The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-03-16

ss'""S 'u "c PtVsutScu 'dItu. Dut, tuey uIe
not unanimous on that, Ms my informant
says. "hc might spostatize," "a common
word among them.
There nrc now more than scrcn thousand
Mormons in, or on their way to this Terri
tory, and it report be true, there will be
twice the number by next year. Their
principal settlement, is Denr Valley, above
Sutor's Fort, where they have laid out n
city aud have commenced TO build il; but
their principal city, which is 10 N called
tho "City Of the PROPHETS viii be built
near the Sacramento, on the San Joakin.
There they intend building their "Ncw Jc-
rusnlcm," and bnryinr the bones 81 their
prophet, 10 Smith. Thus, step after step,
this Brannan dc!udcs the ignorant at every
turn. until he gets his ends accomplished,
after which lie will be "among the miss
ing.'
"'rhc Californian copy of which
send YOU, is published by Louisvillinn,
who learned Ills trade with Prentice. The
paper spcaks Tor itself. The editor is u
Wing, and would il necessary, be the first
to advocate that cause. Printers arc plcn.
~, and tho dregs Of tho cast.or craft ore 10
he seen in every state md condition. No.
man-of.war in the harbor, or party Of
trnppcrs or soldiers, or nnv collection what.
ever, but two or moro of them are 10 be
found. In Monterey, the Alcaldc, Walton
Cation. is printer. Mr.. Fozcc, tho High
Constable, is a printer. lie learned his
trade in tho Republican office, and belongs
10 ST. Louis. The office of Alcnldc is the
same as President Judge in the States, but
he MISC acts rs Sheriff, Esquire md Mayor,
50 that his power il almost unlimited. He
can sentence criminal mud execute him,
aud no ono question his acknowledgements
il is Mexican.
How TO commence IL write about Cali
seasons, the wet aud tho dry. The rainy
scsson commences about the middle Of No
vcmber, when il rims without. intcrmission
until somo time in April, when the dry
season commences, and not drop mnre Of
rain is 10 lie seen until tho middle of Octo-
her, Mt which time every ycs,ige Of yegeta-
ton is gone, and tho ground, TO tho depth
Of sixteen inches, is ms hard as q sun.dricd
brick. Consequently, tho land, cxccp,
where il is irrigated, is Of but little value
mud rs winter is scarce, agriculture and
grazing. except along the streams, will he
If little value and rs the streams nrc few
mud fnr between, tho country will never be
ihictiy settled.
Wheat md barley nro the most profita-
bic crops; corn aud potatoes give ha, poor
returns; turnips in abundance; oats and
clavcr grow spontaneously; beans, peas,
md oil kinds Of gnrden vegetables are rais-
cd in every par, Of the country. Pumpkins
md melons are the crops most looked nf;er
by the Spnninrds, rs they delight in their
cateche, pumpkins aud corn, boiled togeth.
ely
The crops of the country arc nbout the
snmc rs those Of Illinois, where the land is
irrigated; but tho prices nrc far different
Stock is the only thing TINT is Of nny inn
portnncc, ind the numbers Of cattle, l'orscs,
sheep, goats, hogs, &c. would nstonish any
body but a Californian. Mnny Of the far
mcrs own fifteen or twenty thousand bend
of beef cattle; eight hundred or thousand
head of horses, besides sheep, goats, hogs
&c. They also raisc tho finest mules
hive ever recn. Thousands Of cattle nre
slaughtered every ycar for their hides, tai
low, &c. The cattle roam over the coun
try in large drovcs, perfectly wild, with
nothing but n brnnd 10 protect them for tho
owner. They remain on the plains, o.
Llanos, until wnn,cd for hutchcring, whcr
they nre driven into large enclosure nnt
caught with the lasso.
The lasso is more efficient, ns means
IF defence, in tho hands ofn Californian
than the rifle is 10 bnckwoodsman. TIKI
rapidity aud precision with which they us.
il is astonishing. Horses, cattle, grizzl,
bear, deer, in fact, every thing That is no
swifier thnn the flcciest horse, falls a Ger
tain victim 10 this instrument, in the hands
Of the Californian.
The Spanish language is almost univcr
snlIy spoken. Foreigners, in few years
use il 10 preference TO their mother tongue
as it is much easier spoken than any other
and tho nn,iyes have pr, ,dico agains
all who do not use il, aud belong TO III,
Catholic Church. This war, however, hal
| pu, new face on all these old prejndiccs
How 10 write you description Of th'
Ladies' is difficult, MS they are all the colo,
Of a ner cent, or darker. The true Chs
lillian blood 10 probably not to he found il
the country; Yet, they nll claim relation
ship with some "Capi,ania" or ''Hidalgo'
in Mexico. They are a mongrcl, spuriou
breed Of lndians, Negroes snd Mexican nd
venturers and soldiers, that came 10 thi
country more than fifty years ago. Thei
taste for gambling appears 10 30 hcredi.a
re-. m Il il the first. last and only that m