Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-12-16
THE CALIFORNIA GOLD SPECIMENS.

upon visit to the War Office for the purpose of
examining the specimens Of California Gold trans
mtted to the Secretary Of War by Col. Mason.
According to the principles of mineralogy these
specimens may be classified in the following groups:
lst Small grains and scales or minute plates Of
native gold, separated by, washing from all extra
neous matter. IDLY. Similar but generally minuter
masses of equally fine gold connected with magne-
tic iron. 3dly Two masses of the plate gold, one
Of which exceeds an ounce in weight. 4thly.
heavier mass, with its original white quartz still
adheringto it and exhibiting marks of abrasion.
5thly. Pure iron sand of its usual color and gravi
ty, containing gold dust. 6thly. Small scales from
masses Of light gray metal. 7lhly. Angular
Jumps Of white mineral, which has the external
character Of pyrites Of iron. And sthly. A fine
large specimen of the ore Of mercury, called Gin
nabar. G
The first four specimens alluded to have all the
external characters OF the native gold of minerao-
gy. An examination Of the neurological pheno-
mena presented by all the specimens affords evil
dence, were the fact not otherwise known, of the
geological position of the grains and atoms of gold
/ in diuyial beds. The form of the pieces and their
abrasion denote this. The heaviest lump of gold
received at the War Office (which weighed two
ounces) was sent to Philadelphia to be assayed,
and the result has proved satisfactory, it having
been pronounced genuine and valuable.
While examining the above specimens at the
War Office, we happened to meet with HENRY R.
lowing historical facts, which will undoubtedly
prove interesting to some of our readers:
The existence of gold in California was not I'M
known to the Spaniards. HUMBOLDT, prior to 1916,
mentioned that there was plain offourteen leagues
az English miles, in extent, on The California coast
covered with an .aAuuiai deposi,e in which Jumps
of gold were dispersed. The same author states
that lump OF gold was found in Choco weighing
25 pounds and another in Peru, in 1880, which
weighed AZ pounds. He gives the annual produce
of the gold mines Of the Spanish American colo
MES at 1925 pounds troy. The gold of Brazil is
chiefly washed from the sands of rivers and other
| earthly deposites, which stretch at the foot Of a
| high chain of mountains, running nearly parallel
| with the coast, which extends from % to 800 of
south latitude. From this region nearly thirty
thousand Portuguese mares of gold are annually
exported to Europe, making the annual produce Of
the gold mines of Spanish and Portuguese America
forty-fve thousand FIVE hundred and eighty pounds
troy.
! Whatever be the value and extent of the gold
region OF Caforna-and it cannes be doubted
that it is vauable-we should proceed in ascertain
ing it with respect both to the decisions Of science
and to the experience of other nations in similar
positions.
| Theory has its value in relation to mineral de-
postes only as it is affirmed by experience. 1t is
one of the traits Of the metallierous diluvial de-
poses of the United States that these deposites
spread over very extensive areas of surface that
they lie at very considerable elevations above the
present water level of adjacent seas, lakes, and
rivers and that, as consequence OF THIS altitude
Of position, they are-so long as the working is
confined to these beds-explored with little CON-
/ parative labor expense. Ii would appear as II
diluvial action had exerted itself withg greater force
and with more degrading power upon our high
lands than in the old world, so TO demolish the
solid surface of rocks to greater depth, and to
scatter their disrupted veins Of mineral matter
more extensive areas. Such are the Impressions
in examining the remarkable diluvial and projected
deposites of lead in Missouri, Iowa, and Northern
Illinois, the gold Oblivion Of the Appalachian spine
in the Southern States, and the wide copper-bould-
er Oblivion of the basin of Lake Superior. In each
of these the original metabearing rocks have
been broken down by ancient geological causes,
and scattered over very wide areas Of country. In
each Oh THESE cases also
tual working Of the mines was accompanied by
public excitement, by the anticipation of extraor-
binary wealth with at comparatively little labor,
and by neglect, to great extent of the cautious
experience OF science and the statistics of practi
cal mining.
As connected with the subject Of the above ar
ticle, we copy the suboined official letter from the
government paper Of yesterday
MINT OF TIE UNITED STATEs,
Philadelphia, December IL, lsis.
SIN On the 9th instant received, as have already
had the honor inform you, the first deposite Of gold from
California. II deposited by Mr.. David Garter, who
brought il from San Francisco by the shmus route. Il
weighed l,s04.59 troy Of which ,423 so from
the lower surface mines and 20 from those Feather
river On the 9th instant another deposie by the
Secretary Of War; which weighed 22s ounces.
The gold Of two in external character, though
apparently different as quality. The first from the
"dy dgsngs" in grains, which averaged from to
two pennyweghs; the other variety from the swamps
margins Of the streams being in small fiat spanges Of
which, on an average, IL would take six weigh
grain ofthese by far the larger part Of the depotes
composed.
The gold melted in six parcels, and the loss by melt
ing due the earthly and oxdabe matter which disappears
in this operation, averaged about per cent Of the original
u,o;oht time rcnortad shows