He furnished us with money to buy clothing and tools, as well as to keep us in food for awhile--until we should get fairly under weigh in the profession we were about to adopt. I promised to repay my share of this money to his son--as soon as I should earn its equivalent out of the auriferous earth of California. "Now, I like that way of talking," said old Johnson, "for I'm a poor man; and as I have just come here to make a fortune, I can't afford to lose a cent." I parted with Mr Johnson and his party of emigrants with some regret, for they all had been more kind to me than I had any reason to expect. I have never found the people of this world quite so bad as they are often represented; and it is my opinion, that any man who endeavours to deserve true friendship, will always succeed in obtaining it. I have never met a man whose habit was to rail against mankind in general, and his own acquaintances in particular, whose friendship was worth cultivation. Such a man has either proved unworthy of friendship, and has never obtained it; or he has obtained, and therefore possesses that, for which he is ungrateful. Volume One, Chapter XIX. A "PROSPECTING EXPEDITION." On parting with the Californian colonists, young Johnson and I proceeded direct to the diggings on the Yuba, where, after looking about for a day or so, we joined partnership with two others, and set to work on a "claim" close by the banks of the river. We had arrived at an opportune season--the summer of 1849--when every miner was doing well. There was a good deal of generosity among the miners at this time; and those who could not discover a good claim by their own exertions, would have one pointed out with directions how to work it! Our party toiled four weeks at the claim we had chosen, and was very successful in obtaining gold. Never did my hopes of the future appear so bright. Never did Lenore seem so near. No gold washing could be done on the Yuba during the winter--the water in the river being then too high--and, as we had not much longer to work, it was proposed by three men, who held the claim adjoining ours, that we should join them in prospecting for some new diggings--where we might be able to continue at work all the winter, unembarrassed by too much water and too many miners. One of our neighbours who made this proposal, had visited a place about forty miles farther up the country--where he believed we might find a "placer" such as we required. He had been upon a hunting expedition to the place spoken of; and while there did not look for gold--having no mining tools along with him; but from the general appearance of the country, and the nature of the soil, he was convinced we might find in it some rich dry diggings, that would be suitable for working in the winter.