Bond, Joseph Bingay Diary, 12/18/1849 to 6/25/1850

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Summary

Title:
Bond, Joseph Bingay Diary
Dates:
12/18/1849 to 6/25/1850
Creators:
Bond, Joseph Bingay, Captain
Abstract:
Captain Bond's diary is hand written in 24 blank pages of a bound 1850 Belchers Farmer's Almanack, printed by James Bowes & Sons, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is written on the blank pages, and sometimes in the blank areas of printed pages. It is, for the most part, quite legible. It details the log of the 7 month journey from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia around the Horn to San Francisco on board the Brig Zone, arrivingin San Francisco Bay in late June. The short log primarily provides details on weather and sailing directions. It also includes elevation sketches of Guamas, and Santa Rosa Island. Bond tells of a trip up the Sacramento River and down the Pacific Coast to Guaymas, Mexico and Charles Island in the Galapagos.
Extent:
1.0 folder 1 bound diary containing 24 pages of handwritten entries and sketches.
Language:
Preferred citation:

Bond, Joseph Bingay Diary, The Society of California Pioneers

Background

Scope and content:

Captain Bond's diary is hand written in 24 blank pages of a bound 1850 Belchers Farmer's Almanack, printed by James Bowes & Sons, of Halifax Nova Scotia. It details the log of the 7 month journey from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia around the Horn to San Francisco on board the Brig Zone, arriving in San Francisco Bay in early June. The short day-by-day log primarily provides details on weather and sailing directions, as well as ports at which they docked. The ship left Halifax on December 18th, 1849, and by the end of January, they had crossed the equator, reacing Rio de Janeiro by mid-February. Setting out again in early March, some passengers contracted yellow fever - three men died, and one was buried at sea. Bond himself took sick in mid-March and writes of "not being able to leave his bed until the 1st of April." During April, as they were approaching the Horn, they encountered periods of snnow and hail, fog and strong winds. Bond writes, "...to a heavy gale with squalls of wind & snow - we carried close [to] reefs..." My mid-May they came to anchor at Valparaiso, Chile, and then appeared to benefit from good weather for much of the remaining trip up the coast to San Francisco. Captain Bond included elevation sketches of Guyamas (off the coast of Mexico), and Santa Rosa Island (now San Mighel Island), and one of the Channel Island (off the coast of California near present-day Santa Barbara). Bond tells of a trip up the Sacramento River with cargo, traveling through San Pablo and Suisun Bays, and guiding his ship through marshlands. He describes Sacramento as being "built on a flat which is overflowed in the spring. A 'levee' has been built around it. It is expremely sultry in Sacramento but not more unhealthy than San Francisco." His journey was difficult, as the vessel often took ground, there not being more than from 7 to 10 feet of water in some parts of the River. Bond's final account details his trip, with cargo and three passengers and down the Pacific Coast to Central America and the west cocast of South America - passing Mexico and Charles Island in the Galapagos and noting the sighting of Jupiter, and taking on terrapins for food. His diary notes, "..or as it is called by the Spaniards, 'Florecanna.' There is a settlement of 5 or 6 famililes...plenty of fresh Beef, Plantains & Bananas & sometimes potatoes can be fouond here." He then turns back up the coast, and sails for San Francisco.

Biographical / historical:

Joseph Bingay Bond, arrived in New York early in the 18th century from Chester, England. The Bond family fled to Nova Scotia at the time of the American Revolution. Joining the company of many other Loyalists, or supporters of the British Crown, the Bonds settled in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Joseph Bond worked in the China shipping trade and his seafaring years helped prepare him for his journey to California around the Horn. Eventually he settled in Sacramento and married into the Pope family. The diary was passed down to the donor's husband in the 20th century.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Mrs. Trevanian Pope, 2002
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Nick Scales
Date Prepared:
June 22, 2015
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2015-12-16T16:01-0800

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection open for research

Terms of access:

There are no restriction on access

Preferred citation:

Bond, Joseph Bingay Diary, The Society of California Pioneers

Location of this collection:
300 Fourth Street
San Francisco, CA 94107, US
Contact:
(415) 957-1849 ext. 160
mmdevine@californiapioneers.org
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