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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 31, 5 February 1873, Page 4

A Rake Sight, tbe San Francisco Bulletin states, was recently afforded to a '* few reliable persons" at the office of the San Francisco Assaying and Renoing Works. It consists of a portion of tbe treasure recovered from the steamer America, lost maoy years ago, and had been brought to San Francisco by the Colorado. " The scene," says the journal from which we quote, " was novel beyood conception. Twenty-three boxps of melted coiD, weighing from 2001 b to 4001 b eacb, were scattered about tbe floor of the room, and besides there were piles of bars and irregular masses of valuable metal lying around loose. Two pieces of the melted mass, with a length each of about 3 ft, a width of 18in, and weighing 1001 b, looked like a section of frozen clay bristliog with oysters. Tbese oysters were 20dol pieces. Mexican dollars, and half-dollars of American coinage, with dimes and half-dimes for young oysters, and iron spikes, bits of brass aod steel to represent the shell fish that are wont to burrow iv the bed of the oceaD, the whole forming a valuable specimen of Crustacea. Id some instances tbe coins are only welded together in rolls, and at other times they form one lava-like gob. The melted matter and the coins are of a deep green color. The large bars of bullion were les3 affected by the fire than tbe coin, and do not appear to have lost much in weight. The metal is to be re-coiced. Two 20dol pieces in the lot were kindly donated to the representatives of the press, who were among the reliable persons present, and had not the coins been welded to a bar, they would bave been taken away. Three huodred thousand dollars worth of treasure, half melted, colored by fire and the action of the water, is a curiosity that few people have ever had an opportunity to Xaee. :.Even7ihe audacious and enterprising Barnum could not give such a show."