Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-12-22
Prom lie " y journal Of C6ams
Latest from California.

Latest from California.
We have been favored with the following ex.
tracts of letters from Capt. Spring, commanding
the ship luutress, at San Francisco directed 10
her owners in this cityE
SAN FRANcIsco, Sept 2ist, is4s.
arrived at Monterey on the morning OF the
10th inst, exactly l42 days from New York.
My chance round the Cape was very fine.
On my arrival found such state of things
existing a. at is not easy todcscribe The town
Of such it may be called) | found entirely
deserted. There were only ten men, and
about twice that number OF women, left in
the place. This was in consequence of the
discovery Of extensive gold mines on the banks
Of the river Sacramento, about tveniy.iour
hours run up the river, where am now Wing.
Almost before had heard of the news myself
my crew had got hold of it, and xix OF them
were of. found there were no facilities
whatever for receiving or landing my car
90 at Monterey, and being sure | could not be
in a worse predicament here than there, dis
embarked the troops, and agreed with Cover
nor Mason to proceed to this place.
On my arrival here, found very much the
same state Of things as at Monterey. All the
vessels in the harbor were deserted by their
crews, in many instances by their officers, and
in some by their masters. The facility with
which any individual may, with only ordinary
Industry, pick up either in what are called the
dry" or the -" wet digTns," $4,000 or $4,000
worth OF pure gold, in one month, is too much
temptation for most men.
have not vet begun to discharge. The only
lighter to BE- had here, suitable for taking out
my cargo, belong 10 the government, and she
is out OF repair The Quarter Master has been
hard At work ever since have been in, getting
her up on the beach. lie has employed several
house carpenters who came here from Oahu TO
90 to the mines, at SIS to $40 per day to do this
work.
Nominally, the price OF day labor is SIS 10 Sc,
bat no men are to be obtained, other than lndi-
ans or miserable worn out men, who cannot CO.
or else have been to the mines, and returned
sick. Fifty dollar, per month are paid for men
to 90 very short distances about on the coast
with the bargain Of the vessel has any yards)
that they shall not 60 aloft. They are for the
most part disbsnded volunteers, aud more
miserable set cannot be found elsewhere, in u
hospital. No men can be obtained at any price,
to work ont OF the usual hours The more they
are paid, the less willing are they to work.
Twenty-Five cents glass Tor grog and ~ per
meal, are the prices paid here. Gold beng
plenty every description OF goods is consequent
~ high S3UGSj0 per pair for blankets such as
cost 81 in New York. IS pair for shoes, and
every thing pro rata. The charter OF small
craft Formerly long boat,) decked, is $50 per
day. The launch Of the Peacock, lost on the
bar Of the Columbia some years since, arrived
here yesterday, and was sold before night for
81, in good clean dust, 20 cara,s fine, at
$40 per ounce. Another which came in from
the river the same day, about year old, Of IS
tons, was sold for $4,000 They ask me sea
Sc so per dozen for washing. Ii could only
supply the place of my clothes by the purchase
Of new at New York prices, would throw them
overheard instead of having them washed.
| left the ship Isaac Walton, only two years
| old at Monterey, without a man ON board. No
one Of our men-ol-war dare anchor in any OF
these waters, as they would lose their crews il
/ they did So At present, common property is
safe enough, lying anywhere unmatched; il is too
small game 10 be taken any notice OF. There is
now some danger in returning from the mines,
as there are those who prefer to take the gold
already washed to their hands, than dig and
wash for themselves. The most extravagani
stories are told of the quantities Of gold found
| and the ease with which il is obtained. ] have
myself seen pieces weighing one, two and three
ounces, and in one instance, lump perfectly
| pure, weighing more than ten ounces ayoir'lu-
pos. Ii Is said (my informant is Governor Ma
son, who has been on the ground) that parties
are digging many miles apart with equal sue
cess, and that for hundreds and hundreds OF
Z miles all the precious metals are found in great
Z abundance. When asked him how much
might believe Of the many (apparently) exag-
gerated stories that are told respecting the
mines, he replied, you may credit almost any
thing you hear. Gold is sold here now at s 10
the ounce generally it has been selling at IS
! Indeed, have seen great deal purchased from
the common people at the latter price. Can
YOU wonder that the common sailor oyerooks
+ his obligations under such circumstances?
am told from good authority that the Gus
tom of those who sell liquor at the mines by
glass, is, 10 take from the little bag which the
customer holds open, pinch Gas Of snuff for
one glass of bad watered whiskey. | tried the
experiment, and found / could easily take up
81 worth Of dust, at the rate of SIG per ounce
Those who have a large thumb, and understand
the business, can easily take up six or eight dol
lars in the same way. A day or two since. a
gentleman with whom am very well acquaint
ed from the Sandwich Islands, wanted a man
to take his trunk from the bench 10 his lodgings
and seeing an idle, half-clad negro, (apparentl,
runaway from some vest l,) he asked him 1
he would like the job The fellow cast at hin
. an indignant glance, and turned away from hin
without degning reply but after he had gone
about five steps, he turned round and approach
cd us, drawing from his bosom a small bag O
dust, and said, "Do you think I'll lug trunk
when I'll get that much in one day" He hat
more than 800.
Since l commenced this, have seen an in
telligent gentleman from Hartford, Conn, VIII
{ has just come down from the mines. lie ha
S been absent from this place two months, and al
{ though man Of delicate constitution, (he cam
out for his healih,) the net proceeds Of his expe