Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1854-12-21
California Corresyh.
merous friends of the writer In East ie?!ele.l
NEVADA CRY, California, Nov. 10th, 81.
M- UBrien:-


Mr. UByieR:-
Having been requested agai
and again BY numerous friends. to write the,
description of my trip to California, and hav
ing come to the conclusion that it would h
spending mr. time very uselessly to write s
many times he same scenes, | thought woul
write few OF the principle incidents to vol
ana should you think it worthy of place |
your excellent paper, am willing for You
put 1t there, but should the errors be too gIarn.
You will do me great favor in committing
to the Enthusiastically the most suitab
place for 1t. As this is my first attempt |
writing for the papers, you must "pass nv i'm
perfectlons by,nor view me with critics eyer
fear those who read this will be very mub
disappointed, for however may have felt h
the time, when sit down to write / feel vev
much like Corporal Trim in Mr. SrERx's aFs
ting book, where he says, ''Story! God BIDS
your honor, | have none 10 tell
We left the pleasant Village of Loudop. wbee
we had been enjoying ourselves in the socev
OF it amable inhabitants, on the 25tb of Sd.
TENDER. We had quite pleasant ride on ne
cars to Dalton, Georgia, where we ren,oinh
with some OF our friends until. two o'cl,., ne
next day, and there we bid farewell to ALI Y,rtsl
familiar faces and scenes and sought the en-
partnership of strangers.
We passed on very quietly until the alarm ,as
given that We were within Il mile of Auputa
where the yellow fever was making its brad .
full ravageS, and the scene from this time rati
we had LETT the fated City in the distance we're
quite amusing; and really, Mr. O'Brien. sou
would have been willing to have disposed
with the sense of smelling for some time. lad
you leen compelled to iIEa'e an atmosuhen so
impregnated with asa, birthstone .camaor.
and many other things too numerous to mn
ton, which were used as representatives. Officer.
AS we were SO closely confined, and trapled
so rapidly upon the cars, am unable to five
YOU any description of the places through witch
we passed, but having formed some very phas>
ant acquaintances, the time passed off 10Th
pleasantly and rapidly. We took supper in
Richmond, breakfast in Baltimore, and diner
in Philadelphia. but made no delay in eithg of
the places, and arrived in New York on the
evening Of the Both. Many of my readers ,,oth
voung and ole, have experienced that delight
full shock which the first sight Of the grestcitv
inspires, and at the end of years the emdion
occasioned Ivy the sight still thrills in -FOUR
memory, and it smites you as at the moment
You first beheld it.
Having always lived in a retired country
seat, in upper East Tennessee, I vas wholly
unused to the scenes presented to nv vier in
Broadway, but Mr. O'Brien, | have one pnso.
latiOn, and that is, am not the only person
who has lived to my age without having seen
New York. We remained in New York until
the 4th Of October, during which time we visit
ed the renowned Crystal Palace, and passed
several hours quite agreeably in examining
various curi0sities from every portion Of the
hahilable globe. There was DISPLAYED the
rarest productions of the earth, and the linge-
nuty and mechanism of man; and while view
ing the improvements of modern ages / felt
how ungrateful the human race isfor the means
which the Creator has made subservient to
their will We sailed from New York on the
steamship, Star OF The West.the 18th of October
Of sigef 81 4l ad md Nhqftr FIX oeauTs:se ont
one boundless expanse Of water, thought Of
how many noble hearts, who had left their
homes with aspirations and dreams as high.
bright and dazzling as ours, and now lie buried
beneath old oceans wave, with the waters for
their winding sheet, and the foaning pillows
above to sing their funeral dirge, and from this
nv mind reverted to their friends left behind,
and in imagination | saw the widowed mother
dav after day looking in agony of thought for
her only darling son. who had gone to seek his
fortune upon the bniSterous deep; but she looks
in vain, for her darling child now lies beneath
the brinv waters of the stormy Atlantic or the
gentle Pacific; but such reflections as these on
Is rendering me meanchollv, dismissed them,
and busted myself in admiring the surrounding
scenery.
The weather was quite cool, and water very
ronoh for the first two or three DAYS, and then
it turned quite warm, and the hitherto angry
sea, seemed to sink into quiet sumber, and
our gallant bark glided joyously on, bearing
some 400 beating hearts onward to the reaIlza
ton of their dreams, or to sip the regs of dlsap
pointment.
On the 9th the cry of land m ado each heart
beat ioyOusly, aud assure you we gazed with
delight upon The much,talked.o of Island of Cuba
and the sight wastruly grand. In the distance
it seemed as if peak rose above peak until they
we're lost amid the clouds, and such a sublime
quetude seemed to pervade the whole. that Z
casual observer would little dream of the hostile
spirits dwelling in the breast of its inhabitants
On the 18th we were pleased with passing
glance Of the Island Of Jamaica.
The weather was usually quite warm during
the day, until FIVE O'Clock in the evening, wher
a pleasant sea breeze would float along, bearing
upon its bosom the notes of some light-hearteC
lady, or the sweet strains of the violin, whicl
was one evening accompanied by the merr.
dance, but did not participate.
After the sun had screened himself from tn
view of our little crew, the moon in ali her sll
very splendour would emerge from behind
mountain of water, and render the scene one @
unrivaed splendour and magnihcence. Tn
whole world would be transformed7iaro a shee
of silver, while the clouds resembled banks c
snow trimmed with the richest silver fringe, AN
the stars while they twinkled in their diStan
homes, seemed tc be smiling upon this littl
worId of ours.
Nothing more of import ance transpired mt
the morning Of the 18th. when we arrived q
the renowned city of Greytown, which is situate
upon the banks of the San Juan river
must confess the town, rather the create
number 0 the houses did not have very pre-
possessing appearance, having been hnlIt primer
pallv nv the natives, however we made no de
Law here. but bidding farewell to the Star Of tn
West. went on board Of the l.. Z. Huret, an
sailed up the San Juan river. The scener
/ along the river bank was really beautiful, al
entirely different from anything had ever seer
! The banana. orange, palmleaf and pine app
were strown along in wild prnfuson, with bel
and there vine of beautiful flowers twined
nature among the leaves. The trees and shru
cry of the topical countries have very little re
sembance to those Of our own.