Richardson left New York Harbor February 1 and sailed south, across the equator and down by South America. Off the coast of Brazil Richardson recorded that they "picked up at sea eleven men in a small boat who said they were the crew of the Russian brigantine called the Sylphide, which had sunk off the coast. Took them on board."

Next, he traveled past Tierra del Fuego, around Cape Horn, up to Chile and made the first port of call since leaving New York.

In May of 1851 he arrived at San Francisco, where some crew deserted to the gold fields. They were easily replaced with deserters from other ships who had tired of the search for gold.

From San Francisco Richardson sailed to collect tea in Canton, China. He left China November 9 and is now homeward bound west around the Cape of Good Hope heading home to Shrewsbury.

Picture: Boston Harbor, 1876