Page:Appleton's Guide to Mexico.djvu/343

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THE SONORA RAILWAY.
315

Steamers leave Guaymas every twenty days for Manzanillo, touching at Altata, La Paz, Mazatlan, and San Blas.

A wagon-road extends from Guaymas to Buena Vista on the Rio Yaqui, about 100 miles distant, and thence to the mining town of Alamos, in the southern part of the State.

There is immense mineral wealth in Sonora, which will be developed by the new railroads. Mines of gold, silver, iron, lead, coppper, antimony, tin, and sulphur are found in the region adjacent to the Sonora Railway, and to the branch road running toward the State of Chihuahua. Deposits of carbonate of soda, alum, salt, marble, and gypsum are also abundant along these routes. The same minerals occur at Oposura, Saguaripa, Altar, and Alamos, the last named town containing the richest gold and silver mines in the State.

For many years the depredations of the Apache Indians have interfered materially with the development of the metallic wealth.

One of the most important mineral deposits of Sonora is anthracite, which has recently been discovered at Barranca, on the Yaqui River, about 100 miles from its mouth. The coal is found in sandstone and conglomerate, and is said to contain 90 per cent of carbon. It is probably the largest and richest bed of coal in Mexico.

The agricultural products have already been briefly mentioned, but it may be remarked that good crops of sugar-cane, tobacco, rice, and brown beans are also cultivated. Such trees as the rosewood, ebony, logwood, and Brazil-wood grow in abundance.