Frances Downer was a child when her mother, Tamsen Downer, was eaten while
part of the ill-fated Downer party by a man named Keseburger. No portraits of Tamsen Downer are known to exist.
According to her descendents, Tamsen's daughter Frances (pictured above) strongly resembled her mother. Her mother's death was suspicious.
After returning to Sutter’s Fort, one of the rescuers accused Keseburger
of having murdered his companions, prompting Keseburger to sue for defamation of character.
In the absence of legal proof of murder the court verdict was equivocal, and the issue of
Keseburger’s guilt remains disputed to this day. However, Tamsen Downer’s death is especially
suspicious since she had been in strong physical condition when last seen by the third rescue team.
[Always the gentlemen] Keseburger noted that [Tamsen] tasted the best, being well endowed with fat.
Another source reports:
He had a pot of soup made of human flesh, and was reported to have said that the flesh of Mrs. Downer [...] was the
best he had ever tasted. No traces of her or the other woman who had been in the camp were ever found.
In spite of her experiences with the Downer Party, Frances never lost her taste for adventure. She is shown
below on a trip to the Titti Islands. The natives sensed that she might be delicious as she likewise
was well endowed with fat. They can be seen performing the Dance of Joy.
A proud woman, Frances asked that they not bind her feet, that she might bravely meet her fate by stepping into
the pot. Unfortunately, given the height of the pot, she fell over backwards. The natives stopped their dance, washed her in
seawater again, bound her feet, and hoisted her into the pot to join the beans, onions, corn, tomatoes, peppers and a variety of local
seasonings to become an excellent pioneer stew.
