Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1844-05-18

tho winter season, the bays, rivers, and
even the wheat fields and low lands
throughout tho whole country, aro liter.
ally covered with geese, ducks, and varl'
Gus other water iowis. Here they have
congrogalod from tho whole northern
country, and their croakIng, squcaking
and tapping Of wings is inccssanl, and IN
many places very annoying.
| There are various rivers OF very con-
siderable Importance In Tho country, the
largest Of which is the Sacramento. 1t
is probable nayigabo about 800 miles
without obstruction, and may be render
cd nayignble to much greater extent,
with very little expense. OF the others
there are The Russian River, and several
others, which may be rendered navlgoblo.
All the rivers and bays Of this country
abound with fish Of the very best kinds,
among which are the salmon. There arc
several kinds of the salmon, trout, stur-
geon, scod, carp, sole, founders, herring
and ray. Shell fish are also found in
great abundance, such as clans, oysters
and muscles. The oysters are OF an ex-
cellent kind
i The commercial advantages of Cal(or-
MIA are not surpassed The Bay of 81.
y Francisco, for extent Of anchorage and
4 security o: harbor is unparalleed.--lt
has been we'll said, that in that Bay call
the navies Of the world could ride in per-
feet safety" Besides this, there are sew.
eral bays affording very commodious and
safe anchorage, those for instance Of Mon
teIey, St. Diego and Bodego. At each o.
these bays, towns have been commenced
Monterey is the seat Of Government
Yerba Buena, near the entrance Of the
Bay OF ST. Francisco, is ilouishing little
town. At some poin. on that bay is des
tined, at no very distant day, to be
great Commercial city.
J The population of Upper California y
about seven or eight thousand, about two
thirds of whom are native Indians; thu
other portion is composed of Spanlards
or Mexicans, (as they call themselves,
negroes, and as mixture Of every color
description and grade. With the excep
+ ton Of the foreigners, the whole popuo
ton is in deplorable state of Ignorance
. The only knowledge which they possess
, civil, political, or religious, they derlv
from the Roman Catholic clergy, who ar
generally learned and intelligent, but tn
) most dlssolute aud abandoned character
of the whole community. There arr
about four or five hundred foreigners il
! California, who are now very well treated
with very few exceptions. Formerly
they were very lily treated; 80 or 40 o
/, them were taken prisoners and sent II
irons TO the city of Mexico, where they
were released occurred in the yea'
1910. The only pretence for this treat
ment was that the foreigners were sus'
pected Of entertaining some reyolutiona.
ry designs. Some of them have received
reparation, others have not. In refer
ence to this matter, our citizens there
consider themselves much neglected by
our Government.
am informed that there is some doubt
entertained by our citizens, in reference
to foreigners being able to obtain lands IN
California. All foreigners can obtain
lands in that country by becoming citi-
citizens. II is true it is optional with the
government to grant lands, or not, to any
person, whether foreigners or natiye-born
, citizens; but there never has been an in
, stance as yet of foreigner having been
: refused lands after having become a citi-
zen. lapplied to the Governor for lands;
he informed me that, upon becoming a
citizen, could obtain the tract Of land
! for which Iapplied. The Governor fur
Their remarked, that the Government W as
DESTROYS 10 hold out every inducement to
| foreigners 10 emigrate to California, es-
lpecally men Of families; that all could
obtain lands upon becoming citizens. No
objection, however, is nude TO foreigners
taking possession OF whatever lands they
prefer, withouta any application to the CO.
vernment, Allor those who went to Cal
| ifornia with me are now settled in that
manner. they Will eventually apply to
the Governmental
An order was issued by the Mexican
Government which required the imne.
diate expulsion Of all American born citi-
zens from California. The Mexican Co
Sernment insists that that order was IN
tended only 10 apply % disorderly persous
of Whatever nation. But whatever the
purport Of the order may have been. IL is
now abrogaied. ThiswilI be seen by re-
ference to THE correspondence III our Min
lister in Mexico
In conclusion, ! will remark that there
ls no country in the world that offers as