Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-18
Alone for $4,000 Miles.

Captain Joshua Slocum, who halls
from Gloucester, Mass. and is great
lover of the sea. has just completed
the most remarkable voyage in his
tory. 1t sounds like a romance of
Clark Russell, but it Is true story Of
Yankee skill, courage and endurance.
In a little 80 foot lugger rugged boat
called "The Spray" he has circum-
navigated the globe, and to accomplish
the feat has travelled 5000 miles.
Captain Slocum, who is so years old,
but hale and hearty and from all op-
pearances good for another half CEN
fury, left Boston on April "a, 1895. and
started out across the Atlantic Now,
three years afterward. Captain Slo-
cum has made the port of New York,
and is again at home. During his en-
tire voyage, he was all alone on board
his little boat, and was captain, cook,
steward, mate and crew himself. He
undertook the voyage to crafty an
ambition, and because he is hap
piest when on the sea.
From Boston, Captain Socum
crossed the Atlantic and called at Glib
raltar; then re-crossed the Atlantic to
Rio Janeiro, and after touching at sever
al South America ports, went around the
Horn by the way of the Straits Of
Magellan, one of the most dangerous
cific he stopped at the island of Juan
Fernandez. rendered famous by Alex
ander Selkirk, and then took a
/ straight shoot for Samoa, the pretty
little island which always makes us
think of Robert Louis Stevenson; from
there he went to New South Wales, to
Victoria and to Tasmania; he sailed
back along the coast of New South
Wales again and headed for Queens
land; he visited a number of the
islands in the Indian ocean next ana
then turned to Natal and Cape Colony,
Africa; from Africa for St. Helena.
then for Ascension and on to Grenada
in the West Indies, from Grenada he
made a straight jump for home, and
was IN port at New York city last
week
During his trip this wonderful skip
per had some interesting experiences
He visited Pretoria, Africa, and there
met Dom Paul Kruger. the famous
president of that rich country. Dur
ing long talk with Kruger. tn
great African president said: The
world is fiat. although they do not De
lieve it," and he advanced other ideas
equally eccentric. Captain Slocum
called on the widow of Robert Louis
Stevenson while in Samoa, met the
members of many royal families in al
parts of the world, had some narrow
escapes from destruction in terrible
storms, was attacked by bandits while
in the Straits of Magellan, and had Ia
Put Jul " Stet III lIit Jaw VI Il - iviAN
to escape them, and all in all had three
years of almost unequallcd eN-
periences, both pleasant and other
wise. What story of travel and ad-
venture he could give us if he could
write as we'll as he can navigate. III"
always came about, lay tn and dropped
a sea anchor at night, and spent the
time in his little cabin, where he had A
good lamp and Il fairly large library.
He says that some of the most enjoy
able hours of his life were spent in
that little cabin eight feet square.
when his tiny vessel was riding the
waves several thousand miles from
land.
When Captain Slocum was home
ward bound he was ignorant of the
fact that war had been declared be-
tween the United States and Spain,
and was greatly surprised one bright
morning when the United States
battleship Oregon. on her way around
the Horn to Key West, ordered him to
come about. and when he did SO after
displaying his pet flag. the Stars and
Stripes, the big fighter signalled: "iaVe
you seen any Spanish Warships?" Il
thought it was joke" says Captain
Slocum in telling of the incident. "and
not wanting them to get the best of
me, l signalled back: No, but maybe
we had better keep together for
mutual protection