402 
SCENES IN THE PACIFIC. 
A very fine article of bituminous coal has been discovered 
in the neighborhood of San Francisco; and indications of its 
existence in other parts of the country, are numerous and 
well marked. 
A quicksilver mine is said to exist near the mountains east 
of Monterey, which, if we may believe report, is the richest 
in the world. 
A silver mine has been discovered a short distance from Mon¬ 
terey. This affords a very rich ore, and easily wrought. The 
author saw spoons and other articles made of the products of 
this mine. There is a gold mine situate near the Pueblo de 
los Angelos, which is very rich. The ore was tested by my 
friend Doctor Lyman, and was found to yield more than 
ninety per cent. The inhabitants have observed very exten¬ 
sive veins of gold in the vicinity of the bay of San Francisco, 
and indeed in many other parts of this beautiful land. In 
Lower California, there are several mines, which the people 
are working in a rude way, but with considerable profit. 
Virgin silver and gold are often found in considerable quanti¬ 
ties. No doubt is entertained by those best acquainted with 
the Californias, that they will become, when science shall be 
applied in the development of their wealth, one of the richest 
mineral provinces of America. This belief is much strength¬ 
ened by the fact, that the Indians, whenever they choose, can 
bring into the settlements large quantities of these ores, which 
they either find on the surface, or pry from the crevices of the 
rocks with sharpened sticks, bones, or hunting knives. They 
cannot be induced to show the whites where they obtain 
these, on account of an old traditional superstition, that if 
they should do so, they would immediately die. 
Down the Coast. —On the fifth of May, 1840, we made 
our adieus to our acquaintance in Santa Barbara, preparatory 
to falling down the coast. The American visited the sick 
Englishman, found him breathing faintly, and apparently very 
near death. But it was necessary to embark, and leave the 
dying man in the kind care of his nurses, who, I have no 
