, 1909-08-12
The Last VO&aGe
of the Donna Isabel

II became easy to see what TINS
n ant TO Us all. 1t was neither hun |
6 nor thirst. although | felt it safI
TO ut all upon short rations from the
b" inning, but rather the awful, con |
tiruous strain of hopeless LONELINESS
In hat vast desert of ocean,. The con
tc"'rl"tion of 1t maddened us one mo
n ut into frenzy, and depressed us the
re t into profound melancholy. We
could not shake 1t off: awake or in
e." ms 1t held us to slavery. Every
Wore. everywhere the same eternal
swell of the seas. the same eternity
O. c!ouded sky, the same dull, dead
Il c-ctony of scene n motion. hour
efier hour, day after night. 1t drove
u ma". crushing down uron the brain
as though it was a real weight, merci
less. agonizing. The air Remained
frosty. the southwest wind chilling
the spray which slapped into our faces
icy cold. Dur fingers stiffened with
cold, our bodies shook from the chill;
only beneath the warmth of the
blankets could we find comparative
comfort. Hour after hour the men
lay, curled up and m~otionless, only
crawling forth reluctantly to take
T. t" turn on watch. Our greatest
el.ort was to keep the straining cord
age free from ice. and to prevent lis
formation along the gunwsle Or at the
lows, c.e" which spray dashed in
constant shower.
Good God, how those hours dragged,
with the same heartless scene with
out, the same hopeless faces within
Nest of us coptinued to live merely
because We could not die. IndiffeT
encn took the place of hope, and We
Performed our simple tasks automatic
ely almost unconsciously. johnson,
De Nova and took our tricks at the
helm, with n man always awake
forward to manage the running gear,
AMI only once during those first SIX
days We're we compelled to lower
our all or take a reef in the jib.
Thea a fierce squat came tearing
a swift, sharp blow, heralded by a
binding snow furry which kicked up
an ugly sea. lashing us with heavier
singing spray, and coating every
thing with ice. For seven hours we
fought in a binding smother, ever
ma : awake. crouching beneath blank
cts the slowed away under
Il. thwarts. and De Nova and ! at the
tiller. the huge surges pounding
ag. inst our hacks, as we II rs k,pt
them from we oing the |; boz ny bat
fot and AIT, and swamping her.
ne,er believed we could weather II,
the increasing waves tossing us about
like a cork, yet, as the dawn broke.
We succeeded in b%roaching to, with
ca" as drag holding her, and the very
n cent | realized she would ride
8 ly | fell forward dead asleep
Eit,.el Doris or one of the men GOV
Il me with blaE..eta. my icy clOth'
9 drying on my body. But it was
lis who welcomed me back TO lie
&li, as d little 5hI.Ipse of ,wester!-i
San grew barely visible through a ri
~ The dun clouds, with the n~iainsail
Isain spread, and the %longboat leapins
% the fuaming SUBMITS. oh, but II
VS. worth all suffering just TO read
the confession of her eyes, and 10
loel Eer bend down over me in sudden
~tenderness! | am not ashamed that
The tears dimmed my eyes so | could
scarcely see her dear face or that my
voice choked So | could do no more
than whisper her name. She mus'
have understood, for her soft hand
touched my cheek, and so we rested
for a long time. scarcely ~exchangins
Il word between us.
1t was later that same day, just al
the edge of twilight, when Kelly
called, "A sail" pointing eagerly ou'
owe the MORT nuartar Then aOme