Alone at Sea : The Adventures of Joshua Slocum (9780385674072) Read Online Free PDF

spelling of his surname from Slocombe to Slocum to make it appear more American than the United Empire Loyalist spelling his family had retained. He declared San Francisco his hailing port and around 1865 became an American citizen, or what he called a “naturalized Yankee.” There were exciting opportunities along the west coast, and Slocum saw his in the salmon fishery. His first business venture was with a boatbuilder named Griffin. Together they fished the Columbia River and successfully designed and built a gill-netting boat, which they sold at a good price at the end of the season.
    Slocum never was much interested in the fishing end of things, but of boatbuilding he wrote, “Next in attractiveness, after seafaring, came ship-building. I longed to be master in both professions.” Prophetic words from a twenty-year-old. His mastery of shipbuilding, however, would manifest itself mainly in an ingenious knack for recasting new from old. His time on the west coast gave him plenty of ideas about how to build efficient oceangoing craft. While heavily involved in sea otter hunting and fur trading along the Oregon and British Columbia coasts, he kept a journal of his daily observations. Thatjournal has never been found, although Victor’s keen descriptions of it suggest that his father’s interest in writing began around this time. Victor also remembered Slocum’s fascination with Native people. Slocum’s acquired knowledge of Native boatbuilding techniques later served him well.
    According to Victor,“The lure of his inshore adventure did not last long, though it was not without its profits. My father’s real ambition was the command of a ship, which he had promised himself when first coming ashore in San Francisco.” By twenty-five, Slocum had realized that ambition, having risen through the ranks — or as Slocum put it, having “come up through the hawse hole” — to become a captain. In October and November of 1869, Slocum was in command of the coasting schooner
Montana
, which ran between San Francisco and the pumpkin-growing town of Half Moon Bay. The vessel was about seventy-five feet in length and carried a cargo of potatoes, oats and barley back to the city. In his new capacity as ship captain, Slocum proved himself highly capable of commanding a vessel and overseeing a financial enterprise. It was his task to find cargo and transport it safely. His success led to the offer of a second command, this time working for Nicholas Bichard out of San Francisco. The 110-foot barkentine
Constitution
was a clear step up for the young captain. San Francisco shipping records for April 13, 1870, show Slocum in charge of a cargo of cotton seeds, lumber, machinery and shinglesheaded for Guayamas, Mexico. In August of that year his vessel headed for Carmen Island in the Gulf of California with a load of salt. By mid-October the
Constitution
was back in home port being loaded for Sydney, Australia, and Fiji. She was cleared to set sail on November 2, 1870. This was an eventful trip for Slocum. He arrived in Sydney as a bachelor with prospects and soon attracted the notice of Virginia Albertina Walker, whom he married, after a whirlwind courtship, on January 31, 1871.
    Virginia was twenty-one years old, the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Walker. She was born on Staten Island, New York. Soon after her birth her father caught gold fever and headed for California; later he followed his dreams again to the Australian gold mines. Virginia grew up in an adventurous and risk-taking but cultured household. Her father was active in amateur theatre, and her sister was an opera singer. According to Victor Slocum’s memories of family stories,“Virginia was heard to remark that as soon as she saw Josh she knew he was just the kind of a man she wanted, not the stuffy sort she saw in conventional Sydney society.”
    Virginia’s younger brother, George, sailed with the Slocums on their honeymoon trip. Early February saw