But The
Impossible Did Not Deter The Snark, - Principally Because Of The Fact
That We Did Not Read That Particular Little Paragraph In The Sailing
Directions Until After We Had Started.
We sailed from Hilo, Hawaii,
on October 7, and arrived at Nuka-hiva, in the Marquesas, on
December 6.
The distance was two thousand miles as the crow flies,
while we actually travelled at least four thousand miles to
accomplish it, thus proving for once and for ever that the shortest
distance between two points is not always a straight line. Had we
headed directly for the Marquesas, we might have travelled five or
six thousand miles.
Upon one thing we were resolved: we would not cross the Line west
of 130 degrees west longitude. For here was the problem. To cross
the Line to the west of that point, if the southeast trades were
well around to the southeast, would throw us so far to leeward of
the Marquesas that a head-beat would be maddeningly impossible.
Also, we had to remember the equatorial current, which moves west at
a rate of anywhere from twelve to seventy-five miles a day. A
pretty pickle, indeed, to be to leeward of our destination with such
a current in our teeth. No; not a minute, nor a second, west of 130
degrees west longitude would we cross the Line. But since the
southeast trades were to be expected five or six degrees north of
the Line (which, if they were well around to the southeast or south-
southeast, would necessitate our sliding off toward south-
southwest), we should have to hold to the eastward, north of the
Line, and north of the southeast trades, until we gained at least
128 degrees west longitude.
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