. Recollections of a sea wanderer's life; an autobiography of an old-time seaman who has sailed in almost every capacity before and abaft the mast, in nearly every quarter of the globe, and under the flags of four of the principal maritime nations. ia, and the chief topic of con-versation all day and all night was the prospect of amassingwealth at the mines. No other topic could hold any onemore than a moment or two, when the absorbing gold feverwould assert its power and come uppermost again. At theIsthmus of Panama we received a number of passengersand some mail and newspapers from New York.
. Recollections of a sea wanderer's life; an autobiography of an old-time seaman who has sailed in almost every capacity before and abaft the mast, in nearly every quarter of the globe, and under the flags of four of the principal maritime nations. ia, and the chief topic of con-versation all day and all night was the prospect of amassingwealth at the mines. No other topic could hold any onemore than a moment or two, when the absorbing gold feverwould assert its power and come uppermost again. At theIsthmus of Panama we received a number of passengersand some mail and newspapers from New York. Thosewho had letters would disappear for a short time, but wouldin nearly every case reappear with the letter open, and,finding friends, or acquaintances, read parts of the letteraloud to eager listeners. It was a good study to scan the features of the variouspersons who were on their way to the golden land. Allwore the eager look of expectation, but behind that wereall sorts of faces—old, young, hard visages and smoothyoung faces. Some there were who evidently were boundon a trip of pure adventure, merely for the enjoyment ofthe excitement incident to a wild life among the placersand in the gulches. Others were more serious and earnest,. SAN FRANCISCO. 361 and seemed to feel that the risk was great, but could beovercome by resolution and courage. Still another class,who seemed driven onward to face the well known hard-ships and dangers for the sake of the hoped for treasure,which was needed at home to relieve some heavy debt, oras provision for declining years. Well, all hands, cook andpilot, at last blessed their eyes with a glimpse of the land ofgold when we dropped anchor inside the Golden Gate. We arrived at San Francisco in 1849, in October, just afew days before the State constitution was adopted, andwhen, it is said, there were a hundred thousand people inand about San Francisco, made up of persons from everynation and language on the globe. The men who went toCalifo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectseafari, bookyear1887
