Page:Memoir of a tour to northern Mexico.djvu/30

[ 26 ] it is commonly called, old Placer. Several foreigners live here. The first one I saw was Mr. Watrous, a New Englander, but for many years a resident of this country. He received me very hospitably, and invited me to his dwelling. Some fresh skins of grizzly bears were spread out on scaffolds, the sure American rifle stood in the corner, and everything else bore the character of the backwoodsman; but by his intelligent conversation he showed himself a man of very good sense, and as an acute observer. Though Mr. Watrous had not himself been engaged in mining, he paid attention to his whole neighborhood, and showed me many specimens of gold ores, which in his rambles through the mountains he had collected. I took a walk with him to the nearest gold washes. The first instance of this operation I witnessed on the small creek that runs through old Placer. From the bed of the creek, which was in most places dry, they took up some of the ground–gravel, sand and earth–put it in a spacious, rather flat wooden bowl, (batéa,) added water, removing first, by stirring with the hand, the coarse pieces of gravel, and then, by well balanced shaking, all the earthy and sandy particles, till at last nothing is left at the bottom but the finest sand, from which all the visible portions of gold are picked out. The poorer class of Mexicans are generally occupied with those gold washes in the creek; and they divide for that purpose the creek with the water amongst themselves, in lots, which often call forth as many claims and contests as the finest building lots in our cities. As the gold is apparently carried here by the waters of the creek from higher auriferous regions, the gain from these washings is different according to the season. The most gold is generally found in and after the rainy season, and it diminishes with the failing of water. Occasionally they discover a larger piece of gold in the sand; but generally the gold is so divided, that a whole day's work will amount on an average to not more than a quarter or half a dollar. Every evening they sell their small gains to the storekeepers, and take provisions or goods in exchange, or receive cash for it at the rate of sixteen dollars per ounce. This is the most common but least profitable way of gold washing. It may be practised on all the water-courses in those mountains, provided that there is sufficient water to wash with. In going from this to some other gold washes in the neighborhood, I took notice of the prevalent rocks in old Placer; they are white and yellow quartzose sandstone, quartz, hornblende and quartz, sienite and greenstone, (diorit.) The second place where I saw the process of gold washing was on a high piece of ground not far from a creek. They had opened here a great many pits to the depth of from 50 to 60 feet, and raised the ground, a sandy earth mixed with iron ochre, to the surface, where it was washed for gold in the same way, in batéas. These gold washings are said to be profitable, but they would in my opinion be more so where a regular mining was done by sinking a shaft, and by separating the gold by quicksilver, or in some other way than mere washing.

On the next day I went to see a gold mine, near the upper part of the town, belonging to Mr. Tournier, a French resident of the place. The mine lies between one and two miles west of the town, on the slope of some mountains. It was discovered several years ago by Mr. Roubadoux, who commenced working it, but for some reason gave it up. Mr. Tournier had worked it for one year, and found it very profitable. The gold vein runs from SSE. to NNW., with a very slight dip. It is generally from two to four feet wide. Mr. Tournier has sunk a shaft already in the entire depth of 40 varas, and with the drift of about 30 varas, and the ore