The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-03-11
TIA l.~say chart Of the western Pa

cihc was still upon the table In our
quarters, and Halstead took from the
locker another, on a larger scale. OF
the archipelago itself. showing the ex-
act shape and bearing OF each island.
From the absorbed way In which the
padre bent over them and listened TO
the captains remarks. Ii was easy
10 see that his education had been a
broad one. comprehending readily, rs
he did. marks and measurements that
would have puzzled most landsmen.
Halstead had carefully erased our pen
cilings from the larger chart. leaving
only the course as actually sailed up
to noon OF that day; and at Sebasti-
amos request he drew n line TO indi-
cate the direction in which we were
then sailing--east. half north-in or
der 10 make Point Orote. on Guajan.
! When he removed the ruler. Sebastiano
said:
Il was told eapitan. that ell Guajan
the most southerly island was; but
here l do one more see-la Isla Santa
Rosa, with five little crosses marked
in it's circle. All entiendo; he Is una
isla de coral-una laguna. Is il not
SOP"
well. II may have been a good
while ago. padre; but it's all under
water now. and has been for several
hundred years. We call IL a reef in
English = una roca sumergida,' /
guess you'd say. There's no doubt but
that II was there once-several OF the
old %navigators mention it-but. you
ace, these islands are volcanic. and II
has probably sunk. because no captain
has found il since 174O."
"Ahl entiendo. Each of the cap
! ifanos who do sail near il do make
the sounding, and when find they do
not, behold, il no longer must there be.
/ suppose many the examination must
have made, that los geografos so sure
are that ii is now gomez"
well, not very many. The Chal-
l,nger didn't get as far east as the
Lsdrones, and the American cruiser
Alert is the only one that really made
much Of a search. You see. the supply
boat only comes out here four times
a year, and the place is not in the
track OF any other ships"
And the capitanos de los vapores dc
la Compania-yourself also haya
been unsuccessful?"
Why, personally, I've never looked
fer il. You see, there's plenty OK
sen room 10 keep clear Of the place,
and l don't see the use OF risking my
ship BY fooling around where a shoal
certainly existed at come time or 9th
er. AS for the other captains who run
out here. / doubt If taey would bother
about it, either"
But would not you much honra
gain, and una gran recompensa from
la sociedad geogradca, IL the correct
report of su posicion you did send
them?"
"oh, the Royal society is always
glad TO get anything Of the kind, aud
they like TO have every captain send
in what information he can; still, a
merchant skipper wouldn't be expect
eel 10 go out OF his course for such u
search. The warshiPs are supposed
tn do most Of the surveying, you
know, padre"
"Ah, 81, that l do know, OF course
Epl, as you say, they come not often
TO the Ladrones. Wen, perhaps while
| In gran narration oe las lslas am
writing, | may be able TO make un ex-
animation with those native proas you
did speak of. If SO, the true posicion
Of every roca y isla in the archipelago
l will send TO you. Then los capitanos
the name of Ell Padre Sebastiano will
bless; is IL not SOP"
Why, padre, If you're really going
to write a book on the group, I've no
objection TO helping you out all l can.
Bcand as we are for Guajan, Ii
wouldn't take us more than a few
hours out Of our why 10 pass the po-
sitlon Of that reef and take IA sound
ing or two, IL you think IL would be
worth while. But you'd have TO make
1t right with my primero, Mr.. Diaz.
lie feels pretty sore about having TO
overhaul his cargo on of our
shifting about; YOU see. Guajan has
always been our last stop, and all the
Agana stuff is in the lower hold. But
i. you can persuade him that there il
y Sh'ohNN VI bApAS Nhh dhh III ~ AN
may feel in better humor. You go talk
10 Diaz and Moreno; say that it'll give
them five or six hours more to get their
stuff up. and work ii in as a favor 10
the church. Then IL they come to me
and say they'd like to take a whack
at Santa Rosa, I'll head her a quarter
further east In the morning"
"Ah, captain. | have the fear you are
un hereje; you do make the joke upon
the padres. But you are un bencyolo.
10 1 you forgive. I'll primero | will see
md him absolve. Bucnas noches."
When Padre Sebastiano was out OF
hearing Halstead and | looked at each
other. His expression must have been
a reflection OF my own. for II said. as
plainly as words:
well, what do you think Of that?'
/ shook my head. Ii was a little too
J much for me. We smoked In silence
for several minutes. Then the captain
sauntered out on deck, 20 be sure there
was no IN near, and carefully closed