Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-03-23


Washington City, on the goth inst.
The following letter was received by gen.
I!eman at Faison's Depot, from friend who
recently resided in Duplin County, and now
On his way TO the gold region in California
The letter was handed us for publication, and |
presuming that i: may prove interesting TO our
readers, we cheerfully give it place in our
STEAMER FALCON" off Chagrcs, Feb ii, '49.
My DEAR SIR According 10 my promise
will now endeavor to give you meagre des-
criDtion Of the manner spent the few hours,
which we We're allowed, at Havana. will
commence then where left off in my last.
per Steamer ''Isthmus" After casting an
Choir in the halbor, my friend c. and my
self, hired a boat 10 take us ashore; we en-
tered our names at the Washington House for
dinner, and strolcd about the town, TO see,
what, in haste, we could. Havana is built un
like any city had ever seen or visited before
the streets are long and narrow, Spanish
fashion-but the houses are of solid, grand,
and some of magnificent structure The for
'fcatons moro CASTLE attracted my atten-
ton, particularly They are really astounding
in the eyes of one who 5eholls them for the
first time they are built on SOLE! rock, and
are said TO hold garrison of 10, 900 men
bought me Panama Hat for IS. but cave or
) 40 zen cents pieces {dmes,) fer they pass
here Tor l23 cents piece; ana several other
things. We then took q Spanish bath went
| IN Restaurat, and took glass of something,
Uhe name OF i, could rot remember, but 70
matter, it was gooi.) smoked a real Havana,
and went to dinner-and such dinner never
ate before in the month OF February Green
corn, garden peas, beans, and so other things
all green and fresh from the garden and field
with excellent Spanish wine. and all for one
dollar. wished you could have partaken OF
it. But now listen 10 the most interesting
part of our short excursion. We hired a ye-
hicle, after dinner, 10 take us about and around
the town-and such a vehicle! Ii resemhlcd
the old fashion gigs, or chairs, we have in N.
c but with wheels as large as those we have
on our timber wagons-and shafts three times
as long. One horse pulls ton which the
driver sits.
The tout ensemble is true characteristic oil
the Incidence, and the dolce far nientc of the
Spanlarls and incident he is. at least in these
dlggings. After spending or hours in bis
Office, he goes 10 dinner at o'clock, and de-
votes the remaining part Of the day and even.
ing 10 pleasure and amusement In short
then he lives
You can form no idea how dro!l we look cd
perchel up there between such wheels, ant
such shafts in front of u.s. We were, how
ever, fully compensated for the little ncon
venience, by the most beautiful view my eye
ever beheld-such sight. all the fields AM
gardens clad in natures richest colorings
and that in the middle Of February. My hear
was full 10 overfowing-m eyes blinded
found no offerings for my feelings. AT nigh
we went TO the Opera House. and beheld q
| q
London and Paris can boast Of The hous
is not, like most theatres, closely shut up
but is opened every night, in order TO ADM
, fresh ar-and it was needed, too. The hous
| has held as many as 1000 persons at time
We then went back on board our Steamer
dreamed over the whole OF what had seen du
ring the day, letting it pass before my excite
agination in as lively coors as could, an
, when next morning awoke, we had weighe
anchor and were steaming it Sailing has q
out of fashion in this our steam age) on :. II
:; wide unbounding Sea-
: Before retiring however. 7 received the era
), flying intelligence, brought on board OF
y Steamer by two men just in from San Frar
e cisco. by way of Panama, that the {" Oregon
q had got in at the latter port, and that tw
;, ships and one schooner, were up there fl
= San francisco. These two gentlemen gay
US the maat cheering accounts in regard 10 Il
>. state OF health on the Isthmus, and the mod
= of conveyance across it-and have stroI
r. hopes of seeing them realized. A few day
y previous to our anchoring here-(we have al
d1 chored some miles west of Chagres. al
o shall probably not get there at all to make
Il stay)-weshad meeting of all the Passenge
ID on board, and appointed committee to 60
= shore, and provide means for our conveyan'
across the Isthmus they have returned tn
J, morning and reported" most favorably. Tit
a have entered into contract with the capita
iof the steamer 0rus," ami we (3l5 in nur