The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-01-27
Gold Hunting.

! Tho second volume Of the new edition OF
Washington lrvinE's Columbus to he pub
lished shortly, supplies the following signii'
ieant passage
@HGfosa fsis;iaE ,i,e RETURN OF C0hunlbus Ia
IlispaniolH, !, IL proper TO notice some OF the
principal occurrossl Il in I.s, island, which
took place under if1t government of Ovando.
4 great crowd of ndrenintcrs, OF various
ranks, mud tiTohged his ileci eager specuiH-
tors, credulbus dreanierr, md broken down
! gentlemen of desperate fortunes: all expert
ing To enrich ihefnsek suddenly, in MI ii Z.
and where gold was 20 bee picked UP from The
surface of the SOIL or gathered from tho
mouniain brooks. They had scarcely lnuded
snys Los Carns, who accompanied the cNi C.
diion, when diey all hurried Otto the mines,
which were about eight leagues disiErce.---
The roads svarired like mt hills, with ndven-
,urers of al cIassoP. Every one had his
kunpsnck stored with brrrut or ffutrt, urrtf his
mining implements OH his shoulders. Thoeu
hidalgus, or gentlemen, who had no servants
10 carey iI.sas ls.E.lsass bota them ei. il.aip
own backS, nbd lucky was he Who had
horse for tie Journey; he would lie allie to-
bring buck the greatest load of trcasnhc--r
They all set out in high sIfritS, eager who
should first reach the golden land, thinking
they had bur 10 urrivr II. the ifti,.eev aild-cnis
'ihnt gold wus &c !'e gathered NJ easily and
readily as fruit from the trecs.'
When they arrived, however. they discoti
cred, 10 their dsnRy, Ilnt it w0T necessary
to dig painfully into tho bowels OF the cnrh,d
labor 10 which most Qftlicm had never been
accustomed; Tint II required experience mud
sagnriy to detect the veins of orc; that ilt
fact the y hole process Of mining WINS exceed
ingly Ieilspnae, demanding ynst patience,
much experience, and after all being fiil OF
uncertainty They aigged cnFrriy far ,iuWg,
hut found no ore. They grew huDgry,lhrew
by their impleirtn ut, sat down to eat, and then
returned 10 work. II WINS all in vain. Their
Iabor says f.Hs taFzss -Furr ,ifett, - keen at,-
petite aud quick digestion, iOi no gol,i.
They soon consumed thdir provisions, eNa
hausted their patience, cursed their ihihiu1-
tiou and in CTS at days set off drcnrily OH their
return, nlorg The roads they had lately rod
so exuliingly They arrived nj Enu bomin-
20, v ilhout on ounce orgold, half furnished,
downcast, md despairing Such is ton-oiien
HE ease Of those who ,gn6ranlly engage III
mining. ofEtt spccuuiions the most brilliant.
promising, nW iallacious.
r. Poverty 5eon fell h,,on these misguided
mcn. They exhausted the IiiiIe property
they had brought from Spain, Many suffer
ed extremely from hunger and were obliged
10 exchange even their apparel for bread
Some formed courcNiot,s rritfttte oitl rfttfrrr
Of the island. hut the greater part were like
1ucn iusi and bewildered, and just awakened
from n dream The. ntiseFies of tie IBind,as
usual, heightened the rufferiHgs Of the body,
Some wasted away aud died broken icnTted;
others were hurried away by raging ieverE,so
thut there socrT prristuri upwards OF n thous
snnih men
To cnrry YeIigiop mr. rntkcr fhsel,Fayr az II,