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expressed the hope of nations, while a Fernandina boat Stormy Weather
defied the sea-gods. Nearby the shining Sol rode side by side with
the Pioneer, while another boat rolling in the trough, coyly confessed
the love of its skipper for the virtuous Hermaline. About a quarter
of a mile away the laden Natal came about to speak the Pinta and narrowly
missed colliding with a saucy miss named Diddy-Wa-Ditty.


Trawling for Shrimp.

Soon all the trawlers began to make ready for the catch and
Captain De Cruz ordered Arnold and Sam to prepare the trial net for
heaving over the side. This small funnel is dragged along the sea bottom
and raised to the deck frequently to enable the fishermen to see if there
are any shrimp in the area which they are dragging. Use of this small not
eliminates the laborious and expensive process of raising and lowering
the large net so often. The trial net was dragged, the speed of the ship
reduced to one knot, and all hands sat down to wait for developments.

One of the boys took out a sailor's palm-needle and began to
reknit torn places in the large net. Those nets are under almost
continuous repair, for seldom is a haul made without some of the
network being torn. Sharks, starfish, and coral all combine to tear large
rents in the netting as it drags the ocean floor. After supervising the
repairs for a while, Captain De Cruz went to the wheelhouse and began
to discourse upon surgery and medicine. What got him off on