The California Gold Rush Diary of a German Sailor; Illustrated with pencil sketches by his inseparable partner Carl (Charley) Friderich Christendorff

Berkeley, CA: Howell-North Books, 1969. First Edition. Near Fine/Near Fine. [9.5x6.5in]; 236 pp., frontispiece image of page in diary, 64 images of pencil illustrations by Christendorff, extensive notes and index; Grayish-Beige cloth covers with black lettering on spine and field of yellow with ruled border, illustration of anchor and shovel on front, mustard colored endpapers; Mustard Dust Jacket with dark brown lettering on front and spine, image of diary pencil illustration on front, gray ruled lines on spine, images and advertisements of books on back; Very minor edge wear to top of spine. [Kurutz 689]. Adolphus Windeler [1822-1870] came to San Francisco as a member of the crew of the Probus in December 1849. He and his partner, Carl Christendorff, set out for the Yuba and Feather Rivers to river mine for gold. This diary is from 1850 to 1853 with many pencil sketches by Christendorff. This account, along with The Shirley letters from the California Mines provide another corroborating source of the history and daily life of the Sierra rich bar area. From the preface, "...the Windeler diary is an outstanding historical document filled with details of the rough and tumble life of typical mining camps, an extraordinary personal account revealing the hopes and fears, successes and failures of an intelligent seaman turned prospector." Christendorff also kept a journal which has not been published.