Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-11-10
BY CANOE FROM BRAZIL.
How ShipwrecNed Mariner win
Get Back 10 Ills Home


Get Back TO Ills Home
TO travel from Rio Grande do Sui,
in Brazil. to Baltimore. Md. distance
of nearly 4. 500 miles. in canoe only
thirty feet long, with his wife and two
sons.
That is what Capt. Slocum. of the
wrecked bark Aquidneek. undertook
to do about four months ago. and judg-
ing from his success thus far he is like
ly TO succeed. He was seen at Barba-
dos on August so. 1886 miles from his
starting point by Capt Baker. of the
United States aud Brazilian mail
steamer Finance, arriving from South
American ports yesterday.
Capt. Joshua Slocum, commander
and owner of the bark Aquidneck, of
$40 tons burden. left Baltimore little
less than two years ago bound for
Buenos AYres. II wife and two sons
were on board with him, and their
subsequent trials and the final loss of
the vessel at the entrance of Rio Grande
do Sui harbor, as related by Capt.
Baker. makes q tale which Rider Hag-
gard would grasp with pleasure The
stoical Indifference of Capt. Slocnm to
his hardship. his independent spirit and
determination to bring his family home
at his own expense. and the fortitude
of his wife. who s every inch a sail
or. rs Capt BIk r said, adds zest to
the story.
When the Aquidneck reached Buenos
Ayres, in the Rio de In Plato River
Capt. Slocum secured cargo and
sailed for Rio Janeiro. But cholera
was prevalent in the Argentine Repub-
lie and every Brazilian port was quar-
antined against vessels from Argentine
ports. So Capt. Slocum perforce sailed
back to the ''Plato" and waited sever
al weary months for tho quarantine to
be raised, He would have discharged
his vessel, but the other vessels were
there ready TO take tho cargo, SO he
waited. AT last, during the latter part
OF May, 1887, the news came that yes
sells could enter Rio and the Aquid-
neck, with others, got under weigh.
He arrived At r o on June 8, but the
Health "Yisite" did not come out until
the next morning, when Capt Slocum
was told that the Argentine Republic
was again IN force. and that If lie did
not speedily clear out they would fire
upon his vessel. He went back 10
Buenos Ayers, where he dumped his
cargo on the owners wharf and told
him TO go to '.Ballyhack" or some
other place not laid down on pilot
charts.
Capt Slocum then shipped a cargo
for Rio Grande do Sui, but on the way
thither smallpox broke out among the
crew.
Some of the sailors died and a num-
Der were i'll, so that the bark was very
short-handed when she arr we'd at Rio
Grande DO Sui. The health officer
there paid no attention to his signals
for some days and the Aquidneck
swung at anchor of tie quarantine
station of the port.
Finally one Of the sailors offered to
90 ashore with his sick comrades.
They were put into boat. and the
brave sailor who took them ashore
caught the disease and died The ex-
act date OF the bark's arrival at Rio
Grande do Sui Capt. Baker could not
give, but the night following the de-
parlure Of the sick sailors it blew
hard, and the Aquidneck. with hardly
any crew ON board. was driven on the
rocks.
The captain. his wife, and two sons.
aged u and l6 wears were saved. but
the bark was so badly damaged that the
surveyors condemned her, and she was
sold for song. The vessel was built
OF oak and chestnut at Mystic, Conn,
for Capt, Slocum in 1865
Nothing daunted by the misfortunes
that had overtaken him Capt Slocum
gathered the remnants of his fortune
together and constructed a canoe in
which to return to Baltimore. He built
her of hardwood, with a rocker keel,
and stepped three masts as straight as
needles in her. She was decked over
with raised cabin extending about
one-third of her length-thirty feet
and rooted over with mats securely
sewed to the frame work. The canoe
beam was five feet and she drew three
feet OF water when launched. Ropes
were stretched along the sides to pre-
vent the passengers from sliding off the
rounding deck. The American consul
offered to send the captain and his
family home, lut he declined, and Mrs.
Slocum seemed to think her husband
knew what he was about, and entered
heartily into his plan.
The canoe was provisioned and with
her three lateen sails left Rio Grande
do Sui in rafting breeze. The cap
tain named his boat the Liberdade,
and she fulfilled her owners hopes re-
garding speed and seaworthiness, for
two months later she entered the har-
Dor of Santos. This was about June
rs last, and here Capt. Baker first
learned of Capt. Slocnm's undertake
ing.
He was surprised soon after the ar
rival of the Finance in Santos on the
trip before last, by the appearance on
deck of tall, spare man of fifty years,
with keen blue eyes and bronzed face. |
He had just boarded the steamer from
rowboat, and advancing to where
Capt. Baker stood he asked to be
towed to Rio. adding 81 am Capt.
Slocum."
Capt. Baker looked closely Mt the
man and recognized him. His mind
Travelled back to the time when he
commanded the bark Young America