flashing from the muzzle of the gun, and the monster appeared to be
transfixed. I almost thought I heard its cry. I remained motionless,
gazing upon the picture, scarcely daring to draw my breath, lest the new
and wondrous world should vanish of which I had now obtained a glimpse.
'Who are those people, and what could have brought them into that strange
situation?' I asked of myself; and now the seed of curiosity, which had
so long lain dormant, began to expand, and I vowed to myself to become
speedily acquainted with the whole history of the people in the boat.
After looking on the picture till every mark and line in it were familiar
to me, I turned over various leaves till I came to another engraving; a
new source of wonder--a low sandy beach on which the furious sea was
breaking in mountain-like billows; cloud and rack deformed the firmament,
which wore a dull and leaden-like hue; gulls and other aquatic fowls were
toppling upon the blast, or skimming over the tops of the maddening
waves--'Mercy upon him! he must be drowned!' I exclaimed, as my eyes
fell upon a poor wretch who appeared to be striving to reach the shore;
he was upon his legs, but was evidently half smothered with the brine;
high above his head curled a horrible billow, as if to engulf him for
ever. 'He must be drowned! he must be drowned!' I almost shrieked, and
dropped the book. I soon snatched it up again, and now my eye lighted on
a third picture: again a shore, but what a sweet and lovely one, and how
I wished to be treading it; there were beautiful shells lying on the
smooth white sand, some were empty like those I had occasionally seen on
marble mantelpieces, but out of others peered the heads and bodies of
wondrous crayfish, a wood of thick green trees skirted the beach and
partly shaded it from the rays of the sun, which shone hot above, while
blue waves slightly crested with foam were gently curling against it;
there was a human figure upon the beach, wild and uncouth, clad in the
skins of animals, with a huge cap on his head, a hatchet at his girdle,
and in his hand a gun; his feet and legs were bare; he stood in an