The Morning herald., 1877-01-20

They rowed at once back to the poir
from which they had Get out, and then wer
on about a hundred and fifty yards to Ii
west. From this place, a tbey locke
toward the islet, the three rocks seemed 8
close together that they appeared blended
and the three sharp, needle-like points ap
peared to issue from one common base
| This circumstance had an encouraging ef
feet, for it seemed to the brothers as tHoup]
their ancestor might have looked upoi
these rocks from this point Of view rathe
than from any other which had as vet com,
upon the field Of their observation, is1
This time Brandon himself resolved I,
80 down; partly because he thought tha
Asgeelo had worked long enough, ane
ought not to be exhausted on the first day
and partly on account of an intolerablt
impatience, and an eagerness to see for
himself rather than intrust it to others.
There was the horror Of the shark, which
might have deferred any other man. Itwas
a danger which he had never taken into
account. But the resolve Of his soul was
stronger than any fear, and he determined
to face even this danger. If he lost his
life, he was indifferent. Let it 90! Life
was not so precious TO him as to some
others. Fearless by nature, he was ordi-
narily ready to run risks but not the thing
that drew him onward was 80 vast in its
importrnde that he was willing to encou pt-
er peril of any kind.
Frank was awsre of the full extent Of
this new danger, but he said nothing, nor
did he attempt in any way to 'disuade his
brother. He himself, had he been able,
would have gone down in his place; but as
he was not able, he did not suppose that
his brother would hesitate.
atThe apparatus was in the boat. The
pumping machine was in the stem: and
this, with the VARIOUS signal-ropes. was
managed by Frank. Asgeelo rowed. These
arrangements had long since been made,
and they had practiced in this way on the
Hudson River. 4.
Silently Brandon put on his diving ar
NOR. The ropes and tubes were all care
fully arranged. The usual weight was at.
tached to his belt, and he was slowly lower
ed down to the bottom Of the sea.
The bottom of the ocean was composed
of smooth, even surface of fine sand and
gravel, along which Brandon moved with
out difficulty. The cumbrous armor of the
diver, which on land is so heavy, beneath
the water loses it's excessive weight, and by
steadying the wearer assists him to walk. |
The water was marvelously transparent,
as is ucually the case in the southern seas,
and through the glass plate in his helmet,
Brandon could look forward to a greater
distance than was possible in the Hudson.
Overhead he could See the bottom of the
boat, as it foated and moved on in the d.
'ection which he wished; signals, which
we're communicated by rope which he
,eld in his hand, told them whether to go
Onward or backward, to the right or to the
eft, or to stop altogether. Practice had
'nabled him to command, and them to obey,
With ease.
Down in the depths to which he had de-
ended the water was always still, and the
torms that affected the surface never pen
trated there. Brandon learned this from
he delicate shells and the still more deli
ate forms of marine plants which lay at
is feet, 10 fragile in their structure, and so
elicately poised in their position, that they
,ust have formed themselves in deep dead ,
ILLNESS and absolute motionlessness Of
'aters. TIE very movement which was ,
aused by his passage displaced them in all
irections, and cast them down ever where
, ruins. Here, in such depths as these, if|
le sounding lead il cast it brings up these I
agile shells, and shows to the observer !
hat profound calm must exist here, far z
way beneath the ordinary vision of man
Practice had enabled Brandon to move b
ith lnuch ease. His breathing was with
1t difficulty, The first trouble arising e.
ON breathing this confined air had long :
nee been surmounted. One tube ranl
,wn from the boat, through which the
esh air was pushed, and another tube ran
, little distance, through which the air
Lssed and left it in myriad bubbles that
cended to the surface.
He walked on, and soon came 10 place -
lere things changed their appearance. is
ard sand was here, and on every side II y;
ere arose curiously y-shaped coral struc. III III
res, which resembled more than any
ing else leadess forest. These coral
,e-like forms twisted their branches in
ange involutions, and in some places ,
med perfect barrier of interlaced arms la1
that he was forced to make detour in err err
Ter to avoid them. The chief fear here 'A'
8 that his tube might get entangled
ong someof the loflier stlagling branches
! impede or retard his progress. To
lid this caused much delay. at
Us
TO BE CONTINUED.
Tio11,o T1nro1 n11i1o