Analogousexperimentsinrespecttosoundproduceanalogousresults。
“Preposterous！”saidtheking。
“’Thewivesanddaughtersoftheseincomparablygreatandwisemagi，’“continuedScheherazade，withoutbeinginanymannerdisturbedbythesefrequentandmostungentlemanlyinterruptionsonthepartofherhusband“’thewivesanddaughtersoftheseeminentconjurersareeverythingthatisaccomplishedandrefined；andwouldbeeverythingthatisinterestingandbeautiful，butforanunhappyfatalitythatbesetsthem，andfromwhichnoteventhemiraculouspowersoftheirhusbandsandfathershas，hitherto，beenadequatetosave。Somefatalitiescomeincertainshapes，andsomeinothersbutthisofwhichIspeakhascomeintheshapeofacrotchet。’“
“Awhat？”saidtheking。
“’Acrotchet’“saidScheherazade。“’Oneoftheevilgenii，whoareperpetuallyuponthewatchtoinflictill，hasputitintotheheadsoftheseaccomplishedladiesthatthethingwhichwedescribeaspersonalbeautyconsistsaltogetherintheprotuberanceoftheregionwhichliesnotveryfarbelowthesmalloftheback。Perfectionofloveliness，theysay，isinthedirectratiooftheextentofthislump。Havingbeenlongpossessedofthisidea，andbolstersbeingcheapinthatcountry，thedayshavelonggonebysinceitwaspossibletodistinguishawomanfromadromedary-’“
“Stop！”saidtheking“Ican’tstandthat，andIwon’t。Youhavealreadygivenmeadreadfulheadachewithyourlies。Theday，too，I
perceive，isbeginningtobreak。Howlonghavewebeenmarried？myconscienceisgettingtobetroublesomeagain。Andthenthatdromedarytouchdoyoutakemeforafool？Uponthewhole，youmightaswellgetupandbethrottled。”
Thesewords，asIlearnfromthe“Isitsoornot。”bothgrievedandastonishedScheherazade；but，assheknewthekingtobeamanofscrupulousintegrity，andquiteunlikelytoforfeithisword，shesubmittedtoherfatewithagoodgrace。Shederived，however，greatconsolation，duringthetighteningofthebowstring，fromthereflectionthatmuchofthehistoryremainedstilluntold，andthatthepetulanceofherbruteofahusbandhadreapedforhimamostrighteousreward，indeprivinghimofmanyinconceivableadventures。
ThewaysofGodinNature，asinProvidence，arenotas_our_
ways；norarethemodelsthatweframeanywaycommensuratetothevastness，profundity，andunsearchablenessofHisworks，_whichhaveadepthinthemgreaterthanthewellofDemocritus_。_JosephGlanville。_。
WEhadnowreachedthesummitoftheloftiestcrag。Forsomeminutestheoldmanseemedtoomuchexhaustedtospeak。
“Notlongago。”saidheatlength，“andIcouldhaveguidedyouonthisrouteaswellastheyoungestofmysons；but，aboutthreeyearspast，therehappenedtomeaneventsuchasneverhappenedtomortalman-oratleastsuchasnomaneversurvivedtotellof-
andthesixhoursofdeadlyterrorwhichIthenenduredhavebrokenmeupbodyandsoul。Yousupposemea_very_oldman-butIamnot。
Ittooklessthanasingledaytochangethesehairsfromajettyblacktowhite，toweakenmylimbs，andtounstringmynerves，sothatItrembleattheleastexertion，andamfrightenedatashadow。
DoyouknowIcanscarcelylookoverthislittlecliffwithoutgettinggiddy？”
The“littlecliff。”uponwhoseedgehehadsocarelesslythrownhimselfdowntorestthattheweightierportionofhisbodyhungoverit，whilehewasonlykeptfromfallingbythetenureofhiselbowonitsextremeandslipperyedge-this“littlecliff“arose，asheerunobstructedprecipiceofblackshiningrock，somefifteenorsixteenhundredfeetfromtheworldofcragsbeneathus。Nothingwouldhavetemptedmetowithinhalfadozenyardsofitsbrink。IntruthsodeeplywasIexcitedbytheperilouspositionofmycompanion，thatI
fellatfulllengthupontheground，clungtotheshrubsaroundme，anddarednotevenglanceupwardatthesky-whileIstruggledinvaintodivestmyselfoftheideathattheveryfoundationsofthemountainwereindangerfromthefuryofthewinds。ItwaslongbeforeIcouldreasonmyselfintosufficientcouragetositupandlookoutintothedistance。
“Youmustgetoverthesefancies。”saidtheguide，“forIhavebroughtyouherethatyoumighthavethebestpossibleviewofthesceneofthateventImentioned-andtotellyouthewholestorywiththespotjustunderyoureye。”
“Wearenow。”hecontinued，inthatparticularizingmannerwhichdistinguishedhim-“wearenowcloseupontheNorwegiancoast-inthesixty-eighthdegreeoflatitude-inthegreatprovinceofNordland-andinthedrearydistrictofLofoden。ThemountainuponwhosetopwesitisHelseggen，theCloudy。Nowraiseyourselfupalittlehigher-holdontothegrassifyoufeelgiddy-so-andlookout，beyondthebeltofvaporbeneathus，intothesea。”
Ilookeddizzily，andbeheldawideexpanseofocean，whosewatersworesoinkyahueastobringatoncetomymindtheNubiangeographer’saccountofthe_MareTenebrarum_。Apanoramamoredeplorablydesolatenohumanimaginationcanconceive。Totherightandleft，asfarastheeyecouldreach，therelayoutstretched，likerampartsoftheworld，linesofhorridlyblackandbeetlingcliff，whosecharacterofgloomwasbutthemoreforciblyillustratedbythesurfwhichrearedhighupagainstitswhiteandghastlycrest，howlingandshriekingforever。Justoppositethepromontoryuponwhoseapexwewereplaced，andatadistanceofsomefiveorsixmilesoutatsea，therewasvisibleasmall，bleak-lookingisland；
or，moreproperly，itspositionwasdiscerniblethroughthewildernessofsurgeinwhichitwasenveloped。Abouttwomilesnearertheland，aroseanotherofsmallersize，hideouslycraggyandbarren，andencompassedatvariousintervalsbyaclusterofdarkrocks。
Theappearanceoftheocean，inthespacebetweenthemoredistantislandandtheshore，hadsomethingveryunusualaboutit。
Although，atthetime，sostrongagalewasblowinglandwardthatabrigintheremoteoffinglaytounderadouble-reefedtrysail，andconstantlyplungedherwholehulloutofsight，stilltherewasherenothinglikearegularswell，butonlyashort，quick，angrycrossdashingofwaterineverydirection-aswellintheteethofthewindasotherwise。Offoamtherewaslittleexceptintheimmediatevicinityoftherocks。
“Theislandinthedistance。”resumedtheoldman，“iscalledbytheNorwegiansVurrgh。TheonemidwayisMoskoe。ThatamiletothenorthwardisAmbaaren。YonderareIslesen，Hotholm，Keildhelm，Suarven，andBuckholm。Fartheroff-betweenMoskoeandVurrgh-areOtterholm，Flimen，Sandflesen，andStockholm。Thesearethetruenamesoftheplaces-butwhyithasbeenthoughtnecessarytonamethematall，ismorethaneitheryouorIcanunderstand。Doyouhearanything？Doyouseeanychangeinthewater？”
WehadnowbeenabouttenminutesuponthetopofHelseggen，towhichwehadascendedfromtheinteriorofLofoden，sothatwehadcaughtnoglimpseoftheseauntilithadburstuponusfromthesummit。Astheoldmanspoke，Ibecameawareofaloudandgraduallyincreasingsound，likethemoaningofavastherdofbuffaloesuponanAmericanprairie；andatthesamemomentIperceivedthatwhatseamentermthe_chopping_characteroftheoceanbeneathus，wasrapidlychangingintoacurrentwhichsettotheeastward。EvenwhileIgazed，thiscurrentacquiredamonstrousvelocity。Eachmomentaddedtoitsspeed-toitsheadlongimpetuosity。Infiveminutesthewholesea，asfarasVurrgh，waslashedintoungovernablefury；butitwasbetweenMoskoeandthecoastthatthemainuproarhelditssway。Herethevastbedofthewaters，seamedandscarredintoathousandconflictingchannels，burstsuddenlyintophrensiedconvulsion-heaving，boiling，hissing-gyratingingiganticandinnumerablevortices，andallwhirlingandplungingontotheeastwardwitharapiditywhichwaterneverelsewhereassumesexceptinprecipitousdescents。
Inafewminutesmore，therecameoverthesceneanotherradicalalteration。Thegeneralsurfacegrewsomewhatmoresmooth，andthewhirlpools，onebyone，disappeared，whileprodigiousstreaksoffoambecameapparentwherenonehadbeenseenbefore。Thesestreaks，atlength，spreadingouttoagreatdistance，andenteringintocombination，tookuntothemselvesthegyratorymotionofthesubsidedvortices，andseemedtoformthegermofanothermorevast。Suddenly-verysuddenly-thisassumedadistinctanddefiniteexistence，inacircleofmorethanamileindiameter。Theedgeofthewhirlwasrepresentedbyabroadbeltofgleamingspray；butnoparticleofthisslippedintothemouthoftheterrificfunnel，whoseinterior，asfarastheeyecouldfathomit，wasasmooth，shining，andjet-blackwallofwater，inclinedtothehorizonatanangleofsomeforty-fivedegrees，speedingdizzilyroundandroundwithaswayingandswelteringmotion，andsendingforthtothewindsanappallingvoice，halfshriek，halfroar，suchasnoteventhemightycataractofNiagaraeverliftsupinitsagonytoHeaven。
Themountaintrembledtoitsverybase，andtherockrocked。I
threwmyselfuponmyface，andclungtothescantherbageinanexcessofnervousagitation。
“This。”saidIatlength，totheoldman-“this_can_benothingelsethanthegreatwhirlpooloftheMaelstr鰉。”
“Soitissometimestermed。”saidhe。“WeNorwegianscallittheMoskoe-str鰉，fromtheislandofMoskoeinthemidway。”
TheordinaryaccountsofthisvortexhadbynomeanspreparedmeforwhatIsaw。ThatofJonasRamus，whichisperhapsthemostcircumstantialofany，cannotimpartthefaintestconceptioneitherofthemagnificence，orofthehorrorofthescene-orofthewildbewilderingsenseof_thenovel_whichconfoundsthebeholder。Iamnotsurefromwhatpointofviewthewriterinquestionsurveyedit，noratwhattime；butitcouldneitherhavebeenfromthesummitofHelseggen，norduringastorm。Therearesomepassagesofhisdescription，nevertheless，whichmaybequotedfortheirdetails，althoughtheireffectisexceedinglyfeebleinconveyinganimpressionofthespectacle。
“BetweenLofodenandMoskoe。”hesays，“thedepthofthewaterisbetweenthirty-sixandfortyfathoms；butontheotherside，towardVerVurrghthisdepthdecreasessoasnottoaffordaconvenientpassageforavessel，withouttheriskofsplittingontherocks，whichhappenseveninthecalmestweather。Whenitisflood，thestreamrunsupthecountrybetweenLofodenandMoskoewithaboisterousrapidity；buttheroarofitsimpetuousebbtotheseaisscarceequalledbytheloudestandmostdreadfulcataracts；thenoisebeingheardseveralleaguesoff，andthevorticesorpitsareofsuchanextentanddepth，thatifashipcomeswithinitsattraction，itisinevitablyabsorbedandcarrieddowntothebottom，andtherebeattopiecesagainsttherocks；andwhenthewaterrelaxes，thefragmentsthereofarethrownupagain。Buttheseintervalsoftranquilityareonlyattheturnoftheebbandflood，andincalmweather，andlastbutaquarterofanhour，itsviolencegraduallyreturning。Whenthestreamismostboisterous，anditsfuryheightenedbyastorm，itisdangeroustocomewithinaNorwaymileofit。Boats，yachts，andshipshavebeencarriedawaybynotguardingagainstitbeforetheywerewithinitsreach。Itlikewisehappensfrequently，thatwhalescometoonearthestream，andareoverpoweredbyitsviolence；andthenitisimpossibletodescribetheirhowlingsandbellowingsintheirfruitlessstrugglestodisengagethemselves。Abearonce，attemptingtoswimfromLofodentoMoskoe，wascaughtbythestreamandbornedown，whileheroaredterribly，soastobeheardonshore。Largestocksoffirsandpinetrees，afterbeingabsorbedbythecurrent，riseagainbrokenandtorntosuchadegreeasifbristlesgrewuponthem。Thisplainlyshowsthebottomtoconsistofcraggyrocks，amongwhichtheyarewhirledtoandfro。Thisstreamisregulatedbythefluxandrefluxofthesea-itbeingconstantlyhighandlowwatereverysixhours。
Intheyear1645，earlyinthemorningofSexagesimaSunday，itragedwithsuchnoiseandimpetuositythattheverystonesofthehousesonthecoastfelltotheground。”
Inregardtothedepthofthewater，Icouldnotseehowthiscouldhavebeenascertainedatallintheimmediatevicinityofthevortex。The“fortyfathoms“musthavereferenceonlytoportionsofthechannelcloseupontheshoreeitherofMoskoeorLofoden。ThedepthinthecentreoftheMoskoe-str鰉mustbeimmeasurablygreater；andnobetterproofofthisfactisnecessarythancanbeobtainedfromeventhesidelongglanceintotheabyssofthewhirlwhichmaybehadfromthehighestcragofHelseggen。LookingdownfromthispinnacleuponthehowlingPhlegethonbelow，IcouldnothelpsmilingatthesimplicitywithwhichthehonestJonasRamusrecords，asamatterdifficultofbelief，theanecdotesofthewhalesandthebears；foritappearedtome，infact，aself-evidentthing，thatthelargestshipofthelineinexistence，comingwithintheinfluenceofthatdeadlyattraction，couldresistitaslittleasafeatherthehurricane，andmustdisappearbodilyandatonce。
Theattemptstoaccountforthephenomenon-someofwhich，I