Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1846-04-18


IAbtFBRgfA.-The 3t. Louis Reveills
contains the following extracts, translated
from a letter written In May last, by Capt.
IL ] 5utter.
4 Is dated New Heleetia. Upper Cali.
f6rbia
Our harvest ripens in about three weeks,
end ! hope to secure at least 10000 bush.
els Of wleat, with barley, peas, beans, etc.,
h proportions The neat year, fpWeyers !
hope to obtain d dobblo quantity, and 10
on each succeeding year. A tanega two
h~usillesl Of wheat IL usually worth here a.
bout two dollars, but at present, before the
harvest, 1t Ii sold for four dellars.
Through our excellent water egmnutniea-
tiUts, the sale Of our products has facilities
unsurpassed III The world. Tor example, /
have now large contracts for wheat and
other staples with the Russians of the
northwest eoast. Were / able 10 freight
the amount Of four hundred tons more, they
would receive II. Tho Russian colonies
Of tlle north arc increasing every year.
When | visited 8itka, six years ago, their
consumption was already great, and Is now
four fold. Sttkay Ii the Governors resi-
deliep, aud the See Of the BisliUp, with d
seminary, good schools, h thehtre, etc., and
lies IN 81 north latitude. | am neeotia-
ting for the opening ota second good ott-
let Ter export with the French government,
which needs Wheat and other products for
its Wat1aesa# and Otaleite Island. Al
French ship ofdOO tons, the 'Lior,' visits
The bay yeatlY to purchase cattle for those
islands. We have much intercourse, tool
with the Sandwich Islands, which has been
greatly increased within II few years.
Our visits grow more frequently every
year, from the South sea nyigalors and
whale fishermen, Of the latter ofWliieh
from twenty-five to thirty already touch ut
tho hhrbor Of IT. Francisco yearly. Ships
Of war occasionally make. their appearances.
too, and their captains have often assured
me that this harbof is The finest IN the
whole Pacific Ocean
Next TO agriculture, The raising of cattle
ia dttt' most important pursuit, rendered ea=|
sicf by the fact that we have hardly any
winter, and no snow. So soon as 1t be-
gins 10 rain III autumn, every thing boz.
comes green again, aud stock ID Int the
whole winter through. Ny collection Of
stock consists Of about 1000 head Of oxen,
LOO mares, 900 tnino horses, mules, Ste.
1900 sheep, and many hogs. They all
pasture themselves, without difficulty, in
the rich p]rairies and h0ttoNfs Of the Sacfa.
mchto valley, and require no trouble but
u little watching, generally attended to by
The native lndibns. It IL particularly d
great assistance 10 us--one, indeed, which
we could hardly dispense with-that We
Gun hire the Indians as laberers very
eleaply. They make slavery wholly i'm.
necessary here, and rnay be employed for
all field and house work. In harvest |
have frequently employed ut least 400 liz
dams.
No country III the world Il better bdapt-
cd for vine raising. An excellent wine Isl
made In some parts, and u considerable
quantity Of brandy. Auy one who plants
IL good vineyard here, and understands its
management, can in Il few years, Fatyihg
with the yields, gain greht profits. We
htpse several instances Of French and Am.
orleans, whose fine young plantations l
have myself visited. The vineyards are
Of fg, olive, and orange trees, the last
bearing at once flowers and ripe and green
I A proof oftho fitness for the eul.
ttro Of the grape, ofthe valleys ofthe Sera.
the 1T JoaquiH aud other streams,
In the abundance Of wild vines upon their
These bear very good grapes, Of
WI oilen make wine, vinegar and
brandy. as
'fhc rivers arr full Of ftsh especially the
which surpass those Of Columbia
The heaviest weigh from 10 to 50
Came i found in profunion-as for III.
thousands ofthe olk, which gatlier
n heBftlB, aud in utnluer arc very f3t.
numerous Gre vast her5s of wild
lorgcs, deer, abtclopey &c. Of berrs,
hero are great numbers. And In the raj
y season especially, one emu kill immense
locks, | might say millions Of ducks, geese,
ramos, palieans, &c. Beaver, loo, aud
and offers may still be found in sonne IL.
Guidance, chiefly In the mountains
i$