slowly up the life line toward the surface and climbed 

 back aboard Blue Heron, thrilled at what I had seen, my 

 heart still palpitating with the excitement and adventure 

 of it all. I was determined that I would learn more about 

 this underwater skill before I went down again, so that I 

 could really explore the bottom for myself. 



We hoisted anchors and, with the cannon lashed to 

 the underside of the boat, got under way, listing heavily 

 to starboard, our speed cut in half by the additional drag. 

 It was many hours later when we tied up at the dock, too 

 late to examine our prize that night. 



There was much curiosity and excitement the next 

 morning as we gathered around the old gun while Mendel 

 Peterson and Ed chipped away at the coral which covered 

 it. Beneath the coral, upon its metal sides, we might find 

 an answer to the identity of the ship which had foundered. 



It was an interesting old weapon with many ridges, 

 tapering to a small muzzle and ending in a heavy ring. The 

 coral covering broke ofiF in great chunks at the blows of 

 the iron mallets. And there on its broad back was suddenly 

 revealed, crudely cast in the metal, the inscription "anno 

 1617." 



We couldn't believe it! Here was a real find, from a 

 ship which must have sunk about the time the Pilgrim 

 Fathers first came to the New World. 



What kind of a ship had it been, Spanish or English? 

 Was it on a mission of peace or war? What had happened 

 to bring its sudden end upon this lonely reef? Had it been 

 sunk in battle? Had it run upon the reef in a storm? Or 

 had it been sailing along in seemingly clear waters, miles 

 from shore, when suddenly it had struck tlie treacherous 

 underwater coral? 



Mendel Peterson gazed at it with particular interest. 

 He had aheady identified the wieck on Looe key as an 

 English warship. At this time, he could only assume that 



16 Sea Diver 



