THE PACIFIC. IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 349, 1 September 1849, Page 3

THE PACIFIC. IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION.

"Panama, January 19, 1849. 14 To William Nehon, Esq , U. S. Connul at Panama :—: — " Sir,— The lows of the United States inflict the penalty of fine and imprisonment on trespassers on te public lands. As nothing can be more unrea.-oi'iible or unjust than the conduct pursue J by peisons not citizens uf the United States, who arc flocking from all parti to search for and carry off gold from the lands belonging to the United Stat<"i in C'al fornia, Bnd as such conduct is in direct *i .Ltiiw of law, it wi'l become my duty, immediately on myanival there, to put theie laws in furce, and to prevent their infraction in future, by punishing, with tie penalti«s provided by aw, all those who effend. I *' A* these laws are probuhly not kno*vn to many who are about starting to California, it would be well fo make it publicly known that there are such laws in existence, and that they will be in future cnterml against 1 11 persons not citizens of the United States, who shall coin mil any tiespass on the lands of tho United HVes in California. " Your position as Consul hero, heing in communication with our consult on the coast ol South Amcricu, aflords you the opportum'y of making this known most generally, and I will be much obliged to you if. you will do it. " With sincere mpect your obedient servant, "PERSIFER F. SMITH, •« Brigadier Major-General, U.S.A., •• Commanding Pacific Division."

Valparaiso, January 3C The inactivity in trade not fed in my List letter has continued throughout the month just endtd. Little business has been done, owing to the scarcity of money on the o"e hand, and to the depresjoJ s ate of Chilian produce on the other. The price of copper ia unusually lovr at present, not fetching over 12 dollars 4 reali, instead of 15 dollars per quintal, the current price. The only activity lent to vbe market is by •peculators (or California, for which countiy fire vessels have left this port, all fully luden wi h goods and passrncers, during the present month. The only Uriiish men-of-war in Valparaiso bay at present are Her Majesty's stoatrcr Gordon, 4, Capt. Paynter ; and the Inconstant fngate, 3G guns, Capt. John Sheppaid, The Gorgon proc eda shortly to Panamt, wth p o visions for t l .e Pandor.i »nd Herald, surve>ing vessels, gone in eeaich of Sir John Franklin. The Inconstant arrived at Valparaiso, from the River Plate, on the I9ih instant. She nude the vo}ngefioin. Monte Video in 40 days, coming from the ITaJklind Ifclundj in 20 (lays of tint time. She procreds to this Society Islands in about a fortnight. The Asia, 84, flag of Renr-Admiral Phipps Hornby, left Valparaiso on the 8' li January, with the Admiral and his family on hoard for Coquinobo, whero khc now lies. She returns *o VdlpartisO iv a 'ew days.

The Ficnrh flag-Bliip Poursuivante, 50, Admiral Lpgourant de Tiomlin, ."Captain De Belle Croix; and the" Briliante, 20, Cuptam Dubnuzet, are in haibour. The Fiench schooner Sultana, 2 guns, sailed yeaterdaj for Callao and Tahiti. Bolivia continues in a state of anarchy. The President (Velazco) and several of his leuding partisans have fled to the Transandine Provinces. lielza, late Minister at War, is triumphant nt the head of the tioops for the present. No remittance has come forward fiom Bolivia by the last mail steamer, the disorganized state of the country rendering the transpjitof the precious metals from the interior to the const too hazardous to be attempted. All the accounts received at Chili from California since the date of my last letter confirm the accounts of the abundance of gold in that country. An American whaler came into the port of Talcahunno, on the bouth coast of Chili, on ihe 11th of this month, on her way to the United States, having on hoard upwards of 300,000 dollars in gold-dust, belonging to the ciew and to eight passengers, all bring the produce of their own labour in a months at the gold-diggings. One of the sailors in formed the English Vice-Consul at Talcuhuano that, in working for himself, lie in four days earned 500 dollars worth of gold. "In a few days," proceeds the V\ce Consul's report, " he got upwards of 1000 dollars worth, which he has now, and with which he reshipped in the same vessel fiom which he had a few months before deserted. No !c*s than ninety vessels w,ere in San Francisco without ciews;" and such was the difficulty experienced in getting sailors to man this whaler, that ihe enormous wages of 30 dollaia and 40 dollar* a month had to be paid to the sailors, and 60 dollars jer mont'j to the cook then on bourd of her. The desertion of sailois la a mot,t serious diuwback to the trade of the placp. The news from the gold region is more chef ring than ever, so far ai an abundance of gold is concerned. New discoveries are daily being made. At Sonoma, on the north tide of Iho bay, at Santa Rosa, and the neighbourhood of the Ciudad de les Angelos, gold has been found in as great abundance as on the American Fork. The amounts taken in a day are reported to be enormons. In what arc called " the dry diggings" enormous pieces of solid gold have been taken out of the rock. We will not pretend to state what size the largest piece found is said to be, but one piece which has bren brought to the islands weighs five ounces An enormous quantity of gold has been taken from the earth. About 100,000 dollars worth came in the Mary Frances. The abundance of gold, and the ease with which it is aiquirod, have not beeu at all exBggcratt'd in the accounts which have reached this place. On the other hand, much sickness prevails, on account of exposure and the nregular manner of living, which those engaged in digging are obliged to submit to. A gentleman from the miues informs us that nine-tenths of all who have gone up to the diggings have been taken sick, either on the ground, on their j ass* ge down, or after tbeir arrival at San Franciico. Doub'less much of the skknrss is owing to dissipation and consequent exposuie. The fe v er and ague season had passed, but the billious and intermittent levers still prevail to an alaiming extent. A gentleman Irom the coast infoims us that hundreds were lying uck at Sutler's Fort, unable to procure a passage to San Francisco, and suffering from want of attendance and the necessarits of life. Many deaths have occurred of which no notice is taken. The expense of living is h'gh. Board and lodging, three in a bed or on the floor, 20 dollars to 30 dollars per week at San Fiancisco. Pork 50 dollars per barrel at San Franctco, and 200 dollars at the mines. Provisions are not scarce, but exorbitantly high. Such an influx of p>pulation rcndeis it impossible to piocu c any accommodations. Ever] housr, shanty, and st ed is crowded, and still the won'ler is where all find places to sleep. We are told that 5 dollars per night hat been paid for lodging, and that on a nine-pin alley. As might be expected under such circumstances, there is much dissipation and gambling. A gentleman who formerly resided here writes, that he has seen more gambling there in one day than he ever sew in all his lite. In such a state of society it will not be stiange if quarrels aiise which result in bloodshed. At present the law is, in a measure, powerless; but we hope end tru^t that there will be found among those who congregate there a sufficient number of lovers of good order to pies rye quiet, and punish those who may be guilty of crime. San Francisco is increasing slowly, it being impossible to erect many buildings at the present high rate of wages. The Californian notices a new hotel and a new store in process ot erection. Mechanics and labourer cannot be procured at any ratp, all preferring to take the chances which digging presents to working for even 10 dollars r;er day and buardeJ. The whole fleet of vessel 1 ?, 75 in number, lying in port when the Mary Frances sailed, could not muster 50 men, all having deserted and gone to the mines.— Times.