Part 43 (1/2)
On reaching this place Brandon sailed to the harbor which Columbus entered, andTraditions still survived alishman the lions of the place
He was thus enabled tosuspicion about the islands lying to the north He was inforues north there was an island named Guahi, and as there was no island known in that direction naht be the one He asked if there were any small islets or sand-banks near there, but no one could tell hiained all the infore
In that hot season there was but little wind The seas were visited by profound calation slow and tedious So swept away by the currents, they had to cast anchor At other times they were forced to keep in close by the shore They waited till the night ca out the sweeps, they rowed the yacht slowly along
It was the middle of July before they reached the island of Guahi, which Brandon thought ue due north of this there ought to be the islet of the Three Needles Upon the discovery of that would depend their fate
It was evening when they reached the southern shore of Guahi Noas the time when all the future depended upon the fact of the existence of an islet to the north That night on the south shore was passed in deep anxiety They rowed the vessel on with their sweeps, but the island was too large to be passed in one night Morning ca passed, and the hot sun burned down upon the to pass beyond a point which lay ahead, so as to see the open water to the north Gradually they neared it, and the sea-view in front opened upbut water More and more of the view exposed itself, until at last the whole horizon was visible Yet there was no land there--no island--no sign of those three rocks which they longed so ht wind arose which enabled theue to the north They sounded as they went, but found only deep water They looked all around, but found not so much as the smallest point of land above the surface of the ocean
That evening they cast anchor and went ashore at the island of Guahi to see if any one knew of other islands aht be found one named Santa Cruz Their disappointht that perhaps some other San Salvador was meant in the letter
This very idea had occurred to him before, and he had made himself acquainted with all the places of that name that existed None of the Soained the name since; others were so situated that no island could beto the north On the whole, it seemed to him that this San Salvador of Columbus could alone be mentioned It was alluded to as a well-known place, of which particular description was unnecessary, and no other place at that day had this character except the one on which he had decided
One hope yet reht yet be realized It was that Guahi was not Santa Cruz; but that soht be considered as north from San Salvador This could be ascertained here in Guahi better perhaps than any where else With this faint hope he landed
Guahi is only a small island, and there are but few inhabitants upon it, who support thehtful climate their wants are not nu which they desire The fish about here are not plentiful, and what they catch have to be sought for at a long distance off
”Are there any other islands near this?” asked Brandon of so
”Not very near”
”Which is the nearest?”
”San Salvador”
”Are there any others in about this latitude?”
”Well, there is a sues east There are no people on it though”
”What is its name?”
”Santa Cruz”
Brandon's heart beat fast at the sound of that naht It lay to the north of San Salvador, and its name was Santa Cruz
”It is not down on the charts?”
”No It is only a se said plainly an islet, whereas Guahi was an island
”How large is it?”
”Oh, perhaps a ”
”Is there any other island near it?”