the works of edgar allan poe-2-第11部分

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stern；　holding　on　to　a　small　empty　water…cask　which　had　been　securely
lashed　under　the　coop　of　the　counter；　and　was　the　only　thing　on　deck
that　had　not　been　swept　overboard　when　the　gale　first　took　us。　As　we
approached　the　brink　of　the　pit　he　let　go　his　hold　upon　this；　and
made　for　the　ring；　from　which；　in　the　agony　of　his　terror；　he
endeavored　to　force　my　hands；　as　it　was　not　large　enough　to　afford　us
both　a　secure　grasp。　I　never　felt　deeper　grief　than　when　I　saw　him
attempt　this　act　…　although　I　knew　he　was　a　madman　when　he　did　it　…　a
raving　maniac　through　sheer　fright。　I　did　not　care；　however；　to
contest　the　point　with　him。　I　knew　it　could　make　no　difference
whether　either　of　us　held　on　at　all　；　　so　I　let　him　have　the　bolt；
and　went　astern　to　the　cask。　This　there　was　no　great　difficulty　in
doing　；　　for　the　smack　flew　round　steadily　enough；　and　upon　an　even
keel　…　only　swaying　to　and　fro；　with　the　immense　sweeps　and　swelters
of　the　whirl。　Scarcely　had　I　secured　myself　in　my　new　position；　when
we　gave　a　wild　lurch　to　starboard；　and　rushed　headlong　into　the
abyss。　I　muttered　a　hurried　prayer　to　God；　and　thought　all　was　over。

　　　　〃As　I　felt　the　sickening　sweep　of　the　descent；　I　had
instinctively　tightened　my　hold　upon　the　barrel；　and　closed　my　eyes。
For　some　seconds　I　dared　not　open　them　…　while　I　expected　instant
destruction；　and　wondered　that　I　was　not　already　in　my
death…struggles　with　the　water。　But　moment　after　moment　elapsed。　I
still　lived。　The　sense　of　falling　had　ceased　；　　and　the　motion　of　the
vessel　seemed　much　as　it　had　been　before；　while　in　the　belt　of　foam；
with　the　exception　that　she　now　lay　more　along。　I　took　courage；　and
looked　once　again　upon　the　scene。

　　　　〃Never　shall　I　forget　the　sensations　of　awe；　horror；　and
admiration　with　which　I　gazed　about　me。　The　boat　appeared　to　be
hanging；　as　if　by　magic；　midway　down；　upon　the　interior　surface　of　a
funnel　vast　in　circumference；　prodigious　in　depth；　and　whose
perfectly　smooth　sides　might　have　been　mistaken　for　ebony；　but　for
the　bewildering　rapidity　with　which　they　spun　around；　and　for　the
gleaming　and　ghastly　radiance　they　shot　forth；　as　the　rays　of　the
full　moon；　from　that　circular　rift　amid　the　clouds　which　I　have
already　described；　streamed　in　a　flood　of　golden　glory　along　the
black　walls；　and　far　away　down　into　the　inmost　recesses　of　the　abyss。

　　　　〃At　first　I　was　too　much　confused　to　observe　anything　accurately。
The　general　burst　of　terrific　grandeur　was　all　that　I　beheld。　When　I
recovered　myself　a　little；　however；　my　gaze　fell　instinctively
downward。　In　this　direction　I　was　able　to　obtain　an　unobstructed
view；　from　the　manner　in　which　the　smack　hung　on　the　inclined　surface
of　the　pool。　She　was　quite　upon　an　even　keel　…　that　is　to　say；　her
deck　lay　in　a　plane　parallel　with　that　of　the　water　…　but　this　latter
sloped　at　an　angle　of　more　than　forty…five　degrees；　so　that　we　seemed
to　be　lying　upon　our　beam…ends。　I　could　not　help　observing；
nevertheless；　that　I　had　scarcely　more　difficulty　in　maintaining　my
hold　and　footing　in　this　situation；　than　if　we　had　been　upon　a　dead
level　；　　and　this；　I　suppose；　was　owing　to　the　speed　at　which　we
revolved。

　　　　〃The　rays　of　the　moon　seemed　to　search　the　very　bottom　of　the
profound　gulf　；　　but　still　I　could　make　out　nothing　distinctly；　on
account　of　a　thick　mist　in　which　everything　there　was　enveloped；　and
over　which　there　hung　a　magnificent　rainbow；　like　that　narrow　and
tottering　bridge　which　Mussulmen　say　is　the　only　pathway　between　Time
and　Eternity。　This　mist；　or　spray；　was　no　doubt　occasioned　by　the
clashing　of　the　great　walls　of　the　funnel；　as　they　all　met　together
at　the　bottom　…　but　the　yell　that　went　up　to　the　Heavens　from　out　of
that　mist；　I　dare　not　attempt　to　describe。

　　　　〃Our　first　slide　into　the　abyss　itself；　from　the　belt　of　foam
above；　had　carried　us　a　great　distance　down　the　slope　；　　but　our
farther　descent　was　by　no　means　proportionate。　Round　and　round　we
swept　…　not　with　any　uniform　movement　…　but　in　dizzying　swings　and
jerks；　that　sent　us　sometimes　only　a　few　hundred　yards　…　sometimes
nearly　the　complete　circuit　of　the　whirl。　Our　progress　downward；　at
each　revolution；　was　slow；　but　very　perceptible。

　　　　〃Looking　about　me　upon　the　wide　waste　of　liquid　ebony　on　which　we
were　thus　borne；　I　perceived　that　our　boat　was　not　the　only　object　in
the　embrace　of　the　whirl。　Both　above　and　below　us　were　visible
fragments　of　vessels；　large　masses　of　building　timber　and　trunks　of
trees；　with　many　smaller　articles；　such　as　pieces　of　house　furniture；
broken　boxes；　barrels　and　staves。　I　have　already　described　the
unnatural　curiosity　which　had　taken　the　place　of　my　original　terrors。
It　appeared　to　grow　upon　me　as　I　drew　nearer　and　nearer　to　my
dreadful　doom。　I　now　began　to　watch；　with　a　strange　interest；　the
numerous　things　that　floated　in　our　company。　I　_must_　have　been
delirious　…　for　I　even　sought　_amusement_　in　speculating　upon　the
relative　velocities　of　their　several　descents　toward　the　foam　below。
'This　fir　tree；'　I　found　myself　at　one　time　saying；　'will　certainly
be　the　next　thing　that　takes　the　awful　plunge　and　disappears；'　…　and
then　I　was　disappointed　to　find　that　the　wreck　of　a　Dutch　merchant
ship　overtook　it　and　went　down　before。　At　length；　after　making
several　guesses　of　this　nature；　and　being　deceived　in　all　…　this　fact
…　the　fact　of　my　invariable　miscalculation　…　set　me　upon　a　train　of
reflection　that　made　my　limbs　again　tremble；　and　my　heart　beat
heavily　once　more。

　　　　〃It　was　not　a　new　terror　that　thus　affected　me；　but　the　dawn　of　a
more　exciting　_hope_。　This　hope　arose　partly　from　memory；　and　partly
from　present　observation。　I　called　to　mind　the　great　variety　of
buoyant　matter　that　strewed　the　coast　of　Lofoden；　having　been
absorbed　and　then　thrown　forth　by　the　Moskoe…str鰉。　By　far　the
greater　number　of　the　articles　were　shattered　in　the　most
extraordinary　way　…　so　chafed　and　roughened　as　to　have　the　appearance
of　being　stuck　full　of　splinters　…　but　then　I　distinctly　recollected
that　there　were　_some_　of　them　which　were　not　disfigured　at　all。　Now
I　could　not　account　for　this　difference　except　by　supposing　that　the
roughened　fragments　were　the　only　ones　which　had　been　_completely
absorbed_　…　that　the　others　had　entered　the　whirl　at　so　late　a　period
of　the　tide；　or；　for　some　reason；　had　descended　so　slowly　after
entering；　that　they　did　not　reach　the　bottom　before　the　turn　of　the
flood　came；　or　of　the　ebb；　as　the　case　might　be。　I　conceived　it
possible；　in　either　instance；　that　they　might　thus　be　whirled　up
again　to　the　level　of　the　ocean；　without　undergoing　the　fate　of　those
which　had　been　drawn　in　more　early；　or　absorbed　more　rapidly。　I　made；
also；　three　important　observations。　The　first　was；　that；　as　a　general
rule；　the　larger　the　bodies　were；　the　more　rapid　their　descent　…　the
second；　that；　between　two　masses　of　equal　extent；　the　one　spherical；
and　the　other　_of　any　other　shape_；　the　superiority　in　speed　of
descent　was　with　the　sphere　…　the　third；　that；　between　two　masses　of
equal　size；　the　one　cylindrical；　and　the　other　of　any　other　shape；
the　cylinder　was　absorbed　the　more　slowly。　Since　my　escape；　I　have
had　several　conversations　on　this　subject　with　an　old　school…master
of　the　district　；　　and　it　was　from　him　that　I　learned　the　use　of　the
words　'cylinder'　and　'sphere。'　He　explained　to　me　…　although　I　have
forgotten　the　explanation　…　how　what　I　observed　was；　in　fact；　the
natural　consequence　of　the　forms　of　the　floating　fragments　…　and
showed　me　how　it　happened　that　a　cylinder；　swimming　in　a　vortex；
offered　more　resistance　to　its　suction；　and　was　drawn　in　with　greater
difficulty　than　an　equally　bulky　body；　of　any　form　whatever。　｛*1｝

　　　　〃There　was　one　startling　circumstance　which　went　a　great　way　in
enforcing　these　observations；　and　rendering　me　anxious　to　turn　them
to　account；　and　this　was　that；　at　every　revolution；　we　passed
something　like　a　barrel；　or　else　the　yard　or　the　mast　of　a　vessel；
while　many　of　these　things；　which　had　been　on　our　level　when　I　first
opened　my　eyes　upon　the　wonders　of　the　whirlpool；　were　now　high　up
above　us；　and　seemed　to　have　moved　but　little　from　their　original
station。

　　　　〃I　no　longer　hesitated　what　to　do。　I　resolved　to　lash　myself
securely　to　the　water　cask　upon　which　I　now　held；　to　cut　it　loose
from　the　counter；　and　to　throw　myself　with　it　into　the　water。　I
attracted　my　brother's　attention　by　signs；　pointed　to　the　floating
barrels　that　came　near　us；　and　did　everything　in　my　power　to　make　him
understand　what　I　was　about　to　do。　I　thought　at　length　that　he
comprehended　my　design　…　but；　whether　this　was　the　case　or　not；　he
shook　his　head　despairingly；　and　refused　to　move　from　his　station　by
the　ring…bolt。　It　was　impossible　to　reach　him；　the　emergency　admitted
of　no　delay　；　　and　so；　with　a　bitter　struggle；　I　resigned　him　to　his
fate；　fastened　myself　to　the　cask　by　means　of　the　lashings　which
secured　it　to　the　counter；　and　precipitated　myself　with　it　into　the
sea；　without　another　moment's　hesitation。

　　　　〃The　result　was　precisely　what　I　had　hoped　it　might　be。　As　it　is
myself　who　now　tell　you　this　tale　…　as　you　see　that　I　_did_　escape　…
and　as　you　are　already　in　possession　of　the　mode　in　which　this　escape
was　effected；　and　must　therefore　anticipate　all　that　I　have　farther
to　say　…　I　will　bring　my　story　quickly　to　conclusion。　It　might　have
been　an　hour；　or　thereabout；　after　my　quitting　the　smack；　when；
having　descended　to　a　vast　distance　beneath　me；　it　made　three　or　four
wild　gyrations　in　rapid　succession；　and；　bearing　my　loved　brother
with　it；　plunged　headlong；　at　once　and　forever；　into　the　chaos　of
foam　below。　The　barrel　to　which　I　was　attached　sunk　very　little
farther　than　half　the　distance　between　the　bottom　of　the　gulf　and　the
spot　at　which　I　leaped　overboard；　before　a　great　change　took　place　in
the　character　of　the　whirlpool。　The　slope　of　the　sides　of　the　vast
funnel　became　momently　less　and　less　steep。　The　gyrations　of　the
whirl　grew；　gradually；　less　and　less　violent。　By　degrees；　the　froth
and　the　rainbow　disappeared；　and　the　bottom　of　the　gulf　seemed　slowly
to　uprise。　The　sky　was　clear；　the　winds　had　gone　down；　and　the