SARGASSO WEEDS AND WAVES 13 



lurch, would find himself far from refuge, in the 

 midst of a steep deck made glassy by water, alcohol, 

 formalin and other liquids that spilled from various 

 directions. With hands too full of precious and 

 breakable objects to grasp at a straw, he would 

 skate helplessly down the incline, seeming bent 

 on dashing his head against the wall, while the rest 

 of us, bent over desks and clinging to sliding micro- 

 scopes and specimens, could throw him nothing 

 more helpful than anxious looks and cries of en- 

 couragement. 



Columbus, From His Point of Observation 

 ON THE High Poop of His Caravel, Looked 

 OUT over the Same Extent of Ocean as I was 

 NOW Watching. His Historian Tells Us: 

 "The air was Soft and Refreshing, and the 

 Admiral says Nothing was Wanting but the 

 Singing of the Nightingale ; the Sea 

 Smooth as a River. Many Weeds Appeared." 



This fifth morning of the tropicbird's alarm-clock 

 appearance held the promise of being fair. Soon 

 after sunrise the terrific swell went down and be- 

 fore noon the sea was the smoothest we had so far 

 encountered. I spent an hour in the pulpit and 

 lest any Fundamentalist be startled by the con- 

 nection of pulpit and science, I hasten to explain 

 that it is one of the several queer contraptions that 

 make the Arcturus a mystery ship to passing ves- 

 sels. On every sea trip I have ever taken, my fav- 

 orite position is as far out on the bow as possible, 



