The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1849-10-09 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

CALIFORNIA.—The last accounts from California (to August Ist) indicate that all the parties now engaged in mining will have an opportunity of retaining the produce of their labour, and of returning home with considerable savings. The average yield is uniformly spoken of as an ounce per day, and as provisions and clothing are at present cheaper at San Francisco than in England, there is nothing to prevent those who may preserve their health and escape plunder from leaving with a handsome balance. The number now estimated at the mines appears to be 25,000, and consequently the monthly produce ought to be between £2,000,000 £3,000,000 sterling. Making allowance for exaggeration, and also for the probability that this rate of produce can only be obtained during a few months of the year, it is sufficiently large to lead to the supposition that distinct effects will be observed from it when the eason closes, and the miners return to San Francisco with their hoarded gains. It must be borne in mind also that the present number of workers will be largely augmented every month. In July alone no less than 3,614 persons arrived at the port. A very great over supply of merchandise still exists, and continues to increase by fresh arrivals, the consequence of which is that the market is quite glutted. The only articles that leave good results are lumber, ready-prepared wooden houses, dried fruits, and preserved meats, and now and again a sale of champagne. " Dry goods" continue abundant, and dull of sale. Some unusually large specimens of gold have lately been brought to San Francisco from the mines. One large lump, weighing 14alb. troy, was bought for $3,560 on account of the house of Barron, Forbes, and Co., of Mexico, and is said to be intended as a present to her Majesty Queen Victoria. This is an irregular-shaped slab, one side of which is all pure gold, and the other side quartz, weighing about one-third of the whole, streaked with lines of fine gold : its length is 60 inches, breadth 5a inches. Another specimen was raffled two days ago for $1,500: it weighed 71b. 10oz. troy of pure gold. Its intrinsic value is less than this; but all the large lumps sell high as curiosities. The steamer California arrived at Panama on the 25th ult. in 21 days from San Francisco. bringing 51 passengers and about £500,000 in gold. Considerable alarm had prevailed at San Francisco, in consequence of a riot which took place on the 16th of July. Seventeen men were arrested and tried before the Alcalde, and two gentlemen selected by the people, on charges of robbery and attempts to commit murder; the ringleaders were convicted and sentenced to hard labour in such penitentiary as the governor may direct, with fines of from $250 to -B'l,ooo each. Very rich deposits of gold had been found on the north fork of the American river. The American steamer Empire City sailed from Jamaica for New York on the sth of September, having sailed from Chagres on the 29th of August. She had on board 50 passengers from California, and it was said gold dust from Ban Francisco, valued at 51,000,000. Gold