$1,500 per ton. The range is abundantly supplied with wood and water, easy of access, and only awaits the aid of capital to make the mines the most valuable in this section of the country. Some of the ores of the Washington have assayed as high as $5,680 per ton in silver.

Josephine.-Near the St. Lucas, on the northeast slope of the Buena Vista Mountain. The vein is six feet in width, of an ore similar to the Belmont, which assays $267 in silver. It is a carbonate of lead, with antimony. The vein is one thousand feet in length, and can be made to supply fifteen to twenty tons of ore per day.

Other mines.-The General Lee, twelve hundred feet; Passport, twelve hundred; St. André, one thousand; and San Miguel de la Cruz, fourteen hundred, are worthy of notice. These mines have all been opened, and show veins principally of galena, from three to fifteen feet in width. They are located on various portions of the west side of Buena Vista Hill, within half a mile of Cerro Gordo, and from them large quantities of valuable ore have, from time to time, been taken. They have not been thoroughly tested as to their individual value, but, from the appearance of the ores discovered and in sight, there is no doubt of their being as good mines as any on the Buena Vista Mountain. The Belmont, St. Lucas, and many others, lying on the east side of Buena Vista Mountain, have been developed to a considerable extent, and show rock generally carrying about nine per cent. of sulphate of lead, and exhibiting working results, by smelting, of from $250 to $800 per ton in silver. Many of these veins, with ample means for their development, will become valuable property.

Direction, dip, etc.-The general dip of the veins on the Buena Vista Mountain is southwest, at an angle of about seventy degrees with the horizon. The direction is, north sixteen to twenty degrees east.

The wall rock, in all cases, is remarkably even, both as to surface and direction; and so far as the mines that have been most extensively worked show, there can be no doubt of their being true fissure veins.

Remarks.-Mills have not been a success in this district. The ores are more adapted for smelting process, and galena being so plentiful no flux is needed.

Estimate of costs of mining and reducing ores in Cerro Gordo district, Inyo County, California, reported by W. S. Watson, July 1, 1869.

Population of district: Fifteen hundred.

Wages of first-class miners: Four dollars per day.
Wages of surface laborers: Three dollars per day.
Cost of lumber: One hundred dollars per thousand.

Cost of mining timber: Forty dollars per thousand.

Cost of common powder: Eight dollars for twenty-five pounds.

Cost of giant powder: One dollar and fifty cents per pound.

Cost of quicksilver: None used.

Cost of freight from San Francisco: One hundred and forty dollars per ton.

Cost of fuel: Six dollars per cord.

Cost of ten-stamp mill, California pattern, including freight, erection, &c.: Twenty thousand dollars.

Cost of twenty-stamp mill, freight, erection, &c.: Forty thousand dollars.

Minimum mining cost per ton of ore: One dollar.

Mines from which this is reported: Freiberg, Queen City, Ignacio, Sacramento. Character of rock at those mines: Sulphurets, carbonates of lead, and argentiferous galena.

Depth of mine: Worked from tunnels.

Maximum mining cost per ton: Five dollars.

Mines from which this is reported: San Benito, Belmont, St. Lucas.

Character of rock, &c.: Sulphurets, carbonates, tungstate of lead, and argentiferous galena.

Depth of mine: worked from tunnels.

Character of process employed: Smelting.

Average mining cost, per ton: Two dollars and fifty cents.

Average smelting cost, per ton: Ten dollars.

Average pulp-assay of ore: Two hundred dollars per ton.

Average yield of ore: One hundred and fifty dollars per ton.

Remarks.-This district has been very imperfectly prospected, principally by Mexicans, until this summer, when others commenced.

CHAPTER III.

MARIPOSA COUNTY.

The principal operations carried on in this county have been those of the Mariposa company, and the Oaks and Reese mine, both of which were mentioned in my last report. Concerning the former, numerous official reports have been published during the year, the company having adopted the praiseworthy policy of advertising its stockholders and the public of the progress of its operations more frequently than by annual reports. The mines worked have been the Josephine, Pine Tree, and Mariposa. Mr. F. Goodsell, the company's engineer, reports under date of September 1, 1869:

The amount of dead-work done at the Mariposa mine has exposed a large quantity of ore, and there is sufficient breadth of ore-ground uncovered in the various shafts, drifts, and wings to furnish a supply for a considerable time. About four hundred tons are already mined, and with the present number of miners we can prosecute the necossary dead-work, and furnish daily all the ore the mill can pulverize. The ore now being taken out is rich, showing free coarse gold throughout. The limited number of miners engaged in the Josephine mine are making good progress, although working at many different points. Stoping in the rich shoot of ore recently opened east of the main shaft, and driving the level underneath, progresses rather slowly, owing to the great breadth of vein. Altogether, the mine is looking well, and in condition to furnish steadily a large quantity of ore. Most of the ore recently stoped in this mine is stored in the west shaft for further use; the Pine Tree mine at present furnishing a large portion of the ore that is sent to the mills. This mine is looking splendidly. The large number of men now employed has greatly improved its appearance. The extension of the engine drift eastward has disclosed the well-known "Garden shoot," so rich in the upper levels. The "big stope" west of the main shaft is looking better than ever, and never since work was resumed has the mine generally been so promising. There is now open and proved over nine hundred feet horizontal length of ore-bearing ground. With the present force of miners there is being sent to the mill thirty tons of ore daily, and at the same time carrying forward a fair amount of dead-work. A few tons of ore have been sent for testing to the Benton mills, from the shaft of the "Green's Gulch" mine, where there is a large quantity of ore standing in sight. Ore from this source is not required at present, as we have, according to estimates-

The following may be assumed as a low estimate of the quantities to depend upon, being mostly uncovered:

This estimate does not include ores that extend beyond points that have been tested by the lowest drifts and the various shafts and winzes. The value of these ores can only be determined by further working.

*See diagrams of Josephine and Pine Tree in my last report.