it was inflammable gas which was escaping, attempts were made to ignite it, but without success. When the locality was visited by the writer, the wells were closed with pumps in them, which prevented the possibility of a near inspection, but the rushing sound was distinctly audible. The water in the well is fresh.

THE SOUTH SIDE IRRIGATION COMPANY.

This company have their headquarters in Orland, and divert water from Stony Creek. They intend to extend their irrigation works as far south as Greenwood, at which point a gravelly ridge obstructs the grade. Work was temporarily suspended by this company in the winter of 1890.

THE CENTRAL IRRIGATION COMPANY.

This company was organized at Maxwell under the Wright Act. They divert water from the Sacramento River, at the northeast corner of Glenn County. Their system extends through Glenn and a large portion of Colusa County.

The most important items of mineralogical interest in Humboldt County which have come under the observation of the California State Mining Bureau since the last report was issued are: The discovery of a good grade of lignite on Maple Creek; the investigations which have been made with regard to the extension of petroleum-bearing rocks in a southeasterly direction from Petrolia; the increased interest in placer mining at the Klamath River and on the seashore, and the discovery of auriferous veins in the southern portion of the county.

Small veins of coal have, from time to time, been discovered in various parts of Humboldt County, but the vein now opened on the Preston ranch, at Maple Creek, is the most promising yet noticed by the department. From geological observations at Boulder and Maple Creeks, it appears that the Maple Creek lignite is probably of the Pliocene age. In 1891 the writer traversed a meandering route through the southwest portion of Humboldt County, after visiting Maple Creek; he followed the shore line to the Klamath River.

Throughout the portion of Humboldt County visited by the writer the Pliocene formation is well represented, either resting on the unaltered Miocene, as the line of petroleum-bearing rocks traced from Petrolia to a point on the county line southeast from Garberville would indicate, or on metamorphic rocks, as seen at Garberville and Boulder Creek, where the Pliocene is found resting unconformably on altered shale and sandstone.

It is quite likely that bituminous strata may be found in other portions of the county than those through which the line was traced between Petrolia and Garberville; especially farther inland, beyond the Pliocene formation. It is also not impossible that the Pliocene rocks might yield petroleum in some places, for in California the line of demarkation between the Miocene and Pliocene is frequently ill-defined.

The occurrence of auriferous veins in the southern portion of the county is very interesting; the ore, however, appears to be low grade.

A new impetus has been given to placer mining on the Klamath River. On the seashore the sands of the Big Lagoon seem to offer a promising field for a gold-saving proposition, based on the principle of handling many tons an hour at a cheap rate. Gold washing is still prosecuted at the Lower Gold Bluffs and at Johnson's.

As is well known, the Gold Bluffs of Humboldt County have been a source of gold for many years, black sand having been obtained on the seashore there which, it is said, has in some instances shown several hundred dollars to the ton. Alterations in the contour of the coast-line have, however, deteriorated beach mining there of late years. Thus at one point, a little south of the mouth of Osagon Creek, the beach in 1860 could be passed only at low water, but there is now more than a quarter

of a mile of sand between the cliffs and low-tide mark, which is seldom if ever entirely covered by the waves. Formerly there was deep water but a short distance from the shore, and the tide washed the sand clean to the bedrock. The beach was quite steep, sometimes being covered with large pebbles, and at other times with sand; and it was on the sloping shore that the "panning surfs" concentrated the auriferous black sand. The shore-line at low water is now a nearly level stretch of reddish brown sand from Osagon to Gate Point, and some portions of it appear to be permanently above the reach of the waves. Shoal water extends for some distance out to sea, and a sandbar, which was first observed to be forming twelve or fourteen years ago at Osagon Point, stretches in a southerly direction parallel to the coast, reaching apparently nearly to Gate Point. The rapidity of this change, in the absence of other explanation, at once refers its cause to tidal action, rather than to secular terrestrial movement. A prevalence of westerly winds would, in the first instance, account for an accumulation of sand upon the beach.

At Gold Bluffs there are two kinds of surfs, known locally as the 'straight in surf" and the "panning surf." The "straight in surf" occurs when the wind is from the west; this surf accumulates the sand upon the shore. The "panning surf" occurs when the wind is in the northwest or southwest; this surf exercises a panning motion, which "pans down" the sand, and removes the lighter particles where the beach is not too flat. This panning motion is the most effectual when the wind is in the northwest.

The most important coal vein yet opened in Humboldt County is that known as the Maple Creek Coal Mine, which is situated on the Preston ranch, in Secs. 29 and 23, T. 5 N., R. 3 E., Humboldt meridian. This mine was discovered eight or nine years ago and entered as coal land, as noted in the Seventh Annual Report of the California State Mining Bureau. The development at this mine when visited by the writer in 1891, consisted of an incline some 30 feet deep, which showed two veins of lignite, one being a little more than 4 and the other about 1 foot in thickThe hanging wall is a tough, light-colored clay, and the foot wall a light-colored, gritty clay, containing numerous small pebbles. Associated with the lignite were observed numerous exogenous stems, in

ness.

which the rings of growth were very distinctly marked. The manager of the mine informed the writer that in September, 1891, an experimental boring was made at the bottom of the incline, to the depth of about 60 feet, and that six seams of coal were passed through, varying from 5 to 16 inches in thickness, being separated by strata of clay. The dip of the formation is to the east of north. Several croppings of lignite have been discovered in the vicinity, and some prospect work has been done. A sample of this coal sent to the laboratory of the Mining Bureau showed:

Fixed carbon..........

Volatile carbonaceous matter.
Ash (clay)..
Water

28.8 per cent. 41.9 per cent. 5.3 per cent.

24.0 per cent.

100.0 per cent.

A sample of coal was obtained by the writer from the Maple Creek Coal Mine, and an analysis of it made by W. D. Johnston, Chemist of the California State Mining Bureau, showed it to have a fuel value as previously noted.

A small seam of lignite also crops out on the Moore ranch, about 2 miles from the Maple Creek Mine, the dip being east of north at an angle of about 15°.

Coal croppings have also been observed in T. 4 S., R. 3 E., H. M., by Deputy Assessor C. B. Frost, of Eel River. The veins are usually only a few inches thick, but at one place there is a vein of more than 1 foot, from which a mass of "good lignite, weighing about 100 pounds," was taken out.

Coal croppings also occur on the east branch of the South Fork of Eel River, on the Rice & Renick ranch, where some coal was formerly mined and used in a blacksmith shop. Some portions of Secs. 3 and 4, T. 5 S., R. 4 E., H. M., are located under the Coal Act.

Coal croppings are also reported in Sec. 26, T. 4 S., R. 4 E., H. M., and small veins are said to crop out in the banks of several creeks running into the east branch of the South Fork of Eel River.

On the ranch of J. D. Depuy, in the southeastern outskirts of Eureka, a body of peaty matter, strongly resembling the deep turf of Europe, was exposed while digging clay for a brickyard, and the peaty matter was utilized for burning the bricks. The formation penetrated is as follows:

on the west bank of Ryan Slough, several miles southeast from Eureka. There are also several other places in Humboldt County where small veins of coal have been discovered, as noted in the Seventh Annual Report of the State Mineralogist, for the year ending October 1, 1887. A few years ago, when the Big Lagoon, on the seashore north of Trinidad, was partially drained by the sea breaking through the sandbar which separates it from the ocean, a large amount of peat is said to have been exposed; and at the time of the writer's visit, fragments of peaty matter could still be picked up on the shore off the lagoon.

Lignite has also been found at Jacoby Creek and at Glendale. Samples of lignite from these places were analyzed by Dr. Johnston, of the California State Mining Bureau, and their value as fuel can be seen by referring to the analysis previously mentioned in this article.

GOLD AND SILVER.

The Consolidated. Mine.-This mine is situated on Salmon Creek, on the Scott sheep range, about 10 miles northwest of Phillipsville. It was discovered in 1890, and work was commenced thereon. This mine is owned by J. Scott, C. Carr, and others. The ore contains a large amount of iron pyrites. Assays of the croppings are said to have shown $4 in silver and 75 cents in gold to the ton. The vein was at first only 10 inches wide, but at a depth of 30 feet it increased to 12 feet in width. There are several other mines located in the vicinity.

The Jenks Mine.-This claim is situated about 10 miles northeast from Garberville, on the Jenks ranch, in T. 4 S., R. 4 E., H. M. The ore shows iron pyrites with a gangue of quartz and lime; it is said to assay from $9 to $12 per ton. Some prospect working has been done on this claim.

The

The New River District.-Some activity is reported in hydraulic mining on the Klamath River, below the Hoopa Reservation. Mr. A. B. Campbell, who at the time of the writer's visit to the county was operating the Mowrick Hill Mine, states that during the winter of 1890-91, the claims worked and the men employed at the district were as follows: At the Mowrick Hill, two men were employed; at the claim of W. Young, eight men; at the Orcutt claim, at Capell Bar, six or seven men. Mowrick Hill Mine is a new claim, and is owned by A. B. Campbell, R. W. Miller, and parties in Sonoma County. It is situated on the north bank of the Klamath River, about 8 miles above Klamath Bluffs. Prospect work has been carried on at this point for many years, and it is said to be a rare thing to get a pan of gravel without a large, bright "color." Mr. Campbell states that the gravel is in three benches, about 300 feet deep in each bench. The gravel is interstratified with shale. The top of the gravel is about 2,500 feet above the present level of the river. The company now working these gravels obtains water from Capell Creek, which is said to run about 700 inches during the summer. The company constructed a new ditch in 1891.

GOLD SAND AT THE BIG LAGOON.

Gold was discovered in the sands of the Big Lagoon early in the 50's. It has been worked spasmodically ever since in a crude way, by rocker, tom, and sluice, and it is said that these methods have yielded about 90 cents a day to the man. It has also been the experimental ground for several gold-saving machines, as hereinafter mentioned.

The Big Lagoon is a lake of brackish water, about 34 miles long by 2 wide. It is separated from the ocean by a sandbar, averaging probably from a quarter to half a mile in width. The lagoon is fed by Maple and Pitcher Creeks. The depth of the lagoon is from 28 to 32 feet. During the summer there is no perceptible outlet to the ocean, but there is, no doubt, a great seepage through the sandbar.

Mr. T. H. Griffin, who has for the last four years protected the bar, states that gold is found throughout all the sand forming the bar, and that borings made by a sand pump to a depth of 16 feet showed coarser gold than that on the surface. Mr. Griffin further states that repeated experiments on the surface of the bar have shown that the sand will average from 12 to 20 cents a ton, and sand from 16 feet below the surface has shown as high as 75 cents a ton. The bar appears to be increasing on its seaward side, having, it is said, gained from 50 to 100 feet in width during the last four years, and it is reported that the new sand appears to be as rich as the old.

The sandbar is Government property. The bar does not appear to grow on the side nearest the lagoon, the waters of Maple and Pitcher Creeks being clean, and bringing down but little detritus.

This Maple Creek must not be confounded with the Maple Creek previously mentioned in connection with the coal mines; the former rises in T. 8 N., R. 2 E., H. M., on the divide between Redwood Creek and Little River.

The sand of the Big Lagoon, unlike most of the auriferous sands of the California coast, contains but little black iron sand. Occasionally a "panning surf" concentrates the auriferous sand. Such a deposit of rich sand was once observed at Big Lagoon by Mr. Swann, of Orick Post Office, and he packed several tons of it above high-water mark. On the second day the tide so mixed the rich with the poorer sand as to render it unprofitable. Mr. Swann obtained $180 by washing the rich sand which he had gathered.

From what the writer can learn the following appear to be the more recent attempts to work the sands of the Big Lagoon:

In November, 1890, Messrs. Blodgett and Stillall made a run of sixteen hours with a single-pan machine, two men being employed, and it is said that they cleaned up $9 45.

In February, 1891, S. H. Robinson, of Oakland, experimented with a machine for four days, three men being employed. Their work was much impeded by the small capacity of their pump, which furnished water from the lagoon. It is said they cleaned up about $16.

In July, 1891, Mr. Pine, of Eureka, experimented with a machine of his own manufacture; he employed three men, and it is stated that in twenty-five days they cleaned up $80. They obtained water from a small creek, which is said not to have afforded a sufficient quantity to run their machine to advantage.

The writer washed several pans of sand at various places on the bar. Nearly every pan showed several "colors," but they were very fine and light. The gold was bright.

From the foregoing, it appears a vast amount of low-grade, auriferous sand exists at the Big Lagoon. The brightness of the color, although they are light, shows that there is nothing to prevent the gold being saved by ordinary processes. It would seem, therefore, that attempts to work the sand should be in the direction of handling many tons an hour rather than by refinement of mechanism to save the gold.