File #116: "Chamberlain, Levi_18400321-18400605_Journal_i23a_Typescript.pdf"

INSERT NO.7

Journal of Levi Chamberlain of a trip
to California and Mazatlan in t~e year 124o~
in the Barque Don Quixote - Capt. John Paty .

.

~'.

"T
"t"lng
Tl. rl

book" #1

1~ar. 21, 1840-Apr

.24,

1840

26p p .

5,

1840

32pp.

flHriting book Tl #2 - Apr. 25, 1840-June

-

_

........

- -.

;"
,

THIS fS A REl'RODUCT10N

I

01

AN UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRI~T
FOR REFERENCE AND STUDY ONLY
INSERT No.7
NOT TO BE REPRODUC"D IN
ANY WAY
WI1HOUT
WRITTEN pr.o"'-"'I"N
J
......
OF.
[ttWriting booktt #1 - Mar. 21, 1840-Apr. 24, 184:U
l'rl1-.J ....

'oJ

THE COPYRIGHT OWNER

Saturday March 21st 1840.
Raving had a return of hemorrhage from the lungs, a
~rescribed

voyage was

th~

tuni ty occurring in

oppor~

by my physicians; and a very fayorable

Bar:que Don Q..ui:xote, Cap .. .Tohn Paty fOlt

Caiifornia and Mazatlan, I was induced to avail myself of it ..
The vessel is destined for Maui, as Mr. Peirce who is
the charterer wishes to go thither betore she takes her final
'de~arture

•
All preparations being made, I embarked not

~ar

from noon,

but owing to difficulties in getting under weigh we did not leave
.. ;

the harbor till sundown.
Besides Mr. Peirce &. some others, Cap. Stetson &. Mr.
Dimond were passengers to Maui.
favor and the sea smooth- our

The wind was entirely in our

~assage

was unusually pleasant and

expeditious.
At daY~ight Lahaina was in full sight and abou.t

Sabbath March 22.

sunfise we came' to anchor.'
. Almost ilIlIIlediately arrangements began to be made for
landing those who wished to go on shore.

At first I thought I

W9uld remain on board as more quiet and pleasant for mysell and as
saving the

interru~tion

our fiiends.

I

-

which my going on shore would occasion to

had hardly more than formed thi s conclusion and

the boat got on her way towards shore, Mr. Dimond &.

Ca~.stetson

gone- betore a double canoe was announced and Mr. Baldwin made his
.

"

appearance in the cabin.

He in.vi ted me in. a pressing :manner to

go on shore and I concluded to accept of his invitation.
u~

withou.t any change ot

.a~~arel

I

started

and following him· descended the

-2...

sides or the vessel into the canoe.

We were very soon on shore and

at the house or Mr. Baldwin, where I round Mrs. Richards and received a cordial inn ta tion rrom her to abide in company wi th Cap. S.
at her house while I might remain in Lahaina-: Mr. Richards having
gone to Oahu in

COIIq)8.llY

wi th M:r. Farnham, where thay had arrived

,just berore the Don Q. sailed.

I spent the day very quletly,though

I relt somewhat lonely. ' In the evening a social prayer meeting
was held at Mrs. Richards t and all the brethren &'sisters at Lahainalalo attended.

These

co~sisted

or Mrs. Richards, Mr. & Mr~.

Baldwin, Mrs. McDonald, Mr. Dimond, Cap. Stetson & myselt.~
MOnday March 23rd. 1840.
Atter breakrast had a visit from
Messrs- Clark & Bailey and in the course of the day from
Messrs. Andrews & Rogers from Lahainaluna. I conversed considerably
with Mr. Clark and found that some'or the brethren on Maul entertalned some doubts respecting the practicability of themissionfs
getting together this .year for a general meeting.
AS the King has. decided to take pa'ssage for Oahu in the
x

Don Quiote the vessel will sail this evening and the passengers are

"

required to be on board in season.
I dined at Mr. Baldwin's and have an invitation to tea
with Mrs. Richards Cap. stetson & Mr. Dimond at Mrs. McDonald.
At halr past 5 olck. I-took leave

o~

the brethren & s13-

ters and entering the Captaints boat went on board the Barque.
Shortly the King and sui~1 came ofr- Auhea & her husband, Kekauohohi
Kahekili & wife, Paki & others were his attendantsT

At 8 ofck. we

, were under way.
Tuesday March 24th 1840.
ofr Honolulu.

Soon arter sun rise we were at anchor

Immediately there was a mustering to go on

sh~e.

King & several of his attendants with all the foreign passengers

The

- 3-3

disembarked immediately in the boats

o~

the vessel.

I waited for

a double canoe which ~as seen coming of~ from the shore. ~h1s
.
. Lbringing) '.
was headed by Kekuanaoa bring.. Lunalilo the Ii :ttle son of Auhea
whose meeting with, his mother was in true native style.

She

clasped him in her arms and pressed hbn to her bosom with a profusion

tears and held him

o~

~ast

closed till she reached the shore

occasionally her voice was heard in the usual condoling strain.
Xahekili
was

&,

~ired

others were passengers., A.s we were coming in a salute
from the

~ort

in honor of the King.

We landed at Pakaka.

I walked a little distance minding.at first to accompany the chiefs
to the Rale kauila and there wait for Mr. Smith to come for me in
his wagon according to an understanding with Cap. stetson when he
was about leaving to go on

sh~re;

but I found the walk would be

too much for me so I, enquired of Raina whom I met on the wharf, if
there were not some friendly lad present who would take a palapala
to Mrs. C.

.A. lad was at hand, 'and, having wr'i tten a letter to Mrs.

C. on board before I decided to come on shore, I added a word

u~on

the outside of the letter signifying that I was waiting at the
wharf, I despatched him, and sat down upon a stick of timber to
wait for a return.

In a short time the lad came back followed by

Nalimu with Mrs. Dimondts hand wagon, Mr. Smith having missed me.
I stepped in and was drawn quickly to the house.
&,

the children well,- Mr. Richards at the house7

breakfast and I sat down with her
having heard that I was on shore.
several of the brethren

&,

I found Mrs. C.
Mrs. C. prepared

Mrs. Castle, who had come over
I had an opportunity of meeting

also~

As one o'clock was fixed for the time of going off I made
such arrangements as were necessary and after engaging in prayer

.:

-4-

with my wife & children I took leave at a quarter
was drawn to the store of Ladd & Co. - I was
B11igham
Ca~.

& Mr.

~ast

twelve &

acco~anied

by Mr.

Castle, and at the consulatr met with Mr. Smith &

stetson. -

It was not t·ill after ani a ~ clock tha.t

gers were assembled in readiness to

Our

at Mr. French's wharf.

The boat was in waiting

embark~

~assengers fo

~he ~assen­

Mazatlan are Mess~. -

Farnham, Marshall, Johnson & Cobb, thence they cross the continent
via Mexico for the U.

s.

A scene of parting took place on the

wharf, and at about half pas: one we shovled of"f
course for the vessel.':"
remale passenger a native wife.

&

directed our

It may be here ntentioned' tha t we have a

Miss Maria Warren,

d~ughter

or Major Warren by

She goes to California tO join her father, "from

I
whom she has. been separated .s1nce a child.

She was educated in

America, is a professor of religion and clame out

~n

the Don Quixote.

As soon as we had got on bca.rd preparations were made for

sailing and it was not long before we we~e under way & found ourselves receding from the shores of Oahu.

CH 0
We had a pleasant breezes

£

from the north and we soon lessened the tiouses on shore • .1t· was
. not long berore the tops or the highest ,UildingS & the cocoa-nut
trees were out of sight and the bold 9utiines o"f

~he

and prominent head lands were all that clUld be seen.

mountains.
Barbourfs

Point seemed to recede as we advanced and no longer had the appear-

.

.

ance of Lailoa '(Long Point) but as the

.

I
mountains
I.

of Waianae with

their dark indented sides and lofty sunmd.ts opened upon us was
lost in the spur of a mountain.

I had nlt the slightest feeling

o"f sea sickness and enjoyed the view of 1he island as it was presented from the deck of the vessel while she rode ·gallantly over
the wave in the watery element.

I thought of the wide expanse of

I .

~

-5-

ocean on which we were embarked, its

age~

immense depth &. power,

its innumerable &. variously organised inhabitants - I thought .of
it as in Ris hand who poured it out, proportioned it to the solid
land and has fixed its everlasting bound.

I. queried what was

below us many fathoms deep- what beds of coral- what shells ot
{f

various hue- what caves the apode of numerous finny tribes- why'
not vallies &. moun.tains over which the proud waters roll and whose
deepest agitations tro'uble not their lofty aurmn.its t much less the
profound repose of their' sloping;. indented or precipitous sides.
<'.

Wedn~sday

This morning Kauai was in sight

March 25, 1840.

twenty miles or more distant, off our lee bow.

It was too remote

,.~

to present distinctly anything bJl.t the summits &. bolder features of
.

..~

... '

>

the island.

Its bearing was about

s. w. from us •.

In making a 'few arrangements.in my state room I became

a little sick and lost all

~

appetite for

breakfas~

but did not

forsake the table, but appeared at my place to ask a blessing having
been requested to do it by the Captain.-

I took an early opportu-

nity of suggesting to.the captain that if it would be acceptable
to the passengers to have a blessing at meals it would be particularly agreeable to my feelings to have the plan adopted.
A~ter brea~ast

until about noon.

I betook

mysel~

to my berth and

At noon our latitude was 22°. 44 t

estimation 84 m. W. &. 85 m. N. from Ron.

'.-

kept~t

distance, by

Most of the remaining

part of the day I kept my state room.
Thursday March 26, 1840.

There was some rain last night. To' day

the weather is some what cloudy, but not disagreeable.

Our course
;r~.~.:,~;~:~~

'about N.W. by N. making desirable progress.
Marshall &Johnson favored us with several tunes

Me's'Sr~

a much more

..

...,

'

~\

,

-6-

~

[Sc'ir

rational amusement than playing cards.
see

among most

mani~ested

o~

AAdisposition for which I

the passengers.

Friday 27.

Fair this morning our vessel moving rapidly

through the water.

La. t. 27 a 15 t

Saturday 28.

Felt in the night some pre,~sure at the lungs

and II¢ sleep was ,:interrupted.

•

'fher. 68

o

•

I also felt a good dea'l· disturbed

in my thoughts and had somewhat

o~

an impress1i'e,:,dream or reverie,

which I told to the company at breakfast, and which I hoped might
,

,

have an' influence on the amusements

o~

'.

the' cabin.
:

In my dream methought I was wandering in a well'known
street in Boston, when I fell in with a person which I recognized
as an old acquaintance

W~~h

I had known to be dead some year s. I

walked along with hiJn. and began conversation, but did not' find hm
very communicative - got the'idea however ~hat it was well with
his soul: pretty soon his appearance began to change and it continued to change until he was metamorphosed into
form.

a very

diminutive

We passed along by a place where there was fire burning

into which he immediately discovered a disposition to enter and
gratified it by placing his now

pi~

form in the :t;lame; but so

far from suffering from the heat it was beautified and seemed to
enjoy satisfaction.

When it came forth it assumed various singular

fOrmE & attitudes and after performing a number of curious evolutions it

disappe~red.

My circumstances seemed now suddenly changed.

I found myself on a sick couch oppressed for breath and in

distres~.

A friend whom I recognized to be one of our company looked in upon
me as I lay, with a kind and sympathiSing countenance, to inquire
fOr my health;, I, as if impressed with the vastness of eternity, the
impor:tance of time and the follV of wasting it, 'looked into hi s

-7-

~ace

with tenderness and with a panting breath and an tmploring

countenance, said, uno not play cards any more. u
Upon this I came to a consciousness of myself as lying
in my berth on board the Don Quixote - appressed indeed somewhat

for breath and a heavier pulse from some cause beating than usual.

It gave me pleasure to communi'oate, the substance of this

.

reverie Qf the imagination; and thus to express my disallowance'·
e

of· a practice which I feared was to prvail among
the passengers
.
~

. ,during our voyage to the coast.
·One of the passengers, whose influence would be likely
to have most weight remarked that the mind required diversion and
that for himself he could not read on board ship and he regarded
. card playing a very innocent amusement.

I

noticed there were

various opinions on the subject, but for myself I thought there
were many ways of more profitably spending the time.-

We are re-

quired that whether we eat or drink or whatever we do to do it all
to the glory of God.

I

said further we may_properly do any thing

which our minds require in order that they may be in the best
state to serve him.

But I thought tliat in the near prospect of

the eternal world the mind would take a different view of the
worth & employment of time than it would when viewing it only at
a distance.
I

hoped the remarks at t'Jie breakfast table would have

some good effect upon the m1nd ·of the company.
tude by observation was 29° 46 t
ing us.

•

At noon our lati-

The trade wind seems to be leav-

At evening had the wind trom S.W. and our course is

changed to N. N. E.

Longitude by chronometer 161

sailed during the last 24 hours 155 miles.

0

6. Distance

-8-

Cloudy~

Sabbath March 29,1840.

Thermometer 50o~ the open

air -.'in my state room 55° • .A. brisk breeze from the N. W. Unused
as'I have been for the last 17 years to an atmosphere cooler than
about 74

o

I found myself quite uncomfortable.

Occupied my state

room all day and employed myself in reading'Whftets Ser. what time
I was not employed in reading the Bible &' devotional exercises.
,..
Monday March 50.
Our breeze continues brisk from the N. W.
with a rugged sea.

Too cold for my comfort - can find nothing in.

the cabin or on deck to, cheer me.

And the cabin passengers can

find nothing but cards with which to amuse themselves., I do not
'say that I cannot employ m:y time agreeably and profI tably.
found gratification to day in reading

I have

ttlncidents of Travel, in

Egypt Arabia &c.
At noon Lat. 51

o

25.

Long. by chro. 156

0

20 t

Distance

sailed during the last 24 h. 150 m.

We are now in the Long. of

Maui'.

&:

At

OUI'

present rate of sailing

progress we shall be at

,.. t.skJ

Monterey in 14 days.
(\. A

To day baffling winds and squally-

Tuesday March 31,1840.

making but little progress on our course.- rather gloomy on deck.
o

In my state room Ther. 60 .Took off
and

cot~on

& put on woolen draws

yet not able to keep warm without my plaid gown.
Lent Mr. Farnham Txavels in Russia, Poland &c.

the Cabin Keithts Evidences.

Put in.

The Mission.a.:oy Rerald I had also'

deposited there previously a set of Journal of the A. T. Union.
hoping that some of the passengers might be diverted from the all
absorbing amusement.
La t. 31 D 20 t

•

Long. by reckg. 154

o

35!. Dist. 120.

I do not think my health suffers by the voyage.

I hope

-9-

it' is gaining.

My voice however does not recover its natural tone.

r am sorry I did not take

~.

surtout.

I fear I shall feel the

r certainly shall, should

need of such a garment on the coast.

the weather be as chilly there as it is on board ship.
Wednesday April 1st 1840'.

At sun rise the luminary of day was
o

shut in by clouds the Ther. stood at 51 • ; but the clouds began
.(::·a

to. scatter and

~,

breeze was s'pringing up from the S. W. allowing

us to resume our desired course.- the turbulenc'e of the sea also
had considerably subs.ided:,the sUn shone out, after breakfast and

!T\

',

gave a more genfttal temperature to the atmDsphere.
deck and found the exerc'ise very agreeable.

I walked the

r do not notice exer-

eising on deck in this place because of its being'the first time,
as that is not the fact, but on account of the ,particular pleasure
~

Lat. at noon 31

it afford! me.

o

36'. Long. by chron. 154

0

40.

I notice the difference between long. by chron. and long. by
1<

re~oning

as by the last method of calculating we are 5 f farther

west than we were yesterday and ,have rather lost than gained.
Passed an hour or mDre in the cabin this evening; and
listened to a number of songs and tunes sung Vy the Messrs. Marshall
and Johnson.
on rellgious

Had also some conversation on topics having a bearing
principles~

and was.favored with an opportunity of
.

~'<"J

advancing some sentiments at vari6nceAwith those 'Which govern
persons ot a

~re

worldly character.

One of the company seemed

to have adopted the sentiment that if a man act under the belief
that he is right he has no farther moral responsibility.
words he is right.

In other

I,of course objected to the correctness of the

sentiment.
Found ,it pleasant to think of the br. & sis. at Honolulu

-10-

as met together for a social meeting and remembering perhaps
myself in their prayers.
Thursday April 2, 1840.

The atmosphere is mild this morning -

we have a light breeze from the S. W.

Our course is N.N.E.

heavy swell on,' and the vessel rolls badly. -

L

.All sail set that

will at all help to propelj us forward.
s~ll

I perceived a
fr~m

my

stomach this morning

particle of discolored matter raised
It did not appear to be blood which

~

had recently issued from a wound.

Could not be satisfied that it
.

.

was caused by the use' of my lungs in conversation last evaning.
liad some
nia.

co~versation

with Cap. Paty respecting Califor-

lie thinks a Protestant school might be established there! if

it were on the plan of

grat~itous

instruction.

If spared to reach

the coast I purpose to make inquir1es in regard to that and various
other matters.
.

Lat. 32

0

40 t

Long. by chro. 154

0

12 t

•

Raye had some unpleasant sensatuon in my side.
The sea was very rough during the

Friday April 3, 1840.

night, and, the motion of the vessel was not agreeable to me

~

I

felt some pressure at the lungs and my respiration was more labored
than usual.

The wind has been from the northward and some part of

the time has blown strong.
day was about N. W.

Our course in the former part of the

This afternoon we have stood on the other tack,

and the course has been about East.

The c.ourse the Captain wishes

now to steer is N. N. E.
I have reason to be thankful that I chose the stateroom
which I occupy, as I am able to be as much secluded as I please
and to occupy m:y time in a manner most. a.greeable to myself.

I am

.able to read write and meditate without interruption and I would

.--.;.....::...-

-ll-

desire to be grateful to God that my health admits of the employment of my time in some one

or

these duties & all in their place.

My.appetite is good and our table is very liberally supplied- we
have

~uite

a variety

or

dishes & the tood is well cooked.

evil in regard to myself is that I am dis]9sed

~o

The

gratiry the

eravings ot appetite beyond perhaps the bounds which prudence
would prescribe.-

Our table has been so well rurnished that I have

had no need ot the articles which the kindness ot my wire provided,
and all the eraekers

&

most of the tarts remain; but. they are ·good

still 'and .1 may find them very grateful'·to the taste by

Lat. 34

u

&

by.

32t. Long. by chro. 152? 30.

Saturday April 4th. 1840.

pleasant day and favorable wind-

A

royals set and making desirable progress- c9urse

~.

N. E.

I found

it very agreeable to walk on deck an hour this morning.
We have. albatross flying about us every day sometImes
two or three and sometimes in larger nUmbers-

s

$ometimes sklmming

along just above the surface of the waves- sometimes lighting upon
~l'c.)

them, again: rising and streaching"forward with a few flappings of
[.,ggairr} ,

the wings, then sailing along, settling one wing and rais.ing the
D~~

A

, .

other glidlngAsidewise, then changing & performing various evolutions but not leaving our track.

It has been

~uite

amusing to .;
[sIST

watch their movements.

One of the passengers tryed his skill the
A

other day with a gun to bring one o,f them down, but did not succeed,
A fortnight ago to day I embarked on board this vessel
then bound to Maui, but having,as it may be regarded, commenced
the voyage to which I had been looking for about 3 weeks with a
good deal of interest.

While Just now looking over the

s~de

of the

vessel & viewing the waves as they rolled towards us and noticing
the swiftly passing current of our track, the thought came to mind,

-12-

now I realiz.e that/as a present event which had so often been

,~ '6£

'-C:'d5?

r .'

ed forward to as one/future, I thought of the waves of death.
the~e

lookIn

I shall one day find myself struggling~ death will then be a

present event.

How shall I conflict with those waves.

Sailing

now on the surface of the ocean I find myself protected from the
towering wave by the unyielding sides and pr~tecting bulwark of
our faithful barque.

Plunged in tho se cold waves may I find my/

self safe in the ark of the t>aviors protection and pass trimuphantly over them into the haven of endless rest & peace.
, La t. at noon 35

c'

16 '

a

Long. by chro. 149 • 53 t_
We have now a head wind- course

'- Sabbath April 5 1840.
about S. E.

I placed books in the cabin suitable for the Sabbath, and
carried forward several Vols of Tract to the forecastle for the
sailors.
The Captain took an observation in the afternoon of the
sun and moon to ascertain the true longitude.
I

have been unusually cold notwithstanding that I have

been thickly clad, having put on my red flannel snart and had fire
put into the foot stove which I brought,.-

Pulse very sluggish 60

only in a minute.
In the evening Messrs Marshall & Johnson sung a number
of sacred tunes from the Sand. Island Collection.
Lat. 36

46 t

•

MOnday'April 6th. 1840.
a rough sea.

Long,. by chro. 148

50 t

•

by obs. 148

Wind still ahead blowing strong with

Have altered our course are now standing N. W.

La t. 55

(;>

25 t . Long. 147

graded the last 24 hours.

54!

o

10 f by chro.

We have retro-

-13-

Our time is about 40 m. advance ot Oahu.

MOn. con.

I thought of the season and endeavored to lift up my heart in
unison with the brethren and sisters at the islands.

It occurred

to me that :Mr. Dibble may have arrived and with the Methodist brethren &, sisters was uniting Lh the interesting duties of the evening
at the house of bro. Bingham •
. Tuesday April? 1840.
mo~eter,

Had the misfortune to break my ther-

but not so entirely as to he unfit to answer the purpose

of gauging the atmosphere •
. Read some in Rushenbergerts Narative of a voyage &c. He
states that the harbor of Monterey is situated in 36
and 121

0

42'

w.

{)j·cJ

0

36 t N. Lat.

lcng.- the indianAPopulation of Upper California

is estimated at about 10,000.- there are 21.missions all of which
are in a state of decay.

·On~

at Cormelo is in ruins and almDst
[SIC)

abandoned- about 4 miles from

MOnte~r~.
j\

The wind has died away considerably and the sea has become comparatively smooth.

Our course is about N. or N. by E.

course we wish to steer is N.E.-

The

It may and probably will be a

fortnight befOTe we reach Monterey.
Lat 36° 50'. Long. by chro. 14?
Wednesday Auril 8 1840.

a

46'.

Str.ong wind} rainy

direction of the wind has been
.

at noon: by estimation Lat. 39

fr~m
0

E. to S. E.

lot -

&,

cold.

The

Got no observation

Long. by chro. 14?

Q

W.

My meteorological observations must cease, as I find the breaking
[sic.)

of the !Ehermometer will·not fit it for use.
1\

Could not walk on deck - the day has been rather gloomy.
Read the nYoung Cottagern.and in Parker's Exploring Tour.

I need

not complain for want of employment; and if I do not improve my
)

mind, and exert a good influence on those around, it will be my

-14-

own fault.

More rough & stormy this evening than we have had 1t

any time before.
ThUrsda; .A:Dr1l 9; 1840'.
..,...

-'

/'

/",.

The storm has abated, and the wind

;;:::"-

is favorable tho. rather light, and the swell
the Southward.

some.~hat

heavy from

It Is pleasant to see the sun, and it was very

agreeable to walk the deck awhile before breakfast.

I usually

rise about 6 o'ck gener.ally a little before that hour

7

go on deck

brush my teeth & wash, then go back int.o my state room & attend to
my private devotions & reading till breakfast which is about 8 o'ck.
We dine 'about 1 o'ck & sup at

i

past 5 olck.

I generally retire

.Am very much troubled with cold feet.

to rest before 9 otck •

When I go to bed I wrap my flannel draws warm from my body around
them, and with

thi~~lP .t~ey

do not become soon warm.

Lat. 39 o 48 t . long. by chro. 144 0 40 t
N. by E.

!

We are making a

•

the variation makes it about E.

co~seil

The Cap.

1

wishes to keep to the north of the port on account of the prevalence of N. W. winds in that region.
A brisk westerly breeze and a plaasant sky gives cheerfulness to the scenes on d'eck and adds very
much to the pleasantness of occupations below.

We are going at

the rate of 9 miles an hours almost directly before the wind 7
studdensails set.

Vessel rolls badly as is always the case in

sa~~ing bef~re

wind, if there be any considerable swell of

th~

th,e sea e:x:isti~.,7

.

'.~

Lat. 39

l}

51 t

.'

Long. by chro. ~4+o 50 t ~

We have 20

c

of

long. yet to make before we shall reach the port.

~
\

Saturday April 11th
;>''/

1840~

//////.//

Our favorable wind continues and we

are making rapid progress having the last 24 hours sailed 212 miles.

-15-

Lat. 39

0

20' Long. by chro. 13'7 c 19 t .

we are now .in a deg.

o~

deg. on the equator.

In. the latitude

long. is about 47 miles or 47/60 of a

Sailing at our present rate in 4 days we

shall make oux port.
Finished reading Parker's Exploring Tour.

I have been

upon the whole m.uch pleased with it. ·Re has probably given too
favorable representation of the indians west at the Rocky MOunt~ins;

his aim undoubtedly has been to be im.partial, but a thor-

ough acquaintance with heathen character will bring out to view
the traits so faithfully delineated by the pen of inspiration.
Sabbath April 12th 1840.

MOderate and a mild atmosphere -

progress slow.
La t. 58° 20 f Long.153° 54' •
The last 24 h. we ha va
16[
sailed ±ei miles. Commenced reading the life of Rev. Joseph

Emerson; am much pleased with it.

A. very quiet day .•
~.

Very nearly calm- we seemed to be

Monday April 13 1840.

moved by nothing but the swell which

c~mes

in long regular heavings

from the N. W. while all the rest of the ocean 1s smooth

&.

not

disturbed by a wave.
La t. 58

0

08. long. 132 Q 51}'.

sailed only 55 miles.

~uite

The last 24 hours we have

an accident happened in breaking

~

bottle of squills which I had placed under my head.
Tuesday A.nl. 14th.
from

s.

We have some wind but it is varying

S. E. to S. E. and w.e cannot lay our couxse.

ninY.·,:a:ll day

&.

It has been

I have not been able to exercise on deck-

To be

confined below all day in a solitary stateroom is··not very pleas8
ant, and yet I have not been destitute of employment.

I have been

reading the life of Rev. Joseph Emerson- a good Biography.

-15-

No observation.
!ec k on i ng 130 0 09 t .

Lat. by reckoning 39

o

31!. Long. by

Distance sailed the last 24 hours 150 miles.

Weg.nesday ApI. 15th 1840.

We had a free wind last night enabling

us to lay ou:r:"c,0:u-se- it continues this morning, but plows m.ore
moderately.

The r,og settling around us indicates that we are

approaching the continent .La.t. 38 °,19 t

Long. 126 0 30' •

•

This evening raised a little blood, and the sensation
which I felt in my breast led m.e to think it would be serviceable
to be bled.

Mr. Stokes the mate attempted it, but he did

no~

,

succeed, though he cut hoth arms.
A.bout 1 otck last night I 'took a

,Thursday A.p. 16.

dose of salts which operated this morning.

Did not come to table

to breakfast, but had some thin pia made during the
fatality seems to attend my squills.

forenoon~-

A

The phial containing the

most of what I had saved from the breaking of the bottle the other
day, was by a sudden lurch of the vessel precipitated from'a
shelf where I had secured it upon rrrybed.
could of them

& put

them in a tumbler.-

I scooped up what T
I have a 'sensation in my

side which warns me that my diseaseehas yet a hold upon me.
At noon Lat. 37

4)

08 t Long. 123

the afternoon land made its appearance.

0

42'.

In the course of

The first sight of the

great continent which I have had for 17 years.

It was pleasant

to see the western shores of our beloved land.
The cable was got, up & anchor bent to be in readiness.~t

sun down we were pretty well in with St.Croix.

The appearance

is a low

range of mountains or hills not very distant from the

shore

seeming to rise abruptly from them.

a~d

We have had a brisk N. W. breeze till sun down when it
became nearly calm.

Something was said about anchoring off st.

-17-

Croix, but the vessel did not get in near

~nough.

This has not been a pleasant day to me.
at~en9-ed.:1.the

table once-

my food has been pia.

Have not
At night with my

mug of soft pia I ate two of the small hard crackers which Mrs.
C. provided & fo.und them very agreeable.

I went to bed before dark hoping to ·get warm & to

was 99 or 100.
feel quiet •

My pulse just at night

Mr. Farnham. has been quite attentive

frequently after my health.-

&

has enquired

My feet did not become immediately

warm but I felt tolerably comfortable except a quick pulse &: the
fear ot fever.My 'febrile symptoms have subsided . :::

Friday April 17th 1840.
pretty much.

Ate soft pia &

the kindness of Mrs, C.

c~acker

also a small pie provided by

Did not come out to table.-

We have

more of the coast in sight and MOnterey not very distant; but no
wind· ih the morning.-

About.10 ofck. a breeze sprung up & fresh-

[Sic.]

ened/a.sA we advanced we had a clear view of the shore.- in some
places a sand beach- the banks rising rather abruptly & whitened
as with patches of drifted snowbeating upon it.

in others rocky with the surff

In the distance forest trees were seen rising,

with pastures sprinkled with clumps of trees & bushes extending
towards the shore - here & there a moss grown rock rearing itself
aJJ!:i:dst the verdure.
The town opened to view on )he South side of the baY,consisting ·of 50 or 60 house~ defended bJ' a fortress- very ~nsignificant in appearance rearing a flag staff on which was flying the
Mexican colors.

At the north part of the town is the church a

low and rather rusty looking building.
As it was necessary to

comm~micate

with the shore

before anchoring the boat was let down and the captain

&,

several

..... -.... _..

.~."~

- -

_. ----

-

---_.._-

•.

-.- -- _.

-18-

,

f

of the passengers entered it and were rowed to the shore while the
Barque stood off &

on~-

At half past 3 otck the boat returned and

:!
w~s

accompanied by another one belonging to the government.

~hey

brought word that there were disturbances on shore, and that the
Don
i""

x

~u~ote woU~d

',.-..

'.

.

not be allowed to anchor without paying the .

harbor fees and then.only for 24 hours; and that the boat must
The Alceope had not arrived ~

not go to shore again.-

Mr. Farn-

ham was allowed to go on shore and remain till the vessel should
call again.
boat.-

He took his bundle & went ashore in the

The Barque

t~cked

to leave the bay,

b~t

after

gove~nment
beati~

against the heavy swell till nearly dark without mak.ing any headway & the wind subsiding we were obliged to.cast anchor for the
night.

It was c aIm this morning and the'

Saturday April 18th 1840.

atmosphere somewhat mild & I enjoyed the prospect of the shore.
on
In front of us~the beach lay the wreck of the whaling ship Com~
Rogers which was lost in 1838, the sport of the waves- near this
on the right hauled up on the sand was the small government boat
and beyond it a little further to
of the settlement!

>n

~st

~he

right the. principal houses

of them one story high & generally small,

none of them over two stories, built of dobies, some covered with
shingles & other with tiles having a red1Sh,:appearance. Stretch-

ing to the North is ...a sand beach with something of a high bank,
rather barren in appearance.-

There appear to be two ranges.of

hills the first undulating near the shore - the others rising
in the distance woody.

Some of the hills smooth & clothed with

grass, others surmounted with, trees ranging along their summits

~

Some interspersed with clusters of trees containing openings covered with verdure and risings of land seen beyond, smooth & dressed

'-

-.

-

--,..-

-19-

,~

in

f

. l

gre~n~

horses

neat cattle feeding. Saw a

&.

pl~t

of plowed

~

'gT~und-

S9m.e

nothing else that appeared :to be under cultivati.on.

or .the pastuxes sprinkledw'i th yellow rlowers said to resemble
'1&' 'Wr-."> . ,

the·nohu at the:r.g~l~ .

' "~ '. •

..

'-~~."

The.forest trees are said to be a species of pine.

It

was pleasant once more to view ,the forests or the great ,continent

'.

though I may not have strength or
them

permissi~n

even to range among

The disturbances on shore are said to have arisen from

,

thretenings &. reports of vagrant hunters &. stragglers, who have
stated that it is the intention of the U. S. to take possession
of California in pay for the debt of the Mexican govt. due to
ours.-

These reports and the threats of a swaggering Am. hunter

have awakened the suspicious fears or the Californian authorities
.. '........

here, and induced them to seiz.e &. imprison some stragglers ·ot?OH-.
~;~";-

....

.. ::<:. ~:

One by the name of Graham a native of

Am. residents.

Kentucky is to be sent to Mexico it is said to be tried for his
life.
The Captain hoisted a signal of distress with a view to
obtain intercourse with the shore and gain liberty for a physician
to come off on my account.

I was the more willing the measure
c

should be adopted as I hoped my need of a physician might be urged
upon the

autho~ities

remain.

The signal was not .

&.,

avail with them to allow the Barque tor
answe~ed'

time the vessel was got under way_

and after waiting a suitable

Just as the anchor was atrip

a rush was noticed on shore &. the boat was launched and
hoisted came ofr.

~~h

'colors

An of ricer of govt. with an interpreter came

on board to whom our wish was stated.

After an introduction

th~

~.
.~

...

_,a

question was asked whether I wished to go on shore) & answered in

t

·"

-20the negative.
might go

t~

We were then told that the boat of the vessel

shore and bring off a physician but the vessel would

not be allowed to anchor.

The privilege of sending for a physi-

cian was declined on the ground that being now under way, and the
wind being brisk if not allowed to come to anchor, the detention
twould interfere with our getting out o~ the bay_
good by &. entered their boat for the shore.

They bid us

We kept on our "course.

&',continued beating until we were out 0.1' the bay, which was not
till near evening, having a heayY awell and N., W. wind to contend
with.
Having felt pain in my side, I drew a blister last night.
~~.

Cobb has been kind enough to dress it for me, to day.

,Sabbath Api. 19th. 1840.

Thick atmosphere land part of the

day visible in the distance north.
MOnday April 20th.

Weather uncomfortable.

A.tmo'sphere thick as yesterday; and ...

standing 0.1'1' ahd on much in the same position.

Lat.36° 19 t

•

Drew orders on Henry Hill EsqT".j favr. M:r. Alvah Ai itrea.ge
fer $100

on acct. of Mr. Clark and Miss Hannah Farrar for $100.-

on. account of Mr. Rogers, both of which were dated Henolulu March
24th 1840.
Tuesday AnTil 21st.

The sun has made its appearance part

of to. day, notxithstanding which the atmosphere is celd.
making long tacks off and on , land out of Sight.

We are

Lat 360. 10.

r

South of our port.
My pulse is irregular.
has been once abeut 100 a minute.
Wednesday 22nd.

It has been as low as 55 and it
To day it has been abeut 55.

This merning the sheres were in

sight and we found ourselves in the neighborheod of Monterey.

-21-

Pursuing our course we entered the Bay and about noon we were
sufficient~
.

it

~as

flag.

near to discover a vessel in port.
(S~l

We were in hopes

the .Alciope
but it proved .to be a Barque bearing the Mexican
.
. t\
Wh~n

we were sufficiently near the town the govt. boat with

an officer & interpreter made us a visit, from whom we learned
that the prisoners of which there are 47 all foreigners were being
~ut

en board to be sent to Mexico to be tried •.

was not. the same that boarded us on Saturday the
the same.

inter~reter

was -

Our boat was allowed to go 0n·:t:u: shore for Yx. Farnham

and limited to a stay of half an hour.
longer.

The govt. officer

It was gone however much

Mr. ·F. when he returned brought a report of most shameful

treatment inflicted by the govt. upon the prisoners.

He states

that 53 persons were placed in a small room so small that it' was
impossible for them all to lie down at the same time - that they
were kept in this place three days without food or permission to
move from their confinement.-

47 are condemned to be sent on

board the Barque to go to. Mexico.
protections.

Most of these have American

He remarked he never saw his countrymen ever before

treated with such indignity.

We were standing off & on in the

harbor till 40 f ck when we directed our course to sea to wait
still longer fDr the Alciope.- . Could get no fresh provisions.out
Wind fresh got/about sundown & had a fresh breeze all night.
Thursday April 23d. 1840.
M. and then stood in till 8
. again.

The vessel stood off till 12 o'ck P.
o~ek

A. M.· then tacked & stood off

At 12 A.¥. stood in and on this tack entered the bay the

wind blowing very strong.

The Captain now concluded to pay the

port charges & bring his vessel to an anchor, fearing some accident should he continue to layoff and on, and fearing also being
short of.pr?visions.

We entered the bay and ran up to the

-22-

anchorage unde~ very fresh breeze & dropped anchor opposite the
After waiting awhile a boat was lowered & Cap. P. & Mr.

fort.

do~son

boat

&

started for the shore, they were met by the government
Both boats came along side & the

were direct·ed to return.

officers three in. all came on board.

They behaved civilly and

admitted the ship to an entry, .sealing the hatches and then returhed, 'the Captain also went on shore in his own boat, and stated
that the passengers would go on shore tOmDrrow.-

So we are now

safe at anchor in.MOhterey harbor.
The armed ves'sel with prisoners 'sailed last night
seen by us this morning in th"e offing.
Barbary & then proceeds to st. Blas.
Snooks an

was

&

She. is to stop' at St.
She is commanded by Cap.

Englishman- was formerly the Roger Williams and has

been recently purchased of the American owners.
Went on shore at 10 oTck in company

Friday Anril 24.1840.
with Messrs.

~furshall,

Brotherton & Cobb and walked with them to

the house of Mr. Thos. Oliver Larkin where I was received with
great kindness by Mrs. Larkin.

Mrs .1. was formerly Mrs. Homes a

,

lady who stopped at the islands 8 years ago who was expecting to
join her husband on California, and was attended by Mr. 1.

On her

arrival or about the time of her arrival her husband died and she
then married

~~.

1.

She has had six children but only three

them survive - the youngest is about two mDnths old - all
has never been able to nurse any of them.
the Spanish language.
children -

o~

boys~

She

The children talk only

It is said to be a bad place to train up

There are no schools nor public means of instruction.

[Sic.J

h
Mr. L.s i\ children have been baptised by the Romis1 priest.I was
informed by Mr. L.that the priest objected on the ground of his
being a Protestant, but consented to administer the ordinance on

-25-

his making the declaration that he would use no inrluence to eias
~he

child in regard to the principles or religion, that it should

be ·leftto choose his own religion as he gxew up.
I walked out a short distance to take a view or the
place and when

~

returned I was shown a neat room in the second

story where a fire had been kindled and :was invited to make :m:y
home there as long as I Eight stay on shore.

The house is built

dobies is two stories high- commodious & decently finished

o~

~

-r

The people of MOnterey seem to have quite'a taste for pictures- the
\

A

walls of the rooms are studded with them- at least the houses that
I have seen.
This house is
three sides.

surroun~ed

by a

verhanda~or

at least on

It looked like our native. country to see swallows

rlying about and to see t4eir nests
their abode in the

~

verhand~of

A great company have taken up
LSk,j

Mr. L.s(\ house, On one rafter I

counted no less than 24 nests': they were almost united to each
other and on both sides of·the rafter.

Crows also I saw flying

about in great numbers & so tame that they will light on the fences
around the houses and within a rod of a person.
I was introduced to a Dr. Marsh of st. Francisco about
100 miles above this- an intelligent gentleman forme,rly of Salem,
and as I undErstood or liberal educationy
is a man of influence.
missions.

lie

has a large farm ahd

I· made inquiries of him respecting the

He says there is but one flourishing mission in the

whole of Upper California and that is the ijission or, St. Joseph
[jF~J

in the neighborhood of St. Francisco-

There are about 1500 indiansA

connected with this establishment and they have many cattle &
horses & raise a good deal of wheat and other produce.

-24-

"
In respect to a protestant mission it would be fipposed
\

by the catAolics,- a missionary would not be allowed to preach; but
a teacher would be,well received who would come prepared to teach
the Spanish language,of which he must be master and if he should
understand the French

lang~age

it would be a recommendation.

A

1.)t'c.J

pasportAhe would need and permission to reside which might be obtained through the U. S. mip.ister resident in Mexico.· If he were
a· man well qualified- wise .·prudent and would not undertake to
teach religion he would be well received and would do good.

By

teaching reading and other branches- he would enlighten. the rising
generation- he might teach pure morality- inculcate the best principles- enlighten the minds of the young and prepare them for a
more liberal form of religion than that which now holds the people
in slavery.
I was told also that religion is at a low ebb.

The most

active and energetiC man among the Catholics is a Mr. Hartnell an
Englishmanwh6 has the superintendence of all the missions; but
the community at'''iarge are very ina.ttentive to the forms.
few 'go -to the priests to make confession.

Very

As in all catholic

countries the Sabbath is very little regarded.- Mass is said in
the morning, but not often is there a sermon.-

Foreigners doubt-

less have a great influence in bringing religion into disrepute.
They cannot marry in the country it is true without submitting to
Catholic forms;- they are' required to be baptised after this

is;:

done and their object gained they have nothing further to do with
religion, their wives grow in general remiss & they bring up their
f~lies

so far as religion is concerned very loosely.

I did not

hear priests spoken of by any with respect, and ocr course the

.-25-

priests have not the respect or foreigners.

And if I might judge

rrom what has been told me or the people generally, the

~unities

or the Catholic religion are small.
It is reported that a Bishop is to be sent from Mexico
f.\

and that the missions are to be reforganised.

Should this be the

case it is probable he will establish schools) and that

efro~ts

will be made to revive the Catholic religion, or to excite the
people to greater attention to its forms.
When. the missions were· first established by priest fraIn.
old Spain, the best good, it is said, or the indians was sought,
buildings were erected by mechanics who came out in connection
with the missionaries - the indians were sought after and.brought
under influence, red, clothed &·instructed in the Catholic religion & taught to work- Some or them were instructed in the mechanic
arts- large farms were

cult~vated.

extensive herds of cattle & horse

were raised & domestic animals trained and much wealth was brought
together.

But the old Spaniards have been succeeded by priest

rrom Mexico who have not sought the good or the indians as their
predecessors did and the prosperity of the establishments has dS7
clined.
omia

Much probably is to be
it is weak and not very

attrib~ted

~irmly

to the govt. or Calir-

established.

The Catholic system is wrong from the roundation the.
only object of its propagators was to bring the indians under
their forms of religion and at the most in connection with this to
teach a few some of the

si~le

mechanic arts & to employ the rest

ih farming & taking care or herds of cattle.
While they attended to these services and practiced the
forms of the catholic religion, they were considered ghristianized.

I

l-

jl

-. i

..

f

f

I

-26-

They were not taught, as I have heard, to read or instructed in
I

·sclence.

END OF T11dRITI'NG BOOK" No. 1
Mar. 21, 1840-Apr ... 24, 1840

INSERT No. 7 cont ~:d
[ Il!Nri t ing book 11 #2, Apr. 2S, 1(-.140 - June 5, lSLj..o J

Monterrey Saturday April 25th 1840
As I retired to rest at an early hour last night,
1 awoke before day.

Ky sleep was not entirely undisturbed,

for soon after laying down I found my bed was infested.

I

was not entirely broken of rest but I could have wished my
annoyers at a distance and it would have been in vain to
have got up &: attempted to dislodge tt.em.
light I was entertained

1-Ti

As soon as it was

th tc.e swallows twi t.tering in the

vorhanda [sic].
I arose before six oTck and r2.king open the ashes
on the hearth I scraped out a few coals of fire and'with a
little bark.at hand I kindled a flame by which I sat &: warmed
myself and I fOlJ.nd the heat comforts.ble, for although the
weather can not be called cold, it is much colder than that
to which I have for many years been acclJ.stor:J.ed.
At

7

olck I had tea 8..J."1d breac &. butter brought to

my room and at 8 olck or a little after a pint of rrlilk &:
[SIC]
broa~, of

which I made a good breakfast.
Afte'''' breakfast by invl tation of I-f:r; Larkin

took a walk with him into the settlement[.J

~'le past

I
[sic]

the guard house near a short bridge which is penal to cross
on horse back - a fine of two dollars is imposed for the
violation of

t~lis

regulation - one of our passengers Nr

l1arshall was fined· t:'1is sum for riding over the bridge ignorantly.

We stopped at the house of the

A~ministordor

Collector of Custcms and made a short tarry.

or

Saw here Dr.

-2-

Bale a physician, from a whaling
was introduced to us at Oahu.

ship~

who a few years since

He is settled here - married

and acting physician for government with a salary of six
hundred dollars.

From. this place we Halked to the

if the building may be deserving the name.

O·~thedral-

Its appearance is

much the worse for age - It is built of stone of a light color
not very durable in appearance.

It fronts to the north -has

two windows only on the east side there were originally two on
the west side but these have been stopped up with dobies.
must be very gloomy in the inside.

It

The windmvs existing are

not glazed they have a wire netting to secure theTll from being
entered.

Mr. L. states that it has been built abo~t

it seems to be much neglected and is going to decay.

60

years

Yass is

said ir.. it every morning by the priest attended only by a very
few persons.

I saw the house of the priest in another part of

the town but did not call upon him.
On our return we passed the hOllse of the governor and
called upon an English gentleman by the n8...'TIe cf Spence whose
residence is near.

He has resided

16

years at this plac~ and

officiates as alcalda or justice of the peace.

He is a man of

intelligence and of probity.

I received a polite reception and

the proffe::: of his services.

I have been every where treated

with attention & politeness.

The state of my lungs did not

admit of my conversing much.

I enquired respecting the recep-

tiona lteacher would be likely to receive - He remarked. that if'
he came as a school master not to teach religion and had a
passport which might be obtained through the D. S. minister in

-3-

Nexico, he would be well recei'ged and would do good, but he
must be well acquainted with the Spanish language. -

I asked

.,.-

whether there would be any objection on the gpund of his being
a protestant He [sic] replied, he would not be allowed to
preach, and he must have permission to reside.
After the walk through the. settlement I took a range
in the pastures & was much delighted with the wild flowers
blooming in all directions among the grass & appearing in great
variety.

The pastures are skirted with tall trees:, most of

them pitch pine apparently.

I

Sa\..J

a pretty shade tree having

a spreading top 'Y. thick foliage at a distance this tree has an
agreeable appearance.
house and I-Jas furnished

I saw no fruit trees.
l~ith

I returned to the

a boyrl of chicken soup, which

served for my dinner.
I walked afterwards to

t~e

beach and some distance

upon it to where lay the wreck of the ship Com. Roge:,s - it is
filled with sand as hiSh as the

be~ms

of the middle deck.

In

the course of the afternoon I w·.:mt on board the Don Quixote
preferring to s)end the sabbath there rather than on shore.
rne Alciope arrived
wind bound

15

8 days-from Norfolk Sound - was

days in port, which was the occasion of her

delay.
Sabbath Apl.

26 1840.

I enjoyed quiet part of the day. In

the morning there was work going on, moving the position of
the vessel and taking water on board which was filled yesterday but owing to the wind could not be gotten off.

Two

gentlemen from shore dined on board they came off to trade &

-4-

probably succeeded in buying all they had a wish to purchase.
I did not take my seat at table but declined eating and I
joyed my' Sabbath the
ing Dr. Bale

b~tter

:for my abstinence.

en-

L:, the even-

& Mr. Ridley came off & spent the night on board.

I was suspicious that they played cards 1-li tc. pas sengers in the
cabin. Nonday ApI.

n.

1840.

All the passengers went on shore but

'.

mysel:f.

I chose to remain in order to write up my minutes.
Cap_ Clap' visited us.

I

spo~e

to him respecting

carrying d01<1ll lumb.er for the meeting house.

He will do all

in his power to acconwodate us; but thiLks he can not carry
more

tr~n

20 sticks.

I fear even that quantity of the dimen-

sions needed 1>7ill not be obtained.

I have given l"r Larkin a

memorandum of thedescripticn wanted.
The·Cap. has probably got pretty

~ucc

through his

business at this port and the vessel it is expected 1-[ill sail
. t omOrr01'7. . Night - all the passengers are on board & we sail tomorro"J.
" I have been informed tt.at tl"_e number of

indiar~s

con-

nected with all the rrissions a:rr:.ount tc abcut 5,000 and that
-

the number of inhabitants of all other classes in California
is about 5,000 more. - This is a smaller number than I had
supposed to be the inhabitants of this tract of C?lmtry.

I

do not rely very much on the estim.ate.
In regard to the late di sturbance J :Cr. l,Iarsh informed
me that, in his opinion, there 1-laS without doubt a conspiracy but whether there was any real intention to subvert the government may be regarded as a doubt.

Several persons had combined·

-5-

& concerted plans
actly known.

or

some kind the nature of which is not ex-

Some straggling fellows '!'Tho had been drinking

made various declarations and uttered threats which a>,-Takened
alarm and was taken notice of.
or Gardner an Englishman

c&~e

A person by the

of Garner

rorward & stated a plot in which

he was concerned mentioning the
him:

na~e

n&~es

of those connected with

thus turning States evidence - this he did it is believed

to implicate a man

b~

the name of Graham an American

h~~ter

who has resided some time in this country and haS done a good
deal for the Government:

Gardner it

wo~d

seem had become offend-

ed with Graham and sr:!J. ght revenge and took this method to gain
it by reporting him as a conspirator against the govt.

Ny in-

formant expr.essed it as his opinion that Gardner had instigated
the plot in order to dra',v others into it, but especially to
entrap the man against whom he entertained a spite with the
design of makihg a disclosure and thus getting revenge.

Being

one of the co;:;pany- sent· to apprehend hire. he advised that they
should put him to death. and not' attempt to ta1<:e him, as he
would be likel;,r to turn upon them

&: shoot·them.

On arriving

at his house they discharged a volley of musketry at the place
where he was supposed to be lying in bed - his partner who was
wi th him was badly 'Hounded - but he only slightly though every
thing

aroun~

by the balls.

him and his clothes upon his body were torn away
He was then seized & brought to Lonterrey.

It

is believed that the govt. have been greatly alarmed on insufficient grounds & that they have pursued an unjustifiable
course, that they have apprehended undesigning men, tore them
rrom their ffullilies & posseSSions & sept them out of the country

-6-

in violation of the faith of the govt.

Some of them doubtless

are persons that they had just right tc send away.
Tuesday April 28 1840.
proceeded to sea
of the Bay.

[.J

About 10 otck we got under way and

Had a pleasant breeze and were soon out

We direct our course now for st. Barbary.

The

wind proved baffling off the Point and we did not get clear of
the land till dar¥.
'tlednesday April 29th

Ive were favored with a good breeze
.

.

through the night and made 'desirable progress. - Our breeze
slackened during the day, but had a heavy s",..;ell.

No land in

sight till just evening.
Thursday April 30tt 1840.

~nis morning more of the Coast

way in sight - Most of the day very little wind, rr.ade some
progress however - afternoon had a gentle breeze - all sail set
and sailed alon::: very smoothly not haviI1..g much sTtlell & no sea.
In sight the islands st. ¥icrraels, St. Rosa & St.
Croix:

It was s o1Y.e .ihere nesr- st. Resa that
T

killed in the Lama.

St. Croix lies directly off

st. Barbary about 20 miles distant from it.
small island

w~lich

Ca~~.

B2.ncroft was
t~e

~here

port of

is another

li2's in an easterly direct .on from St.

Croix.
Friday 11!ay 1st

At about 8 o! ck this mornin8 He came to

anchor at t_e port of st. Barbary.

After breakfast we went

ashore - in rowing in we passed threugh several patches of
matted marine-vegetable or kelp.Lsic] there is less cf this
production now than tb.ere is sometimes.!.f:.

;r!e la~~ded ur;on the

sand beach i:c. the surff [sic] which was n9t high a·t the present
J.J.

;r

It is a kind of vine &

gro~·JS

to a great length.

-7-

time.

The crew of the prison bark

we landed preparing to

ta...~e

have been tru[en on shore

nO-liT

he~e

were on shore where

off wood & water - The prisoners

& placed under guard for safe keeping

until such time as t!:!.e vessel is ready for Sea. - From. the shore
we walked about
son.

He

~TaS

3/4

of a mile to the house of r:r. A. B. Thomp-

not at home being absent in the Boliva which has

gone to st. Pedro a hundred miles or more below this and expected back in a day or blO.

Cap. Robbins a man whom I have

seen at the islands being in charge recei vedus politely .a...YJ.d
invi ted us in.

vIe .first v-ralked into tl-:e store 0: after;vard,

ascended a flight of Stairs frem the o!.1.tside,

/3::.

entered by a

verhanda inte a large roon: ,-1ell furnis:led 1'{cere 1;-re we [sic]
were seated.

Shortly He were introduced to }Irs. Thompson

Hho ca.c'1!.e in ,-Ii th dark hair flowi.D..g over her sl-:o'.llders on each
s~de

of her pers on like a mantle pre sentiY'-€; an appearance

never exhibited by any of our ladies ;.J:'len they are presented
to company;

but such an arpearG.nc6 is prebG..'oly fashionable

in the morning in Spanish countries.
were not able to converse.
t~J.e best it is said in St.

She did not speak as we

ff:r Thompson has a very good hO'.1.se
Barbary -

it is twe stories" high-

has thick walls of dobies, and a shingled
t~is

county,

t~e

roof~

ULcomrr.on in

ordinary covering beins tiles in form of a

divided cilinder [sic] 10 or 12 inches in dit:L-r:1eter & 20 to

24

long placed so as to l.ap, one the convex side up, & the other
dmID the one d'oHn forming a gutter to cond'.lct off the water.
Roofs thus constr'.lcted are very heavy, but are said to be perfectly tight - as they must be, unless some of the tile are
broken or not well joined where the pieces unite & form the
courses.

_l~'_

life were invited to stop &' take dinner - In the interval I walked out - saN" Eaj or

~varren.

I did not think he was

gratified with the visit of his daughter remarked it was a bad
time in consequence of the disturbances now existing, thought
he should send her to Oahu again in the

~~ciope.

out the length & breadth of the settlement

wa~

A walk through

soon affected -

The fort is situated near the middle' & the walls of it are in a
decayed state - they seem to have been recently repairing some
'of the breeches.

I saTt! pear trees in bloom; this :was the only

fruit tree which I saw.
peaches.

This is said tc be a fine place for

None cf the houses are more than two stories & most

of theE only one story all constructed of dcbies.

I

sa""T a

few misel"able huts resembling very much the poorest houses of
. the Sand;'Tich Islanders.

I took the rarr.ole· alone. -

ance of ,crows & turkey buzzards

Sa';'T abund-

the'last mentioned is a f01d

I never saw before - It may be it is t}::.e vulture for it seemed
to be seeking flesh for its food.

It is not so large as the

turkey but some what resembles it. -

~t

one olck dir.:ner was

served - we had five courses - a very good dinner - Frs. Thompson & ~on

3 or

4 years

of ace sat at the table and I was aston-

ished tc see the mother give him wine to drink.
daughter younger.

She has a

Our host drank brandy as he called but the

liquid had the appearance of gin.

I drruUr of course water.

After dinner the passengers walLed to see the church
about 2 miles distant.
so far.

I though [sic] it not prudent to walk

This church is larger, is in a conspicuous place &

presents a very good appearance.
rising ground

The settlement -

church on

& mountaiLs in the rear give the place

sc~ewhat

the appearance of Lahaina - At least I was reminded of that
place.

The mountains are high

have somewhat of

8.

& rise near the shore - they

barren appearance. - The country is frui t-.

ful but the farms are all at a distance - I did not see the
. smallest patCh of cultivation.

The passengers who visited the

church reported a garden tC.ere & grounds on Itlhich much labor
has bien bestowed - they spoke of vine~

11J,

peach trees

&

flm.. ers in blooIll & fountains of water - They had not permission
. to enter the church.
bare of at

t~e

The prisoners frc,"rr tl-:e Barque are tab-en

~issicn.

In the afternoon I called upon Yr. Elwell.
a~~pearance

~

of be ing

poor

&,

he

C

oIT,plained much of poverty -

said he had suffered many losses - He has three sons
daughter.

He had the

·1 did not see any of them.

&: cne

The eldest a sar. about

11 years of age is at one of the :rr..issicns ,:..]"i th a priest \'Tho

wish [sic] send hirr to Mexico to educate for a priest. Tcwards
evenir.g we had a sprinklir.g of rain

& after

turned tc the vessel except t!;r. Farnham.
ashore before noon

SUE

~iss

set we all re-

Tr;arren went

& took up her abode with her father who has

rented a small room.

HOH he will provide for her I do not knovr.

If she were a person of senSibility her heart would break.
alas for her, she has no sensibility
Saturday, Yay ~1~4o.

But

& I fear no character.

All the paEsengers have gone ashore.

I stopped because I find myself more agreeably situated on
board than I shculd be on shore, unless I could walk about. -

-10-

I felt the effects of my walk yesterday

& my lungs do not ad-

mit of much conversation tho. I talked considerable yesterday.
'The eaptain

& three of the passengers returned in the

evening.
Sabbath 3rd.

I placed a blister on my side last night and

I was rendered considerably uncomfortable by the application. The Captain, mate

& passengers went on shore, and Mr. Elwell

with his eldest sor:. came off and staid till afternoon ~c took
dinner.

I shou.ld hav::: been bett'3r pleased to hays had the visit

occur on seme, oth.er day.

I endeavored .to direct the conversa-

tion as much as possible to subjects having a bearing on religion.
He was obliged tc submit to Catholic forms in order to get
married and thin}:::? it ne ce ssary ir.. oreer t c' keep ir vTi th the
priests to attenc on the worship he is not requirec to partake
of the sacraffient though they would be glad to have hiIE do so as well as fore igners ir.. general VJho ha·;: married v-Ji ve shere.
His account of the morals of tte priests was not at all to their
credit.

They are most c·f tl:.em h n:oral :rr:.en.

T'ney rr:.ake cut to

keep one anc·ther in countence by mutual confessions &
a thing very ccnvenient for them
tioned one priest 'flhose

cond~lct

& very easily done.

absolut~onsJ

He men-

had been shamefully dissolute.

-

Even the good Mr. Bachelot as his eulogizers Tdculd tern
him, was by Mr. Elwells account cf him nc better than tr·,e rest.
The illness with which he was affected when he arrived at Oahu
was' occasioned by his habits whict-:: it wuld b- a sharr.e to mention.

He gives a very different account of the manner of

Bache~ot

& $ # short; being landed on the arrival of the

Waverly which brought them from Oahu than is giver:. by ¥r. Jones.-

-11-

There was a house on the beach HJ::ere they were landed, ·tho not
ir~abited,

and their remaining tGere during the night was en-

tirely voluntary - there were also houses inhabited not very
remote and houses at convenient distances all the way to Pueblo.
As to 1>.Jild beasts there were none unless it might be the f'ox,
there being no other wild animals in tee region the barking
bf:~one

of these might perhaps have been heard at .a distance.
I learned a fact I had not previously heard in regard

to Cap. Sumner & the Waverly. On her arrival here the ·natives
on board reported having brought the two catholics from Oahu

&

lan~ed

them at St. Pedro - Cap. S. was called before the

authorities and it was through the representatic:c.s of Mr. E.
that he was released

·~c

allowed to go away with the vessel.-

and this was by disguising the truth: for had the facts all
been stated the vessel would have been seized.
~r.

E. is very desircus that a good physician with a gooe

supply of medicines should cc·:m.e and settle here. also a school
IDa$ter he thinks both would gain patronage. But they must have
nothing to do publicly with the subject of religion. Very little
effcrt is made in the Trlay of instructing the rising generation. The priests regard the teaching of the Catechism of the
church about all that is necessary. There are some women1s
school, for teaching the alphabet; but

littl~

advance is made

in knowledge by any of the rising generation.
The son of Hr. E. appears to be a bright boy and he is
very pleasing in his appearance. I gave him a Spanish Testament, which he is able to read fluently - I· said to his father
You must not let him become a Cahholic. He said he had a strong
de sire to get him av-ray where he may gain a knowledge of' the

-12-

Eng. h language.

Eonday May 4th 1840.

The Boliver came in sight yesterday

and a boat having Mr. Thompson cn board came in here ~. The Captain of our vessel remained on shore. - From one of the
passengers, who returned on board .last evening, I learn that
yesterday was a day of sport & amusement-that is - after the
service in the churct. was closed,. and that was at an early
hour.

A man by the narr-e of Smith came off to enquire for a

Spanish Bible - I gave him a Testament.

I

cculd have given

away a cons;i.derable nUJTiber of Bibles, if I had had them.
The Boliver C8.IP-e tc anc1::.or early in

t~-ie

after nOOll.

Being r.:onthly Concert - I e:c.dea.versd tc pray for my
brethren at

t~e

islands & for the missionary cause.

Tuesday :;::'ay 5th 1840.

The business for which we have been

delayed being finished, we got under way about one olck & with
a fine ljoresterly breeze set sail - our destination nOTtl being
for It:azatlan.

'.tIe

were visited by several

together wi th fir. Thorr.pson

&;

frem shore

gentleIT~en

Cap. Nye, 'fho left as

t~ce

sailors

were heaving at the windlass - to take up the ar.chor. - Bread

& cheese,wine and spirits were served and several songs sung
by Hr. fiarshall & Johnson before the gentlemen left.
Just at sun down we were abrest [sic} of two small
islands the wind blowing very stroTIf, 'frem t:::e vJestvard - The
boat came very near being carried from the quarter, in consequence of the block gettingleosed from its fastening by a
lurch of the vessel bring [sic] the boat tc t~e surface of
the waves.

-.15-

Wednesday May

£ 1840.

The temperature of the atmosphere is
o

becoming more mild - the thermo. r stood at 50 this morning.

The

wind moderated in the night but the sea continues to be high.
We were very much tossed during the night.
island called st. Clement.

We passed a small

This was early in the day I did not

see it.
Our latitude at noon

o

3i 46 1 •

This is the day for the Gen.

Long. 118 10.
~eeting o~

our mission

to commence, . unless it has been thought expedient to dispense
't
.
wittt~the present year.

The mission has often been in mind and

I have endeavored to pray for its prosper.i ty. - This is the

evening alse of our custor:lary weekly prayer meeting.

I

love to

think of the bra & sisters as met togather [sic] for prayer.
Thursday Yay 7.th 12040.

A pleasant day and agreeable atmos-

phere - all the sail set that can be made to take the wind progress from

6 to 7 /
29°00.

Lat.

§.

Friday May

knot an Hour, wind N •. W.
~

Long. 117 Ill.

Pleasant with all sail set-going pretty much

before the Ttiind

Ther. noon 6J+<l.

26° 55 1 •

Lat

our

Saturday 9th

<>

Long. 115

1Jien on board

16.

e~ployed

in setting up main shrougs-

pleasat [sicJ all sail set as yesterday_

Ther.

66':>

<>

Lat. 25 05 1

Long. 114" 02.
Sabbath lOth.

A pleasant a very still day all sail set and

making good progress
~

Ther. 70.

()

Lat. 23 16 t

Monday ll·th.

1:>

Long. 112

31 •

The continent in sight near cape St. Lucas -

high land not very near - ",Te have been becalmed most of the day

~I4-

a

78

Ther.

clothes.

-

Found it necessary to take off some of my thick

W:'!.r:u is more agreeable to me than cold weather.
'The evening was very pleasant.

about nine otclock.

I went on deck at

The breeze was slight - hardly strong

enough to fill the sails - and the sea as smooth as the harbor
so that walking the deck seemed like walking the house floor. _
~~e

passengers had been

cabin.

a~using

themselves with cards in the

My mind felt uneasy from 'the impressions it had of the

folly of wasting the time in s'J.ch. :amusement, -and gladly wOllld I
have gone into the cabin and said, nMy friends,

I

&11

solemnly

impressed with the sense of the value of time and the sin &
folly of wasti::1g o'J.r precious moments in pursui ts that cannot
profi t.

T1

But I was certain that to do this wC'J.ld haile been

received very ill:

for they already kneH my opinion on the

subject and cc.cld not but kncw that I disapproved card playing.
The game was finished }Jl,ile I 1vas on deck 8.....""1d
the young gentlemen came up_

I

t~-Jo

of

joined with cne of them in

walking back :'3:. forward and endeavored to direct the COI:versation to mcral subjects - He very soon told me he was a Unitarian that he considered himself a christian - ahd tryed to enjoy
himself in this world.

I said we ought to enjoy ourselves in

this world as to be prepared to
come.
him,

enjo~.·

ourselves in the world to

The su.bject I perceived was a very unpleasfu'"1t one to

& he very soon turned off to the other side of the vessel

where his

co~panion

stood, and I was at liberty to occupy my

thoughts to my-self & pursue my m·m thoughts and of these I had
many.

0 how the natural heart hates every tl:.inS that abridges

its Joys.

Soon after I hac gone below the company on deck began
to amuse themselves by firing china crackers:

this they did

for seme' time. - I do, not suppose it 'Has done to disturb me J
tho. it had this effect.
Tuesday May 12 1840.

I arose about 5 olck & went on

deck - a cor..siderable extent of land in sight - Cape St. Lucas
p~rhaps

.ten miles off - Almost entirely calm

&;

ne sea.

- Skip

jacks [I,.C. has inserted the werds alb~rere & bene,!;or above the
HOre skip jack]
sight that

jumping in various directions - this was a

plea~ed

the nati.ve at tee heler} whc (irecting my

attention tc them said ia maole ahe
aku above the word ahe J.

[L. C· inserts the word

- Shoals of very little fist. s1dn:ming

around.
Ore of our passengers is rather disposec to be impatient - tho. he e:r:deavors to be quiet.

The sea is net agree-

8.ble to hlrr: s.nd he is anxio''':s to be or: his way - Dull p.rospect
snid he (at breal~fast) 'de. l:av::: before us. - :rIe have s8.id I prospects

befo~e

us - the land net far off - the sun shining pleas-

8ntly around ard the sea still uncerneath us. - It is better to
be in our ?resent circuI1stances that [sic] I'Jri thIng in a typhoon.
-"'.2 J

ae. ~ie

have the lano. slee-ping in the horizor..

The ocean laying quietly as if asleep undeJ:' neath us:
the

Sl.m

looking o·J.t brightly from his chariot in the sky -

the

atmosphere is dusky around and tl-1e ,;-Jinc.s :,-rai tine; his bidding to
bl m'1 " who makes the clouds his chariot" who rides upon the storm J
treads upon the waves of the sea and makes it sleep at his will.
Shall we· not be quiet & wait patiently for his Hord tc proceed
on our way.

-16-

This has been the warmest day we have had since we
left.

a

Ther 80.

sight all day_

The wind has been very moderate - Land in
At sun down the land fOfilling the extremity of

Lower California was very distinct and the outline beautifully
difined [sic] - consisting ofprominenc~'S projections, points
summits & depressions of considerable extent

M taking

in the

two sides of the cape. - Our distance from the nearest land is
probably 35 ~ miles perhaps more.
Wednesday JvJay 13th 1840.

I arose before sun ris e -

and

caught the fir.~t sight of the lumina:ry of day as the first
rays of this light were emitted above his watery hed.- The
wind was rather unfavorable in the early part of the day, but
in the afternoon it hauled so that we were able to make our
course.

The western shores of the continent bordering on the

Gulf have made their appearance rising far off misty in the
blue distance - The land is high &: is seen indistinctly.

Tller.

82°_ By exposinC the face of the there to the direct rays of
I:)

the sun lying upon the rail the mercury rose to 110.
This evening fire is visible on one of the mou.nta.ins
ltlhich w"ere in sight thi s afternoon - Some or:. board s poke of it
as a volcano.

I only consider it a b~ing in the forrest[sicJ.

"7hursday ~ay 14th.

Arose at

5

olck expecting to find our-

selves close in with Mazatlan, instead of that we were apparently 30 miles from the nearest land and ~robably 35 to 40 miles
north west of the port.

Part of the day we have been becalmed -

In the afternc.on a breeze sprung up & we have made good progress - so that at sun dCTtln our port is in sight perhaps 8
miles distant - Several barren islands lie in front of t'::1e shore

-17-

in the direction of rlaza tlan •
We passed about 1

"0 t

ck a bark distant 5 or

6 miles in-

shore of us bound up the coast.
Say about

9 olck in the evening a boaD came of [sic]

from shore frow a mercantile house under the impression that
is
our Earque was the Montezuma Hhich was expected from Liverpool.
Were informed that the U.S. Sloop of :':ar St. Louis sai1ied 15
days ago for Monterrey in consequence of the information given
'by Kr. Jones respecting the a?::rehens'i'on of Am. cit,izens in
California.
Mr. Jehnson 2c

l~r.

Farnha."TI. teok passage by return of

hoat, which s topped but a shert ti:"e, as we IT.ust be at least
8 miles distant from the port

t--==L -

They got to shore aboIJ,t

12 olck.
Friday May 15th.184o.

:He were considerably farther from the

shcr-e this morning than we "\vere last even_ng - So that it "Tas'
one

0 1 ck

P.

l~ ..

before we arri vee at t"':e anchorage; which behTeen

~ two barren islands, upon one of 'Ttlhich t':'e Griffor: Has

cast away, the ledge upon which·

s~e

str~ck

was pointed out by

the pllot who came off to us TtI:1.ile we were sOlTe dista:r:ce c'ut

a beat CaIl'e eff froY', the Custen:. nouse with c,ne efficer, to make
er:G'.liries & to inspect papers of lading

-f.:§1

& passengers.

After

thi s left, another boat car.'e along side and anott.er officer
boarded us.

As soon as tbe busir:ess rela.tive to the CustOIG

house had been attended to the Cap. & Supercargo and all the
passengers set out for the shere - from which we \,Jere distant

-18-

about seven eights of a mile.

We landed on a sand beach and

walked to the establishment of Messr. Parrott Scarborough Co
Fo [?]

i'fr. Parrott who is the U. S. Consul I had a letter of

introduction from J:·;r. Brinsmade.
different.

¥'..y receptic·n was rather in-

Having brought the letters for the U. S. to be

sent across the continent I presented them; several others
of our company had letters to be forwarded.
a

corr~on

The postage of

size Fools Cap or letter sheet is 25 cents.

Wilen

there is any considerable quantity of letters or when there
are packages they are 'received by 'Height.
a little saving in paying by weight.
52 sheets a considerable many of

There is generally

I paid 12 dollars for

t~:ese

'Here fools cap & one

was folio, thus one dollar Has saved or: the Hhole number.
I made inquiry for neHS -

date~

to the 20th of Karch

had been rec. d but nothing of very special intere'st was contained. iT. ;:;,-:::J l.f t'-p papers; - The subject cf the l-:orth eastern bOUYldary hac, not been settled.

Cne of t:'e papers cor:tain-

ed a full description of tbe cererony of t~e tueen Victor~as
}::arriage to Eis Royal Highness rrir..ce f._bert [8icJ of Sat;.
Coburs and Gotha [sic]. -

The destructicn 1::;y fire of the

Stea:Lli boat Lexin[ton at Stoningtor; 2.rc. loss of 140 or 150
lives cn the night of the

14

of Jany.

H2.S

a most d~stressing

occurence.
Nov.
p~d

8.

It was reported at Macao that the Chinese had stop-

trade with all nations.

The report) hCYJ'8i.'er, 'Has doubted.

The Secy of War has reported in favor cf establishing
a chain of IT-ilitary posts froIT. fort Levenworth cn the fronti8:'8 of civilization in the west to the Rocky }·:ount8.ins.
American & Phila. Bib. Soc are united.

-19-

The Cherokees are divided inte two parties the Ross

& the Ridge parties and it is to be feared they will carry
,

it en with such animosity as that it 'dill result in civil war.
I ran very hastily over the late papers but saw nothing· iI?- re18.tion to missicnary operations nor any thing of
special interest except the above.
At
I

sat.

4

a! ck dir.ner was brone;ht on ir,,- the roar: v-There

I was invited to the

table~

but asI tad dined at·
,

i

.

the usual hour I declinee., the ott.er passefugers &.the ·cat.tain
sat dovm.
After dinner a walk was prcpoaea.
Hish to fatig:le myself I asked for
accompany me separately.

atte:c.ds.nt ':"l"ho might

aD

We walked through th.e principal

street - at least - through the

~ost

- None of .tl::.e hOi).ses are more thaT:
rcm~s

As I die not

i~teresting

hJO

part of it

stc!!'ies hiE0.; but the

are·very lofty aLd those of twc stories are EhlCh hiEh-

er than buila.i:cgs of t:-:i s clas sir. cur oTrn} lands.

All ·the

best houses are of recent erection and a:r,ur::cer are nm-v go. Tr,e place seerr.s to be ir a groT,l::'n.::. s fa te .

ing: up.

Pi.. church

ne e.rly finished i s s i t:.i.ated at s crre di·st.e.nce fI'or- the mair.:.
street.

We walked to it

the to"lom.

&

too~

a tUrn through that part of

The house is not large -

[it] ~s :rf:·ade of dobies &

·plastered ~.c has Cine entrance inte. the gaI~Ty· [siG] from the outi

side.

Avont 16, 000 dollars have alre ady "\JeeD
<expBnd,ed
upon the
r .
.

edifice.

It has. two guarc_iansair..ts

the crnarr.ental work rising above the
upon the surnmi t

of this ((, in its cercter.

very po.or - mere hovels

M8.ny of the houses are

I saw articles exposed for sal'ein open

-

-20-

stores - having no closed front - seeming to be shelTles out
side of the houses sheltered by an open veranda. - Only a few·
stores seemed at all decent.
side hill -

One part of the town is on a

all the streets are very dusty

running about - children naked
women ragged

& very dirty - hogs

& half naked many of the men &

& dirty in appearance not better than the natives

of the Sand. Islds.

I sat-l one child entirely nalced.

A si.ngu-

lar method they have of transporting water contained in a small
. barr·el v.Thich they pull along the grol.lnd by means of a rope
attached to an.iron pintle or knob in each head:

to.each and

of the rope is attached a piece of lether [sic] or something
else who passes over the pin which turns in the loop as the
Derson pulls upon the rope,
and thus drags the. barrel after
. .
~

him rolling along.

"Ken carr:; he·avy burdens on their neck

&;

shoulders - men & women ca:!:TJ sr.:all burdens on the tops of
tt.eir heads - indeed SOioe of thew are considerable burdens.
Dor~(eys

&;

mules carry burdens saw many of tberr. harnessed and

driven along with their loads by half naked
Tne. laborers are not slaves.

& ragged men. -

I saw no fine ladies)

(but pas-

sing a house I heard the sound of a piano. -)
Long hOUS3S of one story enclosing a court plastered,
having flat roofs the water carried off by a tu.be projecting
some distance from the side of the building - the roof guarded
by a battlement.
ance.

Some of the fronts presented a geod appear-

After returning I was invited by Mr. Scarborough to as-

cend to the top of his hO'.1.se which I did and had a pretty fair
prospect of the settlement.

I was pointed to two theatres -

these were indifferent in t:·oe ir appearance. covered. wi tb thatch.

,

-21-

I had previously seen the place for bull bating surrounded
by pallisades [sic].- The Church was pointed to and it was
remarked·that it was built by subscription Messrs. P. S. Co.
had paid 2,000 towards its erection

& this they might as well

do as pay $2,500 for a ball in the theatre which I was informed was the fact.

I enquired whether the protestants would be

allowed to have a chaplain - No. they will not let us pray in
our houses 1

I

thi~{

they have never yet tryed it.

not speak well of the Catholic religion.
seem to .havemuch to do ,'1"i th it - I

~

lie did

Says only the women

shQ':<.ld judge from

t~'1e

fact

of there being but one comparatively small church for 7)000 inhabitfu~ts

at which the pcpulation of the place is estimated

that there is not
religion.
ation.

muc~

attention even to the. ceremonies of

The co:mtry can never prosper until there is 'toler-

No great use for Bibles - none for Testaments - no

·schools unles s female school for teaching young children.
mis place is very different in one respect from
California. - there almost every

mfu~

is seen mounted das:ling

alonG or sitting on hi s horse Triai ting for busine s s or a

COlli-

p ani on, here I scarcely Sali'l a man TIlo.m ter5.•
The town stands upon a peninsula fcrmed by hlO creeks;
one on the east side is several miles in extent.

wilen the tide

is very high the waters of the bro creeks me·:=;t so as to surround
the place entirely.

Several hills rise on the peninsula part

of the tOHn is upon the side of one cf them.

The whole face

C5~~.:!

of the co;.mtry which in very;\ direction is uneven Hith hills is
exceedingly dry and wears a scorched appearance. It is now the
dry season - The rainy season
till November.

corr~ences

in

J~ly

and ccntinues

It is during the rainy seasons that the gales

-22-

occur:

the-se are generally in September.

Just before tte

rains commence thousands of small crabs are seen m,aking their
way from the beach iriland.

No sooner do the __ -rains set in

'---"

than the surface of the earth is covered with verdure.

The

very first shower materially alters the face of nature.
Mr. Parrott remarked to me that he should be happy
to offer me accorcmodations on

shore~,

but they were full.

should be happy to entertain me at his table any

time~

He

His

table being that of the Company. - I thank him for his profers of attention and told him that it would be my choice to
lodge on board the vessel.
I had come on shore without m:r cloak

~lDC_

when we were

ready tc go off Mr. Scarborough very ,kindly offered me

his~

which I accepted as there had been some change of the atmosphere since noon. - We did not find our boat cn the beach
where "ve landed, but at tlle Custom heuse pier w'cich we discovered by following

t~e

beach along

ski~ted

witt low houses

which reminded me of the part of Honcl'J.l-.,- situated. S. east of
the fort.
Saturd.§.:T l"ay 16th 1240.

After breakfast went or_ shore and

HaHted to the Consulate - found they had not taken breakfast 10 olck being their hour~ and 4 olck for cUnner.
vited to sit down with

them~

but declined.

He were in-

I walked abroad

into the settlement and looked at some parts of the town
which I did not see yesterday_ it [sic] was the poorer part of
the tovm J houses much like those at the Sand. Islds - dobie covered with grass:

passed a shoe makers shop - several

hands employed at their work - passed a tailors ship also -

a

-2}-

hatters establishment and a number of
thing on a low scale.

h~xters.

shops -

every

Stick fences - mucr. like the Sand Islds.-

was barked at by dogs - very uncivil - might have been bitten
and no one wId. have said, come away.
When I returned to the store :t four.d seme of the
ships company had.broc;.ght casks ashore to fill with water -

&

they were doing it from a well in the areB. - the. well is rather
shallow and the water somewhat brackish - ,3c as it was dipped
wi tr. a pail was quite muddy.- The gentlemen who car.~e pas sengers
wi th 'a vie1v to cross the continent have betm advised to take
passage for St. BIas ~J in the Schooner Honduras to sail to
expenses of t'r,.eir Journey across the continent are

night.

likel] to excesd their eX.1ectations.
cost '$500 each.

It is thought it will

Their pa.sage to St. BIas will be $25 each.

T!J.ey went off iii the boat at the sarr:e tirr,e ,vith myself in ord.er
t9 get their baggage

& transfer it to the Schooner, having ob-

tained a germit so tc do fro:tr
rough

goin~

t~-:.e

C;J.scom Feus.:::.

It "Has Quite

off, the vlind being pretty brisk from the sea.

It is at times very rOtlgh at this place particularly so where
there is an opening between one of the islands.
having packed their baggage

The passengers

& it having been stowed in the boat
-

they teok tbeir leave, it was with somewhat melancholly [sic]
feelings I parted with them, they also were not in the best of
~

spirits .- having a long somewhat dangerous & expensive journey
before them.
This afternoon the Bark Hontezurna arrived

6 mo. from

Liverpool
The Honduras sailed in the night, Er. StoJ::es our mate
went on board & assisted getting her out.

-24-

Sabbath May 17th 1840.

All hands were employed this morning

stowing a1.;ray water & wood which came on board last evening so
late that it could only be put on deck.- the long boat having
been displaced and the hatches thrown

open~

it was regarded by

the ships COmpfu'"ly a necessary duty to do the work.

It is pain-

ful to observe how little principle is exhibited in regard to
the· observance of the Sabbath.

After the work had been com-

pleted it was very quiet on board.

I found it pleasant in my

stateroom to be alone & read & spend my time in duties approp·riate to the day.

l'Ir. Allen first officer of the

T:~ontezuma

took dinner, having come on board tc mill<::e a call upon Mr •
.Stokes, our first officer,

[-.f r

. Stokes returned the compli-

ment in the evening going On coard by invitation to tea.
Monda~ May 13.

The Captain ca~e off sometime last night

attended by a gentleman.
stranger on board.

I

aHoke~c

perceived there was a

About 2 at c1.:: A.· E. he left - and after-

wards it was quiet. After breakfast ·1 took passage
wi th the first mate,
specie.

1-T~O

o~

shore iL the boat

".;ras sent in to get a quant.i t;'T of

Themail arrived yesterday

& I hoped to hear

sc~e

news;

but I learned that papers only one day later that is 21st
March had been reed. and this contained nothing of interest.
A letter for Cap. stets on at t'· e Islands came by this mail. \'le found the gentlemen .at breakfast.

to the shore on the

~Jest

side of the town.

I took a walk

~ passing

through a street of some pretty good houses all of one storylofty indeed for one story buildings.

I pased [sic] the front

of several of them the longest was ·45 steps others were from 28 to

35

abo:lt; 75 ft. -

paces. - All these buildings have a

-25-

court - a holloH square - being surrounded \,)"i th buildings on
all sides - I did not notice that the windows were glazed _
there were iron gratings - the rooms had a cool appearace [sic]
- The occupants I sholud

thi~~:

are voluptuous.

I walked along

the beach the surff [sic] beating heavily upon it - It resembled some place I have seen at

Waial~a.

Blllusing themselves in the surff.

ano.

shell on the beach.,

some conversation l'li tt

Three persons were

I picked up a fe"'7 scallop

then walked back to the Consulate.

l:r.

Scarborough.

Had

He spoke in terms the

most derogatory of the people - sluggish, deceitful, knavish,
villanous [sicl., a miserable set of scour:crels - rascp,ls~ vagabonds.

I never heard such

11

strinr:; of epithets emplcyed to set

o=f the baseness of any people as he mace use of in speaking of
the Yexicans. - I made sorre enquiry about t1:e amusements of the·
Sabbath - He remarked t1:ey had a bull bate yesterday and cock2-

[s,c..J

I

fighting theatre in the evening:i'
processicns are

e~hibited

here.

I did not learn ttat religicus
The men he says have very

little tc de with religicn - It wculd take but very little to
make them all infidels - .the priest accordinc te· his account
ar~

very little respected, but considerably feared from

sti tious views.

The l'lomen are more devoted.

super~

The Priests hold

an absolute spiritual domination not ....ri thst2.no.ing the incif'f'erence
of the rren to ceremonies &c. - this indifference probably applies
to tte people on the coast where foreigners are.

The people in

the interior and the Capital must be very much devoted to the
forms.

The Churches are irr.mensely rich in gold, silver & pre-

cious stones.

It

wo!~d

be the best thing in the world, he re-

mB.rked, should the people rise, seize upon the ric'bes hoarded in th

Insert }iay

[Copied from separate sheet fcund in minute
boold

18

During the forenoon before I left Mazatlan ,as I sat in the
avenue of the consulate fronting one oftt.ei streets.
dOT'.Jdes were seen passing and repassing al tiernately Hi th leads
or dobies & wi thout

•

a lad led

~he

theIi1~

I noticed a stir

way completely covered with

setting as close as his skin - semething
ed for his race - dancing

boys :rr.eri & women

i_

~

tight garment

l~ke

features paint-

& skipping forward & back ward &
,.
I

rrom one side to tl":.e other - follow::d by f:i!veer six fe:r.:ales
gailey dressed en horseback.
amusement to the crowd which

The.sight

Was

s.e~med

soon past;

on horse back fantastically dressed

~.Jere

to arford

The p~rsons

wnat I teak to be

circus riders.
,

.Another sight tr.ree horses in a range tt.e oridle of the last
fastened to the tail of the middle one.

churches

& scatter the priesthood.
There is consumed in F azatlan & vicinity about

6000

gslls. arguidenta annually. [sic] this is ia king of brandy
excessively strong.

Maize is the

people - the soil is very rich

principa~

food of the COlT'.illlon

& productivci - but the .mines are

the principal object of attention

lsic)
.

It is said there are no

i

springs in th.e country ~

'!:he

Hater 1v-hich is obtained at ¥.azatlan i.§ froJ wells sunk belO1,J
i·

the level of t:.e sea; the water freshened by filtration is .
somewhat brackish.
The Consul f.'r Parrott was cordial i in :':is partir:g
salutations &: apologized for not payins Fe :lliore att'entlcn reassurin~

farring to their being full of business -

me that he

should be happy to do rre a service and snoili.ld I ever come again
to value on his attentions.
IDe

Both he & Ii!:r. Scarborough gave
i.

a hearty shake with the hand and I bid all

fare,v-ell

f!.,~

t}:-~e

gentlemen

walked to the boat with Cat?- Paty & M. Johnson,

and took our departure - Mr. J. calling at; tr-.e CustOF ho;!.se,
as Tt{e made that in ~ 'lr way ·in gcinr out.' At about

1/4 past

3 old:: we got u.nder way with a geod breeze: . j: p::,oceeded to sea.
I felt thankflll that tl:e Lord had; preserved'us ·~from

all danger & Has allowing us to direct C1.:"lr! cO·J.rse tov-rards home
again.
Tue·sd.§L May

1:.2. 1840.

Passed three islantls jl.J-st b.efo.re day

. light lying off St. BIas.

Hhen tr:e

Sl.m

arbse one at: t1'!em lay
i

due E. perhaps 20 miles distant. - T~Jehad
night from the West.

-Lat. at no' on,.
-- '21 16

1

ar' good' l:n,'eeze all
L cng. b
'
107
1 caro.
c

-271f

Jedne sd~ May 20.

",Ie have nOT~T pas sed to the South of the Sun -

We do not IT.alce much advance to the westward.
Lat. 1P 50 Lcng 108t> 53 1 •
~nursda7 21 Lat. 16°50. Long. 110~ 04 1 •
.D

Pleasant

0

Friday 22 Lat. 19 27' Long. III 20 - Pleasant.
Saturday 23

s

u

Lat. 14 57!. Long. 113 15

:?leasant

Sailors at \'wrk on tbe rigging.

Hind N.
~-.f.

Set last evening studding sails. course 1t!. S.
Sabbath ~.(ay 2l..!.th 1.340

.'1.

& Id.

The men ca'.lght a perpoise this rr:orning.

Some of the flesh was cooked for diro...ner & seme

1<laS

bro .l.ght on

for supper but I did not aat any of it.
~'lent into the forecastle and talked with some of the

saflors - Talked also with one of the Sandwich-islanders of
l-lhi.ch there are six on board - One of then: is Ste·.\.'ard & one a
cabin boy
Lent a volur!1.e of Tracts to the l1ate.
Lat. 1437'. Long. by chro. 115.115 by obs. 115°04 t
l![onday 25th.

Talked with the cook on the

fanity,· having heard

h'cffi

s~lb

j ect of hi s pro-

on SatiJ.rday utter a horrid oath.

seemed to feel reproved and hu.,.YJ.;; down his head.
not help swearing sometimes.
third

cOlT~andment
a

Lat. 14
Tuesday 26.

•

He

S.aid he could

I told him hem.ust 1earn the

•.

39 1

0

Long 117 50!

Our breeze for two or three days past has been

pretty brisk.
Lat.

14° 39

D

- Lone;. 121 05

t

Entered into Gonversation with the Captain and continued it for more than an hour endeavoring to rr:.ake religion the
prominent subject.
o

A pretty he~vy Ewell from N. Lat. 14

~

38 1

•

124.

Long.

Pleasant.

Pleasant with a brisk breeze from N. N. E.

Thursday 28

Have sailed 188 miles during the last

24

hours.

Have an

Ull-

comfortable sensation in my side, and I think there was a very
n

small particle of blood in something I raise.d this morA-ng from
my lungs.

Took 15 drops of digitalis this afternoon.
. o.

.

0

G

Lat. 15 01. Long. by chro. 127 15 t
A brisk N. N. E. wind our

Friday~.

allowing for variation aoout VJ by N.
Dri t.

Ther.

co~rse

77.

by compass west
o

Lat. 15°37ILong. 130 46

1 •

[? J 206. Ther 79
I feel sorr.elvhat better than I did yesterday.

Saturday

2Q.

'tIe were last nisht in the latitude & longitude

of islands laid down or.. the chart

& the Cap. altered his

COlJ.rse a little abo'J.t 1 O! ck A. }1 • it' became squally and j,. t
was suppoS.3d He \<lere in t:'1e r:eighbor:"lood of land.

Some sail

was taken in a!1d the vessel P'J.t upon her other tack with a view
to. stand off and on till morning

& then to look for land; but

as the weather began to have an unfavorable appearance <:)

vessel was put on her course again.

Lat. 15 40

1

the
0

long. 133 40-

170 dis.
Sabbath }~ay 31st 1240.
about

3

0 1

cloc1.;: this

It is supposed

mcrr:ing~

1-1e

past ar~ot1::er island

as tr,e vessel must have been in

nearly the la ti tude and longitude of one laid do\-in upon t;:-,e
chart.

There is hCTtl8Ver a d.ifference of opinion in regard to

the existence of islands

i~

this region - Five are said to

exist in the track we have been pursuing the last 48 hours.
The }V~issicnary Packet, Yr. Brinsmade fell in ~dt~J. ene in long.
t1

about 133 & lat. sorrewhere abc·:.lt 17°- but it has been sincescug~t
for, but not found.

I think there is good reason to believe

-29-

that there is

fu~

island or islands in tQis

neighbcrhood~

we had change of weather and squally there~abouts.
~

as

The

land is probably low.
iNe have had

2.

S(cc.1 br'eeze to day.

I have felt tol-

erably corefortable in mind; but an uncomfortab16 sensation in
m~ide. - .A few fel{ [sic] days ago I held a pretty Ions con-

versaticn with Cap. Paty and since then I have not felt so
well as I die before.

I use my voice but a very little and I

hardlY knm;r how much strength of lunss I

posses~.

I think

.hm"ever t: ere is not uniformity ir: the state of r.:.y lungs·:
Sometimes I attemp [sic] to sing and find myself l:nable agair:
I find myself able to si::.g a little.
I:J

La:. 1~42' .lcngitude 137

Our position at noon.

55

. distance 220 miles.
¥CDeay June 1st 1840.

The breeze contirlues to blow briskly

and we are mal:ing' good pr06re s s have sailed 220

IT

ile s the last

24 hO'.'a-s. shc... we cor:tinue to advance at this r2.te
arrive at HOl"'olc.lu OD Saturday.
horole this week as I

su~:pose

'iTe

shall

I ·shoulc. be very glad to reach

next Sabbath will be comnunion at

,

,0

0

& I should w!sh to be present. - Lat. Ie 07 1 Long. 141

Honolulu

~

Y:OD. Con.

.

~ve are about 16 long; ::2:ast fro::: ~ic:ncli;,l\;.,

ly our time iS,l hour ane

4 min.

consequent-

in advance of the t~e there.

The families will assemble as usual to observe the cor:cert. I observe the season in my state room.

"d

& the 72-Ps.

Read 9th Chap. Damiel

TlEis name shall end';.re forever:

be continued as long as the sun:

his narr'.e shall

and m.en shall be blessed in

him: all nations shall call him blessed.
the time when the name of Jesus shall be

tI

-

The Lord hasten

kncT:JI~

in all the

-30-

earth; for not till then will the nations be blessed

i~

him.

Tuesday June 2 1840 - We continue to pass with speed through
the water.

I have watched the waves some, and the sight has

given me pleasure.

The 31':"el1 is considerably heavy and the

regularity is some broken by the wind which raises a surge
which often breaks in white foam.

Our speed brought to my

mi:c.d a passage of· Scripture nSwift ships - So life is passing
aT/lay like the svlift ships. - l;[e are advancir:.g towards. our port
Soon if spared we shall reach it.
j

Soon too we shall reach our

fin.al port.
Lat. 17°08 r
Hednesday 3rd. 1840

Long. 145'024'.

dist2.D.ce 223 miles.

The speed at which we passed through

the water last night had a se:c.sible effect upc:c. my feeli:c.gs.
it [sic] produced an agitatio:c. in my side ~-J'hich was some
vJhe.t unpleasant.

1fTe

went at the rate of 10 miles an hour -

perhaps sorr:e of the tir:r:.e at more t:t.an that.
<>

Lat. 18 13 1

-

Long. 149°21 1 • dist. 239 miles.

Tlwrsday June 4th.

\'Je are gettin.g sorr.,e-';·Jhat under tl:e in-

fluence of the land - Have had t:t.e Heathe-;:-

squally~

not feirce

[sic] squally but clouds & rain occasionally t~e reg~ler trade
has subsided &: the· w::"nd has been moder8.te most of the after
~

part of the day.

Lat. 19

38

0

Long. 152 29 1 • dist. 202 miles.

At night a large mas s of illuminated clouds indicated t'ce
direction of lia-r."raii, the light reflected on the clouds proceeded from the volcano.

&: 90 miles distant from
Friday June 5th 1840.
ed during the night.

The mate thin.l::s we are between 80
t~e

island.

The light of the volcano was exhibit-

In the morning we were probably off

Hila, though the thickness of the atmosphere did not ad.r.lit

-3l-

of our seeing the shore. We had a sight of the top of Maunakea once, but the captain judging by the

b~aring

of the light

proceedir.:g from the volcano the position of Hauna loa mistook
what he saw for the high land of Maui. As we proceeded and
Kohala points became visible we were corre:cted as to our the
[sic] mistake &: [-l~-] our true posi ti,on. We passed Kohala point
about noon and at 1 o'clock the clouds ove~ Maui dispersed
so as to present the high land cf that isliand. "\rIe passed

.

./

rapidly through the channel &: at fOllr oclOick were' off Kahoolawe J
about

5

ock had passed' all but the western: point 3c had opened

the west part of Maui. Ttle SELme [sic] the chapel at Lahaina11J.na

At dark the prominent bluff of La.i'1,ai: bore about N.N'."W. -

Cur fresh breeze died a-v.ray about qark & beicarne light. Hope
i

1-1e may be orf Honolulu at Sunrise. If it-7e aJ:'e not J how.ever,
I desire to be patient.

[~;- ~'-'ri tten in the margin 'of the final paragraph is the phrase

nbecame 'acquainted ·wi-tbt!. L. C. rray have tntended to insert
this after the wordB Tlmistal-:e &1' to read, . 11 • • • 1-fe Here corrected"
as to our the [sic] mistake 3:: became acquq:ir-ted v-rith our true
positionTl. See asterisk above~J

END OF

INS~RT

No.7