Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-10-14
FERROUS VOYAGE.
A REMARKABLE STORY OF TEE SEA
A shipwrscked Captain with His WIS ana
Children Sailing Hsms ina
gnall Beat.

a sh,pwrscted Captain with His Wife and
Children Sailing Home ina
snall Beat.
One OF tho most extraordinary stories
of bravery. misfortune, and endurance
that have been reported for many years
was made public yesterday by Cap
tain Baker, Of the Brazilian Mail Com
panv's steamer Finance, which ar
rived at New York from Rio do
Janeiro. He reports that on the voy-
age preceding the one just completed,
when. on his way home, his ship was
boarded by Captain Joshua Slocum, IN
Santos, Brazil, who told him story,
which is probably the most romantic IN
the true annals OF seafaring life. Cap
tain Slocum said that he was owner and
commander Of the clipper bark Aquid-
neck, Of Baltimore. She was built to
his order at Mystic, Conn, in 1860, and
was 326 tons register, 1873 feet long, %
feet beam, and - feet in depth.
Two years ago the bark sailed from
Baltimore for the River Platte, Argen-
tine Republic, in command OF Captain
Slocum, who was accompanied by his
wife and two sons. All went well until
after the vessel was loaded for her return
voyage to Rio de Jaue1ro with 8 cargo
of coffee. 4 few days before her
sailing, however, the cholera broke
out in ports along the River Platte.
On the vessels arrival at Rio de
Janeiro she WAS not allowed TO
enter the harbor, strict quaran-
tine being in force against all vessels
from the Argentine Republic. The
Captain pnt his ship about and returned
to the River Platte to await the lifting
of the quarantine. lie salled again for
( Rio in few weeks and arrived at that
port on June g, 1857. in the evening.
Ito was allowed to enter the harbor, but
on the following day bis ship was board
ed by the health officer of the port, who
sand that the quarantine regulations
we're again in force. and the vessel must
leave the port or the forts would open
fire on her.
He sailed again for his port of loading
and discharged tho cargo on the ship
per's wharf and took another cargo for
lilo Grnnde do Sui, port on the Bra
lillian coast. Before be arrived there
smallpox broke ont among his crew, and
he put into a small port where there was
no quarantine officer, and sent one OF
/ his crew to row the sick men ashore,
where they could get medical aid. The
rover. however, took the disease and the
whole party died. Shortly afterwards
gallo sprung up. and the bark was driven
ashore, and, on being surveyed. was con
dcmned. Nothing daunted, the gallant
skipper gathered together what little re-
NAMED Of his property and built canoe
Of hard wood. with a rocker keel. The
little craft. which is called the Silyerdale.
is thirty feet long, five feet beam, and
draws three feet Of water She has three
masts, and carries lateen sails similar to
those on a Chinese junk. Her cabin
runs nearly her whole length, and IS
covered in with mating.
Five months ago be embarked in the
! SilverdaIe with his vile and two sons and
saile1 for Santos, where he arrived two
months afterwards and met Captain
I Baker and asked to be towed to Rio de
! Janeiro, a distance Of 30 miles. Cap
tain Baker referred him to the steamers
agents, and subsequently, after insisting
that Mrs. 5locum and the boys should
make the trip on board the steamer and
! finding that Captain Siocum would not
leave his little craft the canoe was taken
in tow. During the trip heavy gale
sprang up and the canoe astern was for
many hours only visible for a few
minutes at time and when on tho crest
of wave, but Captain Slocum could
be seen sitting calmly at the tiller, as Ii
/ taking a sail IN New York bay. Oll was
thrown over the steamers stern TO pre-
vent the sea from swapping hat canoe.
Captan Slocum SAID that ut times, when
in the trough Of She sei., he could only
discern the top Rallantmast head OF the
/ steamer The canoe sailed for Pernam-
Iuco before the Finance left that port,
and was sighted by Captain Baker ], 0G0
miles out. lie hailed her and asked II
/ they were in distress or wanted any
thing, but Captain SiOcum replied cheer.
F ily: Ono, | was never in distress IN my
life The little boat arrived Mt Pernsm
buco in nineteen days from Rio, having
run 1856 miles, an average OF l25 miles
day.
Nothing was heard OF her until on this
last voyage the Finance fell in with her
again off Parbadoos, where Captain Ba-
ker asked if they wanted provisions, but
Captain Slocum replied that they were
nj, we'll and bound Tor Baltimore, where
he could get all the oysters he wanted.
The two captains then held a converse
ton, in the course OF which they recog-
nized each other ~ having sailed on tire
Pacific coast IN the '50s, when Captain
Baker commanded the bark North
ern Light and Captain Slocum
had charge of the bark Young
America. After the recognition Cap
tain Baker offered to lend the commander
Of the canoe 500 on his personal note,
TO pay She passage OF himself and family
home, but none Of them would leave tue
little vessel. and ali help was steadily de-
clined except small supply OF proyl-
bons. Mrs. SlOcum said the voyage IN
the canoe was grateful change from the
troubles and misfoFtunes which befel
them in their Inflated bark. Captain
Laehlin. superintendo Mt OF the Brazilian
Line, said yesterday that he would have
sanctioned Captain Bakers action IN
giving the voyagers pecunidry assistance
had 1t been accepted. After leaving Bar
BADGES nothing Was seen of the canoe by
the steamer, and it is supposed that she
IS still on her voyage for Baltimore.
Governor Hsti's Tour.
fBy telegraph 20 the Dispatch.
INrIAuApnrIe Octnher I3=GoYarnor