trading ships of this island area, were anchored near us. 

 They furnished constant entertainment as the colorful fam- 

 ilies aboard them went about the business of living on a 

 small boat — cooking their meals on deck over smoking 

 charcoal fires, hanging their washing in the rigging, and 

 joining in tuneful calypso as they sat about the decks in 

 the cool of the evening. 



Since the afternoon of our arrival, Captain Weems and 

 Ed had been occupied in chasing from one office to an- 

 other in a vain eflFort to get our search under way. Every- 

 one they approached had been most courteous. But noth- 

 ing happened. 



Unfortunately for us, it was Holy Week, a week of 

 Haitian celebration. We found the afternoon of our arrival 

 that all public offices, both in Cap Haitien and in the capi- 

 tol city of Port-au-Prince, were closed for the next two 

 days. On Saturday morning they would open briefly, then 

 close their doors again for the remainder of the week- 

 end. 



Andre LeBon, assistant U.S. consul, with an office at 

 the Royal Netherlands Steamship Agency near the water 

 front, had been most co-operative. He had helped Ed tele- 

 graph the American Embassy in Port-au-PTince, after sev- 

 eral attempts to reach them by phone had failed. Captain 

 Weems, listening to the one phone call which Ed was able 

 to get through, counted thirty-seven "hello's" and twenty- 

 eight "Can you hear me's?" on Ed's part. When the call 

 was finished, Ed had still been unable to get his message 

 across. Now he wired: 



CAPT WEEMS AND MYSELF SEAECHING COLUMBUS VOY- 

 AGES. ALSO THINK WE COULD FIND REMAINS OF SANTA 

 MARIA. LAST YEAR OUR EXPEDITION WAS CLEARED FOR 

 THIS SEARCH AT CAP HAITIEN AND CONSUL ADVISED 

 THROUGH SECRETARY DULLES BUT WE WERE UNABLE 

 TO COME. WOULD YOU CHECK WITH AUTHORITIES TO 



Search for the Santa Maria 171 



