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 ¬confirmation of such a tremendous exile, and entreated to be informed whether any thing appeared in the Journal that seemed to favour an opinion, that the earth might be regained by pursuing the contrary course. " Undoubtedly," said my friend, and he turned in a few moments to the following passage : ¬" The equal rapidity of the two contrary cur- rents, and the impenetrable division between them, co?ivinces me that a vessel in the mouth of the other, at the point from which we emerged from the one we had been involved in, would re-conduct us to the earth ; but having taken no precautions to ascertain its position, guarded besides by natural obstacles of the most dangerous and per- plexing character, I can indulge no hope of either re-visiting our world myself, or of making it a rational object of future discovery.'' 1 ¬I leaped with joy when I had finished this sentence, notwithstanding its disheartening conclusion, and said to my protector, "You may ¬now ¬ ¬now