Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-12-25


crazy to go TO California, we copy the fol-
lowing extract from one of the California
volunteers, published in the Detroit Adver-
'tiser. The writer, no doubt, tells the plain
unvarnished truth . MAJ ga,-a.s
SAN FRAScIsco Afro, L.
CALIFORNIA, June 25th, lsi7.
Wrapt in the solitude of night--far re-
moved from the turmoil of civilization,
where the grey wolf bowls, and the blood
consuming cougar ranges unmoles.ed DER
the silent plalns--now sits your quondam
friend Old Kraft, dwelling upon the days
that we're
BY the grace of God and pretty fair
streak of good luck. and after rocking for
five months and fourth on the two oceans,
succeeded in being shored on this strange
soil. Five months and over ON the ocean,
chewing salt junk, mahogany and hard tack,
(to say nothing about the bitter cud caused
by rejecting on passed mis-spent life, and
with hut one bare sight Of land 1.-THE Island
of Juan Fernandez, which we saw for about
four hours, at distance, on the hundredth
day out--think of that, my friend, and weep.
Folks may blab as much as they like about
" the sea, the sea-" cantlidly, acknowledge,
that those five months, though long and
weary enough, when going over, now when
passed and hook back to them, seem like a
void, or at most but dreary sleep IN my
existence, so few and unimpressivc were the
events that transpred; for | reckon than as
the eye measures distance by the intervening
objects, so does the mind estimate time past
by the events occurred. So much for So
much.
have been in California since the 18th of
April, lSi7; have seen but little OF the conn-
try myself, but have conversed much with
various persons, some Of whom have visited
every pnrt Of IL, and can confidently assert,
and do assert, that California, taken alto
gether, is a most miserable, God-iorsaken
country, the jumping off place, tit only for
Mornons, Millerites and mononaniacs. Il
has been most flagranily misrepresented---
most villainously beled. The climate, Ii
healthy, which is questionable, is excessive
~ disagrecahle about here, on account of the
violent winds and iogs. The wind blows
here as STEADILY Us a trade wind and more
violent The fog is often so heavy that
water drips from the roofs rs il il was RAIN
ing, aud when coming over the hill il looks
more like a snow storm than any thing else
o. er-coats aud fannels are worn the year
round; summer clothes are wholly useless.
4 From sunrise till 10 A. III. u il usually quite
pleasant, then comes the wind and the fog,
either Of which are more disagreeablc than
any weather ever saw in the States. So
mneh for what country | have seen about
San Francisco, the American Italy, as
some foolish liars have called il. The Bay
of san Francisco, az regards commercial
purposes, merits all that the most enthusiasts
tic have said of il. Ii is. probably, the finest
bay in the world, and il alone may save Cali
fornia from utter condemnation. Other
parts of the country are more objectionable
even than this some for the parclIing heat,
Others for the total absence of moisture, and
all Of it generally for the want Of tillablo
land. Oh! how the emigrants who come
hithcr will BIO disappointed. wish they all
knew what know. IL would save many
one from much misery and suffering; tho
result which will surely follow any attempt
TO settle here for agricultural PURPOSES
Speaking of game here, have been out
bunting twice; the first time shot rnttle-
snake Of the largest and most vcnomons
kind; and the last time was chased home
BY cougar or puma, Il species Of tiger q
teetfs too thick Tor comfort around here's
One Of them was killed here last week,
which measured seven feet ten inches from
tip Of nose 10 tip Of tail. They are found
eleven feet long about here, aud are more
ferocious than the grisly bear. The natives
call them lions.
H5- The Commercial condition Of the
United States az this moment is, in fact,
IL IL
feeding on the fitness Of England. Calam-
ify has opened TO us her Golfers, never before
opened, except TO receive our own gold and
silver, exforted from US by rigid protective
system which sustained her manufacturing
labor OF the expense of ours. Those Golfers
we have been emptying: the wealth Of Eng
land has become orr wealth, and England
has suddenly grown poor; and we, irighten-
4 fl.t