CALIFORNIA.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XV, Issue 1129, 23 April 1858, Page 2 (Supplement)

CALIFORNIA.

From San Francisco we htve (by way of Sydney) papers to the 21st December, being 17 days later than former advices. We take the following items of news from the summary of the ' Alta California ':— During the tf»«weeks which have elapsed since the departure of the last mail steamer, oopious rains have continued to fall all over the State, rejoicing alike the hearts of the miner the merchant, and the agriculturist. The " dry diggings," as they are termed, are now abundantly supplied with the aqueous element so indispensibly necessary to the development of the auriferous resources of the mineral districts. Interior journals give glowing accounts of the success of miners, and speak hopefully of the future. The farmers are now busily employed ploughing and sowing, and as there is little damage done by winter frosts in California, there need be no apprehensions entertained from their otherwise premature labours. A district judge in the northern part of the State, lately decided, in a divorce case, that the charge of lewd character made by a husband against a wife, and unsustained by any evidence on trial, is a good ground of divorce. The Mormons have all departed from San Bernardino fcr Salt Lake. Their exodus will prove of great advantage to enterprising Gentiles wishing to emigrate to that country, inasmuch as the Mormon farms are offered at ruinous sacrifices. A hill, containing deposits greatly resembling glass, has been discovered in Napa county. These are found croping out, on the summit of the hill.in brokenjfragments of a deep brown colour, crystallized, and, closely resembling the glass of which bottles are made. Speciments have been cent to England and the Atlantic States far examination. The Mariposa'(Fremont) Ranch is to be sold for taxes. It is assessed at over 700.000 dollars, and the total taxes amount to 70,000 dollars. C. C. Lyons, R. Poore, and D. M'Cauley were hung for murder at Sonar* on the 11th. The scenes enacted at the -scaffold, as well as after the execution, were absolutely sickening. The culprits had been plied with liquor until they were too drunk to speak coherently, or stand without ' assistance, and in this state were launched into eternity.

Poor confessed to the murder of eight Mexicans and three Chinamen, in-tbii State, tince 1850. General health prevails throughout the State. The experiment of the camels aud dromedaries has proved a triumphant success. In opposition to the opinions of many United -States officers, they have shown themselves adapted for traversing the wastes of Western, America. In some instances, these wonderful animals went a week, and in one, 10 days without water—not because it did not exist on the route, but from a lack of desire for it ; and on the 10th day the animal drank with comparative indifference. They could go, if required over two weeks without water. Their food is of the simplest and coarsest description ; they eat, as they progress, whatever grows on the wayside, bending their long necks and thrusting their heads into the narrowest crevices for the cactus, or the stunted verdure, or cropping the leaves from, I the boughs of the trees, without in the least retarding their i speed. Truly they raay be called the ships of the desert, and when taken in ' comparison, with mules, horses, or ! cattle, which require food almost as regularly as man, they | seoin adapted by nature to th<s novel task to which our Government has now devoted them. The Chess Congress seems to have given renewed life to the lovers of the game in San Francisco. A tourna r ' mentis now being played at the Mercantile Library Rooms, in whioh the following gentlemen are matcn'ed against each other: Messrs. Lnpsley and Bac.<av Matthew and Kauss, Miller and Seymour, Castle and Stone, Hammond and Tagliabue, Brigham and Goodwin, Webb and Sullock, Hunter and Wallace, Cook and Farley, Roberts and Shaw, Matthews and G. Webb," Mr. Roberts was formerly president of the Brooklyn Chess Club: and was one of the contestant* in the tournament of the Chess Congress. By the arrival of the New Granadian achoonpr Jennett, Captain James Armstrong, 30 days from the Gulf of California, we are placed in possession of a package of valuable documents from our coi respondent. Additional light is thrown upon the Crabb massacre, and the whereabouts and present standing of the leaders in that sad and deplorable transaction are depicted with a master hnn«L Facts are unfolded hitherto unknown, which go to make up a " case," a» the lawyers say, of frightful enormity against the Mexican officers, and speedily demands, if it hat not already received, the calm consideration of our Government. That it will be faithfully attended to we cannot for a moment doubt. Interesting details of a statistical, geological, mineralogical, agricultural, political and miscellaneous character are • mhodied in the letters, which we shall lay before our readers, as our space permits, and which, taken altogether, will give those who are desirous of embarking their fortunes southward a "bird's eye view" of a country in part so graphically described — a country the Mexican portion of which we are inclined to hope and believe will, at no distant day, become American by purchast andoccupation.