The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-30 00:00:00

CALIFORNIA.
EXTRACT TRW! A LETTER DATED JAN. 1, 1850.:
And now to the business part of my letter, which has
been truly unfortunate. Immediately upon our arrival a
custom-house officer was put on board, who when he
found that our vessel was an English one, informed us
that all spirits on board would be confiscated, and not

even adm.itted by paying a duty of 100 per cent. This
was a terrible blow to some of us, myself amongst the
rest, as I had 1,500 bottles of spirits on board. In that
one item I estimate my loss at 1,400 dollars, that being
the market price here. On 171. worth of blankets I

have been obliged to pay, ors way and another, 40 per
cent., which is a difficult thing to do without a farthing
in one's pocket. But I will tell you how I managed by
and by. For my medicines I bad to pay the same tx-
cessive duties. On every fire-arm or weapon of defence
that a stranger takes in, he is obliged to submit to an

extortion of five dollars, or• about one guinea English.

My cutlery also will never see San Francisco, besides it
is quite a drug in the market. 'The speculation in
watches also is about the worst that could have Hem
made, as there are thousands of besuttful French gold
watches selling here for less than cost price; every nen
you meet has several about him for sale. The only
things that do pay an Englishman here are woollen slops,
or warm clothing, and wine and spirits sent in quantities,
packed according to the American law, and, above all,
they must be carried in an American bottom. You will
see by this, that our venture in merchandise has turned
out a perfect failure; it was a source of great pain and
anxiety to us at first, but it cannot be helped. My mis-
fortunes do not, however, terminate here, for our vessel
does not intend returning to England, owing to the
length of time we have been coming out; and, what is
still worse, no English vessel is allowed to sail up the
River Sacramento—therefore the vessel, which was to
have been our home while at the mines, is useless.
I will now give you same idea of the town. It is
situated in an elevated position, and where six months
ago there were only a few huts, there are now some
5,000 fine wooden houses and as many tents; in fact
there is an entire little town, composed of tents, and
named " The Happy Valley." At present the rainy
season has commenced, and will continue about four
months, and the remainder of the year will be fine and
unvisited by a single shower. Tke town at this season
is a sea of mud, never less than knee deep, occasionally
up to the neck. Folks walk about with their trousers
tucked up as high as possible. Merchants are glad to
give 201. for a pair of, fisherman's high boots. There is
calculated to be about 100,000 people in California. In
San Francisco, Bohemia. Montrav, and Sacramento
town, there are about 70,000. In Sin Francisco there
are 35,000 men, and only 126 women! I have been
here 14 days and not seen one! I will give you now
some little idea of rents, &e. For a moderate sized
house run up of wood the usual price is at the rate ef
1,8001. per annum; for a small room, about 10 feet
square, lam asked 501. per month unfurnished. Car-
penters, or, in fact, all mechanics, are earning with ease
31. 108. a day. Doctors are as common as fleas, yet if
they can only get a house and a patient they do well.
Meat sells at 2s. per lb., bread ls. 6d. fir a small loaf
about enough for one meel, onions 6e. per lb., cabbages
from 7s. to 12s. each, potatoes 3s. per lb., board and
lodging of the meanest descriPtiors.6/ per week, and at
any comfortable place double that some. Gambling is
carried on to an extent hardly to be believed; every
other house is a hell, and the sums of pure gold I have
seen played for you would not credit me even if Ltold
you—consequently murders and suicides are very com-
mon; the murders average seven or eight per week, and
the suicides double that number.
Now that I have given you some few general remarks
about the town, I will say a little concerning the mines,
or diggings as they aro called: they.are situated from
300 to 600 miles from this place, and it takes a fortune
to get there. The charge is 8/. to go up to the Sutter's
Fort, which is only 100 miles up the country. The
muleteers charge one dollar per lb. for luggage, and pro-
visions are three times the price that they are here.
Now I will tell you how some of us are gaining suf•
ficient money to pay our duties, Sc.:—Captain a
young Irishman, who was presented at Court just, before
he started, has been earning five or six dollars a day by
retailing eggs at 30s a dozen; another has been going
from door to door with ready-made clothing; he has
made enough to pay his duties. I have tried wood-cut-
ting and shooting for a livelihood, both of which are
very pretty amusements; but here, in rainy weather, it
is very laborious.

THE COUNTRY MARKETS.
WAKIFIRLD, MARCM 28.—Our arrivals of grain this
week are short. Wheat meets a limited demand, which is
partly to be accounted for by our market being held off the
usual day, but last week's rates are maintained. Barley sells
slowly at declining rates. Beans steady. In oats and shetling
we hare no change to note.
WHEAT, per qr. 601bs per bushel:— a. a.
Suftolk. Essex, and Kent, red ... 37 to 40
Ditto, white ... ... 42 44
Norfolk and Hunts., red ... 35 37
Ditto, white ... 40 42
Lincolnshire and Cambridge, red ... 34 37
Ditto, white ... ... 38 42
Yorkshire, red ... 34 -- 36
Ditto, white ... 38 --40
Dantzic and Konigsbnrg, white .. 40 44
Lower Baltic and Hamburgh, red... 36 38
Mediterranean, red ... ... 30 34
BARLEY, per quarter of 8 bushels:—
Norfolk and Suffolk... .. 23 25
Lincolnshire and Yorkshire .. '2l 25
Scotch
Grinding per 80 atone 18 23
Foreign ... ... 20 22
BEANS, per quarter of 8 bushels 631 b :
Small, fine ... ... 24 —26
Ticks ... 23 25
Foreign ... ... 23 25
OATS, per stone :
Mealing . 7111 to Bid Od to 01
Feeding ... 7d, to 8d 3d to 9d
Foreign 7d to 8d Bil to 9il
SHELLING, per load of 2611 b 19 =2O
MALT, per load of 6 imperial bushels 33 35
PEAS, per Imperial Qu:.rter
Blue and white boilers
Grey and Feed

APLI'
Qrs.
Wheat ... ... ... 3,652 ,

la
VALE.

Oats ... ... ... ... 343
Beans... ... ... ... 315

New.

~ 25 - 27
44 - 24

ola•
B.

... to

fr. •••• m.o.

AN.. go. 0.1116

..... =No* --

mow mall. .111

_ _ -

.... 01... 0n..,

.. '.•...= .10k

...... rt... ~/./.

Rapeseed ... ... b 7
Shelling ••• ••• ••• 100
Linseed ...
Malt ••• ... • • ...
Flour .. •• • ••• ...

Peas ... ... ... ...

Tares ... •-• ••• I
BRISTOL, MARCH 28.—The supply of English wheat con-
tinues moderate, for which, as well as for foreign, there was
increased demand. English wheat, 3fis to 001 per imperial
quarter ; foreign white, 403 to 45, per 480Ibs ; foreign red,
tine, 38s to 425; ditto, ordinary, 36s to 37s per 480Ibs ; ditto,
hard, 33s to 368 per imperial_quarter. Barley—Malting was
the turn in favour of the buyer. Grinding qualities were dull.
English malting sold at 23s to 28. per imperial quarter;
En-
glish and foreign grinding, 18s to 211 per 400Ibs. The oat
trade was steady. Devon and Welsh sold at 13s 6d to 14a 6d
per imperial quarter ; Irish white ditto, 15s to 16. 6d per
3201bs ; Irish black, 14s to 14. 6d per imperial quarter. In
beans but little doing. English sold at 245 to 28s per imperial
quarter ; foreign ditto, 21s to 265. Flour—English seconds.
27s to 29s per sack ; American, sweet, '2ls 641 to 22s 6d per
barrel.
BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET, MARCH 28.—Scarcely any
business has been transacted here this week for want of a
supply. The refined market is rather dull, and prices must
be quoted a shade easier. Rum arid molasses are still quite
neglected. —Bristol Mercury.
NIIWBURY, MARCH 28.—The supply of wheat to-day in
offer is moderate, and we have to note a better feeling in the
trade, selected descriptive realising Is per quarter advance,
and other descriptions in--much better request, at fully the
rates of last week. Barley, a less quantity in offer than for
some time past, and sales more readily effected at rather en-
hanced rates. Beans, peas, and oats, moderate supply, and no
variation to note in the prices from last week.
Iltrosr, MARCH 28.—White wheat 44 6d to 5s Od, red ditto
4s 3d to 4s 9d; beans 3s 3d to 4s per bushel ; barley 244 to
265; oats 141 to 21s per qr.
KARESIOROUGH, MARCH 27.—Wheat 4s 6d to 519 d; beans
ss 6d to 4s Od per bushel; barley 24s to 261; oats 168 Od to
2ls cd per qr.
WETHERIT, MARCH Ms—
White wheat 15s &I to 171 ed. red
ditto 13s 6d to 15. Od per Ica ; barley 22s to 248 per qr. ;
beans 103 Od to 12s Od per load ; oats ed to 9d per stone.
INTICRNRSS, MARCH 26.—Wheat, per quarter, weighing
621 b per bushel, Ws 6d to 38s 6d; new ditto,• ditto, Os to Os ;
old barley, per quarter, weighing 541 b per bshel,.
to 00s ; new ditto, ditto, Ous to 001 ; oats, 421 b per
bushel, 16s to 17s Od. Oatmeal, per imperial boll, 141 Od,
second, 13s ; barleymeal, lls Od; peasemeal, 14s to 00s; bran,
per stone, 6d; first flour, per 28011., 34s to 36. • second, 26s to
28s; oatmeal, best, per stone of 141 b imperial, L 4d to Os Od;
second, Is 2d; barleymeal, Is 2d.; peasemeal, Is 4d; 'first Sear,
Is 4d cash, 2. 8d credit; second, 2s cash, 2s 3d credit. Pota-
toes, per stone, 6d to Od; beef, per pound; 4d to 61; veal, 4d
to sd; mutton, 4d to 6d; pork, 3d to 4d; fowls, each, 12d to
14d; chickens, per pair, 16d to 18d ; ducks, each, Od to
00d ; eggs, par dozen, 4ed to sd; batter, fresh, per lb, 7d to
&I; salt, 9d to Od; croudie (curds) Od to Od; tour-peen 4
loaf, cash, 5d to 6d, credit, sed to 6ed; coals, per ewt, 9d;
hay, per stone, tad to 9d.

BIRTII3.
On the 221 inst., at Fairfield, Riggleswade, the wife of
Captain J. S. Knox, 42d Bengal Light Infantry, of a son.
On the 25th inst., at Ospringe, Kent, the wife of the Rey.
W. Keating, of a daughter.
On the 25th inst., at Baythorn-grove, near' Halstesd•
Essex, the wife of Ellys Layton, Esq., of a son.
On the 26th inst., the wife of H. E. Gsodhall, Esq., of
Upper Norwood, Surrey, of a daughter.
On the 26th inst., in Eaton-square, the wife of H. Nor
man, Esq., of a daughter.
On the 27th inst., at Lee, Kent, Mrs. Alfred M. Raymond,
of a son.
On the 27th inst., Mrs. W. C. Merriman, Lockeridge, near
Marlborough. of a daughter.
On the 27th inst., at Brompton-cresesnt, Mrs. Charles
Haden, of a daughter.

MARRIED.
On the 27th inst., at St. Mary Stratford-le-Bow Church,
Mr. William Howard, of Berners-street, Oxford street, td
Louisa Sarah, eldest daughter of Mr. Richard Loder, of
Aldgate.
On the 27th inst., at Trinity Church, Trinity-square, Lot-
ion, Charles William, eldest son of Mr. Josiah Caster, of
College-green, Gloucester, to Mary Elizabeth, only daughter
of the late J. Adolphus, Esq.. M.D., of Kingston, Jamaica..

DIED.
On the 24th inst., at Hanover-terrace-villas, Notting-hill'
J. Lord, Esq., abed 8 t.
On the 25th inst., aged 46, Annette, the wife of B. Gold-
shede, Esq., of Hans-place.
On the 25th inst., at Reading.
Jane. the youngest daugh-
ter of H. Lainson, Esq., of Heath-house, Reigate.
On the 2fith inst., at Fleetwood, aged 30, Agnes Elizabeth,
wife of E. Atkinson, Esq.
On the 23th inst., at County-terrace, Camberwell-new-
road, Emma, the wife of H. J. Jones, Esq.
On the 22d inst., at Ludwell, Wilts, aged 22, Sophia Hol-
loway, the wife of the Eev. Edward Hill, curate of Charl-
ton-in-Donhead St. Mary.
On the 12d inat., at Bath, Major William Bird Blamire.
On the 17th inst, A. C. Donaldson, M.A.

London: Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, of
No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Bsas Office. N-1 112,
• %trend. in the Preen •
.t ay the in the wow fe
MAdloosi, BaturClVOlarth 30, 1850.