18. November 1845, Gulf of Mexico
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reminded of one’s old home and of the dear friends left behind there. Here we also overtook three ships at the same time, namely two Spanish and one from Bremen, the latter loaded with emigrants to Texas. In sailing by we came so close to the ship from Bremen that the captains could understand and speak to one another by means of a speaking tube. By this means we received the report that the ship is called Garonne, is bringing 130 passengers from Bremen to Galveston, of which, on the voyage, two children and one adult have already been lost by death, as opposed to us not only not losing anyone, but rather the group increased by one. Further, the same had to spend a very long time on the voyage, in that it has been at sea since the 8th of September this year and took 43 days to come here from England. Many of our passengers, particularly those from Fulda in Hessen, had countrymen on the same, which they recognized, and during the emptying of some bottles of French wine, called such hurrahs and cheers to them that the waves echoed. Presently, we already find ourselves in the Gulf of Mexico, since we sailed past the Garonne before the entrance to the same. A moderately favorable wind brings us on its little wings ever nearer to the landing harbor at Galveston. As difficult as the sea voyage may be, we still have reason to fervently thank the Father in Heaven for the mercy, that He guided us to the Neptune, to which He lent such a swift run and favorable winds, that up to now our sea voyage has a similarity to a pleasure trip. The Captain, a friendly, good man, seeks to alleviate the unpleasantness of the long and difficult sea voyage for his passengers by various means. It was not long until the Garonne was very far behind us, and soon disappeared from our eyes. Both of the Spanish ships took a different course as soon as they reached the Gulf, probably to a harbor in the United States. Wednesday, the 19th of November, 1845. The past. night and today a continuing strong wind drove our Neptune in a northwesterly direction quite swiftly and merrily, diagonally, across the Gulf of Mexico, |
