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diff --git a/43342.txt b/43342.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1fa3e66..0000000 --- a/43342.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4930 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Round Cape Horn, by Joseph Lamson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Round Cape Horn - Voyage of the Passenger-Ship James W. Paige, from Maine - to California in the Year 1852 - -Author: Joseph Lamson - -Release Date: July 28, 2013 [EBook #43342] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROUND CAPE HORN *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Chris Whitehead and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - ROUND CAPE HORN. - - VOYAGE - OF THE - - PASSENGER-SHIP JAMES W. PAIGE, - FROM MAINE TO CALIFORNIA IN THE YEAR 1852. - - BY J. LAMSON. - - [Illustration] - - - - - BANGOR: - PRESS OF O. F. & W. H. KNOWLES. - 1878. - - - - -Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1878, by - - J. LAMSON, - -In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, in Washington. - - - - - TO - - My Fellow-Passengers, - - AS A REMINDER OF MANY PLEASANT SCENES ENJOYED, - AND MANY ANNOYANCES ENDURED DURING OUR - VOYAGE, THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -A voyage round Cape Horn in a passenger-ship is an event of the past. -The necessity for performing this perilous voyage has been obviated by -the introduction of railroads and steamships. Emigrants and travelers -are no longer obliged to risk their lives and waste their time in -passing round the Stormy Cape in order to arrive at a point, which may -be reached in a week by a pleasant ride across the continent on the -railroad; and Cape Horn is destined to become a terra incognita to all -but the readers of ancient voyages. - -I am not aware that a narrative of a voyage of this description has -ever been published; and the hope that a truthful account of the -perils, discomforts, and annoyances, as well as the pleasures and -enjoyments attending it, may prove entertaining to the reader, has -prompted me to send forth this little work to meet the fate or fortune -which an enlightened public may award it. - -The scenes and anecdotes recorded at the end of the voyage, are given -in the hope that they may possess some slight value as conveying -an idea--a vague and indistinct one, perhaps--of some of the -characteristics and habits of a portion of the people of California in -early times. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - Description of the Bark--She sets Sail--Uncomfortable - Situation--Specimen of our Discomforts--A Squall--Escape from - a Waterspout--Approach to the Cape Verde Islands--Religious - Services--A School of Porpoises--A Dutch Vessel--A - Flying-fish--Annoyances--Bad Cooking--A Practical Joke--Tropic of - Cancer 13 - - - CHAPTER II. - - Consultations about Cape Verde Islands--Flying-fish--English - Steamer--Tropical Showers--Disappointment--Capture of a - Porpoise--May-Day at Sea--An English Bark--Letters for - Home--Another Bark--Nautical Ceremonies--An Aquatic Bird--Crossing - the Equator--Squalls--A Portuguese Brig--Captain J. engages - to stop at Rio Janeiro--Land Seen--Cape Frio--Approach to Rio - Janeiro--Beautiful Scenery--Disappointment 21 - - - CHAPTER III. - - A Mistake Discovered and Corrected--Ill Health--Scenery of the Coast - and Harbor of Rio Janeiro--We cast Anchor--Going Ashore--Rambles - in the City--Fountains--Markets--Parrots--Hammer-headed - Sharks--Monkeys--Slaves--Tropical Trees--Visit to a Hotel--English - Gentlemen--Public Gardens 29 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - Visit to the Botanical Garden--Description of the Garden--Dinner - at the Hotel--Third Visit to the City--Impudence of the First - Mate--Village of San Domingo--A Walk in the Country--Attacked by - Dogs--Beautiful Plantations--Civility of a Planter--Elegant Mansion - and Grounds--A Retreat--A Fine Road--Return to the Ship--Supply of - Fruit--The North America--Mr. Kent, our Consul 36 - - - CHAPTER V. - - Weigh Anchor--Civility of the People of Rio--Temperance--An - Altercation--Cold Weather--Cape Pigeons--Large Bird--Our Kitchen - Establishment--Stewards and Cooks--Scouse--Inspection of Cooks' - Galley--A Joke--A Squall--An Altercation--Captain J. and Mrs. - L----t--Cape Pigeons--Oranges 46 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - A Disagreeable Scene--Scarcity of Oil--Lamps and Slush--An - Albatross--Ill Manners of the Mate--Cold Weather--The Whiffletree - Watch--Disagreeable Scene--Magellan Clouds and Southern Cross--An - Act of Kindness--Turnovers and Sport--Tierra del Fuego and Staten - Land--A Perilous Passage--Ducks and Cape Pigeons--A Squall--A Black - Albatross--Cape Horn--Stormy Weather--A Gale--Accident at the - Breakfast Table 54 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - Severe Cold--Furious Storm--Diego Ramirez Islands--Land - Ahead--Cape Horn Weather--Two Vessels--Length of Days and - Nights--Disagreeable Brawl--Heading North--Patagonia--The - Andes--Another Storm--Anxiety of Captain J.--A Lunar - Rainbow--Another Gale--Bill of Fare--Filthy Cooks and - Impure Water 63 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Captain Jackson--A Drifting Spar--Approaching - Talcahuana--Washing-day--Landscapes--Harbor of - Talcahuana--Pelicans--A Visit from Officials--Description of the - Town--American Houses--Tremont House--A Dinner 72 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Character of the Inhabitants--Agricultural Implements--Lassoing - Cattle--Poncho--A Covered Wagon--Wild Doves--An Earthquake--An - Excursion--Dogs, Women, Children, and Shells--A Scotchman and his - Wine--An Adventure and the Calaboose--A Chilian Musket Fished - Up--An Affecting Incident--Fruit Market--Leave Talcahuana--An - Explanation--Theft in the Cooks' Galley--Disinterested - Advice--Uneasiness of Mrs. L----t and Captain J. 80 - - - CHAPTER X. - - Religious Services--A Beautiful Bird--Departure of Cape Pigeons - and Albatrosses--Stormy Petrels--Amusements--Harmony among - the Passengers--Mrs. L----t and her Child--Violence of Captain - J.--Our Chaplain turns Poet--Captain J.'s rest disturbed by the - Passengers--He threatens to blow them through--Sugar--Petty - Annoyances--A Rag Baby--Our Chaplain and his Revolver-- - Change of Weather--Uncomfortable Condition of the Main - Cabin--Theft of Raisins--Ship's Stores--Gross Negligence--Great - Waste of Scouse 90 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - An Arbitrary Prohibition--Card Playing and Checker - Playing--Dancing--Treachery of Mr. Johnson--Some Passengers--A - Comical Character, and a Pugnacious Character--A Beautiful - Bird--Closing the Hatches--A Question of Jurisdiction--The Hatches - Re-opened--A Sudden Transformation--Neglected Duties of the - Chaplain--His Influence with the Captain 99 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - Head Winds--The Dusky Albatross--Tacking Ship--Fishing for - Birds--Amusement of the Mate and Passengers--A Poet--Fair Winds--A - Porpoise--A Fight in the Main Cabin--My Journal--Opinions of Mr. - Johnson--Meeting in the Main Cabin--Schools of Porpoises--Narrow - Escape from Shipwreck--An Act of Charity 107 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - Whales--Sunshine--The Pacific Ocean and Tom Moore--Wormy Bread and - Impure Water--A Pilot--Arrival in the Harbor of San Francisco--The - City--Dismantled Ships--My last Visit to the Bark--Statement and - Counter Statement--Angry Remonstrance--Mr. Spring and his two - Journals--Final Adieu to the James W. Paige 114 - - CALIFORNIA SCENES. - - Scenes in Sacramento. 121 - - Cattle Stealing in Contra Costa. 123 - - Felling Trees in the Redwoods. 127 - - Solitude. 129 - - A Collector of Natural Curiosities. 130 - - A Pair of Rattlesnakes. 133 - - A Queer Fellow. 135 - - A Sandwich Island Woman and her Yankee Husband. 137 - - A Party. 139 - - Indians and Their Costumes. 145 - - The Yosemite Falls. 148 - - The Domes. 149 - - Farewell to the Yosemite. 151 - - The California Vulture. 152 - - My Skill at Rifle Shooting. 154 - - Incident at a Camp-meeting. 155 - - [Illustration] - - - - - OFFICERS, PASSENGERS AND CREW - - OF THE - - BARK JAMES W. PAIGE. - - - Joseph Jackson, _Master_; Horace Atwood, _First Mate_; Dudley P. - Gardner, _Second Mate_; E. S. Blake, E. P. Holden, Stephen Walker, W. - B. Webber, Cyrus E. Gould, Michael Cashman, John Tobin, Hiram Draper, - Michael Feeney, M. V. Wall, W. Grant, Philip Keen, George Reynolds, - Tim Scannell, Ithiel Gordon, Willard Heath, Elisha Osgood, G. A. - Brown, J. S. Brown, Geo. L. Pierce, Leonard Stinson, S. H. Bachelder, - J. F. Dolliff, Joel D. Thompson, Eben Toothaker, J. S. Russell, H. - Whitney, Geo. A. Emery, Stephen Pierce, A. F. Johnson, William Shaw, - Stover Clark, J. Wentworth, G. French, W. Marshall, L. Sherman, Alfred - Fletcher, G. E. Morton, E. F. Starr, S. H. Sanger, James Carlow, W. - Spring, M. Sawtelle, D. Worster, Ivory Matthews, Rev. John Johnson, - S. P. Lawrence, ---- Hodsdon, William Lamson, Horace McKoy, Charles - Hollom, Samuel Murray, J. Lamson, Jonathan Tyler, Thomas Ladd, Noah - Andrews, L. Wakeman, J. Colborn, Wm. Smith, O. E. Smith, John Day, - Thos. Foster, John Magrath, W. Footman, J. Jackson, James Concord, T. - W. Dolliff, David Tinney, J. T. Bickford, B. D. Morrill, J. Montgomery, - Stillman Sawyer, J. C. Pullen, S. Kelley, Mrs. Draper, Mrs. Grant, Miss - J. Spaulding, Mrs. H. G. Brown, Mrs. S. J. Brown and Daughter, Miss M. - L. Brown, Mrs. J. P. Lawrence, Mrs. L----t and Daughter. - - - - -ROUND CAPE HORN. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - Description of the Bark--She sets Sail--Uncomfortable - Situation--Specimen of our Discomforts--A Squall--Escape from - a Waterspout--Approach to the Cape Verde Islands--Religious - Services--A School of Porpoises--A Dutch Vessel--A - Flying-fish--Annoyances--Bad Cooking--A Practical Joke--Tropic of - Cancer. - - -The Bark James W. Paige of 240 tons burthen, was fitted up for a -passenger ship in the latter part of the winter of 1852, by James -Dunning and Joseph Nickerson of Bangor, Maine. A portion of the hold -was made into a cabin with fourteen double berths on each side. -Fifty-two passengers occupied this room. A small house with berths -for fourteen passengers and a state-room for the captain was built -over the cabin, and enclosed the companion-way or stairs leading down -to the cabin. This cabin was called the after cabin, to distinguish -it from the room in the hold, which was named the forward or main -cabin; and the house was called the after house. Another house was -constructed over the main cabin, in which lodged the mate and four -or five passengers. The after cabin was appropriated to the ladies, -though singularly enough, the Rev. Mr. Johnson, who, we were told, -had been employed to officiate as our chaplain, was assigned a berth -in this cabin, much to the annoyance of a portion of the ladies. The -sailors occupied the forecastle. The cook's galley, a very important -part of the ship's appointments, was placed between the two houses. -These houses did not occupy the whole width of the deck, but a narrow -space was left for a walk round them. There was also a small open space -between the cook's galley and the after house, and at the ends of the -houses. - -Our bark, though owned in Bangor, lay at Frankfort, twelve miles below -the city, where she was fitted up, in consequence of the river being -closed by the ice at that season of the year, down to the latter town. -Many delays occurred before all our preparations were made, but at last -all was ready, and we dropped down the river to Prospect, where we took -on board our last passenger, and on the third day of April, 1852, we -bade adieu to the ice and snow of Maine, and with a heavy gale of wind -were soon driven out to sea. - -We were fortunate in the beginning of our voyage in having strong -and fair gales of wind, which drove us rapidly on our course; but we -had at the same time much wet, drizzling weather, which soon enabled -us to discover that our ship was an old and leaky thing, and that -our houses, though new, had been so carelessly constructed, that the -water came in freely upon us, wetting our berths, and rendering our -situation exceedingly uncomfortable. Add to this the fact that our -ship, being in ballast, rolled so badly that we could not stand for a -moment without clinging with both hands to our berths or some other -fixture for support, and that nearly all of us were suffering severely -with seasickness, and I think it will not be difficult to convince the -reader that our condition was far from agreeable. - -The following may serve as a specimen of our discomforts: I lay in my -berth in the after house--on the second night of our voyage,--suffering -from intolerable nausea and equally intolerable thirst. The vessel -rolled violently; the rain was dropping from the leaky roof into my -face and on my bedclothes. The passengers were running to and fro in -much confusion, and the voice of the captain was loudly heard in giving -orders to the sailors, who were sent aloft to take in sail, for a -squall had struck us. The trunks in our cabin were dashing from side -to side, breaking chairs and stools and whatever else came in their -way. The earthern ware in the lockers was slipping about and crashing -up in a style that threatened its speedy demolition. All was noise and -confusion. The winds whistled, howled and screamed, the sails flapped, -the waves dashed against the sides of the vessel and over the decks, -keeping a stream of water running back and forth as we rolled and -pitched, and tossed over the seas. An unlucky wave, higher than the -rest, stove a boat that hung at the davits, and added greatly to the -confusion and apprehension which pervaded the ship. The storm, though -with frequent lulls, continued for several days. During one night the -trunks and chests in the main cabin were tumbled about so furiously, -that they beat down the stairs. A barrel of pork was upset, and the -brine, dashing across the floor, so frightened a poor fellow, who -thought the vessel had sprung a leak, that he scrambled up into our -house, and sat up all night. - -A day or two after this I heard, as I lay in my berth, an unusual -commotion on deck, and the captain was giving orders in a loud voice -and a quick and hurried manner. In a few moments I learned that we -had but just barely escaped a waterspout, which had passed within -less than the ship's length to the leeward of us. Sick as I was, I -deeply regretted that I was not up to see it. I may never have another -opportunity to witness such a phenomenon. - -_Sunday, 18th April._ Latitude 29 deg., 25' N. Longitude 29 deg. 71' W. from -Greenwich. We have reached a warmer and more comfortable climate. We -have exchanged the cold stormy blasts, the wintry winds of Maine, for -mild and gentle breezes and a warm sun, and we feel a sense of comfort -in the change that is exceedingly exhilarating. I have nearly recovered -from seasickness, from which I believe no other passenger has suffered -so severely, but it leaves me much enfeebled. We are approaching the -Cape Verde Islands, which we hope to see in the course of three or four -days. - -We have had religious services on deck to-day. Our chaplain gave us -a sensible written discourse, which was listened to with attention. -We had good singing, and the services were conducted with a degree of -propriety that would have afforded an excellent example for imitation -by some of the congregations I have seen in our churches. - -Soon after the close of the services our company was enlivened by the -sight of a school of porpoises; and Sherman, one of the passengers -who had made several voyages, made an attempt to capture one of them. -Taking a harpoon to which a long line was attached, he dropped into the -chains under the bowsprit, and watched for the porpoises as they came -plunging swiftly through the water beneath him. It required no small -degree of skill and dexterity to strike them. There he stood looking -intently into the water with his harpoon raised, when suddenly a group -of the animals came within striking distance. In an instant he thrust -his weapon into one of them, and the line was pulled in by men who were -stationed on deck for the purpose. The fish was brought to the surface, -but in his struggles he broke away from the harpoon and escaped, and -in a few moments the whole school, as if warned of their danger, had -disappeared. We have not a great variety of amusements on board our -vessel, and such a circumstance as this serves to infuse a good deal -of life into us. A school of porpoises, a few stray sea birds, and a -distant sail constitute nearly all we have to relieve the monotony of -our voyage. Up to this time we have spoken but one vessel. I lay in -my berth one night dreaming pleasantly of friends at home, when I was -awakened by the hoarse voice of our captain hailing a bark that was at -that moment passing. She was a Dutch vessel homeward bound. The Dutch -captain had some difficulty in understanding ours, and asked three -times where we were bound, though answered each time very distinctly -"Cal-i-for-ny." - -_April 19._ This morning the mate found a flying-fish. It had flown in -during the night, probably in attempting to escape the dolphin, which -is its greatest enemy. It was about ten inches in length, with fins -five or six inches, which serve as wings in the short flights it makes -over the water. Some of our men saw a large turtle floating by us. It -had a voyage of several hundred miles to make before it could reach -land. - -We are not without many annoyances, and one very serious one arises -from the bad cooking of our food, and often from want of a sufficient -quantity of it. Our cooks are excessively filthy, and it requires a -strong stomach to enable one to swallow the messes they set before us. -Many complaints have been made of this state of things to the captain, -and to-day we have presented him with a written protest signed by every -man in our room, but without effecting any improvement. - -Time passes irksomely with many of our passengers, and they often -resort to odd expedients in order to wear away the weary hours. When -other sources of amusement fail, they sometimes find enjoyment in -playing practical jokes on each other. We had an instance of this sort -of recreation to-day. A ship was seen to windward in the morning, -and standing in the same direction with us. Some one of the party -pronounced her a pirate. This was found to operate on the fears of one -of the passengers, a simple, honest, credulous fellow, who believed -others to be as honest as himself, and a grand frolic was arranged to -come off at night at his expense. It was therefore reported that the -pirate, though she had fallen several miles astern, had sent a boat -to board us, and accordingly several of the men armed themselves with -their rifles and revolvers, and prepared to defend the ship. Several -barrels were thrown overboard in the dark to represent the piratical -boat, and these were fired at as they floated by the ship. Then came -a man tumbling and rolling about with terrible groans and yells, -pretending to be wounded, and a moment after a cry went through the -ship that the pirates were boarding us. The poor fellow for whose -benefit all this hubbub was gotten up, was at that moment passing by my -berth, and I heard him responding to the cry--"They _are_ boarding us, -they _are_ boarding us! where's a handspike?" and he ran and unshipped -a pump handle in an instant, and hastened to the spot where the -supposed attack was made, determined to make a desperate defence. That -he would have fought bravely had there been occasion for it, no one had -a doubt, while it was suspected that some of his persecutors would have -preferred retreating to fighting under any circumstances. The cracking -of the rifles and revolvers, and the uproar all over the ship, awoke -the captain, who got up in no very amiable mood, but he soon got into -the humor of the frolic, and laughed as heartily as any of them. - -_April 21._ Our longitude to-day at noon was 23 deg. W., latitude 23 deg. -50' N. We were then twenty-one miles from the Tropic of Cancer. It -is now sunset. We have passed the tropic, and are now sailing in the -torrid zone. It is an epoch in my life. I have talked with several of -my fellow passengers about it, but they see nothing to interest them -in the circumstance. This _tropic_ is not a thing to be seen--there -is nothing tangible in it. And as for the torrid zone, they do not -perceive any very great difference between that and the temperate zone -we have just left. I am now sitting at the stern of the ship, enjoying -a mild soft sea breeze and a beautiful twilight. We often have richer -sunsets in Maine, and the twilight continues much longer; but there is -here, while it continues, a softness and a delicate blending of the -different tints of purple, azure and gold, which we do not always see -in our northern latitudes. Our men are lying or sitting about the decks -and upon the houses, many in groups engaged in conversation, some of -them spinning long yarns, and others listening to an interesting song -wherein is related the history of "a beautiful fair maid of high degree -with black hair and milk white cheeks, and her galliant lovyer," while -here and there may be seen one quietly communing with his own thoughts, -which the friends he has left three thousand miles distant suggest to -him. - -The ladies at the beginning of the voyage were confined a large portion -of the time to their cabin by sickness. But since their recovery they -spend many hours on deck every fair day; and as they are under the -necessity of going through our room in passing to and from their cabin, -we are in a fair way of becoming acquainted with them. - -_April 22._ We are now but three hundred and fifty miles distant from -the coast of Africa, and about five hundred miles north of the Cape -Verde Islands. We have sailed sharp on the wind during several days, -hoping each day to fall in with the north-east trade-winds that are -to waft us to the coast of South America. But we have not been so -fortunate as to find the trades, and this morning we have but little -wind in any direction. The sea, though rolling in long undulations, is -very smooth, and the sails are flapping idly against the masts. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - Consultations about Cape Verde Islands--Flying-fish--English - Steamer--Tropical Showers--Disappointment--Capture of a - Porpoise--May-Day at Sea--An English Bark--Letters for - Home--Another Bark--Nautical Ceremonies--An Aquatic Bird--Crossing - the Equator--Squalls--A Portuguese Brig--Captain J. engages - to stop at Rio Janeiro--Land Seen--Cape Frio--Approach to Rio - Janeiro--Beautiful Scenery--Disappointment. - - -I have had several consultations with the captain on the subject of -touching at the Cape Verde Islands; and as his chief objection, aside -from one or two days' loss of time, is the port charges, the passengers -have obviated that objection by subscribing an amount much greater than -will be necessary to pay those charges, besides engaging to assist -in getting some pure water on board, of which we are in great want. -I am very desirous of seeing something, however small, of a tropical -country, and of the trees, birds, and other productions of a tropical -climate; and this may be my only opportunity. Above all I long for a -short respite, if only for a day, from this confinement to the vessel, -and for a little exercise upon the land before we continue our long -voyage to the coast of South America. - -_April 24._ Saw the flight of a school of flying-fish. They rush -through the air with great rapidity, and generally--those that I have -seen,--against the wind. They look very prettily as they skim over the -water a little above its surface, and follow the undulations of the -waves a distance varying from five to twenty rods. Towards night a -large English steamer with four masts and all sails set, was seen on -our starboard bow, and continued in sight nearly two hours. - -This afternoon we had a slight specimen of a tropical shower. Some dark -clouds suddenly arose, and before the heavens were half covered, they -broke upon us in a heavy shower accompanied by thunder, that drove us -all under shelter. It passed away however as quickly as it arose. - -We had this day been sailing with a fair breeze, and hoped by to-morrow -to be anchored in one of the harbors of the Cape Verde Islands. We -were much elated at the prospect, and it had been the chief topic of -conversation for two or three days. Judge then of my disappointment -when I learned at night that the captain had ordered the helmsman to -put the bark off to the south-west, the direction of the islands being -south. He had determined to avoid the islands, and we had no other -alternative but to submit. After sailing south-west about four hours in -order to give the islands a wide berth, our course was again changed -to the south. We turned into our berths with no very amiable feeling -towards Capt. J., who, we thought, manifested very little regard for -the welfare or comfort of his passengers. - -_Sunday, April 25._ We are passing the Cape Verde Islands without -even the gratification of looking at them. But we have now got the -trade-wind in earnest, and are driving before it at the rate of ten -or eleven knots. We have seen several schools of flying-fish to-day, -and two of them have been picked up on the deck by the sailors. This -afternoon a large school of porpoises came playing round the ship, -and one of them was struck with the harpoon by Sherman, our sailor -passenger, and secured. It was about five feet long, and weighed, -probably, two hundred pounds. - -_Monday, April 26._ Some portions of the porpoise killed yesterday -were served up to-day for dinner. The liver was said to be very good, -resembling that of a cow; but the flesh, though relished by some of the -passengers, was black, and had rather a strong flavor. I did not taste -of either of them. - -_Saturday, May 1._ May-day at sea. We rose as usual this morning, took -our breakfast, and talked of May-day at home, and of the friends we had -left there, and seeing in fancy the youthful portion of them setting -out on a shivering ramble in pursuit of a few flowers or leaves through -the mud and snow, while we strove to shelter ourselves from the heat of -a tropical sun under an awning of a large sail, which we raised over -the after house, where we sat, lay or walked, and read, talked and -sung, during the day. Towards evening I sat for an hour--and it is an -indolent pleasure I often indulge in--observing the sky and the clouds, -and watching their slow and sometimes almost imperceptible changes -of shape and hue, and in comparing them with the sunset skies of our -northern climes, which, if wanting something of the ethereal softness -of this, are more glowing, more brilliant, and more decidedly beautiful. - -_Sunday, May 2._ This morning a sail was seen on our larboard tack, -but the wind being light, we did not speak her till night. We watched -her till after sunset, when her mate boarded us, and reported her to -be an English bark bound for Liverpool. We had been writing letters -all day, hoping this vessel would prove to be an American homeward -bound. We were somewhat disappointed, but as we might not soon have an -opportunity of sending more directly, we decided to send our package, -containing forty-five letters, by the bark to England, thence to be -forwarded by steamer to America. - -_Monday, May 3._ Spoke another bark, the Fanny Major, for which I had -prepared another letter, but she was found to be outward-bound, from -New-York to the same port with us, and having on board sixty-five -passengers. Our vessel proved to be the best sailor. We had been -sailing on different tacks, and she was half a mile astern of us, when -our captain backed sail and let her come up. Just at this time a squall -arose, and she soon ranged along-side, and in a few minutes passed by -us. The captains hailed each other through their speaking-trumpets, -asking what port they sailed from, where bound, how long out, what -ports they intended to touch at, what was the longitude by the -reckoning of each, &c. After the bark had passed us we set our sails, -and soon overhauled her. The captains had a few more words, when the -passengers and crew of the New-Yorker gave us three hearty cheers, -which we answered with an equal number, then three more from the -New-Yorker answered by one from us, and our military band, consisting -of a drum and a fife, set up a lively air, when we speedily shot by, -and left her to follow in our wake. - -At night we had a visit from a large aquatic bird. After flying around -the ship for some time, she alighted on the jib-boom, and was captured -by Sherman. I was very desirous of preserving the skin of this bird, -which differed from any of those described by Audubon or Wilson, and -was probably not a visitor to the United States; but our captain, who -is a man of contracted views, and is deeply tinctured with a sailor's -whims and superstitions, ordered it to be set at liberty under the -pretense of sympathy. - -_Tuesday, May 4._ We have for a week past been drifting,--I can hardly -say sailing, for the winds have been light, and we have made but -little progress,--towards the Equator, and to-day we have crossed that -important geographical line, and passed into another hemisphere. The -event has been celebrated with a good deal of hilarity and nonsense. -Old Neptune appeared on board rigged out with an immense wig of -Manilla cordage, a grotesque mask, red flannel drawers, and a buffalo -coat, and holding the captain's speaking-trumpet in his hand. He was -accompanied by his wife, personated by a thin, slender and active -fellow, arrayed in a long gown and a straw bonnet. They amused us with -a dance to the music of a fiddle, and in return they were treated with -some brandy, of which they partook with great gusto. Neptune enquired -into the affairs of the ship, cautioned the stewards and cooks to do -their duty, gave some wholesome advice to the officers, to whom he was -formally introduced, cracked a good many jokes upon the passengers, -and disappeared. The frolic went off with great good humor among all -parties. - -_Wednesday, May 12._ We have had many squalls accompanied with rain for -several days past. Last night a pretty heavy one struck us, sending -down a torrent of rain, which leaked into our berths and houses. Many -of us got well drenched. Feeling rather uncomfortable from the wet, -I arose and stood up by the side of my berth, holding on to it for -support, while the ship rolled violently. But I soon grew tired of -this. So feeling over my bed in the dark, and finding a comparatively -dry place at the foot of it, I changed my pillow to that end, and -turned in again. Lulled to rest by the howling of the wind, the dashing -of the seas, the rushing of several pailfuls of water over the floor -of our room, the hoarse orders of the captain and the answers of the -sailors, I slept till morning. - -_Friday, May 14._ Spoke a Portuguese brig bound to Rio Janeiro. Her -decks were crowded with men and women migrating to the New World. I -thought there must have been more than a hundred of them in a vessel -not more than two-thirds as large as ours. - -_Saturday, May 15._ We are now distant about four hundred miles from -Rio Janeiro, and have strong hopes that we shall touch there, though -it was the original intention of Captain Jackson to stop at Saint -Catherine's, nearly three hundred miles further south. He is strongly -prejudiced against Rio, having lost a brother and three men, besides -being dangerously ill himself of yellow fever contracted there on a -former visit. Then the port charges are higher at Rio than at St. -Catherine's. This objection, however, the passengers propose to obviate -by paying fifty dollars; and so the captain engages to put in to Rio if -he can ascertain from outward-bound vessels that the place is free from -yellow fever. And none of us wish to go there if it is not, though our -eagerness to step on land once more would induce many of us to incur -some little risk. St. Catherine's is a small island, containing only a -few unimportant villages and towns; and it is said, that in consequence -of the riotous conduct of many Americans who have put in there, the -authorities prohibit a greater number than eight persons landing from -any vessel at one time. This would be an uncomfortable, not to say -insupportable, state of things for a company of eighty-eight men, women -and children, weary of the voyage, and crazy to set foot again on land. - -_Wednesday, May 19._ This is the forty-sixth day of our voyage, during -forty-five of which we have not seen land. To-day the cry of land has -resounded through the ship, with not quite the joy and enthusiasm to -us, perhaps, that the same words gave to Columbus and his companions -on the discovery of America, but certainly with a good deal of -satisfaction. I have just seen it, two hills on Cape Frio, which we -are fast approaching. This cape is sixty miles from Rio, where we hope -to arrive early to-morrow, though we are still in great suspense and -uncertainty about stopping there at all. - -_Thursday, May 20._ We passed Cape Frio in the night, and are now, -early in the morning, approaching the harbor of Rio. We are now but a -few miles distant from the entrance to the harbor. There it lies before -us. There lie the hills along the coast in almost every variety of -form, some with a gradual rise to their summits, others bold and almost -perpendicular; some smooth and rounded, others abrupt and jagged, and -still others conical, and sharply pointed. There, in the distance, are -the mountains, between which and us is the city, towards which all our -thoughts, wishes and desires so anxiously tend. There lies a beach, -upon which the surf is breaking in long, white swells; and there are -the trees upon the sides and summits of the hills. What a world of new -and curious objects we are about to behold! What a variety of trees and -other plants and flowers and fruits! What grand and beautiful scenery! -and what an endless variety of curiosities, natural and artificial, in -this, to us, new city in a new world! - -But are we not to be disappointed at last? Even now, when we are almost -within view of the city, circumstances begin to wear a suspicious -aspect. No vessel is to be seen coming from the harbor, from which we -can obtain information with regard to the health of the city, and our -captain keeps a respectful distance from the coast, as though he feared -to meet one. True, he keeps up a show of going in, by keeping off and -on, but he begins to talk of losing his labor and time, and we perceive -that he has already dropped half a dozen miles to the leeward of the -harbor. We watch his every motion, and listen to every word with deep -anxiety. But he does not keep us long in suspense. A hurried breakfast, -of which I did not partake, is scarcely passed, when the order is -given, "square away the yards," and in an instant all our visions of -Rio Janeiro have vanished. We bid farewell to the city without seeing -it, and to the tropics, without setting foot on their lands, and with -but one indistinct glimpse of the beautiful scenery within their bounds. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - A Mistake Discovered and Corrected--Ill - Health--Scenery of the Coast and Harbor of Rio - Janeiro--We cast Anchor--Going Ashore--Rambles in - the City--Fountains--Markets--Parrots--Hammer-headed - Sharks--Monkeys--Slaves--Tropical Trees--Visit to a Hotel--English - Gentlemen--Public Gardens. - - -_One o'clock P.M._ We had just settled down into a sullen resignation -to our fate, and some of the passengers had been trying to amuse -themselves by making unsuccessful shots at the large sea birds that -were flying around us, when a discovery was made which caused great -excitement among us, and raised our spirits to a high degree. We had -floated along several hours at a short distance from the coast, when -one of the passengers who had been in Rio saw that we were now off -the entrance to the harbor, and that the captain was wrong in the -morning. Captain J., who was in his berth, was called immediately, -and acknowledged his mistake. He then engaged again to go in on the -conditions previously stipulated. So the ship is turned towards the -harbor, where we shall probably arrive in the evening. The money has -been collected and paid over. I cannot, however, but feel very anxious -as to the event. My health has been seriously declining for several -weeks, and my fellow-passengers have more than once discussed the -probability of my becoming food for the fishes before the ship arrives -at the end of her long voyage. I feel that I must have a short respite -on shore or die. But I will not croak about it. We shall know the worst -to-morrow. Let me go out and enjoy the splendid scenery that lies -before us. - -And such scenery! I am gazing upon it with sensations as indescribable -as the scenery itself. Never before have I so felt the utter impotency -of language. I might say it is beautiful, grand, magnificent, rich -beyond any thing I ever saw or imagined. I might lavish upon it every -epithet which my delighted senses could suggest, but no words that -I can command can, by any possibility, convey the least idea of the -strangely enchanting beauty of the harbor we are entering. I have -seated myself upon the bowsprit, and as we sail slowly in impelled -by a gentle breeze, I have ample opportunity to feast my eyes on the -beautiful scene. Let me give you a short prosaic account of it. If I -fail to convey to the reader the impression which the scene makes on -me, I may at least fix it the more indelibly on my own mind. - -An ocean of hills and mountains presents itself on either side of -the bay. Here at the entrance on the left, rises an immense rock in -the form of a sugar-loaf, to the height, perhaps, of six hundred or -eight hundred feet. Beyond, in close proximity, are a hundred other -hills, many of them conical, some running up into sharp pinnacles, -some nearly bare of vegetation, and others less steep covered to their -summits with a dense foliage. And there is one towering above the rest, -presenting to the view a black and perpendicular front, and a pinnacle -scarcely larger than the spire of a church. The opposite side of the -harbor presents nearly the same characteristic scenery, sharp, conical -hills and rocks rising abruptly from the bay, succeeded by other hills -thickly planted behind and beyond them. The shores of the bay are -formed into many broad, circular indentations, fringed with beaches of -fine white sand. A large fort mounting a hundred guns, and commanding -the entrance to the harbor, stands on a projecting rock overlooked -by a mountain from the summit of which--though I know nothing of -the science of fortifications--I fancy that a small battery might be -planted that would quickly demolish it. A smaller fort or battery -stands opposite on a small island near the sugar-loaf. Other forts -defend the inner portions of the harbor. Many fine buildings stand upon -the left shore at the foot of the hills, and form almost a continuous -street for several miles to the city. Far in the distance, and but -dimly descried, are the Brazilian Mountains. Though greatly superior in -height to the hills on the coast, the same peculiarities of cones and -pinnacles characterize them. - -We passed the fort, and dropped anchor at a distance of two miles from -the city. Near us lay the North America, a large ship from New York -bound for California with nearly five hundred passengers. They gave us -twice three hearty cheers, which we answered in the usual manner. - -Immediately on coming to anchor, we were visited by a health officer -and a custom-house officer, each of whom was dispatched with a very few -words. Captain Jackson then took a boat manned by two sailors, and went -ashore, and we made every preparation for an early visit in the morning. - -_Friday, May 21._ About twenty boats were along-side this morning -manned by whites and blacks, masters and slaves, all clamorous for -passengers. They were unanimous in asking twenty-five cents for a -passage, which, though not very exorbitant, they soon reduced to ten -cents, and we speedily filled their boats. - -The first thing that attracted my attention as we neared the shore, was -the singular appearance of the roofs of many of the buildings, which -I ascertained were covered with tiles. As few of my readers have ever -seen a roof covered in this manner, I am induced to describe it. The -tiles are pieces of pottery in the form of half a tube seven or eight -inches in diameter, half or three-quarters of an inch thick, and about -two feet long. They are unglazed, and burnt as hard as our pottery. -They are supported by a rough frame-work of poles, and laid in two -courses, the under course forming gutters to carry off the rain, which -is turned into them by the upper course, each upper tile being turned -over the edges of two of the under ones. The roof projects sixteen or -eighteen inches over the street, and the under side of the projections -or eaves is generally painted red. These roofs, of course, answer a -good purpose here, but in New England, where boys throw stones, they -would not last a fortnight. Nor would they, in my opinion, endure the -frosts of our winters for a single month. - -We landed and proceeded immediately to a restaurant, where we refreshed -ourselves with a cup of coffee and a plate of toast, and then commenced -our rambles over the city. I soon found myself separated from my -companions and proceeded alone. I crossed a large square, in which -stood a stone fountain built in the form of a temple, from whose sides -the water fell into basins beneath. These fountains, though built in -different styles, I found in great numbers throughout the city. They -are supplied by an aqueduct. - -Passing through a street containing several handsome churches and -other public buildings, I found myself in the market. This, I believe, -was square, surrounded by high walls against which within were shops -or stalls containing a great variety of articles of food, vegetable -and animal. The square was also crossed by several streets or walks -with stalls on each side of them. A fountain with a very large basin -occupied the center. My first search was for fruits. I found oranges -and bananas in abundance, and these with cocoa-nuts constitute all -the market affords at this season of the year. There were neither -watermelons nor musk-melons, no apples, nor pears, nor peaches, no -plums of any description, nor a berry of any sort. There were no dead -meats to be found in this market. Beef was sold in another part of the -city. Live pigs had their appropriate stalls, and chickens, turkeys, -and several varieties of ducks and of doves, besides many singing -birds, were kept in coarse cages or chained by the leg. Parrots were -abundant, and there was a large and exceedingly beautiful bird, whose -name I did not know; but I was rather desirous of buying one for the -purpose of preserving the skin. I asked the price. It was thirty -milreas--about sixteen or seventeen dollars. I did not purchase. -There was a great variety of fish, some very beautiful, and others -the most disgusting specimens I ever beheld. Among them were several -hammer-headed sharks, a curious fish from three to five feet long, -with a head twelve or fifteen inches long, attached to the body like a -hammer to the handle. An eye is placed at each extremity of the hammer, -but the mouth is below it in the body of the fish. There were monkeys -enough to make up a menagerie, the greater part of them being of one -species with long, prehensile tails. In the center of the square, -surrounding the fountain, was a variety of vegetables sold by slaves, -male and female, who kept such continual talking, laughing and singing -as I never heard before. It seemed as though they were enjoying a -holiday, and were in their happiest humor. - -I did not stop long in the market, but continuing my walk, I threaded -several narrow streets and passages to the summit of a hill, where -I found a gate opening into grounds belonging to a large hotel. I -entered, and for the first time found myself in the shade of tropical -trees. I was delighted with the scene. Every tree, shrub, vine, and -flower, were new to me. I knew not the name of a single plant. The -sun was beating down intensely, and I was glad to seat myself upon an -embankment under the shade of a row of large trees. Several little -birds were singing in the branches, only one of which I knew, a wren, -though of a different species from any of ours, and smaller, but -possessing the same lively, restless, noisy characteristics. A long -shaded walk led to the hotel. I had not sat there long when I saw a -company of my fellow-passengers approaching. They had just left the -hotel, but giving me a gentle hint to treat them, they returned to -the house, and I followed. We entered at the rear of the house and we -passed through to the front, which afforded a splendid view of the -harbor. A little garden on the very verge of the steep hill was filled -with a variety of strange flowers and plants, and an arbor with seats -occupied one end of it. Standing here, one could look upon the beach -at the foot of the hill, and listen to the roar of the waves as they -rolled over the hard white sand. My companions having become pretty -mellow, sung two or three of their sentimental songs, and departed, -leaving me to enjoy a very pleasant interview with two young English -gentlemen, who gave me some information respecting the city, and -advised me to visit the Botanical Garden, situated at a distance of six -or eight miles in the country. - -In the afternoon I walked to the Public Garden. This is a large garden, -surrounded by a high stone wall, and laid out in triangular plats, -each filled with beautiful trees and shrubs, and protected by an iron -fence. The ground was perfectly level and the walks broad and smooth. -At one extremity were two small ponds bordered by rough stones, and -surrounded with benches of hewn granite. From the center of each pond -arose a triangular column of hewn stone, consisting of a pedestal -about eighty feet broad and as many high, and a shaft about forty feet -high terminating in a sharp point; and from the sides of the pedestals -streams of water issued into the basins or ponds. A broad walk passes -between these fountains, at the extremity of which is an ornamented -stone basin elevated several feet above the ground. From the end of -this basin rises a mound of rough stones piled up against a very -handsome wall, and covered with a variety of cactuses and other plants. -At the foot of the mound two enormous alligators lie entwined, from -whose gaping mouths, streams of water flow into the basin. A flight of -stone steps ascend from each side of the fountain to a terrace thirty -feet broad, and extending the width of the garden. This terrace is -paved with tessellated marble, and protected by parapet walls, whose -sides are covered with porcelain. Two octagonal buildings stand at -the extremities of the terrace, each angle of which is crowned with a -porcelain vase containing plants, as is also every post in the parapet -walls. The waves of the bay dash against the base of the terrace, and -their roar is heard in the garden. - -I found but few people here, and no one who could talk with me. There -were arbors shaded with vines and trees, and supplied with stone seats -and tables, where I sat and made my memoranda. I returned to the -landing by different streets from those through which I came, seeing -many new things--every thing I have seen here is new and strange--and -am heartily gratified with my first day in Rio. I found several of -the passengers ready to return on board the bark, where we passed the -night. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - Visit to the Botanical Garden--Description of the Garden--Dinner - at the Hotel--Third Visit to the City--Impudence of the First - Mate--Village of San Domingo--A Walk in the Country--Attacked - by Dogs--Beautiful Plantations--Civility of a Planter--Elegant - Mansion and Grounds--A Retreat--A Fine Road--Return to the - Ship--Supply of Fruit--The North America--Mr. Kent, our Consul. - - -_Saturday, May 22._ Our friends, the boatmen, were out betimes, and -took us to the city early in the morning. We had arranged a large party -of ladies and gentlemen to visit the Botanical Garden, of which we had -heard many glowing accounts besides those given me by the young English -gentlemen yesterday. To convey our party we hired three carriages, -each drawn by two mules, and driven by a man who spoke a little, a -very little English, and drove through the streets near the shore of -the bay for a distance of three miles or more, when we turned into the -country and followed a road that wound around the base of several hills -and mountains, one of which I have already spoken of as seen from the -bark. It ran up into a sharp, perpendicular peak, as near as I could -judge about fifteen hundred feet high. And this mountain I am told is -often ascended by tourists, who reach its highest point on horseback. -The scenery through which we passed was truly magnificent, and many of -the houses and gardens were rich and beautiful. We stopped at a hotel -near the garden, whence we walked to the garden accompanied by a very -agreeable young man, a Hungarian, who spoke pretty good English, and -who made himself very useful in giving us the English names of many -of the trees and shrubs. The first object that met our view--and -to me it was one of the greatest attractions of the garden--was two -rows of palm trees planted on the edges of a broad and elevated walk, -passing through the center of the garden. The trunks of these palms -were of a stone gray or ash color, and showed a slight circular ridge -or mark at intervals of three or four inches, where they had been -encircled by the footstalks of leaves, which had fallen off as the -trees increased in height. They were perfectly round, and symmetrical, -and to my inexperienced eye they seemed to have been turned in a lathe, -or chiseled by a sculptor. They rose to the height of thirty or forty -feet, and were crowned with a great tuft of long leaves. The effect on -looking through this long vista of trees was peculiar and striking, and -I could scarcely resist the impression that they were the work of art, -pillars of stone crowned with artificial foliage. Near this walk we saw -several plats of the China tea-plant. I did not learn any thing as to -its productiveness. - -We passed rapidly through a great many walks, and saw groves of a -large variety of trees, in all which I felt a peculiar interest, -such as the cinnamon, nutmeg, sage, camphor, bread-fruit, tamarind, -cocoa-nut, orange, lemon and banyan trees, and thickets of bamboo and -swamps of bananas, besides a multitude of beautiful trees, shrubs and -flowers, whose names we did not learn. In the center of the garden, and -dividing the palm-tree walk, which I have described, into two equal -parts, is a fine fountain bordered with and surrounded by a profusion -of rich flowers. A little farther on we found a pretty brook running -over a hard bed of sand and thickly shaded with bananas. It was just -sequestered and wild enough to remind me of home and the many brooks -of pure water, in which I had so often slaked my thirst in my frequent -rambles in the wild woods of Maine. I was glad to find something, if -only a brook, in this world of novelties, that might, perhaps, have its -counterpart in my own country. But more than this, there was a little -grove of cedars, which, we were told, had been imported from the United -States. - -I was deeply interested in the bread-fruit tree with its large half -grown fruit, and its great, shining, deep green leaves. It has had a -sort of romantic attraction for me ever since I read of it in early -childhood in the voyages of Captain Cook. The tamarind also is very -attractive, and with its broad spreading branches and brilliant -foliage, is one of the most beautiful trees within the tropics. The -banana is an annual plant, growing to the height of twelve or fifteen -feet, with immensely long leaves from eighteen inches to two feet wide. -It bears an immense cluster of fruit, sometimes several hundreds in -number, each about six inches long. The pulp of the banana is covered -with a thick skin, which is easily detached. I do not know what other -fruit to compare it with. I found it of a very pleasant flavor when -eaten with sugar and wine, as we eat musk-melons, though its flavor is -far inferior to that of the musk-melon. - -After satisfying our curiosity with the beauties of the garden, we -returned to the hotel in season for dinner. And as I shall, in all -probability, never partake of another Brazilian dinner, I am tempted -to give a short account of this. The company at the table consisted -solely of our own party, and the young Hungarian. We sat down to a long -table not less than six feet wide, which we found a very inconvenient -width. There were sixteen or seventeen of us. We had a small turkey -roasted with the feet, but without stuffing; neat's tongue fried in -oil or something else that rendered it extremely unpalatable; fried -ham and eggs, strong and unpleasant; fried fish, green peas, utterly -tasteless; potatoes, very small and fried in oil, and lettuce. The food -was placed on the table, and we were left to help ourselves, which -the great width of the table rendered very inconvenient. The carving -of the turkey devolved upon me. The gentlemen watched the operation -with deep interest, and had the mortification of seeing the whole of -it distributed among the ladies. Turkey being out of the question with -them, they turned their attention to the other dishes, of which they -partook with such appetites as might be expected after a six weeks' -voyage at sea. The first and principal course was speedily disposed of. -The table was cleared away, and then came the second course or dessert, -which consisted of two small omelets or tarts, which I thought were -very good; two small loaves of sponge cake, ditto; and bananas, oranges -and walnuts, of all which we left not a vestige. - -The dinner passed off very pleasantly, and the bill was settled with -some little trouble, in which we had to call in the assistance of our -friend, the Hungarian, as none of us understood Portuguese, and the -landlord was equally ignorant of English. Each article was charged -separately, and the long list of items and their prices required a -pretty familiar acquaintance with compound addition and with Brazilian -currency, to bring the sum to a satisfactory footing. The excursion -proved to be one of great enjoyment to us, and we returned to the city -and to the ship, highly delighted with the day's adventure. - -_May 23._ We had been notified that a missionary from the city would -preach on board our ship to-day, and the ladies and some of the -gentlemen stopped to hear him. But many of us could not resist the -inclination to spend on shore the very short time of our stay at Rio, -and we resolved to take an early start for the city. As we were about -leaving the ship, the first mate, whose name is Atwood, an ignorant, -uncouth sailor, undertook to stop us by a very winning exhortation, -which he wound up by calling us a damned pack of fellows with no more -manners than the heathen. I replied that Mr. Atwood was the last man in -the world to whom I should go to learn good manners, and then went on -board the boat. - -We found, as we expected, the stores open in the city, and business -transacted as it is in all Catholic countries on the Sabbath. I went -into several churches, where I found but few worshipers, but they were -continually coming and going, and their individual devotions occupied -but a small portion of time. Some of the passengers found amusement -in a cock fight. Others went to the public garden, where they found -a great concourse of people, that being a place of much resort on -Sundays. As I had resolved to take a walk into the country on the -opposite side of the harbor, I invited two young men, T. Ladd and B. -D. Morrill, to accompany me. We crossed the bay in a steam ferry-boat -to the village of San Domingo This village is built around one of -the indentations, which form a prominent feature in this harbor. The -principal street stretches more than a mile in a circular form around -the bay, and is built upon only one side, the houses all overlooking -the water, which washes a broad beach of fine white sand. Double rows -of trees are planted on the street next the beach, and thickly planted -trees and shrubbery form a deep shade around each dwelling. - -We took one of the principal roads, and walked into the country, going -wherever curiosity or fancy directed, a hundred roads diverging to the -right and left as we advanced. We passed many houses and plantations -as we wound around the hills, and we stopped frequently to rest us and -to examine the plants and the gardens, that invited our notice. At one -place we saw a gang of slaves drilling into a quarry on the side of -a hill for the purpose of procuring stone for building. The sun was -beating down upon the rock with great intensity, and none but those -half naked Africans could have endured the heat. Their shining backs -glistened in the sun, like polished ebony. At another place we saw two -slaves chained together, and digging in the earth in that condition. -They had, perhaps, been guilty of insubordination or some other crime -against their lawful masters! - -Our first attempt to visit a plantation was unsuccessful. It was a -pretty place, the house was a new and handsome one, the grounds looked -inviting, and the gate was open. We entered, but had proceeded only -a few steps when we were met by two large dogs destitute of hair -but not of teeth, who not only disputed our further progress, but -seemed disposed to take vengeance on us for our intrusion. We were -not inclined to parley with them, but commenced an immediate retreat, -when a slave, who happened to be near, came forward and called off the -dogs. At the same moment the master of the house, a surly looking old -fellow, hearing the uproar, came out from the house, and instead of -inviting us in like a gentleman, as he was in duty bound, only directed -us by signs to another house, where we thought he intended to intimate, -we should meet with a more hospitable reception. And in this he was -right. A large and elegant mansion stood near the road. The gate was -open, and we passed through, though rather hesitatingly. A negro met -us with many smiles, conducted us over the grounds, broke off as many -oranges from the branches of the trees as we wanted to eat and carry -away, permitted me to cut an orange twig for a walking-stick, and -showed us half a dozen very fine cows, which my companions pronounced -fully equal to, and very much resembling, our best cows in Maine. A -few small coins rewarded his civility, and we continued our walk. A -little distance further brought us to a small village. We sat down to -rest us for a few minutes upon some stone steps in front of a store -connected with a handsome dwelling-house. As we were about to continue -our rambles we met a gentleman at the gateway, who saluted us in -English, and invited us to sit in the shade. He talked with us of a -hundred things in a few minutes. He had once resided in Virginia, and -expressed himself in terms of high admiration of the government of -the United States, and of unqualified disgust of the Roman Catholic -religion, which was the bane of Brazil. He invited us to walk over his -grounds, and as we declined eating oranges, he directed a slave to cut -us some stalks of sugar-cane, the juice of which is very refreshing to -a thirsty traveler. He directed our attention to a little naked "nigger -baby," which lay sprawled out upon the ground, and which he said he was -raising with no other motive than that of pure charity, for the animal -would not half repay the cost of rearing it. Thanking him for his -hospitality, we took leave, when he gave us a hearty shake of the hand, -and wished us a successful voyage. - -A little further on we saw an elegant mansion situated about half way -up the side of a steep hill, and overlooking a considerable extent -of country. It was a delightful situation, and its owner was the -proprietor of a coffee plantation on the other side of the road and in -front of his house. A number of blacks were at this time occupied in -preparing the coffee for market. - -The gateway to the grounds consisted of a square building perhaps -twenty feet high. I opened the gate and went in. A walk leading to the -house wound to the right, through thickets of trees up the acclivity, -in the steepest portions of which were placed flights of broad stone -steps. Another walk diverged to the left, and was soon lost to the -view in groves of oranges, lemons, tamarinds, and other tropical trees. -Many new and beautiful plants were to be seen around the house, and -every thing displayed beauty, elegance, and taste. I looked round for a -few moments, but seeing no one on the grounds, I left the place. - -On our return we took another road, and passed many places whose -scenery deeply interested us. At one plantation we met, as usual, -a smiling slave, who conducted us through the walks of a beautiful -garden. Another slave, a female, soon appeared with a long stick -prepared at one end like a fork to break oranges from the branches; -and we were getting along very pleasantly, walking in the shade of -orange, bread-fruit, tamarind, and other trees, many of which we did -not know, when suddenly we saw a large party of blacks, male and -female, in one of the distant walks, and saw a great commotion among -them. My curiosity was excited to see the frolic, which I thought might -have been an African dance or a fandango. But Morrill, who perceived a -strong smell of rum in the breath of our dark cicerone, and thinking -the distant scene bore a greater resemblance to an Irish riot, beat -a precipitate retreat, and I followed, sorry to lose so good an -opportunity for learning something of the amusements of those slaves. - -Continuing our walk, we came to the bay, where we found a new road -winding in one place around the base of huge, perpendicular precipices, -from every interstice of which hung a variety of cactuses, vines and -shrubs, while lofty palms threw up their leaf-crowned shafts from the -earth below. - -The road we had found was new, hard, perfectly smooth, and was -decidedly the best highway I ever saw. It led direct to the town of -San Domingo, almost a mile distant from the point at which we had -landed, and where we speedily arrived. Recrossing the bay, we purchased -a few necessaries at Rio, and returned to the ship. We found our bark -the scene of much noise and confusion, arising from the drunkenness -of several of the passengers, who had just returned, having spent the -day in drinking on shore. One man had become so outrageously violent -and crazy, that the second mate, who had command of the ship at this -time,--the captain and first mate being both absent,--was obliged to -secure him by tying his hands. - -_May 24._ We had laid in many things necessary for our comfort during -the continuance of our voyage, among which were a large lot of oranges, -and some bananas and cocoa-nuts. This morning, just as we were about -to sail, two boats laden with oranges came along-side the ship, and -though we thought we had a pretty good supply of fruit, we bought both -cargoes, amounting to about two thousand. They cost us from forty to -sixty cents a hundred. - -The North America left the harbor two days before us. We did not visit -her though she lay at anchor almost within speaking distance of us. -A regulation of the port prohibits the passengers and crews passing -from one ship to another. It may have been a fortunate regulation for -us, for we had many reports of the yellow fever being in the ship. -This disease had raged very fatally in the city, but was beginning to -subside, though we were told it was still rife. - -Mr. Kent, our consul at Rio at this time, had removed with his family -into the country, where he found a more salubrious climate than the -city afforded. This was a disappointment to several of the passengers, -who were personally acquainted with him, and had anticipated much -pleasure in meeting him in this distant land. Mr. Kent is said to be -very popular at Rio, and the interest he takes in the oppressed seamen, -and the kindness and humanity he manifests towards them, have done him -much credit. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - Weigh Anchor--Civility of People of Rio--Temperance--An - Altercation--Cold Weather--Cape Pigeons--Large Bird--Our Kitchen - Establishment--Stewards and Cooks--Scouse--Inspection of Cooks' - Galley--A Joke--A Squall--An Altercation--Captain J. and Mrs. - L----t--Cape Pigeons--Oranges. - - -We did not weigh anchor until 2 P.M. As we were beating out -of the harbor, we met the Portuguese brig, which we had spoken on -the fourteenth instant, coming in. After getting out and passing the -lighthouse and the islands, we squared away and stood on our course -with a fair and moderate breeze. - -We were now much improved in health, and all the hardships, privations, -annoyances, and disappointments of the former part of our voyage were -forgotten. We were now supplied with a rich fund of new and interesting -subjects for conversation, we looked forward to a speedy and prosperous -passage round Cape Horn, and we were in the very best of spirits. We -had seen Rio Janeiro. - -I had, as the reader may well suppose, but slight opportunity to -acquire a knowledge of the institutions of the country, or the -manners and customs of its inhabitants during my very short stay in -Rio, and will not insult the reader with a long essay on subjects of -which I know nothing. But I noticed a few traits in their character, -with which I was much pleased. I found them very kind, polite and -hospitable. In all my walks through the city, which I generally took -alone, I did not meet with an instance of rudeness or incivility. It -was the same whether I was crowding through the market or other public -places, which were thronged by multitudes of people of all classes -and complexions, white, brown and black, or threading the solitary -and narrow streets and crooked by-lanes which, in many cities, would -seem to offer every facility and inducement for the safe perpetration -of deeds of violence. I one day passed some barracks, where several -companies of soldiers were drilling. The gate was open, but guarded by -a soldier. I stopped and looked in. "Passe," said the sentinel, and -I walked in, saw the evolutions of the soldiers on drill, and passed -through several groups of others off duty. Every thing was conducted -without disorder, and I was as secure from any insult or annoyance as -I should have been in the midst of a party of friends at home. There -were many dark complexions among them, and I thought that quite half of -them, officers as well as privates, were black. - -There are a great many restaurants, cafes, and other drinking -establishments in Rio, and one would expect to see a great amount -of intemperance among the people; and yet the only instances of -drunkenness I saw there were those which occurred among the passengers -and crew of our bark. - -_May 25._ Our latitude to-day is 24 deg. 45' south, longitude 44 deg. west. We -have passed the Tropic of Capricorn, and are sailing in the southern -temperate zone. - -_May 28._ I have had an unpleasant altercation with Capt. Jackson -to-day. The occasion was this: Some pretty birds--Cape Pigeons--have -been flying round the ship, and as I was desirous of preserving one -or two specimens of their skins, one of the passengers caught one -with a hook and line for me. As Mr. Johnson was desirous of showing -it to the ladies in the cabin, I let him take it. When he returned -it, he brought an order to me from the captain, who was then in the -cabin, to throw the bird overboard. I resisted the order. The parson -pleaded for the life of the bird as though it was a matter of the -utmost consequence. I told him I had procured the bird for the purpose -of preserving the skin, and I knew of no reason why I should not do -it. In a few minutes the direful deed was done, and the body of the -murdered bird lay stretched upon the deck skinless. The captain came up -in great wrath, and a warm discussion ensued, during which he declared -his fixed determination to protect the birds, and forbade the killing -of another one during the voyage. I told him I was aware that he had -the power to enforce his order, and that I should be obliged to submit, -but I protested against it as an infringement of my rights, and an -unjustifiable exercise of arbitrary power. I hinted to him that he had -better bestow a little of his compassion upon his passengers, and told -him that I had already suffered more from bad food, filthy water and -want of proper nourishment during my sickness on this voyage, than all -the birds I wished to kill would suffer by their deaths. So we parted, -and in less than an hour my friends caught me another bird, which I -skinned and preserved. - -_June 1._ Winter is upon us. At least it is fast approaching, this -being the first winter month in this hemisphere. It is not to be -expected that we shall find very cold weather in this low latitude--34 deg. -28'--but for some time past the cold has been sensibly increasing. -We have left the sun far to the north, that is, in our position on -the globe, we see it at the north instead of the south, as it appears -to us on the other side of the equator. He has thrown down his rays -vertically upon us as he passed, drawing the melting pitch from the -seams of the ship, and filling the cabins with an insupportable heat. -The North Star has long since disappeared, and the Great Bear and -other constellations with which we are, or ought to be, familiar, have -settled down in the north, and new constellations have taken their -places. The awning, which we had placed over our house, as a protection -from the heat, has been removed. The passengers no longer lodge -there, and their beds have been returned to their berths. A fair wind -is driving us onward, and a few days will find us in the regions of -storms, snows, and perhaps of icebergs. May our second winter in 1852 -prove a short and fortunate one. A week has elapsed since we left Rio, -our company are generally in good health, and our fears of an attack of -yellow fever have vanished. - -We are attended by multitudes of Cape Pigeons, which are so gentle and -unsuspicious of danger, that they alight on the water directly under -our stern. There are other birds with them, but none so tame. A large -bird about the size of a goose was caught with a baited hook by a -passenger, who obtained permission from our humane captain to hook up -the bird on condition that he should set it at liberty again. To-day -for the first time I have seen an albatross. - -_June 2._ There have been some important changes made in our cooking -department. I have already hinted that we have suffered severely -from the wretched preparation of our food. The cooks are filthy in -the extreme, and exceedingly careless. But before I proceed, let me -describe our kitchen establishment. The duty of the first steward is to -keep the ship's stores, and deal them out to the cooks. He also kneads -up the bread, or "soft-tack," as it is called in contradistinction -to the ship-bread, which is called "hard-tack." We have three other -stewards or waiters, two for the main cabin, and one for our room in -the after house. Our stewards also take their meals to the mates, who -have a small room in the forward house. There is also a stewardess for -the ladies' cabin. Two cooks prepare the food and deliver it to the -stewards, who have charge of the tables in their respective cabins. - -One day the chief steward, while kneading his bread saw a dirty -hen escape from her cage; and leaving his dough, he caught the -hen, restored her to the cage, and returned to his dough with an -accumulation of material upon his hands, which it was far from -agreeable to witness, and which diminished the demand for soft tack -very essentially. Little things of this sort were of every day -occurrence. Messes of filthy trash were often set before us, which the -most hungry among us could not swallow. We had a mess called "scouse," -made up of a mixture of all the scraps of the salt beef and pork left -of our dinner, and broken pieces of ship-bread boiled together. This -was served up repeatedly; but the pans of scouse were so often sent -back full to the cooks' galley, that they desisted for several weeks -from forcing it upon us. But this morning they made another attempt, -doubtless by the captain's order, and added to the mess by way of -improvement several condiments, which we had not before discovered, -such as bits of orange peel and cheese and _mirabile dictu!_ of -tobacco. We called the captain, and requested him to inspect the pan of -scouse. He looked at it and passed on without any remark. He was met at -the door by a deputation from the main cabin, bearing another pan of -the delectable mixture. The captain by this time began to think that -the matter was assuming rather a serious aspect, and he condescended -to order an inspection of the cooks' galley, when the mischief was -traced to an old fellow by the name of Draper, who was in the habit -of drying his quids on a shelf directly over the boiler. Mr. Draper -was accordingly degraded from the post of cook, and another gentleman -appointed in his place. The passengers testified their satisfaction at -this arrangement by three hearty cheers. - -Some of our wags played off a joke on the chief steward by tapping the -heels of his boots in the night with some very heavy cakes which he had -made. He complained of the indignity to the second mate, who advised -him to give his taps a fair trial, for in his opinion the bread would -prove an excellent substitute for leather. - -_June 3._ Last night we had a smart gale, which drove us forward at the -rate of twelve knots; and this morning we were threatened with one of -those squalls that often occur in the vicinity of the mouth of the Rio -de la Plata, which we have just passed. The sky was overcast with dark -clouds that were often illuminated with brilliant flashes of lightning. -All hands were called and most of the sails furled. The squall burst -upon us in a fine shower of rain, but the wind proved only a pleasant -breeze, that helped up to make up a good day's reckoning. - -_June 6._ There has been an unpleasant altercation on this holy Sabbath -between our worthy captain, (who, by the way, is a religious man and -a member of a church,) and some of his lady passengers. The quarrel -originated at the time of our visit at Rio. For several weeks prior to -this visit, he had been very lavish of his attentions to Mrs. L----t, -who had been ill during the voyage to Rio, and seemed to require a -great deal of brandy and bitters, wine and gruel, and herb drinks. -The captain was very assiduous in supplying the wants of Mrs. L----t, -and his assiduities certainly entitled him to her warmest gratitude. -But his intercourse with Mrs. L----t did not consist solely in -administering drinks and doses. Among other little manifestations of -friendliness, they united their fortunes in the purchase of a ticket in -a lottery, which one of the passengers made of an article of jewelry. -They drew the prize, and the captain became sole owner of the bauble -by purchasing Mrs. L----t's share. Matters continued in this friendly -way between them, till we arrived at Rio. Here, after inquiring into -the health of the city, he cautioned his passengers against stopping on -shore at night where they would be liable to take the yellow fever. The -next morning he accompanied Mrs. L----t on shore, where they tarried -day and night until the afternoon previous to our sailing. As a matter -of course this, together with their previous intimacy, was a subject of -much remark and some sport among the passengers. Their jokes reached -Captain Jackson's ears and enraged him. He declared that there should -be a stop put to the talk. The passengers thought otherwise. A smart -little quarrel grew out of it, the women took it in hand, and nourished -it, and to-day a discussion remarkable for its warmth and length, took -place between Capt. J. and Mrs. L----t on one side, and Miss Julia -S----g on the other. The battle raged till the middle of the afternoon, -when the captain left in a very wrathful frame of mind to join in a -religious service on deck, and to worship the God of peace and purity. -Capt J. has a wife in Maine and Mrs. L----t a husband in San Francisco. - -_June 8._ Latitude 47 deg. 6', longitude 59 deg. 8'. We have cold weather, -strong winds, squalls, snow, hail and rain. Great numbers of sea birds, -chiefly Cape Pigeons, follow the ship. They bite very readily at a hook -baited with pork, and are easily caught. They are pretty birds, and fly -with great ease and gracefulness, and their wings seem never to tire. -They alight on the water, on which they swim with great agility, and I -have seen them dive several feet into the water in pursuit of food that -had been thrown to them from the ship. There is considerable difference -both in the size and color of these birds, and perhaps a skillful -ornithologist might determine them to consist of several species, -though I am inclined to consider them as varieties of the same -species. One of the passengers caught two of them for me, but owing to -cold weather and a slight seasickness at this time, I lost them. - -_June 10._ Caught two more Cape Pigeons, and it being cold on deck, I -was glad to accept the invitation from some of the passengers in the -main cabin to skin the birds there. Their beaks were of a delicate -light ash or lead color, and their breasts white. There were some dark -spots on the wings. They were seventeen inches long, and forty-two and -a half inches in the stretch of their wings. Two spotted ones, whose -skins I have preserved, are smaller, being only thirty-four inches in -alar extent. - -Our oranges have nearly disappeared. Having been kept in close boxes -and chests, they have decayed very rapidly. I have found them very -beneficial to my health, and should be glad to keep them till we arrive -at the next port, but they will be used up before we reach Cape Horn. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - A Disagreeable Scene--Scarcity of Oil--Lamps and Slush--An - Albatross--Ill Manners of the Mate--Cold Weather--The Whiffletree - Watch--Disagreeable Scene--Magellan Clouds and Southern Cross--An - Act of Kindness--Turnovers and Sport--Tierra del Fuego and Staten - Land--A Perilous Passage--Ducks and Cape Pigeons--A Squall--A - Black Albatross--Cape Horn--Stormy Weather--A Gale--Accident at - the Breakfast Table. - - -One of those disagreeable scenes, which are of too frequent occurrence -among us, came off this morning. Captain J. without any ceremony or -consultation with the passengers, ordered the cooks to supply us with -but two meals a day. This would not have been very seriously objected -to, had we been furnished with any decent food in place of the vile -trash, upon which we have been forced to subsist. But after waiting -till half past eight, the time appointed for breakfast under this new -regulation, behold! a pan of scouse is placed before us! And this was -to suffice until two or three in the afternoon. Some of us could not, -and others would not, eat it, and after much "growling," as the captain -terms our remonstrances, we succeeded in getting a dish of cold hasty -pudding--the cooks refusing to warm it for us--and on this, with a -dipper full of muddy coffee for those who could drink it, and of water -for those who could not, we made our breakfast. We were in an excellent -frame of mind to quarrel with the captain, and after a warm dispute we -succeeded in having the former order of things restored. And bad enough -it was at that. - -A day or two since I applied to Capt. J. to sell or lend me a little -oil for my own special use during the long nights we have just begun -to encounter. This led to an examination of the ship's stock of -oil, when it was ascertained that but a few gallons remained, which -it was necessary to husband with the greatest care. To remedy the -inconvenience of remaining in almost total darkness, the occupants of -the main cabin have invented a variety of lamps, which they manufacture -out of bottles and phials, cutting them off by means of strings, -which they pass rapidly round them till they become heated by the -friction, and then dipping them in water. These lamps they fill with -"slush"--grease left by the cooks,--which, though a poor substitute for -oil, they are happy to get. - -_June 11._ A large white albatross flew round the ship to-day with -other birds. I threw out a baited hook for him, while the mate stood -by with an open knife, threatening to cut the line. I caught the bird -several times by the bill, and drew him close under the stern, but he -slipped from the hook, and thus saved the amiable mate the trouble of -executing his threat. - -The cold has increased to such a degree, that Captain J. has set up a -stove in the ladies' cabin. The owners of the ship have also supplied a -stove for our room, but the captain tells us there is not wood enough -for it--though we are convinced he knows better--and therefore refuses -to have it set up. So we must make up our minds for a cold passage -round Cape Horn. The ladies are making some additional preparations -for warding off the cold. Two of them have made themselves hoods, and -after searching in vain among their stores for cotton to stuff them -with, they have--by permission--attacked my comforter, and supplied -themselves. - -_June 13._ For a week past we have been drifting about within little -more than a day's sail of the Falkland Islands, beating against head -winds, encountering squalls of wind, accompanied by rain, hail -and snow, almost every hour of the day, and making but very little -progress. This state of things is very irksome to us, and we are not -a little impatient. The days are very short, and the nights dark and -dreary. Our situation is any thing but agreeable, and yet we often find -some little thing to amuse us, and the veriest trifles will sometimes -answer this purpose. One night during a squall, some of the passengers -were out assisting the sailors in furling the sails, when a small spar -gave way and broke. "There," exclaimed one of them, "that whiffletree -has gone to the devil!" The idea of a whiffletree as one of the spars -of a ship, amused the crew, and our volunteer sailors were thereafter -denominated "the Whiffletree Watch." - -_June 14._ Another disgraceful scene occurred in the ladies' cabin this -morning, being a continuation of the quarrel that took place a week -since between our worthy captain and Julia Spaulding. The altercation -between them was very violent, a part of which I overheard. Captain J. -was in great wrath, smote his fists together, and repeatedly called -Julia a liar; told her he would have no more of her lies, charged her -indirectly with having attempted to seduce him, and threatened to -shut her up and feed her by herself. All this intermingled with much -profane and other violent language towards a female is by no means -calculated to remove the strong dislike, which the passengers entertain -for Captain J. They also very naturally side with the woman, who, they -think, tells quite as many truths as falsehoods in the matter. - -_June 15._ I lay this morning looking from the single remaining pane -of glass in my window upon a bright sky, which I have not often had an -opportunity to observe in this region of clouds and storms, and looking -for the first time upon the Magellan Clouds, and contemplating the -brilliant constellations in the heavens, among which the Southern Cross -shone conspicuously. The Cross has been in view for several weeks; but -though I have seen it several times, I have not until recently been -certain of its identity, and our intelligent officers could give me no -information concerning it. - - "The Magellan Clouds consist of three small nebulae in the southern - part of the heavens--two bright, like the milky way, and one dark. - These are first seen above the horizon soon after crossing the - southern tropic. When off Cape Horn they are nearly overhead. The - Cross is composed of four stars in that form, and is said to be - the brightest constellation in the heavens."[A] - - [A] R. H. Dana, Jr. - -I received a little act of kindness in the evening, which I cannot -deny myself the pleasure of recording. Soon after supper as I was -standing in our cabin, I remarked to a passenger that I had eaten -but one biscuit during the day, and that I was really hungry. To his -question "why do you not eat some ship-bread?" I replied that I had -taken a distaste to it during my seasickness, and the very sight of -it had become loathsome to me. It was the same with the beans we -had to-day,--boiled beans and pork, which had been served up to us -three or four times a week during the voyage. The wife of the chief -steward--Mrs. Grant--was present and heard the conversation. She -immediately left the cabin and passed to the cooks' galley. In a few -minutes she returned, and as she passed by me she cautioned me to be -silent, while she slipped a large turnover or fried mince-pie into my -coat-pocket. The cooks had made a quantity of them for the captain -and ladies, and she had begged this for me. Many such kindnesses -have I received from her and other women during the voyage. They -derive their value, not from the greatness of the gift bestowed, but -from the circumstances in which both the giver and the receiver are -placed, and to me, sick, hungry and thirsty as I often have been, I -have felt such favors to be of "greater value than stamps in gold, or -sums in sealed bags." - -The passengers in the main cabin have made these turnovers and the -other varieties, which are got up for the inmates of the ladies' cabin, -a subject of some pleasantry. They feel that they are equally entitled -to these dainties with the other passengers. It was stipulated by the -owners of the vessel, that all the passengers should fare alike, and -they are naturally sensitive at the distinction which is constantly -made to their prejudice; and the more so as the captain and two other -men besides Mr. Johnson, have domiciled themselves in the ladies' -cabin, where they partake of the best the ship affords, while the -majority starve on scouse and boiled beans. - -There was a large gathering near the captain's state-room soon after -supper to-night, where they continued some time shouting vociferously, -and singing a parody on a fine old song, of which I never heard but -these two lines: - - "Tim Darling didn't know but his father was well, - And his father didn't know but Tim Darling was well." - -The parody ran thus: - - "The cooks, they all know that the captain lives well, - And the captain, he knows that the cooks, they live well." - -The captain listened to the music, which was fully equal to the poetry, -but with a greater degree of prudence than he sometimes exercises, he -controlled his temper and pocketed the insult. - -_June 16._ A fine gale sprung up last night, and continues blowing -to-day, bearing us on our course, westward of the Falkland Islands, -towards the Strait of Le Maire, through which we hope to pass -to-morrow. - -_June 17._ A cloudless, golden sky in the morning, a pleasant breeze, -a calm sea, a cool air, but not freezing, and a soft, hazy atmosphere, -like one of our northern summer mornings. Tierra del Fuego lay before -us on the right, and Staten Land on the left, their valleys and heights -covered with snow. I promised myself the great gratification of a near -view of both of these desolate regions; but in this I was doomed to -disappointment. - -Before ten o'clock the sky became filled with clouds, and the -brilliancy of the morning gave place to darkness and gloom. An eclipse -of the sun occurred during the day, which increased the darkness. The -wind gradually died away, and we passed several hours at the entrance -to the Strait of Le Maire, where we encountered a strong current till -night, when we perceived the ship to be drifting astern. At about -four P.M. the tide turned, and swept us back into the Strait -again. It was now dark, and but little could be seen around us. The -current carried us towards Staten Land, whose coasts were very bold -and dangerous to approach, and were rendered doubly so at this time -by the exceeding darkness of the night. Our sails were flapping -uselessly against the masts, we had no control over the vessel, which -was drifting at the rate of four knots an hour, and our situation was -becoming perilous in the extreme. Captain J. was exceedingly anxious. -He ordered the mate to have the boats in readiness, for we might soon -want them. We were now only three miles distant from the coast as the -captain conjectured. A heavy swell added to our danger and increased -our difficulties; and there seemed scarcely a hope of our escaping -shipwreck, on one of the most desolate and forlorn coasts of which -the imagination can conceive. But just at this juncture, when a few -minutes more would have sent the ship on to the rocks, a favorable wind -providentially sprung up, the sails filled, the ship began to feel her -helm, and we bade adieu to Staten Land. - -But another danger awaited us. In getting clear of Staten Land we -approached too near the coast of Tierra del Fuego, and came very near -running upon a large rock that lies off that coast; but happily the -sailor at the watch discovered it in season to wear ship, and sail by -it. At length all the dangers of this hazardous passage were cleared, -and before morning we had passed into the open ocean again. - -We saw but few signs of vegetation on Staten Land. It was thrown up -into mountains and precipices of the most rugged and barren character, -and presented an aspect of dreary desolation. There were patches of -low shrubs in sight on Tierra del Fuego, but no trees. The hills at -the entrance to the Strait were less precipitous than those on Staten -Land. But the whole scene, so far as the early darkness permitted us to -view it, was as forbidding as it could well be. Immense flocks of ducks -flew across the Strait towards Staten Land in the afternoon. There was -also a flock of Cape Pigeons, perhaps a hundred in number, flying round -the ship, and the passengers fed them with scraps of pork and with -pot skimmings. As I watched this amusement, I could not suppress the -thought that this was an inexcusable waste of those precious dainties, -which should have been preserved for the manufacture of--scouse. - -The width of the Strait of Le Maire is about twenty miles. The length -of Staten Land is seventy miles. - -_June 19._ We beat against a head wind yesterday, and made but little -progress. To-day we had a specimen of Cape Horn weather. A squall -arose in the morning, the most violent we have yet encountered; and -the sailors were sent in good haste to shorten sail. Assisted by the -passengers, they soon reduced the canvass to the proper quantity, and -our vessel rode out the storm in fine style, and without any damage. -But the captain and two of the passengers lost each a hat. The wind -abated in the afternoon. - -While the gale was at its height, one of the passengers caught a -beautiful black albatross for me. But while the company were looking at -it, the captain and mate watched the bird, determined that it should -not be killed. I believe they really felt that the safety of the ship -depended on the life of the bird. It was a magnificent specimen of this -species of albatross, in fact, the only one I ever saw, and would have -been a valuable acquisition to me. But I left it for a moment in charge -of a friend, when the captain ordered the second mate to bring it to -him, and he threw it overboard. Such is the influence of superstition -on an ignorant seaman. - -_June 20._ The gale of yesterday subsided at night to a light breeze, -which continued during the night, and this morning we had the great -gratification of beholding Cape Horn. It lay but a few miles distant, -and in full view before us. I felt a slight degree of enthusiasm as I -looked upon it, and recalled the descriptions I had read of it in my -boyhood, and the tales of terror I had gathered from the narratives -of voyages round this far-famed point. We were sailing past the Cape -in a south-west direction, with a breeze that was fast increasing in -strength, and we hoped that the next tack of our ship would carry us -safely beyond the much dreaded barrier. But we soon found that this was -not to be so speedily accomplished. The wind rose to a gale, and we -were obliged to reduce our canvass to a few sails, and at last to lay -to under the foretop-mast-stay sail, main-stay sail and spanker. - -Cape Horn is a naked promontory at the extremity of a little island -about twelve miles long, called Horn Island. Many other islands and -rocks lie in the neighborhood, but Cape Horn is readily distinguished -from them all by its greater height and the steepness of its -south-western side. It is ninety miles distant from the Strait of Le -Maire. Its latitude is 55 deg. 59' south, and its longitude, 67 deg. 16' west. - -_June 21._ We are still encountering head winds, still laying to and -drifting to leeward. The wind blows in tempestuous gusts, and the -seas are running higher than I have ever before seen them. The sky is -covered with clouds, from which we receive frequent showers of rain, -accompanied in a single instance, with thunder and lightning. Now and -then the sun breaks forth for a moment, but soon disappears again. -It is a season of anxiety to many of us, but the bark proves a good -sea-boat, and we have considerable confidence in the skill of our -captain. - -_June 22._ The gale became furious last night, and seemed increasing -in force this morning. We had no little difficulty in eating our -breakfast. A pan of fried pork and boiled beef, another pan of -hard-bread, and a pot of coffee were set on the table, but how to keep -them there required a greater degree of skill than we possessed. We -could not sit, and we were in danger every moment of being pitched -over the table, and across the cabin. To avoid such a catastrophe we -were obliged to hold by the berths with both hands. We made an effort, -however, to eat, but had hardly made a beginning when a violent lurch -of the ship sent our pork, bread, coffee, and all, in an instant upon -the floor and into a neighboring berth. The scene was rather ludicrous, -and we managed to extract a laugh out of it as we picked up the -fragments, sent for a pot of fresh coffee, and finished our breakfast. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - Severe Cold--Furious Storm--Diego Ramirez Islands--Land - Ahead--Cape Horn Weather--Two Vessels--Length of Days and - Nights--Disagreeable Brawl--Heading North--Patagonia--The - Andes--Another Storm--Anxiety of Captain J.--A Lunar - Rainbow--Another Gale--Bill of Fare--Filthy Cooks and Impure Water. - - -_June 23._ The wind, which continued to blow with great fury during -the night, began to subside a little towards morning, and as it was -now veering to a more favorable point, we unfurled the sails, and were -in good spirits at the prospect of speedily weathering the Cape. But -the wind soon changed again, and continued to blow in violent gusts -during the day, bringing down flights of snow and sleet, which covered -the decks, and froze the sails and rigging. The cold was severe, and -our cabin very uncomfortable. By invitation from one of the ladies, I -visited their cabin for the first time since we left Rio. I was glad -of an opportunity to warm my feet and hands at their stove. We are -in the habit of betaking ourselves to our berths for warmth, though -I occasionally get into the cooks' galley when it is not occupied by -other passengers or sailors. - -During a temporary abatement of the gale at night, several of the -ladies went out and amused themselves with snow-balling. The sport was -lively but of short continuance. - -_June 24._ A fresh wind was blowing in the morning when I arose, and -a thick fall of snow nearly blinded me as I went out on deck. The -cold had become intense, and it was a time of suffering for the poor -sailors. But the wind was fair, and Captain J. determined to improve -it by spreading more sail. But the men had scarcely got the fore -and maintop sails set, when the storm came on again with a fury far -exceeding any thing we had yet encountered, and they were again sent -aloft to furl the sails. We now lay to under two stay sails, the ship -rolling with great violence, and the seas breaking over the decks. - -There is a beauty, a sublimity in this war of the winds and waters, -that fill the mind of the beholder with emotions of mingled delight and -awe, and not unfrequently, be it confessed, with fear. It presents a -scene which is difficult to describe, and can be imagined only by him -who has witnessed it. To the captain it was at this time a season of -anxiety, and to the sailors one of severe hardship. It was also a time -of much uneasiness with many of the passengers; and one of them, who -went up to assist in furling a sail, came down with his hands badly -frozen. The winds whistled, howled and shrieked through the rigging, -the torn sails flapped, the strained masts creaked and groaned, the -waves rolled up into immense billows covered with foam, and dashed -against the sides of the ship and over the bulwarks, deluging every -person and setting afloat every loose thing upon the decks. Borne -about by the raging waters, the ship often staggered for a moment upon -the crest of a great wave, as if fearful of the plunge she was about -to take, but quickly sinking down into the moving chasm, as if she -were attempting to dive to the bottom of the sea, until overtaken by -another billow, she rose to its crest, though only to be sunk into -another and another gulf. Sometimes pressed down upon her side by a -more violent gust of wind until her yardarms dipped into the water, the -interposition of a merciful Providence only could save us. But that -Providence, which had watched over, and guarded and guided us through -so many perils, did not desert us in this. The blast swept by, the ship -slowly arose, and her freight of eighty-eight human beings escaped the -threatened destruction. - -Restless as the sea birds that still hovered around her, ever in -motion, pitching, plunging, lurching and rolling, she was apparently -driven about at the mercy of the winds and waves, that almost bade -defiance to the men at the wheel, whose utmost skill and exertions -could scarce enable them to direct her course. - -Captain J. came into the after house during the storm to take a cup of -coffee, with his clothes whitened with the snow and his face coated -with ice. But he had scarcely been in a minute, when he was hastily -sent for by the mate, for the gale had suddenly increased to such a -degree of violence, that we were in great danger of being capsized. He -went out again, and gave orders to reduce even the small patches of -canvass that were still flying. His orders were answered promptly, and -the ship lay to again. The storm raged with great fury till near noon, -when it began to abate, and we were enabled to carry a little more -sail. The wind continued favorable during the remainder of the day, but -the snow squalls came on in terrible blasts until late at night. - -A week had now elapsed since we passed through the Strait of Le Maire, -and so beclouded had the sky been during that time, that Captain J. had -had no opportunity to take an observation of the sun, and of course he -was in painful uncertainty as to our situation. There was some danger -to be apprehended from a cluster of small islands or rocks, called the -Diego Ramirez Islands, lying fifty-five miles to the south-west of Cape -Horn, and near which we expected to pass. And it behooved us to keep a -good lookout for these rocks during the obscurity of the day, and the -deep darkness of the night. - -_June 25._ The cry of "land ahead" aroused us at an early hour this -morning. It proved to be the islands I have just mentioned. The night -was so dark that we were close upon the breakers before we were aware -of our approach to the islands. Fortunately we had room enough in which -to wear ship and escape the danger. We stood away till daylight enabled -us to resume our course, when we passed between these islands and -Tierra del Fuego. - -We have now weathered Cape Horn. During eight days since we passed -through the Strait of Le Maire, we have been struggling against head -winds, and have at length accomplished a task, which might have been -performed with a fair wind in ten or twelve hours. Our impatience has -been great, and we feel much relieved on finding ourselves beyond the -stormy barrier, and with a fair prospect of soon being safely delivered -from this region of storms and darkness. There is another little -circumstance that adds to our cheerfulness. From the second day since -we left Rio we have not seen a single sail. This afternoon two vessels -are in sight, and our company, for want of other subjects, are busily -engaged in discussing the questions, "Who are they?" and "Can we come -up with them?" and "How soon?" - -The sun rose to-day at fifteen minutes past nine, and set at fifteen -minutes before three, giving us a day of five and a half hours, and a -night eighteen and a half hours long. - -_June 27._ Sunday. Our ship has been the scene of a disgraceful brawl, -I may almost say, riot. For many weeks past, a feud has existed between -our worthy chaplain, Mr. Johnson, and Miss Julia S. Miss Julia, who is -not overburdened with a superabundance of refinement or delicacy, has -used some rather coarse language towards Mr. J., which he, perhaps, has -not received with that meekness and forbearance, which would become -a minister of the Gospel. This morning when he arose, he saw a dress -of Miss Julia's hanging against the stove, where she had placed it to -dry, and not being in that amiable frame of mind that would seem to -be desirable, he threw the dress upon the floor, where it remained -till Miss Julia found it. Her wrath was very bitter, and many hard -words passed between her and the reverend chaplain; the temper of both -parties increasing in warmth until Mr. J. remarked in the language of -Scripture that he would leave Miss Julia to her "wallowing like a sow -in the mire," whereupon Miss Julia seized a billet of wood and threw -it at the head of the parson, and the parson, in the excitement of the -moment, forgetting the injunction to turn the other cheek, returned -the compliment by hitting Miss Julia a slap in the face, and pushing -her towards the companion-way. By this time the inmates of our room, -overhearing the uproar, had assembled at the head of the companion-way, -and were on the point of rushing down; but taking a moment to consider, -they turned back, and in an instant were engaged among themselves in -an altercation upon the demerits of the quarrel, almost as violent as -that which was raging below. Captain J. soon joined us, and as his mode -of reasoning seldom tends to allay wrath or to settle a dispute, the -discussion continued with increased violence, and it was several hours -before order was restored. As in former quarrels, a large majority -of the passengers were found to advocate the cause of the woman. But -whoever was most to blame, Mr. Johnson was the most deeply injured by -the quarrel, and his influence and usefulness, which had long been -waning, were from this time ended. There are several religious people -in the main cabin, who held a prayer-meeting after the quarrel had -subsided, but Mr. J. did not attend, nor did he attempt to hold any -other religious exercises during the day. - -_June 28._ We are now driving along before a fine breeze in the Pacific -Ocean, which seems disposed to prove to us on our introduction, that -she is entitled to the soubriquet by which she is known. Cape Horn is -far behind us, we have given Tierra del Fuego a wide berth, and headed -our ship for the north. Our next port, Talcahuana, is only a thousand -miles distant,--next to nothing,--and we will be there in a week if -this breeze continues. Sherman has captured another porpoise, and we -shall have some steaks for breakfast, and some oil for our lamps. -The air for two days past has been comparatively mild, I am enabled -to spend considerable time on deck, my health is improving, and I am -enjoying many pleasing anticipations. - -_June 29._ Our course is parallel to the coast of Patagonia; and though -more than seventy-five miles distant from it, we have a distinct view -of some majestic ranges of mountains on the large islands, which lie -along the coast. Standing as they do in this bleak and dreary land, -their sides and summits shrouded in snow, and presenting to the view -and the imagination, a picture at once of vast sublimity and of eternal -solitude and utter desolation, I can scarcely restrain the feeling of -awe that comes over me as I behold them. But what land is that coming -suddenly in sight under our lee bow, and nearly in the direction of -the ship? All hands are gazing at it, and Captain J., as he sees our -proximity to the land, begins to doubt the accuracy of his reckoning. -We are all anxious about it, for with the wind in its present -direction, we must tack ship or run ashore. Night comes on, the ship is -put about, and our dream of a speedy run to Talcahuana is at an end. -And these mountains we have been beholding must lie beyond the islands, -and it adds not a little to the interest of the scene to reflect that -they can be no other than a portion of the great range of the Andes, -and this my first, and will probably be my last view of them. - -_June 30._ It has been our fortune to encounter another storm. The -wind blew with great fury, and rolled the waves up to a magnificent -height. We had been scudding before it nearly all day, and were fast -drifting on a lee shore, with little chance of escape but with a change -of wind. Captain J. passed much of his time on deck, and was watchful -and anxious. He came into our room at night to warn us of approaching -danger. "I tell you what," said he, "I don't want to say nothing to -skear you, but if this wind holds till morning, we shall see hard -times." Such an announcement from our experienced captain, who had not, -during the voyage, uttered a warning so fraught with terror to us, -and which betrayed his sense of the imminence of our danger, caused -a shade of deep anxiety to pass over the countenances of many of our -companions, who could have exclaimed in the language of honest old -Gonzalo: "Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of -barren ground; long heath, brown furze, any thing. The wills above be -done! but I would fain die a dry death." But it was not our destiny to -be engulfed in the raging sea, nor to suffer a more horrible death on -the bleak and desolate coast of Patagonia. After a few hours of anxious -suspense, we perceived a lull in the storm, and this lull was succeeded -by a change in the wind, which enabled us to stand on our course again, -which we did under all the canvass our ship could carry. - -_July 2._ I have had the pleasure of beholding a novel phenomenon, -a lunar rainbow. It occurred at seven o'clock in the evening. The -atmosphere was hazy, and the moon shone with a dim luster. Though much -fainter than a solar rainbow, and having none of its brilliant hues, -it was still very distinct, and spanned nearly half the arch of the -heavens. - -_July 4. Sunday._ No religious services to-day, nor any celebration of -the anniversary of Independence. Instead thereof, we have been battling -with another heavy gale, and driving before it under the foresail, -foretop sail, and maintop sail, all close reefed. The seas run very -high, and the ship pitched violently. Standing on the quarter-deck, we -could often see the waves over the fore yard as the vessel pitched into -the trough of a sea. - -_July 5._ Another attempt has been made to induce Captain J. to -substitute a more decent bill of fare in place of the disgusting dishes -upon which he has starved us during the voyage. As we are approaching -Talcahuana, where a supply of such necessaries as we may need can -be obtained, it was thought proper to hold a formal meeting for the -purpose in the main cabin. A chairman, secretary and a committee -to report a bill of fare for the consideration of Captain J., were -chosen. Mr. Grant, the chief steward, was called in, who stated that -in supplying the table in the after cabin with better food than those -in the other parts of the ship, he had acted in compliance with the -orders of Captain J., and that the captain had also directed him to -reduce the allowance of soft-tack to the passengers. The committee on -the bill of fare reported to recommend for dinners, on Monday, beef -and rice; on Tuesday, beans and pork; on Wednesday, fish and potatoes, -or rice; on Thursday, beef and potatoes and duff; on Friday, beans and -pork; on Saturday, fish and potatoes, and on Sunday, beef and duff, -with soft-tack and apple-sauce once a day. This report was accepted. -The committee immediately waited upon the captain, whom they found in -a more amiable mood than they had anticipated, and obtained from him -some general promises of improvement, which gave us a slight degree of -encouragement. - -It is not a little provoking under all our privations to know that -we have on board the bark a sufficient quantity of wholesome food to -make us comfortable. In addition to good beef, pork, codfish, beans, -potatoes and hard-bread, we have a quantity of flour, sufficient to -give us a reasonable supply of soft-tack, besides rice, dried apples, -raisins and sugar. We have no reason to complain of the owners of -the vessel, but charge our discomforts to the surly brutality of the -captain, and the execrable filthiness of the cooks. A portion of our -supply of water is impure, having been put into bad casks. But when one -of these casks is tapped, however disgusting it may be, we are allowed -no other until it is used up. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - Captain Jackson--A Drifting Spar--Approaching - Talcahuana--Washing-day--Landscapes--Harbor of - Talcahuana--Pelicans--A Visit from Officials--Description of the - Town--American Houses--Tremont House--A Dinner. - - -Captain J. seems to be actuated by only one object, namely, to make -a profitable voyage for his employers, regardless of the rights or -comforts of his passengers. And any little concessions he makes to -the demands of his passengers,--and these concessions are few and far -between,--any little change he makes for the better in our fare, any -thing he does to alleviate the discomforts of our voyage, is done with -extreme reluctance, and seldom without a dispute or a serious quarrel. -Let me finish the picture I have begun of the man. He has the frame -of a giant, six feet two inches high. His fist is brawny as the paw -of a grizzly bear, and his foot is a terror to shoe-makers. He is -ungainly in his figure, and awkward and ungraceful in every movement -and gesture. He has a coarse, vulgar, morose cast of countenance, is -distant and repulsive in his manners, gross and vulgar in his tastes -and conversation, and fond of repeating profane and obscene jests and -anecdotes. He is exceedingly obstinate, wilful and unyielding, which -qualities he mistakes for independence of mind. He boasts of his -indifference as to what is said of him, and yet manifests an extreme -sensitiveness when he is made the subject of a jest. Notwithstanding -his long continued intercourse with the world, he has learned nothing -of human nature, and he thinks to govern men by fear and brute force, -rather than by reason, persuasion or kindness. There is nothing -conciliating in his disposition, but in all his discussions with his -passengers, he talks in a spirit of rude dictation and of defiance. He -seldom speaks a kind word to his sailors, and has acquired the hearty -hatred of them all. He hates Dana and his "Two years before the Mast," -because Dana's sympathies are enlisted on the side of the oppressed -seamen, and against tyrannical ship-masters. He hates Edward Kent, our -Consul at Rio, for the same reason. He is strongly tinctured with those -superstitions that characterize the ignorant portion of his class. In -politics he is a rabid loco-foco, a blind worshiper of Andrew Jackson, -whom he has been taught to call a second Washington. But his chief -political knowledge consists in a number of slang phrases and slurs, -which he threw out with great liberality in the former part of the -voyage, but which were answered in a manner that taught him a little -circumspection in the use of his favorite weapons. Such is the man, to -whose arbitrary will we are bound to submit during this long voyage. -But we believe him to be a cautious and skillful navigator; and if we -see in him a total absence of every characteristic of a gentleman, -of every qualification requisite to make an agreeable commander of -a passenger-ship, we are happy to find some compensation for these -defects in his watchfulness and care. - -_July 6._ Approaching the harbor of Talcahuana, we saw a large broken -yard with several ropes attached to it, floating within a few rods -of the ship. From the fresh appearance of the fracture, I perceived -that it had recently been broken. A casual remark dropped by one of -the passengers, that some vessel had probably been wrecked in one of -the storms we had lately encountered, and the spar was passed and -forgotten. But what a history of suffering and despair may there be -connected with that spar! Perhaps it belonged to our acquaintance at -Rio, the North America. She may have been wrecked on this coast, and -her five hundred souls have been sunk in the waves or dashed on the -rocks. In their efforts to save themselves, may not some of them have -been lashed to this very yard? Perhaps, as the vessel went to pieces, -and one after another was swallowed up, the lives of a few may have -been prolonged beyond those of their fellow sufferers. And oh! what an -hour of horror must that have been to them! What thoughts of deep and -bitter anguish did they send to the homes they had seen for the last -time, and to the wives, daughters, mothers, sisters and friends, to -whom they had bidden farewell forever! What ages of intense agony must -have been concentrated and endured in the few hours, perhaps minutes, -those sufferers lay lashed to that spar, and saw, one after another, -their companions expire! May not this vessel have been lost in one of -the storms that nearly drove us ashore upon the coast of Patagonia? How -near may we have been to sharing the same fate with them? And may we -not, even now, after having escaped so many dangers, be reserved for -the same or a worse doom? Such or similar reflections naturally arise -in one's mind at the sight of a floating mast or spar at sea. I have -often seen them, but never before one so new, and bearing such certain -indications of a recent shipwreck. - -We are in a state of excitement consequent on approaching a port after -our long voyage, and there is much preparation making for going ashore; -washing, which has been but slightly performed during our cold passage, -shaving, and cutting hair. Our chests and trunks are overhauled, and -clean shirts and the best pants are selected. It is "washing day" too -with the women, who have obtained some fresh water for their purpose. -Even Mrs. L----t, who has hitherto manifested a very idle disposition, -has gathered up a quantity of her child's garments, and proves that she -is not incompetent to perform the duties of the wash-tub, while Captain -J. stands like a sentinel over her, engaged in a low, but earnest -conversation, attracting the attention, and exciting the remarks of the -company, by his ridiculous manifestations of a silly lover's foolish -fondness. - -The sight of a landscape is always delightful to me, but it is -particularly so after having been so long at sea. We have had many -views of the coast during our passage from Rio, but they have been only -those of naked and barren rocks, desolate shores, and snow-covered -mountains. Now we begin again to behold symptoms of vegetable life. The -sides of a high hill we have passed, though there is no sign of a human -habitation near it, have the appearance of cultivated fields and thick -forests. And some of the trees have a shade of light green, reminding -us of fields of wheat in Maine, and suggesting many thoughts of home to -us. Yonder, as far as the eye can reach, is a point of land rising to -the view. And as we approach it, there are seen two beautifully rounded -hills. We have examined the chart, and find these hills to be the "Paps -of Bio-bio," and Talcahuana lies several miles beyond them. We had -hoped to reach that port to-day, but now we find the distance too great -to be accomplished by daylight, and as Captain J. has never been there, -he will not risk the passage by night. So, despite our impatience, we -have no alternative but to sail up to the entrance to the harbor, and -lay off and on till morning. - -_July 7._ We entered the harbor of Talcahuana at ten o'clock in the -morning, and spent the remainder of the day in beating up to the town -against a head wind, a distance of about twenty miles. Our entrance -to this port was signalized by a very interesting event, nothing -less than my first sight of that monster bird, the Brown Pelican. -(_Pelicanus fuscus._) A great flock of sea birds were hovering over -the water, and centering to one point, probably attracted by some -substance on which they were feeding. The passengers watched them with -great interest. We sailed very near them before they left the spot, -when, to my great gratification, I saw a dozen pelicans, with their -immensely long bills and great pouches, rise up and fly away with the -flock. Never before had I seen such an unwieldy bird on wings, and it -seemed a wonder that it could support such a ponderous body in the air. -But though ungainly in their appearance, they flew with considerable -velocity, and sustained their great weight and bulk with much ease. Our -company were all strangers to the bird, and with one exception none -could tell its name. - -We dropped anchor within half a mile of the town amidst a fleet of -twelve ships and barks, several of which belonged to the United States. -We were immediately visited by the captain of the port, who was an -Englishman, attended by other officials, Chilians. We also received a -call from three other gentlemen, American merchants, formerly from New -York, Massachusetts and Ohio. They came on board to solicit business. -By invitation from one of them, Captain J. went on shore, and passed -the night with him; and the next day he took his _chere amie_, Mrs. -L----t, to the same house, where they tarried till we sailed. It was -gratifying to meet thus unexpectedly, a number of our own countrymen -in this far distant port, and to learn, as we did, that several other -Yankees were residents here. - -_July 8._ A number of Chilian boats were along-side in the morning -for passengers. We speedily filled them, all of us eager to land, -our curiosity being highly excited in anticipation of the new and -strange things we were about to behold in this pretty town, as it -appeared to us from the ship. Judge then of my disappointment when -on landing I found myself in the most filthy and disgusting village -I ever beheld. A row of ill-looking houses, huts and shops stretched -along the bay for nearly a mile. Three very narrow, parallel streets -ran the length of the village, and were crossed at right angles by -other streets still narrower, and all filled with deep mud and filth. -A few large warehouses, stores, and dwellings, stood in the front -street, but all with a very few exceptions, only one-story high; and -in no single instance was there the least pretension to architectural -beauty. The houses were generally built in long ranges or blocks, and -so low that we could touch the eaves as we passed them. There were also -great numbers of little huts made of stakes driven into the ground, -interwoven with twigs, and plastered over with mud. A roof thatched -with coarse grass completed the dwelling. Many of the better buildings -had their roofs covered with coarse tiles. Besides the large warehouses -I have mentioned, which all belonged to foreigners, there were many -little shops containing a plentiful supply of liquors in bottles, and -some articles of dry goods. An open space for a square was left at -the back part of the village. To this square the inhabitants retreat -for safety in case of earthquakes. It was destitute of trees or any -other ornament. There was not, I believe, a single tree in the town; -but many clusters and thickets of shrubs grew in the fields and on -the hills, and gave a pleasant appearance to the country when viewed -at a distance. There were great numbers of houses of entertainment, -and from the signs hung out, one might readily judge what nation -contributes to their support. At any rate, it is amusing to see an -American in a far distant foreign port, to read in every street such -signs as the following: California Hotel, American Hotel, American -House, New Bedford House, New York Restaurant, Eagle Hotel, &c. I -went into several of them, and found them so excessively filthy, that -despite the keenness of my appetite, I could not eat, and made up my -mind that I must go back to the dirty bark for my dinner. But in the -course of my rambles, I saw several of our ship's company standing at -the door of a house of a better description than most of those I had -seen. The walls of this house bore the imposing sign, "Tremont House." -I could not resist the temptation to go in and inspect the premises. -First and foremost was a large bar well stocked with liquors. But as -this was not the principal object of my search, I passed on to the -dining-room, where I saw a table covered with a clean white cloth. My -resolution was formed, and I immediately booked my name for dinner. The -hour for dining was two. But before we sit down to the table, allow me -to introduce the proprietor of the house, and give you a description -of his dining-room and furniture. Our landlord was a Yankee, and had -been during many years master of a ship, till he anchored in this port, -took a Chilian girl for his wife, and turned Boniface. We dined in a -large square room lighted with two windows secured by iron grates, and -set in a stone wall nearly three feet thick,--these thick walls and -iron grates, as well as the single story in which the houses are built, -being a necessary protection against earthquakes. The windows were -shaded with cotton curtains, red and white. There were large, coarse, -double doors like those of a warehouse, the floor was paved with large -tiles, and the uncovered beams were festooned with a profusion of -cobwebs. A pile of boxes lay in one corner, a quantity of boxes and -barrels surmounted by an X bedstead, loaded with old saddles, occupied -another corner, rude side-tables with more old casks and boxes under -them, and a dining table with the clean table-cloth aforesaid, set for -twenty-five persons, with the same number of chairs, which had been -imported from Yankee Land,--these constituted the furniture of the -dining-room of the Tremont House, Talcahuana, Chili. Our company were -unanimously of the opinion that this style of furnishing an eating-room -was open to criticism; but we were not disposed to be fastidious or -captious; and had we been so, the display of the dinner upon the table -would have completely done away all disposition for fault finding. -Macaroni soup, roast beef, roast wild ducks, corned boiled beef, -potatoes, beets, squash, bread, pudding, &c., and wine. With such a -bill of fare before us, we quickly lost sight of the surroundings. It -was marvelous to witness the disappearance of these luscious viands -before twenty half starved mortals. But there was no lack of it, and -all were satisfied. The food was of an excellent quality and well -cooked. In fact one of our own fellow-passengers expressed a decided -preference for this dinner to a ten quart tin pan full of scouse on -board the James W. Paige. I made a hearty meal of roast duck, washed -down with a copious draught of weak wine, a production of the country. -Thus pleasantly terminated my ramble in search of a dinner. And if any -thing could overcome my chagrin at being landed in this contemptible -place, it would be such a dinner with such an appetite. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - Character of the Inhabitants--Agricultural Implements--Lassoing - Cattle--Poncho--A Covered Wagon--Wild Doves--An Earthquake--An - Excursion--Dogs, Women, Children, and Shells--A Scotchman and his - Wine--An Adventure and the Calaboose--A Chilian Musket Fished - Up--An Affecting Incident--Fruit Market--Leave Talcahuana--An - Explanation--Theft in the Cooks' Galley--Disinterested - Advice--Uneasiness of Mrs. L----t and Capt. J. - - -I have said nothing of the character and appearance of the inhabitants -of this town. There are about three thousand of them. On our first -landing, I saw standing round the shops, groups of ragged, dirty, -copper colored fellows, with a "poncho" over their shoulders, and -a conical hat without a brim on their heads. Some were employed -in rolling large square bundles of wool from a warehouse to the -landing. A few were driving loaded mules and asses, and others were -variously employed; but the greater part of them were leaning against -the buildings, or walking idly about, as worthless looking a set of -vagabonds as could very well be imagined. A very small number of well -dressed men were to be seen; but these were mostly foreigners, and the -majority of them from the United States. Several women and girls were -seated in front of the shops selling apples and cakes. As I passed -into the cross streets I saw a great many women seated or standing at -their doors, or walking in the streets. Many of them were very filthy, -though some were neatly dressed, and were rather pretty. They had dark -complexions, fresh, florid cheeks, bright, black eyes, and black, -glossy hair hanging down their backs in two braids. They wore nothing -on their heads, and I did not see a bonnet in Talcahuana. They had a -smile and a word for all strangers, but their smiles were those of the -siren. They were all sunk in the lowest depths of moral degradation -and pollution. Such is the general character of the people of this -town. There are exceptions, and it is said that the married women are -remarkably faithful to their marriage vows. - -I took a walk up a hill in the rear of the village in company with -several of my fellow-passengers. Saw several men employed in plowing -their fields and harrowing in wheat, this being their season for sowing -grain, though I saw several fields in which the seed had sprouted -and grown up three or four inches. The extreme rudeness of their -farming implements surprised me. Their plow was of the most primitive -description, being formed of two pieces of wood, the beam being long -enough to reach to the yoke to which it was attached, and the other -piece forming the handle and point. A pair of small oxen drew it. Their -yoke was a straight stick laid across their necks, and fastened to -their horns. The man held the single handle of the plow in his right -hand and a whip in his left. He broke up the surface of the ground not -more than two or three inches deep, and harrowed the seed in with the -same plow instead of a harrow. The soil is exceedingly rich, or such -cultivation would never produce a crop. The English and Americans have -brought their best plows and other agricultural implements here, but -they cannot persuade the Chilians to use them. - -On going up a steep hill, we saw a Chilian on horseback accompanied -by half a dozen dogs in full pursuit of an ox. They passed near us. I -saw the rider take his lasso, twirl it several times over his head, -and throw it. I witnessed the performance with great interest; but the -result disappointed me, and I regretted that in the first instance I -had seen of the throwing of the lasso, it missed its aim. The Chilian -gathered up his lasso, threw it a second time, and caught the ox by the -horns. The Chilians are fine horsemen, and they seldom ride without a -lasso, which they are very expert in using. - -I have spoken of the poncho. This is a very important article of dress -with the Chilians, and I believe with all the Spanish population of -America. It consists simply of a shawl either square or oblong, with a -slit in the center, through which the head is thrust, and the poncho -hangs loosely over the shoulders. They are made of a great variety of -materials and patterns, some plain, and others richly striped, checked, -or figured. - -On our return to the village we saw a large covered wagon drawn by -one horse. This would not have attracted our attention had we not -observed that the driver, instead of taking his seat in the carriage, -rode another horse, and guided the wagon horse by means of a long -bridle. This wagon was run daily to the city of Concepcion and back, -and was the only carriage I saw here. It must depend on foreigners for -patronage, for I doubt if a Chilian could be persuaded to take a seat -in it while he had a horse to ride. - -At the door of the Tremont House I saw a man with several strings of -a pretty species of little wild doves, about the size of the little -ground dove described by Audubon. Our landlord bought them. - -No man can visit Chili without encountering an earthquake. At least -I never heard of one who did. We had one of them in the night, but -unfortunately I was asleep in my berth in the bark, and neither felt -nor heard it. In the town the inhabitants left their houses in great -haste, and fled to the square. The shock was not very heavy, and no -damage was done. This town, and indeed the whole western coast of -South America, and North America as far as California, are subject to -frequent earthquakes, some of which have caused immense destruction -of lives and property. Talcahuana was destroyed by one of these -convulsions in 1835, every building but two having been thrown down. -The city of Concepcion, nine miles distant, was also greatly injured. - -_July 9._ I had intended to take a ride to Concepcion, of which -Talcahuana is the port, but being told that the roads were very muddy, -the country flat and uninteresting, and the city dull and but little -superior to Talcahuana in point of elegance, I gave up the visit; and -therefore having little to do to-day, I obtained permission of the -captain of the port to go gunning. He cautioned me not to discharge my -gun in the town, or even to load it here. On leaving the town I passed -up a gorge between two steep hills, at the foot of which were a dozen -huts filled with Chilians and dogs. A little brook ran through the -valley, and several women and girls were employed in washing clothes -in it. There was no room for a road, nor any need of one, and the -little foot path was all they required in their communication with the -village. I climbed the hill, and looked down the gorge. The scene was -very pretty, and if I could have fancied a dozen neat cottages in place -of these thatched mud huts, it would have been beautifully picturesque. - -I passed over several steep hills, and down their sides through -thickets of bushes and vines, all new to me; but without procuring any -birds but a hawk. I saw several small birds that were strangers to me; -but none that pleased me so much as the sight of one of our American -robins. It gave a fresh impulse to my thoughts, and sent them at once -to my far distant home. I was half disposed to think that I had seen -this identical robin in some of my rambles in the fields and woods at -home, and that it had flown this long distance, bearing a message of -love from my dear child. - -After crossing several hills, I came at last to one, whose almost -perpendicular sides overlooked an extensive marsh, which was bounded on -one side by a bay, whose waters rolled up a broad beach of dark brown -sand. Immense numbers of sea birds were hovering over this beach, but I -could not approach them within gunshot. I passed a considerable number -of huts at the foot of the hill. There were seldom less than two or -three dogs around them, and sometimes more, besides women and children -enough to fill them. The dogs seemed rather vicious, and often attacked -me; but I easily drove them off except in one instance, when I was -surrounded by three or four larger, and particularly ferocious ones, -and had to swing my gun round pretty smartly, and was on the point of -discharging it at them, when the women of the house came out and called -them off. - -I observed many beds of shells scattered over the marsh and beach, -and collected several very pretty specimens, but found them too much -decayed to be worth bringing away. There was also an abundance of -these shells imbedded in the sides of the hills, and from the state -of preservation in which they are found, there can be no doubt the -convulsion which upheaved these hills must have been of a comparatively -recent date. - -I returned to the village in season to dine, which I did at the Tremont -House. Upwards of twenty of our ship's company sat at the table. We had -an excellent bill of fare, and I made a rich meal from a pie made of -the little doves I had seen the day before. - -After dinner I went to the warehouse of a rich old Scotchman to buy -some wine to use as a substitute for tea and coffee during the residue -of our voyage. This is a weak wine, manufactured by himself, and -is, as he says, the pure juice of the grape. A connoisseur in wines -would not value it very highly, and indeed, it is not much better -than old cider; but mixed with water and sugar, I find it rather a -pleasant beverage. I bought several gallons at forty cents per gallon. -This Scotchman had a peculiar sense of his own dignity, which would -not permit him to wait on his customers; and I was amused to see him -walk about the room with a very consequential air, while I filled my -bottles from his cask. He received my account of the quantity I had -drawn without inquiry as to its correctness, and with the greatest -indifference. - -A part of our company returned to the ship at night, but many of them -tarried on shore in the enjoyment of such delights as the town readily -supplied. Unfortunately two of the gentlemen having imbibed a larger -quantity of _aguardiente_ than prudence would seem to have dictated, -and oblivious of the distance that separated them from the "land of -the free and the home of the brave," indulged in a larger liberty than -the regulations of the place permitted, and were rather ignominiously -accommodated with lodgings in a calaboose, for which they were charged -two dollars each on being liberated in the morning. - -One of our men, an Irishman, while fishing from the side of the bark, -hooked up rather a queer fish--nothing less than a Chilian musket. -It was in a tolerable state of preservation, though rather rusty. He -scoured it up, and made a very respectable piece of it. - -An affecting incident occurred on shore during our stay here. Stephen -Pierce, one of our passengers, had a brother somewhere in the Pacific -Ocean for many years; and four years had elapsed since he had heard -from him. He was then at Juan Fernandez. It was in part a slight -hope of finding his brother, that induced Mr. Pierce to undertake -this voyage. On his arrival at Talcahuana he began to make inquiries -for him; and strangely enough the first man to whom he spoke on the -subject, was an acquaintance of his brother's, and informed him that -his brother had died fourteen months before in this village, and that -his widow, who was a Chilian and a native of Talcahuana, whom he had -found and married at Juan Fernandez, still lived here. He accompanied -Mr. Pierce to the dwelling of the widow, introduced them, and acted as -interpreter between them; for she had learned nothing of the English -language. She was a very pretty woman of only eighteen years. The -meeting was exceedingly affecting. But little time was necessary to -satisfy the young widow of the identity of Mr. Pierce as the brother -of her deceased husband, when she threw herself upon his neck, and -the tears of the bereaved wife and brother were mingled in sorrow and -sympathy at this renewed remembrance of their lost relative. She wept -long and bitterly. After a long interview, Mr. Pierce took leave. -But he repeated his visit to-day, and the widow accompanied him to -the grave of his brother. She was deeply moved, for she had loved -her husband with a strong affection. Her mother and other relatives -manifested the kindest and most affectionate regard for Mr. Pierce, -and this last interview, as well as the former, was one of intense -interest. After having prolonged his stay to the last moment, he bade -adieu to these new found relatives, never in all probability to meet -again on earth. - -_July 10._ We were much disappointed in the fruit market in Talcahuana. -There was nothing to be obtained but some apples of an inferior -quality, tasteless and thick-skinned, and walnuts. I laid in a stock of -walnuts, which I found very useful. Had we arrived two months earlier, -we would have found a lot of pears, peaches, grapes, &c. - -Captain J. having completed taking in his stores, consisting of fresh -beef, potatoes, flour, beans, oil, wood and water, weighed anchor at -noon, and stood out of the harbor with a light, but fair wind. We were -all ready to go, and no one betrayed any impatience at the shortness -of our stay, or any wish to prolong the visit. We had seen enough -of Talcahuana, and animated with a hope of a speedy and prosperous -termination of our voyage, we left the coast of Chili merrily singing: - - "Hi--o, and away we go, - Digging up gold in Francisco." - -We had a pleasant sail for several days, and nothing of importance -occurred to mar our pleasures until the fourteenth of July, when -Mr. Johnson met the passengers in the main cabin for the purpose of -explaining his conduct in his quarrels with Julia S. He was heard -very attentively in an address, in which he attempted to justify his -conduct in every instance. Miss S. replied to him, contradicting some -of his statements, and explaining others. Captain J. took part in the -discussion, but his remarks were not calculated to restore harmony. -Nothing was effected by the meeting, no new facts were elicited or old -ones explained, and no change was wrought in any one's opinion. - -_July 17._ I have another unpleasant occurrence to record. A robbery -was perpetrated in the cooks' galley last night, and about a hundred -cakes of soft-tack stolen. It was reported to Captain J., who came -into the after house and threatened to put us on hard-tack again. Many -irritating words passed between him and some of the passengers, and he -became so exasperated against one of them, that he seized him by the -collar. There was great excitement all over the ship. In the height of -the quarrel, Stephen Walker called on Captain J. and offered to find -the bread if the captain would send a man with him to make search. -The first mate was directed to accompany him, and in a few minutes the -bread was found in the forecastle among the sailors, and the excitement -was soon quieted. The captain transferred his wrath from the passengers -to the sailors, and ordered the cooks not to serve any more soft-tack -to them until they should inform against the thief, which they will -be in no haste to do. It was a needless theft, for since we left -Talcahuana they had a full allowance, that is, two and sometimes three -cakes once a day, which is all that is allowed the passengers. - -My excellent friends, Captain J. and Mrs. L----t, have volunteered -some very disinterested advice on the subject of my journal, and have -enlightened me on the difficult question, what is proper, or rather, -what is not proper, to record in it. Mrs. L----t thinks that all the -little squabbles and disputes we have had, and all the scandal that -has been so rife among us, would be improper subjects to record, and -would prove uninteresting to the reader. She was desirous to know if my -journal was intended for publication, and spoke very earnestly on the -impropriety of giving the names of persons. I replied that my journal -was nothing more than a letter, a long letter to my daughter, and was -written for her amusement; that I did not intend it for publication, -though some portions of it, might perhaps be made into articles for -the newspapers; that as to what is improper to record in a journal, -there was a great difference of opinion, and every one must judge for -himself; and that many events of an unpleasant nature were to be found -in every book of travels, and they very often proved interesting to the -general reader. I remarked that though a great many books of voyages -and travels had been published, no one had yet given to the public an -account of the pleasures and pains, the comforts and discomforts of -a passenger-ship round Cape Horn, and that I thought such an account -might be received with favor by the reading public, but that in such an -account, the propriety of giving the names of persons would depend on -circumstances. - -As for Captain J., he didn't care what was said about him; he was -independent; but he didn't want the slanders that were going about in -the ship to get home to his wife, though he was not afraid but what he -could satisfy her about them when he got home. He hoped I would not -say any thing about them, and ended with a general threat intended to -intimidate me. I made no reply to him, except that I had said nothing -of him or Mrs. L----t in my journal, which it would be necessary to -expunge or alter. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - Religious Services--A Beautiful Bird--Departure of Cape Pigeons - and Albatrosses--Stormy Petrels--Amusements--Harmony among - the Passengers--Mrs. L----t and her Child--Violence of Captain - J.--Our Chaplain turns Poet--Captain J.'s rest disturbed by the - Passengers--He threatens to blow them through--Sugar--Petty - Annoyances--A Rag Baby--Our Chaplain and his Revolver-- - Change of Weather--Uncomfortable Condition of the Main - Cabin--Theft of Raisins--Ship's Stores--Gross Negligence--Great - Waste of Scouse. - -_July 18._ Mr. Johnson preached to a very small congregation to-day. -The prejudice against him still continues very strong. He continues -to justify his quarrel with Julia S., though he is opposed by the -unanimous opinion of the passengers, who think that in striking Julia -when she threw the stick of wood at him he violated that beautiful -precept of Christ, "But I say unto you that ye resist not evil; but -whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other -also." They consider such a quarrel at such a time to be a shameful -desecration of the Sabbath, and a disgrace to himself. - -There was also a prayer-meeting in the afternoon. Among others, Captain -J. gave an exhortation, in the course of which he acknowledged that he -had not always performed his duty as a Christian during the voyage, -asked pardon of the passengers for any wrongs he had done them, and -promised to use his exertions to make them more comfortable during the -remainder of the voyage. - -_July 20._ Crossed the Tropic of Capricorn in longitude 85 deg. 1' west. - -_July 25._ I have been watching a fine bird of a new species--I mean -new to me. As it flew round the ship, seeking for a place to alight, I -had a pretty good opportunity to examine it. It was about two-thirds -as large as the domestic goose, and had a straight, pointed bill. -Excepting the feathers of the wings and tail, which were of a dark gray -or slate color, every other part of the bird, including the head, neck, -back and breast, the upper and under wing coverts, and tail coverts -were of a pure glossy white. I have rarely seen so beautiful a bird. - -Our very intimate friends, the Cape Pigeons, have suddenly taken leave. -There were a considerable number of them around the ship yesterday; -to-day not one is left. Will you smile, dear reader, if I tell you that -a slight shade of melancholy passes over me at the departure of these -pretty birds, which have been our constant and familiar companions -during two months, which have followed us from Brazil to Chili, round -the stormy Cape, feeding on the little scraps of food we have thrown -them, amusing us by their chattering and scrambling for the precious -morsels, which they seemed to expect from us. - -The albatrosses left us soon after our departure from Talcahuana. My -attempts to secure some of them, have as you have seen, been defeated. -It has been a vexatious disappointment to me, and my fellow-passengers -often express their regret at it, and their contempt for the littleness -of Captain Jackson. - -The place of the Cape Pigeons is occupied by a little unassuming -bird, in which I always feel much interest--a little thing of dull -plumage and no pretensions to beauty. I mean the Stormy Petrel. The -one we find here differs from those on the coast of the United States, -being smaller and of a lighter plumage. It follows us in considerable -numbers, and is quite gentle, coming close to the ship, and betraying -very little fear of us. It does not patter the water with its feet, as -our petrels do, but it has a singular habit of thrusting out one foot -as it flies along, dipping it into the water, and describing a line on -the surface sometimes two or three feet long. - -_July 27._ Since leaving Talcahuana our men have found a new amusement -for the occupation of their minds, and the exercise of their ingenuity. -We took on board some wood from that port, resembling mahogany in -color. Out of this wood the passengers have employed themselves in -cutting out a variety of articles, such as seals for letters, hollow -spools for thread and needles, little boxes, knife handles, heads for -canes, and many other things. It is amusing to witness the spirit -with which all, young and old, with few exceptions, enter into this -business. The decks are covered every day with their whittlings, -and every stick of wood that can be used, is eagerly seized and -appropriated. - -_July 28._ It is often said, that in long voyages, there commonly -grows up a feeling of disgust and ill-will among the passengers -towards each other, and that they become morose and quarrelsome, -the natural consequence of the tedious monotony of the voyage, and -the sameness and want of variety on board ship. I cannot say that -our voyage thus far verifies the assertion; for though we have had -innumerable quarrels, there has been generally a very good state of -feeling among the passengers. This may, perhaps, be accounted for by -the attitude of antagonism in which Captain J. placed himself towards -us at the commencement of the voyage, (and in which he has continued -ever since,) that may have rendered it necessary as a means of defence, -for the passengers to maintain harmony and union among themselves. -This necessity seems to increase as we approach the termination of -the voyage, in consequence of the outrageous outbursts of passion, -in which the captain indulges on every occasion, and which on every -fresh occasion becomes more and more ungovernable. I have spoken of -the ascendency which Mrs. L----t has obtained over him. Her influence -has continued to increase, until she has got him entirely under her -control. She has a noisy, ill-tempered, mischievous child, about four -years old, whom she keeps a great portion of the time in our room in -the after house, and who, as well as her mother is exceedingly annoying -to us. We have remonstrated with Captain J. against this intrusion, -but our remonstrance has only increased the evil, and now, from early -morning till bed-time, the two are constant occupants of our cabin. -Encouraged by the support she receives from Captain J. she has become -very supercilious and insulting. On one occasion I removed her child -from our door, where she was doing some mischief, when she began to -berate me in very passionate language. But I made no reply to her. -This only increased her rage; and she talked still more abusively. -Getting vexed myself, I began to whistle. Worse and worse. I remarked -that it was growing warm in this room, and she became furious. But -having exhausted herself and receiving no reply to her tirade, she soon -desisted. But now came the captain's turn. He had lain in his berth -and listened to Mrs. L----t's eloquence, and became highly exasperated -against me. So leaving his berth, he commenced a furious attack on me, -using the most abusive language, and uttering many threats of violence. -I replied in such language as I thought the occasion required, and I -believe the valorous captain received very little satisfaction. - -_July 29._ Our chaplain has been courting the muses. Attacked with a -severe fit of inspiration, he has for some time past been engaged in -writing a poem. The subject, which is well calculated for the display -of his poetical genius, is "The Voyage of the James W. Paige." He -honored us with a public reading of a portion of the poem on deck this -afternoon. It did not receive that applause it merited in the opinion -of the author, for his audience were incapable of appreciating the rich -beauties of the poem, and could not distinguish Mr. Johnson's poetry -from ordinary prose. Much of the poem was made up of commendations of -Captain J. and of censures of the owners of the bark. - -We had a clear, moonlight night, and several of the passengers, male -and female, were on deck till a late hour. There was much noise among -them, which disturbed the captain. He went out three times and ordered -them off the house. The last time he was in a great passion, and -swore that if God spared his life he would blow them through the next -time they disobeyed his orders. The noise was stopped, and order, but -not peace, restored. The passengers were much to blame, though their -disobedience arose from heedlessness rather than from any intentional -disrespect to the captain. But this threat to shoot them rankles in -their bosoms. - -Sherman caught a large porpoise. - -_July 31._ Being prohibited the use of butter, or fat of any sort, or -molasses, to eat with our bread, and having but a little apple-sauce -doled out to us once a week, I have occasionally dissolved a spoonful -of sugar to give a relish to my dry bread, and this morning the mate -ordered the steward to remove the sugar-bowl. This order getting to -the ears of the ladies, I have been bountifully supplied by them from -a cask of very nice sugar in their cabin. This sugar was bought at Rio -Janeiro by Captain J. for the special benefit of Mrs. L----t. I mention -this little fact as a specimen of the petty annoyances to which we are -constantly subjected by the captain and first mate, and of the friendly -favors of which I have been the constant recipient from all the ladies, -with one exception, during the voyage. - -To-day we crossed the equator in about the 108th degree of west -longitude. - -_August 4._ A little affair came off this morning, in which the dignity -and magnanimity of Captain J. were conspicuously displayed. Loud words -were heard in the ladies' cabin at breakfast time between the captain, -and Mrs. L----t and Miss Julia S. And what, reader, do you think was -the subject of the dispute? _A rag baby!_ It appears that Miss Julia -had made the baby for a little child of another passenger. It was seen -this morning floating astern, and Miss S. supposed that Mrs. L----t's -child had thrown it overboard. High words grew out of it. The captain, -ever ready, threw himself into the breach between his dear friend and -her opponent, and as we sat in our cabin we overheard the voice of this -magnanimous commander of the ship raised in loud and angry debate about -a rag baby! - -Our chaplain, Mr. Johnson, has had the precaution to take one of -Colt's revolvers with him. He evidently is opposed to the doctrine of -non-resistance, and is not inclined to yield up his life or his purse -without a show, at least, of defence. His fellow-passengers, however, -have not a very exalted opinion of his personal courage; and the fact -that he has struck a woman in a quarrel, tends strongly to increase -their doubts. Some little excitement prevails among us in consequence -of a report that he has lent his revolver to Captain J., who wants it -for the purpose of carrying his threat against his noisy passengers -into execution. Mr. Johnson has been questioned about it, but he gives -an evasive answer. We have a natural repugnance to being blown up, and -cannot entertain a very friendly regard for the minister of peace, and -man of mercy, who shall allow himself to become accessory to such a -tragical termination of our adventures. - -_August 6._ We have thus far had a fine run from Talcahuana. Soon after -leaving that port, we struck the south-east trade-winds, and for nearly -three weeks we have sailed before an easy breeze, with our studding -sails set, and have scarcely altered a sail during the whole time. -This has been a season of rest for the sailors, who have had some hard -work to perform in the course of the voyage, and whose labors have -borne harder on them in consequence of their ignorance of the duties -pertaining to a square-rigged vessel. They had all, I was told, with -one exception, shipped as ordinary seamen, though some of them had been -fraudulently entered as able seamen. - -But now we are beginning to find a change of weather and variable -winds. The atmosphere has become very hot, and heavy showers of rain -are pouring down upon us. There is also considerable thunder, though we -have had but few heavy peals. The wind is light and continually veering -from point to point. We are apprehensive of being becalmed, and feel -not a little impatience and anxiety at every unfavorable change of the -weather. - -Our ship is uncomfortable enough in any climate or weather with her -crowd of passengers; but it is peculiarly so in this Torrid Zone. -At the request of an old man, Mr. Carlow, I have been down to take -a look at the main cabin. I found the air very hot and oppressive, -and I was soon covered with perspiration. Some portions of the room -were dark, there being no means of lighting it, but by the hatches -and a few little dead-lights in the deck. They were now prohibited -the use of the lamps they had made for themselves, because the smoke -was found to annoy Mrs. L----t, into whose state-room a portion of -it escaped. The only ventilation which this cabin received, was also -through the hatches, and that was obstructed by the houses that were -built over them. The floor was damp and dirty, and I was told that it -had never been cleansed but by the passengers themselves. An offensive -odor filled the room, which was to be expected from the number of the -occupants, and the want of ventilation. There were twenty-eight berths -in this cabin, occupied by fifty-two passengers. It was impossible for -them all to pass the hot nights in such a stifling atmosphere, and the -poor old man's eyes moistened as he told me that he was obliged to -leave his berth, and pass his nights wherever he could find a place to -rest on deck. - -_August 9._ Captain J. has just discovered that a cask and a half, -or one hundred and fifty pounds of raisins have been abstracted from -the store-room. He has made rigid inquiries, but has not elicited any -evidence against the purloiners; nor is there any probability that he -will. The excuse for this theft seems to have been, that a cask of -raisins had been previously opened for the use of the occupants of the -ladies' cabin, and it was thought that justice required a more equal -distribution of them among the whole ship's company. - -There has been gross negligence in the care of the ship's stores, and -great waste and loss of many articles of provisions, which should have -been used. A few days since an examination was ordered, and three -casks of decayed potatoes, that had been shipped at Frankfort, were -discovered and thrown overboard. Many messes, which have been cooked up -for the passengers in the course of the voyage, and which they could -not eat, however hungry they may have been, have been disposed of in -the same manner. How many pans of the richest sort of scouse the -birds and the fishes are indebted to the bark James W. Paige for, it -is impossible to tell. Much of the oil has been carelessly wasted, and -many a long evening has been passed in the dark for want of it. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - An Arbitrary Prohibition--Card Playing and Checker - Playing--Dancing--Treachery of Mr. Johnson--Some Passengers--A - Comical Character, and a Pugnacious Character--A Beautiful - Bird--Closing the Hatches--A Question of Jurisdiction--The Hatches - Re-opened--A Sudden Transformation--Neglected Duties of the - Chaplain--His Influence with the Captain. - - -I have spoken of the amusement the passengers have had in making wooden -trinkets from the wood taken on board at Talcahuana. The captain and -first mate have been made the recipients of many of these toys; but -to-day they have issued an order prohibiting any further manufacture of -them. The passengers all remonstrated against the arbitrary order, but -were obliged to submit; for the captain has control of the wood. - -One of the principal sources of amusement during the voyage has been -card playing. It has helped many, who had no other occupation or -source of amusement, to pass their time pleasantly; and to others it -has proved an agreeable relaxation. Much mischief has doubtless been -prevented by it, and many a quarrel avoided. I have not heard of an -unpleasant dispute or altercation from card playing since we set sail, -though there are seldom less than six or eight companies engaged in it -during the pleasant weather. Several packs of cards were included in my -outfit, but though I have not, in a single instance, had occasion to -use them myself, they have nevertheless, done good service. Captain J. -has often threatened to break up this wicked amusement, but I think he -has not dared to attempt it. Though very strong in his denunciations -of card playing, there are other games which meet his approbation. He -has himself made a checker-board, and spends many a leisure moment in -playing checkers with Mrs. L----t. - -Still another source of amusement with many of the passengers is -dancing. We have two fiddlers on board the ship, and are therefore -well supplied with the necessary music. There is a space between the -two houses covering a few square feet, and another space still smaller -between the forward house and the windlass, where a small number of -persons can crowd through a figure in a dance, and these spaces have -been sometimes used for that purpose. I have attempted to take this -kind of exercise, but in such a circumscribed space and such a rolling -ballroom, I have found the amusement any thing but amusing. - -From what I have already recorded of Mr. Johnson, it will be seen that -he has been guilty of some indiscretions (to call them by no harsher -name) that are not very creditable to him as a man or a Christian. I -have now to state a fact, which proves him to be destitute of common -honesty. At his particular request I had lent him several sheets of -my journal, in which were some passages reflecting on the conduct of -Captain J. and the first mate. These passages, he gave me his word, -should not be repeated nor revealed. I heard no more about it for -several days and until last night, when the reverend gentleman came -deliberately to me, and said, that considering all the circumstances of -the case, he felt it his duty, notwithstanding his promise, to repeat -those obnoxious passages to the captain and mate. He asked me if I had -any objection. I replied that it could answer no good purpose; that -he very well knew that the captain had repeatedly threatened me with -personal violence, and this would only serve to increase his rage, -and, perhaps, furnish him with a pretext for putting his threats into -execution; and that I would not consent to the disclosure. To all my -remonstrances he only replied that his duty impelled him to the course -he was about to pursue, and that his conscience would no longer permit -him to remain silent. So he left me to perform his duty and quiet his -conscience by breaking his word and violating his promise, and making a -revelation, which could answer no other purpose than to make mischief, -to increase a personal animosity, which was already bitter enough, to -prolong a quarrel which it should have been his duty as a Christian -minister to allay, and to stir up strife when he should have endeavored -to promote conciliation. "Blessed are the peace-makers." - -It will be thought that we have a jumble of strange characters in our -company, and so indeed we have. Perhaps I have occupied too much space -with the bad portion of them. Perhaps, too, I have attached too much -importance to the little scrapes and wrangles, of which I have given -so many accounts. One might suppose that I had treasured up every -quarrel that has occurred during the voyage, and that I delighted in -telling them. But it is not so. I would give a correct impression of -the voyage, its pleasures and pains; and the record of a portion of our -disputes is necessary to this end. But I have omitted more than I have -recorded, and I have related others in the fewest words into which I -could condense them. - -In addition to the ladies whose names have appeared in the progress of -this narrative, is Mrs. A. G. B., who is going to join her husband in -Stockton. She is a very quiet, and I believe a religious woman. She -passes a great part of her time in her state-room, and keeps entirely -aloof from all the bickerings that are of such frequent occurrence in -the ladies' cabin. She comes on deck after supper to take the air. -I have occasionally passed an hour very agreeably with her, enjoying -a pleasant sunset and twilight, or talking of friends at home. Her -daughter Mary is a pretty girl of seventeen, who reads French, and has -a variety of accomplishments. Mrs. B. has two sons on board, one a boy, -and the other, a married man, whose wife and daughter, a sprightly -little girl of three years, accompany him. - -One of the passengers in the main cabin is a deaf-mute, Elisha -Osgood, a cabinet-maker. He gave our chaplain a mild reproof for his -belligerent propensities a few days since. Learning that Mr. J. had a -revolver, he proposed to buy it. Mr. J. refused to sell it; whereupon -Osgood wrote upon his slate, "You had better sell your revolver, and -buy a bible." - -Mr. Gardner, the second mate, is a clever fellow, and is endowed with -much more intelligence than the first mate, and is more popular with -the passengers and crew, though far from being a favorite with the -captain. - -There is a quiet good-natured fellow among us, by the name of John F. -Dolliff, who loves sport, and is a practical joker. He is possessed -of kind, humane feelings withal, and I am indebted to him for many a -glass of lemonade, given me in the former part of our voyage, at a -time when I was suffering the most tormenting thirst from seasickness. -Dolliff's voice bears a great resemblance to that of Captain J., which -has given rise to some sport among us. He sometimes orders the stewards -to trim the lamp in the binnacle, calls out to the man at the wheel to -tell him how the ship heads, and gives a variety of orders, which are -generally obeyed. One dark night, after the captain had turned in, he -put on his--the captain's--coat and hat, and walked out. He called to -the mate, asked several questions about the wind and weather, which -were all respectfully answered, and then directed him to reef the -top-sails. This order, absurd enough under the circumstances, was not -given in nautical style, and while the perplexed mate hesitated, some -one who was in the secret laughed, and betrayed the joke. - -T. W. Dolliff, a cousin of the above-named, is, or rather was, the -most pugnacious man among us, though he exhibited no indications of -his pugnacity on board the bark. He was said to be pretty well covered -with scars, which he had received in numerous combats. At Talcahuana he -fell in with a bully, who was imbued with a great hatred of Yankees, -and who challenged any and all who were present to fight him. Dolliff -had not had a fight for many months, and was really pining for a little -amusement of that sort. This opportunity to indulge in his favorite -recreation was too good to be lost, and he readily accepted the -challenge. A little space in the room was cleared for the combatants. -They took their places, and after a moment's maneuvering, the fellow -made a pass at Dolliff, which he parried, and at the same instant he -dealt him a blow that laid him sprawling on the floor. The bully got up -and prepared for a second encounter, which ended in the same manner. -Unwilling to yield, he made a third attempt, and a third time he -measured his length upon the floor, when he wisely gave up the contest, -acknowledged the superiority of the Yankee, and treated the company. - -Within three weeks Dolliff has been attacked with rheumatic pains -attended with fever, which have laid him up. He has been removed from -the main cabin, where he must have died, had he remained there, and a -berth has been provided for him in our room. Every thing that can be, -is done to make him comfortable; but our ship is badly supplied with -necessaries for the sick. He will, in all probability, have a lingering -illness, and he must be taken to a hospital in San Francisco, -California, of which he has a great dread. - -_August 14._ One of our passengers, Mr. Gould, has generously treated -us to a rich pound-cake. His wife made it in Bangor. It was put into a -tin box and soldered up, and on being opened, was found as fresh and -sweet as when first baked. - -_August 15._ No religious services to-day. There are many conjectures -as to the cause of this omission of his duty by our chaplain, the most -plausible of which is, his consciousness of the strong disgust which -his recent treachery, falsehood, and attempt at mischief-making have -excited. - -We occasionally see a beautiful bird making its flight high above us, -but seldom coming near the ship. Its plumage as seen at a distance is -pure white, its head resembles that of a dove, its neck slender and -delicate, and with a tail composed of two long, pointed, and flowing -white feathers, and wings long and slender, it floats through the air -with a gracefulness peculiar to itself, and excelling that of any other -bird I have seen. This is the Tropic Bird, (_Phaeton phoenicurus_.) -The long taper tail feathers have given the sailors a hint for a name, -and they call it "The Marlin-spike." - -_August 17._ Crossed the Tropic of Cancer in longitude 127 deg. west. The -mate signalized the day by closing the hatches over the main cabin. -The reason assigned for this act was a quarrel at breakfast between an -Irishman and one of the stewards, which disturbed the mate's repose. -Much excitement prevailed in consequence of this act, and the fifty -men shut up in that "black hole" remonstrated against the injustice -of being punished for a little squabble, in which only two of their -number were engaged. Finding their arguments were of no avail with the -mate, they carried their case to the captain. To their remonstrances -he replied that this case was beyond his control; that he commanded -the after-part of the ship, and the mate the forward part; that this -hatchway, being in the mate's room, was under his sole command; and -that he, the captain, had no more authority to order it to be taken -off, than the mate had to command him on the quarter-deck. All this -appeared very much like nonsense to our land lubbers, who doubted if -the maritime law recognized a division of authority, which seemed to -them so utterly absurd and ridiculous. At this point of the discussion, -Mr. Tyler, one of the passengers, remarked that he had hitherto kept -aloof from all the wrangles we had had, but that he should not remain -quiet under this arbitrary act. He assured the captain that if the -hatches were not removed, there would be a greater row than we had ever -witnessed on board this bark. But neither the captain nor mate would -make any concession, and it was determined by the passengers that they -should have no sleep as long as the cause of their disquiet remained. -There was a prospect of a stormy night between decks, and extensive -preparations were made for a musical concert, which would not have been -very conducive to slumber, when our brave officers, thinking they would -find the contest an unequal one, suddenly and wisely resolved to remove -the hatches, the consequence of which was an immediate restoration of -peace. - -_August 22._ A sudden and wonderful transformation has been wrought -in our chaplain. From being very reserved in his intercourse with the -passengers, he has all at once become exceedingly familiar. I have been -surprised within two or three days past to see him engaged in high -frolics with the men, scuffling, knocking off hats, throwing ropes over -the men's heads, running and jumping like a boy over the houses and -decks, and playing a hundred capers and pranks, which have attracted -much attention, and excited not a little ridicule throughout the ship. -The cause of this sudden change in the good parson is so palpable, -that very few do not understand it; and the lost popularity he is so -desirous to win back will scarcely be recovered by this means. His -duties as our chaplain, which have never been arduous, are now wholly -neglected; and well they may be, for very few will listen to him. He -began his labors with us after the first two or three stormy weeks, -with a prayer once a week, besides a sermon on Sundays. These were -well attended, a large majority of our company being present. After -a lapse of several weeks, the week-day prayer was omitted. Then the -Sunday service was suspended for a time in consequence of his fight -with Julia S. He attempted to renew his meetings in the main cabin, -but received a hint that his services would not be acceptable to the -occupants of that part of the ship. However, when warm weather returned -he preached on the house-top, though to very small audiences, until the -perpetration of his treachery with me, which has brought such a load of -odium upon him, that he has not dared to attempt to preach since. He -has proved an artful and dishonest man, and has exercised a pernicious -influence over our weak-minded and ignorant captain, and has been his -counsellor, adviser and supporter in nearly all the quarrels in which -he has been engaged with his passengers. That his influence in this -bark is confined to the captain, a single fact will prove. He some time -since got up a certificate for signatures, the purport of which was to -plaster over Mrs. L----t's conduct. Not a passenger would sign it. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - Head Winds--The Dusky Albatross--Tacking Ship--Fishing for - Birds--Amusements of the Mate and Passengers--A Poet--Fair - Winds--A Porpoise--A Fight in the Main Cabin--My Journal--Opinions - of Mr. Johnson--Meeting in the Main Cabin--Schools of - Porpoises--Narrow Escape from Shipwreck--An Act of Charity. - - -_August 24._ Our voyage is becoming prolonged to an excessively -wearisome duration. More than a month ago we calculated on arriving at -San Francisco in ten days; and with a fair wind we could have performed -the voyage in that time. Now, after having trebled it, we seem as -far from port as ever. During the last fortnight the winds have been -blowing from the north-east, and we have sailed sharp on the wind, in -expectation of falling in with the north-west trades, which are said -to prevail in these latitudes. But we have not yet found them. We are -now about nine hundred miles west of the coast of California, and in a -latitude only four degrees north of that of San Francisco. We have not -seen a sail for six weeks, and we begin to feel that we are - - "Alone, alone, all, all alone, - Alone on the wide, wide sea." - -And yet, we are not quite alone. A small number of my friends, the -birds, still hover around us, and accompany us in our wanderings over -the deep, even at this great distance from the land. A few days since -an albatross was seen flying near us. I watched it and soon saw that it -was the Dusky Albatross, (_Diomedia fusca_,) figured by Audubon from a -specimen obtained by Dr. Townsend on the coast of Oregon. It was soon -joined by another and another, and to-day, six or eight of them are -following us. - -We suffer much weariness, lassitude, and drowsiness, consequent on our -long voyage and almost total inactivity. One circumstance has operated -very favorably for our comfort. After less than a week of the hot -weather of which I have spoken, there came a sudden and most agreeable -change. The sky became obscured with clouds, and has remained so the -greater part of the time since, and the air grew cooler, so much so -that our overcoats became necessary, and the passengers, who had been -driven from the main cabin, were enabled to return to their berths -again. - -_August 27._ Our first inquiry this morning was the same we have often -and anxiously made of late, "How does she head?" And the same answer we -have received for the last fortnight was given, "About north-west." The -wind, however, was light, and we were not quite hopeless of a change. -An hour or two was passed in watching the signs, for the weather had -become very unsteady--when we heard from the captain, who had taken -the helm, the order, "Ready, 'bout." The sound was most cheering. We -had been standing on one course for a long time without making any -approach towards our destined port, but rather going farther from it, -and striving the while to gain a position, or rather, a wind, that -would carry us in. And this intention of tacking ship was an indication -of the captain's opinion, that the favorable moment had arrived. -The sailors stationed themselves at the proper ropes, and the mate -responded, "All ready, sir." "Hard a-lee!" sung out the captain, as -he put down the helm, and brought the ship into the wind, the sails -shivering and flapping with considerable violence. Presently they -began to fill on the other side, when he gave the order, "Maintop sail -haul," and instantly the ropes rattled through the blocks, and the main -sail, maintop sail and maintop-gallant sail swung steadily and at once -round the masts to the other side of the ship. Soon the order, "Let go -and haul," was given, when the foresails were swung into their proper -positions, and we were sailing on our course for San Francisco. - -Tacking ship is a beautiful evolution, and it is for that reason that -I have described it, using in this instance the necessary nautical -terms, though I have generally endeavored to avoid them. It is also a -performance requiring some little skill and practice. Our mate on one -occasion made three attempts to tack, and failed, and was obliged at -last to "wear ship," that is, to turn the ship round with the wind, -thereby losing considerable ground. This is considered an unseamanlike -maneuver, and it subjected our mate to some ridicule among the sailors. - -The indications of a favorable wind did not continue long, and in less -than half an hour we were obliged to put about again, and stand on -our old course. In this manner it continued for several days, veering -from point to point, between north-east and south-west, and forcing us -continually to change the course of the ship, while we made very little -progress towards port. - -The Dusky Albatrosses became very familiar, and Sherman drew one of -them on deck, but the captain followed it closely round the ship, and -at last ordered it to be thrown overboard. - -For the information of those who are not familiar with the science of -ornithology, and who may be curious to know how we could draw large -birds into the ship with a hook and line without injuring them, I will -say, that the upper mandible of many of these birds is recurved or -bent downwards beyond the lower mandible, forming a hook sufficiently -strong to hold the weight of the bird, and the fish-hook catches it by -this curved beak as it seizes the bait. The hook does not penetrate the -beak, but its sharp point prevents it slipping off so long as the bird -holds back. - -Our mate amuses himself with drawing coarse caricatures of the -passengers; and they in turn retaliate by writing doggerel verses on -the mate. This leads me to say that one of our sailors has turned -out to be a poet, and if there is any thing in a name that entitles -a man to this honor, his claim is certainly good. His name is James -Montgomery. His verses, though not quite equal to those by the author -of the "Wanderer of Switzerland," are not altogether destitute of -poetic merit; and had he an opportunity to cultivate his talent, -he would probably learn to write poetry. The mate, unable to write -himself, offered Montgomery a dollar to write a lampoon on one of the -passengers. But he scorned to do so dirty a job for such a paltry -bribe, or for so low a fellow. - -_September 1._ We have at last got a fair wind, and during the whole -day sailed directly on our course without tacking. Our spirits begin to -revive, and we are not quite hopeless of reaching port. - -_September 3._ Fair winds continue to favor us, and we are within four -hundred miles of California. A very few days will, in all probability, -find us on terra firma again, when we shall part, many of us to meet no -more. I would that these few remaining days might be spent in peace and -harmony among us. But fate orders it otherwise. My enemies, the captain -and mate, since the treacherous disclosure made by the chaplain, have -been growing more and more acrimonious in their hatred, and they seldom -omit an opportunity to insult me. An instance occurred this evening. -But I forbear. - -Sherman caught a porpoise last night, and cooked a portion of it -to-day. We ate it rather greedily, and all thought it excellent. Our -long voyage, coarse fare, and frequent hunger, have relieved us of many -fastidious whims about food, and we have learned to eat and to relish -some things, which it would be difficult for us to swallow at home. -These porpoises throw out a sort of phosphorescent light, by which they -are readily seen in the night. This one was taken at nine o'clock of a -cloudy evening. - -_September 4._ A fight occurred at breakfast in the main cabin between -an Irishman of fifty-nine, the oldest man in the ship, and an American, -not much his junior. The Yankee received a cut on the ear with a -case-knife, and he knocked down his antagonist and gave him some severe -bruises. Our ship is becoming a miniature pandemonium. - -My journal has become a source of much disquietude to Captain J. and -Mrs. L----t. It has excited some interest among the passengers, and I -have been repeatedly requested to publish an account of the voyage. I -refused at first, but after many solicitations I so far yielded as to -promise that if I had time to revise my journal after our arrival at -San Francisco, I would publish it. A subscription was immediately got -up, and one hundred and twenty copies subscribed for. The captain and -Mr. Johnson exerted all their influence to prevent the passengers from -putting their names to the paper, but they had the mortification to -find that their opposition only tended to increase the subscription. -Mr. Johnson made himself particularly busy in the matter. He urged -me to read my manuscript to the ship's company. Not that he felt any -personal interest in it, O, no! But he thought that justice to Captain -Jackson, whose character I had assailed, and to the passengers, who -knew not what they were subscribing for, required me to read it. I did -not. - -Hints had been repeatedly given me, that the captain intended to seize -the obnoxious manuscript. Consultations had been held upon the subject, -and it was stated--and I have no doubt of the fact--that Mr. Johnson -had expressed the opinion, that the captain was fully authorized by -law to break open my trunk, and seize it. Uncertain as to what these -ignorant madmen might be tempted to do, I deposited the journal with a -friend in the main cabin, where it remained till I left the ship. - -_September 5._ This is the last Sabbath we expect to spend on board the -bark, and as we expect to separate in two or three days, a meeting was -held in the main cabin, the object of which was to settle disputes and -restore harmony between the officers and passengers. - -It proved, however, a failure. Several short addresses were made, -one by the captain in a spirit of defiance, and one by Mr. Johnson, -defending his career on board the bark; a prayer was offered, and a -parting hymn sung, and we broke up with very little change of feeling. - -Immense schools of porpoises passed to-day, and Sherman struck and -secured one of the largest we have seen. Many of the men have employed -themselves in preparing the skin for belts. A whale passed us in -the afternoon, coming close along-side the bark. And to keep up the -excitement, a sail was discovered on our starboard bow, the only one we -have seen for fifty-three days. - -_September 6._ We were aroused this morning at four o'clock by the -startling cry of "breakers." Our ship instantly became a scene of -confusion, and the passengers rushed on deck from every quarter. -I arose at the first cry and went out. And there, within fifteen -or twenty rods lay the land, the sea roaring loudly, and breaking -in foaming surges on the shore. The helm had been put down, and -fortunately the ship came round in season to escape. A minute's delay -would have wrecked us. Or had the ship missed coming in stays, as she -has often done during the voyage, nothing could have saved her. There -was at the time a thick fog, which accounts for our near approach to -the breakers before they were discovered. The sailor on the lookout -heard the roaring of the breakers for some time before he discovered -them, but attributed it to some other cause; for according to the -captain's reckoning we were still far from land. Nothing could be -more cheering after our long voyage than to behold the land of our -destination, but this sudden introduction to it was any thing but -agreeable. - -And now having escaped the perils of shipwreck, and hoping to arrive in -port to-day, we are closing our voyage with an act of charity to our -fellow-passenger, Dolliff, who, though convalescent, is still unable to -support himself. A considerable sum is being raised for him. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - Whales--Sunshine--The Pacific Ocean and Tom Moore--Wormy Bread and - Impure Water--A Pilot--Arrival in the Harbor of San Francisco--The - City--Dismantled Ships--My last Visit to the Bark--Statement and - Counter Statement--Angry Remonstrance--Mr. Spring and his two - Journals--Final Adieu to the James W. Paige. - - -We beat all day to the north against a head wind, and made but slow -progress. We strove to wear away the tedium of the day by looking -at the land, and watching the birds and the whales, of which last a -considerable number were seen near the ship, sometimes three or four -together. We saw one of these monstrous animals plunge down into the -water, throwing his tail above the surface as he made his plunge, and -in a moment after, come up again with such force and rapidity as to -carry his ponderous body entirely into the air. Such an immense body, -as it came down again into the water, could not fail to produce a great -commotion. This act of leaping out of the water seemed to be performed -in a similar manner to that of the sturgeon and smaller fish in our -rivers and lakes. They frequently came close to the ship, playing by -its sides, plunging down on one side, and coming up on the other. Among -the birds, were a number I had not seen before, and several Brown -Pelicans. - -The weather was cold, but after a dark, foggy morning, the sun came -out, and the sky continued unclouded during the day. This was very -cheering, for we had had scarcely an hour's sunshine during many -weeks. What a contrast between the Pacific Ocean as I find it, and the -picture I had formed of it. I had even associated it with unclouded -skies and genial warmth, with mild breezes and gently undulating -waters. I had dreamed of it as "The Blue Summer Ocean," in which Moore -might have found "The Bright Little Isle," of which he so sweetly sings -in one of his sweetest songs. And there is many an isle scattered -over this great waste of waters, which would almost answer to Moore's -description, - - "Where a leaf never dies in the still blooming bowers, - And the bee banquets on through a whole year of flowers," - -many a spot, which air, climate, soil, vegetable productions, and -beautiful scenery have rendered as perfect elysiums, as nature, -unassisted by art, can produce. - -But leaving Moore, poetry, sunshine, and every pleasant thought, let -us once more come back to the unwholesome realities of the bark. In -addition to the many luxuries with which our palates had been regaled -during the voyage, we had for several weeks past been feasting on wormy -bread--not myself, but my fellow-passengers. My disgust at hard-bread -had become so intense, that I could not swallow it, good or bad. I -think I must have starved had I been confined to it. But being on good -terms with the stewards and cooks, I had found means to obtain an extra -allowance of soft-tack, sufficient for my urgent wants. Few of the -passengers were so fortunate. One of them, finding no escape from the -wormy hard-bread, strove to make a little sport out of it, by declaring -that these living vermin had imparted to the bread a peculiar _lively_ -flavor, which was very palatable. - -Then, again, as the supply of water we had taken in at Talcahuana, -became exhausted, we were obliged to resort to the old stock from -Frankfort. Some of this was so excessively filthy, and had acquired -such a nauseous, such a putrid taste and smell, that several of -the passengers who were far from being troubled with weak stomachs, -actually vomited on drinking it. Even boiling it, and making tea or -coffee with it would not purify it. But we had better water on board, -and after many remonstrances and altercations with the captain, we got -it. - -_September 7._ We took a pilot on board in the morning. He brought a -paper or two, which we read with great interest, and it will be readily -believed that we were most eager in our inquiries for news. - -Among other objects that attracted our attention as we approached -the harbor, was a great sand bank stretching a mile along the coast, -and extending a considerable distance inland. It was the largest bed -of sand I had ever seen, and was a very fair specimen of a miniature -desert. Several large rocks scattered along the coast presented a -lively appearance, from the multitude of sea birds that covered them; -and one of them attracted our particular notice, being perforated with -a hole, sufficiently large, I thought, to admit the passage of a boat -through it. - -We now ascertained that the place where we so narrowly escaped -shipwreck, was near Monterey, about sixty miles south of San Francisco. - -We entered the harbor in the afternoon, and anchored about a mile from -the city. And thus ended the voyage of the James W. Paige, one hundred -and fifty-eight days from the day we set sail from Frankfort. - -A large fleet of boats surrounded the ship as soon as we anchored, -and I took passage in one of them in company with several others, and -after passing through a wilderness of ships, steamers, and dismantled -hulks, we landed in the city. Our first business on landing was at the -Post-Office, where I was made happy by the reception of a package of -letters informing me that all my friends were alive and well. - -We then sought a hotel, and, what we least expected in California, -the first one we tried was a temperance house, the "United States -Temperance House." After tea I took a walk with J. Tyler up Telegraph -Hill, whence we had a fine view of the city and harbor. On our return -we went into several gambling-saloons. These were large rooms, richly -furnished, and supplied with large tables, loaded with heaps of -glittering gold and silver, to be staked in the various games, for -which each table was appropriated. Hundreds of people crowded into -these saloons, many of them with no other motive than mere curiosity, -but others with the foolish hope of filling their pockets from those -tempting heaps of coins. - -A peculiar feature in the harbor of San Francisco at this time, and -one that struck me very forcibly on our first approach, was the great -number of dismantled ships that lay thickly scattered around it. -These ships had a very old, ruinous, antiquated appearance, and at -first sight, gave me an impression, that this new-born city had been -inhabited for ages, and was now going to ruin. Most of them have their -lower masts standing, and supported by a few ropes and chains. A large -portion of them had been deserted by their crews on the first outbreak -of the gold excitement, and were recklessly left to their destruction, -while men and officers rushed blindly and wildly to the mines. These -ships have, however, been made subservient to a valuable purpose, -having been converted into store-ships by the merchants. Some of them -had doors cut in their sides, with short flights of steps from the -water. Some were run aground near the shore, and wharfs and streets -were built around them, where, with houses erected on them they could -scarcely be distinguished from the surrounding stores. - -_September 8._ I went on board the bark for my baggage. The captain, -mate, and a large portion of the passengers were ashore. On going -into the after house, my eye accidentally caught a letter which was -addressed to Captain Jackson, expressing great thankfulness for his -kind and gentlemanly treatment of the passengers, and charging the -blame of disputes and quarrels to the passengers. It was written by -Mr. Johnson and signed by Mr. Spring and several others, who were well -aware of its utter falsity. Knowing that it was intended to counteract -the numerous statements, which would be made at home prejudicial to -Captain Jackson, I seized a pen and wrote a certificate, as near as I -can remember, in the following words: - - "Bark JAMES W. PAIGE, Sept. 8, 1852. - - Whereas, a paper highly laudatory of Captain Jackson has been - circulated for signatures on board this bark, a regard for truth - impels us to say, that the conduct of Captain Jackson during - the voyage just ended has been highly arbitrary, ungentlemanly, - insulting and abusive, and that even the female passengers have, - in many instances, been subjected to the grossest abuse from him." - During the few moments I was engaged in getting signatures to - this paper, Mr. Spring, who was standing near, overheard me read - it. It gave him great offense, and he remonstrated very strongly - with me against the terms in which it was expressed. He said I had - virtually charged him and others with falsehood, and urged me to - withdraw or modify my statement. I refused to do either; and this - good man, with whom I had had the most friendly relations during - the voyage, now quivered with passion, while he intimated that a - prosecution for libel would be instituted against me. Mr. Spring - was liable to the charge of duplicity in signing that paper, so - full of flattery and falsehood; and his chief occupation during - the voyage was marked by a singularity, to say the least - of it, not quite compatible with a strict regard for truth. He had - kept a journal of the voyage, and noted the occurrences of each - day much more carefully and minutely than I did. He often read - passages from his journal to the passengers, and it was well - known that his opinion of the captain coincided with that of a - large majority of the company. He had been several times chosen - on committees to remonstrate with Captain J. on our treatment and - fare. But towards the latter part of the voyage it was observed - that a friendly understanding had grown up between him and the - captain, which gave rise to many conjectures as to the cause. - But whatever may have been the cause, the effect of this newly - formed friendship was a revision of Mr. Spring's journal, or, - more properly speaking, a rejection of it, and the writing of a - new one, in which every thing offensive to Captain Jackson, and - all occurrences of an unpleasant nature, in which the captain - had acted a part, were omitted, and only the more agreeable - transactions and events were recorded; in fact, changing the true - and unvarnished record of the voyage, which he had made with so - much labor, for a smooth and sunny picture, which, though it might - not be chargeable with actual falsehood in its details, would, - nevertheless, convey to the reader a grossly false impression of - the character of Captain Jackson, and the annoyances and vexations - attending the voyage. This revision of his journal cost him much - time, though not so much as might, on first thought, have been - expected. So many occurrences were necessarily omitted, that for - every sheet he had at first written, a page now sufficed. His - original journal, which I would have given a dollar to possess, - he threw overboard. His new one was to be forwarded to a paper in - Calais, Me., for publication. - -I obtained twenty-five signatures to my paper in a few minutes, and -then, gathering up my baggage, I bade a final adieu to the James -W. Paige with a regret, which I think was remarkable only for its -minuteness. - - * * * * * - -Our voyage is ended, but not quite our book. Many incidents of an -unpleasant nature, which had occurred on the voyage, have been omitted, -and the omission has somewhat shortened the book. The following -extracts from the continuation of my journal through a long sojourn -on the Pacific Coast, are appended as a substitute for the rejected -passages. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CALIFORNIA SCENES. - - - - -Scenes in Sacramento. - - -_May, 1853._ California in early times offered innumerable scenes -partaking of the ludicrous and the horrible, and a person in search of -either, might have his taste and his curiosity gratified at almost any -moment. The Horse Market in Sacramento was the great resort of every -imaginable description of characters, and such a scene of uproar and -confusion as it presented at a public sale is utterly indescribable. -There were some fine sycamores standing there before the Great Fire -which destroyed the greater portion of the city. They had been found -very useful for suspending thieves and robbers in the days of lynch -law. After the fire, the trees were felled, and the stumps afforded -excellent stands for the auctioneers. At one of the public sales -of horses I saw four auctioneers stationed upon these stumps. The -full strength of their lungs was called into exercise, and they were -vociferating in their loudest tones, each one striving to outdo -the others in noise, and all extolling the various merits of their -respective animals with an eloquence peculiar to horse-jockeys, while -their assistants, mounted on the horses, were riding around with a -speed and a carelessness that threatened death to half the multitude -that thronged the streets. - -While this scene was enacting, a fight was taking place in a -neighboring gambling-house between two combatants who were seen rushing -from the house followed by an excited multitude. One of the duelists, -bruised and bloody, was retreating from the other, who followed close -upon him, dealing repeated blows, which the poor fellow sometimes -turned to parry, while hastening to make his escape. The crowd followed -on, shouting like demons, and increasing in numbers at every step. -"Oh, that is dreadful!" exclaimed a horror-struck young man, who had -but recently arrived in California, and had not been initiated in its -manners and customs. The throng of excited brutes at length came to a -stand; the chase and the battle were ended; the victory was won, and -the defeated combatant was taken to a surgeon who seemed to be the only -one benefitted by the affray, and who exclaimed in a tone of charming -sensibility: "Let them fight to their hearts' content, if they will -only employ me to repair their broken heads!" - -Scarcely was this affair ended, when a loud shout was heard down the -street, and we beheld a stampede of Spanish cattle followed by several -herdsmen on horseback, who rushed along with furious speed, swinging -their coiled lassos as they went, now striving to turn the drove of -wild cattle, and now retreating before them as they pressed forward -unchecked by horses or riders; now dashing along side by side with a -single ox, whose speed nearly equalled the fleetness of the horse; and -now in the midst of the drove, which seemed scarcely to make room for -them. However, after much shouting, hallooing, and racing, the cattle -were turned back, and the exciting scene was over. - -But again another shout, and a team of oxen was seen running away with -a wagon in which was seated the teamster. After running a considerable -distance, the teamster, watching a favorable opportunity, leaped -nimbly from his wagon, and headed his oxen, who, stopping suddenly, -broke the rigging attached to the yoke, and letting the tongue of the -wagon fall to the ground, brought oxen and wagon together in a heap. - -All this for one hour's sport in one locality in Sacramento. What sort -of amusements they were enjoying at the same time in other parts of the -city I did not learn. - - - - -Cattle Stealing in Contra Costa. - - -_August 17, 1854._ My neighbor, Mr. R., has lost an ox. It was stolen; -and a horse stolen also. Another neighbor, Mr. A., has lost three -valuable oxen in the same way. - -The great facilities for concealing oxen, horses, and other property in -the innumerable deeply secluded valleys and hiding-places that occur -in every direction in the mountainous country, which, commencing at -these Redwoods, extend to the valley of the San Joaquin, offer too many -inducements to the numerous idlers and vagabonds that prowl about the -land to be visited; and consequently theft, robbery, and I may almost -add, murder, are but every day occurrences. No man who owns a horse, an -ox or swine, can feel secure of them for a moment when out of sight. -These thieves are often associated in large gangs, and consist of both -Americans and Mexicans; and so great is the number of their accomplices -in some of the villages, that when one of their number is detected, -means are immediately furnished him to escape. The very officer who is -commissioned to secure him, is not unfrequently a party concerned in -the thefts. Many of the butchers are supposed to be leagued with the -thieves, and, by purchasing their stolen property at low prices, they -thus share the profits with them. - -_August 23._ Justice has at last overtaken two of the cattle thieves. -Suspicion had for some time past rested on some butchers at San -Antonio, and they were watched, and detected in the act of slaughtering -in the night some cows and oxen that had just been stolen. Messengers -were immediately sent many miles around the country to notify the -inhabitants to assemble for the trial of the felons. The people of -the Redwoods, who had suffered severely from the depredations of the -thieves, turned out almost _en masse_. The house of the butchers was -the place appointed for the trial. Passing by that place at the time, -I had the curiosity to stop for a moment, and was surprised to observe -a strange hesitation and faltering among the people assembled. A long -discussion ensued as to the proper mode of conducting the trial, which -ended in turning the thieves over to the legal authorities. This, under -the existing state of things, was nearly equivalent to giving them -their liberty; and it was resolved by a number of determined fellows, -that they should not so easily escape. They were taken before a justice -for examination, and their guilt fully proved. But they asked for an -adjournment of the trial till the next day, for the alleged purpose -of getting some witnesses, but in fact, to give their friends and -associates an opportunity to rescue them. The adjournment was granted, -and they were taken to a hotel and put under a guard, of which Andrews, -from whom they had stolen the oxen, was the head. In the course of the -day, a party proceeded to the house and corral of the thieves, and -burned them to the ground with all their contents. Not an article was -appropriated to their own use by these avengers of their own wrongs. It -was justice, not plunder, they sought. Valuable saddles, harnesses and -furniture, were all sacrificed. - -There was a gathering of the friends of the thieves in the night, but -they were driven off by the boys from the Redwoods, who had stationed -themselves around the house. These men now began to see that they -must act, and act promptly too, or the whole business would prove -but a farce, and the guilty villains would escape. They therefore -dispatched horsemen to the Redwoods to summon the people again to come -and assist in the execution of the two principal criminals. Before -morning, a sufficient number had arrived to carry out their plans, and -they proceeded to action. A number of them went to the house where -the prisoners were confined, and in defiance of the proprietor, who -was supposed to be confederate with the thieves, they rushed to the -room, and seized one of them, whom they hurried away. It was a scene -of great confusion and terror. The guard made a show of resistance, -but it was only a show. They fired several shots, but were careful to -elevate their revolvers above the heads of their assailants; the balls -lodged in the ceiling, and nobody was killed or wounded. The affair had -doubtless been preconcerted between Andrews and the assailing party. -They hastened the guilty thief to an oak a few rods distant, having -at the outset fastened a rope to his neck; and scarcely a moment had -elapsed ere he was dangling from a branch. They then returned to the -house, and seizing another of the thieves, hurried him away as before. -The fellow was in an agony of fear and horror, begged most piteously -for his life, protested his innocence, and offered to make important -disclosures if they would spare him. All this would not have saved -him had it not been discovered by one of the party when they arrived -at the tree, that this was not the man they intended to execute. He -was therefore led back more dead than alive, having endured far more -suffering and horror than his more hardened confederate, whom he -saw hanging from the tree, and who had paid the penalty which he so -narrowly escaped. The intended victim was then taken to the place of -execution, and immediately suspended beside his dead comrade. - -While these executions were taking place, many friends of the thieves -gathered round, uttering threats and denunciations, but a dozen rifles -and revolvers were leveled at them, and they were intimidated into -silence. - -These executions caused great excitement at the time, and much -discussion ensued in the papers respecting them. But the community -very generally acquiesced in the necessity of the measure, though -every one regretted it. Complaint was made to the grand jury of the -county against several of the leaders of the lynching party, but no -bill of indictment was found against them for want of evidence. Many of -the people of Oakland were highly exasperated at the audacity of the -Redwoods boys, and threatened to go and hang them to their own trees. -But this served rather to amuse the boys than to frighten them. - -A few weeks after these executions, word was brought to the Redwoods -that a poor man had been robbed of some oxen in Oakland through the -villainy of one of the officials in that city. A company quickly -assembled and marched down to the city, determined to have justice -done the poor man, and hang the officer if circumstances required it. -They had not forgotten the threats of the Oaklanders to hang them, and -determined to put their courage to the test. The case was investigated -by the mayor of the city, and the mob resolved to await his decision. -But much time was occupied in the investigation, and they grew -impatient and clamorous. Meanwhile many of them paraded through the -streets, uttering defiance to the citizens. "Here is a target," said a -brawny, black-bearded Kentuckian, (the same I had encountered in the -Redwoods, and who sold me a vulture,) as he strode along with a rusty -rifle on his shoulder, and struck his breast. "Here is a target for -the Oakland sharp-shooters. Let 'em try it if they dare." "I'm from -the Redwoods," roared out another. "Where is your Oakland company to -hang me?" "What are you after?" asked a spectator of one of the boys. -"Justice," he replied. "But how are you going to obtain it?" "By the -halter, if the money isn't paid pretty soon," he replied with an oath. - -The affair was approaching a crisis. The mayor's investigation had -been protracted, and the clamors and shouts of the mob often reached -his ears, when at last he found it necessary to acknowledge that the -proceedings of the officer were illegal, that the city was liable for -the value of the cattle, and in order to appease the mob, he pledged -his individual word for the payment of the money. The party then -returned triumphantly to their homes in the Redwoods, and thus the -affair ended. - - - - -Felling Trees in the Redwoods. - - -_January 30, 1854._ On an excursion to-day I stopped on the way to -see two trees felled. When the reader is told that I had passed more -than six months in the Redwoods, and had seen the trees fall around me -almost every day, he will suppose that such scenes would lose their -novelty for me. It is, however, a scene of no ordinary sublimity to -behold one of those monster trees, nearly as high as the Bunker Hill -Monument, fall to the ground, and it is a sight which I never tire of -seeing. - -I speak of them as being _nearly_ as high as the Bunker Hill Monument, -because I have seen none of the largest and tallest trees, they having -been felled before I arrived here. But a comparison with the monument -will serve to give a better idea of their great height than a statement -in figures. Imagine then one of them, such as have grown here, and such -as are still standing in other forests,--imagine one placed beside the -monument, and towering fifty or even seventy-five feet above it, and -you will have a conception of the grandeur of these magnificent forests. - -The two trees whose fall I was about to witness stood side by side -half way up a steep acclivity. One of them had been cut off, and stood -leaning against the other. - -Two men were at work on the latter tree. I seated myself on a stump at -the foot of the hill, and awaited the result. Presently a sharp snap -or crackle announced that the tree was about yielding to the efforts -of the axe-men, and they stopped and looked up. It stood, however, and -they continued to ply their axes. Soon there came another loud crackle, -and the two trees began to sway in the direction the axe-men had -intended. They now retreated to a secure place, while the trees, moving -slowly and majestically at first, but with an accelerated motion, came -sweeping down, accompanied with a loud and protracted crash as the -fibres of the uncut portion were torn asunder, and striking the ground -with a force that made it tremble, and with a noise like the booming -report of a heavy cannon. Each tree was broken into several pieces, -which came rolling like mighty giants down the hill, tumbling over each -other, and strewing the ground with large fragments torn from their -sides and ends, while every branch was stripped from the trunks. They -landed at last at the foot of the hill, and within a rod of the stump -on which I sat, and sent forward a thick and suffocating cloud of dust, -from which I hastened to make my escape. - -"Ah! we would go a great many miles in Massachusetts to see such a -sight as this;" said one of the axe-men, a young man from that state, -"But we can never see any thing like it there." - - - - -Solitude. - - -_December, 1853._ An important change has been in progress for some -time past in the Redwoods. Three or four months ago I was surrounded by -a deep, dense forest, in which was a busy population at work. But this -industry fast swept away the forest, and as the timber grew scarce, -they began to remove to other places. They continued to go until our -society was reduced to ten men, living in a little cluster of four -cabins. But even this colony has taken a sudden resolution to migrate, -and this morning the last man went, and I am left alone. So now, -nothing remains for me but to go too, which I shall do as soon as I can -determine where. - -As for a portion of my departed neighbors--brutal, lawless -scoundrels--I am heartily glad they are gone. But I had one good -friend, whose absence I deeply regret. From the first moment I came -into the woods until we shook hands and parted this morning, Mr. -Wakefield has stood by me, a kind, benevolent, warm-hearted, steadfast -friend. His disinterested kindness, his anxiety for my welfare, and my -success in business, his watchfulness of two or three bitter foes, -with whom I have had to contend, and his timely warnings of dangers, -have entitled him to my warmest gratitude. - -Well, here I am in the depths of a California forest, shut up in a -lonely cabin on a winter night, scribbling my diary for the amusement -of my daughter, rejoicing in the departure of my foes, and deploring -the absence of my friends. And while I ponder on the perfect solitude -that surrounds me, I find myself almost unconsciously repeating from -Kirk White: - - "It is not that my lot is low, - That bids this silent tear to flow; - It is not grief that makes me moan; - It is that I am all alone." - -I had a cat. She has been with me all day; but now, when the society -of any domestic animal would be some relief against the tedium of this -deep loneliness, even she has left me and instead of the purring of -a gentle house cat, I am for a moment startled by the dismal howling -of a wild animal outside of my cabin. I am unfortunately possessed of -an unsocial disposition; I love solitude, but I have at last found a -solitude more profound than I have a taste for. - - - - -A Collector of Natural Curiosities. - - -_July 30, 1854._ In company with a young man in San Francisco, who -had been informed of my taste for the odd and curious productions of -nature, I visited a man who had made a considerable collection of -objects of Natural History. We found him in a small room in a second -story, with his boxes and trunks all packed preparatory to a removal. -But on announcing the object of our visit, he seemed much pleased, and -though I remonstrated with him against the trouble it would cost him, -he proceeded at once to unpack his treasures and spread them before us. -But before I speak of them let me describe the man. He was a Norwegian, -but having resided several years in the United States, he spoke pretty -good English. He was about forty years of age, sprightly and active, -with a sparkling eye, and a face covered with a very thick red beard -that hung down upon his breast. He was naturally intelligent, though -his faculties wanted cultivation. He had never studied Natural History, -and did not know a single specimen in his collection by its scientific -name. He had passed much time at sea, I do not know in what capacity, -but it had afforded him time and opportunity to make a valuable -collection. - -The first curiosity he exhibited was a family of young mice which he -had bottled the day before. Next he produced a bottle containing a -little shapeless mass apparently folded up in a bleached tobacco-leaf, -and challenged me to tell him the name of it. "A young bat," said I. -"Ha!" he exclaimed, "you are the first man that has guessed it." Then -he set out bottle after bottle of snakes, some of them very rare and -beautiful. These reptiles had the greatest attractions for him, and -they composed the largest and most valuable portion of his collection. -Then a fine variety of lizards, and a considerable collection of -coleopterous insects, among which were some very large and brilliant -specimens. Next he produced a Bible, whose pages he had embellished -with a variety of butterflies; and lastly, several boxes filled with -sea-shells and corals, pieces of crystalized quartz, some specimens of -gold in quartz, a copper ball nearly an inch in diameter, which he had -found in the mountains, and many other specimens in mineralogy, which -he had collected in the mines. He gave me several shells and crystals, -and in return I promised him some bones and feathers of the California -Vulture and other birds from my cabinet. - -He had one live snake which he intended to bottle after it had shed -its skin, which it was about to do. This snake was kept in a wooden -box; and, while we were engaged in examining his preserved congeners, -finding the door of his prison open, he resolved to take an airing -on the balcony. Here he was accidentally discovered by the next door -neighbors, who gave our friend timely notice. He immediately gave -chase, and found his snakeship ensconced among some boxes and other -rubbish. Seizing him by the tail, he brought him in writhing and -twisting about his hand and arm, darting out his red forked tongue, -flashing fire from his eyes, and betraying a total absence of those -blandishments with which an ancestor of his once induced a pretty woman -to sin. Some one present asked the man if he was not afraid the snake -would bite him. "No," he answered, "no snake can bite me." I did not -ask him if he was a serpent-charmer, but have been told that he was. - -The only ornithological specimens he possessed were the skeleton -head and a wing bone of an albatross. He had not learned the art of -preserving the skins of birds, and I promised to give him a little -instruction if I had time and opportunity. I told him how I had been -thwarted in my intention to make a collection in my voyage round Cape -Horn by the captain of the ship, and he seemed to struggle for words to -express his scorn and contempt for such an ignorant and superstitious -ship-master. - -His principal collection was in Philadelphia. He had been offered a -high price for it, but no amount of money would induce him to sell it. - -After a visit of more than two hours, which I engaged to repeat soon, -we shook hands and parted. I have seldom seen a man display so much -enthusiasm in an occupation which he followed solely for his amusement. - -I took occasion some weeks after this, while making another visit at -San Francisco, to renew my acquaintance with my Norwegian friend. He -had recently received a very fine snake, with which he was highly -pleased. I admired his enthusiasm. "O," said he in the course of our -conversation, "there is nothing in nature so beautiful as a snake." -I remarked that this new specimen was certainly a very handsome one. -"O it is splendid, it is most magnificent." We passed an hour very -pleasantly together, and parted with much reluctance. I have never seen -him since. - - - - -A Pair of Rattlesnakes. - - -_September 12, 1854._ My account of the Norwegian snake-collector, -naturally recalls a little experience of my own in the same line. A -fellow in the Redwoods, near which I was then tarrying, brought me at -different times, two splendid rattlesnakes, which I bought and placed -in a long box with a glass front, through which I could observe all -their motions. It may, perhaps, excite a smile, when I state that by -constant familiarity with these reptiles, I had acquired a sort of -affection for them, that would have prompted me to defend them from -harm, though I never saw one of the species at large, but I made no war -upon him, except in one instance in which the snake began the battle, -and I fought in self-defense, and happily won the victory. An Indian -enriches himself with the scalp of his defeated enemy, and I know not -but I might have followed his example in this instance had it been -possible, but in the absence of a scalp-lock I was obliged to content -myself with such a trophy, as his other extremity afforded, his rattle. - -These two reptiles became my pets, and afforded me much amusement. I -do not think that I was "charmed" by that wonderful power which is -often attributed to the serpent family. There was no "fascination -in their eyes," though we often sat and gazed at each other during -several minutes. But I liked to watch their motions, and study their -habits; to see them thrust out their long, dark, forked tongues as I -approached their prison, or erect their tails and shake their rattles -when disturbed. I liked to behold their spotted bodies, flattened as -they lay quietly stretched on the floor of their cage, but swollen and -distended when aroused by a sense of danger; or to see their fangs as -they sometimes opened their mouths, as if in the act of gaping. I was -amused with a habit they had of slowly stretching themselves at full -length along the box, and then suddenly drawing themselves back again. -And most of all, I was amused to see them on a cold morning folded -together into a coil, from the center of which their flattened heads -protruded, and rested side by side upon their bodies, looking, despite -their venomous natures, the very picture of affection and of innocence, -and affording a lesson, which many a rational biped might study with -profit. - -These reptiles never quarreled. Place two foxes in a cage, and they -will fight from day to day, until one or the other is killed. Even two -birds of many species will destroy each other, when confined together. -But here was an instance of perfect harmony. In truth they had nothing -to quarrel about. They seemed to have no wants except that of liberty, -the love of which they probably possessed in common with every other -animal. They could fast without hunger or thirst. I placed fresh meat -and water in their cage, but they never tasted of either. I threw -several lizards in to them, but they allowed them to run over the -cage, and even over their bodies unmolested. Still they do eat, though -individuals have been known to live many months and even years without -tasting food. White in his Natural History of Selbourne, says: "The -serpent-kind eat, I believe, but once a year, or, rather, but only just -at one season of the year." - -But my pets were doomed to a tragical end, which it pains me record. -Two old men, who had no fondness for beautiful things in animated -nature, nor a taste for any thing else but whiskey and tobacco, got -charmingly drunk one day, and being bent on mischief, they broke into -my room during my absence, and seized my snakes, took them into the -street where they had kindled a fire for the occasion, and with much -ceremony and mock solemnity, offered them up to their god, whoever he -might be, as a burnt sacrifice. The loss of those snakes was a source -of great annoyance and vexation to me, and I earnestly and devoutly -prayed that in every fit of delirium-tremens which those old sinners -should bring upon themselves during the remainder of their worthless -lives, they might be haunted by the ghosts of those murdered innocents. - - - - -A Queer Fellow. - - -_April 18, 1860._ Mr. Van Wee was one of the queerest compounds of -oddity, with whom it was my fortune to meet in my travels. He kept a -hotel at Oak Bottom, ten miles from Shasta. Two Irish women, sisters, -were his housekeepers and servants. Many a lively scene was enacted -about his establishment, and scarcely a day passed without bringing -some extraordinary excitement. One day there was a great uproar in and -around the house occasioned by the arrival of a skunk on a visit to the -chickens. The dogs barked, the hens cackled, the women screamed, and -Van Wee flew round wild with excitement, his gun was brought to him, -the intruder chased into the stable and shot, and quiet was restored. - -Next day two valuable dogs, very useful for barking at travelers and -eating superfluous food, which would otherwise be thrown to the pigs -and lost, strayed away or were stolen. A boy and an Irish woman were -sent off on horseback after them, and great was the rejoicing in the -afternoon on the safe return of dogs, horses, boy and woman. - -On the morning of the third day I was surprised to learn that there -had been a wedding in the house, and that Mr. Van Wee, in obedience to -a sudden impulse had married one of his housekeepers. The wedding had -been very private, so much so, that the sister of the bride was not -aware that such an event was in contemplation until the hour before its -consummation. - -This Van Wee, as I have said before, is a queer fellow. He hates the -liquor business, but keeps a bar, drinks with all his friends--and -they are numerous--and gets mellow every day. He is, or rather was, -a Know-Nothing in politics, and hates all foreigners of whatever -nation, although his father and mother are Dutch, and his wife is -Irish. An infidel in religion, he read me a chapter from Tom Paine's -Age of Reason. He contributes freely to churches, and is hospitable to -clergymen of whatever creed. He receives a great many rudely expressed, -but hearty congratulations from his friends, whom he treats, drinks -with, swears at, blackguards, and invites to see "the gal," who -receives her friends in the kitchen, while attending to her duties over -the stove, with her gown pinned up in true Irish style. His affection -for his wife continues unabated, notwithstanding he has been married -three days,--this was when I last saw him,--and he betrays it in many -acts of coarse kindness; calls her Biddy, ridicules her nation and her -religion, damns her priests and feeds them all. - -He has sent invitations to all his friends, far and near, men, -women and children, to assemble at his house, next week for a grand -jollification in commemoration of his wedding. Long may he flourish. - - - - -A Sandwich Island Woman - -AND HER YANKEE HUSBAND. - - -_Red Woods, Contra Costra, Dec. 16, 1854._ I have made acquaintance -with a Kanaka woman, the only one I have ever seen. She is known by the -name of Hannah, is eighteen years of age, was married five years ago to -a Yankee sailor, and left her native island for a home in California. -She is short and thick, with a complexion darker than that of our -Indians, has a broad nose and wide mouth, her countenance partaking of -a mixture of the Indian and the Negro. She is kind and affectionate, -lively and excitable, quick and passionate, simple and guileless. Her -mind is uncultivated, and she is grossly vulgar and profane in her -language, and disgustingly filthy in her person and dress. She is very -temperate, drinking no strong liquors, but smokes cigars. She is -honest and trusty, faithful to discharge all debts she may contract, -and to fulfil all her engagements. She is a simple-minded child of -nature, and I am often amused with her child-like talk. - -This morning she was very inquisitive, and made many inquiries about -my home and family. I showed her a daguerreotype of my daughter. She -examined it with much curiosity and in silence for several minutes, -when she broke out in a shower of questions, ejaculations and remarks, -which could not but amuse me. - -"Dat you little gal? Don to see dranfader? Petty woman, brack hair. Dot -a rin on her han. (Ring on her finger.) What you gal name? How old you -gal? Very petty. You gal, he no come to Californy? You no want to see -you gal? Petty dress." And then she asked me about my father, mother, -sister, brothers, and every thing relating to them, until she got a -pretty full account of my family. - -Hannah is a good rider, and often figures on horseback in a very long -blue calico riding-dress, a man's straw hat with a narrow brim, and -tied with a string under the chin, and a woolen jacket belonging to -her husband. Our circus riders might learn some useful lessons from -Hannah's equestrian feats. - -Mr. Joseph Tracy, or as he is more familiarly called, Kanaka Joe, is -a sailor from Maine, has seen much of the world, was on board the -Princeton steamship at the time of the explosion of the great gun, by -which several gentlemen of John Tyler's cabinet were killed, and has -spent considerable time in the Sandwich Islands, whither he intends to -return after he shall have made his fortune in California. Joe is a -still, quiet, peaceable fellow, though quick to resent an insult, and -can fight beautifully when necessary. He has a sailor's high notions -of honor and a sailor's deep passion for drink. He is fond of reading -withal, has quite a taste for the yellow-covered literature, talks -learnedly of books, and often philosophizes very wisely, and has no -mean opinion of his own literary taste and scientific attainments. -Joe is very fond of his Kanaka wife, though he flogs her occasionally -in the heat of passion, repenting of it immediately after. As Joe's -improvident habits are not conducive to a rapid accumulation of riches, -the time of his return to his island-home may be considered somewhat -uncertain. - - - - -A Party. - - -_January, 1855._ Senor Moraga was one of those land owners, whose -domains, over which immense droves of wild cattle roamed, extended -over many a league of rich land, until the advent of the Americans, -who lawlessly despoiled them of large numbers of their cattle, and -who introduced many expensive habits among them, which they were but -too ready to adopt; when necessity compelled them to part with large -tracts of their lands to the greedy foreigners, and their estates -dwindled down to insignificant ranches. Senor Moraga, though shorn of -many thousand acres, had still a large and exceedingly valuable estate -remaining. - -I received an invitation to attend a party at his house on New Year's -eve, 1855. I set out on foot in the evening, which was lighted up by -a moon approaching the full, that often breaking forth from masses of -dark clouds, which had been pouring down a plentiful supply of rain -during the day, enabled me to follow a trail that led up the valley -and over the mountain ridge, on the opposite side of which stood -Moraga's residence. It was a fine evening, and I--I scarcely knew -why--was in a mood to enjoy it. It may have been the breaking up of the -storm and the appearance of the clouds and the sky, which resembled -more nearly the moonlight views we have in New England than any thing -I had beheld for many a long month; or it may have been the pleasing -anticipation of the novelties I was about to witness and enjoy during -the evening, though what they were I had not been informed and could -hardly imagine. But whatever may have been the cause, my spirits were -buoyant, and my thoughts busy and pleasant. - -I arrived at Moraga's at an early hour. His house overlooked a -beautiful valley, and commanded a fine view of the hills beyond. It -was built of adobes, and the walls were several feet thick. A broad -piazza extended along the front, affording a pleasant shade in summer. -I entered by a broad door-way, a capacious room well finished, and -handsomely papered and painted. There was neither stove nor fire-place -in it, nor any furniture, with the exception of chairs and a small -time-piece. In this room the gentlemen were assembled, and this was -the hall in which we were to pass the evening. In a smaller room on -the left, I saw two neat-looking beds, one of which was furnished -with handsome figured, white muslin curtains. There were also chairs, -tables, and a looking-glass in the room. This room I observed was -occupied by the family, and the lady guests. The only other room I saw -was that in which we took supper, and was like the rest, finished in a -style of considerable neatness. - -And now for the company. First comes Senor Moraga, the father of our -host and owner of the estate, an old man of seventy, short, thick, -corpulent and coarse-featured, but sprightly, active and polite. -Then his sons, Jose and Francisco, between thirty and forty years -of age, swarthy men with very good features, black hair, whiskers -and mustaches. They were very gentlemanly in their deportment. There -were several Mexicans, some of whom were tolerably polished in -their manners, and others as uncouth as the Indians with whom they -associated. But the greater part of the company consisted of Americans, -rough men from the Redwoods, who, however, deported themselves with a -considerable degree of propriety. - -Next come the ladies, who, by all the laws of gallantry, should have -been mentioned first. And foremost among them was Dona Maria, our -hostess, and the lady of Jose Moraga. She was a large, corpulent woman -with a fairer complexion and better features than most Mexican women I -had seen, and she was said to be of pure Castilian blood. Her black, -glossy hair was arranged in the usual Spanish style, in two braids -that hung down her back. She was dressed in a black silk that fitted -well her capacious person. She had several daughters, whose personal -attractions I cannot extol, but who were very pretty dancers. There -were two old women, very ugly, whose names I did not learn. I observed -a considerable number of Indian women in the house, and there was no -lack of pappooses among them. I was pleased with the little imps, and -they did not reject my overtures for a frolic occasionally, and were -not disinclined to be on familiar terms with me. They constituted, -indeed, a very amusing part of the evening's entertainment. - -Two musicians had been employed for the occasion. Their instruments -were a violin and a guitar. Dancing was the principal amusement. - -The ladies entered the room and seated themselves without ceremony, the -musicians struck up a lively tune, and one of the gentlemen arose and -waved his handkerchief towards a lady, whereupon she arose and moved -moderately over the floor, and while her feet, hid by her long dress, -drummed out almost every note of the music, her body seemed to glide -along without any apparent exertion, neither rising nor falling, as if -she were carried along by invisible machinery, or was floating over -the floor without touching it. While she was thus moving along in this -peculiar dance, one of the gentlemen seized his neighbor's hat--all the -gentlemen wore their hats except when dancing--and placed it on the -young lady's head. She still continued to dance without appearing to -pay the slightest attention to this apparently uncivil act. She soon, -however, took her seat and displaced the hat, holding it in her hand. -Another and another of the ladies were called, or rather motioned up, -who each performed the same dance, and each was similarly crowned with -a hat or a handkerchief, and sometimes with several of each. Dona Maria -was also called to the floor. She executed the dance with superior -grace, and with greater success than the girls in collecting hats and -handkerchiefs. All this was carried on with great merriment on the -part of the young fellows, but with the greatest apparent gravity and -seriousness on that of the ladies. I was at a loss to know the meaning -of this strange performance, or if it had any meaning at all, until my -own _sombrero_ was suddenly snatched from my head, and placed on that -of a young senorita. I was then informed that each article thus seized -and appropriated must be redeemed by a payment in money to the fair -one on whom it had been bestowed, and that half a dollar was the sum -agreed on by general assent. In this way, considerable sums of money -are sometimes gathered by the ladies from a company of liberal young -men, who enjoy the sport of thus victimizing each other. This amusement -was called up repeatedly in the course of the evening, and some of the -young men paid a pretty handsome tax for the sport. I saw Dona Maria -at one time with three hats crowded on her head, and at least half a -dozen handkerchiefs on her shoulders. Besides the tax thus collected, -an assessment of two dollars each was levied on us to pay for the music. - -Besides the singular dance I have just described we had cotillions -and waltzes. In the first, the fat Dona Maria was the most graceful -dancer, but in the waltzes--Dona Maria did not waltz--several of the -girls performed very prettily. But foremost among them was Francisco's -daughter, Juana, and another young lady whose name I did not learn, who -waltzed with much ease and grace, and who prided themselves on tiring -out, not only the other dancers, but even the musicians. My head grew -giddy as I sat and saw those two girls twirling about the room. - -Supper was ready at an early hour. My friend, Francisco, did me the -unexpected honor to lead me in and seat me at the head of the first -table. Dona Maria sat at the opposite extremity of the table, and the -other ladies, numbering from sixteen to twenty, occupied the sides. -Myself was the only male. Our supper consisted of soup, baked meats, -boiled chickens and bread, with wine in glass tumblers instead of tea -or coffee. We were waited upon by our host, Jose, assisted by another -gentleman. There was but little conversation among us, but we got along -very pleasantly. I proposed a glass of wine with Dona Maria by signs, -which she readily understood, and she drank her glass with much grace. -Perceiving Jose to be rather inexpert at carving chickens, I offered -my services, which he accepted. We afterwards drank a glass of wine -together, and thus ended the ceremony of supper. The table was soon -cleared and rearranged for another set of occupants. - -Dancing was kept up pretty constantly, I did not join in it, but was -for the most part a silent spectator. I found myself frequently, in -the course of the evening, seated by the side of our hostess, who was -disposed to make herself agreeable, and would, I doubt not, really -have been so, had she understood my language, or I hers. As it was, I -contrived to ask her a few questions, and found her quick to comprehend -my signs. I inquired about her children, knowing that to be the -subject, of all others, the most interesting to a mother. She pointed -to those who were dancing, and to several that were seated. I asked her -how many she had, and she held up her five fingers of one hand, and -three of the other. "_Ocho_," said I. "_Si, Senor, ocho_," she replied -with a smile, amused, perhaps, that I had learned one word of Spanish. - -Francisco, also, with not a little pride, directed my attention to his -daughters, who were dancing so merrily; and I could only express my -admiration of them by exclaiming, "_bueno; bueno_!" - -Thus pleasantly passed the evening until eleven o'clock, when giving -my friendly entertainers a cordial shake of the hands, I bade them _a -Dios_, and wended my way back again over the mountains to my lodgings. -The company continued dancing till morning. - -I have been thus particular in giving the details of this party, -believing that whatever is peculiar in the manners and customs of any -people may be interesting, and perhaps, not wholly useless to know. And -having been myself much interested in the amusements of the evening, I -cannot but hope that the reader will find something to please him in -this account of them. - - - - -Indians and Their Costumes. - - -_September 23, 1856._ There was a company of Indians encamped in the -vicinity of Oroville, for the purpose of gathering their harvest of -acorns, which grew in great abundance there. They passed my temporary -home every morning, men, boys, and women, furnished with sacks made of -netting, earned by the men, and conical baskets for the women, and with -a pole eight or ten feet long, with which to beat off the acorns. The -pole had a short stick fastened to the butt end with strings, by means -of which they suspended it to the limb of a tree when they ascended the -trunk. The acorn is one of their most valuable articles of food, and -they gather large quantities of them. - -These Indians were more scantily clad than any I had ever seen, many of -them having only a shirt, sometimes but a very ragged one; and in one -instance I saw a tall brawny Indian, who was entirely destitute of even -this scanty covering. - -One day a woman with pretty good features, the wife of the chief, -came to our house in company with other Indians. A large portion of -her face was besmeared with pitch, and the locks over her forehead -were matted with the same substance. I enquired the reason of this -disfigurement, and was told that it was the Indian's badge of mourning, -and that she had probably lost a relative. A few days after this call, -she came again accompanied by her husband, the chief, who was superior -in intelligence, as well as in rank, to his companions. He spoke a -little English. The squaw had renewed the coat of pitch, and looked -more hideously than before. I could see, however, in spite of the -pitch, that she was a pretty woman, and in spite of the scantiness -of her covering, that she was modest. Some remarks were made by -one of the company present, in allusion to her besmeared face. Her -husband understood them, and explained the custom in a word or two. -"Indian's way," said he. "Lost little boy," pointing to his wife. We -all understood him, and the eyes of the poor squaw moistened as she -comprehended the subject of our conversation. The Indians are not -destitute of natural affection. - -Few hearts can witness unmoved the tears of a woman, though she be a -wild and filthy Indian; and the feelings of this poor untutored savage -were respected by our company, who refrained from any further allusion -to the subject that brought painful recollections to her mind. - -_March 3, 1857._ During a long walk to-day, I stopped to sketch some -singular hills, consisting of two, and sometimes of three, plateaus or -terraces, each terrace being supported by a layer of rock, resting on a -stratum of clay, or soft sandstone, which, in many places was worn out -a foot or two beneath the rock, and making a distinct dark line in the -landscape. - -Before sketching one of these hills, I ascended it and clambered up -the rock, which varied from six to eight feet in height. Here, among -some bushes, I saw a smoke arising, and on one of the shrubs hung an -Indian's cap and his lance. I approached the spot, and suddenly found -myself in the presence of a large, fat squaw, who lay basking in the -sunshine, clad in the habiliments which nature had given her, with the -addition of a very slight substitute, for that leafy garment which was -once the fashion at a very remote period in the world's history. Two -little dusky cherubs sat near her, and the partner of her joys and -sorrows lay on the ground at a little distance, enjoying a comfortable -_siesta_. It was a charming picture of contented indolence, and I -have seen more than one lazy white man, who would have coveted their -enjoyment. - -I attempted to enter into conversation with the lady, and asked her if -she had some baskets to sell. She made no reply, but, with becoming -modesty, though with no affectation of haste, took up her blanket -that lay near her, and half veiled her charms from my admiring gaze. -Finding her disinclined to talk, I left her, descended the hill, made -my sketch, and continued my walk. - -_March 6, 1875._ With an Indian for a guide, I visited a fine -water-fall in a solitary place among the mountains. On our return, my -guide conducted me to a rancherie, consisting of half a dozen wigwams. -As we approached them, the dogs barked, the children screamed, the old -women drew on their blankets, and the naked girls retreated behind the -cabins. An old man and an old woman sat quietly on their haunches, and -a young man lay sick and squalid on the ground beside a bed of embers -that were kept alive at his head. My guide sat down beside them without -any ceremony, and they all preserved a profound silence during several -minutes, as if they were offering up a silent prayer to the Great -Spirit for the recovery of the invalid. At the end of this ceremony, -they became talkative, the young man ate the remains of a lunch I had -brought with me, and the old man begged two bits, (for these Indians, -like all others, are inveterate beggars) when we proceeded on our -journey. - -[Illustration] - - - - -The Yosemite Falls. - - -_May 29, 1859._ A rude dug-out having been brought up the river, -I crossed over in it, and walked to the foot of the fall. A dense -spray prevents a near approach to the fall, which comes down in a -perpendicular descent, until within a hundred feet of the bottom, when -it strikes a projecting rock, and dashes off in a shower of spray. I -speak of the lower fall only, for the cataract is divided into three -portions, the upper portion coming down perpendicularly; the middle -portion being a wild rapid, in a deep, dark, and fearful canyon, in -which the stream falls four hundred feet, and then drops down six -hundred feet further to the base of the great wall, making an aggregate -of more than half a mile. - -The view upward from the foot of the fall is particularly impressive. -The middle fall of four hundred feet, is entirely hid from the sight, -and such is the immense height of the whole, that the space occupied by -this middle fall seems dwindled to a few feet, and the spectator can -scarcely realize that such a fall does, indeed, exist. But the view -of the fall from this near approach is more than impressive, it is -sublime; and the spectator finds himself overwhelmed with a feeling of -intense awe, as he looks upward and beholds the foaming, roaring water -pouring down, as it were, from the very depths of heaven, - - "So wild and furious in its sparkling fall, - Dashing its torrents down, and dazzling all; - Sublimely breaking from its glorious height, - Majestic, thundering, beautiful and bright." - -I have alluded to the influence of the wind upon the upper portion of -the fall. It often reminds me of the writhings of an immense serpent, -when two or three opposing currents of air are blowing it from side to -side. Sometimes a blast of wind sways it wholly out of its accustomed -course, with the exception of a few hundred feet of its uppermost -portion, and lays bare nearly the whole surface of the rock which it -covers in its undisturbed descent, but hiding for a minute another -portion. Now large clouds of spray are thrown out from one side, and -then from the other, still forever falling; now the whole fall is -spread out to twice, or thrice, its usual width, and the next moment, -as the wind subsides, it becomes straightened and narrowed to its usual -proportions. These continued changes add exceedingly to the beauty, and -even grandeur, of the fall, and one never wearies of beholding it as it -pours, crashing and roaring, down its enormous wall of rock. - - "Roar, roar, thou waterfall! lift up thy voice - Even to the clouded regions of the skies: - Thy brightness and thy beauty may rejoice, - Thy music charms the ears, thy light the eyes, - Joy-giving torrent! sweetest memory - Receives a freshness, and a strength from thee." - - - - -The Domes. - - -The rounded summits of many of the mountains of the Yosemite Valley, -which gives them a domelike appearance, constitutes one of its -peculiarities. The North and South Domes have been often described and -painted. Situated on opposite sides of the lower Valley at its eastern -extremity, and forming portions of its two great walls, they are not -the least of its most prominent objects. Indeed, the South Dome is the -highest point around the Valley, and rises to an altitude of nearly -five thousand feet above the plain. - -A tremendous disruption of this mountain is apparent on its western -face, where it has been cleft from its summit, perpendicularly down to -a depth of two thousand feet, and the western portion thrown off and -hurled down the mountain, at whose base it lies in fragments, a huge -heap, a mountain of itself. - -What a sublime, a terrifying spectacle would here have presented itself -to a spectator standing on the North Dome and looking across the -Valley, to behold a part of the mountain before him two thousand feet -in depth, starting from its foundation, breaking away from the firmer -portion, and falling, rolling, grinding, crashing, down the mountain -side, with the roar and shaking of a terrible earthquake, and dashing -into millions of fragments, until it reached the plain, three thousand -feet below its starting point. I can imagine what overwhelming emotions -would seize him as he beheld the mountain falling, and in dread and -horror thinking the end of the world was approaching, and that the -mountain on which he stood might fall next. - -This is a region of wonders. They meet us at every step. The Valley -itself is a vast aggregate of wonders. There was a time when it was -elevated to a level with the walls that now surround it, when the -Merced flowed along at a height of two or three thousand feet above its -present bed, and before the Yosemite and all these falls were created. - -It is an interesting question, How came the Valley lowered to its -present depth? Without a very deep investigation of the subject, I have -formed an opinion in opposition to that of many persons, who attribute -it to an earthquake; that at some remote period a deluge occurred here, -and that the Valley was formed by the torrents that swept through it, -carrying away the earth, and leaving the bare walls in their present -wild desolation, with the newly created cataracts pouring down their -sides. - - - - -Farewell to the Yosemite. - - -_June 30, 1859._ Early in the morning and before breakfast, Camerer,--a -German friend,--and I, were on our way. As we went down the beautiful -Valley, we often stopped to gaze at the stupendous scenes we were about -to leave; and never before had they looked so grand, and glorious. -Lingering, loitering, talking, and discussing the several points of -interest, time passed rapidly, and the sunbeams soon began to gild the -summits of the mountains, the lofty rock of Tutocanula catching his -first rays. A hundred birds strained their little throats and poured -out their sweetest strains of melody, as if to bid us farewell, and -cheer us on our way. - -As the scenes with which we had been so long familiar, now passed again -in review before us; the Yosemite, the Sentinel, the Cathedral Rocks, -Tutocanula, the Bridal Veil; each claimed for the hundredth, and last -time, our attention and admiration. "O," exclaimed my German friend, -when the necessity of hastening our journey occurred to us, "O, it is -very hard to get out of this Valley." - -We at length arrived at the end of the plain, and began to ascend the -mountain. Half way up the height we came to a spot from which we had so -fine a view, that we resolved to stop and sketch it. This was a general -view of the Valley, and its surrounding walls, and of course, it was -my last sketch. Having accomplished this task, we hastened forward, -scarcely looking around us, until we reached an elevation whence we -were about to take our last look. But we had loitered too long by the -way, and had little time to spare. Stopping, therefore, but for a -minute, and filled with emotions such as Adam and Eve may be supposed -to have felt when, - - "They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, - Through Eden took their solitary way," - -we cast one sad look at the scene behind us, and bade a sorrowful and -final adieu to the wonderful Yosemite Valley. - - - - -The California Vulture. - - -_February 9, 1854._ In a walk some days since through the Redwoods, -I encountered an old man by the side of the road engaged in making -shingles. He was a very coarse-looking fellow with a dark complexion -and a black, bushy beard, that more than half covered his face, giving -an additional grimness to his rough, harsh features. He was an old -Kentucky rifleman, and, as I learned to-day, a first-rate marksman. He -had shot a Vulture some time before, and it was lying near his cabin, -half decayed. Some quills were scattered over the ground, and I picked -up two or three of them, when he ordered me in the rudest manner to -leave them. I then offered to buy some of them, but he would neither -sell nor give them away. He wanted them for himself. - -While I stood there another man joined us, and asked the name of -the bird. "A Turkey Buzzard," said the old man. I disputed him, and -endeavored to point out the difference between this bird and the Turkey -Buzzard. But he would not be convinced. He had seen thousands of them -in Kentucky, though he admitted they were smaller there than here. I -replied that he might with equal propriety say that a Raven was a large -Crow, or a Crow a large Blackbird. But he did not admit the analogy of -the two cases, and the bird _was_ a Turkey Buzzard and nothing more. So -I left him in the enjoyment of his own opinion. - -To-day I passed his cabin again, and he accosted me with considerable -civility. A sort of grim smile played over his harsh features, his -manners were wonderfully softened, and the gruff old savage seemed to -have been suddenly transformed into a half civilized being. He had -shot two Vultures yesterday, though one of them, which he had only -wing-tipped, and tied to a stake, had escaped. He was willing to sell -me the remaining bird, and the payment of five bits made me its owner. - -On further conversation with him, I found that he possessed a taste -for birds and other natural curiosities, and had some preparations for -preserving specimens. He showed me some birds and a horned toad which -he had preserved. - -I skinned my bird, and left it with the Kentuckian, while I continued -my walk. But this walk furnished me with nothing further to record -except a word or two concerning the habits of these same Vultures. I -saw six or eight of them perched on trees, sitting in perfect idleness -and scarcely moving. I believe Audubon says that they are very shy -and difficult to approach. But Audubon had never seen one. A man was -cutting up a fallen tree near one of the birds, but without disturbing -him. Another one sat on a branch of a low tree, which I approached. -When I arrived within less than gunshot distance, he half spread his -wings and stood up, as if preparing to fly. But after a minute's -hesitation he folded his pinions again, and seemed to have come to the -conclusion that there was no danger from a man with only a stick in his -hand. As I continued to approach the tree on which he stood, he thrust -his head down below his body, and turned it about most whimsically, -while he kept his keen eye fastened on me as though he were quizzing -me; but still he showed no disposition to fly. I now began to shout -at him, and to swing my cap, and i' faith, it seemed as if my noise -and gesticulations served rather to amuse than to frighten him. Then -I threw my cane up in the air towards him, but he only gave his head -an extra cant, and continued peering at me with such an impudent, -derisive, no-ye-don't sort of a look, that I almost expected to see him -raise his thumb to his nose, and shake his fingers at me. Finding him -thus firmly resolved not to be driven from his position, I left him, -fully believing that if a man wishes to hunt California Vultures, their -shyness will be no obstacle to his success. - -On returning, I called for the skin of my bird which measured nine feet -four inches from tip to tip of the wings, and three feet eleven inches -in length. - - - - -My Skill at Rifle Shooting. - - -_March 29, 1854._ I went out to try my skill at rifle shooting. Saw -a pair of Vultures in a tree on the heights in front of my house. -I clambered up the hill and approached within a short distance of -the birds, but the trunk of the tree, on the branches of which they -stood, hid them from my view, and I made a short circuit, and crept -behind a tree that brought me still nearer the Vultures. I now had -one of them in full view, and was in a fair way to have him in my -possession. I cocked my rifle for the fatal shot, brought it up to my -face, and closed my left optic, preparatory to the death-dealing aim, -when the foolish bird, as if he were actuated by a spirit of reckless -daring, bravado and defiance, sidled out on the branch that held him, -stood erect with his breast square before me, half expanded his broad -wings, while he cast a glance of his keen eyes upon me, and seemed -to say, "Here is your mark; now try your skill." I did so. The report -of my rifle reverberated over the hills; the ball sped--I knew not -whither--and the birds left their perch with a precipitancy, and flew -away with a haste I have seldom witnessed. The smoke of the powder had -scarcely cleared away ere they were seen performing their gyrations -over a neighboring mountain. I made my way speedily, down the hill, -and----sold my rifle. - - - - -Incident at a Camp-meeting. - - -I accepted an invitation from a friend to attend a Methodist -camp-meeting, which was held in a grove about five miles distant -from the Contra Costa Redwoods. The services did not vary much from -similar services in New England. But a little incident occurred of -such a novel character, and so singularly beautiful, that I record -it for the benefit of Christians in other portions of the country. -When the collection was about to be taken, the Presiding Elder, the -Rev. Mr. Fulton, addressed the audience in these words: "At the last -Presbyterian camp-meeting, the collection taken for the support of -the ministry was, most unexpectedly to me, divided between all of us -who had taken part in the services; and I was constrained to share -it equally with my Presbyterian brethren. Such an act, the first of -the kind I have ever known, was as gratifying as it was unexpected; -and most happy am I to say, that we have this day an opportunity to -reciprocate the favor, by sharing with the brother of that denomination -now present, the collection to which we invite you to contribute." - -The effect of this address upon the audience was manifested by the -jingling of the coin which was poured into the hats from every quarter -of the field. - - * * * * * - -With this little anecdote I take leave of the reader, remarking, -however, that I passed nine years in California; resided in many of its -principal cities; roamed over a large part of the northern portion of -the State; visited most of the mines from Mariposa to Yreka; traveled -across the State of Oregon and into Washington Territory; sailed up -the Columbia River to the Cascades; visited a great number of places -remarkable for their scenery; spent five weeks in the wonderful -Yosemite Valley; lodged in a hollow of one of the "Big Trees" of -Mariposa; listened to the mighty roar of the Geysers; walked round the -beautiful Clear Lake, and paddled my canoe round the far-famed Lake -Tahoe; clambered up the sides, and stood upon the highest pinnacles of -Mount Shasta, and many other mountains of the Sierra Nevada range; and -encountered people of all descriptions, characters, and nationalities. -Reader, shall I give you a further account of my observations and -adventures? - - -_THE END._ - - - - -TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: - -Inconsistencies in the author's use of hyphens have been -left unchanged, as in the original text. Obvious printer errors have been -corrected without comment. Otherwise, the author's original spelling, -punctuation, hyphenation and use of accents have been left intact with the -following exceptions: - -Page 44: The word "we" was added in the following phrase: "This -morning, just as we were about to sail," - -Page 148: Yosemite Fall was changed to Yosemite Falls to match Yosemite -Falls in the Contents. - -Capitalisation and periods have been standardised in the Chapter -Headings and the Contents so that these do not differ. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Round Cape Horn, by Joseph Lamson - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROUND CAPE HORN *** - -***** This file should be named 43342.txt or 43342.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/3/4/43342/ - -Produced by David Edwards, Chris Whitehead and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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