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.