CALIFORNIA. (From the Polynesian,July 15 )

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 262, 2 December 1848, Page 3

CALIFORNIA. (From the Polynesian, July 15 )

We have received per ' Euphemia' dates from California to the 20th of June. Our fil..s of California papers up to the date of their de^th, have come to hand. The yellow fever has taken hoM of all the memberi of llieo aft there, from the editois to the tmps, and carried them otf— to the gold mines. The only item of into test is the news from the gold diggers — other rcatteis receive uo attention. The whole country is in a state of turmoil and everybody isilyin? to the gold region to reap a fortune. Ail the seaport towns are deserted. Out of a population of nearly KIOU, Sen Francisco only contains about 00 or 60 B<<uls and these would leave were it possible. Ihe ncwa of the gold discovoru'B has apt end wilh lightning speed, and the minister, merchant, arlizan, mechanic, farmer, labourer and loafer have all gone to seek their fortune. — Farms and crops are deserted, and all brunches of business is at t sland. Up to the latent dates there WUS some 2000 tnen, women and children on the ground di<™msj, and the roads wero thronged with multitudes more pn-sMngforewaid to obtain a portion of the glit« tering treasure. — Tue Mormons have laid claim to a large portion of the territory and demand a per «entane of the ore taken therefrom. An express has been sent to the Salt Lake settlement where about 10,000 Mormons are located. There is a rumour ilut equally rich mines have been discovered in that region, and :jhat the Mormons encamped there are eng iged in mining operations. If this be not true tho whole Mormon force will probably muster and come to the I Sacramento for the purpoic of digging gold. It is idle to indulge in (peculations as to the fiual result of all this.— That there will be a scarcity of provision! must | be apparent to every one; and that there is danger of serious collisions is also apparent. It needs no pro* phetic eye to see that the effect will be anything but favourable to the morals of the people or the perma~ vent prosperity of the country. In ihe eager strife for vvoildly gain, personal righu and perhaps his will be disregarded From all the information which we can gather wo are of opinion that the rumours afloat here artj somewhat exaggerated ; but that there has been un immense mine of gold di covered there is no question. "We have received let lei s from individuals in whom we have the utmost confidence, and those statements cau be relied upon ns true. We extract the following from a letter dutid May 29. ht * A strange revolution is at preient talcing place in California, a gold region has been discovered on the American fork of the Sacramento and all California is rushing thither to dig. Half the population of Sun Francisco hat already gone. I have conversed with several intelligent and trustworthy gentlemen who have just been on a viiit thither to satisfy themselves of the truth of the reports. The gold occurs in an alluvium and is disseminated over a region of 50 or more miles in length. The people who are there digging obtain on an average from 10 to 50 dol'ais per day washing by hand — some obtain 100 dollaif per day, but not continually. It is on wild land and of course every body goes and digs that pleanes. All who have been to examine either remain to dig or have returned with their families to make I preparations. As a consequence all branches of husinetb except gold digging are at a dead stand. W. rk- j men of all sorts are off at ouce— gardens, crops, milli, j and erery thing elie are left to take care of themselves. Even Forbes great quicksilver mine will have to stop operations from the desertion of the hands. Laborers could be hired in abundance a month ago for 25 dollars per month. Now they are not to be had for 18 dollars per day — in fact, not nt all. The crops will in all probability be extensively neglected and food will doubtleii tare to be imported to ufCfent scarcity.

The gold occurs in small flat graini averaging about the size of flax seeds— ihe largest piecei yet found ii 10 dollars worth. What the result of all will be no one can tell. That it will prove disastrous to the permanent welfare of the country I have no doubt» It certainly will not promote industry, «obr ely or good tnoralS. The following is from a letter dated June sth : " The yellow fever increases here daily. People fire quitting the towns by hundreds. Tbe principal places are depopulated ; nine family waggons with all appurtenance* have jmt passed on thenoute for the Sacramento. More people, it is said, are waiting at the straits above than can be ferried over in three weeks. — From 1000 to 2001) arc now on the ground digging.— Whut a spectacle 1 almost all California to a manmen, women and childrtn, editori, merchants, lawyers, farmer*, umiths, schoolmasters, alcaldes, shoemakers, speculators, millers, ministers, volunteers loafers, blacklegs, &c , all with ptok, shovel and bowl, digging and washing the earth ; as busy as Bunyan's man with the muck rake ecrnping together tlie sticks and straws ! Woe to the morals of the country, nnd woe to the mouths that some months henre will want food. If the gold depOßite hold out it will be a goad thing for the businesi of the islands." The following account of a trip to the n ines and information respecting tlie quantities of gold taken we copy from a letter dated ou the ground of operations Jnn'e 13th : " From San Francisco, our road lay through the valley of the Pueblo to San Jose, a distance of about 60 miles. A lovelier country eye ot mine never gazed ou — fb e kvel prairies completely matted with flowers of every hi»p, traversed here and there with streams, together with the " cuttle on the thousand hills," prelented a beautiful picture. All that wai wanting in my mind to heighten the effect, and indeed without which 1 thought it incomplete was a number of snug New EngUnd farm houses scattered along the valley, and embosomed in the trees near the road ; the " village j church" should pieice the clouds with its glistening spire ; instead of which a short time in the road brought us in light of tbe dingy tile covered mission of St. Clara ! — The road leads from this to the Sao. Joaquin, which we forded and travelled on to Sutler's Fort, through a countiy of gieat richness and apparenily capable of supporting an immense population, i Bui not a human being was now to be seen ; rauchetias aud all had been deserted, and Americans, Califoriuans and Indians, bad all gone to the " gold digging's.' On arriving at Sutter's however we found at the Fort a young Manchester. The blacksmith, the turner, tlie carpenter, and indeed mechanics of every trade actively engaged in their various callings, and all aimiug ar one grand object, viz the meani of washing Hie gold at the mines, which are some 40 milej. above the Fort. After leaving the Fort, we passed along the banks of the "American Foik," as this branch of the Sacramento is called, and loon commenced ascending the hills which stretch out from the base of the great Sierra Nevada. About noon we stopped to prepare a cup of coffee, and partake of a lunch, and while the fire was bi'ing kindled, one of our party dipped a tin enp full of the sand from the bed of the little brook which inn gurgling down, washed it, and at the bottom found some four or five pieces of gold. This was our first attempt at g<dd digging. About sunset we arrived at the saw mills of ( aptain Sutter, where the gold was first discovered while digi^inij the mill-rac» We bad ridden ovi>r gold, silver, platina, and iron mines, some '25 or 30 miles, and over a road toe, where a city cab could travel with ease and perfect safety, and throu.'h a country bloomiug with flowers, and sparkling with spiings. Should 111 1 elate to you all that I have beea told in regird to tbe mines, since I arrived, (but a lew hours), lam fearful you would think the savor fiihy. As near as I can ahcertain there are about one tbousnnd white men engaged in gold digging thus far. The term " white men" is UK<d in contradistinction to •• Mormon." These last named fanatics, with Ihe sly Brannan at their head, are quite numerous, having laid claim to a large propoiton of the gold regiou, demanding 30 per cent of the ore from all persons digging thereon. This fuot will undoubtedly lead to trouble and perhaps bloodshed. Those of the " white men " who have last arrived from the sea coast, have stated their determination not to p»y any percentage, and swear that whatever has already been paid, shall be " choked out '' of Brannau. This disinterested man, when last at San Francisco, arranged all hit affairs, and passed receipts with every one with whom he had business, stating with a very lengthened phiz, that perhaps he should not survive to return, as the miuera hid threatened to shoot him, but t.iat duty urged him onward. Thus far the gold has been obtained in the most primitive manner by washing the earth in tin pans, wooden bowls, Indian baskets, 6cc. The average I am told has been 16 dol. per day for each man engaged, and the deeper the soil is dug the richer it becomes. One man obtained ove* 30 dol. in one washing— my 13 minutes. I was told by an old miner that not more than one half of the gold is secured iti the present rude careless way of wot king With a proper machine, and the uso of quicksilver, double" tho amount could be taken from the Bame soil. The largest amount taken by one person in one day was 200 dol. The pieces are of an extraordinary size, the largest weighing half an ounce. The mountains have been explored on every hide, and gold found on every creek. It in the opinion of all, that 30 or 40,060 persons could be profitably employed on the ground now explored. Nor is gold the only mineral discovered here. Platiua has been found in one place in some considerable quantity, and very extensive mines of silver ore have been discovered within five miles of the saw mill, and are said to be very rich. Iron ii also abundant, and will pay about 85 per cent. Ihe richness of the soil in the immediute neighbourhood of the miues is most aitonishing. Farms can be made in every direction that will feed all the miners that can be employed. The climate is found to be very healthy, end free from the chilly winds that ho»vl around the sea coast. The granite of the mountains is said to be equal to the celebrated Quincy, and a beautiful quarry of motble has been discovered on the Cosuinmy river, specimens of which will before many yeais adorn the iiouts of public buildings in your flourishing city. 11 The cry ig still they come." While writing this, two men have just arrived from a valley some five or six miles distant, bringing with them 250 dollars worth Ot gold obtained in five days. These men have come in for provisions, which by the way are very i dear here. 'ihe Star of June 3rd. alluding to the prevalence of the gold fever, aud its effects and results, says ;— " For the next nine mouths, or until let illative action in the seat of government, or what it more probable, the enactment and enforcement of law in this country — the gold mines in the north will gather together as wild ft class of unchristiauiaed fellows as ever escaped the thraldom of honest law, and broke loose upon barbarism. Until restricted by menares for the presentation of order, the security of person, and property protected, we may hear of continual mil*

chief among the miners in its fearful excess, and rows and robberies without intermission. It is an excitim? work— that of gold {gathering— and it will be morally imposiible for to large a body, composed of such, opposite natures, to avoid collision and tumult. Reports) reach v* by every arrival from the section of country to which all eyes are turned, of every day's inc-eased addition to the number already uctivcly employed. "If any of our reader* suspect our views high coloured, and our opinion in this matter ponderoui and exaggerated, we cannot but believe another montli will a'ii ply satisfy such that we have not presented an overdrawn picture. lbe fact is, such a dangeiom class as thai referred to, are now forming It is well known that th« country has been harrassed by organised and practised horse thieving marauders—that deserter* from nrmy and navy have contributed to swell the list of outlawed desperadoes, and it i* pretty ceitain tbaC most of these bad characters are moving northward, where their presence will be speedily and severely felt. " Drsertions from the parrisons of the country arc every day taking place. Liquor — a vile, maddening mixture— haa been introduced in large quantities among the labonie-rs, to breed brawl and contention, and, tha word of sages is, it will soon tell its tale 1 " We cannot too earnestly, therefore, enjoin upon our countrymen engaged in tho business of mining, the imperative necessity there exists for the adoption of unifoim self-covernment in their mutual intercourse, and moderation influencing their dealings with one another. Not only for ths quiet pursuit of their labours uninterrupted by the promulgation of reverie laws, but that life itself is the forfeit. We do not know that an interference of the government may be apprehended, but if riot rules, and outrage carries the day, we will very foon see digging " tabooed/ r s they say in Kanaka land. So our ndvice w, keep cool.'' The last reorular issue of the Star, alluding to the excitement and enthusiasm for gold, says :— " Every seaport as far south as San Diego, and every interior town, and nearly every rancho from the base o€ the mountains in which the gold has been found, t» the Mission of San Luis, south, has become suddeuly drained of human beingi. Americans, Californians, Indians, and Sandwich Islanders ; men, women, aud I children indiscriminately. Should thne be that success which has repaid the efforts of those employed for the last month, during the present aud next, at many ar« sanguine in their expectations, and we confess to unhesitatingly believe probable, not only will it witnest the depopulation of every town, the desertion of every ; r.incho, and the desolation of the once promising crops ot the country, but it will alio draw largely upon adjacent teiritories— awake Sonora, and call down upon us, despite her Indian battles, a great many of tho good people of Oregon. There are at this time over one thousand souls busy in washing gold, and the yield per diem may be safely estimated at from fi teen to twenty dollars each individual. We have by every launch from the embarcadero of New Helvetia, return* of enthusiastic gold seekers — heads of families, to effect the transportation of their household! to the scene of their successful labors, or others, merely returned to more fully equip themselves fora protracted, or perhaps permanent star« Spades, shovels, pick*, wooden bowls. Indian baskets, for washing, &c., find ready purchasers, and are very frequently disposed of at extortionate prices. "The gold region, so culled, thus far explored, ig about one hundred miles in length and twenty in width. These imperfect explorations contribute to establish the certainty of the placers extending much further south, probably three or four hundred miles, ai we have before stated, wivile it is believed to terminate about a league north of the point at which first discovered. The probable amount taken from these mountains since the first of May last, we are informed is 100 OUO dollars, and which is at this time principally in tin hands of the mechanical, agricultural, and labouiing classes. " There it an area explored within which a body of 50,000 men can advantageously labor without maliciously interfering with each other." On the 14th of June the Star ceased to twinkle, andjthe. editor sloped for the gold region after announcing his suspension in the form of a slip.

The British True Blubl— The Firebrand, steam frigate, Captftin J. Hope, C 13. ; on her homeward passage from Monte Video, called at Bahai, on the 2nd May, where intelligence was received of the capture, by the Grecian, of thu Bella Maqualino, with 517 slaves on board; that Commander Tindal had placed her car^o in charge of Lieut. D f Augilar as prize master, with Mr. Y. Page', Midhhipnian,and nine men, who had ordered him to proceed to Bahia, the sloop following him thither. The prize duly arrived aud anchored at Bahia before the Greecian, and not the slightest simpicion was entertained but that she was safe. In the course of the <Uy however, Lieutenant D'Agiular hating received some hints to the effrct that a combination was forming on shore by the owner* of the slaver, to attempt to retake the priz^i took due jnecautions, by which no doubt he, a* well as his men. were saved from being massacred. It appears that the evening pasted off without any disturbance; but about ten o'clock at night several boats from the shoie were seen pulling for the brig, containing it is estimated about 150 Brazilians, hired by tbe owners of the «)aver to effect the purpose above stated. As they neared the prize they were hailed and ordered to keep off, but continued to advau.ee, Liout. D'Aguilar endeavoured to check them by a discharge of musketry 5 a most severe conflict, however, emued, tha lire being returned by the pirates as they dashed alongside and attempted to board. After great firauteßß and bravery on the part of Lieut. D'Aguilur and his htflo band, tbo pintles, overpowering as was their uumberi, were completely beaten off, with a loss of 18 men killed and 29 wounded ; Lieut. D'A«uilar, who was armed witli a brace of double barrelled pistols, having himself ihot four. As may naturally be supposed where the contest was one uf close quarters, and where there Wat so many assailants to repel, the defenders did not come out of the conflict unscathed ; every one of them wag more or lets hurt, two wer* severely wounded, and Lieut. D'Aguilar received many hurts about the head ; immediately on the retreat of Ihe assailants, our people slipped the cable and ran out to ica to prevent a repetition of the attack. It should bo noticed tbat tome of the most intelligent part of the slaves rendered Mr. D'Aguilar very effective service armed with billets of wood. It afterwards transpired that it was tbe intention of the pirates to luve silently gone alongside the vessel and to have lecured the prize crew, then ti> have cut the cables,' "and made sail to land the cargo of slaves at another part of the coaot. The Grecian left Bahia on the 3rd of May, on a cruize, and the slaver prize the same day for St. Helena. We are authoriied in. announcing that Lieutenant Francis D'Aguilar, who made such a gallant and ■ucseisful de« fence against the Brazilian slavers' attack at Bahia, will be promoted to the rank cf Commander, at 100 a as he hat served hw two years* probation. Hi* senU crity is Aujmt, ISiJ.^Hampshue Telegraph, Jms 10, 1818,