The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1899-07-21

the-the proas. the native boats; and
that very wet they sometimes are
muy descomodo."
"Well, they are rather cramped for
room, and, guess, when there's much
of a wind. rather sloppy. Still. they
are very fast; If you have a good wind
you can make the run in nine or ten
hours. I should say"
Nine or ten of the hours'i San
tisima! In the one posicion! What
does one not do por la servicio pic!
He is not the voyage dangerous. is he,
capitano?"
Dangerous? Oh. don't think So,
at this time of year. You might strike
a hurricane in July or August, but you
the weather looked threatening;
they're none of them very far apart.
You're familiar with the general po-
sition of the archipelago, are you not,
padre?"
ISL, senior; I have seen them upon
the atlas. Like the string of little
pin-points."
"Shucksl You can't tell anything
about them from an atlas; the scales
| too small, and they're miles out Of
the true position. Haven't you ever
seen a chart of the Ladrones? Would
you like to look at one?"
"No-si-he mucho interes Dor las
islas. 1 fear it will you incomodar."
mot at all, padre; not at all. If
you and Mr.. Stevens will come below,
I'd be pleased to show it to you. I'm
obliged to refer to the charts con-
stantly. you know"
The Imray chart of the western Pa
| cifc 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. it was easy
| to see that his education had been q
broad one. comprehending readily, as
he did, marks and measurements that
| would have puzzled most fandsmen.
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 a line to indi-
| 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:
II was told, captain. that Ell Guaian
the most southerly island was; but
here l do one more see-la Isla Santa
Rosa, with five little crosses marked
in its circle. All! entiendo; he is una
isla de coral-una laguna. Is it not
sop
We'll. 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,' l
guess you'd say. There's no doubt but
that it was there once-several of the
old navigators mention it-but, you
see, these islands are volcanic, and it
has probably sunk, because no captain
has found it since 174O."
All! 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 examination must
have made. that los geografos so sure
are that it is now gomez"
"Well, not very many. The Chal-
lenger didn't get as far east an the
Ladrones, 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 de
la Compania-yourself also have
been unsuccessful"
Why. personally. I've never looked
for it. You see, there's plenty of
sea room to keep clear of the place,
and don't see the use of risking my
ship by fooling around where shoal
certainly existed at some time or 9TH
er. 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, a
merchant skipper wouldn't be expect
ed to go out of his course for such a