The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-12-11
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
For the Athens Pes
VoLcAo, Amador co., CAL, Oct. 90, .


VoLcAo, Amador CO., CAL, Oct. 90, '57.
To My Friends: Upon starting, at your
requests promised to write back respecting
myself, this country, and the God of Nam
mon. This is fast and busy State, and
the miner finds but little time for writing.
For want of more leisure, am now writing
while at the windlass at the top of the shaft
which am assisting in sinking upon aquartz
lead. My friend below, in his turn with pick
crowbar,nOt keeping me busy, choose to
improve the idle moments in writing, and
should this find place in the "Post," let
each one of you consider my promise fulfill
ed. Without any sanguiDe expectations,
having desire to rambe little, and also to
possess portion of the "all-mportant," on
the llth of May last, after arming myself
with the indispensabes--a many-toothed
comb and six-shooter-l took the cars at
Sweetwater, and in 4S hours landed in Char
lesion. On the night of the 18th, went
aboard the steamer Isabel, (fare being the
same as from New York, from Sl50 to $1,000
was shown to my cabin and left alone. |
soon turned in, and after laughing little at
the novelty of my situation, dropped of, and
slept soundly until o'clock in the morning,
when | was aroused by the moving of the
steamer from the wharf. A few minutes,
aud we were upon the Atlantic. The sea be-
ing smartlv rough, | was soon walking the
deck to and fro as drunken man-with n
full brain and an empty stomach. That is, |
was sea sick, and devoted the day to the re-
suits of that interesting complaint. Three
days of fine weather brought us to Key
West, where our vessel stopped 3 hours, CIV
ing q sufiiciency of time to 60 ashore and
view the insignifcance of the place. Twelve
hours more, and we were at Havana.
went ashore, purchased landing permit, had
my baggage examined by the custom-house
officials, who seemed to eye me with that
jealousy they would Lopez or Walker
But did not think of taking the place, as
IOpTe was uIl uTlutu luICC vi ccbOOO hOb WV"
in the walls, which gives the place quite n
military aspect. ] was there when General
Walker, with eight or nine Of his officers,
arrived in the bay, on their way to the States.
Their arrival in the bay created much excite
ment within the city, and | learned they
would not permit Walker to land. stopped
there four days, and devoted the time to
rambling and looking about. Saw much of
the amusing, the interesting and the ridicu-
lous. II is place of much wealth and dis
play. | was informed by citizen that lia-
wanna numbers more than 24G000 inhabi-
tants-more than half of these must be sla-
yes. There are few Engishmen and
Americans there. The more densely popu-
lated part of the city is surrounded by n
strong stone wall. The entrance to the bay
is protected by pointed cannon. The city
has quite an ancient appearance. The houses
all strongly built of stone, and covered with
tiles-no glass in the large windows, but
strong iron bars instead. The streets and
sidewalks nre very narrow. At 8 o'clock,
Sabbath morning, the Catholic clergy, in their
sacerdotal garbs, together with the laity, as
sembled in their many Churches for worship.
This being over, they repaired, priests and
ALL without the wall to attend the bull fight,
the theatre, and the circus, and then returned
at night to listen to music in the Park, beau
tful place, fronting the Governors Palace
The audience was large, young ladies numer-
Gus and richly dressed-generally few
shades too dark in the face.
There were few cases of yellow fever
and small pox. The port Of HAVANA ex-
ceeds that of Charleston by more than one
half
The New Orleans passengers having ar
rived, was soon aboard the steamer Granu-
du, and in four days arrived at Aspinwall, all
right. We were soon on the cars, and in
four hours were across the lsthmus, dis
tance of 47t miles. The Atlantic side of the
Isthmus is low, level quagmire, covered in
wafer, and with dense growth of grass
weeds, cane and shrubbery, land exceedingly
fertile. But as we approach the Pacific the
country becomes mountainous, less fertile,
and more timber. The natives are quite
black, large and healthy in appeaTonce-liv-
ing in miserable huts, made of and covered
with long leaved shrub, very abundant
there. Padama is an old dilapidated place.
The steamer Golden Gate lay five miles
ont in the Gulf, to which we were conveyed
at nipht in a small steamer. There we re-
mained cooped up two days, waiting for the
arrival of the New York passengers and
mail. Leaving here, we touched at Acapulco
and took in water, coal, and provisions, and
went on our way rejoicing until we reached
Manzinlla and stopped to take in $4,000
specie for an English Mining Company
But the NIexicans were before us, had killed
the guards and driven off the mules which
were laden with the gold and silver We
numbered more than 800 passengers. Gam
bling, swearing, dancing and fighting were
the order of the day. All apparently enjoy
ed themselves well. We arrived at San
Francisco on the 18th Of June, after voy.
age Of % days from Chareston-2l on wa
ter, 7 idle on the land. We had fine weather
III Al. $50, ,nt;l ,yiihin four dnvs of San