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Ex. Doc. No. 41. 45X 



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Tuerto, and inquired our way to the house of Mr. Richard Camp- 

 bellj where we were kindly received, and most hospitably treated. 

 He showed us some fine specimens of native gold that had been 

 found in the neighboring valleys, and were scattered through the 

 detritus that is formed by the crumbling down of the auriferous 



Tocks of the mountain. 



$1 



In the evening we visited a town at the base of the principal 

 mountain; here, mingled with the houses, were huge mounds of 

 «artb, thrown out from the wells, so tiiat the village looked like a 

 Tillage of gigantic prairie dogs. Nearly all the people there were 

 at their wells, and were drawing up bags of loose sand by means 

 of windlasses. Around little pools, men, women, and children- 

 were grouped, intently poring over these bags of loose sand, wash- 

 ing the earth in wooden platters or goat horns. One cannot but 

 feel pity for these miserable wretches, and congratulate himself 

 that he does not possess a gold mine. Even the life of the poor 

 pastores is much preferable to that of these diggers of gold. 



Tuerto contains about 250 inhabitants. It is situated on a ra- 

 vine, that just furnishes sufficient water for this place and the town 

 at the base of the mountains, which is 1| miles distant. Some of 

 the people own large flocks of sheep, which they keep in the val- 

 ley of the Pecos. 



In the evening we saw the "villanos" milking their goats. This 

 business requires considerable dexterity, and is not one of the least 

 amusing scenes in New Mexico. 



October 1. — We now started to examine the mine's of the new 

 placer. Mr. Campbell kindly furnished us mules, in order that 

 ours might have an opportunity to /est and to graze. We first 

 visited a lead mine, situated near the road that runs to St. Anto- 

 nio; it is in a direction nearly south, situated at the foot of the 

 mountains, and overlaying a bed of fosslliferous limestone. We , 

 collected specimens of the lead ore, and the limestone; then, pro- 

 <;eeding eastwardly, commenced ascending the mountain. Our 

 course now changed towards the north. Near the summit of the 

 mountain we visited a large copper mine. Mr. Campbell pro- 

 , ceeded to enter with great caution, and told us that he feared least 

 some evil disposed Mexicans should be lurking in these caverns, for 

 there were many discontented spirits about the country, trying to 

 revolutionize the people, and some were said to dwell in these 

 Diines and caverns. 



We found beautiful specimens of ore of copper of various kinds. 



r. Campbell ground up some with the aid of a couple of stones, 

 3nd after a little washing showed us a great many particles of gold 

 Slid silver; indeed, the ore was quite rich with these metals. This 

 Vein went through a compact limestone that is worn as if a water 

 course once ran through the place now occupied by the ore. The 

 projecting pieces of rock are rounded, and the sides of the passage 

 ^orn into deep rounded fissures that our host calls pockets; and 

 "e tells us that in them the richest ores are found. Around the 

 ^outh of the mine we saw pieces of carbonate of lime scattered^ 

 it had been dug out with the copper ore. 



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