SUNDAY 25
From this Date up to the 29th We where all busily engaged, fixing Our tent, which we determined to Make as Comfortable as our Means and Circumstances would admit. Gold or no Gold we Made up our minds to Spare no pains to Secure our health as much as possible, and guard against all Sickness. Knowing that fogs are peculiar to this Country and knowing that it lingers in the vallies late in the Morning and returns early at night, we Selected quite an elevated cite for our tent, that we might escape the unhealthey Mist as Much as posable, and have a free circulation of good fresh air.
The heavy rain Storms in this Country come Most invariably from the South East. We accordingly pitched our tent So that the front Door faced the North West. After raising our tent and pinning the Sot Cloth fast to two logs for the purpose placed parallel with each other, we proceeded to arrange the in Side. We found it was the Custom of Many Miners to Sleep upon the ground. too avarious to Spend a day to fix a temporary cot to lay upon, this we knew was very essential for the good of our health and determined to attend to it, the whole length of our tent is 18 ft and 12 wide, 7 feet in the rear was Set apart for our Sleeping room, this room 7 feet by 12. in each Corner of appartment we Set a post extending up as high as the walls of the tent. We then got four Rails and extended them from one Post to the Other about 18 inches from the Ground. from the front and rear rails we Suspended our hammocks, leting each lap upon the next one to it about 6 inches in this way we rigged a cot 12 feet wide and 7 long upon this we made our Beds and enjoyed many a good nights rest.
to prevent the dampness that might come through the tent from falling upon us during the night, we took a Small tent that we had on hand, and Spread it over the Four Posts (Before mentioned) having it raised a little in the center So that all wet that fell upon it was carried off on each Side. Upon one Side of the tent we put our provisions, and on the other our Trunks, and in the center, a Temporary Table Made of a log Split in two, and the Edges goined together forming a Surface about 2 feet wide and 4 ft 6 inches long, Upon this we placed our Plates and ate our Meals consisting of principaly, Pork, Beef,, Smoked Beef, ham, Beens, Venison, Flap Jacks and hard Bread, Rice, Coffee, Tea etc.