Ranger,          

Altata to Mazatlan,

Saty night May 20, '82.

 

Dear Alice,

                        I mailed a letter to Mama the other day in La Paz, did not think to have another chance to send letters until we reached San Diego on our way to San Francisco, but to day two of our men were quite sick & D^r thought it best to send them north by stmr from M— Monday a.m. so the Capt decided to run down, then he will get a down mail also which is due there Tuesday, or Wednesday. We have to return to Altata after receiving that mail for about two weeks work then to Mazatlan again about the 9^th of June. 

 

I suppose by this time you are all thinking of the country, I hope you & Frank too are all right again. I wish you could live in the country & go to school in the city. I wish I could go with you this year to the country or any where else where I could get a good meal once a day regularly, am getting sick at the sight of chickens, chickens, chickens. At La Paz there is nothing to get, & Altata is as bad, for we can't cross the bar to go to market. At Mazatlan we fare well, but there is nothing that we can take with us to sea. The meat we get in / the market is killed same morning & has to be eaten the same day. We are all counting the days I can tell you when we may be in S.F.

 

            It seems an awful long time between mails. Strickland & I skirmished around in Pichilingue & La Paz for shells, & all we could find was 6 small ones of the kind I sent you, they are prettier I think tho'. we each took 3, last year there were plenty. we saw plenty of those abalone shells too, this year not one. Capt sent to the Consul for him to get more, but not one did he get. we may do better / in San Diego. I hope so.

 

I hope Mama will be able to get a nice strong trunk for you where I got mine. If that iron bound trunk of mine is strong enough to travel had you not better take it when you go to the country. I always hate to see a new trunk injured. Tell Mama to do as she pleases.           

 

I have been wondering often if you & Frank are going to school, and if you all got the pictures you liked? I sent Mama the big pictures, & sketch of the Ranger leaving Manzanillo Jany 2^nd a.m. I should have sent the latter sooner if I could. It seemed an awful waste of money to put 1.84 on in stamps but the Express charged 2.40 from S.F. and much more than that from Mazatlan, & we are so overrun with rats, roaches &c. that I expected them to be spoiled if I kept them much longer, so concluded to spend the 1.84. All hands had quite a time packing & repacking their pictures.

 

            La Paz is quite a pretty place, the nicest place & people we have met with yet. it is about 9 miles from Pichilingue in the launch so we could not see much of it, the ships go up there sometimes / but I guess the Capt thinks we would have too good a time if the ship went up there. it would be too convenient for us & for the people ashore, at Mazatlan or Manzanillo there is nobody who cares to come off, & few you care to see. Will say good night, finish tomorrow.

 

Sunday afternoon. It is a lively day, a little warm. the sea is like glass, I wish we were steaming into New York instead of Mazatlan. I hope you got the letter I sent via Vera Cruz. Tell George I wish I could see him & give him a good squeeze, pull his ears or something. Those few bird pictures I have left I / have pasted up tightly so as to keep vermin out. when you write me tell me if you want another pair for Miss Hack or some one of your friends. they are not so pretty as those I have sent you. I think I shall send for a few more of the small ones, by & by. I had a dozen of them, but one of the officers who was disappointed begged me to let him have some of them, so I did, & have regretted doing it, as he has forgotten to pay me.

 

            A steamer is reported, very likely the one bound for S.F. we are about 20 miles / from Mazatlan. Must close this, with much love & hoping you are recovered from that sickness & that you wont get sick any more,

 

Much love to all,

            from Papa

 

Hope my next will be from San Francisco.

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