Evening star., 1922-12-31

TO two hundred miles in the twenty
four hours, It took US thirty days to
cross the Atlantic. and when II was
done We spent tho best part Of a day
trying TO hnd the proof of our ac-
.:omplishment in the island OF Barba-
dos. Faulty navigation again? Yes.
but It is not the easiest thing in life
to make q bow on" landfall Of a clod
Of earth twenty-one miles by twelve
after a three-thousand-mile jaunt to
reach It. Also. we suspected our
chronometer.
When Barbados. after the fashion of
Grand Canary. failed to materialize.
we Of tho dream ship held ono OF our
now familiar board meetings. there
were two courses open: To emulate
the mariner Of old. who knew nothing
OF longitude. and cruise along our
latitude until Barbados appeared; or
to head for Trinidad instead. and so
have the coastline Of South America
as a buffer IL we failed to make 1t.
We had decided on the latter course.
and were actually standing away for
Trinidad, when Barbados. mere
wrath of land that we scarce dared to
believe in. beckoned US from the
southern horizon. We accepted the
invitation.
Look out for the Caribbean sea
toward December" was an axiom OF
n five-masted schooner captain at
Las Palmas. but this proved no less
fallible over the passage from Bar
bados to Colon than others he had ad-
vanced concerning the Atlantic. In
fact, ara thinking of in future ask
ing advice Of weather prophets in or
der to anticipate the reverse.
A spanking wind on the quarter.
with mainsail and sQuaresail set, and
a mighty following sea that flung the
Dream Ship before II in a series OF
exhilarating swoops. brought US
within sight Of land in seven days. a
distance Of 1900 miles. But what
land?. For 4 time we were at loss.
Comparing II with the chart and de-
scrip:ions In sailing directions" re-
vealed nothing. 1t was a low-lying,
,nist-enshrouded. sinister-looking land
and we sailed along its coast for
a day and a night before We could
tell whether We had passed Colon or
hit the coast to the Eastward.
Ultimately. lighthouse gave US the
clue, and we found that owing to
current that has the unpleasant
knack Of running at anything from
=. half to three knots we we're still
nh}ncstVa
headed for sea and hove to until day
light.
All night, as we lay rolling in
heavy swell steamers passed US by,
floating palaces Of light, and with
the dawn we joined the procession Of
giants making for the Panama canal.
We wished to go through the canal?
Very well. a measurer would be sent
or to decide our tonnage and we must
be ready to take the pilot aboard at
) o'clock the next morning.
That. In effect, is what the canal
authorities said, and I answered 1t
with a smile that trust was suffi-
ciently engaging to hide the fact that
I was not at all sure we had enough
money between US to pay the tolls. 1t
must be an expensive business. this
passing from Atlantic to Pacific. I
had never thought Of that. There was
quite a lot had not thought about.
What II the charges were altogether
beyond US? It would mean Cape
Horn! Cape Horn or the abandon
ment Of the dream. Which was
worse for one who, after sixty below
zero on the Canadian prairie. four be-
low zero in France and Belgium and
something far worse n coalless Lon
don, had taken 4 solemn oath never
again to leave the forties of latitude.
These terrifying reflections were
cut short by voice.
Il can't make II more than twelve
tons"
Twelve tons?"
The canal official deigned to exhibit:
surprise by slight elevation OF the
eyebrows. then smiled.
The measurer has been aboard"
he told me, "and you are twelve tons
net. The tolls will be SIS. Will you