The Delfe Treasure

22. Westward

A few minutes after three bells of the second dog watch on Tuesday, Aldrick excused himself from his dinner guests as he rose to reply to the whistle of the voice tube. "Captain here."

"Sir, Officer of the Watch. As requested, reporting the final fix on Faro. It is now near useless sinking beneath the horizon."

"Thank you, Mister Wilson. What course and speed the past hour?"

"By the fixes, we have made good an eighth less than fourteen miles on the hour, Sir, and a bit north of west-by-south. The taff log shows us making a steady eleven knots and three-quarters."

"Very good. Report after sunset azimuth and Polaris have been shot."

"Aye, sir. I will pass it on to Mister Franklin. They will occur into the beginning of his watch, but I will remain on deck to assist him."

"Even with the time change and the hour added to your dog?"

"Aye, Sir. I anticipate the continuation of the strong westerly current."

"Very good." Aldrick covered the funnel and resumed his seat at the dining table, a broad smile on his face.

Elizabeth watched him settle, then she asked, "With over two knots of current assisting us, how long now to the Bahamas?"

"There remain three thousand and two hundred miles." He paused to calculate. "If we maintain this progress, ten days. If we keep above ten knots and on track all the way, then just short of two weeks."

The young lad across the table from them asked, "How does ya know all this?"

"Through a long learning process. It has taken me over a dozen years to understand this much of it, and it took my father, my grandfather and my great-grandfather each longer than that to acquire the knowledge so they could pass it along." Aldrick examined the young lad, refreshing the memory of his name. "What is your station this trip, Cartwright?"

"The foremast braces, clews, sheets, jeers and tacks, Sir. And wherever else is need on deck, but them's my station, the foremast."

"Are you happy there?"

"I like watchin' the results of our heavin' n easin' n seein' the ship change her motion, then tryin' ta figger why."

"And have you figured why?"

"Most times. Sometimes it takes me longer, sometimes 'tis real quick."

"Are you interested in learning more?"

"Oh, yes, Sir."

A week later - Tuesday, 25th August 1733

Elizabeth sailed north-northwest under only a reefed outer jib and a small storm staysail from her foremast as she ran from the violent winds which had overtaken them from their port quarter at dawn on Monday. For three days, there had been no horizon nor moon with which to fix their position, and the accuracy of their DR was increasingly questionable.

During the afternoon watch on Tuesday, the horizon over their starboard quarter showed signs of clearing as Aldrick braved the spume blowing across the quarterdeck and made his way to the watchkeepers' hutch. He shouted above the howl of the storm, "Appears to be clearing astern."

"Aye, Sir. And the seas have eased, though still too rough to keep the logline from jumping."

"Do you think it safe to come back to south of west?"

Charles looked aft and thought for a while. "Coming across in these seas, we risk broaching. And wearing about, we will be beam to the troughs twice. It would be wise to wait for it to ease a bit more, Sir."