The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1899-09-15
ALONE IN MID-OCEAN.
Expedfents to Relieve the MOnOtOKy
of "SinSle-Handed" Trip
Around the World.

On the evening of July the Spray
after having steered all day over a
lumpy sea, took it into her head to &c
without the helmsman's aid. l had been
steering southwest by south, but the
wind hauling forward bit, she dropped
into a smooth lane, heading southwest
and making about eight knots, her very
nest work. l 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 lift
ing before night, l was afforded a look
at the sun just as it was touching the
sea. / watched it go down and out OF
sight. Then l turned my face eastward
and there, apparently at the very end
of the bowsprit, was the smiling full
moon rising out of the sea. Neptune
himself coming over the bows could not
have startled me more. Good evening.
sir,'' cried; I'm glad to see YOU
Many long talk since then l have EaC
with the man in the moon; he had ny
confidence on the voyage.
About midnight the fog shut down
again, denser than ever before. One
could almost "stand on it," 1t con-
tinued so for number of days, the
wind increasing to a gale. The waves
,ose high, but 1 had a good ship. Still
in the dismal fog felt myself drifting
INTO loneliness, an insect on straw il
The midst of the elements. l dashed
the helm, and my vessel held her course
and while she sailed l slept.
During these days a feeling of awe
crept over me. My memory worked
with startling power. The ominous
the insignificant, the great, the small
the wonderful, the cOmmonplace-aL
appeared before my mental vision in
magical succession. Pages of my his
| tory were recalled which had been sc
long forgotten that they seemed to be-
long to previous existence. l heard
all the voices of the past laughing, cry
ing, telling what had heard them tel
| in many corners of the earth.
The loneliness of my state wore of
when the gale was high and L found
much work to do. When the fine wealth,
er returned, then came the sense Of sol
itude, which l could not shake off.
used my voice often. at first, giving
some order about the affairs of a ship
for | had been told that otherwise
should lose my speech. At the merid
ian altitude of the sun l called aloud
Eight BELLS" after the custom on {
ship at sea. Again from my cabin
cried to an imaginary man at the helm;
''How does she head, there?" and again
as she on her course?" But, getting
no reply, / was reminded the more
palpably of my condition. My voice
sounded hollow on the empty air, anC
i dropped the practice.
However, it was not long before the
thought came to me that when | was
lad l used to sing; why not try thai
now, where it would disturb no one,
Ny musical talent had never bred envy
in others, but out on the Atlantic. Il
realize what it meant, you should have
heard me sing. You should have seer
the porpoises leap when [ pitched ny
voice for the waves and the sea anC
all that was in it. Old turtles, witt
large eyes, poked their heads up out G
the sea as I sang Johnny Boxer" ant
Wen Pay Darby Doyl for His Boots,
and the like. But the poEpoises were
On the whole, vastly more appreciativ,
than the turtles; they jumped dea
higher. One day when 1 was hum
ming a favorite chant, think it wa:
"Babylon's a-Fallin'," porpoisr
jumped higher than the bowsprit. HaC
the Spray been going little faster shr
would have scooped him in. The sc;
birds sailed around rather shy.-Capt
Joshua SlOcum, in Century.
Expensive in the Long Run.
Some nennle think If they rat q thin,