The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-02-08
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, lS49.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, ls49.
The Gold Rsgio~-Resxits of Capta,~ Sntter's
D'seors'ies-Ertent of the Gold Region of the ST.
era Observation-Disclosures ~ Sonora, on the Glla,
~ Ne,o Merico, and the Rocky Mountains-Pro-
babe Rieh~sss in Gold of the Great Baaw--Pe-
caliarity ofthe Sierra Nevada Washings-- CIV
rio~s Fact respecting the Explorations of IT,
Col Fsmowt--Des iptios of a Vietc ofMs Val.
ley of the Sacramento from the Summit of the
Sierra Nevada Necessity ola Mint.
Tradition, history, and fable, are superseded
The place is found at last, and all the world Is
arming for California. Chinese, Sandwich island
ers, Mexicans, Spaniards, South Americans, and
the whole breed Of the Cells and the Saxons, are
IN motion. The philosophers stone is in the
heart of the Sierra Nevada.
When Captain Suffer, who, for ten years, has
been the acknowledged American adelantado and
viceroy OF the Rio de los Amercanos, in Alta Cali
fornia, when the thrifty Captain and his three
ditch dggers, few months ago, in the tail race of
a saw-mill, discovered half dozen PARTICLES of
gold dust, little did they suppose that that disco
very, in less than year, was to set the world in
agitation, and attract emigration, by thousands up
ON thousands, from every quarter of the globe, to
the basin of San Francisco, and to the auriferous
ravines of the sublime range Of Ell Sierra Nevada
little did they dream that those glittering partl-
Giles of yellow sand were to affect the finances the
commerce, the capital and labor of Europe and
America, and to preclpitate the descent of the An
Clio Saxon race, with their arts and manufactures.
into China and Japan, and the muttudlnous islands
of Australasia. A few months have disclosed the
certainty of these results. Before the expiration of
a year, hundred thousand gold dIggers and specu-
lators will be thrown into the valley OF the San
Joaquin and Sacramento and allowing to each of
these gold diggers and spectators the average of
five dollars day, and three hundred days labor for
the year, the proceeds OF twelve months labor will
give you an aggregate OF $500, 000,0 900. fourth
part OF this amount, thrown into the domestic cir
culation of this country must have the effect of pro-
ducing an nfuton of getting up great enterprises,
OF wild speculatlons; and when the mines are ex-
hausted, and the tide begins to recede, all these
expansions, mutations, and speculatons, must be
succeeded by the very inevitable result OF most
sweeping and magnificent revusion.
The mines must be exhausted-the weshlnps of
three or four thousand years from the lofty sides
Of the Sierra Nevada, are found to have tier IL
mlts, and hole IN the alluvla of the ravlnes is
found to be capable OF speedy sitting of Its golden
sands
But how far do the gold washings extend? AT
least 250 miles along the western TANKS of the
Sierra Nevada, by width of from rs to so miles,
And when the washlDgs are exhausted over this
extensive surface, who shall attempt to estimate
the bulk of the gold that Is to be extracted from
the sides and the bowels OF that vast mountain
range of the Sierra Nevada mountain range of
the average height OF 10000 feet, with frequent
peaks OF from 900 10 H. 900 feet above the sea-
mountain range from 90 to 100 miles wide, run.
ming 500 miles through California, 500 miles
through through the British possessions, until it
infrlnges upon the sea in the Russian segment of
the north west coast OF America -! And il has yet
to be determined that gold does not exist through
nttth he inf ft,cp 49,
From the report of Professor Dana. of Captain
Wilkes exploring expedition, the "gold bearing"
rocks OF this range are the same on the Columbia
river that they are on the RIO de los Amercanos
in California. But again, the history OF Mexico
furnishes us with accounts OF gold washngs in
Sonora-500 miles south of the washings of the
San Joaquin; The report of Major Emory, of Gen.
Kearney's detachment, overland to California,
a tributary of the CHA, 500 miles southeast of the
San Joaquin, and 400 east OF the range of the
Sierra Nevada. The report of the German Pro-
lessor, Wllkisenne, who accompanied Col. Doni-
phans expedition, speaks of the gold washings of
New Mexico, thousand miles east of the Sacra.
mento, In the lateral ranges of the Rocky noun
tains; and a recent report from the Great Salt
lake, or that neighborhood, gives glowing ac-
talns, near the northern boundary Of the United
States territories. The peculiar color OF the wa
tiers of the Colorado, the entire general similarity
Its volcanic origin of the whole OF that vast re-
&c,
stretching down to the desert plains of Sonora
and chihuahua, in Mexico; the identity of
the geological characteristics, and the &C.
tual discoveries made, at different points, COM
square, warrant the presumption that over
all this vast region of bald volcanic mountains,
deep caverns, plains Of salt and sand, valleys OF
stunted grass and sloping decllvities, covered
be found for the digging; and that thus, region
whose whole external aspect is that OF desolation
sterllty, fracture, violence and fire--a bowling
waste OF desert plains, strewn over with chaos
to explorc-is likely to turn out, according to the
standard OF value recognized by the world, the
richest and most attractive region upon the tace OF
Gods earth.
Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, in which the
miserable Indians subslst upon roots and nsects--a
region without vegetation tor animal life, except
insects and lndians-a region, the waters OF which
are solutions OF volcanic substances, aud the
springs boiling from the still existing volcanic fires
under the surface II may turn out, we say that
this region will be found to have its placeros, and
Its gold washings at the foot OF the lofty mountain
ranges which traverse 1t In every direction, and
that from being the most revolving, it may become
the most attractive part of North America
The valley OF the Sacramento and the San Joa
quin, constitute, however, the great locality Tor the
gold duet. There the Sierras Nevada are the
broadcast and there the descent the Pacific coun-
try the deepest and the steepest, and there the
annual rains are the longest and the strongest; so
that there the washiDgs OF the mountains down
into the favines and Valleys for three or tour thou
sand years, present the heaviest accumulations
from the dislntegratlons of the mountain rocks in
which the gold dust, in its original state is inter-
mingled. How plain the thing appears when once
you understand 1t!
Lieut. Col Fremont has gone out with an ex-
plonng party to cross over the head waters OF the
Colorado, and thence to pursue that unknown river
down to the Cult of California; this will enable
him to complete the geography of the region west
of the Rocky Mountains. And his will be the
credit OF the work Of mapping down a hitherto I'M
known desert country, Its mountains, lakes, sngu-
larlties, and Its whole biographical complexities,
compromising from eight to ten degrees OF latl
tude and longitude, including the beautiful pro-
ducve gold dust country, west OF these deserts,
the Pacific And yet is strange, that after ira
verslng for eight or ten years past, the whole
OF this vast region, and particularly the val