into a
precipice and overhang so as to form a cave; at another place the side
is low and formed of the broken rocks which were removed. * * * The
bottom is funnel-shaped and formed by the sloping banks of the debris
or fragments of the sides. On this d6bris, at the bottom of the pit,
pine trees over a hundred years old are now growing, and the bank of
the refuse is similarly covered with trees.
A
review of the early history of Mexico and this region with references
to the authors is given, and in this the identity of chalchihuitl with
turquoise and the esteem in which it was held by the ancient Mexicans
is brought out. The use of turquoise by the Mexicans before the advent
of the Spanish, the operation of the mine under Spanish rule ending in
an uprising of the Indians when a fall of rock buried some of their
number, the presence of broken ancient Indian pottery, and the
condition of the workings are given as evidence to show that the
excavations are of great age.
A
description of the same locality by Silliman * confirms Blake's
observations and gives notes on the prospecting in progress by D. C
Hyde in 1880. Further information on the discoveries made by Mr. Hyde
is given by Kunz.2 This prospecting consisted of shafts sunk
in the bottom ot the main pit, on the summit of the hill, and on the
southeast side, with tunnels from them. Cavern-like excavations were
found on each side of the "mountain" and were named by the prospectors
"Wonder caves" and the "Mystery." In these workings, according to
Silliman, "were numerous stone hammers, some to be held in the hand and
others swung as sledges, fashioned with wedge-shaped edges and a groove
for a handle." One of these stone hammers weighed a number of pounds
and had the wythe and scrub-oak handle still attached. Kunz states that
numerous veins of turquoise one-eighth inch to 2 inches thick were
found in one of the caves. D. W. Johnson 3 reviews the literature on the locality and discusses the occurrence and origin of the turquoise.
It
is evident that the condition of the workings have changed little since
the descriptions of Blake, Silliman, and Johnson. A few measurements
and estimates made in 1911 show the main pit on the northwest side of
the hill to be about 130 feet deep on the upper side and about 35 feet
deep on the lower side, the rim about 200 feet across, and the bottom
nearly 100 feet across. The large dumps of waste rock removed from this
are about 150 yards long by 75 yards wide and 1 to 30 feet deep. These
dimensions do not correspond closely with those given by the earlier
writers, since this would give the dump an area of less than 2-1/2 acres
as compared with some 20 acres reported by Silliman. The upper walls of
the pit are still rough with projecting rocks and the lower slopes are
covered with talus. The exploratory work done by Mr. Hyde has been
concealed by caving or other agencies. The workings on the other parts
of Mount Chalchihuitl are less extensive. On the southeast side is an
open cut over 100 feet across, with a present depth of 20 feet on the
upper wall.
Little
can now be seen of the occurrence of the turquoise at Mount
Chalchihuitl, but published descriptions show it to be similar to that
of other localities described below. The associated rock with its
fracturing and alteration and the mode of occurrence of the turquoise
at the different localities are very much alike.
1 Silliman B., Turquoise of New Mexico: Am. Jour. Sci., 3d set. vol. 22,18S1, pp. 67-71.
2 Kunz, G. F., Gems and precious stones, New York, 1892.
' Johnson, D. W., Geology of the Cerrillos Hills: School of Mines Quart., vol. 24,1903, pp. 493-499; vol. 25,1903.
