Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-07-15
GOING TO CALIFORNIA, BACK IN '4s

The Brig aCharIette' of Newburyport,
Mass. sailed for California January %,
1S49. The day was Intensely cold, Their
mometer down to zero all day. Both of
my feet were frozen although I did not
know 1t at the time, writes one of the.
pagty in the Boston Transcript. On board
we had no fire and had toS crawl down
in our hunks and wrap up in our lolan-
kets to keep warm. Two days out we
struck the Gulf SEtream and took fierce
gale from the southwest. 1t struck us
about zaight-great waves broke
over the vessel and swept off everything
that was not siashed-barrelss CT pickles,
sauerkraut, vinegar and water--.he loss
of which we sadly felt before we got
through cur voyage
We reached the equator in twenty lone
days and then were becalnied. Their we
had fun. Nearly everyone went IN bath
ing. Some would climb and jump off the
foreyafd into the ocean, more than a
thousand miles from land One day we
saw a number of sharks following as.
They were very particular to keep in the
shadow Of the vessel Some of US
thought we would try our luck iishing, so
We got q large hook and chain 9 nd baited
it with a piece OF pork. It~5Has not long
before we had bite. It tooA nearly
every man to pull it up. 1t was a mon
ster shark, about ten feet long. He could
stand on his nose and beat the deck, and
until the captain persuaded thu colered
cook to kill him with an ak.
After crossing the equator we had a
| pleasant run down to the Horn After
rounding the Horn we took a fierce gale
| from the Pacific, which teek US nearly to
VALPARAISO, but as we could not make
that port we sailed down the coast and
ran into Falcahuano, Chile and diseev-
cred we were all sick with the .seuryy,
the resultsof the loss in the Gulf. Stream
| of vegetables, We stayed in port about
| two weeks to recruit our health. It was
I in the month of May and their fare,
| fruit and everything. was ripe. The day
we intended to sail some friends OF
Captain Bartlett made him present OF
a large squash and a lot of vegetables
! which were placed in small boat close
| to the feremast on deck. The next day
| orders were given to hoist up the an
| Choir and make sail for San Francis
60. While they were tearing UP the
anchor a small boat came from shore
with two belated Messengers. = AS they
! were climbing over the side of the VeSse
| a pistol went off, which was in the cl.;at
| pocket of one of the belated passeng.
| ers and the ball struck a young man by
the name of William Hudson of Water
| vile, Me, standing on deck. We found
he was seriously hurt His ankle, bone
was broken. The captain shouted, Lee
/ go the asehor," Mr., Hudson was taker
ashore and Charles Waters was left t.
take care of him. The next day orders
were given to weight anchor and star
| for San francisco. While the sailor,
| were hosting the anchor a young mar
by the name of Sam Nye, of rAmesbury
Mass, thought he would help little
so he sprang up in the rigging and be
/ gan to unfurl the foresail, BUT lost hi!
balance, turned< "a senersault and cam,
| down head first and struck the little
boat, striking his head square on thu
| big squash. We all expected he wa,
killed. Captain Barsatt r.al to him ani
said, ooh, you have, ruined my squash
| It was found his head was not hurt blu