THE MAELSTROM. 441 
An American captain gives the following description of 
this celebrated phenomenon. " I had occasion some years 
since to navigate a ship from the North Cape to Drontheim, 
nearly all the way between the islands or rocks and the main. 
On inquiring of my Norwegian pilot about the practicability 
of running near the whirpool, he told me that with a good 
breeze it could be approached near enough for examination 
without danger, and I at once determined to satisfy myself 
We began to near it about 10 A. M. in the month of Septem- 
ber, with a fine leading wind northwest. Two good seamen 
were placed at the helm, the mate on the quarter-deck, all 
hands at their station for working ship, and the pilot standing 
on the bowsprit between the night-heads. I went on the main- 
topsail yard with a good glass. I had been seated but a few 
moments, when my ship entered the dish of the whirlpool. 
The velocity of the water altered her course three points to- 
ward the centre, although she was going three knots through 
the water. This alarmed me extremely for a moment. I 
thought destruction was inevitable. She, however, answered 
her helm sweetly, and we ran along the edge, the waters foam- 
ing round us in every form, while she was dancing gayly 
over them. The sensations I experienced are difficult to des- 
cribe. Imagine to yourselves an immense circle running 
round, of a diameter of one and a half miles, the velocity in- 
creasing as it approximated toward the centre, and gradually 
changing its dark blue color to white — foaming, tumbling, 
rushing to its vortex, very much concave, as much so as the 
water in a tunnel when half run out ; the noise too, hissing, 
roaring, dashing, all pressing on the mind at once, presented 
the most awful, grand, and solemn sight I ever experienced. 
We were near it about 18 minutes, and in sight of it two 
hours. It is evidently a subterranean passage. From its 
magnitude, I should not doubt that instant destruction would 
be the fate of a dozen of our largest ships, were they dra\\ii 
in at the same moment. The pilot says that several vessels 
have been sucked down, and that whales have also been de- 
stroyed. 
