San Andreas independent., 1857-01-31

~ al, es'oJ Slaue, through heavily TIM
bered canon, into the head of Hope Val
ley, passing through two small valleys and
heading a fork of Carson River. The
course Of this fork would afford shorter
route, but the canon through which it
passes is impracticable Proceeding north
east down Hope Valley, we passed the
Placeryille road Of Mr.. Goddard's line of
survey and Johnson's cut off to the head
of Carson Canon, and thence eastward
down Carson Canon to the main valley.
Hope Valley is about eleven miles in
length, and from two to three in width
1t contains an abundance of fine grass and
water, with growth of willows and some
cottonwoods on the streams, and the hill
sides covered with timber scattered among
broken rocks. We here obtained some
fine trout from the Carson Greek. In this
valley, about five miles from the head of
the canon, there are to be found many
traces of copper ore. Some twenty veins
are to be discovered running parallel to
each other, in a northwest and southeast
direction. One has been opened for a few
feet. 1t lies about three hundred feet
above the level of the valley, on the south
west slope Of the hill. It is eighteen
inches wide, and has dip Of forty-fve
degrees, and appears to be valuable. A
rough assay showed forty per cent. Of cop
per, ten per cent Of silver, and three per
cent. of gold, and value, per ton, Of $500.
The hill in which the vein has been
opened is low and narrow divide of two
forks Of Hope Valley running north and
south; it is very rocky and heavily tim
bered, and runs out into the valley about
a mile and half north Of the opened
vein. About quarter Of mile to the
eastward, this vein runs out into an up
right ledge OF granite, but it can easily be
traced northWestward into the main noun
tain for three miles. The character of
this and other contiguous veins indicate
that they are merely feeders of the mother
vein and it is to be believed that when
that is found, it will prove to be exceed
ingly rich and valuable in ore, if not in
native copper, afording handsome remu-
neration for the investment of mining cap
ital
On our return upon the road line, after
arriving at the point of intersection Of the
ridge which we followed from West Point,
with the Big Trees trail, we continued by
this road to the Big Trees fifteen miles,
and thence back to Mokelumne Hill, re-
naming one night in /" the Grove"
These giants of the forest have been 50
often and SO well described, that I will not
add anything here concerning them, ex-
cept to refer to the strange blunder of
those botanists who have classed them
among the texodiums, they being, instead
OF the real coniferse, and of the genera of
the cypress, the cupressinae vere
The cone is about two inches in length,
and Of the form of an ovate epheroid. For
ten miles on either side of the grove, the
road runs through the handsomest forest
in California
The intermediate distances are reported
as follows: From Mokelumne Hill to West
Point, Is miles; crossing Middle Fork,
Mokelumne river and Scull Flat, 2 miles
Sanders Ranch, 3 miles; Grass Spring,
5 miles; intersection Big Trees Road, L
miles; divide between Stanislaus and Mo-
kelumne, 4 miles North Fork Stanislaus,
] mile; Grizzly Bear Valley, 7 miles
Main Ridge at the head of Stanislaus
Valley, 5 miles across canon, across rocky
ridges to summit Of Sierras and lakes, II
miles; Hope Valley Head, miles; Pla-
cerville Road, Z miles; head of Carson
Canon, 2 miles; from intersection to Big
Tree Grove, Is miles; Big Tree Grove
to Murphy's, Is miles.
This would make the distance from the
Big Trees to the head of Carson Canon,
81 miles. The grade is gradual and very
easy. The " Pass" is one of the lowest
in the mountains, and water, grass and
timber are abundant and of excellent quail
ity. A number Of emigrants passed over
the road at our suggestion; some going
into Murphy's, others to West Point, and
all agreed in praise of the route.
A number of observations We're taken |
on the route, with an aneroid barometer,
but finding, on my return, after careful
comparisons, that the instrument was not
to be relied upon for accuracy, [ have
omitted the table, referring to other sour
ces for determination of attitudes.
This route | can recommend as one
worthy of most favorable attention for the
location Of road at small expense, with |
great benefit to the immigration and the
State.
A NOVEL DIRECTIoN.-Th following
was on the back of a letter deposited in the
Sacramento Post Office yesterday. and
which we sincerely hope viii reach its des-
tinatinn It Wnnld enn1,n &c 4ho,h Il