The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-10-15
AN OCEAN VOYAGE.
Told By DR.. Wolling, of Newberry,
His Last Trip from Brazil Where
He Lived Many Years.
Rev. j. W. Wol1ing, D. D.

IOu IC1U ue oduc1lU w 4NCH VI d
is a long ocean voyage of over 5000
miles. but to reach home once more
the trip must be made. Our good
ship, the Byron, stood far out il the
anchorage but large group Of loving
friends and brethren took me in a
large steam launch and in such pleas
ant company We were soon alongside.
and ready to climb the long steps to
the deck Of the ocean liner. They
were still loading coffee, Of which we
have $1,000 sacks on board, but in
few hours the anchor was, lifted
and we were moving toward the open
sea. I waved goodbye, and it may
be a final farewell, to Brazil and the
beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro, and
thus we were finally started on our
homeward trip Wednesday, Decem-
ber 5, 1906.
Hardly had the Byron cleared the
bay when strong head winds and an
angry sea met US and for three days
we were tossed until at last, much
behind time, we reached the friendly
port Of Bahia. During a stormy night
they worked loading immense guam
titles Of cacao, or the chocolate bean
and large logs Of Brazilian wood. and
at early dawn we we're ready once
more to breast the rolling waves, so
much sung about on shore, but so lit
tie enjoyed when tossed about by
their fury. At last We anchored IN
front Of Pernambuco the last port
call for us on the Brazilian coast.
This is a quaint. old, steep-roofed,
high-gabIed city, built by the Hol-
landers. and the largest sugar market
in Brazil. It is considered healthy
and not very hot though only 9 de-
grees south Of the equator. Here the
Presbyterians have prosperous
mission. For awhile we could still
see land but soon the highest hills
sank into the waves and We set our
faces towards Barbados, which lay
eight days across the waste of waters
where neither ships nor land appear.
Here it is that the flying fish rise IN
schools. the little pink nautilus comes
to the surface. spreads his delicate
sail. and is borne away over the Wa
ters. and occasionally an immense
whale shows his great body and sends
the water Spouting from his nostrlls.
On this occasion, as many times be-
fore. was impressed with the I'M
mense volume Of the waters OF the
Amazon River. We were $50 miles
out from shore, but the deep blue sea
was lost in the dark, muddy flood sent
ont by that mighty river, whose rapid
current which sets to the north,
caughr rs and bore our ship along to-
ward the Caribbean Sea.
Barbados is an English possession
and the most beautiful and highly
cultivated of the Windward Islands
of the West Indies. Beautiful she'll
made roads reach every part OF the
Island while lovely villas and country
seats, surrounded by perfectly-kept
sugar farms, are seem on every side.
The whole Island is not half the size
Of Spartanburg county but 1t has a
population Of 100000 engaged in the
planting <sf sugar cane, tobacco, vans,
and sweet potatoes. The principal
city. Brideetown. has a population OF
twenty thousand people chiefly en-
gagged in the exportation OF sugar and
the furnishing Of coal and provisions
to the large number Of ships calling
at that port. Here it is that a num-
Der of little boats come OF to the
ship, in which small boys clothed with
only a walst-cloth call to you to throw
,ut n;naies for which they dive with
the clear eve Of a fish hawk. For
TWENTY-FIVE cents they will climb to
I the top Of the ship and jump off or
dive under the ship. With their
pranks they gather up no small num-
! ber of coins. and also give great
amusement TO the sea-weary passen-
gers.
! In due time We were of once more
and for a whole day we were sailing
along among the beautiful West In
dia Islands. Along the shores OF
Martinique We were almost in the
sh..2ow Of what is left of Nj. Pelee
whose top went off III the volcanic
burst a few years ago. and IN tull