have occasion to say more. On my return to Hawkins's, ness to entertain me with the genuine hospitality of a fronti my last specimens and found encouraging results in the p amination I was able to give them. I now again placed guidance of my friend Lewis, and we started for the Irishn valley. We found the owner of the borax lake,' but the orated with the water and left nothing but common salt, ti bluish red color, which I suppose had given the notion tha out of the usual way. It was the only specimen of salt I seen in the coast range that contained no boracic acid in guiltless of even a trace. The next step was to examin Major Vanbibber, the reputed discoverer, being a grandson ought to possess, one would suppose, an hereditary knowl essential constituents of gunpowder; and as Colonel Lewis specimen of very pure nitre, which he said the Major had g expected to find a few more left. This, however, was rat borax lake' disappointment; the major had actually for lake was, and whether there were any more specimens th Lewis. The major, I believe, must really have forgotten, fo examination the specimen proved to be refined saltpetre that from some shop or drug store.

"There was certainly a mistake about its origin; but I fel a hard day's ride in spending a night under the hospitable ro scendant of the renowned Backwoodsman of Kentucky.' the major's house a small pond. Some salt crystals I picke liar bevelled angles indicating the presence of borax. The considerable. Thus ended my first expedition to Clear lake faces direct for Colusi, as there seemed nothing more to be so engaged the horses we rode at rather a high per diem, I felt nate the trip. From Colusi my guide returned to Sacramen Bluff; from there I came again to San Francisco, for the pur specimens more critically than I was able to do in the countr

"Convinced of the richness of my Alkali lake' specimens seen whether the quantity was sufficient to justify the hope o able for practical purposes. A further and more strict exami sary. I felt, too, the propriety of a thorough exploration and Clear lake, and more thence to the bay of San Francisc continuous the reconnoissance from Pitt river to the last-na tance, in a direct line, of two hundred miles. After a hard funds requisite, I returned to Red Bluff; and from thence, in son, commenced a pretty thorough examination of the coast joining edge of the Sacramento valley.

"Nothing of much importance presented itself until reachin about eighty miles south of Red Bluff. It is one of the b creek. Valuable salt springs exist here. The water contai minute quantities; and one spring was remarkable for the end of iodine salts held in solution. In our slow, onward progres again manifested itself; but as it had grown familiar, I no ecstacies over a mere trace. I still treated, however, the sli with due deference, and noted their localities.

"In due time I again reached the 'white hill.' The disgust pointment had worn off, and I felt disposed to re-examine critically. I now discovered, for the first time, that the mostly a mass of sulphur, fused by volcanic heat. The ex posed of sulphur, mixed with sand and earthy impurities, and covering of a whitish appearance, hiding the nature of the ma

breaking the crust, numerous fissures and small cavities, lined with sulphur crystals of great beauty, were brought to light. Through the fissures, which seemed to communicate with the depth below, hot aqueous vapors and sulphurous fumes constantly escape. The fused mass, covering many acres and exhibiting a bluff front some forty feet high, is exceedingly compact and ponderous in structure; of various shades, from yellow to almost black. It seems to be very pure sulphur. The quantity is enormous, and at no distant day may be made available.

"From the sulphur bank' I again turned my attention to the ravine. The water, as I had before ascertained, was strongly impregnated with boracic acid, in a free state. The stream is small, yielding only about three gallons per minute, and is soon lost in the sandy soil, in its progress toward the margin of the lake. From the porous nature of the ground surrounding the spring, and saturated with the same kind of acid water, it is probable a large quantity escapes without making its appearance on the surface. The soil for some yards on either side of the ravine is, to the depth of an inch or two impregnated with boracic acid in summer. Sulphuretted hydrogen escapes in continued bubbles through the water, a feature common to all the borax localities I have yet found; in some places, however, the carburetted takes the place of the sulphuretted hydrogen. The head of this ravine is about three hundred yards from the margin of Clear lake, winding around the base of the 'sulphur bank,' receiving some small springs in its course, which seem to have their origin beneath the sulphur. The flat land bordering the lake, some eight acres in extent, through which the ravine runs, shows a strong impregnation of boracic acid in its soil. The point where the ravine enters the lake is marked by a large quantity of water of a boiling temperature, issuing through the sand, a little within the margin of the lake. This percolation of hot water covers an area of one hundred and fifty by seventy-five feet. This fact I observed on my second visit, but not until the third or fourth visit did I ascertain that the water contained a considerable quantity of borax, along with an access of boracic acid. From a gallon I obtained four hundred and eighty-eight grains of solid matter, consisting of borax, boracic acid, and a small portion of silicious and other earthy impurities. On digging to a slight depth just outside the lake, the hot water burst up and ran off freely. From one of these places a stream issued of sixty gallons per minute. I have estimated the entire quantity at three hundred gallons per minute, and feel very confident of being largely within bounds. The stream seems to come from the direction of the sulphur bank, and it would probably be easy to intercept it before it enters the lake, by digging a little above high-water mark. It may be well to note here, that the difference between high and low water marks in Clear lake is never more than three feet.

"The enormous amount of borax these springs are capable of yielding would equal half the quantity of that article consumed both in England and America. The large quantity of water in which it is dissolved would, of course, involve the necessity of extensive works for evaporation. Graduation, as a cheap and effective method of evaporation, would be exceedingly applicable here, from the continued prevalence of winds throughout the entire year. These winds blowing almost unceasingly from the west, form a peculiar feature of the country about Clear lake.

"There is nothing to hinder the manufacture of many million pounds of borax per annum, at a cost but little beyond that of producing salt by graduation. Fuel for final evaporation could be had in any quantities from the extensive oak forest in the immediate vicinity. With these observations I dismiss this locality, adding, however, that Mr. Joseph G. Baldwin located this with a four hundred and eighty acre school land warrant, for the benefit of a borax company.

"Having wandered from my story of my second visit to the sulphur bank,' and blended with it observations made in several subsequent examinations, I

now turn to my second visit to Alkali lake, or Lake Ká call it. I need only say, however, I became fully satisfied" of the locality, the extent of which has only been recently served that the lake itself contained but little water, but t where near its margin immediately filled with the same kind clusion, therefore, was, that an almost inexhaustible supply learned, too, that what seemed to be mud at the margin and covering the entire bottom to the depth of some feet, was a substance of a soapy feel and smell. This matter I found to that I supposed it might be advantageously used for the extr ral. Thus satisfied of the value of the lake, I little thought yards of me lay an additional value in the form of millions borax crystals, hidden by the jelly-like substance I was th This important fact was not observed until some six months "This locality is by far the most important of any I have is situated, as may be seen by reference to the accompanying formed by the two prongs into which Clear lake is divided at its The elevated hill land that fills the angle separates into two following its division of the lake and leaving a valley betwe shape, near the apex of which lies Alkali lake. Clear lake is sides of it, distant to the north about a mile, and to the sou distance. The open part of the triangular plain looks to the into an extensive valley, from which it is cut off, partially, ridge running across from one hill to the other, and thus enc "This ridge is composed of huge masses of rock resemb which float like cork in water. A thin stratum of ashy-lool over with obsidian fragments, covers the ridge and affords growth of manzanita shrubs.

"The whole neighborhood bears marks of comparatively tion. Indeed, the action has not ceased entirely yet; hot issue from several places on the edge of the ridge just named! Alkali lake.

"The lake,' as it is called, is rather a marsh than a la covers some two hundred acres, with about three feet depth dry portion of the year it shrinks to some fifty or sixty acre only a few inches. The soapy matter' covers the entire ex of nearly four feet, the upper part, for a foot in depth, being fluidity, the lower having the consistency of stiff mortar. rather tenacious blue clay. This water was nearly as hig solid matter as that of the lake in its highest summer concer portion of borax to other substances being greater. The so matter, however, presents the greatest feature of attraction, be prismatic crystals of pure borax. They vary from a microsco weight of several ounces. These crystals are semi-transparen yellowish color. The form is an oblique rhomboidal prism, wi and truncated angles. In some cases the edges are bevelled, an modified hexahedral prism exists. Beneath the gelatinous n surface of the blue clay, and from sixteen to eighteen inch of a similar form, but much larger, are found. They weigh and seem to have been formed under different circums other crystals. My first impression was that they had bee upper stratum, and, sinking by their own gravity, had found t tion. An examination proves, however, that they were forme as particles of the blue clay are found enclosed in their centres have been the case had the upper crystals been their nuclea, f is ever found in them.

"The first inquiry of practical interest relates to the quantity of borax already formed. On this subject I cannot speak with perfect confidence. The quantity is very considerable, but I do not look on the experiments heretofore made to test this matter as conclusive. The area covered by the crystalline deposit is not coextensive with that of the lake, but has been found over a space of about twenty acres in the examination made so far. A very valuable collateral product, iodine, with the compounds of which the water seems to be exceedingly rich, could be made a source of revenue with but little additional expense. With regard to the quantity of iodine I cannot speak positively, not having isolated the product; but from the brilliant reaction with the qualitative tests, there can be no doubt of its being great. Should this article be manufactured largely the sulphuric acid required might be made on the spot from the products of the sulphur bank,' one and a half mile distant. With this I leave • Alkali lake.' I would state that I located this place in my own name for the company.

"There is yet another important borax locality in the same vicinity, resembling much the foregoing in its more prominent features. It consists of a pond of water of about twenty acres. The bottom is covered with the same soaplike substance, but seems to contain no crystals. The water contains less solid matter in solution, but the percentage of borax is greater in proportion to the other substances than in the Alkali lake. The borax separates readily by crystallization, and forms about thirty-three per cent. of the whole matter. Like the foregoing, this pond has no outlet and no visible source of supply; yet it is said never to be dry, although the water is never more than three feet deep. It would perhaps be a profitable source of borax if the millions of pounds the before-described localities are capable of yielding be not enough to supply the demand. It is in the midst of a magnificent grove of pines and oaks. This place was taken by Mr. Archibald Peachy, by the location of a three-hundredand-twenty-acre school land warrant. The borates are also known to exist in other localities between Clear lake and Napa City. In Siegler valley there is a hot spring, in the waters of which I detected borate of strontia and other borate salts. Near Napa there is a borate spring, and one in Suisan valley, near the marble quarry. None of these places are important. The foregoing are the only borax localities known in the northern part of this State; and I feel confident there are no others in that quarter that can ever compete with the inexhaustible stores of the Alkali lake and the hot springs. I had expected to find something worthy of attention at or in the neighborhood of the geysers, but there was no trace of borates in the hot waters of those springs, nor anywhere totally in the surrounding district. The geological features of the country were so different from those of that where I had theretofore found the borates, that I was able to predict as soon as I saw it that nothing of the kind existed. In a hasty reconnoissance of the great Tulare valley I found traces, but nothing more, of these substances. I have reasons for doubting the existence of any large quantities in that region. That portion of the valley bordering on the Coast range might be worth examining further. It is there, if anywhere, valuable deposits may be looked for.

"There probably are as many as three districts in the lower part of the State presenting the borates. One or more valuable localities may probably be found among them."

4.-PRODUCT OF BORAX IN CALIFORNIA.

Up to this date but one borax company has been formed in California. There was some talk of organizing another company eight or nine months since, the parties interested having discovered on the shores of Owen's lake, in the southern part of the State, a substance resembling the borate of lime of South America

The mud taken from different parts of the lake after the extracted in this primitive way give, by analysis, from 11.9 prismatic borax, and from virgin mud, partially dried, from whi been extracted, a result of 31 crystallized borax is obtai of the mud, which had been worked over by the coffer-dams tically by lixiviation, and gave the following results:

Fine prismatic borax, 15 per cent.; carbonate of soda, 28 salt, 8 per cent.; equal to 513 per cent. Thus yielding in than one-half the weight of the whole. The mud partially dr and the salts are separated without difficulty.

When the company's works are completed the present: will be discontinued."

The fine crystals are found in the upper layer or stratum depth of about six feet. They dissolve easily, and are subse large crystals by the process of boiling and crystallization. tum is a stiff, blue mud containing the largest crystals, which hand, the mud being too stiff to be treated by washing. tained by the present process could be increased by increa coffer-dams. This has not been done for the reason that the engaged during the summer in the erection of expensive wor of the mud by lixiviation, having found by analysis and by that for every pound taken out by the coffer-dam washing fifteen pounds go back into the lake, where it is held in so crystals by the liquid mud. It is expected that they will be tion by next spring, when, it is confidently anticipated, the duction will be practically unlimited.

Borax lake covers two hundred and nineteen acres in t summer.* At other seasons it covers quite four hundred a three hundred acres may be considered as borax ground. of the water is about two and a half feet. It is the mud, 1 tains the borax in large quantities. The first eight and a per cent. borax, 28 per cent. carbonate of soda, and 8 per Below the depth of eight and a half feet the smallness of the vented their working, hence it is not known how much fur average will continue. At the depth of sixty feet the mu artesian borer give by analysis but 3.51 per cent. of borax points between eight and a half and sixty feet have not ye artesian borer was sent up for the purpose of testing the g but, being worked by inexperienced hands, was broken o having reached the depth of sixty feet.

An estimate of average workings shows that twenty cu yield one ton, so that taking the number of square feet to of feet already tested, and the percentage of borax conta approximate idea may be formed of the value of this depos

* Report of United States surveyor general of Calif