The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-08-15
California Correspondence.
PANAMA, New Grenada,
july 20. 1850.

er Falcon, on the 30th ult. alter three days
run, we drew in at Havana, where we re-
NAMED three days; and finally got to Cha
gres on the 18th. From there we were four
days going 60 miles up Chagres river tc
Gorgona-the river being very high and diff
cult to ascend. One poor unfortunate fellow
by the name of Bernard Brown, from New
Orleans, was drowned; and several others
came nigh losing their lives-one boat turned
over (the current being so rapid) and split 8
men in the stream-some swan ashore, and
others caught to the limbs of trees and held
till boat came up and rescued them. Judge
McHenry, fiom n. Orleans, was one WHO
swan ashore-he got about $4,000 worth oil
law books badly damaged. To recount the
numerous amusing as well as terrifying scenes
that occurred would require more time and
paper than have but there is one thing
certain, a person going this route to Callior-
MIA, will meet with enough novel things to
amply repay him for all the hardshps he
might endure And another thing which is
rery certain, is, that il man starts on
Journey of this kind, he must expect the very
worst-had it been ten times worse, | would
not complain. To some persons, trip to
California is looked upon as something terri
bic in the extreme. The time has been,
when such was the case but the time has
now arrived, when any one who has the need
Iul. can 90 there. The monster elephant
about which we have heard so much, no lon
GER presents itself tous in the garb of travel
ing faciliies-the principal obstacles to en-
counter, being lot of swindlcrs and thieves,
who surround you everywhere, and on all
sides. The natives are friendly and molten
sive in themselves, but great MANY men OF
all classes have got among them, and made
them the dupes Of their righteousness, for
instance: at Chagres. four months ago:
company of six or ten could hire native to
take them up to Cruces or Gorgona, ga days
rum for four dollars each, but three or four
Americans went in and bought up all the
boats-hred the natives to boat for them, and
now charge Is dollars to take a man up-and
| might mention dozen similar cases.
was very lucky in not buying through
ticket at N. Orleans, as they are now sellI"s"
here below par. Tickets that ten days ago
would have brought $175, can new be bought
for Sl20; and have known within three
days past 300 dollar tickets to be sold for
200 dollars. The reason Of this is very plain
twenty days ago, there were over four
persons here, and only one or two
steamers; and now there are not to exceed
one thousand. If that many, and five steam
els, and the Tennessee, which will make the
sixth, is looked for every hour; so you see
these steamers will have TO leave with half
of a load. The Northerner, West Point,
Ecuador, Isthmus, and Sarah Sands. are all
here to leave within ten days. The North
erner and Tennessee are the finest and fast
est ones on this side. The N. will leave on
next Tuesday, bought second cabin tick
ct on her for one hundred and ten dollars
the original price being 5000. There are
about one hundred spectators here, and
about now they are getting bit the worst
kind. All the excitement here is on one
street, and around four corners opposite each
other, and all you see or hear, is, who wants
TO buy such and such ticket-how much is
offered for such and such ticket. This
morning there was IL lot Of tickets sold at
aurIion-such sceIes as these, Panama never
before witnessed. The Sarah Sands came
in two days ago from San Francisco, having
been out 2S days. She brought no mail
The accounts from the mines are about the
same-somc comc having been sick End done
bad, advise every body to stay at home
others having done well, give glowing de-
scriptions-so the only conclusion TO come TO
is, 10 lot every man 60 and see for himself
As for the health of California, believe it to
be the most delightful climate IN the "orId-
all Of the returning emicrai.'s look perfectly
hearty and well. II can Judge by having
CO . this lar, this is emphaiically my opin-
ion. Ii is very true, dough, that the same
climate will not suit all persons; but as for
myself, give me South Amcrica-l've never
been SO hearty in my lie as since left New
Orleans.
The natives all through the country live
without work-subsst principally upon the
spontaneous productions of the soil-hunting
principally occupies their otherwise weary
hours-largc farms, upon which you will see
grazing. great herds of cattle-cows larger
than the largest oxen in the States. and new
er is there u single car OF corn fed them
close by this fine herd Of cattle, you may see
one Of The most delightful locations for res
idencc you can possibly conceive oi-one
which would grace any Of our Eastern cities
everything calculated TO make it perfect