THE GOLD
RUSH DIARY OF FRANK McCREARY
This diary was transcribed and provided by
Mrs. Grace Shaw
Monday 6th today is quite clear we had some
pumpkin pies for dinner yesterday and they made us all sick so I will
not go to my work untill tomorrow I went
agunning awile
and looked around the place to see what I could see
Tuesday 7th I started this morning by the broke of day,
on horse back to go over to my work the weather looked rather dubious
but I thought I would try it, I had not gone far before the rain
begain to come down like
gehne and the wind blew cane I traveled a
bout two miles but the storm was so savere I
was oblidged to turn, back as I was
returning isaw a
kieoter on a head of me, I put the hors on the run after him, I
had my rifle with me and tried to get a crack at him, but he run a cross
the flats ware I could not go with the horse. I had to go around so he
got the start of me, the way he put into it was a caution to the black
ducks that was in his way, he had to go trough some water and made a
grate splashing, he got around a hill, so I lost sight of him, I soon
got back to the house and dried myself before the fire, in the afternoon
George Buckelew came over with the scow, and
walked over to the house, he told me that Gerow
was on board and had a letter and a daguerotype
of my Wife and Child no storm could stop me than so we both mounted
horsese and put out, but we had to go three
or four miles out of our way to see a bout that got a drift from the
scow, we then wet over to our shanty take a sail boat around to the scow
about three miles up the bay, we arrived to the shanty at sun down after
a long and rough ride of ten miles, we got the boat over the bar of the
little bay after a hard pull, we then hoisted sail and pushed out, but
the wind all got blewed, out by this time,
so we had to try the oars, again we met another stop the tide was hard
against us that we all could pull could not get the boat a long, so we
had to about the ship and go back to the shanty, when we got
thire George said he could not go any more
tonight and Mr. Allen thought we had better stop all night, the chance
began to look small for me to get my letter and
daguerotype , but my dander was a little up for George had spent
more time in going after his boat than neccssary,
and I had set my mind on getting my letter to night, so I was determined
to go through if I busted [the horses were tired and so I had to go on
foot] , the said it was three or four miles and very bad going, and
tried to persuade me from going, after resting a wile and eating a few
crackers, I fixed for a start. thay told me
the kieoters would catch me, but I told them
if all the kie oters
wolves and grisley bears in
california was in the way and the
dival at the head of them all, I would go
through, I cut me a cudgel and took my six shooter with me and started
off I had a very high hill to go over to begin with, that made me blow a
little and that was not all I had many more to shin and dark gulches to
go through one hill was so steep I had to over on all fours, but after
an hour or twos I reached the old scow, without
anany damange only getting my feet a
little wet,and seeing a couple of
brite eyes in some bushes, but I had the
satisfaction of reading my wifes and seeing
hers and my boys likeness after looking over a wile, I turned in and
went to sleep with a goog will the
daguerotype was my new years present from my
brother James he could not have sent any thing to suit me better the
letter was No 6
Wensday
8th I started this morning at ten
oclock for the shanty on foot Horam
went over to the ranch house to stay a week or two and
recrute his helth.
I got back to work at one oclock the
prospects looks fair for clean weather, I had to stop at the top of the
hill this morning to rest and look at my preasant,
it is a grate comfort and pleasure to me
Saturday 11th I been the rest of this week to work on
the house Mr. Allen and myself took a walk out on the beach as we ware
coming back a drove of cattle was going up the hill near by us when [
the drover was] seeing to his horse thay
started on by some bushes one of the cattle gave a
dreadfull bellowed a few minutes and appread
to be strugeling they all ran over the hill
pufing and blowing we had only one riffle
with us, so we thought it best not to veture
out after them, but would go in the morning to see what was the matter,
so we went up early this morning but could see nothing.
Sunday 12th the weather has been clear and pleasant to
day I began this afternoon to write a long letter. After supper we heard
a wild beast hallow in the woods near where the cattle had
frakis last night Mr
Allen said it was a Californian Lion well we for got all about that
Mr a went to bed and I was writing when I
heard something padling a long by the waters
edge a bout five or six miles yards from the house. I
droped my pen a little quicker and picked up
my rifle and poked my head out to see what I could
disciver,
I could
hear the critter run but I could not see him utill
he got about a hundred yards off, I then let sliver at him and the way
he let himself out over the hill was not slow, it was so dark I could
not tell weather I hit him or what it was I think by the size it was a
wolfe after hearing the Lion cry and then
hearing this beast com so near our shanty made us feel a little
skitish
Monday 13th
we
commeneed tairing
down our shanty to put on the roof with. I killed four mice two
lizerds and any quantity of spiders and big
bugs under the boards our beds laid on after we got the boards all
together, we found that thire was not stuff
enough to put the roof on so we concluded that we would
paack our tools and go over to town, we got
everthing secured we started off with the
sail boat at noon for the ranche house we
arrived just in time for supper and staied
thire all night
Tuesday 14th
at ten oclock Mr
Allen myself and another gentlemen started
off in a largr sail boat.
when we left the fogg
was very thick. we expected it would clear before we got to the creek
but as bad luck would have it the fog hug on so thick we thought the
tide would be running in so to take us up to San Francisco after we got
fairley out of the creek we lost sight of
land, and contrary to our expectations the fogg
grew thicker and we had no wind to keep stearage
way on our boat, the tide was running very strong we could not tell
which way exactly . we had a large boat and could not make much head way
with oars, it was not long before we began to get in a long running
swell which I new was not right for the bay, I told the men that we must
be going out to sea or outside of the heads, we
kiept heading to the sun and kiept
the wind in our eye, Mr. Allen and the other man said we could not be
going out of the bay that that the swell owing to the tide coming in
our heavy weather out at sea we came in sight of some high land
thay said it must be
Aingle Island on the south end. I told them it was not the shape
of Aingle Island the land was to high I
said it must be the high Lands on the east side of the mouth of the
harbour. I wanted to pull the boat on shore
and go up hill to see our ware abouts, but
thay said it would not do to land in the
surf that was braking on the beach, it was not long before the land was
out of sight again and the swell continued rolling higher and higher and
our boat was astern fast enough enstead of
going a head Mr. Allen said it must be a fogg
bank between us and the land that was his reason why it disappeared so
soon. I told him that we would fetch up in a fogg
bank out at sea before long the majority was against and ware older men
so I had to let them have thire own way, we
saw an empty hogshead floating a ways off he Mr. A said it must be the
rock near bird Island, near ware we ought to go across the bay, I could
think that a rock from laughing, that any man could think that a rock
two or three fett a
bove the water would be first on top the waves running five or
six feet high, and then down in the trough, and be out of the water, we
was fortunate to have a good boat and she road the sea beautifully. I
caught sight of a small piece of land again but the
fogg was so thick we lost sight of it in a few minutes, it was
time now to get a little uneasy about our situation, the waves swept our
boat along like a feather, we keept getting
nearer and nearer the breakers, we could hear them roar over our
storeboard bow, the other man began to get a
little frightened. they thought it was
strange such swells could get in the bay. Mr. Allen said we had better
change the corse of the boat and run more
over to the other side, we took the oars and pulled all we could, we
continued in this way for a hour or so, when we come in sight of some
rocks on our right the other land was on the left we run close to them
Mr. Allen said he was sure it was the rock near bird island all most
oppors it San Francisco,
directley another and another rock came in
sight untill we found our selves a
moust the brakers.
we ran close to them as we dared to and rowed
a long untill we came to the shore. I was
glad to see land a gain and told the men we had keep close to it
untill we found a good place to land, Mr.
Allen said we would soon find ourselves near San
Francicsco and their was no need to of risking the boat in the
surf. I told him if he wanted to go to sea a gain, I would go on shore
if I had to swim for it the other man begain
to deside with me so we
keept close to the shore. I put my wifes
daguerotype in my
pantloons pocket so if I had to swim I could save that. we rowed
a long shore I should think about five miles, when we came in sight of
the old fort on the south side of the entrance of the
harbour a bout this time the wind began to
bloe a little and fogg
lifted so we could see ware we was, and sure enough we was out sea five
or six, I asked Mr A if he
beleaved it now he said , I may be
whiped if I could
belaved it we set our sails and was soon on our was to San
Fracisco, I must say I felt
thankfull that we was so fortunate as to
get out of the scrape so far, for we had a hard job of it, the rest of
our trip up the bay was very pleasnt we had
a fair brease and clear sky so we could see
ware we was going. we arrived to town about
five oclock in the after
noon all
saif
Wednesday 15th
I found by looking that the letter I recived
from home was No 6 and the one befor was No
4 so I concuded thay
must be another letter in the post offace
for me I went befor I closed my letter for
the mail today, sure enough I found my letter No 5 I came back read it
then finished writeing my letter and took it
to the post offace I sent the letter No 12
to my wife with a newspaper and one to my brother James
Thursday
16th I
think I will go over the bay again this afternoon if the wind and tide
is right. I want to see Gerow,
I think I will start for home on the first ofnext
mounth if I can get off. I went over the bay
again this afternoon in the same boat that I went out to sea in. we had
a very rough passage the wind blew by squarls,
and would knock the boat on her beams end. before
we could let the sail go, I got over all safe it was 11
oclock at night when I arrived at the house
Friday 17th
I took a ride on horseback over to the old shanty at
racktoon straits, from
thire to California City and back again to the ranch,
Gerow had started to fix up my business I
wanted to see hm, but he lift for town that
thire, I saw that thire
was nothing much that I could do, so made yp
my mind to go back to town and get ready to start for home
Saturday 18th
this
after noon a boat
was going to town so I took another trip over to the bay.
I arivved in town about
8 oclock in the evening.
this time I had a pleasant passage
Sunday19th
as luck I would have it I had a boat ship and go
ver the bay again, with the row boat to help get the doctor over
that has been attending Mr
Buckelew, his health is very poor, I think
he has got the consumption, very thing is truble
and confusion here by the defactulty with
the printing offace business. it was low
tide when we got in the creek and we had to row against the tide all of
the way which made hard work of it, we landed the doctor on a point far
as we could get up. one man and my self staid with the boat
untill the next tide came in, we went on
shore made a fire and roasted so muy
important trip to calive in, with a good
cooking stove, and plenty of good provisions to eat I keep to work
untill
Saturday 25th
I beleave I have got to be quite a carpenter
Saturday 25th
I started with Mr. Moore the carpenter to go down and finish the house
on Rackoon Straits with a small boat with
our tools, beding and
provenider we have to take up our beds and walk here when we
shift our quarters after we got thim we
carried our traps ashore and found a place to sleep under
Sunday
26th when
we came to cook our breakfeast I found we
had forgot our frying pan, so I had to cook our beef stake and pan cakes
on a tin plate and outdoors in the wind, at that, I are getting sick of
this kind of living and I get back to old York town ware
thay have good houses to live in with
chimleys, and no fleas, I will be mighty
glad, we finished the house on Tuesday morning at noon and was most out
of patience and quite out of provisions
Tuesday
28th we
went back to
california
city with the boat we had a hard pull against the tide and over the
flats but succeded in getting in by 7
oclock
Wednesday
29th
the
sloop came over from town, I went over to the ranch house with some
others
hombreas and
staid all night
Thursday
30th we
started back again and started with the sloop for town, we got in at sun
down. I find Mr. Buckelew is very sick the
doctor thinks he has consumption so buisness
will be stoped for a while he intends to
take a trip down panama in the steamer Republic, I have fixed my
bussines with Gerow
so I can get off with the same steamer she will sail on Saturday so I
will have to be moveing to get ready in
time. I have got all my clothing and traps I brought out with me to
dispose of to morrow. I have been washing out some shirts for to take on
the voyage and it is now 10 oclock so I will
bunk up for the night, to get rested for a hard day work to morrow, I
found a letter from my Wife which Gerow got
from the post offace it was letter No 7 with
one inclosed from Father Brush my wife is
down on coming to California, I will have a joke to play with her when I
get home I will tell her I have come on for her, but guess not to bring
her out to the flea Kingdom. This will be the last letter I will
receive in California
Friday #1st
hard to work getting ready for a start to morrow Mr. BR
Buckelew &
his brother will sail with me to Chargres,
an a MR Smith will accompany me to New York
Saturday
Feby 1st
the last day in Clafornia the steamer starts
at 4 oclock this afternoon every thing is
upside down in getting ready for the start off-
February
1st 1851
Account of my voyage home from California. I left San Francisco on board
the steamer Republic in company with
mr Smith BR
Buckelew + brother on Saturday afternoon at ½ past 4
oclock. The fogg
was very thick when going out of the harbour.
The sea rough outside with fair prospects of sea sickness
Sunday
evening 2nd
we are runing a long at a fine rate with a
fair wind. but rough sea. I am agreeably
disapointed about being seasick. I only felt
a little squarmish at first but it is all
over now. I slept good last night through all the noise and confusion. I
can walk the deck quite strait. My being on the water so much crossing
the bay has made quite a sailor of me. The weather is clear and could
but we will soon run into a warmer climate. by to morrow or next day
will make a change, Mr. Buckelew is going to
chargres for the benefit of his health his
doctor said a warm climate be good for him, his brother goes to take
care of him Mr. Smith will go to New York and then to
Boanis Aera
South America ware his faimley lives. If no
accidents happen I think we will have a pleasant passage, it is far
differrant to start for home than to go from
it. We have a first rate steamer with very good
accommadations and I live in hopes of seeing home in 30 or 35
days
Monday evening 3rd
we have had a very pleasant day. The sea is quite smooth, and we are
runing or 10 knots we have not seen
land nor sail since we left port. Nothing but
the wide and the blue skye is to be
seen, the stars shine bright this evening,
with a new moon. The weather is getting warmer very day, it is just warm
enough to be pleasant now, in three or four days we will be in
Accapulca in Mexico, it will be hot enough
then to roast eggs
Tuesday
evening 4th
fair weather and smooth sea.
Our passage so far has been very pleasant. Nothing in sight yet but
Mr.B is improving.
Wednesday
morning 5th
we came in sight of a barren Island called San
Bineto, a large number of cow fish is following us they came
close along side the steamer. I will take a sketch of the island before
we run bye, this afternoon we passed the
Nativadad
Islands about ½ dozen in number thay are
barren and uninhabberted.
thay are rough
looking places, it is a little over cast today. I enjoy the passage very
much and keep good health
Thursday
morning Feby 6th
we had a melancoly seen a board this
morning, an old sea captain a bout 75 years old died last night, and was
buried in the sea. He has a faimley in the
states and was returning home to see them, but he meet a watery grave,
they launched him over board at 8 oclock
this morning. He had the dysentarie before
he left San Francisco thay sewed him up in
sail cloth, tied some cast iron to his feet. The captain read a sermon
over the corps and then he was thrown over board} he made but one splash
and was all over. The sea rolled on as it rolled before. It was a hard
sight but so it must be
Friday
7th we are
in sight of land to day, on the northered of
Cape St Lucas, we have a beautiful day. The sea is calm the weather is
just warm enough to be pleasant we had to lat too, three hours this
after noon to fix some of the machinery about the engine, we started
again at sun down it is now 10 oclock at
night and we are going past the Cape St Lucas about 8 miles
off,it is a
pleasant moonlight night , so we can set on deck and see the land quite
plain. It is a barren mountainious place,
not a tree or bush to be seen. I keep in good health and enjoy myself
very much. I like it better then when I went out to,
Calafornia. It is now getting so I will bid
goodbye to the tip end of Calafornia and
turn in for the night.
Saturday morning 8th
sail oho hoy, a ship in sight this morning
on our larboard beam, the first sail we have seen since we left port, a
squall is coming up on our starboard quarter , the sea is covered with
white caps, and looks angry. The skye is
black, we will have wind and rain enough pretty soon, [ afternoon] the
squall did not amount to much after all, we had a little rain and wind
but it soon passed over. The worst of it went a stern of us, the weather
is getting quite hot now, so we are glad to get under the awning in the
shade, Saturday night once more- tomorrow will be another long Sunday,
but we keep sputtering along each day brings us one day nearer New York,
thay will be some happy hombres on
board when we get thire
Sunday
Feby 9th
at noon.
we are runing in
sight of land this morning , off the coast, we have a good stiff
brease with all sail
sett. steaming and sailing along at a
fine rate the sea is quite rough which makes some of the passengers a
little sea sick or a little blue
In the
gills, it is much pleasanter when the wind blows in our
favour so thay
can use the sails. It makes more excitement then when we are just
steaming and rolling along so lazy, I have been reading a book on deck,
all the mornings, a bout the last war. time seems to pass away very
slow, and that makes it very tegous
especialy when a fellow is going home, when
I once get dar
agin you wont ketch this child leaving very soon again. I
expect we will get to Acapulco to morrow, I must try and
geather som
shells for my little wife, as she wrote me to bring her
some when I com home, and as I are not very dusty
probly som
shells and other curiosity will do in the place, any how
thay will last longer, the old steamer
pitches a bout conciderable, wile I are
writing this pepper gram. the bell is
tolling for 12 oclock, a bell at sea sounds
very doleful, especialy when it rings over
the corps of those that meets a watery grave
Monday
10th when I
went on deck this morning.
I was supprised to see what
thay was in the seenery
from what I have seen in California, we are runing
only two or three miles from the shore, on the coast of Mexico, the
hills raises one above the other like the waves of the
ocian, I can see the
loafty peaks far back as the eye can reach, ridges hill and
valleys forming many fanciful shaps, and so
unlike the barren hills of California, these are covered with beautiful
green trees, of a thousand different shades and collars what would some
of my city friends give to behold this seen for an hour, those that are
shut up in the brick walls of the crowed citys,
how little do thay know how wide this world
is made. the weather is very hot now, and the evenings moonlight , which
makes it very pleasant I stay on deck until 10
oclock at night walking the decks or laying down on benches,
wathcing the bright stars, as the tall mast
tops moves gently on one side and the other, the sea is very smooth I
can see the coast on one side, and the broad ocian
on the other glissening like a large
merrow and ends in the distance as if it run
of a dam
Tuesday
Feby 11th
we arrived at Accapulca this afternoon at 3
oclock, after the captain of the port came
on board Mr Smith and my self went a shore,
we went to a Fandago ware
thay was holding a wake over the corps of a
little babe, wile we was thire some of the
hands from off the steamer came thire and
was a little drunk. thay went to dancing and
kicing up a row with the Mexicans,
thay took it all very well for some time,
but the boat man got a going so high, thay
was the bold Irish boy and of corse
sould lick all the Mexicans in town, the
natives colected a few poles and commenced
pelting a way, and the way the paddeys left
was not slow we bought some bunche of
flowers made of shells, by the Mexican Senoritas, and a few shells + lo,
I bought me a panama hat the sun is so hot it makes my head ache to wear
a cap, when we came from the fandango down to the beach, we found some
other rowdies had kicked up another row and was arrested by the guards
and put in the scalabose, one of them got a
baynot run in his after quarter, and one
darkey cook got his head cut a little at the
dance, our Captain went on shore got the men out of the
calabose, we saw many
curiousitys wile on shore, enough to pay us well for our trouble
of setting up all night, the Mexicans treated us very well, we went in
some of thire houses, and set down to rest
our selves, Mr Smith speaks the Spanish
language very well so we could talk with them, thay
gave us oranges bananas coca nuts + lo the ladys
all smoke segars. Thay
are mostly hansom and cleavour
thay have very small feet and hands
thire teeth are very white and even. the
most of them have very good teeth, Wednesday morning at six
oclock the gun fired for us to com on board
the steamer, we bought some bananas and oranges to eat on the passage
down, we got on board, and started at 8 oclock
for the panama, the steamer Columbia from panama and around cape horn
came out the harbour as we went in, we also
meet the steamer mail Carolina, three hours ___, she was from panama I
suppose she has a letter for me on board. how
I would like to get it, just to hear how all was at home.
but if I have good luck and health I will
soon be with them so I can both see and hear them. it will be a happy
time for me if I find my little faimley all
well, a collored man died on board the
steamer yesterday he was buried at Accapulca
the boys that got run at the fandango made a grate talk on board a bout
the mexicans coming at them with swords and
long knives, a number of small boys came out to the steamer wile in the
harbour to dive after money the passengers
would through over a dime and the little fellows would dive down after
it, the water is so clear that you can see them
sweming down in the water after the dimes than catch them in
thire hands and put them in
thire mouth when thay
got thire heads out above the water
thire cheeks will stick out with the money
they get some of them gets quite a lot of change in this way
Wednesday
12th a
pleasant day and smooth sea, we all keep well. Mr
Buckelew is getting better he can walk about
on deck, he thinks he will cross the Ismus,
with us
Thursday
13th very
hot no land in sight the fruit we brought with us goes first rate in the
morning before breakfast
Friday
14th we are
now crossing the
bay of
Queantipeck
the weather continues very hot. no land in
sight. the nights are so warm and pleasant I take my blankets and sleep
on deck my health keeps very good only I are not quite so
fleashery as I was when I left
California. the hot climate takes the meat
off a little. last year this time I had a
party of ypung folks at my house and had
just made up my mind to go to California
Saturday
evening 15th
we have a stiff breaze blowing against us
with a heavy sea, so we go quite slow some of the passengers
are sea sick. the waves run very high but
the old steamer cralls over them like a toad
over a tater
hill my banannes are getting ripe so fast I
cant eat them fast enough I wish I could keep som
of them to take home with me
Sunday
night Febuary 16th
we have rather a unpleasant day to day.
the sea continues running very high and the
wind blows strong against us. we cannot walk a bout on deck much the
steamer pitches about so, I have been laying in my birth most of the day
reading and eating oranges, I cannot account for my good luck in not
being sea sick, a grate many of the pasengers
are at it calling the fishes over the side but a few other old sailors
like my self are enjoying ourselves very well, some are singing others
spinning yarns and so I think we will reach Panama a bout Tuesday noon,
three or four Sundays more on the wide ocian
and then I hope to be with my long looked for
famliey and friends
Monday
17th the
weather is a little calmer to day not much wind and very hot
an other man is dieing to day with
consumption. I saw some wales spouting at a
distance thay do not come very close to the
steamer
Tuesday
18th
we are in sight of land this morning
we passed three sails, we have a very pleasant day, I took a bath this
evening in a big tub of salt water
Wednesday
19th the wind blows hard again this morning and the old
big pot is all rilled up, but we keep
spattering along in sight of land off the point that forms the bay of
Opanama, the man that I spoke of the other
day that is dieing of consumption is a live yet but no hope of his
recovering. The land in sight is the coast of
Gautimala, this afternoon we meet a small top sail schooner
running before the wind it was a beautiful sight to see ho she road over
the rough sea, the wind was blowing quite hard so she was soon out of
sight. She was running very fast, we are now
begging to get ready to land at panama, we will be in the morning I
must write a letter to Gerow to night to
send back by the next mail.
Tuesday 20th we arrived at panama at 12
oclock after an hours trouble and confusion,
we succeeded in getting off the steamer so good bye to the old republic
the good old ship that brought me over well and safe, we had a rough
time in getting ashore and had to land on a reaf
of rocks a mile from the city gate, this was an account of very low
tide, now another trouble was to get the hombres to
carrey our baggage up to the hotel, we got enough to take all
but one small box and some traps, so I took the box and the rest of our
party took the others, and we vamused for
the hotel we put up at the Orleans hotel, after we got dinner and the
mules engaged to cross the Ishmus, Mr. Smith
and my self took a walk a bout town, the city did not look so filthy as
it did when I passed through it before, the bells are all worn out or
the nigers are to lazey
to ring them for I don’t hear them ring much
Friday 21st We started at 5 oclock
this morning Mr BRB an
SMBuckelew Mr. Smith and myself, we had good mules and saddles
with a fair prospect of a fine day we took one pack mule to carry our
baggage, we marched very slow and steddy as
Mr. B was not that very strong he could not ride fast, we had two
guides with us one on a mule and one on foot, we went along first rate
the roads was dry and and in good order, not
much like it waswhen I crossed last summer,
I had some sport with the hombrea that road
the mule he went on a head and the baggage mule was tired to his mule
tail and I road behind him to spur him up I gave the guide a little
conive once in a while and I got him quite
biusey so he fell spat of his mule three or
four times, but he got a long very well we keep a head of the rest of
our party most of the way, we arrived at gorgona
on the river at 5 o clock in the afternoon. I had a sweet head ache for
my comfort, after supper we engaged our boat and put the baggage in it
in order to secure it so the darkeys could
not make another bargen with some one else,
Mr. Smith and I sleept in the boat all night
to watch our trunks
Saturday
22nd
we started down by 5oclock in the
morning the passage down the river is very pleasant we had an awing
over the boat to keep the sun off, I saw a Alligator about 10 feet long
the river is very low so the boat tutches
bottom in sum places, we keept the
hombreas in good trim, with a little brandy
so we got along very fast, we made three or four stops on our way down,
we arrived at ½ past 8 oclock in the
evening . the first boat in town, we took our
trunks to a hotel and eat our suppers, took a short walk out on the
beach of the old Atlantic , and then we
went to bed for the night
Sunday
Feby 23rd
the steamer Empire city got last
night from New York Mr.
Buckelew went on board this morning and
found his wife and child. She came on with a friend of his, he started
off up the river with his famely and those
that came with them , for Panama Mr Smith
and myself took a walk over the old spanish
fort or castle at the entrance, it has been a hansom place once but its
most all in ruines now, the sun is very hot,
and it is not good for us to walk a bout much, se we must keep still as
possible, I saw three natives carring a
coffen on a wheel barrow with a dead body
in it, this is the way those that are so
unfourtanate as to dye in the place are served nailed up in a box
and dumped in some hole , it is a hard place here for white people to
live the feavor is all most a sure death, a
schooher is laying here to take a load of
sick men from off the rail road that is building, but few of them will
live to reach there homes I are now setting in our room we can see the
wide atlantic ocian
with the steamers waiting for passangers and
the old fort and the Natives town made of low reed houses the crows,
buzards are setting
settinfg about on the top of the houses the steamer I have my
ticket for has not arrived yet she is due to day and will start for new
york on the 25th I brought a
small monkey to carry home, to let the folks see one of the natives of
the Isumus, I have not seen the
Elaphant yet. I will get him if I can
Monday
24th I took a short walk this morning about
town, the steamer Georger has arrived and
will sail at 6 oclock tomorrow morning, so
we will go on a board this afternoon after dinner we made the
preparations to go on board, the sea was very rough and we had to go
about two miles out to the steamer in a row boat it is a dangerous place
in such rough weather. We succeeded in getting on
board at 3 oclock all
saife, my monkey was a little sea sick, he chatters away at me
when I feed him if he lives I will have some sport with him when home
Tuesday
25th at 7 oclock this morning
we pulled up anchor and started for Havana our first
stoping place, the wind blows quite a gale
and the steamer rolls very much, I begin to feel a little sea sick, this
rough sea is to much forme or any weak
srtomucks, however it will do one good I
think it will prevent me from getting the charges
feaver, so I went on the fore castle ware
thire is the most motion to castup
accounts it was not long before I began, oh Jisoes,
I wish I was in New York, ware thire are no
such big waves
Wednesday 26th we are runing
past a small islandon our star board bow,
the sea is a little smother and I have got over the sea sickness, we
have a number of passengers on board that crossed the
plaine to go out to
Cali__, the poor
fellows takes it very hard , to be sea sick, thay
say thay may be darned if ever
thay go to sea again, this afternoon we saw
a steamer at a distance bound for chargres
Thursday
27th very
pleasant weather, we have had a little squall of rain and wind every day
sene we left panama it
rained very hard at Charges.
Friday Feby 28th
we passed th
south west end of the Island of cuba
at 2 olock this afternoon, it is a
beautifull place, the land is level and
covered with green woods we saw the light house and several
habetations, the sea is very smooth and calm
Saturday
march 1st
we arrived at Hanava 8
oclock this morning. We got a passporte
and went on shore, this is a splendid city, went around and looked at
the principle places, and then took a coach and went out of town through
the gardens and public squares, we went on to of a hill ware
ther is a large fort, we could see from off
the hill all over the city and surrounding country, it was a
beautifull sight, we next returned to the
hotel and eat ourdinner, after dinner we
took a walk down on the battery it is a bout half a mile land and has a
bnumber of fountains and hansom monuments on
it in the evening after supper we went to the theatre
thay say it is the
hansomest in the world but I don’t think it equal to
niblows
garden the
city is lighted with grasshoppers, thay
perade the strets
night and day the theatre is guarded by horse troops so everything is
keept in good order, the Spanish
Ladys seldom go out on foot
thay all keep thire
coach and horses or go carts I should call them,
thay are made with two large wheels and long shafts, the wheels
are behind the coach and the driver rides on the horses back some of
them are coverd with plaited sliver, the
driver has long leged boots laced up the
side with sliver buckels on the foot. The
coaches are all the same shape and size, I wish I had more time I would
like to take a few sketches of the different places we have seen the
performance closed at the theatre at half past 10
oclock, we walked back to the hotel and went to bed tired enough
Havana
March 2nd Sunday.
It is very hot today we walked a bout a little to see the
fashious of the town in the evening we went
out to the masqkeradi, on the public square,
the milertairey band played every evening it
is a grate holerday here now, I never
laughed so much in my life as I did this evening , to see the many
diffrent figures thay
cut up with the funney dress and costumes,
if I stay to morrow night I will get me a dress and have a little sport,
I made a bargin with a
german chemist at the hotel for a recpt
for guilding gold and silver, I think it
will be very usefull to me in my trade
Monday 3rd-
We have just pulled up anchor for a start so good bye to
havana, may we have a quick and safe passage
to New York and find all well, the weather is black and stormy this
morning, we will take it when we get out side the wind blows very hard
from the north east the sea is very rough and the steamer has hard work
to get along the sea was braking up over the fort at the entrance of the
harbour as high as twenty five or thirty
feet, it is the roughest sea I have seen yet, the air is quit cool
Tuesday
4th we have
a very rough night of it the sea brakesd up
over the bows of the steamer so it keeps the decks wet and sloppy, we
passed two vessels this morning, I keep in my berth most of the time we
are on deck the spray dashes up so it gives us a ducking of salt water,
I have got another pet to take care of, an old man that put up at the
hotel with us brought a parrot on board with him but he got so sea sick
he could not take care of him so he gave the bird and cage to me,
between the parrot and monkey it keeps a buisy
attending to them, we are now in sight of the coast of
Florada 20 miles of distance
Wednesday
5th this
morning is very pleasant the wind has died away and the sea is quite
smooth, we passed three or four vessels, no land in sight today
Thursday
6th I had
the good luck to have my panama hat stolen last night, many of the
passengers has been served the same way, so I took a list of names of
those that lost any thing, and entered a complaint to the captain, I
spoke to the offacer of the deck a bout it
but he played little or attention to it, but the old man had a
serch made but could find nothing, but a
small pudill dog, he had the fellow put in
Irons that took him the weather is getting cool and windy, the steamer
is running a long at a fine rate we will soon be in port if nothing
happens, we had a hard shower this afternoon and have a fair prospect
of long storm
Friday
7th last
night was a very dreary and stormy night the wind is blowing a gale from
the north east, the sea is very rough, I fear we will have a hard time
of it before the storm is over, the old man that gave me the parrot lost
his son last night he was 17 years old his mother and father has been to
havana for his health but it done him no
good this is the sixth child thay have lost
by the same disease, the storm keep getting worse our vessel pitches and
rolls ver much
Saturday 8th
the storm was very severe last night barrels tables chares and
everything that was not lashed fast went pitching bout the ship, I
sleept between decks in a cot to get out of
the cold with a number of others, in the night the sea got so rough it
sent our cots a sliding a bout the cabin, most of our cots got smashed,
our lamps put out so we could not see one thing from another my cot took
a slide across the deck severeral times but
would come back to the right place and on it legs. It was the longest
night I think I ever saw, the old ship would crack and snap when the sea
would strike her, soon as I could see to find any way out I went on deck
and got a lantern, I then went below to find my clothes some one place
and some another everything was wet cold and mussey
enough, all the bottles and decanters in the barroom got smashed, and
the contents run out over the deck, old punch had on a long face when he
seen his today was all split, we could have got in last night if it had
not stormed so hard, thay had to run the
steamer out to sea to keep out of danger. The fogg
or mist is so very thick, thire is a port of
the steamer called social hall ware the passangers
goes to smoke and talk it is covered with oil cloth and is very
slipery, so when the ship rolls the boy goes
pitching from one side to the other, this makes sport for us and keeps
us warm, we are heading in to the land now, and will I hope to soon be
in sight of the harbour of the good old New
York, it looks very dangerous on the water now the wind blows a stiff
gale with rain hale and snow, the waves are runing
10 or 12 feet high we cannot stand on deck so we are
oblidged to stay below decks, at 5
oclock we made sandy hook after the
qurentine offacer
came on board we went on shore and got up to the house at ½ past 10. All
the folks was in bed, I soon woke them up
after interducing friend Smith and talking
over the news, we turned for the night
Sunday
morning 9th
I got up early went to the barbers to get some of my log hair cut off
after breakfasting and seeing all the folks and getting my traps from
the steamer, I started for the car to go up to the New Castle at 5
oclock in the afternoon, after an hours walk
I reached the house any one can emmagin my
happiness when I meet those so dear after a long distant separation,
This ends my voyage to
California and back again,
through troubles, dangers and pleasurs
B.F. Mc
Creary
March 9th 1851a
Typed
by Brad Bjorndahl