The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-18

separang II from the plains Of the Gan joaquin; on
the south by the bills near the northern part Of the
separating It from the Bay San Francisco. a large
portion of the northern centre OF this valley is occu
pied by lagoon filled with tule, and the latter ex
tend for considerable distance from its borders.
borders, but toward the centre il is either wet and
heavy and withal somewhat saline, on the higher
parts dry and gravelly. The entire district appears
much better adapted to grazing lands than to agri
through artesian borings, and from the appearance
of the valley there is but little question that an
abundant supply ia obtainable from these sources
The altitude Of the valley is four hundred and
thirty feet above the sea; and derives the principal
portion Of its supplies Of water from the slopes
connecting with Monte Diablo. On the south and
southwest sides, among the hills, considerable
masses of the metamorphic rocks are to be seen,
and the appearance of quartz veins is frequent
in this vicinity than in any other section of these
mountains that were observed.
MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE COAST MOUNTAINS
The minerals of these mountains are widely dis
persed throughout their entire extent they consist
principally Of copper, iron, lead, silver, gold,
nickel, and antimony, with agates, calcedone, and
many others, too numerous to mention here.
SILvER.-In the county of Monterey this metal
occurs in the form of argenterous galena Cor lead
and silver and this mineral Is found in the print
tive and transition limestone Astounding in this sec
tion it is found in small veins and disseminated;
the range in which it occurs extends from the Gabi
Ian peak to the ChapeaerO on the south, distance
Oftweye miles inclusive.
IRON.-This metal ia found in almost every variety
of FORM from one end of the coast mountains to the
other; the prevailing mineral however, is the perox
ide and protoxide of this metal the latter is often
found in the form Of hydrate, and when occurring in
more or less auriierous. This mineral is largely de-
vel0ped in parts of the aufiferous district of
Mariposa county and from one of the most valuable
receptaces of gold among the goldbearing rocks Of
that section.
SULPHATE OF IRoN.-This article, known in COM
mcrce under the name Of "copperas' is found native
in large quantities near the town of Santa Cruz Its
principle had occurred q short distance west of the
house of Mr.. Medor, in gulch running from the
mountains through the low hills to the coast fol-
lowed the course of the ravne from where it enters
the high hill near the crossing of the road north
west of the town to near the sea. The average
depth of its banks varies from fifteen to thirty feet
its length from the hill to the coast being about two
miles.
MAGNETIC IRoN-At the distance of two miles
northwest Of the above locality, an extensive bed
Of magnetic iron occurs running down to the coast
at which point it crops out and exhibits depth OF
several feet.
GYPsuM.-Sulphate Of lime is reported to abound
in the northern part of Santa Cruz, and in the
vicinity of the Palo de los Yeska, some six miles
from the mission. i was frequently spoken OF by
the inhabitants Of this place, but was unable to
CINNABAR is also reported to exist in this To-
cality.
NikEL-The ores of this metal are found from
limit reached in the Coast MOUNTAINS 1t occurs in
the primitive rocks, associated with chronic iron in
almost every case where the latter may be obtained
1t appears as a bright green mineral on the frac.
tured surface of the other ores, and is known in
technical language as "nicked green.' The scarcity
of this metal renders the discovery of its ores in
this country an object of some Importance, and its
wide distribution leads to the belief that it exists in
sufficient quantities to warrant investment for its
extraction from other ores, at no distant day. 1t
is extensively used in the manufacture of German
silver for wares and household utensils.
GoLD.-This metal has been found in the Coast
Mountains, from the County San Francisco on the
north to Luis Obispo on the south. The states and
serpentne formations which have been noticed pre-
viously in this report found to be recepacles of
gold here as in the Sierra Nevada; these rocks are
extensive in the Coast Mountains often comprising
entire ridge for miles; they are usually fanked
by the granite. During the past summer the placers
in the County Santa Cruz were much worked; the
gold found here principally on the San Lorenzo
and its tributaries it fine, and much resembled
that found in the Caoti Hill, near Nevada under the
glass it had oil the appearance OF having suffered
but little from attriton by water the surface OF the
grains being rough, as though just detached from
their original matrx. The states and serpentine
rocks occur on both sides of this creek, with small
veins Of quartz running through them; and, from
what we know of auriferous districts OF this and
other countries, the presumption that gold In stu
exists here amounts nearly to a certainty.
On the upper portions Of the Car%shfSSs IN the
81 The f rancho faiecita. Farther to
the southeast near the head waters of the creek it
IL also found on the tributaries of the main stream
that flow from the western ridge of these noun
tains. On the Francisquito tributary of the Car
meo. coming from the southwest, and twelve miles
from the coast it is also found, near the house of
Barondo. Three or four Mexicans were working
with the battaya at the time passed that rancho.
The serpentine rocks are largely developed on the
east tanks of the granite ridges aud from their
course they may be considered forming the north
ern part of series which occurs at the Mission San
Antonio, fifty miles south.
The district of country in the coast mountains in
which the aurifererous deposits are now known to
occur is about eighty miles in length and thus far
is confined to the counties of Santa Clara Monterey
and the north part of Luis Obispo. This il mate
rial addition to the already known area in whichthis
metal is found and its location in what has hereto.
fore been considered the agricultural districts Of the
State will in time exert beneficial influence in the
permanent settlement of those sectious.
ANTIMoNY.-The common sulphuret of this me.
tai is very abundant in the Monte Diablo range; at
Mount Oso it Is found in large masses, also at var
GUS other points throughout these mountains; it
occurs in considerable quantities in some parts of
the county of Santa Barbara. This mineral is de-
serving OF attention, as it often contains notable
quantity Of silver, though as yet no, specimens
which have been found in this Country contain a
large per centage Of this metal.
BITUMEN.-B ituminous springs abound through
the coast mountains, and in some places is much
front Of buildings for the latter purpose it is ad-
mrably adapted in situations where the sun will not
have too powerful an effect upon it, in such cases
it is apt to become soft In the counties of Santa
Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey, several of these
springs occur, and further south are found more
abundant. Information has been received of an ex-
tensve deposit of bitumen in Contra Costa some
six miles from the shores of the bay, but at what
point have as yet been unable to learn. This ar
ticle has been used of late in the manufacture of
gas for illumination, and it possesses some advan-
tages over the common oil or rosin gas in general
use sufficient quantity for the illumination of the
country may be easily obtained, and at low rates,
when required for this purpose.
PLACER MINING.
The writer enters iato long treatise on this
branch of mining, and represents its progress as
being very extensive during the last two years.
1t is ascertained to certainty that the placer
ranges extend to the east within ten fifteen miles
of the summit RIDGE so called, of the Sierra Ne
vada; and the condition in which is found at these
points Is similar in oil respects to that in the older
rvc secfions with porbana nxcartion