The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-06-28


1lth of May, Vera Cruz on the 18th aud
Mobile on the 2lst. He reports having met
with companies continually during his over
land journey. The road to the Pscific is
lined with them and they are ali 50 far as he
saw, doing well. Capt Hutton's company
sailed from San Bias in the Cayuga, April
10; Capt. Earle's was at Guadaiajara on the
18th. There were four or FIVE vessels at
Mazatlan and two or three at San Bias for
California. The price of passage varied
from $50 TO $3.50, according to the accom-
modations. MIR. z. tells story Of a cabin
at Vera Cruz, and walked the whole way to
San Bias, where be arrived safe and sound
on his way to California.
| We are indebted TO the courtesy of Mr..
Parrott for much new and interesting infor-
nation concerning the mineral wealth Of
California. His visit to the placers was
undertaken for the purpose gf Informing
himself OH these points, and his revelations
are even more astonishing than any which
have previously reached US. In all that
concerns the digging Of gold, he fully con-
/ firms all former statements. The limits of
the placers towards the South are constant
ly being extended by new discoveries; the
Northern districts, owing to their remote
ness from civilization, have not yet been
fully explored. The earth in some places
has been dug TO the depth OF nine feet, and
the proportion Of gold found to he quite as
great as on the surface. The richness of
the dry diggings is in some places almost liz
credible. Mr.. Parrot estimates the amount
of gold which will be obtained, the present
year, at thirty millions of dollarsi
| But the riches OF California do not consist
in gold alone. All the precious metals are
there found, in greater or less profusion, as
well as the rarest and most valuable levels.
Two mines Of silver have been lately dis
covered, one of which is Known to but few
persons, who jealousy keep the secret.
Platinum Is also known to exist III consider
able quantities. A rough diamond nearly
the size of hens egg has been found by
one of the miners in the Sacramento Valley.
Gen. Vallejo, who was Mr.. Parrott's inior-
mant, says that it was brought to him by
the finder, who demanded $4,000 for it.
Emeralds of large size are frequently met
with, but their value is scarcely known.
Three or four new quicksilver m;ees have
been discovered, one Of which, a very rich
deposit lies between the valley of Santa
Clara and San joaquin. The Forbes mine,
however, is the only one worked as yet.
| The extent and value Of these quicksilver
mines is not equaled by any other locality in
the world.
Beds of coal have also been found neas
the coast, but cannot of course be worked
under the present state OF things.
Mr.. PARROT informs US that in the Sierra
Nevada, 10 the north east of San Francisco.
there is a volcanoe IN active operation. On
th Sd OF March the heaviest sn0w-storns
in me memory of the inhabitants took place.
! There are hut fifty women IN IT, town of
IN TrancI.> o. enty Of whom are Amt.
lcans. The arrival of a ship load Of female
emigranis would he a cause of public rej0i-
cling. and all the single ones would receive
offers before they landed. Mrs. Ward of
this city, while riding in the vicinity of San
! Francisco was thrown floin her horse aud
| injured.
The price of Io. o town is, as before
stated enormous. Tn sai take place,
however, with little regard to 80 ''e Of the
property, and as there are two or thee sep
arate claims upon great part of it, this
may lead to great difficulty in the future.
Sometimes the same Iand is sold To different
parties by two Alcaldes.
! The IT, s. sIoop-of- war Dale which sail
ed from San Francisco for the United States
on the 2ot1 of March, has $500, 900 in gold
dust on board.
| Nearly The whole of Capt. Suffers forty
! thousand bushels OF grain ro;ted in the field
| for want Of hands to harvest it. The price
| of -four at the diggings when Mr.. PARROT
left was IS per h., though at San Francis
co it was down 10 $40 per Dbl. There was
not much sickness at the diggings except
scurvy and few cases of fever. There
was also some scurvy at San Francisco, ow-
ing to the want of vegetable food, the cn!ti-
walton of the soil being entirely neglected.
! Boston man named Tyler, sou Of a Bos-
ton auctioneer of that name, purchased q
sort Of shed, and started The first auction
store in the place. The novelty Of tie thing
attracted crowds, and he soon did very
profitable business. Two or three Peter
Funk establishments soon started up and
entrapped many of the green miners who
came down from the diggngs SO fast is
The progress of civilization in California!