find its way into the body of the bottle. Is
that true, my Lord?"

"Of course it is," replied R----.

D---- rather hesitated in his credulity, and to persuade him of the
fact, a bottle was tied to the line, and sunk in the water. At seventy
fathoms it was drawn up, and to D----'s astonishment the water had
nearly filled the bottle to its neck. He took the bottle in his hand,
and peering at the cork, which had been driven to float on the water
inside, said that some trick had been played.

"I don't think, my Lord," observed D----, "the cork was large enough,
and of course the weight of water, at any trifling depth, will force it
inwardly."

"You are incredulous as Didymus," said R----. "Here, bring a champagne
bottle."

A champagne bottle was brought, cork and all.

"Will you be satisfied now, D----?" continued R----. "It is quite
impossible that this cork can be too small; for you see, the upper part
of it overhangs the lip of the bottle."

"I see, my Lord," answered D----; "that's all fair enough."

And D---- took a piece of yarn, and lashed the cork at the sides and
over the top, having previously with a small stick rammed his
handkerchief into the body of the bottle, and wiped it perfectly dry.

"Let it go," said R---- to one of the men, who made the bottle fast to
the line, and did as he was commanded. D---- challenged the mate with an
equal shilling that the bottle would be water tight; and the mate, like
a sage, accepted the bet. As balance to the overlapping cork, we gave
the champagne bottle the whole length of the eighty fathoms; and then,
drawing it up, found the cork had not been moved an iota; but the
bottle was full of water.

D---- shook his head, and paid the shilling.

I do not think D---- will ever doubt any phenomena again, as he is ready
to admit the hardest truths of Science, however whimsical they may
appear, or sound to him. Indeed he believes most things, and only
mistrusts shoals and lee shores, to which he never fails to give a wide
berth.

"Now we are about it," said R----, "let us try and find the bottom."

When King told the pilot what we were going to undertake, the old man
laughed, and said we might try; but the Fiord was as deep as the
mountains were high. Another line of a hundred fathoms was joined to the
one with which we had been making the experiments to shake the
infidelity of the heterodox D----, and lowered. No weigh was on the
cutter; and two leads, being fixed to