Wichita eagle., 1889-05-12

aqua, Brazil, June "a, 1888, and the follow
ing narrative explains why and how they
happened to be there:
In December, 1856, the bark Aquidneck, OF
Baltimore, with Joshua Slocum as command
er and proprietor, sailed from Rosario, In thu
Argentine Republic, for Rio Janeiro. Theirs
was cholera in the La Plata at the time, so
the quarantine papers of the vessel ordered
her to uha Grande, quarantine station OF
Rio, sixty-eight miles away. where she was
TO discharge her cargo into vessel which
was TO be sent from Rio for that purpose.
The Aquidneck arrived at Ilha Grande
January z, 1887, with all her crew IN good
health. After remaining absolutely neg
lected day and half, Captain Slocum was
at last told that he could not disembark his
cargo, and would not be allowed to stay ct
Ilha Grande, nor to enter any Brazilian
port. Owing to terrible scourge OF chol-
era on the La Plata, the order had come di.
recting that no more vessels from that re-
gion would he allowed to enter the harboY
at Lha Grande
Captain Slocum, In his distress, begged fos
fresh provisions, or at least that be might
be allowed to wait outside the shipping IN
til telegram could be sent to the American
Consul at Ris. But these pleas for little
humanity were refused, and he was told ii
he did not leave at once he would be fired
upon by the guardship.
p The Aquidnecls returned to Rosario and
found that the cholera had disappeared. SO
she returned to Rio. Upon this return trip
conspiracy was made to assassinate Cap
tain Slocufn, and he saved his life only by
killing two of the mutineers. The captain
was arrested by the authorities of Antonina
and placed on parole and the AQuidneck
proceeded to Montevideo in charge of his
son, a lad of eighteen, at which port she ar
rived August 20, 1887. Slocum was honora-
bly, acquitted and reached his ship Septem-
Der Is. The Aquidneck started again for
Paranagua, but smallpox broke out among
her crew.
One after another succumbed to the merci,
less scourge, until only four men were left
to work the ship. Three times did Slocum
attempt to land for help, but our flag is not
honored in that region and he was driven
from every port he entered.
Even at Flores Island, the quarantine
station Of Uruguay, he was driven of.
After many fruitless attempts to obtain
assistance, he succeeded in signaling the
British telegraph tender, which Informed
the authorities of his terrible condition.
After shipping a new crew, the Aquid-
neck again turned her PROV toward home,
but she was stranded near Paranagua, and
became total wreck January 20, 1855.
Now what was to be donea Having the
sailors superstition concerning the bad
luck of the old hull Captain Slocum de-
clined to use her ill-starred timbers to build
his little vessel. The indomtable skipper,
aided by his two boys and Mrs. Slocum as
sail-maker and general house-keeper, con-
gtructed the jaunty f1ve-ton vessel now
fastened to the Sixth street wharf, of the
best Brazilian cedar sawed out with tools
saved from the wreck, and such as he could
borrow from people around him.
The first experience of La Liberdad from
Paranagua to Santos was rough and new.
From the latter place to Rio she was lowed
by friendly ship, and here she received
her papers and her name. From Rio tc
Victoria, Bahia and Pernambuco the Slo-
Gums had pleasant voyage, being received
with much kindness and enthusiasm at each
place.
From Pernambuco to Martinique La
Liberdad made dead run along the entire
Spanish Main in nineteen days, having no
more thrilling adventures TO record than
now and then a rather uncomfortable
proximity to whale twice as long as her.
SELF
Through the Antilles to the Florida
straits, up our coast TO Wilmington, N. c.,
was delightful sail Here Captain Slocum
essayed the inland route through the canal,
supposed to draw only few inches of
water. An old hunter, whose father had
helped to dig the ditch, said: "You mought
and then agin you uoughtn't git through"
With great care La Liberdad cleared the
canal and made fast in Norfolk, where, as
well as in Wilmington, the authorities paid
her great respect.
The next day the party sailed up the Po-
tomac in a craft nearly as primitive as the
ore in which John Smith assembled the
same river in 160S, after an experience
more varied than falls to the lot of most
shipmasters, and with substantial claim
for damages against the South American
officers who had caused him SO much loss. /
Youths Companion.