838 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



The mountains which so disfigure the country, corrugate the 

 plains and disturb its rocks, and rising into the clouds arrest the 

 moisture wafted eastward, have their inner and secret recesses 

 filled with treasures so rich and varied, and scattered with so 

 liberal a hand, that the fables of Arabia seem tame with the actual 

 and real. Gold, silver, cinnabar, copper and other metalliferous 

 veins, seem to stud the mountain strata with profusion scarcely to 

 be appreciated, and challenge the faith of conservative minds. 



The hidden and future wealth of all this country lies in its 

 mines. These must be developed. Mining has been and must be 

 the staple business of its inhabitants. 



In 1848 gold was discovered.at Sutter's Fort, on the Sacramento. 

 Our coinage that year was nearly $6,000,000. In 1849 it rose to 

 $11,000,000 ; the next year to $34,000,000, and in 1863 it reached 

 $83,000,000. During this period we have produced over $600,- 

 €00,000 of gold and $100,000,000 of silver. Nearly the whole of 

 this vast amount has come from the Pacific slope. The population 

 that has produced, upon an average, $47,000,000, has been but 

 443,000 up to 1860. 



Let us look forward in time to a period where the population 

 of this mining country par-excellence shall be equal per square 

 mile to the mining portion of England ; and surely the mountains 

 of the Pacific slope are not less capable of supporting population 

 than the mountains of Wales or Cornwall. We shall have there 

 100,000,000 of human beings deriving their main support upon 

 the mineral wealth of this greatest auriferous region of the entire 

 continent. Let us farther suppose that the same ratio per head 

 of yield of precious metals shall continue, and the product will 

 then be one thousand millions of dollars per annum. 



According to the ratio of the increase of its population at each 

 decennial census, this enormous yield of precious metals will be 

 attained in far less time than has elapsed since Sir Francis Drake 

 discovered this region, and made the remark, "that there was no 

 part of the country wherein there was not some special likelihood 

 of gold." 



During the year last past, it is estimated that California has pro- 

 duced $25,000,000 of gold ; Nevada, $16,000,000 of silverand gold; 

 Idaho, $17,000,000 ; Montano, $18,000,0000 ; Colorada, $17,000,- 

 000 ; Oregon, $8,000,000 ; New Mexico and Arizona, with other 

 sources, $5,000,000, making a sum total from the auriferous regions 

 of the west, of $106,000,000 of bullion. Permit me parenthetically 



