Doc. No. 9.] 57 -. x 



an extensive manufacture of this article for commerce. It would be 

 difficult to iind a loccality that combines the same advantages" that this 

 does for the manufacture of sulphate of iron; all that is necessary to be 

 done has been performed by nature, and to extract the salt it is only 

 necessary to erect vats upon the coast and shovel the earth, to be leached, 

 directly into them. An area of several square miles is highly charged 

 with the mineral and the day is not far distant when Santa Cruz will be 

 come as celebrated for the manufacture of this article as it has been here 

 tofore for its vegetable productions. 



MAGNETIC IRON. At the distance of two mites north-west of the 

 above locality, an extensive bed of magnetic iron occurs, running down 

 to the coast, at which point it crops out arid exhibits a depth of several 

 feet. Toward the mountains I have been informed that it t again shows 

 itself above the surface in several places ; there is every reason to be 

 lieve that it underlies an extensive district, as much difficulty has been 

 experienced in obtaining correct courses by the compass ; in one instance 

 the needle was deflected to thirty-one degrees on approaching its south 

 ern edge. 



GYPSUM. Sulphate of lime is reported to abound in the northern paft 

 of Santa Cruz, and in the vicinity of the Palo de los Yeska, some six 

 miles from the Mission; it was frequently spoken of by the inhabitants 

 of this place but I was unable to learn its precise locality. It is not im 

 probable that it does abound in this vicinity, as ample material for its 

 formation exists in this section of country. An extensive bed of moun 

 tain limestone occurs in close proximity to the native sulphate of iron 

 alluded to in the former paragraph. 



CINNABAR Has also been reported to have occurred in this vicinity. 

 I found one small piece east of the San Lorenzo on the side of a hill, 

 but it is not impossible that it might have been carried there by human 

 means, as no other mineral of the same character was observed ; the 

 occurrence of small detached pieces of cinnabar in these places is not 

 sufficient evidence to found a, belief that it occurs in situ, or that a de 

 posit may occur there. 



* The ores of this metal are found from Contra Costa on the 

 north to the utmost southern limit reached in the Coast Mountains. ? It 

 occurs in the primitive rocks, associated with chronic iron in almost every 

 case where the latter may be obtained. It appears v as a bright green 

 mineral on the fractured surface of the other ores, and is known in tech 

 nical language as " nicked green." The scarcity of this metal renders 

 the discovery of its ores in this country an object of some importance, 

 and its wide distribution leads to the belief that it exists in sufficient 

 quantities to. warrant investment for its extraction from other ores, at no 

 distant day. It is extensively used in the manufacture of German Sil 

 ver for wares and household utensils. When reduced, the metal is 

 white, much resembling silver in in its general appearance, and for 

 which it has been mistaken in this country. The principal localities 

 where it has been observed this season are at Contra Costa, in the ser- 



8 



