St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-09-06
Alone In Mid.Ocean.

In the first instalment OF his narrative
of his solitary voyage around the world
in the sloop Spray, Captain Joshua
Slocum describes in the September Gen.
fury his attempts to overcome the sense
of loneliness that beset him on the way
from Boston to Gibraltar.
On the evening of July the Spray, al.
ter having steered all day over lumpy
sea, took it into her head to go without
the helmsman's aid. / had been steering
southeast by south, but the wind haul
ing forward bit, she dropped into
smooth lane, heading southeast, and
making about eight knots, her very best
work. / crowded on sail to cross the
track OF the liners without loss of time,
and to reach as soon as possible the
friendly Gulf Stream. The fog lifting be-
fore night, | was afforded look at the
sun Just as it was touching the sea.
watched it go down and out of sight.
Then | turned my face eastward, and
there, apparently at the very end Of the
bow spirit, was the smiling full moon ris.
ing out of the sea. Neptune himself com.
ing over the bows could not have startled
me more. Good evening sir" cried ;
Pm glad to see you" Many long talk
since then have had with the man in
the moon; he had my confidence on the
voyage.
About midnight the fog shut down
again denser than ever before. One
could almost "stand on it," 1t continued
so for a number OF days, the wind increas.
ing to gale. The waves rose high, but
| had good ship. Still, in the dismal
fog felt myself drifting into loneliness,
an insect on a straw in the midst of the
elements. dashed the helm and my YES
sci held her course, and while she sailed |
slept.
During these days feeling of awe crept
over me. My memory worked with start
ling power. The ominous, the insignih-
cant, the great, the small, the wonderful,
the commonplace-all appeared before
my mental vision in magical succession
Pages of my history were recalled which
had been so long forgotten that they
seemed to belong to previous existence
heard all the voices Of the past laugh
ing. CRYING, telling what | had heard them
tell in many corners of the earth.
The loneliness of my state wore of
when the gale was high and l founc
much work to do. When the fine weather
returned, then came the sense of solitude
which could not shake off. | used my
voice often at first, giving some order
about the affairs Of ship, tor had beer
told that otherwise | should lose my
speech. At the meridian altitude of tn,
sun l called aloud, Eight bels,' aftel
the custom on ship lat sea. Again from
my cabin cried TO an imaginary man a
the helm, How does she head, there ?
and again, as she on her course?" Ru
getting no reply. | was reminded tn
more palpably OF my condi iop M,
voice sounded hollow on the empty air
and dropped the practice.
However, it was not long before tn
thought came to me that when | was
lad used to sing why not try that now
where it would disturb no one? My mu
steal talent had never bred envy il
others, but out on the Atlantic, to realiz
what it meant, you should have hear,
: me sing. You should have seen tn
porpoises leap when l pitched my voic
for the waves and the sea ano all tina
+ was in it. Old turtles, with large eyes
t poked their heads up out of the sea as
sang Johnny Boxer" and "We'll Pa
Darby Doyl for his Boots" and the like
e But the porpoises were, on the whole
! vastly more appreciative than the turtle:
they jumped deal higher. One da
e when was humming favorite chant,
( think it was "Babylon's a-Fallin', )"
porpoise jumped higher than the bow
spirit. Had the Spray been going lttl
f faster she would have scooped him il
The birds sailed around rather shy