Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-04-09
An Indians Description of Califor.
mia.

from one of the Nation. We select a few pas
sagts:
"Persons, however, who intend coming to Cali
fornia with the view of making sudden fortunes,
by gathering gold like pebbles or sand on the
seashore, had better remain where they are, for l
can assure them they will be sadly disappointed
the day is past and gone for this and never did
exist to the extent represented, or that many
fattered themselves it did, when they left good
comfortable home to secure a fortune in months
or years time in California. Thousands have
returned home worse off than when they came,
and thousands are not able to return for want
Of means. A few are making princely fortunes,
hundreds are rapidly making genteel fortunes by
trade; while thousands are slowly realizing a
business that will in few years make them in
dependent. But, indeed, every man, who is
either not too lazy to labor or too prohgate to
save, is here doing well, much better than he
could do with the same means in any other coun-
! try now known to us on the face of the earth.
"The spontaneous productions of this coun-
try exceed all have ever seen anywhere. The
blossoms and the great variety of flowers that
cover the plains next the mountains, are really
magnificent, of almost endless variety, kind, and
colors. The wild poppies have appropriated to
themselves thousands of acres next to the noun
tains. We could manufacture opium here with
a vengeance, judging from the quantity of raw
material. The grain, grasses, and vegetables,
that grow without cultivation, are superior to
anything ever saw; not so much from the
great number and variety of the articles as from
their perfection and quality. Grapes, of most
delicious flavor, and of several varieties, grow
here in great abundance. Parsnips, of excellent
quality, grow all over the southern mines, on the
banks of the creeks, and in the ravfnes, being
much used by the miners as substitute for the
cultivated article. have eaten of them, and
found them good. l am told that there are ma
ny other vegetables growing wild, that resemble
those cultivated, and are used for food, and found
to be excellent; but as have not seen or parta-
ken of them, will defer naming or describing
them until have done both.
The prevailing feed for animals in this section
is wild oats with clover on the coast, and occa-
sionally extending far back in theinterior! This
is superior feed both in its green and dry state.
Timothy and other nutritious grasses are also
found here, on the rivers and on the plains, but
the wild oat takes precedence of all others IN
the upper part of the State, and clover in tho
lower part. The oats cover every hill and valley,
and nearly every foot of open land in the whole
State, varying in height and quality according
to soil and location. I have seen them as high
as the back of The tallest horse frequently, with
large strong stalk and very good grain, and to
all appearance in size and quality Of grain, quite
equal to the domestic article, yet the heads are
quite small in proportion to the stalk. On the
hills and more sterile soils, it grows from knee to
waist high, makes excellent pasturage, and per-
fects its grain Timber in tke valleys and plains
is scarce, amounting in places to an entire alb
sence of the article; and what there is in these
situations is fit for nothing but frewood. The
prevailing timber (when any in the valleys,
plains, and water courses, is kind of scrubby
live oak with few other varieties not worthy Of
mention.
"a party of my acquaintance have been to
Humboldt Bay this summer, and they say it is
certainly true that f'''r of them rode their hor-
ses abreast into the hollow Of one Of these trees
(red-wood) wheeled in it, and rode out again,
still abreast have never seen any so large as
that, but have seen many that would girt thir-
! ty feet very tall and handsome; this timber is
only found in the mountains, and on spots up
and down the coast, There are red-woods north
and south of this place, within twenty miles.
Humboldt Bay (near the line of Oregon) abounds
in this timber; it is good building timber, and
equal to cedar for fencing, being much like it In
quality and appearance.