mstances,
but which now occurred to me once more, when I was overwhelmed
with despair, and my mind was weakened by the horrors which I had
experienced; and I had a vague fear that I had been drawn into the
very channel through which the ocean waters flowed in their course to
that terrific, that unparalleled abyss. Still, there was as yet no
sign whatever of anything like a descent, for the boat was on even
keel, and perfectly level as before, and it was impossible for me to
tell whether I was moving swiftly or slowly, or standing perfectly
still; for in that darkness there were no visible objects by which
I could find out the rate of my progress; and as those who go up in
balloons are utterly insensible of motion, so was I on those calm
but swift waters.

At length there came into view something which arrested my attention
and engrossed all my thoughts. It was faint glow that at first caught
my gaze; and, on turning to see it better, I saw a round red spot
glowing like fire. I had not seen this before. It looked like the moon
when it rises from behind clouds, and glows red and lurid from the
horizon; and so this glowed, but not with the steady light of the
moon, for the light was fitful, and sometimes flashed into a baleful
brightness, which soon subsided into a dimmer lustre. New alarm arose
within me, for this new sight suggested something more terrible than
anything that I had thus far thought of. This, then, I thought, was to
be the end of my voyage; this was my goal--a pit of fire, into which I
should be hurled! Would it be well, I thought, to wait for such a
fate, and experience such a death-agony? Would it not be better for me
to take my own life before I should know the worst? I took my pistol
and loaded it, so as to be prepared, but hesitated to use it until my
fate should be more apparent. So I sat, holding my pistol, prepared to
use it, watching the light, and awaiting the time when the glowing
fires should make all further hope impossible. But time passed, and
the light grew no brighter; on the contrary, it seemed to grow
fainter. There was also another change. Instead of shining before me,
it appeared more on my left. From this it went on changing its
position until at length it was astern. All the time it continued to
grow fainter, and it seemed certain that I was moving away from it
rather than toward it. In the midst of this there occurred a new
thought, which seemed to account for this light--this was,