Question

When do you think , mary and the narrator feel the end was near ? why did they feel so ?

Answer 1

On January 5th they found that the weather was not improving and they felt that the end was near. They felt so because the ship was damaged to a great extent and their only hope was to reach the small island on Il Amsterdam. Most of their equipment and compasses are lost or faulty and it was very difficult to guide themselves to the island. So they were almost sure the the end was near.

Answer 2

The narrator and his wife felt the end was near as they could see strong gales and high tides. Wavewalker was already in a tarnished condition and they thought that it would not be able to withstand the onslaughts of the sea. This made them think that their end was near.