The Washington critic., 1889-01-14
THE CAPTAINS STORY.

Tales of ship wreck and disaster, suffer.
ings on flood and field, the Drawing of in
credible dangers the undismayed en-.
countering of successive peris--these arc
oft-told stories, but the pluck that carries
doughty heart through these adven-
lures, the indomitabe will that disrcgards
the perls, these are qualities that all and
particularly the American people delight
in and will ever have fresh ipterest. 1t was
with recognition of this fact that THE
CRITIC has obtained from Captain Joshua
Slocum, who recently reached this city
with his family on the little Liberdade
after Il trip of 600 miles, this narrative of
his adventures on that ill-starred voyage
on which he lost all of his possessions and
barely escaped with his life. Captain
Slocum is now living in this city, having
settled with his little family in the Robin
son Cruso Cabin, rs he styles it, ut the
foot of Sixth street, where the Liberdade
lies moorcd. He is awaiting action by
the State Department upon his claim
against Brazil for damages for having
been refused admittance to the port of
Ilha Grande OH account of political
differences between Brazil and the
Argentine Republic. The story is told
by the Captain in his crisp and
lively style, smacking of the sea
breeze and the independence of the
American seaman. He cleared from the
port of Baltimore, but the narrative be.
gins with his departure from Rosario in
the Argentine Republic.
THE STORY.
We sailed from Rosario, Argentine, in
the bark Aquedneck on December II,
1886, having on board cargo of hay in
bales for Ilha Grandc, the quarantine
station in Brazil to which the Brazilian
Consul had directed us. Cholera was
then raging in Argentine, and all YES
sells leaving the Platte at that time car
ried "foul" bills of health that is, there
was contagious disease in the port left
behind The Aquedneck arrived at llha
Grande on January Z, of 'S7, about noon,
and went into quarantine. We received
no visit that day from the authorities.
There were several vessels there that had
sailed just ahead of us from Rosario, the
British barks Statacona, the Camelot,
the Carpinco and others. Their bills Of
health had seen at Rosario and were
just the same as mine.
On the following day, late in the after
noon, a steam launch came alongside
with officers of the post. They took my
Then they ordered me to leav at once.
If did not | was told the guardship
would open fire upon us, We were not
allowed to get fresh provisions or even
to send telegram to our consul. lav-
ing q cargo on board that was owned
in Rosario made it necessary for us to re-
turn to that port. We returned to Ro-
sario whence we sailed again for llha
Grande on the 18th of April, returning
with the same load of hay. We were
quarantined for eight days and fumi-
gated and then allowed to enter Rio with
our hay. By the way, my cargo got to
be standing joke along the coast. The
sailors used TO say when they saw the
Aquedeck, "There goes Slocum and his
hay wagon again!'
While at Rio | saw the United States
Minister, Hon. Thomas j. Jarvis, and
handed him letter embodying protest
against my treatment at Ilha Grande,and
also wrote statement of the case and
sent it to Washington. | was informed
by the State Department that our Minis
ter to Brazil would be instructed to in
qure into the matter.
We disposed OF our mule fodder at Rio
and having lost so much by our broken
voyage had to pick up whatever /
could.
We accordingly sailed for Paranagua.
There we hoped to secure q cargo to re-
imburse us and then we would point our
prov toward home. My crew was a ter
Iible one. A little Jap was the only
trusty man / had But he was robbed
by his shipmates and mauled so badly
that he deserted, leaving me without q
man could rely upon.
The first dark night after this l was
Of l,Nra "a ruff hp
had attacked his last captain on the voy-
age to Rio. He had come aft on the
poop deck. l say about half past eleven
o'clock, and had let go boats tackle to
tempt me on deck. This failed, and
then he called out Come out and order
your men forward, if you dareI'
Slipped out quietly into the dark by the
afterway. Soon as my eyes got used tc
the darkness I ordered: go forward,
there; to your quarters, sir?'
'Ha, there you are, you beggar," he
cried, making rush at me with his knife
in hand. | was ready for linn, anc
brought my oarbine down on him, but
might as well hit rhinoceros He got
inside of my guard and had me by the
throat in moment.
Now damn you, shoot"
My wife had heard the cry, the report
tlul lOllOWCNl, ullAl bllS nONhh Vi u bohl
falling. Thinking that it was me who
had been worsted, she seized cutlas'
and hurried on deck. A second mutineer
thinking that had fired oil the only
load in my carbine, sprang forward t.
strike me down. A bullet ended hi
misadventures He had been Il notet
robber and murderer. | afterwarc
learned that he had cut a mans throa
from ear to ear for his money, and hao
served term in the Perlermy prison
for IT,
Poor Tommy There had never beer
word between u.s. There was gooC
deal of manhood in his nature after all
but the other fellow, the one | haC
wounded, he was brute all through. ii,
was put under medical treatment at
hotel at my expense, and remained ther'
until he recovered. OF course
wouldn't have him on the vessel any
longer, When we came TO settle up hi
accounts he refused to pay for a pair o
new drawers which he wore at the tim,
of the shooting ON the plea that | haC
blown a hole in them, The bullet hat
come out at the seat ! didn't dsput,
the point.
CONCLUDED ro-MoRRoW,l
PROFESSOR Cooks Balm of Life for sale b.