Wehadnoroom，ofcourse，foranythingexceptafewpositivelynecessaryinstruments，someprovisions，andtheclothesuponourbacks。Noonehadthoughtofevenattemptingtosaveanythingmore。
Whatmusthavebeentheastonishmentofall，then，whenhavingproceededafewfathomsfromtheship，Mr。Wyattstoodupinthestern-sheets，andcoollydemandedofCaptainHardythattheboatshouldbeputbackforthepurposeoftakinginhisoblongbox！
“Sitdown，Mr。Wyatt。”repliedthecaptain，somewhatsternly，“youwillcapsizeusifyoudonotsitquitestill。Ourgunwhaleisalmostinthewaternow。”
“Thebox！”vociferatedMr。Wyatt，stillstanding“thebox，Isay！
CaptainHardy，youcannot，youwillnotrefuseme。Itsweightwillbebutatrifleitisnothing-merenothing。BythemotherwhoboreyoufortheloveofHeavenbyyourhopeofsalvation，Iimploreyoutoputbackforthebox！”
Thecaptain，foramoment，seemedtouchedbytheearnestappealoftheartist，butheregainedhissterncomposure，andmerelysaid：
“Mr。Wyatt，youaremad。Icannotlistentoyou。Sitdown，Isay，oryouwillswamptheboat。Stayholdhimseizehim！heisabouttospringoverboard！ThereIknewitheisover！”
Asthecaptainsaidthis，Mr。Wyatt，infact，sprangfromtheboat，and，aswewereyetintheleeofthewreck，succeeded，byalmostsuperhumanexertion，ingettingholdofaropewhichhungfromthefore-chains。Inanothermomenthewasonboard，andrushingfranticallydownintothecabin。
Inthemeantime，wehadbeensweptasternoftheship，andbeingquiteoutofherlee，wereatthemercyofthetremendousseawhichwasstillrunning。Wemadeadeterminedefforttoputback，butourlittleboatwaslikeafeatherinthebreathofthetempest。Wesawataglancethatthedoomoftheunfortunateartistwassealed。
Asourdistancefromthewreckrapidlyincreased，themadmanforassuchonlycouldweregardhimwasseentoemergefromthecompanionway，upwhichbydintofstrengththatappearedgigantic，hedragged，bodily，theoblongbox。Whilewegazedintheextremityofastonishment，hepassed，rapidly，severalturnsofathree-inchrope，firstaroundtheboxandthenaroundhisbody。Inanotherinstantbothbodyandboxwereintheseadisappearingsuddenly，atonceandforever。
Welingeredawhilesadlyuponouroars，withoureyesriveteduponthespot。Atlengthwepulledaway。Thesilenceremainedunbrokenforanhour。Finally，Ihazardedaremark。
“Didyouobserve，captain，howsuddenlytheysank？Wasnotthatanexceedinglysingularthing？IconfessthatIentertainedsomefeeblehopeofhisfinaldeliverance，whenIsawhimlashhimselftothebox，andcommithimselftothesea。”
“Theysankasamatterofcourse。”repliedthecaptain，“andthatlikeashot。Theywillsoonriseagain，howeverbutnottillthesaltmelts。”
“Thesalt！”Iejaculated。
“Hush！”saidthecaptain，pointingtothewifeandsistersofthedeceased。“Wemusttalkofthesethingsatsomemoreappropriatetime。”
Wesufferedmuch，andmadeanarrowescape，butfortunebefriendedus，aswellasourmatesinthelong-boat。Welanded，infine，moredeadthanalive，afterfourdaysofintensedistress，uponthebeachoppositeRoanokeIsland。Weremainedhereaweek，werenotill-treatedbythewreckers，andatlengthobtainedapassagetoNewYork。
Aboutamonthafterthelossofthe“Independence。”IhappenedtomeetCaptainHardyinBroadway。Ourconversationturned，naturally，uponthedisaster，andespeciallyuponthesadfateofpoorWyatt。I
thuslearnedthefollowingparticulars。
Theartisthadengagedpassageforhimself，wife，twosistersandaservant。Hiswifewas，indeed，asshehadbeenrepresented，amostlovely，andmostaccomplishedwoman。OnthemorningofthefourteenthofJunethedayinwhichIfirstvisitedtheship，theladysuddenlysickenedanddied。TheyounghusbandwasfranticwithgriefbutcircumstancesimperativelyforbadethedeferringhisvoyagetoNewYork。Itwasnecessarytotaketohermotherthecorpseofhisadoredwife，and，ontheotherhand，theuniversalprejudicewhichwouldpreventhisdoingsoopenlywaswellknown。Nine-tenthsofthepassengerswouldhaveabandonedtheshipratherthantakepassagewithadeadbody。
Inthisdilemma，CaptainHardyarrangedthatthecorpse，beingfirstpartiallyembalmed，andpacked，withalargequantityofsalt，inaboxofsuitabledimensions，shouldbeconveyedonboardasmerchandise。Nothingwastobesaidofthelady’sdecease；and，asitwaswellunderstoodthatMr。Wyatthadengagedpassageforhiswife，itbecamenecessarythatsomepersonshouldpersonateherduringthevoyage。Thisthedeceasedlady’s-maidwaseasilyprevailedontodo。
Theextrastate-room，originallyengagedforthisgirlduringhermistress’life，wasnowmerelyretained。Inthisstate-roomthepseudo-wife，slept，ofcourse，everynight。Inthedaytimesheperformed，tothebestofherability，thepartofhermistress
whoseperson，ithadbeencarefullyascertained，wasunknowntoanyofthepassengersonboard。
Myownmistakearose，naturallyenough，throughtoocareless，tooinquisitive，andtooimpulsiveatemperament。Butoflate，itisararethingthatIsleepsoundlyatnight。Thereisacountenancewhichhauntsme，turnasIwill。Thereisanhystericallaughwhichwillforeverringwithinmyears。
OBreathenot，etc。Moore’sMelodiesTHEMOSTnotoriousill-fortunemustintheendyieldtotheuntiringcourageofphilosophyasthemoststubborncitytotheceaselessvigilanceofanenemy。Shalmanezer，aswehaveitinholywritings，laythreeyearsbeforeSamaria；yetitfell。SardanapalusseeDiodorusmaintainedhimselfseveninNineveh；buttonopurpose。
Troyexpiredatthecloseofthesecondlustrum；andAzoth，asAristaeusdeclaresuponhishonourasagentleman，openedatlasthergatestoPsammetichus，afterhavingbarredthemforthefifthpartofacentury……
“Thouwretch！thouvixen！thoushrew！”saidItomywifeonthemorningafterourwedding；“thouwitch！thouhag！thouwhippersnapperthousinkofiniquity！thoufiery-facedquintessenceofallthatisabominable！thouthou-“herestandingupontiptoe，seizingherbythethroat，andplacingmymouthclosetoherear，Iwaspreparingtolaunchforthanewandmoredecidedepithetofopprobrium，whichshouldnotfail，ifejaculated，toconvinceherofherinsignificance，whentomyextremehorrorandastonishmentIdiscoveredthatIhadlostmybreath。
Thephrases“Iamoutofbreath。”“Ihavelostmybreath。”etc。，areoftenenoughrepeatedincommonconversation；butithadneveroccurredtomethattheterribleaccidentofwhichIspeakcouldbonafideandactuallyhappen！Imaginethatisifyouhaveafancifulturnimagine，Isay，mywondermyconsternationmydespair！
Thereisagoodgenius，however，whichhasneverentirelydesertedme。InmymostungovernablemoodsIstillretainasenseofpropriety，etlechemindespassionsmeconduitasLordEdouardinthe“Julie“saysitdidhimalaphilosophieveritable。
AlthoughIcouldnotatfirstpreciselyascertaintowhatdegreetheoccurencehadaffectedme，Ideterminedatalleventstoconcealthematterfrommywife，untilfurtherexperienceshoulddiscovertometheextentofthismyunheardofcalamity。Alteringmycountenance，therefore，inamoment，fromitsbepuffedanddistortedappearance，toanexpressionofarchandcoquettishbenignity，Igavemyladyapatontheonecheek，andakissontheother，andwithoutsayingonesyllableFuries！Icouldnot，leftherastonishedatmydrollery，asIpirouettedoutoftheroominaPasdeZephyr。
Beholdmethensafelyensconcedinmyprivateboudoir，afearfulinstanceoftheillconsequencesattendinguponirascibility
alive，withthequalificationsofthedeaddead，withthepropensitiesofthelivingananomalyonthefaceoftheearth
beingverycalm，yetbreathless。
Yes！breathless。Iamseriousinassertingthatmybreathwasentirelygone。Icouldnothavestirredwithitafeatherifmylifehadbeenatissue，orsulliedeventhedelicacyofamirror。Hardfate！yettherewassomealleviationtothefirstoverwhelmingparoxysmofmysorrow。Ifound，upontrial，thatthepowersofutterancewhich，uponmyinabilitytoproceedintheconversationwithmywife，Ithenconcludedtobetotallydestroyed，wereinfactonlypartiallyimpeded，andIdiscoveredthathadI，atthatinterestingcrisis，droppedmyvoicetoasingularlydeepguttural，I
mightstillhavecontinuedtoherthecommunicationofmysentiments；
thispitchofvoicethegutturaldepending，Ifind，notuponthecurrentofthebreath，butuponacertainspasmodicactionofthemusclesofthethroat。
Throwingmyselfuponachair，Iremainedforsometimeabsorbedinmeditation。Myreflections，besure，wereofnoconsolatorykind。A
thousandvagueandlachrymatoryfanciestookpossesionofmysoul
andeventheideaofsuicideflittedacrossmybrain；butitisatraitintheperversityofhumannaturetorejecttheobviousandtheready，forthefar-distantandequivocal。ThusIshudderedatself-murderasthemostdecidedofatrocitieswhilethetabbycatpurredstrenuouslyupontherug，andtheverywaterdogwheezedassiduouslyunderthetable，eachtakingtoitselfmuchmeritforthestrengthofitslungs，andallobviouslydoneinderisionofmyownpulmonaryincapacity。
Oppressedwithatumultofvaguehopesandfears，Iatlengthheardthefootstepsofmywifedescendingthestaircase。Beingnowassuredofherabsence，Ireturnedwithapalpitatinghearttothesceneofmydisaster。
Carefullylockingthedoorontheinside，Icommencedavigoroussearch。Itwaspossible，Ithought，that，concealedinsomeobscurecorner，orlurkinginsomeclosetordrawer，mightbefoundthelostobjectofmyinquiry。Itmighthaveavaporyitmightevenhaveatangibleform。Mostphilosophers，uponmanypointsofphilosophy，arestillveryunphilosophical。WilliamGodwin，however，saysinhis“Mandeville。”that“invisiblethingsaretheonlyrealities。”andthis，allwillallow，isacaseinpoint。Iwouldhavethejudiciousreaderpausebeforeaccusingsuchasseverationsofanunduequantumofabsurdity。Anaxagoras，itwillberemembered，maintainedthatsnowisblack，andthisIhavesincefoundtobethecase。
LongandearnestlydidIcontinuetheinvestigation：butthecontemptiblerewardofmyindustryandperseveranceprovedtobeonlyasetoffalseteeth，twopairofhips，aneye，andabundleofbillets-douxfromMr。Windenoughtomywife。Imightaswellhereobservethatthisconfirmationofmylady’spartialityforMr。W。
occasionedmelittleuneasiness。ThatMrs。Lackobreathshouldadmireanythingsodissimilartomyselfwasanaturalandnecessaryevil。I
am，itiswellknown，ofarobustandcorpulentappearance，andatthesametimesomewhatdiminutiveinstature。Whatwonder，then，thatthelath-liketenuityofmyacquaintance，andhisaltitude，whichhasgrownintoaproverb，shouldhavemetwithalldueestimationintheeyesofMrs。Lackobreath。Buttoreturn。
Myexertions，asIhavebeforesaid，provedfruitless。Closetafterclosetdrawerafterdrawercorneraftercornerwerescrutinizedtonopurpose。Atonetime，however，Ithoughtmyselfsureofmyprize，having，inrummagingadressing-case，accidentallydemolishedabottleofGrandjean’sOilofArchangelswhich，asanagreeableperfume，Iheretakethelibertyofrecommending。
WithaheavyheartIreturnedtomyboudoirtheretoponderuponsomemethodofeludingmywife’spenetration，untilIcouldmakearrangementspriortomyleavingthecountry，fortothisIhadalreadymadeupmymind。Inaforeignclimate，beingunknown，I
might，withsomeprobabilityofsuccess，endeavortoconcealmyunhappycalamityacalamitycalculated，evenmorethanbeggary，toestrangetheaffectionsofthemultitude，andtodrawdownuponthewretchthewell-meritedindignationofthevirtuousandthehappy。I
wasnotlonginhesitation。Beingnaturallyquick，Icommittedtomemorytheentiretragedyof“Metamora。”Ihadthegoodfortunetorecollectthatintheaccentuationofthisdrama，oratleastofsuchportionofitasisallottedtothehero，thetonesofvoiceinwhichIfoundmyselfdeficientwerealtogetherunnecessary，andthedeepgutturalwasexpectedtoreignmonotonouslythroughout。