Дагон

           Dazedandfrightened, yetnotwithoutacertainthrillofthescientist’s orarchaeologist’sdelight, Iexaminedmysurroundingsmoreclosely. Themoon,nownearthezenith, shoneweirdly andvividlyabovethetoweringsteeps thathemmedinthechasm, andrevealedthefact thatafar-flungbodyofwaterflowedatthebottom, windingoutofsightinbothdirections, andalmostlappingmyfeetasIstoodontheslope. Acrossthechasm, thewaveletswashedthebaseoftheCyclopeanmonolith, onwhosesurfaceIcouldnowtracebothinscriptions andcrudesculptures. Thewritingwasinasystemofhieroglyphicsunknowntome, andunlikeanythingIhadeverseeninbooks, consistingforthemostpartofconventionalisedaquaticsymbols suchasfishes,eels,octopi,crustaceans,molluscs,whalesandthelike. Severalcharactersobviouslyrepresentedmarinethings whichareunknowntothemodernworld, butwhosedecomposingformsIhadobservedontheocean-risenplain. 

           Itwasthepictorialcarving, however,thatdidmosttoholdmespellbound. Plainlyvisibleacrosstheinterveningwateronaccount oftheirenormoussizewasanarrayofbas-reliefs whosesubjectswouldhaveexcitedtheenvyofaDore. Ithink thatthesethingsweresupposedtodepictmen —atleast,acertainsortofmen; thoughthecreatureswereshowndisporting likefishesinthewatersofsomemarinegrotto, orpayinghomageatsomemonolithicshrine whichappearedtobeunderthewavesaswell. OftheirfacesandformsIdarenotspeakindetail, forthemereremembrancemakesmegrowfaint. GrotesquebeyondtheimaginationofaPoeoraBulwer, theyweredamnablyhumaningeneraloutlinedespitewebbedhandsandfeet, shockinglywideandflabbylips, glassy,bulgingeyes, andotherfeatureslesspleasanttorecall.