the works of edgar allan poe-1-第10节

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car；　if　I　had　fallen　with　my　face　turned　toward　the　balloon；　instead　
of　turned　outwardly　from　it；　as　it　actually　was；　or　if；　in　the　second　
place；　the　cord　by　which　I　was　suspended　had　chanced　to　hang　over　the　
upper　edge；　instead　of　through　a　crevice　near　the　bottom　of　the　car；　
　I　say　it　may　be　readily　conceived　that；　in　either　of　these　
supposed　cases；　I　should　have　been　unable　to　accomplish　even　as　much　
as　I　had　now　accomplished；　and　the　wonderful　adventures　of　Hans　
Pfaall　would　have　been　utterly　lost　to　posterity；　I　had　therefore　
every　reason　to　be　grateful；　although；　in　point　of　fact；　I　was　still　
too　stupid　to　be　anything　at　all；　and　hung　for；　perhaps；　a　quarter　of　
an　hour　in　that　extraordinary　manner；　without　making　the　slightest　
farther　exertion　whatsoever；　and　in　a　singularly　tranquil　state　of　
idiotic　enjoyment。　But　this　feeling　did　not　fail　to　die　rapidly　away；　
and　thereunto　succeeded　horror；　and　dismay；　and　a　chilling　sense　of　
utter　helplessness　and　ruin。　In　fact；　the　blood　so　long　accumulating　
in　the　vessels　of　my　head　and　throat；　and　which　had　hitherto　buoyed　
up　my　spirits　with　madness　and　delirium；　had　now　begun　to　retire　
within　their　proper　channels；　and　the　distinctness　which　was　thus　
added　to　my　perception　of　the　danger；　merely　served　to　deprive　me　of　
the　self…possession　and　courage　to　encounter　it。　But　this　weakness　
was；　luckily　for　me；　of　no　very　long　duration。　In　good　time　came　to　
my　rescue　the　spirit　of　despair；　and；　with　frantic　cries　and　
struggles；　I　jerked　my　way　bodily　upwards；　till　at　length；　clutching　
with　a　vise…like　grip　the　long…desired　rim；　I　writhed　my　person　over　
it；　and　fell　headlong　and　shuddering　within　the　car。

〃It　was　not　until　some　time　afterward　that　I　recovered　myself　
sufficiently　to　attend　to　the　ordinary　cares　of　the　balloon。　I　then；　
however；　examined　it　with　attention；　and　found　it；　to　my　great　
relief；　uninjured。　My　implements　were　all　safe；　and；　fortunately；　I　
had　lost　neither　ballast　nor　provisions。　Indeed；　I　had　so　well　
secured　them　in　their　places；　that　such　an　accident　was　entirely　out　
of　the　question。　Looking　at　my　watch；　I　found　it　six　o'clock。　I　was　
still　rapidly　ascending；　and　my　barometer　gave　a　present　altitude　of　
three　and　three…quarter　miles。　Immediately　beneath　me　in　the　ocean；　
lay　a　small　black　object；　slightly　oblong　in　shape；　seemingly　about　
the　size；　and　in　every　way　bearing　a　great　resemblance　to　one　of　
those　childish　toys　called　a　domino。　Bringing　my　telescope　to　bear　
upon　it；　I　plainly　discerned　it　to　be　a　British　ninety　four…gun　ship；　
close…hauled；　and　pitching　heavily　in　the　sea　with　her　head　to　the　
W。S。W。　Besides　this　ship；　I　saw　nothing　but　the　ocean　and　the　sky；　
and　the　sun；　which　had　long　arisen。

〃It　is　now　high　time　that　I　should　explain　to　your　Excellencies　the　
object　of　my　perilous　voyage。　Your　Excellencies　will　bear　in　mind　
that　distressed　circumstances　in　Rotterdam　had　at　length　driven　me　to　
the　resolution　of　committing　suicide。　It　was　not；　however；　that　to　
life　itself　I　had　any；　positive　disgust；　but　that　I　was　harassed　
beyond　endurance　by　the　adventitious　miseries　attending　my　situation。　
In　this　state　of　mind；　wishing　to　live；　yet　wearied　with　life；　the　
treatise　at　the　stall　of　the　bookseller　opened　a　resource　to　my　
imagination。　I　then　finally　made　up　my　mind。　I　determined　to　depart；　
yet　live　　to　leave　the　world；　yet　continue　to　exist　　in　short；　to　
drop　enigmas；　I　resolved；　let　what　would　ensue；　to　force　a　passage；　
if　I　could；　to　the　moon。　Now；　lest　I　should　be　supposed　more　of　a　
madman　than　I　actually　am；　I　will　detail；　as　well　as　I　am　able；　the　
considerations　which　led　me　to　believe　that　an　achievement　of　this　
nature；　although　without　doubt　difficult；　and　incontestably　full　of　
danger；　was　not　absolutely；　to　a　bold　spirit；　beyond　the　confines　of　
the　possible。

〃The　moon's　actual　distance　from　the　earth　was　the　first　thing　to　be　
attended　to。　Now；　the　mean　or　average　interval　between　the　centres　of　
the　two　planets　is　59。9643　of　the　earth's　equatorial　radii；　or　only　
about　237；000　miles。　I　say　the　mean　or　average　interval。　But　it　must　
be　borne　in　mind　that　the　form　of　the　moon's　orbit　being　an　ellipse　
of　eccentricity　amounting　to　no　less　than　0。05484　of　the　major　
semi…axis　of　the　ellipse　itself；　and　the　earth's　centre　being　
situated　in　its　focus；　if　I　could；　in　any　manner；　contrive　to　meet　
the　moon；　as　it　were；　in　its　perigee；　the　above　mentioned　distance　
would　be　materially　diminished。　But；　to　say　nothing　at　present　of　
this　possibility；　it　was　very　certain　that；　at　all　events；　from　the　
237；000　miles　I　would　have　to　deduct　the　radius　of　the　earth；　say　
4；000；　and　the　radius　of　the　moon；　say　1080；　in　all　5；080；　leaving　an　
actual　interval　to　be　traversed；　under　average　circumstances；　of　
231；920　miles。　Now　this；　I　reflected；　was　no　very　extraordinary　
distance。　Travelling　on　land　has　been　repeatedly　accomplished　at　the　
rate　of　thirty　miles　per　hour；　and　indeed　a　much　greater　speed　may　be　
anticipated。　But　even　at　this　velocity；　it　would　take　me　no　more　than　
322　days　to　reach　the　surface　of　the　moon。　There　were；　however；　many　
particulars　inducing　me　to　believe　that　my　average　rate　of　travelling　
might　possibly　very　much　exceed　that　of　thirty　miles　per　hour；　and；　
as　these　considerations　did　not　fail　to　make　a　deep　impression　upon　
my　mind；　I　will　mention　them　more　fully　hereafter。

〃The　next　point　to　be　regarded　was　a　matter　of　far　greater　
importance。　From　indications　afforded　by　the　barometer；　we　find　that；　
in　ascensions　from　the　surface　of　the　earth　we　have；　at　the　height　of　
1；000　feet；　left　below　us　about　one…thirtieth　of　the　entire　mass　of　
atmospheric　air；　that　at　10；600　we　have　ascended　through　nearly　
one…third；　and　that　at　18；000；　which　is　not　far　from　the　elevation　of　
Cotopaxi；　we　have　surmounted　one…half　the　material；　or；　at　all　
events；　one…half　the　ponderable；　body　of　air　incumbent　upon　our　
globe。　It　is　also　calculated　that　at　an　altitude　not　exceeding　the　
hundredth　part　of　the　earth's　diameter　　that　is；　not　exceeding　
eighty　miles　　the　rarefaction　would　be　so　excessive　that　animal　
life　could　in　no　manner　be　sustained；　and；　moreover；　that　the　most　
delicate　means　we　possess　of　ascertaining　the　presence　of　the　
atmosphere　would　be　inadequate　to　assure　us　of　its　existence。　But　I　
did　not　fail　to　perceive　that　these　latter　calculations　are　founded　
altogether　on　our　experimental　knowledge　of　the　properties　of　air；　
and　the　mechanical　laws　regulating　its　dilation　and　compression；　in　
what　may　be　called；　comparatively　speaking；　the　immediate　vicinity　of　
the　earth　itself；　and；　at　the　same　time；　it　is　taken　for　granted　that　
animal　life　is　and　must　be　essentially　incapable　of　modification　at　
any　given　unattainable　distance　from　the　surface。　Now；　all　such　
reasoning　and　from　such　data　must；　of　course；　be　simply　analogical。　
The　greatest　height　ever　reached　by　man　was　that　of　25；000　feet；　
attained　in　the　aeronautic　expedition　of　Messieurs　Gay…Lussac　and　
Biot。　This　is　a　moderate　altitude；　even　when　compared　with　the　eighty　
miles　in　question；　and　I　could　not　help　thinking　that　the　subject　
admitted　room　for　doubt　and　great　latitude　for　speculation。

〃But；　in　point　of　fact；　an　ascension　being　made　to　any　given　
altitude；　the　ponderable　quantity　of　air　surmounted　in　any　farther　
ascension　is　by　no　means　in　proportion　to　the　additional　height　
ascended　（as　may　be　plainly　seen　from　what　has　been　stated　before）；　
but　in　a　ratio　constantly　decreasing。　It　is　therefore　evident　that；　
ascend　as　high　as　we　may；　we　cannot；　literally　speaking；　arrive　at　a　
limit　beyond　which　no　atmosphere　is　to　be　found。　It　must　exist；　I　
argued；　although　it　may　exist　in　a　state　of　infinite　rarefaction。

〃On　the　other　hand；　I　was　aware　that　arguments　have　not　been　wanting　
to　prove　the　existence　of　a　real　and　definite　limit　to　the　
atmosphere；　beyond　which　there　is　absolutely　no　air　whatsoever。　But　a　
circumstance　which　has　been　left　out　of　view　by　those　who　contend　for　
such　a　limit　seemed　to　me；　although　no　positive　refutation　of　their　
creed；　still　a　point　worthy　very　serious　investigation。　On　comparing　
the　intervals　between　the　successive　arrivals　of　Encke's　comet　at　its　
perihelion；　after　giving　credit；　in　the　most　exact　manner；　for　all　
the　disturbances　due　to　the　attractions　of　the　planets；　it　appears　
that　the　periods　are　gradually　diminishing；　that　is　to　say；　the　major　
axis　of　the　comet's　ellipse　is　growing　shorter；　in　a　slow　but　
perfectly　regular　decrease。　Now；　this　is　precisely　what　ought　to　be　
the　case；　if　we　suppose　a　resistance　experienced　from　the　comet　from　
an　extremely　rare　ethereal　medium　pervading　the　regions　of　its　orbit。　
For　it　is　evident　that　such　a　medium　must；　in　retarding　the　comet's　
velocity；　increase　its　centripetal；　by　weakening　its　centrifugal　
force。　In　other　words；　the　sun's　attraction　would　be　constantly　
attaining　greater　power；　and　the　comet　would　be　drawn　nearer　at　every　
revolution。　Indeed；　there　is　no　other　way　of　accounting　for　the　
variation　in　question。　But　again。　The　real　diameter　of　the　same　
comet's　nebulosity　is　observed　to　con