OF PLACER-MINING IN CALIFORNIA. 45
N.,*
and it was not until Father Begert's map was published at Maabeim, in
1771, that California was relieved of its insular character.
Early Discoveries of Placers.—At
different times between 1775 and 1828 small deposits of placer gold
were found by Mexicans near the Colorado River, a. In 1802 a mineral
vein supposed to contain silver was found at Olizal, in the district of
Monterey. In 1828 a small gold placer was discovered at San Isidro, in
what is now known as San Diego County.
Forbes,
in his history of California, in 1835, says: " No minerals of
particular importance have yet been found in Upper California, nor any
appearance of metals." " In 1838 the placers of San Francisquito,
forty-five miles northwest from Los Angeles, were discovered. These
deposits were neither rich nor extensive, but were worked steadily for
twenty years.
In
1841 Wilkes' exploring expedition visited the coast, James D. Dana,
mineralogist, accompanying the party. In the following year, in his
work on mineralogy, Dana mentions that gold was found in the Sacramento
valley, and that rocks " similar to those of the auriferous formations
" were observed in southern Oregon.
May
4, 1846, Thomas O. Larkin, United States Consul at Monterey, said, in
an official letter to James Buchanan, Esq., then Secretary of State : "
There is no doubt that gold, silver, quicksilver, copper, lead,
sulphur, and coal mines are to be found all over California, and it is doubtful whether, under their present owners, they will ever be worked."
On the 7th of July, 1846, the American flag was hoisted at Monterey and the country taken possession of by the United States.
*
See Ogilvy's "America: being the latest and most accurate Account of
the New World," published in London in 1671. California is there laid
down as an island, extending ftom Cape St. Lucas to lat. 450
N. See map by Capt. Shelvocke, R.N., "Voyage around the World by way of
the South Sea," published in London in 1726. See map published m Venice
in 1546, Independent Order of Odd Fellows' Hall, San Francisco.
