The southern press., 1851-08-28
cArrArx MAnKs STATEMENT.

. The steamer Union sailed from San Francis
!, co on the lst July at midnight was clear of tn
!. North Head. The ship was put on the usua
Il course, as to make the land south of Monterey
d AT meridian OF the second the weather cleare1
/ away. by observation, the ship was in lai
80 deg 33 min. north, ife land at the time sbou
10 miles distant; ths steamer Pacific Captain Bal
ley, in sight, about miles in-shore Of the UnloI
! 1.-The ships course at the same time given >. ;
o u, and kept so until noon OF the third Ths
i weather during the latter part of the day ant
night, had been thick and foggy. Al meridian
Of the third, the steamer isthmus hove IL
: sight, from San Francisco, bound to Panama
0 lat, 33 deg. "a min. north, no land in sight, Z
: sunset we had run her hull down---the Isthm
steering more 10 the eastward than the Union
: July the 4th, having passed all the chain OF is-
lands usually made on this route witIio 1T seeing
[ any Of them, ] Judged myself we'll 10 westward
1 and shaped my course to make the Island OF
!, Ceres. Throughout the night the weather was
thick and foggy. at | o'clock A. NJ, on the 5th
left the deck, and having seen no lands since
leaving Monterey, passing outside of ST. Catha.
, rine, ST. Miguel, and John Begg, and having
seen none of them, ftltsure the position of the
ship was where the reckoning and courses
steered ought 10 have put her. AT 3 A. NJ. quite
thick weather, the ship struck on a hard rocky
The helm was immediately ordered to port the
ship at the next moment was among the break
ers, and disabled before any possible means
could be taken TO extrcate her from her peril
ous position. She in less than half an hour
! filled to the lower deck and broke amidships,
the sea at the time breaking over her after
body. At daylight, the passengers and gold
dust were landed. Mr. Berry. my chief officer,
| cent on shore to take charge of what was
landed. At 10 A. NJ, the breakers increasing,
made II dangerous to land Mr.. Berry found it
difficult to get the men any longer to return to
the ship, and sent me word this will be the last
boat to go to the ship, the crew refusing any
longer to remain in the boat, AS it was impossi-
Bile to land without risk of life. was obliged,
them to abandon the ship, which proved to be a
total wreck. Before leaving her, the butts began
starting, and the main deck opened abreast the
engine room. On reaching the shore, num-
Der Of the passengers flocked about me to kno v
what was the prospect before them. | sGa
nothing but the barren coast of Lower CalifssN
MIA, lat. SO deg. north, Ion. ia deg. 45 min.
west about 20 miles south of st. Quntin Bay
by water, and 60 by land. e ,isas AZ
In examining the treasure landed, found
one box missing marked j. Watson, Philadcl-
phia, containing $4,000 in dust, which was
stolen during the morning OF the fifth The
empty box was found in the between-decks.
On the morning of the oh, despatched DR..
Hewitt and guide to San Domingo which was
distant about 75 miles from the wreck to procure
mules to remove the gold dust to st. Quintin,
safe port to re-embark the treasure. The fol-
| lowing day, sent another EXPIRE to assist in.
procuriny mules The ALI de, from San Do
mingo, rought message from DR.. Hewitt
| that he would be at San Diego on that day.
| The gold dust was removed across a chain of
mountains and safely landed at St. Quintin
On the morning of the ! 9th, the steamship
Northerner came to anchor in the bay. Capt
Randall informed me that he had got informa
ton of the loss Of the Union through DR.. Hewitt.
and had seen my letter to Mr.. Ames, Of the San
Diego Hrad, and that they had sent word to
! DR.. Hewitt, who was then on his way to San
4 Francisco, of the Northerner's intention of stop
ping for our relief which information must have
reached San Francisco before anything could
have been done there for our relief, particularly
as it was we'll known at San Francisco that the
Northerner, when leaving, had but about forty
passengers, and would cosequenty come to our
aid. The passengers, and gold dust were taken
on board the Notherner, and on the 10Th we
started for Panama, via Acapulco.
| arrived at New York, in the Cherokee, on
the night Of the 2lst inst, The following NOR
ming publication, signed by f.. X. Hickman,
Lawrenceburr KY, showed to me. The
cause of 40 gross charges are therein made
upon me, cannot account for, otherwise than
that nearly all the passengers felt anxious TO
have share of the gold dust, which, with great
risk and anxiety, ] had succeeded in bringing to
New York
Immediately af.er landing from the wreck,
found the greater part of the ships crew in
disordercd state from the use of liquor, and TO
protect the provisions, water &c selected some
twerty of the passengers TO wntch over them.
The following day. number of the passengers,
of their own accord, told me they were gong TO
San Diego and Saint Quintn. Provisions were
furnished them, and they left, together with part
of the crew. | then felt it would be prudent to
select posse offorty whom could have under
some control and reward them for their services,
with sufficient to procure them passage from
st Quiniin to Panama, 10 which they readily
assented, forming themselves into n body to
guard the treasure and provisions. Tie best
feeling existed between myself and this posse
for several days, two of them making an apology
TO me for the want Of thought in the passengers,
FOR allowing my dispatches by Dr.. Hewitt TO go |
in which had conducted myself throughout
the trying scene on the morning of the wreck.
This sentiment, at such time, was hattering,
and somewhat relieved me of part of the
burthen which no man can feel unless placed in
a like situation. 0at
But things soon changed. A gentlemen from
Robertson. known as the great
squatter agitator---commenced looking on the
dust with strong feeling of large salvage,
and from day to day harangued the pas eng srs,
telling them that steps should be taken to get
the gold dust our Of my hands, in the event of
my not being brought to terms. A Mr.. Day,
who was chosen head Of the posse, showed
strong disposition to have things his own way.
and endeavored to take the charge Of the gold
dust out OF my hands. gave him to understand,
IN the event of any such attempt being made,
they would have to take it over my corpse. He
then took decided stand ag,nst me, and st
every opportunity offered me insult, and con-
tinued 80 doing until we reached Chagres. He
pretended to know me, and expressed himself
as having had my acquaintance for several years
do not know that | ever saw him until on
hna ri the If,,o, and than bo inf ,,,c -