death in 1895. Since then they have been carefully preserved by his son, who lives in Washington, D. C, and through whose generosity the drawings have now been acquired by the San Mateo County Historical Association. They are kept in the Association's Museum at San Mateo Junior College.
The original letters written by Wilham H. Dougal in 1849 and 1850 are still in the possession of members of the Dougal family, in Washington, D. C. The following text is taken from copies made by the family, but never here- tofore published. Only items of a purely personal nature have been omitted.
The person addressed as "Dear V" was Mary Virginia Adler of George- town, D. C. (now a part of the city of Washington), who in 1851 became Mrs. Dougal. "Dear J" was John Mansfield, a banker of New Haven Con- necticut, and a lifelong friend. "Dear S" was Dougal's sister.
THE LETTERS
At Sea, June ist, 1849. Dear Mother,
We are now within a few days sail of Rio Janeiro, and I commence my writing now in order that I may have all my time there at liberty to look about, . . . Now, I am going to tell you how we manage and what we have to eat. I shall have no old clothes to bother me after this voyage, certain. As soon as I came on board I laid out 2 flannel shirts, 2 flannel drawers, 2 hickory shirts and the old "blue breetches"; this stock I conclude will last me the voyage, and first rate they will be too. I don't know what I should have done without the little bag of needles and thread you fitted out for me, for I came off in such a hurry that I should have forgotten to take any. Well now about our living, on board ship. The provisions are all dealt out on certain days of the week, one week the same as another, so we always know what we are going to have for dinner; we have our Bean day, our Pea day, mush day, etc., etc. On Sunday we have for breakfast, say boiled Indian Pudding or corn bread, with a meat stew, perhaps, or cold meat. Coffee, Butter, Molasses etc.; for dinner we have boiled corn Beef, corned Pork, and what we call Duff, which is a great dish with us. It is nothing more or less than a wheat flour Pudding, boiled, with a few dried apples or raisins to flavor it; this is made light, and with plenty of Butter over it. You can imagine how I stow it away; it will be a mercy if I don't burst before I get through this voyage. Well, for supper we have sometimes hot rolls or corn bread, or broiled herring, with meat, tea, bread, butter, etc. On Monday we have for dinner. Bean Soup, baked pork and Beans, corn Beef, and Tapioca pudding or Apple Pie; on Tuesday, Pea Soup, boiled Pork and Peas, with some pudding to top off with; on Wednesday we have perhaps a meat Stew and boiled rice and molasses which you know is another favorite dish of mine; Thursday is Duff day again, Saturday is Mackarel or Codfish day, and so we live with slight variation from week to week. The substantial for
