Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1849-07-12
and interesting from California.


time in California, returned in the Crescent City, and
brings the following important items of news:
Mr.. Loring has brought with him a complete and
reliable Map Of the God Regions, embracing the
whole district, and designating all the important To-
calItes more definitely, and with greater accuracy
than any map which has ever been published. 1t las
been carefully made from the best sources Of personal
information. and will be of very great utility. We
believe he has made no arrangements for It's ~publica-
ton, though we presume that some of our map pub
liners will take measures to place il before the pub
lie as soon as possible.
The number of Foreigners, chiefly from Peru,
Chill. Mexico. and the Sandwich Islands. who are
pouring into California, is almost incredible. Sew
enty or eighty vessels were lying in the harbor, COM
pletely deserted by officers as well as by men, left
with no one to take care of them and rapidly falling
TO pieces at the wharves. The Peruvian government
has sent u portion Of its Navy to San Francisco to
bring away the Peruvian merchant vessels lying there,
and it is only by similar action on the part of our
government that any portion OF the American vessels
now there can be saved from entire destruction.
From 5000 to 1000 foreigners, chiefly from South
American ports, are supposed to arrive in California
every week. The proclamation of Gen. Persfer T.
Smith, ~forbidding them to come, excites no attention
whatever, and is not regarded in the least.
On the 18th Of April, news reached San Francisco
that an attack had been made upon the Americans at
the mines by the Indians. 1t proved that such an
attack had been made, and that five Americans had
been killed. 1t is supposed that the Indians were set
on by the Mexicans. The miners Immediately formed
a strong party and started in pursuit. They soon
overlook the Indians, attacked them and killed fifteen
on the spot. They also took twenty five prisoners and
brought them into the camp. According to the usual
forms of proceeding, steps were Immediately taken to
give them an er tempore trial. which would. of course,
have been followed by summary punishment. The
Indian prisoners made an attempt to escape the first
night, after they were brought in. They were de-
tected. however. and twenty-four of them were killed
on the spot.
"
the only magistrate known throughout the mining re-
gion, and that his DEGREES are pronounced with all
proper judicial forms, and executed with relentless
severity. There is no law, of course, for the district
except such as is created by the emergency of the case.
No military force can be maintained there for a mo-
ment. General Smith was applied to by an express
from the mines, for soldiers to chastise the Indians
after their attack upon the American camp. The
General smiled, and said that eff he should send a
company there would not be a skeleton 10 return"
Soldiers would desert, of course, instantly upon their
arrival. There are none at the mines, and few in the
Territory small detachment being near San Fran
cisco, and the main body at Monterey.
Whenever any offence is committed among the mi
ners, the culprit is seized, a jury of twelve persons is
empunneled, testimony is heard, the verdict rendered
and sentence promptly executed. All this is done, os
we are informed, with perfect fairness and the great
est care There is very little robbery or crime Of
any kind at the mines. Since the opening Of the dis
trIct TO emigrants, eight or ten executions have taken
place for robbery and murder, and this has had a most
salutary and restraining effect.
The great peril TO the whole country is TO grow out
of the great influx of foreigners. Not only do they
sieze upon the mines, from which they have been ex-
cluded by formal proclamation Of the United States
Government, but their department towards the Amer
leans is said to be in the highest degree insulting and
provoking. At the latest accounts the foreigners out
numbered the Americans ten TO one in the mining
districts, and their demeanor was corresponGingly
overbearinga and insuferable. This had created the
deepest indignation among the Americans, especially
as the Mexicans were foremost in insult and bragga-
docio. The Yankees had already taken steps towards
organizing themselves into a Native American Asso-
citation, and it is said that, upon the arrival of large
bodies of the Americans, who were understood to
have sailed from various parts of the United States
during the months of January and February, they
were determined to drive every foreigner Out Of the
country at every hazard. Although they are now
greatly outnumbered still the Americans are far bet
ter armed than the foreigners, nearly all of them
having revovers and other arms, and are besides far
superior TO them in physical, mental and moral quail
tiles. Mr.. LoriDg tells US that they are determined
10 massacre the whole population, rather than submit
to their insolence and competition. They claim that
the United States laws require them to leave, and
they are determined that these laws shall be strictly
enforced. During the coming season Mr.. Loring
says there will inevitably occur the bloodiest and
most terrible scenes. growing out of this feeling, that
the Imagination can conceive. The Americans are
hardy, desperate. determined and well-armed, and
they will not desist from their purpose till the whole
country is cleared of foreigners, or they themselves
are forced to yield.
As to the extent and wealth of the gold regions,
Captain Loring says the truth cannot well be exag-
gerated the only deception ~practised is in regard
to the ease with which it is often represented that it
may be gathered. He saw several old miners who
had crossed the Rocky Mountains and settled in Ore
gon but on the first report of the discoveries of gold
they had left that country and gone to California.
They state that, judging from the volcanic formation
of the country and the appearances that everywhere
meet the eye, they have no doubt whatever that gold
will be found to be equally abundant on both sides of
the Rocky Mountain chain, for a very great extent.
New mines were discovered within thirty miles of
San Francisco, a few days before Mr.. L.. left. He
brought with him some beautiful specimens of the
gold found in the dry ''diggings." Some of them
weighed FIVE or six ounces, and had the appearance
of having been melted in an open fre-being irregu-
lar in form, and slightly discolored by ashes or dust.
These ~diggings are mainly between the North and
South Forks, upon elevated ridges in the mountains.
The earth is very hard clay-requiring strong blows
with a pickaxe to break ii. The miners 90 into this
section and strike at random. If there is gold there,
1t will soon be evident by the appearance of pieces,
large or small, mixed in with the clay.
On seeing these they Immediately fill their bags
with the dirt and carry it, either on mules or on their
shoulders, ten or twelve miles to the nearest streams
where it is washed. and the gold separated from the
dirt. Even with this tedious and hard process three
ounces a day is a fair average for a strong and hearty
man. Frequently, however, from lack If proper
tools, men dig with their hands, after n hole has once
been made, and their fingers soon become so sore that
they are forced to give up.
The great increase in the humber of miners was
diminishing, of course, the returns to individuals:
and II was believed from half an ounce 10 one ounce
would be a fair average during the next season.
About 10000 persons have been digging during the
past season, but more than ten times that number are
expected to arrive before the next season opens.