The bee., 1883-06-16
APEgIDOTS VOYAGE.
A Sailor Crosses the Pacific Alone In a Small
Two. Ton Boat.

The London Daily Ne'os condenses
from antipcdeRn sources the following
interesting account of the Voyagp made
by a foo.har.ly mariner from San Fran
cisco to point near Australia:
"Details are Just TO hand of the extra
ordinary voyage across the Pacific by
an Ame lean named Gilfoy. The Voy-
age was undertaken as oneof pleasure,
but the adventures he paSsel through
w re not at all of an agreeable nature.
GilfGy an his little craft were fallen
in with on January 20 by the schooner
Albert Nittery. He was then 100
mi es off Cape sandy, and when taken
from the boat was in a sta Of eX-
treme exhaustion. He kept log of
the voyage. in which the wht lie of his
eXnoFience was re orded. 1t seems
that he left San Francisco on August
20, last year, with the intention
of crossing the Pacific and reach
ing Au trala. Heanticipated that the
voyage would occupy some five months,
for which e 'iod he had provisioned
his boat taking with him also 40
gallons OF water For the first week
matters went on very satisfactorily,
but after this calms and headwlnds
were ncountered which continue for
at least a fortnight On September
26 he Gro sed the line, having then ar
winds. Subsequently, however, calms
set in, and ry little prcgress WAS
made. so little, in 'eed, that q lfoy
found it nee S ary to shorten his allow
ance O. food. but before this he was
unable TO eat much on account OF
having no exercise. 1t was Gilf'y S
habit to sleep three or four hours before
DAYLIGHT, but in this he was very otte
disturbed by the knocking OF fish
against his boat. Very often sharks
came near to the boat. and, after taking
mouthfuls of small Il h, would dlS-
appear. Gilfoy, however, was very
much afraid of the sharks, and made
q harpoon from a b0at-ho0G, and WIN
this he speared any that came within
his reach. The sharks, however, soon
bpcame aware Of the danger in goln9
TOO near the boat, and ter this KEEP
2 safe distance off. Seyeral were Stuci
with the imrrovised haTpoon, bu
GiIfoy was unable todraw any OF then
near the boat. When, however, n
went below. he found that tie shark
ven ured DANCE ously near his boat, an
in order to ke p them Oil he ma
to resort to stratagem. Each tim
when he retired to r1st he pm
his shirt in the place where b
was accustomed to sit, and the shark:
still thinking he was there, did nc
venture near. On November 10 th
brigantine Tropic was spoken, and Gi
foy was enabled to rectify his con
pass, having previously been guide
bv dead reckoning. He also receive
from the vessel a quantity Of fruit. o
December 9 he was sailing alon
rapidly, when his b at was suddenl
struck by a wave AMI cansized, an
Gilfoy was thrown into the water. il
managed to get ON the bottom of I'll
boat. and by great eyerUions he su
ceeded in righting it, though immed
ately aftarward it was turned con
pletely over a seconl time. Fortl
nately he was again aide to right II
craft, hut found The most Of h'S pr
visions and water had been lost an
spoiled by the sat water. He W;
then fourteen hundred miles off Cal
Sandy. Tt took him seven days to pI
his vessel in order, and he agan T
sumel his voyage. Shorty after tn
q sword-fsh struck the loat, causing
to l0ak very much. and it was not o
served by Gilfoy until the boat w;
very arly flu of water. BY Il
capsizing Of the boat Gilfoy lost b
watch and compass and h thereto
determined 10 make for New Cali
donia. On January he caught hil
which ha flown on his beat, and fol
davs later lie caught a second on
The bird in this instance alghtt
on top of the adventure
heal. Both of them were very accer
able for food. On January il Gilf,
at the last of his pr visioDs-a tw
pound lin Of preserved meat-wh't
had lasted him for week. On mo
than one occasion living fish W
caught, which was eaten without Ger
monv. Gi'foy was now becoming :
most ravenous for want of f Cd. II
10th Of January brought another d
aster, the rudaer of the We
sci giving way. but this was cou
teractnd to a certain extent 10y tel
porary contriyance which he ri@ged u
Off Care Btlonia island an1thPr bil
was eau ht. but by this time G Toy
hunger was becoming too great for hi
TO bar and as a last resort h took II
barnacles from tn bottom OF the boz
and extracted what he could fro
them. On the 9th he shot a lird wit
his revolver, but was unable 10 recov,
il from the water. The next dav ]
was fortunate enough t. catch anoth'
bird, and this d d him for two meal
He cooked it over a few broken matche
Sunday and Monday passed wi hol
any food, and by this time being car
less which way the vessel s.eered,
lay down to sloe1. 4 short time a
rward he awoke, and TO his surpri:
he saw vessel a short distance oi
and which was evidently making fl
him. This proved to he the Albel
Vittery, witch rescued him and lande
him at Maryhorough, Austral a. G lfC
is man thirty-three years of age. 4
late { accounts he had almost complet
ly recovered.