A Gold Rush Journal 'Round the Horn : Wildlife, Wind and Rum

Wildlife, wind and rum: sketches and observations after 2 ½ months at sea in 1849.


(by Palma J. You, Archives Technician)


After a stop on Saint Catherine, known today as Santa Catarina, the bark Croton sailed southward towards "Pattigonia on Terra del Fuego" April 3, 1849.  Mr. Chittenden notes "the streights are 15 miles wide & 50 miles long[…]mountains are high with snow upon the tops… land looks high & naked" [...].  There is "very little wood on bushes […] scattered here and thair like the western prairies." "The tide make 85 ft., Stattenland is about 30 x 7 miles. It is high and mountainous."


Mr. Chittenden writes there are "pleanty of seal & many foxes wolves tigers & the polar bair[…] large birds, the Albetrofs Petral Cape Pigion chicks Boobies Ostrich & others to numerous to mention." His sketch below is a view of the "Streights of Lamaire."

April 9th the bark Croton weathers Cape Horn:


"At 12 oclock the wind is increased to a gale, Sun obscured, Topsails reefed close, Ship laid to. It rains & hails, weather cold. Our correct position is not to be had this day. Our course is west by north of the wind […] we shall try & rum off before it."

"This cut represents the Bark Croton as she lay to in a gale off Cape Horn April 9th, 1849."

Earlier ‘Round the Horn journal entries feature a Receipt for Cholera, St. Michael and Saint Catherine.

A Gold Rush Journal 'Round the Horn - Two More Sketches

(by Palma J. You, Archives Technician)

It was likely for gold rush ships sailing around Cape Horn to stop in a South Atlantic port; the typical location was Rio de Janeiro. The Croton, however, stopped several hundred miles further south on the island of Saint Catherine [Santa Catarina], a favored rest and replenishing spot of American whalers because of its good harbor, fresh supplies, and good Brazilian wine (Lewis, Roberts).

This represents a old dilapidated catholick church situated upon the island of St Catherine, down near the entrance of the harbor. The rear building is ocupyed as a church at the present day.”

 “This represents a small bay, House, grog stop, boat house & C. situated upon the main opposite where we lay at anchor in the harbor of SA Catherine.”

The first posting from this series of neat drawings from Mr. Chittenden journal was posted on March 7, 2012, [and the second appeared on March 28, 2012 -- Ed.]