his life. He wondered and marvelled that he had
done so, it was so well known that almost all who had ventured in had
perished.

Reflecting on the circumstances which had accompanied his entrance to
the marshes, the migration of the birds seemed almost the most singular.
They were evidently flying from some apprehended danger, and that most
probably would be in the air. The gale at that time, however, was
blowing in a direction which would appear to ensure safety to them;
into, and not out of, the poisonous marshes. Did they, then, foresee
that it would change? Did they expect it to veer like a cyclone and
presently blow east with the same vigour as it then blew west? That
would carry the vapour from the inky waters out over the sweet Lake, and
might even cause the foul water itself to temporarily encroach on the
sweet. The more he thought of it, the more he felt convinced that this
was the explanation; and, as a fact, the wind, after dropping, did arise
again and blow from the east, though, as it happened, not with nearly
the same strength. It fell, too, before long, fortunately for him.
Clearly the birds had anticipated a cyclone, and that the wind turning
would carry the gases out upon them to their destruction. They had
therefore hurried away, and the fishes had done the same.

The velocity of the gale which had carried him into the black waters had
proved his safety, by driving before it the thicker and most poisonous
portion of the vapour, compressing it towards the east, so that he had
entered the dreaded precincts under favourable conditions. When it
dropped, while he was on the black island, he soon began to feel the
effect of the gases rising imperceptibly from the soil, and had he not
had the good fortune to escape so soon, no doubt he would have fallen a
victim. He could not congratulate himself sufficiently upon his good
fortune. The other circumstances appeared to be due to the decay of the
ancient city, to the decomposition of accumulated matter, to
phosphorescence and gaseous exhalations. The black rocks that crumbled
at a touch were doubtless the remains of ancient buildings saturated
with the dark water and vapours. Inland similar remains were white, and
resembled salt.

But the great explosions which occurred as he was leaving, and which
sent heavy rollers after him, were not easily understood, till he
remembered that in Sylvester's "Book of Natural Things" it was related
that "the ancient city had