Category: Adventure
Early in 1849, the unwilling ship in which I had taken passage for California, was dragged away from the wharf in the sooty hug of a remorseless steamtug, like a struggling, kicking schoolboy in the arms of a hated master. Such an event was not then so common as it has since b...
Tuesday, one of the schooners arrived, and sailed again, the same evening, with a full complement of passengers. Another arrived the next day, and all of our party succeeded, wi...
9. CHAPTER IX.After many unlooked for delays, a half-barrel of pork which we had long sought in vain was got out of the hold; and on the 8th of September we bid a final farewell to the Leucot...
22. CHAPTER XXI._Tuesday, June 10._ Considerable rain fell during the morning. The thermometer thus far has averaged ten to twenty degrees lower at noon than during the same time last year. We...
16. CHAPTER XVI.What have we here? a man or a fish? dead or alive? A fish;--he smells like a fish; a very ancient and fishlike smell; a kind of, not of the newest, Poor John. A strange fish!
14. CHAPTER XIV.We left Mormon Island early Monday morning, leaving the trees that had supported the ridge-pole of our tent--the heavy fortification around it--and the rude but not inelegant be...
15. CHAPTER XV.Having at length concluded to remain at Ford's Bar, we became impatient to make some improvement in our style of living; for, indeed, we were all of us of a somewhat soft and lu...
11. CHAPTER XI.Our scientific machine--the great Virginia Burke rocker--the patent bee-hive, from which we had expected to take every day at least two pounds of the precious comb--was now noth...
23. CHAPTER XXII.Saturday, the 13th of September, 1851, at five o'clock in the evening, we went on board the Carolina, then lying at the wharf, and all ready for sea. She was a propeller of six...
24. CHAPTER XXIII.The little town and harbour of Acapulco resemble a wash bowl with a cup full of water in the bottom. On rounding the promontory that protected the entrance to the basin, we foun...
13. CHAPTER XIII.About the middle of December, Number Four obtained a situation as clerk in the store already mentioned, on the hill behind our tent; but, as he still continued to live with us,...
10. CHAPTER X.The next day was our first Sunday in the mines. It had not come any too soon. Through the long sultry hours I lay stretched on my blankets, watching the coquettish play of the l...
20. CHAPTER XIX.CALIFORNIA, _Dr._ Submarine armour, $420.00 One share in Washington Dam, 150.00 Travelling expenses, freight, &c., 350.00 Rockers, shovels, pans, &c., 200.00 Long Tom and wheel,...
18. letter I had written in February, in regard to the submarine armour,we walked to Georgetown as often as we could muster courage to ascend the hill; and, though we were often disappointed in the object of our visit, we never failed to be rewarded...
21. CHAPTER XX.The first of February we again changed the scene of our labours, and commenced working on American Bar within a few rods of our dam. This bar had been originally extremely rich,...
1. CHAPTER I.Early in 1849, the unwilling ship in which I had taken passage for California, was dragged away from the wharf in the sooty hug of a remorseless steamtug, like a struggling, kic...
25. CHAPTER XXIV.We left Chanandaigua early in the morning, for we had a long march before us, and desired to avoid the intense heat of midday as far as possible. The road led most of the way th...
5. CHAPTER V.My quiet room-mate went with us no farther. He was disheartened by the length of the voyage, and perhaps thought Brazil presented quite as many advantages as California. His pla...
12. CHAPTER XII.It was now the beginning of winter, but the weather continued mild and favourable. The nights were cold, and the ground in the morning sometimes covered with frost; but our tent...
8. CHAPTER VIII.As it was sunset when we came to anchor, we deferred our landing till the next morning; but one of the owners coming on board brought a large budget of letters, among which ther...
26. CHAPTER XXV.We stopped the fourth night at a town called San Pablo, containing many substantial buildings and several thousand inhabitants. We were obliged, however, to throw ourselves, as...
19. CHAPTER XVIII.Friday, August 10th, we arrived at Natoma, neither richer nor poorer than when we left that place four months before, but yet congratulating ourselves that it was no worse. Hund...
6. CHAPTER VI.The Leucothea crept timidly out of the harbour, like a mouse out of its hole; but had scarcely got to sea, when one of the Northers that prevail at that season was upon us, and...
4. CHAPTER IV.Nearly two months after leaving home we entered the harbour of Rio; or, to borrow the spirited lines of Madame W. our poetess,--we were so fortunate as to possess the species, b...
2. CHAPTER II.In a few weeks we had run through every variety of climate, and at the end of February, while our friends at home were still shivering in great-coats and cloaks, or rubbing thei...
7. CHAPTER VII.On the morning of the 13th of August a sail was discovered in the horizon. She rapidly overhauled us, and when sufficiently near, a boat was sent to obtain, if possible, a suppl...
3. CHAPTER III.The party to which I belonged consisted originally of but three members. Captain Bill was a short, broad-faced, blue-eyed Saxon, who no sooner felt his sea-legs, as the sailors...
17. CHAPTER XVII.The same day on which we bought the armour I went with Dr. Browne to a spot not far from Jacob's Ladder, to put up a notice of our intention to construct a wing-dam at that plac...