The Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1852-1872, 1853-07-30
Missouri Correspondence.

NhlssOurI correspondence.
JEFFERSON Cry, MISSOURI June 9 1853.
MEssRs EDrToRs Having promised many
persons to write them of the convenience of
passage across the Isthmus, It's safety, &C.,
know of no better means of canceling that obli-
CATION than through your columns. / can say to
those who are not in great hurry to reach
home, never come by water The overland
route is far preferable, and great deal cheaper
and safer. If you come by water, start if posi-
bic about the lst of A pril for many reasons, the
most important of which is the general good
health on both routes. Another reason of para
mount importance is, that you reach the Allan
tic States i'll the Spring season, the most tavora-
BILE for returning Caliiornians Never come the
Vanderbilt line when you can come the mail line
| came the Vanderbilt line When | reached
San Francisco the papers were filled with hor-
rible reports of disease and death at Panama
reports as base and false at the perpretator,
swelled Cor perhaps it will suit his taste better
to say dilated) head purser of the Sierra Neva-
d. To show the fasity of the report, the Ser
IA Nevada lost two passengers and the Caifor-
MIA lost two. The Sierra Nevada being much
superior vessel 10 the California, induced many
to take passage on her. and not the health re-
port.
The accidents alone, which have occurred on
the Vanderbilt route, quite sufficient 10
denim it. can assure you that | would much
rather take my chance with the yellow fever,
Panama Fever, Asatic cholera, tropical thunder
and lightning, snakes and alligaiors, than he
subjected again to the rude treatment and black
guardisn of the officers of the splendid steamer
Sierra Nevada The captain ignorant.
rude, dissipated mate just that trip promoted 10
captancy, owing to the death of the former
captain, and from ignorance and intoxication,
came very near having Independence af-
fair of 1t. The boilers became dry. and
bursting. Another time the boat
caught on fire, and at another, the boat ran for
twenty-four hours in wrong direction. This
is what stated by the inferior officers of the
vessel, and also by the hands, but kept still by
others You are charged Is cents per pound
for all your baggage, and pay your own fare
across the transit. The company advertises to
furnish mules TO cross the isthmus with, but the
agents, being of very enterprising class, ION
their own hook } hold them back until the pass
engers become restless for fear of loosng their
passage, and 90 out and hire the same mules
from the herders at The rate of two dollars per
head. They will not land you with their small
boats, but you have to pay about s., 90 to get a
native to take you ashore from the place of an
chorage. These things not mentioned 10
you when you go to get information relative to
the trip, but kept for you to learn after it is
late to remedy it. They furnished no ice, when
they might have had plenty. They bad lot Of
spoilt flour of which they made their bread
which would poison almost any one. Some two
or three pieces Were taken TO New York. TO the
worlds fair, and one piece was sent 10 New Or
leans to be analysed.
In going down the Nicaraugua rivcr-wlici
is not at all times navigable for steamboats, two
OF their steamboats, were sank in one day Then
we had to take small boats and work our pass
age down, by getting out in the water. and
pushing the boats over the shoal places They
said that passage very low that they
could not afford any better accommodations
The first cabin was three hundred and sirty dot
lars. Second cabin. three hunared and ten dollars
Steerage one hundred and seuenty-fce doklars-
HI CHER than il was ever known for the last t.vo
years perhaps. When you would ask for any
Information. The agent at San Francisco would
almost order you from the room-by his rude
conduct would actually do So and assume more
airs than II he were actually supreme monarch
OF the universe. man whose personal APP
pearance was made peculiarly illuminating by
kind of brindle musiaches which he had fin
gered and oiled until he had grown idiotic. A
bralnless BOBBY, who is incompetent 10 do any,
thing except perhaps TO join-in the baboon or
monkey chaunt; his nearest kinsman from his
personal appearance.
Ii you are coming home come across the
plains, as means OF economy and safety. II
you should come by water, come the L. s. Mail
line, and you have officers who are gentlemen,
and who will not stoop to any low and mean adj
vantage to secure all the passengers going both
ways. And regards the loss of life on both
routes, take and compare the two bills of NOR
tally. and see if all the deaths by disease
the Panama route amount TO the great waste OF
human life-ihe result of ignorance on the Van
derbilt line Take all the wretchedness and
horrors OF war, pcstience and famine, and COM
pare 1t with that of burying single soul alive
and judge which is preferable. 1t is not worth
my while to enumerate ali the losses of vessels
on the Vanderbilt route. of unworthy sea loaf.
ing crafts; but / will only call your attention
to the Independence-tha terrible burial of hu-
man beings in ocean waste. Come across
the plains. and take your chances among the
savage tribes. and if death comes there is some
consolation in the idea that you sleep the sleep
of death on land, where some kind friend or
travelling companion can mark yonr place Of
rest. Gro. B. WESTON.