■ 
nights of summer are so cool that sleep is a posi¬ 
tive luxury. I wo blankets are very seldom one 
too many iu the warmest weather. 
Whatever of good was to come of the “Dona¬ 
tion Act,’’ evils wet® to bo born of it. One, was 
the size of the grants. Six hundred ami forty 
acres was more than could bo readily improved; 
consequently, the population was sparse, and 
schools quite too small to be easily sustained. 
This wan remedied in part by the “amendment” 
Tbe crowning evil, however, was an inducement 
to form ill-paired and ill-advised matrimonial 
alliances, in order to secure an additional half 
section of land. Owing to the paucity of mar- 
riagable women in Oregon, men would marry girls 
young enough to ho tlic-ir children. Scores of 
girls, from 13 to 15 years of age, were united in 
wedlock to men old enough to be their fathers. 
One man of thirty-five, courted and married a girl 
of eleven summers. 
Vircxvs IN WESTERN NEW 
discovered a good deal of art and taste, and are 
for ornament more than for use. Ioing strips of 
red cloth were bang up on the walls in various 
places, as expressive of good wishes. 
But the more singular, and yet touching and 
beautiful usage, is the fastening of long strips of 
red paper upon the door-posts, covered from top 
to bottom with large gilt Chinese characters. Of 
course they were unmeaning without an interpret- 
t r, and, as wo had three with us, one of them, at 
my request, translated them for me, and here I 
give them to your readers. Opposite the main 
entrance, was written in large characters, “ Great 
Joy!” Over a door, “Receive all Heavenly hap¬ 
piness!” On the sides of the door, “Felicitous 
bo the sun,and auspicious the clondBl” and “Har- 
monioua may be the breezes, and sweet the rains I’* 
Over another door, “ Happiness comeg from 
Heaven!” On the sides of another door, “Im¬ 
agination, like a great dragon, soara an hundred 
toot!” and “Literature, like a good horse, is vig¬ 
orous a thousand autumns !” Another pair of 
sentences was perfectly Chinese:—“The virtue of 
sages is like sweet wine—Heaven’s gruco en¬ 
riches!” and “the words of a King are like 
silken sounds — the favors of the Kingdom are 
many! ’ I he posting of such sentences over the 
Special Correspondence of Moore's Itural New-Yorker.] 
A TRIP TO CALIFORNIA. 
features m the Cascade Range—Height of St- Helens 
and hit Hood — 11 Donation Aft"—Its Benefits and its 
Evils—Mineral Wealth Umpyua and Rogue. River 
Valleys Ill-Advised Matrimonial Alliances , or Mar- 
LaeJt of If'omen in Oregon — One. ur 
Situations uieait them—A Sug- 
rying a Farm 
tteo thousand needed 
geslion. 
SAi.KSf, Oregon, April 10, lMfifl. 
Tms sections lorms one of the finest portions 
of the State. A noble and navigable river courses 
the entire length of the Valley. New, while farm 
houses dot the whole country, and seven or eight 
new aud thriving villages, situated at convenient 
points, adorn the banks of the noble Willamette. 
The Cascade range has several prominent eleva¬ 
tions or spnrs, known as Mte. St. Helens, Hauler, 
Jefferson, Adams, Baker, Hood, and the Three 
Sisters. Mt. Olympus, which is the highest of the 
Coast range, is 8,197 feet In height. Mt. Ranicr 
has an elevation of 12,000 feet; Mt. St. Helens 
shoots up to 14,000 feet, and Mt Hood stretohes 
past them all, and attains an altitude of 18,302 
feet, or nearly three and a half miles. Mt St. 
Helens is a volcano, and has been in a state of 
eruption this present winter, and, very recently, 
On taking her to bis home, he, 
hy degrees, (strange that a husband’s love should 
have seen it,) discovered her partial inability 
for the queenly superintendauce of his household 
affairs. IJo reluctantly came to the conclusion 
that she took greater delight in the sports and 
plays in the street with the neighboring children 
than she did in tho conjugal work of setting a 
patch on her husband’s coat, replacing a lost but¬ 
ton on his pants, or darning a hole in his socks. 
Ho had, however, by the step, generously enlarged 
acres. 
HEAD OF CANANDAIGUA LAKE. 
Lx continuing onr Sketches of the Scenery and 
Lakes of Western New York, we now present 
several views of Canandaigua Lake. In bold and 
beautiful scenery the shores of this Lake are not 
surpassed by any of her fair sisters. It is about 
fourteen milts (n length and from one to one and 
a half miles in width, and surrounded with a fer¬ 
tile and highly cultivated country. The water is 
waring the wars of the Senecas and the Algon- 
qnins of the North, n chief of tho latter was cap¬ 
tured and carried to tho hill of Go-nnn-de-wali, 
whereon a fortification, consisting of a square 
without bastions, aud surrounded by palisades, 
wiis situated. 'I he captive, though young in 
years, was famed for his prowess in tho forest 
conflict, and nature hud been bountiful to Ins per¬ 
son in those gilts of strength and symmetry 
which waken savage admiration. 
Alter a short debate ho was condemned to die 
on the following day by the slow torture of im¬ 
palement. While he was lying in the “cabin of 
death,” a lodge devoted to the reception of con- 
the dimensions of his farm from 320 to (140 
so he concluded to take an enlarged financial 
view of the case, and trip along as best, he could, 
in the joys of the honey-moon, with his childish 
bride. As a consequence, tho Legislature and 
courts have beeu Hooded with prayers for divorce. 
Faithfully have they labored to unmato and 
unmarry these loveless couples. No longer ago 
than last winter, over 00 cases for divorce were 
presented to the Legislature, and between 30 and 
40 were actuully granted. Society is, however, 
gradually out-growing these evils. 
As to the proportion, (of adults,) there are 
probably two males to one female in Oregon. 
Hence, bachelors are numerous, and are a popular 
class. Girls run up into apparent womanhood 
with the rapidity and luxuriance of tropical (low¬ 
ers. A lack of marriageable women in Oregon is 
acknowledged by all persons to bo a great evil; 
and I affirm, seriously, that I know of no com¬ 
modity that would meet with such ready accep¬ 
tance in this mart, ns one or two thousand intelll- 
gent aud cuterprlzing young women from 20 to 35 
years of age, who would make good w i ves for stead y 
be within ten miles, and yet it is over 70 miles 
distant from this place. These peaks are clothed 
with perpetual snow, and rear their frosty heads 
in June as well as January, and are arrayed In 
their white coats 365 days in a year. They im¬ 
part a wild, yet cheerful variety to the scenery, 
and assume a beautiful and majestic aspect under 
the glimmerings of a summer's sun. We have 
stood and gazed for many minutes upon these 
lofty aud sublime mountain peaks, crowned with 
eternal snows, and involuntarily have been led to 
admire and adore the skill of their Divine Archi¬ 
tect. Mt. Hood insists upon wearing his night 
cap of snow year in and year out, from January 
to January, and lifts not been known to make his 
toilet for more than 5,000 years. Ho is no stickler 
for the latest I’arisian fashions, but appears in 
the same costume which he did when Adam was 
engaged in horticulture, and Cain and Aisel 
were tripping, as school boys. Let the inhabitants 
of the Valley, nestled under his patriarchal 
shadows, learn economic lessons from his firm 
and stable habits. 
A large portion of the farmers of Oregon 
obtained their farms by an act of Congress,— 
passed September. ia*o. 
Act.” That act donated to every married man, to 
each married woman, and each single man, a half 
section,—or 320 acres of land, provided they 
would live on it and cultivate it for four consecu¬ 
tive years. In September, 1852, tbe act was 
Auere live ino iicftcvmientB or the pioneers 
who first settled Western New York, enjoying the 
fruits of tho toll and foresight of tbe honored 
dead. 
The Seneca Indians affirm that their tribe ori¬ 
ginated on Mandowago Hill, near the head of 
Canandaigua Lake. They have a tradition that 
the progenitors of the nation came forth from 
| this hill, and dwelt on it for a time In peace, but 
a monster reptile that had been found by tlm 
children and had been petted by them, destroyed 
all, save one woman and two children, who, 
directed by tho Spirit, pierced the monster with a 
charmed arrow, when it rushed in agony into the 
Lake and disgorged its human victims. On the 
shores of the Lake pebbles, somewhat of tho size 
and shape of the human skull arc found, which 
the Indians affirm to be the petrified skulls of the 
people of the hill, disgorged by tho wounded 
monster. This is the sacred mount of tho Sene¬ 
cas. Connected with this hill and a wild precipice 
in its vicinity, which hang* butting over the Lake, 
milled tbe “ Lover’s Leap,'Mi an interesting story 
of Indian love. The iegeqd, though of a later 
date than that of the serpent, the National Maga- 
tine sajs, descends from remote tradition, and 
FRUIT CULTURE. INQUIRIES. 
Messrs. Eds, 
If convenient, answer me a few 
questions through the Rural. 
1. \V ill tho different varieties of cherries grow, 
grafted or budded, on our common red sour 
cherry, or the Morello? Will they grow budded 
in tho limbs, or can I bud in trees three-quarters 
or an Inch in diameter, or should \ graft them? 
2. Will pears grow on our wild red Haw, or 
Hawthorn, as we call it?—as f have no pear 
stocks. We have pears hero, but they have no 
seed in them;—the seed blasts. 
3. Several of iny applo and pear trees, which 
I got from Messrs. Hookbk, Farley A. G'o., last 
year, have died. The pears commenced dy¬ 
ing at the root first, the bark turning black.— 
The others are diseased] in the Jcaf. Tho leaves 
I urn black and look as if they were burnt._ 
l'he apples died at tho top and sprouted out at 
the side of tho trunk, some of them within six 
inches of the root. Will they be the same kind 
of apple, or should I dig them up and plant others 
in their place? 
t. Can you tell me of any remedy for my pear 
trees? Will rotten sawdust injure fruit trees 
used as a mulch? We have a dwarf aimte i,n rn J 
young farmers, mechanics, merchants, clergymen, 
lawyers, and doctors. Bach an influx of young 
ladies would cause a ray of sunshine to irradiate 
the countenances, aud penetrate and cheer tho 
hearts of thousands, now withering in compara¬ 
tive and uncongenial solitude, unmated and un- 
lovedl Situations in all kinds of 
c 
respectable 
mploymont, at high wages, arc open, and cannot 
he filled for lack of females. None need fear any 
want of employment on their arrival. 
In the older States there are more females than 
males. In the new, the reverse is true. Hero I 
win veuuuo a Buggi:»tft>o. wuy would H not 
comport with the ethics of charity, for the ladies 
of the older States to form thomselves Into a 
benevolent society for the promotion of matrimony 
tn the Went, and espteially oil the Pacific coast. 
Care should be exercised in the selection of offi- | 
cers,—that no lady be elevated to official stations 
who is known or suspected of entertaining senti¬ 
ments adverse to matrimony. Such a step might 
prove highly disastrous, if not fatal, to tho great 
a section, or ICO acres each. Iu 1855, the original 
act and the amendment expired. As tho result 
of this wise and humane policy on the part of 
the Federal Government, a large emigration from 
the older States took place, and Oregon, for a 
time, was rapidly populated. An enterprising and 
intelligent, class of men and women have become 
the actual owners of tho twenty counties now 
settled up in the State. They have opened up the 
resources of tbe State, built towns and cities, navi¬ 
gated its streams,erected factories, promoted agri¬ 
culture, given additional wings to commerce, made 
a strong defence against the hostilities of the 
native tribes, and are rapidly building up the 
institutions of civil and religious freedom on the 
and philanthropic undertakings of tho society. 
But as such instances of 
eccentricity and rank 
heresy are rare in well bred and well educated 
female society, little danger, I judge, need be 
1 would suggest 
apprehended from that quarter, 
the following significant name 
tho Comfort and Relier of American Bachelors, 
known to he of correct morals, affectionate ten¬ 
dencies, and so far advanced in tho science of 
Mathematics as to understand, theoretically, at 
least, the rules of Addition and the combination of 
1 H •* 
numbers.” 
Statistics as to the relative proportion of the 
aexes on the Pacific coast, with a standard of 
prices for female service, will appear in my 
next. a I, i, 
Oregon la non in mineral wealth. An intelli¬ 
gent Missionary, who has resided here over 20 
years, said to us, in conversation, that, from the 
vast weight of evidence, he was led to believe 
> at there was gold enough in the Cuscado range, 
(if dug,) to cover this Valley all over twelve inches 
d-epl This may, and may not be, a visionary view. 
At any rate, Oregon,—and they are now being 
worked,—baa some very rich diggings. One man 
recently (in miner’s phraseology,) struck a lead, 
and has since sold one-fourth of his claim for 
*' ; -0°0- 14 now yields $500,000 monthly. But 
tuck “turn ups” are rare, and only serve as a lure 
1“ draw thousands from other and useful occupa¬ 
tions, to reap partial, if not utter disappointment. 
A silver mine has just been discovered iu the 
Cascade range; and a gentleman employed to 
tost the specimens, pronounces them rich lathe 
precious metal. Large numbers here are prepar- 
lr, g to go to tho mines this spring. A few will 
realize their fondest hopes,—more will sow and 
reap bitter defeat. The wisest counsel doubtless 
for eac)l t0 husband bte golden dreams, and 
draw sparingly on his visions aud physical re¬ 
sources, for such uncertain investments. 
this Valley stretches north and south over a 
'-stance of 130 miles. South is “Uinpqua” Val- 
3. separated from tins by a low range of moun- 
atns, over which runs a good road. South of 
mpqua is <. llogne River” Valley, separated 
rem a by “Ruttcs” or low mountains. Both of 
. aS,: vall «y» stretch east and west, and their 
T ?’' rs run westerly aud empty into the Pacific. 
andL\vM| ValkyH C0Dtain j0iutly Bix counties, 
ie >V illaniette,nine. Urnnanaainl v„i 
A CHINESE HOME, 
CANANDAIGUA LAKE — EAST SHORE. 
On landing, the unfortunate lovers took a trail 
leading in a western direction over the hills. The 
Algonquin, weakened by unhealed wounds, fol¬ 
lowed his active guide up the acclivity with pant- 
ing heart ftml flagging puce, while his enemies, 
with their grim old sachem at their head, drew 
nearer and nearer. At length, finding that further 
attempts at Might were useless, she diverged from 
ed her sire to spare tho young chieftain, assuring 
him that they would leap together from the preci¬ 
pice rather than bo separated. The stern old 
man, deaf to her supplication, and disregarding 
her menace, ordered his followers to seize the 
fugitive. Warrior ufter warrior darted up the 
rock; but, on reaching tho platform, at the mo¬ 
ment when they were grasping to clutch the 
young brave, the lovers, locked in fond embrace, 
(lung themselves 
“ From the steep rock, .and perished.” 
The mangled bodies were buried in the bottom 
of tho glen beneath tho shade of everlasting 
rocks; and two small hollows, resembling sunken 
graves, are to this day pointed out to tho curious 
traveler us the burial-place of “ the lovers.” It is 
a Bweet, wild haunt; the sunbeams fall there with 
a softened radiance, arid a brook near by gives 
out a complaining murmur, as if mourning for 
the dead. 
On the top of Genun-de-wah are to be seen the 
remains of an Indian orchard, a few moss-grown 
and wiud-bowed apple trees still linger, sad, but 
fitting emblems of the wasted race by whom they 
were planted. 
A GREAT STRAWBERRY, 
Kdh. Rural:— I noticed under the head, “Aus¬ 
tin’s Shaker Strawberry,” in the last number of 
your paper, tho following:—“The largest speci¬ 
men measured four inches and one-eighth in 
diameter .” 1 had just been recommending tho 
Rural very highly, as being an excellent paper,— 
one of truth and voracity,—which I always 
thought it was. But I confess this "beats all.” 
When I first saw the article, I was pleased, and 
began to read it aloud, for anything in regard to 
this best of fruits, sounds good here at the north, 
and we almost fancy that we taste the delicious 
berry. But this tasted rather bitter, Fm sure. 
Several who beard it remarked that, “They raise 
largo berries out there, really.” I thought so too. 
ered with tiles. Two or three arches were thrown 
across the court, seeming to divide the long space 
into rooms, and doors opened into each building 
ns they were needed. The rooms, however, were 
tew, and dark Horn the use of semi-transparent 
paper instead of glass windows. They were neat, 
and tho walls and ceilings covered with hand- 
some paper. 
Tho Chinese use but litUc furniture, and the 
most of what had ever belonged to this had been 
removed, as unsuitable to our tastes and customs. 
A gate, closed at night, opened into a uarrow 
Btreet, which led into the center of the village' 
and with a few rods travels out of it. Altogether, 
the buildings were commodious, neat, aud in good 
taste. Nor had the Government and owner been 
Content with furnishing the best house iu the 
place, und supplying us with the substantiate and 
delicacies of the country. It was the hot season 
of the year, and, to relieve their foreign guests 
from its oppression, posts had been erected along 
suers. Conspicuous by his eagle plume, towering 
form, and scowling brow, tho daughter soon des¬ 
cried her inexorable sue leaping from orug to 
ciag below her. He paused abruptly when his 
fiery eye rested on the objects of his pursuit. 
Notching an arrow on the string of his tried and 
unerring bow, he raised his sinewy aims; bat, ere 
the missive was sent, Wmi-uut-hoy, the beautiful, 
had interposed her form between her father and 
his victim. In wild, appealing tones she entreat- 
tho side of each house, some thirty feet high, 
while poles of equal height were planted in the 
center, on which bamboo rafters were laid, over 
which new white matting was spread, which 
reached from roof to roof, aud quite shut out the 
sun, while, as the sun changed its position, or set, 
or other circumstances required, large windows 
could be made in the roof, by pulling certain cords, 
In the evening it added to the beauty of the 
scene to have lurgo lamps suspended in various 
places through the court, hexagonal iu form, two 
feet long and one In diameter, the frame being of 
wood, and some of them having strips of red 
cloth in their hexagonal sides, and others stained 
glass. On the top an ornamental story was add¬ 
ed, a foot high, of carved work, which projected 
some half a foot beyond the lantern proper. They 
That 
who hits 
man will one day find it but poor 
upon truth with the loss of charity. 
