WewaitedinvainforthearrivalofthesixthdaythatdaytomehasnotarrivedtotheSwede，neverdidarrive。Thenceforwardwewereenshroudedinpatchydarkness，sothatwecouldnothaveseenanobjectattwentypacesfromtheship。Eternalnightcontinuedtoenvelopus，allunrelievedbythephosphoricsea-brilliancytowhichwehadbeenaccustomedinthetropics。Weobservedtoo，that，althoughthetempestcontinuedtoragewithunabatedviolence，therewasnolongertobediscoveredtheusualappearanceofsurf，orfoam，whichhadhithertoattendedus。Allaroundwerehorror，andthickgloom，andablackswelteringdesertofebony。SuperstitiousterrorcreptbydegreesintothespiritoftheoldSwede，andmyownsoulwaswrappedupinsilentwonder。Weneglectedallcareoftheship，asworsethanuseless，andsecuringourselves，aswellaspossible，tothestumpofthemizen-mast，lookedoutbitterlyintotheworldofocean。Wehadnomeansofcalculatingtime，norcouldweformanyguessofoursituation。Wewere，however，wellawareofhavingmadefarthertothesouthwardthananypreviousnavigators，andfeltgreatamazementatnotmeetingwiththeusualimpedimentsofice。Inthemeantimeeverymomentthreatenedtobeourlasteverymountainousbillowhurriedtooverwhelmus。TheswellsurpassedanythingIhadimaginedpossible，andthatwewerenotinstantlyburiedisamiracle。Mycompanionspokeofthelightnessofourcargo，andremindedmeoftheexcellentqualitiesofourship；butI
couldnothelpfeelingtheutterhopelessnessofhopeitself，andpreparedmyselfgloomilyforthatdeathwhichIthoughtnothingcoulddeferbeyondanhour，as，witheveryknotofwaytheshipmade，theswellingoftheblackstupendousseasbecamemoredismallyappalling。
Attimeswegaspedforbreathatanelevationbeyondthealbatross
attimesbecamedizzywiththevelocityofourdescentintosomewateryhell，wheretheairgrewstagnant，andnosounddisturbedtheslumbersofthekraken。
Wewereatthebottomofoneoftheseabysses，whenaquickscreamfrommycompanionbrokefearfullyuponthenight。“See！see！”criedhe，shriekinginmyears，“AlmightyGod！see！see！”Ashespoke，I
becameawareofadull，sullenglareofredlightwhichstreameddownthesidesofthevastchasmwherewelay，andthrewafitfulbrilliancyuponourdeck。Castingmyeyesupwards，Ibeheldaspectaclewhichfrozethecurrentofmyblood。Ataterrificheightdirectlyaboveus，andupontheveryvergeoftheprecipitousdescent，hoveredagiganticshipof，perhaps，fourthousandtons。
Althoughupreareduponthesummitofawavemorethanahundredtimesherownaltitude，herapparentsizeexceededthatofanyshipofthelineorEastIndiamaninexistence。Herhugehullwasofadeepdingyblack，unrelievedbyanyofthecustomarycarvingsofaship。A
singlerowofbrasscannonprotrudedfromheropenports，anddashedfromtheirpolishedsurfacesthefiresofinnumerablebattle-lanterns，whichswungtoandfroaboutherrigging。Butwhatmainlyinspireduswithhorrorandastonishment，wasthatsheboreupunderapressofsailintheveryteethofthatsupernaturalsea，andofthatungovernablehurricane。Whenwefirstdiscoveredher，herbowswerealonetobeseen，assheroseslowlyfromthedimandhorriblegulfbeyondher。Foramomentofintenseterrorshepauseduponthegiddypinnacle，asifincontemplationofherownsublimity，thentrembledandtottered，andcamedown。
Atthisinstant，Iknownotwhatsuddenself-possessioncameovermyspirit。StaggeringasfaraftasIcould，Iawaitedfearlesslytheruinthatwastooverwhelm。Ourownvesselwasatlengthceasingfromherstruggles，andsinkingwithherheadtothesea。Theshockofthedescendingmassstruckher，consequently，inthatportionofherframewhichwasalreadyunderwater，andtheinevitableresultwastohurlme，withirresistibleviolence，upontheriggingofthestranger。
AsIfell，theshiphoveinstays，andwentabout；andtotheconfusionensuingIattributedmyescapefromthenoticeofthecrew。
WithlittledifficultyImademywayunperceivedtothemainhatchway，whichwaspartiallyopen，andsoonfoundanopportunityofsecretingmyselfinthehold。WhyIdidsoIcanhardlytell。Anindefinitesenseofawe，whichatfirstsightofthenavigatorsoftheshiphadtakenholdofmymind，wasperhapstheprincipleofmyconcealment。Iwasunwillingtotrustmyselfwitharaceofpeoplewhohadoffered，tothecursoryglanceIhadtaken，somanypointsofvaguenovelty，doubt，andapprehension。Ithereforethoughtpropertocontriveahiding-placeinthehold。ThisIdidbyremovingasmallportionoftheshifting-boards，insuchamannerastoaffordmeaconvenientretreatbetweenthehugetimbersoftheship。
Ihadscarcelycompletedmywork，whenafootstepintheholdforcedmetomakeuseofit。Amanpassedbymyplaceofconcealmentwithafeebleandunsteadygait。Icouldnotseehisface，buthadanopportunityofobservinghisgeneralappearance。Therewasaboutitanevidenceofgreatageandinfirmity。Hiskneestotteredbeneathaloadofyears，andhisentireframequiveredundertheburthen。Hemutteredtohimself，inalowbrokentone，somewordsofalanguagewhichIcouldnotunderstand，andgropedinacorneramongapileofsingular-lookinginstruments，anddecayedchartsofnavigation。Hismannerwasawildmixtureofthepeevishnessofsecondchildhood，andthesolemndignityofaGod。Heatlengthwentondeck，andIsawhimnomore。
Afeeling，forwhichIhavenoname，hastakenpossessionofmysoulasensationwhichwilladmitofnoanalysis，towhichthelessonsofbygonetimesareinadequate，andforwhichIfearfuturityitselfwilloffermenokey。Toamindconstitutedlikemyown，thelatterconsiderationisanevil。IshallneverIknowthatIshallneverbesatisfiedwithregardtothenatureofmyconceptions。Yetitisnotwonderfulthattheseconceptionsareindefinite，sincetheyhavetheirorigininsourcessoutterlynovel。Anewsenseanewentityisaddedtomysoul。
ItislongsinceIfirsttrodthedeckofthisterribleship，andtheraysofmydestinyare，Ithink，gatheringtoafocus。
Incomprehensiblemen！WrappedupinmeditationsofakindwhichI
cannotdivine，theypassmebyunnoticed。Concealmentisutterfollyonmypart，forthepeoplewillnotsee。ItwasbutjustnowthatI
passeddirectlybeforetheeyesofthemateitwasnolongwhileagothatIventuredintothecaptain’sownprivatecabin，andtookthencethematerialswithwhichIwrite，andhavewritten。IshallfromtimetotimecontinuethisJournal。ItistruethatImaynotfindanopportunityoftransmittingittotheworld，butIwillnotfalltomaketheendeavour。AtthelastmomentIwillenclosetheMS。
inabottle，andcastitwithinthesea。
Anincidenthasoccurredwhichhasgivenmenewroomformeditation。
AresuchthingstheoperationofungovernedChance？Ihadventuredupondeckandthrownmyselfdown，withoutattractinganynotice，amongapileofratlin-stuffandoldsailsinthebottomoftheyawl。
Whilemusinguponthesingularityofmyfate，Iunwittinglydaubedwithatar-brushtheedgesofaneatly-foldedstudding-sailwhichlaynearmeonabarrel。Thestudding-sailisnowbentupontheship，andthethoughtlesstouchesofthebrusharespreadoutintothewordDISCOVERY。
Ihavemademanyobservationslatelyuponthestructureofthevessel。Althoughwellarmed，sheisnot，Ithink，ashipofwar。Herrigging，build，andgeneralequipment，allnegativeasuppositionofthiskind。Whatsheisnot，IcaneasilyperceivewhatsheisI
fearitisimpossibletosay。Iknownothowitis，butinscrutinizingherstrangemodelandsingularcastofspars，herhugesizeandovergrownsuitsofcanvas，herseverelysimplebowandantiquatedstern，therewilloccasionallyflashacrossmymindasensationoffamiliarthings，andthereisalwaysmixedupwithsuchindistinctshadowsofrecollection，anunaccountablememoryofoldforeignchroniclesandageslongago。
Ihavebeenlookingatthetimbersoftheship。SheisbuiltofamaterialtowhichIamastranger。Thereisapeculiarcharacteraboutthewoodwhichstrikesmeasrenderingitunfitforthepurposetowhichithasbeenapplied。Imeanitsextremeporousness，consideredindependentlybytheworm-eatenconditionwhichisaconsequenceofnavigationintheseseas，andapartfromtherottennessattendantuponage。Itwillappearperhapsanobservationsomewhatover-curious，butthiswoodwouldhaveevery，characteristicofSpanishoak，ifSpanishoakweredistendedbyanyunnaturalmeans。
Inreadingtheabovesentenceacuriousapothegmofanoldweather-beatenDutchnavigatorcomesfulluponmyrecollection。“Itisassure。”hewaswonttosay，whenanydoubtwasentertainedofhisveracity，“assureasthereisaseawheretheshipitselfwillgrowinbulklikethelivingbodyoftheseaman。”
Aboutanhourago，Imadeboldtothrustmyselfamongagroupofthecrew。Theypaidmenomannerofattention，and，althoughIstoodintheverymidstofthemall，seemedutterlyunconsciousofmypresence。LiketheoneIhadatfirstseeninthehold，theyallboreaboutthemthemarksofahoaryoldage。Theirkneestrembledwithinfirmity；theirshoulderswerebentdoublewithdecrepitude；theirshrivelledskinsrattledinthewind；theirvoiceswerelow，tremulousandbroken；theireyesglistenedwiththerheumofyears；
andtheirgrayhairsstreamedterriblyinthetempest。Aroundthem，oneverypartofthedeck，layscatteredmathematicalinstrumentsofthemostquaintandobsoleteconstruction。
Imentionedsometimeagothebendingofastudding-sail。Fromthatperiodtheship，beingthrowndeadoffthewind，hascontinuedherterrificcourseduesouth，witheveryragofcanvaspackeduponher，fromhertruckstoherlowerstudding-sailbooms，androllingeverymomenthertop-gallantyard-armsintothemostappallinghellofwaterwhichitcanenterintothemindofamantoimagine。Ihavejustleftthedeck，whereIfinditimpossibletomaintainafooting，althoughthecrewseemtoexperiencelittleinconvenience。Itappearstomeamiracleofmiraclesthatourenormousbulkisnotswallowedupatonceandforever。WearesurelydoomedtohovercontinuallyuponthebrinkofEternity，withouttakingafinalplungeintotheabyss。FrombillowsathousandtimesmorestupendousthananyIhaveeverseen，weglideawaywiththefacilityofthearrowysea-gull；
andthecolossalwatersreartheirheadsaboveuslikedemonsofthedeep，butlikedemonsconfinedtosimplethreatsandforbiddentodestroy。Iamledtoattributethesefrequentescapestotheonlynaturalcausewhichcanaccountforsucheffect。Imustsupposetheshiptobewithintheinfluenceofsomestrongcurrent，orimpetuousunder-tow。
Ihaveseenthecaptainfacetoface，andinhisowncabinbut，asIexpected，hepaidmenoattention。Althoughinhisappearancethereis，toacasualobserver，nothingwhichmightbespeakhimmoreorlessthanman-stillafeelingofirrepressiblereverenceandawemingledwiththesensationofwonderwithwhichIregardedhim。Instatureheisnearlymyownheight；thatis，aboutfivefeeteightinches。Heisofawell-knitandcompactframeofbody，neitherrobustnorremarkablyotherwise。Butitisthesingularityoftheexpressionwhichreignsuponthefaceitistheintense，thewonderful，thethrillingevidenceofoldage，soutter，soextreme，whichexciteswithinmyspiritasenseasentimentineffable。Hisforehead，althoughlittlewrinkled，seemstobearuponitthestampofamyriadofyears。Hisgrayhairsarerecordsofthepast，andhisgrayereyesareSybilsofthefuture。Thecabinfloorwasthicklystrewnwithstrange，iron-claspedfolios，andmoulderinginstrumentsofscience，andobsoletelong-forgottencharts。Hisheadwasboweddownuponhishands，andhepored，withafieryunquieteye，overapaperwhichItooktobeacommission，andwhich，atallevents，borethesignatureofamonarch。Hemutteredtohimself，asdidthefirstseamanwhomIsawinthehold，somelowpeevishsyllablesofaforeigntongue，andalthoughthespeakerwascloseatmyelbow，hisvoiceseemedtoreachmyearsfromthedistanceofamile。
TheshipandallinitareimbuedwiththespiritofEld。Thecrewglidetoandfroliketheghostsofburiedcenturies；theireyeshaveaneageranduneasymeaning；andwhentheirfingersfallathwartmypathinthewildglareofthebattle-lanterns，IfeelasIhaveneverfeltbefore，althoughIhavebeenallmylifeadealerinantiquities，andhaveimbibedtheshadowsoffallencolumnsatBalbec，andTadmor，andPersepolis，untilmyverysoulhasbecomearuin。
WhenIlookaroundmeIfeelashamedofmyformerapprehensions。IfI
trembledattheblastwhichhashithertoattendedus，shallInotstandaghastatawarringofwindandocean，toconveyanyideaofwhichthewordstornadoandsimoomaretrivialandineffective？Allintheimmediatevicinityoftheshipistheblacknessofeternalnight，andachaosoffoamlesswater；but，aboutaleagueoneithersideofus，maybeseen，indistinctlyandatintervals，stupendousrampartsofice，toweringawayintothedesolatesky，andlookinglikethewallsoftheuniverse。