Tuesday 4 September 2012

Indian Ingenuity

Another beautiful start to the day, followed by a trip into town to justify my existence to the Government Agent.
 
Despite global warming or climate change, whatever you like to call it, the world is still a beautiful place. If we could turn the clock back and take a different path, perhaps we would not be facing the challenges ahead this century. At this time we need to acknowledge the wisdom of Indigenous People, learning from cultures that have survived without material possessions .
 
There was a North American Indian named Squanto, who as a young man was captured by an early expedition and taken to England where he attended school. He told the English where there was gold in North America but he would have to show them the way. On arrival off the coastline of North America he jumped ship and returned to his people.
 
It was no wonder that often when white people were captured by Native Americans, they would rather stay and be Indian than return to capitalistic European ways.
 
Today's Sunrise
 
     




Continued from yesterday part 2 of the 1851 Charles Dolsen letter.

On arriving at Trinidad (a bay on the Pacific Ocean), I had to wait two days for a vessel for passage, when the steamer Commodore Prebble gave us the required accommodation, whence she sailed with about 100 passengers at about noon. The next morning we were making for Humboldt Bay harbor to land some five tons of provisions on board, and the wind blowing somewhat fresh at the time, and bad management in piloting her in, she struck on the bar at half past eight A.M., just as we were finishing our breakfast, the surf running tremendously high at the time, every thing in the cabin that was loose, including all the crockery on the tables, were thrown over the floor in great disaster, added to the fear that seized the passengers, caused the greatest confusion that I have ever witnessed, a number of them stripping of all their heavy clothes, boots, etc. , prepared to swim for their lives, we being then about one fourth of a mile from the beach, the life boat was lowered down a short time after she struck, but by some mismanagement in mooring it to the vessel it broke loose and was swamped before it went two lengths toward the shore. I was laying down below all this time very sea sick as usual, and felt but indifferent to the scenes around me, and gave but little concern to the danger which threatened us, until I heard the voice of the first mate order "all hands forwards and clear away the foremast", I scrambles away upon deck, and truly the scene looked wild beyond any thing I can describe to you. The engine had stopped working, and the seas were breaking over her fore and aft to the height of at least 20 feet, a curious sort of tool between an axe and a hatchet was put to work cutting down the mast, and every little while a voice from the Captain to the passengers to keep aft, as there were great danger from the spars falling whenever she would strike from a heavy sea. The cutting down of the mast was abandoned as the vessel appeared to labor less and the sea ran more easy until she slowly drifted ashore without going to pieces, but with her back broken, about 6 o'clock P.M. , all the passengers got safe ashore, she being then high and dry when the tide went down. So you see that in my adventures by sea I have not been lucky, meeting with a shipwreck in my first trip, but at the same time fortunate that I escaped from peril. We remained two days on the beach, and had plenty of provisions, and on the second day the steamer (name unreadable) bound for Oregon made her appearance, when arrangements were made with that boat by our Captain to bring the wrecked passengers to San Francisco, to which place we arrived after a passage of two days, without any further event worthy of note. On my arrival at the great Metropolis of California for the first time, I found it almost wholly burned up, an account of it I sent you by a newspaper containing particulars. Since then another great fire has taken place. But inspite of fires and every other mishap, it is a wonderful place. The city does not extent over a large space, but the people are piled up into it, making a population estimated at least at 30,000 souls. There is of every kind and nation, but of all foreigners that attract the most attention is the Chinese, They all resemble each other as they were but one family, dress precisely alike, and mostly of the same height, which is under the middle size. Their talk is very loud, and whenever they find anything curious, they gather all around it, and you now hear noise similar to as many gobblers, accompanied with the drawing of many corks from bottles. But with all their (????) Appearance, they are a remarkable people for ingenuity, honesty and good order amongst themselves. There cannot be much less than 10,000 of these singular people in this country that have arrived within the past year, and they report that a great many more are coming out, it is said they are successful in mining. The most numerous of foreigners as permanent residents, are Frenchmen, and not withstanding the disadvantage that they labor under of not speaking English, they transact a great amount of the city business. The commerce is great to this place, but so many goods are forced to this market, of late, from all parts of the world, that they are now sold at auction every day, and in many instances as cheap as could be purchased in New York, and much cheaper. Such a gathering of all sorts of people and to such an immense number, you may suppose a great disorder in society exists. I witnessed yesterday (Sunday 24th) , in the afternoon the hanging of two men in the public street by what is called here the Vigilance Committee for the suppression of crime. It is impossible for me here to give you a proper description of the scene at this execution. There were no less than 10,000 men, but all conducted themselves quietly. Three or four good speakers addressed the crowd and made some very good speeches, which when applauded by such a mass of human beings was not very unlike the noise of thunder. The crowd finally dispersed around sundown.

My life tip for today is speak out about dishonesty and greed.

Fair Dinkum!!

 
 

 

 


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