But White now felt that further exertion was useless, and amidst the "gurgling" waters closed his eyes for some minutes, when, feeling a strange swinging sensation, he opened them and found that he was circling round the whirlpool, sometimes close to the terrible vortex, etc.

He thought he fainted.

He was nothing if not dramatic.

When he recovered it was night.

Then for the first time he thought of prayer.