the works of edgar allan poe-1-第17节

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artificial　than　of　natural　protuberance。　The　highest　among　them　does　
not　exceed　three　and　three…quarter　miles　in　perpendicular　elevation；　
but　a　map　of　the　volcanic　districts　of　the　Campi　Phlegraei　would　
afford　to　your　Excellencies　a　better　idea　of　their　general　surface　
than　any　unworthy　description　I　might　think　proper　to　attempt。　The　
greater　part　of　them　were　in　a　state　of　evident　eruption；　and　gave　me　
fearfully　to　understand　their　fury　and　their　power；　by　the　repeated　
thunders　of　the　miscalled　meteoric　stones；　which　now　rushed　upward　by　
the　balloon　with　a　frequency　more　and　more　appalling。

〃April　18th。　To…day　I　found　an　enormous　increase　in　the　moon's　
apparent　bulk　　and　the　evidently　accelerated　velocity　of　my　descent　
began　to　fill　me　with　alarm。　It　will　be　remembered；　that；　in　the　
earliest　stage　of　my　speculations　upon　the　possibility　of　a　passage　
to　the　moon；　the　existence；　in　its　vicinity；　of　an　atmosphere；　dense　
in　proportion　to　the　bulk　of　the　planet；　had　entered　largely　into　my　
calculations；　this　too　in　spite　of　many　theories　to　the　contrary；　
and；　it　may　be　added；　in　spite　of　a　general　disbelief　in　the　
existence　of　any　lunar　atmosphere　at　all。　But；　in　addition　to　what　I　
have　already　urged　in　regard　to　Encke's　comet　and　the　zodiacal　light；　
I　had　been　strengthened　in　my　opinion　by　certain　observations　of　Mr。　
Schroeter；　of　Lilienthal。　He　observed　the　moon　when　two　days　and　a　
half　old；　in　the　evening　soon　after　sunset；　before　the　dark　part　was　
visible；　and　continued　to　watch　it　until　it　became　visible。　The　two　
cusps　appeared　tapering　in　a　very　sharp　faint　prolongation；　each　
exhibiting　its　farthest　extremity　faintly　illuminated　by　the　solar　
rays；　before　any　part　of　the　dark　hemisphere　was　visible。　Soon　
afterward；　the　whole　dark　limb　became　illuminated。　This　prolongation　
of　the　cusps　beyond　the　semicircle；　I　thought；　must　have　arisen　from　
the　refraction　of　the　sun's　rays　by　the　moon's　atmosphere。　I　
computed；　also；　the　height　of　the　atmosphere　（which　could　refract　
light　enough　into　its　dark　hemisphere　to　produce　a　twilight　more　
luminous　than　the　light　reflected　from　the　earth　when　the　moon　is　
about　32　degrees　from　the　new）　to　be　1；356　Paris　feet；　in　this　view；　
I　supposed　the　greatest　height　capable　of　refracting　the　solar　ray；　
to　be　5；376　feet。　My　ideas　on　this　topic　had　also　received　
confirmation　by　a　passage　in　the　eighty…second　volume　of　the　
Philosophical　Transactions；　in　which　it　is　stated　that　at　an　
occultation　of　Jupiter's　satellites；　the　third　disappeared　after　
having　been　about　1〃　or　2〃　of　time　indistinct；　and　the　fourth　became　
indiscernible　near　the　limb。｛*4｝

〃Cassini　frequently　observed　Saturn；　Jupiter；　and　the　fixed　stars；　
when　approaching　the　moon　to　occultation；　to　have　their　circular　
figure　changed　into　an　oval　one；　and；　in　other　occultations；　he　found　
no　alteration　of　figure　at　all。　Hence　it　might　be　supposed；　that　at　
some　times　and　not　at　others；　there　is　a　dense　matter　encompassing　
the　moon　wherein　the　rays　of　the　stars　are　refracted。

〃Upon　the　resistance　or；　more　properly；　upon　the　support　of　an　
atmosphere；　existing　in　the　state　of　density　imagined；　I　had；　of　
course；　entirely　depended　for　the　safety　of　my　ultimate　descent。　
Should　I　then；　after　all；　prove　to　have　been　mistaken；　I　had　in　
consequence　nothing　better　to　expect；　as　a　finale　to　my　adventure；　
than　being　dashed　into　atoms　against　the　rugged　surface　of　the　
satellite。　And；　indeed；　I　had　now　every　reason　to　be　terrified。　My　
distance　from　the　moon　was　comparatively　trifling；　while　the　labor　
required　by　the　condenser　was　diminished　not　at　all；　and　I　could　
discover　no　indication　whatever　of　a　decreasing　rarity　in　the　air。

〃April　19th。　This　morning；　to　my　great　joy；　about　nine　o'clock；　the　
surface　of　the　moon　being　frightfully　near；　and　my　apprehensions　
excited　to　the　utmost；　the　pump　of　my　condenser　at　length　gave　
evident　tokens　of　an　alteration　in　the　atmosphere。　By　ten；　I　had　
reason　to　believe　its　density　considerably　increased。　By　eleven；　very　
little　labor　was　necessary　at　the　apparatus；　and　at　twelve　o'clock；　
with　some　hesitation；　I　ventured　to　unscrew　the　tourniquet；　when；　
finding　no　inconvenience　from　having　done　so；　I　finally　threw　open　
the　gum…elastic　chamber；　and　unrigged　it　from　around　the　car。　As　
might　have　been　expected；　spasms　and　violent　headache　were　the　
immediate　consequences　of　an　experiment　so　precipitate　and　full　of　
danger。　But　these　and　other　difficulties　attending　respiration；　as　
they　were　by　no　means　so　great　as　to　put　me　in　peril　of　my　life；　I　
determined　to　endure　as　I　best　could；　in　consideration　of　my　leaving　
them　behind　me　momently　in　my　approach　to　the　denser　strata　near　the　
moon。　This　approach；　however；　was　still　impetuous　in　the　extreme；　and　
it　soon　became　alarmingly　certain　that；　although　I　had　probably　not　
been　deceived　in　the　expectation　of　an　atmosphere　dense　in　proportion　
to　the　mass　of　the　satellite；　still　I　had　been　wrong　in　supposing　
this　density；　even　at　the　surface；　at　all　adequate　to　the　support　of　
the　great　weight　contained　in　the　car　of　my　balloon。　Yet　this　should　
have　been　the　case；　and　in　an　equal　degree　as　at　the　surface　of　the　
earth；　the　actual　gravity　of　bodies　at　either　planet　supposed　in　the　
ratio　of　the　atmospheric　condensation。　That　it　was　not　the　case；　
however；　my　precipitous　downfall　gave　testimony　enough；　why　it　was　
not　so；　can　only　be　explained　by　a　reference　to　those　possible　
geological　disturbances　to　which　I　have　formerly　alluded。　At　all　
events　I　was　now　close　upon　the　planet；　and　coming　down　with　the　most　
terrible　impetuosity。　I　lost　not　a　moment；　accordingly；　in　throwing　
overboard　first　my　ballast；　then　my　water…kegs；　then　my　condensing　
apparatus　and　gum…elastic　chamber；　and　finally　every　article　within　
the　car。　But　it　was　all　to　no　purpose。　I　still　fell　with　horrible　
rapidity；　and　was　now　not　more　than　half　a　mile　from　the　surface。　As　
a　last　resource；　therefore；　having　got　rid　of　my　coat；　hat；　and　
boots；　I　cut　loose　from　the　balloon　the　car　itself；　which　was　of　no　
inconsiderable　weight；　and　thus；　clinging　with　both　hands　to　the　
net…work；　I　had　barely　time　to　observe　that　the　whole　country；　as　far　
as　the　eye　could　reach；　was　thickly　interspersed　with　diminutive　
habitations；　ere　I　tumbled　headlong　into　the　very　heart　of　a　
fantastical…looking　city；　and　into　the　middle　of　a　vast　crowd　of　ugly　
little　people；　who　none　of　them　uttered　a　single　syllable；　or　gave　
themselves　the　least　trouble　to　render　me　assistance；　but　stood；　like　
a　parcel　of　idiots；　grinning　in　a　ludicrous　manner；　and　eyeing　me　and　
my　balloon　askant；　with　their　arms　set　a…kimbo。　I　turned　from　them　in　
contempt；　and；　gazing　upward　at　the　earth　so　lately　left；　and　left　
perhaps　for　ever；　beheld　it　like　a　huge；　dull；　copper　shield；　about　
two　degrees　in　diameter；　fixed　immovably　in　the　heavens　overhead；　and　
tipped　on　one　of　its　edges　with　a　crescent　border　of　the　most　
brilliant　gold。　No　traces　of　land　or　water　could　be　discovered；　and　
the　whole　was　clouded　with　variable　spots；　and　belted　with　tropical　
and　equatorial　zones。

〃Thus；　may　it　please　your　Excellencies；　after　a　series　of　great　
anxieties；　unheard　of　dangers；　and　unparalleled　escapes；　I　had；　at　
length；　on　the　nineteenth　day　of　my　departure　from　Rotterdam；　arrived　
in　safety　at　the　conclusion　of　a　voyage　undoubtedly　the　most　
extraordinary；　and　the　most　momentous；　ever　accomplished；　undertaken；　
or　conceived　by　any　denizen　of　earth。　But　my　adventures　yet　remain　to　
be　related。　And　indeed　your　Excellencies　may　well　imagine　that；　after　
a　residence　of　five　years　upon　a　planet　not　only　deeply　interesting　
in　its　own　peculiar　character；　but　rendered　doubly　so　by　its　intimate　
connection；　in　capacity　of　satellite；　with　the　world　inhabited　by　
man；　I　may　have　intelligence　for　the　private　ear　of　the　States'　
College　of　Astronomers　of　far　more　importance　than　the　details；　
however　wonderful；　of　the　mere　voyage　which　so　happily　concluded。　
This　is；　in　fact；　the　case。　I　have　much　　very　much　which　it　would　
give　me　the　greatest　pleasure　to　communicate。　I　have　much　to　say　of　
the　climate　of　the　planet；　of　its　wonderful　alternations　of　heat　and　
cold；　of　unmitigated　and　burning　sunshine　for　one　fortnight；　and　more　
than　polar　frigidity　for　the　next；　of　a　constant　transfer　of　
moisture；　by　distillation　like　that　in　vacuo；　from　the　point　beneath　
the　sun　to　the　point　the　farthest　from　it；　of　a　variable　zone　of　
running　water；　of　the　people　themselves；　of　their　manners；　customs；　
and　political　institutions；　of　their　peculiar　physical　construction；　
of　their　ugliness；　of　their　want　of　ears；　those　useless　appendages　in　
an　atmosphere　so　peculiarly　modified；　of　their　consequent　ignorance　
of　the　use　and　properties　of　speech；　of　their　substitute　for　speech　
in　a　singular　method　of　inter…communication；　of　the　incomprehensible　
connection　between　each　particular　individual　in　the　moon　with　some　
particular　individual　on　the　earth　　a　connection　analogous　with；　
and　depending　upon；　that　of　the　orbs　of　the　planet　and　the　
satellites；　and　by　means　of　which　the　lives　and　destinie