The Pacific tourist:

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ingly. So long as ore is plenty, no pains are
taken to save them. They never have been
worked so closely as not still to carry several
dollars to the ton value in precious metal.
The process employed at Virginia City, is in
use wherever silver is mined on the Pacific Coast,
with such modifications as differences in the character of the ore demand. Some ores are so refractory as to require roasting. They are first
dried thoroughly, then crushed dry, next roasted
to expel sulphur, antimony, zinc, etc., and then
treated in pans and settlers as if crushed wet without roasting. The process is expensive, but has
some compensation in the closer percentage of
assay value obtained, and smaller waste of quicksilver. The loss of this metal in amalgamating
unroasted ores, amounts in various ways to from
two to four pounds for each ton worked. Some
of it combines with chlorine in the ore, and is
converted into calomel. This is lost beyond recovery. Some of it is volatilized by the heat in
the pans, and some escapes through the joints of
the retorlts, and this also is lost finally, and
sometimes hurts workmen exposed to the fumes.
Most of it is lost by not being gathered in the
settler. It goes off in minute atoms, carrying
gold and silver with it. This is partly recovered
by working the tailings, or by running them over
blankets in sluices which entrap enough of it to
pay well for the cost of the process.
Sin,gks of thbe Great Nevada Basin.One of the most wonderful natural features of
that part of the Continent lying between the
Wahsatch and Sierra Nevada -Ranges of Mountaius, is the Great Desert and its numerous sinks.
The sink of the Great Salt Lake has already
been alluded to. It is a great natural curiosity
of itself. It receives the waters of an immense
region of country, and, though gradually rising,
is still confined to its banks, and gives off its surplus waters by evaporation. There is no evidence whatever that it has a subterraneous outlet. Between it and the sinks of the Nevada
Desert, there is an elevated ridge and broken
ranges of mountains, with gaps and valleys between them. This whole desert has evidently
been a lake, or an inland sea, at some time,
while the mountains have been islands in it.
Passing the ridge, or low divide between the
broken mountains, which separates the Great
Salt Lake from the desert beyond, and we arrive at the sinks of the Nevada Basin. The
first'is the Humboldt Lake, which has been described. Then the Humboldt and Carson Sink,
which, unlike the Great Salt Lake, receives the
waters of both the Humboldt River and Lake
and the Carson River and Lake, flowing from
opposite directions; and, in the hot months of
summer, when evaporation is greatest, is very
nearly dry. On the other hand, in the spring,
when the snows of the mountains melt, or when
heavy rains occur in the winter and spring
months, causing a large flow of water in the
Humboldt and Carson Rivers, these lakes of the
same name nearly always rise together, and the
vast salty plain, in and around the sink, becomes
a lake of great size. There is no evidence of
any s ubterran ean outlet to the waters that flow
into this large sink. On the contrary, those who
have noticed the rapidity with which water dis appears from a tub or other vessel exposed to the
sun and air in this region, have no difficulty in be lieving, in fact almost seeing, the process of evap oration going on, by which the waters are drunk
up and scattered over the earth in clouds, to be
again distilled in rain.
Walker Lake, which receives the flow of
Walker River, is another one of these mysteri ous sinks. It is off to the south of Carson
Lake. The river rises in the Sierra Nevadas
and flows in a general easterly direction, till its
waters are swallowed up by the sands of the
desert, or lost through the same process men tioned elsewhere. There are also numerous
streams rising in the mountains, assuming large
proportions by the time they reach the valleys,
but the sands of the desert soon drink them dry,
and they are " lost to sight."
North of the Central Pacific, about 20 miles
from Wadsworth, are the sinks of Pyramid
Lake, Winnemucca Lake and Mud Lake, the
latter being a considerable distance north of
Pyramid Lake. These bodies of water at times
quite large, are called fresh water lakes, though
they are brackish and abound in fish. Northeast of Winnemucca Lake is Quin's River, quite
a large stream near its source in the mountains
of Idaho; but it becomes lost in the desert, on its
way, apparently, to Winnemucca Lake. These
lakes and the desert are the mighty sinks which
drink up the water that is not evaporated, but
sometimes evaporation gets the best of them.
North-west of Mud Lake, over in California, is
Honey Lake, another remarkable body of water.
It is sometimes dry so that teams can be driven
across its bed, and then again it is on the rampage. Its waters resemble soap-suds, and are
admirably adapted for washing purposes. When
lashed by the winds, its waters become a rolling
mass of foam, and afford a magnificent spectacle to the beholder. If it only had permanent
water of the character alluded to, it would be an
excellent location for a huge laundry.
Stage Rotutes to Lake Ttihoe.-A favorite
route to Lake Tahoe is via Carson City. It may
be more easily reached and seen on the westward tour, than to wait and include it on the
eastward return.
After a visit to Virginia City, the tourist will
return to Carson City, remain over night at a
good comfortable hotel, the Ormsby House,whose proprietor considers it "4the highest toned
hotel inz Nevada," and next mornling, at 8.30 A.
M., take Benton's Stage for Tahoe.
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TNE racipic Toual$F.