New-York daily tribune., 1861-06-23
GOxD ON THE BUMs0LDT.

Picking up an esehsoge paper, and looking ut
some itcins Of intelligence. from the ncW IoSrlJs.
ry of NcTadc, (laie Carson Valley aud surround
ings,) dated the seth ut., we read:
"Tbe great exci,emea, now is tao wly-dseoveTod
gold and silver unos the Humboldt, which proc
peeing exceedingly rich
As the cry Of "Geld found " always raises
an excitement, especially where tic mines or
plGeers arc said to he a" exceedingly rich,' (as
they generally are,) there may be some of our
readers inclined 10 start fer the new dig.
gngs." We VIII therefore give them few di.
rcctiOns.
The river Humboldt ,formcrly known as tho
st. Mary's) rises about 100 miles due west of
Great Salt Lake, in what were formerly known as
the Goees Crock. and are now cslDi tho Humboldt
Mountains These, Ike most of tho short noun
tain ranges which rb the Great Basin, have q
general north and south direction. The western
slopes of this range give birth TO the springs
which unite at their base to form the Humboldt,
which thence writhcs in generally W. s. W.
course through :ho great desert which stretches
thence to ths Sierra Nevada. A single tributary
is all that we detected entering the Humboldt
during a ride Of ??0 miles down its southern
bank. and We believe il has few others, and they
not 10 be depended on in n dry time, land all
Summers are dry 10 that descate region). The
river il Of course smaller at its mouth than near
its head. and in It's whole course Of $50 miles is
iust about deccnt mill-strcam. VI usually runs
through wet, uarrsw bottom, aBording an un-
failing supply Of very coarse, poor grass, so im-
Ill -, lttl n
ton by the stresn as 20 be very Gnwhoesone "a
well as uDpalatable fodder II you cut it, your
cattle NAV Just live; II yOu allow them to crop
IT, (pulrg up apart by TIE roots )they &c, so much
alkal that they are very apt to die. Asto human
drGk, there may DO decent spring every hundred
miles or 80, but the water Of tue Humboldt
is moro dotestable, il possible than the whsky
wherowith il is apt 10 be reduced, md which Is
sold NJ prices ranging from ~ % $50 pcr gal
lon. Not tree ever ovcrshadowed any part OF
the coarse Of this horrible liyer, unless vory near
its source; dwarf willow, OF the sEe Of your
hs;le angeg, grows in patches along The re0dy
bank. and i. sometimes wstt'el together 10 form
what pass for msilsiation huts in tat fororn
country. The ten thousand square mlles that
pcss under your eye ss Yen ride along this
stream consist OF sandy, whitc-gesning p'ain
Of desert, end tho isces of rang VI iow'
barren mountains on either side. The sorry
shrubs known as geas-wood' ayi cage
brush" thisly c0,er the plain. Tie miiS afe
naked ss Sinsi; NJ animals but rabbit, ara
possibly Few. sage-hcns, are found. M length
f, tho humboldt i.lls irto clcar lahe s'no hitoen
| miles long and rorl,aps half ~ wS"' eat oi
which issues u sncoGing, sluggih ssrea''
| which is soon after lost in sltilow esla'
! airy, marst, o. Z" sna - ani 1aaS ID
TIE last of the Humboldt. ThoGsshs ha'o a"-
yersed ts valley throughout the lass twelve years
but No one ever stGpred In IL n"ees @ q me'-
driver or perchancs trader ii. =, sol.er ci eros
and aun6rics) ond there pro;',hy never yet wss
q bushel Of grain, nor ovon a lotssc, grown IN
the valley of tho Humboldt sseo ssa morning
stars saug together. No bcst--ps even esAo.
eyer noatoI ce siyor iahe or slil--ss Pow ooaia
tly.ro, .in,e uce tree essr ara "i's'h '''''