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Deck and port: $b or, incidents of a cruise in the United States frigate Congress to California. With sketches of Rio Janeiro, Valparaiso, Lima, Honolulu, and San Francisco — John Shaqi

Deck and port: $b or, incidents of a cruise in the United States frigate Congress to California. With sketches of Rio Janeiro, Valparaiso, Lima, Honolulu, and San FranciscoColton, Walter

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Deck and port: $b or, incidents of a cruise in the United States frigate Congress to California. With sketches of Rio Janeiro, Valparaiso, Lima, Honolulu, and San Francisco

Name: Deck and port: $b or, incidents of a cruise in the United States frigate Congress to California. With sketches of Rio Janeiro, Valparaiso, Lima, Honolulu, and San Francisco
Author: Colton, Walter

Colton, Walter

California -- Description and travel; Congress (Frigate: 1841-1862); Honolulu (Hawaii) -- Description and travel; South America -- Description and travel; Voyages to the Pacific coast

The members of Congress are responsible for any typographical errors
which the volume may contain, for they so lumbered the mails, between
Washington—where the proofs were sent—and New York, with their speeches,
that my publishers had about as little chance of getting a corrected
copy through this travelling Babel, as they would have had in finding a
righteous man in Sodom after Lot had left. I know it seems cruel to roll
the responsibility of blunders on a body of men who have errors enough
of their own to answer for. But the evil one himself is held accountable
for the sins of half the world.

Having thus conveniently disposed of all responsibility, I leave my Deck
and Port to the wave and strand, where they belong. Wreckers will
receive no salvage from me—they must make the most of the floating
planks. I only ask them not to scuttle the craft before she strikes.

                                                                   W. C.


                                  NOTE.

  The incidents which connected the officers of the Pacific Squadron and
  of the army, and many other prominent persons, with public events in
  California, are not reached by the Diary of this volume; they fall
  within the three years which are reserved for another work, entitled
  “_Three Years in California_.”




                               CONTENTS.


 CHAPTER I.—PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE.


 Orders to the Congress.—Passengers’ poop-cabin.—Passing U. S.
   ship Pennsylvania.—Divine service.—Waiting the
   wind.—Rip-raps.—Internal arrangements.—Library of the
   crew.—Ship cheered.—Departure of the pilot                    Page 13


 CHAPTER II.—PASSAGE FROM NORFOLK TO RIO DE JANEIRO.


 A culprit.—Corporal punishments.—Divine service.—A bird.—A
   gale.—Grandeur of the Gulf stream.—Man missing.—Tracts on
   board.—Waterspout.—Life at sea.—An eclipse.—The
   sick-bay.—Moral mechanism of a man-of-war.—Speaking a
   brig.—Departure of Mr. Beale.—Death of Spillier.—Astor-House
   sailor.—Universalist chaplain.—A petrel.—Speaking a
   ship.—Departure of Mr. Norris.—Crossing the
   equator.—Southern constellations.—A man lost.—Land ho!             22


 CHAPTER III.—RIO DE JANEIRO.


 Bay of Rio.—Scenery.—Aspect of the city.—Royal palace and
   chapel.—Lancers and baby.—Miseracordia.—Aqueduct.—Morning
   ride.—Botanic garden.—Tea-plant.—The Sabbath in
   Rio.—Museum.—Nunnery.—Jealousy of husbands.—A pompous
   funeral.—The Plymouth.—Hon. Henry A.
   Wise.—Slave-trade.—Marriages and domestic
   arrangements.—Political condition of the
   Brazilians.—Treatment of the
   slaves.—Religion.—Washerwomen.—San Antonio.—Climate.—The
   unknown couple.—Diamonds.—Farewell to Rio                          86


 CHAPTER IV.—PASSAGE FROM RIO TO CAPE HORN.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Deck and port: $b or, incidents of a cruise in the United States frigate Congress to California. With sketches of Rio Janeiro, Valparaiso, Lima, Honolulu, and San Francisco

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