The number of flasks sold from these consignments during the year, and accounts therefore closed and settled, were 19,756, as follows: Sold in China ... Sold in New York... Sold in Mexico.. Sold in Australia. Sold in London.. Sold in Peru Sold in Nevada.. Sold in Colifornia Sold in Oregon.. 14, 250 10, 400 5, 500 2,000 6, 800 2,650 200 280 4, 641 473 47, 194 67, 590 4,000 4,500 450 100 1,600 1,000 6, 495 1, 350 261 19, 756 Total flasks.... Flasks remaining on hand January 1, 1866, and to be accounted for.. 47, 834 The quantity consigned through Messrs. Alsop & Co., 1865, 7,396 flasks, has been sold, making the total sales for pany, during the year 1865, 27,152 flasks. The foregoing statement includes only the shipments and which have been closed and finally settled. In addition to pany have received advices of the sales in China and Lon flasks. Products of other quicksilver mines in California durin Guadalupe, average flasks per month... BORAX, SULPHUR, TIN, AND COAL. 1. Principal borax countries.-2. Manufactured borax.-3. Discove nia.-4. Product of borax in California.-5. Process of workin phur.-7. Tin.-8. Coal.-9. Iron. 1.-PRINCIPAL PLACES WHERE BORAX IS F Prior to the discovery of borax in California, the principa the borates were found were at Halberstadt, in Transylv and Escapa, in Peru, in the mineral springs of Chambly, S West, and in certain salt lakes of India, Thibet, and other p the greater part of the borax of commerce was formerly obt *The salt separated from these waters by evaporatio assisted by artificial contrivances, is sent to Europe as cr sometimes in large regular crystals, but more frequently as white mass, which is very impure, containing lime, magnes likewise covered over with a greasy substance, (said to be a risk of breakage during transport.) According to analysis Bronell, crude Indian borax contains: 22.88 12.59 100.00 2.-MANUFACTURE OF BORAX. "The purification or refining of this crude Asiatic borax from very early times in various seaport towns in Europe, e and more lately at Amsterdam." "The greater part of the borax used in the arts is now prepared in France by treating the native boric acid of Tuscany with carbonate of sodium, according to a method first practiced by Payen and Cartier." 3.-DISCOVERY OF BORAX IN CALIFORNIA. V The following extracts from a report by Dr. John A. Veatch, dated June 28, 1857, give a succinct and very interesting history of the discovery of borax in California: "Since the demonstration of the existence of boracie acid and the borates in California in quantities sufficient for commercial purposes, a history of the discovery and a description of some of the more important localities of these useful products become matters of some interest. "I believe I was the first to detect the borates in mineral waters in this State, and perhaps, as yet, the only observer of their localities.. My attention was first drawn to this subject by noticing crystals of bi-borate of soda in the artificially concentrated water of a mineral spring which I chanced at the time to be examining for other matters. This water was from one of the several springs since known as the Tuscan springs, and which have gained some fame, and very justly, I believe, as medicinal waters. The spot has been described by Dr. Trask under the name of the Lick Springs, and is so designated on Britton and Rey's late map; lying on the north part of Tehama county, eight miles east of Red bluff. The crystals alluded to were observed on the 8th day of January, 1856. Several pounds were subsequently extracted by evaporating the water to a certain degree of concentration and allowing the borax to crystallize. The pioneer specimens of this product were deposited in the museum of the California Academy of Natural Sciences, as an evidence of the existence of a new and important link in the chain of our mineralogical productions, showing that along with the rich productions of the noble and useful metals, we have also the mineral substance so essential to their easy application to the purposes of man. "The water, holding in solution so valuable a product, was thought worthy of a critical analysis; and consequently at an early period the aid of a chemist of this city was invoked. The reported result, which I placed at the disposition of Dr. Trask, was thought worthy of a place in his geological report of that year, and appears in it. My mind being now alive to the subject, I leared, upon inquiry, of other localities which I supposed might yield the borates. One of these, near the mouth of Pitt river, forty miles north of the Tuscan springs, I had the pleasure of visiting in company with Dr. Wm. O. Ayres, in April, 1856. Specimens there obtained yielded the borate salts; and, from a subsequent examination of the intermediate country, several similar localities were found. The quantity was too small to be of any practical importance, but the prevalence of the salt gave encouragement to further search. A reconnoissance of the "coast range" of mountains, from the neighborhood of Shasta over a length of some thirty miles towards the south, brought to light borates in the numerous small springs abounding in that region, but only in minute quantities. These springs were found almost exclusively in the sandstone, or in the magnesian limestone overlaying it; and the borates seemed to abound in localities bearing indications of volcanic disturbance. Thus a kind of guide was obtained in the prosecution of further explorations. I began to entertain hopes of finding streams with stronger impregnations, or accumulations, of the borates in salt lagoons said to exist in Colusi county, where the sandstone formation was largely developed, the adjacent foot-hills presenting volcanic features. Hunters told tales of mineral springs of sulphurous and bitter waters; of lakes of soda, and alkaline plains, white with efflorescent matters, in that region. Not being in a * Prior to the discovery of borax in California. situation immediately to visit those inviting localities, I ha who occasionally visited the coast range on hunting excur I explained the object of my search, and who, although n is an intelligent observer, had the kindness to look, in his certain indications. He subsequently informed me by lett with an Irishman, living in Bear valley, who had found a it was pronounced by an Englishman who lived with the had been at one time employed in a borax manufactory in I fore assumed to speak knowingly on the subject. He also same letter that a Major Vanbibber, of Antelope valley, ha quantities of nitre in the same neighborhood. These glowin hasten the excursion I had so long contemplated. In a pers the colonel he told me of an enormous mass, of a white, pulver had himself observed near the margin of Clear lake, of the was ignorant. Mr. Charles Fairfax, who was with the colone to me that a small rivulet running at the base of the white tensely impregnated mineral water, totally undrinkable, as h discovered by attempting to slake his thirst with it. From t tion gathered from these gentlemen, I was led to hope the hil as they termed it, might prove to be borate of lime. I det myself by a personal examination at once, and I finally indu to act as my guide by furnishing him with a horse and paying some time in the early part of September of last year that h mento for the localities that had so much excited my hope Colusi, which we reached by steamer, horses were obtained, in a westerly direction across the Sacramento valley to th coast mountains, a distance of about twenty miles. That p skirting the hille gave unmistakable evidence of a heavy char and the exceedingly contorted and interrupted state of the me at once to predict the presence of the beloved borates, w on some efflorescent matter taken from a ravine proved to be degree. At this point we entered Fresh-water cañon,' whic forms a passway into Antelope and Bear valleys. Here I r from a settler of a hot sulphur spring a few miles south of I of the trails leading to Clear lake. This spring we succeede following day. It was with no small pleasure that I observ magnesian limestone in the hills surrounding the valley of strong smell of sulphureted hydrogen, and the appearance of cence on the rocks, manifested, even at a distance, almost the ing the mineral I sought. The indications were not deceptive. proved to be boracic acid, in part, while the hot, sulphurous of soda in solution, together with chlorides and sulphates. T springs at this place, and several cold ones, all alike strongly common salt and borax. The quantity of water yielded in about one hundred gallons per minute-the hot and cold spri equal quantities. The temperature of the hot water is 200 that of the cold 60° Fahrenheit. The same phenomenon occu served at the Tuscan springs, viz., free boracic acid in the e margin of the springs, while the water itself shows a decided A careful examination proves that the efflorescent matters the waters of the spring-taken up by capillary attraction of t rated by the air. The singular fact may be accounted for by of the borates by the sulphuric acid generated by atmospheric action on the sulphur in which the soil abounds; or the same decomposition may be produced by the hydrosulphuric acid passing up in gaseous form from the laboratory nature has established beneath. The same action, doubtless, takes place in the water, but the boracic acid set free is at once taken up by the excess of alkaline matter, while, in the efflorescence, no fresh supply of alkali offering, the acid remains in its free state when once displaced by more powerful acids. "These springs seem to be identical in the character of their waters with the Tuscan springs, and therefore doubtless possess the same extraordinary medicinal virtues. As a source of borax these springs could be made available, but as the owners of this locality possess others of superior richness, it is not likely to be ever called to yield its mineral treasure. The situation is a pleasant and romantic one. The distance from the town of Colusi is thirtyfive miles, over mostly a smooth and pleasant road. From Clear lake it is eighteen miles, and over rather a rough country. The Indian name of the place is Co-no-to-tok, a generic word having reference to the white appearance of the ground. Mr. Archibald Peachy located a three-hundred-and-twentyacre school land warrant on this place in behalf of the borax company. After satisfying myself with the examination of this interesting spot, noting nothing of interest save a 'soda spring,' the water being impregnated to a remarkable degree with carbonic acid gas, about eight miles from the lake. A chemical test also detected boracic acid in small quantity. The following day we reached the Hill of White Powder,' the goal of our hopes, on the margin of Clear lake. This White Powder Hill,' the goal of our hopes, proved an illustration of how little the recollections of mere casual observers are to be depended upon. The hill, in place of consisting of materials in a state of disintegration, so as to admit of being shoveled up, as my friend supposed, proved to be a concrete volcanic mass, bleached white by sulphurous fumes, and looking, at a little distance, like a huge mass of slaked lime, which the inattentive observer might readily suppose to be a hill of white powder.' The hope of a treasure in the form of borate of lime vanished forever. "The road had been rather toilsome, the weather exceedingly hot, and my guide not very well; and as he had gone the full length of the contemplated journey, and felt somewhat disgusted at the result so far, and had nothing more to draw his attention in this direction, he proposed to return at once by the way of the Irishman's borax lake' and Vanbibber's nitre placer. This was agreed upon; so, collecting a few specimens of efflorescent matters from the ground, and filling a bottle with the water in the ravine, I closed the examination of the Hill of White Powder.' The ravine I afterwards called the "boracic acid ravine," and the white hill is now called Sulphur Bank.' Of these I shall have occasion to speak hereafter. "Before leaving the neighborhood I determined, however, to know something more of its surroundings. I learned, upon inquiry of Mr. Hawkins, who lives near the spot, that a place not far off, known by the name of Alkali lake,' presented a rather peculiar appearance. Hawkins consented to act as my guide. After travelling a short distance, and clambering to the narrow edge of an almost precipitous mountain ridge, we looked down the opposite slope, equally steep, on a small muddy lake that sent up, even to our elevated position, no pleasant perfumes. Thus, on one of the hottest days September ever produced, without a breath of air to dilute the exquisite scent exhaled from two hundred acres of fragrant mud, of an untold depth, I slid down the mountain side into Alkali lake,' waded knee-deep into its soapy margin, and filled a bottle with the most diabolical watery compound this side the Dead Sea. Gathering a few specimens of the matter encrusting the shore, I hastened to escape from a spot very far from being attractive at the time, but which I have since learned to have no prejudice against. Of this place 1 shall |