Chapter 3 Summary

The Salazar fleet consists of five boats, each named after a saint. Each is about twenty feet in length, shaped like a very wide canoe with a small square sale. Each boat has a crew of four or five men. Ramun is on the Santa Theresa with his father, Gaspar Ruiz and an Indian. Gaspar Ruiz recently came to the village of La Paz. He claims to have traveled from Seville in Spain and is called the Sevillano. Ruiz's body is covered with tattoos depicting his various exploits, and he often brags about his skill and the adventures he has survived. One tattoo shows Ruiz fighting an octopus with a dozen tentacles.

Despite Ruiz's arrogant, bragging nature, he is an excellent pearl diver who can stay underwater for up to four minutes. He never fails to find the biggest, highest quality pearls. Ruiz...