New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-07-31

The following letter written BY inteliEen az
Nelie,n wu originally psbIished IN the Aroma
Soctol OF Gasdalsxua. Il contains many facts
which We have not seer presented else~ here and
takes 4. view Of the new territory and is mines
Which 10 q, leas, worth considering, and we
translate IL for The Tr5-Hs
sAS FkA~crsoo Aprii ~ l>'9
Much "a, been written. within few years 90 ne
territory ard The productions Of Upper California
Hunbos, described il IN ~ but s.Ehsu N seearsie
knoslesge Of The counrry-suoe he never visited X
Alexander Forces made 10 the subject OF To.1me N
ls1a cat Nso having persona acquaintance VIE ne
countries ne dese5et b. refers 70 tns accounts 'nst
hsv- b-sn gwen - hin ~ others hence bis Work .
81 With cor lectures and contradictions. - rat rom
the rre Of 20 pubucson Re has been Al OBJECT or fidl
cue snd must know ~ this tius how suPrrneis.y ne
has written " Cssi1nsrr. wrote another BOOK Oh 'ue
sane subject IN ls+5 but IL IS merely tissue 81 iNs
hoods especially in what concerns sgreultare-ior 'oe
cultivation Of cotton. tobacco. Sc. has never oeeo
known IN hat county
sevsrA Americans have since Published the result q
their observations but they have a. been prompted
~ private INTEREST,", either owning snt IN the co1n'
Try or paid tor Whist they write BY the rse ProPHe-
tors
None CT the previous works on California can oe con
suited with confidence Tor We cannot BE- authorized
10 SPEAK @; country without genera knowledge OF
10 character. derived from personal observation
consider il useless 70 describe the geographical 20
sitiou o, Upper California 10 has been known from
time irimemorsl since IL determa cd oy me nfst
spanish navigator BY whom il wss discovered
Asfar A. can Judge OF the hiiie that have seen ana
BY the detail. which have received from some Eng
i.h culuv.iors who have resided for several years IN
the country Upper California IN genera. u very and
sor the mountains well the hills are scarcely GOV
cred with bushes. snd hence wood for fuel Is very
scarce The places where most wood is found are At
the northern extremity, and At point called santa
Cruz There are few high AZ the foot Of the
mountains on the small plains. but they are OF little
importance. and immense plains are found without
single tree The mos. frequent trees are the hard oak
some common OAK and colored woods and here and
/ there lew pines and poplars.
The temperature OF Upper California i generally far
from agreeable the cold Is almost insupPcr'sole and
in great part Of the country north west wind pre-
walls. which il. very unpleasant after the thick aud ire
quen, iogs In the northeast quarter. in which are SIT
uated the snowy mountains Serrss Nevsdss) at whose
base are found the pscers the heat during the day Is
equal - that Of Bias Vera Cruz while AZ night
and in the morning the cold s extreme, and this con
slant inequality occasions many diseases.
The country from the cas-, % the vest Is extremely
warm All the lards capable Of cultivation IN Upper
California are included in the twenty four Missions /
have visited some OF these Missions, those OF - 10
,eph OF - Clara of 81 Bsrbsrs and others they al
show % the traveller in view of the ruins which they
present thst they were important establishments
Accord ng 70 the general opinion, they declined with
the lsw demanding the secusr1suon Of the Missions
The ct of this measure the total loss OF the i'm
/ msase qusnuty of cattle belonging 10 the establish
mepts on account OF the abuses committed by the
| managers. who were nominated BY the Government
and whether taking the title OF Governors de-
p-ved the Mission. OF the lands which they owned -
The dem oralzaton il st more 20 be- regretted when
VA. Introduced among the native. who 10 the number
Of 40 or GOO composed ih' population OF the N''
sion aad OF few neil aborng villages Many Of them
had ben instructed 10 the elements Of Sno~ledse
other. followed different trade. professions great
part were addicted manual labor in the fields there
"a. even a commencement Of nanuiactures, psriicu
iafly Of weaving but nothing now remains Of al this
out some relic. OF former labor and old looms
that have long been d.u,ed
Tie white population OF the country i Of the span
.h race. robust and handsome in general they culu
v.ts the land and rear aocks The number Of iuhshit
snt. scattered among the ranches At great distances
from each other 10 estimsted At 500 Their houses
are OF wood and they lead wretched life
The native. are disgusting in their appearance ihsiF
faces of the color Of brown and rounded and LITTLE
comp-e.sed their features are very broad their fore
head, narrow. their hair "a ike horse hair The IN
disns Of the Mexican plateau are Europeans compared
with them Their houses Ike caves All who
know them are astonished st the labor which Il must
have cost the Missionaries TO give them elementary In
.tructon to teach trades and even to Instruct
them Ia mu.c-for have heard them play on instru'
ments
Il may be said that there % no Government in the
country the American Governor and Alcaldes do jusi
a. they ike without any lsw. The treaty Of peace Is
made dead letter a. often they ind IL convenient
The prevailing religion "a tolerance degree Of pro
gress Introduced By the Americans
In general the face OF the country consists Of pls
tesux and pa aims the foot Of mountains the surface
verdant covered with good feed oats clover and e.
pecisIiy mustard
have seen the best snds Ia tue interior, the plains
Of t. Joseph aud Of 81 Clara among others but
reither On these nor on others OF immense extent
have ever seen the east .ign Of moisture | have
noticed The remarkable unfrequeney OF rain, which Is
wanting throughout the country this causes great
evl. for every sowing preesrou. account Of the
scarcity Of rain The rain commences in December VI
January and ends 10 February or March but this ID
only ia good years. for t sometimes happens that not
drop VI rain falls for two years in succession. We
nerd not know much " Agriculture 70 understand
what kind Of a country il must be which IS 50 almost
entirely destitute u rain.
The rivers Sacramento. - Joaquin, and -tanislaus
Of which so many maTyes have been tod must b
n.id-red nsi xnncsnt. The Sacramento contains
most water of three since Il 10 situated AZ the
North and contiguous u the Sierra Nevada bu, the
= Joaquin and the stani.isus which increases con
.idersbly from January 10 July BE- Ssded over u
August and september and none Of these streams no
even toe Sacramento have bed high enough 10 enable
them 10 BE- used for navigation. have my .ef .eer
the ~ Joaquin and the stanissu and Judge from
personal knOWedze The other IN the cOuntrl
are not worth Mentioning Drinking water 10 yer,
scarce. Or 10 speak more precisely il not found II
plains Of forty Or aty eagues IN extent There are
, isN wells whose water b used The best that
have drank came from the melted snow in tne Rive
stsns that Of u Joaquin Is injurious, and csnno
BE- used without boiling In other places 10 mas miner
taste ny arrival st the placer there water b
. The stream which we're al dry my return.
q Wheat Is soSn 10 January and February maize an