264 TEE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. 



up something white, like a pebble, he feels himself 

 raised with great rapidity, and his feet strike against 

 each rung in the ladder ; he holds the ladder with 

 one hand, but cannot succeed in grasping it with 

 tlie other. An accident has happened to the pumps, 

 and he has not been in any way conscious of it. 

 At the fiftieth step he loses sight of the lamp and 

 wires; they had appeared to him like ordinary thin 

 brass wires. On touching the ground he leit the 

 water enter at his right foot. 



" Second Trial. — At the fortieth step, water enters 

 by the back valve ; he screws it up a little, and is 

 obliged to close it at the sixtieth. At 160 feet, 

 water enters by the front valve, which he holds 

 nearly closed. At 195 feet, water enters by his leg ; 

 he closes the valve and rests on the sand, in which 

 his feet sink. The pressure is general over the 

 whole body, and is exerted on the bladder, which 

 empties itself involuntarily. This effect had also 

 been produced with less intensity when he reached 

 the ground the first time. He detaches one end of 

 his guide-cord; he can distinguish this cord, the 

 weights, his hands, and he advances a few steps. 

 He has great difficulty in withdrawing liis feet from 

 the sand, to which he feels rooted. All at once his 

 sight is obscured, his head turns; he returns in- 

 stinctively to the ladder, and asks to be raised. He 



