Crossing The Atlantic
Baron Britpop Blastfurnace • Chapter 25
I will take up my duty as narrator again. As I continue the telling, The Jellyfish had just left Venice, headed for the New World. Although I did not know it at the time, Stenfelt no longer threatened my life.
I had considered what Captain Peanut Butter said about the risk and danger of an ocean crossing, but I had not truly considered the amount of time. Week after week, seeing nothing but water on all sides is difficult for the mind to endure. I am certain the Captain understood this and made sure the crew was kept busy to help pass the time.
Andelbert and I were trained to do nearly every job onboard The Jellyfish, and I was happy to have something to occupy my time. I also hoped that by the time we reached the New World, I would be a capable sailor.
In addition to the physical work, Andelbert and I recruited Jonas to teach us languages. I was keen to learn English and Spanish, knowing they were commonly spoken in the New World. So as we worked or ate, Jonas would give us the English and Spanish words for what we were doing. When Jonas wasn’t about, Andelbert and I would quiz each other.
But most helpful of all to my state of mind were the discussions I had with Captain Peanut Butter and the crew. One of the first evenings of the crossing, the Captain and the crew had assembled on the deck for what I can only describe as story time. Sometimes, it began with a bit of ship business, but it usually detoured into tales of past adventures. Some of the stories were hard to believe. I don’t think it really mattered to the crew if they were real or embellished, or simply fabrications. There was precious little entertainment onboard a ship crossing the ocean, so any tale was a welcome one.
That night, I felt bold, so I asked Captain Peanut Butter to tell me about the New World.
“That is a big request, Baron,” he replied. But I will attempt an answer. Spain controls most of Central America and the western parts of the North and South Americas. They came long ago seeking a new world and found it, along with gold, sugar, bananas, tobacco, rubber, cocoa, and countless other treasures. They also brought diseases, slavery, and European rule.
“England rules the British Colonies in eastern North America, while France rules north and west of the British Colonies and a small portion of South America. Portugal rules most of eastern South America. They all rule islands in the Caribbean. Although they continually battle, so you may never know who rules anywhere at any given time.
“But it doesn’t matter. Together, they have largely decimated the native people of the Americas. They continue to loot their riches and use slavery to fill the markets of Europe. All in the name of profits and Empire.”
But it doesn’t matter. Together, they have largely decimated the native people of the Americas. They continue to loot their riches and use slavery to fill the markets of Europe. All in the name of profits and Empire.”
He stopped and smiled.
“But, of course, you didn’t want a history or political lesson. You wanted to know about the wonders to come, and rightly so. I shall begin with the islands of the Caribbean Sea.
“Around many of the islands, the sea is turquoise blue and clear as glass. You can easily see fish of fantastic color and design. Many of the islands have beaches of pure white sand. On the beaches, you will find trees that curve up from the sand with giant leaves and hard-shelled coconuts that contain milk and edible pulp inside.
“There is never a need for a coat. It is hot year-round. In fact, the sun is so close and shines so strong that it will burn your skin quickly if you are not careful. When it rains, it rains very hard for a short time and then stops.
“There is fruit unlike any in Europe and many delicious new foods to try. There are animals you cannot even imagine, some beautiful and some horrible. There are monkeys that fly from tree to tree and insects the size of rats. There are sea creatures that will happily follow alongside your ship, all the while jumping out of the water and laughing like children at play. And there are monsters in the swamps that will bite your leg off or drag you under to your death.”
The Captain saw my eyes widen and laughed.
“Fear not. The swamp monsters are mainly in Florida, and Spain rules there. We won’t be visiting. Now, I don’t want to spoil all the surprises, so I will leave it there for now.”
It was enough. My mind was spinning, trying to imagine the things to come. But my daydreaming abruptly stopped when I heard a loud noise coming from the ocean. A sound unlike any I had heard before. Along with the noise came a spray of water that shot up into the air. Andelbert and I jumped up to get a better look. As we gazed out at the water, a giant sea beast leaped halfway out of the ocean. It could not have been more than twenty feet from The Jellyfish and seemed as big as our ship. It was mostly black, with some gray spots around its mouth and a large white spot on its underside. And it had two fins like a man has arms. I assumed it must be a whale.
The Captain said, “It’s a marvelous creature, is it not?”
Andelbert replied, “I read about whales in Baron Raspberry’s library. I was fascinated by the illustrations, but it seems unbelievably large with my own eyes.”
Just then, another one jumped out of the water a short distance further.
“Why do they do that?” I asked.
“Who knows why God’s creatures do anything? I like to think they are greeting us as visitors to their home. And I am genuinely thankful that they are gracious hosts. I would not want one of them mad at us or ramming The Jellyfish from below.”
“Goodness,” I said at the thought of it.
“Rest easy. I’ve never heard tell of one attacking a ship. They seem like fairly gentle beasts.
