The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-08-31

uenced by desire TO favor Particular routes Of travel
for the emigrants to follow; others, by desire to
interested in the settlement and sale Of The
lands but much the greater portion BY estima
nf the sol d. as1s which .s T. generally good
the absence Of the humidity In atmosphere
10 produce profitable vegetation; but be the motive
what may, the influence has been equally unfortunate,
by directing legislation and the military occupation OF
the country, as If susceptible OF continuous settle
men from the peaks Of the eganies TO the shores OF the
Pacific.
Between the two most distinctly mari ed ranges Of
mountains before described the Rocky Mountains and
some Of which many hundred miles In extent whio
others appear like isolated mountains rising above the
a.
maximum elevation, forming very considerable angles
with the general direction and all when traced upon
map exhibit lines varying from right lines to every degree
Of curvature The whole system plateau and mo intan,
have been produced by Of forces
Joyous TO each other direction but differing in intensity
and occurring long intervals Ths prevalence Of granite
and other unsaHed rocks throughout the Sierra Nevada
suggest the probability OF It's being the Oldest range o.
mountains The identity of its rocks generally with
those OF the Allegheny Mountains mark these two dis
nct and detached chains probably contemporaneous
The rocks marking these mountains are of the de-
pon commonly traversod by gold and copper veins
as Is the in Oregon. California, Virginia and North
Carolina.
Travelling eastward from the Pacific along the bed o,
the ella, we encountered similar rocks 10 chain OF
mountains far east as the Pmo village. This chain,
also by the presence OF gneiss mica and
Takose slate has been trace far south the present
boundary where the Santa Cruz yer between
longitude ITO and Ill degrees and in that neghborhood
we saw everywhere the remains OF gold mines from
which the operators had been driven by the Apaches
Pursuing our course eastward along the boundary
Pedro the Guadalupe, and the San Luis range of
tains in the order In which they named the middle
granite lava and immense masses Of congomerate or
breccia Precisely the same formation Is found in the
on Of
Disappointment Creek And no doubt when future
veys shall develope more minute knowledge Of the
Of mountains will and their equivalent to the north and
to the south. With the present information shall not
70 mem has n
the United States In country has it been carried TO
30 great an extent or been attended with more disas
menced under the eminent auspices of Baron Humboldt
who, from few excursions into Mexico attempted TO
figure the whole American continent.
On the same kind Of unsubstantia information, maps
OF the whole continent have been produced and engraved
in the highest style ofar and sent forth to receive the
patronage Of Congress- and the applause OF geographical
societies at home and abroad while the substantial
trbuors TO accurate geography have been overlooked
The San Luis range OF mountaIns-a distant view Of
which given from the Ojo de los Animos-rse abruptly
from the plains about three leagues north Of the parallel
most formidable appearance of that parallel
west OF the Rio Grande They called in Sonora and
not n entirely the conditions implied by term for
am informed that the waters flowing from their base to
WaTuS racine coast Often lake tner 70
Of these mountains and flowing through chasms impassa
BILE Tor men, fall down the western slope In rapid
descent, producing sublime and picturesque cascades
twas not in my power to explore this range TO the
south, but was informed by persons worthy Of conf
dence that throughout It's whole extent far south
the parallel Of Mazatan II was impossible for wagons
and there probability Of finding south of 81
deg. 20 min, q line Tor q railway.
The report Of Its mpracticabty for wagons con-
frmed by the fact that the Canine real highway esab
shed by the Spaniards to connect Cnihuhua aud Guy
mas makes great circuit and passes to the north Of 81
deg 20 min, and within what 10 now the territory Of
This s.upendous range Of mountains which drops so
abruptly a few miles north OF the boundary, as IL
connect the Pacific and Atlantic States, no
doubt reappears to the north in the neighborhooi
Of the ella but Information not yet sufficient TO
tablish the connection quite satisfied of thing,
however-ts equivalent to be found In what called
the Sierra Madre in New Mexico Pursuing our course
tsched ranges Of mountains Of metamorphic and other
mestones associated with gneous rocks rich in silver
and lead, and at FL Paso encounter the western flank
Of the third great mountain CHAIN the Rocky Mountains
knawn in that particular locality the Organ Mountains
rangesthc Eagle Spring and the Lmpia range Of noun
tains These three chains OF mountains appear TO be
spurs OF the Rocky Mountains and characterized by
the Of carbonerous limestone greatly disturbed
by gneous protrusions OF what Professor Hall charac
terizes as OF Comparatively modern origin" Aud
throughout this whole region the carboncrous and
morphc limestone Is not unfrequenty traverscd by rich
seams OF argtntferous lead Between the San Luis
range and the Organ Mountains, the first OF the
Rocky mountain range, the netamorphsm OF the rocks
Is SO complete and the irrupt lines frequent and
their proruson above the crust Of the earth detached
the begins the other ends whether they do
all belong TO the system II Is between these
ranges upon the banks OF the Janos Rrer, that dis
the first evidences OF that vast cretcous formation
which has been traced from the 10sth 10 the 10st mer
dian Of longitude, aud far north the Great Salt lake.
and south 10 the 25h parallel OF latitude. The
limit OF this formation discovered by the boundary sur
vey Is the basin OF the anos River in Chihuahua aud
Its eas.ernmot limit San Antonio in Texas. How Ear
and haQ haan al mad. hu
has been traced In direction far the Big Salt
lake Of Utah Territory Granite and Its associated gold
bearing rocks, occur sporadicaly throughout the
Rocky Mountain chain and is spurs; but the
distinguishing feature, 10 economical point OF
view, Is the prevalence OF carbonferous limestone
with which found associated argentiferous galena
Silver mines OF richness have been discovered and
Of them worked TO a limited extent in the mountains
about Tucson at Barancas Preside del Nore Wild Rose
Pass In the Organ Mountains, and other localities Gold
mines have been worked at the Caabosas the Santa
Cruz river and In the mountains OF New Mexico on both
sides OF the Rio Bravo. will not be exravagant " pre-
dict the discovery OF many localities where silver mines
can be worked to advantage throughout the whole
the line OF boundary from the great bend OF the Rio
Bravo in Texas TO the meridian OF the San Luis range
The ony copmody n which We are move oven as
ncen and for which we are al all dependent upon any
any other country Another argentlferous region OF
ceeding richness, snd think one wholly disconnected
from the other Is In the basin OF the saul Cruz
river between that river and the Gulf OF California Veins
Of metal were discovered Injected through sand
stone.
have stated tina, the eastern portion or the continent
with which we IA nilisr, Is entirely different In It's
ply sica geography from the Western and among the
distinguishing features OF the FIRST the Allegheny
chain ofmountans which sheds ts waters clear from the
summit TO the That IL 70 say, water above
the surface at any point continues 10 ow In that position
until reaches tide water Between the two great chains
which have attempted 10 describe, occupying the west
ern portion OF the continent there other chains Of
mountains that Is impossible TO describe
them by words some continuous some detached
ridges others isolated peaks rising from the plateau al
most with the uniformity and symmetrical proportions OF
artificial structures Between them found basins
which have outlets to the ocean, but the 2a
ccs OF the DRAWINGS Of the surrounding water sheds OF
these the most extensive the Great salt Lake In Utah
Tcrrtory and the most remarkable for m historical
socatoIs and present importance s the valley Of the
City OF Mexico.
This succession OF basins forms prominent feature in
photography Of North America extending two thirds
the length OF and quite third the breadth OF IT,
They belong to what has been appropriately designated
as the basin system OF North America Those found near
the boundary are Santa Maria Guzman and Jaaui 10
the south Of the boundary and within the limits Of Mex
co. The FIRST Is fed by the waters Of the river Santa
Maria, which runs In northern direction and GuzmAn
by the river bearing the several nes Caras Grande
San Miguel and Janos the general OF which Il aso