Identifier: recollectionsofs00davi (find matches)
Title: Recollections of a sea wanderer's life; an autobiography of an old-time seaman who has sailed in almost every capacity before and abaft the mast, in nearly every quarter of the globe, and under the flags of four of the principal maritime nations
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Davis, George, b. 1821
Subjects: Seafaring life
Publisher: New York, A. H. Kellogg, printer
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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We took on several passengers at each port, bound for
the gold, diggings of California, and the chief topic of con-
versation all day and all night was the prospect of amassing
wealth at the mines. No other topic could hold any one
more than a moment or two, when the absorbing gold fever
would assert its power and come uppermost again. At the
Isthmus of Panama we received a number of passengers
and some mail and newspapers from New York. Those
who had letters would disappear for a short time, but would
in nearly every case reappear with the letter open, and,
finding friends, or acquaintances, read parts of the lettera
loud to eager listeners.
It was a good study to scan the features of the variou
spersons who were on their way to the golden land. All
wore the eager look of expectation, but behind that were
all sorts of faces—old, young, hard visages and smoothy
oung faces. Some there were who evidently were bound
on a trip of pure adventure, merely for the enjoyment of
the excitement incident to a wild life among the placers
and in the gulches. Others were more serious and earnest,
Text Appearing After Image:
SAN FRANCISCO. 361
and seemed to feel that the risk was great, but could be
overcome by resolution and courage. Still another class,
who seemed driven onward to face the well known hard-
ships and dangers for the sake of the hoped for treasure,
which was needed at home to relieve some heavy debt, or
as provision for declining years. Well, all hands, cook and
pilot, at last blessed their eyes with a glimpse of the land of
gold when we dropped anchor inside the Golden Gate.
We arrived at San Francisco in 1849, in October, just a
few days before the State constitution was adopted, and
when, it is said, there were a hundred thousand people in
and about San Francisco, made up of persons from every
nation and language on the globe. The men who went to
California in '49 have been since called "The Argonauts",
and they certainly did go on a long and perilous journey in
search of a golden fleece or treasure, only in this case the
expedition sailed west, while the ancient Greeks, under
Captain Jason, sailed east.

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