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neighborhood but  who  had  since  died ;  the  gentle savages failed  to  mention  the  manner  of  their  taking off.

Referring to  the  Diccionario  Geografico-Historio  de las  Indias  Occidentales  o  America  of  Antonio  de  Alcedo, published in  Madrid  in  1786-9,  we  find  stated  that  in California,  ^'  provincia  de  la  America  Septentrional,  y la  ultima  parte  de  ella  en  lo  descubierto  acia  el  norte  "  are many  wonders.  Strange  animals  are  there,  and  some that  the  Spaniards  introduced,  which  have  multiplied enormously.  There  are  insects,  snakes,  tarantulas, and  ants  without  number,  but  no  fleas,  bed-bugs,  or chegoes.  As  prone  to  mendacity  as  I  have  ever  found Mr  Dunbar,  I  was  not  prepared  to  meet  in  his Romance  of  the  Age  so  bold  a  misrepresentation  as that  Alcedo  "  positively  asserts  the  existence  of  gold  in California,  even  in  lumps  of  five  to  eight  pounds,"  and that  in  face  of  the  plain  statement :  "No  se  han  des- cubierto minas ; pero  hay  bastantes  indicios  de  que existen de  todos  metales."

At Alizal,  near  Monterey,  silver  is  said  to  have been found  in  1 802. Remarking how  deep  benea  theth surface lay  the  precious  metals  in  the  interior  of  north- ern Mexico Humboldt,  after  his  visit  in  1803,  ex- pressed the opinion  that  toward  the  north  gold  might be found  in  large  quantities  near  the  surface.

Knowledge of  the  existence  of  furnaces,  used  in the  smelting  of  silver  ore,  in  the  southeastern  part  of California,  or  in  the  Colorado  river  region,  is  vaguely traced back  to  1808. An exploring  party  from  Stock- ton in 1860,  in  search  of  silver  lodes,  met  in  the vicinity of  these  furnaces  a  party  of  Mexicans  with like intentions. With the  Mexicans  was  an  ancient aboriginal, Jose  el  Venadero  he  was  called,  one  hun- dred years of  age,  who  stated  that  these  furnaces  were in use  when  Mexico  first  threw  off  the  yoke  of  Spain, fifty-two years  ago. He was  a  mission  Indian  at  the time, and  the  Spanish  soldiers  stationed  at  the  furnaces to protect  the  workmen  from  the  natives  were