An Account of a Voyage from Philadelphia to San Francisco, Janeiro, Brazil, and at Juan Fernandez, In the South Pacific. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1893, by E. I. BARRA, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. SAN FRANCISCO, 1893: Press of Eastman & Co. DEDICATORY. TO WM. J. YOUNGER, M. D. Knowing by long acquaintance with you that you like a good story, when it is modestly told, and feeling that your approbation will be a harbinger of success, I dedicate this book to you. If in reading it you find among its pages anything to approve, or anything that will cause a smile to overspread your good natured countenance, I will feel that the reading public will not lay aside my book with a feeling of disdain or despise me for my presumption in daring to write it. If you note the paucity of sky-scraping words, or the absence of moon-raking metaphor in this story, I hope you will find instead an appropriateness of expression and a clearness of meaning that will more than make up for the lack of "words of learned length and thund'ring sound," such as the schoolmaster of Goldsmith used to display with so much pride that he was a scholar of exceptional erudition. With a sincere wish that your life may be illumined with a continuous sunshine of prosperity, I remain your friend, THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. In writing and presenting this book for the entertainment of the public, I am carrying out a long cherished desire. During my eventful trip from Philadelphia to San Francisco, I wrote a diary, in which I noted all my experiences and all events that passed under my observation. When I refer to my log, as the sea diary is called, my memory is refreshed to such a degree as to make that which took place more than forty years ago seem as though it were but yesterday. The reason why I have delayed this long contemplated wish is because of the necessary daily battle of life to win the wherewith to buy the bread and the butter to sustain the body in a working condition. Now that I have retired, like the "little bee," into winter quarters, I have taken great pleasure in recounting the stirring events of the days of '49 and '50. With this explanation I submit this, my humble volume, to the indulgent consideration of the reading public. THE AUTHOR. |