I feel
irresistibly drawn down by some new power that has come over me." "Follow me, then, my beloved," she said, and with one splash disappeared
beneath the waves. To kick away my grog cask and plunge in after her was the work of a
moment. I dived down, down, down, till I caught up my charmer, and we
both dived together side by side. Down, down, down, deeper, deeper, and
deeper, still we dived through forests of seaweed, startling away all
sorts of curiously formed fish and sea monsters in our rapid course. I thought I should never get to the bottom. At length, after long
continued diving, I thought I descried gleaming through the waters, the
mother-of-pearl roofs and pinnacles of various edifices; nor was I
deceived, for as I dived deeper, I could distinguish a great city, built
in a wild, weird, grotesque style of architecture, thoroughly new to me,
yet grand in design, far above human conception. There were castles on rocks, both the rock and the castle being formed
out of one immense piece of coral, either white or red. The rock was
hollowed out by nature, and natural staircases of the same material
branched off in different directions, and led to the castle above. There
were grottoes of mother-of-pearl, bridges of clustering and festooned
coral, intermixed with common rock, and overgrown in parts by large
quaint sea plants, which hung down in long creepers, entangling and
festooning themselves, crossing and recrossing each other, and
communicating the upper part of the city with the lower, the town being
built partly on hills, and partly in the valleys. Immense pits and hollows in what in other cities would have been the
road, appeared to lead to some part of the city below. Crowds of the
inhabitants were seen emerging from these grottoes, and disappearing
through others. Several were seated in chariots of mother-of-pearl and
turtle-shell, drawn by some hideous sea monster. There were mermen,
bearded and muscular, bearing in their hands tridents; troops of
mermaids of every conceivable variety of beauty, from the blue eyes and
flaxen hair of the north, to the dark, Oriental type. Gigantic zoophytes
and sea anemones opened their petals at us from every parapet. Music and
singing was heard everywhere, and the submarine grottoes echoed with the
strains of fair mermaidens. Groups of dancers surrounded us as we
descended, twisting their lithesome bodies into all sorts of elegant and
fantastic attitudes; beautiful mer-children sported with the most
hideous sea monsters it was possible to conceive. The city seemed wealthy, the inhabitants contented, and yet there was
little or no sign of industry amongst them. All the houses and palaces
were evidently formed by the hand of nature, save where here and there a
window or a mother-of-pearl roof or pavement betrayed manual skill. Money, as I ascertained, was an article unknown to the submarines. They
had few wants, and lived peacefully among themselves. As my fair bride and I swam through the streets of this great city
together, my appearance attracted great curiosity. The children were
frightened, and darted away into some grotto hard by. I heard an old
white-bearded merman, who had, doubtless, seen a great deal in his day,
call out, "A landman! a landman!" I began to feel fatigued after diving so long, and was greatly relieved
when my companion halted in front of a large portico with pillars of the
most delicate pink coral, and said, "This is my father's palace." The mer-princess (for her father was no less than a king), instead of
knocking at the door, ran her fairy-like fingers over the strings of her
lyre, and wrung from its cords such a wild and unearthly strain, that it
seemed like the distant wail of souls in purgatory. The door was opened by an immense shark, standing on the tip of his
tail. He opened and shut his huge mouth at us by way of salute, as we
entered the hall, which was paved with mother-of-pearl, inlaid with pale
coral and turtle-shell. My fair one conducted me through many passages
and corridors, the roofs and walls of which were covered over with every
sort of curious and beautiful shell found under the sea, till at length
we entered the dais chamber of the king, and I was introduced to his
majesty, and to his serene consort, who both received me graciously. Formalities over, a richly liveried mer-attendant announced that the
royal sea-serpent, harnessed to the state carriage, awaited their
majesties' pleasure. The mer-king affably offered me the use of his
carriage, which I gladly accepted. Their majesties, Lurline, and myself
descended the stairs, and passing the portal, stepped into a magnificent
car or chariot, formed of mother-of-pearl and turtle-shell, the wheels
being of gold and embossed all over with the most exquisite precious
stones. The coachman, or charioteer, was a stout merman, with a trident,
with which he began to goad the enormous sea-serpent, who, rearing and
plunging, bid fair to upset us all. However, the skilful driver, drawing
the reins, made of strong seaweed, studded with pearls, kept him in
abeyance. We then visited all the chief temples and other public
buildings, and his majesty's parks and hunting grounds, chatting all the
time pleasantly with my beloved Lurline, and after having spent a most
enjoyable day, we returned towards evening to the palace. It was the dinner hour. About a hundred harps from below struck up a
lively air, in lieu of a dinner bell. "Captain Toughyarn," said the king, "will you take down the Princess
Lurline?" I bowed, and offered my arm, and we swam into the dining hall. It was a
long and lofty apartment, with festoons of white and red coral pendent
from the arched roof. The walls were ornamented with choice shells in
patterns, and the floor covered with a matting of plaited seaweed. The
furniture was of mother-of-pearl and turtle-shell. His majesty headed the table; his royal consort, who had come down
dressed for dinner in necklaces of immense pearls, sat opposite to him. Other members of the blood royal, as well as some distinguished guests,
were also present. We were waited upon by sea monsters, who handed round
large open shells in their mouths, which served as plates. A saw-fish brought me a knife and fork, a porpoise changed the plates, a
dolphin entered with the larger dishes, and a young whale handed round
the vegetables, which consisted of different sorts of seaweed. The
dinner was chiefly of fish, varied with albatross and sea gull, the
first course being oysters, by way of whetting the appetite. The king was pleased to ask me about my adventures, so I entertained the
whole dinner table with a recital of them. The queen smiled benignantly
on me, and the beautiful Lurline gazed into my face with an expression
of the most undisguised admiration. I felt myself quite the lion of the day, and had the conversation all to
myself.