Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-04-24
PLYMOUTH, IND, APRIL p, 1856.

I
comrade, Rimmer, remarked to me. Never
thelcss, we were not to be put off by lit
tie cloudiness in the sky, but boldly pre-
pared to venture.
So deep was the water, that no vestige
of a ships mast remained above the sur
face, to point out the resting place of the
Marmion. We were compelled, therefore,
to select the scene of operations according
to the best of our ability. Down went the
sails of our schooner, and Rimmer and |
put on our diving armor. We fixed on our
helmets tightly, and screwed on the hose.
One by one each clumsy article was adjust
ed The weights were hung, and we were
ready.
at looks terrible blackish, Berton," said
Rimmer to me.
"Oh," replied gaily, ''it's only little
install rlght!'
"Ah!' He uttered low exclamation,
which sounded hollow from his cavernous
helmet.
"All ready" cried, in loud voice,
which they, however, could not easily dis
tinguish. Then making proper sign, |
was swung over the side.
Down we went, l first, and Rimmer
close behind me. 1t did not take Il long
time for us to reach the bottom. We found
ourselves upon what seemed broad plain,
sloping downward, toward the SOUTH and
rising slightly, toward the north. Looking
forward then, dim, black object arose,
which our experienced eyes knew TO be a
lofty rock.
! | motioned to Rimmer that we should
proceed there.
cannot tell the strangeness of the SEN
sa;on felt by one who first walks the bot
tom of the sea.
There are thousand objects fitted to ex-
cite astonishment, even in the mind of him
who has dared tie deed hundred times
All around us lay the plain, covered by wa
ter; but here the eye can not pierce far
away, as in the upper air, for the water. in
the distance, grew opaque, had seemed to
fade away into misty darkness. There was
no sound except the incessant gurgle
which was produced by the escape Of air
from the breast valve, and the plash caus-
ed by our passage through the waters. We
walked on at Il good pace; for this armor
which seems SO clumsy up above, is excel
, lent below, and offers little inconvenience
to the prac;iced wearer.
: Fishes in crowds were around us. Fish
, es of every shape and size met our eyes,
no matter where they turned. They swan
: swiftly by us; they sported in the water
, above us; they raced and chased one anoth-
cr in every direction. Here shoal of por-
poiscs tumbled along in clumsy gambols,
thcrca grampus might be rising slow
" to the surface; here an immense number
of smaller fish flashed past us, there some
huge ones, with ponderOus forms, hoated
: in the water lazily. Sometimes three or
/. four placed themselves directly before us,
t staring at us. and solemnly working their
gills. There they would remain till we came
t close up to them, and then, with start,
they would dart away.
All this time we were walking onward,
5 along the bottom of the sea, while above us,
like black cloud in the sky, we could see
our boat slowly moving onward upon the
: surface of he water. And now, not more
, than hundred yards before us. we could
see the towering form of that ebony rock
which had ut first greeted our eyes from
afar. AS yet, we could not be certain that
this was the place where the Marmion had
struck. But soon n round, black object be-
came discernable, as we glanced at the
rocky base
Rimmer struck my arm, and pointed.
, signed assent, and we moved onward more
quickly.
A few moments elapsed; we had come
nearer to the rock The black object now
, looked like the stern of a vessel whose hull
, lay there.
Suddenly Rimmer struck me again, and
pointed upward. Following the direction of
, his hand, looked up, and saw the surface
of the water all foamy and in motion. There
was momentary thrill through my heart,
! but it passed over. We were in dan
| gerous condition. A storm was coming
oni
But should we turn back now, when we
were SO near the object of our search?-
already it lay before us. We were close
beside it. No, would not. | signalized
to Rimmer to go toward, and we still kept
our course.
Now the rock rose up before us, black,
rugged, dismal. Its rough sides were worn
down by the action of the water, and. in
some places were covered by marine plants