The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-01-04

i. ambition remains hxed 10 solid form. The
!. presence Of the gold 10 the auriferous rocks
has had similar origin, and presents identical
r conditions. Il 10 the attrision Of the elements
, upon the surface rocks and veins only that have
+ n vet attracted attention. II IL beneath tina. We
, must search Tor the sedimcntary mass; the pos.
sibility to do which, nov FIRST presents itself -
( We advance within the labyrinth Of the yoican-
ic masses and canons Of the Plateau.
Nv own personal experience, earned during
three military expeditions made between the
, years 1912, rendered desperate from the
then unknown complication OF the country,
added to the numerical strength aud savage
character of the Indians, is not without value.
The facts then and since collected by me are SO
numerous and so positive, that | entertain an
absolute conviction. derived from them, that
gold in mass and in position and infinite in
quantity, will, within the coming three years,
reveal itself to the energy Of our pioneers. All
the precious metals and precious stones will
also reveal themselves in equal abundance, in
this region so propitions to their production-
Such a development has nothing 10 il specu-
lative or theoretical. II comes OF necessity in
the order of time, and as an inevitable sequence
to the planting OF empire in Texas, in Calfor-
MIA, in Oregon, in Kansas, and in Utah. As
these other Developments have preceded it in
the order OF time, and encompass 1t all around,
this now comes TO unite, to complete 10 con-
summate the rest. ard to give form aud power
and splendor to the whole.
The inquiry which acquaints us with the eli
innate, the agriculture and the domestic geo
graphy Of this immense region, is still equally
interesting and important as its metals. Ii was
upon the summit of this plateau. where it ira
verses Mexico and Peru, that the semi civilized
empires Of Montezuma and the Incas were
found, when sterile barbarsm pervaded every
/ fhar nf III "a rs
The distance hence to Pixies Peak il less
than 700 miles, 1t is reached By the great road
OF the Arkansas river, traversing straight to the
| west and ascending to the imperceptbe grade
Of the Great Plains clear to the mountain base
Gold is here discovered SO soon as the prime
val rocks rise from beneath the calcareous plain.
Pixies Peak, which rises to the altitude Of IA 800
feet above the sea, is the abrupt colossal
termination Of the mountain promontory, which,
protruding eastward from the Cordillera 100
| miles, sunders from one another the sources OF
| the South Platte and the Arkansas rivers
Where this promontory connects with the Cor
dillera, is supremacy grand focal point of pri-
mary mountain chains, primary rivers and
pares. This focal is in the same latitude as San
Francisco and ST. Louis (39 deg) is about 100
miles from each and in the centre between |
them. The detection of the Cordillera is from |
northwest 10 southeast From its western flank |
protrudes promontory, balancing and similar
to that of Pixies Peak known az the Elk noun
tan it sunders from one another the Grand
river Of the Colorado and the Eagle river, and
terminates abruptly within the angle of their
junction. Radiating due South is the Sierra
Mlmbres, known Tor 200 miles by the snowy
peaks OF San Juan; this chain sunders the wa
tiers OF Eagle river from the Rio del Ncrte.-
The southern arm Of the Cordillera sunders
the waters of the Rio del Nor,e from the Ar
kansas river; the northern arm, the waters of
the Platte river from the Rio Grande Of the
Colorado. Such is this focal summit from
which five primary mountains and FIVE rivers
simultaneously depart. Upon the Platte Is the
Pare, known as the Bayou Salado upon the
Rio Grande of the Colorado, the pare known as
the Middle Pare; upon the Rio del Norte, the
pare called the Bayou of San Luis. The Ar
kansas and Eagle rivers have no parcs--they !
defiie outward through Stupendous canons.-
The parcs, scooped out of the main dorsal mass q
OF the Cordlera by the rivers which beset them. !
are, each OF them, an immense amDhitheatre OF !
singular beauty, fertility and temperate atmos- |
phere; they approach another where they |
rest against the Cordilleras, at the extreme !
sources OF the rivers I
Behold, then, the panorama which salutes \
the vision oil one who has surmounted this SUI t
preme focal summit of the Cordillera! Infinite '
in variety of features each feature intense in a
the magnitude and the grandeur of its mould; '
In 'front.' in rear, and on either hand, nature as s
cending IN all her elements to the standard of I
speculative sublimity! Beneath, the family of n
pares; around the radialing backs of the pri- Il
mevai mountains the primary rivers starting Il
10 the seas above, the ETHEREAL canopy intense.
y blue eitalgen with the unc!ouded sun by !,
lay, and stars by night: to the east the undu- :
ating Plains, expanding one hundred leagues to :,
up ike the ocean beneath the encircling hori .
ION: to the west, the sublime Plateau, che r
laered by volcanic peaks and nesas, channeIied !,
IS labyrinth, by the profound gorges of the ;,
streams! '
1t is manifest with what ease the pioneers, :
lready engaged in mining at the entrance of
ne Bayuo Saado, will in another season ascend "
trough 1t to the Corderas, surmount its crt SITS in
nd descend into the Bayou San Louis Taey tt
viii develop in every state gold in new and in
reasing abundance. Besdes access is equal. T
iaeile by the Haerfano, and aifluent oil the al
arkansas coming down from the Spanish peak hi
90 miles further to the south. From New "
iexico, the approach is by ascending the Rio oil
'favo del Aorte. The snowy battlement of N
he Sierra San Juan from the western wall of
ne Bayou San Louis. From its middle flank.
ne Sierra San Juan projects to the southwest VI
cham OF remarkable volcanic mountains u
nown as the Merra La Plata (silver noun ain ~
MS chain divides asunder the waters OF The -
reat Colorado from the Rio San Juan, and fill
lg The angle OF the junction, forms the per- we
endicular wall OF the Great Canon da
1t is to this remarkable mountain chain and We
$ surrounding region, that | have desired to tn
'nduct you, and here stop, in the midst of the liz
eritabie arcane OF the mountain formation | wi
nd its metalliterous elements IN
The Sierra La Plata is four hundred miles in
myth, having its course w. S. W. Alon. its
orsa erests are volcanic masses penetrating to pr
erpetual snow its TANKS descend BY im,ns nse co
traces of carbonterous and sulphurous lime ser
ohe All formations OF the globe here come MI
sether mingle With one another, acquiring 30
irmony, and arrange themselves side BY side ma
gigantic proportions. Lava, porphortic u.
ante, sandstone, limestone, the precious and nj
ise metals, precious stones, SALT marble coal si
ermal and medicinal streams fantastic noun
ms called cFistones, or abrupt peaks, level Be-
esas OF great fertility, canons, delicious val on
US, rivers and great forests; all these and a DC,
oasan other varieties find room, appear in me
ccession, IN perfect order, and in perfectly clio
aceiul proportions. Remoteness from the O.
a, and altitude, secure to this region tonic Is.
mosphere, warm, cloudless, brilliant and Sc ian
ne Inc aboriginal people are numerous. ho
bust and intelligent. They are the Nayaos ser
"a Auta indians. They have skill in asricul- an
re and weaving, rear great herds Of horses, -
tile aud sheep, but construct neither per
aneht nor temporary houses so dry and
'oraoie IS the atmosphere! Here, also, oc-
rs remarkable, isolated mountain, known to Thi
NOR halt century, but only now locally ira
entitled This is Sierra dc Sal (Salt Noun cur cur
M This rises among the western spurs Of pur
sierra La Plata, TO an altitude OF 5000 feet,
pearing as an irreuular conn &c 60. ..,,' tee
a nnra str,,iGa - sea- ouin.- ope
mass VI Fock salt, It's Hanks raa
9 channelled by the river Dolores waose -@
tiers, saturated with liquid salt, yield il again
us lower course, in graduated beds Of snowy II
ltness, tinted with vermillion streaks from las,
beds OF selente with which the salt for N
ltion alternates. All
:, ID.
Such, my fellow citizens, are the facts and lea
iec'lons which | have selected for your u u
ention, IN speaking upon the gold region Of
Aes Peak and the Sierra San Juan Tha IL
pera.ive character of this region engaged J.,
enthusiastic pen and patriotic instincts az An