Evening star., 1954-11-25
Noyoger Says Major Problem
Was Conquering Solitude

with some little hope of.reaching
an island. For this reason, /
told my wife. before the Peru
Wan minesweeper San Martin
towed me out from Callao, that
she should not give up hope, even
II years passed and / were given
up for lost by the world.
! had chosen my foods with
the Idea particularly In mind
that ! was testing my ability to
survive on the open ocean. My
experience with the selection !
made may be Of some interest,
for while I lost some weight !
was able to handle the almost
incessant work the raft de-
manded Of me.
Each morning I ate two table
spoons Of canihua, the cereal
that grows only at high attitudes
and which is used by Andean
Indians. / mixed It with enough
water to make a thick paste.
Gradually increasing the
amounts as my stomach got used
to canihua's concentrated food
value. ] also ate 1t at noon, in
the evening and during the night
whenever felt hungry. It
tastes much like flour. I carried
SO pounds Of it.
Ate Only When Hungry.
I also carried so pounds of
barley flour. which ] sometimes
used In place of the canihua.
And I had so pounds of chan
caca, an unref1ned sugar used
by the South American Indians.
Looking like black paste and
tasting like candy, chancaca
was kept always handy in a
jar. It gave me energy when
ever / needed 1t, and I ate a
quarter Of q pound or more
whenever I felt the need.
Finally. 7 ate fish except, Of
course, during the long spells
when the sea seemed to be
empty Of life. When my stoves
failed, ! marinated the raw
meat with a little lemon Juice
and on several occasions, a lit
tie rum. BY the time my supply
of these flavorings was exhaust
ed, I was accustomed to eating
the raw flesh.
I found these foods complete
ly satisfactory. I ate only when
I was hungry-and I believe
this is important. for other
wise such a concentrated, high
energy diet might have defied
digestion. But even though I
had a good deal of the foods
left when I landed, I did not
suffer hunger. My strength was
sustained. I think could have
gone on, with this diet, for a
much longer time.
Emptied Cups Of Salt Water.
Nor did I suffer the pangs
Of thirst, even when my fresh
water ration was reduced to
about a cup a day after my
water cans leaked. I knew 1
would have to rely on salt water
to exc out the fresh for a Pc
riod whose length I could not
even guess. When ! first dipped
my cup over the side, inn
planted a particular thought in
my mind. The salt water, L
told myself firmly. would taste
good ana bring only beneficial
effects. Then, and in all the
days that followed, I made a
point Of draining my cup every
time, ana never throwing q
drop away.
AS the hour approached for me
to leave Samoa, I reflected on q.
phase OF the voyage-another
survival problem-on which I.
have not dwelt before. It came
to my mind as I moved through
the crowded schedule arranged
by the Samoan people and gov
ernment officials. I was con-
stantly with large groups or
crowds; on the raft, ! had been
alone for four months.
One day a man may be in q
big city, like Callao, / reflected.
and the next have nothing but
sea and sky around him. One
day a man is a protected men,
ber OF a crowded civilization; the
next he is alone and nature holds
him in the hollow of her hand
one twist of a rising wave, and
he is submerged. In such a situ-
alton. particularly when it is
prolonged, dealing with the prob
lem OF solitude. I now recognized.
is an important element in sur
viving.
Most Dangerous Prospect.
II a solitary man can't adjust
himself to being alone, he will
devour himself and his hand will
crack. Man is not made to be
alone, ] learned vividly many
years ago, when / hunted in
Alaska, and saw solitary pros
pectors taken out" of the viii
derness.
TO most persons, both in the
United States and South Amer