SESSION IV 183 ~ just two officers aboard this little boat—and when they arrived just where they thought they should be, they saw only the great big Pacific Ocean, They lookedaround and talked to the sailors awhile; the sailors were very reserved, of course, as sailors would be, This was the new Exec and the new Skipper and they didn't want to commit themselves, So they said, 'Well, we'd better plot it again." They plotted again and they came out with this point and they were still in the big Pacific Ocean. In all fairness to them, atolls are very difficult to spot. They emerge only a few feet. Atolls of about eight feet with palm trees, mixed in the haze and the waves, are very difficult to spot. So they couldn't see it, They weren't close enough. Firally one of the sailors said, "I suggest you ask the Marshallese boys." Whereupon the skipper said, "I'm a graduate of Annapolis; I know how to navigate a ship, '' and his back went up. But finally in desperation he said to the boys, ‘Well, do you fellows know where Wotje is?" Their reponse is typical of their behavior, never a direct response, "We'll think about it for a while.’ This is a lesson some ofthe rest of usa might learn. Rather than blurt out a quick reply, ‘Why, let's think about it for a moment." : . So they had a little huddle; they walked around the edge of the ship; they looked in the water; they looked off at the sky; they had another consultation and they said ''Wotje that way" (indicating). This wasa great nelp, At least the skipper knew the direction to go! [Laughter] He thought maybe since these boys were so damned smart, he could ask them another question, "How far is it to Wotje?'' Another consultation, another walk around the ship and another huddle, and "Wotje 40 rnore miles," “Well, we're lost. We might as welltry this.'' He commanded, "Sail that way 40 miles.'' They later arrived in the harbor of Wotje and dropped anchor and everything was lovely. The skipper began to think about this. He gathered the boys together again and said, "How did you know where Wotje was?" "Oh!" This was avery serious problem. Another huddle, and another bit of discussion and then the great announcement: always right here!" [Laughter] ''Wotje FREMONT-SMITH: I think I have to give another aspect of this same story because as I was coming back from ikini I was ona plane with a Navy captain who told mea very similar story.