THE 



WESTERN REVIEW OF SCIENCE AND mDUSTRY. 



A MONTHLY RECORD OF PROGRESS IN 



Science, Mechanic Arts and Agriculture. 

 VOL. 1. JANUARY, 1878. NO. 11. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



THE SAN JUAN MINES.— REVIEW^ OF THE PAST SEASONS 



BY WM. WESTON. 



Old Hyems has now closed his icy fist on the above region for 1877, and 

 more especially on the dwellers and miners of the Pacific side of the Snowy 

 Eange. Snow has fallen unusually early and in large quantities, and here 

 in the SnefPels District is about three feet on the level at this writing (Nov. 

 25th.) But though I pen this in a log cabin 10,800 feet above the sea level, 

 have felt no inconvenience either from snow or temperature. If we want to 

 ta|ke a trip round the basin to visit one of the three other cabins, whose oc- 

 cupants alone have had the hardihood to brave an eight months' winter in 

 me clouds, we toddle around on Norwegian snow shoes, and it matters little 

 Aough the snow be three or thirty feet deep. The thermometer has, for 



#he last six weeks ranged between 10° and 20° Fahrenheit, at daybreak, 

 ^nd 30° to 36° at noon, but the air is so light and bracing that cold hao not 

 the depressing, chilling effect of lower altitudes. A friend of mine writing 



^from London, England, says: "Your eight months' winter is a terrible 

 weight." We don't find it so. My partner and I have built ourselves a 

 snug log cabin, and well stocked it with "grub," powder and fuse, enough 

 for an eight months' siege, and with plenty of warm clothes, books, draw- 

 ing, writing, an assay furnace and outfit to test the ores, and our tunnel to 



