Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-02-10

The London A,henaum publishes the following
letter from the celebrated traveller Ida Pfeffer da-
ted San Francisco, Oct both, 1889
cannot orego the pleasure to send you few
lines from this place No doubt you will already
have seen from the newspapers the progress of my
peregrinatons and will have been able to follow the
general direction of my route which, dare say you
will find has deviaied good deal from the one orgi
nally projected When parted from you in Lon
don, 1t was my intention to visit, among other
gions, Australia. was, il were, lowering for
some time about it, and approaching it very near but
nevertheless, did not reach it after all found the
Australian gold mines with their effects serious OBJ
staces 10 my plans :-traveIling and living in that
gOld-absorbng country said TO be so expensive
that feared with my small means, | would not get
on the best there merely in harmless pursuits, such
the collecting of insects reptiles and other jects
! OF natural history, instead of seeking and digging
for gold. was. therefore, reluctantly compelled TO
give up Australia. But in avoiding ScyiIa was
carried into the veritable Charybds,-I came TO
another such execrable Godand, California itself.
The kind offer of free passage in American
vessel induced TO visit that country Our passage
lasted seventy-nine days. Yet although for sixty
days saw nothing but sky and wafer, the view OF
the coast of California did not make a cheerful i'm
preston on met consisting of naked sand hills
with but few clumps of brushwoOd and still fewer
trees, which, from their small and dusty leaves, had
a gloomy appearance
'sThe city of San Francisco certainly ranges with
the great wonders of the world, but it is not won
der TO charm or to enchant. No less than six times
in the course of five years it destroyed by fire
yet it looks magnificent if it had suffered
by that element 1t lies mostly sand hills which
are covered with houses and huts up to their SUBMITS
The of the city consists of artificial piece
of toleraby fiat ground. produced by filling up thu
bay with sand to the extent of Onethrd OF an Eng
lish mile. Here YOU would see Il hustle as in thu
. City of the English metropos-where it is driv
! ing, riding, running haste and hurry as in dis
turbed ant-hiIl. Houses of brick are built in al
e Incredibly short time, that streets often no
] recognized after month two. While in tn
luxury and splendour which is 10 be in the in
terror of the houses San Francisco rivals London
Pals,-the filth without and the state of the street
generally far exceed Constantinople. These, forming
5 as they do the common receptacle for all kinds o
rubbish and filth, are in the first instance, coyere
e with layer of dust and sand, upon which may b
seen heaps of broken boxes and casks crockery an
IS bottles cast-off cloth, linen and old Shoes Ogehe
with the dead bodies of dogs and rats To wal
through the streets is punishment, and to exten
l. your walk TO the country around much add
n tona punishment Your legs soon becoming fatigu
n ed by the deep sand, and your eyes not the less
l. by viewing the monotonous dreary landscape.
The Bay, it must be owned, is fine and imposine
by the great number of vessels from all parts of til
world; TO which | must also add that in the rain
season, as | am told, the whole country assume
quite different aspect it being then richly clad in
v green swafd and covered profusely with many heau
"a tiful flowers this season begins few month
il hence. By that time, however, | shall have con
menced my tour through Mexico after which | il
tend to proceed to the United States by Vera Cru
and Havana, for without having the Falls
a. niagara cannot return 10 Europe | only wish
> was ten years younger for then my peregrinatio
!. would be less limited. Everywhere am kindly ar
Hospitality received and assisted, and passages
steam or sailing vesseIs-a heavy item in the e.
or pense of travelling over the world have most
a free
We Before leave California shall visit everythir
20 worth seeing. | have already seen Sacrament
v Marys Villa, well as the dggings and washing
TT TO me the most surprising feature connected wi
at the latter is the extraordinary feeling of security
ones property manifest everywhere the people
W going TO their work, which is often at disanc
leave their tents unprotected; yet thefts and robbie
les, it is said, scarcely ever occur"