and, if submerged, could not rise to the surface.

All these defects have been remedied in later models; but

the knowledge did not help us any that day aboard the slowly

settling Coldwater, with an angry sea roaring beneath, a

tempest raging out of the west, and 30d only a few knots

astern.

To cross thirty or one hundred seventy-five has been, as you

know, the direst calamity that could befall a naval

commander. Court-martial and degradation follow swiftly,

unless as is often the case, the unfortunate man takes his

own life before this unjust and heartless regulation can

hold him up to public scorn.

There has been in the past no excuse, no circumstance, that

could palliate the offense.

"He was in command, and he took his ship across thirty!"

That was sufficient. It might not have been in any way his

fault, as, in the case of the Coldwater, it could not

possibly have been justly charged to my account that the

gravitation-screen generators were worthless; but well I

knew that should chance have it that we were blown across

thirty today--as we might easily be before the terrific west

wind that we could hear howling below us, the responsibility

would fall upon my shoulders.

In a way, the regulation was a good one, for it certainly

accomplished that for which it was intended. We all fought

shy of 30d on the east and 175d on the west, and, though we

had to skirt them pretty close, nothing but an act of God

ever drew one of us across. You all are familiar with the

naval tradition that a good officer could sense proximity to

either line, and for my part, I am firmly convinced of the

truth of this as I am that the compass finds the north

without recourse to tedious processes of reasoning.

Old Admiral Sanchez was wont to maintain that he could smell

thirty, and the men of the first ship in which I sailed

claimed that Coburn, the navigating officer, knew by name

every wave along thirty from 60dN. to 60dS. However, I'd

hate to vouch for this.