I have the honor of submitting to your consideration, some notes in reference to the mineral resources of our vast territorial possessions, facing the Pacific Ocean.

I recently addressed the Secretary of the Treasury upon this subject, in consequence of its bearing upon the trade & commerce of our country, and of the world. And as it seemed to me, that the immense annual saving to the government, to be effected by the use of coal mined upon our own Pacific coast, made the subject deserving of the serious attention of the Departments of the War & the Navy, I addressed a joint letter to the Gentlemen at their head.

I also took occasion to tender my services, for the purpose of making such Geological & Chemical investigation, as the interest of the country may render necessary.

Whilst at Washington, it was suggested to me, by those whose opinions were entitled to weight, that a subject of so much importance should be brought to the notice of your Excellency.

Our countrymen, true to their Anglo-Saxon spirit, have busied themselves, for some years past, in investigating, or rather in expressing their opinions, as to, the value of those territories. Oregon has had some share of attention, but many circumstances have conspired, frequently to bring up for discussion, the question of the usefulness of our territorial acquisitions from Mexico, and for which the country is indebted to your policy.

The proneness of mankind to form conclusions with a slight knowledge of facts, has produced frequent expressions of opinion adverse to the value of the territories in question.

We have often heard of the sterility of most of the country west of the Rocky Mountains, and many will scarcely admit of its possessing anything worthy of notice, beyond that of harbors of refuge for our whalers.

My own pursuits and tastes have led me to the consideration of the mineral constitution of the country, & of the effects that may be produced by a full and timely developement of them. It has occurred to me, that, if we efficiently avail ourselves of the advantages of the position and resources of those regions, results will soon follow, little anticipated by those who are ordinarily satisfied with looking merely at the surface of things.

Had our attention been turned to the subject of the mineral resources of California, some quarter of a century ago, we should possibly have cared little for any others than the more costly metals. But it is far otherwise in the present day.

The successful navigation of every sea, has been achieved in our day, by means of steam, which must give rise to new channels of trade, and occasion many important changes in mundane affairs. Our country will be obliged to prepare for them, or be left behind in the great political and commercial race of the world.

As a knowledge of the mineral resources of the territories on our extreme west seemed to me a subject of great interest, I recently visited the Seat of Government for the purpose of collecting information in reference to them. I regretted to find that so little was certainly known upon the subject, and was strongly impressed with the necessity that exists for a thorough and systematic investigation of the mineral resources of California & Oregon, lying westward of the Sierra Nevada & Cascade ranges of mountains.

I have received a copy of an interesting memoir addressed to your Excellency by Ar H. Palmer Esq. of New York, upon the subject of the productive trade and resources of the countries bordering on, or enclosed by, the Pacific Ocean.1 This Work, which reached me a few days since, relieves me from the necessity of troubling you with extended remarks, upon the importance of increasing our facilities for trade with the productive regions referred to by him.

Mr. Palmer proposes means by which our enterprising merchants may become better acquainted with the capacities for trade, of the Eastern portions of Asia, and the Islands of the Pacific Ocean, and it is to be hoped, the course he suggests will be adopted; but at the same time it may be remarked, that no mode of increasing trade is so sure as that of lessening the time & cost of traveling between the different trading marts. As matters are at present, too much of the valuable time of the merchant would be consumed in sailing voyages of 5 to 8.000 miles. What now takes 3 months, will be performed by steamers in one. Experience clearly proves that trade will take those routes on which cheapness and rapidity of motion are combined, especially if our countrymen are concerned in it.

The waters of the great Pacific are unquestionably destined to be crowded with steamers, and the important question arises, shall we take means to enjoy our proper share of this vast trade? or shall we fold our arms and leave it all to Britain and other foreign Nations? Shall we not, at least, make an effort to turn a good share of it into our Pacific Ports?

The commencement of a steam communication with India & China &c, will no doubt consist of a line of mail Steamers, supported mainly at the expense of the public treasury.

At present, the cost of sustaining such a concern would be so great as to present a serious obstacle to its institution. This mainly results from the heavy cost of shipping coal from England and this country. The expense of coal delivered at our California ports, [I am informed by Commodore Skinner, who is now taking measures to supply the naval steamers]2 is sixteen Dollars per ton!

If we could mine it in convenient localities, near the coast, it might be produced for one fourth the sum, in California & Oregon.

In all future time, we must have abundant supplies of fuel for the use of the Steamers of the Navy, and yet we are not aware of the position of a single available coal bed, on our own soil on the Pacific. What, Sir, will be our condition, if we should be involved in a war with one of the great maritime powers? Russia possesses this all important resource near Bhering’s Straits, and Britain as you will percieve by the appendix,3 has already secured for herself the most ample means of supply at many points. There are strong grounds for the apprehension, that, in the event of a war, she will have it in her power, by means of her steam marine, to exclude our vessels entirely from the waters of the Pacific.

If we are to have an efficient steam marine in the Pacific, (as I had the honor to point out to the secretary of the Treasury) and this applies to the commercial, as well as to the public steamers, it will require a new basis, a basis of its own. It must have its Foundries, its Dock Yards, and its workshops; it cannot subsist by coal transported from here or England, nor can the machinery be refitted or replaced from the Atlantic. Means must be provided at one of our magnificent harbors in California where anything needful can be done; otherwise the delays that would occur will be almost fatal to its existance.

The production of Iron also, is nearly as essential to our full participation in the advantages of a steam marine, whether during peace or war. The cost of transporting iron for the purposes of the foundry in California is more than its cost in England at the present time.

In reference to the probability of finding available beds of coal in California or Oregon, there is little to be said; but that subject will be referred to, presently. If coal fields of the “true” carboniferous era should be ascertained to exist, it is highly probable, to say the least, that the usual iron ores will exist in them; and besides, we have reason to expect, in the mountains, the rich magnetic oxide, and the specular oxides, so valuable in other parts of the world.

The journeys of our Military officers, in those countries, have usually been of a hasty character, and often with enemies around them. We could not therefore expect much information in regard to Geological details. The Civilians who have written and spoken, so far as I can find, give far less specific information, than our intelligent officers.

Allow me to say that my remarks upon the subject of coal have reference, exclusively, to the coal of what is called by the Geologist, “The Carboniferous formation, or era.[”]4 This is the coal of commerce and is often called “true coal” in contradistinction to the fossil fuel of the newer Geological eras, such as the Oolite & Tertiary, which goes by many names, viz: Brown coal, Bovey Coal, Lignite &c. This coal abounds in various parts of the world, and gives rise to many pretended discoveries of coal. It is always inferior, and rarely used except for the coarsest purposes. It occurs at Panama, and in large deposites along, or near, the Western coasts of So. America, as well as in Oregon.

The high cost of coal induced the agent of the British South Pacific Navigation Co., to mine (a few years since) this kind of fuel near Conception in Chili. It seemed to be purer than usual, and was found to answer tolerably well at first, but the latest accounts are unfavorable and that company continues to send their coal from England.

We have had, and will no doubt continue to have, all kinds of reports of the existance of coal and every thing else in California & Oregon. But my experience in connection with mineral matters, has given me abundant evidence of the proneness of mankind to accept for truth the smallest trace of evidence in such matters.

This is more especially the case when a strong wish exists that such announcements may be true.

I shall therefore, in laying before you what I can learn of the probability of the occurrance of coal, within our territories on the Pacific, confine myself to the most authentic authorities, and pay no regard to most of the stories upon the subject.

1. Mr Palmer (in the memoir before referred to) says, on page 54. “Coal of an intermediate species between bituminous & anthracite, burning more easily than the latter, but a little harder than the former, has been found in large strata, in the vicinity of Francisco.” This is exactly the kind best adapted to the use of Ocean Steamers. The authority for the statement is not given, & it is to be regretted that we are obliged to conclude that no such strata are known to exist in California.

2. Lieut Col. Emory affirms, as I have been informed, that no coal of practical utility has been met with.

3. Lieut Col. Fremont informed me, that the only coal known in California was a thin & useless seam, near San Luis Obispo, but whether even that belongs to the true Coal era, there are no means of judging.

4. I have been obligingly furnished by the War Department with an extract of a letter from Col R. B. Mason, Com[mandin]g5 in California dated 18 Ap’l 1848. The Col. seems alive to the importance of the subject, and, as you will percieve, took such means as were at his disposal, to ascertain the truth in reference to the various reported discoveries of Coal. The extract is as follows.

“Feeling the vast importance of coal to a country like California, I many months ago directed Lieut. Warner to explore the country north of Monterey, and to visit some reported beds of Coal. He visited every place where coal was said to exist, and in one place found a single tree imbedded in rock and converted into carbon: of course it was of little or no value. He also found a thin film of coal of no value whatever; but most of the reported coal beds, consisted of Clay or sand, impregnated with Bitumen, which is very abundant on the coast especially at Santa Barbara.

The best bed of coal is 15 miles this side (north) of San Diego, in a high bank overhanging the sea. It is a stratum not exceeding at any point eight inches in depth. Two California gentlemen are engaged in working it, hoping, as they penetrate deeper into the earth, it will become thicker: but as its outcrop can be examined for many miles, at no point of which it exceeds eight inches in thickness, little or [no] reliance can be placed upon it for a supply of coal for the mail steamers. This bed was examined by Lieut Warner, but he found no pieces thicker than two inches.”

This at least is authentic & dispels the illusion hitherto existing in the matter. And it shows conclusively that no workable or useful Coal was known to exist in California six months ago. The account of the eight inch seam, near San Diego is of peculiar interest, because from the uniformity of the seam over an extensive space, we have reason to believe, that it belongs to the true “Carboniferous era” inducing strong hopes that workable beds may exist in its vicinity, or elsewhere in the western portions of California or Oregon, & which may brought to light by means of a Systematic Geological survey of the country.

The “two Californians” will have reason to regret their useless labor in the 8 in. seam. It will not increase in thickness as they penetrate into it.

In one of the papers addressed to the Sec’y of the Treasury, it was stated that there was reason to believe, that the two Geological formations, between which the Carboniferous or Coal formation is found, exist in Alta California. The official reports seem to lead to this conclusion. It would also seem from what we have learned of the territories both of Oregon & California, that if coal should be discovered, it will in all probability be found at no great distance from the coast.

In conclusion I may say that I have forborne to call your attention to any other minerals except coal & Iron, not because others of value, & of great importance to commerce do not exist there, but simply because these are of paramount interest, sufficient to call for the prompt action of the government.

We know that gold, silver mercury copper & lead are found in our new territories. It may be presumed that a careful investigation of the country would develope valuable resources, & it is to be hoped, would aid in turning the ignorant mineral hunters from many profitless & abortive operations.

For the mercury of California there is a market near at hand. It is required in large quantity in Mexico.

In China also we have a market for a vast quantity of both Lead & Mercury.

We need not fear a want of markets for the productive industry of California & Oregon. As ample development of their resources will attract a large share of the enterprizing & industrious of our race who will not fail to regulate their pursuits by the wants of the innumerable markets presented to them by their positions. They will have half of the population of the world to trade with, without leaving the waters of their own Great Ocean.