Voyage of the Liberdade

ng of the

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s soon to become of great value to us, especially my compass and charts which, though much damaged, were yet serviceable and suggested practi

the natives. We found that it would require more courage to remain in the far-off country

the plan, which promised a speedy return home. He bent his energies

currents around capes and coral reefs were taken into account; and above all else to be c

of the L

7? ft., draught 2?

we all said, one in which we should not be

the work of constructing, according to my judgment and means, a craft which would be best adapted to al

to this good quality she should sail well; at least before free winds. We counted on favour

dollars into hands other than mine. However, with still a "shot in the locker," and with some feelings of our own in the matter of how we should get home, I say, we set to work with tools saved from th

up on the beach. A square we readily made. Two splints of bamboo wood served as compasses. Charcoal, pounded as fine as flour and mixed in water, took the place of chalk for the line; the latter we had on hand. In cases where holes larger than the 6/8 bit were required, a pie

sounding names, such as arregebah, guanandee, batetenandinglastampai, etc. This latter we did not use the saw upon at all, it being very hard, but hewed it with the axe

hat and all other obstacles vanished at last, or became less, before a new energy which grew apace with the boat, and the building of the craft went rapidly forward. Ther

htening to be done, in order to adjust the timber to a suitable shape. The planks for the bottom were of ironwood, 1? X 10 inches. For the sides and top red cedar was used, each plank, wit

edar, being light and elastic, lent buoyancy

ten kilos, for which I paid in copper coins, at the rate of two kilos of coin for one kilo of nails. The same kind of coins, called dumps, cut into diamond-shaped pieces, with holes punched through them, entered into the fastenings as burrs for the nails. A number of small eyebolts from t

ired thickness to take up the surplus length, putting the block, of course, on the inside, and counter-sinking the nut flush with the planks on the outside; then screwing from the

to nothing, being made from the fibrous bark of trees, which could be had in abundance by the stripping of it off. So, taking it by and large, our materials were not expensive, the principal item being the timber, which cost about three cents per superficia

and join them, made a craft sufficiently strong and seaworthy to withstand

wooden blacksmith" was called in to assist, and the mother of invention also lending a hand, fixt

y, the day on which the slaves of Brazil were set free, o

7? feet breadth of beam, and 3 feet depth of ho

very elegant Japanese sampan which I had before me on the spot, so, as it mig

, which is, I consider, the most con

h America and home. Each one had been busy during the construction and past misfortune

e nails and giving much advice on the coming voyage. All were busy, I say, and no one had given a thought of what we were about to encounter from the port officials fa

ome arsenicum, I think it is called. Of this I took several doses (small ones at first, you may be sure), and the good effect of the deadly poison on the malaria in my system was soon felt trickling through my veins. Increasing the doses somewha

ay on the morrow. This filled me with alarm. True, the messenger has delivered his message in the politest possible manner, but tha

had I

charge me with; but had a good word, instead. "The little Liberdade," he observed, had attracted the notice of his people and his own curiosity, as being "a handsome and well-built craft." Th

e Alfandega, or, his government not allowing money to build new-pointing to one which cert

pay, so long as the boat could be "repaired," I still had no mind to remain in the hot country, and risk getting the fev

voyage. To this end, a fishing net was made, which would be a good thing to have, anyway. Then hooks and lines were rigged and a cable made. This cable, or rope, was formed from vines that grow very long on the sand-banks just above tide water, several

-hook. "But now that they are free and away," said he, "I have no further use for the crooked thing." A sewing-machine, which had served to stitch the sails together, was coveted by him, and was of no further use to

nt, with no fear of the lack of ways and means when we should arrive on our own coast, where I knew of fishing banks. And a doc

the bar may this

slated, "Who knows?" but in Spanish or Portugue

he polite official; "w

ust not officially know of it; and you will probably go

a-biscuits, 120 lbs.; flour, 25 lbs.; sugar, 30 lbs.; coffee, 9 lbs., which, roasted black and pounded fine as whe

h), 20 lbs.; 2 bottles of honey, 200 oranges, 6 bunches of bananas, 120 gallons of wate

cinnamon; no other medicines or condiments were requir

ad-together with ammunition and three cutlasses were stowed awa

which, housed over by a tarpaulin roof reaching three feet above the deck of the canoe, supported by a frame of bamboo, gave us sitting space of four feet from the floor to the roof, and twelve feet long amidships. Thi

any kind was required, such as the frame and braces for the cabin, yards for the sails, and, finally, for guard on her top sides, making the canoe altoget

craft would not only right herself, but would bring her stores right side up, in good order, and it then would be only a question of baling her o

es was felt by all of us, the danger which loomed m

the voyage, showing five rows of

e rows of teeth; that they are always hungry

but this is a needless exposure, for which the penalty is sometimes a life. The second mate of a bark on the coast of Cuba, not long ago, was bitten in twain, and the po

ey are, I gladly return to

TNO

my family home as paupers, for my wealth was gone-need

Libe