cam_AmosBeebeEaton_B017_F007_002B

minus the regularity. A railroad
has been recently constructed from the
side of the mountain about 900 feet
straight into the heart of the mine, by
which the ore is brought out to a landing
place where it is packed in sacks,
in which, on the backs of mules, it is
carried down a zigzag road about a
mile to the works. The mining is
done entirely by Mexican laborers,
about thirty of whom we found scattered
about in the various parts of the mine,
blasting, drilling, carrying the ore to the rail
road cars, &c. &c. [etc. etc.] The ore is not
pulverised [pulverized] & smelted, but is put into
the furnace in large pieces & by the
heat the quicksilver is driven off by
sublimation, or in a gaseous state, & by
being passed through cooling tubes lain in
cold water is condensed, running out
in a constant stream. The works are
now being enlarged & soon these works
will be able to turn out a vast amount
of metal.

During my absence I visited
the San José Mission, where a gentleman
named Beard cultivates a very large
farm & very large potatoes. The day I
dined with him, his wife cooked only
one potato for dinner. There were nine (9) grown