The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-11-14
TERRIBLE SuFFER!NGS OF GOLD
SEEkERS-DEATH FROM
E,E.i;AJISTIDN

The following letter. saws The New York
Tribune, written by gentleman long res
dcut Of this CITY. hul now III Ca''I"rnIa'
NAV be relied unnn AS t,c!i,C truthful state
,ncnt. as the. writer is wei and lavorah'v
knowntna larcc pnrinnnt oar most thorough
gong business men:
Woop MINES. about 800 miles From |
San Franci~co, July 80, lS4a }
am a, las, in the gold region. and vii
at,emp, description Of my tedious Journey
here. We arrived al Stockton after fair
massage, remained there few days, and
then started for this place. 10 coming mere
we crossed an arid plain of 30 m'cs-nn
vegetation. no shade, no water, except what
we carried with us, and one OF the hottest
davs ever experienced. After taking on
our hacks some 60 or 70 pounds, and f'I'ng
little kce with water. some fifteen OF us
started IN company. The first day we start
cd we made about l3 miles and then laid
down to rest our exhausted frames on the
ground, with bu; single blanket each for
for covering. The second day we travelled
but five miles in the morning and five or six
in The evening. This day man by the
name nG lluih, from Massachusetts, gave
out and could go no further. AS he was out
of water lc, him wet his lips with m'nc,
and snrlc others did the same, bul all we
could do to revive him proved unara!I'Eg.
Ne was determined to die. and we, To save
our own hives. were obliged To leave him
as orr stock of wafer was getting very s!rrl
We had some - or Is miles To travel before
We came 10 RIVER. ! never shall forge.
,lla, Sccuc nl leaving that p'or man to die
on the barren plain: bu, that was nothing lo
what followed
The ncx, dav our water was rd"rNh tn
few drops. ~ II o'clock the sun WIS
oournc down with unhcari oi intensity, and
no, breath Of ar stirring. when ann her
very voun. man FROM New Hampshire,
whom had l:,rmcd quite an attachment f.:
on our s..nr; acquaintance, an! when we
were wilhu seven or c!gIit miles ni TIC rIv-
or. rs near as wc could Judge, wi'tcd right
dawn under the sun and could gn no further.
All was ,i;.nc ,ha, c",:.d !:c done to arouse
hun tn action, but without citccl; J gave he
poor fellow few drops, and such a scene
as presented itself when we We're aho,l, tp
leave him hope never TO witness again.
He drew me down to the ground; and ks.
sing me. sad %, Cod can yon leave me
here to- die s!onc!" t,ld h!m To keep np
courage. that we would 90 10 the river.
where there was tent, and that we w0ui.i
rig no something 10 carry him on. an would
he back rs soon as possible; go VIC bid h,m
good bve and started. Before We reached the
river frll myself as il mus >nrc!y fail, bot
knew if gave up at al II was I" die. and
when such thoughts As ha!ting came nvrr
me. would arouse as from a sound sleep.
never experienced such i"cing>. ih1nf
death from heat nr exhaustion would be an
easy one. Bcl'rc we got In the river Two
moic dropped. bn' the s''r,'v"rs could d.
nothing for them, but we're Obliged to press
forward toward tic river IN nrirr Ia spy,
tncir own lives We al last came IN schr
oC the irnc locked for river, an: surh trchr.<
OF jnv as we experienced ',;'i not aitrmp,
60 portray.
hirrrry'.u,~In: '".2. W. pr,:'rr;d
ll;rrc NUTS arui ,""M ,r''i e., ..nr / .,:r.!..
WAS in hopes ro fin'i liz" pu' w!'" rr'Hp"d
first, alnr. lm: wl,ru | ar.ivc& aui inrrrr.i
off the uulr, fund ha"djrrIl.i OYER
his face: raised it: he lay as though asleep,
with his hands crossed on l,Is breast but h.
was quite dead We rut him on 4 unir,
aud one OF the other two was so weak thar
he could rot sit alone. and 81 VIC tr1d grA
back to the tent, found I'm !nran blanket
sewcd him up IN il. and buried him. ! Na!d
at the river two davS To recruit, then came
on to this place. There is ono other route
to cross lhls plain. where there is water III
ono place. but we got nn the wrong road.
An odd clergyman preaching bcfnrc some
G. the American army at Corpus Christi,
made use ot these remarks: "Tcn thousand
dollars is sun large to most ot us! We,
what would it profit You caUno, carry ii
ont of the world Then what would you
do with 1t. or yru, or yon, or yon" pointing
with an oralor;caI flourish: at length an old
srarcr we'll known to the Corpus Christi ar
nv Judge II could contain himself n" longer.
when the finger pointed at IiIrn. and IN the
mcmcntarv pause succeeding tho searching
uucstiou, the .Jrlrirn broke the snlrmn silence
bv answering IN loud. strii tore. "L0n Il
ow IN Eriey'' "r'ilali aticmIi.' saws
narrator, -" rtlr'rav ~" ciirci!' "lnC an.