Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1874-02-24
,,,rrR FROM FRENCH GUIANA

vm. &. Smith, in letter dated Cay
,uue November 8, written to Johnny
C,sy in this place, says:
have delayed writing for two reasons
e., becaus. | have been sick since
~ oSth of August; and, secondly, be-
Wv u I wanted to see the country before
cae 'i,;ng Even now cannot say
'nytling about the mines except those
a. one liver, the Sinamary. The Others
7 hsve not had time to visit. The mines
mon the Sinamary are good, II worked
wsll-as good as any on the Paclhc
oo,st. at least some of them are, aud
v,nture TO say that the mines now be!ns
work, d in different parts OF the country
rood As soon as man gets good
- here he is fixed, for they are EASILY
,rorked. not being over seven ieet deep.
an1 many not more than four or five
c's, Where l prospected the gravel
,,,,s from ten cents to So to the pan.
t,rpund paying from 81 to 50 to the pan
:, r.rv common in the four claims tx-
onined. and il this country was in
AMERICAN hands it would beat everything
Iryrr heard of, that is il the unknown
conntry is half as good as that which has
already been explored. But the mines
are new and good. and this is all l can
saw on the bright side OF the question.
Per Contra. l cannot advise you to
come here, for several reasons. First,
the climate is like all Others in the trop'
lee. though perhaps better than any
other so near the equator-lat. deg. 80
min. north. Still the climate is bad, and
one may expe CT to be sick two or three
months after arriving here. In the next
place the land is taken up for miles
around the mines. The laws allow man
or company totake all the land he wants,
if itttkes half the conntry. There are
parties owning lroM 1900 to 30, Goo hac-
ters. n little over two acres to the hacter.
Ag,in. on arriving here you will tind n
s,rang- people, speaking n strange han
pnage, mud it is very doubtful whether
YOU can find one VINO can understand
enough to get you drink OF water, much
less something to eat. There Is no mode
OF transportation. 1t takes from IA to
% days to GO l5O miles the best that
can be done. Ut takes 20 or 25 days to
carry provisions from Cayenne to the
mines on the Sinamary. You cannot
prospect until you are acclimated, and
vou must have men to assist you. Pro-
visions, tools and everything yon need
must be carried by negroes, and cut your
way through. There are no horses al
the mines, aud il there were they wonio
soon famish for food. The Government
is strictly military, and all laws come
from France. The mining land IS sole
by the hacter, or leased the first year a
two cents per hacter. To retain it aftel
the first wear it will cost ten cents
for every hacttr annually as Ions
AS YOU want to keep it. The people
here are French negroes. with few rea
French people; but France, If she ha'
any respect for her honor. would diso"i
them all outside of the officers, Tor the,
are the most dishonest, ignorant, iyln
set that ever disgraced Gods earth. The
are your friends only to rob you.
One coming here wants at least Si,oU
on arriving at Ciyenne. This IS ltti
enough. II he should get broke h
would be in a perfect hell, for wages ar
GO cents day and board, and these pee
pla would not pull you out of the quite
il YOU we're dying unless they though
you had money.
As | said before, II there are mine
outside of those already discovered, th
will be good country in about Nv
years. But about this no one can tel
There Are five Americans here; none d
ing ANYTHING. Bnt We will be ut wol
on our mine next month with about
negroes. How it will pay | cannot sa
We bought the mine for Sl,6oo. SIN nn
l left New York have spent over So'oo
and have nothing positive yet. 1
not send this for few days, and III
finish it at the mine.
SINAMlRY, November l3,-l am NJ
about half way to the mine. There
nothing new. l cannot advise you
come here now, bat in the Spring, all
sre more, may advise you to CON
In the mean time will keep you post'
Don't get excited: ! will let You Rn'
when to come. The rainy season
about beginning here.