the works of edgar allan poe-2-第12部分

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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　full
moon　was　setting　radiantly　in　the　west；　when　I　found　myself　on　the
surface　of　the　ocean；　in　full　view　of　the　shores　of　Lofoden；　and
above　the　spot　where　the　pool　of　the　Moskoe…str鰉　_had　been_。　It　was
the　hour　of　the　slack　…　but　the　sea　still　heaved　in　mountainous　waves
from　the　effects　of　the　hurricane。　I　was　borne　violently　into　the
channel　of　the　Str鰉；　and　in　a　few　minutes　was　hurried　down　the　coast
into　the　'grounds'　of　the　fishermen。　A　boat　picked　me　up　…　exhausted
from　fatigue　…　and　（now　that　the　danger　was　removed）　speechless　from
the　memory　of　its　horror。　Those　who　drew　me　on　board　were　my　old
mates　and　daily　companions　…　but　they　knew　me　no　more　than　they　would
have　known　a　traveller　from　the　spirit…land。　My　hair　which　had　been
raven…black　the　day　before；　was　as　white　as　you　see　it　now。　They　say
too　that　the　whole　expression　of　my　countenance　had　changed。　I　told
them　my　story　…　they　did　not　believe　it。　I　now　tell　it　to　_you_　…　and
I　can　scarcely　expect　you　to　put　more　faith　in　it　than　did　the　merry
fishermen　of　Lofoden。〃

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~



VON　KEMPELEN　AND　HIS　DISCOVERY

AFTER　THE　very　minute　and　elaborate　paper　by　Arago；　to　say　nothing　of
the　summary　in　'Silliman's　Journal；'　with　the　detailed　statement　just
published　by　Lieutenant　Maury；　it　will　not　be　supposed；　of　course；
that　in　offering　a　few　hurried　remarks　in　reference　to　Von　Kempelen's
discovery；　I　have　any　design　to　look　at　the　subject　in　a　scientific
point　of　view。　My　object　is　simply；　in　the　first　place；　to　say　a　few
words　of　Von　Kempelen　himself　（with　whom；　some　years　ago；　I　had　the
honor　of　a　slight　personal　acquaintance）；　since　every　thing　which
concerns　him　must　necessarily；　at　this　moment；　be　of　interest；　and；
in　the　second　place；　to　look　in　a　general　way；　and　speculatively；　at
the　results　of　the　discovery。

It　may　be　as　well；　however；　to　premise　the　cursory　observations　which
I　have　to　offer；　by　denying；　very　decidedly；　what　seems　to　be　a
general　impression　（gleaned；　as　usual　in　a　case　of　this　kind；　from
the　newspapers）；　viz。：　that　this　discovery；　astounding　as　it
unquestionably　is；　is　unanticipated。

By　reference　to　the　'Diary　of　Sir　Humphrey　Davy'　（Cottle　and　Munroe；
London；　pp。　150）；　it　will　be　seen　at　pp。　53　and　82；　that　this
illustrious　chemist　had　not　only　conceived　the　idea　now　in　question；
but　had　actually　made　no　inconsiderable　progress；　experimentally；　in
the　very　identical　analysis　now　so　triumphantly　brought　to　an　issue
by　Von　Kempelen；　who　although　he　makes　not　the　slightest　allusion　to
it；　is；　without　doubt　（I　say　it　unhesitatingly；　and　can　prove　it；　if
required）；　indebted　to　the　'Diary'　for　at　least　the　first　hint　of　his
own　undertaking。

The　paragraph　from　the　'Courier　and　Enquirer；'　which　is　now　going　the
rounds　of　the　press；　and　which　purports　to　claim　the　invention　for　a
Mr。　Kissam；　of　Brunswick；　Maine；　appears　to　me；　I　confess；　a　little
apocryphal；　for　several　reasons；　although　there　is　nothing　either
impossible　or　very　improbable　in　the　statement　made。　I　need　not　go
into　details。　My　opinion　of　the　paragraph　is　founded　principally　upon
its　manner。　It　does　not　look　true。　Persons　who　are　narrating　facts；
are　seldom　so　particular　as　Mr。　Kissam　seems　to　be；　about　day　and
date　and　precise　location。　Besides；　if　Mr。　Kissam　actually　did　come
upon　the　discovery　he　says　he　did；　at　the　period　designated　　nearly
eight　years　ago　　how　happens　it　that　he　took　no　steps；　on　the
instant；　to　reap　the　immense　benefits　which　the　merest　bumpkin　must
have　known　would　have　resulted　to　him　individually；　if　not　to　the
world　at　large；　from　the　discovery？　It　seems　to　me　quite　incredible
that　any　man　of　common　understanding　could　have　discovered　what　Mr。
Kissam　says　he　did；　and　yet　have　subsequently　acted　so　like　a　baby　
so　like　an　owl　　as　Mr。　Kissam　admits　that　he　did。　By…the…way；　who
is　Mr。　Kissam？　and　is　not　the　whole　paragraph　in　the　'Courier　and
Enquirer'　a　fabrication　got　up　to　'make　a　talk'？　It　must　be　confessed
that　it　has　an　amazingly　moon…hoaxy…air。　Very　little　dependence　is　to
be　placed　upon　it；　in　my　humble　opinion；　and　if　I　were　not　well
aware；　from　experience；　how　very　easily　men　of　science　are　mystified；
on　points　out　of　their　usual　range　of　inquiry；　I　should　be　profoundly
astonished　at　finding　so　eminent　a　chemist　as　Professor　Draper；
discussing　Mr。　Kissam's　（or　is　it　Mr。　Quizzem's？）　pretensions　to　the
discovery；　in　so　serious　a　tone。

But　to　return　to　the　'Diary'　of　Sir　Humphrey　Davy。　This　pamphlet　was
not　designed　for　the　public　eye；　even　upon　the　decease　of　the　writer；
as　any　person　at　all　conversant　with　authorship　may　satisfy　himself
at　once　by　the　slightest　inspection　of　the　style。　At　page　13；　for
example；　near　the　middle；　we　read；　in　reference　to　his　researches
about　the　protoxide　of　azote：　'In　less　than　half　a　minute　the
respiration　being　continued；　diminished　gradually　and　were　succeeded
by　analogous　to　gentle　pressure　on　all　the　muscles。'　That　the
respiration　was　not　'diminished；'　is　not　only　clear　by　the　subsequent
context；　but　by　the　use　of　the　plural；　'were。'　The　sentence；　no
doubt；　was　thus　intended：　'In　less　than　half　a　minute；　the
respiration　＇being　continued；　these　feelings＇　diminished　gradually；
and　were　succeeded　by　＇a　sensation＇　analogous　to　gentle　pressure　on
all　the　muscles。'　A　hundred　similar　instances　go　to　show　that　the　MS。
so　inconsiderately　published；　was　merely　a　rough　note…book；　meant
only　for　the　writer's　own　eye；　but　an　inspection　of　the　pamphlet　will
convince　almost　any　thinking　person　of　the　truth　of　my　suggestion。
The　fact　is；　Sir　Humphrey　Davy　was　about　the　last　man　in　the　world　to
commit　himself　on　scientific　topics。　Not　only　had　he　a　more　than
ordinary　dislike　to　quackery；　but　he　was　morbidly　afraid　of　appearing
empirical；　so　that；　however　fully　he　might　have　been　convinced　that
he　was　on　the　right　track　in　the　matter　now　in　question；　he　would
never　have　spoken　out；　until　he　had　every　thing　ready　for　the　most
practical　demonstration。　I　verily　believe　that　his　last　moments　would
have　been　rendered　wretched；　could　he　have　suspected　that　his　wishes
in　regard　to　burning　this　'Diary'　（full　of　crude　speculations）　would
have　been　unattended　to；　as；　it　seems；　they　were。　I　say　'his　wishes；'
for　that　he　meant　to　include　this　note…book　among　the　miscellaneous
papers　directed　'to　be　burnt；'　I　think　there　can　be　no　manner　of
doubt。　Whether　it　escaped　the　flames　by　good　fortune　or　by　bad；　yet
remains　to　be　seen。　That　the　passages　quoted　above；　with　the　other
similar　ones　referred　to；　gave　Von　Kempelen　the　hint；　I　do　not　in　the
slightest　degree　question；　but　I　repeat；　it　yet　remains　to　be　seen
whether　this　momentous　discovery　itself　（momentous　under　any
circumstances）　will　be　of　service　or　disservice　to　mankind　at　large。
That　Von　Kempelen　and　his　immediate　friends　will　reap　a　rich　harvest；
it　would　be　folly　to　doubt　for　a　moment。　They　will　scarcely　be　so
weak　as　not　to　'realize；'　in　time；　by　large　purchases　of　houses　and
land；　with　other　property　of　intrinsic　value。

In　the　brief　account　of　Von　Kempelen　which　appeared　in　the　'Home
Journal；'　and　has　since　been　extensively　copied；　several
misapprehensions　of　the　German　original　seem　to　have　been　made　by　the
translator；　who　professes　to　have　taken　the　passage　from　a　late
number　of　the　Presburg　'Schnellpost。'　'Viele'　has　evidently　been
misconceived　（as　it　often　is）；　and　what　the　translator　renders　by
'sorrows；'　is　probably　'lieden；'　which；　in　its　true　version；
'sufferings；'　would　give　a　totally　different　complexion　to　the　whole
account；　but；　of　course；　much　of　this　is　merely　guess；　on　my　part。

Von　Kempelen；　however；　is　by　no　means　'a　misanthrope；'　in　appearance；
at　least；　whatever　he　may　be　in　fact。　My　acquaintance　with　him　was
casual　altogether；　and　I　am　scarcely　warranted　in　saying　that　I　know
him　at　all；　but　to　have　seen　and　conversed　with　a　man　of　so
prodigious　a　notoriety　as　he　has　attained；　or　will　attain　in　a　few
days；　is　not　a　small　matter；　as　times　go。

'The　Literary　World'　speaks　of　him；　confidently；　as　a　native　of
Presburg　（misled；　perhaps；　by　the　account　in　'The　Home　Journal'）　but
I　am　pleased　in　being　able　to　state　positively；　since　I　have　it　from
his　own　lips；　that　he　was　born　in　Utica；　in　the　State　of　New　York；
although　both　his　parents；　I　believe；　are　of　Presburg　descent。　The
family　is　connected；　in　some　way；　with　Maelzel；　of
Automaton…chess…player　memory。　In　person；　he　is　short　and　stout；　with
large；　fat；　blue　eyes；　sandy　hair　and　whiskers；　a　wide　but　pleasing
mouth；　fine　teeth；　and　I　think　a　Roman　nose。　There　is　some　defect　in
one　of　his　feet。　His　address　is　frank；　and　his　whole　manner
noticeable　for　bonhomie。　Altogether；　he　looks；　speaks；　and　acts　as
little　like　'a　misanthrope'　as　any　man　I　ever　saw。　We　were
fellow…sojouners　for　a　week　about　six　years　ago；　at　Earl's　Hotel；　in
Providence；　Rhode　Island；　and　I　presume　that　I　conversed　with　him；　at
various　times；　for　some　three　or　four　hours　altogether。　His　principal
topics　were　those　of　the　day；　and　nothing　that　fell　from　him　led　me
to　suspect　his　scientific　attainments。　He　left　the　hotel　before　me；
intending　to　go　to　New　York；　and　thence　to　Bremen；　it　was　in　the
latter　city　that　his　great　discovery　was　first　made　public；　or；
rather；　it　was　there　that　he　was　first　suspected　of　having　made　it。
This　is　about　all　that　I　personally　know　of　the　now　immortal　Von
Kempelen；　but　I　have　thought　that　even　these　few　details　would　have
interest　for　the　public。

There　can　be　little　question　that　most　of　the　marvellous　rumors
afloat　about　this　affair　are　pure　inventions；　entitled　to　about　as
much　credit　as　the　story　of　Aladdin's　lamp；　and　yet；　in　a　case　of
this　kind；　as　in　the　case　of　the　discoveries　in　California；　it　is
clear　that　the　truth　may　be　stranger　than　fiction。　The　following
anecdote；　at　least；　is　so　well　authenticated；　that　we　may　receive　it
implicitly。

Von　Kempelen　had　never　been　even　tolerably　well　off　during　his
residence　at　Bremen；　and　often；　it　was　well　known；　he　had　been　put　to
extreme　shifts　in　order　to　raise　trif