This file includes a hand written, in ink diary, which was written by Robert Marshall in 1850. The journal extensively and vividly details his time at sea traveling from Boston, Massachusetts to San Francisco, California. He left Boston on November 12, 1849 with 58 men on board the "Schooner Civilian" and arrived in San Francisco on April 5, 1850. The hand writing is extremely clear and legible and the paper is in good condition except of some tape which has been placed around the edges of some of the pages. The diary does appear to have been bound and covered at a later date, perhaps by the donor, the "daughter of Robert Marshall, Laura M. Dill" sometime in the 1940's.

Robert Marshall was born to "English parents in Nova Scotia" in the year 1827 and he died in the year 1866. In his short journal he vividly describes his voyage to California, around Cape Horn, with a stop in Valparaiso, Chile for supplies. He even goes as far as to detail the "bill of fair" where he describes the meals served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on board the ship for an entire week. The wildly unappetizing meals included things such as "boiled beef, Indian bread, cranberry puddling, and salted mackerel" to name a few. Mr. Marshall was 23 years old at the time of his voyage to California and upon his arrival he describes the city of San Francisco, stating "he didn't care for it much" and later traveled to the "Northern mines" in search of gold. He and his partner worked for "about six weeks, making about $300 each" until he left his claim in search of others.

1 folder Bound lined notebook. Diary on first 66 pages, the rest blank. Handwritten in ink, very legible.

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