Year: 1859

EDITOR NATIONAL DEh0CRAT:-l IN
seeker after information. Napa Valley il


unquestionably one of the loveliest spots or
this earth. From Napa City to the upper
end ofthe valley is about thirty miles; and
the sublime and inspiring scenery which sur.
rounds the traveller as he glides along, con
spires to render trip through the valley one
OF the most pleasing and enchanting pleas
ure rides that person can well conceive Of
Around Napa City it is very sparsely tim
oered indeed, and as might be supposed the
scenery is cOrrespondingly deficient; but
twenty.six miles of that valley is thickly
studded with wide spreading oaks, from side
to side, INTERVIEWING their boughs from tree
TO tree, as if to form a protective awning to
the wayfarer alike from the pelting storm
OF winter and the vertical rays of old King
Sol in summer, while it is most evenly inter
spersed throughout with tall waving pines
giving to the whole picturesque appearance
seldom witnessed in Natures boundless
works But let me come to the point in
question. At the very upper end of the val
ley there arises an abrupt lofty mountain
the highest peak north Of the Bay-upon
the very highest point of which there rests,
or did rest, copper plate, the history of
which is buried in the silent tomb of obliv-
ion. As wonderful as that relic of by-gone
ages is, do not recollect ever having seen
even newspaper paragraph in relation to it,
Eight years ago last July. three gentlemen
from San Francisco, three from Sacramento
City, two from Napa and myself having
heard OF the existence of said plate, ascended
that mountains rugged form and gratifed as
far as possible our curiosity 1t was indeed
wonder. The plate was thin, about three
feet square, upon which was engraved hero.
glyphics not by us decipherable, notwith-
standing that our company altogether under
stood five different languages. While won
dering over the defunct history of that old
copper plate, We could not help speculating
upon the probable race SO advanced in the
arts which could possibly have occupied this
interesting country at so remote period. Is
II not possible that this continent may
ave once been connected with the north
eastern coast of Asia? One might be led to
look upon that veritable plate as piece of
handiwork of the Mangolian race, as far back
as the time of Confucius, were it not that the
characters do not resemble their language
Again, it is not impossible that the original
Aztec tribe, the founders of those splendid
ruins of Yucatan, may have originated from
the Caucasian stock, and gradually worked
their way from towards Bherings Straits
down the continent, having temporarily 90.
cupied different portions of the now Alta
California in the course os their gradual mi
grafton.


Or may this not be the identical mysteri-
Gus spot on which Kin Solomon's men made
their renowned advent; and that old copper
plate placed upon that lonely mountain top,
by the same hands which reared that immor-
tai Temple 1t is possible that the plate
was placed there in one age, and the engrav-
ing put upon it in another. AT all events the
engraving upon it is o conglomeration of
hieroglyphics. entirely at variance with any
dialect used by the Russian Americans; en-
tirely beyond the red mans comprehension
of the arts; and to awaken an inquiry which
will place the public in possession of clue
to its present fate-as to whether it has ever
been removed, or translated-is the sole OBJ
ject of this article. If it still remains where
it did eight years Ago-whether it is, or is
not surrounded by the same mystery that
then enveloped it, can conceive of no mans
owning soul SO small as to preclude his OBJ
tanning an ample recompence for making
toilsome trip 10 that celebrated spot. 1t
commands an extensive view of the surround
ing country; bat there is an extreme beauty
in the southern view from that mountain
that cannot be depicted with pen-it must
be seen to be appreciated. The day being
clear, the view embraces more grand en-
bodiment of landscape, in my opinion, than
can be obtained elsewhere in California. 1t
includes valleys mountains, bays, cities, and
the blue waters of the mighty Pacific. The
view commences by defining the very mean
derings of the whole Napa Valleyj leaps
over the bay, and vaguely marks out the lap
between the mountains in which lies the val
ley of San Jose and then bounds on through
the ethereal space, until it dimly hovers over
the very confines of Los Angeles Can the
student of nature conceive Of another go rich
a treat as such grand panorama of land
scape in all its diversified phases, hues and
surroundings must be y The balloonist, and
the balloonist alone, can appreciate view
from any one of the many of CALIFORNIA;
gigantic heights. What a field for the
dreamy poet to accumulate material for his
endless song Had there been truthful
history of California written twenty-five
wears ago, with an accurate description of
her rivers, lakes, bays, mountains, valleys
climate, de-, not only critics, but the whole
world, en- mass, would have pronounced it
the most brilliant work of fiction that was
ever offered to the public.


w. WELLINGTON G.


A STAKEHOLDER IN DR. CHEEvRR's CHURcH.
The New York Observer, after severely crit.
icising Rev. DR. Cheever's silly letter to the