The first spring met with was near that at Encino Rancho. A pipe has been sunk in the rock, and the water rising in it fills an octagonal stone tank of about 10 feet diameter and 12 feet deep. It overflows at the top and runs into an artificial pond. I do not know at what depth the pipe was sunk, but undoubtedly deep enough to pierce the Tertiary (Pliocene?) limestone, dipping here from the mountains toward the plain. The next mineral spring met with was in a cañon leading from Montan's ranch to Cespe Creek Cañon. It is 8 miles below the ranch and about 4 miles from the junction of the two cañons. The water issues through four or five fissues in the granite, one of them about 20 feet above the bottom of the cañon. Steam rises in thick clouds from the rocks, and has a peculiar odor. The rocks over which the water first flows are stained deep black, while those farther down in the stream have a bright red iron color. I do not know how to account for the black color unless it be a deposit of peroxide of manganese. The yield of water is about thirty gallons per minute, and its temperature was found 195° F.

In the Ojai Valley, about 6 miles from its junction with the Santa Clara Valley, there are a number of natural petroleum springs. A well sunk yielded two gallons per minute.

About 7 miles below Kernville, following the river, there is a hot spring, claimed to be a sulphur spring, but evidently is not, as it failed to blacken a bright silver coin left in the water for over half an hour. The temperature was 1270 F., whilst the temperature of a spring not ten yards distant was only 70° F. The flow is about ten gallons per minute, the formation of the vicinity granite. A bath-house has been erected, and invalids suffering from rheumatism and other diseases come here for cure.

At a place called Agua Caliente, which is about 30 miles from the town of Caliente, there is a warm sulphur spring. The water bubbles up through the soil in numerous places. The largest spring has been dug out and is used by the Indians for washing and bathing. A bright silver coin is blackened almost immediately when dropped into this water. The temperature was 80° F., and the flow not more than two gallons per minute.

Another mineral spring was met with near the head of Walker's Basin. It issues from granite, and has a temperature of 100° F.; the flow is about three gallons per minute. A ranchman who lived near by built a little bath-house at the spring.

APPENDIX H 4.

REPORT ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGES FROM LA VETA PASS TO THE HEAD OF THE PECOS, BY A. R. CONKLING.

NEW YORK CITY, April 25, 1876. SIR: Beginning at the La Veta Pass and proceeding south, the mountain ranges will be described in the following order: Spanish Peaks, Culebra range, Cimarron range, Taos range, Mora range, Santa Fé range, and Las Vegas range.

The Spanish Peaks form a minor range about 10 miles long. The peaks are two pyramid-shaped mountains and consist of pinkish trachyte. Perpendicular walls of trachytic rock diverge from the Spanish Peaks, extending into the plain for more than a mile in some cases. The walls are in general about 100 feet high. The top of the walls is flat and the jointed structure is well shown in them. In places these walls have fissures-breaks in the form of right angles, thus presenting the appearance of trap rocks. These rocky walls are dikes of trachyte upheaved through huge fissures in the earth's crust after the greater part of the Spanish Peaks had been formed. About 3 miles north of west Spanish Peak is a curious butte of basalt, having the form of a tower with a rounded top. The butte is about 250 feet high and stands alone in the midst of a plain. I propose the name La Torre for it. The south fork of the Cucharas River flows between the Spanish Peaks and the Culebra range. The river has cut its way through a steep wall of gray sandstone running north and south, but forming a break in the wall large enough to admit the passage of a wagon-road which is much used by the settlers. This gap is called the "shut in."

At Willis ranch, on the north side of the Cucharas, a ledge of fine-grained drab liməstone outcrops, but I was unable to define the limits of it.

Following up the stream to the divide and a little beyond to the headwaters of the Purgatoire, the country is covered with a series of anticlinal ridges of white and yellowish sandstone with vertical joints, which rest on granite. The Spanish Peaks may be regarded as an outlier of the Culebra range, which will now be described.

The Culebra range extends from Trinchera Pass on the north to Costilla Creek on the south. The predominating rock is grayish granite. Hornblende porphyry o curs at various points. A series of low foot-hills of basalt bound the Culebra range on the west side, forming a portion of the plateau through which the Rio Grande runs.

No sedimentary rocks were observed in the Culebra range. Ore deposits are found at but one locality in this range, viz, one mile east of Culebra Peak. Mr. E. D. Bright, of Trinidad, Colo., who visited this locality informs me that there is a vein of quartzbearing silver 7 feet wide running through hornblendic granite. The ore assays $75 a ton. Another locality 4 miles east of this point has been discovered where the ore yields 52 per cent. of copper and 6 ounces of silver to the ton. The granite forming the summit of the Culebra Peak contains a large amount of feldspar. The rock is traversed by numerous joints and fissures. It has also undergone much disintegration, and a large number of detached fragments is the result. Jasper is found in small quantities on top of Culebra Peak. There are three peaks south of Culebra that probably consist of granite, but I did not visit them. The rock in these peaks is colored red by oxidation of the iron. The range then trends southwest, and low ridges of sandstone appear for 15 miles south to Costilla Peak. The ridges slant gradually in going south. They are formed of a fine-grained yellowish sandstone that sometimes passes into a coarse conglomerate. No fossils were found in this rock. The sandstone shows mud-cracks and rill-marks, thus proving that it was formed in shallow water. The lofty peaks were islands in the primeval sea while the sandstone was formed. There are also on the eastern side of the Culebra range perpendicular walls of ferruginous sandstone. One of these walls at Beaver pond is of a brilliant red color, reminding one of the rock in the Garden of the Gods.

The Cimarron range contains a greater variety of rocks than the Culebra range. Beginning in the north with Costilla Peak, which slopes very abruptly on the northern side, we have diorite containing much olivine. Massive quartz is found on the top of Costilla Peak, and small bowlders of granite occur on its slopes. On the western side of the [Cimarron (range the granite assumes the columnar form, reminding one of the words of the poet:

"The wild rocks shaped as they had turrets been, In mockery of man's art."

On the east side of Comanche Creek a variety of pinkish trachyte occurs in the forms of curved, long prismatic columns, resembling the basaltic columns in the island of Staffa.

Directly east of Costilla Peak is a short ridge of light-gray quartzite running parallel to the Cimarron range. The ridge is about 400 feet high. It is traversed by many fissures, and the rock is very much weathered. A small stream has cut its way through the ridge, thus forming a gap. On the west side of the ridge a bed of limonite outcrops. The rock is hard and fine grained, but breaks easily into thin fragments upon being struck with the hammer.

Proceeding south from Costilla Peak the rock is for the most part granite. Both red and gray varieties of granite occur, as well as coarse-grained granulite. On the western side of the Cimarron range feldspar-porphyry occurs, having a dark-gray matrix with white crystals. At the head of Moreno Creek the granite is poor in mica. Elizabeth Baldy Peak, the highest mountain in the Cimarron range except Costilla, is composed of fine-grained gray granite. A mass of dark-gray mica-schist outcrops on the western side of this mountain. Just north of Elizabethtown a mass of gray feldspar-porphyry outcrops. The town itself rests on granite, while blue limestone outcrops but a mile below it. In this blue limestone two species of inoceramus were found, which Dr. White informs me belong to the Cretaceous age. The occurrence of fossiliferous limestone in the Moreno Valley, between the Cimarron and Taos ranges, is in all respects singular. I was unable to define the limits of the limestone. Six miles below Elizabethtown a vein of bluish granite outcrops at the head of Cimarron River. From this point the range consists of reddish granite and granulite as far as Uraca Peak on the south. In the vicinity of Uraca Peak igneous rocks, such as trachyte and vesicular basalt, occur. Bluish hornblende schist is found on the south side of Uraca Mountain. Gray trachyte occurs along the banks of Uraca Creek, and south of this are mesas of basalt extending beyond the foot-hills into the plain. The cavities in the basalt are sometimes filled with white calcite.

The western side of the Cimarron range is much steeper than the eastern side. A series of broad foot-hills, composed of sandstone, horizontally stratified, runs along the eastern side of the range. Much erosion has taken place in these foot-hills. They are covered with a net-work of cañons. In the Van Bremmer Park there is a detached mass of yellow sandstone, about 100 feet high, standing alone in the plain and at least a mile from the nearest foot-hill. This was the most striking example of erosion noticed. Considerable lignite and a few veins of coal are found in the foot-hills east of the Cimarron range.

The Taos range consist chiefly of granite and feldspar-porphyry, but many other rocks occur also. Taos Peak, the highest point in the range, (13,143 feet high,) is composed of gray granite and syenite, capped by mica-slate. This is the only locality of mica-slate between La Veta Pass and the Santa Fé range.

A fine section of the Taos range is seen in passing through the cañon of the Colorado Creek. In entering the cañon at the Placita de San Antonio and traveling eastward

the following series of rocks were observed: Syenite, trachyte, syenite, feldsparporphyry, quartz-porphyry, granulite, trachyte-porphyry, granite. On account of the rapid march through the cañon, I cannot give the exact limits of each zone of rock. In places the banks of the Colorado Creek contain auriferous drift, but not enough gold has been found thus far to pay for working. Just east of the head of the Colorado Creek, feldspar-porphyry occurs that has been much decomposed. The rock is soft enough at the surface to allow a trail to be made with but little difficulty, which is much used in crossing the range on the way to Elizabethtown.

Metalliferous deposits occur in the Colorado Cañon. The following particulars were furnished me by Mr. Hess:

ORE DEPOSITS IN THE TAOS RANGE.-THE GOLCONDA MINE IN THE COLORADO CREEK

CAÑON.

This mine was discovered by W. C. Hess in 1873, but no work was done until the spring of 1875. The lode runs northeast and southwest, and occurs in the main range. The country rock is granite. The lode varies from 6 to 10 feet in thickness. But two men were at work at the time of my visit. The chief ores found are those of copper and lead in the form of sulphides. The individual minerals occurring at this mine are described elsewhere in the list of minerals. The mine is owned by W. C. Hess, Charles Vernon, and Louis Noes. White men work for $2.50 a day and Mexicans for $1. There is plenty of wood and water in the vicinity. The Colorado is a swift-running stream, about 12 feet wide, and flows within a hundred yards of the lower part of the lode. A trace of gold has been found in the quartz along the banks of the Colorado Creek. There are outcroppings of ore in three places-on the lower part of the ridge near the creek, near the summit of the ridge, about half a mile south of the creek, and ou the side of a gulch near the second outcrop. Game is abundant. Deer, mountainsheep, and grouse are found. The cost of freight from Pueblo is 2 cents a pound. The owners of the mine are desirous of securing three claims of 300 feet on either side and 1,500 feet in length, making in all 600 by 4,500 feet. The owners contemplated building a blast-furnace at the time of my visit, in order to smelt the ore at the mine. The recorder of the Golconda Mine is the county clerk at Taos, N. Mex.

In passing through the Flechao Cañon, which separates the Taos and Mora ranges, yellow sandstone is seen, containing fossil leaves similar to those in the foot-hills east of the Cimarron range. The sandstone dips gently to the east. Passing over the divide, blue limestone outcrops on the side of the wagon-road running along the north side of Fernandez Creek. A zone of limestone runs north and south that contains many crinoids and brachiopods. Among the brachiopods are: Productus semireticulatus, Productus costatus, Productus prattanianus, Spirifer rockymontanus, Spirifir (Martinia) lineatus. According to Dr. C. A. White, these fossils belong to the carboniferous. This zone of limestone outcrops about 6 miles east of the town of Taos. Just west of the limestone yellow sandstone occurs again, beyond which is the alluvium forming the fertile plain of Taos.

The Mora range is chiefly composed of sandstone. No igneous rocks were observed within the limits of the range, excepting granite. The ridge-line of the Mora range is quite level, there being no prominent peaks as in the other ranges. No fossils were found in the parts of the Mora range examined, with the exception of a fine specimen of a fossil fern in the sandstone forming the eastern slope of Mora Mountain. This fern has not yet been determined. A few masses of eruptive gray granite occur in the eastern side of the Mora range. It is possible that the belt of carboniferous limestone observed just at the southern extremity of the Taos range runs through the Mora range. If so, it must be on the western side of it, as I failed to discover limestone on the east side.

Although the Santa Fé range was surveyed by the main party, to which I was attached, my examination of it was confined to the southern extremity. This was owing to a side trip taken to the "bad lands," in the northwestern part of New Mexico, which prevented me from accompanying the main party in their exploration of this range. From the descriptions of the topographer and previous explorers, it may be said that the predominating rock in the Santa Fé range is granite. I think the entire range consists of archæan rocks, excepting a narrow strip of blue limestone extending along the western side of the range near the base of it. This limestone outcrops within half a mile of Santa Fé, on the east of the town. The strata dip westward at an angle of about 25°, and hence underlie the town. The limestone contains well-known invertebrate fossils, such as Productus and Spirifer, similar to that found near Taos. I think there can be no doubt that the rock is of carboniferous age, and that a belt of this limestone extends northward as far as the Sangre de Cristo Pass, in Colorado. Mr. Justice, of Santa Fé, who has studied this limestone, informs me that it extends north for at least 100 miles. Although I traced the rock in very few localities, owing to the particular direction the party took in exploring the country, I am still of the opinion that the limestone at Santa Fé is identical in age with that at Taos and Trinchera Pass, on the north side of Culebra range.

The Las Vegas range was examined in the southern portions only. In crossing the range, en route from Santa Fé to Las Vegas, the valleys of the Rio Pecos, Rio La Cuera, and Rio Vaca were crossed. Each of these rivers affords a fine section of bluish limestone, containing many crinoids and brachiopods, similar to the rock at Santa Fé. I think the limestone forming the southern part of the Las Vegas range is identical in age with that of Santa Fé. The central and northern portions of the Las Vegas range contain archæan rocks, but as Dr. Oscar Loew has described this region in the annual report for 1875, reference may be made to this report for a detailed account of the geology of the range.

This chapter on the mountain-ranges may be concluded by a few general remarks on the individual ranges. The only ranges containing ore-deposits of any importance are the Taos and Cimarron ranges. In the Cimarron range both placer and vein mining are carried on, but in the Taos range there is vein-mining only.

The predominating rocks entering into the composition of the various ranges may be stated as follows: The Spanish Peaks are trachyte; the Culebra range is granite; the Cimarron range is granite and granulite; the Taos range is granite and syenite; the Mora range is sandstone; the Santa Fé range is granite; the Las Vegas range is granite and limestone.

The Culebra range contains the highest peaks; Culebra Peak, the culminating point, being 14,040 feet above the sea-level.

Cimarron range is the longest of all the ranges, being 50 miles long.
Respectfully submitted.

Lieut. GEO. M. WHEELER,

A. R. CONKLING.

Corps of Engineers, in charge.

APPENDIX H 5.

REPORT UPON THE OPERATIONS OF A SPECIAL NATURAL-HISTORY PARTY AND MAIN FIELD-PARTY NO. 1, CALIFORNIA SECTION, FIELD-SEASON OF 1875, BEING THE RESULTS OF OBSERVATIONS UPON THE ECONOMIC BOTANY AND AGRICULTURE OF PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, BY DR. J. T. ROTHROCK, ACTING ASSISTANT SURGEON, UNITED STATES ARMY.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER Office, GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY WEST OF THE 100TH MERIDIAN, Washington, D. C., January 19, 1876.

SIR: In compliance with your instructions of January 12, 1876, I have the honor to submit the following report of my observations in connection with the operations of the special natural history party and main field party No. 1, of the California section, field season of 1875.

The work of the season may fairly be considered as commencing at the island of Santa Cruz, off Santa Barbara coast. This island, lying south of Santa Barbara and probably distant from it about 30 miles, is nearly 17 miles long, and at its widest portion about 6 miles across. It is much narrowed near its middle by bays making in from the northern and southern coasts, and from one point to the other a wagon-road or trail exists. The island is almost wholly given up to sheep-raising. It is estimated that in the spring of 1875 there were not less than 60,000 herds of them on the island. In June 15,000 were killed for the hide and tallow alone; the offal being carted down to the shore and cast into the water, attracting immense numbers of fish to the spot. The island is rugged in the extreme; one point is said to attain to a height of 2,500 feet above sea-level. It is from one end to the other little else than a succession of rocky hills with intervening gulches rather than valleys. In a few places agriculture to a limited extent is carried on; only enough is raised to meet the needs of the popu lation, if indeed it does this. Here and there a level surface intervenes between the base of the hills and the ocean. What its capacity for agricultural purposes may be I am not able to say, as there is not enough water for irrigation, and as, in my opinion, the mists from the ocean would be altogether too precarious to depend upon. I am, however, bound to state that in one or two places pepper-trees had been planted and were growing vigorously without care, and that some little grain is cultivated near Prisoner's Harbor.

It appears that at the time Cabrillo made his voyage along this coast, (1542,) these islands were timbered clear to the water's edge, and we now have abundant signs of forests that have disappeared at the sea-level, where their stumps and roots still remain in situ. At present the indigenous forest-growth is limited to the highest summits of the island. A dense under-growth does in many places descend lower, but it never obtains to the dignity of a forest. It is simply a thicket. Among this, however, is

found one of the most beautiful and striking shrubs of the coast—Dendromecon rigidum; its beautiful yellow flowers shining conspicuously among a foliage that wore always a delicate glaucus bloom. It was the one redeeming feature of the vegetation.

On the grounds most visited by the herds of sheep, all vegetation, save sage-brush, cactees and the erodium or storksbill, had been entirely swept away. The grass had gone completely, and such plants of the island flora as sheep would eat, it was with difficulty that I could get even a decent botanical specimen of. In fact, pasture had become so thin that the sheep at the time of my visit mere wandering in very small bands that they might the more readily find food. Even the sage-brush was disappearing, as year after year the sheep had eaten away its leaves and younger shoots, until there was not left sufficient of the more green, succulent tissues to elaborate the sap.

It is impossible to conceive a more dreary waste than was here produced as the result of over-pasturage. The question may come up further on as to the reciprocal relations existing between vegetation and rain-fall. It would seem more than probable that ever since the discovery of the continent this and the adjacent islands had a more abundant supply of water than at present. Tradition as well as historic documents prove that in no distant past they supported a population that must have reached into the thousands. Indeed the burial-grounds, that are so numerous and so rich in articles of archæological interest, are often at points at which there is no water nearer than 3 or 4 miles, and there is abundant evidence that near the burial-places they had their permanent homes. What must have been the population that could cover, within a few centuries, an acre, to the depth of 10 or 20 feet, with the ordinary clam, muscle, and haliotus of the coast which were simply the refuse of their feasts. Yet, standing on one such shell-heap, I was able to count over twenty others within easy sight. This presupposes an immense population, and that, again, water in abundance at a point where none now exists. What has been the cause of this desiccation I am not able to say. The hypothesis has been advanced, that it is due to a greater elevation of the land. I have no evidence of this, as a fact having taken place so late as would be required; besides, it would imply also that the central portions of the island alone were changed, leaving the shore-line as it was, for the mounds and burial-places of those who formerly had water are found near their habitations, on the shore-line of to-day, a supposition which, though not impossible, is yet improbable. Supposing that a report on the results of excavations will be given, I omit any statement of them here.

It may not be out of place to call attention to the protecting influence the large sea-weeds have on shore-lines and on the harbors. Indeed to this alone, more than to anything else, is due the safety of the anchorage at Santa Barbara. It is a matter of regret that the authorities are willing to allow out-going and in-coming vessels, steamers particularly, to plough through and destroy, as they do, this the greatest protection to the harbor. I have stood on the hills to the north and west and seen the heavy swell come in from the ocean, watched it become less and less as it penetrated deeper and deeper into the "kelp" until, emerging on the shore side, its force was spent and its size gone. Instances are not wanting to show how great this protective power is. The better way it would seem would be to have certain channels through which steamers might go out and in.

From Santa Cruz Island we started to Los Angeles and temporarily joined the main party. While here I embraced the opportunity afforded by a letter of introduction from Lieutenant Wheeler to General Stoneman to visit the ranch of the latter. My time was exceedingly limited and another visit was contemplated. This I was, however, unable to make. I obtained the following facts relative to the productions of the region from General Stoneman, and they are, therefore, the result of a large and intelligent observation. In the neighborhood of Los Angeles from 40 to 60 bushels of corn (shelled) to the acre is about a fair estimate. Oats may be regarded as indigenous, and in early times the most fabulous crops of wild oats were known to grow on the soil as a volunteer crop. Frequently it was so high that it could be tied on the back of a horse. The wild oats was then the pasture of the country, and on it the thousands of "bronchos" lived without further attention from the owners. Of the oats produced under cultivation 32 pounds per bushel is regarded as the average weight. General Stoneman said that wheat could hardly be regarded as a reliable crop; it would fail, probably, four times out of five. I am led to think this is a mere local peculiarity, as certainly within 50 miles I saw abundant evidence as to the possi bility of raising fine crops of this most important of all the cereals.

It would be next to impossible to overrate the number and size of the pumpkins and squashes the soil of Southern California produces. Let the reader imagine the longest field he thinks possible and he will probably fall short of truth by 50 per cent. There are thousands of persons who have from the car-windows on the Central Pacific Railroad seen the ground along the line of that road actually covered with them and of fabulous size, who will approve my statement and my failure to give figures to the incredulous. Apples are a sure crop and the trees bear in six years; peaches and plums