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the route from Fredericksburg to El Paso. Gold in large lumps amid in the greatest abundance was reported by two men to be there. They had seen it, and knew it to be so. The party spent the summer, a large portion going through to El Paso, where they disbanded; some returning in squads, others going into Mexico. Nothing of value was found, nor did any of the party understand mineralogy or geology; hence, iron pyrites, sulphuret of copper, and yellow mica were mistaken for gold, and silver mica, etc., for silver, specimens of these being brought back by some, and sent to me for examination.

When at Jefferson, last summer, I read in a newspaper of rich silver mines having just been found at the Gordon Mountain, in Montague county; a large vein of silver was said to extend over and through. the mountain. I met young man who said he belonged to a party of twelve, who were going to start next week to get silver in Montague county. From Northern Texas many went to the Cordon Mountain after silver.

To see about this, we went there last September, but before getting to the spot, we were convinced there was no silver there, because the formation was the lower cretaceous abounding in fossils, being a sedimentary deposit formed gradually in the sea, and barren of silver; but on we went, and encamped at the foot of the mountain. In its side, high up, men had dug several days, mistaking probably a thin seam containing small crystals of selenite, a form of gypsum, for a vein of silver. We could see nothing else resembling silver, excepting a few grains of sand.

Instances of a similar nature could be multiplied into many pages. None of the mining companies in the rich mining States amok; the Rocky Mountains, venture to begin work before suitable geological examinations have been made. Hence mining, as it is now generally conducted on scientific principles, is much more reliable than it was a few years ago. This result lids been brought about by the enormous sums which have been spent by individuals and companies in fruitless mining operations.

The survey, if properly conducted, will make known the agricultural capacity and adaptation of the soil for particular crops, amid disseminate information as to the best modes of cultivating the different grains, gasses, cotton, sugar, tobacco, fruits, etc., for Texas is so extensive that