Symzonia: Voyage of Discovery

CHAPTER IV. The Author in great peril, from the vast rise and fall of the tide in the polar sea--Brief account of his observations at Seaborn's Land--He takes formal possession of the country, in the manner usual in such cases, in the name and on behalf of the United States--Leaves a sealing party on one of the islands near the coast, and proceeds to the south, to extend his discoveries. I had slept some hours, when I was awakened by Mr. Boneto's order, and informed that the land appeared to rise very much. I went immediately on deck, and was astonished to see the land appear more than three times as high as when we came to anchor. I at first attempted to account for it by supposing some change in the atmosphere which caused the land to loom; but was soon undeceived. One of the seamen called out that there was a shoal even with the water close by. The lead was immediately cast to see if the ship was driving, and but two fathoms water were found alongside. In half an hour more we were high and dry. Such was the astonishing rise and fall of the tide in this high latitude! The bay, which had twenty fathoms water in the centre at full sea, and ten fathoms a mile from the shore, was almost entirely emptied; a small channel in the middle, not more than half a mile wide, being all that was not left quite bare. There was no immediate inconvenience to be apprehended from this circumstance; but I was aware, that a tide that fell 70 or 80 feet perpendicular, must return in a bore with prodigious violence, and was under more apprehension of the consequences, than at any other period of my voyage.