e good people at the
village--A pleasant visit.

CHAPTER XII: PAGE 76

Sail from Frio--Round Cape St. Thorne--High seas and swift currents--In
the "trades"--Dangerous reefs--Run into harbour unawares, on a dark and
stormy night--At Garavellas--Fine weather--A gale--Port St.
Paulo--Treacherous natives--Sail for Bahia.

CHAPTER XIII: PAGE 81

At Bahia--Meditations on the discoverers--The Caribbees.

CHAPTER XIV: PAGE 84

Bahia to Pernambuco--The meeting of the _Finance_ at sea--At
Pernambuco--Round Cape St. Roque--A gale--Breakers--The stretch to
Barbadoes--Flying-fish alighting on deck--Dismasted--Arrive at Carlysle
Bay.

CHAPTER XV: PAGE 95

At Barbadoes--Mayaguez--Crossing the Bahama Banks--The Gulf
Stream--Arrival on the coast of South Carolina.

CHAPTER XVI: PAGE 107

Ocean Currents--Visit to South Santee--At the Typee
River--Quarantined--South Port and Wilmington, N.C.--Inland sailing to
Beaufort, Norfolk and Washington, D.C.--Voyage ended.

DISPOSAL OF THE LIBERDADE: PAGE 117

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Diagram of the _Liberdade_ 52

The _Liberdade_ 62

MAP

Course of the _Liberdade_ from Paranagua to Barbadoes 69

GREETING

This literary craft of mine, in its native model and rig, goes out laden
with the facts of the strange happenings on a home afloat. Her
constructor, a sailor for many years, could have put a whole cargo of
salt, so to speak, in the little packet; but would not so wantonly
intrude on this domain of longshore navigators. Could the author and
constructor but box-haul, club-haul, tops'l-haul, and catharpin like the
briny sailors of the strand, ah me!--and hope to be forgiven!

Be the current against us, what matters it? Be it in our favour, we are
carried hence, to what place or for what purpose? Our plan of the whole
voyage is so insignificant that it matters little, maybe, whither we go,
for the "grace of a day" is the same! Is it not a recognition of this
which makes the old sailor happy, though in the storm; and hopeful even
on a plank in mid-ocean? Surely it is this! for the spiritual beauty of
the sea, absorbing man's soul, permits of no infidels on its boundless
expanse.

THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER I

The ship--The crew--A hurricane--Cape Verde Islands--Frio--A
_pampeiro_.

To get underweig