Book Description: Mrs. D. B. Bates, Incidents on Land and Water, or Four Years on the Pacific Coast. Subtitled “Being a Narrative of the Burning of the Ships Nonantum, Humayoon and Fanchon, Together with Many Startling and Interesting Adventures of Sea and Land” Second Edition.  Boston: James French, 1857, 336 pages. 5 ¼” x 8”.  Faded gilt illustration on faded green, scuffed boards. One gathering loose but present. Otherwise, string binding holding, but weak. Missing front and back endpapers. Text is clean. Over-all in poor to fair condition.  A native of Kingston, Massachusetts, Mrs. Bates sailed to California in 1850 on board the Nonantum, a coaler commanded by her husband. This is Mrs. Bates's account of her voyage to California, when fires forced the abandonment of three ships. The book further describes her visit to a mining town and her description of its women and children. Also description of the Sacramento Valley.