The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-22
AROUND THE WORLD IN A sLOOP.
Capt. sIOcum Getting Ready 10 Sail
on Another Voyage.
From the New York Advertil


on Another Voyage.
From the New York Advertiser.
Boston, Mass, April 17-Moored safely
in the dock just north of the South Ferry,
on the East Boston side, there now lies a
little sloop which looks about large enough
for a 'longshoreman fisherman, but which
is, nevertheless, booked for a voyage
around the world.
SPRAY, Fairhaven," is the lettering on
her stern. and Capt Joshua Slocum is
the name of her builder, owner, skipper,
crew, cook and cabin boy, for on the
greater part of mis- voyage Capt. Slocum
will be alone, unless" as he says my
wife changes her mind about staying
ashore This contingency the captain
seems to regard as a remote one, however,
for he is making all his preparations for a
To circumnavigate the globe in a boat
which, at first sight, seems hardly large
enough for a longboat for the big square
riggerS or the still larger ocean steamers
which lies near her Is an adventure from
even the prospect of which many AZ hardy
mariner might be excused from shrinking
but Capt. SlOcum apparently regards 1t
with no feelings of misgiVing, and talks
about 1t in a matter-Of-faCt way which
shows confidence not only in his deter
mination, but also in his ability to bring
the adventure to a successful conclusion
A more careful look at the boat too
shows that she is much better ntted for
sailing and for riding out a gale than even
the best of longboats, so that after a talk
with the captain and an examination of
his boat, something Of his own confidence
communicates Itself to the inquirer, and
the adventure does not seem so strange
or so impossible Of successful issue as
many less promising once which have had
a happy termination.
As for the captain himself, he is far
from being unknown to fame. 1t was he
who built and sailed safely home from
La Libertad, bringing with him his wife
and children, and turning by his viii and
skill the misfortune of loss of ship and
belongings into safe home coming with
something of profit.
1t was he also who commanded the
Ericsson submarine gunboat Destroyer on
her voyage to Brazil to take part in the
recent hostilties there, and who by his
indomitable perseverance and power of
commanding men kept her ahoat in the
very dangerous times Of that long tow
! astern of the big steamer Santuit.
The Spray is forty feet over all and per-
hapS five feet less on the water line has
fourteen beam draws five feet of water
and registers at just under thirteen tons
custom house measurement.
She is most Solidly built, with white
oak keel and frames and yellow planking,
and her builder, who did all the work him
self. can vouch for the faithfulness of the
workman. She does not leak a drop.
Forward she has a small forecastle
with a couple of hunks and aft she has
a comfortable cabin under a low house
| The captain will make his berth in the
| cabin, and will cook, eat and sleep there
| The wheel is but n step aft the compan-
! ion way. The bulwarks are low but a
| stout, hard pine rail with stanchions gives
| a hold for the hands and affords support
| in a seaway.
| Her present rig is the ordinary one Of
| the sloop, with mainsan and jib, short
| topmasJ being carried only for signaling
| Later. however, her rig may be changed
| to something like that of the La Libertad
with a battened sail in place of the main-
| sail, and a smaller sail of the same kind
| on a mizZen mast aft. This change OF rig
| will be made in New York. to which place
\ the yacht Will be lowed this week and
from there the real start of the voyage
/ win be made.
/ toned and her captain win carry a revolver
| for armament If he finds time for read
| ing, he can turn to some convenient
| shelves in the cabin and will there find a
| set of Shakespeare, Macauley's History of
| England, together with many lighter
4 works, the gifts of his friends. In mis-
cabin, too, are charts for all over the
| world, a seXtant. compass and chronome-
/ ter, and as the captain is an expert naVi-
/ gator and has already been around the
/ world five times, he ought to be able to
! find his way.
OF his plans and the route he proposed
| to take, Capt. Slocum says:
| From New York l shall sail for Pan
| ANA, that is, if 1 can get the boat taken
| across the isthnus. If 1 cannot get trans
| Straits of Magellan and so on into the
| Pacific. 1t will be a long way, to the
| straits. so l shah do my best to get the
| boat across the isthmus.
| "Once in the Pacific l shall make all
| my longitude in the trade winds, either
| north or south of the equator as 1t may
| happen. Then l shall touch at many Of
! the South Sea Islands and thence head
| for home across the Indian ocean. through
| the Suez canal the Straits of Gibral-
tar and across the Atlantic. Ii is quite
a trip, but two years ought to see il
/ finished.
THE object Of the trip? Well. it is main
| ly to make money / see money ahead
/ much cargo, but / expect the Spray will
! be pretty well filled with curios OF va
| rious kinds before she gets back.
! Handle the boat? / can do that alone
well enough She rs very easily man
! aged. even in a breeze. and then. too, |
! have "a steering gear which will act au-
| tomatically when the boat Is once laid
on her course, and that Will give me
some chance TO rest.
II am used 10 going without sleep for
two and three days al time. and ] can
/ sleep III the day time and keen the boat
/ going at night in ordinary weather. When
/ 10 blows too hard / shall get out my sea
| anchor batten everything down tlaht no
below for a sleep. and let the gale blow
{ uself OUT
"A stained eldrs window in memory
] of izaak Walton. the author 81 '"rhe
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! iu ihe church ~ st Dunsfan in the West.
I iH Fleet street whore Nalton's first Nlfs
an1 seven ~ ms children ore hun0l. M
Als fn ~ NuuHfan'a church yard thHf
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