Sailing West to Seek Riches

Later today tall ships will depart one at a time to head west. Seeking adventure and riches the sailboats will search out new lands. For a week members of the fleet have been stocking the ships with wine, cheese, and all the other essentials for a long journey. For ten days six to ten boats will make their way west into a barely inhabited land of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and other tribes. Tonight the fleet will gather in Birthold Bay. The lake is so high the sacred fire pit is almost underwater. Around the fire offerings will be made to the gods of wind and rain for a safe journey. Rumor is the west holds vast quantities of riches. Since oil has been discovered in the Baken Shale formation on the far western end of the lake people have been seeking a sea route to Williston. There could be a Northwest Passage. The Indians along the route have devised a clever new way to defeat the white man coming by water. At Newtown the tribes have a trap. When the white man stops for supplies he will be lured into a casino. At the casino he will be plied with drink. This is a trick the Indians have reversed on the unsuspecting whites. Once the sailors are lubricated it is a simple matter to empty their pockets with the electronic thieves. These are the same Indians that confused Columbus they know what they are doing.

The Missouri River splits into the Little Missouri. No doubt the fleet will get confused and take the wrong branch. With the high water ships can sail for two days down the Little Missouri. Not a soul can be seen down that vast canyon. The fleet will have to rely on rudimentary instruments of navigation such as GPS, Laptop computers, and Cell phones. Always knowing were they are withing three feet and with complete maps of the bottom of the lake navigation will be difficult and treacherous. Like Columbus the fleet will be threatened with weather. Radar weather broadcast onto cell phones will only give them a marginal seven day advance notice of what the wind gods will do. The fleet will only be able to see storms sixty miles away. It will be easy to see what early explorers were up against.

Facing the loneliness of the long voyage sailors will be forced to watch a flat screen TV on rainy nights deep in the heart of Indian country. It will be a long difficult journey. If the ice gives out and the beer gets warm no doubt many will parish. If we make it back we can spread the news of the riches of the far west where wealth is pumped from the ground, where black gold has replaced yellow gold, and the land is overrun with those seeking riches.