Tell A— not to say                                                                 

anything of the pin                                                                              

& brooch I have bought                                                                      

thought to leave it with the                                         

Lancaster folks but changed my mind. G.

 

Juniata.

Dec 22^nd 1886.

Off Maldonado.

10 miles north of Monte Video.

 

            Dear Cordelia,

                                    I mailed my last letter in Monte Video just before we left for this place, addressed it to Geo. Jr. with two track charts in it, concluded to make one letter of it. We came here out of the way of the cholera. Lancaster & Tallapoosa are both here. Our stick of a Captain did not know what to do, wanted to be near an Adml. he telegraphed to Washington (Capt) stating "Chilean ports closed on acct of cholera" thinking I suppose the Dept would tell him what to do & so relieve him of responsibility of deciding for himself. Whitney sent a despatch, which came here an hour ago, to "carry out previous orders", meaning Valparaiso, so we leave here next Monday. I believe we are to stop at Falkland Island.

 

            We have lovely weather here, wearing our linen clothes, but if we go to the F^d Isl^ds we will have to / break out our thick clothes & our coats. Our Capt is a regular sorehead. Things are jogging along about the same, he is watching me & I am watching him. The men was about to telegraph home for letters to be sent to this place for one month longer, expecting we would lie here until cholera abated & Chilean ports opened to us, but changed their mind fortunately. I wish we had our mail to date, so we could see what is going on. it will take us six to eight weeks to reach Valparaiso. We stop at F^d Isl^ds, then at a place called Sandy Point half way through the Straits, & two places between & Valparaiso. If the Capt had not been such a fool in telegraphing to Washⁿ, bringing out such an answer from Whitney we might have remained here for a month in peace & quiet just as well as not. This is a lovely harbor, just the / place for bathing horseback riding, fishing & shooting & walking, a month could be well put in here. The officers were mad at him for coming from M—Video, & they are madder than ever now at being so suddenly broken out. It is only an old deserted village here, but plenty of game, & a nice place for the men to ramble over, & for the officers too for that matter, & can always get back & forth without getting wet, & blown back. The Lancaster & Tallapoosa folks enjoy it here, a change any how, from Monte Video.

 

We will spend our New Years at sea en route for F^d Isl^ds I think that will be a fair sort of a place to visit. An English military station, used to be a penal settlement I believe. Now it is a harbor of refuge for vessels coming & going round the Horn.

 

Tell Geo there were quite a number of seals in the harbor around the ship today. The men did not catch any, tho' they seemed quite tame. There is an island below here called Seal Island belonging to Uruguay. These few got lost I suppose. 

 

Canaga & Rae were over here today from the Lancaster.

 

I suppose you are all making the usual preparations for Xmas. I wish I could be in Brighton for a month.

 

23^rd      I believe we now go to Monte Video from here, fill up with coal & stores & not stop at Falk^d Isl^d. The Capt does not know his own mind for one solid hour. It is no use saying where we are to go or when. I shall hold on to this letter as long as we are in M.V. mail it at the last moment with latest news grin & trust to luck.

 

Lawrence manages to work up the line officers of the Juniata & keeps them worked up. They hate him like sin for his independence, & he will put on style, & they can't put him down one bit.

 

24^th      Another day, & another yarn. We dont go to M.V. leave here tomorrow night, go to Falk^d Isl^d for 2 weeks there, & 2 weeks at Sandy Point, so it will be 2 months before we reach Valparaiso. About 1^st week in March. Sandy Point is about half way down through the Straits of Magellan.

 

            I intended writing A & F & Ellen from here but will write them on my way to F^d I^d or Sandy Point. I have just been over to the Lancaster with the D^r & Lawrence to bid them goodbye. Rae, Canaga, Baker, Chf. Engr. Niles & all the rest. I am going over to the Tallapoosa this evening to take him a couple of cakes of ice & bid him goodbye. Shall finish this letter & leave it with him for the mail. They run to M.V. every second or third day or so.

 

            I hope this will find you all well & that you will enjoy your turkey &c tomorrow. We have a couple coming. Does not seem the thing to be eating & talking of turkey &c in such summer weather as this. Today is perfect a blue cloudless sky, not a breath of wind / sun shining, temperature 84, every one in linen clothing. While you are enjoying fires frost, snow, &c, & short days, the sun rises early enough with us. it comes daylight about 3:30 & sets dark along toward 8 oclock. I shall be glad if the Capt keeps in mind the visit to Falk^d Isl^d. Going so close to it I want to see the place.

 

            Our Consul at M.V. has got permission to go home. He has to go to Buenos Aires, thence to Rio, thence to England & from there to New York.

 

            Remember me to everybody. I wish I was going the Consuls trip. Much love for children & self & your mother Anna & Geo too if with you. Write to Consul at Panama as before.

 

L— and Herbert wish to be remembered to A. F & Maude,         

George./

                                                          

24^th Dec

Tell George that some of the men went ashore this a.m. & caught an armadillo. They have great fun with it & the cat & two dogs, it is a funny looking thing, looks like a small rhinoceros with a long snout & tail. Have just returned from the Tallapoosa. shall mail this on the Lancaster tomorrow, Xmas day. I dont think we go before Sunday a.m. early.

 

Merry Xmas. It is a lovely / day. Some of the Lancaster & Tallapoosa's officers are here, & some of ours are going to the two vessels this afternoon.

 

Chf Baker has been to F^d Islds & says it is a nice place to visit. Towne told me yesterday Robie had been very sick, & that [?] chf Engr has been ordered to store house yet, so McConnell has not yet got duty I guess, after all his talk. I hope Frank will get his pay raised by the time this reaches you if not before. The Paymaster is to send for our mail from Valparaiso to meet us at Sandy Point (which will please all hands) on our way round.                   Much love for all.                   George.

SOURCES