San Andreas independent., 1857-01-31

In company with several citizens of Cal
averas county, [ started on Tuesday, Sep
tember 30th, '56, from Mokelumne Hill.
and travelling northeastward up the main
Mokelumne river, by way Of Rich Gulch.
Pleasant Springs and Sandy Gulch, halted
for the night at West Point, to let pack
animals come up. We passed over good
road all the way, over which stages are
daily running, and along the line of which
miners are constantly at work. Saw mills
and quartz mills are also in operation,
finding ample remuneration for their la
bors. At West Point we found DIR. Da-
Wis, of San Francisco, who, with Exit.
Gov. Purdy, and many other gentlemen,
are engaged in developing the resources of
this section, believed by them to be one of
the richest quartz regions in the State
The quartz is found in lodges running in
every direction-in many cases defying
calculation as to the supposed dip and
course. Near the surface the sulphurets,
which abound in an extraordinary degree,
have become decomposed and the quartz
that is taken from the leads is thereby rem
dered easily capable of being worked, at
small expense, with the common mud-aras-
tras and small water-wheels, while it af-
fords an almost fabulous return for the la
Dor and capital employed
The village of West Point has but late
ly sprung into existence, and is the from
tier settlement of this section of the State;
yet it seems destined to become the centre
OF one of the most extensive and lucrative
quartz fields now occupied
On the next day our pack animals hav-
ing arrived, we started at midday for the
realno-road country. Crossing the middle
fork of the Mokelumne, at an easy grade
for loaded wagons, and still keeping north
eastward, at twenty-five miles intersected
the trail leading to the Big Trees and Muir
phys. The ridge, to this point, rises
slightly, covered with pine and oak, and
few cedars, with fine grass on either side
and good water. 1t is spur Of the main
divide Of the Sierras, and can be followed
to the summit. Here turning to the north
ward, we cross a low, narrow, and thickly
timbered spur Of the divide between the
waters of the Stanislaus and the Mokel-
umne, and proceeded along the sides of
the ridge on the north fork of the Stanis-
laus, crossing several brooks and hollows,
to Grizzly Bear Valley, twelve miles-good
grass and water all the way The timber
is pine, but stunted and meagre. Many
granite boulders crop out along the road,
and the creek beds are all rocky. The
general direction Of Bear Valley is north
and south, about five miles across, and
covered with fine grass Several emigrant
teams were here encamped, recruiting their
stock on the rich herbage
Turning n. n. w, and crossing small
round valley, with central lake, which
(the valley, not the lake, we called the
Race Course, and is lying on level with
the top of the ridge, we followed the di
vide between the Middle and the North
forks Of the Stanislaus eastward along the
southern slope, crossing the heads of seve-
raj small streams running into the Middle
Fork at Five Mile Cross, the head of north
end Of the Stanislaus Valley. This is
one of the handsomest valleys we had seen
the herbage, the beautiful pine growth,
and the disposition of the rocks, made It a
scene worthy the pencil of any artist
The Middle Fork of the Stanislaus rises
here and flows southwark through the
level meadow. About three miles from
this we found ledge Of slate, containing
traces of ores running northwest and south
east; also, number of quartz choppings
IN every direction. Proceeding northeast
wardly up the canon of the Stanislaus
Valley, we crossed saddle of the ridge,
where there is small lake, and from
which the South Fork of the Mokelumne
and branch of the Stanislaus take their
rise. Winding along the ridge north
wardly, we descended to the south branch
of the North Fork of the Mokelumne
(Which here runs due north) in canon
heading southeast, with fine bunch grass,
young cedar and spruce; thence over
broken country in which many streams
head with rocky beds, and scattered tim
ber; bending for six miles to the north
west, we gained the divide ridge of the
Sierras and summit lakes. These lakes
are deserving of special mention, forming
as they do, a portion Of system of natu-
raj reservoirs to be found throughout this
entire summit range, from which the heads
OF all the streams or rivers running into
the great basin, as well as the Pacific,
flow; appearing to have no surface outlet
except In the wet season, these reservoirs
contain a vast body of water, which can
with but little expense be made to supply
the rapidly increasing wants of the agri-
cultural and auriferous region below, to
which enterprise and capital will soon di-
rect their outflow
From the intersection of the Big Tree
road to this point, most of the formation
has been of secondary rock, and conglom-
crate, with many outcroppings of granite