Beschreibung:

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH – MEYER, Lewis (1818-1900). Autograph manuscript, "Journal of the Ship Panama on her voyage from New York to San Francisco California," signed ("Lewis Meyer"), various places including at sea, New York, Talcahuano, Concepción, and San Francisco, 3 February - 9 September 1849. [With:] MEYER, William James (1864-1938). Autograph transcript of Lewis Meyer's later journals (now presumed lost), 1934, covering the periods 10 September 1849 - 5 January 1850; 14 February - 18 April 1852.
In English and German. 314 pages, 313 x 192mm, written in ink over older ledger entries in several places, occasional penciled corrections (some marginal wear, light dampstains and occassional soiling). Bound manuscript day book (spine separated and early pages loose). Leather boards with black tooling, ribbed spine with label (rubbed at extremities, soiled spots, blade marks, small loss to label). 1934 transcripts: 79 pages, various sizes, but mostly 213 x 203mm., some pages joined at top margins (occassional marginal tears and losses, but overall very good).
The Gold Rush journal of Lewis Meyer, chronicling, in remarkable detail, his journey from New York to San Francisco aboard the ship Panama together with entries from his first weeks in San Francisco. Meyer was born in Germany to a landed family who emigrated to New York in 1838, where he established himself as a grocer. Already well-educated, Meyer took time to study English, which he had largely mastered by the time he learned of Sutter's discovery in late 1848. On the news of gold, Meyer joined with one of the many associations that formed to purchase ships bound for California, and on 3 February 1849, Meyer set sail on the ship Panama. Meyer kept his journal in a previously little-used day book dating from 1839 and his daily entries, each of which additionally notes the day of the voyage as well as the latitude and longitude, jump about the book as he ran out of blank pages and began to write over earlier day book entries. The entirety of his 187-day voyage and his first two weeks in California are written in English. Meyer additionally translated the first nine weeks of the voyage into German (3 February - 13 April 1849).
The journal is extremely well-written and very descriptive, far more than most argonaut journals kept on the perilous voyage "around the horn" that we have encountered. Meyer writes that the Panama's departure was witnessed by "a large crowd" of "friends, relations and acquaintances of the departing" on the pier, "with numerous spectators … assembled on the surrounding piers and on board the neighboring shipping," that numbered in the thousands by the time the ship left "pier 6, N[orth]. River." Meyer marveled in the deeply moving spectacle, "when parents and their sons, husbands and wives, lovers and friends bid each other the last final — farewell, started tears in many eyes — and will long be remembered by every one, who was an eyewitness to it."
Over the course of the voyage, Meyer takes pains to describe daily life aboard the Panama, chronicling (and reviewing) shipboard amusements including concerts (there were enough passengers aboard to form a small band), dramatic readings and other amusements as well as detailed commentary on the social dynamics of shipboard life. He describes the monotonous diet of beef and bread for breakfast and pork and beans for dinner, punctuated by an offering of mackerel and cod on Fridays. At one point the quality of the food had become bad enough to provoke an "indignation meeting," where "a great many loud complaints were made," about the quality of service by the "cooks stewards and waiters." The meeting resolved to place control of food in the hands of the ship's captain. Several days later, Meyer was happy to report that "Our 'domestic affairs' on board, are very encouraging at present. We now have an aboundence [sic] of food every day, prepared in the best possible manner. The saltishness of the beef and pork, is so reduced by soaking and other means, that it becomes very palatable; and the fresh bread w[h]ich we now have every other morning, is of a very good quality."
Although the ship had been purchased by the California Mutual Association, many of the 202 aboard were paying passengers, many of whom formed mining companies to pool resources and share risk. On 9 March, while crossing the Equator in the Atlantic, Meyer was elected President of the "Independent Mining Company," and adopted a constitution that he dutifully recorded in the ledger book and signed together with his brother, Marx Meyer, and six others, all German immigrants.
Over the course of the 187-day voyage, the Panama made a single port call at Talcahuano, Chile for provisions where Meyer and his fellow passengers spent over two weeks alongside numerous other California-bound vessels. Meyer describes the people and landscape in tremendous detail, noting that the houses were "small, only one story high, and those of the lower clas[s]es generally have but one apartment. The houses of the more wealthy class are mostly buildt [sic] of bricks, and subdivided…. The houses on the outskirts … on the slope of the hills and on the road to Concepcion: are the most wretched habitations, I ever laid eyes upon! They are nothing but small huts, covered with mud, so think put on sometime that the eye will penetrate almost any part…. These miserable hovels, appear to be the abodes, of that part of the population, in w[h]ich the Indian blood predominates." A few days later, Meyer and a small party journey to see the city of Concepcion where he found far more stately houses than in Talcahuano, but many of which remined in ruins following the devastating earthquake of 1835. While in Talcahuano he describes violent disturbances between the local population and the flood of foreign visitors who had stopped there on their way to California. On their final day in port, he describes a visit to several of the town's "Fandango Houses," or simple grog shops, frequented by prostitutes, or "senoritas", that offered musical entertainment. Meyer was not fond of the entertainment he found, recalling one choice performance once back aboard ship: "gracious heaven! what a yellowing disagreeable voice! Never on no previous occasion, have I heard such singing, the displeasing sounds… [which] seem still to be ringing in my ears."
While crossing the Equator (the second time) on 4 July 1849 in the Pacific, Meyer takes time to offer a vivid description of the ceremonies held aboard the Panama: "Another day of our glorious National Anniversary, is dawning again; a day the return of w[h]ich, is always hailed with joy… The day on w[h]ich, seventy three years since: the banner of freedom, was raised for the first time, in the Western World … the fathers of our glorious revalutions [sic], pronounced to he world: 'That all men are created equal!'" The day's program commenced at 10 am with the band playing "Hail Columbia," a prayer by the ship's chaplain, followed by the singing of "My Country 'tis of thee," by the ship's choir, a reading of the Declaration of Independence and an oration interspersed by more music including the "Star Spangled Banner." That evening, the ship's passengers staged a "dramatic exhibtion" which included scenes from various popular productions and various songs. Meyer takes time to review each performance and the audience's reaction (both positive and negative). The evening ended with two of "the most rowdy fellows we have on board," running about the deck, staging mock fist fights and wrestling matches, which "kept the spectators almost constantly in a roar of laughter," although their antics nearly provoked a real fight aboard ship.
Tensions mounted late in the voyage as the Panama sailed to the northwest awaiting the right moment to sail west toward the Golden Gate. Food was running low—a situation not helped by suspicions that some aboard were "shaving" off more of their fair share food. On 17 July (day 165), Meyer wrote that "our dinner to day consisted of: salt beef, navy bred (almost as hard as a stone) tea and pickles." Late that night a placard appeared on the ship's bulletin board, headed "Starvation!," calling for a mass meeting the next morning by those "famishing for wont of proper food," and promising "forcible speeches." Some gathered at the appointed time and place, but the organizer, who had signed the announcement "Junuis 2nd," failed to materialize and "the whole proceeding turned out a complete humbug," and chalked the whole affair to a humorous prank.
Finally, at the start of August, the Panama found favorable winds for San Francisco, and on the evening of the 8th, "We entered the harbor in a gallant style, and were cheered by the 'Christ. Colon,' shortly before we dropt our anchors, w[h]ich was heartily responded to by us. Our band executed several national, and other favorite airs, w[h]ich tended greatly to enliven the beautiful scene. Thus ended our long tedious passage, in search of the golden treasures of California: how far our hopes and anticipations may be relised, time will decide."
But Meyer did not conclude his journal here. He continues it for the next two weeks describing the burgeoning city of San Francisco. He spent this time in part aboard ship as the association formed to purchase the Panama wrapped up its affairs, including seeking a means to dispose of the vessel which ultimately became permanently moored on the waterfront, first used as storage, and then as a seamen's "bethel" led by the Rev. William Taylor a fiery Methodist preacher. (In 1855, Taylor's congregation scrapped the ship for lumber after the preacher's creditors foreclosed on the waterside church.)
Meyer's description of life in San Francisco in the first year of the gold rush are vivid. He describes the city as "rapidly encrasing, and has at present about 6000 inhabitants; consisting of natives of almost every clime … a large number of Chilians [sic], Peruvians and Chinese. However the American population predominates. The houses are of very light construction, and nearly all buildt of wood. Some have only wooden fronts (the rest being canvas) and many stores are only mere tents." On his first full day (9 August), he marveled at the sheer amount of shipping crowding the harbor, counting "not less than eighteen … coming into port." The next day, he pitched a tent in "Happy Val[l]ey, w[h]ich is only temporary ocupied by persons intending to go to the Gold region." On 12 August, Meyer writes of travelling four miles south to visit "The Dolores Mission," which had "the appearance of a small village, and shows plainly its Spanish origin," noting with some astonishment the "thousand heads" of cattle grazing in the hills surrounding. All the while he describes plants including the "Yerbay Buena or good herb," and "some other species of lowers, some of w[h]ich I had never seen before," then taking several lines to describe an example in good detail. On 13 August, on his return to the ship he stopped past several "gambling establishments," that were "fitted up splendidly," where he was "astonished, to see such large piles of gold and silver (paper money not being current here) the latter mostly dollar pieces on the different gambling tables." Strongly disapproving of gambling himself, Meyer chose not to remain long in "these notorious places," where miners would routinely loose "several thousand dollars, in a single night!" Meyer, and his fellow members of the Independent Mining Company sought employment to help with the costs of travelling to the gold fields while they remained in San Francisco, but the company's days were numbered. On 5 September, after three members wanted to depart immediately for the mines rather than wait for two others suffering from a bout of dysentery, the Independent Mining Company was dissolved and the members split groups before departing separately into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to seek their fortunes.
At the conclusion of the final entry in the ledger (9 September), Meyer makes a list of 66 of the 202 passengers who sailed aboard the Panama and includes many significant figures in the history of California including two of the founders of the city of Oakland, two of San Francisco's early printers, the architect of the state capitol in Sacramento, and even Harry N. Morse, a sailor on the ship, who would go on to fame as the lawman who captured Black Bart, among many others. Even the artist Thomas Ayres (1816-1858), the first to render the Yosemite valley, was aboard. On 23 June, Meyer remarks about "A beautiful picture drawn by Mr. Ayres, representing the Panama in a severe gale … on the 17 of April 1849, has been put up on the cabin, and has found a great many admirers." (The image is believed to have been lost.) Also quite interestingly, the voyage of the Panama was chronicled by three other passengers including George Dornin, David Decker and Theodore Maserve. Of those accounts, none of the original manuscripts have been known to survive, and Meyer's is the most complete and detailed of the voyage.
The remainder of Lewis Meyer's original California journals are presumed lost, but the text survived in a transcription made by Meyer's son in William 1934. The transcriptions cover portions of Meyer's time in the gold fields, which like the majority of prospectors, ended soon afterwards with no riches to be found, but still offer vivid descriptions of his experiences. By November 1849, Meyer was back in San Francisco. He remained in California for two more years and had enough money to travel back to Germany via Nicaragua, New York and London in 1852, (parts of which are also recorded by Meyer and transcribed by his son). Lewis Meyer returned to San Francisco in 1853 a married man, and established himself as a grocer (once again). In 1866 Meyer and his family moved to Sonoma County near Santa Rosa where he established a 250 acre farm. (Meyer's leger he kept aboard the Panama records fruit sales from those years over several pages at the back.) In the 1880s the family moved to Alameda where Lewis Meyer died in 1900.
The contents of Meyer's journal has transcribed, edited and copiously researched by Salvatore John Manna in To The Land of Promise the Extraordinary California Gold Rush Journal of Lewis Meyer. Burson, Calif: Calaveras History Publishing, 2023. We would like to thank Mr. Manna for his detailed research on the Meyer journal, without which this catalouge description would not be possible. Provenance: Lewis Meyer (signature) – William James Meyer – Olive Dorothea Elsie Meyer – Dorothy Virginia Hinckle – gift to the consignor.