1869.] The Alkaline Lakes of California. 19 



for obtaining the best results, and that in order to do so, it would 



be necessary to adopt some efficient process for the lisiviation of 

 the mud after its removal from the bottom of the lake, and the re- 

 crystallization of the borax thus obtained. 



The total extent of the muddy deposit considerably exceeds 300 

 acres, and if we assume that of this area 100 acres, or that portion 

 only now worked for borax crystals, would be sufficiently rich to 

 pay the expenses of treatment hj the process at present employed, 

 we shall arrive at the following figures : — 



One hundred acres are equivalent to 484,000 square yards, and 

 if the mud were worked only to a depth of 3-^ feet, this would 

 represent about 565,000 cubic yards, or, allowing a cubic yard to 

 weigh a ton, which is a very low estimate, the total weight of 100 acres 

 of mud, in its wet state, will be approximately 565,000 tons. If the 

 mud, as extracted from the lake, be now assumed to contain sixty 

 per cent, of water, there will remain 226,000 tons of dry mud, 

 containing, according to the mean of the analyses of Messrs. Oxland 

 and Moore, 18*29 per cent, of borax, but if in practice only twelve 

 percent, of borax were obtained, this area alone would affijrd 27,120 

 tons of crystallized salt. 



According to Mr. S. M'Adam, of Edinburgh, to whom a specimen 

 was forwarded for analysis, the crude borax from Borax Lake has 

 the following composition : — 



Biborate of Soda, dry 51-85 



Water of Crystallization 45-44 



Insoluble matter 1-42 



Sulphate of Soda, drv 0-06 



Chloride of Sodium, dry 0-08 



Phosphate of Soda, dry 1-15 



100-00 



Mr. Moore, of San Francisco, gives the following as the com- 

 position of the water of Borax Lake, which has a mean specific 

 gravity of 1-0274:— 



In aii Imperial Gallon. 



Chloride of Sodiiun 1198-66 



„ Potassium 9-92 



Iodide of Magnesium - 22 



Bromide „ trace 



Bicarbonate of Magnesia „ 



Soda 18828 



„ Ammonia trace 



Carbonate of Soda 578 - G5 



Biborate „ 281-48 



Phosphate of alumina 3-52 



Sulphate of Lime traee 



Silicic acid 2-37 



Matters volatile at a red heat 238 ■ 66 



2501-76 



C 2 



