THE ARIZONA COPPER MINE. 323 



returned to San Francisco, in February, 1855, with specimens of the 

 ore, and the company was incorporated, under the title of the 

 " Arizona Mining Company ;" hence, curiously enough,the endeavours 

 of the association to occupy and open old silver mines, were termina- 

 te d by the unexpected discovery and possession of a rich copper 

 mine. 



In the midst of mountain ridges, principally of porphyry, which 

 rise abruptly from plains dotted here and there with grass, lies the 

 Arizona mine. The green colour of the ore, outcropping on the dark 

 red rock, is perceptible at the distance of a mile ; numerous specimens 

 of the cactus — one kind of which, the cereus giganteus, the savarre 

 of the Mexicans, frequently attains the height of forty feet,— to- 

 gether with mezquit and iron wood form the principal vegetable 

 growth. Some of the mountains bear evidence of tremendous igneous 

 action, whilst others are void of all traces of plutonic force. The 

 soil is light and porous, with a superabundance of disintegrated 

 granite. Altogether the scene is lonely and desolate in the extreme ; 

 though the perpetual but scanty vegetation prevents it from merit 

 ing the appellation of a desert. "Water is obtained from natural res- 

 ervoirs found in the dark mountain recesses, supplied by the rains, 

 which occur with some regularity during the months of July, August, 

 December, January, and February. 



The ores extracted are the gray, black and red oxide, the latter 

 richly impregated with virgin copper. Persons conversant with cop- 

 per mining admit the ore to be the richest, in the average, of any 

 yet discovered. So far as examined the veins increase in richness 

 and quantity as they remove from the surface. For instance, a vein 

 of red oxide four inches wide at the surface, had, at the depth of fifty 

 feet, reached the thickness of four feet, and became almost exclusive- 

 ly pure copper which lay in a soft rock and was easily worked. 



Dr. Webster, a resident of San Francisco, largely interested in the 

 mine, and to whose kind services I am indebted for specimens of the 

 ore, informed me of the existence of a peculiar feature in its vicinity ; 

 a high hill known as the iron mountain, but which, more accurate ob- 

 servation and analyzis has since proved to be composed of the black 

 oxide of copper, existing in immense quantities. 



The knowledge of the Arizona mine was confined to a few Papago 

 Indians, previous to 1851. In the commencement of that year some 

 Mexicans sent a party of seven labourers to work it ; six of whom 

 were surprised and murdered by the Apache Indians. Subsequently 

 several foreigners endeavoured to form companies and settle in its 



