NINETY-FIVE DAYS IN AN OPEN BOAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6051, 9 April 1881, Page 7

NINETY-FIVE DAYS IN AN OPEN BOAT.

i A correspondent, writing to the Standard from Los Palmas, Canary ; Islands, gives the "account "of a remarkable""'voyage "On Sunday, the 9th ult., the sailing boat II Leone di Caprera, 3.}- tons register, from Monte Video, .put into this port for provisions, after a. long voyage ofv'9s days. The.Lboat is manned by three Italians,, Captain V.' Fondacaro, and two seamen, O. Grassoni and Trocoli, who all arrived in excellent health, not having suffered one day's illness since their departure. Sh'e'is 27 feet long, seven a-lialf feet wide, three feet deep in tne centre, and five feet fore and aft, flush deck, with bulwarks two a-half inches high. ; In the after part of the bout is a small semicircular space, three feet deep, in which the helmsman sits. The hold, which is fitted with a' number of hermetically sealed zinctubes, ten inches in diameter, capable; of floating forty tons, is entered by a hatchway in the after part of the vessel, close up: to the semi-circular space before, mentioned. Here their provisions and water are stored, and there is just enough spacel to allow one man to lie down at full length. The planks are of cinnamon wood, and the framework is, made of algarroba (carob tree). The two masts are of walnut wood, and fitted in such a" manner that in case of a sudden 'squall they can be lowered almost instantaneously. 1 When in 4S deg. long, and 30 deg. lat. the boat was struck by a heavy squall, and thrown on her beam ends, the tops of the masts being forced two or three inches under the water, but she raised herself almost jinstantly, and suffered no damage. During their long voyage they met the Italian barcjue El Victoria Madre, of Genoa, Captain Albini, from whom they procured a bottle of oil for their cooking stove ; they also spoke the Portuguese brig Maria Desdora, the Montgomery, and;twQ.Grerman barques bound for Valparaiso, and on the Bth January they sighted the Island of Hierro, passed ;by Gomera and Teneriffe, and anchored off Los Palmas oil the 9th, after having spoken with the mail steamer Africa, bound for Liverpool. Captain -Fondacaro has sailed under 'the English flag for 19 years, and first served as ordinary seatr.an, but now holds a master's certificate from the Canadian Board of Trade. He is a well-educated mau of 3G years of age, and speak French; Spanish, and English fluently. During the few days he remained here he was treated with great hospitality, and banquets in his honour were given by the magistrates of this city, the Governor, and various societies. On the 13th lie set sail in stormy weather, amid great enthusiasm, for Barcelona, and intends to go thence to Caprera, Rome and Naples, in the museum of which city the boat will be deposited.— Glasgow Weekly Mail, February S.