Original Correspondence.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 283, 14 February 1849, Page 3

Original Correspondence.

To the Editor of ihe New Zcalander. Sir. — As e\er)body appear* t !>: poin^ \o Cal<fomia allow me lo .uklie^, u few wouls to mt n iii,t, emigrants, an.l to say ssomeihing about that pa.-t of the noilJ doia personal knowledge. ( alifo,nia ia divided into Upper and Lower the latter tiomthe entrance of the Gulpli to the head of it, as far as b f . Diego. This portion is generally a vary poor place. Upper or, ai it ii called, Alto California, is a far superior country extend!' q to La Bodega to t h<; njithwaid ot San Francsco— near the | ciMst it is well wooded, abounding in cattle and game ; us you pet inland it becomes sterile. The first European sit lers were (he Jc.-uits — who came fiom Mexico, about two centuries since, during tt>e time the old bpauinida vsere in the height of their glory, ix ending their dominion 8 . All this principal set lem nls such as St. Diego, S . Bi-bara, Monteriey, and ac. Francisco, are called Music ns. Tha priests me all powerful from tlu-ir hold over th^ indi,ins. Jam speaking of 1837 and 183 S. Any one set'linj? in the country had first to net their ('be priests) permission and to pay them fir thp land— as California at that time had declared its inde^ideaee oi Mexico, ihe few troops having ievo!ted in consequence of their not having been paid for more •.'-. un six ypara, and the Government wanting to corup >• mise that pay w.th paper rigaia. A hnotlit-d and iil y j or Europe >n and American settlers, representative, of almost e\ety nation of the earth, assisted in tlrLlevolt or rather bad it all their own wny, a? lh u y ha<! everything to gun and nothing to lo^e. With very few exceptions they were the lefuse of society. Those intending to emigrate to California will ha 1 „ to consider the people they will meet, consisting .1 Indians, who are very numerous, speaking about lir different dialects — Mexicans and other natives of South America, speaking Spanish — the lefuse of our Own penal settlements— and List, though not least, the worst of American*, people who know no law, who hare lived most of ih"ir lives amons the Indians, (rappers they are called, living by the skins of the animaU they catch, b'av rs, otters, &c. Let me not forget gentlemen from Kentucky and othsr Backwoodsmen, who, in all their native ruffi.nism, would think no mine of goug-ug your eyes out than taking a gin-sling or sherry cobler, and if you had any gold dust would calculate whether you sole it or not. f Let any res son who knows anything about the United States consider the present state of New Or'eans. Is it at all an uncommon th ng for a mun (o> be fhot down in the middle of the day ? Of what effic cy would the United States Government be 3,GuO miles off? They could not cany ont the law if they were to try, at least at present, California is too far fiom Wfcshiugton. In the wet sea on Tersiana, a very violent fever and ague, prevails, which renders the people generally sickly. In the bummer scarcity of water is generally complained of on the Table lands. -.The preat consideration for people intending to gotheie should be — if they get gold dust (by the bye r lake rate it is not brass), whe'her they can keep it. 11 they slave for a week on short al.'owanco of piovisions, and get, say ten or twelve ounces, what is to prevent some of the before-mentioned wo thies from saying " Down with your dust" on Saturiuy night, or giving- you an ounce cf pure lead for you- dioss ? There is no denying va-^t wealth has bern ob'ained in Spanish America. Many of our English schoolbojs, in reading of Drake and his pieces of e.ght, imagined the! lines of sandy beach were covered with ready coined dollars and doubloons. 'Ihe idea has made thousands of English sailors visitors of this El Dorado. Some few years- sinet 1 , imin nse profits were made in trading on ihe west coatt of Americi. All very good ; but when you have to pay G-ouuca doubloons for a new coat, about £22 ; £'6 10s. for a pair of boots, £7 for a hat, 16«. for a shiit, a. d nearly as much if you want it washed— such iteni3 mn awdy with any profits, however enormous they miy be. Young men certainly may try it in bodies, but they must follow Oliver Cromwell's advice, to trust in God, mvl keep their powder drj — lor, if they have goli', they will have to Ueep with both eyes optii instead of one. Recollect there is no b.Jin. hof t'>e Union Ban'lc theiertA pet. Ibe anxiety of watching day and night— the slightest noise in the da-k, is sumebody coining to steal your gold. At your meals give a waiyeyeto your neig bour. He want" you to drink in good fellowship. Not he — it is drugged. When you are asleep or stupid — where is your gold i You awake in the inurning ill — you want food or medians — for cash only. You are in a ready-money c untry— no credit because there is no law. You are starving — it takt»» time and labour before jou can grt q >ld, although jou do pick it up. You quarrel with a man who lias food — a riot ci sues — either he bhoots you, or you shoot him. A nice place, tiu y, to take a'wife and lamily to. I have written thise few lines with a sincere hops of warning some of my fellow colonists of the whsre tbey are goin^, where there i 3 no title to land excepfthat of miijht : — no security <>f ptopeity w.tlicut almost the necessity ot bheddin a ' blood to pioiect it ; your »word incessantly by your hide — ,our pis ol ut han-J you becuu.j stioilly unfit for lnuu.ni society, tie evil grows ou jou, ut last \ou become inure demon than man— and 1 then die, and have a widow and chiidien— ,vher< ? ■■■ia Culilcrnia ! '1 ake iiilvioe Pdkelns befoie i 1i 1 n too Ui*e. !?ia n the Hrituh Colonids are, ihey ai.- Jar fur Imitei thin evcy mini's land wheie no flag flic. Djn't try thej star spangled banner before its shipesaie poweii'ui enough to protect as well as to ptioub. From jour very sincere iii ml, b'UGUINS,