Otherwise, there's always work at the trade.Not expecting, but hoping, I remain, etc."But I have held my head in both my hands ever since, trying to figure out the intellectual kinship between myself and the one who wrote: "Long before I knew of you, I had mixed political economy and history and deducted therefrom many of your conclusions in concrete."Here, in its way, is one of the best, as it is the briefest, that Ireceived: "If any of the present company signed on for cruise happens to get cold feet and you need one more who understands boating, engines, etc., would like to hear from you, etc." Here is another brief one: "Point blank, would like to have the job of cabin-boy on your trip around the world, or any other job on board.
Am nineteen years old, weigh one hundred and forty pounds, and am an American."And here is a good one from a man a "little over five feet long":
"When I read about your manly plan of sailing around the world in a small boat with Mrs.London, I was so much rejoiced that I felt Iwas planning it myself, and I thought to write you about filling either position of cook or cabin-boy myself, but for some reason Idid not do it, and I came to Denver from Oakland to join my friend's business last month, but everything is worse and unfavourable.But fortunately you have postponed your departure on account of the great earthquake, so I finally decided to propose you to let me fill either of the positions.I am not very strong, being a man of a little over five feet long, although I am of sound health and capability.""I think I can add to your outfit an additional method of utilizing the power of the wind," wrote a well-wisher, "which, while not interfering with ordinary sails in light breezes, will enable you to use the whole force of the wind in its mightiest blows, so that even when its force is so great that you may have to take in every inch of canvas used in the ordinary way, you may carry the fullest spread with my method.With my attachment your craft could not be UPSET."The foregoing letter was written in San Francisco under the date of April 16, 1906.And two days later, on April 18, came the Great Earthquake.And that's why I've got it in for that earthquake, for it made a refugee out of the man who wrote the letter, and prevented us from ever getting together.
Many of my brother socialists objected to my making the cruise, of which the following is typical: "The Socialist Cause and the millions of oppressed victims of Capitalism has a right and claim upon your life and services.If, however, you persist, then, when you swallow the last mouthful of salt chuck you can hold before sinking, remember that we at least protested."One wanderer over the world who "could, if opportunity afforded, recount many unusual scenes and events," spent several pages ardently trying to get to the point of his letter, and at last achieved the following: "Still I am neglecting the point I set out to write you about.So will say at once that it has been stated in print that you and one or two others are going to take a cruize around the world a little fifty- or sixty-foot boat.I therefore cannot get myself to think that a man of your attainments and experience would attempt such a proceeding, which is nothing less than courting death in that way.And even if you were to escape for some time, your whole Person, and those with you would be bruised from the ceaseless motion of a craft of the above size, even if she were padded, a thing not usual at sea." Thank you, kind friend, thank you for that qualification, "a thing not usual at sea." Nor is this friend ignorant of the sea.As he says of himself, "I am not a land-lubber, and I have sailed every sea and ocean." And he winds up his letter with: "Although not wishing to offend, it would be madness to take any woman outside the bay even, in such a craft."And yet, at the moment of writing this, Charmian is in her state-room at the typewriter, Martin is cooking dinner, Tochigi is setting the table, Roscoe and Bert are caulking the deck, and the Snark is steering herself some five knots an hour in a rattling good sea--and the Snark is not padded, either.
"Seeing a piece in the paper about your intended trip, would like to know if you would like a good crew, as there is six of us boys all good sailor men, with good discharges from the Navy and Merchant Service, all true Americans, all between the ages of 20 and 22, and at present are employed as riggers at the Union Iron Works, and would like very much to sail with you."--It was letters like this that made me regret the boat was not larger.
And here writes the one woman in all the world--outside of Charmian--for the cruise: "If you have not succeeded in getting a cook Iwould like very much to take the trip in that capacity.I am a woman of fifty, healthy and capable, and can do the work for the small company that compose the crew of the Snark.I am a very good cook and a very good sailor and something of a traveller, and the length of the voyage, if of ten years' duration, would suit me better than one.References, etc."Some day, when I have made a lot of money, I'm going to build a big ship, with room in it for a thousand volunteers.They will have to do all the work of navigating that boat around the world, or they'll stay at home.I believe that they'll work the boat around the world, for I know that Adventure is not dead.I know Adventure is not dead because I have had a long and intimate correspondence with Adventure.
