It's rare to see an inset drawing of a character, and even more rare to find a woman.

I'd no idea "Meta" was a real first name. If people knew that now you'd find lots of Metas in first and second grade.

As for the eventual fate of the ship:

They all got out and made for the coast of Africa. The author - that would be Mr. Nonam - e informs us they intended to hug the coast until they came to a settlement, then get transportation to Cape Town, and then sail for America. That's what they did. Noname described it all again about three paragraphs after he said what they planned to do, because he was paid by the word.

Noname describes the trip with tantalizing details: they took an Oxen car to Cape Town, and from that port went to Liverpool "in due time," and then took a ship back to America.

Don't worry, kids, he'll still have time to invent and build something new by next month's issue.