Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-04-18
FROM THE MINEs OF NEW
GRENADA.


handed to US for publication in the NEWS.
Il was written by Mr.. Hires, q scenic
painter, of Gold Hill and Virginia city,
and is known as a gentleman OF good
judgmen. and reliability. 1t wiz doubt
less put a damper upon those who have
been troubled with an itching to 60 to
New Grenada to seek their forsunes-or
their Srars,. Read it:
BARBAcoAs, State Of Cauca, U. S. c.,
March 18th, 1866.
DEAR FRIEND IL take the opportunity
Of sending you a few lines, as a friend OF
mine is returning to California, and will
try to tell something Of this strange land.
We had a very pleasant passage to Panama.
and then came on a schooner to Tumaco-
fare S25. Tumaco is a small place, not
over one hundred houses. From there We
took n There are two routes to this
place-one across the Bay and up the
River Pata. the other crosses the Bay and
up q slough; then overland two miles,
then in canoes again. down another slough
or creek, into the main river. We came
the latter route. The country is fiat, and
so completely overgrown with tropical
forests that il is impossible to 60 or even
see any distance; I never Jaw anything
like it; all the tropical trees and plants
growing in such dense masses; some OF
those old prints Of Brazilian forests are the
thing exactly.
It is about one hundred and fifty miles
from Tumaco to this place. The river is
large and deep enough to float almost any
steamboat. 1t required Eve days to come
here in a canoe poled by great, naked buck
niggers-cost, Sl3. This place, Barba-
coas, has some two or three hundred
houses /; but, remember that a house in
this country is built Of bamboo and set
upon posts, and one must climb a ladder
TO get into them !; the roofs are made OF
palm leaves, and spiders and scorpions are
quite plentiful. As yet l have not seen
any snakes. but am told they are very nu-
nervous in the woods.
1t has rained every day-eommencing at
evening-and the most terrific thunder
and lightning / ever experienced is here TO
be seen. The weather is much better than
| expec,ed-thermometer standing at SO
degrees. and does not very more thar Z or
s degrees the year round. l am told the
woods are alive with parrots and birds OF
the most beautiful, and butterflies as large
as the open hand, and some Of them Of the
deepest ulrramarine blue. I have tried
my best to get some, but they are too
supple for me. Fruit Of all kinds tropical
are in abundance. But the place is des-
perasely sickly. Everything mildews the
boots upon your feet, the belt around the
body and clothing in the trunk or carpet
sack ; the knife in your pocket. or any
thing steel or iron, will rust in a few hours.
Victuals cooked at breakfast will be sour
before supper time. It is no wonder that
it is sickly. Almost all who stay in this
town or near here, are, or have been, sick
with the fever ; two have died-a German,
from San Francisco, and Charles Hill,
from Gold Hill. We buried Hill on last
Thursday morning. He was sick only
three DAYS. You know him he visited
Hall or Hull, who lived next door 10 the
shop back Of Aylsworth's stables. Hall
or Hull (the n with the black mustache)
was his room mate at one time, l believe.
I think you will remember him ; he wore
q Masonic pin, and worked in the Conf
dence mine also in the Burke s. Hamil.
ton. OF all the Americans in this town,
strange to say, there was only three Ma
Sons and four Odd Fellows. After the
death Of Hill. q rough box was prepared
and a large American flag spread over 1t,
and his remains carried TO the grave, fol-
lowed by all the Americans and a large
number of natives. The Episcopal burial
service was read. and we then left him, far
from his former home, there to remain
until the Resurrection. The boys are dis
couraged, and many Of them frightened,
and talk Of going back Immediately.
Now in regard to the mines: This
country has been a very rich place. The
whole country. for miles around. has been
mined as clean as California. The only
show here is TO get into ONE old claim
that has not been worked for hundreds OF
years, and after four or FIVE months labor
may possibly find a spot that was missed.
There is only Connor's claim that Is tax.
ing out any gold at all. This is q grand
scheme. gotten up here by three or four
men, to get emigration here and prospect
the old abandoned claims for the Span
iards and if anything is found, then to
receive one-half. A great many are 60
ing into the country, from fifty to n
hundred miles, where the climate is rep
resented to be healthy and good mines
but they are such internal liars here, n
cannot believe anything he hears. Many
of the boys are going up. l shall remain
here a few days and try to hear from some
Of my friends that have promised to send
me word what they find; and if anything
comes favorable. then I will go-if not, 1
shall retur to Panama, where l have q
Job offered me stay there a month or two,
and then return to Virginia city again.
ALBERT HIRES.