Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-11-18
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
COMMUNICATED.
COLUMBIA, Sept. Z, 1854.
DEAR FATHER,-


will give you few particulars OF my
travels for The last Two years. ! embarked
in ship called the Gulloiine, for Port Phi
lip, on the 18th of March, 1852. We touch.
ed at the Sandwich Islands, where we laid
eight days. |, i a very beautiful climate.
The islands produce all kinds OF tropical
fruits. The Americans, English and French
are the principal settlers in the Islands. The
natives are very degraded set Of people,
| did not visit the island OIL which Captain
Cook was murdered. Ii isa perpetual sum
mer there. We sailed thence across the Z.
quator to tho Navigation Islands, where |
saw the largest men in the world-lhey av-
eruged 6i feet high-sOme of the men were
u feet tall! They were likewise very war
like in their appearance. The implements
they use are clubs, spears, bows and arrows.
The dilTeren, tribes were at war with each
other.
We were in port eight days, and thence
sailed for Port Philip. We came in sight Of
Cape How, OH the coas, Of Australia, on the
soih day out from San Francisco. II was
winter season III that part Of the world, We
were visited with severe Storm that lasted
nine days, which prevented us from making
Pot, Philip therefore we headed for Sidney.
making The trip from San Francisco TO Sid
ney in ninety-two days. Our party resided
in Sidney week, during which time we
were making preparations for crossing the
great island of Australia. We left Sidney
on the llth of June. From the Ovens Dig
gings, distance Of 500 miles, we made the
journey in % days. found it beautiful
country; i! is not mountainous, bu. perpe-
tually covered with grass; i, is famous for
its sheep and cattle. The settlers are prin.
cipaIly old cOnvicts from England. There
is 10. native hoo(ed animal on the island.
It's the native place Of the Congaroo and
Emue. There are the most beautiful birds
here that | ever saw, such as the parrot,
cockutoo, maggie, lOwery, various other,
similar TO the canary bird, sc.
Well, | arrived in the mines, and found
the miners doing very well. Our party set
in to work, some making sluices and Others
prospecting. In the course Of two or three
weeks we had first-rate claim, paying on
an average SIS per day but as we were not
entitled 10 more than IL feet square 10 the
man our claim soon run out. then took
up claim on another stream, which only
paid me IS day clear. | worked at this
until l made up my mind 10 leave Australia.
Ispenisseven months in Australia, and
should not have left SO soon, but the report
was very prevalent in regard 10 the Peru
Wan mines. and consequently made up my
mind to visit Peru. ~
left Port Philip, March LIST, 1854, in the
barque Ever Goodwin, for the port Of Gallo,
Peru, where | arrived in good health, after
u passage Of 65 days. We then organized a
party of thirty men to cross the Andes
mountains. About the time we had all OF
our outfit purchased, such us mules, guns,
pts tolls, and mining implements, in the great
city Of Lima, we received news from Wun-
cher, 800 miles below Lima, on the coast,
from the TOlbert party, which crossed the
mountains some seven months before: that
they were working mines which paid them
% ounces per day. Well, that struck our
party very sensibly with new gold fever
so the outfit tina. we had purchased for the
purpose Of crossing the mountains directly
opposite Lima, had TO be disposed Of 10 the
bes, possible advantage. So when we came
TO sell ont, the Spaniards would not give us
any thing for our property, and rather than
sacrifice il, four Of US volunteered our SER
vices to take the mules BY land to the port
of Wuncher, the starting place for the sup
posed rich mines, distance Of $50 miles BY
land. Myself and thirty others composed
the party tina, volunteered TO 90. We start
ed on Sunday. and were going along very
comfortably until Tuesday evening, about
sunset, when We were attacked b. guer.
rllla band. They commenced firing upon us,
and discharged four Or five shots before we
returned their fire. We told them in Span.
ish Us well as we could, that we were no
robbers, but travellers, and did not wish TO
modest any body; but they persisted in their
'fhelIish designs. We could not ascertain
their number, but supposed there were from
six 10 ten persons. We found there was nc
use in making targets Of ourselves-so we
formed n hollow square Of our horses, and
commenced battle. We fought abou. three
hours, and drove them of the field, after
killing Two or three OF the cut-throats. The
night became very dark, and we left before
daylight. We have the good fortune 10 es'
cape unhurt, but had three mules shot. We
concluded that our number was too small tc
travel in n land Of desperadoes, and SO re.