Joshua Slocum
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER I |
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A blue-nose ancestry with Yankee proclivities—Youthful fondness for the sea—Master of the ship Northern Light—Loss of theAquidneck—Return home from Brazil in the canoe Liberdade—The gift of a “ship”—The rebuilding of the Spray—Conundrums in regard to finance and calking—The launching of the Spray. |
| CHAPTER II |
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Failure as a fisherman—A voyage around the world projected—From Boston to Gloucester—Fitting out for the ocean voyage—Half of a dory for a ship’s boat—The run from Gloucester to Nova Scotia—A shaking up in home waters—Among old friends. |
| CHAPTER III |
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Good-by to the American coast—Off Sable Island in a fog—In the open sea—The man in the moon takes an interest in the voyage—The first fit of loneliness—The Spray encounters La Vaguisa—A bottle of wine from the Spaniard—A bout of words with the captain of theJava—The steamship Olympia spoken—Arrival at the Azores. |
| CHAPTER IV |
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Squally weather in the Azores—High living—Delirious from cheese and plums—The pilot of the Pinta—At Gibraltar—Compliments exchanged with the British navy—A picnic on the Morocco shore. |
| CHAPTER V |
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Sailing from Gibraltar with the assistance of her Majesty’s tug—TheSpray’s course changed from the Suez Canal to Cape Horn—Chased by a Moorish pirate—A comparison with Columbus—The Canary Islands—The Cape Verde Islands—Sea life—Arrival at Pernambuco—A bill against the Brazilian government—Preparing for the stormy weather of the cape. |
| CHAPTER VI |
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Departure from Rio de Janeiro—The Spray ashore on the sands of Uruguay—A narrow escape from shipwreck—The boy who found a sloop—The Spray floated but somewhat damaged—Courtesies from the British consul at Maldonado—A warm greeting at Montevideo—An excursion to Buenos Aires—Shortening the mast and bowsprit. |
| CHAPTER VII |
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Weighing anchor at Buenos Aires—An outburst of emotion at the mouth of the Plate—Submerged by a great wave—A stormy entrance to the strait—Captain Samblich’s happy gift of a bag of carpet-tacks—Off Cape Froward—Chased by Indians from Fortescue Bay—A miss-shot for “Black Pedro”—Taking in supplies of wood and water at Three Island Cove—Animal life. |
| CHAPTER VIII |
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From Cape Pillar into the Pacific—Driven by a tempest toward Cape Horn—Captain Slocum’s greatest sea adventure—Reaching the strait again by way of Cockburn Channel—Some savages find the carpet-tacks—Danger from firebrands—A series of fierce williwaws—Again sailing westward. |
| CHAPTER IX |
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Repairing the Spray’s sails—Savages and an obstreperous anchor—A spider-fight—An encounter with Black Pedro—A visit to the steamshipColombia—On the defensive against a fleet of canoes—A record of voyages through the strait—A chance cargo of tallow. |
| CHAPTER X |
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Running to Port Angosto in a snow-storm—A defective sheet-rope places the Spray in peril—The Spray as a target for a Fuegian arrow—The island of Alan Erric—Again in the open Pacific—The run to the island of Juan Fernandez—An absentee king—At Robinson Crusoe’s anchorage. |
| CHAPTER XI |
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The islanders of Juan Fernandez entertained with Yankee doughnuts—The beauties of Robinson Crusoe’s realm—The mountain monument to Alexander Selkirk—Robinson Crusoe’s cave—A stroll with the children of the island—Westward ho! with a friendly gale—A month’s free sailing with the Southern Cross and the sun for guides—Sighting the Marquesas—Experience in reckoning. |
| CHAPTER XII |
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Seventy-two days without a port—Whales and birds—A peep into theSpray’s galley—Flying-fish for breakfast—A welcome at Apia—A visit from Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson—At Vailima—Samoan hospitality—Arrested for fast riding—An amusing merry-go-round—Teachers and pupils of Papauta College—At the mercy of sea-nymphs. |
| CHAPTER XIII |
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Samoan royalty—King Malietoa—Good-by to friends at Vailima—Leaving Fiji to the south—Arrival at Newcastle, Australia—The yachts of Sydney—A ducking on the Spray—Commodore Foy presents the sloop with a new suit of sails—On to Melbourne—A shark that proved to be valuable—A change of course-The “Rain of Blood”—In Tasmania. |
| CHAPTER XIV |
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A testimonial from a lady—Cruising round Tasmania—The skipper delivers his first lecture on the voyage—Abundant provisions—An inspection of the Spray for safety at Devonport—Again at Sydney—Northward bound for Torres Strait—An amateur shipwreck—Friends on the Australian coast—Perils of a coral sea. |
| CHAPTER XV |
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Arrival at Port Denison, Queensland—A lecture—Reminiscences of Captain Cook—Lecturing for charity at Cooktown—A happy escape from a coral reef—Home Island, Sunday Island, Bird Island—An American pearl-fisherman—Jubilee at Thursday Island—A new ensign for theSpray—Booby Island—Across the Indian Ocean—Christmas Island. |
| CHAPTER XVI |
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A call for careful navigation—Three hours’ steering in twenty-three days—Arrival at the Keeling Cocos Islands—A curious chapter of social history—A welcome from the children of the islands—Cleaning and painting the Spray on the beach—A Mohammedan blessing for a pot of jam—Keeling as a paradise—A risky adventure in a small boat—Away to Rodriguez—Taken for Antichrist—The governor calms the fears of the people—A lecture—A convent in the hills. |
| CHAPTER XVII |
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A clean bill of health at Mauritius—Sailing the voyage over again in the opera-house—A newly discovered plant named in honor of theSpray’s skipper—A party of young ladies out for a sail—A bivouac on deck—A warm reception at Durban—A friendly cross-examination by Henry M. Stanley—Three wise Boers seek proof of the flatness of the earth—Leaving South Africa. |
| CHAPTER XVIII |
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Bounding the “Cape of Storms” in olden time—A rough Christmas—TheSpray ties up for a three months’ rest at Cape Town—A railway trip to the Transvaal—President Krüger’s odd definition of the Spray’svoyage—His terse sayings—Distinguished guests on theSpray—Cocoanut fiber as a padlock—Courtesies from the admiral of the Queen’s navy—Off for St. Helena—Land in sight. |
| CHAPTER XIX |
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In the isle of Napoleon’s exile—Two lectures—A guest in the ghost-room at Plantation House—An excursion to historic Longwood—Coffee in the husk, and a goat to shell it—The Spray’sill luck with animals—A prejudice against small dogs—A rat, the Boston spider, and the cannibal cricket—Ascension Island. |
| CHAPTER XX |
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In the favoring current off Cape St. Roque, Brazil—All at sea regarding the Spanish-American war—An exchange of signals with the battle-ship Oregon—Off Dreyfus’s prison on Devil’s Island—Reappearance to the Spray of the north star—The light on Trinidad—A charming introduction to Grenada—Talks to friendly auditors. |
| CHAPTER XXI |
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Clearing for home—In the calm belt—A sea covered with sargasso—The jibstay parts in a gale—Welcomed by a tornado off Fire Island—A change of plan—Arrival at Newport—End of a cruise of over forty-six thousand miles—The Spray again at Fairhaven. |
Sail the Book 