R. M. Ballantyne 
Handbook to the new Gold-fields 

First published in 1858 'Handbook to the New Gold-Fields’ is a fascinating guide by prolific author R.M. Ballantyne to the land of California following the initial gold rush there. In it he describes the new gold-fields, the wildlife, and the people of the area – both the American Indians and the workers who had come to seek their fortune from afar. With beautiful and evocative descriptions throughout, this is a fascinating glimpse of California following perhaps one of the most altering periods of its history. –