The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-01-21

cautiously descended. At the bottom
had been used US second and larger
treasure chamber. The forward end
was piled solid with bars, three inches
square by fourteen inches long, which
proved to be ingots of pure silver; and
in boxes, all around, were globe dollars
of Charles Ills time Clearing date of
1863 and fresh from the Seville mint
when the galleon was lost), eight-real
pieces OF Philip ", dollars from the
Mexican mint, bearing simply the
Spanish arms, and even four-real
pieces. 1 remember wishing that all
the treasure had been gold, on account
of its bulk; but, after ascending to the
upper chamber, I knew pretty we'll
how Edmund Dantes must have felt.
~. I had provided myself with stout
bag of cocoa mating. and was raking
handfuls Of the doubloons into 1t, when
there came a sharp tug at the line fas-
danger signal agreed upon with Doro-
tea; so. dragging the heavy sack,
scrambled out through the hulk and
pulled myself up to the proa. 1t took
our united efforts to get my burden
over the gunwale; then Dorotea point
ed off to the west-ard, where gigantic
sail was moving swiftly along.
To unscrew the helmet clamps and
take it off was but the work of few
seconds; then l grabbed the glass and
focused it upon the other craft. 1t
was the PADRES big proa, as had sus-
pected-his corpulent figure near the
helmsmnn was unmistakable-but SO
far away us to be all but hull down;
and, making to the s'uth'ard as she
was, it was highly improbable that he
had seen our mast. For a good half
hour watched the proa, not daring to
raise our own sail lest it should be
seen; then Sebastiano put about to
the west'ard and almost Disappeared.
This was our opportunity, SO we were
quickly Off in the opposite direction.
] calculated that by making 40 miles
due east we should have the wind
about right for "a straight reach into
Turofofo, and ould probably get there
by six o'clock. 1t was actually little
pS1Ol tIItil "llCl1 IOuCVttACu IlS Hoio
and other articles in the assure, SO
that, catching enough sea bass on the
way to account for our long sail, We
arrived at Agana by eight. In all my
experience with sailing craft, extend
Ing over many years and gathered up
on every sea Of the globe, never found
anything TO equal the island prons of
the western Pacific in either speed or
safety. On account Of their strength
and lightness they are practically in
destructible, and their enormous sail
area makes them the fastest things
upon salt water That my statement
of having made 26 statute miles an
hour with one, before the wind, is no
exaggeration, anyone who has ever
sailed in one will admit.
Sebastiano returned about nine
o'clock, having left the big proa at
Apra, and, while satisfying his vora-
cious appetite, told us quite frankly
that he had spent the day looking for
the Santa Rosa shoal. Recalling, for
Col. de Garma's benefit, the converse
tions which had induced Capt. Hal
stead to sound for the shoal, the padre
asked if l could remember the posi-
tion given upon the Imray chart.
When repeated it he said that an
older Spanish chart which he had seen
in Manila located the reef at least %
miles farther west; that he had, sup
posed at the time, and, in fact until
Halstead explained its nature, it was
really small islet which showed
above water, and the most southerly
one of the archipelago. This state
ment didn't exactly tally with the
questions he had asked on the steamer
when looking at Hnlsteed's chart, but
! could hardly repress a grin of salts
faction, nevertheless. If my fat friend
pinned his faith upon this last theory
it would keep him at least 30 miles
away from mo Whenever he pursued
his Investigations.
The fact, however, that he intended
making q systematic search for the