The Arkansas banner., 1849-06-05
,,..,,,. An4oun, of (aIifornin.

tI'r., o( dispstches tom our government to the av..S states officers n California, and upon The
 oou',se He was entrusted with communiea'ions 10
 PI'SWu W W.shington at Santa Fe, Col Mason m Cali tO, snd Gen Lane in Oregon, and was required lo'H'. ,hrcush fine extensive regions beyond the
 nP...nni ,o reach his destinations. He leit Fort
 hl''s.pTnrth, on the Mi souri. the 2Olh oi Noyem- L L ,r,,h the command Of seventeen mounted men, Vn raw recruits, and lew advehiufeFs. A.tef sn a,. and fatiguink journey, they reached Bents ts0' and learned that Col. Fremont and bis party iT...ssed iT. about ten days before. h Taoe or Ra-
 hsu Pontan they encountered all the seventies of
 % ia,sr ip those difficult and gigantic passes, covered ;,s ,he snows of an unusually cold and indictment .aa W Many Of their muies perished from the ..ar. of inc weather ard march, and number of
 s men were Iost.biiten and disabled from further 's;.s S Upon arriving at Santa Fe, which he t..Ssd m the 2Sth of December, Lieut.. Beall gave
 r.ni,,ion to such of his men as were unwilling to Y n,oceed to return, and seven did SO. He was un-
 ,ring to be accompanied "a the dangers and trials s'to,s hin by any upon whom he could not rely
 ''.,h impIicit confidence. Tosuppy the deficiency, caI Mason allowed him to enlist eight additional
 ,.ouled men, who were desirous of engaging in the
 sypedition
 win this force Lieut.. Besll started from Santa
 F. on the Ilth of January, and was soon destined ., encounter the most trying difficulties The Sierra
 4. os Membres, . vast range of lofty mountains,
 vsre enveloped in snow storms, and the route was
 roos hazardous and oppressive. So intense was the
 roM that several mules were frozen 10 death, even
 noaer tents and covered with blankets. The lorti-
 ,ude of number of men failed, and sergeant and
 six privates deserted Of ihese. as well as of the
 ssyen wAo had previossiy Ief, subsequent infcr
 nation has been received. They no doubt peiished under the violence of the weather, were assas- ,ipaed by the Indians who infest those regions.
 Lieut. Bea now pressed on with indomitabe reso-
 oion through indscIibable difficulties. to the head ,r,lsts of the river Gia. Passing to the southern
 fha trail tph nds m ~iv manner along the preeipitous sides of the lofty mountains that prevail in this region. This section of country has been falsely said 10 furnish opportu- mites for good road or roads 10 California. From Lieut. Bealls description, It is aHoninuance of the most rugged and inaccessible mountains with vaat gorgts, peaks and declivities, covered perpetualy with snow, and presenting barriers to be passed oHy by incredible exertions. No track for a wagon, or any wheel vehicle can be made along this route The men could only press along the sscents by the aid of their hands we'll as their feet, and even tte tenacious mountain mules were often precipiiated trom the declvies, and rolling down the extensive slopes, were crushed to pieces, with every bone broken, and even their saddles so destroyed that they could not be farther used. This route the Gila frequently. as to avoid the barriers which constantly tut upon and overhang the stream. That ryer m this portion of its extent. is not susceptible of even canoe navigation Its current is of arro.y swiflness shooting over rocky and irregular falls, with serpentine windings. through narrow and dan- geous canons, that produce whirlpools and cascades which would engulf any watercrat entrusted to its eoatrol.
 After descending the Gila to it's confluence with the Colorado, and the latter stream 10 within fifty miles of the Gulf of California Lieut.. Beail and his htile party struck ont northward, across the inter- yenng desert, for San Francisco. This desert is very extensive, and more barren that of Zahara The weather here was intensely hot, and greatly afflicted the men, who had been scffsIing amid the the frosty rigors of the mountains. but now found themselves in an arid sandy plain deprived of water except such as they bore with them. travel of one hundred and twenty miles brought them, how ever, oh the lst of April, in sight of the welcome dweliings of San Francisco, and in the vicinity of those gold regions that surpass in prolific wealth The HesPeEIan gardens of antiquity,
 Gen Persiier F. Smith, the Governor, greeted the corners with hearty weicotse, received the dispatches intended for himself, and forwarded the communications for Gen. Lane, in Oregon, by 'Ifsdy. eQlysyapes pes.-....-
 Francisco, but took time to look around him at the condition of the country. The rage for gold, like the rod of Aaron, had swallowed up all other pas sions The inhabitants would not even take time to erect for themselves the necessary edifices but were residing in tents, and shnnes hastily erected The extent of the gold region cannot he defined. i l has already been found to cover territory more than hundred and fifty miles in length, and from fifty 10 sixty in breadth. The precious metal is discovered in perfectly pure state in the beds of the streams, and in the hills and plains adjacent. found in small particles or flakes in the water, mingled with sand, which has only to be washed ! away to leave residue of fine gold; and in the dry diggins" 1t exists in solid Jumps, some weighing etght or ten pounds. which are dug up with pick { axes and spades. The iaborcrs generally prefer . working tn the streams, the other method is the most laborious. Every Iaborer can certainly secure each day. al east twenty dollars worth of the metal while those who fortunate frequently make from cue to two hundred dollars.
 Lieut. Besl showed us specimens of gold he had procured in the country, of both varieties, in parti cIe. and the lump. One specimen was well caIcu- lated to make the eyes stare aud I" ips water" It a solid lump. weighing eight pounds, and worth . S2toO of the pure, rosy gold!
 It is impossible to compute the number of per 1 sons now in California. No eensus could be taken, for they are scattered everywhere through it's ex- tenve forests prosecuting the quest for the root of all evil. Still the utmost good order prevails in the : country; they have regular laws but the large 1 infusion of intelligent and upright inhabitants pre- serves peace and quiet. by species of modified | Lynch jurisdiction, which necessity has created | They do not complain. as has been said, of want of government, for they have not time, in their { more expressing avocaton, to think Of such things.
 Lieut.. Beall informs us that the rumor of a mu- tiny on the Ohio is without foundation, as every thing was in most perfect state of subordination that vessel the night before he left Gov. Smith having entrusted him with dispatches for our gov erument, he took passage from San Francisco on the 18th of April, board the steamer Oregon, for Panama. The steamer touching at San Bias, and ! remaining three days for fuel, he received informa tOn from party of Mexcans who had been trading among the lndans of the safe arrival in the country d Col. Fremont and party. That gallant officer had proceeded across the desert for san Francisco
 After trip of about twenty days, the Oregon { arrived at Panama. Here Lieut.. Bea met Mrs. | E. hlr hpr hpot ther-i -aU- an commu aicaied the news concerning her husband. l She had previously received accounts from the | Uued States, of his difficulties and of his fortunate escape. About two thousand persons waiting | al Panama for transportation 10 san Francisco. 1 About three hundred of these, including Mrs. Frs | mont, would take passage in the Oregon and the ! others would go In the California and other vessels daiIy expected. The California wss to leave san ] Francisco the day after Lieut.. Bes, with Mrs. 1 Persfer Smith. and number of other ladies, re- i turning to the United States, With this party, Col. Mason would also return.