the works of edgar allan poe-1-第15部分

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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attraction　of　the　planet　should　be　superseded　by　the　attraction　of　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　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