Volume 26 (1873) (431 pages)

34 MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS. [January 18, 1873. (GoRRESPONDENCE. Japanese Mines and Minerals Again. Eprrons Prrss:—A reporter of the Mryive ann Screnturio Press did me the honor on the 23d nlt. to call and examine my collection of Japanese minerals. As that gentleman arrived rather late in the afternoon, and seemed to be ina great haete, his examination and his hastily taken notes were consequently incomplete; snd in resding your insertion ‘Jspanesge Minerals and Mining” in your next-isene I find that in two or three cases, I must either have mieunderetood the qnestions of your reporter, or he must have misunderstood my answers. » i From 1864 to 1869 I traveled in Northern Asia, visiting the Ural mountains, the Altai, Western and Eastern Siberia, the watersheds of the Obi, Yenisei and Létia, Northern Mongolia, the Amur conntties, Northern and Eastern Mandshouria and Kamtshatka. On the first of June, 1869, 1 embsrked in Nicolajefsk at the . : month of the Amur, and after having touched the Ruesian ports of DeCastri, Olga Bay.and Whladinvostock on the coast of Mandehonria, I arrived in Hakodadi, island of Yeso, Japsn, on the 28th of June, and in Nagasaki on the 19th of July. From the dsy of my arrival in Nagasaki up to the end of November 1869, I visited parts of the island of Kiou-Sion and the Gottojeland across the Kiou-Sion Bsy, Hiogo and Osaka on the Great Nippon, aud tbe surronnding countries to a distance of, from 25 to 30 miles. On‘tbe 25th of November I entered the service of tbe Japsnese Government at tbe Imperial Academy in Yeddo, and during my two years service I profited of all tbe College vaoancies and of nearly all the holidays, to go on longer or ehorter explorstory excursions into the country, the adjoining provinces of To-Otomi, Soubo-Inga, Ksfi, Izon, Sagann, Mousssi, Sim. oosa and ete. . After I left the Government service, I msde a few otber excursions to the Webster ielands, the island of Tnoshima, Kamakute, and others, so that my travels in Japan msy have occupied in all, a little over 10 months, about a year as I etated to your reporter; the word “‘ahout’’ was omitted in yonr article. Again I beg leave to observe that I have notvisited all the accessihle parts of Japan; as for inetance, Nigata is a port, open to foreigners, which I have ‘never had occasion to visit. On the other hand, I hsve, by special permission of the Japanese Government, visited countries beyond the treaty limits, as Odowara, Atami, Ashy-Noyou and the Hakoni mountains, where I: made important: observations, and found a-rich haryést for my collection. . [:, : ; With regard to placer gold being frequently brought in for sale, [beg to say that it is not exclusively to Englich traders, bnt to foreign traders in general, that such offers hsve often been made. Inthe few cases, which csme to my knowledge, (the gold haying been handed, over to me for aesay) tbe traders were not English but merchants of other nationalities. The’ worde ‘‘to English tradera’’ might induce the readere of your Scientific, columne. to believe tbat English merchants in Japan had a sort of monopoly in this'line of business, whicb is not the case-at all. Alum could be exported from siderable quantities, if its exploitation was carried on in a more rational footing, which is however not the case yet. © Japan as a Mineral Region. Japan ie one of the richest mineral regions on onr globe, and may—once all its treasures laid . open—well rival witb thé Ural mountains, with California, Mexico ornany of the rich mineral states of South America. Besides the riches represented in my collection, there are strong indications that the mountaine in the North of Nippon, which, from 38° L. N. np to the ArvoMori Bay 41° L. N. divide the territories of Mutsn on the East and Dova on the West ‘are’ rich'in auriferous quartz, and tbat the placer’ gold, ofteu’ olandestinely: offered for sale; is found in, the tributaries of the Fia-Ami-Karva, ariver which takes its source on mount Yvayasi, 40° L. N., runs along the eaid chain of mountains and openainto the Dastern Sea of Japan near thé island of Figami 38° 40°L.N. Many rich mines of different metals and other useful minerals also, as ere lime, white and red chalk, red and yellow ochre, realgar, operment, elastic bitumen; Iceland spar, fluoric spar, tale’ in different ehapee and qualities, alabaster, meerschaum, purrolane, ete, are known to. exist in the interior of the country, but are mot worked yet, or only very imperfectly by the peasants, who only work on the surface when they havé:a day or two to-epare from the worke in the rice-plantations,. but never take the tronble tg:go deeper, where the best qualities of minerals are found. ™ : Although the regular and rational working of these mites, either by conééssion to Japanese Japan in con-. or foreign capitslists or by exploitation for the Governmont’s own account under tbe management of a foreign enginecr, would beyond any donbt greatly and rapidly improve the finances of Japan, as well as tbe social condition of the working classes, in procuring permanent work for thousands of homeless and friendless razzias, (poor outcaste), who during the cold season are often seen by half dozene dying of hunger and cold on the wayside of the Tocaido between Yeddo and Yokohama—strange and deplorable cases of revolting misery in a country of eo great agricultural and mineral riches, and so flourishing a commerce—yet the Japanese Government hesitate to open the mineral treasures of their country, for fear, perhaps, of too great an} influx of foreign immigration, which ‘vould cause political tronblee in the country. Let us hope, however, that the present liberal Government of Japan, who have declared themselves so open and firm for social progress and Civilization will soon have subdued tha few reactionary elements in the Empire and be free after to carry out without reserve or fear of internal political troublee, the great reforms, which are necessary yet. to mske Japan a truly rich, civilized and well-governed country, worthy to take its socisland political stsnding among the civilized countries of Europe and Americs. : : Copper Mines. Tbe provinces known to day to be the richest in’mineral wealth in Japan, are the provinces of Satsuma, Figo and Fieen on theisland of ‘Kion-Siou, the provinces of Kanga, Mino, Bizen and Kafi, on the Great Nippon and the ‘little eland of Sado near the west Coast of Japan. The best and richest copper mines are ocated in Kion-Siou. Japanese copper has been known for centuriee as the best in the world. It contsins a fine percentage of gold. The Dutch, who for more than two centuries bave been the only civilized uation in commercial relatiuns with Japan and who had permission to export from Dessima one whole cargo of copper every year, always smelted the Japanese copper again in Hollandand extracted the gold by an amalgamating process. Tbe Japanese of our days know the yslue of their copper better than their ancestors, and take the gold ont of it themselves before they allow it to go to the market. Coal. Japan has already several great coal fields in full and systematical exploitation. The qualities, although inferior yet to European or American coal, begins to contend successfully with tha Australian coal, which is shipped yearly to the ports of Yokohsma, Hiogo and Nsgasaki. Several steamship companies begin to'mix Australian and Japanese coal in equal parts and find the fuel good, and the arrangement profitable, ss Japanese coal is a great deal chesper than Australiau coal, and only very little inferior in quality tothe latter. Deep shafts have been sunk now on several rich stratae, and better qualities found than before. I know about the existence of two more promising coal fields with'rich strstas, which are not worked yet, and there may be many more, known, perhaps, only toa few pessants in the neighborhood. Fine Kaolin and a fine bluish clay abonnd, especially in the southern part of Nippon, in Kiou-Siou and Sitkokf. These two minerals’ furnish the material for that fine and almost transparent Japanese eurthenware, so much admired, and exported to all parts of the globe. Geological Formation. The whole Japanese Archipelago is of volcanic geological formation. Many of the ‘smaller islands consist only of lava, obsidian and pumice stone; on the larger ones, taken in a totslity, almost all the geological formations are represented, as seen in my collection. Active volesnoes are at constant work yet in the soutb and in the uorth of the country; those in the centre are all extinct and the craters of the Fusi-yama and the Hakoni monntaine afford ample material of study for the geological explorer, Earthquakes are very frequent tin Japan, especially between the equinoxes, but . never so violent as to cause great damage. Japan hae already two navy yarde with dry docks, one in Nagasaki, and the other in Yokolzka, afew miles distant only from Yokohama. Yokolzka, under the direction of an able French engineer, has its foundries and extensive, well supplied workshops, where the engines and boilers are made for the steamers that are built in their yards. Several new steamere have been launched in Yokolzka; among others the ‘‘Kome,”’ afine paddle-steamer with a first rate engine, plying daily between Yeddo and Yokohama. The works and yards in Yokolzka are being enlarged for the ¢onstruction of men-of-war. Japanese Progress. ah Yeddo and Yokohama will soon etrip off what remains to them yet of their old, Asiatic pleghm, and become lively European or Ameri‘can cities, The two towns Have their railway, their running steamers, their telegraph and etc. The streete of Yokohama are already lighted with gas, and those of Yeddo will soon cnjoy the same advantage. In a few monthe Yeddo will have ite horse cars on rails‘throughout the whole town, and Yokohania Will have, the same only a few months later. ‘Tbe Japanese, men and women, are rapidly doing away with their Mongolian dressés and customs and adhere to the newest fashions2of New-York or ‘Paris. Many fine buildings :of modern, architecture embellish the Japanese quartere of Yeddo and Yokohama, the old heavy norimois ‘also are Bradually disappearing and faghionablé buggies, ‘landaus and light heckneys take their places. Japan is on ite way to modern hte and no reactionary movement would be poworful enough now to stop it in ite progress. Yours, very reepectfully, J. KapERLy. “The Ancient Channels.” [Written for the Press.] a Much hss been said and written on the snbject of the ancient river beds, or, as they are more properly termed by some writers, ‘‘The Dead Rivers of California.’’ Theories have demonstrate his own particular theory. _One writer saye the Dead River extends from. Plumas county on the north to El Dorado on the south. Another that it rsuges from tbe northern part of Sierra county to Smartsville, in Yuba oounty, and still another, that itrune in a northwesterly direction from Dutch Flat to North San Jusn. ‘ I. do not propose in this article to contradict sny of these theories, but simply adopt tbe idea upon which all appear to harmonize, viz: of a dead river are too numerous to admit of a doubt as to its former existence, and wherever found it furnishes abundant proof of its own genuineness and the uniform richnees of the gravel with which it is filled. The qneetion whence it came or whither it . went, may be very interesting to the geologist or the antiqnarian, but to the commercial world and tbe miner the great problem is, ‘Where can a epot be fonnd on the line of this dead river where the gravel can be removed and the immense wealth therein contained set in circulation for the benefit of mankind ?”’ In general terms this can be anewered by tbe assurance that everywhere the old chsnnel is rich. While in Calaveras county and El Dorsdo the miner is hoisting the grsvel to the surface from a depth farbelow the beds of the present etreams; in Placer, Nevada and Sierra counties he is conveying the waters of the highest mountain streams in ditchee and canals to points on the same ohsnnel hundreds and in many inetsnces thousands of feet above tbe beds of the present streams. Prominent Mining Localities on the Channel. Beginning with the fact that this ancient channel ie filled with gravel from fifty to seven hundred feet in depth, of almost unvarying richness, and that wherever syetemetically worked, whether by drifting and crushing, sluicing or hydraulicing, it hss paid the miner for his labor uniformly in proportion to the amount of gravel washed. The next queetion is whatis the most profitable way to work it, and what localities afford the greatest facilities for extracting the gold from the gravel ? At Smith’s Flat, El Dorado coutity, and at Qhili Gulch, in Calaveras connty, the channel has been worked for many years; but being below the present etream bede, the gravel has had to be hoisted by steam or water power, which left but a small margin for tho miner—etill it sid. ¥ At Gold Run, Forest Hill, Bath, Micbigsn Blnffs and Dutch Flat, in Placer county, it hss been succossfully worked by hydrsulicing, At You Bet, Red Dog, Quaker Hill, Blue Tent, Columbia Hill, North San Jusn, French Corral and Smartsville, in Nevada county, it has been worked by the hydranlic process though more ecientifically and on a much larger scale than at the former places, The Formation. All these mining operatione develop the fact that the anriferous deposit contained in thie channel, thronghont ite entire length and breadth, ie composed of gravel mixed with clay, sand and boulders. The strata differing from each other in color and the eize of the boulders and gravel, as well sein richness; the richest etratum being neareet the bed rock. The color of these strata ie a deep blne at the bottom, fading gradually to a blnish gray toward the surface, and in exposed places assuming a reddish tinge sbowing the presence of iron; the blue coloring of the lower etrata being caneed by the decomposition of vegetable matter buried among it, there being great quantities of petrified wood of all varieties found all along the channel. . . In the channel proper the grvel is very compactand canbe-washed clean only by ‘‘air slacking,” crushing or by the uee of powder. Tho latter has proved to he the most successful method yet adopted. A few hundred kegs of powder will shake up a large bank of gravel which will then wash eaeily, and the miner -can remove it very rapidly by hydraulicing, Necessary Facilities. The proper facilities for this class of mining are not found in every mining region aloug the old channel. On the contrary, there are'comparatively'few places where we find all the eseentials for a succeeeful mining operation combined. There are three thinge necessary to constitute a good hydraulic claim: first, a good bank of pay gravel; second, a plentiful supply of water; third, a good ‘‘dump’’ or ontlet for tailings and other dehris from the claim, .Many of the places named above possees the first two. of tbese requisites,and lacking the third, fail to pay half so well aeother claims of no greater righness, but possessing a gooddump, -! tvieT a ' been set up and each writer has taken pains to That a vsst channel does exist and that traces } At no point along the line of the old channel are these requisites more prominently observable than at Blue Tent, the poiut where the old channel ie cnt by tbo Soutb Yuba river, Its depth snd extent of gravel deposit, its facilities for a plentifnI supply of water, and more particularly ite dumping privileges are second to none in the Stste. The first is practically in-exhanstible; the eecond will fail only when tho South Yuba ceases to be an outlet for the eternal snows of the Sierras, and the third is afforded by a steep mountain side, seven or éight hundred feet of whicb intervene between the ; bed of the old channel and that of the South ' Ynba, : . gies Need: of Capital. Up to s recent daté the grouud has been divided into small claime and worked at great disadvantage with emall heads of water. These interests have gradnally been consolidated till they are at present owned by four or five cémpanies, who control not only thie vast body of ‘gravel, but alsoall the water rights, outlete, timber, etc., necessary to work it, Some of the clsims are now being fitted up for working on a much larger scale than ever before and will no doubt make a good ahowing this aeason. But whatis wanted hereis a company possessing the capital tomake one gigantic mining scheme. out of this whole set of claims; bring in a ditch carrying five or ten thousand incbes of water; Tun a tunnel sufficiently—low to tap the hill to its center (which actual eurvey shows to be less than a tbousand feet to where such a tunnel would strike the channel) and otherwise fit up tbis immense claim on a scale commensnrate witb its merite. We hope to éee this done at uo very distant dsy. . NEVADA, The Sulphur Banks of Lake County. These are situated near the shore of an enstern arm of Clear Lake, ‘abont eleven miles from, the town of Clear Lske and one and a-half _. miles from the celebrated borax lake, from . which they are separated bya ridge of mountains. The sulphur is found in a deoomposed, voleanie rock, which is very muob fissured;,. from these fissures issue the steam and hot gases which deposit the sulphur. The gas is most abundant towsrd evening, at which time it is impoesible to stay in the ‘work holes” for sny length of time, on account of the excessive heat and suffocating nsture of the gaees, which sppear to issue at irregulsr intervale; for while exsmining some of the fissures contsining sulphur, we could work for some minutes without inconveuience, when euddenly ‘there would be an eecape of gas, which would nearly suffocste us, cansing dizziness and a desire to get out into the open air as soon as possible. ‘These gas-escapee seem to havea fatal effect on quail and hares, as we found several dead in tbe fissures. They probably select these warm places on cold uights, and are killed by the noxious gases. Evidencee of solfatara action are evident along a line extending from the shore of the lake §, E.\for' more than’ half 2 mile, though the sulpbur banks worked do: not extend to . half that distance. Tbere are a number of miners] springs on the ling of the ‘‘ banks”’. among them soda, alum and borax springs. One cavity, opened in working for sulpbur, which we called ‘"Fhe Devil’s Teskettle’’ resembles the ‘‘Witch’s Cauldron’’ at the Geysers. The water is not so hot, but it keeps up @ continual sputtering, and makes abont ss much noise as the ‘‘Cauldron.’’ -One ‘of our party took one look at it, and concluded he had got enough of the sulphur banks, and waa quite anxious, like the Tentonic gentleman to “dhrive on,’ thinking like him, that the Satanic regions were ‘not var vrom dis blace.”” -, On the border of the Lake near the rednciug works is a hot spring containing borax, used by the Indians of the neighboring rancheria for washing, the borax and the heat doing away with the neceasity of using soap; the hot water and gas (carbonic acid) percolatenp through the sand over an area of perhaps 100 feet’ square, part of the outlet being beneath the Lake. Localities can be selected of any desirable temperature from that of the water of the Lake to a temperature too hot to hold the hand in. During a recent stay of scveral daye in the neighborhood, this spring was a eource of comfort to our party, being an excellent washing place on cold mornings. The company owning the banks are’ taking steps to ascertain whether the eprings can be ntilized aea profitable source for obtaining bdrax; a well has: been snnk some 50 feet from tbe works and 150. yards from the Soda Springs; strong borax water was struck at a depth of 18 feet. — +” Mr, Wm. Murdock has charge of the property; he employs six men and reducee-something over two tons of ore per day; two fyrnacee are , in’ ‘use, and one out of repair. The’ retorts © “which will reduce about 200 tors before being ' renewed cost $500 each ‘at the works; wood coste $3 per cord. When looking on while the workmen were ‘drawing’’ the furnacee it required but a very little stretch of the imagination to think one’s self in the Lower Regions. There are other deposits of sulphur in that county and vicinity, of which more anon. ; ic : L. G,.Yarves. Centreville, Cal., Dec. 25th, 1872, Fart Rrver has 1,206,928 spindles, 27,498 loome, and an invested capital of $27,000,000. FMF é

34 MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS. [January 18, 1873. (GoRRESPONDENCE. Japanese Mines and Minerals Again. Eprrons Prrss:—A reporter of the Mryive ann Screnturio Press did me the honor on the 23d nlt. to call and examine my collection of Japanese minerals. As that gentleman arrived rather late in the afternoon, and seemed to be ina great haete, his examination and his hastily taken notes were consequently incomplete; snd in resding your insertion ‘Jspanesge Minerals and Mining” in your next-isene I find that in two or three cases, I must either have mieunderetood the qnestions of your reporter, or he must have misunderstood my answers. » i From 1864 to 1869 I traveled in Northern Asia, visiting the Ural mountains, the Altai, Western and Eastern Siberia, the watersheds of the Obi, Yenisei and Létia, Northern Mongolia, the Amur conntties, Northern and Eastern Mandshouria and Kamtshatka. On the first of June, 1869, 1 embsrked in Nicolajefsk at the . : month of the Amur, and after having touched the Ruesian ports of DeCastri, Olga Bay.and Whladinvostock on the coast of Mandehonria, I arrived in Hakodadi, island of Yeso, Japsn, on the 28th of June, and in Nagasaki on the 19th of July. From the dsy of my arrival in Nagasaki up to the end of November 1869, I visited parts of the island of Kiou-Sion and the Gottojeland across the Kiou-Sion Bsy, Hiogo and Osaka on the Great Nippon, aud tbe surronnding countries to a distance of, from 25 to 30 miles. On‘tbe 25th of November I entered the service of tbe Japsnese Government at tbe Imperial Academy in Yeddo, and during my two years service I profited of all tbe College vaoancies and of nearly all the holidays, to go on longer or ehorter explorstory excursions into the country, the adjoining provinces of To-Otomi, Soubo-Inga, Ksfi, Izon, Sagann, Mousssi, Sim. oosa and ete. . After I left the Government service, I msde a few otber excursions to the Webster ielands, the island of Tnoshima, Kamakute, and others, so that my travels in Japan msy have occupied in all, a little over 10 months, about a year as I etated to your reporter; the word “‘ahout’’ was omitted in yonr article. Again I beg leave to observe that I have notvisited all the accessihle parts of Japan; as for inetance, Nigata is a port, open to foreigners, which I have ‘never had occasion to visit. On the other hand, I hsve, by special permission of the Japanese Government, visited countries beyond the treaty limits, as Odowara, Atami, Ashy-Noyou and the Hakoni mountains, where I: made important: observations, and found a-rich haryést for my collection. . [:, : ; With regard to placer gold being frequently brought in for sale, [beg to say that it is not exclusively to Englich traders, bnt to foreign traders in general, that such offers hsve often been made. Inthe few cases, which csme to my knowledge, (the gold haying been handed, over to me for aesay) tbe traders were not English but merchants of other nationalities. The’ worde ‘‘to English tradera’’ might induce the readere of your Scientific, columne. to believe tbat English merchants in Japan had a sort of monopoly in this'line of business, whicb is not the case-at all. Alum could be exported from siderable quantities, if its exploitation was carried on in a more rational footing, which is however not the case yet. © Japan as a Mineral Region. Japan ie one of the richest mineral regions on onr globe, and may—once all its treasures laid . open—well rival witb thé Ural mountains, with California, Mexico ornany of the rich mineral states of South America. Besides the riches represented in my collection, there are strong indications that the mountaine in the North of Nippon, which, from 38° L. N. np to the ArvoMori Bay 41° L. N. divide the territories of Mutsn on the East and Dova on the West ‘are’ rich'in auriferous quartz, and tbat the placer’ gold, ofteu’ olandestinely: offered for sale; is found in, the tributaries of the Fia-Ami-Karva, ariver which takes its source on mount Yvayasi, 40° L. N., runs along the eaid chain of mountains and openainto the Dastern Sea of Japan near thé island of Figami 38° 40°L.N. Many rich mines of different metals and other useful minerals also, as ere lime, white and red chalk, red and yellow ochre, realgar, operment, elastic bitumen; Iceland spar, fluoric spar, tale’ in different ehapee and qualities, alabaster, meerschaum, purrolane, ete, are known to. exist in the interior of the country, but are mot worked yet, or only very imperfectly by the peasants, who only work on the surface when they havé:a day or two to-epare from the worke in the rice-plantations,. but never take the tronble tg:go deeper, where the best qualities of minerals are found. ™ : Although the regular and rational working of these mites, either by conééssion to Japanese Japan in con-. or foreign capitslists or by exploitation for the Governmont’s own account under tbe management of a foreign enginecr, would beyond any donbt greatly and rapidly improve the finances of Japan, as well as tbe social condition of the working classes, in procuring permanent work for thousands of homeless and friendless razzias, (poor outcaste), who during the cold season are often seen by half dozene dying of hunger and cold on the wayside of the Tocaido between Yeddo and Yokohama—strange and deplorable cases of revolting misery in a country of eo great agricultural and mineral riches, and so flourishing a commerce—yet the Japanese Government hesitate to open the mineral treasures of their country, for fear, perhaps, of too great an} influx of foreign immigration, which ‘vould cause political tronblee in the country. Let us hope, however, that the present liberal Government of Japan, who have declared themselves so open and firm for social progress and Civilization will soon have subdued tha few reactionary elements in the Empire and be free after to carry out without reserve or fear of internal political troublee, the great reforms, which are necessary yet. to mske Japan a truly rich, civilized and well-governed country, worthy to take its socisland political stsnding among the civilized countries of Europe and Americs. : : Copper Mines. Tbe provinces known to day to be the richest in’mineral wealth in Japan, are the provinces of Satsuma, Figo and Fieen on theisland of ‘Kion-Siou, the provinces of Kanga, Mino, Bizen and Kafi, on the Great Nippon and the ‘little eland of Sado near the west Coast of Japan. The best and richest copper mines are ocated in Kion-Siou. Japanese copper has been known for centuriee as the best in the world. It contsins a fine percentage of gold. The Dutch, who for more than two centuries bave been the only civilized uation in commercial relatiuns with Japan and who had permission to export from Dessima one whole cargo of copper every year, always smelted the Japanese copper again in Hollandand extracted the gold by an amalgamating process. Tbe Japanese of our days know the yslue of their copper better than their ancestors, and take the gold ont of it themselves before they allow it to go to the market. Coal. Japan has already several great coal fields in full and systematical exploitation. The qualities, although inferior yet to European or American coal, begins to contend successfully with tha Australian coal, which is shipped yearly to the ports of Yokohsma, Hiogo and Nsgasaki. Several steamship companies begin to'mix Australian and Japanese coal in equal parts and find the fuel good, and the arrangement profitable, ss Japanese coal is a great deal chesper than Australiau coal, and only very little inferior in quality tothe latter. Deep shafts have been sunk now on several rich stratae, and better qualities found than before. I know about the existence of two more promising coal fields with'rich strstas, which are not worked yet, and there may be many more, known, perhaps, only toa few pessants in the neighborhood. Fine Kaolin and a fine bluish clay abonnd, especially in the southern part of Nippon, in Kiou-Siou and Sitkokf. These two minerals’ furnish the material for that fine and almost transparent Japanese eurthenware, so much admired, and exported to all parts of the globe. Geological Formation. The whole Japanese Archipelago is of volcanic geological formation. Many of the ‘smaller islands consist only of lava, obsidian and pumice stone; on the larger ones, taken in a totslity, almost all the geological formations are represented, as seen in my collection. Active volesnoes are at constant work yet in the soutb and in the uorth of the country; those in the centre are all extinct and the craters of the Fusi-yama and the Hakoni monntaine afford ample material of study for the geological explorer, Earthquakes are very frequent tin Japan, especially between the equinoxes, but . never so violent as to cause great damage. Japan hae already two navy yarde with dry docks, one in Nagasaki, and the other in Yokolzka, afew miles distant only from Yokohama. Yokolzka, under the direction of an able French engineer, has its foundries and extensive, well supplied workshops, where the engines and boilers are made for the steamers that are built in their yards. Several new steamere have been launched in Yokolzka; among others the ‘‘Kome,”’ afine paddle-steamer with a first rate engine, plying daily between Yeddo and Yokohama. The works and yards in Yokolzka are being enlarged for the ¢onstruction of men-of-war. Japanese Progress. ah Yeddo and Yokohama will soon etrip off what remains to them yet of their old, Asiatic pleghm, and become lively European or Ameri‘can cities, The two towns Have their railway, their running steamers, their telegraph and etc. The streete of Yokohama are already lighted with gas, and those of Yeddo will soon cnjoy the same advantage. In a few monthe Yeddo will have ite horse cars on rails‘throughout the whole town, and Yokohania Will have, the same only a few months later. ‘Tbe Japanese, men and women, are rapidly doing away with their Mongolian dressés and customs and adhere to the newest fashions2of New-York or ‘Paris. Many fine buildings :of modern, architecture embellish the Japanese quartere of Yeddo and Yokohama, the old heavy norimois ‘also are Bradually disappearing and faghionablé buggies, ‘landaus and light heckneys take their places. Japan is on ite way to modern hte and no reactionary movement would be poworful enough now to stop it in ite progress. Yours, very reepectfully, J. KapERLy. “The Ancient Channels.”

[Written for the Press.] a Much hss been said and written on the snbject of the ancient river beds, or, as they are more properly termed by some writers, ‘‘The Dead Rivers of California.’’ Theories have demonstrate his own particular theory. _One writer saye the Dead River extends from. Plumas county on the north to El Dorado on the south. Another that it rsuges from tbe northern part of Sierra county to Smartsville, in Yuba oounty, and still another, that itrune in a northwesterly direction from Dutch Flat to North San Jusn. ‘ I. do not propose in this article to contradict sny of these theories, but simply adopt tbe idea upon which all appear to harmonize, viz: of a dead river are too numerous to admit of a doubt as to its former existence, and wherever found it furnishes abundant proof of its own genuineness and the uniform richnees of the gravel with which it is filled. The qneetion whence it came or whither it . went, may be very interesting to the geologist or the antiqnarian, but to the commercial world and tbe miner the great problem is, ‘Where can a epot be fonnd on the line of this dead river where the gravel can be removed and the immense wealth therein contained set in circulation for the benefit of mankind ?”’ In general terms this can be anewered by tbe assurance that everywhere the old chsnnel is rich. While in Calaveras county and El Dorsdo the miner is hoisting the grsvel to the surface from a depth farbelow the beds of the present etreams; in Placer, Nevada and Sierra counties he is conveying the waters of the highest mountain streams in ditchee and canals to points on the same ohsnnel hundreds and in many inetsnces thousands of feet above tbe beds of the present streams. Prominent Mining Localities on the Channel. Beginning with the fact that this ancient channel ie filled with gravel from fifty to seven hundred feet in depth, of almost unvarying richness, and that wherever syetemetically worked, whether by drifting and crushing, sluicing or hydraulicing, it hss paid the miner for his labor uniformly in proportion to the amount of gravel washed. The next queetion is whatis the most profitable way to work it, and what localities afford the greatest facilities for extracting the gold from the gravel ? At Smith’s Flat, El Dorado coutity, and at Qhili Gulch, in Calaveras connty, the channel has been worked for many years; but being below the present etream bede, the gravel has had to be hoisted by steam or water power, which left but a small margin for tho miner—etill it sid. ¥ At Gold Run, Forest Hill, Bath, Micbigsn Blnffs and Dutch Flat, in Placer county, it hss been succossfully worked by hydrsulicing, At You Bet, Red Dog, Quaker Hill, Blue Tent, Columbia Hill, North San Jusn, French Corral and Smartsville, in Nevada county, it has been worked by the hydranlic process though more ecientifically and on a much larger scale than at the former places, The Formation. All these mining operatione develop the fact that the anriferous deposit contained in thie channel, thronghont ite entire length and breadth, ie composed of gravel mixed with clay, sand and boulders. The strata differing from each other in color and the eize of the boulders and gravel, as well sein richness; the richest etratum being neareet the bed rock. The color of these strata ie a deep blne at the bottom, fading gradually to a blnish gray toward the surface, and in exposed places assuming a reddish tinge sbowing the presence of iron; the blue coloring of the lower etrata being caneed by the decomposition of vegetable matter buried among it, there being great quantities of petrified wood of all varieties found all along the channel. . . In the channel proper the grvel is very compactand canbe-washed clean only by ‘‘air slacking,” crushing or by the uee of powder. Tho latter has proved to he the most successful method yet adopted. A few hundred kegs of powder will shake up a large bank of gravel which will then wash eaeily, and the miner -can remove it very rapidly by hydraulicing, Necessary Facilities. The proper facilities for this class of mining are not found in every mining region aloug the old channel. On the contrary, there are'comparatively'few places where we find all the eseentials for a succeeeful mining operation combined. There are three thinge necessary to constitute a good hydraulic claim: first, a good bank of pay gravel; second, a plentiful supply of water; third, a good ‘‘dump’’ or ontlet for tailings and other dehris from the claim, .Many of the places named above possees the first two. of tbese requisites,and lacking the third, fail to pay half so well aeother claims of no greater righness, but possessing a gooddump, -! tvieT a ' been set up and each writer has taken pains to That a vsst channel does exist and that traces } At no point along the line of the old channel are these requisites more prominently observable than at Blue Tent, the poiut where the old channel ie cnt by tbo Soutb Yuba river, Its depth snd extent of gravel deposit, its facilities for a plentifnI supply of water, and more particularly ite dumping privileges are second to none in the Stste. The first is practically in-exhanstible; the eecond will fail only when tho South Yuba ceases to be an outlet for the eternal snows of the Sierras, and the third is afforded by a steep mountain side, seven or éight hundred feet of whicb intervene between the ; bed of the old channel and that of the South ' Ynba, : . gies Need: of Capital. Up to s recent daté the grouud has been divided into small claime and worked at great disadvantage with emall heads of water. These interests have gradnally been consolidated till they are at present owned by four or five cémpanies, who control not only thie vast body of ‘gravel, but alsoall the water rights, outlete, timber, etc., necessary to work it, Some of the clsims are now being fitted up for working on a much larger scale than ever before and will no doubt make a good ahowing this aeason. But whatis wanted hereis a company possessing the capital tomake one gigantic mining scheme. out of this whole set of claims; bring in a ditch carrying five or ten thousand incbes of water; Tun a tunnel sufficiently—low to tap the hill to its center (which actual eurvey shows to be less than a tbousand feet to where such a tunnel would strike the channel) and otherwise fit up tbis immense claim on a scale commensnrate witb its merite. We hope to éee this done at uo very distant dsy. . NEVADA, The Sulphur Banks of Lake County. These are situated near the shore of an enstern arm of Clear Lake, ‘abont eleven miles from, the town of Clear Lske and one and a-half _. miles from the celebrated borax lake, from . which they are separated bya ridge of mountains. The sulphur is found in a deoomposed, voleanie rock, which is very muob fissured;,. from these fissures issue the steam and hot gases which deposit the sulphur. The gas is most abundant towsrd evening, at which time it is impoesible to stay in the ‘work holes” for sny length of time, on account of the excessive heat and suffocating nsture of the gaees, which sppear to issue at irregulsr intervale; for while exsmining some of the fissures contsining sulphur, we could work for some minutes without inconveuience, when euddenly ‘there would be an eecape of gas, which would nearly suffocste us, cansing dizziness and a desire to get out into the open air as soon as possible. ‘These gas-escapee seem to havea fatal effect on quail and hares, as we found several dead in tbe fissures. They probably select these warm places on cold uights, and are killed by the noxious gases. Evidencee of solfatara action are evident along a line extending from the shore of the lake §, E.\for' more than’ half 2 mile, though the sulpbur banks worked do: not extend to . half that distance. Tbere are a number of miners] springs on the ling of the ‘‘ banks”’. among them soda, alum and borax springs. One cavity, opened in working for sulpbur, which we called ‘"Fhe Devil’s Teskettle’’ resembles the ‘‘Witch’s Cauldron’’ at the Geysers. The water is not so hot, but it keeps up @ continual sputtering, and makes abont ss much noise as the ‘‘Cauldron.’’ -One ‘of our party took one look at it, and concluded he had got enough of the sulphur banks, and waa quite anxious, like the Tentonic gentleman to “dhrive on,’ thinking like him, that the Satanic regions were ‘not var vrom dis blace.”” -, On the border of the Lake near the rednciug works is a hot spring containing borax, used by the Indians of the neighboring rancheria for washing, the borax and the heat doing away with the neceasity of using soap; the hot water and gas (carbonic acid) percolatenp through the sand over an area of perhaps 100 feet’ square, part of the outlet being beneath the Lake. Localities can be selected of any desirable temperature from that of the water of the Lake to a temperature too hot to hold the hand in. During a recent stay of scveral daye in the neighborhood, this spring was a eource of comfort to our party, being an excellent washing place on cold mornings. The company owning the banks are’ taking steps to ascertain whether the eprings can be ntilized aea profitable source for obtaining bdrax; a well has: been snnk some 50 feet from tbe works and 150. yards from the Soda Springs; strong borax water was struck at a depth of 18 feet. — +” Mr, Wm. Murdock has charge of the property; he employs six men and reducee-something over two tons of ore per day; two fyrnacee are , in’ ‘use, and one out of repair. The’ retorts © “which will reduce about 200 tors before being ' renewed cost $500 each ‘at the works; wood coste $3 per cord. When looking on while the workmen were ‘drawing’’ the furnacee it required but a very little stretch of the imagination to think one’s self in the Lower Regions. There are other deposits of sulphur in that county and vicinity, of which more anon. ; ic : L. G,.Yarves. Centreville, Cal., Dec. 25th, 1872, Fart Rrver has 1,206,928 spindles, 27,498 loome, and an invested capital of $27,000,000. FMF é