“Itmaylooklikeboasting-butwhatItellyouistruth-I
　　begantoreflecthowmagnificentathingitwastodieinsuchamanner，andhowfoolishitwasinmetothinkofsopaltryaconsiderationasmyownindividuallife，inviewofsowonderfulamanifestationofGod’spower。IdobelievethatIblushedwithshamewhenthisideacrossedmymind。AfteralittlewhileIbecamepossessedwiththekeenestcuriosityaboutthewhirlitself。I
　　positivelyfelta_wish_toexploreitsdepths，evenatthesacrificeIwasgoingtomake；andmyprincipalgriefwasthatIshouldneverbeabletotellmyoldcompanionsonshoreaboutthemysteriesI
　　shouldsee。These，nodoubt，weresingularfanciestooccupyaman’smindinsuchextremity-andIhaveoftenthoughtsince，thattherevolutionsoftheboataroundthepoolmighthaverenderedmealittlelight-headed。
　　“Therewasanothercircumstancewhichtendedtorestoremyself-possession；andthiswasthecessationofthewind，whichcouldnotreachusinourpresentsituation-for，asyousawyourself，thebeltofsurfisconsiderablylowerthanthegeneralbedoftheocean，andthislatternowtoweredaboveus，ahigh，black，mountainousridge。Ifyouhaveneverbeenatseainaheavygale，youcanformnoideaoftheconfusionofmindoccasionedbythewindandspraytogether。Theyblind，deafen，andstrangleyou，andtakeawayallpowerofactionorreflection。Butwewerenow，inagreatmeasure，ridoftheseannoyances-justusdeath-condemnedfelonsinprisonareallowedpettyindulgences，forbiddenthemwhiletheirdoomisyetuncertain。
　　“Howoftenwemadethecircuitofthebeltitisimpossibletosay。Wecareeredroundandroundforperhapsanhour，flyingratherthanfloating，gettinggraduallymoreandmoreintothemiddleofthesurge，andthennearerandnearertoitshorribleinneredge。AllthistimeIhadneverletgoofthering-bolt。Mybrotherwasatthestern，holdingontoasmallemptywater-caskwhichhadbeensecurelylashedunderthecoopofthecounter，andwastheonlythingondeckthathadnotbeensweptoverboardwhenthegalefirsttookus。Asweapproachedthebrinkofthepitheletgohisholduponthis，andmadeforthering，fromwhich，intheagonyofhisterror，heendeavoredtoforcemyhands，asitwasnotlargeenoughtoaffordusbothasecuregrasp。IneverfeltdeepergriefthanwhenIsawhimattemptthisact-althoughIknewhewasamadmanwhenhedidit-aravingmaniacthroughsheerfright。Ididnotcare，however，tocontestthepointwithhim。Iknewitcouldmakenodifferencewhethereitherofusheldonatall；soIlethimhavethebolt，andwentasterntothecask。Thistherewasnogreatdifficultyindoing；forthesmackflewroundsteadilyenough，anduponanevenkeel-onlyswayingtoandfro，withtheimmensesweepsandsweltersofthewhirl。ScarcelyhadIsecuredmyselfinmynewposition，whenwegaveawildlurchtostarboard，andrushedheadlongintotheabyss。ImutteredahurriedprayertoGod，andthoughtallwasover。
　　“AsIfeltthesickeningsweepofthedescent，Ihadinstinctivelytightenedmyholduponthebarrel，andclosedmyeyes。
　　ForsomesecondsIdarednotopenthem-whileIexpectedinstantdestruction，andwonderedthatIwasnotalreadyinmydeath-struggleswiththewater。Butmomentaftermomentelapsed。I
　　stilllived。Thesenseoffallinghadceased；andthemotionofthevesselseemedmuchasithadbeenbefore，whileinthebeltoffoam，withtheexceptionthatshenowlaymorealong。Itookcourage，andlookedonceagainuponthescene。
　　“NevershallIforgetthesensationsofawe，horror，andadmirationwithwhichIgazedaboutme。Theboatappearedtobehanging，asifbymagic，midwaydown，upontheinteriorsurfaceofafunnelvastincircumference，prodigiousindepth，andwhoseperfectlysmoothsidesmighthavebeenmistakenforebony，butforthebewilderingrapiditywithwhichtheyspunaround，andforthegleamingandghastlyradiancetheyshotforth，astheraysofthefullmoon，fromthatcircularriftamidthecloudswhichIhavealreadydescribed，streamedinafloodofgoldengloryalongtheblackwalls，andfarawaydownintotheinmostrecessesoftheabyss。
　　“AtfirstIwastoomuchconfusedtoobserveanythingaccurately。
　　ThegeneralburstofterrificgrandeurwasallthatIbeheld。WhenI
　　recoveredmyselfalittle，however，mygazefellinstinctivelydownward。InthisdirectionIwasabletoobtainanunobstructedview，fromthemannerinwhichthesmackhungontheinclinedsurfaceofthepool。Shewasquiteuponanevenkeel-thatistosay，herdecklayinaplaneparallelwiththatofthewater-butthislatterslopedatanangleofmorethanforty-fivedegrees，sothatweseemedtobelyinguponourbeam-ends。Icouldnothelpobserving，nevertheless，thatIhadscarcelymoredifficultyinmaintainingmyholdandfootinginthissituation，thanifwehadbeenuponadeadlevel；andthis，Isuppose，wasowingtothespeedatwhichwerevolved。
　　“Theraysofthemoonseemedtosearchtheverybottomoftheprofoundgulf；butstillIcouldmakeoutnothingdistinctly，onaccountofathickmistinwhicheverythingtherewasenveloped，andoverwhichtherehungamagnificentrainbow，likethatnarrowandtotteringbridgewhichMussulmensayistheonlypathwaybetweenTimeandEternity。Thismist，orspray，wasnodoubtoccasionedbytheclashingofthegreatwallsofthefunnel，astheyallmettogetheratthebottom-buttheyellthatwentuptotheHeavensfromoutofthatmist，Idarenotattempttodescribe。
　　“Ourfirstslideintotheabyssitself，fromthebeltoffoamabove，hadcarriedusagreatdistancedowntheslope；butourfartherdescentwasbynomeansproportionate。Roundandroundweswept-notwithanyuniformmovement-butindizzyingswingsandjerks，thatsentussometimesonlyafewhundredyards-sometimesnearlythecompletecircuitofthewhirl。Ourprogressdownward，ateachrevolution，wasslow，butveryperceptible。
　　“Lookingaboutmeuponthewidewasteofliquidebonyonwhichwewerethusborne，Iperceivedthatourboatwasnottheonlyobjectintheembraceofthewhirl。Bothaboveandbelowuswerevisiblefragmentsofvessels，largemassesofbuildingtimberandtrunksoftrees，withmanysmallerarticles，suchaspiecesofhousefurniture，brokenboxes，barrelsandstaves。Ihavealreadydescribedtheunnaturalcuriositywhichhadtakentheplaceofmyoriginalterrors。
　　ItappearedtogrowuponmeasIdrewnearerandnearertomydreadfuldoom。Inowbegantowatch，withastrangeinterest，thenumerousthingsthatfloatedinourcompany。I_must_havebeendelirious-forIevensought_amusement_inspeculatingupontherelativevelocitiesoftheirseveraldescentstowardthefoambelow。
　　’Thisfirtree，’Ifoundmyselfatonetimesaying，’willcertainlybethenextthingthattakestheawfulplungeanddisappears，’-andthenIwasdisappointedtofindthatthewreckofaDutchmerchantshipovertookitandwentdownbefore。Atlength，aftermakingseveralguessesofthisnature，andbeingdeceivedinall-thisfact-thefactofmyinvariablemiscalculation-setmeuponatrainofreflectionthatmademylimbsagaintremble，andmyheartbeatheavilyoncemore。
　　“Itwasnotanewterrorthatthusaffectedme，butthedawnofamoreexciting_hope_。Thishopearosepartlyfrommemory，andpartlyfrompresentobservation。IcalledtomindthegreatvarietyofbuoyantmatterthatstrewedthecoastofLofoden，havingbeenabsorbedandthenthrownforthbytheMoskoe-str鰉。Byfarthegreaternumberofthearticleswereshatteredinthemostextraordinaryway-sochafedandroughenedastohavetheappearanceofbeingstuckfullofsplinters-butthenIdistinctlyrecollectedthattherewere_some_ofthemwhichwerenotdisfiguredatall。NowIcouldnotaccountforthisdifferenceexceptbysupposingthattheroughenedfragmentsweretheonlyoneswhichhadbeen_completelyabsorbed_-thattheothershadenteredthewhirlatsolateaperiodofthetide，or，forsomereason，haddescendedsoslowlyafterentering，thattheydidnotreachthebottombeforetheturnofthefloodcame，oroftheebb，asthecasemightbe。Iconceiveditpossible，ineitherinstance，thattheymightthusbewhirledupagaintotheleveloftheocean，withoutundergoingthefateofthosewhichhadbeendrawninmoreearly，orabsorbedmorerapidly。Imade，also，threeimportantobservations。Thefirstwas，that，asageneralrule，thelargerthebodieswere，themorerapidtheirdescent-thesecond，that，betweentwomassesofequalextent，theonespherical，andtheother_ofanyothershape_，thesuperiorityinspeedofdescentwaswiththesphere-thethird，that，betweentwomassesofequalsize，theonecylindrical，andtheotherofanyothershape，thecylinderwasabsorbedthemoreslowly。Sincemyescape，Ihavehadseveralconversationsonthissubjectwithanoldschool-masterofthedistrict；anditwasfromhimthatIlearnedtheuseofthewords’cylinder’and’sphere。’Heexplainedtome-althoughIhaveforgottentheexplanation-howwhatIobservedwas，infact，thenaturalconsequenceoftheformsofthefloatingfragments-andshowedmehowithappenedthatacylinder，swimminginavortex，offeredmoreresistancetoitssuction，andwasdrawninwithgreaterdifficultythananequallybulkybody，ofanyformwhatever。{*1}
　　“Therewasonestartlingcircumstancewhichwentagreatwayinenforcingtheseobservations，andrenderingmeanxioustoturnthemtoaccount，andthiswasthat，ateveryrevolution，wepassedsomethinglikeabarrel，orelsetheyardorthemastofavessel，whilemanyofthesethings，whichhadbeenonourlevelwhenIfirstopenedmyeyesuponthewondersofthewhirlpool，werenowhighupaboveus，andseemedtohavemovedbutlittlefromtheiroriginalstation。
　　“Inolongerhesitatedwhattodo。IresolvedtolashmyselfsecurelytothewatercaskuponwhichInowheld，tocutitloosefromthecounter，andtothrowmyselfwithitintothewater。I
　　attractedmybrother’sattentionbysigns，pointedtothefloatingbarrelsthatcamenearus，anddideverythinginmypowertomakehimunderstandwhatIwasabouttodo。Ithoughtatlengththathecomprehendedmydesign-but，whetherthiswasthecaseornot，heshookhisheaddespairingly，andrefusedtomovefromhisstationbythering-bolt。Itwasimpossibletoreachhim；theemergencyadmittedofnodelay；andso，withabitterstruggle，Iresignedhimtohisfate，fastenedmyselftothecaskbymeansofthelashingswhichsecuredittothecounter，andprecipitatedmyselfwithitintothesea，withoutanothermoment’shesitation。
　　“TheresultwaspreciselywhatIhadhopeditmightbe。Asitismyselfwhonowtellyouthistale-asyouseethatI_did_escape-
　　andasyouarealreadyinpossessionofthemodeinwhichthisescapewaseffected，andmustthereforeanticipateallthatIhavefarthertosay-Iwillbringmystoryquicklytoconclusion。Itmighthavebeenanhour，orthereabout，aftermyquittingthesmack，when，havingdescendedtoavastdistancebeneathme，itmadethreeorfourwildgyrationsinrapidsuccession，and，bearingmylovedbrotherwithit，plungedheadlong，atonceandforever，intothechaosoffoambelow。ThebarreltowhichIwasattachedsunkverylittlefartherthanhalfthedistancebetweenthebottomofthegulfandthespotatwhichIleapedoverboard，beforeagreatchangetookplaceinthecharacterofthewhirlpool。Theslopeofthesidesofthevastfunnelbecamemomentlylessandlesssteep。Thegyrationsofthewhirlgrew，gradually，lessandlessviolent。Bydegrees，thefrothandtherainbowdisappeared，andthebottomofthegulfseemedslowlytouprise。Theskywasclear，thewindshadgonedown，andthefullmoonwassettingradiantlyinthewest，whenIfoundmyselfonthesurfaceoftheocean，infullviewoftheshoresofLofoden，andabovethespotwherethepooloftheMoskoe-str鰉_hadbeen_。Itwasthehouroftheslack-buttheseastillheavedinmountainouswavesfromtheeffectsofthehurricane。IwasborneviolentlyintothechanneloftheStr鰉，andinafewminuteswashurrieddownthecoastintothe’grounds’ofthefishermen。Aboatpickedmeup-exhaustedfromfatigue-andnowthatthedangerwasremovedspeechlessfromthememoryofitshorror。Thosewhodrewmeonboardweremyoldmatesanddailycompanions-buttheyknewmenomorethantheywouldhaveknownatravellerfromthespirit-land。Myhairwhichhadbeenraven-blackthedaybefore，wasaswhiteasyouseeitnow。Theysaytoothatthewholeexpressionofmycountenancehadchanged。Itoldthemmystory-theydidnotbelieveit。Inowtellitto_you_-andIcanscarcelyexpectyoutoputmorefaithinitthandidthemerryfishermenofLofoden。”