Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-02-15
FROM CALIFORNIA.
We extract the following letter from the
New York Express Of Monday
SAN FRAnci.co, Cal, !
Dec 7th 1918.

Il avail myself Of the opportunity presented
! by gentleman who leaves tins place for The
Il States, tomorrow or next day, TO write you a
\ few hurried lines, wei aw are what is y"ur
anxiety 10 hear from a and Of which, no Goutt
| by his time YOU have h ard from beginn ng
h to IT. ON Cape San Lucas, if nj up to
/ 81 10 eyen,-is one vas, unbroken r OF col
Il | have Just returned from the washings nys If
4 with an invoice Of " the root Of all evil,
which mean 10 deposit safey here, and then
| | " i'll 90 back again, to accumulate little
more, after which shall return 10 this
place, and take pas age with my treasure IN
The first ship for New York.
/ Tn hicondit on Of affairs in this country ii is
utterly impo sible to be, and | am quit
sure your imagination cannot picture il. No
doubt BY this time you have received letters
from some Of our people here, giving an ink
ling Of the strange turn these gold discoveries
have gvel to everything
Il The last letter despatched to New Y rk
was in August last, just after our Regiment
| (Col, Stevenson's) was sbanded. My health
since iha' tme thank Heaven, has be n un.
interrup,edly good, aliet have been at the
wa>hln.s, or in them rather, for several days
a, time often up to the very eyes in mud
and water
Most ofour company (F) have formed 20
partnership in the digging business. We
work on the mutual plan, and live altogether
pretty much after ie system Of that worthy
! philosopher, Charles F,urier The tents
which our Regimen, brought from New York
are worn out now, 50 that we are obliged
to make kind Of mud hn, on the mountain
SIDE, to sleep in al night These mud hu,s
arc grouped together gro,esquely enough ann
presec, at distance very much the appeara ce
Of so many mole hills. need no, enter into
any detailed history Of the gold excitement,
as no doui you have heard enough OF it ere
thls,-and as my time is very precious | shall
contine myself TO a statement Of facts, So far
as myself is CO ,cerned.
Il have been at the dgg ngs something like
three months, an though have scraped "p
enough Of the dust 10 make me comfortable
or hfe,-Qf can oily get it sh pped 10 New
York. VI would not go III ough the me
suffering and prlva,ion again, Tor 'en time,
the quantity. There was, however TO alter
native LEFT but TO 90 to the mines Provis ons
clothing, board, house ren.,-everytti &, III
fact, be,oIe all OF a sudden so e>orbi,an,ly
high that TO S, y Ill San Francisco, was bu,
to starvc. Many Of our regiment had desert
ed, even before tie news Of peace arrive
and desertions were taking place every day
and the Col. himself was itching to get olr
The climate here is very chargeable, and
he consequence l. good deal of sickness
among those who exert themso YES too much.
H The number of people at the wash.ngs is
very arge an they are coming in from all
quarters, every day, In ians, Mormons, Poly
c.iAns, Chinese, Mexicans, Yankee, and
Englishmen, from Oregon. OF cours SO long
as the gold continues as p enty as i, does now
Il will 60 on, co npara,ively smooth. but an,
awfully apPrehen,ive that we all have a.
SORTS OF rowdysm if the new comers increase
ard tn gold stuff gets scarce.
\ There was great deal Of sulfcring f.,
want of provisions a~h le ago, and he prices
paid for them werr mo,t enormously hi-h,-
50 much s, ,ha, the proceeds Of whole day 5
digging was hardly sufficient to purchase 4 res
pectable meal: We are a li',r better off now
Tough There have been several arrivals
tely from South America and The Sandwich,
Islands of all sorts of commodities for this mar
ket.
Il have seen pair Of COW hide boots you
could buy in Chatham street for ten or twelve
shlings, sold here for as many doll,rs.
have seen aInnel shirt bling an ounce OF
lgold; jack knife, p ckaye, or shovel al
one time, was worth its weight OF the pr ,cious S
metal, but the ira C is begisling to turn now.
though tie gold i getting 10 be drug ]
have no doub, al ,nese articles by and Ly can
be purchased, al something within rea<onab I,
rates.
A straw hs, l had, bought snuff box ful!
Of the du,t SHIFTS we have none, or nexl To
none, but an enterprising mercantile hOus
his sent fora supply fom the Southern coasf
: A t,h net an old settler brought to the m mes
a few days since and sold for 4 ounces q
gold. Razors are very scarce, and half q
the diggers in consequence are more like ou.
rang-ou,angs than human beings could hire
out my razor, a, h'l: an ounce for shave
II There are several Of my companions, who
left NV York with me, who have got nor,
gold than they k"ow rightly what to do with.
But youmay look for them all home, sollc
, time in the course of NEXT summe-
II Liquor is very" dear and bad brandy
for instance. feiches an ounce of 20 d to the
gallon. A French big recently arrived here,
had some inf rior champagne on board, which
sol like vii fire at s5 per bottle.
/ We apprehend god deal Of difficulty in
llgetins sh p to come home in The clews
ofevcry vessel that CO IN S into San Francis
l..I,.. Il. Ia.