Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-02-12
ed lDom ila horrors lo peace and safety.

ed from its horrors TO peace and safety.
The good ship which had saved US was La
PucelIe, French vessel, bound for Chcrbourg
from New York. Except the Captain, none
on board could speak much Of the English
tongue, but they understood our wants, and
supplied them with kindness and hospitality
not to be surpassed, and seemed pleased be-
yond measure at their good.fortune in finding
us. We continued with them five days, at
the end Of which time they spoke an English
brig bound for Cardiff, to which, with many
hearty good wishes and farcwells, they trans
fcrTed us. We arrived safely in three more,
In the Bristol Channel, and was allowed to
land at Swansea, where relative Ofmy wife'S
received US HOSPITALITY after the fearful perilS
We had escaped"
Such was Singers account Of his first sea-
voyage. narrated to us eleven years after its
occurrence One would have thought that
such an initiation in the fearful contingencies
Of sca-life would have sickcnCd him of voya-
Ging, and made him content to try his fortune
once more in his native land. His friends took
this for granted, and when, within few weeks
Of his return, he began making inquiries for
another ship, accused him Of tempting Provi-
dcnce to his destruction. John looked OH the
matter in a different light-felt convinced, in
fact, that he was not destined to a watery
gavc-and made up his mind to follow his or
iginAl intention. But he took better prccau.
tons this time in the choice of q vesScl-cm-
barked his family in . 6rstclass merchant.
man, and, after a speedy and prosperous pas
sage Of Eve weeks arrived safely at New York,
whence he set out at Onco for the land of
pOmisc in the Far West
As . settler, Singer did well. lie bought
lands in the boundary-lincS Of civilization, and
Shrewdy squatted a considerable tract in adj
dition. lie had the address to conciIiate
wandering tribe Of Indians by his generosity
in their time Of need, and thus converted the
usual enemies Of the settler into fricnis and
defenders. As his family grew up, they proved
valuable and productive capital, paved his
way to competence and independence. His
success drew many Of his old friends after him,
and he renewed, in the forests Of America, the
associations and friendships of his youth in
Wiltshire. In ten years, John had grown up
a man Of substance and authority, looked up
to and respected by the population of whole
district At that time his wifc's father died,
having considerable property to be7dividcd
equally among his children. Them it Was
that John Singer came over to assist in the
settlement Of the business, and to receive his
own legacy; and then, too, it was that we
heard the Ianentable story of the loss Of the
Camden from his own lips. This was twenty
seven years ago, and VIC have not heard Of the
hardy settler since. If he be yet alive, he is
no doubt honorcd as patriarch, for the SHOWS
Of nearly fOurscore winters have by this time
settled on his head.
Observation-Disclosures Duncombc was elect
cd to the Assembly by a Sacramento iS,natie
g., ho1 III, Of
rs he appeared presiding over the Broderick
legislative caucus-wherc two or three were
met together. We then had prcSentimcnt
that something direful would soon bcfall him.
1t came it Invested him Of his representative
capacity. Charles Duncombc, it is ascertain
ell, belongs to the successors Of George the
Third Of England, to whom he swOrc allegiance
several years since, in Canada. The Assem-
bly, investigated the irregular subject and de-
clared his official scat vacant, and popular
sovereignty shrickc,l when Duncombe fell!
Mr.. Duncombc affirms that he was born in
the United States, and becoming dissatisfied
with his native country. went to Canada and
was chosen member of the Provincial Par
lament, taking, when entering upon his du-
tics, an oath as loyal subject of the English
King and his successors. Getting through
with his foreign mission, he returns to the
United States and is elected to the California
Legislature, where he attempts to remain
without rcnouncing his British citizenship by
passing through our process Of naturalization.
And the factional Democrats contend that it
was an outrage to disqualffy him as an AS
semblyman. In our opinion, DIR. DuncOmbc,
though no be an oldFlnan, was not sufficient
ly disgraccd by removal; there should he no
pardon for an American who surrenders his
republican birthright to British sovereignty.
Sierra Citizen.