the works of edgar allan poe-1-第56节

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in　the　course　of　the　next　day；　at　farthest。

　　　　This　is　unquestionably　the　most　stupendous；　the　most　interesting；　
and　the　most　important　undertaking；　ever　accomplished　or　even　
attempted　by　man。　　What　magnificent　events　may　ensue；　it　would　be　
useless　now　to　think　of　determining。



~~~　End　of　Text　~~~

｛*1｝　_Note_。　…　Mr。　Ainsworth　has　not　attempted　to　account　for　this　
phenomenon；　which；　however；　is　quite　susceptible　of　explanation。　A　
line　dropped　from　an　elevation　of　25；000　feet；　perpendicularly　to　the　
surface　of　the　earth　（or　sea）；　would　form　the　perpendicular　of　a　
right…angled　triangle；　of　which　the　base　would　extend　from　the　right　
angle　to　the　horizon；　and　the　hypothenuse　from　the　horizon　to　the　
balloon。　But　the　25；000　feet　of　altitude　is　little　or　nothing；　in　
comparison　with　the　extent　of　the　prospect。　In　other　words；　the　base　
and　hypothenuse　of　the　supposed　triangle　would　be　so　long　when　
compared　with　the　perpendicular；　that　the　two　former　may　be　regarded　
as　nearly　parallel。　In　this　manner　the　horizon　of　the　鎟onaut　would　
appear　to　be　_on　a　level_　with　the　car。　But；　as　the　point　immediately　
beneath　him　seems；　and　is；　at　a　great　distance　below　him；　it　seems；　
of　course；　also；　at　a　great　distance　below　the　horizon。　Hence　the　
impression　of　_concavity_　；　and　this　impression　must　remain；　until　
the　elevation　shall　bear　so　great　a　proportion　to　the　extent　of　
prospect；　that　the　apparent　parallelism　of　the　base　and　hypothenuse　
disappears　…　when　the　earth's　real　convexity　must　become　apparent。



　


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MS。　FOUND　IN　A　BOTTLE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Qui　n'a　plus　qu'un　moment　a　vivre

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　N'a　plus　rien　a　dissimuler。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quinault　　Atys。

OF　my　country　and　of　my　family　I　have　little　to　say。　Ill　usage　and　
length　of　years　have　driven　me　from　the　one；　and　estranged　me　from　
the　other。　Hereditary　wealth　afforded　me　an　education　of　no　common　
order；　and　a　contemplative　turn　of　mind　enabled　me　to　methodize　the　
stores　which　early　study　very　diligently　garnered　up。　　Beyond　all　
things；　the　study　of　the　German　moralists　gave　me　great　delight；　not　
from　any　ill…advised　admiration　of　their　eloquent　madness；　but　from　
the　ease　with　which　my　habits　of　rigid　thought　enabled　me　to　detect　
their　falsities。　I　have　often　been　reproached　with　the　aridity　of　my　
genius；　a　deficiency　of　imagination　has　been　imputed　to　me　as　a　
crime；　and　the　Pyrrhonism　of　my　opinions　has　at　all　times　rendered　me　
notorious。　Indeed；　a　strong　relish　for　physical　philosophy　has；　I　
fear；　tinctured　my　mind　with　a　very　common　error　of　this　age　　I　
mean　the　habit　of　referring　occurrences；　even　the　least　susceptible　
of　such　reference；　to　the　principles　of　that　science。　Upon　the　whole；　
no　person　could　be　less　liable　than　myself　to　be　led　away　from　the　
severe　precincts　of　truth　by　the　ignes　fatui　of　superstition。　I　have　
thought　proper　to　premise　thus　much；　lest　the　incredible　tale　I　have　
to　tell　should　be　considered　rather　the　raving　of　a　crude　
imagination；　than　the　positive　experience　of　a　mind　to　which　the　
reveries　of　fancy　have　been　a　dead　letter　and　a　nullity。

After　many　years　spent　in　foreign　travel；　I　sailed　in　the　year　18　　
；　from　the　port　of　Batavia；　in　the　rich　and　populous　island　of　Java；　
on　a　voyage　to　the　Archipelago　of　the　Sunda　islands。　I　went　as　
passenger　　having　no　other　inducement　than　a　kind　of　nervous　
restlessness　which　haunted　me　as　a　fiend。

Our　vessel　was　a　beautiful　ship　of　about　four　hundred　tons；　
copper…fastened；　and　built　at　Bombay　of　Malabar　teak。　She　was　
freighted　with　cotton…wool　and　oil；　from　the　Lachadive　islands。　We　
had　also　on　board　coir；　jaggeree；　ghee；　cocoa…nuts；　and　a　few　cases　
of　opium。　The　stowage　was　clumsily　done；　and　the　vessel　consequently　
crank。

We　got　under　way　with　a　mere　breath　of　wind；　and　for　many　days　stood　
along　the　eastern　coast　of　Java；　without　any　other　incident　to　
beguile　the　monotony　of　our　course　than　the　occasional　meeting　with　
some　of　the　small　grabs　of　the　Archipelago　to　which　we　were　bound。

One　evening；　leaning　over　the　taffrail；　I　observed　a　very　singular；　
isolated　cloud；　to　the　N。W。　It　was　remarkable；　as　well　for　its　color；　
as　from　its　being　the　first　we　had　seen　since　our　departure　from　
Batavia。　I　watched　it　attentively　until　sunset；　when　it　spread　all　at　
once　to　the　eastward　and　westward；　girting　in　the　horizon　with　a　
narrow　strip　of　vapor；　and　looking　like　a　long　line　of　low　beach。　My　
notice　was　soon　afterwards　attracted　by　the　dusky…red　appearance　of　
the　moon；　and　the　peculiar　character　of　the　sea。　The　latter　was　
undergoing　a　rapid　change；　and　the　water　seemed　more　than　usually　
transparent。　Although　I　could　distinctly　see　the　bottom；　yet；　heaving　
the　lead；　I　found　the　ship　in　fifteen　fathoms。　The　air　now　became　
intolerably　hot；　and　was　loaded　with　spiral　exhalations　similar　to　
those　arising　from　heat　iron。　As　night　came　on；　every　breath　of　wind　
died　away；　an　more　entire　calm　it　is　impossible　to　conceive。　The　
flame　of　a　candle　burned　upon　the　poop　without　the　least　perceptible　
motion；　and　a　long　hair；　held　between　the　finger　and　thumb；　hung　
without　the　possibility　of　detecting　a　vibration。　However；　as　the　
captain　said　he　could　perceive　no　indication　of　danger；　and　as　we　
were　drifting　in　bodily　to　shore；　he　ordered　the　sails　to　be　furled；　
and　the　anchor　let　go。　No　watch　was　set；　and　the　crew；　consisting　
principally　of　Malays；　stretched　themselves　deliberately　upon　deck。　I　
went　below　　not　without　a　full　presentiment　of　evil。　Indeed；　every　
appearance　warranted　me　in　apprehending　a　Simoom。　I　told　the　captain　
my　fears；　but　he　paid　no　attention　to　what　I　said；　and　left　me　
without　deigning　to　give　a　reply。　My　uneasiness；　however；　prevented　
me　from　sleeping；　and　about　midnight　I　went　upon　deck。　　As　I　placed　
my　foot　upon　the　upper　step　of　the　companion…ladder；　I　was　startled　
by　a　loud；　humming　noise；　like　that　occasioned　by　the　rapid　
revolution　of　a　mill…wheel；　and　before　I　could　ascertain　its　meaning；　
I　found　the　ship　quivering　to　its　centre。　In　the　next　instant；　a　
wilderness　of　foam　hurled　us　upon　our　beam…ends；　and；　rushing　over　us　
fore　and　aft；　swept　the　entire　decks　from　stem　to　stern。

The　extreme　fury　of　the　blast　proved；　in　a　great　measure；　the　
salvation　of　the　ship。　Although　completely　water…logged；　yet；　as　her　
masts　had　gone　by　the　board；　she　rose；　after　a　minute；　heavily　from　
the　sea；　and；　staggering　awhile　beneath　the　immense　pressure　of　the　
tempest；　finally　righted。

By　what　miracle　I　escaped　destruction；　it　is　impossible　to　say。　
Stunned　by　the　shock　of　the　water；　I　found　myself；　upon　recovery；　
jammed　in　between　the　stern…post　and　rudder。　With　great　difficulty　I　
gained　my　feet；　and　looking　dizzily　around；　was；　at　first；　struck　
with　the　idea　of　our　being　among　breakers；　so　terrific；　beyond　the　
wildest　imagination；　was　the　whirlpool　of　mountainous　and　foaming　
ocean　within　which　we　were　engulfed。　After　a　while；　I　heard　the　voice　
of　an　old　Swede；　who　had　shipped　with　us　at　the　moment　of　our　leaving　
port。　I　hallooed　to　him　with　all　my　strength；　and　presently　he　came　
reeling　aft。　We　soon　discovered　that　we　were　the　sole　survivors　of　
the　accident。　All　on　deck；　with　the　exception　of　ourselves；　had　been　
swept　overboard；　　the　captain　and　mates　must　have　perished　as　they　
slept；　for　the　cabins　were　deluged　with　water。　Without　assistance；　we　
could　expect　to　do　little　for　the　security　of　the　ship；　and　our　
exertions　were　at　first　paralyzed　by　the　momentary　expectation　of　
going　down。　Our　cable　had；　of　course；　parted　like　pack…thread；　at　the　
first　breath　of　the　hurricane；　or　we　should　have　been　instantaneously　
overwhelmed。　We　scudded　with　frightful　velocity　before　the　sea；　and　
the　water　made　clear　breaches　over　us。　The　frame…work　of　our　stern　
was　shattered　excessively；　and；　in　almost　every　respect；　we　had　
received　considerable　injury；　but　to　our　extreme　Joy　we　found　the　
pumps　unchoked；　and　that　we　had　made　no　great　shifting　of　our　
ballast。　The　main　fury　of　the　blast　had　already　blown　over；　and　we　
apprehended　little　danger　from　the　violence　of　the　wind；　but　we　
looked　forward　to　its　total　cessation　with　dismay；　well　believing；　
that；　in　our　shattered　condition；　we　should　inevitably　perish　in　the　
tremendous　swell　which　would　ensue。　But　this　very　just　apprehension　
seemed　by　no　means　likely　to　be　soon　verified。　For　five　entire　days　
and　nights　　during　which　our　only　subsistence　was　a　small　quantity　
of　jaggeree；　procured　with　great　difficulty　from　the　forecastle　　
the　hulk　flew　at　a　rate　defying　computation；　before　rapidly　
succeeding　flaws　of　wind；　which；　without　equalling　the　first　violence　
of　the　Simoom；　were　still　more　terrific　than　any　tempest　I　had　before　
encountered。　Our　course　for　the　first　four　days　was；　with　trifling　
variations；　S。E。　and　by　S。；　and　we　must　have　run　down　the　coast　of　
New　Holland。　　On　the　fifth　day　the　cold　became　extreme；　although　
the　wind　had　hauled　round　a　point　more　to　the　northward。　　The　sun　
arose　with　a　sickly　yellow　lustre；　and　clambered　a　very　few　degrees　
above　the　horizon　　emitting　no