The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-06-08
FURTHER CALIFORNIA PARTICULARS,


that Mr.. Parrot, our counsul at Mazat.
Ian, is now in that city, having left Ma.
zatlan April 10, and come over through
Mexico.
He reports having met with companies
continually during his overland journey.
The road TO the Pacific is lined with
them, and they are all, so far as he saw,
doing we'll.
There were four or FIVE vessels at Ma
zatlan and two or three at San Bias, for
California, the price Of passage varied
from $50 to $3.50, according to the accom-
modations.
Mr.. Parrott's visit to the placers
was undertaken forthe purpose ofinform-
ing himself, and his revelations are even
more astonishing than any which have
previously reached us.
The limits of the placers toward the
South are constantly being extended by
new discoveries; the Northern districts,
owing to their remoteness from civiliza-
ton, have not yet been fully explored.
The earth in some places has been dug
to the depth of 9 feet, and the proportion
of gold found to be quite as great as on
the Ldrface. The richness of The dry dig
gings is in some places almost incredible.
Mr.. Parrott estimates that the amount Of
gold which will be obtained the present
year, at thirty million dollars
But the riches of California do not con-
sist in gold alone. All the precious met
ais are there found, in greater or less
profusion, as we'll as the rarest and most
valuable jewels. Two mines of silver
have been lately discovered, one ofwhich
is known to but few persons, who jeal-
ously keep the secret. Platinum is also
known to exist in considerable quantities.
A rough diamond, nearly the size of a
hens egg, has been found by one of the
miners in the Sacramento Valley. Gen..
Vallejo, who was Mr.. PARROTS informant,
saws that it was broughtto to him by the
finder, who demanded $lS0.000 for it.
EmeraIds Of large size are frequently
met with, but their value is scarcely
known. Three or four quicksilver mines
have been discovered, one OF which, a
very rich deposit, lies between the valley
of Santa Clara and San Joaquin. The
Forbes mine, however, is the only one
worked as yet. The extent and value
ofthese quicksilver mines is not equalled
by any other locality in the world.
Mr.. Parrot informs us that in the Sier-
ra Navada, to the northeast of San Fran
cisco, there is volcano in active opera
ton. On the third Of March the heaviest
snow-storm in the memory of the inhab-
itants took place.
There are but fifty women in the town
of San Francisco, twenty of whom are A
mericans.
The price of lots in the town is, as be.
fore stated, enormous. The sales take
place, however, with little regard to the
title of the property, and as there are
two or three seperate claims upon great
part oft, this may lead to great difficulty
in the future.-Sometime the same land
is sold to different parties by two Alcal-
des.
The U. S. sloop. .of.w war Dale, which
sailed from San Francisco for the U. s. on
the 2oth of March, has 100000 in gold
dust on board.
Nearly the whole of Capt. Sutters's
10000 bushels ofgran rotted in the fields,
for the want of somebody to harvest it.
The price ofhour at the diggings when
MIR. Parrot left, was So per ID, though
at San Francisco it was down to $40 per
barrel. There was not much sickness at
the diggings except scurvy and few
cases of fever. There was also some
scurvy at San Francisco, owing 20 the
want of vegetable food. the cultivation of
the soil being entirely neglected.
The Tribune has another article found
cd upon an interview with Mr.. Parrott,
from which we extract the following as
to affairs in tho Ell Dorado:-
In the gold districts tactic system of
individual right has been agreed upon,
and is preserved with the most honora'
BILE exactness. Each man who enters
upon new ground has the privilege of
making out eight yards square and dig
ging upon it so long as he chooses; his
premises are never invaded. He is at
liberty to dispose of his right either by
sale or lease, or drop it entirely and try
a new locality. The sense of justice a.
mong the miners has thus far prevented
all trouble or dispute.
The moral effect of general enrich
ment of the whole population, is worthy
of notice. In the absence of all law ex-
cept such as is administered by the AL
cades, hundreds of persons have volun-
tarily discharged debts contracted many
years ago, and which their creditors in
many cases had given up as hopeless.
A man who is Industrious and temperate
has no difficulty in obtaining credit 10 a
large amount.
Mr.. Parrott exhibited to US number
of interesting mineralpgical specimens
from California and Mexico. In addition
to samples ofgold from the wet and dry
diggings, he brought piece ofcoal from
the surface of the bed just discovered
on the coast, between Monterey and San
Luis Obispo. 1t is of bituminous char
acter, aud is found in great abundance
1t was tried in blast furnace on board the
Ohio, and proved to be of very good
quality We also had sight of genuine
ruby picked up in the diggings. 1t is the
first one found, of a pale crimson color
and about the size of apea cut in half
Mr.. Parrott intends to have il cut ant