The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-16
A WONDERFUL JOURNEY.

From Boston to Detroit in Row Boat
44OO Miles in 100 Days, by Sea, River and
Lake.
Lengthy trips in row boat are by no
means of an unusual occurrence, but when
Journey of this kind is extended beyond
a few hundred miles it is remarkable to
say the least, and in the few instances
where longer voyages have been takan the
plucky oarsmen are regarded az marvels of
courage and endurance. The last and by
far the greatest achievement of this kind is
that of Mr.. James II. Gay, q Boston man,
who has Just reached Detroit, Mich, with
skff, in which he left Boston almost
three months ago The Detroit Free
Press gives very entertaining account Of
MIR. Gray and his recent experiences by
ocean, river and lake, from which the fol-
lowing is condensed:-
1t was wager that caused the trip to be
undertaken, although Mr. Gray had no bet
on the venture still he is 1000 richer by
its success. He thougt boat could be
rowed by one man from Boston to Detroit
in 100 days; Others doubted it; and his
subsequent claim that it could be done In
1870 days was laughed at. Being plucky
and confident he found hackers and they
found no difficulty in getting any money
covered they were willing to put up, and
about $25, 900 were pending the result OF
the trial. The boat selected was a skiff
double-ended, fifteen feet long and weigh
iug l40 pounds, or 100 pounds with oars,
cushions, etc. The equipments were
coal oil stove, frying pan, four cans of
meat, six of sardines, eight cans of fresh
bread, four of condensed milk, two pounds
of coffee, one of tea, five pounds of sugar,
four pounds of corn meal, and four pounds
of pork, besides canned peaches, oysters,
HOLSTERS and other fruits; seytant, chro-
nomc,cr, spirit comna >, anchor, besides
trunk with some clcthes, etc.
TIE START
was made from Chelse boacl, opposite the
Sea View house, NleY 81. o. the second
day ho aioprcl NJ Suu+iy Noss island.
Isles of Shoals, aGd neA piueed at Port
lard, where crazy gentleman in black
amused the crowd and rather damped the
ardor of the sklffnan by addressing him
as follows; d" Men who 20 down to the sea
in ships take their lives IN their hands, but
men who 90 down to sea in small boats are
darned fools" The thirty miles of Casco
Ray were passed without much difficulty
and shortly afterwards he met the Canadian
yacht Countess of Dutfelin on her way to
the New York yacht contest in the race for
the Oueens cup. Turn back" shouted
the captain. - It's no use going further,
and you'll have to turn at last or be
drowned. Defeat is certain, and perhaps
DEATH But the sequel proved the cap
tains words TO be anything but toracular,
unless as applied to his own craft. In con-
tnuing his narrative Mr.. Gray said
When reached Petit Manan point l
struck across the Bay of Fundy for Cape
Sable, and here real danger set in. | soon
got out If sight of land and had to depend
on my compass. | knew the Importance
| of huriyipg over the 200 miles OF open sea
that lay before me. So l Towed all day
and ali night without stopping, keeping up
an even gail for the first day; then, towards
evening of the next day, the wind being in
my favor, lay down and slept and drifted.
drifted and rowed alternately for five
days out of sight of land. Then it began
| to blow hard towards the land, nd,anxious
| as was to get there, l had to struggle
| three days more to keep away from 1t
while the storm lasted. The coast was
rocky and precipitous and lined with
| breakers. On the eighth day the storm lull-
| ed, leaving heavy swells, when cross wind
spTang up and made chopping waves that
knocked my to3t around just as it pleased.
| AT last an immense comber" struck the
skitf, filed it, upset it, rolled it over sew
eral hundred times, while started slight
| imitation of Jules Nerne's 10000 Leagues
| Under the Sea. went down about fifty
| feet, and then came up to see how the
| skiff was getting along. l rose beside the
| trunk, and saw the boat still rolling some
distance off and swan to it, and for two
hours tried in vain to climb in: but If at
tempted to enter on the side it would roll
over, and if at one end that would sink and
the other rise in the air; so taking it all in
all it was pretty discouraging.
| At last took the line of my skill in my
mouth and swan for the trunk. and after a
considerable amount of labor l fastened
| the trunk to one end of the boat aud man
aged to chuIn out the water from the skill
until only about six inches deep remained,
and then as the trunk held down one end
climbed in over the other, completely eX-
hausted, having been in the water for ten
hours. | tried to get the trunk in the skitf,
but cauldn't. so lowed the trunk ashore,
landing at Pubnico head, Nova Scotia,
within ten miles or Cape Sable light. The
place is not far from where the steamer
Atlantic was wrecked. On opening the
trunk found 1920 in greenbacks frayed
and soaked to pulp, which left me SIT
gold piece and 50 in silver, and also LETT
me an advocate of hard money forever af
terward. Four pounds of navy clipping
tobacco had colored the water 10 such ar
extent that although lived myself yet al
nv clothes dyed-a srich brown. | called
in at Halifax and scLt on my trunk anc
sent home most of my utensils and resolved
to run the rest of the distance with a
light boat as possible.
DOWN THE ST. LAWRENCE.
Nothing serious happened until ] go
into the Gulf of st Lawrence, where, oil
the fifth of July, squall struck me abou
two miles from shore and over we went.
left the boat to its fate and swan ashore
but was astonished to find that 1t drified II
almost as quick as swan. You see w
were getting quite attached to each othc
by this time.
=" No doubt, said the reporter. AM
suppose you turned over In the Gulf o
st. Lawrence, because you turned in tn
Bay Of Fundy, or tAa principle that ont
good turn deserves an therp
MIR. Gay coughed and proceeded;
made very good time Vi the River 1t. Law
renee, stopping on my way at Lessard, Cal
iere, on the north shore of the liver, Goes
island, Quebec, Batisdan, Three Rivers
Montreal, Cornwall, Hcnvelton, Alexar