the waves wrap me and strive to overpower me; while I, lord of myself,

moved this way or that, in spite of their angry buffetings. Adrian also

could swim--but the weakness of his frame prevented him from feeling

pleasure in the exercise, or acquiring any great expertness. But what power

could the strongest swimmer oppose to the overpowering violence of ocean in

its fury? My efforts to prepare my companions were rendered nearly futile

-for the roaring breakers prevented our hearing one another speak, and

the waves, that broke continually over our boat, obliged me to exert all my

strength in lading the water out, as fast as it came in. The while

darkness, palpable and rayless, hemmed us round, dissipated only by the

lightning; sometimes we beheld thunderbolts, fiery red, fall into the sea,

and at intervals vast spouts stooped from the clouds, churning the wild

ocean, which rose to meet them; while the fierce gale bore the rack

onwards, and they were lost in the chaotic mingling of sky and sea. Our

gunwales had been torn away, our single sail had been rent to ribbands, and

borne down the stream of the wind. We had cut away our mast, and lightened

the boat of all she contained--Clara attempted to assist me in heaving

the water from the hold, and, as she turned her eyes to look on the

lightning, I could discern by that momentary gleam, that resignation had

conquered every fear. We have a power given us in any worst extremity,

which props the else feeble mind of man, and enables us to endure the most

savage tortures with a stillness of soul which in hours of happiness we

could not have imagined. A calm, more dreadful in truth than the tempest,

allayed the wild beatings of my heart--a calm like that of the gamester,

the suicide, and the murderer, when the last die is on the point of being

cast--while the poisoned cup is at the lips,--as the death-blow is

580

The Last Man