Life in the Diggins
What does "cradle" means?
a device to separate rock and gravel from gold.
What does "stake a claim mean"?
marking a boundary line of a miner's property with a stake or a pile of rocks.
What does "avast" mean?
stop, or quit, what you are doing.
What does "carry on" mean?
The command to get started after orders have been given.
"We face the storm together!"
Captain
a town that grew fast, generally as a result of mining.
What does "pan out" mean?
gold played out or gone
Yes
What does "starboard" mean?
The right side of a ship, as one stands facing forward.
All hands on deck!
Sailor
What does "poke" mean?
bag used to carry gold dust or nuggets
What does "bow" mean?
the front end of the ship.
What does "blowing like scissors and thumbscrews" mean?
a gale or storm.
"Batten down the hatches!"
Sailor
What does "Mother Lode" mean?
vein or deposit of gold running through quartz in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
What does "come down with the dust" mean?
pay cash at time of purchase.
What does "stern" mean?
the back end of the ship.
What does "bear a hand" mean?
help out.
"Hold your course!"
Captain
What does "grubstake" mean?
a loan of food until the miner could repay.
seeing gold in the gold field.
What does "Sir" mean?
The Captain's title, used by NO ONE else.
What does "port" mean?
the left side of a vessel as one stands facing forward.
"Care to make a trade?"
Merchant