dies for this complaint which were
prescribed freely by his friends, he believed that the only thing for
relief was a run in the ocean in the rubber dress, with the Baby as
his sole companion. He also felt the necessity for a practice voyage
before going down the Hudson, a trip which he then had in view.
Getting his paraphernalia together, he boarded the pilot boat, Fannie,
on a Wednesday, and on Saturday, attired in his dress, he slipped
over her side with the intention of paddling to the Jersey coast, which
he hoped to strike in the vicinity of Cape May.

The weather was not very cold when he went overboard and the sea was
fine and smooth. Bye and bye the wind commenced to blow off shore and
as he wanted to go to the westward, he had a hard fight against it all
day and night. He sighted a great many vessels and signaled them to
pick him up; but they did not see him for they all continued on their
way. The constant battle against the stiff land breeze began to tell on
him toward morning. The compass would not work and he was compelled to
determine his course by the stars. The morning sun showed him that he
was out of sight of land. During the forenoon, the wind shifted to the
east which was more favorable, though he could take but little advantage
of it on account of being stiff and sore from the severe buffeting to
which he had been subjected during the night. All day Sunday, he
continued working to the westward. About four o'clock he sighted the
smoke of a steamer to the south and pulled across her course. He fired
three rockets to attract her attention and waved his flag, the "union
down" fastened to the paddle. His heart sank when she glided by
apparently without seeing him; but to his joy, after passing a short
distance she stopped and he saw a boat lowered. He was taken aboard and
learned that she was the William Lawrence of the Norfolk and Baltimore
line, Captain M. W. Snow. When picked up, he was sixty miles off Sandy
Hook. Captain Snow and everyone on board treated him with the utmost
kindness. Directly after getting on board he turned in and slept for
twelve hours. He landed at Providence on Monday, and he immediately
wired his friends in New York that he was all right.

The contemplated voyage down the Hudson river, was delayed on account of
ice; but on the fifth of April, a freshet broke it up and the voyager
started from Hudson, accompanied by several representatives of the New
Yor