Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-12-09

ship must necessarily be EXTENDED; but flee
tuaIy done without lae action Of Congress the subject AID.
diona agencies required lnage Indian affairs in these
territories and to extend 10 them Indian system control
and management which, in other parts of our country, mas
already Produced such happy results and full Of promise
for he future.
respectfully ask your attention to the following subjects
mentioned my last annual report: the settlement of cnns
in California, retired list OF officers Of army and an
asylum for disabled ard sode.s. IN regard 10 each
o. these the views Of the Department fully oh in that
report aud again recommend them your favorable
sideration.
have the honor to be- very respectfully, your obedient
servant, W. l.. MARCY,
! 10 the fRSsfpFNr. scctcry If War.
INTERESTING DESPATCH FROM CALIFORNIA.
Among the documents received by the Secretary of War
ani Communicated with te P,esdns message is the follow
ing letter from Co.. Mason, tie military commandment OF Ca
orna, who presents the fullest desert on we have seen Of
the gold "pacegs' Of that distant regon:
! HEAneuAaTERs 10TH Military DkrARrMssr,
Monterey, Cah.fora,e, .Aust.st II, ls4s.
SIR have the honor To inform you that, accompanied by
Lieut. W. T. Sheraan 81 artillery, A. A. A. CEREAL. start
ed on he 18th Of Junc last to through the north
part of California My principal purpose, however,
TO visit the newy discovered gol place in the valley of
the Sacrament, had pr, cceied about ic.ty niles when
Was cvcr.aaen by exIes bringing Intelligence OF the
arrival al Monterey Of the United States ship Southampton
with important letters on Commodore shubgck and Lieut.
Col Button returned At Monterey, and Jispach-
Ell what business important and the 18th
"a journey. We acacd San FIarcisco the 20h and
found that all nearly all male Inhabitants bad gone 70
the mines The town, which mon!hs before busy
and t' ing, then almost deserted On the evening Of
the 21h me horses of the sed Sousclete
launch and on the following day we resumed the Journey
y way If Bodega and Sonoma Suffers fort where we ar
rived on the morning Of tho 81 OF July. Along the whole
route mills were lying de fields Of wheat open cattle
hoses, houses vacrnt aud farms going waste. At
lam were
discEagiag their ri tic ive and hauling
goods the fort where ALREADY established yea stores
ho:e&c. Capt Safer bad only Two mechanics in els
p.cy, "a wagonakeV and black spit whom he was then
payrg ten doas day. Merchants poy him monthy rent
OF Si0C Per room apd whilst there two-ssoy house
in the tort rented as a hotel for $500 month.
AT the urgent solicitation OF many gentlemen, DELAYED
there 10 participate IN the first public celebration Of
onn anniversalJ AZ tat fort but the 5s resumed the
journey, and Proceeded twenty-five miles up the American
folk to point it known the Lower mlnes or Nor
mon Dggings The hlsides thcAly with can
tents and bush srbors store erected and several
boarding saies in operation. The day intensely hot
yet about two hrG3cd work the full glare Of
tho sum- washing Tor g0dsomc with tin pans some with
close woven EdaE BASKETS, but the greater part had rude
machine, known the cradle This is rockers six or
eight long open at the foot ard its head has
CRATE, sieve the bottom rounded with small elects nailed
across. -Four rlen required 10 work this machine
digs the ground the bank close by the another
gss the cradls and empes The grue hird gives
volen rocking motion 10 tho mlchiIe, whilst fourth dahes
from the ITSELF The sieve keeps the coarse
stones from entering the clde TIE current Of water washes
of the earthly matter AID tic gravel gradually carried out
the foot OF the machine, leaving the gold mixed with
hfavy fine black sand above The first elects. The sand and
gold mixed together then drawn of through auge holes
into pan below, dried the Sun, and sepa
raed by blowing oil the sand party Of four men hus EN-
ployed the lower mines averaged 500 day The Indians
and those who have nothing but pans willow baskets
gradually wash the earth and separate the gravel BY hard
leaving nothing bit The gold mixed with sfnd which sepa-
81 - k.fn ~.l Il
mines is in ne bright scales, Of which send several pec
mens.
As ascendel the south branch Of The American fork The
country became more broken and mounous and The
MILL IS miles above the lower washipg SO miles from
Suffers the hills rise to about housanI feet above the level
Of the Sacramento plain. Here SPECIES Of pine occurs which
led to The discovery Of the gold. Capt Suffer- feeling tie
great want OF lumber contracted in September last with Mr.
Msrshsil to buid saw.l at that place. II elected in
the Of the past winter and spnga dam aud race
siructed hut wien the water let The wheel the tell
iod to he too permit the water 10 escape
with sufficient rnpdy Mr. MARSHALL TO labor, let the
directly into the with strong current SO as to
wash It wider ard deeper He effected his purpose and
large bed Of mud and gravel carried the loot Of the race
One day Mr. Marshal he wall l,g down the race n
this depoe Of mud, observed gierine patc!s at ITS
npp.r edge lie gathered few examined them and became
satisfied o their value he then tie fort told Can't
suer Of Dis discovery and they agreed keep il secret un,
certain gr mill OF Suffers finished Il, however got
and sIeads magic Remarkable attended The
men were drawn ihher At the time Of my visit, but little
r,ore Than three nhs after lis rs; drcover il was cs'-
mated that upwards OF four thousand people emplyed
IA The mil there 10 ine depose bank Of gravel which
tie pcte rrspec the property Of Capt Suer. aaoush
he pretends to right TO H. and would bc peri city satisfied
with the simple promise II peempticn account Of The
mill which he hes built thcrc considerable cost Mr. Mar
shah was Viag the mill, and informed me that MANY
persons were employed above aad below hin that they used
the same machines al the lower washings that their
success abJu The samcrangrg from one three ounce,
OF gold per man daily This golJ too, is in scales little
coaser than hose OF the lower mines. From the mill Mr.
Marshall guided up he mountain the opposite or north
bank Of the south fork where in the bed OF small streams or
rlnes dry great deal OF gold hes been found
there several parties al work, all Of whom were doing
very we'll great many specimens shown me- some as
heavy four or five IN weight and send three
pieces abeej No. 8, presented by Mr. Spence You will
perceive that Of the specimens accompanying this hold
mechanically pieces Of quartz that the surface Is rough and
evidently moulded in the crevice Of = rock This cold
have been carried Ear by water but must have remain
ed near where first deposited pm the rock thai once
bound IT, inquired Of many people they had encountered
the metal IN M msrs but in every instance they said they
had not hut that the gold invariably mixed with washed
gravel or lodged in the other rocks All bore es
ony that they had found gold grene or les quantities
The numerous small gaies that occur in thu, noun
famous region.