was far
behind, rising with its long, crescent terraces, sparkling and
twinkling with innumerable lights. We had passed beyond the bay; the
harbor was behind us, the open sea before us, the deep water beneath.
The athaleb flew low, not more than a hundred feet above the water,
and maintained that distance all the time. It seemed, indeed, as if he
might drop into the water at any time; but this was only fancy, for he
was perfect master of all his movement and his flight was swift and
well sustained.

Overhead the sky was filled with the glory of the aurora beams, which
spread everywhere, flashing out from the zenith and illuminating the
earth with a glow brighter than that of the brightest moon; beneath,
the dark waters of the sea extended, with the waves breaking into
foam, and traversed by galleys, by merchant-ships, and by the navies
of the Kosekin. Far away the surface of the sea spread, with that
marvellous appearance of an endless ascent, as though for a thousand
miles, rising thus until it terminated half-way up the sky; and so
it rose up on every side, so that I seemed to be at the bottom of
a basin-shaped world--an immense and immeasurable hollow--a world
unparalleled and unintelligible. Far away, at almost infinite
distances, arose the long lines of mountains, which, crowned with ice,
gleamed in the aurora light, and seemed like a barrier that made
forever impossible all ingress and egress.

On and on we sped. At length we grew perfectly accustomed to the
situation, the motion was so easy and our seats were so secure. There
were no obstacles in our way, no roughness along our path; for that
pathway was the smooth air, and in such a path there could be no
interruption, no jerk or jar. After the first terror had passed there
remained no longer any necessity for holding on--we could sit and look
around with perfect freedom; and at length I rose to my feet, and
Almah stood beside me, and thus we stood for a long time, with all
our souls kindled into glowing enthusiasm by the excitement of that
adventurous flight, and the splendors of that unequalled scene.

At length the aurora light grew dim. Then came forth the stars,
glowing and burning in the black sky. Beneath there was nothing
visible but the darkness of the water, spotted with phosphorescent
points, while all around a wall of gloom arose which shut out from
view the distant shores.

Suddenly I was aware of a noise like the beat of vast wings, and these