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PLACER OF GOLD, 167 



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JEl Placer. This mine lies in a low detached 

 spur of mountains, at a distance of twenty- 

 seven miles south of the capital. In 1823, a 

 Sonoreno who was in the habit of herding liis 

 mules in that vicinity, being one day in pur- 

 suit of some that had strayed into the moun- 

 tains, happened to pick up a stone, which he 

 soon identified as being of the same class that 

 was to be found in the gold regions of Sono- 

 ra. Upon a Uttle further examination, he de- 

 tected sundry particles of gold, which did not 

 fail to occasion some degree of excitement in 

 the country. Although the amount procured 

 from these mines, was, for the first two or 

 three years, very insignificant, yet it answered 

 the purpose of testing the quafity of the me- 

 tal, which was found to be of uncormnon 

 purity. A market was therefore very soon 

 opened with foreign merchants. 



The quantity of gold extracted between 

 the years 1832 and '35 could not have 

 amounted to less than from $60,000 to $80,- 

 000 per annum. Since 'this time, however, 

 there has been a considerable fallmg off, some 

 seasons producing but $30,000 or $40,000. 

 it is behevcd, notwithstanding, that the en- 

 tire aggregate yield smce the first discovery 

 has exceeded half a miUion of dollars. The 

 reducfion in profit during the last fow years 

 ^as been caused more by want of energy 

 and enterprise, than by exhaustion of the 

 precious metal, as only a very small portion of 

 the ' gold region ' has as yet been dug ; and 

 experience has shown that the ' dust ' is about 



