Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-03-22

SKY were enVelOpeu III CLOUDS OF snow, III tle
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 a sudden OUT of the white whirl of
thickness, often so close aboard that the re-
coil of the surge striking against the mass
would flood our decks. At all moments of
the day and night we were prepared to feel
the 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 litanes. Tho 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, enptied the pannikin, and
stretched his hands to the fire to warm them.
Gone morning, the weather having cleared
somewhat, we found ourselves surrounded by
| ice. A great chain foated ahead of us, cx-
tending far into tho south. The gale blow
| dead on to this coast; we burst not haul the
schooner to the wind, and our only chance
| lay in discovering some bay where we might
! find shelter Such bay it was my good
luck to spy, lying directly in a line with the
ships head. 1t was formed of great steep
OF ice juttng q long way slantngly into the
| sea, the width between the point and the
main being about third of a mile. ] seized
the helm, and shouted to the men to hoist
| the head Of the nainsail 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
| I'LL.
and mercy Into this bay did we rush on
top of hugo sea, Trentanovc and the cap
tain and / swinging, with set teeth, at the
tiller, that was hard alec She came round,
but with such way upon her that she took a
! long shelving beach of ice, and ran up it to
| the distance Of half her own length, and there
| she Law with her rudder within touch of the
wash Of the water. The men, regarding the
| schooner rs lost, and concluding that il she
| went to pieces her boats would be destroyed
| and with them their only chance to escape
| frosl the ice, fell frantic, and lost their wits
altogether. They roared, TO the boats! to
| the boatsr The captain endeavored to bring
| them back to their senses: he and | and the
mate, and joan Barros, the boatswain-a
| Portuguese-went among them pistols in
hand entreating, Gus sing, threatening.
| think Of the plumber in this hold! VIII
you abandon Il without an effort to save I'll
| What ih1lk yen 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
broached a spirit cask aft, and passed the
liquor along the decks while they hoisted tho
pinnace out of the hold and got the other
boais over. The drink maddened, yet left
them wild with fear too They would not
| wait to come at the treasure in 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 los, Of time and
then provisioning the boats, they called to
us to join them, but we said, 'No'-on which
they ran the boats down to the water, tunl-
blcd into them, and pulled away round the
point of ice We lost sight of them then,
and | have little doubt that they ali 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 YOU"
CAY, about six months. The ice gathered
about us and built us in. | recolect it was
three days after we stranded that, going on
L
ice. We drew up several plans to escape,
but none satisfied us. Besides, sir, we had
treasure on board which we had riskcd our
necks to get, and we We're prepared to so on
imperiing 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 We're
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 n view Of the sea- He did not re-
turn. The others were too weak TO seek him.
and they We're half blind besides: | went, but
the ice was full of caves and hollows, and
the like, and / could not find him. nor could
| look for him long, the cold being the hand
of death itself up there. The time went by;
Trentanove went stone blind, and l had to
put food and drink into his hands that he
might live. A week before the stupor came
upon Inc | went on deck and saw JOAN Bar
ros leaning at the rail. [ called to him, but
be made no reply. / approached and looked
at him, and found him frozen. Then hap
pened what | have told You. We were in
the cabin the mate seated at the table, wait
ing for me to lead and support him to the
cook room, for he was so weak he could
scarce carry his weight. A sudden faintnes,
seized me, and l sank down upon the bench
opposite him, letting my head fall upon my
arms. His cry startled me- looked up
saw him, as | have said; but the cabin then
turned black, my head sank again, and l re-
member no more"
He paused, and then cried in French,
THAT is all! They arc dead-Jules TasSard
lives! The devil is loyal to his own" and
with that he lay back and burst into laugh
ter.
"And this" said I, twas in 1903"
eyes, he answered, ''and this is 1901
eight and forty years afterward, hev.' and
he laughed out again. "Ive talked SC
much, )" said he, "that, dye know think an
other nap will do me good. What coal.
have you found in the ship:"
! told him.
"Good" he cried; 1--WE can keep ourselves
| f,r. g..