The Hawaiian gazette., 1871-05-17
If treIre mile. from San Jose are located the

its natural beauties and the operations here car
ried on. There are but few such mines in the
world. and as not many of your readers have
visited one. an account of this may be acceptable.
The route takes one through the valley, here if
teen or twenty miles in width past grain fields and
vinsvards. with view here and there of a snug
cottage empowered in trees. The first indication
Of a near approach to the mining locality is seen
in long row of neat little houses, each having a
doorvard ornamented with shrubbery and vines,
while in the rear flows clear mountain stream.
These are the dwellings Of the laborers employed
in the smelling works, which are situated At the
foot of the mountain. The mine itself hes at an
elevation of a thousand feet and is reached by a
winding road cut out upon the side of the hill.
It's finely constructed way, rising by gradual
ascent. The most magnificent views of the
surrounding country are presented from the
higher points. The eye sweeps over the broad
and fertile valley to the extent Of twenty or
thirty miles.
There are several tunnels running into the
mountain at different points. the Oldest and
largest being near the summit This spot was,
from an unknown period, the resort Of Indians
who used the ore to make the vermillion with
which they delighted to adorn their tawny
cheeks. They came here even from points as
distant as Columbia River. and with their rude
/ implements had excayatel to the depth Of fifty
or a hundred feet Different accounts are given
Of the way in which the existence Of the valuable
deposit came to the knowledge Of the white
settlers. BY some, the secret is said to have
been acquired from the Indians by Mexican
Captain. Another story is. that searcher for
gold while testing in a retort what appeared to
be red earth, became saliyated from nhaling
the fumes, aud by this unpleasant personal ex-
perience, was made aware that be had found
mercury. The mire is now in the hands of
company which has control also Of other leading
sources of supply, and exercising the power of
monopoly has forced the price to an enormous
figure. The dwellings Of the miners form little
villages. adjacent to one another even to the top
Of the mountain. The workmeu and their
families make a population of a thousand or
fifteen hundred souls The common laborers are,
for the most part Mexcans-a reckless improy-
ident race, spending in drinking and gambling
their hard-earned wages. As the veins of ore
have been followed, a series of labyrnthne cut
tings have been made extending for miles. and
requiring many hours for their exploration. The
descent to the lower levels is made in some
places through a perpendcnlar shaft, through
which bucket lowered and raised by a steam
engine, conveys laborers and ore. Elsewhere
is by a series Of ladders made of /
notcbed logs. Over these 90 the taHater9s. or
carriers, with their loads of two hundred pounds /
held in sack swung upon the back, cropping
their way along narrow shelves lighted only by
dim candle here and there threading narrow
passages, until they come to the main tunnel,
where car running upon narrow track receives
heir burdens. The cars are pushed cut by
iand and unladed beneath shed, where work
men separate the ore from the useless rock. The
'aluable portion is conveyed down to the lower
works in large wagons drawn by six horses, or in
ars. which, by means of a wire rope worked by
n engine run over a track that reaches to the
Dot Of the mountain. Your correspondent had
either opportunity nor inclination to explore
he subterranean passages. Some idea of the
ppearance Of things was had by going into the
laiu tunnel to a short distance where two intel
gent, pleasant-iaced Cornish miners lof whom
umber are employed) were at work filing car
18th the material brought out from side passage
he close air and the uncomfortable sensation
with the consciousness of being under ..
round, suppressed any wish to continue travel
this direction. A little experience of under
-Ouud life might be useful to enhance apprecia-
on of the beauty and the joy Of sunshine and
ee air
But we will now follow the ore down the
ountain, and see how it is made to yield up its
easure. The rock itself is strangely unlike the =
etal derived from it, being Of a red color, and :
lowing only by its surprising weight a connection
it'll quicksilver. 10 some of the richest speci- 4
ems the sparkle of the metal may be seen. b
The smelling works occupy a considerable a
ace Of ground, and consist of a collection of a
lex furnaces, each forty feet long by ten feet in s.
light aud width. Each includes a series of r
ambers, twelve or more in number, with open =
Is alternately at the top and bottom At one
ID chamber is filed with pieces Of ore and
1sely sealed. A wood fire subjects it to heat g c.
eight hundred or nine hundred degrees, when : :,
e mercury evaporates and the fumes passing II
rough the successive departments are con- "
nsed. falling in shining drops of pure metal Of
on the bottom. A covered trough collects al
EN- and conveys them throHgh an iron pipe, al
renee the glttering stream pours into reser- v
ir. In order to create the strong draught fr
eded for the furnaces, and to remove far W
ay the noxious vapors that escape, the fues oil
z led up the hill to a considerable height h'
is surprising to see that metal so heavy that IL
IN will float upon it, can be so readily turned =.
10 vapor. The health of the workmen en- =,
'yed about the furnaces is destroyed in a short CT
ne, but the brief hours of work and dollar OF
: day beyond ordinary wages, form an induce is
ut sufficient to keep up the supply Of aborers he
e metal is weighed ont into iron TASKS holding !"
out sixty pounds, and is ready to be conveyed =.
market Each flask. after being filed. is sub a
ted to heavy blows from a sledge hammer. to nj
It its soundness. The mine is a source Of vast al
alth, and the production is limited to such an dc