the works of edgar allan poe-1-第51部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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　decisive　light。　　There　were　no　
clouds　apparent；　yet　the　wind　was　upon　the　increase；　and　blew　with　a　
fitful　and　unsteady　fury。　About　noon；　as　nearly　as　we　could　guess；　
our　attention　was　again　arrested　by　the　appearance　of　the　sun。　It　
gave　out　no　light；　properly　so　called；　but　a　dull　and　sullen　glow　
without　reflection；　as　if　all　its　rays　were　polarized。　Just　before　
sinking　within　the　turgid　sea；　its　central　fires　suddenly　went　out；　
as　if　hurriedly　extinguished　by　some　unaccountable　power。　It　was　a　
dim；　sliver…like　rim；　alone；　as　it　rushed　down　the　unfathomable　
ocean。

We　waited　in　vain　for　the　arrival　of　the　sixth　day　　that　day　to　me　
has　not　arrived　　to　the　Swede；　never　did　arrive。　Thenceforward　we　
were　enshrouded　in　patchy　darkness；　so　that　we　could　not　have　seen　an　
object　at　twenty　paces　from　the　ship。　Eternal　night　continued　to　
envelop　us；　all　unrelieved　by　the　phosphoric　sea…brilliancy　to　which　
we　had　been　accustomed　in　the　tropics。　We　observed　too；　that；　
although　the　tempest　continued　to　rage　with　unabated　violence；　there　
was　no　longer　to　be　discovered　the　usual　appearance　of　surf；　or　foam；　
which　had　hitherto　attended　us。　All　around　were　horror；　and　thick　
gloom；　and　a　black　sweltering　desert　of　ebony。　　Superstitious　
terror　crept　by　degrees　into　the　spirit　of　the　old　Swede；　and　my　own　
soul　was　wrapped　up　in　silent　wonder。　We　neglected　all　care　of　the　
ship；　as　worse　than　useless；　and　securing　ourselves；　as　well　as　
possible；　to　the　stump　of　the　mizen…mast；　looked　out　bitterly　into　
the　world　of　ocean。　We　had　no　means　of　calculating　time；　nor　could　we　
form　any　guess　of　our　situation。　We　were；　however；　well　aware　of　
having　made　farther　to　the　southward　than　any　previous　navigators；　
and　felt　great　amazement　at　not　meeting　with　the　usual　impediments　of　
ice。　In　the　meantime　every　moment　threatened　to　be　our　last　　every　
mountainous　billow　hurried　to　overwhelm　us。　The　swell　surpassed　
anything　I　had　imagined　possible；　and　that　we　were　not　instantly　
buried　is　a　miracle。　My　companion　spoke　of　the　lightness　of　our　
cargo；　and　reminded　me　of　the　excellent　qualities　of　our　ship；　but　I　
could　not　help　feeling　the　utter　hopelessness　of　hope　itself；　and　
prepared　myself　gloomily　for　that　death　which　I　thought　nothing　could　
defer　beyond　an　hour；　as；　with　every　knot　of　way　the　ship　made；　the　
swelling　of　the　black　stupendous　seas　became　more　dismally　appalling。　
At　times　we　gasped　for　breath　at　an　elevation　beyond　the　albatross　　
at　times　became　dizzy　with　the　velocity　of　our　descent　into　some　
watery　hell；　where　the　air　grew　stagnant；　and　no　sound　disturbed　the　
slumbers　of　the　kraken。

We　were　at　the　bottom　of　one　of　these　abysses；　when　a　quick　scream　
from　my　companion　broke　fearfully　upon　the　night。　〃See！　see！〃　cried　
he；　shrieking　in　my　ears；　〃Almighty　God！　see！　see！〃　As　he　spoke；　I　
became　aware　of　a　dull；　sullen　glare　of　red　light　which　streamed　down　
the　sides　of　the　vast　chasm　where　we　lay；　and　threw　a　fitful　
brilliancy　upon　our　deck。　Casting　my　eyes　upwards；　I　beheld　a　
spectacle　which　froze　the　current　of　my　blood。　At　a　terrific　height　
directly　above　us；　and　upon　the　very　verge　of　the　precipitous　
descent；　hovered　a　gigantic　ship　of；　perhaps；　four　thousand　tons。　
Although　upreared　upon　the　summit　of　a　wave　more　than　a　hundred　times　
her　own　altitude；　her　apparent　size　exceeded　that　of　any　ship　of　the　
line　or　East　Indiaman　in　existence。　Her　huge　hull　was　of　a　deep　dingy　
black；　unrelieved　by　any　of　the　customary　carvings　of　a　ship。　A　
single　row　of　brass　cannon　protruded　from　her　open　ports；　and　dashed　
from　their　polished　surfaces　the　fires　of　innumerable　
battle…lanterns；　which　swung　to　and　fro　about　her　rigging。　But　what　
mainly　inspired　us　with　horror　and　astonishment；　was　that　she　bore　up　
under　a　press　of　sail　in　the　very　teeth　of　that　supernatural　sea；　and　
of　that　ungovernable　hurricane。　When　we　first　discovered　her；　her　
bows　were　alone　to　be　seen；　as　she　rose　slowly　from　the　dim　and　
horrible　gulf　beyond　her。　For　a　moment　of　intense　terror　she　paused　
upon　the　giddy　pinnacle；　as　if　in　contemplation　of　her　own　sublimity；　
then　trembled　and　tottered；　and　　came　down。

At　this　instant；　I　know　not　what　sudden　self…possession　came　over　my　
spirit。　Staggering　as　far　aft　as　I　could；　I　awaited　fearlessly　the　
ruin　that　was　to　overwhelm。　Our　own　vessel　was　at　length　ceasing　from　
her　struggles；　and　sinking　with　her　head　to　the　sea。　The　shock　of　the　
descending　mass　struck　her；　consequently；　in　that　portion　of　her　
frame　which　was　already　under　water；　and　the　inevitable　result　was　to　
hurl　me；　with　irresistible　violence；　upon　the　rigging　of　the　
stranger。

As　I　fell；　the　ship　hove　in　stays；　and　went　about；　and　to　the　
confusion　ensuing　I　attributed　my　escape　from　the　notice　of　the　crew。　
With　little　difficulty　I　made　my　way　unperceived　to　the　main　
hatchway；　which　was　partially　open；　and　soon　found　an　opportunity　of　
secreting　myself　in　the　hold。　Why　I　did　so　I　can　hardly　tell。　An　
indefinite　sense　of　awe；　which　at　first　sight　of　the　navigators　of　
the　ship　had　taken　hold　of　my　mind；　was　perhaps　the　principle　of　my　
concealment。　I　was　unwilling　to　trust　myself　with　a　race　of　people　
who　had　offered；　to　the　cursory　glance　I　had　taken；　so　many　points　of　
vague　novelty；　doubt；　and　apprehension。　I　therefore　thought　proper　to　
contrive　a　hiding…place　in　the　hold。　This　I　did　by　removing　a　small　
portion　of　the　shifting…boards；　in　such　a　manner　as　to　afford　me　a　
convenient　retreat　between　the　huge　timbers　of　the　ship。

I　had　scarcely　completed　my　work；　when　a　footstep　in　the　hold　forced　
me　to　make　use　of　it。　A　man　passed　by　my　place　of　concealment　with　a　
feeble　and　unsteady　gait。　I　could　not　see　his　face；　but　had　an　
opportunity　of　observing　his　general　appearance。　There　was　about　it　
an　evidence　of　great　age　and　infirmity。　His　knees　tottered　beneath　a　
load　of　years；　and　his　entire　frame　quivered　under　the　burthen。　He　
muttered　to　himself；　in　a　low　broken　tone；　some　words　of　a　language　
which　I　could　not　understand；　and