DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA 177 



pounds, were strapped and buckled one on my chest, 

 the other on my back. I felt when my dress was com- 

 plete as if I weighed a ton, and I could scarcely lift 

 my feet from the deck. Being thus equipped, with a 

 rope in my hand, and a few ideas about signals in my 

 head, I let go the ladder over the boat's side, and 

 lowered myself by means of the rope. As I descended 

 I began to feel a very painful sensation in my head, as 

 if it were being squeezed in a vice ; at the same time, 

 it seemed as if some sharp instruments were being 

 jammed into my ears, which rang with a horrible din. 

 This increased the deeper I went, and, on reaching the 

 bottom, it was almost unendurable. I kept hold of the 

 line by which I had gone down for some time ; but as 

 soon as I began to walk, they pulled it up. I then 

 fancied that the only connection I had with the boat 

 was the rubber tube through which the air came. How 

 in the world was I to get back again, or give signals ta 

 them above ? Looking up through the water, I could 

 see the boat, like a dark shadow, directly overhead. 

 My wrists were so much smaller than Charlie's, that 

 the water was leaking in a stream under the wrist- 

 bands. I tried to calm my fears, and keep cool. I felt 

 all round on my hands and knees, trying to find out 

 whether or not the life-line had become untied acci- 

 dentally, and fallen on the ground. I stirred up so 

 much mud, by this proceeding, that the water became 

 roily ; and, scarcely able to see anything, I pulled des- 



