40 



MINERAL PRODUCTS OF LOS ANGELES, &c. 



A brief review of the agricultural capacities of the soils of this part of the State 

 has been given, and I would say in this connection, that in these particulars lie the 

 strength and principal value of the lands throughout the district generally ; the 

 mineral resources of this range of country so far as examined, being comparatively 

 of little value. 



The transverse chain of the Pacific coast (Sari Bernardino chain) appear thus 

 far to act as a barrier, and to have cut off almost completely the rich mineral de 

 posits found in the mountains of the more northern sections. There are a few lo 

 calities, it is true, where auriferous deposits of limited extent are met with, but no 

 general features which would in the slightest degree indicate that they extend over 

 any considerable areas. So far as I have been able to learn, both from personal 

 inspection and information derived from others of localities which I have not visited, 

 I entertain the opinion that no extensive deposits of gold will be found south of 

 these mountains, and few, probably, that would warrant mining explanation. There 

 are some evidences existing that silver may be met with in the southeastern spurs 

 of this chain, but to what extent is yet undetermined. The limestone rocks of the 

 Armagosa, and the granite and quartz of this section, contain both gold and silver, 

 but they are situated to the north of this chain, yet the gypsum beds found near 

 their southern base and on the southern part of the Colerado Desert are found to 

 contain gold in small quantities, not sufficient, however, to pay for working. The 

 predominating metaliferous rocks of these mountains, so far as known, consist mostly 

 of copper containing lead and silver ; the heavier quantities of these ores lying upon 

 the Rio Santa Clara, in the County of Santa Barbara. Bismuth and iron are also met 

 with in these mountains, the former to a limited extent, the latter more generally 

 disseminated and forming small veins among the primitive rocks. Both of the latter 

 minerals are found in the immediate vicinity of the Mission of San Buenaventura, 

 and the former (Bismuth) in the mountains near the coast in the vicinity of the 

 rancho Guadalupe. The principal mineral products of these counties, of any com 

 mercial importance, are the beds of sulphur ; they commence in the County of San 

 Luis Obispo, and through alternate distances of two to six miles, extend to the 

 County, of Santa Barbara, and northern part of Los Angeles. The larger propor 

 tion of these beds lie near the coast, and form the investing surface material of 

 those volcanic vents found upon this part of the coast, and which have been alluded 

 to in the preceding pages of this report. These sulphur deposits will, at a future 

 day, be worked with profit when the demand for this article shall exceed that of the 

 present time, and still I think the present demand is sufficient to warrant, the in 

 vestment of capital in this quarter, where the mineral is found in sufficient quanti 

 ties to render the working of its mines a lucrative operation. 



The appearance of magnetic sands among the drift found in the beds of the ar- 

 royas led me to the .supposition that gold might exist in their connection, which, 

 upon examination, was found to be the case, although in very trifling quantities. 

 The same thing was found to exist upon the beach three miles southeast of Santa 

 Barbara. This metal was probably derived from the heavy gravel drift which 

 is found in the immediate vicinity. 



Bitumen is another of the more abundant mineral products of this portion of the 

 State, and is found in very large quantities. This article is available and well adap 

 ted to the manufacture of gas for the purposes of illumination, and will probably be 

 used to considerable extent in this country, the'only practical objection to such a use 

 of it, being the fact that no valuable residuum is left in the retort after the extrica 

 tion of the gaseous constituents ; as this mineral yields a much greater volume (I c- 



