FROM THE MINES. (Correspondence of the Alta California.)

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 363, 6 October 1849, Page 3

FROM THE MINES. (Correspondence of the Alta California.)

Jamestown, May 13th, 1849. " Stanulius Digging!," five miles from the Riter. Gentlemen,— ThinkDi fißt yourselves and your

numerous readers will be gratified by any news of this remarkable and rich region, I devote a little leisure to give you the benefit of ray mining knowledge and observation, and will do so from my daily " log," I arrived at this place on the 7th April. It is named in honour of Mr. James, who is an Alcalde, and who dispense! food and justice to the satisfaction of all. Hundreds were busy in the ravinei washing out the treasures of the -laden streams with various success. Sunday Bth. The day ii delightful, and the scene in this valley is worthy of a painter's skill, or the pen of an enthusiast. The morning is devoted (if devotion can exiit in such a state of society ) to the trial of a robber named Corrigan, who had stolen ten thousand dollars worth of gold from Den and Dent. He was convicted by a jury of twelve, ordered to be stripped, receive one hundred lashes, and be banished from the minei, I should fail in any attempt to give a description of the trial. It took place in a large tent, kept as a store ami hotel by James and Co , and a more motley audience could not be collected— ragged clothes covering lots of gold, and long hair and whiskers springing from piles of dirt in facets that perhaps lately adorned the walks of civilised life. The greatest order was ©bierved throughout. I strolled over the hills in the afternoon prospecting, found small particles of gold in every spot I explored, but nothing of great amount. The miners are remarkably quiet, and each one seems bent on the one grand object. Sunday, April 15th, I have been hard at work the past week, but met with only tolerable success, one to two ouncei per diem, though some have digged from three to four ounces. However, they are in the minority, the greater number finding the high stage of watei baffles all their toil and skill. Large stories are told of the Mormon and Sulliran's diggings above, but on investigation I find, although some have got out a pound and more, that the proportion of the fortunes is about the same throughout the mines. Friday, 27th April. News reached hem last night of the murder of young Morrison, of New York, son of the lawyer of that name. It occurred at Carion's Creek, ten miles from here, where he had an altercation with a German ( Dr. Freund ), who shot him in the groin, severing the femoral artery and causing death in two houn. Poor Morrison ! I saw him on Monday in perfect health ; two little days afterwards, and '■ he slept the ileep lhat knows no waking." Far from his boyhoed'i home, and its blest associations, the fatal bullet summoned him away, and the cold eyes of strangers watched his ebbing breath. By stranger hands his lowly bed was made, and borne by them to his last resting-place he lies entombed, afar from kindred and from friends. I have been unusually successful to day. In a deep shaft which I sunk on high ground I found an ounce of beautiful and heavy gold, and am now in tent to avoid the mid-day gnn, which in the mines is awful. The Arroyo is crowded, and unusual success seems to (mile upon all, though they complain of hi#h water. The scene at this point exceeds in life and bustl-s anything you wauld conceive. From sunrise to its setting a continutl tide of new comers pour along the road — horse after horse, mule after mule, pack after pack, bestraddied by men and women of every nation in this quarter of the globe ; though the majority are Lower Californiani and Sonorians. It seems as if the whole world had mounted and was passing in review before me. Thousands continue further towards the mountains, though many pitch their tents hereabouts ; off saddle, seize the shovel and the pan, and dive into mother earth as though she was a common foe. May 10th. The gold ii getting scarce at any geNatable depth, though pumps have been in requisition and in operation. Two-thirds of the miners to-day are scarce paying expenses. 1 have been prospecting with a man from Monterey, who was here last fall, and digged more gold than any one in tbis vicinity. He told me that he had got out seven pounds before breakfast ! and oftener counted his day's work by pounds than ounces. He has long lived in the lower country, where he has a family and snug rancho. He has spent his money as rnpidly as he earned it, and is now here toiling for his fortune, impoverished by his liberality, (for he is liberal,) and his total disregard lof money. He is well known as Tom Blanco, and highly esteemed by all who know him. He lists no better success than the unsuccessful majority at present, but he say the dry seasons will mike ample amends for the scarcity of gold. The mountain atmosphere at morn and ere is cle,ir and bracing, and good health is, so far as I hear, universal. Thorp is a continual round of excitement here, arrivals and departures. Sanguine adventures by hundreds are da.ly flocking to tha El Dorado and tome of the disappointed turning their backs on scenes which a few weeks ago seemed to (heir eager fancies the consummation of all their worldly hopes. Wben I first arrived here, some five weeks since, there were but iw> machines within two miles ; at the present, rocking " cradles" are as plentiful as they ought to be in any healthy district of a well coupled community. " Rock the cradle Lu^y," appears to be all the go, and many a one is serving an apprenticeship that may stand him in hand hereafter, when seated by 1m fireside, the reminiscences how once in California's golden streams he rockeJ the cradle to the tune of cunkhs of gold, instead of chunky babies. S. W.

The war upon the Indians seems to hare asiumed an implacable character, th«t threatens much mischief, and will doubtless result in the lois of many lives. Gold-digging was irarcely paying expenses, aud, for the time, at least, justified the aisertion of Major W. T. Poussirii French Envoy, at Washington, who has written to his Government, that " there ii wittiout doubt some gold on the ihores of the Sacramento, but it requires a good deal of silver to come at it." — Polynesian, June 23.