The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-03-08
Sketches of California.
Extracted from late work by Lieut.. Joseph
Warren Revere u. S. n:
SCENERY OF CALIFORNIA.

arrived about noon. Every thing connected with
this ride was delightful. The fresh morning ar
was redolent of the sweetest perfume ever waited
to the celestial daughter of the dawn 1t was
none of your commonplace Atlantic atmospheres,
but laden with fragrance; soft and voluptnous,
yet not enervating, but gently bracing. In truth
there pervading reality IN the sweet gales
which wooed u.s. seeming to impart to them intense
vitality. and 10 establish sympathy if not familiar
ity with the viewless spirits who people the sun
BEAM Our way lay through delicious plains,
richly enamelled with those exquisite wid-fowers
varying from palest blue to brightest flame color,
which are produced spontaneously in all parts of
California. Occasionally we wound through groves
of oaks verdant misseltoe, and arranged in
clumps with skill which man might valnlV imi-
tate, through the openings of which the startled
deer dared with lightning speed our cavalcade
dislodged them from their leafy coverts. The
balmy air, the perfume of countless flowers, COM
bined with scenery now sweetly beautiful, now
grandly bold, gave zest and life TO the conscious
enjoyment of the free and rapid motion of our
steeds, which united to feetness and spirit perfect
obedience to the riders will. | am not aware of
any higher and truer enjoyment of mere physical
existence than this kind of travelling in California,
which the world can hardly match. | have
travelled in all sorts of ways, in all sorts of coun-
tries; in the toiling diligences of France, and on
the broad pack of contrabandisa S mule
in Spain; have been whisked across the Pontine
marshes by halfwild colts, guided by shouting pos
tilions; being jolted half to death in Syria and
Egypt on the unsteady deck d q desert Ship con-
Quoted by Arabs clamorous for 'bucksheesch;'
travelled dawk' in India, with the last new
novel in a palankeen and once had the pleasure
to back an elephant in the Island OF Ceylon. But
all these were WI gar joys compared with the rap
turous pleasure of travelling ia that part of the
United States of America called California. Seated
in your firm and chairlik saddle, your horse held
well in hand, but not rritated by the severe and
subdIling Spanish bit going on full galiop,
7s,i 10 tha of tba tb.,
shouting Uaquero (outrder) driving on the road far
ahead cabaliada of rushing steeds, and chang
ing your horse for fresh one at the slightest symp
tom of fatigue, what can be more delightful, more
satisfy ng, surrounded as you with such glorl-
Gus accessories breathing the tulness of life into
every sense? Who cares for the artificial world
across the continent, when he can thus enjoy wild
and uncontrolled independence? Who cares for
the wealth of Wall street, when, dashing the
painted plains and far-surveying hills, he may ex
claim with Goldsmith
Creation S heir the world the world is mine -
But fate has completed the picture (says the N.
Y. Literary World by the additional touch
needed. Wall street envies Monterey.
These descriptions of nature varied with
sketches of the Indian and animal life by the way,
of which we may reasonably prefer the latter. The
grisly bears are in much finer condition than the
extraordinary fellow, an Ursa Major, on one of
their journeys:
"RoUsER.'
He was huge bear lying on his back, and so
entirely ignorant of our approach that he was in
the most unceremonous and at-home sort of man
ner playing with his paws, which were sportively
elevated in the air. Stringing his bow with the
rapidly of lightning, old Colorado shot two arrows
up to the feather into the recumbent and unsuspect
ing foe, and hastily retreaied, while discharged
the contents of my holster pistols into the monster
as he made towards me- 1t was no time to stand
a ,oipt of I npf1v INV horse
the spur, and he, like well-raned BEAST stood OFT
with a spring to one side. The rest of the party
soon came up and active, we-mounted half
breed vaquero, ma ced Hidago, whrled his RATA
with whZ around the head of the enraged ami
NAL, and he was soon dispatched, after sharpand
unbearable conflict with the whole party. He was
indeed rouser.' His skin was of a light yellow
sh brown, grZZled all over with black and white
hairs and he measured seven feet from crown 10
tall and nine feet across the hams, the claws and
paws being in proportion. The track of this huge
plantigrado measured twenty-five inches in length,
and eighteen inches across the bail, and had much
the appearance of the footprint Of human giant,
the ball, sole, heel and toes, being in the dust like
those of man."
There is another description of Spanish method
of taking bear by the lasso, effective subject,
which is illustrated by an Indifferent photographic
print. The handling in such cases is admirable for
bear or bull and worthy of the most gallant arena
of Old Spain. Indeed as our author suggests,
whatever may be thought of the Spanish capabili-
ties for railways, telegraphs, and such projects,
there is no people which can compete with them in
the chivarous management of horses and bulls.
The chapter occupied with the Indians though
melancholy picture of degraded race, IS pIctu-
rescue and interesting. The authors reflections,
like those of every traveller in California, go back
to the days of the Missions, when the native race
throve under the healthy and vigorous dsc plne of
the Padres-and he remarks how we'll adapted the
Roman Catholic system has been to the wants of
the aborigines in newly discovered countries. This
is true vet there obvious defect in the cu
ture of the Indians at the Presidios Of California
They not taught independence, but were in a
great measure slaves to the system. When that
system fell, the compulsory Indian civilization fell
with it, and the race Immediately reapsed into bar
barsm.
We cannot follow the author through all the
topics of interest started in his pleasant volume.
Though in respects desullory book, it is, at
che present time especially, of no little value. 1t
gives what we may presume TO be an unpreludiced
account of region upon which alieyes are now
turned, and having been written before the = gold
was discovered, it is free from the mirage which
that mineral casts the Region. The defect of
information the latter point, however, is supplied
by the early official reports of Mason and Larkns,
which yet remain the best accounts which we have
of the matter. We close with the writer's sum-
mary of
THE RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA.
grains, grow luxurianty In the more southern
parts of the country the fruits of the Tropics -four
sh side by side with those of the Temperate Zone.
The forests yield large supply of timber, not only
for the ordinary purposes of life, but also for
ornamental uses. The grape hourishes in I'M
equalled luxuriance, and both in climate and geo.
graphical features, California resembles the wine
countries of Europe. The sugar-cane grows so
readily, that the southern part of California will,
ere many years shall elapse, furnish sufficient sugar
for the consumption of the whole territory. The
pasurage afforded by theecountry Is of the most
iuxurant description, and is capable of sustaining
immense numbers of domestic animals. The vast
herds of cattle and horses which roam the hills and
plains of California were, until recently, and per
haps are still the most important source of her
prosperity When a more industrious and thrifty
race shall take possession of the vacant lands,
which now invite tile settler the business OF raH-
ing cattle horses sheep, and other useful animals,
will be immensely augmented, and every kind of
agricultural pursuit will receive an impetus which
will make California the exhausess granary of
world The wild animals of the country will
Co. iSld 10 of