Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-02-01
eer, "a crew disabled


by smallpox; long float ON the ocean after
being refused permission to land shipwreck,
with loss of all, and finally voyage from
the southern part of South America to Wash
ington, d. c., in boat of his own construc-
ton, but IS feet long and ~ feet wide, rugged
as a Chinese junk, his wife and two sons be-
ing his only companions. AS the trial In
court and trials on the water Of Capt. Slocum
in South America have been somewhat mis-
represented, it is fitting that the exact facts
should be presented, partly as detailed by
himself and partly as shown by official
record
The bark Aquidneck, of 326 tons burden, a
clipper Of noted swiftness sailed from New
York Feb. 26, 1886, loaded with oil for Mon
tevideo in Uruguay. From there Capt Slocum
went up the river Plate to take a cargo Of
wine from a stranded brig, delivered it at
Rosario on the Parana, and took on a load Of
hay for Rio Janeiro; but as there was cholera
at Rosario, he was forbidden to enter at Rio,
and had to return to Rosario, being unable
to get rid of his load along the coast of
Brazil. At Rosario the cholera had created
a regular panic, and all the jails were opened;
SO of the six men he took there as a new crew
five proved to be Jail birds, regular cutthroats.
After another trip to Rio he sailed up
Paranagua bay to load with 'mate'-a sort
of tea. The first dark night, the bark lying
at anchor in the harbor Of Antonina the cut
throat crew embraced the chance to attempt
the capture Of the vessel. The captain and his
wife, who sailed with him, were awakened at
midnight 10y the two leading mutineers COM
ing aft twhere they had no business at that
hour, and as the captain went on deck, gun
in hand, he was seized by the leader and
forced to his knees, but managed to bring the
gun to the villains breast and shot him
through. He fell, and the other advanced
supposing the gun to be empty but it was a
breech loader with several shots, and one Of
them was sent through the second man, who
fell dead on the deck. The other two lone of
the five was ashore did not advance, but
obeyed the captains order to launch the boat
and take the wounded man ashore.
There was thorough investigation and
the Brazilian authorities exonerated Capt.
Slocum from all blame. The wounded man
recovered, and the captain had to pay for his
surgery and also pay his wages to datel 1t is
a comical illustration of the mutineer's des-
perate character that while lying wounded
on the deck he reviled the captain and
ridiculed his awkward shooting; and In
the final settlement swore he would make no
allowance for some clothes he had drawn, be-
cause the captain had shot a hole through
them Capt. Slocum then took a crew of
Brazilians, delivered the innate" at Monte
video, and was about to start for Paranagua,
when the American consul detained him on
some trifing pretense and his men were ex-
posed to ''back smallpox" Before clearing
the river Plate it broke out in the worst
form, two men fell on the deck with 'rigor"
in the spine and base of the brain.
up helm and into Maldonado," the near
est port was the ORDER but the people of that
place are the "Yahoos" described by Swift in
"Gulliver's Travels" The captain signaled
"Smallpox on board! Immediate medical
aid wanted" Yet thirty-six hours passed
before any doctor came Off and all he did
was to announce that it was smallpox and the
ship must leave. The captain his son Victor
aged II years, and the carpenter were the
only force left to navigate the vessel OF
the others, two died ON board, and the cook
who had faithfully attended the sick, died
after going ashore. After great suffering
and delay they got back to Montevideo and
got their sick off in an open boat, towed be-
hind a steamer by 200 fathoms of line. After
tedious and expensive disinfecting of the
vessel, another crew was obtained; they
sailed to Paranagua bay loaded with lumber
and were stranded on the bar where the
Aquidneck, after twenty-five years good
service, became total wreck.
Capt. Slocum had lost all-his vessel, worth
some $4,000, and all the outlay due to deten-
ton, sickness, disinfection and mutiny. He
now had to decide whether he would apply
to the American consul, and come home as u
pauper, or try to save something from the
wreck He determined ON the latter and
went to work, aided by his heroic wife, his
son Victor and younger son, James Garfield
aged g. to build a smaller boat from the
wreck The result was the now famous
Lberdade, SO called because it was launched
May 49, the anniversary Of emancipation in
Brazil. Victor arranged the rigging and did
much of the work ON the little cabin, Mrs
Slocum made the sails, and even the little boy
did such tasks as holding the hammer to
clinch the nails The captain was carpenter
builder and boss. The anchor rope was made