CALIFORNIA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 593, 9 April 1851, Page 3

CALIFORNIA.

Quartz Gold—There is little doubt of the accuracy of the supposition that the gold now found tn the richest mines in California, were once combined with quartz, or some other gold-bearing rock. We are informed by Mr. E. Budd, says the Transcript, that the strata of earth at Nevada, found after sinking shafts from twenty to one hundred feet in depth, is.composed almost entirely of pulverized quartz; and in many instances perfect chrystal formations can be found where the miners are washing. The two facts, that we find large amounts of the two materials—gold and quartz —now combined in the solid rock, and large quantities of like materials in the same strata of earth, in small particles, form strong evidence that tbe gold of California has, by an irruption, been taken from its primitive position.

Quartz Diggings at Tooles’.—A party who came down the day before yesterday, reports that the North Yuba Mining Company at this place, have struck a part of the vein which pays five dollars to the pound. Should the vein continue to be as rich, the company will soon realize a rapid fortune. -Late news rrom ixio oe Janeiro is to the effect that war between Brazil and Buenos Ayres is inevitable. The coffee crop of Brazil at the date of the intelligence, was said to be tbe largest yield ever produced in that country, but the average quality was of a somewhat inferior grade. The cholera, by accounts received by the Empire City, is making fearful ravages in Jamaica. No part of the Island appears to be free from its destructive ravages. The finest farms in this beautiful and productive Island are almost valueless, and rapidly falling into ruin.

Valparaiso.—By an arrival yesterday from Valparaiso, we learn that an extensive fire occurred there on the 15th December, destroying property to a large amount. Movements in Marysville.—Friends from above say that business is very brisk at the head of navigation. New discoveries at Downieville, Nevada, and high up in the mountains near the North Fork of Feather River, have given an impulse to trade, and very large trains are departing daily for those points, as also for Reddings, on the route to Scott’s and Salmon Rivers. We hear that one house sold and dispatched 4,0001015’. worth of goods on Saturday 1-st.

Competition.—The Sacramento river is becoming nearly as cheap a travelling ground as the Hudson in tbe summer time, when a passenger gets a trip to Albany, with supper and berth, for fifty cents. The fare to Sacramento and Stockton is now one dollar, and a person can certainly save money by taking a trip, as his passage and berth will not cost so much as a lodging at a respectable hotel in the city. How long this will last it is difficult to say, as it is positive that the proprietors of boats cannot support themselves Jong at these rates.

French Difficulties.—There was quite an excitement on the flaza yesterday, caused by a sort of informal indignation meeting, held by a party of Frenchmen, who arrived a few days since in the French ship Louis. Tbe burden of their complaint was, that whereas they had shipped in France as a mining company, and had armed and equipped themselves in military style, to protect themselves from. the encroachment of savages, they find, upon their arrival here, that they nave custom-house duties upon their guns, which were boxed up as merchandise. Not being well versed in the beautiful French language we could not gather the whole story, but the Frenchmen appeared to think that customhouse regulations were a grand bumbug.

A Lucky Haul.—On Friday week, twenty-two hundred dollars worth of gold was taken from a vein of quartz, a short distance from Rodger William’s Spring, in the vicinity of Nevada City.— These diggings have just been discovered, and are daily yielding the laborers a handsome reward. Steamboat Bar—Splendid Yield. — Mr. E. W. Tracy, says the Sacramento ■transcript, who has just come down from the up-river country, informs us of some rich picking along the Yuba. The Steamboat Bar Company, located on a bar at the Forks of the Yuba, half a mile below Downeyville, took out, on Tuesday last, 72 ounces of gold dust; on the next day, at noon, they only had two and a half ounces, but on that afternoon they took 120 ounces. This may be relied on as strictly correct. There are twelve shares in the company, and two months ago a share might have been purchased for *OO. Now, 5,000d015. would not be taken for a single share. The Post Office.—The Post Office wai yesterday the scene of much excitement. Numoers collected around the delivery windows by seven o’clock in the morning, and every moment the crowd swelled. The line at some of the windows even of the box delivery was thirty or forty yards long. What a blessing is this power of communication, by which friends far away may hold converse with each other. No people on earth send and receive more letters in proportion to the population than the inhabitants of California. Steamer-day, as the time of the departure of the mail is called, is always a busy one with everybody high and low—rich and poor — ad write to the friends they have left behind. When the post routes are opened throughout the interior of the State, this huge mass of correspondence will be largely increased, and the miners will gladly avail themselves of the facilities of the mails. Should Congress reduce the exorbitant rates of postage to the Atlantic States, our mails will be increased still more. From present indications it is likely they will make a material reduction.