The Journey Around Cape Horn
Many traveled from the east coast of the United States around Cape Horn at the southern most tip of South American and up to California.
The trip could take from three to six months and cost form $100 to $300 dollars. It was a difficult trip with rough storms, seasickness and a lack of fresh water, fruit and vegetables. They ate salt preserved meats, fish, dried beans, rice and potatoes. One of recipes was lobscouse, a hash made of salted meat, potatoes and sea biscuits or dried bread softened with water. To flavor bad tasting water they added molasses, vinegar and spices. This was called switchel. In general the food was awful. After a few weeks the fresh food was gone. One passenger described two bugs for every bean and wormy moldy bread.
Advertisements for ship tickets promised luxury accommodations and hours of carefree pleasure. Many travelers ended up on Whaling ships with people crammed in where the blubber and oil were once carried some were so crowded people had to sleep standing up. More than 500 ships set out for California in 1849. Many gold seekers from Europe took this route once they had landed in New York or Boston
Many traveled from the east coast of the United States around Cape Horn at the southern most tip of South American and up to California.
The trip could take from three to six months and cost form $100 to $300 dollars. It was a difficult trip with rough storms, seasickness and a lack of fresh water, fruit and vegetables. They ate salt preserved meats, fish, dried beans, rice and potatoes. One of recipes was lobscouse, a hash made of salted meat, potatoes and sea biscuits or dried bread softened with water. To flavor bad tasting water they added molasses, vinegar and spices. This was called switchel. In general the food was awful. After a few weeks the fresh food was gone. One passenger described two bugs for every bean and wormy moldy bread.
Advertisements for ship tickets promised luxury accommodations and hours of carefree pleasure. Many travelers ended up on Whaling ships with people crammed in where the blubber and oil were once carried some were so crowded people had to sleep standing up. More than 500 ships set out for California in 1849. Many gold seekers from Europe took this route once they had landed in New York or Boston