The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-08-19

thrive ht re. Potatoes are raised only by a few;
yet they sell for Fix rails the arobe of % lbs.
nor can they boast of much fruit as yet IN Lower
California. At the mission they raise apples pears
&c.-hey cost us here dollar the hundred. Beei
is the only or principal susenance of man; il is
sold at q to cents per lb but is cheaper to pur
half dollar, and then the meat will cost no more
than one CO mt per b; it is seldom better. Flour Is
sold al Sl2 per barrel, but II will be in the decline.
We have got first outline OF American law here.
Each district has Alcalde chief ma strate, or
two together, with town council-but like every
new colony, for want OF better, we are obliged to
have some men whose first object is sei-protection.
We have two weekly newspapers here, who print
the conduct OF public officers in their true colors,
but without much effect. One paper, edited by Mr..
ucklew, is called the Californian; the other is un-
der Mormon influence, called the STAR but il is not
supposed TO sparkle very, brightly, particularly in
court for the trial OF criminal offences, than the
court martla and this, like everynew colony, popu-
lated by people ola rowing, headstrong disposition,
renders ders frequent. Mostly all carry pistols
! and dirk knives. Horse stealing is quite common
also, on the mountains. The Indians are not very
hostile here A few OF them are located on each
ranch or farm, living in huts, and work for their
ktood and little clothing. The wild Indians fire.
and arrows, and sometimes are brought in by their
governor to work for the season, and return in the
winter They are not over fastidlous in respect to
dress small patch of skin in front only, and some
times little patch between the shoulders The
Digger tribe being next us here, are the most abb
ject, loathsome creatures in the world. They are
revengeiul and lazy, and are kept in kind of sla
very and bondage by the rancheros, and often fog
ged and punished. Thelrperfoming all the drudg
cry and heavy labor, leaves but little demand for
laborers of white complexion; and, besides, there
are numbers of Conyackers or Sandwich Islanders,
here, who work reasonably. " Mechanics here,
however, get good wages; three dollars per day
Board here is pretty dear; SIG per month in the Ia
verns, and four times that much in the hotels.
Young women are very scarce here-very few
Americans. There are few Mormons. Some of
our countrymen, however, get married TO Caliior-
mans or MexIcans.
Having given you a hasty outline of the army,
the geography, &c., of California, overlooked
few facts which may be somewhat interesting to
you, WIS respecting the imports and exports of this
county, together with the mineral kingdom and
shipping. Several mines have lately been disco
we're d In this country one at Santa Clara on this
bay, belonging to Messrs. Forbes, with the labor
OF teen hands, in three weeks yielded ii 200 lbs.
of quicksilver, worth in Mexico two dollars per
pound Two silver mines have lately been disco
vered also, one about three miles from Sonomaa,
on the lands of Mr. lllig, and another the lands
OF j: f. Reed, Esq, about four miles from the
Puebla de San Jose, which is supposed to be very
rich, and the enterpnslng proprietor has already
I that quantity of gold worth in value, $50, was
picked up lately in the bed ofa stream of the Sacra
mento. There are also numerous mines of coal,
and some OF copper discovered In this nelghbor-
u.
immense caves are known to exist IN the vicinity
OF Clear Lake, North of this bay, and about ll2
miles from Sonoma; one containing lneXhaustlble
quantities of saltpetre, the other Astounding In sui
thur, and both said to be OF the purest quality
There are immense beds of copper ore, lately dis
covered: IN the vicinity of said lake. Little, how
ever, is known in relation to mineral COAL in Cali
forna as yet: however there are different reports of
Its having been discovered in various places-San-
ia Cruz mountains, San Luis Obrbo, San Diego,
and Todos los Santos. There is another discovery,
ct coplous fountain OF semi-iiuid asphaltum,
near Santa Barbara, running INTO the sea- and i'm
ORIGINATING the atmosphere tor several miles his
substance becomes hard, so as to break like rosn
when exposed to the cold air, and is highly com.
bustible. 1t has been already exported, to be used
! IN the arts IN Peru, and has been used as fuel In
steamboats, in Chill Near the lower Pueblo los
Angeles, there extensive fields where it Is con-
tInualy boiling from the earth. This is bellev,
ed to be the asrhaltum petroleum. or "mlneral
tar of commerce AT present it is used in cover
ing the flat earthen roofs of California houses, to
render them imperylous to rain Perhaps this
may be the asphaltum of the ancients, so much
spoken of by Josephus, In his ''Wars OF the Jews.
Limestone has been found IN abundance, and al
ready all the lime necessary to be mixed with the
quicksilver ore, in the extensive mine near Santa
Clara, can be procured in the vicinity. Several
soda springs are interspersed In all parts OF this
country, particularly in the mountains. There Is
J one near Scnoma, and another near the above
! n,scrbed quicksilver mines, which are considered
~ Judges TO be equal to Saratoga or Balston wa
t ers q nd simlla, to the Congress water. We have
received Information Ia,-,, that large W emHgra e
ton from China may be soon exrec,~, who who
| already two or three {" Celestialsn among us, VIM
have found ready employment. We were yester-
| day shown a specimen of SALT taken from large
bowl spring. twelve miles west of the Sacramento,
which is of fine quality. The gold mine discover
! ed in December last, on the south branch OF the
American fork, in range Of low hills forming
the base of the Sierra Nevada, distant thirty miles
from New Helvetla, is only three feet below the
surface, IN a strata of soft sand rock, From ex-
poratons south twelve miles, and north five miles,
the continuance of this strata is reported and the
mineral said to be equally abundant, and from
twelve TO eighteen feet In thickness so that, with
out allowing any golden hopes to puzzle my pro-
phetic VISION of the future, ] would predict for
| California, Peruvian harvest OF the precious
metals, soon a sufficlency Of miners, &c, can
| be obtained
Apra If, is47, to .Awa LIST, is4s.~From New
| York, 2; Sandwich Islands, IA; Oregon, 8; San
Pedro, 4; Monterey, l6; Bedega, 3; Santa Cruz, 5;
San Pedro, 4; Chill, 3: Northwest Coast 4 |;
3; San Diego, 2; SItka, ! Callao, 2 Canton,
| Boston. l United States. g. Men-of- War-U. S.
ships Preble, Congress, Columbus, and sloop Dale.
OF the above, sixteen were whaers; so that you
will perceive this is destined to be place Of great
trade before long.
Twill give you an abridged sketch of the imports
and exports, obtained through the politeness of
Capt. Fulsom; U. S. Army, and collector of this
port, Tor the three months ending December 3lst.
1917 Total value of exports for the quarter
! $49,597 SO. OF this amount, $50, 1853 80 were OF
of the produce of California, and shipped as fol-'
/ lows 1920 to the Sandwich Islands, So, 44S 80
TO Peru $3.50 to Mazatlan. (Mexico,) S., 2S5 80 to
! Russ ian America, (Sitka,) 500 to Tahiti; 1898
! 6S were of the produce of foreign countries and
shipped as folows:-$2. 0G0 to the United States,
: SI2,i42 Is to the Sandwich Islands, (of which
j Sll,3lO were coined gold and sllver) and $3.50
/ so TO Mazatap, Mexico.
The total value of imports for the same period
was $50, $50 73. OF this amount $6,790 81 came
| from the United States, s., 701 50 from Oregon,
$3676 4, from Chill, S3i,7iO 10 from the Sand
witch Islands, $2,i7l 50 from Sitka, Russian
America, 1892 81 from Bremen, and $3.50 81
and $1G0 from Mexico. This shows large
balance against us as yet, and has OCCASION
ed heavy drain of cash to meet the balance.