Notice of Geological Explorations in Northern Mexico.
BY A. RÉMOND.
[Compiled from his notes, and prepared for publication, by J. D. Whitney.]
1. Preliminary Remarks.
The mountainous region comprising the central and western portion of Northern Mexico, belongs to the four States of Durango, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Sonora. Considering how celebrated this portion of Mexico has become for its mines and metalliferous veins, and how much has been written about it, it is surprising how little exact information has hitherto been obtained with regard to either its geography or geology. On comparing the principal published maps[21] of the region in question, it will be seen at once how much they differ from each other in their delineations of even its main topographical features, while the details are entirely wanting.
The name of the “Sierra Madre” is usually applied to the main range of mountains of this country, or the western border of the plateau which stretches north through the territories of the United States, forming what may be called the great orographical feature of the continent. In Northwestern Mexico this crumpled border of the great plateau comprises an extensive mountainous region, by no means forming a continuous single chain, but rather several central ranges, with associated groups of parallel ridges, all having the same general course, which is approximately north-northwest, and south-southeast. As the breadth of the chain widens as we go towards the north, so, too, that of the valleys increases in that direction, the whole system of mountains and valleys spreading out in something like a fan shape.
Going north, the chain appears to sink gradually, although determinations of altitude in Northern Mexico are extremely few in number. It is certain that there is, in about latitude 32°, a depression of the mountain ranges which extends entirely across the continent, and which would enable the traveler to cross from the Atlantic to the Pacific, without necessarily surmounting any elevation greater than four thousand feet.[22] The southeastern range is the highest, and the culminating point is said to be the Cerro de Cuiteco, sixty leagues northeast of Jesus Maria, on the western border of Chihuahua. The approximate altitude of the Cumbre de Basascachic is seven thousand four hundred and twenty-nine feet, and that of Guadalupe y Calvo, seven thousand eight hundred and twenty-five feet. To the north, the ranges east of Sahuaripa are also very high; but they have never been measured. No peaks or ridges, however, in this portion of Mexico attain anything like the elevation of the higher portion of the Sierra Nevada, few if any points exceeding ten thousand feet in altitude.
The direction of the sierra is nearly that of a line connecting some of the best mining districts in Mexico, which are situated on or very near the summit of the mountains. These districts are the following, enumerating them in their geographical order from the south towards the north: In Durango, San Antonio de las Ventanas, Guarisamey, and San Dimas, remarkable for their auriferous silver ores, and sixty-two Mexican leagues northeast of Mazatlan; in Chihuahua, Guadalupe y Calvo, and San Pedro de Batopilas, yielding fine specimens of native silver; also, Jesus Maria, in the same State, and the Real del la Cieneguita, Sonora, with silver and gold mines.