322 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Mountains, on the west slope of which these diggings are situated — were 

 immigrating to that point. As the locality is remote and difficult of 

 access, the route leading to it lying through Indian territoiy, the tribes 

 inhabiting which are generally hostile, the country rugged, and the cli- 

 mate inhospitable, the mines themselves, moreover, being — as is usually 

 the case in that sectio-n — extremely spotted, the inducements for Califor- 

 nians to emigrate to that region would seem to be few and feeble. To 

 such as may contemplate malving the journey, if any there be, the best 

 route to be pui'sued would appear to be that by way of Chico, Honey 

 Lake, and Pueblo Valley, following thence the Boise trail to Elk City, 

 Idaho, from which these mines are some two hundred miles to the north- 

 east. This is also the best route for parties having animals to take in 

 going to the Owyhee District, or other places in southern Idaho. The 

 policy of seeking any of these distant localities for the purpose of rain- 

 ing may be considered questionable, when there are known to be still so 

 many good chances for engaging in this business with success in Northern 

 California and Southern Oregon, both of comparatively easy access, and 

 where the miner can enjoy not only safety, but also some of the privi- 

 leges of civilization and the ordinary comforts of life. 



QUARTZ MINING. 



While in the province of placer mining the new discoveries being made 

 are few and unimportant, and the diggings already found are being grad- 

 ually depleted, the area of the auriferous quartz is being constantly 

 extended, every year adding steadily and largely to the yield derived 

 from this source. In magnitude the quartz region of California is 

 already even more than commensurate with that of the surface mines, 

 and in general terms may be said to reach from the Clear Creek District, 

 in the southern extremity of Tulare County, to the northern line of the 

 State, a linear distance of nearl}^ five hundred miles. In breadth it 

 varies from ten to, a hundred miles, giving an aggregate area of at least 

 twenty thousand square miles over which these metalliferous lodes are 

 scattered, some districts containing them in great numbers, and others 

 more sparsely. These lodes do not abound in all parts of this extensive 

 territor}', but lie in groups or spots, sometimes widely separated, the 

 intervening country being comparatively barren, or containing veins of 

 little value. In some sections, too, the quartz is much more highly 

 auriferous than in others, the smaller and more reguharly shaped veins, 

 as a common thing, carrying the larger percentage of gold. As is usu- 

 ally the case with auriferous lodes elsewhere, those of California gener- 

 ally have a northwesterly and southeasterl}" strike. In thickness they 

 vary from a few inches to as many feet, being in some instances of a 

 much greater size. Ledges a hundred feet thick are not uncommon, but 

 this class are not ordinarily composed of pay rock throughout; in fact, 

 are apt to have what gold they do contain so diffused throughout the 

 mass as to render it valueless. It would almost seem as if nature had 

 allotted a specific amount of the precious metal to each ledge, the large 

 and small alike, thereby rendering the working of the latter a much 

 easier matter than the former, the amount of rock requiring to be reduced 

 being so much less in order to secure an equal amount of gold. The 

 large sized ledges, however, often contain streaks and pockets that prove 

 very rich. 



1'he dip of the lodes in this State is almost uniformly towards the 

 east, some of them having a high and others a low inclination. Some of 



