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Ebook has 12444 lines and 276230 words, and 249 pages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFFICERS, PASSENGERS AND CREW

OF THE

BARK JAMES W. PAIGE.

ROUND CAPE HORN.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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