The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1850-04-05
MR.. KINGS CALIFORNIA REPORT

and propects OF California, is highly interesting docu-
all the various points of general inquiry in relation to
the new State, and comprises history of his mis-
sion and observations from his departure for San
Francisco on the 3D. of April Of last year. lie was
the first TO communicate there the information that
the last Congress had failed TO provide a Govern
ment for them, and he denies any agency whatever
in originating the movements of the people to supply
the want.
He arrived at San Francisco on the 4th Of June
and on the preceding day General Riley, the acting
civil governor of the Territory, had issued at Mon
terey his proclamation, calling upon the people to
elect delegates to convention to form State con-
stituton; Therefore he could have had no sort of
part III that measure. Nor did he take any part
whatever in the elections the deliberations of the
convention; but was, during the entire sitting of the
convention, sick In the mountains, some 1870 miles
distant from where it was holding its sttings. OF
the delegates to the Convention, 10 out of the 81
constituting that body, were from the Slave States,
and ten more from below lat SO 80 lie explicitly
exonerates tine Administration from the charge of any
interference on the subject of slavery:
had no secret instructions, verbal or writtenfrom
the President, or any one else, what to say to
the people of California the subject of Slavery
nor was 1t ever limited or intimaed to me that was
expected to attempt to influence their action in the
slightest degree on that subject. That | never did
the people of California will bear me witness.
After these preminaries the Report treats several
y Of the Population, Climate, Soil Productions, Pub
lie Domain, Commercial Resources, and Mineral
Wealth, Of the country, and under these several
heads much important information is communicated
The estimates Of the mineral weatha and the rewards
of those WIN hav heen work VOW, l,rr
and cannot of course, be received precise as they
only given the results of general observation
| We add the following summary of the topics of
the report from the Journal of Commerce:
1t treats ofthe population of the country, its agr
cultural resources; extent and production ofthe miner
raj reglon the commerce and navigation of CaIfor-
MIA the legislation necessary for the territory and
especially IN regard to the disposition of the gold
bearing lands belonging to the United States
| The population of the country is now about l20, :
geo. An accession by immigration, during the wear
beginning at the next dry season-on the lst of Nav
is estimated at 200, 600
The agricultural capacities of the state are vastly
greater thanhas been heretofore represented. There
Is vast extent Of pasture lands, unsurpassed any,
where in the world, in verdure and richness. The
wild oats grow spontaneously all over the plains,
yielding annual crop at the rate Of forty bushels
per acre. Any number of cattle and sheep may be
raised Two hundred thousand head of cattle must
be brought into tie country during the next two wears
The c;Etle were formerly killed for their hides
which was the chief article Of export and they were
worth but IA head; but now they are worth $50
to $50 head
California is especially adapted to wool growing; a
gentleman was about to import 10000 sheep from
Mexleo with view to go into that business. The
future value OF the vineyards is represented as very
great
As to the commerce of the country. he estimates
the value OF imports needed in California from the
Atlantic states, for the next year, at four millions OF
dollars In Hour, SIX millions In lumber and two mil
lions in other articles.
As to the article Of lumber, its price is now S75
per thousand, and cannot be lower because if is he
low the cost of labor necessary for cutting and
ing lumber in California. 1t can be carried TO Cali
tornla Tor S24 thousand; and supposng it TO cos,
$50 here, 1t will continue to pay.
The gold region is described as extending or GOO
miles from the South to the North and from 40 to so
miles In width, from East to West 1t rises gradu-
ally in an mclind plain, from the Sacramento valley
to the elevation OF 1000 feet at what are called the
Foot Hills. Between these hills and the Sierra Ne
vada, number of streams have their source and
take their course through the Foot Hills, westward.
MIR. King examined twelve of these rivers and
found them all very rich in gold The territory on
the north is very rich in gold and the conclusion
Is inevitable, from all the facts, that the whole
quartz plain, containing three thousand square miles
IS full of gold bedded in the quartz, and some Of
which, disntegrated from The quartz by the torrents
may be found in dust and Jumps in the beds of the
streams. '"e
From innumerabIe evidences and indications !,
has come to be the universally admitted oninion
among the miners and intelligent men who have ex-
ahmed this region that the gold ,chether in aetc5
ed particles and pieces or in ueiRS ecas creaie3
combination with the quartz.
The rivers, in forming their channels, or breal;no
their way through the hills, have come in eontoci
with the quartz containing the gold veins and bv
slant attrition cut the gold into fine flakes and dust
and 1t is found among the sand and gravel of their
beds at those places where the swiftness of he
rant reduces it, in the dry season, to the narrowes
possible limits, and where wide margin is conse-
quently left on each side over which the water rush
es. during the wet season, with great force.
| The quicksilver mines arebelieyed TO be numerous
extensive, and very valuable. There is ONE nea,
San Jose, which belongs to, or is claimed bv Mr.
Forbes, Topic, in Mexico The cinnab3r ore
which produces the quicksilver, lies near the surface
Is easily produced, and beyed to be remarkably pro-
1ductive r''
The whole number of foreigners in the reaion who
are gold hunters, is fifteen thousand. There have
been seven thousand American gold hunters. Tho
Chiiians and the Sonora people came in crowds, and
have carried off twenty FIVE millions. The Ameri-
cans have procured fifteen millions The Ch;onsre