New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-27
THE MEASURES or LOWER CALIFORNIA.

A LAND THAT SUFFERS FOR LACK OF AMERICAN
BRAINS AND AMERICAN CAPITAI-IIs GOLD, Sill
vER SALT AND GUANo.
WASHINGTON, Dee. 26.-The reports of the
survey OF the Lower California peninsula recently made
by the United states Narraganset contain many
interesting facts relative that country Assistant
Surgeon Thomas y Streets. Y. N, who had charge of
the geological portion OF the work refers at length IN MS
report to the geological formation Of the peninsula ana
neighboTiDg islands, mineral products &c lie says ne
found in st. josef Island in the Gulf OF California fossil
marine shells undecided in kind Of calcareous sandro"k
on the mountains least 900 feet above the present
sea level The identity of these fossils with the species
now existing in the surrounding water Is very evident
He says elf all this land extending far mp into Alta Cal
iforna sunk 900 500 feet below It's present
level would Ongerb be peninsula but an archipelago
of islands This was undoubtedly the exact position Of
things al the commencement OF the potpoceno epoch
The high mountainous land at the southern extremity OF
the peunsula formed large island separate from the
rest" Referring the mineral wealth Of the peninsula
he says:
The slyerbearing veins of Triun'o two in number
and they run convergng direction norlheriy aud
eaeterly The present company produces bullion TO the
amount $4,000 per month. They have sufficient ore
in sight in the mues already opened 10 tItDiS Oh au
ruple that sum The mines particularly rch In our
own country all the silyerbealinG VEINS nave pceh
found on the eastern slope { the Sierra Nevada range
This fact has been adduced as PROOF ua hls range vi
mountains is continuous with tho mountains oi Lower
California II this ne the case We may look 10 sec GOA
being found the western slope, as ~ Aita taIGrla
Tho copper mines Of Pnreaoria and frovldcncla are
being very actively worked at rcseh ami are yledhg
Largo quantities OF very rich ore. Another source Of
wealth tho guano islands, and OF these The principal
is Isla Raza. company commenced woIklng mere TWO
wears AGO and up the present time they have fonoVc
10000 tons of tie fertilizer It is computed that there
is in all GD,0Oo tons upon tle strand winch h 'nce-
quarters of a uile long aud half nile "ldc'
Assistant Surgeon Edward Evers of the United States
Navy also submits report upon mineialogy, botany
salt depOsts, DC. He says The mineral wealth OF
Lower California is wonderful, and embraces rich de-
a aufii In JasfeF
etc Traces OF silver found almos everywhere, and
thouph few of the mines are worked they
and rich" He refers TO the richness Of the mines at
Triunfo, and says:
The majority of the miners are Mexcans though there
Is a goody proportion Of foreigners. All the officers of
The COMPANY the chemist the assayer the captains of
the mines aud the fOIemen are Americans or Euro
pcans not one Mexican. The ore Is brought from the
mines ON pack distances Of rom six 10 twelve
miles to the stamI ing mills which are constantly in OPP
are sent 10 la Paz by wagon and thence shipped to san
Francisco by schooner. Other mines could be worked
with equal pToiit, bat the high duties ana me arbitrary
and tyrannical measures OF tie Mexican government
prevent foreigners, the only persons who coud possess
the requisite capital, from Investing there Nea 10 el
YER copper ore, which Is perhaps more aDundn tnan
any other metal has been worked most successfully Inc
best mines at Purgatoro ana Inferno, whence the ore
itself transported 10 the seashore on ick mule some
times many leagues be shipped 10 san lrancisco and
Europe. How wonderfully productive an hese mines
would in the hands OF an energetic ana ceIplls
Ing people, in the protection OF gGod government
but the want OF security To capital ana e eoisraet
want OF protection 10 labor, IL The great curse Oh Una.
a rich mine Of alaoaster, which, II properly worked
ought TO yield all immense profit ,.,,
Tie salt lagoon Carmen Island an interesting pho
nomenOn respect II II so rich that the
whole earth may be supplied by for ages. If indeed
not ineXhaustblc Ii IL mile and half III length ana
half q mile wide While Its depth has not yet been tsccI
tanned salt deposit doubt due To the cVapOia
ou of water for II is connected with tho ocean, DIS
liant from IL 400 yards, by three OF four underground
streams The salt itself h perfectly pure and beautifully
crystalizcd.
X1 doubt thorough examination OF the interior would
enrich the OF botany by many valuable and In
teresting discovery is the zoology OF the country
less worthy Of study The applies still 10 IT,
birds INT the field Of greatest interest is the in the
immediate vicinity to the and the Gulf OF California
itself with whales. sharks, sword fish saw hsh skates
porpOiees aud countless muudes OF seals, while The
lumber and variety OF smaller fish ~ WONDERFUL The
lower organizations represented by forms OF rarest
size and beauty. Magnificent shells, too found on
the coast and would well repay the research VI the con
chOlOgist.
We find the state Of Lower California almost as I'M
known the wids OF Africa, but alike full OF IN
terest To the botanst, the ZoOiOgs and the chemist
alike full of promise 10 the merchant and the farmer
Immensely reh IN fisheries In pearls, IN minerals and IN
native products II is probable that AT no distant
fulure Lower California will become integral portion
of our union. thorough knowledge OF It's characters
tics therefore desirable The study and research ne
ceesayy acquire 10 shoud be entrusted u special com
mission Of OF acknowledged emlnence In the de-
partInents OF botany zoology and mneralOgy. The
suits labor would be Of the utmost importance to
science, and of material benefit 10 the community at
large. New roads OF commerce and wealth would be
opened and science would be enriched BY important and
interesting discoveries