44 I N A G U A 



before had placed us in the latitude of the Caicos group. I was 

 of the opinion that we were on Grand Caicos on the eastern- 

 most fringe of the Bahamas. Coleman held out for Mariguana 

 on the basis that the sights were in error. But the low island five 

 miles to the north? Were we on Grand Caicos, the next island 

 should have lain northwest. On Mariguana no island should 

 have been visible, for the nearest group was the Plana Cays 

 which lay more west than north and were some twenty miles 

 distant. The only island that had another due north was Great 

 Inagua, the last and second largest island of the Bahama Archi- 

 pelago. But this was impossible. To reach Inagua by sailing due 

 south we would have had to pass within a mile or so of either 

 Mariguana or Caicos. Certainly we would not have passed so 

 close to land without seeing it. We gave it up. 



What to do? After a short consultation we decided that 

 Coleman was to remain with the wreck, salvaging what he 

 could, and that I would set out to find help if there was any 

 to be found. Half an hour later I shouldered a pack containing 

 some food, a canteen holding about two quarts of water and 

 a blanket. I was to follow the coast, wandering on until I had 

 located a settlement or, failing that, encircle the island. 



First I went down to the beach and searched among the 

 wreckage for some clothes. Both Coleman and I were in rags. 

 Our trousers were torn and hanging in shreds and our shirts 

 were little better. We had seized the first things that came to 

 hand after getting our more valuable instruments ashore. We 

 particularly needed shoes, the tennis shoes that we had on were 

 nearly cut to pieces by the jagged coral. We located several 

 in the sand, washed them clean and put them on. They helped 

 to make us feel respectable though we were hardly objects for 

 a drawing-room. 



Once again on top of the bluff, we bid each other good-bye 

 What direction to go? It did not make much difference, one 



