minutes of the time when the aqueduct disap peared around the bend of the river, a meeting of the company was called, and a resolution presented to proceed with our work by means of wing-dams.” Our author has some skill as an artist, as will appear from the following portrait of one of his associates in the Hart’s Bar Mining Company. “Direct your attention once again to the interesting tableau in the river below us. Among the group of Mexicans and Americans—black, brown and white—is one remarkable person. He is a tall, stout man, having the appearance of one accustomed to command, and some of the severity of one who has commanded those who never dared dispute his author ity* lie had been a boatman upon the Mississippi. He was our ( hies director ; and, though he ruled with unquestioned sway, he was light-hearted, jovial, and free, fie was known among us by the name of “Red,” from the fact that, when ever there was any fighting to be done, or when he was “going upon a spree,” he put on a red flannel shirt. By our “Arti cles of Agreement,” in the absence of the president, the duty of presiding over the meetings devolved upon him, as chief director. At a meeting which was called at the regular time of work, the presi dent being absent, the chair was to be taken—speaking figuratively, for such a thing as a chair was unknown at the mines—by this remarkable individual. The thought that he was so far to sub mit his own opinion to the decision of others as to permit them an opportunity of expressing dissent even by their votes did not seem to enter into his calcula tions. The meeting had been called to decide whether or not we should work on that Saturday afternoon. Under the cir cumstances, most were in favour of ad journing work till Monday morning.— What was the dismay of those who had anticipated no difficulty in carrying the question in the affirmative, and who came prepared to talk down or to talk out all opposition, if they had to talk till night, when Red entered with the air of one who is for deeds, and not for words. He was strongly opposed to the proposed measure. “Boys,” he said, as he came by, spade in hand, as if on his way to la bour, impatient of any delay, and waving all ceremony—“ Boys, I say, go to work. All who are in favour say ‘Ay !’ ” One emphatic “Ay /” by himself, was the on ly response. “Those who are opposed,” he continued, starting on his way, “say nothing, and go to work !” In five min utes every man was at his post, wonder ing how it happened.” Mr. Wood presents some vivid descrip tions of the vices of California, chief among which are gambling and intem perance—the former surpassing in magni tude the latter, but both going hand in hand. We had marked some of these pas sages, but our limits are already overpast, and we can only add, that it is encoura ging to hope with our author, that a brighter and better state of things has alreadyddarnedw r ned in the American Ophir. The volume contains much valuable in formation, and we regard it as a compre hensive manual on the present state and prospects of the gold operations in Cali fornia. RAIN IN THE GARRET. [From Dream Life: a Fable of the Seasons. By Ik.Mar vel. Chaxles Scribner.] “ It is an old garret with big rafters; and the boards between are stain ed darkly with the rain-storms of fifty years. And as the sportive April show ei quickens its flood, it seems as it its tor rents would come dashing through tie shingles, upon you, and upon your pity- But it will not; for you know that t e old roof is strong ; and that it has kept you, and all that love you, for long )’ ears from the rain, and from the cold: ) 011 know that the hardest storms of winter \Jan. 10,