Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-12-10

Q whose face becsmo more swarthy every foot vo
sank. at did me good when | 6rss went down,
some two years ago." .~
( / followed Robinson Crusoe's advice, padded
in the water between my legs. aud poked my wet
forefogers into my ear, bu. I cannot recommend
, the remedy as rerfect cure.
As we got q few feet lower I've sank about two
feet a minute) the twilight deepened, and looking
upwards through the green bulls eyes into the
sea above US, i. reminded me of watching q large
space through a very small window that was Gov
cred with an impenetrable fog, Robinson Crusoe
now began to provide for contingencies, BY haul
ing in a candle with the endless chain. When 1t
came ct last through the water at the bottom Of
the bella messenger of light from above-it was
a small composite dip, that did not seem much in
jured by its passage down the tube.
A few feet deeper, and the water became clearer
|, more like glass, and less like green lamp.oil-
while the pain in my ears went of to a great ex-
tent, as Robinson had predicted it would. The
twilight in the bed-chamber deepened, and the
water beneath US became even more clear, until
we at length sighted our promised land-the BOT
tom Of the sea. The water being calm, VIC had no
occasion to light our candle "a light being a very
So""oh hc0osetyJ anu We saw tue Jumps OF
chalk and flint lying side by side, like atoms tba.
were magnifed in a large microscope. The sea
was clear as some spirit thrice refined, and il
swayed to and fro over it's stony bed, like a pond
Of liquid quicksilver.
Another foot lower, and we slipped of our mud
dy seats, to stand fairly at the bottom of the sea.
Here Robinson, very kindly, went through a
yurietv of nprfnrmancna With Tho elem 81 n.InLt
ening me as to the manners and customs Of mer-
men-stonemasons while at work in the building
under the sea, He took the loose plank upon
which had been sitting, and placed il against the
other plank upon which be had been sitting, in q
horizontal, but upright position; he then reached
a couple of wedges from a NAL ledge at the side,
with which he made THE structure firm. until il
was turned into a perfect trough. He then took
the pickaxe, and dug out q few stones at the bot
tom OF the sea, which he shovelled into his trough,
and then We stood upon the lower centre plank,
while he gave the sign to those above to move us.
Now" he said, pulling the sienal handle,
which was like a syringe handle, a preconcerted
number of times, "we'll 60 over the mud-box."
In a few seconds, with a slight roar as We left
the bottom, we found ourselves Using slowly, like
/ " $780, t'ioSh II Il u ulut dLter
shaking about in the liquid CLASSY microscope for
some little time. grew, by degrees, more misty,
and. at last, disappeared.
Now" SAID Robinson. giving us another pre-
concerted number Of pulls at the signal handle,
We'll hold hard !" and in o few seconds the bell
was hotionlesa.
Now" said Robinson, acting as before, EXCEPT
With regard to the number Of pulls, well 90 to
France )" and in q few seconds more, we were
moving 10 a forward direction, away from the En-
glish coast. A few PAGES brought US to the spot
where Crusoe knew the mud-box TO be, and anoth-
er series of pulls caused the bell to stop, and as.
sumo q downward direction. Casting my eyes 10
the water. l soon saw the dim outlines of 40 OBJ
long shape, which gradually developed into a long
Opeu iron coffin, with heavy chains stretched tight
> across its surface, and secured in the middle
with q large iron ring. A few moro seconds of
descent, during which this chest OF water seemed
t" rise slowly towards US. and | found that it was
full of flint and chalk. The trough in our bell
was soon knocked to pieces, by taking out the
side wedges. and the rubbish which it contained
was swept down into the mud-box beneath. This
box, when full. is attached to chains communica-
ting with the machinery above, and is hauled up
to any position that the work may require. As a
rule. il is drawn, up full on the Ramsgate side of
the pier, and empsed on the Folkstone, as q pro-
%tective EN- oankmenta against the constant and par
tial washing the sea.
These operations, with the block-raising and
block placing before alluded to, constitute the
chief work Of Robinson Crusoo aad all his mer-
man mates. Occasionally. to save time, excur-
siona ara mada NTH tba nrotao,;o. & A. J..--
helmet, under the edge of the bell, out into the
deep sea. The air is then supplied 20 the laborer
under water. from the chamber of the bell, by
means of a tube; aud he looks, as he walks upon
the finty uneven pathway. in heavily weighted
clogs, to keep him steady and to keep him down,
like some curious half-human monster emrloyed
in smoking a gigantic hookah the bowl of which
is the bell, and the pipe of which is the elastic
communicating tube. "This here is divin," as nv
old friend at the Polytechnic would have said
and this is the sea-"
Robinson, having put the bell through all the
PAGES of which it is capable. lifting and dropping.
backwards and forwards, and right and lett, at
last gives the signal-according to nv desire
that We shall be raised once more to the upper
world and FIVE men, as l am informed. now work
.S VA'Sh v " meu W let US 9ateIV
down. q
We rise, even more slowly and imperceptibly
than we descended, because of the pressing
weight of water above our heads the light grad.
ually changes from the black twilight of the bot.
tom through the green fog of the centre, up to
the yellow sunlight higher still. The water over
the bulrs-eye windows becomes simmer and thin
ner, until it dashes backwards and forwards like
molten silver. The face Of the Robinson, twbol
still SITE opposite to me, the mud trough having
been broken up and once more distributed as .he
two end seats) participates in all the changes of
light, until it passes from a dark shadow to a
bright, open copper-tea-kettle couutsuance. Al
tho white mist, or steam, has foated between us
al through the upward journey. which the learned
ssil us'sor-'what obscursly. is generated by the wa,
ter having overcome some portion Of the air, in