Bailly finished reporting the sales situation, and finally said, "However, right now, California has started to see private sales of gold mining tools, causing us considerable losses—likely over 70,000 francs."
Joseph lowered his head, flipping through the report from Bailly regarding the situation in California.
Because the gold mines along the North American West Coast are spread so widely and require vast amounts of labor to be effectively exploited, the Spanish government adopted a permit system.
Anyone just needs to pay a regular permit fee to be allowed to mine for gold in designated areas.
Of course, Spaniards pay lower permit fees and possess greater privileges, such as establishing camps, purchasing farmland, and hunting.
As for Mestizos—that is, mixed-race people—and Mexican natives, not only do they pay more, they're only permitted to mine for gold; lodging and food must rely on the camps run by the Spaniards.
