Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-11-22
Letters from California.

tracts from letters received by the last Cali
fornia mail from Newport gentlemen who
went out in the Audley Clarke. The first
10 sketch Of the voyage, and will be in
teresting TO the friends of those who were
in the ship, as well as others, as it shows
how they Jared on the passage. The next
is from the samo gentleman, on his way to
the Mines. The third is from another, on
his way to the Mines.
We have eight other letters which we
shall publish hereafter.
Pacific Ocean. Aug. 10, ls49.
The difficulty we experienced in clearing
the anchoring ground you saw no doubt at
the time of starting from Newport, bu, af-
ter having jbed the ship, we passed the
fort and, lacking several times, passed tho
reef and stood out 10 sea with free sheet ;
but before we passed the Lighthouse many
OF the passengers were bending over the
loe rail, paying their first instalment to
Neptune, and before dark were followed
by near thIee-fourths Of the Company. |,
however. waited until | had tumbled into
my birth, with coat, cap and boots on, and
owing to the cold weather could not sleep,
hoping at the same time to get clear of
sea sickness but Neptune claimed his
own, and paid him all off in The space Of
three hours, and have not been sick from
that time to this.
The ship leaked some and was pumped
out by the crew the first night but on the
second day she sprang aleak in a strong
North West wind which blew to a gale,
and the passengers worked at the pumps.
We soon reached the Gulfand found warm
weather with heavy sea and squally winds
from the N, f., with drenching rain. The
ship leaked in the sides above the copper,
and in heavy winds and rough seas leaked
badly. The passengers divided themselves
into watches many wanted to put back,
bu, we continued on and stopped a, the
Cape Verde Islands TO repair damages,
which detained us 10 days; while al the Is
lands the barque Velascoe, Of Boston, with
the Pawtucket Company on board, put in
for fuel, she having met with the same
gales that we had and put into the Western
Islands to repair damages, at an expense of
$1,000. We repaired our damage without
expense, save the materials and we used
that which we designed for house. We
started from the Islands April 5,h, with
some so goats and sheep, . bullocks and
about two cart loads of crooked neck squash
es, and overlook an English topsail schoon-
er on the 9th, kept company with her two
or three DAYS, and put a bag Of letters on
board Of her, the Captain promising to do
his best to forward them to their deslina-
tion when he arrived at Pernambuco. On
the 2lst, we spoke the barque Vernon, so
days from New York, bound for SaL Fran
cisco. We obtained some papers from
her, as late as the second Of March she
had six passengers on board, and had lost
one Of her crew in gale.
We spoke the bark Henry Babcock from
New York, for San Francisco, with 65
passengers 81 days from hore at Rio
Janero we had an opportunity Of trying
our speed and run out Of sight of her two
days after. May 10, We caught several
large - and cooked them for supper,
and found them Of excellent flavor. We
spoke the bark Algoma. so days from
Philadelphia, SO passengers on board this
is the las, vessel we spoke until we had
passed the Cape, but had them in company
or passed them on the way. We made the
Falkland Islands on the eth of May, and
29th took furious gale from the S. f.,
which varied to s w and w. We passed
the Cape on the 9th of June, with head
winds the ship stood her own well, is a
good sea-boat, and does not ship much wa
ter, but her decks leak badly We amuse
ourselves the best wo can, and time flies
away pretty fast, with songs and music.
jokes, yarns, &c. We have had "a gales,
with rain, sleet and snow. The health of
the Company has been very good consid-
erlng the wet place we Rave had to live in;
many Of tho bcrths arc so wet that they
have to be abandoned in bad weather mine
however has always been dry. Mr.. welch
has been sick nearly oil the voyage, Of
deranged liver ho now is getting better,
aud can do without watchers. Tho roast
chicken and other things that brough,
with me has KEEP, very we'll, aud | found
them very useful for the sick, my own ap-
petite being good enough TO spare them.
Sept. 2 We have arrived al lsst IN