STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 173 



ASSOCIATION OF GOLD AND QUICKSILVER, AND OF QUICKSILVER WITH 



SULPHUR. 



A few months since, while visiting the New Almaden mines, I obtained 

 a series of the minerals of the locality, and with them samples of the 

 refuse calcined materials from the quicksilver reducing furnaces. On 

 examination of the latter, I found gold in a condition most admirably 

 adapted for profitable extraction, being associated with a verj' friable 

 quartz and peroxide of iron. Although only in the proportion of twenty 

 dollars to the ton, it could be easily panned out by simply washing in 

 water. The gold has a small quanlitj^ of silver combined with it. By 

 pan ])rocess this could be profitably extracted. The gold is not indis- 

 criminately mixed with Uie whole of the cinnabar ; and, doubtless, by 

 extended observation, the locality whence it is obtainable may be discov- 

 ered, so that it may be kept separate and calcined without mixture with 

 other ores. 



I have since found cinnabar with petroleum, containing gold to the 

 extent of two hundred dollars to three hundred dollars to the ton, on 

 Sulphur Creek, near Colusa. 



I have also, during the last summer, discovered, on the sulphur bank 

 near Borax, considerable quantities of cinnabar, and in one instance 

 metallic mercur^^ mixed with sulphur and iron pyrites in an exceedingly 

 minute state of division, associated with small quantities of silver ; and 

 I expect yet to find gold in the same locality. Further investigations 

 now pending are likely to issue in some exceedingly interesting develop- 

 ments of the relationship existing between hot springs and the forma- 

 tion of metallic lodes or veins. 



E. OXLAND, F. C. S. 



