Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-04-10

Indians are required 10 devote their
whole time TO the service OF the Priest
to whose mission they are attached
raising for his benefit crops Of wheat,
eorn, &c, and occasionally. il their
numhcrs require recruiting, going on
military expeditions into tie interior
70. the capture of stray bands OF wild
Indians, who are brought into the boz
som Of the church militant, there to
be enlighted with the true faith BY the
fundamentally OF cruciGxes. paintings,
Icandles, and holy water.
To the emigrant to California at the
present time. this system is not with
out its advantages, as the Padres are
willing to hire out hands Of their con-
verts as laborers at very ttifing rate.
These Indians are good workmen,
though rather INDECENT from want of
motives TO exerlion. They are par
Iticularly useful in herding cattle and
sheep.
The soifand climate Of California
are admirably adapted to the raising
of all the serial crops. Wheat, corn,
oats, barely, &c, are produced with
great facility and in surprising album
dance. The grape grows in luxuri-
ance, and even now much wine is made
Cotton, sugar, and tobacco are raised
with ease. The timber is fine, aud
consists Of all the most important yari-
cites. Captain Wilkes and Mr.. FIRE.
mont make frequent mention of the
enormous size of the trees.
Monterey is the principal CONNER
cial town of California. II contains
some three or four thousand inhabitants,
and is constructed Of sun dried birch.
There are TO be found many American
merchants, who have contrivcd TO do
ii profitable business, Notwithstanding
fthe absurd restrictions OF the Mexican
tariff
1t has been tho custom OF late years
for the Mexican government to farm
out the customs of her principal ports,
in like measure as the earlier kings
of England did with the Cirque ports
Thus Don Antonio or Legion Batha-
ger would purchase for certain sum OF
ready money the privilege Of collect
ing the duties at Monterey or San
Francisco. A vessel laden with mcr-
chandize for either port then makes
bcr bargain with Antonio or Ballhazer
as TO the amount Of duty TO be paid
and this is settled not by any liscfimi.
mating rates of tariff, but in the lump,
with reference only to The value Of
the cargo, and the degree 10 which the
consignccs will permit themselves to
be hlcd.
Suoh syS Icm cannot be considered
very conducive TO the interests Of
commerce. Smuggling however, is
carried on 10 great extent, and very
few Of the foreiga articles consumed in
California have passed tic Custom Hou.
SEES.
Under the government Of the Uni
ted States however, all these rcstrc-
tons. annoyances anG Inconvenience
will disappear, and field Of commerce
will be opened, such rs with proper
cnicrprlzc, will make the fortunes Of
thousands, and present new era in the
mercantile world. China and the
East Indies viii open their ports 10 the
merchants Of Monterey and San Frau
cisco. The hides, the talIow, the wool,
the grain, The cotton, the tobacco Of
California will be exchanged for the
tea, the coffee, the spices and the rich
fabrics Of Eastern Asia.
Nor viii il be necessary for the Cali
fosnian merchant TO wait for n dense
population before he can realize profit
by these transactions. The whole u.
S. will be open 10 him as market for
his imporiaiions. For though Of pre-
sent the road TO California is long
AMI weary one, no considerable time
will elspsc before there will be . regu-
lar line Of steam packets running be-
tween San Francisco and Monterey,
and Panama or some other point on .
tic lsthmus, connecting on the other
side al Chagris with another line ply 4
ing TO N. Orleans, Charleston or New .
York. In a few months such lines /
will be established, and they will /
serve the purposes Of communication
and commerce very well, until the
grea, and easily accomplished work Of
ship canal across tie Isihmus shalt
have been carried into effect.
One Of the principal and more prof
liable avocations in California nj pres
ent. is the raising Of a large herds Of
n rrrf