the works of edgar allan poe-1-第22章

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contrived　for　the　purpose；　and　we　have　a　minute　description　of　it；　　
which　is　materially　helped　out　by　a　steel　engraving。　Here　we　perceive　　
the　Signor　Gonzales；　with　point　ruffles　and　a　huge　periwig；　seated　　
astride　something　which　resembles　very　closely　a　broomstick；　and　　
borne　aloft　by　a　multitude　of　wild　swans　_（ganzas）　_who　had　strings　　
reaching　from　their　tails　to　the　machine。　

The　main　event　detailed　in　the　Signor's　narrative　depends　upon　a　very　　
important　fact；　of　which　the　reader　is　kept　in　ignorance　until　near　　
the　end　of　the　book。　The　_ganzas；　_with　whom　he　had　become　so　　
familiar；　were　not　really　denizens　of　St。　Helena；　but　of　the　moon。　　
Thence　it　had　been　their　custom；　time　out　of　mind；　to　migrate　　
annually　to　some　portion　of　the　earth。　In　proper　season；　of　course；　　
they　would　return　home；　and　the　author；　happening；　one　day；　to　　
require　their　services　for　a　short　voyage；　is　unexpectedly　carried　　
straight　tip；　and　in　a　very　brief　period　arrives　at　the　satellite。　　
Here　he　finds；　among　other　odd　things；　that　the　people　enjoy　extreme　　
happiness；　that　they　have　no　_law；　_that　they　die　without　pain；　that　　
they　are　from　ten　to　thirty　feet　in　height；　that　they　live　five　　
thousand　years；　that　they　have　an　emperor　called　Irdonozur；　and　that　　
they　can　jump　sixty　feet　high；　when；　being　out　of　the　gravitating　　
influence；　they　fly　about　with　fans。　

I　cannot　forbear　giving　a　specimen　of　the　general　_philosophy　_of　the　　
volume。　

〃I　must　not　forget　here；　that　the　stars　appeared　only　on　that　side　of　　
the　globe　turned　toward　the　moon；　and　that　the　closer　they　were　to　it　　
the　larger　they　seemed。　I　have　also　me　and　the　earth。　As　to　the　　
stars；　_since　there　was　no　night　where　I　was；　they　always　had　the　　
same　appearance；　not　brilliant；　as　usual；　but　pale；　and　very　nearly　　
like　the　moon　of　a　morning。　_But　few　of　them　were　visible；　and　these　　
ten　times　larger　（as　well　as　I　could　judge）　than　they　seem　to　the　　
inhabitants　of　the　earth。　The　moon；　which　wanted　two　days　of　being　　
full；　was　of　a　terrible　bigness。　

　〃I　must　not　forget　here；　that　the　stars　appeared　only　on　that　side　　
of　the　globe　turned　toward　the　moon；　and　that　the　closer　they　were　to　　
it　the　larger　they　seemed。　I　have　also　to　inform　you　that；　whether　it　　
was　calm　weather　or　stormy；　I　found　myself　_always　immediately　　
between　the　moon　and　the　earth。_　I_　_was　convinced　of　this　for　two　　
reasons…because　my　birds　always　flew　in　a　straight　line；　and　because　　
whenever　we　attempted　to　rest；　_we　were　carried　insensibly　around　the　　
globe　of　the　earth。　_For　I　admit　the　opinion　of　Copernicus；　who　　
maintains　that　it　never　ceases　to　revolve　_from　the　east　to　the　west；　　
_not　upon　the　poles　of　the　Equinoctial；　commonly　called　the　poles　of　　
the　world；　but　upon　those　of　the　Zodiac；　a　question　of　which　I　　
propose　to　speak　more　at　length　here…after；　when　I　shall　have　leisure　　
to　refresh　my　memory　in　regard　to　the　astrology　which　I　learned　at　　
Salamanca　when　young；　and　have　since　forgotten。〃　

Notwithstanding　the　blunders　italicized；　the　book　is　not　without　some　　
claim　to　attention；　as　affording　a　naive　specimen　of　the　current　　
astronomical　notions　of　the　time。　One　of　these　assumed；　that　the　　
〃gravitating　power〃　extended　but　a　short　distance　from　the　earth's　　
surface；　and；　accordingly；　we　find　our　voyager　〃carried　insensibly　　
around　the　globe；〃　etc。　

There　have　been　other　〃voyages　to　the　moon；〃　but　none　of　higher　merit　　
than　the　one　just　mentioned。　That　of　Bergerac　is　utterly　meaningless。　　
In　the　third　volume　of　the　〃American　Quarterly　Review〃　will　be　found　　
quite　an　elaborate　criticism　upon　a　certain　〃journey〃　of　the　kind　in　　
questiona　criticism　in　which　it　is　difficult　to　say　whether　the　　
critic　most　exposes　the　stupidity　of　the　book；　or　his　own　absurd　　
ignorance　of　astronomy。　I　forget　the　title　of　the　work；　but　the　　
_means　_of　the　voyage　are　more　deplorably　ill　conceived　than　are　even　　
the　_ganzas　_of　our　friend　the　Signor　Gonzales。　The　adventurer；　in　　
digging　the　earth；　happens　to　discover　a　peculiar　metal　for　which　the　　
moon　has　a　strong　attraction；　and　straightway　constructs　of　it　a　box；　　
which；　when　cast　loose　from　its　terrestrial　fastenings；　flies　with　　
him；　forthwith；　to　the　satellite。　The　〃Flight　of　Thomas　O'Rourke；〃　is　　
a　_jeu　d'　esprit　_not　altogether　contemptible；　and　has　been　　
translated　into　German。　Thomas；　the　hero；　was；　in　fact；　the　　
gamekeeper　of　an　Irish　peer；　whose　eccentricities　gave　rise　to　the　　
tale。　The　〃flight〃　is　made　on　an　eagle's　back；　from　Hungry　Hill；　a　　
lofty　mountain　at　the　end　of　Bantry　Bay。　

In　these　various　_brochures　_the　aim　is　always　satirical；　the　theme　　
being　a　description　of　Lunarian　customs　as　compared　with　ours。　In　　
none　is　there　any　effort　at　_plausibility　_in　the　details　of　the　　
voyage　itself。　The　writers　seem；　in　each　instance；　to　be　utterly　　
uninformed　in　respect　to　astronomy。　In　〃Hans　Pfaall〃　the　design　is　　
original；　inasmuch　as　regards　an　attempt　at　_verisimilitude；　_in　the　　
application　of　scientific　principles　（so　far　as　the　whimsical　nature　　
of　the　subject　would　permit）；　to　the　actual　passage　between　the　earth　　
and　the　moon。　

｛*2｝　The　zodiacal　light　is　probably　what　the　ancients　called　Trabes。　　
Emicant　Trabes　quos　docos　vocant。　　Pliny；　lib。　2；　p。　26。　

｛*3｝　Since　the　original　publication　of　Hans　Pfaall；　I　find　that　Mr。　　
Green；　of　Nassau　balloon　notoriety；　and　other　late　aeronauts；　deny　　
the　assertions　of　Humboldt；　in　this　respect；　and　speak　of　a　　
decreasing　inconvenience；　　precisely　in　accordance　with　the　theory　　
here　urged　in　a　mere　spirit　of　banter。　

｛*4｝　Havelius　writes　that　he　has　several　times　found；　in　skies　　
perfectly　clear；　when　even　stars　of　the　sixth　and　seventh　magnitude　　
were　conspicuous；　that；　at　the　same　altitude　of　the　moon；　at　the　same　　
elongation　from　the　earth；　and　with　one　and　the　same　excellent　　
telescope；　the　moon　and　its　maculae　did　not　appear　equally　lucid　at　　
all　times。　From　the　circumstances　of　the　observation；　it　is　evident　　
that　the　cause　of　this　phenomenon　is　not　either　in　our　air；　in　the　　
tube；　in　the　moon；　or　in　the　eye　of　the　spectator；　but　must　be　looked　　
for　in　something　（an　atmosphere？）　existing　about　the　moon。　


　


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　GOLD…BUG

　　　　　What　ho！　what　ho！　this　fellow　is　dancing　mad　！

　　　　　　　　　　He　hath　been　bitten　by　the　Tarantula。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　_All　in　the　Wrong。_

　　　　MANY　years　ago；　I　contracted　an　intimacy　with　a　Mr。　William　
Legrand。　He　was　of　an　ancient　Huguenot　family；　and　had　once　been　
wealthy；　but　a　series　of　misfortunes　had　reduced　him　to　want。　To　
avoid　the　mortification　consequent　upon　his　disasters；　he　left　New　
Orleans；　the　city　of　his　forefathers；　and　took　up　his　residence　at　
Sullivan's　Island；　near　Charleston；　South　Carolina。　This　Island　is　a　
very　singular　one。　It　consists　of　little　else　than　the　sea　sand；　and　
is　about　three　miles　long。　Its　breadth　at　no　point　exceeds　a　quarter　
of　a　mile。　It　is　separated　from　the　main　land　by　a　scarcely　
perceptible　creek；　oozing　its　way　through　a　wilderness　of　reeds　and　
slime；　a　favorite　resort　of　the　marsh　hen。　The　vegetation；　as　might　
be　supposed；　is　scant；　or　at　least　dwarfish。　No　trees　of　any　
magnitude　are　to　be　seen。　Near　the　western　extremity；　where　Fort　
Moultrie　stands；　and　where　are　some　miserable　frame　buildings；　
tenanted；　during　summer；　by　the　fugitives　from　Charleston　dust　and　
fever；　may　be　found；　indeed；　the　bristly　palmetto；　but　the　whole　
island；　with　the　exception　of　this　western　point；　and　a　line　of　hard；　
white　beach　on　the　seacoast；　is　covered　with　a　dense　undergrowth　of　
the　sweet　myrtle；　so　much　prized　by　the　horticulturists　of　England。　
The　shrub　here　often　attains　the　height　of　fifteen　or　twenty　feet；　
and　forms　an　almost　impenetrable　coppice；　burthening　the　air　with　its　
fragrance。

　　　　In　the　inmost　recesses　of　this　coppice；　not　far　from　the　eastern　
or　more　remote　end　of　the　island；　Legrand　had　built　himself　a　small　
hut；　which　he　occupied　when　I　first；　by　mere　accident；　made　his　
acquaintance。　This　soon　ripened　into　friendship　…　for　there　was　much　
in　the　recluse　to　excite　interest