The daily gazette., 1875-12-30
4 NEW EL DORADO.
The Fabulous Mineral Wealth Of the
Lower California Peninsula.

WAsHINGroN, DEC. 26.-Assistant
Surgeon Thomas N. Streets, IN his re.
port of the survey of Lower California,
says of the mineral wealth of the
pen lnsula
The silver bearing veins of Talunfo
are two iu number, and they run in
Convcrging direction northerly and
| easterly. The present company pro-
duces bullion to the amount of $50, 900
per month. They have sufficient ore
in sight in the mines already opened
to treble or quadruple that sum. The
mines arc particularly rich. In our
own country all the silver bearing
veins have been found on the Eastern
slope of the Sierra Nevada range. This
fact has been adduced as q proof that
this range of mountains is continuous
with the mountains of Lower CalIfer-
MIA. IL this be the case, we may look
to see gold being found on the western
slope, as in Alta California. The cop
per mines Of Purgatoris and Provi-
dencia are being very actively worked
at present and are yielding large guam
titles of very rich ore. Another
source of wealth is the Guano islands,
and Of these the principal is Isia Raza.
A company commenced working here
two years ago, and up to the present
time they have removed 10, 900 tons Of
the fertilizer. 1t is computed that
there is in all 60, ,0OO, 900 tons upon the
strand, which is three quarters of
mile long and and half mile wide.
Assistant Surgeon Edward Evers, of
the United States Navy, also submits
p lengthy report upon mineralogy.
e botany, salt deposits, &c. He says
The mineral wealth of Lower Cali
!, fornia is wonderful and embraces rich
: deposits of silver, gold, iron, copper.
. antimony, alabasier, &c. Traces OF
g silver are found almost everywhere.
y and though few of the mines are work
= ed, they are numerous and rich.
81 He refers to the richness OF the
!. mines at Triunfo, and says:
e The majority of the miners are
a Mexicans, though there is q goOdlY
y proportion OF foreigners. All the ON
~ GERS of the company, the chemist, the
.o3t assayer, the captains of the mines and
y. the foreman, are Americans or Europe
% ans, The ore is brought from tht
%, mines on pack mules over distances o
" =. | from six TO twelve miles to the stamp
" ing mills, which are constantly ii
T., operation, being stopped only TO
III repairs. The silver bars are sent Il
ea La Paz by wagon, and thence shippes
.: to San Francisco by schooner. Othe
i" mines could be worked with equa
:, profit, but the high duties and the ar
-, bitrary and tyrannical measures of tn
~ Mexican Government prevent foreign
~ ers, the only persons who could POI
-, sess the requisite capital, investin
-, there. Next TO silver, copper ore
'6o which is perhaps more abandant tha
any other metal, has been worke
=. most successfully. The best mines Al
- at Purgatorio and Inferno, whence th
,'l ore itself is transported TO the sc
- shore on pack mules, sometimes man
= leagues, to be shipped to San Franci
H., co and to Europe. How wonderful
productive all these mines would b
come in the hands OF an energetic az
IN entcrprlsiRg people, sure in the pr
us, lection of good government. B'
wy the want of security to capital and u
IN consequent want OF protection
IN labor, is the great curse 10 tn
eN- country
per AT the Island of san Marios, abo
ing Mulege, is q rich mine Of slsbaste
the which if properly worked, ought
us yield an immense profit. The salt
ion COON at Carmon Island is an inter-
led ting phenomenon in more than one l
IS a spect. Ii is so rich that the who
'lth earth may be supplied by it for ag'
lla if indeed, it is not inexhaustible.
the is mile and half in length and b;
sly mile wide, while its depth has 4
nat vet be ascertained. This salt depo
IN is no doubt due to the evaporation
was was sea water, for it is connected with
S14, ocean, distant from it 400 yards,
per three or four underground stream
an The salt itself is perfectly pure q
!, OF beautifully crystallized'