Allowmetointroducemyself-firstnegatively。
Nolandlordismyfriendandbrother，nochambermaidlovesme，nowaiterworshipsme，nobootsadmiresandenviesme。Noroundofbeefortongueorhamisexpresslycookedforme，nopigeon-pieisespeciallymadeforme，nohotel-advertisementispersonallyaddressedtome，nohotel-roomtapestriedwithgreat-coatsandrailwaywrappersissetapartforme，nohouseofpublicentertainmentintheUnitedKingdomgreatlycaresformyopinionofitsbrandyorsherry。WhenIgouponmyjourneys，Iamnotusuallyratedatalowfigureinthebill；whenIcomehomefrommyjourneys，Inevergetanycommission。Iknownothingaboutprices，andshouldhavenoidea，ifIwereputtoit，howtowheedleamanintoorderingsomethinghedoesn’twant。Asatowntraveller，Iamnevertobeseendrivingavehicleexternallylikeayoungandvolatilepianofortevan，andinternallylikeanoveninwhichanumberofflatboxesarebakinginlayers。Asacountrytraveller，Iamrarelytobefoundinagig，andamnevertobeencounteredbyapleasuretrain，waitingontheplatformofabranchstation，quiteaDruidinthemidstofalightStonehengeofsamples。
Andyet-proceedingnow，tointroducemyselfpositively-Iambothatowntravellerandacountrytraveller，andamalwaysontheroad。Figurativelyspeaking，ItravelforthegreathouseofHumanInterestBrothers，andhaveratheralargeconnectioninthefancygoodsway。Literallyspeaking，IamalwayswanderinghereandtherefrommyroomsinCovent-garden，London-nowaboutthecitystreets:now，aboutthecountryby-roads-seeingmanylittlethings，andsomegreatthings，which，becausetheyinterestme，I
thinkmayinterestothers。
ThesearemychiefcredentialsastheUncommercialTraveller。
NeverhadIseenayeargoingout，orgoingon，underquietercircumstances。Eighteenhundredandfifty-ninehadbutanotherdaytolive，andtrulyitsendwasPeaceonthatsea-shorethatmorning。
Sosettledandorderlywaseverythingseaward，inthebrightlightofthesunandunderthetransparentshadowsoftheclouds，thatitwashardtoimaginethebayotherwise，foryearspastortocome，thanitwasthatveryday。TheTug-steamerlyingalittleofftheshore，theLighterlyingstillnearertotheshore，theboatalongsidetheLighter，theregularly-turningwindlassaboardtheLighter，themethodicalfiguresatwork，allslowlyandregularlyheavingupanddownwiththebreathingofthesea，allseemedasmuchapartofthenatureoftheplaceasthetideitself。Thetidewasontheflow，andhadbeenforsometwohoursandahalf；
therewasaslightobstructionintheseawithinafewyardsofmyfeet:asifthestumpofatree，withearthenoughaboutittokeepitfromlyinghorizontallyonthewater，hadslippedalittlefromtheland-andasIstooduponthebeachandobserveditdimplingthelightswellthatwascomingin，Icastastoneoverit。
Soorderly，soquiet，soregular-therisingandfallingoftheTug-steamer，theLighter，andtheboat-theturningofthewindlass-thecominginofthetide-thatImyselfseemed，tomyownthinking，anythingbutnewtothespot。Yet，Ihadneverseenitinmylife，aminutebefore，andhadtraversedtwohundredmilestogetatit。ThatverymorningIhadcomebowlingdown，andstrugglingup，hill-countryroads；lookingbackatsnowysummits；
meetingcourteouspeasantswelltodo，drivingfatpigsandcattletomarket:notingtheneatandthriftydwellings，withtheirunusualquantityofcleanwhitelinen，dryingonthebushes；havingwindyweathersuggestedbyeverycotter’slittlerick，withitsthatchstraw-ridgedandextrastraw-ridgedintooverlappingcompartmentslikethebackofarhinoceros。HadInotgivenaliftoffourteenmilestotheCoast-guardsman(kitandall)，whowascomingtohisspellofdutythere，andhadwenotjustnowpartedcompany？Soitwas；butthejourneyseemedtoglidedownintotheplacidsea，withotherchafeandtrouble，andforthemomentnothingwassocalmlyandmonotonouslyrealunderthesunlightasthegentlerisingandfallingofthewaterwithitsfreight，theregularturningofthewindlassaboardtheLighter，andtheslightobstructionsoverynearmyfeet。
Oreader，haplyturningthispagebythefiresideatHome，andhearingthenightwindrumbleinthechimney，thatslightobstructionwastheuppermostfragmentoftheWreckoftheRoyalCharter，Australiantraderandpassengership，Homewardbound，thatstruckhereontheterriblemorningofthetwenty-sixthofthisOctober，brokeintothreeparts，wentdownwithhertreasureofatleastfivehundredhumanlives，andhasneverstirredsince！
Fromwhichpoint，orfromwhich，shedroveashore，sternforemost；
onwhichside，oronwhich，shepassedthelittleIslandinthebay，forageshenceforthtobeagroundcertainyardsoutsideher；
thesearerenderedbootlessquestionsbythedarknessofthatnightandthedarknessofdeath。Hereshewentdown。
EvenasIstoodonthebeachwiththewords’Hereshewentdown！’
inmyears，adiverinhisgrotesquedress，dippedheavilyoverthesideoftheboatalongsidetheLighter，anddroppedtothebottom。
Ontheshorebythewater’sedge，wasaroughtent，madeoffragmentsofwreck，whereotherdiversandworkmenshelteredthemselves，andwheretheyhadkeptChristmas-daywithrumandroastbeef，tothedestructionoftheirfrailchimney。Castupamongthestonesandbouldersofthebeach，weregreatsparsofthelostvessel，andmassesofirontwistedbythefuryoftheseaintothestrangestforms。Thetimberwasalreadybleachedandironrusted，andeventheseobjectsdidnoviolencetotheprevailingairthewholescenewore，ofhavingbeenexactlythesameforyearsandyears。
Yet，onlytwoshortmonthshadgone，sinceaman，livingonthenearesthill-topoverlookingthesea，beingblownoutofbedataboutdaybreakbythewindthathadbeguntostriphisroofoff，andgettinguponaladderwithhisnearestneighbourtoconstructsometemporarydeviceforkeepinghishouseoverhishead，sawfromtheladder’selevationashelookeddownbychancetowardstheshore，somedarktroubledobjectcloseinwiththeland。Andheandtheother，descendingtothebeach，andfindingtheseamercilesslybeatingoveragreatbrokenship，hadclamberedupthestonyways，likestaircaseswithoutstairs，onwhichthewildvillagehangsinlittleclusters，asfruithangsonboughs，andhadgiventhealarm。Andso，overthehill-slopes，andpastthewaterfall，anddownthegullieswherethelanddrainsoffintotheocean，thescatteredquarrymenandfishermeninhabitingthatpartofWaleshadcomerunningtothedismalsight-theirclergymanamongthem。Andastheystoodintheleadenmorning，strickenwithpity，leaninghardagainstthewind，theirbreathandvisionoftenfailingasthesleetandsprayrushedatthemfromtheeverforminganddissolvingmountainsofsea，andasthewoolwhichwasapartofthevessel’scargoblewinwiththesaltfoamandremaineduponthelandwhenthefoammelted，theysawtheship’slife-boatputofffromoneoftheheapsofwreck；andfirst，therewerethreemeninher，andinamomentshecapsized，andtherewerebuttwo；andagain，shewasstruckbyavastmassofwater，andtherewasbutone；andagain，shewasthrownbottomupward，andthatone，withhisarmstruckthroughthebrokenplanksandwavingasifforthehelpthatcouldneverreachhim，wentdownintothedeep。
ItwastheclergymanhimselffromwhomIheardthis，whileIstoodontheshore，lookinginhiskindwholesomefaceasitturnedtothespotwheretheboathadbeen。Thediversweredownthen，andbusy。Theywere’lifting’to-daythegoldfoundyesterday-somefive-and-twentythousandpounds。Ofthreehundredandfiftythousandpounds’worthofgold，threehundredthousandpounds’
worth，inroundnumbers，wasatthattimerecovered。Thegreatbulkoftheremainderwassurelyandsteadilycomingup。Somelossofsovereignstherewouldbe，ofcourse；indeed，atfirstsovereignshaddriftedinwiththesand，andbeenscatteredfarandwideoverthebeach，likesea-shells；butmostothergoldentreasurewouldbefound。Asitwasbroughtup，itwentaboardtheTug-steamer，wheregoodaccountwastakenofit。Sotremendoushadtheforceoftheseabeenwhenitbroketheship，thatithadbeatenonegreatingotofgold，deepintoastrongandheavypieceofhersolidiron-work:inwhich，also，severalloosesovereignsthattheingothadsweptinbeforeit，hadbeenfound，asfirmlyembeddedasthoughtheironhadbeenliquidwhentheywereforcedthere。Ithadbeenremarkedofsuchbodiescomeashore，too，ashadbeenseenbyscientificmen，thattheyhadbeenstunnedtodeath，andnotsuffocated。Observation，bothoftheinternalchangethathadbeenwroughtinthem，andoftheirexternalexpression，showeddeathtohavebeenthusmercifulandeasy。Thereportwasbrought，whileIwasholdingsuchdiscourseonthebeach，thatnomorebodieshadcomeashoresincelastnight。Itbegantobeverydoubtfulwhethermanymorewouldbethrownup，untilthenorth-eastwindsoftheearlyspringsetin。Moreover，agreatnumberofthepassengers，andparticularlythesecond-classwomen-passengers，wereknowntohavebeeninthemiddleoftheshipwhensheparted，andthusthecollapsingwreckwouldhavefallenuponthemafteryawningopen，andwouldkeepthemdown。Adivermadeknown，eventhen，thathehadcomeuponthebodyofaman，andhadsoughttoreleaseitfromagreatsuperincumbentweight；butthat，findinghecouldnotdosowithoutmutilatingtheremains，hehadleftitwhereitwas。
ItwasthekindandwholesomefaceIhavemadementionofasbeingthenbesideme，thatIhadpurposedtomyselftosee，whenIlefthomeforWales。Ihadheardofthatclergyman，ashavingburiedmanyscoresoftheshipwreckedpeople；ofhishavingopenedhishouseandhearttotheiragonisedfriends；ofhishavingusedamostsweetandpatientdiligenceforweeksandweeks，intheperformanceoftheforlornestofficesthatMancanrendertohiskind；ofhishavingmosttenderlyandthoroughlydevotedhimselftothedead，andtothosewhoweresorrowingforthedead。Ihadsaidtomyself，’IntheChristmasseasonoftheyear，Ishouldliketoseethatman！’Andhehadswungthegateofhislittlegardenincomingouttomeetme，nothalfanhourago。
Socheerfulofspiritandguiltlessofaffectation，astruepracticalChristianityeveris！IreadmoreoftheNewTestamentinthefreshfrankfacegoingupthevillagebesideme，infiveminutes，thanIhavereadinanathematisingdiscourses(albeitputtopresswithenormousflourishingoftrumpets)，inallmylife。I
heardmoreoftheSacredBookinthecordialvoicethathadnothingtosayaboutitsowner，thaninallthewould-becelestialpairsofbellowsthathaveeverblownconceitatme。
Weclimbedtowardsthelittlechurch，atacheerypace，amongtheloosestones，thedeepmud，thewetcoarsegrass，theoutlyingwater，andotherobstructionsfromwhichfrostandsnowhadlatelythawed。Itwasamistake(myfriendwasgladtotellme，ontheway)tosupposethatthepeasantryhadshownanysuperstitiousavoidanceofthedrowned；onthewhole，theyhaddoneverywell，andhadassistedreadily。Tenshillingshadbeenpaidforthebringingofeachbodyuptothechurch，butthewaywassteep，andahorseandcart(inwhichitwaswrappedinasheet)werenecessary，andthreeorfourmen，and，allthingsconsidered，itwasnotagreatprice。Thepeoplewerenonethericherforthewreck，foritwastheseasonoftheherring-shoal-andwhocouldcastnetsforfish，andfinddeadmenandwomeninthedraught？
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