The Mena star., 1899-05-11

cific was still upon the table in our quarters, and Halstead took from the locker another, on 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. it was easy to see that his education had been a broad one, comprehending readily, as 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 ur i to noon of that days and at Sebasti- ano's request he drew a line to indi- I cate the direction in which we were then sailing-east, half north--in or | der to make Point Orote, on Guajan. When he removed the ruler, Sebastiano said:
 'I was told, capitan, that el Guajan the most southerly island was; but ] here I do one more see--la Isla Santa 1 Rosa. with five little crosses marked in its circle. Al, entiendo; he is una isla de coral-una laguna. Is it not SOP"
 ''Well, it may have been a good while ago. padre. but it's all under water now, and has been for several hundred years. We call it a reef in English una roca sumergida.' I guess you'd say. There's no doubt but that it was there once-several of the | old navigators mention it-but, you l see. these islands are volcanic. and it has probably sunk, because no captain has found it since 1740." "Ah! entiendo. Each of the cap itanos who do sail near it do make the sounding. and when find they do not. behold, it no longer must there be. I suppose many the examinacion must have made. that los geografos so sure are that it is now gone?" Well. not very many. The Chal- lenger didn't get as far east as the Ladrones, ard 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 Ol any OIner SHlpS
 And the capitanos de los vapores de Ia Compania-yourself also = have been unsuccessful? 2"
 "Why, personally, I've never looked for it. You see, there's plenty of sea room to keep clear of the place, and I don't see the use of risking my ship by fooling around where shoal certainly existed at some time or oth- CT. As for the other captains who run out here, doubt if they would bother about it, either."
 But would not you much honra gain. and una gran recompensa from la sociedad geografica, if the correct report of su posicion you did send them?"
 ''Oh, the Royal society is always glad to get anything of the kind, and they like to have every captain send in what information he can; still, merchant skipper wouldn't be expect ed to go out of his course for such Il search. The warships are supposed to do most of the surveying, you know, padre"
 
 But, as you say, they come not often to the Ladrones. We'll, perhaps while I Ia gran narracion de las Islas am writing, I may be able to make un ex- aminacion with those native proas you did speak of. If so, the true posicion of every roca y isla in the archipelago I will send to you. Then los capitanos the name of el Padre Sebastiano will bless; is 1t not so?"
 "Why, padre, if you're really going to write a book on the group, I've no objection to helping you out all can. Bound as we are for Guajan, it wouldn't take us more than a few hours out of our way to pass the po- sition,of that reef and take sound ing or two, if you think it would be worth while. But you'd have to make it right with my primero, Mir. Diaz- He feels pretty sore about having to overhaul his cargo on account of our shifting about; you see, Guajan has always been our last stop, and all the Agana stuff is in the lower hold. But ] if you can persuade him that there is chance of glory and thanks in 1t, he may feel in better humor. You go talk to Diaz and Moreno; say that it'll give them five or six hours more to get their stuff up. and work it in as n favor to the church. Then If they come to me and say they'd like to take whack at Santa Rosa. I'll head her quarter further east in the morning"