The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-08-21
Captain SIocum of the Spray
Takes a Long Voyage.
FROM CAPE SABLE TO SAMOA.
Alone In n Thirty Ton Yacht-SOme-
times Lonesome but Feels Good as
RuIe--WiI Travel Arounds-the
worId-HIs Record as a Seaman.

Our reporter had a pleasant inter
view last Monday with Captain Slocum
on board his yacht the Spray" says
the Samoan Times, of July %. The
Captain appeared to be rather glad of
the opportunity to clear some doubts
which the Samoa Times in last issue
expressed or allowed to be inferred, as
to his eccentricity. Our reporter was
able to say that the expression tastes
wary used by us meant no more than
Sam Weller himself intended Captain
Slocum was good enough to accept this
explanation, but, 10 Order-we presume
to lay at rest any suggestion of his
being crank or faddist, he explained
in effect that he might look fool but
wasn't.
There was money at the back of the
venture as we'll as in front of it he sug-
gested; indeed the whole was surround
ed by probabilities of gain-both pc
cuniary and otherwise-that were not
to be sneezed at. The following brief
explanation will satisfy all and sundry
that the almighty dollar forms a con-
spicuous figure in Captain Slocum
charlottesville trip had its origin
in want of employment for the Spray
built by her present Captain and owner
when the original intention to enter
the fishing business had been abandon
ed. The happy thought suggested itself
to make a lone hand trip around the
world. To another man such an idea
would have seemed preposterOus, in so
small craft, and without assistance;
but to our Captain, who in the past had
had vast experience of the sea and its
dangers under circumstances requiring
the exercise of self reliance, the ven
ture did not appear to be improbable OF
accomplishment.
He knew his craft, and he knew him
self, and his enterprise has borne salts
factory fruit so far. Captain Slocum
calculated that, wherever he might be,
he must eat and drink; and that he
would not be more expensive to salts
fv nature in this respect on board his
boat than on shore; and the Spray her
self would be but little the worse for
her voyage in comparison with laying
her I'D on shore. 1t will be seen there
fore that there were no serious expenses
for Captain SIocum to provide against
doing his circumnavigation OF the
globe; more particularly since he had a
Yacht license. On the credit side OF the
venture may be counted the acceptance,
at handsome rates, of correspondence to
the press, the establishment OF the
Yacht as a museum of curioslt1eS I'm
ending the Captain himSelf) on her re-
turn to port of departure, and the sale
of a printed account of the voyage.
These are the monetary consldera-
tions; but there is something further;-
what about the lasting fame attached
to the accomplishment by one undided
bY0iu and pair of hands of a venture Such
as no man ever executed Tor probably
conceiyed before? Is this not some
thing to be proud Of? The man VINO
accompIishes this Herculean task is
one in ten thousand. Let his ambltlon
be a desire for personal notorlety, what
then? Is not that the feeling that pTlh-
cipaIly actuated most OF the makers Oh
histary and prominent d1scoVererS III
science whether applied on land Oh on
the waters? We claim that Captain
csIocun, is as great a man in his genera
tion as the immortal Columbus was IN
the mast. and should he succeed IN ac-
commissioning his taSk-of which we nave
but little doubt and for which he mas
orr best wiSheS-he will tSand singular
" alone in his department as the great
nineteenth century exponent OF pluck
self reliance and indomitable energy
and perseverance.
ON examining the Sprays charts ou1
no M
from Cape Sable cher starting point tC
Gibraltar. thence via Canary and Cape
Verde Islands to PeTmambuco, the
nearest point on the North West OF the
South American Continent, thence &c
Rio Janeiro MonteyideO, Buenos Ayres
and Sandy point; thence through the
Straights of Magellan, up the west
Coast of the Continent TO the island Oh
Juan Fernandez; thence to Samoa
sighting the Marquesas; the last part
OF the tourney in 62 days-the same
Elmo as the schooner AdriaticO lately
in from ValparaiSo-CapJain Slocum
states that although his isolation was
in a sense irksome. yet he had no men
tai uneasiness until he had passed
through the Straits of Magellan and
looked towards the broad ocean which
separated him from Samoa, his next
mort of call. At that time he was
threatened with what appeared to be
influenza. or something similar, and
to use tn words of his mental soIlIoquy
-'.it wont do Joshua for you TO tackle
a direct course in q SOrmy latitude, you
had better go north and sweat out your
aiIment in the sun" This was done
the sickness left him in the warmer
latitude. and he safely and comfortably
continued his lonely journey across the
mighty waters.
The Captain says that he knows his