Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-04-06

are many objections " III '',o Jnaers
,rayelled-such as expense, ae'a.s' hv ono
&c The following article was prepare. :. ss,
~. host informed men in The South Wesl'
" ~ ,rb;cb il will be seen that the route VIA
a. c,v or Laraca. is the 5es' safest ana hea,ts'
-. 81, hundred miles II is the cheapest Lara.
:, oao he reached from New Orleans IN my
sanrs The travel by this route inns oPrris .
;,nn,anse and daily increasing. "EooS-A'
1L.,ou, The Laraca J0ITndl, MIRA q
ROUTES TO CALIFORNIA.
:, ,be midst of such general excitement ana
d.ai,e n reap of tn golden harvest. snin'ng
aid sparklng upon the waters OF tho oaei a.
.aon,p he question of most interest 10 lhose
nr,naring 10 emigrate, is which IS Tue oes'
prau,ca While we do not pretend to adJucge
and settle the disputed point we think thae any
and All information Will be acceptable TO such
If our readers as may happen 70 be suffering
with the prevailing epidemic; and in order 10 40
his we will examine for 4 moment The se'cfai
highways which lead to this land oil gold
First, the Ocean route by the way oil cape
Horn. Sailing from Boston, New York, fhpa'
delphia or Baltimore, good ship, with ave
rage weather, will make the passage IN Nv 10
| 1870 DAYS. the rate Of passage ranging from
/ $3.50 to S20O, according 10 The class oil vessel
sl,Ie of living, &C. BY this route, one not
caring for sea sickness, and iond 81 SAT- oeei )
NAV eat and sleep for four months, and b. land
| ed safely al san francisco, without encounter
ing dancer either from Camanches, Apaches,
Mexicans, or starvation
Next, is the route by way Of Chagrcs, across
the Continent TO Panama, and nence up tne
coast 10 Monterey or San Francisco Inc uis'
lance this way may be sci down at $500 miles; say
| 1000 nv sen, 10 Chagres 100 across to Panama,
and $500 10 The gold region. Meeting win no
della, in crossing from Chagres to Paiama, san
Francisco may BE reached from New Orleans
in from % 10 IS days, al cost OF 3oo 10 S4uU.
Travelling from New Orleans TO Chagres by
steamer thence 10 Cruces up the river Cha
gres in boats or canoes 60 miles; thence on
mules or on foot 30 miles TO Panama. thence
by steamer $500 miles 10 Alta California.
The objections 10 this route are the cost, danger
and detention al Chagres. The sicklIest hole III
the tropics, exposure in ascending The Chag.es
river, and difficulty Of obtaining passage when
when arrived al Panama.
Writing from Panama, 10 the Government
under date January 7lh, General T. +. smith
says
No preparation was made here oy Inc
steamboat company for transporting passengers
across the I,lhmus, or ailorcns Them any NJ
formation or aud 10 relation to H. Inc roaus
are almost impossible, even Tor miles. ihey
are now asking S2J piece for mule loads, the
usual price beng four Or hve. our y ieiS
dollars per barrel
From the known prevalence, Al al seasons 9!
The wear. Il yellow fever Al, Chagie-i and ae ~
h.u.trcs allud, i ID b. Gen. Sm'ih, ih> rou'e na>
nothing 10 recommend II, tut The shorIness oi NE
am. r,0iIrpt IN making The passage.
Thc routes from Vera Cruz AID Iampico
across 10 j azat an, are both Objectionable, if'm
The ldci that The f,ue over anf Is ,oH2 anu tcei-
Gus and when arrived or the Pacihc, you nave
sill long sea voyage H. encounter, and vi II no
certainty Of finding vessels bound up he coast.
We now ia Ike INFO consideration The routes spo-
ken OF a likely 10 be The great tnofoi 2hi"lts
across The continent; u these, wo only, al PIE
sent, are occupying much a!.cEon w: ron
Nj ssour by ~ay 81 sana Fe, down lhc mo aei
Norc 10 lie Ia,utc tt ii Passu, inence by ne
waters ui The Gila - San Diego, anc up NE
ccas! 10 Inc Sacramento. The other f0ule !
rom some point on Ma'aglfda or Atansis pay,
saw Corpus Cars,i, thence 10 Pfcsiio del Npur,
of FL Pass0, across 10 The southern branches 81
The ella. by way Il Tucson 10 The intersection
D. me llaiI made in '46, by Maj. Cook, q he 2nu
Dragons. The distance from Fori LeaVens-
worth 10 san Diego as asce!lainci by Lieui.
ENJOY, wac accompanied Gen. heaInev IN 40,
is something over 1000 miles. Gen heafncy
turned N fto!n he kiu Gfancc some oU mi!,s
above f. Passo, and stuck Ire sources q me
i Cha The cXprdIliun was uuaccum?anitC ~
wagons aud the country between the Rio GRANGE
and the ella lCr some 200 miles down me Ola,
was found 4 be broken and mounain"us. and
/ presented numerous obstacles 10 thu Inarcn, en-
| numbered only with pack mules and Two hoWlt-
zc,s. To find practicable route Maj Cook
| descended the Rio Giande 80 miles lover Than
Gen K aGd .eit ne river near point marked
on thr maps d. "San Diego" about 30 miles
above I'll Passo" making, as ne states SUI
| ,nuher "Dend 10 The south" TINS deviation
| from Lieut.. EmCIy's rone 10 iiDG 4 practical wa.
On road increased The distance some 10
| Ia 200 miles: making the distance By the Nilsson
n route, via. Santa Re, The Rio Grantc, ard m"
waters at me Glia NJ, less than 1900 miles q San
| DI, %, on The Pacific, ant $500 10 san Fran.
| CISCO From he RIu Granite, Major Cooks
route passed for $50 mics over level pfalfie
| country, ahonnding IN grass and win shihc'ent
wafer; and passing over IN that distance bal thtee
| hills Two Of which he saws, he might have avoid
| eli. Al this point on his march, he encountered
cham Of hills, about ID miles IN extent, over
which, however. h. passed without much dlth-
| Guilty from thence 10 The mouth oi Inc CHA, ~
direction crossing the Northern sources Of The
river "Eaiqne," and thence 70 the "Iari Pedu,
| down il as Tar as "Teusan," a town o! some i've
hunur,d inhabitants, 70 the intersection 81 Gen.
] keaIncy's trail. Major Cooks route passed over
country comparatively eyel, supplied Win
grass ami wafer sufficient Tor all purposes. ~
| Inc mouth OF tie Ga all the Iores rom ne
| Northern States Of Mexico II California con.
verge 10 point, crossing tie Colorado Some ten
| miles below he mouth oil The ella From the
crossing Of tie Colorado 10 Saa Diego IS bar
| rrn districl, about ninety miles N '1teni, ahd
| known as the Desert. In inns distance Lieu.
Emory found wafer ly digging only Al one point,
| about tniry mites West I'll Ihr river) Having
sutmouared hi, difficulty, lhs balance OF the road
i open and unutstfuciei, passing through settle
mcnts a. high up me coast a The emigfani may
choose 10 20.
Al some point near the latitude Of Fl Passo,
| must he The intersection II he Two routs. which
nav he designated as tie Missouri OF Northern.
ani The Texas ur Southern route; and: As tom
thence Westward 10 The Pacific, The advantage
| nd disadvantages must be common 10 both. Il
! any remains :oT IL to compare The dis ancc>
and rccuiaritcs If he Eastern sections OF the
20 routes, 10 show which Of hem is shortest,
raS.e>, and pest
| Beginning al FL PasSo as Starting point We
| have he distance, in straight line NJ me val
ley 81 ihe RIO Grante 10 Sara Fe 2SO miles,
| ,nencc 10 independence, Missouri, in direct lire
40 miles; thence o 81. l. ui> is 23u miles; max
| IN. The en,,re distance from 81. LOUIS 10 + Paa-
| - 40 miles.
From The same pom 10 THIS city or corpus
Christ, he distance IS $40 miles Assuming
the distance from San Diego 10 Fl Pa>>o 10 be
1860 mics, and we have 2200 miles By the
Northern, and 1000 by The sou bern route,
saving OF dis ance ~ The latter oi 600 mites.
a regard temperance and climate, from San
Diroo L. Ell Passo the section ot the road con-
verse 10 botn parties woua not vary much from
ne paialie! ui % degrees. To the traveller re-
turning home, each days navel by The Missouri
.ouc would give him colder nights, ami poorer
grass; III the months OF OCTOBER, November and
December he would meet Win frost, ice ard i'm
na>sasl, snyws. By he Texas route be would
Gaily b. reaching midsr Climate and inner ga
zins, and ~ Oc,ob.r and November, the voya-
ger upon Inc plans would be cncourte.ing rcsis
and SHOWS while upon The waters Q; int Coiora-