indistinct　shadows　of　recollection；　an　unaccountable　memory　of　old
  foreign　chronicles　and　ages　long　ago。
  *　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*
  I　have　been　looking　at　the　timbers　of　the　ship。　She　is　built　of　a
  material　to　which　I　am　a　stranger。　There　is　a　peculiar　character
  about　the　wood　which　strikes　me　as　rendering　it　unfit　for　the　purpose
  to　which　it　has　been　applied。　I　mean　its　extreme　porousness；
  considered　independently　by　the　worm…eaten　condition　which　is　a
  consequence　of　navigation　in　these　seas；　and　apart　from　the
  rottenness　attendant　upon　age。　It　will　appear　perhaps　an　observation
  somewhat　over…curious；　but　this　wood　would　have　every；　characteristic
  of　Spanish　oak；　if　Spanish　oak　were　distended　by　any　unnatural　means。
  In　reading　the　above　sentence　a　curious　apothegm　of　an　old
  weather…beaten　Dutch　navigator　comes　full　upon　my　recollection。　〃It
  is　as　sure；〃　he　was　wont　to　say；　when　any　doubt　was　entertained　of
  his　veracity；　〃as　sure　as　there　is　a　sea　where　the　ship　itself　will
  grow　in　bulk　like　the　living　body　of　the　seaman。〃
  *　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*
  About　an　hour　ago；　I　made　bold　to　thrust　myself　among　a　group　of　the
  crew。　They　paid　me　no　manner　of　attention；　and；　although　I　stood　in
  the　very　midst　of　them　all；　seemed　utterly　unconscious　of　my
  presence。　Like　the　one　I　had　at　first　seen　in　the　hold；　they　all　bore
  about　them　the　marks　of　a　hoary　old　age。　Their　knees　trembled　with
  infirmity；　their　shoulders　were　bent　double　with　decrepitude；　their
  shrivelled　skins　rattled　in　the　wind；　their　voices　were　low；
  tremulous　and　broken；　their　eyes　glistened　with　the　rheum　of　years；
  and　their　gray　hairs　streamed　terribly　in　the　tempest。　Around　them；
  on　every　part　of　the　deck；　lay　scattered　mathematical　instruments　of
  the　most　quaint　and　obsolete　construction。
  *　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*
  I　mentioned　some　time　ago　the　bending　of　a　studding…sail。　From　that
  period　the　ship；　being　thrown　dead　off　the　wind；　has　continued　her
  terrific　course　due　south；　with　every　rag　of　canvas　packed　upon　her；
  from　her　trucks　to　her　lower　studding…sail　booms；　and　rolling　every
  moment　her　top…gallant　yard…arms　into　the　most　appalling　hell　of
  water　which　it　can　enter　into　the　mind　of　a　man　to　imagine。　I　have
  just　left　the　deck；　where　I　find　it　impossible　to　maintain　a　footing；
  although　the　crew　seem　to　experience　little　inconvenience。　It　appears
  to　me　a　miracle　of　miracles　that　our　enormous　bulk　is　not　swallowed
  up　at　once　and　forever。　We　are　surely　doomed　to　hover　continually
  upon　the　brink　of　Eternity；　without　taking　a　final　plunge　into　the
  abyss。　From　billows　a　thousand　times　more　stupendous　than　any　I　have
  ever　seen；　we　glide　away　with　the　facility　of　the　arrowy　sea…gull；
  and　the　colossal　waters　rear　their　heads　above　us　like　demons　of　the
  deep；　but　like　demons　confined　to　simple　threats　and　forbidden　to
  destroy。　I　am　led　to　attribute　these　frequent　escapes　to　the　only
  natural　cause　which　can　account　for　such　effect。　　I　must　suppose
  the　ship　to　be　within　the　influence　of　some　strong　current；　or
  impetuous　under…tow。
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  I　have　seen　the　captain　face　to　face；　and　in　his　own　cabin　　but；　as
  I　expected；　he　paid　me　no　attention。　Although　in　his　appearance　there
  is；　to　a　casual　observer；　nothing　which　might　bespeak　him　more　or
  less　than　man…still　a　feeling　of　irrepressible　reverence　and　awe
  mingled　with　the　sensation　of　wonder　with　which　I　regarded　him。　In
  stature　he　is　nearly　my　own　height；　that　is；　about　five　feet　eight
  inches。　He　is　of　a　well…knit　and　compact　frame　of　body；　neither
  robust　nor　remarkably　otherwise。　But　it　is　the　singularity　of　the
  expression　which　reigns　upon　the　face　　it　is　the　intense；　the
  wonderful；　the　thrilling　evidence　of　old　age；　so　utter；　so　extreme；
  which　excites　within　my　spirit　a　sense　　a　sentiment　ineffable。　His
  forehead；　although　little　wrinkled；　seems　to　bear　upon　it　the　stamp
  of　a　myriad　of　years。　　His　gray　hairs　are　records　of　the　past；　and
  his　grayer　eyes　are　Sybils　of　the　future。　The　cabin　floor　was　thickly
  strewn　with　strange；　iron…clasped　folios；　and　mouldering　instruments
  of　science；　and　obsolete　long…forgotten　charts。　His　head　was　bowed
  down　upon　his　hands；　and　he　pored；　with　a　fiery　unquiet　eye；　over　a
  paper　which　I　took　to　be　a　commission；　and　which；　at　all　events；　bore
  the　signature　of　a　monarch。　He　muttered　to　himself；　as　did　the　first
  seaman　whom　I　saw　in　the　hold；　some　low　peevish　syllables　of　a
  foreign　tongue；　and　although　the　speaker　was　close　at　my　elbow；　his
  voice　seemed　to　reach　my　ears　from　the　distance　of　a　mile。
  *　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*
  The　ship　and　all　in　it　are　imbued　with　the　spirit　of　Eld。　The　crew
  glide　to　and　fro　like　the　ghosts　of　buried　centuries；　their　eyes　have
  an　eager　and　uneasy　meaning；　and　when　their　fingers　fall　athwart　my
  path　in　the　wild　glare　of　the　battle…lanterns；　I　feel　as　I　have　never
  felt　before；　although　I　have　been　all　my　life　a　dealer　in
  antiquities；　and　have　imbibed　the　shadows　of　fallen　columns　at
  Balbec；　and　Tadmor；　and　Persepolis；　until　my　very　soul　has　become　a
  ruin。
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  When　I　look　around　me　I　feel　ashamed　of　my　former　apprehensions。　If　I
  trembled　at　the　blast　which　has　hitherto　attended　us；　shall　I　not
  stand　aghast　at　a　warring　of　wind　and　ocean；　to　convey　any　idea　of
  which　the　words　tornado　and　simoom　are　trivial　and　ineffective？　All
  in　the　immediate　vicinity　of　the　ship　is　the　blackness　of　eternal
  night；　and　a　chaos　of　foamless　water；　but；　about　a　league　on　either
  side　of　us；　may　be　seen；　indistinctly　and　at　intervals；　stupendous
  ramparts　of　ice；　towering　away　into　the　desolate　sky；　and　looking
  like　the　walls　of　the　universe。
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  As　I　imagined；　the　ship　proves　to　be　in　a　current；　if　that
  appellation　can　properly　be　given　to　a　tide　which；　howling　and
  shrieking　by　the　white　ice；　thunders　on　to　the　southward　with　a
  velocity　like　the　headlong　dashing　of　a　cataract。
  *　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*
  To　conceive　the　horror　of　my　sensations　is；　I　presume；　utterly
  impossible；　yet　a　curiosity　to　penetrate　the　mysteries　of　these　awful
  regions；　predominates　even　over　my　despair；　and　will　reconcile　me　to
  the　most　hideous　aspect　of　death。　It　is　evident　that　we　are　hurrying
  onwards　to　some　exciting　knowledge　　some　never…to…be…imparted
  secret；　whose　attainment　is　destruction。　Perhaps　this　current　leads
  us　to　the　southern　pole　itself。　It　must　be　confessed　that　a
  supposition　apparently　so　wild　has　every　probability　in　its　favor。
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  The　crew　pace　the　deck　with　unquiet　and　tremulous　step；　but　there　is
  upon　their　countenances　an　expression　more　of　the　eagerness　of　hope
  than　of　the　apathy　of　despair。
  In　the　meantime　the　wind　is　still　in　our　poop；　and；　as　we　carry　a
  crowd　of　canvas；　the　ship　is　at　times　lifted　bodily　from　out　the　sea
  Oh；　horror　upon　horror！　the　ice　opens　suddenly　to　the　right；　and
  to　the　left；　and　we　are　whirling　dizzily；　in　immense　concentric
  circles；　round　and　round　the　borders　of　a　gigantic　amphitheatre；　the
  summit　of　whose　walls　is　lost　in　the　darkness　and　the　distance。　But
  little　time　will　be　left　me　to　ponder　upon　my　destiny　　the　circles
  rapidly　grow　small　　we　are　plunging　madly　within　the　grasp　of　the
  whirlpool　　and　amid　a　roaring；　and　bellowing；　and　thundering　of
  ocean　and　of　tempest；　the　ship　is　quivering；　oh　God！　and　　going
  down。
  NOTE。　　The　〃MS。　Found　in　a　Bottle；〃　was　originally　published　in
  1831；　and　it　was　not　until　many　years　afterwards　that　I　became
  acquainted　with　the　maps　of　Mercator；　in　which　the　ocean　is
  represented　as　rushing；　by　four　mouths；　into　the　（northern）　Polar
  Gulf；　to　be　absorbed　into　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　the　Pole　itself
  being　represented　by　a　black　rock；　towering　to　a　prodigious　height。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  The　Oval　Portrait
  THE　chateau　into　which　my　valet　had　ventured　to　make　forcible
  entrance；　rather　than　permit　me；　in　my　desperately　wounded　condition；
  to　pass　a　night　in　the　open　air；　was　one　of　those　piles　of　commingled
  gloom　and　grandeur　which　have　so　long　frowned　among　the　Appennines；
  not　less　in　fact　than　in　the　fancy　of　Mrs。　Radcliffe。　To　all
  appearance　it　had　been　temporarily　and　very　lately　abandoned。　We
  established　ourselves　in　one　of　the　smallest　and　least　sumptuously
  furnished　apartments。　It　lay　in　a　remote　turret　of　the　building。　Its
  decorations　were　rich；　yet　tattered　and　antique。　Its　walls　were　hung
  with　tapestry　and　bedecked　with　manifold　and　multiform　armorial
  trophies；　together　with　an　unusually　great　number　of　very　spirited
  modern　paintings　in　frames　of　rich　golden　arabesque。　In　these
  paintings；　which　depended　from　the　walls　not　only　in　their　main
  surfaces；　but　in　very　many　nooks　which　the　bizarre　architecture　of
  the　chateau　rendered　necessary　　in　these　paintings　my　incipient
  delirium；　perhaps；　had　caused　me　to　take　deep　interest；　so　that　I
  bade　Pedro　to　close　the　heavy　shutters　of　the　room　　since