Chapter 2

           THEonlysignofcommercialactivitywithintheharbour,visiblefromthebeachoftheGreatIsabel,isthesquarebluntendofthewoodenjettywhichtheOceanicSteamNavigationCompany(theO.S.N.offamiliarspeech)hadthrownovertheshallowpartofthebaysoonaftertheyhadresolvedtomakeofSulacooneoftheirportsofcallfortheRepublicofCostaguana.TheStatepossessesseveralharboursonitslongseaboard,butexceptCayta,animportantplace,allareeithersmallandinconvenientinletsinaniron-boundcoast—likeEsmeralda,forinstance,sixtymilestothesouth—orelsemereopenroadsteadsexposedtothewindsandfrettedbythesurf.

           PerhapstheveryatmosphericconditionswhichhadkeptawaythemerchantfleetsofbygoneagesinducedtheO.S.N.CompanytoviolatethesanctuaryofpeaceshelteringthecalmexistenceofSulaco.ThevariableairssportinglightlywiththevastsemicircleofwaterswithintheheadofAzueracouldnotbafflethesteampoweroftheirexcellentfleet.Yearafteryeartheblackhullsoftheirshipshadgoneupanddownthecoast,inandout,pastAzuera,pasttheIsabels,pastPuntaMala—disregardingeverythingbutthetyrannyoftime.Theirnames,thenamesofallmythology,becamethehouseholdwordsofacoastthathadneverbeenruledbythegodsofOlympus.