the works of edgar allan poe-1-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


myself　and　cat　entirely　with　a　barricade　against　the　highly　rarefied　
atmosphere　in　which　I　was　existing；　with　the　intention　of　introducing　
within　this　barricade；　by　means　of　my　condenser；　a　quantity　of　this　
same　atmosphere　sufficiently　condensed　for　the　purposes　of　
respiration。　With　this　object　in　view　I　had　prepared　a　very　strong　
perfectly　air…tight；　but　flexible　gum…elastic　bag。　In　this　bag；　which　
was　of　sufficient　dimensions；　the　entire　car　was　in　a　manner　placed。　
That　is　to　say；　it　（the　bag）　was　drawn　over　the　whole　bottom　of　the　
car；　up　its　sides；　and　so　on；　along　the　outside　of　the　ropes；　to　the　
upper　rim　or　hoop　where　the　net…work　is　attached。　Having　pulled　the　
bag　up　in　this　way；　and　formed　a　complete　enclosure　on　all　sides；　and　
at　botttom；　it　was　now　necessary　to　fasten　up　its　top　or　mouth；　by　
passing　its　material　over　the　hoop　of　the　net…work　　in　other　words；　
between　the　net…work　and　the　hoop。　But　if　the　net…work　were　separated　
from　the　hoop　to　admit　this　passage；　what　was　to　sustain　the　car　in　
the　meantime？　Now　the　net…work　was　not　permanently　fastened　to　the　
hoop；　but　attached　by　a　series　of　running　loops　or　nooses。　I　
therefore　undid　only　a　few　of　these　loops　at　one　time；　leaving　the　
car　suspended　by　the　remainder。　Having　thus　inserted　a　portion　of　the　
cloth　forming　the　upper　part　of　the　bag；　I　refastened　the　loops　　
not　to　the　hoop；　for　that　would　have　been　impossible；　since　the　cloth　
now　intervened　　but　to　a　series　of　large　buttons；　affixed　to　the　
cloth　itself；　about　three　feet　below　the　mouth　of　the　bag；　the　
intervals　between　the　buttons　having　been　made　to　correspond　to　the　
intervals　between　the　loops。　This　done；　a　few　more　of　the　loops　were　
unfastened　from　the　rim；　a　farther　portion　of　the　cloth　introduced；　
and　the　disengaged　loops　then　connected　with　their　proper　buttons。　In　
this　way　it　was　possible　to　insert　the　whole　upper　part　of　the　bag　
between　the　net…work　and　the　hoop。　It　is　evident　that　the　hoop　would　
now　drop　down　within　the　car；　while　the　whole　weight　of　the　car　
itself；　with　all　its　contents；　would　be　held　up　merely　by　the　
strength　of　the　buttons。　This；　at　first　sight；　would　seem　an　
inadequate　dependence；　but　it　was　by　no　means　so；　for　the　buttons　
were　not　only　very　strong　in　themselves；　but　so　close　together　that　a　
very　slight　portion　of　the　whole　weight　was　supported　by　any　one　of　
them。　Indeed；　had　the　car　and　contents　been　three　times　heavier　than　
they　were；　I　should　not　have　been　at　all　uneasy。　I　now　raised　up　the　
hoop　again　within　the　covering　of　gum…elastic；　and　propped　it　at　
nearly　its　former　height　by　means　of　three　light　poles　prepared　for　
the　occasion。　This　was　done；　of　course；　to　keep　the　bag　distended　at　
the　top；　and　to　preserve　the　lower　part　of　the　net…work　in　its　proper　
situation。　All　that　now　remained　was　to　fasten　up　the　mouth　of　the　
enclosure；　and　this　was　readily　accomplished　by　gathering　the　folds　
of　the　material　together；　and　twisting　them　up　very　tightly　on　the　
inside　by　means　of　a　kind　of　stationary　tourniquet。

〃In　the　sides　of　the　covering　thus　adjusted　round　the　car；　had　been　
inserted　three　circular　panes　of　thick　but　clear　glass；　through　which　
I　could　see　without　difficulty　around　me　in　every　horizontal　
direction。　In　that　portion　of　the　cloth　forming　the　bottom；　was　
likewise；　a　fourth　window；　of　the　same　kind；　and　corresponding　with　a　
small　aperture　in　the　floor　of　the　car　itself。　This　enabled　me　to　see　
perpendicularly　down；　but　having　found　it　impossible　to　place　any　
similar　contrivance　overhead；　on　account　of　the　peculiar　manner　of　
closing　up　the　opening　there；　and　the　consequent　wrinkles　in　the　
cloth；　I　could　expect　to　see　no　objects　situated　directly　in　my　
zenith。　This；　of　course；　was　a　matter　of　little　consequence；　for　had　
I　even　been　able　to　place　a　window　at　top；　the　balloon　itself　would　
have　prevented　my　making　any　use　of　it。

〃About　a　foot　below　one　of　the　side　windows　was　a　circular　opening；　
eight　inches　in　diameter；　and　fitted　with　a　brass　rim　adapted　in　its　
inner　edge　to　the　windings　of　a　screw。　In　this　rim　was　screwed　the　
large　tube　of　the　condenser；　the　body　of　the　machine　being；　of　
course；　within　the　chamber　of　gum…elastic。　Through　this　tube　a　
quantity　of　the　rare　atmosphere　circumjacent　being　drawn　by　means　of　
a　vacuum　created　in　the　body　of　the　machine；　was　thence　discharged；　
in　a　state　of　condensation；　to　mingle　with　the　thin　air　already　in　
the　chamber。　This　operation　being　repeated　several　times；　at　length　
filled　the　chamber　with　atmosphere　proper　for　all　the　purposes　of　
respiration。　But　in　so　confined　a　space　it　would；　in　a　short　time；　
necessarily　become　foul；　and　unfit　for　use　from　frequent　contact　with　
the　lungs。　It　was　then　ejected　by　a　small　valve　at　the　bottom　of　the　
car　　the　dense　air　readily　sinking　into　the　thinner　atmosphere　
below。　To　avoid　the　inconvenience　of　making　a　total　vacuum　at　any　
moment　within　the　chamber；　this　purification　was　never　accomplished　
all　at　once；　but　in　a　gradual　manner　　the　valve　being　opened　only　
for　a　few　seconds；　then　closed　again；　until　one　or　two　strokes　from　
the　pump　of　the　condenser　had　supplied　the　place　of　the　atmosphere　
ejected。　For　the　sake　of　experiment　I　had　put　the　cat　and　kittens　in　
a　small　basket；　and　suspended　it　outside　the　car　to　a　button　at　the　
bottom；　close　by　the　valve；　through　which　I　could　feed　them　at　any　
moment　when　necessary。　I　did　this　at　some　little　risk；　and　before　
closing　the　mouth　of　the　chamber；　by　reaching　under　the　car　with　one　
of　the　poles　before　mentioned　to　which　a　hook　had　been　attached。

〃By　the　time　I　had　fully　completed　these　arrangements　and　filled　the　
chamber　as　explained；　it　wanted　only　ten　minutes　of　nine　o'clock。　
During　the　whole　period　of　my　being　thus　employed；　I　endured　the　most　
terrible　distress　from　difficulty　of　respiration；　and　bitterly　did　I　
repent　the　negligence　or　rather　fool…hardiness；　of　which　I　had　been　
guilty；　of　putting　off　to　the　last　moment　a　matter　of　so　much　
importance。　But　having　at　length　accomplished　it；　I　soon　began　to　
reap　the　benefit　of　my　invention。　Once　again　I　breathed　with　perfect　
freedom　and　ease　　and　indeed　why　should　I　not？　I　was　also　agreeably　
surprised　to　find　myself；　in　a　great　measure；　relieved　from　the　
violent　pains　which　had　hitherto　tormented　me。　A　slight　headache；　
accompanied　with　a　sensation　of　fulness　or　distention　about　the　
wrists；　the　ankles；　and　the　throat；　was　nearly　all　of　which　I　had　now　
to　complain。　Thus　it　seemed　evident　that　a　greater　part　of　the　
uneasiness　attending　the　removal　of　atmospheric　pressure　had　actually　
worn　off；　as　I　had　expected；　and　that　much　of　the　pain　endured　for　
the　last　two　hours　should　have　been　attributed　altogether　to　the　
effects　of　a　deficient　respiration。

〃At　twenty　minutes　before　nine　o'clock　　that　is　to　say；　a　short　
time　prior　to　my　closing　up　the　mouth　of　the　chamber；　the　mercury　
attained　its　limit；　or　ran　down；　in　the　barometer；　which；　as　I　
mentioned　before；　was　one　of　an　extended　construction。　It　then　
indicated　an　altitude　on　my　part　of　132；000　feet；　or　five…and…twenty　
miles；　and　I　consequently　surveyed　at　that　time　an　extent　of　the　
earth's　area　amounting　to　no　less　than　the　three　
hundred…and…twentieth　part　of　its　entire　superficies。　At　nine　o'clock　
I　had　again　lost　sight　of　land　to　the　eastward；　but　not　before　I　
became　aware　that　the　balloon　was　drifting　rapidly　to　the　N。　N。　W。　
The　convexity　of　the　ocean　beneath　me　was　very　evident　indeed；　
although　my　view　was　often　interrupted　by　the　masses　of　cloud　which　
floated　to　and　fro。　I　observed　now　that　even　the　lightest　vapors　
never　rose　to　more　than　ten　miles　above　the　level　of　the　sea。

〃At　half　past　nine　I　tried　the　experiment　of　throwing　out　a　handful　
of　feathers　through　the　valve。　They　did　not　float　as　I　had　expected；　
but　dropped　down　perpendicularly；　like　a　bullet；　en　masse；　and　with　
the　greatest　velocity　　being　out　of　sight　in　a　very　few　seconds。　I　
did　not　at　first　know　what　to　make　of　this　extraordinary　phenomenon；　
not　being　able　to　believe　that　my　rate　of　ascent　had；　of　a　sudden；　
met　with　so　prodigious　an　acceleration。　But　it　soon　occurred　to　me　
that　the　atmosphere　was　now　far　too　rare　to　sustain　even　the　
feathers；　that　they　actually　fell；　as　they　appeared　to　do；　with　great　
rapidity；　and　that　I　had　been　surprised　by　the　united　velocities　of　
their　descent　and　my　own　elevation。

〃By　ten　o'clock　I　found　that　I　had　very　little　to　occupy　my　immediate　
attention。　Affairs　went　swimmingly；　and　I　believed　the　balloon　to　be　
going　upward　witb　a　speed　increasing　momently　although　I　had　no　
longer　any　means　of　ascertaining　the　progression　of　the　increase。　I　
suffered　no　pain　or　uneasiness　of　any　kind；　and　enjoyed　better　
spirits　than　I　had　at　any　period　since　my　departure　from　Rotterdam；　
busying　myself　now　in　examining　the　state　of　my　various　apparatus；　
and　now　in　regenerating　the　atmosphere　within　the　chamber。　This　
latter　point　I　determined　to　attend　to　at　regular　intervals　of　forty　
minutes；　more　on　account　of　the　preservation　of　my　health；　than　from　
so　frequent　a　renovation　being　absolutely　necessary。　I