the works of edgar allan poe-1-第16节

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nine　P。M。；　over　the　northern　edge　of　the　Mexican　Gulf。

〃April　10th。　I　was　suddenly　aroused　from　slumber；　about　five　o'clock　
this　morning；　by　a　loud；　crackling；　and　terrific　sound；　for　which　I　
could　in　no　manner　account。　It　was　of　very　brief　duration；　but；　while　
it　lasted　resembled　nothing　in　the　world　of　which　I　had　any　previous　
experience。　It　is　needless　to　say　that　I　became　excessively　alarmed；　
having；　in　the　first　instance；　attributed　the　noise　to　the　bursting　
of　the　balloon。　I　examined　all　my　apparatus；　however；　with　great　
attention；　and　could　discover　nothing　out　of　order。　Spent　a　great　
part　of　the　day　in　meditating　upon　an　occurrence　so　extraordinary；　
but　could　find　no　means　whatever　of　accounting　for　it。　Went　to　bed　
dissatisfied；　and　in　a　state　of　great　anxiety　and　agitation。

〃April　11th。　Found　a　startling　diminution　in　the　apparent　diameter　of　
the　earth；　and　a　considerable　increase；　now　observable　for　the　first　
time；　in　that　of　the　moon　itself；　which　wanted　only　a　few　days　of　
being　full。　It　now　required　long　and　excessive　labor　to　condense　
within　the　chamber　sufficient　atmospheric　air　for　the　sustenance　of　
life。

〃April　12th。　A　singular　alteration　took　place　in　regard　to　the　
direction　of　the　balloon；　and　although　fully　anticipated；　afforded　me　
the　most　unequivocal　delight。　Having　reached；　in　its　former　course；　
about　the　twentieth　parallel　of　southern　latitude；　it　turned　off　
suddenly；　at　an　acute　angle；　to　the　eastward；　and　thus　proceeded　
throughout　the　day；　keeping　nearly；　if　not　altogether；　in　the　exact　
plane　of　the　lunar　elipse。　What　was　worthy　of　remark；　a　very　
perceptible　vacillation　in　the　car　was　a　consequence　of　this　change　
of　route　　a　vacillation　which　prevailed；　in　a　more　or　less　degree；　
for　a　period　of　many　hours。

〃April　13th。　Was　again　very　much　alarmed　by　a　repetition　of　the　loud；　
crackling　noise　which　terrified　me　on　the　tenth。　Thought　long　upon　
the　subject；　but　was　unable　to　form　any　satisfactory　conclusion。　
Great　decrease　in　the　earth's　apparent　diameter；　which　now　subtended　
from　the　balloon　an　angle　of　very　little　more　than　twenty…five　
degrees。　The　moon　could　not　be　seen　at　all；　being　nearly　in　my　
zenith。　I　still　continued　in　the　plane　of　the　elipse；　but　made　little　
progress　to　the　eastward。

〃April　14th。　Extremely　rapid　decrease　in　the　diameter　of　the　earth。　
To…day　I　became　strongly　impressed　with　the　idea；　that　the　balloon　
was　now　actually　running　up　the　line　of　apsides　to　the　point　of　
perigee…　in　other　words；　holding　the　direct　course　which　would　bring　
it　immediately　to　the　moon　in　that　part　of　its　orbit　the　nearest　to　
the　earth。　The　moon　iself　was　directly　overhead；　and　consequently　
hidden　from　my　view。　Great　and　long…continued　labor　necessary　for　the　
condensation　of　the　atmosphere。

〃April　15th。　Not　even　the　outlines　of　continents　and　seas　could　now　
be　traced　upon　the　earth　with　anything　approaching　distinctness。　
About　twelve　o'clock　I　became　aware；　for　the　third　time；　of　that　
appalling　sound　which　had　so　astonished　me　before。　It　now；　however；　
continued　for　some　moments；　and　gathered　intensity　as　it　continued。　
At　length；　while；　stupefied　and　terror…stricken；　I　stood　in　
expectation　of　I　knew　not　what　hideous　destruction；　the　car　vibrated　
with　excessive　violence；　and　a　gigantic　and　flaming　mass　of　some　
material　which　I　could　not　distinguish；　came　with　a　voice　of　a　
thousand　thunders；　roaring　and　booming　by　the　balloon。　When　my　fears　
and　astonishment　had　in　some　degree　subsided；　I　had　little　difficulty　
in　supposing　it　to　be　some　mighty　volcanic　fragment　ejected　from　that　
world　to　which　I　was　so　rapidly　approaching；　and；　in　all　probability；　
one　of　that　singular　class　of　substances　occasionally　picked　up　on　
the　earth；　and　termed　meteoric　stones　for　want　of　a　better　
appellation。

〃April　16th。　To…day；　looking　upward　as　well　as　I　could；　through　each　
of　the　side　windows　alternately；　I　beheld；　to　my　great　delight；　a　
very　small　portion　of　the　moon's　disk　protruding；　as　it　were；　on　all　
sides　beyond　the　huge　circumference　of　the　balloon。　My　agitation　was　
extreme；　for　I　had　now　little　doubt　of　soon　reaching　the　end　of　my　
perilous　voyage。　Indeed；　the　labor　now　required　by　the　condenser　had　
increased　to　a　most　oppressive　degree；　and　allowed　me　scarcely　any　
respite　from　exertion。　Sleep　was　a　matter　nearly　out　of　the　question。　
I　became　quite　ill；　and　my　frame　trembled　with　exhaustion。　It　was　
impossible　that　human　nature　could　endure　this　state　of　intense　
suffering　much　longer。　During　the　now　brief　interval　of　darkness　a　
meteoric　stone　again　passed　in　my　vicinity；　and　the　frequency　of　
these　phenomena　began　to　occasion　me　much　apprehension。

〃April　17th。　This　morning　proved　an　epoch　in　my　voyage。　It　will　be　
remembered　that；　on　the　thirteenth；　the　earth　subtended　an　angular　
breadth　of　twenty…five　degrees。　On　the　fourteenth　this　had　greatly　
diminished；　on　the　fifteenth　a　still　more　remarkable　decrease　was　
observable；　and；　on　retiring　on　the　night　of　the　sixteenth；　I　had　
noticed　an　angle　of　no　more　than　about　seven　degrees　and　fifteen　
minutes。　What；　therefore；　must　have　been　my　amazement；　on　awakening　
from　a　brief　and　disturbed　slumber；　on　the　morning　of　this　day；　the　
seventeenth；　at　finding　the　surface　beneath　me　so　suddenly　and　
wonderfully　augmented　in　volume；　as　to　subtend　no　less　than　
thirty…nine　degrees　in　apparent　angular　diameter！　I　was　
thunderstruck！　No　words　can　give　any　adequate　idea　of　the　extreme；　
the　absolute　horror　and　astonishment；　with　which　I　was　seized　
possessed；　and　altogether　overwhelmed。　My　knees　tottered　beneath　me　
　my　teeth　chattered　　my　hair　started　up　on　end。　〃The　balloon；　
then；　had　actually　burst！〃　These　were　the　first　tumultuous　ideas　that　
hurried　through　my　mind：　〃The　balloon　had　positively　burst！　　I　was　
falling　　falling　with　the　most　impetuous；　the　most　unparalleled　
velocity！　To　judge　by　the　immense　distance　already　so　quickly　passed　
over；　it　could　not　be　more　than　ten　minutes；　at　the　farthest；　before　
I　should　meet　the　surface　of　the　earth；　and　be　hurled　into　
annihilation！〃　But　at　length　reflection　came　to　my　relief。　I　paused；　
I　considered；　and　I　began　to　doubt。　The　matter　was　impossible。　I　
could　not　in　any　reason　have　so　rapidly　come　down。　Besides；　although　
I　was　evidently　approaching　the　surface　below　me；　it　was　with　a　speed　
by　no　means　commensurate　with　the　velocity　I　had　at　first　so　horribly　
conceived。　This　consideration　served　to　calm　the　perturbation　of　my　
mind；　and　I　finally　succeeded　in　regarding　the　phenomenon　in　its　
proper　point　of　view。　In　fact；　amazement　must　have　fairly　deprived　me　
of　my　senses；　when　I　could　not　see　the　vast　difference；　in　
appearance；　between　the　surface　below　me；　and　the　surface　of　my　
mother　earth。　The　latter　was　indeed　over　my　head；　and　completely　
hidden　by　the　balloon；　while　the　moon　　the　moon　itself　in　all　its　
glory　　lay　beneath　me；　and　at　my　feet。

〃The　stupor　and　surprise　produced　in　my　mind　by　this　extraordinary　
change　in　the　posture　of　affairs　was　perhaps；　after　all；　that　part　of　
the　adventure　least　susceptible　of　explanation。　For　the　
bouleversement　in　itself　was　not　only　natural　and　inevitable；　but　had　
been　long　actually　anticipated　as　a　circumstance　to　be　expected　
whenever　I　should　arrive　at　that　exact　point　of　my　voyage　where　the　
attraction　of　the　planet　should　be　superseded　by　the　attraction　of　
the　satellite　　or；　more　precisely；　where　the　gravitation　of　the　
balloon　toward　the　earth　should　be　less　powerful　than　its　gravitation　
toward　the　moon。　To　be　sure　I　arose　from　a　sound　slumber；　with　all　my　
senses　in　confusion；　to　the　contemplation　of　a　very　startling　
phenomenon；　and　one　which；　although　expected；　was　not　expected　at　the　
moment。　The　revolution　itself　must；　of　course；　have　taken　place　in　an　
easy　and　gradual　manner；　and　it　is　by　no　means　clear　that；　had　I　even　
been　awake　at　the　time　of　the　occurrence；　I　should　have　been　made　
aware　of　it　by　any　internal　evidence　of　an　inversion　　that　is　to　
say；　by　any　inconvenience　or　disarrangement；　either　about　my　person　
or　about　my　apparatus。

〃It　is　almost　needless　to　say　that；　upon　coming　to　a　due　sense　of　my　
situation；　and　emerging　from　the　terror　which　had　absorbed　every　
faculty　of　my　soul；　my　attention　was；　in　the　first　place；　wholly　
directed　to　the　contemplation　of　the　general　physical　appearance　of　
the　moon。　It　lay　beneath　me　like　a　chart　　and　although　I　judged　it　
to　be　still　at　no　inconsiderable　distance；　the　indentures　of　its　
surface　were　defined　to　my　vision　with　a　most　striking　and　altogether　
unaccountable　distinctness。　The　entire　absence　of　ocean　or　sea；　and　
indeed　of　any　lake　or　river；　or　body　of　water　whatsoever；　struck　me；　
at　first　glance；　as　the　most　extraordinary　feature　in　its　geological　
condition。　Yet；　strange　to　say；　I　beheld　vast　level　regions　of　a　
character　decidedly　alluvial；　although　by　far　the　greater　portion　of　
the　hemisphere　in　sight　was　covered　with　innumerable　volcanic　
mountains；　conical　in　shape；　and　having　more　the　appearance　of　
artificial　than　of　natural　protuberance。　The　highest　among　them　does　
not　exceed　three　and　th