The captain was called and the crew turned out, and an effort made to put the ship on the other tack, but it was of no avail.

An almost dead calm prevailed, and the ship refused to obey her helm.

In short, the ship was being carried rapidly forward in the grasp of a strong under-current.

A heavy fog hung like a pall overhead, enveloping the ship's royals and top-gallant sails; and as the noise increased a strange feeling of awe and fear came over the crew, exciting their superstitions to the highest pitch.
As the ship went on the sounds began to resemble the dashing and surging of a heavy body of water forced by a strong tide through a narrow gorge.

Still nothing could be seen of land, which increased the strange sensations produced by so singular a phenomenon.