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Joshua Slocum - Sailing Alone Around The World
I could say, "Yes."
On the following day the Spray rounded Great Sandy Cape, and, what is a notable event in every
voyage, picked up the trade-winds, and these winds followed her now for many thousands of miles,
never ceasing to blow from a moderate gale to a mild summer breeze, except at rare intervals.
From the pitch of the cape was a noble light seen twenty-seven miles; passing from this to Lady Elliott
Light, which stands on an island as a sentinel at the gateway of the Barrier Reef, the Spray was at
once in the fairway leading north. Poets have sung of beacon-light and of pharos, but did ever poet
behold a great light flash up before his path on a dark night in the midst of a coral sea? If so, he knew the
meaning of his song.
The Spray had sailed for hours in suspense, evidently stemming a current. Almost mad with
doubt, I grasped the helm to throw her head off shore, when blazing out of the sea was the light ahead.
"Excalibur!" cried "all hands," and rejoiced, and sailed on. The Spray was now in a protected sea
and smooth water, the first she had dipped her keel into since leaving Gibraltar, and a change it was from
the heaving of the misnamed "Pacific" Ocean.
The Pacific is perhaps, upon the whole, no more boisterous than other oceans, though I feel quite safe in
saying that it is not more pacific except in name. It is often wild enough in one part or another. I once
knew a writer who, after saying beautiful things about the sea, passed through a Pacific hurricane, and he
became a changed man. But where, after all, would be the poetry of the sea were there no wild waves? At
last here was the Spray in the midst of a sea of coral. The sea itself might be called smooth
indeed, but coral rocks are always rough, sharp, and dangerous. I trusted now to the mercies of the Maker
of all reefs, keeping a good lookout at the same time for perils on every hand.
Lo! the Barrier Reef and the waters of many colors studded all about with enchanted islands! I behold
among them after all many safe harbors, else my vision is astray. On the 24th of May, the sloop, having
made one hundred and ten miles a day from Danger Point, now entered Whitsunday Pass, and that night
sailed through among the islands. When the sun rose next morning I looked back and regretted having
gone by while it was dark, for the scenery far astern was varied and charming.
CHAPTER XV
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 the Spray - Booby
Island - Across the Indian Ocean - Christmas Island.
On the morning of the 26th Gloucester Island was close aboard, and the Spray anchored in the
evening at Port Denison, where rests, on a hill, the sweet little town of Bowen, the future watering place
and health-resort of Queensland. The country all about here had a healthful appearance.
The harbor was easy of approach, spacious and safe, and afforded excellent holding-ground. It was quiet
in Bowen when the Spray arrived, and the good people with an hour to throw away on the second
evening of her arrival came down to the School of Arts to talk about the voyage, it being the latest event.
It was duly advertised in the two little papers, "Boomerang" and "Nully Nully," in the one the day before
the affair came off, and in the other the day after, which was all the same to the editor, and, for that
matter, it was the same to me.
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