cams_HDudley_b13_F005_001_017
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[top right] 17
the mate went onboard the boat ... immediately returned with
Capt Coffen ^ anyone would have supposed that we were about to receive a visiter from some other Planet, si they could have seen the exitment and anxiety whith which the pupeyers [Puppy-eyers] exibited in trying to get a glimpse of him as he came about a real genuine specimen of a Yankee ... a spare nervous
man full of life and energy open hearted, fearless and free,
and a tea totaller withall; a perfect contrast to our morose brandy
drinking Captain. He stated that the gold ex[c]itement at Calao [Callao]
was intense, enormous sums being found for a passag[e], from
here to San Francisco, but that he thought "the axe and the
hammer would do the best out there." Anyone would have supposed after being loaded, with letters ^ and old Papers and obtaining some
that we were
few things of which he stood in want, te he left us with many
good wishes, and with hearty cheers, from both ships ... we seperated
he to make as he stated "the best of way home" where friends were
anxious to receive him. We to encounter the perrils of Cape Horn,
and California.
One little circumstance, connected with the foregoing I cannot forbear
mentioning, which is the fact that this Captain Coffen was a verry
intimate friend of Mr Royalane Timothy S. Bigalow of Lawrence
not with to at whose House I stoppt for some time before I started I started
on this voyage, and for whom I have a great regard. I was onboard
his vessell with Mr Bigalow ^ last May a few days before he started sailed
and little did I think at that time that the next time
I should bhold [behold] him would be within ten degrees of Cape Horn.
The only thing that we I had to regret was that I had no opport-
unity to speak to him of his friends at Lawrence, of which he would
no doubt been glad to hear, after an abscence of 10 months.
One thing we learned from him that we could not from our own Captain, the Longitude ...
After he left us the wind died away and at night
the breeze was verry light.
[centered] Monday 26th
Calm and cloudy, all hundr the crew were set at work this morning
in taughtening up the standing rigging and in the course of
the day they took down the fore and mizen topgallant and royal
yards.
It It would be verry difficult, giving an idea of the
scenes, that are almost every day enacted on board this
ship; scenes that would rival Pandemonium itself,
gambling in all its forms, in lotteries, and with profs [?] dice and
cards, drunkenness in all its stages, and even the religious
sevices services are converted into a berlesque, by seeing
men who were sencelessly drunk on Saturday, reading
prayers on Sunday, articles change hands without the
consent of the owners, and truth and honesty, are at a sad
discount, men here seem to give way to supions [suspicions] and
inclinations that, on shore were restrained and corrected held
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