Go West, Young Man (?!)

The good news: our ship's captain is in fact a extraordinary sailor. We made the equator in fewer days than I have ever known a ship to take.

The bad news: we are sailing West.

After much consideration, I brought my worries to Captain Araoz yesterday, just before we stopped to revictual, as I had begun to notice that the we started our day with the sun behind us, and slightly to port, and finished bearing nearly straight into it. He said little more than "confia en me," and then proudly produced a book:

Pulling a carefully folded leaf whence it had been tucked into the book's middle, he flourished the following map at me:

indicating through gestures and what little of his native tongue my Latin allowed me that, thankfully, he was going to continue with the overall mission as planned, despite his backers having missed the tide, but also that he considered the Straits of Magellan to be a short cut.

Factually he is correct, but jumping off the Dover cliffs is also, factually, a far quicker way to the water's edge than walking the path; rarely does either short cut leave one in few enough pieces to enjoy the time saved.

Posted by Patrick on June 15, 1677

Comments

[Christine Swint]

Very funny! My favorite lines are: we are sailing West, and "Straits of Magellan to be a short cut".

The unsdertatement and ironic point of view are most entertaining.

[Anita S.]

wow, that is a fascinating book you have there. not something you will find at my local bookstore.

[Horton Carew]

Dear Peep,

I would like to know how your adventures continue, so I would be grateful if you could write another entry in your electronic diary in which you tell your readers what has happened to you more recently than the current entry.

Thank you,
Horton

[sylvied]

Hi,
I like your blog and have just tagged you. Sorry....