cams_rjboylan_b012_f003_007_1

Frezno [Fresno] river [River] California May 18th 1852

D [Dear] Wife & children, I am well and I hope to find my
present location a profitable one. we feel quite encouraged
to persue [pursue] our labour [labor] by preparing for low water, we have
by a little stratagene secured six hundred and fifty
feet of the river including a large bar and we have
Three hundred feet of our race dug. I do not expect we
will get into the bed of the river before the middle of
June but we shall be able to make wages in the banks.

The river was worked verry [very] imperfectly ajoining [adjoining] us above and
a piece on our claim late last fall and report says proved
very good -- Two men that worked here last fall came back
with their friend this spring to work again but they found
Bowen's and R. J. B. in full possession, if the river proves to
be rich and will pay for hiring we intend to put on
help enough to not leave a stone unturned. we have our
long torn -- canvas hose -- and tools all ready -- and if there is
any thing [anything] to be made this summer we will try and get our
share of frezno [Fresno]. I do not at present expect to leave here till
next fall and then gold or no gold I shall leave California,
for good and feel as though I had made every effort to secure
for my family a suficient [sufficient] amount to answer their reason-
able wants -- we feel quite sanguine of realizing something
fair for our labour [labor] this sumer [summer], the chances are much better
here than in the northern mines but mining in California
has become a complete lottery. The country having been
so thoroughly searched some places they are diging [digging] deep holes