"On Board the U. S. Store Ship Lexington
"Harbor of Rio Janeiro, Brazil,

"September 18.

"I was off this morning inspecting two of the prin-
cipal forts — Cobras and Villegagnon, and I have just
finished my sketch in pencil. Now that my hand is in
I'll add a few more embellishments, making a sort of
pictorial envelope. This 1 is the shape of the ordinary
house of the city, roofed with tiles of a greyish red color
— walls of plastered stone, the balcony of iron. It some-
times extends the full front of the house and sometimes
only in front of each window. In them are seen the
women or ladies peering upon the street with their
black hair combed back tight, — painfully so. In gen-
eral the ladies are not beautiful, but of course there are
exceptions. The windows and doors of the lower

1 Referring to a pencil sketch at the side of the page. Sher-
man's facility in drawing was often exercised in his letters.



62 SHERMAN'S HOME LETTERS

stories are barred — over the windows with iron, some-
times with wood, so that questions are asked and an-
swered before a latch is touched. No fireplaces or
chimneys are used — never cold enough to sit by, and
all the cooking is done in brazeiros or pots of charcoal.
Yesterday I noticed a funeral of some poor person. The
coffin was like a large trunk — not shaped as ours, and
the corners covered with gilt papers. It lay across the
foot board of a volante; no procession followed but four
negro boys carried candles four feet long, lighted two
on each side. It was raining hard, so the boys had
great trouble to keep the candles lighted. The volante
had to be stopped several times till the boys could re-
light their extinguished tapers: that looks odd enough
in a shower in broad daylight. When a person of dis-
tinction dies they always associate military pomp with
the ceremonies of the church. Today as I passed a
church I observed a body of troops drawn up in front
of a church. I walked in. A double row of persons
with lighted torches lined the way to a side altar in
front of the principal one. Six or eight priests in robes
were singing the funeral service for some female who
was distantly connected with some noble family. As
the service terminated the bells tolled and were followed
by the bells of fifty other churches. All are Catholics
here, and of course the church stamps a strong char-
acter upon all the people. Priests are seen in the streets
at all hours with their broad hats, black gowns and cord
girdles. Upon all of the church festivals all the city
turns out to enjoy the day. Rest and festivity, music
and dancing, mark the day and all evince real happiness,



ROUND THE HORN 63

hollowing and burning gunpowder to an alarming ex-
tent. Upon Sundays and all festivals the Theatre is
thronged. I attended it, and heard the opera of
'Beatrice di Tenda,' in [letter torn] better than any
opera in New Orleans. The Theatre too is larger
than that of the St. Charles, the largest in the United
States. . . ."

It was on the 21st of September that the Lexington
sailed from Rio for Valparaiso, and though the circum-
stances of the voyage are described in the Sherman
Letters somewhat more fully than the matters with
which the preceding letters have dealt, the following
account of them is individual enough to be preserved :

" The Lexington, At Sea, Pacific Ocean,

"October 27, 1846.
"The Horn is passed, and all now look upon our
arrival at Valparaiso as a matter of course, in a very
short time. My first thought is of you and a letter is
begun, to which I fear I shall be tempted to make so
many additions that it will be more ponderous than
interesting. I wrote you twice from Rio. The day
after my last we succeeded in getting to sea, where at
once the old routine was resumed, and storms and
calms succeeded each other, exciting but little interest
to those most affected. Time wore on, the sun became
less genial and warm, rain turned into hail and snow,
the air assumed a keen and more searching feel and
began to sigh and moan about the rigging telling us
plainly that winter was coming. The hint was taken,
the lighter spars and sails were stored away, every



64 SHERMAN'S HOME LETTERS

moveable article secured with lashing and the ship put
in Cape Horn trim. We had several pretty severe
storms on the way down the Patagonian coast, a pampero
or two off the La Plata, but they merely served to pre-
pare us for the gales we were doomed to encounter at
the Cape. On the twenty-first day out, land was dis-
covered ahead and soon made out to be Staten Land.
We sailed round it at night and when the sun rose bright
and clear the next morning, the snow clad mountains
looked so hard and forbidding that even a landsman
would prefer the decks of a ship to such a specimen of
his element. Look to the map and you'll see that as
soon as we rounded Cape St. John, or the easternmost
end of Staten Land, we looked upon the broad Pacific.
I could not see that it differed from the element upon
which we had dwelt so long, but a majestic roll or swell,
characteristic of the place, bade us be prepared for
storms.

"There is a current from the Pacific to the Atlantic
and the prevalent winds are from the south-west, so a
ship has to stem both of these, besides encountering the
head swell that almost defies the skill of the navigator.
Sailors hate land and only approach it for fresh grub
or to take a fresh departure. It was for the latter
purpose that we took a peek at the land and then
steered to the south to keep clear of the Horn. The
day was fair but ere night fell a heavy mass of clouds
rose to the south-west, which boiled up and up till it
gave way to a howling wind that came on charged with
snow squalls that swallowed up everything. Then
began the scuffle, and for twelve whole days and nights



ROUND THE HORN 65

these clouds of snow with gales followed each other in

quick succession, dead ahead, driving us further and

further off till really it was feared we would have to run

for it and take shelter behind the coast of Terra del

Fuego. But everything has an end and so had the

south-wester, which gradually slacking away gave place

to a fair wind of which advantage was taken and the

day before yesterday Cape Horn was in sight. It is an

island of hard snow-clad rock that rises out of deep

water and is rough, unfashioned, a sample of that chaos

out of which earth was made or as sailors say, God got

tired when he got this low down and flung the rocks

down without regard to symmetry or order, as the

potter flings the loose mud from his fingers after he has

completed his pot. There are several other rocky

islands that are grouped about it, whilst the cold snowy

mountains of Terra del Fuego form a pretty background

for the picture. We passed quite near for the wind was

fair and light and we all felt a curiosity to stare this

monster in the face. The Sea Gull l was lost here when

the exploring expedition was in these parts, and many a

stout ship that had circled the world has gone down

whole in this sea. Not a sailor but what has his yarn of

shipwreck and many a history bears the words, ' Swamped

off Cape Horn/ for no soul ever escapes to tell the tale.

" During the twelve days we had one night that beat

anything I had ever seen, and our Captain, who has

been here repeatedly, says he never had such a rough

1 The Sea Gull was one of the vessels of the U. S. Exploring
Expedition which sailed under Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, in
1838. She was lost, according to his record, about May 1,
1839.



66 SHERMAN'S HOME LETTERS

time of it. The sea ran very high and made many
breaches over us. Snow sometimes lay on the decks
and clogged the rigging, and icicles dangled from every
point that would yield a place. The lowest the ther-
mometer has been was 22°, or 10° below freezing.
This, too, coming so soon after we had languished under
a tropical sun chillblained our hands and feet, for we
have no fire on board and had to do the best with coats
and blankets. I missed my cloak much, and now I
cannot imagine why I did not bring it along. I have
caught a severe cold and my fingers are now swollen
with cold. Amidst the heaviest of the storm I had to
go on deck, that is I was impelled by curiosity to see the
gale, to watch the big wave coming on as though it
would engulf all, and the old Lexington rise slowly to
its very summit and majestically sink into the next
valley, ready to rise upon the next height; or to listen
to the wind whistle, and watch the management of the
gear by which this mass of a hulk is made to defy the
very elements. I believe I have made some proficiency,
both in the technical phrases and in the philosophy of
the machine, so that should this Fortune (that has
sported not a little with me) place me where nautical
knowledge would be called for, I might seize the
speaking trumpet, 'clewlines, buntlines, let go the
haulyards, lay aloft and furl, etc.,' and work the ship
to her port. Upon the whole, however, I think that
Cape Horn has fully convinced me that at least the
Army is better than the Navy, and land a better element
to operate on than water; yea, more than once, a
species of conviction has come across my mind that I



ROUND THE HORN 67

did not act the wisest part in throwing up my tame
prospect at Pittsburg for this wild goose chase; but
Cape Horn is passed and now for the first time since
leaving New York the vessel heads towards our real
destination, California. Every day and week will
bring us nearer that destination which is to be some
sort a home for most of us, till we are disposed of or
called back to the States. ..."

"November 6, Lat. 58° S., Long. 76° W.
"of Greenwich, or 1° E. of Washington.

"I flattered myself in thinking that Cape Horn was
done with us. The sun played the hypocrite, putting
on a smiling face to beguile us into a feeling of security,
for the very night after I had finished the first sheet,
when we were looking for a fair wind, a foul one arose
dead ahead and here we are, after ten more days of
gale that at times was terrific, still south of Cape Horn,
the crew worn out and all dispirited at the bad prospect.
The wind still continues from the north-west and God
only knows when it will cease. For the last twenty-
four days we have been literally tempest tost, making
no progress towards our destination, whilst the sailors
always superstitious consider us as Jonahs punished
by Heaven for being the instruments in an iniquitous
cause.

"We have had bad luck, sure enough, and according
to the usual course of nature are entitled to some com-
pensation for the future to which I trust, still hoping
to reach Valparaiso. How do we pass our time, you
probably would ask. One of the officers (Navy) and



68 SHERMAN'S HOME LETTERS

half the crew has to be on the upper deck at all times,
exposed to the elements. As the crew is short, we have
made one fourth of our soldiers remain on deck all the
time to assist in hauling at the ropes, and doing any
deck work. These must be superintended by one of
us (officers) for we will not allow the Navy officers to
command our men except through us. This duty
keeps us on duty one day out of four, on which we spend
a great portion on deck, coming below, however, when-
ever we choose. The other three days are spent in the
ward room, reading, playing cards, or sleeping. This
latter being a labor rather than pleasure, and he is
considered the happiest man who can punish his bed
most. I have read all of Washington Irving's works
that are aboard, Pickwick, Barnaby Rudge, Shake-
speare, everything I could get, and yesterday cast about
to determine which I should attempt next — -the Bible,
History of the Reformation or the Wandering Jew, but
have postponed such a task till even a time more
urgent than the present. Hours too, day and night,
have I lay in my berth listening to the creaking of
the timbers and wondering how man with his limited
strength could make a vessel so strong as to stand this
violent rolling and tossing; how long this particular one
can stand it, whether it would be better in case of wreck
to run on deck and try the chance of a floating spar, or
like the monkey clap my hands to my head and go
down without a struggle. These are mere thoughts,
for were you to see a group of us on deck, with the sea
foaming and roaring all round as though inevitably
bound to swallow us up, you could detect no sign of



ROUND THE HORN 69

apprehension, or fear. Should a poor fellow then pre-
tend to offer up a prayer to his Maker he would be
laughed at and ridiculed in such a manner as to turn
devotion into resentment.

"How different is real danger to those who encounter
it and those who from a comfortable fireside or terra
firma merely contemplate it!

"Great quantities of birds are constantly about the
ship picking up every piece of bread or meat that is
thrown over. Large albatross like huge geese, and a
small pigeon exactly like the tame ones, with white and
black spots, are so thick and tame that we have got
tired of catching them. We have caught great num-
bers of them and also of the albatross by a fishing line
and hook baited with pork, and really it is a curious
proceeding to haul in a great big goose-like bird with
wings expanded and resisting with all its might till at
last it stands upon the deck of a ship surrounded by a
singular race of wingless birds, who are so cunning as
to catch them. It is to the great number we have
caught that the sailor attributes our unusually hard
luck off this Cape Horn. One of our chief objects of
merriment is at meal time, to see some ten hungry
mortals strung around the ward room, with backs
braced against the bulk head, a cup of tea in one hand,
a hard biscuit and piece of beef in the other, and an
appetite not diminished by being at sea. Presently
the old ship rises higher and higher upon a huge sea,
and pitches headlong into the next valley. Away goes
the negro boy with his plate of hard tack, on him the
other with the tea pot and mixed up in all sorts of order,



70 SHERMAN'S HOME LETTERS

chairs, camp stools, and officers' legs, etc. This sea
is no respecter of persons or things, for not one of us
but in his turn has served as a laughing object for the
rest, and every thing breakable in shape of plates, cups,
etc., are among the missing; and should any strangers
pay us a call they would find us poor enough, and
might be forced to eat a dinner out of tin plates and
wait for their turn for a drink of water out of the cup.
I can now understand why all sailors are so good-
natured — not that nature made them so originally, but
because the sea kills or banishes all who have any
malice in their composition. Who but a philosopher,
and a kind one too, could behold without swearing, a
nice plate of rice, boiled and brought with great care
from the galley, suddenly cast into the dirty scuppers
full of dirt and salt water, with a broken plate and nigger
boy close by if not actually in it! Yet if one were to be
angry at such a sight he would be voted unworthy of
the sea, a reproach indeed. . . .

"Friday, November 20. — We are now within two
hundred miles of Valparaiso. The sky is serene, the
sea very smooth and pacific, and a light breeze gives us
assurance that tomorrow or next day we shall once
more drop our anchor. Our stay will be so short that
I will have but little time for letter-writing and there-
fore will enclose what I have already written upon my
arrival. How glad we all were to get away from the
cold damp weather off the Cape? The sun, or Old
Jamaica, as it is termed, is regarded as a kind friend
and our chief occupation is picking out the sunny parts
of the deck to enjoy the genial rays. Birds have



ROUND THE HORN 71

gradually left us and this morning a school of whales
came quite near to bid us adieu.

" What fools they are for preferring such cold stormy
regions to the sunny equator. A month hence no doubt
we will be seeking shade and a cool draught of air as
much as we now do the sunny side. It has occurred
to me several times that I ought to have sent Phil an
inventory of the things I left at Pittsburg. I did not
conceive them of sufficient value, but now remember
my map (Tanner's), some silver spoons (four of each
kind), and a box of mathematical instruments that I
may want again. Should we remain at Valparaiso
long enough to see anything of interest I will write
again. We have now been out sixty days, twenty-six
of them off Cape Horn, a long passage and unless we
have better luck the rest of the way it will be pretty
close to March before we land in California. . . .

"Tuesday, November 24. — This morning we ran
round the rocky headland that forms the harbor of
Valparaiso, and are now lying near one American sloop
of war, Levant, one English line of battle, two frigates,
two sloops, and other foreign shipping. We find that
we did very well for sixty-four days. The Saratoga,
not having arrived that left Rio eighty-four days
ago, apprehensions are felt for her safety. One
of the English frigates was driven back three times
and was detained near three months off Cape Horn.
So we had no just reason to complain of the
Lexington.

"Here we find news from the California coast, all
the towns in possession of our fleet, so that we'll have



72 SHERMAN'S HOME LETTERS

but little to do else than land and fortify either San
Francisco or Monterey— no fighting— that's too bad
after coming so far. . . ."

"United States Ship Lexington,

"Harbor of Valparaiso, Chili,

" November 26, 1846.

"We have been here for three days. I had prepared
my letters and given them to a merchant, Mr. Hobson,
to be sent by the British steamer that sails for Panama
the day after tomorrow. We have just learned that
there is some difficulty in getting the English agents to
insure their despatch to the United States. I will go
on shore tomorrow and if I find such to be the case will
despatch this by the steamer and send the more lengthy
and ponderous letters by the ship Seaman that sails
for Baltimore around Cape Horn. We are all well,
merely engaged in getting water and provisions, which
will detain us about a week longer when we shall push
out for Monterey. You will have seen in the papers
Commodores Sloat's and Stockton's proclamations,
with an account of the taking of California and the
anarchy that prevails there and can fancy the task we
will have in reconciling a proud people to a new yoke.
We do not yet know whether we will establish ourselves
at Monterey or San Francisco.

"We find that vast importance is attached here to
our expedition. The idea is that we are terrible and
we encourage the idea, for our stores are superior in
kind and quantity to any thing ever seen in Spanish
countries. There is a very large fleet of English



ROUND THE HORN 73

vessels here. Many of the officers have paid visits of
etiquette.

"Yesterday the Admiral, Sir George Seymour, sent
intimation that he would visit us today and accordingly
did so in uniform with his suite. This is unusual, for
a store-ship is not strictly warlike and prepared for dis-
play, yet the old Lexington was brushed up and looked
quite well. But it was not the ship they wished to see,
but our men.

"The conversation turned chiefly upon California
from which the Admiral has lately arrived in the
Collingwood, line of battle ship. He gave preference
to Stockton's proclamation which by our Naval officers
is not deemed comparable to Sloat's. The English
evidently dislike our following their example in making
conquests, but I do not believe, however, they intend
any opposition to our steps. They say the French have
despatched a large fleet for the Pacific, so that it is
within the range of possibility that stirring scenes are
yet in the future for us. I purposely refrain from de-
scribing the city and harbor as it will afford me ample
means for a long letter to be written on the next stage
of our voyage. We were sixty-three days from Rio
here and had a very severe time off Cape Horn which I
have partially described in my long letter by the Seaman.
Should I send this letter by steamer it will be the only
one. If you can convey to Mother a hint of my progress
and safety and tell her my letters are sent round the
Cape, it will relieve her uneasiness at my long silence.
Of course you have written me before this and I shall
expect to find several [letters] awaiting my arrival at



74 SHERMAN'S HOME LETTERS

the fleet on the coast. The Seaman will be at Balti-
more in about 110 days, when you will receive a long
letter."

"United States Ship Lexington,

"Valparaiso, December 5, 1846.

"... Since my last two ships of war have come in —
the frigate Independence from Boston, whence she
sailed August 29, nearly six weeks after us. She is a
faster sailer than the Lexington and did not have bad
weather at the Cape as we did. She brought letters for
all the officers but me. I got a paper from Cincinnati.
I consoled myself that my most valued correspondents
were in the West where they have no timely notice of
the sailing of vessels. The Independence is destined
for the north-west coast. The line of battle ship Co-
lumbus is also here from China by way of the Sandwich
Islands. They were on their way home but found here
despatches, which may compel them to sail for the
north-west coast. Commodore Biddle, who com-
mands, will first go to Callao before deciding. I hope
the Columbus will go on the station, for she is a beautiful
ship carrying 86 guns and would have much weight in
case England or France should interfere with us. . . .

"I might give you a pictorial letter of Valparaiso, but
can get no good paper for the purpose and in my next
will attempt to describe the city and its peculiarities.
I do not attempt it now because I have not time. We
shall sail to-day and will in all probability cross the
equator in twenty days, thence to Monterey it will take
us from forty to sixty days. Probably we may go to the



ROUND THE HORN 75

Sandwich Islands, at least I hope so, as I want to see
them before I return to the United States.

"The weather has been delightful, but I have been
too much busied by private and public business to
make a trip to the Capital, Santiago; have confined
my journeys to the different valleys within ten miles of
the city, all of which are sufficiently barren, the very
opposite of those green rich gorges about Rio Janeiro.
This city will not at all compare with that, except in
having better horses, ponchos and larger spurs, nor are
there any slaves here, all work being done by free lazy
Spanish Chileno fellows who seem to say as they bend
under severe loads that they work, to be sure, but wish
it to be distinctly understood that it does not detract
from their being Cavalleros. . . ."

The following letter, which has in place of the date
a sketch-map of Valparaiso, was apparently begun
after the voyage to California was resumed:

"There now have I finished a sketch of Valparaiso,
which may be as incomprehensible as so much Chinese
marks; but conceive yourself on a high range of hills,
bare, barren and desolate, looking out upon the bound-
less Pacific. At your feet, is an indentation in the
coast which is the Harbor of Valparaiso somewhat in
the form I have given: the high point of hill to the
left on which stand the light-house and a battery of
guns; next it at the very margin of water, the old part
of the city arranged, the two well built streets, with a
kind of public square at the further end, where the band
plays of a moonlight night to the delight of hundreds of



76 SHERMAN'S HOME LETTERS

Senoritas and their poncho d Caballeros. Near it is
the custom house, the centre of the city; in front of it,
the public wharf, where are congregated boats of all
countries and nations, from which arise a perfect bedlam
of sounds, Dutch, French, Spanish, but above all,
loudest of the loud, is heard the earnest Irishman or
persevering Yankee. It is in the plaza, between the
custom house and wharf, where a stranger is first im-
pressed with the character of this new people.

"No negroes are here, but a swarthy set of active
fellows carrying bales and bags from the wharf to the
custom house, edging their way among sailors and
peons (or country people) either lounging in groups or
bestriding their shaggy horses. The Almendral is the
new part of the city and is dignified by the principal
churches and theatre which occupy nearly the whole of
the new plaza. You know that Plaza merely means a