"Can't be helped," he said briefly, knowing that any of the ship's company who overheard him would be none the wiser.
"But..." Southwick began helplessly.
Ramage pointed to the three or four soundings which showed depths of twenty and thirty fathoms.
"Around one hundred and fifty feet is too deep for good fishing," he said cryptically.
"Depressing, sir, I'd like some fresh fish."
He unfolded the chart and rolled it up, as if finally resigning himself to the impossibility of anchoring.
Chapter Eleven
"Not hard to see why it got its name!" Southwick said sourly, gesturing at the island. It did look like a snake lying coiled up, its head the top of the small, rounded mountain which seemed to be the centre of the island. But a look at the chart showed the real reason for the name: the island was shaped like a snake's head seen sideways and facing eastward with its mouth wide open. The mouth made a huge, almost enclosed bay, with the settlement of San Ildefonso on the east side of it and not even in sight of the open sea.
The island bore west now, and the Triton, followed by the Topaz, had just sailed and drifted a mile off Sail Rock and could make no better than west. The current was running northwest; the wind had continued backing and was trying to drive the ships south-west. The result was a compromise; a crabwise course of west.
"Should be able to separate the other islands and cays soon and identify 'em," Southwick commented. "In fact that headland over there on the north side - reckon that's Isla Culebrita."
"Probably," Ramage said, adding wryly, "but the fact is, for once we're not really concerned! We just need to know where we are once our keel touches."
"What's 'Culebra’ mean, sir? I see they give it as another name here on the chart."
"Spanish for 'snake'. No, 'serpent' would be more exact."
He looked at the chart and tapped the long shoal running diagonally up to the north-east, between them and the island, and nearly a mile offshore.
"Arrecife Culebrita ... that's where we'll end up, Mr Southwick. You can take bets for positions from here" - he jabbed a finger on the southern end - "to here, by Culebrita. Three miles of splendid reef. Pity it's all underwater; otherwise we could have marched the Marines up and down it each day, and the ship's company on Sundays!"
"I don't trust this chart," Southwick said sourly. "It's a benighted mixture, a bit o' Spanish, a bit o' French, an' a ground tier of English. Between 'em they're bound to have missed a lot of isolated rocks - the sort that sink innocent ships."
"Well, tell the men; it'll get the job done all the faster!"
Ramage gestured forward where most of the Tritons were working hard with ropes, battens of wood, hammers and nails, making a raft from a dozen casks which had been brought up from below after being emptied of fresh water.
More men, working separately, were making a much smaller raft, where each alternate barrel was full of salt meat or fresh water. Yet a third raft, smaller still, was being made up of casks in some of which had been packed carefully wrapped muskets, powder, shot, cutlasses, tomahawks and a collection of tools supplied by the carpenter's mate.
"At least we're learning something about making rafts," Ramage said.
"An' keeping the lads occupied won't do any harm at this time," Southwick said.
"Well, if they're doing a good job they need only sit on their rafts and wait until the Triton breaks up underneath them. Then they can float clear with the band playing."
"D'you think she'll go that fast, sir?"
"No, not in this weather, but there's always a chance. Depends whether we hit an isolated rock and sink in five minutes, or scrape up gently on a nice coral reef and stay there for a year or more, a warning to Spanish fishermen of what happens if you eat meat on Fridays."
"Let's hope we slide on gently. I'd sooner transfer to our new estate at our leisure."
"Don't you think we should wait until the Dons send out written invitations?"
"No, sir!" Southwick said with mock alarm. "We don't want to put them to the trouble of rowing several miles to windward - why, it's four or five miles from San Ildefonso to the middle of the reefs."
"Then we'll call on them with banners flying and bearing gifts, Mr Southwick," Ramage said, in the ringing tones of some hearty politician. "By Jove, we mustn't risk upsetting his Most Catholic Majesty!"
"Doubtless a full dress occasion, sir; but using a raft instead of a carriage is going to wash the shine off our boots."
"Mr Southwick, if I dare mention more mundane matters than our proposed social engagements, would you care to place a man where he can give us a cast of the lead?"
"Indeed, sir; yours to command," he said, giving what he imagined was a flourish more suited to a Spanish courtier wearing an ostrich-feather plume in his hat.
In fact the depths were great enough to require the deep sea lead, and Ramage told the Master not to bother, since any accuracy with that required the ship to be hove-to.
"Have a man ready with the ordinary lead; he can try for soundings from time to time." With that, Ramage walked forward again to inspect the rafts. The Bosun was in charge of the construction of the large one and had already named it the Gosport Ferry, well known to most seamen who had ever been in Portsmouth. Jackson was supervising the muskets and tools raft.
"Breakers ahead!"
The shout came from the lookout at the bow and in a matter of moments Ramage was standing beside him. The man pointed to a line of lighter green water ahead and to starboard. Beyond, some waves broke on a shoal a foot or two below the surface and just visible as a dark brown mass.
Snake Island was still two or three miles ahead and Ramage shouted back to Southwick who was standing by the man at the tiller.
"Come over to larboard as much as you can: we might just scrape past south of them. Doesn't matter very much now the rafts are ready."
The last few words were for the benefit of the ship's company, and Ramage waited patiently to see what Southwick could do.
Slowly the bow came round a few degrees, and Ramage could see that unless the current eddied unexpectedly, they might just miss.
Damn! His memory!
"Mr Southwick! Make a signal to the Topaz: Breakers ahead!"
As seamen hoisted the flags from the staff lashed to the taffrail, Ramage saw that the Topaz, which had been in the Triton's wake, was already changing course to conform. Yorke and his officers did not miss much. The Topaz would definitely clear since she was beginning her turn a cable sooner. It was going to be close for the Triton, though. He stood at the stem with the lookout, who kept muttering to himself, without any sign of fear, as though trying to will the ship clear, "It's going to be close! It's going to be close!"
Stranded on this reef with the wind blowing fresh for twenty-four hours and knocking up a brisk sea would see the Triton reduced to splinters. The rafts would be useless since there was a second line of reefs beyond the first. If the brig was wrecked on the first reef the rafts would smash up on the second. He wondered if Southwick would notice: the Master had not pointed out the possibility when they first discussed making rafts.
Then Ramage saw that the Triton would pass clear. It would be close, but reefs were no exception to the rule that a miss was as good as a mile.