The quartz interests show marked improvement, manifested by the opening of many mines abandoned for years, the discovery of new ledges, and the investment of San Francisco capital in developed mines. The mines belonging to the Mariposa estate are so situated that they require water for milling purposes; the mines are proven to be abundantly rich and comparatively inexhaustible, but cannot be worked successfully the year round without taking the ores to the Merced River. They now propose bringing the river to the mines, and the long-talkedof Mariposa ditch, located in 1852, is no longer a myth but a fixed fact, as the work is being actively prosecuted by the company.

Of the celebrated Mariposa estate and its mines there is nothing this year to be said. A new set of legal complications has paralyzed operations, but will terminate, it is believed, in a complete reorganization free of incumbrances.

The county of Mariposa possesses many valuable claims outside of the boundaries of the Mariposa estate, some of which are among the most productive in the State. Among these we may instauce the Ferguson mine, the Eclipse, and Hites' Cove mines.

The Ferguson mine has recently been sold to an English company for the sum of $100,000. It is situated on the main fork of the Merced River, not far distant from the Yosemite Valley. The company own 3,700 feet, and intend erecting powerful machinery, as there is waterpower enough to drive an unlimited number of stamps. This mine has been in successful operation for over ten years without levying an assessment, and during the present year has paid dividends of $4,000 per month with an eight-stamp mill. The vein is from 1 to 8 feet thick, averaging 21 feet. The average pay of the rock is now about $44 per ton. Their tunnel is in 1,100 feet, on a level with the mill, to which the rock is easily taken by car. At the back of the tunnel they have sunk a shaft 100 feet deep; at this point it is 800 feet below the surface.

The Hites' Cove mine (described in report for 1871) is engaged in driving a cross-cut which is expected to reach the lode in May, 1872. This cross-cut will give them three hundred feet of backs. This mine has always paid large returns to its owners.

The Washington mine has a large vein and supplies a forty-stamp mill. It has never levied an assessment, but has paid for all improvements from its opening.

The Francis mine is a notable instance of a successful mining operation without capital. Mr. Francis, the recent owner, purchased the mine six years since on credit, and erected on it a five-stamp mill. The mine and mill soon yielded its owner a large advance on the original cost. The mine has recently been purchased by parties in San Francisco who propose erecting a sixty-stamp mill, as the mine has been developed sufficiently to warrant it, having three years' ore in sight and opened up. The lode is from 4 to 12 feet thick, and is traceable for miles through the country-is opened by an adit level driven on the mountain side on the lode with constantly increasing backs. The rim will pay in free gold milling process from $12 to $15 per ton, with from 10 to 60 per cent. of sulphurets, worth from $100 to $300 per ton. The pay chute is of unusual length, and is already traced and tested for 1,900 feet. The company have 3,000 feet of lode.

There are many other mines in the county in various stages of development, but their opening has been retarded by the unfortunate condition of the Mariposa estate, which has been erroneously supposed to contain the best mines in the county, and which, considered abroad as an un-.

successful example of mining on à large scale, has proved detrimental to all attempts to induce capitalists to invest in this county. The condition of this estate is to be attributed to the mismanagement incident to the control of all large and unwieldy corporations whose stock is elevated or depressed at the pleasure of operators who never saw the property of the company, and feel no interest in its development beyond the temporary enhancement or depression of the value of shares in the stock market for the purposes of speculation.

This state of affairs, however, will not be of long duration, as the resources of the county in gold-bearing quartz have attracted the attention of some of the leading mining operators of San Francisco, who have purchased several mines and are now engaged in the development of the long-neglected wealth of this county.

TUOLUMNE COUNTY.

This county, adjoining Mariposa on the north, has an area of 915,000 acres, of which but a small proportion is under cultivation, although the soil of the western portion of the county, from the foot-hills to an elevation of 2,500 feet in the Sierras, is unequaled in the productiveness of its orchards and vineyards, both as to the quantity and flavor of its fruits. The county has promising quartz interests which have for a few years past been dormant, but are now reviving under the impulse of successful operations in this branch of mining, while gravel-mining at various places on Table Mountain has proved, under good management, both safe and profitable as à business.

Chinese Camp.-The town of Chinese Camp is situated in a basin or flat, east of Table Mountain, at an elevation of 1,300 feet above sealevel, the Mother lode lying about one mile east of the town. The present population does not exceed five hundred persons, of whom three-fifths are Chinese. The main interest of the place has been placermining on the flat on which the town is situated. The ground has been worked over to bed-rock, a depth of three to five feet, and the best part exhausted, although the Chinese still carry on mining on a small scale when they can find dirt paying one dollar a day to the hand, of which enough remains to last for several years. The supply of water is limited, rarely more than one hundred inches being available, and this is sold at fifteen cents per inch for ten hours' use. Great difficulties were met with in obtaining an adequate supply of water for this place, as a deep ravine (Wood's Creek) ran between the town and the nearest ditch. These were finally surmounted by running a pipe, eleven inches in diameter and one mile in length, from the Phoenix Water Company's reservoir across the ravine of Wood's Creek to a hill above the town. The head of the water-supply (at the reservoir) is two hundred feet higher than the discharge-box on the hill above the town, and an intervening depression-the ravine of Wood's Creek-having a depth of seven hundred feet, measured from the discharge-box, has been overcome, not by the construction of an expensive trestle-work, as was formerly the practice in carrying water over depressions, but by laying the pipes on the surface and relying on the pressure. Two hundred inches have been safely run through this pipe. The gold found here is noted for its fineness, and is probably the result of the breaking up of old channels, of which remnants are found on the edges of the basin. The pay-dirt extends entirely across the flat or basin, a distance of nearly three miles. Some spots proved very rich, but were quickly. exhausted, and the future of this class of mining is not promising.

Detached masses or patches of cemented gravel are found on the summits of a few mounds or spurs of hills in this basin. These patches, on account of their hardness, seem to have resisted the disintegrating influences of air and water, which have swept away and scattered the original deposit of which they formed a part, depositing the released gold in the adjacent gulches and streams and over the flat. They are but isolated monuments, indicating the existence, ages since, of an extensive belt of gravel deposited by the action of water, but whether in the channel of a running stream, or in a lake like depression, or whether these deposits were formed from the "wash" of the ancient river now.covered by the lava of Table Mountain, (which is probably the case,) cannot be ascertained without close observation and patient investigation. One of these patches, situated immediately to the east of the town, and about one hundred and eighty feet above the level of the basin, covers an area of about ten acres and proved exceedingly rich, most of the pay being found in a blue streak, varying from one to twenty inches in thickness and lying immediately above the bed-rock. The depth of the gravel in this tract did not exceed thirty feet, and the best surface-diggings of the vicinity were found on the slope to the east of this mound and in the bed of Wood's Creek. These detached masses of gravel are said to extend southerly into Mariposa County, where they exist in larger bodies, and will be worked immediately on the completion of several ditches now in process of construction. Toward the north we find the great surface deposits of the limestone belt which probably owe its origin to the

same causes.

The quartz ledges in the vicinity of the town are all supposed to be on the Mother lode, which lies immediately to the east. They are, beginning with the most southerly and proceeding north: The Clio, 10 stampsnot running for two years; Orcutt's mine (supposed to be on a spur of the Mother lode)-a very rich vein of decomposed quartz; Eagle, 10 stamps-operations suspended in mill pending completion of drain tunnel; the Shawmut-idle for two years; belongs to a Boston company and is closed on account of mismanagement and defective machinery. Two miles northerly from Chinese Camp, and on the edge of the same basin, is situated the decayed and deserted town of Montezuma, which was once noted for its rich placers. Wood's Crossing, on Wood's Creek, one mile south of Jamestown, is noted as being the first ground worked in the southern mines, early in 1848. The creek here was very rich, and was worked by the Indians, of whom there were many here at that time. It is said that the first traders who came into this part of the country bought gold-dust from the Indians in exchange for its weight in beads, raisins, &c.

Jamestown.-Between Montezuma and Jamestown the country is broken up by rolling hills of no great elevation. The Mother lode is intersected and cut half a mile south of Jamestown by Wood's Creek, a stream carrying but little water in the summer, but very turbulent in the rainy season. At this point the croppings of the lode have a width of from twelve to sixteen feet, compact and boldly defined, with numerous spurs and parallel veins on the east side, but the quartz is barren at the surface. These parallel veins have proved very rich but not continuous. Abandoned excavations and tunnels show that they have been followed till they "pinched out" or became merged in the main lode. Near here, on the line of the Mother lode, are situated Quartz Mountain and Whisky Hill, famous for both rich quartz mines and great failures. The most noted mines are the Golden Rule, the App mine, the Heslep mine, and the property of Rosencrans, Preston & Co. on Whisky Hill.

About one mile and a half west of Jamestown the Mother lode has been crossed by the lava flow of Table Mountain, and makes its appearance again in prominent croppings on the west side of the mountain at the Rawhide mine, one of the oldest locations in the county.

The past history of Jamestown is that of all mining towns relying mainly on placer diggings-a hasty growth and a slow but sure decay. The placers in this vicinity and the bed of Wood's Creek were of great richness, and for a few years the sales of gold-dust averaged nearly $1,000 per day. The placers were of the same character as those of Chinese Camp, rarely exceeding two feet in depth,and have been worked over several times. The present population does not exceed three hundred. The future of the town depends on the quartz-mining on the Mother lode and the opening of the old channel underlying Table Mountain. Both of these classes of mining require large expenditures, but promise large and profitable returns.

Quartz Mountain is a cone-shaped hill rising abruptly to a height of four or five hundred feet from a rolling country. Its isolated position makes it a prominent landmark for miles around, this prominence being greatly enhanced by an immense cropping of quartz which crosses the summit of the mountain on the line of the Mother lode, and at a distance presents the appearance of a great wall. Most of the mines are opened about half way between the base and the summit. The veinmatter here seems to have widened with the expansion of the mountain, and veins are found both on the foot-wall and the hanging-wall, separated by masses of broken slate and quartz, known as "horse-matter." These veins have a pitch to the east of eighty degrees.

The Heslep mine, on Quartz Mountain, probably the most thoroughly developed mine on Quartz Mountain, is a location of 1,555 feet on the hanging wall of the lode. The mine was opened in 1852, and was then worked by an open cut on the face of the ledge. This cut has been continued for nearly 100 feet, and a tunnel run from its face, on the ledge, a distance of 600 feet. Winzes have been sunk from the floor of this tunnel to a depth of 65 feet and a new level opened. On this level the vein is 14 feet wide; 8 feet of this vein-matter is hard white quartz, and 6 feet are a mixture of soft slate and broken quartz, highly sulphureted. The foot-wall of the vein is greenstone and the hanging-wall slate. The average pay of this mine, which may be taken as a fair representative of the mines on Quartz Mountain, is about ten dollars per ton for rock taken from the tunnel, and a slight advance for rock from the lower level. This is exclusive of specimen rock, which is now often encountered as depth in the mountain is attained. The pay runs in chutes or chimneys which rarely exceed 100 feet in length, but several are found on the line of the location. The softer material can be mined and milled at an expense of $3 per ton. Of this class of rock large reserves are in sight on the surface which can be cut down on an open face and run through the mill in large quantities, with a profit of $3 to $5 per ton without interfering with the development of the mine. The property is owned and managed by Mr. B. F. Heslep, and is an example of prudent and skillful management. He has commenced sinking a shaft from the surface to connect with the winze from the tunnel, and on its completion will open a new level 160 feet below the tunnel, or 300 feet in depth from the surface. The mill has fifteen stamps of 650 pounds, with a crushing capacity of eighteen or twenty tons per day, and is run by an overshot wheel forty feet in diameter, supplied with water all the year, at an expense of $140 per week, night and day. The mill is built for

thirty stamps, and the other fifteen will be put in as soon as the shaft is sunk and the lower level opened. The mill, situated a short distance below the mouth of the tunnel, is provided with Stanford's self-feeding apparatus, requiring only one man to attend to the fifteen stamps. No pans are used, as the main reliance is on the free gold. The sulphurets are preserved for future treatment.

The App mine next adjoining and parallel on the east is owned by Griffin & Co. The ledge is 1,000 feet long, and from 15 to 30 feet wide. They have a 25-stamp mill, but it has only been run at intervals during past year. Their rock will run from $15 to $20 per ton. They have a shaft down 580 feet, on an incline of 60°. The hoisting-works are very complete, and run by an engine of 25 horse-power.

The Knox mine, one-half mile from the Heslep, is 1,200 feet in length, with a vein 10 to 20 inches in width. It is owned by Preston & Co. They have hoisting-works run by a 30 horse-power engine, and a mill of ten stamps and two arrastras, now crushing ten tons per day. The quartz yields an average of $30 per ton exclusive of sulphurets.

The Golden Rule, near Poverty Hill, is owned by a San Francisco company. Their mill of 15 stamps is run by water-power, (50-foot wheel,) and will crush 15 tons per day (24 hours,) which average $10 per ton. A tunnel 500 feet in length is run in on a grade with the mill, to which the rock is brought by car. This tunnel runs nearly east. At this point, the tunnel runs south 75 feet, where their hoisting-works are situated, 87 feet underground. The hoisting-works are run by an engine of 12 horse-power. At the hoisting-works there is a vertical shaft 225 feet deep from the surface. The hanging-wall is of serpentine, and the foot-wall of slate formation. The vein is from 7 to 9 feet wide. The Golden Rule has not been worked regularly during the year 1871, and no dividends were paid.

Table Mountain.-This remarkable remnant of the basaltic overflow overlies, as is well known, the ancient channel of auriferous gravel. The accompanying diagram is made from observations with a Green's. barometer, and shows the interesting fact that the rim-rock of the ancient river is higher on the west side than on the east. The difference is. 33 feet.

The observation taken at A was made at the hoisting-works of the Table Mountain Co.'s claim, on the eastern side of Table Mountain, (formerly known as the "Humbug" claim,). 87 feet above the rim-rock of the ancient river, covered by the lava-flow known as Table Mountain; elevation, 1,680 feet.

Observation B was made at the hoisting-works of Hughes' mine, on the west side of the mountain (formerly known as the Maine Boys' tunnel) 110 feet above the rim rock of the ancient channel; elevation 1,736 feet. This claim is next adjoining. and south of the Table Mountain Tunnel Co.'s ground.

Observation C was taken on the summit or plane of Table Mountain and at a point equidistant from observations A and B; elevation 1,882 feet.

The diagram, a cross-section of Table Mountain, is a representation.