The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-01-08

with its silver coin and bullion. More
over, where the Sierra Mimbres, in its
course to north, approaches to its junction
with the Sierra Madre, it increases to
prodigious bulk. 1t rises to the altitude
of perpetual snow, and assumes, for 200
miles, the local name of Sierra San Juan.
Here it is that the dislocation of nature by
volcanic forces, and the consequent metal
liferous development, attain their highest
elimination.
What is about to follow the arrival of
our pioneer people within this region, may
be exactly illustrated by what is already |
done within the region Of the great ealca-
reous Plain.
We have seen that the calcareotis plain, |
being formed beneath a great ocean, con-
densed from its, filtration and by its press
ure, contains only the base metals, copper,
iron, lead, zinc. A metaliferous band of
these metals is traced diagonally across it,
traversing from southwestern Texas,
through that State, through Arkansas,
Missouri, Wisconsin, brushing the shores
of Lake Superior and of Hudson's Bay, to
the ocean shore opposite Greenland
Points of elimination of these various
metals are found, where they reveal them
selves above the general surface, in mass
and in position. Thus iron appears in
Missouri in native purity, protruding in
mountain masses over many hundred
square miles of surface the same is the
form Of copper sdjacsnt to Lake Supe-
rior; so also with lead in Missouri and in
| Wisconsin.
Now the same arrangement character
ICES the immense primeval formation
which occupies our continent from Cape
Horn to Behring's Strait, and which is
throughout impregnated with the precious
metals As gold is everywhere else
found within it in the form of grains, or
scales, or minute Jumps; SO is it possible
for it to eliminate in mass and in posi-
ton, where the auriferous rocks are up
heaved to form the vertical masses of the
Sierra San Juan and the Andes, and are
than gorged into their bowels by the ca
non of the Colorado.
The search for gold has heretofore con-
fined itself to the external TANKS of the
primeval mountains, where they front the
sea, and where the rivers descend from
their backs. Why it has here been found
only in grains; scales and small Jumps
may lie thus illustrated 1 suppose my
self at my camp FIRE in the wilderness, en-
gagged in boiling rice. Into camp kettle
of boiling water throw cup of rice
This rice, after time, settles, by its spe-
cifc gravity, into sedimentary mass be-
meath the water The water above retains
a milky whiteness. This whiteness is due
to the presence of minute particles of rice
remaining suspended throtgh the body of
the fluid. Being frozen into ice, this con-
dition remains fixed in solid form. The
presence of the gold in the auriferous
rocks has had a similar origin and pre-
sents identical conditions. 1t is the at
triton of the elements upon the surface
5 rocks and veins only that have as yet at
3 tracted attention. It is beneath that we
f must search for the sedimentary mass
the possibility to do which now first pre-
{ sents itself as we advance within the lab
q yrinth of the volcanic masses and canons
!, of the plateau.
d Ny own personal experience, earned
!, during three military expeditions, made
o between the years 184449, rendered des
S perate from the then unknown complied
t ton of the country, added to tbs numeri'
/ cal strength and savage character of the
e Indians, is not without value. The fact:
: then and since collected by me, are so nu'
: merous and so positive, that l entertain
e an absolute conviction, derived from them
s that gold in mass and in position, and in
/, finite in quantity, will, within the coming
It three years, reveal itself to the energy o
# our pioneers. All the precious metals anC
g precious stones will also reveal themselve
: in equal abundance, in this region so pro
d pitious to their production. Such de
d velopmen. has nothing in it speculative
: or theoretical. 1t comes of necessity il
the order of time, and as an inevitabl
l. sequence to the planting of empire il
1t Texas, in California, in Oregon, N Kansa
e and in Utah. As these other develop
r ments have preceded it in the order Q
e time, and encompass it all round, thi
10 now comes to unite, to complete, to con
: summate the rest, and to give form an
Re power and splendor to the whole.
Ie The inquiry which acquaints US wit
C, the climate, the agriculture and the dc
m nestle geography of this immense regior
i is still equally interesting and importar
J. as its metals. 1t was upon the summit {
y this plateau, where it traverses Mexic
is and Peru, that the semi-civilized empire
r of Montezuma and the Incas were fount
is when a sterile barbarism pervaded ever
s, other portion of the continent of Americ;
Of The distance hence to Pixies Peak
at less than 700 miles. 1t is reached by tn
10 great road of the Arkansas river, traver
as ing straight to the west and ascending ii
rs imperceptible grade of the Great PlaiI
lt clear to the mountain base. Gold Is hel
ne discovered so soon as the primeval rocl
or rise from beneath the calcareous plain
in Pixies Peak, which rises to the altitud
ne of Il, 500 feet above the sea, is the abrul
er colossal termination of the mounta
ell promontory, which, protruding eastwal
le. from the Cordillera 100 miles, sunde
IL from one another the sources Of the Sou
%. Platte and the Arkansas rivers. Whe
b. this promontory connects with the Cordi
IT. lera, is supremacy grand focal point
tie primary mountain chains, primary rive
n and pares. This focal point is in the san
srs latitude as San Francisco and ST. Lou
,ra (39o;) is about 1000 miles from each, al
,se in the center between them. The dire
7al ton of the Cordillera is from north-we
ns. to southeast. From its western hal
We protrudes q promontory, balancing al
be. similar to that of Pixies Peak, known
re- the Elk mountain it sunders from o
to another the Grand river Of the Colora
les and the Eagle river, and terminates a
SIN rup,ly within the angle of their junctic
or Radiating due south is the Sierra Mil
his bres, known, for 200 miles, by the sno'
is peaks of San Juan. This chain sund,
= the waters of Eagle river from the l
vel del Norte. The southern arm of the G
ain dillera sunders the waters of the Rio
aus Norte from the Arkansas river the mort
ms. ern arm, the waters of the Platte NJ
are. from the Rio Grande of the Colorado
the Such is this focal summit from which
: of primary mountains and five rivers sim
the taneousiy depart. Upon the Platte Is