The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-29
The Gold Fever, re.

The Gold Fever, re.
We are indebtedt to DIR. Traphegan too the fol-
loving interesting letters
SAN FRANCISCO, UPPKR CALIFORNIA,
S>pt 2, IS4S.
VERY DEAR FRIENp.-SlDee last wrote to
you, while In Callao, many changes have taken
place {, cause much anxiety in my mind, which
will epumerate IN the course OF this letter. MY
health, however, has oeen uniformly good, and still
s Of
rived there on ke 18th, and sailed again on the 3lst
OF July tor this port, where arrived on the 9th OF
August. The gold fever we heard OF at the island,
and thought It much exaggerated; but slpce my
ARRIVAL here il has been fully substantiated, and Is
the cause OF our selling the cargo at a profit from
100 to 500 per cent This, you will say, Is rst-rate
business, and so IT s; but there are many charges to
equal the sales; tor instance, seamen's wages $40
per month. have lost eight OF my crew, and
am new the best off of any ship In port, for the
most of them have lost all except the master and
mates. My dear friend. 1t you or Caddy had only
come out with me, you could have made your for.
tunes In one or two years, by going to the gold
mines and attending professionally to the sck
nothing short of an ounce of gold dust for a VISIT
for do not know when shall have chance to
send this, and will finish 1t at some future time.
Sept. l3-Nothng material has taken place since
stopped. We remain IN about the same state as
when stopped on the 7th. To-day, about 20 mi
nntes since, the ship Hunrress came in from New
York-lt ls now half-past two. l shall soon go
down on board, in hopes to find some letters from
you and Caddy, And what treat 1t will be If do
must stop and 60 on board to ascertain the tact.
Sunday, 18th Sept-As left of to 60 on board
the Huntress for letters, above stated, and being
so sadly disappointed, had no heart to commence
again until this day The English frigate Con-
stance, put in here yesterday from Columbia River,
and will sail on Tuesday, the 10Th, tor Mazatlan;
she will take letters and put them into the hands OF
the English Consul at that port, who will forward
them TO Vera Cruz, by which means hope this
"a each IN the III G0 n IN DAVIS at the
turthest O,my dear friend, IT you had only come
sout with me, feel sure we could soon make for
tune | have coHversed with several persons, Just
. from the mines, within the last few days. One
young man told me that he had got as much as
500 worth in day. and never less than So Ano-
ther one, Frenchman, says ne pitched his tent on
place, and renamed and worked under 1t seven
weeks without moving It,, and got $27 900 worth OF
gold dust one piece weighed three pounds and
seven ounces, equal to $7I2. These stories you
may think untrue, but they nevertheless as true
as am now writing to you, and not IN the least
stances, when we shall leave this port, for much
tear that we cannot get a crew to get to sea with
under two orthree months. There is no end to the
for 200 miles in length by from 60 to 100 IN breadth
The weather has been exceedingly fine since my ar
rival here. shall write every chance hear ofsend-
ing, and my next vii be to Ceddy, SO she must keep
look out. We shall go from this to Callao, where
feel sure shall get letters from you. Please
give my beH respects to our friends, and love to
Caddy. IIemain your most sincere friend and
well wlsher, BENJAMIN HILL,
formerly Captain of the Ship Orpheus.
To DR.. GEO. II. TRAPHAGAN, New York;
correspondent Of the Boston Courier, dated Port
land Me Dec. 25th, says
The gold fever has res0hed Maine. Most Of the
towns within her limits wnI each furnish its quota to
swell the tide OF emigration towards the Pacific,
and many farmsr win leave his field to reap golden
harvest else whsxe bark is advertised to sail from
this place short time for San Francisco; and
some in their haste to get rich, have already taken
the land route. Bath has sent dozen of stalwart
Kennebe okers and in most Of the principal towns
companies are forming to search for gold. Bangor,
backw in the for wealth. 10 foremost in
this enterprise. trim schooner is soon to sail from
that port with thirty passengers and enterprsng
Yankee has fine bark Of 800 tons burthen build
ing, which he has christened The Gold Hunter She
10 to leave for the gold region early in March, TAX
ing name, osuggestve offortunes waiting to be hunted
up. attracts sufficient number of passengers The
prospects for the coming year peculiarly un-
favorable in Bangor that the Gold Hunter will proba-
bly, be well feighted, and her passengers have OPP
portunity of mingng in the agreeable society Of Cali
fornia.n