theywerehandsomelybound，andtothemIfirstturnedmyattention。Iopenedthemsuccessively，andendeavouredtomakeouttheirmeaning；theircontents，however，asfarasIwasabletounderstandthem，werebynomeansinteresting：whoeverpleasesmayreadthesebooksforme，andkeepthem，too，intothebargain，saidItomyself。
Inowtookupthethirdbook：itdidnotresembletheothers，beinglongerandconsiderablythicker；thebindingwasofdingycalf-skin。Iopenedit，andasIdidsoanotherstrangethrillofpleasureshotthroughmyframe。Thefirstobjectonwhichmyeyesrestedwasapicture；itwasexceedinglywellexecuted，atleastthescenewhichitrepresentedmadeavividimpressionuponme，whichwouldhardlyhavebeenthecasehadtheartistnotbeenfaithfultonature。Awildsceneitwas-aheavyseaandrockyshore，withmountainsinthebackground，abovewhichthemoonwaspeering。Notfarfromtheshore，uponthewater，wasaboatwithtwofiguresinit，oneofwhichstoodatthebow，pointingwithwhatIknewtobeagunatadreadfulshapeinthewater；firewasflashingfromthemuzzleofthegun，andthemonsterappearedtobetransfixed。IalmostthoughtIhearditscry。Iremainedmotionless，gazinguponthepicture，scarcelydaringtodrawmybreath，lestthenewandwondrousworldshouldvanishofwhichI
hadnowobtainedaglimpse。’Whoarethosepeople，andwhatcouldhavebroughtthemintothatstrangesituation？’Iaskedofmyself；
andnowtheseedofcuriosity，whichhadsolonglaindormant，begantoexpand，andIvowedtomyselftobecomespeedilyacquaintedwiththewholehistoryofthepeopleintheboat。Afterlookingonthepicturetilleverymarkandlineinitwerefamiliartome，IturnedovervariousleavestillIcametoanotherengraving；anewsourceofwonder-alowsandybeachonwhichthefuriousseawasbreakinginmountain-likebillows；cloudandrackdeformedthefirmament，whichworeadullandleaden-likehue；
gullsandotheraquaticfowlsweretopplingupontheblast，orskimmingoverthetopsofthemaddeningwaves-’Mercyuponhim!hemustbedrowned!’Iexclaimed，asmyeyesfelluponapoorwretchwhoappearedtobestrivingtoreachtheshore；hewasuponhislegs，butwasevidentlyhalfsmotheredwiththebrine；highabovehisheadcurledahorriblebillow，asiftoengulfhimforever。