eel hurt, if the other turns out right, at finding
himself but sixty miles out, on a voyage of such length as this.

"I headed for this point because, as I said, we must steer clear of
the great islands; which are, as you know, wholly in the possession
of the Spaniards, who have dispossessed the inhabitants, and use
them as slaves for working the plantations and mines. As you see by
the chart, they have no posts in all these islands, running from
here northwest, nearly up to the mainland; except a small post at
San Salvador. Now we will coast up through these islands, till we
get within sight of Columbus Point, at the southerly end of San
Salvador; for that was the island, you know, that was first
discovered by him in '92. Then we will strike westward to Andros,
and after that shape her course due west. This will take us north
of the west end of Cuba, and well out of sight of land; but we must
be careful of our navigation, for as you see it is written here:

"'Small islands, innumerable, scattered among those marked here;
these being the principal. Many of these islands are low, and show
but little above the water. Sailing is very perilous, and not to be
attempted at night.'

"You see, in this course we shall have the advantage of being well
out of the ordinary line of passage of the Spaniards, who shape
their course more to the southward, make Porto Rico their first
landfall, and then have the two great islands, Hispaniola and Cuba,
lying straight before them; free, as it seems, by the chart, from
any dangers to navigation.

"Roger, from this evening we will compare our log books day by day,
so that you may learn where it is that you have gone wrong. But I
can guess how it is. The wind is blowing chiefly from the east, and
you will never make allowance enough for drift; and I have told you
over and over again that, with a light wind on our beam, we drive a
mile to leeward for every two we go on our course. There are many
ships which will drift nigh a mile for every mile they sail, in
light winds. When the wind is brisk, and we are going fast through
the water, then we drift but little, not more perhaps than one mile
to six or seven."

"But why is that, father? How is it that a light wind blows us away
sideways; and that a strong wind, instead of blowing us more, blows
us less?"

"That I cannot tell you, Roger. You must leave those questions for
wiser heads to settle. I only know that it is so--of that there is