To the Naturalist, Antiquarian, Geologist, and Botanist, California offers a wider and more interesting field of research than is often found in newly settled countries. PLACERVILLE. The above correct engraving of the re- a half inches in depth. The tooth stood markable tooth and portion of the jaw-above the sides of the jaw about two belonging doubtless to an animal of the inches. This, with the other portions of order Pachydermata, of the group Pro- the jaw found here, measured over three boscidea, and of which the elephant is feet in length. now the only living representative; while the mammoth, mastodon, and others of the same group, have become extinctwas found on Twist's ranch, near Mormon Creek, Tuolumne county, (about three and a half miles from Sonora,) by Mr. James Gilbert, on the 30th of May, 1851, while mining. It was discovered embedded in the ground, within about three inches of the "bed-rock," about twelve feet from the surface, underneath an oak tree about three feet in diameter. The tooth measured six and three-fourths inches in breadth; and the longest fang or root of the tooth was eight and onefourth inchess, in depth from the upper surface to the lower point, and which reached nearly through to the lower side of the jaw-bone. The jaw-bone was six and three-fourth inches in width-with the upper and lower side a little rounded, as shown in the engraving-and six and Placerville, the county seat of El Dorado County, is situated upon a small branch of Weber Creek, a tributary of the South Fork of the American River. Originally it flourished, if it did not rejoice, under the somewhat dubious sobriquet of Hangtown, after which the creek upon which it stands was named. And though the first of California towns, or mining camps, to adopt the Lynch-law code for the speedy punishment of the murderer at the hands of a vigilance committee, it has since passed through every grade of gambling and bull-and bear-baiting notoriety, to its present enviable position, as one of the best regulated and most orderly cities in the State. Placerville is one of the largest of the mountain cities of California, and as early as 1853 contained a population including the upper and lower town-of over three thousand, with five hundred and fifty-five buildings, including dwelling-houses, shops, stores, and manufactories. Its early and rapid growth was mainly attributable to the extent and richness of the gold fields in its immediate vicinity; a feature it still possesses to an extraordinary degree. Situated upon the great main immigrant trail leading into California from the plains, and being the first city, town or village arrived at after crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains by the Carson Valley route, it has ever been a place of large trade in immigrant stock arriving from the plains, as well as the principal mart of trade in many species of merchandize required by a rapidly increasing mining, farming and lumbering population; a trade which has lately received a new impulse, by the construction of an excellent wagon road-by the counties of El Dorado and Sacramento-through Johnson's Pass of the Sierras to Carson, Wash-ho, and the other great valleys to the east of the mountains, now rapidly settling by an industrious and thriving agricultural and mining population. On the 7th of July, 1856, the citywhich was principally built of woodwas almost totally destroyed by fire. The engraving here given shows the city as it appeared one year after that fire, (this view having been taken in July last,) and after its having been to some considerable extent rebuilt. Its locality, on a narrow flat along a winding ravine, precludes the possibility of giving but a part of it in a single view. The one we here present is of the lower and principal part of the town, from a point on the hill-side adjacent to the lower end of Main Street, and is a truthful engraving of it. The city, as rebuilt, contains a larger number of fire-proof edifices, in proportion to the size of the place, than any other city in California, and is in every respect one of the neatest and most carefully kept of stantly leaped over benches and tables, any in the mountains. It is centrally situated in the county, and from it radiate numerous stage lines that daily connect with the northern and southern mines direct; also, with Folsom, Sacramento, and, during the summer season, with Carson Valley, east of the mountains. It contains Congregational, Methodist, Baptist and Catholic churches; an iron foundry; several quartz mills within the city limits, and a few fine hotels. There are numerous schools, with a good attendance; three newspapers-two weeklies, and one tri-weekly-which are an index of the thrift and prosperity of this, the first of California's mining, mountain cities. amidst gamblers and piles of money, to make for the door; others jumped through the windows; while others who were behind, seeing the excitement, and supposing that the house was falling, or on fire, rushed for the street, in their haste tumbling one over the other, in less time than it takes to recite it. Within a couple of minutes, the large saloon was emptied of its living masses of men, with one exception; large heaps of money left upon the gambling tables; liquors, musical instruments, and everything else, were deserted, except the stove; and by that, unmoved, stood our hero. As the expected explosion did not take place, in a few minutes some of the most venturesome of the crowd mustered sufficient courage to look cautiously in at the door, and when they saw our rough looking friend still standing there they called to him to make his escape before it was too late. "Don't you trouble about me," was the drawling reply, "I'm all right enough - there's plenty of room now— I can have a warm comfortably- that's what I could'nt get before." Presently several persons ventured up to his side, and inquired of him why he did'nt run. During the winter of 1851, when gambling was a popular pastime, and gambling houses were places of general resort in which to while away the long evenings, many may still remember the old Trio Hall as one of the most frequented of those places. On one of these occasions, when the saloon was completely filled with gamblers and loungers, a tall, roughlooking and roughly dressed western man, with a large powder-horn hanging under his arm, walked quietly up, and edged his way-a difficult task-to the sheet-iron stove; and, after standing a few moments looking about him, he poured some of the contents of the powder-horn into his hand, and quietly-in-that-horn-but-Black-Sand!" poured it back again; then, again looking around very unconcernedly for a few seconds, he stepped up to the stove, took the lid deliberately from the top, looked in, and almost instantly threw the powder-horn down upon the blazing fire, as he coolly remarked, "Well, boys, let us all go to h― together; we may as well go at first as at last." The scene of confusion which ensued must be imagined, as description is impossible. Those who stood nearest the stove, and had seen the movement, in "What should I run for," was the unconcerned answer, "there was nothing THE PERCUSSION QUARTZ-TAIL INGS GRINDER. This is the name given by Mr. A. Chavanne, of Grass Valley, Nevada Co., to an invention of his for pulverizing quartz-tailings. The tailings to be pulverized are shoveled to the conical table on the top of the machine, to which is given a slow rotary motion; a stream of water from a small pipe then washes them into a trough-as shown in the engraving-down which they are run will pulverize from five to six tons of into a cup, or receiving basin, and from, tailings in twenty-four hours, and save thence conveyed between two cast-iron twenty per cent. of gold that would othplates, having a teeth-shaped inner sur-erwise be lost. We saw three of them face, and as the upper one, weighing at work in his mill at Grass Valley, about nine hundred pounds, is driven which seemed to work very well; but as round, six sudden dropping motions are to their usefulness in saving the gold, we given it at each revolution. had no means of forming an opinion. The inventor affirms that each machine THE FALL RIVER WATERFALL. Wishing to obtain a view of the beautifully picturesqe waterfall of Fall river, a tributary of the middle fork of Feather river; and Forbestown, Butte county, having been represented to us as the nearest and best starting point for it, of course we had sufficient good sense to prefer Forbestown to any other; accordingly we set our faces in that direction, and there arrived in safety over a breakneck kind of road. Under the hospitable roof of Brown's Hotel we took shelter and sleep for the night; and early the following morning we prepared for our journey. As we knew nothing of the road thither, before starting we made it our business to inquire; and it so happened that those who described to us the various trails to be taken, and the others to be avoided, knew them about as well, except by hearsay, as we did; and that knowledge being very much confused and "mixed up" in the recital, our own remembance of the trails thus, there and then described, became very much like a tangled skein of silk, "only more so." One fact was however certain, the distance there was only about seven or eleven or nineteen miles; and by no means over thirty, providing we took the right trail; and "providing" we did'nt ! why-there could be no doubt experience might assist to teach us that it was still further. This rather indefinite explanation of distance suggested the precaution of asking in which direction Fall river lay, from Forbestown. "Due north," was the answer. "Then suppose we start 'due north' comrad," said we, addressing our companion, Mr. E. Jump, an enthusiastic young artist. "By no manner of means," interrupted our informant. "Why! bless your souls, you have to cross the south fork of Feather, and in places the banks of the stream are about a thousand! feet perpandicular-did you ever travel much in these parts?" "Never." Here, on the ridge, we found the trail exactly as described by the men on the river, and we were in high spirits that before very long we should arrive at Frey and Foster's, a wayside house somewhere on that divide, and our intended stopping-place for the night. As we journeyed on, the trail grew smaller and less distinct, and, somewhat to our dismay, soon "run out" altogether. Here was an unexpected damper to our hopes and "Ah! I thought so; well, then, you keep down the river in this direction, (pointing west,) and cross at Bingham's Bar, and then take this direction". (pointing a little east of north.) "Thank you-all right-now, here's anticipations; several miles from nooff." Where or when to commence descending the ridge, or how to know Bingham's Bar from New Jerusalem or any other bar, we reserved inquiring until we might meet some one else, fearing lest any further questioning might result in our finding the description still more "mixed up"; but, as we did not meet any one, it was just our luck to take the wrong trail down the wrong ridge; and although easy exercise enough for us—if descending a hill rapidly can be called easy exercise-the horse every now and then seemed to be going endwise, putting us in perpetual dread, lest in some of the most precipitous places he might be induced against his will to turn a somersault. At length we reached the river at Randolph Point, and, as crossing it there was out of the question, we made our way down stream; climbing over and around clusters of large rocks; tumbling over one, sliding down another-the horse following-until in the distance we saw a flume, and some men working near it: these carefully indicated the course we should take, by mapping out the various trails upon the sand-here it forked, and there it didn't. Now we could see it exactly, and off we again started. Up, up, straight up almost, oh! such a mountain! and the day being warm, the reader can better guess than we describe our moistened condition from perspiration, for a couple of hours before we reached the top. where, and nobody knowing where anybody lived; or ourselves, even, knowing where we were, or in what direction to go. Before and behind us, on our right hand and on our left, was one vast forest of large and lofty trees, and although to some of the largest of the sugar pines, the Indians had but very recently attached long and slender poles, by which to climb to the seed-treasuring cones depending gracefully from the branches of those trees, yet the Indians themselves were not to be found. Therefore, on, on we went, in uncertainty and doubt, without any trail, or signs of one, in the direction pointed out to us. The sun was fast setting, and we began to feel somewhat desirous of breaking our fast-for as yet we had tasted nothing since early morning, beyond a few pieces of sugar which we had picked from the burnt heart of the sugar pine. Besides, the thought of being in the forest alone, and at night, without blankets, or food either for ourselves or animal, made us anxious to reach the desired haven before such a result was impossible. This idea induced us to quicken our pace, although much fatigued; and on, on we went, more rapidly, across this ravine, through that chapparal, and over that low ridge, until, while descending the steep sides of a small cañon, (it was now almost dark,) we saw the bushes moving on the opposite side, and instantly we cried out, “A grizzly! a grizzly!" but in the next moment we changed our cry and our opin |