Diary by JOHN GUNDRY (1826-1870) of Wendron,
Cornwall.
John Gundry was born Wendron 1826; married Margery Perry,
a cousin, [and also a sister of brother Joseph's wife, Sally] in
Wendron in 1852. He was a farmer who died Constantine in 1870. His farm, Trebah, is to this day, "in the family".
Special thanks to Peter Gundry for allowing the diary to be used.
Who in 1849 sailed on the Barque "Roslyn Castle" from Falmouth.
***
An account of voyage from Falmouth, Cornwall, to
California via Mineral Point, Wisconsin.
Page 1.
Sunday, April 6th 1849. - Just after we left a great many got
very sick and wishing themselves back again.
Monday, 7th. - I got sick myself and could not eat
anything.
10th. - In bed all day. Vessel going first rate from 7 - 8
knots per hour.
11th. - Getting better again. Wind fair;
12th.- Wind fair. Going about 4 knots an hour. (The above date sequence seems
muddled)
Friday, 13th. First thing in the morning I lost my cap, saw
some porpoises.
Saturday, 14th.- Wind fair but little, going 3 - 4 knots an
hour.
Sunday, 15th.- It blew a gale, very little cooking, ship
rolling very much, going from 6 - 9 knots.
Monday 16th.- Going very slow from 1 - 1½ knots per hour.
Tuesday 17th.- Spoke to the �Monument of New York� bound to
Liverpool, in the afternoon saw 11 or 12 ships. Ship going 5 - 7
knots per hour. Wednesday 18th.- Saw a quantity of porpoises, ship
going about 7 - 8 knots an hour, weather very hazy.
Thursday 19th.- Ship going about 4 - 6 knots an hour. There is
a great deal of talk about getting on the banks now.
Friday 20th.- Vessel going 8½ knots an hour.
Saturday 21st.- Now on the Beaks, about 4 o�clock tried to
sound but could not. 4knots an hour.
Sunday 22nd. - Very dirty and cold. In the afternoon sounded in
45 fathoms of water. We heaved the ship to, and we went fishing.
About 12 o�clock the sailors saw an iceberg.
Monday 23rd.- Saw some grampuses and porpoises. Weather very
fine but just a calm. In the evening the sailors showed us some of
their tricks by getting some passengers in to play with them and
blackening their faces and wetting their jackets, etc.
Tuesday 24th.- Wind ahead, very cold weather.
Wednesday 25th. - A calm. The captain and. two mates and one of
the passengers visited a French brigg and had some fish and spirit
off them. Several vessels in sight now.
Thursday 26th.- In the morning we had a calm and went fishing.
Had fresh fish for dinner. In the evening about 7 o�clock a little
girl to William Williams, a mason from Constantine, died.
Friday 27th.- About 8 o�clock in the morning she was committed
to the deep, the funeral service was read by Captain Sadler. Weather
very cold, freezing all day, wind north west.
Saturday 28th.- Wind foul.
Sunday 29th.- Fine breeze and fair, ship going 9 knots an hour.
In the afternoon carried off the fore stinsail boom, We had preaching
by Thomas Polkinhorn of Redruth.
Monday 30th. - Wind ahead.
Tuesday, May 1st.(1849).- Fairwind, ship going 3 - 6 knots an
hour.
Wednesday 2nd.- Saw Newfoundland, it appears a hilly country.
Wind ahead all day. Saw snow on the tops of the hills, we were within
8 - 10 miles of it.
Thursday 3rd.- wind ahead and blowing strong all day, doing
nothing but tacking about all day to the mouth of the Gulf, Cape Ray
in sight all the time.
Friday 4th.- Wind ahead in the morning, about 1 o�clock in the
afternoon the wind turned and we made for the gulf.
Saturday 5th.- In the morning we saw St. Pauls, wind ahead and
blowing
-gale. Ship laying to, under.
Page 2.
Sunday 6th.- We had a strong gale all. day, Helm lashed fast
all day, wind right ahead and drifting out to sea; a great many
wishing themselves home again.
Monday 7th.- Wind ahead and blowing strong.
Tuesday 8th.- Wind rather ahead but doing a little.
Wednesday 9th.- Head wind.
Thursday 10th.- Head wind.
Friday 11th.- In the morning we were in sight of Cape Breton. A
dead calm all day. In the evening we hailed the brigg �Falcon� from
Sunderland, been out 44 days, been here 20 days and been above St
Pauls twice and driven back with the ice for it did not break up
until the 4th so he said. We are now about the entrance of the Gulf,
several ships obliged to put into Sidney.
Saturday 12th. - A fine day, a little breeze sprung up in the
afternoon but right ahead, in the night about half past 10 o�clock,
there was a great bustle on board our ship, by reason of a brigg
called the �Maria of Limerick� striking against a piece of ice and
knocking in her bow port which they say was very badly secured. There
was 121 when they left and 3 died on the passage. 106 souls perished,
our boat picked up 9 and the boat belonging to the �Falcon� picked up
3.. . On the next morning they went on board the �Falcon� and brought
the other 3 on board our barque. The persons that were saved were the
Mate, 2 seamen and the cook, 3 men, 3 boys and 2 women. From the time
she struck until she went down was 1 hour, or one and half. They sank
their own boat by reason of so much jumping into it.
Sunday 13th.- A fine day, wind ahead, in sight of St. Pauls.
Monda 14th. - A fair wind but very little. We are just in the same
place we were on the 2nd. instant, We saw the both Capes at the
entrance of the Gulf and the both lights on St. Pauls.
Tuesday 15th.- A fine breeze and fair going up the Gulf, 7 - 8
knots an hour.
Wednesday 16th.- Head wind. In sight of Gaspe and the island of
Anticostil or Anticosta. The pilot came on board at half past 7
o�clock in the morning..
Thursday 17th.- A fine day, saw some whales.
Friday 18th.- Just a calm, saw a great many whales.
Saturday 19th.- Head wind.
Sunday 20th.- Strong head wind.
Monday 21st.- Fair wind going 8 or 9 knots an hour.
Tuesday 22nd.- Fine breeze, entered the river of St. Lawrence.
Saw a great deal of houses and fine farms, a great deal more on the
south side than on the north. In the evening about 8 o�clock we
anchored about 2 miles off the quarantine ground.
Wednesday 23rd.- A very stormy day.
Thursday 24th.- About 10 o�clock the doctor came on board and
examined us and about half hour afterward they took the anchor up and
made for �Quebeck", got in about 4 o�clock.
Friday 25th.- We left about 5 o�clock in bhb afternoon by the
�Quebeck� for Montreal and got in the next forenoon and heaved on to
the passport for Kingston.
Whitsunday - We went through the lake of the thousand isles ahd
got in to Kingston about 4 o�clock in the afternoon.
Whitmonday 28th.- We walked about the city. It is a fine place
but I think not so well as Montreal. In the afternoon about 4 o�clock
we left again by the �New Era� for Toronto and got in the 29th about
7 or 8 o�clock and left again by the �Chief Justice� for Queenstown.
then by railway for Chipperva about 9 miles. We saw the falls of
Niagara as we were riding on, it is a grand sight, we did not stop.
We got in to Chipperva and left again for Buffalo by the �Emera� and
got in about 7 o�clock in the evening. Stopped there that night and
walked about the city the next day, it is a beautiful place. In the
evening we left again by the �Nile� for Chicago.
Page 3.
Thursday 31st.- We put into Cleveland.
Friday, June 1st.- We put into Detroit.
Saturday 2nd.- We put into Mackinaw and-got some fresh fish and
saw a great many Indians and some wigwams. We got into Millwakie
about 4 o�clock in the morning of the 4th June.
Stopped 9 months.
1850 : I left Mineral Point March 28th, 1850, in company with
cousin John Walters and William Uren for California and reached
Dubuque on the 29th, and started the next morning for Iowa City, and
reached it on April 3rd. Came through Cascade, Animosa, Iowa City
moorings, and went off the road to Monterum, came through Newton Fort
Desmoine. Crossed the mokokeda, cedar Iowa skunk, desmoine coon, and
three rivers and reached Hanesville on the 22nd. We have paid $1.75
per hundred lbs. for hay, and $100 per bushel for corn.
We left Hanesville Council Bluffs on the 25th April and crossed
the Missourie river on the 26th, on the south side of the Platt
river.
Sunday 28th.- We encamped on the salt creek.
Monday 29th.- We had a very storm$ night and had our tents
blown down.
May 1st.- Saw the remains of several waggons that were deserted
by persons that were carrying provisions out to the forts, We struck
the Platt bottom and kept on the south side of it.
May 2nd.- We came through a large Indian village, it was
deserted. The part of the country that we have come through is very
thinly timbered.
6th.- Reached Fort Kearney 240 miles from the Missourie river,
saw several young buffaloes which they had kept in a yard.
12th.- We crossed the south fork of the Platt river, it is a
wide stream about from a quarter to half a mile wide and a sandy
bottom. Several teams got stuck in it. Game appears to be more
plentiful than before and feed-better. In the evening 5 men from our
company went out to hunt buffaloes and killed one, and next morning
11 of us went out for some of it and killed another about 6 or 8
hundredweight. Antelope and wolves very plentiful.
15th. - Killed another young buffalo and met with a great
number of Soux (Sioux or Siux) Indians which appear to be very
friendly and begging off every team that pass by. We came through ash
hollow today feed very scarce, scenery rather more picturesque than
what vie had previously passed.
16th and 17th.- We met with a great deal of Indians and came
through their village. They would trade anything for whiskey, sugar
or bread but they did not care about money.
18th, - We passed by what is called the courthouse rick and got
in sight of the chimney rock.
20th. - We got up to it. It is said to be 200 feet high, and it
is composed of a kind of clay.
21st.- We passed Scots Bluffs and Cold Springs at which last
place there is a trading post. The scenery that we passed through
today was grand and picturesque, the bruffs high on each side and
thinly scattered over with cedar wood.
22nd.- We passed another trading post.
23rd. - We reached Fort Laramie. The fort is situated on the
Laramie river, we had to ford it to reach the fort, We stopped there
and got some bread at 14 cents per lb. , then went out about 1½
miles and encamped.
24th.- Black hills in sight, had a hail and thunderstorm.
25th. - Encamped on Horseshoe Creek.
26th.- Laid over. Bad wind, rain, hails, snow, hot and
cold.
27th.- Drove about 30 miles over the black hills, roads bad and
feed very scarce. -
Page 4.
29th.- We crossed Deer Creek and struck the Platt river again,
weather very warm, see snow on the tops of the mountains.
30th.-. We reached the ferry, had to pay $4.00 per waggon. and
25 cents per horse for crossing.
31st.- We crossed the river and, drove out about 12 miles
through a sandy country thickly covered with wild sage and encamped
on some mineral springs.
1850 June 1st.- We passed some alkali springs.
2nd.- We passed near some alkali lakes and saw a great quantity
of saleratus, and encamped close to Independence Rock which rock is
worthy of the emigrants� notice.
3rd.- We passed the Devil�s Gate. It is a narrow pass through
which the sweetwater river runs, the sides of which are 400 feet
high.
6th.- We came by considerable snow and went a-snowballing one
another.
7th.- We reached the famous South Pass of the rocky
mountains.
8th.- We came to the junction of California and Oregon roads.
We took the right-hand road and encamped near the big sandy.
9th.- We left the big sandy about 4o�clock in the afternoon for
the desert lying between the sandy and green river which we consider
about 45 or 50 miles. We reached the river about 10 or 11 o�clock in
the morning when we had to swim our horses across the river, some men
rafting and others took off the box of their waggons to cr0 ss the
river. There was one man washed off his horse in fording The river
and drowned.
11th.- There were 2 men drowned, we got ferried over in the
evening,
$ 10 per waggon and had to work the boat a good deal ourselves
to get across.
12th.- We left Green river. - The country that we passed
through was very mountainous. 13th.- Just the same. Reached Hams fork
otBear river, here we had
to see a little of the Elephant, we had to take out all our
things out of the waggon and haul them across the stream in a waggon
box and take the waggon abroad and put it over in the same way.
14th and 15th.- We had very cold weather, hail and snow. 15th -
We crossed several branches of Bear river and decended some very
steep mountains.
16th.- Vie reached Thomas�s fork of Bear river where we had to
take our things out of the waggon and carry themacross the stream on
horseback. Very cold, snowed a great part of the night. Good grass
now.
18th. - We reached the Sodon springs and drank out of them, and
nearby we came through an Indian snake tribe encampment and bought a
pony. About 2 miles from here the road forks, one going to Fort Hall
and the other the cut off to California, the road through the cut off
is generally through a mountainous country and is said to be 108
miles through to the Fort Hall road again, but it is from 125 - 135
miles. -
Sunday 23rd. - We crossed several streams and made about 6 or 8
miles.
25th.- We reached the Salt Lake road again.
26th.- We came up by the Goosecreek and crossed a desert of 15
miles.
27th.- We came through thousand spring valley. Feed very scarce
s
great part of the way. - -
Friday 28th.- I saw some hot springs and washed my hands into,
it, it was so hot I could not bear to keep my hand in it.
Saturday 29th. - We reached the Humbolt river and had to take
our things across the stream in the waggon box.
Sunday - Vie lay over and fárrièd several waggons
across the stream. 1850 July 1st.- We went down the river and crossed
another stream.
Page 5.
There was good grass some part of the way down the river, and a
great part of the way there was scarce any grass and water bad.
Sunday 7th.- We reached what we supposed was St Mary�s Sink
where we stopped to cut grass to carry across the desert. There was 1
man drowned crossing the river to see about grass.
8th.- We started in the evening about 8 o�clock expecting to
drive to the Sulphur springs but was sadly disappointed, then we kept
down the river until Sunday where we found plenty of good grass.
Through the last week we have seen a great quantity of horses left on
the road, some dead and some alive, and waggons left at almost every
camping place. We left our own waggon and took Thomas Prisk�s and
joined teams with Gregory Philips and the Davys. There is no grass to
be got from where we started last Monday to where we now are except
by going into water and mud two or three feet deep. Saw a great many
nearly out of provisions, some entirely so. One company killed a mule
to eat for want of other food. The water is bad down in this part of
the river but we have to use that or none. We have seen dead horses
floating down the river near where we were using it, and yesterday
there was a man seen floating in the water but they could not take
him out.
14th and 15th.- We lay over to rest our horses hoping to put
them across this dreaded desert.
16th. - We left the slough about 6 o�clock in the evening and
drove down to the sulphur springs where we reached in the morning
about 5 o�clock. We lay over there until about 6 o�clock in the
evening when we started out over the desert, drove all night and
reached Carsons river about 1 or 2 o�clock the next afternoon. There
was a great deal of suffering on the desert for want of water. One or
two men died on the desert for want of water and a great many had to
stop until they had water brought them. Horses and mules had to be
unharnessed and drove to the water before they were able to take
their loads in, and there was a great many left there never to see
the water again, waggons, water barrels, and just every kind of thing
was left on the desert, more horses and mules than oxen.
19th.- We drove up the river about 6 or 8 miles and lay over
the rest of the day.
20th.- We saw some men out from the mines with provisions to
meet the emigrants, flour $175 per pound.
21st.- We cut up the waggon to make pack saddles to go, and
packing started in the evening about 7 o�clock for the 26 miles plain
without water or grass.
22nd.-. We saw some more speculators out with provisions.
24th.- We passed some more warm springs and went through pass
creek canyon, 5 miles, a most horrid road.
25th. - We ascended some very steep mountains and passed the
summit of the sierra nevada or California mountains, snow very deep
on the mountains and the most horrid roads that ever came under my
notice. Meeting a great many speculators every day going out with
provisions to meet the emigrants.
27th.- We drove about 1 mile south of the road and lay over
just all day.
28th. - We came within about 1 mile of Weavertown.
29th.- We drove into the town and sold one of our horses for
$55, and saw a great many folks digging. All appear to be getting
some gold. We commenced to work on Weber Creek 2 or 3 days and then
removed to Langtown or Placerville. Stayed in the gold mines until
the 28th day of September 1851. Changed 12 ozs. of dust at $17.00 per
oz. in Sacremento. Changed 1 oz. in St. Thomas�s at $16.50 per oz. On
which day I left for Sacremento city and home in company with
Christopher Clemence and several others going to Wisconsin to their
families. We reached Sacremento City on the 29th about 11 o�clock
Page 6.
in the forenoon and left it again about 2 o�clock in the
afternoon for San rancisco which we reached about 10 o�clock in the
evening. We left San Francisco on October 1st. for Panama on board
the steamship �Oregon� for St. Diego and Acapulco and reached Panama
on the 18th October, and walked about 10 or 12 miles across the
Isthmus of Panama and took lodgings for the night in a rag house. We
reached Cruses the next evening and stopped that night at Millers
Hotel, and next morning, 20th, hired a boat to take us down to
Chagres for which we had to pay $5.50 each. (60 miles).
23rd.- We went on the Medway Steamship bound for Southampton.
We sailed from Chagres on the 27th and put into Carthagena for the
mail, and arrived at St. Thomas�s on the 31st, where we had to stop
until the 5th November, taking in cargo and to stop for the mail,
when we again started for Southampton and reached it on the 26th
November 1851.
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