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JUAN FRANCISCO BLANCO
“Please have Ix Chel teach the women to weave strong cloth
that can be used for sails. Also, have Yum Kaax search out plants
like hemp that the villagers can use to make strong ropes.
Nothing makes better ropes than hemp. She can also show the
men where they can find tree sap for waterproofing the bottom
of the boats. If they can, try to find rubber trees to help with the
boats.”
Sharply one hour after sunrise, Bardala, Jonathan, Viviana,
and Tital climbed into one small, rebuilt sailboat while
Mahucutah, Lena, Ronú and Kuó climbed into another one.
“It was good that you had me work over these old boats last
night, it took four of my Spirit helpers to make these boats
seaworthy,” Mahucutah told Tital, after they had rowed out past
the surf.
“You did a really great job. I even like the carvings you did on
the bowsprit!” Tital yelled above the noise of the surf, as he
pulled the rope, rising up the new sail made the night before by
Ix Chel Cheel.
“Look at the image on our sail,” said Viviana.
“Ix Chel Cheel wove the image of Kukulcán in blue feathers,”
Jonathan said.
”The great blue-feathered dragon,” Bardala said, smiling. “A
good omen, a very good omen.
A strong seven-knot wind took them to the northern shore of
the unexplored Kaóc Island. There, they located what henceforth
would be called Dolphin Bay, in honor of the five bottle-nosed
dolphins that swam out in front of the two sailboats.