treaties with the Indians, and a settlement of all the difficulties from that source may be reasonably expected.

From the first the settlements of California have been a prey to destructive conflagrations, which, occurring unexpectedly and without the proper means for effecting their arrest, have at one fell swoop destroyed immense amounts of property, and reduced to complete destitution to-day the enterprising adventurer who yesterday counted his thousands.

One of these extensive fires occurred at Nevada city on the night of the 11th of March, and destroyed property to the estimated value of $1,000,000. The fire is supposed to have been the work of incendiaries. San Francisco has on several occasions been visited severely in this manner; but the latest, and by all odds the most devastating fire in that city, broke out on the night of the 3d of May. The loss of property by this tremendous conflagration is variously set down at from ten to fifteen millions of dollars! Several lives were also destroyed.

The fire is said to have originated in the careless act of an individua. in a paint shop; it did not cease burning until the city, almost literally speaking, was in ashes. The finest hotels and restaurants, the most substantial warehouses, the custom house, the theatre, the museum, every newspaper establishment but one, were among the buildings consumed. The whole number destroyed was estimated at one thousand, embracing about three-fourths of the business portion of the place.

The progress of the fire was most appalling. In the words of an eyewitness, "Horror was depicted in every countenance. Many thousands of men, women and children were thrust almost without notice into the streets, without saving even a suit of clothes. Two men were burned in the streets, eight lost their lives in buildings, two have since been killed by falling walls, and some twenty others injured, some very severely. Masses of smoke ascended and rolled away, loaded with the wealth of men, the reward of toil and danger. Frame houses faded away like frost work, brick houses became batteries of flame, and poured forth immense jets from their windows and doors. Iron and zinc curled up like the scorched leaves of the forest."

The custom house destroyed was a costly structure, and bonded goods on storage to the amount of several hundred thousand dollars were consumed with it.

The finely executed engraving which accompanies these pages will present the reader with a faithful view of San Francisco, as it was just previous to the fire. It was sketched by Dr. Coit, a resident of the place.

But the energies of the inhabitants of that wonderful city, though subjected to a severe blow, were not to be crushed by this terrible calamity. The smoke of the ruins had scarcely cleared away, when the work of rebuilding was commenced, and with such vigor was it prosecuted, that nearly all traces of the late destruction have been effaced; new structures, as numerous and substantial as before, have in an incredibly short space of time been erected, and San Francisco is again on the high road of business activity and general prosperity.

Three days after the event noticed above, a destructive fire broke out also in Stockton, sweeping away entire streets of buildings, and entailing immense losses upon its enterprising inhabitants. Here, too, the work of regeneration was at once commenced, and the place has been once more rebuilt.

In regard to the population of California, at the date of the census of 1850, we observe a dispute has arisen, and that the returns, as rendered to the general government, are pronounced to be very incorrect, by persons residing in the State, who are said to be capable of forming an accurate judgment. Indeed, so inaccurately have the census-takers performed their work in that department, that the government has ordered a new

census to be taken. We introduce, side by side, in this place, instead of among the statistics at the close of the volume, the result as given by the census, and the estimates of General Douglass, a member of the California Senate, which are supposed to be far more correct-the General, it is said, having made, last winter, minute observations upon the subject, throughout the State, and especially in the mining districts:

Two hundred thousand would probably be a near approximation to the population of California at the commencement of the year 1851.

One of those terrible exhibitions of popular vengeance, which mark communities in their early stage of settlement, or where the laws are but feebly administered, took place in San Francisco on the 10th of June, 1851. The city had long been a prey to the lawless acts of numerous desperate characters, banded together, in many instances, in the prosecu tion of their criminal designs. To detect the offenders was found to be a work of much difficulty, and even when discovered, it was next to impossible to secure their conviction and adequate punishment. In this state of things many of the most prominent and influential citizens formed themselves into a detective and protective force, and have maintained a regular organization as such. On the night in question, a man named John Jenkins, said to be a native of London, was caught in the act of committing a heavy robbery. He was at once brought before the organized committee alluded to, tried, convicted, and sentenced to be hung. The sentence was carried into effect the same night, in the presence of an excited multitude of citizens; and when the sun arose, it shone upon the dead body of the burglar dangling from the corner of a building on the public square.

At the memorable session of Congress of 1851, a bitter contest sprung up between Texas and New Mexico-or rather the military government appointed by the United States as to the boundaries between them. Texas maintained her right to an important strip of territory, including Santa Fe, while the government considered it a portion of New Mexico. The representatives of Texas in Congress manifested, early in the session, a disposition to settle the matter and yield her claim upon the reception of a certain sum, upon the basis of Mr. Clay's compromise. When that measure failed, however, the contest was renewed more fiercely than ever, and matters even proceeded so far, that the Governor of Texas is sued his proclamation, avowing the determination of Texas to maintain her claims "at all hazards," and calling upon the citizens to raise a volunteer army to act as occasion might require. Meanwhile, however, a separate measure passed Congress, and became a law, amicably adjusting the whole matter and permanently fixing the boundaries.

The line of this boundary begins at the intersection of the 100th paral

lel of longitude with latitude 36 deg. 30 m., and thence runs due west, on said parallel of latitude, to longitude 103; thence south, along said meridian of longitude, to latitude 32; thence west, along said parallel of latitude, to the Rio Grande, thence southerly down the Rio Grande to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Territory of New Mexico, therefore, may be thus bounded: Beginning at a point in the Colorado river, where the boundary line with the republic of Mexico crosses the same; thence easterly with the same boundary line to the Rio Grande; thence following the main channel of said river to the parallel of the thirty-second degree of north latitude; thence east with said degree to its intersection with the one hundred and third degree of longitude west of Greenwich; thence north with said degree of longitude to the parallel of the thirty-eighth degree of north latitude; thence west with said parallel to the summit of the Sierra Madre, thence south with the crest of said mountains to the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude; thence west with said parallel to its intersection with the boundary line of the State of California.

On the 23d of April, 1850, Col. John Monroe, the military Governor of the Territory, issued a proclamation calling upon the legal electors to return delegates to a Convention to be holden at Santa Fe, on the 15th of May, for the purpose of forming a Constitution, and petitioning Congress for admission into the Union as a state. This was the first political action of the people of New Mexico, after its cession to the United States. delegate, the Hon. Hugh N. Smith, was chosen to represent the territory in Congress. That body, as we have seen, determined upon creating New Mexico into a regularly organized territory, under the Constitution; and in the bill passed to that effect, provision was made for the election of a Governor, Secretary, Marshal, &c., and for the choice of members to compose a territorial legislature.

Hon. James S. Calhoun was appointed by the President, and ratified by the Senate, as Governor of the territory; and the first meeting of the Legislative Assembly was held early in June last. In the message transmitted by the Governor to the Assembly, he alludes to "the difficulty of overcoming old ideas, strengthened by years of subjection to wrongs and military tyrannies," and refers to "the beneficent results which may be expected to flow from the wise and sagacious councils of the first Legisla ture assembled in the territory by virtue of the Constitution of the United States." A variety of topics pertaining to the interests of the territory are considered, among which are the entrusting of criminal and civil jurisdiction to the probate judges, for the sake of despatch, the adoption of an equal system of taxation, the prohibition of the immigration of free negroes, and the adoption of a judicious policy in reference to the Pueblo Indians.

There are in New Mexico a great number of towns, or "pueblos," settled exclusively by civilized Indians; while there are also powerful tribes of wild Indians, whose depredations upon the inhabitants have been a source of great annoyance and terror. To prevent the incursions of these savage tribes, considerable military force must be employed, and their subjection or extermination seems to be necessary for the safety and prosperity of the settlements in the territory.

New Mexico occupies a peculiarly isolated position in reference to the rest of the Union. It possesses very few navigable streams, and consequent limited means of transportation. In fact, it is a country standing, so to speak, by itself, an immense territory containing an area of 210,744 square miles, with few settlements, and a sparse population. The nearest settlements to the West are those about the Salt Lake in Utah; the town of Chihuahua is distant from the most southern settlement of New Mexico 420 miles, and most of the intervening country is desert, the traders being

usually from thirty to forty days transporting loads from Santa Fe to Chihuahua; to the east, the nearest settlement is Fort Leavenworth, distant 873 miles; and the distance to the nearest port on the gulf is about one thousand miles.

"Its

A very large portion of the territory is made up of desert wastes. extreme aridity of soil," says a writer, "and the consequent deficiency in water, must ever prevent its being thickly settled. The valley of the Del Norte is fertile, but of very limited extent; and the other portion of the province is comparatively valueless in an agricultural point of view." Even in the most favored spots, the crops have to be watered artificially. The valley of the Del Norte, says Mr. Kendall, in his "Narrative," is generally fertile, and well adapted to the growth of corn, wheat, beans, and pumpkins. The wheat produced is sometimes of a very excellent quality. The valley of Taos also ranks among the most fertile portions of the territory. Here also wheat and corn are raised in good crops. There is said to be little timber in New Mexico, except in the mountains and along the water courses, the table-lands being generally all open prairie.

Yet New Mexico is not without her natural resources. These consist in pasturage and mines. The former of these, indeed, constitutes her chief source of wealth. On this point, Mr. Gregg, in his "Commerce of the Prairies," remarks:

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"By far the most important of the indigenous products of the soil of New Mexico, is its pasturage. Most of the high table-lands afford the finest grazing in the world; while for want of water, they are utterly less for most other purposes. That scanty moisture which suffices to bring forth the natural vegetation, is insufficient for agricultural production, without the aid of irrigation. The grass being rarely nipped by the frost until the rains are over, it cures upon the ground, and remains excellent hay-equal, if not superior, to that which is cut and stacked from our western prairies. Although the winters are rigorous, the feeding of stock is almost unknown in New Mexico. Nevertheless, the extensive herds of the country, not only of cattle and sheep, but of mules and horses, generally maintain themselves in excellent condition upon the dry pasturage alone through the cold season, and until the rains start up the green grass the following summer."

The value of the mines in New Mexico cannot at present be accurately estimated. That there are mines of considerable extent is well known; and some of them have been worked for several years, although, in consequence chiefly, no doubt, of the character of the class of laborers by whom the work has been prosecuted, the yield has been limited in quantity, and in most cases has hardly repaid the labor of working. Still they deserve to be classed among the natural resources of the country, and what developments of wealth from this source, time and a more energetic population may not bring to light, it is impossible to determine.

The population of the territory, according to the census of 1850, was 61,574; the number of farms 6,715. During the year 1849-50, the number of deaths was 1,157. The chief localities of New Mexico are Bernallia, with 7,752 inhabitants; Rio Aribi, 10,668 inhabitants; Santa Ana, 4,656; Santa Fe, 7,713; San Miguel, 7,071; Taos, 9,057; Valencia, 14,207. In New Mexico, there obtains a species of servitude called peonage. This continued to exist, even after the abolition or prohibition of slavery by Mexico in all its territories; and is still recognised under the present order of things. The peons are for the most part of the Indian population, who enter, for a consideration, into a limited agreement of service, and for the time are bound by the wishes of their masters. The relations between these parties forms a topic in Gov. Calhoun's message. These, he says, "should be distinctly defined, each should understand their re

spective obligations, and appropriate remedies for a violation of them, upon the part of either, should be provided."

UTAH, OR DESERET.

THE Territory of Utah is bounded on the west by the State of California; on the north by the territory of Oregon; on the east by the summit of the Rocky Mountains; on the south by latitude 37 degrees.

The acts of Congress providing for the organization of this territory, and also that of New Mexico, expressly stipulate that when admitted into the Union as states, they shall be admitted with or without slavery, as their constitutions may prescribe at the time of their admission. They may each be divided into two or more territories, should Congress so determine; or any portion of either or both of them may be attached to any other state or territory of the United States, according to the judgment of the same authority.

The state of California is bounded on the north by (latitude 42) Oregon Territory, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by Mexico, and on the east as follows: beginning at the intersection of latitude 42 with longitude 120, thence running southerly along said meridian of longitude to latitude 39; thence southeasterly in a straight line to the river Colorado at the point where it intersects latitude 35, thence down the middle of the channel of said river to the Mexican boundary.

Thus it will be seen that the State of California occupies all the Pacific coast from Oregon to Mexico, some 800 miles, with an average breadth of probably 250 miles. The Territory of Utah lies between the State of California and the Territory of New Mexico, but extends southward only to latitude 37. South of that parallel, the Territory of New Mexico extends to the State of California. Utah is, therefore, bounded south and east by New Mexico.

As is generally known, the population of this Territory consists chiefly of Mormon emigrants from the States, who, after the fall of Joe Smith and the destruction of the temple at Nauvoo, took their departure for the Territory of Deseret, where they have founded a flourishing colony, under the guidance of their leader, Brigham Young, the successor of Smith. Young, on the establishment of a territorial government, was appointed Governor, by President Fillmore; thus holding the civil as well as spiritual control over his people.

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During the discussions relative to the territories, which took place in Congress in the summer of 1850, it became desirable to elicit as much information as possible in relation to them; and Dr. Bernishel, the agent of the people of Deseret, who was in Washington at that time, in attendance upon Congress, contributed, in communications to members of that body, much valuable information in regard to the territory of Utah; which, as being more reliable than anything to be obtained from any other source, we shall present in a condensed form, to the readers of these pages.

He begins with an account of the Great Basin, so called. This is believed to be about five hundred miles long, east and west, by two hundred and seventy-five in breadth, north and south. It has never been fully explored; but, so far as it has been, a portion of it is found to consist of arid and sterile plains; another, of undulating table lands, and a third of elevated mountains, a few of whose summits are capped with perpetual snow. Some portions of the Basin abound in rich and nutritious grasses. There are within its limits many streams and lakes, and of the latter the most remarkable is the Great Salt Lake, which is about seventy miles in length, and thirty to thirty-five in breadth. Its waters are a saturated