The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-08-10
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
FRESNoLo, CAL, July Goth. 1872

FREsNoLo, CAL, July Goth, 1872.
! Mr.. EDIToR:-It was about o'clock p
NJ. when my guide Jack and | threw our.
selves into the saddle and proceeded on oul
Journey under very warm sun, so warm
that it wonld not have surprised me any il
the top of every thermometer in the vicin.
ity of our wandering were preped out
notwithstanding. before the dim curtain
of night was drawn we had passed over the
Fresno and San Joaquin Rivers, the latter
at Sycamore is a beautiful transparent
stream, at which place we tarried for the
night and Jared sumptously on dry bread
and onions, then retired to garnet, it's
ascention being on the outside by the aid
Of a ladder. Next morning | arose with
the lark " and breakfasted on rice and
potatoes. Thence after paying 81, for
such accommodation, proceeded on our way
with 4 murmuring within. At shutdown
we had crossed the San Joaquin valley and
the Fresno Slough and was on consider
able'distance in the Tulare valley, where
the Lake bearing its name was lust visible
to our vision. Some portions of that valley
are rich and it is monopolized to such de-
gree that MIR. Miller owns q patch about
80 miles in 4 stretch, with scarcely a soul
living therein. Other parts of that valley
are futile although the soil is fertile. My
guide informed me that only twenty years
ago grass grew to surprising hight on
those now barren, sandy tracts, whereon
innumerable herds of elk, antelope, dear,
SC, ran undisturbed; since then sheep
has beeu,permitted to rove on those plains,
until the tender roots of the grasses are
exposed to the intense rage of burning
sun, and changed its very aspect inasmueh
that naught is left but sandy desert
for many miles wide and a great number in
length, and is now know in Spanish as the
'.Dusty country
There is Il pass in the Coast Range
Mountains, known as the Panoche Pass,
through which currant of air is drawn
from the coast, and in it's course (since the
humiliation of the herbage) for its whole
length and breadth, b lindng quantities
of dust is hurled aleng or drawn up by
whirlwinds to an amazing hight, and are
to be seen on every hand. There nature is
truly bleak and inhospitable, weary
waste of wilderness, that sky has but sell
dom rain cloud, that desert no fountain,
Mi in 81 nv fn ha toip
whittier we directed our course and arrived
at Silver Creek, where our hearts were
once more gladdened by the sight of
small stream Of water. Glorious sight to
thirsty fugitives. Cheering vision to
houseiess pilgrims. No wonder that Jack
exclaimed, "Thank God, here is waterr'
and Immediately Frustrated himself and
drank. Alas! poor Jack began imme diate-
ly initiating Jonah's whale, because the
water was mixture of alkali, sulphur, &c.
&C., better fitted to mock our wishes than
to satisfy our desire. There we were
thirty miles from everywhere, and the sun
and moon had finished their task, and
dropped behind the hills to rest; so we did
likewise, dropped our blankets on the sand,
and in few minutes were reclining within
one Of the grandest amphitheaters that the
world ever boosted of, its walls being the
everlasting hills, decorated in all fantastic
shapes, its dome the canopy of heaven, its
lights the twinklins gems of the stellar
world. At morn we again sailed out, first
quenching our thirst with the juice contain
ed in can of oysters, then proceeded up
q canon for half day, meantime the heat
was almost intolerable, on eli Their hand the
hills attain the hight of from ZOO to 5000
feet above the level of the sea, being COM
evincing lines of flint and other nodular
varying in size from one inch
to many yards in circumference. Although |
thc,ly distributed in horizontal layers,
they are never in contract with each other,
each nodule being absolutely enveloped by |
The chalk; for miles we saw, as if wrought |
by sculptor hands, concave labyrinths,
which is nothing but the decomposition
which that specie of organism had under
gone, leaving its space either hallow or
partially filled with some sparry incrusta-
ton. Until recently all the hypothesis
which geologist could copjure at respect
ng flints, were considered enigmatical.-
Now it is conceded that it is the remains
Of fossilized sponges or alcyonian zoophites.
In many of the secluded hooks of the
we passed the huts of Greasers
half Indian and half Spanish) and Next
cans. Finally We arrived at the famous
Cinnibar mine, New Idria, it is sixty miles
rom everyplace and is wrought by Mexi-
cans, Greasers, Chilians and Peruvians,
md few whites" and to insure per-
'onal safety the officers are obliged to use
absolute power, this may appear to be ty-
'anical in a Land of Liberty but is never
heless wise procedure. At each encamp-
nent there is a square with flag of its
In visiting such place one
magines that he has migrated to Mexico Or
elsewhere, everything is so Southern, the
principal tongue Spanish and the pistol or
1nifo the subsders of disputes; at night a
person is as unsafe as in the country
where those people left. Mr.. Morse, the
of the works was very kind
md courteous, and extended all the assist
.nce possible necessary to me, showed me
III the process of roasting the ore which is
Tery simple, they send it off in liquid
tate in rough iron bottles holding 76Ilbs
If quicksilver. Those employed at the