Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-01-07
Watson,il.e Cal, Nov. 3ls,, 1858.

my hiends in your vicinity, commence
writing. presumius that Of which writ
which is no, interesting t, one may b, tc
another
! left New York. "Californit bound" the
5th of last May. The ship was crowded
with passengers: We had fine weather and a
good passage all the ~ay down to the 18th
mus The 9th day out we passed the Island
of Cuba. on the eastern side The ship PASS
ed near enough 10 discover buildings very
distinctly, while the general appearance OF
the Island was such as 10 remind one strong
" that II was truly one Of the Ever green
i,Ies "
On the morning Of the 18Th. we came in
sight Of the lsthmus. and before mon We
landed at Aspirwall. quite GID to step on
shore again. This place will not attempt
to describe as did MT have time to look
around much. being there only an hour
and in that time We partolk of hearty
meal OF the n.'-; choice yanl.. for which
We had to pay only pnc dollir The soil
here SEEMS t. az very iertjl'. everything was
green and sem /, grow very thrifty
We VIZ SON hurried al arI the ears and
Mere going at a m sirrdte rate. .,metimcs in
circles between the hIli> ami trluptaius, and
then over tie creeks AMI riNlT> The day
vas pleasant, fine sca l,r.,cz stirring. which
made "cr sing the lsihmus truls delight
fal ! have hccn IN Il ears IN the roal lie
tween Bath and Portland when i, was very
much warmer The distance a=r5ss the
l'thmu. is L. miles W weFs nearly three
hours IN the cars. On arriving At Panama
We were hurrieJ Immediately aboard the
ship which was anch.r,d out in the hav
about three miles SAGE the great riots
her. the Company D. ~; allow the Ja.s.n.
cef< m shore any l4n.sr than they can h.lp
W had 10 lie in the bly nearly thrsc iAys
awaiting the arrival of the Iassen..rs and
nails from Sew Orleans va Havana
The passage UP the Pacific coa.t wa. very
pleasant most OF the say though the wind
blew down the coas, sam,tim very hard -
We passed the Heads and entered the hay Of
san Francisco the cath. having lecn twenty
FIVE days from New York The distance ne
cording TO the ships rcck ming bei-s on the
Atlantic side 5000 miles. on the Pacific $500.
making, including the lsthmu.. 5S41 miles.
The harbor Of san Francisco is verv prettly
situated over two miles from the ocean. and
is one OF the finest harbors in the world -
The only fault to be found is that the water
on the bar at the mouth of the straits which
leads into the bay is rather shallow for large
shipe. The city is finely situated, but it
cannot be imagined to be any thing like our
Eastern cities, though there are some fine
buildings and numerous well paved streets
Eighteen years ago the first wooden house
was put up. Ten years ago there re
about 500 inhabitants; now there are over
$4,000. The city is divided into fourteen
wards, there being about one thousand voter.
in each ward. The city is surrounded by
sand hills, many having been du, down
where the city now stands. To 90 back of
the city upon the hills and look over the
city and Bay is a mos. charming prospect
The city takes its name from St Francis;
near Y all the spanish names arc Roman
Catholic, The town OF Oakland which lies
toward the South East across the bay is
very pretty place. the surrounding country
being very fertile ana of the best kind for
farming. 1t is the nearest to the city of any
soil fit for cultivation, being only few
miles distant. After stopping in the city
about week, took the stag for Santa
truz which lies about 80 miles down the
coast. Nearly every one on their arrival
here goes to the mines, but concluded that
would get as near the equator as conven-
iently could, having always lived as thought
little too near the North pole. On leav-
ing the city, for about ten miles the road i.
billy and sandy: then comes the level road
pretty farm houses, broad fields Of grain as
far as the eye can reach. ALREADY white for
the harvest. To one who had Just left the
frozen forests and icy bills Of Maine, it seemed
ike being transplanted. Here We See the
broad evergreen oak. the green bay tree, and
The waving willow VI all their beauty. |
haze often thought while looking at the old
OAK tree on Boston Common, that i, was
large and very pretty. So it is, bu. it would
Ge hardly large enough to make branches for
some have seen here. ! saw one nearly ten
feet in diameter, whose spreading branches
covered a circle whose diameter was ninety
teet
You viii remember that am on the d.
rect stage route 10 the lower country, and
the first valley We Iass through Of any size
is Santa Clara st. Clair 1t is about
twenty-five miles long and from four to IF
teen wide. Ths city Of the same name had
College founded ~ the Jesai, fathers, one
O. the frst institutions Of learning in the
country. Near .his place i the celebrated
Aimadin quicksilver mine which Uncle
Sam SAYS belongs - him and is having a
law Ell, about. /. is claimed by Brit.
ish and Mexican company. leaving Santa
Clara, we oome TO the city Of san Jose {St.
Jo-eph,) one 0; the Oldest towns m the
STATE. At one time ii was the capital 1t
very fine place, and contains several most
splendid flower gardens. Fruis, such a.
grapss, ssrawberriss, peaches, pears, apples.
and all the way down 70 pun kins are raised