The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1849-08-04
ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE,
Letter from South America.

MIR. John Mauldin of this county has
furnished us for publication with the fol-
lowing letter from his son, John MIauldin
Jr, written at Callao, when on his way to
California.
CALLAo, May goth, 1S49.
DEAR FATHER:-After a passage of 69
days from Rio de Janeiro, and 1l9 from
Baltimore, we on the 2lth inst, arrived
at this port. Having written to you from
Rio, ! will now, try to give you des-
cription of some of the scenes through
which we have passed from Rio to this
place. After making all necessary prepar-
atoms, we weighed anchor on Sunday
morning, the 18th of March, and left the.
harbor of Rio, and stood our course south
In the direction of Cape Horn. We made
our way along with but little interruption,
until we had passed the latitude of 45
south, when we began to encounter head
winds, accompanied at intervals with vio-
lent squalls of snow and hail. But occa-
slonally getting fair wind we made along
until the l 18th of April we came in sight
OF the Falkland Islands, which lie about
one hundred and twenty miles to the north
east of the Cape. We passed them with
free wind at the rate of ten knots per hour
and stood our course 70 the west all in bright
anticipation of turning what may be con-
sidered the crisis of our voyage, and getting
into the Pacific Ocean without any serious
delay. But our good fortune was here
doomed to meet with reverse, for when
almost within sight of the Cape we were
suddenly becalmed and lay there fer forty
eight hours without making as many miles. |
The sky which at first wore calm and
tranquil appearance soon became over
spread with clouds and every hour gave
fresh evidence of an approaching storm.
Our captain took the warning and made
all the preparations that were in his power
to receive it, by sending down every thing
from aloft that could be spared and sundry
other arrangements that was deemed advi-
sable, when on the morning of the 18th, it
broke on us with all its fury, accompanied
with snow and hail and ragged with una
bated fury for eight days and nights. There
is no language adequate to portray in it's
true colors such scene; experience is the
only way whereby we can form correct
idea Of it. 1t was indeed fearful storm.
We LAID too under close reefed main-top-
sail expecting every moment to see it
torn from the yard. The top-gallant sails
and also the mzen-top-sail were torn from
the masts, and swept away but happily we
had new ones to supply their place. The
waves rolled to fearful height, descrip-
ton ofwhich would appear incredible to
any one that never saw them, and every
now and then would break in fury over the
ship and deluge every thing that was on
deck, which was covered several times to
the depth of eighteen inches with snow
and hail. The wind which was from the
north drove US south to such degree that
had the storm lasted much longer we must .,
all have persisted with the cold, or have
been foundered among the icebergs, many .
OF which were hundreds of feet high But =
the eye of Providence, that is ever watch :;
ing over his creatures, came to our assist y
ance, when even the Captain had given it :
up in despair, and rescued us from our per g
ilous situation and snatched us as it were
from the very jaws of death; for on the "
ninth day we had change of wind when II II
every effort was made to get her back again .
to the north. a
L am afraid that I have taken up too
much room in describing what to me is n
any thing else but interesting and will e
pass on by observing that it would take e
volumes to describe the scene in reality, 4
together with the thoughts and feelings of |,
those that were within its reach. AL G,
though that was by far the severest storm c
that we have had to encounter, we by no
means got clear of many severe gales of f
head wind which prevented our making "
much Roadway, and kept us for upwards f;
If forty days beating about in that cold and @
nhospitable region, during which time o
many Of the passengers suffered much from n
rost-bites. At last we were favored with a,
rec winds which in a few days placed us OF