The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-12-16

a letter from Commander A. R. Long, u. S Navy
who had just arrived at san Francisco from Mazal
Ian, with crew Tor the sloop OF war Warren
with orders 10 take that vessel to the squadron 9
Ia Paz. Capt Long wrote 10 me that the Mex
can Congress had adjourned without ratifying In
treaty Of peace; that he had letters for me fIoI
Commodore Jones', and that his orders were 4
sail with the Warren ON or before the 1Jth O
July. La consequence of these, | determined I,
return TO Monterey, and accordingly arrived her
on the l7ih of July.
Before leaving Suffers | satisfied myself tina
gold existed in the bed ofthe Feather river, in th
Nubah and Bear, and in many ofthe small stream
that lie between The latter and the American fork
also, that it had been found in the Costumes Il
The south OF the American fork. In each oil lhes,
streams the gold is found in small scales, whereas
IN the intervening mountains Al occurs IN coarse
Jumps.
Mr. Sinclair, whose rancho is three miles abov,
SuiteI s on the north side of the American, EN-
ploys about 80 Indians on the north fork, not ia
from its junction with the main stem. He haC
| been engaged about five weeks when | saw him
ard up 10 that time his Indians had used simple
4 closely woven willow baskets. His net proc esds
(which SAW were about Sl6.OO worth OF gold
tie showed me the proceeds of his last week
work-iourteen pounds ayoirdupois OF clean-wash
ed gold.
The principal store al Suffers Fort, that of Bran
nan & Co., had received in payment for goods
SO, UDO (worth OF this gold) from the LIST of Nav
10 the 10th Of July. Other merchants had also
made extensive sales. Large quantities Of goods
were daily sent forward 10 the mines, the lndi.
ans, heretofore 50 poor and degraded, have sud
denly become consumers Of the Injuries life.
before mentioned that the greater part Of The far
lners and rancheps had abandoned their fields 10
] 90 to the mines.
This is not the case with Captain Suffer, who
was carefully gathering his wheat, estimated al
40 600 bushels. Flour is already worth at Suffers
$50 a barrel, and soon will be fifty. Unless large
quantities OF brea1stuf reach the country, much
suffering will occur; but as each man is now able
TO pay large price, il is believed the merchants
will bring from Chilli and Oregon 4 plentiful sup
ply for the coming winter.
The most moderate estimate could obtain from
men acquainted with the subject, was, that up.
wards OF four thousand men were working in the
gold district, OF whom more than one-hali were In
dams; and that from $50, TO S5O,UU OF gold, il
not more, was daily obtained. The entire gol6
district, with very few exceptions of grants made
st9he wears ago ty the Mexican authorities, is on
land belonging 10 the United States. Ii was mat
ter Of serions reflection with me, how | could sc.
cure to the government certain rents OF fees iol
The privilege Of procuring this gold; but upon con.
sidering the large extent ofeOunty, the characte,
OF the people engaged, and the small scattered
force al my command, resolved not 10 interfere
bat 10 permit all work freely, unless broils and
crime should call for interference.
Twas surprised TO learn that crime ofany kind
very unfrequent aud that no hefts OF Tobberies
had been committed in the gold district All live
in tents, in bush arbors, or in the open air; and
men have frequently about their persons thousands
Of dollars worth OF this gold; and il was TO mat
Ter OF surprise that SO peaceful and quiet state OF
things should continue 10 exist Conflicting
claims 10 particular spots OF ground may Gauss,
collisions, but they will be rare, as the extent OF
country is great, and the gold so abundant. that
for the present there Is room and enough for all.
Sill the government entitled TO rents for this
land, and immediate steps should be devised To
collect them for the longer il is delayed the more
difficult it will become. ore plan would suggest
is TO send out from the United States surveyors
with high salaries, bound 10 serve specified periods
superintendent 10 be appointed al Suffers
Fort, with power to grant Licenses TO work spot
of ground-sav 100 yards square-tor one year, at
rent OF from TOTO 100 dollars, at his discretion
the surveyors TO measure the ground, and place
the TentoT in possession.
better plan, however, will De TO have the dis
iTict surveyed and sold al public auction TO the
highest bidder, in small psIcels-say from % ID
40 acres. In eilher case, there will be many in
truders, whom for years il will be almost irnpossi-
bic 10 exclude.
The discovery of these vast deposites Of gold
has entirely changed the character of Upper Cali
iomia. It's people, before engaged in cultiystiGg
their small patches OF ground, and guarding Their
herds OF cattle and horses, have all gone 10 the
mines, or are on their way thiikef. LaboIeIs O,
every trade haze left their work benches, ard
tradesmen their shops. Sailors desert their ships
as fast as they arrive or the coast, and several
vessels have gone 20 sea with hardly enough HANDS
10 spread sail Two or three are now at anchor
in San Francisco with no crew on board Many
desertious, too, have taken place from the garri-
sons within the influence OF these mines: twenty
sin soldiers have deserted from the post of Sono-
ma, twenty-four from that Of San Francisco, ard
twenty -four from Monterey.
For few days the EVIL appeared 50 threatening,
that CREST danger existed that the garrison would
leave in body; AMI refer you TO my orders of the
25th of July, 10 show the steps adopted 20 meet
this contingency. | shall spare no exeItions 10
appIehend and punish deserers. bnt believe no
lime in the history Of our country has presented
such temptations 10 desert as now exist in Cali
tornia. The danger Of apprehension IS small, and
the prospect of high wages certain; pay and bonn-
ties iTifies, laDoring men At the mines can
now earn in one day more than double "A sodisIs
pay and allowances for month, ami ven the pay
OF a lieutenant or captain cannot hire q servant.
A carpenter OF machanic would not listen 10 an
offer OF less than Sl5 or so day.
Could any combination Of sffairs try mans
fidelity more than this? And ] really think some
extraordinary mark Of favor should be given to
those soldiers who remain faithful 10 their flag
throughout this tempting crisis. No officer can
now live in California on his pay, money has So III
tie value: the prices Unnecessary articles of lothing
and subsistence are so exoIbitant ard labor SO
high, that 10 hire cook or servant has oecUme an
from thirty TO fifty dollars a day. This state OF
things cannot last forever. Netfrom the geogrsph-
zeal position of California, and the new character
il has assumed q mining country, prices of la
Dor will always be high, and will hold out tempta-
lions 10 desert.
Itherefose have 20 report, If the government
wish TO prevent deserton here on the part Of men,
and 10 secure zeal on the part Of officers, their pay
must be increased very materially. Soldiers, both
Of the volunteers and regular service, discharged
in this country, should be permitted at once 10 To-
cate their land war; ants in the gold district Many
private letters have gone TO the United States Civ
ing accounts of the vast quantity OF gold recently
discovered and IL may be a matter of surprise why
have made no report on this subject at an earlier
date.
The reason is, that could not bring myself to
believe the reports that | heard of the wealth of
the gold district until visited il myself | have
no hesitation now in saying that there IL more gold
in the country drained by the Sacramento and San
Joaquin river. than will pay the cost of the present
war with Mexico hundred times over. No CAPT
tai is required TO obtain this gold, as the laboring
man wants nothing but his pick and shovel and
tin pan, with which to dig and wash the gravel; and
many frequently pick gold out OF the crevices OF
rocks with their bntcher.knives, in pieces from
one to six ounces.
Mr.. Dye, a gentleman residing in Monterey, and
worthy ofevery credit, has iustretumed from Feah-
river. ha tells me that the company TO which
he belonged, worked seven weeks and two days,
with an average offty Indians, (washers) and that
their gross product was two hundred and seventy
three pounds of gold. His shae, (one-seventh,)
after paying all expenses, is about lhirty-seven
pounds, which he brought with him and exhibited
in Monterey. | see no laboring man from the
mines who does not show his two, three, or four
pounds of gold.
soldier Of the artillery company returned here
few days ago from the mines, having been absent
on furlough twenty days. He made BY trading and
working during that time 81 500. During these
twenty DAVIS he was travelling ten or eleven DAYS