neighborhood but who had since died ; the gentle
savages failed to mention the manner of their taking
off.
Referring to the Diccionario Geografico-Historio de las Indias Occidentales o America of Antonio de Alcedo, published in Madrid in 1786-9, we find stated that in California, ^' provincia de la America Septentrional, y la ultima parte de ella en lo descubierto acia el norte " are many wonders. Strange animals are there, and some that the Spaniards introduced, which have multiplied enormously. There are insects, snakes, tarantulas, and ants without number, but no fleas, bed-bugs, or chegoes. As prone to mendacity as I have ever found Mr Dunbar, I was not prepared to meet in his Romance of the Age so bold a misrepresentation as that Alcedo " positively asserts the existence of gold in California, even in lumps of five to eight pounds," and that in face of the plain statement : "No se han des- cubierto minas ; pero hay bastantes indicios de que existen de todos metales."
At Alizal, near Monterey, silver is said to have been found in 1 802. Remarking how deep benea theth surface lay the precious metals in the interior of north- ern Mexico Humboldt, after his visit in 1803, ex- pressed the opinion that toward the north gold might be found in large quantities near the surface.
Knowledge of the existence of furnaces, used in the smelting of silver ore, in the southeastern part of California, or in the Colorado river region, is vaguely traced back to 1808. An exploring party from Stock- ton in 1860, in search of silver lodes, met in the vicinity of these furnaces a party of Mexicans with like intentions. With the Mexicans was an ancient aboriginal, Jose el Venadero he was called, one hun- dred years of age, who stated that these furnaces were in use when Mexico first threw off the yoke of Spain, fifty-two years ago. He was a mission Indian at the time, and the Spanish soldiers stationed at the furnaces to protect the workmen from the natives were
