From the Sept. 23, 1927 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

More and more the fact is brought home that the modesty of the average person in concealing the details of his career, adventurous or otherwise, is a sad loss to those who know him and to those who will come after.

A case in point is the adventures detailed in this brief sketch of the career up to date of Mrs. Henrietta M. Mayhew, wife of Ulysses E. Mayhew of West Tisbury. Mrs. Mayhew was one of a family of seven sisters, born in Wilmot, Nova Scotia, a section of the continent popularly supposed to breed none but seafaring people. Strange to say, none of her family, aside from herself, ever had any interest in ships or salt water. She began her career as a dressmaker and gown-fitter in Boston after spending her girlhood in learning all of those quaint housewifely arts of weaving, spinning and so on.

It was in Boston that she met Capt. Joshua Slocum, world-famous navigator and best known for his trip around the world alone in the sloop Spray. A native of Nova Scotia, Captain Slocum was a naturalized citizen of this country and had never sailed on any but United States ships. On these he had voyaged to the ends of the earth, even at that time being a true deep-water sailor, and was master and owner of the clipper bark Aquidneck of Baltimore.

They married, and began their honeymoon trip on the day after, a voyage from New York to Montevideo with a cargo of case-oil. Captain Slocum’s two sons, the youngest but six years of age, accompanied them on this voyage, which never will be forgotten by any of the party who completed it.

The bark was a fast sailer and comfortable, carrying a crew of ten men, and, being well-found, inspired confidence in her officers and crew. But the sailing day was cold and stormy with gales predicted, and the ship soon ran into weather through which she could barely labor under the merest scrap of canvas.

The ship began to leak badly and the captain had his boats made ready for lowering, as he feared the ship must be abandoned.

After a great deal of labor at the pumps, the leak was discovered to be inboard, the water running into the hold from the deck as the sea broke over the ship. It was made tight at once, and the ship pumped dry without great difficulty, and all was well once more. Mrs. Mayhew says the sweetest music she ever heard was the sailors’ chanties as they went about their duties after the storm had blown itself out.

Twice across the Atlantic, sailing a course describing two sides of a triangle in order to take advantage of the trade winds, and the ship was at Montevideo without further mishap.

The Aquidneck sailed for Antonia with cargo and it was shortly after her arrival, as she lay at anchor in the harbor at night, that the pirate crew attempted to capture the ship.

Slipping on deck by the companionway not commonly used, with a rifle ready for action, Captain Slocum surprised the pirates and turned the tables.

The Aquidneck sailed for Guardakasava, Brazil, where she was loaded with lumber and was wrecked almost as soon as the loading was completed. Mrs. Mayhew’s real adventure dates from this point, harrowing though her previous experiences had been.

After consulting with his family, Captain Slocum decided to build a boat for the voyage home, by home, meaning the States, and with this plan his wife heartily agreed. While he and his sons worked on the hull, she made the sails and after long and tedious labor the craft was launched.

The boat was modeled somewhat like a dory and was 31 feet long, about the length of a Vineyard lobster boat, but narrower. She was built of fine lumber, but her fastening ranged from wooden pins and hand-wrought copper nails to carriage bolts.

Coasting along the land as close in as was safe they ran into coral reefs, crossed shoals where the sea broke all about them and carried away two of their masts on one occasion by crowding on sail. Taken in tow by an ocean liner after this mishap they traveled for 20 hours through high seas at the end of a ninety-fathom hawser without a mishap.

After 53 days during which time they sailed 55110 miles, the Liberdade arrived at Washington, D.C., finishing her voyage by way of the inland canal.

It was on the Liberdade that Mrs. Slocum came to the Vineyard and in 1901 she came again with Captain Slocum to stay. This was after the captain had made his famous trip around the world, and his wife had sailed with him on the Spray on several occasions. In 1908 the Spray sailed from Vineyard Haven, never to return, and six years ago this adventurous lady became Mrs. U. E. Mayhew, the wife of a man whose career has been no less remarkable than her own.

Tragedy, dangers and the worries of life have left no marks on Mrs. Mayhew’s face. Nor has seafaring changed her naturally refined nature in any respect. In her conversation there is noticeable the use of an occasional nautical term.

Compiled by Hilary Wallcox
library@vineyardgazette.com