The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-11-30

From the Richmond Enquirer of yesterday.
The RICHES OF CALfoRsn.-A friend has allowed
publish the following extracts from all interesting
letter. written by intelligent, young man, native OF
Henrco county;
La PAz, Lower California, July 30, ls4s
My DEAR SIR: am at present ordered by the commo.
dofe surveying party, which will leave here in about
week for Cape St Lucas the extreme southern point of
which will terminate at Monterey, In Upper California
being journey OF sixty or seventy days over hun
dreds OF miles OF unknown country, and The remainder
with few inhabitants upon 1t; the whole distance being
something 800 miles. The object OF the survey
to obtain every kind of information respecting the
try It's agriculture, mneralogy, topography, &c, The
latter department my especial duty, and is The diff
cultes OF which many and great account of
Of proper instruments The same inconvenience is felt
in the other branches, but we will make the best OF it
by substituting such instruments as we raise, and
hope to make crediiabe work. The party is under
command of acting Master J. g. Strain, an officer of
The navy, OF fine attachments The second IN the exped
ton Is Mr. K H. Slnton, somewhat erraic genius, OF
whose qualifications will forbear speak at present
Thus, sir, you will have chance of seeing the
whole OF the interior of Lower well large portion
of the western coast of Upper American California
Mr. Forrest has kindly given his consent TO my leaving
him for the time occupied, for which under many
Obligations TO him. 1t is an opportunity rarely offered to
young man, and would not miss II for any consldera
tion and if we had proper instruments we would make
scientific journey that would do some credit Even
as il is, we hope to do something.
The next thing OF Importance is the gold mania raging
in Upper California, the accounts of which, reaching
often al this place, of The most exravagant kind that
the mind conceive. The riches of Peru, in the days
mine recently opened near ST. Francisco, on the Sacra
mento river, at its junction with the Rio de los Amer
canos Individuals are now getting fifty dollars a
day by washing the gold out of The sands The whole
of Monterey and ST. Francisco deserted, whole am
lies having migrated to the gold region the extent Of
which is now discovered TO exceed 50 miles in length,
weighing halt ounce, or dollars in value, it being the
pures grain gold. Mr. Larkin, the navy agent in Mon
terey, writing from there, says that he timed himself
upon recent visit TO the gold bed, and with thirty MN
utes washing he collected gold to the value of ~ So
and he further mentioned two brothers who work
ing together with the rudest implements, making from
$40 to 800 per day The riches OF the ARABIAN Nights
cannot be compared with Californian gold mines, and in
deed, the wealth of the entire void is drop when
placed with this golden harvest of California. EEL Do
rdd0" IS certainly found at last but all the gold digging
might go, If had a cargo OF flour and clothing and
hardware here at this time, even in twelve months
from this could a IN 1885, fortune at one Jump
81 50 in the United States, at and 10 dollars per pair and
all other clothing high in proportion, well pro-
visions; besides common picks and shoyes for digging
up the gold eah sell for $50 and $50 EACH and not 10 be
had at that price Upwards OF 1000 persons at work
there at this me and the supply calculated TO last for 80
years The 1000 earn weekly aggregate of $500 900
half million of dollars The above wish you not to
under stand me as endorsing, for believe the statements
to be greatly exaggerated yet that there has been lately
discovered mine of great and immense wealth, there
be doubt and that too, of kind that only requires
the simple operation of washing 10 get the purest gold,
without the trouble of extracting it from the by the
usual process The prices of the articles mentioned can
be relied on, should any friend in Richmond wish send
cargo. may settle there if like the place We will
visit the gold bed in surveying expedition and if it
only requires 10 be shovelled up will fill several sacks
and take them board for curiostes only. The
veyins expedition would be dangerous from the Indians,
but escorted by so mounted men, being portion
of the California regiment returning TO Upper California
so, with ordinary luck, hope to reach Monterey about
the lst November, whence will write you again