The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-04-09
oAL1FoRNIA CORRESPONDENCE.

~ SAN FRANc1scc, Cal, March 5, 1856
EDITOR oURNAL:--
In the Journey to our 81 Dorado, the travel ,
n has hardly recovered from the effects OF ms
encounter with the storm god Oft Hatteras'
ere he is apprised by the report OF the BRASS
Iour in the steamers bow that he is at Aspn-
wall The '.noise and confusion attendant
upon the hour of departure for California, out
Babels Babel. Late corners by the noon railway
trains, hurry up the gangwaysseartal OF oefng 4,
toe. late That noise upon the quarter deck
Ishfsnr a beyy. Of fast boys who are hastily
r4gdiat'tlgg partinss ene.of whom
their. laaa 3.raeefl sSzbfs nag prove those
shouts of thoughtless rcyelry. In one corner
Of the ladies saloon is a group, whose firm
inter- grasp Of TIE hands, silent lips and mois-
tened eyes betoken deep sorrow at the near
presence ofthe hour ola long separation.
AtIength the order for all but passengers to
go ashore is given, hurried and fearful adieus
are spoken, the gans-planks bend under the
rash to The pier, the hawsers are let go and
hauled IN, and the staunch, swift and beauti-
FIJI 'tIHinois,'' this 9Th day Of February, 1856,
moves with graceful air into the stream amid
the roar Of the signal gun, and waving Of hand
kerchiefs and the reiterated cheers from the
crowd, which darken the wharves, and the
sides and rigging of neighboring shipping
While moving slowly down the MufOrs to-
wards the broad Atlantic, a Gordon formel Of
the bodies and limbs Of a delegation from
Africa is thrown across the extreme after part
of the steamer. In front walks inhexible pur-
ser, who unwilling to carry dead hea}s'' or
slaatEers, examines our tickets, pockets one
returns check and we pass to the rear. On
reaching the Hook the veteran pilots(a default
of his services thus far would yitiate our in
Isurance.) is discharged and with a cargo of
''sko14ers' is soon bending sail and oar for the
city. With accelerated spesd,I night soon
came on and in the morning the shores Of Je
Isey, and our gallant steamer are in fog. An
other day discloses the proximity of Halter
as by the rising winds, the plunging Of the
strong ribbed steamer, and the numerous con
tributlons to Neptune, which appear to have
been levied on many undulating stomachs.---
The voyage upon the great deep does not real
ize its extent from the simple fact, that all
around him is water, for the area of ocean ac-
tually visible is small, but it is the continued
onward progress of the vessel, cfer onward
through a wilderness. and towards horizon
of water, with no land in sight that affords a
conception of the vastness, the immensely, the
eternity almost, of the sea. Passing the Lesser
Bahamas, we are reminded that one Of the
i group, though barren and uninhabited, is yet
rich in historic associations, for upon that
sterile spot first appeared the light to Colum
bus and his discontinued crew on he evening
previous to his recorded discovery of land, and
though not first trodden by the foot Of the grea
advcnturer,i it may be said to have been the frs
land seen by him west of the Canarics. 81
+ Or. the sixthday we were in a warm, SAMMY
land beautiful cline, amid perpetual glorious
summer. We had been running all day be
tween the mountains on the east coast Of Cub;
n and the high mountain and hills of St. Domin
go, and rapidly approaching the loftier noun
tains Of Jamaica. The sights and scenery wer'
animating and exciting in the extreme TIL
) night was magnifcent--tlse moon, nearly fal
f orbed, sh0ne with that clear, silver light geel
; only in the tropics. The milky way glittering
, and Respondent with stars, whose brillianc,
and beauty were scarce dimmed by the neare
= and broader light of the moon. And tn
5 buoyant, fresh and balmy tropical winds; tn
profound, meaguretess sea- and The storm,
Z roof Of the Universe far toward Heaven, in
3 spired thoughts Of happier worlds Passin
: by Port Royal in the morning up tile arm q
e the sea towards Kingston, the gorgeous beaut
|, and the spendor of tropical scenery met til
h eye on every side. The horizon on eithe
I; hand is bounded by mountains which rise i
!; majesty and grandeur till their peaks are al
/ most blended with the azure Of torrid cline
|, As the steamer is being anchored at Kings
tom the passengers pause moment to wit
e ness the novel method of replenishing wit
y COAL. which is freighted in small tubs upon til
heads ofcolored women and girls, and then g
Y ashore to take a look at their dilapidated am
+ rotting city; and not a few return laden viii
d bricks from Old 5anaaicat The plantation
: throughout the Island are in waste-their for
8 mer workers living life of INDECENT, disso
( lutte and theying freedom, more beggarly AM
t degraded than the Lazsaro7aj Of Italy. Not
S fresh streak of paint breaks the monotony &
o the grey old buildings which compose Jamai
II cas- once prosperous commercial metropolis. c
: the causes Of this wide spread financial and in