The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-03-27
Interesting from the Pacific.
MAzArLAN, Feb. ID, 1892 p. M.
AoDsnraare of Max0fL0n


bot, writing letters to our beloved country. Ma
zatlan looks much like an American city-that is,
more Amencan than anything have seen since
left New York. lhave seen the first cart wheels,
and the first coach. There are 10000 people here,
and many OF the ladies' are really beautiful. The
harbor, like all Of the harbors have seen on the
Pacific, is very fine. Nature has done all for
them. We leave In two hours for the steamer in
boat, two miles distant, and the steamer, leaves
immediately after Several hundred are here, anx-
iOus to get passage. Several vessels are in port,
and all bound tor California. The reports are all
confirmed. The best evidence OF the plenttuness
s.ps Of of ss
time to say more. The mail is off at 4 p. M.
STEPHEN II. BRANCH.
From the New Orleans Picayune, March 1871
The brig Perfect, Capt. Gardner, arrived here
yesterday from Chayres, which port she left on the
Lewis, g. s. Navy late p Of the g. s. fsste iade
pendence, bearer Of dispatches to Washington
from J Randolph clay, Esq our Charge 'Affares
to the Peruvian government, and from Comme-
dore Shubrick. commanding the squadron IN the
Pacific; also Capt JnO. r. Butler, and DR.. Culver.
The Project sailed In company with tne brig Eu-
dora and a schooner. On the 2Sth ult., the brlgs
Sarah and Sampson arrived at Chegres, and the
schooner Mary Fllkins. The Sarah had fifty pas
Galveston had not arrived at Chagres from this
port.
BY the exceeding courtesy OF Lieut.. Lewis, we
have been put IN possession OF mass OF interest
ing information relative to the emgrants on the
Isthmus, and OF a few items concerning California
and the position of some OF our vessels now in the
Pacific.
That gentleman left CalIao on the 18th February,
on the British steamer New Granada, and reached
Panama on the 18th. Here he found an immense
number of emIgrants anxously waiting Tor means
of transportation to San Francisco There were,
as he estimates, abost 1900 persons, the whole
,harn N Toth and
Panama, being not short Of 1000 [Capt. Butler
estimates the number of emigrants at Panama, at
100, the number on the river going up at lOO and
the number who arrived at Chagres on the 18th, at
$50. They were all in health
The steamer Oregon reached Panama on the
evening of the 23o ult, and was expected to leave
for San Francisco between the 10th and 18th inst
She would take three hundred passengers on board,
carried down by the Falcon. There would then
remain, with the successive arrivals OF those on
their way across the Ishmus, not fewer than 1900,
for whom means of going forward were to be
found. The brig Belfast had been chartered by a
party OF 200 emgrants, and she left Panama on the
morning of the 18th alt, en- route for the island of
FObOga, where she was to take II water. There
was a whaler in the port when Lieut.. Lewis left,
which party OF emlgrants were endeavorng to
purchase, with a view OF fastening on to San
Francisco. The want OF shipping was the grand
obstacle at Panama, which, indeed, was increasing
to intensity Intelligence of sickness prevailing
on the lsthmus reached Callao on the 9th of Feb,
and had thence been conveyed to Valparaiso on
the 24Ih, which had the effect of preventing coast
ers from being sent to Panama for the service of
the emlgrants This untoward news had cOns-
derably checked the tide of Peruvian emigration,
80 that the British steamer New Granada took no
passengere from Callao to Panama. Reports were
also prevalent at the latter port, that 1t was ex.
tremely doubtful if the California would soon re-
turn as the probability was, her crew would desert
on arriving at San Francisco On the whole, the
prospects OF the emigrants were Tor the moment
overcast, from this unfortunate concurrence Of
events that delayed their onwa ID progress.
Lieut. Lewis represents the appearance of the
emlgrants physically and morally, as highly favor
able Indeed, he says they are as fine body Of
men as he has ever seeD and he ameats the straits
into which they have fallen. 1t would be well, in
his opinion, for those contemplating a voyage to
San Francisco, by this route, to consider maturey
the prospect before them and assure themselves of
uninterrupted progress before they set out. Every
thing is excessively dear at each haltlng place
across the Isthmus and scarcity the natural result
OF continued arrivals and delays, will 90 on con.
stantly increasing, to the exhaustion Of purse and
patience. Bread is rare at Panama, and enormous
ly high SIX small loaves, not larger than the fist,
cost 37f cents. The expense by water, incurred
by passenger from Chagres to Gorgona or Cruces,
is from $50 to 800. Here the land travel begins,
and the price of mule from Cruces to Panama Is
rather more than $l0 Lieut.. Lewis paid 1874 Tor
three mules from Panama to Cruces. A bill OF fare
TOR passengers who went on by the brig Belfast,
spoken of above, was stuck up at the United States
ConsuPs, (Mr. Nelson,) where the food allowed
was beef and yarns, and pork and yams, alternate
ly, day by day-but no bread Notwithstanding
every drawback to which the emigrants were ex-
Toeed, they still preserved a dauntless spirit; their
ardor was undlmlnshed On the way to Chagres,
our courteous informant states that he met the
emigrants pulling up their own scows or canoes, n
their eagernefs TO arrive at Gorgona Cruces
the points where water Is exchanged for la con-
veyance, and which are distant from each other
about tour miles The road from Panama to Cruces
was dry, but hilly.
The proclamation of Gen. Smith, lnterdicting fo-
reigners from visiting the gold placers, had just
reached Callao, when Lieut.. Lewis LETT. II had
occasloned great acknowledgements of
course, berg the principal feeling therein. The
latest accounts from California, at Callao, were,
that recent discoveries had been made of gold pla.
GERS, which were OF immense value; they exceeded
by tar the preceding representations of the abun-
dance of the precious metal on the Sacramento
The merchants at Val aralso had made enormous
prohts on investments OF goods, PROVISIONS, &c.,
to California One cargo had been sold at clear
The U. S. irigate Independence left Calao fer
Valparaiso on the 10th of February; all we'll The
following is list of her officers -
us Gem ShTSr1a Lieut. CSms Page Lsus, G.
Brown, H A. Wise; Acting Master, Sam1 Marcy;
Fleet Surgeon, Washington; Purser, H. w Greene;
tary, Larientrie; Passed Midshipmen, W. D. Austin
F. Conover. A +. Marley, G. v. Denuiston, - Ste.
vens, E. English; Midshipmen, Chandler, Hamilton
The U. s. store ship Lexington was reported off
Valparaiso on the 9th OF February, with 500 900
In California gold on board.
MAzATLAN, Feb. Is, 1919.
last had this pleasure, under date 10th INST,
from Acapulco, and take the chances fthe mail
via Mexico to send you this. We have had lon
ger passage to this place than we anticipated, and
from present appearances there is little probability
that we will reach San Francisco under fifteen
days more. The ship Is loaded down with passen.
gers, and we have a variety OF disagreeables TO
encounter. We number IN all on board 400 souls
-325 passengers and about IS crew. You will
doubtless see in the papers that great complaints
will be made. have only to say that there Is too
mach cause.
We find at every place hundreds of people wait.
ing for the steamer, in hopes OF getting passage
Tor the " I'll Dorado" The whole coast is era
zy, and the California fever RACES worse
here than elsewhere. The accounts of the
great wealth Of this country are confirmed
at every step. | anticipate that there will