262 Notes on Upper California. 



country : " The talcose and allied rocks of the Umpqua and 

 Shasty districts resemble in many parts the gold-bearing rocks of 

 other regions; but the gold, if any there be, remains to be dis- 

 covered."* The term Shasty district, here used, did not include 

 the region of the Shasty Indians north of the mountains, (to which 

 it is now properly restricted,) where the rocks were not found, 

 but the Sacramento district where entered upon among the Shas- 

 ty mountains: and although I was not warranted in giving the 



specific statement a wider scope, from finding only pebbles far- 



ther south, my opinion actually embraced the whole range of 

 country. The same opinion would have been arrived at by any 

 geologist at all acquainted with the modes of occurrence of gold. 

 It is also quite probable, from indications observed by the writer, 

 that gold may be found in many parts of the range of country 

 between the Umpqua and Sacramento. The fact that this metal 

 is often associated with talcose rocks was first stated as a general 

 principle by Prof. Amos Eaton.f It is also well known that gold 

 occurs in clay slate, mica and chloritic slate, as well as talcose 

 slate, and but rarely in granite. 



The writer was not over the region of the Sacramento mines, 

 the route of the party being on the alluvial flats not far from the 

 river. Moreover, the journey was necessarily as rapid as could 

 be accomplished, since our time was limited, and the limits fixed 

 were unavoidably exceeded. Besides, the Expedition, which had 

 already been at sea longer than the time appointed on leaving the 

 country, was upon the point of starting from San Francisco on 

 its return. Less than four weeks were spent in travelling from 

 latitude 42° south, a distance of 400 miles by our route, which is 

 obviously a small allowance of time for developing the mineral 

 resources of so large a country. It was but a hasty coup-d'ceil, 

 to be afterwards filled up in its details by others. 



Appendix. — As there is much misapprehension among those 

 interested in the gold of the west, respecting its modes of occur- 

 rence, a few words are added upon this subject. Many think to 

 find the sands glittering with gold dust, and others in exploring 

 the mountains hope to lay open rich massy veins of the precious 

 metal, like those of ordinary ores. 



The slate rocks alluded to — (compact, slightly glistening, slaty 

 rocks, of various dark colors, the talcose more or less greasy m 

 look or feel, and often greenish, and the chloritic mostly o( a 

 darker olive-green color) — contain often veins or beds of quartz, 

 and in this quartz, (and often the rock immediately adjoining.) 

 the gold is found ; — not forming continuous lines of metal, but 



* This sentence has been misquoted in the papers, 

 t See this Journal, vol. xviii, p. 50. 



