The weekly Butte record., 1862-06-07
Humboldt Correspondence.
PRlNc2 ROYAL CANoN, May Il, g.

FMEND CEossrrE Having a little spaTJ
time and small quantity Of paper, embrace
this favorable opportunity. before the argiya
Of the Express, 10 give yoa general sketch O.
the New Ell Dorado Humboldt mines With
the history Of the country almost every Cali
forniaa is familiar; but with the climate, none
but the aborigjues and white pioueers know
but little. Though raised within 4 stones
throw Of Lake Erie. unhesiiatiugly declare
this the meanest, most diSagreeable, uncertain,
changeahle, cold and. I presume. hot too, OF
any climate I ever was IN, or ever read Of
Snow fell on the 10th and llth inst. to the
depth Of six inches at the base of the moutains
and along the river. il rained. I broke The
trail over (what will call Hurricane Noun
tain, through snow two feet deep, yesterday
on my return from visit TO an unfortunate
secesher who, by his expressing his political
procliyities, fell into the hands of a Union des-
perado under the influence of bad whisky, and
l fear the old gentleman has received his NOR
tai stab. d" Thus they fall many by the
strong arm Of civilized man, aud some by the
hands of highwaymen. They are doomed, aud
their political, fanatical insttutiou-wheh on
ly existed in Imagination, in the brains of their
frenzied leaders-is fast disappearing.
These barren mountains fit residence only
for the panther, rattlesnake and coyote-are
rich, very rich, in minerals, far surprising, ac-
/ eording to our present knowledge, any country
we have any history of-California not except
ed. The extent of the mineral region is not
known, but We have the reports of prospectors
of over two hundred miles in length embracing
the mountains Immediately along the river
But this range-being about forty miles in
length aud six or eight in width-the only one
settled by whites and properly prospeeted-is
the ore l will confne my description of. Ii is
divided into eight or ten mining districts, with
mining laws and regulations governing these
districts All claim for their respective dis
trict a superabandance Of the precious stuff,
over other districts more remote from their es-
pecial interests but am Inclined 10 be i'm
partial, although my greatest interest is in this
district, having bnt few thousand dollars
worth in other districts. As far as my kuowl-
edge extends and have had a good opportu-
nifty of knowing there is but little difference, if
any, in the mineral wealth Of either of these
districts 1t is a general thing, that every
claim opened deep. by tunnel or otherwise, no
matter in what district, has proven to be i'm
mensely rich, aud by common consent, the true
appellation of Second COmstock is Invariably
used. but. from what | have seen here, I con-
sider the term too small in comparison. Bat
there is a great difference in districts as re-
CARDS water-power and fuel In this prince
Royal district. we have good water power,
high mountains aiording US a chance to strike
our numerous rich leads at a great depth. al
an easy and short distance to our mill sites
and. Sir. we-the pioneers of this canon and
Humboldt mines-being the first to locate
edges have, believe, made a wise selection.
and we are emphatically a working and indus
trious people. As proof, l will state that
twelve tunnels are being run, which viii deve-
lope, in the course Of the summer, twenty diff
ferent leads Of from the depth Of one hundred
to thousand feet ; number of men, from IS
TO % with an occasional visit Of eight or ten
Neversweats, (Honey Lakers) who ride over
their claims upon Indian ponies, comprise the
inhabitants of this canon, all peaceable, hospi-
table, kind and generous to a fault; but We
are running mighty low IN the grub line-two
or three weeks will finish all the provisions in
all this mining region. Many have gone to
Honey Lake and into California for supplies.
There are great inducements in these mines
for capitalists. We want mills to crush our
quartz, provisions, clothing and every thing
else that belongs to civilized man to want, and
for every ffty-cent piece you lend US, We will
repay in silver half dollars with the eagles Of
gold, selling them at four bits apiece. We
can well afford it.
Silver is found here in combination with
gold, copper, lead and antimony, principally.
In the high mountains. silver, in combination
Win Iedu Us lAt udSCf !fi'Idi> ~ ~ tHc i'iHOt
pal In the low hills or buttes, especially
where the hills are red gold, 50 far as discov-
cred, appears to take the precedence. So far
as my observation extends, I consider the fore
going true character of the lodges generally
in the mountains comprising the present dis
tricts in Humboldt county. In another range,
twenty miles east of this, they have found ex
tensiye leads of cinnabar. I was, yesterday,
shown a very rich specimen from that quarter;
also. the prospeetors report an abundance of
timber within twenty-five miles-sufficient for
building purposes-a species of nut pine or
Digger pine, rather scrubby-uot fit for lum-
Der.
May 16th-snow fell again last night to the
depth of six inches. visited Mr.. Smith, the
old gentleman that was wounded yesterday.
and find him much improved; the pleuritic al
factioD being light | think there is q chance