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sand at various points extending over a considerable area. A 
specimen of water collected by Mr. Moore from this spring was 
found by him to contain 184*62 grains of common salt, 76*96 
grains of bicarbonate of sodium, 36*37 grains of free carbonic 
anhydride, 103*29 grains of borax, and 107*76 grains of bicar- 
bonate of ammonium, in an imperial gallon ; besides silica, 
alumina, and traces of various other substances. 
Professor Whitney remarks with regard to this spring : — 
44 The most extraordinary feature in the above analysis is the 
very large amount of ammoniacal salts shown to be present in 
this water, in this respect exceeding any natural spring-water 
which has ever been analysed. Mr. Moore thinks that, as in 
the case of the boracic acid waters of Tuscany, this ammoniacal 
salt may be separated and made available for economical pur- 
poses. This locality is worthy of a most careful examination, to 
ascertain how considerable a flow of water can be depended 
on.” * 
Dr. A. Blatchly, of San Francisco, in speaking of the Geyser 
group of quicksilver mines, says : — 44 Nearly all these veins con- 
tain iron in considerable amounts, frequently in sufficient quan- 
tities to constitute an ore of iron. Gold, silver, and copper 
are also frequently constituents of these lodes, and occasionally 
chrome iron in considerable quantities. But, so far as is. 
known, in no instance have the precious metals been sufficiently 
abundant to pay for the expense of extraction. 
44 Bitumen is found in nearly all these veins, sometimes a 
deposit of a gallon or two in one cavity. 
44 Thermal springs are numerous throughout the whole 
quicksilver-region, and the uniformity of their occurrence leads 
prospecters to the belief that there is an intimate relation 
between the causes which generate thermal springs, and produce 
deposits of cinnabar, and that where one is found the other may 
probably occur in the vicinity.” f 
On the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, near Walker’s 
Pass, borax is found in what appears to be the bed of an 
ancient lake, large crystals of this substance having been met 
with in a hardened mud, exactly resembling those found in the 
blue clay of Borax Lake. By far the largest amount of borax 
is, however, obtained from the indurated mud, where it exists 
in common with other salts. This mud, from which borax is 
separated by lixiviation, contains about half its weight of that 
salt, and is a light clay-like body, having a strongly saline and 
alkaline taste. The portion insoluble in water effervesces on 
* 11 Geological Survey of California,” p. 100. 
t “ Mineral Resources West of the Rocky Mountains,” 1875, p. 176* 
Raymond. 
