CALIFORNIA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume v, Issue 417, 1 August 1849, Page 3

CALIFORNIA.

The following extracts contain the only features of note whatever in the gold accounts : The California was to have left Panama about the Ist March for St. Francisco, with 350 passengers on board. It is stated that she will realize 60,000 dollars for the passage and freight charges. The American ship Philadelphia, a British barque, and a small schoonei, had been taken up at Panama, by passengers at that place, to proceed to California, all which would go full. It was believed that the steamer and the vessels above enumerated would not leave more than 200 at Panama, including those on their wav from Cbasres. but there was no vessel at

the former to take them when Captain Phelps left. The accounts received from the gold region in California are not so flattering. The colil weather had driven in the diggers, and in consequence gold had become scarce, and the price risen to sixteen dollars. Several large cargoes of provisions had arrived from Peru, Chili, and China, and from this coast more than twenty vessels had left during the last month for San Francisco. Every article in the shape of provisions will be supplied at a much cheaper rate than they can be sent from the United States. Severe losses must be sustained by many who have ventured largely, expecting to reap immense profits. Prom California, however, no later advices bad been received ; and the contents of the journals touching the auriferous districts are merely repetitions of old statements. From Chagres, dates the 17th ultimo, had been received by the steam-ship Crescent City, via Havannah ; but, alti ough little gold was received by the ship, accounts of large sums being on the way are announced. Among the passengers by this was a Mr. Gilman, direct from San Fiancisco, via the Isthmus, with £1500 worth of gold, specimens from the wet and dry " diggings." He left San Francisco on the 10th December. Ourprevious accounts from that place are to the 25th of December. The steam-ship California, sailed from ¥ anama on the 2nd ultimo. She carried nearly £1,000,000 in specie. In relation to news from California or the Isthmus, brought by the Europa, the only point of importance is the circumstance of a note having been addressed on the 18th of January, by General Smith, to the United States Consul at Panama, saying, that the laws of the United States forbade the intrusion of foreigners upon the public lands, and that, accordingly if such persons should be found working in the mines of California they would be punished as trespassers. This is supposed to be levelled chiefly at the hordes of desperadoes, who are flocking to San Francisco from the ports of South America, and will perhaps be subjected to a kind of Lynch law, whenever their presence may prove disagreeable.