Many and fervent
were the prayers that the captain sent up for the welfare of the black
witch at Jamaica, whom he swore he would kill on sight.
After this adventure the schooner was headed to the northwest and for
four months the islands and keys wre thoroughly worked. During that
time, three trips had been made to Nassau and valuable cargoes of
recovered articles discharged. No treasure of any account was found,
with the exception of one enormous piece of coral, in which were
embedded a number of old Spanish dollars. This object was sold to a
tourist at Nassau for the suns of $250. Experience convinced Paul that
the tales of vast treasure in the Indies were more fabled than real;
still, strange to say, old Balbo firmly believed in them. Every time
the water closed over Paul's copper helmet, his sanguine nature firmly
expected that untold wealth was about to be opened up to them. During
this cruise Paul had neglected no opportunity to secure rare specimens
of shells and other marine novelties. In a letter he received from
his father during his last visit to Nassau, he was informed that his
share of the goods shipped had covered the cost of the submarine
armour, dredging apparatus, etc., and that he had placed eight hundred
and sixty dollars to his credit in a New York bank.
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