The Columbia River . Hemade acquaintance with a group of miners, who be-came impressed with his general force and these miners was E. D. Pearce, and to himthe Indian gave a vivid account of his home in thewilds of what is now Idaho. He told also a tale ofhow he with two companions were once in the highmountains, when they beheld in the night a light ofdazzling brilliance, with the appearance of a refulgentstar. The Indians looked at this with awe as the eyeof the Great Spirit. But in the morning they sum-moned courage sufficient to investigate, and found aglittering ball that loo
The Columbia River . Hemade acquaintance with a group of miners, who be-came impressed with his general force and these miners was E. D. Pearce, and to himthe Indian gave a vivid account of his home in thewilds of what is now Idaho. He told also a tale ofhow he with two companions were once in the highmountains, when they beheld in the night a light ofdazzling brilliance, with the appearance of a refulgentstar. The Indians looked at this with awe as the eyeof the Great Spirit. But in the morning they sum-moned courage sufficient to investigate, and found aglittering ball that looked like glass. It was so em-bedded in the rock that they could not dislodge was clear to them that this was some great toma-nowas. On hearing this fantastic story, the mind ofPearce was kindled \dth the idea that perhaps theIndians had found an immense diamond. He de-termined to seek it. After several years he made hisway up the Columbia and reached Walla that point he ranged the mountains of Idaho,. Portland, Oregon, in an Old Print. Era of the Miner 253 but for a long time met no success. With a com-pany of seven men, he entered upon an elaboratesearch, which finally so much aroused the suspicionof the Indians that they ordered him from the coun-try. Nothing daunted, however, he induced a NezPerce w^oman to guide the party from the Palouseto the Lolo trail, from which they reached an un-frequented valley on the north fork of the Clear-water. There one of the party, W. F. Bassett, triedwashing a pan of dirt, with the result that he got a colour. This was the first discovery of gold inIdaho, and the spot was where Oro Fino afterwardsstood. Fall was coming on, and after digging out a smallamount of dust, the party deemed it wise to return tothe settlements for a more thorough outfitting. Ac-cordingl}^ they went to Walla Walla and locatedwith J. C. Smith, to whom they imparted theirsecret. So impressed was Mr. Smith with the tidingsthat he organised a
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