San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-31

Opuy. "uO gives US QutTUeT uuleSS IL Dc W
hang us! But to continue: We did hand
somely, but were long time about it, and
after careening and filling up with water
'twixt San Carlos and Chloe we set sail for
the Antilles. Like your brig, we were blown
south. The weather was ferocious. Gale
after gale Numbered down upon us, forcing
us to fly before it We lost all reckoning of
our position; for days, for weeks, sea and
sky were enveloped in clouds of snow, in the
heart of which drove our frozen schooner.
We were none of us Of a nationality fit to en-
counter these regions; we carried most of us
the curly hair of the sun, the chocolate cheek
of the burning zone, and the ice chained the
crew. crouching like Lascars, below. We
swept past many vast icebergs, which would
leap on sudden out of the white whirl of
thickness, often so close aboard that the re-
coil of the surge striking against the mass
would hood our decks. At all moments of
the day and night we were prepared to feel
che shock of the vessel crushing her bows
against one of those stupendOus hills. The
cabin resounded with SalveS and AYES, with
invocatiOnS to the saints, promises, curses,
and litanies. The cold does not make men
of the Spaniards, who are but Indifferent sea-
men in temperate chimes. and we were chiefly
Spaniards, with consciences as red as your
English flag"
He grinned, emptied the pannikin, and
stretched his hands to the fire to warm them.
Zone morning, the weather having cleared
somewhat, we found ourselves surrounded by
ice. A great chain fOated ahead of us, ex-
tending far into the south. The gale blew
dead on to this coast; we burst not haul tbs
schooner to the wind, and our only chance
lay in discovering some bay where we might
find shelter. Such bay it was my good
tuck to spy, lying directly in line with the
ships head. 1t was formed of a great steep
of ice jutting a long way slantingly into the
sea, the width between the point and the
main being about third of mile. ] seized
the helm, and shouted to the men to hoist
the head of the mainsail that she might round
TO when put the helm down. But the fell
lows were in panic terror, and stood gaping
at what they regarded as their doom, calling
upon the Virgin and all the saints for help
and mercy. Into this bay did we rush ON
top of huge sea, Trentanove and the cap
tain and l swinging, with set teeth, at the
tiller, that was hard alec. She came round,
but with such way upon her that she took
long shelving beach of ice, and ran up it to
the distance of half her own length, and there
she lay, with her rudder within touch of the
wash of the water. The men, regarding the
schooner as lost, and concluding that if she
went to pieces her boats would be destroyed,
and with them their only chance to escape
from the ice, fell frantic, and lost their wits
altogether. They roared, TO the boats! to
the boatsp The captain endeavored to bring
them back to their senses; he and | and the
mate, and joan Barros, the boatswain-a
ortugueSe-went among them pistols in
hand, entreating, cursing, threatening.
Think of the plumber in this holdl Will
you abandon it without an effort to save it?
What think you are your chances for life in
open boats in this sea? The schooner lies
protected here; the weather will moderate
presently, and we may then be able to slide
her Off But reason as we would, the cow
ardly dogs refused to listen. They had
preached a spirit caSk aft, and passed the
liquor along the decks while they heisted the
pinnace out of the hold and got the other
boats over The drink maddened, yet left
them wild with fear too. They would not
wait to come at the treasure i'll the run-the
fools believed the ship would tumble to pieces
as she stood-but entered the forecastle and
the officers cabins, and routed about for what
ever money and trinkets they might stuff
into their pockets without loss of time; and
then provisioning the boats, they called to
us to join them, but we said, Moon which
they ran the boats down to the water, tum-
bled into them, and pulled away round the
point of ice. We lost sight of them then,
and have little doubt that they all per-
iShed shortly afterward."
He ceased. l was anxious to hear more.
you had been six months on the ice when
the stupor fell upon YOUR
Gay, about six months. The ice gathered
about us and built us in. l recollect it was
three days after we stranded that, going on
deck, | saw the bay las l term it, filled with
ice. We drew up several plans to escape,
but none satisfied u.s. Besides, sir, we had
treasure on board which we had riSked our
necks to get, and we were prepared to go on
imperiling our lives to save it Twas natu-
raj. We had great store of coal forward
and amidships, for we had faced the Horn in
coming, and knew what we had to expect in
returning. We were also richly stocked with
provisions and drink of all sorts. There were
but four of us, and we dealt with what we
had as if we designed it should last us fifty
years. But the cold was frightful; it was
not in flesh and blood TO stand it. One day
we had been locked up about five months
Mendoza said he would get upon the rocks
and take view of the sea. He did not re-
turn. The others were too weak to seek him,
and they were half blind besides; went, but
the ice was full of caves. and hOllows, and