The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-01
A wonderful Cruise.

PARTICULARS OF THE VOYAGE A BUFFALO MAN
TOOK ACROSS THE PACIFIC INA DoRY.
Bernard Gilfoy, Of Buffalo, last year at
tempted the reckless feat OF sailing across
the Pacific ocean. from San francisco to
Australia, IN dory but eighteen feet long,
six wide, and two and "A half deep. Forest
and Stream has condensed from various
sources the following accoun! OF his won
dcrful voyage and the thrilling experiences
incidental to It: '.Gilfoy was the only
passenger, and he started with the deter.
mination OF performing the unparalleled
feat OF crossing tho. Pacific single
handed I'm a common sailing-boat.
The cutter--for she was little more
was named the Pacific, and was covered
in all over with the exception Oh
connie of matches, one amidships and one
aft. The fore part was used mostly Tor tne
water.casks, which were filled with SAT-
water as the fresh was used up, and the
after mart was used as kitchen, cabin, and
sleeping-roOm. Nothing was nearo rom
Cilfoy until the arrival in San Francisco OF
fI,e barkeptine Tropic Vance, from Tahiti,
whose taptain reported that he had sighted
the Pacific on November 10th. lie mad
given Gilfoy his correct bearings and q
quantity Of fruit, aud had learned that
after n week of favorlDg weather the Pa
citic had encountered twenty-nine days OF
alternate Gains and head winds, which had
driven Gilfoy to shorten his allowance.
He crossed the line In longitude
1869 on Friday. September 10Th. and
then met with good winds, before which
he ran south between ATTITUDES 30 south
and $50 south. His principal discomfort,
he said, had been the too familiar habits OF
the sharks, which every night came thump-
ing the boat with their ugly shouts. TO
rid himself OF them he made harpoon out
of boot-nOok, and succeeded in rendering
them so shy that by plopping up his shirt
az night i'm the place where he usually sat
by day he was enabled TO take his rest
undisturbed. The conclu-
sion of the Pacific's extraordinary voyage
is gathered from long account pub
Iished in the Marlborough Queens
iap(l Chronicle OF February I'd. 1t ap-
pears that after leaving the Tropic Vance
things went badly with Gilfoy. On the
I4th OF December. being then to the south
OF the Friendly Isles. heavy sea broke
over the boat and capsized her. He went
into the water, and 1t was only
by an hours hard work, with the aid OF
floating anchor that he was enabled to
right the dory. No sooner was she righted
than q heavy sea capsized her a second
time. Again he righted her. and passed
the night In bailing md the day in
making things as shipshape as posi-
BILE. By the 10th Of December he
had got things under weigh again,
md was enjoying pleasant weather, when
he boat was pierced by a sword-fish. On
he found himself near Hun
er Island. a barren rock. with all his instru-
nents gone and nothing left OF his proyIs-
ons except twelve pounds OF corn-meal,
ywo quarts of alcohol, and fifteen gallons OF
water. He then tried to make for New
but the wind and current were
against him, and on the 14th OF January he
ate the last OF his meal. Two days after he
lost his rudder and had to rig mp make
shift, and from that time on he had to SUBJ
sist on whatever fish he caught or birds he
shot On the Goth Of January he ate his
last cooked meal, bird singed over heap
OF broken matches, and after that he suck
ed the barnacles which yalanced the boat.
Then the days came when he knew moth
ing and cared nothing, steering aimlessly
here and there. just as the last hope had
fed he sighted the Alfred Vittery, on Mon
day, january 20, bound for marlborough.
The Vittery saw him, and in few minutes
after Gilfoy was saved. He was then
about 100 miles off Sandy Cape, and after
being fed, told the singular story OF an en-
feat so nearly accomplished.
He was kindly cared for on his arrival at
but the latest news reports
him as being down with typhoid fever,
the results Of exposure and hardships."