But these vast gold mines are not the only mineral discoveries
that have been made. The quicksilver in the same region seems to be as
abundant as the gold, so that there are approximated to each other two
metals, which will have a most important effect and utility in making
the gold mines more valuable. Heretofore the gold and silver mines of
Mexico and Peru have been valuable to Spain, because she possessed a
monopoly of the quicksilver mines at Almaden in the Peninsula. This is
surpassed by California. According to the last accounts now given to
the public, emigrants were crowding in from every port in the Pacific
to California--from Mexico, Peru, the Sandwich Islands, Oregon; and we
have no doubt by this time the British possessions in the East, China,
and everywhere else in that region, are furnishing emigrants to the
wonderful regions of California. In less than a year there will
probably be a population of 100,000 to 200,000 souls, all digging for
gold, and capable of producing from 100,000,000 dollars to 300,000,000
dollars worth per annum of pure gold, to be thrown on the commerce of
the world at one fell swoop.
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