--MARLOW'S JEW OF MALTA.
HELL GATE.
About six miles from the renowned city of the Manhattoes, and in that
Sound, or arm of the sea, which passes between the main land and Nassau
or Long Island, there is a narrow strait, where the current is
violently compressed between shouldering promontories, and horribly
irritated and perplexed by rocks and shoals. Being at the best of times
a very violent, hasty current, its takes these impediments in mighty
dudgeon; boiling in whirlpools; brawling and fretting in ripples and
breakers; and, in short, indulging in all kinds of wrong-headed
paroxysms. At such times, woe to any unlucky vessel that ventures
within its clutches.
This termagant humor is said to prevail only at half tides. At low
water it is as pacific as any other stream. As the tide rises, it
begins to fret; at half tide it rages and roars as if bellowing for
more water; but when the tide is full it relapses again into quiet, and
for a time seems almost to sleep as soundly as an alderman after
dinner. It may be compared to an inveterate hard drinker, who is a
peaceable fellow enough when he has no liquor at all, or when he has a
skin full, but when half seas over plays the very devil.
This mighty, blustering, bullying little strait was a place of great
Difficulty and danger to the Dutch navigators of ancient days;
hectoring their tub-built barks in a most unruly style; whirling them
about, in a manner to make any but a Dutchman giddy, and not
unfrequently stranding them upon rocks and reefs.
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