SUEVEY OF COLOKADO AND NEW MEXICO. 125 



Chlorite. — Diabase, Real Dolores, San Luis. 



Aiigite. — In the basalts and chlorites. 



Calc-spar. — Very common ; finely crystallized in Real Dolores. 



Gypsum. — Beds near Sweetwater ; also occurs with coal. 



Anhydrite. 



Salt.— In springs at Las Vegas and elsewhere. 



Heavy spar. — As gangue rock in many veins. 



Pyrope. — Fort Craig. 



Chrysolite. — Fort Craig. 



Obsidian. — Found near old Pecos church. Fashioned into tools, as is also chalcedony. 



A fine pseiidomorpli of niaguetic iron ore, after the cubes of iron 

 l)yrites, was picked up near Santa Fe. 



The fact that I could not visit the Morena mines, which are the most 

 important in New Mexico, and the short time given for the preparation 

 of this report, will, I hope, excuse its incompleteness, which a more 

 careful study of the specimens I have collected will in some measure 

 remedy. 



COLORADO TERRITORY, SOUTH PARK, OCTOBER 4. 



Visited the salt springs in this park. The whole country from the 

 hither side of the Trout Creek Pass to some distance beyond the salt 

 works is covered with the alkali before spoken of. A small creek 

 Hows northward, and in this creek the spring from which the salt is ob- 

 tained discharges its water. It is collected in a box and conducted 

 through a small channel to the buildings. These are two in number, 

 the one in which the kettles are x)laced forming a long wing at the ex- 

 tremity of the other. The works belong to Eawlins & Hall, and the 

 business of salt boiling was begun by Mr. Eawlins in a small outbuild- 

 ing, yet standing, in 1861. 



In the long wing are one hundred and sixteen large boiling kettles, 

 and eight iron evaporating pans. 



The spring water is first run into the kettles and heated. When the 

 water has acquired a high temperature, it is drawn oif into the first of 

 two large evaporating pans, (eleven by twenty-eight feet,) and allowed 

 to evaporate. The sulphate of lime and other impurities are here sepa- 

 rated from the brine, which is again drawn off into the remaining tanks. 

 The finest grained salt is obtained from the second evaporating pan, 

 which is eleven by nineteen feet. The six remaining pans are each five 

 by nine feet. An analysis of the salt produced was made by A. Fennell, 

 of Cincinnati, with this result: 



Per cent. 



E a . CI 99 



CaO . SO3 and other impurities 1 



Total - , 100 



The strength of the water is about one part by bulk of matter in solu- 

 tion in nine parts of water. (I have this on the authority of Mr. Rawlins. ) 

 The company has expended over $50,000 on the works, and expects to 

 commence permanent running immediately. When in full operation 

 two tons of salt can be produced daily. 



Messrs. Eawlins & Hall are sinking an artesian well alongside of 

 the long wing above referred to, by means of which they hope get a 

 stronger brine, and also to save the expense of pumping into the kettles. 



Solar evaporating vats, similar to those in use at Salina,near Syracuse, 

 New York, are also to be constructed shortly. 



