The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-10 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY EVENING, JAN EJARY 10, 1849.

" The wealthy fool with gold in store;"
for what fools will they appear who have gold in store
when it comes down to a few pence the pound, and
when bullion is discharged by gold. whippers from
the holds of ships as coals are now.
Alas ! what a change of fortune for the golden
calf; a proper calf indeed it will look when not worth
its weight in veal
It is clear that the divinity of gold, like that of the
lama, depends altogether upon his shrouding himself.
The moment he is found out, the sources of his being
discovered, and full measure of his abundance taken,
there is an end of his worship. In this, as in other
instances, familiarity breeds contempt. The more
that is had of him the less is made of him ; and the
moment is measure is taken, not in ingots but in
degrees of latitude and longitude, his decline and fall
are fixed. California, as the French phrase it, is
coming to market in block; men are putting the
valley of the Sacramento in their pockets ; one vaga-
bond picks up a plum before breakfast, another fills a
worsted stocking with gold dust, realising the story
of the golden leg. But these Dead Sea fruits have
not the faculty of keeping, and as they pour into the
market they must turn to ashes by process of depre-
ciation.

It is curious enough, now that every foot of land in
the neighbourhood of San Francisco has its enormous
temporary value, to turn to Commodore Wilkes's
account of the country before its cession.

Commodore Wilkes had the command of an ex-
ploring expedition of the United States in 38-42, a
duty which he performed with admirable ability, being
a man of very superior qualifications. He described
Francisco as the most spacious and best harbour in
the world; but all the rest was poverty and barren-
ness. The town Yerba Baena consisted of a frame
building belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, a
store kept by an American, a billiard table, the poop
of a ship occupied as a dwelling-house, a blacksmith's
shop, and some outbuildings. This fine town is sur-
rounded by a sterile soil and bare rocks. Such is
one of the principal stations of the El Dorado. The
blacksmith's shop must by this time be changed into
a Storr and Mortimer's.

There is every diversity, it seems, of soil and cli-
mate in California, and the valleys of the Sacramento,
the scene of the gold-finding, and the San Juan, are
mentioned as the richest in fertility by Commodore
Wilkes, who little dreamt at the time that their clods
were gold. _ _ _

The— climate has this peculiarity, that the summer
is colder than the winter.

Even before the discovery of the gold every neces-
sary of life was enormously dear in the country,
trade conducted chiefly by barter, and civilization in
a low state, the upper classes idle and dissipated, the
Indians inordinately addicted to gambling, which
they may now indulge in for stakes of golden pools
instead of bits of rubbish.—Examiner.

MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS.
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED IN
THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JAN. 6, 1848.
Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseases' —.4'359
Diseases of Uncertain Seat ... 42
Turbercular Diseases... ... 165
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses... ... 109
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels ... 39
Diseases of the Lungs, and other Organs of
Respiration ... 203
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of Digestion... 60
Diseases of the Kidney a, Ex.
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c. ... 7
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles ... 13
Diseases of the Skin, &c. 2
Malformations... ... ... 4
Premature Birth ...
Atrophy
Old Age
Violence, Privation, Cold, or Intemperance ... 19
Causes not specified ... 2

DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES

... 1,13]

Population Average weekly Deaths
Enumerated, Deaths, 1843-7. in the

1841- Five Summers. Week.
West Districts... 300,711 . . 142 ... 157
North DiAricts.. 375,971 .. 182 ... 210
Central Distrzts 373,653 ... 178 ... 203
East Districts ... 392,444 ... 219 ... 311
South Districts.. 501,190 ... 251 ... 413

Totals••• ..... 1,948,369 ... 972 1,4C3
Males ... ... ... ... 565
Females ... ... 566