The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-04 00:00:00

route, that inasmuch as New Orleans may be reached
from California in so short a time, intelligence may
be sent to the whole country by telegraph in
advance of the arrival of passengers, an advan-
tage possed by no other route. When the
Tehuantepec works are as far advanced as the
works at Panama now are, that is, when the rail-
road is complete and steamers run in connection
with it at either end capable of making 300 miles
a day (and steamers often make more than this),
we may expect to travel from New York to San
Francis in 15 days, or from New Orleans to San
Francisco in 11 days. This can be shown thus,
beginning at San Francisco :
From San Francisco to Ventosa, 2,115 miles 7 days.
Across Isthmus to Manatitlan, 166 miles a day.
Manatitlan to New Orleans, 810 miles
Time lost at both ends of the Isthmus 1 day.

Total from San Francisco to New Orleans.. 11 days.
Time in New Orleans, say day.
New Orleans to New York ..

Total from San Franciso to New York 15 days.

"Without doubt there will be special occasions
when all things work favourably together that a
day may be saved from even this short time, and
this whole result is of inestimable importance.
" In the Pacific we observe further that in start-
ing from Panama for San Francisco, or for the
Sandwich Islands, or for Hong• Kong or Shanghae,
the direct route passes so close to Tehuantepec
that, by starting from the latter place, the
whole distance between Panama and Tehuante-
pec, over 1,100 miles, is saved in the voyage. We
see also, in regard to the position of San Fran-
cisco, that whether we start for any of the places
named above, from either Panama or Tehuantepec,
we may touch at San Francisco, and still lose but a
few miles from our direct course, and that in sailing
from San Francisco for Sydney the Sandwich
Islands lie nearly in the direct course. This shows
very favourably for San Francisco in regard to her
prospects as the great commercial city of the
Pacific, and, at the same time, gives additional im-
portance both for her and for the Atlantic commer-
cial States, that all means and the best means
should be taken to establish close connexion."

I found this city wonderfully altered after an
absence of seven years. Its area is immensely ex-
tended, the character of its buildings altogether
changed, and its streets considerably graded, but
still terrifically steep for European contemplation.
In fact Clay-street, one of the principal thorough-
fares, appears in someplaces—as a new comer re-
marked—" not only fo be right up and down, but
to lean a little over," and as I saw a water cart ap-
proaching one of those acclivities I thought it was
any odds against the ascent. However, the Irish
driver made light of the affair, assuring me "it
was as azy as anything by taking it in turpentine
manner," meaning, as I suppose, serpentine. This
street from the wharf is fully a mile long, and at
its elevated end commands a magnificent view of
the bay, the city, and its environs, but I am really
serious in declaring that many nervous men would
quail on contemplating the scene, agitated with that
feeling of giddiness which unsettles one on the edge
of a precipice, for to use Yankee imagery, it looked
to me as if a false step would cause you to fall right
into the bay, unless some friendly chimney inter-
cepted the descent. Looking up from the beach, the
detached residences appear to be most perilously
perched on the precipitous hill sides, suggesting a
new order of architecture, which I hristened the
unapproachable—for on climbing up to dinner at a
friend's eyrie, I found myself considerably more ex-
hausted than in achieving the feat of entering the
ball of St. Paul's. Inviting an asthmatic acquaint-
ance to dine at your little place at the top of Clay-
street, or others that I could name, would be on a
par withithe equivocal assurance " that you would
be most happy to see your friend passing by at
dinner time," if he was of the pedestrian class.
But while on the subject of dinners, hospitality, and
general kindness, I must add my grateful testimony
to the high character which Francisco bears in all
these respects. The city is said to be lit with gas,but
the corporation and the citizens have had a long
standing " difficulty." There are few streets which
can boast more than corner lights, and the intersec-
tions are generally far distant from each other, the
intermediate spaces are as dark as the heavens will
permit them to be after the places of business close
for the night. The municipal body is also sadly
remiss in its conservation of the streets and the
drainage. Most of the plankways in the solid part
of the city are loose arid worn through, rattling
spasmodically as carriages pass over them,while in
its water-covered quarter there are.chasms large
enough to engulf a waggon, which are permitted to
be yawning for months together, even in the very
busiest throughfares. From the aspect of the streets
of a morning one would suppose there are no lay-
stalls, for all sorts of refuse andgarbage are thrown
in promiscuous heaps in their centres, and cataracts
of slops, neither sightly nor savoury, rush down
in filthy foam on either side. But Americans in
those respects resemble the modern painters, not
being particular to a shade or two on secondary
matters, while trade can go a-head " any how," or
the almighty dollars find means to increase and
multiply ; and certainly in these respects there are
few cities, be they old or new, which can transcend
Francisco, all things considered. At present every-
thing here wears a cheerful aspect—money is cheap
and abundant, the up-country cities and settlements
are calling for large supplies, and sending down in
return large quantities of the great staple of this
new and thriving state. It was remarked even
when the Frazer River excitement was in its zenith,
substractin g,it was supposed,fully 40,000 people from
this country, principally from amongst the mining
community, that the gold yield here was in nowise
abated ; but this seeming anomaly is susceptible of
explanation, from the fact that the emigrating
crowds were for the most part loafers, rowdies,
and hangers-on who never engaged in pursuits of a
legitimate character. This explanation will also
account for the smallness of the results as compared
with the numbers supposed to be employed in
digging at Fraser's River, as well as for the loud
and wide-spread cry of denunciation propagated by
those disappointed prowlers, who, it is well known,
,went up to the new goldfield in quest of victims
rather than with any idea of digging. The opinion
I here state is further fortified by the criminal sta-
tistics here during the mania, for as the rush out-
ward increased it was found that crime of all kinds
decreased most remarkably, while with the return-
ing tide it revived in its due proportion. It was
fellows of this description who trumpeted about the
untrue and unfavourable accounts of the auriferous
resources of British Columbia ; and from the
assiduous manner in which they go about dissemi-
nating their false news, particularly amongst new
arrivals, one would suppose they were regularly
employed as touters to expatiate on the golden re•
sources of this country, comparing them won-
drously with those of our new colony. I remember
having encountered some of these fellows working
in their vocation at Panama, and again at Acapulco,
and I really am inclined to believe they are
actuated by some considerations beyond mere
honest prejudice or love of country.
However, all the respectable, impartial citizens
and really practical miners who have been sip at
Fraser River, admit the wide-spread and abundant
existence of gold there, and prophecy a large
emigration thither as soon as the first warm breath
of spring begins to soften the rigour of the
severe northern winter. Many mining parties
who_went up with the proper means and appliances,
taking with them, too, sufficient capital, have re-
mained and are doing well, and I have had many
interviews with shrewd, discerning, experienced
miners who were despatched by their part-
ners here to explore and prospect the new
goldfield, and they severally expressed their convic-
tions that it was bound to be a great country, qua-
lifying their commendations, however, with the
drawback of climate, which forms a leading feature
in a Californian's estimate, accustomed as he is to
the genial and delightful temperature of this fa-
voured state. As to the great water difficulty, it
will turn out no difficulty at all, but rather a most
prominent advantage, so soon as the dry diggings
are discovered ; for while Australians and Califor-
nians are constrained to strike work for the want
of that indispensable element in the summer season
—the Columbians arc in full spin, with the option
of resorting in the winter to bar washing, when
the rivers arc nipped in their volume by the frost
at their mountain sources. I therefore repeat, that
so far from being a drawback, the abounding water
supply in British ColuMbia, will prove itself to be
the resource next in importance to the gold itself.
Amongst the many experienced and scientific
gentlemen who went up from here to see and exa-
mine with their own eyes the character and pros-
pects of the Fraser River districts, was Mr. INl‘Gre-
gor, the watchmaker and jewellef, of this city, an
American citizen of high standing, whose feelings
and interests are bound up and identified with the
stars and stripes—a gentleman, too, who has distin-
guished himself in gold mining pursuits by obtain-
ing a patent for a quartz crushing and amalgamat-
ing machine of his own invention. He paid a
lengthened visit to our new colony, confining his
researches entirely to its golden resources, and he
admitted to me that, whether on the main or on
the island, on the sea beach or in the interior, on
the hill top or on the river bank, wherever he dug
and washed he always found more or less of the
precious metal, and in many cases considers the re-
turns good as compared with the nature of his ex-
periments. He also informed me that in examining
with a powerful glass the red sandstone cliffs which
hem the river into its rapids he could distinctly ob-
serve them profusely impregnated with fine gold. I
saw a specimen myself, and could readily perceive the
flour-like dust with Which it was incorporated.
However,the Frazer river resources are placed upon