San Francisco
Feb 22 1854
Dear Father,

I am sure that you will be surprised to hear that I have left the Dalriada the second day after we arrived as have also all hands. The Captain treated me very badly as the other Apprentices can testify. We had an excellent passage of 4 months and a half. although off the Bay of Biscay we had a gale of winds which blew away all our sails and the next day we picked up the crew of a Dutch ...... ‘6 in’ all that was demasted the previous day. We called at Robinson Crusoe’s island for water and lay two days there. 2 days before we made the land we fell in with provisions of all sorts floating about. Casks of flour and butter cases of clams etc. etc. and I picked out some of them.

You may believe that I had pretty good reason for leaving or I should not have come on shore but I could stand it no longer. Break it gently to Grandma and Mamma. This is about the best place that one could be 6 dollars a day for labour and sometimes more. The Captain has shown his true character since Mrs S died which happened about Christmas. I am going in an American ship to Manilla at $40 per month. I will send some home as soon as I get enough together. I am steady and sober as is indispensable here if a person wants to get on and will write you a long letter on the passage and post it in Manilla. I intend to come back from there to this place and you can direct to the care of ‘Mrs Brown, Broadway, San Francisco’. I have not seen Mr Rogan yet. I should have had his direction to find him out. I have plenty of clothes and everything I require. Give my most affect love to Grandma, Mamma, Aunt, Sisters and Brothers, and all my friends. I am in haste or I would write you the log of the voyage which I kept. but more hereafter. I did not receive any letters from you here as if there was any the Captain has got home.

Remain your affect,

J.C. Parkinson