Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-05


AND LIFE IN A SOUTH AMERICAN MINING VILLAGE.
Zone of our townsmen has handed us for
publication the following extracts from let
tiers lately received from II young man, who
left Burlington last Fall. to seek his fortune
in South America He does not hold ont
very attractive picture of that sunny land.
Ed. +. p &Tl
ON BOARD SCHOONER IDA A. JAYNE,
Oct. 18th, 1877.
DEAR FEIESD-I am "melting" south of
the West Indies now and We are going slow
ly southwark. We have had very rough
passage and the next time go to sea in
schooner not much larger than a canal boat,
it will have to be the last vessel on the face
of the earth. We left New York on Friday,
Sept 21st, sailed East for five hundred
miles. and then took southeast course for
one day. Then the boat had nm insane de-
sire of going northeast in spite of our mild
protests to the contrary. The wind went on
strike or at least it stopped without notice
and as We were in the Gulf Stream it took us
in northeast direction at the rate of one
mile per hour, and We had to submit to stern
fate and prepared to spend our winter on the
"sunny banks OF Greenland :" but on the fifth
day we had light breeze and started south
ward once more. After we had made up our
lost ground, or water. and a little over, We
met hard gale. Ii commenced on Sunday,
September 30th. We were compelled to lash
our helm, and go where the elements felt
disposed to take us. We were tossed and
thrown about as though We didn't cost any
thing until Friday night, October Sth, when
the wind changed so We could .meander in
straight line south once more. There are
two other passengers on board u young Ger
man about my age. and an old man who is
also going to try his fortune in Venezuela us
an engineer They were both sea sick dur
ing the gale. l have been well since starting,
but am most wretchedly sick of the sea
During the gale the Captain didn't eat or
sleep for four days. don't think any of US
slept much and know that thought of our
young peoples meetings very often and had
all insane longing to be- there or anywhere
on land. If you could have seen the men at
that time you would most likely have had
good opinion of them. They read the Bible
more IN those few days than | have seen
either before or since the gale Most of
them took n our-storied' oath that If they
could only get on land once more they would
stay there. My highest ambition after this
trip is to get hold of the brainess fool that
wrote : "A life on the ocean wave and
wiring his neck. don't believe he ever saw
anything more than canal. If I was going
to punish man for some great crime and
hanging would not be severe enough would
ship him to South America in small schoon-
er.
October 18th. We are in sight of land and
are almost to the month of the Orinoco River
We have to go three hundred miles up that
river. II is so very hot am afraid | shall
turn into living piece of dried meat and
scorched bones.
C,LIAo MINE, Dec. 18th
am here in Callao, but to use a gamblers
expression, l di Int get n square deal. The
parties III New York that engaged me told
me everything but the truth am trying to
make the best of 1t, but a person used TO
civilization has no idea of heathenish coun-
try until they have tried ii. You can look on
q map for the Orinoco aud three hundred