80 THE ARCTURUS ADVENTURE 



appeared to be the snaky hose extending to the 

 surface and the constant stream of bubbles which 

 deterred it. 



In the afternoon of the same April day I sub- 

 merged near the foot of the great chffs, and, as 

 I have described, disciplined myself into a greater 

 realization of the wonder of it. I think my first 

 surprise was of the constant movement of every- 

 thing, not so much individually as of the whole in 

 relation to the rocks and bottom. I knew of course 

 that the boat was rising and falling with every 

 surge, which heaved and settled in turn as each 

 wave passed, to break against the cliffs. I found 

 this same motion extended downward, with less 

 and less force, until at thirty feet it all but died 

 away. At present in about twenty feet of water 

 I felt it strongly. I would be sitting quietly with- 

 out the slightest tremor, when, gently and without 

 shock, every fish in sight, every bit of weed or hy- 

 droid, the anchor rope, the shadow of the boat, the 

 hose and myself swayed toward the land. One 

 could resist it by chnging firmly to the rock, but 

 the supreme joy, because of its impossibility in the 

 air above, was to balance carefully and let oneself 

 be wafted through space and deposited safely on 

 the next rock. There followed a period of com- 

 plete rest, and back again everything would come. 

 It was so soothing, so rhythmical, that one yielded 

 to it at times in a daze of sheer enjoyment. Where 

 the water is not too deep and the bottom is sand or 

 powdered shells, it is evident that the great surges 

 are not a simple, compact movement, for here are 



