A manuscript diary recording the experiences during the California gold rush of William H. Zerbe of Berks County, Pennsylvania. Most of the volume consists of daily diary entries running from 1 July to 16 November 1850, a period roughly corresponding to the time between Zerbe's abandonment of mining and his departure from California. Entries are typically brief, of 20 to 50 words, though the occasional entry runs to 100 words. Much of the content of the diary relates to the author's efforts to find work, and his travels to that end, between San Francisco and the gold fields. Entries made during Zerbe's trip home in 1850-51 are irregular and brief. There are also a few financial records (accounts), probably postdating Zerbe's return to Pennsylvania.