A Descent into the Maelstrom

A fisherman standing on a Norwegian clifftop explains how his hair turned white. He and his two brothers were dragged into the Moskoe-strom after a hurricane took their masts.

Then Poe does something he almost never does. The panic burns off and the man starts observing. He notices that cylinders are pulled down more slowly than other shapes, ties himself to a barrel, and goes over the side on purpose. He calculates his way out.