GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 219 



A crust of carbonate of lime is observable everywhere in the vicinity 

 of the spring as a i)orous tufa-like mass. 



NEW MEXICO.— LAS VEGAS, SEPTEMBER 5. 



Visited the celebrated hot springs, or "Ojos callientes." These springs 

 make their way through metamorphic rocks on both sides of the creek, 

 and the women of the country come to wash their clothes in them, for 

 miles around. The temperature of the water is very high, but not being 

 able to procure a thermometer in Las Vegas, I cannot state it with a,ny 

 pretense to precision. I estimate it at over 150° Fahrenheit. A five- 

 gallon kettle of water, when evaporated, left a very slight sediment at 

 the bottom — not a quarter of an ounce. 

 In solution were : 



KO.CO2 

 NaO . COg 

 Na . 01 



Trace Fe 



Trace S 



Trace Li O^ 



, SANTA FE, SEPTEMBER 9. 



Visited the old placer mines, which are situated in a short chain of 

 mountains lying thirty miles or so west from Santa Fe, and on a large 

 grant belonging to the New Mexico Mining Company, and under the 

 direction of Colonel Anderson, formerly of the engineer corps, United 

 States Army. 



The land owned by the New Mexico Mining Company in the San Lazaro 

 mountains is ten miles and sixty chains square. The whole surrounding 

 country is impregnated with gold from the mountain lodes, and gulch 

 mining there would pay richly, were it not for the deficiency in the sup- 

 ply of water. The company has heretofore freely permitted the inhab- 

 itants in the grant to pan out gold for themselves, and they frequently 

 obtain in this way six dollars per hand in one day. 



The old mill which was formerly here has l^een replaced by a new 

 one, now nearlj^ completed, which is situated on the side of a hill, and 

 by a little brook which supplies Vi^ater to the boiler of the steam engine. 

 The great dilficulty which lies in the way of the successful working of 

 these mines — a deficiency of water — Colonel Anderson hopes^ to be able 

 to surmount, either by means of a ditch bringing water from the Pecus, 

 or by sinking an artesian well. The mill contains forty 650-pound 

 stamps, intended to drop eight inches seventy-five times per minute. 



The principal mines yet opened on the property are, in the order of 

 their importance and date, the Ortiz and Brahm. 



It is highly probable that tliere are other veins of auriferous and 

 argentiferous quartz on the grant, but these two being the only mines 

 as yet opened and worked, a glance at them must suffice. 



The. Ortiz mine was discovered and opened by a Mexican, whose 

 name it bears, nigh seventy years ago 5 but the work having been con- 

 ducted in the shiftless, slovenly manner characteristic of the Mexicans, 

 it was thought advisable b^^ Dr. Steck, Colonel Anderson's predecessor, 

 to sink another shaft some distance from the discovery shaft (which 

 marks the center of the grant.) This new shaft is now two hundred 

 feet deep, well cribbed and timbered, and supplied with the best of lad- 

 ders. The country rock is a granite, and the crevice is j)erhaps four 



