ville was the one which Columbus had admired. He was 

 much impressed, as he sailed along the shore in its vicinity, 

 at the sight of "many islands" to the west. 



"I'm sure Captain Verhoog is right," he said enthusias- 

 tically. "Everything indicated to me that Columbus must 

 have landed on Caicos." 



At sunrise two days later we set out with Sea Diver 

 from Cockburn harbor to complete our check of the three 

 courses which Columbus might have followed. The mo- 

 ment we were outside the protection of the island, we 

 found ourselves in a heavy, rolling sea which assailed Sea 

 Diver's starboard side as we headed northeast to follow 

 the coastline. Captain Weems climbed the mast to the 

 crow's-nest, and Kemp was stationed on the pulpit at the 

 bow. While Ed steered Sea Diver, meanwhile keeping 

 track of reefs and shore line on the radar, I ran a messen- 

 ger service from one crew station to the other and, be- 

 tween times, watched the shore line from the pilothouse. 



Along this lower part of the Caicos there was no 

 bordering reef, only a scattering of coral heads between 

 us and shore, until we had almost reached Cape Comete. 

 Then, a formed reef which commenced near shore forced 

 us seaward almost a mile before we could safely round the 

 cape. Once past this point and headed northwest along 

 the outer edge of the barrier reef, free of the persistent 

 southeast wind which had kicked up such an uncomfort- 

 able sea, I saw that from here on a continuous chain of 

 reefs followed the outline of the shore, forming calm, still 

 waters within its shelter. As I looked toward the western 

 horizon, I was conscious of many islands fading into the 

 distance. It would surely seem that with these glimpses 

 of land to the west, Columbus would have been tempted 

 to lead his jfleet in their direction. 



Staying well offshore, we followed the islands west- 



314 Sea Diver 



