The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-10-19


menced, they may prove profitable, though few have
done 80 in other parts Of the world.
Our rate Of travel too rspid for CLOSE
and there many places where would have wished
more time. As 1t was saw nothing valuable but gold
though believe rich iron ores, ~ we'll ss chrome,
exist In great abundance Roofing slate OF great beauty
is found in any quantity Limestone In but one place
In the vaIleyn therelare only oaks and few Aca.
mores along the water. courses Ascending the msun-
tain region oaks begin to appear spsrsey
the fertile hills at an elevation Of six hundred to
seven hundred feet above tide at one thousand to
twelve hundred feet pines appear, with wide spread
ing branches and seed cones about the size and shape
pine Is seen reaching height Of two hundred and fifty
feet, shaped like Lombardy poplar, with cones foot
long and four inches in diameter The large seeds Of
these pines are eaten by the Indians
We saw not more than dozen springs in the noun
tains and were often in want Of water nearly all the
ravines being dry except those heading in the Sierra
among the The scarcity Of water will forever
prevent agricultural operations within the range Of
travels east Of the valley In the great valley itself
logical structure below the dluva deposits which form
Its surface am sure however, from reasons which |
tend the sinking Of srtesan wells In my opinion the
structure such would give perpetual springs fow-
ing above the surface from such wells, not exceeding,
say, one hundred to three hundred feet in depth.
could fill ream with details OF the extraordinary
state things in this country but you will see enough
mushrooms Lots in some of them have been run up
by specustors to an enormous price but pay day will
soon come and there will be terrible crash before the
people here think Of it They filing up this town
rapidly with framed houses, boarded or covered with
canvass only, and as gale blows every day here IL
fire should the windward side the whsle town
must be destroyed and half the nhsbitants ruined.
While most articles that can be brought by sea
cheap fresh vegetables fruits butter eggs milk, &C.
about twenty times the ordinary prices Of such
tices at home There is therefore, great opening for
in fact vast numbers here seeking employment, but
only mechanics sgriculurists and sborers wanted
Terrible Suffering at Sea, by = Portion of
the Crew OF the Whaling Bark Janet, OF
WestpOrt, Me.
From the New Bedford, Mass } Mercury, Oct. III
We have received a letter from Capt Hosmsr, late
master of the whaling bark Janet, of Westport fur
nshing an account of the privations and suengs OF
boats crew belonging to the Janet comprising the
captain and Eve Others which Is almost without para
lei in the annals of the whslsfshery 1t is substsn
tally foows- On the coast Of Peru, Esd June 1849
in latitude degrees N, longitude IO4 w., while oruis
ing for whales, shoal OF sperm whales appeared in
suit Capt. Hosmers boats consisted of hi mself
Francis Hawkins Sd mate, Edward ii. Charlez, Joseph
1t blowing fresh at the time the boats separated
each having made fast to whale. After Captain
Hosmer had succeeded in turning up' his whale. and
towing him to the ship from some inadvertence on
the part Of the third mate in putting about the boat
cspszed with loss Of boat key lantern key
ct pass paddles &c. The succeeded in right
ing the boat and dashed the the thwarts across
the boat to prevent her from overturning she being
filed with water and the sea continually breaking over
her Two waits. flags, immsd set . sig
nal Of Distress the other two boats being In sight at
distance of about and half miles. Capt. II saw
the bark, which then kept of in the direo-
tion for his boat; but to his surprise and horror
when within about one mile of him, they kept of on
another until shutdown. The crew Of the cap
tans boat then got to the whale and tried
cut the line sttscbsd to the Whale and succeeded in
setting pieces Of the boat sail and stsered towards
the bark then about three miles distant During the
night they light at intervals but In the nsrnins
the bark at about the same distance of. Every
expedien resoted TO- by making signals to attract
the attention OF those board the bark but in vain
apparently
fsrent to the fate of their comrades. In this peril
Gus condition the unfortunate boats crew made
other attempt to bail the water from the boat but
owing to their CONSERVATION, they did not succeed
They then continued ON their course as before,
hoping to regain the bark, but soon found that
she receded from them and 1t then determined to
put about to the wind and remain whatever the
Quences might be- On the second morning the weather
being more favorable, all the whale craft thrown
overheard and another attempt made to bail the
boat, which resulted in the loss Of one man. without
accomplishing the purpose The effort was again re-
newed in the afternoon, the weather being yet more
favorable, and they finally succeeded in freeing the
boat from water but with the loss Of another Of her
erewal on board having been to their arms In the
during the last as hours Two of the survivors
seized with delrium all of them having been with
out mersel Of food or drink and suffering painfully
from thirst Thus disabled, no one on board being
able to ply at the oars, and with only small frag,
mspt Of the boats sail remaining was determined
to make for Cocus Island, on the Peruvian coast
distance of about thousand milesss the nearest
land Accordingly, the piece OF sail was used to the
best advantage and the ceiling Of the boat torn
up and also employed as wind propeller, steer
q IL.
nothing occurred worthy Of remark until the seventh
day, the having, in the meantime been without
particle of food drink, and not drop of rain having
fallen. In this dreadful state Of suffering II was mu
tually agreed to cast lots TO which of the num-
Der should be sacrificed to prolong the lives Of his
companions; and the unfortunate victim upon whom
the LOT fell met his fate with perfect resignation and
wilir At the close Of the day shower OF rain
proved a very great additional relief Being without
compass OF instruments Of any kind Capt II.
compelled to rely entirely upon his judgment respect
ing the course aided only by an occasional glimpse
rff he Narfh &far and fhn linz all ~ ha
from the South. On the eighth day, another Of the
number died from exhaustion. IL was found necessa
~ TO pursue more northery course in the hope OF
rain having fallen during the last four days. On
the next day favored with another shower, and
this beneiacton was followed by the remarkable cir.
companions directly into the boat Several birds also
approached go near TO the boat as to fall prey to the
necessities Of the administering greatly TO their
relief On the 18th Of July land discovered in
sasterly direction which proved to be Cocus island,
(uninhabited lying In lat degrees n min ", longi
Capt and the other survivors succeeded In reach
ing it, but in almost helpless condition They how
secured pig and drank Its blood, which revived
their exhausted strength and also obtained plentiful
supply Of birds and fesh water After remaining two
Ing the approach Of beat which proved to belong to
the chip Leonidas, whaler Capt Swift Of this port,
curing wood and water and were relieved from their
dreadful suerngs by being taken on board the ship
and treated with every possible attention and kindness
The q those who persisted on board the boat,
are Francis Hawkins Sd mate. Of Augusta, Me James
Fairman seaman. Of Ohio Henry Thompson, seaman,
Of Philadelphia, Pa Henry Chsrez, place Of residence
unknown.
Cspt. Hosmer arrived at Fayts, August 2lst, from
which place his letter 20 us IL dated.
We have sso been favored with extract Of letter
from James A Crowel late fret mate Of the Janet to
senry Wilcox, owners agent in Westport, dated ~
Iayts, August LIST Mir Cro~ell after mentioning the
fact Of the three boats putting OF for whales above
stated, adds :-"At3 2. NJ. had my whale alongside,
and soon the ship came TO and when got board
there was but one boat In sight, and that was Eve
miles 20 the leewsrd Of the ship went down TO u with
the ship, and found that II the second mates boat
lie had seen Captain Hosmer two hours previously
fact 20 whale and went to the leewsrd OF him when
last sees from bis boat We proceeded in the directions
In which the captains boat had been last seen. and
lay 10 all night with all sss set and with all our lights
fixed In the morning saw nothing Of the boat We
cruised three days but unfortunately without meeting
any trace Of her In the meantime four Of our hands
sick from fatigue, and under the necessi-
ty q making the beet Of to this port Psyta
had taken loo bbs Of oil for the last ten days pre-
yiousy and Lost 200 barrels during the same time by
losing lines expect the captains boat was taken
down by foul line, he had line In hts boat,
cooled two days previous TO the accident We saved