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James Furquharson Leys '21, globe trotter and adventurer, will lecture in the Living Room of the Union tonight at 7.30 o'clock. The lecture is entitled "After You, Magellan," being a story of his race around the world with J. M. Plumer '21.
Shortly after Leys and Plumer graduated, they decided to have a look at the world, and it was then that the idea of racing completely around it originated. The two set out on the same boat from Newport, Rhode Island, each with $87. Shipping as deck boys, they went through the Panama Canal and up the Pacific Coast to Seattle. They took to the water again, journeying on to Alaska, spending Christmas day in Cordova, loading copper in snow-covered sacks.
Separate at Seattle
Shortly afterwards, Leys and Plumer returned to Seattle, where they separated. The former became a seaman on the "Bay State" bound for Yokohama, Kobe, Shanghai, and Hongkong. It was at the last port that he went ashore, lured by the prospect of work because of the shipping strike which had just set in and which later became a serious boycott. Leys worked with coolies, attained the dignity of winch-driver, and later made out to the ships daily to cargo with his gang of riff-raff and strike-breakers, returning at night under a pelter of stones from the strikers. He worked on the beach, in the hospitals, and as a newspaper correspondent.
Chartered Sampan
He became acquainted with an Englishman and a Scotchman, and started with them on a rice-selling expedition. They chartered a sampan, and after no few experiences, managed to buy ten sacks of the valuable grain from a schooner at Macao. They sailed back to Hongkong, to find the port closed. They were caught while trying to slip in after dark, and had to durop their cargo to avoid a fine.
Was Checkroom Head
Leys then shipped for Singapore, where he taught dancing for a while at a hotel. Later he joined an Italian circus on the waterfront, and finally achieved the honor of being head of the checkroom for the ball which was being held in honor of the Prince of Wales, visiting there. During all this while Leys was losing time, while Plumer was racing on to New York.
One day a ship bound for Boston steamed into port. Leys was determined to board it for the homeward trip. He got a job helping to unload, and found that his chances of shipping aboard the vessel were very slender, as it already had one man, a stowaway, in irons to prevent his slipping ashore. There was nothing to do but wait for the next ship, while Plumer, wherever he might have been, made his way toward the goal.
Will Finish Story Tonight
What happened from this point or, Leys will tell tonight. Since the completion of his unusual race, he has returned to China and Japan. With the wanderlust still holding him, Leys continued his journeys to Hawaii, Mexico, Guatemala, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru. Plumer is now working in China.
Not content with his wandering Leys is now looking toward India. He has travelled enough by sea, he says, and is looking for a long land trek. In 1928 he hopes to go inland through India, and come out through China
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