The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-31

increase
freight. and the result would be the same.
come. win NOT BE- lees than twenty milons Of feet per
annum which, II 80 per thousand, will be IS 900 600
When California comes 70 have population OF two
hundred thousand which she will have before the close
q as present y year. she will require near half smoa
supply i as good and cheap the old States Of the
Union. Including freight and insurance. this may be
set down as an item OF about IS 100000. The article
Of cloihing-allowing $40 to each person--would be
"a 100000
There preienson to accuracy in these items, and
.hsy may DC estimated too high, but il is quite as proba
We have no data on which 10 found calculation Of
what the value OF the trade between the States east OF
the Rocky MOUNTAINS and California viii be during the
current year will venture the opinion. however, thar
i will not fall short Of twenty-five millions OF dollars
II may 90 far beyond that AT present. can per-
ceive no cause which will retard diminish emigra
ton
II the movement shall continue FIVE years, our CON-
merce with that Territory may reach one hundred mil
hons per annum This is doubtless startling sum- but
i must be borne in mind that have to build cities and
towns supply machinery for mining coal Tor domestic
purposes and steam navigation, and all the mufarious
for half million OF people, who will have transferred
themselves TO country which is TO produce compare
lively, nothing except minerals and the precious metals
sna pursuits ay w ENABLE hen to
Il is difficult to imagine calculate the effect which
will be produced on all the industrial pursuits OF the peo
pie OF the old States OF the Union by this withdrawal
from them OF half million Of producers, who. in their
new homes and new pursuits, will give existence to
commerce almost equal in value our foreign trade
welfare Of California AS we'll may he believe his in.
erests would be influenced by closing our ports and
cutting Oh intercourse with all the world.
su and other articles Of food and
many others are so perishabe in their nature that they
would decay on the passage. This would be the cas-
fruits Until some more speedy mode a;.ed. "a undried
snail pc established by which Of communication
the farmers and pan stops produce be transferred,
the iu value er OF the old States will not realize
Many JsRockbi this new market on the Pacific.
Az other important interests will be kept back,
pccally the'consumpton OF coal The American steam.
eTs that ocean. those their way there, and
Others shortly TO be sent out will not far from
one hundred thousand tons of coal per annum The
raj fuel soon it be obtained reasonable
prices Suppose there may be, three years hence, forty
thousand houses which shall consume five tons each per
ton of three hundred thousand TONS II delivered $40
per TOM would compete successfully with the coal from
vancouvers Island and New Holland, and amount to
$6 100000.
The construction of railroad across the Isthmus OF
Panama would secure the market for those articles
against all competition.
Some idea may be formed OF the demand for them from
the prices paid in San Francisco last autumn Coal was
sold at $50 10 800 per ton; potatoes $l6 per bushel
urnps and onions for IS to e2i cents each eggs from
The distance from Chagres to New York has recently
been in seven days. The same speed would carry
steamboat from Panama to San Francisco in ten days
on railway, and both passengers and freight will be
conveyed from New York to San Francisco in twenty
days
This celebrity Of movement would secure for American
produce the entire market OF California Sailing vessels
may be successfully employed between Atlantic and
Gulf ports and the terminus OF the railway this side OF
the Ishmus, and propeers from Panama to San Fran
CISCO These latter vessels will be found peculiarly suited
to that trade they can use their steam through the Gains
OF the bay OF Panama. and against head winds and
going north, and their sails with favorable winds
and currents coming SOUTH
These modes Of conveyance, in connection with the
railroad across the ishmus, would be sufficiently expedi
ous and economical to turn the tide of commerce. be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific States OF the Union
that channel. The tendency of our commerce on the
Pacific 10 promote the employment of steamers
OF much importance as connected with the defence of
extensive line OF from latitude 80 deg 40 deg
the protection Of the whale fishery and other branches Of
heavy steamers to China would promote all these objects
increase intercourse with that country and probably
Money wisely employed in promoting these objects, i is
believed would add more to the power and prosperity OF
the country than its expenditure any general system Of
There 10 one point, however Of such vast importance
that time should be lost in taking the necessary steps
to render il perfectly impregnable-thats the entrance
works which may be erected to defend that passage will
depend the safety of California in time Of war with
maritime power. Permit hostile feet TO cast anchor in
the harbor OF San Francisco, and the country would be
virtually conquered.
The coast has not been surveyed, nor has its outline
been correctly ascerained There many rocks above
and below the water line, and small islands mention
ed or indicated any chart, which render navigation
near the land especially at night, extremely dangerous
An accurate survey OF the coast, to commence at the
most important points, the construction OF light houses
and the placing OF buoys in proper Positions objects Of
much Importance and, il is not doubted, will attract the
early attention OF government
,4 METALLIC AND MINERAL WEALTH.
The gold region OF California is between four and FIVE
hundred miles long, and from forty to fifty miles broad
following the line OF the Sierra Nevada Further dis
coveries may, and probably WILL increase the area IL
embraces within its limits those extensive ranges OF hills
which rise the eastern border OF the plain OF the Sac
amento and San Joaquin. and extending eastwardy from
nifty to sixty miles, they attain elevation OF about four
thousand feet, and terminate at the base OF the main
ridge OF the Sierra Nevada There are numerous streams
which have their in the springs OF the Sierra and
receive the water from its melting and that which
falls in rain during the wet season.
These streams form rivers, which have cut their chan
nes through the ranges OF foothills westwardly 10 the
plain and disembogue into the Sacramento and San Joa
qun. These rivers from ten to fifteen, and probably
some OF them twenty miles apart.
The principal formation, or substatum, in these hills,
s tacose slate; the supersiratum, sometimes penetrating
to great depth. is quartz This, however, does not
cover the entire fzce OF the country but extends in large
bodies In various dreconsis found in masses and small
fragments the surface and seen along the ravines and
IN the mountains overhangng the rivers, and in the hill
sides IN its original beds II crops out in the valleys and
on the tops OF the hills, and forms striking feature OF
the entire country over which il extends From in
universally admitted opinion among the miners and in
teligent men who have examined this region, that the
gold cefhsr IN detached particles and pieces on in veins
iods created IN combination nth the quartz. Gold is not