Manuscripts

William H. Dougal journal of a voyage from New York to San Francisco

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Description: This manuscript describes the journey of William H. Dougal, an engraver and artist, who traveled from New York to San Francisco via Cape Horn in 1849, as a passenger aboard the ship "Galindo." Much of the seabound content concerns the weather. Dougal goes ashore in Chile on November 17 and describes the land and its people. He is particularly impressed with the horsemanship of the Chileans. The final date listed is November 22, where Dougal reports the ship is eight miles from San Francisco. Published as "Off for California" (RB 277286), of which this manuscript appears to be a printer's copy. Typescript from original held by San Mateo Historical Society. Includes 20 photographs of drawings by the author, some with typewritten captions on verso, and a seven-page typescript likely intended to be included in the published version.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: 1849.
Call number: mssHM 50579

Account of a voyage from New York to California in 1852

Manuscripts

This manuscript is Samuel Goodman's 1861 recollection of his 1852 journey to California. In his opening lines, he writes that he "with hundreds of others blindly went forth to unknown regions impelled and urged onward by the Strange Excitement caused by the discovery of Gold in that Country." He departed from New York in January 1852 with his oldest son, aboard the ship Prometheus, bound for Nicaragua. Once arrived, it was discovered that the ship they were to take for the next part of their journey, the Central America, had been run aground, so they traveled by foot to Mexico. They went by ship the rest of the way, on board a charter ship from San Francisco by the name of Northern Light, arriving in California at the end of May. Goodman and his son take to the country and begin searching for gold. He ponders the mentality and circumstances of the California gold miner. He eventually gives up mining and spends two years "acting as Magistrate and Post Master" in Sierra County, and obtained shares in quartz and granite mining operations. He writes in detail of the various mining processes, and also relates the "Story of Logan," whom he calls "the Prince of the Mines."

mssHM 50578

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Autograph manuscript titled, From Boston to San Francisco, around Cape Horn

Manuscripts

This document records the ocean journey of the barque, Golden Fleece, which left Boston, MA, for San Francisco, CA, on January 27, 1864. The author, identified by the initials W.A.H. at the end of the text on the fourth page, records the ship's journey around Cape Horn and various events which transpired onboard. The author describes the city of San Francisco upon their arrival on May 3rd and notes "the sad news of the assassination of President Lincoln." This statement may indicate that manuscript is inaccurately dated, as Lincoln died in 1865, and the manuscript may in fact be a reminiscence rather than a contemporary account

mssHM 60313

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Journal of a voyage from New London to San Francisco, Upper California, keeped by Latham A. Brown

Manuscripts

Sea journal kept by Latham A. Brown aboard the schooner Odd Fellow during the ship's 1849 voyage to San Francisco. Some notable entries include an encounter with the the bark Flora, which reported "joyful news from the gold diggings, which revived our company very much" (March 22), and going ashore in "Patigonia [sic] called the Peninsula of St. Joseph...this day being the most pleasant of any day since I left home we ar[e] surrounded by Penguins and varios [sic] other Birds" (April 12). Also included is a journal entitled "Latham A. Brown's Book, 1847," which is a seaman's exercise book assembled by Brown and which includes rules of traverse sailing, mercator sailing, how to find longitude and latitude, predicting tides, star declination, and finding latitudes by the moon, each with tables, problems, examples, and sketches of ships. Other items include an American Ship Masters' Association certificate naming Brown an approved shipmaster (1865) and several abstract logs for the schooner Restless from travels in the South Pacific, including Honolulu, Tahiti, and Sydney, from the mid-1850s.

mssHM 74816-74819

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Journal containing arrivals and departures of ships at San Francisco

Manuscripts

This journal contains a list of ship arrivals and departures in San Francisco from April 1 to December 31, 1874. Griffith includes some information about the ships including their cargos, days of voyage, whether or not ships are cleared, and ports of destination for those ships departing from San Francisco.

mssHM 68188

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John Hovey journal of a voyage from Newburyport, Mass. to San Francisco, Cal

Manuscripts

This journal follows the travels of John Hovey from Massachusetts to California. He departs from Newburyport aboard the vessel Charlott on January 23, 1849; a manifest of crew and passengers is included on pages one and two. Much of the seagoing details are concerned with the weather. The ship reached port on July 23, 1849. He journeyed along the Sacramento River and Mokelumne River with his companions, searching for gold. He was involved with separate disputes over claims with miners from Chile and France (see also HM 4384-4385 which are transcripts of these entries removed from this volume). Hovey departs California by ship on May 30, 1851. Bound volume, with many color illustrations.

mssHM 322

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Boston to San Francisco

Manuscripts

Briggs handwritten manuscript covers the first half of his trip from Boston to San Francisco in 1886. He talks about his visits to Niagara Falls, Omaha, Denver, Cheyenne, Reno, and Salt Lake City. He specifically describes the hanging of a man in Denver, and the climate in California. The manuscript might be the source for some of Chapter Eight "A Trip to California, 1886," in Briggs' book entitled Arizona and New Mexico 1882, California 1886, Mexico 1891 (1932); however, Chapter Eight covers the entire trip to San Francisco and back to Boston.

mssHM 68057

William H. Dougal journal of a voyage from New York to San Francisco

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Account of a voyage from New York to California in 1852

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