California Bound by sfgenealogy.com

Daily Picayune
New Orleans, Louisiana
January 9, 1849

Return of the Steamship Falcon.

The steamship Falcon, Capt. Thompson, arrived at this port at an early hour this morning. She left Chagres on the evening of the 1st inst., and reached the Balize at 4 A.M., on the 8th. She brings the following passengers: Mr. Foster, of Boston; Capt. Baker, of the bark Undine; and Major Harris, agent of the steamship company.

We are extremely gratified to learn that the Falcon accomplished her voyage to Chagres without an accident; that all the reports we had here of sicknesses and death on board the ship were totally false. She left New Orleans the evening of the 18th of December and arrived at Chagres on the morning of the 27th. The passage was a pleasant one, though the vessel encountered head winds most of the way. Everybody was well on her arrival at Chagres. Only one case of sickness occurred on board, one of the crew, who is now perfectly recovered. Ample preparation had been made in case of sickness on board. A surgeon was engaged, and a large supply of medicine provided before leaving New Orleans. The passengers immediately proceeded up the Chagres river in small boats, and long before this, no doubt all of them are safely at Panama.

The agent of the steamers, immediately upon the arrival at Chagres, proceeded up the river in advance, and engaged all the mule transportation that he could, securing some 300 animals. When Maj. Harris left, most of the passengers had arrived at Gorgona and Cruces. He met Gen. Smith, family and suite, with about half the passengers, at Gorgona. All were in fine spirits, thinking of anything but the cholera, as two grand fandangos were then in progress.

The Pacific steamer California had not reached here destination. It will be recollected that she was to leave Rio for Valparaiso on the 21st of November. The Falcon’s passengers were therefore have to wait a few days at Panama, even should the California make a successful trip round the Cape, as we confidently hope.

The Falcon left at Chagres the bark John Benson, from New York, and the brig Anne and Julia discharging her cargo, in consequence of damages received in getting out of the harbor.

The British steamer Tay arrived at Chagres on the 28th ult. and left on the 30th with $1,000,000 in species.

There was at Panama on the 31st ult. The bark Philadelphia, from New York, loaded with coal for the Pacific Steam Company; also a schooner which would probably be chartered for San Francisco by some of the Falcon’s passengers, as there were more than the California could take.

A gentleman who left Valparaiso December 2d, on the British steamer for Panama, informs us that the California gold fever raged along the Southern coast probably more fiercely than in the United States. Four hundred passports had been taken out at Valparaiso for California.

Capt. Baker, who had arrived here on the Falcon, went out from New York in command of the bark Undine for San Francisco. The vessel got aground in the Straits of Magellan, and it was found necessary to throw overboard a part of her cargo. She was finally got off and the captain succeeded in getting her into Valparaiso. Here the vessel and cargo were sold.


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