The hydraulic press., 1859-08-27
California Quicksilver Mines.


tains some interesting editorial correspond
ence upon this subject, from which we take
the liberty of condensng the following par
ticulars, not having space to copy in full.
The writer visited only two of the mines
which have been worked in the State, but
his descriptions will apply to all of them,
and convey information that is not general.
He says it is fact worthy of notice that the
four quicksilver mines now open, known as
the New Almaden, Guadaloupe, Enriqueta
and New Idria mines. are all in nearly di-
rect line; and this fact induced Mr.. Lauren
eel to commence the prospecting which led
to the discovery Of the Enriqueta mine. The
Guadaloupe mine, owned by company
of gentlemen living in Baltimore, is situated
in the hills twelve miles southwest of San
Jose. The paying vein was discovered ac-
cidentally after the one first opened had
proved unremuueratiye and had been ahand-
oned. A Mexican pulled up soap root on
the narrow strip of fat land next to Guada-
loupe Creek, and discovered cinnabar at
tached to the small roots of it. This reminds
one ofthe manner in which the Indian Potosi
discovered the famous silver mines of Peru.
At the spot described the inclined shaft of
the Santa Clara mining company was sunk,
the bed Of the creek, where lateral tunnels
branch ont in every direction. The CHINA
bar is found in the hardest kind of serpen-
tine rock, in masses connected together by
sheets of the mineral few inches in thick
ness, and is obtained only by blasting.
About seventy miners are constantly en-
ployed in procuring it. Steps cut in the in
clincd shaft lead to and from the mine. The
ore yields from eight to sixty-nine per cent of
quicksilver. 1t is cracked into small pieces
and dried in the sun, to get rid of the water
which would turn to steam in the ovens to
the danger of the works ; is then mixed with
one-third lime, which facilitates its decom-
position and quantities Of which is found in
adjacent hills, and finally spread over the
floors Of brick ovens to the depth of an inch
or two. These ovens are very tightly closed,
and fire applied beneath them. The mer-
curial vapors rise, pass into an iron tube,
condense when they reach that portion of
the tube which is cooled by water, and fall
in the form of globules into receiving tank
Of water. This process occupies about three
hours. The metal is then drawn off into
kettles and put into iron TASKS for market.
Quantities of these are corded up near at
hand. A dark residuum left in the tank is
taken out, lime added, suffered to stand
few hours, and then yields large quantity
of pure quicksilver.
Two miles further up Guadaloupe creek
is the newly discovered mine of Enriqueta,
so named from the little daughter of Henry
Laurencel, the principal proprietor.
The mine is in Il mountain standing in the
forks of the creek, and is opened some three
hundred feet above the level of the narrow
valley below. The ascent to it is made by
means of steep and crooked mule path
down which the cnnabar is carried on the
backs of animals The entrance to the mine
is through tunnels over the upper one of
which there is fine, large picture of the
little girl after whom the mine is named.
The descent 10 this mine, about one 150 feet
deep, is effected by means of the most prim-
tive sort of ladders, made of sapings six
or eight inches in diameter and notched for
steps Up this ladder the mineral is all
transported to the mouth of the mine in raw
hide sacks on the backs of Mexicans and
supported by strap acros the forehead
load is from one to two hundred pounds
The cinnabar is found in kind of serpen-
tine, fractured and broken in such manner
as to be easily dug with pick, like decom-
posed quartz. The discovery Of the mine
was made by six Mexicans from Sinaloa. in
the employ of Laurencel, on the llth of De-
cember last. The Enriqueta mine is in the
same Gordon of hills as the New Almaden
on the other side of the same ridge, and but
two miles distant across. 1t promises well.
A large amount of rock has been transpor-
ted to the creek, and furnaces are in process
of erection for roasting. The cinnabar
yields from twelve to fifty and sixty per
cent. of metal.
James Redpath describes in late number