Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
One of the unique features of Cocos Keeling is the giant clams
(the largest in the world) which are found in its waters. It was while
on an expedition to collect some of these that Slocum came closer
to death than he had been when alone in mid-ocean or battling with
breakers off treacherous shores:
I found myself with a thoughtless African negro in a rickety bat-
eau that was fitted with a rotten sail, and this blew away in mid-chan-
nel, in a squall that sent us drifting helplessly to sea.
The dinghy had no oars and, while there was an anchor there
was 'not enough rope to tie a cat':
With Africa the nearest coast to leeward, three thousand miles
away, with not so much as a drop of water in the boat, and a lean and
hungry negro - well, cast the lot as one might, the crew of the Spray in
a little while would have been hard to find.
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Slocum could not escape the crisis by leaping overboard and
striking out for the shore, because, like many ancient mariners, he
could not swim. Fortunately, he discovered a pole in the bottom of
the boat. Plying this as a makeshift paddle, he was able to work the
craft into shallow water.
A trouble-free run before the trade winds from 22 August to 8
September brought him to the British island of Rodriguez, where the
natives all fled in panic at his approach. It transpired that the local
priest had recently warned his largely Roman Catholic flock of the
imminent appearance of Antichrist. A lone figure emerging from the
sea seemed to fit the bill perfectly. At Mauritius, which he reached on
19 September, Slocum decided to see out the rest of the winter so as
to have good weather for rounding the Cape. Thus it was 17 Novem-
ber before he reached Durban.
