Forced to remain tied up at our dock in Nassau by 

 bad weather, we found plenty of time to mull over these 

 controversial facts. Then one day our very good friend, 

 Philip Van Horn Weems, retired United States Navy of- 

 ficer and founder and head of the Weems System of Navi- 

 gation, arrived on board Sea Diver for a brief stay. It was 

 Captain Weems who had first introduced us to Verhoog's 

 theory, and we soon found ourselves involved in long de- 

 bates with him as to the relative merits of Morison's and 

 Verhoog's arguments. It was during these discussions that 

 the idea first occurred to us to go and see for ourselves. 



After all, it should not be difficult to take Sea Diver 

 south to the vicinity of Caicos island and trace out the 

 course championed by Verhoog. Upon our return journey 

 we could carefully go over the course from Watling is- 

 land selected by Dr. Morison. Sea Diver was particularly 

 well adapted to such a trip, for she did not differ too greatly 

 from the original Spanish ships in size and speed, and we 

 should be able to take her wherever Columbus might have 

 gone. 



Captain Weems enthusiastically agreed to go with 

 us. We could have chosen no better companion, for he is 

 without doubt the outstanding navigation expert in the 

 world today, and a man who plunges heart and soul into 

 whatever he undertakes. A man of nearly three score years 

 and ten, his broad shoulders and powerful muscles bear 

 testimony to a lifetime of physical activity. From early 

 youth in the Naval Academy, when he won the Olympic 

 wrestling championship for the United States, to the pres- 

 ent, he has maintained a high level of physical health and 

 dexterity. With his years of experience in navigation and 

 seamanship, the practical diplomacy acquired from his 

 naval career, and his strength and experience in the water, 

 he would be a most valuable member of our team. 



The Bahama Islands 143 



