The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-14
AROUND THE HORN.
An Interesting Paper Read Before the
Historical Snciety.

An Interesting Paper Read Before the
Historical Society.
The monthly meeting of the California
Historical Society was held in Parlor A of
the Palace Hotel last night and was quite
well attended.
An invitation was received from the
Massachusetts Historical Society to send a
delegate to its one-hundredth anniversary
celebration which is to take place on Satur-
day. January "a. 1891, in the Arlington-street
Church. Thomas Wentworth Higginson of
Cambridge will deliver the address.
Among the valuable documents filed was
an original order by Governor Mason, signed
by himself, appointing a sort of court-martal
for the trial of prisoners. Following is the
complete text of the paper:
hnolC all men OY these presents-That I, Rich
ard Is. Mason, Colonel FIRST Dragons, U. S. a.,
and Governor of California by virtue OF author
ity in me vested, do hereby appoint L. w. BOggs
of Sonoma an additional special Commissioner
or Judge for the trial OF certain prisoners
directed in Ey order OF the 18Th OF August. 1S47
The Commissioners or Judges appointed as
aforesaid viii meet on the 25th of October next
at Sonoma, change OF venue being hereby made
to that pl'ce, instead of Suffers Fort as be-
fore directed.
Done at Monterey, the capital OF California,
this 18th day OF September, 1S47, and In the
Seventy second of the lndei endence of the
United States. r. B. MASON,
Col Drags., Gov. OF California.
A S. Hubbard, Secretary of the Society,
presented this document
Edgar Is. Raymond and Rev. Charles
NJ. Blake were elected members of the
society. by vote of the Secretary.
A communication was received from the
Secretary of the Indiana Historical Society
asking for the publications of the California
Society to be added to the collection in the
Indiana State Library.
The feature of the evening was a lengthy
s,,., Nv ,-I
n pioneer of California and Colorado narrat-
ing the incidents of voyage from Boston
to San Francisco on the Sea Witch in 1S49
faro und the Horn" Mr. Chever, it seems,
had early disciplined himself into that
rare and valuable practice of keeping daily
journal. Every event of noteworthy i'm
portance that came to his notice during this
voyage was carefully chronicied, and the
result is, that at this late day, having rre-
served every page, he was able to compile
in a charmingly narrative one of the most
important and valuable historical documents
ever presented before the society.
He left Boston on the Sea Witch in the
latter part of December, 1S4S, and after the
unnumbered vicissitudes aud hardships of
six months at sea, landed in the port of San
Francisco June 10, 1S49. During the voyage
the Witch made several ports and landings.
and the peculiaritles OF the country at each
place. also of the natives and the incidents
are detailed with remarkable minuteness
and interest.
Mr.. Chever's journal did not cease upon
his arrival in San Francisco. The paper
continues to narrate numbereSS interesting
matters of this city, then in its infancy, that,
while important as small history, are not
chronicled in other historical papers.
Shortly after making this port the Sea
Witch continued her voyage up the Sacra-
mento River, with Mr.. Chever still passen-
ger, and the pages of the journal still kept
on chronicling an account OF the trip with
the same strict fidelity to detail. The Sac
ramento River, Sacramento City, Feather
the well-known historical perSonages aud
were all mentioned, and host of incidents
writer had personal knowledge.
When the paper was finished Mr.. Chever
was warmly applauded and thanked, and
society.
During he narration Mr.. Chever spoke of
having met the Panama in the straits of
Magellan. When he had closed Samuel w.
Holiday referred to the passage by stating
that the Panama was then on her return
voyage from San Francisco under command
of Admiral Porter. On her first trip she
had as passengers Governor Low, John IL.
Jewett, Governor Weller, Hall McAlllster
and many other now well-known Calltor-
mans among whom should be mentioned
Mr.. Holiday HIMSELF.
The next meeting of the society Will be on
February 10Th in its new rooms i'll the Acad-
emy of Sciences Building. The annual
election takes place at this meeting, and all
members are requested to be present.