Part 13 (1/2)
Rounding the ”Cape of Storh Christmas--The _Spray_ ties up for a three months' rest at Cape Town--A railway trip to the Transvaal--President Kruger's odd definition of the _Spray's_ voyage--His terse sayings--Distinguished guests on the _Spray_--Cocoanut fiber as a padlock--Courtesies from the adht
The Cape of Good Hope was now the most prominent point to pass From Table Bay I could count on the aid of brisk trades, and then the _Spray_ would soon be at home On the first day out fros and the end of the voyage The distance to Table Bay, where I intended to call, was about eight hundred uese navigators, endoith patience, wereto round this cape before they got as far as Algoa Bay, and there the crew mutinied They landed on a small island, now called Santa Cruz, where they devoutly set up the cross, and swore they would cut the captain's throat if he attee of the world, which they too believed was flat; and fearing that their shi+p would sail over the brink of it, they compelled Captain Diaz, their coet home A year later, we are told, Vasco da Gama sailed successfully round the ”Cape of Storms,” as the Cape of Good Hope was then called, and discovered Natal on Christmas or Natal day; hence the name From this point the way to India was easy
Gales of wind sweeping round the cape even noere frequent enough, one occurring, on an average, every thirty-six hours; but one gale was much the same as another, with noon her course when it was fair, or to blow her back somehen it was ahead On Christmas, 1897, I came to the pitch of the cape On this day the _Spray_ was trying to stand on her head, and she gave me every reason to believe that she would accoan very early in theto pitch and toss about in a most unusual manner, and I have to record that, while I was at the end of the bowsprit reefing the jib, she ducked ot wet and did not like it a bit: never in any other sea was I put under more than once in the salish stea you a Merry Christmas” I think the captain was a hu her propeller out of water
Two days later, the _Spray_, having recovered the distance lost in the gale, passed Cape Agulhas in company with the steamshi+p _Scotsulhas exchanged signals with the _Spray_ as she passed, and afterrote e He seemed to think the incident of two shi+ps of so widely different types passing his cape together worthy of a place on canvas, and he went about having the picture athered frorow responsive and sy was shoard the _Spray_ along nal thrown out to her gave one a grateful feeling for all the world
One ale of wind came down upon the _Spray_ froulhas, but that one she dodged by getting into Simons Bay When it moderated she beat around the Cape of Good Hope, where they say the _Flying Dutchood as finished; from this ti
Here I crossed the dividing-line of weather To the north it was clear and settled, while south it was huh, as I have said, a treacherous gale From the recent hard weather the _Spray_ ran into a calenerous sun rose over the land and drew a breeze in fro for shi+ps, caer shi+p towed her into port
The sea being smooth, she came to anchor in the bay off the city of Cape Tohere she remained a day, siood harbor- the sloop to a berth in dock at once, but I preferred to re the retrospect of the passage of the two great capes On the followingthe _Spray_ sailed into the Alfred Dry-docks, where she remained for about three months in the care of the port authorities, while I traveled the country over froovernment a free railroad pass over all the land
The trip to Ki, and Pretoria was a pleasant one
At the last-naer, the Transvaal president His Excellency received entlee around the world, unwittingly gave great offense to the venerable stateser corrected the judge rather sharply, re him that the world is flat ”You don't mean _round_ the world,” said the president; ”it is impossible! You mean _in_ the world Impossible!” he said, ”impossible!” and not another word did he utter either to the judge or to e, who should have known his ground, so to speak, and Mr Kruger glowered at us both My friend the judge seehted; the incident pleasedelse that could have happened It was a nugget of infors are falish he said, ”They took first my coat and then my trousers” He also said, ”Dynamite is the corner-stone of the South African Republic” Only unthinking people call President Kruger dull
[Illustration: Cartoon printed in the Cape Tol” of March 5, 1898, in connection with an item about Captain Slocum's trip to Pretoria]
Soon after er's friend Colonel Saunderson,[G] who had arrived from Durban some time before, invited reeable people His Excellency Sir Alfred Milner, the governor, found tiovernor, aftera survey of the deck, found a seat on a box in , and Lady Saunderson sat by the skipper at the wheel, while the colonel, with his kodak, away in the dinghy, took snap shots of the sloop and her distinguished visitors Dr
David Gill, astronomer royal, as of the party, invited me the next day to the fa the stars His discoveries in stellar photography are well known
He showed reat astronomical clock of the observatory, and I showed him the tin clock on the _Spray_, and ent over the subject of standard time at sea, and hoas found from the deck of the little sloop without the aid of a clock of any kind Later it was advertised that Dr Gill would preside at a talk about the voyage of the _Spray_: that alone secured for me a full house The hall was packed, and ht me sufficient e
[G] Colonel Saunderson was Mr Kruger's very best friend, inasuns
After visiting Kiht in the docks, I returned to Worcester and Wellington, towns fa in, still traveling as the guest of the colony The ladies of all these institutions of learning wished to kno one ured of sailing--masters It will co we ”can't”
On the plains of Africa I passed through hundreds of miles of rich but still barren land, save for scrub-bushes, on which herds of sheep were browsing The bushes grew about the length of a sheep apart, and they, I thought, were rather long of body; but there was still roo for a foothold on land seized upon me here, where soto plant forests and reclaiain to the _Spray_ at the Alfred Docks, where I found her waiting forin order, exactly as I had left her
I have often been asked hoas that my vessel and all appurtenances were not stolen in the various ports where I left her for days together without a watche This is just hoas: The _Spray_ seldouez, and at many such places, a wisp of cocoanut fiber in the door-latch, to indicate that the oay, secured the goods against even a longing glance But when I careat island nearer hos which I had always left uncovered disappeared, as if the deck on which they were stowed had been swept by a sea
[Illustration: Captain Slocum, Sir Alfred Milner (with the tall hat), and Colonel Saunderson, M P, on the bow of the _Spray_ at Cape Town]
A pleasant visit from Adht to an end the _Spray's_ social relations with the Cape of Good Hope The ad the South African Squadron, and now in coreatest interest in the diminutive _Spray_ and her behavior off Cape Horn, where he was not an entire stranger I have to adhted with the trend of Admiral Rawson's questions, and that I profited by so the wide difference in our respective commands
On March 26, 1898, the _Spray_ sailed from South Africa, the land of distances and pure air, where she had spent a pleasant and profitable tire_ towed her to sea froood offing The lightlet go the tow-line, soon died away altogether, and left her riding over a heavy swell, in full view of Table Mountain and the high peaks of the Cape of Good Hope
For a while the grand scenery served to relieve the ators (Sir Francis Drake, I think), when he first saw this randest cape I've seen in the whole circumference of the earth”
The vieas certainly fine, but one has no wish to linger long to look in a callad to note, finally, the short heaving sea, precursor of the hich followed on the second day
Seals playing about the _Spray_ all day, before the breeze caer like a lazy bird with folded wings They parted cohest peaks of the ed froe Porpoises and dolphins, and such other fishes as did nota hundred and fifty miles a day, were her companions now for several days The as from the southeast; this suited the _Spray_ well, and she ran along steadily at her best speed, while I dipped into the new books given ht March 30 was for er or wind or sea, thinking that all was going well, when suddenly a comber rolled over the stern and slopped saucily into the cabin, wetting the very book I was reading Evidently it was tiht noton her course