Until now, our mining establishments have not been molested by
them, and we are going on in high glee. This is undoubtedly the
richest silver mining country in the world. If the United States
will make just and liberal laws for us; give us protection;
remove those trifling and unprofitable custom houses on the
frontier, at least for 5 or 6 years; procure us a transit through
Sonora to Guaymas, and hasten along the rail-road to California,this will indeed be a prosperous country, and will astonish the
world with its production of silver and copper. But with such
terrible obstacles as those mentioned above and the great length
of transit to transport goods over the roads which we have to
take at present, progress only is possible for such as find mines
of the extraordinary and incredible richness of the Heintzelman
vein. If the present promises of few of these mines are realized,
by working them on a scale commensurate with their extent and
richness, I have no doubt but that they will equal in production
the whole silver exports of Mexico.

I think an appropriation ought to be made to sink artesian wells
through the Papagos country, between San Xavier and the lower
Gila. This route cuts off about 100 miles from the best route via
the Pinos villages. It is laid down on my map, as a rail-road
route, now at the office of the Sonora Exploring and Mining
Company, at Cincinnati, Ohio.

The country consists of a succession of plains and isolated
mountain ridges, none of which need to be crossed. In fact it is
a dead level to Fort Yuma, and, in consequence, no grading is
necessary. There is scarcity of water, but the soil in general is
excellent and grass abounds all along the line, while the
mountains teem with minerals of the richest description. The