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Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 2, Issue 28, 17 January 1850, Page 1

Ere we proceed to transcribe the second letter of "Panorama," we may as well acquaint you of the return of one or two New Zealand colonists, who left Auckland for California about nine or ten months since. These persons describe, in glowing language, the immense golden wealth of California; but, after the most searching investigation, wc are left in great difficulty as to the practical means of acquiring it, as well as of the amount likely to reward the toils of the industrious digger. One thing seems clear, that all are not successful in their search, and

those who ave undergo an extraordinary amount of pain and privation, and run grievous' risks of the sacrifice of health. We have heard but sorry accounts of some who recently left New Zealand halo and liearty, but who are nbout to return to it weak and worn out. However, the

affairs of California ore still so imperfectly understood—so much of prejudice exists for and against adventuring tliitlier, that the prospects which await the emigrant may be considered as great a mystery as ever. We, therefore, return to the expositions of Panorama. Straws prom tub Go:d Coast. From the Polynesian, •Inly 21. San Francisco, June 27, 18-19. Dear Poi,.—About the gold—l promised to speak of that—tin: mainspring —the grand attraction—the inducement to all enterprise —the life, and glory, and curse of California. How tn.licit do they get P Wll3', the mountain streams are now up, and have put a damper on the miners. The sleekhaired, soft-skinned, line gentlemen are hut poor water dogs, and are sadly tantalized to know that the lucre tliey covet sind which thpy have travelled so far to win, lies n fathom or two deep, beneath the cold, eddying torrent that rolls down from the melting snows. Many people are bitterly disappointed. Instead of floating into the gold region without effort, and filling a sack before breakfast ■with clean, brilliant, metal, their blistered hands, bruised limbs, and aching backs, their lost horses, hard beds, ani coarse fare, convince tliein that something more is to be done to get gold, than merely to go and scratch the eavtli for its possession. Oue gentleman—a strong and muscular one, too—camo down the other day, with his face turned homewards. To fry his own salt pork, sleep on a cold rock in the dreary mountains, and dream of his sweet wife and smiling children, in the land of comfort and of plenty was much too overwhelming, All the gold in the Sierra would not tempt him to stay. Starvation on a potato at home were preferable to the most prosperous gold digging. Poor fellow ; the illusion was over-—lie had detected its hollowness, and was home-sick! and thousands of adventurers before the summer is over, will heartily sympathise with him. Many who lmve been at the mines within the lust two mouths have hardly paid expenses ; seme have returned poorer than they went. Every vessel henceforth will depatt with some of these repentant •wanderers. But, some are more successful, and pound lumps, and larger, are occasionally turned up. One man, this summer bought a hole that another hiul dug, and dugout as he supposed, and after baling out the water, extracted thirteen pounds in the first twenty-four hours. This fact, which is a well attested one, is enough to keep the fever racing in the face of all obstacles. A gentleman from the inlands brought down lately <1 beautiful specimen of pure gold weighing upwards of a pound. The largest piece I have seen was one which weighed five pounds, and was sold for UOOO dollars It was sent to the United States two months since. The extent of the explorations has not been very materially enlarged the present season. Pnrlics luive been working oil different tributaries of the river S.'in'joaquin, but so far as I can Icani, hitherto with indifferent success, owing to the height of ilie streams.

.The Indians have proved (roublesoine in that vicinity, and it is reported that iiiuiiy foreigners have Iven killed. The Indian troubles at the North, nciir the American Fork, yon ore already aware of. Some fiery spiriis from Oregon, fresh from their Indian war of last year, firmly btlieve that an Indian is an Indian all the world over, and that they are fairly and fully authorised to exterminate every red skin their rifie-baHs can reach. To this iudi.scriininating haired must be attributed, in tlie main, the hostile attitude of the aborigines. Last season the Indians were inotlensivc—even friendly. Men passed with impunity, almost or entirely unarmed, through the wildest mountain fastnesses, f myself have passed days among them, wholly in their power, without the slightest apprehension of danger. Tiiey were, last year, the best

customers) in the mountains. Fond of display, tliey eagerly exchanged llieir native raiment, which consisted of stark nothing for tlio gewgaws, trappings, ami habiliments of civilized men and women ; and this exchange they paid most roundly for in the yellow metal they had picked with sticks from the crevices of the rocky ravines. It was an amusing sight to see in ruflled shirt, silk vest and cravat, tight coat, trousers and boots, and under a broad brimmed fur hat, a stilF, tawney fellow, strutting like a turkey-cock, whom yesterday you had seen in the easy undress of Father Adam.

The simple creatures were ignorant of the relative value ot things. Glass beads they paid fjr with their weight in gold. For blankets they gave one or two hundred dollars. Hum and similar things at least a'l they were worth. They were unable to detect the tricks of the traders. When the seller, in weighing their gold, pinched the tongue of the balance (irmly between bis lingers, or let the opposito end of the beam rest against his coat sleeve, or put in a two ounce weight, or even a ten ounce weight, as was sometimes done, instead of an ounce, they did not always comprehend why it look so much to satisfy their creditor. But, if you add to these hints, some of the customary modes of transacting Indian business you will understand how men could at once make their tens or scores of thousands and unmake their health, gaio gold and disgrace at the operation. It is well that such chances of slotting rich are this season few. Hut the Indian trafiio is perhaps in a measure replaced by the Hum traffic. It is understood that the luckiest miners are those that undermine at once the reason andl the purse of their customers. A padre sold bad brandy last autumn, at the Stanislaus, for sixteen dollars a bottle. Many weak men have been swept by temptation into the gulf of ruin and'death. 1 know of hall-ii dozen who wcr.t into the mines and dug, and bought, and drank, till they dug their own graves, and bought their own death warrant, and drank their death petion 011 the enchanted ground tlicy wore never to leave. Oh ! the curse of rum—the withering breatli of intemperance in the territory I A scorching /lame—poisonous, sulphurous, suffocating licking over the face of society would be less horrid I It is a matter of joy that thousands of newcomers of a better class arc arriving —of hard listed, dear headed, largo hearted yeomen —men, who bold mdii<strv to be a cardinal virtue—order, heaven 1 * first law—education the mainspring of all good—and who, in the thirst of gold, do not forget the School or the Church. Conic over, my dear Pol; you will shake hands with half the friends yju ever knew. Every other ship will bring you a townsfellow or playmate—so that yon will be apt to imagine yourself at home. Adieu, my good fellow, for a week. Vanoiuma.