d water; linger not, my children, therein lies our only
hope."

But the days went on, and though the storm passed, and the pinnace still
rode safely on the waters, the hearts of the crew were heavy within
them. The boat was indeed lighter now, for of the forty-seven who had
embarked in her, twenty-six died, and their bodies had been solemnly
committed to the deep, there to wait till, at the voice of God's angel,
the sea shall give up her dead. Solemn indeed must have been the
thoughts of the survivors as they saw one after another of their
comrades summoned from their side to stand before God; no one of them
knew but that he might be called next, and all were sure that if help
did not reach them speedily, none would return home to tell the tale of
their sufferings. Some there were of that crew who, faint, weary, in
want of covering, tortured with thirst, yet held fast their trust in
their Father in Heaven, and cried to Him with agonized prayer to have
mercy on them for Christ's sake. And the prayer for deliverance was
heard.

It was on the third of January, and the first faint daylight was
stealing over the waters, when one of the crew, looking eagerly round as
he raised himself from uneasy sleep, saw far off a faint line which
seemed to be land. The sun rose higher and colored rose-red the
snow-hooded tops of lofty rocks around the unknown coast. All the hope
and desire of the shipwrecked crew was now to reach this shore, fearing
its unknown dangers but little, compared with the terrible suffering
they had long endured.

But, alas! the wind had died away, and in vain did they unfurl their
sails, and set their rudder. They must try the oars then, but the arms
of the starving sailors were too weak to move the boat, and they could
do nothing but trust to the force of the waves and the currents which
were bearing her along. It was the sixth of January when they reached
the land, and with great difficulty drew their boat to the beach. They
soon found that they had landed on an uninhabited island, which lay, as
they afterwards found, off the coast of Norway--a strange and foreign
land to the Venetians of those days.

No sooner did the wasted remnant of the crew set foot on shore than they
rushed to the rocks, climbing them with strength which they had not
thought they possessed, and eagerly gathering the pure white snow in
their hands, bathed their parched lips and dry tongues, drinking again
and again, as if they could