li H

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YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

IN MEMORY OF SAMUEL AMOS YORK
YALE 1863
FROM THE FUND ESTABLISHED IN 1924
BY HIS SON SAMUEL ALBERT YORK
YALE 1890

CAPT. GEORGE COFFIN.

A T^xnnttt H^gag^

to

California

and

Round the World

1849 to 1852

Ship Alhambra
Captain George Coffin

Copyrighted by
GORHAM B. COFFIN.
Chicago, IU.
June, 1908.

FOREWORD.

In publishing this work I take pleasure In submitting the
following brief explanation: The author, Capt. George Coffin,
is my father. Since his death the original manuscript in his
own handwriting has come into my possession, and no copy has
previously existed. In view of its great interest to all his family
(of whom there are now many members) and as a tribute to
his noble life and great qualities of heart and mind, and believ
ing that the reading world are ever seeking light and knowledge,
I deem its publication justified. In this spirit I offer it to the
family and friends and to all those who may choose to read it,
hoping that they will find in its pages some hitherto unrecorded
historical events. Sincerely, GoRHAM B. Coffin.
Chicago, July 15, 1908.

PREFACE.

Having been, by the decree of fate, the freaks of fortune, the
force of circumstances, the destiny of my horoscope, or by some
other unseen influence, called or sent, drawn or driven at an
advanced age, to wander 'round the globe, and to spend four
years far away from my family, during which time, I have been
in a peculiar manner the sport and football of some or all the
agencies I have named, — I have now, while on my way home, and
daily drawing nearer to my native land, thought to employ some
of my leisure hours at sea, in recording some of my experience.
I am doing this partly to amuse myself, but chiefly because I be
lieve my journal will be interesting to the members of my family,
for whose information and amusement I am bound to contribute
all In my power, and to the head of which, my well beloved wife,
this book is affectionately dedicated, as a feeble token of my
estimation of her many virtues.
This record is drawn up partly from recollection and partly
from notes and memoranda taken "en passant," but now when
1 look back on what has passed, it appears to me to have been
a trance, a wonderful dream, a something unreal, a great blank
In my existence.
I fancy this book will be kept as an heirloom In my family,
and I here charge my children never to give away to despond
ency under misfortune. Should you be called to encounter dis
appointment and losses, remember your Grandfather and your
Father ; be honest, be firm, be resolute. Hope now, hope always ;
reflect that all things are under the direction of a Supreme Being,
who "doeth all things well," and in the darkest hour seek con
solation in that reflection.
Should these pages pass In review of other eyes, I trust they
will look with favour on the simplicity of the style, remembering
that It is intended only as a family souvenir.

^¦t^f^.^^^^S^^i'L^

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SHIP "ALHAMBRA" DEPARTING FROM THE MISSISSIPPI, APRIL 14, 1849.
Reproduced from original drawing by Captain George Coffin.

A PIONEER VOYAGE.

CHAPTER I.
On the fifth day of February, 1849, I arrived at New Orleans
in command of the fine ship Ocean Queen of Newburyport from
Liverpool, having on board three hundred and fifty steerage pas
sengers, chiefly Irish emigrants. The passage had been long
and the first part of it exceedingly boisterous, and I had been
obliged to put in at Fayal to replenish my stock of provisions
and water.
Fayal is the chief commercial island of the Azores, the town
Aorta is situated in a cove on its eastern side and opposite to
the Island of Pico, with its peak rising in a cone to the height
of 7,000 feet, its apex, covered with snow sometimes, seen rising
towering in the clear atmosphere above the clouds, and visible at
the distance of a hundred and fifty miles. The passage between
the islands is about five miles wide and ten long.
I passed in at the northern entrance, and as I opened out
the town, I was accosted by the captain of the port, who had
come off in his barge to waylay me. As soon as I came within
hail, he raised a sjjeaking trumpet as long as the royal yard, and
bellowed out, In broken English, "Ship hoy, what ship that,
where come from, and where bound to, how long been out, and
what for come here?" To all this I replied in one breath, "Ship
Ocean Queen, from Liverpool for New Orleans, twenty-nine days
out, put in for water."
At the word, Liverpool, he brandished his long trumpet, and
in a very excited tone, screamed out, "No ankly here, Liverpool
got cholera, no posseeble ankly here, go way, go way." Now I
had taken in sail, preparatory to coming to anchor, but it was in
vain I represented to this important functionary my distressed
situation, and assured him that we were all well on board ; to all
I could say, the only reply was, "Go way, no posseebly ankly
here, go way." 7

8 A PIONEER VOYAGE
Now, I had determined to anchor in spite of the long trumpet,
but while this colloquy was going on, the ship had drifted off
the bank, so that I could not anchor. I then showed a signal of
distress, and the American Consul sent off his barge for informa
tion, and through his influence (which I afterwards learned was
tantamount to that of the Governor), I was permitted to anchor
on the edge of the bank, in thirty fathoms.
He sent off what I wanted in a large open lighter, which was
anchored a cable's length to windward of the ship, and the crew
left her and went on shore. I then sent a crew and brought the
lighter alongside, and after discharging her, we placed her at
her moorings again, and left her, and made a signal, and the
men came from the town and took her away. The Consul then
sent his clerk off in his private barge (guarded by two quar
antine officers), with my account.
They came within about fifteen feet of the ship's gangway,
and reached my bill attached to a long pole. I affixed to the
end of the pole my draft and my letters, which they dipped three
times into the sea, and then with a pair of tongs deposited them
in a tin box which was locked by one of the guards with a
polished brass padlock, bearing the Imprint of the royal arms of
Portugal. On shore at the "lazaretto" these "dangerous" papers
were purified by fumigation with sulphur, before they could be
touched by human hands. This is an example of the quarantine
regulations of Portugal, Spain and the ports of the Mediter
ranean. Having accomplished my purpose in coming here, I got under
way, and proceeded out by the southern passage, the wind was
southerly, and almost immediately came on to blow a severe
gale, which brought us down to close reefed sails. I placed the
ship's head to the westward, the sea increased, and I did but
just clear the southwest point of Fayal at midnight; and at
daylight the next morning, the island bore southeast ten miles
distant. The wind had now veered to the west, and I bore up and
passed once more down through the Fayal passage, and as I
came opposite the town, I found my friend, the Port Captain
of the port at his post, and again the long trumpet was pointed

TRADE WINDS 9
at me, and again I was saluted with "Ship hoy, what ship that,
where come from, where bound to, how many days been out, and
what for come here?" To which I answered, "Boo, boo, boo,
boo!" Question: "That the same ship here yesterday?" "Don't
you see it is?" said I.
Question : "What for come back again, what you want now ?"
Answer: "All I want is to get clear of your  island."
He then waved his elongated speaking tube and bid me
"Adios, Senor Capitan, bon viage." "Goodbye, Senor," said I,
and pushed on to the south to get into the region of the trade
winds. On the first day of January, 1849, I got the trades in
Lat. 27°, which continued to blow steadily but lightly the re
mainder of the passage. I then passed down between St. Dom
ingo and Cuba and round Cape Antonio, January 29th.
We turned Cape Antonio, the west end of Cuba, the cur
rent setting strong to the eastward against the regular trade
wind, which was blowing strong, caused a short high sea and set
the ship rolling and pitching violently. An Irishman was pass
ing from the cooking range to the hatchway ladder, with his
dish of oatmeal gruel in one hand and a tin pot of coffee in the
other, when a sudden lurch threw him into the lee scupper and he
brought up with great force, with his head against the waterway,
where he lay partially stunned for a moment. On gathering
himself up he bellowed out, "Och, by the powers, but I've
mashed me nose so that I cannot hear.''
His nose had come in contact with a ring bolt and peeled the
skin off from one side of It. I persuaded him to let me bathe
it with friar's balsam. On the first application, he leaped half
a rod, screaming out with tears in his eyes, "Och hone, yer
honer's worship, but that's the divil's own intment sure, it makes
me nose smart so that I cannot see." So, as Paddy both sees and
hears with his nose, that important member must not be neg
lected, and the surgeon turned back the torn skin, and with
plastering and poulticing soon made it all right again.
Then a northwest course of four hundred miles brought me to
the mouth of the Mississippi. On crossing the bar at the south
west pass, in tow of a powerful steam tug, the ship took a rank
sheer, the steamer cast us off, and we ran with great force

IO A PIONEER VOYAGE
stem on to the ship Adirondack, Capt. Gillespie, which vessel was
lying aground on the bar, carrying away her mizzen mast, and
smashing her quarter boat, and breaking in her quarter and deck
cabin, also breaking our starboard anchor stock and carrying
away our fore yard and jib boom. Fortunately no one was
injured, although the pilot had sent all the passengers forward
to trim the ship. Not a word was spoken and I noticed that
just before the collision Capt. Gillespie darted into his cabin and
I saw no more of him. We soon swung clear, and proceeded
on up the river.
I found Capt. Henry Shoof at New Orleans, he had come on
to relieve me in command, he being part owner, and my term
of service having expired. As I was about leaving for home,
I received an application to take command of a ship about to
be fitted out for California with freight and passengers. At first
I peremptorily declined, but on reflection I considered it my duty
to accept the situation, and I made a proposition to the agent
which was at once accepted, and I was placed in charge of the
old ship Alhambra with a carte blanche to put her in condition
for the voyage, and to fit her for two hundred passengers.
I found her completely run out in tackle and apparel, and
rotten fore and aft, and it was necessary to put her in dock and
recopper, and it cost $10,000 to make her fit for the voyage. I
had her cleared of every obstruction between decks, and a range
of double staterooms built on both sides. Between the fore and
main masts was a tier of wide sleeping berths, and between the
main and mizzen masts were four long tables. In every state
room was a patent side light and ventilator, and a large draft
hole was cut in each bow.
On the starboard quarter was a large room for the surgeon,
and on the larboard quarter was the pantry, across the stern
were shelves for dishes, with six large windows opening be
tween. Across the bows was a range of wash basins, and around
the luff of the bows were sleeping berths for the cook and
stewards. Every stateroom was furnished with new mattresses,
linen and blankets, and an abundance of spare bedding filled a
large clothes-chest, fitted up near the pumproom. Everything
was done and furnished that I could think of, to make passen
gers comfortable.

PLAN OF BERTH DECK, SHIP "ALHAMBRA.'
By Captain George Cofiin.

GETTING PASSENGERS n
On the 20th March, she was finished and taken to her loading
berth at La Fayette, where she was visited by a great number
of people, among them by the editors of the city newspapers,
who all published commendatory articles.
A considerable number of passengers were already engaged,
and were allowed to come on board and live free of expense, and
as fast as others secured a passage ticket, they were allowed the
same privilege. But early in April the cholera broke out at
New Orleans, and the reports that were sent up the river de
terred persons intending to emigrate to California from coming
down to the city, and they went by the overland route.
A party of four had come from Kentucky, and taken up their
quarters on board with me. The first night on board the head
of this party, an elderly gentleman, was seized with cholera at
9 p. M. I went for a physician, who gave him some medicine,
and said he would do very well. Towards midnight his symp
toms grew alarming. I went again for the doctor, and after a
great deal of persuasion, he roused out and went with me, and
we got on board just as the old gentleman drew his last breath,
and the only service the doctor could render was to show me the
way to an undertaker.
I was sensible of the importance of keeping this matter secret
if possible, and before the sun rose, the mortal remains of the
poor old man were laid in their last resting place, far away from
the family he had so lately left, full of hope for the future.
Some of the passengers on board, who had retired early, knew
nothing of this till they were summoned to breakfast.
But my attempts at secrecy were unavailing, it soon became
noised about that we had the cholera on board, and an end was
put to our expectations as to passengers, and it was with great
difficulty that I could get labourers to finish stowing my cargo.
On the 13th day of April I left the levee with the assistance
of a steam tug. A large crowd of spectators thronged the levee :
among them I noticed a lady dressed in black, who seemed to be
beckoning to me to come on shore. Not being aware of any
lady having any claims upon me, I hesitated, till a gentleman
(Capt. Welsh), told me she was a Mrs. Jones, who desired to
speak to me. I went on to the levee and she appeared to be in

12 A PIONEER VOYAGE
great distress on account of an unruly son, whom she had per
suaded the agent to take as a passenger at half price, to get rid
of him. She said he was the son of her first husband (Daven
port), that he had been married, and that his dissipated conduct
had caused the death of his wife, leaving two young children for
her to support, as well as the worthless father. She gave me
five half-eagles to give to him in San Francisco, and begged
me not on any account to give him any of it at any place I might
stop at. I have been thus particular as to this Mr. Davenport,
as he Is to figure again in this journal.
At noon as we cast off from the levee, in tow of a steam
tug, the bow hawser got entangled with a tier of flat boats, broke
them all adrift, and they went driving down stream, and brought
up in a mess across the bows of a tier of ships below. This
accident caused delay in rounding the ship, and she drove fast
into the mud on the opposite bank of the river. After half an
hour of blowing and snorting, the steamer tugged us off again,
and we came to an anchor at Slaughterhouse Point, where some
friends of Mr. Sam Moss, Jr. (supercargo) took their leave.
At 6 p. M. started again, and proceeded rapidly down the
river. About 9 p. m. as I was sitting in my cabin ruminating
upon my situation and thinking of the dear family that I was,
as it seemed, abandoning, I was startled by the rough voice of
the captain of the steamer bawling out, "Hard a starboard !" and
directly afterwards screaming out, "Hard a port !" I ran out on
deck just in time to see the ship run stem on to a schooner that
was lying at anchor in the river. The crew of the schooner
seized hold of the ship's bobstays, and saved themselves, but the
captain, who had turned In, had but just time to jump in his
nightdress, Into his boat, which fortunately was towing along
side, when his vessel rolled down upon her side, and sank beneath
the murky Mississippi.
This disaster was caused by the vacillating management of
the commander of the steamer; when the schooner was first
seen, a slight sheer to either side would have carried us clear of
her, but having put the helm to starboard, and then just as the
rudders began to act in full power, then suddenly to reverse them,
any greenhorn ought to have foreseen the consequence. Self-

DOWN THE RIVER 13
possession, prompt and steady action, are very necessary qualifi
cations in a shipmaster, and especially so for the captain of a
Mississippi steamboat.
The next morning when about to cross the bar with a strong
breeze from the northwest, smoke was seen to issue from a crack
in the head of the mainmast. I directed the captain of the
steamer to come to anchor, and it was an hour before we could
get at and extinguish the fire. A spark from the steamer's
chimney had found its way into an opening between the mast
and trestle tree, and had ignited; it was at last extinguished by
means of a syringe from the medicine chest.
Finding no serious damage, I again got underway, and call
ing another steamer alongside, with one securely lashed on each
side, we "blowed" and snorted, roared and bellowed through, not
over, the bar, dragging a three foot channel through the mud,
as we passed, and by breaking up the crust, liberating two ships
that had been lying there aground for a week. The wind was
blowing strong from the northwest and at 11 a. m. the lighthouse
at the southwest pass, sank below the horizon.

CHAPTER II.
RULES AND REGULATIONS.
The Commander and Officers of this ship will endeavour to
promote the comfort and welfare of the passengers, and to do
this, it is expected that the following rules and regulations will
be cheerfully complied with: I.
Courtesy and forbearance on the part of each are necessary
for the comfort of all. 2.
Should any passenger feel himself aggrieved, he is requested
to make his complaint to the Commander in person, with the
assurance that all reasonable complaints shall be attended to and
promptly redressed. 3-
An ample supply of safety lamps will be provided, and no
open light will be allowed, except by direction of the Surgeon,
In cases of sickness. 4-
The firing of muskets and pistols, or the use of gunpowder
in any way is strictly prohibited. 5-
Passengers are requested to abstain from holding conversa
tion with any of the crew while on duty, and particularly with
the man at the wheel. 6.
It is particularly and earnestly requested that the use of pro
fane language may be carefuly avoided.
Breakfast will be served at 8 a. m.
Dinner " " " " i p. m.
Supper " " " " 6 p. m.
Geo. Coffin, Commander.
14

FOOD AND PASSENGERS 15
For the first two days, the attendance at table was rather
meagre, most of the passengers being engaged in casting up
their accounts with the shore, and settling their stomachs for a
sea diet. And while they are thus occupied, I will try to enumer
ate some of them, whom I may have occasion to introduce in
some scenes in my narrative.
First, there was a large house on deck, which was appro
priated to the seamen's quarters and the kitchen. This left a
room fourteen feet square which was taken by a party of three
families, viz., Mr. Cumstock, wife and two chUdren; Mr. Lane,
wife and one chUd; Mr. Bogert, wife and four children. Mr.
Cumstock was a vain, egotistical individual ; his wife, a mild and
amiable lady. Mr. Lane was a very quiet sort of a man; his
wife was a "Xantippe."
Mr. Bogert and wife were married the day before we left
New Orleans. He was a widower and she a widow, and sister
of Mr. B's first wife. They had each but recently lost their
former partners, and each had a suckling infant, both of which
Mrs. B. took to nurse. It was thought to be a good arrange
ment, and the first time I saw Mrs. B. I was quite favourably
Impressed — but, oh woman, who can fathom you? You are
either an angel or a she-devil Incarnate. But enough of Mrs. B.
for the present.
There was also a deck cabin with two divisions, the after-
division being occupied by the supercargo and myself. The
fore part contained accommodations for six gentlemen, who paid
fifty doUars extra for the privilege of occupying them.
Between decks there was a German doctor (Tappe) with his
wife, fair, fat and forty, and a little fat, sleek black dog; a Mr.
Leon (German) with his wife and a little girl; a Mr. Mordecai
(Jew) and his wife; a Mr. Tinentan and wife, young and re
cently married. She was a lively, prattling girl, and he was very
jealous of her. There was also a Mr. Ladd, formerly of Bel
fast, Maine, with his wife and three small children; with them
came a widow (Mrs. Lathrop) in search of a second husband,
who she was "nous verrons."
There was also a Snip in the form of a diminutive Irish tailor,
with a wife and three small children. Now, if it takes nine

i6 A PIONEER VOYAGE
tailors to make a man. Snip's wife was "per contra" equal to
nine ordinary women. She stood six feet in her slippers, with a
frame otherwise proportionate. But I must give her the credit
of being the least trouble of any woman on board, she minded
her own business, kept her children tidy and her husband as
straight as a B line. There were some half a dozen other married
couples of no note and a heterogeneous conglomeration of the
masculine gender, mostly from the western states. There were
lawyers, doctors, ministers, shopkeepers, gamblers, rowdies and
gentlemen of no particular profession, all eager for a short pass
age to the new found land of gold. There was one old gentle
man who came from Mobile, 70 years of age and consumptive,
he had a wife about 40; he said he undertook the voyage for
the benefit of his health, but he took care to provide shovel, pick,
hoe and bar.
April i6th. — Tortugas in sight. The passengers have got over
their sea sickness, and the stewards have now their hands full.
We have three different messes: The party in the deckhouse
have their table to themselves, and half a dozen others who paid
fifty dollars extra mess In the aftercabin.
I had told all the passengers that there would be but one
table, and that they would all live as I did. I therefore took
my seat at the head of the tables between decks, and took care
to see that there was no difference In the fare, whether on deck
or below. As the Widow Lathrop had no protection, I gave her
a seat at my right at table, of which I had cause to repent after
ward. Towards the head of my table sat the rest of the women with
their husbands and children, and It was quite an interesting sight
to look from my position over three tables each thirty feet long,
and to observe the different features and actions of my voracious
family. Everything went on well, the fare was good and ample
with a plenty of servants, and throughout the voyage, I had but
one occasion to speak to a passenger at table for misconduct.
This was in the case of a western minister. We were near Rio
Janeiro and our stock of fresh meat had given out, when at
dinner one day I heard this man call out to the chief steward
in a sarcastic way to send the chickens along. As soon as I

LETTER FOR HOME 17
had finished my dinner, I left to go on deck, and passing by this
man's seat, I called his attention to me, and told him that my
tables were set for gentlemen, and not for rowdies. He looked
like a lawyer without a brief, but as he could not find anyone
disposed to join him in growling, he was obliged to submit
quietly to the rebuke, and before the passage was ended, he be
came the best friend I had among them and got up a compli
mentary letter to the owners.
Friday, April 19th.— A fine day, standing out the Gulf of
Florida, Cat Key abreast, fell in with several ships bound down
the gulf, sent a letter by one of them to the agents, in which
I had the pleasure to say that we were all well on board. This
letter was probably published and served to dispel the anxiety of
friends, for It had been predicted that the cholera would break
out on board, as the last ship that left New Orleans for Cali
fornia had lost several of her passengers by that distemper, dur
ing the first week out.
On the 20th we passed Matanilla, and I shaped a course so as
to pass Bermuda fifteen miles to the south of it, which we did on
the 30th. The wind prevailed from the south and was very
light, which carried us to Long. 30°, Lat. 21° before we received
the N. E. trades.
Saw the island of Saint Anthony on the 15th May. This
is the northwest island of the group called Cape Verde Islands.
It is a high, barren, uninviting spot. I saw no signs of animal
life though we passed within five miles. These islands are very
subject to drought and famine. A few years since I was in
Havana, when three vessels came in there crowded with emi
grants from the Cape Verdes ; the poor wretches had been obliged
to flee from starvation, and to let themselves out in competition
with the slaves of Cuba. Oh ! God of Justice ! why such a differ
ence in the social condition of Thy creatures?
Saw Brava the next day, and crossed the Equator on the
23rd. It has been one of the rules of the sea, to introduce green
hands and passengers to King Neptune on passing the Line.
On one of my voyages to India, I had some half a dozen passen
gers, scions of the codfish aristocracy of Boston; they were a
wild set of boys, and I was not averse to the sailors' giving them

i8 A PIONEER VOYAGE
a taste of old Neptune's baptism on their promising me that they
would be careful not to hurt them. We passed from North to
South latitude during the afternoon, and when the shades of
evening were falling, a hoarse voice was heard ahead haUing,
"Ship aho-oa," to which one of the old salts who was on the
lookout replied, "HaUoo-oah."
"Heave your ship to, for I am coming on board."
The seamen now considering themselves under the Immediate
orders of the Sea God, without any reference to me or the
mates, laid the maintopsail aback, and the ship's headway was
stopped. The sailors had previously hoisted a barrel of water
up into the foretop, leaving two of their number up there with it.
The rest of them were clustered on the forecastle, when old
King Neptune was seen rising up over the bows, first his cap
(a mess kid bottom up with a large tar brush for a plume), then
a forehead of yellow metal, with two great holes for eyes and
conchshells for eyeballs, a larger conch for a nose, and a mouth
slit from side to side, and filled with small yellow shells for
teeth. His neck cloth was a mat, with the corners of a tarpaulin
standing out for a collar. He was loosely robed in a spare
studding sail and his trident was (of course) the shark grain.
He seated himself on the windlass and the sailors all made a
profound obeisance to his Majesty.
The "B'hoys" on the quarter deck were enjoying themselves
in singing "Dandy Jim" and "Old Dan Tucker," when Neptune
made his appearance on deck, and they all went forward to see.
Just as they came under the foretop Neptune in a speech was
saying, "I rule on the sea, I cause the winds, and I order and it
rains," and the sailors in the top capsized the barrel and down
came a cataract upon the B'hoys.
It Is a rule of the Sea King to initiate all his fresh subjects
by shaving them with an iron hoop, having lathered them with
a paint brush dipped in the cook's slush barrel, but he sometimes
dispenses with this ceremony, in consideration of a fee of a
bottle of rum. All the B'hoys but one preferred to pay the fee.
That one was a Mr. Hall, a ministerial student, a miserable bigot,
who had the charity to tell me that I was no Christian because I
professed to be a Unitarian. He was a weak, conceited fool.

KING NEPTUNE 19
and apparently thought he was going to Calcutta to teach the
Bishop. He was a teetotaller from principle, and could not dam
age his conscience by bribing a god with a bottle of rum.
So by the command of the Sovereign of the Sea, the sea
men blindfolded Hall and seated him on a board laid loosely
across a steep tub, half full of pure sea water. One of the tars
acted as barber, while Neptune questioned the candidate as to
his former life, cautioning him to make true answers on pain of
his future displeasure. "Where were you bom?" but the mo
ment poor H. opened his mouth to reply, the barber lathered his
lips with a paint brush, and afterward scraped off the sweet
scented lather with his iron hoop. Then at a signal from his
Majesty, the board slipped out, and H. slipped Into the steep
tub and the sailor scrubbed and rubbed him till their sovereign
master told them to stop. Neptune then bestowed his blessing
upon the novice, with a free permit to traverse any part of his
dominion in future.
When this ceremony had concluded, and the bottle of rum
had been discussed by all hands, they formed in procession and
escorted his Majesty three times around the ship, and amid the
noise and confusion of three real hearty sailor-like cheers, the
God of the Sea plunged into his own dominions and drifted
astern in a blaze of illumination.
Now, all this was a farce got up by the old salts on board,
one of them personating Neptune, and a large fender was thrown
overboard at the close of the ceremony, accompanied by a number
of empty bread barrels, filled with oakum and ready to be ig
nited as' they were thrown overboard. Hall was, however, so
weak as to believe for a long whUe that It was a reality.
On this voyage I am at present relating, I thought it prudent
to put a veto upon any such demonstration as I have just de
scribed, much to fhe disappointment of the old seamen and some
of the passengers.

CHAPTER III.
On the 26th of May, being in Lat. 4° South, Long. 30°, we
received the first breath of the regular southeast trade vvinds,
one of the phenomena of the atmosphere of our globe, which is
constantly revolving upon Its polar axis. Cold air is known to
rush towards a heated surface to supply the vacuum caused by the
ascent of the hot air, so there is a continual movement of the
cold atmosphere from the poles towards the hottest part of the
earth's surface, which is the Equator. Near the poles the move
ment of the earth in its diurnal revolution is comparatively slow,
increasing rapidly as we approach the Equator; of course, the
air which is at first flowing south from the North Pole, and north
from the South Pole, is, by contact with the surface, forced
with It to accompany it to the east, but it cannot be made to move
as fast as the earth, and so appears to us to be blowing to the
west, while it has not yet lost its equatorial tendency, and so
within a distance of about 30" of the Equator north or south we
find that the air is moving southwest or northwest and this we
call the northeast or southeast trades.
The southeast trades now prevailed so far from the south
that I did but just clear the projecting capes of South America,
and feU in with the Abrolhos bank, where I was becalmed a week.
And here I first learned of the organization of a clique of know
ing ones, who had taken upon themselves to enlighten the rest
of the passengers in regard to the navigation of the ship.
The head of this clique was a broken down shipmaster (Capt.
McDonald), who applied to me in New Orleans for a situation,
in order to save the expense of a passage, and simply out of
charity, I took him as a supernumerary, and let him mess with
my ofiicers. Next came the vain fool Cumstock, who had been
a voyage to Europe and was of course qualified to criticize my
qualification as navigator. Then a Mr. Chase, a New Orleans
stevedore, who had no power to amuse himself except by watch
ing everything said or done by me or my mate, and reporting It
20

COMMITTEE ON NAVIGATION 21
to the clique. There was one more, and that one was the black-
gfuard Davenport. At New Orleans, he was acting as mate of
the barque Florida, which vessel was on the berth for San Fran
cisco; when the Alhambra was laid on in opposition, she could
get no freight or passengers, and her voyage was abandoned,
and this scoundrel found his way on board the Alhambra in the
manner I have before mentioned.
As soon as I was informed of the doings of this clique of
wise ones, I gave them the name of the "committee on navi
gation," and they passed by this designation during the remain
der of the voyage, continually subject to the jeers and gibes of
the rest of the passengers. "I say, Tom," says one, "how far is it
to Cape Horn?" "I don't know, BiU, you must ask the committee
on N." "Jim," says another, "What's the latitude and longitude
of Farmer Hutchins' piggery?" "How do you think I know,
Davy, there's Crookshank, he is secretary of the committee on
navigation, ask him, he ought to know," etc., etc. I, however,
gave McDonald a sharp reprimand for his Interference and left
him in Rio Janeiro.
I have been much amused to see how my German passengers
lay in the sauerkraut. I had laid in a good supply of this article,
aware of the partiality of Germans for their national dish. It
is simply cabbage cut into small strips and salted. This dish
was served up twice a week and I soon perceived that Mrs. Tappe
was particularly fond of it. I have said that she was "fat, fair
and forty," this is literally true for she was a rosy cheeked corpu
lent lady. On sauerkraut days Mrs. T. would seize the dish and
fill her plate, and eat it as fast as she could, keeping her eyes
fixed all the time upon the main dish, and appearing to me to be
mentally saying, "Now, don't anybody empty that dish till I can
get another chance at it." She probably imagined that it had a
tendency to keep her body corporate in a condition to please the
doctor, her husband. Oh, sauerkraut, nothing like sauerkraut !
One day while we were becalmed on the bank, a great many
sharks were swimming around the ship, they were of all sizes
from the infant of two feet to the old patriarch of eighteen feet in
length. We caught several, those not over three feet long being
very good eating, tender, juicy and sweet. I fancy you exclaim.

22 A PIONEER VOYAGE
"What! eat a shark!" And why not? If I should faU over
board, they would not hesitate to eat me, and why should I not
retaliate? The older ones are rank and oily.
One very large fellow was playing around all the morning,
and the passengers amused themselves by throwing over bits
of meat and bread, which he would snap at, and seize sometimes
before the bait reached the water. I thought it a good time to
put a joke upon the voracious rascal, a thing I had often done
before. I had a shin bone of beef boiled as hot as fire could
make it, and watching a chance when he was close under the
stern, I let it down by a ropeyarn. The shark saw it coming,
and thinking (if a shark can think) that this was a rare bit, he
jumped at and swallowed it without stopping to consider whether
it was good to digest. He found it to be more than he had
bargained for, and the way his tail and flippers made the water
fly was a caution to all sharks to keep clear of the Alhambra.
He leaped his whole length, fifteen feet, out of the water and
started off with the speed of a locomotive, and the last we saw
of him, he was leaping and "ricochetting" in a direct line for the
coast of Africa.
June loth. — Fine weather, a steamer in sight, whose man
euvers are suspicious or at least singular. She runs a mUe or
so and then stops a few minutes, then starts off in another direc
tion a little way and lays by again. My passengers seem uneasy
about her, at one time she steered directly for us, under a full
head of steam, at about a mile's distance she suddenly let off
steam, and I saw with my glass that they were heaving the lead.
She is probably a surveying vessel taking soundings on the bank.
June 15th. — Beautiful weather. The coast of Brazil in sight.
Old Mr. Johnson has been gradually failing for some time, and
it Is evident, that he cannot continue many days. Of this
he is as sensible as any of us. He sent for me to come to his
room this morning. I found him very feeble but calm, he talked
about his approaching dissolution, as coolly as one would about
going on a short journey. He said he had one request to make
of me. I told him I would certainly do all in my power to
meet his wishes. He then said, he was sensible his end was
approaching, and he might die while the ship was in Rio. "In

THE WIDOW AGAIN 23
that case. Captain," said he, "do not let me be buried on shore,
but I beg of you to take me out to sea with you, and bury me
In the pure blue ocean." He had his will drawn up by an Ala
bama lawyer on board, and witnessed by Mr. Lane and myself,
bequeathing some landed property In Alabama and all his per
sonal effects to his wife.
I have more than once had occasion to caution Mrs. Lathrop
to be more circumspect in her conduct. She has been in the habit
of separating herself from the other women in their evening
parties on deck, and mixing in the circles of men, and last eve
ning I detected her in too great familiarity with one of the cabin
passengers. She took my reproof in good part, but what is more
deceitful than a fallen woman ? In trying to shield her character,
I incurred the ill will of her lover, rowdy Stebbins, and he was
ever after my unmitigated enemy.
June 17th. — Passed Cape Frio, and early the next morning
we were off the harbour of Rio Janeiro. The approach to this
harbour is exceedingly grand. The distance from Cape Frio is
about fifty miles, and on passing along, peak after peak comes in
sight until the far-famed "sugar loaf" points out the entrance of
the harbour, which is about two miles wide and opens out into
a beautiful bay about twenty-five miles long and from five miles
to ten miles broad, with magnificent scenery all around. There
Is a flat island in the middle of the entrance, towards this island
the current was setting strong, and it being nearly calm, my ship
became unmanageable. She drove rapidly towards the Island till
within a cable's length, when the offset of the current whirled
her round the eastern end and Into the bay. I had no command
of the ship, the whirling current carried her along sometimes
heading into the harbour, and sometimes looking out again, and
at other times broadside to she would shoot rapidly ahead at
the great risk of coming in contact with some of the numerous
vessels that were in the same fix.
I came to anchor in twenty-five fathoms three miles from the
city, and It was not long before most of the passengers were
raising the devil in Rio.

CHAPTER IV.
There were eight or ten other vessels in Rio Janeiro, bound
to California with passengers, and the city authorities had no
power to control them. The poor Brazilians had to bow before
the independent rowdyism of these Yankee gold hunters. But
they consoled themselves in the fiippant way in which they found
It easy to relieve Brother Jonathan of his present stock of what
he was going in search of.
In most of these ships there was difficulty between the cap
tains and their passengers, and the American Consul had taken it
upon himself to displace some three or four commanders at the
instigation of their passengers. But few men are of a suitable
temperament to get along in such a position. Most of the diffi
culty on board these ships has been caused by the commander
making too free with those under his charge, in the outset, drink
ing and playing cards with them, and by their familiarity lessen
ing their respect for his position, until some occasion has called
for the exercise of his authority, when he has found that he had
none. For myself I started with the determination to keep myself
aloof as much as good manners would allow, treating every one
with civility, but making free with none. I never took a card in
my hand, though often solicited to do so. I suppose, at first,
they thought that I was proud and stiff, but I believe they are
now convinced of the propriety of my course, and I have no
doubt I could fill all my vacant rooms with passengers from
other ships, If they could get a portion of their passage money
refunded. Mr. Davenport ran a great rig while In this port. When he
first landed, he represented himself as the commander of the
Alhambra and ran in debt everywhere. He hired a four-oared
barge by the day, went on board the frigate Brandywine, and in
vited the officers to a dinner at a hotel, etc., etc. One morning
as he was leaving the ship in his barge, I noticed that he had
24

RIO JANEIRO 25
with him a daughter of Mrs. Bogert's, a girl of thirteen years,
very pert and remarkably forward both physically and mentally.
On my expressing to Mrs. B. my surprise at her allowing it,
she spurned my advice. "Oh," said she, "Sarah is old enough
to take care of herself." "Very well, madam, it is your own
affair, not mine," I said.
On the morning of my departure, a fleet of boats were along
side, all with bills made out against the Captain of the Alhambra,
and when I was pointed out to them as that important individual,
their physiognomies became suddenly elongated. Davenport had
secreted himself, but I hunted the vagabond out, and brought
him face to face with those he had imposed upon. Some of them
threatened to have him taken out of the ship, and I told them
they could not do me a greater favour.
Rio Janeiro is a city of convents and monasteries, ' without
much to interest a stranger, except the gardens in the outskirts
and a grand aqueduct constructed upon the ancient Roman plan.
The population (about seventy thousand) is a mixture of Euro
peans, North and South American negroes and Indians, with no
small portion of mulattoes, the offspring of the Portuguese and
their female slaves. These half-castes are generally an improve
ment upon their paternity physically and intellectually, and are
decidedly the most enterprising and energetic of the inhabitants.
The climate is warm and moist, and the produce of the country is
always in season. Orchards of orange trees display a beautiful
and fragrant temptation, the newly opened blossoms and the
green and ripened fruit upon the same tree.
Sunday, June 24. — Mr. William Higgins, chief mate of the
ship, asked my permission to take the Widow Lathrop on shore
and be married to her. I had previously received a hint of this
from Mrs. Ladd, but I expressed surprise and strongly objected
to the business. He said it was very well, and then asked my
advice upon the matter. I told him plainly what I thought of
her, and advised him to keep cool, and to watch his inamorata
for the residue of the passage, and at San Francisco he could,
of course, act his pleasure. He thanked me for my advice and
said he should follow it, but not being willing to communicate
to her my objection, he got Mrs. Ladd to break the matter.

26 A PIONEER VOYAGE
Now, Mrs. Lathrop was all rigged out for the job, anxious to
part with her widow's weeds, and was taken all aback when she
found I had forbidden the banns, but she affected the greatest
astonishment to Mrs. Ladd, said she had no idea of such a thing,
and asked Mrs. L. if she thought she could demean herself by
marrying the mate of a ship. Now, Mr. Higgins was stand
ing outside of her stateroom, and when he heard that, he went
in, and immediately there was a great flare-up. Mrs. Ladd left
the room in disgust. The widow then altered her tone again,
began to fondle and caress Higgins, and told him that he ought
not to have said anything to me upon the subject. But he told
her that his eyes were now opened, and that I had saved him
from a life of misery. She flew into a great rage, called him a
coward, ordered him to leave her room, and went off into a
genteel fit of hysterics, and sent for the surgeon, who soon found
that the best medicine for her was brandy. She shut herself
up in her room, and did not make her appearance again till we
arrived at Valparaiso.
I took on board here a Capt. White of Baltimore, with his
little Spanish wife. They were passengers on board the brig
Arabian, but Capt. W. said there was so much disorder on board
of her, that they could not go any further in her. His Uttle
woman, as he called her, was a bit of a thing, with a fair com
plexion, hair as black as jet and a sparkling black eye that indi
cated spunk, if it did not chastity. The immaculate widow soon
found a fit associate in Mrs. White.
While in Rio Janeiro we discovered that a plank in the ship's
bow was in a bad state ; it was a foot under water, and we were
oblige to remove cargo from forward to aft to bring it out of
water. The plank was gouged nearly through, probably done by
the schooner's anchor in the Mississippi. Having repaired the
damage and laid in a fresh supply of provisions and water, and
left my letters for home, I started again on the 2Sth to make my
way toward the much dreaded Cape Horn.

CHAPTER V.
I believe that nearly every one of my passengers has asked me
if I have ever been "round the Cape." "Yes, often," Is my reply,
and so I have. I suppose I have passed Cape Cod fifty times.
This is a matter that seems to them one of transcendent im
portance. I overheard a party of them conversing about it last
evening, they seemed to be very anxious about it, till one of
them remarked, "Well, if anybody can get safe round, our cap
tain can, for he belongs to Nantucket, and has been a whaling all
his days," and this seemed to pacify them. So it seems "there is
something in a name" sometimes.
July 1st. — The winds prevail from the western quarter, gen
erally about W. S. W. This day a brig was seen standing to the
northwest upon the larboard tack, and I believe it is the unani
mous opinion of the "Committee on Navigation" that I ought
to be on that tack, too. This committee have received an acces
sion in the person of a Capt. Huggins, who was one of the mas
ters displaced by the consul at Rio. He begged of me to take
him along to San Francisco and merely from charity I took him
at half price. He had taken the place of McDonald on board,
and thought himself a big man. Thus my charity is once more
appreciated. July 4th. — I was aroused at 3 a. m. by what I supposed was a
row on deck. On going out to see what was to pay, I found it
was but the beginning of the celebration. A parcel of wild ones
had got on deck, with their liquor and their revolvers, and
seemed determined to make a day of it. Taking them in season
before the spirits began to operate, I convinced them of the
impropriety of having their firearms about, and persuaded them
to give them all up to me. They mounted an Alabama lawyer
on the capstan, and he made an attempt at an oration.
"Fellow Citizens by G — ," said he, "this, by G — , is the great
est day, by G — , that ever dawned, by G — , since the creation.
We, by G— -, are the great American people, by G — ," and so he
27

28 A PIONEER VOYAGE
went on in this profane style, much to the gratification of his
hearers, who often expressed their applause by shouting out,
"Good, by G — ."
They had already begun to make free use of the bottle, and
insisted that I should join them. I thought it best to humour
them on this occasion and proposing a suitable sentiment, we
drank to "the memory of the heroes of the revolution." I then
retired to my room, and was not again molested. I thought it
best to keep myself in my own room, during the day, unless some
disorder should call for my Interference, which, I am happy to
say, was not the case. The day was kept in an uproarious mani
festation of patriotism, three bouncing cheers were frequently
shouted for freedom, liberty, Washington and particularly for
"Old Hickory." Many of them got patriotically drunk, and
were bundled into their berths. But we had no outbreak and the
next morning all was quiet again.
A Burial at Sea.
July 6. — The expected event has arrived. Old Mr. Johnson
breathed his last at midnight; he died without a struggle or a
groan. Early this morning the corpse was sewed up in a new
sheet and afterwards covered with canvas. At ii a. m. it was
laid on a smooth plank at the gangway, with a sufficient weight
attached to the feet to cause It to sink rapidly. The ensign was
set at half-mast. At noon all hands were summoned to attend
the ceremony; the officers and crew were neatly and freshly
clad; one mate and one man stood on each side of the plank.
The mainsail was hauled up, the maintopsail laid aback, and the
ship's headway stopped.
The passengers being all assembled, I mounted the poop, and
after saying a few words I read a short prayer, composed for the
occasion, and requested any one who felt so disposed to improve
the occasion to address his fellow voyagers. No one seemed so
disposed. I then read the beautiful burial service from the
Common Prayer Book. At the proper moment the men raised
their end of the plank and the corpse slid gently into the sea
and sank immediately. The sea was so transparent that the body

FAULKLAND ISLANDS 29
could be seen gyrating in its descent many fathoms down be
neath the surface.
The widow, as in duty bound, gave a groan, and thus ended
the ceremony. The ensign was run up to the peak, the main
topsail filled and the mainsail set, and the Alhambra started off
again upon her course, leaving the mortal remains of the old
gentleman to find their last resting, place where his immortal soul
had wished, in the pure blue ocean.
July 7. — A remarkably fine day. The wind continues to blow
steadily from the southwest and the atmosphere seems ethereal,
but it could not heal the lungs of Mr. Johnson.
But pure as Is the air, it is thickened with innumerable clouds
of locusts and the surface of the sea is literally covered with the
dead and exhausted ; the ship's rigging had been recently freshly
tarred, and millions upon millions of these insects, in seeking
rest to their wearied wings, alighted upon the shrouds and back
stays and were done for. There they hang, their feet sticking
fast to the green tar and their long wings extended and flutter
ing, making a noise like miniature coopers drumming around
some quack doctor's pill boxes, but the poor things cannot extri
cate themselves from their impromptu trap. All day long army
upon army of them darkened the air, and the topgallant back
stay swelled to the size of the mast it supports. An extraordi
nary phenomenon! We are in the latitude of Rio de la Plata,
and these "cicada tettigonia" have been blown off the coast hun
dreds of miles by a "pampero," and were now on their return
attracted to a fatal foothold, affording a moral which it would
have been well if some of my married passengers had attended
to in season, viz., "Look before you leap."
The winds prevailed so much from southwest that I was
obliged to pass to the eastward of the Faulkland Islands. Saw
them on the 8th. They appear to be composed of volcanic rock,
high, broken and barren; not a tree could be seen. When first
discovered they were uninhabited, and have been colonized and
abandoned several times; at present they are claimed by the
Buenos Ayres Government.
Having passed to the south of them, we encountered a heavy
gale from the southwest, which brought us down to double reefs,

3°

A PIONEER VOYAGE

and eventually to a close reefed maintopsail and main spencer,
under which sail we lay to twenty-four hours. The sea was
exceedingly rough and the ship lay very uneasily. Every box
and trunk among the passengers that was not securely lashed
was pitching and tumbling about in admirable confusion, and
there was a great time among them.
In the height of this gale I had an unpleasant altercation with
the surgeon of the ship. Doctor Haygarth of London. Like
most cockneys, he was a vain, egotistical snob. He had ren
dered himself obnoxious to most of the passengers by his insuf
ferable insolence, always drawing some one of them into an
argument, which never ended without his teUing them that their
arguments were foolish, preposterous or nonsensical. He had
been surgeon on board English convict ships, and could not
bring himself to a level with citizens of America.
On this occasion he made some observations that induced me
to remind him that he was talking to gentlemen; on which he
flew into a violent rage and insulted me grossly. His conduct
was so outrageous that the mate and some of the passengers
advised putting him in irons, but I thought it best to treat him
with silent contempt, determining, however, that if he did not
make a suitable apology I would leave him at Valparaiso.
July lo. — ^Mrs. Leon complained to me this morning that
Mrs. Mordecai had insulted her, and insisted that I should talk
to her; so I held a petticoat court martial. It appeared that
their rooms were adjoining, and the row commenced about which
of them made the most dirt. I settled the matter by directing
Margaret (an Irish stewardess) to pay particular attention to
these premises. "Faith," says Maggy, "It's sax o' one and half
a dizen of tither, and the Tivel himself couldn't teU which of
the two is the dirtiest."
After the gale the wind came from the east, and gave us a
fine run around the much-dreaded Cape Hom. I passed within
two miles of Diego Ramirez (the large rocks lying eight leagues
south of the southem extremity of Patagonia) . The lofty moun
tains of Terra del Fuego, land of fire, towered up awfully sub
Hme in the distance, but the fire must have been extinguished
by the immense quantities of snow now on the mountains, it
being the southern winter.

CAPE HORN 31
Around these rocks the air was literally clouded with sea
fowl, from the huge and stately albatross to the tiny petrel or
Mother Carey's chicken, with pelicans, penguins, gulls and Cape
pigeons. The albatross sails gracefully above the others, appar
ently without moving his wings ; he is exceedingly voracious,
following ships with his head turned, so as to keep one eye on
the lookout for the waste thrown over by the cook. He Is easily
caught with a hook baited with pork; he seizes the bait, and
the hook catches in the lower mandible, and he Is hauled in,
struggling with great force to escape.
I caught several, one fellow whose wings measured ten feet
across. When landed on deck he showed fight, and it was dan
gerous to come within reach of his wings or beak. Doc. Tappe's
fat black sleek dog attempted it and received a snap that sent
him off howling In double contralto, and gave the Doctor an op
portunity to practice his profession, the only one he had during
the voyage. The bird was unable to rise; every time he at
tempted It his wings came In contact with the deck before he
could exert their power to raise his body and gain an Impetus.
After amusing myself with him for an hour I ordered him to be
raised from the deck by two sailors, when he darted off like a
rocket, but still kept sailing round, looking down upon us with
scorn, seeming to say, "Try it again, my hearties, you don't catch
this bird any more."
The Cape pigeons are caught in the same way, and some say
they make a good pigeon pie, but if so it must be made by a
double refined French "culslnier." My cook could not neutralize
the abominable rankness of the flesh.
The pelican is nearly as large as the albatross; he has a
monstrous bill with a bag or pouch hanging to the lower man
dible capable of carrying food sufficient for two or three days.
He brays Hke an ass or squawks like a peacock. He lives prin
cipally upon fish, which, if an unlucky one comes near the sur
face, he will dart down upon from a great height and seize with
unerring aim ; perhaps the poor fish is charmed as some snakes
are said to fascinate small animals. These birds are gregarious ;
there were apparently many millions of them around these rocks.
The little petrel dances upon the water with its webbed feet.

32 A PIONEER VOYAGE
and wings always spread. This interesting little species is met
with In all latitudes and Is particularly active in stormy weather.
The different inhabitants of Diego Ramirez must be conserva
tive, and respect the rights of others, or they could not live
together in a country so small. Would that creation's lord could
learn a lesson from them!
Cape Horn is a bugbear; I had rather double it five times
in winter than to come out the English channel once in Decem
ber or January. In two days after passing the rocks I had ad
vanced to the west far enough to shape a course for Valparaiso.

CHAPTER VI.
July 22. — Yesterday we had a heavy gale from northwest.
At 4 p. M. I laid the ship to with the larboard tacks on board,
head to the northeast. At midnight the wind veered more north
erly, and I hove ship and laid her head to the northwest, the
coast of ChUi being about seventy-five miles distant by chronom
eter. About 2 a. m. there was the "devil to pay" among the pas
sengers. One of the "Committee on Navigation" (Chase) had
spread a report that we were on a lee shore, and could not keep
off till morning. He said that when it lightened he could see the
surf breaking awfully upon the rocks not more than two miles
to leeward. It was in vain that I assured them that we were
more than fifty miles from land, that even if it was as Chase
said, we could not possibly run ashore as the wind was and as
the ship was driving. Finding that they would not listen to
me, I went to bed and. left them to enjoy their consternation.
Some of them sat up till morning, by which time the weather
had cleared up, and not even the tops of the mountains could
be seen from aloft.
On this occasion the ungrateful Captain Higgins made him
self conspicuous in Increasing the turmoil, and I was obliged to
give him a piece of my mind ; for this I was well prepared, hav
ing learned more about him from the Consul at Rio Janeiro
than he was aware of.
August lo. — Twenty days have passed without any occur
rence worthy of note. Passengers have nothing to do but eat
and sleep and growl at, the length of the days and the nights,
too. What a drawback to human happiness is this abominable
ennui ! If it was an original element in human nature the Crea
tor could not have inflicted a greater curse on Father Adam
than to have left him in the Garden of Eden to live without
labour and eat of the fruits of the earth that grew spontaneously
about him. I am now standing up the coast to the north.
33

34 A PIONEER VOYAGE
The schooner Friendship is in sight; she is also from New
Orleans and bound to San Francisco. This schooner left under
another master, about three weeks ahead of us, but I found her
at Rio, and we left that port together. When seen this morning
she was in shore of us (land in sight about ten leagues distant),
and took the land breeze and shot ahead out of sight, much to
the discomfort of some of my uneasy passengers, who said she
\vould reach Valparaiso two days before us. I took no notice of
their remarks, but I authorized Mr. Moss (supercargo) to ac
cept bets on my account to the amount of fifty dollars on the
question which vessel would first come to anchor in Valparaiso.
The Andes (backbone of South America) are visible, covered
with snow, towering above the clouds.

"The married state, with and without the affection suited to
it, is the completest image of Heaven or Hell we are capable of
forming in this life." — Spectator.
If this be true, then must the Alhambra be the "completest
image" of the latter — a hell upon the ocean. Among all my
married passengers there are but three couples that do not have
their matrimonial outbreaks. The most of them came on board
as sweet as Muscovado molasses, but excessive sweetness often
turns to the most acrid acerbity, and so it has been with my
saccharine subjugates. Cape Horn has frozen all the love out
of them. Two months' "close communion" in a small stateroom
has caused the molasses to ferment, and fermentation always
changes to vinegar.
As to Mr. Bogert and Company, they have had a regular
matrimonial set-to, and have sat apart, at least for the residue
of the passage, and she has taken to one of the vacant rooms
between decks. "In company they are in purgatory.
When only together they are in a hell."
— Addison's description of the vexatious life in matrimony.
August 16. — Fine weather, with a fresh breeze from the
south, steering north under all sail, including studding sails. At

A WAGER 35
meridian saw the lighthouse on the promontory that forms the
western boundary of the bay of Valparaiso. At the same time
discovered the schooner Friendship between us and the coast;
she was also under full sail, and we went dashing along in fine
style together. It was questionable how the bets would result.
As we drew near the promontory she began to shorten sail,
and we got ahead and rounded the point with studding sails set,
a cable's length ahead. The people on shore were astonished
to see a ship come dashing in under such a press of canvas (so
the Harbour Master told me), but I had got every halyard
ready to run in a moment.
On hauling into the bay, and bringing the wind abeam, the
schooner had the advantage and came up alongside. I foresaw
that the captain of the schooner would make two or three tacks
to gain a good berth to anchor, a thing which I could not do
on account of the size of my ship and her draft of water. I
had this in view when I fixed the bets on the question as to
which vessel would first come to anchor. While the schooner
was thus occupied In beating up, the captain of the port came
on board the ship and ordered the anchor to be let go. The
bettors looked glum, but promptly paid up.
While we were at supper there was a mutiny broke out in
the deck house. Messrs. Lane and Bogert have come to pistols
and bowie knives. At the supper table Bogert accused Mrs.
Lane with having slandered him to his wife and thus alienating
her affections! Fudge! she had no affections to alienate. But
that is no excuse for Mrs. Lane.
Now Mrs. L. was not the woman to be talked to. The battle
of tongues was altogether in her favour. Tongues! good gra
cious, why, that little piece of India rubber belonging to her
would annihilate a dozen Bogerts. He saw that, and as soon
as he could get a word in edgeways he bawled out "Virago." At
this quiet Mr. .Lane felt himself called upon to resent the insult,
and soon the screams and squalls of women and children from
that house which was to have been the abode of peace announced
the outbreak.
I was called upon to suppress the mutiny, and found Bogert
flourishing a large bowie knife, and Mr. Lane prepared to de-

36 A PIONEER VOYAGE
fend himself with a revolver. I succeeded in arranging a truce,
and persuaded the combatants to give me their weapons, but I
could not refrain from cautioning Mrs. Lane to be more circum
spect in future, and telling her that her imprudence might have
caused the death of her husband. As usual, this row was all
about the women. ^
I found In Valparaiso several passenger ships bound to Cali
fornia, and the great number of Americans on shore at one time
seemed to nationalize the town. Yankees did just as they pleased
and the city authorities were powerless to restrain them; but
the great California emigration has been a godsend to this place,
and they can well put up with the Yankee dare-devil spirit for
the sake of the Yankee gold.
Everything in the line of provisions has advanced fifty per
cent. In the staple article of flour California has opened a new
and extensive demand, and hundreds of acres are now in wheat
where last year was nothing but weeds and thistles.
Valparaiso Is a singularly romantic place. A spur from the
Andes shoots out to the coast and ends at the promontory where
stands the lighthouse. The debris from this spur has formed a
narrow strip of low and level ground, where stands the city, or
rather a portion of the city. The residences of the wealthy are
fantastically built on the sides of the hill, the back sides of many
of them standing on piles ten to twenty feet high, looking as
though a slight commotion would set them tumbling down hill,
like a child's village of houses of cards.
There are three sugar loaf cones in the western part of the
town; these are called in sailor's language the fore, main and
mizzen tops; they are all occupied by sailors' boarding houses,
brothels and grog shops.
There are a few streets well laid and of good width, and the
stores and mercantile houses are large, commodious and well
built. There is a very good Hbrary and reading room open
and free to all strangers. The harbour or bay is a crescent, open
to the north.
In the eastern quarter is the Almendral, a delightful drive
and promenade evenings, and is the general resort for all classes.
Here the sparkling black eyes of the signoritas dart their bewitch-

AN INVESTIGATION

37

ing glances through the meshes of their thin gauze headdress,
which, with their graceful demeanor, their superb carriage
and elegant movement, seem to make them appear as ethereal
beings or fairies. The intelligence, deep feeling, fidelity and con
stancy of the Spanish ladies is proverbial, and their descendants
in America have lost nothing of these qualities.
The American Consul, William G. Moorhead, Esq., occupies
the most conspicuous residence in town. It is on the extreme
edge of a plateau, jutting out from the mountain, and looks down
upon the lower town over a precipice three hundred feet high;
here the Stars and Stripes are kept flying from morning till
night, the symbol of power and liberty.
Having waited two days in expectation that the surgeon
would leave of his own accord, and finding he had no intention
of doing so, I requested Mr. Moorhead to make an investigation
into his conduct and advise me how to proceed; his report and
certificate is here annexed. He told the doctor that he had ren
dered himself liable to punishment as a mutineer, and said that
I should be justified either in putting him on shore or in taking
him along in irons. I chose the former course, and the next
morning I sent him the following note: "Sir. Another person
is appointed as surgeon of this ship, and you are required forth
with to vacate the room you now occupy. A boat will be in
readiness at 12 o'clock to convey your baggage to any place you
desire."
An investigation before the United States Consul at Val
paraiso ON THE i6tH of AuGUST, 1849, ^T THE INSTANCE OF
George Coffin, Esq., Master of the Ship "Alhambra,"
IN RELATION TO THE CONDUCT OF Dr. G. B. HaYGARTH, SUR
GEON ON BOARD THE SAID SHIP.
Captain S. Scott, a passenger on the "Alhambra," was called
and duly sworn, who stated that the surgeon. Dr. G. B. Hay-
garth, called the Captain (in his hearing) a double or treble
refined humbug, that he did not understand his business, and
that he would teach him his business. The Captain ordered
him to leave the door of his cabin, before which he was stand
ing, which he refused, when the Captain directed the carpenter

38 A PIONEER VOYAGE
who was near the door to shut it, whereupon the said Dr. Hay-
garth struck a blow with his fist, as I suppose, at the Captain's
face, but as the carpenter warded off the blow by pushing the
door to close it, the blow did not take effect, but grazed the
side of his face. The above occurred some four weeks ago —
thought at the time, and now think, that the conduct of the said
Haygarth was very Improper and insubordinate.
Mr. Samuel Morse, a passenger in the said ship, was called
and sworn, who stated that he occupied a stateroom in the Cap
tain's cabin, was standing near on the outside of the door when
his attention was arrested by a discussion between the Captain
and the surgeon; heard the said Dr. Haygarth say to Captain
Coffin that he was a double refined humbug. The Captain or
dered him to leave his door, which he refused to do. The Cap
tain thereupon directed the carpenter, who was near, to close
the door, and while in the act of so doing the said Haygarth
struck a blow with his fist, evidently at some object within the
room, when he (the declarant) assisted the carpenter in taking
the said Haygarth from the door. On the same day heard the
said Haygarth say to the Captain that he did not understand
his business, that he had sailed longer on board of American
vessels than he, the said Captain, had. The conduct of the said
Haygarth was mutinous and offensive in the highest degree, so
much so that if he, the declarant, had been In command of the
ship he would have placed him in irons. There were some fif
teen of the passengers present at the time of this occurrence.
Mr. O. Ladd, also a passenger in the said ship Alhambra,
was called, and being duly sworn declared: That he heard Dr.
Haygarth say to Captain Coffin that he did not know his duty,
and that he could make him do it. The Captain said, "How will
you do that?" to which the said Haygarth replied, "I know how
and will do it. I have not lived in New Orleans so long without
learning how to make you do it," intimating thereby, as declar
ant understood, that he might resort to foul means to do it;
heard the Captain order him to leave his door, etc., etc. Had no
fault to find with Captain Coffin, found him always ready and
willing to accommodate the passengers. There were some twenty
or more persons present at the time the difficulty occurred be-

THE SURGEON LEAVES

39

tween the Captain and Dr. Haygarth near the door of the Cap
tain's cabin.
Given under my hand and the seal of the Consulate at Val
paraiso this sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-nine.
Wm. G. Moorhead,
Consul U. S. A.
At 11 A. M. — I sent my steward down to see if he had made
any preparation for going; he had not done so, and sent me no
tice that he should not leave the ship except by force. "Very
well, sir, then let it be by force," said I. At 8 bells I directed
the mate to take two seamen and bring his boxes up on deck.
They then dragged him along to the ladder and two more reach
ing down seized him by the collar and drew him up the booby
hatch like a hunted wolf from his lair. When on deck he stretched
himself up in his pomposity (he stood six feet high and was
a very powerful athletic person), and said to me, "Sir, I shall
hold you responsible for this treatment," and he called upon the
passengers to take notice that he did not leave of his own will.
I told him I very well knew that, for he left her at my free
wIU; that I was well advised as to the steps I was taking and
was prepared to take the consequence. I then told the mate
to go on and obey my orders. The doctor saw a whip hanging
from the main yard and concluded he had better go without any
further resistance.
As the boat was leaving the ship the passengers prepared
to give him three cheers, but I requested them not to insult him
in his fallen condition.
This affair has caused me some uneasiness. I knew that he
had no means, and I gave the mate two doubloons to hand to him
when on shore, if he would accept. If he had shown any desire
for reconciliation or had made .the least apology the difficulty
might easily have been settled; but in the situation In which I
was placed I considered it my duty to make an example of the
first case of insubordination.
I was also much relieved by getting rid of rowdy Stebbins
in this place ; he had got into a row with some of the passengers,
at one of the dens of infamy, and thought best to quit, and ex-

40 A PIONEER VOYAGE
changed with Captain N. Newel, a passenger in the brig Canoni
cus. I also discharged my chief steward for incompetency and
waste, and gave the situation to Mr. John Barker, who, with his
wife, was a passenger in the Ocean Queen from Liverpool. And
having replenished my stock of water, provisions and fuel, I left
Valparaiso on the 20th of August, In company with the clipper
ship 5". G. Owens of Baltimore, and the barque Montgomery,
another Baltimore clipper, all bound for the new gold regions.
The Widow Lathrop now came out fresh and new, and resumed
her seat at table at my right hand. She took especial care to
look neat and tidy, and to a stranger might appear a modern
Octavia.

CHAPTER VII,
For some time past I have contemplated the issue of a weekly
magazine on board, as one means of counteracting the effects of
ennui among my large family. I fondly thought that the pro
ject would meet with much favour, but it did not take. At last
I have persuaded Mr. Moss and Doctor Baldwin, the new sur
geon, to stand as editors, and some half a dozen of the pro
fessional portion of the passengers to contribute; but from
their apathy I foresee that the "onus" of the thing will devolve
upon me. WeU, I have already on hand a good supply of mate
rial and shall find amusement in hunting up more.
On Saturday, August 23rd, appeared the first number of "The
Emigrant." It consisted of two sheets of foolscap, closely writ
ten out in full, by Mr. Moss. The editorial debut was from the
pen of the Doctor, and was a very good optening. I had to
furnish one-half the reading matter, and among my contributions
was the following doggerel, suggested by the appearance and
conduct of some of the green ones on board:
Simon Spriggins' Trip to California.

As late at home I sat one night,
Reading alone by candle light.
The Httle Orleannais,*
A story chanced to meet my eyes.
Exciting wonder and surprise.
Of gold in California.
I went to bed and dreamed of gold,
I waked a valiant knight and bold,
Strong nerved with firm bravado.
Says I, I'm off In the first ship.
On an experimental trip.
To glorious "El Dorado."

*Pronounced Orleannia. 41

42 A PIONEER VOYAGE
But then I thought of friends and home.
And all the trials that must come
In rounding Patagonia.
No matter! Gold's the taHsman,
Would lighten all the risk I run
In reaching California.
So off I packed, and In good time
The fine old ship, though passed her prime.
Safe doubled round Cape Frio.
Straight on her course she held her way.
And safe and sound on the next day
She landed me in Rio.
There those rapacious Portuguese,
With tricks of trade they did me fleece.
Scarce leaving me a stiver.
And glad was I once more to find
Our ship at sea with a fair wind.
Which speedily did drive her
Up to that awful tempest-torn.
That blustering, stormy, cold Cape Horn,
When bang! came a sou-wester.
The old ship reeled and rocked about,
I thought she'd tum me inside out.
Good gracious! how I blessed her.
That storm passed by, one pleasant day.
Our ship pursuing stiU her way.
We passed Diego Ramirez.
Once more I grew so brave and bold.
Like Richard Third we read of old.
Myself again I am, I says.
That dreadful stormy Cape is passed.
And steering north we're driving fast.
And straight towards Valparaiso,
Where we propose to stop once more.
And, passing time 'twixt ship and shore.
To spend a jovial day or so.

MORE ADVICE 43
I thought, in knowing how to cheat.
No people on God's earth could beat
Those gentlemen Brazilians;
But now my words I must recall.
For faith, they're nothing after all
Compared with these keen Chilians.
Once more at sea fair winds now blow,
^^'ith flowing sail straight on we go
Directly for the diggin's.
\\'hen once I'm there, with golden ore
I'll fill my saddlebags, as sure
As I am Simon Spriggins.
The first number of "The Emigrant" was well received,
the reading matter was various, to please all tastes, and the
croakers were silenced.
August 28. — The southeast trade wind is blowing steadily,
and the old Alltambra is dashing along with all sail set, num
bering in aU twent)-five. On leaving Valparaiso I shaped
the course so as to pass the Equator in about Long, no de
grees. This is wrong in the opinion of the learned Committee
on Navigation. They have got among them a chart of the Pa
cific Ocean, and they tell those who will listen to them (the
number of whom is small and daily growing less), that I ought
to keep nearer the coast, and cross the Equator near the Gala
pagos Islands. They say that Captain Jones in the Montgom
ery told them he intended to call at those islands and take in
a supply of land terrapin, with which those places abound.
And they had no doubt he would be in San Francisco a fort
night before us, "Nous verrons," ag^in said I.
After dinner I threw overboard an empty zcine bottle con
taining a slip of paper with the following memorandum (my
rh\-ming propensity would not let it go without a squib) :
"Some antiquated sage hath said,
When speaking of the human head.
That wit goes out when wine goes in,
'Twas doubtless so with this black bottle.
For through its dark and narrow throttle
The wine ran out and I've got In.

44 A PIONEER VOYAGE
I am bound on an experimental cruise for the purpose of
ascertaining the set and drift of the current, having taken my
departure from the good ship Alhambra from New Orleans
bound to San Francisco with passengers, Lat. 13° 15' South,
Long. 90° 20' West, August 28, 1849 — ^'1 well on board. Who
ever may pick up this document, is earnestly requested to send
it to Lieut. Maury at Washington, U. S. A.
Geo. Coffin,
Master of Ship Alhambra.''

CHAPTER VIII.
Saturday, Aug. 30. — The second number of "The Emigrant"
appeared promptly this morning. So great was the desire to
get hold of it, that it was voted that one of the passengers should
read it aloud to the rest. They selected Doct. Clark as the
reader; he was just out of a Medical College, a very unassum
ing young man, who, it appears to me, has mistaken his pro
fession. He should be a minister, his modesty would not do for
a doctor. He placed himself on the capstan, and the rest of the
company gathered round, some standing, others seated about on
spare spars, water casks, or whatever else they could find.
The newspaper contained a masterly communication of his
own, in which in a style of the keenest satire and yet in such
language as not to give individual offense, he cut up the gamblers,
and completely demoHshed the "Committee on Navigation."
Among my contributions to this number, is a letter from Simon
Spriggins to his wife, induced by the favor with which Simon's
trip to California was received. One of the ladies on board told
me that that was not original, she had read it before somewhere,
but she could not tell where. As Simon's letter was read, all
hands applauded, and the well read lady confessed that she had
made a mistake. Simon Spriggins' Letter to His Wife.

Oh, Nancy dear, how many a tear.
Since last we parted, have I shed.
I fancy you are crying too,
Oh, dear, we might as weU be dead.
What tempted me to come to sea?
I knew not what I was about.
Alack a day, what shall I say?
Oh, that I'd taken some other route!
45

46 A PIONEER VOYAGE
Confound the trip! in this old ship
My life is never safe a day.
About my ears, to rouse my fears,
Some broken spar is sure to play.
And then these gales, my spirit fails.
To think the sea may be my tomb.
Besides that leak! How can I speak
Of that and not remember home?
Home! dear, sweet home! why did I roam
Away from you and my own Nancy?
To eat, oh grief ! salt pork and beef,
For such coarse food I have no fancy.
I thought not once, I'd be five months
Upon this California trip.
Oh, what a fool, a "tarnal fool,"
To trust myself on this old ship!
If safe on shore, I get once more.
Not all the gold in Feather River
Could me induce, another cruise
Like this to undertake, no, never.
Now, Nancy dear, dry up that tear,
Remember you're my precious diamond.
And I'll prove true to none but you,
I am your faithful, loving Simon.
September ist. — A pleasant day, wind westerly. At daylight
this morning a ship was discovered on our weather beam steer
ing the same course as ourselves. As soon as I had looked at
her with my glass, I pronounced her to be the S. G. Owens.
"Poh!" says one. "That be hanged," says another. "Capt.
Barclay knows better than to take this route," said a third.
"The 5". G. O. is a thousand miles ahead," said the fourth.
When they had all had their say, "Nous verrons," again said I,
"and that right soon too," for I perceived that she was bearing
down for us. She fell Into our wake about a mile astern and
sure enough it was the Susan G. Owens.
For four hours we had a most interesting trial of speed.

A TRIAL OF SPEED 47
The passengers all seemed to forget their ennui and ceased
grumbling. Sometimes the Owens would gain her length or so,
and then when the breeze would reach the Alhambra she would
at once resume her distance ahead, and then a shout would arise
loud enough to frighten the dolphins and startle Old Nep. him
self. Towards noon I perceived them lowering their boat, and laid
by for them to come up. Capt. Barclay and some of his passen
gers paid us a visit and staid to dinner. I could perceive that the
Captain felt mortified. It seemed he had told his passengers in
the morning that he could beat this old tub and spare his top-
gallantsalls ; so he ran down to show them the sport, and they
kept joking him about his mistake.
They remained on board till 4 p. m., by which time their
ship was three miles on our lee quarter, and I was obliged to
stop my ship's headway for them to get on board their own
craft. Three hearty cheers were exchanged and we parted, and
the next morning she was hull down astem and I anticipate a
little to say that I reached San Francisco two days before her,
and had been there ten days when the Montgomery came in.
Sept. 4th. — Pleasant weather, sea as smooth as glass. It Is
a common remark whenever an extravagant story is told, "Oh,
that's a fish story," whatever may have been its origin, it may
be thought applicable to the story I am about to relate. The
dolphin (Coryphaena hippuris) Is the most beautiful of all fishes;
when caught and lying in the sun, the colours of its skin are
changeable violet, green, yellow, blue, orange and red; it is the
marine chameleon. Ye ladies, your most costly silks are not to
be compared with the fish Coryphaena hippuris.
A school of them have been about the ship for several days
past. Yesterday I threw the grains (an instrument with five
barbed prongs) into one of the largest; the instrument tore out
nearly the whole of one side of the fish, which came up adher
ing to the prongs, but it did not reach a vital part, as the other
half of the fish still kept swimming along with the rest of the
school. They were cannibals for occasionally one would come
alongside of the wounded one, and snap off a piece of the raw
body, still the poor thing kept swimming along and kept his

48 A PIONEER VOYAGE
ground with the others. This morning they were still sailing
along beautifully on the quarter and among them the wounded
one. I watched an opportunity and succeeded in transfixing the
other half with the grains, and thus ended his misery. Fish
eats fish, the dolphin is the greatest enemy of the flying fish.
The southeast trade wind grows lighter every day, and is
now very faint. Lat. 2°, 45' So., Long. 108°, 30' West.
Sept. 5th. — I have now reached again the equatorial region.
As in the Atlantic, so here, the revolution of the earth from west
to east causes the great currents of air which flow from the
poles, to acquire a westerly direction within the tropics. As
these trade winds approach the Equator, it becomes a question
which shall prevail, they have each the same driving power be
hind, and cannot retreat. What shall they do? They stand
still, facing orie another, and it Is a dead calm, and then up
they go, they ascend to higher regions, where the earth's revo
lutionary influence Is less, and then they spread to restore the
equilibrium. Well, here I am now within the field of this silent battle of
the winds; sometimes a thundering black cloud will come driv
ing along, darting forth the most Intensely vivid forks of light
ning, and looking as though it was going to blow the Alhambra
out of water, but it is all rain, and rain it is with a vengeance.
For two days past I have experienced a southerly set of current.
Although I have made twenty miles of northing each day by
reckoning, yet my observations place me a few miles south of
my position on the preceding day.
I wonder how it would do to adopt the plan of the Irish
schoolboy, whose teacher took him to task one day for being
late at school. "Now, Maester dear," said he, "dinna be angry,
and I'll tell ye jest all about it. Ye see, sir, the rains have made
the bogs so slippery that I could not come along, for every step
I took ahead I slipt back two." "Arrah now, ye spalpeen," said
the master, "and dinna ye call that a He, if for every step ye took
forard ye slipt back two, it's at hum ye'd be this blessed minlt."
"That's jest what I thought meself, yer honer, and so, ye see, I
turned me back to the schulus and made believe 'twas going hum
I was, and that's the way I cum'd here at all at all." "Away
with ye to yer stool," said the pedagogue.

CHAPTER IX.
Sept. 6th. — The third number of "The Emigrant" appeared
this day with the following editorial and what follows: We
have received and publish another of our friend Simon's effu
sions. We are sorry to perceive that he appears to .be growing
lugubrious, and somewhat given to despair, but we hope the
malady is only temporary and that he will soon be "himself
again." — Editors. Simon Spriggins' Soliloquy.

What's this absorbs my everlasting thought.
And makes me dream so wildly? Can it be
That I have left my comfortable home
In search of golden shadows, but to meet
With cruel disappointment? I can dig
As well as most men. Shovel, pick and hoe,
All these I have, and my stout, stalwart arm
Can wield them on occasion. There's the rub —
Occasion may not offer — false accounts
Of lumps of gold and glittering golden sands
Have made me quit my Nancy but to die
And leave my bones upon the Sacramento.
Would I were back again ! I'd till the soil.
And dig potatoes, or I'd drive a cart.
And earn my gold more slowly but more sure.
Fate ! what a fool thou 'st made of me, but then
A lesson hard I've learned and I'll improve It.
By the first ship I'm off for Panama,
Make tracks across the isthmus, and the first
Ship, brig or schooner up for Panama
Shall take me there once more.
And California to the Devil may go.
49

50 A PIONEER VOYAGE

An Enigma.
I am a word composed of eight letters. My first and second
express a man ; my third, fourth and fifth an animal. Put these
together and I am still a brute of the male species. Now, take
away my first and second and add my sixth and I am again
human, and the name of a Roman hero and philosopher. Then
drop my third and add my seventh and this ancient hero loses
his humanity and dwindles to the minutest particle. Lastly from
this particle drop my fourth and add my eighth and you come
to the last resting place of all flesh. Altogether I am a san
guinary monster. What am I?
12345678
[Answer.— HECATOMB.]
Advertisement. — Wanted a few degrees of north latitude.
Any person being able to furnish them shall be installed an
honorary member of the Committee on Navigation. Apply at
the Surgeon's office.
From this time "The Emigrant" languished for want of sus
tenance. It did not appear on the next Saturday. It made one
more effort on Saturday, Sept. 20th, and then gave up the ghost.
The editorial valedictory had some reference to "casting pearls
before swine," etc. Simon Spriggins was the last to give up,
as may be seen from the following from the last number of the
paper: Editors of "The Emigrant," Gents: I have to thank you
for giving publicity to my lucubrations in your widely circulat
ing and most valuable miscellany. But I am sorry to perceive
from your paper of the 6th, that you have applied to me such
an outlandish term "Lugubrious." What does it mean? I can
not find it in my dictionary. I would be glad to make a rhyme
to it, but I know no word in the English language that will
jingle with it. Yours, Simon Spriggins.
P. S. — Oh, yes, there is one ! So here goes !

A RIDDLE 51
Simon Is Himself Again.

"The Emigrant" calls me "Lugubrious,"
And says I'm given to despair.
But there is something so salubrious
In this cool bracing northern air
That hope elastic spreads her wings,
And stretching forward, thus she sings:
Rouse up, friend Simon! Why so sad?
Your voyage is up, away with fear!
The old Alhambra's not so bad,
And golden California's near.
Your saddle bags shall yet be filled
With Sacramento's glittering ore.
Your doubts and fears shall all be still'd
And trouble come not near you more.
Then back to Nancy you shall go.
Imagine with what rapturous bliss
With circling arms she'll fold you — ^so,
And, gracious heavens, what a kiss!
So soft, so fragrant ! such a wife
Shall make you all your toils forget.
She'll sweeten all your after-life
And you'll be happy Simon yet.
A Riddle.
[From "The Emigrant."]
When Van Amburg's caravan entered Boston, he had a
phaeton drawn by ten horses, and these horses had but twenty-
four legs altogether, and yet they had as many legs as other
horses; how could that be?
This riddle puzzled my passengers every day for a week, the

52 A PIONEER VOYAGE
female portion in particular. I was teased for an explanation
every evening. After a week had passed, and "The Emigrant"
had died out, I was Induced to relieve their anxiety. "Ladies,"
I said, "horses have each two fore legs and two hind legs, con
sequently ten horses have twenty fore and twenty hind legs, and
so the mystery was unfolded."
The northeast trade winds hung so far north, that I was
driven to Long. 138° W., when the trade left me in Lat. 28°
North on the 26th Sept. From that time I had light and vari
able winds mostly from north to northwest.
On breaking into the after-hold to get at a reserve of water,
I was startled to find half of the casks empty. I therefore
thought it proper to put all hands upon allowance, and posted up
the following notice on a bulletin board which was kept at the
front of the cabin throughout the passage, to inform the passen
gers daily of the ship's progress.
"In consequence of the loss of a large portion of our water
and the continued prevalence of head winds, I have thought it
necessary to place a. restriction on the too free use of what water
remains. Three quarts is the daily allowance in the navy, and Is
found to be ample. I propose to serve out three pints to each
Individual reserving three pints In the steward's keeping for
culinary purposes. Passengers will provide themselves with
vessels and attend to the delivery at 4 p. m."
Contrary to my expectations, this proposition was received
with favour, and gave much satisfaction; everybody had water
enough and some did not use their three pints.
I continued to struggle on, tantalized with light head winds
and calms, always keeping the ship on the tack which would
place her head nearest my port, and on the afternoon of the
loth of October the coast range of the mountains of California
came in sight. The night following was calm. At daylight a
breeze set in from southwest.

CHAPTER X.
Saturday, Oct. nth. — I am now standing in for my port, and
I have no chart to guide me. A chart of this coast was not to
be had in New Orleans, and I sent to New York, but there was
none to be had there. Messrs. Blunt had parted with their last,
without taking a lithographic copy. And the charts of Govern
ment, which should have been the result of the famous explor
ing expedition some ten years since, . have not yet been made
available for the navigator. Shame!, eternal shame on the exist
ing Government! Had these charts been a guide to political
distinction of your party, would there have been any delay?
Whig or Tory, you deserve the execration of every American.
I tried at Rio, and at Valparaiso, but the great demand had
swept away the whole. As a last resort I applied on board the
British frigate Inconstant at Valparaiso. They had none to
spare, but the sailing master kindly drew me off a hasty sketch
of the approaches to San Francisco, and .this was all the guide
I had. At 3 p. M., civil time, I got sight of a mountain that forms
the northern boundary of the entrance to. the bay, a fog bank
was coming in from seaward. At 4 p. m, I could discern the
headlands that bound the "Golden Gate" on each side, and plac
ing my best helmsman at the wheel, I stationed myself on the
topgallant forecastle, and shaped my course for Fort point, the
southern boundary. The fog came along, and with it came the
session of the Committee on Navigation. I stood on with con
fidence. About 6 p. M., Cumstock came forward, and servilely saying
he hoped I should not take offense, "but did I not think I was
too far south, it was the opinion of some of the passengers that
the harbour was further north." I told him to go to the devil,
and give my compliments to his associates and tell them to
follow him.
While I was yet blowing him up, I got sight of my landmark
S3

54 A PIONEER VOYAGE
directly ahead half a mile distant. We put the helm slightly
to starboard, the ^ip veered gently to the northeast, and a
rapid flood tide swept the ship in through the "Golden Gate."
Having advanced about one mile and finding good anchorage In
ten fathoms, came to for the night. The passengers gathered
around me with congratulations, and I believe, if I had possessed
a taste for it, I might have received a warm embrace from every
lady on board. Three lusty cheers were given for Capt. Coffin,
and the Committee on Navigation was unanimously voted a
humbug and a nuisance.
The next morning found that we were at the entrance of a
magnificent bay extending to the eastward beyond the horizon
and from three to five miles wide. Saw four or five ships at
anchor in the southeast about five miles, and a number of tents
pitched upon the hills around. A high steep promontory on the
south shore presented a picturesque aspect, on all sides were
distant mountains, the cove of Yerba Buena was hidden by the
promontory. At 8 a. m. hove up the anchor, and kedged the ship up on
the flood tide in a calm. Ship after ship came in sight as we
advanced, opening out by the promontory, until having arrived
abreast of it, the nucleus of the future capital of the Pacific
came fully in view, forming a semicircular cove about one mile
across and half a mile deep, bounded by a high bold headland on
each side, with a cordon of high sand hills clothed with shrubbery
in the background, the front a field of yellow sand studded
with tents and ships' gallies located at random, a small space In
the centre having some little claim to be called regular.
Brought the ship to anchor and moored her in a good berth
and unbent the sails ; and the next day not an individual was left
on board of all the officers and crew, mates, seamen, cooks and
stewards all gone. There was a great rush of hotel keepers and
"restaurateurs" for cooks and waiters. They bid as high as
three hundred dollars a month for my blaick cook, and, as for
Margaret, the poor wench wfis fairly bewildered. She was beset
on all sides, and came to me to know what she should do. I
selected for her a situation in the family of a gentleman from
New England, who was one of the very few that had a family

HIGH PRICES 55
here. He agreed to give her one hundred dollars a month, with
the promise of all his wife's cast-off clothing, if she pleased her.
Many a sheep's eye was cast upon the Widow Lathrop, but
she had woven her meshes around the mate too strong for him
to tear asunder. As I would not consent that he should keep
her on board, he left, took her on board the brig Arabian, sent
for a parson, and had a double-twisted knot tied, which was to
make them one bone and one flesh, till death should cut the
knot asunder.
And now Mrs. Bogert showed herself in her true colours.
Some shoes were found in her possession that had been stolen
from a case in the hold, and to screen herself from the appella
tion of thief, she was obliged to confess to something as bad.
She said one of the sailors gave her the shoes !
Most of the passengers started off for the mines, and in two
days they were all gone, except Doct. Tappe with his wife, fair,
fat and forty, and the little, fat, black, sleek dog; they remained
on board a fortnight.
The first thing that struck me was the extravagant price of
marketing. In this region where cattle were last year slaughtered
for the hide alone, beef was now selling in the market at fifty
cents and pork and mutton seventy-five cents a pound; and here
where vegetables of a quality superior to all anywhere else
gro.wn yield one hundred per cent, more than New England, I
had to buy potatoes at the rate of twenty-five cents per pound ;
butter, cheese and lard one dollar each for one pound ; eggs were
ten dollars a dozen or one dollar for one egg, and yet numerous
restaurants were crowded with customers.
The next thing to notice was its counterpart, the outrageous
price of labour, in the evening of our first day here, one of the
passengers brought on board ten Mexican dollars, which he said
he earned by ten hours labour on shore. I was obHged to pay
$2,500 to discharge my cargo, and the consignees had to pay
seven dollars a ton to lightermen for taking their goods on shore,
a distance of half a mile.
The first time I went on shore, I was like a countryman in
London, completely bewildered. It was the rainy season and
the ground was so soft and so much cut up by the constant

56 A PIONEER VOYAGE
stream of trucks and carts, that it was impossible to get along
without sinking up to the knees. I perceived that those who had
been there long enough to get used to it, went dashing along
in a pair of boots that reached up to the thighs, neither look
ing to the right or left, and seeming to think that the dirtier they
were, the more genteel they would appear.
Every by-place and many places in the streets were strewn
with cast-off underclothing, for a fresh supply of shirts, etc.,
could be bought for less than the cost of washing. At this
time merchandise was -lying all about in the mud for want of
warehouses. In the pxlncipal thoroughfare the sidewalk was
composed of boxes of tobacco, and barrels of rice and beans,
and I saw. piles of chests of tea and bags of coffee exposed to
the weather. In passing along through the streets I hit my
boot against something sharp, I scraped away the mud and found
a bundle of mill saws, which the owner could not spare time to
take care of or else he could not be found; and this is the case
with a very large portion of the goods brought to this anomalous
place. Bills of lading provided that goods that are not called
for in thirty days, may be sold at auction by order of shipmaster
or consignees. The rainy season had found the market unstocked with boots
and oiled clothing. I heard that the trader whose boots held
out last, sold them at six ounces ($96) a pair. I sold a pair of
short ones for $50. I had also a number of suits of waterproof
clothing that cost me in Liverpool 7/6 per suit. I took them on
shore one rainy day to a clothing store, the clothier took them at
$20 a suit, and before I left the store he resold them all at
double that price, and I believe if I had taken them round ped
dling, I might have rea;lized $50 for each suit, for money ap
peared to be of no value.
The first Sunday in San Francisco, I attended Divine Services
in the forenoon. The chapel was a rough boarded frame, with
benches, which were well filled with a heterogeneous congrega
tion of the pioneers, red shirts and hickory shirts, without coat
or waistcoat, red and unwashed faces, hair uncombed and stand
ing out all ways like the quiUs of a porcupine. I saw only one
bonnet in the chapel. Many of these rough-looking parishioners

SAN FRANCISCO 57
were men of intelligence and respectability. It was a very in
teresting service.
In returning to my- ship, I passed down one of the few
streets then laid out, by a finished house, with a flower garden
in front, painted straw colour with green blinds; a piazza ran
along the front, under the piazza stood two fashionably dressed
ladies and a gentleman in earnest conversation. I had passed on
about two rods, when I heard a violent altercation between them.
I looked back and the ladies were transformed to she-devils
incarnate; the man was just coming out of the gate, and the
women were in a great rage, swearing at him in a manner too
vulgar and obscene for me to repeat here. The most genteel
looking house in San Francisco was a brothel.
In the afternoon I went strolling about to see the wonders
of the place. The eastern portion of the cove was a sandy level.
Squatters had pitched their tents here, and had given it the name
of Happy Valley.
As I was standing there gazing about, I heard some con
versation going on in one of the tents, referring to Newbury
port. I pulled aside the screen, and out sprang a red face with
a bald scalp. He seized me by both hands, bawling out, "Why,
Capt. Coffin, is that you? Where upon earth did you come
from? How do you do!" He was Capt. John Bradbury, who
with a party of Northenders was living here in one of the old
artillery tents.
There were a number of other parties from Newburyport
living here. They held on to their lots, and when the city began
to stretch its streets in this direction, this spot was designated
as Newburyport avenue, and a mournful avenue it has proved
to some families in that city. Here the cholera and dysentery
raged with the greatest virulence, and it was here that Messrs.
Carr, WUliams, Tappan and young Thurlo, breathed their last.
The water came up to this spot at this time, but before I left
California four streets built upon piles were run across the
cove In front and some of the largest commission houses located
there.

CHAPTER XI.
After Mr. Higgins and Mrs. Lathrop had entered into part
nership and agreed to jog on cozily together, they rented a smaU
tenement, and she set up a millinery with some goods brought
out in the ship. To do his part, he obtained a loan from Mr.
Moss, and bought a horse and cart, and entered the list as a
drayman. But about ten days after they had become one flesh
and one blood, there was a flare-up, and the knot suddenly
snapped asunder. Higgins went home one evening from his-
day's labour, fondly Imagining that a hard day's work was to be
rewarded by the smiles and caresses of his angelic wife. He
hastened to bind his Roslnante and provide his supper of straw,
and then hastened to the enjoyment of his own evening meal,
but a cruel disappointment awaited him. He found his home
deserted and no supper cooked. He waited patiently some time,
supposing that his wife, faithful partner of his joys and sorrows,
had been summoned to attend some wealthy customer whom it
would not do to neglect. Eight o'clock came but no wife, so he
set to work, made a dish of tea, and fried his own pork, and
"solus" ate his supper, all the time dwelling upon a quotation
from Addison's "Spectator" which he had heard me read. It
was on a well-appointed marriage.
"Perpetual harmony their bed attend.
And Venus still the well-match'd pair befriend.
May she, when time has sunk him into years.
Love her old man, and cherish his white hairs.
Nor he perceive her charms thro' age decay.
But think each happy sun his bridal day."
Eight, nine, ten o'clock. He became uneasy and started out
in search of the Angel. Fortune directed his steps to a low-
resort nearby, and there he found Mrs. Higgins, dear Mrs.
Higgins, sweet Mrs. Higgins, faithful Mrs. Higgins, waltzing
with a well known debauchee who has a wife and family not a
58

A DIVORCE 59
hundred miles from Newburyport. He took her home, more
lovely for her confusion, and once there he seized his cartwhip
and laid it on, without being at all particular as to location; he
set her to dancing the Polka to a new accompaniment, and every
time she stopped, whack went the lash, and hop, skip and scream
went Mrs. Higgins, until they had between them raised the whole
select neighborhood.
The next morning she complained to the Alcalde. Higgins
was summoned to court to answer. But what would his plea
avail against a woman's testimony in California in those days,
when lawyers, sheriffs and judges were all corrupt alike? One
glance of the voluptuous widow's eye was of more force than
a marriage contract, and a petticoat could carry the day against
all the breeches in California. Judge Terry made a decree an
nulling the marriage, gave her all the money and property there
was between them, and made him pay the costs of court, and
the sheriff seized his horse and cart. He came on board the
Alhambra to work as a day labourer to assist the stevedore in
discharging the cargo, when he gave me a full account of his
troubles, sorry enough that he had not taken my advice.
I had a very troublesome time and task in getting clear of
my cargo, on account of the great number of consignees, many
of whom could not be found. The freight bills were paid in
advance at New Orleans. I had nothing to do with the goods
when once delivered into the lighters. The lightermen finding
no one at hand to receive them, would leave them there in the
mud, time being too valuable to them to waste it in hunting up
consignees. Many things were lost and ruined in this way, and
the owners, thinking they had a claim upon the ship, would sue,
and I was obliged to employ a lawyer, and dance attendance at
court myself to save the ship from loss.
During the winter, we had frequent gales of wind and storms
from southeast, which had a reach of twenty-five miles down
San Jose Bay, which on a flood tide raised a very heavy sea, and
caused much damage, by ships driving from their moorings and
coming in contact with other ships. During one of these gales
of unusual violence and duration, the ship Canada of Nantucket
drove down foul of the Alhambra and I was obliged to lash her

6o A PIONEER VOYAGE
alongside, and there we lay side by side, pitching bowsprit to
the water for two days and one night The night was pitch dark
and it rained as it knows how to rain nowhere else but in Cali
fornia, and on the flood tide an English ship came driving up
against the force of the tempest, and brought up across our
stems, her starboard bow under my larboard quarter, and her
starboard quarter against the stem of the Canada. Her bows
and quarter were both stove in, and in a short time longer she
would have gone to the bottom, but the tide tumed, and she
drifted off, and having no moorings she brought up athwart the
bows of the ship Xylon; the X. rose with a high sharp sea, and
came down upon John Bull amidships, and the second time she
mounted her, crushed her, and down she went in ten fathoms.
Finished discharging cargo on the 27th day of December, and
on the 30th of Januan,-. 1850. I sold the old ship to the Pacific
Steamship Company for $13,500, having previously sold all the
stoves and furniture, boats and cooking apparatus.

CHAPTER XII.
Being now at liberty, I began to look about and to ponder
upon what I should go about to acquire a share of fortune's
favours. I saw others speculating in merchandise and realizing
a profit of 50 per cent, in one hour; others buying lots and sell
ing again the next day, and making a comfortable fortune in a
week. But I had not the courage or rather recklessness to enter
that field ; and as to going to the mines, I had no taste for that.
I elected to go into the lightering business as the most certain,
if not the most genteel. I first bought a scow of twenty tons
capacity, for which I paid $1,300, an extravagant price, but she
cleared herself in ten days. I then bought another for $1,100,
and afterwards a smaller one for $700. I had thus upwards of
$3,000 invested in lighters, besides small boats, lines, etc., costing
$500 more, this property, thus costing me $3,600, would not have
been worth $1,000 in Boston; but when I state that I had sold
the old ship's long boat for $1,000, some idea may be formed of
the strange state of things here. As an instance of the profit of
lightering, I have to say that one calm morning I started alone
in one of my lighters, went alongside a brig from Pernambueo,
the brig's crew loaded her with coffee, with which I returned
to the landing before breakfast and eamed $60 by the trip. Had
I confined myself to this business I should probably have done
well enough ; but, like everybody else, I was not satisfied ; I
grasped for more, with what luck will appear In this narrative
in due time.
Having leamed that small craft engaged In the river freight
ing business were realizing enormous freights, $150 a ton to
Marysville, I dove headlong into that business, too. I bought
a ship's launch for $600 and put her in the hands of a boat builder
to lengthen and deck over. His bill and the expense of rigging
made her stand me in $2,600. She was a sloop and I named her
Sophronia. At this time San Francisco was thronged with gambling
61

62 A PIONEER VOYAGE
saloons ; these establishments were fitted up In a style of gorgeous
glitter to attract the unwary, the waUs were hung with the most
voluptuous pictures, bands of music were stationed in a small
gallery, and a bar of tempting decanters occupied the whole of
one side. The games were generally "monte" and some of these
saloons had ten or twelve tables set out with doubloons, eagles
and gold dust. Many of them had as a presiding genius a beauti
ful young girl — of course, a courtesan. It was astounding to see
how crowded they were.
At the "El Dorado" the jam was at times absolutely impene
trable. The crowd was composed chiefly of miners, who had
been compelled to cease work in consequence of the rise of the
river, and to see how they risked and parted with their gold dust,
and how little concern it appeared to give them, opened to me a
new leaf in the book of human nature. Persons who had toiled
across the continent in misery and suffering indescribable, and
had, after six months' travel, at length reached the gold region,
and dug a pile of the glittering yellow ruin, were unable to resist
the temptation. Blame them, my children, but be thankful such
has not been your fate. These were the victims of those detest
able gamblers. I heard many a one, after losing all he had, say,
with perfect unconcern, "No matter ; I left my tools in the hole,
and I'll get plenty more when the water falls." It seems that it
was a rule among the miners to respect each other's claims, and
if a miner went away and left his pickaxe In his hole, no one
else dare meddle with his right.
I have here to record an instance of legal justice in California.
I sold from the Alhambra a lot of crockery ware and mattresses
to a young man who was one of my passengers, of whom I had
formed a favorable opinion, and who set up an eating and lodg
ing house. As he did not pay me according to promise, and I
had reason to believe that he was about to clear out without pay
ing, I sued him.
The trial came on before the Alcalde's court. I had witnesses
to prove the delivery of the goods and the price agreed upon.
After hearing these witnesses, the Judge put me and the defend
ant upon the stand, and after I had told my story, he asked the
defendant what he thought he ought to pay. Now, my bUl was

JUSTICE 63
for $480, and the defendant valued the goods at $130. The com
promising Justice (there was no jury) added the sums together
and gave me a verdict for one-half the amount, thus :
Amount of my account  $480.00
Defendant's valuation  130.00

$610.00
2|$6lO.OO $305.00
For this amount, $305, an execution was issued, and six
months afterwards the Sheriff came to me with a bill of costs for
$60; he said the defendant had absconded, and he could not find
property of his, and I must pay the costs, so that the account
stands thus: My bill, $480.00; my lawyer's fee, $50; costs of
court, $60; amounting to a dead loss of $590. So much for
justice In California in 1849.
Here, also, is an instance of swindling in this place: About
the last of January, 1850, a party of three started a large auction
establishment. They mounted a sign as large as my sloop, and
threatened by their style of opening to clear the field of all the
other auctioneers then existing. They had been under way about
a week when they advertised a sale as long as the maintopbow-
line. I thought it a good opportunity to dispose of some articles
which I had on hand, and I put in twenty-five thousand segars,
two barometers, six spyglasses, and a number of articles left of
the Alhambra's stores. The auction went off in fine style, bread,
cold ham, tongue, punch, etc., was profusely provided, and every
body was in fine spirits. My things brought satisfactory prices,
and I went to my soHtary bunk that night quite relieved. Set
tling day (two days afterwards) I caUed for my account and
found the store closed, the monstrous sign had disappeared,
Besse & Co. had "absquatulated," and that was the end of that
adventure. To give an instance of vicissitudes in this anomalous place, I
will cite the case of Finley, Johnson & Co. When I arrived here,
this house stood foremost of all the mercantile establishments

64 A PIONEER VOYAGE'
in San Francisco. They started early, bought lots which cost
$20,000, and very soon afterwards sold out for $300,000. They
continued about eighteen months, when they failed, lost all, the
creditors got little or nothing. The head of the house returned
to Baltimore broken-hearted, and died soon after.
When I arrived in San Francisco, a gentleman by the name of
Ward, from New York, where he was respectably connected,
stood in the front rank among the merchants of the city. He also
became mad with excitement in consequence of the success of his
early speculations and extended his operations beyond what pru
dence and reason dictated — ^but prudence and reason were obso
lete words in the vocabulary of California — things began to go
wrong with him, he could not meet his engagements, and bor
rowed money at ten per cent, per month, till at last, hard pressed,
he agreed to pay one per cent, a day for a loan for thirty days.
On the morning that the note became due, the report of a pistol
was heard in his room, and he was found In bed with a dis
charged pistol lying by his ear, and his left eye and forehead
blown out. The day before was Sunday, and he had officiated at
the sacrament at the Presbyterian church.
A Mr. Howison, from Philadelphia, with $50,000 at com
mand, bought a water lot, and placed a store ship upon it. His
success was great at first, and he went on and built a pier from
the ship to the foot of Sacramento street, and erected ware
houses at a great outlay, hiring money at the usual rate, which
was ten per cent, a month. A reverse overtook him, business
took a start in another direction, his rents fell off, his bankers
pressed, he could not pay up, they seized his property, he lost all,
became dispirited, took to drink, and died alone in one of the
stores he had so lately built in the fuU expectation of soon be
coming a miUionaire.
The world will never know the distresses of this place, where
all is bustle and hurry, and nobody feels any interest in the
affairs of another. Many a poor mortal breathes his last alone,
without a friend to smooth his pillow or convey his last message
to his friends, who wiU never know when, how or in what place
he ceased to struggle with his fate. All they will ever know will
be that at such a time his correspondence ceased.

CHAPTER XIII.
A few days after I arrived, as I was strolling along Mont
gomery street, carefully picking my way through the bogs, I
was accosted by a person calling me by name ; he was dashing
along through the mud in boots that reached to his thighs, cor
duroy trousers, a fustian coat, hickory shirt, and a Mexican
sombrero, and looked like a dismounted hussar. He was Mr.
Bard Plummer, from Newburyport. He Invited me down to his
store. I found him engaged in the grocery business with two
young men from Boston, under the style of Plummer, Kieth &
Co. They had been established about seven months and had been
very successful.
Their store was a rough-boarded frame building about fifteen
by twenty-five feet, situated in a mud puddle near the foot of
Sacramento street. In one comer of the building, a space eight
feet by ten, was partitioned off with rough lumber; in it were
three bunks or shelves. This was their lodging and counting
room. For this miserable apology for a store they were paying
a rent of $i,ooo a month, and this always in advance, which, at
ten per cent, per month for money, makes a grand total of $25,-
000 per year.
Opposite to their store was a sheet Iron store, twenty-five by
forty feet, two stories high. Messrs. Everett & Co. had rented
this for $60,000 per year. They had fitted up the second story
into small counting rooms, which they rented to others, and the
lower floor was let to the CoUector of the Customs for a bonded
warehouse, and their receipts were $10,000 per month. I paid
$100 a month for desk room.
Having got my sloop ready for loading, I placed my lighters
in charge of Capt. P. Thurlo, of Newburyport, a young man
whom I had partially brought up at sea, and In whom I had
confidence. I made arrangements for a trip to Marysville, and I
thought if the traders in that place could make money, after
paying such enormous freights. In addition to their store ex
penses, I could do best by taking up a load on my own account.
66

66 A PIONEER VOYAGE
I took in a cargo of such goods as were suited to the miners'
wants, and a deckload of boards. My invoice amounted to about
$2,500. I procured one lad who had been with me in the Ocean
Queen; he was to act as mate, cook and all hands. I got ready to
start on the 27th of March, and, having written to my wife an
account of my proceedings and advised her of the compliment
of the name of my sloop, I left my letter in the post-office to go
by the next mail. Behold me now master and owner of a sloop
and her cargo.
I imprudently started at midday. I should have taken the
morning, so as to have got across the bay before the daily nor'-
wester set in, which is almost as regular as the sunrise from
March to October. It commences at about 9 a. m. and blows
with great fury till about sunset, rushing down the back hills and
through the gullies, carrying along clouds of dust, which fills
all the stores and houses, and even penetrates their trunks and
drawers. The wind and dust in summer, and the rain and mud
in winter, make San Francisco a pandemonium.
On getting out from under the lee of the high land, and into
the current, the sloop began to pitch and jump Hke a wild colt
under a Mexican horse-breaker. I had as much as I could do
to steer her, standing in the cuddy hatch, and holding the tiller
in one hand, and the main sheet in the other, while my assistant
was busy in securing things about the deck. A violent pitch and
jerk snapped off the towline of the small boat astern, and she
went dancing away to leeward as lively as an tgg sheU. Here
was a "pretty kittle of fish." The sea was so rough, high and
short that it was dangerous to wear the sloop round till I could
get under the lee of Angel Island, about two miles distant. After
an hour's work, we succeeded in getting her astern again, and
steered for Pablo Straits, a narrow passage leading from San
Francisco Bay to Pablo Bay.
Towards night the wind died away, and, it being ebb tide, I
anchored about seven miles from the city. On going below I
found six inches of water in the cabin. Here was another "pretty
kittle of fish." I set the boy at work pumping while I balled
away from the cabin, and at about 10 p. m. we succeeded In free
ing the craft of water.

A ROUGH TRIP 67
We then turned to, fried some pork and potatoes in one of the
Portland patent compact miner's stoves, which are of about as
much use to a miner as a surplice would be to a sailor (a miner
wants nothing but a frying pan and a tin pot), made a cup of tea,
got supper and turned In, or, rather, tumed on, for my bed-place
was a shelf so narrow and so close to the deck that when once
there I could not turn over; if I wished to "tack ship" I was
obliged to back out and get in afresh t'other side to.
It came on to rain during the night in true California fashion,
and, my ear being within six inches of the deck, the pattering
of the raindrops sounded like a hundred Indians beating their
tomtoms. I could not sleep, and my busy fancy ran over my
strange career. From the command of one of the largest freight
ing ships, now starting on a voyage of uncertain fortune, in a
small sloop boat, with only one boy for my helpmate and com
panion ; a wild adventure, but hope makes all my privations light,
as Simon Spriggins says.
At 4 A. M. I turned out, called all hands and got under way.
John fried some salt pork, and at early daylight we sat down
to our homely breakfjist, picnic fashion. I enjoyed it much;
a good appetite kept the dirt out of sight and made the coffee
palatable, which at any other time would have seemed like
sweetened dishwater, seasoned with tobacco.
At 6 A. M. we passed two small islands on the starboard hand,
called the Brothers, and two others, similar, on the other side,
called the Sisters. The passage between the Brothers and Sisters
is about one mile wide, and this passage connects San Francisco
Bay with Pablo Bay. A peninsula stretched out from the coast
range of mountains, about thirty miles, and from two to five
miles in breadth, separating the two bays, and the Brothers He
close to its western extremity. Having passed the straits, the
course turns at a right angle to the eastward, and the distance
across Pablo Bay is about twelve miles.
On the north side of this bay, or Inland lake, are several
small streams, running up a few miles into the most fertile dis
trict of California. Sonoma, said to be a most delightful village,
is situated on one of these streams. This village sends apples,

68 A PIONEER VOYAGE
pears, peaches, grapes, etc., when in season, to San Francisco,
where they are sold at prices that seem almost fabulous.
Having crossed Pablo Bay, I came to the Straits of Car-
qulnez (the passage leading to Suisun Bay, about two miles
wide). The town of Benicia stands on the north side of these
straits. As the tide was running out strong, I kept close in to
Benicia ; for some time the sloop did not make any headway, nor
did she drop astern. I put a paddle out to sound, and found she
was fast in the mud. I ran out an anchor and tried to heave her
off, but it was no go; the tide ebbed away and left us high and
dry in the mud, which was so soft and yet so stiff that I could
neither wade through it nor force the boat over it.
So there I was obliged to remain all day, abreast of the
town, and only fifty feet from the bank ; but I had a good oppor
tunity to view the place and its vicinity, and, in my opinion, it
is decidedly preferable to San Francisco for a seaport. The
ground rises in a gradual ascent from the bank, which is so bold
that a ship can lie alongside of it and discharge over a stage.
Vessels of the greatest draft can pass Pablo Bay without diffi
culty, and the Government is about to construct a navy yard
here. There is never any sea, for the peninsula before spoken
of lies between this place and the Bay of San Francisco and
serves to temper the westerly gales which are so annoying there.
If the proprietors of the grounds here had been wide awake
at the commencement of the California race, they might have
given their town the start, which would have secured the Im
mense trade of the country ; but the day was lost, and San Fran
cisco, with all its annoyance from dust, mud and Its daily hurri
canes, was allowed to get under such headway as must always
secure to it the advantage of the chief entreport and seaport.
Opposite to Benicia Is a small town, nestled in a lovely valley
backed by hills which at this distance (three miles) looks charm
ingly picturesque. It is called by the pretty name of Martinez
(Martenay). After passing Benicia, the shores again diverge,
and we enter Suisun Bay, a sheet of water fifteen miles in
extent, with numerous marshy islands and mud banks. The
lands around this bay are all high, and in the eastern quarter
Mont Diablo, or Devil's Mountain (the highest peak of the coast

SACRAMENTO RIVER 69
range), overtops all between, itself a mole hill to the Sierra
Nevada, rising in awful snowy sublimity beyond.
After crossing this lake, I came to a narrow opening through
marshy ground, and this opening is the outlet of both the Sacra
mento and San Joachim rivers. Advancing through this opening
about two miles, we find the latter river coming short round a
marshy point from the southeast, while to the northeast extends
a sheet of water four or five miles in extent, having in it a num
ber of small reedy islands, the passages between them all leading
to the Sacramento. At this opening on the right, there is a
space of two or three miles of even and apparently
good ground, and here I found three buildings and four old,
condemned ships hauled up alongside the bank. This spot
was dignified by the name of New York of the Pacific. I believe
there is a Boston of the Pacific somewhere here. I perceived a
house standing alone in its glory away on the opposite bank;
that may be Boston. There is no possible reason why a New
York or a Boston should ever be built up here.
I steered away to the northeast, foUowing some boats that
I knew were bound to Sacramento, and after about ten miles of
circuitous sailing among marshy islands, I came to elevated
grounds, covered with large trees, and here commences the
Sacramento River; all below this to Suisun Bay is a basin of
"tule" marshes. Looking away to the southeast I can see the
sail of a number of small craft bound up the other river to
Stockton. The Sacramento at its mouth is about a quarter of a mile
wide, but, having advanced about two miles, it narrows to
five or six rods, and here begin the trials and troubles of river
navigation. Both banks are so overgrown with huge oak and
sycamore trees, with an impervious screen of underbrush, that it
is impossible for the wind to find its way through, and there we
lay, entirely becalmed, while the tops of the trees are dancing
merrily in a stiff breeze, and we have now invaded the region
of mosquitoes, and they are very large, savage and bloodthirsty.
The current is running down at the rate of three or four miles
an hour, not a breath of wind, and the thermometer above 100
degrees.

70 A PIONEER VOYAGE
The only way to advance is to warp and tie. I run the sloop
alongside of the bank, tie her to a bush, then send the boy ahead
with a long line, which he makes fast to a tree and brings the
other end back on board, and then he hauls away forward while
I stand off to assist and coil down the line, steering the boat
with the tiller between my knees. Having dragged the craft up
the length of the Hne, we tie her to a bush again,
while John runs the line ahead again; and so on,
warp and tie, warp and tie, and in this way it is a good
day's work to gain three miles, for nearly half the time the warp
line gets foul of some snag or root on bottom, and it has to be
slipped and run out again. Gracious heavens! I exclaim, and is
this the way I have got to work up to Marysville? One hundred
and fifty miles of this sort of navigation! I have undertaken
a pretty sort of a job, to be sure! "No matter; gold's the talis
man," as Simon Spriggins says, "will lighten all my labors."

CHAPTER XIV.
April 2. — Warp and tie, warp and tie, warp and tie! Sun
shining down in a blaze of fury, with not a cloud to screen his
scorching rays; thermometer no degrees, not a breath to cool
our frizzling livers — and mosquitoes! oh, my conscience!
We started at daylight this morning, and in order to lose no
time in cooking, I took the Portland patent miner's cook stove
aft, so that I could attend to getting breakfast while the boy
was busy running out the line and working ahead.
The branches of the trees extend out over the river in some
places forty or fifty feet and it requires much caution to keep
the sloop mast clear of them. As we had just passed one of the
largest of these scraggy branches and I had given the sloop a
sheer in again, the warp line gave way and down stream came
the sloop broadside to the current; the masthead caught in the
branch and laid her down upon her side. I seized the tiller and
overboard went P. P. M. cook stove, breakfast and all. Oh,
delightful! The masthead held fast till the inclination gave it
a chance to spring clear, when up she came again, right side up,
so suddenly that John, who stood looking up at the ominous
branch in great trepidation, lost his balance and made a backward
somersault into the river, to look for his P. P. M. cooking stove.
Down stream went the sloop, and before we could stop her
she had drifted some rods below where we started from this
morning. Labour and breakfast lost and cook stove gone to the
bottom of the Sacramento, there to remain a memento of the
voyage of the Sophronia. We had a frypan and coffee pot left,
and went on shore, made a fire, fried some ham and eggs, and
never did I relish ham and eggs so well before.
There is a cut-off, or slough, In this river, which saves ten
or twelve miles, but, being a stranger, I missed it, and took the
main river, and, after tolling a week, I reached the upper junc
tion. Here the slough enters the river at an acute angle, the river
half a mile wide and the slough about thirty yards; directly at
71

72 A PIONEER VOYAGE
the junction there is a little knoll or islet, with half a dozen great
sycamores on it.
Against this knoll were two large schooners, crowded in
among the branches by a six-knot current, and just as I was
passing there a third schooner was emerging from the slough.
She had no sooner run her stem out into the river's current than
she flew round like the fan of a windmill and drove down foul
of the other two, and jibbooms and mainbooms snapped off Hke
joss sticks, and gafftopsail and staysails became pennants.
The river being wider here, I had the advantage of a light
breeze, and at night had gained the enormous amount of twelve
miles. On the 12th of April I reached the city of Sacramento,
after fifteen days' labour and boiling and roasting.
About three miles below the city is a ranch or clearing, and
here a German by the unmerciful and unmusical name of Schwartz
had squatted to raise vegetables for the city market. He told me
that last year his receipts were $25,000. Ten thousand dollars
of the sum was for watermelons alone. I gave him $2 for one
about as large as my head, which he said was "too mush sheepe."
I have omitted to mention that In February last I came up
to this place in a steamer, during the overflow. At that time the
whole city was submerged to the depth of from four to ten feet.
It was a curious sight; the whole of the low country was inun
dated and a vast sea of fresh water extended from the Sierra
Nevada to the coast range, and the river was only distinguish
able by the lines of trees along its banks. Thousands of cattle
were standing about in the fields in water up to their bodies,
awaiting the lingering death that nothing but a speedy sub
sidence could avert. The houses, stores and tents of the city
appeared to be afloat, the inhabitants gazing out of their upper
windows upon a waste of waters, and moving from place to place
on rafts or skiffs made of rough boards nailed together for the
present purpose. All business was suspended except gambling.
That, fire will not burn nor water quench. I saw a party In a
large scow, tied to a tree, surrounding a "monte" table, and at
San Francisco a gambling saloon was kept open during one of
the large fires and the games were kept up tiU the fire reached

WARP AND TIE 73
the building, when, between the smoke and the water from the
engines, they were obliged to cut and run.
At this time the levee Is two or five feet out of water, but
large pools of stagnant water are to be seen in various parts of
the city. Here is now a busy scene. The principal streets are so
blocked up with teams that I do not see how they are to be
extricated without breaking up some of them to make room for
the rest. The horrid jargon of the teamsters, nine out of ten of
them from the Western States, the clang of the auctioneers'
gongs and triangles, the noise and confusion of the crowded
levee, and the infernal din of those splendid, those gorgeous
gambling hells — it aU outbabels Babel.
I took on board here a green Yankee boy to assist in the game
of warp and tie, and started again on my wearisome voyage.
There was a light breeze blowing up the river, but, although we
were sailing along at the rate of five miles an hour, still I could
not leave the city behind; it seemed to be following me up the
river. At length, after advancing about five miles, I reached a
sharp bend in the river, and, warping round the point, I lost
sight of Sacramento. I had been sailing through a most abom
inable stench, for there are several kraals or pounds for keeping
cattle to slaughter. They are butchered on the banks of the
river, and the hides and offal are left there to putrefy in the hot
sun, and the stink Is almost unsupportable.
After tuming the point, I came to a clearing where there
was a small house half boarded, and some men at work in a field,
and, seeing some cows feeding, I went on shore to see if I could
get some milk. I found the party was from Massachusetts, one
of them a Dr. Kittredge from Andover. They had been to the
mines, and, not being successful, they had returned and taken
up this "ranch" to raise vegetables for the market, a far more
certain way of getting gold than seeking for it among the
streams and rocks above. I expected to be courteously received,
but in this country courtesy seems to have given place to the
all-absorbing idea of getting gold. I asked if I could get some
milk and was crustily answered. No.
I left the doctor and his associates and pushed on up the
river, and about two miles further on I came to another clearing.

74 A PIONEER VOYAGE
where was a log hovel and a number of pigs and children lying
promiscuously around the door. A pole was stuck up on the
river's bank, from which was suspended an old rag having
painted on it the word "Meeluk." What upon earth is meeluk?
said I. John thought it meant milk. I stepped out, and, thread
ing my way among pigs and young ones, I entered the hovel
and found there no one but an Irish woman. I asked her if she
had milk to sell. "Who bees ye?" says she. I told her I was a
weary voyager, etc. "Oh, yees, to be sure," she replied, "I'se got
meeluk, for sich as ye be, but ye see as how I thought ye been
one of them infarnal divils of meeluk pedlars what comes here
fer to buy my meeluk, that is as good as any other woman's
meeluk, but the varmints, they mixes chark and water into it,
and takes it down to the city yonder, and sells it for Judy Mc-
Farragan's meeluk, and they shall have no more of it, for I
vallys my repitation as well as they does." I gave her a dollar
for two quarts, and that evening I had a luxurious supper of
bread and milk, and this much I can say, that, whether it was
Judy's milk or her cow's, it was pure milk.
After four days more of warping I came to a point in the
river. Turning this, I found a fine sheet of water one mile
broad and three miles long. The trees grew thinner and a
gentle breeze was allowed to fill my sails, and I was favoured
with a respite from this tedious warping business. Having sailed
through this basin, I came to the junction of the Sacramento
and Feather rivers.
Here are two "Cities" standing on opposite sides of the basin,
and looking at each other in a spirit of rivalry and defiance. They
are called Vernon and Fremont. In the hurry to build cities
these two ranches started in the race together, the proprietors
not doubting that the location would soon make another St. Louis
of one of them. But they have reached the acme of their career,
and there they stand, monuments of the folly of speculators.
Vernon (Jehu! what a name! Why, there is nothing green
within fifty miles of it!) consists of three hotels, two or three
canvas shops and some half a dozen huts and hovels and a great
pile of lumber. Fremont, a name complimentary to the Colonel,
had six hotels, about a dozen other buUdings, and also a great

TWO CITIES 75
pile of lumber, and can also boast of her shipping, for the old
barque Rio Grande lies here condemned. Every cluster of hovels
or tents in California is called a city.
It being sunset, I rounded my sloop to, tied her to a tree
growing in the river, threw myself on deck and slept gloriously
till daylight. This is one of the few comforts of California.
People stretch themselves at the roots of trees and sleep soundly.

CHAPTER XV.
April 20th. — Up and at it at daylight. Here the Feather
River branches off to the right, and up this river lay my route.
There was a fine breeze blowing up the reach, and I went on
swimmingly for four or five miles, when I reached another short
bend in the river, and, having turned the point, I lost my wind,
which could not find a chink among the trees large enough to
send me a cupful. Then it was warp and tie again for ten miles
further. In this operation I find the boy I took on board at
Sacramento very useful.
I then came to another city, called NIcolaus. This was a
ranch belonging to a Dutchman of that name who found his way
here some ten or twelve years since, and here he squatted among
Indians, hunting wild cattle and slaughtering them for the hides,
which he sold to ships from Boston engaged in the Northwest
coast trade. Some speculators persuaded him to lay out his
ranch in building lots, worming themselves into his good graces
by complimenting him in the name of the paper city. They went
to Sacramento and San Francisco and found fools enough to
invest here at $i,ooo a lot, feathered their own nests and "ab
squatulated." Now poor NIcolaus is in a fair way to lose all in
feeing lawyers in contesting the titles of the victims who had
bought and paid their money to the scheming speculators.
Among these victims was one by the name of Everard. He
came to California as steward of the first of Rowland and Aspin-
wall's steamers. On landing at San Francisco he opened a res
taurant, in Portsmouth Square. His success was astonishing.
He told me that his profits from that small establishment were
$i,ooo a week. Restaurants soon became common, and he was
induced to invest in this new "city." He said he spent $20,000
and would now be glad to sell out for one-quarter of that sum.
At this place I found Dr. Tappe, with his wife, fair, fat and
forty, and the little, fat, black and sleek dog. The doctor had
tried his fortune at Stockton and In Sacramento. At the latter
76

DR. TAPPE 77
place he had been hunted out by the NIcolaus speculators and had
been inveigled into spending what means he had in this place.
He had built a very good house and was trying to keep store,
but there was nobody to buy, and he cursed San Francisco,
Stockton, Sacramento, NIcolaus and all California, and said he
was bound to return to Peoria as soon as he could dispose of
his investment here. He had dug up and planted a small patch
of ground around his house, which he called his garden, but I
saw nothing growing there but wilted cabbages. Hurrah for
sauerkraut !
Opposite to NIcolaus is a rancheria, or Indian village, situated
on a sandy bar. Their wigwams are miserable hovels, showing
the want of any idea of comfort In the human race in a state
of nature. These Indians are the most squalid-looking wretches
I have ever met with. They live principally on acorns and fish.
They coUect a year's supply of the former when in season, and
preserve them in little circular enclosures made of poles standing
up in the ground and interwoven with reeds and covered with
thatch. One of these kraals is attached to each hovel.
To catch fish, some twenty or thirty men, women and chil
dren wade out in single file on the sandbar; the leader marches
them round in a semicircle, so as to enclose a space between them
and the shore ; then they aU face inward and advance to a focus,
beating the water as they draw to land. Two men are enclosed
In the semicircle with a net about eight feet long and four feet
broad with a stretcher at each end ; each man holds one of these
stretchers and when the circle has come to a focus they dex-
trously slip their net under the school of small fish which the
swarthy wretches have frightened into a compact body and sweep
them out upon the sand, and if the haul has been a good one
they jump and leap, whoop and scream like Bedlam broke loose.
April 25. — ^As usual, a sun of molten lead and a sky without
a cloud, or the least particle of moisture, so at It we go, warp
and tie again. About two miles farther up we came to shaUow
water, so that we could force the boat along by poling, and I
let the boys try this method of locomotion as a relief from this
everlasting warping business. But it was like leaving off work
and going to sawing wood. However, we got along faster, and

78 A PIONEER VOYAGE
two days after we reached the "city" of Plumas (about ten miles
above Nicolaus), consisting of five buildings, three of them tav
erns. This place was a part of the domain of the famous Capt.
Sutter. A young, scheming Yankee by the name of Beach got
him drunk and in that state obtained a deed of this ranch, went
below, and found fools enough to buy his lots at $1,000 each.
One of the taverns was owned and kept by an old man from
Illinois, named Robinson; he is as "deaf as an adder," and, like
all deaf persons, he persisted In talking for his own amusement.
He emigrated to this country last year, with a wife and eight
children, the four eldest of them daughters. They came across
the plains, and, after five months of intolerable suffering, they
reached Sacramento. There he fell in with Beach, who persuaded
him to take a share in his new city and build this hotel. Just
back of his house I noticed four little hillocks, side by side, in
the parched and arid ground. I asked him what these were.
Without shedding a tear the old man replied, "There lie my wife
and three of my daughters." He had scarcely got settled here
when the typhus fever carried them all off at once, but he did
not seem to be affected by it. His whole soul was given to ped
dling out rot-gut liquors from his bar at twenty-five cents a glass
and peddling hay to travellers at the rate of $200 a ton. The
girl that was left was a good-looking lass and very industrious,
and, I dare say, will make a very good wife. This was probably
one of the old man's Inducements in coming to California, to find
a market for his girls. He has succeeded in regard to three of
them. They will never cost him any more. This "city" will also
prove a failure.
April 28th. — Started again, warp and tie fashion, and, after
tugging up the dirty river about five miles farther, I came to the
residence of Capt. Sutter, called Hock farm. This is a fine
situation. The corn, wheat and garden vegetables were in a
very thriving condition, notwithstanding the grounds around
were baked as dry as bricks by the scorching sun. But the
Captain keeps a colony of Indians upon his ranch, and employs
them in irrigating his lands by bringing water from the river.
He has 1,000 horses, and his herds of cattle are numberless. His

HOCK FARM 79
house is a long one, in the antiquated German style, with a fine
esplanade in front, and his numerous outhouses form a little
village. He was at home and received me very politely.
He found his way to this country some thirty years since,
leaving a young family behind in Switzerland, and here he
remained, never going home, and scarcely ever corresponding
with his wife for want of communication. He obtained from
the Mexican Government a grant of a large territory here, and
it was on this land that the first gold was found, which might
have made him the richest man in the universe. But he is a.,^
weak-minded man, and insinuating schemers have taken advan
tage of his good nature and inveigled away most of his prop
erty. His family have lately come out to join him. One can
imagine the meeting.
The sight of this farm, with everything green, the trees
thinned' off so as to admit of circulation of a gentle breeze, was
to me very refreshing after toiling a month upon this abominable
river, scorched to a crisp by the almost intolerable heat and
stung into mince meat by the unmerciful mosquitoes. I was but
illy disposed to resume my toilsome voyage, but patience and
hope is my motto.
May 1st. — Through the open trees of Capt. Sutter's farm
comes a gentle breeze laden with the perfume of a thousand
gorgeous flowers. The corn fields are bending gracefully and
wheat six feet high and now turning yellow Is waving like a
golden lake. Horses are racing and colts prancing, while great
herds of staid and sober cattle are chewing the cud of resigna
tion. Indians — men, squaws and papooses — In files are marching
to and from the river with their cans and buckets. Capt. Sutter
must feel himself to be a Nabob. These Indians appear to be
elevated fifty degrees in the scale of humanity above those I saw
at Nicolaus. With a heavy heart I bid good morning to Capt. S. and
started on my wearisome voyage. By the help of the breeze I
advanced about three miles, when I turned a bend and once more
lost my breeze. The river now narrowed so that the branches
of the huge trees nearly Interlocked over the stream; in several
places they had been trimmed off to admit the passage of ves-

8o A PIONEER VOYAGE
sels that had preceded me. And this must be the grand mos
quito manufactory. They are turned out here in myriads of
millions, and they are perfect, too. Their buzz is like the blower
of a steam engine, and their sting would draw blood from a
rhinoceros. Talk of the Mississippi ! Why, the mosquitoes there
are but midgets to these rascals, and this mosquito factory ex
tends for two mUes.
In the middle of the reach the river bends at an acute angle,
and just as I was warping round the sharp point an immense
tree, torn up by the roots, came driving down the rapid current,
took my sloop on the weather bow, snapped off the towline, and
she shot across and ran her bow in among the thick undergrowth
up to her mast, and the current swung her stern down and
wedged her In so as to be inextricable. We could not see where
the bow was until after two hours' work in cutting and clearing
away the compact mass forward, when we found that the bow
sprit was firmly fixed in the crotch of a live oak tree. We were
obliged to cut away a huge limb to get her clear. At length,
after the hardest day's work of all, we reached the end of this
narrow pass and came to a sandy point, where we tied up ahd
went to bed. It is singular, but during the nights we were not
annoyed by mosquitoes, probably because we did not use any
lights. May 2. — It was eight o'clock before any of us awoke this
morning. The sandy shore continued up the river about a mile.
While warping by this mile I noticed that at the edge of the
water the sand was full of shining yellow particles. It must be
gold dust, of course! We went to work scraping and rinsing
like any old miners. Now, thought I, the goal Is reached, and
Simon Spriggins would not be long in filling his saddle-bags.
But, after gathering about a pint, I was surprised to see how
Hght it was. It was nothing but minute particles of mica, after
aU! The sandy beach terminated in a steep, high bluff, with some
ten or fifteen acres of level ground at the top comparatively
clear of trees. Here stood a large building, with a big sign
stretching across the front saying it was the United States
Hotel. Near It was another, smaller building, bearing the sign

ELIZA BREWERY 8i
of Eliza Brewery. I thought that Eliza must be a bold woman
to undertake to keep store here, for I could see no living animal
around. But, having laid my sloop alongside the bank, a long,
lank, gawky individual with a red, freckled face and coarse
yellow hair, came peering over the bluff. I asked him what place
that was. "Well, now," said he; "ain't you a greenhorn, to be
sure! Why, I kinder reckon as haow this 'ere is the city of
Eliza, and a tarnation good dinner you can git up here at our
haotel, for aour Dan keeps it, and if Dan daon't know haow to
git up the fixin's, you may shoot me and be durned." So it seems
Madam Eliza's store proved to be the City Brewery.
I went up onto the bank, and back of the hotel and brewery
were half a dozen other rough-boarded buildings. I entered
the hotel and found there about twenty men engaged in the
absorbing game of "monte." It was dinner time and I took a
seat at the table, and found that the long, lank individual had
told the truth; the dinner was excellent and well cooked, and
cost me only two dollars and a quarter.
Through an opening in the trees I caught a glimpse of a part
of Marysville, my port of destination, about two miles distant in
air line, but seven by the crooked river. A little steamer came
along (a ship's launch with a screw propeller at her stem) and
I employed the skipper to tow me up, which he did in an hour
and an half, and only charged me $200. But there is a rapid
or overfall between Eliza and Marysville which it would have
been impossible to overcome with what force I had.

CHAPTER XVI.
Marysville Is situated on a tongue of land at the junction
of the Feather and Yuba rivers; the landing fronts the latter,
which at this time is about thirty yards wide and twenty feet
deep in the channel, but in the dry season it is but a mere gully,
with scarcely water enough for a Joppa wherry to navigate.
Here are six hotels, as many gambling saloons and about twenty
stores, mostly of canvas. Trade was brisk, wagons and pack
mules continually coming and going.
The upper mines cannot be reached by wheels, and merchan
dise is transported In pack saddles on the backs of mules. The
muleteers are native Californians. One mjin can manage fifty
mules. When the first mule is loaded he is allowed to wander
about at his pleasure, but he never strolls away out of sight of
his companions, but as fast as they are provided with their
burdens they march off to make room for the next, when all
are loaded up, and all is ready, the muleteer sounds a peculiar
whistle, and they all collect together, the guide mounts his own
animal, gives the word and starts off ahead, the other animals
fall into Hne single file, and off they go as regular as a file of
¦soldiers. A mule is far preferable to a horse for this kind of
work. I laid my sloop alongside the landing and commenced trad
ing, but I soon found that I was not posted as to prices. I fixed
them as high as I could in conscience, but they were never re
fused, and I got Mr. Parish (a gentleman to whom I had a let
ter of introduction) to fix prices for me. A man came to buy
some molasses. I had three barrels which I had bought in
South France at 80 cents. I asked Mr. F. what I must ask
for it. "Two dollars and a half," said he. When I named that
price to my customer he at once said he would take all I had.
Tea that cost $1 a pound sold for $2.50, sugar and coffee In the
same ratio. I had twenty thousand segars (short sizes) that I
paid $6 a thousand for, and I sold them at $20 a thousand;
82

MARYSVILLE 83
pick axes that cost $24 a dozen brought $6 each; a crowbar
brought $8; a round pointed shovel brought $15, while a square
one was unsalable at $1, although it could be so easily altered,
but nobody had time to waste in altering shovels.
It was now the haying season and there were no scythes In
California. I heard that a trader in Marysville had half a dozen,
which he had the conscience to ask $100 apiece for, and sold
them so too. But that is no wonder when hay is worth $100
a ton, and is to be had anywhere for the cutting, some wild fields
producing three tons to an acre.
Mr. Parish was formerly a wealthy merchant in Natchez,
Miss., and was ruined by a faU in the price of cotton at a time
when he held a large stock ; so he came to California to retrieve
his fortune, and selected Marysville as his field of operations.
He has done and is now doing a great business, having obtained
the confidence of the miners by his honesty and fair dealing. His
store is of canvas, twelve feet by thirty, with the ground for
the floor; and his goods are lying promiscuously about on the
ground, but they do not lie long. They are continually employed
in fitting out wagons and pack mules and taking in fresh suppHes
from below.
Across the back part of the store is a canvas screen, separating
a space 10x12 feet ; this is their counting room, lodging room and
kitchen. Nearly everybody lives in this way, for it would be too
extravagant to board at a hotel. On a counter stands a pair of
small scales, nicely adjusted, and a pair of the common size for
weighing groceries; as often as these last are used to weigh
pounds the others are Required for ounces of gold dust, for
that is the circulating medium. Coin will not answer one-
tenth part of the demand, and as for bank bills, these shin-
plasters have not yet made their appearance on this side of
the continent. It requires practice to fix the quality and price
of the dust, and this is one of Mr. F.'s good qualities ; miners
never dispute his assay.
A few days before I came here the trades held a meeting
for the purpose of protecting themselves from the boat trad
ers, and made a law that no person should be allowed to retail
from boats without a license. They cannot be blamed for this.

84 A PIONEER VOYAGE
for a great number of whaleboats are employed in bringing
up goods from Sacramento. They are generally owned by
three mates of ships, two to row and one to steer. They buy
in Sacramento a boat load of such goods as they know are
scarce here, and If the traders here will not buy their load when
they arrive they turn It out on the river bank and undersell
them. I am doing the same thing, but I consigned my goods to
Mr. F. and pay him a commission .on what he sells for me.
Well, the 5th day of May was the time fixed for the law to
go into force. So in the morning, when we boat-traders had
get our goods placed on the levee, the sheriff came along, ac
companied by a party of the shop-keepers, and began tumbling
into the river the goods of those who had not paid $500 for a
license. I knew that the place had not been incorporated, and
when they came to my pile the shop-keepers had surrounded my
stock and fancied they were going tp finish me at once. The
sheriff asked for my license and I coolly asked him if MarysvUle
was a city, town or borough ; he was obliged to say that it was
neither. "Who then," said I, "has any authority to put any
restriction on trade? You are but an assemblage of traders —
people located here without any power to make any municipal
regulations, and I have as much right to trade from my vessel
as you from your tents, and you injure my property at your
perU." Mr. Parish, hearing the altercation, came out and claimed
the goods as consigned to him, and away sneaked the sheriff
with his posse at his heels. They did not trouble any more boat
men, who all went on trading as before:, and swore if the sheriff
came there again they would put him where he had put some
of their goods, overboard. The next day all I had left was
bought by the storekeepers.
Towards evening they are obHged to burn sawdust and peat
in their canvas shops to smoke away the mosquitoes, but as to
the fleas, they are smoke-proof, and won't be driven away any
how. Rats were also extremely numerous in all the towns and
cities of California.
One day while I was in Marysville a cold-blooded murder
was committed, which, for the slightness of the provocation and

A PROFIT 8s
the heartless indifference of the assassin, must be considered
without a parallel, even in California. Two friends from one
of the Western States came here together and went to mining;
each one took up a claim to himself; one was unfortunate, the
other successful. The unfortunate individual borrowed $50
from his friend. After a while they met in this place. The
lucky man, having "made his pile," was about to return home,
and demanded his money from the other. The poor man had
not the means to pay, and his "friend" required that he should
give him his note, payable on demand. This he refused to do,
supposing that the holder would take it home and distress his
wife. After some altercation, the lender drew a revolver and
presenting it to the other's breast again demanded the note, say
ing, "Your note or your life." The borrower still refused.
"Take that then," exclaimed the villain, and before any of the
passers-by could interfere he shot his victim through the heart,
killing him instantaneously. He was immediately seized, under
went a preliminary examination and was committed to the prison
brig at Sacramento to await trial at the next session of the court.
This did not take place for two months, by which time the wit
nesses were not to be found and the murderer could not be con
victed for want of evidence. It is a common saying that a thief
or a murderer runs no risk of conviction or getting his deserts
from a court of law. Can it be any wonder then that an out
raged community should take the law into their own hands, and
punish offenders without waiting the slow and uncertain process
of legal investigation? The safety of life and property de
mands it.
Having disposed of my goods at a profit of $2,500, I left
Marysville on my return to San Francisco for another load.
"What!" you exclaim, "undertake another such voyage; you
must be crazy," and so I was, and so were seven-eighths of the
people in CaUfornia. It was a saying of the black Emperor of
Saint Domingo, Christophe, "Hang a bag of coffee at the gate
of Hell and a score of Yankees will break their necks in the
race to be the first to snatch it away." The first voyage I went
to sea was a very perilous one, and I thought if I got safe home
again nothing could induce me to try another, but I had not
been at home a week before I forgot the hardships I had en-

86 A PIONEER VOYAGE
dured and the risks I ran, and made an engagement for a sec
ond. And now, my trials on this river o'er.
All ending in a gain,
I'm bound to try my luck once more,
In spite of wind and rain.
For the rainy season is approaching, when there will be wind
enough to drive the mosquitoes to Jericho.

CHAPTER XVII.
I left Marysville on the 15th of May and dropped down about
two miles, where there was a cluster of about twenty houses stand
ing on the bank of the other river. This was the City of Yuba.
I found no business going on here, nor was there any hotel or
gambHng heU; all was quiet, it is too near to Marysville. I
found here my friend, Chas. H. Porter, of Newburyport. The
speculators who started this place found him out at Sacramento
with a brig's cargo of lumber at his disposal, and induced him
to build two stores here, by giving him the lots. He built them
when lumber was worth $500 a thousand, and, like everything
a Porter undertakes, they are finished and decidedly the best
buildings in the place, but they have never been occupied, and
never will be till they are removed to Marysville.
Four days' drifting down with the current brought me to
the outlet of the Sacramento, and after two days' beating through
Suisun, Pablo and Francisco bays I arrived once more at the
City of Wonders, but It was not the same place that I had left
six weeks previously. It seemed to me that the number of
buildings had doubled, and that notwithstanding they had had
a great fire during my absence, neat-looking cottages were
perched up on the elevated backgrounds. A substantial wharf
was run out one-third of a mile over the flats, and two streets
had been built on piles across the bay in front of Montgomery
Street, and were crowded with warehouses. Montgomery Street
that then fronted and was occupied altogether by grocers was
now in the center of the city, and had become another Wall or
State Street, most of the buildings being now of brick and sup
posed to be fire-proof. This street I call the dividing line; It
separates the solid portion, or that part built on "terra firma,"
from the superficial, all to the north of this street standing on
piles driven into the mud flats. At high water the sea is all
87

88 A PIONEER VOYAGE
around and under these streets and buildings, and when the tide
is out the effluvia from the mud, growing worse every day from
the deposit of filth and offal, is most abominable.
When I fitted up the Sophronia I had to do with a black
smith whose shop stood at the water's edge at the foot of Clay
Street. I left his bill unpaid, and now I tried to find him, but
he had been burnt out In the fire, and amid the confusion now
going ori in rebuilding it was no easy matter to hit upon an
old location. At last I saw his jolly, rubicund face, overseeing
the erection of a new building. "Hello !" says I, "and so you've
moved further up town it seems." "No," said he, "confound
the town. It has moved farther out, and now Othello's occupa
tion's gone." This was Hterally true. Another blacksmith had
established himself away down on Long Wharf, and had cut off
my friend's run of business, and he said he must try his luck at
something else.
On my return I found Messrs. Plummer and Kieth in sorrow
and gloom on account of the melancholy end of their former
associate, Mr. Stickney, a young gentleman from Boston. He
retired from the concern in February and returned home, taking
with him $25,000 as his share of a nine months' business. The
next day after he arrived home he was found drowned in the
mill pond. His young wife greeted him on his arrival with the
present of her first born; he had a rare prospect of happiness
before him, but, strange freak of human nature, he could not
bear his prosperity and committed suicide.
I learn that Mr. and Mrs. Bogert have separated and Mrs.
B. is now keeping house for a bachelor.
Young Tillman, too, had left his laughing wife and gone to
Trinity river, driven mad by his unfounded and foolish jealousy.
I learn, too, that the widow Johnson soon found a solace for
her wounded heart in the arms of another husband. But oh!
the fickleness of fortune and womankind! The sweet solace
soon soured. They found they could not pull together, and so
concluded they had better pull apart. The husband, a brawny
Dutchman, has gone about his business, and "Mine Vrow" is
now keeping a doubtful resort. Still another domestic squabble.
Capt. White and his 'little Spanish wife, whom I took on board

CONFLAGRATION 89
the Alhambra at Rio Janeiro, have had a flare up. He squatted
in "Happy Valley," built himself a comfortable house and a
small vessel for the river trade. But he found his better half
unfaithful, and they too separated.
Mr. Ladd had built himself a comfortable cottage up on the
background and was living very prettily. Mrs. Lane and Mrs.
Cumstock were coining money by use of the needle. Ladies'
fingers were talismans. The houses, instead of being lathed and
plastered, were lined with cotton cloth, and the demand fon
women to sew the breadths together could not be supplied. To
run two breadths together, the charge was the price of the cloth.
John Barker and his wife set up a laundry, and had as much
as they could do at $6 a dozen.
I have said that a destructive conflagration had consumed
a large portion of the city during my absence up the river. This
was the second devastating fire that had occurred. The first
was on the 27th of December, 1849. It was then the rainy
season, yet still wet as everything was, upwards of two hundred
buildings, such as they were, were swept off in two hours ; there
were then no fire engines. The last fire was on the night of
the 3rd of May. It took in the southwestern section of the city,
and burnt down about three hundred buildings and tents, but
did not reach the merchants' warehouses.
But I have now to record a scene of conflagration that no
pen can adequately describe, and my attempt compared to the
reality will be a firecracker to a volcanic eruption. It hap
pened on the 13th of June, 1850. It was mail day, and I had
gone early to the postoffice to deposit my letters. The postoffice,
for the convenience of the public, had been perched away up on
the back hill half a mile from Montgomery Street, and over
looked every other building in the city. It was to open at 8
A. M. I arrived at half-past seven and found there two long
Hnes of waiting depositors extending from the two windows in
single file some eight or ten rods down the hill.
Just as the window slides were drawn the alarm bell of the
Montgomery engine house rang out its frightful ding-dong-
clang. Looking down the hill I saw a volume of black smoke
bursting out of the bakery of the "Sacramento House" (a large

90 A PIONEER VOYAGE
hotel that stood on the eastern side of Portsmouth Square).
In an instant that square was a dense mass of human beings.
The postoffice fUes were broken "instanter"; engine men and
traders dashed down the hill like an avalanche. I deposited my
letters and started to assist my friends, Plummer and Kieth.
Certainly fifteen minutes had not elapsed when, through smoke
and fire and confusion indescribable, I reached their store just
in time to assist Mr. Kieth in removing a chest containing
$30,000 in gold dust. It was a lug, but we managed to drag it
down on to the lower end of Howison's pier, where it could be
thrown overboard as a last resort.
The fiery northwester had commenced earlier than usual,
and the leaping flames had seemed to seize every building in its
range at once, and it was at once seen that nothing could stay
the furious element. A fire engine was of no more use than
an old maid's teapot.
Leaving Mr. Kieth mounted on his box of gold dust, I went
over to Long Wharf to look out for my sloop, which lay there,
among about fifty other small craft, in the mud with no water
within a cable's length. Between the pier and wharf the com
munication was by a narrow causeway in front of the large
building of the Pacific Steamship Company and another large
building occupied by the military quartermaster. The former
was in flames and a posse of men were engaged in the futile
attempt to save the merchandise stored there by throwing it into
the dock, where it was aU burnt up before the flood tide
came In.
By great exertion I forced my way through the confusion,
and smoked and scorched I reached my sloop, just as a car-man
came driving furiously down the wharf and dumped a large mil
itary chest at my feet, and drove as furiously back. I looked
at the box and saw that it was marked "gunpowder." I gave
the alarm and two or three of my neighbouring boatmen coming
to my assistance, we pitched it overboard and buried it in the
mud. I then cut my sloop sails from the spars and put them
under deck, and, jumping into the dock, with my shovel I
covered her decks with soft mud.
The quartermaster's warehouse was said to contain five thou-

CONFLAGRATION

91

sand stands of loaded muskets; the constant discharging of
these muskets would at any other time have sounded Hke a mili
tary engagement, but amid the roar of this awful conflagration
they were not heard, though from where I stood, within fifty
yards of the building, the rapid and constant succession of
flashes showed that they were being discharged. Now this was
a nervous situation, but fortunately no one was injured from
that source of danger. Our escape was owing to the fact that
these muskets were fitted perpendicular in racks, so that the
balls were thrown out in an elevated direction.
Portsmouth Square formed the south side of an extensive
range of blocks of buildings, with Clay Street for the east and
Washington for the west sides and Montgomery Street on the
north. From the Sacramento House the flames leaped to the
roof of the City Hotel, which made the comer of the square
with Clay Street; from thence they threw their dreadful arms
of destruction down Clay to Montgomery, and leaped from hotel
to hotel along the square to the El Dorado, which formed the
corner of the square with Washington Street. Down this street
they ran in mad career to Montgomery and along Montgomery
to Clay, enclosing a space of ten acres thickly studded with
warehouses filled with valuable merchandise. The whole of this
mass seemed to burst into flames at once^ like so many monster
stacks of straw; all was clear at the head of the wharf and a
hundred feet of the wharf itself was burnt. The wharf was
a continuation of Clay Street, and about five hundred of us were
thus cut off from communication with the city, and we had noth
ing to do but stand and gaze at the devouring monster, who
at every blast of the hurricane came surging down the wharf
In clouds of smoke and cinders, obliging us to lie flat on our
faces. The fire had now reached the extensive premises of Sim
mons, Hutchinson & Co., S. H. Williams & Co., and McCondray
& Co. These were the three most important mercantile houses
in the city, and the merchandise in these warehouses was of
Immense value; they were east of Clay Street and fronted the
bay. In an hour they were all a heap of ashes, except the
pyramids of lumber piled up in their yards; probably a million

92 A PIONEER VOYAGE
feet of boards and plank were stacked up here. The scene was
awfully sublime when these pyramids of lumber got weU on
fire; they continued burning for several days, and when every
thing else was swept away they stood like fiery giants, with
innumerable arms and tongues of flame, constantly spitting out
flashes and cinders, as the knots and slivers snapped and cracked,
sounding as if all the firecrackers in China were being let off
at once. To my fancy they seemed the Genii of the catastrophe,
standing there for three days and nights gloating over the gen
eral destruction, till at last the same devouring element having
eaten them off their balance, they toppled and fell in a crash of
fire and smoke, the grand finale to a most stupendous pyrotech
nic exhibition.
WUliams' warehouse stood at the corner of California Street
and the dock; this street being very wide and the wind not
blowing in that direction, the fire did not cross that street, and
thus Happy Valley was saved. To the astonishment of every
one, the fire did not cross to the north of Montgomery Street,
west of Long Wharf, although to the east of the wharf all was
cleared off. Had the large wooden store of Hussey, Bond &
Hale, which formed the western boundary of the wharf, taken
fire, had the fiery demon not been stayed by a merciful Provi
dence, for human power was of no avail, it would have found
an immense addition of fuel in the large store ship Niantic,
which lay directly in range. This vessel contained nearly two
thousand tons of merchandise, most of it of a peculiarly com
bustible nature, including two hundred casks of gunpowder.
To sum up all, this dreadful conflagration has burnt up
the whole of Sacramento, Commercial and Clay, the southeast
side of Washington, the north of California and the whole of
Montgomery and Sansome streets, except the miraculously saved
corner where lay the Niantic. These boundaries include nearly
the whole of the business section of the city, and the destruc
tion of merchandise is not to be estimated. All this was the
work of three hours; by noon there was nothing left but bricks
and mortar and such articles as could not burn.
But did the San Franciscans give up in despair at this, the
third, time their city had been destroyed? Far from it. Even

REBUILDING 93
while the fire was still raging contracts for new buildings were
m.ade, and before night men were engaged in clearing away the
rubbish and teams were carting materials all about the ruins.
The floor of a new El Dorado was absolutely laid before dark.
At daylight the next morning a frame had been raised, and in
one week the new establishment was in full blast, monte table
and all. Several stores were up and occupied in three days, and
in two weeks all was right again, except the bank buildings in
Montgomery Street. They progressed more slowly, the proprie
tors being determined to have them fire-proof this time If it
was possible. They thought they were so before, but they
proved to be but match boxes in the terrible furnace that de
stroyed them.

CHAPTER XVIII.
The day after this great fire, as I was strolling about among
the ruins, I came across an acquaintance standing gazing at the
spot where yesterday stood his store well stocked with goods.
This man had been burnt out three times in the short space of
six months. I accosted him jocosely, "Come," said I, "no
dumps, up and at it again." "No," said he, "I am done for
now; between the two first fires I had time to recover myself,
but from the 3rd of May to the 13th of June is not long enough;
only let me have six months' interval and I shall be prepared,
but forty days is not time enough. No, no, the risk Is too great
for me to try it again, and I shall sell my lot and try my fortune
in some other place."
Looking on and seeing how these people go on in building
again after losing as they say all they had, it strikes me as some
what curious where the money comes from, for surely it is not
so easy to raise money in California. The banks will not take
these evanescent buildings as security. Where then does A, B
and C get their means to go ahead again? I think I scent it.
The losses have not been their own. They are nearly all com
mission merchants. They have not been any too prompt In
making remittances to their constituents at home, but have de
posited the proceeds of sales. Intending when they closed sales
to remit the whole at once. Well, the fire has caught them in
this situation, and affords an excellent opportunity to close ac
counts. Books and merchandise are all burnt, but the bankers'
vaults are safe, and now come in play to start again with. It
is not San Francisco that is burnt, but New York, Boston and
the other cities on the Atlantic and in Europe.
On my return from Marysville I found at San Francisco
my nephews, George and Eben Noyes. Eben was engaged In
a store as clerk at a salary of $100 a month, and George was
speculating with what means he had. He was interested in the
barque Byron and her cargo of lumber. She had unfortunately
94

IF!

95

come here too late. There is such a thing as being too skittish
or careful or shrewd In trade. Had the wise gentleman who
own the Byron sent her out here early, at a time when they
were not willing to believe the stories that were told, and called
it all humbug, they might have realized a profit of $50,000,
whereas it is now doubtful if they come out without loss.
And here I cannot help remarking that if the Alhambra had
been loaded with lumber and a New Orleans assortment the
owners would have cleared a quarter of a million dollars, and
if I could have been intrusted with the consignment my per
quisites would have amounted to $30,000, for when I arrived
lumber was worth $400 a thousand, pork was fifty cents a bar
rel, molasses one dollar a gallon, sugar twenty-five cents a pound
and butter, lard and cheese one dollar, and commission was
fixed at ten per cent.
Oh ! That abominable if !
I had anticipated that my lighters would have earned me a
handsome sum during my absence, but I was disappointed. I
learned that as soon as my back was turned towards San Fran
cisco Capt. Thurlo put on his kid gloves and acted the foolish
gentleman or the genteel fool, employed some sailors to work
the scow, neglected his business, lost my old customers and
finally gave up the lighters with a Flemish account to George
Noyes, and shipped as mate of a brig, and went off to Oregon.
So many shipmasters and mates had become engaged in that
business that it has got to be run down, and I decided to set out
and confine myself to the river trade. An unfortunate de
cision. Two of the tenders had been lost or stolen and one of the
scows had been smashed, and it cost me $300 to repair her. I
put them up at auction, and they brought me $1,025. They had
cost me, with the tenders and outfit, $3,600. I loaded the So
phronia with corn and potatoes, made a trip to Sacramento, was
absent a fortnight, and cleared $1,200.
The parties who fixed up the Sophronia had built a fine
sloop of twenty-five tons, well suited to the river trade, which
they urged me to purchase, and in an evil hour I consented.
The price was $4,100, one-third cash, the balance payable in

96 A PIONEER VOYAGE
four and six months. Full of hopeful enterprise, I loaded both
sloops for Marysville, and employed three young Germans (to
whom I had sold the Alhambra long boat for $i,ooo) to navi
gate the Sophronia, and took with me in the Merlin a man by
name of Louis Martin, or Martin Lewis, he did not know which,
whom I found living with George Noyes and Capt. E. Welch
on board the old brig Adelaide of Newburyport in true Cali
fornia style. He had formerly been In the employ of Capt. I. N.
Gushing, and came out here to make a fortune or find a grave.
His fate was the latter.
On the morning of the first of August I started from along
side the Adelaide, after partaking of a breakfast of fried fish
and chocolate prepared by George N., having despatched the
Sophronia two days previous with orders to wait for me at
Sacramento. I had a fine breeze from the westward and went
on swimmingly through the three bays, San Francisco, Pablo
and Suisun, and at night brought up at the City of New York.
It had made no advance and looked like Pompey in his barber
shop waiting for a customer to be shaved.
Next morning started again with a fresh breeze, and In two
hours I entered among the trees of the river Sacramento. When
I was here before the sun was bright, the air was seething with
those pestiferous and inveterate tormentors of the human race,
the mosquitoes; they must have been practicing on bullock's
hides. My skin is like blotting paper to a cambric needle. They
say nothing was made for naught, but I have never seen the
individual who could tell what mosquitoes were made for. Na
ture provides every creature with means suited to circumstances,
and the reason why these mosquitoes in California are furnished
with such long stilettoes Is, that before the Yankees came here
their victims were the cattle of the country and the thick-skinned
Indians. Philosophers tell us that it is only the females which
thus torment; if this is so, they are only imitating the ladles
of California. Now the sun is glaring, the air is suffocating, and the mos
quitoes, with fresh sharpened stilettoes, are as greedy as sharks ;
I took the precaution to provide myself with a hood of gauze,
which I find very useful, but the infernal buzz of these pests

SACRAMENTO AGAIN 97
is the next annoying thing to their sting; they are all around
my face and neck, singing, "Let me In, let me in."
There Is no wind, so there Is no help for it. It is either
warp and tie or be still and die from heat and vexation. I took
the slough this time, and thus saved ten miles, and in ten days
I reached Sacramento, where I found the Sophronia waiting for
me to come along.
This city has grown very much, although I can see that its
growth is not what the traders expected. The fact is Marys
ville is going ahead with "seven leagued boots," and Sacramento
is but the half-way house between that place and San Fran
cisco. The city government have voted to raise an embankment on
the levee to guard against another overflow, and I found the
harbour master traversing the levee accompanied by an auction
eer, selling off all the merchandise that had remained there over
the allotted time. As they came opposite my sloop they came
across ten casks of crockery and a butt of sperm oil. The
harbour master called for an owner, no one appearing to claim
them, the auctioneer mounted one of the casks, rattled his
triangle, and then put them all up in a lot. Once, twice, and
— gone for $350. Now the oil alone was worth nearly double
that money. In this reckless manner they went on, clearing the
levee of everything that had remained there over a week.
I had on board the Merlin ten thousand pounds of potatoes,
and fearing that they would rot in this hot weather I thought
best to sell them here, and T took a sample to an auction then
coming off under the hammer of Richard N. Berry, a man of
some notoriety in Boston, but all right here. But they would
not bring satisfactory prices.
While standing at that auction I noticed a young man buying
largely whose countenance seemed famUiar to me, though I
could not exactiy place him, but as he caught my eye he offered
his hand to me. I told him he had the advantage of me.
"What!" said he, "don't you remember Tom?" "Tom!" says
I, "what Tom?" "Why, Tom that came out with you in the
Alhambra." He was one of my sailors, and the worst one I
had on board. He had been to the mines, dug a Httie and then

98 A PIONEER VOYAGE
commenced trading in a small way, and was as large a merchant
as any of them. He bid off flour by the one hundred sacks and
sugar and coffee by the wagon load, and I could see that Dick
Berry considered Tom a customer not to be slighted.
Off again and up the dirty river. The Merlin was a broad
and shallow craft, with a shallow keel, and a center board tra
versing on a pivot through the center. This center board was
for the purpose of keeping the sloop from drifting sideways.
When the wind was ahead and when in shallow water it was
drawn up by means of a chain fixed to the after end. Now In run
ning through the reach below the rival cities of Vernon and Fre
mont I had a smart breeze. As the sloop was going at a rapid
rate, she suddenly rounded to, in spite of the rudder, and stopped
broadside to the current, and all my attempts to get her off
again upon her course were unavailing. The center board being
down, had caught hold on something on the bottom and held
her fast. In trying to pull it up the chain broke and here we
were in a pretty fix. I was obliged to under-run the sloop with
a line and bring up one end on each side, and after two hours'
work we got the center board raised and started again; but
every time the keel passed over anything on bottom the line
would be drawn out of place, and down would go the center
board. By dint of warping, poling, rowing and sailing we reached
Nicolaus in eight days from Sacramento. As I passed Vernon
and Fremont I could see no alteration. There were the same
tavern signs, and the same great piles of lumber, and the old
barque was still lying moored abreast of Fremont, probably
with the view of making that city look like a seaport. But
in this respect Nicolaus has outstripped them, for a barque and
a brig are lying alongside the bank here. So Fremont hide your
diminished head, for Nicolaus is the head of navigation.
I looked in vain for Doctor Tappe and his domestic estab
lishment. They had "vamoosed the ranch," wife, dog, cabbages
and all. Here I received a visit from the Indian chief opposite
and his wife or squaw and two young papooses, revolting speci
mens of humanity; the woman was half naked and the children
entirely so. He brought a bear's cub, in hopes that I would

A WRECK

99

buy it. He had money (Mexican) and bought of me three
sacks of flour and some molasses.
The river had now fallen very much, exposing the limbs
and trunks of numerous great trees lying prostrate in the stream,
making the navigation difficult and dangerous. As I came in
sight of "Plumas" I had a light breeze up the river, and giving
the helm to Louis I stationed myself on the end of the bowsprit
to look out for snags. The water was clear, so that we could
see any danger In season to avoid it.
We were going on at about the rate of three miles an hour,
and I felt encouraged at the prospect of making one good day's
trip. It was breakfast time, and I left the boy on the lookout,
and went to the cuddy for a cup of coffee ; I had finished my
breakfast and was lighting my segar, a dear and costly segar
it proved, when I felt the sloop hit a snag. I did not suppose
that the blow had force enough to cause any injury, and was
busy in running out a line to haul her off, when passing aft I
cast my eye down the cuddy hatch and saw that the cabin was
half full of water. I staggered and fell, for I saw at once that
I was ruined. I had staked my all and twice as much more
on this adventure, and had toiled through suffering almost unen
durable, buoyed up by the hope of all ending in a good
profit, and then to have the prize, when almost within my grasp,
thus suddenly snatched away by one cruel blow! It was too
much!

CHAPTER XIX.
But I did not long He idle and prostrate. I could not realize
the full extent of the blow as It afterwards resulted. Although
I knev/ that all my hard earnings in California were at once
swept away, yet I hoped to be able to save enough from the
wreck to pay my debts, and for the benefit of my creditors I
resolved to do all I could. I had five thousand feet of pine
boards on deck, and the first thing to be done was to make a
raft of this. Another boat besides the Sophronia was near,
and came to my assistance, and two Englishmen that were
passengers, working heartUy with us, we were not long in tum
bling out the lumber on which I hoped to be able to save some
of my perishable goods, but before we could get at any of the
cargo under deck she filled and sunk!
Nothing more could be done at present, and the Englishmen
left, their boat proceeding on up the river. There now lay
the Merlin, her bows resting on an abominable snag, which
had gone through her, and her stern on a sand bank, six feet
under water! The sun was pouring down upon us his rays of
molten brass, and the air was almost unrespirable, but my boys
did not show any disposition to flinch, and to work we went
with a will.
I made a pair of shears with the main and square sail
booms and erected on the bottom over the stem, and getting
a sling under the keel, with a double buff tackle we succeeded,
after much labour, in raising her stern so as to bring the deck
even with the surface of the water.
And now the object was to see if we could gain upon the
leak by pumping and bailing. If we could not do this the game
was all up, for it would cost more to get a steam boat and pump
up from San Francisco than the property saved would be worth.
With a good will my lads turned to. If the property had been
their own they could not have shown more interest. For two
hours we balled with six buckets from the hatchway and the
100

GLOOM loi
cabin without seeming to gain, but I had made a mark in the
cabin as a gauge, and perceived that the water had fallen an
inch. The boys were about giving it up as a hopeless job when
I showed them my mark, and they went at it again Hke tigers,
but even while they rested the leak had raised the water up to
my mark again.
Leaving them bailing I dug out cargo from the forward
cuddy hatch, and working under water, after much labour, in
which I was chilled through by the water which was the recently
melted snow of the Sierra" Nevada, made colder by contrast
with the fervid atmosphere, I forced a passage to the starboard
bow, and found the snag had made a hole through plank and
ceiling. Feeling the extent of the injury, I made a wad of
oakum and diving under the water I forced it into the hole
from the inside. I did this so effectually that the lads began
at once to gain rapidly upon the leak, and at sunset we had
sucked the pump.
So much labour at such a time had exhausted my compan
ions' strength, and I could not ask them to do anything more
till they had taken some rest, and I let them all go to sleep,
and kept the night watch myself. For me to sleep was impos
sible. I was now able to get at and stop the leak more thor
oughly, and it required but little pumping to keep her free.
A sensitive mind may possibly have an approximating con
ception of what were my feelings on that dark and gloomy
night — not weather dark and gloomy, for not a cloud obscured
the heavens, and the moon and stars shone out as brightly as
though nothing had happened. But my reflections were soul-
harrowing. I thought of my faithful wife, and was harassed
with the idea that I had neglected to send her money when I
had it at command, and now it would be out of my power to
do so. I had kept my earnings to operate with In earning more,
with the hope of being able to return to the home of my heart
at the end of the year with means to make that home cheerful,
but now all hope was crushed.
I am ashamed to write It, but the dreadful thought oppressed
me that suicide would end all. Shakespeare's dagger gleamed
before my burning eyes, and I asked, "whether 'twere better

I02 A PIONEER VOYAGE
to bear the ills of life than by opposing end them." But the
spirit of my father rebuked me, and I said, in view of his moun
tain of trouble and his cheerful resignation, shall I prove myself
unworthy of such a stock? No! And I threw my loaded pistol
overboard. Anti-tobacconists may preach of the pernicious effects of the
weed. But all their arguments evaporated In the smoke of a
bunch of Havanas, while during the longest night that ever
darkened the waters of Feather river I listened to the growling
of grizzly bears, the howling of coyotes and the hooting of
owls perched upon the trees around, fit associates in my sad
ness. At length this night of nights wore away, and the mom
awoke that called me to a day of super-human labour, that
availed me nothing after all.
At early daylight we turned to and loaded up the rafts with
goods and took them down to a smooth sandy beach, about ten
rods below, and opened out some bales of cotton cloth, which
we spread on the sand, so hot as to dry it as fast as we could
lay it down. On this we spread ten thousand pounds of corn,
five thousand pounds of rice and coffee, beans, dried apples,
raisins, etc., etc., besides forty thousand segars, which I spread
out singly, in hopes to dry them so as to be salable at some
price. While busy at this work a scream from the boy left on
board to cook announced that the sloop was on fire! We hur
ried on board just in time to extinguish the flames after they
had burnt up a large part of the mainsail and three dozen blan
kets, spread out on deck and on the spars and bung up in the
rigging to dry.
After three days' broiling on that scorching sand I thought
the goods were dry enough to repack. In the meantime we
had taken the Sophronia alongside the bank, discharged her
cargo and loaded her with pork and potatoes, etc., from the
Merlin, which enabled us to get her afloat. We hove her down
and repaired the damage, then reloaded and started again on
our wearisome trip; the trouble and difficulty of getting along
was greater than I can describe. At Plumas I landed the deck

RIVER WORK 103
load of lumber and sent it up to Marysville by land, cartage
$25 a thousand.
After twelve days more of river work I reached the rapids
which are opposite to Yuba City. We could not surmount this
hill of water without help, and I went on shore to procure as
sistance. The first person I met was my friend C. H. Porter.
He went with me to an Indian rancheria near by. I gave the
chief ten dollars, and he sent a posse of his subjects to tug us
over. I say his subjects, for no government on earth is more
absolute than his. His name was Walkitaw and his word is fixed
law. With the help of these Indians we succeeded in getting both
sloops above the rapids by sunset.
At this low stage of the river the rapid was a mere race,
about thirty feet wide, and a patriarchal sycamore lay prostrate
in the bed of the stream, its great arms extending half way
across the passage. To run my line up against the current was
impossible, and two Indians took the coil upon their backs and
waded up on a flat on the opposite side, made it fast to a tree
at the point where the Feather and the Yuba meet, and swam
down stream with the other end. Now just as we had tugged
her into the middle of the rapids the sloop took a rank sheer,
and shot in by a limb of the sycamore and brought up with her
stem in the crotch. Her stern then swung in by another limb,
unshipping the rudder and twisting off the head. I was holding
the tiller and the concussion threw me into the river, six feet
from the sloop. The current swept me down stream, but I
can do my part in swimming (what boy raised in Newburyport
cannot do that?), and I landed on the sand flat on the other
side. Between the two limbs there now the Merlin lay in limbo,
and the only way to get out of it was to cut off the great branch
forward. After an hour's work the Indians did this under
water. Then tugging her nose out of this, the rapid current
caught her on the starboard bow, and having no rudder to keep
her straight, she shot over on the sand flat, and she ran her
bows a foot out of water. Lashing a leading block to the end
of the bowsprit, and reaving the warp line through that, with
a double luff tackle we forced her off and succeeded in getting

I04 A PIONEER VOYAGE
above the rapids. The Sophronia was gotten over with less
difficulty, and after this it was but little labour to reach Marys
ville. While busy in the rapids I missed my mate Louis, and found
him down in the hold, lying on some bags of rotting potatoes;
he had given up sick. I got him up and made him sit under
an awning, and as soon as I could get on shore I got a physician
to look at him. He gave him some pills, said he had no fever,
and a day or two of rest would bring him round all right again.
At night he appeared to be better, and asked me for some bread
and milk. I gave him a teacup full, and he lay down and, as I
thought, went to sleep. I was worn out myself and went to bed
early. About ten o'clock the skipper of the Sophronia woke
me, and said Louis appeared to be worse. I spoke to him, but
got no answer. I went immediately to the doctor, who came
in ten minutes, but poor Louis had yielded up the ghost. He
was a man of few words, and when he did speak it was in such
a mumbling way that I could scarcely understand him. I never
beard him say anything about his domestic concerns, and did
not know that he was a married man till my return to San
Francisco after three months' absence.
The next day after I reached Marysville every other indi
vidual on board both sloops was taken down with fever, and I
had them all to nurse for a week. I had thus my hands too
full to think of being sick myself.
I was obliged to employ labourers at one dollar an hour to
discharge my sloops, and now I found that all my hard labour
and exposure on that burning sand had been of but little benefit.
My potatoes were so much decayed that I did not realize enough
for them to pay the expense of picking them over. If sound
they would have brought me twenty cents a pound. The corn
and rice were mouldy; spices and fruit spoUt; sugar, salt and
saleratus dissolved, and some chests of tea, which I did not
open, supposing them to be watertight, were entirely worthless ;
and the segars that I took so much pains with were all matted
together in the boxes, and I threw them all into the river. If
I had come up safe and In a reasonable time I should have

MARYSVILLE AGAIN 105
made a great voyage, but as It is, the report of my having been
snagged renders It difficult for me to sell even what is sound.
As soon as the lads on board the Sophronia began to gather
strength again I despatched them on their return to San Fran
cisco, with instructions to employ her in the freighting busi
ness to Stockton, and remained myself at Marysville to make
the most of my shattered interests.

CHAPTER XX.
The next day, while sitting in Mr. Parish's store, I felt an
indescribable sensation of chilliness creeping through my sys
tem. I went out and stood in the burning sun to get thawed
out, but it was no go, I grew every moment more chilly. I
went on board, turned in, and covered myself with blankets,
but as for warmth I might as well have crept under sheets of
ice. I sent for Mr. Parish, who said I had the real true blue
fever and ague and no mistake. He sent me a bottle of Doctor
Osgood's Indian Chorugogue, which is represented as a "sov
ereign remedy."
After shivering and shaking for about two hours my nerves
relaxed and a gentle warmth succeeded, which grew momen
tarily warmer, then hot and hotter, till I was in a raging fever,
and then it seemed as though I could drink the Yuba dry. At
length, towards night, the fever subsided, and I was all right
again. For the first time In my life I had gone through a fit
of chills and fever.
They told me it might come on again on the second or per
haps not till the third day. But my attacks seemed destined to
make up for my former exemption. It returned again at the
same hour on the next day. Again I took the chorugogue,
although the doctor says on the envelope that one dose is suffi
cient. Faith, I think so, for I have since learnt that one of the
ingredients is arsenic. I believe that quack medicines are only
intended for the credulous, and their virtue consists in the name.
We have panaceas, catholicons, chorugogues and hydrophlogar-
tionics. Shade of Hippocrates ! what a name ! It ought to an
nihilate all the iUs that flesh is heir to. Had Pandora antici
pated this she would never have raised the lid of her box.
My ague returned daily for a week, commencing later every
day, which they told me was a good sign, till at length a short
fit of ague left me in a settled fever. I sent for Capt. Powers,
a gentleman whose acquaintance I had formed on my first visit.
106

CROSSING THE PLAINS 107
He took me up to his house, where I was kindly and attentively
nursed by his wife and her daughter, and in ten days the fever
left me, giving place to an attack of chronic diarrhea, which
hung about me for three months, and reduced me very much.
I have mentioned Mrs. Powers' daughter. She was a mar
ried lady twenty-four years old, with three Httle children, with
whom she had traveled across the plains. Her name was Nancy
Haight, and this is her history:
She was the eldest of two girls, daughters of Mrs. Powers
by a former husband. They are very beautiful, and the mother
must have been surpassingly so. She Is now a splendid woman
and remarkably energetic. They came from Illinois. Capt.
Powers is a native of Newburyport, but emigrated to Illinois
when a boy.
Nancy was married at the age of sixteen years to Capt.
Haight, commander of one of the Mississippi steamers. The
families came to this country soon after the gold fever broke
out, in company with a large party of relatives and neighbours.
by the overland route, starting from Fort Independence in Mis
souri, in May. They were amply supplied with everything to
make them comfortable, even covered wagons with beds for the
women and children.
For the first month, while crossing the plains, the journey
would have been a mere pleasure trip, a lengthened picnic, had
It not been for the cholera. That dreadful scourge had ascended
the river from New Orleans, and overtook them on the route
and committed dreadful ravages among them. One young wo
man buried her husband and two children and came to Cali
fornia a widow. But she did not long remain so. She was
soon married to one of the proprietors of Marysville, said to be
worth $150,000. She is a frequent visitor at Mrs. Powers', and
as I saw her there one day, richly dressed and talking nonsense,
I thought to myself, can this be possible?
The cholera disappeared when they reached Fort Laramie,
at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The trials and hardships
of the rest of the journey are so well described by Bayard
Taylor that I transcribe from his book, "The El Dorado." He
says:

io8 A PIONEER VOYAGE
"After passing Fort Laramie the real hardships of the jour
ney began, up and down the mountains that hem in the Sweet
Water valley. Over the spur of the Wind River chain, through
the Devil's Gate, and past the stupendous mass of Rock Inde
pendence, they toiled slowly up to South Pass, then descended
into the valleys of the tributaries of the Colorado, and plunged
into the rugged defiles of the Timpanesee Mountains. Here the
pasturage became short, and the companies were obHged to sep
arate in order to find sufficient grass for their teams. Many
who in their anxiety to get forward had thrown away their sup
pHes, began now to want, and were frequently reduced to the
necessity of making use of their mules and horses for food.
Descending to the great basin which is the interval between
the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, they find that a
gracious Providence had, in dispersing the fanatic Mormons
from New Lebanon, caused them to settle in this basin, beside
an inland sea called the Great Salt Lake.
There this community of religious enthusiasts, numbering
about ten thousand, had established themselves in a grand val
ley a thousand miles from any other civilized spot, to raise
supplies to keep this immense army of emigrants from starva
tion. Without this resting place in midjourney their sufferings
would have been greatly aggravated.
But the worst was yet to come. Crossing the alternate
sandy wastes and rugged mounts of the great basin to the valley
of Humboldt River, they were obHged to trust entirely to their
worn and weary animals for reaching and crossing the Sierra
Nevada before the winter snows. The grass was scarce and
now fast drying up In the scorching heat of midsummer, and
in the endeavors to hasten forward to get the first chance of
pasture many again committed the same mistake of throwing
away their supplies. The progress along the valley of Hum
boldt River was slow and tiresome in the extreme. From this
they have before them an arid desert of from fifty to eighty
miles in breadth to traverse without food or water for their
cattle before they reach the streams that are fed from the Sierra
Nevada. The passes are described as terribly rugged and pre
cipitous, leading directly up the snowy ridge to the altitude of

MARRIAGE TROUBLES 109
8,000 feet. Having, with infinite toil, reached at last the divid
ing range, they find they have yet a hundred miles of mountain
country to traverse, through snow and storm, before reaching
the descent to the valley of the Sacramento. The descent is
rendered hazardous and almost impassable by precipices and
steeps of naked rock. In getting down there, they were often
obHged to lock their wheels and clog their vehicles with timber
and lower them down with ropes. Towards the end of the
journey, the sufferings of many were indescribable, they i>erished
by hundreds from cold and starvation, and many were too late
and got locked up in impenetrable snows to linger out a few days
or perhaps weeks and die."
Now, Mrs. Haight experienced all these but the last in her
miserable journey of six months ; and, more than all the rest.
In the middle of the worst part of the route, an unhappy differ
ence arose between her and her husband. Capt. H. was more
attentive to some other young ladies of the party than his wife
thought and I think he ought to have been, leaving her to trudge
up and down the steeps with her three children, one of which,
and sometimes two, she was obliged to carry in her arms. This
unfortunate breach in their relations, which might have been
healed, grew wide and wider, as often happens with two proud
and sensitive people. Neither party was willing to acknowledge
anything wrong, or make the first advance towards a reconcilia
tion, and thus the miserable journey passed and they arrived at
Sacramento married enemies.
Capt. Haight betook himself to the mines, and Mrs. H., too
proud-spirited to be a burden to her father-in-law, went down
on the levee, hired a brig and had a house built upon her deck,
and opened a boarding and lodging house, managing It herself,
besides taking care of her three children. She was successful
and collected a very handsome sum In a few months, when,
Capt. Powers having fixed upon MarysvUle as his residence, she
was able to assist him In building a comfortable house, where I
found them living and where I was so kindly nursed by Mrs.
Haight. I certainly thought her a ministering angel.
I did not then know anything of her domestic affairs, but
one day Capt. Haight came down from the mines and his wife

IIO A PIONEER VOYAGE
shut herself up in her room and would not see him, and, after he
had gone, I asked Mrs. Powers what this meant, and she told me
tbe story as I have related It. But, alas for human nature ! here
ends the story of Nancy's virtues. What follows Is from my
own knowledge.
Capt. Powers was keeping a private boarding house, and
among his boarders was a sort of a "Caleb Quotem," who, be
sides being a doctor, was peddler, jockey and auctioneer; in
short, he was factotum. He had cast his blasting eyes upon
Mrs. Haight. He kept a livery stable and furnished Mrs. H.
with a saddle horse, and used often to accompany her on an
afternoon drive, from which they sometimes did not return till
10 or II o'clock. I thought this very imprudent in Mrs. H., but
could not imagine anything criminal. This went on till about
a fortnight before I left Marysville, when, one morning, to the
astonishment of every one, the newspaper announced the mar
riage of Dr. O. H. Pierson and Mrs. Nancy Haight! A secret
decree had been obtained from a Hcentious judge, granting Mrs.
H. a divorce from her former husband, which he did not oppose.
Capt. Haight was now running a small steamer on the river,
and one day, while "Caleb Quotem" was busy with his petty
auction, the captain went to their house to see his children.
While he was there the doctor came home and ordered him to
leave the house. Instead of doing so, he seized the guUty
ravisher by the collar, dragged him to the door, pointed him
right, and sent him sprawling into the middle of the street.
The wife of both now interfered, but he to whom she had
surrendered her young heart, and sworn to love, honour and
obey till death — he who had sworn to comfort and cherish her
through Hfe — put her gentiy aside, saying, "Madam, I don't
know you." Alas, poor Nancy!

CHAPTER XXI.
Mr. Joseph B. Hervey came to Marysville when I had begun
to recover, and we went together to see the elephant; that is, to
take a look at the diggings. Mr. Parish kindly offering to be
our guide, we chartered three mules and rode out through a
very romantic country about twenty miles to a spot called Segar's
Bar. This is a bank of gravel and rock in the bed of the Yuba.
Here a party of twenty had squatted ; they had built a dam nearly
across the stream, leaving a sluiceway about ten feet wide on
one side to carry by the stream. This was a very rich spot, and
they had been for some time collecting about forty pounds a
day of gold In dust and ingots ; by means of bars they overturned
great boulders, and generally found a deposit of gold under
them. Just above that bar there was another, supposed to be equally
as rich. Another company had monopolized this, and had built
their dam and nearly finished their sluiceway. There was one
share in this bar for sale, and Mr. H. and I thought of buying it.
The price was $2,000. We, however, returned to Marysville
without concluding the purchase, and the next day the first of
the autumn rains came on earlier than usual ; it continued three
days, the river rose ten feet, and the rush of water swept away
their dam, destroyed their summer's work and upset all their
calculations for this season.
There were other parties at work on their side claims. A
side claim Is one rod measured off on the bank of the river.
They dig Into the bank and carry the gravel to the water and
wash out the gold by the rocker. This operation employs six
hands ; two to dig, one to wheel the dirt to the rocker, the fourth
to shovel It Into the hopper of the machine, the fifth keeps pour
ing in water, and the other rocks the cradle. The cradle is
placed on a slight inclination, the lower end is open, three or
four bars two Inches high are fixed transversely across the bot
tom, the dirt and water fall through a sieve which is fixed in the
111

112 A PIONEER VOYAGE
hopper or hood of the cradle, and the rocking keeps the mass in
motion. The gold being heavier than the dirt, settles to the
bottom and Is caught by the bars, while the dirt washes over and
out at the lower end.
Other parties were engaged in what is called "coyote dig
ging," which is digging a pit or well down through a level spot
In some bend of the river. They dig through the alluvial deposit,
in some places to a depth of thirty feet, to the bed rock, where
they are pretty sure to get well paid for their labour. Others
again were wandering up and down the margin of the river,
watching with eagle eyes for the shining particles upon the sur
face, while a number of Indians were busy with their tin pans,
wherever the whites would allow them to wedge in. The place
was wild and rugged in the extreme; huge, precipitous hills on
both sides, and the face of the river a mass of rocks from the
size of an ox cart down to pebbles and gravel.
On our return my mule seemed disposed to adopt his own
rate of locomotion. I had worn out one stick about his hide,
and, seeing a good one lying in the path, I dismounted to get It.
To do this I had to go behind the animal, and just as I had
picked up the stick and had raised myself to the perpendicular,
Mr. Mule raised himself up on his forelegs, threw out his hind
ones in a horizontal direction, and hit me a whopper in the
lower part of the abdomen, sending me to measure my length
backward upon the grass. Fortunately his hoofs were not shod,
and very fortunately I am short in stature.
On our way down we met a drove of fifty pack mules trot
ting along In single file, each with a pack saddle containing a
load of from one hundred to one hundred and fifty pounds. They
were bound to Nevada, fifty miles farther up, and, as its name
implies, a region of perpetual snow. The price of transportation
the muleteers said was twenty-five cents a pound.
In introducing Mrs. Powers into this narrative I have said
that she was an energetic woman. In addition to her household
duties, having ten boarders, she managed a dairy of seventeen
cows, and had regular customers for most of her milk, at sev
enty-five cents a quart, and the residue she sold to transient
callers at one dollar a quart. Think of this, ye city dames, with

KISSING A BOY 113
your silks and satins, your novels, balls and your miserable
ennui I
Sept. 20. — I stepped into the principal gambling saloon last
evening as a looker-on. The place was, as usual, crowded. At
one of the tables sat a very pretty boy, dealing out the cards,
and the owner of the establishment sat next him. The lad was
neatly dressed in white trousers, a little foot In a shining slipper,
and an open-work sock exposed a well-formed ankle. He had
a blue frock coat with small gold buttons, a buff vest thrown
open In front. His shirt collar rolled down a la Byron, expos
ing a beautiful clear neck, down which hung a profusion of
chestnut curls.
The player who sat next to him threw his arm around the
lad's neck and gave him a loving kiss. A terrible row followed
immediately. The banker knocked the man down, but he got
up again, drew his revolver and shot the gambler a flesh wound,
and was about to repeat the fire when he was seized by the by
standers. The banker knocked him down a second time. The
company took both sides and a general melee followed, with
broken heads and bloody noses.
And all about a man's kissing a boy! No. It was no boy
at all. A respectable widow lady had come from Boston to
mend her circumstances, bringing with her an only daughter
about sixteen years of age. One reason for coming here was
the hope of weaning her daughter's affections from a dissipated
young man that was paying his addresses to her. She had been
seduced by this rascally gambler and had run away with him.
Her mother heard of her at this place and came up here and
took her home to Sacramento, but the poor girl's ruin had been
already effected and she returned to her infamy dressed in boy's
clothing. Now she and her story attract more customers to that
table than all the rest of them together.
In the afternoon I took a stroU out to the burial ground,
where He the remains of poor Louis. It is about an acre of
clay soil, baked as dry as lime rock, enclosed in a common rail
fence. I would like to place a headstone there to mark this two
by six feet home, but his doctor's bill and funeral charges ab-

114 A PIONEER VOYAGE
sorbed more than I owed him, and I have not the means. Poor
Martin! "Requiescat in pace!"
The two Englishmen who came to my assistance when on
the snag I found here keeping a fruit stand in a tent on the
square. They told me that when they landed here they had only
three doUars between them. They went to work for a few days
and gathered up a sum sufficient to start this business, and are
in a fair way to get ahead. While I stood there talking with
them a miner came along and asked the price of a pear. It was
one dollar. He took the pear and threw down a dollar with
as much difference as a child would give his cent for a stick
of candy. Boys are carrying about baskets of wUd grapes to the houses,
and sell them at $1.50 a pound, and this notwithstanding the
banks of the river are encumbered with grapevines and they are
to be had for the gathering. While on this subject I remark
that for remarkable size and richness of flavour the fruits and
vegetables of California far surpass anything of the kind I have
ever seen or heard of in any part of the world. It is no uncom
mon thing to see turnips and onions twelve or fifteen inches in
diameter, and the San Francisco newspapers notice a beet, now
on exhibition at the market house in that city, that weighs one
hundred and forty-nine pounds and is as large as a flour barrel!
Now, it at first seems matter of astonishment how such enor
mous vegetables can grow on a clay soil, baked by the scorching
rays of an unobscured sun, without a drop of rain for six
months. But break away the crusty surface, and remove the
turnip carefully, and you find that from the center of the under
side a little fiber, no bigger than a pipe stem, shoots down
through the crust and draws sustenance from a depth of two or
three feet. The grasses and cereals get their start during the
latter part of the rainy season and come to maturity before the
middle of the summer. Wheat yields a hundredfold, and con
tinues to produce for two more years without resowing. As for
grapes and wild fruits, such as blackberries, raspberries, etc.,
they must be seen and tasted to be properly estimated. In regard
to wine, California Is to be to the Pacific what the south of
Europe is to the Atlantic.

RETURN TO MARYSVILLE 115
I had been obHged to leave the disposal of my goods to Mr.
Parish. He effected sales slowly, but as fast as he raised any
money for me I sent it to my creditors in San Francisco. Herein
I was wrong. The parties of whom I had purchased goods on
credit knew that they could not be insured, and that in case of
loss I should be unable to pay. They therefore took the risk
into account in fixing prices, and in that sense they stood as
underwriters. The proper course would have been first to reim
burse myself for my cash, outlay, and then, if there was any
surplus, to divide it among those I owed. But I was so broken
by my misfortune as to be incapable of sound judgment, and
very much needed a friendly adviser.
Towards the end of September the cholera broke out in San
Francisco and caused great trepidation. It instantly occurred to
me that if the disorder should increase it would cause a great
scattering and many would flee to the Sandwich Islands, and It
would be a good time to put in execution an enterprise which
Mr. Plumer had often talked to me about. This was to pur
chase a good ship and take her home by way of Honolulu, China
or India. I was now exceedingly anxious to be on my way
towards "home," and I went down to Sacramento to look at a
fine barque that had been lying there some time for sale, but I
was too late; she had been disposed of.
On my return to Marysville I found my sloop and all my
goods in the hands of the sheriff. Mr. Hudson, one of the firm
of whom I had bought the sloop, had come up to this place, and,
finding me absent, he supposed I was about to leave clandes
tinely (he did not know me), and sued, notwithstanding I had
sent them $1,000, and he had attached all I had. Here, now, I
was with all my goods taken out of my control and my sloop
in limbo. I saw at once that after the lawyers, court and sheriff
had taken their slices from the loaf there would be only the
crust left, but I could not realize that the result would be so bad
as it proved, and I made an arrangement with the sheriff to
allow Mr. F. to go on selling, holding the proceeds subject to
the order of the court. Capt. Powers and Mr. F. kindly offering
to bond the sloop for me, I took her down to San Francisco
in the hope of being able to use her to some advantage.

ii6 A PIONEER VOYAGE
As I neared Sacramento I thought the city was on fire ; vol
umes of black smoke were rising from aU quarters. The cholera
had commenced its havoc and the health police were burning
the masses of corruption In the streets. Everybody seemed to
consider the highway as the common receptacle for aU their
animal and vegetable offal, and, the city being buUt on low and
swampy ground, was just the place for the cholera to rage with
its greatest virulence. Most of the places of business were
closed, and three-fourths of the population had run off, in double-
quick time, to the mountain elevations. One of the first victims
to this cruel destroyer was Capt. William Rand, of Roxbury,
an old acquaintance in the Russia trade. He was sailing a small
schooner in the river business and was taken at nine o'clock in
the evening and was a corpse before morning. I passed this
nest of pestilence without stopping.
As I passed Suisun Bay the air was filled with immense and
countless flocks of wild geese just preparing to start on their
southem migration, and as I approached the Straits of Car-
quinez they were alighting in countless myriads on the coast
opposite to Benicia. They had not yet become sufficiently ac
quainted with the common enemy, man, and suffered themselves
to be taken by hand or knocked down with clubs.
I arrived at San Francisco, from this unfortunate voyage,
on the 15th of October, and found that so many small steamers
had been built in a hurry and put into the river trade that the
sailing craft were completely used up, and were lying all about
on the flats abandoned. The Sophronia was laid up among the
rest. She had made two trips to Stockton, but instead of earn
ing me anything, she had run me in debt a hundred dollars. The
lad who had remained with me in the Merlin had a claim of
$120 for wages, and I was obliged to sell the Sophronia at auc
tion. She brought $300. She had cost me nearly three thousand.

CHAPTER XXII.

A SPECULATION.

Before I went to Marysville, as I was coming one day down
Clay street, I passed an auction room where they were selling
real estate. My star of destiny led me in. There was a fine
map of San Jose, the capital of California, and the auctioneer
was seUing off city lots. Parties stood by, and as fast as the
lots were put up, they were run up by them probably fictitiously,
to entrap the unwary.
Fool like I bid off seven lots in what appeared to be the heart
of the city. I noticed that they were knocked off to me at prices
considerably below what other lots not so well situated sold for,
but this did not open my eyes. I paid $i,ooo for the whole.
Now, thought I, I am a landholder as well as the rest of you.
I knew that lots in San Francisco that had been purchased for
$ioo had In a few months been resold for thousands, and I saw
not why lots in the capital should not turn out as well.
I sent my deed up to be recorded by an expressman, and gave
him five dollars to pay for recording, with directions to leave
the deed with Mr. Plummer on his return. Not finding the deed
there on my return, I called at the express office ; it had changed
hands and I could get no satisfaction. A few days afterwards
I met a gentleman from San Jose and inquired about my lots.
He said that if San Jose continued to be the capital of the state
it might enlarge, so as in the course of twenty years to include
my property, but that at present they were of no value whatever,
and it was not worth my while to spend a dollar or an hour in
hunting up the deed. The auction was a mere Peter Funk con
cern, and the parties who stood by and bid so voraciously were
only decoy ducks, and whenever a bona fide bidder like myself
appeared, they stood back out of charity.
I had taken to my own account a lot of bread, beef and pork
that had been left of the Alhambra's stores, and had shipped it
117

ii8 A PIONEER VOYAGE
to Panama, where, by the last account. It was much wanted, and
I fully expected to find a good return awaiting me here, but the
barque that took it down never returned and I never heard what
became of her.
San Francisco has continued to grow broader and deeper and
more substantial. Montgomery street is now all rebuilt with
fireproof buildings, that is, the walls are brick and from two to
three feet thick; the doors and windows have iron shutters, the
roofs are slated, the partition walls rising six feet above them ;
there is no woodwork exposed.
The city has very much altered in another respect. When
I first came here there were no thieves or assassins, or, if there
were, they could get their living so much easier in an honest way
that it was not worth their while to run the risk of detection and
punishment by lynch law. But now robberies, assaults and mur
ders are among the common occurrences of the times. With the
immense immigration have come the rascals of all nations, the
"most enlightened nation" furnishing by far the greatest number.
England's convicts doomed to exile in Van Dieman's land have
been set loose from Botany Bay, and have come here in droves.
There is a low grog shop In Jackson street opposite the store
of Messrs. Stuart and Raines. It is the headquarters of the Syd
ney convicts, a scene of drunken revelry and rascality. It is
called the Port Philip House. Here is concocted most of the
villainy that is now so rife, and from this den of infamy issue
the rascals to execute it, and yet the police pay no regard to it.
If a robber or even a murderer is by chance arrested, he is never
brought to punishment; he either escapes from the rat-trap gaol,
or, if brought to trial, he goes clear from some flaw In the indict
ment, or the witnesses are not to be found, or else, as some say,
he bribes the officers of justice with his iU-gotten gains. "By
hook or by crook" he escapes.
This laxity on the part of the magistrates has at last aroused
the indignation of the community, and induced a large portion of
the respectable classes to form themselves into an association for
the detection and prompt punishment of crime. They have
styled themselves "The Committee of Vigilance," have adopted
the most summary mode of proceedings and given public notice

NO RAIN 119
of their intentions. Woe be to the miserable wretches who may
fall into their clutches.
A party of four ruffians went on board the brig James Caskie
in the night, attacked Capt. Jones in his cabin and left him for
dead shut up in a stateroom, plundered his desk of what money
he had on board and retired unmolested. Capt. Jones owes his
recovery to his wife, who fortunately was with him.
Not being able to obtain any freight for the Merlin, and it
being necessary to deliver her in Marysville, I made an arrange
ment with Capt. William Le Craw for a load of lumber from
his ship, and undertook another trip up the river. It was now
the end of the year 1850, and in all the eighteen hundred and
forty-nine years that had preceded it, never was one known to
pass without Its regular rainy season, raising the rivers in No
vember and keeping them up till May or June. Last year at
chis time a line of battleships might have floated up to Marys
ville. I fully expected that the southerly gales of winter would
carry me up in a week, and started in hopes of making enough
on my lumber to pay the expense of getting the sloop up, and
leave me four or five hundred dollars to send to my wife.
I took with me two lads at $100 each a month and an Irish
man to work his passage. But oh! my unfortunate career!
On arriving at the mouth of the Sacramento, the wind left me,
and throughout the months of January and February I toiled un
der a blazing sun without a cloud as big as a pocket handker
chief to be seen, not a drop of rain, and mosquitoes as thick and
troublesome as they were in August.
Towards the end of February I once more reached NIcolaus
and found the river some Inches lower than it was when here
last. To get the sloop any further loaded was impossible, and I
landed the deckload, and sent it along in teams at a cost of $25
a thousand. There was no sale for It here, all building had
ceased and "the city" was being unbuilt and transported to
Marysville. I started again with a breeze, a dangerous breeze,
for I had not advanced more than three miles before this ill-
fated craft, drawing only three feet, ran her confounded nose
against another unseen snag, stove a hole In her bow, and filled
in five minutes, but being full of dry lumber she could not sink.

I20 A PIONEER VOYAGE
If the craft had sunk in forty fathoms the first time she hit a
snag, I should not have been the miserable wretch I was. We
had but just time to get our beds and clothing out of the cuddy.
The Irishman had an old India rubber tent. It was sunset
and we took the tent on shore, and under that we stowed heads
and heels for the night. In the morning, the sand all around
was imprinted with tracks of grizzly bears that had come down
to the river during the night. These animals seldom attack any
one unless provoked.
Paddy's tent had other inhabitants besides ourselves as I
found by sundry hitherto unexperienced bites and nips of a pecu
liar sensation. They were neither fleas nor bedbugs, which In
duced me to examine my flannels. I found that I was harbouring
a colony of those pestiferous little zoophites which the Latins
called "Pediculus Humani Corporis." There was no way of
abating this nuisance till I could get rid of Pat, and his services
were too valuable to think of putting him on shore here. I shud
der now when I think of those parasites.
By great exertion we got the sloop afloat and repaired the
damage as well as we could under water, and pushed on again,
but before night she poked her other cheek against another snag,
smash went another hole, and once more she filled in a few min
utes. I believe I should now have abandoned her altogether if
my friends at Marysville had not been Hable for $2,000 to produce
her at the call of the sheriff. I could not think of letting them
suffer, and once more I got her off and persevered against hope.
She was now Hke a Chinese junk, she had a great eye on each
bow, and as John Chinaman would say, "Now can see."
She did not hit any more snags and the next day I tied her
up at Plumas. As this place is in the same county as Marysville,
I thought I could persuade the sheriff to receive her here, and I
went up to Marysville with that in view. But it was no go, he
required to have her placed where I took her from, and with a
heavy heart I returned to wind up this miserable business.
When I got back to Plumas there was a corpse hanging to
a branch of a tree that stretched out over my sloop's stern. It
was a noted horsethief that had been caught, tried, convicted,
sentenced and hung by an outraged community during my ab-

FEMALE FRAILTY 121
sence of a few hours. Here the Irishman left me and trudged
off on foot to visit her "better half," who, he said, was living
about three miles above Marysville. My two boys were wom
out, and averse to going any farther, but as they had four
months' pay due them, and knew they could not demand it here,
they concluded to go on.
I discharged all the cargo. At last the rains set in, and a
breeze came along with the wet, which enabled me to complete
my irksome task. I gave the sloop up to the sheriff and she was
sold at auction for $400 to the same party of whom I had bought
her eight months before for upwards of $4,000.
The day after I arrived my Irish passenger came to me in
great tribulation, his eyes were full of tears, and it was some
time before he could compose himself to tell me his troubles.
At last he blubbered out: "My wife what I left in me cabin just
out yonder, with me leetle cheel, oh! me eyes and me soul and
me body, buh-p-p-p." "What's the matter, Pat?" said I. "Is
she dead?" At this he woke. "Dead is it," said he, "and sure,
by the soul of Saint Patrick, it's dead I wish she was. No, she
has sold the cabin and taken me cheel and the iUigant farniter
and has rinned away with that spalpeen of a Mike Sullivan to
the diggins, and may the divil git her, oh, buh-p-p-p."
One more instance of female frailty which must close the
chapter. Paddy with his wife and child had been landed at
Monterey some seven or eight months previously, from thence
they found their way to Marysville and squatted on a vacant lot
a short distance above the city, where he built a small cabin.
Leaving her there, he returned to Monterey for the residue of
his household goods, he was taken sick at that place, and was
kept there two months, had recovered and reached San Fran
cisco with his bags and bundles, just in time to take passage
with me. During his absence an old acquaintance and former
suitor found her out, renewed his suit, and this time conquered.
California plays the devil with the women. But lest it should
be said that I am too severe on the weaker sex, I add that where
California has made one woman what she ought not to be, it has
made twenty knaves of men that were considered at home mer
chants of respectability and honour. Could the burnt ledgers be

122 A PIONEER VOYAGE
restored, and true accounts of sales, devoid of fictitious charges,
be compared with the remittances, it would make many a man
who now moves in a high sphere, hide his head In ignominy and
shame. No, my excellent countrywomen, the world acknowl
edges you as its brightest patterns of virtue and morality.
But to all general rules there are exceptions. The instances
of frailty I have recorded are but the exceptions, and do but add
the greater lustre to the uncorrupted, and these unfortunate ex
ceptions have been made such by the boasted lords of creation.
Had Mr. and Mrs. Bogert remained at home that viUainous
cockney doctor would not have had the opportunity to mar their
happiness, and had not Doctor Pierson in an evil hour come
across the path of Mrs. Haight, the soothing influence of time
might have smoothed the asperity of her own and her legitimate
husband's feelings and she might have been spared to be a happy
wife and mother.
The harassing trials I had undergone made me sick again,
first, with fever, and afterwards with weakening diarrhea. I
remained at Marysville a month to dispose of my lumber. The
result was that owing to my long passage and its injured state
from being wet, warped and split, together with the expense of
cartage, I was left in debt to Capt. Le Craw, and I had better be
the devil's debtor.
Having wound up my affairs, I bid adieu to Marysville. Capt.
Haight offered me a passage down in his steamer, and I landed
on Long Wharf in San Francisco sick and without a dollar and
with no place to lay my head.

CHAPTER XXIII.
Here now was I, the veriest wretch, as I thought, in all Cali
fornia. But in this day of gloom I was not wholly forsaken. Capt.
Stephen Haskel, who had formerly been my mate in the ship
Arragon, was here In command of the ship Talma of Boston. He
kindly invited and urged me to take up my abode with him on
board, and I gladly accepted his kind invitation.
I had no means, no employment, no energy. No man had
worked harder than I had. I had at first been prospered, and I
began to think that the bright star of my destiny had at last
arisen to shed Its cheering influence on my downward path in
life, but It had set again in gloom, ere it had risen above the
"mirage" of malignant refraction. A constitutional melancholy,
which has afflicted me through life at Intervals, now seized upon
me with tenfold force, and for four weary months I wandered
about this busy town without an object, and completely pros
trated. In this dilemma a gentleman on whom I had no claim, but, on
the contrary, he who had lost more by me than any other man,
stood forth my disinterested friend. This gentleman was Bard
Plummer, Esq., and while I live I shall never cease to be grate
ful to that man. It will probably never be in my power to recip
rocate his kindness, and I here charge you, my boys, should you
be prospered In life, and occasion call for it, never forget Mr.
Plummer's kindness to your father.
He voluntarily offered to buy a vessel for me whenever I
could find one to suit me, and let me take her and find my way
home in her the best way I could.
The "Vigilance Committee" had now begun their work in
earnest. Some of the members in their patrol arrested a Sydney
covey by the name of Jenkins, who had been concerned in a num
ber of villainous transactions, but nothing legally calling for
capital punishment. Capt. Haskel and myself were awakened
by the clang of the well known signal bell, which had a sound
123

124 A PIONEER VOYAGE
different from all the other bells in the city. I rushed on deck,
expecting to see the devoted town once more in flames, but all
was dark. It was the deathkneU of the wretched culprit Jen
kins. He had been arrested in the evening and received a hurried,
though doubtless a fair trial. The proof of his villainies was
strong as Holy Writ. He was sentenced to be hung Imme
diately. A rope was fixed around his neck; he was dragged to
Portsmouth Square and hung at midnight to a beam that pro
jected out over the door of the Custom House.
A few days afterwards a man was caught in the act of steal
ing a trunk from a room on Long Wharf and the room was
found to be on fire. He was handed over to the Vigilance Com
mittee and was hung to a derrick on California Street Wharf.
But the most awful deed remains to be told, and I forereach a
few weeks in order to make a connected story. During my ab
sence up the river on my last trip, two ruffians from the Port
Philip House went into a store that stood next to that den of
infamy, assaulted and left for dead the owner (Mr. Jansen) and
robbed him of his treasure. The police had at last begun to
show some energy, and they soon arrested these two rascals, and
confined them to await trial. But think of confining a Sydneyite
in a common jail! You might as well bind a lion with a
yarn rope. As a matter of course they escaped, and a short time
afterwards they were heard of as committing a highway rob
bery and murder In the County of Yuba. They were again ar
rested, examined and sent off to Sacramento to be confined in the
"Prison Brig," but they "vamoosed" on the road.
Well, about the 20th of August some of the vigilant mem
bers of the Vigilance Committee ferreted them out in the neigh
borhood of Sacramento, bound them, and brought them down
to San Francisco and confined them with chains in the
Committee room. The legal authorities demanded them, but the
Committee refused to give them up, and kept them with the view
of extorting some clew to their associates, in which they par
tially succeeded. One of them (Stuart) made a full confession
of all his nefarious transactions, including the murderous assault
upon Capt. Jones in the cabin of the Jam£s Caskie.

VIGILANCE COMMITTEE 125
Now the Governor had issued a proclamation calling on all
good citizens to assist the civil authorities in preserving law and
order, and particularly warning all to have nothing to do with
the Committee of Vigilance, but his proclamation was treated
with contempt. The public, or what I must call the mobbish
sentiment, was with the Committee, and a fearful contest was
apprehended. The Committee room was guarded at night by
portions of the members armed to the teeth. One night the Gov
ernor, the Mayor, sheriff, judges, a large police force, and a
number of law-abiding citizens proceeded to the room, overpow
ered the guard, and took away the culprits to the city prison.
The next day when these proceedings became known publicly,
the excitement was terrible. Thousands of the most violent
assembled around the quarters of the Committee with two field
pieces, only awaiting the signal to commence the outbreak and
batter down the walls of the prison. But fortunately the Com
mittee adopted the better part of valour, and In a few days the
excitement died away, but it was only the calm that precedes
the hurricane.
A clergyman was in the practice of visiting the prison on
Sunday, during the interval of his church services, to exhort and
pray with the prisoners. On Sunday, August 29, while he was
engaged In this, the most appropriate of all the duties of a Chris
tian minister, a closed carriage was driven to the door of the
prison, where some fifteen or twenty of the most energetic mem
bers of the Committee had previously assembled, the door was
burst open, and the two horrified culprits were seized, hurried Into
the coach, and driven rapidly down to the dreadful judgment
haU. At this moment the dreadful alarm bell sounded its tocsin of
alarm. In an instant, as if an earthquake had shaken the city,
the streets were full of people, everybody anticipating another
conflagration, which my readers will not wonder at when they
have finished this narrative. But the truth became known at
once, and thousands upon thousands came rushing from all quar
ters towards the committee room, which stood in Sansom street,
near the comer of California street, the widest street in the city.
Their room was a large haU extending over two stores. There

126 A PIONEER VOYAGE
were two doors in the front, and over each door was a project
ing beam, for the purpose of hoisting up merchandise. At the
end of each beam had been previously fixed a pulley, and the
ends of the line were taken within the building, and the doors
closed. In ten minutes from the time the coach reached the hall,
the doors were suddenly thrown open and headlong came a miser
able wretch from each doorway, and they were hoisted to the beam
ends, amid the gibes, the shouts, the screeches, and the horrid
blasphemy of ten thousand of their fellow creatures, who filled
the streets, the wharves, the lumber yards and crowded the roofs
of the stores and the spars of the shipping.
Now, whatever cause there might have been for the organiza
tion of the Committee of Vigilance, and certainly some action on
the part of the community was necessary, still I think they have
gone too far. Had they devoted themselves to the object of as
sisting and watching the constituted authorities and providing
suitable prison houses, their name would then have been appro
priate. But like all excited multitudes, when once under head
way, they knew not when to stop. Besides, some of the most
prominent members of that association are men as worthy of pun
ishment of some kind as the wretched victims whom they have
lawlessly sent, without a moment's preparation, to meet their
God. The man who was the most active at the execution of the
first culprit Jenkins, he who fixed the rope about the victim's
neck, and who acted the part of boatswain, and cried "Yo heave,
ho," "and up he rises," was himself a runaway from justice in
another state, a man whose object it is to court the applause of
the vulgar populace, whether fair or foul, a rowdy, who is at any
moment liable to a requisition from the Govemor of New York
for a state prison offense. I mean Capt. Wakeman, he who ran
away from New York with the steamer New World, while she
was in custody of the sheriff, forcibly putting him on shore at
Sandy Hook.
And the man who figures more largely than any other, he who
has made all the speeches, and who is, in fact, the "primum mo
bile" of the whole concern, is Sam Brannan, a Mormon priest,
an unprincipled rascal who has cheated Capt. Sutter out of a

VIGILANCE COMMITTEE

127

great portion of his estate, and swindled a former partner in
business out of his share In the concern, and who afterwards
raised a gang of a hundred desperadoes and went to the Sand
wich Islands with the view of subverting the government and
raaking himself a nabob on Its ruins ! He to direct the movement
of two or three hundred merchants, mechanics and others !
I am very glad I have had no concern with that Committee.
In connection with this subject there is a thrilling incident which
might serve an author as the basis of an interesting romance.
There was an unfortunate individual about who so closely resem
bled the culprit Stuart that after he had broken out of gaol and
was still at large this individual was arrested and underwent
a trial at the Supreme Court. Mr. Jansen identified him as one
of the men who attacked him in his store, and the police ofiicers
swore positively that he was the real Stuart whom they had
previously had in custody. It was in vain that the man declared
that his name was not Stuart, but Burdue. He was convicted
and sentenced to fourteen years' imprisonment in the state prison
(when they get one). He was then sent to Marysville to be
tried for the murder in that county. There, also, he was iden
tified as Stuart, and it was with much difficulty the police could
save him from the fury of the populace. He was again con
victed, and sentenced to be hung on a day to be appointed by
the Governor. It was while he was awaiting the Governor's
order that the Vigilance Committee succeeded in arresting the
real Stuart, who in his confession exculpated Burdue from any
share in his villainies.
Previous to this another man ran a narrow escape from an
excited multitude from his resemblance to Stuart. This was the
captain of a British ship. He was passing quietly along Mont
gomery street when some one cried out, "There goes Stuart!"
He was immediately seized by an infuriated mob, and only
escaped being torn to pieces when recognized and rescued by the
consignee of his ship, who fortunately happened to get sight of
him. The community was in such a state of excitement that no
one was safe.

CHAPTER XXIV.
On the night of the 3rd of May, 1851, just one year from a
destructive fire, I had retired early to bed, but not to sleep. At
about eleven o'clock I heard the first twang of that infernal bell.
In a moment I was on deck and found the devoted city once
more doomed to destruction. The whole northeast side of Ports
mouth Square was in flames; the furious nor' wester, which had
lulled away at sunset, reawakened by the heat of the conflagra
tion, was rushing down the gully between Signal Hill and the
heights that form the background, driving the flaming mass
directly over that portion of the city that had been burnt up in
June last, and also over a fleet of two hundred ships that lay
together in the flats in such manner as to be utterly Inextricable.
Those man toys they call fire engines were rattling away to
the scene, with the shouts of the companies and the tinkling of
their polished bells, but they are of no more use than an old
maid's teapot or a syringe from the medicine chest. A company
get their machine placed in the right position to attack a building
on fire, the hose is nicely placed in its serpentine track, the pipe-
holder grasps his squirting tube and aims it at the roof, expecting
to see the shingles fly like feathers in a hurricane. The fireman
puts his silver trumpet to his mouth and bawls out, "Play away
No. 4 !" But No. 4 has "absquatulated." A large wooden build
ing directly in their rear had burst into flames as suddenly as
a haystack, and they have much to do to save their water cart
and trundle it to another position. All the fire engines in Amer
ica cannot stop a San Francisco conflagration.
Washington and Clay streets run from the northwest and
southeast sides of Portsmouth Square; up these two streets the
fire urged its way, against the wind, to Stockton Street, and from
that to Powell Street, and along Powell it ran in a southeasterly
direction, crossing Sacramento and California to Market Street,
and in the northwest It leaped Jackson and Pacific streets to
Broadway. From Broadway to Market Street is half a mile, and
128

ANOTHER FIRE 129
from Powell Street to the bay is from one-fourth to one-third
of a mile. These boundaries include a space of a hundred acres
which at sunset stood thickly studded with buUdings. By 4 a. m.
the whole was cleared away, with the exception of three buUd
ings in Montgomery Street, burning five large store-ships full
of merchandise, one of them the Niantic, so miraculously saved
in June last, which had been enclosed in a wall of sheet iron.
She might as well have been wrapped in brown paper. Fortu
nately the city authorities had procured a depot for the gun
powder in the outskirts.
All the rest of those brick buildings in Montgomery Street,
which had been thought to be fire-proof, were but tinder boxes,
and had shared the general fate. In one of them the proprietors
(Messrs. Tahill & Co.) had, with some half a dozen of their
friends, shut themselves up with a supply of water, feeling confi
dent of their security. In the morning their burnt and mangled
bodies were found among the ruins near the door. It is sup
posed that, finding the building no longer tenable, they had en
deavored to escape, but the intense heat had so warped the iron
doors and windows that they could not be opened. Mr. Wells,
too, the Boston banker, and three or four of his friends, remained
in his fire-proof building too long, and did but just escape. Mr.
W. got dreadfully burned and will carry the marks to his grave.
In Jackson Street stood the store of Messrs. Stuart & Raines,
and in the chamber of their store were deposited all my books,
charts and. nautical instruments, and all my clothing except a
change of linen that I had with me in the Talma. I could not
leave the ship, for it required our constant attention to extin
guish the burning matter that was continually falling on board.
When daylight appeared, from Clark's Point to Happy Val
ley there was nothing to be seen except the three brick buildings
before mentioned and the foundations of that portion of the city
which had stood over the water. Here ten thousand piles were
standing up in the mud, with their tops burnt to the water's
edge, resembling (to use a low comparison) so many blackheads
and yellownecks of monster clams standing up in Joppa flats.
The Custom House was destroyed; with the books and ships'

I30 A PIONEER VOYAGE
papers in the vault of that building were three millions of treas
ure. Minutely to describe this dreadful conflagration is beyond
my power. The awful demon of Nature's most destructive ele
ment had been let loose at a moment when another demon had
arisen to fan its fury, and had wiped out, in a twinkling, the
grandest result of human enterprise the world has ever seen, or
ever can see.
In the morning, when I landed, I went over to Messrs. Stuart
& Raines' lot. It was entirely clear; there was not a piece of
timber left large enough to make a clothespin. I found Mr.
Stuart engaged in contracting with a builder for a new store to
be ready for occupancy in one week. All over the ruins men
were at work clearing away the rubbish preparatory to rebuild
ing their city and getting it ready for another conflagration,
which took place six weeks afterwards.
It was on the fatal thirteenth day of June; it was Sunday,
and Capt. Haskel and I had left the Talma, intending to go to
church. We called on board the James Caskie for Capt. Jones
and his wife to accompany us. While sitting in his cabin the
bells began to ring, as we supposed, for the morning service ; but
the accompaniment of ships' bells of all tones from double bass
to contralto, with tin pans and cow-horns, soon called me upon
deck. Thick smoke and flames were rising from a spot far up
the hill in the western section of the city.
We hurried on shore, and I made my way through the
crowded streets to the spot. The fire had commenced in a car
penter's shop in the rear of Powell Street, and might easily have
been extinguished if a supply of water had been at hand; but
there was none nearer than the bay, and before that could be
made available the fire had again got the mastery. When I
reached the scene the western side of Powell Street was all in
flames. Three engines were In this street, vainly squirting on
the burning mass. I stood looking on a few moments, and per
ceived the opposite side of the street began to change colour.
First it turned yellow, then brown, then the colour of burnt cof
fee, and began to smoke; the glazing snapped and flew, thus let
ting the heat into the interior; the cotton linings caught at once.

AN EXPLOSION 131
and at the same instant the whole broadside of the street, which
was a continuous range of wooden buildings, burst into flames.
The firemen were obliged to flee, abandoning two of their ma
chines and saving the other at much risk; several of them got
badly and some fatally burned.
The flames were now raging furiously down Jackson Street,
and I ran down to the store of Messrs. Stuart & Raines, where I
found the Newburyport delegation busy in removing their stock
of goods. Capt. Raines put into my charge a trunk containing
their treasure, and I took it on a wheelbarrow and trundled it
away down Front Street. I had not been there long before
the fire came careering down Broadway and Pacific Streets, and
I was in danger of being enclosed between two fires, and I
wheeled my barrow down to the lower end of Pacific Wharf,
where for three hours I remained guarding the treasure of a firm
in whose store all I had on earth to lose was burnt up six weeks
previously, — and I wondered what was to happen to me next.
As I stood there watching the progress of the devastation a
terrific explosion in Pacific Street arrested my attention. It was
a large warehouse built with corrugated iron sheets nailed to a
wooden frame; in this building was stored a considerable quan
tity of gunpowder, which had been allowed to remain, either
unknown to the fire department or else under the impression
that there was no danger. This leveled to the ground a large
space, and, the fire department taking the hint, blew up other
buildings and abandoned their engines, by which means and the
fortunate suspension of the usual gale, the valuable portion of
the city was this time saved.
The space cleared off by this conflagration was about twenty
acres, but the buildings were mostly of an inferior description
and were occupied as second class boarding houses and retail
shops. Three churches were burnt, one of them a large, new
edifice nearly ready for dedication belonging to the First Pres
byterian Society. It is supposed that this fire was the work of
incendiaries. Many kindling fires have been discovered lately
by the patrol of the Vigilance Committee, and my readers will
bear, in mind that the Port Philip miscreants had not yet been
arrested and executed.

CHAPTER XXV.
July 4, 1851. — The city is alive with the fun and frolic, the
drunkenness and rowdyism, of the celebration. I could take no
part in it, and alone I wandered away to the top of Signal HUl,
a lofty promontory that forms the northwest boundary of the
city. The view from this spot was magnificently grand. To the
west was the Golden Gate; and beyond, the vast expanse of the
Pacific. In every other direction the panorama was bounded by
distant mountains, the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada rising
in awful sublimity above the coast range, and in the clear and
pure atmosphere, although at a distance of two hundred miles,
yet looking as though they could be reached in an hour's travel.
At my feet lay the city of wonders, every street and every build
ing distinctly traceable in this birds-eye view, whUe in front ex
pands the noble bay, capable of containing all the navies of the
world; and beyond, another and still another beautiful inland bay.
As I was sitting there enjoying this glorious panorama, the
booming of cannon from ships and shore recalled to my mind the
day, and I reflected upon the glorious career of my country, and
the great and good men who achieved her Independence, prom
inent among whom stands ONE so deservedly denominated "the
'Father' of his country." From my boyhood I have never been
able to think of George Washington without finding my eyes
moistening with a tribute of veneration such as no other mortal
of ancient or modern times has ever been able to call forth.
On this occasion I took my memorandum book and wrote the
following impromptu, which flowed from my overcharged brain
as fast as I could write it down:
Immortal Fame once held a court.
To crown the greatest, best of mortals.
And summoned nations to report.
And send their heroes to her portals.
132

-I

'/'¦/T-.l

¦ <y^-

BIRDSEYE VIEW OF SAN FRANCISCO, JULY 4, 1851, FROM SIGNAL HILL.
Reproduced from original sketch by Captain George Coffin.
A
Signal Hill.
K
CaUfornia Street and A^'harf.
T
B
Portsmouth Square.
I.
Mission Road, being continued from
U
C
Broadway and Wharf.
M
Market Street ani.! AA'harf.
\'
D
Parific Street and Wharf.
N
Rincon Point an<.l Observatory.
«'
E
Jackson Street.
()
Front Street.
X
F
Washington Street.
P
Battery Street.
Y
G
Clay Street.
«
Sansome Street.
Z
H
Long Wharf.
K
Montgomery .Street.
I
Howison's Pier and Sacramento Street.
S
Kearney Street.
Ar
ytocktoii street.
Powell Street.
Koat-l to North Beach and Presidio
Herlia Buena Island.
iloiint Diablo.
Peaks of the Sierra Nevada.
Senator and Ci)nHdence. opposition steam
ers for Sacramento.
3w — Bay leading to San Jose, 45 miles.
AN IMPROMPTU POEM 133
First Alexander, surnamed Great,
Appeared, the King of conquered nations,
On proud Darius' throne he sate
Engrossed with servile adulations.
Then Caesar, on his golden throne,
A proffered diadem refusing;
Rome boasts this hero for her own.
And thinks that Fame can't err in choosing.
Spain sends her Philip, far renowned,
And Sweden, Charles, so great in story;
And each expects her hero, crowned.
Will soon return, enshrined in glory.
Old England now stands proudly forth
And spreads her long heroic Hst;
She cannot tell, — for moral worth, —
Which of her great men is the best.
Then fickle, gay, immoral France
Puts in her claim for Fame's "ecarte" ;
She fancies that, without a chance,
'Twill settle on her Bonaparte.
Besides the German Fredericks all.
And low-born, great Muscovite Peter,
From ev'ry clime within Fame's hall
Were gods of every hue and feature.
In silence now the nations wait
For just, impartial Fame's decision.
Why wait? Because another great.
Heroic, good man comes in vision.
Greece, Rome, Spain, Sweden, England, Gaul,
And all their Heroes bow before him;
A great — ^the greatest son of all;
The nations for his worth adore him.
Among them all, there Is but one
Fame crowns a Hero — Washington.

134 A PIONEER VOYAGE
Just as I had finished this episode, I heard my name called,
and, looking up, I was accosted by Major Braman, a gentle
man whose acquaintance I had formed in Marysville. He
proposed to me to buy a ship, and lay her on for
Panama for passengers. I told him that I had no means.
He said if I would look round and find a suitable ship and would
take charge of her he would find the means, and I might take
what interest I chose. I did not think very favourably of the
operation, but it would at least afford me employment, and that
was what I needed to drive away my melancholy. He appointed
to meet me at lo a. m. the next day at the store of a mutual
friend. I knew of a suitable ship that could be had cheap, and I
called at the appointed rendezvous, but instead of meeting the
Major I was handed the following note:
"Dear Sir: — By the advice of friends I have concluded
not to engage in the enterprise we talked of yesterday, and I
leave in the steamer at noon. Hoping that you will, etc., I am,
dear sir. Yours truly,
Chas. Braman."
I have been trained in the school of disappointment, but,
coming upon this as I did, at a time of unusual depression, I
was but poorly able to bear it. But I soon began to think that
it was all for the best, that my hope newly awakened had been
crushed before I had become engaged In that unpleasant busi
ness. About the middle of August I fell in with a fine barque of
three hundred tons, three years old. I found the captain was
desirous of selling her, and, after bantering with him for about
a week, I got him to name a price in which I thought I could
conscientiously propose to my friend to invest his money. On
mentioning the subject to him, he at once acceded to the pur
chase, and I was placed In command of the "Arco Iris." She
was not quite as large a vessel as I could have preferred, but
suited me better than any other I could find. I found consider
able to do to her to put her in a condition to please my taste, for
I am somewhat fastidious In regard to such matters. I was
surprised to find what an effect occupation with' an object in

LEAVING CALIFORNIA 135
view had in dispelling the gloomy despondency that had so long
oppressed me. I laid her on the berth for freight and passengers
for Honolulu.
The last Sabbath I spent in California I attended the morning
service at the chapel of the Rev. Mr. Williams, Presbyterian, a
gentleman with whom I had become acquainted soon after my
arrival, at the funeral of young Thurlo. After service I went
home with him by invitation. The new church that was burnt
in the last great fire was intended for him.
Mr. WiUiams is the worthy man who had so kindly volun
teered to visit the prison to exhort and pray with the criminals.
He said that he was in the act of prayer, and was just interced
ing for mercy on the guilty creatures, with particular reference
to the culprits Stuart and his associates, when his devotions were
so outrageously interrupted by the delegation from the Vigilance
Committee. He says no language can describe the horrified
aspect of the wretches when they were so ruthlessly seized and
dragged away to be executed, and one of the committee told me
they were more than half dead before they were strung up. Mrs.
Williams said that her husband was brought home in a frightful
state of nervous excitement, from which he had not wholly re
covered, and she was obHged to do the honours of the table.
I have said that Mr. Williams was a worthy man; his views
in certain doctrinal points in religious matters and my own are
at variance, but we can eat at the same table, and, if need be,
could sleep in the same bed. He is very unassuming in conver
sation, stating his own opinions with calmness and as calmly
listening to the arguments of his opponents. His sermons are
devoid of dogmatical assertion on disputed points, and are based
upon the inculcation of the principles of pure morality. In
short, he is no bigot. He came here from Mobile.
I obtained freight to the amount of $700, and three passen
gers, and got ready for sea on the loth of September. I shipped
one mate, four seamen and one negro to act as cook and steward.
I was obliged to pay the mate $50 a month for the voyage round,
the cook $50 and the seamen $40 for the run to Honolulu.
Got under way at noon, and beat out of the harbour under
double reefs, against the usual fiery nor'wester. At sunset it

136 A PIONEER VOYAGE
fell calm, and a strong flood tide set me back into the bay, and I
anchored in Saucelite Cove. At midnight started again with a
Hght breeze from northeast, and proceeded to sea, and as I passed
the Golden Gate I thought of the strange career that had attended
me since I passed in here in the Alhambra, two years ago.
But adieu. Thou wondrous city, offspring of a day;
The "ne plus ultra" of the works of man,
Young giant Empress of this noble bay;
Thy future greatness let him tell who can.
The wide Pacific waits at thy command
Her varied vast resources to unfold.
And pour them all upon thy busy strand.
Thou great exporter of unmeasured gold.
Columbia boasts of thy majestic birth,
Columbia's sons have made thee what thou art;
No other race of men in all the earth
Could e'er have given thee such a glorious start.
That start is but the herald of thy youth.
The initiating step in thy career.
Revolving suns shall witness still thy growth.
And earth's metropolis be found in future here.

CHAPTER XXVI.
The winds prevailed from the northeast, but very light, and
I was twenty days running over to the islands. My little barque
did not sail so well as I expected from her reputed character and
her model. This I attribute to her having lain so long in the
mud In San Francisco. Her bottom is probably coated with
barnacles and oysters, for I have seen attached to the copper on
ships' bottoms lying there clusters of oysters that would fill a
peck measure.
Made the island of Wahoa at midnight on the second of Octo
ber, doubled the southeast point at 4 a. m., and at daylight
received a pilot, Capt. Knox, of Boston, and entered the harbour,
which is in the lee or southwest side of the island. It is formed
by the continuation of a large ravine that comes down from the
mountains, and extends a mile into the sea, bounded by a coral
reef on each side, rising to from two to four feet of the surface.
The entrance is narrow and, with the usual trade wind blow
ing out, ships cannot work in. As a ship comes off the harbour,
intending to go in, the pilot makes a signal and one or two hun
dred of the natives wade out on the south reef with a long tow-
line, one end of which is placed in a boat stationed at the end
of the reef. The ship stands in under a press of sail, hauls short
round the end of the reef, every halyard is let go at once and
sail taken in as quickly as possible. The men in the boat pass
their end of the Hne on board and it is made fast to the bits. The
pilot waves his hand, the Kanakas strike up a diatessaron and
start off with the towline, tugging the ship up to the anchorage
Hke a regiment of black ants dragging along an elephant.
The town of Honolulu is situated on the south side on a level
space of two or three miles extent, backed up by abrupt hills. In
front are the stores and places of business of tbe foreign popula
tion, chiefly American, numbering from three thousand to four
thousand. Their residences are delightfully situated in the back
ground, streets well laid out and buildings substantial and com-
137

138 A PIONEER VOYAGE
modious. There is a very good market house, and it is well
supplied with meats, fish and fruit and vegetables. Green turtle
are here no rarity. There are several short but convenient
wharves, and it is a good place to heave out and repair a ship.
Lumber and spars are brought from Oregon; mechanics abun
dant. The natives live in huts made of poles and interwoven with
cane and reed and covered with coarse grass ; they occupy a space
back of the foreigners. They are of an olive complexion, hair
and eyes universally black, well-formed and regular features.
Some of the women would be considered handsome were it not
for their abominable, dirty untidiness.
They live principally upon "paui" and fish. Paui is the tara
root, a bulbous vegetable which grows in pools of water and Is
something Hke a turnip in appearance. It Is mashed up and kept
till it becomes acid before it is eaten. They do not use knives
and forks or spoons ; with them fingers were made first, and they
stick to nature's implements. A party squat upon their haunches
Hke frogs around a tub of paui, with small fishes; daub goes a
fellow's fist Into the paui paste, and, whirling it round till he
gets It Into the right shape, he opens his capacious maw, thrusts
"m his whole hand, licks off the foetid mass and is ready for an
other daub. The ladies, more deHcate, dip in only the fingers.
Occasionally they seize a fish in both hands, and, holding it
by the head and tail, they eat it raw, making the first grab at the
entrails as the choicest morsel. On Sundays, which the strangers
have taught them is a holiday, they indulge in the luxury of roast
pork, which, cooked In their fashion, is Indeed a luxury. They
scoop out a hollow in the ground and pave it with stones, make
a fire in it, and, when the stones are sufficiently heated, they clear
away the embers and lay in a pig weighing from fifty to one
hundred pounds ; then they cover it with other stones previously
heated, and on the heap lay a mound of heated earth. In this
way the juices are prevented from escaping, the meat cooks grad
ually and thoroughly, and when taken out is of a fine brown
colour and is tender and delicious.
These people are addicted to intemperance, and when drunk
they are mad. The Government has prohibited any white man

TOWN OF HONOLULU. ISLAND OF OAHU, SANDWICH OR HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
Reproduced from original sketch by Captain George Coffin.

DIVINE SERVICES 139
from furnishing them liquors under any pretense whatever, un
der a penalty of five hundred dollars. But the King himself is
above the law and is a beastly drunkard. He is a good-looking
young man.
They are passionately fond of riding on horseback, and the
women ride astraddle, bundled up in about twenty yards of yel
low cotton cloth, each one looking like a great pumpkin with
a section sliced out and the cavity fitted to the saddle. The native
canoes are dugouts, so narrow that they can only get their legs
and feet In; they are prevented from turning over by outriggers
from each end, extending out eight or ten feet, with a piece of
timber shaped like the canoe secured to the outer ends.
Sunday, October 28. — I attended divine service at the Bethel.
The congregation was composed of the elite or aristocratic por
tion of the residents, seated in their own pews ; very few seamen
were there. The stated preacher in the forenoon gave us a very
sensible and well-written discourse, and there was nothing very
objectionable in his prayer. In the afternoon he introduced to
his audience a newly fledged bird just let loose from his nest at
Princeton or Andover. He went on in a ranting, canting style
of dogmatical assertions, as though he thought he was talking
to those who had no more sense than himself.
His prayer was a lengthened tissue of commonplace, unmean
ing expressions and impious wishes. At one time he hesitated
as if at a loss for a sentence, and then he uttered with a long-
drawn-out "o — h!" this impious imprecation: "O — h. Lord!
that we might understand the length and the breadth and the
height and the depth of Thine inscrutable decrees !" There is a
fault in our form of worship; we are supposed to join in prayer,
and our mouthpiece utters, too often, wishes repugnant to our
feelings. For this reason set forms of prayer are more appro
priate; we then know what we are going to ask for. Our
Saviour Himself condemned long prayers and gave us a form
the most appropriate that a mortal can offer to his Maker, except
in seasons of great distress, when we may be excused for being
more particular.
There is a large building in an open field in the outskirts
built by missionary funds for the use of the natives as a church.

I40 A PIONEER VOYAGE
I took a StroU out there on Sunday, November 4th. There was
no service and the house was closed. One-half of the glazing
was broken and some of the window blinds were lying about on
the ground and others hanging by one hinge. The basement
was fitted up with benches and a desk for a vestry or lecture
room, but the doors were missing, and cows, sheep and swine
seemed to have it all to themselves. The whole appearance of
the building indicated that the missionaries were getting tired of
their caUing, or else that the Kanakas were getting tired of them.
I found lying here the ship Adirondack, Capt. Gillespie.
This is the same ship and the same captain that the Ocean Queen
made love to so warmly at the mouth of the Mississippi. Capt.
G. says that when he saw the collision must take place he ran
into his cabin to place his wife in safety. He expected we should
cut his stern off. He said that it cost $10,000 tp repair his dam
age. He is after a freight of oil, very much to my disadvantage.
At Honolulu I became acquainted with Mr. Anthon, the
Danish Consul. Dining with him one day, the conversation
turned upon California and its wonders. I have already told so
many extravagant stories that I fear I shall be thought a second
Munchausen, but I must relate Mr. Anthon's story to cap the
cHmax. He says that, early in 1849, he bought an old schooner
and loaded her with potatoes and cleared $25,000 ; but the climax
is this: he bought at auction a cask of saleratus weighing 250
pounds for $25 and sent it over to San Francisco in the schooner.
It came to market at a time when all the flour on hand was
sour, and the bakers must have a correction, and this barrel of
saleratus sold for $8 a pound, so that the cask that cost in Hono
lulu $25 brought in San Francisco, one month afterwards, the
snug Httle sum of $2,000 !
The Sandwich Islands are nine in number, forming a group
ranging northwest and southeast from Lat. 22° 30/ N., Long.
160° 15' W., to Lat. 18° 45' N., Long. 154° 50' W. They lie
about one-third the distance from the coast of Mexico to China.
Most of the islands are volcanic, and some of the peaks rise to
the altitude of fifteen thousand feet. Woakoo is one of the
smallest, but selected as the seat of govemment from possessing
the best harbour of any. The climate is temperate, the thermom-

SANDWICH ISLANDS 141
eter ranging from 60° to 85° Fahrenheit. When first discov
ered by Capt. Cook in 1778, he estimated the whole population
at four hundred thousand. But, like all other countries newly
settled by the Anglo-Saxon race, they are fast dwindling away
and do not number now one-third of that number. Sugar cane,
coffee and tropical fruits and vegetables flourish, and these
islands are to become to the future Pacific States what the An
tilles are to the Atlantic.
Honolulu is the great resort of the Arctic whale ships, to
spend the winter and refit. I waited here six weeks in hopes
of getting a freight of oil out of some of them for home, and in
two instances thought I had succeeded, but I found the New
Bedford interest too strong for me, the captains of the oil and
whalebone ships giving the preference to a vessel belonging to
that place or else to one commanded by a man accustomed to the
business. So I was obliged to give It up and push on across the
Pacific. In contrasting the pure Kanaka blood with the Anglo-Saxon
one cannot but wonder at the progress of the human race from
barbarism to perfection, and, reasoning back from analogy, we
wonder if our common progenitors were not baboons.

CHAPTER XXVII.
On the 23rd of November, 1851, I left Honolulu for Singa
pore in search of business for my barque. For the first week
out the trade wind was Hght and I made but little progress. It
afterwards freshened up and my little craft began to show what
she could do; she has probably shaken the shaggy coat from
her copper. In crossing the Pacific my route lay directly across
two positions where islands are laid down on the charts, but I
saw no land, nor any of the usual indications of its vicinity;
probably some ancient navigator saw at a distance a fog bank,
such, as sometimes would deceive the most experienced, and, be
ing ambitious of being the first discoverer, has made haste to
report, without going near enough to be certain that he was
right. On the 13th of December I passed within two miles of Vol
cano Island, the northernmost of the Ladrone group. This is
an abrupt cone rising to the height of one thousand feet, with a
crater at the summit, from which Issued volumes of white smoke.
On the i8th I passed through the passage and entered the China
sea. The northeast monsoon was blowing fresh, and I had a
fine run down to Singapore, where I anchored at daylight on
Sunday, December 28th, thirty-five days from Honolulu.
After breakfast I went on shore and first made my way to a
large hotel that fronted the landing place. It had a spacious
yard in front, and as I entered the gate I heard a shrill female
voice calling up aloft, "Why, I declare! if there ain't Capt.
George Coffin ! Who would have thought it ?" I looked up and
beheld the well-known face of Mrs. Isaac Bray looking out of a
chamber window. Capt. Bray, in the ship Bengal, had stopped
here on his way from San Francisco to Calcutta, and had en
gaged to load here for London. I spent an hour with them very
pleasantly. Having despatched a note to Mr. James Adams, he came In
his carriage and took me over to his house, where I found my
cousins, Mrs. Adams and her brother, Coolidge Stone. The

SINGAPORE 143
meeting was mutually agreeable; to me it was peculiarly so, as
Mrs. Adams was so lately from home. They kindly invited me
to take a room in their house during my stay, and I gladly
accepted their polite invitation to escape from my prison (for I
am alone on board, my mate being a rowdy with whom I cannot
be famUiar). But I have managed to keep off the blues thus far by busying
myself In small jobs of carpenter's work and in writing out this
my journal. I fear that those for whom it is written wUl be
puzzled to make it out. The fact is, when I get engaged in
writing my ideas come crowding on each other so fast that I
am bothered to put them in black and white fast enough, and
before I am aware of it I get running on pell mell to the bottom
of the page, and when I come to look it over I am quite at a
loss to make it out myself. I find many omissions, and some
commissions, — I's made into t's, and the dots over my i's some
where within forty-five degrees of where they ought to be; and
the writing! I fancy it looks somewhat like the French soldiers
running from the field of Waterloo! As for the stops! I fear I
shall be obliged to adopt Lord Timothy Dexter's plan and devote
the last page altogether to commas, semicolons, periods and notes
of queries and admiration ,;:.?!
The reports of business at Calcutta are too discouraging to
warrant me in proceeding there, and I had nothing left but to
look for local business, to wear away the time till I could fall
in with a freight for home, and Mr. Adams obtained for me a
freight of betel nut, cutch and pepper for Canton. But it is
hard, after getting so far on my way towards home, to be
obliged to retrace my way back again thousands of miles. But
all for the best, perhaps. At least it is the part of true philoso
phy to think so.
The betel is a climbing plant, resembling the ivy; the leaves
are used all throughout India and China by chewing it as Euro
peans do tobacco; It colours their lips a fiery red and turns the
teeth black, which they consider an improvement upon Nature's
handiwork. Cutch is a resin resembling black pitch, and is used
for the same purposes.
The town of Singapore is beautifully situated in a fine sweep
ing curve on the southeast side of an island of the same name

144 A PIONEER VOYAGE
lying in the Straits of Malacca between the long and large
island of Sumatra and the coast of Malay. The principal resi
dences of the Europeans are palace-like edifices stretching along
the strand for about two miles, with a broad avenue lined with
trees in front, and a fine esplanade between that and the bay.
Mr. Adams occupies one of the best of these residences ; his
house Is as large as an ordinary church, with half an acre of
garden in front and twice as much in the rear; the rooms are
large, airy and lofty. A fine circular balcony projects in front,
looking out upon the bay and the Spice Islands beyond. Here
we sit evenings, each in a Chinese lolling chair, with our feet
cocked up on the balustrade Yankee fashion and with a No. i
Manila cheroot we smoke "dull care away."
When it was time to retire for the night, a fine young Hindu
was summoned and appointed as my body servant. He led the
way to a spacious and lofty apartment and began at once to act
the part of "valet de chambre," and while he was assisting me
in disrobing two other Hindus brought in a large semi-spherical
bathing tub. Then my "valet" assisted me in the difficult job of
entering it, and, having rubbed and scrubbed my person for half
an hour, he assisted me into a spacious couch, where I luxuriated
in sheets of the purest linen. What a contrast !
The Governor's residence is situated on a hill in the back
grounds overlooking the whole; the avenues leading up to it are
lined with oranges, tamarind and nutmeg trees. Seven-eighths
of the Inhabitants are Chinese, who occupy a space in the west
separated from the Europeans by a small bayou or creek. A
large trade is carried on with China. The junks make but one
voyage a year ; they come down in February and lie here retail
ing their rich cargoes till the southwest monsoon sets in to give
them a fair wind home; for they are like land crabs, they can
only go on a straight line.
This place is well situated to command an extensive trade.
It is absolutely a free port ; no duties, no restrictions of any kind,
no custom house ; but there is one drawback to it as a desirable
place of residence, — the jungles are infested with tigers and
venomous serpents.
On the Sth day of January, without any official permit, I
started on my retrograde voyage. The northeast monsoon, blow-

£— Sii^lLf^i" ' ^tflui^

•aaetf^

TSISSC

SINGAPORE.
Reproduced from the original sketch by Captain George Coffin.

BIRTHDAY PASSAGE 145
ing directly down the China Sea, compelled me to take the east
ern route, which makes the distance nearly double, but nothing
but an opium clipper can beat up. I had a fine run through the
Java Sea and doubled the south end of the island of Bouton on
the evening of the 21st of January. My course then became
northeast up through the Pitts and Gillolo passages to the Pacific
Ocean. At 4 A. M. I found myself surrounded by islands and hove to
to wait for daylight, when I found that a current or bad steerage
had set me out of my course. The west point of the Islands bore
N. N. W., the wind W. N. W. I tacked and stood to the south
west about seven miles, when I fell in with an extensive reef
nearly even with the surface, with dry rocks visible in several
places and the remains of numerous wrecks lying about on the
reef, which extended to the southeast beyond the horizon and
the extremity two miles on my weather bow. This reef is not
marked on the charts as dangerous, but must be very much so, in
the night, and I must have passed quite near to its west end.
Finding I could not weather it, I tacked again and, seeing a
clear passage between the islands to leeward, and not willing to
waste time in beating out, I bore up and, taking the lookout
aloft myself, I passed through a strait two miles wide and came
out into the Banda Sea. This passage had no name on the
chart and, it being my natal day, I caUed it Birthday Passage.
The winds now became light and I was a fortnight working
my way out through the passages into the Pacific Ocean.
On the 5th day of February we lay entirely becalmed till
towards night In the Sea of Gillolo, and a long dark craft full of
men was discovered about three miles distant, directly in our
track. I looked at her with my glass and could make nothing
more or less of it than a Malay "prahu" full of men, dark and
naked savages. My officers and crew became very much alarmed,
for it had been reported at Singapore that a number of vessels
had been cut off by piratical boats in this passage, and I must
confess I did not feel very comfortable myself.
I had taken the precaution to provide two small carriage guns
at Singapore and also half a dozen muskets, but now they ap
peared to me to be of but little use, with such a formidable an
tagonist, with probably others not far off. She did not make any

146

A PIONEER VOYAGE

advance, but appeared to be reconnoitering. However, the con
clusion of this affair was so ludicrous that I turned it Into rhyme,
and afterwards composed a jingling tune to it, for the amuse
ment of my children, leaving it to my daughter to arrange an
accompaniment and premising that "prahu" is a Malay word
signifying a long, low open boat and is pronounced as "prow."

The Pirate of Gillolo.

Moderato.

faj j J fiW

mf I I
De-scend, my muse, and fold yonr wing. As - sist me as I

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try to sing. In mel - an - chol - y

w

lo. What

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once be - fell the gal - lant crew. The Ar - co I ris.

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pass ing thro' The pas - sage

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I

THEPIRATE OF GILLOLO 147

'Twas at a time when it was said.
To strike poor sailors' hearts with dread.
That pirates thronged this passage
According to the common fame.
In prahus the rascals always came.
Upon their deadly message.
3-
As nearly all one direful day,
Without a breath of wind we lay.
The lookout saw a prahu, sir;
A long, low, dark and ugly sight.
The thing to fill us with affright.
Just off the starboard bow, sir.
4-
I took my glass and scanned her well ;
Full twenty men I plain could tell.
Besides what more were hid, sir;
'Twas evident the time was come
When we must fight for life ahd home ;
I'll tell you what we did, sir.
5-
I ne'er had seen, beneath the sun,
A hostile sword drawn, or a gun.
Or pistol fired In anger;
I feared, but knew that I ought not
To let my people see I thought
That there was any danger.

'Come, mount your guns, my gallant crew ;
Those two three-pounders, bright and new ;
Prepare for firm resistance!"
This quick was done, the decks were swept.
While yet the dismal pirates kept
At a respectful distance.

148 A PIONEER VOYAGE
7-
The sea, it was as smooth as glass ;
The hateful calm did still harass ;
No cheering breeze would take us.
The mate, he made the sad remark
That they would wait tiU after dark
And then they would attack us.
8.
"Then, charge your guns and let them see
That armed and well prepared are we
To meet them after dark, sir."
One gun was fired ; the trusty ball
Sped fiercely on till it did fall
Short the intended mark, sir.
9-
I thought, by firing off a gun.
The ugly prahu would up and run ;
That we should thus confound her.
But she moved not. "Try it again.
My brave, heroic, valiant men."
Bang ! went the next three-pounder.
io.
I looked again ; not a dog sprang.
Of all that dark and savage gang.
Away from his fixed station.
"They're game," quoth I, "and seem well drilled,"
At which my mates and crew were filled
With fearful consternation. II.
They were a mixed and motley crew —
Dutch, Englishmen, and John Crapeau,
With only one a Yankee,
Who darned his eyes for being here;
He guessed the prahu would soon come near.
"Pray keep off, sirs, I'U thank 'ee."

THE PIRATE OF GILLOLO
12.
Some swore and cursed the lazy breeze,
While two among them, Portuguese,
Invoked the Virgin Mary.
The cook and steward, both Chinese,
Cried, Ching and Chang, and smote their knees ;
Their pigtails stuck out scary.
13-
At length, to set my heart at ease,
A gentle, though Increasing, breeze
Came rippling o'er the water.
Thought I, I'll settle with you now.
My long, low, dark and ugly prahu ;
I'U see what you are after.
14.
So, straight towards her, bold I steered.
And soon the frightful craft we neared,
Each man armed with a musket; ¦
While Ching and Chang, their coppers filled
With scalding water, stood, well drilled.
Into the prahu to thrust It.
IS-
A moment 'twas of deep suspense.
For there the pirates, dark and dense.
Looked ugly as the devil.
It was a time to try men's souls.
For there was nothing 'tween the poles
So fraught with coming evil.
16.
"Stand firm, my men; let's show 'em game;
Hold fast your firelocks ; take good aim.
We'll teach the copper villains
How to waylay a Yankee craft.
And for the dollars they are aft
We'll give them leaden shUlings."

149

I50 A PIONEER VOYAGE
17-
My thoughts towards home now fluttered fast.
Oh ! wife and children, comes at last
The end of my existence.
When I must bid you all adieu.
False murdered by a pirate crew.
At such an awful distance.
i8.
The dreaded crisis came! When, lo!
The long, low, dark and ugly prahu
Proved but a floating mast, sir.
The men were *gannets, dirty things;
At our approach they spread their wings
And flew away quite fast, sir.

*A gannet is a large sea fowl, and in calm weather and a
smooth sea there is sometimes a "mirage" or thin haze upon the
surface that magnifies and distorts objects, making them appear
very different from what they really are.

CHAPTER XXVIII.
Tuesday, February 9. — FeU in with the Httle island of Maricle,
lying in Lat. 4° N., Long. 132° E. It is about half a mile in
extent and just elevated above the sea sufficient to support vege
tation, and clothed with an apparently impenetrable thicket of
mangrove trees down to the water's edge, the branches extend
ing over the sea, and surrounded by reefs.
It was not to be expected that this dot upon the ocean, two
hundred miles from any other land, would have been inhabited,
and I was surprised to find, on passing under its lee about two
miles, three small log canoes waiting for me to come along.
There were two men in each canoe, belonging to the great Malay
race, chestnut colour, well formed and of medium height, hair
long, black and straight, features regular and full of animation.
They were savages, in a state of nature, entirely naked.
Their object was trade, but they wanted not gold or silver;
an iron hoop seemed to be the height of their ambition, and an
old knife set them into ecstasies. All they could say In English
was "ien 'oop and knife." All they had to give in exchange was
a few cocoanuts and mats and scarfs of their own rude fabric,
made from a species of grass.
On opening the northwest side of the island I discovered
their huts scattered about in small opyenings among the trees.
How strange ! Here, now, on this little spot, where naught is to
be seen but ocean, ever-rolling ocean, and the celestial vault, with
its luminaries, constellations and clouds, resides a colony of
human beings entirely cut off from any communication with the
world, except occasionally when some straggler like myself,
driven out of his track by adverse winds, may pass their little
world; and even then, most navigators would give it too wide
a berth for them to venture off in their frail canoes, and yet
they appeared to be happy.
I gave them a bag of bread, and the mate threw into their
boats a lot of porpoise blubber that had been lying In the sun
151

152 A PIONEER VOYAGE
for three days. They seized this stinking mess and devoured it
with as much gusto as I should eat the second joint of a roast
turkey, which, by the way, I have not tasted for three years. It
was curious to watch their savage expression of countenance as
they swallowed the foetid corruption; it was like that of two
mastiffs devouring a marrow bone. I suppose when they get on
shore this evening they will have a grand feast, and the chance
of my visit will be an era in their chronicles long to be remem
bered. They hung on to the lines, towing astern, till their little
island was sinking below the horizon, and then only left at the
approach of night.
I have said that they appeared to be happy. Their wants are
few. Knowing nothing of the luxuries and refinements of civ
ilization, they also know nothing of its cares and wants. Banks
may break, conflagrations may sweep away whole blocks, or
even cities; a revolution may convulse a continent; what care
they? They have no notes to pay and are not anxious about
the arrival of the next steamer. And now, while they have gone
back to their cabins, to spend a night in peace, here am great
Mr. I toiling against a head wind that seems to be everlasting.
Good night, simple islanders. May you never attract the notice
of missionaries, nor be blest with the cares of civilization !
The winds continued unfavorable for ten days more; then,
on the 20th, having fought my way up to Lat. 20° and Long.
135°, I took the northeast trades, which soon became fresh and
steady, and on the 25th I passed once more through the Bashee
Passage. On the 27th fell In with "Pedra branca," a whitish
rock, about fifty feet high, standing alone about thirty miles from
the coast of China, an excellent landmark for vessels bound to
Hong Kong.
Here I was surrounded by a fleet of hundreds of flshing
junks, an uncouth-looking craft about fifty or sixty tons. They
have one very large sail, made of mats and shaped like a shod
shovel, with half a dozen spreaders stretched across to make it
set straight and strengthen it. The rudder is shaped something
like an old-fashioned field gate, and is kept in its place by some
"hocus pocus" contrivance without pintles. They always go in
pairs, keeping about a cable's length apart and dragging a seine

FISHING JUNKS.

HONG KONG 153
between them. The fish they catch resembles a shad in appear
ance and flavour more nearly than any fish we have in our waters.
I obtained a pilot from one of them, and at midnight we
anchored in the harbour of Hong Kong. At early daylight I
was taken possession of by a host of Chinese expectants, prin
cipally women. On both sides, ahead and astern, were crowds
of boats, all after some kind of employment. Wherever an
American ship goes, she is a godsend to all men, women and
children. Of all the places I have ever visited, Hong Kong is the most
heterogeneous and fantastic; it beats Valparaiso out and out.
The island rises to the height of half a mile, and is so rough
and precipitous that a straight and level street of ten rods long
is out of the question; in fact, a location for a house is hard to
be found without digging down one side and levelling up the
other. In passing along the crooked streets I found places where
a balustrade guards one from falling down a precipice hundreds
of feet, and on the other side of the stf eet will be a house perched
up fifty feet above you. Its next neighbor will be on a level
with the street, and next door to that you will just see, peeping
above the street wall, the roof and chimneys of a house. Go
that side and look over and you will find that It is a large house
down in a hollow, and the only way to get at it is by a tunnel
under the street. Just back of the town, abrupt barren rocks
rise to the altitude of half a mile, with cascades tumbling down
the gullies, fed by the condensation of clouds arrested by their
summits. Everybody can look down upon his neighbor except those
living near the water, and they can look down upon hundreds of
floating dwellings, for nearly one-half the Chinese Hve in boats.
Children are born and brought up and die In a sampan, which
is a boat eighteen or twenty feet long, with a sliding roof of
bamboo and mats ; they are managed by the owner and his wife
and children. The women are by far the most expert and mas
culine. The first time I got Into a sampan to go on shore I thought
the skipper was a queer-looking specimen of humanity. He was
dressed in a blue cotton loose frock, hanging down below the

154 A PIONEER VOYAGE
waist; a pair of loose trousers, cut short just below his knees, and
legs and feet bare. He had a weatherbeaten face, resembling a
brown pumpkin, with two narrow black streaks where his eyes
ought to be. He had a hump on his back as big as a half bushel,
but he flew round as nimble as a monkey, hoisted up his sail with
the swing of a man-o'-war's man, and then he took the large
sculling oar and sculled away like any old salt. Before we
reached the shore a ventriloquial squeak from the hump ex
plained the true state of the matter. It was the woman of the
establishment, and the hump was her babe, tightly swathed and
securely lashed to her back underneath her loose frock. In this
way all these boat-women carry tbeir infants, — an excellent plan,
for the motion of their bodies in rowing or sculling answers the
purpose of a cradle.
Hong Kong was ceded to the English at the close of the
opium war. They have wisely made it a free port, and it Is now
the general resort for all ships seeking business in China. Find
ing that none of my cargo was to be landed here, I procured a
river pilot and started for Canton. The harbourmaster sent me
a Chinese pilot who was a prototype of Bonaparte. He was
aware of this, and had studied the attitudes of the Emperor Nap
oleon. Standing on my quarterdeck, with his hands folded be
hind his back, his "chapeau de bras" in silent dignity, he looked
the prince of pilots.
We threaded our way out through a narrow and crooked
channel surrounded by mountainous islands for about fifteen
miles, when we opened out into the estuary of the "Taho" or
Canton River, and, having advanced about thirty miles in a
northwesterly direction, we came to the famous "Boca Tigris,"
or Tiger's Mouth. This is a strait about a mUe wide. Here are
eleven large fortifications, so situated on bluff headlands as to
command the passage without interfering with one another, and
were they garrisoned by European or American soldiers, they
would make this "tiger's mouth" a most terrific opening to ven
ture Into; but under Chinese management an American or Euro
pean fleet would silence them aU in what Jack calls a quarter
less no time.
As we ran into this yawning mouth It came on dark and

HONG KONG.
Reproduced from original sketch by Captain George Coffin.

HONG KONG 155
rainy. The river from hence up is full of mud banks, but my
Napoleon of a pilot dashed on up the intricate channel, without
heaving the lead till midnight, when the wind left us and we
came to anchor. Started again at daylight, and two hours' run
brought us to the anchorage at Whampoa, the shipping port of
Canton. On our way up this morning we were accompanied by a mos
quito fleet of sampans, all eager to be the first to obtain my
patronage. The first that came alongside was "manned" by four
young girls, fifteen or sixteen years of age. Their object was
to secure the washing from the ship. They were bright and
good-looking sole-leather-coloured witches, and the way they
laid hold of my Jacks showed that the old duds from the fore
castle were theirs sure, and they were not long in bringing the
mates round, too. What a spectacle! Here are now four young
misses, by the accident of birth reduced to this degrading re
source to obtain a livelihood, while others of their sex, better
born, are figuring in high Hfe, provided with all the luxuries of
aristocracy, and one alone, also by accident of birth, is Queen
of England. But which of all is the happiest? For that is the
grand question, after all.
My ship is like a successful candidate after an election to an
office of patronage; on both sides and all about are sampans,
tailors, barbers, shoemakers, carpenters, blacksmiths and paint
ers. They all have recommendations from American shipmates,
certifying that they are the most honest among the Chinamen,
when probably the signers never employed any other. I never
pay any regard to a shipmaster's recommendation, and, suppos
ing that others pay as Httle to mine, I have adopted, as a general
rule, this style: "I certify that I have employed, as tailor, the
bearer, Chang-Cheng-Ching-Chong-Chung, and believing that If
weU looked after he will not cheat any more than his compet
itors, I recommend him accordingly."
After breakfast I started in a sampan for Canton, a distance
of about twelve miles. The river has several branches and is
very crooked, and the scene is continually changing. The grounds
are all highly cuUivated, the lowlands in rice and the elevated
grounds formed into terraces and planted In garden vegetables.

iS6 A PIONEER VOYAGE
Oranges, bananas and other tropical fruits are growing profusely
around. The river is full of boats, of all shapes and sizes from the
unwieldy junk down to the humble cockle- woman in her bread-
trough. I have no doubt I passed ten thousand craft between
Whampoa and Canton. In every boat were women and chil
dren. It is surprising to see how dextrously they manage to keep
clear of one another. As we came abreast of the city, the banks
of the river were completely hidden from view by the absolute
jam of boats, and I did not see how we were to effect a landing.
But my sampan woman was at home; she drove ahead, clearing
one and shoving another, till we came to a narrow lane through
this city of boats, which led to a smaU dock appropriated to
the use of the gentry, but closed to the common herd by a boom,
which was drawn aside, as we approached, by a woman, and we
shot through into a beautiful little basin with granite steps.
I jumped on shore and found myself in a charming park,
where were flowers of every hue and perfume, and, coming upon
me so suddenly, the effect was enchanting. Here the English
and American flags were flying from lofty masts, to indicate the
kings of the American and English merchants who occupy a
range of lofty mansions in front. A very neat English chapel
stands in the center of this park.
I stood for a few moments gazing about; a dozen Chinese
sharpers were on the lookout; they knew that I was a stranger
and boarded me on all quarters, each one insisting on taking me
away to his shop, "nolens volens," and declaring that he was the
only honest one among them. I saw the sign of the American
eagle in front, indicating the Consulate, and stepped in to en
quire the way to my consignee's, and was kindly furnished with
a guide. Having entered my vessel, made arrangements for discharg
ing my cargo and taken "tiffin" (midday lunch) with my con
signee (dinner hour being 5 p. m.), I returned to my ship, leav
ing it for a more convenient opportunity to take a look at all a
barbarian is allowed to see of the celestial city.

A RIVER FISHING BOAT ON THE CANTON RIVER.
Reproduced from original sketch by Captain George Coffin.

CHAPTER XXIX.
It is now about the time of breaking up of the northeast
monsoon, which has been blowing for six months. The weather
is cold and wet, and fires are required; as for the sun, he has
not been seen for a week. Whampoa is nothing more than a
cluster of huts and hovels standing over the river on piles or
stakes driven into the mud, extending in two ranges along the
river's bank about two miles. The land on both sides of the
river is alluvial, that is, it is composed of a deposit of mud
brought down from the mountains and hills by the rains and
floods of the centuries that have passed since the last grand
convulsion left the earth in its present form. It is appropriated
to the cultivation of rice, which is the principal food of the
Chinese. So vast is fhe population and so great the demand for
rice that they devote every foot of available ground to its culti
vation, and encroach upon the river for a residence. Agriculture
is esteemed the most honourable employment In China.
At the commencement of the year, the Emperor, who is
styled "Holy Son of Heaven, sole guardian of the earth and
brother of the Sun," installs the season by a state ceremony of
great importance. As the high priest of the empire, he prostrates
himself, touches the ground with his head, invoking the blessing
of Heaven upon the labours of his people, then with his own
hands he sacrifices a bullock as an offering to the Great Being.
Next throwing aside his imperial robes, he holds the state plow,
which looks more like a snow drag than an agricultural imple
ment, drawn by a pair of celestial oxen (kept for this purpose,
and profusely decorated), and opens the first furrow of the
year. Then the mandarins follow his example In regular suc
cession according to rank, down to the lowest pig-tail of aris
tocracy. After this ceremony the common herd may plow and
plant and wag their pig-tails to their own tune.
This Is a nation of thieves ; from the mandarin to the scaven
ger, men, women and children seem to consider It creditable to
157

158 A PIONEER VOYAGE
steal everything that they can lay their hands on, and the stricter
the lookout that is kept for them the greater is the exploit, if
they can escape detection. They will even steal the copper off
a ship's bottorn, and that under water, too, and having melted It
over they will bring it on board the same ship for sale in the
shape of thowlpins or thimbles. We are obliged to keep guard
boats ahead and astern during the night, but I expect it is like
setting a thief to catch a thief.
While my mate and I were at breakfast I heard a rattling of
some rattans that lay on deck ; the mate ran out and found a boy
carrying a bundle of them across two lighters that lay along
side, with at least twenty men in them, not one of whom would
lift a finger to stop him. The mate gave chase, but the young
urchin reached his sampan and was off. I then sent him in
pursuit in the ship's hired sampan, but although there were only
two little boys of them, and the mate had three Chinese men and
one woman in his boat, yet they could not, or would not, over
take the rogue, and he was obHged to give up the chase and
return, at which all the lightermen and all the boatmen and
women within sight set up a great shout.
They are also a savage and bloodthirsty race. Yesterday a
quarrel took place between the crews of two large lighters while
lying alongside my barque. They resorted to cutlasses and
boarding pikes and several severe stabs and cuts were given
and received. The row continued about an hour, until the
women, who had till then been looking on and encouraging their
own men, thought it time to interfere ; they rushed in among the
combatants and soon laid, them "hors du combat." It is dan
gerous for a foreigner to be out at night, for both on land and
water he would be Hkely to be waylaid by highwaymen or pirat
ical boats upon the river, and the government takes no steps to
suppress these marauders.
March 7th.^J have been up to the city to-day and chartered
my barque to take a load of teas to Liverpool at three guineas
per ton, which is three shillings more than the large clipper ships
are getting. 'The reason is, that my vessel being of moderate
size, the charterers have just about as much as will load her, and
require dispatch.

OBSERVATIONS 159
I went up to the top of. my consignee's house, a four-story
building, standing near the wall of the city, to get a bird's-eye
view of this far-famed place, and what did I see? Nothing but
a conglomerated jumble of red-tiled roofs of low buildings,
crowded Into a gallimaufry, with here and there an ugly square
building rising higher than the mass, and a clumsy pagoda, situ
ated on a knoll, which I was told was the principal Joss house
or temple. I also went on a cruise of observation in the outside town,
which is a large city of itself, only separated by a wall from
the city of cities. I perambulated the narrow and crooked lanes
for an hour, wondering at the inexhaustible variety of rich goods
displayed, and the incongruity of the arrangement, a "magazin
du mode" with a butcher's stall in one side and a fishwoman's
stand on the other. The lantern shops are the most gaudy, dis
playing their inimitable wares beautifully painted on a fine trans
parent silk. Some of the lanterns hanging about are eight or
ten feet high and four to six feet across, with six faces covered
with this silk, painted in most exquisite style. When Hghted up
at night the display is inconceivably bright and beautiful.
I understand that during their New Year's festival they have
what is called the "Feast of Lanterns" ; on this occasion the
display is almost incredible. Fifty milHon of these gaudy toys
all glittering at once !
After an hour spent in slowly wandering about, gazing at
the confused and heterogeneous mixture of gaudy glitter and
gorgeous grossness, pretending to be deaf and dumb in order
to escape the annoying importunity of the shopmen, I came
unexpectedly to the city wall. The gate was open, and I had a
glimpse through, but I saw nothing more than a continuation
of the same lane I was in, about ten feet wide, paved with flat
stones, with a continued and uninterrupted range of one-story
buildings and an unbroken line of piazzas to shield the celestial
pigtails from the burning rays of the sun. The wall is com
posed of small stones, blue bricks and mud, about twenty feet
high, and forms the back side of a tier of shops ten or twelve
feet square. They are all open in front, and the shopkeepers

i6o A PIONEER VOYAGE
were all standing outside on the lookout for customers. If a
stranger comes along, they pounce upon him like hungry wolves.
I have so far escaped being fleeced, but I was induced to
enter one of the shops and will try to describe my reception.
There were two fellows dressed thus : blue gowns, yellow trousers
made full to just below the knees and there drawn in round a
pair of bright red silk leggings; fancy shoes with wooden soles
and the toes tumed up like a boy's skate; a profusion of black
hair hanging down behind and twisted into a cable long enough
to reach the ground. They seized me by both hands and led me
to a seat, with a "Good morning, Missur Captin," in pretty good
English. Then, "Whar cum from; you Ingly (English) or
MuUican (American) ? You no Frenchman, me savvey. What
you buy? Me got number one ting. Me no cheatee you, me
speakee you proper, me tellee you truf. Sposee you wantee
shawl, silk dress, pieter, lacquer ware, eberyting me got. You
sittee down, me makee you lookee. You rite name in te book;
ah! me know you, me see you 'fore, you kersind to Missur
Sweman, he very good man. What you want lookee? You see
silk hancher? 'Nother man cheatee you, me no cheatee; spose
me cheatee you, you no come my shop again" ; — and so they went
on, flapping their tongues as though they were hung on springs
of India rubber, a perpetual motion machine. They watched me
with the glance of a hawk; if my eye rested for a moment on
any object, the next moment it was down and spread out before
me. After amusing myself for half an hour in examining their
variety of rich goods, I purchased three dozen of fans and a
bamboo lounging chair, to keep them in good humour, and came
away. There is a beautiful tree grows in China and in all the eastern
tropical islands ; its uses are so various that the bamboo may weU
be called the friend of the Chinaman. "The shoots are boiled,
pickled and comfited ; the roots are carved into cane and umbrella
handles; the tapering stems are used for all the purposes that
poles can be applied to, — In carrying, supporting, propelling
and measuring; for the props of houses and the ribs of sails,
the shafts of spears, the wattles of abattoirs, the handles of
fans and lanterns. The leaves are broad and are sewed together

BAMBOO i6i
for rain cloaks and thatches. The epidermis is cut into strips
of various sizes and woven Into baskets, plaited into awnings
and twisted into cables. It furnishes the bed for sleeping, the
chopsticks for eating, the pipe for smoking, and the broom for
sweeping; the chair to sit upon, the table to eat on, and the food
to eat, also the fuel to cook it with. All are derived from this
valuable production of the earth in its different stages of growth.
The pedagogue's ferule and the school boy's book, the skewer to
pin the hair and the hat to screen the head, the paper to write
upon, the pen to write with and the cup to hold the ink, the
yardstick, the liquid measure, the bucket, the bird cage, the
crabnet, fish pole and sampan, — and so on to the end of a long
chapter, are all fumished by this plant, whose beauty when
growing is commensurate with its usefulnesss when cut down."

CHAPTER XXX.
I have been much amused by looking at the immense number
of boats and craft of all kinds as they pass by my vessel. They
generally go in pairs, two of a kind and exactly alike. First
come two fishing boats, with long bamboo poles projecting over
the bows, from which hangs a large dip-net, which they lower
into the river, and, after a while, draw up to gather out their
haul. Then two little bamboo shells of the more humble fisher
women, whose business is to gather up mussels and cockles from
the bottom, which they do by means of a rake with a small bag
attached. Next comes a pair of cargo boats roofed over with
bamboos and mats, looking like mastodon turtles. Then a lonely
lorcha, a sort of nondescript and quite likely a pirate. Then a
mandarin's bungalow, with a hundred oars, on the lookout for
opium smugglers; though, if they fall in with one, they wiU
first show fight and then allow her to run away, well knowing
that they shall receive more "cumshaw" or bonus from the
owners of the opium for letting her pass than they would from
the government for securing her.
Now comes along a great, uncouth-looking ark called a junk,
bound to sea. She has two great glaring eyes painted on her
bows, "without which she could not see which way to go";
an immense crooked piece of timber projects over each bow,
loaded with stones, which are the anchors. A pig^ailed sailor
stands mounted away up on the lofty stempoop, thundering
away for dear life upon an infernal twanging gong, as though
they thought she was superior to anything else floating on the
river. Sampans and sampitans are all the time passing and
repassing, and occasionally a London wherry from the city is
whirled along by four or six sculls, with a cockney stuck up in
the stem. In his fancy boat-dress and a jockey cap, looking as
important as though he thought no one else had any right to
be in China but himself, poor fool. The sails of these craft are
all made of mats, and as they are seen passing on some of the
162

A CHINESE JUNK.
Reproduced from a native water-color.

A CHINESE BUNGALOW OR RIVER RESIDENCE.
Reproduced from native Mfater-color.

CHINESE WOMEN 163
numerous windings of the river over the marshes, they look like
great haystacks moving along without any visible means of
propulsion. I have before estimated the number of craft that I passed
on my first trip to Canton at ten thousand. I have since seen
the report of the mandarin, whose business It Is to collect taxes,
in which he fixes the number of sampans alone at seventy thou
sand. Now, allowing each sampan a family of five, we have
three hundred and fifty thousand, to which add the number
living in cargo boats and other river craft, at least one hundred
and fifty thousand, and we have a grand total of half a mUlIon
people living altogether on the water, and scarcely ever putting
foot upon the land.
The Chinese have no national coins of gold or silver; the
only native piece of money is a small piece of adulterated copper
of no greater value than about the twelfth part of a cent. These
pieces have a space cut out in the center and are strung up in
bunches of twenty-five, fifty and one hundred. The nominal
currency is tael, mace and cash, decimally, so that It was orig
inally intended that one thousand cash (the copper coin above
mentioned) should be equal to one tael In weight of sycee or
pure silver, but these miserable pieces of money have become
so adulterated that it now takes sixteen or seventeen hundred.
The circulating medium at Canton is broken Spanish dollars,
one dollar being equal to seven-one-hundredths of a tael, or,
more nearly, seven hundred and twenty taels equal one thousand
dollars, and one tael is about six shilling eight pence British
sterling. Gold is unknown except as an article of merchandise.
In China all foreigners are considered to be barbarians, and
are not allowed to enter within the walls of Canton. This is
not only contrary to law, but it also accords with the common
prejudice; they will come outside the walls and hold intercourse
with the "barbarians," but if a foreigner should venture within
the city proper, he would be Hkely to be insulted and maltreated
by the first party he would meet.
The women of the higher classes, the small-footed ladies,
are not visible to foreigners, except when, on some extraordinary
occasion, a family may come outside the walls and, by favour.

i64 A PIONEER VOYAGE
a foreigner may be accorded an introduction. The women that
may be seen in boats are the wives and daughters of the boat
men, mechanics and labourers. They go barefooted and their
"peds" are big enough, in all conscience.
Theirs is the bloomer costume in its primitive style, loose
trousers reaching just below the knees and a frock made like
a man's shirt, generally of blue nankin. Their hair, always
as black as jet and as glossy as silk, is curiously twisted up and
fastened on the top of the head, so as to resemble the crest of a
Grecian helmet, or, more nearly, the handle of a knife tray. The
men braid theirs and let it hang down behind, and if it is not
long enough to draggle on the ground they taU it out with black
silk. Business is managed here with very little trouble to the mer
chant or shipmaster. If a merchant wishes to purchase and ship
a cargo of teas, he sends for a broker, who knows every chest
of tea there is in the Hong, and brings him samples. The Hong
price is a fixture, and all the merchant has to do is to make his
selection from the samples and give his order to the broker,
with directions to put it on board a certain ship. Two days
afterwards the teas are certain to be alongside the ship, and all
the master or mate has to do Is to see that they receive the right
number of chests, and to look out that none Is stolen while pass
ing from the Hghter down the hatchway; for even this is some
times done by these keen villains. An air port in the ship's side
between decks Is a very convenient theft hole for them.
The shipmaster Is also relieved from many an irksome mat
ter by the Comprador, whose business is to provide everything
that the ship requires. A large, pot-bellied Chinaman, who
passes by the soubriquet of "Boston Jack," acts as American
Comprador. He sends his runners on board the ships every
morning to see what is wanted for the day, and it is at once
sent on board. He charges nothing for his services, but has
got rich from his intercourse with Americans. He receives from
the seller a "cumshaw" on everything. Butchers, bakers, car
penters, riggers, etc., all pay tribute to him, and this system has
become so rooted that it cannot be broken up. No one will deal
directly with the captain of a ship. It is about thirty-five years

OFF FOR AMOY 165
since Americans began to trade at Canton, and now they stand
first among all foreign traders.
May 25. — I have been disappointed and deceived In regard
to the charter which I had negotiated. It was a condition that
the barque should be approved by the underwriters. Their sur
veyor examined her and recommended sundry matters to be
done, when he said she would answer. I went to work to do
what he required, and, having got all done, at a cost of $500, I
went up to the city to report myself ready for cargo, and had
the mortification to learn that underwriters had decided not to
take any risk on my vessel. I thought I saw straight through
this affair at once. Another vessel about the same size had
come in while I was busy with my repairs and had offered to
take the cargo three shillings cheaper than I was to have. I
could not help myself, but I could not refrain from telling my
gentlemanly charterers that it was my opinion, if freights had
advanced, the Arco Iris would have been considered a good risk.
I was now "thrown on my oars," as sailors say; it would be
of no use to look for another European freight, and there was
nothing going to the United States. My only resource was to
try for local business again, and in a day or two I obtained
a load of cotton for Amoy at $2 a bale. Amoy Is a port on the
east coast about three hundred and fifty miles from Canton.
As violent and dishonest as are these Chinese, they have yet
some redeeming qualities. They are never above their business,
very industrious, always cheerful and even gay, which, doubtless,
is owing to the fewness of their wants, and, consequently, free
dom from care. They are very pyollte, never meeting or leaving
a stranger without a salaam.
They have many simple and Ingenious contrivances for sav
ing labour. They scull their boats and even large vessels by one,
two and sometimes five or six large oars, or sweeps. This with
us is laborious, but they have a tripline from the handle of the
sweep which is made fast to an eyebolt in the after-thwart. This
serves to regulate the motions of the oar and counterbalance
the weight a.stern, and all they have to do is to walk across the
thwart holding the handle; the line gives the blade of the oar
a proper inclination and depresses the inner end and raises the

i66 A PIONEER VOYAGE
blade as it is carried past the center to either side. It is a
simple contrivance, but I have seen a woman and even a child
propel a sampan faster than two sailors could row a ship's yawl.
The carpenter's tools at first sight seem rude and clumsy to
a Yankee, but to see them handle them one must confess that
they do not work so hard and can accomplish more than our
carpenters. Take even their gimlets, for instance; Instead of
twisting their fingers almost out of joint, as I have sometimes
done in making a small nail hole, they use a spindle drill, which
they whirl rapidly round, by means of a staff and line, Hke a
fiddle bow, and will make ten holes to my one and never split
the timbers. They paint better than we do; the paint is mixed
thick and one man passes along daubing on a coat of paint with
a wad of tow, while another follows with a very fine and stiff
brush, smoothing it over, leaving a fine polished surface.
But they are destitute of the phrenological bump of origin
ality, but do everything from copy, and copy exactly. A tailor
cannot take a man's measure and make a garment by it, but must
have a coat or pantaloons to go by. A story Is told of a mid
shipman who ordered half a dozen pairs of pantaloons, and gave
the tailor an old pair as a guide. Now, Mr. Middy was just off
from a long cruise and had been "hard up" for breeches, and
had patched the pattern pair with a black knee piece on blue
cloth. When Snip brought the new ones, they were a "facsimile"
of the old, every pair being ornamented with black knees.
I myself gave my tailor a pair to make another by. Now it
happens that my props are uneven, either my right leg is longer
than my left, or else my left is shorter than my right, and I am
obliged to have an inch difference in the legs of my unmention
ables. I forgot to tell my tailor of this, but when he brought the
new ones, they were all right; he had discovered the difference,
and without knowing whether it happened by design or accident,
he followed the copy. There was not the difference of a Hne in
the position of the buttons, and it is not unlikely that each pair
contains the same number of stitches.
Their patience is wonderful; their fancy carved work is
wrought in the most minute and elaborate manner. To the
naked eye, they appear to be a confused mass of the most deli
cate workmanship, but examine them through a microscope, and

FOREIGN RELATIONS 167
you will find that the human figures, with a head no larger
than a pin's head, have eyes, nose, mouth and chin, all in their
proper places, with an expression suited to the design.
They do not use knives and forks. Their food is principally
rice and "chowchow" or hash, and they use two small sticks like
lead pencils. These are held between the fingers, so as to bring
the two ends together or separate to suit the article they are eat
ing; and although a fast-eating Yankee would starve if compelled
to eat with chopsticks, yet I do not see but the Chinese are as
fat and as hearty as any people.
On the whole, I consider the Chinese as an anomalous race,
lazily active, ignorantly shrewd, and honestly defrauding. But
in their own opinion, they are the Celestial race, and their Em
peror is brother to the Sun, and all other people are of an in
ferior order. Notwithstanding the unjust cause of the late war,
I think it would have been well if, when the English had them
completel)'' in their power, they had insisted on a free inter
course with all nations, for the world is the common property
of all its inhabitants, and no nation has a right to shut itself
up and say to other nations, "We will exclude you from all par
ticipation in the advantages which it pleased the Creator to be
stovv on us alone." I consider that every human being, wherever
bom, has an undoubted natural right to migrate to any other
part of God's earth, and so long as he conforms to the laws
of the land of his adoption, he should be protected in his person
and property. When I hear one of my own countrymen cry out
against foreign immigration, and curse the Irishmen, who have
been driven by poverty and famine to seek a home with us, I
am tempted to say to him, "Stop, brother, the Irishmen, too,
are our brothers." If nations can exclude others, states, towns
and counties can do so, too, and the world would become a het
erogeneous gallimaufry of selfish and unchristian communities.
I left Whampoa on the 6th of April, passed through the road
stead of Hong Kong the next morning, and proceeded to sea,
just in time to encounter a gale from the eastward. After con
tending against it for three days and losing ground, I bore up
and running in among numerous islands, I came to anchor un
der the southwest side of Hong Kong. Started again on the
i2th, and was ten days beating up to Amoy.

CHAPTER XXXI.
Amoy, April 23. — I have now found my way into another of
the seaports of China. I have coasted along the south east quar
ter of the misnamed "Celestial Empire" (certainly never was a
name so misapplied). The coast is as barren and uninviting as
any part of Maine or Nova Scotia. Sandy desert and rocky
promontories intermingled without any appearance of cultiva
tion. The overgrown population have seized upon every spot at
all suited for a townsite, and between Hong Kong and Amoy
are fifteen large cities, built on the banks of rivulets that will
admit only fishing junks, which are innumerable all along the
coast. Fishing and salt making appear to be the only sources
of livelihood for the millions who dwell along shore. About
midwaj there is an Island situated near the coast, forming a
good harbor. The opium smugglers have seized upon this place
as a "depot" for their drug, which is a contraband. Here they
keep receiving ships, with a supply always on hand ready to
be run Into any place, where it may be wanted, and although it
is a strictly forbidden trade, still they lie here in defiance of the
government, which takes no measures to stop it.
Amoy is a constipated homogeneity. There are about a dozen
brick and plastered buildings of some pretension standing front
ing the water with small jetties in front. These are the dwell
ings and "Godowns" of the foreign merchants, chiefly English,
and between, behind and all around are the Chinese huts and
hovels crowded into all shapes, from a triangle to a duodecagon,
with zigzag lanes and alleys from six to ten feet wide intersect
ing them in all directions, making the town a labyrinth or spid
er's web. The lanes and alleys are neglected and filthy, and
the shops or shanties, many of them, such as a New England
farmer would scom to put his swine into. And yet they display
an endless variety of rich goods.
April 26. — I started out for a ramble through this network
of nastlness and glitter. The back part of my merchant's prem
ies

A COASTING PACKET.
Reproduced from a native water-colo

AMOY 169
ises opens into one of the worst of these lanes, and I hesitated
some time before I ventured to make a plunge. I turned the
first corner to the left, and came butt against a coolie carrying
two bags of rice slung to the ends of a bamboo pole across his
back (in this manner all the portering is done, they have no
carts or drays). He took up the whole width of the alley, and
I was obHged to squeeze myself into a flapjack to let him pass.
The lane soon took a short turn to the right and six rods further
on was cut short off by a cross lane. I turned to the left and
then again to the right, and directly after the passage ran up a
flight of twenty stone steps. Up these I mounted and started
on at random. I cannot keep the run of my tacks any longer.
I found I was ascending some elevation, but nothing could be
seen but the continued jam of all sorts of tradesmen's shops.
At length the lane opened suddenly into a large open space
on the side of a steep hill; the space was incumbered with great
rock cut and distorted into all conceivable shapes. This was an
old graveyard, and every interval between the rocks was strewn
with the scuUs and bones of the long-since dead, which had been
exhumed to give place to others. I passed on through this city
of unnumbered dead, reflecting upon the inconceivable multi
tude of human beings who have lived and died since the time
of our common progenitor, and wondering where they would
have found standing room on the earth if he had not eaten of
that forbidden fruit, and by that act, brought on his race "death
and all our woes."
I ascended the hill for a view of the surrounding country;
the top of the mount was a huge pile of granite which had for
merly been one solid mass, but now rent into several pieces,
some of which as they fell off from the mass, remained in an in
clined position, leaving a shelter under the lower side. The
Chinese have improved these spots for residences, digging away
under the rocks, they have formed smaU caverns, and there they
live in hordes, reminding me of a tribe of gypsies dwelling in
the "Devil's Den" in Old Town.
The view from hence was rugged, grand and romantic; to
the southeast at the distance of ten miles was the sea, dotted
with junk and lorchas. In every other direction, it appeared

lyo

A PIONEER VOYAGE

as though the whole country had once been a vast bed of granite,
but by some tremendous convulsion, was riven into all sorts of
forms, thus letting arms of the sea into the interior in every di
rection. To the northwest a broad but crooked estuary leads
up about twenty-five miles to Chintan, a large inland city said
to contain a million inhabitants, and to which Amoy serves as
a seaport. To the northeast and north the waters which make
Amoy an island, and beyond mountains upon mountains rise Hke
a vast terrace surmounted by a dim vision of the heights of Koelt
Cheou. I said the view was grand; some one has said that
"there is but a step from the sublime to the ridiculous," and
having satiated my curiosity with the distant vision, I cast my
eyes down upon the pig sties of Amoy and felt the full force of
the adage.
Returning, I lost my way, and wandered about for more than
an hour, several times passing the same spot and taking a new
departure ; but all my nautical skill was at fault here. As I was
wandering along, conning my way to keep clear of innumerable
obstacles, I would occasionally hear a grunt behind, and tum
to look, but before I could guard myself, I would be bumped
by a bag of rice or a bale of cotton, and sometimes by something
more offensive. At one place I found the passage completely
blocked up by a crowd with a tribe of strolling players or
mountebanks. These fellows place their temporary stage in the
lane, and commence playing their antics; they are masked and
dressed in a fantastic style Hke the clown in a circus. They stand
still as statues and look as grave as though they were solemniz
ing a funeral. The gist of their performance seems to consist
in occasionally removing the mask and screwing their features
into a most unnatural shape, and occasionally screaming and
screeching in a forced tone, Hke a flock of wild geese. Their
orchestra consisted of several wind instruments squeaking out in
feeble imitation of the Scotch bagpipe, accompanied by two or
three gongs, sounding like the caterwauling of fifty of the feline
race, with the jingling of a brass kettle and a frying pan.
I also fell in with a nondescript individual who composed a
complete band in his own person; he had somehow acquired a
smattering of European taste. He had on the top of his head a

AMOY 171
branch of some kind of shrub, with a number of small bells
of different tones ; a shepherd's range of pipes was fastened on
his chin, and a small flageolet was fixed in each nostril; a bass
drum was lashed to his back and the sticks fixed on to his el
bows; a hurdy-gurdy was slung in front; a pair of cymbals was
attached to his knees, and other strings of bells encircled his an
kles. He marched along the narrow lanes, with an air of pom
posity which made the Celestial pigtails stand back to let him
pass. He shook his head and the bells chimed, he slewed his
mouth and the pipes whistled, he blew his nose and set the flag
eolets squealing, he brought his elbows back and whang went
the bass drum, brought his knees together and clang went the
cymbals, and as he stepped, he brought his feet down with a
jerk and tinkled the ankle bells, while all the time he turned the
crank of the hurdy-gurdy with one hand and managed the stops
with the other. Altogether he managed to raise a discord al
most equal to a modern church choir with their chromatics,
diatonics and inharmonics.
In another place was a "Chin Chin to Joss." Now, it may be
asked, what is a "Chin Chin to Joss?" It is this — Joss is the Chi
nese term for the Deity, and chin chin means a salute or rev
erential ceremony, and the term may be translated the "worship
of God." Priests are employed to visit the houses and perform
their chin chin, which they do in the street like the strolling play
ers, on a temporary stage, with a profusion of candles and sacred
symbols. At last, after an hour's rambling, I got a glimpse of the
lookout on one of the merchant's houses in front and half a
dozen more tacks to port and starboard brought me out to the
water's edge, three jetties from my consignee's quarters. There
was not passage in front, and I was obliged to go back again
into the network of alleys, and when I next came out in front
I was as far the other side of my friends, and I took a sampan
and finished my jaunt by water. I found my friends quite anx
ious at my long absence, and Mr. Tait said I had been very im
prudent to venture about alone as I had done. But I have always
an unconauerable desire to see all I can wherever I go, and
climb the loftiest eminences.

172 A PIONEER VOYAGE
With this view I once ascended the spire of the Cathedral at
Riga, which rises to the height of four hundred and thirty-five
feet; the last fifty feet I ascended by means of a rope Jacob's
ladder, untU my shoulders brought up in the apex. Here was
a small window for a lookout, and you may imagine, but I can
not describe my sensations. Above me was a globe of copper
gilt ten or twelve feet in diameter, and this was surmounted by
a large cross. While gazing upward at these, the clapper of the
huge bell in the tower beneath struck out the hour of ten, and
at every blow the ball and cross seemed to vibrate as though
the next whang would destroy the perpendicular, and send us
tumbling headlong to the pavement. I have also been to the
top of the leaning tower at Pisa, another nerve-shaking position,
and I have stood upon the topmost pinnacle of the Rock of Gi
braltar. I found, as I was strolling through the lanes of Amoy, that
I was a lion or an elephant. In front of every shop there was
always one and sometimes several persons listlessly lounging.
Seeing me coming, they would dodge in, and immediately a
whole tribe, old, young and middle-aged, would come tumbling
out to have a look, and by the time I got to the end of my jaunt
there was a crowd of fifty of the squalid wretches following me
like Yankee boys at a military parade.
The Chinese seem to delight in the unnatural. The style of
their houses and their ships shows their incomprehension or dis
regard of symmetry and convenience. Even the granite rocks
could not be left as nature left them, but in many places seem
to have been distorted by human hands. The outer shore of this
harbor on the north side is comprised of sand ; and lying on the
surface is a mass of granite weighing a thousand tons, half a
mile from any other mass. They write unnaturally; either ver
tically from the top of the sheet to the bottom, or if they do
sometimes write horizontally, they begin at the right of the Hne
and scribble towards the left.
The national character of the Chinese results from their fixed
adherence to ancient customs, and they worship and venerate
the aged, and perform religious ceremonies around the tombs
of their ancestors, and the son or daughter who fails in respect

AMOY 173
to parents is considered worse than an infidel. Spirituous liq
uor as a beverage is scarcely known among them, but the use
of tea is universal, and they exhilarate and stupefy themselves
by the use of opium. Women are considered in the Hght of
slaves, and it is no uncommon thing to see them yoked together
in plowing the ground and other beastly labor.
May I. — I have to-day chartered my barque to take a cargo
to Manila for one thousand dollars, with the prospect of hav
ing from two hundred to two hundred and fifty deck passengers
at eight dollars a head, they furnishing their own rice.

CHAPTER XXXII.
Sunday, May 2. — I have this day been to church ! And what
a church! A short time since the British Consul being in Cal
cutta, proposed to the bishop there to send a chaplain to Amoy,
and the bishop, having a number of supernumeraries on his
hands, was of course glad of an opportunity to place one of
them, and sent him up here, with the understanding that the
Europeans settled here would support him. A fund was raised
by subscription, the aforesaid consular dignitary heading it with
a yearly subscription of $100, the other residents following, some
to the tune of $100, others 50 cents and so on. But the religious
excitement soon fagged out, the subscribers continue to pay up,
but leave the parson to preach to an empty house. There were
seven ladies and three children, an EngHsh shipmaster and my
self composing the congregation. It was the flattest thing im
aginable, the services at church.
Having mentioned the English Consul leads me to remark
that her majesty Queen Victoria has some seven or eight sub
jects residing here, and to protect their interest, she — ^no, the
English nation — keeps up the following establishment in Amoy:
Consul  il,200
Vice ditto  800
Interpreter  800
Ditto assistant  600
Linguist  500
Ditto assistant  400
Surgeon  700
Coolies and incidentals  1,000

£6,000 or $30,000
I have to record here a most melancholy catastrophe. For a
few years past a great number of Chinese coolies have been sent
from this country to Peru, to work in the mines and on the
Guano islands. The poor creatures are induced to embark on
174

A GOVERNMENT BARGE
Reproduced from a native water-color.

SLAVERY 175
these expeditions by fraudulent representations. They have not
the means of paying for their passage, and are induced to bind
themselves to work three years for their food and clothing, and
at the expiration of that time to be free. But when once there
they become slaves, and worse than slaves, for their master or
owner has no inducement to keep them in good working con
dition when their time of service is drawing to a close. The
most horrible accounts have been received from Peru within
the last year, yet still the traffic Is carried on, generally by foul
means. A few weeks since the ship Robert Bozvne of New York,
Capt. Brison, who, I believe, belonged to New Haven, started
from this place with upwards of four hundred of these poor
creatures on board; she was ostensibly bound to San Francisco.
When about two weeks out, they learned through an interpreter
who had overheard some conversation between the captain and
his mate, that they were destined for Peru, and they rose in
their desperation, murdered the captain and his officers, and com
pelled the seamen to land them on an island somewhere to the
northeast of Formosa. When they had all but about twenty
gone on shore, the crew succeeded in confining these twenty, and
brought the ship back to Amoy. This is the story as told by
the crew. A man-o'-war and a steamer have gone in search of
the island. Now, piratical as this story appears, I have no hesita
tion In saying that I believe the captain brought this catastrophe
upon himself. I have no doubt his object was to take the poor
wretches to Callao on speculation. This is evident from his
having so many on board, for he must have known that the
passenger law would not allow him to bring more than 250 steer
age passengers into the United States, and his ship would have
been confiscated on his arrival at San Francisco.
There Is another circumstance, too, of a most outrageous and
certainly exceedingly imprudent nature. Captain Brison took
the dangerous liberty to cut off the queues of the greater part of
these people. I have frequently spoken of a Chinaman's pig
tail. Now, ridiculous as these appendages seem to us, they con
sider them sacred, and it is esteemed in China the greatest of all
punishments to deprive a culprit of his queue. Now, when you

176 A PIONEER VOYAGE
think of the three hundred of these betrayed wretches mutUated
in this way and the rest of them in constant dread of undergoing
the same sacrifice, I say the catastrophe Is no more than might
have been expected.
How prone is human nature to oppression. A braggart
whom the accident of birth and fortune has placed in a station
above some of his fellow creatures, treats those over whom he
has a temporary authority as though they were not of the same
flesh and blood as himself, a sure sign of a miserable coward
when brought in contact with his equals. I did not know Cap
tain Brison. He is said to have been sole owner of the Robert
Bowne, which he had bought in San Francisco for a trifle. The
American Consul at this place is accused of being concerned
in this worse than African slave trade.
Opposite to Amoy, and forming one side of its harbor, Is a
romantic island with the melHfluent name of Kolangsee. I took
my boat and sailed over to take a survey of it. It is a curious
mingling of granite and rich soU, cultivated in every spot, where
a spade can be used. Rocks from the size of a barrel to that
of a church lie piled up on one another in a singular manner,
presenting every possible variety of form, and between the clus
ters of rocks, every foot of space is occupied either as a grave
or a cabbage patch, and in many places the vegetables are grow
ing over the graves. The faces of the rocks are carved and fig
ured in memory of the dead. There was one piece of granite
with a perpendicular face fifty feet high and as many broad
fronting the town ; the whole of this face is cut in Chinese char
acters ; it is an epitaph to some one who, not content with a com
mon tombstone, left a sum of money to construct this everlasting
monument. Having wandered to the top of the dividing ridge, I was sur
prised to find a very pretty looking village down at the base of
the rocks on the other side. The descent to it was literally clear
of rocks and was formed into a series of terraces, rising one
above another, like a huge staircase. These terraces were all
formed on a perfect level and surrounded with small embank
ments a few inches high, and were planted in rice. They were
kept irrigated by water from springs in the elevations, which

KOLANGSEE 177
was conducted to the upper terrace through a little canal ; from
this a cut in the embankment let off the surplus water to the
next terrace below, from that to the third in the same way, and
so on to the lower terrace, and from that to the sea.
As I stood on the ridge looking about, a parcel of dogs down
in the village set up a yelping, and immediately a posse of sol
diers came tumbling out of a small buUding, probably their bar
racks, and began to blaze away with their matchlocks. At first
I thought I might be treading on forbidden ground, but presently
recollecting of having heard others talk of their strolls on Kol
angsee, I ventured to descend to the valley, and the illusion van
ished. What I took to be a neat little village proved to be, like
all other Chinese towns, a motley collection of hovels jumbled
together without regard to order and regularity. All the build
ings that evinced any pretension to comfort were deserted, and
the doors and windows blocked up with stones and brick. This,
I was informed, was owing to their "Celestial" prejudices. Dur
ing the opium war, an English brigade was quartered here, the
officers took possession of all the best houses, and after they
had evacuated the place, no Chinaman would succeed the "bar
barians" as occupants. The owners will not remove them and
build others, and there they are to remain, monuments of the dis
grace and cowardice of the Chinese.
Roaming about this village, I came to a spot of about half
an acre enclosed in a wall of masonry, in European style. This
v/as a cemetery for the foreigners and missionaries. I searched
out the keeper, who very readily and politely opened the gate for
me. There were about twenty tombs and tablets, and on one of
the most imposing was this inscription:
"In Memory of
Mrs. Clarissa, Wife of
Rev. Elihu Doty," Etc.
^Mourn not for me
When I am gone.
But meet me, meet me
Near the Throne."
Next to that was a smaUer tablet, in memory of a child
of Mr. Doty, eight months old, buried two years afterwards.

178 A PIONEER VOYAGE
So it seems Mr. Doty practiced upon the tenor of the sonnet
that he had caused to be Inscribed upon his first wife's tomb.
He did not mourn long, but hastened home to America, consoled
himself for her loss in the arms of another, and got back to his
"field of labor" in time to place her dead child of eight months
by the side of his first wife, all in about two years. "Well done,
good and faithful servant."
Now, the last person I saw in Whampoa was the Rev. Mr.
Bonney, American missionary. He came on board my barque
just as I was getting under way, with a lumbering box, which
he wished me to carry to Amoy and give to the Rev. Elihu
Doty, and the first person I saw In Amoy was the Rev. Mr.
Doty himself. As I was entering the harbor, and before I had
reached the anchorage, a beautiful barge came alongside rowed
by four young Chinamen in European costume, with a dashing
looking coxwain, dressed in a hunting suit with a stylish jockey
cap; I took him to be a new collector or a custom house in
spector. He sprang on deck with a whisking rattan in his hand,
and advancing to me, extended his hand, with, "Well, Captain,
got along, at last, long passage, glad to see you though, and how
do you do?" Not knowing the importance of my visitor, I per
haps did not receive liim with as much dignity as he expected,
and I was busy in giving directions in shortening sail, prepara
tory to coming to anchor, when he obtraded by asking if I had
anything on board for the Rev Mr. Doty. I told him there was a
box on board for that gentleman, which awaited his order on
producing a permit. "Oh, never mind the permit," said he, "I
am Mr. Doty, and we missionaries do not require permits. I'll
take the box, If you please, and. Captain, when you come on
shore, I shall be glad to see you at my residence," pointing to a
very pretty cottage in the outskirts, half hidden by shrubbery.
"And, by the way, Captain," he continued, "if you have any
remittances to make, I shall be glad to fumish you with a bill
for any amount you may require, for I am aU the time drawing
on the Board at home."
I looked at his animated face, and thought of the expulsion
of the money-changers from the temple at Jerusalem by Mr.
Doty's Lord and Master.

CHAPTER XXXIII.
I suspend my narrative for a page or two to indite
A Chapter on Missions.
From early manhood It has been instinctive with me to en
quire into the cause or reason of everything, to learn the why
and the wherefore, and the result of every public enterprise, and
when called upon to contribute to any common fund, first to
learn the exact object of that fund, its appropriation and effect,
or what good it ^oes, and in respect to foreign missions, I have
never contributed anything, for it has always seemed to me
that money spent in that way has served to keep up an un
healthy excitement in the Christian community, which has tended
to produce a great amount of individual misery and suffering,
without any corresponding benefit to the world at large. My
experience now, after having wandered the world over, and vis
ited many of the fields of missionary labors, has tended to con
firm my early impressions. I would not say that those who do
not think as I do are not sincere in their views and efforts, far
be it from me to be uncharitable in my opinion of others. But
with the purest motives, that very sincerity has induced many a
young man and woman, too, to tear themselves away from a
family circle, where they have been the solace of parents, and
the delight of friends, and to devote themselves to a life of
deprivation and suffering in a climate which their constitutions
were not fitted to encounter, and too often to produce an off
spring of puny little innocents, too feeble to endure, and, in
most cases, the early victims of the mistaken efforts of their
parents to do the Lord's work for him.
The first thing a missionary does on reaching his field of
labor is to endeavor to learn the language — no easy task in most
cases. While doing this, their ambition to be thought a good
servant, prompts them to write often to their employers, and to
make their communications interesting, statements of conver-
179

i8o A PIONEER VOYAGE
sions are set forth in enthusiastic terms, which the reality wiU by
no means warrant. These letters are published in missionary
magazines, and devotees at home receive them in the fullest
sense as literally true, and consider them as remarkable proofs of
God's favor on their enterprise.
But, my credulous, though sincere friend, real conversions
from heathenism, or Mahometanism to Christianity, are like an
gels' visits. "Lida Hama," whose case Doctor and Mrs. Bette-
heim make themselves so eloquent about, was a madman. Has
san Armein, whom the Rev. Mr. W. cites as an instance of Di
vine grace, as a brand plucked from the burning, was an out
cast from his own community on account of his crimes; he can
receive no countenance from his own fraternity, and, sly dog,
he resorts to the missionary chapel, puts on a demure face,
groans and says amen to matters that he can no more under
stand than a monkey. The missionary grabs at him, gives him
food and clothing and treats him Hke the lost sheep found ; he is
deceitfully grateful and is pronounced a convert, as something
rescued from that perdition that must be the fate of the millions
who have discarded him.
The Rev. Mr. Doty finds a vagabond at Amoy, poor and un
able to find employment; he offers another fit subject for con
version; Mr. D. takes an interest in him; the shrewd fellow
takes advantage of it and professes a hypocritical desire to be
come a Christian. Mr. D. solicits employment for him in the
establishment of Messrs. Tait & Co., and he is duly reported
a convert. But on the first good opportunity he steals from
his employer, receives a sound castigation and is discharged.
Mr. Doty sees no more of him, he was mistaken, that's all, but
the mistake is not reported at "the Board."
Now, I venture to say that if an impartial investigation of all
missionary establishments could be had, nine in ten, if not ninety-
nine in a hundred, of the reported cases of conversion would be
found to be of this class. For these miserable returns, contribu
tions are extorted from the suffering poor, who are made to be
lieve that they are lending to the Lord ; and hundreds of excel
lent, but mistaken young men and women have been sacrificed,
and children born to a few months or years of pain and suffer
ing.

MISSIONS i8i
Who has ever been in Calcutta but has noticed the sallow
complexion and languid action of the European residents? Even
John Bull soon loses his fioridity, biliary affections undermine his
vitality, and "Bass'" or "Alsop" cannot save him. An evening
drive upon the Strand will exhibit a stream of carriages in which
listless, languid ladies loll luxuriantly upon their lifeless liege
lords, while at their feet their limpsy lovelings look longingly
to them like tendrils for support in their little, lessening lease of
Hfe. They must be sent home to England to be invigorated.
In 1837, being In Calcutta, I was applied to by Rev. Mr.
Webb, a missionary to the Burmese, for a passage to America
for his wife and two little boys. He was from Philadelphia and
had come out to Rangoon with a young and amiable wife to con
vert the Burmese from their manner of worship to Christianity.
The cUmate soon undermined Mrs. Webb's constitution, but
she had lingered along, and had given birth to two puny inno
cents. At length, the physician told Mr. Webb that the only
hope was to get her to sea as soon as possible. I felt deeply
for her, and was grieved that I had no room to accommodate
her. One of her children died before she left Calcutta.
Now, if it was God's purpose that the religion of Jesus Christ
should prevail throughout the world, would he not favour his de
voted servants and grant them tangible tokens of his approba
tion ? But we see that it is His pleasure that different religions or
forms of worship should prevail in different portions of His
earth, and He needs not man's interference. "All scripture is
given by inspiration of God," and cannot God inspire a native
heathen with heavenly fervor to declare His will, who should
have more Influence with his brethren than all the devoted mis
sionaries that have gone from Europe or America from St. Au
gustine down to the Rev. Elihu H. Doty?
Were I arguing with a zealous friend of missions, he would
probably remind me of the Sandwich Islands as an evidence of
the good effects of missionary influences. But the semi-civiliza
tion of those islands has been caused by the intercourse of trade ;
merchants and mechanics have settled there, and ships have re
sorted there to refresh and repair; and the consequent inter
course has gradually ameliorated the condition of the inhab-

i82 A PIONEER VOYAGE
itants. But it may well be considered questionable whether their
condition Is bettered by the intercourse. Certain it is that the
vilest disease in the whole catalogue, which was unknown among
them when they were first visited by Captain Cook not a cen
tury since, is now the fell scourge that is fast exterminating the
aborigines who do not now number one-fifth part of the popu
lation which they did when discovered. Missionaries have fol
lowed the merchants and whaleships, preaching a gospel, which
they tell them is one of "peace on earth, good will to men."
But to enforce the precept by example, the Kanaka sees, one sect
of missionaries have intrigued with the government for the ex
pulsion of another sect, merely because their manner of worship
ing the same God is not exactly coincident with their own.
While In Canton I met with some numbers of the "Chinese
Repository," a magazine published under missionary auspices.
In one of them is a history of Protestant missions to China, from
which it appears that more than two hundred years ago, a Dutch
commercial company established a trading post at Formosa, a
large Island lying contiguous to the coast of China. Missionaries
followed, and great efforts were made for the spread of Chris
tianity, and at one time the church was said to be in a flourish
ing condition. But after about thirty years, the company aban
doned the Island, and Christianity died out. Half of the mis
sionaries died. Others returned home sick, and the rest were
driven away by the natives. The account goes on to say that "no
traces of Christianity have ever been discovered there since, and
it is melancholy to reflect how many valuable lives have been
sacrificed in vain." Should the American govemment succeed
in opening a direct trade with Japan, it will have great influence
in spreading Christianity in the East.
The popular missionary hymn of the celebrated Bishop Heber
contains this stanza: "In vain with lavish kindness.
The gifts of God are strown,
The heathen In his blindness
Bows down to wood and stone."
The gifts of God lavishly strewn in vain! Lavish is a very
improper word, learned bishop. Immeasurably superior to this.

MISSIONS 183
In my estimation, is that Catholic hymn that, with reference to
a future state, contains this stanza:
"Christian and Pagan, Greek and Jew
In one immortal throng we view;
Howe'er divided here below.
One God, one worship there they know."
If Bishop Heber meant to convey the idea that the heathen
bow down to wood and stone, and worship inanimate idols as
such, he is either a fool or a hypocrite. He knew very well that
they only make use of images as the Catholics do paintings, as
something tangible to fix the eye and the mind upon, while they
worship the "Unknown God," and charity should have taught
him to acknowledge the sincerity of their worship, which would
put to shame the hollow profession of many a Christian con
gregation. If this essay should meet the eye of any bigoted zealot in mis
sions, he will probably exclaim, "What gross infidelity!" But,
my fellow-travelers through life's journey, with reference to the
self-existence of a Supreme Being, I am no infidel; in love and
veneration for His almighty and parental character, I yield not
to mortal man. But I view Him as the wise, beneficent and
merciful Father of all His creatures, and not as a God of ven
geance and partiality. Such a God I could not worship. I do
not say but He will punish the offenses of His creatures In His
own time and manner, but I consider the object of all punish
ment to be disciplinary and corrective, and not revengeful, and
when that punishment shall have had its intended effect, and
conscience shall have done its perfect work, then will
the chastened and purified spirits of offending mortals be
received into the great assembly of the redeemed. Then (adopt
ing a sentiment from Nature's sweetest poet) "will one un
bounded 'Love' encircle all," and there shall be universal joy In
heaven.

CHAPTER XXXIV.
I have met with another disappointment, causing me a loss
of one thousand dollars. When I chartered my vessel for Ma
nila, I fully expected to have two hundred and fifty deck passen
gers at eight dollars a head. But, having got my cargo all in,
I laid the barque in a berth to receive my troupe of long tails,
when I found that the consignees of an old brig that had been
hauled up for a year were at work in opposition. They laid their
old craft alongside and sent round circulars, offering to take pas
sengers two dollars lower than I would, so that if I would take
them at five dollars they would take them at three. Conse
quently I only obtained about thirty who thought enough of
their comfort to pay me my price. The old brig took two hun
dred and twenty-five crowded together on the deck of a vessel
of one hundred and forty-five tons. Two hundred and fifty at
eight dollars would be two thousand dollars, and as I sail the
vessel on shares, one-half of the gross amount would have been
for my individual benefit. All right in the end, perhaps!
I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but it was snatched
away early, and one of iron substituted, and disappointments
have pursued me ever since.
I bid adieu to Amoy on the 13th of May. It was calm and
I drifted round Kolangsee and out by the southern side of the
island. This passage is three miles wide, with plenty of water
for the largest ships and a thousand men-of-war might be ac
commodated inside of the outer islands. Having towed and
drifted out clear of all the islands, I caught a breeze, but as a
matter of course it came directly ahead. After beating against
it three days I arrived off the north end of Luconia, the island
of which Manila is the chief commercial port, and is situated
on the western side, about midway the island and three hundred
and fifty miles from the north end. Here I fell in with a large
American clipper ship, and had a race with her for the port of
Manila. The winds continued ahead, with frequent squalls and
184

AN INCIDENT 185
abundance of rain with thunder and Hghtning. Saw the same
ship every day; on some tacks she would pass to windward and
again she vvould be some miles under my lea, and on the evening
of the 25th we both arrived at the entrance of Manila Bay to
gether. The night threatened to be tempestuous, and the ship stood
off shore, but experience has taught me the value of prompt
action In securing a freight, and having got hold of the land
marks before night, I ran boldly in, and at sunrise anchored
in Manila Roads. As soon as business opened I arranged with
Messrs. Reissel and Sturgis for a freight of sugar and rice for
New York at $12 a ton.
The second day out from Amoy I noticed one among the
passengers who seemed to be very sober and disconsolate, so
different from the gaiety and frivolity of the rest that I was
induced to try to ascertain the cause of his disquietude. T
found that he had acquired a smattering of English and could
read some (he had been a pupil in some mission school). He
gave me to understand that he wanted to become a Christian,
and I gave him a copy of the New Testament and told him it
contained an account of the life and teachings of the author of
Christianity. He took it thankfully and for several days I ob
served that he kept himself apart from his companions reading
his book.
One day he was seen lying at full length on the topgallant
forecastle, with his head resting on the anchor and his Testament
in his hand. Suddenly he rolled over and slipped headforemost
into the sea. The ship's headway was stopped immediately and
a boat despatched to his rescue, but he seemed to avoid being
taken and swam away from the vessel, several times rising half
his length out of the water, and turning upon us a horrible,
ghastly look which I can never forget. When the boat had
come within an oar's length he threw his whole length out of
the water, turned a somersault and plunged headforemost be
neath the surface, and was not seen afterward. Poor fellow,
he has already learned that God is no respecter of persons or
nations, and if

i86 A PIONEER VOYAGE
"On earth, according to his light.
He aimed to practice what was right,
God wiU admit his honest claim.
Though he ne'er heard of Jesus' name."
At 4 p. M. the ship made her appearance and proved to be
the Golden Gate, Capt. Truman, from Hong Kong, in search
of a freight. He was obliged to take ten dollars a ton for New
York. Mr. Sturgis asked me if I did not know that ship was
outside. "Certainly I did," said I, "but I did not consider it
any part of my business to inform you of it." "All right,"
said he.
Manila is the capital of Luconia and of the Philippine Is
lands; it is situated at the bottom of a deep bay or Inland sea;
on the west it opens into the China Sea. The Philippines be
long to Spain, and, like all Catholic cities, Manila is abundantly
supplied with churches, convents and barracks, priests, padres,
monks and military grandees, who monopolize the best quar
ters and the best of everything.
It is now a festival season, and illuminations and torch-light
processions are the order of the day, or rather the night. Every
second or third evening a priestly parade takes place, escorted
by the military, with a magnificent brass band, carrying about
their sacred symbols and an image of the Madonna, surrounded
with immense candles blazing in great profusion.
The Virgin Mother is arrayed in the most costly silks, glit
tering with gold and precious stones, in exceedingly bad taste,
in my opinion, for the mother of Jesus was a virgin in humble
circumstances, and although of the stem of David, yet she lived
in obscurity in Nazareth, and gave birth to her child in a stable
and cradled him in a manger. The image is carried about on a
palanquin by four priests, and is furnished with an abundance
of small cakes. The churches are very large and have numer
ous compartments dedicated to different saints and adorned with
their images, and hung round with paintings of Scripture
scenes. To one coming from China, Manila seems a very fine place;
it is well laid out, with beautiful drives or walks in the environs.
My vessel being of Hght draft of water, I placed her in the
inner harbour, in front of a hotel where I have taken up my

MANILA 187
residence, and once more I seem to be In a land of civilization.
There is a Httle river which runs up to the eastward about
twenty miles and connects with a smaU lake.
June loth. — Dined with Henry Sturgis, Esq., formerly of
Boston, and after dinner rode out with him to take a look at
the country. We went about five miles over a smooth avenue
bordered with tamarind and mango trees. The latter is a beau
tiful tree, about twenty-five feet high, foliage of a dark green;
the fruit is delicious, kidney-shaped, thick rind, pulp bright yel
low, and next to the mangosteen it is considered the choicest
fruit of the tropics.
The country around Manila is low and level, well suited to
the growth of rice, which is cultivated extensively. The native
husbandmen have each a patch of ground of about half an acre,
surrounded by a low embankment on which are growing rows
of the stately and useful bamboo. Their cottages are built of
bamboo poles, interwoven with thatch, and stand on bamboo
piles about five feet from the ground. They have only one
apartment, 10 to 15 feet square. Here the whole tribe, father,
mother and children, who are as plenty as blackberries, all
tumble in together in rainy weather, but at this season of the
year they lie about anywhere under the trees. They appear to
be contented and happy, and a king can be no more. They
are very polite to strangers, but they are slothful and indolent,
which is not strange, considering that their wants are few and
easily supplied, and the climate is so enervating.
The air was perfumed with jasmines and orange blossoms,
and I enjoyed the ride much. Returning, we passed through
between two Hnes of women and girls reaching more than a
mile; they were the operatives in a segar factory, returning
home from their day's work. The making of segars is a Gov
ernment monopoly. The factory is an Immense building, or
rather range of buildings, where six thousand women are em
ployed in rolling up cheroots. Manila tobacco is next in quality
to Havana, the one in the East, and the other the Queen of
the West Indies, are both colonies of the effeminate kingdom
of old Spain.
The productions of the Philippines are numerous and val
uable : sugar, cotton, tobacco, , rice, indigo, pearls, silk and

i88 A PIONEER VOYAGE
hemp; the last being the chief article of export; it is the inner
bark of a species of palm tree, which grows wild in all these
islands, and is capable of being produced in unlimited quantity.
If the islands belonged to England or America the export would
soon be increased ten-fold, but the natives have no energy or
inducement to produce any more than will supply their daily
wants, and as for the Spaniards, they are a lazy, proud, austere,
hammock-swinging, guitar thrumming, cock-fighting and bull-
baiting race of humbugs. Even the steamboats that carry the
garlic-eating dons about the islands came out here from New
York, and are managed by Americans.
The old City of Manila, or that part within the walls, is
about one-third of a mile in extent, situated on the south side
of the small river, and is occupied by the govemment officials
and the military. The business city is on the other side of the
creek, and goes by the name of San Fernando. The white pop
ulation is supposed to be about 400,000. The masses are of
the great Malay family, and are generally of the Mohammedan
religion. Destructive earthquakes are frequent.
In front of my window is an esplanade, and every evening a
squadron of troops are paraded here for exercise and review;
they are all natives, but are officered by Spaniards. A most ex
cellent band, composed of fifty brass instruments, gives me a
fine serenade; a hot day is thus delightfully terminated. The
old brig that cut me out of two thousand dollars passage money
has at last arrived, twenty-five days' passage; the poor Chi
nese have suffered very much from destitution and exposure
on the passage.
June 29th. — Yesterday there was a military parade and pro
cession in the fortress, which I went over with Capt. F. to see.
It was really a magnificent spectacle. In the procession was
the Governor, surrounded with an escort of hussars richly
caparisoned. As "His Excellenza" approached the spectators
doffed their chapeaux, and stood uncovered till he had passed.
Like a couple of green Yankees we had neglected this mark of
deference till we were reminded of it by half a dozen halberds
thrust toward us and a ferocious lancer exclaimed in mixed
Spanish, French and English, "Restu, vUe Yankee, what for
non deplacer your cot tam hat?"

CHAPTER XXXV.
The difficulties and annoyances in the way of doing business
in Manila are greater even than in Russia. Two revenue guards
are quartered on board the ship, and not the smallest article of
merchandise, or stores, or even the captain's baggage, can be
transported from the ship to shore or from shore to ship with
out a special permit, and to obtain this you have to dance at
tendance at the "poco poco" Custom House sometimes for hours.
Having at length obtained the important document, you must
next trudge away across the river to the Intendiente's quarters,
whose office is within the fortress. This all-sufficient grandee
will very likely be smoking a bunch of papellitos with Don
Antonio Pedres Sebastian Ippolito Juan Fernando Carlos Gar
cia, and of course you can expect no attention while a don with
such a name as that remains. At last, after keeping you stand
ing for another hour, he may condescend to notice that you are
waiting and scribble his autograph and dismiss you with
"Buenos dios, Senor."
You must then carry the permit to the Captain of the Port
for his signature, then take it thus signed and countersigned
on board; and if the guard is in good humour you may get
your trunk without a minute examination. You now imagine
that you are all right, but not yet, for now you must carry your
trunk to the guardship, and the officer on duty there will be very
Hkely to put you to the annoyance and vexation of a scrutiniz
ing search to see that you have no small articles secreted among
your clothing, unless you "butter his fingers" ; that Is, give him
a dollar. Confound all custom houses, say I. When will the prin
ciples of free trade become recognized, and the only legitimate
way of raising the revenues of nations, a direct taxation upon
all the property of the country, be resorted to? To Impose a
tax or duty on imports and exports is a violation of the rights
189

igo A PIONEER VOYAGE
of man; it operates unequaUy, fostering some branches of in
dustry' at the expense of others or the whole.
The tariffite wiU teU me that a duty on imports is necessary
for the protection and encouragement of domestic manufac
tures. I am strongly in favor of encouraging domestic insti
tutions, whether the aristocratic estabUshments of miUionaires
or the humble bench and lapstone of the cobbler, and the forge
and anvil of the blacksmith, but let it be done by a surplus fund
raised by direct taxation, or in our covmtry by the proceeds
of the pubUc lands, to be distributed among manufacturers In
the same way that fishing bounties now are among fishermen.
I may also be told the old story that it would be difficult, if
not impossible, to coUect a direct tax. I do not see why. At
home the revenue of states, counties and towns is raised by
taxation, and is generaUy coUected by a single individual, who
would be ver\- glad to have his commissions increased by the
collection of a United States tax, which wovdd not amount to
2 cents per $100. But by the present system one-fourth of
the whole amount of the revenue is absorbed in the collection.
Xo, sell your costly custom houses, warehouses and the
whole establishment. Send the whole tribe of custom house
menials, collectors, naval officers, appraisers, surveyors and in
spectors, who fancy they are the masters and not the servants
of the public, to the right about, to eam an honest livelihood as
producers. As for revenue cutters, let them be appropriated as
coast guards, to watch for and relieve ships in distress. Come
directly to the dictates of reason and common sense, and thus
put an end to the great bone of contention in presidential elec
tions, the unprincipled and demoralizing scramble for office.
But politics have no business in this family book, so away
with them ; only I say, do not make the poor man, who, by
obeying the laws of nature and the command of God, has bur
dened himself with a family, whose expenses, increased by this
abominable system, have absorbed the fruits of his industry-, pay
ten or twelve times as much into the public treasury as the
wealthy bachelor, who, failing to fulfil the purpose of his crea
tion, has by that means become rich.
At Manila I shipped a new complement of seamen and a

ANGIER 191
second mate, which is the fifth time my crew have been changed
since I left San Francisco. Seamen are an anomalous race,
"a short life and a merry one," is their motto, "and when our
money is all gone we'll go to sea for more," the burden of their
song. But this is all right, for if seamen were not of this reck
less temperament they would quit a life so full of hardship and
abuse, and commerce would die out for want of the brute force
to handle the ships.
I took my departure from Manila on the 22d of June. The
boys, in weighing the anchors, lightened their labour by the
cheering song of "Homeward Bound," and to me it was indeed
inspiring. The southwest monsoon blowing up the China Sea
made it necessary for me to take the easterri passages again,
first figuring out through the passes between the Philippine Is
lands, then across the Sea of Mindoro, through the Bosselan
Straits, over the Sooloo Sea and then through the Straits of
Macassar, when I took the southeast trade winds and had a
good run across the Java Sea. I crossed the Bay of Batavia
inside the Thousand Islands in order to have a look at the
city, but I only saw the spars of the shipping. The city was
too distant to be seen without running out of my course.
On the i6th of July I stopped at the small port of Angler,
situated on the north coast of the Island of Java in the Straits
of Sunda. This is the great resort of all ships passing in or
out the China Sea to replenish their stock of fresh fuel and wa
ter. When a ship appears in the offing a fleet of bumboats put
off loaded with poultry, vegetables and fruit. They generally
demand extravagant prices for what can be bought very low
on shore. Aware of this, I declined trading with them, and
went on shore and called upon the Governor, who was a tall,
square shouldered Dutchman with a tremendous figure head.
He is a naval officer. He received me very politely, and brought
out his flask of the genuine Schiedam Schnapps and a supply of
fine-flavored Manila cheroots, and with genuine Dutch hospi
tality he kept me two hours listening to his long yarns about
tigers, snakes, alligators and the rhinoceros. He sent for a
trader and gave him orders to fill my memorandum with the

192 A PIONEER VOYAGE
best, and to bring the account to him, which he did, and I have
no doubt I saved fifty per cent, by taking this course.
When I was ready to come away I found that the bum-
boats had returned, and some two dozen of the boatmen had
surrounded my boat in a threatening manner, and anticipating
trouble with them, I returned to the Governor's house for pro
tection. He mounted his sword and taking a large cowhide
he went back to the boat with me. The boatmen knew what
they were to expect, and when they saw his long nose and red
face they made themselves scarce in quick time.
The Governor kindly offered to escort me off to my vessel
in his own barge, and cordially bid me good-bye and wished me
a good passage home.
July 17th. — Got under way from the anchorage at Angler.
The wind was light and variable and weather very fine. The
south end of Sumatra and the northwest end of Java are about
twenty miles apart, and the passage between is called the Straits
of Sunda. Sumatra is the largest of the Sunda islands, sepa
rated from the peninsula of Malacca by the straits of the same
name, which, entering from the Bay of Bengal, wind around
the southern extreme of India, and passing Singapore, connect
with the China Sea. Its western coasts extend from Lat. 5 deg.
north to 5 deg. south in a southeasterly direction, exhibiting a
chain of mountains which, commencing at either extremity,
gradually Increase in elevation to Mount Ophir in the center,
fourteen thousand feet. This place being directly under the
Equator, of course there is no difference in the length of the
days and nights the year round, the sun always rising and set
ting at 6 o'clock.
Its productions are rice, cotton, coffee and spices, cam
phor and other gums, and pepper, which offered a strong temp
tation to Americans to engage in its commerce, and Yankee
cupidity soon invented a means of increasing the profits of the
trade. The simple minded heathen natives were cheated by
Christian false weights, until at last the film dropped from the
eyes of the deluded creatures, and (as is natural) they deter
mined upon avenging themselves. The ship Friendship of
Salem was lying at "Qualla Battoo," and one day when the cap-

THE INDIAN OCEAN 193
tain, supercargo and chief mate were on shore, with most of the
crew, weighing pepper, several boats full of natives put off to
the ship, overpowered the force on board, after massacring
the officer in charge, and slipped the cables and ran the ship on
shore. For this "outrageous" affair the Government of a coun
try whose motto is "Justitia fiat," sent a powerful frigate to
obtain redress by indiscriminate chastisement. The frigate an
chored on the coast, and sent her cutters in the night time, well
armed, and destroyed a few primitive vUlages of bamboo huts,
which deed, on the frigate's return, was emblazoned as a glo
rious action, a heroic attack and a great victory! A hundred-
pounder to a pig sty! I
I bought in Angier two quite young monkeys and let them
climb the rigging and masts as they Hked. I had been sailing
but a few hours when one of them lost his hold and fell over
board. The other stood on the rail looking for a moment
and then leaped after his companion, and after him leaped a
young Malay saUor. The wind was Hght and the sea smooth,
and I brought the barque to. The little jackos struck out man-
fashion after the ship, and when the sailor boy reached them
each one climbed on one of his shoulders, and as he came swim
ming back the seamen set up a shout of three cheers, in which
I could not refrain from joining. I then filled away, set all the
light sails, and, as the sun went down, we emerged, as it were,
from the world's tunnel Into the vast Indian Ocean —
The ever-rolling Indian Ocean,
Whose waves, though now so calmly lain,
Anon will rise in wild commotion.
When roars the dreadful hurricane.
July i8th. — I have now a clear sea before me, and my course
is from hence west southerly six thousand miles, to the Cape
of Good Hope. It wiU indeed be to me a cape of good hope
when I am permitted to pass it in safety, for then a bee line
northwest seven thousand miles more will bring me to my na
tive land. Blow, favouring gales,
Swell out my sails.

194 A PIONEER VOYAGE
And speed my way.
Through every day.
Till safe once more
I tread the shore
Of thee, my own,
My native land.
The southeast trade winds are blowing fresh and every sail
Is doing its best. Wherever I have been with my little barque
I have often been asked what is the meaning of her name.
People who, one would suppose from their general Intelligence,
would have often come across the term, have been enlightened
when I have told them that it was the Latin, Italian and Span
ish term for rainbow. "Iris" is the name of the heathen god
dess of colours, granddaughter of Oceanus. She is represented
as a beautiful virgin, with wings, and dressed In a robe of all
colours. "Arco" is the Latin for arch or bow. And now while
this "Rainbow" is flitting along let us take a retrospective view
of the past.
How little do we know what is before us in life, and how
well it is that we know so little. When I left my family In
September, 1848, to make a voyage to Liverpool in the Ocean
Queen, how could I have imagined that I was to be kept away
four years, and what a career of fortune and misfortune was
to be my lot! When I left Liverpool for New Orleans nothing
was known there of the extraordinary state of things in Amer
ica; but on my arrival at New Orleans I found the whole
country in a state of feverish excitement, on account of the dis
covery of gold in California. The long-sought "El Dorado"
had been found. Who can fail to perceive in this the direct
agency of an overruling Providence? The treasures of that
country had lain hidden since the creation in reserve for the
time when the increasing commerce of the world should require
an addition to its circulating medium.
For three hundred and fifty years that region had been in the
possession of an Imbecile nation, and in order to develop its
resources we see first the annexation of Texas to an enlight
ened and energetic nation. This leads to our war with Mexico.
A series of battles successful beyond precedent concludes with

IN RETROSPECTION 195
a peace with that country, one condition of which peace is the
cession of California. No sooner does that take place than its
new owners discover that It Is a land of gold, and thousands
and tens of thousands of adventurous spirits fly thither from
all quarters, and by every possible route, and a vast and val
uable country is at once raised from oblivion to add a new and
golden star to the glorious constellation of freedom.
Among the multitude my fate leads me to California, where
I go to work energetically and in a legitimate way to acquire
a share of its riches. At first I am successful, as much so as
my ambition could anticipate, and I began to think that the
bright star of my destiny had at last arisen, to shed Its cheer
ing influence on my declining years. But It had set again in
darkness and gloom ere it had arisen above the influence of
malignant refraction. One cruel blow upsets me and sets me
adrift, a lonely wanderer. In the most busy spot on earth, poor,
sick and prostrated.
In the darkest hour of that gloomy season, when it seemed
to me that I was an outcast, every one too much absorbed in
getting money to care a straw for the unfortunate, there was
one gentleman, on whom I had no claims, who held out the
hand of friendship and kindly volunteered to assist me In find
ing my way home, in a way to avoid expense and perhaps to
earn something on the route, but I am doomed to circumnavi
gate the globe, and another year is to pass before I reach at
last my home.
And here I cannot but remark that but few men could have
borne up under the troubles that I encountered, which none but
myself and my God can ever know ; and when I look back and
reflect how many to my knowledge, with scarce a semblance of
my troubles, gave up in despair, became dissipated and died a
miserable death, I thank God I was not permitted to become a
drunkard. My career has since called me to visit the Sandwich Islands,
to traverse the Pacific Ocean and the China Sea, to touch at
Singapore, from thence to retrace my way back to China, to
spend two months in the Celestial Empire, to make a call at
Manila, from thence to thread my way down through the intri-

196 A PIONEER VOYAGE
cate passages among the Eastern Islands, surrounded by dan
gers of all kinds, and at length to emerge, as it were, out of
the focus of the eastern hemisphere into the open sea, safe and
in good health.
How can I be sufficiently thankful to God for my preserva
tion ? Heavenly Father ! let me never hereafter repine at my lot,
but trusting to Thy guardian care, pursue the course marked
out for me with patience and perseverance, believing that "Thou
doest all things well."

CHAPTER XXXVI.
The Indian Ocean is that vast sheet of water bounded on
the north and east by Asia and the Sunda Isles, south by the Ant
arctic Circle, west by the Continent of Africa and the south At
lantic. Its depth from north to south is four thousand miles,
and its breadth from east to west is upwards of six thousand.
In general the weather is fine and settled, but at certain periods
it is subject to the most terrific hurricanes. Across its greatest
breadth lies my route.
Tempests, avaunt! your furious spite so dire is,
'Twould play the deuce with th' little Arco Iris.
July 22. — A mild and pleasant day. At 9 a. m. discovered
a ship in the northwest, with the American ensign at the peak,
steering so as to cut us off In our course. At 11 she was made
out to be a whale ship. I laid by and she lowered a whale boat,
and the captain came on board the Arco Iris. As soon as he
landed on my deck he requested me to fill away and stand on,
saying that he had come to spend the day, and had directed his
mate to follow in my wake. The ship was the "Popmanet of
Sippican;" — how poetical.
These whalers are the greatest bores afloat; they spend so
many months at sea, amongst whales and blubber, that all they
can talk about is in relation to their profession. This gentle
man was a real chatterbox, and during his visit he entertained
me with a lecture on whaling. He had pursued his gigantic
game from the frozen recesses of Hudson's Bay and Davis'
Straits through the equinoctial heats of the tropics to the frozen
serpent of the Antarctic, had been to Behring Straits and Ocean-
Ica, but did not know the name of the President.
He talked of finback and spermaceti, of whalebone and
blubber, of harpoons, lances and spears, of boats and Hnes and
oars, — "There she blows and now she flounces," etc., but when I
spoke of the Mexican War, he was as uninterested as though I
197

198 A PIONEER VOYAGE
was rehearsing a chapter in Epicurus. At dinner I gave him
roast mutton and pigeon pie, which reminded him of porpoise
meat and Cape pigeons, and I was enlightened upon the ex
quisite flavor of these marine delicacies. Away up at the top
gallant crosstrees of his ship men were perched in crows' nests
looking out for whales.
The Arco Iris is the tightest vessel that I ever had charge of.
She sails better than the average of ships, and steers beautifully,
but she is so lively during a gale that at times I can neither stand,
sit, or lie still ; at such times I am obliged to turn in, and drawing
myself up in the shape of the figure 4, with my back braced
against the ship's side, and my knees against the front of the
berth, worry out the gale.
The southeast trade grows faint and the barometer has set
tled three lines. Hurried in all light sails and reduced the storm
sails to the smallest compass. Soon streaks of lightning were
darting in zigzag tracks across the threatening tempest, and
Heaven's artillery was shaking all creation. The squall ad
vanced rapidly and in a few minutes "the windows of Heaven
were opened," and a cataract came down that settled the barque
apparently a foot. A flash! and the crack of a pistol and I was
partially blinded, and half-suffocated with a sulphurous stench.
We had been struck! A flash of lightning seized the maintop-
gallant mast, and it being straight grained, tore out a quarter
section from the trucks to the heel, but it left no trace below the
crosstrees. Probably the electric fluid seized hold of the chain
topsail tie and was by that conducted into the sea. When a ship
is struck by lightning, there Is none of that thundering uproar
reverberating in the distance, it is simply the snapping of a per
cussion cap and all Is over. The commotion passed away to the
southeast against the regular trade; in twenty minutes the sun
appeared again, the breeze came back, out went the reefs, the
Hght sails spread their wings, and away we went, wondering
what could cause such a phenomenon as a meteor tempest ad
vancing with such velocity against a regular trade wind and
settled fine weather.

A DELIGHTFUL DAY 199
When tossed about on the lonely deep.
The wind or Hght or fiercely blowing.
While careless shipmates sweetly sleep.
My thoughts towards home are often flowing.
I think upon my native land.
And social circles peace enjoying.
While death lurks round on every hand
And all his arts he seems employing.
'Twixt me and him, there's but a plank ;
If that should start by the ship's straining,
My life's not worth the turn of a crank,
But there's no use of my complaining.
A wild, erratic thunderbolt
Which shoots so oft in the Indian Ocean
May straight direct its liquid molt
'Gainst my poor head — a fearful notion.
Perhaps a raging furious fire
May chance some day the ship envelop.
Or chance an angry tempest dire
My years' and days' account may tell up.
What foolish thoughts ! The plank will hold,
The bolt shoot wide, the fire lie dormant.
And as I range the seas so bold,
A fig for aught I'll care the storm on't.
In Providence I still will trust.
Where'er I may be called to roam.
Though tempests o'er my head may burst.
They always end in froth and foam.
A Delightful Day.
August I, 1852. — Latitude 19 degrees south. Longitude 70 de
grees east. Last night the sun set clear, and as he laved his
burning limbs, surrounded by a radiance of inexpressible mag
nificence, in the broad Indian Ocean, the moon, exactly at her

200 A PIONEER VOYAGE
full, just rising from her watery couch, blushed modestly, as if
ashamed to be seen in her undress. She had but just fuUy and
fairly arisen, when she hid herself behind a friendly intervening
trade wind cloud, such a cloud as is never seen, except within
the tropics. Soon its upper edge became illuminated, first red,
then orange, golden, and then silver, and Madam Luna emerged,
arrayed in full splendor, prepared to reign queen of the loveliest
of nights, seeming to say, "Now, look at me and take your sur
feit." I did look at her and surfeit, occasionally wandering to
catch the first glimpses of her sparkling attendants as one after
another they twinkled Into vision. First Venus, her right-hand
maiden, appeared far down the west, and just without the burn
ing zodiacal embrace of King Sol; next Jupiter peering down
from the zenith, then Sirius, Orion and Aldebaran, the beautiful
Southern Cross, Markab and Eridanus, untU at length the whole
celestial vault became —
"The spangled Heavens, a shining frame."
The air was soft and balmy, there was no sea, but the long
undulating swell, peculiar to this ocean, seemed like the heav
ing throes of material nature's bosom. The night was too lovely
to think of sleep, and for hours I sat, watching the constellations
and contemplating their sublime organization, tiU at last in won
der and amazement at the great, the awful, the inconceivable
majesty of the Supreme Being, my soul subdued by a sense of its
own insignificance, breathed silently the only prayer a mortal
could appropriately offer. Father! Thy ways are just and right.
Thy Providence is over all and Thou canst do no wrong. Grant
that at all times, and under all circumstances, I may be able to
say with resignation. Thy holy will be done.
But everything must have an end, and at length Apollo hav
ing illuminated more than half a world since last he set with us,
began to shoot his rays of fire above the eastern horizon, warn
ing night's empress that, having had her display, 'twas time for
her to retire, for he was coming to show what he could do. His
preliminary Influence became broader and more fervid, until at
length the center of a glowing arch of burnished gold, the glori
ous god of day arose in the full splendor of his ineffable majesty.
The moon stood still to gaze, then left the field abashed.

A DELIGHTFUL DAY 201
It is Sunday, and the seamen having given the Arco Iris her
morning's ablution, have nothing more to do throughout the day,
and are listlessly lounging at their end of the ship, some mend
ing up their rips, others smoking their Calumet of peace, while
one is reading to the rest. It is nature's holiday, and my deck Is
like a farmyard — geese, ducks, hens and pigeons, sheep, turtle,
pigs and monkeys, are all let loose to frolic and gambol ; besides,
I have in my cabin a pair of beautiful green pigeons, and a brace
of gently cooing turtle doves from Java, and a number of cages
of the sprightly little Java sparrows are hanging round about;
every creature is in the full enjoyment of this delightful day.
The trades are blowing fresh and steady, the sails set fairly
to the breeze, seem Hke a band of brothers exerting their united
energy in urging the ship forward on her course towards home.
The helmsman, stiff and steady at his post, has his watchful eye
alternating from sail to compass; the steward, the only one on
board who has anything to do, is busy with his daily avocations ;
the officer on duty is patrolling the decks in measured tread,
never deviating a barleycorn in the length of his steps, and every
turn embellished with a Sandwich Island shuffle. And where
am I? Here on my quarter-deck, an autocrat.
Towards noon a speck appeared in the horizon on the weather
bow; It grew momentarily taller and broader, and in about an
hour one of the large, new modeled American clipper ships
dashed by upon her way to India. There cannot be a more en
nobling sight than a well appointed ship In the middle of an
ocean. She is the acme of human sklU, and the beautiful appli
ances to assist the navigator in threading his path across a track
less ocean, seem like the scintillations from Omniscience, iUum-
inating the mind of man at the moment when an enlarging
world required finger posts to point the way to a distant conti
nent. But I am wandering from my subject — A Delightful Day.
Seated under an awning, enjoying the luxury, I took my favorite
author, and, turning to his beautiful account of the creation,
never did I realize its beauties so fully before.

202 A PIONEER VOYAGE
"First in the east, the glorious lamp was seen.
Regent of day", — "and all th' horizon round
Invested with bright rays", — "less bright the moon
With thousand, thousand lesser Hghts appeared,
Spangling the hemisphere."
He closes his glowing description with the following apos
trophe to Heaven :
"Open, ye everlasting gates, they sung.
Open, ye Heavens, your Hving doors; let in
The great Creator from His work returned,
His six days' work — a world!"
Some one (I think Doctor Young) has said: "An undevout
astronomer is mad." To this I would add that he who could
pass such a splendid night, followed by such a delightful day,
without finding his thoughts rising through nature up to na
ture's God, has not mind enough to be a madman.
August 7. — At early daylight my steward caUed me, saying
that he could see land. As Mauritius (Isle o' France), the near
est land. Is three hundred miles distant, I paid no attention to
his report, but when I came out on deck an hour afterwards, he
still persisted in saying that he could see land. I told him to
point to it, and he at once stretched out his hand in the direction
of the Isle o' France. Now, I should not have recorded this triv
ial circumstance If it did not remind me of a strange matter
that took place at this same Isle o' France some years since. I
copy from the "London Nautical Magazine," a standard work
devoted to nautical and marine science:
"A Frenchman by the name of Botteneau, who had charge
of the signal station at Port Louis, acquired the faculty of dis
covering ships in the atmosphere approaching the island when
they were yet hundreds of miles distant, and used often to re
port their approach for two or three days before they made their
appearance to other eyes. At first his reports were treated with
ridicule, but the constant verification of his predictions aroused
the attention of the government and a committee were appointed
to investigate the matter, who were obliged to report favorably

AFRICA 203
for Botteneau. At one time he notified the govemment that a
fleet of nine ships were advancing, though yet two hundred miles
off. This caused much consternation, as an invasion was at
that time anticipated, but the ships did not arrive, which gave
occasion for renewed ridicule to Botteneau's enemies, although
he asserted that they had gone on past the island. In due time
it became known that a fleet of nine men-of-war had arrived at
Bombay, which passed the Isle o' France at the time Botteneau
said that he saw them. All cavilers were now silenced, and Bot
teneau went home to France, with the view of soliciting a pen
sion on condition of his explaining his discovery, which he
called 'Nauscopia,' and which he asserted that he could teach
to others. But he died before a negotiation could be had, and
his secret died with him."
Now, my steward is an illiterate Chinese and knowing no
more about the Mauritius than the man In the moon, and his in
sisting so positively that he could see land, seems to indicate
that he had a nauscopic revelation a la Botteneau. I passed a
hundred miles to the southward of the island.
After getting to the westward of Madagascar I encountered
a severe gale from southwest, which brought us down to close
reefs. It continued three days, and drove me in on the eastern
coast of Africa in Latitude 25 degrees south. Here the coast
is sandy and barren near the shore, but a short distance inland
it rises in hummocks crowned with dark brown shrubbery, and
in the distance the mountains of Caffraria can be seen. There
were no signs of any settlement, no boats along the shore, no
habitations, no smoke rising, and everything appeared desolate.
This part of Africa is inhabited by Caffres, Bushmen and
Hottentots, who live a nomadic life without houses, not cultivat
ing the soil, but depending for subsistence on game obtained by
the bow and arrow, and when that fails, on locusts, with which
this region abounds. There is but little difference in these races,
the Hottentots being nearer to the colony at Cape Town, are
slightly elevated above the other tribes. They live in villages
or a cluster of cone-shaped huts covered with mats, with only
one opening which serves as door, window and chimney. They
are abominably filthy, but are praised by travelers for kindness

204 A PIONEER VOYAGE
and hospitality, as well as integrity, chastity and mutual affection.
They are low in stature, of a dark, swarthy complexion, woolly
hair, thick Hps and high cheek bones.
The Bushmen are diminutive, seldom growing to more than
four feet high, skin dark yellow; they seem a step between a
baboon and humanity. The Caffres are a race distinguished
from the Bushmen and Hottentots, as well as from the negroes,
by a larger facial angle, the head more like a European, hair
stiff and frizzly, brown complexion, high nose, and sparkling
eyes. They are supposed to be descended from the Arabians,
still retaining many Arab words In their dialect. They are Mo
hammedans, and practice circumcision. They live in hordes, each
one having its own chief, and the chieftainship is hereditary.
They are a vigorous race of simple habits, they live principally
on curdled milk, and their only drink is water. They are of a
quiet, peaceable disposition, but when roused to war, they dis
play great courage and skill in the use of arms, which are the
bow and arrow, shield and club. Before they attack an enemy
they send heralds to warn them of their approach. The aU-
grasping English, Issuing from Cape Town, have stolen a large
portion of their territory, and this primitive, kind and, till lately,
happy people seem destined to extinction.
After the gale subsided I had a moderate spell of east winds,
and coasted along the south east quarter of Africa keeping from
five to ten miles from the land. I found a strong current setting
along the coast to the southwest, proving the correctness of the
theory that in the rotation of the earth from west to east, the
oceans hang back, and accumulate on the eastern sides of conti
nents. Thus the Indian Ocean becomes piled up hereabouts and
here the only escape is around the Cape of Good Hope and into
the Southern Atlantic.

CHAPTER XXXVII.
On the 28th of August, I was favored with another gale
from the southwest, and lay plunging into an awful sea for forty-
eight hours. These westerly gales are frequent in this region.
Her Majesty's Battleship Centaur once encountered a hurricane
here, and during the night the ship was plunging fearfully, when
some of the guns broke loose, the huge ship's frame groaned,
she sprung a leak and was in danger of foundering. The chap
lain was so much alarmed that he could not sleep, and spent
the night on deck, holding on to the fiferail. About midnight
the boatswain happening to pass by, the chaplain asked him what
he thought of it. "Think, parson," said the rough son of Nep
tune, "why, I think if the gale don't take off, we'll aU be in
Heaven afore morning." The man of God In great trepidation
exclaimed, "Oh, my good fellow, don't say that, let us hope and
pray for better things." During the same gale, a sailor who was
a Papist was observed on his knees praying earnestly to the
Virgin Mary. He promised her, if she would spare him, to get
safe on shore, he would place at her shrine a candle as big as
the mainmast. One of his shipmates overhearing him, took
him to task for his extravagance and asked him where he was
to get so large a candle. "Hush, Bill, you fool, you, hush ; ye see,
lad, I must promise her ladyship well now, but when I come
ashore I'll put her off with a six in the pound."
On the first day of September, I succeeded in turning the
Cape of Good Hope. When Vasco Da Gama in the fifteenth
century first doubled this extremity of Africa, he called it "El
Cabo de todas tormentos" — cape of all torments, probably from
having experienced a succession of tempests for which this re
gion is famous, and which his small barque was but poorly fitted
to encounter. The land hereabouts is mountainous. Some part
of it resembles in formation a huge lion recumbent ; one elevation
is caUed the lion's head, another the lion's rump. The lion's
head is sometimes enveloped in a white cloud, with its lower
205

2o6 A PIONEER VOYAGE
edge well defined and perfectly level; this the people of Cape
Town call "The Devil's Table Cloth," as it is a sure prognostic
of tempestuous weather. Whenever his Satanic Majesty be
gins to spread his cloth the port captain signalizes to ships ap
proaching to keep off, and to those in the road to send down
yards, house topgaUant masts and prepare for the worst.
In 1846 I stopped in Cape Town with the ship Aragon on a
voyage to Calcutta, to land a portion of her cargo. I remained
there ten days. The harbor is an open roadstead in the form
of a semi-circle facing to the northwest. The town presents a
pleasing appearance from the ship; in the eastern section is a
beautiful drive and promenade, with rows of trees all standing
at an Inclination of thirty degrees to the northeast, the effect of
the frequent southwest gales.
The inhabitants of Cape Town are Dutch (the descendants
of the old colonists) and English (whom the Dutch look upon
as intruders). There is but little intercourse between the two
races and that little is not of a friendly nature. Also there are
negroes, Hottentots and dogs, the latter by far the most numer
ous. "Buffon" might here have enlarged his genealogical table
of the canine species, and Linnaeus would have found taUs turn
ing to the right or left, straight tails or no tail at all. Mastiffs,
bulldogs, spaniels, terriers, poodles and hounds of every variety
throng the streets of Cape Town. Here also the anthropologist
may trace out the gradations of the biped race, ascending from
the monkey up through the ape, the baboon, the man-o'-the
woods, the Bushman, the Caffre, the Hottentot, the full-blown
Congo, the Moor, and the Andalusian, to the Teuton and the
Anglo-Saxon, — and reformers may here find a field for extending
their philanthropy down backward through the same gradations.
Fruit and vegetables are abundant and very fine, the beef
and mutton are exceUent, particularly the latter, and of a Cape
Town sheep the choicest morsel is the tail. Cape Town is a free
port. The celebrated Constantia wine is obtained at Cape Town ;
it is the produce of a small farm about ten miles from town.
Most strangers make a point of paying a visit to the old Dutch
proprietor. I made one of a party to ride out to Constantia,
the name of the vineyard. There are about one hundred acres.

ST. HELENA 207
all In vines. The adjoining estates do not grow the same species
of grape. The old Hollander took much interest in showing us
through his vaults and proving the taste of the several vin
tages, which he said ran back for twenty years. He has no oc
casion to export his wines for market, all of it being taken by
customers on the spot. We each purchased a small cask at $4.00
a gallon, and the old Boer wished us "God speed."
After getting to the westward of the Cape of Good Hope, I
had Hght airs from the southwest for three days, then the south
east trades set In moderately, with the sea smooth as glass. As
my course is now northwest, we are running straight before it
with all the studdingsails set on both sides. This is a dull,
monotonous way of sailing — no occasion to start a rope on board
for weeks. As I go to bed, so I get up again — no variety; a
gale would be acceptable by way of change.
On the morning of the 17th of September a dim, darkish
bank is discovered In the northwest, directly ahead. As we
crawl along in our snail-like pace it grows more and more. It
is the Island of St. Helena. At noon we can trace its rock-
bound, perpendicular angles, and at 4 p. m. we turned the north
east point and opened out the valley of James Town; at 5 p. m.
dropped anchor in thirty fathoms of water. The American Con
sul was alongside in a jiffy and offered me a seat in his barge;
went on shore and engaged a room In the London Hotel, had a
fine supper of mutton chops and fried eggs, and retired to a
clean bed. Oh ! what a relief from my prison life on board !
I am heart-sick with looking at the same set of Jack Nastyfaces
for three weary months, and my mate is a disgusting rowdy with
whom I cannot be familiar.
St. Helena, the prison house of Napoleon Buonaparte, the
greatest scourge of modern times! Many people censure the
English Government for confining him to this spot. But I think
they were right in doing so. The peace of the world required
that he should be placed beyond the possibility of doing any
more harm. He who, to gratify his own insatiable avarice, had
sacrificed the lives of millions, and made other mUlions miser
able, and had treacherously broken his faith by returning from
Elba to set the world again in arms, ought to have expected

2o8 A PIONEER VOYAGE
no better treatment, and this island offered the best guarantee
for his safekeeping consistent with his personal comfort. Buona
parte was a great man and a talented general, and had he taken
Washington for his model, he would have shone forth as a
bright particular star In the galaxy of the world's heroes, but
I look upon him in the same Hght that I do an earthquake or a
pestilence — as an instrument in the hands of an overruling Prov
idence, to scourge the world, for a wise though, to us, inscrutable
purpose. The island of St. Helena lies in the South Atlantic Ocean
near the middle, being twelve hundred miles from the nearest
land, which is the coast of Africa. Like aU other islands stand
ing out in the ocean at a considerable distance from any con
tinent, it is of volcanic origin, and shows evident marks of an
eruption far beyond the reach of history. The hills, which rise
abruptly to the height of twelve or fifteen hundred feet, are com
posed entirely of lava; the different strata are everywhere seen
at different degrees of inclination. In fact, evidences of a gen
eral eruption are everywhere manifest, else how are we to ac
count for those vast deposits of marine substances found on
elevated ranges in the interior of a continent, or those immense
regions of coal of vegetable formation lying many fathoms down
beneath the surface ? May not the chaotic mass from which this
earth was formed, according to the Mosaic history, have been the
result of a grand explosion, whirling about "without form and
void" until it gradually acquired its present form by the aU-
powerful force of gravitation, and cooled into its present shape,
and the progenitors of its present inhabitants formed for the
occasion? We know that the earth contains within itself the ele
ments of such an eruption and Its volcanoes are its grand safety
valves. It is a vast ball of combustible materials encrusted with
a covering of earth and water and liable at any moment to an
other explosion whenever it may please the Almighty Architect
to apply the match. May it not be the purpose of Eternal Wis
dom to withhold the match tUl a population too redundant to
find sustenance may require a new formation?
The valleys are fertUe, and although within the tropics, yet
the climate is temperate and the fruits of both the tropics and

ST. HELENA.
Reproduced from original sketch by Captain George Coffin.

NAPOLEON 209
temperate zones grow in great abundance. Immediately in the
rear of the London hotel an abrupt hill rises at an inclination
of twenty degrees from the perpendicular to the height of thir
teen hundred feet; it is ascended by a series of eighteen hun
dred steps cut in the lava. At the summit is the signal station,
to notify the approach of ships, and here the morning and even
ing gun is let off to salute the god of day on his first appear
ance and departure.
On the i8th dined with Wm. CarroU, Esq., American Con
sul. At his table were some half a dozen whaling captains who
had called in here to refresh, and seemed in no hurry to leave.
Of course, the conversation was all about finbacks and sperma
ceti, harpoons, lances, bouts and blubber. Mr. Carroll keeps an
open house for these gentlemen, and they are not slow to avail
themselves of his kindness, but he compensates himself in the
exorbitant prices he charges for their supplies. He charged
me $25 for a barrel of musty flour.
Fifteen years ago I stopped at this place on my return voy
age from Calcutta, having with me half a dozen young gentle
men, or rather rich men's sons, as passengers. We rode out
to Longwood, the residence of the great Exile. It is a plateau
upon elevated ground at the northeast end of the island. He
occupied the farmhouse, although a very comfortable palace
was .built for him, but he refused to live in it, and died in a
room which Is now used as a granary, and is exceedingly filthy.
The walls and even the floor are completely covered with auto
graphs, principally French, with not a few American.
In returning we called at the dell wbere lay the mortal re
mains of the great man. It Is a peaceful nook, about two rods
are enclosed in a wooden railing, and the grave is enclosed in a
neat iron cemetery. A brown stone without inscription covers
the grave, and four weeping willows hang over it In solemn
silence. An Invalid soldier, one of Napoleon's own, was privi
leged to guard this sacred spot. He was as garrulous as any
other Frenchman, and for the some thousandth time he recited
Austerlitz and Waterloo. My young chaps were very desirous
of obtaining some twigs from the willows, but the old guards
man expressed much horror at the sacrilege, and said that it

2IO A PIONEER VOYAGE
would cost him the loss of his situation to allow these sacred
trees to be mutilated. He was deaf to aU entreaties tUl I whis
pered to one of them to butter his fingers. He slyly slipped a
doUar into the keeper's hand, and suddenly he had occasion to
go to his lodge, and they each got as many twigs as they
wished. When I returned to my vessel I found the crew in a state
of mutiny. The mate is one of your marine tyrants who de
light In abusing sailors. I have repeatedly cautioned him in
this matter ; a portion of my crew are Malays, who never forget
or forgive a blow. They will watch months and years for an
opportunity for revenge. While I was in Manila a country ship
officered by Englishmen and manned by Malays, trading from
Bombay to Canton, anchored in a calm on the coast of Siam
for a night, and while the captain and officers, except one on
watch, were asleep the crew, who had been savagely treated,
massacred them all and abandoned the ship. In order to avoid
the risk of a Hke fate I thought best to discharge my Malays
and ship Englishmen. I ought to have discharged the mate.
My rest was disturbed last night by a Dutchman rushing into
my cabin at about ii o'clock, exclaiming, "Where ish te cap
tain? Mine Got, vere ish te captain?" Apprehending something
serious I was not long in turning out, and found one of my
German passengers in great tribulation. There was a barrel of
chlorine kept near the transom; it was used for the purpose of
purification; it had the appearance and somewhat the flavour
of gin. The Dutchman had long eyed it with a wistful look,
supposing it to be his favorite Schiedam, and last evening he sat
up till the other passengers had retired, when he stealthily drew
off half a mugfull, and hastily drank It, fearing detection. A
woman, who was lying awake, saw it, and exclaimed, "What
are you doing? Why, that is a deadly poison." Mynheer rushed
up the ladder, and broke into my cabin like a madman. "Ah,
mine teer captain," said he, "I'm pisent, I shall be ted, pimeby,
tirectly pefore mornin'." I thought it best to favor his delu
sion for future effect, so I expressed apprehension and turned
him over to the surgeon, who poured into Mynheer's not un
willing mouth his nauseous emetics, his cathartics, diarrhoetics

ASCENSION 211
and saporifics, and purged the patient into a comatose forget
fulness of his alarm. After about ten hours' stupor. Mynheer
"Gottlieb Pfeffelsbergeffer" came out all right, cured of his long
ing for Schiedam.
Started again on the 19th, fanned along before the wind,
and on the 25th passed the latitude of Ascension, another vol
canic island similar to St. Helena, belonging to England, now
used as a penal settlement. It abounds with goats and turtle.
The English East India ships resort here on their homeward voy
age for a supply of these. A few years since a Calcutta trader
took on board a large number of turtle, and one very large fel
low was kept alive till the ship reached the mouth of the Eng
lish Channel, when the captain marked the shell on the back
by cutting the name of his ship, the date and place, and the
British Arms, and set the old chap adrift. On his next
voyage he stopped again at Ascension, and took in a fresh sup
ply of turtle, and among them found one marked as before
stated. Instinct, nature's pilot, had taught him the way back, to
Ascension.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
On me afternoon of the 2nd of October I crossed the Equa
tor for the fifth time since I left home. At 3 h. 30 m. I was
exactly equidistant from the two poles of the earth. Wonder
how large these poles are. They must be poles of some magni
tude to sustain this great ball.
In reflecting upon the polar regions, some curious thoughts
are suggested. Let us suppose it possible for an individual to
reach the North Pole and stand exactly on the pivot. He would
then, after an interval of darkness of six months' duration, see
a bright speck appear in the horizon and immediately disappear,
but whether east or west he could not tell. After an interval
It would appear again, larger and continue longer. The speck
would continue to rise as it wound round from his left to his
right, and in about forty hours' of our time he would see the
full orb of day, continually increasing in elevation, till it reached
the altitude of 25 deg. 28 min. There the sun would remain
a length of time unknown to our pivot man, and then begin to
descend slowly at first, but more rapidly as it approached the
horizon, finally sinking again, and leaving our solitary fixture in
another night of half a year, though he would take no note of
time, for the source of time would be always on the meridian,
and It would be either a perpetual noon or unchanging mid
night. Ask him to point in the direction of London, he could
only say that it is south; then ask him how Washington bears,
and again he answers south; now tell him to point south, it is
everywhere, and he can only point to his feet. If there is any
wind there It must come from the south, for he knows no other
point except the north, which is directly over his head. While
the inhabitants of the equatorial regions are travelling to the
eastward at the rate of nearly one thousand miles an hour, he
remains stationary, only turning once round in twenty-four
hours. If the vital power of the air depends upon its being contin-

FORCES OF NATURE 213
ually In motion, it seems probable that here is the great labora
tory where the oxygen and hydrogen are mixed and circulated
by the centrifugal force of the earth's diurnal revolution, and
that if it were possible to reach the pole no being could exist
there. Here we see the wisdom of the Creator in enclosing this
interesting pivot in an impenetrable barrier of ice, so that all
the daring attempts of adventurous navigators to approach it
have end in "Cui bono."
The floating mountains of ice met with between Newfound
land and Europe are generally thought to be portions of this eter
nal barrier, the accumulation of ages, broken off by their own
vast weight, and floating down yearly to warmer regions. It
seerhs to me that this theory is not satisfactory. If they have
been centuries in accumulating, why is it that they are met
with only in spring and summer and not in autumn? If it
takes ages to congeal such masses, when such a number of them
as are sometimes seen at sea, leave the place of their formation,
other ages would be required for a new formation, but they are
seen yearly. Besides, where is the region where ice can be found
three hundred fathom thick, within the vicinity of land?
It seems to me more reasonable that they are the product
of the preceding season, a field of snow and frozen rain in au
tumn in Davis Strait and the Greenland Sea, sweeping down
south with the polar current, continually increased in height
with alternate layers of snow and rain by the constant storms
of the succeeding winter, until by the time they reach the coast of
Labrador they become mountains hundreds of feet above the sea.
Afterward, as they reach the parallel of Newfoundland, they
begin to crumble and crack, the strata of snow and ice separate,
the latter slide off in glaciers, covering all the intervening sea
with field ice, until finally the offshoot from the Gulf Stream
makes a finish of them.
Several years since, on a voyage to England, I became en
closed among a large number of icebergs, and was five days in
getting clear of the field ice, on which were a great number of
seals In a state of torpidity. I shot one, and he was hauled
on board by a noose thrown over his head by a man in the
chains. I passed within twenty fathoms of one monster berg

214 A PIONEER VOYAGE
that towered high above the ship's mast, and sent its spurs out
under the keel many fathoms. My ship ran at the rate of five
miles an hour till sunset, when the berg was stUl plainly seen
from deck, proving that it must have been five hundred feet
high. I once saw the process of dissolution. The sun's rays
and the warm sea had dissolved the cement, and one of these
monsters crumbled and fell to pieces In an indescribable uproar.
But my theory is not altogether satisfactory. May it not be
that the earth revolves upon an axis of solid ice?
Many years ago, before the ice king began to ship his com
modity to the East and the West Indies, an enterprising ship
master chartered an old lumber brig at Castine and proceeded
to the ice region to load her for the West Indies. He lashed
the vessel to an Iceberg and began to load, but while cutting
away the mountain inclined and its spurs came up under the
keel and nearly capsized his brig, and set her to leaking, so
that he abandoned his voyage and returned to Castine, where he
attempted to evade the charter by contending that the vessel was
not seaworthy. Icebergs are entirely fresh.
September 27th. — This morning the sun rose in an atmos
phere of vermilion and the windward side of my sails and rig
ging look as if painted with brick dust, piles of which may be
swept up on the deck after short intervals. It is an impalpable
powder wafted from the Coast of Africa fifteen hundred miles
distant by the trade winds.
October 7th. — I am now In the North Atlantic. I was six
days working my way across the region of calms and squalls,
and on the evening of the 8th I got the first glimpse of the North
Star, a very welcome sight. The southern constellation answer
ing to the North Polar Bear is composed of four stars of the
second magnitude, so placed as to form a cross, the shaft point
ing directly to the south pole. It is a very beautiful constella
tion, affording the mariner a convenient time indicator.
Star of the North, thy ray I greet.
Thou shin'st at home, on kindred dear;
That kindred soon I hope to meet.
My way-worn weary soul to cheer.

NORTH ATLANTIC 215
Hope ! Boon of Heaven, what were life.
If thou were't stricken from its roll?
Cold doubt and turmoil, toil and strife.
Of man's dark voyage would be the whole.
Full fifty thousand miles I've sailed
Since last I parted from my home.
My plans for fortune all have failed,
But still I'll hope for time to come.
Great God! in wisdom Thou dost rule,
Oh, may I ne'er that fact forget.
But taught in resignation's school,
Await my time, and struggle yet.
Sunday, October loth. — My sea stock of fresh meat has now
dwindled down to two pigs, half a dozen ducks, and one lone
goose, or rather gander. This last is a curious old chap. He
goes marching about the deck as stately as a lieutenant, and as
stiff as a midshipman. At meal times he is sure to place him
self in the doorway of my dining room, and stretching up his
long neck he fixes his gaze on my table as steadily as a deacon
on communion day, occasionally reminding me by his single
"Yarnk" that he is waiting for the crumbs. It is my practice
to have the ship's bell struck only at the end of every two hours,
and my gander has lately acquired the habit of joining in con
cert ; for instance, when four bells are struck, let him be in what
part of the ship he may, by day or by night, he is sure to strike
in Immediately in concert, with his "Yarnk, yarnk — yarnk,
yarnk." He must be a lineal descendant from the goose told of
in Addison's "Spectator," that used to act the part of watchman
in London. October isth. — Latitude 21 deg. N., Longitude 47 deg. W.,
saw a lot of floating lumber and shingles, probably some lumber
drogher from the State of Maine has recently passed here and
lost his deckload. These gentlemen do not use chronometers,
and to guard against falling to leeward of their port in running
for a West India island they steer so as to strike the trade winds
several degrees of longitude to the eastward of the islands, and

2i6 A PIONEER VOYAGE
getting into the latitude of the island, as they are bound to, they
square away and run down sometimes in a week.
Chronometers are now in almost universal use. It is a watch
so constructed as to run with perfect accuracy. It is compared
with an astronomical clock when leaving port, and is never
suffered to run down, and the hands are never touched. Of
course, it always indicates the time at the place at which it was
set. But comparing it at any moment with the time obtained
by the sun, and turning the difference into degrees at the rate
of fifteen degrees to one hour of time, we find exactly how much
we are eastward of westward of our port. For instance, sup
pose on leaving Boston my chronometer is set in unison with
Mr. Bond's or Mr. Willard's standard clock, then after being at
sea a few days I find that the sun shows twelve o'clock, and
looking at the chronometer I find it marks only eleven o'clock,
I know instantly that I am 15 degrees east of Boston, and that
it will take the sun just one hour to reach the meridian of Bos
ton. Or on leaving Liverpool, I find it is one o'clock by the
chronometer, when the sun comes on the meridian at the ship,
then I know I am fifteen degrees west of Liverpool, and that
the sun passed the meridian there one hour previously. The
English Government have given two hundred thousand dollars
in bonus to watchmakers to stimulate them in perfecting chro-
nometry. Nothing material occurred for the remainder of the voyage,
had a fair run through the northeast trades and passed the
Bermuda Isles on the 19th of October.
The Bermuda Isles belong, of course, to England. Great
and small they number by hundreds, and on the north and east
sides they are surrounded by reefs extending from two to four
leagues from the shore. They lie in the latitude of Charleston,
S. C, and distant about eight hundred miles. The climate is
mild and uniform, there is never any frost, and vegetation is
constantly advancing towards maturity, and the trees are always
in verdure, the leaves only falling to make way for another
generation, and two crops of the cereals are gathered in one
year. It is a remarkably healthy region and a fine place for
consumptives to linger a few years longer.

THE BERMUDA ISLES 217
Bermuda is chiefly valuable to the mother country as a naval
rendezvous with Halifax In the north and Nassau in the south.
They form a cordon threatening to the United States, but the
time Is fast approaching when American ingenuity will set Mr.
Bull with all his cordons and fleets at defiance, and if he ven
tures upon a war with us he will not get out of it without losing
his colonies on our side of the Atlantic.
Just after losing sight of Bermuda I fell in with an English
brig from Porto Rico bound to these islands. She had been
forty-three days at sea, ten of which she had been cruising about
in this latitude in search of her place of destination, and was
in distress for want of water and provisions. I supplied her
wants and gave the captain his course and distance, when he
pulled away without so much as saying "I thank ye." I have
sometimes heard it said that it was the duty of the shipmaster
to supply the wants of a brother seaman without charge, but
I do not see the propriety of this. Certainly he must be a mon
ster who would make a higgling bargain in such a case, but as
he has no right to give away the property of his owners, it is
the duty of the one relieved to offer a fair compensation, or,
if he has not the means at hand, to give a receipt and draft
upon his owners or agent.
Three years since, on a return voyage from Europe, a sea
had flooded my cabin and spoiled the bread, and on the bank
of Newfoundland I fell in with a British ship bound to Quebec.
I sent my mate on board of her for a supply, and gave him
three sovereigns to pay for it. He brought back a sack of
flinty navy bread, but no change; he said the captain took the
three pounds for payment, but I cannot think so meanly of a
brother shipmaster. I think it more Hkely that the mate thought
it too good a chance to let slip, and pocketed the gold. '
20th, 2 1st and 22nd of October. — Strong northwest gales,
during which I could make no progress, and never did a head
wind seem so tedious and irksome. After this one day's calm,
and on the 24th the wind set in light from the eastward. On
the 27th the temperature of the sea rose suddenly to 80 deg.
Fahrenheit, a sure indication that we were In the Gulf Stream.
This is one of the phenomena of the ocean. If you take a ter-

2i8 A PIONEER VOYAGE
restrial globe and trace out the configuration of the north and
south Atlantic Oceans, you will see that the Equator crosses the
northern part of the empire of Brazil, and that the coast trends
in a northwesterly direction. Now I have before remarked
that in the revolution of the earth from west to east the water
near the equator, where the velocity is greatest (nearly a thou
sand miles an hour), hangs back, and becomes swelled above the
level near the coast of Brazil, and finds its escape by a con
stant flow to the northwest, between the continent and the Carib
bee Islands, until at last it meets a final barrier in the Bay of
Mexico. Now examine the globe again, and you will perceive
that the opening between Cuba, the Bahama Islands and the
coast of Florida affords the only outlet for the surplus waters;
through this passage they rush with such a velocity that the
impetus acquired continues till having passed the eastern projec
tion of North America, they spread and become equalized. The
water I am now sailing in has but recently left the Bay of Mex
ico, and has not had time enough to get cooled off.
But after sailing about seventy-five miles in this hot water
we find the temperature suddenly falling to 60 deg., a certain
indication that I had crossed the stream and was approaching
the land. On the 28th water at 50 deg. Began to fall in with
coasting vessels by the hundred.
On the 29th struck soundings in fifty fathoms on the coast
of New Jersey; at 8 p. m. steered northwest during the night,
and at daylight one of the sylph-like pilot boats of New York
ran under our lee and inquired if I wanted a pilot. "Of course
I do," said I. "Why, it ain't the old man after all," I heard him
say to the boatkeeper. When he came on board he said I re
sembled his father, who is also a pilot, so much; that when he
first looked at me with his glass he thought that I was his own
father had got the start of him.
It came on foggy before we could get in, and we came to
anchor outside of Sandy Hook, where we lay till the ist of No
vember, when we hove up the anchor and beat up the beautiful
bay of New York. Certainly it seemed to me the most splendid
sheet of water on earth.
About five miles short of the city the tide turned to run ebb,

NATIVE LAND 219
and impatient of the delay of beating, I called a steam tug along
side, and at 3 p. m. she laid the barque alongside a pier in the
East River, whereupon I unbent the sails, cleared up decks, and
discharged all hands.
Several times during my cruise around the world I have
come within an ace of a fortune, and now I learn of another
great wij-fortune.
I found my friend Mr. Plummer in New York. From him
I learned that soon after I left San Francisco the market ran
short of rice. The great number of Chinamen there had eaten
themselves out of their staple fodder, and rice rose to thirty
cents a pound. He despatched several letters by clipper ships
in the hope of catching me in Singapore or China, with instruc
tions to purchase a cargo of rice and return to San Francisco.
I could have laid in a cargo at Manila at one cent a pound. But
none of the letters ever came to hand ! The Arco Iris would
easily carry three hundred tons, and I annex an estimate of what
would have been the result:
300 tons of rice at $20  $ 6,000
Commissions, insurance and exchange 10 per cent  600
$ 6,600
Sales of 300 tons at 25 cents per pound  ,. .$150,000
Charges at San Francisco 10 per cent  15.000
$135,000
Invoice and charges  6,600
Net profit  $128,400
One-half to Messrs. Plummer & Crosby  $ 64,200
One-half to George Coffin  64,200
$128,400
And now here alone in my little cabin, at 9 p. m. Monday,
November i, 1852, I close this journal by saying that on calling
at my consignees, Messrs. Goodhue & Co., I was favoured with

220 A PIONEER VOYAGE
letters from home, conveying the gratifying intelligence that my
family were all well. My eldest son had grown to be a man,
and by his upright and manly deportment had acquired a high
standing in the community. My daughter is a young lady of
whom any father might well feel proud, and my younger chil
dren bid fair to emulate their elders. For these blessings I am
mainly indebted to their inestimable mother, under whose care
they have grown and are fast growing to maturity.
Father in Heaven, accept my praise,
And In Thy mercy hear my prayer
Now offered up through Thy dear son:
What good or ill attends my days
With resignation may I bear.
And say, Thy holy will be done!

ADDENDA.
I devote the remaining pages of this book to copying some
of my contributions to "The Emigrant."
PATIENCE.
We can all of us preach patience to others, but to practice
this virtue ourselves is quite another and far more difficult
matter, as was elucidated in the case of a Scotch divine, who,
having received a plentiful crop of tithes during the week, was
observed to be remarkably complacent on the ensuing Sabbath.
He took his text from the book of Job, strongly encouraging
his hearers to be patient under all their trials, and declaring that
for the future he was determined to be resigned and submit
patiently, let what might befall him, citing the patriarch Job
as the personification of patience.
His wife, good woman, had prepared an extraordinary din
ner for the occasion, and for once he did not find fault with the
roasting of the joint or the flavour of the pudding. She praised
his discourse. "Why, yes," said he, "I think I have given the
boors a good dose this time and I hope they will profit by it,
but, my dear, would not this be a good time to broach No.
149?" Overjoyed to see him in such good humour, she seized a can
and flew to the cellar, but soon came back, looking disconsolate
and wretched. "What, what's the matter?" said the good man.
"Oh! such a sad event has happened," she replied. "Tell me,
my dear, what is it, has anything happened to any of my parish-
loners? If so, I hope they will remember my sermon and be
patient; for my part. If it relates to me, I am resolved to bear
it with Christian resignation. But, my dear, where Is the beer
all this while?" "That's just it," said the wife with fearful ap
prehension, "the barrel is bursted and the contents are all about
the cellar." The parson fretted, raved and swore, his poor wife
endeavoring to console him, bidding him remember his sermon,
I 221 ; '

222 A PIONEER VOYAGE
and think of the patience of Job. "Job ! Job ! don't talk to me
about Job, ye hussie. Job never had a barrel of such beer."

THE BITER BIT; OR, DOVER JACK AND THE JEW.
Jack Bobstay was a jolly tar.
Just home returned from out the war.
With pockets full of money.
And off to London he did stroU,
And took with him his faithful Poll, —
She was as sweet as honey.
Now Jack, he had an eye ahead.
He knew his purse, though now well fed,
Would dwindle in the city.
So as along the road he went.
He hit on this experiment.
Which shows that he was witty.
At every tavern where they stayed
To eat and drink or sleep, he paid
The landlord's fare twice over.
It being first well understood
That when retuming on that road.
As he came back to Dover,
He should not pay again, but twirl
His hat upon his stick, and curl
His finger in his hair, sir.
At which Sir Boniface might know
His customer and let him go
Quite free of further fare, sir.
Arrived in towrn, a crafty Jew
Espied our hero ; well he knew
He was an unplucked sailor.
So quick he brought him to his shop.
Where clothes and trinkets he did slop.
He was a peddling tailor.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE EMIGRANT" 223
Jack wanted this. Poll wanted that;
The Jew he was a wily brat,
And quick he filched their siller,
Which soon convinced our hero Jack
'Twas time for him to make sail back.
Up helm and mind his tiller.
Now Jew he thought that he had more
Of his hard earnings laid in store.
His fingers now were greasy ;
He had found Jack so very free
In spending gold he'd no idea
To let him oft' so easy.
So took a seat in the same coach.
And soon the crafty dog did broach
The subject of Jack's pension.
"Why, yes," quoth Jack, "I have a claim
Upon the Government to name
But 'tis hardly worth the mention."
At the first tavern where they dined,
Jew paid his fare, surprised to find
Jack did not pay a "prog," sir.
But twirled his hat upon his stick.
At which the landlord answered quick,
"All right, my joUy dog, sir."
When supper came Jack twirled his hat.
The Jew, still more amazed, thought, "What
The devil's in this fellow?
About that stick rnust be some charm.
To smoke it out can be no harm,
I'll smoke him tiU he's yellow."
"Dear sir," said he, "pray teU me how.
While I pay cash, it is that you
Do never pay a stiver.
But round about your walking stick
You twirl your hat, a clever trick.
Which I should like to cipher."

224 A PIONEER VOYAGE
Jack thought a moment ere he spoke,
"By the mast, 'twould be a cunning joke
To shave this Jewish shaver.
Egad! I'll do it, so here she goes —
Dear sir," said he, "there's no one knows
The value of my staver.
"Whene'er I twirl, as you have seen,
My hat upon that staff so keen.
My wants are all supplied, sir.
'Twas given me by Fiji's king,
Whate'er I want 'twill surely bring
Directly to my side, sir."
Jew seized at once the gilded bait,
To own that stick he scarce could wait
To drive a Jewish trade, sir.
So offered Jack a hundred pounds.
Was quite astonished when he found
Jack spurned his offer made, sir.
"A hundred pound! You stingy Jew,
D'ye think I'm such a simpleton that you
Should get my charm for nothing?
No! higgle not, you stupid dunce.
But say a thousand pound at once.
Or stop your Jewish mouthing."
Jew paid Jack down his thousand pound
And took the staff. But soon he found
He'd caught a real live tartar.
Upon the stick he placed his hat.
First twirled it this way, twirled it that.
Exciting naught but laughter.
He bought a coach, and twirled his hat.
At which the man who sold cried, "What
The devil do you mean, sir?"
"Why, that's the pay," quoth anxious Jew;
"The pay, you simpleton? do you
Think I'm so very green, sir?"

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE EMIGRANT" 225
Jew found the stick had lost its charm,
At which he grew exceeding warm
With Israelitish passion.
He swore by Moses and old Nick
Upon Jack's pate he'd break that stick.
To cheat him in that fashion.
So straight to Jack he posted off.
"You've sheated me mid your tam staff.
Come, give me back my monish."
Jack placed his thumb upon his nose.
And straight his fingers out he throws.
Saying, "No, you don't, my honish.
"You barefaced, swindling, paltry Jew,
Whate'er I told you is most true.
There's virtue in that wand, sir;
But though such charm it doth possess,
There's one thing more I must confess,
'Twill only suit my hand, sir.
"Besides you shark-toothed Israelite,
You thought at me you'd have a bite.
You have but little wit, sir.
When stick you bought, you silly brat,
You also should have bought my hat.
You are 'The Biter bit,' sir."
I came across the substance of the foregoing in an old story
book, and turned it into rhyme for the amusement of my un
easy passengers.

PRECISION.
Precision is an exceUent quality, when It is not too pre
cise, but extremes in all things are unnatural, and should be
carefully avoided.
Perhaps of all classes of men our nautical friends are the
most precise; their profession requires that they should be nice

226 A PIONEER VOYAGE
in their observations and exact in their calculations, working out
their problems with much precision, but I do not see the use
of their descending to the fractional parts of a mile or seconds
in fixing their position at sea. I have often seen in newspapers
and magazines a shipmaster's report of some new discovery. In
which he has thought it important to be particular as to the
seconds, and sometimes even to the thirds or tenths of a sec
ond, in its position in latitude and longitude. Now this I con
sider being a little too precise, and smacks strongly of pedantry.
For instance, suppose we should fall in with some hitherto un
discovered reef or Island, and our captain, in reporting his dis
covery, should place it in latitude 25° 51' 27" and longitude
113° 32' 49", would any other nairigator who might chance to
fall in with it agree as to the number of seconds or would our
captain himself, on another occasion, be able to fix it exactly in
the same position? I fancy not. The subject reminds me of
an anecdote that once took place in my own experience.
Passing along Duke street in Liverpool, in company with
a nautical friend, we came across a porter house, and stepped in
for a draft of old England's choicest beverage. We happened
to fall in with a party of EngHsh shipmasters of our acquaint
ance, who very cordially Invited us to partake of their good
cheer. The conversation fell upon the perfection of nautical
instruments, and the precision of nautical calculations. One gen
tleman boasted that his chronometer performed so accurately
that he would venture to run by her to a quarter of a mile on
any coast, and in any weather. I looked at my friend and
thought he was going to say, "Thank fortune I am not your
underwriter." Another gentleman said he had a pocket watch
that was perfection itself. He once set her by the astronomical
clock at the Greenwich observatory, made a voyage to Australia
and round the world, and on his return, on comparing her with
the same timekeeper, he found she had gained "not quite a
quarter of a second." I looked again at my friend and fancied
his mouth was puckered up, as all other mouths are, when their
owners are about to say, "Fudge." A third gentleman said that
"only let him see the sun and moon or the moon and stars and
he cared not a fig for all their timepieces, for he could take and

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE EMIGRANT" 227
work a lunar observation that should place him within ten rods
of his true position."
"Very precise," said my friend, "but I can beat even that.
I was once lying entirely becalmed in the North Atlantic. My
ship's length lay due east and west; the sun and moon were
at a convenient distance, and I placed myself at the knightheads,
and took a set of distances. I then went aft, and at the sternpost
I took another set; on working them out the first set placed me
in longitude 45° 23' 17 ".4, and the second set made the longi
tude 45° 23' i8".9. Reducing the difference to feet and inches,
I found it to be 135 feet 9I inches, and referring to my ship's
register, this proved to be her exact length."
The chronometer man retired, he of the pocket watch ab
squatulated, the exact lunarian had some urgent business to at
tend to on board his ship, and my friend and I enjoyed a hearty
laugh over our mugs.

ANECDOTES.
A jolly sailor, having saved enough of his hard earnings,
bought a cottage and garden in the country, and retired from
the sea to enjoy it. But he was much annoyed by a yelping cur
belonging to one of his neighbours; as often as he drove him
away he was sure to be soon back. At last Jack caught him
and chopped off his tail. Some days after an acquaintance,
passing by, asked him If the dog continued to annoy him. "Faith
no," says Jack, "he hasn't been here for a week, for the last
time he was here I cut his rudder away, and blow me if I think
he'll find his way here any more, now he's got nothing to steer
with."

A lady who of this world's wealth was rife,
Had with a crabbed husband passed her life.
A maid she had, and this maid had a beau.
And asked her lady mistress If she would let her go.

228 A PIONEER VOYAGE
Her mistress told her plainly, that rather than to marry.
She'd better leap the falls of fearful Niagara.
The maid replied at once, "I'd leap the falls, odds rot 'em.
As sure as I'm alive, and never mind a jot 'em.
If I thought I'd find below there a husband at the bottom."

Sailors on shore have generally a passion for horses, but a
sailor on horseback is like a deacon in a ball-room. Jack Ratline
had just been paid off in London, after a long voyage, and stroll
ing along the Strand he fell in with an empty omnibus standing
waiting for customers. So feeling an inchnation for a ride, he
bargained with the driver for his coach, paying for all the seats
on condition that the coachman should drive on without waiting
for any more passengers. Jack took his place on the top of the
omnibus. Just as the driver mounted his box a party of ladies
and gentlemen came along, going the same route. One of the
gentlemen threw open the door and was about to help the ladies
in when the driver forbade it, saying that his seats were all en
gaged. "How can you say that, you son of a whip, when there
is no one in the coach?" Jack, hearing the altercation, looked
over the railing and inquired what all the row was about. On
learning the state of the case, he exclaimed, "D — it, coachee, if
that's all you may stow away the landlubbers down in the hold
there, but blow me if a soul of 'em shall come on deck here."
As the coach was driving along Jack kept continually giving his
driver his orders. "Port your helm," "pull on the starboard
fore brace," "set up the mizzen backstay," "ease her when she
pitches," much to the amusement of the passers-by.
At the end of the route Jack descended from his airy posi
tion, and then took a fancy to a ride on horseback. When the
horse was brought out Jack, full of frolic, sprang into the saddle
stern foremost, that is, with his face towards the horse's tail.
At this the bystanders set up a great shout. Jack sat looking
marlin spikes and capstan bars at them till they were tired jeer
ing at him, and then exclaimed, "What the h — are you laughing
at, ye pack of loblolly boys? How the d — do you know which
way I am bound?"

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE EMIGRANT" 229
Admiral Campbell, for some special act of bravery, was to
be knighted. When a courtier appeared with a summons for
him to appear in the king's presence to receive his ribbon or
garter he was very much averse to the matter, and begged to be
excused, as he said he had no taste for knighthood. The cour
tier, thinking to overcome his scruples, replied, "But, sir, per
haps Mrs. Campbell would like It." "Then let the king knight
her," was the brave seaman's blunt reply.

Lord Nelson once ordered the commander of a frigate to
attack a certain position In Spain. The captain ventured to
remonstrate, saying that he considered the post unattackable.
"Sir," said the hero of Trafalgar, "I do not understand you,
that word is not English."

PADDY'S FIRST CRUISE AT SEA.
A raw son of Erin, happening to be in London, was seized
by a press gang and hurried on board a frigate just ready for
sea. When the new recruits were mustered to be stationed, and
it came Paddy's turn to be examined he was asked what his
name was. "And it's me own name ye'd be afther getting, is
it?" said Pat, "faith then ye'U be puzzled to get it, for Mike
Sullivan don't tell his name to every spalpeen that asks for it."
At this one of the lieutenants struck him with his sword.
Mike seized the gentlemanly swab by the shoulders and raising
him above his head he whirled him round Hke his own threshing
flaU. At this the mariners surrounded him with fixed bayonets.
"Arrah now, my hinnies, stand back, or by Jasus I'll spit the
varmint on your skewers." Paddy then set him down on deck
and applying his brogan sent him sprawling on deck, saying,
"Get out of that, ye divil's skin."
Mike was court-martialed and sentenced to receive a dozen
lashes at the gangway. "Faith," says Mike, "but I've not taste
for it anyhow, but if yer Honer says so I suppose it's as good
as done." He took his punishment without flinching, only ex
claiming when it was over, "Och, by the Powers."

230 A PIONEER VOYAGE
He was then turned among the waisters, and one day he
was set to hauling in a long line that had been towing over
board to take out the kinks. He hauled away for some time,
muttering, "By Jasus, but it's as long as to-day and to-morrow."
Still he kept pulling away, saying, "Bad luck to the arm or the
leg it will lave me at all, at all." Still he hauled away for
some time longer, when he stopped, and looking up to the officer
of the deck he exclaimed, "Plaze, yer Honer, but I'm blowed if
I don't think some spalpeen of a shark has snapped off the ither
eend on't, sure."

DOUSE THE GLIM.
Lieutenant Martingale was a college educated gentleman, and
had come forth from his "Alma Mater" a pedant, and he carried
his pedantry into his every-day matters. Whenever he had oc
casion to give any orders on board ship, it was always in high-
flown language. If he sent any seaman forward, instead of the
laconic "Lay fo'ard there, lads," it would be "Betake yourselves
to the anterior"; or if he ordered a man aloft he would tell
him to "ascend to the superior elevation" instead of the common
order, "lay aloft there, my man."
On board of men-of-war ships it is customary to carry lan
terns in the roundtops, and half a dozen seamen are stationed
there, under the command of an able seaman who is called
captain of the top. One night when Lieutenant Martingale had
charge of the deck and Bob Spunyarn was captain of the main
top. Pedantic wished to have the top light darkened, so he hailed,
"Main top there." "Aye, aye," said Bob. "Extinguish that noc
turnal luminary." Bob blustered about the top, pulling first one
rope then another, when the lieutenant repeated his order, "Ex
tinguish that nocturnal luminary, I say." "Don't know what
rope you mean, sir," replied Bob. At last the boatswain asked
the lieutenant to let him give the order. "Main top there." "Aye
aye, sir." "Douse the glim there, you lubber." In an Instant
the light was extinguished. Bob muttering to his topmates,
"Blast his highflown lingo, does he think we understand Greek
up here? Why can't he give his orders in plain EngUsh?"

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE EMIGRANT" 231
SQUIRE JUDKINS IN THE LEGISLATURE.
Joel Judkins was a merchant in one of the eastern towns in
Maine; that is, he kept store in a place famous for its fishing
facilities and privileges, and sold silks, satins and salt, muslin
and molasses, ribbons, rice and rope, hardware and honey, pins,
needles, oars and handspikes in exchange for herrings, hay and
potatoes, etc., etc.
At a meeting of the "General Court," when the code of laws
was to be revised, and, among others, the laws relating to the
herring fishery, Joel was chosen to represent his town in that
important matter. On arriving in Portland he put up at the
Elm House, where he found a number of the country members
had preceded him. They gathered around him, looking over his
shoulders as he wrote in the register "Joel Judkins, Esquire,
member from Mount Desert," then turning to them and shaking
hands, he said, "Come, as I am the last comer, I 'spose it's my
treat, what'U ye take, whiskey, gin or blackstrap? Landlord,
put it down to Mount Desert."
Now Joel was much given to drowsiness, and had acquired
the Spanish custom of taking a siesta. At an afternoon session,
when the law relating to the fisheries was expected to be brought
up, feeling an irresistible inclination to doze, he requested the
gentleman who occupied the next seat to wake him when that
matter came up, and laying his head on his desk he was soon
lost in profound slumber. It happened that the law about sheep-
stealing was first taken up, and at a pause in the debate Joel s
neighbour touched him, saying, "Come, now is your time." Up
jumped Joel, exclaiming, "Mr. Speaker! "Mr. Judkins," nodded
the Speaker. Joel having secured the floor, took time to arrange
his notes, rub his eyes and arrange his spectacles, then having
taken an intellectual sip of water, he commenced his maiden
speech: "Mr. Speaker, I wish to have something to say upon
this subject, for it is one on which I feel myself able to throw
some light. The people of my town have sent me here to look
after their interests in this particular matter, and they will ex
pect me to speak out plainly, and, sir, I shall do so without fear
or favour, for I feel that it most deeply concerns my constitu-

232 A PIONEER VOYAGE
ents. In fact, sir, there's one-half of them get their living by It."
The outburst of laughter that greeted this opening was only
equalled by Joel's confusion, when he found out the mistake he
had made.

The Rev. Charles Milton was a very sincere good man, but
a very eccentric genius. He was of the old school, orthodox.
Congregational, election and damnation, hell-fire and brimstone,
God-instructing order, and was a particular personal enemy to
the Devil. He fought the Devil on all tacks and his pulpit was
frequently the arena of a fierce conflict with his Satanic Majesty.
It was a favorite expression with him, "I'll preach the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth," and on one occa
sion he added, "I would preach the truth to you if there were
as many Devils in the meeting house as there are shingles on
the roof of it."
At another time he declared that it was his object to destroy
the Devil and his works, and "My brethren," he added, "If you
ask me how I wUl destroy the Devil, I reply I will shoot him;
and if you ask what weapon I will use, I answer I will shoot him
with this Bible." Suiting the action to the speech, he raised
the pulpit Bible and holding it at arm's length he brought it
down with emphasis upon the cushion, but shot too far, and
down came the sacred weapon upon the head of Deacon C  ,
who sat demurely in the box beneath, just raised sufficiently to
overlook the whole congregation. Then looking over the desk,
the facetious parson asked, "Well, Deacon, was It a good shot?"
He had a clear full voice which rang out through the seven
teen heads of his discourse, each head subdivided into half a
dozen tails.
As the good minister advanced in years his memory began
to fail, and his parish, much against his wishes, settled an as
sistant called a Colleague, but the fiery parson was not disposed
to give in, till one Sunday afternoon, in conducting the services,
he read the preliminary hymn and uttered his usual prayer, and
then bestowed his blessing in benediction and was about to dis
miss the meeting when the Colleague reminded him that he had
not preached his sermon.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE EMIGRANT" 233
Mr. Milton had two daughters; the eldest was married to a
Mr. Brown, who deserted her, and the father was obliged to
take her home. As the second daughter became of age her
affections were sought by another man of the same name, and
she asked her father's permission for her friend to visit her.
"What's his name?" he inquired. "It is Brown, sir." "Brown!
No more of your Browns. I've been done brown once, and that
will do for one family. No, give me green or white or gray,
but no more of your browns, or even black."

THE CLOSE OF THE MEXICAN WAR.
When General Scott, with valour hot.
Bore down on Vera Cruz — O,
Those Mexicans grim, they thought with him
They'd play the very deuce — O.
But soon they found, when he broke ground.
Before their walled city.
The direful day was come when they
Must sing another ditty.
For shot and shell, where'er they fell.
Discharged from gun or mortar.
Within that town came rattling down
And caused terrific slaughter.
And then the Dons, they saw at once
The times were fuU of evil.
Full soon they thought that General Scott
He was the very devil.
Down came their pride, aloud they cried
To spare their doomed city.
Our hero brave kind answer gave.
His great heart ope to pity.

234 A PIONEER VOYAGE
But Gen'ral Scott he tarried not.
For he must plenty more do.
Straight on he went, with fuU intent
To look at "Cerro Gordo."
Through chaparral — o'er national.
He came on Santa Ana,
Who boasted naught cared he for Scott,
With his damned Yankee banner.
Vain, fooHsh boast! Scott's valiant host
Soon taught him of his error,
And 'twas right quick that he cut stick
And ran away in terror.
That battle gained, Scott entertained
A longing for Jalapa,
That beauteous town in tum fell down
Before our gaUant trooper.
Pueblo's plains our hero gains
With scarce an hour's resistance.
Pushed boldly on and drove the Don
Before him in the distance.
On, on, with speed, both man and steed.
That valiant little quota,
Nor stopped till they in ruins lay
The castle of Perota.
Chepultapec! Now neck and neck
Those heroes led by Pillow
Rushed boldly in. resolved to win,
'Twas a mere bagatelle — O.
At length he sate before the gate
Of Montezuma's city,
Planned his attack, took all aback
Those Mexicans so witty.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE EMIGRANT" 235
For fooHsh Don thought he'd come on
In front of little Penon ;
They little dreamt that he'd attempt
Another route to lean on.
But soon they found him marching round
The lake towards Churubusco,
Molino Rey and Tacubay,
They fell before 'twas dusk — O.
Now Mexico, three miles or so
Ahead, looked so inviting.
They scarce could wait their chief's mandate.
For now their trade was fighting.
Scott, Pillow, Worth, all sallied forth
By valiant troops surrounded.
With battle yell they drove pell-mell
Those Mexicans confounded.
On still they drove, and each one strove
To be the first to enter;
O'er aqueducts each chief conducts
His followers to the centre.
Where soon they meet, in the broad street.
And each his followers rallies,
'Mid deafening cheers their flag uprears.
Proud floating o'er the palace.
That rueful day, again away
Ran boasting Santa Ana,
And e'er nightfall on tower and wall
Floats the star-spangled banner.
This closed the war, this they came for.
All In a blaze of glory;
They "conquered peace," their battles cease,
And thus I end my story.

)1380 2435

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