THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



[Nov. 1, 1864. 



170 



QUICKSILVER MINES OF 





Gallons. 



Value. 







Dollars. 



To England . 



2,473,921 



748,936 



Ireland 



436,837 



150,188 



Scotland . 



570,913 



120,050 



France 



975,384 



230,533 



Bremen 



201,316 



44,909 



Antwerp (Belgium) . 



125,174 



31,594 



British West Indies . 



69,227 



30,158 



Cuba and Porto Rico 



52,492 



19,745 



Venezuela . 



1,811 



7,626 



British. Guiana . 



5,627 



2,359 



Brazil 



7,355 



3,863 



Other foreign ports . 

 Total 



2,457 



957 



4,939,708 



1,382,080 



The exports in the last three years were as follows : — 



1861 . . . . 86,383 



1862 .... 2,608,932 



1863 .... 4,939,708 



The number of companies engaged in the petroleum wells of the 

 State is 59, ranging from 10,000 to 200,000 shares each, and represent- 

 ing a capital of 25,000,000 dollars in the aggregate. 



QUICKSILVER MINES OF NEW ALMADEN, CALIFORNIA. 



BY B. SILLIMAN, JUN. 



The New Alniaden quicksilver mines are situated on a range of hills 

 subordinate to the main coast-range, the highest point of which 

 at the place is 1,200 to 1,500 feet above the valley of San Jose. South- 

 west of the range which contains the quicksilver mines, the coast- 

 range attains a considerable elevation, Mt. Bache, its highest point, being 

 over 3,800 feet in height. 



New Almaden is approached by the railroad running from San Fran- 

 cisco to San Jose, a distance of forty-five miles. In the course of it 

 there is a rise of 100 feet, San Jose being of this elevation above the 

 ocean. From St. Jose' to New Almaden the distance is thirteen miles, 

 with a gradual rise of 150 or perhaps 200 feet. 



The rocks forming the subordinate range in which the quicksilver 

 occurs are chiefly magnesian schists, sometimes calcareous and rarely 

 argillaceous. As a group they may be distingiushed as steatitic, often 



