Norwich bulletin., 1912-08-02
STRANGE SEA ADVENTURES
 OF CAPT" CHARLES MAY
We'll Known Norwich Man Gets Writ.
 ten Up on Visit to Springfield.

Bold, bad pirates, blood thirsty can nibals. North sea icebergs and desert islands have played a large part in the life of Charles May. aged 70. They began to play their roles when he went te sea at the age of B, and continued fer IA years, until he gave up the sea and took to curing ailing people who live around Norwich, Ct, with the aid of mystic 'yarbs." They have con- tinued playing important roles ever since, but for. 43 years the roles have been only in the tales which the old seaman tells te the little fioeks of lis- teners which group about him. He is this week visiting his son, H. T. May, who lives at POP Oakland avenue, says the Springfield Republican.
 Fourteen Thrilling Years.
 'Dr." May has had a most eventful history. There was not a year in those IA seafaring ones that he did not pass through an experience which today makes his small granddaughter eyes "bug out" at the telling. He was in irons for weeks on a pirate ship during the time of the Civil war, and narrow l ly escaped death by the plank" He battled with S0foot whales among the ] icebergs off the nor'west coast of Si- beria. He was hunted by brown saw ages in the sands of African coasts, and narrowly escaped being gored to ] death by a mad bull on the island of Juan Fernandez, west of Chili-the very dot of land on which Robinson Crusoe made him a coat of a nanny goat" and discovered his faithful Fri day.
 At the door of his sons house on | Oakland avenue the old gentleman ex- pl q 1v,I loo Ia l a visitor the other evening. He usher ed the visitor into the little parlor and gave him the best willow rocker, while he himself sat on 8 straight chair and told stories-the most entertaining sto- ries imaginable. With many a flourish Of the hand and many a chuckle which almost shut the bright blue eyes, the old salt launched into the tales which all his acquaintances so much enjoy.
 On Crusoe's Island.
 His first trip to the Robinson Crusoe island was in 1857. He was but 14 and had been on the sea only year with his father, who was captain of 2 small whaling ship.
 The ship, of which the elder May was captain and the younger May third mate, then moved up to tho western American coast and thence northwest through Boring Straits int the whaling seas. It was 46 month! later, after a second stop at the littl' island which Robinson Crusoe mad, famous in the story by Daniel DeFoe that Mays ship came back to port il New London, Ct. But the boy had al experience in the northern whalini waters which made him remember tn 46 months cruise as if 1t were onl! yesterday.
 Captive on PriVateer Alabama. If there had been in MT, Mays SCI days any bold, bad pirates wearing re- turbans and adorning their counte l nances with brass rings, knives am
 other trinkets, he would have ha some experiences with them; but strange to relate, he was never mad
 to walk the plank by the real dim l novel villains. His terrible weeks as , captive of the Alabama, which roame the high seas during the Civil wal } were the nearest approach he eeul make to an encounter with pirates , The Alabama, or 2se, as she wa known, efuised about during the year of civil strife, helped herself to tn 5 contents 6f any northern ship ths , came in sight, and disposed of the shi huilzs by fire;
 : nlette, en which May was sailing, !, craft which carried only eight hand on its fatal trip te the West Indie
 with a earge of wine. butter, eAees