Дагон

           WhenatlastIawakened, itwastodiscovermyselfhalfsuckedintoaslimyexpanseofhellishblackmire whichextendedaboutmeinmonotonousundulations asfarasIcouldsee, andinwhichmyboatlaygroundedsomedistanceaway. 

           Thoughonemightwellimagine thatmyfirstsensationwouldbeofwonderatsoprodigious andunexpectedatransformationofscenery, Iwasinrealitymorehorrified thanastonished; fortherewasintheairandintherottingsoilasinisterquality whichchilledmetotheverycore. Theregionwasputridwiththecarcassesofdecayingfish, andofotherlessdescribablethings whichIsawprotrudingfromthenastymudoftheunendingplain. PerhapsIshouldnothopetoconvey inmerewordstheunutterablehideousness thatcandwellinabsolutesilence andbarrenimmensity. Therewasnothingwithinhearing, andnothinginsightsaveavastreachofblackslime; yettheverycompletenessofthestillness andthehomogeneityofthelandscape oppressedmewithanauseatingfear. 

           Thesunwasblazingdownfromasky whichseemedtomealmostblackinitscloudlesscruelty; asthoughreflectingtheinkymarshbeneathmyfeet. AsIcrawledintothestrandedboatIrealised thatonlyonetheorycouldexplainmyposition. Throughsomeunprecedentedvolcanicupheaval,aportionoftheoceanfloor musthavebeenthrowntothesurface,exposingregions whichforinnumerablemillionsofyearshadlainhiddenunderunfathomablewaterydepths. Sogreatwastheextentofthenewlandwhichhadrisenbeneathme, thatIcouldnotdetectthefaintestnoiseofthesurgingocean, strainmyearsasImight. Norwerethereanysea-fowltopreyuponthedeadthings. 

           ForseveralhoursIsatthinkingorbroodingintheboat, whichlayuponitsside andaffordedaslightshadeasthesunmovedacrosstheheavens.