Evening star., 1954-11-12

CUIaStuETEul Ole WUulQ nave &C.
connpanied me II I had allowed
her. She had confidence III me,
and she never complained. But
going without fresh water that
would have been too much to
ask.
If only ! had discarded the
weak cans las I considered! II
only ! had coated them with
asphalt But intentions would
not help me under this equatorial
sun.
From my days on square-rig-
gers. freighters and tankers,. /
knew the seas and the laws Of
the sea: = knew very well one
did not go to sea with water In
frail cans. Heavy tanks or casks
THAT was the ancient demand
of the sea. I had originally
planned to carry a 5O-gallon
charred-oak cask which, stored
in my cabin. would hold q re-
serve supply Of water and also
serve well as ballast. / had not
done this.
When, leaving Peru. ] saw the
nose Of the raft was low in the
water, ] had shifted the five cans
OF distilled water given me by
the Peruvian Navy to the stern,
where I stood them on end be-
yond the protection Of the deck.
These were paint cans burned
clean with a torch and heavily
coated with asphalt. I had in
tended to lash them down. I had
not done this, and they washed
overheard when I was Ill after
having been stricken by a solar
plexus pain.
Gets His Bearings.
Under a light. but steady,
breeze the Seven Little Sisters
was making her way easily over
the moderate swells. I was be-
coming much calmer now. / was
getting my bearings. The anger
at myself was vanishing. Iknew
] had to find a way out. It was
not the first time something had
come up which at first seemed
hopeless. And / still had my
raft. all in one piece and as solid
as ever.
I turned over ideas. A few
cans Of Meekie's evaporated milk
remained, but this was too little
to count. and besides I'd have to
drink a cans entire contents inn
mediately after opening. Other
wise 1t would sour.
! might squeeze a little water
out Of the flesh OF the smaller
fish I caught. but only a little.
I knew that If I cut q hole in the
sides OF big ones-50 pounds or
more-fresh water from their
flesh would slowly f1ll 1t. That
might help some. But there were
days when ! did not get a bite.
I calculated. The nine gallons
left. as I gauged it, would give
me about one cup a day for the
duration Of the 200-day voyage
] had to plan for-about l55
days. ] tried to measure what
this would mean. Was q cup a
day, or perhaps q cup and q half,
enough !? Could ! survive on that?
! decided 7 Icould not. / would
need more than q cup Of water q.
day TO survive while sailing
within 300 miles of the equator.
Decides to Drink Salt Water.
] could not depend on rain at |
this time of year. not until Sep
tember or October-months |
away. I was correct in this /
estimate. It rained once about
the end of August, but after
that 1t did not rain until october |
13, only two days before I landed |
in Samoa. I would have to find |
something else to keep my body |
from becoming dehydrated.
] was up against the wall. and
must make the best Of it. I |
looked. to the sea. I recalled
how, when ] sailed on square,
riggers as a boy, we lacked fresh |
food in our diet. Along with the
other sailors I drank a little salt |
water for medicinal purposes. |
Since then, I've seen many old |
sailors take sea water as a laxa- |
tive. Of course. I recollected, |
the capacity to drink sea water |
seemed to vary with men. I knew |
from experience I could drink |
some without Ill effects. Any |
way. I had to try it, for / did |
not have enough fresh water to |
keep me going.
l would drink q cup Of sea |
water a day. It would help me
along. I told myself this as con-
fidently as I could. I would try |
1t and see; that would be the
best plan. II I could take sea
water daily-if my body would
stand 1t regularly-then my prob |
lem you'd be solved. Perhaps
later, could drink even more I
than a cup a day.
! had been sitting on a plank
before the wheel. I got up, took
my tin cup and. making sure no
shark was near, dipped it over
the side and drank. I looked
carefully for Ill effects. There
were none. I felt ] was set.
Drinks Cup . Day.
After that, I drank a cup to q
,up and a half of fresh water
day, using 1t only In coffee and
cereal, and one cup of sea water,
II perhaps q cup and a half. AS
he voyage progressed, / grew
weaker, but ! attributed this to
he incessant labor and sleep
essness.
! Never after this first trial did ii
wonder and worry about drink
lg sea water again: it became
bart OF my routine. My remain
ngf small store Of fresh water
leld out on my cup-a-day sched-
lie until ] ran into the first rain,