The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-11-19
The Wealth, Resources, and Remarkable
Things Of the Western World.
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The papers received from the United States by
the last mail contain several very. curious and
important matters, deserving particular notice.
Amongst these we notice, first, the pointed and
remarkable account gwen, that at Durango, the
capital of the province OF that name, In Mexico,
(say lat. "a deg. 30 min., and long. lob deg 30
min. W. cavens have been discovered and en-
tered, containing hundreds of thousands of num-
mics, similar to those of ancient Egypt; This is.
most remark able point and fact In the history of
man, and the further development OF these ancient
remains will be awaited with Impotence by our
selves and an inqurlng public. In the meantime
the discovery clearly points out these remains to
be of Egyptian or PhPnicIan extraction, or, more
properly, OF both. There are many reasons, from
recent discoveries, to believe that the continent
of America was known to the nations OF the an
clent world; and nation who, like the Egyptian,
circumnavigated Africa, as the Egyptians certain.
y did, may readily be supposed to have crossed
the Atlantic, and got to America. AT any rate, II
once they got TO the southwark, and clear of land,
within the sphere of the trade wind, they had no
alternative but to run before 1t to the western
world The Red Charlbs of the Windward ISL
ands, Grenada, and ST. Vincent. (now, we believe,
eXtinct,) were most certainly, from their manner,
customs, and religion, of the PhHnician and Car
thaglnlan race, but from the discovery above al:
luded to, and those some time ago made In Central
America, by Stephens, 1t would appear that all The
western portion of the American continent had
been discovered and peopled by Eastern Asiatic
nations. Itwould exceed our limits to quote refer
ences to show this fact. We shall here simply re-
mark, that whoever looks at the able drawings in
Stephens beck on Central America, will perceive
them to be covered with Egyptian hleroglyphics
and Hamyarctc letters, such as those lately dis
covered In Southern Arabia, and at once perceive
that the figures and llneaments are those OF supe.
rior civilized Aslatlc nations, which portion of
the world vast civilized empires were found In
very ancient times, as also In Egypt, one of the
most ancient and powerful OF the whole, and which,
though strictly speaking an African power, yet her
sway extended both in Africa and in ASIA and
al WAS in he
hended in what was called the Land of Cush or
Ethiopia, its early and most extended sense, in
GLIDING both Arabia and Africa, from the Red Sea
to the banks of the Nile throughout its course.
In confederation of what we have stated regard
ing America, IN Its western parts, being discovered
and peopled from the Eastern world, we may state
that we had lately the pie OF conversing with
Sandwich islands (Honolulu), who states that it is
not unusual for vessels from Japan to be driven by
the western winds upon, or to be picked up by the
whaling ships off these islands, and landed In
them, he himself having been the means of rellev-
ing and sending back some of their crews to their
own country through the Russian settlement at
Kamskatscka. The, prevalence of strong south
west winds from all the coasts of Eastern Asia,
beyond the northern troplc, will Just as GER
tainly drive vessels, when blown of the coast,
before them to the coast OF America, as the trade
wind on the Atlantic would carry vessels from
Africa to America. But what is more impor-
tant, and to the point, he told us that the ma
tives of the Sandwich Islands are daily in the
habit OF rehearsing, IN songs, the traditions of the
exploits OF their ancestors, and tracing these back
through period of $50 reigns or kings (at IL
years TO reign this would give q l60 years. they
describe them as issuing in swarms, by fleets,
from the southern points OF Eastern Asia, men,
tioning especially the Malay coast, and thence
coming along by the southern points of japan,
giving the very names Of the headands as stated
by the earliest Dutch navigators till they gained
the coast OF America on the Oregon or Columbian
territory; thence, descending. the western coast
OF America into the tropical division thereof, they
returned home through the islands IN the North
Pacific Ocean, giving to some of them the names
as known at the present day. From this we per-
celve how America could be peopled from Asia,
and also how Asiatlc manners and people like
Asiatics could be found In 1t The Anglo-Saxon
race having now got firm footing and power in
the more central portions of the American contl-
nent, may speedily prepare us for learning other
important discoveries, which will 60 to connect
the ancient inhabitants of the Old World with
those of the New.
The second point in the American papers that
we would advert to is the now clearly ascertaned
fact OF the discovery of vast, If we may use the
expression, gold fields near the Bay of San Fran
ciso, In upper California. This bay, in n lat. 81
deg. 40 min is one OF the finest basins and har-
bors IN the world, and is formed at the estuary of
the united streams of the Rio Sacramento river,
descending from the north, and the river Joaquin,
gold found extends about 100 miles by so from the
Feather River to the Rio Sacramento, and Isl found
lying like snow flakes, IN sandy and gravelly
soil. Ii is chiefly abundant near the Sacramento
and on It's banks. The whole population, Ameri-
can, Mexican, and Indian, have betaken them
selves to collect it, and one man will gather to
the value of from 20 to 100 dollars per day. II Is
also found IN small pIeces, some as large as one
ounce. The quality Is very fine, equal to that of
the doubloon. II is obtained by digging, and then
washing the earth, the gold falling to the bottom
OF the vessel. Every description Of utensil that
can be mad n ut IN requistioR for the work, and
bought up at an extravagant price eve cradles
are used for the purpose, and some of the vessels
employed are rather of ludicrous kind-thus, a
common. chamber pot is bought for the purpose
at the price Of SIG! What a field for consign-
ment from our potteries Young and old, men
and women, and children, robust and lame, are
engaged In the work, and ships are deserted by
their crews TO engage IN 1t, though offered wages
TO navigate the ship at $50 per month
AS our best maps are faulty in that part of
America, we will describe the position and rivers
from Fremont's late and accurate survey. The
Sierra Nevada, western branch of the rocky
mountains, or the A ndes of the north, approach
much nearer TO the Pacific than has hitherto been
supposed, being not more than 120 miles from it,
and these rise to stupendous height much ex-
ceedlng the highest of the Rocky Mountains
Ui,000 ieet), and covered with eternal snow for
thousands OF feet below their SUBMITS The Rio
Sacramento rises in 43 deg. N. lat. and l2l deg
W. long, and descending in a course SSW. it
crosses The parallel OF 30 deg in about l22 deg