We thought such charges on poor and almost penniless emigrants were unjust.
The point we were seeking to reach was a new discovery called Gold Lake on Feather River, where many rich gulches that emptied into it had been worked, and the lake was believed to have at least a ship load of gold in it.

It was located high in the mountains and could be easily drained and a fortune soon obtained if we got there in time and said nothing to anyone we might meet on the road.

We might succeed in getting a claim before they were all taken up.

We followed along the foothills without a road, and when we came to the Stanislaus River we had to patronize a ferry and pay half an ounce each again.

We thought their scale weights were rather heavy and their ferrymen well paid.
We continued along the foothills without any trail until we struck the road from Sacramento to Hangtown.