The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-01-31

ns tic cHoIt is CoilIlileu 10 Inc SOIL. IL would ap
pear, LII contemplating the question of diluvial &C
ton, if it had exerted itself with greater force
| and violence, and with a more degrading power
/ upon our highlands and submits than in the Old
World, so as to demolish solid surface rocks and
| break them up to greater depth, and to scatter
their disrupted veins Of mineral matter over more
extensive districts. Such are the impressions in
examining the remarkable diluvial and injected de.
posts OF the galena of Missouri Iowa and Northern
Illinois the gold debris and pebble duvium of the
Appalachian spine in the Southern States, and the
wide spread copper boulder diluvium of the basin
OF Lake Superior In each of these cases the origi-
nal metal bearing rocks have been broken down by
ancient diluvial action, and scattered over wide
areas OF country In each case ALSO the first dis
coVery or eventual working ofthese extemporaneous
mines was accompanied by public excitement
hundreds and thousands rushing to the field and
IN each case the explorations terminated, after the
most extravagant antlcipatlons of easily got wealth.
In tracing the origin and supply of the drift deposits
to contiguous veins in the undisturbed rocks
NO determinations can be safely made pri0ri
upon the extent and permanent value of the gold
deposits under consideration. Our actual knowledge
OF the geography and resources of the country is
limited Of its geology and mneralogy further
than conclusions can be guessed at from the loose
letters OF the day, and the examination of the spe-
ctmens which are named above, and the ASSAYS of
the MINT we know nothing Its coast latitudes and
heights and distances of interior POSITIONS are is
accessible, together with valuable amount of in
formation collected of its vegetable physiology and
military maritime advantages, by the several officers
OF the navy and army who have reported and pub
lished the results of their observations.
In the geographical memoir accompanying Col
Fremont's map, communicated to the Senate in
compliance with its resolutions of the 9Th and 18th
June last, the Sacramento and San joaquin rivers
are described as the natural development of one
valley, whose waters, rising at opposite extremtes
meet IN It's centre, and unite their channels before
reaching tide water at the head of the Bay of San
Francisco. Both rivers are represented as drawing
their sources and chief tributaries from the Sierra
Nevada chain of mountains, through a wide belt
OF . foothills These are covered, to a consde-
rabie extent, with large oaks pines, and some other
declduous and perennial forest trees and afford in
these valleys and plains, extensive and valuable
tracts OF fertile SOIL fit for the purposes of agricul
ture.
There is no description of the range, Dip or geo.
logical construction and character of the hills and
elevations reputed to yield gold of the soils which
rest upon their tops, sides, valleys; or of the
rock formations of higher attitudes this intrepid
and accurate observer having confined his atten-
ton chiefly to the typographical features of the
country and the various phenomena which deter
mine Its capacities for supporting animal and vege-
table lite 1t is seen as incidental feature of his
notes, that the plains of the Sacramento and San
Joaquin are covered with the debris and drift soil
of higher attitudes, whose deposition may be re-
garded essentially as the result of duyial and not
river action. In the present state of our informa-
ton, we must regard the native gold, scales, and
Jumps, as one of the elements of this reproduced
mass. How far they have been transported is I'M
known. Whether the beds are deep or shallow,
extended or limited, has not been observed
Whether the gold is found in The valleys or de-
presslons exclusively, or also on the hills or plains,
is equally unknown In order to form just concep-
tons on the subject, it would be desirable also to
ascertain whether the elevated lands afford gold in
the same relative proportion to the soil, gravel and
sand, as in the valleys; whether there are any ap-
pearances in the dry runs or sides of the hills, of
the loose materials being in the state of a debris
which has not been far removed or any other in
dlcation of the proximity of fixed veins
1t Is known from the history of the discovery of
gold, that volcanic rocks, certainly lavas and the
newer formations, never yield it, and it cannot,
therefore, be supposed to come from the vitric
peaks and eminences of the Sierra Nevada. This
bold mountain chain, which, under several names,
extends along the Pacific coast from Mount Elias
to the Gulf OF California, has probably lifted up on
It's western sides, the GRANTEES, clay States mica
states, clay porphyrles, and other STRATA whose de-
britus and other comminuted fragments are found
in the valley of the Sacramento, in the shape of
pebbles and sand. Such, at least in the absence
OF all observation may be presumed to be the true
position of these gold deposits. Col. Fremont, in
that part of the Sacramento which is
now the theatre of gold washings, observed 8" a
yelowish, gravelly soil' along its eastern banks
Geo Mem p 80 He is speaking of the perma-
nent upland soil, which he states be five hundred
and sixty feet above the level of the sea- and high
above the influence of the floods of the rainy
season. Here, then, Is evidence of the duval
of the general soil, and of its origin in
higher positions. Mount Tzashtl, which is stated
by him to divide the lower from the upper valley
of the Sacramento, is placed by that observer
at IA 900 feet above the sea, which is nearly
the height of Mont Blanc. Geo. Mem. D. 25)
This stream, he observes, falls not less than
Two thousand feet in twenty miles, in passing at
the base of this mountain from its upper its lower
valley. This denotes a marked altitude for all its
eastern tributaries, which flow Immediately from
The foot Of the continuous line of the Sierra Nevada
Many of these tributaries nearly dry, except in
The rainy season, when they sweled to torrents,
which must exert powerful action upon the loose
materials of their beds.
l., Here we perceive another class of phenomena,
which may materially affect the value position
md phenomena of the California gold deposits
The whole weight of the popular testimony derived
rom letters-a species of testimony which, in this
feature, may be admltted-is in favor of the position
If the metal in the soil, nothing but bars shovels
md plck-axes being necessary pursue the Search
There Is no affirmation that any person is pursuing
T0ck-vein, or has employed blast. There is |
some to believe that the scale gold is of the
Oldest era, and that it has been transported the
ongest distances from its original veins These |
ninuter pieces approximate in this respect, to the
lust-gold of the African coast, which has been |
ound along the low, sandy, alluval shores of that
country for the space of 100 leagues at very great
distances below the interior highlands and without,
% far as is known, ever having been traced to its
'riginal beds. Were the degraded inhabitants of |
hat coast required to be paid but moderate per |
lem for the time they devote in its search, and fill
ng in the quilts of birds to be offered to traders on
Oasf 10 rat n,ohl th,
circulating medium of the world would be enriched |
mother arobe.
There is but one further source of testimony re-
pecting the value and position of these beds, which
oes differ, however, in the general view it pre-
enfs, from the preceding Col. r. B. Mason, in |
lis report of the 18th August last-that is to saw
bout three months after the first discovery of gold
N the Rio de los Americanos-vistedt that location,
md describes the position of the gold deposit as
constituting the bank close by the stream" The
ides of the hills co, cred with tents and bush
rbors. This deposit, as witnessed in the washings,
vas made lid coarse SHINES -