|
Joshua Slocum - Sailing Alone Around The World
angel, came alongside one day, and said she would embark on the Spray if I would land her at
Lisbon. She could cook flying-fish, she thought, but her forte was dressing bacalhao. Her brother
Antonio, who served as interpreter, hinted that, anyhow, he would like to make the trip. Antonio's heart
went out to one John Wilson, and he was ready to sail for America by way of the two capes to meet his
friend. "Do you know John Wilson of Boston?" he cried. "I knew a John Wilson," I said, "but not of
Boston." "He had one daughter and one son," said Antonio, by way of identifying his friend. If this
reaches the right John Wilson, I am told to say that "Antonio of Pico remembers him."
CHAPTER IV
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.
I set sail from Horta early on July 24. The southwest wind at the time was light, but squalls came up with
the sun, and I was glad enough to get reefs in my sails before I had gone a mile. I had hardly set the
mainsail, double-reefed, when a squall of wind down the mountains struck the sloop with such violence
that I thought her mast would go. However, a quick helm brought her to the wind. As it was, one of the
weather lanyards was carried away and the other was stranded. My tin basin, caught up by the wind,
went flying across a French school-ship to leeward. It was more or less squally all day, sailing along
under high land; but rounding close under a bluff, I found an opportunity to mend the lanyards broken in
the squall. No sooner had I lowered my sails when a four-oared boat shot out from some gully in the
rocks, with a customs officer on board, who thought he had come upon a smuggler. I had some difficulty
in making him comprehend the true case. However, one of his crew, a sailorly chap, who understood
how matters were, while we palavered jumped on board and rove off the new lanyards I had already
prepared, and with a friendly hand helped me "set up the rigging." This incident gave the turn in my
favor. My story was then clear to all. I have found this the way of the world. Let one be without a friend,
and see what will happen!
Passing the island of Pico, after the rigging was mended, the Spray stretched across to leeward of
the island of St. Michael's, which she was up with early on the morning of July 26, the wind blowing
hard. Later in the day she passed the Prince of Monaco's fine steam-yacht bound to Fayal, where, on a
previous voyage, the prince had slipped his cables to "escape a reception" which the padres of the island
wished to give him. Why he so dreaded the "ovation" I could not make out. At Horta they did not know.
Since reaching the islands I had lived most luxuriously on fresh bread, butter, vegetables, and fruits of all
kinds. Plums seemed the most plentiful on the Spray, and these I ate without stint. I had also a
Pico white cheese that General Manning, the American consul-general, had given me, which I supposed
was to be eaten, and of this I partook with the plums. Alas! by night-time I was doubled up with cramps.
The wind, which was already a smart breeze, was increasing somewhat, with a heavy sky to the sou'west.
Reefs had been turned out, and I must turn them in again somehow. Between cramps I got the mainsail
down, hauled out the earings as best I could, and tied away point by point, in the double reef. There being
sea-room, I should, in strict prudence, have made all snug and gone down at once to my cabin. I am a
careful man at sea, but this night, in the coming storm, I swayed up my sails, which, reefed though they
were, were still too much in such heavy weather; and I saw to it that the sheets were securely belayed. In
a word, I should have laid to, but did not. I gave her the double-reefed mainsail and whole jib instead,
and set her on her course. Then I went below, and threw myself upon the cabin floor in great pain. How
long I lay there I could not tell, for I became delirious. When I came to, as I thought, from my swoon, I
|
