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Joshua Slocum - Sailing Alone Around The World
savage and other, frequently groaning, "Wicked world! Wicked world!" When this was finished his
Excellency the governor, speaking words of thankfulness, distributed pieces of gold.
On the following day I accompanied his Excellency and family on a visit to San Gabriel, which was up
the country among the hills. The good abbe of San Gabriel entertained us all royally at the convent, and
we remained his guests until the following day. As I was leaving his place, the abbe said, "Captain, I
embrace you, and of whatever religion you may be, my wish is that you succeed in making your voyage,
and that our Saviour the Christ be always with you!" To this good man's words I could only say, "My
dear abbe, had all religionists been so liberal there would have been less bloodshed in the world."
At Rodriguez one may now find every convenience for filling pure and wholesome water in any quantity,
Governor Roberts having built a reservoir in the hills, above the village, and laid pipes to the jetty,
where, at the time of my visit, there were five and a half feet at high tide. In former years well-water was
used, and more or less sickness occurred from it. Beef may be had in any quantity on the island, and at a
moderate price. Sweet potatoes were plentiful and cheap; the large sack of them that I bought there for
about four shillings kept unusually well. I simply stored them in the sloop's dry hold. Of fruits,
pomegranates were most plentiful; for two shillings I obtained a large sack of them, as many as a donkey
could pack from the orchard, which, by the way, was planted by nature herself.
CHAPTER XVII
A clean bill of health at Mauritius - Sailing the voyage over again in the opera-house - A newly
discovered plant named in honor of the Spray'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.
On the 16th of September, after eight restful days at Rodriguez, the mid-ocean land of plenty, I set sail,
and on the 19th arrived at Mauritius, anchoring at quarantine about noon. The sloop was towed in later
on the same day by the doctor's launch, after he was satisfied that I had mustered all the crew for
inspection. Of this he seemed in doubt until he examined the papers, which called for a crew of one all
told from port to port, throughout the voyage. Then finding that I had been well enough to come thus far
alone, he gave me pratique without further ado. There was still another official visit for the Spray
to pass farther in the harbor. The governor of Rodriguez, who had most kindly given me, besides a
regular mail, private letters of introduction to friends, told me I should meet, first of all, Mr. Jenkins of
the postal service, a good man. "How do you do, Mr. Jenkins?" cried I, as his boat swung alongside.
"You don't know me," he said. "Why not?" I replied. "From where is the sloop?" "From around the
world," I again replied, very solemnly. "And alone?" "Yes; why not?" "And you know me?" "Three
thousand years ago," cried I, "when you and I had a warmer job than we have now" (even this was hot).
"You were then Jenkinson, but if you have changed your name I don't blame you for that." Mr. Jenkins,
forbearing soul, entered into the spirit of the jest, which served the Spray a good turn, for on the
strength of this tale it got out that if any one should go on board after dark the devil would get him at
once. And so I could leave the Spray without the fear of her being robbed at night. The cabin, to
be sure, was broken into, but it was done in daylight, and the thieves got no more than a box of smoked
herrings before "Tom" Ledson, one of the port officials, caught them red-handed, as it were, and sent
them to jail. This was discouraging to pilferers, for they feared Ledson more than they feared Satan
himself. Even Mamode Hajee Ayoob, who was the day-watchman on board, - till an empty box fell over
in the cabin and frightened him out of his wits, - could not be hired to watch nights, or even till the sun
went down. "Sahib," he cried, "there is no need of it," and what he said was perfectly true.
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