ovided they got her into
Germany. The ship, though steaming full speed, made no progress that
night, but went back, and in three days, the 19th, 20th, and 21st, made
only 100 knots.

After such stormy nights, and in such bitter cold weather, a breakfast
of cold canned crab, or dry bread with sugar, or rice and hot water plus
a very little gravy, or bread and much watered condensed milk, was not
very nourishing or satisfying, but very often that was all we had. The
food we had was just sufficient to keep us alive, and that was all. This
weather of course pleased the German Captain, who said that no enemy
ship would or could board him under such conditions. In fact, he said no
enemy vessel would be out of port in such weather! Only those
supermariners, the Germans, could manage a ship under similar
conditions! He told us we were much safer on the _Igotz Mendi_ than we
should be on a British cruiser, which might at any time be attacked by a
German armed ship. "I would rather die on a British cruiser to-night,"
my wife retorted, "than be a prisoner in Germany," an opinion we all
endorsed. The weather alone was sufficiently terrifying to the landsmen
amongst us; the prospect of having to take to the lifeboats at any
moment if the Germans took it in into their heads to sink the ship if
she were sighted by an enemy ship added to the fears of all of us. None
of us dared undress thoroughly before turning in--when we did turn in,
lifebelts were always kept handy, and we had to be ready for any
emergency at any moment. And, as will be readily understood, our
imaginations had been working horribly during the last few months,
especially since we began to encounter the rough weather and the winter
gales in the grey and cheerless wastes of the North Atlantic. The
natural conditions were bad enough in all conscience. But, in addition,
we had the knowledge that if we survived them we were going into German
captivity. Could anything be worse?

There had been no boat drill, and the lifeboat accommodation was
hopelessly inadequate for more than eighty people now on board. It is
certain, with the mixed crew on board, that there would have been a
savage fight for the boats. The prospect, looked at from any point of
view, was alarming, and one of the greatest anxiety for us all. Physical
distress and discomfort were not the only things we had to contend
with--the nervous strain was also very great, and seemed endless.

On February 22nd we