U.S.S. Juniata,                       

En route Monte Video to

Falkland Islands         

Dec 29 – 1886.

 

Dear Cordelia,

                        I believe to day a year ago I reported for duty on this packet. I hope another Dec 29 will find her at Mare Island Yard. We are butting into a small sized gale & heavy sea, half way to the Islds. We had good weather until yesterday, now we are in for fog, rain & bad weather. Hope the harbor will be a good one so we can get ashore with some comfort. We are to be there 2 weeks & Sandy Point 2 weeks. I wrote you from Maldonado with latest news. There is nothing scarce to add, not having had any mail of late. We are living better this run than heretofore, so I am not using my canned sausages & devil'd ham. They will keep. I was in hopes we would be in F^d Isl^ds for New Years, but wind & weather are against it.

 

            You are getting ready for New Years I suppose. Wish I was in Brighton. As we get south the days lengthen. daylight comes at 3 to 3:30 & dark about 8:30 to 9 p.m. / with the twilight even then it is not dark. We had a gorgeous sunset tonight, but it looked ominous of stormy weather. I would not be surprised if we see some stormy times before we get through to the Pacific. A good many of the rooms are leaky, but strange to say my room is tight as a bottle.

 

Jany 1^st 87.      Wish you all a happy New Year. The old year went out with a howling storm, right in our teeth as they say, from the south. We had to turn about and run north some 60 miles. it only lasted some 5 hours, but it was a snorter as long as it lasted. hail stones as big as birds eggs & hard as rock. We are less than half way, & a good deal of coal gone so we may be ten or twelve days yet, getting to F^d Isl^ds. All the officers are getting disgusted at the Capt. he acts as tho he did not want to get into port. Am sorry to say my room has begun to leak, the storm of yesterday shook her up a good deal, this a.m. I found a leak overhead, over my wardrobe. 

 

There is no cable from F^d Isl^ds so we won't be able to report our arrival there or at Sandy Point I think. The weather is enjoyable, temp about 64 to 68 daytime, night about 52. New Year passes off quietly. Hope you have all had a good time in Brighton. D^r ordered two turkeys last Saty in Maldonado, Steward paid for them on Sunday a.m. & they should have been sent on board but when we got to sea last Sunday the turkeys were not on board, so we lost our New Years dinner.

 

Jany 7^th            If we do as well two more days as the past two we will be in by Sunday. D^r provided fresh meat for 10 days only, so we are down to hard tack, salt horse, pork & beans, &c. so my can'd sausage & d^d ham comes in again for first breakfast.

 

They say there is a cable from Sandy Point or as sometimes called "Puenta Arenas", so you may get a message from there. There is a mail stmr stops at the Island every second week on way to Valparaiso or return so we will have a chance to mail our letters, via Eng^d, or via Valparaiso & Panama. 

 

Jany 8  One week gone in the New Year, if the old fool will let us alone now we will be in by Sunday. We are under steam going along over 8 knots with a smooth sea, & a pleasant temp^r as this is their summer now in the region. I shall wait until I have seen the place before I finish this letter, for I have literally nothing to write about.

 

Jany 25^th          8 p.m. We are just anchored at mouth of the Straits, can only run during daylight. I intended telling you in this all of the F^d Isl^ds but am not equal to the task. I came down with what the D^r calls gastrolgia, (not quite neuralgia of the stomach but approaching it) day before reaching F^d Isl^ds, ship wet & uncomfortable so went ashore & boarded in private house until day we left, where I had a room with fire, &c. I had a very nice room & fresh milk, eggs, & garden stuff (lettuce &c.) with an English family, was there 11 days at 1.50 a day. The general agent of the South American missionary society, wife & child were there boarding, a very pleasant couple from Falkland Island & Tierra del Fuego. They were all exceedingly kind to me. he was from Plymouth, knew Frecketton & wife there, was a mason too, & so looked out for all my wants. we struck up quite an acquaintance. I am going ashore at Sandy Point to room & board with the English Consul there, while ship is there, thanks to the D^r in both cases. I lost my sleep, appetite & strength the last few days on board ship weighed only 124 lbs. lost 22, have gained 4, am slowly improving, and on each days run north towards Valparaiso in a drying climate shall improve.

 

Jany 26            We are very near Sandy Point, so shall close this ready for mailing. a steamer is due here bound for Eng^d which we hope to catch. I intended writing A, F & Geo, but can't this time, Geo W. too. had a letter nearly finished for Ellen, shall try & close it too for this mail. I think Capt sent to V— for one mail to meet us here, if so, we will have a little news this p.m. I hope / F's prospects for promotion are good. I bought stamps in F I^ds for mailing letters, but did not use them so I send them to him. Tell him he can sell one set if he can. I hope Alice is having a pleasant winter. address to c/o Consul at Panama as usual. Capt has given me privilege of going by stmr to Valparaiso & waiting for Juniata (a month or so) but shan't go away from the ship for so long a trip. By the time you get this we will be there in the Juniata, then we remain quiet for a month or two & shall be all right there, a good dry warm climate.

Remember me to everybody

 

            The weather in F^d Isl^ds beats everything I ever knew. Your March winds are nothing. They have all the seasons within as many hours, & it was their summer.

 

            Tell Geo that Capt Ross was there in the Erebus & Terror in 41. tell him there were thousands of penguins there, & a great many seals too.

 

            Much love for all—George.

SOURCES