Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-04-10

world of idea, there is no sublunary Ian
guage of sufficient reach and grasp Il
portray its impressions.
| But something is due to the seeker o
knowledge, and something can and vii
Igive,
Imagine then, an area of mile and {
half in diameter. To do this fully auC
comprehensively you should fix your eye
or your mind upon some object a mil,
and halffrom where you are. Their
fancy this broad space to be all water
moving round in circle, slowly on the
outer edge, but gradually increasing ii
velocity towards the CO ntre, with &
downward inclination of % degrees, ST
that it looks like a vast hollow gulf oI
awful depths. Then imagine yourself
sailing round on the outer edge of this
immense tunnel, with the water black
and level on one side of you, and on the
other inclined and running round and
downward, rolling, tumbling, rushing,
dashing, seething, whirling and boiling,
the centre lashed into milk-white foam,
ard sending up the deafening roar of a
thousand Niagaras. If to all this you
add the fancy that you are floating round
this awful gulf in frail vessel, that ap-
pears only an air bubble to be sucked in
and crushed, and which, while driving
before the wind, is now and then caught
by current and turned several points
toward destruction, so that the master
shouts frantically, and the sailors make
almost superhuman exertions TO keep
her from rushing madly into the vortex,
and you pray agonizingly; with breath
suspended and hair standing on end, till
the wavering balance has inclined to
life if, | say, you add this to all the
rest, you get perhaps as good an exter-
nal of the scene and situation of the be-
holder as any poor, feeble descriptive
powers are able to convey.
But the internal-when the soul be-
came wrapt, absorbed and lost to the
outer sense of danger--lost TO all but
the mighty, oyerpowering sublimity of
this wonderous work of God--no mortal
tongue can ever make known.
Amid the bewiderment of this inde-
scene-my eye dazzled with
The whirling, rushing, flashing of the
ears stunned with their his
sing, laundering roar--my soul going
down into the eternity beyond-the old
Fisherman laid one hand upon my arm,
pointed with the other and shouted
Look Behold r
/ turned and saw one Of the seamen
holding large sea-bird, to one of whose
egs was attached long cord and the
)ther end of which was secured to a short
heavy stick of timber, which another
'ailor was in the act of casting into the
'ea. AS the timber struck the water,
he one holding the bird let him 90, and
With a wild scream he flew to the length
If his tether, and then struggled in the
lir to break his bonds and escape. But
he cord held him, and the moving tim
Ter took a gradual inclination toward the
rortex. While the schooner ran safely
'ack from the gyratory draught, / watch
ID the bird with a glass, the descend
ng timber dragged him downward, fut-
ering and screaming, and seeming to
ny excited fancy like some unfortunate
pirit being dragged down to perdition.
Round and round went the timber slowly
t first, but with steadily increasing ve-
ocity, till at last with quick jerking
I'D rapid descent, the futtering bird dis
ppeared from my view.
had seen enough-I had felt the
motions of lifetime compressed into
ew hours--and we sailed away from
nat never to be forgotten Maelstrom.