I arrived in Boston in October, and after waiting two months and not receiving either letters or monev, felt suspicious that something was the matter. I started off again for this land of scoundrels, in the steamer Cherokee. We had a regular north-west gale, until up with St. Domingo. Our boat groaned and creaked like an old basket; but she carried us safe to Chagres, and that was all we desired. We took boats for Gorgona, as it was thought at this time of the year to be the best road. Arrived safe, and took mules for Panama. About four hours out of Gorgona, my mule, a vicious animal, threw me on to a ledge of rocks, which knocked the breath out of my body for a few minutes, but fortunately, escaped without broken bones.
I was soon horsed again, though in much pain; went on my way rejoicing, and arrived at Panama by sunset. I took passage in the Tennessee, and sailed for San Francisco. On the third day after leaving Panama, began to feel premonitory symptoms of fever. Several were already down with it, and one poor fellow, a German died alongside of me. I was taken early in the morning, was so much debilitated, that I could not stand. Mv friends took me to my berth, and called the doctor, who came, saw my condition, and prescribed. The medicine was brought to me, but as soon as the boy had gone I managed to throw it out of the air-port, feeling certain that if 1 took his stuff, should as surely die as the others did.
He called again, and enquired how the medicine had operated; I answered him in rather an incoherent manner, telling him that it was all right. " Yes, I perceive your pulse is better, I will send you two powders; take one immediately, and the other at twelve o'clock." The powders came, but they went where I should have gone, had I taken them. I was very thirsty, the water was so warm I could not retain it, so I took a glass of ale, and felt immediate relief. I perceived that I had gained strength, and commenced rubbing myself with a coarse cloth, and instead of water, used the ale. I had been confined to my berth two days, which is about the time it takes one to die.
I thought the matter over seriously, and was determined not to die, unless it was God's will that I should, and felt sure that if I took medicine, my days were numbered. I began to stretch myself out, rub my joints and body witli the coarse piece of canvas, and on the third morning, asked the doctor for a bowl of chicken broth, which he allowed me to take, at the same time feeling my pulse, and expressing his surprise at my rapid convalescence while so many were still very low! Of course, it would not do for me to tell him that I had not taken his medicine, for he certainly was very kind and attentive, and it would, no doubt, have hurt his feelings.
I am certain that my cure was effected by hard rubbing, pah ale, and resolution, for before the week was out 1 was on deck, to the surprise of many, and though my appearance was deathly, yet the old fellow missed me this time. On my arrival at San Francisco, I was very weak, but rapidly gained strength and entire recovery, soon ascertained,that my nice, young mew had burst up only a short time after Heft San Francisco, and had included all my property in their assets: and neither of the principals nor the assignees, could give me any satisfactory account of it. And to sum up the whole matter, it was a regular California failure, which means a total annihilation of money, papers, reputation and principle.
During my stay at San Francisco, the second time, I lived on board the ship Susan Drew, owned by Capt. Victor Constant, of Boston, one of nature's noblemen, a veteran shipmaster in whom it may be truly said there was no guile. And yet these heartless wretches, contrived to involve him in a lawsuit. His lawyer, a Boston man, since dead, and gone to the. Excuse me reader, 1 came near using an improper expression. This same lawyer told Capt. Constant in my presence, that his case would surely be decided in his favor; at the same time requesting the captain to hand over a few hundred, on account; which he did, and to the astonishment of my good friend the captain, this infamous lawyer turned right about, and favored the case against him, by which means he has lost his ship and cargo.