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[[underlined]] 40 [[/underlined]]
after a more definite knowledge of them, they are as a mass an ignorant race. They speak a language resembling the Portugeese, which was very difficult at first for us to understand them, and their currency still more so, such as [[underlined]] "Dumps" [[/underlined]] American value $40/100. [[underlined]] "Vintons" [[/underlined]] $80/100. [[underlined]] "Mill Reas" [[/underlined]]" $56/100. [[underlined]] "Per Tack" [[/underlined]] $1/4. Americans in trading with them are liable to loose 25% between the exchange of the two currencys. The Ship Tahmaroo from New York, with 163 Passengers, bound for California lie here at Anchor, she made the passage in 45 days, and arrived here 2 days before the quarentine laws were enforced. The Schooner Boston 42 days from Boston, with 29 Passengers. The Brig Forrest up at St Catharines, with 18 Passengers and leaking very badly.  The Bark Diamond 45 days from New Bedford with 45 Passengers. The Schooner A. Emery 65 days from New York. The Bark Susan from Metapoisett had been out 5 mos on a Whaling cruise, with 220 bbls. of Sperm Oil. I was also informed at St Catharines that 51 Am Vessels had stopt  [[strikethrough]] there [[/strikethrough]] ^[[insertion]] at Rio Janeiro [[/insertion]] from the States en route for California during the month previous - accounts received here from the Pacific by Whalemen bring glowing accounts of the Gold Mines in California, The Bark Diamond on her passage here spoke a Whaleman, within 8 days Sail of this place, and such was the anxiety of one of the crew to return to California that he forfeited his Share in the Profits of the Voyage, to work his passage in the Bark, the 6 days Quarantine being up we proceeded with all possible dispatch to get in some more Ballast and Water, the Passengers volunteering to assist in getting the necessary Ballast & and readjusting the Cargo, and put the