GUARAKASAVA, Dec. 20th.

Heretofore I have doted on native Brazilian honesty as well as
national seamanship and skill in canoes but my dream of a perfect
paradise is now unsettled forever. I find, alas! that even here the
fall of Adam is felt: Taking in some long poles to-day the negro
tallyman persisted in counting twice the same pole. When the first
end entered the port it was "_umo_" (one); when the last end
disappeared into the ship he would sing out "_does_" (two).

I had no serious difficulty over the matter, but left Guarakasava with
that hurt feeling which comes of being over persuaded that one and one
make four.

We spent Christmas of 1887 at Guarakasava. The bark was loaded soon
after, and when proceeding across the bay, where currents and wind
caught her foul near a dangerous sand bar, she misstayed and went on the
strand. The anchor was let go to club her. It wouldn't hold in the
treacherous sands; so she dragged and stranded broadside on, where, open
to the sea, a strong swell came in that raked her fore and aft for three
days, the waves dashing over her groaning hull the while till at last
her back was broke and--why not add heart as well! for she lay now
undone. After twenty-five years of good service the _Aquidneck_ here
ended her days!

I had myself carried load on load, but alas! I could not carry a
mountain; and was now at the end where my best skill and energy could
not avail. What was to be done? What could be done? We had indeed the
appearance of shipwrecked people, away, too, from home.

This was no time to weep, for the lives of all the crew were saved;
neither was it a time to laugh, for our loss was great.

But the sea calmed down, and I sold the wreck, which floated off at the
end of the storm. And after paying the crew their wages out of the
proceeds had a moiety left for myself and family--a small sum.

Then I began to look about for the future, and for means of escape from
exile. The crew (foreign) found shipping for Montevideo, where they had
joined the _Aquidneck_, in lieu of the stricken Brazilian sailors. But
for myself and family this outlet was hardly available, even if we had
cared to go farther from home,--which was the least of our thoughts; and
there were no vessels coming our way.

CHAPTER IX

The building of the _Liberdade_.

Away, away, no cloud is lowering o'er us
Freely now we stem