Gold Rush Era Collections

safely through all the dangers we have encountered, it is to be hoped was not found wanting in the hearts of all. The country, what little we have seen looked pleasant with its hills and valleys. The hills crowned with dark green trees, probably pines, but no sign of life, or that is human life was visable, or indeed any other except on the water which was littraly covered with wild sea food.

We have had our smile from the sun which lasted for about one hour and while it lasted lit up the scene with the utmost beauty, and also enabled the Captain to take an observation, then the fogg came on again gloomy and chill high ho! how dearly I should love to see and converse with the friends that I have left so far behind but that pleasure is yet in store for me, I hope.

The prevailing winds indeed as far as our own experience goes we might say the only winds here are Northerly varying from NW to NE.

Sunday July 22nd

Head winds with fogg so that there are no observations taken. The weather so cold as to be uncomfortable stood of and on all day but gained but a few miles. Saw herds of cattle on the shore, saw whales, and also a bark after a few miles to leward in the same fix that we are.

Saw a few days since the greatest shole of porpuses that ever was seen. There was a line several miles long and half a mile wide shooting in and out of the water and going at a grate rate so constantly weres they out of water that they formed the most remarkable spectacle that I ever beheld, looking like a herd of some remarkable animal, traveling on the surface of the water.

Monday July 23rd

Today at one oclock we entered the "Golden Gate" of the bay of San Francisco and anchored in the harbor front of the town which presents an appearance anything but inviting. The bay is magnificent with its islands on some of which were thousands of sea birds. The entrance to the bay is about one mile wide but is probably kept back by the security of lumber. A line of bold shores on each side, the town is building up very quickly. There are about one hundred vessels now anchored in the harbour. There are many contradictory reports here in regards to matters and things in general, but all agree that there is plenty of gold on the rivers but it cannot be got without labour.

Stockton Aug 12th

After stopping at San Francisco a little more than one week on the 2 of August we sailed in the Ser Plymouth for Stockton on the San Joaquin. Glad to get away from San Francisco, the weather was so unpleasant, foggy mornings and cold winds in

(29

July 20th, 1849

That "where there is a will there is a way" was never more fully illustrated than on board this ship and that there is nothing but what yankee inginuity will accomplish would readily be believed by any one who could take a look down between the decks, of the Phursaha among who live yankees of all trades and professions, there is scarce anything but what they contrive to manufacture from stoves down to copper nails not to mention bowls both of zink tin and wood for to be used for the purpose of gold washing, sail making, cap, hat and scarf making and really it would puzzle one to say what is not done and everything goes on smoothly and quietly for the most part of the time. To be sure there is now and then some little disagreement between some of the passengers, but such differences are usually settled without much difficulty

What had it been carried out would have proved to have been the most serious difficulty occurred some week or two since, between one J Richerson of Novia Scotia and Josh More of Lacodha, some difficulty having grown between them, Mr Richerson seemed to consider himself insulted and straightaway challenged More to meet him on deck with pistols and fight it out. Which More who was a good natured Johnathan disposed to have sport in some way or another agreed to. But in the morning, finding that Mr Richerson was in earnest he claimed the privalage of the chalanged party to choose weapons and forthwith chose cow whips seconds were chosen and they came on deck. Richerson with the pistols and More with the cow whips. But as Richerson would fight with nothing but pistols and more with nothing but cow whips this almost bloody fight never came off.

Saturday July 21st

Lat 37 degree 0 48 miles South of San Francisco

Made land early this morning with light wind nblowing from NW and consequently dead ahead. We approached to within 5 or 6 miles of the coast, when they tacked ship and stood off over on heading slowly to windward. It may be readily supposed that the sight of the land which we have been so long in reaching gave all on board feelings of the utmost pleasure and gratitude to that power which has brought us

28

Wednesday

Wednesday, July 4th 1849

Lat 27 degrees 08, Lou about 124 degrees West, Head winds, ... weather cool. And this is the day of, all other days, the greatest, in our national history. and while our friends are rejoicing amid all the blessings of liberty, and all that can make life desirable, we are spent up here thousands of miles, one might say from any where and indeed with little prospect of ever getting anywhere.

For amusements we had a variety of performances in the fore noon, The first mate had a fight with one of the Sailors, in which they pulled hair like two women, and the mate undertook to gouge one of the Sailors eyes out but did not quite succede. Finally, the Captain parted them.

Next we had musies and dancing then the Declaration of Independence was read, after which the Dramatic club entertained the .... for an hour or two, but not without some inconvenience. So one of the club, Mr Duff, who got an ugly thrust from a sword, through the carlesness of one of the others, But the cut was not in a dangerous place, yet it rendered the use of a seat anything but pleasant for him for a number of days.

Then in the evening, Lieut. Crowningshield delivered an oration, which gave universal satisfaction in this world of ours,

Tuesday July 17th

Lat Lat 34 degrees 38 N Lon about 128 West Head winds continually with weather cool and foggy, seldom blessed with glimps of the sun

The wind for the last three weeks has continued with the most unprepossessing obstinacy. So blow from the point, boards which we wish to steer; at one time we were as far west as 136 degrees and up to Lat 25 degrees 30 when they docked ship and stood in towards the land, swimming down the longitude but loosing in lattitude.

Friday July 20th

For the last three days no observation has been taken owing to the foggy and the weather has been nearly calm for the same time, what wind there is is from the NW, so if we had enough of it we could run in in 24 hours.

My patience is getting nearly exhausted and I almost begin to think that we are as doomed to the fate of the flying Dutchman.

But avast thou not of impatience

[top right] 19

Lat [Latitude] 50° 44"

[on right] Sunday the 1^st

Found out the day of the month without an Almanack, by going on deck and straining my eyes out to see some thing up aloft, that was not ^ there to be seen

This morning about 4 o'clock a tremendous squall struck us verry suddenly, a regular screamer, which terminated in another S.W. gale, a regular Punisher ... the wind blowing stronger than I have seen it before ... but towards night it abated, and became comparitively calm

[on right] Monday 2^nd

During the night the wind changed into the N.W. and before noon it had increased into a gale, at one oclock they tuck'd ship, and headed her N.E. for fear of getting too near the Falklands, which we have been trying to get to the west of, this number of days, in accordance with the advice of Captain Coffens

[on right] Tuesday 3^rd

About 4 o'clock this morning they, they again tucked Ship and stood S.W. by W. but we make but little headway as there is a heavy swell running.

About 5 o'clock P.M., made land over the lee bow ... twenty, or thirty miles distant, bearing, about south ... This evening the wind again, hauled into the South, West, so they Tuck't and stood to the westward

[on right] Wednesday 4^th

Cold and rough with squalls of sleet and rain. If salt water will preserve, whatever, is, saturated with it, I feel perfectly secure, for, I got soused from head to foot today in a t sea that broke over the bulwarks, while I was on deck. The prospect of our getting round the Cape Horn, seems, to be farther distant now than when we first started from Boston.

[on right] Monday Apr. 9^th

Yesterday we were in Lat 51° 30" and about 20 miles dist west of the Falklands which The rugged coast of which was plain to be seen, as it rose up perpendicular from the sea, rugged rocky, and bare, against which the storms of ages have beat with unremitting violence, and as they beat against the steep face of the cliff or howl around its torn and gagged [jagged?] summit, while the ocean, thunders at its base, It It warns the marriner not to approach to[o] near its lonely shoreand desolat[e] shore

18

by friends and the forms of society, young men are forming habits that will probably cling to them through life, causing, their friends to deplore, and themselves to curse the day that they embarked on this voyage round Cape Horn. But tis not thus with all, for there are many good and true men, on board ... men whose influence will be felt wherever they go, on the side of morality and religion, men who respect the laws, and institutions of our country, and who will, I hope build up society, in the land to which we are bound ... an as good, and firm, a basis that of our own New England

[centered] Friday 30^th

Lat about 48° 30" ... Lon [Longitude] 57" 45 ... For the last three days we have made but verry little head way ... the wind being most of the time, nearly dead ahead, varying from west South to west, and blowing so that most of the time we have been under close reefed top sails, our situation is all things considered anything but pleasant ... the victually arrangements are miserable indeed; last week we had they had another barrell of sour molasses brought up and Tap't [Tapped]; but it lasted but a short time, for one dark night the spill, was taken out, ^ and it soon spread itself over the deck, which caused our old Neptune, our second mat [mate], whose watch it was; to swear terribly; but a few buckets of water soon sent it out through the lee scuppers, as poison for fishes ... The stewards get drunk and quarrell and the mates have has been found by the Captain, drunk, and asleep on his watch. Still with all this se hope notwithstanding notwithstanding all this we hope, when that leaves us we shall begin to grow desperate

This morning the sun rose clear ... wind beautiful. as it I never saw it look so large as when it first rose ^ as it from the sea a thin haze obscured its brightness, so that the eye could rest uppon it without pain. We have the promise of a very fine day, the wind blowing from the west; steering south by west.

They took a lunar observati[on] this afternoon, and found the longitude to be 48° 45"

[centered] Saturday 31^st

Lat 50° 14 ... Lon about 60 ... about noon the wind commenced blowing verry strong from the west, sky clear and bright, we are supposed to be near the Falklands and the large quantities of kelp and rock weed that are cas constantly floating past us conferms the supposition

[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 that we were after being loaded, with letters ^ and old Papers and obtaining some 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 opportunity 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 26^th

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

16)

everything being neglected untill it gives way and then it is patched up as well as circumstances will permit ^ and is not thought of again untill it again gives way again, and then the Captain curses and swares blames the sailors patches it up again and let it go.

The barometer is said to have been verry low having been as low as 27½, and the sea fearfully high.

Lu[r]ched ship and hurled NW and gradualy dying away.

[centered] Sunday 25^th

Lat [Latitude] 47° 00" [Inches] Lon [Longitude] 51° 11". Weather clear and fine but cold ... Wind South steering W.S.W., near our course. Today To day has been a verry ex[c]iting day with us on account of the number of vessels we have fallen in with, being no less than three, this forenoon, all bound north ... the first one was some miles to windward when first seen, and after trying in vain to get near enough to speak [to] us stood away again on her course. The next; when first seen was nearly ahead; she passed us within hail; she was an English ship ^ named the Pickwick from Vulpariso, bound for London, she was right before the wind with everything set ... studding sails and all. She passed us like the wind and went bounding on her course, as though instinct with life, and action, and sencible that every hour brought her nearer to her destined haven; She had hardly passed when when far as the eye could see to windward, might be deserned a bright white speck on the horizon, glittering in the sun, this as she came nearer, we would make out to be a ship, bound north, she changed her course, and bore down toward us, but falling astern when several miles off she bore away again, but contrary to all expectation our Captain manifested a wilingness to be shaken by throwing the ^ Backing the ma[i]n topsail aback, which was no sooner observed on board the other ship than she again bore down towards us. Then commenced the greatest ex[c]itement on board our ship, in getting ready the letters to send home, and all seemed to take it for granted that she was bound to the United States, and they were not disappointed, for she proved to be the Edward Carey, of Nantuckett, from Calao [Callao], bound for Boston, New York with a cargo of Guano. Captain Coffen, master. She came under our lee boat locked his maintopsail, but was unable to, to send about onboard for a verry good reason, that is, that he had lost it in coming round Cape Horn, and also a part of his cargo being obliged to throw apart throw it overboard in a gale, he stated that he had the hardest roughest time in getting round cape horn that he ever had and of which his ship bore ample testimony, he was 48 days from Calao, In consequence of which a boat was lowered from our ship and

[top right] (15

with remarkable ease and with scarce any perceptable motion of their wings, and when the storm gale in the stronger the gale strongest the greater the ease whith which they accomplish their graceful motions. They seem perfectly adapted to this region of wind and storms; they possess have a verry large full black eye, and can see the smallest object with at a great distance, they are not generally considered as good for food, but there has been a number of them too cooked and pronounced, by those who are fond of a fresh bite, to be verry good eating.

[centered] Sunday 18^th

Lat [Latitude] 45° 53" [inches] ... Lon [Longitude] about 47° 00" ... Weather clear, with an exelent breeze from the N.W., our course is south west, by west, and going at the rate of 10 knots. Prayer and Sermon read to day between decks. Afternoon there was quite a change in the weather ... dark heavy clouds came up from the south west, wind increased so that after some of the old and rotten rigging of the ship had given way they reefed topsails, ... course, south west.

[centered] Monday 19

Not making much head way

[centered] Tuesday 20^th

Wind N.W. not very strong steering our course, but with verry little sail set as the Captain is expecting a gale, from the fact that the baromiter is falling rapidly, towards night the wind died away entirely, and when night came on the sky looked ominous and gloomy. ab About 8 o'clock being between decks, I hurd a rushing roaring sound, above, and the wind immediately struck up a chorus; among the as it rushed through the rigging of the ship; that sounded anything but pleasantly ... All sail was immediately taken in exept the maintopsail which was close reefed; and the fore topmast stay sail and spanker. The gale had commenced ^ from the south west in right good earnest.

[centered] Saturday 24^th

For the last three days we have been the plaything of the winds and waves, and we have been handled roughly enough: but we are still afloat, and the wind has abated, the old ship has "suffered some," having had her bulwarks broken in aft the main rigging, on the stabboard [starboard] side, by a huge wave that seemed as though it was going to break in the whole side of the ship ... the large band of iron that passes round the rudder head and is bolted on each side of the tiller also gave way, and we came near being left still more at the mercy of the waves, but it was chained up and pronounced as good as new, which is the way I should judge every think every thing has been been done gone on board this ship for years

14)

[centered] Wednesday 14^th

But day dawned at last, but the con wind continues to blow with terrible violence; and the waves are driven before it with tremendous force, sometimes breaking over the bulwarks and covering the deck two feet deep with water, and pouring down below, wherever there is a crevice open.

The Ocean at times when a squall more violent than the rest, sweeps over it, becomes as white as the driven snow, the wind lifts the water from the crest of the waves, and drives it over the surface as the wind drifts the snow over the hills of New England ... Oh! what is the boasted strength of man in a war like this, a war with the elements of which we are composed ...

Well might Bryon exclaim

"Mans controll stops with the shore"

To day they succeeded in setting the main spencer a small sail about as big as the mans hand, they also spread and lashed a sail to the mizen rigging, so that the vessil laid rode somewhat easier

[centered] Thursday 15^th

The wind has decreased verry much, and they have succeded in making some sail on the ship. Wind dead ahead, steering south east heavy swell still running

[centered] Friday 16^th

Lat [Latitude] 42° 00" [inches] Lon [Longitude] ... made but little head way in the fore noon ... in the afternoon ^ th[e] wind sprang from the N.W. which carri[e]d us along for a while, but it gradually came round into the South West, dead ahead, and we were steered S.E. ... Weather cooler, the temperature being 54°

[centered] Saturday 17^th

Lat 43° 58" ... towards night the wind hauled into the N.W. so that we could ster [steer] our course. Weather verry pleasant, with an exelent breeze from the from the N.W. To day some of the passengers succeded in taking one or two Albatross, of which there had been great numbers flying round the ship, they were hooked by trailing a long line astern, with a bait and hook attatched ... one of them measured ten feet and nine inches from top to tip of his wings, large numbers of different kinds of birds follow the ship, to pick up whatever is thrown over from the galley. The albatross however is the largest and it rem they shoot through the air, poise themselves and describe circles over the wake of the ship; with

[top right] (13

[on right, in pencil] {11 1850}

[centered] Tuesday, March 12^th

Wind North, and blowing quite Strong, course south west, and ...

onward we dash oer the trackless deep.

The wind in our favor as onward we sweep

And our ship she toys with the rolling waves,

As in foam and spray her prow she laves

Onward she goes with a glorious bound,

And the water part with a rushing sound.

Far astern, we can trace her foamy track,

Far ahead; the dark waters look gloomy and black.

Lat [Latitude] at Noon ... 41° 20" [inches] ... We have had a glorious run, since last Thursday and have made about 14° degrees of Lattitude and nearly the same of Longitude as our course has been about S.W. most of the time. The wind had gradualy come round into the North W. ... They took in part of the sail during the night as the Captain said that the baromiter indicated a storm, and that we should catch it before twenty four hours, and we did catch it sure enough, towards noon the wind gradually died away untill it became nearly calm but it was an unnatural calm ... the calm that precedes a storm. Notwithstanding the notice given of its approach, there was nothing in the readings to meet it when in all its fury it burst uppon us ^ about noon ... the wind commenced blowing furiously from the south west, and before they could succeed in getting anything close[d] and hung out, the rigging began to give way ... the sails were t some of them torn to rags, the Maintop gallant and ryo royal mast was carried away but hung by suspended by the rigging, and the ship rendered completely unmanagable, and when night set in dark and fearful we lay in the trough of the sea completely at the mercy of the waves without a stitch of sail set up with the maddend mad waters boiling and foaming arround us with fearful violence.

[centered] Wednesday 14^th

Oh! Such a night as we have had of it. I cannot describe it ... the vessell rolls terribly, and boxes and trunks un &c. &c., that were not properly secured were hurld from their places endangering life and limb, sometimes they are broken open and so away goes goes the contents, pick Pickles and preserves, and other small stores laid in by the passengers; all mingled in and broken mess