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| author | pgww <pgww@lists.pglaf.org> | 2025-09-13 03:58:57 -0700 |
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| committer | pgww <pgww@lists.pglaf.org> | 2025-09-13 03:58:57 -0700 |
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@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE -— VOLUME 1 *** +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 2147 *** @@ -7747,7 +7746,7 @@ THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET.(*1) only to myself. It is necessary that there be no chance of interruption—there must be sufficient time given us to elude pursuit—I will give it to be understood that I shall visit and - spend the day with my aunt at the Rue des Drômes—I well tell St. + spend the day with my aunt at the Rue des Drômes—I will tell St. Eustache not to call for me until dark—in this way, my absence from home for the longest possible period, without causing suspicion or anxiety, will be accounted for, and I shall gain @@ -9573,5 +9572,4 @@ THE OVAL PORTRAIT dead!” -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE -— VOLUME 1 ***
\ No newline at end of file +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 2147 *** diff --git a/2147-h/2147-h.htm b/2147-h/2147-h.htm index 2464884..8c34c48 100644 --- a/2147-h/2147-h.htm +++ b/2147-h/2147-h.htm @@ -1,12 +1,10 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" -"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html lang="en"> <head> -<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> -<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> -<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Volume 1, by Edgar Allan Poe</title> +<meta charset="utf-8"> +<title>The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Volume 1 | Project Gutenberg</title> -<style type="text/css"> +<style> body { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; @@ -71,7 +69,7 @@ a:hover {color:red} </head> <body> -<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE — VOLUME 1 ***</div> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 2147 ***</div> <h1>The Works of Edgar Allan Poe</h1> @@ -79,11 +77,11 @@ a:hover {color:red} <h3>The Raven Edition</h3> -<hr /> +<hr > <h2>Contents</h2> -<table summary="" style=""> +<table> <tr> <td> <a href="#chap01">PREFACE</a></td> @@ -131,17 +129,17 @@ a:hover {color:red} </table> - <hr /> + <hr > <div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="chap01"></a>EDGAR ALLAN POE<br /> +<h2><a id="chap01"></a>EDGAR ALLAN POE<br > AN APPRECIATION</h2> <p class="poem"> - Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster<br /> - Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—<br /> - Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore<br /> + Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster<br > + Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—<br > + Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore<br > Of “never—never more!” </p> <p> @@ -153,13 +151,13 @@ AN APPRECIATION</h2> from the “Haunted Palace”: </p> <p class="poem"> - And all with pearl and ruby glowing<br /> - Was the fair palace door,<br /> - Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,<br /> - And sparkling ever more,<br /> - A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty<br /> - Was but to sing,<br /> - In voices of surpassing beauty,<br /> + And all with pearl and ruby glowing<br > + Was the fair palace door,<br > + Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,<br > + And sparkling ever more,<br > + A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty<br > + Was but to sing,<br > + In voices of surpassing beauty,<br > The wit and wisdom of their king. </p> <p> @@ -344,19 +342,19 @@ AN APPRECIATION</h2> his life, tell of his sorrow at the loss of his child-wife: </p> <p class="poem"> - <i>I</i> was a child and <i>she</i> was a child,<br /> - In a kingdom by the sea;<br /> - But we loved with a love that was more than love—<br /> - I and my Annabel Lee;<br /> - With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven<br /> - Coveted her and me.<br /> - And this was the reason that, long ago,<br /> - In this kingdom by the sea.<br /> - A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling<br /> - My beautiful Annabel Lee;<br /> - So that her high-born kinsmen came<br /> - And bore her away from me,<br /> - To shut her up in a sepulchre<br /> + <i>I</i> was a child and <i>she</i> was a child,<br > + In a kingdom by the sea;<br > + But we loved with a love that was more than love—<br > + I and my Annabel Lee;<br > + With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven<br > + Coveted her and me.<br > + And this was the reason that, long ago,<br > + In this kingdom by the sea.<br > + A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling<br > + My beautiful Annabel Lee;<br > + So that her high-born kinsmen came<br > + And bore her away from me,<br > + To shut her up in a sepulchre<br > In this kingdom by the sea. </p> <p> @@ -383,13 +381,13 @@ AN APPRECIATION</h2> Actors’ Monument to Poe, May 4, 1885, in New York: </p> <p class="poem"> - He was the voice of beauty and of woe,<br /> - Passion and mystery and the dread unknown;<br /> - Pure as the mountains of perpetual snow,<br /> - Cold as the icy winds that round them moan,<br /> - Dark as the caves wherein earth’s thunders groan,<br /> - Wild as the tempests of the upper sky,<br /> - Sweet as the faint, far-off celestial tone of angel whispers, fluttering from on high,<br /> + He was the voice of beauty and of woe,<br > + Passion and mystery and the dread unknown;<br > + Pure as the mountains of perpetual snow,<br > + Cold as the icy winds that round them moan,<br > + Dark as the caves wherein earth’s thunders groan,<br > + Wild as the tempests of the upper sky,<br > + Sweet as the faint, far-off celestial tone of angel whispers, fluttering from on high,<br > And tender as love’s tear when youth and beauty die. </p> <p> @@ -414,7 +412,7 @@ W. H. R. <div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="chap02"></a>EDGAR ALLAN POE</h2> +<h2><a id="chap02"></a>EDGAR ALLAN POE</h2> <p class="center"> By James Russell Lowell @@ -542,22 +540,22 @@ By James Russell Lowell TO HELEN </p> <p class="poem"> -Helen, thy beauty is to me<br /> - Like those Nicean barks of yore,<br /> -That gently, o’er a perfumed sea,<br /> - The weary, way-worn wanderer bore<br /> -To his own native shore.<br /> -<br /> -On desperate seas long wont to roam,<br /> - Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face,<br /> -Thy Naiad airs have brought me home<br /> - To the glory that was Greece<br /> -And the grandeur that was Rome.<br /> -<br /> -Lo! in yon brilliant window-niche<br /> - How statue-like I see thee stand!<br /> -The agate lamp within thy hand,<br /> - Ah! Psyche, from the regions which<br /> +Helen, thy beauty is to me<br > + Like those Nicean barks of yore,<br > +That gently, o’er a perfumed sea,<br > + The weary, way-worn wanderer bore<br > +To his own native shore.<br > +<br > +On desperate seas long wont to roam,<br > + Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face,<br > +Thy Naiad airs have brought me home<br > + To the glory that was Greece<br > +And the grandeur that was Rome.<br > +<br > +Lo! in yon brilliant window-niche<br > + How statue-like I see thee stand!<br > +The agate lamp within thy hand,<br > + Ah! Psyche, from the regions which<br > Are Holy Land! </p> <p> @@ -573,17 +571,17 @@ Are Holy Land! nature, our boy-poet gives us the following exquisite picture: </p> <p class="poem"> - Ligeia! Ligeia!<br /> -My beautiful one,<br /> - Whose harshest idea<br /> -Will to melody run,<br /> - Say, is it thy will,<br /> -On the breezes to toss,<br /> - Or, capriciously still,<br /> -Like the lone albatross,<br /> - Incumbent on night,<br /> -As she on the air,<br /> - To keep watch with delight<br /> + Ligeia! Ligeia!<br > +My beautiful one,<br > + Whose harshest idea<br > +Will to melody run,<br > + Say, is it thy will,<br > +On the breezes to toss,<br > + Or, capriciously still,<br > +Like the lone albatross,<br > + Incumbent on night,<br > +As she on the air,<br > + To keep watch with delight<br > On the harmony there? </p> <p> @@ -671,7 +669,7 @@ On the harmony there? dissects, he watches </p> <p class="poem"> - “with an eye serene,<br /> + “with an eye serene,<br > The very pulse of the machine,” </p> <p class="noindent"> @@ -690,10 +688,10 @@ On the harmony there? competent. </p> <p class="poem"> - “For much imaginary work was there;<br /> - Conceit deceitful, so compact, so kind,<br /> - That for Achilles’ image stood his spear<br /> - Grasped in an armed hand; himself behind<br /> + “For much imaginary work was there;<br > + Conceit deceitful, so compact, so kind,<br > + That for Achilles’ image stood his spear<br > + Grasped in an armed hand; himself behind<br > Was left unseen, save to the eye of mind.” </p> <p> @@ -746,7 +744,7 @@ On the harmony there? <div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="chap03"></a>DEATH OF EDGAR A. POE</h2> +<h2><a id="chap03"></a>DEATH OF EDGAR A. POE</h2> <p class="center"> By N. P. Willis @@ -815,9 +813,9 @@ By N. P. Willis reflection and an echo of his own history. <i>He</i> was that bird’s </p> <p class="poem"> - “‘Unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster<br /> -Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—<br /> -Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore<br /> + “‘Unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster<br > +Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—<br > +Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore<br > Of ‘Never—never more.’ </p> <p> @@ -956,7 +954,7 @@ Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore<br /> lines if they please you. </p> <p class="right"> -“Truly yours ever,<br /> +“Truly yours ever,<br > “E<small>DGAR</small> A. P<small>OE</small>.” </p> <p> @@ -993,7 +991,7 @@ Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore<br /> gratefully,</i> </p> <p class="right"> -“Your friend always,<br /> +“Your friend always,<br > “E<small>DGAR</small> A. P<small>OE</small>.” </p> <p> @@ -1087,7 +1085,7 @@ Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore<br /> <div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="chap04"></a>THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES OF ONE HANS PFAAL (*1)</h2> +<h2><a id="chap04"></a>THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES OF ONE HANS PFAAL (*1)</h2> <p> By late accounts from Rotterdam, that city seems to be in a high state of @@ -3087,10 +3085,10 @@ have since forgotten.” <div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="chap05"></a>THE GOLD-BUG</h2> +<h2><a id="chap05"></a>THE GOLD-BUG</h2> <p class="poem"> -What ho! what ho! this fellow is dancing mad!<br /> +What ho! what ho! this fellow is dancing mad!<br > He hath been bitten by the Tarantula. </p> @@ -3428,7 +3426,7 @@ He hath been bitten by the Tarantula. assure you that it is of the <i>highest</i> importance. </p> <p class="right"> -“Ever yours,<br /> +“Ever yours,<br > “W<small>ILLIAM</small> L<small>EGRAND</small>”. </p> <p> @@ -4382,9 +4380,9 @@ He hath been bitten by the Tarantula. between the death’s-head and the goat: </p> <p class="poem"> - “53‡‡†305))6*;4826)4‡.)4‡);806*;48†8¶60))85;1‡(;:‡*8†83(88)5*†<br /> - ;46(;88*96*?;8)*‡(;485);5*†2:*‡(;4956*2(5*—4)8¶8*;4069285);)<br /> - 6†8)4‡‡;1(‡9;48081;8:8‡1;48†85;4)485†528806*81(‡9;48;(88;4(‡?3<br /> + “53‡‡†305))6*;4826)4‡.)4‡);806*;48†8¶60))85;1‡(;:‡*8†83(88)5*†<br > + ;46(;88*96*?;8)*‡(;485);5*†2:*‡(;4956*2(5*—4)8¶8*;4069285);)<br > + 6†8)4‡‡;1(‡9;48081;8:8‡1;48†85;4)485†528806*81(‡9;48;(88;4(‡?3<br > 4;48)4‡;161;:188;‡?;” </p> <p> @@ -4441,7 +4439,7 @@ He hath been bitten by the Tarantula. <p> Of the character 8 there are 33. </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> +<pre> ; “ 26. 4 “ 19. ‡ ) “ 16. @@ -4591,7 +4589,7 @@ He hath been bitten by the Tarantula. “It is now time that we arrange our key, as far as discovered, in a tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus: </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> +<pre> 5 represents a † “ d 8 “ e @@ -4803,7 +4801,7 @@ He hath been bitten by the Tarantula. <div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="chap06"></a>FOUR BEASTS IN ONE—THE HOMO-CAMELEOPARD</h2> +<h2><a id="chap06"></a>FOUR BEASTS IN ONE—THE HOMO-CAMELEOPARD</h2> <p class="poem"> Chacun a ses vertus. @@ -4872,8 +4870,8 @@ Chacun a ses vertus. your time in inspecting the premises—in </p> <p class="poem"> - —satisfying your eyes<br /> - With the memorials and the things of fame<br /> + —satisfying your eyes<br > + With the memorials and the things of fame<br > That most renown this city.— </p> <p> @@ -4996,30 +4994,30 @@ Chacun a ses vertus. hymn upon the valor of the king, and are singing it as they go: </p> <p class="poem"> - Mille, mille, mille,<br /> - Mille, mille, mille,<br /> - Decollavimus, unus homo!<br /> - Mille, mille, mille, mille, decollavimus!<br /> - Mille, mille, mille,<br /> - Vivat qui mille mille occidit!<br /> - Tantum vini habet nemo<br /> + Mille, mille, mille,<br > + Mille, mille, mille,<br > + Decollavimus, unus homo!<br > + Mille, mille, mille, mille, decollavimus!<br > + Mille, mille, mille,<br > + Vivat qui mille mille occidit!<br > + Tantum vini habet nemo<br > Quantum sanguinis effudit!(*1) </p> <p> Which may be thus paraphrased: </p> <p class="poem"> - A thousand, a thousand, a thousand,<br /> - A thousand, a thousand, a thousand,<br /> - We, with one warrior, have slain!<br /> - A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, a thousand.<br /> - Sing a thousand over again!<br /> - Soho!—let us sing<br /> - Long life to our king,<br /> - Who knocked over a thousand so fine!<br /> - Soho!—let us roar,<br /> - He has given us more<br /> - Red gallons of gore<br /> + A thousand, a thousand, a thousand,<br > + A thousand, a thousand, a thousand,<br > + We, with one warrior, have slain!<br > + A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, a thousand.<br > + Sing a thousand over again!<br > + Soho!—let us sing<br > + Long life to our king,<br > + Who knocked over a thousand so fine!<br > + Soho!—let us roar,<br > + He has given us more<br > + Red gallons of gore<br > Than all Syria can furnish of wine! </p> <p> @@ -5070,13 +5068,13 @@ Chacun a ses vertus. song of triumph which he is commencing: </p> <p class="poem"> - Who is king but Epiphanes?<br /> - Say—do you know?<br /> - Who is king but Epiphanes?<br /> - Bravo!—bravo!<br /> - There is none but Epiphanes,<br /> - No—there is none:<br /> - So tear down the temples,<br /> + Who is king but Epiphanes?<br > + Say—do you know?<br > + Who is king but Epiphanes?<br > + Bravo!—bravo!<br > + There is none but Epiphanes,<br > + No—there is none:<br > + So tear down the temples,<br > And put out the sun! </p> <p> @@ -5162,7 +5160,7 @@ Chacun a ses vertus. <div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="chap07"></a>THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE</h2> +<h2><a id="chap07"></a>THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE</h2> <p class="letter"> What song the Syrens sang, or what name Achilles assumed when he hid @@ -6600,7 +6598,7 @@ Chacun a ses vertus. <div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="chap08"></a>THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET.(*1)</h2> +<h2><a id="chap08"></a>THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET.(*1)</h2> <h3> A SEQUEL TO “THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE.” @@ -6611,7 +6609,7 @@ Chacun a ses vertus. modificiren gewohulich die idealische Begebenheit, so dass sie unvollkommen erscheint, und ihre Folgen gleichfalls unvollkommen sind. So bei der Reformation; statt des Protestantismus kam das - Lutherthum hervor.<br /> + Lutherthum hervor.<br > There are ideal series of events which run parallel with the real ones. They rarely coincide. Men and circumstances generally modify the ideal train of events, so that it seems imperfect, and its @@ -7829,7 +7827,7 @@ Chacun a ses vertus. myself. It is necessary that there be no chance of interruption—there must be sufficient time given us to elude pursuit—I will give it to be understood that I shall visit and spend the day with my aunt at the Rue - des Drômes—I well tell St. Eustache not to call for me until + des Drômes—I will tell St. Eustache not to call for me until dark—in this way, my absence from home for the longest possible period, without causing suspicion or anxiety, will be accounted for, and I shall gain more time than in any other manner. If I bid St. Eustache call @@ -8538,7 +8536,7 @@ Chacun a ses vertus. <div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="chap09"></a>THE BALLOON-HOAX</h2> +<h2><a id="chap09"></a>THE BALLOON-HOAX</h2> <p class="letter"> [Astounding News by Express, <i>via</i> Norfolk!—The Atlantic crossed in @@ -8546,7 +8544,7 @@ Three Days! Signal Triumph of Mr. Monck Mason’s Flying Machine!—Arrival at Sullivan’s Island, near Charlestown, S.C., of Mr. Mason, Mr. Robert Holland, Mr. Henson, Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, and four others, in the Steering Balloon, “Victoria,” after a passage of -Seventy-five Hours from Land to Land! Full Particulars of the Voyage!<br /> +Seventy-five Hours from Land to Land! Full Particulars of the Voyage!<br > The subjoined <i>jeu d’esprit</i> with the preceding heading in magnificent capitals, well interspersed with notes of admiration, was originally published, as matter of fact, in the “New York Sun,” a @@ -9043,10 +9041,10 @@ accomplish the voyage recorded, it will be difficult to assign a reason why she <div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="chap10"></a>MS. FOUND IN A BOTTLE</h2> +<h2><a id="chap10"></a>MS. FOUND IN A BOTTLE</h2> <p class="poem"> -Qui n’a plus qu’un moment a vivre<br /> +Qui n’a plus qu’un moment a vivre<br > N’a plus rien a dissimuler. </p> @@ -9269,7 +9267,7 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. peevishness of second childhood, and the solemn dignity of a God. He at length went on deck, and I saw him no more. </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> A feeling, for which I have no name, has taken possession of my soul —a sensation which will admit of no analysis, to which the lessons @@ -9281,7 +9279,7 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. origin in sources so utterly novel. A new sense—a new entity is added to my soul. </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> It is long since I first trod the deck of this terrible ship, and the rays of my destiny are, I think, gathering to a focus. Incomprehensible men! @@ -9295,7 +9293,7 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. not fall to make the endeavour. At the last moment I will enclose the MS. in a bottle, and cast it within the sea. </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> An incident has occurred which has given me new room for meditation. Are such things the operation of ungoverned chance? I had ventured upon deck @@ -9318,7 +9316,7 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. there is always mixed up with such indistinct shadows of recollection, an unaccountable memory of old foreign chronicles and ages long ago. </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> I have been looking at the timbers of the ship. She is built of a material to which I am a stranger. There is a peculiar character about the wood @@ -9337,7 +9335,7 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. there is a sea where the ship itself will grow in bulk like the living body of the seaman.” </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> About an hour ago, I made bold to thrust myself among a group of the crew. They paid me no manner of attention, and, although I stood in the very @@ -9350,7 +9348,7 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. Around them, on every part of the deck, lay scattered mathematical instruments of the most quaint and obsolete construction. </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> I mentioned some time ago the bending of a studding-sail. From that period the ship, being thrown dead off the wind, has continued her terrific @@ -9371,7 +9369,7 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. the ship to be within the influence of some strong current, or impetuous under-tow. </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> I have seen the captain face to face, and in his own cabin—but, as I expected, he paid me no attention. Although in his appearance there is, to @@ -9395,7 +9393,7 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. and although the speaker was close at my elbow, his voice seemed to reach my ears from the distance of a mile. </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> The ship and all in it are imbued with the spirit of Eld. The crew glide to and fro like the ghosts of buried centuries; their eyes have an eager @@ -9405,7 +9403,7 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. the shadows of fallen columns at Balbec, and Tadmor, and Persepolis, until my very soul has become a ruin. </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> When I look around me I feel ashamed of my former apprehensions. If I trembled at the blast which has hitherto attended us, shall I not stand @@ -9416,14 +9414,14 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. indistinctly and at intervals, stupendous ramparts of ice, towering away into the desolate sky, and looking like the walls of the universe. </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> As I imagined, the ship proves to be in a current—if that appellation can properly be given to a tide which, howling and shrieking by the white ice, thunders on to the southward with a velocity like the headlong dashing of a cataract. </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> To conceive the horror of my sensations is, I presume, utterly impossible; yet a curiosity to penetrate the mysteries of these awful regions, @@ -9434,7 +9432,7 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. pole itself. It must be confessed that a supposition apparently so wild has every probability in its favor. </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> The crew pace the deck with unquiet and tremulous step; but there is upon their countenances an expression more of the eagerness of hope than of the @@ -9465,7 +9463,7 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. <div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="chap11"></a>THE OVAL PORTRAIT</h2> +<h2><a id="chap11"></a>THE OVAL PORTRAIT</h2> <p> The château into which my valet had ventured to make forcible entrance, @@ -9585,6 +9583,6 @@ N’a plus rien a dissimuler. </div><!--end chapter--> -<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE — VOLUME 1 ***</div> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 2147 ***</div> </body> </html> diff --git a/old/2012-06-17-2147-8.txt b/old/2012-06-17-2147-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9dc0f42..0000000 --- a/old/2012-06-17-2147-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9226 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, by Edgar Allan Poe - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Works of Edgar Allan Poe - Volume 1 (of 5) of the Raven Edition - -Author: Edgar Allan Poe - -Release Date: May 19, 2008 [EBook #2147] -[Last updated: June 17, 2012] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - - - - -THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE - -IN FIVE VOLUMES - - -The Raven Edition - - - - -VOLUME I - - -Contents: - - Edgar Allan Poe, An Appreciation - Life of Poe, by James Russell Lowell - Death of Poe, by N. P. Willis - The Unparalleled Adventures of One Hans Pfall - The Gold Bug - Four Beasts in One - The Murders in the Rue Morgue - The Mystery of Marie Rogt - The Balloon Hoax - MS. Found in a Bottle - The Oval Portrait - - - - -EDGAR ALLAN POE - -AN APPRECIATION - - - Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster - Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-- - Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore - Of "never--never more!" - -THIS stanza from "The Raven" was recommended by James Russell Lowell as -an inscription upon the Baltimore monument which marks the resting place -of Edgar Allan Poe, the most interesting and original figure in American -letters. And, to signify that peculiar musical quality of Poe's genius -which inthralls every reader, Mr. Lowell suggested this additional -verse, from the "Haunted Palace": - - And all with pearl and ruby glowing - Was the fair palace door, - Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing, - And sparkling ever more, - A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty - Was but to sing, - In voices of surpassing beauty, - The wit and wisdom of their king. - - -Born in poverty at Boston, January 19 1809, dying under painful -circumstances at Baltimore, October 7, 1849, his whole literary career -of scarcely fifteen years a pitiful struggle for mere subsistence, his -memory malignantly misrepresented by his earliest biographer, Griswold, -how completely has truth at last routed falsehood and how magnificently -has Poe come into his own, For "The Raven," first published in 1845, -and, within a few months, read, recited and parodied wherever the -English language was spoken, the half-starved poet received $10! Less -than a year later his brother poet, N. P. Willis, issued this touching -appeal to the admirers of genius on behalf of the neglected author, his -dying wife and her devoted mother, then living under very straitened -circumstances in a little cottage at Fordham, N. Y.: - -"Here is one of the finest scholars, one of the most original men of -genius, and one of the most industrious of the literary profession of -our country, whose temporary suspension of labor, from bodily illness, -drops him immediately to a level with the common objects of public -charity. There is no intermediate stopping-place, no respectful shelter, -where, with the delicacy due to genius and culture, he might secure -aid, till, with returning health, he would resume his labors, and his -unmortified sense of independence." - -And this was the tribute paid by the American public to the master who -had given to it such tales of conjuring charm, of witchery and mystery -as "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "Ligeia"; such fascinating -hoaxes as "The Unparalleled Adventure of Hans Pfaall," "MSS. Found in a -Bottle," "A Descent Into a Maelstrom" and "The Balloon Hoax"; such tales -of conscience as "William Wilson," "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-tale -Heart," wherein the retributions of remorse are portrayed with an awful -fidelity; such tales of natural beauty as "The Island of the Fay" and -"The Domain of Arnheim"; such marvellous studies in ratiocination as the -"Gold-bug," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Purloined Letter" -and "The Mystery of Marie Roget," the latter, a recital of fact, -demonstrating the author's wonderful capability of correctly analyzing -the mysteries of the human mind; such tales of illusion and banter -as "The Premature Burial" and "The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor -Fether"; such bits of extravaganza as "The Devil in the Belfry" and "The -Angel of the Odd"; such tales of adventure as "The Narrative of Arthur -Gordon Pym"; such papers of keen criticism and review as won for Poe the -enthusiastic admiration of Charles Dickens, although they made him many -enemies among the over-puffed minor American writers so mercilessly -exposed by him; such poems of beauty and melody as "The Bells," "The -Haunted Palace," "Tamerlane," "The City in the Sea" and "The Raven." -What delight for the jaded senses of the reader is this enchanted domain -of wonder-pieces! What an atmosphere of beauty, music, color! What -resources of imagination, construction, analysis and absolute art! One -might almost sympathize with Sarah Helen Whitman, who, confessing to -a half faith in the old superstition of the significance of anagrams, -found, in the transposed letters of Edgar Poe's name, the words "a -God-peer." His mind, she says, was indeed a "Haunted Palace," echoing to -the footfalls of angels and demons. - -"No man," Poe himself wrote, "has recorded, no man has dared to record, -the wonders of his inner life." - -In these twentieth century days--of lavish recognition--artistic, -popular and material--of genius, what rewards might not a Poe claim! - -Edgar's father, a son of General David Poe, the American revolutionary -patriot and friend of Lafayette, had married Mrs. Hopkins, an English -actress, and, the match meeting with parental disapproval, had himself -taken to the stage as a profession. Notwithstanding Mrs. Poe's beauty -and talent the young couple had a sorry struggle for existence. When -Edgar, at the age of two years, was orphaned, the family was in the -utmost destitution. Apparently the future poet was to be cast upon the -world homeless and friendless. But fate decreed that a few glimmers of -sunshine were to illumine his life, for the little fellow was adopted -by John Allan, a wealthy merchant of Richmond, Va. A brother and sister, -the remaining children, were cared for by others. - -In his new home Edgar found all the luxury and advantages money could -provide. He was petted, spoiled and shown off to strangers. In Mrs. -Allan he found all the affection a childless wife could bestow. Mr. -Allan took much pride in the captivating, precocious lad. At the age of -five the boy recited, with fine effect, passages of English poetry to -the visitors at the Allan house. - -From his eighth to his thirteenth year he attended the Manor House -school, at Stoke-Newington, a suburb of London. It was the Rev. Dr. -Bransby, head of the school, whom Poe so quaintly portrayed in "William -Wilson." Returning to Richmond in 1820 Edgar was sent to the school -of Professor Joseph H. Clarke. He proved an apt pupil. Years afterward -Professor Clarke thus wrote: - -"While the other boys wrote mere mechanical verses, Poe wrote genuine -poetry; the boy was a born poet. As a scholar he was ambitious to -excel. He was remarkable for self-respect, without haughtiness. He had -a sensitive and tender heart and would do anything for a friend. His -nature was entirely free from selfishness." - -At the age of seventeen Poe entered the University of Virginia at -Charlottesville. He left that institution after one session. Official -records prove that he was not expelled. On the contrary, he gained -a creditable record as a student, although it is admitted that he -contracted debts and had "an ungovernable passion for card-playing." -These debts may have led to his quarrel with Mr. Allan which eventually -compelled him to make his own way in the world. - -Early in 1827 Poe made his first literary venture. He induced Calvin -Thomas, a poor and youthful printer, to publish a small volume of his -verses under the title "Tamerlane and Other Poems." In 1829 we find Poe -in Baltimore with another manuscript volume of verses, which was soon -published. Its title was "Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Other Poems." Neither -of these ventures seems to have attracted much attention. - -Soon after Mrs. Allan's death, which occurred in 1829, Poe, through -the aid of Mr. Allan, secured admission to the United States Military -Academy at West Point. Any glamour which may have attached to cadet life -in Poe's eyes was speedily lost, for discipline at West Point was never -so severe nor were the accommodations ever so poor. Poe's bent was -more and more toward literature. Life at the academy daily became -increasingly distasteful. Soon he began to purposely neglect his studies -and to disregard his duties, his aim being to secure his dismissal from -the United States service. In this he succeeded. On March 7, 1831, Poe -found himself free. Mr. Allan's second marriage had thrown the lad on -his own resources. His literary career was to begin. - -Poe's first genuine victory was won in 1833, when he was the successful -competitor for a prize of $100 offered by a Baltimore periodical for the -best prose story. "A MSS. Found in a Bottle" was the winning tale. Poe -had submitted six stories in a volume. "Our only difficulty," says Mr. -Latrobe, one of the judges, "was in selecting from the rich contents of -the volume." - -During the fifteen years of his literary life Poe was connected with -various newspapers and magazines in Richmond, Philadelphia and New York. -He was faithful, punctual, industrious, thorough. N. P. Willis, who for -some time employed Poe as critic and sub-editor on the "Evening Mirror," -wrote thus: - -"With the highest admiration for Poe's genius, and a willingness to -let it alone for more than ordinary irregularity, we were led by -common report to expect a very capricious attention to his duties, and -occasionally a scene of violence and difficulty. Time went on, -however, and he was invariably punctual and industrious. We saw but -one presentiment of the man-a quiet, patient, industrious and most -gentlemanly person. - -"We heard, from one who knew him well (what should be stated in all -mention of his lamentable irregularities), that with a single glass of -wine his whole nature was reversed, the demon became uppermost, and, -though none of the usual signs of intoxication were visible, his will -was palpably insane. In this reversed character, we repeat, it was never -our chance to meet him." - -On September 22, 1835, Poe married his cousin, Virginia Clemm, in -Baltimore. She had barely turned thirteen years, Poe himself was but -twenty-six. He then was a resident of Richmond and a regular contributor -to the "Southern Literary Messenger." It was not until a year later that -the bride and her widowed mother followed him thither. - -Poe's devotion to his child-wife was one of the most beautiful features -of his life. Many of his famous poetic productions were inspired by her -beauty and charm. Consumption had marked her for its victim, and the -constant efforts of husband and mother were to secure for her all the -comfort and happiness their slender means permitted. Virginia died -January 30, 1847, when but twenty-five years of age. A friend of the -family pictures the death-bed scene--mother and husband trying to impart -warmth to her by chafing her hands and her feet, while her pet cat was -suffered to nestle upon her bosom for the sake of added warmth. - -These verses from "Annabel Lee," written by Poe in 1849, the last year -of his life, tell of his sorrow at the loss of his child-wife: - - I was a child and _she_ was a child, - In a kingdom by the sea; - - But we loved with _a _love that was more than love-- - I and my Annabel Lee; - - With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven - Coveted her and me. - And this was the reason that, long ago; - In this kingdom by the sea. - A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling - My beautiful Annabel Lee; - - So that her high-born kinsmen came - And bore her away from me, - To shut her up in a sepulchre - In this kingdom by the sea, - - -Poe was connected at various times and in various capacities with the -"Southern Literary Messenger" in Richmond, Va.; "Graham's Magazine" and -the "Gentleman's Magazine" in Philadelphia.; the "Evening Mirror," the -"Broadway journal," and "Godey's Lady's Book" in New York. Everywhere -Poe's life was one of unremitting toil. No tales and poems were ever -produced at a greater cost of brain and spirit. - -Poe's initial salary with the "Southern Literary Messenger," to which -he contributed the first drafts of a number of his best-known tales, -was $10 a week! Two years later his salary was but $600 a year. Even in -1844, when his literary reputation was established securely, he wrote to -a friend expressing his pleasure because a magazine to which he was to -contribute had agreed to pay him $20 monthly for two pages of criticism. - -Those were discouraging times in American literature, but Poe never -lost faith. He was finally to triumph wherever pre-eminent talents win -admirers. His genius has had no better description than in this stanza -from William Winter's poem, read at the dedication exercises of the -Actors' Monument to Poe, May 4, 1885, in New York: - - He was the voice of beauty and of woe, - Passion and mystery and the dread unknown; - Pure as the mountains of perpetual snow, - Cold as the icy winds that round them moan, - Dark as the eaves wherein earth's thunders groan, - Wild as the tempests of the upper sky, - Sweet as the faint, far-off celestial tone of angel - whispers, fluttering from on high, - And tender as love's tear when youth and beauty die. - - -In the two and a half score years that have elapsed since Poe's death -he has come fully into his own. For a while Griswold's malignant -misrepresentations colored the public estimate of Poe as man and as -writer. But, thanks to J. H. Ingram, W. F. Gill, Eugene Didier, Sarah -Helen Whitman and others these scandals have been dispelled and Poe is -seen as he actually was-not as a man without failings, it is true, but -as the finest and most original genius in American letters. As the -years go on his fame increases. His works have been translated into -many foreign languages. His is a household name in France and England-in -fact, the latter nation has often uttered the reproach that Poe's own -country has been slow to appreciate him. But that reproach, if it ever -was warranted, certainly is untrue. - - W. H. R. - - - - -EDGAR ALLAN POE - -By James Russell Lowell - - -THE situation of American literature is anomalous. It has no centre, or, -if it have, it is like that of the sphere of Hermes. It is, divided -into many systems, each revolving round its several suns, and often -presenting to the rest only the faint glimmer of a milk-and-water way. -Our capital city, unlike London or Paris, is not a great central heart -from which life and vigor radiate to the extremities, but resembles more -an isolated umbilicus stuck down as near as may be to the centre of the -land, and seeming rather to tell a legend of former usefulness than to -serve any present need. Boston, New York, Philadelphia, each has its -literature almost more distinct than those of the different dialects -of Germany; and the Young Queen of the West has also one of her own, -of which some articulate rumor barely has reached us dwellers by the -Atlantic. - -Perhaps there is no task more difficult than the just criticism of -contemporary literature. It is even more grateful to give praise where -it is needed than where it is deserved, and friendship so often seduces -the iron stylus of justice into a vague flourish, that she writes what -seems rather like an epitaph than a criticism. Yet if praise be given -as an alms, we could not drop so poisonous a one into any man's hat. The -critic's ink may suffer equally from too large an infusion of nutgalls -or of sugar. But it is easier to be generous than to be just, and we -might readily put faith in that fabulous direction to the hiding place -of truth, did we judge from the amount of water which we usually find -mixed with it. - -Remarkable experiences are usually confined to the inner life of -imaginative men, but Mr. Poe's biography displays a vicissitude and -peculiarity of interest such as is rarely met with. The offspring of a -romantic marriage, and left an orphan at an early age, he was adopted -by Mr. Allan, a wealthy Virginian, whose barren marriage-bed seemed the -warranty of a large estate to the young poet. - -Having received a classical education in England, he returned home and -entered the University of Virginia, where, after an extravagant course, -followed by reformation at the last extremity, he was graduated with -the highest honors of his class. Then came a boyish attempt to join the -fortunes of the insurgent Greeks, which ended at St. Petersburg, where -he got into difficulties through want of a passport, from which he -was rescued by the American consul and sent home. He now entered the -military academy at West Point, from which he obtained a dismissal -on hearing of the birth of a son to his adopted father, by a second -marriage, an event which cut off his expectations as an heir. The death -of Mr. Allan, in whose will his name was not mentioned, soon after -relieved him of all doubt in this regard, and he committed himself at -once to authorship for a support. Previously to this, however, he had -published (in 1827) a small volume of poems, which soon ran through -three editions, and excited high expectations of its author's future -distinction in the minds of many competent judges. - -That no certain augury can be drawn from a poet's earliest lispings -there are instances enough to prove. Shakespeare's first poems, though -brimful of vigor and youth and picturesqueness, give but a very faint -promise of the directness, condensation and overflowing moral of his -maturer works. Perhaps, however, Shakespeare is hardly a case in -point, his "Venus and Adonis" having been published, we believe, in his -twenty-sixth year. Milton's Latin verses show tenderness, a fine eye for -nature, and a delicate appreciation of classic models, but give no hint -of the author of a new style in poetry. Pope's youthful pieces have -all the sing-song, wholly unrelieved by the glittering malignity -and eloquent irreligion of his later productions. Collins' callow -namby-pamby died and gave no sign of the vigorous and original genius -which he afterward displayed. We have never thought that the world lost -more in the "marvellous boy," Chatterton, than a very ingenious imitator -of obscure and antiquated dulness. Where he becomes original (as it is -called), the interest of ingenuity ceases and he becomes stupid. Kirke -White's promises were indorsed by the respectable name of Mr. Southey, -but surely with no authority from Apollo. They have the merit of a -traditional piety, which to our mind, if uttered at all, had been less -objectionable in the retired closet of a diary, and in the sober raiment -of prose. They do not clutch hold of the memory with the drowning -pertinacity of Watts; neither have they the interest of his occasional -simple, lucky beauty. Burns having fortunately been rescued by his -humble station from the contaminating society of the "Best models," -wrote well and naturally from the first. Had he been unfortunate enough -to have had an educated taste, we should have had a series of poems from -which, as from his letters, we could sift here and there a kernel from -the mass of chaff. Coleridge's youthful efforts give no promise whatever -of that poetical genius which produced at once the wildest, tenderest, -most original and most purely imaginative poems of modern times. Byron's -"Hours of Idleness" would never find a reader except from an intrepid -and indefatigable curiosity. In Wordsworth's first preludings there -is but a dim foreboding of the creator of an era. From Southey's early -poems, a safer augury might have been drawn. They show the patient -investigator, the close student of history, and the unwearied explorer -of the beauties of predecessors, but they give no assurances of a man -who should add aught to stock of household words, or to the rarer -and more sacred delights of the fireside or the arbor. The earliest -specimens of Shelley's poetic mind already, also, give tokens of that -ethereal sublimation in which the spirit seems to soar above the regions -of words, but leaves its body, the verse, to be entombed, without hope -of resurrection, in a mass of them. Cowley is generally instanced as a -wonder of precocity. But his early insipidities show only a capacity -for rhyming and for the metrical arrangement of certain conventional -combinations of words, a capacity wholly dependent on a delicate -physical organization, and an unhappy memory. An early poem is only -remarkable when it displays an effort of _reason, _and the rudest verses -in which we can trace some conception of the ends of poetry, are worth -all the miracles of smooth juvenile versification. A school-boy, one -would say, might acquire the regular see-saw of Pope merely by an -association with the motion of the play-ground tilt. - -Mr. Poe's early productions show that he could see through the verse to -the spirit beneath, and that he already had a feeling that all the life -and grace of the one must depend on and be modulated by the will of the -other. We call them the most remarkable boyish poems that we have -ever read. We know of none that can compare with them for maturity of -purpose, and a nice understanding of the effects of language and metre. -Such pieces are only valuable when they display what we can only express -by the contradictory phrase of _innate experience. _We copy one of the -shorter poems, written when the author was only fourteen. There is a -little dimness in the filling up, but the grace and symmetry of the -outline are such as few poets ever attain. There is a smack of ambrosia -about it. - - TO HELEN - - Helen, thy beauty is to me - Like those Nicean barks of yore, - That gently, o'er a perfumed sea, - The weary, way-worn wanderer bore - To his own native shore. - - On desperate seas long wont to roam, - Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, - Thy Naiad airs have brought me home - To the glory that was Greece - And the grandeur that was Rome. - - Lo! in yon brilliant window-niche - How statue-like I see thee stand! - The agate lamp within thy hand, - Ah! Psyche, from the regions which - Are Holy Land! - - -It is the tendency of the young poet that impresses us. Here is no -"withering scorn," no heart "blighted" ere it has safely got into its -teens, none of the drawing-room sansculottism which Byron had brought -into vogue. All is limpid and serene, with a pleasant dash of the Greek -Helicon in it. The melody of the whole, too, is remarkable. It is not of -that kind which can be demonstrated arithmetically upon the tips of -the fingers. It is of that finer sort which the inner ear alone -_can _estimate. It seems simple, like a Greek column, because of its -perfection. In a poem named "Ligeia," under which title he intended -to personify the music of nature, our boy-poet gives us the following -exquisite picture: - - Ligeia! Ligeia! - My beautiful one, - Whose harshest idea - Will to melody run, - Say, is it thy will, - On the breezes to toss, - Or, capriciously still, - Like the lone albatross, - Incumbent on night, - As she on the air, - To keep watch with delight - On the harmony there? - -John Neal, himself a man of genius, and whose lyre has been too long -capriciously silent, appreciated the high merit of these and similar -passages, and drew a proud horoscope for their author. - -Mr. Poe had that indescribable something which men have agreed to call -_genius_. No man could ever tell us precisely what it is, and yet there -is none who is not inevitably aware of its presence and its power. Let -talent writhe and contort itself as it may, it has no such magnetism. -Larger of bone and sinew it may be, but the wings are wanting. Talent -sticks fast to earth, and its most perfect works have still one foot of -clay. Genius claims kindred with the very workings of Nature herself, so -that a sunset shall seem like a quotation from Dante, and if Shakespeare -be read in the very presence of the sea itself, his verses shall but -seem nobler for the sublime criticism of ocean. Talent may make friends -for itself, but only genius can give to its creations the divine power -of winning love and veneration. Enthusiasm cannot cling to what itself -is unenthusiastic, nor will he ever have disciples who has not himself -impulsive zeal enough to be a disciple. Great wits are allied to madness -only inasmuch as they are possessed and carried away by their demon, -While talent keeps him, as Paracelsus did, securely prisoned in the -pommel of his sword. To the eye of genius, the veil of the spiritual -world is ever rent asunder that it may perceive the ministers of good -and evil who throng continually around it. No man of mere talent ever -flung his inkstand at the devil. - -When we say that Mr. Poe had genius, we do not mean to say that he has -produced evidence of the highest. But to say that he possesses it at -all is to say that he needs only zeal, industry, and a reverence for the -trust reposed in him, to achieve the proudest triumphs and the greenest -laurels. If we may believe the Longinuses; and Aristotles of our -newspapers, we have quite too many geniuses of the loftiest order to -render a place among them at all desirable, whether for its hardness -of attainment or its seclusion. The highest peak of our Parnassus is, -according to these gentlemen, by far the most thickly settled portion -of the country, a circumstance which must make it an uncomfortable -residence for individuals of a poetical temperament, if love of -solitude be, as immemorial tradition asserts, a necessary part of their -idiosyncrasy. - -Mr. Poe has two of the prime qualities of genius, a faculty of vigorous -yet minute analysis, and a wonderful fecundity of imagination. The first -of these faculties is as needful to the artist in words, as a knowledge -of anatomy is to the artist in colors or in stone. This enables him to -conceive truly, to maintain a proper relation of parts, and to draw a -correct outline, while the second groups, fills up and colors. Both -of these Mr. Poe has displayed with singular distinctness in his prose -works, the last predominating in his earlier tales, and the first in his -later ones. In judging of the merit of an author, and assigning him his -niche among our household gods, we have a right to regard him from -our own point of view, and to measure him by our own standard. But, -in estimating the amount of power displayed in his works, we must be -governed by his own design, and placing them by the side of his own -ideal, find how much is wanting. We differ from Mr. Poe in his opinions -of the objects of art. He esteems that object to be the creation of -Beauty, and perhaps it is only in the definition of that word that we -disagree with him. But in what we shall say of his writings, we shall -take his own standard as our guide. The temple of the god of song is -equally accessible from every side, and there is room enough in it for -all who bring offerings, or seek in oracle. - -In his tales, Mr. Poe has chosen to exhibit his power chiefly in that -dim region which stretches from the very utmost limits of the probable -into the weird confines of superstition and unreality. He combines in -a very remarkable manner two faculties which are seldom found united; a -power of influencing the mind of the reader by the impalpable shadows -of mystery, and a minuteness of detail which does not leave a pin or -a button unnoticed. Both are, in truth, the natural results of the -predominating quality of his mind, to which we have before alluded, -analysis. It is this which distinguishes the artist. His mind at once -reaches forward to the effect to be produced. Having resolved to bring -about certain emotions in the reader, he makes all subordinate parts -tend strictly to the common centre. Even his mystery is mathematical -to his own mind. To him X is a known quantity all along. In any picture -that he paints he understands the chemical properties of all his -colors. However vague some of his figures may seem, however formless -the shadows, to him the outline is as clear and distinct as that of -a geometrical diagram. For this reason Mr. Poe has no sympathy with -Mysticism. The Mystic dwells in the mystery, is enveloped with it; it -colors all his thoughts; it affects his optic nerve especially, and the -commonest things get a rainbow edging from it. Mr. Poe, on the other -hand, is a spectator _ab extra_. He analyzes, he dissects, he watches - - "with an eye serene, - The very pulse of the machine," - - -for such it practically is to him, with wheels and cogs and piston-rods, -all working to produce a certain end. - -This analyzing tendency of his mind balances the poetical, and by giving -him the patience to be minute, enables him to throw a wonderful reality -into his most unreal fancies. A monomania he paints with great power. He -loves to dissect one of these cancers of the mind, and to trace all the -subtle ramifications of its roots. In raising images of horror, also, -he has strange success, conveying to us sometimes by a dusky hint -some terrible _doubt _which is the secret of all horror. He leaves to -imagination the task of finishing the picture, a task to which only she -is competent. - - "For much imaginary work was there; - Conceit deceitful, so compact, so kind, - That for Achilles' image stood his spear - Grasped in an armed hand; himself behind - Was left unseen, save to the eye of mind." - -Besides the merit of conception, Mr. Poe's writings have also that of -form. - -His style is highly finished, graceful and truly classical. It would be -hard to find a living author who had displayed such varied powers. As an -example of his style we would refer to one of his tales, "The House -of Usher," in the first volume of his "Tales of the Grotesque and -Arabesque." It has a singular charm for us, and we think that no one -could read it without being strongly moved by its serene and sombre -beauty. Had its author written nothing else, it would alone have been -enough to stamp him as a man of genius, and the master of a classic -style. In this tale occurs, perhaps, the most beautiful of his poems. - -The great masters of imagination have seldom resorted to the vague and -the unreal as sources of effect. They have not used dread and horror -alone, but only in combination with other qualities, as means of -subjugating the fancies of their readers. The loftiest muse has ever a -household and fireside charm about her. Mr. Poe's secret lies mainly in -the skill with which he has employed the strange fascination of mystery -and terror. In this his success is so great and striking as to deserve -the name of art, not artifice. We cannot call his materials the noblest -or purest, but we must concede to him the highest merit of construction. - -As a critic, Mr. Poe was aesthetically deficient. Unerring in his -analysis of dictions, metres and plots, he seemed wanting in the faculty -of perceiving the profounder ethics of art. His criticisms are, however, -distinguished for scientific precision and coherence of logic. They -have the exactness, and at the same time, the coldness of mathematical -demonstrations. Yet they stand in strikingly refreshing contrast with -the vague generalisms and sharp personalities of the day. If deficient -in warmth, they are also without the heat of partisanship. They are -especially valuable as illustrating the great truth, too generally -overlooked, that analytic power is a subordinate quality of the critic. - -On the whole, it may be considered certain that Mr. Poe has attained an -individual eminence in our literature which he will keep. He has given -proof of power and originality. He has done that which could only be -done once with success or safety, and the imitation or repetition of -which would produce weariness. - - - - -DEATH OF EDGAR A. POE - -By N. P. Willis - - -THE ancient fable of two antagonistic spirits imprisoned in one body, -equally powerful and having the complete mastery by turns-of one man, -that is to say, inhabited by both a devil and an angel seems to -have been realized, if all we hear is true, in the character of the -extraordinary man whose name we have written above. Our own impression -of the nature of Edgar A. Poe, differs in some important degree, -however, from that which has been generally conveyed in the notices of -his death. Let us, before telling what we personally know of him, copy -a graphic and highly finished portraiture, from the pen of Dr. Rufus W. -Griswold, which appeared in a recent number of the "Tribune": - -"Edgar Allen Poe is dead. He died in Baltimore on Sunday, October 7th. -This announcement will startle many, but few will be grieved by it. The -poet was known, personally or by reputation, in all this country; he had -readers in England and in several of the states of Continental Europe; -but he had few or no friends; and the regrets for his death will be -suggested principally by the consideration that in him literary art has -lost one of its most brilliant but erratic stars. - -"His conversation was at times almost supramortal in its eloquence. His -voice was modulated with astonishing skill, and his large and variably -expressive eyes looked repose or shot fiery tumult into theirs who -listened, while his own face glowed, or was changeless in pallor, as his -imagination quickened his blood or drew it back frozen to his heart. His -imagery was from the worlds which no mortals can see but with the vision -of genius. Suddenly starting from a proposition, exactly and sharply -defined, in terms of utmost simplicity and clearness, he rejected the -forms of customary logic, and by a crystalline process of accretion, -built up his ocular demonstrations in forms of gloomiest and ghastliest -grandeur, or in those of the most airy and delicious beauty, so minutely -and distinctly, yet so rapidly, that the attention which was yielded -to him was chained till it stood among his wonderful creations, till he -himself dissolved the spell, and brought his hearers back to common -and base existence, by vulgar fancies or exhibitions of the ignoblest -passion. - -"He was at all times a dreamer dwelling in ideal realms, in heaven or -hell, peopled with the creatures and the accidents of his brain. He -walked the streets, in madness or melancholy, with lips moving in -indistinct curses, or with eyes upturned in passionate prayer (never for -himself, for he felt, or professed to feel, that he was already damned, -but) for their happiness who at the moment were objects of his idolatry; -or with his glances introverted to a heart gnawed with anguish, and with -a face shrouded in gloom, he would brave the wildest storms, and all -night, with drenched garments and arms beating the winds and rains, -would speak as if the spirits that at such times only could be evoked by -him from the Aidenn, close by whose portals his disturbed soul sought to -forget the ills to which his constitution subjected him--close by the -Aidenn where were those he loved--the Aidenn which he might never see, -but in fitful glimpses, as its gates opened to receive the less fiery -and more happy natures whose destiny to sin did not involve the doom of -death. - -"He seemed, except when some fitful pursuit subjugated his will and -engrossed his faculties, always to bear the memory of some controlling -sorrow. The remarkable poem of 'The Raven' was probably much more nearly -than has been supposed, even by those who were very intimate with him, a -reflection and an echo of his own history. _He_ was that bird's - - "'Unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster - Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-- - Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore - Of 'Never-never more.' - - -"Every genuine author in a greater or less degree leaves in his works, -whatever their design, traces of his personal character: elements of his -immortal being, in which the individual survives the person. While we -read the pages of the 'Fall of the House of Usher,' or of 'Mesmeric -Revelations,' we see in the solemn and stately gloom which invests one, -and in the subtle metaphysical analysis of both, indications of the -idiosyncrasies of what was most remarkable and peculiar in the author's -intellectual nature. But we see here only the better phases of his -nature, only the symbols of his juster action, for his harsh experience -had deprived him of all faith in man or woman. He had made up his mind -upon the numberless complexities of the social world, and the whole -system with him was an imposture. This conviction gave a direction to -his shrewd and naturally unamiable character. Still, though he regarded -society as composed altogether of villains, the sharpness of his -intellect was not of that kind which enabled him to cope with villany, -while it continually caused him by overshots to fail of the success of -honesty. He was in many respects like Francis Vivian in Bulwer's novel -of 'The Caxtons.' Passion, in him, comprehended--many of the worst -emotions which militate against human happiness. You could not -contradict him, but you raised quick choler; you could not speak of -wealth, but his cheek paled with gnawing envy. The astonishing natural -advantages of this poor boy--his beauty, his readiness, the daring -spirit that breathed around him like a fiery atmosphere--had raised his -constitutional self-confidence into an arrogance that turned his -very claims to admiration into prejudices against him. Irascible, -envious--bad enough, but not the worst, for these salient angles were -all varnished over with a cold, repellant cynicism, his passions vented -themselves in sneers. There seemed to him no moral susceptibility; and, -what was more remarkable in a proud nature, little or nothing of the -true point of honor. He had, to a morbid excess, that, desire to rise -which is vulgarly called ambition, but no wish for the esteem or the -love of his species; only the hard wish to succeed-not shine, not -serve--succeed, that he might have the right to despise a world which -galled his self-conceit. - -"We have suggested the influence of his aims and vicissitudes upon his -literature. It was more conspicuous in his later than in his -earlier writings. Nearly all that he wrote in the last two or three -years-including much of his best poetry-was in some sense biographical; -in draperies of his imagination, those who had taken the trouble to -trace his steps, could perceive, but slightly concealed, the figure of -himself." - -Apropos of the disparaging portion of the above well-written sketch, let -us truthfully say: - -Some four or five years since, when editing a daily paper in this -city, Mr. Poe was employed by us, for several months, as critic and -sub-editor. This was our first personal acquaintance with him. He -resided with his wife and mother at Fordham, a few miles out of town, -but was at his desk in the office, from nine in the morning till the -evening paper went to press. With the highest admiration for his genius, -and a willingness to let it atone for more than ordinary irregularity, -we were led by common report to expect a very capricious attention to -his duties, and occasionally a scene of violence and difficulty. Time -went on, however, and he was invariably punctual and industrious. With -his pale, beautiful, and intellectual face, as a reminder of what genius -was in him, it was impossible, of course, not to treat him always with -deferential courtesy, and, to our occasional request that he would not -probe too deep in a criticism, or that he would erase a passage colored -too highly with his resentments against society and mankind, he readily -and courteously assented-far more yielding than most men, we thought, -on points so excusably sensitive. With a prospect of taking the lead in -another periodical, he, at last, voluntarily gave up his employment -with us, and, through all this considerable period, we had seen but -one presentment of the man-a quiet, patient, industrious, and most -gentlemanly person, commanding the utmost respect and good feeling by -his unvarying deportment and ability. - -Residing as he did in the country, we never met Mr. Poe in hours of -leisure; but he frequently called on us afterward at our place of -business, and we met him often in the street-invariably the same sad -mannered, winning and refined gentleman, such as we had always known -him. It was by rumor only, up to the day of his death, that we knew of -any other development of manner or character. We heard, from one who -knew him well (what should be stated in all mention of his lamentable -irregularities), that, with a single glass of wine, his whole nature -was reversed, the demon became uppermost, and, though none of the -usual signs of intoxication were visible, his will was palpably insane. -Possessing his reasoning faculties in excited activity, at such times, -and seeking his acquaintances with his wonted look and memory, he easily -seemed personating only another phase of his natural character, and was -accused, accordingly, of insulting arrogance and bad-heartedness. In -this reversed character, we repeat, it was never our chance to see him. -We know it from hearsay, and we mention it in connection with this sad -infirmity of physical constitution; which puts it upon very nearly the -ground of a temporary and almost irresponsible insanity. - -The arrogance, vanity, and depravity of heart, of which Mr. Poe was -generally accused, seem to us referable altogether to this reversed -phase of his character. Under that degree of intoxication which only -acted upon him by demonizing his sense of truth and right, he doubtless -said and did much that was wholly irreconcilable with his better nature; -but, when himself, and as we knew him only, his modesty and unaffected -humility, as to his own deservings, were a constant charm to his -character. His letters, of which the constant application for autographs -has taken from us, we are sorry to confess, the greater portion, -exhibited this quality very strongly. In one of the carelessly written -notes of which we chance still to retain possession, for instance, he -speaks of "The Raven"--that extraordinary poem which electrified the -world of imaginative readers, and has become the type of a school of -poetry of its own-and, in evident earnest, attributes its success to -the few words of commendation with which we had prefaced it in this -paper.--It will throw light on his sane character to give a literal copy -of the note: - - "FORDHAM, April 20, 1849 - - -"My DEAR WILLIS--The poem which I inclose, and which I am so vain as to -hope you will like, in some respects, has been just published in a paper -for which sheer necessity compels me to write, now and then. It pays -well as times go-but unquestionably it ought to pay ten prices; for -whatever I send it I feel I am consigning to the tomb of the Capulets. -The verses accompanying this, may I beg you to take out of the tomb, and -bring them to light in the 'Home journal?' If you can oblige me so far -as to copy them, I do not think it will be necessary to say 'From the -----, that would be too bad; and, perhaps, 'From a late ---- paper,' -would do. - -"I have not forgotten how a 'good word in season' from you made 'The -Raven,' and made 'Ulalume' (which by-the-way, people have done me the -honor of attributing to you), therefore, I would ask you (if I dared) to -say something of these lines if they please you. - - "Truly yours ever, - - "EDGAR A. POE." - - -In double proof of his earnest disposition to do the best for himself, -and of the trustful and grateful nature which has been denied him, we -give another of the only three of his notes which we chance to retain: - - "FORDHAM, January 22, 1848. - - -"My DEAR MR. WILLIS--I am about to make an effort at re-establishing -myself in the literary world, and _feel _that I may depend upon your -aid. - -"My general aim is to start a Magazine, to be called 'The Stylus,' but -it would be useless to me, even when established, if not entirely out of -the control of a publisher. I mean, therefore, to get up a journal which -shall be _my own_ at all points. With this end in view, I must get a -list of at least five hundred subscribers to begin with; nearly two -hundred I have already. I propose, however, to go South and West, -among my personal and literary friends--old college and West Point -acquaintances--and see what I can do. In order to get the means of -taking the first step, I propose to lecture at the Society Library, -on Thursday, the 3d of February, and, that there may be no cause of -_squabbling_, my subject shall _not be literary _at all. I have chosen a -broad text: 'The Universe.' - -"Having thus given you _the facts_ of the case, I leave all the rest -to the suggestions of your own tact and generosity. Gratefully, _most -gratefully,_ - - _"Your friend always,_ - - _"EDGAR A. POE._" - - -Brief and chance-taken as these letters are, we think they sufficiently -prove the existence of the very qualities denied to Mr. Poe-humility, -willingness to persevere, belief in another's friendship, and capability -of cordial and grateful friendship! Such he assuredly was when sane. -Such only he has invariably seemed to us, in all we have happened -personally to know of him, through a friendship of five or six years. -And so much easier is it to believe what we have seen and known, than -what we hear of only, that we remember him but with admiration and -respect; these descriptions of him, when morally insane, seeming to -us like portraits, painted in sickness, of a man we have only known in -health. - -But there is another, more touching, and far more forcible evidence that -there was _goodness _in Edgar A. Poe. To reveal it we are obliged to -venture upon the lifting of the veil which sacredly covers grief and -refinement in poverty; but we think it may be excused, if so we can -brighten the memory of the poet, even were there not a more needed and -immediate service which it may render to the nearest link broken by his -death. - -Our first knowledge of Mr. Poe's removal to this city was by a call -which we received from a lady who introduced herself to us as the mother -of his wife. She was in search of employment for him, and she excused -her errand by mentioning that he was ill, that her daughter was a -confirmed invalid, and that their circumstances were such as compelled -her taking it upon herself. The countenance of this lady, made beautiful -and saintly with an evidently complete giving up of her life to -privation and sorrowful tenderness, her gentle and mournful voice urging -its plea, her long-forgotten but habitually and unconsciously refined -manners, and her appealing and yet appreciative mention of the claims -and abilities of her son, disclosed at once the presence of one of those -angels upon earth that women in adversity can be. It was a hard fate -that she was watching over. Mr. Poe wrote with fastidious difficulty, -and in a style too much above the popular level to be well paid. He was -always in pecuniary difficulty, and, with his sick wife, frequently in -want of the merest necessaries of life. Winter after winter, for -years, the most touching sight to us, in this whole city, has been that -tireless minister to genius, thinly and insufficiently clad, going from -office to office with a poem, or an article on some literary subject, to -sell, sometimes simply pleading in a broken voice that he was ill, and -begging for him, mentioning nothing but that "he was ill," whatever -might be the reason for his writing nothing, and never, amid all her -tears and recitals of distress, suffering one syllable to escape her -lips that could convey a doubt of him, or a complaint, or a lessening of -pride in his genius and good intentions. Her daughter died a year and -a half since, but she did not desert him. She continued his ministering -angel--living with him, caring for him, guarding him against exposure, -and when he was carried away by temptation, amid grief and the -loneliness of feelings unreplied to, and awoke from his self abandonment -prostrated in destitution and suffering, _begging _for him still. If -woman's devotion, born with a first love, and fed with human passion, -hallow its object, as it is allowed to do, what does not a devotion -like this-pure, disinterested and holy as the watch of an invisible -spirit-say for him who inspired it? - -We have a letter before us, written by this lady, Mrs. Clemm, on the -morning in which she heard of the death of this object of her untiring -care. It is merely a request that we would call upon her, but we will -copy a few of its words--sacred as its privacy is--to warrant the truth -of the picture we have drawn above, and add force to the appeal we wish -to make for her: - -"I have this morning heard of the death of my darling Eddie.... Can you -give me any circumstances or particulars?... Oh! do not desert your -poor friend in his bitter affliction!... Ask Mr. ---- to come, as I must -deliver a message to him from my poor Eddie.... I need not ask you to -notice his death and to speak well of him. I know you will. But say what -an affectionate son he was to me, his poor desolate mother..." - -To hedge round a grave with respect, what choice is there, between the -relinquished wealth and honors of the world, and the story of such a -woman's unrewarded devotion! Risking what we do, in delicacy, by making -it public, we feel--other reasons aside--that it betters the world to -make known that there are such ministrations to its erring and gifted. -What we have said will speak to some hearts. There are those who will -be glad to know how the lamp, whose light of poetry has beamed on their -far-away recognition, was watched over with care and pain, that they -may send to her, who is more darkened than they by its extinction, some -token of their sympathy. She is destitute and alone. If any, far or -near, will send to us what may aid and cheer her through the remainder -of her life, we will joyfully place it in her hands. - - - - - -THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES OF ONE HANS PFAAL (*1) - -BY late accounts from Rotterdam, that city seems to be in a high state -of philosophical excitement. Indeed, phenomena have there occurred of -a nature so completely unexpected--so entirely novel--so utterly at -variance with preconceived opinions--as to leave no doubt on my mind -that long ere this all Europe is in an uproar, all physics in a ferment, -all reason and astronomy together by the ears. - -It appears that on the---- day of---- (I am not positive about the -date), a vast crowd of people, for purposes not specifically -mentioned, were assembled in the great square of the Exchange in the -well-conditioned city of Rotterdam. The day was warm--unusually so for -the season--there was hardly a breath of air stirring; and the multitude -were in no bad humor at being now and then besprinkled with friendly -showers of momentary duration, that fell from large white masses -of cloud which chequered in a fitful manner the blue vault of the -firmament. Nevertheless, about noon, a slight but remarkable agitation -became apparent in the assembly: the clattering of ten thousand tongues -succeeded; and, in an instant afterward, ten thousand faces were -upturned toward the heavens, ten thousand pipes descended simultaneously -from the corners of ten thousand mouths, and a shout, which could be -compared to nothing but the roaring of Niagara, resounded long, loudly, -and furiously, through all the environs of Rotterdam. - -The origin of this hubbub soon became sufficiently evident. From behind -the huge bulk of one of those sharply-defined masses of cloud already -mentioned, was seen slowly to emerge into an open area of blue space, a -queer, heterogeneous, but apparently solid substance, so oddly shaped, -so whimsically put together, as not to be in any manner comprehended, -and never to be sufficiently admired, by the host of sturdy burghers who -stood open-mouthed below. What could it be? In the name of all the vrows -and devils in Rotterdam, what could it possibly portend? No one knew, no -one could imagine; no one--not even the burgomaster Mynheer Superbus Von -Underduk--had the slightest clew by which to unravel the mystery; so, as -nothing more reasonable could be done, every one to a man replaced his -pipe carefully in the corner of his mouth, and cocking up his right -eye towards the phenomenon, puffed, paused, waddled about, and grunted -significantly--then waddled back, grunted, paused, and finally--puffed -again. - -In the meantime, however, lower and still lower toward the goodly city, -came the object of so much curiosity, and the cause of so much smoke. In -a very few minutes it arrived near enough to be accurately discerned. It -appeared to be--yes! it was undoubtedly a species of balloon; but surely -no such balloon had ever been seen in Rotterdam before. For who, let me -ask, ever heard of a balloon manufactured entirely of dirty newspapers? -No man in Holland certainly; yet here, under the very noses of the -people, or rather at some distance above their noses was the identical -thing in question, and composed, I have it on the best authority, of -the precise material which no one had ever before known to be used for -a similar purpose. It was an egregious insult to the good sense of the -burghers of Rotterdam. As to the shape of the phenomenon, it was even -still more reprehensible. Being little or nothing better than a huge -foolscap turned upside down. And this similitude was regarded as by no -means lessened when, upon nearer inspection, there was perceived a large -tassel depending from its apex, and, around the upper rim or base of the -cone, a circle of little instruments, resembling sheep-bells, which kept -up a continual tinkling to the tune of Betty Martin. But still worse. -Suspended by blue ribbons to the end of this fantastic machine, -there hung, by way of car, an enormous drab beaver hat, with a brim -superlatively broad, and a hemispherical crown with a black band and a -silver buckle. It is, however, somewhat remarkable that many citizens -of Rotterdam swore to having seen the same hat repeatedly before; and -indeed the whole assembly seemed to regard it with eyes of familiarity; -while the vrow Grettel Pfaall, upon sight of it, uttered an exclamation -of joyful surprise, and declared it to be the identical hat of her good -man himself. Now this was a circumstance the more to be observed, as -Pfaall, with three companions, had actually disappeared from Rotterdam -about five years before, in a very sudden and unaccountable manner, and -up to the date of this narrative all attempts had failed of obtaining -any intelligence concerning them whatsoever. To be sure, some bones -which were thought to be human, mixed up with a quantity of odd-looking -rubbish, had been lately discovered in a retired situation to the east -of Rotterdam, and some people went so far as to imagine that in this -spot a foul murder had been committed, and that the sufferers were in -all probability Hans Pfaall and his associates. But to return. - -The balloon (for such no doubt it was) had now descended to within -a hundred feet of the earth, allowing the crowd below a sufficiently -distinct view of the person of its occupant. This was in truth a very -droll little somebody. He could not have been more than two feet in -height; but this altitude, little as it was, would have been sufficient -to destroy his equilibrium, and tilt him over the edge of his tiny -car, but for the intervention of a circular rim reaching as high as -the breast, and rigged on to the cords of the balloon. The body of the -little man was more than proportionately broad, giving to his entire -figure a rotundity highly absurd. His feet, of course, could not be seen -at all, although a horny substance of suspicious nature was occasionally -protruded through a rent in the bottom of the car, or to speak more -properly, in the top of the hat. His hands were enormously large. His -hair was extremely gray, and collected in a cue behind. His nose was -prodigiously long, crooked, and inflammatory; his eyes full, brilliant, -and acute; his chin and cheeks, although wrinkled with age, were broad, -puffy, and double; but of ears of any kind or character there was not a -semblance to be discovered upon any portion of his head. This odd little -gentleman was dressed in a loose surtout of sky-blue satin, with tight -breeches to match, fastened with silver buckles at the knees. His vest -was of some bright yellow material; a white taffety cap was set jauntily -on one side of his head; and, to complete his equipment, a blood-red -silk handkerchief enveloped his throat, and fell down, in a dainty -manner, upon his bosom, in a fantastic bow-knot of super-eminent -dimensions. - -Having descended, as I said before, to about one hundred feet from the -surface of the earth, the little old gentleman was suddenly seized -with a fit of trepidation, and appeared disinclined to make any nearer -approach to terra firma. Throwing out, therefore, a quantity of sand -from a canvas bag, which, he lifted with great difficulty, he became -stationary in an instant. He then proceeded, in a hurried and agitated -manner, to extract from a side-pocket in his surtout a large morocco -pocket-book. This he poised suspiciously in his hand, then eyed it with -an air of extreme surprise, and was evidently astonished at its weight. -He at length opened it, and drawing there from a huge letter sealed with -red sealing-wax and tied carefully with red tape, let it fall precisely -at the feet of the burgomaster, Superbus Von Underduk. His Excellency -stooped to take it up. But the aeronaut, still greatly discomposed, and -having apparently no farther business to detain him in Rotterdam, began -at this moment to make busy preparations for departure; and it being -necessary to discharge a portion of ballast to enable him to reascend, -the half dozen bags which he threw out, one after another, without -taking the trouble to empty their contents, tumbled, every one of them, -most unfortunately upon the back of the burgomaster, and rolled him over -and over no less than one-and-twenty times, in the face of every man in -Rotterdam. It is not to be supposed, however, that the great Underduk -suffered this impertinence on the part of the little old man to pass off -with impunity. It is said, on the contrary, that during each and every -one of his one-and twenty circumvolutions he emitted no less than -one-and-twenty distinct and furious whiffs from his pipe, to which he -held fast the whole time with all his might, and to which he intends -holding fast until the day of his death. - -In the meantime the balloon arose like a lark, and, soaring far away -above the city, at length drifted quietly behind a cloud similar to that -from which it had so oddly emerged, and was thus lost forever to the -wondering eyes of the good citizens of Rotterdam. All attention was -now directed to the letter, the descent of which, and the consequences -attending thereupon, had proved so fatally subversive of both person and -personal dignity to his Excellency, the illustrious Burgomaster Mynheer -Superbus Von Underduk. That functionary, however, had not failed, during -his circumgyratory movements, to bestow a thought upon the important -subject of securing the packet in question, which was seen, upon -inspection, to have fallen into the most proper hands, being actually -addressed to himself and Professor Rub-a-dub, in their official -capacities of President and Vice-President of the Rotterdam College of -Astronomy. It was accordingly opened by those dignitaries upon the -spot, and found to contain the following extraordinary, and indeed very -serious, communications. - -To their Excellencies Von Underduk and Rub-a-dub, President and -Vice-President of the States' College of Astronomers, in the city of -Rotterdam. - -"Your Excellencies may perhaps be able to remember an humble artizan, by -name Hans Pfaall, and by occupation a mender of bellows, who, with three -others, disappeared from Rotterdam, about five years ago, in a manner -which must have been considered by all parties at once sudden, and -extremely unaccountable. If, however, it so please your Excellencies, I, -the writer of this communication, am the identical Hans Pfaall himself. -It is well known to most of my fellow citizens, that for the period of -forty years I continued to occupy the little square brick building, at -the head of the alley called Sauerkraut, in which I resided at the time -of my disappearance. My ancestors have also resided therein time out of -mind--they, as well as myself, steadily following the respectable and -indeed lucrative profession of mending of bellows. For, to speak the -truth, until of late years, that the heads of all the people have been -set agog with politics, no better business than my own could an -honest citizen of Rotterdam either desire or deserve. Credit was good, -employment was never wanting, and on all hands there was no lack of -either money or good-will. But, as I was saying, we soon began to feel -the effects of liberty and long speeches, and radicalism, and all that -sort of thing. People who were formerly, the very best customers in the -world, had now not a moment of time to think of us at all. They had, so -they said, as much as they could do to read about the revolutions, and -keep up with the march of intellect and the spirit of the age. If a fire -wanted fanning, it could readily be fanned with a newspaper, and as the -government grew weaker, I have no doubt that leather and iron acquired -durability in proportion, for, in a very short time, there was not a -pair of bellows in all Rotterdam that ever stood in need of a stitch or -required the assistance of a hammer. This was a state of things not -to be endured. I soon grew as poor as a rat, and, having a wife and -children to provide for, my burdens at length became intolerable, and I -spent hour after hour in reflecting upon the most convenient method of -putting an end to my life. Duns, in the meantime, left me little leisure -for contemplation. My house was literally besieged from morning till -night, so that I began to rave, and foam, and fret like a caged -tiger against the bars of his enclosure. There were three fellows in -particular who worried me beyond endurance, keeping watch continually -about my door, and threatening me with the law. Upon these three I -internally vowed the bitterest revenge, if ever I should be so happy as -to get them within my clutches; and I believe nothing in the world but -the pleasure of this anticipation prevented me from putting my plan -of suicide into immediate execution, by blowing my brains out with a -blunderbuss. I thought it best, however, to dissemble my wrath, and to -treat them with promises and fair words, until, by some good turn of -fate, an opportunity of vengeance should be afforded me. - -"One day, having given my creditors the slip, and feeling more than -usually dejected, I continued for a long time to wander about the most -obscure streets without object whatever, until at length I chanced to -stumble against the corner of a bookseller's stall. Seeing a chair close -at hand, for the use of customers, I threw myself doggedly into it, -and, hardly knowing why, opened the pages of the first volume which -came within my reach. It proved to be a small pamphlet treatise on -Speculative Astronomy, written either by Professor Encke of Berlin or -by a Frenchman of somewhat similar name. I had some little tincture of -information on matters of this nature, and soon became more and more -absorbed in the contents of the book, reading it actually through twice -before I awoke to a recollection of what was passing around me. By this -time it began to grow dark, and I directed my steps toward home. But -the treatise had made an indelible impression on my mind, and, as I -sauntered along the dusky streets, I revolved carefully over in my -memory the wild and sometimes unintelligible reasonings of the writer. -There are some particular passages which affected my imagination in a -powerful and extraordinary manner. The longer I meditated upon these -the more intense grew the interest which had been excited within me. -The limited nature of my education in general, and more especially my -ignorance on subjects connected with natural philosophy, so far from -rendering me diffident of my own ability to comprehend what I had read, -or inducing me to mistrust the many vague notions which had arisen in -consequence, merely served as a farther stimulus to imagination; and I -was vain enough, or perhaps reasonable enough, to doubt whether -those crude ideas which, arising in ill-regulated minds, have all the -appearance, may not often in effect possess all the force, the reality, -and other inherent properties, of instinct or intuition; whether, to -proceed a step farther, profundity itself might not, in matters of a -purely speculative nature, be detected as a legitimate source of falsity -and error. In other words, I believed, and still do believe, that truth, -is frequently of its own essence, superficial, and that, in many cases, -the depth lies more in the abysses where we seek her, than in the actual -situations wherein she may be found. Nature herself seemed to afford -me corroboration of these ideas. In the contemplation of the heavenly -bodies it struck me forcibly that I could not distinguish a star with -nearly as much precision, when I gazed on it with earnest, direct and -undeviating attention, as when I suffered my eye only to glance in -its vicinity alone. I was not, of course, at that time aware that this -apparent paradox was occasioned by the center of the visual area being -less susceptible of feeble impressions of light than the exterior -portions of the retina. This knowledge, and some of another kind, came -afterwards in the course of an eventful five years, during which I -have dropped the prejudices of my former humble situation in life, and -forgotten the bellows-mender in far different occupations. But at the -epoch of which I speak, the analogy which a casual observation of a star -offered to the conclusions I had already drawn, struck me with the force -of positive conformation, and I then finally made up my mind to the -course which I afterwards pursued. - -"It was late when I reached home, and I went immediately to bed. My -mind, however, was too much occupied to sleep, and I lay the whole night -buried in meditation. Arising early in the morning, and contriving -again to escape the vigilance of my creditors, I repaired eagerly to the -bookseller's stall, and laid out what little ready money I possessed, -in the purchase of some volumes of Mechanics and Practical Astronomy. -Having arrived at home safely with these, I devoted every spare moment -to their perusal, and soon made such proficiency in studies of this -nature as I thought sufficient for the execution of my plan. In the -intervals of this period, I made every endeavor to conciliate the -three creditors who had given me so much annoyance. In this I finally -succeeded--partly by selling enough of my household furniture to satisfy -a moiety of their claim, and partly by a promise of paying the balance -upon completion of a little project which I told them I had in view, and -for assistance in which I solicited their services. By these means--for -they were ignorant men--I found little difficulty in gaining them over -to my purpose. - -"Matters being thus arranged, I contrived, by the aid of my wife and -with the greatest secrecy and caution, to dispose of what property I had -remaining, and to borrow, in small sums, under various pretences, -and without paying any attention to my future means of repayment, no -inconsiderable quantity of ready money. With the means thus accruing I -proceeded to procure at intervals, cambric muslin, very fine, in pieces -of twelve yards each; twine; a lot of the varnish of caoutchouc; a -large and deep basket of wicker-work, made to order; and several other -articles necessary in the construction and equipment of a balloon of -extraordinary dimensions. This I directed my wife to make up as soon as -possible, and gave her all requisite information as to the particular -method of proceeding. In the meantime I worked up the twine into -a net-work of sufficient dimensions; rigged it with a hoop and the -necessary cords; bought a quadrant, a compass, a spy-glass, a common -barometer with some important modifications, and two astronomical -instruments not so generally known. I then took opportunities of -conveying by night, to a retired situation east of Rotterdam, five -iron-bound casks, to contain about fifty gallons each, and one of a -larger size; six tinned ware tubes, three inches in diameter, properly -shaped, and ten feet in length; a quantity of a particular metallic -substance, or semi-metal, which I shall not name, and a dozen demijohns -of a very common acid. The gas to be formed from these latter materials -is a gas never yet generated by any other person than myself--or at -least never applied to any similar purpose. The secret I would make no -difficulty in disclosing, but that it of right belongs to a citizen of -Nantz, in France, by whom it was conditionally communicated to myself. -The same individual submitted to me, without being at all aware of my -intentions, a method of constructing balloons from the membrane of a -certain animal, through which substance any escape of gas was nearly an -impossibility. I found it, however, altogether too expensive, and was -not sure, upon the whole, whether cambric muslin with a coating of -gum caoutchouc, was not equally as good. I mention this circumstance, -because I think it probable that hereafter the individual in question -may attempt a balloon ascension with the novel gas and material I have -spoken of, and I do not wish to deprive him of the honor of a very -singular invention. - -"On the spot which I intended each of the smaller casks to occupy -respectively during the inflation of the balloon, I privately dug a hole -two feet deep; the holes forming in this manner a circle twenty-five -feet in diameter. In the centre of this circle, being the station -designed for the large cask, I also dug a hole three feet in depth. In -each of the five smaller holes, I deposited a canister containing -fifty pounds, and in the larger one a keg holding one hundred and fifty -pounds, of cannon powder. These--the keg and canisters--I connected in -a proper manner with covered trains; and having let into one of the -canisters the end of about four feet of slow match, I covered up the -hole, and placed the cask over it, leaving the other end of the match -protruding about an inch, and barely visible beyond the cask. I then -filled up the remaining holes, and placed the barrels over them in their -destined situation. - -"Besides the articles above enumerated, I conveyed to the depot, and -there secreted, one of M. Grimm's improvements upon the apparatus for -condensation of the atmospheric air. I found this machine, however, -to require considerable alteration before it could be adapted to the -purposes to which I intended making it applicable. But, with severe -labor and unremitting perseverance, I at length met with entire success -in all my preparations. My balloon was soon completed. It would contain -more than forty thousand cubic feet of gas; would take me up easily, I -calculated, with all my implements, and, if I managed rightly, with -one hundred and seventy-five pounds of ballast into the bargain. It -had received three coats of varnish, and I found the cambric muslin to -answer all the purposes of silk itself, quite as strong and a good deal -less expensive. - -"Everything being now ready, I exacted from my wife an oath of secrecy -in relation to all my actions from the day of my first visit to the -bookseller's stall; and promising, on my part, to return as soon as -circumstances would permit, I gave her what little money I had left, -and bade her farewell. Indeed I had no fear on her account. She was -what people call a notable woman, and could manage matters in the world -without my assistance. I believe, to tell the truth, she always looked -upon me as an idle boy, a mere make-weight, good for nothing but -building castles in the air, and was rather glad to get rid of me. -It was a dark night when I bade her good-bye, and taking with me, as -aides-de-camp, the three creditors who had given me so much trouble, -we carried the balloon, with the car and accoutrements, by a roundabout -way, to the station where the other articles were deposited. We there -found them all unmolested, and I proceeded immediately to business. - -"It was the first of April. The night, as I said before, was dark; there -was not a star to be seen; and a drizzling rain, falling at intervals, -rendered us very uncomfortable. But my chief anxiety was concerning -the balloon, which, in spite of the varnish with which it was defended, -began to grow rather heavy with the moisture; the powder also was liable -to damage. I therefore kept my three duns working with great diligence, -pounding down ice around the central cask, and stirring the acid in the -others. They did not cease, however, importuning me with questions as -to what I intended to do with all this apparatus, and expressed much -dissatisfaction at the terrible labor I made them undergo. They could -not perceive, so they said, what good was likely to result from -their getting wet to the skin, merely to take a part in such horrible -incantations. I began to get uneasy, and worked away with all my might, -for I verily believe the idiots supposed that I had entered into a -compact with the devil, and that, in short, what I was now doing was -nothing better than it should be. I was, therefore, in great fear of -their leaving me altogether. I contrived, however, to pacify them by -promises of payment of all scores in full, as soon as I could bring -the present business to a termination. To these speeches they gave, of -course, their own interpretation; fancying, no doubt, that at all events -I should come into possession of vast quantities of ready money; and -provided I paid them all I owed, and a trifle more, in consideration of -their services, I dare say they cared very little what became of either -my soul or my carcass. - -"In about four hours and a half I found the balloon sufficiently -inflated. I attached the car, therefore, and put all my implements in -it--not forgetting the condensing apparatus, a copious supply of water, -and a large quantity of provisions, such as pemmican, in which much -nutriment is contained in comparatively little bulk. I also secured in -the car a pair of pigeons and a cat. It was now nearly daybreak, and I -thought it high time to take my departure. Dropping a lighted cigar on -the ground, as if by accident, I took the opportunity, in stooping to -pick it up, of igniting privately the piece of slow match, whose end, -as I said before, protruded a very little beyond the lower rim of one of -the smaller casks. This manoeuvre was totally unperceived on the part of -the three duns; and, jumping into the car, I immediately cut the single -cord which held me to the earth, and was pleased to find that I shot -upward, carrying with all ease one hundred and seventy-five pounds of -leaden ballast, and able to have carried up as many more. - -"Scarcely, however, had I attained the height of fifty yards, when, -roaring and rumbling up after me in the most horrible and tumultuous -manner, came so dense a hurricane of fire, and smoke, and sulphur, and -legs and arms, and gravel, and burning wood, and blazing metal, that -my very heart sunk within me, and I fell down in the bottom of the car, -trembling with unmitigated terror. Indeed, I now perceived that I had -entirely overdone the business, and that the main consequences of the -shock were yet to be experienced. Accordingly, in less than a second, -I felt all the blood in my body rushing to my temples, and immediately -thereupon, a concussion, which I shall never forget, burst abruptly -through the night and seemed to rip the very firmament asunder. When -I afterward had time for reflection, I did not fail to attribute the -extreme violence of the explosion, as regarded myself, to its proper -cause--my situation directly above it, and in the line of its greatest -power. But at the time, I thought only of preserving my life. The -balloon at first collapsed, then furiously expanded, then whirled round -and round with horrible velocity, and finally, reeling and staggering -like a drunken man, hurled me with great force over the rim of the car, -and left me dangling, at a terrific height, with my head downward, and -my face outwards, by a piece of slender cord about three feet in -length, which hung accidentally through a crevice near the bottom of -the wicker-work, and in which, as I fell, my left foot became most -providentially entangled. It is impossible--utterly impossible--to form -any adequate idea of the horror of my situation. I gasped convulsively -for breath--a shudder resembling a fit of the ague agitated every nerve -and muscle of my frame--I felt my eyes starting from their sockets--a -horrible nausea overwhelmed me--and at length I fainted away. - -"How long I remained in this state it is impossible to say. It must, -however, have been no inconsiderable time, for when I partially -recovered the sense of existence, I found the day breaking, the balloon -at a prodigious height over a wilderness of ocean, and not a trace -of land to be discovered far and wide within the limits of the vast -horizon. My sensations, however, upon thus recovering, were by no means -so rife with agony as might have been anticipated. Indeed, there was -much of incipient madness in the calm survey which I began to take of my -situation. I drew up to my eyes each of my hands, one after the other, -and wondered what occurrence could have given rise to the swelling of -the veins, and the horrible blackness of the fingernails. I afterward -carefully examined my head, shaking it repeatedly, and feeling it with -minute attention, until I succeeded in satisfying myself that it was -not, as I had more than half suspected, larger than my balloon. Then, -in a knowing manner, I felt in both my breeches pockets, and, missing -therefrom a set of tablets and a toothpick case, endeavored to account -for their disappearance, and not being able to do so, felt inexpressibly -chagrined. It now occurred to me that I suffered great uneasiness in the -joint of my left ankle, and a dim consciousness of my situation began to -glimmer through my mind. But, strange to say! I was neither astonished -nor horror-stricken. If I felt any emotion at all, it was a kind of -chuckling satisfaction at the cleverness I was about to display in -extricating myself from this dilemma; and I never, for a moment, looked -upon my ultimate safety as a question susceptible of doubt. For a few -minutes I remained wrapped in the profoundest meditation. I have a -distinct recollection of frequently compressing my lips, putting -my forefinger to the side of my nose, and making use of other -gesticulations and grimaces common to men who, at ease in their -arm-chairs, meditate upon matters of intricacy or importance. Having, -as I thought, sufficiently collected my ideas, I now, with great caution -and deliberation, put my hands behind my back, and unfastened the large -iron buckle which belonged to the waistband of my inexpressibles. This -buckle had three teeth, which, being somewhat rusty, turned with great -difficulty on their axis. I brought them, however, after some trouble, -at right angles to the body of the buckle, and was glad to find them -remain firm in that position. Holding the instrument thus obtained -within my teeth, I now proceeded to untie the knot of my cravat. I had -to rest several times before I could accomplish this manoeuvre, but it -was at length accomplished. To one end of the cravat I then made fast -the buckle, and the other end I tied, for greater security, tightly -around my wrist. Drawing now my body upwards, with a prodigious exertion -of muscular force, I succeeded, at the very first trial, in throwing -the buckle over the car, and entangling it, as I had anticipated, in the -circular rim of the wicker-work. - -"My body was now inclined towards the side of the car, at an angle -of about forty-five degrees; but it must not be understood that I was -therefore only forty-five degrees below the perpendicular. So far from -it, I still lay nearly level with the plane of the horizon; for the -change of situation which I had acquired, had forced the bottom of the -car considerably outwards from my position, which was accordingly one -of the most imminent and deadly peril. It should be remembered, however, -that when I fell in the first instance, from the car, if I had fallen -with my face turned toward the balloon, instead of turned outwardly from -it, as it actually was; or if, in the second place, the cord by which -I was suspended had chanced to hang over the upper edge, instead of -through a crevice near the bottom of the car,--I say it may be readily -conceived that, in either of these supposed cases, I should have been -unable to accomplish even as much as I had now accomplished, and the -wonderful adventures of Hans Pfaall would have been utterly lost to -posterity, I had therefore every reason to be grateful; although, in -point of fact, I was still too stupid to be anything at all, and hung -for, perhaps, a quarter of an hour in that extraordinary manner, without -making the slightest farther exertion whatsoever, and in a singularly -tranquil state of idiotic enjoyment. But this feeling did not fail to -die rapidly away, and thereunto succeeded horror, and dismay, and a -chilling sense of utter helplessness and ruin. In fact, the blood so -long accumulating in the vessels of my head and throat, and which had -hitherto buoyed up my spirits with madness and delirium, had now begun -to retire within their proper channels, and the distinctness which was -thus added to my perception of the danger, merely served to deprive me -of the self-possession and courage to encounter it. But this weakness -was, luckily for me, of no very long duration. In good time came to my -rescue the spirit of despair, and, with frantic cries and struggles, I -jerked my way bodily upwards, till at length, clutching with a vise-like -grip the long-desired rim, I writhed my person over it, and fell -headlong and shuddering within the car. - -"It was not until some time afterward that I recovered myself -sufficiently to attend to the ordinary cares of the balloon. I then, -however, examined it with attention, and found it, to my great relief, -uninjured. My implements were all safe, and, fortunately, I had lost -neither ballast nor provisions. Indeed, I had so well secured them in -their places, that such an accident was entirely out of the question. -Looking at my watch, I found it six o'clock. I was still rapidly -ascending, and my barometer gave a present altitude of three and -three-quarter miles. Immediately beneath me in the ocean, lay a small -black object, slightly oblong in shape, seemingly about the size, and -in every way bearing a great resemblance to one of those childish -toys called a domino. Bringing my telescope to bear upon it, I plainly -discerned it to be a British ninety four-gun ship, close-hauled, and -pitching heavily in the sea with her head to the W.S.W. Besides this -ship, I saw nothing but the ocean and the sky, and the sun, which had -long arisen. - -"It is now high time that I should explain to your Excellencies the -object of my perilous voyage. Your Excellencies will bear in mind that -distressed circumstances in Rotterdam had at length driven me to the -resolution of committing suicide. It was not, however, that to life -itself I had any, positive disgust, but that I was harassed beyond -endurance by the adventitious miseries attending my situation. In this -state of mind, wishing to live, yet wearied with life, the treatise at -the stall of the bookseller opened a resource to my imagination. I then -finally made up my mind. I determined to depart, yet live--to leave the -world, yet continue to exist--in short, to drop enigmas, I resolved, let -what would ensue, to force a passage, if I could, to the moon. Now, lest -I should be supposed more of a madman than I actually am, I will detail, -as well as I am able, the considerations which led me to believe that -an achievement of this nature, although without doubt difficult, and -incontestably full of danger, was not absolutely, to a bold spirit, -beyond the confines of the possible. - -"The moon's actual distance from the earth was the first thing to be -attended to. Now, the mean or average interval between the centres of -the two planets is 59.9643 of the earth's equatorial radii, or only -about 237,000 miles. I say the mean or average interval. But it must -be borne in mind that the form of the moon's orbit being an ellipse of -eccentricity amounting to no less than 0.05484 of the major semi-axis of -the ellipse itself, and the earth's centre being situated in its focus, -if I could, in any manner, contrive to meet the moon, as it were, in its -perigee, the above mentioned distance would be materially diminished. -But, to say nothing at present of this possibility, it was very certain -that, at all events, from the 237,000 miles I would have to deduct the -radius of the earth, say 4,000, and the radius of the moon, say 1080, -in all 5,080, leaving an actual interval to be traversed, under average -circumstances, of 231,920 miles. Now this, I reflected, was no -very extraordinary distance. Travelling on land has been repeatedly -accomplished at the rate of thirty miles per hour, and indeed a much -greater speed may be anticipated. But even at this velocity, it would -take me no more than 322 days to reach the surface of the moon. There -were, however, many particulars inducing me to believe that my average -rate of travelling might possibly very much exceed that of thirty miles -per hour, and, as these considerations did not fail to make a deep -impression upon my mind, I will mention them more fully hereafter. - -"The next point to be regarded was a matter of far greater importance. -From indications afforded by the barometer, we find that, in ascensions -from the surface of the earth we have, at the height of 1,000 feet, left -below us about one-thirtieth of the entire mass of atmospheric air, that -at 10,600 we have ascended through nearly one-third; and that at 18,000, -which is not far from the elevation of Cotopaxi, we have surmounted -one-half the material, or, at all events, one-half the ponderable, -body of air incumbent upon our globe. It is also calculated that at an -altitude not exceeding the hundredth part of the earth's diameter--that -is, not exceeding eighty miles--the rarefaction would be so excessive -that animal life could in no manner be sustained, and, moreover, that -the most delicate means we possess of ascertaining the presence of the -atmosphere would be inadequate to assure us of its existence. But I -did not fail to perceive that these latter calculations are founded -altogether on our experimental knowledge of the properties of air, and -the mechanical laws regulating its dilation and compression, in what may -be called, comparatively speaking, the immediate vicinity of the earth -itself; and, at the same time, it is taken for granted that animal -life is and must be essentially incapable of modification at any given -unattainable distance from the surface. Now, all such reasoning and from -such data must, of course, be simply analogical. The greatest height -ever reached by man was that of 25,000 feet, attained in the aeronautic -expedition of Messieurs Gay-Lussac and Biot. This is a moderate -altitude, even when compared with the eighty miles in question; and I -could not help thinking that the subject admitted room for doubt and -great latitude for speculation. - -"But, in point of fact, an ascension being made to any given altitude, -the ponderable quantity of air surmounted in any farther ascension is -by no means in proportion to the additional height ascended (as may -be plainly seen from what has been stated before), but in a ratio -constantly decreasing. It is therefore evident that, ascend as high as -we may, we cannot, literally speaking, arrive at a limit beyond which -no atmosphere is to be found. It must exist, I argued; although it may -exist in a state of infinite rarefaction. - -"On the other hand, I was aware that arguments have not been wanting -to prove the existence of a real and definite limit to the atmosphere, -beyond which there is absolutely no air whatsoever. But a circumstance -which has been left out of view by those who contend for such a limit -seemed to me, although no positive refutation of their creed, still -a point worthy very serious investigation. On comparing the intervals -between the successive arrivals of Encke's comet at its perihelion, -after giving credit, in the most exact manner, for all the disturbances -due to the attractions of the planets, it appears that the periods are -gradually diminishing; that is to say, the major axis of the comet's -ellipse is growing shorter, in a slow but perfectly regular decrease. -Now, this is precisely what ought to be the case, if we suppose a -resistance experienced from the comet from an extremely rare ethereal -medium pervading the regions of its orbit. For it is evident that such -a medium must, in retarding the comet's velocity, increase its -centripetal, by weakening its centrifugal force. In other words, the -sun's attraction would be constantly attaining greater power, and the -comet would be drawn nearer at every revolution. Indeed, there is no -other way of accounting for the variation in question. But again. The -real diameter of the same comet's nebulosity is observed to contract -rapidly as it approaches the sun, and dilate with equal rapidity in its -departure towards its aphelion. Was I not justifiable in supposing with -M. Valz, that this apparent condensation of volume has its origin in -the compression of the same ethereal medium I have spoken of before, -and which is only denser in proportion to its solar vicinity? The -lenticular-shaped phenomenon, also called the zodiacal light, was a -matter worthy of attention. This radiance, so apparent in the tropics, -and which cannot be mistaken for any meteoric lustre, extends from the -horizon obliquely upward, and follows generally the direction of the -sun's equator. It appeared to me evidently in the nature of a rare -atmosphere extending from the sun outward, beyond the orbit of Venus at -least, and I believed indefinitely farther.(*2) Indeed, this medium I -could not suppose confined to the path of the comet's ellipse, or to -the immediate neighborhood of the sun. It was easy, on the contrary, -to imagine it pervading the entire regions of our planetary system, -condensed into what we call atmosphere at the planets themselves, and -perhaps at some of them modified by considerations, so to speak, purely -geological. - -"Having adopted this view of the subject, I had little further -hesitation. Granting that on my passage I should meet with atmosphere -essentially the same as at the surface of the earth, I conceived that, -by means of the very ingenious apparatus of M. Grimm, I should readily -be enabled to condense it in sufficient quantity for the purposes of -respiration. This would remove the chief obstacle in a journey to the -moon. I had indeed spent some money and great labor in adapting the -apparatus to the object intended, and confidently looked forward to its -successful application, if I could manage to complete the voyage within -any reasonable period. This brings me back to the rate at which it might -be possible to travel. - -"It is true that balloons, in the first stage of their ascensions from -the earth, are known to rise with a velocity comparatively moderate. -Now, the power of elevation lies altogether in the superior lightness of -the gas in the balloon compared with the atmospheric air; and, at -first sight, it does not appear probable that, as the balloon acquires -altitude, and consequently arrives successively in atmospheric strata -of densities rapidly diminishing--I say, it does not appear at all -reasonable that, in this its progress upwards, the original velocity -should be accelerated. On the other hand, I was not aware that, in any -recorded ascension, a diminution was apparent in the absolute rate -of ascent; although such should have been the case, if on account -of nothing else, on account of the escape of gas through balloons -ill-constructed, and varnished with no better material than the ordinary -varnish. It seemed, therefore, that the effect of such escape was only -sufficient to counterbalance the effect of some accelerating power. I -now considered that, provided in my passage I found the medium I -had imagined, and provided that it should prove to be actually -and essentially what we denominate atmospheric air, it could make -comparatively little difference at what extreme state of rarefaction -I should discover it--that is to say, in regard to my power of -ascending--for the gas in the balloon would not only be itself subject -to rarefaction partially similar (in proportion to the occurrence of -which, I could suffer an escape of so much as would be requisite to -prevent explosion), but, being what it was, would, at all events, -continue specifically lighter than any compound whatever of mere -nitrogen and oxygen. In the meantime, the force of gravitation would be -constantly diminishing, in proportion to the squares of the distances, -and thus, with a velocity prodigiously accelerating, I should at -length arrive in those distant regions where the force of the earth's -attraction would be superseded by that of the moon. In accordance with -these ideas, I did not think it worth while to encumber myself with more -provisions than would be sufficient for a period of forty days. - -"There was still, however, another difficulty, which occasioned me some -little disquietude. It has been observed, that, in balloon ascensions to -any considerable height, besides the pain attending respiration, great -uneasiness is experienced about the head and body, often accompanied -with bleeding at the nose, and other symptoms of an alarming kind, -and growing more and more inconvenient in proportion to the altitude -attained.(*3) This was a reflection of a nature somewhat startling. Was -it not probable that these symptoms would increase indefinitely, or at -least until terminated by death itself? I finally thought not. Their -origin was to be looked for in the progressive removal of the customary -atmospheric pressure upon the surface of the body, and consequent -distention of the superficial blood-vessels--not in any positive -disorganization of the animal system, as in the case of difficulty in -breathing, where the atmospheric density is chemically insufficient -for the due renovation of blood in a ventricle of the heart. Unless for -default of this renovation, I could see no reason, therefore, why -life could not be sustained even in a vacuum; for the expansion and -compression of chest, commonly called breathing, is action purely -muscular, and the cause, not the effect, of respiration. In a word, -I conceived that, as the body should become habituated to the want -of atmospheric pressure, the sensations of pain would gradually -diminish--and to endure them while they continued, I relied with -confidence upon the iron hardihood of my constitution. - -"Thus, may it please your Excellencies, I have detailed some, though by -no means all, the considerations which led me to form the project of -a lunar voyage. I shall now proceed to lay before you the result of an -attempt so apparently audacious in conception, and, at all events, so -utterly unparalleled in the annals of mankind. - -"Having attained the altitude before mentioned, that is to say three -miles and three-quarters, I threw out from the car a quantity of -feathers, and found that I still ascended with sufficient rapidity; -there was, therefore, no necessity for discharging any ballast. I was -glad of this, for I wished to retain with me as much weight as I could -carry, for reasons which will be explained in the sequel. I as yet -suffered no bodily inconvenience, breathing with great freedom, and -feeling no pain whatever in the head. The cat was lying very demurely -upon my coat, which I had taken off, and eyeing the pigeons with an air -of nonchalance. These latter being tied by the leg, to prevent their -escape, were busily employed in picking up some grains of rice scattered -for them in the bottom of the car. - -"At twenty minutes past six o'clock, the barometer showed an elevation -of 26,400 feet, or five miles to a fraction. The prospect seemed -unbounded. Indeed, it is very easily calculated by means of spherical -geometry, what a great extent of the earth's area I beheld. The convex -surface of any segment of a sphere is, to the entire surface of the -sphere itself, as the versed sine of the segment to the diameter of the -sphere. Now, in my case, the versed sine--that is to say, the thickness -of the segment beneath me--was about equal to my elevation, or the -elevation of the point of sight above the surface. 'As five miles, then, -to eight thousand,' would express the proportion of the earth's area -seen by me. In other words, I beheld as much as a sixteen-hundredth -part of the whole surface of the globe. The sea appeared unruffled as a -mirror, although, by means of the spy-glass, I could perceive it to be -in a state of violent agitation. The ship was no longer visible, having -drifted away, apparently to the eastward. I now began to experience, at -intervals, severe pain in the head, especially about the ears--still, -however, breathing with tolerable freedom. The cat and pigeons seemed to -suffer no inconvenience whatsoever. - -"At twenty minutes before seven, the balloon entered a long series of -dense cloud, which put me to great trouble, by damaging my condensing -apparatus and wetting me to the skin. This was, to be sure, a singular -recontre, for I had not believed it possible that a cloud of this nature -could be sustained at so great an elevation. I thought it best, however, -to throw out two five-pound pieces of ballast, reserving still a weight -of one hundred and sixty-five pounds. Upon so doing, I soon rose above -the difficulty, and perceived immediately, that I had obtained a great -increase in my rate of ascent. In a few seconds after my leaving the -cloud, a flash of vivid lightning shot from one end of it to the other, -and caused it to kindle up, throughout its vast extent, like a mass of -ignited and glowing charcoal. This, it must be remembered, was in the -broad light of day. No fancy may picture the sublimity which might have -been exhibited by a similar phenomenon taking place amid the darkness of -the night. Hell itself might have been found a fitting image. Even as -it was, my hair stood on end, while I gazed afar down within the yawning -abysses, letting imagination descend, as it were, and stalk about in the -strange vaulted halls, and ruddy gulfs, and red ghastly chasms of the -hideous and unfathomable fire. I had indeed made a narrow escape. Had -the balloon remained a very short while longer within the cloud--that -is to say--had not the inconvenience of getting wet, determined me to -discharge the ballast, inevitable ruin would have been the consequence. -Such perils, although little considered, are perhaps the greatest which -must be encountered in balloons. I had by this time, however, attained -too great an elevation to be any longer uneasy on this head. - -"I was now rising rapidly, and by seven o'clock the barometer indicated -an altitude of no less than nine miles and a half. I began to find great -difficulty in drawing my breath. My head, too, was excessively painful; -and, having felt for some time a moisture about my cheeks, I at length -discovered it to be blood, which was oozing quite fast from the drums of -my ears. My eyes, also, gave me great uneasiness. Upon passing the -hand over them they seemed to have protruded from their sockets in no -inconsiderable degree; and all objects in the car, and even the balloon -itself, appeared distorted to my vision. These symptoms were more than -I had expected, and occasioned me some alarm. At this juncture, very -imprudently, and without consideration, I threw out from the car three -five-pound pieces of ballast. The accelerated rate of ascent thus -obtained, carried me too rapidly, and without sufficient gradation, into -a highly rarefied stratum of the atmosphere, and the result had nearly -proved fatal to my expedition and to myself. I was suddenly seized with -a spasm which lasted for more than five minutes, and even when this, in -a measure, ceased, I could catch my breath only at long intervals, and -in a gasping manner--bleeding all the while copiously at the nose and -ears, and even slightly at the eyes. The pigeons appeared distressed -in the extreme, and struggled to escape; while the cat mewed piteously, -and, with her tongue hanging out of her mouth, staggered to and fro in -the car as if under the influence of poison. I now too late discovered -the great rashness of which I had been guilty in discharging the -ballast, and my agitation was excessive. I anticipated nothing less than -death, and death in a few minutes. The physical suffering I underwent -contributed also to render me nearly incapable of making any exertion -for the preservation of my life. I had, indeed, little power of -reflection left, and the violence of the pain in my head seemed to be -greatly on the increase. Thus I found that my senses would shortly give -way altogether, and I had already clutched one of the valve ropes with -the view of attempting a descent, when the recollection of the trick I -had played the three creditors, and the possible consequences to myself, -should I return, operated to deter me for the moment. I lay down in the -bottom of the car, and endeavored to collect my faculties. In this I -so far succeeded as to determine upon the experiment of losing blood. -Having no lancet, however, I was constrained to perform the operation in -the best manner I was able, and finally succeeded in opening a vein -in my right arm, with the blade of my penknife. The blood had hardly -commenced flowing when I experienced a sensible relief, and by the time -I had lost about half a moderate basin full, most of the worst symptoms -had abandoned me entirely. I nevertheless did not think it expedient to -attempt getting on my feet immediately; but, having tied up my arm as -well as I could, I lay still for about a quarter of an hour. At the end -of this time I arose, and found myself freer from absolute pain of any -kind than I had been during the last hour and a quarter of my ascension. -The difficulty of breathing, however, was diminished in a very slight -degree, and I found that it would soon be positively necessary to make -use of my condenser. In the meantime, looking toward the cat, who was -again snugly stowed away upon my coat, I discovered to my infinite -surprise, that she had taken the opportunity of my indisposition to -bring into light a litter of three little kittens. This was an addition -to the number of passengers on my part altogether unexpected; but I was -pleased at the occurrence. It would afford me a chance of bringing to a -kind of test the truth of a surmise, which, more than anything else, -had influenced me in attempting this ascension. I had imagined that the -habitual endurance of the atmospheric pressure at the surface of -the earth was the cause, or nearly so, of the pain attending animal -existence at a distance above the surface. Should the kittens be found -to suffer uneasiness in an equal degree with their mother, I must -consider my theory in fault, but a failure to do so I should look upon -as a strong confirmation of my idea. - -"By eight o'clock I had actually attained an elevation of seventeen -miles above the surface of the earth. Thus it seemed to me evident that -my rate of ascent was not only on the increase, but that the progression -would have been apparent in a slight degree even had I not discharged -the ballast which I did. The pains in my head and ears returned, at -intervals, with violence, and I still continued to bleed occasionally at -the nose; but, upon the whole, I suffered much less than might have -been expected. I breathed, however, at every moment, with more and -more difficulty, and each inhalation was attended with a troublesome -spasmodic action of the chest. I now unpacked the condensing apparatus, -and got it ready for immediate use. - -"The view of the earth, at this period of my ascension, was beautiful -indeed. To the westward, the northward, and the southward, as far as I -could see, lay a boundless sheet of apparently unruffled ocean, which -every moment gained a deeper and a deeper tint of blue and began already -to assume a slight appearance of convexity. At a vast distance to the -eastward, although perfectly discernible, extended the islands of Great -Britain, the entire Atlantic coasts of France and Spain, with a small -portion of the northern part of the continent of Africa. Of individual -edifices not a trace could be discovered, and the proudest cities of -mankind had utterly faded away from the face of the earth. From the rock -of Gibraltar, now dwindled into a dim speck, the dark Mediterranean sea, -dotted with shining islands as the heaven is dotted with stars, spread -itself out to the eastward as far as my vision extended, until its -entire mass of waters seemed at length to tumble headlong over the abyss -of the horizon, and I found myself listening on tiptoe for the echoes -of the mighty cataract. Overhead, the sky was of a jetty black, and the -stars were brilliantly visible. - -"The pigeons about this time seeming to undergo much suffering, I -determined upon giving them their liberty. I first untied one of them, -a beautiful gray-mottled pigeon, and placed him upon the rim of the -wicker-work. He appeared extremely uneasy, looking anxiously around him, -fluttering his wings, and making a loud cooing noise, but could not be -persuaded to trust himself from off the car. I took him up at last, -and threw him to about half a dozen yards from the balloon. He made, -however, no attempt to descend as I had expected, but struggled with -great vehemence to get back, uttering at the same time very shrill and -piercing cries. He at length succeeded in regaining his former station -on the rim, but had hardly done so when his head dropped upon his -breast, and he fell dead within the car. The other one did not prove so -unfortunate. To prevent his following the example of his companion, and -accomplishing a return, I threw him downward with all my force, and was -pleased to find him continue his descent, with great velocity, making -use of his wings with ease, and in a perfectly natural manner. In a very -short time he was out of sight, and I have no doubt he reached home in -safety. Puss, who seemed in a great measure recovered from her illness, -now made a hearty meal of the dead bird and then went to sleep with much -apparent satisfaction. Her kittens were quite lively, and so far evinced -not the slightest sign of any uneasiness whatever. - -"At a quarter-past eight, being no longer able to draw breath without -the most intolerable pain, I proceeded forthwith to adjust around -the car the apparatus belonging to the condenser. This apparatus will -require some little explanation, and your Excellencies will please to -bear in mind that my object, in the first place, was to surround myself -and cat entirely with a barricade against the highly rarefied atmosphere -in which I was existing, with the intention of introducing within this -barricade, by means of my condenser, a quantity of this same atmosphere -sufficiently condensed for the purposes of respiration. With this object -in view I had prepared a very strong perfectly air-tight, but flexible -gum-elastic bag. In this bag, which was of sufficient dimensions, the -entire car was in a manner placed. That is to say, it (the bag) was -drawn over the whole bottom of the car, up its sides, and so on, along -the outside of the ropes, to the upper rim or hoop where the net-work -is attached. Having pulled the bag up in this way, and formed a complete -enclosure on all sides, and at bottom, it was now necessary to fasten -up its top or mouth, by passing its material over the hoop of the -net-work--in other words, between the net-work and the hoop. But if the -net-work were separated from the hoop to admit this passage, what was -to sustain the car in the meantime? Now the net-work was not permanently -fastened to the hoop, but attached by a series of running loops or -nooses. I therefore undid only a few of these loops at one time, leaving -the car suspended by the remainder. Having thus inserted a portion of -the cloth forming the upper part of the bag, I refastened the loops--not -to the hoop, for that would have been impossible, since the cloth -now intervened--but to a series of large buttons, affixed to the cloth -itself, about three feet below the mouth of the bag, the intervals -between the buttons having been made to correspond to the intervals -between the loops. This done, a few more of the loops were unfastened -from the rim, a farther portion of the cloth introduced, and the -disengaged loops then connected with their proper buttons. In this way -it was possible to insert the whole upper part of the bag between the -net-work and the hoop. It is evident that the hoop would now drop down -within the car, while the whole weight of the car itself, with all its -contents, would be held up merely by the strength of the buttons. This, -at first sight, would seem an inadequate dependence; but it was by no -means so, for the buttons were not only very strong in themselves, but -so close together that a very slight portion of the whole weight was -supported by any one of them. Indeed, had the car and contents been -three times heavier than they were, I should not have been at -all uneasy. I now raised up the hoop again within the covering of -gum-elastic, and propped it at nearly its former height by means of -three light poles prepared for the occasion. This was done, of course, -to keep the bag distended at the top, and to preserve the lower part -of the net-work in its proper situation. All that now remained was to -fasten up the mouth of the enclosure; and this was readily accomplished -by gathering the folds of the material together, and twisting them up -very tightly on the inside by means of a kind of stationary tourniquet. - -"In the sides of the covering thus adjusted round the car, had been -inserted three circular panes of thick but clear glass, through which I -could see without difficulty around me in every horizontal direction. -In that portion of the cloth forming the bottom, was likewise, a fourth -window, of the same kind, and corresponding with a small aperture in the -floor of the car itself. This enabled me to see perpendicularly -down, but having found it impossible to place any similar contrivance -overhead, on account of the peculiar manner of closing up the opening -there, and the consequent wrinkles in the cloth, I could expect to see -no objects situated directly in my zenith. This, of course, was a matter -of little consequence; for had I even been able to place a window at -top, the balloon itself would have prevented my making any use of it. - -"About a foot below one of the side windows was a circular opening, -eight inches in diameter, and fitted with a brass rim adapted in its -inner edge to the windings of a screw. In this rim was screwed the large -tube of the condenser, the body of the machine being, of course, within -the chamber of gum-elastic. Through this tube a quantity of the rare -atmosphere circumjacent being drawn by means of a vacuum created in the -body of the machine, was thence discharged, in a state of condensation, -to mingle with the thin air already in the chamber. This operation being -repeated several times, at length filled the chamber with atmosphere -proper for all the purposes of respiration. But in so confined a space -it would, in a short time, necessarily become foul, and unfit for use -from frequent contact with the lungs. It was then ejected by a small -valve at the bottom of the car--the dense air readily sinking into the -thinner atmosphere below. To avoid the inconvenience of making a total -vacuum at any moment within the chamber, this purification was never -accomplished all at once, but in a gradual manner--the valve being -opened only for a few seconds, then closed again, until one or two -strokes from the pump of the condenser had supplied the place of the -atmosphere ejected. For the sake of experiment I had put the cat and -kittens in a small basket, and suspended it outside the car to a button -at the bottom, close by the valve, through which I could feed them at -any moment when necessary. I did this at some little risk, and before -closing the mouth of the chamber, by reaching under the car with one of -the poles before mentioned to which a hook had been attached. - -"By the time I had fully completed these arrangements and filled the -chamber as explained, it wanted only ten minutes of nine o'clock. During -the whole period of my being thus employed, I endured the most terrible -distress from difficulty of respiration, and bitterly did I repent the -negligence or rather fool-hardiness, of which I had been guilty, of -putting off to the last moment a matter of so much importance. But -having at length accomplished it, I soon began to reap the benefit of -my invention. Once again I breathed with perfect freedom and ease--and -indeed why should I not? I was also agreeably surprised to find myself, -in a great measure, relieved from the violent pains which had hitherto -tormented me. A slight headache, accompanied with a sensation of fulness -or distention about the wrists, the ankles, and the throat, was nearly -all of which I had now to complain. Thus it seemed evident that a -greater part of the uneasiness attending the removal of atmospheric -pressure had actually worn off, as I had expected, and that much of -the pain endured for the last two hours should have been attributed -altogether to the effects of a deficient respiration. - -"At twenty minutes before nine o'clock--that is to say, a short time -prior to my closing up the mouth of the chamber, the mercury attained -its limit, or ran down, in the barometer, which, as I mentioned before, -was one of an extended construction. It then indicated an altitude on -my part of 132,000 feet, or five-and-twenty miles, and I consequently -surveyed at that time an extent of the earth's area amounting to no less -than the three hundred-and-twentieth part of its entire superficies. -At nine o'clock I had again lost sight of land to the eastward, but not -before I became aware that the balloon was drifting rapidly to the N. -N. W. The convexity of the ocean beneath me was very evident indeed, -although my view was often interrupted by the masses of cloud which -floated to and fro. I observed now that even the lightest vapors never -rose to more than ten miles above the level of the sea. - -"At half past nine I tried the experiment of throwing out a handful of -feathers through the valve. They did not float as I had expected; but -dropped down perpendicularly, like a bullet, en masse, and with the -greatest velocity--being out of sight in a very few seconds. I did not -at first know what to make of this extraordinary phenomenon; not being -able to believe that my rate of ascent had, of a sudden, met with -so prodigious an acceleration. But it soon occurred to me that the -atmosphere was now far too rare to sustain even the feathers; that they -actually fell, as they appeared to do, with great rapidity; and that I -had been surprised by the united velocities of their descent and my own -elevation. - -"By ten o'clock I found that I had very little to occupy my immediate -attention. Affairs went swimmingly, and I believed the balloon to be -going upward with a speed increasing momently although I had no longer -any means of ascertaining the progression of the increase. I suffered no -pain or uneasiness of any kind, and enjoyed better spirits than I had -at any period since my departure from Rotterdam, busying myself now in -examining the state of my various apparatus, and now in regenerating the -atmosphere within the chamber. This latter point I determined to -attend to at regular intervals of forty minutes, more on account of -the preservation of my health, than from so frequent a renovation -being absolutely necessary. In the meanwhile I could not help making -anticipations. Fancy revelled in the wild and dreamy regions of the -moon. Imagination, feeling herself for once unshackled, roamed at will -among the ever-changing wonders of a shadowy and unstable land. Now -there were hoary and time-honored forests, and craggy precipices, and -waterfalls tumbling with a loud noise into abysses without a bottom. -Then I came suddenly into still noonday solitudes, where no wind of -heaven ever intruded, and where vast meadows of poppies, and slender, -lily-looking flowers spread themselves out a weary distance, all silent -and motionless forever. Then again I journeyed far down away into -another country where it was all one dim and vague lake, with a boundary -line of clouds. And out of this melancholy water arose a forest of tall -eastern trees, like a wilderness of dreams. And I have in mind that -the shadows of the trees which fell upon the lake remained not on -the surface where they fell, but sunk slowly and steadily down, and -commingled with the waves, while from the trunks of the trees other -shadows were continually coming out, and taking the place of their -brothers thus entombed. "This then," I said thoughtfully, "is the very -reason why the waters of this lake grow blacker with age, and more -melancholy as the hours run on." But fancies such as these were not the -sole possessors of my brain. Horrors of a nature most stern and most -appalling would too frequently obtrude themselves upon my mind, and -shake the innermost depths of my soul with the bare supposition of their -possibility. Yet I would not suffer my thoughts for any length of time -to dwell upon these latter speculations, rightly judging the real and -palpable dangers of the voyage sufficient for my undivided attention. - -"At five o'clock, p.m., being engaged in regenerating the atmosphere -within the chamber, I took that opportunity of observing the cat and -kittens through the valve. The cat herself appeared to suffer again very -much, and I had no hesitation in attributing her uneasiness chiefly to a -difficulty in breathing; but my experiment with the kittens had resulted -very strangely. I had expected, of course, to see them betray a sense of -pain, although in a less degree than their mother, and this would have -been sufficient to confirm my opinion concerning the habitual endurance -of atmospheric pressure. But I was not prepared to find them, upon close -examination, evidently enjoying a high degree of health, breathing with -the greatest ease and perfect regularity, and evincing not the slightest -sign of any uneasiness whatever. I could only account for all this by -extending my theory, and supposing that the highly rarefied atmosphere -around might perhaps not be, as I had taken for granted, chemically -insufficient for the purposes of life, and that a person born in such -a medium might, possibly, be unaware of any inconvenience attending its -inhalation, while, upon removal to the denser strata near the earth, -he might endure tortures of a similar nature to those I had so lately -experienced. It has since been to me a matter of deep regret that an -awkward accident, at this time, occasioned me the loss of my little -family of cats, and deprived me of the insight into this matter which a -continued experiment might have afforded. In passing my hand through -the valve, with a cup of water for the old puss, the sleeves of my shirt -became entangled in the loop which sustained the basket, and thus, in -a moment, loosened it from the bottom. Had the whole actually vanished -into air, it could not have shot from my sight in a more abrupt and -instantaneous manner. Positively, there could not have intervened the -tenth part of a second between the disengagement of the basket and its -absolute and total disappearance with all that it contained. My good -wishes followed it to the earth, but of course, I had no hope that -either cat or kittens would ever live to tell the tale of their -misfortune. - -"At six o'clock, I perceived a great portion of the earth's visible area -to the eastward involved in thick shadow, which continued to advance -with great rapidity, until, at five minutes before seven, the whole -surface in view was enveloped in the darkness of night. It was not, -however, until long after this time that the rays of the setting sun -ceased to illumine the balloon; and this circumstance, although of -course fully anticipated, did not fail to give me an infinite deal -of pleasure. It was evident that, in the morning, I should behold the -rising luminary many hours at least before the citizens of Rotterdam, in -spite of their situation so much farther to the eastward, and thus, day -after day, in proportion to the height ascended, would I enjoy the light -of the sun for a longer and a longer period. I now determined to keep a -journal of my passage, reckoning the days from one to twenty-four -hours continuously, without taking into consideration the intervals of -darkness. - -"At ten o'clock, feeling sleepy, I determined to lie down for the rest -of the night; but here a difficulty presented itself, which, obvious as -it may appear, had escaped my attention up to the very moment of which -I am now speaking. If I went to sleep as I proposed, how could the -atmosphere in the chamber be regenerated in the interim? To breathe -it for more than an hour, at the farthest, would be a matter of -impossibility, or, if even this term could be extended to an hour and a -quarter, the most ruinous consequences might ensue. The consideration -of this dilemma gave me no little disquietude; and it will hardly be -believed, that, after the dangers I had undergone, I should look -upon this business in so serious a light, as to give up all hope of -accomplishing my ultimate design, and finally make up my mind to the -necessity of a descent. But this hesitation was only momentary. I -reflected that man is the veriest slave of custom, and that many points -in the routine of his existence are deemed essentially important, which -are only so at all by his having rendered them habitual. It was very -certain that I could not do without sleep; but I might easily bring -myself to feel no inconvenience from being awakened at intervals of an -hour during the whole period of my repose. It would require but five -minutes at most to regenerate the atmosphere in the fullest manner, and -the only real difficulty was to contrive a method of arousing myself -at the proper moment for so doing. But this was a question which, I am -willing to confess, occasioned me no little trouble in its solution. To -be sure, I had heard of the student who, to prevent his falling asleep -over his books, held in one hand a ball of copper, the din of whose -descent into a basin of the same metal on the floor beside his chair, -served effectually to startle him up, if, at any moment, he should -be overcome with drowsiness. My own case, however, was very different -indeed, and left me no room for any similar idea; for I did not wish to -keep awake, but to be aroused from slumber at regular intervals of time. -I at length hit upon the following expedient, which, simple as it may -seem, was hailed by me, at the moment of discovery, as an invention -fully equal to that of the telescope, the steam-engine, or the art of -printing itself. - -"It is necessary to premise, that the balloon, at the elevation now -attained, continued its course upward with an even and undeviating -ascent, and the car consequently followed with a steadiness so perfect -that it would have been impossible to detect in it the slightest -vacillation whatever. This circumstance favored me greatly in the -project I now determined to adopt. My supply of water had been put on -board in kegs containing five gallons each, and ranged very securely -around the interior of the car. I unfastened one of these, and taking -two ropes tied them tightly across the rim of the wicker-work from one -side to the other; placing them about a foot apart and parallel so as to -form a kind of shelf, upon which I placed the keg, and steadied it in a -horizontal position. About eight inches immediately below these ropes, -and four feet from the bottom of the car I fastened another shelf--but -made of thin plank, being the only similar piece of wood I had. Upon -this latter shelf, and exactly beneath one of the rims of the keg, a -small earthern pitcher was deposited. I now bored a hole in the end of -the keg over the pitcher, and fitted in a plug of soft wood, cut in a -tapering or conical shape. This plug I pushed in or pulled out, as might -happen, until, after a few experiments, it arrived at that exact degree -of tightness, at which the water, oozing from the hole, and falling into -the pitcher below, would fill the latter to the brim in the period -of sixty minutes. This, of course, was a matter briefly and easily -ascertained, by noticing the proportion of the pitcher filled in any -given time. Having arranged all this, the rest of the plan is obvious. -My bed was so contrived upon the floor of the car, as to bring my -head, in lying down, immediately below the mouth of the pitcher. It was -evident, that, at the expiration of an hour, the pitcher, getting full, -would be forced to run over, and to run over at the mouth, which was -somewhat lower than the rim. It was also evident, that the water thus -falling from a height of more than four feet, could not do otherwise -than fall upon my face, and that the sure consequences would be, to -waken me up instantaneously, even from the soundest slumber in the -world. - -"It was fully eleven by the time I had completed these arrangements, -and I immediately betook myself to bed, with full confidence in the -efficiency of my invention. Nor in this matter was I disappointed. -Punctually every sixty minutes was I aroused by my trusty chronometer, -when, having emptied the pitcher into the bung-hole of the keg, and -performed the duties of the condenser, I retired again to bed. These -regular interruptions to my slumber caused me even less discomfort than -I had anticipated; and when I finally arose for the day, it was seven -o'clock, and the sun had attained many degrees above the line of my -horizon. - -"April 3d. I found the balloon at an immense height indeed, and the -earth's apparent convexity increased in a material degree. Below me in -the ocean lay a cluster of black specks, which undoubtedly were islands. -Far away to the northward I perceived a thin, white, and exceedingly -brilliant line, or streak, on the edge of the horizon, and I had no -hesitation in supposing it to be the southern disk of the ices of the -Polar Sea. My curiosity was greatly excited, for I had hopes of passing -on much farther to the north, and might possibly, at some period, find -myself placed directly above the Pole itself. I now lamented that my -great elevation would, in this case, prevent my taking as accurate a -survey as I could wish. Much, however, might be ascertained. Nothing -else of an extraordinary nature occurred during the day. My apparatus -all continued in good order, and the balloon still ascended without any -perceptible vacillation. The cold was intense, and obliged me to wrap -up closely in an overcoat. When darkness came over the earth, I betook -myself to bed, although it was for many hours afterward broad daylight -all around my immediate situation. The water-clock was punctual in its -duty, and I slept until next morning soundly, with the exception of the -periodical interruption. - -"April 4th. Arose in good health and spirits, and was astonished at the -singular change which had taken place in the appearance of the sea. -It had lost, in a great measure, the deep tint of blue it had hitherto -worn, being now of a grayish-white, and of a lustre dazzling to the eye. -The islands were no longer visible; whether they had passed down the -horizon to the southeast, or whether my increasing elevation had left -them out of sight, it is impossible to say. I was inclined, however, to -the latter opinion. The rim of ice to the northward was growing more -and more apparent. Cold by no means so intense. Nothing of importance -occurred, and I passed the day in reading, having taken care to supply -myself with books. - -"April 5th. Beheld the singular phenomenon of the sun rising while -nearly the whole visible surface of the earth continued to be involved -in darkness. In time, however, the light spread itself over all, and I -again saw the line of ice to the northward. It was now very distinct, -and appeared of a much darker hue than the waters of the ocean. I was -evidently approaching it, and with great rapidity. Fancied I could -again distinguish a strip of land to the eastward, and one also to the -westward, but could not be certain. Weather moderate. Nothing of any -consequence happened during the day. Went early to bed. - -"April 6th. Was surprised at finding the rim of ice at a very moderate -distance, and an immense field of the same material stretching away off -to the horizon in the north. It was evident that if the balloon held its -present course, it would soon arrive above the Frozen Ocean, and I had -now little doubt of ultimately seeing the Pole. During the whole of the -day I continued to near the ice. Toward night the limits of my horizon -very suddenly and materially increased, owing undoubtedly to the -earth's form being that of an oblate spheroid, and my arriving above the -flattened regions in the vicinity of the Arctic circle. When darkness at -length overtook me, I went to bed in great anxiety, fearing to pass over -the object of so much curiosity when I should have no opportunity of -observing it. - -"April 7th. Arose early, and, to my great joy, at length beheld what -there could be no hesitation in supposing the northern Pole itself. It -was there, beyond a doubt, and immediately beneath my feet; but, alas! I -had now ascended to so vast a distance, that nothing could with accuracy -be discerned. Indeed, to judge from the progression of the numbers -indicating my various altitudes, respectively, at different periods, -between six A.M. on the second of April, and twenty minutes before nine -A.M. of the same day (at which time the barometer ran down), it might be -fairly inferred that the balloon had now, at four o'clock in the morning -of April the seventh, reached a height of not less, certainly, than -7,254 miles above the surface of the sea. This elevation may appear -immense, but the estimate upon which it is calculated gave a result in -all probability far inferior to the truth. At all events I undoubtedly -beheld the whole of the earth's major diameter; the entire northern -hemisphere lay beneath me like a chart orthographically projected: and -the great circle of the equator itself formed the boundary line of -my horizon. Your Excellencies may, however, readily imagine that the -confined regions hitherto unexplored within the limits of the Arctic -circle, although situated directly beneath me, and therefore seen -without any appearance of being foreshortened, were still, in -themselves, comparatively too diminutive, and at too great a distance -from the point of sight, to admit of any very accurate examination. -Nevertheless, what could be seen was of a nature singular and exciting. -Northwardly from that huge rim before mentioned, and which, with slight -qualification, may be called the limit of human discovery in these -regions, one unbroken, or nearly unbroken, sheet of ice continues to -extend. In the first few degrees of this its progress, its surface is -very sensibly flattened, farther on depressed into a plane, and finally, -becoming not a little concave, it terminates, at the Pole itself, in a -circular centre, sharply defined, whose apparent diameter subtended at -the balloon an angle of about sixty-five seconds, and whose dusky hue, -varying in intensity, was, at all times, darker than any other spot upon -the visible hemisphere, and occasionally deepened into the most -absolute and impenetrable blackness. Farther than this, little could -be ascertained. By twelve o'clock the circular centre had materially -decreased in circumference, and by seven P.M. I lost sight of it -entirely; the balloon passing over the western limb of the ice, and -floating away rapidly in the direction of the equator. - -"April 8th. Found a sensible diminution in the earth's apparent -diameter, besides a material alteration in its general color and -appearance. The whole visible area partook in different degrees of a -tint of pale yellow, and in some portions had acquired a brilliancy even -painful to the eye. My view downward was also considerably impeded by -the dense atmosphere in the vicinity of the surface being loaded with -clouds, between whose masses I could only now and then obtain a glimpse -of the earth itself. This difficulty of direct vision had troubled me -more or less for the last forty-eight hours; but my present enormous -elevation brought closer together, as it were, the floating bodies of -vapor, and the inconvenience became, of course, more and more palpable -in proportion to my ascent. Nevertheless, I could easily perceive that -the balloon now hovered above the range of great lakes in the continent -of North America, and was holding a course, due south, which would bring -me to the tropics. This circumstance did not fail to give me the most -heartful satisfaction, and I hailed it as a happy omen of ultimate -success. Indeed, the direction I had hitherto taken, had filled me with -uneasiness; for it was evident that, had I continued it much longer, -there would have been no possibility of my arriving at the moon at all, -whose orbit is inclined to the ecliptic at only the small angle of 5 -degrees 8' 48". - -"April 9th. To-day the earth's diameter was greatly diminished, and the -color of the surface assumed hourly a deeper tint of yellow. The balloon -kept steadily on her course to the southward, and arrived, at nine P.M., -over the northern edge of the Mexican Gulf. - -"April 10th. I was suddenly aroused from slumber, about five o'clock -this morning, by a loud, crackling, and terrific sound, for which I -could in no manner account. It was of very brief duration, but, while -it lasted resembled nothing in the world of which I had any previous -experience. It is needless to say that I became excessively alarmed, -having, in the first instance, attributed the noise to the bursting of -the balloon. I examined all my apparatus, however, with great attention, -and could discover nothing out of order. Spent a great part of the day -in meditating upon an occurrence so extraordinary, but could find no -means whatever of accounting for it. Went to bed dissatisfied, and in a -state of great anxiety and agitation. - -"April 11th. Found a startling diminution in the apparent diameter of -the earth, and a considerable increase, now observable for the first -time, in that of the moon itself, which wanted only a few days of being -full. It now required long and excessive labor to condense within the -chamber sufficient atmospheric air for the sustenance of life. - -"April 12th. A singular alteration took place in regard to the direction -of the balloon, and although fully anticipated, afforded me the most -unequivocal delight. Having reached, in its former course, about the -twentieth parallel of southern latitude, it turned off suddenly, at an -acute angle, to the eastward, and thus proceeded throughout the day, -keeping nearly, if not altogether, in the exact plane of the lunar -elipse. What was worthy of remark, a very perceptible vacillation in -the car was a consequence of this change of route--a vacillation which -prevailed, in a more or less degree, for a period of many hours. - -"April 13th. Was again very much alarmed by a repetition of the loud, -crackling noise which terrified me on the tenth. Thought long upon -the subject, but was unable to form any satisfactory conclusion. Great -decrease in the earth's apparent diameter, which now subtended from the -balloon an angle of very little more than twenty-five degrees. The moon -could not be seen at all, being nearly in my zenith. I still continued -in the plane of the elipse, but made little progress to the eastward. - -"April 14th. Extremely rapid decrease in the diameter of the earth. -To-day I became strongly impressed with the idea, that the balloon was -now actually running up the line of apsides to the point of perigee--in -other words, holding the direct course which would bring it immediately -to the moon in that part of its orbit the nearest to the earth. The moon -itself was directly overhead, and consequently hidden from my view. -Great and long-continued labor necessary for the condensation of the -atmosphere. - -"April 15th. Not even the outlines of continents and seas could now -be traced upon the earth with anything approaching distinctness. About -twelve o'clock I became aware, for the third time, of that appalling -sound which had so astonished me before. It now, however, continued for -some moments, and gathered intensity as it continued. At length, while, -stupefied and terror-stricken, I stood in expectation of I knew not what -hideous destruction, the car vibrated with excessive violence, and -a gigantic and flaming mass of some material which I could not -distinguish, came with a voice of a thousand thunders, roaring and -booming by the balloon. When my fears and astonishment had in some -degree subsided, I had little difficulty in supposing it to be some -mighty volcanic fragment ejected from that world to which I was so -rapidly approaching, and, in all probability, one of that singular class -of substances occasionally picked up on the earth, and termed meteoric -stones for want of a better appellation. - -"April 16th. To-day, looking upward as well as I could, through each -of the side windows alternately, I beheld, to my great delight, a very -small portion of the moon's disk protruding, as it were, on all sides -beyond the huge circumference of the balloon. My agitation was extreme; -for I had now little doubt of soon reaching the end of my perilous -voyage. Indeed, the labor now required by the condenser had increased -to a most oppressive degree, and allowed me scarcely any respite from -exertion. Sleep was a matter nearly out of the question. I became quite -ill, and my frame trembled with exhaustion. It was impossible that human -nature could endure this state of intense suffering much longer. During -the now brief interval of darkness a meteoric stone again passed in my -vicinity, and the frequency of these phenomena began to occasion me much -apprehension. - -"April 17th. This morning proved an epoch in my voyage. It will be -remembered that, on the thirteenth, the earth subtended an angular -breadth of twenty-five degrees. On the fourteenth this had greatly -diminished; on the fifteenth a still more remarkable decrease was -observable; and, on retiring on the night of the sixteenth, I had -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 hands to the net-work, I had barely -time to observe that the whole country, as far as the eye could reach, -was thickly interspersed with diminutive habitations, ere I tumbled -headlong into the very heart of a fantastical-looking city, and into the -middle of a vast crowd of ugly little people, who none of them uttered -a single syllable, or gave themselves the least trouble to render me -assistance, but stood, like a parcel of idiots, grinning in a ludicrous -manner, and eyeing me and my balloon askant, with their arms set -a-kimbo. I turned from them in contempt, and, gazing upward at the earth -so lately left, and left perhaps for ever, beheld it like a huge, dull, -copper shield, about two degrees in diameter, fixed immovably in the -heavens overhead, and tipped on one of its edges with a crescent -border of the most brilliant gold. No traces of land or water could be -discovered, and the whole was clouded with variable spots, and belted -with tropical and equatorial zones. - -"Thus, may it please your Excellencies, after a series of great -anxieties, unheard of dangers, and unparalleled escapes, I had, at -length, on the nineteenth day of my departure from Rotterdam, arrived in -safety at the conclusion of a voyage undoubtedly the most extraordinary, -and the most momentous, ever accomplished, undertaken, or conceived by -any denizen of earth. But my adventures yet remain to be related. And -indeed your Excellencies may well imagine that, after a residence of -five years upon a planet not only deeply interesting in its own peculiar -character, but rendered doubly so by its intimate connection, in -capacity of satellite, with the world inhabited by man, I may have -intelligence for the private ear of the States' College of Astronomers -of far more importance than the details, however wonderful, of the mere -voyage which so happily concluded. This is, in fact, the case. I -have much--very much which it would give me the greatest pleasure to -communicate. I have much to say of the climate of the planet; of its -wonderful alternations of heat and cold, of unmitigated and burning -sunshine for one fortnight, and more than polar frigidity for the next; -of a constant transfer of moisture, by distillation like that in vacuo, -from the point beneath the sun to the point the farthest from it; of -a variable zone of running water, of the people themselves; of their -manners, customs, and political institutions; of their peculiar physical -construction; of their ugliness; of their want of ears, those useless -appendages in an atmosphere so peculiarly modified; of their consequent -ignorance of the use and properties of speech; of their substitute -for speech in a singular method of inter-communication; of the -incomprehensible connection between each particular individual in -the moon with some particular individual on the earth--a connection -analogous with, and depending upon, that of the orbs of the planet and -the satellites, and by means of which the lives and destinies of the -inhabitants of the one are interwoven with the lives and destinies -of the inhabitants of the other; and above all, if it so please your -Excellencies--above all, of those dark and hideous mysteries which lie -in the outer regions of the moon--regions which, owing to the almost -miraculous accordance of the satellite's rotation on its own axis with -its sidereal revolution about the earth, have never yet been turned, -and, by God's mercy, never shall be turned, to the scrutiny of the -telescopes of man. All this, and more--much more--would I most -willingly detail. But, to be brief, I must have my reward. I am pining -for a return to my family and to my home, and as the price of any -farther communication on my part--in consideration of the light which -I have it in my power to throw upon many very important branches of -physical and metaphysical science--I must solicit, through the influence -of your honorable body, a pardon for the crime of which I have been -guilty in the death of the creditors upon my departure from Rotterdam. -This, then, is the object of the present paper. Its bearer, an -inhabitant of the moon, whom I have prevailed upon, and properly -instructed, to be my messenger to the earth, will await your -Excellencies' pleasure, and return to me with the pardon in question, if -it can, in any manner, be obtained. - -"I have the honor to be, etc., your Excellencies' very humble servant, - -"HANS PFAALL." - -Upon finishing the perusal of this very extraordinary document, -Professor Rub-a-dub, it is said, dropped his pipe upon the ground in -the extremity of his surprise, and Mynheer Superbus Von Underduk having -taken off his spectacles, wiped them, and deposited them in his pocket, -so far forgot both himself and his dignity, as to turn round three times -upon his heel in the quintessence of astonishment and admiration. There -was no doubt about the matter--the pardon should be obtained. So at -least swore, with a round oath, Professor Rub-a-dub, and so finally -thought the illustrious Von Underduk, as he took the arm of his brother -in science, and without saying a word, began to make the best of his way -home to deliberate upon the measures to be adopted. Having reached the -door, however, of the burgomaster's dwelling, the professor ventured to -suggest that as the messenger had thought proper to disappear--no -doubt frightened to death by the savage appearance of the burghers of -Rotterdam--the pardon would be of little use, as no one but a man of -the moon would undertake a voyage to so vast a distance. To the truth of -this observation the burgomaster assented, and the matter was therefore -at an end. Not so, however, rumors and speculations. The letter, having -been published, gave rise to a variety of gossip and opinion. Some of -the over-wise even made themselves ridiculous by decrying the whole -business; as nothing better than a hoax. But hoax, with these sort -of people, is, I believe, a general term for all matters above their -comprehension. For my part, I cannot conceive upon what data they have -founded such an accusation. Let us see what they say: - -Imprimus. That certain wags in Rotterdam have certain especial -antipathies to certain burgomasters and astronomers. - -Don't understand at all. - -Secondly. That an odd little dwarf and bottle conjurer, both of whose -ears, for some misdemeanor, have been cut off close to his head, has -been missing for several days from the neighboring city of Bruges. - -Well--what of that? - -Thirdly. That the newspapers which were stuck all over the little -balloon were newspapers of Holland, and therefore could not have been -made in the moon. They were dirty papers--very dirty--and Gluck, the -printer, would take his Bible oath to their having been printed in -Rotterdam. - -He was mistaken--undoubtedly--mistaken. - -Fourthly, That Hans Pfaall himself, the drunken villain, and the three -very idle gentlemen styled his creditors, were all seen, no longer than -two or three days ago, in a tippling house in the suburbs, having just -returned, with money in their pockets, from a trip beyond the sea. - -Don't believe it--don't believe a word of it. - -Lastly. That it is an opinion very generally received, or which ought -to be generally received, that the College of Astronomers in the city -of Rotterdam, as well as other colleges in all other parts of the -world,--not to mention colleges and astronomers in general,--are, to say -the least of the matter, not a whit better, nor greater, nor wiser than -they ought to be. - -~~~ End of Text ~~~ - -Notes to Hans Pfaal - -(*1) NOTE--Strictly speaking, there is but little similarity between the -above sketchy trifle and the celebrated "Moon-Story" of Mr. Locke; but -as both have the character of _hoaxes _(although the one is in a tone of -banter, the other of downright earnest), and as both hoaxes are on the -same subject, the moon--moreover, as both attempt to give plausibility -by scientific detail--the author of "Hans Pfaall" thinks it necessary to -say, in _self-defence, _that his own _jeu d'esprit _was published in the -"Southern Literary Messenger" about three weeks before the commencement -of Mr. L's in the "New York Sun." Fancying a likeness which, perhaps, -does not exist, some of the New York papers copied "Hans Pfaall," and -collated it with the "Moon-Hoax," by way of detecting the writer of the -one in the writer of the other. - -As many more persons were actually gulled by the "Moon-Hoax" than would -be willing to acknowledge the fact, it may here afford some little -amusement to show why no one should have been deceived-to point out -those particulars of the story which should have been sufficient to -establish its real character. Indeed, however rich the imagination -displayed in this ingenious fiction, it wanted much of the force which -might have been given it by a more scrupulous attention to facts and -to general analogy. That the public were misled, even for an instant, -merely proves the gross ignorance which is so generally prevalent upon -subjects of an astronomical nature. - -The moon's distance from the earth is, in round numbers, 240,000 miles. -If we desire to ascertain how near, apparently, a lens would bring the -satellite (or any distant object), we, of course, have but to divide the -distance by the magnifying or, more strictly, by the space-penetrating -power of the glass. Mr. L. makes his lens have a power of 42,000 times. -By this divide 240,000 (the moon's real distance), and we have five -miles and five sevenths, as the apparent distance. No animal at all -could be seen so far; much less the minute points particularized in the -story. Mr. L. speaks about Sir John Herschel's perceiving flowers (the -Papaver rheas, etc.), and even detecting the color and the shape of the -eyes of small birds. Shortly before, too, he has himself observed that -the lens would not render perceptible objects of less than eighteen -inches in diameter; but even this, as I have said, is giving the glass -by far too great power. It may be observed, in passing, that this -prodigious glass is said to have been molded at the glasshouse of -Messrs. Hartley and Grant, in Dumbarton; but Messrs. H. and G.'s -establishment had ceased operations for many years previous to the -publication of the hoax. - -On page 13, pamphlet edition, speaking of "a hairy veil" over the eyes -of a species of bison, the author says: "It immediately occurred to the -acute mind of Dr. Herschel that this was a providential contrivance -to protect the eyes of the animal from the great extremes of light -and darkness to which all the inhabitants of our side of the moon are -periodically subjected." But this cannot be thought a very "acute" -observation of the Doctor's. The inhabitants of our side of the moon -have, evidently, no darkness at all, so there can be nothing of the -"extremes" mentioned. In the absence of the sun they have a light from -the earth equal to that of thirteen full unclouded moons. - -The topography throughout, even when professing to accord with Blunt's -Lunar Chart, is entirely at variance with that or any other lunar chart, -and even grossly at variance with itself. The points of the compass, -too, are in inextricable confusion; the writer appearing to be ignorant -that, on a lunar map, these are not in accordance with terrestrial -points; the east being to the left, etc. - -Deceived, perhaps, by the vague titles, Mare Nubium, Mare -Tranquillitatis, Mare Faecunditatis, etc., given to the dark spots by -former astronomers, Mr. L. has entered into details regarding oceans -and other large bodies of water in the moon; whereas there is no -astronomical point more positively ascertained than that no such bodies -exist there. In examining the boundary between light and darkness (in -the crescent or gibbous moon) where this boundary crosses any of the -dark places, the line of division is found to be rough and jagged; but, -were these dark places liquid, it would evidently be even. - -The description of the wings of the man-bat, on page 21, is but a -literal copy of Peter Wilkins' account of the wings of his flying -islanders. This simple fact should have induced suspicion, at least, it -might be thought. - -On page 23, we have the following: "What a prodigious influence must our -thirteen times larger globe have exercised upon this satellite when an -embryo in the womb of time, the passive subject of chemical affinity!" -This is very fine; but it should be observed that no astronomer would -have made such remark, especially to any journal of Science; for the -earth, in the sense intended, is not only thirteen, but forty-nine times -larger than the moon. A similar objection applies to the whole of the -concluding pages, where, by way of introduction to some discoveries in -Saturn, the philosophical correspondent enters into a minute schoolboy -account of that planet--this to the "Edinburgh journal of Science!" - -But there is one point, in particular, which should have betrayed the -fiction. Let us imagine the power actually possessed of seeing animals -upon the moon's surface--what would first arrest the attention of an -observer from the earth? Certainly neither their shape, size, nor any -other such peculiarity, so soon as their remarkable _situation_. They -would appear to be walking, with heels up and head down, in the manner -of flies on a ceiling. The _real_ observer would have uttered an instant -ejaculation of surprise (however prepared by previous knowledge) at the -singularity of their position; the _fictitious_ observer has not even -mentioned the subject, but speaks of seeing the entire bodies of such -creatures, when it is demonstrable that he could have seen only the -diameter of their heads! - -It might as well be remarked, in conclusion, that the size, and -particularly the powers of the man-bats (for example, their ability to -fly in so rare an atmosphere--if, indeed, the moon have any), with most -of the other fancies in regard to animal and vegetable existence, are at -variance, generally, with all analogical reasoning on these themes; and -that analogy here will often amount to conclusive demonstration. It is, -perhaps, scarcely necessary to add, that all the suggestions attributed -to Brewster and Herschel, in the beginning of the article, about "a -transfusion of artificial light through the focal object of vision," -etc., etc., belong to that species of figurative writing which comes, -most properly, under the denomination of rigmarole. - -There is a real and very definite limit to optical discovery among the -stars--a limit whose nature need only be stated to be understood. If, -indeed, the casting of large lenses were all that is required, man's -ingenuity would ultimately prove equal to the task, and we might have -them of any size demanded. But, unhappily, in proportion to the increase -of size in the lens, and consequently of space-penetrating power, is the -diminution of light from the object, by diffusion of its rays. And for -this evil there is no remedy within human ability; for an object is seen -by means of that light alone which proceeds from itself, whether direct -or reflected. Thus the only "artificial" light which could avail -Mr. Locke, would be some artificial light which he should be able to -throw-not upon the "focal object of vision," but upon the real object -to be viewed-to wit: upon the moon. It has been easily calculated that, -when the light proceeding from a star becomes so diffused as to be as -weak as the natural light proceeding from the whole of the stars, in -a clear and moonless night, then the star is no longer visible for any -practical purpose. - -The Earl of Ross's telescope, lately constructed in England, has -a _speculum_ with a reflecting surface of 4,071 square inches; the -Herschel telescope having one of only 1,811. The metal of the Earl of -Ross's is 6 feet diameter; it is 5 1/2 inches thick at the edges, and 5 -at the centre. The weight is 3 tons. The focal length is 50 feet. - -I have lately read a singular and somewhat ingenious little book, whose -title-page runs thus: "L'Homme dans la lvne ou le Voyage Chimerique -fait au Monde de la Lvne, nouellement decouvert par Dominique Gonzales, -Aduanturier Espagnol, autremt dit le Courier volant. Mis en notre -langve par J. B. D. A. Paris, chez Francois Piot, pres la Fontaine de -Saint Benoist. Et chez J. Goignard, au premier pilier de la grand'salle -du Palais, proche les Consultations, MDCXLVII." Pp. 76. - -The writer professes to have translated his work from the English of one -Mr. D'Avisson (Davidson?) although there is a terrible ambiguity in the -statement. "J' en ai eu," says he "l'original de Monsieur D'Avisson, -medecin des mieux versez qui soient aujourd'huy dans la cnoissance des -Belles Lettres, et sur tout de la Philosophic Naturelle. Je lui ai cette -obligation entre les autres, de m' auoir non seulement mis en main -cc Livre en anglois, mais encore le Manuscrit du Sieur Thomas D'Anan, -gentilhomme Eccossois, recommandable pour sa vertu, sur la version -duquel j' advoue que j' ay tir le plan de la mienne." - -After some irrelevant adventures, much in the manner of Gil Blas, and -which occupy the first thirty pages, the author relates that, being -ill during a sea voyage, the crew abandoned him, together with a -negro servant, on the island of St. Helena. To increase the chances of -obtaining food, the two separate, and live as far apart as possible. -This brings about a training of birds, to serve the purpose of -carrier-pigeons between them. By and by these are taught to carry -parcels of some weight-and this weight is gradually increased. At length -the idea is entertained of uniting the force of a great number of the -birds, with a view to raising the author himself. A machine is 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 -question--a 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 and esteem. I found him well educated, with unusual -powers of mind, but infected with misanthropy, and subject to perverse -moods of alternate enthusiasm and melancholy. He had with him many -books, but rarely employed them. His chief amusements were gunning and -fishing, or sauntering along the beach and through the myrtles, in quest -of shells or entomological specimens;--his collection of the latter -might have been envied by a Swammerdamm. In these excursions he was -usually accompanied by an old negro, called Jupiter, who had been -manumitted before the reverses of the family, but who could be induced, -neither by threats nor by promises, to abandon what he considered his -right of attendance upon the footsteps of his young "Massa Will." It -is not improbable that the relatives of Legrand, conceiving him to be -somewhat unsettled in intellect, had contrived to instil this obstinacy -into Jupiter, with a view to the supervision and guardianship of the -wanderer. - -The winters in the latitude of Sullivan's Island are seldom very severe, -and in the fall of the year it is a rare event indeed when a fire is -considered necessary. About the middle of October, 18-, there occurred, -however, a day of remarkable chilliness. Just before sunset I scrambled -my way through the evergreens to the hut of my friend, whom I had -not visited for several weeks--my residence being, at that time, -in Charleston, a distance of nine miles from the Island, while the -facilities of passage and re-passage were very far behind those of -the present day. Upon reaching the hut I rapped, as was my custom, -and getting no reply, sought for the key where I knew it was secreted, -unlocked the door and went in. A fine fire was blazing upon the hearth. -It was a novelty, and by no means an ungrateful one. I threw off an -overcoat, took an arm-chair by the crackling logs, and awaited patiently -the arrival of my hosts. - -Soon after dark they arrived, and gave me a most cordial welcome. -Jupiter, grinning from ear to ear, bustled about to prepare some -marsh-hens for supper. Legrand was in one of his fits--how else shall -I term them?--of enthusiasm. He had found an unknown bivalve, forming -a new genus, and, more than this, he had hunted down and secured, with -Jupiter's assistance, a scarabus which he believed to be totally new, -but in respect to which he wished to have my opinion on the morrow. - -"And why not to-night?" I asked, rubbing my hands over the blaze, and -wishing the whole tribe of scarabi at the devil. - -"Ah, if I had only known you were here!" said Legrand, "but it's so long -since I saw you; and how could I foresee that you would pay me a visit -this very night of all others? As I was coming home I met Lieutenant -G--, from the fort, and, very foolishly, I lent him the bug; so it will -be impossible for you to see it until the morning. Stay here to-night, -and I will send Jup down for it at sunrise. It is the loveliest thing in -creation!" - -"What?--sunrise?" - -"Nonsense! no!--the bug. It is of a brilliant gold color--about the size -of a large hickory-nut--with two jet black spots near one extremity of -the back, and another, somewhat longer, at the other. The antenn are--" - -"Dey aint no tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a tellin on you," here -interrupted Jupiter; "de bug is a goole bug, solid, ebery bit of him, -inside and all, sep him wing--neber feel half so hebby a bug in my -life." - -"Well, suppose it is, Jup," replied Legrand, somewhat more earnestly, -it seemed to me, than the case demanded, "is that any reason for your -letting the birds burn? The color"--here he turned to me--"is really -almost enough to warrant Jupiter's idea. You never saw a more brilliant -metallic lustre than the scales emit--but of this you cannot judge -till tomorrow. In the mean time I can give you some idea of the shape." -Saying this, he seated himself at a small table, on which were a pen and -ink, but no paper. He looked for some in a drawer, but found none. - -"Never mind," said he at length, "this will answer;" and he drew from -his waistcoat pocket a scrap of what I took to be very dirty foolscap, -and made upon it a rough drawing with the pen. While he did this, I -retained my seat by the fire, for I was still chilly. When the design -was complete, he handed it to me without rising. As I received it, a -loud growl was heard, succeeded by a scratching at the door. Jupiter -opened it, and a large Newfoundland, belonging to Legrand, rushed in, -leaped upon my shoulders, and loaded me with caresses; for I had shown -him much attention during previous visits. When his gambols were over, I -looked at the paper, and, to speak the truth, found myself not a little -puzzled at what my friend had depicted. - -"Well!" I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, "this is a -strange scarabus, I must confess: new to me: never saw anything like it -before--unless it was a skull, or a death's-head--which it more nearly -resembles than anything else that has come under my observation." - -"A death's-head!" echoed Legrand--"Oh--yes--well, it has something of -that appearance upon paper, no doubt. The two upper black spots look -like eyes, eh? and the longer one at the bottom like a mouth--and then -the shape of the whole is oval." - -"Perhaps so," said I; "but, Legrand, I fear you are no artist. I must -wait until I see the beetle itself, if I am to form any idea of its -personal appearance." - -"Well, I don't know," said he, a little nettled, "I draw -tolerably--should do it at least--have had good masters, and flatter -myself that I am not quite a blockhead." - -"But, my dear fellow, you are joking then," said I, "this is a very -passable skull--indeed, I may say that it is a very excellent skull, -according to the vulgar notions about such specimens of physiology--and -your scarabus must be the queerest scarabus in the world if it -resembles it. Why, we may get up a very thrilling bit of superstition -upon this hint. I presume you will call the bug scarabus caput hominis, -or something of that kind--there are many similar titles in the Natural -Histories. But where are the antenn you spoke of?" - -"The antenn!" said Legrand, who seemed to be getting unaccountably warm -upon the subject; "I am sure you must see the antenn. I made them -as distinct as they are in the original insect, and I presume that is -sufficient." - -"Well, well," I said, "perhaps you have--still I don't see them;" and -I handed him the paper without additional remark, not wishing to ruffle -his temper; but I was much surprised at the turn affairs had taken; his -ill humor puzzled me--and, as for the drawing of the beetle, there -were positively no antenn visible, and the whole did bear a very close -resemblance to the ordinary cuts of a death's-head. - -He received the paper very peevishly, and was about to crumple it, -apparently to throw it in the fire, when a casual glance at the design -seemed suddenly to rivet his attention. In an instant his face grew -violently red--in another as excessively pale. For some minutes he -continued to scrutinize the drawing minutely where he sat. At length he -arose, took a candle from the table, and proceeded to seat himself upon -a sea-chest in the farthest corner of the room. Here again he made an -anxious examination of the paper; turning it in all directions. He said -nothing, however, and his conduct greatly astonished me; yet I thought -it prudent not to exacerbate the growing moodiness of his temper by any -comment. Presently he took from his coat pocket a wallet, placed the -paper carefully in it, and deposited both in a writing-desk, which he -locked. He now grew more composed in his demeanor; but his original air -of enthusiasm had quite disappeared. Yet he seemed not so much sulky as -abstracted. As the evening wore away he became more and more absorbed in -reverie, from which no sallies of mine could arouse him. It had been my -intention to pass the night at the hut, as I had frequently done before, -but, seeing my host in this mood, I deemed it proper to take leave. He -did not press me to remain, but, as I departed, he shook my hand with -even more than his usual cordiality. - -It was about a month after this (and during the interval I had seen -nothing of Legrand) when I received a visit, at Charleston, from his -man, Jupiter. I had never seen the good old negro look so dispirited, -and I feared that some serious disaster had befallen my friend. - -"Well, Jup," said I, "what is the matter now?--how is your master?" - -"Why, to speak de troof, massa, him not so berry well as mought be." - -"Not well! I am truly sorry to hear it. What does he complain of?" - -"Dar! dat's it!--him neber plain of notin--but him berry sick for all -dat." - -"Very sick, Jupiter!--why didn't you say so at once? Is he confined to -bed?" - -"No, dat he aint!--he aint find nowhar--dat's just whar de shoe -pinch--my mind is got to be berry hebby bout poor Massa Will." - -"Jupiter, I should like to understand what it is you are talking about. -You say your master is sick. Hasn't he told you what ails him?" - -"Why, massa, taint worf while for to git mad about de matter--Massa -Will say noffin at all aint de matter wid him--but den what make him go -about looking dis here way, wid he head down and he soldiers up, and as -white as a gose? And den he keep a syphon all de time--" - -"Keeps a what, Jupiter?" - -"Keeps a syphon wid de figgurs on de slate--de queerest figgurs I ebber -did see. Ise gittin to be skeered, I tell you. Hab for to keep mighty -tight eye pon him noovers. Todder day he gib me slip fore de sun up and -was gone de whole ob de blessed day. I had a big stick ready cut for to -gib him deuced good beating when he did come--but Ise sich a fool dat I -hadn't de heart arter all--he look so berry poorly." - -"Eh?--what?--ah yes!--upon the whole I think you had better not be too -severe with the poor fellow--don't flog him, Jupiter--he can't very well -stand it--but can you form no idea of what has occasioned this illness, -or rather this change of conduct? Has anything unpleasant happened since -I saw you?" - -"No, massa, dey aint bin noffin unpleasant since den--'twas fore den I'm -feared--'twas de berry day you was dare." - -"How? what do you mean?" - -"Why, massa, I mean de bug--dare now." - -"The what?" - -"De bug,--I'm berry sartain dat Massa Will bin bit somewhere bout de -head by dat goole-bug." - -"And what cause have you, Jupiter, for such a supposition?" - -"Claws enuff, massa, and mouth too. I nebber did see sick a deuced -bug--he kick and he bite ebery ting what cum near him. Massa Will cotch -him fuss, but had for to let him go gin mighty quick, I tell you--den -was de time he must ha got de bite. I did n't like de look oh de bug -mouff, myself, no how, so I would n't take hold ob him wid my finger, -but I cotch him wid a piece ob paper dat I found. I rap him up in de -paper and stuff piece ob it in he mouff--dat was de way." - -"And you think, then, that your master was really bitten by the beetle, -and that the bite made him sick?" - -"I do n't tink noffin about it--I nose it. What make him dream bout de -goole so much, if taint cause he bit by de goole-bug? Ise heerd bout dem -goole-bugs fore dis." - -"But how do you know he dreams about gold?" - -"How I know? why cause he talk about it in he sleep--dat's how I nose." - -"Well, Jup, perhaps you are right; but to what fortunate circumstance am -I to attribute the honor of a visit from you to-day?" - -"What de matter, massa?" - -"Did you bring any message from Mr. Legrand?" - -"No, massa, I bring dis here pissel;" and here Jupiter handed me a note -which ran thus: - - MY DEAR ---- - -Why have I not seen you for so long a time? I hope you have not been so -foolish as to take offence at any little _brusquerie_ of mine; but no, -that is improbable. Since I saw you I have had great cause for anxiety. -I have something to tell you, yet scarcely know how to tell it, or -whether I should tell it at all. - -I have not been quite well for some days past, and poor old Jup annoys -me, almost beyond endurance, by his well-meant attentions Would you -believe it?--he had prepared a huge stick, the other day, with which -to chastise me for giving him the slip, and spending the day, _solus_, -among the hills on the main land. I verily believe that my ill looks -alone saved me a flogging. - -I have made no addition to my cabinet since we met. - -If you can, in any way, make it convenient, come over with Jupiter. -_Do_ come. I wish to see you to-_night_, upon business of importance. I -assure you that it is of the _highest_ importance. - - Ever yours, WILLIAM LEGRAND. - -There was something in the tone of this note which gave me great -uneasiness. Its whole style differed materially from that of Legrand. -What could he be dreaming of? What new crotchet possessed his excitable -brain? What "business of the highest importance" could he possibly have -to transact? Jupiter's account of him boded no good. I dreaded lest the -continued pressure of misfortune had, at length, fairly unsettled -the reason of my friend. Without a moment's hesitation, therefore, I -prepared to accompany the negro. - -Upon reaching the wharf, I noticed a scythe and three spades, all -apparently new, lying in the bottom of the boat in which we were to -embark. - -"What is the meaning of all this, Jup?" I inquired. - -"Him syfe, massa, and spade." - -"Very true; but what are they doing here?" - -"Him de syfe and de spade what Massa Will sis pon my buying for him in -de town, and de debbils own lot of money I had to gib for em." - -"But what, in the name of all that is mysterious, is your 'Massa Will' -going to do with scythes and spades?" - -"Dat's more dan I know, and debbil take me if I don't blieve 'tis more -dan he know, too. But it's all cum ob do bug." - -Finding that no satisfaction was to be obtained of Jupiter, whose whole -intellect seemed to be absorbed by "de bug," I now stepped into the boat -and made sail. With a fair and strong breeze we soon ran into the little -cove to the northward of Fort Moultrie, and a walk of some two miles -brought us to the hut. It was about three in the afternoon when we -arrived. Legrand had been awaiting us in eager expectation. He grasped -my hand with a nervous empressement which alarmed me and strengthened -the suspicions already entertained. His countenance was pale even to -ghastliness, and his deep-set eyes glared with unnatural lustre. After -some inquiries respecting his health, I asked him, not knowing what -better to say, if he had yet obtained the scarabus from Lieutenant -G ----. - -"Oh, yes," he replied, coloring violently, "I got it from him the next -morning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that scarabus. Do you -know that Jupiter is quite right about it?" - -"In what way?" I asked, with a sad foreboding at heart. - -"In supposing it to be a bug of real gold." He said this with an air of -profound seriousness, and I felt inexpressibly shocked. - -"This bug is to make my fortune," he continued, with a triumphant smile, -"to reinstate me in my family possessions. Is it any wonder, then, that -I prize it? Since Fortune has thought fit to bestow it upon me, I have -only to use it properly and I shall arrive at the gold of which it is -the index. Jupiter; bring me that scarabus!" - -"What! de bug, massa? I'd rudder not go fer trubble dat bug--you mus git -him for your own self." Hereupon Legrand arose, with a grave and -stately air, and brought me the beetle from a glass case in which it was -enclosed. It was a beautiful scarabus, and, at that time, unknown to -naturalists--of course a great prize in a scientific point of view. -There were two round, black spots near one extremity of the back, and -a long one near the other. The scales were exceedingly hard and glossy, -with all the appearance of burnished gold. The weight of the insect -was very remarkable, and, taking all things into consideration, I could -hardly blame Jupiter for his opinion respecting it; but what to make of -Legrand's concordance with that opinion, I could not, for the life of -me, tell. - -"I sent for you," said he, in a grandiloquent tone, when I had completed -my examination of the beetle, "I sent for you, that I might have your -counsel and assistance in furthering the views of Fate and of the bug"-- - -"My dear Legrand," I cried, interrupting him, "you are certainly unwell, -and had better use some little precautions. You shall go to bed, and -I will remain with you a few days, until you get over this. You are -feverish and"-- - -"Feel my pulse," said he. - -I felt it, and, to say the truth, found not the slightest indication of -fever. - -"But you may be ill and yet have no fever. Allow me this once to -prescribe for you. In the first place, go to bed. In the next"-- - -"You are mistaken," he interposed, "I am as well as I can expect to be -under the excitement which I suffer. If you really wish me well, you -will relieve this excitement." - -"And how is this to be done?" - -"Very easily. Jupiter and myself are going upon an expedition into the -hills, upon the main land, and, in this expedition we shall need the -aid of some person in whom we can confide. You are the only one we can -trust. Whether we succeed or fail, the excitement which you now perceive -in me will be equally allayed." - -"I am anxious to oblige you in any way," I replied; "but do you mean to -say that this infernal beetle has any connection with your expedition -into the hills?" - -"It has." - -"Then, Legrand, I can become a party to no such absurd proceeding." - -"I am sorry--very sorry--for we shall have to try it by ourselves." - -"Try it by yourselves! The man is surely mad!--but stay!--how long do -you propose to be absent?" - -"Probably all night. We shall start immediately, and be back, at all -events, by sunrise." - -"And will you promise me, upon your honor, that when this freak of yours -is over, and the bug business (good God!) settled to your satisfaction, -you will then return home and follow my advice implicitly, as that of -your physician?" - -"Yes; I promise; and now let us be off, for we have no time to lose." - -With a heavy heart I accompanied my friend. We started about four -o'clock--Legrand, Jupiter, the dog, and myself. Jupiter had with him the -scythe and spades--the whole of which he insisted upon carrying--more -through fear, it seemed to me, of trusting either of the implements -within reach of his master, than from any excess of industry or -complaisance. His demeanor was dogged in the extreme, and "dat deuced -bug" were the sole words which escaped his lips during the journey. For -my own part, I had charge of a couple of dark lanterns, while Legrand -contented himself with the scarabus, which he carried attached to the -end of a bit of whip-cord; twirling it to and fro, with the air of a -conjuror, as he went. When I observed this last, plain evidence of my -friend's aberration of mind, I could scarcely refrain from tears. I -thought it best, however, to humor his fancy, at least for the present, -or until I could adopt some more energetic measures with a chance of -success. In the mean time I endeavored, but all in vain, to sound him in -regard to the object of the expedition. Having succeeded in inducing -me to accompany him, he seemed unwilling to hold conversation upon any -topic of minor importance, and to all my questions vouchsafed no other -reply than "we shall see!" - -We crossed the creek at the head of the island by means of a skiff; and, -ascending the high grounds on the shore of the main land, proceeded in a -northwesterly direction, through a tract of country excessively wild and -desolate, where no trace of a human footstep was to be seen. Legrand led -the way with decision; pausing only for an instant, here and there, to -consult what appeared to be certain landmarks of his own contrivance -upon a former occasion. - -In this manner we journeyed for about two hours, and the sun was just -setting when we entered a region infinitely more dreary than any yet -seen. It was a species of table land, near the summit of an almost -inaccessible hill, densely wooded from base to pinnacle, and -interspersed with huge crags that appeared to lie loosely upon the soil, -and in many cases were prevented from precipitating themselves into the -valleys below, merely by the support of the trees against which they -reclined. Deep ravines, in various directions, gave an air of still -sterner solemnity to the scene. - -The natural platform to which we had clambered was thickly overgrown -with brambles, through which we soon discovered that it would have -been impossible to force our way but for the scythe; and Jupiter, by -direction of his master, proceeded to clear for us a path to the foot of -an enormously tall tulip-tree, which stood, with some eight or ten oaks, -upon the level, and far surpassed them all, and all other trees which I -had then ever seen, in the beauty of its foliage and form, in the wide -spread of its branches, and in the general majesty of its appearance. -When we reached this tree, Legrand turned to Jupiter, and asked him if -he thought he could climb it. The old man seemed a little staggered -by the question, and for some moments made no reply. At length he -approached the huge trunk, walked slowly around it, and examined it with -minute attention. When he had completed his scrutiny, he merely said, - -"Yes, massa, Jup climb any tree he ebber see in he life." - -"Then up with you as soon as possible, for it will soon be too dark to -see what we are about." - -"How far mus go up, massa?" inquired Jupiter. - -"Get up the main trunk first, and then I will tell you which way to -go--and here--stop! take this beetle with you." - -"De bug, Massa Will!--de goole bug!" cried the negro, drawing back in -dismay--"what for mus tote de bug way up de tree?--d-n if I do!" - -"If you are afraid, Jup, a great big negro like you, to take hold of -a harmless little dead beetle, why you can carry it up by this -string--but, if you do not take it up with you in some way, I shall be -under the necessity of breaking your head with this shovel." - -"What de matter now, massa?" said Jup, evidently shamed into compliance; -"always want for to raise fuss wid old nigger. Was only funnin any how. -Me feered de bug! what I keer for de bug?" Here he took cautiously hold -of the extreme end of the string, and, maintaining the insect as far -from his person as circumstances would permit, prepared to ascend the -tree. - -In youth, the tulip-tree, or Liriodendron Tulipferum, the most -magnificent of American foresters, has a trunk peculiarly smooth, and -often rises to a great height without lateral branches; but, in its -riper age, the bark becomes gnarled and uneven, while many short limbs -make their appearance on the stem. Thus the difficulty of ascension, in -the present case, lay more in semblance than in reality. Embracing the -huge cylinder, as closely as possible, with his arms and knees, seizing -with his hands some projections, and resting his naked toes upon -others, Jupiter, after one or two narrow escapes from falling, at length -wriggled himself into the first great fork, and seemed to consider the -whole business as virtually accomplished. The risk of the achievement -was, in fact, now over, although the climber was some sixty or seventy -feet from the ground. - -"Which way mus go now, Massa Will?" he asked. - -"Keep up the largest branch--the one on this side," said Legrand. The -negro obeyed him promptly, and apparently with but little trouble; -ascending higher and higher, until no glimpse of his squat figure could -be obtained through the dense foliage which enveloped it. Presently his -voice was heard in a sort of halloo. - -"How much fudder is got for go?" - -"How high up are you?" asked Legrand. - -"Ebber so fur," replied the negro; "can see de sky fru de top ob de -tree." - -"Never mind the sky, but attend to what I say. Look down the trunk and -count the limbs below you on this side. How many limbs have you passed?" - -"One, two, tree, four, fibe--I done pass fibe big limb, massa, pon dis -side." - -"Then go one limb higher." - -In a few minutes the voice was heard again, announcing that the seventh -limb was attained. - -"Now, Jup," cried Legrand, evidently much excited, "I want you to work -your way out upon that limb as far as you can. If you see anything -strange, let me know." By this time what little doubt I might have -entertained of my poor friend's insanity, was put finally at rest. I had -no alternative but to conclude him stricken with lunacy, and I became -seriously anxious about getting him home. While I was pondering upon -what was best to be done, Jupiter's voice was again heard. - -"Mos feerd for to ventur pon dis limb berry far--tis dead limb putty -much all de way." - -"Did you say it was a dead limb, Jupiter?" cried Legrand in a quavering -voice. - -"Yes, massa, him dead as de door-nail--done up for sartain--done -departed dis here life." - -"What in the name heaven shall I do?" asked Legrand, seemingly in the -greatest distress. "Do!" said I, glad of an opportunity to interpose -a word, "why come home and go to bed. Come now!--that's a fine fellow. -It's getting late, and, besides, you remember your promise." - -"Jupiter," cried he, without heeding me in the least, "do you hear me?" - -"Yes, Massa Will, hear you ebber so plain." - -"Try the wood well, then, with your knife, and see if you think it very -rotten." - -"Him rotten, massa, sure nuff," replied the negro in a few moments, "but -not so berry rotten as mought be. Mought ventur out leetle way pon de -limb by myself, dat's true." - -"By yourself!--what do you mean?" - -"Why I mean de bug. 'Tis berry hebby bug. Spose I drop him down fuss, -and den de limb won't break wid just de weight ob one nigger." - -"You infernal scoundrel!" cried Legrand, apparently much relieved, "what -do you mean by telling me such nonsense as that? As sure as you drop -that beetle I'll break your neck. Look here, Jupiter, do you hear me?" - -"Yes, massa, needn't hollo at poor nigger dat style." - -"Well! now listen!--if you will venture out on the limb as far as you -think safe, and not let go the beetle, I'll make you a present of a -silver dollar as soon as you get down." - -"I'm gwine, Massa Will--deed I is," replied the negro very -promptly--"mos out to the eend now." - -"Out to the end!" here fairly screamed Legrand, "do you say you are out -to the end of that limb?" - -"Soon be to de eend, massa,--o-o-o-o-oh! Lor-gol-a-marcy! what is dis -here pon de tree?" - -"Well!" cried Legrand, highly delighted, "what is it?" - -"Why taint noffin but a skull--somebody bin lef him head up de tree, and -de crows done gobble ebery bit ob de meat off." - -"A skull, you say!--very well!--how is it fastened to the limb?--what -holds it on?" - -"Sure nuff, massa; mus look. Why dis berry curous sarcumstance, pon my -word--dare's a great big nail in de skull, what fastens ob it on to de -tree." - -"Well now, Jupiter, do exactly as I tell you--do you hear?" - -"Yes, massa." - -"Pay attention, then!--find the left eye of the skull." - -"Hum! hoo! dat's good! why dare aint no eye lef at all." - -"Curse your stupidity! do you know your right hand from your left?" - -"Yes, I nose dat--nose all bout dat--tis my lef hand what I chops de -wood wid." - -"To be sure! you are left-handed; and your left eye is on the same -side as your left hand. Now, I suppose, you can find the left eye of the -skull, or the place where the left eye has been. Have you found it?" - -Here was a long pause. At length the negro asked, - -"Is de lef eye of de skull pon de same side as de lef hand of de skull, -too?--cause de skull aint got not a bit ob a hand at all--nebber mind! -I got de lef eye now--here de lef eye! what mus do wid it?" - -"Let the beetle drop through it, as far as the string will reach--but -be careful and not let go your hold of the string." - -"All dat done, Massa Will; mighty easy ting for to put de bug fru de -hole--look out for him dare below!" - -During this colloquy no portion of Jupiter's person could be seen; but -the beetle, which he had suffered to descend, was now visible at the -end of the string, and glistened, like a globe of burnished gold, in the -last rays of the setting sun, some of which still faintly illumined -the eminence upon which we stood. The scarabus hung quite clear of -any branches, and, if allowed to fall, would have fallen at our feet. -Legrand immediately took the scythe, and cleared with it a circular -space, three or four yards in diameter, just beneath the insect, and, -having accomplished this, ordered Jupiter to let go the string and come -down from the tree. - -Driving a peg, with great nicety, into the ground, at the precise spot -where the beetle fell, my friend now produced from his pocket a tape -measure. Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk, of the -tree which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached the peg, -and thence farther unrolled it, in the direction already established -by the two points of the tree and the peg, for the distance of fifty -feet--Jupiter clearing away the brambles with the scythe. At the spot -thus attained a second peg was driven, and about this, as a centre, a -rude circle, about four feet in diameter, described. Taking now a spade -himself, and giving one to Jupiter and one to me, Legrand begged us to -set about digging as quickly as possible. - -To speak the truth, I had no especial relish for such amusement at any -time, and, at that particular moment, would most willingly have declined -it; for the night was coming on, and I felt much fatigued with the -exercise already taken; but I saw no mode of escape, and was fearful -of disturbing my poor friend's equanimity by a refusal. Could I have -depended, indeed, upon Jupiter's aid, I would have had no hesitation in -attempting to get the lunatic home by force; but I was too well assured -of the old negro's disposition, to hope that he would assist me, under -any circumstances, in a personal contest with his master. I made no -doubt that the latter had been infected with some of the innumerable -Southern superstitions about money buried, and that his phantasy had -received confirmation by the finding of the scarabus, or, perhaps, by -Jupiter's obstinacy in maintaining it to be "a bug of real gold." A -mind disposed to lunacy would readily be led away by such -suggestions--especially if chiming in with favorite preconceived -ideas--and then I called to mind the poor fellow's speech about the -beetle's being "the index of his fortune." Upon the whole, I was sadly -vexed and puzzled, but, at length, I concluded to make a virtue of -necessity--to dig with a good will, and thus the sooner to convince the -visionary, by ocular demonstration, of the fallacy of the opinions he -entertained. - -The lanterns having been lit, we all fell to work with a zeal worthy -a more rational cause; and, as the glare fell upon our persons and -implements, I could not help thinking how picturesque a group we -composed, and how strange and suspicious our labors must have appeared -to any interloper who, by chance, might have stumbled upon our -whereabouts. - -We dug very steadily for two hours. Little was said; and our chief -embarrassment lay in the yelpings of the dog, who took exceeding -interest in our proceedings. He, at length, became so obstreperous -that we grew fearful of his giving the alarm to some stragglers in -the vicinity;--or, rather, this was the apprehension of Legrand;--for -myself, I should have rejoiced at any interruption which might have -enabled me to get the wanderer home. The noise was, at length, very -effectually silenced by Jupiter, who, getting out of the hole with a -dogged air of deliberation, tied the brute's mouth up with one of his -suspenders, and then returned, with a grave chuckle, to his task. - -When the time mentioned had expired, we had reached a depth of five -feet, and yet no signs of any treasure became manifest. A general pause -ensued, and I began to hope that the farce was at an end. Legrand, -however, although evidently much disconcerted, wiped his brow -thoughtfully and recommenced. We had excavated the entire circle of four -feet diameter, and now we slightly enlarged the limit, and went to the -farther depth of two feet. Still nothing appeared. The gold-seeker, whom -I sincerely pitied, at length clambered from the pit, with the bitterest -disappointment imprinted upon every feature, and proceeded, slowly -and reluctantly, to put on his coat, which he had thrown off at the -beginning of his labor. In the mean time I made no remark. Jupiter, at a -signal from his master, began to gather up his tools. This done, and the -dog having been unmuzzled, we turned in profound silence towards home. - -We had taken, perhaps, a dozen steps in this direction, when, with a -loud oath, Legrand strode up to Jupiter, and seized him by the collar. -The astonished negro opened his eyes and mouth to the fullest extent, -let fall the spades, and fell upon his knees. - -"You scoundrel," said Legrand, hissing out the syllables from between -his clenched teeth--"you infernal black villain!--speak, I tell -you!--answer me this instant, without prevarication!--which--which is -your left eye?" - -"Oh, my golly, Massa Will! aint dis here my lef eye for sartain?" roared -the terrified Jupiter, placing his hand upon his right organ of vision, -and holding it there with a desperate pertinacity, as if in immediate -dread of his master's attempt at a gouge. - -"I thought so!--I knew it! hurrah!" vociferated Legrand, letting the -negro go, and executing a series of curvets and caracols, much to the -astonishment of his valet, who, arising from his knees, looked, mutely, -from his master to myself, and then from myself to his master. - -"Come! we must go back," said the latter, "the game's not up yet;" and -he again led the way to the tulip-tree. - -"Jupiter," said he, when we reached its foot, "come here! was the skull -nailed to the limb with the face outwards, or with the face to the -limb?" - -"De face was out, massa, so dat de crows could get at de eyes good, -widout any trouble." - -"Well, then, was it this eye or that through which you dropped the -beetle?"--here Legrand touched each of Jupiter's eyes. - -"Twas dis eye, massa--de lef eye--jis as you tell me," and here it was -his right eye that the negro indicated. - -"That will do--must try it again." - -Here my friend, about whose madness I now saw, or fancied that I saw, -certain indications of method, removed the peg which marked the spot -where the beetle fell, to a spot about three inches to the westward -of its former position. Taking, now, the tape measure from the nearest -point of the trunk to the peg, as before, and continuing the extension -in a straight line to the distance of fifty feet, a spot was indicated, -removed, by several yards, from the point at which we had been digging. - -Around the new position a circle, somewhat larger than in the former -instance, was now described, and we again set to work with the spades. -I was dreadfully weary, but, scarcely understanding what had occasioned -the change in my thoughts, I felt no longer any great aversion from the -labor imposed. I had become most unaccountably interested--nay, even -excited. Perhaps there was something, amid all the extravagant demeanor -of Legrand--some air of forethought, or of deliberation, which impressed -me. I dug eagerly, and now and then caught myself actually looking, -with something that very much resembled expectation, for the fancied -treasure, the vision of which had demented my unfortunate companion. At -a period when such vagaries of thought most fully possessed me, and -when we had been at work perhaps an hour and a half, we were again -interrupted by the violent howlings of the dog. His uneasiness, in the -first instance, had been, evidently, but the result of playfulness or -caprice, but he now assumed a bitter and serious tone. Upon Jupiter's -again attempting to muzzle him, he made furious resistance, and, leaping -into the hole, tore up the mould frantically with his claws. In a few -seconds he had uncovered a mass of human bones, forming two complete -skeletons, intermingled with several buttons of metal, and what appeared -to be the dust of decayed woollen. One or two strokes of a spade -upturned the blade of a large Spanish knife, and, as we dug farther, -three or four loose pieces of gold and silver coin came to light. - -At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but -the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment He -urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly -uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my -boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth. - -We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more -intense excitement. During this interval we had fairly unearthed an -oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and -wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing -process--perhaps that of the Bi-chloride of Mercury. This box was three -feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep. It -was firmly secured by bands of wrought iron, riveted, and forming a kind -of open trelliswork over the whole. On each side of the chest, near the -top, were three rings of iron--six in all--by means of which a firm hold -could be obtained by six persons. Our utmost united endeavors served -only to disturb the coffer very slightly in its bed. We at once saw -the impossibility of removing so great a weight. Luckily, the sole -fastenings of the lid consisted of two sliding bolts. These we drew -back--trembling and panting with anxiety. In an instant, a treasure of -incalculable value lay gleaming before us. As the rays of the lanterns -fell within the pit, there flashed upwards a glow and a glare, from a -confused heap of gold and of jewels, that absolutely dazzled our eyes. - -I shall not pretend to describe the feelings with which I gazed. -Amazement was, of course, predominant. Legrand appeared exhausted with -excitement, and spoke very few words. Jupiter's countenance wore, for -some minutes, as deadly a pallor as it is possible, in nature of things, -for any negro's visage to assume. He seemed stupified--thunderstricken. -Presently he fell upon his knees in the pit, and, burying his naked -arms up to the elbows in gold, let them there remain, as if enjoying the -luxury of a bath. At length, with a deep sigh, he exclaimed, as if in a -soliloquy, - -"And dis all cum ob de goole-bug! de putty goole bug! de poor little -goole-bug, what I boosed in dat sabage kind ob style! Aint you shamed ob -yourself, nigger?--answer me dat!" - -It became necessary, at last, that I should arouse both master and valet -to the expediency of removing the treasure. It was growing late, and -it behooved us to make exertion, that we might get every thing housed -before daylight. It was difficult to say what should be done, and much -time was spent in deliberation--so confused were the ideas of all. We, -finally, lightened the box by removing two thirds of its contents, -when we were enabled, with some trouble, to raise it from the hole. The -articles taken out were deposited among the brambles, and the dog -left to guard them, with strict orders from Jupiter neither, upon any -pretence, to stir from the spot, nor to open his mouth until our return. -We then hurriedly made for home with the chest; reaching the hut in -safety, but after excessive toil, at one o'clock in the morning. Worn -out as we were, it was not in human nature to do more immediately. We -rested until two, and had supper; starting for the hills immediately -afterwards, armed with three stout sacks, which, by good luck, were upon -the premises. A little before four we arrived at the pit, divided the -remainder of the booty, as equally as might be, among us, and, leaving -the holes unfilled, again set out for the hut, at which, for the second -time, we deposited our golden burthens, just as the first faint streaks -of the dawn gleamed from over the tree-tops in the East. - -We were now thoroughly broken down; but the intense excitement of the -time denied us repose. After an unquiet slumber of some three or four -hours' duration, we arose, as if by preconcert, to make examination of -our treasure. - -The chest had been full to the brim, and we spent the whole day, and the -greater part of the next night, in a scrutiny of its contents. There had -been nothing like order or arrangement. Every thing had been heaped -in promiscuously. Having assorted all with care, we found ourselves -possessed of even vaster wealth than we had at first supposed. In -coin there was rather more than four hundred and fifty thousand -dollars--estimating the value of the pieces, as accurately as we could, -by the tables of the period. There was not a particle of silver. All was -gold of antique date and of great variety--French, Spanish, and German -money, with a few English guineas, and some counters, of which we had -never seen specimens before. There were several very large and heavy -coins, so worn that we could make nothing of their inscriptions. There -was no American money. The value of the jewels we found more difficulty -in estimating. There were diamonds--some of them exceedingly large and -fine--a hundred and ten in all, and not one of them small; eighteen -rubies of remarkable brilliancy;--three hundred and ten emeralds, all -very beautiful; and twenty-one sapphires, with an opal. These stones had -all been broken from their settings and thrown loose in the chest. The -settings themselves, which we picked out from among the other gold, -appeared to have been beaten up with hammers, as if to prevent -identification. Besides all this, there was a vast quantity of solid -gold ornaments;--nearly two hundred massive finger and earrings;--rich -chains--thirty of these, if I remember;--eighty-three very large and -heavy crucifixes;--five gold censers of great value;--a prodigious -golden punch bowl, ornamented with richly chased vine-leaves and -Bacchanalian figures; with two sword-handles exquisitely embossed, and -many other smaller articles which I cannot recollect. The weight of -these valuables exceeded three hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois; and -in this estimate I have not included one hundred and ninety-seven superb -gold watches; three of the number being worth each five hundred dollars, -if one. Many of them were very old, and as time keepers valueless; the -works having suffered, more or less, from corrosion--but all were richly -jewelled and in cases of great worth. We estimated the entire contents -of the chest, that night, at a million and a half of dollars; and upon -the subsequent disposal of the trinkets and jewels (a few being retained -for our own use), it was found that we had greatly undervalued the -treasure. When, at length, we had concluded our examination, and the -intense excitement of the time had, in some measure, subsided, Legrand, -who saw that I was dying with impatience for a solution of this -most extraordinary riddle, entered into a full detail of all the -circumstances connected with it. - -"You remember;" said he, "the night when I handed you the rough sketch I -had made of the scarabus. You recollect also, that I became quite vexed -at you for insisting that my drawing resembled a death's-head. When you -first made this assertion I thought you were jesting; but afterwards -I called to mind the peculiar spots on the back of the insect, and -admitted to myself that your remark had some little foundation in fact. -Still, the sneer at my graphic powers irritated me--for I am considered -a good artist--and, therefore, when you handed me the scrap of -parchment, I was about to crumple it up and throw it angrily into the -fire." - -"The scrap of paper, you mean," said I. - -"No; it had much of the appearance of paper, and at first I supposed it -to be such, but when I came to draw upon it, I discovered it, at once, -to be a piece of very thin parchment. It was quite dirty, you remember. -Well, as I was in the very act of crumpling it up, my glance fell -upon the sketch at which you had been looking, and you may imagine my -astonishment when I perceived, in fact, the figure of a death's-head -just where, it seemed to me, I had made the drawing of the beetle. For -a moment I was too much amazed to think with accuracy. I knew that my -design was very different in detail from this--although there was a -certain similarity in general outline. Presently I took a candle, and -seating myself at the other end of the room, proceeded to scrutinize the -parchment more closely. Upon turning it over, I saw my own sketch -upon the reverse, just as I had made it. My first idea, now, was mere -surprise at the really remarkable similarity of outline--at the singular -coincidence involved in the fact, that unknown to me, there should have -been a skull upon the other side of the parchment, immediately beneath -my figure of the scarabus, and that this skull, not only in outline, -but in size, should so closely resemble my drawing. I say the -singularity of this coincidence absolutely stupified me for a time. -This is the usual effect of such coincidences. The mind struggles to -establish a connexion--a sequence of cause and effect--and, being -unable to do so, suffers a species of temporary paralysis. But, when I -recovered from this stupor, there dawned upon me gradually a conviction -which startled me even far more than the coincidence. I began -distinctly, positively, to remember that there had been no drawing upon -the parchment when I made my sketch of the scarabus. I became perfectly -certain of this; for I recollected turning up first one side and then -the other, in search of the cleanest spot. Had the skull been then -there, of course I could not have failed to notice it. Here was indeed -a mystery which I felt it impossible to explain; but, even at that early -moment, there seemed to glimmer, faintly, within the most remote and -secret chambers of my intellect, a glow-worm-like conception of -that truth which last night's adventure brought to so magnificent a -demonstration. I arose at once, and putting the parchment securely away, -dismissed all farther reflection until I should be alone. - -"When you had gone, and when Jupiter was fast asleep, I betook myself -to a more methodical investigation of the affair. In the first place -I considered the manner in which the parchment had come into my -possession. The spot where we discovered the scarabaeus was on the coast -of the main land, about a mile eastward of the island, and but a short -distance above high water mark. Upon my taking hold of it, it gave me a -sharp bite, which caused me to let it drop. Jupiter, with his accustomed -caution, before seizing the insect, which had flown towards him, looked -about him for a leaf, or something of that nature, by which to take hold -of it. It was at this moment that his eyes, and mine also, fell upon the -scrap of parchment, which I then supposed to be paper. It was lying half -buried in the sand, a corner sticking up. Near the spot where we found -it, I observed the remnants of the hull of what appeared to have been a -ship's long boat. The wreck seemed to have been there for a very great -while; for the resemblance to boat timbers could scarcely be traced. - -"Well, Jupiter picked up the parchment, wrapped the beetle in it, and -gave it to me. Soon afterwards we turned to go home, and on the way met -Lieutenant G-. I showed him the insect, and he begged me to let him -take it to the fort. Upon my consenting, he thrust it forthwith into his -waistcoat pocket, without the parchment in which it had been wrapped, -and which I had continued to hold in my hand during his inspection. -Perhaps he dreaded my changing my mind, and thought it best to make sure -of the prize at once--you know how enthusiastic he is on all subjects -connected with Natural History. At the same time, without being -conscious of it, I must have deposited the parchment in my own pocket. - -"You remember that when I went to the table, for the purpose of making -a sketch of the beetle, I found no paper where it was usually kept. -I looked in the drawer, and found none there. I searched my pockets, -hoping to find an old letter, when my hand fell upon the parchment. I -thus detail the precise mode in which it came into my possession; for -the circumstances impressed me with peculiar force. - -"No doubt you will think me fanciful--but I had already established a -kind of connexion. I had put together two links of a great chain. There -was a boat lying upon a sea-coast, and not far from the boat was a -parchment--not a paper--with a skull depicted upon it. You will, -of course, ask 'where is the connexion?' I reply that the skull, or -death's-head, is the well-known emblem of the pirate. The flag of the -death's head is hoisted in all engagements. - -"I have said that the scrap was parchment, and not paper. Parchment -is durable--almost imperishable. Matters of little moment are rarely -consigned to parchment; since, for the mere ordinary purposes of drawing -or writing, it is not nearly so well adapted as paper. This reflection -suggested some meaning--some relevancy--in the death's-head. I did not -fail to observe, also, the form of the parchment. Although one of its -corners had been, by some accident, destroyed, it could be seen that the -original form was oblong. It was just such a slip, indeed, as might -have been chosen for a memorandum--for a record of something to be long -remembered and carefully preserved." - -"But," I interposed, "you say that the skull was not upon the parchment -when you made the drawing of the beetle. How then do you trace any -connexion between the boat and the skull--since this latter, according -to your own admission, must have been designed (God only knows how or by -whom) at some period subsequent to your sketching the scarabus?" - -"Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery; although the secret, at this -point, I had comparatively little difficulty in solving. My steps were -sure, and could afford but a single result. I reasoned, for example, -thus: When I drew the scarabus, there was no skull apparent upon -the parchment. When I had completed the drawing I gave it to you, and -observed you narrowly until you returned it. You, therefore, did not -design the skull, and no one else was present to do it. Then it was not -done by human agency. And nevertheless it was done. - -"At this stage of my reflections I endeavored to remember, and did -remember, with entire distinctness, every incident which occurred about -the period in question. The weather was chilly (oh rare and happy -accident!), and a fire was blazing upon the hearth. I was heated with -exercise and sat near the table. You, however, had drawn a chair close -to the chimney. Just as I placed the parchment in your hand, and as you -were in the act of inspecting it, Wolf, the Newfoundland, entered, -and leaped upon your shoulders. With your left hand you caressed him and -kept him off, while your right, holding the parchment, was permitted to -fall listlessly between your knees, and in close proximity to the fire. -At one moment I thought the blaze had caught it, and was about to -caution you, but, before I could speak, you had withdrawn it, and were -engaged in its examination. When I considered all these particulars, I -doubted not for a moment that heat had been the agent in bringing to -light, upon the parchment, the skull which I saw designed upon it. You -are well aware that chemical preparations exist, and have existed time -out of mind, by means of which it is possible to write upon either paper -or vellum, so that the characters shall become visible only when -subjected to the action of fire. Zaffre, digested in aqua regia, and -diluted with four times its weight of water, is sometimes employed; a -green tint results. The regulus of cobalt, dissolved in spirit of nitre, -gives a red. These colors disappear at longer or shorter intervals after -the material written upon cools, but again become apparent upon the -re-application of heat. - -"I now scrutinized the death's-head with care. Its outer edges--the -edges of the drawing nearest the edge of the vellum--were far more -distinct than the others. It was clear that the action of the caloric -had been imperfect or unequal. I immediately kindled a fire, and -subjected every portion of the parchment to a glowing heat. At first, -the only effect was the strengthening of the faint lines in the skull; -but, upon persevering in the experiment, there became visible, at -the corner of the slip, diagonally opposite to the spot in which the -death's-head was delineated, the figure of what I at first supposed to -be a goat. A closer scrutiny, however, satisfied me that it was intended -for a kid." - -"Ha! ha!" said I, "to be sure I have no right to laugh at you--a million -and a half of money is too serious a matter for mirth--but you are not -about to establish a third link in your chain--you will not find any -especial connexion between your pirates and a goat--pirates, you know, -have nothing to do with goats; they appertain to the farming interest." - -"But I have just said that the figure was not that of a goat." - -"Well, a kid then--pretty much the same thing." - -"Pretty much, but not altogether," said Legrand. "You may have heard of -one Captain Kidd. I at once looked upon the figure of the animal as a -kind of punning or hieroglyphical signature. I say signature; because -its position upon the vellum suggested this idea. The death's-head at -the corner diagonally opposite, had, in the same manner, the air of a -stamp, or seal. But I was sorely put out by the absence of all else--of -the body to my imagined instrument--of the text for my context." - -"I presume you expected to find a letter between the stamp and the -signature." - -"Something of that kind. The fact is, I felt irresistibly impressed with -a presentiment of some vast good fortune impending. I can scarcely -say why. Perhaps, after all, it was rather a desire than an actual -belief;--but do you know that Jupiter's silly words, about the bug -being of solid gold, had a remarkable effect upon my fancy? And then the -series of accidents and coincidences--these were so very extraordinary. -Do you observe how mere an accident it was that these events should have -occurred upon the sole day of all the year in which it has been, or may -be, sufficiently cool for fire, and that without the fire, or without -the intervention of the dog at the precise moment in which he appeared, -I should never have become aware of the death's-head, and so never the -possessor of the treasure?" - -"But proceed--I am all impatience." - -"Well; you have heard, of course, the many stories current--the thousand -vague rumors afloat about money buried, somewhere upon the Atlantic -coast, by Kidd and his associates. These rumors must have had some -foundation in fact. And that the rumors have existed so long and so -continuous, could have resulted, it appeared to me, only from the -circumstance of the buried treasure still remaining entombed. Had Kidd -concealed his plunder for a time, and afterwards reclaimed it, the -rumors would scarcely have reached us in their present unvarying form. -You will observe that the stories told are all about money-seekers, -not about money-finders. Had the pirate recovered his money, there the -affair would have dropped. It seemed to me that some accident--say the -loss of a memorandum indicating its locality--had deprived him of the -means of recovering it, and that this accident had become known to his -followers, who otherwise might never have heard that treasure had been -concealed at all, and who, busying themselves in vain, because unguided -attempts, to regain it, had given first birth, and then universal -currency, to the reports which are now so common. Have you ever heard of -any important treasure being unearthed along the coast?" - -"Never." - -"But that Kidd's accumulations were immense, is well known. I took it -for granted, therefore, that the earth still held them; and you will -scarcely be surprised when I tell you that I felt a hope, nearly -amounting to certainty, that the parchment so strangely found, involved -a lost record of the place of deposit." - -"But how did you proceed?" - -"I held the vellum again to the fire, after increasing the heat; but -nothing appeared. I now thought it possible that the coating of dirt -might have something to do with the failure; so I carefully rinsed the -parchment by pouring warm water over it, and, having done this, I -placed it in a tin pan, with the skull downwards, and put the pan upon -a furnace of lighted charcoal. In a few minutes, the pan having become -thoroughly heated, I removed the slip, and, to my inexpressible joy, -found it spotted, in several places, with what appeared to be figures -arranged in lines. Again I placed it in the pan, and suffered it to -remain another minute. Upon taking it off, the whole was just as you see -it now." Here Legrand, having re-heated the parchment, submitted it to -my inspection. The following characters were rudely traced, in a red -tint, between the death's-head and the goat: - - "53305))6*;4826)4)4);806*;48860))85;1);: - *883(88)5*;46(;88*96*?;8)*(;485);5*2:*(;4956* - 2(5*--4)88*;4069285);)68)4;1(9;48081;8:81;4 - 885;4)485528806*81(9;48;(88;4(?34;48)4;161;: - 188;?;" - -"But," said I, returning him the slip, "I am as much in the dark as -ever. Were all the jewels of Golconda awaiting me upon my solution of -this enigma, I am quite sure that I should be unable to earn them." - -"And yet," said Legrand, "the solution is by no means so difficult as -you might be lead to imagine from the first hasty inspection of the -characters. These characters, as any one might readily guess, form a -cipher--that is to say, they convey a meaning; but then, from what is -known of Kidd, I could not suppose him capable of constructing any of -the more abstruse cryptographs. I made up my mind, at once, that this -was of a simple species--such, however, as would appear, to the crude -intellect of the sailor, absolutely insoluble without the key." - -"And you really solved it?" - -"Readily; I have solved others of an abstruseness ten thousand times -greater. Circumstances, and a certain bias of mind, have led me to -take interest in such riddles, and it may well be doubted whether human -ingenuity can construct an enigma of the kind which human ingenuity may -not, by proper application, resolve. In fact, having once established -connected and legible characters, I scarcely gave a thought to the mere -difficulty of developing their import. - -"In the present case--indeed in all cases of secret writing--the first -question regards the language of the cipher; for the principles of -solution, so far, especially, as the more simple ciphers are concerned, -depend upon, and are varied by, the genius of the particular idiom. -In general, there is no alternative but experiment (directed by -probabilities) of every tongue known to him who attempts the solution, -until the true one be attained. But, with the cipher now before us, all -difficulty was removed by the signature. The pun upon the word 'Kidd' -is appreciable in no other language than the English. But for this -consideration I should have begun my attempts with the Spanish and -French, as the tongues in which a secret of this kind would most -naturally have been written by a pirate of the Spanish main. As it was, -I assumed the cryptograph to be English. - -"You observe there are no divisions between the words. Had there been -divisions, the task would have been comparatively easy. In such case -I should have commenced with a collation and analysis of the shorter -words, and, had a word of a single letter occurred, as is most likely, -(a or I, for example,) I should have considered the solution as assured. -But, there being no division, my first step was to ascertain the -predominant letters, as well as the least frequent. Counting all, I -constructed a table, thus: - -Of the character 8 there are 33. - - ; " 26. - 4 " 19. - ) " 16. - * " 13. - 5 " 12. - 6 " 11. - 1 " 8. - 0 " 6. - 9 2 " 5. - : 3 " 4. - ? " 3. - " 2. - -. " 1. - -"Now, in English, the letter which most frequently occurs is e. -Afterwards, succession runs thus: _a o i d h n r s t u y c f g l m w b k -p q x z_. _E_ predominates so remarkably that an individual sentence of -any length is rarely seen, in which it is not the prevailing character. - -"Here, then, we leave, in the very beginning, the groundwork for -something more than a mere guess. The general use which may be made of -the table is obvious--but, in this particular cipher, we shall only very -partially require its aid. As our predominant character is 8, we will -commence by assuming it as the _e_ of the natural alphabet. To verify -the supposition, let us observe if the 8 be seen often in couples--for -_e_ is doubled with great frequency in English--in such words, for -example, as 'meet,' '.fleet,' 'speed,' 'seen,' been,' 'agree,' &c. In -the present instance we see it doubled no less than five times, although -the cryptograph is brief. - -"Let us assume 8, then, as _e_. Now, of all _words_ in the language, -'the' is most usual; let us see, therefore, whether there are not -repetitions of any three characters, in the same order of collocation, -the last of them being 8. If we discover repetitions of such letters, -so arranged, they will most probably represent the word 'the.' Upon -inspection, we find no less than seven such arrangements, the characters -being;48. We may, therefore, assume that; represents _t_, 4 represents -_h_, and 8 represents _e_--the last being now well confirmed. Thus a -great step has been taken. - -"But, having established a single word, we are enabled to establish -a vastly important point; that is to say, several commencements and -terminations of other words. Let us refer, for example, to the last -instance but one, in which the combination;48 occurs--not far from -the end of the cipher. We know that the; immediately ensuing is the -commencement of a word, and, of the six characters succeeding this -'the,' we are cognizant of no less than five. Let us set these -characters down, thus, by the letters we know them to represent, leaving -a space for the unknown-- - -t eeth. - -"Here we are enabled, at once, to discard the 'th,' as forming no -portion of the word commencing with the first t; since, by experiment -of the entire alphabet for a letter adapted to the vacancy, we perceive -that no word can be formed of which this _th_ can be a part. We are thus -narrowed into - -t ee, - -and, going through the alphabet, if necessary, as before, we arrive -at the word 'tree,' as the sole possible reading. We thus gain -another letter, _r_, represented by (, with the words 'the tree' in -juxtaposition. - -"Looking beyond these words, for a short distance, we again see -the combination;48, and employ it by way of _termination_ to what -immediately precedes. We have thus this arrangement: - -the tree;4(?34 the, - -or, substituting the natural letters, where known, it reads thus: - -the tree thr?3h the. - -"Now, if, in place of the unknown characters, we leave blank spaces, or -substitute dots, we read thus: - -the tree thr...h the, - -when the word '_through_' makes itself evident at once. But this -discovery gives us three new letters, _o_, _u_ and _g_, represented by -? and 3. - -"Looking now, narrowly, through the cipher for combinations of known -characters, we find, not very far from the beginning, this arrangement, - -83(88, or egree, - -which, plainly, is the conclusion of the word 'degree,' and gives us -another letter, _d_, represented by . - -"Four letters beyond the word 'degree,' we perceive the combination - -;46(;88. - -"Translating the known characters, and representing the unknown by dots, -as before, we read thus: th rtee. an arrangement immediately suggestive -of the word 'thirteen,' and again furnishing us with two new characters, -_i_ and _n_, represented by 6 and *. - -"Referring, now, to the beginning of the cryptograph, we find the -combination, - -53. - -"Translating, as before, we obtain - -good, - -which assures us that the first letter is _A_, and that the first two -words are 'A good.' - -"It is now time that we arrange our key, as far as discovered, in a -tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus: - - 5 represents a - " d - 8 " e - 3 " g - 4 " h - 6 " i - * " n - " o - ( " r - ; " t - -"We have, therefore, no less than ten of the most important letters -represented, and it will be unnecessary to proceed with the details of -the solution. I have said enough to convince you that ciphers of this -nature are readily soluble, and to give you some insight into the -rationale of their development. But be assured that the specimen before -us appertains to the very simplest species of cryptograph. It now only -remains to give you the full translation of the characters upon the -parchment, as unriddled. Here it is: - -"'_A good glass in the bishop's hostel in the devil's seat forty-one -degrees and thirteen minutes northeast and by north main branch seventh -limb east side shoot from the left eye of the death's-head a bee line -from the tree through the shot fifty feet out_.'" - -"But," said I, "the enigma seems still in as bad a condition as ever. -How is it possible to extort a meaning from all this jargon about -'devil's seats,' 'death's heads,' and 'bishop's hotels?'" - -"I confess," replied Legrand, "that the matter still wears a serious -aspect, when regarded with a casual glance. My first endeavor was -to divide the sentence into the natural division intended by the -cryptographist." - -"You mean, to punctuate it?" - -"Something of that kind." - -"But how was it possible to effect this?" - -"I reflected that it had been a point with the writer to run his words -together without division, so as to increase the difficulty of solution. -Now, a not over-acute man, in pursuing such an object would be nearly -certain to overdo the matter. When, in the course of his composition, he -arrived at a break in his subject which would naturally require a pause, -or a point, he would be exceedingly apt to run his characters, at this -place, more than usually close together. If you will observe the MS., in -the present instance, you will easily detect five such cases of unusual -crowding. Acting upon this hint, I made the division thus: 'A good -glass in the Bishop's hostel in the Devil's seat--forty-one degrees and -thirteen minutes--northeast and by north--main branch seventh limb east -side--shoot from the left eye of the death's-head--a bee-line from the -tree through the shot fifty feet out.'" - -"Even this division," said I, "leaves me still in the dark." - -"It left me also in the dark," replied Legrand, "for a few days; during -which I made diligent inquiry, in the neighborhood of Sullivan's Island, -for any building which went by the name of the 'Bishop's Hotel;' for, of -course, I dropped the obsolete word 'hostel.' Gaining no information on -the subject, I was on the point of extending my sphere of search, and -proceeding in a more systematic manner, when, one morning, it entered -into my head, quite suddenly, that this 'Bishop's Hostel' might have -some reference to an old family, of the name of Bessop, which, time out -of mind, had held possession of an ancient manor-house, about four -miles to the northward of the Island. I accordingly went over to the -plantation, and re-instituted my inquiries among the older negroes of -the place. At length one of the most aged of the women said that she -had heard of such a place as Bessop's Castle, and thought that she could -guide me to it, but that it was not a castle nor a tavern, but a high -rock. - -"I offered to pay her well for her trouble, and, after some demur, -she consented to accompany me to the spot. We found it without much -difficulty, when, dismissing her, I proceeded to examine the place. The -'castle' consisted of an irregular assemblage of cliffs and rocks--one -of the latter being quite remarkable for its height as well as for its -insulated and artificial appearance I clambered to its apex, and then -felt much at a loss as to what should be next done. - -"While I was busied in reflection, my eyes fell upon a narrow ledge in -the eastern face of the rock, perhaps a yard below the summit upon which -I stood. This ledge projected about eighteen inches, and was not more -than a foot wide, while a niche in the cliff just above it, gave it -a rude resemblance to one of the hollow-backed chairs used by our -ancestors. I made no doubt that here was the 'devil's seat' alluded to -in the MS., and now I seemed to grasp the full secret of the riddle. - -"The 'good glass,' I knew, could have reference to nothing but a -telescope; for the word 'glass' is rarely employed in any other sense -by seamen. Now here, I at once saw, was a telescope to be used, and a -definite point of view, admitting no variation, from which to use it. -Nor did I hesitate to believe that the phrases, "forty-one degrees -and thirteen minutes,' and 'northeast and by north,' were intended as -directions for the levelling of the glass. Greatly excited by these -discoveries, I hurried home, procured a telescope, and returned to the -rock. - -"I let myself down to the ledge, and found that it was impossible to -retain a seat upon it except in one particular position. This fact -confirmed my preconceived idea. I proceeded to use the glass. Of course, -the 'forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes' could allude to nothing but -elevation above the visible horizon, since the horizontal direction was -clearly indicated by the words, 'northeast and by north.' This latter -direction I at once established by means of a pocket-compass; then, -pointing the glass as nearly at an angle of forty-one degrees of -elevation as I could do it by guess, I moved it cautiously up or down, -until my attention was arrested by a circular rift or opening in the -foliage of a large tree that overtopped its fellows in the distance. -In the centre of this rift I perceived a white spot, but could not, at -first, distinguish what it was. Adjusting the focus of the telescope, I -again looked, and now made it out to be a human skull. - -"Upon this discovery I was so sanguine as to consider the enigma solved; -for the phrase 'main branch, seventh limb, east side,' could refer only -to the position of the skull upon the tree, while 'shoot from the left -eye of the death's head' admitted, also, of but one interpretation, in -regard to a search for buried treasure. I perceived that the design was -to drop a bullet from the left eye of the skull, and that a bee-line, -or, in other words, a straight line, drawn from the nearest point of -the trunk through 'the shot,' (or the spot where the bullet fell,) and -thence extended to a distance of fifty feet, would indicate a definite -point--and beneath this point I thought it at least possible that a -deposit of value lay concealed." - -"All this," I said, "is exceedingly clear, and, although ingenious, -still simple and explicit. When you left the Bishop's Hotel, what then?" - -"Why, having carefully taken the bearings of the tree, I turned -homewards. The instant that I left 'the devil's seat,' however, the -circular rift vanished; nor could I get a glimpse of it afterwards, turn -as I would. What seems to me the chief ingenuity in this whole business, -is the fact (for repeated experiment has convinced me it is a fact) that -the circular opening in question is visible from no other attainable -point of view than that afforded by the narrow ledge upon the face of -the rock. - -"In this expedition to the 'Bishop's Hotel' I had been attended -by Jupiter, who had, no doubt, observed, for some weeks past, the -abstraction of my demeanor, and took especial care not to leave me -alone. But, on the next day, getting up very early, I contrived to give -him the slip, and went into the hills in search of the tree. After much -toil I found it. When I came home at night my valet proposed to give -me a flogging. With the rest of the adventure I believe you are as well -acquainted as myself." - -"I suppose," said I, "you missed the spot, in the first attempt at -digging, through Jupiter's stupidity in letting the bug fall through the -right instead of through the left eye of the skull." - -"Precisely. This mistake made a difference of about two inches and a -half in the 'shot'--that is to say, in the position of the peg nearest -the tree; and had the treasure been beneath the 'shot,' the error would -have been of little moment; but 'the shot,' together with the nearest -point of the tree, were merely two points for the establishment of -a line of direction; of course the error, however trivial in the -beginning, increased as we proceeded with the line, and by the time -we had gone fifty feet, threw us quite off the scent. But for my -deep-seated impressions that treasure was here somewhere actually -buried, we might have had all our labor in vain." - -"But your grandiloquence, and your conduct in swinging the beetle--how -excessively odd! I was sure you were mad. And why did you insist upon -letting fall the bug, instead of a bullet, from the skull?" - -"Why, to be frank, I felt somewhat annoyed by your evident suspicions -touching my sanity, and so resolved to punish you quietly, in my own -way, by a little bit of sober mystification. For this reason I swung -the beetle, and for this reason I let it fall it from the tree. An -observation of yours about its great weight suggested the latter idea." - -"Yes, I perceive; and now there is only one point which puzzles me. What -are we to make of the skeletons found in the hole?" - -"That is a question I am no more able to answer than yourself. There -seems, however, only one plausible way of accounting for them--and yet -it is dreadful to believe in such atrocity as my suggestion would imply. -It is clear that Kidd--if Kidd indeed secreted this treasure, which I -doubt not--it is clear that he must have had assistance in the labor. -But this labor concluded, he may have thought it expedient to remove -all participants in his secret. Perhaps a couple of blows with a mattock -were sufficient, while his coadjutors were busy in the pit; perhaps it -required a dozen--who shall tell?" - - - - -FOUR BEASTS IN ONE--THE HOMO-CAMELEOPARD - - Chacun a ses vertus. - --_Crebillon's Xerxes._ - -ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES is very generally looked upon as the Gog of the -prophet Ezekiel. This honor is, however, more properly attributable to -Cambyses, the son of Cyrus. And, indeed, the character of the -Syrian monarch does by no means stand in need of any adventitious -embellishment. His accession to the throne, or rather his usurpation of -the sovereignty, a hundred and seventy-one years before the coming -of Christ; his attempt to plunder the temple of Diana at Ephesus; his -implacable hostility to the Jews; his pollution of the Holy of Holies; -and his miserable death at Taba, after a tumultuous reign of eleven -years, are circumstances of a prominent kind, and therefore more -generally noticed by the historians of his time than the impious, -dastardly, cruel, silly, and whimsical achievements which make up the -sum total of his private life and reputation. - -Let us suppose, gentle reader, that it is now the year of the world -three thousand eight hundred and thirty, and let us, for a few minutes, -imagine ourselves at that most grotesque habitation of man, the -remarkable city of Antioch. To be sure there were, in Syria and other -countries, sixteen cities of that appellation, besides the one to which -I more particularly allude. But ours is that which went by the name of -Antiochia Epidaphne, from its vicinity to the little village of Daphne, -where stood a temple to that divinity. It was built (although about this -matter there is some dispute) by Seleucus Nicanor, the first king of the -country after Alexander the Great, in memory of his father Antiochus, -and became immediately the residence of the Syrian monarchy. In the -flourishing times of the Roman Empire, it was the ordinary station of -the prefect of the eastern provinces; and many of the emperors of the -queen city (among whom may be mentioned, especially, Verus and Valens) -spent here the greater part of their time. But I perceive we have -arrived at the city itself. Let us ascend this battlement, and throw our -eyes upon the town and neighboring country. - -"What broad and rapid river is that which forces its way, with -innumerable falls, through the mountainous wilderness, and finally -through the wilderness of buildings?" - -That is the Orontes, and it is the only water in sight, with the -exception of the Mediterranean, which stretches, like a broad mirror, -about twelve miles off to the southward. Every one has seen the -Mediterranean; but let me tell you, there are few who have had a peep at -Antioch. By few, I mean, few who, like you and me, have had, at the same -time, the advantages of a modern education. Therefore cease to regard -that sea, and give your whole attention to the mass of houses that lie -beneath us. You will remember that it is now the year of the world three -thousand eight hundred and thirty. Were it later--for example, were -it the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty-five, we should be -deprived of this extraordinary spectacle. In the nineteenth century -Antioch is--that is to say, Antioch will be--in a lamentable state -of decay. It will have been, by that time, totally destroyed, at three -different periods, by three successive earthquakes. Indeed, to say the -truth, what little of its former self may then remain, will be found in -so desolate and ruinous a state that the patriarch shall have removed -his residence to Damascus. This is well. I see you profit by my advice, -and are making the most of your time in inspecting the premises--in - --satisfying your eyes - -With the memorials and the things of fame - -That most renown this city.-- - -I beg pardon; I had forgotten that Shakespeare will not flourish for -seventeen hundred and fifty years to come. But does not the appearance -of Epidaphne justify me in calling it grotesque? - -"It is well fortified; and in this respect is as much indebted to nature -as to art." - -Very true. - -"There are a prodigious number of stately palaces." - -There are. - -"And the numerous temples, sumptuous and magnificent, may bear -comparison with the most lauded of antiquity." - -All this I must acknowledge. Still there is an infinity of mud huts, and -abominable hovels. We cannot help perceiving abundance of filth in -every kennel, and, were it not for the over-powering fumes of idolatrous -incense, I have no doubt we should find a most intolerable stench. -Did you ever behold streets so insufferably narrow, or houses so -miraculously tall? What gloom their shadows cast upon the ground! It -is well the swinging lamps in those endless colonnades are kept burning -throughout the day; we should otherwise have the darkness of Egypt in -the time of her desolation. - -"It is certainly a strange place! What is the meaning of yonder singular -building? See! it towers above all others, and lies to the eastward of -what I take to be the royal palace." - -That is the new Temple of the Sun, who is adored in Syria under the -title of Elah Gabalah. Hereafter a very notorious Roman Emperor -will institute this worship in Rome, and thence derive a cognomen, -Heliogabalus. I dare say you would like to take a peep at the divinity -of the temple. You need not look up at the heavens; his Sunship is not -there--at least not the Sunship adored by the Syrians. That deity will -be found in the interior of yonder building. He is worshipped under the -figure of a large stone pillar terminating at the summit in a cone or -pyramid, whereby is denoted Fire. - -"Hark--behold!--who can those ridiculous beings be, half naked, with -their faces painted, shouting and gesticulating to the rabble?" - -Some few are mountebanks. Others more particularly belong to the race -of philosophers. The greatest portion, however--those especially who -belabor the populace with clubs--are the principal courtiers of the -palace, executing as in duty bound, some laudable comicality of the -king's. - -"But what have we here? Heavens! the town is swarming with wild beasts! -How terrible a spectacle!--how dangerous a peculiarity!" - -Terrible, if you please; but not in the least degree dangerous. Each -animal if you will take the pains to observe, is following, very -quietly, in the wake of its master. Some few, to be sure, are led with a -rope about the neck, but these are chiefly the lesser or timid species. -The lion, the tiger, and the leopard are entirely without restraint. -They have been trained without difficulty to their present -profession, and attend upon their respective owners in the capacity of -valets-de-chambre. It is true, there are occasions when Nature asserts -her violated dominions;--but then the devouring of a man-at-arms, or the -throttling of a consecrated bull, is a circumstance of too little moment -to be more than hinted at in Epidaphne. - -"But what extraordinary tumult do I hear? Surely this is a loud noise -even for Antioch! It argues some commotion of unusual interest." - -Yes--undoubtedly. The king has ordered some novel spectacle--some -gladiatorial exhibition at the hippodrome--or perhaps the massacre of -the Scythian prisoners--or the conflagration of his new palace--or the -tearing down of a handsome temple--or, indeed, a bonfire of a few Jews. -The uproar increases. Shouts of laughter ascend the skies. The air -becomes dissonant with wind instruments, and horrible with clamor of a -million throats. Let us descend, for the love of fun, and see what is -going on! This way--be careful! Here we are in the principal street, -which is called the street of Timarchus. The sea of people is coming -this way, and we shall find a difficulty in stemming the tide. They are -pouring through the alley of Heraclides, which leads directly from the -palace;--therefore the king is most probably among the rioters. Yes;--I -hear the shouts of the herald proclaiming his approach in the pompous -phraseology of the East. We shall have a glimpse of his person as -he passes by the temple of Ashimah. Let us ensconce ourselves in the -vestibule of the sanctuary; he will be here anon. In the meantime let -us survey this image. What is it? Oh! it is the god Ashimah in proper -person. You perceive, however, that he is neither a lamb, nor a -goat, nor a satyr, neither has he much resemblance to the Pan of the -Arcadians. Yet all these appearances have been given--I beg pardon--will -be given--by the learned of future ages, to the Ashimah of the Syrians. -Put on your spectacles, and tell me what it is. What is it? - -"Bless me! it is an ape!" - -True--a baboon; but by no means the less a deity. His name is a -derivation of the Greek Simia--what great fools are antiquarians! But -see!--see!--yonder scampers a ragged little urchin. Where is he going? -What is he bawling about? What does he say? Oh! he says the king -is coming in triumph; that he is dressed in state; that he has just -finished putting to death, with his own hand, a thousand chained -Israelitish prisoners! For this exploit the ragamuffin is lauding him to -the skies. Hark! here comes a troop of a similar description. They have -made a Latin hymn upon the valor of the king, and are singing it as they -go: - -Mille, mille, mille, - -Mille, mille, mille, - -Decollavimus, unus homo! - -Mille, mille, mille, mille, decollavimus! - -Mille, mille, mille, - -Vivat qui mille mille occidit! - -Tantum vini habet nemo - -Quantum sanguinis effudit!(*1) - -Which may be thus paraphrased: - -A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, - -A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, - -We, with one warrior, have slain! - -A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, a thousand. - -Sing a thousand over again! - -Soho!--let us sing - -Long life to our king, - -Who knocked over a thousand so fine! - -Soho!--let us roar, - -He has given us more - -Red gallons of gore - -Than all Syria can furnish of wine! - -"Do you hear that flourish of trumpets?" - -Yes: the king is coming! See! the people are aghast with admiration, -and lift up their eyes to the heavens in reverence. He comes;--he is -coming;--there he is! - -"Who?--where?--the king?--do not behold him--cannot say that I perceive -him." - -Then you must be blind. - -"Very possible. Still I see nothing but a tumultuous mob of idiots -and madmen, who are busy in prostrating themselves before a gigantic -cameleopard, and endeavoring to obtain a kiss of the animal's hoofs. -See! the beast has very justly kicked one of the rabble over--and -another--and another--and another. Indeed, I cannot help admiring the -animal for the excellent use he is making of his feet." - -Rabble, indeed!--why these are the noble and free citizens of Epidaphne! -Beasts, did you say?--take care that you are not overheard. Do you not -perceive that the animal has the visage of a man? Why, my dear sir, -that cameleopard is no other than Antiochus Epiphanes, Antiochus the -Illustrious, King of Syria, and the most potent of all the autocrats -of the East! It is true, that he is entitled, at times, Antiochus -Epimanes--Antiochus the madman--but that is because all people have not -the capacity to appreciate his merits. It is also certain that he is at -present ensconced in the hide of a beast, and is doing his best to play -the part of a cameleopard; but this is done for the better sustaining -his dignity as king. Besides, the monarch is of gigantic stature, -and the dress is therefore neither unbecoming nor over large. We may, -however, presume he would not have adopted it but for some occasion -of especial state. Such, you will allow, is the massacre of a thousand -Jews. With how superior a dignity the monarch perambulates on all fours! -His tail, you perceive, is held aloft by his two principal concubines, -Elline and Argelais; and his whole appearance would be infinitely -prepossessing, were it not for the protuberance of his eyes, which will -certainly start out of his head, and the queer color of his face, which -has become nondescript from the quantity of wine he has swallowed. Let -us follow him to the hippodrome, whither he is proceeding, and listen to -the song of triumph which he is commencing: - -Who is king but Epiphanes? - -Say--do you know? - -Who is king but Epiphanes? - -Bravo!--bravo! - -There is none but Epiphanes, - -No--there is none: - -So tear down the temples, - -And put out the sun! - -Well and strenuously sung! The populace are hailing him 'Prince of -Poets,' as well as 'Glory of the East,' 'Delight of the Universe,' and -'Most Remarkable of Cameleopards.' They have encored his effusion, -and do you hear?--he is singing it over again. When he arrives at the -hippodrome, he will be crowned with the poetic wreath, in anticipation -of his victory at the approaching Olympics. - -"But, good Jupiter! what is the matter in the crowd behind us?" - -Behind us, did you say?--oh! ah!--I perceive. My friend, it is well -that you spoke in time. Let us get into a place of safety as soon as -possible. Here!--let us conceal ourselves in the arch of this aqueduct, -and I will inform you presently of the origin of the commotion. It has -turned out as I have been anticipating. The singular appearance of the -cameleopard and the head of a man, has, it seems, given offence to -the notions of propriety entertained, in general, by the wild animals -domesticated in the city. A mutiny has been the result; and, as is usual -upon such occasions, all human efforts will be of no avail in quelling -the mob. Several of the Syrians have already been devoured; but the -general voice of the four-footed patriots seems to be for eating up the -cameleopard. 'The Prince of Poets,' therefore, is upon his hinder legs, -running for his life. His courtiers have left him in the lurch, and -his concubines have followed so excellent an example. 'Delight of the -Universe,' thou art in a sad predicament! 'Glory of the East,' thou art -in danger of mastication! Therefore never regard so piteously thy tail; -it will undoubtedly be draggled in the mud, and for this there is no -help. Look not behind thee, then, at its unavoidable degradation; but -take courage, ply thy legs with vigor, and scud for the hippodrome! -Remember that thou art Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus the -Illustrious!--also 'Prince of Poets,' 'Glory of the East,' 'Delight of -the Universe,' and 'Most Remarkable of Cameleopards!' Heavens! what a -power of speed thou art displaying! What a capacity for leg-bail -thou art developing! Run, Prince!--Bravo, Epiphanes! Well done, -Cameleopard!--Glorious Antiochus!--He runs!--he leaps!--he flies! Like -an arrow from a catapult he approaches the hippodrome! He leaps!--he -shrieks!--he is there! This is well; for hadst thou, 'Glory of -the East,' been half a second longer in reaching the gates of the -Amphitheatre, there is not a bear's cub in Epidaphne that would not -have had a nibble at thy carcase. Let us be off--let us take our -departure!--for we shall find our delicate modern ears unable to endure -the vast uproar which is about to commence in celebration of the king's -escape! Listen! it has already commenced. See!--the whole town is -topsy-turvy. - -"Surely this is the most populous city of the East! What a wilderness -of people! what a jumble of all ranks and ages! what a multiplicity -of sects and nations! what a variety of costumes! what a Babel of -languages! what a screaming of beasts! what a tinkling of instruments! -what a parcel of philosophers!" - -Come let us be off. - -"Stay a moment! I see a vast hubbub in the hippodrome; what is the -meaning of it, I beseech you?" - -That?--oh, nothing! The noble and free citizens of Epidaphne being, as -they declare, well satisfied of the faith, valor, wisdom, and divinity -of their king, and having, moreover, been eye-witnesses of his late -superhuman agility, do think it no more than their duty to invest his -brows (in addition to the poetic crown) with the wreath of victory -in the footrace--a wreath which it is evident he must obtain at the -celebration of the next Olympiad, and which, therefore, they now give -him in advance. - - -Footnotes--Four Beasts - -(*1) Flavius Vospicus says, that the hymn here introduced was sung by -the rabble upon the occasion of Aurelian, in the Sarmatic war, having -slain, with his own hand, nine hundred and fifty of the enemy. - - - - -THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE - - What song the Syrens sang, or what name Achilles assumed when he hid - himself among women, although puzzling questions, are not beyond - _all_ conjecture. - - --_Sir Thomas Browne._ - - -The mental features discoursed of as the analytical, are, in themselves, -but little susceptible of analysis. We appreciate them only in their -effects. We know of them, among other things, that they are always to -their possessor, when inordinately possessed, a source of the liveliest -enjoyment. As the strong man exults in his physical ability, delighting -in such exercises as call his muscles into action, so glories the -analyst in that moral activity which _disentangles._ He derives pleasure -from even the most trivial occupations bringing his talent into play. He -is fond of enigmas, of conundrums, of hieroglyphics; exhibiting in his -solutions of each a degree of _acumen_ which appears to the ordinary -apprehension prternatural. His results, brought about by the very soul -and essence of method, have, in truth, the whole air of intuition. - -The faculty of re-solution is possibly much invigorated by mathematical -study, and especially by that highest branch of it which, unjustly, and -merely on account of its retrograde operations, has been called, as -if _par excellence_, analysis. Yet to calculate is not in itself to -analyse. A chess-player, for example, does the one without effort at -the other. It follows that the game of chess, in its effects upon mental -character, is greatly misunderstood. I am not now writing a treatise, -but simply prefacing a somewhat peculiar narrative by observations very -much at random; I will, therefore, take occasion to assert that the -higher powers of the reflective intellect are more decidedly and more -usefully tasked by the unostentatious game of draughts than by all the -elaborate frivolity of chess. In this latter, where the pieces have -different and _bizarre_ motions, with various and variable values, what -is only complex is mistaken (a not unusual error) for what is profound. -The _attention_ is here called powerfully into play. If it flag for an -instant, an oversight is committed resulting in injury or defeat. The -possible moves being not only manifold but involute, the chances of such -oversights are multiplied; and in nine cases out of ten it is the -more concentrative rather than the more acute player who conquers. In -draughts, on the contrary, where the moves are _unique_ and have but -little variation, the probabilities of inadvertence are diminished, and -the mere attention being left comparatively unemployed, what advantages -are obtained by either party are obtained by superior _acumen_. To be -less abstract--Let us suppose a game of draughts where the pieces are -reduced to four kings, and where, of course, no oversight is to be -expected. It is obvious that here the victory can be decided (the -players being at all equal) only by some _recherch_ movement, the -result of some strong exertion of the intellect. Deprived of ordinary -resources, the analyst throws himself into the spirit of his opponent, -identifies himself therewith, and not unfrequently sees thus, at a -glance, the sole methods (sometime indeed absurdly simple ones) by which -he may seduce into error or hurry into miscalculation. - -Whist has long been noted for its influence upon what is termed the -calculating power; and men of the highest order of intellect have been -known to take an apparently unaccountable delight in it, while eschewing -chess as frivolous. Beyond doubt there is nothing of a similar nature -so greatly tasking the faculty of analysis. The best chess-player in -Christendom _may_ be little more than the best player of chess; but -proficiency in whist implies capacity for success in all those more -important undertakings where mind struggles with mind. When I say -proficiency, I mean that perfection in the game which includes a -comprehension of _all_ the sources whence legitimate advantage may be -derived. These are not only manifold but multiform, and lie frequently -among recesses of thought altogether inaccessible to the ordinary -understanding. To observe attentively is to remember distinctly; and, -so far, the concentrative chess-player will do very well at whist; while -the rules of Hoyle (themselves based upon the mere mechanism of the -game) are sufficiently and generally comprehensible. Thus to have a -retentive memory, and to proceed by "the book," are points commonly -regarded as the sum total of good playing. But it is in matters beyond -the limits of mere rule that the skill of the analyst is evinced. He -makes, in silence, a host of observations and inferences. So, perhaps, -do his companions; and the difference in the extent of the information -obtained, lies not so much in the validity of the inference as in the -quality of the observation. The necessary knowledge is that of _what_ to -observe. Our player confines himself not at all; nor, because the game -is the object, does he reject deductions from things external to the -game. He examines the countenance of his partner, comparing it carefully -with that of each of his opponents. He considers the mode of assorting -the cards in each hand; often counting trump by trump, and honor by -honor, through the glances bestowed by their holders upon each. He notes -every variation of face as the play progresses, gathering a fund -of thought from the differences in the expression of certainty, of -surprise, of triumph, or of chagrin. From the manner of gathering up -a trick he judges whether the person taking it can make another in the -suit. He recognises what is played through feint, by the air with -which it is thrown upon the table. A casual or inadvertent word; the -accidental dropping or turning of a card, with the accompanying anxiety -or carelessness in regard to its concealment; the counting of the -tricks, with the order of their arrangement; embarrassment, hesitation, -eagerness or trepidation--all afford, to his apparently intuitive -perception, indications of the true state of affairs. The first two -or three rounds having been played, he is in full possession of the -contents of each hand, and thenceforward puts down his cards with as -absolute a precision of purpose as if the rest of the party had turned -outward the faces of their own. - -The analytical power should not be confounded with ample ingenuity; for -while the analyst is necessarily ingenious, the ingenious man is often -remarkably incapable of analysis. The constructive or combining power, -by which ingenuity is usually manifested, and to which the phrenologists -(I believe erroneously) have assigned a separate organ, supposing it a -primitive faculty, has been so frequently seen in those whose intellect -bordered otherwise upon idiocy, as to have attracted general observation -among writers on morals. Between ingenuity and the analytic ability -there exists a difference far greater, indeed, than that between the -fancy and the imagination, but of a character very strictly analogous. -It will be found, in fact, that the ingenious are always fanciful, and -the _truly_ imaginative never otherwise than analytic. - -The narrative which follows will appear to the reader somewhat in the -light of a commentary upon the propositions just advanced. - -Residing in Paris during the spring and part of the summer of 18--, I -there became acquainted with a Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin. This young -gentleman was of an excellent--indeed of an illustrious family, but, by -a variety of untoward events, had been reduced to such poverty that the -energy of his character succumbed beneath it, and he ceased to bestir -himself in the world, or to care for the retrieval of his fortunes. -By courtesy of his creditors, there still remained in his possession a -small remnant of his patrimony; and, upon the income arising from this, -he managed, by means of a rigorous economy, to procure the necessaries -of life, without troubling himself about its superfluities. Books, -indeed, were his sole luxuries, and in Paris these are easily obtained. - -Our first meeting was at an obscure library in the Rue Montmartre, where -the accident of our both being in search of the same very rare and very -remarkable volume, brought us into closer communion. We saw each other -again and again. I was deeply interested in the little family history -which he detailed to me with all that candor which a Frenchman indulges -whenever mere self is his theme. I was astonished, too, at the vast -extent of his reading; and, above all, I felt my soul enkindled within -me by the wild fervor, and the vivid freshness of his imagination. -Seeking in Paris the objects I then sought, I felt that the society of -such a man would be to me a treasure beyond price; and this feeling I -frankly confided to him. It was at length arranged that we should live -together during my stay in the city; and as my worldly circumstances -were somewhat less embarrassed than his own, I was permitted to be -at the expense of renting, and furnishing in a style which suited the -rather fantastic gloom of our common temper, a time-eaten and grotesque -mansion, long deserted through superstitions into which we did not -inquire, and tottering to its fall in a retired and desolate portion of -the Faubourg St. Germain. - -Had the routine of our life at this place been known to the world, we -should have been regarded as madmen--although, perhaps, as madmen of -a harmless nature. Our seclusion was perfect. We admitted no visitors. -Indeed the locality of our retirement had been carefully kept a secret -from my own former associates; and it had been many years since Dupin -had ceased to know or be known in Paris. We existed within ourselves -alone. - -It was a freak of fancy in my friend (for what else shall I call it?) to -be enamored of the Night for her own sake; and into this _bizarrerie_, -as into all his others, I quietly fell; giving myself up to his wild -whims with a perfect _abandon_. The sable divinity would not herself -dwell with us always; but we could counterfeit her presence. At the -first dawn of the morning we closed all the messy shutters of our old -building; lighting a couple of tapers which, strongly perfumed, threw -out only the ghastliest and feeblest of rays. By the aid of these we -then busied our souls in dreams--reading, writing, or conversing, until -warned by the clock of the advent of the true Darkness. Then we sallied -forth into the streets arm in arm, continuing the topics of the day, or -roaming far and wide until a late hour, seeking, amid the wild lights -and shadows of the populous city, that infinity of mental excitement -which quiet observation can afford. - -At such times I could not help remarking and admiring (although from -his rich ideality I had been prepared to expect it) a peculiar analytic -ability in Dupin. He seemed, too, to take an eager delight in its -exercise--if not exactly in its display--and did not hesitate to confess -the pleasure thus derived. He boasted to me, with a low chuckling laugh, -that most men, in respect to himself, wore windows in their bosoms, -and was wont to follow up such assertions by direct and very startling -proofs of his intimate knowledge of my own. His manner at these moments -was frigid and abstract; his eyes were vacant in expression; while his -voice, usually a rich tenor, rose into a treble which would have sounded -petulantly but for the deliberateness and entire distinctness of the -enunciation. Observing him in these moods, I often dwelt meditatively -upon the old philosophy of the Bi-Part Soul, and amused myself with the -fancy of a double Dupin--the creative and the resolvent. - -Let it not be supposed, from what I have just said, that I am detailing -any mystery, or penning any romance. What I have described in the -Frenchman, was merely the result of an excited, or perhaps of a diseased -intelligence. But of the character of his remarks at the periods in -question an example will best convey the idea. - -We were strolling one night down a long dirty street in the vicinity of -the Palais Royal. Being both, apparently, occupied with thought, neither -of us had spoken a syllable for fifteen minutes at least. All at once -Dupin broke forth with these words: - -"He is a very little fellow, that's true, and would do better for the -_Thtre des Varits_." - -"There can be no doubt of that," I replied unwittingly, and not at first -observing (so much had I been absorbed in reflection) the extraordinary -manner in which the speaker had chimed in with my meditations. In -an instant afterward I recollected myself, and my astonishment was -profound. - -"Dupin," said I, gravely, "this is beyond my comprehension. I do not -hesitate to say that I am amazed, and can scarcely credit my senses. How -was it possible you should know I was thinking of -----?" Here I paused, -to ascertain beyond a doubt whether he really knew of whom I thought. - ---"of Chantilly," said he, "why do you pause? You were remarking to -yourself that his diminutive figure unfitted him for tragedy." - -This was precisely what had formed the subject of my reflections. -Chantilly was a _quondam_ cobbler of the Rue St. Denis, who, becoming -stage-mad, had attempted the _rle_ of Xerxes, in Crbillon's tragedy so -called, and been notoriously Pasquinaded for his pains. - -"Tell me, for Heaven's sake," I exclaimed, "the method--if method there -is--by which you have been enabled to fathom my soul in this matter." In -fact I was even more startled than I would have been willing to express. - -"It was the fruiterer," replied my friend, "who brought you to the -conclusion that the mender of soles was not of sufficient height for -Xerxes _et id genus omne_." - -"The fruiterer!--you astonish me--I know no fruiterer whomsoever." - -"The man who ran up against you as we entered the street--it may have -been fifteen minutes ago." - -I now remembered that, in fact, a fruiterer, carrying upon his head a -large basket of apples, had nearly thrown me down, by accident, as we -passed from the Rue C ---- into the thoroughfare where we stood; but -what this had to do with Chantilly I could not possibly understand. - -There was not a particle of _charltanerie_ about Dupin. "I will -explain," he said, "and that you may comprehend all clearly, we will -first retrace the course of your meditations, from the moment in which -I spoke to you until that of the _rencontre_ with the fruiterer in -question. The larger links of the chain run thus--Chantilly, Orion, Dr. -Nichols, Epicurus, Stereotomy, the street stones, the fruiterer." - -There are few persons who have not, at some period of their lives, -amused themselves in retracing the steps by which particular conclusions -of their own minds have been attained. The occupation is often full of -interest and he who attempts it for the first time is astonished by -the apparently illimitable distance and incoherence between the -starting-point and the goal. What, then, must have been my amazement -when I heard the Frenchman speak what he had just spoken, and when I -could not help acknowledging that he had spoken the truth. He continued: - -"We had been talking of horses, if I remember aright, just before -leaving the Rue C ----. This was the last subject we discussed. As we -crossed into this street, a fruiterer, with a large basket upon his -head, brushing quickly past us, thrust you upon a pile of paving stones -collected at a spot where the causeway is undergoing repair. You stepped -upon one of the loose fragments, slipped, slightly strained your ankle, -appeared vexed or sulky, muttered a few words, turned to look at the -pile, and then proceeded in silence. I was not particularly attentive to -what you did; but observation has become with me, of late, a species of -necessity. - -"You kept your eyes upon the ground--glancing, with a petulant -expression, at the holes and ruts in the pavement, (so that I saw you -were still thinking of the stones,) until we reached the little alley -called Lamartine, which has been paved, by way of experiment, with the -overlapping and riveted blocks. Here your countenance brightened up, -and, perceiving your lips move, I could not doubt that you murmured the -word 'stereotomy,' a term very affectedly applied to this species of -pavement. I knew that you could not say to yourself 'stereotomy' without -being brought to think of atomies, and thus of the theories of Epicurus; -and since, when we discussed this subject not very long ago, I mentioned -to you how singularly, yet with how little notice, the vague guesses -of that noble Greek had met with confirmation in the late nebular -cosmogony, I felt that you could not avoid casting your eyes upward to -the great _nebula_ in Orion, and I certainly expected that you would do -so. You did look up; and I was now assured that I had correctly followed -your steps. But in that bitter _tirade_ upon Chantilly, which appeared -in yesterday's '_Muse_,' the satirist, making some disgraceful -allusions to the cobbler's change of name upon assuming the buskin, -quoted a Latin line about which we have often conversed. I mean the line - - Perdidit antiquum litera sonum. - -"I had told you that this was in reference to Orion, formerly written -Urion; and, from certain pungencies connected with this explanation, I -was aware that you could not have forgotten it. It was clear, therefore, -that you would not fail to combine the two ideas of Orion and Chantilly. -That you did combine them I saw by the character of the smile which -passed over your lips. You thought of the poor cobbler's immolation. So -far, you had been stooping in your gait; but now I saw you draw yourself -up to your full height. I was then sure that you reflected upon the -diminutive figure of Chantilly. At this point I interrupted your -meditations to remark that as, in fact, he was a very little -fellow--that Chantilly--he would do better at the _Thtre des -Varits_." - -Not long after this, we were looking over an evening edition of the -"Gazette des Tribunaux," when the following paragraphs arrested our -attention. - -"EXTRAORDINARY MURDERS.--This morning, about three o'clock, the -inhabitants of the Quartier St. Roch were aroused from sleep by a -succession of terrific shrieks, issuing, apparently, from the fourth -story of a house in the Rue Morgue, known to be in the sole occupancy of -one Madame L'Espanaye, and her daughter Mademoiselle Camille L'Espanaye. -After some delay, occasioned by a fruitless attempt to procure admission -in the usual manner, the gateway was broken in with a crowbar, and eight -or ten of the neighbors entered accompanied by two _gendarmes_. By this -time the cries had ceased; but, as the party rushed up the first -flight of stairs, two or more rough voices in angry contention were -distinguished and seemed to proceed from the upper part of the house. -As the second landing was reached, these sounds, also, had ceased and -everything remained perfectly quiet. The party spread themselves and -hurried from room to room. Upon arriving at a large back chamber in -the fourth story, (the door of which, being found locked, with the key -inside, was forced open,) a spectacle presented itself which struck -every one present not less with horror than with astonishment. - -"The apartment was in the wildest disorder--the furniture broken and -thrown about in all directions. There was only one bedstead; and from -this the bed had been removed, and thrown into the middle of the floor. -On a chair lay a razor, besmeared with blood. On the hearth were two or -three long and thick tresses of grey human hair, also dabbled in blood, -and seeming to have been pulled out by the roots. Upon the floor were -found four Napoleons, an ear-ring of topaz, three large silver spoons, -three smaller of_ mtal d'Alger_, and two bags, containing nearly four -thousand francs in gold. The drawers of a _bureau_, which stood in -one corner were open, and had been, apparently, rifled, although many -articles still remained in them. A small iron safe was discovered under -the _bed_ (not under the bedstead). It was open, with the key still in -the door. It had no contents beyond a few old letters, and other papers -of little consequence. - -"Of Madame L'Espanaye no traces were here seen; but an unusual quantity -of soot being observed in the fire-place, a search was made in the -chimney, and (horrible to relate!) the corpse of the daughter, head -downward, was dragged therefrom; it having been thus forced up the -narrow aperture for a considerable distance. The body was quite warm. -Upon examining it, many excoriations were perceived, no doubt occasioned -by the violence with which it had been thrust up and disengaged. Upon -the face were many severe scratches, and, upon the throat, dark bruises, -and deep indentations of finger nails, as if the deceased had been -throttled to death. - -"After a thorough investigation of every portion of the house, without -farther discovery, the party made its way into a small paved yard in -the rear of the building, where lay the corpse of the old lady, with her -throat so entirely cut that, upon an attempt to raise her, the head fell -off. The body, as well as the head, was fearfully mutilated--the former -so much so as scarcely to retain any semblance of humanity. - -"To this horrible mystery there is not as yet, we believe, the slightest -clew." - -The next day's paper had these additional particulars. - -"_The Tragedy in the Rue Morgue._ Many individuals have been examined -in relation to this most extraordinary and frightful affair. [The word -'affaire' has not yet, in France, that levity of import which it conveys -with us,] "but nothing whatever has transpired to throw light upon it. -We give below all the material testimony elicited. - -"_Pauline Dubourg_, laundress, deposes that she has known both the -deceased for three years, having washed for them during that period. -The old lady and her daughter seemed on good terms--very affectionate -towards each other. They were excellent pay. Could not speak in regard -to their mode or means of living. Believed that Madame L. told fortunes -for a living. Was reputed to have money put by. Never met any persons -in the house when she called for the clothes or took them home. Was sure -that they had no servant in employ. There appeared to be no furniture in -any part of the building except in the fourth story. - -"_Pierre Moreau_, tobacconist, deposes that he has been in the habit of -selling small quantities of tobacco and snuff to Madame L'Espanaye for -nearly four years. Was born in the neighborhood, and has always resided -there. The deceased and her daughter had occupied the house in which the -corpses were found, for more than six years. It was formerly occupied by -a jeweller, who under-let the upper rooms to various persons. The house -was the property of Madame L. She became dissatisfied with the abuse of -the premises by her tenant, and moved into them herself, refusing to let -any portion. The old lady was childish. Witness had seen the daughter -some five or six times during the six years. The two lived an -exceedingly retired life--were reputed to have money. Had heard it said -among the neighbors that Madame L. told fortunes--did not believe it. -Had never seen any person enter the door except the old lady and her -daughter, a porter once or twice, and a physician some eight or ten -times. - -"Many other persons, neighbors, gave evidence to the same effect. No one -was spoken of as frequenting the house. It was not known whether there -were any living connexions of Madame L. and her daughter. The shutters -of the front windows were seldom opened. Those in the rear were always -closed, with the exception of the large back room, fourth story. The -house was a good house--not very old. - -"_Isidore Muset_, _gendarme_, deposes that he was called to the house -about three o'clock in the morning, and found some twenty or thirty -persons at the gateway, endeavoring to gain admittance. Forced it open, -at length, with a bayonet--not with a crowbar. Had but little difficulty -in getting it open, on account of its being a double or folding gate, -and bolted neither at bottom not top. The shrieks were continued until -the gate was forced--and then suddenly ceased. They seemed to be screams -of some person (or persons) in great agony--were loud and drawn out, -not short and quick. Witness led the way up stairs. Upon reaching the -first landing, heard two voices in loud and angry contention--the one -a gruff voice, the other much shriller--a very strange voice. Could -distinguish some words of the former, which was that of a Frenchman. Was -positive that it was not a woman's voice. Could distinguish the words -'_sacr_' and '_diable._' The shrill voice was that of a foreigner. -Could not be sure whether it was the voice of a man or of a woman. Could -not make out what was said, but believed the language to be Spanish. The -state of the room and of the bodies was described by this witness as we -described them yesterday. - -"_Henri Duval_, a neighbor, and by trade a silver-smith, deposes that -he was one of the party who first entered the house. Corroborates the -testimony of Must in general. As soon as they forced an entrance, they -reclosed the door, to keep out the crowd, which collected very fast, -notwithstanding the lateness of the hour. The shrill voice, this witness -thinks, was that of an Italian. Was certain it was not French. Could not -be sure that it was a man's voice. It might have been a woman's. Was not -acquainted with the Italian language. Could not distinguish the words, -but was convinced by the intonation that the speaker was an Italian. -Knew Madame L. and her daughter. Had conversed with both frequently. Was -sure that the shrill voice was not that of either of the deceased. - -"--_Odenheimer, restaurateur._ This witness volunteered his testimony. -Not speaking French, was examined through an interpreter. Is a native of -Amsterdam. Was passing the house at the time of the shrieks. They lasted -for several minutes--probably ten. They were long and loud--very awful -and distressing. Was one of those who entered the building. Corroborated -the previous evidence in every respect but one. Was sure that the shrill -voice was that of a man--of a Frenchman. Could not distinguish the -words uttered. They were loud and quick--unequal--spoken apparently in -fear as well as in anger. The voice was harsh--not so much shrill as -harsh. Could not call it a shrill voice. The gruff voice said repeatedly -'_sacr_,' '_diable_,' and once '_mon Dieu._' - -"_Jules Mignaud_, banker, of the firm of Mignaud et Fils, Rue Deloraine. -Is the elder Mignaud. Madame L'Espanaye had some property. Had opened an -account with his banking house in the spring of the year--(eight years -previously). Made frequent deposits in small sums. Had checked for -nothing until the third day before her death, when she took out in -person the sum of 4000 francs. This sum was paid in gold, and a clerk -went home with the money. - -"_Adolphe Le Bon_, clerk to Mignaud et Fils, deposes that on the day in -question, about noon, he accompanied Madame L'Espanaye to her residence -with the 4000 francs, put up in two bags. Upon the door being opened, -Mademoiselle L. appeared and took from his hands one of the bags, while -the old lady relieved him of the other. He then bowed and departed. Did -not see any person in the street at the time. It is a bye-street--very -lonely. - -"_William Bird_, tailor deposes that he was one of the party who entered -the house. Is an Englishman. Has lived in Paris two years. Was one of -the first to ascend the stairs. Heard the voices in contention. The -gruff voice was that of a Frenchman. Could make out several words, but -cannot now remember all. Heard distinctly '_sacr_' and '_mon Dieu._' -There was a sound at the moment as if of several persons struggling--a -scraping and scuffling sound. The shrill voice was very loud--louder -than the gruff one. Is sure that it was not the voice of an Englishman. -Appeared to be that of a German. Might have been a woman's voice. Does -not understand German. - -"Four of the above-named witnesses, being recalled, deposed that the -door of the chamber in which was found the body of Mademoiselle L. -was locked on the inside when the party reached it. Every thing was -perfectly silent--no groans or noises of any kind. Upon forcing the door -no person was seen. The windows, both of the back and front room, were -down and firmly fastened from within. A door between the two rooms was -closed, but not locked. The door leading from the front room into the -passage was locked, with the key on the inside. A small room in the -front of the house, on the fourth story, at the head of the passage was -open, the door being ajar. This room was crowded with old beds, boxes, -and so forth. These were carefully removed and searched. There was not -an inch of any portion of the house which was not carefully searched. -Sweeps were sent up and down the chimneys. The house was a four story -one, with garrets (_mansardes._) A trap-door on the roof was nailed down -very securely--did not appear to have been opened for years. The -time elapsing between the hearing of the voices in contention and the -breaking open of the room door, was variously stated by the witnesses. -Some made it as short as three minutes--some as long as five. The door -was opened with difficulty. - -"_Alfonzo Garcio_, undertaker, deposes that he resides in the Rue -Morgue. Is a native of Spain. Was one of the party who entered the -house. Did not proceed up stairs. Is nervous, and was apprehensive of -the consequences of agitation. Heard the voices in contention. The gruff -voice was that of a Frenchman. Could not distinguish what was said. -The shrill voice was that of an Englishman--is sure of this. Does not -understand the English language, but judges by the intonation. - -"_Alberto Montani_, confectioner, deposes that he was among the first -to ascend the stairs. Heard the voices in question. The gruff voice was -that of a Frenchman. Distinguished several words. The speaker appeared -to be expostulating. Could not make out the words of the shrill voice. -Spoke quick and unevenly. Thinks it the voice of a Russian. Corroborates -the general testimony. Is an Italian. Never conversed with a native of -Russia. - -"Several witnesses, recalled, here testified that the chimneys of all -the rooms on the fourth story were too narrow to admit the passage of a -human being. By 'sweeps' were meant cylindrical sweeping brushes, such -as are employed by those who clean chimneys. These brushes were passed -up and down every flue in the house. There is no back passage by which -any one could have descended while the party proceeded up stairs. The -body of Mademoiselle L'Espanaye was so firmly wedged in the chimney that -it could not be got down until four or five of the party united their -strength. - -"_Paul Dumas_, physician, deposes that he was called to view the -bodies about day-break. They were both then lying on the sacking of the -bedstead in the chamber where Mademoiselle L. was found. The corpse of -the young lady was much bruised and excoriated. The fact that it -had been thrust up the chimney would sufficiently account for these -appearances. The throat was greatly chafed. There were several deep -scratches just below the chin, together with a series of livid spots -which were evidently the impression of fingers. The face was fearfully -discolored, and the eye-balls protruded. The tongue had been partially -bitten through. A large bruise was discovered upon the pit of the -stomach, produced, apparently, by the pressure of a knee. In the opinion -of M. Dumas, Mademoiselle L'Espanaye had been throttled to death by -some person or persons unknown. The corpse of the mother was horribly -mutilated. All the bones of the right leg and arm were more or less -shattered. The left _tibia_ much splintered, as well as all the ribs of -the left side. Whole body dreadfully bruised and discolored. It was not -possible to say how the injuries had been inflicted. A heavy club of -wood, or a broad bar of iron--a chair--any large, heavy, and obtuse -weapon would have produced such results, if wielded by the hands of -a very powerful man. No woman could have inflicted the blows with any -weapon. The head of the deceased, when seen by witness, was entirely -separated from the body, and was also greatly shattered. The throat -had evidently been cut with some very sharp instrument--probably with a -razor. - -"_Alexandre Etienne_, surgeon, was called with M. Dumas to view the -bodies. Corroborated the testimony, and the opinions of M. Dumas. - -"Nothing farther of importance was elicited, although several other -persons were examined. A murder so mysterious, and so perplexing in all -its particulars, was never before committed in Paris--if indeed a murder -has been committed at all. The police are entirely at fault--an unusual -occurrence in affairs of this nature. There is not, however, the shadow -of a clew apparent." - -The evening edition of the paper stated that the greatest excitement -still continued in the Quartier St. Roch--that the premises in question -had been carefully re-searched, and fresh examinations of witnesses -instituted, but all to no purpose. A postscript, however, mentioned -that Adolphe Le Bon had been arrested and imprisoned--although nothing -appeared to criminate him, beyond the facts already detailed. - -Dupin seemed singularly interested in the progress of this affair--at -least so I judged from his manner, for he made no comments. It was only -after the announcement that Le Bon had been imprisoned, that he asked me -my opinion respecting the murders. - -I could merely agree with all Paris in considering them an insoluble -mystery. I saw no means by which it would be possible to trace the -murderer. - -"We must not judge of the means," said Dupin, "by this shell of an -examination. The Parisian police, so much extolled for _acumen_, are -cunning, but no more. There is no method in their proceedings, beyond -the method of the moment. They make a vast parade of measures; but, not -unfrequently, these are so ill adapted to the objects proposed, as -to put us in mind of Monsieur Jourdain's calling for his -_robe-de-chambre--pour mieux entendre la musique._ The results attained -by them are not unfrequently surprising, but, for the most part, are -brought about by simple diligence and activity. When these qualities are -unavailing, their schemes fail. Vidocq, for example, was a good -guesser and a persevering man. But, without educated thought, he erred -continually by the very intensity of his investigations. He impaired his -vision by holding the object too close. He might see, perhaps, one or -two points with unusual clearness, but in so doing he, necessarily, lost -sight of the matter as a whole. Thus there is such a thing as being too -profound. Truth is not always in a well. In fact, as regards the more -important knowledge, I do believe that she is invariably superficial. -The depth lies in the valleys where we seek her, and not upon the -mountain-tops where she is found. The modes and sources of this kind of -error are well typified in the contemplation of the heavenly bodies. -To look at a star by glances--to view it in a side-long way, by turning -toward it the exterior portions of the _retina_ (more susceptible of -feeble impressions of light than the interior), is to behold the star -distinctly--is to have the best appreciation of its lustre--a lustre -which grows dim just in proportion as we turn our vision _fully_ upon -it. A greater number of rays actually fall upon the eye in the latter -case, but, in the former, there is the more refined capacity for -comprehension. By undue profundity we perplex and enfeeble thought; and -it is possible to make even Venus herself vanish from the firmanent by a -scrutiny too sustained, too concentrated, or too direct. - -"As for these murders, let us enter into some examinations for -ourselves, before we make up an opinion respecting them. An inquiry will -afford us amusement," [I thought this an odd term, so applied, but said -nothing] "and, besides, Le Bon once rendered me a service for which I -am not ungrateful. We will go and see the premises with our own eyes. -I know G----, the Prefect of Police, and shall have no difficulty in -obtaining the necessary permission." - -The permission was obtained, and we proceeded at once to the Rue Morgue. -This is one of those miserable thoroughfares which intervene between the -Rue Richelieu and the Rue St. Roch. It was late in the afternoon when we -reached it; as this quarter is at a great distance from that in which we -resided. The house was readily found; for there were still many persons -gazing up at the closed shutters, with an objectless curiosity, from -the opposite side of the way. It was an ordinary Parisian house, with -a gateway, on one side of which was a glazed watch-box, with a sliding -panel in the window, indicating a _loge de concierge._ Before going in -we walked up the street, turned down an alley, and then, again turning, -passed in the rear of the building--Dupin, meanwhile examining the whole -neighborhood, as well as the house, with a minuteness of attention for -which I could see no possible object. - -Retracing our steps, we came again to the front of the dwelling, rang, -and, having shown our credentials, were admitted by the agents -in charge. We went up stairs--into the chamber where the body of -Mademoiselle L'Espanaye had been found, and where both the deceased -still lay. The disorders of the room had, as usual, been suffered to -exist. I saw nothing beyond what had been stated in the "Gazette des -Tribunaux." Dupin scrutinized every thing--not excepting the bodies of -the victims. We then went into the other rooms, and into the yard; a -_gendarme_ accompanying us throughout. The examination occupied us until -dark, when we took our departure. On our way home my companion stepped -in for a moment at the office of one of the daily papers. - -I have said that the whims of my friend were manifold, and that _Je les -mnagais_:--for this phrase there is no English equivalent. It was his -humor, now, to decline all conversation on the subject of the murder, -until about noon the next day. He then asked me, suddenly, if I had -observed any thing _peculiar_ at the scene of the atrocity. - -There was something in his manner of emphasizing the word "peculiar," -which caused me to shudder, without knowing why. - -"No, nothing _peculiar_," I said; "nothing more, at least, than we both -saw stated in the paper." - -"The 'Gazette,'" he replied, "has not entered, I fear, into the unusual -horror of the thing. But dismiss the idle opinions of this print. It -appears to me that this mystery is considered insoluble, for the very -reason which should cause it to be regarded as easy of solution--I mean -for the _outr_ character of its features. The police are confounded by -the seeming absence of motive--not for the murder itself--but for -the atrocity of the murder. They are puzzled, too, by the seeming -impossibility of reconciling the voices heard in contention, with -the facts that no one was discovered up stairs but the assassinated -Mademoiselle L'Espanaye, and that there were no means of egress without -the notice of the party ascending. The wild disorder of the room; the -corpse thrust, with the head downward, up the chimney; the frightful -mutilation of the body of the old lady; these considerations, with those -just mentioned, and others which I need not mention, have sufficed -to paralyze the powers, by putting completely at fault the boasted -_acumen_, of the government agents. They have fallen into the gross but -common error of confounding the unusual with the abstruse. But it is by -these deviations from the plane of the ordinary, that reason feels its -way, if at all, in its search for the true. In investigations such as we -are now pursuing, it should not be so much asked 'what has occurred,' -as 'what has occurred that has never occurred before.' In fact, the -facility with which I shall arrive, or have arrived, at the solution of -this mystery, is in the direct ratio of its apparent insolubility in the -eyes of the police." - -I stared at the speaker in mute astonishment. - -"I am now awaiting," continued he, looking toward the door of our -apartment--"I am now awaiting a person who, although perhaps not -the perpetrator of these butcheries, must have been in some measure -implicated in their perpetration. Of the worst portion of the crimes -committed, it is probable that he is innocent. I hope that I am right -in this supposition; for upon it I build my expectation of reading the -entire riddle. I look for the man here--in this room--every moment. It -is true that he may not arrive; but the probability is that he will. -Should he come, it will be necessary to detain him. Here are pistols; -and we both know how to use them when occasion demands their use." - -I took the pistols, scarcely knowing what I did, or believing what -I heard, while Dupin went on, very much as if in a soliloquy. I have -already spoken of his abstract manner at such times. His discourse was -addressed to myself; but his voice, although by no means loud, had that -intonation which is commonly employed in speaking to some one at a great -distance. His eyes, vacant in expression, regarded only the wall. - -"That the voices heard in contention," he said, "by the party upon the -stairs, were not the voices of the women themselves, was fully proved -by the evidence. This relieves us of all doubt upon the question whether -the old lady could have first destroyed the daughter and afterward have -committed suicide. I speak of this point chiefly for the sake of method; -for the strength of Madame L'Espanaye would have been utterly unequal -to the task of thrusting her daughter's corpse up the chimney as it -was found; and the nature of the wounds upon her own person entirely -preclude the idea of self-destruction. Murder, then, has been committed -by some third party; and the voices of this third party were those heard -in contention. Let me now advert--not to the whole testimony respecting -these voices--but to what was _peculiar_ in that testimony. Did you -observe any thing peculiar about it?" - -I remarked that, while all the witnesses agreed in supposing the gruff -voice to be that of a Frenchman, there was much disagreement in regard -to the shrill, or, as one individual termed it, the harsh voice. - -"That was the evidence itself," said Dupin, "but it was not the -peculiarity of the evidence. You have observed nothing distinctive. -Yet there _was_ something to be observed. The witnesses, as you remark, -agreed about the gruff voice; they were here unanimous. But in regard to -the shrill voice, the peculiarity is--not that they disagreed--but -that, while an Italian, an Englishman, a Spaniard, a Hollander, and a -Frenchman attempted to describe it, each one spoke of it as that _of -a foreigner_. Each is sure that it was not the voice of one of his own -countrymen. Each likens it--not to the voice of an individual of any -nation with whose language he is conversant--but the converse. -The Frenchman supposes it the voice of a Spaniard, and 'might have -distinguished some words _had he been acquainted with the Spanish._' The -Dutchman maintains it to have been that of a Frenchman; but we find it -stated that '_not understanding French this witness was examined through -an interpreter._' The Englishman thinks it the voice of a German, and -'_does not understand German._' The Spaniard 'is sure' that it was that -of an Englishman, but 'judges by the intonation' altogether, '_as he has -no knowledge of the English._' The Italian believes it the voice of a -Russian, but '_has never conversed with a native of Russia._' A second -Frenchman differs, moreover, with the first, and is positive that the -voice was that of an Italian; but, _not being cognizant of that tongue_, -is, like the Spaniard, 'convinced by the intonation.' Now, how strangely -unusual must that voice have really been, about which such testimony as -this _could_ have been elicited!--in whose _tones_, even, denizens of -the five great divisions of Europe could recognise nothing familiar! You -will say that it might have been the voice of an Asiatic--of an African. -Neither Asiatics nor Africans abound in Paris; but, without denying the -inference, I will now merely call your attention to three points. -The voice is termed by one witness 'harsh rather than shrill.' It -is represented by two others to have been 'quick and _unequal._' No -words--no sounds resembling words--were by any witness mentioned as -distinguishable. - -"I know not," continued Dupin, "what impression I may have made, so -far, upon your own understanding; but I do not hesitate to say that -legitimate deductions even from this portion of the testimony--the -portion respecting the gruff and shrill voices--are in themselves -sufficient to engender a suspicion which should give direction to all -farther progress in the investigation of the mystery. I said 'legitimate -deductions;' but my meaning is not thus fully expressed. I designed -to imply that the deductions are the _sole_ proper ones, and that the -suspicion arises _inevitably_ from them as the single result. What the -suspicion is, however, I will not say just yet. I merely wish you to -bear in mind that, with myself, it was sufficiently forcible to give a -definite form--a certain tendency--to my inquiries in the chamber. - -"Let us now transport ourselves, in fancy, to this chamber. What shall -we first seek here? The means of egress employed by the murderers. It is -not too much to say that neither of us believe in prternatural events. -Madame and Mademoiselle L'Espanaye were not destroyed by spirits. The -doers of the deed were material, and escaped materially. Then how? -Fortunately, there is but one mode of reasoning upon the point, and that -mode _must_ lead us to a definite decision.--Let us examine, each by -each, the possible means of egress. It is clear that the assassins were -in the room where Mademoiselle L'Espanaye was found, or at least in the -room adjoining, when the party ascended the stairs. It is then only from -these two apartments that we have to seek issues. The police have laid -bare the floors, the ceilings, and the masonry of the walls, in every -direction. No _secret_ issues could have escaped their vigilance. But, -not trusting to _their_ eyes, I examined with my own. There were, then, -no secret issues. Both doors leading from the rooms into the passage -were securely locked, with the keys inside. Let us turn to the chimneys. -These, although of ordinary width for some eight or ten feet above the -hearths, will not admit, throughout their extent, the body of a large -cat. The impossibility of egress, by means already stated, being thus -absolute, we are reduced to the windows. Through those of the front room -no one could have escaped without notice from the crowd in the street. -The murderers _must_ have passed, then, through those of the back room. -Now, brought to this conclusion in so unequivocal a manner as we are, -it is not our part, as reasoners, to reject it on account of apparent -impossibilities. It is only left for us to prove that these apparent -'impossibilities' are, in reality, not such. - -"There are two windows in the chamber. One of them is unobstructed by -furniture, and is wholly visible. The lower portion of the other is -hidden from view by the head of the unwieldy bedstead which is thrust -close up against it. The former was found securely fastened from within. -It resisted the utmost force of those who endeavored to raise it. A -large gimlet-hole had been pierced in its frame to the left, and a very -stout nail was found fitted therein, nearly to the head. Upon examining -the other window, a similar nail was seen similarly fitted in it; and -a vigorous attempt to raise this sash, failed also. The police were now -entirely satisfied that egress had not been in these directions. And, -_therefore_, it was thought a matter of supererogation to withdraw the -nails and open the windows. - -"My own examination was somewhat more particular, and was so for the -reason I have just given--because here it was, I knew, that all apparent -impossibilities _must_ be proved to be not such in reality. - -"I proceeded to think thus--_ posteriori_. The murderers did escape -from one of these windows. This being so, they could not have refastened -the sashes from the inside, as they were found fastened;--the -consideration which put a stop, through its obviousness, to the scrutiny -of the police in this quarter. Yet the sashes _were_ fastened. They -_must_, then, have the power of fastening themselves. There was no -escape from this conclusion. I stepped to the unobstructed casement, -withdrew the nail with some difficulty and attempted to raise the sash. -It resisted all my efforts, as I had anticipated. A concealed spring -must, I now know, exist; and this corroboration of my idea convinced -me that my premises at least, were correct, however mysterious still -appeared the circumstances attending the nails. A careful search soon -brought to light the hidden spring. I pressed it, and, satisfied with -the discovery, forbore to upraise the sash. - -"I now replaced the nail and regarded it attentively. A person passing -out through this window might have reclosed it, and the spring would -have caught--but the nail could not have been replaced. The conclusion -was plain, and again narrowed in the field of my investigations. The -assassins _must_ have escaped through the other window. Supposing, then, -the springs upon each sash to be the same, as was probable, there _must_ -be found a difference between the nails, or at least between the modes -of their fixture. Getting upon the sacking of the bedstead, I looked -over the head-board minutely at the second casement. Passing my hand -down behind the board, I readily discovered and pressed the spring, -which was, as I had supposed, identical in character with its neighbor. -I now looked at the nail. It was as stout as the other, and apparently -fitted in the same manner--driven in nearly up to the head. - -"You will say that I was puzzled; but, if you think so, you must have -misunderstood the nature of the inductions. To use a sporting phrase, -I had not been once 'at fault.' The scent had never for an instant -been lost. There was no flaw in any link of the chain. I had traced the -secret to its ultimate result,--and that result was _the nail._ It -had, I say, in every respect, the appearance of its fellow in the other -window; but this fact was an absolute nullity (conclusive us it might -seem to be) when compared with the consideration that here, at this -point, terminated the clew. 'There _must_ be something wrong,' I said, -'about the nail.' I touched it; and the head, with about a quarter of an -inch of the shank, came off in my fingers. The rest of the shank was in -the gimlet-hole where it had been broken off. The fracture was an old -one (for its edges were incrusted with rust), and had apparently been -accomplished by the blow of a hammer, which had partially imbedded, -in the top of the bottom sash, the head portion of the nail. I now -carefully replaced this head portion in the indentation whence I had -taken it, and the resemblance to a perfect nail was complete--the -fissure was invisible. Pressing the spring, I gently raised the sash -for a few inches; the head went up with it, remaining firm in its bed. -I closed the window, and the semblance of the whole nail was again -perfect. - -"The riddle, so far, was now unriddled. The assassin had escaped through -the window which looked upon the bed. Dropping of its own accord upon -his exit (or perhaps purposely closed), it had become fastened by the -spring; and it was the retention of this spring which had been mistaken -by the police for that of the nail,--farther inquiry being thus -considered unnecessary. - -"The next question is that of the mode of descent. Upon this point I had -been satisfied in my walk with you around the building. About five feet -and a half from the casement in question there runs a lightning-rod. -From this rod it would have been impossible for any one to reach the -window itself, to say nothing of entering it. I observed, however, that -the shutters of the fourth story were of the peculiar kind called by -Parisian carpenters _ferrades_--a kind rarely employed at the present -day, but frequently seen upon very old mansions at Lyons and Bordeaux. -They are in the form of an ordinary door, (a single, not a folding door) -except that the lower half is latticed or worked in open trellis--thus -affording an excellent hold for the hands. In the present instance these -shutters are fully three feet and a half broad. When we saw them from -the rear of the house, they were both about half open--that is to say, -they stood off at right angles from the wall. It is probable that the -police, as well as myself, examined the back of the tenement; but, if -so, in looking at these _ferrades_ in the line of their breadth (as they -must have done), they did not perceive this great breadth itself, or, -at all events, failed to take it into due consideration. In fact, having -once satisfied themselves that no egress could have been made in this -quarter, they would naturally bestow here a very cursory examination. -It was clear to me, however, that the shutter belonging to the window -at the head of the bed, would, if swung fully back to the wall, reach -to within two feet of the lightning-rod. It was also evident that, by -exertion of a very unusual degree of activity and courage, an entrance -into the window, from the rod, might have been thus effected.--By -reaching to the distance of two feet and a half (we now suppose the -shutter open to its whole extent) a robber might have taken a firm grasp -upon the trellis-work. Letting go, then, his hold upon the rod, placing -his feet securely against the wall, and springing boldly from it, he -might have swung the shutter so as to close it, and, if we imagine the -window open at the time, might even have swung himself into the room. - -"I wish you to bear especially in mind that I have spoken of a _very_ -unusual degree of activity as requisite to success in so hazardous and -so difficult a feat. It is my design to show you, first, that the thing -might possibly have been accomplished:--but, secondly and _chiefly_, I -wish to impress upon your understanding the _very extraordinary_--the -almost prternatural character of that agility which could have -accomplished it. - -"You will say, no doubt, using the language of the law, that 'to make -out my case,' I should rather undervalue, than insist upon a full -estimation of the activity required in this matter. This may be the -practice in law, but it is not the usage of reason. My ultimate object -is only the truth. My immediate purpose is to lead you to place in -juxtaposition, that _very unusual_ activity of which I have just spoken -with that _very peculiar_ shrill (or harsh) and _unequal_ voice, about -whose nationality no two persons could be found to agree, and in whose -utterance no syllabification could be detected." - -At these words a vague and half-formed conception of the meaning -of Dupin flitted over my mind. I seemed to be upon the verge of -comprehension without power to comprehend--men, at times, find -themselves upon the brink of remembrance without being able, in the end, -to remember. My friend went on with his discourse. - -"You will see," he said, "that I have shifted the question from the mode -of egress to that of ingress. It was my design to convey the idea that -both were effected in the same manner, at the same point. Let us now -revert to the interior of the room. Let us survey the appearances here. -The drawers of the bureau, it is said, had been rifled, although many -articles of apparel still remained within them. The conclusion here is -absurd. It is a mere guess--a very silly one--and no more. How are -we to know that the articles found in the drawers were not all these -drawers had originally contained? Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter -lived an exceedingly retired life--saw no company--seldom went out--had -little use for numerous changes of habiliment. Those found were at least -of as good quality as any likely to be possessed by these ladies. If a -thief had taken any, why did he not take the best--why did he not take -all? In a word, why did he abandon four thousand francs in gold to -encumber himself with a bundle of linen? The gold _was _abandoned. -Nearly the whole sum mentioned by Monsieur Mignaud, the banker, was -discovered, in bags, upon the floor. I wish you, therefore, to discard -from your thoughts the blundering idea of _motive_, engendered in the -brains of the police by that portion of the evidence which speaks of -money delivered at the door of the house. Coincidences ten times as -remarkable as this (the delivery of the money, and murder committed -within three days upon the party receiving it), happen to all of us -every hour of our lives, without attracting even momentary notice. -Coincidences, in general, are great stumbling-blocks in the way of that -class of thinkers who have been educated to know nothing of the theory -of probabilities--that theory to which the most glorious objects of -human research are indebted for the most glorious of illustration. In -the present instance, had the gold been gone, the fact of its delivery -three days before would have formed something more than a coincidence. -It would have been corroborative of this idea of motive. But, under the -real circumstances of the case, if we are to suppose gold the motive -of this outrage, we must also imagine the perpetrator so vacillating an -idiot as to have abandoned his gold and his motive together. - -"Keeping now steadily in mind the points to which I have drawn your -attention--that peculiar voice, that unusual agility, and that startling -absence of motive in a murder so singularly atrocious as this--let us -glance at the butchery itself. Here is a woman strangled to death -by manual strength, and thrust up a chimney, head downward. Ordinary -assassins employ no such modes of murder as this. Least of all, do they -thus dispose of the murdered. In the manner of thrusting the corpse -up the chimney, you will admit that there was something _excessively -outr_--something altogether irreconcilable with our common notions of -human action, even when we suppose the actors the most depraved of men. -Think, too, how great must have been that strength which could have -thrust the body _up_ such an aperture so forcibly that the united vigor -of several persons was found barely sufficient to drag it _down!_ - -"Turn, now, to other indications of the employment of a vigor most -marvellous. On the hearth were thick tresses--very thick tresses--of -grey human hair. These had been torn out by the roots. You are aware of -the great force necessary in tearing thus from the head even twenty or -thirty hairs together. You saw the locks in question as well as myself. -Their roots (a hideous sight!) were clotted with fragments of the flesh -of the scalp--sure token of the prodigious power which had been exerted -in uprooting perhaps half a million of hairs at a time. The throat of -the old lady was not merely cut, but the head absolutely severed from -the body: the instrument was a mere razor. I wish you also to look at -the _brutal_ ferocity of these deeds. Of the bruises upon the body -of Madame L'Espanaye I do not speak. Monsieur Dumas, and his worthy -coadjutor Monsieur Etienne, have pronounced that they were inflicted by -some obtuse instrument; and so far these gentlemen are very correct. The -obtuse instrument was clearly the stone pavement in the yard, upon which -the victim had fallen from the window which looked in upon the bed. This -idea, however simple it may now seem, escaped the police for the same -reason that the breadth of the shutters escaped them--because, by the -affair of the nails, their perceptions had been hermetically sealed -against the possibility of the windows having ever been opened at all. - -"If now, in addition to all these things, you have properly reflected -upon the odd disorder of the chamber, we have gone so far as to combine -the ideas of an agility astounding, a strength superhuman, a ferocity -brutal, a butchery without motive, a _grotesquerie_ in horror absolutely -alien from humanity, and a voice foreign in tone to the ears of men -of many nations, and devoid of all distinct or intelligible -syllabification. What result, then, has ensued? What impression have I -made upon your fancy?" - -I felt a creeping of the flesh as Dupin asked me the question. "A -madman," I said, "has done this deed--some raving maniac, escaped from a -neighboring _Maison de Sant._" - -"In some respects," he replied, "your idea is not irrelevant. But the -voices of madmen, even in their wildest paroxysms, are never found to -tally with that peculiar voice heard upon the stairs. Madmen are of some -nation, and their language, however incoherent in its words, has always -the coherence of syllabification. Besides, the hair of a madman is not -such as I now hold in my hand. I disentangled this little tuft from the -rigidly clutched fingers of Madame L'Espanaye. Tell me what you can make -of it." - -"Dupin!" I said, completely unnerved; "this hair is most unusual--this -is no _human_ hair." - -"I have not asserted that it is," said he; "but, before we decide this -point, I wish you to glance at the little sketch I have here traced upon -this paper. It is a _fac-simile_ drawing of what has been described in -one portion of the testimony as 'dark bruises, and deep indentations -of finger nails,' upon the throat of Mademoiselle L'Espanaye, and in -another, (by Messrs. Dumas and Etienne,) as a 'series of livid spots, -evidently the impression of fingers.' - -"You will perceive," continued my friend, spreading out the paper upon -the table before us, "that this drawing gives the idea of a firm -and fixed hold. There is no _slipping_ apparent. Each finger has -retained--possibly until the death of the victim--the fearful grasp by -which it originally imbedded itself. Attempt, now, to place all your -fingers, at the same time, in the respective impressions as you see -them." - -I made the attempt in vain. - -"We are possibly not giving this matter a fair trial," he said. "The -paper is spread out upon a plane surface; but the human throat is -cylindrical. Here is a billet of wood, the circumference of which -is about that of the throat. Wrap the drawing around it, and try the -experiment again." - -I did so; but the difficulty was even more obvious than before. "This," -I said, "is the mark of no human hand." - -"Read now," replied Dupin, "this passage from Cuvier." - -It was a minute anatomical and generally descriptive account of the -large fulvous Ourang-Outang of the East Indian Islands. The gigantic -stature, the prodigious strength and activity, the wild ferocity, and -the imitative propensities of these mammalia are sufficiently well known -to all. I understood the full horrors of the murder at once. - -"The description of the digits," said I, as I made an end of reading, -"is in exact accordance with this drawing. I see that no animal but an -Ourang-Outang, of the species here mentioned, could have impressed the -indentations as you have traced them. This tuft of tawny hair, too, is -identical in character with that of the beast of Cuvier. But I cannot -possibly comprehend the particulars of this frightful mystery. Besides, -there were _two_ voices heard in contention, and one of them was -unquestionably the voice of a Frenchman." - -"True; and you will remember an expression attributed almost -unanimously, by the evidence, to this voice,--the expression, '_mon -Dieu!_' This, under the circumstances, has been justly characterized by -one of the witnesses (Montani, the confectioner,) as an expression of -remonstrance or expostulation. Upon these two words, therefore, I have -mainly built my hopes of a full solution of the riddle. A Frenchman -was cognizant of the murder. It is possible--indeed it is far more -than probable--that he was innocent of all participation in the bloody -transactions which took place. The Ourang-Outang may have escaped from -him. He may have traced it to the chamber; but, under the agitating -circumstances which ensued, he could never have re-captured it. It is -still at large. I will not pursue these guesses--for I have no right to -call them more--since the shades of reflection upon which they are based -are scarcely of sufficient depth to be appreciable by my own intellect, -and since I could not pretend to make them intelligible to the -understanding of another. We will call them guesses then, and speak -of them as such. If the Frenchman in question is indeed, as I suppose, -innocent of this atrocity, this advertisement which I left last night, -upon our return home, at the office of 'Le Monde,' (a paper devoted to -the shipping interest, and much sought by sailors,) will bring him to -our residence." - -He handed me a paper, and I read thus: - -CAUGHT--_In the Bois de Boulogne, early in the morning of the--inst.,_ -(the morning of the murder,) _a very large, tawny Ourang-Outang of -the Bornese species. The owner, (who is ascertained to be a sailor, -belonging to a Maltese vessel,) may have the animal again, upon -identifying it satisfactorily, and paying a few charges arising from -its capture and keeping. Call at No. ----, Rue ----, Faubourg St. -Germain--au troisime._ - -"How was it possible," I asked, "that you should know the man to be a -sailor, and belonging to a Maltese vessel?" - -"I do _not_ know it," said Dupin. "I am not _sure_ of it. Here, however, -is a small piece of ribbon, which from its form, and from its greasy -appearance, has evidently been used in tying the hair in one of those -long _queues_ of which sailors are so fond. Moreover, this knot is one -which few besides sailors can tie, and is peculiar to the Maltese. I -picked the ribbon up at the foot of the lightning-rod. It could not have -belonged to either of the deceased. Now if, after all, I am wrong in my -induction from this ribbon, that the Frenchman was a sailor belonging to -a Maltese vessel, still I can have done no harm in saying what I did in -the advertisement. If I am in error, he will merely suppose that I have -been misled by some circumstance into which he will not take the trouble -to inquire. But if I am right, a great point is gained. Cognizant -although innocent of the murder, the Frenchman will naturally hesitate -about replying to the advertisement--about demanding the Ourang-Outang. -He will reason thus:--'I am innocent; I am poor; my Ourang-Outang is of -great value--to one in my circumstances a fortune of itself--why should -I lose it through idle apprehensions of danger? Here it is, within my -grasp. It was found in the Bois de Boulogne--at a vast distance from the -scene of that butchery. How can it ever be suspected that a brute beast -should have done the deed? The police are at fault--they have failed to -procure the slightest clew. Should they even trace the animal, it would -be impossible to prove me cognizant of the murder, or to implicate me -in guilt on account of that cognizance. Above all, _I am known._ The -advertiser designates me as the possessor of the beast. I am not sure to -what limit his knowledge may extend. Should I avoid claiming a property -of so great value, which it is known that I possess, I will render the -animal at least, liable to suspicion. It is not my policy to attract -attention either to myself or to the beast. I will answer the -advertisement, get the Ourang-Outang, and keep it close until this -matter has blown over.'" - -At this moment we heard a step upon the stairs. - -"Be ready," said Dupin, "with your pistols, but neither use them nor -show them until at a signal from myself." - -The front door of the house had been left open, and the visiter had -entered, without ringing, and advanced several steps upon the staircase. -Now, however, he seemed to hesitate. Presently we heard him descending. -Dupin was moving quickly to the door, when we again heard him coming up. -He did not turn back a second time, but stepped up with decision, and -rapped at the door of our chamber. - -"Come in," said Dupin, in a cheerful and hearty tone. - -A man entered. He was a sailor, evidently,--a tall, stout, and -muscular-looking person, with a certain dare-devil expression of -countenance, not altogether unprepossessing. His face, greatly sunburnt, -was more than half hidden by whisker and _mustachio._ He had with him -a huge oaken cudgel, but appeared to be otherwise unarmed. He bowed -awkwardly, and bade us "good evening," in French accents, which, -although somewhat Neufchatelish, were still sufficiently indicative of a -Parisian origin. - -"Sit down, my friend," said Dupin. "I suppose you have called about the -Ourang-Outang. Upon my word, I almost envy you the possession of him; -a remarkably fine, and no doubt a very valuable animal. How old do you -suppose him to be?" - -The sailor drew a long breath, with the air of a man relieved of some -intolerable burden, and then replied, in an assured tone: - -"I have no way of telling--but he can't be more than four or five years -old. Have you got him here?" - -"Oh no, we had no conveniences for keeping him here. He is at a livery -stable in the Rue Dubourg, just by. You can get him in the morning. Of -course you are prepared to identify the property?" - -"To be sure I am, sir." - -"I shall be sorry to part with him," said Dupin. - -"I don't mean that you should be at all this trouble for nothing, sir," -said the man. "Couldn't expect it. Am very willing to pay a reward for -the finding of the animal--that is to say, any thing in reason." - -"Well," replied my friend, "that is all very fair, to be sure. Let me -think!--what should I have? Oh! I will tell you. My reward shall be -this. You shall give me all the information in your power about these -murders in the Rue Morgue." - -Dupin said the last words in a very low tone, and very quietly. Just as -quietly, too, he walked toward the door, locked it and put the key in -his pocket. He then drew a pistol from his bosom and placed it, without -the least flurry, upon the table. - -The sailor's face flushed up as if he were struggling with suffocation. -He started to his feet and grasped his cudgel, but the next moment he -fell back into his seat, trembling violently, and with the countenance -of death itself. He spoke not a word. I pitied him from the bottom of my -heart. - -"My friend," said Dupin, in a kind tone, "you are alarming yourself -unnecessarily--you are indeed. We mean you no harm whatever. I pledge -you the honor of a gentleman, and of a Frenchman, that we intend you no -injury. I perfectly well know that you are innocent of the atrocities -in the Rue Morgue. It will not do, however, to deny that you are in some -measure implicated in them. From what I have already said, you must know -that I have had means of information about this matter--means of which -you could never have dreamed. Now the thing stands thus. You have done -nothing which you could have avoided--nothing, certainly, which renders -you culpable. You were not even guilty of robbery, when you might have -robbed with impunity. You have nothing to conceal. You have no reason -for concealment. On the other hand, you are bound by every principle -of honor to confess all you know. An innocent man is now imprisoned, -charged with that crime of which you can point out the perpetrator." - -The sailor had recovered his presence of mind, in a great measure, while -Dupin uttered these words; but his original boldness of bearing was all -gone. - -"So help me God," said he, after a brief pause, "I will tell you all I -know about this affair;--but I do not expect you to believe one half I -say--I would be a fool indeed if I did. Still, I am innocent, and I will -make a clean breast if I die for it." - -What he stated was, in substance, this. He had lately made a voyage -to the Indian Archipelago. A party, of which he formed one, landed -at Borneo, and passed into the interior on an excursion of pleasure. -Himself and a companion had captured the Ourang-Outang. This companion -dying, the animal fell into his own exclusive possession. After great -trouble, occasioned by the intractable ferocity of his captive during -the home voyage, he at length succeeded in lodging it safely at his own -residence in Paris, where, not to attract toward himself the unpleasant -curiosity of his neighbors, he kept it carefully secluded, until such -time as it should recover from a wound in the foot, received from a -splinter on board ship. His ultimate design was to sell it. - -Returning home from some sailors' frolic the night, or rather in the -morning of the murder, he found the beast occupying his own bed-room, -into which it had broken from a closet adjoining, where it had been, as -was thought, securely confined. Razor in hand, and fully lathered, it -was sitting before a looking-glass, attempting the operation of shaving, -in which it had no doubt previously watched its master through the -key-hole of the closet. Terrified at the sight of so dangerous a weapon -in the possession of an animal so ferocious, and so well able to use -it, the man, for some moments, was at a loss what to do. He had been -accustomed, however, to quiet the creature, even in its fiercest moods, -by the use of a whip, and to this he now resorted. Upon sight of it, the -Ourang-Outang sprang at once through the door of the chamber, down -the stairs, and thence, through a window, unfortunately open, into the -street. - -The Frenchman followed in despair; the ape, razor still in hand, -occasionally stopping to look back and gesticulate at its pursuer, until -the latter had nearly come up with it. It then again made off. In this -manner the chase continued for a long time. The streets were profoundly -quiet, as it was nearly three o'clock in the morning. In passing down -an alley in the rear of the Rue Morgue, the fugitive's attention was -arrested by a light gleaming from the open window of Madame L'Espanaye's -chamber, in the fourth story of her house. Rushing to the building, it -perceived the lightning rod, clambered up with inconceivable agility, -grasped the shutter, which was thrown fully back against the wall, and, -by its means, swung itself directly upon the headboard of the bed. The -whole feat did not occupy a minute. The shutter was kicked open again by -the Ourang-Outang as it entered the room. - -The sailor, in the meantime, was both rejoiced and perplexed. He had -strong hopes of now recapturing the brute, as it could scarcely escape -from the trap into which it had ventured, except by the rod, where it -might be intercepted as it came down. On the other hand, there was -much cause for anxiety as to what it might do in the house. This latter -reflection urged the man still to follow the fugitive. A lightning rod -is ascended without difficulty, especially by a sailor; but, when he had -arrived as high as the window, which lay far to his left, his career was -stopped; the most that he could accomplish was to reach over so as to -obtain a glimpse of the interior of the room. At this glimpse he nearly -fell from his hold through excess of horror. Now it was that those -hideous shrieks arose upon the night, which had startled from slumber -the inmates of the Rue Morgue. Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter, -habited in their night clothes, had apparently been occupied in -arranging some papers in the iron chest already mentioned, which had -been wheeled into the middle of the room. It was open, and its contents -lay beside it on the floor. The victims must have been sitting with -their backs toward the window; and, from the time elapsing between the -ingress of the beast and the screams, it seems probable that it was not -immediately perceived. The flapping-to of the shutter would naturally -have been attributed to the wind. - -As the sailor looked in, the gigantic animal had seized Madame -L'Espanaye by the hair, (which was loose, as she had been combing -it,) and was flourishing the razor about her face, in imitation of the -motions of a barber. The daughter lay prostrate and motionless; she had -swooned. The screams and struggles of the old lady (during which the -hair was torn from her head) had the effect of changing the probably -pacific purposes of the Ourang-Outang into those of wrath. With one -determined sweep of its muscular arm it nearly severed her head from her -body. The sight of blood inflamed its anger into phrenzy. Gnashing its -teeth, and flashing fire from its eyes, it flew upon the body of the -girl, and imbedded its fearful talons in her throat, retaining its grasp -until she expired. Its wandering and wild glances fell at this moment -upon the head of the bed, over which the face of its master, rigid with -horror, was just discernible. The fury of the beast, who no doubt bore -still in mind the dreaded whip, was instantly converted into fear. -Conscious of having deserved punishment, it seemed desirous of -concealing its bloody deeds, and skipped about the chamber in an agony -of nervous agitation; throwing down and breaking the furniture as it -moved, and dragging the bed from the bedstead. In conclusion, it seized -first the corpse of the daughter, and thrust it up the chimney, as -it was found; then that of the old lady, which it immediately hurled -through the window headlong. - -As the ape approached the casement with its mutilated burden, the sailor -shrank aghast to the rod, and, rather gliding than clambering down it, -hurried at once home--dreading the consequences of the butchery, and -gladly abandoning, in his terror, all solicitude about the fate of the -Ourang-Outang. The words heard by the party upon the staircase were the -Frenchman's exclamations of horror and affright, commingled with the -fiendish jabberings of the brute. - -I have scarcely anything to add. The Ourang-Outang must have escaped -from the chamber, by the rod, just before the break of the door. It -must have closed the window as it passed through it. It was subsequently -caught by the owner himself, who obtained for it a very large sum at the -_Jardin des Plantes._ Le Don was instantly released, upon our narration -of the circumstances (with some comments from Dupin) at the bureau of -the Prefect of Police. This functionary, however well disposed to my -friend, could not altogether conceal his chagrin at the turn which -affairs had taken, and was fain to indulge in a sarcasm or two, about -the propriety of every person minding his own business. - -"Let him talk," said Dupin, who had not thought it necessary to reply. -"Let him discourse; it will ease his conscience, I am satisfied with -having defeated him in his own castle. Nevertheless, that he failed -in the solution of this mystery, is by no means that matter for wonder -which he supposes it; for, in truth, our friend the Prefect is somewhat -too cunning to be profound. In his wisdom is no _stamen._ It is all head -and no body, like the pictures of the Goddess Laverna,--or, at best, all -head and shoulders, like a codfish. But he is a good creature after all. -I like him especially for one master stroke of cant, by which he has -attained his reputation for ingenuity. I mean the way he has '_de nier -ce qui est, et d'expliquer ce qui n'est pas._'" (*) - -(*) Rousseau--Nouvelle Heloise. - - - - -THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET.(*1) - -A SEQUEL TO "THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE." - - - Es giebt eine Reihe idealischer Begebenheiten, die der Wirklichkeit - parallel lauft. Selten fallen sie zusammen. Menschen und zufalle - modifieiren gewohulich die idealische Begebenheit, so dass sie - unvollkommen erscheint, und ihre Folgen gleichfalls unvollkommen - sind. So bei der Reformation; statt des Protestantismus kam das - Lutherthum hervor. - - There are ideal series of events which run parallel with the real - ones. They rarely coincide. Men and circumstances generally modify - the ideal train of events, so that it seems imperfect, and its - consequences are equally imperfect. Thus with the Reformation; - instead of Protestantism came Lutheranism. - - --Novalis. (*2) Moral Ansichten. - -THERE are few persons, even among the calmest thinkers, who have not -occasionally been startled into a vague yet thrilling half-credence in -the supernatural, by coincidences of so seemingly marvellous a character -that, as mere coincidences, the intellect has been unable to receive -them. Such sentiments--for the half-credences of which I speak have -never the full force of thought--such sentiments are seldom thoroughly -stifled unless by reference to the doctrine of chance, or, as it is -technically termed, the Calculus of Probabilities. Now this Calculus is, -in its essence, purely mathematical; and thus we have the anomaly of the -most rigidly exact in science applied to the shadow and spirituality of -the most intangible in speculation. - -The extraordinary details which I am now called upon to make public, -will be found to form, as regards sequence of time, the primary branch -of a series of scarcely intelligible coincidences, whose secondary or -concluding branch will be recognized by all readers in the late murder -of Mary Cecila Rogers, at New York. - -When, in an article entitled "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," I -endeavored, about a year ago, to depict some very remarkable features -in the mental character of my friend, the Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, -it did not occur to me that I should ever resume the subject. This -depicting of character constituted my design; and this design was -thoroughly fulfilled in the wild train of circumstances brought to -instance Dupin's idiosyncrasy. I might have adduced other examples, but -I should have proven no more. Late events, however, in their surprising -development, have startled me into some farther details, which will -carry with them the air of extorted confession. Hearing what I have -lately heard, it would be indeed strange should I remain silent in -regard to what I both heard and saw so long ago. - -Upon the winding up of the tragedy involved in the deaths of Madame -L'Espanaye and her daughter, the Chevalier dismissed the affair at once -from his attention, and relapsed into his old habits of moody reverie. -Prone, at all times, to abstraction, I readily fell in with his humor; -and, continuing to occupy our chambers in the Faubourg Saint Germain, we -gave the Future to the winds, and slumbered tranquilly in the Present, -weaving the dull world around us into dreams. - -But these dreams were not altogether uninterrupted. It may readily be -supposed that the part played by my friend, in the drama at the Rue -Morgue, had not failed of its impression upon the fancies of the -Parisian police. With its emissaries, the name of Dupin had grown into a -household word. The simple character of those inductions by which he -had disentangled the mystery never having been explained even to the -Prefect, or to any other individual than myself, of course it is not -surprising that the affair was regarded as little less than miraculous, -or that the Chevalier's analytical abilities acquired for him the -credit of intuition. His frankness would have led him to disabuse every -inquirer of such prejudice; but his indolent humor forbade all farther -agitation of a topic whose interest to himself had long ceased. It thus -happened that he found himself the cynosure of the political eyes; and -the cases were not few in which attempt was made to engage his services -at the Prefecture. One of the most remarkable instances was that of the -murder of a young girl named Marie Rogt. - -This event occurred about two years after the atrocity in the Rue -Morgue. Marie, whose Christian and family name will at once arrest -attention from their resemblance to those of the unfortunate -"cigargirl," was the only daughter of the widow Estelle Rogt. The -father had died during the child's infancy, and from the period of his -death, until within eighteen months before the assassination which forms -the subject of our narrative, the mother and daughter had dwelt together -in the Rue Pave Saint Andre; (*3) Madame there keeping a pension, -assisted by Marie. Affairs went on thus until the latter had attained -her twenty-second year, when her great beauty attracted the notice of a -perfumer, who occupied one of the shops in the basement of the Palais -Royal, and whose custom lay chiefly among the desperate adventurers -infesting that neighborhood. Monsieur Le Blanc (*4) was not unaware of -the advantages to be derived from the attendance of the fair Marie in -his perfumery; and his liberal proposals were accepted eagerly by the -girl, although with somewhat more of hesitation by Madame. - -The anticipations of the shopkeeper were realized, and his rooms soon -became notorious through the charms of the sprightly grisette. She had -been in his employ about a year, when her admirers were thrown info -confusion by her sudden disappearance from the shop. Monsieur Le Blanc -was unable to account for her absence, and Madame Rogt was distracted -with anxiety and terror. The public papers immediately took up -the theme, and the police were upon the point of making serious -investigations, when, one fine morning, after the lapse of a week, -Marie, in good health, but with a somewhat saddened air, made her -re-appearance at her usual counter in the perfumery. All inquiry, except -that of a private character, was of course immediately hushed. Monsieur -Le Blanc professed total ignorance, as before. Marie, with Madame, -replied to all questions, that the last week had been spent at the -house of a relation in the country. Thus the affair died away, and was -generally forgotten; for the girl, ostensibly to relieve herself from -the impertinence of curiosity, soon bade a final adieu to the perfumer, -and sought the shelter of her mother's residence in the Rue Pave Saint -Andre. - -It was about five months after this return home, that her friends were -alarmed by her sudden disappearance for the second time. Three days -elapsed, and nothing was heard of her. On the fourth her corpse was -found floating in the Seine, * near the shore which is opposite the -Quartier of the Rue Saint Andree, and at a point not very far distant -from the secluded neighborhood of the Barrire du Roule. (*6) - -The atrocity of this murder, (for it was at once evident that murder had -been committed,) the youth and beauty of the victim, and, above all, her -previous notoriety, conspired to produce intense excitement in the minds -of the sensitive Parisians. I can call to mind no similar occurrence -producing so general and so intense an effect. For several weeks, in -the discussion of this one absorbing theme, even the momentous political -topics of the day were forgotten. The Prefect made unusual exertions; -and the powers of the whole Parisian police were, of course, tasked to -the utmost extent. - -Upon the first discovery of the corpse, it was not supposed that the -murderer would be able to elude, for more than a very brief period, -the inquisition which was immediately set on foot. It was not until the -expiration of a week that it was deemed necessary to offer a reward; and -even then this reward was limited to a thousand francs. In the mean time -the investigation proceeded with vigor, if not always with judgment, and -numerous individuals were examined to no purpose; while, owing to the -continual absence of all clue to the mystery, the popular excitement -greatly increased. At the end of the tenth day it was thought advisable -to double the sum originally proposed; and, at length, the second week -having elapsed without leading to any discoveries, and the prejudice -which always exists in Paris against the Police having given vent to -itself in several serious meutes, the Prefect took it upon himself -to offer the sum of twenty thousand francs "for the conviction of the -assassin," or, if more than one should prove to have been implicated, -"for the conviction of any one of the assassins." In the proclamation -setting forth this reward, a full pardon was promised to any accomplice -who should come forward in evidence against his fellow; and to the whole -was appended, wherever it appeared, the private placard of a committee -of citizens, offering ten thousand francs, in addition to the amount -proposed by the Prefecture. The entire reward thus stood at no less than -thirty thousand francs, which will be regarded as an extraordinary -sum when we consider the humble condition of the girl, and the great -frequency, in large cities, of such atrocities as the one described. - -No one doubted now that the mystery of this murder would be immediately -brought to light. But although, in one or two instances, arrests were -made which promised elucidation, yet nothing was elicited which could -implicate the parties suspected; and they were discharged forthwith. -Strange as it may appear, the third week from the discovery of the body -had passed, and passed without any light being thrown upon the subject, -before even a rumor of the events which had so agitated the public -mind, reached the ears of Dupin and myself. Engaged in researches which -absorbed our whole attention, it had been nearly a month since either of -us had gone abroad, or received a visiter, or more than glanced at -the leading political articles in one of the daily papers. The first -intelligence of the murder was brought us by G ----, in person. He -called upon us early in the afternoon of the thirteenth of July, 18--, -and remained with us until late in the night. He had been piqued by -the failure of all his endeavors to ferret out the assassins. His -reputation--so he said with a peculiarly Parisian air--was at stake. -Even his honor was concerned. The eyes of the public were upon him; and -there was really no sacrifice which he would not be willing to make for -the development of the mystery. He concluded a somewhat droll speech -with a compliment upon what he was pleased to term the tact of Dupin, -and made him a direct, and certainly a liberal proposition, the precise -nature of which I do not feel myself at liberty to disclose, but which -has no bearing upon the proper subject of my narrative. - -The compliment my friend rebutted as best he could, but the proposition -he accepted at once, although its advantages were altogether -provisional. This point being settled, the Prefect broke forth at -once into explanations of his own views, interspersing them with -long comments upon the evidence; of which latter we were not yet in -possession. He discoursed much, and beyond doubt, learnedly; while -I hazarded an occasional suggestion as the night wore drowsily away. -Dupin, sitting steadily in his accustomed arm-chair, was the embodiment -of respectful attention. He wore spectacles, during the whole interview; -and an occasional signal glance beneath their green glasses, sufficed -to convince me that he slept not the less soundly, because silently, -throughout the seven or eight leaden-footed hours which immediately -preceded the departure of the Prefect. - -In the morning, I procured, at the Prefecture, a full report of all -the evidence elicited, and, at the various newspaper offices, a copy -of every paper in which, from first to last, had been published any -decisive information in regard to this sad affair. Freed from all that -was positively disproved, this mass of information stood thus: - -Marie Rogt left the residence of her mother, in the Rue Pave -St. Andre, about nine o'clock in the morning of Sunday June the -twenty-second, 18--. In going out, she gave notice to a Monsieur Jacques -St. Eustache, (*7) and to him only, of her intent intention to spend the -day with an aunt who resided in the Rue des Drmes. The Rue des Drmes -is a short and narrow but populous thoroughfare, not far from the banks -of the river, and at a distance of some two miles, in the most direct -course possible, from the pension of Madame Rogt. St. Eustache was the -accepted suitor of Marie, and lodged, as well as took his meals, at -the pension. He was to have gone for his betrothed at dusk, and to -have escorted her home. In the afternoon, however, it came on to rain -heavily; and, supposing that she would remain all night at her aunt's, -(as she had done under similar circumstances before,) he did not think -it necessary to keep his promise. As night drew on, Madame Rogt (who -was an infirm old lady, seventy years of age,) was heard to express -a fear "that she should never see Marie again;" but this observation -attracted little attention at the time. - -On Monday, it was ascertained that the girl had not been to the Rue des -Drmes; and when the day elapsed without tidings of her, a tardy search -was instituted at several points in the city, and its environs. It was -not, however until the fourth day from the period of disappearance that -any thing satisfactory was ascertained respecting her. On this day, -(Wednesday, the twenty-fifth of June,) a Monsieur Beauvais, (*8) who, -with a friend, had been making inquiries for Marie near the Barrire -du Roule, on the shore of the Seine which is opposite the Rue Pave St. -Andre, was informed that a corpse had just been towed ashore by some -fishermen, who had found it floating in the river. Upon seeing the -body, Beauvais, after some hesitation, identified it as that of the -perfumery-girl. His friend recognized it more promptly. - -The face was suffused with dark blood, some of which issued from the -mouth. No foam was seen, as in the case of the merely drowned. There was -no discoloration in the cellular tissue. About the throat were bruises -and impressions of fingers. The arms were bent over on the chest and -were rigid. The right hand was clenched; the left partially open. On -the left wrist were two circular excoriations, apparently the effect -of ropes, or of a rope in more than one volution. A part of the right -wrist, also, was much chafed, as well as the back throughout its extent, -but more especially at the shoulder-blades. In bringing the body to -the shore the fishermen had attached to it a rope; but none of the -excoriations had been effected by this. The flesh of the neck was much -swollen. There were no cuts apparent, or bruises which appeared the -effect of blows. A piece of lace was found tied so tightly around the -neck as to be hidden from sight; it was completely buried in the flesh, -and was fasted by a knot which lay just under the left ear. This alone -would have sufficed to produce death. The medical testimony spoke -confidently of the virtuous character of the deceased. She had been -subjected, it said, to brutal violence. The corpse was in such condition -when found, that there could have been no difficulty in its recognition -by friends. - -The dress was much torn and otherwise disordered. In the outer garment, -a slip, about a foot wide, had been torn upward from the bottom hem to -the waist, but not torn off. It was wound three times around the waist, -and secured by a sort of hitch in the back. The dress immediately -beneath the frock was of fine muslin; and from this a slip eighteen -inches wide had been torn entirely out--torn very evenly and with great -care. It was found around her neck, fitting loosely, and secured with a -hard knot. Over this muslin slip and the slip of lace, the strings of a -bonnet were attached; the bonnet being appended. The knot by which the -strings of the bonnet were fastened, was not a lady's, but a slip or -sailor's knot. - -After the recognition of the corpse, it was not, as usual, taken to the -Morgue, (this formality being superfluous,) but hastily interred not far -from the spot at which it was brought ashore. Through the exertions of -Beauvais, the matter was industriously hushed up, as far as possible; -and several days had elapsed before any public emotion resulted. A -weekly paper, (*9) however, at length took up the theme; the corpse was -disinterred, and a re-examination instituted; but nothing was elicited -beyond what has been already noted. The clothes, however, were -now submitted to the mother and friends of the deceased, and fully -identified as those worn by the girl upon leaving home. - -Meantime, the excitement increased hourly. Several individuals were -arrested and discharged. St. Eustache fell especially under suspicion; -and he failed, at first, to give an intelligible account of his -whereabouts during the Sunday on which Marie left home. Subsequently, -however, he submitted to Monsieur G----, affidavits, accounting -satisfactorily for every hour of the day in question. As time passed and -no discovery ensued, a thousand contradictory rumors were circulated, -and journalists busied themselves in suggestions. Among these, the one -which attracted the most notice, was the idea that Marie Rogt still -lived--that the corpse found in the Seine was that of some other -unfortunate. It will be proper that I submit to the reader some passages -which embody the suggestion alluded to. These passages are literal -translations from L'Etoile, (*10) a paper conducted, in general, with -much ability. - -"Mademoiselle Rogt left her mother's house on Sunday morning, June the -twenty-second, 18--, with the ostensible purpose of going to see her -aunt, or some other connexion, in the Rue des Drmes. From that hour, -nobody is proved to have seen her. There is no trace or tidings of her -at all.... There has no person, whatever, come forward, so far, who -saw her at all, on that day, after she left her mother's door.... Now, -though we have no evidence that Marie Rogt was in the land of the -living after nine o'clock on Sunday, June the twenty-second, we have -proof that, up to that hour, she was alive. On Wednesday noon, at -twelve, a female body was discovered afloat on the shore of the Barrire -de Roule. This was, even if we presume that Marie Rogt was thrown into -the river within three hours after she left her mother's house, only -three days from the time she left her home--three days to an hour. But -it is folly to suppose that the murder, if murder was committed on -her body, could have been consummated soon enough to have enabled her -murderers to throw the body into the river before midnight. Those who -are guilty of such horrid crimes, choose darkness rather the light.... -Thus we see that if the body found in the river was that of Marie Rogt, -it could only have been in the water two and a half days, or three at -the outside. All experience has shown that drowned bodies, or bodies -thrown into the water immediately after death by violence, require from -six to ten days for decomposition to take place to bring them to the top -of the water. Even where a cannon is fired over a corpse, and it rises -before at least five or six days' immersion, it sinks again, if let -alone. Now, we ask, what was there in this cave to cause a departure -from the ordinary course of nature?... If the body had been kept in its -mangled state on shore until Tuesday night, some trace would be found on -shore of the murderers. It is a doubtful point, also, whether the body -would be so soon afloat, even were it thrown in after having been -dead two days. And, furthermore, it is exceedingly improbable that any -villains who had committed such a murder as is here supposed, would -have thrown the body in without weight to sink it, when such a precaution -could have so easily been taken." - -The editor here proceeds to argue that the body must have been in the -water "not three days merely, but, at least, five times three days," -because it was so far decomposed that Beauvais had great difficulty -in recognizing it. This latter point, however, was fully disproved. I -continue the translation: - -"What, then, are the facts on which M. Beauvais says that he has no -doubt the body was that of Marie Rogt? He ripped up the gown sleeve, -and says he found marks which satisfied him of the identity. The public -generally supposed those marks to have consisted of some description -of scars. He rubbed the arm and found hair upon it--something as -indefinite, we think, as can readily be imagined--as little conclusive -as finding an arm in the sleeve. M. Beauvais did not return that night, -but sent word to Madame Rogt, at seven o'clock, on Wednesday evening, -that an investigation was still in progress respecting her daughter. If -we allow that Madame Rogt, from her age and grief, could not go over, -(which is allowing a great deal,) there certainly must have been some -one who would have thought it worth while to go over and attend the -investigation, if they thought the body was that of Marie. Nobody went -over. There was nothing said or heard about the matter in the Rue Pave -St. Andre, that reached even the occupants of the same building. M. St. -Eustache, the lover and intended husband of Marie, who boarded in her -mother's house, deposes that he did not hear of the discovery of the -body of his intended until the next morning, when M. Beauvais came -into his chamber and told him of it. For an item of news like this, it -strikes us it was very coolly received." - -In this way the journal endeavored to create the impression of an apathy -on the part of the relatives of Marie, inconsistent with the supposition -that these relatives believed the corpse to be hers. Its insinuations -amount to this:--that Marie, with the connivance of her friends, had -absented herself from the city for reasons involving a charge against -her chastity; and that these friends, upon the discovery of a corpse in -the Seine, somewhat resembling that of the girl, had availed themselves -of the opportunity to impress the public with the belief of her -death. But L'Etoile was again over-hasty. It was distinctly proved -that no apathy, such as was imagined, existed; that the old lady was -exceedingly feeble, and so agitated as to be unable to attend to any -duty, that St. Eustache, so far from receiving the news coolly, was -distracted with grief, and bore himself so frantically, that M. Beauvais -prevailed upon a friend and relative to take charge of him, and prevent -his attending the examination at the disinterment. Moreover, although -it was stated by L'Etoile, that the corpse was re-interred at the public -expense--that an advantageous offer of private sculpture was absolutely -declined by the family--and that no member of the family attended the -ceremonial:--although, I say, all this was asserted by L'Etoile in -furtherance of the impression it designed to convey--yet all this -was satisfactorily disproved. In a subsequent number of the paper, an -attempt was made to throw suspicion upon Beauvais himself. The editor -says: - -"Now, then, a change comes over the matter. We are told that on one -occasion, while a Madame B---- was at Madame Rogt's house, M. Beauvais, -who was going out, told her that a gendarme was expected there, and she, -Madame B., must not say anything to the gendarme until he returned, -but let the matter be for him.... In the present posture of affairs, -M. Beauvais appears to have the whole matter locked up in his head. A -single step cannot be taken without M. Beauvais; for, go which way you -will, you run against him.... For some reason, he determined that nobody -shall have any thing to do with the proceedings but himself, and he -has elbowed the male relatives out of the way, according to their -representations, in a very singular manner. He seems to have been very -much averse to permitting the relatives to see the body." - -By the following fact, some color was given to the suspicion thus thrown -upon Beauvais. A visiter at his office, a few days prior to the girl's -disappearance, and during the absence of its occupant, had observed a -rose in the key-hole of the door, and the name "Marie" inscribed upon a -slate which hung near at hand. - -The general impression, so far as we were enabled to glean it from the -newspapers, seemed to be, that Marie had been the victim of a gang -of desperadoes--that by these she had been borne across the river, -maltreated and murdered. Le Commerciel, (*11) however, a print of -extensive influence, was earnest in combating this popular idea. I quote -a passage or two from its columns: - -"We are persuaded that pursuit has hitherto been on a false scent, so -far as it has been directed to the Barrire du Roule. It is impossible -that a person so well known to thousands as this young woman was, should -have passed three blocks without some one having seen her; and any one -who saw her would have remembered it, for she interested all who knew -her. It was when the streets were full of people, when she went out.... -It is impossible that she could have gone to the Barrire du Roule, or -to the Rue des Drmes, without being recognized by a dozen persons; yet -no one has come forward who saw her outside of her mother's door, and -there is no evidence, except the testimony concerning her expressed -intentions, that she did go out at all. Her gown was torn, bound round -her, and tied; and by that the body was carried as a bundle. If the -murder had been committed at the Barrire du Roule, there would have -been no necessity for any such arrangement. The fact that the body was -found floating near the Barrire, is no proof as to where it was thrown -into the water..... A piece of one of the unfortunate girl's petticoats, -two feet long and one foot wide, was torn out and tied under her chin -around the back of her head, probably to prevent screams. This was done -by fellows who had no pocket-handkerchief." - -A day or two before the Prefect called upon us, however, some important -information reached the police, which seemed to overthrow, at least, -the chief portion of Le Commerciel's argument. Two small boys, sons of a -Madame Deluc, while roaming among the woods near the Barrire du Roule, -chanced to penetrate a close thicket, within which were three or four -large stones, forming a kind of seat, with a back and footstool. On -the upper stone lay a white petticoat; on the second a silk scarf. A -parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief were also here found. The -handkerchief bore the name "Marie Rogt." Fragments of dress were -discovered on the brambles around. The earth was trampled, the bushes -were broken, and there was every evidence of a struggle. Between the -thicket and the river, the fences were found taken down, and the ground -bore evidence of some heavy burthen having been dragged along it. - -A weekly paper, Le Soleil,(*12) had the following comments upon this -discovery--comments which merely echoed the sentiment of the whole -Parisian press: - -"The things had all evidently been there at least three or four weeks; -they were all mildewed down hard with the action of the rain and stuck -together from mildew. The grass had grown around and over some of them. -The silk on the parasol was strong, but the threads of it were run -together within. The upper part, where it had been doubled and folded, -was all mildewed and rotten, and tore on its being opened..... The -pieces of her frock torn out by the bushes were about three inches wide -and six inches long. One part was the hem of the frock, and it had been -mended; the other piece was part of the skirt, not the hem. They looked -like strips torn off, and were on the thorn bush, about a foot from -the ground..... There can be no doubt, therefore, that the spot of this -appalling outrage has been discovered." - -Consequent upon this discovery, new evidence appeared. Madame Deluc -testified that she keeps a roadside inn not far from the bank of the -river, opposite the Barrire du Roule. The neighborhood is -secluded--particularly so. It is the usual Sunday resort of blackguards -from the city, who cross the river in boats. About three o'clock, in the -afternoon of the Sunday in question, a young girl arrived at the inn, -accompanied by a young man of dark complexion. The two remained here for -some time. On their departure, they took the road to some thick woods in -the vicinity. Madame Deluc's attention was called to the dress worn by -the girl, on account of its resemblance to one worn by a deceased -relative. A scarf was particularly noticed. Soon after the departure of -the couple, a gang of miscreants made their appearance, behaved -boisterously, ate and drank without making payment, followed in the -route of the young man and girl, returned to the inn about dusk, and -re-crossed the river as if in great haste. - -It was soon after dark, upon this same evening, that Madame Deluc, as -well as her eldest son, heard the screams of a female in the vicinity -of the inn. The screams were violent but brief. Madame D. recognized not -only the scarf which was found in the thicket, but the dress which was -discovered upon the corpse. An omnibus driver, Valence, (*13) now also -testified that he saw Marie Rogt cross a ferry on the Seine, on the -Sunday in question, in company with a young man of dark complexion. -He, Valence, knew Marie, and could not be mistaken in her identity. The -articles found in the thicket were fully identified by the relatives of -Marie. - -The items of evidence and information thus collected by myself, from -the newspapers, at the suggestion of Dupin, embraced only one more -point--but this was a point of seemingly vast consequence. It appears -that, immediately after the discovery of the clothes as above described, -the lifeless, or nearly lifeless body of St. Eustache, Marie's -betrothed, was found in the vicinity of what all now supposed the scene -of the outrage. A phial labelled "laudanum," and emptied, was found near -him. His breath gave evidence of the poison. He died without speaking. -Upon his person was found a letter, briefly stating his love for Marie, -with his design of self-destruction. - -"I need scarcely tell you," said Dupin, as he finished the perusal of -my notes, "that this is a far more intricate case than that of the -Rue Morgue; from which it differs in one important respect. This is -an ordinary, although an atrocious instance of crime. There is nothing -peculiarly outr about it. You will observe that, for this reason, the -mystery has been considered easy, when, for this reason, it should have -been considered difficult, of solution. Thus; at first, it was thought -unnecessary to offer a reward. The myrmidons of G---- were able at once -to comprehend how and why such an atrocity might have been committed. -They could picture to their imaginations a mode--many modes--and a -motive--many motives; and because it was not impossible that either of -these numerous modes and motives could have been the actual one, they -have taken it for granted that one of them must. But the case with which -these variable fancies were entertained, and the very plausibility which -each assumed, should have been understood as indicative rather of the -difficulties than of the facilities which must attend elucidation. I -have before observed that it is by prominences above the plane of the -ordinary, that reason feels her way, if at all, in her search for the -true, and that the proper question in cases such as this, is not so -much 'what has occurred?' as 'what has occurred that has never occurred -before?' In the investigations at the house of Madame L'Espanaye, -(*14) the agents of G---- were discouraged and confounded by that -very unusualness which, to a properly regulated intellect, would have -afforded the surest omen of success; while this same intellect might -have been plunged in despair at the ordinary character of all that met -the eye in the case of the perfumery-girl, and yet told of nothing but -easy triumph to the functionaries of the Prefecture. - -"In the case of Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter there was, even -at the beginning of our investigation, no doubt that murder had been -committed. The idea of suicide was excluded at once. Here, too, we are -freed, at the commencement, from all supposition of self-murder. The -body found at the Barrire du Roule, was found under such circumstances -as to leave us no room for embarrassment upon this important point. But -it has been suggested that the corpse discovered, is not that of the -Marie Rogt for the conviction of whose assassin, or assassins, the -reward is offered, and respecting whom, solely, our agreement has been -arranged with the Prefect. We both know this gentleman well. It will not -do to trust him too far. If, dating our inquiries from the body found, -and thence tracing a murderer, we yet discover this body to be that of -some other individual than Marie; or, if starting from the living Marie, -we find her, yet find her unassassinated--in either case we lose our -labor; since it is Monsieur G---- with whom we have to deal. For our -own purpose, therefore, if not for the purpose of justice, it is -indispensable that our first step should be the determination of the -identity of the corpse with the Marie Rogt who is missing. - -"With the public the arguments of L'Etoile have had weight; and that the -journal itself is convinced of their importance would appear from -the manner in which it commences one of its essays upon the -subject--'Several of the morning papers of the day,' it says, 'speak of -the _conclusive_ article in Monday's Etoile.' To me, this article -appears conclusive of little beyond the zeal of its inditer. We should -bear in mind that, in general, it is the object of our newspapers rather -to create a sensation--to make a point--than to further the cause of -truth. The latter end is only pursued when it seems coincident with the -former. The print which merely falls in with ordinary opinion (however -well founded this opinion may be) earns for itself no credit with the -mob. The mass of the people regard as profound only him who suggests -_pungent contradictions_ of the general idea. In ratiocination, not less -than in literature, it is the epigram which is the most immediately and -the most universally appreciated. In both, it is of the lowest order of -merit. - -"What I mean to say is, that it is the mingled epigram and melodrame -of the idea, that Marie Rogt still lives, rather than any true -plausibility in this idea, which have suggested it to L'Etoile, and -secured it a favorable reception with the public. Let us examine the -heads of this journal's argument; endeavoring to avoid the incoherence -with which it is originally set forth. - -"The first aim of the writer is to show, from the brevity of the -interval between Marie's disappearance and the finding of the floating -corpse, that this corpse cannot be that of Marie. The reduction of this -interval to its smallest possible dimension, becomes thus, at once, an -object with the reasoner. In the rash pursuit of this object, he rushes -into mere assumption at the outset. 'It is folly to suppose,' he says, -'that the murder, if murder was committed on her body, could have been -consummated soon enough to have enabled her murderers to throw the body -into the river before midnight.' We demand at once, and very naturally, -why? Why is it folly to suppose that the murder was committed _within -five minutes_ after the girl's quitting her mother's house? Why is it -folly to suppose that the murder was committed at any given period -of the day? There have been assassinations at all hours. But, had the -murder taken place at any moment between nine o'clock in the morning of -Sunday, and a quarter before midnight, there would still have been -time enough 'to throw the body into the river before midnight.' This -assumption, then, amounts precisely to this--that the murder was not -committed on Sunday at all--and, if we allow L'Etoile to assume this, -we may permit it any liberties whatever. The paragraph beginning 'It is -folly to suppose that the murder, etc.,' however it appears as printed -in L'Etoile, may be imagined to have existed actually thus in the brain -of its inditer--'It is folly to suppose that the murder, if murder was -committed on the body, could have been committed soon enough to have -enabled her murderers to throw the body into the river before midnight; -it is folly, we say, to suppose all this, and to suppose at the same -time, (as we are resolved to suppose,) that the body was not thrown -in until after midnight'--a sentence sufficiently inconsequential in -itself, but not so utterly preposterous as the one printed. - -"Were it my purpose," continued Dupin, "merely to _make out a case_ -against this passage of L'Etoile's argument, I might safely leave it -where it is. It is not, however, with L'Etoile that we have to do, but -with the truth. The sentence in question has but one meaning, as it -stands; and this meaning I have fairly stated: but it is material -that we go behind the mere words, for an idea which these words have -obviously intended, and failed to convey. It was the design of the -journalist to say that, at whatever period of the day or night of Sunday -this murder was committed, it was improbable that the assassins would -have ventured to bear the corpse to the river before midnight. And -herein lies, really, the assumption of which I complain. It is assumed -that the murder was committed at such a position, and under such -circumstances, that the bearing it to the river became necessary. Now, -the assassination might have taken place upon the river's brink, or on -the river itself; and, thus, the throwing the corpse in the water might -have been resorted to, at any period of the day or night, as the most -obvious and most immediate mode of disposal. You will understand that I -suggest nothing here as probable, or as cincident with my own opinion. -My design, so far, has no reference to the facts of the case. I wish -merely to caution you against the whole tone of L'Etoile's suggestion, -by calling your attention to its ex parte character at the outset. - -"Having prescribed thus a limit to suit its own preconceived notions; -having assumed that, if this were the body of Marie, it could have been -in the water but a very brief time; the journal goes on to say: - -'All experience has shown that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown into the -water immediately after death by violence, require from six to ten days -for sufficient decomposition to take place to bring them to the top -of the water. Even when a cannon is fired over a corpse, and it rises -before at least five or six days' immersion, it sinks again if let -alone.' - -"These assertions have been tacitly received by every paper in Paris, -with the exception of Le Moniteur. (*15) This latter print endeavors -to combat that portion of the paragraph which has reference to 'drowned -bodies' only, by citing some five or six instances in which the bodies -of individuals known to be drowned were found floating after the lapse -of less time than is insisted upon by L'Etoile. But there is something -excessively unphilosophical in the attempt on the part of Le Moniteur, -to rebut the general assertion of L'Etoile, by a citation of particular -instances militating against that assertion. Had it been possible to -adduce fifty instead of five examples of bodies found floating at the -end of two or three days, these fifty examples could still have been -properly regarded only as exceptions to L'Etoile's rule, until such time -as the rule itself should be confuted. Admitting the rule, (and this -Le Moniteur does not deny, insisting merely upon its exceptions,) the -argument of L'Etoile is suffered to remain in full force; for this -argument does not pretend to involve more than a question of the -probability of the body having risen to the surface in less than three -days; and this probability will be in favor of L'Etoile's position until -the instances so childishly adduced shall be sufficient in number to -establish an antagonistical rule. - -"You will see at once that all argument upon this head should be urged, -if at all, against the rule itself; and for this end we must examine the -rationale of the rule. Now the human body, in general, is neither much -lighter nor much heavier than the water of the Seine; that is to say, -the specific gravity of the human body, in its natural condition, is -about equal to the bulk of fresh water which it displaces. The bodies -of fat and fleshy persons, with small bones, and of women generally, -are lighter than those of the lean and large-boned, and of men; and the -specific gravity of the water of a river is somewhat influenced by the -presence of the tide from sea. But, leaving this tide out of question, -it may be said that very few human bodies will sink at all, even in -fresh water, of their own accord. Almost any one, falling into a river, -will be enabled to float, if he suffer the specific gravity of the water -fairly to be adduced in comparison with his own--that is to say, if -he suffer his whole person to be immersed, with as little exception as -possible. The proper position for one who cannot swim, is the upright -position of the walker on land, with the head thrown fully back, and -immersed; the mouth and nostrils alone remaining above the surface. -Thus circumstanced, we shall find that we float without difficulty and -without exertion. It is evident, however, that the gravities of the -body, and of the bulk of water displaced, are very nicely balanced, and -that a trifle will cause either to preponderate. An arm, for instance, -uplifted from the water, and thus deprived of its support, is an -additional weight sufficient to immerse the whole head, while the -accidental aid of the smallest piece of timber will enable us to elevate -the head so as to look about. Now, in the struggles of one unused to -swimming, the arms are invariably thrown upwards, while an attempt is -made to keep the head in its usual perpendicular position. The result -is the immersion of the mouth and nostrils, and the inception, during -efforts to breathe while beneath the surface, of water into the lungs. -Much is also received into the stomach, and the whole body becomes -heavier by the difference between the weight of the air originally -distending these cavities, and that of the fluid which now fills them. -This difference is sufficient to cause the body to sink, as a general -rule; but is insufficient in the cases of individuals with small bones -and an abnormal quantity of flaccid or fatty matter. Such individuals -float even after drowning. - -"The corpse, being supposed at the bottom of the river, will there -remain until, by some means, its specific gravity again becomes less -than that of the bulk of water which it displaces. This effect -is brought about by decomposition, or otherwise. The result of -decomposition is the generation of gas, distending the cellular tissues -and all the cavities, and giving the puffed appearance which is so -horrible. When this distension has so far progressed that the bulk of -the corpse is materially increased without a corresponding increase of -mass or weight, its specific gravity becomes less than that of the water -displaced, and it forthwith makes its appearance at the surface. But -decomposition is modified by innumerable circumstances--is hastened or -retarded by innumerable agencies; for example, by the heat or cold of -the season, by the mineral impregnation or purity of the water, by its -depth or shallowness, by its currency or stagnation, by the temperament -of the body, by its infection or freedom from disease before death. -Thus it is evident that we can assign no period, with any thing like -accuracy, at which the corpse shall rise through decomposition. Under -certain conditions this result would be brought about within an hour; -under others, it might not take place at all. There are chemical -infusions by which the animal frame can be preserved forever from -corruption; the Bi-chloride of Mercury is one. But, apart from -decomposition, there may be, and very usually is, a generation of gas -within the stomach, from the acetous fermentation of vegetable matter -(or within other cavities from other causes) sufficient to induce a -distension which will bring the body to the surface. The effect produced -by the firing of a cannon is that of simple vibration. This may either -loosen the corpse from the soft mud or ooze in which it is imbedded, -thus permitting it to rise when other agencies have already prepared -it for so doing; or it may overcome the tenacity of some putrescent -portions of the cellular tissue; allowing the cavities to distend under -the influence of the gas. - -"Having thus before us the whole philosophy of this subject, we can -easily test by it the assertions of L'Etoile. 'All experience shows,' -says this paper, 'that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown into the water -immediately after death by violence, require from six to ten days for -sufficient decomposition to take place to bring them to the top of the -water. Even when a cannon is fired over a corpse, and it rises before at -least five or six days' immersion, it sinks again if let alone.' - -"The whole of this paragraph must now appear a tissue of inconsequence -and incoherence. All experience does not show that 'drowned bodies' -require from six to ten days for sufficient decomposition to take place -to bring them to the surface. Both science and experience show that the -period of their rising is, and necessarily must be, indeterminate. If, -moreover, a body has risen to the surface through firing of cannon, -it will not 'sink again if let alone,' until decomposition has so far -progressed as to permit the escape of the generated gas. But I wish to -call your attention to the distinction which is made between 'drowned -bodies,' and 'bodies thrown into the water immediately after death by -violence.' Although the writer admits the distinction, he yet includes -them all in the same category. I have shown how it is that the body of -a drowning man becomes specifically heavier than its bulk of water, -and that he would not sink at all, except for the struggles by which -he elevates his arms above the surface, and his gasps for breath while -beneath the surface--gasps which supply by water the place of the -original air in the lungs. But these struggles and these gasps would -not occur in the body 'thrown into the water immediately after death by -violence.' Thus, in the latter instance, the body, as a general rule, -would not sink at all--a fact of which L'Etoile is evidently ignorant. -When decomposition had proceeded to a very great extent--when the flesh -had in a great measure left the bones--then, indeed, but not till then, -should we lose sight of the corpse. - -"And now what are we to make of the argument, that the body found could -not be that of Marie Rogt, because, three days only having elapsed, -this body was found floating? If drowned, being a woman, she might never -have sunk; or having sunk, might have reappeared in twenty-four hours, -or less. But no one supposes her to have been drowned; and, dying before -being thrown into the river, she might have been found floating at any -period afterwards whatever. - -"'But,' says L'Etoile, 'if the body had been kept in its mangled state -on shore until Tuesday night, some trace would be found on shore of the -murderers.' Here it is at first difficult to perceive the intention -of the reasoner. He means to anticipate what he imagines would be an -objection to his theory--viz: that the body was kept on shore two days, -suffering rapid decomposition--more rapid than if immersed in water. He -supposes that, had this been the case, it might have appeared at the -surface on the Wednesday, and thinks that only under such circumstances -it could so have appeared. He is accordingly in haste to show that it -was not kept on shore; for, if so, 'some trace would be found on shore -of the murderers.' I presume you smile at the sequitur. You cannot -be made to see how the mere duration of the corpse on the shore could -operate to multiply traces of the assassins. Nor can I. - -"'And furthermore it is exceedingly improbable,' continues our journal, -'that any villains who had committed such a murder as is here supposed, -would have thrown the body in without weight to sink it, when such -a precaution could have so easily been taken.' Observe, here, the -laughable confusion of thought! No one--not even L'Etoile--disputes -the murder committed _on the body found_. The marks of violence are too -obvious. It is our reasoner's object merely to show that this body is -not Marie's. He wishes to prove that Marie is not assassinated--not that -the corpse was not. Yet his observation proves only the latter point. -Here is a corpse without weight attached. Murderers, casting it in, -would not have failed to attach a weight. Therefore it was not thrown in -by murderers. This is all which is proved, if any thing is. The question -of identity is not even approached, and L'Etoile has been at great pains -merely to gainsay now what it has admitted only a moment before. 'We -are perfectly convinced,' it says, 'that the body found was that of a -murdered female.' - -"Nor is this the sole instance, even in this division of his subject, -where our reasoner unwittingly reasons against himself. His evident -object, I have already said, is to reduce, as much as possible, the -interval between Marie's disappearance and the finding of the corpse. -Yet we find him urging the point that no person saw the girl from the -moment of her leaving her mother's house. 'We have no evidence,' he -says, 'that Marie Rogt was in the land of the living after nine o'clock -on Sunday, June the twenty-second.' As his argument is obviously an ex -parte one, he should, at least, have left this matter out of sight; for -had any one been known to see Marie, say on Monday, or on Tuesday, -the interval in question would have been much reduced, and, by his own -ratiocination, the probability much diminished of the corpse being that -of the grisette. It is, nevertheless, amusing to observe that L'Etoile -insists upon its point in the full belief of its furthering its general -argument. - -"Reperuse now that portion of this argument which has reference to the -identification of the corpse by Beauvais. In regard to the hair upon the -arm, L'Etoile has been obviously disingenuous. M. Beauvais, not being an -idiot, could never have urged, in identification of the corpse, simply -hair upon its arm. No arm is without hair. The generality of the -expression of L'Etoile is a mere perversion of the witness' phraseology. -He must have spoken of some peculiarity in this hair. It must have been -a peculiarity of color, of quantity, of length, or of situation. - -"'Her foot,' says the journal, 'was small--so are thousands of feet. Her -garter is no proof whatever--nor is her shoe--for shoes and garters are -sold in packages. The same may be said of the flowers in her hat. One -thing upon which M. Beauvais strongly insists is, that the clasp on the -garter found, had been set back to take it in. This amounts to nothing; -for most women find it proper to take a pair of garters home and fit -them to the size of the limbs they are to encircle, rather than to try -them in the store where they purchase.' Here it is difficult to suppose -the reasoner in earnest. Had M. Beauvais, in his search for the body of -Marie, discovered a corpse corresponding in general size and appearance -to the missing girl, he would have been warranted (without reference to -the question of habiliment at all) in forming an opinion that his search -had been successful. If, in addition to the point of general size and -contour, he had found upon the arm a peculiar hairy appearance which he -had observed upon the living Marie, his opinion might have been justly -strengthened; and the increase of positiveness might well have been in -the ratio of the peculiarity, or unusualness, of the hairy mark. If, -the feet of Marie being small, those of the corpse were also small, the -increase of probability that the body was that of Marie would not be an -increase in a ratio merely arithmetical, but in one highly geometrical, -or accumulative. Add to all this shoes such as she had been known to -wear upon the day of her disappearance, and, although these shoes may be -'sold in packages,' you so far augment the probability as to verge upon -the certain. What, of itself, would be no evidence of identity, becomes -through its corroborative position, proof most sure. Give us, then, -flowers in the hat corresponding to those worn by the missing girl, and -we seek for nothing farther. If only one flower, we seek for nothing -farther--what then if two or three, or more? Each successive one -is multiple evidence--proof not _added_ to proof, but multiplied by -hundreds or thousands. Let us now discover, upon the deceased, garters -such as the living used, and it is almost folly to proceed. But these -garters are found to be tightened, by the setting back of a clasp, -in just such a manner as her own had been tightened by Marie, shortly -previous to her leaving home. It is now madness or hypocrisy to doubt. -What L'Etoile says in respect to this abbreviation of the garter's being -an usual occurrence, shows nothing beyond its own pertinacity in error. -The elastic nature of the clasp-garter is self-demonstration of the -unusualness of the abbreviation. What is made to adjust itself, must of -necessity require foreign adjustment but rarely. It must have been by an -accident, in its strictest sense, that these garters of Marie needed -the tightening described. They alone would have amply established her -identity. But it is not that the corpse was found to have the garters -of the missing girl, or found to have her shoes, or her bonnet, or the -flowers of her bonnet, or her feet, or a peculiar mark upon the arm, -or her general size and appearance--it is that the corpse had each, -and _all collectively_. Could it be proved that the editor of L'Etoile -_really_ entertained a doubt, under the circumstances, there would be -no need, in his case, of a commission de lunatico inquirendo. He has -thought it sagacious to echo the small talk of the lawyers, who, for the -most part, content themselves with echoing the rectangular precepts of -the courts. I would here observe that very much of what is rejected as -evidence by a court, is the best of evidence to the intellect. For -the court, guiding itself by the general principles of evidence--the -recognized and _booked_ principles--is averse from swerving at -particular instances. And this steadfast adherence to principle, with -rigorous disregard of the conflicting exception, is a sure mode of -attaining the maximum of attainable truth, in any long sequence of time. -The practice, in mass, is therefore philosophical; but it is not the -less certain that it engenders vast individual error. (*16) - -"In respect to the insinuations levelled at Beauvais, you will be -willing to dismiss them in a breath. You have already fathomed the -true character of this good gentleman. He is a busy-body, with much -of romance and little of wit. Any one so constituted will readily so -conduct himself, upon occasion of real excitement, as to render himself -liable to suspicion on the part of the over acute, or the ill-disposed. -M. Beauvais (as it appears from your notes) had some personal interviews -with the editor of L'Etoile, and offended him by venturing an opinion -that the corpse, notwithstanding the theory of the editor, was, in sober -fact, that of Marie. 'He persists,' says the paper, 'in asserting the -corpse to be that of Marie, but cannot give a circumstance, in addition -to those which we have commented upon, to make others believe.' Now, -without re-adverting to the fact that stronger evidence 'to make others -believe,' could never have been adduced, it may be remarked that a man -may very well be understood to believe, in a case of this kind, without -the ability to advance a single reason for the belief of a second party. -Nothing is more vague than impressions of individual identity. Each man -recognizes his neighbor, yet there are few instances in which any one -is prepared to give a reason for his recognition. The editor of L'Etoile -had no right to be offended at M. Beauvais' unreasoning belief. - -"The suspicious circumstances which invest him, will be found to tally -much better with my hypothesis of romantic busy-bodyism, than with -the reasoner's suggestion of guilt. Once adopting the more charitable -interpretation, we shall find no difficulty in comprehending the rose -in the key-hole; the 'Marie' upon the slate; the 'elbowing the male -relatives out of the way;' the 'aversion to permitting them to see -the body;' the caution given to Madame B----, that she must hold no -conversation with the gendarme until his return (Beauvais'); and, -lastly, his apparent determination 'that nobody should have anything to -do with the proceedings except himself.' It seems to me unquestionable -that Beauvais was a suitor of Marie's; that she coquetted with him; and -that he was ambitious of being thought to enjoy her fullest intimacy -and confidence. I shall say nothing more upon this point; and, as the -evidence fully rebuts the assertion of L'Etoile, touching the matter -of apathy on the part of the mother and other relatives--an apathy -inconsistent with the supposition of their believing the corpse to be -that of the perfumery-girl--we shall now proceed as if the question of -identity were settled to our perfect satisfaction." - -"And what," I here demanded, "do you think of the opinions of Le -Commerciel?" - -"That, in spirit, they are far more worthy of attention than any which -have been promulgated upon the subject. The deductions from the premises -are philosophical and acute; but the premises, in two instances, at -least, are founded in imperfect observation. Le Commerciel wishes to -intimate that Marie was seized by some gang of low ruffians not far from -her mother's door. 'It is impossible,' it urges, 'that a person so well -known to thousands as this young woman was, should have passed three -blocks without some one having seen her.' This is the idea of a man long -resident in Paris--a public man--and one whose walks to and fro in the -city, have been mostly limited to the vicinity of the public offices. -He is aware that he seldom passes so far as a dozen blocks from his own -bureau, without being recognized and accosted. And, knowing the extent -of his personal acquaintance with others, and of others with him, he -compares his notoriety with that of the perfumery-girl, finds no great -difference between them, and reaches at once the conclusion that she, in -her walks, would be equally liable to recognition with himself in -his. This could only be the case were her walks of the same unvarying, -methodical character, and within the same species of limited region -as are his own. He passes to and fro, at regular intervals, within a -confined periphery, abounding in individuals who are led to observation -of his person through interest in the kindred nature of his occupation -with their own. But the walks of Marie may, in general, be supposed -discursive. In this particular instance, it will be understood as most -probable, that she proceeded upon a route of more than average diversity -from her accustomed ones. The parallel which we imagine to have existed -in the mind of Le Commerciel would only be sustained in the event of the -two individuals' traversing the whole city. In this case, granting the -personal acquaintances to be equal, the chances would be also equal that -an equal number of personal rencounters would be made. For my own -part, I should hold it not only as possible, but as very far more than -probable, that Marie might have proceeded, at any given period, by any -one of the many routes between her own residence and that of her aunt, -without meeting a single individual whom she knew, or by whom she was -known. In viewing this question in its full and proper light, we must -hold steadily in mind the great disproportion between the personal -acquaintances of even the most noted individual in Paris, and the entire -population of Paris itself. - -"But whatever force there may still appear to be in the suggestion of Le -Commerciel, will be much diminished when we take into consideration the -hour at which the girl went abroad. 'It was when the streets were full -of people,' says Le Commerciel, 'that she went out.' But not so. It was -at nine o'clock in the morning. Now at nine o'clock of every morning in -the week, _with the exception of Sunday_, the streets of the city are, -it is true, thronged with people. At nine on Sunday, the populace are -chiefly within doors _preparing for church_. No observing person can -have failed to notice the peculiarly deserted air of the town, from -about eight until ten on the morning of every Sabbath. Between ten and -eleven the streets are thronged, but not at so early a period as that -designated. - -"There is another point at which there seems a deficiency of observation -on the part of Le Commerciel. 'A piece,' it says, 'of one of the -unfortunate girl's petticoats, two feet long, and one foot wide, was -torn out and tied under her chin, and around the back of her head, -probably to prevent screams. This was done, by fellows who had no -pocket-handkerchiefs.' Whether this idea is, or is not well founded, -we will endeavor to see hereafter; but by 'fellows who have no -pocket-handkerchiefs' the editor intends the lowest class of ruffians. -These, however, are the very description of people who will always be -found to have handkerchiefs even when destitute of shirts. You must have -had occasion to observe how absolutely indispensable, of late years, to -the thorough blackguard, has become the pocket-handkerchief." - -"And what are we to think," I asked, "of the article in Le Soleil?" - -"That it is a vast pity its inditer was not born a parrot--in which -case he would have been the most illustrious parrot of his race. He has -merely repeated the individual items of the already published opinion; -collecting them, with a laudable industry, from this paper and from -that. 'The things had all evidently been there,' he says,'at least, -three or four weeks, and there can be _no doubt_ that the spot of this -appalling outrage has been discovered.' The facts here re-stated by -Le Soleil, are very far indeed from removing my own doubts upon this -subject, and we will examine them more particularly hereafter in -connexion with another division of the theme. - -"At present we must occupy ourselves with other investigations. You -cannot fail to have remarked the extreme laxity of the examination of -the corpse. To be sure, the question of identity was readily determined, -or should have been; but there were other points to be ascertained. Had -the body been in any respect despoiled? Had the deceased any articles -of jewelry about her person upon leaving home? if so, had she any when -found? These are important questions utterly untouched by the evidence; -and there are others of equal moment, which have met with no attention. -We must endeavor to satisfy ourselves by personal inquiry. The case of -St. Eustache must be re-examined. I have no suspicion of this person; -but let us proceed methodically. We will ascertain beyond a doubt the -validity of the affidavits in regard to his whereabouts on the Sunday. -Affidavits of this character are readily made matter of mystification. -Should there be nothing wrong here, however, we will dismiss St. -Eustache from our investigations. His suicide, however corroborative of -suspicion, were there found to be deceit in the affidavits, is, without -such deceit, in no respect an unaccountable circumstance, or one which -need cause us to deflect from the line of ordinary analysis. - -"In that which I now propose, we will discard the interior points of -this tragedy, and concentrate our attention upon its outskirts. Not the -least usual error, in investigations such as this, is the limiting of -inquiry to the immediate, with total disregard of the collateral or -circumstantial events. It is the mal-practice of the courts to confine -evidence and discussion to the bounds of apparent relevancy. Yet -experience has shown, and a true philosophy will always show, that a -vast, perhaps the larger portion of truth, arises from the seemingly -irrelevant. It is through the spirit of this principle, if not precisely -through its letter, that modern science has resolved to calculate upon -the unforeseen. But perhaps you do not comprehend me. The history of -human knowledge has so uninterruptedly shown that to collateral, or -incidental, or accidental events we are indebted for the most numerous -and most valuable discoveries, that it has at length become necessary, -in any prospective view of improvement, to make not only large, but the -largest allowances for inventions that shall arise by chance, and quite -out of the range of ordinary expectation. It is no longer philosophical -to base, upon what has been, a vision of what is to be. Accident is -admitted as a portion of the substructure. We make chance a matter of -absolute calculation. We subject the unlooked for and unimagined, to the -mathematical _formulae_ of the schools. - -"I repeat that it is no more than fact, that the larger portion of all -truth has sprung from the collateral; and it is but in accordance with -the spirit of the principle involved in this fact, that I would divert -inquiry, in the present case, from the trodden and hitherto unfruitful -ground of the event itself, to the contemporary circumstances which -surround it. While you ascertain the validity of the affidavits, I will -examine the newspapers more generally than you have as yet done. So far, -we have only reconnoitred the field of investigation; but it will be -strange indeed if a comprehensive survey, such as I propose, of the -public prints, will not afford us some minute points which shall -establish a direction for inquiry." - -In pursuance of Dupin's suggestion, I made scrupulous examination of -the affair of the affidavits. The result was a firm conviction of their -validity, and of the consequent innocence of St. Eustache. In the mean -time my friend occupied himself, with what seemed to me a minuteness -altogether objectless, in a scrutiny of the various newspaper files. At -the end of a week he placed before me the following extracts: - -"About three years and a half ago, a disturbance very similar to the -present, was caused by the disappearance of this same Marie Rogt, from -the parfumerie of Monsieur Le Blanc, in the Palais Royal. At the end of -a week, however, she re-appeared at her customary comptoir, as well as -ever, with the exception of a slight paleness not altogether usual. It -was given out by Monsieur Le Blanc and her mother, that she had merely -been on a visit to some friend in the country; and the affair was -speedily hushed up. We presume that the present absence is a freak of -the same nature, and that, at the expiration of a week, or perhaps of -a month, we shall have her among us again."--Evening Paper--Monday June -23. (*17) - -"An evening journal of yesterday, refers to a former mysterious -disappearance of Mademoiselle Rogt. It is well known that, during the -week of her absence from Le Blanc's parfumerie, she was in the company -of a young naval officer, much noted for his debaucheries. A quarrel, it -is supposed, providentially led to her return home. We have the name of -the Lothario in question, who is, at present, stationed in Paris, but, -for obvious reasons, forbear to make it public."--Le Mercurie--Tuesday -Morning, June 24. (*18) - -"An outrage of the most atrocious character was perpetrated near this -city the day before yesterday. A gentleman, with his wife and daughter, -engaged, about dusk, the services of six young men, who were idly rowing -a boat to and fro near the banks of the Seine, to convey him across the -river. Upon reaching the opposite shore, the three passengers stepped -out, and had proceeded so far as to be beyond the view of the boat, -when the daughter discovered that she had left in it her parasol. She -returned for it, was seized by the gang, carried out into the stream, -gagged, brutally treated, and finally taken to the shore at a point -not far from that at which she had originally entered the boat with her -parents. The villains have escaped for the time, but the police are upon -their trail, and some of them will soon be taken."--Morning Paper--June -25. (*19) - -"We have received one or two communications, the object of which is to -fasten the crime of the late atrocity upon Mennais; (*20) but as this -gentleman has been fully exonerated by a loyal inquiry, and as the -arguments of our several correspondents appear to be more zealous than -profound, we do not think it advisable to make them public."--Morning -Paper--June 28. (*21) - -"We have received several forcibly written communications, apparently -from various sources, and which go far to render it a matter of -certainty that the unfortunate Marie Rogt has become a victim of one of -the numerous bands of blackguards which infest the vicinity of the city -upon Sunday. Our own opinion is decidedly in favor of this -supposition. We shall endeavor to make room for some of these arguments -hereafter."--Evening Paper--Tuesday, June 31. (*22) - -"On Monday, one of the bargemen connected with the revenue service, saw -a empty boat floating down the Seine. Sails were lying in the bottom of -the boat. The bargeman towed it under the barge office. The next morning -it was taken from thence, without the knowledge of any of the officers. -The rudder is now at the barge office."--Le Diligence--Thursday, June -26. - -Upon reading these various extracts, they not only seemed to me -irrelevant, but I could perceive no mode in which any one of them -could be brought to bear upon the matter in hand. I waited for some -explanation from Dupin. - -"It is not my present design," he said, "to dwell upon the first and -second of those extracts. I have copied them chiefly to show you the -extreme remissness of the police, who, as far as I can understand from -the Prefect, have not troubled themselves, in any respect, with an -examination of the naval officer alluded to. Yet it is mere folly to say -that between the first and second disappearance of Marie, there is -no _supposable_ connection. Let us admit the first elopement to have -resulted in a quarrel between the lovers, and the return home of the -betrayed. We are now prepared to view a second elopement (if we know -that an elopement has again taken place) as indicating a renewal of the -betrayer's advances, rather than as the result of new proposals by a -second individual--we are prepared to regard it as a 'making up' of the -old amour, rather than as the commencement of a new one. The chances are -ten to one, that he who had once eloped with Marie, would again propose -an elopement, rather than that she to whom proposals of elopement had -been made by one individual, should have them made to her by another. -And here let me call your attention to the fact, that the time elapsing -between the first ascertained, and the second supposed elopement, is -a few months more than the general period of the cruises of our -men-of-war. Had the lover been interrupted in his first villany by the -necessity of departure to sea, and had he seized the first moment of his -return to renew the base designs not yet altogether accomplished--or -not yet altogether accomplished by _him?_ Of all these things we know -nothing. - -"You will say, however, that, in the second instance, there was no -elopement as imagined. Certainly not--but are we prepared to say that -there was not the frustrated design? Beyond St. Eustache, and perhaps -Beauvais, we find no recognized, no open, no honorable suitors of Marie. -Of none other is there any thing said. Who, then, is the secret lover, -of whom the relatives (at least most of them) know nothing, but whom -Marie meets upon the morning of Sunday, and who is so deeply in her -confidence, that she hesitates not to remain with him until the shades -of the evening descend, amid the solitary groves of the Barrire du -Roule? Who is that secret lover, I ask, of whom, at least, most of the -relatives know nothing? And what means the singular prophecy of Madame -Rogt on the morning of Marie's departure?--'I fear that I shall never -see Marie again.' - -"But if we cannot imagine Madame Rogt privy to the design of elopement, -may we not at least suppose this design entertained by the girl? Upon -quitting home, she gave it to be understood that she was about to visit -her aunt in the Rue des Drmes and St. Eustache was requested to call -for her at dark. Now, at first glance, this fact strongly militates -against my suggestion;--but let us reflect. That she did meet some -companion, and proceed with him across the river, reaching the Barrire -du Roule at so late an hour as three o'clock in the afternoon, is -known. But in consenting so to accompany this individual, (_for whatever -purpose--to her mother known or unknown,_) she must have thought of her -expressed intention when leaving home, and of the surprise and suspicion -aroused in the bosom of her affianced suitor, St. Eustache, when, -calling for her, at the hour appointed, in the Rue des Drmes, he should -find that she had not been there, and when, moreover, upon returning to -the pension with this alarming intelligence, he should become aware of -her continued absence from home. She must have thought of these things, -I say. She must have foreseen the chagrin of St. Eustache, the suspicion -of all. She could not have thought of returning to brave this suspicion; -but the suspicion becomes a point of trivial importance to her, if we -suppose her not intending to return. - -"We may imagine her thinking thus--'I am to meet a certain person for -the purpose of elopement, or for certain other purposes known only to -myself. It is necessary that there be no chance of interruption--there -must be sufficient time given us to elude pursuit--I will give it to be -understood that I shall visit and spend the day with my aunt at the Rue -des Drmes--I well tell St. Eustache not to call for me until dark--in -this way, my absence from home for the longest possible period, without -causing suspicion or anxiety, will be accounted for, and I shall gain -more time than in any other manner. If I bid St. Eustache call for me -at dark, he will be sure not to call before; but, if I wholly neglect -to bid him call, my time for escape will be diminished, since it will -be expected that I return the earlier, and my absence will the sooner -excite anxiety. Now, if it were my design to return at all--if I had in -contemplation merely a stroll with the individual in question--it would -not be my policy to bid St. Eustache call; for, calling, he will be sure -to ascertain that I have played him false--a fact of which I might keep -him for ever in ignorance, by leaving home without notifying him of my -intention, by returning before dark, and by then stating that I had been -to visit my aunt in the Rue des Drmes. But, as it is my design never -to return--or not for some weeks--or not until certain concealments are -effected--the gaining of time is the only point about which I need give -myself any concern.' - -"You have observed, in your notes, that the most general opinion in -relation to this sad affair is, and was from the first, that the girl -had been the victim of a gang of blackguards. Now, the popular opinion, -under certain conditions, is not to be disregarded. When arising of -itself--when manifesting itself in a strictly spontaneous manner--we -should look upon it as analogous with that _intuition_ which is the -idiosyncrasy of the individual man of genius. In ninety-nine cases from -the hundred I would abide by its decision. But it is important that we -find no palpable traces of _suggestion_. The opinion must be rigorously -_the public's own_; and the distinction is often exceedingly difficult -to perceive and to maintain. In the present instance, it appears to me -that this 'public opinion' in respect to a gang, has been superinduced -by the collateral event which is detailed in the third of my extracts. -All Paris is excited by the discovered corpse of Marie, a girl young, -beautiful and notorious. This corpse is found, bearing marks of -violence, and floating in the river. But it is now made known that, at -the very period, or about the very period, in which it is supposed that -the girl was assassinated, an outrage similar in nature to that endured -by the deceased, although less in extent, was perpetuated, by a gang -of young ruffians, upon the person of a second young female. Is it -wonderful that the one known atrocity should influence the popular -judgment in regard to the other unknown? This judgment awaited -direction, and the known outrage seemed so opportunely to afford it! -Marie, too, was found in the river; and upon this very river was this -known outrage committed. The connexion of the two events had about it so -much of the palpable, that the true wonder would have been a failure -of the populace to appreciate and to seize it. But, in fact, the one -atrocity, known to be so committed, is, if any thing, evidence that the -other, committed at a time nearly coincident, was not so committed. -It would have been a miracle indeed, if, while a gang of ruffians were -perpetrating, at a given locality, a most unheard-of wrong, there should -have been another similar gang, in a similar locality, in the same -city, under the same circumstances, with the same means and appliances, -engaged in a wrong of precisely the same aspect, at precisely the -same period of time! Yet in what, if not in this marvellous train of -coincidence, does the accidentally suggested opinion of the populace -call upon us to believe? - -"Before proceeding farther, let us consider the supposed scene of the -assassination, in the thicket at the Barrire du Roule. This thicket, -although dense, was in the close vicinity of a public road. Within -were three or four large stones, forming a kind of seat with a back and -footstool. On the upper stone was discovered a white petticoat; on the -second, a silk scarf. A parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief, -were also here found. The handkerchief bore the name, 'Marie Rogt.' -Fragments of dress were seen on the branches around. The earth was -trampled, the bushes were broken, and there was every evidence of a -violent struggle. - -"Notwithstanding the acclamation with which the discovery of this -thicket was received by the press, and the unanimity with which it -was supposed to indicate the precise scene of the outrage, it must be -admitted that there was some very good reason for doubt. That it was the -scene, I may or I may not believe--but there was excellent reason for -doubt. Had the true scene been, as Le Commerciel suggested, in the -neighborhood of the Rue Pave St. Andre, the perpetrators of the -crime, supposing them still resident in Paris, would naturally have been -stricken with terror at the public attention thus acutely directed into -the proper channel; and, in certain classes of minds, there would have -arisen, at once, a sense of the necessity of some exertion to redivert -this attention. And thus, the thicket of the Barrire du Roule having -been already suspected, the idea of placing the articles where they were -found, might have been naturally entertained. There is no real evidence, -although Le Soleil so supposes, that the articles discovered had -been more than a very few days in the thicket; while there is much -circumstantial proof that they could not have remained there, without -attracting attention, during the twenty days elapsing between the fatal -Sunday and the afternoon upon which they were found by the boys. 'They -were all _mildewed_ down hard,' says Le Soleil, adopting the opinions of -its predecessors, 'with the action of the rain, and stuck together from -_mildew_. The grass had grown around and over some of them. The silk of -the parasol was strong, but the threads of it were run together within. -The upper part, where it had been doubled and folded, was all _mildewed_ -and rotten, and tore on being opened.' In respect to the grass having -'grown around and over some of them,' it is obvious that the fact -could only have been ascertained from the words, and thus from the -recollections, of two small boys; for these boys removed the articles -and took them home before they had been seen by a third party. But grass -will grow, especially in warm and damp weather, (such as was that of the -period of the murder,) as much as two or three inches in a single day. -A parasol lying upon a newly turfed ground, might, in a single week, -be entirely concealed from sight by the upspringing grass. And touching -that mildew upon which the editor of Le Soleil so pertinaciously -insists, that he employs the word no less than three times in the -brief paragraph just quoted, is he really unaware of the nature of this -mildew? Is he to be told that it is one of the many classes of fungus, -of which the most ordinary feature is its upspringing and decadence -within twenty-four hours? - -"Thus we see, at a glance, that what has been most triumphantly adduced -in support of the idea that the articles had been 'for at least three -or four weeks' in the thicket, is most absurdly null as regards any -evidence of that fact. On the other hand, it is exceedingly difficult -to believe that these articles could have remained in the thicket -specified, for a longer period than a single week--for a longer period -than from one Sunday to the next. Those who know any thing of the -vicinity of Paris, know the extreme difficulty of finding seclusion -unless at a great distance from its suburbs. Such a thing as an -unexplored, or even an unfrequently visited recess, amid its woods or -groves, is not for a moment to be imagined. Let any one who, being at -heart a lover of nature, is yet chained by duty to the dust and heat -of this great metropolis--let any such one attempt, even during the -weekdays, to slake his thirst for solitude amid the scenes of natural -loveliness which immediately surround us. At every second step, he will -find the growing charm dispelled by the voice and personal intrusion -of some ruffian or party of carousing blackguards. He will seek privacy -amid the densest foliage, all in vain. Here are the very nooks where the -unwashed most abound--here are the temples most desecrate. With sickness -of the heart the wanderer will flee back to the polluted Paris as to -a less odious because less incongruous sink of pollution. But if the -vicinity of the city is so beset during the working days of the week, -how much more so on the Sabbath! It is now especially that, released -from the claims of labor, or deprived of the customary opportunities of -crime, the town blackguard seeks the precincts of the town, not through -love of the rural, which in his heart he despises, but by way of escape -from the restraints and conventionalities of society. He desires -less the fresh air and the green trees, than the utter license of the -country. Here, at the road-side inn, or beneath the foliage of the -woods, he indulges, unchecked by any eye except those of his boon -companions, in all the mad excess of a counterfeit hilarity--the joint -offspring of liberty and of rum. I say nothing more than what must -be obvious to every dispassionate observer, when I repeat that the -circumstance of the articles in question having remained undiscovered, -for a longer period--than from one Sunday to another, in any thicket in -the immediate neighborhood of Paris, is to be looked upon as little less -than miraculous. - -"But there are not wanting other grounds for the suspicion that the -articles were placed in the thicket with the view of diverting attention -from the real scene of the outrage. And, first, let me direct your -notice to the date of the discovery of the articles. Collate this with -the date of the fifth extract made by myself from the newspapers. You -will find that the discovery followed, almost immediately, the urgent -communications sent to the evening paper. These communications, although -various and apparently from various sources, tended all to the same -point--viz., the directing of attention to a gang as the perpetrators -of the outrage, and to the neighborhood of the Barrire du Roule as its -scene. Now here, of course, the suspicion is not that, in consequence of -these communications, or of the public attention by them directed, the -articles were found by the boys; but the suspicion might and may well -have been, that the articles were not before found by the boys, for the -reason that the articles had not before been in the thicket; having -been deposited there only at so late a period as at the date, or shortly -prior to the date of the communications by the guilty authors of these -communications themselves. - -"This thicket was a singular--an exceedingly singular one. It was -unusually dense. Within its naturally walled enclosure were three -extraordinary stones, forming a seat with a back and footstool. And this -thicket, so full of a natural art, was in the immediate vicinity, within -a few rods, of the dwelling of Madame Deluc, whose boys were in the -habit of closely examining the shrubberies about them in search of -the bark of the sassafras. Would it be a rash wager--a wager of one -thousand to one--that a day never passed over the heads of these boys -without finding at least one of them ensconced in the umbrageous hall, -and enthroned upon its natural throne? Those who would hesitate at such -a wager, have either never been boys themselves, or have forgotten the -boyish nature. I repeat--it is exceedingly hard to comprehend how the -articles could have remained in this thicket undiscovered, for a longer -period than one or two days; and that thus there is good ground for -suspicion, in spite of the dogmatic ignorance of Le Soleil, that they -were, at a comparatively late date, deposited where found. - -"But there are still other and stronger reasons for believing them so -deposited, than any which I have as yet urged. And, now, let me beg -your notice to the highly artificial arrangement of the articles. On the -upper stone lay a white petticoat; on the second a silk scarf; scattered -around, were a parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief bearing the -name, 'Marie Rogt.' Here is just such an arrangement as would naturally -be made by a not over-acute person wishing to dispose the articles -naturally. But it is by no means a really natural arrangement. I -should rather have looked to see the things all lying on the ground and -trampled under foot. In the narrow limits of that bower, it would have -been scarcely possible that the petticoat and scarf should have retained -a position upon the stones, when subjected to the brushing to and fro -of many struggling persons. 'There was evidence,' it is said, 'of a -struggle; and the earth was trampled, the bushes were broken,'--but the -petticoat and the scarf are found deposited as if upon shelves. 'The -pieces of the frock torn out by the bushes were about three inches wide -and six inches long. One part was the hem of the frock and it had been -mended. They looked like strips torn off.' Here, inadvertently, Le -Soleil has employed an exceedingly suspicious phrase. The pieces, as -described, do indeed 'look like strips torn off;' but purposely and by -hand. It is one of the rarest of accidents that a piece is 'torn off,' -from any garment such as is now in question, by the agency of a thorn. -From the very nature of such fabrics, a thorn or nail becoming entangled -in them, tears them rectangularly--divides them into two longitudinal -rents, at right angles with each other, and meeting at an apex where the -thorn enters--but it is scarcely possible to conceive the piece 'torn -off.' I never so knew it, nor did you. To tear a piece off from such -fabric, two distinct forces, in different directions, will be, in almost -every case, required. If there be two edges to the fabric--if, for -example, it be a pocket-handkerchief, and it is desired to tear from it -a slip, then, and then only, will the one force serve the purpose. But -in the present case the question is of a dress, presenting but one edge. -To tear a piece from the interior, where no edge is presented, could -only be effected by a miracle through the agency of thorns, and no one -thorn could accomplish it. But, even where an edge is presented, two -thorns will be necessary, operating, the one in two distinct directions, -and the other in one. And this in the supposition that the edge is -unhemmed. If hemmed, the matter is nearly out of the question. We thus -see the numerous and great obstacles in the way of pieces being 'torn -off' through the simple agency of 'thorns;' yet we are required to -believe not only that one piece but that many have been so torn. 'And -one part,' too, 'was the hem of the frock!' Another piece was 'part -of the skirt, not the hem,'--that is to say, was torn completely out -through the agency of thorns, from the uncaged interior of the -dress! These, I say, are things which one may well be pardoned for -disbelieving; yet, taken collectedly, they form, perhaps, less of -reasonable ground for suspicion, than the one startling circumstance of -the articles' having been left in this thicket at all, by any murderers -who had enough precaution to think of removing the corpse. You will not -have apprehended me rightly, however, if you suppose it my design to -deny this thicket as the scene of the outrage. There might have been a -wrong here, or, more possibly, an accident at Madame Deluc's. But, in -fact, this is a point of minor importance. We are not engaged in an -attempt to discover the scene, but to produce the perpetrators of the -murder. What I have adduced, notwithstanding the minuteness with which I -have adduced it, has been with the view, first, to show the folly of the -positive and headlong assertions of Le Soleil, but secondly and chiefly, -to bring you, by the most natural route, to a further contemplation of -the doubt whether this assassination has, or has not been, the work of a -gang. - -"We will resume this question by mere allusion to the revolting details -of the surgeon examined at the inquest. It is only necessary to say that -his published inferences, in regard to the number of ruffians, have been -properly ridiculed as unjust and totally baseless, by all the reputable -anatomists of Paris. Not that the matter might not have been as -inferred, but that there was no ground for the inference:--was there not -much for another? - -"Let us reflect now upon 'the traces of a struggle;' and let me ask what -these traces have been supposed to demonstrate. A gang. But do they not -rather demonstrate the absence of a gang? What struggle could have taken -place--what struggle so violent and so enduring as to have left its -'traces' in all directions--between a weak and defenceless girl and the -gang of ruffians imagined? The silent grasp of a few rough arms and all -would have been over. The victim must have been absolutely passive at -their will. You will here bear in mind that the arguments urged against -the thicket as the scene, are applicable in chief part, only against it -as the scene of an outrage committed by more than a single individual. -If we imagine but one violator, we can conceive, and thus only conceive, -the struggle of so violent and so obstinate a nature as to have left the -'traces' apparent. - -"And again. I have already mentioned the suspicion to be excited by the -fact that the articles in question were suffered to remain at all in -the thicket where discovered. It seems almost impossible that these -evidences of guilt should have been accidentally left where found. There -was sufficient presence of mind (it is supposed) to remove the corpse; -and yet a more positive evidence than the corpse itself (whose features -might have been quickly obliterated by decay,) is allowed to lie -conspicuously in the scene of the outrage--I allude to the handkerchief -with the name of the deceased. If this was accident, it was not -the accident of a gang. We can imagine it only the accident of an -individual. Let us see. An individual has committed the murder. He -is alone with the ghost of the departed. He is appalled by what lies -motionless before him. The fury of his passion is over, and there is -abundant room in his heart for the natural awe of the deed. His is none -of that confidence which the presence of numbers inevitably inspires. -He is alone with the dead. He trembles and is bewildered. Yet there is -a necessity for disposing of the corpse. He bears it to the river, but -leaves behind him the other evidences of guilt; for it is difficult, if -not impossible to carry all the burthen at once, and it will be easy to -return for what is left. But in his toilsome journey to the water his -fears redouble within him. The sounds of life encompass his path. A -dozen times he hears or fancies the step of an observer. Even the very -lights from the city bewilder him. Yet, in time and by long and frequent -pauses of deep agony, he reaches the river's brink, and disposes of -his ghastly charge--perhaps through the medium of a boat. But now what -treasure does the world hold--what threat of vengeance could it hold -out--which would have power to urge the return of that lonely murderer -over that toilsome and perilous path, to the thicket and its blood -chilling recollections? He returns not, let the consequences be what -they may. He could not return if he would. His sole thought is immediate -escape. He turns his back forever upon those dreadful shrubberies and -flees as from the wrath to come. - -"But how with a gang? Their number would have inspired them with -confidence; if, indeed confidence is ever wanting in the breast of the -arrant blackguard; and of arrant blackguards alone are the supposed -gangs ever constituted. Their number, I say, would have prevented the -bewildering and unreasoning terror which I have imagined to paralyze the -single man. Could we suppose an oversight in one, or two, or three, this -oversight would have been remedied by a fourth. They would have left -nothing behind them; for their number would have enabled them to carry -all at once. There would have been no need of return. - -"Consider now the circumstance that in the outer garment of the corpse -when found, 'a slip, about a foot wide had been torn upward from the -bottom hem to the waist wound three times round the waist, and secured -by a sort of hitch in the back.' This was done with the obvious design -of affording a handle by which to carry the body. But would any number -of men have dreamed of resorting to such an expedient? To three or four, -the limbs of the corpse would have afforded not only a sufficient, but -the best possible hold. The device is that of a single individual; and -this brings us to the fact that 'between the thicket and the river, the -rails of the fences were found taken down, and the ground bore evident -traces of some heavy burden having been dragged along it!' But would a -number of men have put themselves to the superfluous trouble of taking -down a fence, for the purpose of dragging through it a corpse which they -might have lifted over any fence in an instant? Would a number of men -have so dragged a corpse at all as to have left evident traces of the -dragging? - -"And here we must refer to an observation of Le Commerciel; an -observation upon which I have already, in some measure, commented. 'A -piece,' says this journal, 'of one of the unfortunate girl's petticoats -was torn out and tied under her chin, and around the back of her -head, probably to prevent screams. This was done by fellows who had no -pocket-handkerchiefs.' - -"I have before suggested that a genuine blackguard is never without a -pocket-handkerchief. But it is not to this fact that I now especially -advert. That it was not through want of a handkerchief for the purpose -imagined by Le Commerciel, that this bandage was employed, is rendered -apparent by the handkerchief left in the thicket; and that the object -was not 'to prevent screams' appears, also, from the bandage having been -employed in preference to what would so much better have answered -the purpose. But the language of the evidence speaks of the strip in -question as 'found around the neck, fitting loosely, and secured with -a hard knot.' These words are sufficiently vague, but differ materially -from those of Le Commerciel. The slip was eighteen inches wide, and -therefore, although of muslin, would form a strong band when folded or -rumpled longitudinally. And thus rumpled it was discovered. My inference -is this. The solitary murderer, having borne the corpse, for some -distance, (whether from the thicket or elsewhere) by means of the -bandage hitched around its middle, found the weight, in this mode -of procedure, too much for his strength. He resolved to drag the -burthen--the evidence goes to show that it was dragged. With this object -in view, it became necessary to attach something like a rope to one of -the extremities. It could be best attached about the neck, where the -head would prevent its slipping off. And, now, the murderer bethought -him, unquestionably, of the bandage about the loins. He would have used -this, but for its volution about the corpse, the hitch which embarrassed -it, and the reflection that it had not been 'torn off' from the garment. -It was easier to tear a new slip from the petticoat. He tore it, made -it fast about the neck, and so dragged his victim to the brink of the -river. That this 'bandage,' only attainable with trouble and delay, and -but imperfectly answering its purpose--that this bandage was employed -at all, demonstrates that the necessity for its employment sprang from -circumstances arising at a period when the handkerchief was no longer -attainable--that is to say, arising, as we have imagined, after quitting -the thicket, (if the thicket it was), and on the road between the -thicket and the river. - -"But the evidence, you will say, of Madame Deluc, (!) points especially -to the presence of a gang, in the vicinity of the thicket, at or about -the epoch of the murder. This I grant. I doubt if there were not a dozen -gangs, such as described by Madame Deluc, in and about the vicinity of -the Barrire du Roule at or about the period of this tragedy. But the -gang which has drawn upon itself the pointed animadversion, although the -somewhat tardy and very suspicious evidence of Madame Deluc, is the -only gang which is represented by that honest and scrupulous old lady -as having eaten her cakes and swallowed her brandy, without putting -themselves to the trouble of making her payment. Et hinc ill ir? - -"But what is the precise evidence of Madame Deluc? 'A gang of miscreants -made their appearance, behaved boisterously, ate and drank without -making payment, followed in the route of the young man and girl, -returned to the inn about dusk, and recrossed the river as if in great -haste.' - -"Now this 'great haste' very possibly seemed greater haste in the eyes -of Madame Deluc, since she dwelt lingeringly and lamentingly upon her -violated cakes and ale--cakes and ale for which she might still have -entertained a faint hope of compensation. Why, otherwise, since it was -about dusk, should she make a point of the haste? It is no cause for -wonder, surely, that even a gang of blackguards should make haste to -get home, when a wide river is to be crossed in small boats, when storm -impends, and when night approaches. - -"I say approaches; for the night had not yet arrived. It was only about -dusk that the indecent haste of these 'miscreants' offended the sober -eyes of Madame Deluc. But we are told that it was upon this very evening -that Madame Deluc, as well as her eldest son, 'heard the screams of a -female in the vicinity of the inn.' And in what words does Madame Deluc -designate the period of the evening at which these screams were heard? -'It was soon after dark,' she says. But 'soon after dark,' is, at least, -dark; and 'about dusk' is as certainly daylight. Thus it is abundantly -clear that the gang quitted the Barrire du Roule prior to the screams -overheard (?) by Madame Deluc. And although, in all the many reports of -the evidence, the relative expressions in question are distinctly and -invariably employed just as I have employed them in this conversation -with yourself, no notice whatever of the gross discrepancy has, as yet, -been taken by any of the public journals, or by any of the Myrmidons of -police. - -"I shall add but one to the arguments against a gang; but this one has, -to my own understanding at least, a weight altogether irresistible. -Under the circumstances of large reward offered, and full pardon to -any King's evidence, it is not to be imagined, for a moment, that some -member of a gang of low ruffians, or of any body of men, would not long -ago have betrayed his accomplices. Each one of a gang so placed, is not -so much greedy of reward, or anxious for escape, as fearful of betrayal. -He betrays eagerly and early that he may not himself be betrayed. That -the secret has not been divulged, is the very best of proof that it is, -in fact, a secret. The horrors of this dark deed are known only to one, -or two, living human beings, and to God. - -"Let us sum up now the meagre yet certain fruits of our long analysis. -We have attained the idea either of a fatal accident under the roof of -Madame Deluc, or of a murder perpetrated, in the thicket at the Barrire -du Roule, by a lover, or at least by an intimate and secret associate of -the deceased. This associate is of swarthy complexion. This complexion, -the 'hitch' in the bandage, and the 'sailor's knot,' with which the -bonnet-ribbon is tied, point to a seaman. His companionship with the -deceased, a gay, but not an abject young girl, designates him as -above the grade of the common sailor. Here the well written and urgent -communications to the journals are much in the way of corroboration. The -circumstance of the first elopement, as mentioned by Le Mercurie, tends -to blend the idea of this seaman with that of the 'naval officer' who is -first known to have led the unfortunate into crime. - -"And here, most fitly, comes the consideration of the continued -absence of him of the dark complexion. Let me pause to observe that the -complexion of this man is dark and swarthy; it was no common swarthiness -which constituted the sole point of remembrance, both as regards Valence -and Madame Deluc. But why is this man absent? Was he murdered by the -gang? If so, why are there only traces of the assassinated girl? The -scene of the two outrages will naturally be supposed identical. And -where is his corpse? The assassins would most probably have disposed -of both in the same way. But it may be said that this man lives, and is -deterred from making himself known, through dread of being charged with -the murder. This consideration might be supposed to operate upon him -now--at this late period--since it has been given in evidence that he -was seen with Marie--but it would have had no force at the period of the -deed. The first impulse of an innocent man would have been to announce -the outrage, and to aid in identifying the ruffians. This policy would -have suggested. He had been seen with the girl. He had crossed the river -with her in an open ferry-boat. The denouncing of the assassins would -have appeared, even to an idiot, the surest and sole means of relieving -himself from suspicion. We cannot suppose him, on the night of the fatal -Sunday, both innocent himself and incognizant of an outrage committed. -Yet only under such circumstances is it possible to imagine that he -would have failed, if alive, in the denouncement of the assassins. - -"And what means are ours, of attaining the truth? We shall find these -means multiplying and gathering distinctness as we proceed. Let us sift -to the bottom this affair of the first elopement. Let us know the -full history of 'the officer,' with his present circumstances, and -his whereabouts at the precise period of the murder. Let us carefully -compare with each other the various communications sent to the evening -paper, in which the object was to inculpate a gang. This done, let us -compare these communications, both as regards style and MS., with -those sent to the morning paper, at a previous period, and insisting so -vehemently upon the guilt of Mennais. And, all this done, let us again -compare these various communications with the known MSS. of the officer. -Let us endeavor to ascertain, by repeated questionings of Madame Deluc -and her boys, as well as of the omnibus driver, Valence, something more -of the personal appearance and bearing of the 'man of dark complexion.' -Queries, skilfully directed, will not fail to elicit, from some of -these parties, information on this particular point (or upon -others)--information which the parties themselves may not even be aware -of possessing. And let us now trace the boat picked up by the bargeman -on the morning of Monday the twenty-third of June, and which was -removed from the barge-office, without the cognizance of the officer -in attendance, and without the rudder, at some period prior to the -discovery of the corpse. With a proper caution and perseverance we shall -infallibly trace this boat; for not only can the bargeman who picked -it up identify it, but the rudder is at hand. The rudder of a sail-boat -would not have been abandoned, without inquiry, by one altogether at -ease in heart. And here let me pause to insinuate a question. There was -no advertisement of the picking up of this boat. It was silently -taken to the barge-office, and as silently removed. But its owner or -employer--how happened he, at so early a period as Tuesday morning, to -be informed, without the agency of advertisement, of the locality of -the boat taken up on Monday, unless we imagine some connexion with the -navy--some personal permanent connexion leading to cognizance of its -minute in interests--its petty local news? - -"In speaking of the lonely assassin dragging his burden to the shore, -I have already suggested the probability of his availing himself of a -boat. Now we are to understand that Marie Rogt was precipitated from a -boat. This would naturally have been the case. The corpse could not have -been trusted to the shallow waters of the shore. The peculiar marks on -the back and shoulders of the victim tell of the bottom ribs of a boat. -That the body was found without weight is also corroborative of the -idea. If thrown from the shore a weight would have been attached. We can -only account for its absence by supposing the murderer to have neglected -the precaution of supplying himself with it before pushing off. In the -act of consigning the corpse to the water, he would unquestionably have -noticed his oversight; but then no remedy would have been at hand. -Any risk would have been preferred to a return to that accursed shore. -Having rid himself of his ghastly charge, the murderer would have -hastened to the city. There, at some obscure wharf, he would have leaped -on land. But the boat--would he have secured it? He would have been -in too great haste for such things as securing a boat. Moreover, in -fastening it to the wharf, he would have felt as if securing evidence -against himself. His natural thought would have been to cast from him, -as far as possible, all that had held connection with his crime. He -would not only have fled from the wharf, but he would not have permitted -the boat to remain. Assuredly he would have cast it adrift. Let us -pursue our fancies.--In the morning, the wretch is stricken with -unutterable horror at finding that the boat has been picked up and -detained at a locality which he is in the daily habit of frequenting ---at a locality, perhaps, which his duty compels him to frequent. The -next night, without daring to ask for the rudder, he removes it. Now -where is that rudderless boat? Let it be one of our first purposes -to discover. With the first glimpse we obtain of it, the dawn of our -success shall begin. This boat shall guide us, with a rapidity which -will surprise even ourselves, to him who employed it in the midnight of -the fatal Sabbath. Corroboration will rise upon corroboration, and the -murderer will be traced." - -[For reasons which we shall not specify, but which to many readers will -appear obvious, we have taken the liberty of here omitting, from the -MSS. placed in our hands, such portion as details the following up of -the apparently slight clew obtained by Dupin. We feel it advisable only -to state, in brief, that the result desired was brought to pass; and -that the Prefect fulfilled punctually, although with reluctance, the -terms of his compact with the Chevalier. Mr. Poe's article concludes -with the following words.--Eds. (*23)] - -It will be understood that I speak of coincidences and no more. What -I have said above upon this topic must suffice. In my own heart there -dwells no faith in prter-nature. That Nature and its God are two, no -man who thinks, will deny. That the latter, creating the former, can, at -will, control or modify it, is also unquestionable. I say "at will;" for -the question is of will, and not, as the insanity of logic has assumed, -of power. It is not that the Deity cannot modify his laws, but that we -insult him in imagining a possible necessity for modification. In their -origin these laws were fashioned to embrace all contingencies which -could lie in the Future. With God all is Now. - -I repeat, then, that I speak of these things only as of coincidences. -And farther: in what I relate it will be seen that between the fate of -the unhappy Mary Cecilia Rogers, so far as that fate is known, and the -fate of one Marie Rogt up to a certain epoch in her history, there has -existed a parallel in the contemplation of whose wonderful exactitude -the reason becomes embarrassed. I say all this will be seen. But let it -not for a moment be supposed that, in proceeding with the sad narrative -of Marie from the epoch just mentioned, and in tracing to its dnouement -the mystery which enshrouded her, it is my covert design to hint at an -extension of the parallel, or even to suggest that the measures adopted -in Paris for the discovery of the assassin of a grisette, or measures -founded in any similar ratiocination, would produce any similar result. - -For, in respect to the latter branch of the supposition, it should be -considered that the most trifling variation in the facts of the -two cases might give rise to the most important miscalculations, -by diverting thoroughly the two courses of events; very much as, -in arithmetic, an error which, in its own individuality, may be -inappreciable, produces, at length, by dint of multiplication at all -points of the process, a result enormously at variance with truth. And, -in regard to the former branch, we must not fail to hold in view that -the very Calculus of Probabilities to which I have referred, forbids all -idea of the extension of the parallel:--forbids it with a positiveness -strong and decided just in proportion as this parallel has already been -long-drawn and exact. This is one of those anomalous propositions which, -seemingly appealing to thought altogether apart from the mathematical, -is yet one which only the mathematician can fully entertain. Nothing, -for example, is more difficult than to convince the merely general -reader that the fact of sixes having been thrown twice in succession by -a player at dice, is sufficient cause for betting the largest odds that -sixes will not be thrown in the third attempt. A suggestion to this -effect is usually rejected by the intellect at once. It does not -appear that the two throws which have been completed, and which lie now -absolutely in the Past, can have influence upon the throw which exists -only in the Future. The chance for throwing sixes seems to be precisely -as it was at any ordinary time--that is to say, subject only to the -influence of the various other throws which may be made by the dice. And -this is a reflection which appears so exceedingly obvious that attempts -to controvert it are received more frequently with a derisive smile -than with anything like respectful attention. The error here involved--a -gross error redolent of mischief--I cannot pretend to expose within the -limits assigned me at present; and with the philosophical it needs -no exposure. It may be sufficient here to say that it forms one of an -infinite series of mistakes which arise in the path of Reason through -her propensity for seeking truth in detail. - -Footnotes--Marie Rogt - -(*1) Upon the original publication of "Marie Roget," the foot-notes now -appended were considered unnecessary; but the lapse of several years -since the tragedy upon which the tale is based, renders it expedient -to give them, and also to say a few words in explanation of the general -design. A young girl, Mary Cecilia Rogers, was murdered in the -vicinity of New York; and, although her death occasioned an intense and -long-enduring excitement, the mystery attending it had remained -unsolved at the period when the present paper was written and published -(November, 1842). Herein, under pretence of relating the fate of -a Parisian grisette, the author has followed in minute detail, the -essential, while merely paralleling the inessential facts of the real -murder of Mary Rogers. Thus all argument founded upon the fiction is -applicable to the truth: and the investigation of the truth was the -object. The "Mystery of Marie Roget" was composed at a distance from the -scene of the atrocity, and with no other means of investigation than the -newspapers afforded. Thus much escaped the writer of which he could have -availed himself had he been upon the spot, and visited the localities. -It may not be improper to record, nevertheless, that the confessions of -two persons, (one of them the Madame Deluc of the narrative) made, at -different periods, long subsequent to the publication, confirmed, in -full, not only the general conclusion, but absolutely all the chief -hypothetical details by which that conclusion was attained. - -(*2) The nom de plume of Von Hardenburg. - -(*3) Nassau Street. - -(*4) Anderson. - -(*5) The Hudson. - -(*6) Weehawken. - -(*7) Payne. - -(*8) Crommelin. - -(*9) The New York "Mercury." - -(*10) The New York "Brother Jonathan," edited by H. Hastings Weld, Esq. - -(*11) New York "Journal of Commerce." - -(*12) Philadelphia "Saturday Evening Post," edited by C. I. Peterson, -Esq. - -(*13) Adam - -(*14) See "Murders in the Rue Morgue." - -(*15) The New York "Commercial Advertiser," edited by Col. Stone. - -(*16) "A theory based on the qualities of an object, will prevent its -being unfolded according to its objects; and he who arranges topics in -reference to their causes, will cease to value them according to their -results. Thus the jurisprudence of every nation will show that, when law -becomes a science and a system, it ceases to be justice. The errors -into which a blind devotion to principles of classification has led the -common law, will be seen by observing how often the legislature has -been obliged to come forward to restore the equity its scheme had -lost."--Landor. - -(*17) New York "Express" - -(*18) New York "Herald." - -(*19) New York "Courier and Inquirer." - -(*20) Mennais was one of the parties originally suspected and arrested, -but discharged through total lack of evidence. - -(*21) New York "Courier and Inquirer." - -(*22) New York "Evening Post." - -(*23) Of the Magazine in which the article was originally published. - - - - -THE BALLOON-HOAX - - [Astounding News by Express, _via_ Norfolk!--The Atlantic - crossed in Three Days! Signal Triumph of Mr. Monck Mason's Flying - Machine!--Arrival at Sullivan's Island, near Charlestown, S.C., of - Mr. Mason, Mr. Robert Holland, Mr. Henson, Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, - and four others, in the Steering Balloon, "Victoria," after a passage - of Seventy-five Hours from Land to Land! Full Particulars of the - Voyage! - - The subjoined _jeu d'esprit_ with the preceding heading in - magnificent capitals, well interspersed with notes of admiration, was - originally published, as matter of fact, in the "New York Sun," a - daily newspaper, and therein fully subserved the purpose of creating - indigestible aliment for the _quidnuncs_ during the few hours - intervening between a couple of the Charleston mails. The rush for - the "sole paper which had the news," was something beyond even the - prodigious; and, in fact, if (as some assert) the "Victoria" _did_ - not absolutely accomplish the voyage recorded, it will be difficult - to assign a reason why she _should_ not have accomplished it.] - -THE great problem is at length solved! The air, as well as the earth -and the ocean, has been subdued by science, and will become a common and -convenient highway for mankind. _The Atlantic has been actually crossed -in a Balloon!_ and this too without difficulty--without any great -apparent danger--with thorough control of the machine--and in the -inconceivably brief period of seventy-five hours from shore to shore! -By the energy of an agent at Charleston, S.C., we are enabled to be -the first to furnish the public with a detailed account of this most -extraordinary voyage, which was performed between Saturday, the 6th -instant, at 11, A.M., and 2, P.M., on Tuesday, the 9th instant, by Sir -Everard Bringhurst; Mr. Osborne, a nephew of Lord Bentinck's; Mr. Monck -Mason and Mr. Robert Holland, the well-known ronauts; Mr. Harrison -Ainsworth, author of "Jack Sheppard," &c.; and Mr. Henson, the -projector of the late unsuccessful flying machine--with two seamen from -Woolwich--in all, eight persons. The particulars furnished below may be -relied on as authentic and accurate in every respect, as, with a slight -exception, they are copied _verbatim_ from the joint diaries of Mr. -Monck Mason and Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, to whose politeness our agent is -also indebted for much verbal information respecting the balloon itself, -its construction, and other matters of interest. The only alteration in -the MS. received, has been made for the purpose of throwing the hurried -account of our agent, Mr. Forsyth, into a connected and intelligible -form. - -"THE BALLOON. - -"Two very decided failures, of late--those of Mr. Henson and Sir George -Cayley--had much weakened the public interest in the subject of aerial -navigation. Mr. Henson's scheme (which at first was considered very -feasible even by men of science,) was founded upon the principle of an -inclined plane, started from an eminence by an extrinsic force, applied -and continued by the revolution of impinging vanes, in form and number -resembling the vanes of a windmill. But, in all the experiments made -with models at the Adelaide Gallery, it was found that the operation of -these fans not only did not propel the machine, but actually impeded -its flight. The only propelling force it ever exhibited, was the mere -_impetus_ acquired from the descent of the inclined plane; and this -_impetus_ carried the machine farther when the vanes were at rest, than -when they were in motion--a fact which sufficiently demonstrates their -inutility; and in the absence of the propelling, which was also the -_sustaining_ power, the whole fabric would necessarily descend. -This consideration led Sir George Cayley to think only of adapting -a propeller to some machine having of itself an independent power of -support--in a word, to a balloon; the idea, however, being novel, -or original, with Sir George, only so far as regards the mode of its -application to practice. He exhibited a model of his invention at the -Polytechnic Institution. The propelling principle, or power, was here, -also, applied to interrupted surfaces, or vanes, put in revolution. -These vanes were four in number, but were found entirely ineffectual in -moving the balloon, or in aiding its ascending power. The whole project -was thus a complete failure. - -"It was at this juncture that Mr. Monck Mason (whose voyage from Dover -to Weilburg in the balloon, "Nassau," occasioned so much excitement in -1837,) conceived the idea of employing the principle of the Archimedean -screw for the purpose of propulsion through the air--rightly -attributing the failure of Mr. Henson's scheme, and of Sir George -Cayley's, to the interruption of surface in the independent vanes. -He made the first public experiment at Willis's Rooms, but afterward -removed his model to the Adelaide Gallery. - -"Like Sir George Cayley's balloon, his own was an ellipsoid. Its -length was thirteen feet six inches--height, six feet eight inches. It -contained about three hundred and twenty cubic feet of gas, which, if -pure hydrogen, would support twenty-one pounds upon its first inflation, -before the gas has time to deteriorate or escape. The weight of the -whole machine and apparatus was seventeen pounds--leaving about four -pounds to spare. Beneath the centre of the balloon, was a frame of light -wood, about nine feet long, and rigged on to the balloon itself with -a network in the customary manner. From this framework was suspended a -wicker basket or car. - -"The screw consists of an axis of hollow brass tube, eighteen inches in -length, through which, upon a semi-spiral inclined at fifteen degrees, -pass a series of steel wire radii, two feet long, and thus projecting a -foot on either side. These radii are connected at the outer extremities -by two bands of flattened wire--the whole in this manner forming the -framework of the screw, which is completed by a covering of oiled silk -cut into gores, and tightened so as to present a tolerably uniform -surface. At each end of its axis this screw is supported by pillars of -hollow brass tube descending from the hoop. In the lower ends of these -tubes are holes in which the pivots of the axis revolve. From the end -of the axis which is next the car, proceeds a shaft of steel, connecting -the screw with the pinion of a piece of spring machinery fixed in the -car. By the operation of this spring, the screw is made to revolve with -great rapidity, communicating a progressive motion to the whole. By -means of the rudder, the machine was readily turned in any direction. -The spring was of great power, compared with its dimensions, being -capable of raising forty-five pounds upon a barrel of four inches -diameter, after the first turn, and gradually increasing as it was wound -up. It weighed, altogether, eight pounds six ounces. The rudder was -a light frame of cane covered with silk, shaped somewhat like a -battle-door, and was about three feet long, and at the widest, one foot. -Its weight was about two ounces. It could be turned _flat_, and directed -upwards or downwards, as well as to the right or left; and thus enabled -the ronaut to transfer the resistance of the air which in an inclined -position it must generate in its passage, to any side upon which he -might desire to act; thus determining the balloon in the opposite -direction. - -"This model (which, through want of time, we have necessarily described -in an imperfect manner,) was put in action at the Adelaide Gallery, -where it accomplished a velocity of five miles per hour; although, -strange to say, it excited very little interest in comparison with the -previous complex machine of Mr. Henson--so resolute is the world -to despise anything which carries with it an air of simplicity. To -accomplish the great desideratum of rial navigation, it was very -generally supposed that some exceedingly complicated application must be -made of some unusually profound principle in dynamics. - -"So well satisfied, however, was Mr. Mason of the ultimate success of -his invention, that he determined to construct immediately, if possible, -a balloon of sufficient capacity to test the question by a voyage of -some extent--the original design being to cross the British Channel, as -before, in the Nassau balloon. To carry out his views, he solicited and -obtained the patronage of Sir Everard Bringhurst and Mr. Osborne, two -gentlemen well known for scientific acquirement, and especially for the -interest they have exhibited in the progress of rostation. The project, -at the desire of Mr. Osborne, was kept a profound secret from the -public--the only persons entrusted with the design being those actually -engaged in the construction of the machine, which was built (under the -superintendence of Mr. Mason, Mr. Holland, Sir Everard Bringhurst, and -Mr. Osborne,) at the seat of the latter gentleman near Penstruthal, in -Wales. Mr. Henson, accompanied by his friend Mr. Ainsworth, was admitted -to a private view of the balloon, on Saturday last--when the two -gentlemen made final arrangements to be included in the adventure. We -are not informed for what reason the two seamen were also included in -the party--but, in the course of a day or two, we shall put our readers -in possession of the minutest particulars respecting this extraordinary -voyage. - -"The balloon is composed of silk, varnished with the liquid gum -caoutchouc. It is of vast dimensions, containing more than 40,000 cubic -feet of gas; but as coal gas was employed in place of the more expensive -and inconvenient hydrogen, the supporting power of the machine, when -fully inflated, and immediately after inflation, is not more than about -2500 pounds. The coal gas is not only much less costly, but is easily -procured and managed. - -"For its introduction into common use for purposes of aerostation, we -are indebted to Mr. Charles Green. Up to his discovery, the process of -inflation was not only exceedingly expensive, but uncertain. Two, and -even three days, have frequently been wasted in futile attempts to -procure a sufficiency of hydrogen to fill a balloon, from which it -had great tendency to escape, owing to its extreme subtlety, and its -affinity for the surrounding atmosphere. In a balloon sufficiently -perfect to retain its contents of coal-gas unaltered, in quantity or -amount, for six months, an equal quantity of hydrogen could not be -maintained in equal purity for six weeks. - -"The supporting power being estimated at 2500 pounds, and the united -weights of the party amounting only to about 1200, there was left a -surplus of 1300, of which again 1200 was exhausted by ballast, arranged -in bags of different sizes, with their respective weights marked upon -them--by cordage, barometers, telescopes, barrels containing provision -for a fortnight, water-casks, cloaks, carpet-bags, and various other -indispensable matters, including a coffee-warmer, contrived for warming -coffee by means of slack-lime, so as to dispense altogether with fire, -if it should be judged prudent to do so. All these articles, with the -exception of the ballast, and a few trifles, were suspended from the -hoop overhead. The car is much smaller and lighter, in proportion, than -the one appended to the model. It is formed of a light wicker, and is -wonderfully strong, for so frail looking a machine. Its rim is about -four feet deep. The rudder is also very much larger, in proportion, than -that of the model; and the screw is considerably smaller. The balloon is -furnished besides with a grapnel, and a guide-rope; which latter is of -the most indispensable importance. A few words, in explanation, will -here be necessary for such of our readers as are not conversant with the -details of aerostation. - -"As soon as the balloon quits the earth, it is subjected to the -influence of many circumstances tending to create a difference in its -weight; augmenting or diminishing its ascending power. For example, -there may be a deposition of dew upon the silk, to the extent, even, -of several hundred pounds; ballast has then to be thrown out, or the -machine may descend. This ballast being discarded, and a clear sunshine -evaporating the dew, and at the same time expanding the gas in the silk, -the whole will again rapidly ascend. To check this ascent, the only -recourse is, (or rather _was_, until Mr. Green's invention of the -guide-rope,) the permission of the escape of gas from the valve; but, in -the loss of gas, is a proportionate general loss of ascending power; so -that, in a comparatively brief period, the best-constructed balloon must -necessarily exhaust all its resources, and come to the earth. This was -the great obstacle to voyages of length. - -"The guide-rope remedies the difficulty in the simplest manner -conceivable. It is merely a very long rope which is suffered to trail -from the car, and the effect of which is to prevent the balloon from -changing its level in any material degree. If, for example, there should -be a deposition of moisture upon the silk, and the machine begins to -descend in consequence, there will be no necessity for discharging -ballast to remedy the increase of weight, for it is remedied, or -counteracted, in an exactly just proportion, by the deposit on the -ground of just so much of the end of the rope as is necessary. If, -on the other hand, any circumstances should cause undue levity, and -consequent ascent, this levity is immediately counteracted by the -additional weight of rope upraised from the earth. Thus, the balloon -can neither ascend or descend, except within very narrow limits, and its -resources, either in gas or ballast, remain comparatively unimpaired. -When passing over an expanse of water, it becomes necessary to employ -small kegs of copper or wood, filled with liquid ballast of a lighter -nature than water. These float, and serve all the purposes of a mere -rope on land. Another most important office of the guide-rope, is to -point out the _direction_ of the balloon. The rope _drags_, either on -land or sea, while the balloon is free; the latter, consequently, is -always in advance, when any progress whatever is made: a comparison, -therefore, by means of the compass, of the relative positions of the two -objects, will always indicate the _course_. In the same way, the angle -formed by the rope with the vertical axis of the machine, indicates -the _velocity_. When there is _no_ angle--in other words, when the rope -hangs perpendicularly, the whole apparatus is stationary; but the larger -the angle, that is to say, the farther the balloon precedes the end of -the rope, the greater the velocity; and the converse. - -"As the original design was to cross the British Channel, and alight as -near Paris as possible, the voyagers had taken the precaution to prepare -themselves with passports directed to all parts of the Continent, -specifying the nature of the expedition, as in the case of the Nassau -voyage, and entitling the adventurers to exemption from the usual -formalities of office: unexpected events, however, rendered these -passports superfluous. - -"The inflation was commenced very quietly at daybreak, on Saturday -morning, the 6th instant, in the Court-Yard of Weal-Vor House, Mr. -Osborne's seat, about a mile from Penstruthal, in North Wales; and at 7 -minutes past 11, every thing being ready for departure, the balloon was -set free, rising gently but steadily, in a direction nearly South; no -use being made, for the first half hour, of either the screw or the -rudder. We proceed now with the journal, as transcribed by Mr. Forsyth -from the joint MSS. Of Mr. Monck Mason, and Mr. Ainsworth. The body of -the journal, as given, is in the hand-writing of Mr. Mason, and a P. -S. is appended, each day, by Mr. Ainsworth, who has in preparation, and -will shortly give the public a more minute, and no doubt, a thrillingly -interesting account of the voyage. - -"THE JOURNAL. - -"_Saturday, April the 6th_.--Every preparation likely to embarrass us, -having been made over night, we commenced the inflation this morning at -daybreak; but owing to a thick fog, which encumbered the folds of the -silk and rendered it unmanageable, we did not get through before nearly -eleven o'clock. Cut loose, then, in high spirits, and rose gently but -steadily, with a light breeze at North, which bore us in the direction -of the British Channel. Found the ascending force greater than we had -expected; and as we arose higher and so got clear of the cliffs, and -more in the sun's rays, our ascent became very rapid. I did not wish, -however, to lose gas at so early a period of the adventure, and so -concluded to ascend for the present. We soon ran out our guide-rope; -but even when we had raised it clear of the earth, we still went up very -rapidly. The balloon was unusually steady, and looked beautifully. In -about ten minutes after starting, the barometer indicated an altitude -of 15,000 feet. The weather was remarkably fine, and the view of the -subjacent country--a most romantic one when seen from any point,--was -now especially sublime. The numerous deep gorges presented the -appearance of lakes, on account of the dense vapors with which they -were filled, and the pinnacles and crags to the South East, piled in -inextricable confusion, resembling nothing so much as the giant cities -of eastern fable. We were rapidly approaching the mountains in the -South; but our elevation was more than sufficient to enable us to pass -them in safety. In a few minutes we soared over them in fine style; and -Mr. Ainsworth, with the seamen, was surprised at their apparent want of -altitude when viewed from the car, the tendency of great elevation in a -balloon being to reduce inequalities of the surface below, to nearly -a dead level. At half-past eleven still proceeding nearly South, we -obtained our first view of the Bristol Channel; and, in fifteen minutes -afterward, the line of breakers on the coast appeared immediately -beneath us, and we were fairly out at sea. We now resolved to let off -enough gas to bring our guide-rope, with the buoys affixed, into the -water. This was immediately done, and we commenced a gradual descent. -In about twenty minutes our first buoy dipped, and at the touch of the -second soon afterwards, we remained stationary as to elevation. We were -all now anxious to test the efficiency of the rudder and screw, and we -put them both into requisition forthwith, for the purpose of altering -our direction more to the eastward, and in a line for Paris. By means of -the rudder we instantly effected the necessary change of direction, and -our course was brought nearly at right angles to that of the wind; when -we set in motion the spring of the screw, and were rejoiced to find it -propel us readily as desired. Upon this we gave nine hearty cheers, and -dropped in the sea a bottle, enclosing a slip of parchment with a brief -account of the principle of the invention. Hardly, however, had we -done with our rejoicings, when an unforeseen accident occurred which -discouraged us in no little degree. The steel rod connecting the spring -with the propeller was suddenly jerked out of place, at the car end, (by -a swaying of the car through some movement of one of the two seamen we -had taken up,) and in an instant hung dangling out of reach, from the -pivot of the axis of the screw. While we were endeavoring to regain it, -our attention being completely absorbed, we became involved in a strong -current of wind from the East, which bore us, with rapidly increasing -force, towards the Atlantic. We soon found ourselves driving out to sea -at the rate of not less, certainly, than fifty or sixty miles an hour, -so that we came up with Cape Clear, at some forty miles to our North, -before we had secured the rod, and had time to think what we were about. -It was now that Mr. Ainsworth made an extraordinary, but to my fancy, -a by no means unreasonable or chimerical proposition, in which he was -instantly seconded by Mr. Holland--viz.: that we should take advantage -of the strong gale which bore us on, and in place of beating back to -Paris, make an attempt to reach the coast of North America. After slight -reflection I gave a willing assent to this bold proposition, which -(strange to say) met with objection from the two seamen only. As the -stronger party, however, we overruled their fears, and kept resolutely -upon our course. We steered due West; but as the trailing of the buoys -materially impeded our progress, and we had the balloon abundantly at -command, either for ascent or descent, we first threw out fifty pounds -of ballast, and then wound up (by means of a windlass) so much of the -rope as brought it quite clear of the sea. We perceived the effect of -this manoeuvre immediately, in a vastly increased rate of progress; and, -as the gale freshened, we flew with a velocity nearly inconceivable; the -guide-rope flying out behind the car, like a streamer from a vessel. It -is needless to say that a very short time sufficed us to lose sight of -the coast. We passed over innumerable vessels of all kinds, a few of -which were endeavoring to beat up, but the most of them lying to. We -occasioned the greatest excitement on board all--an excitement greatly -relished by ourselves, and especially by our two men, who, now under the -influence of a dram of Geneva, seemed resolved to give all scruple, or -fear, to the wind. Many of the vessels fired signal guns; and in all -we were saluted with loud cheers (which we heard with surprising -distinctness) and the waving of caps and handkerchiefs. We kept on in -this manner throughout the day, with no material incident, and, as -the shades of night closed around us, we made a rough estimate of the -distance traversed. It could not have been less than five hundred -miles, and was probably much more. The propeller was kept in constant -operation, and, no doubt, aided our progress materially. As the sun -went down, the gale freshened into an absolute hurricane, and the ocean -beneath was clearly visible on account of its phosphorescence. The wind -was from the East all night, and gave us the brightest omen of success. -We suffered no little from cold, and the dampness of the atmosphere was -most unpleasant; but the ample space in the car enabled us to lie down, -and by means of cloaks and a few blankets, we did sufficiently well. - -"P.S. (by Mr. Ainsworth.) The last nine hours have been unquestionably -the most exciting of my life. I can conceive nothing more sublimating -than the strange peril and novelty of an adventure such as this. May -God grant that we succeed! I ask not success for mere safety to my -insignificant person, but for the sake of human knowledge and--for the -vastness of the triumph. And yet the feat is only so evidently feasible -that the sole wonder is why men have scrupled to attempt it before. One -single gale such as now befriends us--let such a tempest whirl forward -a balloon for four or five days (these gales often last longer) and the -voyager will be easily borne, in that period, from coast to coast. In -view of such a gale the broad Atlantic becomes a mere lake. I am more -struck, just now, with the supreme silence which reigns in the -sea beneath us, notwithstanding its agitation, than with any other -phenomenon presenting itself. The waters give up no voice to -the heavens. The immense flaming ocean writhes and is tortured -uncomplainingly. The mountainous surges suggest the idea of innumerable -dumb gigantic fiends struggling in impotent agony. In a night such as is -this to me, a man _lives_--lives a whole century of ordinary life--nor -would I forego this rapturous delight for that of a whole century of -ordinary existence. - -"_Sunday, the seventh_. [Mr. Mason's MS.] This morning the gale, by 10, -had subsided to an eight or nine--knot breeze, (for a vessel at sea,) -and bears us, perhaps, thirty miles per hour, or more. It has veered, -however, very considerably to the north; and now, at sundown, we are -holding our course due west, principally by the screw and rudder, which -answer their purposes to admiration. I regard the project as thoroughly -successful, and the easy navigation of the air in any direction (not -exactly in the teeth of a gale) as no longer problematical. We could not -have made head against the strong wind of yesterday; but, by ascending, -we might have got out of its influence, if requisite. Against a pretty -stiff breeze, I feel convinced, we can make our way with the propeller. -At noon, to-day, ascended to an elevation of nearly 25,000 feet, by -discharging ballast. Did this to search for a more direct current, but -found none so favorable as the one we are now in. We have an abundance -of gas to take us across this small pond, even should the voyage -last three weeks. I have not the slightest fear for the result. The -difficulty has been strangely exaggerated and misapprehended. I can -choose my current, and should I find _all_ currents against me, I can -make very tolerable headway with the propeller. We have had no incidents -worth recording. The night promises fair. - -P.S. [By Mr. Ainsworth.] I have little to record, except the fact (to me -quite a surprising one) that, at an elevation equal to that of Cotopaxi, -I experienced neither very intense cold, nor headache, nor difficulty -of breathing; neither, I find, did Mr. Mason, nor Mr. Holland, nor Sir -Everard. Mr. Osborne complained of constriction of the chest--but this -soon wore off. We have flown at a great rate during the day, and we -must be more than half way across the Atlantic. We have passed over -some twenty or thirty vessels of various kinds, and all seem to be -delightfully astonished. Crossing the ocean in a balloon is not so -difficult a feat after all. _Omne ignotum pro magnifico. Mem:_ at -25,000 feet elevation the sky appears nearly black, and the stars are -distinctly visible; while the sea does not seem convex (as one might -suppose) but absolutely and most unequivocally _concave_.(*1) - -"_Monday, the 8th_. [Mr. Mason's MS.] This morning we had again some -little trouble with the rod of the propeller, which must be entirely -remodelled, for fear of serious accident--I mean the steel rod--not -the vanes. The latter could not be improved. The wind has been blowing -steadily and strongly from the north-east all day and so far fortune -seems bent upon favoring us. Just before day, we were all somewhat -alarmed at some odd noises and concussions in the balloon, accompanied -with the apparent rapid subsidence of the whole machine. These phenomena -were occasioned by the expansion of the gas, through increase of heat in -the atmosphere, and the consequent disruption of the minute particles of -ice with which the network had become encrusted during the night. Threw -down several bottles to the vessels below. Saw one of them picked up by -a large ship--seemingly one of the New York line packets. Endeavored to -make out her name, but could not be sure of it. Mr. Osborne's telescope -made it out something like "Atalanta." It is now 12, at night, and we -are still going nearly west, at a rapid pace. The sea is peculiarly -phosphorescent. - -"P.S. [By Mr. Ainsworth.] It is now 2, A.M., and nearly calm, as well as -I can judge--but it is very difficult to determine this point, since -we move _with_ the air so completely. I have not slept since quitting -Wheal-Vor, but can stand it no longer, and must take a nap. We cannot be -far from the American coast. - -"_Tuesday, the _9_th_. [Mr. Ainsworth's MS.] _One, P.M. We are in -full view of the low coast of South Carolina_. The great problem is -accomplished. We have crossed the Atlantic--fairly and _easily_ -crossed it in a balloon! God be praised! Who shall say that anything is -impossible hereafter?" - -The Journal here ceases. Some particulars of the descent were -communicated, however, by Mr. Ainsworth to Mr. Forsyth. It was nearly -dead calm when the voyagers first came in view of the coast, which -was immediately recognized by both the seamen, and by Mr. Osborne. -The latter gentleman having acquaintances at Fort Moultrie, it was -immediately resolved to descend in its vicinity. The balloon was brought -over the beach (the tide being out and the sand hard, smooth, and -admirably adapted for a descent,) and the grapnel let go, which took -firm hold at once. The inhabitants of the island, and of the fort, -thronged out, of course, to see the balloon; but it was with the -greatest difficulty that any one could be made to credit the actual -voyage--_the crossing of the Atlantic_. The grapnel caught at 2, P.M., -precisely; and thus the whole voyage was completed in seventy-five -hours; or rather less, counting from shore to shore. No serious accident -occurred. No real danger was at any time apprehended. The balloon was -exhausted and secured without trouble; and when the MS. from which this -narrative is compiled was despatched from Charleston, the party were -still at Fort Moultrie. Their farther intentions were not ascertained; -but we can safely promise our readers some additional information either -on Monday or in the course of the next day, at farthest. - -This is unquestionably the most stupendous, the most interesting, and -the most important undertaking, ever accomplished or even attempted by -man. What magnificent events may ensue, it would be useless now to think -of determining. - -(*1) _Note_.--Mr. Ainsworth has not attempted to account for this -phenomenon, which, however, is quite susceptible of explanation. A line -dropped from an elevation of 25,000 feet, perpendicularly to the surface -of the earth (or sea), would form the perpendicular of a right-angled -triangle, of which the base would extend from the right angle to the -horizon, and the hypothenuse from the horizon to the balloon. But the -25,000 feet of altitude is little or nothing, in comparison with the -extent of the prospect. In other words, the base and hypothenuse of the -supposed triangle would be so long when compared with the perpendicular, -that the two former may be regarded as nearly parallel. In this manner -the horizon of the ronaut would appear to be _on a level_ with the -car. But, as the point immediately beneath him seems, and is, at a great -distance below him, it seems, of course, also, at a great distance below -the horizon. Hence the impression of _concavity_; and this impression -must remain, until the elevation shall bear so great a proportion to -the extent of prospect, that the apparent parallelism of the base and -hypothenuse disappears--when the earth's real convexity must become -apparent. - - - - -MS. FOUND IN A BOTTLE - - Qui n'a plus qu'un moment a vivre - - N'a plus rien a dissimuler. - - --Quinault--Atys. - -OF my country and of my family I have little to say. Ill usage and -length of years have driven me from the one, and estranged me from the -other. Hereditary wealth afforded me an education of no common order, -and a contemplative turn of mind enabled me to methodize the stores -which early study very diligently garnered up.--Beyond all things, -the study of the German moralists gave me great delight; not from any -ill-advised admiration of their eloquent madness, but from the ease with -which my habits of rigid thought enabled me to detect their falsities. -I have often been reproached with the aridity of my genius; a deficiency -of imagination has been imputed to me as a crime; and the Pyrrhonism -of my opinions has at all times rendered me notorious. Indeed, a strong -relish for physical philosophy has, I fear, tinctured my mind with -a very common error of this age--I mean the habit of referring -occurrences, even the least susceptible of such reference, to the -principles of that science. Upon the whole, no person could be less -liable than myself to be led away from the severe precincts of truth by -the ignes fatui of superstition. I have thought proper to premise thus -much, lest the incredible tale I have to tell should be considered -rather the raving of a crude imagination, than the positive experience -of a mind to which the reveries of fancy have been a dead letter and a -nullity. - -After many years spent in foreign travel, I sailed in the year 18-- , -from the port of Batavia, in the rich and populous island of Java, on -a voyage to the Archipelago of the Sunda islands. I went as -passenger--having no other inducement than a kind of nervous -restlessness which haunted me as a fiend. - -Our vessel was a beautiful ship of about four hundred tons, -copper-fastened, and built at Bombay of Malabar teak. She was freighted -with cotton-wool and oil, from the Lachadive islands. We had also on -board coir, jaggeree, ghee, cocoa-nuts, and a few cases of opium. The -stowage was clumsily done, and the vessel consequently crank. - -We got under way with a mere breath of wind, and for many days stood -along the eastern coast of Java, without any other incident to beguile -the monotony of our course than the occasional meeting with some of the -small grabs of the Archipelago to which we were bound. - -One evening, leaning over the taffrail, I observed a very singular, -isolated cloud, to the N.W. It was remarkable, as well for its color, as -from its being the first we had seen since our departure from Batavia. -I watched it attentively until sunset, when it spread all at once to -the eastward and westward, girting in the horizon with a narrow strip -of vapor, and looking like a long line of low beach. My notice was soon -afterwards attracted by the dusky-red appearance of the moon, and the -peculiar character of the sea. The latter was undergoing a rapid change, -and the water seemed more than usually transparent. Although I could -distinctly see the bottom, yet, heaving the lead, I found the ship in -fifteen fathoms. The air now became intolerably hot, and was loaded with -spiral exhalations similar to those arising from heat iron. As night -came on, every breath of wind died away, an more entire calm it is -impossible to conceive. The 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 groped in a corner among a pile of singular-looking -instruments, and decayed charts of navigation. His manner was a wild -mixture of the peevishness of second childhood, and the solemn dignity -of a God. He at length went on deck, and I saw him no more. - -* * * * * - -A feeling, for which I have no name, has taken possession of my soul ---a sensation which will admit of no analysis, to which the lessons of -bygone times are inadequate, and for which I fear futurity itself -will offer me no key. To a mind constituted like my own, the latter -consideration is an evil. I shall never--I know that I shall -never--be satisfied with regard to the nature of my conceptions. Yet it -is not wonderful that these conceptions are indefinite, since they have -their origin in sources so utterly novel. A new sense--a new entity is -added to my soul. - -* * * * * - -It is long since I first trod the deck of this terrible ship, and the -rays of my destiny are, I think, gathering to a focus. Incomprehensible -men! Wrapped up in meditations of a kind which I cannot divine, they -pass me by unnoticed. Concealment is utter folly on my part, for the -people will not see. It was but just now that I passed directly before -the eyes of the mate--it was no long while ago that I ventured into the -captain's own private cabin, and took thence the materials with which -I write, and have written. I shall from time to time continue this -Journal. It is true that I may not find an opportunity of transmitting -it to the world, but I will not fall to make the endeavour. At the last -moment I will enclose the MS. in a bottle, and cast it within the sea. - -* * * * * - -An incident has occurred which has given me new room for meditation. Are -such things the operation of ungoverned Chance? I had ventured upon deck -and thrown myself down, without attracting any notice, among a pile of -ratlin-stuff and old sails in the bottom of the yawl. While musing upon -the singularity of my fate, I unwittingly daubed with a tar-brush the -edges of a neatly-folded studding-sail which lay near me on a barrel. -The studding-sail is now bent upon the ship, and the thoughtless touches -of the brush are spread out into the word DISCOVERY. - -I have made many observations lately upon the structure of the vessel. -Although well armed, she is not, I think, a ship of war. Her rigging, -build, and general equipment, all negative a supposition of this -kind. What she is not, I can easily perceive--what she is I fear it is -impossible to say. I know not how it is, but in scrutinizing her strange -model and singular cast of spars, her huge size and overgrown suits -of canvas, her severely simple bow and antiquated stern, there will -occasionally flash across my mind a sensation of familiar things, and -there is always mixed up with such indistinct shadows of recollection, -an unaccountable memory of old foreign chronicles and ages long ago. - -* * * * * - -I have been looking at the timbers of the ship. She is built of a -material to which I am a stranger. There is a peculiar character about -the wood which strikes me as rendering it unfit for the purpose to -which it has been applied. I mean its extreme porousness, considered -independently by the worm-eaten condition which is a consequence of -navigation in these seas, and apart from the rottenness attendant upon -age. It will appear perhaps an observation somewhat over-curious, but -this wood would have every characteristic of Spanish oak, if Spanish oak -were distended by any unnatural means. - -In reading the above sentence a curious apothegm of an old -weather-beaten Dutch navigator comes full upon my recollection. "It -is as sure," he was wont to say, when any doubt was entertained of his -veracity, "as sure as there is a sea where the ship itself will grow in -bulk like the living body of the seaman." - -* * * * * - -About an hour ago, I made bold to thrust myself among a group of the -crew. They paid me no manner of attention, and, although I stood in the -very midst of them all, seemed utterly unconscious of my presence. Like -the one I had at first seen in the hold, they all bore about them the -marks of a hoary old age. Their knees trembled with infirmity; their -shoulders were bent double with decrepitude; their shrivelled skins -rattled in the wind; their voices were low, tremulous and broken; their -eyes glistened with the rheum of years; and their gray hairs streamed -terribly in the tempest. Around them, on every part of the deck, lay -scattered mathematical instruments of the most quaint and obsolete -construction. - -* * * * * - -I mentioned some time ago the bending of a studding-sail. From that -period the ship, being thrown dead off the wind, has continued her -terrific course due south, with every rag of canvas packed upon her, -from her trucks to her lower studding-sail booms, and rolling every -moment her top-gallant yard-arms into the most appalling hell of water -which it can enter into the mind of a man to imagine. I have just left -the deck, where I find it impossible to maintain a footing, although the -crew seem to experience little inconvenience. It appears to me a miracle -of miracles that our enormous bulk is not swallowed up at once and -forever. We are surely doomed to hover continually upon the brink of -Eternity, without taking a final plunge into the abyss. From billows a -thousand times more stupendous than any I have ever seen, we glide away -with the facility of the arrowy sea-gull; and the colossal waters rear -their heads above us like demons of the deep, but like demons confined -to simple threats and forbidden to destroy. I am led to attribute these -frequent escapes to the only natural cause which can account for such -effect.--I must suppose the ship to be within the influence of some -strong current, or impetuous under-tow. - -* * * * * - -I have seen the captain face to face, and in his own cabin--but, as I -expected, he paid me no attention. Although in his appearance there is, -to a casual observer, nothing which might bespeak him more or less than -man--still a feeling of irrepressible reverence and awe mingled with the -sensation of wonder with which I regarded him. In stature he is nearly -my own height; that is, about five feet eight inches. He is of a -well-knit and compact frame of body, neither robust nor remarkably -otherwise. But it is the singularity of the expression which reigns upon -the face--it is the intense, the wonderful, the thrilling evidence of -old age, so utter, so extreme, which excites within my spirit a sense--a -sentiment ineffable. His forehead, although little wrinkled, seems to -bear upon it the stamp of a myriad of years.--His gray hairs are records -of the past, and his grayer eyes are Sybils of the future. The cabin -floor was thickly strewn with strange, iron-clasped folios, and -mouldering instruments of science, and obsolete long-forgotten charts. -His head was bowed down upon his hands, and he pored, with a fiery -unquiet eye, over a paper which I took to be a commission, and which, at -all events, bore the signature of a monarch. He muttered to himself, as -did the first seaman whom I saw in the hold, some low peevish syllables -of a foreign tongue, and although the speaker was close at my elbow, his -voice seemed to reach my ears from the distance of a mile. - -* * * * * - -The ship and all in it are imbued with the spirit of Eld. The crew glide -to and fro like the ghosts of buried centuries; their eyes have an eager -and uneasy meaning; and when their fingers fall athwart my path in the -wild glare of the battle-lanterns, I feel as I have never felt before, -although I have been all my life a dealer in antiquities, and have -imbibed the shadows of fallen columns at Balbec, and Tadmor, and -Persepolis, until my very soul has become a ruin. - -* * * * * - -When I look around me I feel ashamed of my former apprehensions. If I -trembled at the blast which has hitherto attended us, shall I not stand -aghast at a warring of wind and ocean, to convey any idea of which -the words tornado and simoom are trivial and ineffective? All in the -immediate vicinity of the ship is the blackness of eternal night, and a -chaos of foamless water; but, about a league on either side of us, may -be seen, indistinctly and at intervals, stupendous ramparts of ice, -towering away into the desolate sky, and looking like the walls of the -universe. - -* * * * * - -As I imagined, the ship proves to be in a current; if that appellation -can properly be given to a tide which, howling and shrieking by the -white ice, thunders on to the southward with a velocity like the -headlong dashing of a cataract. - -* * * * * - -To conceive the horror of my sensations is, I presume, utterly -impossible; yet a curiosity to penetrate the mysteries of these awful -regions, predominates even over my despair, and will reconcile me to the -most hideous aspect of death. It is evident that we are hurrying onwards -to some exciting knowledge--some never-to-be-imparted secret, whose -attainment is destruction. Perhaps this current leads us to the southern -pole itself. It must be confessed that a supposition apparently so wild -has every probability in its favor. - -* * * * * - -The crew pace the deck with unquiet and tremulous step; but there is -upon their countenances an expression more of the eagerness of hope than -of the apathy of despair. - -In the meantime the wind is still in our poop, and, as we carry a crowd -of canvas, the ship is at times lifted bodily from out the sea--Oh, -horror upon horror! the ice opens suddenly to the right, and to the -left, and we are whirling dizzily, in immense concentric circles, round -and round the borders of a gigantic amphitheatre, the summit of whose -walls is lost in the darkness and the distance. But little time will be -left me to ponder upon my destiny--the circles rapidly grow small--we -are plunging madly within the grasp of the whirlpool--and amid a -roaring, and bellowing, and thundering of ocean and of tempest, the ship -is quivering, oh God! and--going down. - -NOTE.--The "MS. Found in a Bottle," was originally published in 1831, -and it was not until many years afterwards that I became acquainted with -the maps of Mercator, in which the ocean is represented as rushing, by -four mouths, into the (northern) Polar Gulf, to be absorbed into the -bowels of the earth; the Pole itself being represented by a black rock, -towering to a prodigious height. - - - - -THE OVAL PORTRAIT - -THE chateau into which my valet had ventured to make forcible entrance, -rather than permit me, in my desperately wounded condition, to pass a -night in the open air, was one of those piles of commingled gloom and -grandeur which have so long frowned among the Appennines, not less in -fact than in the fancy of Mrs. Radcliffe. To all appearance it had been -temporarily and very lately abandoned. We established ourselves in one -of the smallest and least sumptuously furnished apartments. It lay in a -remote turret of the building. Its decorations were rich, yet tattered -and antique. Its walls were hung with tapestry and bedecked with -manifold and multiform armorial trophies, together with an unusually -great number of very spirited modern paintings in frames of rich golden -arabesque. In these paintings, which depended from the walls not only -in their main surfaces, but in very many nooks which the bizarre -architecture of the chateau rendered necessary--in these paintings my -incipient delirium, perhaps, had caused me to take deep interest; so -that I bade Pedro to close the heavy shutters of the room--since it was -already night--to light the tongues of a tall candelabrum which stood by -the head of my bed--and to throw open far and wide the fringed curtains -of black velvet which enveloped the bed itself. I wished all this done -that I might resign myself, if not to sleep, at least alternately to the -contemplation of these pictures, and the perusal of a small volume which -had been found upon the pillow, and which purported to criticise and -describe them. - -Long--long I read--and devoutly, devotedly I gazed. Rapidly and -gloriously the hours flew by and the deep midnight came. The position of -the candelabrum displeased me, and outreaching my hand with difficulty, -rather than disturb my slumbering valet, I placed it so as to throw its -rays more fully upon the book. - -But the action produced an effect altogether unanticipated. The rays of -the numerous candles (for there were many) now fell within a niche of -the room which had hitherto been thrown into deep shade by one of the -bed-posts. I thus saw in vivid light a picture all unnoticed before. It -was the portrait of a young girl just ripening into womanhood. I glanced -at the painting hurriedly, and then closed my eyes. Why I did this -was not at first apparent even to my own perception. But while my lids -remained thus shut, I ran over in my mind my reason for so shutting -them. It was an impulsive movement to gain time for thought--to make -sure that my vision had not deceived me--to calm and subdue my fancy for -a more sober and more certain gaze. In a very few moments I again looked -fixedly at the painting. - -That I now saw aright I could not and would not doubt; for the first -flashing of the candles upon that canvas had seemed to dissipate the -dreamy stupor which was stealing over my senses, and to startle me at -once into waking life. - -The portrait, I have already said, was that of a young girl. It was a -mere head and shoulders, done in what is technically termed a vignette -manner; much in the style of the favorite heads of Sully. The arms, the -bosom, and even the ends of the radiant hair melted imperceptibly into -the vague yet deep shadow which formed the back-ground of the whole. The -frame was oval, richly gilded and filigreed in Moresque. As a thing of -art nothing could be more admirable than the painting itself. But it -could have been neither the execution of the work, nor the immortal -beauty of the countenance, which had so suddenly and so vehemently moved -me. Least of all, could it have been that my fancy, shaken from its half -slumber, had mistaken the head for that of a living person. I saw at -once that the peculiarities of the design, of the vignetting, and of the -frame, must have instantly dispelled such idea--must have prevented even -its momentary entertainment. Thinking earnestly upon these points, I -remained, for an hour perhaps, half sitting, half reclining, with my -vision riveted upon the portrait. At length, satisfied with the true -secret of its effect, I fell back within the bed. I had found the spell -of the picture in an absolute life-likeliness of expression, which, at -first startling, finally confounded, subdued, and appalled me. With deep -and reverent awe I replaced the candelabrum in its former position. The -cause of my deep agitation being thus shut from view, I sought eagerly -the volume which discussed the paintings and their histories. Turning -to the number which designated the oval portrait, I there read the vague -and quaint words which follow: - -"She was a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of -glee. And evil was the hour when she saw, and loved, and wedded the -painter. He, passionate, studious, austere, and having already a bride -in his Art; she a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full -of glee; all light and smiles, and frolicsome as the young fawn; loving -and cherishing all things; hating only the Art which was her rival; -dreading only the pallet and brushes and other untoward instruments -which deprived her of the countenance of her lover. It was thus a -terrible thing for this lady to hear the painter speak of his desire to -portray even his young bride. But she was humble and obedient, and sat -meekly for many weeks in the dark, high turret-chamber where the light -dripped upon the pale canvas only from overhead. But he, the painter, -took glory in his work, which went on from hour to hour, and from day to -day. And he was a passionate, and wild, and moody man, who became lost -in reveries; so that he would not see that the light which fell so -ghastly in that lone turret withered the health and the spirits of his -bride, who pined visibly to all but him. Yet she smiled on and still on, -uncomplainingly, because she saw that the painter (who had high renown) -took a fervid and burning pleasure in his task, and wrought day and -night to depict her who so loved him, yet who grew daily more dispirited -and weak. And in sooth some who beheld the portrait spoke of its -resemblance in low words, as of a mighty marvel, and a proof not less of -the power of the painter than of his deep love for her whom he depicted -so surpassingly well. But at length, as the labor drew nearer to its -conclusion, there were admitted none into the turret; for the painter -had grown wild with the ardor of his work, and turned his eyes from -canvas merely, even to regard the countenance of his wife. And he would -not see that the tints which he spread upon the canvas were drawn from -the cheeks of her who sate beside him. And when many weeks had passed, -and but little remained to do, save one brush upon the mouth and one -tint upon the eye, the spirit of the lady again flickered up as the -flame within the socket of the lamp. And then the brush was given, -and then the tint was placed; and, for one moment, the painter stood -entranced before the work which he had wrought; but in the next, while -he yet gazed, he grew tremulous and very pallid, and aghast, and crying -with a loud voice, 'This is indeed Life itself!' turned suddenly to -regard his beloved:--She was dead!" - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, by Edgar Allan Poe - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE *** - -***** This file should be named 2147-8.txt or 2147-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/4/2147/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/2012-06-17-2147-8.zip b/old/2012-06-17-2147-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 80678a0..0000000 --- a/old/2012-06-17-2147-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/2012-06-17-2147-h.zip b/old/2012-06-17-2147-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index eaeb926..0000000 --- a/old/2012-06-17-2147-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/2147-8.txt b/old/2147-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 01d41e4..0000000 --- a/old/2147-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9226 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, by Edgar Allan Poe - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Works of Edgar Allan Poe - Volume 1 (of 5) of the Raven Edition - -Author: Edgar Allan Poe - -Release Date: May 19, 2008 [EBook #2147] -[Last updated: September 17, 2014] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger and Carlo Traverso - - - - - - - - -THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE - -IN FIVE VOLUMES - - -The Raven Edition - - - - -VOLUME I - - -Contents: - - Edgar Allan Poe, An Appreciation - Life of Poe, by James Russell Lowell - Death of Poe, by N. P. Willis - The Unparalleled Adventures of One Hans Pfaall - The Gold-Bug - Four Beasts in One - The Murders in the Rue Morgue - The Mystery of Marie Rogt - The Balloon-Hoax - MS. Found in a Bottle - The Oval Portrait - - - - -EDGAR ALLAN POE - -AN APPRECIATION - - - Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster - Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-- - Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore - Of "never--never more!" - -THIS stanza from "The Raven" was recommended by James Russell Lowell as -an inscription upon the Baltimore monument which marks the resting place -of Edgar Allan Poe, the most interesting and original figure in American -letters. And, to signify that peculiar musical quality of Poe's genius -which inthralls every reader, Mr. Lowell suggested this additional -verse, from the "Haunted Palace": - - And all with pearl and ruby glowing - Was the fair palace door, - Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing, - And sparkling ever more, - A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty - Was but to sing, - In voices of surpassing beauty, - The wit and wisdom of their king. - - -Born in poverty at Boston, January 19, 1809, dying under painful -circumstances at Baltimore, October 7, 1849, his whole literary career -of scarcely fifteen years a pitiful struggle for mere subsistence, his -memory malignantly misrepresented by his earliest biographer, Griswold, -how completely has truth at last routed falsehood and how magnificently -has Poe come into his own. For "The Raven," first published in 1845, -and, within a few months, read, recited and parodied wherever the -English language was spoken, the half-starved poet received $10! Less -than a year later his brother poet, N. P. Willis, issued this touching -appeal to the admirers of genius on behalf of the neglected author, his -dying wife and her devoted mother, then living under very straitened -circumstances in a little cottage at Fordham, N. Y.: - -"Here is one of the finest scholars, one of the most original men of -genius, and one of the most industrious of the literary profession of -our country, whose temporary suspension of labor, from bodily illness, -drops him immediately to a level with the common objects of public -charity. There is no intermediate stopping-place, no respectful shelter, -where, with the delicacy due to genius and culture, he might secure -aid, till, with returning health, he would resume his labors, and his -unmortified sense of independence." - -And this was the tribute paid by the American public to the master who -had given to it such tales of conjuring charm, of witchery and mystery -as "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "Ligeia"; such fascinating -hoaxes as "The Unparalleled Adventure of Hans Pfaall," "MSS. Found in a -Bottle," "A Descent Into a Maelstrom" and "The Balloon-Hoax"; such tales -of conscience as "William Wilson," "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-tale -Heart," wherein the retributions of remorse are portrayed with an awful -fidelity; such tales of natural beauty as "The Island of the Fay" and -"The Domain of Arnheim"; such marvellous studies in ratiocination as the -"Gold-bug," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Purloined Letter" -and "The Mystery of Marie Roget," the latter, a recital of fact, -demonstrating the author's wonderful capability of correctly analyzing -the mysteries of the human mind; such tales of illusion and banter -as "The Premature Burial" and "The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor -Fether"; such bits of extravaganza as "The Devil in the Belfry" and "The -Angel of the Odd"; such tales of adventure as "The Narrative of Arthur -Gordon Pym"; such papers of keen criticism and review as won for Poe the -enthusiastic admiration of Charles Dickens, although they made him many -enemies among the over-puffed minor American writers so mercilessly -exposed by him; such poems of beauty and melody as "The Bells," "The -Haunted Palace," "Tamerlane," "The City in the Sea" and "The Raven." -What delight for the jaded senses of the reader is this enchanted domain -of wonder-pieces! What an atmosphere of beauty, music, color! What -resources of imagination, construction, analysis and absolute art! One -might almost sympathize with Sarah Helen Whitman, who, confessing to -a half faith in the old superstition of the significance of anagrams, -found, in the transposed letters of Edgar Poe's name, the words "a -God-peer." His mind, she says, was indeed a "Haunted Palace," echoing to -the footfalls of angels and demons. - -"No man," Poe himself wrote, "has recorded, no man has dared to record, -the wonders of his inner life." - -In these twentieth century days--of lavish recognition--artistic, -popular and material--of genius, what rewards might not a Poe claim! - -Edgar's father, a son of General David Poe, the American revolutionary -patriot and friend of Lafayette, had married Mrs. Hopkins, an English -actress, and, the match meeting with parental disapproval, had himself -taken to the stage as a profession. Notwithstanding Mrs. Poe's beauty -and talent the young couple had a sorry struggle for existence. When -Edgar, at the age of two years, was orphaned, the family was in the -utmost destitution. Apparently the future poet was to be cast upon the -world homeless and friendless. But fate decreed that a few glimmers of -sunshine were to illumine his life, for the little fellow was adopted -by John Allan, a wealthy merchant of Richmond, Va. A brother and sister, -the remaining children, were cared for by others. - -In his new home Edgar found all the luxury and advantages money could -provide. He was petted, spoiled and shown off to strangers. In Mrs. -Allan he found all the affection a childless wife could bestow. Mr. -Allan took much pride in the captivating, precocious lad. At the age of -five the boy recited, with fine effect, passages of English poetry to -the visitors at the Allan house. - -From his eighth to his thirteenth year he attended the Manor House -school, at Stoke-Newington, a suburb of London. It was the Rev. Dr. -Bransby, head of the school, whom Poe so quaintly portrayed in "William -Wilson." Returning to Richmond in 1820 Edgar was sent to the school -of Professor Joseph H. Clarke. He proved an apt pupil. Years afterward -Professor Clarke thus wrote: - -"While the other boys wrote mere mechanical verses, Poe wrote genuine -poetry; the boy was a born poet. As a scholar he was ambitious to -excel. He was remarkable for self-respect, without haughtiness. He had -a sensitive and tender heart and would do anything for a friend. His -nature was entirely free from selfishness." - -At the age of seventeen Poe entered the University of Virginia at -Charlottesville. He left that institution after one session. Official -records prove that he was not expelled. On the contrary, he gained -a creditable record as a student, although it is admitted that he -contracted debts and had "an ungovernable passion for card-playing." -These debts may have led to his quarrel with Mr. Allan which eventually -compelled him to make his own way in the world. - -Early in 1827 Poe made his first literary venture. He induced Calvin -Thomas, a poor and youthful printer, to publish a small volume of his -verses under the title "Tamerlane and Other Poems." In 1829 we find Poe -in Baltimore with another manuscript volume of verses, which was soon -published. Its title was "Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Other Poems." Neither -of these ventures seems to have attracted much attention. - -Soon after Mrs. Allan's death, which occurred in 1829, Poe, through -the aid of Mr. Allan, secured admission to the United States Military -Academy at West Point. Any glamour which may have attached to cadet life -in Poe's eyes was speedily lost, for discipline at West Point was never -so severe nor were the accommodations ever so poor. Poe's bent was -more and more toward literature. Life at the academy daily became -increasingly distasteful. Soon he began to purposely neglect his studies -and to disregard his duties, his aim being to secure his dismissal from -the United States service. In this he succeeded. On March 7, 1831, Poe -found himself free. Mr. Allan's second marriage had thrown the lad on -his own resources. His literary career was to begin. - -Poe's first genuine victory was won in 1833, when he was the successful -competitor for a prize of $100 offered by a Baltimore periodical for the -best prose story. "A MSS. Found in a Bottle" was the winning tale. Poe -had submitted six stories in a volume. "Our only difficulty," says Mr. -Latrobe, one of the judges, "was in selecting from the rich contents of -the volume." - -During the fifteen years of his literary life Poe was connected with -various newspapers and magazines in Richmond, Philadelphia and New York. -He was faithful, punctual, industrious, thorough. N. P. Willis, who for -some time employed Poe as critic and sub-editor on the "Evening Mirror," -wrote thus: - -"With the highest admiration for Poe's genius, and a willingness to -let it alone for more than ordinary irregularity, we were led by -common report to expect a very capricious attention to his duties, and -occasionally a scene of violence and difficulty. Time went on, -however, and he was invariably punctual and industrious. We saw but -one presentiment of the man-a quiet, patient, industrious and most -gentlemanly person. - -"We heard, from one who knew him well (what should be stated in all -mention of his lamentable irregularities), that with a single glass of -wine his whole nature was reversed, the demon became uppermost, and, -though none of the usual signs of intoxication were visible, his will -was palpably insane. In this reversed character, we repeat, it was never -our chance to meet him." - -On September 22, 1835, Poe married his cousin, Virginia Clemm, in -Baltimore. She had barely turned thirteen years, Poe himself was but -twenty-six. He then was a resident of Richmond and a regular contributor -to the "Southern Literary Messenger." It was not until a year later that -the bride and her widowed mother followed him thither. - -Poe's devotion to his child-wife was one of the most beautiful features -of his life. Many of his famous poetic productions were inspired by her -beauty and charm. Consumption had marked her for its victim, and the -constant efforts of husband and mother were to secure for her all the -comfort and happiness their slender means permitted. Virginia died -January 30, 1847, when but twenty-five years of age. A friend of the -family pictures the death-bed scene--mother and husband trying to impart -warmth to her by chafing her hands and her feet, while her pet cat was -suffered to nestle upon her bosom for the sake of added warmth. - -These verses from "Annabel Lee," written by Poe in 1849, the last year -of his life, tell of his sorrow at the loss of his child-wife: - - I was a child and _she_ was a child, - In a kingdom by the sea; - - But we loved with _a _love that was more than love-- - I and my Annabel Lee; - - With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven - Coveted her and me. - And this was the reason that, long ago; - In this kingdom by the sea. - A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling - My beautiful Annabel Lee; - - So that her high-born kinsmen came - And bore her away from me, - To shut her up in a sepulchre - In this kingdom by the sea, - - -Poe was connected at various times and in various capacities with the -"Southern Literary Messenger" in Richmond, Va.; "Graham's Magazine" and -the "Gentleman's Magazine" in Philadelphia; the "Evening Mirror," the -"Broadway Journal," and "Godey's Lady's Book" in New York. Everywhere -Poe's life was one of unremitting toil. No tales and poems were ever -produced at a greater cost of brain and spirit. - -Poe's initial salary with the "Southern Literary Messenger," to which -he contributed the first drafts of a number of his best-known tales, -was $10 a week! Two years later his salary was but $600 a year. Even in -1844, when his literary reputation was established securely, he wrote to -a friend expressing his pleasure because a magazine to which he was to -contribute had agreed to pay him $20 monthly for two pages of criticism. - -Those were discouraging times in American literature, but Poe never -lost faith. He was finally to triumph wherever pre-eminent talents win -admirers. His genius has had no better description than in this stanza -from William Winter's poem, read at the dedication exercises of the -Actors' Monument to Poe, May 4, 1885, in New York: - - He was the voice of beauty and of woe, - Passion and mystery and the dread unknown; - Pure as the mountains of perpetual snow, - Cold as the icy winds that round them moan, - Dark as the caves wherein earth's thunders groan, - Wild as the tempests of the upper sky, - Sweet as the faint, far-off celestial tone of angel - whispers, fluttering from on high, - And tender as love's tear when youth and beauty die. - - -In the two and a half score years that have elapsed since Poe's death -he has come fully into his own. For a while Griswold's malignant -misrepresentations colored the public estimate of Poe as man and as -writer. But, thanks to J. H. Ingram, W. F. Gill, Eugene Didier, Sarah -Helen Whitman and others these scandals have been dispelled and Poe is -seen as he actually was-not as a man without failings, it is true, but -as the finest and most original genius in American letters. As the -years go on his fame increases. His works have been translated into -many foreign languages. His is a household name in France and England-in -fact, the latter nation has often uttered the reproach that Poe's own -country has been slow to appreciate him. But that reproach, if it ever -was warranted, certainly is untrue. - - W. H. R. - - - - -EDGAR ALLAN POE - -By James Russell Lowell - - -THE situation of American literature is anomalous. It has no centre, or, -if it have, it is like that of the sphere of Hermes. It is divided -into many systems, each revolving round its several suns, and often -presenting to the rest only the faint glimmer of a milk-and-water way. -Our capital city, unlike London or Paris, is not a great central heart -from which life and vigor radiate to the extremities, but resembles more -an isolated umbilicus stuck down as near as may be to the centre of the -land, and seeming rather to tell a legend of former usefulness than to -serve any present need. Boston, New York, Philadelphia, each has its -literature almost more distinct than those of the different dialects -of Germany; and the Young Queen of the West has also one of her own, -of which some articulate rumor barely has reached us dwellers by the -Atlantic. - -Perhaps there is no task more difficult than the just criticism of -contemporary literature. It is even more grateful to give praise where -it is needed than where it is deserved, and friendship so often seduces -the iron stylus of justice into a vague flourish, that she writes what -seems rather like an epitaph than a criticism. Yet if praise be given -as an alms, we could not drop so poisonous a one into any man's hat. The -critic's ink may suffer equally from too large an infusion of nutgalls -or of sugar. But it is easier to be generous than to be just, and we -might readily put faith in that fabulous direction to the hiding place -of truth, did we judge from the amount of water which we usually find -mixed with it. - -Remarkable experiences are usually confined to the inner life of -imaginative men, but Mr. Poe's biography displays a vicissitude and -peculiarity of interest such as is rarely met with. The offspring of a -romantic marriage, and left an orphan at an early age, he was adopted -by Mr. Allan, a wealthy Virginian, whose barren marriage-bed seemed the -warranty of a large estate to the young poet. - -Having received a classical education in England, he returned home and -entered the University of Virginia, where, after an extravagant course, -followed by reformation at the last extremity, he was graduated with -the highest honors of his class. Then came a boyish attempt to join the -fortunes of the insurgent Greeks, which ended at St. Petersburg, where -he got into difficulties through want of a passport, from which he -was rescued by the American consul and sent home. He now entered the -military academy at West Point, from which he obtained a dismissal -on hearing of the birth of a son to his adopted father, by a second -marriage, an event which cut off his expectations as an heir. The death -of Mr. Allan, in whose will his name was not mentioned, soon after -relieved him of all doubt in this regard, and he committed himself at -once to authorship for a support. Previously to this, however, he had -published (in 1827) a small volume of poems, which soon ran through -three editions, and excited high expectations of its author's future -distinction in the minds of many competent judges. - -That no certain augury can be drawn from a poet's earliest lispings -there are instances enough to prove. Shakespeare's first poems, though -brimful of vigor and youth and picturesqueness, give but a very faint -promise of the directness, condensation and overflowing moral of his -maturer works. Perhaps, however, Shakespeare is hardly a case in -point, his "Venus and Adonis" having been published, we believe, in his -twenty-sixth year. Milton's Latin verses show tenderness, a fine eye for -nature, and a delicate appreciation of classic models, but give no hint -of the author of a new style in poetry. Pope's youthful pieces have -all the sing-song, wholly unrelieved by the glittering malignity -and eloquent irreligion of his later productions. Collins' callow -namby-pamby died and gave no sign of the vigorous and original genius -which he afterward displayed. We have never thought that the world lost -more in the "marvellous boy," Chatterton, than a very ingenious imitator -of obscure and antiquated dulness. Where he becomes original (as it is -called), the interest of ingenuity ceases and he becomes stupid. Kirke -White's promises were indorsed by the respectable name of Mr. Southey, -but surely with no authority from Apollo. They have the merit of a -traditional piety, which to our mind, if uttered at all, had been less -objectionable in the retired closet of a diary, and in the sober raiment -of prose. They do not clutch hold of the memory with the drowning -pertinacity of Watts; neither have they the interest of his occasional -simple, lucky beauty. Burns having fortunately been rescued by his -humble station from the contaminating society of the "Best models," -wrote well and naturally from the first. Had he been unfortunate enough -to have had an educated taste, we should have had a series of poems from -which, as from his letters, we could sift here and there a kernel from -the mass of chaff. Coleridge's youthful efforts give no promise whatever -of that poetical genius which produced at once the wildest, tenderest, -most original and most purely imaginative poems of modern times. Byron's -"Hours of Idleness" would never find a reader except from an intrepid -and indefatigable curiosity. In Wordsworth's first preludings there -is but a dim foreboding of the creator of an era. From Southey's early -poems, a safer augury might have been drawn. They show the patient -investigator, the close student of history, and the unwearied explorer -of the beauties of predecessors, but they give no assurances of a man -who should add aught to stock of household words, or to the rarer -and more sacred delights of the fireside or the arbor. The earliest -specimens of Shelley's poetic mind already, also, give tokens of that -ethereal sublimation in which the spirit seems to soar above the regions -of words, but leaves its body, the verse, to be entombed, without hope -of resurrection, in a mass of them. Cowley is generally instanced as a -wonder of precocity. But his early insipidities show only a capacity -for rhyming and for the metrical arrangement of certain conventional -combinations of words, a capacity wholly dependent on a delicate -physical organization, and an unhappy memory. An early poem is only -remarkable when it displays an effort of _reason, _and the rudest verses -in which we can trace some conception of the ends of poetry, are worth -all the miracles of smooth juvenile versification. A school-boy, one -would say, might acquire the regular see-saw of Pope merely by an -association with the motion of the play-ground tilt. - -Mr. Poe's early productions show that he could see through the verse to -the spirit beneath, and that he already had a feeling that all the life -and grace of the one must depend on and be modulated by the will of the -other. We call them the most remarkable boyish poems that we have -ever read. We know of none that can compare with them for maturity of -purpose, and a nice understanding of the effects of language and metre. -Such pieces are only valuable when they display what we can only express -by the contradictory phrase of _innate experience. _We copy one of the -shorter poems, written when the author was only fourteen. There is a -little dimness in the filling up, but the grace and symmetry of the -outline are such as few poets ever attain. There is a smack of ambrosia -about it. - - TO HELEN - - Helen, thy beauty is to me - Like those Nicean barks of yore, - That gently, o'er a perfumed sea, - The weary, way-worn wanderer bore - To his own native shore. - - On desperate seas long wont to roam, - Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, - Thy Naiad airs have brought me home - To the glory that was Greece - And the grandeur that was Rome. - - Lo! in yon brilliant window-niche - How statue-like I see thee stand! - The agate lamp within thy hand, - Ah! Psyche, from the regions which - Are Holy Land! - - -It is the tendency of the young poet that impresses us. Here is no -"withering scorn," no heart "blighted" ere it has safely got into its -teens, none of the drawing-room sansculottism which Byron had brought -into vogue. All is limpid and serene, with a pleasant dash of the Greek -Helicon in it. The melody of the whole, too, is remarkable. It is not of -that kind which can be demonstrated arithmetically upon the tips of -the fingers. It is of that finer sort which the inner ear alone -_can _estimate. It seems simple, like a Greek column, because of its -perfection. In a poem named "Ligeia," under which title he intended -to personify the music of nature, our boy-poet gives us the following -exquisite picture: - - Ligeia! Ligeia! - My beautiful one, - Whose harshest idea - Will to melody run, - Say, is it thy will, - On the breezes to toss, - Or, capriciously still, - Like the lone albatross, - Incumbent on night, - As she on the air, - To keep watch with delight - On the harmony there? - -John Neal, himself a man of genius, and whose lyre has been too long -capriciously silent, appreciated the high merit of these and similar -passages, and drew a proud horoscope for their author. - -Mr. Poe had that indescribable something which men have agreed to call -_genius_. No man could ever tell us precisely what it is, and yet there -is none who is not inevitably aware of its presence and its power. Let -talent writhe and contort itself as it may, it has no such magnetism. -Larger of bone and sinew it may be, but the wings are wanting. Talent -sticks fast to earth, and its most perfect works have still one foot of -clay. Genius claims kindred with the very workings of Nature herself, so -that a sunset shall seem like a quotation from Dante, and if Shakespeare -be read in the very presence of the sea itself, his verses shall but -seem nobler for the sublime criticism of ocean. Talent may make friends -for itself, but only genius can give to its creations the divine power -of winning love and veneration. Enthusiasm cannot cling to what itself -is unenthusiastic, nor will he ever have disciples who has not himself -impulsive zeal enough to be a disciple. Great wits are allied to madness -only inasmuch as they are possessed and carried away by their demon, -while talent keeps him, as Paracelsus did, securely prisoned in the -pommel of his sword. To the eye of genius, the veil of the spiritual -world is ever rent asunder that it may perceive the ministers of good -and evil who throng continually around it. No man of mere talent ever -flung his inkstand at the devil. - -When we say that Mr. Poe had genius, we do not mean to say that he has -produced evidence of the highest. But to say that he possesses it at -all is to say that he needs only zeal, industry, and a reverence for the -trust reposed in him, to achieve the proudest triumphs and the greenest -laurels. If we may believe the Longinuses and Aristotles of our -newspapers, we have quite too many geniuses of the loftiest order to -render a place among them at all desirable, whether for its hardness -of attainment or its seclusion. The highest peak of our Parnassus is, -according to these gentlemen, by far the most thickly settled portion -of the country, a circumstance which must make it an uncomfortable -residence for individuals of a poetical temperament, if love of -solitude be, as immemorial tradition asserts, a necessary part of their -idiosyncrasy. - -Mr. Poe has two of the prime qualities of genius, a faculty of vigorous -yet minute analysis, and a wonderful fecundity of imagination. The first -of these faculties is as needful to the artist in words, as a knowledge -of anatomy is to the artist in colors or in stone. This enables him to -conceive truly, to maintain a proper relation of parts, and to draw a -correct outline, while the second groups, fills up and colors. Both -of these Mr. Poe has displayed with singular distinctness in his prose -works, the last predominating in his earlier tales, and the first in his -later ones. In judging of the merit of an author, and assigning him his -niche among our household gods, we have a right to regard him from -our own point of view, and to measure him by our own standard. But, -in estimating the amount of power displayed in his works, we must be -governed by his own design, and placing them by the side of his own -ideal, find how much is wanting. We differ from Mr. Poe in his opinions -of the objects of art. He esteems that object to be the creation of -Beauty, and perhaps it is only in the definition of that word that we -disagree with him. But in what we shall say of his writings, we shall -take his own standard as our guide. The temple of the god of song is -equally accessible from every side, and there is room enough in it for -all who bring offerings, or seek in oracle. - -In his tales, Mr. Poe has chosen to exhibit his power chiefly in that -dim region which stretches from the very utmost limits of the probable -into the weird confines of superstition and unreality. He combines in -a very remarkable manner two faculties which are seldom found united; a -power of influencing the mind of the reader by the impalpable shadows -of mystery, and a minuteness of detail which does not leave a pin or -a button unnoticed. Both are, in truth, the natural results of the -predominating quality of his mind, to which we have before alluded, -analysis. It is this which distinguishes the artist. His mind at once -reaches forward to the effect to be produced. Having resolved to bring -about certain emotions in the reader, he makes all subordinate parts -tend strictly to the common centre. Even his mystery is mathematical -to his own mind. To him X is a known quantity all along. In any picture -that he paints he understands the chemical properties of all his -colors. However vague some of his figures may seem, however formless -the shadows, to him the outline is as clear and distinct as that of -a geometrical diagram. For this reason Mr. Poe has no sympathy with -Mysticism. The Mystic dwells in the mystery, is enveloped with it; it -colors all his thoughts; it affects his optic nerve especially, and the -commonest things get a rainbow edging from it. Mr. Poe, on the other -hand, is a spectator _ab extra_. He analyzes, he dissects, he watches - - "with an eye serene, - The very pulse of the machine," - - -for such it practically is to him, with wheels and cogs and piston-rods, -all working to produce a certain end. - -This analyzing tendency of his mind balances the poetical, and by giving -him the patience to be minute, enables him to throw a wonderful reality -into his most unreal fancies. A monomania he paints with great power. He -loves to dissect one of these cancers of the mind, and to trace all the -subtle ramifications of its roots. In raising images of horror, also, -he has strange success, conveying to us sometimes by a dusky hint -some terrible _doubt _which is the secret of all horror. He leaves to -imagination the task of finishing the picture, a task to which only she -is competent. - - "For much imaginary work was there; - Conceit deceitful, so compact, so kind, - That for Achilles' image stood his spear - Grasped in an armed hand; himself behind - Was left unseen, save to the eye of mind." - -Besides the merit of conception, Mr. Poe's writings have also that of -form. - -His style is highly finished, graceful and truly classical. It would be -hard to find a living author who had displayed such varied powers. As an -example of his style we would refer to one of his tales, "The House -of Usher," in the first volume of his "Tales of the Grotesque and -Arabesque." It has a singular charm for us, and we think that no one -could read it without being strongly moved by its serene and sombre -beauty. Had its author written nothing else, it would alone have been -enough to stamp him as a man of genius, and the master of a classic -style. In this tale occurs, perhaps, the most beautiful of his poems. - -The great masters of imagination have seldom resorted to the vague and -the unreal as sources of effect. They have not used dread and horror -alone, but only in combination with other qualities, as means of -subjugating the fancies of their readers. The loftiest muse has ever a -household and fireside charm about her. Mr. Poe's secret lies mainly in -the skill with which he has employed the strange fascination of mystery -and terror. In this his success is so great and striking as to deserve -the name of art, not artifice. We cannot call his materials the noblest -or purest, but we must concede to him the highest merit of construction. - -As a critic, Mr. Poe was aesthetically deficient. Unerring in his -analysis of dictions, metres and plots, he seemed wanting in the faculty -of perceiving the profounder ethics of art. His criticisms are, however, -distinguished for scientific precision and coherence of logic. They -have the exactness, and at the same time, the coldness of mathematical -demonstrations. Yet they stand in strikingly refreshing contrast with -the vague generalisms and sharp personalities of the day. If deficient -in warmth, they are also without the heat of partisanship. They are -especially valuable as illustrating the great truth, too generally -overlooked, that analytic power is a subordinate quality of the critic. - -On the whole, it may be considered certain that Mr. Poe has attained an -individual eminence in our literature which he will keep. He has given -proof of power and originality. He has done that which could only be -done once with success or safety, and the imitation or repetition of -which would produce weariness. - - - - -DEATH OF EDGAR A. POE - -By N. P. Willis - - -THE ancient fable of two antagonistic spirits imprisoned in one body, -equally powerful and having the complete mastery by turns-of one man, -that is to say, inhabited by both a devil and an angel seems to -have been realized, if all we hear is true, in the character of the -extraordinary man whose name we have written above. Our own impression -of the nature of Edgar A. Poe, differs in some important degree, -however, from that which has been generally conveyed in the notices of -his death. Let us, before telling what we personally know of him, copy -a graphic and highly finished portraiture, from the pen of Dr. Rufus W. -Griswold, which appeared in a recent number of the "Tribune": - -"Edgar Allen Poe is dead. He died in Baltimore on Sunday, October 7th. -This announcement will startle many, but few will be grieved by it. The -poet was known, personally or by reputation, in all this country; he had -readers in England and in several of the states of Continental Europe; -but he had few or no friends; and the regrets for his death will be -suggested principally by the consideration that in him literary art has -lost one of its most brilliant but erratic stars. - -"His conversation was at times almost supramortal in its eloquence. His -voice was modulated with astonishing skill, and his large and variably -expressive eyes looked repose or shot fiery tumult into theirs who -listened, while his own face glowed, or was changeless in pallor, as his -imagination quickened his blood or drew it back frozen to his heart. His -imagery was from the worlds which no mortals can see but with the vision -of genius. Suddenly starting from a proposition, exactly and sharply -defined, in terms of utmost simplicity and clearness, he rejected the -forms of customary logic, and by a crystalline process of accretion, -built up his ocular demonstrations in forms of gloomiest and ghastliest -grandeur, or in those of the most airy and delicious beauty, so minutely -and distinctly, yet so rapidly, that the attention which was yielded -to him was chained till it stood among his wonderful creations, till he -himself dissolved the spell, and brought his hearers back to common -and base existence, by vulgar fancies or exhibitions of the ignoblest -passion. - -"He was at all times a dreamer dwelling in ideal realms, in heaven or -hell, peopled with the creatures and the accidents of his brain. He -walked the streets, in madness or melancholy, with lips moving in -indistinct curses, or with eyes upturned in passionate prayer (never for -himself, for he felt, or professed to feel, that he was already damned, -but) for their happiness who at the moment were objects of his idolatry; -or with his glances introverted to a heart gnawed with anguish, and with -a face shrouded in gloom, he would brave the wildest storms, and all -night, with drenched garments and arms beating the winds and rains, -would speak as if the spirits that at such times only could be evoked by -him from the Aidenn, close by whose portals his disturbed soul sought to -forget the ills to which his constitution subjected him--close by the -Aidenn where were those he loved--the Aidenn which he might never see, -but in fitful glimpses, as its gates opened to receive the less fiery -and more happy natures whose destiny to sin did not involve the doom of -death. - -"He seemed, except when some fitful pursuit subjugated his will and -engrossed his faculties, always to bear the memory of some controlling -sorrow. The remarkable poem of 'The Raven' was probably much more nearly -than has been supposed, even by those who were very intimate with him, a -reflection and an echo of his own history. _He_ was that bird's - - "'Unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster - Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-- - Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore - Of 'Never-never more.' - - -"Every genuine author in a greater or less degree leaves in his works, -whatever their design, traces of his personal character: elements of his -immortal being, in which the individual survives the person. While we -read the pages of the 'Fall of the House of Usher,' or of 'Mesmeric -Revelations,' we see in the solemn and stately gloom which invests one, -and in the subtle metaphysical analysis of both, indications of the -idiosyncrasies of what was most remarkable and peculiar in the author's -intellectual nature. But we see here only the better phases of his -nature, only the symbols of his juster action, for his harsh experience -had deprived him of all faith in man or woman. He had made up his mind -upon the numberless complexities of the social world, and the whole -system with him was an imposture. This conviction gave a direction to -his shrewd and naturally unamiable character. Still, though he regarded -society as composed altogether of villains, the sharpness of his -intellect was not of that kind which enabled him to cope with villany, -while it continually caused him by overshots to fail of the success of -honesty. He was in many respects like Francis Vivian in Bulwer's novel -of 'The Caxtons.' Passion, in him, comprehended--many of the worst -emotions which militate against human happiness. You could not -contradict him, but you raised quick choler; you could not speak of -wealth, but his cheek paled with gnawing envy. The astonishing natural -advantages of this poor boy--his beauty, his readiness, the daring -spirit that breathed around him like a fiery atmosphere--had raised his -constitutional self-confidence into an arrogance that turned his -very claims to admiration into prejudices against him. Irascible, -envious--bad enough, but not the worst, for these salient angles were -all varnished over with a cold, repellant cynicism, his passions vented -themselves in sneers. There seemed to him no moral susceptibility; and, -what was more remarkable in a proud nature, little or nothing of the -true point of honor. He had, to a morbid excess, that, desire to rise -which is vulgarly called ambition, but no wish for the esteem or the -love of his species; only the hard wish to succeed-not shine, not -serve--succeed, that he might have the right to despise a world which -galled his self-conceit. - -"We have suggested the influence of his aims and vicissitudes upon his -literature. It was more conspicuous in his later than in his -earlier writings. Nearly all that he wrote in the last two or three -years-including much of his best poetry-was in some sense biographical; -in draperies of his imagination, those who had taken the trouble to -trace his steps, could perceive, but slightly concealed, the figure of -himself." - -Apropos of the disparaging portion of the above well-written sketch, let -us truthfully say: - -Some four or five years since, when editing a daily paper in this -city, Mr. Poe was employed by us, for several months, as critic and -sub-editor. This was our first personal acquaintance with him. He -resided with his wife and mother at Fordham, a few miles out of town, -but was at his desk in the office, from nine in the morning till the -evening paper went to press. With the highest admiration for his genius, -and a willingness to let it atone for more than ordinary irregularity, -we were led by common report to expect a very capricious attention to -his duties, and occasionally a scene of violence and difficulty. Time -went on, however, and he was invariably punctual and industrious. With -his pale, beautiful, and intellectual face, as a reminder of what genius -was in him, it was impossible, of course, not to treat him always with -deferential courtesy, and, to our occasional request that he would not -probe too deep in a criticism, or that he would erase a passage colored -too highly with his resentments against society and mankind, he readily -and courteously assented-far more yielding than most men, we thought, -on points so excusably sensitive. With a prospect of taking the lead in -another periodical, he, at last, voluntarily gave up his employment -with us, and, through all this considerable period, we had seen but -one presentment of the man-a quiet, patient, industrious, and most -gentlemanly person, commanding the utmost respect and good feeling by -his unvarying deportment and ability. - -Residing as he did in the country, we never met Mr. Poe in hours of -leisure; but he frequently called on us afterward at our place of -business, and we met him often in the street-invariably the same sad -mannered, winning and refined gentleman, such as we had always known -him. It was by rumor only, up to the day of his death, that we knew of -any other development of manner or character. We heard, from one who -knew him well (what should be stated in all mention of his lamentable -irregularities), that, with a single glass of wine, his whole nature -was reversed, the demon became uppermost, and, though none of the -usual signs of intoxication were visible, his will was palpably insane. -Possessing his reasoning faculties in excited activity, at such times, -and seeking his acquaintances with his wonted look and memory, he easily -seemed personating only another phase of his natural character, and was -accused, accordingly, of insulting arrogance and bad-heartedness. In -this reversed character, we repeat, it was never our chance to see him. -We know it from hearsay, and we mention it in connection with this sad -infirmity of physical constitution; which puts it upon very nearly the -ground of a temporary and almost irresponsible insanity. - -The arrogance, vanity, and depravity of heart, of which Mr. Poe was -generally accused, seem to us referable altogether to this reversed -phase of his character. Under that degree of intoxication which only -acted upon him by demonizing his sense of truth and right, he doubtless -said and did much that was wholly irreconcilable with his better nature; -but, when himself, and as we knew him only, his modesty and unaffected -humility, as to his own deservings, were a constant charm to his -character. His letters, of which the constant application for autographs -has taken from us, we are sorry to confess, the greater portion, -exhibited this quality very strongly. In one of the carelessly written -notes of which we chance still to retain possession, for instance, he -speaks of "The Raven"--that extraordinary poem which electrified the -world of imaginative readers, and has become the type of a school of -poetry of its own-and, in evident earnest, attributes its success to -the few words of commendation with which we had prefaced it in this -paper.--It will throw light on his sane character to give a literal copy -of the note: - - "FORDHAM, April 20, 1849 - - -"My DEAR WILLIS--The poem which I inclose, and which I am so vain as to -hope you will like, in some respects, has been just published in a paper -for which sheer necessity compels me to write, now and then. It pays -well as times go-but unquestionably it ought to pay ten prices; for -whatever I send it I feel I am consigning to the tomb of the Capulets. -The verses accompanying this, may I beg you to take out of the tomb, and -bring them to light in the 'Home journal?' If you can oblige me so far -as to copy them, I do not think it will be necessary to say 'From the -----, that would be too bad; and, perhaps, 'From a late ---- paper,' -would do. - -"I have not forgotten how a 'good word in season' from you made 'The -Raven,' and made 'Ulalume' (which by-the-way, people have done me the -honor of attributing to you), therefore, I would ask you (if I dared) to -say something of these lines if they please you. - - "Truly yours ever, - - "EDGAR A. POE." - - -In double proof of his earnest disposition to do the best for himself, -and of the trustful and grateful nature which has been denied him, we -give another of the only three of his notes which we chance to retain: - - "FORDHAM, January 22, 1848. - - -"My DEAR MR. WILLIS--I am about to make an effort at re-establishing -myself in the literary world, and _feel _that I may depend upon your -aid. - -"My general aim is to start a Magazine, to be called 'The Stylus,' but -it would be useless to me, even when established, if not entirely out of -the control of a publisher. I mean, therefore, to get up a journal which -shall be _my own_ at all points. With this end in view, I must get a -list of at least five hundred subscribers to begin with; nearly two -hundred I have already. I propose, however, to go South and West, -among my personal and literary friends--old college and West Point -acquaintances--and see what I can do. In order to get the means of -taking the first step, I propose to lecture at the Society Library, -on Thursday, the 3d of February, and, that there may be no cause of -_squabbling_, my subject shall _not be literary _at all. I have chosen a -broad text: 'The Universe.' - -"Having thus given you _the facts_ of the case, I leave all the rest -to the suggestions of your own tact and generosity. Gratefully, _most -gratefully,_ - - _"Your friend always,_ - - _"EDGAR A. POE._" - - -Brief and chance-taken as these letters are, we think they sufficiently -prove the existence of the very qualities denied to Mr. Poe-humility, -willingness to persevere, belief in another's friendship, and capability -of cordial and grateful friendship! Such he assuredly was when sane. -Such only he has invariably seemed to us, in all we have happened -personally to know of him, through a friendship of five or six years. -And so much easier is it to believe what we have seen and known, than -what we hear of only, that we remember him but with admiration and -respect; these descriptions of him, when morally insane, seeming to -us like portraits, painted in sickness, of a man we have only known in -health. - -But there is another, more touching, and far more forcible evidence that -there was _goodness _in Edgar A. Poe. To reveal it we are obliged to -venture upon the lifting of the veil which sacredly covers grief and -refinement in poverty; but we think it may be excused, if so we can -brighten the memory of the poet, even were there not a more needed and -immediate service which it may render to the nearest link broken by his -death. - -Our first knowledge of Mr. Poe's removal to this city was by a call -which we received from a lady who introduced herself to us as the mother -of his wife. She was in search of employment for him, and she excused -her errand by mentioning that he was ill, that her daughter was a -confirmed invalid, and that their circumstances were such as compelled -her taking it upon herself. The countenance of this lady, made beautiful -and saintly with an evidently complete giving up of her life to -privation and sorrowful tenderness, her gentle and mournful voice urging -its plea, her long-forgotten but habitually and unconsciously refined -manners, and her appealing and yet appreciative mention of the claims -and abilities of her son, disclosed at once the presence of one of those -angels upon earth that women in adversity can be. It was a hard fate -that she was watching over. Mr. Poe wrote with fastidious difficulty, -and in a style too much above the popular level to be well paid. He was -always in pecuniary difficulty, and, with his sick wife, frequently in -want of the merest necessaries of life. Winter after winter, for -years, the most touching sight to us, in this whole city, has been that -tireless minister to genius, thinly and insufficiently clad, going from -office to office with a poem, or an article on some literary subject, to -sell, sometimes simply pleading in a broken voice that he was ill, and -begging for him, mentioning nothing but that "he was ill," whatever -might be the reason for his writing nothing, and never, amid all her -tears and recitals of distress, suffering one syllable to escape her -lips that could convey a doubt of him, or a complaint, or a lessening of -pride in his genius and good intentions. Her daughter died a year and -a half since, but she did not desert him. She continued his ministering -angel--living with him, caring for him, guarding him against exposure, -and when he was carried away by temptation, amid grief and the -loneliness of feelings unreplied to, and awoke from his self abandonment -prostrated in destitution and suffering, _begging _for him still. If -woman's devotion, born with a first love, and fed with human passion, -hallow its object, as it is allowed to do, what does not a devotion -like this-pure, disinterested and holy as the watch of an invisible -spirit-say for him who inspired it? - -We have a letter before us, written by this lady, Mrs. Clemm, on the -morning in which she heard of the death of this object of her untiring -care. It is merely a request that we would call upon her, but we will -copy a few of its words--sacred as its privacy is--to warrant the truth -of the picture we have drawn above, and add force to the appeal we wish -to make for her: - -"I have this morning heard of the death of my darling Eddie.... Can you -give me any circumstances or particulars?... Oh! do not desert your -poor friend in his bitter affliction!... Ask Mr. ---- to come, as I must -deliver a message to him from my poor Eddie.... I need not ask you to -notice his death and to speak well of him. I know you will. But say what -an affectionate son he was to me, his poor desolate mother..." - -To hedge round a grave with respect, what choice is there, between the -relinquished wealth and honors of the world, and the story of such a -woman's unrewarded devotion! Risking what we do, in delicacy, by making -it public, we feel--other reasons aside--that it betters the world to -make known that there are such ministrations to its erring and gifted. -What we have said will speak to some hearts. There are those who will -be glad to know how the lamp, whose light of poetry has beamed on their -far-away recognition, was watched over with care and pain, that they -may send to her, who is more darkened than they by its extinction, some -token of their sympathy. She is destitute and alone. If any, far or -near, will send to us what may aid and cheer her through the remainder -of her life, we will joyfully place it in her hands. - - - - - -THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES OF ONE HANS PFAALL (*1) - -BY late accounts from Rotterdam, that city seems to be in a high state -of philosophical excitement. Indeed, phenomena have there occurred of -a nature so completely unexpected--so entirely novel--so utterly at -variance with preconceived opinions--as to leave no doubt on my mind -that long ere this all Europe is in an uproar, all physics in a ferment, -all reason and astronomy together by the ears. - -It appears that on the---- day of---- (I am not positive about the -date), a vast crowd of people, for purposes not specifically -mentioned, were assembled in the great square of the Exchange in the -well-conditioned city of Rotterdam. The day was warm--unusually so for -the season--there was hardly a breath of air stirring; and the multitude -were in no bad humor at being now and then besprinkled with friendly -showers of momentary duration, that fell from large white masses -of cloud which chequered in a fitful manner the blue vault of the -firmament. Nevertheless, about noon, a slight but remarkable agitation -became apparent in the assembly: the clattering of ten thousand tongues -succeeded; and, in an instant afterward, ten thousand faces were -upturned toward the heavens, ten thousand pipes descended simultaneously -from the corners of ten thousand mouths, and a shout, which could be -compared to nothing but the roaring of Niagara, resounded long, loudly, -and furiously, through all the environs of Rotterdam. - -The origin of this hubbub soon became sufficiently evident. From behind -the huge bulk of one of those sharply-defined masses of cloud already -mentioned, was seen slowly to emerge into an open area of blue space, a -queer, heterogeneous, but apparently solid substance, so oddly shaped, -so whimsically put together, as not to be in any manner comprehended, -and never to be sufficiently admired, by the host of sturdy burghers who -stood open-mouthed below. What could it be? In the name of all the vrows -and devils in Rotterdam, what could it possibly portend? No one knew, no -one could imagine; no one--not even the burgomaster Mynheer Superbus Von -Underduk--had the slightest clew by which to unravel the mystery; so, as -nothing more reasonable could be done, every one to a man replaced his -pipe carefully in the corner of his mouth, and cocking up his right -eye towards the phenomenon, puffed, paused, waddled about, and grunted -significantly--then waddled back, grunted, paused, and finally--puffed -again. - -In the meantime, however, lower and still lower toward the goodly city, -came the object of so much curiosity, and the cause of so much smoke. In -a very few minutes it arrived near enough to be accurately discerned. It -appeared to be--yes! it was undoubtedly a species of balloon; but surely -no such balloon had ever been seen in Rotterdam before. For who, let me -ask, ever heard of a balloon manufactured entirely of dirty newspapers? -No man in Holland certainly; yet here, under the very noses of the -people, or rather at some distance above their noses was the identical -thing in question, and composed, I have it on the best authority, of -the precise material which no one had ever before known to be used for -a similar purpose. It was an egregious insult to the good sense of the -burghers of Rotterdam. As to the shape of the phenomenon, it was even -still more reprehensible. Being little or nothing better than a huge -foolscap turned upside down. And this similitude was regarded as by no -means lessened when, upon nearer inspection, there was perceived a large -tassel depending from its apex, and, around the upper rim or base of the -cone, a circle of little instruments, resembling sheep-bells, which kept -up a continual tinkling to the tune of Betty Martin. But still worse. -Suspended by blue ribbons to the end of this fantastic machine, -there hung, by way of car, an enormous drab beaver hat, with a brim -superlatively broad, and a hemispherical crown with a black band and a -silver buckle. It is, however, somewhat remarkable that many citizens -of Rotterdam swore to having seen the same hat repeatedly before; and -indeed the whole assembly seemed to regard it with eyes of familiarity; -while the vrow Grettel Pfaall, upon sight of it, uttered an exclamation -of joyful surprise, and declared it to be the identical hat of her good -man himself. Now this was a circumstance the more to be observed, as -Pfaall, with three companions, had actually disappeared from Rotterdam -about five years before, in a very sudden and unaccountable manner, and -up to the date of this narrative all attempts had failed of obtaining -any intelligence concerning them whatsoever. To be sure, some bones -which were thought to be human, mixed up with a quantity of odd-looking -rubbish, had been lately discovered in a retired situation to the east -of Rotterdam, and some people went so far as to imagine that in this -spot a foul murder had been committed, and that the sufferers were in -all probability Hans Pfaall and his associates. But to return. - -The balloon (for such no doubt it was) had now descended to within -a hundred feet of the earth, allowing the crowd below a sufficiently -distinct view of the person of its occupant. This was in truth a very -droll little somebody. He could not have been more than two feet in -height; but this altitude, little as it was, would have been sufficient -to destroy his equilibrium, and tilt him over the edge of his tiny -car, but for the intervention of a circular rim reaching as high as -the breast, and rigged on to the cords of the balloon. The body of the -little man was more than proportionately broad, giving to his entire -figure a rotundity highly absurd. His feet, of course, could not be seen -at all, although a horny substance of suspicious nature was occasionally -protruded through a rent in the bottom of the car, or to speak more -properly, in the top of the hat. His hands were enormously large. His -hair was extremely gray, and collected in a cue behind. His nose was -prodigiously long, crooked, and inflammatory; his eyes full, brilliant, -and acute; his chin and cheeks, although wrinkled with age, were broad, -puffy, and double; but of ears of any kind or character there was not a -semblance to be discovered upon any portion of his head. This odd little -gentleman was dressed in a loose surtout of sky-blue satin, with tight -breeches to match, fastened with silver buckles at the knees. His vest -was of some bright yellow material; a white taffety cap was set jauntily -on one side of his head; and, to complete his equipment, a blood-red -silk handkerchief enveloped his throat, and fell down, in a dainty -manner, upon his bosom, in a fantastic bow-knot of super-eminent -dimensions. - -Having descended, as I said before, to about one hundred feet from the -surface of the earth, the little old gentleman was suddenly seized -with a fit of trepidation, and appeared disinclined to make any nearer -approach to terra firma. Throwing out, therefore, a quantity of sand -from a canvas bag, which, he lifted with great difficulty, he became -stationary in an instant. He then proceeded, in a hurried and agitated -manner, to extract from a side-pocket in his surtout a large morocco -pocket-book. This he poised suspiciously in his hand, then eyed it with -an air of extreme surprise, and was evidently astonished at its weight. -He at length opened it, and drawing there from a huge letter sealed with -red sealing-wax and tied carefully with red tape, let it fall precisely -at the feet of the burgomaster, Superbus Von Underduk. His Excellency -stooped to take it up. But the aeronaut, still greatly discomposed, and -having apparently no farther business to detain him in Rotterdam, began -at this moment to make busy preparations for departure; and it being -necessary to discharge a portion of ballast to enable him to reascend, -the half dozen bags which he threw out, one after another, without -taking the trouble to empty their contents, tumbled, every one of them, -most unfortunately upon the back of the burgomaster, and rolled him over -and over no less than one-and-twenty times, in the face of every man in -Rotterdam. It is not to be supposed, however, that the great Underduk -suffered this impertinence on the part of the little old man to pass off -with impunity. It is said, on the contrary, that during each and every -one of his one-and twenty circumvolutions he emitted no less than -one-and-twenty distinct and furious whiffs from his pipe, to which he -held fast the whole time with all his might, and to which he intends -holding fast until the day of his death. - -In the meantime the balloon arose like a lark, and, soaring far away -above the city, at length drifted quietly behind a cloud similar to that -from which it had so oddly emerged, and was thus lost forever to the -wondering eyes of the good citizens of Rotterdam. All attention was -now directed to the letter, the descent of which, and the consequences -attending thereupon, had proved so fatally subversive of both person and -personal dignity to his Excellency, the illustrious Burgomaster Mynheer -Superbus Von Underduk. That functionary, however, had not failed, during -his circumgyratory movements, to bestow a thought upon the important -subject of securing the packet in question, which was seen, upon -inspection, to have fallen into the most proper hands, being actually -addressed to himself and Professor Rub-a-dub, in their official -capacities of President and Vice-President of the Rotterdam College of -Astronomy. It was accordingly opened by those dignitaries upon the -spot, and found to contain the following extraordinary, and indeed very -serious, communications. - -To their Excellencies Von Underduk and Rub-a-dub, President and -Vice-President of the States' College of Astronomers, in the city of -Rotterdam. - -"Your Excellencies may perhaps be able to remember an humble artizan, by -name Hans Pfaall, and by occupation a mender of bellows, who, with three -others, disappeared from Rotterdam, about five years ago, in a manner -which must have been considered by all parties at once sudden, and -extremely unaccountable. If, however, it so please your Excellencies, I, -the writer of this communication, am the identical Hans Pfaall himself. -It is well known to most of my fellow citizens, that for the period of -forty years I continued to occupy the little square brick building, at -the head of the alley called Sauerkraut, in which I resided at the time -of my disappearance. My ancestors have also resided therein time out of -mind--they, as well as myself, steadily following the respectable and -indeed lucrative profession of mending of bellows. For, to speak the -truth, until of late years, that the heads of all the people have been -set agog with politics, no better business than my own could an -honest citizen of Rotterdam either desire or deserve. Credit was good, -employment was never wanting, and on all hands there was no lack of -either money or good-will. But, as I was saying, we soon began to feel -the effects of liberty and long speeches, and radicalism, and all that -sort of thing. People who were formerly, the very best customers in the -world, had now not a moment of time to think of us at all. They had, so -they said, as much as they could do to read about the revolutions, and -keep up with the march of intellect and the spirit of the age. If a fire -wanted fanning, it could readily be fanned with a newspaper, and as the -government grew weaker, I have no doubt that leather and iron acquired -durability in proportion, for, in a very short time, there was not a -pair of bellows in all Rotterdam that ever stood in need of a stitch or -required the assistance of a hammer. This was a state of things not -to be endured. I soon grew as poor as a rat, and, having a wife and -children to provide for, my burdens at length became intolerable, and I -spent hour after hour in reflecting upon the most convenient method of -putting an end to my life. Duns, in the meantime, left me little leisure -for contemplation. My house was literally besieged from morning till -night, so that I began to rave, and foam, and fret like a caged -tiger against the bars of his enclosure. There were three fellows in -particular who worried me beyond endurance, keeping watch continually -about my door, and threatening me with the law. Upon these three I -internally vowed the bitterest revenge, if ever I should be so happy as -to get them within my clutches; and I believe nothing in the world but -the pleasure of this anticipation prevented me from putting my plan -of suicide into immediate execution, by blowing my brains out with a -blunderbuss. I thought it best, however, to dissemble my wrath, and to -treat them with promises and fair words, until, by some good turn of -fate, an opportunity of vengeance should be afforded me. - -"One day, having given my creditors the slip, and feeling more than -usually dejected, I continued for a long time to wander about the most -obscure streets without object whatever, until at length I chanced to -stumble against the corner of a bookseller's stall. Seeing a chair close -at hand, for the use of customers, I threw myself doggedly into it, -and, hardly knowing why, opened the pages of the first volume which -came within my reach. It proved to be a small pamphlet treatise on -Speculative Astronomy, written either by Professor Encke of Berlin or -by a Frenchman of somewhat similar name. I had some little tincture of -information on matters of this nature, and soon became more and more -absorbed in the contents of the book, reading it actually through twice -before I awoke to a recollection of what was passing around me. By this -time it began to grow dark, and I directed my steps toward home. But -the treatise had made an indelible impression on my mind, and, as I -sauntered along the dusky streets, I revolved carefully over in my -memory the wild and sometimes unintelligible reasonings of the writer. -There are some particular passages which affected my imagination in a -powerful and extraordinary manner. The longer I meditated upon these -the more intense grew the interest which had been excited within me. -The limited nature of my education in general, and more especially my -ignorance on subjects connected with natural philosophy, so far from -rendering me diffident of my own ability to comprehend what I had read, -or inducing me to mistrust the many vague notions which had arisen in -consequence, merely served as a farther stimulus to imagination; and I -was vain enough, or perhaps reasonable enough, to doubt whether -those crude ideas which, arising in ill-regulated minds, have all the -appearance, may not often in effect possess all the force, the reality, -and other inherent properties, of instinct or intuition; whether, to -proceed a step farther, profundity itself might not, in matters of a -purely speculative nature, be detected as a legitimate source of falsity -and error. In other words, I believed, and still do believe, that truth, -is frequently of its own essence, superficial, and that, in many cases, -the depth lies more in the abysses where we seek her, than in the actual -situations wherein she may be found. Nature herself seemed to afford -me corroboration of these ideas. In the contemplation of the heavenly -bodies it struck me forcibly that I could not distinguish a star with -nearly as much precision, when I gazed on it with earnest, direct and -undeviating attention, as when I suffered my eye only to glance in -its vicinity alone. I was not, of course, at that time aware that this -apparent paradox was occasioned by the center of the visual area being -less susceptible of feeble impressions of light than the exterior -portions of the retina. This knowledge, and some of another kind, came -afterwards in the course of an eventful five years, during which I -have dropped the prejudices of my former humble situation in life, and -forgotten the bellows-mender in far different occupations. But at the -epoch of which I speak, the analogy which a casual observation of a star -offered to the conclusions I had already drawn, struck me with the force -of positive conformation, and I then finally made up my mind to the -course which I afterwards pursued. - -"It was late when I reached home, and I went immediately to bed. My -mind, however, was too much occupied to sleep, and I lay the whole night -buried in meditation. Arising early in the morning, and contriving -again to escape the vigilance of my creditors, I repaired eagerly to the -bookseller's stall, and laid out what little ready money I possessed, -in the purchase of some volumes of Mechanics and Practical Astronomy. -Having arrived at home safely with these, I devoted every spare moment -to their perusal, and soon made such proficiency in studies of this -nature as I thought sufficient for the execution of my plan. In the -intervals of this period, I made every endeavor to conciliate the -three creditors who had given me so much annoyance. In this I finally -succeeded--partly by selling enough of my household furniture to satisfy -a moiety of their claim, and partly by a promise of paying the balance -upon completion of a little project which I told them I had in view, and -for assistance in which I solicited their services. By these means--for -they were ignorant men--I found little difficulty in gaining them over -to my purpose. - -"Matters being thus arranged, I contrived, by the aid of my wife and -with the greatest secrecy and caution, to dispose of what property I had -remaining, and to borrow, in small sums, under various pretences, -and without paying any attention to my future means of repayment, no -inconsiderable quantity of ready money. With the means thus accruing I -proceeded to procure at intervals, cambric muslin, very fine, in pieces -of twelve yards each; twine; a lot of the varnish of caoutchouc; a -large and deep basket of wicker-work, made to order; and several other -articles necessary in the construction and equipment of a balloon of -extraordinary dimensions. This I directed my wife to make up as soon as -possible, and gave her all requisite information as to the particular -method of proceeding. In the meantime I worked up the twine into -a net-work of sufficient dimensions; rigged it with a hoop and the -necessary cords; bought a quadrant, a compass, a spy-glass, a common -barometer with some important modifications, and two astronomical -instruments not so generally known. I then took opportunities of -conveying by night, to a retired situation east of Rotterdam, five -iron-bound casks, to contain about fifty gallons each, and one of a -larger size; six tinned ware tubes, three inches in diameter, properly -shaped, and ten feet in length; a quantity of a particular metallic -substance, or semi-metal, which I shall not name, and a dozen demijohns -of a very common acid. The gas to be formed from these latter materials -is a gas never yet generated by any other person than myself--or at -least never applied to any similar purpose. The secret I would make no -difficulty in disclosing, but that it of right belongs to a citizen of -Nantz, in France, by whom it was conditionally communicated to myself. -The same individual submitted to me, without being at all aware of my -intentions, a method of constructing balloons from the membrane of a -certain animal, through which substance any escape of gas was nearly an -impossibility. I found it, however, altogether too expensive, and was -not sure, upon the whole, whether cambric muslin with a coating of -gum caoutchouc, was not equally as good. I mention this circumstance, -because I think it probable that hereafter the individual in question -may attempt a balloon ascension with the novel gas and material I have -spoken of, and I do not wish to deprive him of the honor of a very -singular invention. - -"On the spot which I intended each of the smaller casks to occupy -respectively during the inflation of the balloon, I privately dug a hole -two feet deep; the holes forming in this manner a circle twenty-five -feet in diameter. In the centre of this circle, being the station -designed for the large cask, I also dug a hole three feet in depth. In -each of the five smaller holes, I deposited a canister containing -fifty pounds, and in the larger one a keg holding one hundred and fifty -pounds, of cannon powder. These--the keg and canisters--I connected in -a proper manner with covered trains; and having let into one of the -canisters the end of about four feet of slow match, I covered up the -hole, and placed the cask over it, leaving the other end of the match -protruding about an inch, and barely visible beyond the cask. I then -filled up the remaining holes, and placed the barrels over them in their -destined situation. - -"Besides the articles above enumerated, I conveyed to the depot, and -there secreted, one of M. Grimm's improvements upon the apparatus for -condensation of the atmospheric air. I found this machine, however, -to require considerable alteration before it could be adapted to the -purposes to which I intended making it applicable. But, with severe -labor and unremitting perseverance, I at length met with entire success -in all my preparations. My balloon was soon completed. It would contain -more than forty thousand cubic feet of gas; would take me up easily, I -calculated, with all my implements, and, if I managed rightly, with -one hundred and seventy-five pounds of ballast into the bargain. It -had received three coats of varnish, and I found the cambric muslin to -answer all the purposes of silk itself, quite as strong and a good deal -less expensive. - -"Everything being now ready, I exacted from my wife an oath of secrecy -in relation to all my actions from the day of my first visit to the -bookseller's stall; and promising, on my part, to return as soon as -circumstances would permit, I gave her what little money I had left, -and bade her farewell. Indeed I had no fear on her account. She was -what people call a notable woman, and could manage matters in the world -without my assistance. I believe, to tell the truth, she always looked -upon me as an idle boy, a mere make-weight, good for nothing but -building castles in the air, and was rather glad to get rid of me. -It was a dark night when I bade her good-bye, and taking with me, as -aides-de-camp, the three creditors who had given me so much trouble, -we carried the balloon, with the car and accoutrements, by a roundabout -way, to the station where the other articles were deposited. We there -found them all unmolested, and I proceeded immediately to business. - -"It was the first of April. The night, as I said before, was dark; there -was not a star to be seen; and a drizzling rain, falling at intervals, -rendered us very uncomfortable. But my chief anxiety was concerning -the balloon, which, in spite of the varnish with which it was defended, -began to grow rather heavy with the moisture; the powder also was liable -to damage. I therefore kept my three duns working with great diligence, -pounding down ice around the central cask, and stirring the acid in the -others. They did not cease, however, importuning me with questions as -to what I intended to do with all this apparatus, and expressed much -dissatisfaction at the terrible labor I made them undergo. They could -not perceive, so they said, what good was likely to result from -their getting wet to the skin, merely to take a part in such horrible -incantations. I began to get uneasy, and worked away with all my might, -for I verily believe the idiots supposed that I had entered into a -compact with the devil, and that, in short, what I was now doing was -nothing better than it should be. I was, therefore, in great fear of -their leaving me altogether. I contrived, however, to pacify them by -promises of payment of all scores in full, as soon as I could bring -the present business to a termination. To these speeches they gave, of -course, their own interpretation; fancying, no doubt, that at all events -I should come into possession of vast quantities of ready money; and -provided I paid them all I owed, and a trifle more, in consideration of -their services, I dare say they cared very little what became of either -my soul or my carcass. - -"In about four hours and a half I found the balloon sufficiently -inflated. I attached the car, therefore, and put all my implements in -it--not forgetting the condensing apparatus, a copious supply of water, -and a large quantity of provisions, such as pemmican, in which much -nutriment is contained in comparatively little bulk. I also secured in -the car a pair of pigeons and a cat. It was now nearly daybreak, and I -thought it high time to take my departure. Dropping a lighted cigar on -the ground, as if by accident, I took the opportunity, in stooping to -pick it up, of igniting privately the piece of slow match, whose end, -as I said before, protruded a very little beyond the lower rim of one of -the smaller casks. This manoeuvre was totally unperceived on the part of -the three duns; and, jumping into the car, I immediately cut the single -cord which held me to the earth, and was pleased to find that I shot -upward, carrying with all ease one hundred and seventy-five pounds of -leaden ballast, and able to have carried up as many more. - -"Scarcely, however, had I attained the height of fifty yards, when, -roaring and rumbling up after me in the most horrible and tumultuous -manner, came so dense a hurricane of fire, and smoke, and sulphur, and -legs and arms, and gravel, and burning wood, and blazing metal, that -my very heart sunk within me, and I fell down in the bottom of the car, -trembling with unmitigated terror. Indeed, I now perceived that I had -entirely overdone the business, and that the main consequences of the -shock were yet to be experienced. Accordingly, in less than a second, -I felt all the blood in my body rushing to my temples, and immediately -thereupon, a concussion, which I shall never forget, burst abruptly -through the night and seemed to rip the very firmament asunder. When -I afterward had time for reflection, I did not fail to attribute the -extreme violence of the explosion, as regarded myself, to its proper -cause--my situation directly above it, and in the line of its greatest -power. But at the time, I thought only of preserving my life. The -balloon at first collapsed, then furiously expanded, then whirled round -and round with horrible velocity, and finally, reeling and staggering -like a drunken man, hurled me with great force over the rim of the car, -and left me dangling, at a terrific height, with my head downward, and -my face outwards, by a piece of slender cord about three feet in -length, which hung accidentally through a crevice near the bottom of -the wicker-work, and in which, as I fell, my left foot became most -providentially entangled. It is impossible--utterly impossible--to form -any adequate idea of the horror of my situation. I gasped convulsively -for breath--a shudder resembling a fit of the ague agitated every nerve -and muscle of my frame--I felt my eyes starting from their sockets--a -horrible nausea overwhelmed me--and at length I fainted away. - -"How long I remained in this state it is impossible to say. It must, -however, have been no inconsiderable time, for when I partially -recovered the sense of existence, I found the day breaking, the balloon -at a prodigious height over a wilderness of ocean, and not a trace -of land to be discovered far and wide within the limits of the vast -horizon. My sensations, however, upon thus recovering, were by no means -so rife with agony as might have been anticipated. Indeed, there was -much of incipient madness in the calm survey which I began to take of my -situation. I drew up to my eyes each of my hands, one after the other, -and wondered what occurrence could have given rise to the swelling of -the veins, and the horrible blackness of the fingernails. I afterward -carefully examined my head, shaking it repeatedly, and feeling it with -minute attention, until I succeeded in satisfying myself that it was -not, as I had more than half suspected, larger than my balloon. Then, -in a knowing manner, I felt in both my breeches pockets, and, missing -therefrom a set of tablets and a toothpick case, endeavored to account -for their disappearance, and not being able to do so, felt inexpressibly -chagrined. It now occurred to me that I suffered great uneasiness in the -joint of my left ankle, and a dim consciousness of my situation began to -glimmer through my mind. But, strange to say! I was neither astonished -nor horror-stricken. If I felt any emotion at all, it was a kind of -chuckling satisfaction at the cleverness I was about to display in -extricating myself from this dilemma; and I never, for a moment, looked -upon my ultimate safety as a question susceptible of doubt. For a few -minutes I remained wrapped in the profoundest meditation. I have a -distinct recollection of frequently compressing my lips, putting -my forefinger to the side of my nose, and making use of other -gesticulations and grimaces common to men who, at ease in their -arm-chairs, meditate upon matters of intricacy or importance. Having, -as I thought, sufficiently collected my ideas, I now, with great caution -and deliberation, put my hands behind my back, and unfastened the large -iron buckle which belonged to the waistband of my inexpressibles. This -buckle had three teeth, which, being somewhat rusty, turned with great -difficulty on their axis. I brought them, however, after some trouble, -at right angles to the body of the buckle, and was glad to find them -remain firm in that position. Holding the instrument thus obtained -within my teeth, I now proceeded to untie the knot of my cravat. I had -to rest several times before I could accomplish this manoeuvre, but it -was at length accomplished. To one end of the cravat I then made fast -the buckle, and the other end I tied, for greater security, tightly -around my wrist. Drawing now my body upwards, with a prodigious exertion -of muscular force, I succeeded, at the very first trial, in throwing -the buckle over the car, and entangling it, as I had anticipated, in the -circular rim of the wicker-work. - -"My body was now inclined towards the side of the car, at an angle -of about forty-five degrees; but it must not be understood that I was -therefore only forty-five degrees below the perpendicular. So far from -it, I still lay nearly level with the plane of the horizon; for the -change of situation which I had acquired, had forced the bottom of the -car considerably outwards from my position, which was accordingly one -of the most imminent and deadly peril. It should be remembered, however, -that when I fell in the first instance, from the car, if I had fallen -with my face turned toward the balloon, instead of turned outwardly from -it, as it actually was; or if, in the second place, the cord by which -I was suspended had chanced to hang over the upper edge, instead of -through a crevice near the bottom of the car,--I say it may be readily -conceived that, in either of these supposed cases, I should have been -unable to accomplish even as much as I had now accomplished, and the -wonderful adventures of Hans Pfaall would have been utterly lost to -posterity, I had therefore every reason to be grateful; although, in -point of fact, I was still too stupid to be anything at all, and hung -for, perhaps, a quarter of an hour in that extraordinary manner, without -making the slightest farther exertion whatsoever, and in a singularly -tranquil state of idiotic enjoyment. But this feeling did not fail to -die rapidly away, and thereunto succeeded horror, and dismay, and a -chilling sense of utter helplessness and ruin. In fact, the blood so -long accumulating in the vessels of my head and throat, and which had -hitherto buoyed up my spirits with madness and delirium, had now begun -to retire within their proper channels, and the distinctness which was -thus added to my perception of the danger, merely served to deprive me -of the self-possession and courage to encounter it. But this weakness -was, luckily for me, of no very long duration. In good time came to my -rescue the spirit of despair, and, with frantic cries and struggles, I -jerked my way bodily upwards, till at length, clutching with a vise-like -grip the long-desired rim, I writhed my person over it, and fell -headlong and shuddering within the car. - -"It was not until some time afterward that I recovered myself -sufficiently to attend to the ordinary cares of the balloon. I then, -however, examined it with attention, and found it, to my great relief, -uninjured. My implements were all safe, and, fortunately, I had lost -neither ballast nor provisions. Indeed, I had so well secured them in -their places, that such an accident was entirely out of the question. -Looking at my watch, I found it six o'clock. I was still rapidly -ascending, and my barometer gave a present altitude of three and -three-quarter miles. Immediately beneath me in the ocean, lay a small -black object, slightly oblong in shape, seemingly about the size, and -in every way bearing a great resemblance to one of those childish -toys called a domino. Bringing my telescope to bear upon it, I plainly -discerned it to be a British ninety four-gun ship, close-hauled, and -pitching heavily in the sea with her head to the W.S.W. Besides this -ship, I saw nothing but the ocean and the sky, and the sun, which had -long arisen. - -"It is now high time that I should explain to your Excellencies the -object of my perilous voyage. Your Excellencies will bear in mind that -distressed circumstances in Rotterdam had at length driven me to the -resolution of committing suicide. It was not, however, that to life -itself I had any, positive disgust, but that I was harassed beyond -endurance by the adventitious miseries attending my situation. In this -state of mind, wishing to live, yet wearied with life, the treatise at -the stall of the bookseller opened a resource to my imagination. I then -finally made up my mind. I determined to depart, yet live--to leave the -world, yet continue to exist--in short, to drop enigmas, I resolved, let -what would ensue, to force a passage, if I could, to the moon. Now, lest -I should be supposed more of a madman than I actually am, I will detail, -as well as I am able, the considerations which led me to believe that -an achievement of this nature, although without doubt difficult, and -incontestably full of danger, was not absolutely, to a bold spirit, -beyond the confines of the possible. - -"The moon's actual distance from the earth was the first thing to be -attended to. Now, the mean or average interval between the centres of -the two planets is 59.9643 of the earth's equatorial radii, or only -about 237,000 miles. I say the mean or average interval. But it must -be borne in mind that the form of the moon's orbit being an ellipse of -eccentricity amounting to no less than 0.05484 of the major semi-axis of -the ellipse itself, and the earth's centre being situated in its focus, -if I could, in any manner, contrive to meet the moon, as it were, in its -perigee, the above mentioned distance would be materially diminished. -But, to say nothing at present of this possibility, it was very certain -that, at all events, from the 237,000 miles I would have to deduct the -radius of the earth, say 4,000, and the radius of the moon, say 1080, -in all 5,080, leaving an actual interval to be traversed, under average -circumstances, of 231,920 miles. Now this, I reflected, was no -very extraordinary distance. Travelling on land has been repeatedly -accomplished at the rate of thirty miles per hour, and indeed a much -greater speed may be anticipated. But even at this velocity, it would -take me no more than 322 days to reach the surface of the moon. There -were, however, many particulars inducing me to believe that my average -rate of travelling might possibly very much exceed that of thirty miles -per hour, and, as these considerations did not fail to make a deep -impression upon my mind, I will mention them more fully hereafter. - -"The next point to be regarded was a matter of far greater importance. -From indications afforded by the barometer, we find that, in ascensions -from the surface of the earth we have, at the height of 1,000 feet, left -below us about one-thirtieth of the entire mass of atmospheric air, that -at 10,600 we have ascended through nearly one-third; and that at 18,000, -which is not far from the elevation of Cotopaxi, we have surmounted -one-half the material, or, at all events, one-half the ponderable, -body of air incumbent upon our globe. It is also calculated that at an -altitude not exceeding the hundredth part of the earth's diameter--that -is, not exceeding eighty miles--the rarefaction would be so excessive -that animal life could in no manner be sustained, and, moreover, that -the most delicate means we possess of ascertaining the presence of the -atmosphere would be inadequate to assure us of its existence. But I -did not fail to perceive that these latter calculations are founded -altogether on our experimental knowledge of the properties of air, and -the mechanical laws regulating its dilation and compression, in what may -be called, comparatively speaking, the immediate vicinity of the earth -itself; and, at the same time, it is taken for granted that animal -life is and must be essentially incapable of modification at any given -unattainable distance from the surface. Now, all such reasoning and from -such data must, of course, be simply analogical. The greatest height -ever reached by man was that of 25,000 feet, attained in the aeronautic -expedition of Messieurs Gay-Lussac and Biot. This is a moderate -altitude, even when compared with the eighty miles in question; and I -could not help thinking that the subject admitted room for doubt and -great latitude for speculation. - -"But, in point of fact, an ascension being made to any given altitude, -the ponderable quantity of air surmounted in any farther ascension is -by no means in proportion to the additional height ascended (as may -be plainly seen from what has been stated before), but in a ratio -constantly decreasing. It is therefore evident that, ascend as high as -we may, we cannot, literally speaking, arrive at a limit beyond which -no atmosphere is to be found. It must exist, I argued; although it may -exist in a state of infinite rarefaction. - -"On the other hand, I was aware that arguments have not been wanting -to prove the existence of a real and definite limit to the atmosphere, -beyond which there is absolutely no air whatsoever. But a circumstance -which has been left out of view by those who contend for such a limit -seemed to me, although no positive refutation of their creed, still -a point worthy very serious investigation. On comparing the intervals -between the successive arrivals of Encke's comet at its perihelion, -after giving credit, in the most exact manner, for all the disturbances -due to the attractions of the planets, it appears that the periods are -gradually diminishing; that is to say, the major axis of the comet's -ellipse is growing shorter, in a slow but perfectly regular decrease. -Now, this is precisely what ought to be the case, if we suppose a -resistance experienced from the comet from an extremely rare ethereal -medium pervading the regions of its orbit. For it is evident that such -a medium must, in retarding the comet's velocity, increase its -centripetal, by weakening its centrifugal force. In other words, the -sun's attraction would be constantly attaining greater power, and the -comet would be drawn nearer at every revolution. Indeed, there is no -other way of accounting for the variation in question. But again. The -real diameter of the same comet's nebulosity is observed to contract -rapidly as it approaches the sun, and dilate with equal rapidity in its -departure towards its aphelion. Was I not justifiable in supposing with -M. Valz, that this apparent condensation of volume has its origin in -the compression of the same ethereal medium I have spoken of before, -and which is only denser in proportion to its solar vicinity? The -lenticular-shaped phenomenon, also called the zodiacal light, was a -matter worthy of attention. This radiance, so apparent in the tropics, -and which cannot be mistaken for any meteoric lustre, extends from the -horizon obliquely upward, and follows generally the direction of the -sun's equator. It appeared to me evidently in the nature of a rare -atmosphere extending from the sun outward, beyond the orbit of Venus at -least, and I believed indefinitely farther.(*2) Indeed, this medium I -could not suppose confined to the path of the comet's ellipse, or to -the immediate neighborhood of the sun. It was easy, on the contrary, -to imagine it pervading the entire regions of our planetary system, -condensed into what we call atmosphere at the planets themselves, and -perhaps at some of them modified by considerations, so to speak, purely -geological. - -"Having adopted this view of the subject, I had little further -hesitation. Granting that on my passage I should meet with atmosphere -essentially the same as at the surface of the earth, I conceived that, -by means of the very ingenious apparatus of M. Grimm, I should readily -be enabled to condense it in sufficient quantity for the purposes of -respiration. This would remove the chief obstacle in a journey to the -moon. I had indeed spent some money and great labor in adapting the -apparatus to the object intended, and confidently looked forward to its -successful application, if I could manage to complete the voyage within -any reasonable period. This brings me back to the rate at which it might -be possible to travel. - -"It is true that balloons, in the first stage of their ascensions from -the earth, are known to rise with a velocity comparatively moderate. -Now, the power of elevation lies altogether in the superior lightness of -the gas in the balloon compared with the atmospheric air; and, at -first sight, it does not appear probable that, as the balloon acquires -altitude, and consequently arrives successively in atmospheric strata -of densities rapidly diminishing--I say, it does not appear at all -reasonable that, in this its progress upwards, the original velocity -should be accelerated. On the other hand, I was not aware that, in any -recorded ascension, a diminution was apparent in the absolute rate -of ascent; although such should have been the case, if on account -of nothing else, on account of the escape of gas through balloons -ill-constructed, and varnished with no better material than the ordinary -varnish. It seemed, therefore, that the effect of such escape was only -sufficient to counterbalance the effect of some accelerating power. I -now considered that, provided in my passage I found the medium I -had imagined, and provided that it should prove to be actually -and essentially what we denominate atmospheric air, it could make -comparatively little difference at what extreme state of rarefaction -I should discover it--that is to say, in regard to my power of -ascending--for the gas in the balloon would not only be itself subject -to rarefaction partially similar (in proportion to the occurrence of -which, I could suffer an escape of so much as would be requisite to -prevent explosion), but, being what it was, would, at all events, -continue specifically lighter than any compound whatever of mere -nitrogen and oxygen. In the meantime, the force of gravitation would be -constantly diminishing, in proportion to the squares of the distances, -and thus, with a velocity prodigiously accelerating, I should at -length arrive in those distant regions where the force of the earth's -attraction would be superseded by that of the moon. In accordance with -these ideas, I did not think it worth while to encumber myself with more -provisions than would be sufficient for a period of forty days. - -"There was still, however, another difficulty, which occasioned me some -little disquietude. It has been observed, that, in balloon ascensions to -any considerable height, besides the pain attending respiration, great -uneasiness is experienced about the head and body, often accompanied -with bleeding at the nose, and other symptoms of an alarming kind, -and growing more and more inconvenient in proportion to the altitude -attained.(*3) This was a reflection of a nature somewhat startling. Was -it not probable that these symptoms would increase indefinitely, or at -least until terminated by death itself? I finally thought not. Their -origin was to be looked for in the progressive removal of the customary -atmospheric pressure upon the surface of the body, and consequent -distention of the superficial blood-vessels--not in any positive -disorganization of the animal system, as in the case of difficulty in -breathing, where the atmospheric density is chemically insufficient -for the due renovation of blood in a ventricle of the heart. Unless for -default of this renovation, I could see no reason, therefore, why -life could not be sustained even in a vacuum; for the expansion and -compression of chest, commonly called breathing, is action purely -muscular, and the cause, not the effect, of respiration. In a word, -I conceived that, as the body should become habituated to the want -of atmospheric pressure, the sensations of pain would gradually -diminish--and to endure them while they continued, I relied with -confidence upon the iron hardihood of my constitution. - -"Thus, may it please your Excellencies, I have detailed some, though by -no means all, the considerations which led me to form the project of -a lunar voyage. I shall now proceed to lay before you the result of an -attempt so apparently audacious in conception, and, at all events, so -utterly unparalleled in the annals of mankind. - -"Having attained the altitude before mentioned, that is to say three -miles and three-quarters, I threw out from the car a quantity of -feathers, and found that I still ascended with sufficient rapidity; -there was, therefore, no necessity for discharging any ballast. I was -glad of this, for I wished to retain with me as much weight as I could -carry, for reasons which will be explained in the sequel. I as yet -suffered no bodily inconvenience, breathing with great freedom, and -feeling no pain whatever in the head. The cat was lying very demurely -upon my coat, which I had taken off, and eyeing the pigeons with an air -of nonchalance. These latter being tied by the leg, to prevent their -escape, were busily employed in picking up some grains of rice scattered -for them in the bottom of the car. - -"At twenty minutes past six o'clock, the barometer showed an elevation -of 26,400 feet, or five miles to a fraction. The prospect seemed -unbounded. Indeed, it is very easily calculated by means of spherical -geometry, what a great extent of the earth's area I beheld. The convex -surface of any segment of a sphere is, to the entire surface of the -sphere itself, as the versed sine of the segment to the diameter of the -sphere. Now, in my case, the versed sine--that is to say, the thickness -of the segment beneath me--was about equal to my elevation, or the -elevation of the point of sight above the surface. 'As five miles, then, -to eight thousand,' would express the proportion of the earth's area -seen by me. In other words, I beheld as much as a sixteen-hundredth -part of the whole surface of the globe. The sea appeared unruffled as a -mirror, although, by means of the spy-glass, I could perceive it to be -in a state of violent agitation. The ship was no longer visible, having -drifted away, apparently to the eastward. I now began to experience, at -intervals, severe pain in the head, especially about the ears--still, -however, breathing with tolerable freedom. The cat and pigeons seemed to -suffer no inconvenience whatsoever. - -"At twenty minutes before seven, the balloon entered a long series of -dense cloud, which put me to great trouble, by damaging my condensing -apparatus and wetting me to the skin. This was, to be sure, a singular -recontre, for I had not believed it possible that a cloud of this nature -could be sustained at so great an elevation. I thought it best, however, -to throw out two five-pound pieces of ballast, reserving still a weight -of one hundred and sixty-five pounds. Upon so doing, I soon rose above -the difficulty, and perceived immediately, that I had obtained a great -increase in my rate of ascent. In a few seconds after my leaving the -cloud, a flash of vivid lightning shot from one end of it to the other, -and caused it to kindle up, throughout its vast extent, like a mass of -ignited and glowing charcoal. This, it must be remembered, was in the -broad light of day. No fancy may picture the sublimity which might have -been exhibited by a similar phenomenon taking place amid the darkness of -the night. Hell itself might have been found a fitting image. Even as -it was, my hair stood on end, while I gazed afar down within the yawning -abysses, letting imagination descend, as it were, and stalk about in the -strange vaulted halls, and ruddy gulfs, and red ghastly chasms of the -hideous and unfathomable fire. I had indeed made a narrow escape. Had -the balloon remained a very short while longer within the cloud--that -is to say--had not the inconvenience of getting wet, determined me to -discharge the ballast, inevitable ruin would have been the consequence. -Such perils, although little considered, are perhaps the greatest which -must be encountered in balloons. I had by this time, however, attained -too great an elevation to be any longer uneasy on this head. - -"I was now rising rapidly, and by seven o'clock the barometer indicated -an altitude of no less than nine miles and a half. I began to find great -difficulty in drawing my breath. My head, too, was excessively painful; -and, having felt for some time a moisture about my cheeks, I at length -discovered it to be blood, which was oozing quite fast from the drums of -my ears. My eyes, also, gave me great uneasiness. Upon passing the -hand over them they seemed to have protruded from their sockets in no -inconsiderable degree; and all objects in the car, and even the balloon -itself, appeared distorted to my vision. These symptoms were more than -I had expected, and occasioned me some alarm. At this juncture, very -imprudently, and without consideration, I threw out from the car three -five-pound pieces of ballast. The accelerated rate of ascent thus -obtained, carried me too rapidly, and without sufficient gradation, into -a highly rarefied stratum of the atmosphere, and the result had nearly -proved fatal to my expedition and to myself. I was suddenly seized with -a spasm which lasted for more than five minutes, and even when this, in -a measure, ceased, I could catch my breath only at long intervals, and -in a gasping manner--bleeding all the while copiously at the nose and -ears, and even slightly at the eyes. The pigeons appeared distressed -in the extreme, and struggled to escape; while the cat mewed piteously, -and, with her tongue hanging out of her mouth, staggered to and fro in -the car as if under the influence of poison. I now too late discovered -the great rashness of which I had been guilty in discharging the -ballast, and my agitation was excessive. I anticipated nothing less than -death, and death in a few minutes. The physical suffering I underwent -contributed also to render me nearly incapable of making any exertion -for the preservation of my life. I had, indeed, little power of -reflection left, and the violence of the pain in my head seemed to be -greatly on the increase. Thus I found that my senses would shortly give -way altogether, and I had already clutched one of the valve ropes with -the view of attempting a descent, when the recollection of the trick I -had played the three creditors, and the possible consequences to myself, -should I return, operated to deter me for the moment. I lay down in the -bottom of the car, and endeavored to collect my faculties. In this I -so far succeeded as to determine upon the experiment of losing blood. -Having no lancet, however, I was constrained to perform the operation in -the best manner I was able, and finally succeeded in opening a vein -in my right arm, with the blade of my penknife. The blood had hardly -commenced flowing when I experienced a sensible relief, and by the time -I had lost about half a moderate basin full, most of the worst symptoms -had abandoned me entirely. I nevertheless did not think it expedient to -attempt getting on my feet immediately; but, having tied up my arm as -well as I could, I lay still for about a quarter of an hour. At the end -of this time I arose, and found myself freer from absolute pain of any -kind than I had been during the last hour and a quarter of my ascension. -The difficulty of breathing, however, was diminished in a very slight -degree, and I found that it would soon be positively necessary to make -use of my condenser. In the meantime, looking toward the cat, who was -again snugly stowed away upon my coat, I discovered to my infinite -surprise, that she had taken the opportunity of my indisposition to -bring into light a litter of three little kittens. This was an addition -to the number of passengers on my part altogether unexpected; but I was -pleased at the occurrence. It would afford me a chance of bringing to a -kind of test the truth of a surmise, which, more than anything else, -had influenced me in attempting this ascension. I had imagined that the -habitual endurance of the atmospheric pressure at the surface of -the earth was the cause, or nearly so, of the pain attending animal -existence at a distance above the surface. Should the kittens be found -to suffer uneasiness in an equal degree with their mother, I must -consider my theory in fault, but a failure to do so I should look upon -as a strong confirmation of my idea. - -"By eight o'clock I had actually attained an elevation of seventeen -miles above the surface of the earth. Thus it seemed to me evident that -my rate of ascent was not only on the increase, but that the progression -would have been apparent in a slight degree even had I not discharged -the ballast which I did. The pains in my head and ears returned, at -intervals, with violence, and I still continued to bleed occasionally at -the nose; but, upon the whole, I suffered much less than might have -been expected. I breathed, however, at every moment, with more and -more difficulty, and each inhalation was attended with a troublesome -spasmodic action of the chest. I now unpacked the condensing apparatus, -and got it ready for immediate use. - -"The view of the earth, at this period of my ascension, was beautiful -indeed. To the westward, the northward, and the southward, as far as I -could see, lay a boundless sheet of apparently unruffled ocean, which -every moment gained a deeper and a deeper tint of blue and began already -to assume a slight appearance of convexity. At a vast distance to the -eastward, although perfectly discernible, extended the islands of Great -Britain, the entire Atlantic coasts of France and Spain, with a small -portion of the northern part of the continent of Africa. Of individual -edifices not a trace could be discovered, and the proudest cities of -mankind had utterly faded away from the face of the earth. From the rock -of Gibraltar, now dwindled into a dim speck, the dark Mediterranean sea, -dotted with shining islands as the heaven is dotted with stars, spread -itself out to the eastward as far as my vision extended, until its -entire mass of waters seemed at length to tumble headlong over the abyss -of the horizon, and I found myself listening on tiptoe for the echoes -of the mighty cataract. Overhead, the sky was of a jetty black, and the -stars were brilliantly visible. - -"The pigeons about this time seeming to undergo much suffering, I -determined upon giving them their liberty. I first untied one of them, -a beautiful gray-mottled pigeon, and placed him upon the rim of the -wicker-work. He appeared extremely uneasy, looking anxiously around him, -fluttering his wings, and making a loud cooing noise, but could not be -persuaded to trust himself from off the car. I took him up at last, -and threw him to about half a dozen yards from the balloon. He made, -however, no attempt to descend as I had expected, but struggled with -great vehemence to get back, uttering at the same time very shrill and -piercing cries. He at length succeeded in regaining his former station -on the rim, but had hardly done so when his head dropped upon his -breast, and he fell dead within the car. The other one did not prove so -unfortunate. To prevent his following the example of his companion, and -accomplishing a return, I threw him downward with all my force, and was -pleased to find him continue his descent, with great velocity, making -use of his wings with ease, and in a perfectly natural manner. In a very -short time he was out of sight, and I have no doubt he reached home in -safety. Puss, who seemed in a great measure recovered from her illness, -now made a hearty meal of the dead bird and then went to sleep with much -apparent satisfaction. Her kittens were quite lively, and so far evinced -not the slightest sign of any uneasiness whatever. - -"At a quarter-past eight, being no longer able to draw breath without -the most intolerable pain, I proceeded forthwith to adjust around -the car the apparatus belonging to the condenser. This apparatus will -require some little explanation, and your Excellencies will please to -bear in mind that my object, in the first place, was to surround myself -and cat entirely with a barricade against the highly rarefied atmosphere -in which I was existing, with the intention of introducing within this -barricade, by means of my condenser, a quantity of this same atmosphere -sufficiently condensed for the purposes of respiration. With this object -in view I had prepared a very strong perfectly air-tight, but flexible -gum-elastic bag. In this bag, which was of sufficient dimensions, the -entire car was in a manner placed. That is to say, it (the bag) was -drawn over the whole bottom of the car, up its sides, and so on, along -the outside of the ropes, to the upper rim or hoop where the net-work -is attached. Having pulled the bag up in this way, and formed a complete -enclosure on all sides, and at bottom, it was now necessary to fasten -up its top or mouth, by passing its material over the hoop of the -net-work--in other words, between the net-work and the hoop. But if the -net-work were separated from the hoop to admit this passage, what was -to sustain the car in the meantime? Now the net-work was not permanently -fastened to the hoop, but attached by a series of running loops or -nooses. I therefore undid only a few of these loops at one time, leaving -the car suspended by the remainder. Having thus inserted a portion of -the cloth forming the upper part of the bag, I refastened the loops--not -to the hoop, for that would have been impossible, since the cloth -now intervened--but to a series of large buttons, affixed to the cloth -itself, about three feet below the mouth of the bag, the intervals -between the buttons having been made to correspond to the intervals -between the loops. This done, a few more of the loops were unfastened -from the rim, a farther portion of the cloth introduced, and the -disengaged loops then connected with their proper buttons. In this way -it was possible to insert the whole upper part of the bag between the -net-work and the hoop. It is evident that the hoop would now drop down -within the car, while the whole weight of the car itself, with all its -contents, would be held up merely by the strength of the buttons. This, -at first sight, would seem an inadequate dependence; but it was by no -means so, for the buttons were not only very strong in themselves, but -so close together that a very slight portion of the whole weight was -supported by any one of them. Indeed, had the car and contents been -three times heavier than they were, I should not have been at -all uneasy. I now raised up the hoop again within the covering of -gum-elastic, and propped it at nearly its former height by means of -three light poles prepared for the occasion. This was done, of course, -to keep the bag distended at the top, and to preserve the lower part -of the net-work in its proper situation. All that now remained was to -fasten up the mouth of the enclosure; and this was readily accomplished -by gathering the folds of the material together, and twisting them up -very tightly on the inside by means of a kind of stationary tourniquet. - -"In the sides of the covering thus adjusted round the car, had been -inserted three circular panes of thick but clear glass, through which I -could see without difficulty around me in every horizontal direction. -In that portion of the cloth forming the bottom, was likewise, a fourth -window, of the same kind, and corresponding with a small aperture in the -floor of the car itself. This enabled me to see perpendicularly -down, but having found it impossible to place any similar contrivance -overhead, on account of the peculiar manner of closing up the opening -there, and the consequent wrinkles in the cloth, I could expect to see -no objects situated directly in my zenith. This, of course, was a matter -of little consequence; for had I even been able to place a window at -top, the balloon itself would have prevented my making any use of it. - -"About a foot below one of the side windows was a circular opening, -eight inches in diameter, and fitted with a brass rim adapted in its -inner edge to the windings of a screw. In this rim was screwed the large -tube of the condenser, the body of the machine being, of course, within -the chamber of gum-elastic. Through this tube a quantity of the rare -atmosphere circumjacent being drawn by means of a vacuum created in the -body of the machine, was thence discharged, in a state of condensation, -to mingle with the thin air already in the chamber. This operation being -repeated several times, at length filled the chamber with atmosphere -proper for all the purposes of respiration. But in so confined a space -it would, in a short time, necessarily become foul, and unfit for use -from frequent contact with the lungs. It was then ejected by a small -valve at the bottom of the car--the dense air readily sinking into the -thinner atmosphere below. To avoid the inconvenience of making a total -vacuum at any moment within the chamber, this purification was never -accomplished all at once, but in a gradual manner--the valve being -opened only for a few seconds, then closed again, until one or two -strokes from the pump of the condenser had supplied the place of the -atmosphere ejected. For the sake of experiment I had put the cat and -kittens in a small basket, and suspended it outside the car to a button -at the bottom, close by the valve, through which I could feed them at -any moment when necessary. I did this at some little risk, and before -closing the mouth of the chamber, by reaching under the car with one of -the poles before mentioned to which a hook had been attached. - -"By the time I had fully completed these arrangements and filled the -chamber as explained, it wanted only ten minutes of nine o'clock. During -the whole period of my being thus employed, I endured the most terrible -distress from difficulty of respiration, and bitterly did I repent the -negligence or rather fool-hardiness, of which I had been guilty, of -putting off to the last moment a matter of so much importance. But -having at length accomplished it, I soon began to reap the benefit of -my invention. Once again I breathed with perfect freedom and ease--and -indeed why should I not? I was also agreeably surprised to find myself, -in a great measure, relieved from the violent pains which had hitherto -tormented me. A slight headache, accompanied with a sensation of fulness -or distention about the wrists, the ankles, and the throat, was nearly -all of which I had now to complain. Thus it seemed evident that a -greater part of the uneasiness attending the removal of atmospheric -pressure had actually worn off, as I had expected, and that much of -the pain endured for the last two hours should have been attributed -altogether to the effects of a deficient respiration. - -"At twenty minutes before nine o'clock--that is to say, a short time -prior to my closing up the mouth of the chamber, the mercury attained -its limit, or ran down, in the barometer, which, as I mentioned before, -was one of an extended construction. It then indicated an altitude on -my part of 132,000 feet, or five-and-twenty miles, and I consequently -surveyed at that time an extent of the earth's area amounting to no less -than the three hundred-and-twentieth part of its entire superficies. -At nine o'clock I had again lost sight of land to the eastward, but not -before I became aware that the balloon was drifting rapidly to the N. -N. W. The convexity of the ocean beneath me was very evident indeed, -although my view was often interrupted by the masses of cloud which -floated to and fro. I observed now that even the lightest vapors never -rose to more than ten miles above the level of the sea. - -"At half past nine I tried the experiment of throwing out a handful of -feathers through the valve. They did not float as I had expected; but -dropped down perpendicularly, like a bullet, en masse, and with the -greatest velocity--being out of sight in a very few seconds. I did not -at first know what to make of this extraordinary phenomenon; not being -able to believe that my rate of ascent had, of a sudden, met with -so prodigious an acceleration. But it soon occurred to me that the -atmosphere was now far too rare to sustain even the feathers; that they -actually fell, as they appeared to do, with great rapidity; and that I -had been surprised by the united velocities of their descent and my own -elevation. - -"By ten o'clock I found that I had very little to occupy my immediate -attention. Affairs went swimmingly, and I believed the balloon to be -going upward with a speed increasing momently although I had no longer -any means of ascertaining the progression of the increase. I suffered no -pain or uneasiness of any kind, and enjoyed better spirits than I had -at any period since my departure from Rotterdam, busying myself now in -examining the state of my various apparatus, and now in regenerating the -atmosphere within the chamber. This latter point I determined to -attend to at regular intervals of forty minutes, more on account of -the preservation of my health, than from so frequent a renovation -being absolutely necessary. In the meanwhile I could not help making -anticipations. Fancy revelled in the wild and dreamy regions of the -moon. Imagination, feeling herself for once unshackled, roamed at will -among the ever-changing wonders of a shadowy and unstable land. Now -there were hoary and time-honored forests, and craggy precipices, and -waterfalls tumbling with a loud noise into abysses without a bottom. -Then I came suddenly into still noonday solitudes, where no wind of -heaven ever intruded, and where vast meadows of poppies, and slender, -lily-looking flowers spread themselves out a weary distance, all silent -and motionless forever. Then again I journeyed far down away into -another country where it was all one dim and vague lake, with a boundary -line of clouds. And out of this melancholy water arose a forest of tall -eastern trees, like a wilderness of dreams. And I have in mind that -the shadows of the trees which fell upon the lake remained not on -the surface where they fell, but sunk slowly and steadily down, and -commingled with the waves, while from the trunks of the trees other -shadows were continually coming out, and taking the place of their -brothers thus entombed. "This then," I said thoughtfully, "is the very -reason why the waters of this lake grow blacker with age, and more -melancholy as the hours run on." But fancies such as these were not the -sole possessors of my brain. Horrors of a nature most stern and most -appalling would too frequently obtrude themselves upon my mind, and -shake the innermost depths of my soul with the bare supposition of their -possibility. Yet I would not suffer my thoughts for any length of time -to dwell upon these latter speculations, rightly judging the real and -palpable dangers of the voyage sufficient for my undivided attention. - -"At five o'clock, p.m., being engaged in regenerating the atmosphere -within the chamber, I took that opportunity of observing the cat and -kittens through the valve. The cat herself appeared to suffer again very -much, and I had no hesitation in attributing her uneasiness chiefly to a -difficulty in breathing; but my experiment with the kittens had resulted -very strangely. I had expected, of course, to see them betray a sense of -pain, although in a less degree than their mother, and this would have -been sufficient to confirm my opinion concerning the habitual endurance -of atmospheric pressure. But I was not prepared to find them, upon close -examination, evidently enjoying a high degree of health, breathing with -the greatest ease and perfect regularity, and evincing not the slightest -sign of any uneasiness whatever. I could only account for all this by -extending my theory, and supposing that the highly rarefied atmosphere -around might perhaps not be, as I had taken for granted, chemically -insufficient for the purposes of life, and that a person born in such -a medium might, possibly, be unaware of any inconvenience attending its -inhalation, while, upon removal to the denser strata near the earth, -he might endure tortures of a similar nature to those I had so lately -experienced. It has since been to me a matter of deep regret that an -awkward accident, at this time, occasioned me the loss of my little -family of cats, and deprived me of the insight into this matter which a -continued experiment might have afforded. In passing my hand through -the valve, with a cup of water for the old puss, the sleeves of my shirt -became entangled in the loop which sustained the basket, and thus, in -a moment, loosened it from the bottom. Had the whole actually vanished -into air, it could not have shot from my sight in a more abrupt and -instantaneous manner. Positively, there could not have intervened the -tenth part of a second between the disengagement of the basket and its -absolute and total disappearance with all that it contained. My good -wishes followed it to the earth, but of course, I had no hope that -either cat or kittens would ever live to tell the tale of their -misfortune. - -"At six o'clock, I perceived a great portion of the earth's visible area -to the eastward involved in thick shadow, which continued to advance -with great rapidity, until, at five minutes before seven, the whole -surface in view was enveloped in the darkness of night. It was not, -however, until long after this time that the rays of the setting sun -ceased to illumine the balloon; and this circumstance, although of -course fully anticipated, did not fail to give me an infinite deal -of pleasure. It was evident that, in the morning, I should behold the -rising luminary many hours at least before the citizens of Rotterdam, in -spite of their situation so much farther to the eastward, and thus, day -after day, in proportion to the height ascended, would I enjoy the light -of the sun for a longer and a longer period. I now determined to keep a -journal of my passage, reckoning the days from one to twenty-four -hours continuously, without taking into consideration the intervals of -darkness. - -"At ten o'clock, feeling sleepy, I determined to lie down for the rest -of the night; but here a difficulty presented itself, which, obvious as -it may appear, had escaped my attention up to the very moment of which -I am now speaking. If I went to sleep as I proposed, how could the -atmosphere in the chamber be regenerated in the interim? To breathe -it for more than an hour, at the farthest, would be a matter of -impossibility, or, if even this term could be extended to an hour and a -quarter, the most ruinous consequences might ensue. The consideration -of this dilemma gave me no little disquietude; and it will hardly be -believed, that, after the dangers I had undergone, I should look -upon this business in so serious a light, as to give up all hope of -accomplishing my ultimate design, and finally make up my mind to the -necessity of a descent. But this hesitation was only momentary. I -reflected that man is the veriest slave of custom, and that many points -in the routine of his existence are deemed essentially important, which -are only so at all by his having rendered them habitual. It was very -certain that I could not do without sleep; but I might easily bring -myself to feel no inconvenience from being awakened at intervals of an -hour during the whole period of my repose. It would require but five -minutes at most to regenerate the atmosphere in the fullest manner, and -the only real difficulty was to contrive a method of arousing myself -at the proper moment for so doing. But this was a question which, I am -willing to confess, occasioned me no little trouble in its solution. To -be sure, I had heard of the student who, to prevent his falling asleep -over his books, held in one hand a ball of copper, the din of whose -descent into a basin of the same metal on the floor beside his chair, -served effectually to startle him up, if, at any moment, he should -be overcome with drowsiness. My own case, however, was very different -indeed, and left me no room for any similar idea; for I did not wish to -keep awake, but to be aroused from slumber at regular intervals of time. -I at length hit upon the following expedient, which, simple as it may -seem, was hailed by me, at the moment of discovery, as an invention -fully equal to that of the telescope, the steam-engine, or the art of -printing itself. - -"It is necessary to premise, that the balloon, at the elevation now -attained, continued its course upward with an even and undeviating -ascent, and the car consequently followed with a steadiness so perfect -that it would have been impossible to detect in it the slightest -vacillation whatever. This circumstance favored me greatly in the -project I now determined to adopt. My supply of water had been put on -board in kegs containing five gallons each, and ranged very securely -around the interior of the car. I unfastened one of these, and taking -two ropes tied them tightly across the rim of the wicker-work from one -side to the other; placing them about a foot apart and parallel so as to -form a kind of shelf, upon which I placed the keg, and steadied it in a -horizontal position. About eight inches immediately below these ropes, -and four feet from the bottom of the car I fastened another shelf--but -made of thin plank, being the only similar piece of wood I had. Upon -this latter shelf, and exactly beneath one of the rims of the keg, a -small earthern pitcher was deposited. I now bored a hole in the end of -the keg over the pitcher, and fitted in a plug of soft wood, cut in a -tapering or conical shape. This plug I pushed in or pulled out, as might -happen, until, after a few experiments, it arrived at that exact degree -of tightness, at which the water, oozing from the hole, and falling into -the pitcher below, would fill the latter to the brim in the period -of sixty minutes. This, of course, was a matter briefly and easily -ascertained, by noticing the proportion of the pitcher filled in any -given time. Having arranged all this, the rest of the plan is obvious. -My bed was so contrived upon the floor of the car, as to bring my -head, in lying down, immediately below the mouth of the pitcher. It was -evident, that, at the expiration of an hour, the pitcher, getting full, -would be forced to run over, and to run over at the mouth, which was -somewhat lower than the rim. It was also evident, that the water thus -falling from a height of more than four feet, could not do otherwise -than fall upon my face, and that the sure consequences would be, to -waken me up instantaneously, even from the soundest slumber in the -world. - -"It was fully eleven by the time I had completed these arrangements, -and I immediately betook myself to bed, with full confidence in the -efficiency of my invention. Nor in this matter was I disappointed. -Punctually every sixty minutes was I aroused by my trusty chronometer, -when, having emptied the pitcher into the bung-hole of the keg, and -performed the duties of the condenser, I retired again to bed. These -regular interruptions to my slumber caused me even less discomfort than -I had anticipated; and when I finally arose for the day, it was seven -o'clock, and the sun had attained many degrees above the line of my -horizon. - -"April 3d. I found the balloon at an immense height indeed, and the -earth's apparent convexity increased in a material degree. Below me in -the ocean lay a cluster of black specks, which undoubtedly were islands. -Far away to the northward I perceived a thin, white, and exceedingly -brilliant line, or streak, on the edge of the horizon, and I had no -hesitation in supposing it to be the southern disk of the ices of the -Polar Sea. My curiosity was greatly excited, for I had hopes of passing -on much farther to the north, and might possibly, at some period, find -myself placed directly above the Pole itself. I now lamented that my -great elevation would, in this case, prevent my taking as accurate a -survey as I could wish. Much, however, might be ascertained. Nothing -else of an extraordinary nature occurred during the day. My apparatus -all continued in good order, and the balloon still ascended without any -perceptible vacillation. The cold was intense, and obliged me to wrap -up closely in an overcoat. When darkness came over the earth, I betook -myself to bed, although it was for many hours afterward broad daylight -all around my immediate situation. The water-clock was punctual in its -duty, and I slept until next morning soundly, with the exception of the -periodical interruption. - -"April 4th. Arose in good health and spirits, and was astonished at the -singular change which had taken place in the appearance of the sea. -It had lost, in a great measure, the deep tint of blue it had hitherto -worn, being now of a grayish-white, and of a lustre dazzling to the eye. -The islands were no longer visible; whether they had passed down the -horizon to the southeast, or whether my increasing elevation had left -them out of sight, it is impossible to say. I was inclined, however, to -the latter opinion. The rim of ice to the northward was growing more -and more apparent. Cold by no means so intense. Nothing of importance -occurred, and I passed the day in reading, having taken care to supply -myself with books. - -"April 5th. Beheld the singular phenomenon of the sun rising while -nearly the whole visible surface of the earth continued to be involved -in darkness. In time, however, the light spread itself over all, and I -again saw the line of ice to the northward. It was now very distinct, -and appeared of a much darker hue than the waters of the ocean. I was -evidently approaching it, and with great rapidity. Fancied I could -again distinguish a strip of land to the eastward, and one also to the -westward, but could not be certain. Weather moderate. Nothing of any -consequence happened during the day. Went early to bed. - -"April 6th. Was surprised at finding the rim of ice at a very moderate -distance, and an immense field of the same material stretching away off -to the horizon in the north. It was evident that if the balloon held its -present course, it would soon arrive above the Frozen Ocean, and I had -now little doubt of ultimately seeing the Pole. During the whole of the -day I continued to near the ice. Toward night the limits of my horizon -very suddenly and materially increased, owing undoubtedly to the -earth's form being that of an oblate spheroid, and my arriving above the -flattened regions in the vicinity of the Arctic circle. When darkness at -length overtook me, I went to bed in great anxiety, fearing to pass over -the object of so much curiosity when I should have no opportunity of -observing it. - -"April 7th. Arose early, and, to my great joy, at length beheld what -there could be no hesitation in supposing the northern Pole itself. It -was there, beyond a doubt, and immediately beneath my feet; but, alas! I -had now ascended to so vast a distance, that nothing could with accuracy -be discerned. Indeed, to judge from the progression of the numbers -indicating my various altitudes, respectively, at different periods, -between six A.M. on the second of April, and twenty minutes before nine -A.M. of the same day (at which time the barometer ran down), it might be -fairly inferred that the balloon had now, at four o'clock in the morning -of April the seventh, reached a height of not less, certainly, than -7,254 miles above the surface of the sea. This elevation may appear -immense, but the estimate upon which it is calculated gave a result in -all probability far inferior to the truth. At all events I undoubtedly -beheld the whole of the earth's major diameter; the entire northern -hemisphere lay beneath me like a chart orthographically projected: and -the great circle of the equator itself formed the boundary line of -my horizon. Your Excellencies may, however, readily imagine that the -confined regions hitherto unexplored within the limits of the Arctic -circle, although situated directly beneath me, and therefore seen -without any appearance of being foreshortened, were still, in -themselves, comparatively too diminutive, and at too great a distance -from the point of sight, to admit of any very accurate examination. -Nevertheless, what could be seen was of a nature singular and exciting. -Northwardly from that huge rim before mentioned, and which, with slight -qualification, may be called the limit of human discovery in these -regions, one unbroken, or nearly unbroken, sheet of ice continues to -extend. In the first few degrees of this its progress, its surface is -very sensibly flattened, farther on depressed into a plane, and finally, -becoming not a little concave, it terminates, at the Pole itself, in a -circular centre, sharply defined, whose apparent diameter subtended at -the balloon an angle of about sixty-five seconds, and whose dusky hue, -varying in intensity, was, at all times, darker than any other spot upon -the visible hemisphere, and occasionally deepened into the most -absolute and impenetrable blackness. Farther than this, little could -be ascertained. By twelve o'clock the circular centre had materially -decreased in circumference, and by seven P.M. I lost sight of it -entirely; the balloon passing over the western limb of the ice, and -floating away rapidly in the direction of the equator. - -"April 8th. Found a sensible diminution in the earth's apparent -diameter, besides a material alteration in its general color and -appearance. The whole visible area partook in different degrees of a -tint of pale yellow, and in some portions had acquired a brilliancy even -painful to the eye. My view downward was also considerably impeded by -the dense atmosphere in the vicinity of the surface being loaded with -clouds, between whose masses I could only now and then obtain a glimpse -of the earth itself. This difficulty of direct vision had troubled me -more or less for the last forty-eight hours; but my present enormous -elevation brought closer together, as it were, the floating bodies of -vapor, and the inconvenience became, of course, more and more palpable -in proportion to my ascent. Nevertheless, I could easily perceive that -the balloon now hovered above the range of great lakes in the continent -of North America, and was holding a course, due south, which would bring -me to the tropics. This circumstance did not fail to give me the most -heartful satisfaction, and I hailed it as a happy omen of ultimate -success. Indeed, the direction I had hitherto taken, had filled me with -uneasiness; for it was evident that, had I continued it much longer, -there would have been no possibility of my arriving at the moon at all, -whose orbit is inclined to the ecliptic at only the small angle of 5 -degrees 8' 48". - -"April 9th. To-day the earth's diameter was greatly diminished, and the -color of the surface assumed hourly a deeper tint of yellow. The balloon -kept steadily on her course to the southward, and arrived, at nine P.M., -over the northern edge of the Mexican Gulf. - -"April 10th. I was suddenly aroused from slumber, about five o'clock -this morning, by a loud, crackling, and terrific sound, for which I -could in no manner account. It was of very brief duration, but, while -it lasted resembled nothing in the world of which I had any previous -experience. It is needless to say that I became excessively alarmed, -having, in the first instance, attributed the noise to the bursting of -the balloon. I examined all my apparatus, however, with great attention, -and could discover nothing out of order. Spent a great part of the day -in meditating upon an occurrence so extraordinary, but could find no -means whatever of accounting for it. Went to bed dissatisfied, and in a -state of great anxiety and agitation. - -"April 11th. Found a startling diminution in the apparent diameter of -the earth, and a considerable increase, now observable for the first -time, in that of the moon itself, which wanted only a few days of being -full. It now required long and excessive labor to condense within the -chamber sufficient atmospheric air for the sustenance of life. - -"April 12th. A singular alteration took place in regard to the direction -of the balloon, and although fully anticipated, afforded me the most -unequivocal delight. Having reached, in its former course, about the -twentieth parallel of southern latitude, it turned off suddenly, at an -acute angle, to the eastward, and thus proceeded throughout the day, -keeping nearly, if not altogether, in the exact plane of the lunar -elipse. What was worthy of remark, a very perceptible vacillation in -the car was a consequence of this change of route--a vacillation which -prevailed, in a more or less degree, for a period of many hours. - -"April 13th. Was again very much alarmed by a repetition of the loud, -crackling noise which terrified me on the tenth. Thought long upon -the subject, but was unable to form any satisfactory conclusion. Great -decrease in the earth's apparent diameter, which now subtended from the -balloon an angle of very little more than twenty-five degrees. The moon -could not be seen at all, being nearly in my zenith. I still continued -in the plane of the elipse, but made little progress to the eastward. - -"April 14th. Extremely rapid decrease in the diameter of the earth. -To-day I became strongly impressed with the idea, that the balloon was -now actually running up the line of apsides to the point of perigee--in -other words, holding the direct course which would bring it immediately -to the moon in that part of its orbit the nearest to the earth. The moon -itself was directly overhead, and consequently hidden from my view. -Great and long-continued labor necessary for the condensation of the -atmosphere. - -"April 15th. Not even the outlines of continents and seas could now -be traced upon the earth with anything approaching distinctness. About -twelve o'clock I became aware, for the third time, of that appalling -sound which had so astonished me before. It now, however, continued for -some moments, and gathered intensity as it continued. At length, while, -stupefied and terror-stricken, I stood in expectation of I knew not what -hideous destruction, the car vibrated with excessive violence, and -a gigantic and flaming mass of some material which I could not -distinguish, came with a voice of a thousand thunders, roaring and -booming by the balloon. When my fears and astonishment had in some -degree subsided, I had little difficulty in supposing it to be some -mighty volcanic fragment ejected from that world to which I was so -rapidly approaching, and, in all probability, one of that singular class -of substances occasionally picked up on the earth, and termed meteoric -stones for want of a better appellation. - -"April 16th. To-day, looking upward as well as I could, through each -of the side windows alternately, I beheld, to my great delight, a very -small portion of the moon's disk protruding, as it were, on all sides -beyond the huge circumference of the balloon. My agitation was extreme; -for I had now little doubt of soon reaching the end of my perilous -voyage. Indeed, the labor now required by the condenser had increased -to a most oppressive degree, and allowed me scarcely any respite from -exertion. Sleep was a matter nearly out of the question. I became quite -ill, and my frame trembled with exhaustion. It was impossible that human -nature could endure this state of intense suffering much longer. During -the now brief interval of darkness a meteoric stone again passed in my -vicinity, and the frequency of these phenomena began to occasion me much -apprehension. - -"April 17th. This morning proved an epoch in my voyage. It will be -remembered that, on the thirteenth, the earth subtended an angular -breadth of twenty-five degrees. On the fourteenth this had greatly -diminished; on the fifteenth a still more remarkable decrease was -observable; and, on retiring on the night of the sixteenth, I had -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 hands to the net-work, I had barely -time to observe that the whole country, as far as the eye could reach, -was thickly interspersed with diminutive habitations, ere I tumbled -headlong into the very heart of a fantastical-looking city, and into the -middle of a vast crowd of ugly little people, who none of them uttered -a single syllable, or gave themselves the least trouble to render me -assistance, but stood, like a parcel of idiots, grinning in a ludicrous -manner, and eyeing me and my balloon askant, with their arms set -a-kimbo. I turned from them in contempt, and, gazing upward at the earth -so lately left, and left perhaps for ever, beheld it like a huge, dull, -copper shield, about two degrees in diameter, fixed immovably in the -heavens overhead, and tipped on one of its edges with a crescent -border of the most brilliant gold. No traces of land or water could be -discovered, and the whole was clouded with variable spots, and belted -with tropical and equatorial zones. - -"Thus, may it please your Excellencies, after a series of great -anxieties, unheard of dangers, and unparalleled escapes, I had, at -length, on the nineteenth day of my departure from Rotterdam, arrived in -safety at the conclusion of a voyage undoubtedly the most extraordinary, -and the most momentous, ever accomplished, undertaken, or conceived by -any denizen of earth. But my adventures yet remain to be related. And -indeed your Excellencies may well imagine that, after a residence of -five years upon a planet not only deeply interesting in its own peculiar -character, but rendered doubly so by its intimate connection, in -capacity of satellite, with the world inhabited by man, I may have -intelligence for the private ear of the States' College of Astronomers -of far more importance than the details, however wonderful, of the mere -voyage which so happily concluded. This is, in fact, the case. I -have much--very much which it would give me the greatest pleasure to -communicate. I have much to say of the climate of the planet; of its -wonderful alternations of heat and cold, of unmitigated and burning -sunshine for one fortnight, and more than polar frigidity for the next; -of a constant transfer of moisture, by distillation like that in vacuo, -from the point beneath the sun to the point the farthest from it; of -a variable zone of running water, of the people themselves; of their -manners, customs, and political institutions; of their peculiar physical -construction; of their ugliness; of their want of ears, those useless -appendages in an atmosphere so peculiarly modified; of their consequent -ignorance of the use and properties of speech; of their substitute -for speech in a singular method of inter-communication; of the -incomprehensible connection between each particular individual in -the moon with some particular individual on the earth--a connection -analogous with, and depending upon, that of the orbs of the planet and -the satellites, and by means of which the lives and destinies of the -inhabitants of the one are interwoven with the lives and destinies -of the inhabitants of the other; and above all, if it so please your -Excellencies--above all, of those dark and hideous mysteries which lie -in the outer regions of the moon--regions which, owing to the almost -miraculous accordance of the satellite's rotation on its own axis with -its sidereal revolution about the earth, have never yet been turned, -and, by God's mercy, never shall be turned, to the scrutiny of the -telescopes of man. All this, and more--much more--would I most -willingly detail. But, to be brief, I must have my reward. I am pining -for a return to my family and to my home, and as the price of any -farther communication on my part--in consideration of the light which -I have it in my power to throw upon many very important branches of -physical and metaphysical science--I must solicit, through the influence -of your honorable body, a pardon for the crime of which I have been -guilty in the death of the creditors upon my departure from Rotterdam. -This, then, is the object of the present paper. Its bearer, an -inhabitant of the moon, whom I have prevailed upon, and properly -instructed, to be my messenger to the earth, will await your -Excellencies' pleasure, and return to me with the pardon in question, if -it can, in any manner, be obtained. - -"I have the honor to be, etc., your Excellencies' very humble servant, - -"HANS PFAALL." - -Upon finishing the perusal of this very extraordinary document, -Professor Rub-a-dub, it is said, dropped his pipe upon the ground in -the extremity of his surprise, and Mynheer Superbus Von Underduk having -taken off his spectacles, wiped them, and deposited them in his pocket, -so far forgot both himself and his dignity, as to turn round three times -upon his heel in the quintessence of astonishment and admiration. There -was no doubt about the matter--the pardon should be obtained. So at -least swore, with a round oath, Professor Rub-a-dub, and so finally -thought the illustrious Von Underduk, as he took the arm of his brother -in science, and without saying a word, began to make the best of his way -home to deliberate upon the measures to be adopted. Having reached the -door, however, of the burgomaster's dwelling, the professor ventured to -suggest that as the messenger had thought proper to disappear--no -doubt frightened to death by the savage appearance of the burghers of -Rotterdam--the pardon would be of little use, as no one but a man of -the moon would undertake a voyage to so vast a distance. To the truth of -this observation the burgomaster assented, and the matter was therefore -at an end. Not so, however, rumors and speculations. The letter, having -been published, gave rise to a variety of gossip and opinion. Some of -the over-wise even made themselves ridiculous by decrying the whole -business; as nothing better than a hoax. But hoax, with these sort -of people, is, I believe, a general term for all matters above their -comprehension. For my part, I cannot conceive upon what data they have -founded such an accusation. Let us see what they say: - -Imprimus. That certain wags in Rotterdam have certain especial -antipathies to certain burgomasters and astronomers. - -Don't understand at all. - -Secondly. That an odd little dwarf and bottle conjurer, both of whose -ears, for some misdemeanor, have been cut off close to his head, has -been missing for several days from the neighboring city of Bruges. - -Well--what of that? - -Thirdly. That the newspapers which were stuck all over the little -balloon were newspapers of Holland, and therefore could not have been -made in the moon. They were dirty papers--very dirty--and Gluck, the -printer, would take his Bible oath to their having been printed in -Rotterdam. - -He was mistaken--undoubtedly--mistaken. - -Fourthly, That Hans Pfaall himself, the drunken villain, and the three -very idle gentlemen styled his creditors, were all seen, no longer than -two or three days ago, in a tippling house in the suburbs, having just -returned, with money in their pockets, from a trip beyond the sea. - -Don't believe it--don't believe a word of it. - -Lastly. That it is an opinion very generally received, or which ought -to be generally received, that the College of Astronomers in the city -of Rotterdam, as well as other colleges in all other parts of the -world,--not to mention colleges and astronomers in general,--are, to say -the least of the matter, not a whit better, nor greater, nor wiser than -they ought to be. - -~~~ End of Text ~~~ - -Notes to Hans Pfaal - -(*1) NOTE--Strictly speaking, there is but little similarity between the -above sketchy trifle and the celebrated "Moon-Story" of Mr. Locke; but -as both have the character of _hoaxes _(although the one is in a tone of -banter, the other of downright earnest), and as both hoaxes are on the -same subject, the moon--moreover, as both attempt to give plausibility -by scientific detail--the author of "Hans Pfaall" thinks it necessary to -say, in _self-defence, _that his own _jeu d'esprit _was published in the -"Southern Literary Messenger" about three weeks before the commencement -of Mr. L's in the "New York Sun." Fancying a likeness which, perhaps, -does not exist, some of the New York papers copied "Hans Pfaall," and -collated it with the "Moon-Hoax," by way of detecting the writer of the -one in the writer of the other. - -As many more persons were actually gulled by the "Moon-Hoax" than would -be willing to acknowledge the fact, it may here afford some little -amusement to show why no one should have been deceived-to point out -those particulars of the story which should have been sufficient to -establish its real character. Indeed, however rich the imagination -displayed in this ingenious fiction, it wanted much of the force which -might have been given it by a more scrupulous attention to facts and -to general analogy. That the public were misled, even for an instant, -merely proves the gross ignorance which is so generally prevalent upon -subjects of an astronomical nature. - -The moon's distance from the earth is, in round numbers, 240,000 miles. -If we desire to ascertain how near, apparently, a lens would bring the -satellite (or any distant object), we, of course, have but to divide the -distance by the magnifying or, more strictly, by the space-penetrating -power of the glass. Mr. L. makes his lens have a power of 42,000 times. -By this divide 240,000 (the moon's real distance), and we have five -miles and five sevenths, as the apparent distance. No animal at all -could be seen so far; much less the minute points particularized in the -story. Mr. L. speaks about Sir John Herschel's perceiving flowers (the -Papaver rheas, etc.), and even detecting the color and the shape of the -eyes of small birds. Shortly before, too, he has himself observed that -the lens would not render perceptible objects of less than eighteen -inches in diameter; but even this, as I have said, is giving the glass -by far too great power. It may be observed, in passing, that this -prodigious glass is said to have been molded at the glasshouse of -Messrs. Hartley and Grant, in Dumbarton; but Messrs. H. and G.'s -establishment had ceased operations for many years previous to the -publication of the hoax. - -On page 13, pamphlet edition, speaking of "a hairy veil" over the eyes -of a species of bison, the author says: "It immediately occurred to the -acute mind of Dr. Herschel that this was a providential contrivance -to protect the eyes of the animal from the great extremes of light -and darkness to which all the inhabitants of our side of the moon are -periodically subjected." But this cannot be thought a very "acute" -observation of the Doctor's. The inhabitants of our side of the moon -have, evidently, no darkness at all, so there can be nothing of the -"extremes" mentioned. In the absence of the sun they have a light from -the earth equal to that of thirteen full unclouded moons. - -The topography throughout, even when professing to accord with Blunt's -Lunar Chart, is entirely at variance with that or any other lunar chart, -and even grossly at variance with itself. The points of the compass, -too, are in inextricable confusion; the writer appearing to be ignorant -that, on a lunar map, these are not in accordance with terrestrial -points; the east being to the left, etc. - -Deceived, perhaps, by the vague titles, Mare Nubium, Mare -Tranquillitatis, Mare Faecunditatis, etc., given to the dark spots by -former astronomers, Mr. L. has entered into details regarding oceans -and other large bodies of water in the moon; whereas there is no -astronomical point more positively ascertained than that no such bodies -exist there. In examining the boundary between light and darkness (in -the crescent or gibbous moon) where this boundary crosses any of the -dark places, the line of division is found to be rough and jagged; but, -were these dark places liquid, it would evidently be even. - -The description of the wings of the man-bat, on page 21, is but a -literal copy of Peter Wilkins' account of the wings of his flying -islanders. This simple fact should have induced suspicion, at least, it -might be thought. - -On page 23, we have the following: "What a prodigious influence must our -thirteen times larger globe have exercised upon this satellite when an -embryo in the womb of time, the passive subject of chemical affinity!" -This is very fine; but it should be observed that no astronomer would -have made such remark, especially to any journal of Science; for the -earth, in the sense intended, is not only thirteen, but forty-nine times -larger than the moon. A similar objection applies to the whole of the -concluding pages, where, by way of introduction to some discoveries in -Saturn, the philosophical correspondent enters into a minute schoolboy -account of that planet--this to the "Edinburgh journal of Science!" - -But there is one point, in particular, which should have betrayed the -fiction. Let us imagine the power actually possessed of seeing animals -upon the moon's surface--what would first arrest the attention of an -observer from the earth? Certainly neither their shape, size, nor any -other such peculiarity, so soon as their remarkable _situation_. They -would appear to be walking, with heels up and head down, in the manner -of flies on a ceiling. The _real_ observer would have uttered an instant -ejaculation of surprise (however prepared by previous knowledge) at the -singularity of their position; the _fictitious_ observer has not even -mentioned the subject, but speaks of seeing the entire bodies of such -creatures, when it is demonstrable that he could have seen only the -diameter of their heads! - -It might as well be remarked, in conclusion, that the size, and -particularly the powers of the man-bats (for example, their ability to -fly in so rare an atmosphere--if, indeed, the moon have any), with most -of the other fancies in regard to animal and vegetable existence, are at -variance, generally, with all analogical reasoning on these themes; and -that analogy here will often amount to conclusive demonstration. It is, -perhaps, scarcely necessary to add, that all the suggestions attributed -to Brewster and Herschel, in the beginning of the article, about "a -transfusion of artificial light through the focal object of vision," -etc., etc., belong to that species of figurative writing which comes, -most properly, under the denomination of rigmarole. - -There is a real and very definite limit to optical discovery among the -stars--a limit whose nature need only be stated to be understood. If, -indeed, the casting of large lenses were all that is required, man's -ingenuity would ultimately prove equal to the task, and we might have -them of any size demanded. But, unhappily, in proportion to the increase -of size in the lens, and consequently of space-penetrating power, is the -diminution of light from the object, by diffusion of its rays. And for -this evil there is no remedy within human ability; for an object is seen -by means of that light alone which proceeds from itself, whether direct -or reflected. Thus the only "artificial" light which could avail -Mr. Locke, would be some artificial light which he should be able to -throw-not upon the "focal object of vision," but upon the real object -to be viewed-to wit: upon the moon. It has been easily calculated that, -when the light proceeding from a star becomes so diffused as to be as -weak as the natural light proceeding from the whole of the stars, in -a clear and moonless night, then the star is no longer visible for any -practical purpose. - -The Earl of Ross's telescope, lately constructed in England, has -a _speculum_ with a reflecting surface of 4,071 square inches; the -Herschel telescope having one of only 1,811. The metal of the Earl of -Ross's is 6 feet diameter; it is 5 1/2 inches thick at the edges, and 5 -at the centre. The weight is 3 tons. The focal length is 50 feet. - -I have lately read a singular and somewhat ingenious little book, whose -title-page runs thus: "L'Homme dans la lvne ou le Voyage Chimerique -fait au Monde de la Lvne, nouellement decouvert par Dominique Gonzales, -Aduanturier Espagnol, autremet dit le Courier volant. Mis en notre -langve par J. B. D. A. Paris, chez Francois Piot, pres la Fontaine de -Saint Benoist. Et chez J. Goignard, au premier pilier de la grand'salle -du Palais, proche les Consultations, MDCXLVII." Pp. 76. - -The writer professes to have translated his work from the English of one -Mr. D'Avisson (Davidson?) although there is a terrible ambiguity in the -statement. "J' en ai eu," says he "l'original de Monsieur D'Avisson, -medecin des mieux versez qui soient aujourd'huy dans la cnoissance des -Belles Lettres, et sur tout de la Philosophic Naturelle. Je lui ai cette -obligation entre les autres, de m' auoir non seulement mis en main -cc Livre en anglois, mais encore le Manuscrit du Sieur Thomas D'Anan, -gentilhomme Eccossois, recommandable pour sa vertu, sur la version -duquel j' advoue que j' ay tir le plan de la mienne." - -After some irrelevant adventures, much in the manner of Gil Blas, and -which occupy the first thirty pages, the author relates that, being -ill during a sea voyage, the crew abandoned him, together with a -negro servant, on the island of St. Helena. To increase the chances of -obtaining food, the two separate, and live as far apart as possible. -This brings about a training of birds, to serve the purpose of -carrier-pigeons between them. By and by these are taught to carry -parcels of some weight-and this weight is gradually increased. At length -the idea is entertained of uniting the force of a great number of the -birds, with a view to raising the author himself. A machine is 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 -question--a 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 and esteem. I found him well educated, with unusual -powers of mind, but infected with misanthropy, and subject to perverse -moods of alternate enthusiasm and melancholy. He had with him many -books, but rarely employed them. His chief amusements were gunning and -fishing, or sauntering along the beach and through the myrtles, in quest -of shells or entomological specimens;--his collection of the latter -might have been envied by a Swammerdamm. In these excursions he was -usually accompanied by an old negro, called Jupiter, who had been -manumitted before the reverses of the family, but who could be induced, -neither by threats nor by promises, to abandon what he considered his -right of attendance upon the footsteps of his young "Massa Will." It -is not improbable that the relatives of Legrand, conceiving him to be -somewhat unsettled in intellect, had contrived to instil this obstinacy -into Jupiter, with a view to the supervision and guardianship of the -wanderer. - -The winters in the latitude of Sullivan's Island are seldom very severe, -and in the fall of the year it is a rare event indeed when a fire is -considered necessary. About the middle of October, 18-, there occurred, -however, a day of remarkable chilliness. Just before sunset I scrambled -my way through the evergreens to the hut of my friend, whom I had -not visited for several weeks--my residence being, at that time, -in Charleston, a distance of nine miles from the Island, while the -facilities of passage and re-passage were very far behind those of -the present day. Upon reaching the hut I rapped, as was my custom, -and getting no reply, sought for the key where I knew it was secreted, -unlocked the door and went in. A fine fire was blazing upon the hearth. -It was a novelty, and by no means an ungrateful one. I threw off an -overcoat, took an arm-chair by the crackling logs, and awaited patiently -the arrival of my hosts. - -Soon after dark they arrived, and gave me a most cordial welcome. -Jupiter, grinning from ear to ear, bustled about to prepare some -marsh-hens for supper. Legrand was in one of his fits--how else shall -I term them?--of enthusiasm. He had found an unknown bivalve, forming -a new genus, and, more than this, he had hunted down and secured, with -Jupiter's assistance, a scarabus which he believed to be totally new, -but in respect to which he wished to have my opinion on the morrow. - -"And why not to-night?" I asked, rubbing my hands over the blaze, and -wishing the whole tribe of scarabi at the devil. - -"Ah, if I had only known you were here!" said Legrand, "but it's so long -since I saw you; and how could I foresee that you would pay me a visit -this very night of all others? As I was coming home I met Lieutenant -G--, from the fort, and, very foolishly, I lent him the bug; so it will -be impossible for you to see it until the morning. Stay here to-night, -and I will send Jup down for it at sunrise. It is the loveliest thing in -creation!" - -"What?--sunrise?" - -"Nonsense! no!--the bug. It is of a brilliant gold color--about the size -of a large hickory-nut--with two jet black spots near one extremity of -the back, and another, somewhat longer, at the other. The antenn are--" - -"Dey aint no tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a tellin on you," here -interrupted Jupiter; "de bug is a goole bug, solid, ebery bit of him, -inside and all, sep him wing--neber feel half so hebby a bug in my -life." - -"Well, suppose it is, Jup," replied Legrand, somewhat more earnestly, -it seemed to me, than the case demanded, "is that any reason for your -letting the birds burn? The color"--here he turned to me--"is really -almost enough to warrant Jupiter's idea. You never saw a more brilliant -metallic lustre than the scales emit--but of this you cannot judge -till tomorrow. In the mean time I can give you some idea of the shape." -Saying this, he seated himself at a small table, on which were a pen and -ink, but no paper. He looked for some in a drawer, but found none. - -"Never mind," said he at length, "this will answer;" and he drew from -his waistcoat pocket a scrap of what I took to be very dirty foolscap, -and made upon it a rough drawing with the pen. While he did this, I -retained my seat by the fire, for I was still chilly. When the design -was complete, he handed it to me without rising. As I received it, a -loud growl was heard, succeeded by a scratching at the door. Jupiter -opened it, and a large Newfoundland, belonging to Legrand, rushed in, -leaped upon my shoulders, and loaded me with caresses; for I had shown -him much attention during previous visits. When his gambols were over, I -looked at the paper, and, to speak the truth, found myself not a little -puzzled at what my friend had depicted. - -"Well!" I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, "this is a -strange scarabus, I must confess: new to me: never saw anything like it -before--unless it was a skull, or a death's-head--which it more nearly -resembles than anything else that has come under my observation." - -"A death's-head!" echoed Legrand--"Oh--yes--well, it has something of -that appearance upon paper, no doubt. The two upper black spots look -like eyes, eh? and the longer one at the bottom like a mouth--and then -the shape of the whole is oval." - -"Perhaps so," said I; "but, Legrand, I fear you are no artist. I must -wait until I see the beetle itself, if I am to form any idea of its -personal appearance." - -"Well, I don't know," said he, a little nettled, "I draw -tolerably--should do it at least--have had good masters, and flatter -myself that I am not quite a blockhead." - -"But, my dear fellow, you are joking then," said I, "this is a very -passable skull--indeed, I may say that it is a very excellent skull, -according to the vulgar notions about such specimens of physiology--and -your scarabus must be the queerest scarabus in the world if it -resembles it. Why, we may get up a very thrilling bit of superstition -upon this hint. I presume you will call the bug scarabus caput hominis, -or something of that kind--there are many similar titles in the Natural -Histories. But where are the antenn you spoke of?" - -"The antenn!" said Legrand, who seemed to be getting unaccountably warm -upon the subject; "I am sure you must see the antenn. I made them -as distinct as they are in the original insect, and I presume that is -sufficient." - -"Well, well," I said, "perhaps you have--still I don't see them;" and -I handed him the paper without additional remark, not wishing to ruffle -his temper; but I was much surprised at the turn affairs had taken; his -ill humor puzzled me--and, as for the drawing of the beetle, there -were positively no antenn visible, and the whole did bear a very close -resemblance to the ordinary cuts of a death's-head. - -He received the paper very peevishly, and was about to crumple it, -apparently to throw it in the fire, when a casual glance at the design -seemed suddenly to rivet his attention. In an instant his face grew -violently red--in another as excessively pale. For some minutes he -continued to scrutinize the drawing minutely where he sat. At length he -arose, took a candle from the table, and proceeded to seat himself upon -a sea-chest in the farthest corner of the room. Here again he made an -anxious examination of the paper; turning it in all directions. He said -nothing, however, and his conduct greatly astonished me; yet I thought -it prudent not to exacerbate the growing moodiness of his temper by any -comment. Presently he took from his coat pocket a wallet, placed the -paper carefully in it, and deposited both in a writing-desk, which he -locked. He now grew more composed in his demeanor; but his original air -of enthusiasm had quite disappeared. Yet he seemed not so much sulky as -abstracted. As the evening wore away he became more and more absorbed in -reverie, from which no sallies of mine could arouse him. It had been my -intention to pass the night at the hut, as I had frequently done before, -but, seeing my host in this mood, I deemed it proper to take leave. He -did not press me to remain, but, as I departed, he shook my hand with -even more than his usual cordiality. - -It was about a month after this (and during the interval I had seen -nothing of Legrand) when I received a visit, at Charleston, from his -man, Jupiter. I had never seen the good old negro look so dispirited, -and I feared that some serious disaster had befallen my friend. - -"Well, Jup," said I, "what is the matter now?--how is your master?" - -"Why, to speak de troof, massa, him not so berry well as mought be." - -"Not well! I am truly sorry to hear it. What does he complain of?" - -"Dar! dat's it!--him neber plain of notin--but him berry sick for all -dat." - -"Very sick, Jupiter!--why didn't you say so at once? Is he confined to -bed?" - -"No, dat he aint!--he aint find nowhar--dat's just whar de shoe -pinch--my mind is got to be berry hebby bout poor Massa Will." - -"Jupiter, I should like to understand what it is you are talking about. -You say your master is sick. Hasn't he told you what ails him?" - -"Why, massa, taint worf while for to git mad about de matter--Massa -Will say noffin at all aint de matter wid him--but den what make him go -about looking dis here way, wid he head down and he soldiers up, and as -white as a gose? And den he keep a syphon all de time--" - -"Keeps a what, Jupiter?" - -"Keeps a syphon wid de figgurs on de slate--de queerest figgurs I ebber -did see. Ise gittin to be skeered, I tell you. Hab for to keep mighty -tight eye pon him noovers. Todder day he gib me slip fore de sun up and -was gone de whole ob de blessed day. I had a big stick ready cut for to -gib him deuced good beating when he did come--but Ise sich a fool dat I -hadn't de heart arter all--he look so berry poorly." - -"Eh?--what?--ah yes!--upon the whole I think you had better not be too -severe with the poor fellow--don't flog him, Jupiter--he can't very well -stand it--but can you form no idea of what has occasioned this illness, -or rather this change of conduct? Has anything unpleasant happened since -I saw you?" - -"No, massa, dey aint bin noffin unpleasant since den--'twas fore den I'm -feared--'twas de berry day you was dare." - -"How? what do you mean?" - -"Why, massa, I mean de bug--dare now." - -"The what?" - -"De bug,--I'm berry sartain dat Massa Will bin bit somewhere bout de -head by dat goole-bug." - -"And what cause have you, Jupiter, for such a supposition?" - -"Claws enuff, massa, and mouth too. I nebber did see sick a deuced -bug--he kick and he bite ebery ting what cum near him. Massa Will cotch -him fuss, but had for to let him go gin mighty quick, I tell you--den -was de time he must ha got de bite. I did n't like de look oh de bug -mouff, myself, no how, so I would n't take hold ob him wid my finger, -but I cotch him wid a piece ob paper dat I found. I rap him up in de -paper and stuff piece ob it in he mouff--dat was de way." - -"And you think, then, that your master was really bitten by the beetle, -and that the bite made him sick?" - -"I do n't tink noffin about it--I nose it. What make him dream bout de -goole so much, if taint cause he bit by de goole-bug? Ise heerd bout dem -goole-bugs fore dis." - -"But how do you know he dreams about gold?" - -"How I know? why cause he talk about it in he sleep--dat's how I nose." - -"Well, Jup, perhaps you are right; but to what fortunate circumstance am -I to attribute the honor of a visit from you to-day?" - -"What de matter, massa?" - -"Did you bring any message from Mr. Legrand?" - -"No, massa, I bring dis here pissel;" and here Jupiter handed me a note -which ran thus: - - MY DEAR ---- - -Why have I not seen you for so long a time? I hope you have not been so -foolish as to take offence at any little _brusquerie_ of mine; but no, -that is improbable. Since I saw you I have had great cause for anxiety. -I have something to tell you, yet scarcely know how to tell it, or -whether I should tell it at all. - -I have not been quite well for some days past, and poor old Jup annoys -me, almost beyond endurance, by his well-meant attentions Would you -believe it?--he had prepared a huge stick, the other day, with which -to chastise me for giving him the slip, and spending the day, _solus_, -among the hills on the main land. I verily believe that my ill looks -alone saved me a flogging. - -I have made no addition to my cabinet since we met. - -If you can, in any way, make it convenient, come over with Jupiter. -_Do_ come. I wish to see you to-_night_, upon business of importance. I -assure you that it is of the _highest_ importance. - - Ever yours, WILLIAM LEGRAND. - -There was something in the tone of this note which gave me great -uneasiness. Its whole style differed materially from that of Legrand. -What could he be dreaming of? What new crotchet possessed his excitable -brain? What "business of the highest importance" could he possibly have -to transact? Jupiter's account of him boded no good. I dreaded lest the -continued pressure of misfortune had, at length, fairly unsettled -the reason of my friend. Without a moment's hesitation, therefore, I -prepared to accompany the negro. - -Upon reaching the wharf, I noticed a scythe and three spades, all -apparently new, lying in the bottom of the boat in which we were to -embark. - -"What is the meaning of all this, Jup?" I inquired. - -"Him syfe, massa, and spade." - -"Very true; but what are they doing here?" - -"Him de syfe and de spade what Massa Will sis pon my buying for him in -de town, and de debbils own lot of money I had to gib for em." - -"But what, in the name of all that is mysterious, is your 'Massa Will' -going to do with scythes and spades?" - -"Dat's more dan I know, and debbil take me if I don't blieve 'tis more -dan he know, too. But it's all cum ob do bug." - -Finding that no satisfaction was to be obtained of Jupiter, whose whole -intellect seemed to be absorbed by "de bug," I now stepped into the boat -and made sail. With a fair and strong breeze we soon ran into the little -cove to the northward of Fort Moultrie, and a walk of some two miles -brought us to the hut. It was about three in the afternoon when we -arrived. Legrand had been awaiting us in eager expectation. He grasped -my hand with a nervous empressement which alarmed me and strengthened -the suspicions already entertained. His countenance was pale even to -ghastliness, and his deep-set eyes glared with unnatural lustre. After -some inquiries respecting his health, I asked him, not knowing what -better to say, if he had yet obtained the scarabus from Lieutenant -G ----. - -"Oh, yes," he replied, coloring violently, "I got it from him the next -morning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that scarabus. Do you -know that Jupiter is quite right about it?" - -"In what way?" I asked, with a sad foreboding at heart. - -"In supposing it to be a bug of real gold." He said this with an air of -profound seriousness, and I felt inexpressibly shocked. - -"This bug is to make my fortune," he continued, with a triumphant smile, -"to reinstate me in my family possessions. Is it any wonder, then, that -I prize it? Since Fortune has thought fit to bestow it upon me, I have -only to use it properly and I shall arrive at the gold of which it is -the index. Jupiter; bring me that scarabus!" - -"What! de bug, massa? I'd rudder not go fer trubble dat bug--you mus git -him for your own self." Hereupon Legrand arose, with a grave and -stately air, and brought me the beetle from a glass case in which it was -enclosed. It was a beautiful scarabus, and, at that time, unknown to -naturalists--of course a great prize in a scientific point of view. -There were two round, black spots near one extremity of the back, and -a long one near the other. The scales were exceedingly hard and glossy, -with all the appearance of burnished gold. The weight of the insect -was very remarkable, and, taking all things into consideration, I could -hardly blame Jupiter for his opinion respecting it; but what to make of -Legrand's concordance with that opinion, I could not, for the life of -me, tell. - -"I sent for you," said he, in a grandiloquent tone, when I had completed -my examination of the beetle, "I sent for you, that I might have your -counsel and assistance in furthering the views of Fate and of the bug"-- - -"My dear Legrand," I cried, interrupting him, "you are certainly unwell, -and had better use some little precautions. You shall go to bed, and -I will remain with you a few days, until you get over this. You are -feverish and"-- - -"Feel my pulse," said he. - -I felt it, and, to say the truth, found not the slightest indication of -fever. - -"But you may be ill and yet have no fever. Allow me this once to -prescribe for you. In the first place, go to bed. In the next"-- - -"You are mistaken," he interposed, "I am as well as I can expect to be -under the excitement which I suffer. If you really wish me well, you -will relieve this excitement." - -"And how is this to be done?" - -"Very easily. Jupiter and myself are going upon an expedition into the -hills, upon the main land, and, in this expedition we shall need the -aid of some person in whom we can confide. You are the only one we can -trust. Whether we succeed or fail, the excitement which you now perceive -in me will be equally allayed." - -"I am anxious to oblige you in any way," I replied; "but do you mean to -say that this infernal beetle has any connection with your expedition -into the hills?" - -"It has." - -"Then, Legrand, I can become a party to no such absurd proceeding." - -"I am sorry--very sorry--for we shall have to try it by ourselves." - -"Try it by yourselves! The man is surely mad!--but stay!--how long do -you propose to be absent?" - -"Probably all night. We shall start immediately, and be back, at all -events, by sunrise." - -"And will you promise me, upon your honor, that when this freak of yours -is over, and the bug business (good God!) settled to your satisfaction, -you will then return home and follow my advice implicitly, as that of -your physician?" - -"Yes; I promise; and now let us be off, for we have no time to lose." - -With a heavy heart I accompanied my friend. We started about four -o'clock--Legrand, Jupiter, the dog, and myself. Jupiter had with him the -scythe and spades--the whole of which he insisted upon carrying--more -through fear, it seemed to me, of trusting either of the implements -within reach of his master, than from any excess of industry or -complaisance. His demeanor was dogged in the extreme, and "dat deuced -bug" were the sole words which escaped his lips during the journey. For -my own part, I had charge of a couple of dark lanterns, while Legrand -contented himself with the scarabus, which he carried attached to the -end of a bit of whip-cord; twirling it to and fro, with the air of a -conjuror, as he went. When I observed this last, plain evidence of my -friend's aberration of mind, I could scarcely refrain from tears. I -thought it best, however, to humor his fancy, at least for the present, -or until I could adopt some more energetic measures with a chance of -success. In the mean time I endeavored, but all in vain, to sound him in -regard to the object of the expedition. Having succeeded in inducing -me to accompany him, he seemed unwilling to hold conversation upon any -topic of minor importance, and to all my questions vouchsafed no other -reply than "we shall see!" - -We crossed the creek at the head of the island by means of a skiff; and, -ascending the high grounds on the shore of the main land, proceeded in a -northwesterly direction, through a tract of country excessively wild and -desolate, where no trace of a human footstep was to be seen. Legrand led -the way with decision; pausing only for an instant, here and there, to -consult what appeared to be certain landmarks of his own contrivance -upon a former occasion. - -In this manner we journeyed for about two hours, and the sun was just -setting when we entered a region infinitely more dreary than any yet -seen. It was a species of table land, near the summit of an almost -inaccessible hill, densely wooded from base to pinnacle, and -interspersed with huge crags that appeared to lie loosely upon the soil, -and in many cases were prevented from precipitating themselves into the -valleys below, merely by the support of the trees against which they -reclined. Deep ravines, in various directions, gave an air of still -sterner solemnity to the scene. - -The natural platform to which we had clambered was thickly overgrown -with brambles, through which we soon discovered that it would have -been impossible to force our way but for the scythe; and Jupiter, by -direction of his master, proceeded to clear for us a path to the foot of -an enormously tall tulip-tree, which stood, with some eight or ten oaks, -upon the level, and far surpassed them all, and all other trees which I -had then ever seen, in the beauty of its foliage and form, in the wide -spread of its branches, and in the general majesty of its appearance. -When we reached this tree, Legrand turned to Jupiter, and asked him if -he thought he could climb it. The old man seemed a little staggered -by the question, and for some moments made no reply. At length he -approached the huge trunk, walked slowly around it, and examined it with -minute attention. When he had completed his scrutiny, he merely said, - -"Yes, massa, Jup climb any tree he ebber see in he life." - -"Then up with you as soon as possible, for it will soon be too dark to -see what we are about." - -"How far mus go up, massa?" inquired Jupiter. - -"Get up the main trunk first, and then I will tell you which way to -go--and here--stop! take this beetle with you." - -"De bug, Massa Will!--de goole bug!" cried the negro, drawing back in -dismay--"what for mus tote de bug way up de tree?--d-n if I do!" - -"If you are afraid, Jup, a great big negro like you, to take hold of -a harmless little dead beetle, why you can carry it up by this -string--but, if you do not take it up with you in some way, I shall be -under the necessity of breaking your head with this shovel." - -"What de matter now, massa?" said Jup, evidently shamed into compliance; -"always want for to raise fuss wid old nigger. Was only funnin any how. -Me feered de bug! what I keer for de bug?" Here he took cautiously hold -of the extreme end of the string, and, maintaining the insect as far -from his person as circumstances would permit, prepared to ascend the -tree. - -In youth, the tulip-tree, or Liriodendron Tulipferum, the most -magnificent of American foresters, has a trunk peculiarly smooth, and -often rises to a great height without lateral branches; but, in its -riper age, the bark becomes gnarled and uneven, while many short limbs -make their appearance on the stem. Thus the difficulty of ascension, in -the present case, lay more in semblance than in reality. Embracing the -huge cylinder, as closely as possible, with his arms and knees, seizing -with his hands some projections, and resting his naked toes upon -others, Jupiter, after one or two narrow escapes from falling, at length -wriggled himself into the first great fork, and seemed to consider the -whole business as virtually accomplished. The risk of the achievement -was, in fact, now over, although the climber was some sixty or seventy -feet from the ground. - -"Which way mus go now, Massa Will?" he asked. - -"Keep up the largest branch--the one on this side," said Legrand. The -negro obeyed him promptly, and apparently with but little trouble; -ascending higher and higher, until no glimpse of his squat figure could -be obtained through the dense foliage which enveloped it. Presently his -voice was heard in a sort of halloo. - -"How much fudder is got for go?" - -"How high up are you?" asked Legrand. - -"Ebber so fur," replied the negro; "can see de sky fru de top ob de -tree." - -"Never mind the sky, but attend to what I say. Look down the trunk and -count the limbs below you on this side. How many limbs have you passed?" - -"One, two, tree, four, fibe--I done pass fibe big limb, massa, pon dis -side." - -"Then go one limb higher." - -In a few minutes the voice was heard again, announcing that the seventh -limb was attained. - -"Now, Jup," cried Legrand, evidently much excited, "I want you to work -your way out upon that limb as far as you can. If you see anything -strange, let me know." By this time what little doubt I might have -entertained of my poor friend's insanity, was put finally at rest. I had -no alternative but to conclude him stricken with lunacy, and I became -seriously anxious about getting him home. While I was pondering upon -what was best to be done, Jupiter's voice was again heard. - -"Mos feerd for to ventur pon dis limb berry far--tis dead limb putty -much all de way." - -"Did you say it was a dead limb, Jupiter?" cried Legrand in a quavering -voice. - -"Yes, massa, him dead as de door-nail--done up for sartain--done -departed dis here life." - -"What in the name heaven shall I do?" asked Legrand, seemingly in the -greatest distress. "Do!" said I, glad of an opportunity to interpose -a word, "why come home and go to bed. Come now!--that's a fine fellow. -It's getting late, and, besides, you remember your promise." - -"Jupiter," cried he, without heeding me in the least, "do you hear me?" - -"Yes, Massa Will, hear you ebber so plain." - -"Try the wood well, then, with your knife, and see if you think it very -rotten." - -"Him rotten, massa, sure nuff," replied the negro in a few moments, "but -not so berry rotten as mought be. Mought ventur out leetle way pon de -limb by myself, dat's true." - -"By yourself!--what do you mean?" - -"Why I mean de bug. 'Tis berry hebby bug. Spose I drop him down fuss, -and den de limb won't break wid just de weight ob one nigger." - -"You infernal scoundrel!" cried Legrand, apparently much relieved, "what -do you mean by telling me such nonsense as that? As sure as you drop -that beetle I'll break your neck. Look here, Jupiter, do you hear me?" - -"Yes, massa, needn't hollo at poor nigger dat style." - -"Well! now listen!--if you will venture out on the limb as far as you -think safe, and not let go the beetle, I'll make you a present of a -silver dollar as soon as you get down." - -"I'm gwine, Massa Will--deed I is," replied the negro very -promptly--"mos out to the eend now." - -"Out to the end!" here fairly screamed Legrand, "do you say you are out -to the end of that limb?" - -"Soon be to de eend, massa,--o-o-o-o-oh! Lor-gol-a-marcy! what is dis -here pon de tree?" - -"Well!" cried Legrand, highly delighted, "what is it?" - -"Why taint noffin but a skull--somebody bin lef him head up de tree, and -de crows done gobble ebery bit ob de meat off." - -"A skull, you say!--very well!--how is it fastened to the limb?--what -holds it on?" - -"Sure nuff, massa; mus look. Why dis berry curous sarcumstance, pon my -word--dare's a great big nail in de skull, what fastens ob it on to de -tree." - -"Well now, Jupiter, do exactly as I tell you--do you hear?" - -"Yes, massa." - -"Pay attention, then!--find the left eye of the skull." - -"Hum! hoo! dat's good! why dare aint no eye lef at all." - -"Curse your stupidity! do you know your right hand from your left?" - -"Yes, I nose dat--nose all bout dat--tis my lef hand what I chops de -wood wid." - -"To be sure! you are left-handed; and your left eye is on the same -side as your left hand. Now, I suppose, you can find the left eye of the -skull, or the place where the left eye has been. Have you found it?" - -Here was a long pause. At length the negro asked, - -"Is de lef eye of de skull pon de same side as de lef hand of de skull, -too?--cause de skull aint got not a bit ob a hand at all--nebber mind! -I got de lef eye now--here de lef eye! what mus do wid it?" - -"Let the beetle drop through it, as far as the string will reach--but -be careful and not let go your hold of the string." - -"All dat done, Massa Will; mighty easy ting for to put de bug fru de -hole--look out for him dare below!" - -During this colloquy no portion of Jupiter's person could be seen; but -the beetle, which he had suffered to descend, was now visible at the -end of the string, and glistened, like a globe of burnished gold, in the -last rays of the setting sun, some of which still faintly illumined -the eminence upon which we stood. The scarabus hung quite clear of -any branches, and, if allowed to fall, would have fallen at our feet. -Legrand immediately took the scythe, and cleared with it a circular -space, three or four yards in diameter, just beneath the insect, and, -having accomplished this, ordered Jupiter to let go the string and come -down from the tree. - -Driving a peg, with great nicety, into the ground, at the precise spot -where the beetle fell, my friend now produced from his pocket a tape -measure. Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk, of the -tree which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached the peg, -and thence farther unrolled it, in the direction already established -by the two points of the tree and the peg, for the distance of fifty -feet--Jupiter clearing away the brambles with the scythe. At the spot -thus attained a second peg was driven, and about this, as a centre, a -rude circle, about four feet in diameter, described. Taking now a spade -himself, and giving one to Jupiter and one to me, Legrand begged us to -set about digging as quickly as possible. - -To speak the truth, I had no especial relish for such amusement at any -time, and, at that particular moment, would most willingly have declined -it; for the night was coming on, and I felt much fatigued with the -exercise already taken; but I saw no mode of escape, and was fearful -of disturbing my poor friend's equanimity by a refusal. Could I have -depended, indeed, upon Jupiter's aid, I would have had no hesitation in -attempting to get the lunatic home by force; but I was too well assured -of the old negro's disposition, to hope that he would assist me, under -any circumstances, in a personal contest with his master. I made no -doubt that the latter had been infected with some of the innumerable -Southern superstitions about money buried, and that his phantasy had -received confirmation by the finding of the scarabus, or, perhaps, by -Jupiter's obstinacy in maintaining it to be "a bug of real gold." A -mind disposed to lunacy would readily be led away by such -suggestions--especially if chiming in with favorite preconceived -ideas--and then I called to mind the poor fellow's speech about the -beetle's being "the index of his fortune." Upon the whole, I was sadly -vexed and puzzled, but, at length, I concluded to make a virtue of -necessity--to dig with a good will, and thus the sooner to convince the -visionary, by ocular demonstration, of the fallacy of the opinions he -entertained. - -The lanterns having been lit, we all fell to work with a zeal worthy -a more rational cause; and, as the glare fell upon our persons and -implements, I could not help thinking how picturesque a group we -composed, and how strange and suspicious our labors must have appeared -to any interloper who, by chance, might have stumbled upon our -whereabouts. - -We dug very steadily for two hours. Little was said; and our chief -embarrassment lay in the yelpings of the dog, who took exceeding -interest in our proceedings. He, at length, became so obstreperous -that we grew fearful of his giving the alarm to some stragglers in -the vicinity;--or, rather, this was the apprehension of Legrand;--for -myself, I should have rejoiced at any interruption which might have -enabled me to get the wanderer home. The noise was, at length, very -effectually silenced by Jupiter, who, getting out of the hole with a -dogged air of deliberation, tied the brute's mouth up with one of his -suspenders, and then returned, with a grave chuckle, to his task. - -When the time mentioned had expired, we had reached a depth of five -feet, and yet no signs of any treasure became manifest. A general pause -ensued, and I began to hope that the farce was at an end. Legrand, -however, although evidently much disconcerted, wiped his brow -thoughtfully and recommenced. We had excavated the entire circle of four -feet diameter, and now we slightly enlarged the limit, and went to the -farther depth of two feet. Still nothing appeared. The gold-seeker, whom -I sincerely pitied, at length clambered from the pit, with the bitterest -disappointment imprinted upon every feature, and proceeded, slowly -and reluctantly, to put on his coat, which he had thrown off at the -beginning of his labor. In the mean time I made no remark. Jupiter, at a -signal from his master, began to gather up his tools. This done, and the -dog having been unmuzzled, we turned in profound silence towards home. - -We had taken, perhaps, a dozen steps in this direction, when, with a -loud oath, Legrand strode up to Jupiter, and seized him by the collar. -The astonished negro opened his eyes and mouth to the fullest extent, -let fall the spades, and fell upon his knees. - -"You scoundrel," said Legrand, hissing out the syllables from between -his clenched teeth--"you infernal black villain!--speak, I tell -you!--answer me this instant, without prevarication!--which--which is -your left eye?" - -"Oh, my golly, Massa Will! aint dis here my lef eye for sartain?" roared -the terrified Jupiter, placing his hand upon his right organ of vision, -and holding it there with a desperate pertinacity, as if in immediate -dread of his master's attempt at a gouge. - -"I thought so!--I knew it! hurrah!" vociferated Legrand, letting the -negro go, and executing a series of curvets and caracols, much to the -astonishment of his valet, who, arising from his knees, looked, mutely, -from his master to myself, and then from myself to his master. - -"Come! we must go back," said the latter, "the game's not up yet;" and -he again led the way to the tulip-tree. - -"Jupiter," said he, when we reached its foot, "come here! was the skull -nailed to the limb with the face outwards, or with the face to the -limb?" - -"De face was out, massa, so dat de crows could get at de eyes good, -widout any trouble." - -"Well, then, was it this eye or that through which you dropped the -beetle?"--here Legrand touched each of Jupiter's eyes. - -"Twas dis eye, massa--de lef eye--jis as you tell me," and here it was -his right eye that the negro indicated. - -"That will do--must try it again." - -Here my friend, about whose madness I now saw, or fancied that I saw, -certain indications of method, removed the peg which marked the spot -where the beetle fell, to a spot about three inches to the westward -of its former position. Taking, now, the tape measure from the nearest -point of the trunk to the peg, as before, and continuing the extension -in a straight line to the distance of fifty feet, a spot was indicated, -removed, by several yards, from the point at which we had been digging. - -Around the new position a circle, somewhat larger than in the former -instance, was now described, and we again set to work with the spades. -I was dreadfully weary, but, scarcely understanding what had occasioned -the change in my thoughts, I felt no longer any great aversion from the -labor imposed. I had become most unaccountably interested--nay, even -excited. Perhaps there was something, amid all the extravagant demeanor -of Legrand--some air of forethought, or of deliberation, which impressed -me. I dug eagerly, and now and then caught myself actually looking, -with something that very much resembled expectation, for the fancied -treasure, the vision of which had demented my unfortunate companion. At -a period when such vagaries of thought most fully possessed me, and -when we had been at work perhaps an hour and a half, we were again -interrupted by the violent howlings of the dog. His uneasiness, in the -first instance, had been, evidently, but the result of playfulness or -caprice, but he now assumed a bitter and serious tone. Upon Jupiter's -again attempting to muzzle him, he made furious resistance, and, leaping -into the hole, tore up the mould frantically with his claws. In a few -seconds he had uncovered a mass of human bones, forming two complete -skeletons, intermingled with several buttons of metal, and what appeared -to be the dust of decayed woollen. One or two strokes of a spade -upturned the blade of a large Spanish knife, and, as we dug farther, -three or four loose pieces of gold and silver coin came to light. - -At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but -the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment He -urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly -uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my -boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth. - -We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more -intense excitement. During this interval we had fairly unearthed an -oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and -wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing -process--perhaps that of the Bi-chloride of Mercury. This box was three -feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep. It -was firmly secured by bands of wrought iron, riveted, and forming a kind -of open trelliswork over the whole. On each side of the chest, near the -top, were three rings of iron--six in all--by means of which a firm hold -could be obtained by six persons. Our utmost united endeavors served -only to disturb the coffer very slightly in its bed. We at once saw -the impossibility of removing so great a weight. Luckily, the sole -fastenings of the lid consisted of two sliding bolts. These we drew -back--trembling and panting with anxiety. In an instant, a treasure of -incalculable value lay gleaming before us. As the rays of the lanterns -fell within the pit, there flashed upwards a glow and a glare, from a -confused heap of gold and of jewels, that absolutely dazzled our eyes. - -I shall not pretend to describe the feelings with which I gazed. -Amazement was, of course, predominant. Legrand appeared exhausted with -excitement, and spoke very few words. Jupiter's countenance wore, for -some minutes, as deadly a pallor as it is possible, in nature of things, -for any negro's visage to assume. He seemed stupified--thunderstricken. -Presently he fell upon his knees in the pit, and, burying his naked -arms up to the elbows in gold, let them there remain, as if enjoying the -luxury of a bath. At length, with a deep sigh, he exclaimed, as if in a -soliloquy, - -"And dis all cum ob de goole-bug! de putty goole bug! de poor little -goole-bug, what I boosed in dat sabage kind ob style! Aint you shamed ob -yourself, nigger?--answer me dat!" - -It became necessary, at last, that I should arouse both master and valet -to the expediency of removing the treasure. It was growing late, and -it behooved us to make exertion, that we might get every thing housed -before daylight. It was difficult to say what should be done, and much -time was spent in deliberation--so confused were the ideas of all. We, -finally, lightened the box by removing two thirds of its contents, -when we were enabled, with some trouble, to raise it from the hole. The -articles taken out were deposited among the brambles, and the dog -left to guard them, with strict orders from Jupiter neither, upon any -pretence, to stir from the spot, nor to open his mouth until our return. -We then hurriedly made for home with the chest; reaching the hut in -safety, but after excessive toil, at one o'clock in the morning. Worn -out as we were, it was not in human nature to do more immediately. We -rested until two, and had supper; starting for the hills immediately -afterwards, armed with three stout sacks, which, by good luck, were upon -the premises. A little before four we arrived at the pit, divided the -remainder of the booty, as equally as might be, among us, and, leaving -the holes unfilled, again set out for the hut, at which, for the second -time, we deposited our golden burthens, just as the first faint streaks -of the dawn gleamed from over the tree-tops in the East. - -We were now thoroughly broken down; but the intense excitement of the -time denied us repose. After an unquiet slumber of some three or four -hours' duration, we arose, as if by preconcert, to make examination of -our treasure. - -The chest had been full to the brim, and we spent the whole day, and the -greater part of the next night, in a scrutiny of its contents. There had -been nothing like order or arrangement. Every thing had been heaped -in promiscuously. Having assorted all with care, we found ourselves -possessed of even vaster wealth than we had at first supposed. In -coin there was rather more than four hundred and fifty thousand -dollars--estimating the value of the pieces, as accurately as we could, -by the tables of the period. There was not a particle of silver. All was -gold of antique date and of great variety--French, Spanish, and German -money, with a few English guineas, and some counters, of which we had -never seen specimens before. There were several very large and heavy -coins, so worn that we could make nothing of their inscriptions. There -was no American money. The value of the jewels we found more difficulty -in estimating. There were diamonds--some of them exceedingly large and -fine--a hundred and ten in all, and not one of them small; eighteen -rubies of remarkable brilliancy;--three hundred and ten emeralds, all -very beautiful; and twenty-one sapphires, with an opal. These stones had -all been broken from their settings and thrown loose in the chest. The -settings themselves, which we picked out from among the other gold, -appeared to have been beaten up with hammers, as if to prevent -identification. Besides all this, there was a vast quantity of solid -gold ornaments;--nearly two hundred massive finger and earrings;--rich -chains--thirty of these, if I remember;--eighty-three very large and -heavy crucifixes;--five gold censers of great value;--a prodigious -golden punch bowl, ornamented with richly chased vine-leaves and -Bacchanalian figures; with two sword-handles exquisitely embossed, and -many other smaller articles which I cannot recollect. The weight of -these valuables exceeded three hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois; and -in this estimate I have not included one hundred and ninety-seven superb -gold watches; three of the number being worth each five hundred dollars, -if one. Many of them were very old, and as time keepers valueless; the -works having suffered, more or less, from corrosion--but all were richly -jewelled and in cases of great worth. We estimated the entire contents -of the chest, that night, at a million and a half of dollars; and upon -the subsequent disposal of the trinkets and jewels (a few being retained -for our own use), it was found that we had greatly undervalued the -treasure. When, at length, we had concluded our examination, and the -intense excitement of the time had, in some measure, subsided, Legrand, -who saw that I was dying with impatience for a solution of this -most extraordinary riddle, entered into a full detail of all the -circumstances connected with it. - -"You remember;" said he, "the night when I handed you the rough sketch I -had made of the scarabus. You recollect also, that I became quite vexed -at you for insisting that my drawing resembled a death's-head. When you -first made this assertion I thought you were jesting; but afterwards -I called to mind the peculiar spots on the back of the insect, and -admitted to myself that your remark had some little foundation in fact. -Still, the sneer at my graphic powers irritated me--for I am considered -a good artist--and, therefore, when you handed me the scrap of -parchment, I was about to crumple it up and throw it angrily into the -fire." - -"The scrap of paper, you mean," said I. - -"No; it had much of the appearance of paper, and at first I supposed it -to be such, but when I came to draw upon it, I discovered it, at once, -to be a piece of very thin parchment. It was quite dirty, you remember. -Well, as I was in the very act of crumpling it up, my glance fell -upon the sketch at which you had been looking, and you may imagine my -astonishment when I perceived, in fact, the figure of a death's-head -just where, it seemed to me, I had made the drawing of the beetle. For -a moment I was too much amazed to think with accuracy. I knew that my -design was very different in detail from this--although there was a -certain similarity in general outline. Presently I took a candle, and -seating myself at the other end of the room, proceeded to scrutinize the -parchment more closely. Upon turning it over, I saw my own sketch -upon the reverse, just as I had made it. My first idea, now, was mere -surprise at the really remarkable similarity of outline--at the singular -coincidence involved in the fact, that unknown to me, there should have -been a skull upon the other side of the parchment, immediately beneath -my figure of the scarabus, and that this skull, not only in outline, -but in size, should so closely resemble my drawing. I say the -singularity of this coincidence absolutely stupified me for a time. -This is the usual effect of such coincidences. The mind struggles to -establish a connexion--a sequence of cause and effect--and, being -unable to do so, suffers a species of temporary paralysis. But, when I -recovered from this stupor, there dawned upon me gradually a conviction -which startled me even far more than the coincidence. I began -distinctly, positively, to remember that there had been no drawing upon -the parchment when I made my sketch of the scarabus. I became perfectly -certain of this; for I recollected turning up first one side and then -the other, in search of the cleanest spot. Had the skull been then -there, of course I could not have failed to notice it. Here was indeed -a mystery which I felt it impossible to explain; but, even at that early -moment, there seemed to glimmer, faintly, within the most remote and -secret chambers of my intellect, a glow-worm-like conception of -that truth which last night's adventure brought to so magnificent a -demonstration. I arose at once, and putting the parchment securely away, -dismissed all farther reflection until I should be alone. - -"When you had gone, and when Jupiter was fast asleep, I betook myself -to a more methodical investigation of the affair. In the first place -I considered the manner in which the parchment had come into my -possession. The spot where we discovered the scarabaeus was on the coast -of the main land, about a mile eastward of the island, and but a short -distance above high water mark. Upon my taking hold of it, it gave me a -sharp bite, which caused me to let it drop. Jupiter, with his accustomed -caution, before seizing the insect, which had flown towards him, looked -about him for a leaf, or something of that nature, by which to take hold -of it. It was at this moment that his eyes, and mine also, fell upon the -scrap of parchment, which I then supposed to be paper. It was lying half -buried in the sand, a corner sticking up. Near the spot where we found -it, I observed the remnants of the hull of what appeared to have been a -ship's long boat. The wreck seemed to have been there for a very great -while; for the resemblance to boat timbers could scarcely be traced. - -"Well, Jupiter picked up the parchment, wrapped the beetle in it, and -gave it to me. Soon afterwards we turned to go home, and on the way met -Lieutenant G-. I showed him the insect, and he begged me to let him -take it to the fort. Upon my consenting, he thrust it forthwith into his -waistcoat pocket, without the parchment in which it had been wrapped, -and which I had continued to hold in my hand during his inspection. -Perhaps he dreaded my changing my mind, and thought it best to make sure -of the prize at once--you know how enthusiastic he is on all subjects -connected with Natural History. At the same time, without being -conscious of it, I must have deposited the parchment in my own pocket. - -"You remember that when I went to the table, for the purpose of making -a sketch of the beetle, I found no paper where it was usually kept. -I looked in the drawer, and found none there. I searched my pockets, -hoping to find an old letter, when my hand fell upon the parchment. I -thus detail the precise mode in which it came into my possession; for -the circumstances impressed me with peculiar force. - -"No doubt you will think me fanciful--but I had already established a -kind of connexion. I had put together two links of a great chain. There -was a boat lying upon a sea-coast, and not far from the boat was a -parchment--not a paper--with a skull depicted upon it. You will, -of course, ask 'where is the connexion?' I reply that the skull, or -death's-head, is the well-known emblem of the pirate. The flag of the -death's head is hoisted in all engagements. - -"I have said that the scrap was parchment, and not paper. Parchment -is durable--almost imperishable. Matters of little moment are rarely -consigned to parchment; since, for the mere ordinary purposes of drawing -or writing, it is not nearly so well adapted as paper. This reflection -suggested some meaning--some relevancy--in the death's-head. I did not -fail to observe, also, the form of the parchment. Although one of its -corners had been, by some accident, destroyed, it could be seen that the -original form was oblong. It was just such a slip, indeed, as might -have been chosen for a memorandum--for a record of something to be long -remembered and carefully preserved." - -"But," I interposed, "you say that the skull was not upon the parchment -when you made the drawing of the beetle. How then do you trace any -connexion between the boat and the skull--since this latter, according -to your own admission, must have been designed (God only knows how or by -whom) at some period subsequent to your sketching the scarabus?" - -"Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery; although the secret, at this -point, I had comparatively little difficulty in solving. My steps were -sure, and could afford but a single result. I reasoned, for example, -thus: When I drew the scarabus, there was no skull apparent upon -the parchment. When I had completed the drawing I gave it to you, and -observed you narrowly until you returned it. You, therefore, did not -design the skull, and no one else was present to do it. Then it was not -done by human agency. And nevertheless it was done. - -"At this stage of my reflections I endeavored to remember, and did -remember, with entire distinctness, every incident which occurred about -the period in question. The weather was chilly (oh rare and happy -accident!), and a fire was blazing upon the hearth. I was heated with -exercise and sat near the table. You, however, had drawn a chair close -to the chimney. Just as I placed the parchment in your hand, and as you -were in the act of inspecting it, Wolf, the Newfoundland, entered, -and leaped upon your shoulders. With your left hand you caressed him and -kept him off, while your right, holding the parchment, was permitted to -fall listlessly between your knees, and in close proximity to the fire. -At one moment I thought the blaze had caught it, and was about to -caution you, but, before I could speak, you had withdrawn it, and were -engaged in its examination. When I considered all these particulars, I -doubted not for a moment that heat had been the agent in bringing to -light, upon the parchment, the skull which I saw designed upon it. You -are well aware that chemical preparations exist, and have existed time -out of mind, by means of which it is possible to write upon either paper -or vellum, so that the characters shall become visible only when -subjected to the action of fire. Zaffre, digested in aqua regia, and -diluted with four times its weight of water, is sometimes employed; a -green tint results. The regulus of cobalt, dissolved in spirit of nitre, -gives a red. These colors disappear at longer or shorter intervals after -the material written upon cools, but again become apparent upon the -re-application of heat. - -"I now scrutinized the death's-head with care. Its outer edges--the -edges of the drawing nearest the edge of the vellum--were far more -distinct than the others. It was clear that the action of the caloric -had been imperfect or unequal. I immediately kindled a fire, and -subjected every portion of the parchment to a glowing heat. At first, -the only effect was the strengthening of the faint lines in the skull; -but, upon persevering in the experiment, there became visible, at -the corner of the slip, diagonally opposite to the spot in which the -death's-head was delineated, the figure of what I at first supposed to -be a goat. A closer scrutiny, however, satisfied me that it was intended -for a kid." - -"Ha! ha!" said I, "to be sure I have no right to laugh at you--a million -and a half of money is too serious a matter for mirth--but you are not -about to establish a third link in your chain--you will not find any -especial connexion between your pirates and a goat--pirates, you know, -have nothing to do with goats; they appertain to the farming interest." - -"But I have just said that the figure was not that of a goat." - -"Well, a kid then--pretty much the same thing." - -"Pretty much, but not altogether," said Legrand. "You may have heard of -one Captain Kidd. I at once looked upon the figure of the animal as a -kind of punning or hieroglyphical signature. I say signature; because -its position upon the vellum suggested this idea. The death's-head at -the corner diagonally opposite, had, in the same manner, the air of a -stamp, or seal. But I was sorely put out by the absence of all else--of -the body to my imagined instrument--of the text for my context." - -"I presume you expected to find a letter between the stamp and the -signature." - -"Something of that kind. The fact is, I felt irresistibly impressed with -a presentiment of some vast good fortune impending. I can scarcely -say why. Perhaps, after all, it was rather a desire than an actual -belief;--but do you know that Jupiter's silly words, about the bug -being of solid gold, had a remarkable effect upon my fancy? And then the -series of accidents and coincidences--these were so very extraordinary. -Do you observe how mere an accident it was that these events should have -occurred upon the sole day of all the year in which it has been, or may -be, sufficiently cool for fire, and that without the fire, or without -the intervention of the dog at the precise moment in which he appeared, -I should never have become aware of the death's-head, and so never the -possessor of the treasure?" - -"But proceed--I am all impatience." - -"Well; you have heard, of course, the many stories current--the thousand -vague rumors afloat about money buried, somewhere upon the Atlantic -coast, by Kidd and his associates. These rumors must have had some -foundation in fact. And that the rumors have existed so long and so -continuous, could have resulted, it appeared to me, only from the -circumstance of the buried treasure still remaining entombed. Had Kidd -concealed his plunder for a time, and afterwards reclaimed it, the -rumors would scarcely have reached us in their present unvarying form. -You will observe that the stories told are all about money-seekers, -not about money-finders. Had the pirate recovered his money, there the -affair would have dropped. It seemed to me that some accident--say the -loss of a memorandum indicating its locality--had deprived him of the -means of recovering it, and that this accident had become known to his -followers, who otherwise might never have heard that treasure had been -concealed at all, and who, busying themselves in vain, because unguided -attempts, to regain it, had given first birth, and then universal -currency, to the reports which are now so common. Have you ever heard of -any important treasure being unearthed along the coast?" - -"Never." - -"But that Kidd's accumulations were immense, is well known. I took it -for granted, therefore, that the earth still held them; and you will -scarcely be surprised when I tell you that I felt a hope, nearly -amounting to certainty, that the parchment so strangely found, involved -a lost record of the place of deposit." - -"But how did you proceed?" - -"I held the vellum again to the fire, after increasing the heat; but -nothing appeared. I now thought it possible that the coating of dirt -might have something to do with the failure; so I carefully rinsed the -parchment by pouring warm water over it, and, having done this, I -placed it in a tin pan, with the skull downwards, and put the pan upon -a furnace of lighted charcoal. In a few minutes, the pan having become -thoroughly heated, I removed the slip, and, to my inexpressible joy, -found it spotted, in several places, with what appeared to be figures -arranged in lines. Again I placed it in the pan, and suffered it to -remain another minute. Upon taking it off, the whole was just as you see -it now." Here Legrand, having re-heated the parchment, submitted it to -my inspection. The following characters were rudely traced, in a red -tint, between the death's-head and the goat: - - "53##|305))6*;4826)4#)4#);806*;48|860))85;1#);:# - *8|83(88)5*|;46(;88*96*?;8)*#(;485);5*|2:*#(;4956* - 2(5*--4)88*;4069285);)6|8)4##;1(#9;48081;8:8#1;4 - 8|85;4)485|528806*81(#9;48;(88;4(#?34;48)4#;161;: - 188;#?;" - -"But," said I, returning him the slip, "I am as much in the dark as -ever. Were all the jewels of Golconda awaiting me upon my solution of -this enigma, I am quite sure that I should be unable to earn them." - -"And yet," said Legrand, "the solution is by no means so difficult as -you might be lead to imagine from the first hasty inspection of the -characters. These characters, as any one might readily guess, form a -cipher--that is to say, they convey a meaning; but then, from what is -known of Kidd, I could not suppose him capable of constructing any of -the more abstruse cryptographs. I made up my mind, at once, that this -was of a simple species--such, however, as would appear, to the crude -intellect of the sailor, absolutely insoluble without the key." - -"And you really solved it?" - -"Readily; I have solved others of an abstruseness ten thousand times -greater. Circumstances, and a certain bias of mind, have led me to -take interest in such riddles, and it may well be doubted whether human -ingenuity can construct an enigma of the kind which human ingenuity may -not, by proper application, resolve. In fact, having once established -connected and legible characters, I scarcely gave a thought to the mere -difficulty of developing their import. - -"In the present case--indeed in all cases of secret writing--the first -question regards the language of the cipher; for the principles of -solution, so far, especially, as the more simple ciphers are concerned, -depend upon, and are varied by, the genius of the particular idiom. -In general, there is no alternative but experiment (directed by -probabilities) of every tongue known to him who attempts the solution, -until the true one be attained. But, with the cipher now before us, all -difficulty was removed by the signature. The pun upon the word 'Kidd' -is appreciable in no other language than the English. But for this -consideration I should have begun my attempts with the Spanish and -French, as the tongues in which a secret of this kind would most -naturally have been written by a pirate of the Spanish main. As it was, -I assumed the cryptograph to be English. - -"You observe there are no divisions between the words. Had there been -divisions, the task would have been comparatively easy. In such case -I should have commenced with a collation and analysis of the shorter -words, and, had a word of a single letter occurred, as is most likely, -(a or I, for example,) I should have considered the solution as assured. -But, there being no division, my first step was to ascertain the -predominant letters, as well as the least frequent. Counting all, I -constructed a table, thus: - -Of the character 8 there are 33. - - ; " 26. - 4 " 19. - # ) " 16. - * " 13. - 5 " 12. - 6 " 11. - | 1 " 8. - 0 " 6. - 9 2 " 5. - : 3 " 4. - ? " 3. - " 2. - -. " 1. - -"Now, in English, the letter which most frequently occurs is e. -Afterwards, succession runs thus: _a o i d h n r s t u y c f g l m w b k -p q x z_. _E_ predominates so remarkably that an individual sentence of -any length is rarely seen, in which it is not the prevailing character. - -"Here, then, we leave, in the very beginning, the groundwork for -something more than a mere guess. The general use which may be made of -the table is obvious--but, in this particular cipher, we shall only very -partially require its aid. As our predominant character is 8, we will -commence by assuming it as the _e_ of the natural alphabet. To verify -the supposition, let us observe if the 8 be seen often in couples--for -_e_ is doubled with great frequency in English--in such words, for -example, as 'meet,' '.fleet,' 'speed,' 'seen,' been,' 'agree,' &c. In -the present instance we see it doubled no less than five times, although -the cryptograph is brief. - -"Let us assume 8, then, as _e_. Now, of all _words_ in the language, -'the' is most usual; let us see, therefore, whether there are not -repetitions of any three characters, in the same order of collocation, -the last of them being 8. If we discover repetitions of such letters, -so arranged, they will most probably represent the word 'the.' Upon -inspection, we find no less than seven such arrangements, the characters -being;48. We may, therefore, assume that; represents _t_, 4 represents -_h_, and 8 represents _e_--the last being now well confirmed. Thus a -great step has been taken. - -"But, having established a single word, we are enabled to establish -a vastly important point; that is to say, several commencements and -terminations of other words. Let us refer, for example, to the last -instance but one, in which the combination;48 occurs--not far from -the end of the cipher. We know that the; immediately ensuing is the -commencement of a word, and, of the six characters succeeding this -'the,' we are cognizant of no less than five. Let us set these -characters down, thus, by the letters we know them to represent, leaving -a space for the unknown-- - -t eeth. - -"Here we are enabled, at once, to discard the 'th,' as forming no -portion of the word commencing with the first t; since, by experiment -of the entire alphabet for a letter adapted to the vacancy, we perceive -that no word can be formed of which this _th_ can be a part. We are thus -narrowed into - -t ee, - -and, going through the alphabet, if necessary, as before, we arrive -at the word 'tree,' as the sole possible reading. We thus gain -another letter, _r_, represented by (, with the words 'the tree' in -juxtaposition. - -"Looking beyond these words, for a short distance, we again see -the combination;48, and employ it by way of _termination_ to what -immediately precedes. We have thus this arrangement: - -the tree;4(#?34 the, - -or, substituting the natural letters, where known, it reads thus: - -the tree thr#?3h the. - -"Now, if, in place of the unknown characters, we leave blank spaces, or -substitute dots, we read thus: - -the tree thr...h the, - -when the word '_through_' makes itself evident at once. But this -discovery gives us three new letters, _o_, _u_ and _g_, represented by -#? and 3. - -"Looking now, narrowly, through the cipher for combinations of known -characters, we find, not very far from the beginning, this arrangement, - -83(88, or egree, - -which, plainly, is the conclusion of the word 'degree,' and gives us -another letter, _d_, represented by |. - -"Four letters beyond the word 'degree,' we perceive the combination - -;46(;88. - -"Translating the known characters, and representing the unknown by dots, -as before, we read thus: th rtee. an arrangement immediately suggestive -of the word 'thirteen,' and again furnishing us with two new characters, -_i_ and _n_, represented by 6 and *. - -"Referring, now, to the beginning of the cryptograph, we find the -combination, - -53##|. - -"Translating, as before, we obtain - -good, - -which assures us that the first letter is _A_, and that the first two -words are 'A good.' - -"It is now time that we arrange our key, as far as discovered, in a -tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus: - - 5 represents a - | " d - 8 " e - 3 " g - 4 " h - 6 " i - * " n - # " o - ( " r - ; " t - -"We have, therefore, no less than ten of the most important letters -represented, and it will be unnecessary to proceed with the details of -the solution. I have said enough to convince you that ciphers of this -nature are readily soluble, and to give you some insight into the -rationale of their development. But be assured that the specimen before -us appertains to the very simplest species of cryptograph. It now only -remains to give you the full translation of the characters upon the -parchment, as unriddled. Here it is: - -"'_A good glass in the bishop's hostel in the devil's seat forty-one -degrees and thirteen minutes northeast and by north main branch seventh -limb east side shoot from the left eye of the death's-head a bee line -from the tree through the shot fifty feet out_.'" - -"But," said I, "the enigma seems still in as bad a condition as ever. -How is it possible to extort a meaning from all this jargon about -'devil's seats,' 'death's heads,' and 'bishop's hotels?'" - -"I confess," replied Legrand, "that the matter still wears a serious -aspect, when regarded with a casual glance. My first endeavor was -to divide the sentence into the natural division intended by the -cryptographist." - -"You mean, to punctuate it?" - -"Something of that kind." - -"But how was it possible to effect this?" - -"I reflected that it had been a point with the writer to run his words -together without division, so as to increase the difficulty of solution. -Now, a not over-acute man, in pursuing such an object would be nearly -certain to overdo the matter. When, in the course of his composition, he -arrived at a break in his subject which would naturally require a pause, -or a point, he would be exceedingly apt to run his characters, at this -place, more than usually close together. If you will observe the MS., in -the present instance, you will easily detect five such cases of unusual -crowding. Acting upon this hint, I made the division thus: 'A good -glass in the Bishop's hostel in the Devil's seat--forty-one degrees and -thirteen minutes--northeast and by north--main branch seventh limb east -side--shoot from the left eye of the death's-head--a bee-line from the -tree through the shot fifty feet out.'" - -"Even this division," said I, "leaves me still in the dark." - -"It left me also in the dark," replied Legrand, "for a few days; during -which I made diligent inquiry, in the neighborhood of Sullivan's Island, -for any building which went by the name of the 'Bishop's Hotel;' for, of -course, I dropped the obsolete word 'hostel.' Gaining no information on -the subject, I was on the point of extending my sphere of search, and -proceeding in a more systematic manner, when, one morning, it entered -into my head, quite suddenly, that this 'Bishop's Hostel' might have -some reference to an old family, of the name of Bessop, which, time out -of mind, had held possession of an ancient manor-house, about four -miles to the northward of the Island. I accordingly went over to the -plantation, and re-instituted my inquiries among the older negroes of -the place. At length one of the most aged of the women said that she -had heard of such a place as Bessop's Castle, and thought that she could -guide me to it, but that it was not a castle nor a tavern, but a high -rock. - -"I offered to pay her well for her trouble, and, after some demur, -she consented to accompany me to the spot. We found it without much -difficulty, when, dismissing her, I proceeded to examine the place. The -'castle' consisted of an irregular assemblage of cliffs and rocks--one -of the latter being quite remarkable for its height as well as for its -insulated and artificial appearance I clambered to its apex, and then -felt much at a loss as to what should be next done. - -"While I was busied in reflection, my eyes fell upon a narrow ledge in -the eastern face of the rock, perhaps a yard below the summit upon which -I stood. This ledge projected about eighteen inches, and was not more -than a foot wide, while a niche in the cliff just above it, gave it -a rude resemblance to one of the hollow-backed chairs used by our -ancestors. I made no doubt that here was the 'devil's seat' alluded to -in the MS., and now I seemed to grasp the full secret of the riddle. - -"The 'good glass,' I knew, could have reference to nothing but a -telescope; for the word 'glass' is rarely employed in any other sense -by seamen. Now here, I at once saw, was a telescope to be used, and a -definite point of view, admitting no variation, from which to use it. -Nor did I hesitate to believe that the phrases, "forty-one degrees -and thirteen minutes,' and 'northeast and by north,' were intended as -directions for the levelling of the glass. Greatly excited by these -discoveries, I hurried home, procured a telescope, and returned to the -rock. - -"I let myself down to the ledge, and found that it was impossible to -retain a seat upon it except in one particular position. This fact -confirmed my preconceived idea. I proceeded to use the glass. Of course, -the 'forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes' could allude to nothing but -elevation above the visible horizon, since the horizontal direction was -clearly indicated by the words, 'northeast and by north.' This latter -direction I at once established by means of a pocket-compass; then, -pointing the glass as nearly at an angle of forty-one degrees of -elevation as I could do it by guess, I moved it cautiously up or down, -until my attention was arrested by a circular rift or opening in the -foliage of a large tree that overtopped its fellows in the distance. -In the centre of this rift I perceived a white spot, but could not, at -first, distinguish what it was. Adjusting the focus of the telescope, I -again looked, and now made it out to be a human skull. - -"Upon this discovery I was so sanguine as to consider the enigma solved; -for the phrase 'main branch, seventh limb, east side,' could refer only -to the position of the skull upon the tree, while 'shoot from the left -eye of the death's head' admitted, also, of but one interpretation, in -regard to a search for buried treasure. I perceived that the design was -to drop a bullet from the left eye of the skull, and that a bee-line, -or, in other words, a straight line, drawn from the nearest point of -the trunk through 'the shot,' (or the spot where the bullet fell,) and -thence extended to a distance of fifty feet, would indicate a definite -point--and beneath this point I thought it at least possible that a -deposit of value lay concealed." - -"All this," I said, "is exceedingly clear, and, although ingenious, -still simple and explicit. When you left the Bishop's Hotel, what then?" - -"Why, having carefully taken the bearings of the tree, I turned -homewards. The instant that I left 'the devil's seat,' however, the -circular rift vanished; nor could I get a glimpse of it afterwards, turn -as I would. What seems to me the chief ingenuity in this whole business, -is the fact (for repeated experiment has convinced me it is a fact) that -the circular opening in question is visible from no other attainable -point of view than that afforded by the narrow ledge upon the face of -the rock. - -"In this expedition to the 'Bishop's Hotel' I had been attended -by Jupiter, who had, no doubt, observed, for some weeks past, the -abstraction of my demeanor, and took especial care not to leave me -alone. But, on the next day, getting up very early, I contrived to give -him the slip, and went into the hills in search of the tree. After much -toil I found it. When I came home at night my valet proposed to give -me a flogging. With the rest of the adventure I believe you are as well -acquainted as myself." - -"I suppose," said I, "you missed the spot, in the first attempt at -digging, through Jupiter's stupidity in letting the bug fall through the -right instead of through the left eye of the skull." - -"Precisely. This mistake made a difference of about two inches and a -half in the 'shot'--that is to say, in the position of the peg nearest -the tree; and had the treasure been beneath the 'shot,' the error would -have been of little moment; but 'the shot,' together with the nearest -point of the tree, were merely two points for the establishment of -a line of direction; of course the error, however trivial in the -beginning, increased as we proceeded with the line, and by the time -we had gone fifty feet, threw us quite off the scent. But for my -deep-seated impressions that treasure was here somewhere actually -buried, we might have had all our labor in vain." - -"But your grandiloquence, and your conduct in swinging the beetle--how -excessively odd! I was sure you were mad. And why did you insist upon -letting fall the bug, instead of a bullet, from the skull?" - -"Why, to be frank, I felt somewhat annoyed by your evident suspicions -touching my sanity, and so resolved to punish you quietly, in my own -way, by a little bit of sober mystification. For this reason I swung -the beetle, and for this reason I let it fall it from the tree. An -observation of yours about its great weight suggested the latter idea." - -"Yes, I perceive; and now there is only one point which puzzles me. What -are we to make of the skeletons found in the hole?" - -"That is a question I am no more able to answer than yourself. There -seems, however, only one plausible way of accounting for them--and yet -it is dreadful to believe in such atrocity as my suggestion would imply. -It is clear that Kidd--if Kidd indeed secreted this treasure, which I -doubt not--it is clear that he must have had assistance in the labor. -But this labor concluded, he may have thought it expedient to remove -all participants in his secret. Perhaps a couple of blows with a mattock -were sufficient, while his coadjutors were busy in the pit; perhaps it -required a dozen--who shall tell?" - - - - -FOUR BEASTS IN ONE--THE HOMO-CAMELEOPARD - - Chacun a ses vertus. - --_Crebillon's Xerxes._ - -ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES is very generally looked upon as the Gog of the -prophet Ezekiel. This honor is, however, more properly attributable to -Cambyses, the son of Cyrus. And, indeed, the character of the -Syrian monarch does by no means stand in need of any adventitious -embellishment. His accession to the throne, or rather his usurpation of -the sovereignty, a hundred and seventy-one years before the coming -of Christ; his attempt to plunder the temple of Diana at Ephesus; his -implacable hostility to the Jews; his pollution of the Holy of Holies; -and his miserable death at Taba, after a tumultuous reign of eleven -years, are circumstances of a prominent kind, and therefore more -generally noticed by the historians of his time than the impious, -dastardly, cruel, silly, and whimsical achievements which make up the -sum total of his private life and reputation. - -Let us suppose, gentle reader, that it is now the year of the world -three thousand eight hundred and thirty, and let us, for a few minutes, -imagine ourselves at that most grotesque habitation of man, the -remarkable city of Antioch. To be sure there were, in Syria and other -countries, sixteen cities of that appellation, besides the one to which -I more particularly allude. But ours is that which went by the name of -Antiochia Epidaphne, from its vicinity to the little village of Daphne, -where stood a temple to that divinity. It was built (although about this -matter there is some dispute) by Seleucus Nicanor, the first king of the -country after Alexander the Great, in memory of his father Antiochus, -and became immediately the residence of the Syrian monarchy. In the -flourishing times of the Roman Empire, it was the ordinary station of -the prefect of the eastern provinces; and many of the emperors of the -queen city (among whom may be mentioned, especially, Verus and Valens) -spent here the greater part of their time. But I perceive we have -arrived at the city itself. Let us ascend this battlement, and throw our -eyes upon the town and neighboring country. - -"What broad and rapid river is that which forces its way, with -innumerable falls, through the mountainous wilderness, and finally -through the wilderness of buildings?" - -That is the Orontes, and it is the only water in sight, with the -exception of the Mediterranean, which stretches, like a broad mirror, -about twelve miles off to the southward. Every one has seen the -Mediterranean; but let me tell you, there are few who have had a peep at -Antioch. By few, I mean, few who, like you and me, have had, at the same -time, the advantages of a modern education. Therefore cease to regard -that sea, and give your whole attention to the mass of houses that lie -beneath us. You will remember that it is now the year of the world three -thousand eight hundred and thirty. Were it later--for example, were -it the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty-five, we should be -deprived of this extraordinary spectacle. In the nineteenth century -Antioch is--that is to say, Antioch will be--in a lamentable state -of decay. It will have been, by that time, totally destroyed, at three -different periods, by three successive earthquakes. Indeed, to say the -truth, what little of its former self may then remain, will be found in -so desolate and ruinous a state that the patriarch shall have removed -his residence to Damascus. This is well. I see you profit by my advice, -and are making the most of your time in inspecting the premises--in - --satisfying your eyes - -With the memorials and the things of fame - -That most renown this city.-- - -I beg pardon; I had forgotten that Shakespeare will not flourish for -seventeen hundred and fifty years to come. But does not the appearance -of Epidaphne justify me in calling it grotesque? - -"It is well fortified; and in this respect is as much indebted to nature -as to art." - -Very true. - -"There are a prodigious number of stately palaces." - -There are. - -"And the numerous temples, sumptuous and magnificent, may bear -comparison with the most lauded of antiquity." - -All this I must acknowledge. Still there is an infinity of mud huts, and -abominable hovels. We cannot help perceiving abundance of filth in -every kennel, and, were it not for the over-powering fumes of idolatrous -incense, I have no doubt we should find a most intolerable stench. -Did you ever behold streets so insufferably narrow, or houses so -miraculously tall? What gloom their shadows cast upon the ground! It -is well the swinging lamps in those endless colonnades are kept burning -throughout the day; we should otherwise have the darkness of Egypt in -the time of her desolation. - -"It is certainly a strange place! What is the meaning of yonder singular -building? See! it towers above all others, and lies to the eastward of -what I take to be the royal palace." - -That is the new Temple of the Sun, who is adored in Syria under the -title of Elah Gabalah. Hereafter a very notorious Roman Emperor -will institute this worship in Rome, and thence derive a cognomen, -Heliogabalus. I dare say you would like to take a peep at the divinity -of the temple. You need not look up at the heavens; his Sunship is not -there--at least not the Sunship adored by the Syrians. That deity will -be found in the interior of yonder building. He is worshipped under the -figure of a large stone pillar terminating at the summit in a cone or -pyramid, whereby is denoted Fire. - -"Hark--behold!--who can those ridiculous beings be, half naked, with -their faces painted, shouting and gesticulating to the rabble?" - -Some few are mountebanks. Others more particularly belong to the race -of philosophers. The greatest portion, however--those especially who -belabor the populace with clubs--are the principal courtiers of the -palace, executing as in duty bound, some laudable comicality of the -king's. - -"But what have we here? Heavens! the town is swarming with wild beasts! -How terrible a spectacle!--how dangerous a peculiarity!" - -Terrible, if you please; but not in the least degree dangerous. Each -animal if you will take the pains to observe, is following, very -quietly, in the wake of its master. Some few, to be sure, are led with a -rope about the neck, but these are chiefly the lesser or timid species. -The lion, the tiger, and the leopard are entirely without restraint. -They have been trained without difficulty to their present -profession, and attend upon their respective owners in the capacity of -valets-de-chambre. It is true, there are occasions when Nature asserts -her violated dominions;--but then the devouring of a man-at-arms, or the -throttling of a consecrated bull, is a circumstance of too little moment -to be more than hinted at in Epidaphne. - -"But what extraordinary tumult do I hear? Surely this is a loud noise -even for Antioch! It argues some commotion of unusual interest." - -Yes--undoubtedly. The king has ordered some novel spectacle--some -gladiatorial exhibition at the hippodrome--or perhaps the massacre of -the Scythian prisoners--or the conflagration of his new palace--or the -tearing down of a handsome temple--or, indeed, a bonfire of a few Jews. -The uproar increases. Shouts of laughter ascend the skies. The air -becomes dissonant with wind instruments, and horrible with clamor of a -million throats. Let us descend, for the love of fun, and see what is -going on! This way--be careful! Here we are in the principal street, -which is called the street of Timarchus. The sea of people is coming -this way, and we shall find a difficulty in stemming the tide. They are -pouring through the alley of Heraclides, which leads directly from the -palace;--therefore the king is most probably among the rioters. Yes;--I -hear the shouts of the herald proclaiming his approach in the pompous -phraseology of the East. We shall have a glimpse of his person as -he passes by the temple of Ashimah. Let us ensconce ourselves in the -vestibule of the sanctuary; he will be here anon. In the meantime let -us survey this image. What is it? Oh! it is the god Ashimah in proper -person. You perceive, however, that he is neither a lamb, nor a -goat, nor a satyr, neither has he much resemblance to the Pan of the -Arcadians. Yet all these appearances have been given--I beg pardon--will -be given--by the learned of future ages, to the Ashimah of the Syrians. -Put on your spectacles, and tell me what it is. What is it? - -"Bless me! it is an ape!" - -True--a baboon; but by no means the less a deity. His name is a -derivation of the Greek Simia--what great fools are antiquarians! But -see!--see!--yonder scampers a ragged little urchin. Where is he going? -What is he bawling about? What does he say? Oh! he says the king -is coming in triumph; that he is dressed in state; that he has just -finished putting to death, with his own hand, a thousand chained -Israelitish prisoners! For this exploit the ragamuffin is lauding him to -the skies. Hark! here comes a troop of a similar description. They have -made a Latin hymn upon the valor of the king, and are singing it as they -go: - -Mille, mille, mille, - -Mille, mille, mille, - -Decollavimus, unus homo! - -Mille, mille, mille, mille, decollavimus! - -Mille, mille, mille, - -Vivat qui mille mille occidit! - -Tantum vini habet nemo - -Quantum sanguinis effudit!(*1) - -Which may be thus paraphrased: - -A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, - -A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, - -We, with one warrior, have slain! - -A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, a thousand. - -Sing a thousand over again! - -Soho!--let us sing - -Long life to our king, - -Who knocked over a thousand so fine! - -Soho!--let us roar, - -He has given us more - -Red gallons of gore - -Than all Syria can furnish of wine! - -"Do you hear that flourish of trumpets?" - -Yes: the king is coming! See! the people are aghast with admiration, -and lift up their eyes to the heavens in reverence. He comes;--he is -coming;--there he is! - -"Who?--where?--the king?--do not behold him--cannot say that I perceive -him." - -Then you must be blind. - -"Very possible. Still I see nothing but a tumultuous mob of idiots -and madmen, who are busy in prostrating themselves before a gigantic -cameleopard, and endeavoring to obtain a kiss of the animal's hoofs. -See! the beast has very justly kicked one of the rabble over--and -another--and another--and another. Indeed, I cannot help admiring the -animal for the excellent use he is making of his feet." - -Rabble, indeed!--why these are the noble and free citizens of Epidaphne! -Beasts, did you say?--take care that you are not overheard. Do you not -perceive that the animal has the visage of a man? Why, my dear sir, -that cameleopard is no other than Antiochus Epiphanes, Antiochus the -Illustrious, King of Syria, and the most potent of all the autocrats -of the East! It is true, that he is entitled, at times, Antiochus -Epimanes--Antiochus the madman--but that is because all people have not -the capacity to appreciate his merits. It is also certain that he is at -present ensconced in the hide of a beast, and is doing his best to play -the part of a cameleopard; but this is done for the better sustaining -his dignity as king. Besides, the monarch is of gigantic stature, -and the dress is therefore neither unbecoming nor over large. We may, -however, presume he would not have adopted it but for some occasion -of especial state. Such, you will allow, is the massacre of a thousand -Jews. With how superior a dignity the monarch perambulates on all fours! -His tail, you perceive, is held aloft by his two principal concubines, -Elline and Argelais; and his whole appearance would be infinitely -prepossessing, were it not for the protuberance of his eyes, which will -certainly start out of his head, and the queer color of his face, which -has become nondescript from the quantity of wine he has swallowed. Let -us follow him to the hippodrome, whither he is proceeding, and listen to -the song of triumph which he is commencing: - -Who is king but Epiphanes? - -Say--do you know? - -Who is king but Epiphanes? - -Bravo!--bravo! - -There is none but Epiphanes, - -No--there is none: - -So tear down the temples, - -And put out the sun! - -Well and strenuously sung! The populace are hailing him 'Prince of -Poets,' as well as 'Glory of the East,' 'Delight of the Universe,' and -'Most Remarkable of Cameleopards.' They have encored his effusion, -and do you hear?--he is singing it over again. When he arrives at the -hippodrome, he will be crowned with the poetic wreath, in anticipation -of his victory at the approaching Olympics. - -"But, good Jupiter! what is the matter in the crowd behind us?" - -Behind us, did you say?--oh! ah!--I perceive. My friend, it is well -that you spoke in time. Let us get into a place of safety as soon as -possible. Here!--let us conceal ourselves in the arch of this aqueduct, -and I will inform you presently of the origin of the commotion. It has -turned out as I have been anticipating. The singular appearance of the -cameleopard and the head of a man, has, it seems, given offence to -the notions of propriety entertained, in general, by the wild animals -domesticated in the city. A mutiny has been the result; and, as is usual -upon such occasions, all human efforts will be of no avail in quelling -the mob. Several of the Syrians have already been devoured; but the -general voice of the four-footed patriots seems to be for eating up the -cameleopard. 'The Prince of Poets,' therefore, is upon his hinder legs, -running for his life. His courtiers have left him in the lurch, and -his concubines have followed so excellent an example. 'Delight of the -Universe,' thou art in a sad predicament! 'Glory of the East,' thou art -in danger of mastication! Therefore never regard so piteously thy tail; -it will undoubtedly be draggled in the mud, and for this there is no -help. Look not behind thee, then, at its unavoidable degradation; but -take courage, ply thy legs with vigor, and scud for the hippodrome! -Remember that thou art Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus the -Illustrious!--also 'Prince of Poets,' 'Glory of the East,' 'Delight of -the Universe,' and 'Most Remarkable of Cameleopards!' Heavens! what a -power of speed thou art displaying! What a capacity for leg-bail -thou art developing! Run, Prince!--Bravo, Epiphanes! Well done, -Cameleopard!--Glorious Antiochus!--He runs!--he leaps!--he flies! Like -an arrow from a catapult he approaches the hippodrome! He leaps!--he -shrieks!--he is there! This is well; for hadst thou, 'Glory of -the East,' been half a second longer in reaching the gates of the -Amphitheatre, there is not a bear's cub in Epidaphne that would not -have had a nibble at thy carcase. Let us be off--let us take our -departure!--for we shall find our delicate modern ears unable to endure -the vast uproar which is about to commence in celebration of the king's -escape! Listen! it has already commenced. See!--the whole town is -topsy-turvy. - -"Surely this is the most populous city of the East! What a wilderness -of people! what a jumble of all ranks and ages! what a multiplicity -of sects and nations! what a variety of costumes! what a Babel of -languages! what a screaming of beasts! what a tinkling of instruments! -what a parcel of philosophers!" - -Come let us be off. - -"Stay a moment! I see a vast hubbub in the hippodrome; what is the -meaning of it, I beseech you?" - -That?--oh, nothing! The noble and free citizens of Epidaphne being, as -they declare, well satisfied of the faith, valor, wisdom, and divinity -of their king, and having, moreover, been eye-witnesses of his late -superhuman agility, do think it no more than their duty to invest his -brows (in addition to the poetic crown) with the wreath of victory -in the footrace--a wreath which it is evident he must obtain at the -celebration of the next Olympiad, and which, therefore, they now give -him in advance. - - -Footnotes--Four Beasts - -(*1) Flavius Vospicus says, that the hymn here introduced was sung by -the rabble upon the occasion of Aurelian, in the Sarmatic war, having -slain, with his own hand, nine hundred and fifty of the enemy. - - - - -THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE - - What song the Syrens sang, or what name Achilles assumed when he hid - himself among women, although puzzling questions, are not beyond - _all_ conjecture. - - --_Sir Thomas Browne._ - - -The mental features discoursed of as the analytical, are, in themselves, -but little susceptible of analysis. We appreciate them only in their -effects. We know of them, among other things, that they are always to -their possessor, when inordinately possessed, a source of the liveliest -enjoyment. As the strong man exults in his physical ability, delighting -in such exercises as call his muscles into action, so glories the -analyst in that moral activity which _disentangles._ He derives pleasure -from even the most trivial occupations bringing his talent into play. He -is fond of enigmas, of conundrums, of hieroglyphics; exhibiting in his -solutions of each a degree of _acumen_ which appears to the ordinary -apprehension prternatural. His results, brought about by the very soul -and essence of method, have, in truth, the whole air of intuition. - -The faculty of re-solution is possibly much invigorated by mathematical -study, and especially by that highest branch of it which, unjustly, and -merely on account of its retrograde operations, has been called, as -if _par excellence_, analysis. Yet to calculate is not in itself to -analyse. A chess-player, for example, does the one without effort at -the other. It follows that the game of chess, in its effects upon mental -character, is greatly misunderstood. I am not now writing a treatise, -but simply prefacing a somewhat peculiar narrative by observations very -much at random; I will, therefore, take occasion to assert that the -higher powers of the reflective intellect are more decidedly and more -usefully tasked by the unostentatious game of draughts than by all the -elaborate frivolity of chess. In this latter, where the pieces have -different and _bizarre_ motions, with various and variable values, what -is only complex is mistaken (a not unusual error) for what is profound. -The _attention_ is here called powerfully into play. If it flag for an -instant, an oversight is committed resulting in injury or defeat. The -possible moves being not only manifold but involute, the chances of such -oversights are multiplied; and in nine cases out of ten it is the -more concentrative rather than the more acute player who conquers. In -draughts, on the contrary, where the moves are _unique_ and have but -little variation, the probabilities of inadvertence are diminished, and -the mere attention being left comparatively unemployed, what advantages -are obtained by either party are obtained by superior _acumen_. To be -less abstract--Let us suppose a game of draughts where the pieces are -reduced to four kings, and where, of course, no oversight is to be -expected. It is obvious that here the victory can be decided (the -players being at all equal) only by some _recherch_ movement, the -result of some strong exertion of the intellect. Deprived of ordinary -resources, the analyst throws himself into the spirit of his opponent, -identifies himself therewith, and not unfrequently sees thus, at a -glance, the sole methods (sometime indeed absurdly simple ones) by which -he may seduce into error or hurry into miscalculation. - -Whist has long been noted for its influence upon what is termed the -calculating power; and men of the highest order of intellect have been -known to take an apparently unaccountable delight in it, while eschewing -chess as frivolous. Beyond doubt there is nothing of a similar nature -so greatly tasking the faculty of analysis. The best chess-player in -Christendom _may_ be little more than the best player of chess; but -proficiency in whist implies capacity for success in all those more -important undertakings where mind struggles with mind. When I say -proficiency, I mean that perfection in the game which includes a -comprehension of _all_ the sources whence legitimate advantage may be -derived. These are not only manifold but multiform, and lie frequently -among recesses of thought altogether inaccessible to the ordinary -understanding. To observe attentively is to remember distinctly; and, -so far, the concentrative chess-player will do very well at whist; while -the rules of Hoyle (themselves based upon the mere mechanism of the -game) are sufficiently and generally comprehensible. Thus to have a -retentive memory, and to proceed by "the book," are points commonly -regarded as the sum total of good playing. But it is in matters beyond -the limits of mere rule that the skill of the analyst is evinced. He -makes, in silence, a host of observations and inferences. So, perhaps, -do his companions; and the difference in the extent of the information -obtained, lies not so much in the validity of the inference as in the -quality of the observation. The necessary knowledge is that of _what_ to -observe. Our player confines himself not at all; nor, because the game -is the object, does he reject deductions from things external to the -game. He examines the countenance of his partner, comparing it carefully -with that of each of his opponents. He considers the mode of assorting -the cards in each hand; often counting trump by trump, and honor by -honor, through the glances bestowed by their holders upon each. He notes -every variation of face as the play progresses, gathering a fund -of thought from the differences in the expression of certainty, of -surprise, of triumph, or of chagrin. From the manner of gathering up -a trick he judges whether the person taking it can make another in the -suit. He recognises what is played through feint, by the air with -which it is thrown upon the table. A casual or inadvertent word; the -accidental dropping or turning of a card, with the accompanying anxiety -or carelessness in regard to its concealment; the counting of the -tricks, with the order of their arrangement; embarrassment, hesitation, -eagerness or trepidation--all afford, to his apparently intuitive -perception, indications of the true state of affairs. The first two -or three rounds having been played, he is in full possession of the -contents of each hand, and thenceforward puts down his cards with as -absolute a precision of purpose as if the rest of the party had turned -outward the faces of their own. - -The analytical power should not be confounded with ample ingenuity; for -while the analyst is necessarily ingenious, the ingenious man is often -remarkably incapable of analysis. The constructive or combining power, -by which ingenuity is usually manifested, and to which the phrenologists -(I believe erroneously) have assigned a separate organ, supposing it a -primitive faculty, has been so frequently seen in those whose intellect -bordered otherwise upon idiocy, as to have attracted general observation -among writers on morals. Between ingenuity and the analytic ability -there exists a difference far greater, indeed, than that between the -fancy and the imagination, but of a character very strictly analogous. -It will be found, in fact, that the ingenious are always fanciful, and -the _truly_ imaginative never otherwise than analytic. - -The narrative which follows will appear to the reader somewhat in the -light of a commentary upon the propositions just advanced. - -Residing in Paris during the spring and part of the summer of 18--, I -there became acquainted with a Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin. This young -gentleman was of an excellent--indeed of an illustrious family, but, by -a variety of untoward events, had been reduced to such poverty that the -energy of his character succumbed beneath it, and he ceased to bestir -himself in the world, or to care for the retrieval of his fortunes. -By courtesy of his creditors, there still remained in his possession a -small remnant of his patrimony; and, upon the income arising from this, -he managed, by means of a rigorous economy, to procure the necessaries -of life, without troubling himself about its superfluities. Books, -indeed, were his sole luxuries, and in Paris these are easily obtained. - -Our first meeting was at an obscure library in the Rue Montmartre, where -the accident of our both being in search of the same very rare and very -remarkable volume, brought us into closer communion. We saw each other -again and again. I was deeply interested in the little family history -which he detailed to me with all that candor which a Frenchman indulges -whenever mere self is his theme. I was astonished, too, at the vast -extent of his reading; and, above all, I felt my soul enkindled within -me by the wild fervor, and the vivid freshness of his imagination. -Seeking in Paris the objects I then sought, I felt that the society of -such a man would be to me a treasure beyond price; and this feeling I -frankly confided to him. It was at length arranged that we should live -together during my stay in the city; and as my worldly circumstances -were somewhat less embarrassed than his own, I was permitted to be -at the expense of renting, and furnishing in a style which suited the -rather fantastic gloom of our common temper, a time-eaten and grotesque -mansion, long deserted through superstitions into which we did not -inquire, and tottering to its fall in a retired and desolate portion of -the Faubourg St. Germain. - -Had the routine of our life at this place been known to the world, we -should have been regarded as madmen--although, perhaps, as madmen of -a harmless nature. Our seclusion was perfect. We admitted no visitors. -Indeed the locality of our retirement had been carefully kept a secret -from my own former associates; and it had been many years since Dupin -had ceased to know or be known in Paris. We existed within ourselves -alone. - -It was a freak of fancy in my friend (for what else shall I call it?) to -be enamored of the Night for her own sake; and into this _bizarrerie_, -as into all his others, I quietly fell; giving myself up to his wild -whims with a perfect _abandon_. The sable divinity would not herself -dwell with us always; but we could counterfeit her presence. At the -first dawn of the morning we closed all the messy shutters of our old -building; lighting a couple of tapers which, strongly perfumed, threw -out only the ghastliest and feeblest of rays. By the aid of these we -then busied our souls in dreams--reading, writing, or conversing, until -warned by the clock of the advent of the true Darkness. Then we sallied -forth into the streets arm in arm, continuing the topics of the day, or -roaming far and wide until a late hour, seeking, amid the wild lights -and shadows of the populous city, that infinity of mental excitement -which quiet observation can afford. - -At such times I could not help remarking and admiring (although from -his rich ideality I had been prepared to expect it) a peculiar analytic -ability in Dupin. He seemed, too, to take an eager delight in its -exercise--if not exactly in its display--and did not hesitate to confess -the pleasure thus derived. He boasted to me, with a low chuckling laugh, -that most men, in respect to himself, wore windows in their bosoms, -and was wont to follow up such assertions by direct and very startling -proofs of his intimate knowledge of my own. His manner at these moments -was frigid and abstract; his eyes were vacant in expression; while his -voice, usually a rich tenor, rose into a treble which would have sounded -petulantly but for the deliberateness and entire distinctness of the -enunciation. Observing him in these moods, I often dwelt meditatively -upon the old philosophy of the Bi-Part Soul, and amused myself with the -fancy of a double Dupin--the creative and the resolvent. - -Let it not be supposed, from what I have just said, that I am detailing -any mystery, or penning any romance. What I have described in the -Frenchman, was merely the result of an excited, or perhaps of a diseased -intelligence. But of the character of his remarks at the periods in -question an example will best convey the idea. - -We were strolling one night down a long dirty street in the vicinity of -the Palais Royal. Being both, apparently, occupied with thought, neither -of us had spoken a syllable for fifteen minutes at least. All at once -Dupin broke forth with these words: - -"He is a very little fellow, that's true, and would do better for the -_Thtre des Varits_." - -"There can be no doubt of that," I replied unwittingly, and not at first -observing (so much had I been absorbed in reflection) the extraordinary -manner in which the speaker had chimed in with my meditations. In -an instant afterward I recollected myself, and my astonishment was -profound. - -"Dupin," said I, gravely, "this is beyond my comprehension. I do not -hesitate to say that I am amazed, and can scarcely credit my senses. How -was it possible you should know I was thinking of -----?" Here I paused, -to ascertain beyond a doubt whether he really knew of whom I thought. - ---"of Chantilly," said he, "why do you pause? You were remarking to -yourself that his diminutive figure unfitted him for tragedy." - -This was precisely what had formed the subject of my reflections. -Chantilly was a _quondam_ cobbler of the Rue St. Denis, who, becoming -stage-mad, had attempted the _rle_ of Xerxes, in Crbillon's tragedy so -called, and been notoriously Pasquinaded for his pains. - -"Tell me, for Heaven's sake," I exclaimed, "the method--if method there -is--by which you have been enabled to fathom my soul in this matter." In -fact I was even more startled than I would have been willing to express. - -"It was the fruiterer," replied my friend, "who brought you to the -conclusion that the mender of soles was not of sufficient height for -Xerxes _et id genus omne_." - -"The fruiterer!--you astonish me--I know no fruiterer whomsoever." - -"The man who ran up against you as we entered the street--it may have -been fifteen minutes ago." - -I now remembered that, in fact, a fruiterer, carrying upon his head a -large basket of apples, had nearly thrown me down, by accident, as we -passed from the Rue C ---- into the thoroughfare where we stood; but -what this had to do with Chantilly I could not possibly understand. - -There was not a particle of _charlatanerie_ about Dupin. "I will -explain," he said, "and that you may comprehend all clearly, we will -first retrace the course of your meditations, from the moment in which -I spoke to you until that of the _rencontre_ with the fruiterer in -question. The larger links of the chain run thus--Chantilly, Orion, Dr. -Nichols, Epicurus, Stereotomy, the street stones, the fruiterer." - -There are few persons who have not, at some period of their lives, -amused themselves in retracing the steps by which particular conclusions -of their own minds have been attained. The occupation is often full of -interest and he who attempts it for the first time is astonished by -the apparently illimitable distance and incoherence between the -starting-point and the goal. What, then, must have been my amazement -when I heard the Frenchman speak what he had just spoken, and when I -could not help acknowledging that he had spoken the truth. He continued: - -"We had been talking of horses, if I remember aright, just before -leaving the Rue C ----. This was the last subject we discussed. As we -crossed into this street, a fruiterer, with a large basket upon his -head, brushing quickly past us, thrust you upon a pile of paving stones -collected at a spot where the causeway is undergoing repair. You stepped -upon one of the loose fragments, slipped, slightly strained your ankle, -appeared vexed or sulky, muttered a few words, turned to look at the -pile, and then proceeded in silence. I was not particularly attentive to -what you did; but observation has become with me, of late, a species of -necessity. - -"You kept your eyes upon the ground--glancing, with a petulant -expression, at the holes and ruts in the pavement, (so that I saw you -were still thinking of the stones,) until we reached the little alley -called Lamartine, which has been paved, by way of experiment, with the -overlapping and riveted blocks. Here your countenance brightened up, -and, perceiving your lips move, I could not doubt that you murmured the -word 'stereotomy,' a term very affectedly applied to this species of -pavement. I knew that you could not say to yourself 'stereotomy' without -being brought to think of atomies, and thus of the theories of Epicurus; -and since, when we discussed this subject not very long ago, I mentioned -to you how singularly, yet with how little notice, the vague guesses -of that noble Greek had met with confirmation in the late nebular -cosmogony, I felt that you could not avoid casting your eyes upward to -the great _nebula_ in Orion, and I certainly expected that you would do -so. You did look up; and I was now assured that I had correctly followed -your steps. But in that bitter _tirade_ upon Chantilly, which appeared -in yesterday's '_Muse_,' the satirist, making some disgraceful -allusions to the cobbler's change of name upon assuming the buskin, -quoted a Latin line about which we have often conversed. I mean the line - - Perdidit antiquum litera sonum. - -"I had told you that this was in reference to Orion, formerly written -Urion; and, from certain pungencies connected with this explanation, I -was aware that you could not have forgotten it. It was clear, therefore, -that you would not fail to combine the two ideas of Orion and Chantilly. -That you did combine them I saw by the character of the smile which -passed over your lips. You thought of the poor cobbler's immolation. So -far, you had been stooping in your gait; but now I saw you draw yourself -up to your full height. I was then sure that you reflected upon the -diminutive figure of Chantilly. At this point I interrupted your -meditations to remark that as, in fact, he was a very little -fellow--that Chantilly--he would do better at the _Thtre des -Varits_." - -Not long after this, we were looking over an evening edition of the -"Gazette des Tribunaux," when the following paragraphs arrested our -attention. - -"EXTRAORDINARY MURDERS.--This morning, about three o'clock, the -inhabitants of the Quartier St. Roch were aroused from sleep by a -succession of terrific shrieks, issuing, apparently, from the fourth -story of a house in the Rue Morgue, known to be in the sole occupancy of -one Madame L'Espanaye, and her daughter Mademoiselle Camille L'Espanaye. -After some delay, occasioned by a fruitless attempt to procure admission -in the usual manner, the gateway was broken in with a crowbar, and eight -or ten of the neighbors entered accompanied by two _gendarmes_. By this -time the cries had ceased; but, as the party rushed up the first -flight of stairs, two or more rough voices in angry contention were -distinguished and seemed to proceed from the upper part of the house. -As the second landing was reached, these sounds, also, had ceased and -everything remained perfectly quiet. The party spread themselves and -hurried from room to room. Upon arriving at a large back chamber in -the fourth story, (the door of which, being found locked, with the key -inside, was forced open,) a spectacle presented itself which struck -every one present not less with horror than with astonishment. - -"The apartment was in the wildest disorder--the furniture broken and -thrown about in all directions. There was only one bedstead; and from -this the bed had been removed, and thrown into the middle of the floor. -On a chair lay a razor, besmeared with blood. On the hearth were two or -three long and thick tresses of grey human hair, also dabbled in blood, -and seeming to have been pulled out by the roots. Upon the floor were -found four Napoleons, an ear-ring of topaz, three large silver spoons, -three smaller of_ mtal d'Alger_, and two bags, containing nearly four -thousand francs in gold. The drawers of a _bureau_, which stood in -one corner were open, and had been, apparently, rifled, although many -articles still remained in them. A small iron safe was discovered under -the _bed_ (not under the bedstead). It was open, with the key still in -the door. It had no contents beyond a few old letters, and other papers -of little consequence. - -"Of Madame L'Espanaye no traces were here seen; but an unusual quantity -of soot being observed in the fire-place, a search was made in the -chimney, and (horrible to relate!) the corpse of the daughter, head -downward, was dragged therefrom; it having been thus forced up the -narrow aperture for a considerable distance. The body was quite warm. -Upon examining it, many excoriations were perceived, no doubt occasioned -by the violence with which it had been thrust up and disengaged. Upon -the face were many severe scratches, and, upon the throat, dark bruises, -and deep indentations of finger nails, as if the deceased had been -throttled to death. - -"After a thorough investigation of every portion of the house, without -farther discovery, the party made its way into a small paved yard in -the rear of the building, where lay the corpse of the old lady, with her -throat so entirely cut that, upon an attempt to raise her, the head fell -off. The body, as well as the head, was fearfully mutilated--the former -so much so as scarcely to retain any semblance of humanity. - -"To this horrible mystery there is not as yet, we believe, the slightest -clew." - -The next day's paper had these additional particulars. - -"_The Tragedy in the Rue Morgue._ Many individuals have been examined -in relation to this most extraordinary and frightful affair. [The word -'affaire' has not yet, in France, that levity of import which it conveys -with us,] "but nothing whatever has transpired to throw light upon it. -We give below all the material testimony elicited. - -"_Pauline Dubourg_, laundress, deposes that she has known both the -deceased for three years, having washed for them during that period. -The old lady and her daughter seemed on good terms--very affectionate -towards each other. They were excellent pay. Could not speak in regard -to their mode or means of living. Believed that Madame L. told fortunes -for a living. Was reputed to have money put by. Never met any persons -in the house when she called for the clothes or took them home. Was sure -that they had no servant in employ. There appeared to be no furniture in -any part of the building except in the fourth story. - -"_Pierre Moreau_, tobacconist, deposes that he has been in the habit of -selling small quantities of tobacco and snuff to Madame L'Espanaye for -nearly four years. Was born in the neighborhood, and has always resided -there. The deceased and her daughter had occupied the house in which the -corpses were found, for more than six years. It was formerly occupied by -a jeweller, who under-let the upper rooms to various persons. The house -was the property of Madame L. She became dissatisfied with the abuse of -the premises by her tenant, and moved into them herself, refusing to let -any portion. The old lady was childish. Witness had seen the daughter -some five or six times during the six years. The two lived an -exceedingly retired life--were reputed to have money. Had heard it said -among the neighbors that Madame L. told fortunes--did not believe it. -Had never seen any person enter the door except the old lady and her -daughter, a porter once or twice, and a physician some eight or ten -times. - -"Many other persons, neighbors, gave evidence to the same effect. No one -was spoken of as frequenting the house. It was not known whether there -were any living connexions of Madame L. and her daughter. The shutters -of the front windows were seldom opened. Those in the rear were always -closed, with the exception of the large back room, fourth story. The -house was a good house--not very old. - -"_Isidore Muset_, _gendarme_, deposes that he was called to the house -about three o'clock in the morning, and found some twenty or thirty -persons at the gateway, endeavoring to gain admittance. Forced it open, -at length, with a bayonet--not with a crowbar. Had but little difficulty -in getting it open, on account of its being a double or folding gate, -and bolted neither at bottom not top. The shrieks were continued until -the gate was forced--and then suddenly ceased. They seemed to be screams -of some person (or persons) in great agony--were loud and drawn out, -not short and quick. Witness led the way up stairs. Upon reaching the -first landing, heard two voices in loud and angry contention--the one -a gruff voice, the other much shriller--a very strange voice. Could -distinguish some words of the former, which was that of a Frenchman. Was -positive that it was not a woman's voice. Could distinguish the words -'_sacr_' and '_diable._' The shrill voice was that of a foreigner. -Could not be sure whether it was the voice of a man or of a woman. Could -not make out what was said, but believed the language to be Spanish. The -state of the room and of the bodies was described by this witness as we -described them yesterday. - -"_Henri Duval_, a neighbor, and by trade a silver-smith, deposes that -he was one of the party who first entered the house. Corroborates the -testimony of Muset in general. As soon as they forced an entrance, they -reclosed the door, to keep out the crowd, which collected very fast, -notwithstanding the lateness of the hour. The shrill voice, this witness -thinks, was that of an Italian. Was certain it was not French. Could not -be sure that it was a man's voice. It might have been a woman's. Was not -acquainted with the Italian language. Could not distinguish the words, -but was convinced by the intonation that the speaker was an Italian. -Knew Madame L. and her daughter. Had conversed with both frequently. Was -sure that the shrill voice was not that of either of the deceased. - -"--_Odenheimer, restaurateur._ This witness volunteered his testimony. -Not speaking French, was examined through an interpreter. Is a native of -Amsterdam. Was passing the house at the time of the shrieks. They lasted -for several minutes--probably ten. They were long and loud--very awful -and distressing. Was one of those who entered the building. Corroborated -the previous evidence in every respect but one. Was sure that the shrill -voice was that of a man--of a Frenchman. Could not distinguish the -words uttered. They were loud and quick--unequal--spoken apparently in -fear as well as in anger. The voice was harsh--not so much shrill as -harsh. Could not call it a shrill voice. The gruff voice said repeatedly -'_sacr_,' '_diable_,' and once '_mon Dieu._' - -"_Jules Mignaud_, banker, of the firm of Mignaud et Fils, Rue Deloraine. -Is the elder Mignaud. Madame L'Espanaye had some property. Had opened an -account with his banking house in the spring of the year--(eight years -previously). Made frequent deposits in small sums. Had checked for -nothing until the third day before her death, when she took out in -person the sum of 4000 francs. This sum was paid in gold, and a clerk -went home with the money. - -"_Adolphe Le Bon_, clerk to Mignaud et Fils, deposes that on the day in -question, about noon, he accompanied Madame L'Espanaye to her residence -with the 4000 francs, put up in two bags. Upon the door being opened, -Mademoiselle L. appeared and took from his hands one of the bags, while -the old lady relieved him of the other. He then bowed and departed. Did -not see any person in the street at the time. It is a bye-street--very -lonely. - -"_William Bird_, tailor deposes that he was one of the party who entered -the house. Is an Englishman. Has lived in Paris two years. Was one of -the first to ascend the stairs. Heard the voices in contention. The -gruff voice was that of a Frenchman. Could make out several words, but -cannot now remember all. Heard distinctly '_sacr_' and '_mon Dieu._' -There was a sound at the moment as if of several persons struggling--a -scraping and scuffling sound. The shrill voice was very loud--louder -than the gruff one. Is sure that it was not the voice of an Englishman. -Appeared to be that of a German. Might have been a woman's voice. Does -not understand German. - -"Four of the above-named witnesses, being recalled, deposed that the -door of the chamber in which was found the body of Mademoiselle L. -was locked on the inside when the party reached it. Every thing was -perfectly silent--no groans or noises of any kind. Upon forcing the door -no person was seen. The windows, both of the back and front room, were -down and firmly fastened from within. A door between the two rooms was -closed, but not locked. The door leading from the front room into the -passage was locked, with the key on the inside. A small room in the -front of the house, on the fourth story, at the head of the passage was -open, the door being ajar. This room was crowded with old beds, boxes, -and so forth. These were carefully removed and searched. There was not -an inch of any portion of the house which was not carefully searched. -Sweeps were sent up and down the chimneys. The house was a four story -one, with garrets (_mansardes._) A trap-door on the roof was nailed down -very securely--did not appear to have been opened for years. The -time elapsing between the hearing of the voices in contention and the -breaking open of the room door, was variously stated by the witnesses. -Some made it as short as three minutes--some as long as five. The door -was opened with difficulty. - -"_Alfonzo Garcio_, undertaker, deposes that he resides in the Rue -Morgue. Is a native of Spain. Was one of the party who entered the -house. Did not proceed up stairs. Is nervous, and was apprehensive of -the consequences of agitation. Heard the voices in contention. The gruff -voice was that of a Frenchman. Could not distinguish what was said. -The shrill voice was that of an Englishman--is sure of this. Does not -understand the English language, but judges by the intonation. - -"_Alberto Montani_, confectioner, deposes that he was among the first -to ascend the stairs. Heard the voices in question. The gruff voice was -that of a Frenchman. Distinguished several words. The speaker appeared -to be expostulating. Could not make out the words of the shrill voice. -Spoke quick and unevenly. Thinks it the voice of a Russian. Corroborates -the general testimony. Is an Italian. Never conversed with a native of -Russia. - -"Several witnesses, recalled, here testified that the chimneys of all -the rooms on the fourth story were too narrow to admit the passage of a -human being. By 'sweeps' were meant cylindrical sweeping brushes, such -as are employed by those who clean chimneys. These brushes were passed -up and down every flue in the house. There is no back passage by which -any one could have descended while the party proceeded up stairs. The -body of Mademoiselle L'Espanaye was so firmly wedged in the chimney that -it could not be got down until four or five of the party united their -strength. - -"_Paul Dumas_, physician, deposes that he was called to view the -bodies about day-break. They were both then lying on the sacking of the -bedstead in the chamber where Mademoiselle L. was found. The corpse of -the young lady was much bruised and excoriated. The fact that it -had been thrust up the chimney would sufficiently account for these -appearances. The throat was greatly chafed. There were several deep -scratches just below the chin, together with a series of livid spots -which were evidently the impression of fingers. The face was fearfully -discolored, and the eye-balls protruded. The tongue had been partially -bitten through. A large bruise was discovered upon the pit of the -stomach, produced, apparently, by the pressure of a knee. In the opinion -of M. Dumas, Mademoiselle L'Espanaye had been throttled to death by -some person or persons unknown. The corpse of the mother was horribly -mutilated. All the bones of the right leg and arm were more or less -shattered. The left _tibia_ much splintered, as well as all the ribs of -the left side. Whole body dreadfully bruised and discolored. It was not -possible to say how the injuries had been inflicted. A heavy club of -wood, or a broad bar of iron--a chair--any large, heavy, and obtuse -weapon would have produced such results, if wielded by the hands of -a very powerful man. No woman could have inflicted the blows with any -weapon. The head of the deceased, when seen by witness, was entirely -separated from the body, and was also greatly shattered. The throat -had evidently been cut with some very sharp instrument--probably with a -razor. - -"_Alexandre Etienne_, surgeon, was called with M. Dumas to view the -bodies. Corroborated the testimony, and the opinions of M. Dumas. - -"Nothing farther of importance was elicited, although several other -persons were examined. A murder so mysterious, and so perplexing in all -its particulars, was never before committed in Paris--if indeed a murder -has been committed at all. The police are entirely at fault--an unusual -occurrence in affairs of this nature. There is not, however, the shadow -of a clew apparent." - -The evening edition of the paper stated that the greatest excitement -still continued in the Quartier St. Roch--that the premises in question -had been carefully re-searched, and fresh examinations of witnesses -instituted, but all to no purpose. A postscript, however, mentioned -that Adolphe Le Bon had been arrested and imprisoned--although nothing -appeared to criminate him, beyond the facts already detailed. - -Dupin seemed singularly interested in the progress of this affair--at -least so I judged from his manner, for he made no comments. It was only -after the announcement that Le Bon had been imprisoned, that he asked me -my opinion respecting the murders. - -I could merely agree with all Paris in considering them an insoluble -mystery. I saw no means by which it would be possible to trace the -murderer. - -"We must not judge of the means," said Dupin, "by this shell of an -examination. The Parisian police, so much extolled for _acumen_, are -cunning, but no more. There is no method in their proceedings, beyond -the method of the moment. They make a vast parade of measures; but, not -unfrequently, these are so ill adapted to the objects proposed, as -to put us in mind of Monsieur Jourdain's calling for his -_robe-de-chambre--pour mieux entendre la musique._ The results attained -by them are not unfrequently surprising, but, for the most part, are -brought about by simple diligence and activity. When these qualities are -unavailing, their schemes fail. Vidocq, for example, was a good -guesser and a persevering man. But, without educated thought, he erred -continually by the very intensity of his investigations. He impaired his -vision by holding the object too close. He might see, perhaps, one or -two points with unusual clearness, but in so doing he, necessarily, lost -sight of the matter as a whole. Thus there is such a thing as being too -profound. Truth is not always in a well. In fact, as regards the more -important knowledge, I do believe that she is invariably superficial. -The depth lies in the valleys where we seek her, and not upon the -mountain-tops where she is found. The modes and sources of this kind of -error are well typified in the contemplation of the heavenly bodies. -To look at a star by glances--to view it in a side-long way, by turning -toward it the exterior portions of the _retina_ (more susceptible of -feeble impressions of light than the interior), is to behold the star -distinctly--is to have the best appreciation of its lustre--a lustre -which grows dim just in proportion as we turn our vision _fully_ upon -it. A greater number of rays actually fall upon the eye in the latter -case, but, in the former, there is the more refined capacity for -comprehension. By undue profundity we perplex and enfeeble thought; and -it is possible to make even Venus herself vanish from the firmanent by a -scrutiny too sustained, too concentrated, or too direct. - -"As for these murders, let us enter into some examinations for -ourselves, before we make up an opinion respecting them. An inquiry will -afford us amusement," [I thought this an odd term, so applied, but said -nothing] "and, besides, Le Bon once rendered me a service for which I -am not ungrateful. We will go and see the premises with our own eyes. -I know G----, the Prefect of Police, and shall have no difficulty in -obtaining the necessary permission." - -The permission was obtained, and we proceeded at once to the Rue Morgue. -This is one of those miserable thoroughfares which intervene between the -Rue Richelieu and the Rue St. Roch. It was late in the afternoon when we -reached it; as this quarter is at a great distance from that in which we -resided. The house was readily found; for there were still many persons -gazing up at the closed shutters, with an objectless curiosity, from -the opposite side of the way. It was an ordinary Parisian house, with -a gateway, on one side of which was a glazed watch-box, with a sliding -panel in the window, indicating a _loge de concierge._ Before going in -we walked up the street, turned down an alley, and then, again turning, -passed in the rear of the building--Dupin, meanwhile examining the whole -neighborhood, as well as the house, with a minuteness of attention for -which I could see no possible object. - -Retracing our steps, we came again to the front of the dwelling, rang, -and, having shown our credentials, were admitted by the agents -in charge. We went up stairs--into the chamber where the body of -Mademoiselle L'Espanaye had been found, and where both the deceased -still lay. The disorders of the room had, as usual, been suffered to -exist. I saw nothing beyond what had been stated in the "Gazette des -Tribunaux." Dupin scrutinized every thing--not excepting the bodies of -the victims. We then went into the other rooms, and into the yard; a -_gendarme_ accompanying us throughout. The examination occupied us until -dark, when we took our departure. On our way home my companion stepped -in for a moment at the office of one of the daily papers. - -I have said that the whims of my friend were manifold, and that _Je les -mnageais_:--for this phrase there is no English equivalent. It was his -humor, now, to decline all conversation on the subject of the murder, -until about noon the next day. He then asked me, suddenly, if I had -observed any thing _peculiar_ at the scene of the atrocity. - -There was something in his manner of emphasizing the word "peculiar," -which caused me to shudder, without knowing why. - -"No, nothing _peculiar_," I said; "nothing more, at least, than we both -saw stated in the paper." - -"The 'Gazette,'" he replied, "has not entered, I fear, into the unusual -horror of the thing. But dismiss the idle opinions of this print. It -appears to me that this mystery is considered insoluble, for the very -reason which should cause it to be regarded as easy of solution--I mean -for the _outr_ character of its features. The police are confounded by -the seeming absence of motive--not for the murder itself--but for -the atrocity of the murder. They are puzzled, too, by the seeming -impossibility of reconciling the voices heard in contention, with -the facts that no one was discovered up stairs but the assassinated -Mademoiselle L'Espanaye, and that there were no means of egress without -the notice of the party ascending. The wild disorder of the room; the -corpse thrust, with the head downward, up the chimney; the frightful -mutilation of the body of the old lady; these considerations, with those -just mentioned, and others which I need not mention, have sufficed -to paralyze the powers, by putting completely at fault the boasted -_acumen_, of the government agents. They have fallen into the gross but -common error of confounding the unusual with the abstruse. But it is by -these deviations from the plane of the ordinary, that reason feels its -way, if at all, in its search for the true. In investigations such as we -are now pursuing, it should not be so much asked 'what has occurred,' -as 'what has occurred that has never occurred before.' In fact, the -facility with which I shall arrive, or have arrived, at the solution of -this mystery, is in the direct ratio of its apparent insolubility in the -eyes of the police." - -I stared at the speaker in mute astonishment. - -"I am now awaiting," continued he, looking toward the door of our -apartment--"I am now awaiting a person who, although perhaps not -the perpetrator of these butcheries, must have been in some measure -implicated in their perpetration. Of the worst portion of the crimes -committed, it is probable that he is innocent. I hope that I am right -in this supposition; for upon it I build my expectation of reading the -entire riddle. I look for the man here--in this room--every moment. It -is true that he may not arrive; but the probability is that he will. -Should he come, it will be necessary to detain him. Here are pistols; -and we both know how to use them when occasion demands their use." - -I took the pistols, scarcely knowing what I did, or believing what -I heard, while Dupin went on, very much as if in a soliloquy. I have -already spoken of his abstract manner at such times. His discourse was -addressed to myself; but his voice, although by no means loud, had that -intonation which is commonly employed in speaking to some one at a great -distance. His eyes, vacant in expression, regarded only the wall. - -"That the voices heard in contention," he said, "by the party upon the -stairs, were not the voices of the women themselves, was fully proved -by the evidence. This relieves us of all doubt upon the question whether -the old lady could have first destroyed the daughter and afterward have -committed suicide. I speak of this point chiefly for the sake of method; -for the strength of Madame L'Espanaye would have been utterly unequal -to the task of thrusting her daughter's corpse up the chimney as it -was found; and the nature of the wounds upon her own person entirely -preclude the idea of self-destruction. Murder, then, has been committed -by some third party; and the voices of this third party were those heard -in contention. Let me now advert--not to the whole testimony respecting -these voices--but to what was _peculiar_ in that testimony. Did you -observe any thing peculiar about it?" - -I remarked that, while all the witnesses agreed in supposing the gruff -voice to be that of a Frenchman, there was much disagreement in regard -to the shrill, or, as one individual termed it, the harsh voice. - -"That was the evidence itself," said Dupin, "but it was not the -peculiarity of the evidence. You have observed nothing distinctive. -Yet there _was_ something to be observed. The witnesses, as you remark, -agreed about the gruff voice; they were here unanimous. But in regard to -the shrill voice, the peculiarity is--not that they disagreed--but -that, while an Italian, an Englishman, a Spaniard, a Hollander, and a -Frenchman attempted to describe it, each one spoke of it as that _of -a foreigner_. Each is sure that it was not the voice of one of his own -countrymen. Each likens it--not to the voice of an individual of any -nation with whose language he is conversant--but the converse. -The Frenchman supposes it the voice of a Spaniard, and 'might have -distinguished some words _had he been acquainted with the Spanish._' The -Dutchman maintains it to have been that of a Frenchman; but we find it -stated that '_not understanding French this witness was examined through -an interpreter._' The Englishman thinks it the voice of a German, and -'_does not understand German._' The Spaniard 'is sure' that it was that -of an Englishman, but 'judges by the intonation' altogether, '_as he has -no knowledge of the English._' The Italian believes it the voice of a -Russian, but '_has never conversed with a native of Russia._' A second -Frenchman differs, moreover, with the first, and is positive that the -voice was that of an Italian; but, _not being cognizant of that tongue_, -is, like the Spaniard, 'convinced by the intonation.' Now, how strangely -unusual must that voice have really been, about which such testimony as -this _could_ have been elicited!--in whose _tones_, even, denizens of -the five great divisions of Europe could recognise nothing familiar! You -will say that it might have been the voice of an Asiatic--of an African. -Neither Asiatics nor Africans abound in Paris; but, without denying the -inference, I will now merely call your attention to three points. -The voice is termed by one witness 'harsh rather than shrill.' It -is represented by two others to have been 'quick and _unequal._' No -words--no sounds resembling words--were by any witness mentioned as -distinguishable. - -"I know not," continued Dupin, "what impression I may have made, so -far, upon your own understanding; but I do not hesitate to say that -legitimate deductions even from this portion of the testimony--the -portion respecting the gruff and shrill voices--are in themselves -sufficient to engender a suspicion which should give direction to all -farther progress in the investigation of the mystery. I said 'legitimate -deductions;' but my meaning is not thus fully expressed. I designed -to imply that the deductions are the _sole_ proper ones, and that the -suspicion arises _inevitably_ from them as the single result. What the -suspicion is, however, I will not say just yet. I merely wish you to -bear in mind that, with myself, it was sufficiently forcible to give a -definite form--a certain tendency--to my inquiries in the chamber. - -"Let us now transport ourselves, in fancy, to this chamber. What shall -we first seek here? The means of egress employed by the murderers. It is -not too much to say that neither of us believe in prternatural events. -Madame and Mademoiselle L'Espanaye were not destroyed by spirits. The -doers of the deed were material, and escaped materially. Then how? -Fortunately, there is but one mode of reasoning upon the point, and that -mode _must_ lead us to a definite decision.--Let us examine, each by -each, the possible means of egress. It is clear that the assassins were -in the room where Mademoiselle L'Espanaye was found, or at least in the -room adjoining, when the party ascended the stairs. It is then only from -these two apartments that we have to seek issues. The police have laid -bare the floors, the ceilings, and the masonry of the walls, in every -direction. No _secret_ issues could have escaped their vigilance. But, -not trusting to _their_ eyes, I examined with my own. There were, then, -no secret issues. Both doors leading from the rooms into the passage -were securely locked, with the keys inside. Let us turn to the chimneys. -These, although of ordinary width for some eight or ten feet above the -hearths, will not admit, throughout their extent, the body of a large -cat. The impossibility of egress, by means already stated, being thus -absolute, we are reduced to the windows. Through those of the front room -no one could have escaped without notice from the crowd in the street. -The murderers _must_ have passed, then, through those of the back room. -Now, brought to this conclusion in so unequivocal a manner as we are, -it is not our part, as reasoners, to reject it on account of apparent -impossibilities. It is only left for us to prove that these apparent -'impossibilities' are, in reality, not such. - -"There are two windows in the chamber. One of them is unobstructed by -furniture, and is wholly visible. The lower portion of the other is -hidden from view by the head of the unwieldy bedstead which is thrust -close up against it. The former was found securely fastened from within. -It resisted the utmost force of those who endeavored to raise it. A -large gimlet-hole had been pierced in its frame to the left, and a very -stout nail was found fitted therein, nearly to the head. Upon examining -the other window, a similar nail was seen similarly fitted in it; and -a vigorous attempt to raise this sash, failed also. The police were now -entirely satisfied that egress had not been in these directions. And, -_therefore_, it was thought a matter of supererogation to withdraw the -nails and open the windows. - -"My own examination was somewhat more particular, and was so for the -reason I have just given--because here it was, I knew, that all apparent -impossibilities _must_ be proved to be not such in reality. - -"I proceeded to think thus--_a posteriori_. The murderers did escape -from one of these windows. This being so, they could not have refastened -the sashes from the inside, as they were found fastened;--the -consideration which put a stop, through its obviousness, to the scrutiny -of the police in this quarter. Yet the sashes _were_ fastened. They -_must_, then, have the power of fastening themselves. There was no -escape from this conclusion. I stepped to the unobstructed casement, -withdrew the nail with some difficulty and attempted to raise the sash. -It resisted all my efforts, as I had anticipated. A concealed spring -must, I now know, exist; and this corroboration of my idea convinced -me that my premises at least, were correct, however mysterious still -appeared the circumstances attending the nails. A careful search soon -brought to light the hidden spring. I pressed it, and, satisfied with -the discovery, forbore to upraise the sash. - -"I now replaced the nail and regarded it attentively. A person passing -out through this window might have reclosed it, and the spring would -have caught--but the nail could not have been replaced. The conclusion -was plain, and again narrowed in the field of my investigations. The -assassins _must_ have escaped through the other window. Supposing, then, -the springs upon each sash to be the same, as was probable, there _must_ -be found a difference between the nails, or at least between the modes -of their fixture. Getting upon the sacking of the bedstead, I looked -over the head-board minutely at the second casement. Passing my hand -down behind the board, I readily discovered and pressed the spring, -which was, as I had supposed, identical in character with its neighbor. -I now looked at the nail. It was as stout as the other, and apparently -fitted in the same manner--driven in nearly up to the head. - -"You will say that I was puzzled; but, if you think so, you must have -misunderstood the nature of the inductions. To use a sporting phrase, -I had not been once 'at fault.' The scent had never for an instant -been lost. There was no flaw in any link of the chain. I had traced the -secret to its ultimate result,--and that result was _the nail._ It -had, I say, in every respect, the appearance of its fellow in the other -window; but this fact was an absolute nullity (conclusive us it might -seem to be) when compared with the consideration that here, at this -point, terminated the clew. 'There _must_ be something wrong,' I said, -'about the nail.' I touched it; and the head, with about a quarter of an -inch of the shank, came off in my fingers. The rest of the shank was in -the gimlet-hole where it had been broken off. The fracture was an old -one (for its edges were incrusted with rust), and had apparently been -accomplished by the blow of a hammer, which had partially imbedded, -in the top of the bottom sash, the head portion of the nail. I now -carefully replaced this head portion in the indentation whence I had -taken it, and the resemblance to a perfect nail was complete--the -fissure was invisible. Pressing the spring, I gently raised the sash -for a few inches; the head went up with it, remaining firm in its bed. -I closed the window, and the semblance of the whole nail was again -perfect. - -"The riddle, so far, was now unriddled. The assassin had escaped through -the window which looked upon the bed. Dropping of its own accord upon -his exit (or perhaps purposely closed), it had become fastened by the -spring; and it was the retention of this spring which had been mistaken -by the police for that of the nail,--farther inquiry being thus -considered unnecessary. - -"The next question is that of the mode of descent. Upon this point I had -been satisfied in my walk with you around the building. About five feet -and a half from the casement in question there runs a lightning-rod. -From this rod it would have been impossible for any one to reach the -window itself, to say nothing of entering it. I observed, however, that -the shutters of the fourth story were of the peculiar kind called by -Parisian carpenters _ferrades_--a kind rarely employed at the present -day, but frequently seen upon very old mansions at Lyons and Bordeaux. -They are in the form of an ordinary door, (a single, not a folding door) -except that the lower half is latticed or worked in open trellis--thus -affording an excellent hold for the hands. In the present instance these -shutters are fully three feet and a half broad. When we saw them from -the rear of the house, they were both about half open--that is to say, -they stood off at right angles from the wall. It is probable that the -police, as well as myself, examined the back of the tenement; but, if -so, in looking at these _ferrades_ in the line of their breadth (as they -must have done), they did not perceive this great breadth itself, or, -at all events, failed to take it into due consideration. In fact, having -once satisfied themselves that no egress could have been made in this -quarter, they would naturally bestow here a very cursory examination. -It was clear to me, however, that the shutter belonging to the window -at the head of the bed, would, if swung fully back to the wall, reach -to within two feet of the lightning-rod. It was also evident that, by -exertion of a very unusual degree of activity and courage, an entrance -into the window, from the rod, might have been thus effected.--By -reaching to the distance of two feet and a half (we now suppose the -shutter open to its whole extent) a robber might have taken a firm grasp -upon the trellis-work. Letting go, then, his hold upon the rod, placing -his feet securely against the wall, and springing boldly from it, he -might have swung the shutter so as to close it, and, if we imagine the -window open at the time, might even have swung himself into the room. - -"I wish you to bear especially in mind that I have spoken of a _very_ -unusual degree of activity as requisite to success in so hazardous and -so difficult a feat. It is my design to show you, first, that the thing -might possibly have been accomplished:--but, secondly and _chiefly_, I -wish to impress upon your understanding the _very extraordinary_--the -almost prternatural character of that agility which could have -accomplished it. - -"You will say, no doubt, using the language of the law, that 'to make -out my case,' I should rather undervalue, than insist upon a full -estimation of the activity required in this matter. This may be the -practice in law, but it is not the usage of reason. My ultimate object -is only the truth. My immediate purpose is to lead you to place in -juxtaposition, that _very unusual_ activity of which I have just spoken -with that _very peculiar_ shrill (or harsh) and _unequal_ voice, about -whose nationality no two persons could be found to agree, and in whose -utterance no syllabification could be detected." - -At these words a vague and half-formed conception of the meaning -of Dupin flitted over my mind. I seemed to be upon the verge of -comprehension without power to comprehend--men, at times, find -themselves upon the brink of remembrance without being able, in the end, -to remember. My friend went on with his discourse. - -"You will see," he said, "that I have shifted the question from the mode -of egress to that of ingress. It was my design to convey the idea that -both were effected in the same manner, at the same point. Let us now -revert to the interior of the room. Let us survey the appearances here. -The drawers of the bureau, it is said, had been rifled, although many -articles of apparel still remained within them. The conclusion here is -absurd. It is a mere guess--a very silly one--and no more. How are -we to know that the articles found in the drawers were not all these -drawers had originally contained? Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter -lived an exceedingly retired life--saw no company--seldom went out--had -little use for numerous changes of habiliment. Those found were at least -of as good quality as any likely to be possessed by these ladies. If a -thief had taken any, why did he not take the best--why did he not take -all? In a word, why did he abandon four thousand francs in gold to -encumber himself with a bundle of linen? The gold _was _abandoned. -Nearly the whole sum mentioned by Monsieur Mignaud, the banker, was -discovered, in bags, upon the floor. I wish you, therefore, to discard -from your thoughts the blundering idea of _motive_, engendered in the -brains of the police by that portion of the evidence which speaks of -money delivered at the door of the house. Coincidences ten times as -remarkable as this (the delivery of the money, and murder committed -within three days upon the party receiving it), happen to all of us -every hour of our lives, without attracting even momentary notice. -Coincidences, in general, are great stumbling-blocks in the way of that -class of thinkers who have been educated to know nothing of the theory -of probabilities--that theory to which the most glorious objects of -human research are indebted for the most glorious of illustration. In -the present instance, had the gold been gone, the fact of its delivery -three days before would have formed something more than a coincidence. -It would have been corroborative of this idea of motive. But, under the -real circumstances of the case, if we are to suppose gold the motive -of this outrage, we must also imagine the perpetrator so vacillating an -idiot as to have abandoned his gold and his motive together. - -"Keeping now steadily in mind the points to which I have drawn your -attention--that peculiar voice, that unusual agility, and that startling -absence of motive in a murder so singularly atrocious as this--let us -glance at the butchery itself. Here is a woman strangled to death -by manual strength, and thrust up a chimney, head downward. Ordinary -assassins employ no such modes of murder as this. Least of all, do they -thus dispose of the murdered. In the manner of thrusting the corpse -up the chimney, you will admit that there was something _excessively -outr_--something altogether irreconcilable with our common notions of -human action, even when we suppose the actors the most depraved of men. -Think, too, how great must have been that strength which could have -thrust the body _up_ such an aperture so forcibly that the united vigor -of several persons was found barely sufficient to drag it _down!_ - -"Turn, now, to other indications of the employment of a vigor most -marvellous. On the hearth were thick tresses--very thick tresses--of -grey human hair. These had been torn out by the roots. You are aware of -the great force necessary in tearing thus from the head even twenty or -thirty hairs together. You saw the locks in question as well as myself. -Their roots (a hideous sight!) were clotted with fragments of the flesh -of the scalp--sure token of the prodigious power which had been exerted -in uprooting perhaps half a million of hairs at a time. The throat of -the old lady was not merely cut, but the head absolutely severed from -the body: the instrument was a mere razor. I wish you also to look at -the _brutal_ ferocity of these deeds. Of the bruises upon the body -of Madame L'Espanaye I do not speak. Monsieur Dumas, and his worthy -coadjutor Monsieur Etienne, have pronounced that they were inflicted by -some obtuse instrument; and so far these gentlemen are very correct. The -obtuse instrument was clearly the stone pavement in the yard, upon which -the victim had fallen from the window which looked in upon the bed. This -idea, however simple it may now seem, escaped the police for the same -reason that the breadth of the shutters escaped them--because, by the -affair of the nails, their perceptions had been hermetically sealed -against the possibility of the windows having ever been opened at all. - -"If now, in addition to all these things, you have properly reflected -upon the odd disorder of the chamber, we have gone so far as to combine -the ideas of an agility astounding, a strength superhuman, a ferocity -brutal, a butchery without motive, a _grotesquerie_ in horror absolutely -alien from humanity, and a voice foreign in tone to the ears of men -of many nations, and devoid of all distinct or intelligible -syllabification. What result, then, has ensued? What impression have I -made upon your fancy?" - -I felt a creeping of the flesh as Dupin asked me the question. "A -madman," I said, "has done this deed--some raving maniac, escaped from a -neighboring _Maison de Sant._" - -"In some respects," he replied, "your idea is not irrelevant. But the -voices of madmen, even in their wildest paroxysms, are never found to -tally with that peculiar voice heard upon the stairs. Madmen are of some -nation, and their language, however incoherent in its words, has always -the coherence of syllabification. Besides, the hair of a madman is not -such as I now hold in my hand. I disentangled this little tuft from the -rigidly clutched fingers of Madame L'Espanaye. Tell me what you can make -of it." - -"Dupin!" I said, completely unnerved; "this hair is most unusual--this -is no _human_ hair." - -"I have not asserted that it is," said he; "but, before we decide this -point, I wish you to glance at the little sketch I have here traced upon -this paper. It is a _fac-simile_ drawing of what has been described in -one portion of the testimony as 'dark bruises, and deep indentations -of finger nails,' upon the throat of Mademoiselle L'Espanaye, and in -another, (by Messrs. Dumas and Etienne,) as a 'series of livid spots, -evidently the impression of fingers.' - -"You will perceive," continued my friend, spreading out the paper upon -the table before us, "that this drawing gives the idea of a firm -and fixed hold. There is no _slipping_ apparent. Each finger has -retained--possibly until the death of the victim--the fearful grasp by -which it originally imbedded itself. Attempt, now, to place all your -fingers, at the same time, in the respective impressions as you see -them." - -I made the attempt in vain. - -"We are possibly not giving this matter a fair trial," he said. "The -paper is spread out upon a plane surface; but the human throat is -cylindrical. Here is a billet of wood, the circumference of which -is about that of the throat. Wrap the drawing around it, and try the -experiment again." - -I did so; but the difficulty was even more obvious than before. "This," -I said, "is the mark of no human hand." - -"Read now," replied Dupin, "this passage from Cuvier." - -It was a minute anatomical and generally descriptive account of the -large fulvous Ourang-Outang of the East Indian Islands. The gigantic -stature, the prodigious strength and activity, the wild ferocity, and -the imitative propensities of these mammalia are sufficiently well known -to all. I understood the full horrors of the murder at once. - -"The description of the digits," said I, as I made an end of reading, -"is in exact accordance with this drawing. I see that no animal but an -Ourang-Outang, of the species here mentioned, could have impressed the -indentations as you have traced them. This tuft of tawny hair, too, is -identical in character with that of the beast of Cuvier. But I cannot -possibly comprehend the particulars of this frightful mystery. Besides, -there were _two_ voices heard in contention, and one of them was -unquestionably the voice of a Frenchman." - -"True; and you will remember an expression attributed almost -unanimously, by the evidence, to this voice,--the expression, '_mon -Dieu!_' This, under the circumstances, has been justly characterized by -one of the witnesses (Montani, the confectioner,) as an expression of -remonstrance or expostulation. Upon these two words, therefore, I have -mainly built my hopes of a full solution of the riddle. A Frenchman -was cognizant of the murder. It is possible--indeed it is far more -than probable--that he was innocent of all participation in the bloody -transactions which took place. The Ourang-Outang may have escaped from -him. He may have traced it to the chamber; but, under the agitating -circumstances which ensued, he could never have re-captured it. It is -still at large. I will not pursue these guesses--for I have no right to -call them more--since the shades of reflection upon which they are based -are scarcely of sufficient depth to be appreciable by my own intellect, -and since I could not pretend to make them intelligible to the -understanding of another. We will call them guesses then, and speak -of them as such. If the Frenchman in question is indeed, as I suppose, -innocent of this atrocity, this advertisement which I left last night, -upon our return home, at the office of 'Le Monde,' (a paper devoted to -the shipping interest, and much sought by sailors,) will bring him to -our residence." - -He handed me a paper, and I read thus: - -CAUGHT--_In the Bois de Boulogne, early in the morning of the--inst.,_ -(the morning of the murder,) _a very large, tawny Ourang-Outang of -the Bornese species. The owner, (who is ascertained to be a sailor, -belonging to a Maltese vessel,) may have the animal again, upon -identifying it satisfactorily, and paying a few charges arising from -its capture and keeping. Call at No. ----, Rue ----, Faubourg St. -Germain--au troisime._ - -"How was it possible," I asked, "that you should know the man to be a -sailor, and belonging to a Maltese vessel?" - -"I do _not_ know it," said Dupin. "I am not _sure_ of it. Here, however, -is a small piece of ribbon, which from its form, and from its greasy -appearance, has evidently been used in tying the hair in one of those -long _queues_ of which sailors are so fond. Moreover, this knot is one -which few besides sailors can tie, and is peculiar to the Maltese. I -picked the ribbon up at the foot of the lightning-rod. It could not have -belonged to either of the deceased. Now if, after all, I am wrong in my -induction from this ribbon, that the Frenchman was a sailor belonging to -a Maltese vessel, still I can have done no harm in saying what I did in -the advertisement. If I am in error, he will merely suppose that I have -been misled by some circumstance into which he will not take the trouble -to inquire. But if I am right, a great point is gained. Cognizant -although innocent of the murder, the Frenchman will naturally hesitate -about replying to the advertisement--about demanding the Ourang-Outang. -He will reason thus:--'I am innocent; I am poor; my Ourang-Outang is of -great value--to one in my circumstances a fortune of itself--why should -I lose it through idle apprehensions of danger? Here it is, within my -grasp. It was found in the Bois de Boulogne--at a vast distance from the -scene of that butchery. How can it ever be suspected that a brute beast -should have done the deed? The police are at fault--they have failed to -procure the slightest clew. Should they even trace the animal, it would -be impossible to prove me cognizant of the murder, or to implicate me -in guilt on account of that cognizance. Above all, _I am known._ The -advertiser designates me as the possessor of the beast. I am not sure to -what limit his knowledge may extend. Should I avoid claiming a property -of so great value, which it is known that I possess, I will render the -animal at least, liable to suspicion. It is not my policy to attract -attention either to myself or to the beast. I will answer the -advertisement, get the Ourang-Outang, and keep it close until this -matter has blown over.'" - -At this moment we heard a step upon the stairs. - -"Be ready," said Dupin, "with your pistols, but neither use them nor -show them until at a signal from myself." - -The front door of the house had been left open, and the visiter had -entered, without ringing, and advanced several steps upon the staircase. -Now, however, he seemed to hesitate. Presently we heard him descending. -Dupin was moving quickly to the door, when we again heard him coming up. -He did not turn back a second time, but stepped up with decision, and -rapped at the door of our chamber. - -"Come in," said Dupin, in a cheerful and hearty tone. - -A man entered. He was a sailor, evidently,--a tall, stout, and -muscular-looking person, with a certain dare-devil expression of -countenance, not altogether unprepossessing. His face, greatly sunburnt, -was more than half hidden by whisker and _mustachio._ He had with him -a huge oaken cudgel, but appeared to be otherwise unarmed. He bowed -awkwardly, and bade us "good evening," in French accents, which, -although somewhat Neufchatelish, were still sufficiently indicative of a -Parisian origin. - -"Sit down, my friend," said Dupin. "I suppose you have called about the -Ourang-Outang. Upon my word, I almost envy you the possession of him; -a remarkably fine, and no doubt a very valuable animal. How old do you -suppose him to be?" - -The sailor drew a long breath, with the air of a man relieved of some -intolerable burden, and then replied, in an assured tone: - -"I have no way of telling--but he can't be more than four or five years -old. Have you got him here?" - -"Oh no, we had no conveniences for keeping him here. He is at a livery -stable in the Rue Dubourg, just by. You can get him in the morning. Of -course you are prepared to identify the property?" - -"To be sure I am, sir." - -"I shall be sorry to part with him," said Dupin. - -"I don't mean that you should be at all this trouble for nothing, sir," -said the man. "Couldn't expect it. Am very willing to pay a reward for -the finding of the animal--that is to say, any thing in reason." - -"Well," replied my friend, "that is all very fair, to be sure. Let me -think!--what should I have? Oh! I will tell you. My reward shall be -this. You shall give me all the information in your power about these -murders in the Rue Morgue." - -Dupin said the last words in a very low tone, and very quietly. Just as -quietly, too, he walked toward the door, locked it and put the key in -his pocket. He then drew a pistol from his bosom and placed it, without -the least flurry, upon the table. - -The sailor's face flushed up as if he were struggling with suffocation. -He started to his feet and grasped his cudgel, but the next moment he -fell back into his seat, trembling violently, and with the countenance -of death itself. He spoke not a word. I pitied him from the bottom of my -heart. - -"My friend," said Dupin, in a kind tone, "you are alarming yourself -unnecessarily--you are indeed. We mean you no harm whatever. I pledge -you the honor of a gentleman, and of a Frenchman, that we intend you no -injury. I perfectly well know that you are innocent of the atrocities -in the Rue Morgue. It will not do, however, to deny that you are in some -measure implicated in them. From what I have already said, you must know -that I have had means of information about this matter--means of which -you could never have dreamed. Now the thing stands thus. You have done -nothing which you could have avoided--nothing, certainly, which renders -you culpable. You were not even guilty of robbery, when you might have -robbed with impunity. You have nothing to conceal. You have no reason -for concealment. On the other hand, you are bound by every principle -of honor to confess all you know. An innocent man is now imprisoned, -charged with that crime of which you can point out the perpetrator." - -The sailor had recovered his presence of mind, in a great measure, while -Dupin uttered these words; but his original boldness of bearing was all -gone. - -"So help me God," said he, after a brief pause, "I will tell you all I -know about this affair;--but I do not expect you to believe one half I -say--I would be a fool indeed if I did. Still, I am innocent, and I will -make a clean breast if I die for it." - -What he stated was, in substance, this. He had lately made a voyage -to the Indian Archipelago. A party, of which he formed one, landed -at Borneo, and passed into the interior on an excursion of pleasure. -Himself and a companion had captured the Ourang-Outang. This companion -dying, the animal fell into his own exclusive possession. After great -trouble, occasioned by the intractable ferocity of his captive during -the home voyage, he at length succeeded in lodging it safely at his own -residence in Paris, where, not to attract toward himself the unpleasant -curiosity of his neighbors, he kept it carefully secluded, until such -time as it should recover from a wound in the foot, received from a -splinter on board ship. His ultimate design was to sell it. - -Returning home from some sailors' frolic the night, or rather in the -morning of the murder, he found the beast occupying his own bed-room, -into which it had broken from a closet adjoining, where it had been, as -was thought, securely confined. Razor in hand, and fully lathered, it -was sitting before a looking-glass, attempting the operation of shaving, -in which it had no doubt previously watched its master through the -key-hole of the closet. Terrified at the sight of so dangerous a weapon -in the possession of an animal so ferocious, and so well able to use -it, the man, for some moments, was at a loss what to do. He had been -accustomed, however, to quiet the creature, even in its fiercest moods, -by the use of a whip, and to this he now resorted. Upon sight of it, the -Ourang-Outang sprang at once through the door of the chamber, down -the stairs, and thence, through a window, unfortunately open, into the -street. - -The Frenchman followed in despair; the ape, razor still in hand, -occasionally stopping to look back and gesticulate at its pursuer, until -the latter had nearly come up with it. It then again made off. In this -manner the chase continued for a long time. The streets were profoundly -quiet, as it was nearly three o'clock in the morning. In passing down -an alley in the rear of the Rue Morgue, the fugitive's attention was -arrested by a light gleaming from the open window of Madame L'Espanaye's -chamber, in the fourth story of her house. Rushing to the building, it -perceived the lightning rod, clambered up with inconceivable agility, -grasped the shutter, which was thrown fully back against the wall, and, -by its means, swung itself directly upon the headboard of the bed. The -whole feat did not occupy a minute. The shutter was kicked open again by -the Ourang-Outang as it entered the room. - -The sailor, in the meantime, was both rejoiced and perplexed. He had -strong hopes of now recapturing the brute, as it could scarcely escape -from the trap into which it had ventured, except by the rod, where it -might be intercepted as it came down. On the other hand, there was -much cause for anxiety as to what it might do in the house. This latter -reflection urged the man still to follow the fugitive. A lightning rod -is ascended without difficulty, especially by a sailor; but, when he had -arrived as high as the window, which lay far to his left, his career was -stopped; the most that he could accomplish was to reach over so as to -obtain a glimpse of the interior of the room. At this glimpse he nearly -fell from his hold through excess of horror. Now it was that those -hideous shrieks arose upon the night, which had startled from slumber -the inmates of the Rue Morgue. Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter, -habited in their night clothes, had apparently been occupied in -arranging some papers in the iron chest already mentioned, which had -been wheeled into the middle of the room. It was open, and its contents -lay beside it on the floor. The victims must have been sitting with -their backs toward the window; and, from the time elapsing between the -ingress of the beast and the screams, it seems probable that it was not -immediately perceived. The flapping-to of the shutter would naturally -have been attributed to the wind. - -As the sailor looked in, the gigantic animal had seized Madame -L'Espanaye by the hair, (which was loose, as she had been combing -it,) and was flourishing the razor about her face, in imitation of the -motions of a barber. The daughter lay prostrate and motionless; she had -swooned. The screams and struggles of the old lady (during which the -hair was torn from her head) had the effect of changing the probably -pacific purposes of the Ourang-Outang into those of wrath. With one -determined sweep of its muscular arm it nearly severed her head from her -body. The sight of blood inflamed its anger into phrenzy. Gnashing its -teeth, and flashing fire from its eyes, it flew upon the body of the -girl, and imbedded its fearful talons in her throat, retaining its grasp -until she expired. Its wandering and wild glances fell at this moment -upon the head of the bed, over which the face of its master, rigid with -horror, was just discernible. The fury of the beast, who no doubt bore -still in mind the dreaded whip, was instantly converted into fear. -Conscious of having deserved punishment, it seemed desirous of -concealing its bloody deeds, and skipped about the chamber in an agony -of nervous agitation; throwing down and breaking the furniture as it -moved, and dragging the bed from the bedstead. In conclusion, it seized -first the corpse of the daughter, and thrust it up the chimney, as -it was found; then that of the old lady, which it immediately hurled -through the window headlong. - -As the ape approached the casement with its mutilated burden, the sailor -shrank aghast to the rod, and, rather gliding than clambering down it, -hurried at once home--dreading the consequences of the butchery, and -gladly abandoning, in his terror, all solicitude about the fate of the -Ourang-Outang. The words heard by the party upon the staircase were the -Frenchman's exclamations of horror and affright, commingled with the -fiendish jabberings of the brute. - -I have scarcely anything to add. The Ourang-Outang must have escaped -from the chamber, by the rod, just before the break of the door. It -must have closed the window as it passed through it. It was subsequently -caught by the owner himself, who obtained for it a very large sum at the -_Jardin des Plantes._ Le Don was instantly released, upon our narration -of the circumstances (with some comments from Dupin) at the bureau of -the Prefect of Police. This functionary, however well disposed to my -friend, could not altogether conceal his chagrin at the turn which -affairs had taken, and was fain to indulge in a sarcasm or two, about -the propriety of every person minding his own business. - -"Let him talk," said Dupin, who had not thought it necessary to reply. -"Let him discourse; it will ease his conscience, I am satisfied with -having defeated him in his own castle. Nevertheless, that he failed -in the solution of this mystery, is by no means that matter for wonder -which he supposes it; for, in truth, our friend the Prefect is somewhat -too cunning to be profound. In his wisdom is no _stamen._ It is all head -and no body, like the pictures of the Goddess Laverna,--or, at best, all -head and shoulders, like a codfish. But he is a good creature after all. -I like him especially for one master stroke of cant, by which he has -attained his reputation for ingenuity. I mean the way he has '_de nier -ce qui est, et d'expliquer ce qui n'est pas._'" (*) - -(*) Rousseau--Nouvelle Heloise. - - - - -THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET.(*1) - -A SEQUEL TO "THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE." - - - Es giebt eine Reihe idealischer Begebenheiten, die der Wirklichkeit - parallel lauft. Selten fallen sie zusammen. Menschen und zufalle - modifieiren gewohulich die idealische Begebenheit, so dass sie - unvollkommen erscheint, und ihre Folgen gleichfalls unvollkommen - sind. So bei der Reformation; statt des Protestantismus kam das - Lutherthum hervor. - - There are ideal series of events which run parallel with the real - ones. They rarely coincide. Men and circumstances generally modify - the ideal train of events, so that it seems imperfect, and its - consequences are equally imperfect. Thus with the Reformation; - instead of Protestantism came Lutheranism. - - --Novalis. (*2) Moral Ansichten. - -THERE are few persons, even among the calmest thinkers, who have not -occasionally been startled into a vague yet thrilling half-credence in -the supernatural, by coincidences of so seemingly marvellous a character -that, as mere coincidences, the intellect has been unable to receive -them. Such sentiments--for the half-credences of which I speak have -never the full force of thought--such sentiments are seldom thoroughly -stifled unless by reference to the doctrine of chance, or, as it is -technically termed, the Calculus of Probabilities. Now this Calculus is, -in its essence, purely mathematical; and thus we have the anomaly of the -most rigidly exact in science applied to the shadow and spirituality of -the most intangible in speculation. - -The extraordinary details which I am now called upon to make public, -will be found to form, as regards sequence of time, the primary branch -of a series of scarcely intelligible coincidences, whose secondary or -concluding branch will be recognized by all readers in the late murder -of Mary Cecila Rogers, at New York. - -When, in an article entitled "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," I -endeavored, about a year ago, to depict some very remarkable features -in the mental character of my friend, the Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, -it did not occur to me that I should ever resume the subject. This -depicting of character constituted my design; and this design was -thoroughly fulfilled in the wild train of circumstances brought to -instance Dupin's idiosyncrasy. I might have adduced other examples, but -I should have proven no more. Late events, however, in their surprising -development, have startled me into some farther details, which will -carry with them the air of extorted confession. Hearing what I have -lately heard, it would be indeed strange should I remain silent in -regard to what I both heard and saw so long ago. - -Upon the winding up of the tragedy involved in the deaths of Madame -L'Espanaye and her daughter, the Chevalier dismissed the affair at once -from his attention, and relapsed into his old habits of moody reverie. -Prone, at all times, to abstraction, I readily fell in with his humor; -and, continuing to occupy our chambers in the Faubourg Saint Germain, we -gave the Future to the winds, and slumbered tranquilly in the Present, -weaving the dull world around us into dreams. - -But these dreams were not altogether uninterrupted. It may readily be -supposed that the part played by my friend, in the drama at the Rue -Morgue, had not failed of its impression upon the fancies of the -Parisian police. With its emissaries, the name of Dupin had grown into a -household word. The simple character of those inductions by which he -had disentangled the mystery never having been explained even to the -Prefect, or to any other individual than myself, of course it is not -surprising that the affair was regarded as little less than miraculous, -or that the Chevalier's analytical abilities acquired for him the -credit of intuition. His frankness would have led him to disabuse every -inquirer of such prejudice; but his indolent humor forbade all farther -agitation of a topic whose interest to himself had long ceased. It thus -happened that he found himself the cynosure of the political eyes; and -the cases were not few in which attempt was made to engage his services -at the Prefecture. One of the most remarkable instances was that of the -murder of a young girl named Marie Rogt. - -This event occurred about two years after the atrocity in the Rue -Morgue. Marie, whose Christian and family name will at once arrest -attention from their resemblance to those of the unfortunate -"cigargirl," was the only daughter of the widow Estelle Rogt. The -father had died during the child's infancy, and from the period of his -death, until within eighteen months before the assassination which forms -the subject of our narrative, the mother and daughter had dwelt together -in the Rue Pave Saint Andre; (*3) Madame there keeping a pension, -assisted by Marie. Affairs went on thus until the latter had attained -her twenty-second year, when her great beauty attracted the notice of a -perfumer, who occupied one of the shops in the basement of the Palais -Royal, and whose custom lay chiefly among the desperate adventurers -infesting that neighborhood. Monsieur Le Blanc (*4) was not unaware of -the advantages to be derived from the attendance of the fair Marie in -his perfumery; and his liberal proposals were accepted eagerly by the -girl, although with somewhat more of hesitation by Madame. - -The anticipations of the shopkeeper were realized, and his rooms soon -became notorious through the charms of the sprightly grisette. She had -been in his employ about a year, when her admirers were thrown info -confusion by her sudden disappearance from the shop. Monsieur Le Blanc -was unable to account for her absence, and Madame Rogt was distracted -with anxiety and terror. The public papers immediately took up -the theme, and the police were upon the point of making serious -investigations, when, one fine morning, after the lapse of a week, -Marie, in good health, but with a somewhat saddened air, made her -re-appearance at her usual counter in the perfumery. All inquiry, except -that of a private character, was of course immediately hushed. Monsieur -Le Blanc professed total ignorance, as before. Marie, with Madame, -replied to all questions, that the last week had been spent at the -house of a relation in the country. Thus the affair died away, and was -generally forgotten; for the girl, ostensibly to relieve herself from -the impertinence of curiosity, soon bade a final adieu to the perfumer, -and sought the shelter of her mother's residence in the Rue Pave Saint -Andre. - -It was about five months after this return home, that her friends were -alarmed by her sudden disappearance for the second time. Three days -elapsed, and nothing was heard of her. On the fourth her corpse was -found floating in the Seine, * near the shore which is opposite the -Quartier of the Rue Saint Andree, and at a point not very far distant -from the secluded neighborhood of the Barrire du Roule. (*6) - -The atrocity of this murder, (for it was at once evident that murder had -been committed,) the youth and beauty of the victim, and, above all, her -previous notoriety, conspired to produce intense excitement in the minds -of the sensitive Parisians. I can call to mind no similar occurrence -producing so general and so intense an effect. For several weeks, in -the discussion of this one absorbing theme, even the momentous political -topics of the day were forgotten. The Prefect made unusual exertions; -and the powers of the whole Parisian police were, of course, tasked to -the utmost extent. - -Upon the first discovery of the corpse, it was not supposed that the -murderer would be able to elude, for more than a very brief period, -the inquisition which was immediately set on foot. It was not until the -expiration of a week that it was deemed necessary to offer a reward; and -even then this reward was limited to a thousand francs. In the mean time -the investigation proceeded with vigor, if not always with judgment, and -numerous individuals were examined to no purpose; while, owing to the -continual absence of all clue to the mystery, the popular excitement -greatly increased. At the end of the tenth day it was thought advisable -to double the sum originally proposed; and, at length, the second week -having elapsed without leading to any discoveries, and the prejudice -which always exists in Paris against the Police having given vent to -itself in several serious meutes, the Prefect took it upon himself -to offer the sum of twenty thousand francs "for the conviction of the -assassin," or, if more than one should prove to have been implicated, -"for the conviction of any one of the assassins." In the proclamation -setting forth this reward, a full pardon was promised to any accomplice -who should come forward in evidence against his fellow; and to the whole -was appended, wherever it appeared, the private placard of a committee -of citizens, offering ten thousand francs, in addition to the amount -proposed by the Prefecture. The entire reward thus stood at no less than -thirty thousand francs, which will be regarded as an extraordinary -sum when we consider the humble condition of the girl, and the great -frequency, in large cities, of such atrocities as the one described. - -No one doubted now that the mystery of this murder would be immediately -brought to light. But although, in one or two instances, arrests were -made which promised elucidation, yet nothing was elicited which could -implicate the parties suspected; and they were discharged forthwith. -Strange as it may appear, the third week from the discovery of the body -had passed, and passed without any light being thrown upon the subject, -before even a rumor of the events which had so agitated the public -mind, reached the ears of Dupin and myself. Engaged in researches which -absorbed our whole attention, it had been nearly a month since either of -us had gone abroad, or received a visiter, or more than glanced at -the leading political articles in one of the daily papers. The first -intelligence of the murder was brought us by G ----, in person. He -called upon us early in the afternoon of the thirteenth of July, 18--, -and remained with us until late in the night. He had been piqued by -the failure of all his endeavors to ferret out the assassins. His -reputation--so he said with a peculiarly Parisian air--was at stake. -Even his honor was concerned. The eyes of the public were upon him; and -there was really no sacrifice which he would not be willing to make for -the development of the mystery. He concluded a somewhat droll speech -with a compliment upon what he was pleased to term the tact of Dupin, -and made him a direct, and certainly a liberal proposition, the precise -nature of which I do not feel myself at liberty to disclose, but which -has no bearing upon the proper subject of my narrative. - -The compliment my friend rebutted as best he could, but the proposition -he accepted at once, although its advantages were altogether -provisional. This point being settled, the Prefect broke forth at -once into explanations of his own views, interspersing them with -long comments upon the evidence; of which latter we were not yet in -possession. He discoursed much, and beyond doubt, learnedly; while -I hazarded an occasional suggestion as the night wore drowsily away. -Dupin, sitting steadily in his accustomed arm-chair, was the embodiment -of respectful attention. He wore spectacles, during the whole interview; -and an occasional signal glance beneath their green glasses, sufficed -to convince me that he slept not the less soundly, because silently, -throughout the seven or eight leaden-footed hours which immediately -preceded the departure of the Prefect. - -In the morning, I procured, at the Prefecture, a full report of all -the evidence elicited, and, at the various newspaper offices, a copy -of every paper in which, from first to last, had been published any -decisive information in regard to this sad affair. Freed from all that -was positively disproved, this mass of information stood thus: - -Marie Rogt left the residence of her mother, in the Rue Pave -St. Andre, about nine o'clock in the morning of Sunday June the -twenty-second, 18--. In going out, she gave notice to a Monsieur Jacques -St. Eustache, (*7) and to him only, of her intent intention to spend the -day with an aunt who resided in the Rue des Drmes. The Rue des Drmes -is a short and narrow but populous thoroughfare, not far from the banks -of the river, and at a distance of some two miles, in the most direct -course possible, from the pension of Madame Rogt. St. Eustache was the -accepted suitor of Marie, and lodged, as well as took his meals, at -the pension. He was to have gone for his betrothed at dusk, and to -have escorted her home. In the afternoon, however, it came on to rain -heavily; and, supposing that she would remain all night at her aunt's, -(as she had done under similar circumstances before,) he did not think -it necessary to keep his promise. As night drew on, Madame Rogt (who -was an infirm old lady, seventy years of age,) was heard to express -a fear "that she should never see Marie again;" but this observation -attracted little attention at the time. - -On Monday, it was ascertained that the girl had not been to the Rue des -Drmes; and when the day elapsed without tidings of her, a tardy search -was instituted at several points in the city, and its environs. It was -not, however until the fourth day from the period of disappearance that -any thing satisfactory was ascertained respecting her. On this day, -(Wednesday, the twenty-fifth of June,) a Monsieur Beauvais, (*8) who, -with a friend, had been making inquiries for Marie near the Barrire -du Roule, on the shore of the Seine which is opposite the Rue Pave St. -Andre, was informed that a corpse had just been towed ashore by some -fishermen, who had found it floating in the river. Upon seeing the -body, Beauvais, after some hesitation, identified it as that of the -perfumery-girl. His friend recognized it more promptly. - -The face was suffused with dark blood, some of which issued from the -mouth. No foam was seen, as in the case of the merely drowned. There was -no discoloration in the cellular tissue. About the throat were bruises -and impressions of fingers. The arms were bent over on the chest and -were rigid. The right hand was clenched; the left partially open. On -the left wrist were two circular excoriations, apparently the effect -of ropes, or of a rope in more than one volution. A part of the right -wrist, also, was much chafed, as well as the back throughout its extent, -but more especially at the shoulder-blades. In bringing the body to -the shore the fishermen had attached to it a rope; but none of the -excoriations had been effected by this. The flesh of the neck was much -swollen. There were no cuts apparent, or bruises which appeared the -effect of blows. A piece of lace was found tied so tightly around the -neck as to be hidden from sight; it was completely buried in the flesh, -and was fasted by a knot which lay just under the left ear. This alone -would have sufficed to produce death. The medical testimony spoke -confidently of the virtuous character of the deceased. She had been -subjected, it said, to brutal violence. The corpse was in such condition -when found, that there could have been no difficulty in its recognition -by friends. - -The dress was much torn and otherwise disordered. In the outer garment, -a slip, about a foot wide, had been torn upward from the bottom hem to -the waist, but not torn off. It was wound three times around the waist, -and secured by a sort of hitch in the back. The dress immediately -beneath the frock was of fine muslin; and from this a slip eighteen -inches wide had been torn entirely out--torn very evenly and with great -care. It was found around her neck, fitting loosely, and secured with a -hard knot. Over this muslin slip and the slip of lace, the strings of a -bonnet were attached; the bonnet being appended. The knot by which the -strings of the bonnet were fastened, was not a lady's, but a slip or -sailor's knot. - -After the recognition of the corpse, it was not, as usual, taken to the -Morgue, (this formality being superfluous,) but hastily interred not far -from the spot at which it was brought ashore. Through the exertions of -Beauvais, the matter was industriously hushed up, as far as possible; -and several days had elapsed before any public emotion resulted. A -weekly paper, (*9) however, at length took up the theme; the corpse was -disinterred, and a re-examination instituted; but nothing was elicited -beyond what has been already noted. The clothes, however, were -now submitted to the mother and friends of the deceased, and fully -identified as those worn by the girl upon leaving home. - -Meantime, the excitement increased hourly. Several individuals were -arrested and discharged. St. Eustache fell especially under suspicion; -and he failed, at first, to give an intelligible account of his -whereabouts during the Sunday on which Marie left home. Subsequently, -however, he submitted to Monsieur G----, affidavits, accounting -satisfactorily for every hour of the day in question. As time passed and -no discovery ensued, a thousand contradictory rumors were circulated, -and journalists busied themselves in suggestions. Among these, the one -which attracted the most notice, was the idea that Marie Rogt still -lived--that the corpse found in the Seine was that of some other -unfortunate. It will be proper that I submit to the reader some passages -which embody the suggestion alluded to. These passages are literal -translations from L'Etoile, (*10) a paper conducted, in general, with -much ability. - -"Mademoiselle Rogt left her mother's house on Sunday morning, June the -twenty-second, 18--, with the ostensible purpose of going to see her -aunt, or some other connexion, in the Rue des Drmes. From that hour, -nobody is proved to have seen her. There is no trace or tidings of her -at all.... There has no person, whatever, come forward, so far, who -saw her at all, on that day, after she left her mother's door.... Now, -though we have no evidence that Marie Rogt was in the land of the -living after nine o'clock on Sunday, June the twenty-second, we have -proof that, up to that hour, she was alive. On Wednesday noon, at -twelve, a female body was discovered afloat on the shore of the Barrire -de Roule. This was, even if we presume that Marie Rogt was thrown into -the river within three hours after she left her mother's house, only -three days from the time she left her home--three days to an hour. But -it is folly to suppose that the murder, if murder was committed on -her body, could have been consummated soon enough to have enabled her -murderers to throw the body into the river before midnight. Those who -are guilty of such horrid crimes, choose darkness rather the light.... -Thus we see that if the body found in the river was that of Marie Rogt, -it could only have been in the water two and a half days, or three at -the outside. All experience has shown that drowned bodies, or bodies -thrown into the water immediately after death by violence, require from -six to ten days for decomposition to take place to bring them to the top -of the water. Even where a cannon is fired over a corpse, and it rises -before at least five or six days' immersion, it sinks again, if let -alone. Now, we ask, what was there in this case to cause a departure -from the ordinary course of nature?... If the body had been kept in its -mangled state on shore until Tuesday night, some trace would be found on -shore of the murderers. It is a doubtful point, also, whether the body -would be so soon afloat, even were it thrown in after having been -dead two days. And, furthermore, it is exceedingly improbable that any -villains who had committed such a murder as is here supposed, would -have thrown the body in without weight to sink it, when such a precaution -could have so easily been taken." - -The editor here proceeds to argue that the body must have been in the -water "not three days merely, but, at least, five times three days," -because it was so far decomposed that Beauvais had great difficulty -in recognizing it. This latter point, however, was fully disproved. I -continue the translation: - -"What, then, are the facts on which M. Beauvais says that he has no -doubt the body was that of Marie Rogt? He ripped up the gown sleeve, -and says he found marks which satisfied him of the identity. The public -generally supposed those marks to have consisted of some description -of scars. He rubbed the arm and found hair upon it--something as -indefinite, we think, as can readily be imagined--as little conclusive -as finding an arm in the sleeve. M. Beauvais did not return that night, -but sent word to Madame Rogt, at seven o'clock, on Wednesday evening, -that an investigation was still in progress respecting her daughter. If -we allow that Madame Rogt, from her age and grief, could not go over, -(which is allowing a great deal,) there certainly must have been some -one who would have thought it worth while to go over and attend the -investigation, if they thought the body was that of Marie. Nobody went -over. There was nothing said or heard about the matter in the Rue Pave -St. Andre, that reached even the occupants of the same building. M. St. -Eustache, the lover and intended husband of Marie, who boarded in her -mother's house, deposes that he did not hear of the discovery of the -body of his intended until the next morning, when M. Beauvais came -into his chamber and told him of it. For an item of news like this, it -strikes us it was very coolly received." - -In this way the journal endeavored to create the impression of an apathy -on the part of the relatives of Marie, inconsistent with the supposition -that these relatives believed the corpse to be hers. Its insinuations -amount to this:--that Marie, with the connivance of her friends, had -absented herself from the city for reasons involving a charge against -her chastity; and that these friends, upon the discovery of a corpse in -the Seine, somewhat resembling that of the girl, had availed themselves -of the opportunity to impress the public with the belief of her -death. But L'Etoile was again over-hasty. It was distinctly proved -that no apathy, such as was imagined, existed; that the old lady was -exceedingly feeble, and so agitated as to be unable to attend to any -duty, that St. Eustache, so far from receiving the news coolly, was -distracted with grief, and bore himself so frantically, that M. Beauvais -prevailed upon a friend and relative to take charge of him, and prevent -his attending the examination at the disinterment. Moreover, although -it was stated by L'Etoile, that the corpse was re-interred at the public -expense--that an advantageous offer of private sculpture was absolutely -declined by the family--and that no member of the family attended the -ceremonial:--although, I say, all this was asserted by L'Etoile in -furtherance of the impression it designed to convey--yet all this -was satisfactorily disproved. In a subsequent number of the paper, an -attempt was made to throw suspicion upon Beauvais himself. The editor -says: - -"Now, then, a change comes over the matter. We are told that on one -occasion, while a Madame B---- was at Madame Rogt's house, M. Beauvais, -who was going out, told her that a gendarme was expected there, and she, -Madame B., must not say anything to the gendarme until he returned, -but let the matter be for him.... In the present posture of affairs, -M. Beauvais appears to have the whole matter locked up in his head. A -single step cannot be taken without M. Beauvais; for, go which way you -will, you run against him.... For some reason, he determined that nobody -shall have any thing to do with the proceedings but himself, and he -has elbowed the male relatives out of the way, according to their -representations, in a very singular manner. He seems to have been very -much averse to permitting the relatives to see the body." - -By the following fact, some color was given to the suspicion thus thrown -upon Beauvais. A visiter at his office, a few days prior to the girl's -disappearance, and during the absence of its occupant, had observed a -rose in the key-hole of the door, and the name "Marie" inscribed upon a -slate which hung near at hand. - -The general impression, so far as we were enabled to glean it from the -newspapers, seemed to be, that Marie had been the victim of a gang -of desperadoes--that by these she had been borne across the river, -maltreated and murdered. Le Commerciel, (*11) however, a print of -extensive influence, was earnest in combating this popular idea. I quote -a passage or two from its columns: - -"We are persuaded that pursuit has hitherto been on a false scent, so -far as it has been directed to the Barrire du Roule. It is impossible -that a person so well known to thousands as this young woman was, should -have passed three blocks without some one having seen her; and any one -who saw her would have remembered it, for she interested all who knew -her. It was when the streets were full of people, when she went out.... -It is impossible that she could have gone to the Barrire du Roule, or -to the Rue des Drmes, without being recognized by a dozen persons; yet -no one has come forward who saw her outside of her mother's door, and -there is no evidence, except the testimony concerning her expressed -intentions, that she did go out at all. Her gown was torn, bound round -her, and tied; and by that the body was carried as a bundle. If the -murder had been committed at the Barrire du Roule, there would have -been no necessity for any such arrangement. The fact that the body was -found floating near the Barrire, is no proof as to where it was thrown -into the water..... A piece of one of the unfortunate girl's petticoats, -two feet long and one foot wide, was torn out and tied under her chin -around the back of her head, probably to prevent screams. This was done -by fellows who had no pocket-handkerchief." - -A day or two before the Prefect called upon us, however, some important -information reached the police, which seemed to overthrow, at least, -the chief portion of Le Commerciel's argument. Two small boys, sons of a -Madame Deluc, while roaming among the woods near the Barrire du Roule, -chanced to penetrate a close thicket, within which were three or four -large stones, forming a kind of seat, with a back and footstool. On -the upper stone lay a white petticoat; on the second a silk scarf. A -parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief were also here found. The -handkerchief bore the name "Marie Rogt." Fragments of dress were -discovered on the brambles around. The earth was trampled, the bushes -were broken, and there was every evidence of a struggle. Between the -thicket and the river, the fences were found taken down, and the ground -bore evidence of some heavy burthen having been dragged along it. - -A weekly paper, Le Soleil,(*12) had the following comments upon this -discovery--comments which merely echoed the sentiment of the whole -Parisian press: - -"The things had all evidently been there at least three or four weeks; -they were all mildewed down hard with the action of the rain and stuck -together from mildew. The grass had grown around and over some of them. -The silk on the parasol was strong, but the threads of it were run -together within. The upper part, where it had been doubled and folded, -was all mildewed and rotten, and tore on its being opened..... The -pieces of her frock torn out by the bushes were about three inches wide -and six inches long. One part was the hem of the frock, and it had been -mended; the other piece was part of the skirt, not the hem. They looked -like strips torn off, and were on the thorn bush, about a foot from -the ground..... There can be no doubt, therefore, that the spot of this -appalling outrage has been discovered." - -Consequent upon this discovery, new evidence appeared. Madame Deluc -testified that she keeps a roadside inn not far from the bank of the -river, opposite the Barrire du Roule. The neighborhood is -secluded--particularly so. It is the usual Sunday resort of blackguards -from the city, who cross the river in boats. About three o'clock, in the -afternoon of the Sunday in question, a young girl arrived at the inn, -accompanied by a young man of dark complexion. The two remained here for -some time. On their departure, they took the road to some thick woods in -the vicinity. Madame Deluc's attention was called to the dress worn by -the girl, on account of its resemblance to one worn by a deceased -relative. A scarf was particularly noticed. Soon after the departure of -the couple, a gang of miscreants made their appearance, behaved -boisterously, ate and drank without making payment, followed in the -route of the young man and girl, returned to the inn about dusk, and -re-crossed the river as if in great haste. - -It was soon after dark, upon this same evening, that Madame Deluc, as -well as her eldest son, heard the screams of a female in the vicinity -of the inn. The screams were violent but brief. Madame D. recognized not -only the scarf which was found in the thicket, but the dress which was -discovered upon the corpse. An omnibus driver, Valence, (*13) now also -testified that he saw Marie Rogt cross a ferry on the Seine, on the -Sunday in question, in company with a young man of dark complexion. -He, Valence, knew Marie, and could not be mistaken in her identity. The -articles found in the thicket were fully identified by the relatives of -Marie. - -The items of evidence and information thus collected by myself, from -the newspapers, at the suggestion of Dupin, embraced only one more -point--but this was a point of seemingly vast consequence. It appears -that, immediately after the discovery of the clothes as above described, -the lifeless, or nearly lifeless body of St. Eustache, Marie's -betrothed, was found in the vicinity of what all now supposed the scene -of the outrage. A phial labelled "laudanum," and emptied, was found near -him. His breath gave evidence of the poison. He died without speaking. -Upon his person was found a letter, briefly stating his love for Marie, -with his design of self-destruction. - -"I need scarcely tell you," said Dupin, as he finished the perusal of -my notes, "that this is a far more intricate case than that of the -Rue Morgue; from which it differs in one important respect. This is -an ordinary, although an atrocious instance of crime. There is nothing -peculiarly outr about it. You will observe that, for this reason, the -mystery has been considered easy, when, for this reason, it should have -been considered difficult, of solution. Thus; at first, it was thought -unnecessary to offer a reward. The myrmidons of G---- were able at once -to comprehend how and why such an atrocity might have been committed. -They could picture to their imaginations a mode--many modes--and a -motive--many motives; and because it was not impossible that either of -these numerous modes and motives could have been the actual one, they -have taken it for granted that one of them must. But the case with which -these variable fancies were entertained, and the very plausibility which -each assumed, should have been understood as indicative rather of the -difficulties than of the facilities which must attend elucidation. I -have before observed that it is by prominences above the plane of the -ordinary, that reason feels her way, if at all, in her search for the -true, and that the proper question in cases such as this, is not so -much 'what has occurred?' as 'what has occurred that has never occurred -before?' In the investigations at the house of Madame L'Espanaye, -(*14) the agents of G---- were discouraged and confounded by that -very unusualness which, to a properly regulated intellect, would have -afforded the surest omen of success; while this same intellect might -have been plunged in despair at the ordinary character of all that met -the eye in the case of the perfumery-girl, and yet told of nothing but -easy triumph to the functionaries of the Prefecture. - -"In the case of Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter there was, even -at the beginning of our investigation, no doubt that murder had been -committed. The idea of suicide was excluded at once. Here, too, we are -freed, at the commencement, from all supposition of self-murder. The -body found at the Barrire du Roule, was found under such circumstances -as to leave us no room for embarrassment upon this important point. But -it has been suggested that the corpse discovered, is not that of the -Marie Rogt for the conviction of whose assassin, or assassins, the -reward is offered, and respecting whom, solely, our agreement has been -arranged with the Prefect. We both know this gentleman well. It will not -do to trust him too far. If, dating our inquiries from the body found, -and thence tracing a murderer, we yet discover this body to be that of -some other individual than Marie; or, if starting from the living Marie, -we find her, yet find her unassassinated--in either case we lose our -labor; since it is Monsieur G---- with whom we have to deal. For our -own purpose, therefore, if not for the purpose of justice, it is -indispensable that our first step should be the determination of the -identity of the corpse with the Marie Rogt who is missing. - -"With the public the arguments of L'Etoile have had weight; and that the -journal itself is convinced of their importance would appear from -the manner in which it commences one of its essays upon the -subject--'Several of the morning papers of the day,' it says, 'speak of -the _conclusive_ article in Monday's Etoile.' To me, this article -appears conclusive of little beyond the zeal of its inditer. We should -bear in mind that, in general, it is the object of our newspapers rather -to create a sensation--to make a point--than to further the cause of -truth. The latter end is only pursued when it seems coincident with the -former. The print which merely falls in with ordinary opinion (however -well founded this opinion may be) earns for itself no credit with the -mob. The mass of the people regard as profound only him who suggests -_pungent contradictions_ of the general idea. In ratiocination, not less -than in literature, it is the epigram which is the most immediately and -the most universally appreciated. In both, it is of the lowest order of -merit. - -"What I mean to say is, that it is the mingled epigram and melodrame -of the idea, that Marie Rogt still lives, rather than any true -plausibility in this idea, which have suggested it to L'Etoile, and -secured it a favorable reception with the public. Let us examine the -heads of this journal's argument; endeavoring to avoid the incoherence -with which it is originally set forth. - -"The first aim of the writer is to show, from the brevity of the -interval between Marie's disappearance and the finding of the floating -corpse, that this corpse cannot be that of Marie. The reduction of this -interval to its smallest possible dimension, becomes thus, at once, an -object with the reasoner. In the rash pursuit of this object, he rushes -into mere assumption at the outset. 'It is folly to suppose,' he says, -'that the murder, if murder was committed on her body, could have been -consummated soon enough to have enabled her murderers to throw the body -into the river before midnight.' We demand at once, and very naturally, -why? Why is it folly to suppose that the murder was committed _within -five minutes_ after the girl's quitting her mother's house? Why is it -folly to suppose that the murder was committed at any given period -of the day? There have been assassinations at all hours. But, had the -murder taken place at any moment between nine o'clock in the morning of -Sunday, and a quarter before midnight, there would still have been -time enough 'to throw the body into the river before midnight.' This -assumption, then, amounts precisely to this--that the murder was not -committed on Sunday at all--and, if we allow L'Etoile to assume this, -we may permit it any liberties whatever. The paragraph beginning 'It is -folly to suppose that the murder, etc.,' however it appears as printed -in L'Etoile, may be imagined to have existed actually thus in the brain -of its inditer--'It is folly to suppose that the murder, if murder was -committed on the body, could have been committed soon enough to have -enabled her murderers to throw the body into the river before midnight; -it is folly, we say, to suppose all this, and to suppose at the same -time, (as we are resolved to suppose,) that the body was not thrown -in until after midnight'--a sentence sufficiently inconsequential in -itself, but not so utterly preposterous as the one printed. - -"Were it my purpose," continued Dupin, "merely to _make out a case_ -against this passage of L'Etoile's argument, I might safely leave it -where it is. It is not, however, with L'Etoile that we have to do, but -with the truth. The sentence in question has but one meaning, as it -stands; and this meaning I have fairly stated: but it is material -that we go behind the mere words, for an idea which these words have -obviously intended, and failed to convey. It was the design of the -journalist to say that, at whatever period of the day or night of Sunday -this murder was committed, it was improbable that the assassins would -have ventured to bear the corpse to the river before midnight. And -herein lies, really, the assumption of which I complain. It is assumed -that the murder was committed at such a position, and under such -circumstances, that the bearing it to the river became necessary. Now, -the assassination might have taken place upon the river's brink, or on -the river itself; and, thus, the throwing the corpse in the water might -have been resorted to, at any period of the day or night, as the most -obvious and most immediate mode of disposal. You will understand that I -suggest nothing here as probable, or as cincident with my own opinion. -My design, so far, has no reference to the facts of the case. I wish -merely to caution you against the whole tone of L'Etoile's suggestion, -by calling your attention to its ex parte character at the outset. - -"Having prescribed thus a limit to suit its own preconceived notions; -having assumed that, if this were the body of Marie, it could have been -in the water but a very brief time; the journal goes on to say: - -'All experience has shown that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown into the -water immediately after death by violence, require from six to ten days -for sufficient decomposition to take place to bring them to the top -of the water. Even when a cannon is fired over a corpse, and it rises -before at least five or six days' immersion, it sinks again if let -alone.' - -"These assertions have been tacitly received by every paper in Paris, -with the exception of Le Moniteur. (*15) This latter print endeavors -to combat that portion of the paragraph which has reference to 'drowned -bodies' only, by citing some five or six instances in which the bodies -of individuals known to be drowned were found floating after the lapse -of less time than is insisted upon by L'Etoile. But there is something -excessively unphilosophical in the attempt on the part of Le Moniteur, -to rebut the general assertion of L'Etoile, by a citation of particular -instances militating against that assertion. Had it been possible to -adduce fifty instead of five examples of bodies found floating at the -end of two or three days, these fifty examples could still have been -properly regarded only as exceptions to L'Etoile's rule, until such time -as the rule itself should be confuted. Admitting the rule, (and this -Le Moniteur does not deny, insisting merely upon its exceptions,) the -argument of L'Etoile is suffered to remain in full force; for this -argument does not pretend to involve more than a question of the -probability of the body having risen to the surface in less than three -days; and this probability will be in favor of L'Etoile's position until -the instances so childishly adduced shall be sufficient in number to -establish an antagonistical rule. - -"You will see at once that all argument upon this head should be urged, -if at all, against the rule itself; and for this end we must examine the -rationale of the rule. Now the human body, in general, is neither much -lighter nor much heavier than the water of the Seine; that is to say, -the specific gravity of the human body, in its natural condition, is -about equal to the bulk of fresh water which it displaces. The bodies -of fat and fleshy persons, with small bones, and of women generally, -are lighter than those of the lean and large-boned, and of men; and the -specific gravity of the water of a river is somewhat influenced by the -presence of the tide from sea. But, leaving this tide out of question, -it may be said that very few human bodies will sink at all, even in -fresh water, of their own accord. Almost any one, falling into a river, -will be enabled to float, if he suffer the specific gravity of the water -fairly to be adduced in comparison with his own--that is to say, if -he suffer his whole person to be immersed, with as little exception as -possible. The proper position for one who cannot swim, is the upright -position of the walker on land, with the head thrown fully back, and -immersed; the mouth and nostrils alone remaining above the surface. -Thus circumstanced, we shall find that we float without difficulty and -without exertion. It is evident, however, that the gravities of the -body, and of the bulk of water displaced, are very nicely balanced, and -that a trifle will cause either to preponderate. An arm, for instance, -uplifted from the water, and thus deprived of its support, is an -additional weight sufficient to immerse the whole head, while the -accidental aid of the smallest piece of timber will enable us to elevate -the head so as to look about. Now, in the struggles of one unused to -swimming, the arms are invariably thrown upwards, while an attempt is -made to keep the head in its usual perpendicular position. The result -is the immersion of the mouth and nostrils, and the inception, during -efforts to breathe while beneath the surface, of water into the lungs. -Much is also received into the stomach, and the whole body becomes -heavier by the difference between the weight of the air originally -distending these cavities, and that of the fluid which now fills them. -This difference is sufficient to cause the body to sink, as a general -rule; but is insufficient in the cases of individuals with small bones -and an abnormal quantity of flaccid or fatty matter. Such individuals -float even after drowning. - -"The corpse, being supposed at the bottom of the river, will there -remain until, by some means, its specific gravity again becomes less -than that of the bulk of water which it displaces. This effect -is brought about by decomposition, or otherwise. The result of -decomposition is the generation of gas, distending the cellular tissues -and all the cavities, and giving the puffed appearance which is so -horrible. When this distension has so far progressed that the bulk of -the corpse is materially increased without a corresponding increase of -mass or weight, its specific gravity becomes less than that of the water -displaced, and it forthwith makes its appearance at the surface. But -decomposition is modified by innumerable circumstances--is hastened or -retarded by innumerable agencies; for example, by the heat or cold of -the season, by the mineral impregnation or purity of the water, by its -depth or shallowness, by its currency or stagnation, by the temperament -of the body, by its infection or freedom from disease before death. -Thus it is evident that we can assign no period, with any thing like -accuracy, at which the corpse shall rise through decomposition. Under -certain conditions this result would be brought about within an hour; -under others, it might not take place at all. There are chemical -infusions by which the animal frame can be preserved forever from -corruption; the Bi-chloride of Mercury is one. But, apart from -decomposition, there may be, and very usually is, a generation of gas -within the stomach, from the acetous fermentation of vegetable matter -(or within other cavities from other causes) sufficient to induce a -distension which will bring the body to the surface. The effect produced -by the firing of a cannon is that of simple vibration. This may either -loosen the corpse from the soft mud or ooze in which it is imbedded, -thus permitting it to rise when other agencies have already prepared -it for so doing; or it may overcome the tenacity of some putrescent -portions of the cellular tissue; allowing the cavities to distend under -the influence of the gas. - -"Having thus before us the whole philosophy of this subject, we can -easily test by it the assertions of L'Etoile. 'All experience shows,' -says this paper, 'that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown into the water -immediately after death by violence, require from six to ten days for -sufficient decomposition to take place to bring them to the top of the -water. Even when a cannon is fired over a corpse, and it rises before at -least five or six days' immersion, it sinks again if let alone.' - -"The whole of this paragraph must now appear a tissue of inconsequence -and incoherence. All experience does not show that 'drowned bodies' -require from six to ten days for sufficient decomposition to take place -to bring them to the surface. Both science and experience show that the -period of their rising is, and necessarily must be, indeterminate. If, -moreover, a body has risen to the surface through firing of cannon, -it will not 'sink again if let alone,' until decomposition has so far -progressed as to permit the escape of the generated gas. But I wish to -call your attention to the distinction which is made between 'drowned -bodies,' and 'bodies thrown into the water immediately after death by -violence.' Although the writer admits the distinction, he yet includes -them all in the same category. I have shown how it is that the body of -a drowning man becomes specifically heavier than its bulk of water, -and that he would not sink at all, except for the struggles by which -he elevates his arms above the surface, and his gasps for breath while -beneath the surface--gasps which supply by water the place of the -original air in the lungs. But these struggles and these gasps would -not occur in the body 'thrown into the water immediately after death by -violence.' Thus, in the latter instance, the body, as a general rule, -would not sink at all--a fact of which L'Etoile is evidently ignorant. -When decomposition had proceeded to a very great extent--when the flesh -had in a great measure left the bones--then, indeed, but not till then, -should we lose sight of the corpse. - -"And now what are we to make of the argument, that the body found could -not be that of Marie Rogt, because, three days only having elapsed, -this body was found floating? If drowned, being a woman, she might never -have sunk; or having sunk, might have reappeared in twenty-four hours, -or less. But no one supposes her to have been drowned; and, dying before -being thrown into the river, she might have been found floating at any -period afterwards whatever. - -"'But,' says L'Etoile, 'if the body had been kept in its mangled state -on shore until Tuesday night, some trace would be found on shore of the -murderers.' Here it is at first difficult to perceive the intention -of the reasoner. He means to anticipate what he imagines would be an -objection to his theory--viz: that the body was kept on shore two days, -suffering rapid decomposition--more rapid than if immersed in water. He -supposes that, had this been the case, it might have appeared at the -surface on the Wednesday, and thinks that only under such circumstances -it could so have appeared. He is accordingly in haste to show that it -was not kept on shore; for, if so, 'some trace would be found on shore -of the murderers.' I presume you smile at the sequitur. You cannot -be made to see how the mere duration of the corpse on the shore could -operate to multiply traces of the assassins. Nor can I. - -"'And furthermore it is exceedingly improbable,' continues our journal, -'that any villains who had committed such a murder as is here supposed, -would have thrown the body in without weight to sink it, when such -a precaution could have so easily been taken.' Observe, here, the -laughable confusion of thought! No one--not even L'Etoile--disputes -the murder committed _on the body found_. The marks of violence are too -obvious. It is our reasoner's object merely to show that this body is -not Marie's. He wishes to prove that Marie is not assassinated--not that -the corpse was not. Yet his observation proves only the latter point. -Here is a corpse without weight attached. Murderers, casting it in, -would not have failed to attach a weight. Therefore it was not thrown in -by murderers. This is all which is proved, if any thing is. The question -of identity is not even approached, and L'Etoile has been at great pains -merely to gainsay now what it has admitted only a moment before. 'We -are perfectly convinced,' it says, 'that the body found was that of a -murdered female.' - -"Nor is this the sole instance, even in this division of his subject, -where our reasoner unwittingly reasons against himself. His evident -object, I have already said, is to reduce, as much as possible, the -interval between Marie's disappearance and the finding of the corpse. -Yet we find him urging the point that no person saw the girl from the -moment of her leaving her mother's house. 'We have no evidence,' he -says, 'that Marie Rogt was in the land of the living after nine o'clock -on Sunday, June the twenty-second.' As his argument is obviously an ex -parte one, he should, at least, have left this matter out of sight; for -had any one been known to see Marie, say on Monday, or on Tuesday, -the interval in question would have been much reduced, and, by his own -ratiocination, the probability much diminished of the corpse being that -of the grisette. It is, nevertheless, amusing to observe that L'Etoile -insists upon its point in the full belief of its furthering its general -argument. - -"Reperuse now that portion of this argument which has reference to the -identification of the corpse by Beauvais. In regard to the hair upon the -arm, L'Etoile has been obviously disingenuous. M. Beauvais, not being an -idiot, could never have urged, in identification of the corpse, simply -hair upon its arm. No arm is without hair. The generality of the -expression of L'Etoile is a mere perversion of the witness' phraseology. -He must have spoken of some peculiarity in this hair. It must have been -a peculiarity of color, of quantity, of length, or of situation. - -"'Her foot,' says the journal, 'was small--so are thousands of feet. Her -garter is no proof whatever--nor is her shoe--for shoes and garters are -sold in packages. The same may be said of the flowers in her hat. One -thing upon which M. Beauvais strongly insists is, that the clasp on the -garter found, had been set back to take it in. This amounts to nothing; -for most women find it proper to take a pair of garters home and fit -them to the size of the limbs they are to encircle, rather than to try -them in the store where they purchase.' Here it is difficult to suppose -the reasoner in earnest. Had M. Beauvais, in his search for the body of -Marie, discovered a corpse corresponding in general size and appearance -to the missing girl, he would have been warranted (without reference to -the question of habiliment at all) in forming an opinion that his search -had been successful. If, in addition to the point of general size and -contour, he had found upon the arm a peculiar hairy appearance which he -had observed upon the living Marie, his opinion might have been justly -strengthened; and the increase of positiveness might well have been in -the ratio of the peculiarity, or unusualness, of the hairy mark. If, -the feet of Marie being small, those of the corpse were also small, the -increase of probability that the body was that of Marie would not be an -increase in a ratio merely arithmetical, but in one highly geometrical, -or accumulative. Add to all this shoes such as she had been known to -wear upon the day of her disappearance, and, although these shoes may be -'sold in packages,' you so far augment the probability as to verge upon -the certain. What, of itself, would be no evidence of identity, becomes -through its corroborative position, proof most sure. Give us, then, -flowers in the hat corresponding to those worn by the missing girl, and -we seek for nothing farther. If only one flower, we seek for nothing -farther--what then if two or three, or more? Each successive one -is multiple evidence--proof not _added_ to proof, but multiplied by -hundreds or thousands. Let us now discover, upon the deceased, garters -such as the living used, and it is almost folly to proceed. But these -garters are found to be tightened, by the setting back of a clasp, -in just such a manner as her own had been tightened by Marie, shortly -previous to her leaving home. It is now madness or hypocrisy to doubt. -What L'Etoile says in respect to this abbreviation of the garter's being -an usual occurrence, shows nothing beyond its own pertinacity in error. -The elastic nature of the clasp-garter is self-demonstration of the -unusualness of the abbreviation. What is made to adjust itself, must of -necessity require foreign adjustment but rarely. It must have been by an -accident, in its strictest sense, that these garters of Marie needed -the tightening described. They alone would have amply established her -identity. But it is not that the corpse was found to have the garters -of the missing girl, or found to have her shoes, or her bonnet, or the -flowers of her bonnet, or her feet, or a peculiar mark upon the arm, -or her general size and appearance--it is that the corpse had each, -and _all collectively_. Could it be proved that the editor of L'Etoile -_really_ entertained a doubt, under the circumstances, there would be -no need, in his case, of a commission de lunatico inquirendo. He has -thought it sagacious to echo the small talk of the lawyers, who, for the -most part, content themselves with echoing the rectangular precepts of -the courts. I would here observe that very much of what is rejected as -evidence by a court, is the best of evidence to the intellect. For -the court, guiding itself by the general principles of evidence--the -recognized and _booked_ principles--is averse from swerving at -particular instances. And this steadfast adherence to principle, with -rigorous disregard of the conflicting exception, is a sure mode of -attaining the maximum of attainable truth, in any long sequence of time. -The practice, in mass, is therefore philosophical; but it is not the -less certain that it engenders vast individual error. (*16) - -"In respect to the insinuations levelled at Beauvais, you will be -willing to dismiss them in a breath. You have already fathomed the -true character of this good gentleman. He is a busy-body, with much -of romance and little of wit. Any one so constituted will readily so -conduct himself, upon occasion of real excitement, as to render himself -liable to suspicion on the part of the over acute, or the ill-disposed. -M. Beauvais (as it appears from your notes) had some personal interviews -with the editor of L'Etoile, and offended him by venturing an opinion -that the corpse, notwithstanding the theory of the editor, was, in sober -fact, that of Marie. 'He persists,' says the paper, 'in asserting the -corpse to be that of Marie, but cannot give a circumstance, in addition -to those which we have commented upon, to make others believe.' Now, -without re-adverting to the fact that stronger evidence 'to make others -believe,' could never have been adduced, it may be remarked that a man -may very well be understood to believe, in a case of this kind, without -the ability to advance a single reason for the belief of a second party. -Nothing is more vague than impressions of individual identity. Each man -recognizes his neighbor, yet there are few instances in which any one -is prepared to give a reason for his recognition. The editor of L'Etoile -had no right to be offended at M. Beauvais' unreasoning belief. - -"The suspicious circumstances which invest him, will be found to tally -much better with my hypothesis of romantic busy-bodyism, than with -the reasoner's suggestion of guilt. Once adopting the more charitable -interpretation, we shall find no difficulty in comprehending the rose -in the key-hole; the 'Marie' upon the slate; the 'elbowing the male -relatives out of the way;' the 'aversion to permitting them to see -the body;' the caution given to Madame B----, that she must hold no -conversation with the gendarme until his return (Beauvais'); and, -lastly, his apparent determination 'that nobody should have anything to -do with the proceedings except himself.' It seems to me unquestionable -that Beauvais was a suitor of Marie's; that she coquetted with him; and -that he was ambitious of being thought to enjoy her fullest intimacy -and confidence. I shall say nothing more upon this point; and, as the -evidence fully rebuts the assertion of L'Etoile, touching the matter -of apathy on the part of the mother and other relatives--an apathy -inconsistent with the supposition of their believing the corpse to be -that of the perfumery-girl--we shall now proceed as if the question of -identity were settled to our perfect satisfaction." - -"And what," I here demanded, "do you think of the opinions of Le -Commerciel?" - -"That, in spirit, they are far more worthy of attention than any which -have been promulgated upon the subject. The deductions from the premises -are philosophical and acute; but the premises, in two instances, at -least, are founded in imperfect observation. Le Commerciel wishes to -intimate that Marie was seized by some gang of low ruffians not far from -her mother's door. 'It is impossible,' it urges, 'that a person so well -known to thousands as this young woman was, should have passed three -blocks without some one having seen her.' This is the idea of a man long -resident in Paris--a public man--and one whose walks to and fro in the -city, have been mostly limited to the vicinity of the public offices. -He is aware that he seldom passes so far as a dozen blocks from his own -bureau, without being recognized and accosted. And, knowing the extent -of his personal acquaintance with others, and of others with him, he -compares his notoriety with that of the perfumery-girl, finds no great -difference between them, and reaches at once the conclusion that she, in -her walks, would be equally liable to recognition with himself in -his. This could only be the case were her walks of the same unvarying, -methodical character, and within the same species of limited region -as are his own. He passes to and fro, at regular intervals, within a -confined periphery, abounding in individuals who are led to observation -of his person through interest in the kindred nature of his occupation -with their own. But the walks of Marie may, in general, be supposed -discursive. In this particular instance, it will be understood as most -probable, that she proceeded upon a route of more than average diversity -from her accustomed ones. The parallel which we imagine to have existed -in the mind of Le Commerciel would only be sustained in the event of the -two individuals' traversing the whole city. In this case, granting the -personal acquaintances to be equal, the chances would be also equal that -an equal number of personal rencounters would be made. For my own -part, I should hold it not only as possible, but as very far more than -probable, that Marie might have proceeded, at any given period, by any -one of the many routes between her own residence and that of her aunt, -without meeting a single individual whom she knew, or by whom she was -known. In viewing this question in its full and proper light, we must -hold steadily in mind the great disproportion between the personal -acquaintances of even the most noted individual in Paris, and the entire -population of Paris itself. - -"But whatever force there may still appear to be in the suggestion of Le -Commerciel, will be much diminished when we take into consideration the -hour at which the girl went abroad. 'It was when the streets were full -of people,' says Le Commerciel, 'that she went out.' But not so. It was -at nine o'clock in the morning. Now at nine o'clock of every morning in -the week, _with the exception of Sunday_, the streets of the city are, -it is true, thronged with people. At nine on Sunday, the populace are -chiefly within doors _preparing for church_. No observing person can -have failed to notice the peculiarly deserted air of the town, from -about eight until ten on the morning of every Sabbath. Between ten and -eleven the streets are thronged, but not at so early a period as that -designated. - -"There is another point at which there seems a deficiency of observation -on the part of Le Commerciel. 'A piece,' it says, 'of one of the -unfortunate girl's petticoats, two feet long, and one foot wide, was -torn out and tied under her chin, and around the back of her head, -probably to prevent screams. This was done, by fellows who had no -pocket-handkerchiefs.' Whether this idea is, or is not well founded, -we will endeavor to see hereafter; but by 'fellows who have no -pocket-handkerchiefs' the editor intends the lowest class of ruffians. -These, however, are the very description of people who will always be -found to have handkerchiefs even when destitute of shirts. You must have -had occasion to observe how absolutely indispensable, of late years, to -the thorough blackguard, has become the pocket-handkerchief." - -"And what are we to think," I asked, "of the article in Le Soleil?" - -"That it is a vast pity its inditer was not born a parrot--in which -case he would have been the most illustrious parrot of his race. He has -merely repeated the individual items of the already published opinion; -collecting them, with a laudable industry, from this paper and from -that. 'The things had all evidently been there,' he says,'at least, -three or four weeks, and there can be _no doubt_ that the spot of this -appalling outrage has been discovered.' The facts here re-stated by -Le Soleil, are very far indeed from removing my own doubts upon this -subject, and we will examine them more particularly hereafter in -connexion with another division of the theme. - -"At present we must occupy ourselves with other investigations. You -cannot fail to have remarked the extreme laxity of the examination of -the corpse. To be sure, the question of identity was readily determined, -or should have been; but there were other points to be ascertained. Had -the body been in any respect despoiled? Had the deceased any articles -of jewelry about her person upon leaving home? if so, had she any when -found? These are important questions utterly untouched by the evidence; -and there are others of equal moment, which have met with no attention. -We must endeavor to satisfy ourselves by personal inquiry. The case of -St. Eustache must be re-examined. I have no suspicion of this person; -but let us proceed methodically. We will ascertain beyond a doubt the -validity of the affidavits in regard to his whereabouts on the Sunday. -Affidavits of this character are readily made matter of mystification. -Should there be nothing wrong here, however, we will dismiss St. -Eustache from our investigations. His suicide, however corroborative of -suspicion, were there found to be deceit in the affidavits, is, without -such deceit, in no respect an unaccountable circumstance, or one which -need cause us to deflect from the line of ordinary analysis. - -"In that which I now propose, we will discard the interior points of -this tragedy, and concentrate our attention upon its outskirts. Not the -least usual error, in investigations such as this, is the limiting of -inquiry to the immediate, with total disregard of the collateral or -circumstantial events. It is the mal-practice of the courts to confine -evidence and discussion to the bounds of apparent relevancy. Yet -experience has shown, and a true philosophy will always show, that a -vast, perhaps the larger portion of truth, arises from the seemingly -irrelevant. It is through the spirit of this principle, if not precisely -through its letter, that modern science has resolved to calculate upon -the unforeseen. But perhaps you do not comprehend me. The history of -human knowledge has so uninterruptedly shown that to collateral, or -incidental, or accidental events we are indebted for the most numerous -and most valuable discoveries, that it has at length become necessary, -in any prospective view of improvement, to make not only large, but the -largest allowances for inventions that shall arise by chance, and quite -out of the range of ordinary expectation. It is no longer philosophical -to base, upon what has been, a vision of what is to be. Accident is -admitted as a portion of the substructure. We make chance a matter of -absolute calculation. We subject the unlooked for and unimagined, to the -mathematical _formulae_ of the schools. - -"I repeat that it is no more than fact, that the larger portion of all -truth has sprung from the collateral; and it is but in accordance with -the spirit of the principle involved in this fact, that I would divert -inquiry, in the present case, from the trodden and hitherto unfruitful -ground of the event itself, to the contemporary circumstances which -surround it. While you ascertain the validity of the affidavits, I will -examine the newspapers more generally than you have as yet done. So far, -we have only reconnoitred the field of investigation; but it will be -strange indeed if a comprehensive survey, such as I propose, of the -public prints, will not afford us some minute points which shall -establish a direction for inquiry." - -In pursuance of Dupin's suggestion, I made scrupulous examination of -the affair of the affidavits. The result was a firm conviction of their -validity, and of the consequent innocence of St. Eustache. In the mean -time my friend occupied himself, with what seemed to me a minuteness -altogether objectless, in a scrutiny of the various newspaper files. At -the end of a week he placed before me the following extracts: - -"About three years and a half ago, a disturbance very similar to the -present, was caused by the disappearance of this same Marie Rogt, from -the parfumerie of Monsieur Le Blanc, in the Palais Royal. At the end of -a week, however, she re-appeared at her customary comptoir, as well as -ever, with the exception of a slight paleness not altogether usual. It -was given out by Monsieur Le Blanc and her mother, that she had merely -been on a visit to some friend in the country; and the affair was -speedily hushed up. We presume that the present absence is a freak of -the same nature, and that, at the expiration of a week, or perhaps of -a month, we shall have her among us again."--Evening Paper--Monday June -23. (*17) - -"An evening journal of yesterday, refers to a former mysterious -disappearance of Mademoiselle Rogt. It is well known that, during the -week of her absence from Le Blanc's parfumerie, she was in the company -of a young naval officer, much noted for his debaucheries. A quarrel, it -is supposed, providentially led to her return home. We have the name of -the Lothario in question, who is, at present, stationed in Paris, but, -for obvious reasons, forbear to make it public."--Le Mercurie--Tuesday -Morning, June 24. (*18) - -"An outrage of the most atrocious character was perpetrated near this -city the day before yesterday. A gentleman, with his wife and daughter, -engaged, about dusk, the services of six young men, who were idly rowing -a boat to and fro near the banks of the Seine, to convey him across the -river. Upon reaching the opposite shore, the three passengers stepped -out, and had proceeded so far as to be beyond the view of the boat, -when the daughter discovered that she had left in it her parasol. She -returned for it, was seized by the gang, carried out into the stream, -gagged, brutally treated, and finally taken to the shore at a point -not far from that at which she had originally entered the boat with her -parents. The villains have escaped for the time, but the police are upon -their trail, and some of them will soon be taken."--Morning Paper--June -25. (*19) - -"We have received one or two communications, the object of which is to -fasten the crime of the late atrocity upon Mennais; (*20) but as this -gentleman has been fully exonerated by a loyal inquiry, and as the -arguments of our several correspondents appear to be more zealous than -profound, we do not think it advisable to make them public."--Morning -Paper--June 28. (*21) - -"We have received several forcibly written communications, apparently -from various sources, and which go far to render it a matter of -certainty that the unfortunate Marie Rogt has become a victim of one of -the numerous bands of blackguards which infest the vicinity of the city -upon Sunday. Our own opinion is decidedly in favor of this -supposition. We shall endeavor to make room for some of these arguments -hereafter."--Evening Paper--Tuesday, June 31. (*22) - -"On Monday, one of the bargemen connected with the revenue service, saw -a empty boat floating down the Seine. Sails were lying in the bottom of -the boat. The bargeman towed it under the barge office. The next morning -it was taken from thence, without the knowledge of any of the officers. -The rudder is now at the barge office."--Le Diligence--Thursday, June -26. - -Upon reading these various extracts, they not only seemed to me -irrelevant, but I could perceive no mode in which any one of them -could be brought to bear upon the matter in hand. I waited for some -explanation from Dupin. - -"It is not my present design," he said, "to dwell upon the first and -second of those extracts. I have copied them chiefly to show you the -extreme remissness of the police, who, as far as I can understand from -the Prefect, have not troubled themselves, in any respect, with an -examination of the naval officer alluded to. Yet it is mere folly to say -that between the first and second disappearance of Marie, there is -no _supposable_ connection. Let us admit the first elopement to have -resulted in a quarrel between the lovers, and the return home of the -betrayed. We are now prepared to view a second elopement (if we know -that an elopement has again taken place) as indicating a renewal of the -betrayer's advances, rather than as the result of new proposals by a -second individual--we are prepared to regard it as a 'making up' of the -old amour, rather than as the commencement of a new one. The chances are -ten to one, that he who had once eloped with Marie, would again propose -an elopement, rather than that she to whom proposals of elopement had -been made by one individual, should have them made to her by another. -And here let me call your attention to the fact, that the time elapsing -between the first ascertained, and the second supposed elopement, is -a few months more than the general period of the cruises of our -men-of-war. Had the lover been interrupted in his first villany by the -necessity of departure to sea, and had he seized the first moment of his -return to renew the base designs not yet altogether accomplished--or -not yet altogether accomplished by _him?_ Of all these things we know -nothing. - -"You will say, however, that, in the second instance, there was no -elopement as imagined. Certainly not--but are we prepared to say that -there was not the frustrated design? Beyond St. Eustache, and perhaps -Beauvais, we find no recognized, no open, no honorable suitors of Marie. -Of none other is there any thing said. Who, then, is the secret lover, -of whom the relatives (at least most of them) know nothing, but whom -Marie meets upon the morning of Sunday, and who is so deeply in her -confidence, that she hesitates not to remain with him until the shades -of the evening descend, amid the solitary groves of the Barrire du -Roule? Who is that secret lover, I ask, of whom, at least, most of the -relatives know nothing? And what means the singular prophecy of Madame -Rogt on the morning of Marie's departure?--'I fear that I shall never -see Marie again.' - -"But if we cannot imagine Madame Rogt privy to the design of elopement, -may we not at least suppose this design entertained by the girl? Upon -quitting home, she gave it to be understood that she was about to visit -her aunt in the Rue des Drmes and St. Eustache was requested to call -for her at dark. Now, at first glance, this fact strongly militates -against my suggestion;--but let us reflect. That she did meet some -companion, and proceed with him across the river, reaching the Barrire -du Roule at so late an hour as three o'clock in the afternoon, is -known. But in consenting so to accompany this individual, (_for whatever -purpose--to her mother known or unknown,_) she must have thought of her -expressed intention when leaving home, and of the surprise and suspicion -aroused in the bosom of her affianced suitor, St. Eustache, when, -calling for her, at the hour appointed, in the Rue des Drmes, he should -find that she had not been there, and when, moreover, upon returning to -the pension with this alarming intelligence, he should become aware of -her continued absence from home. She must have thought of these things, -I say. She must have foreseen the chagrin of St. Eustache, the suspicion -of all. She could not have thought of returning to brave this suspicion; -but the suspicion becomes a point of trivial importance to her, if we -suppose her not intending to return. - -"We may imagine her thinking thus--'I am to meet a certain person for -the purpose of elopement, or for certain other purposes known only to -myself. It is necessary that there be no chance of interruption--there -must be sufficient time given us to elude pursuit--I will give it to be -understood that I shall visit and spend the day with my aunt at the Rue -des Drmes--I well tell St. Eustache not to call for me until dark--in -this way, my absence from home for the longest possible period, without -causing suspicion or anxiety, will be accounted for, and I shall gain -more time than in any other manner. If I bid St. Eustache call for me -at dark, he will be sure not to call before; but, if I wholly neglect -to bid him call, my time for escape will be diminished, since it will -be expected that I return the earlier, and my absence will the sooner -excite anxiety. Now, if it were my design to return at all--if I had in -contemplation merely a stroll with the individual in question--it would -not be my policy to bid St. Eustache call; for, calling, he will be sure -to ascertain that I have played him false--a fact of which I might keep -him for ever in ignorance, by leaving home without notifying him of my -intention, by returning before dark, and by then stating that I had been -to visit my aunt in the Rue des Drmes. But, as it is my design never -to return--or not for some weeks--or not until certain concealments are -effected--the gaining of time is the only point about which I need give -myself any concern.' - -"You have observed, in your notes, that the most general opinion in -relation to this sad affair is, and was from the first, that the girl -had been the victim of a gang of blackguards. Now, the popular opinion, -under certain conditions, is not to be disregarded. When arising of -itself--when manifesting itself in a strictly spontaneous manner--we -should look upon it as analogous with that _intuition_ which is the -idiosyncrasy of the individual man of genius. In ninety-nine cases from -the hundred I would abide by its decision. But it is important that we -find no palpable traces of _suggestion_. The opinion must be rigorously -_the public's own_; and the distinction is often exceedingly difficult -to perceive and to maintain. In the present instance, it appears to me -that this 'public opinion' in respect to a gang, has been superinduced -by the collateral event which is detailed in the third of my extracts. -All Paris is excited by the discovered corpse of Marie, a girl young, -beautiful and notorious. This corpse is found, bearing marks of -violence, and floating in the river. But it is now made known that, at -the very period, or about the very period, in which it is supposed that -the girl was assassinated, an outrage similar in nature to that endured -by the deceased, although less in extent, was perpetuated, by a gang -of young ruffians, upon the person of a second young female. Is it -wonderful that the one known atrocity should influence the popular -judgment in regard to the other unknown? This judgment awaited -direction, and the known outrage seemed so opportunely to afford it! -Marie, too, was found in the river; and upon this very river was this -known outrage committed. The connexion of the two events had about it so -much of the palpable, that the true wonder would have been a failure -of the populace to appreciate and to seize it. But, in fact, the one -atrocity, known to be so committed, is, if any thing, evidence that the -other, committed at a time nearly coincident, was not so committed. -It would have been a miracle indeed, if, while a gang of ruffians were -perpetrating, at a given locality, a most unheard-of wrong, there should -have been another similar gang, in a similar locality, in the same -city, under the same circumstances, with the same means and appliances, -engaged in a wrong of precisely the same aspect, at precisely the -same period of time! Yet in what, if not in this marvellous train of -coincidence, does the accidentally suggested opinion of the populace -call upon us to believe? - -"Before proceeding farther, let us consider the supposed scene of the -assassination, in the thicket at the Barrire du Roule. This thicket, -although dense, was in the close vicinity of a public road. Within -were three or four large stones, forming a kind of seat with a back and -footstool. On the upper stone was discovered a white petticoat; on the -second, a silk scarf. A parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief, -were also here found. The handkerchief bore the name, 'Marie Rogt.' -Fragments of dress were seen on the branches around. The earth was -trampled, the bushes were broken, and there was every evidence of a -violent struggle. - -"Notwithstanding the acclamation with which the discovery of this -thicket was received by the press, and the unanimity with which it -was supposed to indicate the precise scene of the outrage, it must be -admitted that there was some very good reason for doubt. That it was the -scene, I may or I may not believe--but there was excellent reason for -doubt. Had the true scene been, as Le Commerciel suggested, in the -neighborhood of the Rue Pave St. Andre, the perpetrators of the -crime, supposing them still resident in Paris, would naturally have been -stricken with terror at the public attention thus acutely directed into -the proper channel; and, in certain classes of minds, there would have -arisen, at once, a sense of the necessity of some exertion to redivert -this attention. And thus, the thicket of the Barrire du Roule having -been already suspected, the idea of placing the articles where they were -found, might have been naturally entertained. There is no real evidence, -although Le Soleil so supposes, that the articles discovered had -been more than a very few days in the thicket; while there is much -circumstantial proof that they could not have remained there, without -attracting attention, during the twenty days elapsing between the fatal -Sunday and the afternoon upon which they were found by the boys. 'They -were all _mildewed_ down hard,' says Le Soleil, adopting the opinions of -its predecessors, 'with the action of the rain, and stuck together from -_mildew_. The grass had grown around and over some of them. The silk of -the parasol was strong, but the threads of it were run together within. -The upper part, where it had been doubled and folded, was all _mildewed_ -and rotten, and tore on being opened.' In respect to the grass having -'grown around and over some of them,' it is obvious that the fact -could only have been ascertained from the words, and thus from the -recollections, of two small boys; for these boys removed the articles -and took them home before they had been seen by a third party. But grass -will grow, especially in warm and damp weather, (such as was that of the -period of the murder,) as much as two or three inches in a single day. -A parasol lying upon a newly turfed ground, might, in a single week, -be entirely concealed from sight by the upspringing grass. And touching -that mildew upon which the editor of Le Soleil so pertinaciously -insists, that he employs the word no less than three times in the -brief paragraph just quoted, is he really unaware of the nature of this -mildew? Is he to be told that it is one of the many classes of fungus, -of which the most ordinary feature is its upspringing and decadence -within twenty-four hours? - -"Thus we see, at a glance, that what has been most triumphantly adduced -in support of the idea that the articles had been 'for at least three -or four weeks' in the thicket, is most absurdly null as regards any -evidence of that fact. On the other hand, it is exceedingly difficult -to believe that these articles could have remained in the thicket -specified, for a longer period than a single week--for a longer period -than from one Sunday to the next. Those who know any thing of the -vicinity of Paris, know the extreme difficulty of finding seclusion -unless at a great distance from its suburbs. Such a thing as an -unexplored, or even an unfrequently visited recess, amid its woods or -groves, is not for a moment to be imagined. Let any one who, being at -heart a lover of nature, is yet chained by duty to the dust and heat -of this great metropolis--let any such one attempt, even during the -weekdays, to slake his thirst for solitude amid the scenes of natural -loveliness which immediately surround us. At every second step, he will -find the growing charm dispelled by the voice and personal intrusion -of some ruffian or party of carousing blackguards. He will seek privacy -amid the densest foliage, all in vain. Here are the very nooks where the -unwashed most abound--here are the temples most desecrate. With sickness -of the heart the wanderer will flee back to the polluted Paris as to -a less odious because less incongruous sink of pollution. But if the -vicinity of the city is so beset during the working days of the week, -how much more so on the Sabbath! It is now especially that, released -from the claims of labor, or deprived of the customary opportunities of -crime, the town blackguard seeks the precincts of the town, not through -love of the rural, which in his heart he despises, but by way of escape -from the restraints and conventionalities of society. He desires -less the fresh air and the green trees, than the utter license of the -country. Here, at the road-side inn, or beneath the foliage of the -woods, he indulges, unchecked by any eye except those of his boon -companions, in all the mad excess of a counterfeit hilarity--the joint -offspring of liberty and of rum. I say nothing more than what must -be obvious to every dispassionate observer, when I repeat that the -circumstance of the articles in question having remained undiscovered, -for a longer period--than from one Sunday to another, in any thicket in -the immediate neighborhood of Paris, is to be looked upon as little less -than miraculous. - -"But there are not wanting other grounds for the suspicion that the -articles were placed in the thicket with the view of diverting attention -from the real scene of the outrage. And, first, let me direct your -notice to the date of the discovery of the articles. Collate this with -the date of the fifth extract made by myself from the newspapers. You -will find that the discovery followed, almost immediately, the urgent -communications sent to the evening paper. These communications, although -various and apparently from various sources, tended all to the same -point--viz., the directing of attention to a gang as the perpetrators -of the outrage, and to the neighborhood of the Barrire du Roule as its -scene. Now here, of course, the suspicion is not that, in consequence of -these communications, or of the public attention by them directed, the -articles were found by the boys; but the suspicion might and may well -have been, that the articles were not before found by the boys, for the -reason that the articles had not before been in the thicket; having -been deposited there only at so late a period as at the date, or shortly -prior to the date of the communications by the guilty authors of these -communications themselves. - -"This thicket was a singular--an exceedingly singular one. It was -unusually dense. Within its naturally walled enclosure were three -extraordinary stones, forming a seat with a back and footstool. And this -thicket, so full of a natural art, was in the immediate vicinity, within -a few rods, of the dwelling of Madame Deluc, whose boys were in the -habit of closely examining the shrubberies about them in search of -the bark of the sassafras. Would it be a rash wager--a wager of one -thousand to one--that a day never passed over the heads of these boys -without finding at least one of them ensconced in the umbrageous hall, -and enthroned upon its natural throne? Those who would hesitate at such -a wager, have either never been boys themselves, or have forgotten the -boyish nature. I repeat--it is exceedingly hard to comprehend how the -articles could have remained in this thicket undiscovered, for a longer -period than one or two days; and that thus there is good ground for -suspicion, in spite of the dogmatic ignorance of Le Soleil, that they -were, at a comparatively late date, deposited where found. - -"But there are still other and stronger reasons for believing them so -deposited, than any which I have as yet urged. And, now, let me beg -your notice to the highly artificial arrangement of the articles. On the -upper stone lay a white petticoat; on the second a silk scarf; scattered -around, were a parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief bearing the -name, 'Marie Rogt.' Here is just such an arrangement as would naturally -be made by a not over-acute person wishing to dispose the articles -naturally. But it is by no means a really natural arrangement. I -should rather have looked to see the things all lying on the ground and -trampled under foot. In the narrow limits of that bower, it would have -been scarcely possible that the petticoat and scarf should have retained -a position upon the stones, when subjected to the brushing to and fro -of many struggling persons. 'There was evidence,' it is said, 'of a -struggle; and the earth was trampled, the bushes were broken,'--but the -petticoat and the scarf are found deposited as if upon shelves. 'The -pieces of the frock torn out by the bushes were about three inches wide -and six inches long. One part was the hem of the frock and it had been -mended. They looked like strips torn off.' Here, inadvertently, Le -Soleil has employed an exceedingly suspicious phrase. The pieces, as -described, do indeed 'look like strips torn off;' but purposely and by -hand. It is one of the rarest of accidents that a piece is 'torn off,' -from any garment such as is now in question, by the agency of a thorn. -From the very nature of such fabrics, a thorn or nail becoming entangled -in them, tears them rectangularly--divides them into two longitudinal -rents, at right angles with each other, and meeting at an apex where the -thorn enters--but it is scarcely possible to conceive the piece 'torn -off.' I never so knew it, nor did you. To tear a piece off from such -fabric, two distinct forces, in different directions, will be, in almost -every case, required. If there be two edges to the fabric--if, for -example, it be a pocket-handkerchief, and it is desired to tear from it -a slip, then, and then only, will the one force serve the purpose. But -in the present case the question is of a dress, presenting but one edge. -To tear a piece from the interior, where no edge is presented, could -only be effected by a miracle through the agency of thorns, and no one -thorn could accomplish it. But, even where an edge is presented, two -thorns will be necessary, operating, the one in two distinct directions, -and the other in one. And this in the supposition that the edge is -unhemmed. If hemmed, the matter is nearly out of the question. We thus -see the numerous and great obstacles in the way of pieces being 'torn -off' through the simple agency of 'thorns;' yet we are required to -believe not only that one piece but that many have been so torn. 'And -one part,' too, 'was the hem of the frock!' Another piece was 'part -of the skirt, not the hem,'--that is to say, was torn completely out -through the agency of thorns, from the uncaged interior of the -dress! These, I say, are things which one may well be pardoned for -disbelieving; yet, taken collectedly, they form, perhaps, less of -reasonable ground for suspicion, than the one startling circumstance of -the articles' having been left in this thicket at all, by any murderers -who had enough precaution to think of removing the corpse. You will not -have apprehended me rightly, however, if you suppose it my design to -deny this thicket as the scene of the outrage. There might have been a -wrong here, or, more possibly, an accident at Madame Deluc's. But, in -fact, this is a point of minor importance. We are not engaged in an -attempt to discover the scene, but to produce the perpetrators of the -murder. What I have adduced, notwithstanding the minuteness with which I -have adduced it, has been with the view, first, to show the folly of the -positive and headlong assertions of Le Soleil, but secondly and chiefly, -to bring you, by the most natural route, to a further contemplation of -the doubt whether this assassination has, or has not been, the work of a -gang. - -"We will resume this question by mere allusion to the revolting details -of the surgeon examined at the inquest. It is only necessary to say that -his published inferences, in regard to the number of ruffians, have been -properly ridiculed as unjust and totally baseless, by all the reputable -anatomists of Paris. Not that the matter might not have been as -inferred, but that there was no ground for the inference:--was there not -much for another? - -"Let us reflect now upon 'the traces of a struggle;' and let me ask what -these traces have been supposed to demonstrate. A gang. But do they not -rather demonstrate the absence of a gang? What struggle could have taken -place--what struggle so violent and so enduring as to have left its -'traces' in all directions--between a weak and defenceless girl and the -gang of ruffians imagined? The silent grasp of a few rough arms and all -would have been over. The victim must have been absolutely passive at -their will. You will here bear in mind that the arguments urged against -the thicket as the scene, are applicable in chief part, only against it -as the scene of an outrage committed by more than a single individual. -If we imagine but one violator, we can conceive, and thus only conceive, -the struggle of so violent and so obstinate a nature as to have left the -'traces' apparent. - -"And again. I have already mentioned the suspicion to be excited by the -fact that the articles in question were suffered to remain at all in -the thicket where discovered. It seems almost impossible that these -evidences of guilt should have been accidentally left where found. There -was sufficient presence of mind (it is supposed) to remove the corpse; -and yet a more positive evidence than the corpse itself (whose features -might have been quickly obliterated by decay,) is allowed to lie -conspicuously in the scene of the outrage--I allude to the handkerchief -with the name of the deceased. If this was accident, it was not -the accident of a gang. We can imagine it only the accident of an -individual. Let us see. An individual has committed the murder. He -is alone with the ghost of the departed. He is appalled by what lies -motionless before him. The fury of his passion is over, and there is -abundant room in his heart for the natural awe of the deed. His is none -of that confidence which the presence of numbers inevitably inspires. -He is alone with the dead. He trembles and is bewildered. Yet there is -a necessity for disposing of the corpse. He bears it to the river, but -leaves behind him the other evidences of guilt; for it is difficult, if -not impossible to carry all the burthen at once, and it will be easy to -return for what is left. But in his toilsome journey to the water his -fears redouble within him. The sounds of life encompass his path. A -dozen times he hears or fancies the step of an observer. Even the very -lights from the city bewilder him. Yet, in time and by long and frequent -pauses of deep agony, he reaches the river's brink, and disposes of -his ghastly charge--perhaps through the medium of a boat. But now what -treasure does the world hold--what threat of vengeance could it hold -out--which would have power to urge the return of that lonely murderer -over that toilsome and perilous path, to the thicket and its blood -chilling recollections? He returns not, let the consequences be what -they may. He could not return if he would. His sole thought is immediate -escape. He turns his back forever upon those dreadful shrubberies and -flees as from the wrath to come. - -"But how with a gang? Their number would have inspired them with -confidence; if, indeed confidence is ever wanting in the breast of the -arrant blackguard; and of arrant blackguards alone are the supposed -gangs ever constituted. Their number, I say, would have prevented the -bewildering and unreasoning terror which I have imagined to paralyze the -single man. Could we suppose an oversight in one, or two, or three, this -oversight would have been remedied by a fourth. They would have left -nothing behind them; for their number would have enabled them to carry -all at once. There would have been no need of return. - -"Consider now the circumstance that in the outer garment of the corpse -when found, 'a slip, about a foot wide had been torn upward from the -bottom hem to the waist wound three times round the waist, and secured -by a sort of hitch in the back.' This was done with the obvious design -of affording a handle by which to carry the body. But would any number -of men have dreamed of resorting to such an expedient? To three or four, -the limbs of the corpse would have afforded not only a sufficient, but -the best possible hold. The device is that of a single individual; and -this brings us to the fact that 'between the thicket and the river, the -rails of the fences were found taken down, and the ground bore evident -traces of some heavy burden having been dragged along it!' But would a -number of men have put themselves to the superfluous trouble of taking -down a fence, for the purpose of dragging through it a corpse which they -might have lifted over any fence in an instant? Would a number of men -have so dragged a corpse at all as to have left evident traces of the -dragging? - -"And here we must refer to an observation of Le Commerciel; an -observation upon which I have already, in some measure, commented. 'A -piece,' says this journal, 'of one of the unfortunate girl's petticoats -was torn out and tied under her chin, and around the back of her -head, probably to prevent screams. This was done by fellows who had no -pocket-handkerchiefs.' - -"I have before suggested that a genuine blackguard is never without a -pocket-handkerchief. But it is not to this fact that I now especially -advert. That it was not through want of a handkerchief for the purpose -imagined by Le Commerciel, that this bandage was employed, is rendered -apparent by the handkerchief left in the thicket; and that the object -was not 'to prevent screams' appears, also, from the bandage having been -employed in preference to what would so much better have answered -the purpose. But the language of the evidence speaks of the strip in -question as 'found around the neck, fitting loosely, and secured with -a hard knot.' These words are sufficiently vague, but differ materially -from those of Le Commerciel. The slip was eighteen inches wide, and -therefore, although of muslin, would form a strong band when folded or -rumpled longitudinally. And thus rumpled it was discovered. My inference -is this. The solitary murderer, having borne the corpse, for some -distance, (whether from the thicket or elsewhere) by means of the -bandage hitched around its middle, found the weight, in this mode -of procedure, too much for his strength. He resolved to drag the -burthen--the evidence goes to show that it was dragged. With this object -in view, it became necessary to attach something like a rope to one of -the extremities. It could be best attached about the neck, where the -head would prevent its slipping off. And, now, the murderer bethought -him, unquestionably, of the bandage about the loins. He would have used -this, but for its volution about the corpse, the hitch which embarrassed -it, and the reflection that it had not been 'torn off' from the garment. -It was easier to tear a new slip from the petticoat. He tore it, made -it fast about the neck, and so dragged his victim to the brink of the -river. That this 'bandage,' only attainable with trouble and delay, and -but imperfectly answering its purpose--that this bandage was employed -at all, demonstrates that the necessity for its employment sprang from -circumstances arising at a period when the handkerchief was no longer -attainable--that is to say, arising, as we have imagined, after quitting -the thicket, (if the thicket it was), and on the road between the -thicket and the river. - -"But the evidence, you will say, of Madame Deluc, (!) points especially -to the presence of a gang, in the vicinity of the thicket, at or about -the epoch of the murder. This I grant. I doubt if there were not a dozen -gangs, such as described by Madame Deluc, in and about the vicinity of -the Barrire du Roule at or about the period of this tragedy. But the -gang which has drawn upon itself the pointed animadversion, although the -somewhat tardy and very suspicious evidence of Madame Deluc, is the -only gang which is represented by that honest and scrupulous old lady -as having eaten her cakes and swallowed her brandy, without putting -themselves to the trouble of making her payment. Et hinc ill ir? - -"But what is the precise evidence of Madame Deluc? 'A gang of miscreants -made their appearance, behaved boisterously, ate and drank without -making payment, followed in the route of the young man and girl, -returned to the inn about dusk, and recrossed the river as if in great -haste.' - -"Now this 'great haste' very possibly seemed greater haste in the eyes -of Madame Deluc, since she dwelt lingeringly and lamentingly upon her -violated cakes and ale--cakes and ale for which she might still have -entertained a faint hope of compensation. Why, otherwise, since it was -about dusk, should she make a point of the haste? It is no cause for -wonder, surely, that even a gang of blackguards should make haste to -get home, when a wide river is to be crossed in small boats, when storm -impends, and when night approaches. - -"I say approaches; for the night had not yet arrived. It was only about -dusk that the indecent haste of these 'miscreants' offended the sober -eyes of Madame Deluc. But we are told that it was upon this very evening -that Madame Deluc, as well as her eldest son, 'heard the screams of a -female in the vicinity of the inn.' And in what words does Madame Deluc -designate the period of the evening at which these screams were heard? -'It was soon after dark,' she says. But 'soon after dark,' is, at least, -dark; and 'about dusk' is as certainly daylight. Thus it is abundantly -clear that the gang quitted the Barrire du Roule prior to the screams -overheard (?) by Madame Deluc. And although, in all the many reports of -the evidence, the relative expressions in question are distinctly and -invariably employed just as I have employed them in this conversation -with yourself, no notice whatever of the gross discrepancy has, as yet, -been taken by any of the public journals, or by any of the Myrmidons of -police. - -"I shall add but one to the arguments against a gang; but this one has, -to my own understanding at least, a weight altogether irresistible. -Under the circumstances of large reward offered, and full pardon to -any King's evidence, it is not to be imagined, for a moment, that some -member of a gang of low ruffians, or of any body of men, would not long -ago have betrayed his accomplices. Each one of a gang so placed, is not -so much greedy of reward, or anxious for escape, as fearful of betrayal. -He betrays eagerly and early that he may not himself be betrayed. That -the secret has not been divulged, is the very best of proof that it is, -in fact, a secret. The horrors of this dark deed are known only to one, -or two, living human beings, and to God. - -"Let us sum up now the meagre yet certain fruits of our long analysis. -We have attained the idea either of a fatal accident under the roof of -Madame Deluc, or of a murder perpetrated, in the thicket at the Barrire -du Roule, by a lover, or at least by an intimate and secret associate of -the deceased. This associate is of swarthy complexion. This complexion, -the 'hitch' in the bandage, and the 'sailor's knot,' with which the -bonnet-ribbon is tied, point to a seaman. His companionship with the -deceased, a gay, but not an abject young girl, designates him as -above the grade of the common sailor. Here the well written and urgent -communications to the journals are much in the way of corroboration. The -circumstance of the first elopement, as mentioned by Le Mercurie, tends -to blend the idea of this seaman with that of the 'naval officer' who is -first known to have led the unfortunate into crime. - -"And here, most fitly, comes the consideration of the continued -absence of him of the dark complexion. Let me pause to observe that the -complexion of this man is dark and swarthy; it was no common swarthiness -which constituted the sole point of remembrance, both as regards Valence -and Madame Deluc. But why is this man absent? Was he murdered by the -gang? If so, why are there only traces of the assassinated girl? The -scene of the two outrages will naturally be supposed identical. And -where is his corpse? The assassins would most probably have disposed -of both in the same way. But it may be said that this man lives, and is -deterred from making himself known, through dread of being charged with -the murder. This consideration might be supposed to operate upon him -now--at this late period--since it has been given in evidence that he -was seen with Marie--but it would have had no force at the period of the -deed. The first impulse of an innocent man would have been to announce -the outrage, and to aid in identifying the ruffians. This policy would -have suggested. He had been seen with the girl. He had crossed the river -with her in an open ferry-boat. The denouncing of the assassins would -have appeared, even to an idiot, the surest and sole means of relieving -himself from suspicion. We cannot suppose him, on the night of the fatal -Sunday, both innocent himself and incognizant of an outrage committed. -Yet only under such circumstances is it possible to imagine that he -would have failed, if alive, in the denouncement of the assassins. - -"And what means are ours, of attaining the truth? We shall find these -means multiplying and gathering distinctness as we proceed. Let us sift -to the bottom this affair of the first elopement. Let us know the -full history of 'the officer,' with his present circumstances, and -his whereabouts at the precise period of the murder. Let us carefully -compare with each other the various communications sent to the evening -paper, in which the object was to inculpate a gang. This done, let us -compare these communications, both as regards style and MS., with -those sent to the morning paper, at a previous period, and insisting so -vehemently upon the guilt of Mennais. And, all this done, let us again -compare these various communications with the known MSS. of the officer. -Let us endeavor to ascertain, by repeated questionings of Madame Deluc -and her boys, as well as of the omnibus driver, Valence, something more -of the personal appearance and bearing of the 'man of dark complexion.' -Queries, skilfully directed, will not fail to elicit, from some of -these parties, information on this particular point (or upon -others)--information which the parties themselves may not even be aware -of possessing. And let us now trace the boat picked up by the bargeman -on the morning of Monday the twenty-third of June, and which was -removed from the barge-office, without the cognizance of the officer -in attendance, and without the rudder, at some period prior to the -discovery of the corpse. With a proper caution and perseverance we shall -infallibly trace this boat; for not only can the bargeman who picked -it up identify it, but the rudder is at hand. The rudder of a sail-boat -would not have been abandoned, without inquiry, by one altogether at -ease in heart. And here let me pause to insinuate a question. There was -no advertisement of the picking up of this boat. It was silently -taken to the barge-office, and as silently removed. But its owner or -employer--how happened he, at so early a period as Tuesday morning, to -be informed, without the agency of advertisement, of the locality of -the boat taken up on Monday, unless we imagine some connexion with the -navy--some personal permanent connexion leading to cognizance of its -minute in interests--its petty local news? - -"In speaking of the lonely assassin dragging his burden to the shore, -I have already suggested the probability of his availing himself of a -boat. Now we are to understand that Marie Rogt was precipitated from a -boat. This would naturally have been the case. The corpse could not have -been trusted to the shallow waters of the shore. The peculiar marks on -the back and shoulders of the victim tell of the bottom ribs of a boat. -That the body was found without weight is also corroborative of the -idea. If thrown from the shore a weight would have been attached. We can -only account for its absence by supposing the murderer to have neglected -the precaution of supplying himself with it before pushing off. In the -act of consigning the corpse to the water, he would unquestionably have -noticed his oversight; but then no remedy would have been at hand. -Any risk would have been preferred to a return to that accursed shore. -Having rid himself of his ghastly charge, the murderer would have -hastened to the city. There, at some obscure wharf, he would have leaped -on land. But the boat--would he have secured it? He would have been -in too great haste for such things as securing a boat. Moreover, in -fastening it to the wharf, he would have felt as if securing evidence -against himself. His natural thought would have been to cast from him, -as far as possible, all that had held connection with his crime. He -would not only have fled from the wharf, but he would not have permitted -the boat to remain. Assuredly he would have cast it adrift. Let us -pursue our fancies.--In the morning, the wretch is stricken with -unutterable horror at finding that the boat has been picked up and -detained at a locality which he is in the daily habit of frequenting ---at a locality, perhaps, which his duty compels him to frequent. The -next night, without daring to ask for the rudder, he removes it. Now -where is that rudderless boat? Let it be one of our first purposes -to discover. With the first glimpse we obtain of it, the dawn of our -success shall begin. This boat shall guide us, with a rapidity which -will surprise even ourselves, to him who employed it in the midnight of -the fatal Sabbath. Corroboration will rise upon corroboration, and the -murderer will be traced." - -[For reasons which we shall not specify, but which to many readers will -appear obvious, we have taken the liberty of here omitting, from the -MSS. placed in our hands, such portion as details the following up of -the apparently slight clew obtained by Dupin. We feel it advisable only -to state, in brief, that the result desired was brought to pass; and -that the Prefect fulfilled punctually, although with reluctance, the -terms of his compact with the Chevalier. Mr. Poe's article concludes -with the following words.--Eds. (*23)] - -It will be understood that I speak of coincidences and no more. What -I have said above upon this topic must suffice. In my own heart there -dwells no faith in prter-nature. That Nature and its God are two, no -man who thinks, will deny. That the latter, creating the former, can, at -will, control or modify it, is also unquestionable. I say "at will;" for -the question is of will, and not, as the insanity of logic has assumed, -of power. It is not that the Deity cannot modify his laws, but that we -insult him in imagining a possible necessity for modification. In their -origin these laws were fashioned to embrace all contingencies which -could lie in the Future. With God all is Now. - -I repeat, then, that I speak of these things only as of coincidences. -And farther: in what I relate it will be seen that between the fate of -the unhappy Mary Cecilia Rogers, so far as that fate is known, and the -fate of one Marie Rogt up to a certain epoch in her history, there has -existed a parallel in the contemplation of whose wonderful exactitude -the reason becomes embarrassed. I say all this will be seen. But let it -not for a moment be supposed that, in proceeding with the sad narrative -of Marie from the epoch just mentioned, and in tracing to its dnouement -the mystery which enshrouded her, it is my covert design to hint at an -extension of the parallel, or even to suggest that the measures adopted -in Paris for the discovery of the assassin of a grisette, or measures -founded in any similar ratiocination, would produce any similar result. - -For, in respect to the latter branch of the supposition, it should be -considered that the most trifling variation in the facts of the -two cases might give rise to the most important miscalculations, -by diverting thoroughly the two courses of events; very much as, -in arithmetic, an error which, in its own individuality, may be -inappreciable, produces, at length, by dint of multiplication at all -points of the process, a result enormously at variance with truth. And, -in regard to the former branch, we must not fail to hold in view that -the very Calculus of Probabilities to which I have referred, forbids all -idea of the extension of the parallel:--forbids it with a positiveness -strong and decided just in proportion as this parallel has already been -long-drawn and exact. This is one of those anomalous propositions which, -seemingly appealing to thought altogether apart from the mathematical, -is yet one which only the mathematician can fully entertain. Nothing, -for example, is more difficult than to convince the merely general -reader that the fact of sixes having been thrown twice in succession by -a player at dice, is sufficient cause for betting the largest odds that -sixes will not be thrown in the third attempt. A suggestion to this -effect is usually rejected by the intellect at once. It does not -appear that the two throws which have been completed, and which lie now -absolutely in the Past, can have influence upon the throw which exists -only in the Future. The chance for throwing sixes seems to be precisely -as it was at any ordinary time--that is to say, subject only to the -influence of the various other throws which may be made by the dice. And -this is a reflection which appears so exceedingly obvious that attempts -to controvert it are received more frequently with a derisive smile -than with anything like respectful attention. The error here involved--a -gross error redolent of mischief--I cannot pretend to expose within the -limits assigned me at present; and with the philosophical it needs -no exposure. It may be sufficient here to say that it forms one of an -infinite series of mistakes which arise in the path of Reason through -her propensity for seeking truth in detail. - -Footnotes--Marie Rogt - -(*1) Upon the original publication of "Marie Roget," the foot-notes now -appended were considered unnecessary; but the lapse of several years -since the tragedy upon which the tale is based, renders it expedient -to give them, and also to say a few words in explanation of the general -design. A young girl, Mary Cecilia Rogers, was murdered in the -vicinity of New York; and, although her death occasioned an intense and -long-enduring excitement, the mystery attending it had remained -unsolved at the period when the present paper was written and published -(November, 1842). Herein, under pretence of relating the fate of -a Parisian grisette, the author has followed in minute detail, the -essential, while merely paralleling the inessential facts of the real -murder of Mary Rogers. Thus all argument founded upon the fiction is -applicable to the truth: and the investigation of the truth was the -object. The "Mystery of Marie Roget" was composed at a distance from the -scene of the atrocity, and with no other means of investigation than the -newspapers afforded. Thus much escaped the writer of which he could have -availed himself had he been upon the spot, and visited the localities. -It may not be improper to record, nevertheless, that the confessions of -two persons, (one of them the Madame Deluc of the narrative) made, at -different periods, long subsequent to the publication, confirmed, in -full, not only the general conclusion, but absolutely all the chief -hypothetical details by which that conclusion was attained. - -(*2) The nom de plume of Von Hardenburg. - -(*3) Nassau Street. - -(*4) Anderson. - -(*5) The Hudson. - -(*6) Weehawken. - -(*7) Payne. - -(*8) Crommelin. - -(*9) The New York "Mercury." - -(*10) The New York "Brother Jonathan," edited by H. Hastings Weld, Esq. - -(*11) New York "Journal of Commerce." - -(*12) Philadelphia "Saturday Evening Post," edited by C. I. Peterson, -Esq. - -(*13) Adam - -(*14) See "Murders in the Rue Morgue." - -(*15) The New York "Commercial Advertiser," edited by Col. Stone. - -(*16) "A theory based on the qualities of an object, will prevent its -being unfolded according to its objects; and he who arranges topics in -reference to their causes, will cease to value them according to their -results. Thus the jurisprudence of every nation will show that, when law -becomes a science and a system, it ceases to be justice. The errors -into which a blind devotion to principles of classification has led the -common law, will be seen by observing how often the legislature has -been obliged to come forward to restore the equity its scheme had -lost."--Landor. - -(*17) New York "Express" - -(*18) New York "Herald." - -(*19) New York "Courier and Inquirer." - -(*20) Mennais was one of the parties originally suspected and arrested, -but discharged through total lack of evidence. - -(*21) New York "Courier and Inquirer." - -(*22) New York "Evening Post." - -(*23) Of the Magazine in which the article was originally published. - - - - -THE BALLOON-HOAX - - [Astounding News by Express, _via_ Norfolk!--The Atlantic - crossed in Three Days! Signal Triumph of Mr. Monck Mason's Flying - Machine!--Arrival at Sullivan's Island, near Charlestown, S.C., of - Mr. Mason, Mr. Robert Holland, Mr. Henson, Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, - and four others, in the Steering Balloon, "Victoria," after a passage - of Seventy-five Hours from Land to Land! Full Particulars of the - Voyage! - - The subjoined _jeu d'esprit_ with the preceding heading in - magnificent capitals, well interspersed with notes of admiration, was - originally published, as matter of fact, in the "New York Sun," a - daily newspaper, and therein fully subserved the purpose of creating - indigestible aliment for the _quidnuncs_ during the few hours - intervening between a couple of the Charleston mails. The rush for - the "sole paper which had the news," was something beyond even the - prodigious; and, in fact, if (as some assert) the "Victoria" _did_ - not absolutely accomplish the voyage recorded, it will be difficult - to assign a reason why she _should_ not have accomplished it.] - -THE great problem is at length solved! The air, as well as the earth -and the ocean, has been subdued by science, and will become a common and -convenient highway for mankind. _The Atlantic has been actually crossed -in a Balloon!_ and this too without difficulty--without any great -apparent danger--with thorough control of the machine--and in the -inconceivably brief period of seventy-five hours from shore to shore! -By the energy of an agent at Charleston, S.C., we are enabled to be -the first to furnish the public with a detailed account of this most -extraordinary voyage, which was performed between Saturday, the 6th -instant, at 11, A.M., and 2, P.M., on Tuesday, the 9th instant, by Sir -Everard Bringhurst; Mr. Osborne, a nephew of Lord Bentinck's; Mr. Monck -Mason and Mr. Robert Holland, the well-known ronauts; Mr. Harrison -Ainsworth, author of "Jack Sheppard," &c.; and Mr. Henson, the -projector of the late unsuccessful flying machine--with two seamen from -Woolwich--in all, eight persons. The particulars furnished below may be -relied on as authentic and accurate in every respect, as, with a slight -exception, they are copied _verbatim_ from the joint diaries of Mr. -Monck Mason and Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, to whose politeness our agent is -also indebted for much verbal information respecting the balloon itself, -its construction, and other matters of interest. The only alteration in -the MS. received, has been made for the purpose of throwing the hurried -account of our agent, Mr. Forsyth, into a connected and intelligible -form. - -"THE BALLOON. - -"Two very decided failures, of late--those of Mr. Henson and Sir George -Cayley--had much weakened the public interest in the subject of aerial -navigation. Mr. Henson's scheme (which at first was considered very -feasible even by men of science,) was founded upon the principle of an -inclined plane, started from an eminence by an extrinsic force, applied -and continued by the revolution of impinging vanes, in form and number -resembling the vanes of a windmill. But, in all the experiments made -with models at the Adelaide Gallery, it was found that the operation of -these fans not only did not propel the machine, but actually impeded -its flight. The only propelling force it ever exhibited, was the mere -_impetus_ acquired from the descent of the inclined plane; and this -_impetus_ carried the machine farther when the vanes were at rest, than -when they were in motion--a fact which sufficiently demonstrates their -inutility; and in the absence of the propelling, which was also the -_sustaining_ power, the whole fabric would necessarily descend. -This consideration led Sir George Cayley to think only of adapting -a propeller to some machine having of itself an independent power of -support--in a word, to a balloon; the idea, however, being novel, -or original, with Sir George, only so far as regards the mode of its -application to practice. He exhibited a model of his invention at the -Polytechnic Institution. The propelling principle, or power, was here, -also, applied to interrupted surfaces, or vanes, put in revolution. -These vanes were four in number, but were found entirely ineffectual in -moving the balloon, or in aiding its ascending power. The whole project -was thus a complete failure. - -"It was at this juncture that Mr. Monck Mason (whose voyage from Dover -to Weilburg in the balloon, "Nassau," occasioned so much excitement in -1837,) conceived the idea of employing the principle of the Archimedean -screw for the purpose of propulsion through the air--rightly -attributing the failure of Mr. Henson's scheme, and of Sir George -Cayley's, to the interruption of surface in the independent vanes. -He made the first public experiment at Willis's Rooms, but afterward -removed his model to the Adelaide Gallery. - -"Like Sir George Cayley's balloon, his own was an ellipsoid. Its -length was thirteen feet six inches--height, six feet eight inches. It -contained about three hundred and twenty cubic feet of gas, which, if -pure hydrogen, would support twenty-one pounds upon its first inflation, -before the gas has time to deteriorate or escape. The weight of the -whole machine and apparatus was seventeen pounds--leaving about four -pounds to spare. Beneath the centre of the balloon, was a frame of light -wood, about nine feet long, and rigged on to the balloon itself with -a network in the customary manner. From this framework was suspended a -wicker basket or car. - -"The screw consists of an axis of hollow brass tube, eighteen inches in -length, through which, upon a semi-spiral inclined at fifteen degrees, -pass a series of steel wire radii, two feet long, and thus projecting a -foot on either side. These radii are connected at the outer extremities -by two bands of flattened wire--the whole in this manner forming the -framework of the screw, which is completed by a covering of oiled silk -cut into gores, and tightened so as to present a tolerably uniform -surface. At each end of its axis this screw is supported by pillars of -hollow brass tube descending from the hoop. In the lower ends of these -tubes are holes in which the pivots of the axis revolve. From the end -of the axis which is next the car, proceeds a shaft of steel, connecting -the screw with the pinion of a piece of spring machinery fixed in the -car. By the operation of this spring, the screw is made to revolve with -great rapidity, communicating a progressive motion to the whole. By -means of the rudder, the machine was readily turned in any direction. -The spring was of great power, compared with its dimensions, being -capable of raising forty-five pounds upon a barrel of four inches -diameter, after the first turn, and gradually increasing as it was wound -up. It weighed, altogether, eight pounds six ounces. The rudder was -a light frame of cane covered with silk, shaped somewhat like a -battle-door, and was about three feet long, and at the widest, one foot. -Its weight was about two ounces. It could be turned _flat_, and directed -upwards or downwards, as well as to the right or left; and thus enabled -the ronaut to transfer the resistance of the air which in an inclined -position it must generate in its passage, to any side upon which he -might desire to act; thus determining the balloon in the opposite -direction. - -"This model (which, through want of time, we have necessarily described -in an imperfect manner,) was put in action at the Adelaide Gallery, -where it accomplished a velocity of five miles per hour; although, -strange to say, it excited very little interest in comparison with the -previous complex machine of Mr. Henson--so resolute is the world -to despise anything which carries with it an air of simplicity. To -accomplish the great desideratum of rial navigation, it was very -generally supposed that some exceedingly complicated application must be -made of some unusually profound principle in dynamics. - -"So well satisfied, however, was Mr. Mason of the ultimate success of -his invention, that he determined to construct immediately, if possible, -a balloon of sufficient capacity to test the question by a voyage of -some extent--the original design being to cross the British Channel, as -before, in the Nassau balloon. To carry out his views, he solicited and -obtained the patronage of Sir Everard Bringhurst and Mr. Osborne, two -gentlemen well known for scientific acquirement, and especially for the -interest they have exhibited in the progress of rostation. The project, -at the desire of Mr. Osborne, was kept a profound secret from the -public--the only persons entrusted with the design being those actually -engaged in the construction of the machine, which was built (under the -superintendence of Mr. Mason, Mr. Holland, Sir Everard Bringhurst, and -Mr. Osborne,) at the seat of the latter gentleman near Penstruthal, in -Wales. Mr. Henson, accompanied by his friend Mr. Ainsworth, was admitted -to a private view of the balloon, on Saturday last--when the two -gentlemen made final arrangements to be included in the adventure. We -are not informed for what reason the two seamen were also included in -the party--but, in the course of a day or two, we shall put our readers -in possession of the minutest particulars respecting this extraordinary -voyage. - -"The balloon is composed of silk, varnished with the liquid gum -caoutchouc. It is of vast dimensions, containing more than 40,000 cubic -feet of gas; but as coal gas was employed in place of the more expensive -and inconvenient hydrogen, the supporting power of the machine, when -fully inflated, and immediately after inflation, is not more than about -2500 pounds. The coal gas is not only much less costly, but is easily -procured and managed. - -"For its introduction into common use for purposes of aerostation, we -are indebted to Mr. Charles Green. Up to his discovery, the process of -inflation was not only exceedingly expensive, but uncertain. Two, and -even three days, have frequently been wasted in futile attempts to -procure a sufficiency of hydrogen to fill a balloon, from which it -had great tendency to escape, owing to its extreme subtlety, and its -affinity for the surrounding atmosphere. In a balloon sufficiently -perfect to retain its contents of coal-gas unaltered, in quantity or -amount, for six months, an equal quantity of hydrogen could not be -maintained in equal purity for six weeks. - -"The supporting power being estimated at 2500 pounds, and the united -weights of the party amounting only to about 1200, there was left a -surplus of 1300, of which again 1200 was exhausted by ballast, arranged -in bags of different sizes, with their respective weights marked upon -them--by cordage, barometers, telescopes, barrels containing provision -for a fortnight, water-casks, cloaks, carpet-bags, and various other -indispensable matters, including a coffee-warmer, contrived for warming -coffee by means of slack-lime, so as to dispense altogether with fire, -if it should be judged prudent to do so. All these articles, with the -exception of the ballast, and a few trifles, were suspended from the -hoop overhead. The car is much smaller and lighter, in proportion, than -the one appended to the model. It is formed of a light wicker, and is -wonderfully strong, for so frail looking a machine. Its rim is about -four feet deep. The rudder is also very much larger, in proportion, than -that of the model; and the screw is considerably smaller. The balloon is -furnished besides with a grapnel, and a guide-rope; which latter is of -the most indispensable importance. A few words, in explanation, will -here be necessary for such of our readers as are not conversant with the -details of aerostation. - -"As soon as the balloon quits the earth, it is subjected to the -influence of many circumstances tending to create a difference in its -weight; augmenting or diminishing its ascending power. For example, -there may be a deposition of dew upon the silk, to the extent, even, -of several hundred pounds; ballast has then to be thrown out, or the -machine may descend. This ballast being discarded, and a clear sunshine -evaporating the dew, and at the same time expanding the gas in the silk, -the whole will again rapidly ascend. To check this ascent, the only -recourse is, (or rather _was_, until Mr. Green's invention of the -guide-rope,) the permission of the escape of gas from the valve; but, in -the loss of gas, is a proportionate general loss of ascending power; so -that, in a comparatively brief period, the best-constructed balloon must -necessarily exhaust all its resources, and come to the earth. This was -the great obstacle to voyages of length. - -"The guide-rope remedies the difficulty in the simplest manner -conceivable. It is merely a very long rope which is suffered to trail -from the car, and the effect of which is to prevent the balloon from -changing its level in any material degree. If, for example, there should -be a deposition of moisture upon the silk, and the machine begins to -descend in consequence, there will be no necessity for discharging -ballast to remedy the increase of weight, for it is remedied, or -counteracted, in an exactly just proportion, by the deposit on the -ground of just so much of the end of the rope as is necessary. If, -on the other hand, any circumstances should cause undue levity, and -consequent ascent, this levity is immediately counteracted by the -additional weight of rope upraised from the earth. Thus, the balloon -can neither ascend or descend, except within very narrow limits, and its -resources, either in gas or ballast, remain comparatively unimpaired. -When passing over an expanse of water, it becomes necessary to employ -small kegs of copper or wood, filled with liquid ballast of a lighter -nature than water. These float, and serve all the purposes of a mere -rope on land. Another most important office of the guide-rope, is to -point out the _direction_ of the balloon. The rope _drags_, either on -land or sea, while the balloon is free; the latter, consequently, is -always in advance, when any progress whatever is made: a comparison, -therefore, by means of the compass, of the relative positions of the two -objects, will always indicate the _course_. In the same way, the angle -formed by the rope with the vertical axis of the machine, indicates -the _velocity_. When there is _no_ angle--in other words, when the rope -hangs perpendicularly, the whole apparatus is stationary; but the larger -the angle, that is to say, the farther the balloon precedes the end of -the rope, the greater the velocity; and the converse. - -"As the original design was to cross the British Channel, and alight as -near Paris as possible, the voyagers had taken the precaution to prepare -themselves with passports directed to all parts of the Continent, -specifying the nature of the expedition, as in the case of the Nassau -voyage, and entitling the adventurers to exemption from the usual -formalities of office: unexpected events, however, rendered these -passports superfluous. - -"The inflation was commenced very quietly at daybreak, on Saturday -morning, the 6th instant, in the Court-Yard of Weal-Vor House, Mr. -Osborne's seat, about a mile from Penstruthal, in North Wales; and at 7 -minutes past 11, every thing being ready for departure, the balloon was -set free, rising gently but steadily, in a direction nearly South; no -use being made, for the first half hour, of either the screw or the -rudder. We proceed now with the journal, as transcribed by Mr. Forsyth -from the joint MSS. Of Mr. Monck Mason, and Mr. Ainsworth. The body of -the journal, as given, is in the hand-writing of Mr. Mason, and a P. -S. is appended, each day, by Mr. Ainsworth, who has in preparation, and -will shortly give the public a more minute, and no doubt, a thrillingly -interesting account of the voyage. - -"THE JOURNAL. - -"_Saturday, April the 6th_.--Every preparation likely to embarrass us, -having been made over night, we commenced the inflation this morning at -daybreak; but owing to a thick fog, which encumbered the folds of the -silk and rendered it unmanageable, we did not get through before nearly -eleven o'clock. Cut loose, then, in high spirits, and rose gently but -steadily, with a light breeze at North, which bore us in the direction -of the British Channel. Found the ascending force greater than we had -expected; and as we arose higher and so got clear of the cliffs, and -more in the sun's rays, our ascent became very rapid. I did not wish, -however, to lose gas at so early a period of the adventure, and so -concluded to ascend for the present. We soon ran out our guide-rope; -but even when we had raised it clear of the earth, we still went up very -rapidly. The balloon was unusually steady, and looked beautifully. In -about ten minutes after starting, the barometer indicated an altitude -of 15,000 feet. The weather was remarkably fine, and the view of the -subjacent country--a most romantic one when seen from any point,--was -now especially sublime. The numerous deep gorges presented the -appearance of lakes, on account of the dense vapors with which they -were filled, and the pinnacles and crags to the South East, piled in -inextricable confusion, resembling nothing so much as the giant cities -of eastern fable. We were rapidly approaching the mountains in the -South; but our elevation was more than sufficient to enable us to pass -them in safety. In a few minutes we soared over them in fine style; and -Mr. Ainsworth, with the seamen, was surprised at their apparent want of -altitude when viewed from the car, the tendency of great elevation in a -balloon being to reduce inequalities of the surface below, to nearly -a dead level. At half-past eleven still proceeding nearly South, we -obtained our first view of the Bristol Channel; and, in fifteen minutes -afterward, the line of breakers on the coast appeared immediately -beneath us, and we were fairly out at sea. We now resolved to let off -enough gas to bring our guide-rope, with the buoys affixed, into the -water. This was immediately done, and we commenced a gradual descent. -In about twenty minutes our first buoy dipped, and at the touch of the -second soon afterwards, we remained stationary as to elevation. We were -all now anxious to test the efficiency of the rudder and screw, and we -put them both into requisition forthwith, for the purpose of altering -our direction more to the eastward, and in a line for Paris. By means of -the rudder we instantly effected the necessary change of direction, and -our course was brought nearly at right angles to that of the wind; when -we set in motion the spring of the screw, and were rejoiced to find it -propel us readily as desired. Upon this we gave nine hearty cheers, and -dropped in the sea a bottle, enclosing a slip of parchment with a brief -account of the principle of the invention. Hardly, however, had we -done with our rejoicings, when an unforeseen accident occurred which -discouraged us in no little degree. The steel rod connecting the spring -with the propeller was suddenly jerked out of place, at the car end, (by -a swaying of the car through some movement of one of the two seamen we -had taken up,) and in an instant hung dangling out of reach, from the -pivot of the axis of the screw. While we were endeavoring to regain it, -our attention being completely absorbed, we became involved in a strong -current of wind from the East, which bore us, with rapidly increasing -force, towards the Atlantic. We soon found ourselves driving out to sea -at the rate of not less, certainly, than fifty or sixty miles an hour, -so that we came up with Cape Clear, at some forty miles to our North, -before we had secured the rod, and had time to think what we were about. -It was now that Mr. Ainsworth made an extraordinary, but to my fancy, -a by no means unreasonable or chimerical proposition, in which he was -instantly seconded by Mr. Holland--viz.: that we should take advantage -of the strong gale which bore us on, and in place of beating back to -Paris, make an attempt to reach the coast of North America. After slight -reflection I gave a willing assent to this bold proposition, which -(strange to say) met with objection from the two seamen only. As the -stronger party, however, we overruled their fears, and kept resolutely -upon our course. We steered due West; but as the trailing of the buoys -materially impeded our progress, and we had the balloon abundantly at -command, either for ascent or descent, we first threw out fifty pounds -of ballast, and then wound up (by means of a windlass) so much of the -rope as brought it quite clear of the sea. We perceived the effect of -this manoeuvre immediately, in a vastly increased rate of progress; and, -as the gale freshened, we flew with a velocity nearly inconceivable; the -guide-rope flying out behind the car, like a streamer from a vessel. It -is needless to say that a very short time sufficed us to lose sight of -the coast. We passed over innumerable vessels of all kinds, a few of -which were endeavoring to beat up, but the most of them lying to. We -occasioned the greatest excitement on board all--an excitement greatly -relished by ourselves, and especially by our two men, who, now under the -influence of a dram of Geneva, seemed resolved to give all scruple, or -fear, to the wind. Many of the vessels fired signal guns; and in all -we were saluted with loud cheers (which we heard with surprising -distinctness) and the waving of caps and handkerchiefs. We kept on in -this manner throughout the day, with no material incident, and, as -the shades of night closed around us, we made a rough estimate of the -distance traversed. It could not have been less than five hundred -miles, and was probably much more. The propeller was kept in constant -operation, and, no doubt, aided our progress materially. As the sun -went down, the gale freshened into an absolute hurricane, and the ocean -beneath was clearly visible on account of its phosphorescence. The wind -was from the East all night, and gave us the brightest omen of success. -We suffered no little from cold, and the dampness of the atmosphere was -most unpleasant; but the ample space in the car enabled us to lie down, -and by means of cloaks and a few blankets, we did sufficiently well. - -"P.S. (by Mr. Ainsworth.) The last nine hours have been unquestionably -the most exciting of my life. I can conceive nothing more sublimating -than the strange peril and novelty of an adventure such as this. May -God grant that we succeed! I ask not success for mere safety to my -insignificant person, but for the sake of human knowledge and--for the -vastness of the triumph. And yet the feat is only so evidently feasible -that the sole wonder is why men have scrupled to attempt it before. One -single gale such as now befriends us--let such a tempest whirl forward -a balloon for four or five days (these gales often last longer) and the -voyager will be easily borne, in that period, from coast to coast. In -view of such a gale the broad Atlantic becomes a mere lake. I am more -struck, just now, with the supreme silence which reigns in the -sea beneath us, notwithstanding its agitation, than with any other -phenomenon presenting itself. The waters give up no voice to -the heavens. The immense flaming ocean writhes and is tortured -uncomplainingly. The mountainous surges suggest the idea of innumerable -dumb gigantic fiends struggling in impotent agony. In a night such as is -this to me, a man _lives_--lives a whole century of ordinary life--nor -would I forego this rapturous delight for that of a whole century of -ordinary existence. - -"_Sunday, the seventh_. [Mr. Mason's MS.] This morning the gale, by 10, -had subsided to an eight or nine--knot breeze, (for a vessel at sea,) -and bears us, perhaps, thirty miles per hour, or more. It has veered, -however, very considerably to the north; and now, at sundown, we are -holding our course due west, principally by the screw and rudder, which -answer their purposes to admiration. I regard the project as thoroughly -successful, and the easy navigation of the air in any direction (not -exactly in the teeth of a gale) as no longer problematical. We could not -have made head against the strong wind of yesterday; but, by ascending, -we might have got out of its influence, if requisite. Against a pretty -stiff breeze, I feel convinced, we can make our way with the propeller. -At noon, to-day, ascended to an elevation of nearly 25,000 feet, by -discharging ballast. Did this to search for a more direct current, but -found none so favorable as the one we are now in. We have an abundance -of gas to take us across this small pond, even should the voyage -last three weeks. I have not the slightest fear for the result. The -difficulty has been strangely exaggerated and misapprehended. I can -choose my current, and should I find _all_ currents against me, I can -make very tolerable headway with the propeller. We have had no incidents -worth recording. The night promises fair. - -P.S. [By Mr. Ainsworth.] I have little to record, except the fact (to me -quite a surprising one) that, at an elevation equal to that of Cotopaxi, -I experienced neither very intense cold, nor headache, nor difficulty -of breathing; neither, I find, did Mr. Mason, nor Mr. Holland, nor Sir -Everard. Mr. Osborne complained of constriction of the chest--but this -soon wore off. We have flown at a great rate during the day, and we -must be more than half way across the Atlantic. We have passed over -some twenty or thirty vessels of various kinds, and all seem to be -delightfully astonished. Crossing the ocean in a balloon is not so -difficult a feat after all. _Omne ignotum pro magnifico. Mem:_ at -25,000 feet elevation the sky appears nearly black, and the stars are -distinctly visible; while the sea does not seem convex (as one might -suppose) but absolutely and most unequivocally _concave_.(*1) - -"_Monday, the 8th_. [Mr. Mason's MS.] This morning we had again some -little trouble with the rod of the propeller, which must be entirely -remodelled, for fear of serious accident--I mean the steel rod--not -the vanes. The latter could not be improved. The wind has been blowing -steadily and strongly from the north-east all day and so far fortune -seems bent upon favoring us. Just before day, we were all somewhat -alarmed at some odd noises and concussions in the balloon, accompanied -with the apparent rapid subsidence of the whole machine. These phenomena -were occasioned by the expansion of the gas, through increase of heat in -the atmosphere, and the consequent disruption of the minute particles of -ice with which the network had become encrusted during the night. Threw -down several bottles to the vessels below. Saw one of them picked up by -a large ship--seemingly one of the New York line packets. Endeavored to -make out her name, but could not be sure of it. Mr. Osborne's telescope -made it out something like "Atalanta." It is now 12, at night, and we -are still going nearly west, at a rapid pace. The sea is peculiarly -phosphorescent. - -"P.S. [By Mr. Ainsworth.] It is now 2, A.M., and nearly calm, as well as -I can judge--but it is very difficult to determine this point, since -we move _with_ the air so completely. I have not slept since quitting -Wheal-Vor, but can stand it no longer, and must take a nap. We cannot be -far from the American coast. - -"_Tuesday, the _9_th_. [Mr. Ainsworth's MS.] _One, P.M. We are in -full view of the low coast of South Carolina_. The great problem is -accomplished. We have crossed the Atlantic--fairly and _easily_ -crossed it in a balloon! God be praised! Who shall say that anything is -impossible hereafter?" - -The Journal here ceases. Some particulars of the descent were -communicated, however, by Mr. Ainsworth to Mr. Forsyth. It was nearly -dead calm when the voyagers first came in view of the coast, which -was immediately recognized by both the seamen, and by Mr. Osborne. -The latter gentleman having acquaintances at Fort Moultrie, it was -immediately resolved to descend in its vicinity. The balloon was brought -over the beach (the tide being out and the sand hard, smooth, and -admirably adapted for a descent,) and the grapnel let go, which took -firm hold at once. The inhabitants of the island, and of the fort, -thronged out, of course, to see the balloon; but it was with the -greatest difficulty that any one could be made to credit the actual -voyage--_the crossing of the Atlantic_. The grapnel caught at 2, P.M., -precisely; and thus the whole voyage was completed in seventy-five -hours; or rather less, counting from shore to shore. No serious accident -occurred. No real danger was at any time apprehended. The balloon was -exhausted and secured without trouble; and when the MS. from which this -narrative is compiled was despatched from Charleston, the party were -still at Fort Moultrie. Their farther intentions were not ascertained; -but we can safely promise our readers some additional information either -on Monday or in the course of the next day, at farthest. - -This is unquestionably the most stupendous, the most interesting, and -the most important undertaking, ever accomplished or even attempted by -man. What magnificent events may ensue, it would be useless now to think -of determining. - -(*1) _Note_.--Mr. Ainsworth has not attempted to account for this -phenomenon, which, however, is quite susceptible of explanation. A line -dropped from an elevation of 25,000 feet, perpendicularly to the surface -of the earth (or sea), would form the perpendicular of a right-angled -triangle, of which the base would extend from the right angle to the -horizon, and the hypothenuse from the horizon to the balloon. But the -25,000 feet of altitude is little or nothing, in comparison with the -extent of the prospect. In other words, the base and hypothenuse of the -supposed triangle would be so long when compared with the perpendicular, -that the two former may be regarded as nearly parallel. In this manner -the horizon of the ronaut would appear to be _on a level_ with the -car. But, as the point immediately beneath him seems, and is, at a great -distance below him, it seems, of course, also, at a great distance below -the horizon. Hence the impression of _concavity_; and this impression -must remain, until the elevation shall bear so great a proportion to -the extent of prospect, that the apparent parallelism of the base and -hypothenuse disappears--when the earth's real convexity must become -apparent. - - - - -MS. FOUND IN A BOTTLE - - Qui n'a plus qu'un moment a vivre - - N'a plus rien a dissimuler. - - --Quinault--Atys. - -OF my country and of my family I have little to say. Ill usage and -length of years have driven me from the one, and estranged me from the -other. Hereditary wealth afforded me an education of no common order, -and a contemplative turn of mind enabled me to methodize the stores -which early study very diligently garnered up.--Beyond all things, -the study of the German moralists gave me great delight; not from any -ill-advised admiration of their eloquent madness, but from the ease with -which my habits of rigid thought enabled me to detect their falsities. -I have often been reproached with the aridity of my genius; a deficiency -of imagination has been imputed to me as a crime; and the Pyrrhonism -of my opinions has at all times rendered me notorious. Indeed, a strong -relish for physical philosophy has, I fear, tinctured my mind with -a very common error of this age--I mean the habit of referring -occurrences, even the least susceptible of such reference, to the -principles of that science. Upon the whole, no person could be less -liable than myself to be led away from the severe precincts of truth by -the ignes fatui of superstition. I have thought proper to premise thus -much, lest the incredible tale I have to tell should be considered -rather the raving of a crude imagination, than the positive experience -of a mind to which the reveries of fancy have been a dead letter and a -nullity. - -After many years spent in foreign travel, I sailed in the year 18-- , -from the port of Batavia, in the rich and populous island of Java, on -a voyage to the Archipelago of the Sunda islands. I went as -passenger--having no other inducement than a kind of nervous -restlessness which haunted me as a fiend. - -Our vessel was a beautiful ship of about four hundred tons, -copper-fastened, and built at Bombay of Malabar teak. She was freighted -with cotton-wool and oil, from the Lachadive islands. We had also on -board coir, jaggeree, ghee, cocoa-nuts, and a few cases of opium. The -stowage was clumsily done, and the vessel consequently crank. - -We got under way with a mere breath of wind, and for many days stood -along the eastern coast of Java, without any other incident to beguile -the monotony of our course than the occasional meeting with some of the -small grabs of the Archipelago to which we were bound. - -One evening, leaning over the taffrail, I observed a very singular, -isolated cloud, to the N.W. It was remarkable, as well for its color, as -from its being the first we had seen since our departure from Batavia. -I watched it attentively until sunset, when it spread all at once to -the eastward and westward, girting in the horizon with a narrow strip -of vapor, and looking like a long line of low beach. My notice was soon -afterwards attracted by the dusky-red appearance of the moon, and the -peculiar character of the sea. The latter was undergoing a rapid change, -and the water seemed more than usually transparent. Although I could -distinctly see the bottom, yet, heaving the lead, I found the ship in -fifteen fathoms. The air now became intolerably hot, and was loaded with -spiral exhalations similar to those arising from heat iron. As night -came on, every breath of wind died away, an more entire calm it is -impossible to conceive. The 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 groped in a corner among a pile of singular-looking -instruments, and decayed charts of navigation. His manner was a wild -mixture of the peevishness of second childhood, and the solemn dignity -of a God. He at length went on deck, and I saw him no more. - -* * * * * - -A feeling, for which I have no name, has taken possession of my soul ---a sensation which will admit of no analysis, to which the lessons of -bygone times are inadequate, and for which I fear futurity itself -will offer me no key. To a mind constituted like my own, the latter -consideration is an evil. I shall never--I know that I shall -never--be satisfied with regard to the nature of my conceptions. Yet it -is not wonderful that these conceptions are indefinite, since they have -their origin in sources so utterly novel. A new sense--a new entity is -added to my soul. - -* * * * * - -It is long since I first trod the deck of this terrible ship, and the -rays of my destiny are, I think, gathering to a focus. Incomprehensible -men! Wrapped up in meditations of a kind which I cannot divine, they -pass me by unnoticed. Concealment is utter folly on my part, for the -people will not see. It was but just now that I passed directly before -the eyes of the mate--it was no long while ago that I ventured into the -captain's own private cabin, and took thence the materials with which -I write, and have written. I shall from time to time continue this -Journal. It is true that I may not find an opportunity of transmitting -it to the world, but I will not fall to make the endeavour. At the last -moment I will enclose the MS. in a bottle, and cast it within the sea. - -* * * * * - -An incident has occurred which has given me new room for meditation. Are -such things the operation of ungoverned Chance? I had ventured upon deck -and thrown myself down, without attracting any notice, among a pile of -ratlin-stuff and old sails in the bottom of the yawl. While musing upon -the singularity of my fate, I unwittingly daubed with a tar-brush the -edges of a neatly-folded studding-sail which lay near me on a barrel. -The studding-sail is now bent upon the ship, and the thoughtless touches -of the brush are spread out into the word DISCOVERY. - -I have made many observations lately upon the structure of the vessel. -Although well armed, she is not, I think, a ship of war. Her rigging, -build, and general equipment, all negative a supposition of this -kind. What she is not, I can easily perceive--what she is I fear it is -impossible to say. I know not how it is, but in scrutinizing her strange -model and singular cast of spars, her huge size and overgrown suits -of canvas, her severely simple bow and antiquated stern, there will -occasionally flash across my mind a sensation of familiar things, and -there is always mixed up with such indistinct shadows of recollection, -an unaccountable memory of old foreign chronicles and ages long ago. - -* * * * * - -I have been looking at the timbers of the ship. She is built of a -material to which I am a stranger. There is a peculiar character about -the wood which strikes me as rendering it unfit for the purpose to -which it has been applied. I mean its extreme porousness, considered -independently by the worm-eaten condition which is a consequence of -navigation in these seas, and apart from the rottenness attendant upon -age. It will appear perhaps an observation somewhat over-curious, but -this wood would have every characteristic of Spanish oak, if Spanish oak -were distended by any unnatural means. - -In reading the above sentence a curious apothegm of an old -weather-beaten Dutch navigator comes full upon my recollection. "It -is as sure," he was wont to say, when any doubt was entertained of his -veracity, "as sure as there is a sea where the ship itself will grow in -bulk like the living body of the seaman." - -* * * * * - -About an hour ago, I made bold to thrust myself among a group of the -crew. They paid me no manner of attention, and, although I stood in the -very midst of them all, seemed utterly unconscious of my presence. Like -the one I had at first seen in the hold, they all bore about them the -marks of a hoary old age. Their knees trembled with infirmity; their -shoulders were bent double with decrepitude; their shrivelled skins -rattled in the wind; their voices were low, tremulous and broken; their -eyes glistened with the rheum of years; and their gray hairs streamed -terribly in the tempest. Around them, on every part of the deck, lay -scattered mathematical instruments of the most quaint and obsolete -construction. - -* * * * * - -I mentioned some time ago the bending of a studding-sail. From that -period the ship, being thrown dead off the wind, has continued her -terrific course due south, with every rag of canvas packed upon her, -from her trucks to her lower studding-sail booms, and rolling every -moment her top-gallant yard-arms into the most appalling hell of water -which it can enter into the mind of a man to imagine. I have just left -the deck, where I find it impossible to maintain a footing, although the -crew seem to experience little inconvenience. It appears to me a miracle -of miracles that our enormous bulk is not swallowed up at once and -forever. We are surely doomed to hover continually upon the brink of -Eternity, without taking a final plunge into the abyss. From billows a -thousand times more stupendous than any I have ever seen, we glide away -with the facility of the arrowy sea-gull; and the colossal waters rear -their heads above us like demons of the deep, but like demons confined -to simple threats and forbidden to destroy. I am led to attribute these -frequent escapes to the only natural cause which can account for such -effect.--I must suppose the ship to be within the influence of some -strong current, or impetuous under-tow. - -* * * * * - -I have seen the captain face to face, and in his own cabin--but, as I -expected, he paid me no attention. Although in his appearance there is, -to a casual observer, nothing which might bespeak him more or less than -man--still a feeling of irrepressible reverence and awe mingled with the -sensation of wonder with which I regarded him. In stature he is nearly -my own height; that is, about five feet eight inches. He is of a -well-knit and compact frame of body, neither robust nor remarkably -otherwise. But it is the singularity of the expression which reigns upon -the face--it is the intense, the wonderful, the thrilling evidence of -old age, so utter, so extreme, which excites within my spirit a sense--a -sentiment ineffable. His forehead, although little wrinkled, seems to -bear upon it the stamp of a myriad of years.--His gray hairs are records -of the past, and his grayer eyes are Sybils of the future. The cabin -floor was thickly strewn with strange, iron-clasped folios, and -mouldering instruments of science, and obsolete long-forgotten charts. -His head was bowed down upon his hands, and he pored, with a fiery -unquiet eye, over a paper which I took to be a commission, and which, at -all events, bore the signature of a monarch. He muttered to himself, as -did the first seaman whom I saw in the hold, some low peevish syllables -of a foreign tongue, and although the speaker was close at my elbow, his -voice seemed to reach my ears from the distance of a mile. - -* * * * * - -The ship and all in it are imbued with the spirit of Eld. The crew glide -to and fro like the ghosts of buried centuries; their eyes have an eager -and uneasy meaning; and when their fingers fall athwart my path in the -wild glare of the battle-lanterns, I feel as I have never felt before, -although I have been all my life a dealer in antiquities, and have -imbibed the shadows of fallen columns at Balbec, and Tadmor, and -Persepolis, until my very soul has become a ruin. - -* * * * * - -When I look around me I feel ashamed of my former apprehensions. If I -trembled at the blast which has hitherto attended us, shall I not stand -aghast at a warring of wind and ocean, to convey any idea of which -the words tornado and simoom are trivial and ineffective? All in the -immediate vicinity of the ship is the blackness of eternal night, and a -chaos of foamless water; but, about a league on either side of us, may -be seen, indistinctly and at intervals, stupendous ramparts of ice, -towering away into the desolate sky, and looking like the walls of the -universe. - -* * * * * - -As I imagined, the ship proves to be in a current; if that appellation -can properly be given to a tide which, howling and shrieking by the -white ice, thunders on to the southward with a velocity like the -headlong dashing of a cataract. - -* * * * * - -To conceive the horror of my sensations is, I presume, utterly -impossible; yet a curiosity to penetrate the mysteries of these awful -regions, predominates even over my despair, and will reconcile me to the -most hideous aspect of death. It is evident that we are hurrying onwards -to some exciting knowledge--some never-to-be-imparted secret, whose -attainment is destruction. Perhaps this current leads us to the southern -pole itself. It must be confessed that a supposition apparently so wild -has every probability in its favor. - -* * * * * - -The crew pace the deck with unquiet and tremulous step; but there is -upon their countenances an expression more of the eagerness of hope than -of the apathy of despair. - -In the meantime the wind is still in our poop, and, as we carry a crowd -of canvas, the ship is at times lifted bodily from out the sea--Oh, -horror upon horror! the ice opens suddenly to the right, and to the -left, and we are whirling dizzily, in immense concentric circles, round -and round the borders of a gigantic amphitheatre, the summit of whose -walls is lost in the darkness and the distance. But little time will be -left me to ponder upon my destiny--the circles rapidly grow small--we -are plunging madly within the grasp of the whirlpool--and amid a -roaring, and bellowing, and thundering of ocean and of tempest, the ship -is quivering, oh God! and--going down. - -NOTE.--The "MS. Found in a Bottle," was originally published in 1831, -and it was not until many years afterwards that I became acquainted with -the maps of Mercator, in which the ocean is represented as rushing, by -four mouths, into the (northern) Polar Gulf, to be absorbed into the -bowels of the earth; the Pole itself being represented by a black rock, -towering to a prodigious height. - - - - -THE OVAL PORTRAIT - -THE chateau into which my valet had ventured to make forcible entrance, -rather than permit me, in my desperately wounded condition, to pass a -night in the open air, was one of those piles of commingled gloom and -grandeur which have so long frowned among the Appennines, not less in -fact than in the fancy of Mrs. Radcliffe. To all appearance it had been -temporarily and very lately abandoned. We established ourselves in one -of the smallest and least sumptuously furnished apartments. It lay in a -remote turret of the building. Its decorations were rich, yet tattered -and antique. Its walls were hung with tapestry and bedecked with -manifold and multiform armorial trophies, together with an unusually -great number of very spirited modern paintings in frames of rich golden -arabesque. In these paintings, which depended from the walls not only -in their main surfaces, but in very many nooks which the bizarre -architecture of the chateau rendered necessary--in these paintings my -incipient delirium, perhaps, had caused me to take deep interest; so -that I bade Pedro to close the heavy shutters of the room--since it was -already night--to light the tongues of a tall candelabrum which stood by -the head of my bed--and to throw open far and wide the fringed curtains -of black velvet which enveloped the bed itself. I wished all this done -that I might resign myself, if not to sleep, at least alternately to the -contemplation of these pictures, and the perusal of a small volume which -had been found upon the pillow, and which purported to criticise and -describe them. - -Long--long I read--and devoutly, devotedly I gazed. Rapidly and -gloriously the hours flew by and the deep midnight came. The position of -the candelabrum displeased me, and outreaching my hand with difficulty, -rather than disturb my slumbering valet, I placed it so as to throw its -rays more fully upon the book. - -But the action produced an effect altogether unanticipated. The rays of -the numerous candles (for there were many) now fell within a niche of -the room which had hitherto been thrown into deep shade by one of the -bed-posts. I thus saw in vivid light a picture all unnoticed before. It -was the portrait of a young girl just ripening into womanhood. I glanced -at the painting hurriedly, and then closed my eyes. Why I did this -was not at first apparent even to my own perception. But while my lids -remained thus shut, I ran over in my mind my reason for so shutting -them. It was an impulsive movement to gain time for thought--to make -sure that my vision had not deceived me--to calm and subdue my fancy for -a more sober and more certain gaze. In a very few moments I again looked -fixedly at the painting. - -That I now saw aright I could not and would not doubt; for the first -flashing of the candles upon that canvas had seemed to dissipate the -dreamy stupor which was stealing over my senses, and to startle me at -once into waking life. - -The portrait, I have already said, was that of a young girl. It was a -mere head and shoulders, done in what is technically termed a vignette -manner; much in the style of the favorite heads of Sully. The arms, the -bosom, and even the ends of the radiant hair melted imperceptibly into -the vague yet deep shadow which formed the back-ground of the whole. The -frame was oval, richly gilded and filigreed in Moresque. As a thing of -art nothing could be more admirable than the painting itself. But it -could have been neither the execution of the work, nor the immortal -beauty of the countenance, which had so suddenly and so vehemently moved -me. Least of all, could it have been that my fancy, shaken from its half -slumber, had mistaken the head for that of a living person. I saw at -once that the peculiarities of the design, of the vignetting, and of the -frame, must have instantly dispelled such idea--must have prevented even -its momentary entertainment. Thinking earnestly upon these points, I -remained, for an hour perhaps, half sitting, half reclining, with my -vision riveted upon the portrait. At length, satisfied with the true -secret of its effect, I fell back within the bed. I had found the spell -of the picture in an absolute life-likeliness of expression, which, at -first startling, finally confounded, subdued, and appalled me. With deep -and reverent awe I replaced the candelabrum in its former position. The -cause of my deep agitation being thus shut from view, I sought eagerly -the volume which discussed the paintings and their histories. Turning -to the number which designated the oval portrait, I there read the vague -and quaint words which follow: - -"She was a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of -glee. And evil was the hour when she saw, and loved, and wedded the -painter. He, passionate, studious, austere, and having already a bride -in his Art; she a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full -of glee; all light and smiles, and frolicsome as the young fawn; loving -and cherishing all things; hating only the Art which was her rival; -dreading only the pallet and brushes and other untoward instruments -which deprived her of the countenance of her lover. It was thus a -terrible thing for this lady to hear the painter speak of his desire to -portray even his young bride. But she was humble and obedient, and sat -meekly for many weeks in the dark, high turret-chamber where the light -dripped upon the pale canvas only from overhead. But he, the painter, -took glory in his work, which went on from hour to hour, and from day to -day. And he was a passionate, and wild, and moody man, who became lost -in reveries; so that he would not see that the light which fell so -ghastly in that lone turret withered the health and the spirits of his -bride, who pined visibly to all but him. Yet she smiled on and still on, -uncomplainingly, because she saw that the painter (who had high renown) -took a fervid and burning pleasure in his task, and wrought day and -night to depict her who so loved him, yet who grew daily more dispirited -and weak. And in sooth some who beheld the portrait spoke of its -resemblance in low words, as of a mighty marvel, and a proof not less of -the power of the painter than of his deep love for her whom he depicted -so surpassingly well. But at length, as the labor drew nearer to its -conclusion, there were admitted none into the turret; for the painter -had grown wild with the ardor of his work, and turned his eyes from -canvas merely, even to regard the countenance of his wife. And he would -not see that the tints which he spread upon the canvas were drawn from -the cheeks of her who sate beside him. And when many weeks had passed, -and but little remained to do, save one brush upon the mouth and one -tint upon the eye, the spirit of the lady again flickered up as the -flame within the socket of the lamp. And then the brush was given, -and then the tint was placed; and, for one moment, the painter stood -entranced before the work which he had wrought; but in the next, while -he yet gazed, he grew tremulous and very pallid, and aghast, and crying -with a loud voice, 'This is indeed Life itself!' turned suddenly to -regard his beloved:--She was dead!" - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, by Edgar Allan Poe - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE *** - -***** This file should be named 2147-8.txt or 2147-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/4/2147/ - -Produced by David Widger and Carlo Traverso - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Volume 1 - -Author: Edgar Allan Poe - -Release Date: May 19, 2008 [eBook #2147] -[Most recently updated: January 5, 2022] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: David Widger and Carlo Traverso - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, VOL. 1 *** - - - - -The Works of Edgar Allan Poe - -by Edgar Allan Poe - -The Raven Edition - - -Contents - - PREFACE - LIFE OF POE - DEATH OF POE - THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES OF ONE HANS PFAALL - THE GOLD-BUG - FOUR BEASTS IN ONE—THE HOMO-CAMELEOPARD - THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE - THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET.(*1) - THE BALLOON-HOAX - MS. FOUND IN A BOTTLE - THE OVAL PORTRAIT - - - - -EDGAR ALLAN POE -AN APPRECIATION - - Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster - Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore— - Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore - Of “never—never more!” - - This stanza from “The Raven” was recommended by James Russell - Lowell as an inscription upon the Baltimore monument which marks - the resting place of Edgar Allan Poe, the most interesting and - original figure in American letters. And, to signify that - peculiar musical quality of Poe’s genius which inthralls every - reader, Mr. Lowell suggested this additional verse, from the - “Haunted Palace”: - - And all with pearl and ruby glowing - Was the fair palace door, - Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing, - And sparkling ever more, - A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty - Was but to sing, - In voices of surpassing beauty, - The wit and wisdom of their king. - - Born in poverty at Boston, January 19, 1809, dying under painful - circumstances at Baltimore, October 7, 1849, his whole literary - career of scarcely fifteen years a pitiful struggle for mere - subsistence, his memory malignantly misrepresented by his - earliest biographer, Griswold, how completely has truth at last - routed falsehood and how magnificently has Poe come into his own. - For “The Raven,” first published in 1845, and, within a few - months, read, recited and parodied wherever the English language - was spoken, the half-starved poet received $10! Less than a year - later his brother poet, N. P. Willis, issued this touching appeal - to the admirers of genius on behalf of the neglected author, his - dying wife and her devoted mother, then living under very - straitened circumstances in a little cottage at Fordham, N. Y.: - - “Here is one of the finest scholars, one of the most original men - of genius, and one of the most industrious of the literary - profession of our country, whose temporary suspension of labor, - from bodily illness, drops him immediately to a level with the - common objects of public charity. There is no intermediate - stopping-place, no respectful shelter, where, with the delicacy - due to genius and culture, he might secure aid, till, with - returning health, he would resume his labors, and his unmortified - sense of independence.” - - And this was the tribute paid by the American public to the - master who had given to it such tales of conjuring charm, of - witchery and mystery as “The Fall of the House of Usher” and - “Ligeia”; such fascinating hoaxes as “The Unparalleled Adventure - of Hans Pfaall,” “MSS. Found in a Bottle,” “A Descent Into a - Maelstrom” and “The Balloon-Hoax”; such tales of conscience as - “William Wilson,” “The Black Cat” and “The Tell-tale Heart,” - wherein the retributions of remorse are portrayed with an awful - fidelity; such tales of natural beauty as “The Island of the Fay” - and “The Domain of Arnheim”; such marvellous studies in - ratiocination as the “Gold-bug,” “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” - “The Purloined Letter” and “The Mystery of Marie Roget,” the - latter, a recital of fact, demonstrating the author’s wonderful - capability of correctly analyzing the mysteries of the human - mind; such tales of illusion and banter as “The Premature Burial” - and “The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether”; such bits of - extravaganza as “The Devil in the Belfry” and “The Angel of the - Odd”; such tales of adventure as “The Narrative of Arthur Gordon - Pym”; such papers of keen criticism and review as won for Poe the - enthusiastic admiration of Charles Dickens, although they made - him many enemies among the over-puffed minor American writers so - mercilessly exposed by him; such poems of beauty and melody as - “The Bells,” “The Haunted Palace,” “Tamerlane,” “The City in the - Sea” and “The Raven.” What delight for the jaded senses of the - reader is this enchanted domain of wonder-pieces! What an - atmosphere of beauty, music, color! What resources of - imagination, construction, analysis and absolute art! One might - almost sympathize with Sarah Helen Whitman, who, confessing to a - half faith in the old superstition of the significance of - anagrams, found, in the transposed letters of Edgar Poe’s name, - the words “a God-peer.” His mind, she says, was indeed a “Haunted - Palace,” echoing to the footfalls of angels and demons. - - “No man,” Poe himself wrote, “has recorded, no man has dared to - record, the wonders of his inner life.” - - In these twentieth century days—of lavish recognition—artistic, - popular and material—of genius, what rewards might not a Poe - claim! - - Edgar’s father, a son of General David Poe, the American - revolutionary patriot and friend of Lafayette, had married Mrs. - Hopkins, an English actress, and, the match meeting with parental - disapproval, had himself taken to the stage as a profession. - Notwithstanding Mrs. Poe’s beauty and talent the young couple had - a sorry struggle for existence. When Edgar, at the age of two - years, was orphaned, the family was in the utmost destitution. - Apparently the future poet was to be cast upon the world homeless - and friendless. But fate decreed that a few glimmers of sunshine - were to illumine his life, for the little fellow was adopted by - John Allan, a wealthy merchant of Richmond, Va. A brother and - sister, the remaining children, were cared for by others. - - In his new home Edgar found all the luxury and advantages money - could provide. He was petted, spoiled and shown off to strangers. - In Mrs. Allan he found all the affection a childless wife could - bestow. Mr. Allan took much pride in the captivating, precocious - lad. At the age of five the boy recited, with fine effect, - passages of English poetry to the visitors at the Allan house. - - From his eighth to his thirteenth year he attended the Manor - House school, at Stoke-Newington, a suburb of London. It was the - Rev. Dr. Bransby, head of the school, whom Poe so quaintly - portrayed in “William Wilson.” Returning to Richmond in 1820 - Edgar was sent to the school of Professor Joseph H. Clarke. He - proved an apt pupil. Years afterward Professor Clarke thus wrote: - - “While the other boys wrote mere mechanical verses, Poe wrote - genuine poetry; the boy was a born poet. As a scholar he was - ambitious to excel. He was remarkable for self-respect, without - haughtiness. He had a sensitive and tender heart and would do - anything for a friend. His nature was entirely free from - selfishness.” - - At the age of seventeen Poe entered the University of Virginia at - Charlottesville. He left that institution after one session. - Official records prove that he was not expelled. On the contrary, - he gained a creditable record as a student, although it is - admitted that he contracted debts and had “an ungovernable - passion for card-playing.” These debts may have led to his - quarrel with Mr. Allan which eventually compelled him to make his - own way in the world. - - Early in 1827 Poe made his first literary venture. He induced - Calvin Thomas, a poor and youthful printer, to publish a small - volume of his verses under the title “Tamerlane and Other Poems.” - In 1829 we find Poe in Baltimore with another manuscript volume - of verses, which was soon published. Its title was “Al Aaraaf, - Tamerlane and Other Poems.” Neither of these ventures seems to - have attracted much attention. - - Soon after Mrs. Allan’s death, which occurred in 1829, Poe, - through the aid of Mr. Allan, secured admission to the United - States Military Academy at West Point. Any glamour which may have - attached to cadet life in Poe’s eyes was speedily lost, for - discipline at West Point was never so severe nor were the - accommodations ever so poor. Poe’s bent was more and more toward - literature. Life at the academy daily became increasingly - distasteful. Soon he began to purposely neglect his studies and - to disregard his duties, his aim being to secure his dismissal - from the United States service. In this he succeeded. On March 7, - 1831, Poe found himself free. Mr. Allan’s second marriage had - thrown the lad on his own resources. His literary career was to - begin. - - Poe’s first genuine victory was won in 1833, when he was the - successful competitor for a prize of $100 offered by a Baltimore - periodical for the best prose story. “A MSS. Found in a Bottle” - was the winning tale. Poe had submitted six stories in a volume. - “Our only difficulty,” says Mr. Latrobe, one of the judges, “was - in selecting from the rich contents of the volume.” - - During the fifteen years of his literary life Poe was connected - with various newspapers and magazines in Richmond, Philadelphia - and New York. He was faithful, punctual, industrious, thorough. - N. P. Willis, who for some time employed Poe as critic and - sub-editor on the “Evening Mirror,” wrote thus: - - “With the highest admiration for Poe’s genius, and a willingness - to let it alone for more than ordinary irregularity, we were led - by common report to expect a very capricious attention to his - duties, and occasionally a scene of violence and difficulty. Time - went on, however, and he was invariably punctual and industrious. - We saw but one presentiment of the man—a quiet, patient, - industrious and most gentlemanly person. - - “We heard, from one who knew him well (what should be stated in - all mention of his lamentable irregularities), that with a single - glass of wine his whole nature was reversed, the demon became - uppermost, and, though none of the usual signs of intoxication - were visible, his will was palpably insane. In this reversed - character, we repeat, it was never our chance to meet him.” - - On September 22, 1835, Poe married his cousin, Virginia Clemm, in - Baltimore. She had barely turned thirteen years, Poe himself was - but twenty-six. He then was a resident of Richmond and a regular - contributor to the “Southern Literary Messenger.” It was not - until a year later that the bride and her widowed mother followed - him thither. - - Poe’s devotion to his child-wife was one of the most beautiful - features of his life. Many of his famous poetic productions were - inspired by her beauty and charm. Consumption had marked her for - its victim, and the constant efforts of husband and mother were - to secure for her all the comfort and happiness their slender - means permitted. Virginia died January 30, 1847, when but - twenty-five years of age. A friend of the family pictures the - death-bed scene—mother and husband trying to impart warmth to her - by chafing her hands and her feet, while her pet cat was suffered - to nestle upon her bosom for the sake of added warmth. - - These verses from “Annabel Lee,” written by Poe in 1849, the last - year of his life, tell of his sorrow at the loss of his - child-wife: - - _I_ was a child and _she_ was a child, - In a kingdom by the sea; - But we loved with a love that was more than love— - I and my Annabel Lee; - With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven - Coveted her and me. - And this was the reason that, long ago, - In this kingdom by the sea. - A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling - My beautiful Annabel Lee; - So that her high-born kinsmen came - And bore her away from me, - To shut her up in a sepulchre - In this kingdom by the sea. - - Poe was connected at various times and in various capacities with - the “Southern Literary Messenger” in Richmond, Va.; “Graham’s - Magazine” and the “Gentleman’s Magazine” in Philadelphia; the - “Evening Mirror,” the “Broadway Journal,” and “Godey’s Lady’s - Book” in New York. Everywhere Poe’s life was one of unremitting - toil. No tales and poems were ever produced at a greater cost of - brain and spirit. - - Poe’s initial salary with the “Southern Literary Messenger,” to - which he contributed the first drafts of a number of his - best-known tales, was $10 a week! Two years later his salary was - but $600 a year. Even in 1844, when his literary reputation was - established securely, he wrote to a friend expressing his - pleasure because a magazine to which he was to contribute had - agreed to pay him $20 monthly for two pages of criticism. - - Those were discouraging times in American literature, but Poe - never lost faith. He was finally to triumph wherever pre-eminent - talents win admirers. His genius has had no better description - than in this stanza from William Winter’s poem, read at the - dedication exercises of the Actors’ Monument to Poe, May 4, 1885, - in New York: - - He was the voice of beauty and of woe, - Passion and mystery and the dread unknown; - Pure as the mountains of perpetual snow, - Cold as the icy winds that round them moan, - Dark as the caves wherein earth’s thunders groan, - Wild as the tempests of the upper sky, - Sweet as the faint, far-off celestial tone of angel whispers, - fluttering from on high, - And tender as love’s tear when youth and beauty die. - - In the two and a half score years that have elapsed since Poe’s - death he has come fully into his own. For a while Griswold’s - malignant misrepresentations colored the public estimate of Poe - as man and as writer. But, thanks to J. H. Ingram, W. F. Gill, - Eugene Didier, Sarah Helen Whitman and others these scandals have - been dispelled and Poe is seen as he actually was—not as a man - without failings, it is true, but as the finest and most original - genius in American letters. As the years go on his fame - increases. His works have been translated into many foreign - languages. His is a household name in France and England—in fact, - the latter nation has often uttered the reproach that Poe’s own - country has been slow to appreciate him. But that reproach, if it - ever was warranted, certainly is untrue. - -W. H. R. - - - - -EDGAR ALLAN POE - - -By James Russell Lowell - - The situation of American literature is anomalous. It has no - centre, or, if it have, it is like that of the sphere of Hermes. - It is divided into many systems, each revolving round its several - suns, and often presenting to the rest only the faint glimmer of - a milk-and-water way. Our capital city, unlike London or Paris, - is not a great central heart from which life and vigor radiate to - the extremities, but resembles more an isolated umbilicus stuck - down as near as may be to the centre of the land, and seeming - rather to tell a legend of former usefulness than to serve any - present need. Boston, New York, Philadelphia, each has its - literature almost more distinct than those of the different - dialects of Germany; and the Young Queen of the West has also one - of her own, of which some articulate rumor barely has reached us - dwellers by the Atlantic. - - Perhaps there is no task more difficult than the just criticism - of contemporary literature. It is even more grateful to give - praise where it is needed than where it is deserved, and - friendship so often seduces the iron stylus of justice into a - vague flourish, that she writes what seems rather like an epitaph - than a criticism. Yet if praise be given as an alms, we could not - drop so poisonous a one into any man’s hat. The critic’s ink may - suffer equally from too large an infusion of nutgalls or of - sugar. But it is easier to be generous than to be just, and we - might readily put faith in that fabulous direction to the hiding - place of truth, did we judge from the amount of water which we - usually find mixed with it. - - Remarkable experiences are usually confined to the inner life of - imaginative men, but Mr. Poe’s biography displays a vicissitude - and peculiarity of interest such as is rarely met with. The - offspring of a romantic marriage, and left an orphan at an early - age, he was adopted by Mr. Allan, a wealthy Virginian, whose - barren marriage-bed seemed the warranty of a large estate to the - young poet. - - Having received a classical education in England, he returned - home and entered the University of Virginia, where, after an - extravagant course, followed by reformation at the last - extremity, he was graduated with the highest honors of his class. - Then came a boyish attempt to join the fortunes of the insurgent - Greeks, which ended at St. Petersburg, where he got into - difficulties through want of a passport, from which he was - rescued by the American consul and sent home. He now entered the - military academy at West Point, from which he obtained a - dismissal on hearing of the birth of a son to his adopted father, - by a second marriage, an event which cut off his expectations as - an heir. The death of Mr. Allan, in whose will his name was not - mentioned, soon after relieved him of all doubt in this regard, - and he committed himself at once to authorship for a support. - Previously to this, however, he had published (in 1827) a small - volume of poems, which soon ran through three editions, and - excited high expectations of its author’s future distinction in - the minds of many competent judges. - - That no certain augury can be drawn from a poet’s earliest - lispings there are instances enough to prove. Shakespeare’s first - poems, though brimful of vigor and youth and picturesqueness, - give but a very faint promise of the directness, condensation and - overflowing moral of his maturer works. Perhaps, however, - Shakespeare is hardly a case in point, his “Venus and Adonis” - having been published, we believe, in his twenty-sixth year. - Milton’s Latin verses show tenderness, a fine eye for nature, and - a delicate appreciation of classic models, but give no hint of - the author of a new style in poetry. Pope’s youthful pieces have - all the sing-song, wholly unrelieved by the glittering malignity - and eloquent irreligion of his later productions. Collins’ callow - namby-pamby died and gave no sign of the vigorous and original - genius which he afterward displayed. We have never thought that - the world lost more in the “marvellous boy,” Chatterton, than a - very ingenious imitator of obscure and antiquated dulness. Where - he becomes original (as it is called), the interest of ingenuity - ceases and he becomes stupid. Kirke White’s promises were - indorsed by the respectable name of Mr. Southey, but surely with - no authority from Apollo. They have the merit of a traditional - piety, which to our mind, if uttered at all, had been less - objectionable in the retired closet of a diary, and in the sober - raiment of prose. They do not clutch hold of the memory with the - drowning pertinacity of Watts; neither have they the interest of - his occasional simple, lucky beauty. Burns having fortunately - been rescued by his humble station from the contaminating society - of the “Best models,” wrote well and naturally from the first. - Had he been unfortunate enough to have had an educated taste, we - should have had a series of poems from which, as from his - letters, we could sift here and there a kernel from the mass of - chaff. Coleridge’s youthful efforts give no promise whatever of - that poetical genius which produced at once the wildest, - tenderest, most original and most purely imaginative poems of - modern times. Byron’s “Hours of Idleness” would never find a - reader except from an intrepid and indefatigable curiosity. In - Wordsworth’s first preludings there is but a dim foreboding of - the creator of an era. From Southey’s early poems, a safer augury - might have been drawn. They show the patient investigator, the - close student of history, and the unwearied explorer of the - beauties of predecessors, but they give no assurances of a man - who should add aught to stock of household words, or to the rarer - and more sacred delights of the fireside or the arbor. The - earliest specimens of Shelley’s poetic mind already, also, give - tokens of that ethereal sublimation in which the spirit seems to - soar above the regions of words, but leaves its body, the verse, - to be entombed, without hope of resurrection, in a mass of them. - Cowley is generally instanced as a wonder of precocity. But his - early insipidities show only a capacity for rhyming and for the - metrical arrangement of certain conventional combinations of - words, a capacity wholly dependent on a delicate physical - organization, and an unhappy memory. An early poem is only - remarkable when it displays an effort of _reason,_ and the rudest - verses in which we can trace some conception of the ends of - poetry, are worth all the miracles of smooth juvenile - versification. A school-boy, one would say, might acquire the - regular see-saw of Pope merely by an association with the motion - of the play-ground tilt. - - Mr. Poe’s early productions show that he could see through the - verse to the spirit beneath, and that he already had a feeling - that all the life and grace of the one must depend on and be - modulated by the will of the other. We call them the most - remarkable boyish poems that we have ever read. We know of none - that can compare with them for maturity of purpose, and a nice - understanding of the effects of language and metre. Such pieces - are only valuable when they display what we can only express by - the contradictory phrase of _innate experience._ We copy one of - the shorter poems, written when the author was only fourteen. - There is a little dimness in the filling up, but the grace and - symmetry of the outline are such as few poets ever attain. There - is a smack of ambrosia about it. - - TO HELEN - -Helen, thy beauty is to me - Like those Nicean barks of yore, -That gently, o’er a perfumed sea, - The weary, way-worn wanderer bore -To his own native shore. - -On desperate seas long wont to roam, - Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, -Thy Naiad airs have brought me home - To the glory that was Greece -And the grandeur that was Rome. - -Lo! in yon brilliant window-niche - How statue-like I see thee stand! -The agate lamp within thy hand, - Ah! Psyche, from the regions which -Are Holy Land! - - It is the tendency of the young poet that impresses us. Here is - no “withering scorn,” no heart “blighted” ere it has safely got - into its teens, none of the drawing-room sansculottism which - Byron had brought into vogue. All is limpid and serene, with a - pleasant dash of the Greek Helicon in it. The melody of the - whole, too, is remarkable. It is not of that kind which can be - demonstrated arithmetically upon the tips of the fingers. It is - of that finer sort which the inner ear alone _can_ estimate. It - seems simple, like a Greek column, because of its perfection. In - a poem named “Ligeia,” under which title he intended to personify - the music of nature, our boy-poet gives us the following - exquisite picture: - - Ligeia! Ligeia! -My beautiful one, - Whose harshest idea -Will to melody run, - Say, is it thy will, -On the breezes to toss, - Or, capriciously still, -Like the lone albatross, - Incumbent on night, -As she on the air, - To keep watch with delight -On the harmony there? - - John Neal, himself a man of genius, and whose lyre has been too - long capriciously silent, appreciated the high merit of these and - similar passages, and drew a proud horoscope for their author. - - Mr. Poe had that indescribable something which men have agreed to - call _genius_. No man could ever tell us precisely what it is, - and yet there is none who is not inevitably aware of its presence - and its power. Let talent writhe and contort itself as it may, it - has no such magnetism. Larger of bone and sinew it may be, but - the wings are wanting. Talent sticks fast to earth, and its most - perfect works have still one foot of clay. Genius claims kindred - with the very workings of Nature herself, so that a sunset shall - seem like a quotation from Dante, and if Shakespeare be read in - the very presence of the sea itself, his verses shall but seem - nobler for the sublime criticism of ocean. Talent may make - friends for itself, but only genius can give to its creations the - divine power of winning love and veneration. Enthusiasm cannot - cling to what itself is unenthusiastic, nor will he ever have - disciples who has not himself impulsive zeal enough to be a - disciple. Great wits are allied to madness only inasmuch as they - are possessed and carried away by their demon, while talent keeps - him, as Paracelsus did, securely prisoned in the pommel of his - sword. To the eye of genius, the veil of the spiritual world is - ever rent asunder that it may perceive the ministers of good and - evil who throng continually around it. No man of mere talent ever - flung his inkstand at the devil. - - When we say that Mr. Poe had genius, we do not mean to say that - he has produced evidence of the highest. But to say that he - possesses it at all is to say that he needs only zeal, industry, - and a reverence for the trust reposed in him, to achieve the - proudest triumphs and the greenest laurels. If we may believe the - Longinuses and Aristotles of our newspapers, we have quite too - many geniuses of the loftiest order to render a place among them - at all desirable, whether for its hardness of attainment or its - seclusion. The highest peak of our Parnassus is, according to - these gentlemen, by far the most thickly settled portion of the - country, a circumstance which must make it an uncomfortable - residence for individuals of a poetical temperament, if love of - solitude be, as immemorial tradition asserts, a necessary part of - their idiosyncrasy. - - Mr. Poe has two of the prime qualities of genius, a faculty of - vigorous yet minute analysis, and a wonderful fecundity of - imagination. The first of these faculties is as needful to the - artist in words, as a knowledge of anatomy is to the artist in - colors or in stone. This enables him to conceive truly, to - maintain a proper relation of parts, and to draw a correct - outline, while the second groups, fills up and colors. Both of - these Mr. Poe has displayed with singular distinctness in his - prose works, the last predominating in his earlier tales, and the - first in his later ones. In judging of the merit of an author, - and assigning him his niche among our household gods, we have a - right to regard him from our own point of view, and to measure - him by our own standard. But, in estimating the amount of power - displayed in his works, we must be governed by his own design, - and placing them by the side of his own ideal, find how much is - wanting. We differ from Mr. Poe in his opinions of the objects of - art. He esteems that object to be the creation of Beauty, and - perhaps it is only in the definition of that word that we - disagree with him. But in what we shall say of his writings, we - shall take his own standard as our guide. The temple of the god - of song is equally accessible from every side, and there is room - enough in it for all who bring offerings, or seek in oracle. - - In his tales, Mr. Poe has chosen to exhibit his power chiefly in - that dim region which stretches from the very utmost limits of - the probable into the weird confines of superstition and - unreality. He combines in a very remarkable manner two faculties - which are seldom found united; a power of influencing the mind of - the reader by the impalpable shadows of mystery, and a minuteness - of detail which does not leave a pin or a button unnoticed. Both - are, in truth, the natural results of the predominating quality - of his mind, to which we have before alluded, analysis. It is - this which distinguishes the artist. His mind at once reaches - forward to the effect to be produced. Having resolved to bring - about certain emotions in the reader, he makes all subordinate - parts tend strictly to the common centre. Even his mystery is - mathematical to his own mind. To him X is a known quantity all - along. In any picture that he paints he understands the chemical - properties of all his colors. However vague some of his figures - may seem, however formless the shadows, to him the outline is as - clear and distinct as that of a geometrical diagram. For this - reason Mr. Poe has no sympathy with Mysticism. The Mystic dwells - in the mystery, is enveloped with it; it colors all his thoughts; - it affects his optic nerve especially, and the commonest things - get a rainbow edging from it. Mr. Poe, on the other hand, is a - spectator _ab extra_. He analyzes, he dissects, he watches - - “with an eye serene, - The very pulse of the machine,” - - for such it practically is to him, with wheels and cogs and - piston-rods, all working to produce a certain end. - - This analyzing tendency of his mind balances the poetical, and by - giving him the patience to be minute, enables him to throw a - wonderful reality into his most unreal fancies. A monomania he - paints with great power. He loves to dissect one of these cancers - of the mind, and to trace all the subtle ramifications of its - roots. In raising images of horror, also, he has strange success, - conveying to us sometimes by a dusky hint some terrible _doubt_ - which is the secret of all horror. He leaves to imagination the - task of finishing the picture, a task to which only she is - competent. - - “For much imaginary work was there; - Conceit deceitful, so compact, so kind, - That for Achilles’ image stood his spear - Grasped in an armed hand; himself behind - Was left unseen, save to the eye of mind.” - - Besides the merit of conception, Mr. Poe’s writings have also - that of form. - - His style is highly finished, graceful and truly classical. It - would be hard to find a living author who had displayed such - varied powers. As an example of his style we would refer to one - of his tales, “The House of Usher,” in the first volume of his - “Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque.” It has a singular charm - for us, and we think that no one could read it without being - strongly moved by its serene and sombre beauty. Had its author - written nothing else, it would alone have been enough to stamp - him as a man of genius, and the master of a classic style. In - this tale occurs, perhaps, the most beautiful of his poems. - - The great masters of imagination have seldom resorted to the - vague and the unreal as sources of effect. They have not used - dread and horror alone, but only in combination with other - qualities, as means of subjugating the fancies of their readers. - The loftiest muse has ever a household and fireside charm about - her. Mr. Poe’s secret lies mainly in the skill with which he has - employed the strange fascination of mystery and terror. In this - his success is so great and striking as to deserve the name of - art, not artifice. We cannot call his materials the noblest or - purest, but we must concede to him the highest merit of - construction. - - As a critic, Mr. Poe was aesthetically deficient. Unerring in his - analysis of dictions, metres and plots, he seemed wanting in the - faculty of perceiving the profounder ethics of art. His - criticisms are, however, distinguished for scientific precision - and coherence of logic. They have the exactness, and at the same - time, the coldness of mathematical demonstrations. Yet they stand - in strikingly refreshing contrast with the vague generalisms and - sharp personalities of the day. If deficient in warmth, they are - also without the heat of partisanship. They are especially - valuable as illustrating the great truth, too generally - overlooked, that analytic power is a subordinate quality of the - critic. - - On the whole, it may be considered certain that Mr. Poe has - attained an individual eminence in our literature which he will - keep. He has given proof of power and originality. He has done - that which could only be done once with success or safety, and - the imitation or repetition of which would produce weariness. - - - - -DEATH OF EDGAR A. POE - - -By N. P. Willis - - The ancient fable of two antagonistic spirits imprisoned in one - body, equally powerful and having the complete mastery by - turns-of one man, that is to say, inhabited by both a devil and - an angel seems to have been realized, if all we hear is true, in - the character of the extraordinary man whose name we have written - above. Our own impression of the nature of Edgar A. Poe, differs - in some important degree, however, from that which has been - generally conveyed in the notices of his death. Let us, before - telling what we personally know of him, copy a graphic and highly - finished portraiture, from the pen of Dr. Rufus W. Griswold, - which appeared in a recent number of the “Tribune”: - - “Edgar Allen Poe is dead. He died in Baltimore on Sunday, October - 7th. This announcement will startle many, but few will be grieved - by it. The poet was known, personally or by reputation, in all - this country; he had readers in England and in several of the - states of Continental Europe; but he had few or no friends; and - the regrets for his death will be suggested principally by the - consideration that in him literary art has lost one of its most - brilliant but erratic stars. - - “His conversation was at times almost supramortal in its - eloquence. His voice was modulated with astonishing skill, and - his large and variably expressive eyes looked repose or shot - fiery tumult into theirs who listened, while his own face glowed, - or was changeless in pallor, as his imagination quickened his - blood or drew it back frozen to his heart. His imagery was from - the worlds which no mortals can see but with the vision of - genius. Suddenly starting from a proposition, exactly and sharply - defined, in terms of utmost simplicity and clearness, he rejected - the forms of customary logic, and by a crystalline process of - accretion, built up his ocular demonstrations in forms of - gloomiest and ghastliest grandeur, or in those of the most airy - and delicious beauty, so minutely and distinctly, yet so rapidly, - that the attention which was yielded to him was chained till it - stood among his wonderful creations, till he himself dissolved - the spell, and brought his hearers back to common and base - existence, by vulgar fancies or exhibitions of the ignoblest - passion. - - “He was at all times a dreamer dwelling in ideal realms in heaven - or hell peopled with the creatures and the accidents of his - brain. He walked the streets, in madness or melancholy, with lips - moving in indistinct curses, or with eyes upturned in passionate - prayer (never for himself, for he felt, or professed to feel, - that he was already damned, but) for their happiness who at the - moment were objects of his idolatry; or with his glances - introverted to a heart gnawed with anguish, and with a face - shrouded in gloom, he would brave the wildest storms, and all - night, with drenched garments and arms beating the winds and - rains, would speak as if the spirits that at such times only - could be evoked by him from the Aidenn, close by whose portals - his disturbed soul sought to forget the ills to which his - constitution subjected him—close by the Aidenn where were those - he loved—the Aidenn which he might never see, but in fitful - glimpses, as its gates opened to receive the less fiery and more - happy natures whose destiny to sin did not involve the doom of - death. - - “He seemed, except when some fitful pursuit subjugated his will - and engrossed his faculties, always to bear the memory of some - controlling sorrow. The remarkable poem of ‘The Raven’ was - probably much more nearly than has been supposed, even by those - who were very intimate with him, a reflection and an echo of his - own history. _He_ was that bird’s - - “‘Unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster -Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore— -Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore - Of ‘Never—never more.’ - - “Every genuine author in a greater or less degree leaves in his - works, whatever their design, traces of his personal character: - elements of his immortal being, in which the individual survives - the person. While we read the pages of the ‘Fall of the House of - Usher,’ or of ‘Mesmeric Revelations,’ we see in the solemn and - stately gloom which invests one, and in the subtle metaphysical - analysis of both, indications of the idiosyncrasies of what was - most remarkable and peculiar in the author’s intellectual nature. - But we see here only the better phases of his nature, only the - symbols of his juster action, for his harsh experience had - deprived him of all faith in man or woman. He had made up his - mind upon the numberless complexities of the social world, and - the whole system with him was an imposture. This conviction gave - a direction to his shrewd and naturally unamiable character. - Still, though he regarded society as composed altogether of - villains, the sharpness of his intellect was not of that kind - which enabled him to cope with villany, while it continually - caused him by overshots to fail of the success of honesty. He was - in many respects like Francis Vivian in Bulwer’s novel of ‘The - Caxtons.’ Passion, in him, comprehended many of the worst - emotions which militate against human happiness. You could not - contradict him, but you raised quick choler; you could not speak - of wealth, but his cheek paled with gnawing envy. The astonishing - natural advantages of this poor boy—his beauty, his readiness, - the daring spirit that breathed around him like a fiery - atmosphere—had raised his constitutional self-confidence into an - arrogance that turned his very claims to admiration into - prejudices against him. Irascible, envious—bad enough, but not - the worst, for these salient angles were all varnished over with - a cold, repellant cynicism, his passions vented themselves in - sneers. There seemed to him no moral susceptibility; and, what - was more remarkable in a proud nature, little or nothing of the - true point of honor. He had, to a morbid excess, that, desire to - rise which is vulgarly called ambition, but no wish for the - esteem or the love of his species; only the hard wish to - succeed—not shine, not serve—succeed, that he might have the - right to despise a world which galled his self-conceit. - - “We have suggested the influence of his aims and vicissitudes - upon his literature. It was more conspicuous in his later than in - his earlier writings. Nearly all that he wrote in the last two or - three years—including much of his best poetry—was in some sense - biographical; in draperies of his imagination, those who had - taken the trouble to trace his steps, could perceive, but - slightly concealed, the figure of himself.” - - Apropos of the disparaging portion of the above well-written - sketch, let us truthfully say: - - Some four or five years since, when editing a daily paper in this - city, Mr. Poe was employed by us, for several months, as critic - and sub-editor. This was our first personal acquaintance with - him. He resided with his wife and mother at Fordham, a few miles - out of town, but was at his desk in the office, from nine in the - morning till the evening paper went to press. With the highest - admiration for his genius, and a willingness to let it atone for - more than ordinary irregularity, we were led by common report to - expect a very capricious attention to his duties, and - occasionally a scene of violence and difficulty. Time went on, - however, and he was invariably punctual and industrious. With his - pale, beautiful, and intellectual face, as a reminder of what - genius was in him, it was impossible, of course, not to treat him - always with deferential courtesy, and, to our occasional request - that he would not probe too deep in a criticism, or that he would - erase a passage colored too highly with his resentments against - society and mankind, he readily and courteously assented—far more - yielding than most men, we thought, on points so excusably - sensitive. With a prospect of taking the lead in another - periodical, he, at last, voluntarily gave up his employment with - us, and, through all this considerable period, we had seen but - one presentment of the man—a quiet, patient, industrious, and - most gentlemanly person, commanding the utmost respect and good - feeling by his unvarying deportment and ability. - - Residing as he did in the country, we never met Mr. Poe in hours - of leisure; but he frequently called on us afterward at our place - of business, and we met him often in the street—invariably the - same sad mannered, winning and refined gentleman, such as we had - always known him. It was by rumor only, up to the day of his - death, that we knew of any other development of manner or - character. We heard, from one who knew him well (what should be - stated in all mention of his lamentable irregularities), that, - with a single glass of wine, his whole nature was reversed, the - demon became uppermost, and, though none of the usual signs of - intoxication were visible, his will was palpably insane. - Possessing his reasoning faculties in excited activity, at such - times, and seeking his acquaintances with his wonted look and - memory, he easily seemed personating only another phase of his - natural character, and was accused, accordingly, of insulting - arrogance and bad-heartedness. In this reversed character, we - repeat, it was never our chance to see him. We know it from - hearsay, and we mention it in connection with this sad infirmity - of physical constitution; which puts it upon very nearly the - ground of a temporary and almost irresponsible insanity. - - The arrogance, vanity, and depravity of heart, of which Mr. Poe - was generally accused, seem to us referable altogether to this - reversed phase of his character. Under that degree of - intoxication which only acted upon him by demonizing his sense of - truth and right, he doubtless said and did much that was wholly - irreconcilable with his better nature; but, when himself, and as - we knew him only, his modesty and unaffected humility, as to his - own deservings, were a constant charm to his character. His - letters, of which the constant application for autographs has - taken from us, we are sorry to confess, the greater portion, - exhibited this quality very strongly. In one of the carelessly - written notes of which we chance still to retain possession, for - instance, he speaks of “The Raven”—that extraordinary poem which - electrified the world of imaginative readers, and has become the - type of a school of poetry of its own—and, in evident earnest, - attributes its success to the few words of commendation with - which we had prefaced it in this paper. It will throw light on - his sane character to give a literal copy of the note: - -“FORDHAM, _April_ 20, 1849 - - “MY DEAR WILLIS—The poem which I inclose, and which I am so vain - as to hope you will like, in some respects, has been just - published in a paper for which sheer necessity compels me to - write, now and then. It pays well as times go-but unquestionably - it ought to pay ten prices; for whatever I send it I feel I am - consigning to the tomb of the Capulets. The verses accompanying - this, may I beg you to take out of the tomb, and bring them to - light in the ‘Home Journal?’ If you can oblige me so far as to - copy them, I do not think it will be necessary to say ‘From the - ——,’ that would be too bad; and, perhaps, ‘From a late —— paper,’ - would do. - - “I have not forgotten how a ‘good word in season’ from you made - ‘The Raven,’ and made ‘Ulalume’ (which by-the-way, people have - done me the honor of attributing to you), therefore, I _would_ - ask you (if I dared) to say something of these lines if they - please you. - -“Truly yours ever, -“EDGAR A. POE.” - - In double proof of his earnest disposition to do the best for - himself, and of the trustful and grateful nature which has been - denied him, we give another of the only three of his notes which - we chance to retain: - -“FORDHAM, _January_ 22, 1848. - - “MY DEAR MR. WILLIS—I am about to make an effort at - re-establishing myself in the literary world, and _feel_ that I - may depend upon your aid. - - “My general aim is to start a Magazine, to be called ‘The - Stylus,’ but it would be useless to me, even when established, if - not entirely out of the control of a publisher. I mean, - therefore, to get up a journal which shall be _my own_ at all - points. With this end in view, I must get a list of at least five - hundred subscribers to begin with; nearly two hundred I have - already. I propose, however, to go South and West, among my - personal and literary friends—old college and West Point - acquaintances—and see what I can do. In order to get the means of - taking the first step, I propose to lecture at the Society - Library, on Thursday, the 3d of February, and, that there may be - no cause of _squabbling_, my subject shall _not be literary_ at - all. I have chosen a broad text: ‘The Universe.’ - - “Having thus given you _the facts_ of the case, I leave all the - rest to the suggestions of your own tact and generosity. - Gratefully, _most gratefully,_ - -“Your friend always, -“EDGAR A. POE.” - - Brief and chance-taken as these letters are, we think they - sufficiently prove the existence of the very qualities denied to - Mr. Poe-humility, willingness to persevere, belief in another’s - friendship, and capability of cordial and grateful friendship! - Such he assuredly was when sane. Such only he has invariably - seemed to us, in all we have happened personally to know of him, - through a friendship of five or six years. And so much easier is - it to believe what we have seen and known, than what we hear of - only, that we remember him but with admiration and respect; these - descriptions of him, when morally insane, seeming to us like - portraits, painted in sickness, of a man we have only known in - health. - - But there is another, more touching, and far more forcible - evidence that there was _goodness_ in Edgar A. Poe. To reveal it - we are obliged to venture upon the lifting of the veil which - sacredly covers grief and refinement in poverty; but we think it - may be excused, if so we can brighten the memory of the poet, - even were there not a more needed and immediate service which it - may render to the nearest link broken by his death. - - Our first knowledge of Mr. Poe’s removal to this city was by a - call which we received from a lady who introduced herself to us - as the mother of his wife. She was in search of employment for - him, and she excused her errand by mentioning that he was ill, - that her daughter was a confirmed invalid, and that their - circumstances were such as compelled her taking it upon herself. - The countenance of this lady, made beautiful and saintly with an - evidently complete giving up of her life to privation and - sorrowful tenderness, her gentle and mournful voice urging its - plea, her long-forgotten but habitually and unconsciously refined - manners, and her appealing and yet appreciative mention of the - claims and abilities of her son, disclosed at once the presence - of one of those angels upon earth that women in adversity can be. - It was a hard fate that she was watching over. Mr. Poe wrote with - fastidious difficulty, and in a style too much above the popular - level to be well paid. He was always in pecuniary difficulty, - and, with his sick wife, frequently in want of the merest - necessaries of life. Winter after winter, for years, the most - touching sight to us, in this whole city, has been that tireless - minister to genius, thinly and insufficiently clad, going from - office to office with a poem, or an article on some literary - subject, to sell, sometimes simply pleading in a broken voice - that he was ill, and begging for him, mentioning nothing but that - “he was ill,” whatever might be the reason for his writing - nothing, and never, amid all her tears and recitals of distress, - suffering one syllable to escape her lips that could convey a - doubt of him, or a complaint, or a lessening of pride in his - genius and good intentions. Her daughter died a year and a half - since, but she did not desert him. She continued his ministering - angel—living with him, caring for him, guarding him against - exposure, and when he was carried away by temptation, amid grief - and the loneliness of feelings unreplied to, and awoke from his - self abandonment prostrated in destitution and suffering, - _begging_ for him still. If woman’s devotion, born with a first - love, and fed with human passion, hallow its object, as it is - allowed to do, what does not a devotion like this—pure, - disinterested and holy as the watch of an invisible spirit—say - for him who inspired it? - - We have a letter before us, written by this lady, Mrs. Clemm, on - the morning in which she heard of the death of this object of her - untiring care. It is merely a request that we would call upon - her, but we will copy a few of its words—sacred as its privacy - is—to warrant the truth of the picture we have drawn above, and - add force to the appeal we wish to make for her: - - “I have this morning heard of the death of my darling Eddie.... - Can you give me any circumstances or particulars?... Oh! do not - desert your poor friend in his bitter affliction!... Ask Mr. —— - to come, as I must deliver a message to him from my poor - Eddie.... I need not ask you to notice his death and to speak - well of him. I know you will. But say what an affectionate son he - was to me, his poor desolate mother...” - - To hedge round a grave with respect, what choice is there, - between the relinquished wealth and honors of the world, and the - story of such a woman’s unrewarded devotion! Risking what we do, - in delicacy, by making it public, we feel—other reasons - aside—that it betters the world to make known that there are such - ministrations to its erring and gifted. What we have said will - speak to some hearts. There are those who will be glad to know - how the lamp, whose light of poetry has beamed on their far-away - recognition, was watched over with care and pain, that they may - send to her, who is more darkened than they by its extinction, - some token of their sympathy. She is destitute and alone. If any, - far or near, will send to us what may aid and cheer her through - the remainder of her life, we will joyfully place it in her - hands. - - - - -THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES OF ONE HANS PFAAL (*1) - - - By late accounts from Rotterdam, that city seems to be in a high - state of philosophical excitement. Indeed, phenomena have there - occurred of a nature so completely unexpected—so entirely - novel—so utterly at variance with preconceived opinions—as to - leave no doubt on my mind that long ere this all Europe is in an - uproar, all physics in a ferment, all reason and astronomy - together by the ears. - - It appears that on the—— day of—— (I am not positive about the - date), a vast crowd of people, for purposes not specifically - mentioned, were assembled in the great square of the Exchange in - the well-conditioned city of Rotterdam. The day was - warm—unusually so for the season—there was hardly a breath of air - stirring; and the multitude were in no bad humor at being now and - then besprinkled with friendly showers of momentary duration, - that fell from large white masses of cloud which chequered in a - fitful manner the blue vault of the firmament. Nevertheless, - about noon, a slight but remarkable agitation became apparent in - the assembly: the clattering of ten thousand tongues succeeded; - and, in an instant afterward, ten thousand faces were upturned - toward the heavens, ten thousand pipes descended simultaneously - from the corners of ten thousand mouths, and a shout, which could - be compared to nothing but the roaring of Niagara, resounded - long, loudly, and furiously, through all the environs of - Rotterdam. - - The origin of this hubbub soon became sufficiently evident. From - behind the huge bulk of one of those sharply-defined masses of - cloud already mentioned, was seen slowly to emerge into an open - area of blue space, a queer, heterogeneous, but apparently solid - substance, so oddly shaped, so whimsically put together, as not - to be in any manner comprehended, and never to be sufficiently - admired, by the host of sturdy burghers who stood open-mouthed - below. What could it be? In the name of all the vrows and devils - in Rotterdam, what could it possibly portend? No one knew, no one - could imagine; no one—not even the burgomaster Mynheer Superbus - Von Underduk—had the slightest clew by which to unravel the - mystery; so, as nothing more reasonable could be done, every one - to a man replaced his pipe carefully in the corner of his mouth, - and cocking up his right eye towards the phenomenon, puffed, - paused, waddled about, and grunted significantly—then waddled - back, grunted, paused, and finally—puffed again. - - In the meantime, however, lower and still lower toward the goodly - city, came the object of so much curiosity, and the cause of so - much smoke. In a very few minutes it arrived near enough to be - accurately discerned. It appeared to be—yes! it was undoubtedly a - species of balloon; but surely no such balloon had ever been seen - in Rotterdam before. For who, let me ask, ever heard of a balloon - manufactured entirely of dirty newspapers? No man in Holland - certainly; yet here, under the very noses of the people, or - rather at some distance above their noses was the identical thing - in question, and composed, I have it on the best authority, of - the precise material which no one had ever before known to be - used for a similar purpose. It was an egregious insult to the - good sense of the burghers of Rotterdam. As to the shape of the - phenomenon, it was even still more reprehensible. Being little or - nothing better than a huge foolscap turned upside down. And this - similitude was regarded as by no means lessened when, upon nearer - inspection, there was perceived a large tassel depending from its - apex, and, around the upper rim or base of the cone, a circle of - little instruments, resembling sheep-bells, which kept up a - continual tinkling to the tune of Betty Martin. But still worse. - Suspended by blue ribbons to the end of this fantastic machine, - there hung, by way of car, an enormous drab beaver hat, with a - brim superlatively broad, and a hemispherical crown with a black - band and a silver buckle. It is, however, somewhat remarkable - that many citizens of Rotterdam swore to having seen the same hat - repeatedly before; and indeed the whole assembly seemed to regard - it with eyes of familiarity; while the vrow Grettel Pfaall, upon - sight of it, uttered an exclamation of joyful surprise, and - declared it to be the identical hat of her good man himself. Now - this was a circumstance the more to be observed, as Pfaall, with - three companions, had actually disappeared from Rotterdam about - five years before, in a very sudden and unaccountable manner, and - up to the date of this narrative all attempts had failed of - obtaining any intelligence concerning them whatsoever. To be - sure, some bones which were thought to be human, mixed up with a - quantity of odd-looking rubbish, had been lately discovered in a - retired situation to the east of Rotterdam, and some people went - so far as to imagine that in this spot a foul murder had been - committed, and that the sufferers were in all probability Hans - Pfaall and his associates. But to return. - - The balloon (for such no doubt it was) had now descended to - within a hundred feet of the earth, allowing the crowd below a - sufficiently distinct view of the person of its occupant. This - was in truth a very droll little somebody. He could not have been - more than two feet in height; but this altitude, little as it - was, would have been sufficient to destroy his equilibrium, and - tilt him over the edge of his tiny car, but for the intervention - of a circular rim reaching as high as the breast, and rigged on - to the cords of the balloon. The body of the little man was more - than proportionately broad, giving to his entire figure a - rotundity highly absurd. His feet, of course, could not be seen - at all, although a horny substance of suspicious nature was - occasionally protruded through a rent in the bottom of the car, - or to speak more properly, in the top of the hat. His hands were - enormously large. His hair was extremely gray, and collected into - a queue behind. His nose was prodigiously long, crooked, and - inflammatory; his eyes full, brilliant, and acute; his chin and - cheeks, although wrinkled with age, were broad, puffy, and - double; but of ears of any kind or character there was not a - semblance to be discovered upon any portion of his head. This odd - little gentleman was dressed in a loose surtout of sky-blue - satin, with tight breeches to match, fastened with silver buckles - at the knees. His vest was of some bright yellow material; a - white taffety cap was set jauntily on one side of his head; and, - to complete his equipment, a blood-red silk handkerchief - enveloped his throat, and fell down, in a dainty manner, upon his - bosom, in a fantastic bow-knot of super-eminent dimensions. - - Having descended, as I said before, to about one hundred feet - from the surface of the earth, the little old gentleman was - suddenly seized with a fit of trepidation, and appeared - disinclined to make any nearer approach to terra firma. Throwing - out, therefore, a quantity of sand from a canvas bag, which, he - lifted with great difficulty, he became stationary in an instant. - He then proceeded, in a hurried and agitated manner, to extract - from a side-pocket in his surtout a large morocco pocket-book. - This he poised suspiciously in his hand, then eyed it with an air - of extreme surprise, and was evidently astonished at its weight. - He at length opened it, and drawing there from a huge letter - sealed with red sealing-wax and tied carefully with red tape, let - it fall precisely at the feet of the burgomaster, Superbus Von - Underduk. His Excellency stooped to take it up. But the aeronaut, - still greatly discomposed, and having apparently no farther - business to detain him in Rotterdam, began at this moment to make - busy preparations for departure; and it being necessary to - discharge a portion of ballast to enable him to reascend, the - half dozen bags which he threw out, one after another, without - taking the trouble to empty their contents, tumbled, every one of - them, most unfortunately upon the back of the burgomaster, and - rolled him over and over no less than one-and-twenty times, in - the face of every man in Rotterdam. It is not to be supposed, - however, that the great Underduk suffered this impertinence on - the part of the little old man to pass off with impunity. It is - said, on the contrary, that during each and every one of his - one-and twenty circumvolutions he emitted no less than - one-and-twenty distinct and furious whiffs from his pipe, to - which he held fast the whole time with all his might, and to - which he intends holding fast until the day of his death. - - In the meantime the balloon arose like a lark, and, soaring far - away above the city, at length drifted quietly behind a cloud - similar to that from which it had so oddly emerged, and was thus - lost forever to the wondering eyes of the good citizens of - Rotterdam. All attention was now directed to the letter, the - descent of which, and the consequences attending thereupon, had - proved so fatally subversive of both person and personal dignity - to his Excellency, the illustrious Burgomaster Mynheer Superbus - Von Underduk. That functionary, however, had not failed, during - his circumgyratory movements, to bestow a thought upon the - important subject of securing the packet in question, which was - seen, upon inspection, to have fallen into the most proper hands, - being actually addressed to himself and Professor Rub-a-dub, in - their official capacities of President and Vice-President of the - Rotterdam College of Astronomy. It was accordingly opened by - those dignitaries upon the spot, and found to contain the - following extraordinary, and indeed very serious, communication: - - “To their Excellencies Von Underduk and Rub-a-dub, President and - Vice-President of the States’ College of Astronomers, in the city - of Rotterdam. - - “Your Excellencies may perhaps be able to remember an humble - artizan, by name Hans Pfaall, and by occupation a mender of - bellows, who, with three others, disappeared from Rotterdam, - about five years ago, in a manner which must have been considered - by all parties at once sudden, and extremely unaccountable. If, - however, it so please your Excellencies, I, the writer of this - communication, am the identical Hans Pfaall himself. It is well - known to most of my fellow citizens, that for the period of forty - years I continued to occupy the little square brick building, at - the head of the alley called Sauerkraut, in which I resided at - the time of my disappearance. My ancestors have also resided - therein time out of mind—they, as well as myself, steadily - following the respectable and indeed lucrative profession of - mending of bellows. For, to speak the truth, until of late years, - that the heads of all the people have been set agog with - politics, no better business than my own could an honest citizen - of Rotterdam either desire or deserve. Credit was good, - employment was never wanting, and on all hands there was no lack - of either money or good-will. But, as I was saying, we soon began - to feel the effects of liberty and long speeches, and radicalism, - and all that sort of thing. People who were formerly, the very - best customers in the world, had now not a moment of time to - think of us at all. They had, so they said, as much as they could - do to read about the revolutions, and keep up with the march of - intellect and the spirit of the age. If a fire wanted fanning, it - could readily be fanned with a newspaper, and as the government - grew weaker, I have no doubt that leather and iron acquired - durability in proportion, for, in a very short time, there was - not a pair of bellows in all Rotterdam that ever stood in need of - a stitch or required the assistance of a hammer. This was a state - of things not to be endured. I soon grew as poor as a rat, and, - having a wife and children to provide for, my burdens at length - became intolerable, and I spent hour after hour in reflecting - upon the most convenient method of putting an end to my life. - Duns, in the meantime, left me little leisure for contemplation. - My house was literally besieged from morning till night, so that - I began to rave, and foam, and fret like a caged tiger against - the bars of his enclosure. There were three fellows in particular - who worried me beyond endurance, keeping watch continually about - my door, and threatening me with the law. Upon these three I - internally vowed the bitterest revenge, if ever I should be so - happy as to get them within my clutches; and I believe nothing in - the world but the pleasure of this anticipation prevented me from - putting my plan of suicide into immediate execution, by blowing - my brains out with a blunderbuss. I thought it best, however, to - dissemble my wrath, and to treat them with promises and fair - words, until, by some good turn of fate, an opportunity of - vengeance should be afforded me. - - “One day, having given my creditors the slip, and feeling more - than usually dejected, I continued for a long time to wander - about the most obscure streets without object whatever, until at - length I chanced to stumble against the corner of a bookseller’s - stall. Seeing a chair close at hand, for the use of customers, I - threw myself doggedly into it, and, hardly knowing why, opened - the pages of the first volume which came within my reach. It - proved to be a small pamphlet treatise on Speculative Astronomy, - written either by Professor Encke of Berlin or by a Frenchman of - somewhat similar name. I had some little tincture of information - on matters of this nature, and soon became more and more absorbed - in the contents of the book, reading it actually through twice - before I awoke to a recollection of what was passing around me. - By this time it began to grow dark, and I directed my steps - toward home. But the treatise had made an indelible impression on - my mind, and, as I sauntered along the dusky streets, I revolved - carefully over in my memory the wild and sometimes unintelligible - reasonings of the writer. There are some particular passages - which affected my imagination in a powerful and extraordinary - manner. The longer I meditated upon these the more intense grew - the interest which had been excited within me. The limited nature - of my education in general, and more especially my ignorance on - subjects connected with natural philosophy, so far from rendering - me diffident of my own ability to comprehend what I had read, or - inducing me to mistrust the many vague notions which had arisen - in consequence, merely served as a farther stimulus to - imagination; and I was vain enough, or perhaps reasonable enough, - to doubt whether those crude ideas which, arising in - ill-regulated minds, have all the appearance, may not often in - effect possess all the force, the reality, and other inherent - properties, of instinct or intuition; whether, to proceed a step - farther, profundity itself might not, in matters of a purely - speculative nature, be detected as a legitimate source of falsity - and error. In other words, I believed, and still do believe, that - truth, is frequently of its own essence, superficial, and that, - in many cases, the depth lies more in the abysses where we seek - her, than in the actual situations wherein she may be found. - Nature herself seemed to afford me corroboration of these ideas. - In the contemplation of the heavenly bodies it struck me forcibly - that I could not distinguish a star with nearly as much - precision, when I gazed on it with earnest, direct and - undeviating attention, as when I suffered my eye only to glance - in its vicinity alone. I was not, of course, at that time aware - that this apparent paradox was occasioned by the center of the - visual area being less susceptible of feeble impressions of light - than the exterior portions of the retina. This knowledge, and - some of another kind, came afterwards in the course of an - eventful five years, during which I have dropped the prejudices - of my former humble situation in life, and forgotten the - bellows-mender in far different occupations. But at the epoch of - which I speak, the analogy which a casual observation of a star - offered to the conclusions I had already drawn, struck me with - the force of positive conformation, and I then finally made up my - mind to the course which I afterwards pursued. - - “It was late when I reached home, and I went immediately to bed. - My mind, however, was too much occupied to sleep, and I lay the - whole night buried in meditation. Arising early in the morning, - and contriving again to escape the vigilance of my creditors, I - repaired eagerly to the bookseller’s stall, and laid out what - little ready money I possessed, in the purchase of some volumes - of Mechanics and Practical Astronomy. Having arrived at home - safely with these, I devoted every spare moment to their perusal, - and soon made such proficiency in studies of this nature as I - thought sufficient for the execution of my plan. In the intervals - of this period, I made every endeavor to conciliate the three - creditors who had given me so much annoyance. In this I finally - succeeded—partly by selling enough of my household furniture to - satisfy a moiety of their claim, and partly by a promise of - paying the balance upon completion of a little project which I - told them I had in view, and for assistance in which I solicited - their services. By these means—for they were ignorant men—I found - little difficulty in gaining them over to my purpose. - - “Matters being thus arranged, I contrived, by the aid of my wife - and with the greatest secrecy and caution, to dispose of what - property I had remaining, and to borrow, in small sums, under - various pretences, and without paying any attention to my future - means of repayment, no inconsiderable quantity of ready money. - With the means thus accruing I proceeded to procure at intervals, - cambric muslin, very fine, in pieces of twelve yards each; twine; - a lot of the varnish of caoutchouc; a large and deep basket of - wicker-work, made to order; and several other articles necessary - in the construction and equipment of a balloon of extraordinary - dimensions. This I directed my wife to make up as soon as - possible, and gave her all requisite information as to the - particular method of proceeding. In the meantime I worked up the - twine into a net-work of sufficient dimensions; rigged it with a - hoop and the necessary cords; bought a quadrant, a compass, a - spy-glass, a common barometer with some important modifications, - and two astronomical instruments not so generally known. I then - took opportunities of conveying by night, to a retired situation - east of Rotterdam, five iron-bound casks, to contain about fifty - gallons each, and one of a larger size; six tinned ware tubes, - three inches in diameter, properly shaped, and ten feet in - length; a quantity of a particular metallic substance, or - semi-metal, which I shall not name, and a dozen demijohns of a - very common acid. The gas to be formed from these latter - materials is a gas never yet generated by any other person than - myself—or at least never applied to any similar purpose. The - secret I would make no difficulty in disclosing, but that it of - right belongs to a citizen of Nantz, in France, by whom it was - conditionally communicated to myself. The same individual - submitted to me, without being at all aware of my intentions, a - method of constructing balloons from the membrane of a certain - animal, through which substance any escape of gas was nearly an - impossibility. I found it, however, altogether too expensive, and - was not sure, upon the whole, whether cambric muslin with a - coating of gum caoutchouc, was not equally as good. I mention - this circumstance, because I think it probable that hereafter the - individual in question may attempt a balloon ascension with the - novel gas and material I have spoken of, and I do not wish to - deprive him of the honor of a very singular invention. - - “On the spot which I intended each of the smaller casks to occupy - respectively during the inflation of the balloon, I privately dug - a hole two feet deep; the holes forming in this manner a circle - twenty-five feet in diameter. In the centre of this circle, being - the station designed for the large cask, I also dug a hole three - feet in depth. In each of the five smaller holes, I deposited a - canister containing fifty pounds, and in the larger one a keg - holding one hundred and fifty pounds, of cannon powder. These—the - keg and canisters—I connected in a proper manner with covered - trains; and having let into one of the canisters the end of about - four feet of slow match, I covered up the hole, and placed the - cask over it, leaving the other end of the match protruding about - an inch, and barely visible beyond the cask. I then filled up the - remaining holes, and placed the barrels over them in their - destined situation. - - “Besides the articles above enumerated, I conveyed to the depot, - and there secreted, one of M. Grimm’s improvements upon the - apparatus for condensation of the atmospheric air. I found this - machine, however, to require considerable alteration before it - could be adapted to the purposes to which I intended making it - applicable. But, with severe labor and unremitting perseverance, - I at length met with entire success in all my preparations. My - balloon was soon completed. It would contain more than forty - thousand cubic feet of gas; would take me up easily, I - calculated, with all my implements, and, if I managed rightly, - with one hundred and seventy-five pounds of ballast into the - bargain. It had received three coats of varnish, and I found the - cambric muslin to answer all the purposes of silk itself, quite - as strong and a good deal less expensive. - - “Everything being now ready, I exacted from my wife an oath of - secrecy in relation to all my actions from the day of my first - visit to the bookseller’s stall; and promising, on my part, to - return as soon as circumstances would permit, I gave her what - little money I had left, and bade her farewell. Indeed I had no - fear on her account. She was what people call a notable woman, - and could manage matters in the world without my assistance. I - believe, to tell the truth, she always looked upon me as an idle - boy, a mere make-weight, good for nothing but building castles in - the air, and was rather glad to get rid of me. It was a dark - night when I bade her good-bye, and taking with me, as - aides-de-camp, the three creditors who had given me so much - trouble, we carried the balloon, with the car and accoutrements, - by a roundabout way, to the station where the other articles were - deposited. We there found them all unmolested, and I proceeded - immediately to business. - - “It was the first of April. The night, as I said before, was - dark; there was not a star to be seen; and a drizzling rain, - falling at intervals, rendered us very uncomfortable. But my - chief anxiety was concerning the balloon, which, in spite of the - varnish with which it was defended, began to grow rather heavy - with the moisture; the powder also was liable to damage. I - therefore kept my three duns working with great diligence, - pounding down ice around the central cask, and stirring the acid - in the others. They did not cease, however, importuning me with - questions as to what I intended to do with all this apparatus, - and expressed much dissatisfaction at the terrible labor I made - them undergo. They could not perceive, so they said, what good - was likely to result from their getting wet to the skin, merely - to take a part in such horrible incantations. I began to get - uneasy, and worked away with all my might, for I verily believe - the idiots supposed that I had entered into a compact with the - devil, and that, in short, what I was now doing was nothing - better than it should be. I was, therefore, in great fear of - their leaving me altogether. I contrived, however, to pacify them - by promises of payment of all scores in full, as soon as I could - bring the present business to a termination. To these speeches - they gave, of course, their own interpretation; fancying, no - doubt, that at all events I should come into possession of vast - quantities of ready money; and provided I paid them all I owed, - and a trifle more, in consideration of their services, I dare say - they cared very little what became of either my soul or my - carcass. - - “In about four hours and a half I found the balloon sufficiently - inflated. I attached the car, therefore, and put all my - implements in it—not forgetting the condensing apparatus, a - copious supply of water, and a large quantity of provisions, such - as pemmican, in which much nutriment is contained in - comparatively little bulk. I also secured in the car a pair of - pigeons and a cat. It was now nearly daybreak, and I thought it - high time to take my departure. Dropping a lighted cigar on the - ground, as if by accident, I took the opportunity, in stooping to - pick it up, of igniting privately the piece of slow match, whose - end, as I said before, protruded a very little beyond the lower - rim of one of the smaller casks. This manoeuvre was totally - unperceived on the part of the three duns; and, jumping into the - car, I immediately cut the single cord which held me to the - earth, and was pleased to find that I shot upward, carrying with - all ease one hundred and seventy-five pounds of leaden ballast, - and able to have carried up as many more. - - “Scarcely, however, had I attained the height of fifty yards, - when, roaring and rumbling up after me in the most horrible and - tumultuous manner, came so dense a hurricane of fire, and smoke, - and sulphur, and legs and arms, and gravel, and burning wood, and - blazing metal, that my very heart sunk within me, and I fell down - in the bottom of the car, trembling with unmitigated terror. - Indeed, I now perceived that I had entirely overdone the - business, and that the main consequences of the shock were yet to - be experienced. Accordingly, in less than a second, I felt all - the blood in my body rushing to my temples, and immediately - thereupon, a concussion, which I shall never forget, burst - abruptly through the night and seemed to rip the very firmament - asunder. When I afterward had time for reflection, I did not fail - to attribute the extreme violence of the explosion, as regarded - myself, to its proper cause—my situation directly above it, and - in the line of its greatest power. But at the time, I thought - only of preserving my life. The balloon at first collapsed, then - furiously expanded, then whirled round and round with horrible - velocity, and finally, reeling and staggering like a drunken man, - hurled me with great force over the rim of the car, and left me - dangling, at a terrific height, with my head downward, and my - face outwards, by a piece of slender cord about three feet in - length, which hung accidentally through a crevice near the bottom - of the wicker-work, and in which, as I fell, my left foot became - most providentially entangled. It is impossible—utterly - impossible—to form any adequate idea of the horror of my - situation. I gasped convulsively for breath—a shudder resembling - a fit of the ague agitated every nerve and muscle of my frame—I - felt my eyes starting from their sockets—a horrible nausea - overwhelmed me—and at length I fainted away. - - “How long I remained in this state it is impossible to say. It - must, however, have been no inconsiderable time, for when I - partially recovered the sense of existence, I found the day - breaking, the balloon at a prodigious height over a wilderness of - ocean, and not a trace of land to be discovered far and wide - within the limits of the vast horizon. My sensations, however, - upon thus recovering, were by no means so rife with agony as - might have been anticipated. Indeed, there was much of incipient - madness in the calm survey which I began to take of my situation. - I drew up to my eyes each of my hands, one after the other, and - wondered what occurrence could have given rise to the swelling of - the veins, and the horrible blackness of the fingernails. I - afterward carefully examined my head, shaking it repeatedly, and - feeling it with minute attention, until I succeeded in satisfying - myself that it was not, as I had more than half suspected, larger - than my balloon. Then, in a knowing manner, I felt in both my - breeches pockets, and, missing therefrom a set of tablets and a - toothpick case, endeavored to account for their disappearance, - and not being able to do so, felt inexpressibly chagrined. It now - occurred to me that I suffered great uneasiness in the joint of - my left ankle, and a dim consciousness of my situation began to - glimmer through my mind. But, strange to say! I was neither - astonished nor horror-stricken. If I felt any emotion at all, it - was a kind of chuckling satisfaction at the cleverness I was - about to display in extricating myself from this dilemma; and I - never, for a moment, looked upon my ultimate safety as a question - susceptible of doubt. For a few minutes I remained wrapped in the - profoundest meditation. I have a distinct recollection of - frequently compressing my lips, putting my forefinger to the side - of my nose, and making use of other gesticulations and grimaces - common to men who, at ease in their arm-chairs, meditate upon - matters of intricacy or importance. Having, as I thought, - sufficiently collected my ideas, I now, with great caution and - deliberation, put my hands behind my back, and unfastened the - large iron buckle which belonged to the waistband of my - inexpressibles. This buckle had three teeth, which, being - somewhat rusty, turned with great difficulty on their axis. I - brought them, however, after some trouble, at right angles to the - body of the buckle, and was glad to find them remain firm in that - position. Holding the instrument thus obtained within my teeth, I - now proceeded to untie the knot of my cravat. I had to rest - several times before I could accomplish this manoeuvre, but it - was at length accomplished. To one end of the cravat I then made - fast the buckle, and the other end I tied, for greater security, - tightly around my wrist. Drawing now my body upwards, with a - prodigious exertion of muscular force, I succeeded, at the very - first trial, in throwing the buckle over the car, and entangling - it, as I had anticipated, in the circular rim of the wicker-work. - - “My body was now inclined towards the side of the car, at an - angle of about forty-five degrees; but it must not be understood - that I was therefore only forty-five degrees below the - perpendicular. So far from it, I still lay nearly level with the - plane of the horizon; for the change of situation which I had - acquired, had forced the bottom of the car considerably outwards - from my position, which was accordingly one of the most imminent - and deadly peril. It should be remembered, however, that when I - fell in the first instance, from the car, if I had fallen with my - face turned toward the balloon, instead of turned outwardly from - it, as it actually was; or if, in the second place, the cord by - which I was suspended had chanced to hang over the upper edge, - instead of through a crevice near the bottom of the car,—I say it - may be readily conceived that, in either of these supposed cases, - I should have been unable to accomplish even as much as I had now - accomplished, and the wonderful adventures of Hans Pfaall would - have been utterly lost to posterity, I had therefore every reason - to be grateful; although, in point of fact, I was still too - stupid to be anything at all, and hung for, perhaps, a quarter of - an hour in that extraordinary manner, without making the - slightest farther exertion whatsoever, and in a singularly - tranquil state of idiotic enjoyment. But this feeling did not - fail to die rapidly away, and thereunto succeeded horror, and - dismay, and a chilling sense of utter helplessness and ruin. In - fact, the blood so long accumulating in the vessels of my head - and throat, and which had hitherto buoyed up my spirits with - madness and delirium, had now begun to retire within their proper - channels, and the distinctness which was thus added to my - perception of the danger, merely served to deprive me of the - self-possession and courage to encounter it. But this weakness - was, luckily for me, of no very long duration. In good time came - to my rescue the spirit of despair, and, with frantic cries and - struggles, I jerked my way bodily upwards, till at length, - clutching with a vise-like grip the long-desired rim, I writhed - my person over it, and fell headlong and shuddering within the - car. - - “It was not until some time afterward that I recovered myself - sufficiently to attend to the ordinary cares of the balloon. I - then, however, examined it with attention, and found it, to my - great relief, uninjured. My implements were all safe, and, - fortunately, I had lost neither ballast nor provisions. Indeed, I - had so well secured them in their places, that such an accident - was entirely out of the question. Looking at my watch, I found it - six o’clock. I was still rapidly ascending, and my barometer gave - a present altitude of three and three-quarter miles. Immediately - beneath me in the ocean, lay a small black object, slightly - oblong in shape, seemingly about the size, and in every way - bearing a great resemblance to one of those childish toys called - a domino. Bringing my telescope to bear upon it, I plainly - discerned it to be a British ninety four-gun ship, close-hauled, - and pitching heavily in the sea with her head to the W.S.W. - Besides this ship, I saw nothing but the ocean and the sky, and - the sun, which had long arisen. - - “It is now high time that I should explain to your Excellencies - the object of my perilous voyage. Your Excellencies will bear in - mind that distressed circumstances in Rotterdam had at length - driven me to the resolution of committing suicide. It was not, - however, that to life itself I had any positive disgust, but that - I was harassed beyond endurance by the adventitious miseries - attending my situation. In this state of mind, wishing to live, - yet wearied with life, the treatise at the stall of the - bookseller opened a resource to my imagination. I then finally - made up my mind. I determined to depart, yet live—to leave the - world, yet continue to exist—in short, to drop enigmas, I - resolved, let what would ensue, to force a passage, if I could, - to the moon. Now, lest I should be supposed more of a madman than - I actually am, I will detail, as well as I am able, the - considerations which led me to believe that an achievement of - this nature, although without doubt difficult, and incontestably - full of danger, was not absolutely, to a bold spirit, beyond the - confines of the possible. - - “The moon’s actual distance from the earth was the first thing to - be attended to. Now, the mean or average interval between the - centres of the two planets is 59.9643 of the earth’s equatorial - radii, or only about 237,000 miles. I say the mean or average - interval, but it must be borne in mind that the form of the - moon’s orbit being an ellipse of eccentricity amounting to no - less than 0.05484 of the major semi-axis of the ellipse itself, - and the earth’s centre being situated in its focus, if I could, - in any manner, contrive to meet the moon, as it were, in its - perigee, the above mentioned distance would be materially - diminished. But, to say nothing at present of this possibility, - it was very certain that, at all events, from the 237,000 miles I - would have to deduct the radius of the earth, say 4,000, and the - radius of the moon, say 1,080, in all 5,080, leaving an actual - interval to be traversed, under average circumstances, of 231,920 - miles. Now this, I reflected, was no very extraordinary distance. - Travelling on land has been repeatedly accomplished at the rate - of thirty miles per hour, and indeed a much greater speed may be - anticipated. But even at this velocity, it would take me no more - than 322 days to reach the surface of the moon. There were, - however, many particulars inducing me to believe that my average - rate of travelling might possibly very much exceed that of thirty - miles per hour, and, as these considerations did not fail to make - a deep impression upon my mind, I will mention them more fully - hereafter. - - “The next point to be regarded was a matter of far greater - importance. From indications afforded by the barometer, we find - that, in ascensions from the surface of the earth we have, at the - height of 1,000 feet, left below us about one-thirtieth of the - entire mass of atmospheric air, that at 10,600 we have ascended - through nearly one-third; and that at 18,000, which is not far - from the elevation of Cotopaxi, we have surmounted one-half the - material, or, at all events, one-half the ponderable, body of air - incumbent upon our globe. It is also calculated that at an - altitude not exceeding the hundredth part of the earth’s - diameter—that is, not exceeding eighty miles—the rarefaction - would be so excessive that animal life could in no manner be - sustained, and, moreover, that the most delicate means we possess - of ascertaining the presence of the atmosphere would be - inadequate to assure us of its existence. But I did not fail to - perceive that these latter calculations are founded altogether on - our experimental knowledge of the properties of air, and the - mechanical laws regulating its dilation and compression, in what - may be called, comparatively speaking, the immediate vicinity of - the earth itself; and, at the same time, it is taken for granted - that animal life is and must be essentially incapable of - modification at any given unattainable distance from the surface. - Now, all such reasoning and from such data must, of course, be - simply analogical. The greatest height ever reached by man was - that of 25,000 feet, attained in the aeronautic expedition of - Messieurs Gay-Lussac and Biot. This is a moderate altitude, even - when compared with the eighty miles in question; and I could not - help thinking that the subject admitted room for doubt and great - latitude for speculation. - - “But, in point of fact, an ascension being made to any given - altitude, the ponderable quantity of air surmounted in any - farther ascension is by no means in proportion to the additional - height ascended (as may be plainly seen from what has been stated - before), but in a ratio constantly decreasing. It is therefore - evident that, ascend as high as we may, we cannot, literally - speaking, arrive at a limit beyond which no atmosphere is to be - found. It must exist, I argued; although it may exist in a state - of infinite rarefaction. - - “On the other hand, I was aware that arguments have not been - wanting to prove the existence of a real and definite limit to - the atmosphere, beyond which there is absolutely no air - whatsoever. But a circumstance which has been left out of view by - those who contend for such a limit seemed to me, although no - positive refutation of their creed, still a point worthy very - serious investigation. On comparing the intervals between the - successive arrivals of Encke’s comet at its perihelion, after - giving credit, in the most exact manner, for all the disturbances - due to the attractions of the planets, it appears that the - periods are gradually diminishing; that is to say, the major axis - of the comet’s ellipse is growing shorter, in a slow but - perfectly regular decrease. Now, this is precisely what ought to - be the case, if we suppose a resistance experienced from the - comet from an extremely rare ethereal medium pervading the - regions of its orbit. For it is evident that such a medium must, - in retarding the comet’s velocity, increase its centripetal, by - weakening its centrifugal force. In other words, the sun’s - attraction would be constantly attaining greater power, and the - comet would be drawn nearer at every revolution. Indeed, there is - no other way of accounting for the variation in question. But - again:—The real diameter of the same comet’s nebulosity is - observed to contract rapidly as it approaches the sun, and dilate - with equal rapidity in its departure towards its aphelion. Was I - not justifiable in supposing with M. Valz, that this apparent - condensation of volume has its origin in the compression of the - same ethereal medium I have spoken of before, and which is only - denser in proportion to its solar vicinity? The lenticular-shaped - phenomenon, also called the zodiacal light, was a matter worthy - of attention. This radiance, so apparent in the tropics, and - which cannot be mistaken for any meteoric lustre, extends from - the horizon obliquely upward, and follows generally the direction - of the sun’s equator. It appeared to me evidently in the nature - of a rare atmosphere extending from the sun outward, beyond the - orbit of Venus at least, and I believed indefinitely farther.(*2) - Indeed, this medium I could not suppose confined to the path of - the comet’s ellipse, or to the immediate neighborhood of the sun. - It was easy, on the contrary, to imagine it pervading the entire - regions of our planetary system, condensed into what we call - atmosphere at the planets themselves, and perhaps at some of them - modified by considerations, so to speak, purely geological. - - “Having adopted this view of the subject, I had little further - hesitation. Granting that on my passage I should meet with - atmosphere essentially the same as at the surface of the earth, I - conceived that, by means of the very ingenious apparatus of M. - Grimm, I should readily be enabled to condense it in sufficient - quantity for the purposes of respiration. This would remove the - chief obstacle in a journey to the moon. I had indeed spent some - money and great labor in adapting the apparatus to the object - intended, and confidently looked forward to its successful - application, if I could manage to complete the voyage within any - reasonable period. This brings me back to the rate at which it - might be possible to travel. - - “It is true that balloons, in the first stage of their ascensions - from the earth, are known to rise with a velocity comparatively - moderate. Now, the power of elevation lies altogether in the - superior lightness of the gas in the balloon compared with the - atmospheric air; and, at first sight, it does not appear probable - that, as the balloon acquires altitude, and consequently arrives - successively in atmospheric strata of densities rapidly - diminishing—I say, it does not appear at all reasonable that, in - this its progress upwards, the original velocity should be - accelerated. On the other hand, I was not aware that, in any - recorded ascension, a diminution was apparent in the absolute - rate of ascent; although such should have been the case, if on - account of nothing else, on account of the escape of gas through - balloons ill-constructed, and varnished with no better material - than the ordinary varnish. It seemed, therefore, that the effect - of such escape was only sufficient to counterbalance the effect - of some accelerating power. I now considered that, provided in my - passage I found the medium I had imagined, and provided that it - should prove to be actually and essentially what we denominate - atmospheric air, it could make comparatively little difference at - what extreme state of rarefaction I should discover it—that is to - say, in regard to my power of ascending—for the gas in the - balloon would not only be itself subject to rarefaction partially - similar (in proportion to the occurrence of which, I could suffer - an escape of so much as would be requisite to prevent explosion), - but, being what it was, would, at all events, continue - specifically lighter than any compound whatever of mere nitrogen - and oxygen. In the meantime, the force of gravitation would be - constantly diminishing, in proportion to the squares of the - distances, and thus, with a velocity prodigiously accelerating, I - should at length arrive in those distant regions where the force - of the earth’s attraction would be superseded by that of the - moon. In accordance with these ideas, I did not think it worth - while to encumber myself with more provisions than would be - sufficient for a period of forty days. - - “There was still, however, another difficulty, which occasioned - me some little disquietude. It has been observed, that, in - balloon ascensions to any considerable height, besides the pain - attending respiration, great uneasiness is experienced about the - head and body, often accompanied with bleeding at the nose, and - other symptoms of an alarming kind, and growing more and more - inconvenient in proportion to the altitude attained.(*3) This was - a reflection of a nature somewhat startling. Was it not probable - that these symptoms would increase indefinitely, or at least - until terminated by death itself? I finally thought not. Their - origin was to be looked for in the progressive removal of the - customary atmospheric pressure upon the surface of the body, and - consequent distention of the superficial blood-vessels—not in any - positive disorganization of the animal system, as in the case of - difficulty in breathing, where the atmospheric density is - chemically insufficient for the due renovation of blood in a - ventricle of the heart. Unless for default of this renovation, I - could see no reason, therefore, why life could not be sustained - even in a vacuum; for the expansion and compression of chest, - commonly called breathing, is action purely muscular, and the - cause, not the effect, of respiration. In a word, I conceived - that, as the body should become habituated to the want of - atmospheric pressure, the sensations of pain would gradually - diminish—and to endure them while they continued, I relied with - confidence upon the iron hardihood of my constitution. - - “Thus, may it please your Excellencies, I have detailed some, - though by no means all, the considerations which led me to form - the project of a lunar voyage. I shall now proceed to lay before - you the result of an attempt so apparently audacious in - conception, and, at all events, so utterly unparalleled in the - annals of mankind. - - “Having attained the altitude before mentioned, that is to say - three miles and three-quarters, I threw out from the car a - quantity of feathers, and found that I still ascended with - sufficient rapidity; there was, therefore, no necessity for - discharging any ballast. I was glad of this, for I wished to - retain with me as much weight as I could carry, for reasons which - will be explained in the sequel. I as yet suffered no bodily - inconvenience, breathing with great freedom, and feeling no pain - whatever in the head. The cat was lying very demurely upon my - coat, which I had taken off, and eyeing the pigeons with an air - of nonchalance. These latter being tied by the leg, to prevent - their escape, were busily employed in picking up some grains of - rice scattered for them in the bottom of the car. - - “At twenty minutes past six o’clock, the barometer showed an - elevation of 26,400 feet, or five miles to a fraction. The - prospect seemed unbounded. Indeed, it is very easily calculated - by means of spherical geometry, what a great extent of the - earth’s area I beheld. The convex surface of any segment of a - sphere is, to the entire surface of the sphere itself, as the - versed sine of the segment to the diameter of the sphere. Now, in - my case, the versed sine—that is to say, the thickness of the - segment beneath me—was about equal to my elevation, or the - elevation of the point of sight above the surface. ‘As five - miles, then, to eight thousand,’ would express the proportion of - the earth’s area seen by me. In other words, I beheld as much as - a sixteen-hundredth part of the whole surface of the globe. The - sea appeared unruffled as a mirror, although, by means of the - spy-glass, I could perceive it to be in a state of violent - agitation. The ship was no longer visible, having drifted away, - apparently to the eastward. I now began to experience, at - intervals, severe pain in the head, especially about the - ears—still, however, breathing with tolerable freedom. The cat - and pigeons seemed to suffer no inconvenience whatsoever. - - “At twenty minutes before seven, the balloon entered a long - series of dense cloud, which put me to great trouble, by damaging - my condensing apparatus and wetting me to the skin. This was, to - be sure, a singular recontre, for I had not believed it possible - that a cloud of this nature could be sustained at so great an - elevation. I thought it best, however, to throw out two - five-pound pieces of ballast, reserving still a weight of one - hundred and sixty-five pounds. Upon so doing, I soon rose above - the difficulty, and perceived immediately, that I had obtained a - great increase in my rate of ascent. In a few seconds after my - leaving the cloud, a flash of vivid lightning shot from one end - of it to the other, and caused it to kindle up, throughout its - vast extent, like a mass of ignited and glowing charcoal. This, - it must be remembered, was in the broad light of day. No fancy - may picture the sublimity which might have been exhibited by a - similar phenomenon taking place amid the darkness of the night. - Hell itself might have been found a fitting image. Even as it - was, my hair stood on end, while I gazed afar down within the - yawning abysses, letting imagination descend, as it were, and - stalk about in the strange vaulted halls, and ruddy gulfs, and - red ghastly chasms of the hideous and unfathomable fire. I had - indeed made a narrow escape. Had the balloon remained a very - short while longer within the cloud—that is to say—had not the - inconvenience of getting wet, determined me to discharge the - ballast, inevitable ruin would have been the consequence. Such - perils, although little considered, are perhaps the greatest - which must be encountered in balloons. I had by this time, - however, attained too great an elevation to be any longer uneasy - on this head. - - “I was now rising rapidly, and by seven o’clock the barometer - indicated an altitude of no less than nine miles and a half. I - began to find great difficulty in drawing my breath. My head, - too, was excessively painful; and, having felt for some time a - moisture about my cheeks, I at length discovered it to be blood, - which was oozing quite fast from the drums of my ears. My eyes, - also, gave me great uneasiness. Upon passing the hand over them - they seemed to have protruded from their sockets in no - inconsiderable degree; and all objects in the car, and even the - balloon itself, appeared distorted to my vision. These symptoms - were more than I had expected, and occasioned me some alarm. At - this juncture, very imprudently, and without consideration, I - threw out from the car three five-pound pieces of ballast. The - accelerated rate of ascent thus obtained, carried me too rapidly, - and without sufficient gradation, into a highly rarefied stratum - of the atmosphere, and the result had nearly proved fatal to my - expedition and to myself. I was suddenly seized with a spasm - which lasted for more than five minutes, and even when this, in a - measure, ceased, I could catch my breath only at long intervals, - and in a gasping manner—bleeding all the while copiously at the - nose and ears, and even slightly at the eyes. The pigeons - appeared distressed in the extreme, and struggled to escape; - while the cat mewed piteously, and, with her tongue hanging out - of her mouth, staggered to and fro in the car as if under the - influence of poison. I now too late discovered the great rashness - of which I had been guilty in discharging the ballast, and my - agitation was excessive. I anticipated nothing less than death, - and death in a few minutes. The physical suffering I underwent - contributed also to render me nearly incapable of making any - exertion for the preservation of my life. I had, indeed, little - power of reflection left, and the violence of the pain in my head - seemed to be greatly on the increase. Thus I found that my senses - would shortly give way altogether, and I had already clutched one - of the valve ropes with the view of attempting a descent, when - the recollection of the trick I had played the three creditors, - and the possible consequences to myself, should I return, - operated to deter me for the moment. I lay down in the bottom of - the car, and endeavored to collect my faculties. In this I so far - succeeded as to determine upon the experiment of losing blood. - Having no lancet, however, I was constrained to perform the - operation in the best manner I was able, and finally succeeded in - opening a vein in my right arm, with the blade of my penknife. - The blood had hardly commenced flowing when I experienced a - sensible relief, and by the time I had lost about half a moderate - basin full, most of the worst symptoms had abandoned me entirely. - I nevertheless did not think it expedient to attempt getting on - my feet immediately; but, having tied up my arm as well as I - could, I lay still for about a quarter of an hour. At the end of - this time I arose, and found myself freer from absolute pain of - any kind than I had been during the last hour and a quarter of my - ascension. The difficulty of breathing, however, was diminished - in a very slight degree, and I found that it would soon be - positively necessary to make use of my condenser. In the - meantime, looking toward the cat, who was again snugly stowed - away upon my coat, I discovered to my infinite surprise, that she - had taken the opportunity of my indisposition to bring into light - a litter of three little kittens. This was an addition to the - number of passengers on my part altogether unexpected; but I was - pleased at the occurrence. It would afford me a chance of - bringing to a kind of test the truth of a surmise, which, more - than anything else, had influenced me in attempting this - ascension. I had imagined that the habitual endurance of the - atmospheric pressure at the surface of the earth was the cause, - or nearly so, of the pain attending animal existence at a - distance above the surface. Should the kittens be found to suffer - uneasiness in an equal degree with their mother, I must consider - my theory in fault, but a failure to do so I should look upon as - a strong confirmation of my idea. - - “By eight o’clock I had actually attained an elevation of - seventeen miles above the surface of the earth. Thus it seemed to - me evident that my rate of ascent was not only on the increase, - but that the progression would have been apparent in a slight - degree even had I not discharged the ballast which I did. The - pains in my head and ears returned, at intervals, with violence, - and I still continued to bleed occasionally at the nose; but, - upon the whole, I suffered much less than might have been - expected. I breathed, however, at every moment, with more and - more difficulty, and each inhalation was attended with a - troublesome spasmodic action of the chest. I now unpacked the - condensing apparatus, and got it ready for immediate use. - - “The view of the earth, at this period of my ascension, was - beautiful indeed. To the westward, the northward, and the - southward, as far as I could see, lay a boundless sheet of - apparently unruffled ocean, which every moment gained a deeper - and a deeper tint of blue and began already to assume a slight - appearance of convexity. At a vast distance to the eastward, - although perfectly discernible, extended the islands of Great - Britain, the entire Atlantic coasts of France and Spain, with a - small portion of the northern part of the continent of Africa. Of - individual edifices not a trace could be discovered, and the - proudest cities of mankind had utterly faded away from the face - of the earth. From the rock of Gibraltar, now dwindled into a dim - speck, the dark Mediterranean sea, dotted with shining islands as - the heaven is dotted with stars, spread itself out to the - eastward as far as my vision extended, until its entire mass of - waters seemed at length to tumble headlong over the abyss of the - horizon, and I found myself listening on tiptoe for the echoes of - the mighty cataract. Overhead, the sky was of a jetty black, and - the stars were brilliantly visible. - - “The pigeons about this time seeming to undergo much suffering, I - determined upon giving them their liberty. I first untied one of - them, a beautiful gray-mottled pigeon, and placed him upon the - rim of the wicker-work. He appeared extremely uneasy, looking - anxiously around him, fluttering his wings, and making a loud - cooing noise, but could not be persuaded to trust himself from - off the car. I took him up at last, and threw him to about half a - dozen yards from the balloon. He made, however, no attempt to - descend as I had expected, but struggled with great vehemence to - get back, uttering at the same time very shrill and piercing - cries. He at length succeeded in regaining his former station on - the rim, but had hardly done so when his head dropped upon his - breast, and he fell dead within the car. The other one did not - prove so unfortunate. To prevent his following the example of his - companion, and accomplishing a return, I threw him downward with - all my force, and was pleased to find him continue his descent, - with great velocity, making use of his wings with ease, and in a - perfectly natural manner. In a very short time he was out of - sight, and I have no doubt he reached home in safety. Puss, who - seemed in a great measure recovered from her illness, now made a - hearty meal of the dead bird and then went to sleep with much - apparent satisfaction. Her kittens were quite lively, and so far - evinced not the slightest sign of any uneasiness whatever. - - “At a quarter-past eight, being no longer able to draw breath - without the most intolerable pain, I proceeded forthwith to - adjust around the car the apparatus belonging to the condenser. - This apparatus will require some little explanation, and your - Excellencies will please to bear in mind that my object, in the - first place, was to surround myself and cat entirely with a - barricade against the highly rarefied atmosphere in which I was - existing, with the intention of introducing within this - barricade, by means of my condenser, a quantity of this same - atmosphere sufficiently condensed for the purposes of - respiration. With this object in view I had prepared a very - strong perfectly air-tight, but flexible gum-elastic bag. In this - bag, which was of sufficient dimensions, the entire car was in a - manner placed. That is to say, it (the bag) was drawn over the - whole bottom of the car, up its sides, and so on, along the - outside of the ropes, to the upper rim or hoop where the net-work - is attached. Having pulled the bag up in this way, and formed a - complete enclosure on all sides, and at bottom, it was now - necessary to fasten up its top or mouth, by passing its material - over the hoop of the net-work—in other words, between the - net-work and the hoop. But if the net-work were separated from - the hoop to admit this passage, what was to sustain the car in - the meantime? Now the net-work was not permanently fastened to - the hoop, but attached by a series of running loops or nooses. I - therefore undid only a few of these loops at one time, leaving - the car suspended by the remainder. Having thus inserted a - portion of the cloth forming the upper part of the bag, I - refastened the loops—not to the hoop, for that would have been - impossible, since the cloth now intervened—but to a series of - large buttons, affixed to the cloth itself, about three feet - below the mouth of the bag, the intervals between the buttons - having been made to correspond to the intervals between the - loops. This done, a few more of the loops were unfastened from - the rim, a farther portion of the cloth introduced, and the - disengaged loops then connected with their proper buttons. In - this way it was possible to insert the whole upper part of the - bag between the net-work and the hoop. It is evident that the - hoop would now drop down within the car, while the whole weight - of the car itself, with all its contents, would be held up merely - by the strength of the buttons. This, at first sight, would seem - an inadequate dependence; but it was by no means so, for the - buttons were not only very strong in themselves, but so close - together that a very slight portion of the whole weight was - supported by any one of them. Indeed, had the car and contents - been three times heavier than they were, I should not have been - at all uneasy. I now raised up the hoop again within the covering - of gum-elastic, and propped it at nearly its former height by - means of three light poles prepared for the occasion. This was - done, of course, to keep the bag distended at the top, and to - preserve the lower part of the net-work in its proper situation. - All that now remained was to fasten up the mouth of the - enclosure; and this was readily accomplished by gathering the - folds of the material together, and twisting them up very tightly - on the inside by means of a kind of stationary tourniquet. - - “In the sides of the covering thus adjusted round the car, had - been inserted three circular panes of thick but clear glass, - through which I could see without difficulty around me in every - horizontal direction. In that portion of the cloth forming the - bottom, was likewise, a fourth window, of the same kind, and - corresponding with a small aperture in the floor of the car - itself. This enabled me to see perpendicularly down, but having - found it impossible to place any similar contrivance overhead, on - account of the peculiar manner of closing up the opening there, - and the consequent wrinkles in the cloth, I could expect to see - no objects situated directly in my zenith. This, of course, was a - matter of little consequence; for had I even been able to place a - window at top, the balloon itself would have prevented my making - any use of it. - - “About a foot below one of the side windows was a circular - opening, eight inches in diameter, and fitted with a brass rim - adapted in its inner edge to the windings of a screw. In this rim - was screwed the large tube of the condenser, the body of the - machine being, of course, within the chamber of gum-elastic. - Through this tube a quantity of the rare atmosphere circumjacent - being drawn by means of a vacuum created in the body of the - machine, was thence discharged, in a state of condensation, to - mingle with the thin air already in the chamber. This operation - being repeated several times, at length filled the chamber with - atmosphere proper for all the purposes of respiration. But in so - confined a space it would, in a short time, necessarily become - foul, and unfit for use from frequent contact with the lungs. It - was then ejected by a small valve at the bottom of the car—the - dense air readily sinking into the thinner atmosphere below. To - avoid the inconvenience of making a total vacuum at any moment - within the chamber, this purification was never accomplished all - at once, but in a gradual manner—the valve being opened only for - a few seconds, then closed again, until one or two strokes from - the pump of the condenser had supplied the place of the - atmosphere ejected. For the sake of experiment I had put the cat - and kittens in a small basket, and suspended it outside the car - to a button at the bottom, close by the valve, through which I - could feed them at any moment when necessary. I did this at some - little risk, and before closing the mouth of the chamber, by - reaching under the car with one of the poles before mentioned to - which a hook had been attached. - - “By the time I had fully completed these arrangements and filled - the chamber as explained, it wanted only ten minutes of nine - o’clock. During the whole period of my being thus employed, I - endured the most terrible distress from difficulty of - respiration, and bitterly did I repent the negligence or rather - fool-hardiness, of which I had been guilty, of putting off to the - last moment a matter of so much importance. But having at length - accomplished it, I soon began to reap the benefit of my - invention. Once again I breathed with perfect freedom and - ease—and indeed why should I not? I was also agreeably surprised - to find myself, in a great measure, relieved from the violent - pains which had hitherto tormented me. A slight headache, - accompanied with a sensation of fulness or distention about the - wrists, the ankles, and the throat, was nearly all of which I had - now to complain. Thus it seemed evident that a greater part of - the uneasiness attending the removal of atmospheric pressure had - actually worn off, as I had expected, and that much of the pain - endured for the last two hours should have been attributed - altogether to the effects of a deficient respiration. - - “At twenty minutes before nine o’clock—that is to say, a short - time prior to my closing up the mouth of the chamber, the mercury - attained its limit, or ran down, in the barometer, which, as I - mentioned before, was one of an extended construction. It then - indicated an altitude on my part of 132,000 feet, or - five-and-twenty miles, and I consequently surveyed at that time - an extent of the earth’s area amounting to no less than the three - hundred-and-twentieth part of its entire superficies. At nine - o’clock I had again lost sight of land to the eastward, but not - before I became aware that the balloon was drifting rapidly to - the N. N. W. The convexity of the ocean beneath me was very - evident indeed, although my view was often interrupted by the - masses of cloud which floated to and fro. I observed now that - even the lightest vapors never rose to more than ten miles above - the level of the sea. - - “At half past nine I tried the experiment of throwing out a - handful of feathers through the valve. They did not float as I - had expected; but dropped down perpendicularly, like a bullet, en - masse, and with the greatest velocity—being out of sight in a - very few seconds. I did not at first know what to make of this - extraordinary phenomenon; not being able to believe that my rate - of ascent had, of a sudden, met with so prodigious an - acceleration. But it soon occurred to me that the atmosphere was - now far too rare to sustain even the feathers; that they actually - fell, as they appeared to do, with great rapidity; and that I had - been surprised by the united velocities of their descent and my - own elevation. - - “By ten o’clock I found that I had very little to occupy my - immediate attention. Affairs went swimmingly, and I believed the - balloon to be going upward with a speed increasing momently - although I had no longer any means of ascertaining the - progression of the increase. I suffered no pain or uneasiness of - any kind, and enjoyed better spirits than I had at any period - since my departure from Rotterdam, busying myself now in - examining the state of my various apparatus, and now in - regenerating the atmosphere within the chamber. This latter point - I determined to attend to at regular intervals of forty minutes, - more on account of the preservation of my health, than from so - frequent a renovation being absolutely necessary. In the - meanwhile I could not help making anticipations. Fancy revelled - in the wild and dreamy regions of the moon. Imagination, feeling - herself for once unshackled, roamed at will among the - ever-changing wonders of a shadowy and unstable land. Now there - were hoary and time-honored forests, and craggy precipices, and - waterfalls tumbling with a loud noise into abysses without a - bottom. Then I came suddenly into still noonday solitudes, where - no wind of heaven ever intruded, and where vast meadows of - poppies, and slender, lily-looking flowers spread themselves out - a weary distance, all silent and motionless forever. Then again I - journeyed far down away into another country where it was all one - dim and vague lake, with a boundary line of clouds. And out of - this melancholy water arose a forest of tall eastern trees, like - a wilderness of dreams. And I have in mind that the shadows of - the trees which fell upon the lake remained not on the surface - where they fell, but sunk slowly and steadily down, and - commingled with the waves, while from the trunks of the trees - other shadows were continually coming out, and taking the place - of their brothers thus entombed. “This then,” I said - thoughtfully, “is the very reason why the waters of this lake - grow blacker with age, and more melancholy as the hours run on.” - But fancies such as these were not the sole possessors of my - brain. Horrors of a nature most stern and most appalling would - too frequently obtrude themselves upon my mind, and shake the - innermost depths of my soul with the bare supposition of their - possibility. Yet I would not suffer my thoughts for any length of - time to dwell upon these latter speculations, rightly judging the - real and palpable dangers of the voyage sufficient for my - undivided attention. - - “At five o’clock, p.m., being engaged in regenerating the - atmosphere within the chamber, I took that opportunity of - observing the cat and kittens through the valve. The cat herself - appeared to suffer again very much, and I had no hesitation in - attributing her uneasiness chiefly to a difficulty in breathing; - but my experiment with the kittens had resulted very strangely. I - had expected, of course, to see them betray a sense of pain, - although in a less degree than their mother, and this would have - been sufficient to confirm my opinion concerning the habitual - endurance of atmospheric pressure. But I was not prepared to find - them, upon close examination, evidently enjoying a high degree of - health, breathing with the greatest ease and perfect regularity, - and evincing not the slightest sign of any uneasiness whatever. I - could only account for all this by extending my theory, and - supposing that the highly rarefied atmosphere around might - perhaps not be, as I had taken for granted, chemically - insufficient for the purposes of life, and that a person born in - such a medium might, possibly, be unaware of any inconvenience - attending its inhalation, while, upon removal to the denser - strata near the earth, he might endure tortures of a similar - nature to those I had so lately experienced. It has since been to - me a matter of deep regret that an awkward accident, at this - time, occasioned me the loss of my little family of cats, and - deprived me of the insight into this matter which a continued - experiment might have afforded. In passing my hand through the - valve, with a cup of water for the old puss, the sleeves of my - shirt became entangled in the loop which sustained the basket, - and thus, in a moment, loosened it from the bottom. Had the whole - actually vanished into air, it could not have shot from my sight - in a more abrupt and instantaneous manner. Positively, there - could not have intervened the tenth part of a second between the - disengagement of the basket and its absolute and total - disappearance with all that it contained. My good wishes followed - it to the earth, but of course, I had no hope that either cat or - kittens would ever live to tell the tale of their misfortune. - - “At six o’clock, I perceived a great portion of the earth’s - visible area to the eastward involved in thick shadow, which - continued to advance with great rapidity, until, at five minutes - before seven, the whole surface in view was enveloped in the - darkness of night. It was not, however, until long after this - time that the rays of the setting sun ceased to illumine the - balloon; and this circumstance, although of course fully - anticipated, did not fail to give me an infinite deal of - pleasure. It was evident that, in the morning, I should behold - the rising luminary many hours at least before the citizens of - Rotterdam, in spite of their situation so much farther to the - eastward, and thus, day after day, in proportion to the height - ascended, would I enjoy the light of the sun for a longer and a - longer period. I now determined to keep a journal of my passage, - reckoning the days from one to twenty-four hours continuously, - without taking into consideration the intervals of darkness. - - “At ten o’clock, feeling sleepy, I determined to lie down for the - rest of the night; but here a difficulty presented itself, which, - obvious as it may appear, had escaped my attention up to the very - moment of which I am now speaking. If I went to sleep as I - proposed, how could the atmosphere in the chamber be regenerated - in the interim? To breathe it for more than an hour, at the - farthest, would be a matter of impossibility, or, if even this - term could be extended to an hour and a quarter, the most ruinous - consequences might ensue. The consideration of this dilemma gave - me no little disquietude; and it will hardly be believed, that, - after the dangers I had undergone, I should look upon this - business in so serious a light, as to give up all hope of - accomplishing my ultimate design, and finally make up my mind to - the necessity of a descent. But this hesitation was only - momentary. I reflected that man is the veriest slave of custom, - and that many points in the routine of his existence are deemed - essentially important, which are only so at all by his having - rendered them habitual. It was very certain that I could not do - without sleep; but I might easily bring myself to feel no - inconvenience from being awakened at intervals of an hour during - the whole period of my repose. It would require but five minutes - at most to regenerate the atmosphere in the fullest manner, and - the only real difficulty was to contrive a method of arousing - myself at the proper moment for so doing. But this was a question - which, I am willing to confess, occasioned me no little trouble - in its solution. To be sure, I had heard of the student who, to - prevent his falling asleep over his books, held in one hand a - ball of copper, the din of whose descent into a basin of the same - metal on the floor beside his chair, served effectually to - startle him up, if, at any moment, he should be overcome with - drowsiness. My own case, however, was very different indeed, and - left me no room for any similar idea; for I did not wish to keep - awake, but to be aroused from slumber at regular intervals of - time. I at length hit upon the following expedient, which, simple - as it may seem, was hailed by me, at the moment of discovery, as - an invention fully equal to that of the telescope, the - steam-engine, or the art of printing itself. - - “It is necessary to premise, that the balloon, at the elevation - now attained, continued its course upward with an even and - undeviating ascent, and the car consequently followed with a - steadiness so perfect that it would have been impossible to - detect in it the slightest vacillation whatever. This - circumstance favored me greatly in the project I now determined - to adopt. My supply of water had been put on board in kegs - containing five gallons each, and ranged very securely around the - interior of the car. I unfastened one of these, and taking two - ropes tied them tightly across the rim of the wicker-work from - one side to the other; placing them about a foot apart and - parallel so as to form a kind of shelf, upon which I placed the - keg, and steadied it in a horizontal position. About eight inches - immediately below these ropes, and four feet from the bottom of - the car I fastened another shelf—but made of thin plank, being - the only similar piece of wood I had. Upon this latter shelf, and - exactly beneath one of the rims of the keg, a small earthern - pitcher was deposited. I now bored a hole in the end of the keg - over the pitcher, and fitted in a plug of soft wood, cut in a - tapering or conical shape. This plug I pushed in or pulled out, - as might happen, until, after a few experiments, it arrived at - that exact degree of tightness, at which the water, oozing from - the hole, and falling into the pitcher below, would fill the - latter to the brim in the period of sixty minutes. This, of - course, was a matter briefly and easily ascertained, by noticing - the proportion of the pitcher filled in any given time. Having - arranged all this, the rest of the plan is obvious. My bed was so - contrived upon the floor of the car, as to bring my head, in - lying down, immediately below the mouth of the pitcher. It was - evident, that, at the expiration of an hour, the pitcher, getting - full, would be forced to run over, and to run over at the mouth, - which was somewhat lower than the rim. It was also evident, that - the water thus falling from a height of more than four feet, - could not do otherwise than fall upon my face, and that the sure - consequences would be, to waken me up instantaneously, even from - the soundest slumber in the world. - - “It was fully eleven by the time I had completed these - arrangements, and I immediately betook myself to bed, with full - confidence in the efficiency of my invention. Nor in this matter - was I disappointed. Punctually every sixty minutes was I aroused - by my trusty chronometer, when, having emptied the pitcher into - the bung-hole of the keg, and performed the duties of the - condenser, I retired again to bed. These regular interruptions to - my slumber caused me even less discomfort than I had anticipated; - and when I finally arose for the day, it was seven o’clock, and - the sun had attained many degrees above the line of my horizon. - - “April 3d. I found the balloon at an immense height indeed, and - the earth’s apparent convexity increased in a material degree. - Below me in the ocean lay a cluster of black specks, which - undoubtedly were islands. Far away to the northward I perceived a - thin, white, and exceedingly brilliant line, or streak, on the - edge of the horizon, and I had no hesitation in supposing it to - be the southern disk of the ices of the Polar Sea. My curiosity - was greatly excited, for I had hopes of passing on much farther - to the north, and might possibly, at some period, find myself - placed directly above the Pole itself. I now lamented that my - great elevation would, in this case, prevent my taking as - accurate a survey as I could wish. Much, however, might be - ascertained. Nothing else of an extraordinary nature occurred - during the day. My apparatus all continued in good order, and the - balloon still ascended without any perceptible vacillation. The - cold was intense, and obliged me to wrap up closely in an - overcoat. When darkness came over the earth, I betook myself to - bed, although it was for many hours afterward broad daylight all - around my immediate situation. The water-clock was punctual in - its duty, and I slept until next morning soundly, with the - exception of the periodical interruption. - - “April 4th. Arose in good health and spirits, and was astonished - at the singular change which had taken place in the appearance of - the sea. It had lost, in a great measure, the deep tint of blue - it had hitherto worn, being now of a grayish-white, and of a - lustre dazzling to the eye. The islands were no longer visible; - whether they had passed down the horizon to the southeast, or - whether my increasing elevation had left them out of sight, it is - impossible to say. I was inclined, however, to the latter - opinion. The rim of ice to the northward was growing more and - more apparent. Cold by no means so intense. Nothing of importance - occurred, and I passed the day in reading, having taken care to - supply myself with books. - - “April 5th. Beheld the singular phenomenon of the sun rising - while nearly the whole visible surface of the earth continued to - be involved in darkness. In time, however, the light spread - itself over all, and I again saw the line of ice to the - northward. It was now very distinct, and appeared of a much - darker hue than the waters of the ocean. I was evidently - approaching it, and with great rapidity. Fancied I could again - distinguish a strip of land to the eastward, and one also to the - westward, but could not be certain. Weather moderate. Nothing of - any consequence happened during the day. Went early to bed. - - “April 6th. Was surprised at finding the rim of ice at a very - moderate distance, and an immense field of the same material - stretching away off to the horizon in the north. It was evident - that if the balloon held its present course, it would soon arrive - above the Frozen Ocean, and I had now little doubt of ultimately - seeing the Pole. During the whole of the day I continued to near - the ice. Toward night the limits of my horizon very suddenly and - materially increased, owing undoubtedly to the earth’s form being - that of an oblate spheroid, and my arriving above the flattened - regions in the vicinity of the Arctic circle. When darkness at - length overtook me, I went to bed in great anxiety, fearing to - pass over the object of so much curiosity when I should have no - opportunity of observing it. - - “April 7th. Arose early, and, to my great joy, at length beheld - what there could be no hesitation in supposing the northern Pole - itself. It was there, beyond a doubt, and immediately beneath my - feet; but, alas! I had now ascended to so vast a distance, that - nothing could with accuracy be discerned. Indeed, to judge from - the progression of the numbers indicating my various altitudes, - respectively, at different periods, between six A.M. on the - second of April, and twenty minutes before nine A.M. of the same - day (at which time the barometer ran down), it might be fairly - inferred that the balloon had now, at four o’clock in the morning - of April the seventh, reached a height of not less, certainly, - than 7,254 miles above the surface of the sea. This elevation may - appear immense, but the estimate upon which it is calculated gave - a result in all probability far inferior to the truth. At all - events I undoubtedly beheld the whole of the earth’s major - diameter; the entire northern hemisphere lay beneath me like a - chart orthographically projected: and the great circle of the - equator itself formed the boundary line of my horizon. Your - Excellencies may, however, readily imagine that the confined - regions hitherto unexplored within the limits of the Arctic - circle, although situated directly beneath me, and therefore seen - without any appearance of being foreshortened, were still, in - themselves, comparatively too diminutive, and at too great a - distance from the point of sight, to admit of any very accurate - examination. Nevertheless, what could be seen was of a nature - singular and exciting. Northwardly from that huge rim before - mentioned, and which, with slight qualification, may be called - the limit of human discovery in these regions, one unbroken, or - nearly unbroken, sheet of ice continues to extend. In the first - few degrees of this its progress, its surface is very sensibly - flattened, farther on depressed into a plane, and finally, - becoming not a little concave, it terminates, at the Pole itself, - in a circular centre, sharply defined, whose apparent diameter - subtended at the balloon an angle of about sixty-five seconds, - and whose dusky hue, varying in intensity, was, at all times, - darker than any other spot upon the visible hemisphere, and - occasionally deepened into the most absolute and impenetrable - blackness. Farther than this, little could be ascertained. By - twelve o’clock the circular centre had materially decreased in - circumference, and by seven P.M. I lost sight of it entirely; the - balloon passing over the western limb of the ice, and floating - away rapidly in the direction of the equator. - - “April 8th. Found a sensible diminution in the earth’s apparent - diameter, besides a material alteration in its general color and - appearance. The whole visible area partook in different degrees - of a tint of pale yellow, and in some portions had acquired a - brilliancy even painful to the eye. My view downward was also - considerably impeded by the dense atmosphere in the vicinity of - the surface being loaded with clouds, between whose masses I - could only now and then obtain a glimpse of the earth itself. - This difficulty of direct vision had troubled me more or less for - the last forty-eight hours; but my present enormous elevation - brought closer together, as it were, the floating bodies of - vapor, and the inconvenience became, of course, more and more - palpable in proportion to my ascent. Nevertheless, I could easily - perceive that the balloon now hovered above the range of great - lakes in the continent of North America, and was holding a - course, due south, which would bring me to the tropics. This - circumstance did not fail to give me the most heartful - satisfaction, and I hailed it as a happy omen of ultimate - success. Indeed, the direction I had hitherto taken, had filled - me with uneasiness; for it was evident that, had I continued it - much longer, there would have been no possibility of my arriving - at the moon at all, whose orbit is inclined to the ecliptic at - only the small angle of 5° 8′ 48″. - - “April 9th. To-day the earth’s diameter was greatly diminished, - and the color of the surface assumed hourly a deeper tint of - yellow. The balloon kept steadily on her course to the southward, - and arrived, at nine P.M., over the northern edge of the Mexican - Gulf. - - “April 10th. I was suddenly aroused from slumber, about five - o’clock this morning, by a loud, crackling, and terrific sound, - for which I could in no manner account. It was of very brief - duration, but, while it lasted resembled nothing in the world of - which I had any previous experience. It is needless to say that I - became excessively alarmed, having, in the first instance, - attributed the noise to the bursting of the balloon. I examined - all my apparatus, however, with great attention, and could - discover nothing out of order. Spent a great part of the day in - meditating upon an occurrence so extraordinary, but could find no - means whatever of accounting for it. Went to bed dissatisfied, - and in a state of great anxiety and agitation. - - “April 11th. Found a startling diminution in the apparent - diameter of the earth, and a considerable increase, now - observable for the first time, in that of the moon itself, which - wanted only a few days of being full. It now required long and - excessive labor to condense within the chamber sufficient - atmospheric air for the sustenance of life. - - “April 12th. A singular alteration took place in regard to the - direction of the balloon, and although fully anticipated, - afforded me the most unequivocal delight. Having reached, in its - former course, about the twentieth parallel of southern latitude, - it turned off suddenly, at an acute angle, to the eastward, and - thus proceeded throughout the day, keeping nearly, if not - altogether, in the exact plane of the lunar ellipse. What was - worthy of remark, a very perceptible vacillation in the car was a - consequence of this change of route—a vacillation which - prevailed, in a more or less degree, for a period of many hours. - - “April 13th. Was again very much alarmed by a repetition of the - loud, crackling noise which terrified me on the tenth. Thought - long upon the subject, but was unable to form any satisfactory - conclusion. Great decrease in the earth’s apparent diameter, - which now subtended from the balloon an angle of very little more - than twenty-five degrees. The moon could not be seen at all, - being nearly in my zenith. I still continued in the plane of the - ellipse, but made little progress to the eastward. - - “April 14th. Extremely rapid decrease in the diameter of the - earth. To-day I became strongly impressed with the idea, that the - balloon was now actually running up the line of apsides to the - point of perigee—in other words, holding the direct course which - would bring it immediately to the moon in that part of its orbit - the nearest to the earth. The moon itself was directly overhead, - and consequently hidden from my view. Great and long-continued - labor necessary for the condensation of the atmosphere. - - “April 15th. Not even the outlines of continents and seas could - now be traced upon the earth with anything approaching - distinctness. About twelve o’clock I became aware, for the third - time, of that appalling sound which had so astonished me before. - It now, however, continued for some moments, and gathered - intensity as it continued. At length, while, stupefied and - terror-stricken, I stood in expectation of I knew not what - hideous destruction, the car vibrated with excessive violence, - and a gigantic and flaming mass of some material which I could - not distinguish, came with a voice of a thousand thunders, - roaring and booming by the balloon. When my fears and - astonishment had in some degree subsided, I had little difficulty - in supposing it to be some mighty volcanic fragment ejected from - that world to which I was so rapidly approaching, and, in all - probability, one of that singular class of substances - occasionally picked up on the earth, and termed meteoric stones - for want of a better appellation. - - “April 16th. To-day, looking upward as well as I could, through - each of the side windows alternately, I beheld, to my great - delight, a very small portion of the moon’s disk protruding, as - it were, on all sides beyond the huge circumference of the - balloon. My agitation was extreme; for I had now little doubt of - soon reaching the end of my perilous voyage. Indeed, the labor - now required by the condenser had increased to a most oppressive - degree, and allowed me scarcely any respite from exertion. Sleep - was a matter nearly out of the question. I became quite ill, and - my frame trembled with exhaustion. It was impossible that human - nature could endure this state of intense suffering much longer. - During the now brief interval of darkness a meteoric stone again - passed in my vicinity, and the frequency of these phenomena began - to occasion me much apprehension. - - “April 17th. This morning proved an epoch in my voyage. It will - be remembered that, on the thirteenth, the earth subtended an - angular breadth of twenty-five degrees. On the fourteenth this - had greatly diminished; on the fifteenth a still more remarkable - decrease was observable; and, on retiring on the night of the - sixteenth, I had 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° 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) - - “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 hands to the net-work, I had barely time to - observe that the whole country, as far as the eye could reach, - was thickly interspersed with diminutive habitations, ere I - tumbled headlong into the very heart of a fantastical-looking - city, and into the middle of a vast crowd of ugly little people, - who none of them uttered a single syllable, or gave themselves - the least trouble to render me assistance, but stood, like a - parcel of idiots, grinning in a ludicrous manner, and eyeing me - and my balloon askant, with their arms set a-kimbo. I turned from - them in contempt, and, gazing upward at the earth so lately left, - and left perhaps for ever, beheld it like a huge, dull, copper - shield, about two degrees in diameter, fixed immovably in the - heavens overhead, and tipped on one of its edges with a crescent - border of the most brilliant gold. No traces of land or water - could be discovered, and the whole was clouded with variable - spots, and belted with tropical and equatorial zones. - - “Thus, may it please your Excellencies, after a series of great - anxieties, unheard of dangers, and unparalleled escapes, I had, - at length, on the nineteenth day of my departure from Rotterdam, - arrived in safety at the conclusion of a voyage undoubtedly the - most extraordinary, and the most momentous, ever accomplished, - undertaken, or conceived by any denizen of earth. But my - adventures yet remain to be related. And indeed your Excellencies - may well imagine that, after a residence of five years upon a - planet not only deeply interesting in its own peculiar character, - but rendered doubly so by its intimate connection, in capacity of - satellite, with the world inhabited by man, I may have - intelligence for the private ear of the States’ College of - Astronomers of far more importance than the details, however - wonderful, of the mere voyage which so happily concluded. This - is, in fact, the case. I have much—very much which it would give - me the greatest pleasure to communicate. I have much to say of - the climate of the planet; of its wonderful alternations of heat - and cold, of unmitigated and burning sunshine for one fortnight, - and more than polar frigidity for the next; of a constant - transfer of moisture, by distillation like that in vacuo, from - the point beneath the sun to the point the farthest from it; of a - variable zone of running water; of the people themselves; of - their manners, customs, and political institutions; of their - peculiar physical construction; of their ugliness; of their want - of ears, those useless appendages in an atmosphere so peculiarly - modified; of their consequent ignorance of the use and properties - of speech; of their substitute for speech in a singular method of - inter-communication; of the incomprehensible connection between - each particular individual in the moon with some particular - individual on the earth—a connection analogous with, and - depending upon, that of the orbs of the planet and the - satellites, and by means of which the lives and destinies of the - inhabitants of the one are interwoven with the lives and - destinies of the inhabitants of the other; and above all, if it - so please your Excellencies—above all, of those dark and hideous - mysteries which lie in the outer regions of the moon—regions - which, owing to the almost miraculous accordance of the - satellite’s rotation on its own axis with its sidereal revolution - about the earth, have never yet been turned, and, by God’s mercy, - never shall be turned, to the scrutiny of the telescopes of man. - All this, and more—much more—would I most willingly detail. But, - to be brief, I must have my reward. I am pining for a return to - my family and to my home; and as the price of any farther - communication on my part—in consideration of the light which I - have it in my power to throw upon many very important branches of - physical and metaphysical science—I must solicit, through the - influence of your honorable body, a pardon for the crime of which - I have been guilty in the death of the creditors upon my - departure from Rotterdam. This, then, is the object of the - present paper. Its bearer, an inhabitant of the moon, whom I have - prevailed upon, and properly instructed, to be my messenger to - the earth, will await your Excellencies’ pleasure, and return to - me with the pardon in question, if it can, in any manner, be - obtained. - - “I have the honor to be, etc., your Excellencies’ very humble - servant, - - “HANS PFAALL.” - - Upon finishing the perusal of this very extraordinary document, - Professor Rub-a-dub, it is said, dropped his pipe upon the ground - in the extremity of his surprise, and Mynheer Superbus Von - Underduk having taken off his spectacles, wiped them, and - deposited them in his pocket, so far forgot both himself and his - dignity, as to turn round three times upon his heel in the - quintessence of astonishment and admiration. There was no doubt - about the matter—the pardon should be obtained. So at least - swore, with a round oath, Professor Rub-a-dub, and so finally - thought the illustrious Von Underduk, as he took the arm of his - brother in science, and without saying a word, began to make the - best of his way home to deliberate upon the measures to be - adopted. Having reached the door, however, of the burgomaster’s - dwelling, the professor ventured to suggest that as the messenger - had thought proper to disappear—no doubt frightened to death by - the savage appearance of the burghers of Rotterdam—the pardon - would be of little use, as no one but a man of the moon would - undertake a voyage to so vast a distance. To the truth of this - observation the burgomaster assented, and the matter was - therefore at an end. Not so, however, rumors and speculations. - The letter, having been published, gave rise to a variety of - gossip and opinion. Some of the over-wise even made themselves - ridiculous by decrying the whole business; as nothing better than - a hoax. But hoax, with these sort of people, is, I believe, a - general term for all matters above their comprehension. For my - part, I cannot conceive upon what data they have founded such an - accusation. Let us see what they say: - - Imprimus. That certain wags in Rotterdam have certain especial - antipathies to certain burgomasters and astronomers. - - Don’t understand at all. - - Secondly. That an odd little dwarf and bottle conjurer, both of - whose ears, for some misdemeanor, have been cut off close to his - head, has been missing for several days from the neighboring city - of Bruges. - - Well—what of that? - - Thirdly. That the newspapers which were stuck all over the little - balloon were newspapers of Holland, and therefore could not have - been made in the moon. They were dirty papers—very dirty—and - Gluck, the printer, would take his Bible oath to their having - been printed in Rotterdam. - - He was mistaken—undoubtedly—mistaken. - - Fourthly, That Hans Pfaall himself, the drunken villain, and the - three very idle gentlemen styled his creditors, were all seen, no - longer than two or three days ago, in a tippling house in the - suburbs, having just returned, with money in their pockets, from - a trip beyond the sea. - - Don’t believe it—don’t believe a word of it. - - Lastly. That it is an opinion very generally received, or which - ought to be generally received, that the College of Astronomers - in the city of Rotterdam, as well as other colleges in all other - parts of the world,—not to mention colleges and astronomers in - general,—are, to say the least of the matter, not a whit better, - nor greater, nor wiser than they ought to be. - - ~~~ End of Text ~~~ - -Notes to Hans Pfaal - - (*1) NOTE—Strictly speaking, there is but little similarity - between the above sketchy trifle and the celebrated “Moon-Story” - of Mr. Locke; but as both have the character of _hoaxes_ - (although the one is in a tone of banter, the other of downright - earnest), and as both hoaxes are on the same subject, the - moon—moreover, as both attempt to give plausibility by scientific - detail—the author of “Hans Pfaall” thinks it necessary to say, in - _self-defence,_ that his own _jeu d’esprit_ was published in the - “Southern Literary Messenger” about three weeks before the - commencement of Mr. L’s in the “New York Sun.” Fancying a - likeness which, perhaps, does not exist, some of the New York - papers copied “Hans Pfaall,” and collated it with the - “Moon-Hoax,” by way of detecting the writer of the one in the - writer of the other. - - As many more persons were actually gulled by the “Moon-Hoax” than - would be willing to acknowledge the fact, it may here afford some - little amusement to show why no one should have been deceived-to - point out those particulars of the story which should have been - sufficient to establish its real character. Indeed, however rich - the imagination displayed in this ingenious fiction, it wanted - much of the force which might have been given it by a more - scrupulous attention to facts and to general analogy. That the - public were misled, even for an instant, merely proves the gross - ignorance which is so generally prevalent upon subjects of an - astronomical nature. - - The moon’s distance from the earth is, in round numbers, 240,000 - miles. If we desire to ascertain how near, apparently, a lens - would bring the satellite (or any distant object), we, of course, - have but to divide the distance by the magnifying or, more - strictly, by the space-penetrating power of the glass. Mr. L. - makes his lens have a power of 42,000 times. By this divide - 240,000 (the moon’s real distance), and we have five miles and - five sevenths, as the apparent distance. No animal at all could - be seen so far; much less the minute points particularized in the - story. Mr. L. speaks about Sir John Herschel’s perceiving flowers - (the Papaver rheas, etc.), and even detecting the color and the - shape of the eyes of small birds. Shortly before, too, he has - himself observed that the lens would not render perceptible - objects of less than eighteen inches in diameter; but even this, - as I have said, is giving the glass by far too great power. It - may be observed, in passing, that this prodigious glass is said - to have been molded at the glasshouse of Messrs. Hartley and - Grant, in Dumbarton; but Messrs. H. and G.‘s establishment had - ceased operations for many years previous to the publication of - the hoax. - - On page 13, pamphlet edition, speaking of “a hairy veil” over the - eyes of a species of bison, the author says: “It immediately - occurred to the acute mind of Dr. Herschel that this was a - providential contrivance to protect the eyes of the animal from - the great extremes of light and darkness to which all the - inhabitants of our side of the moon are periodically subjected.” - But this cannot be thought a very “acute” observation of the - Doctor’s. The inhabitants of our side of the moon have, - evidently, no darkness at all, so there can be nothing of the - “extremes” mentioned. In the absence of the sun they have a light - from the earth equal to that of thirteen full unclouded moons. - - The topography throughout, even when professing to accord with - Blunt’s Lunar Chart, is entirely at variance with that or any - other lunar chart, and even grossly at variance with itself. The - points of the compass, too, are in inextricable confusion; the - writer appearing to be ignorant that, on a lunar map, these are - not in accordance with terrestrial points; the east being to the - left, etc. - - Deceived, perhaps, by the vague titles, Mare Nubium, Mare - Tranquillitatis, Mare Faecunditatis, etc., given to the dark - spots by former astronomers, Mr. L. has entered into details - regarding oceans and other large bodies of water in the moon; - whereas there is no astronomical point more positively - ascertained than that no such bodies exist there. In examining - the boundary between light and darkness (in the crescent or - gibbous moon) where this boundary crosses any of the dark places, - the line of division is found to be rough and jagged; but, were - these dark places liquid, it would evidently be even. - - The description of the wings of the man-bat, on page 21, is but a - literal copy of Peter Wilkins’ account of the wings of his flying - islanders. This simple fact should have induced suspicion, at - least, it might be thought. - - On page 23, we have the following: “What a prodigious influence - must our thirteen times larger globe have exercised upon this - satellite when an embryo in the womb of time, the passive subject - of chemical affinity!” This is very fine; but it should be - observed that no astronomer would have made such remark, - especially to any journal of Science; for the earth, in the sense - intended, is not only thirteen, but forty-nine times larger than - the moon. A similar objection applies to the whole of the - concluding pages, where, by way of introduction to some - discoveries in Saturn, the philosophical correspondent enters - into a minute schoolboy account of that planet—this to the - “Edinburgh Journal of Science!” - - But there is one point, in particular, which should have betrayed - the fiction. Let us imagine the power actually possessed of - seeing animals upon the moon’s surface—what would first arrest - the attention of an observer from the earth? Certainly neither - their shape, size, nor any other such peculiarity, so soon as - their remarkable _situation_. They would appear to be walking, - with heels up and head down, in the manner of flies on a ceiling. - The _real_ observer would have uttered an instant ejaculation of - surprise (however prepared by previous knowledge) at the - singularity of their position; the _fictitious_ observer has not - even mentioned the subject, but speaks of seeing the entire - bodies of such creatures, when it is demonstrable that he could - have seen only the diameter of their heads! - - It might as well be remarked, in conclusion, that the size, and - particularly the powers of the man-bats (for example, their - ability to fly in so rare an atmosphere—if, indeed, the moon have - any), with most of the other fancies in regard to animal and - vegetable existence, are at variance, generally, with all - analogical reasoning on these themes; and that analogy here will - often amount to conclusive demonstration. It is, perhaps, - scarcely necessary to add, that all the suggestions attributed to - Brewster and Herschel, in the beginning of the article, about “a - transfusion of artificial light through the focal object of - vision,” etc., etc., belong to that species of figurative writing - which comes, most properly, under the denomination of rigmarole. - - There is a real and very definite limit to optical discovery - among the stars—a limit whose nature need only be stated to be - understood. If, indeed, the casting of large lenses were all that - is required, man’s ingenuity would ultimately prove equal to the - task, and we might have them of any size demanded. But, - unhappily, in proportion to the increase of size in the lens, and - consequently of space-penetrating power, is the diminution of - light from the object, by diffusion of its rays. And for this - evil there is no remedy within human ability; for an object is - seen by means of that light alone which proceeds from itself, - whether direct or reflected. Thus the only “artificial” light - which could avail Mr. Locke, would be some artificial light which - he should be able to throw—not upon the “focal object of vision,” - but upon the real object to be viewed—to wit: upon the moon. It - has been easily calculated that, when the light proceeding from a - star becomes so diffused as to be as weak as the natural light - proceeding from the whole of the stars, in a clear and moonless - night, then the star is no longer visible for any practical - purpose. - - The Earl of Ross’s telescope, lately constructed in England, has - a _speculum_ with a reflecting surface of 4,071 square inches; - the Herschel telescope having one of only 1,811. The metal of the - Earl of Ross’s is 6 feet diameter; it is 5 1/2 inches thick at - the edges, and 5 at the centre. The weight is 3 tons. The focal - length is 50 feet. - - I have lately read a singular and somewhat ingenious little book, - whose title-page runs thus: “L’Homme dans la lvne ou le Voyage - Chimerique fait au Monde de la Lvne, nouellement decouvert par - Dominique Gonzales, Aduanturier Espagnol, autrem?t dit le Courier - volant. Mis en notre langve par J. B. D. A. Paris, chez Francois - Piot, pres la Fontaine de Saint Benoist. Et chez J. Goignard, au - premier pilier de la grand’salle du Palais, proche les - Consultations, MDCXLVII.” Pp. 76. - - The writer professes to have translated his work from the English - of one Mr. D’Avisson (Davidson?) although there is a terrible - ambiguity in the statement. “J’ en ai eu,” says he “l’original de - Monsieur D’Avisson, medecin des mieux versez qui soient - aujourd’huy dans la cõnoissance des Belles Lettres, et sur tout - de la Philosophic Naturelle. Je lui ai cette obligation entre les - autres, de m’ auoir non seulement mis en main ce Livre en - anglois, mais encore le Manuscrit du Sieur Thomas D’Anan, - gentilhomme Eccossois, recommandable pour sa vertu, sur la - version duquel j’ advoue que j’ ay tiré le plan de la mienne.” - - After some irrelevant adventures, much in the manner of Gil Blas, - and which occupy the first thirty pages, the author relates that, - being ill during a sea voyage, the crew abandoned him, together - with a negro servant, on the island of St. Helena. To increase - the chances of obtaining food, the two separate, and live as far - apart as possible. This brings about a training of birds, to - serve the purpose of carrier-pigeons between them. By and by - these are taught to carry parcels of some weight—and this weight - is gradually increased. At length the idea is entertained of - uniting the force of a great number of the birds, with a view to - raising the author himself. A machine is 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 question—a 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) Hevelius 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. - - 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. - - - - -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 and esteem. I found him - well educated, with unusual powers of mind, but infected with - misanthropy, and subject to perverse moods of alternate - enthusiasm and melancholy. He had with him many books, but rarely - employed them. His chief amusements were gunning and fishing, or - sauntering along the beach and through the myrtles, in quest of - shells or entomological specimens—his collection of the latter - might have been envied by a Swammerdamm. In these excursions he - was usually accompanied by an old negro, called Jupiter, who had - been manumitted before the reverses of the family, but who could - be induced, neither by threats nor by promises, to abandon what - he considered his right of attendance upon the footsteps of his - young “Massa Will.” It is not improbable that the relatives of - Legrand, conceiving him to be somewhat unsettled in intellect, - had contrived to instil this obstinacy into Jupiter, with a view - to the supervision and guardianship of the wanderer. - - The winters in the latitude of Sullivan’s Island are seldom very - severe, and in the fall of the year it is a rare event indeed - when a fire is considered necessary. About the middle of October, - 18—, there occurred, however, a day of remarkable chilliness. - Just before sunset I scrambled my way through the evergreens to - the hut of my friend, whom I had not visited for several weeks—my - residence being, at that time, in Charleston, a distance of nine - miles from the island, while the facilities of passage and - re-passage were very far behind those of the present day. Upon - reaching the hut I rapped, as was my custom, and getting no - reply, sought for the key where I knew it was secreted, unlocked - the door and went in. A fine fire was blazing upon the hearth. It - was a novelty, and by no means an ungrateful one. I threw off an - overcoat, took an arm-chair by the crackling logs, and awaited - patiently the arrival of my hosts. - - Soon after dark they arrived, and gave me a most cordial welcome. - Jupiter, grinning from ear to ear, bustled about to prepare some - marsh-hens for supper. Legrand was in one of his fits—how else - shall I term them?—of enthusiasm. He had found an unknown - bivalve, forming a new genus, and, more than this, he had hunted - down and secured, with Jupiter’s assistance, a _scarabæus_ which - he believed to be totally new, but in respect to which he wished - to have my opinion on the morrow. - - “And why not to-night?” I asked, rubbing my hands over the blaze, - and wishing the whole tribe of _scarabæi_ at the devil. - - “Ah, if I had only known you were here!” said Legrand, “but it’s - so long since I saw you; and how could I foresee that you would - pay me a visit this very night of all others? As I was coming - home I met Lieutenant G——, from the fort, and, very foolishly, I - lent him the bug; so it will be impossible for you to see it - until the morning. Stay here to-night, and I will send Jup down - for it at sunrise. It is the loveliest thing in creation!” - - “What?—sunrise?” - - “Nonsense! no!—the bug. It is of a brilliant gold color—about the - size of a large hickory-nut—with two jet black spots near one - extremity of the back, and another, somewhat longer, at the - other. The _antennæ_ are—” - - “Dey aint no tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a tellin on you,” - here interrupted Jupiter; “de bug is a goole bug, solid, ebery - bit of him, inside and all, sep him wing—neber feel half so hebby - a bug in my life.” - - “Well, suppose it is, Jup,” replied Legrand, somewhat more - earnestly, it seemed to me, than the case demanded, “is that any - reason for your letting the birds burn? The color”—here he turned - to me—“is really almost enough to warrant Jupiter’s idea. You - never saw a more brilliant metallic lustre than the scales - emit—but of this you cannot judge till tomorrow. In the mean time - I can give you some idea of the shape.” Saying this, he seated - himself at a small table, on which were a pen and ink, but no - paper. He looked for some in a drawer, but found none. - - “Never mind,” said he at length, “this will answer;” and he drew - from his waistcoat pocket a scrap of what I took to be very dirty - foolscap, and made upon it a rough drawing with the pen. While he - did this, I retained my seat by the fire, for I was still chilly. - When the design was complete, he handed it to me without rising. - As I received it, a loud growl was heard, succeeded by a - scratching at the door. Jupiter opened it, and a large - Newfoundland, belonging to Legrand, rushed in, leaped upon my - shoulders, and loaded me with caresses; for I had shown him much - attention during previous visits. When his gambols were over, I - looked at the paper, and, to speak the truth, found myself not a - little puzzled at what my friend had depicted. - - “Well!” I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, “this - _is_ a strange _scarabæus_, I must confess: new to me: never saw - anything like it before—unless it was a skull, or a - death’s-head—which it more nearly resembles than anything else - that has come under _my_ observation.” - - “A death’s-head!” echoed Legrand. “Oh—yes—well, it has something - of that appearance upon paper, no doubt. The two upper black - spots look like eyes, eh? and the longer one at the bottom like a - mouth—and then the shape of the whole is oval.” - - “Perhaps so,” said I; “but, Legrand, I fear you are no artist. I - must wait until I see the beetle itself, if I am to form any idea - of its personal appearance.” - - “Well, I don’t know,” said he, a little nettled, “I draw - tolerably—_should_ do it at least—have had good masters, and - flatter myself that I am not quite a blockhead.” - - “But, my dear fellow, you are joking then,” said I, “this is a - very passable _skull_—indeed, I may say that it is a very - _excellent_ skull, according to the vulgar notions about such - specimens of physiology—and your _scarabæus_ must be the queerest - _scarabæus_ in the world if it resembles it. Why, we may get up a - very thrilling bit of superstition upon this hint. I presume you - will call the bug _scarabæus caput hominis_, or something of that - kind—there are many similar titles in the Natural Histories. But - where are the _antennæ_ you spoke of?” - - “The _antennæ!_” said Legrand, who seemed to be getting - unaccountably warm upon the subject; “I am sure you must see the - _antennæ_. I made them as distinct as they are in the original - insect, and I presume that is sufficient.” - - “Well, well,” I said, “perhaps you have—still I don’t see them;” - and I handed him the paper without additional remark, not wishing - to ruffle his temper; but I was much surprised at the turn - affairs had taken; his ill humor puzzled me—and, as for the - drawing of the beetle, there were positively _no antennæ_ - visible, and the whole _did_ bear a very close resemblance to the - ordinary cuts of a death’s-head. - - He received the paper very peevishly, and was about to crumple - it, apparently to throw it in the fire, when a casual glance at - the design seemed suddenly to rivet his attention. In an instant - his face grew violently red—in another as excessively pale. For - some minutes he continued to scrutinize the drawing minutely - where he sat. At length he arose, took a candle from the table, - and proceeded to seat himself upon a sea-chest in the farthest - corner of the room. Here again he made an anxious examination of - the paper; turning it in all directions. He said nothing, - however, and his conduct greatly astonished me; yet I thought it - prudent not to exacerbate the growing moodiness of his temper by - any comment. Presently he took from his coat pocket a wallet, - placed the paper carefully in it, and deposited both in a - writing-desk, which he locked. He now grew more composed in his - demeanor; but his original air of enthusiasm had quite - disappeared. Yet he seemed not so much sulky as abstracted. As - the evening wore away he became more and more absorbed in - reverie, from which no sallies of mine could arouse him. It had - been my intention to pass the night at the hut, as I had - frequently done before, but, seeing my host in this mood, I - deemed it proper to take leave. He did not press me to remain, - but, as I departed, he shook my hand with even more than his - usual cordiality. - - It was about a month after this (and during the interval I had - seen nothing of Legrand) when I received a visit, at Charleston, - from his man, Jupiter. I had never seen the good old negro look - so dispirited, and I feared that some serious disaster had - befallen my friend. - - “Well, Jup,” said I, “what is the matter now?—how is your - master?” - - “Why, to speak de troof, massa, him not so berry well as mought - be.” - - “Not well! I am truly sorry to hear it. What does he complain - of?” - - “Dar! dat’s it!—him neber ’plain of notin’—but him berry sick for - all dat.” - - “_Very_ sick, Jupiter!—why didn’t you say so at once? Is he - confined to bed?” - - “No, dat he aint!—he aint ’fin’d nowhar—dat’s just whar de shoe - pinch—my mind is got to be berry hebby ’bout poor Massa Will.” - - “Jupiter, I should like to understand what it is you are talking - about. You say your master is sick. Hasn’t he told you what ails - him?” - - “Why, massa, ’taint worf while for to git mad about de - matter—Massa Will say noffin at all aint de matter wid him—but - den what make him go about looking dis here way, wid he head down - and he soldiers up, and as white as a gose? And den he keep a - syphon all de time—” - - “Keeps a what, Jupiter?” - - “Keeps a syphon wid de figgurs on de slate—de queerest figgurs I - ebber did see. Ise gittin’ to be skeered, I tell you. Hab for to - keep mighty tight eye ’pon him ’noovers. Todder day he gib me - slip ’fore de sun up and was gone de whole ob de blessed day. I - had a big stick ready cut for to gib him deuced good beating when - he did come—but Ise sich a fool dat I hadn’t de heart arter - all—he look so berry poorly.” - - “Eh?—what?—ah yes!—upon the whole I think you had better not be - too severe with the poor fellow—don’t flog him, Jupiter—he can’t - very well stand it—but can you form no idea of what has - occasioned this illness, or rather this change of conduct? Has - anything unpleasant happened since I saw you?” - - “No, massa, dey aint bin noffin onpleasant _since_ den—‘twas - _’fore_ den I’m feared—‘twas de berry day you was dare.” - - “How? what do you mean?” - - “Why, massa, I mean de bug—dare now.” - - “The what?” - - “De bug,—I’m berry sartain dat Massa Will bin bit somewhere ’bout - de head by dat goole-bug.” - - “And what cause have you, Jupiter, for such a supposition?” - - “Claws enuff, massa, and mouff too. I nebber did see sick a - deuced bug—he kick and he bite ebery ting what cum near him. - Massa Will cotch him fuss, but had for to let him go ’gin mighty - quick, I tell you—den was de time he must ha’ got de bite. I did - n’t like de look oh de bug mouff, myself, no how, so I would n’t - take hold ob him wid my finger, but I cotch him wid a piece ob - paper dat I found. I rap him up in de paper and stuff piece ob it - in he mouff—dat was de way.” - - “And you think, then, that your master was really bitten by the - beetle, and that the bite made him sick?” - - “I do n’t tink noffin about it—I nose it. What make him dream - ’bout de goole so much, if ’taint cause he bit by de goole-bug? - Ise heerd ’bout dem goole-bugs fore dis.” - - “But how do you know he dreams about gold?” - - “How I know? why ’cause he talk about it in he sleep—dat’s how I - nose.” - - “Well, Jup, perhaps you are right; but to what fortunate - circumstance am I to attribute the honor of a visit from you - to-day?” - - “What de matter, massa?” - - “Did you bring any message from Mr. Legrand?” - - “No, massa, I bring dis here pissel;” and here Jupiter handed me - a note which ran thus: - - “MY DEAR ——Why have I not seen you for so long a time? I hope you - have not been so foolish as to take offence at any little - _brusquerie_ of mine; but no, that is improbable. Since I saw you - I have had great cause for anxiety. I have something to tell you, - yet scarcely know how to tell it, or whether I should tell it at - all. - - “I have not been quite well for some days past, and poor old Jup - annoys me, almost beyond endurance, by his well-meant attentions. - Would you believe it?—he had prepared a huge stick, the other - day, with which to chastise me for giving him the slip, and - spending the day, _solus_, among the hills on the main land. I - verily believe that my ill looks alone saved me a flogging. - - “I have made no addition to my cabinet since we met. - - “If you can, in any way, make it convenient, come over with - Jupiter. _Do_ come. I wish to see you to-_night_, upon business - of importance. I assure you that it is of the _highest_ - importance. - -“Ever yours, -“WILLIAM LEGRAND”. - - There was something in the tone of this note which gave me great - uneasiness. Its whole style differed materially from that of - Legrand. What could he be dreaming of? What new crotchet - possessed his excitable brain? What “business of the highest - importance” could he possibly have to transact? Jupiter’s account - of him boded no good. I dreaded lest the continued pressure of - misfortune had, at length, fairly unsettled the reason of my - friend. Without a moment’s hesitation, therefore, I prepared to - accompany the negro. - - Upon reaching the wharf, I noticed a scythe and three spades, all - apparently new, lying in the bottom of the boat in which we were - to embark. - - “What is the meaning of all this, Jup?” I inquired. - - “Him syfe, massa, and spade.” - - “Very true; but what are they doing here?” - - “Him de syfe and de spade what Massa Will sis pon my buying for - him in de town, and de debbil’s own lot of money I had to gib for - ’em.” - - “But what, in the name of all that is mysterious, is your ‘Massa - Will’ going to do with scythes and spades?” - - “Dat’s more dan _I_ know, and debbil take me if I don’t b’lieve - ’tis more dan he know, too. But it’s all cum ob do bug.” - - Finding that no satisfaction was to be obtained of Jupiter, whose - whole intellect seemed to be absorbed by “de bug,” I now stepped - into the boat and made sail. With a fair and strong breeze we - soon ran into the little cove to the northward of Fort Moultrie, - and a walk of some two miles brought us to the hut. It was about - three in the afternoon when we arrived. Legrand had been awaiting - us in eager expectation. He grasped my hand with a nervous - empressement which alarmed me and strengthened the suspicions - already entertained. His countenance was pale even to - ghastliness, and his deep-set eyes glared with unnatural lustre. - After some inquiries respecting his health, I asked him, not - knowing what better to say, if he had yet obtained the - _scarabæus_ from Lieutenant G——. - - “Oh, yes,” he replied, coloring violently, “I got it from him the - next morning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that - _scarabæus_. Do you know that Jupiter is quite right about it?” - - “In what way?” I asked, with a sad foreboding at heart. - - “In supposing it to be a bug of _real gold_.” He said this with - an air of profound seriousness, and I felt inexpressibly shocked. - - “This bug is to make my fortune,” he continued, with a triumphant - smile, “to reinstate me in my family possessions. Is it any - wonder, then, that I prize it? Since Fortune has thought fit to - bestow it upon me, I have only to use it properly and I shall - arrive at the gold of which it is the index. Jupiter; bring me - that _scarabæus!_” - - “What! de bug, massa? I’d rudder not go fer trubble dat bug—you - mus’ git him for your own self.” Hereupon Legrand arose, with a - grave and stately air, and brought me the beetle from a glass - case in which it was enclosed. It was a beautiful scarabæus, and, - at that time, unknown to naturalists—of course a great prize in a - scientific point of view. There were two round, black spots near - one extremity of the back, and a long one near the other. The - scales were exceedingly hard and glossy, with all the appearance - of burnished gold. The weight of the insect was very remarkable, - and, taking all things into consideration, I could hardly blame - Jupiter for his opinion respecting it; but what to make of - Legrand’s concordance with that opinion, I could not, for the - life of me, tell. - - “I sent for you,” said he, in a grandiloquent tone, when I had - completed my examination of the beetle, “I sent for you, that I - might have your counsel and assistance in furthering the views of - Fate and of the bug—” - - “My dear Legrand,” I cried, interrupting him, “you are certainly - unwell, and had better use some little precautions. You shall go - to bed, and I will remain with you a few days, until you get over - this. You are feverish and—” - - “Feel my pulse,” said he. - - I felt it, and, to say the truth, found not the slightest - indication of fever. - - “But you may be ill and yet have no fever. Allow me this once to - prescribe for you. In the first place, go to bed. In the next—” - - “You are mistaken,” he interposed, “I am as well as I can expect - to be under the excitement which I suffer. If you really wish me - well, you will relieve this excitement.” - - “And how is this to be done?” - - “Very easily. Jupiter and myself are going upon an expedition - into the hills, upon the main land, and, in this expedition we - shall need the aid of some person in whom we can confide. You are - the only one we can trust. Whether we succeed or fail, the - excitement which you now perceive in me will be equally allayed.” - - “I am anxious to oblige you in any way,” I replied; “but do you - mean to say that this infernal beetle has any connection with - your expedition into the hills?” - - “It has.” - - “Then, Legrand, I can become a party to no such absurd - proceeding.” - - “I am sorry—very sorry—for we shall have to try it by ourselves.” - - “Try it by yourselves! The man is surely mad!—but stay!—how long - do you propose to be absent?” - - “Probably all night. We shall start immediately, and be back, at - all events, by sunrise.” - - “And will you promise me, upon your honor, that when this freak - of yours is over, and the bug business (good God!) settled to - your satisfaction, you will then return home and follow my advice - implicitly, as that of your physician?” - - “Yes; I promise; and now let us be off, for we have no time to - lose.” - - With a heavy heart I accompanied my friend. We started about four - o’clock—Legrand, Jupiter, the dog, and myself. Jupiter had with - him the scythe and spades—the whole of which he insisted upon - carrying—more through fear, it seemed to me, of trusting either - of the implements within reach of his master, than from any - excess of industry or complaisance. His demeanor was dogged in - the extreme, and “dat deuced bug” were the sole words which - escaped his lips during the journey. For my own part, I had - charge of a couple of dark lanterns, while Legrand contented - himself with the _scarabæus_, which he carried attached to the - end of a bit of whip-cord; twirling it to and fro, with the air - of a conjuror, as he went. When I observed this last, plain - evidence of my friend’s aberration of mind, I could scarcely - refrain from tears. I thought it best, however, to humor his - fancy, at least for the present, or until I could adopt some more - energetic measures with a chance of success. In the mean time I - endeavored, but all in vain, to sound him in regard to the object - of the expedition. Having succeeded in inducing me to accompany - him, he seemed unwilling to hold conversation upon any topic of - minor importance, and to all my questions vouchsafed no other - reply than “we shall see!” - - We crossed the creek at the head of the island by means of a - skiff, and, ascending the high grounds on the shore of the main - land, proceeded in a northwesterly direction, through a tract of - country excessively wild and desolate, where no trace of a human - footstep was to be seen. Legrand led the way with decision; - pausing only for an instant, here and there, to consult what - appeared to be certain landmarks of his own contrivance upon a - former occasion. - - In this manner we journeyed for about two hours, and the sun was - just setting when we entered a region infinitely more dreary than - any yet seen. It was a species of table land, near the summit of - an almost inaccessible hill, densely wooded from base to - pinnacle, and interspersed with huge crags that appeared to lie - loosely upon the soil, and in many cases were prevented from - precipitating themselves into the valleys below, merely by the - support of the trees against which they reclined. Deep ravines, - in various directions, gave an air of still sterner solemnity to - the scene. - - The natural platform to which we had clambered was thickly - overgrown with brambles, through which we soon discovered that it - would have been impossible to force our way but for the scythe; - and Jupiter, by direction of his master, proceeded to clear for - us a path to the foot of an enormously tall tulip-tree, which - stood, with some eight or ten oaks, upon the level, and far - surpassed them all, and all other trees which I had then ever - seen, in the beauty of its foliage and form, in the wide spread - of its branches, and in the general majesty of its appearance. - When we reached this tree, Legrand turned to Jupiter, and asked - him if he thought he could climb it. The old man seemed a little - staggered by the question, and for some moments made no reply. At - length he approached the huge trunk, walked slowly around it, and - examined it with minute attention. When he had completed his - scrutiny, he merely said, - - “Yes, massa, Jup climb any tree he ebber see in he life.” - - “Then up with you as soon as possible, for it will soon be too - dark to see what we are about.” - - “How far mus go up, massa?” inquired Jupiter. - - “Get up the main trunk first, and then I will tell you which way - to go—and here—stop! take this beetle with you.” - - “De bug, Massa Will!—de goole-bug!” cried the negro, drawing back - in dismay—“what for mus tote de bug way up de tree?—d—n if I do!” - - “If you are afraid, Jup, a great big negro like you, to take hold - of a harmless little dead beetle, why you can carry it up by this - string—but, if you do not take it up with you in some way, I - shall be under the necessity of breaking your head with this - shovel.” - - “What de matter now, massa?” said Jup, evidently shamed into - compliance; “always want for to raise fuss wid old nigger. Was - only funnin any how. _Me_ feered de bug! what I keer for de bug?” - Here he took cautiously hold of the extreme end of the string, - and, maintaining the insect as far from his person as - circumstances would permit, prepared to ascend the tree. - - In youth, the tulip-tree, or _Liriodendron Tulipferum_, the most - magnificent of American foresters, has a trunk peculiarly smooth, - and often rises to a great height without lateral branches; but, - in its riper age, the bark becomes gnarled and uneven, while many - short limbs make their appearance on the stem. Thus the - difficulty of ascension, in the present case, lay more in - semblance than in reality. Embracing the huge cylinder, as - closely as possible, with his arms and knees, seizing with his - hands some projections, and resting his naked toes upon others, - Jupiter, after one or two narrow escapes from falling, at length - wriggled himself into the first great fork, and seemed to - consider the whole business as virtually accomplished. The risk - of the achievement was, in fact, now over, although the climber - was some sixty or seventy feet from the ground. - - “Which way mus go now, Massa Will?” he asked. - - “Keep up the largest branch—the one on this side,” said Legrand. - The negro obeyed him promptly, and apparently with but little - trouble; ascending higher and higher, until no glimpse of his - squat figure could be obtained through the dense foliage which - enveloped it. Presently his voice was heard in a sort of halloo. - - “How much fudder is got for go?” - - “How high up are you?” asked Legrand. - - “Ebber so fur,” replied the negro; “can see de sky fru de top ob - de tree.” - - “Never mind the sky, but attend to what I say. Look down the - trunk and count the limbs below you on this side. How many limbs - have you passed?” - - “One, two, tree, four, fibe—I done pass fibe big limb, massa, pon - dis side.” - - “Then go one limb higher.” - - In a few minutes the voice was heard again, announcing that the - seventh limb was attained. - - “Now, Jup,” cried Legrand, evidently much excited, “I want you to - work your way out upon that limb as far as you can. If you see - anything strange, let me know.” By this time what little doubt I - might have entertained of my poor friend’s insanity, was put - finally at rest. I had no alternative but to conclude him - stricken with lunacy, and I became seriously anxious about - getting him home. While I was pondering upon what was best to be - done, Jupiter’s voice was again heard. - - “Mos feerd for to ventur pon dis limb berry far—’tis dead limb - putty much all de way.” - - “Did you say it was a dead limb, Jupiter?” cried Legrand in a - quavering voice. - - “Yes, massa, him dead as de door-nail—done up for sartain—done - departed dis here life.” - - “What in the name heaven shall I do?” asked Legrand, seemingly in - the greatest distress. - - “Do!” said I, glad of an opportunity to interpose a word, “why - come home and go to bed. Come now!—that’s a fine fellow. It’s - getting late, and, besides, you remember your promise.” - - “Jupiter,” cried he, without heeding me in the least, “do you - hear me?” - - “Yes, Massa Will, hear you ebber so plain.” - - “Try the wood well, then, with your knife, and see if you think - it very rotten.” - - “Him rotten, massa, sure nuff,” replied the negro in a few - moments, “but not so berry rotten as mought be. Mought ventur out - leetle way pon de limb by myself, dat’s true.” - - “By yourself!—what do you mean?” - - “Why I mean de bug. ’Tis _berry_ hebby bug. Spose I drop him down - fuss, and den de limb won’t break wid just de weight ob one - nigger.” - - “You infernal scoundrel!” cried Legrand, apparently much - relieved, “what do you mean by telling me such nonsense as that? - As sure as you drop that beetle I’ll break your neck. Look here, - Jupiter, do you hear me?” - - “Yes, massa, needn’t hollo at poor nigger dat style.” - - “Well! now listen!—if you will venture out on the limb as far as - you think safe, and not let go the beetle, I’ll make you a - present of a silver dollar as soon as you get down.” - - “I’m gwine, Massa Will—deed I is,” replied the negro very - promptly—“mos out to the eend now.” - - “_Out to the end!_” here fairly screamed Legrand, “do you say you - are out to the end of that limb?” - - “Soon be to de eend, massa,—o-o-o-o-oh! Lor-gol-a-marcy! what is - dis here pon de tree?” - - “Well!” cried Legrand, highly delighted, “what is it?” - - “Why taint noffin but a skull—somebody bin lef him head up de - tree, and de crows done gobble ebery bit ob de meat off.” - - “A skull, you say!—very well—how is it fastened to the limb?—what - holds it on?” - - “Sure nuff, massa; mus look. Why dis berry curous sarcumstance, - pon my word—dare’s a great big nail in de skull, what fastens ob - it on to de tree.” - - “Well now, Jupiter, do exactly as I tell you—do you hear?” - - “Yes, massa.” - - “Pay attention, then—find the left eye of the skull.” - - “Hum! hoo! dat’s good! why dare aint no eye lef at all.” - - “Curse your stupidity! do you know your right hand from your - left?” - - “Yes, I knows dat—knows all about dat—’tis my lef hand what I - chops de wood wid.” - - “To be sure! you are left-handed; and your left eye is on the - same side as your left hand. Now, I suppose, you can find the - left eye of the skull, or the place where the left eye has been. - Have you found it?” - - Here was a long pause. At length the negro asked, - - “Is de lef eye of de skull pon de same side as de lef hand of de - skull, too?—cause de skull aint got not a bit ob a hand at - all—nebber mind! I got de lef eye now—here de lef eye! what mus - do wid it?” - - “Let the beetle drop through it, as far as the string will - reach—but be careful and not let go your hold of the string.” - - “All dat done, Massa Will; mighty easy ting for to put de bug fru - de hole—look out for him dare below!” - - During this colloquy no portion of Jupiter’s person could be - seen; but the beetle, which he had suffered to descend, was now - visible at the end of the string, and glistened, like a globe of - burnished gold, in the last rays of the setting sun, some of - which still faintly illumined the eminence upon which we stood. - The _scarabæus_ hung quite clear of any branches, and, if allowed - to fall, would have fallen at our feet. Legrand immediately took - the scythe, and cleared with it a circular space, three or four - yards in diameter, just beneath the insect, and, having - accomplished this, ordered Jupiter to let go the string and come - down from the tree. - - Driving a peg, with great nicety, into the ground, at the precise - spot where the beetle fell, my friend now produced from his - pocket a tape measure. Fastening one end of this at that point of - the trunk, of the tree which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it - till it reached the peg, and thence farther unrolled it, in the - direction already established by the two points of the tree and - the peg, for the distance of fifty feet—Jupiter clearing away the - brambles with the scythe. At the spot thus attained a second peg - was driven, and about this, as a centre, a rude circle, about - four feet in diameter, described. Taking now a spade himself, and - giving one to Jupiter and one to me, Legrand begged us to set - about digging as quickly as possible. - - To speak the truth, I had no especial relish for such amusement - at any time, and, at that particular moment, would most willingly - have declined it; for the night was coming on, and I felt much - fatigued with the exercise already taken; but I saw no mode of - escape, and was fearful of disturbing my poor friend’s equanimity - by a refusal. Could I have depended, indeed, upon Jupiter’s aid, - I would have had no hesitation in attempting to get the lunatic - home by force; but I was too well assured of the old negro’s - disposition, to hope that he would assist me, under any - circumstances, in a personal contest with his master. I made no - doubt that the latter had been infected with some of the - innumerable Southern superstitions about money buried, and that - his phantasy had received confirmation by the finding of the - _scarabæus_, or, perhaps, by Jupiter’s obstinacy in maintaining - it to be “a bug of real gold.” A mind disposed to lunacy would - readily be led away by such suggestions—especially if chiming in - with favorite preconceived ideas—and then I called to mind the - poor fellow’s speech about the beetle’s being “the index of his - fortune.” Upon the whole, I was sadly vexed and puzzled, but, at - length, I concluded to make a virtue of necessity—to dig with a - good will, and thus the sooner to convince the visionary, by - ocular demonstration, of the fallacy of the opinions he - entertained. - - The lanterns having been lit, we all fell to work with a zeal - worthy a more rational cause; and, as the glare fell upon our - persons and implements, I could not help thinking how picturesque - a group we composed, and how strange and suspicious our labors - must have appeared to any interloper who, by chance, might have - stumbled upon our whereabouts. - - We dug very steadily for two hours. Little was said; and our - chief embarrassment lay in the yelpings of the dog, who took - exceeding interest in our proceedings. He, at length, became so - obstreperous that we grew fearful of his giving the alarm to some - stragglers in the vicinity—or, rather, this was the apprehension - of Legrand;—for myself, I should have rejoiced at any - interruption which might have enabled me to get the wanderer - home. The noise was, at length, very effectually silenced by - Jupiter, who, getting out of the hole with a dogged air of - deliberation, tied the brute’s mouth up with one of his - suspenders, and then returned, with a grave chuckle, to his task. - - When the time mentioned had expired, we had reached a depth of - five feet, and yet no signs of any treasure became manifest. A - general pause ensued, and I began to hope that the farce was at - an end. Legrand, however, although evidently much disconcerted, - wiped his brow thoughtfully and recommenced. We had excavated the - entire circle of four feet diameter, and now we slightly enlarged - the limit, and went to the farther depth of two feet. Still - nothing appeared. The gold-seeker, whom I sincerely pitied, at - length clambered from the pit, with the bitterest disappointment - imprinted upon every feature, and proceeded, slowly and - reluctantly, to put on his coat, which he had thrown off at the - beginning of his labor. In the mean time I made no remark. - Jupiter, at a signal from his master, began to gather up his - tools. This done, and the dog having been unmuzzled, we turned in - profound silence towards home. - - We had taken, perhaps, a dozen steps in this direction, when, - with a loud oath, Legrand strode up to Jupiter, and seized him by - the collar. The astonished negro opened his eyes and mouth to the - fullest extent, let fall the spades, and fell upon his knees. - - “You scoundrel,” said Legrand, hissing out the syllables from - between his clenched teeth—“you infernal black villain!—speak, I - tell you!—answer me this instant, without - prevarication!—which—which is your left eye?” - - “Oh, my golly, Massa Will! aint dis here my lef eye for sartain?” - roared the terrified Jupiter, placing his hand upon his right - organ of vision, and holding it there with a desperate - pertinacity, as if in immediate dread of his master’s attempt at - a gouge. - - “I thought so!—I knew it! hurrah!” vociferated Legrand, letting - the negro go, and executing a series of curvets and caracols, - much to the astonishment of his valet, who, arising from his - knees, looked, mutely, from his master to myself, and then from - myself to his master. - - “Come! we must go back,” said the latter, “the game’s not up - yet;” and he again led the way to the tulip-tree. - - “Jupiter,” said he, when we reached its foot, “come here! was the - skull nailed to the limb with the face outwards, or with the face - to the limb?” - - “De face was out, massa, so dat de crows could get at de eyes - good, widout any trouble.” - - “Well, then, was it this eye or that through which you dropped - the beetle?”—here Legrand touched each of Jupiter’s eyes. - - “’Twas dis eye, massa—de lef eye—jis as you tell me,” and here it - was his right eye that the negro indicated. - - “That will do—we must try it again.” - - Here my friend, about whose madness I now saw, or fancied that I - saw, certain indications of method, removed the peg which marked - the spot where the beetle fell, to a spot about three inches to - the westward of its former position. Taking, now, the tape - measure from the nearest point of the trunk to the peg, as - before, and continuing the extension in a straight line to the - distance of fifty feet, a spot was indicated, removed, by several - yards, from the point at which we had been digging. - - Around the new position a circle, somewhat larger than in the - former instance, was now described, and we again set to work with - the spades. I was dreadfully weary, but, scarcely understanding - what had occasioned the change in my thoughts, I felt no longer - any great aversion from the labor imposed. I had become most - unaccountably interested—nay, even excited. Perhaps there was - something, amid all the extravagant demeanor of Legrand—some air - of forethought, or of deliberation, which impressed me. I dug - eagerly, and now and then caught myself actually looking, with - something that very much resembled expectation, for the fancied - treasure, the vision of which had demented my unfortunate - companion. At a period when such vagaries of thought most fully - possessed me, and when we had been at work perhaps an hour and a - half, we were again interrupted by the violent howlings of the - dog. His uneasiness, in the first instance, had been, evidently, - but the result of playfulness or caprice, but he now assumed a - bitter and serious tone. Upon Jupiter’s again attempting to - muzzle him, he made furious resistance, and, leaping into the - hole, tore up the mould frantically with his claws. In a few - seconds he had uncovered a mass of human bones, forming two - complete skeletons, intermingled with several buttons of metal, - and what appeared to be the dust of decayed woollen. One or two - strokes of a spade upturned the blade of a large Spanish knife, - and, as we dug farther, three or four loose pieces of gold and - silver coin came to light. - - At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be - restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of - extreme disappointment. He urged us, however, to continue our - exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and - fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of - iron that lay half buried in the loose earth. - - We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of - more intense excitement. During this interval we had fairly - unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect - preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected - to some mineralizing process—perhaps that of the bi-chloride of - mercury. This box was three feet and a half long, three feet - broad, and two and a half feet deep. It was firmly secured by - bands of wrought iron, riveted, and forming a kind of open - trelliswork over the whole. On each side of the chest, near the - top, were three rings of iron—six in all—by means of which a firm - hold could be obtained by six persons. Our utmost united - endeavors served only to disturb the coffer very slightly in its - bed. We at once saw the impossibility of removing so great a - weight. Luckily, the sole fastenings of the lid consisted of two - sliding bolts. These we drew back—trembling and panting with - anxiety. In an instant, a treasure of incalculable value lay - gleaming before us. As the rays of the lanterns fell within the - pit, there flashed upwards a glow and a glare, from a confused - heap of gold and of jewels, that absolutely dazzled our eyes. - - I shall not pretend to describe the feelings with which I gazed. - Amazement was, of course, predominant. Legrand appeared exhausted - with excitement, and spoke very few words. Jupiter’s countenance - wore, for some minutes, as deadly a pallor as it is possible, in - nature of things, for any negro’s visage to assume. He seemed - stupefied—thunderstricken. Presently he fell upon his knees in - the pit, and, burying his naked arms up to the elbows in gold, - let them there remain, as if enjoying the luxury of a bath. At - length, with a deep sigh, he exclaimed, as if in a soliloquy: - - “And dis all cum ob de goole-bug! de putty goole-bug! de poor - little goole-bug, what I boosed in dat sabage kind ob style! Aint - you shamed ob yourself, nigger?—answer me dat!” - - It became necessary, at last, that I should arouse both master - and valet to the expediency of removing the treasure. It was - growing late, and it behooved us to make exertion, that we might - get every thing housed before daylight. It was difficult to say - what should be done, and much time was spent in deliberation—so - confused were the ideas of all. We, finally, lightened the box by - removing two thirds of its contents, when we were enabled, with - some trouble, to raise it from the hole. The articles taken out - were deposited among the brambles, and the dog left to guard - them, with strict orders from Jupiter neither, upon any pretence, - to stir from the spot, nor to open his mouth until our return. We - then hurriedly made for home with the chest; reaching the hut in - safety, but after excessive toil, at one o’clock in the morning. - Worn out as we were, it was not in human nature to do more - immediately. We rested until two, and had supper; starting for - the hills immediately afterwards, armed with three stout sacks, - which, by good luck, were upon the premises. A little before four - we arrived at the pit, divided the remainder of the booty, as - equally as might be, among us, and, leaving the holes unfilled, - again set out for the hut, at which, for the second time, we - deposited our golden burthens, just as the first faint streaks of - the dawn gleamed from over the tree-tops in the East. - - We were now thoroughly broken down; but the intense excitement of - the time denied us repose. After an unquiet slumber of some three - or four hours’ duration, we arose, as if by preconcert, to make - examination of our treasure. - - The chest had been full to the brim, and we spent the whole day, - and the greater part of the next night, in a scrutiny of its - contents. There had been nothing like order or arrangement. Every - thing had been heaped in promiscuously. Having assorted all with - care, we found ourselves possessed of even vaster wealth than we - had at first supposed. In coin there was rather more than four - hundred and fifty thousand dollars—estimating the value of the - pieces, as accurately as we could, by the tables of the period. - There was not a particle of silver. All was gold of antique date - and of great variety—French, Spanish, and German money, with a - few English guineas, and some counters, of which we had never - seen specimens before. There were several very large and heavy - coins, so worn that we could make nothing of their inscriptions. - There was no American money. The value of the jewels we found - more difficulty in estimating. There were diamonds—some of them - exceedingly large and fine—a hundred and ten in all, and not one - of them small; eighteen rubies of remarkable brilliancy;—three - hundred and ten emeralds, all very beautiful; and twenty-one - sapphires, with an opal. These stones had all been broken from - their settings and thrown loose in the chest. The settings - themselves, which we picked out from among the other gold, - appeared to have been beaten up with hammers, as if to prevent - identification. Besides all this, there was a vast quantity of - solid gold ornaments; nearly two hundred massive finger and - earrings; rich chains—thirty of these, if I remember; - eighty-three very large and heavy crucifixes; five gold censers - of great value; a prodigious golden punch bowl, ornamented with - richly chased vine-leaves and Bacchanalian figures; with two - sword-handles exquisitely embossed, and many other smaller - articles which I cannot recollect. The weight of these valuables - exceeded three hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois; and in this - estimate I have not included one hundred and ninety-seven superb - gold watches; three of the number being worth each five hundred - dollars, if one. Many of them were very old, and as timekeepers - valueless; the works having suffered, more or less, from - corrosion—but all were richly jewelled and in cases of great - worth. We estimated the entire contents of the chest, that night, - at a million and a half of dollars; and upon the subsequent - disposal of the trinkets and jewels (a few being retained for our - own use), it was found that we had greatly undervalued the - treasure. - - When, at length, we had concluded our examination, and the - intense excitement of the time had, in some measure, subsided, - Legrand, who saw that I was dying with impatience for a solution - of this most extraordinary riddle, entered into a full detail of - all the circumstances connected with it. - - “You remember;” said he, “the night when I handed you the rough - sketch I had made of the _scarabæus_. You recollect also, that I - became quite vexed at you for insisting that my drawing resembled - a death’s-head. When you first made this assertion I thought you - were jesting; but afterwards I called to mind the peculiar spots - on the back of the insect, and admitted to myself that your - remark had some little foundation in fact. Still, the sneer at my - graphic powers irritated me—for I am considered a good - artist—and, therefore, when you handed me the scrap of parchment, - I was about to crumple it up and throw it angrily into the fire.” - - “The scrap of paper, you mean,” said I. - - “No; it had much of the appearance of paper, and at first I - supposed it to be such, but when I came to draw upon it, I - discovered it, at once, to be a piece of very thin parchment. It - was quite dirty, you remember. Well, as I was in the very act of - crumpling it up, my glance fell upon the sketch at which you had - been looking, and you may imagine my astonishment when I - perceived, in fact, the figure of a death’s-head just where, it - seemed to me, I had made the drawing of the beetle. For a moment - I was too much amazed to think with accuracy. I knew that my - design was very different in detail from this—although there was - a certain similarity in general outline. Presently I took a - candle, and seating myself at the other end of the room, - proceeded to scrutinize the parchment more closely. Upon turning - it over, I saw my own sketch upon the reverse, just as I had made - it. My first idea, now, was mere surprise at the really - remarkable similarity of outline—at the singular coincidence - involved in the fact, that unknown to me, there should have been - a skull upon the other side of the parchment, immediately beneath - my figure of the _scarabæus_, and that this skull, not only in - outline, but in size, should so closely resemble my drawing. I - say the singularity of this coincidence absolutely stupefied me - for a time. This is the usual effect of such coincidences. The - mind struggles to establish a connexion—a sequence of cause and - effect—and, being unable to do so, suffers a species of temporary - paralysis. But, when I recovered from this stupor, there dawned - upon me gradually a conviction which startled me even far more - than the coincidence. I began distinctly, positively, to remember - that there had been no drawing upon the parchment when I made my - sketch of the _scarabæus_. I became perfectly certain of this; - for I recollected turning up first one side and then the other, - in search of the cleanest spot. Had the skull been then there, of - course I could not have failed to notice it. Here was indeed a - mystery which I felt it impossible to explain; but, even at that - early moment, there seemed to glimmer, faintly, within the most - remote and secret chambers of my intellect, a glow-worm-like - conception of that truth which last night’s adventure brought to - so magnificent a demonstration. I arose at once, and putting the - parchment securely away, dismissed all farther reflection until I - should be alone. - - “When you had gone, and when Jupiter was fast asleep, I betook - myself to a more methodical investigation of the affair. In the - first place I considered the manner in which the parchment had - come into my possession. The spot where we discovered the - _scarabæus_ was on the coast of the main land, about a mile - eastward of the island, and but a short distance above high water - mark. Upon my taking hold of it, it gave me a sharp bite, which - caused me to let it drop. Jupiter, with his accustomed caution, - before seizing the insect, which had flown towards him, looked - about him for a leaf, or something of that nature, by which to - take hold of it. It was at this moment that his eyes, and mine - also, fell upon the scrap of parchment, which I then supposed to - be paper. It was lying half buried in the sand, a corner sticking - up. Near the spot where we found it, I observed the remnants of - the hull of what appeared to have been a ship’s long boat. The - wreck seemed to have been there for a very great while; for the - resemblance to boat timbers could scarcely be traced. - - “Well, Jupiter picked up the parchment, wrapped the beetle in it, - and gave it to me. Soon afterwards we turned to go home, and on - the way met Lieutenant G——. I showed him the insect, and he - begged me to let him take it to the fort. Upon my consenting, he - thrust it forthwith into his waistcoat pocket, without the - parchment in which it had been wrapped, and which I had continued - to hold in my hand during his inspection. Perhaps he dreaded my - changing my mind, and thought it best to make sure of the prize - at once—you know how enthusiastic he is on all subjects connected - with Natural History. At the same time, without being conscious - of it, I must have deposited the parchment in my own pocket. - - “You remember that when I went to the table, for the purpose of - making a sketch of the beetle, I found no paper where it was - usually kept. I looked in the drawer, and found none there. I - searched my pockets, hoping to find an old letter, when my hand - fell upon the parchment. I thus detail the precise mode in which - it came into my possession; for the circumstances impressed me - with peculiar force. - - “No doubt you will think me fanciful—but I had already - established a kind of connexion. I had put together two links of - a great chain. There was a boat lying upon a sea-coast, and not - far from the boat was a parchment—not a paper—with a skull - depicted upon it. You will, of course, ask ‘where is the - connexion?’ I reply that the skull, or death’s-head, is the - well-known emblem of the pirate. The flag of the death’s head is - hoisted in all engagements. - - “I have said that the scrap was parchment, and not paper. - Parchment is durable—almost imperishable. Matters of little - moment are rarely consigned to parchment; since, for the mere - ordinary purposes of drawing or writing, it is not nearly so well - adapted as paper. This reflection suggested some meaning—some - relevancy—in the death’s-head. I did not fail to observe, also, - the form of the parchment. Although one of its corners had been, - by some accident, destroyed, it could be seen that the original - form was oblong. It was just such a slip, indeed, as might have - been chosen for a memorandum—for a record of something to be long - remembered and carefully preserved.” - - “But,” I interposed, “you say that the skull was not upon the - parchment when you made the drawing of the beetle. How then do - you trace any connexion between the boat and the skull—since this - latter, according to your own admission, must have been designed - (God only knows how or by whom) at some period subsequent to your - sketching the _scarabæus?_” - - “Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery; although the secret, at - this point, I had comparatively little difficulty in solving. My - steps were sure, and could afford but a single result. I - reasoned, for example, thus: When I drew the _scarabæus_, there - was no skull apparent upon the parchment. When I had completed - the drawing I gave it to you, and observed you narrowly until you - returned it. You, therefore, did not design the skull, and no one - else was present to do it. Then it was not done by human agency. - And nevertheless it was done. - - “At this stage of my reflections I endeavored to remember, and - did remember, with entire distinctness, every incident which - occurred about the period in question. The weather was chilly (oh - rare and happy accident!), and a fire was blazing upon the - hearth. I was heated with exercise and sat near the table. You, - however, had drawn a chair close to the chimney. Just as I placed - the parchment in your hand, and as you were in the act of - inspecting it, Wolf, the Newfoundland, entered, and leaped upon - your shoulders. With your left hand you caressed him and kept him - off, while your right, holding the parchment, was permitted to - fall listlessly between your knees, and in close proximity to the - fire. At one moment I thought the blaze had caught it, and was - about to caution you, but, before I could speak, you had - withdrawn it, and were engaged in its examination. When I - considered all these particulars, I doubted not for a moment that - heat had been the agent in bringing to light, upon the parchment, - the skull which I saw designed upon it. You are well aware that - chemical preparations exist, and have existed time out of mind, - by means of which it is possible to write upon either paper or - vellum, so that the characters shall become visible only when - subjected to the action of fire. Zaffre, digested in aqua regia, - and diluted with four times its weight of water, is sometimes - employed; a green tint results. The regulus of cobalt, dissolved - in spirit of nitre, gives a red. These colors disappear at longer - or shorter intervals after the material written upon cools, but - again become apparent upon the re-application of heat. - - “I now scrutinized the death’s-head with care. Its outer - edges—the edges of the drawing nearest the edge of the - vellum—were far more distinct than the others. It was clear that - the action of the caloric had been imperfect or unequal. I - immediately kindled a fire, and subjected every portion of the - parchment to a glowing heat. At first, the only effect was the - strengthening of the faint lines in the skull; but, upon - persevering in the experiment, there became visible, at the - corner of the slip, diagonally opposite to the spot in which the - death’s-head was delineated, the figure of what I at first - supposed to be a goat. A closer scrutiny, however, satisfied me - that it was intended for a kid.” - - “Ha! ha!” said I, “to be sure I have no right to laugh at you—a - million and a half of money is too serious a matter for mirth—but - you are not about to establish a third link in your chain—you - will not find any especial connexion between your pirates and a - goat—pirates, you know, have nothing to do with goats; they - appertain to the farming interest.” - - “But I have just said that the figure was not that of a goat.” - - “Well, a kid then—pretty much the same thing.” - - “Pretty much, but not altogether,” said Legrand. “You may have - heard of one Captain Kidd. I at once looked upon the figure of - the animal as a kind of punning or hieroglyphical signature. I - say signature; because its position upon the vellum suggested - this idea. The death’s-head at the corner diagonally opposite, - had, in the same manner, the air of a stamp, or seal. But I was - sorely put out by the absence of all else—of the body to my - imagined instrument—of the text for my context.” - - “I presume you expected to find a letter between the stamp and - the signature.” - - “Something of that kind. The fact is, I felt irresistibly - impressed with a presentiment of some vast good fortune - impending. I can scarcely say why. Perhaps, after all, it was - rather a desire than an actual belief;—but do you know that - Jupiter’s silly words, about the bug being of solid gold, had a - remarkable effect upon my fancy? And then the series of accidents - and coincidences—these were so very extraordinary. Do you observe - how mere an accident it was that these events should have - occurred upon the sole day of all the year in which it has been, - or may be, sufficiently cool for fire, and that without the fire, - or without the intervention of the dog at the precise moment in - which he appeared, I should never have become aware of the - death’s-head, and so never the possessor of the treasure?” - - “But proceed—I am all impatience.” - - “Well; you have heard, of course, the many stories current—the - thousand vague rumors afloat about money buried, somewhere upon - the Atlantic coast, by Kidd and his associates. These rumors must - have had some foundation in fact. And that the rumors have - existed so long and so continuous, could have resulted, it - appeared to me, only from the circumstance of the buried treasure - still remaining entombed. Had Kidd concealed his plunder for a - time, and afterwards reclaimed it, the rumors would scarcely have - reached us in their present unvarying form. You will observe that - the stories told are all about money-seekers, not about - money-finders. Had the pirate recovered his money, there the - affair would have dropped. It seemed to me that some accident—say - the loss of a memorandum indicating its locality—had deprived him - of the means of recovering it, and that this accident had become - known to his followers, who otherwise might never have heard that - treasure had been concealed at all, and who, busying themselves - in vain, because unguided attempts, to regain it, had given first - birth, and then universal currency, to the reports which are now - so common. Have you ever heard of any important treasure being - unearthed along the coast?” - - “Never.” - - “But that Kidd’s accumulations were immense, is well known. I - took it for granted, therefore, that the earth still held them; - and you will scarcely be surprised when I tell you that I felt a - hope, nearly amounting to certainty, that the parchment so - strangely found, involved a lost record of the place of deposit.” - - “But how did you proceed?” - - “I held the vellum again to the fire, after increasing the heat; - but nothing appeared. I now thought it possible that the coating - of dirt might have something to do with the failure; so I - carefully rinsed the parchment by pouring warm water over it, - and, having done this, I placed it in a tin pan, with the skull - downwards, and put the pan upon a furnace of lighted charcoal. In - a few minutes, the pan having become thoroughly heated, I removed - the slip, and, to my inexpressible joy, found it spotted, in - several places, with what appeared to be figures arranged in - lines. Again I placed it in the pan, and suffered it to remain - another minute. Upon taking it off, the whole was just as you see - it now.” - - Here Legrand, having re-heated the parchment, submitted it to my - inspection. The following characters were rudely traced, in a red - tint, between the death’s-head and the goat: - - “53‡‡†305))6*;4826)4‡.)4‡);806*;48†8¶60))85;1‡(;:‡*8†83(88)5*† - ;46(;88*96*?;8)*‡(;485);5*†2:*‡(;4956*2(5*—4)8¶8*;4069285);) - 6†8)4‡‡;1(‡9;48081;8:8‡1;48†85;4)485†528806*81(‡9;48;(88;4(‡?3 - 4;48)4‡;161;:188;‡?;” - - “But,” said I, returning him the slip, “I am as much in the dark - as ever. Were all the jewels of Golconda awaiting me upon my - solution of this enigma, I am quite sure that I should be unable - to earn them.” - - “And yet,” said Legrand, “the solution is by no means so - difficult as you might be lead to imagine from the first hasty - inspection of the characters. These characters, as any one might - readily guess, form a cipher—that is to say, they convey a - meaning; but then, from what is known of Kidd, I could not - suppose him capable of constructing any of the more abstruse - cryptographs. I made up my mind, at once, that this was of a - simple species—such, however, as would appear, to the crude - intellect of the sailor, absolutely insoluble without the key.” - - “And you really solved it?” - - “Readily; I have solved others of an abstruseness ten thousand - times greater. Circumstances, and a certain bias of mind, have - led me to take interest in such riddles, and it may well be - doubted whether human ingenuity can construct an enigma of the - kind which human ingenuity may not, by proper application, - resolve. In fact, having once established connected and legible - characters, I scarcely gave a thought to the mere difficulty of - developing their import. - - “In the present case—indeed in all cases of secret writing—the - first question regards the language of the cipher; for the - principles of solution, so far, especially, as the more simple - ciphers are concerned, depend upon, and are varied by, the genius - of the particular idiom. In general, there is no alternative but - experiment (directed by probabilities) of every tongue known to - him who attempts the solution, until the true one be attained. - But, with the cipher now before us, all difficulty was removed by - the signature. The pun upon the word ‘Kidd’ is appreciable in no - other language than the English. But for this consideration I - should have begun my attempts with the Spanish and French, as the - tongues in which a secret of this kind would most naturally have - been written by a pirate of the Spanish main. As it was, I - assumed the cryptograph to be English. - - “You observe there are no divisions between the words. Had there - been divisions, the task would have been comparatively easy. In - such case I should have commenced with a collation and analysis - of the shorter words, and, had a word of a single letter - occurred, as is most likely, (a or I, for example,) I should have - considered the solution as assured. But, there being no division, - my first step was to ascertain the predominant letters, as well - as the least frequent. Counting all, I constructed a table, thus: - - Of the character 8 there are 33. - - ; “ 26. - 4 “ 19. - ‡ ) “ 16. - * “ 13. - 5 “ 12. - 6 “ 11. - † 1 “ 8. - 0 “ 6. - 9 2 “ 5. - : 3 “ 4. - ? “ 3. - ¶ “ 2. - -. “ 1. - - “Now, in English, the letter which most frequently occurs is e. - Afterwards, succession runs thus: _a o i d h n r s t u y c f g l - m w b k p q x z_. _E_ predominates so remarkably that an - individual sentence of any length is rarely seen, in which it is - not the prevailing character. - - “Here, then, we leave, in the very beginning, the groundwork for - something more than a mere guess. The general use which may be - made of the table is obvious—but, in this particular cipher, we - shall only very partially require its aid. As our predominant - character is 8, we will commence by assuming it as the _e_ of the - natural alphabet. To verify the supposition, let us observe if - the 8 be seen often in couples—for _e_ is doubled with great - frequency in English—in such words, for example, as ‘meet,’ - ‘.fleet,’ ‘speed,’ ‘seen,’ been,’ ‘agree,’ &c. In the present - instance we see it doubled no less than five times, although the - cryptograph is brief. - - “Let us assume 8, then, as _e_. Now, of all _words_ in the - language, ‘the’ is most usual; let us see, therefore, whether - there are not repetitions of any three characters, in the same - order of collocation, the last of them being 8. If we discover - repetitions of such letters, so arranged, they will most probably - represent the word ‘the.’ Upon inspection, we find no less than - seven such arrangements, the characters being ;48. We may, - therefore, assume that ; represents _t_, 4 represents _h_, and 8 - represents _e_—the last being now well confirmed. Thus a great - step has been taken. - - “But, having established a single word, we are enabled to - establish a vastly important point; that is to say, several - commencements and terminations of other words. Let us refer, for - example, to the last instance but one, in which the combination - ;48 occurs—not far from the end of the cipher. We know that the ; - immediately ensuing is the commencement of a word, and, of the - six characters succeeding this ‘the,’ we are cognizant of no less - than five. Let us set these characters down, thus, by the letters - we know them to represent, leaving a space for the unknown— - - t eeth. - - “Here we are enabled, at once, to discard the ‘th,’ as forming no - portion of the word commencing with the first t; since, by - experiment of the entire alphabet for a letter adapted to the - vacancy, we perceive that no word can be formed of which this - _th_ can be a part. We are thus narrowed into - - t ee, - - and, going through the alphabet, if necessary, as before, we - arrive at the word ‘tree,’ as the sole possible reading. We thus - gain another letter, _r_, represented by (, with the words ‘the - tree’ in juxtaposition. - - “Looking beyond these words, for a short distance, we again see - the combination ;48, and employ it by way of termination to what - immediately precedes. We have thus this arrangement: - - the tree ;4(‡?34 the, - - or, substituting the natural letters, where known, it reads thus: - - the tree thr‡?3h the. - - “Now, if, in place of the unknown characters, we leave blank - spaces, or substitute dots, we read thus: - - the tree thr...h the, - - when the word ‘_through_’ makes itself evident at once. But this - discovery gives us three new letters, _o_, _u_ and _g_, - represented by ‡, ? and 3. - - “Looking now, narrowly, through the cipher for combinations of - known characters, we find, not very far from the beginning, this - arrangement, - - 83(88, or egree, - - which, plainly, is the conclusion of the word ‘degree,’ and gives - us another letter, _d_, represented by †. - - “Four letters beyond the word ‘degree,’ we perceive the - combination - - ;46(;88. - - “Translating the known characters, and representing the unknown - by dots, as before, we read thus: - - th.rtee, - - an arrangement immediately suggestive of the word ‘thirteen,’ and - again furnishing us with two new characters, _i_ and _n_, - represented by 6 and *. - - “Referring, now, to the beginning of the cryptograph, we find the - combination, - - 53‡‡†. - - “Translating as before, we obtain - - good, - - which assures us that the first letter is _A_, and that the first - two words are ‘A good.’ - - “It is now time that we arrange our key, as far as discovered, in - a tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus: - - 5 represents a - † “ d - 8 “ e - 3 “ g - 4 “ h - 6 “ i - * “ n - ‡ “ o - ( “ r - ; “ t - ? “ u - - “We have, therefore, no less than eleven of the most important - letters represented, and it will be unnecessary to proceed with - the details of the solution. I have said enough to convince you - that ciphers of this nature are readily soluble, and to give you - some insight into the rationale of their development. But be - assured that the specimen before us appertains to the very - simplest species of cryptograph. It now only remains to give you - the full translation of the characters upon the parchment, as - unriddled. Here it is: - - “‘_A good glass in the bishop’s hostel in the devil’s seat - forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes northeast and by north - main branch seventh limb east side shoot from the left eye of the - death’s-head a bee line from the tree through the shot fifty feet - out_.’” - - “But,” said I, “the enigma seems still in as bad a condition as - ever. How is it possible to extort a meaning from all this jargon - about ‘devil’s seats,’ ‘death’s heads,’ and ‘bishop’s hotels?’” - - “I confess,” replied Legrand, “that the matter still wears a - serious aspect, when regarded with a casual glance. My first - endeavor was to divide the sentence into the natural division - intended by the cryptographist.” - - “You mean, to punctuate it?” - - “Something of that kind.” - - “But how was it possible to effect this?” - - “I reflected that it had been a point with the writer to run his - words together without division, so as to increase the difficulty - of solution. Now, a not over-acute man, in pursuing such an - object, would be nearly certain to overdo the matter. When, in - the course of his composition, he arrived at a break in his - subject which would naturally require a pause, or a point, he - would be exceedingly apt to run his characters, at this place, - more than usually close together. If you will observe the MS., in - the present instance, you will easily detect five such cases of - unusual crowding. Acting upon this hint, I made the division - thus: ‘A good glass in the Bishop’s hostel in the Devil’s - seat—forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes—northeast and by - north—main branch seventh limb east side—shoot from the left eye - of the death’s-head—a bee-line from the tree through the shot - fifty feet out.’” - - “Even this division,” said I, “leaves me still in the dark.” - - “It left me also in the dark,” replied Legrand, “for a few days; - during which I made diligent inquiry, in the neighborhood of - Sullivan’s Island, for any building which went by the name of the - ‘Bishop’s Hotel;’ for, of course, I dropped the obsolete word - ‘hostel.’ Gaining no information on the subject, I was on the - point of extending my sphere of search, and proceeding in a more - systematic manner, when, one morning, it entered into my head, - quite suddenly, that this ‘Bishop’s Hostel’ might have some - reference to an old family, of the name of Bessop, which, time - out of mind, had held possession of an ancient manor-house, about - four miles to the northward of the island. I accordingly went - over to the plantation, and re-instituted my inquiries among the - older negroes of the place. At length one of the most aged of the - women said that she had heard of such a place as Bessop’s Castle, - and thought that she could guide me to it, but that it was not a - castle nor a tavern, but a high rock. - - “I offered to pay her well for her trouble, and, after some - demur, she consented to accompany me to the spot. We found it - without much difficulty, when, dismissing her, I proceeded to - examine the place. The ‘castle’ consisted of an irregular - assemblage of cliffs and rocks—one of the latter being quite - remarkable for its height as well as for its insulated and - artificial appearance. I clambered to its apex, and then felt - much at a loss as to what should be next done. - - “While I was busied in reflection, my eyes fell upon a narrow - ledge in the eastern face of the rock, perhaps a yard below the - summit upon which I stood. This ledge projected about eighteen - inches, and was not more than a foot wide, while a niche in the - cliff just above it gave it a rude resemblance to one of the - hollow-backed chairs used by our ancestors. I made no doubt that - here was the ‘devil’s seat’ alluded to in the MS., and now I - seemed to grasp the full secret of the riddle. - - “The ‘good glass,’ I knew, could have reference to nothing but a - telescope; for the word ‘glass’ is rarely employed in any other - sense by seamen. Now here, I at once saw, was a telescope to be - used, and a definite point of view, admitting no variation, from - which to use it. Nor did I hesitate to believe that the phrases, - ‘forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes,’ and ‘northeast and by - north,’ were intended as directions for the levelling of the - glass. Greatly excited by these discoveries, I hurried home, - procured a telescope, and returned to the rock. - - “I let myself down to the ledge, and found that it was impossible - to retain a seat upon it except in one particular position. This - fact confirmed my preconceived idea. I proceeded to use the - glass. Of course, the ‘forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes’ - could allude to nothing but elevation above the visible horizon, - since the horizontal direction was clearly indicated by the - words, ‘northeast and by north.’ This latter direction I at once - established by means of a pocket-compass; then, pointing the - glass as nearly at an angle of forty-one degrees of elevation as - I could do it by guess, I moved it cautiously up or down, until - my attention was arrested by a circular rift or opening in the - foliage of a large tree that overtopped its fellows in the - distance. In the centre of this rift I perceived a white spot, - but could not, at first, distinguish what it was. Adjusting the - focus of the telescope, I again looked, and now made it out to be - a human skull. - - “Upon this discovery I was so sanguine as to consider the enigma - solved; for the phrase ‘main branch, seventh limb, east side,’ - could refer only to the position of the skull upon the tree, - while ‘shoot from the left eye of the death’s head’ admitted, - also, of but one interpretation, in regard to a search for buried - treasure. I perceived that the design was to drop a bullet from - the left eye of the skull, and that a bee-line, or, in other - words, a straight line, drawn from the nearest point of the trunk - through ‘the shot,’ (or the spot where the bullet fell,) and - thence extended to a distance of fifty feet, would indicate a - definite point—and beneath this point I thought it at least - possible that a deposit of value lay concealed.” - - “All this,” I said, “is exceedingly clear, and, although - ingenious, still simple and explicit. When you left the Bishop’s - Hotel, what then?” - - “Why, having carefully taken the bearings of the tree, I turned - homewards. The instant that I left ‘the devil’s seat,’ however, - the circular rift vanished; nor could I get a glimpse of it - afterwards, turn as I would. What seems to me the chief ingenuity - in this whole business, is the fact (for repeated experiment has - convinced me it is a fact) that the circular opening in question - is visible from no other attainable point of view than that - afforded by the narrow ledge upon the face of the rock. - - “In this expedition to the ‘Bishop’s Hotel’ I had been attended - by Jupiter, who had, no doubt, observed, for some weeks past, the - abstraction of my demeanor, and took especial care not to leave - me alone. But, on the next day, getting up very early, I - contrived to give him the slip, and went into the hills in search - of the tree. After much toil I found it. When I came home at - night my valet proposed to give me a flogging. With the rest of - the adventure I believe you are as well acquainted as myself.” - - “I suppose,” said I, “you missed the spot, in the first attempt - at digging, through Jupiter’s stupidity in letting the bug fall - through the right instead of through the left eye of the skull.” - - “Precisely. This mistake made a difference of about two inches - and a half in the ‘shot’—that is to say, in the position of the - peg nearest the tree; and had the treasure been beneath the - ‘shot,’ the error would have been of little moment; but ‘the - shot,’ together with the nearest point of the tree, were merely - two points for the establishment of a line of direction; of - course the error, however trivial in the beginning, increased as - we proceeded with the line, and by the time we had gone fifty - feet, threw us quite off the scent. But for my deep-seated - impressions that treasure was here somewhere actually buried, we - might have had all our labor in vain.” - - “But your grandiloquence, and your conduct in swinging the - beetle—how excessively odd! I was sure you were mad. And why did - you insist upon letting fall the bug, instead of a bullet, from - the skull?” - - “Why, to be frank, I felt somewhat annoyed by your evident - suspicions touching my sanity, and so resolved to punish you - quietly, in my own way, by a little bit of sober mystification. - For this reason I swung the beetle, and for this reason I let it - fall it from the tree. An observation of yours about its great - weight suggested the latter idea.” - - “Yes, I perceive; and now there is only one point which puzzles - me. What are we to make of the skeletons found in the hole?” - - “That is a question I am no more able to answer than yourself. - There seems, however, only one plausible way of accounting for - them—and yet it is dreadful to believe in such atrocity as my - suggestion would imply. It is clear that Kidd—if Kidd indeed - secreted this treasure, which I doubt not—it is clear that he - must have had assistance in the labor. But this labor concluded, - he may have thought it expedient to remove all participants in - his secret. Perhaps a couple of blows with a mattock were - sufficient, while his coadjutors were busy in the pit; perhaps it - required a dozen—who shall tell?” - - - - -FOUR BEASTS IN ONE—THE HOMO-CAMELEOPARD - - -Chacun a ses vertus. - -—_Crébillon’s Xerxes._ - - Antiochus Epiphanes is very generally looked upon as the Gog of - the prophet Ezekiel. This honor is, however, more properly - attributable to Cambyses, the son of Cyrus. And, indeed, the - character of the Syrian monarch does by no means stand in need of - any adventitious embellishment. His accession to the throne, or - rather his usurpation of the sovereignty, a hundred and - seventy-one years before the coming of Christ; his attempt to - plunder the temple of Diana at Ephesus; his implacable hostility - to the Jews; his pollution of the Holy of Holies; and his - miserable death at Taba, after a tumultuous reign of eleven - years, are circumstances of a prominent kind, and therefore more - generally noticed by the historians of his time than the impious, - dastardly, cruel, silly, and whimsical achievements which make up - the sum total of his private life and reputation. - - Let us suppose, gentle reader, that it is now the year of the - world three thousand eight hundred and thirty, and let us, for a - few minutes, imagine ourselves at that most grotesque habitation - of man, the remarkable city of Antioch. To be sure there were, in - Syria and other countries, sixteen cities of that appellation, - besides the one to which I more particularly allude. But ours is - that which went by the name of Antiochia Epidaphne, from its - vicinity to the little village of Daphne, where stood a temple to - that divinity. It was built (although about this matter there is - some dispute) by Seleucus Nicanor, the first king of the country - after Alexander the Great, in memory of his father Antiochus, and - became immediately the residence of the Syrian monarchy. In the - flourishing times of the Roman Empire, it was the ordinary - station of the prefect of the eastern provinces; and many of the - emperors of the queen city (among whom may be mentioned, - especially, Verus and Valens) spent here the greater part of - their time. But I perceive we have arrived at the city itself. - Let us ascend this battlement, and throw our eyes upon the town - and neighboring country. - - “What broad and rapid river is that which forces its way, with - innumerable falls, through the mountainous wilderness, and - finally through the wilderness of buildings?” - - That is the Orontes, and it is the only water in sight, with the - exception of the Mediterranean, which stretches, like a broad - mirror, about twelve miles off to the southward. Every one has - seen the Mediterranean; but let me tell you, there are few who - have had a peep at Antioch. By few, I mean, few who, like you and - me, have had, at the same time, the advantages of a modern - education. Therefore cease to regard that sea, and give your - whole attention to the mass of houses that lie beneath us. You - will remember that it is now the year of the world three thousand - eight hundred and thirty. Were it later—for example, were it the - year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty-five, we should be - deprived of this extraordinary spectacle. In the nineteenth - century Antioch is—that is to say, Antioch will be—in a - lamentable state of decay. It will have been, by that time, - totally destroyed, at three different periods, by three - successive earthquakes. Indeed, to say the truth, what little of - its former self may then remain, will be found in so desolate and - ruinous a state that the patriarch shall have removed his - residence to Damascus. This is well. I see you profit by my - advice, and are making the most of your time in inspecting the - premises—in - - —satisfying your eyes - With the memorials and the things of fame - That most renown this city.— - - I beg pardon; I had forgotten that Shakespeare will not flourish - for seventeen hundred and fifty years to come. But does not the - appearance of Epidaphne justify me in calling it grotesque? - - “It is well fortified; and in this respect is as much indebted to - nature as to art.” - - Very true. - - “There are a prodigious number of stately palaces.” - - There are. - - “And the numerous temples, sumptuous and magnificent, may bear - comparison with the most lauded of antiquity.” - - All this I must acknowledge. Still there is an infinity of mud - huts, and abominable hovels. We cannot help perceiving abundance - of filth in every kennel, and, were it not for the over-powering - fumes of idolatrous incense, I have no doubt we should find a - most intolerable stench. Did you ever behold streets so - insufferably narrow, or houses so miraculously tall? What gloom - their shadows cast upon the ground! It is well the swinging lamps - in those endless colonnades are kept burning throughout the day; - we should otherwise have the darkness of Egypt in the time of her - desolation. - - “It is certainly a strange place! What is the meaning of yonder - singular building? See! it towers above all others, and lies to - the eastward of what I take to be the royal palace!” - - That is the new Temple of the Sun, who is adored in Syria under - the title of Elah Gabalah. Hereafter a very notorious Roman - Emperor will institute this worship in Rome, and thence derive a - cognomen, Heliogabalus. I dare say you would like to take a peep - at the divinity of the temple. You need not look up at the - heavens; his Sunship is not there—at least not the Sunship adored - by the Syrians. That deity will be found in the interior of - yonder building. He is worshipped under the figure of a large - stone pillar terminating at the summit in a cone or pyramid, - whereby is denoted Fire. - - “Hark—behold!—who can those ridiculous beings be, half naked, - with their faces painted, shouting and gesticulating to the - rabble?” - - Some few are mountebanks. Others more particularly belong to the - race of philosophers. The greatest portion, however—those - especially who belabor the populace with clubs—are the principal - courtiers of the palace, executing as in duty bound, some - laudable comicality of the king’s. - - “But what have we here? Heavens! the town is swarming with wild - beasts! How terrible a spectacle!—how dangerous a peculiarity!” - - Terrible, if you please; but not in the least degree dangerous. - Each animal if you will take the pains to observe, is following, - very quietly, in the wake of its master. Some few, to be sure, - are led with a rope about the neck, but these are chiefly the - lesser or timid species. The lion, the tiger, and the leopard are - entirely without restraint. They have been trained without - difficulty to their present profession, and attend upon their - respective owners in the capacity of valets-de-chambre. It is - true, there are occasions when Nature asserts her violated - dominions;—but then the devouring of a man-at-arms, or the - throttling of a consecrated bull, is a circumstance of too little - moment to be more than hinted at in Epidaphne. - - “But what extraordinary tumult do I hear? Surely this is a loud - noise even for Antioch! It argues some commotion of unusual - interest.” - - Yes—undoubtedly. The king has ordered some novel spectacle—some - gladiatorial exhibition at the hippodrome—or perhaps the massacre - of the Scythian prisoners—or the conflagration of his new - palace—or the tearing down of a handsome temple—or, indeed, a - bonfire of a few Jews. The uproar increases. Shouts of laughter - ascend the skies. The air becomes dissonant with wind - instruments, and horrible with clamor of a million throats. Let - us descend, for the love of fun, and see what is going on! This - way—be careful! Here we are in the principal street, which is - called the street of Timarchus. The sea of people is coming this - way, and we shall find a difficulty in stemming the tide. They - are pouring through the alley of Heraclides, which leads directly - from the palace;—therefore the king is most probably among the - rioters. Yes—I hear the shouts of the herald proclaiming his - approach in the pompous phraseology of the East. We shall have a - glimpse of his person as he passes by the temple of Ashimah. Let - us ensconce ourselves in the vestibule of the sanctuary; he will - be here anon. In the meantime let us survey this image. What is - it? Oh! it is the god Ashimah in proper person. You perceive, - however, that he is neither a lamb, nor a goat, nor a satyr, - neither has he much resemblance to the Pan of the Arcadians. Yet - all these appearances have been given—I beg pardon—will be - given—by the learned of future ages, to the Ashimah of the - Syrians. Put on your spectacles, and tell me what it is. What is - it? - - “Bless me! it is an ape!” - - True—a baboon; but by no means the less a deity. His name is a - derivation of the Greek Simia—what great fools are antiquarians! - But see!—see!—yonder scampers a ragged little urchin. Where is he - going? What is he bawling about? What does he say? Oh! he says - the king is coming in triumph; that he is dressed in state; that - he has just finished putting to death, with his own hand, a - thousand chained Israelitish prisoners! For this exploit the - ragamuffin is lauding him to the skies! Hark! here comes a troop - of a similar description. They have made a Latin hymn upon the - valor of the king, and are singing it as they go: - - Mille, mille, mille, - Mille, mille, mille, - Decollavimus, unus homo! - Mille, mille, mille, mille, decollavimus! - Mille, mille, mille, - Vivat qui mille mille occidit! - Tantum vini habet nemo - Quantum sanguinis effudit!(*1) - - Which may be thus paraphrased: - - A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, - A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, - We, with one warrior, have slain! - A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, a thousand. - Sing a thousand over again! - Soho!—let us sing - Long life to our king, - Who knocked over a thousand so fine! - Soho!—let us roar, - He has given us more - Red gallons of gore - Than all Syria can furnish of wine! - - “Do you hear that flourish of trumpets?” - - Yes—the king is coming! See! the people are aghast with - admiration, and lift up their eyes to the heavens in reverence. - He comes!—he is coming!—there he is! - - “Who?—where?—the king?—do not behold him—cannot say that I - perceive him.” - - Then you must be blind. - - “Very possible. Still I see nothing but a tumultuous mob of - idiots and madmen, who are busy in prostrating themselves before - a gigantic cameleopard, and endeavoring to obtain a kiss of the - animal’s hoofs. See! the beast has very justly kicked one of the - rabble over—and another—and another—and another. Indeed, I cannot - help admiring the animal for the excellent use he is making of - his feet.” - - Rabble, indeed!—why these are the noble and free citizens of - Epidaphne! Beasts, did you say?—take care that you are not - overheard. Do you not perceive that the animal has the visage of - a man? Why, my dear sir, that cameleopard is no other than - Antiochus Epiphanes, Antiochus the Illustrious, King of Syria, - and the most potent of all the autocrats of the East! It is true, - that he is entitled, at times, Antiochus Epimanes—Antiochus the - madman—but that is because all people have not the capacity to - appreciate his merits. It is also certain that he is at present - ensconced in the hide of a beast, and is doing his best to play - the part of a cameleopard; but this is done for the better - sustaining his dignity as king. Besides, the monarch is of - gigantic stature, and the dress is therefore neither unbecoming - nor over large. We may, however, presume he would not have - adopted it but for some occasion of especial state. Such, you - will allow, is the massacre of a thousand Jews. With how superior - a dignity the monarch perambulates on all fours! His tail, you - perceive, is held aloft by his two principal concubines, Elline - and Argelais; and his whole appearance would be infinitely - prepossessing, were it not for the protuberance of his eyes, - which will certainly start out of his head, and the queer color - of his face, which has become nondescript from the quantity of - wine he has swallowed. Let us follow him to the hippodrome, - whither he is proceeding, and listen to the song of triumph which - he is commencing: - - Who is king but Epiphanes? - Say—do you know? - Who is king but Epiphanes? - Bravo!—bravo! - There is none but Epiphanes, - No—there is none: - So tear down the temples, - And put out the sun! - - Well and strenuously sung! The populace are hailing him ‘Prince - of Poets,’ as well as ‘Glory of the East,’ ‘Delight of the - Universe,’ and ‘Most Remarkable of Cameleopards.’ They have - encored his effusion, and do you hear?—he is singing it over - again. When he arrives at the hippodrome, he will be crowned with - the poetic wreath, in anticipation of his victory at the - approaching Olympics. - - “But, good Jupiter! what is the matter in the crowd behind us?” - - Behind us, did you say?—oh! ah!—I perceive. My friend, it is well - that you spoke in time. Let us get into a place of safety as soon - as possible. Here!—let us conceal ourselves in the arch of this - aqueduct, and I will inform you presently of the origin of the - commotion. It has turned out as I have been anticipating. The - singular appearance of the cameleopard and the head of a man, - has, it seems, given offence to the notions of propriety - entertained, in general, by the wild animals domesticated in the - city. A mutiny has been the result; and, as is usual upon such - occasions, all human efforts will be of no avail in quelling the - mob. Several of the Syrians have already been devoured; but the - general voice of the four-footed patriots seems to be for eating - up the cameleopard. ‘The Prince of Poets,’ therefore, is upon his - hinder legs, running for his life. His courtiers have left him in - the lurch, and his concubines have followed so excellent an - example. ‘Delight of the Universe,’ thou art in a sad - predicament! ‘Glory of the East,’ thou art in danger of - mastication! Therefore never regard so piteously thy tail; it - will undoubtedly be draggled in the mud, and for this there is no - help. Look not behind thee, then, at its unavoidable degradation; - but take courage, ply thy legs with vigor, and scud for the - hippodrome! Remember that thou art Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus - the Illustrious!—also ‘Prince of Poets,’ ‘Glory of the East,’ - ‘Delight of the Universe,’ and ‘Most Remarkable of Cameleopards!’ - Heavens! what a power of speed thou art displaying! What a - capacity for leg-bail thou art developing! Run, Prince!—Bravo, - Epiphanes! Well done, Cameleopard!—Glorious Antiochus!—He - runs!—he leaps!—he flies! Like an arrow from a catapult he - approaches the hippodrome! He leaps!—he shrieks!—he is there! - This is well; for hadst thou, ‘Glory of the East,’ been half a - second longer in reaching the gates of the Amphitheatre, there is - not a bear’s cub in Epidaphne that would not have had a nibble at - thy carcase. Let us be off—let us take our departure!—for we - shall find our delicate modern ears unable to endure the vast - uproar which is about to commence in celebration of the king’s - escape! Listen! it has already commenced. See!—the whole town is - topsy-turvy. - - “Surely this is the most populous city of the East! What a - wilderness of people! what a jumble of all ranks and ages! what a - multiplicity of sects and nations! what a variety of costumes! - what a Babel of languages! what a screaming of beasts! what a - tinkling of instruments! what a parcel of philosophers!” - - Come let us be off. - - “Stay a moment! I see a vast hubbub in the hippodrome; what is - the meaning of it, I beseech you?” - - That?—oh, nothing! The noble and free citizens of Epidaphne - being, as they declare, well satisfied of the faith, valor, - wisdom, and divinity of their king, and having, moreover, been - eye-witnesses of his late superhuman agility, do think it no more - than their duty to invest his brows (in addition to the poetic - crown) with the wreath of victory in the footrace—a wreath which - it is evident he must obtain at the celebration of the next - Olympiad, and which, therefore, they now give him in advance. - -Footnotes—Four Beasts - - (*1) Flavius Vospicus says, that the hymn here introduced was - sung by the rabble upon the occasion of Aurelian, in the Sarmatic - war, having slain, with his own hand, nine hundred and fifty of - the enemy. - - - - -THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE - - - What song the Syrens sang, or what name Achilles assumed when he hid - himself among women, although puzzling questions, are not beyond - _all_ conjecture. - -—_Sir Thomas Browne._ - - The mental features discoursed of as the analytical, are, in - themselves, but little susceptible of analysis. We appreciate - them only in their effects. We know of them, among other things, - that they are always to their possessor, when inordinately - possessed, a source of the liveliest enjoyment. As the strong man - exults in his physical ability, delighting in such exercises as - call his muscles into action, so glories the analyst in that - moral activity which _disentangles._ He derives pleasure from - even the most trivial occupations bringing his talent into play. - He is fond of enigmas, of conundrums, of hieroglyphics; - exhibiting in his solutions of each a degree of _acumen_ which - appears to the ordinary apprehension præternatural. His results, - brought about by the very soul and essence of method, have, in - truth, the whole air of intuition. - - The faculty of re-solution is possibly much invigorated by - mathematical study, and especially by that highest branch of it - which, unjustly, and merely on account of its retrograde - operations, has been called, as if _par excellence_, analysis. - Yet to calculate is not in itself to analyse. A chess-player, for - example, does the one without effort at the other. It follows - that the game of chess, in its effects upon mental character, is - greatly misunderstood. I am not now writing a treatise, but - simply prefacing a somewhat peculiar narrative by observations - very much at random; I will, therefore, take occasion to assert - that the higher powers of the reflective intellect are more - decidedly and more usefully tasked by the unostentatious game of - draughts than by all the elaborate frivolity of chess. In this - latter, where the pieces have different and _bizarre_ motions, - with various and variable values, what is only complex is - mistaken (a not unusual error) for what is profound. The - _attention_ is here called powerfully into play. If it flag for - an instant, an oversight is committed resulting in injury or - defeat. The possible moves being not only manifold but involute, - the chances of such oversights are multiplied; and in nine cases - out of ten it is the more concentrative rather than the more - acute player who conquers. In draughts, on the contrary, where - the moves are _unique_ and have but little variation, the - probabilities of inadvertence are diminished, and the mere - attention being left comparatively unemployed, what advantages - are obtained by either party are obtained by superior _acumen_. - To be less abstract, let us suppose a game of draughts where the - pieces are reduced to four kings, and where, of course, no - oversight is to be expected. It is obvious that here the victory - can be decided (the players being at all equal) only by some - _recherché_ movement, the result of some strong exertion of the - intellect. Deprived of ordinary resources, the analyst throws - himself into the spirit of his opponent, identifies himself - therewith, and not unfrequently sees thus, at a glance, the sole - methods (sometime indeed absurdly simple ones) by which he may - seduce into error or hurry into miscalculation. - - Whist has long been noted for its influence upon what is termed - the calculating power; and men of the highest order of intellect - have been known to take an apparently unaccountable delight in - it, while eschewing chess as frivolous. Beyond doubt there is - nothing of a similar nature so greatly tasking the faculty of - analysis. The best chess-player in Christendom _may_ be little - more than the best player of chess; but proficiency in whist - implies capacity for success in all those more important - undertakings where mind struggles with mind. When I say - proficiency, I mean that perfection in the game which includes a - comprehension of _all_ the sources whence legitimate advantage - may be derived. These are not only manifold but multiform, and - lie frequently among recesses of thought altogether inaccessible - to the ordinary understanding. To observe attentively is to - remember distinctly; and, so far, the concentrative chess-player - will do very well at whist; while the rules of Hoyle (themselves - based upon the mere mechanism of the game) are sufficiently and - generally comprehensible. Thus to have a retentive memory, and to - proceed by “the book,” are points commonly regarded as the sum - total of good playing. But it is in matters beyond the limits of - mere rule that the skill of the analyst is evinced. He makes, in - silence, a host of observations and inferences. So, perhaps, do - his companions; and the difference in the extent of the - information obtained, lies not so much in the validity of the - inference as in the quality of the observation. The necessary - knowledge is that of _what_ to observe. Our player confines - himself not at all; nor, because the game is the object, does he - reject deductions from things external to the game. He examines - the countenance of his partner, comparing it carefully with that - of each of his opponents. He considers the mode of assorting the - cards in each hand; often counting trump by trump, and honor by - honor, through the glances bestowed by their holders upon each. - He notes every variation of face as the play progresses, - gathering a fund of thought from the differences in the - expression of certainty, of surprise, of triumph, or of chagrin. - From the manner of gathering up a trick he judges whether the - person taking it can make another in the suit. He recognises what - is played through feint, by the manner with which it is thrown - upon the table. A casual or inadvertent word; the accidental - dropping or turning of a card, with the accompanying anxiety or - carelessness in regard to its concealment; the counting of the - tricks, with the order of their arrangement; embarrassment, - hesitation, eagerness or trepidation—all afford, to his - apparently intuitive perception, indications of the true state of - affairs. The first two or three rounds having been played, he is - in full possession of the contents of each hand, and - thenceforward puts down his cards with as absolute a precision of - purpose as if the rest of the party had turned outward the faces - of their own. - - The analytical power should not be confounded with ample - ingenuity; for while the analyst is necessarily ingenious, the - ingenious man is often remarkably incapable of analysis. The - constructive or combining power, by which ingenuity is usually - manifested, and to which the phrenologists (I believe - erroneously) have assigned a separate organ, supposing it a - primitive faculty, has been so frequently seen in those whose - intellect bordered otherwise upon idiocy, as to have attracted - general observation among writers on morals. Between ingenuity - and the analytic ability there exists a difference far greater, - indeed, than that between the fancy and the imagination, but of a - character very strictly analogous. It will be found, in fact, - that the ingenious are always fanciful, and the _truly_ - imaginative never otherwise than analytic. - - The narrative which follows will appear to the reader somewhat in - the light of a commentary upon the propositions just advanced. - - Residing in Paris during the spring and part of the summer of - 18—, I there became acquainted with a Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin. - This young gentleman was of an excellent, indeed of an - illustrious family, but, by a variety of untoward events, had - been reduced to such poverty that the energy of his character - succumbed beneath it, and he ceased to bestir himself in the - world, or to care for the retrieval of his fortunes. By courtesy - of his creditors, there still remained in his possession a small - remnant of his patrimony; and, upon the income arising from this, - he managed, by means of a rigorous economy, to procure the - necessaries of life, without troubling himself about its - superfluities. Books, indeed, were his sole luxuries, and in - Paris these are easily obtained. - - Our first meeting was at an obscure library in the Rue - Montmartre, where the accident of our both being in search of the - same very rare and very remarkable volume, brought us into closer - communion. We saw each other again and again. I was deeply - interested in the little family history which he detailed to me - with all that candor which a Frenchman indulges whenever mere - self is his theme. I was astonished, too, at the vast extent of - his reading; and, above all, I felt my soul enkindled within me - by the wild fervor, and the vivid freshness of his imagination. - Seeking in Paris the objects I then sought, I felt that the - society of such a man would be to me a treasure beyond price; and - this feeling I frankly confided to him. It was at length arranged - that we should live together during my stay in the city; and as - my worldly circumstances were somewhat less embarrassed than his - own, I was permitted to be at the expense of renting, and - furnishing in a style which suited the rather fantastic gloom of - our common temper, a time-eaten and grotesque mansion, long - deserted through superstitions into which we did not inquire, and - tottering to its fall in a retired and desolate portion of the - Faubourg St. Germain. - - Had the routine of our life at this place been known to the - world, we should have been regarded as madmen—although, perhaps, - as madmen of a harmless nature. Our seclusion was perfect. We - admitted no visitors. Indeed the locality of our retirement had - been carefully kept a secret from my own former associates; and - it had been many years since Dupin had ceased to know or be known - in Paris. We existed within ourselves alone. - - It was a freak of fancy in my friend (for what else shall I call - it?) to be enamored of the night for her own sake; and into this - _bizarrerie_, as into all his others, I quietly fell; giving - myself up to his wild whims with a perfect _abandon_. The sable - divinity would not herself dwell with us always; but we could - counterfeit her presence. At the first dawn of the morning we - closed all the messy shutters of our old building; lighting a - couple of tapers which, strongly perfumed, threw out only the - ghastliest and feeblest of rays. By the aid of these we then - busied our souls in dreams—reading, writing, or conversing, until - warned by the clock of the advent of the true Darkness. Then we - sallied forth into the streets arm in arm, continuing the topics - of the day, or roaming far and wide until a late hour, seeking, - amid the wild lights and shadows of the populous city, that - infinity of mental excitement which quiet observation can afford. - - At such times I could not help remarking and admiring (although - from his rich ideality I had been prepared to expect it) a - peculiar analytic ability in Dupin. He seemed, too, to take an - eager delight in its exercise—if not exactly in its display—and - did not hesitate to confess the pleasure thus derived. He boasted - to me, with a low chuckling laugh, that most men, in respect to - himself, wore windows in their bosoms, and was wont to follow up - such assertions by direct and very startling proofs of his - intimate knowledge of my own. His manner at these moments was - frigid and abstract; his eyes were vacant in expression; while - his voice, usually a rich tenor, rose into a treble which would - have sounded petulantly but for the deliberateness and entire - distinctness of the enunciation. Observing him in these moods, I - often dwelt meditatively upon the old philosophy of the Bi-Part - Soul, and amused myself with the fancy of a double Dupin—the - creative and the resolvent. - - Let it not be supposed, from what I have just said, that I am - detailing any mystery, or penning any romance. What I have - described in the Frenchman, was merely the result of an excited, - or perhaps of a diseased intelligence. But of the character of - his remarks at the periods in question an example will best - convey the idea. - - We were strolling one night down a long dirty street in the - vicinity of the Palais Royal. Being both, apparently, occupied - with thought, neither of us had spoken a syllable for fifteen - minutes at least. All at once Dupin broke forth with these words: - - “He is a very little fellow, that’s true, and would do better for - the _Théâtre des Variétés_.” - - “There can be no doubt of that,” I replied unwittingly, and not - at first observing (so much had I been absorbed in reflection) - the extraordinary manner in which the speaker had chimed in with - my meditations. In an instant afterward I recollected myself, and - my astonishment was profound. - - “Dupin,” said I, gravely, “this is beyond my comprehension. I do - not hesitate to say that I am amazed, and can scarcely credit my - senses. How was it possible you should know I was thinking of - ——?” Here I paused, to ascertain beyond a doubt whether he really - knew of whom I thought. - - “—— of Chantilly,” said he, “why do you pause? You were remarking - to yourself that his diminutive figure unfitted him for tragedy.” - - This was precisely what had formed the subject of my reflections. - Chantilly was a _quondam_ cobbler of the Rue St. Denis, who, - becoming stage-mad, had attempted the _rôle_ of Xerxes, in - Crébillon’s tragedy so called, and been notoriously Pasquinaded - for his pains. - - “Tell me, for Heaven’s sake,” I exclaimed, “the method—if method - there is—by which you have been enabled to fathom my soul in this - matter.” In fact I was even more startled than I would have been - willing to express. - - “It was the fruiterer,” replied my friend, “who brought you to - the conclusion that the mender of soles was not of sufficient - height for Xerxes _et id genus omne_.” - - “The fruiterer!—you astonish me—I know no fruiterer whomsoever.” - - “The man who ran up against you as we entered the street—it may - have been fifteen minutes ago.” - - I now remembered that, in fact, a fruiterer, carrying upon his - head a large basket of apples, had nearly thrown me down, by - accident, as we passed from the Rue C—— into the thoroughfare - where we stood; but what this had to do with Chantilly I could - not possibly understand. - - There was not a particle of _charlatânerie_ about Dupin. “I will - explain,” he said, “and that you may comprehend all clearly, we - will first retrace the course of your meditations, from the - moment in which I spoke to you until that of the _rencontre_ with - the fruiterer in question. The larger links of the chain run - thus—Chantilly, Orion, Dr. Nichols, Epicurus, Stereotomy, the - street stones, the fruiterer.” - - There are few persons who have not, at some period of their - lives, amused themselves in retracing the steps by which - particular conclusions of their own minds have been attained. The - occupation is often full of interest; and he who attempts it for - the first time is astonished by the apparently illimitable - distance and incoherence between the starting-point and the goal. - What, then, must have been my amazement when I heard the - Frenchman speak what he had just spoken, and when I could not - help acknowledging that he had spoken the truth. He continued: - - “We had been talking of horses, if I remember aright, just before - leaving the Rue C——. This was the last subject we discussed. As - we crossed into this street, a fruiterer, with a large basket - upon his head, brushing quickly past us, thrust you upon a pile - of paving stones collected at a spot where the causeway is - undergoing repair. You stepped upon one of the loose fragments, - slipped, slightly strained your ankle, appeared vexed or sulky, - muttered a few words, turned to look at the pile, and then - proceeded in silence. I was not particularly attentive to what - you did; but observation has become with me, of late, a species - of necessity. - - “You kept your eyes upon the ground—glancing, with a petulant - expression, at the holes and ruts in the pavement, (so that I saw - you were still thinking of the stones,) until we reached the - little alley called Lamartine, which has been paved, by way of - experiment, with the overlapping and riveted blocks. Here your - countenance brightened up, and, perceiving your lips move, I - could not doubt that you murmured the word ‘stereotomy,’ a term - very affectedly applied to this species of pavement. I knew that - you could not say to yourself ‘stereotomy’ without being brought - to think of atomies, and thus of the theories of Epicurus; and - since, when we discussed this subject not very long ago, I - mentioned to you how singularly, yet with how little notice, the - vague guesses of that noble Greek had met with confirmation in - the late nebular cosmogony, I felt that you could not avoid - casting your eyes upward to the great _nebula_ in Orion, and I - certainly expected that you would do so. You did look up; and I - was now assured that I had correctly followed your steps. But in - that bitter _tirade_ upon Chantilly, which appeared in - yesterday’s ‘_Musée_,’ the satirist, making some disgraceful - allusions to the cobbler’s change of name upon assuming the - buskin, quoted a Latin line about which we have often conversed. - I mean the line - - Perdidit antiquum litera prima sonum. - - “I had told you that this was in reference to Orion, formerly - written Urion; and, from certain pungencies connected with this - explanation, I was aware that you could not have forgotten it. It - was clear, therefore, that you would not fail to combine the two - ideas of Orion and Chantilly. That you did combine them I saw by - the character of the smile which passed over your lips. You - thought of the poor cobbler’s immolation. So far, you had been - stooping in your gait; but now I saw you draw yourself up to your - full height. I was then sure that you reflected upon the - diminutive figure of Chantilly. At this point I interrupted your - meditations to remark that as, in fact, he was a very little - fellow—that Chantilly—he would do better at the _Théâtre des - Variétés_.” - - Not long after this, we were looking over an evening edition of - the “Gazette des Tribunaux,” when the following paragraphs - arrested our attention. - - “_Extraordinary Murders_.—This morning, about three o’clock, the - inhabitants of the Quartier St. Roch were aroused from sleep by a - succession of terrific shrieks, issuing, apparently, from the - fourth story of a house in the Rue Morgue, known to be in the - sole occupancy of one Madame L’Espanaye, and her daughter, - Mademoiselle Camille L’Espanaye. After some delay, occasioned by - a fruitless attempt to procure admission in the usual manner, the - gateway was broken in with a crowbar, and eight or ten of the - neighbors entered accompanied by two _gendarmes_. By this time - the cries had ceased; but, as the party rushed up the first - flight of stairs, two or more rough voices in angry contention - were distinguished and seemed to proceed from the upper part of - the house. As the second landing was reached, these sounds, also, - had ceased and everything remained perfectly quiet. The party - spread themselves and hurried from room to room. Upon arriving at - a large back chamber in the fourth story, (the door of which, - being found locked, with the key inside, was forced open,) a - spectacle presented itself which struck every one present not - less with horror than with astonishment. - - “The apartment was in the wildest disorder—the furniture broken - and thrown about in all directions. There was only one bedstead; - and from this the bed had been removed, and thrown into the - middle of the floor. On a chair lay a razor, besmeared with - blood. On the hearth were two or three long and thick tresses of - grey human hair, also dabbled in blood, and seeming to have been - pulled out by the roots. Upon the floor were found four - Napoleons, an ear-ring of topaz, three large silver spoons, three - smaller of _métal d’Alger_, and two bags, containing nearly four - thousand francs in gold. The drawers of a _bureau_, which stood - in one corner were open, and had been, apparently, rifled, - although many articles still remained in them. A small iron safe - was discovered under the _bed_ (not under the bedstead). It was - open, with the key still in the door. It had no contents beyond a - few old letters, and other papers of little consequence. - - “Of Madame L’Espanaye no traces were here seen; but an unusual - quantity of soot being observed in the fire-place, a search was - made in the chimney, and (horrible to relate!) the corpse of the - daughter, head downward, was dragged therefrom; it having been - thus forced up the narrow aperture for a considerable distance. - The body was quite warm. Upon examining it, many excoriations - were perceived, no doubt occasioned by the violence with which it - had been thrust up and disengaged. Upon the face were many severe - scratches, and, upon the throat, dark bruises, and deep - indentations of finger nails, as if the deceased had been - throttled to death. - - “After a thorough investigation of every portion of the house, - without farther discovery, the party made its way into a small - paved yard in the rear of the building, where lay the corpse of - the old lady, with her throat so entirely cut that, upon an - attempt to raise her, the head fell off. The body, as well as the - head, was fearfully mutilated—the former so much so as scarcely - to retain any semblance of humanity. - - “To this horrible mystery there is not as yet, we believe, the - slightest clew.” - - The next day’s paper had these additional particulars. - - “_The Tragedy in the Rue Morgue._—Many individuals have been - examined in relation to this most extraordinary and frightful - affair” [The word ‘affaire’ has not yet, in France, that levity - of import which it conveys with us], “but nothing whatever has - transpired to throw light upon it. We give below all the material - testimony elicited. - - “_Pauline Dubourg_, laundress, deposes that she has known both - the deceased for three years, having washed for them during that - period. The old lady and her daughter seemed on good terms—very - affectionate towards each other. They were excellent pay. Could - not speak in regard to their mode or means of living. Believed - that Madame L. told fortunes for a living. Was reputed to have - money put by. Never met any persons in the house when she called - for the clothes or took them home. Was sure that they had no - servant in employ. There appeared to be no furniture in any part - of the building except in the fourth story. - - “_Pierre Moreau_, tobacconist, deposes that he has been in the - habit of selling small quantities of tobacco and snuff to Madame - L’Espanaye for nearly four years. Was born in the neighborhood, - and has always resided there. The deceased and her daughter had - occupied the house in which the corpses were found, for more than - six years. It was formerly occupied by a jeweller, who under-let - the upper rooms to various persons. The house was the property of - Madame L. She became dissatisfied with the abuse of the premises - by her tenant, and moved into them herself, refusing to let any - portion. The old lady was childish. Witness had seen the daughter - some five or six times during the six years. The two lived an - exceedingly retired life—were reputed to have money. Had heard it - said among the neighbors that Madame L. told fortunes—did not - believe it. Had never seen any person enter the door except the - old lady and her daughter, a porter once or twice, and a - physician some eight or ten times. - - “Many other persons, neighbors, gave evidence to the same effect. - No one was spoken of as frequenting the house. It was not known - whether there were any living connexions of Madame L. and her - daughter. The shutters of the front windows were seldom opened. - Those in the rear were always closed, with the exception of the - large back room, fourth story. The house was a good house—not - very old. - - “_Isidore Musèt_, _gendarme_, deposes that he was called to the - house about three o’clock in the morning, and found some twenty - or thirty persons at the gateway, endeavoring to gain admittance. - Forced it open, at length, with a bayonet—not with a crowbar. Had - but little difficulty in getting it open, on account of its being - a double or folding gate, and bolted neither at bottom not top. - The shrieks were continued until the gate was forced—and then - suddenly ceased. They seemed to be screams of some person (or - persons) in great agony—were loud and drawn out, not short and - quick. Witness led the way up stairs. Upon reaching the first - landing, heard two voices in loud and angry contention—the one a - gruff voice, the other much shriller—a very strange voice. Could - distinguish some words of the former, which was that of a - Frenchman. Was positive that it was not a woman’s voice. Could - distinguish the words ‘_sacré_’ and ‘_diable._’ The shrill voice - was that of a foreigner. Could not be sure whether it was the - voice of a man or of a woman. Could not make out what was said, - but believed the language to be Spanish. The state of the room - and of the bodies was described by this witness as we described - them yesterday. - - “_Henri Duval_, a neighbor, and by trade a silver-smith, deposes - that he was one of the party who first entered the house. - Corroborates the testimony of Musèt in general. As soon as they - forced an entrance, they reclosed the door, to keep out the - crowd, which collected very fast, notwithstanding the lateness of - the hour. The shrill voice, this witness thinks, was that of an - Italian. Was certain it was not French. Could not be sure that it - was a man’s voice. It might have been a woman’s. Was not - acquainted with the Italian language. Could not distinguish the - words, but was convinced by the intonation that the speaker was - an Italian. Knew Madame L. and her daughter. Had conversed with - both frequently. Was sure that the shrill voice was not that of - either of the deceased. - - “——_Odenheimer, restaurateur._ This witness volunteered his - testimony. Not speaking French, was examined through an - interpreter. Is a native of Amsterdam. Was passing the house at - the time of the shrieks. They lasted for several minutes—probably - ten. They were long and loud—very awful and distressing. Was one - of those who entered the building. Corroborated the previous - evidence in every respect but one. Was sure that the shrill voice - was that of a man—of a Frenchman. Could not distinguish the words - uttered. They were loud and quick—unequal—spoken apparently in - fear as well as in anger. The voice was harsh—not so much shrill - as harsh. Could not call it a shrill voice. The gruff voice said - repeatedly ‘_sacré_,’ ‘_diable_,’ and once ‘_mon Dieu._’ - - “_Jules Mignaud_, banker, of the firm of Mignaud et Fils, Rue - Deloraine. Is the elder Mignaud. Madame L’Espanaye had some - property. Had opened an account with his banking house in the - spring of the year—(eight years previously). Made frequent - deposits in small sums. Had checked for nothing until the third - day before her death, when she took out in person the sum of 4000 - francs. This sum was paid in gold, and a clerk went home with the - money. - - “_Adolphe Le Bon_, clerk to Mignaud et Fils, deposes that on the - day in question, about noon, he accompanied Madame L’Espanaye to - her residence with the 4000 francs, put up in two bags. Upon the - door being opened, Mademoiselle L. appeared and took from his - hands one of the bags, while the old lady relieved him of the - other. He then bowed and departed. Did not see any person in the - street at the time. It is a by-street—very lonely. - - “_William Bird_, tailor deposes that he was one of the party who - entered the house. Is an Englishman. Has lived in Paris two - years. Was one of the first to ascend the stairs. Heard the - voices in contention. The gruff voice was that of a Frenchman. - Could make out several words, but cannot now remember all. Heard - distinctly ‘_sacré_’ and ‘_mon Dieu._’ There was a sound at the - moment as if of several persons struggling—a scraping and - scuffling sound. The shrill voice was very loud—louder than the - gruff one. Is sure that it was not the voice of an Englishman. - Appeared to be that of a German. Might have been a woman’s voice. - Does not understand German. - - “Four of the above-named witnesses, being recalled, deposed that - the door of the chamber in which was found the body of - Mademoiselle L. was locked on the inside when the party reached - it. Every thing was perfectly silent—no groans or noises of any - kind. Upon forcing the door no person was seen. The windows, both - of the back and front room, were down and firmly fastened from - within. A door between the two rooms was closed, but not locked. - The door leading from the front room into the passage was locked, - with the key on the inside. A small room in the front of the - house, on the fourth story, at the head of the passage was open, - the door being ajar. This room was crowded with old beds, boxes, - and so forth. These were carefully removed and searched. There - was not an inch of any portion of the house which was not - carefully searched. Sweeps were sent up and down the chimneys. - The house was a four story one, with garrets (_mansardes._) A - trap-door on the roof was nailed down very securely—did not - appear to have been opened for years. The time elapsing between - the hearing of the voices in contention and the breaking open of - the room door, was variously stated by the witnesses. Some made - it as short as three minutes—some as long as five. The door was - opened with difficulty. - - “_Alfonzo Garcio_, undertaker, deposes that he resides in the Rue - Morgue. Is a native of Spain. Was one of the party who entered - the house. Did not proceed up stairs. Is nervous, and was - apprehensive of the consequences of agitation. Heard the voices - in contention. The gruff voice was that of a Frenchman. Could not - distinguish what was said. The shrill voice was that of an - Englishman—is sure of this. Does not understand the English - language, but judges by the intonation. - - “_Alberto Montani_, confectioner, deposes that he was among the - first to ascend the stairs. Heard the voices in question. The - gruff voice was that of a Frenchman. Distinguished several words. - The speaker appeared to be expostulating. Could not make out the - words of the shrill voice. Spoke quick and unevenly. Thinks it - the voice of a Russian. Corroborates the general testimony. Is an - Italian. Never conversed with a native of Russia. - - “Several witnesses, recalled, here testified that the chimneys of - all the rooms on the fourth story were too narrow to admit the - passage of a human being. By ‘sweeps’ were meant cylindrical - sweeping brushes, such as are employed by those who clean - chimneys. These brushes were passed up and down every flue in the - house. There is no back passage by which any one could have - descended while the party proceeded up stairs. The body of - Mademoiselle L’Espanaye was so firmly wedged in the chimney that - it could not be got down until four or five of the party united - their strength. - - “_Paul Dumas_, physician, deposes that he was called to view the - bodies about day-break. They were both then lying on the sacking - of the bedstead in the chamber where Mademoiselle L. was found. - The corpse of the young lady was much bruised and excoriated. The - fact that it had been thrust up the chimney would sufficiently - account for these appearances. The throat was greatly chafed. - There were several deep scratches just below the chin, together - with a series of livid spots which were evidently the impression - of fingers. The face was fearfully discolored, and the eye-balls - protruded. The tongue had been partially bitten through. A large - bruise was discovered upon the pit of the stomach, produced, - apparently, by the pressure of a knee. In the opinion of M. - Dumas, Mademoiselle L’Espanaye had been throttled to death by - some person or persons unknown. The corpse of the mother was - horribly mutilated. All the bones of the right leg and arm were - more or less shattered. The left _tibia_ much splintered, as well - as all the ribs of the left side. Whole body dreadfully bruised - and discolored. It was not possible to say how the injuries had - been inflicted. A heavy club of wood, or a broad bar of iron—a - chair—any large, heavy, and obtuse weapon would have produced - such results, if wielded by the hands of a very powerful man. No - woman could have inflicted the blows with any weapon. The head of - the deceased, when seen by witness, was entirely separated from - the body, and was also greatly shattered. The throat had - evidently been cut with some very sharp instrument—probably with - a razor. - - “_Alexandre Etienne_, surgeon, was called with M. Dumas to view - the bodies. Corroborated the testimony, and the opinions of M. - Dumas. - - “Nothing farther of importance was elicited, although several - other persons were examined. A murder so mysterious, and so - perplexing in all its particulars, was never before committed in - Paris—if indeed a murder has been committed at all. The police - are entirely at fault—an unusual occurrence in affairs of this - nature. There is not, however, the shadow of a clew apparent.” - - The evening edition of the paper stated that the greatest - excitement still continued in the Quartier St. Roch—that the - premises in question had been carefully re-searched, and fresh - examinations of witnesses instituted, but all to no purpose. A - postscript, however, mentioned that Adolphe Le Bon had been - arrested and imprisoned—although nothing appeared to criminate - him, beyond the facts already detailed. - - Dupin seemed singularly interested in the progress of this - affair—at least so I judged from his manner, for he made no - comments. It was only after the announcement that Le Bon had been - imprisoned, that he asked me my opinion respecting the murders. - - I could merely agree with all Paris in considering them an - insoluble mystery. I saw no means by which it would be possible - to trace the murderer. - - “We must not judge of the means,” said Dupin, “by this shell of - an examination. The Parisian police, so much extolled for - _acumen_, are cunning, but no more. There is no method in their - proceedings, beyond the method of the moment. They make a vast - parade of measures; but, not unfrequently, these are so ill - adapted to the objects proposed, as to put us in mind of Monsieur - Jourdain’s calling for his _robe-de-chambre—pour mieux entendre - la musique._ The results attained by them are not unfrequently - surprising, but, for the most part, are brought about by simple - diligence and activity. When these qualities are unavailing, - their schemes fail. Vidocq, for example, was a good guesser and a - persevering man. But, without educated thought, he erred - continually by the very intensity of his investigations. He - impaired his vision by holding the object too close. He might - see, perhaps, one or two points with unusual clearness, but in so - doing he, necessarily, lost sight of the matter as a whole. Thus - there is such a thing as being too profound. Truth is not always - in a well. In fact, as regards the more important knowledge, I do - believe that she is invariably superficial. The depth lies in the - valleys where we seek her, and not upon the mountain-tops where - she is found. The modes and sources of this kind of error are - well typified in the contemplation of the heavenly bodies. To - look at a star by glances—to view it in a side-long way, by - turning toward it the exterior portions of the _retina_ (more - susceptible of feeble impressions of light than the interior), is - to behold the star distinctly—is to have the best appreciation of - its lustre—a lustre which grows dim just in proportion as we turn - our vision _fully_ upon it. A greater number of rays actually - fall upon the eye in the latter case, but, in the former, there - is the more refined capacity for comprehension. By undue - profundity we perplex and enfeeble thought; and it is possible to - make even Venus herself vanish from the firmament by a scrutiny - too sustained, too concentrated, or too direct. - - “As for these murders, let us enter into some examinations for - ourselves, before we make up an opinion respecting them. An - inquiry will afford us amusement,” [I thought this an odd term, - so applied, but said nothing] “and, besides, Le Bon once rendered - me a service for which I am not ungrateful. We will go and see - the premises with our own eyes. I know G——, the Prefect of - Police, and shall have no difficulty in obtaining the necessary - permission.” - - The permission was obtained, and we proceeded at once to the Rue - Morgue. This is one of those miserable thoroughfares which - intervene between the Rue Richelieu and the Rue St. Roch. It was - late in the afternoon when we reached it, as this quarter is at a - great distance from that in which we resided. The house was - readily found; for there were still many persons gazing up at the - closed shutters, with an objectless curiosity, from the opposite - side of the way. It was an ordinary Parisian house, with a - gateway, on one side of which was a glazed watch-box, with a - sliding panel in the window, indicating a _loge de concierge._ - Before going in we walked up the street, turned down an alley, - and then, again turning, passed in the rear of the - building—Dupin, meanwhile examining the whole neighborhood, as - well as the house, with a minuteness of attention for which I - could see no possible object. - - Retracing our steps, we came again to the front of the dwelling, - rang, and, having shown our credentials, were admitted by the - agents in charge. We went up stairs—into the chamber where the - body of Mademoiselle L’Espanaye had been found, and where both - the deceased still lay. The disorders of the room had, as usual, - been suffered to exist. I saw nothing beyond what had been stated - in the “Gazette des Tribunaux.” Dupin scrutinized every thing—not - excepting the bodies of the victims. We then went into the other - rooms, and into the yard; a _gendarme_ accompanying us - throughout. The examination occupied us until dark, when we took - our departure. On our way home my companion stepped in for a - moment at the office of one of the daily papers. - - I have said that the whims of my friend were manifold, and that - _Je les ménageais_:—for this phrase there is no English - equivalent. It was his humor, now, to decline all conversation on - the subject of the murder, until about noon the next day. He then - asked me, suddenly, if I had observed any thing _peculiar_ at the - scene of the atrocity. - - There was something in his manner of emphasizing the word - “peculiar,” which caused me to shudder, without knowing why. - - “No, nothing _peculiar_,” I said; “nothing more, at least, than - we both saw stated in the paper.” - - “The ‘Gazette,’” he replied, “has not entered, I fear, into the - unusual horror of the thing. But dismiss the idle opinions of - this print. It appears to me that this mystery is considered - insoluble, for the very reason which should cause it to be - regarded as easy of solution—I mean for the _outré_ character of - its features. The police are confounded by the seeming absence of - motive—not for the murder itself—but for the atrocity of the - murder. They are puzzled, too, by the seeming impossibility of - reconciling the voices heard in contention, with the facts that - no one was discovered up stairs but the assassinated Mademoiselle - L’Espanaye, and that there were no means of egress without the - notice of the party ascending. The wild disorder of the room; the - corpse thrust, with the head downward, up the chimney; the - frightful mutilation of the body of the old lady; these - considerations, with those just mentioned, and others which I - need not mention, have sufficed to paralyze the powers, by - putting completely at fault the boasted _acumen_, of the - government agents. They have fallen into the gross but common - error of confounding the unusual with the abstruse. But it is by - these deviations from the plane of the ordinary, that reason - feels its way, if at all, in its search for the true. In - investigations such as we are now pursuing, it should not be so - much asked ‘what has occurred,’ as ‘what has occurred that has - never occurred before.’ In fact, the facility with which I shall - arrive, or have arrived, at the solution of this mystery, is in - the direct ratio of its apparent insolubility in the eyes of the - police.” - - I stared at the speaker in mute astonishment. - - “I am now awaiting,” continued he, looking toward the door of our - apartment—“I am now awaiting a person who, although perhaps not - the perpetrator of these butcheries, must have been in some - measure implicated in their perpetration. Of the worst portion of - the crimes committed, it is probable that he is innocent. I hope - that I am right in this supposition; for upon it I build my - expectation of reading the entire riddle. I look for the man - here—in this room—every moment. It is true that he may not - arrive; but the probability is that he will. Should he come, it - will be necessary to detain him. Here are pistols; and we both - know how to use them when occasion demands their use.” - - I took the pistols, scarcely knowing what I did, or believing - what I heard, while Dupin went on, very much as if in a - soliloquy. I have already spoken of his abstract manner at such - times. His discourse was addressed to myself; but his voice, - although by no means loud, had that intonation which is commonly - employed in speaking to some one at a great distance. His eyes, - vacant in expression, regarded only the wall. - - “That the voices heard in contention,” he said, “by the party - upon the stairs, were not the voices of the women themselves, was - fully proved by the evidence. This relieves us of all doubt upon - the question whether the old lady could have first destroyed the - daughter and afterward have committed suicide. I speak of this - point chiefly for the sake of method; for the strength of Madame - L’Espanaye would have been utterly unequal to the task of - thrusting her daughter’s corpse up the chimney as it was found; - and the nature of the wounds upon her own person entirely - preclude the idea of self-destruction. Murder, then, has been - committed by some third party; and the voices of this third party - were those heard in contention. Let me now advert—not to the - whole testimony respecting these voices—but to what was - _peculiar_ in that testimony. Did you observe any thing peculiar - about it?” - - I remarked that, while all the witnesses agreed in supposing the - gruff voice to be that of a Frenchman, there was much - disagreement in regard to the shrill, or, as one individual - termed it, the harsh voice. - - “That was the evidence itself,” said Dupin, “but it was not the - peculiarity of the evidence. You have observed nothing - distinctive. Yet there _was_ something to be observed. The - witnesses, as you remark, agreed about the gruff voice; they were - here unanimous. But in regard to the shrill voice, the - peculiarity is—not that they disagreed—but that, while an - Italian, an Englishman, a Spaniard, a Hollander, and a Frenchman - attempted to describe it, each one spoke of it as that _of a - foreigner_. Each is sure that it was not the voice of one of his - own countrymen. Each likens it—not to the voice of an individual - of any nation with whose language he is conversant—but the - converse. The Frenchman supposes it the voice of a Spaniard, and - ‘might have distinguished some words _had he been acquainted with - the Spanish._’ The Dutchman maintains it to have been that of a - Frenchman; but we find it stated that ‘_not understanding French - this witness was examined through an interpreter._’ The - Englishman thinks it the voice of a German, and ‘_does not - understand German._’ The Spaniard ‘is sure’ that it was that of - an Englishman, but ‘judges by the intonation’ altogether, ‘_as he - has no knowledge of the English._’ The Italian believes it the - voice of a Russian, but ‘_has never conversed with a native of - Russia._’ A second Frenchman differs, moreover, with the first, - and is positive that the voice was that of an Italian; but, _not - being cognizant of that tongue_, is, like the Spaniard, - ‘convinced by the intonation.’ Now, how strangely unusual must - that voice have really been, about which such testimony as this - _could_ have been elicited!—in whose _tones_, even, denizens of - the five great divisions of Europe could recognise nothing - familiar! You will say that it might have been the voice of an - Asiatic—of an African. Neither Asiatics nor Africans abound in - Paris; but, without denying the inference, I will now merely call - your attention to three points. The voice is termed by one - witness ‘harsh rather than shrill.’ It is represented by two - others to have been ‘quick and _unequal._’ No words—no sounds - resembling words—were by any witness mentioned as - distinguishable. - - “I know not,” continued Dupin, “what impression I may have made, - so far, upon your own understanding; but I do not hesitate to say - that legitimate deductions even from this portion of the - testimony—the portion respecting the gruff and shrill voices—are - in themselves sufficient to engender a suspicion which should - give direction to all farther progress in the investigation of - the mystery. I said ‘legitimate deductions;’ but my meaning is - not thus fully expressed. I designed to imply that the deductions - are the _sole_ proper ones, and that the suspicion arises - _inevitably_ from them as the single result. What the suspicion - is, however, I will not say just yet. I merely wish you to bear - in mind that, with myself, it was sufficiently forcible to give a - definite form—a certain tendency—to my inquiries in the chamber. - - “Let us now transport ourselves, in fancy, to this chamber. What - shall we first seek here? The means of egress employed by the - murderers. It is not too much to say that neither of us believe - in præternatural events. Madame and Mademoiselle L’Espanaye were - not destroyed by spirits. The doers of the deed were material, - and escaped materially. Then how? Fortunately, there is but one - mode of reasoning upon the point, and that mode _must_ lead us to - a definite decision. Let us examine, each by each, the possible - means of egress. It is clear that the assassins were in the room - where Mademoiselle L’Espanaye was found, or at least in the room - adjoining, when the party ascended the stairs. It is then only - from these two apartments that we have to seek issues. The police - have laid bare the floors, the ceilings, and the masonry of the - walls, in every direction. No _secret_ issues could have escaped - their vigilance. But, not trusting to _their_ eyes, I examined - with my own. There were, then, no secret issues. Both doors - leading from the rooms into the passage were securely locked, - with the keys inside. Let us turn to the chimneys. These, - although of ordinary width for some eight or ten feet above the - hearths, will not admit, throughout their extent, the body of a - large cat. The impossibility of egress, by means already stated, - being thus absolute, we are reduced to the windows. Through those - of the front room no one could have escaped without notice from - the crowd in the street. The murderers _must_ have passed, then, - through those of the back room. Now, brought to this conclusion - in so unequivocal a manner as we are, it is not our part, as - reasoners, to reject it on account of apparent impossibilities. - It is only left for us to prove that these apparent - ‘impossibilities’ are, in reality, not such. - - “There are two windows in the chamber. One of them is - unobstructed by furniture, and is wholly visible. The lower - portion of the other is hidden from view by the head of the - unwieldy bedstead which is thrust close up against it. The former - was found securely fastened from within. It resisted the utmost - force of those who endeavored to raise it. A large gimlet-hole - had been pierced in its frame to the left, and a very stout nail - was found fitted therein, nearly to the head. Upon examining the - other window, a similar nail was seen similarly fitted in it; and - a vigorous attempt to raise this sash, failed also. The police - were now entirely satisfied that egress had not been in these - directions. And, _therefore_, it was thought a matter of - supererogation to withdraw the nails and open the windows. - - “My own examination was somewhat more particular, and was so for - the reason I have just given—because here it was, I knew, that - all apparent impossibilities _must_ be proved to be not such in - reality. - - “I proceeded to think thus—_a posteriori_. The murderers did - escape from one of these windows. This being so, they could not - have refastened the sashes from the inside, as they were found - fastened;—the consideration which put a stop, through its - obviousness, to the scrutiny of the police in this quarter. Yet - the sashes _were_ fastened. They _must_, then, have the power of - fastening themselves. There was no escape from this conclusion. I - stepped to the unobstructed casement, withdrew the nail with some - difficulty and attempted to raise the sash. It resisted all my - efforts, as I had anticipated. A concealed spring must, I now - know, exist; and this corroboration of my idea convinced me that - my premises at least, were correct, however mysterious still - appeared the circumstances attending the nails. A careful search - soon brought to light the hidden spring. I pressed it, and, - satisfied with the discovery, forbore to upraise the sash. - - “I now replaced the nail and regarded it attentively. A person - passing out through this window might have reclosed it, and the - spring would have caught—but the nail could not have been - replaced. The conclusion was plain, and again narrowed in the - field of my investigations. The assassins _must_ have escaped - through the other window. Supposing, then, the springs upon each - sash to be the same, as was probable, there _must_ be found a - difference between the nails, or at least between the modes of - their fixture. Getting upon the sacking of the bedstead, I looked - over the head-board minutely at the second casement. Passing my - hand down behind the board, I readily discovered and pressed the - spring, which was, as I had supposed, identical in character with - its neighbor. I now looked at the nail. It was as stout as the - other, and apparently fitted in the same manner—driven in nearly - up to the head. - - “You will say that I was puzzled; but, if you think so, you must - have misunderstood the nature of the inductions. To use a - sporting phrase, I had not been once ‘at fault.’ The scent had - never for an instant been lost. There was no flaw in any link of - the chain. I had traced the secret to its ultimate result,—and - that result was _the nail._ It had, I say, in every respect, the - appearance of its fellow in the other window; but this fact was - an absolute nullity (conclusive us it might seem to be) when - compared with the consideration that here, at this point, - terminated the clew. ‘There _must_ be something wrong,’ I said, - ‘about the nail.’ I touched it; and the head, with about a - quarter of an inch of the shank, came off in my fingers. The rest - of the shank was in the gimlet-hole where it had been broken off. - The fracture was an old one (for its edges were incrusted with - rust), and had apparently been accomplished by the blow of a - hammer, which had partially imbedded, in the top of the bottom - sash, the head portion of the nail. I now carefully replaced this - head portion in the indentation whence I had taken it, and the - resemblance to a perfect nail was complete—the fissure was - invisible. Pressing the spring, I gently raised the sash for a - few inches; the head went up with it, remaining firm in its bed. - I closed the window, and the semblance of the whole nail was - again perfect. - - “The riddle, so far, was now unriddled. The assassin had escaped - through the window which looked upon the bed. Dropping of its own - accord upon his exit (or perhaps purposely closed), it had become - fastened by the spring; and it was the retention of this spring - which had been mistaken by the police for that of the - nail,—farther inquiry being thus considered unnecessary. - - “The next question is that of the mode of descent. Upon this - point I had been satisfied in my walk with you around the - building. About five feet and a half from the casement in - question there runs a lightning-rod. From this rod it would have - been impossible for any one to reach the window itself, to say - nothing of entering it. I observed, however, that the shutters of - the fourth story were of the peculiar kind called by Parisian - carpenters _ferrades_—a kind rarely employed at the present day, - but frequently seen upon very old mansions at Lyons and Bordeaux. - They are in the form of an ordinary door (a single, not a folding - door), except that the lower half is latticed or worked in open - trellis—thus affording an excellent hold for the hands. In the - present instance these shutters are fully three feet and a half - broad. When we saw them from the rear of the house, they were - both about half open—that is to say, they stood off at right - angles from the wall. It is probable that the police, as well as - myself, examined the back of the tenement; but, if so, in looking - at these _ferrades_ in the line of their breadth (as they must - have done), they did not perceive this great breadth itself, or, - at all events, failed to take it into due consideration. In fact, - having once satisfied themselves that no egress could have been - made in this quarter, they would naturally bestow here a very - cursory examination. It was clear to me, however, that the - shutter belonging to the window at the head of the bed, would, if - swung fully back to the wall, reach to within two feet of the - lightning-rod. It was also evident that, by exertion of a very - unusual degree of activity and courage, an entrance into the - window, from the rod, might have been thus effected. By reaching - to the distance of two feet and a half (we now suppose the - shutter open to its whole extent) a robber might have taken a - firm grasp upon the trellis-work. Letting go, then, his hold upon - the rod, placing his feet securely against the wall, and - springing boldly from it, he might have swung the shutter so as - to close it, and, if we imagine the window open at the time, - might even have swung himself into the room. - - “I wish you to bear especially in mind that I have spoken of a - _very_ unusual degree of activity as requisite to success in so - hazardous and so difficult a feat. It is my design to show you, - first, that the thing might possibly have been accomplished:—but, - secondly and _chiefly_, I wish to impress upon your understanding - the _very extraordinary_—the almost præternatural character of - that agility which could have accomplished it. - - “You will say, no doubt, using the language of the law, that ‘to - make out my case,’ I should rather undervalue, than insist upon a - full estimation of the activity required in this matter. This may - be the practice in law, but it is not the usage of reason. My - ultimate object is only the truth. My immediate purpose is to - lead you to place in juxtaposition, that _very unusual_ activity - of which I have just spoken with that _very peculiar_ shrill (or - harsh) and _unequal_ voice, about whose nationality no two - persons could be found to agree, and in whose utterance no - syllabification could be detected.” - - At these words a vague and half-formed conception of the meaning - of Dupin flitted over my mind. I seemed to be upon the verge of - comprehension without power to comprehend—as men, at times, find - themselves upon the brink of remembrance without being able, in - the end, to remember. My friend went on with his discourse. - - “You will see,” he said, “that I have shifted the question from - the mode of egress to that of ingress. It was my design to convey - the idea that both were effected in the same manner, at the same - point. Let us now revert to the interior of the room. Let us - survey the appearances here. The drawers of the bureau, it is - said, had been rifled, although many articles of apparel still - remained within them. The conclusion here is absurd. It is a mere - guess—a very silly one—and no more. How are we to know that the - articles found in the drawers were not all these drawers had - originally contained? Madame L’Espanaye and her daughter lived an - exceedingly retired life—saw no company—seldom went out—had - little use for numerous changes of habiliment. Those found were - at least of as good quality as any likely to be possessed by - these ladies. If a thief had taken any, why did he not take the - best—why did he not take all? In a word, why did he abandon four - thousand francs in gold to encumber himself with a bundle of - linen? The gold _was_ abandoned. Nearly the whole sum mentioned - by Monsieur Mignaud, the banker, was discovered, in bags, upon - the floor. I wish you, therefore, to discard from your thoughts - the blundering idea of _motive_, engendered in the brains of the - police by that portion of the evidence which speaks of money - delivered at the door of the house. Coincidences ten times as - remarkable as this (the delivery of the money, and murder - committed within three days upon the party receiving it), happen - to all of us every hour of our lives, without attracting even - momentary notice. Coincidences, in general, are great - stumbling-blocks in the way of that class of thinkers who have - been educated to know nothing of the theory of probabilities—that - theory to which the most glorious objects of human research are - indebted for the most glorious of illustration. In the present - instance, had the gold been gone, the fact of its delivery three - days before would have formed something more than a coincidence. - It would have been corroborative of this idea of motive. But, - under the real circumstances of the case, if we are to suppose - gold the motive of this outrage, we must also imagine the - perpetrator so vacillating an idiot as to have abandoned his gold - and his motive together. - - “Keeping now steadily in mind the points to which I have drawn - your attention—that peculiar voice, that unusual agility, and - that startling absence of motive in a murder so singularly - atrocious as this—let us glance at the butchery itself. Here is a - woman strangled to death by manual strength, and thrust up a - chimney, head downward. Ordinary assassins employ no such modes - of murder as this. Least of all, do they thus dispose of the - murdered. In the manner of thrusting the corpse up the chimney, - you will admit that there was something _excessively - outré_—something altogether irreconcilable with our common - notions of human action, even when we suppose the actors the most - depraved of men. Think, too, how great must have been that - strength which could have thrust the body _up_ such an aperture - so forcibly that the united vigor of several persons was found - barely sufficient to drag it _down!_ - - “Turn, now, to other indications of the employment of a vigor - most marvellous. On the hearth were thick tresses—very thick - tresses—of grey human hair. These had been torn out by the roots. - You are aware of the great force necessary in tearing thus from - the head even twenty or thirty hairs together. You saw the locks - in question as well as myself. Their roots (a hideous sight!) - were clotted with fragments of the flesh of the scalp—sure token - of the prodigious power which had been exerted in uprooting - perhaps half a million of hairs at a time. The throat of the old - lady was not merely cut, but the head absolutely severed from the - body: the instrument was a mere razor. I wish you also to look at - the _brutal_ ferocity of these deeds. Of the bruises upon the - body of Madame L’Espanaye I do not speak. Monsieur Dumas, and his - worthy coadjutor Monsieur Etienne, have pronounced that they were - inflicted by some obtuse instrument; and so far these gentlemen - are very correct. The obtuse instrument was clearly the stone - pavement in the yard, upon which the victim had fallen from the - window which looked in upon the bed. This idea, however simple it - may now seem, escaped the police for the same reason that the - breadth of the shutters escaped them—because, by the affair of - the nails, their perceptions had been hermetically sealed against - the possibility of the windows having ever been opened at all. - - “If now, in addition to all these things, you have properly - reflected upon the odd disorder of the chamber, we have gone so - far as to combine the ideas of an agility astounding, a strength - superhuman, a ferocity brutal, a butchery without motive, a - _grotesquerie_ in horror absolutely alien from humanity, and a - voice foreign in tone to the ears of men of many nations, and - devoid of all distinct or intelligible syllabification. What - result, then, has ensued? What impression have I made upon your - fancy?” - - I felt a creeping of the flesh as Dupin asked me the question. “A - madman,” I said, “has done this deed—some raving maniac, escaped - from a neighboring _Maison de Santé._” - - “In some respects,” he replied, “your idea is not irrelevant. But - the voices of madmen, even in their wildest paroxysms, are never - found to tally with that peculiar voice heard upon the stairs. - Madmen are of some nation, and their language, however incoherent - in its words, has always the coherence of syllabification. - Besides, the hair of a madman is not such as I now hold in my - hand. I disentangled this little tuft from the rigidly clutched - fingers of Madame L’Espanaye. Tell me what you can make of it.” - - “Dupin!” I said, completely unnerved; “this hair is most - unusual—this is no _human_ hair.” - - “I have not asserted that it is,” said he; “but, before we decide - this point, I wish you to glance at the little sketch I have here - traced upon this paper. It is a _fac-simile_ drawing of what has - been described in one portion of the testimony as ‘dark bruises, - and deep indentations of finger nails,’ upon the throat of - Mademoiselle L’Espanaye, and in another (by Messrs. Dumas and - Etienne,) as a ‘series of livid spots, evidently the impression - of fingers.’ - - “You will perceive,” continued my friend, spreading out the paper - upon the table before us, “that this drawing gives the idea of a - firm and fixed hold. There is no _slipping_ apparent. Each finger - has retained—possibly until the death of the victim—the fearful - grasp by which it originally imbedded itself. Attempt, now, to - place all your fingers, at the same time, in the respective - impressions as you see them.” - - I made the attempt in vain. - - “We are possibly not giving this matter a fair trial,” he said. - “The paper is spread out upon a plane surface; but the human - throat is cylindrical. Here is a billet of wood, the - circumference of which is about that of the throat. Wrap the - drawing around it, and try the experiment again.” - - I did so; but the difficulty was even more obvious than before. - “This,” I said, “is the mark of no human hand.” - - “Read now,” replied Dupin, “this passage from Cuvier.” - - It was a minute anatomical and generally descriptive account of - the large fulvous Ourang-Outang of the East Indian Islands. The - gigantic stature, the prodigious strength and activity, the wild - ferocity, and the imitative propensities of these mammalia are - sufficiently well known to all. I understood the full horrors of - the murder at once. - - “The description of the digits,” said I, as I made an end of - reading, “is in exact accordance with this drawing. I see that no - animal but an Ourang-Outang, of the species here mentioned, could - have impressed the indentations as you have traced them. This - tuft of tawny hair, too, is identical in character with that of - the beast of Cuvier. But I cannot possibly comprehend the - particulars of this frightful mystery. Besides, there were _two_ - voices heard in contention, and one of them was unquestionably - the voice of a Frenchman.” - - “True; and you will remember an expression attributed almost - unanimously, by the evidence, to this voice,—the expression, - ‘_mon Dieu!_’ This, under the circumstances, has been justly - characterized by one of the witnesses (Montani, the - confectioner,) as an expression of remonstrance or expostulation. - Upon these two words, therefore, I have mainly built my hopes of - a full solution of the riddle. A Frenchman was cognizant of the - murder. It is possible—indeed it is far more than probable—that - he was innocent of all participation in the bloody transactions - which took place. The Ourang-Outang may have escaped from him. He - may have traced it to the chamber; but, under the agitating - circumstances which ensued, he could never have re-captured it. - It is still at large. I will not pursue these guesses—for I have - no right to call them more—since the shades of reflection upon - which they are based are scarcely of sufficient depth to be - appreciable by my own intellect, and since I could not pretend to - make them intelligible to the understanding of another. We will - call them guesses then, and speak of them as such. If the - Frenchman in question is indeed, as I suppose, innocent of this - atrocity, this advertisement which I left last night, upon our - return home, at the office of ‘Le Monde’ (a paper devoted to the - shipping interest, and much sought by sailors), will bring him to - our residence.” - - He handed me a paper, and I read thus: - - CAUGHT—_In the Bois de Boulogne, early in the morning of the - ——inst.,_ (the morning of the murder),owner _a very large, tawny - Ourang-Outang of the Bornese species. The owner (who is - ascertained to be a sailor, belonging to a Maltese vessel) may - have the animal again, upon identifying it satisfactorily, and - paying a few charges arising from its capture and keeping. Call - at No. ——, Rue ——, Faubourg St. Germain—au troisième._ - - “How was it possible,” I asked, “that you should know the man to - be a sailor, and belonging to a Maltese vessel?” - - “I do _not_ know it,” said Dupin. “I am not _sure_ of it. Here, - however, is a small piece of ribbon, which from its form, and - from its greasy appearance, has evidently been used in tying the - hair in one of those long _queues_ of which sailors are so fond. - Moreover, this knot is one which few besides sailors can tie, and - is peculiar to the Maltese. I picked the ribbon up at the foot of - the lightning-rod. It could not have belonged to either of the - deceased. Now if, after all, I am wrong in my induction from this - ribbon, that the Frenchman was a sailor belonging to a Maltese - vessel, still I can have done no harm in saying what I did in the - advertisement. If I am in error, he will merely suppose that I - have been misled by some circumstance into which he will not take - the trouble to inquire. But if I am right, a great point is - gained. Cognizant although innocent of the murder, the Frenchman - will naturally hesitate about replying to the advertisement—about - demanding the Ourang-Outang. He will reason thus:—‘I am innocent; - I am poor; my Ourang-Outang is of great value—to one in my - circumstances a fortune of itself—why should I lose it through - idle apprehensions of danger? Here it is, within my grasp. It was - found in the Bois de Boulogne—at a vast distance from the scene - of that butchery. How can it ever be suspected that a brute beast - should have done the deed? The police are at fault—they have - failed to procure the slightest clew. Should they even trace the - animal, it would be impossible to prove me cognizant of the - murder, or to implicate me in guilt on account of that - cognizance. Above all, _I am known._ The advertiser designates me - as the possessor of the beast. I am not sure to what limit his - knowledge may extend. Should I avoid claiming a property of so - great value, which it is known that I possess, I will render the - animal at least, liable to suspicion. It is not my policy to - attract attention either to myself or to the beast. I will answer - the advertisement, get the Ourang-Outang, and keep it close until - this matter has blown over.’” - - At this moment we heard a step upon the stairs. - - “Be ready,” said Dupin, “with your pistols, but neither use them - nor show them until at a signal from myself.” - - The front door of the house had been left open, and the visitor - had entered, without ringing, and advanced several steps upon the - staircase. Now, however, he seemed to hesitate. Presently we - heard him descending. Dupin was moving quickly to the door, when - we again heard him coming up. He did not turn back a second time, - but stepped up with decision, and rapped at the door of our - chamber. - - “Come in,” said Dupin, in a cheerful and hearty tone. - - A man entered. He was a sailor, evidently,—a tall, stout, and - muscular-looking person, with a certain dare-devil expression of - countenance, not altogether unprepossessing. His face, greatly - sunburnt, was more than half hidden by whisker and _mustachio._ - He had with him a huge oaken cudgel, but appeared to be otherwise - unarmed. He bowed awkwardly, and bade us “good evening,” in - French accents, which, although somewhat Neufchatelish, were - still sufficiently indicative of a Parisian origin. - - “Sit down, my friend,” said Dupin. “I suppose you have called - about the Ourang-Outang. Upon my word, I almost envy you the - possession of him; a remarkably fine, and no doubt a very - valuable animal. How old do you suppose him to be?” - - The sailor drew a long breath, with the air of a man relieved of - some intolerable burden, and then replied, in an assured tone: - - “I have no way of telling—but he can’t be more than four or five - years old. Have you got him here?” - - “Oh no, we had no conveniences for keeping him here. He is at a - livery stable in the Rue Dubourg, just by. You can get him in the - morning. Of course you are prepared to identify the property?” - - “To be sure I am, sir.” - - “I shall be sorry to part with him,” said Dupin. - - “I don’t mean that you should be at all this trouble for nothing, - sir,” said the man. “Couldn’t expect it. Am very willing to pay a - reward for the finding of the animal—that is to say, any thing in - reason.” - - “Well,” replied my friend, “that is all very fair, to be sure. - Let me think!—what should I have? Oh! I will tell you. My reward - shall be this. You shall give me all the information in your - power about these murders in the Rue Morgue.” - - Dupin said the last words in a very low tone, and very quietly. - Just as quietly, too, he walked toward the door, locked it and - put the key in his pocket. He then drew a pistol from his bosom - and placed it, without the least flurry, upon the table. - - The sailor’s face flushed up as if he were struggling with - suffocation. He started to his feet and grasped his cudgel, but - the next moment he fell back into his seat, trembling violently, - and with the countenance of death itself. He spoke not a word. I - pitied him from the bottom of my heart. - - “My friend,” said Dupin, in a kind tone, “you are alarming - yourself unnecessarily—you are indeed. We mean you no harm - whatever. I pledge you the honor of a gentleman, and of a - Frenchman, that we intend you no injury. I perfectly well know - that you are innocent of the atrocities in the Rue Morgue. It - will not do, however, to deny that you are in some measure - implicated in them. From what I have already said, you must know - that I have had means of information about this matter—means of - which you could never have dreamed. Now the thing stands thus. - You have done nothing which you could have avoided—nothing, - certainly, which renders you culpable. You were not even guilty - of robbery, when you might have robbed with impunity. You have - nothing to conceal. You have no reason for concealment. On the - other hand, you are bound by every principle of honor to confess - all you know. An innocent man is now imprisoned, charged with - that crime of which you can point out the perpetrator.” - - The sailor had recovered his presence of mind, in a great - measure, while Dupin uttered these words; but his original - boldness of bearing was all gone. - - “So help me God!” said he, after a brief pause, “I _will_ tell - you all I know about this affair;—but I do not expect you to - believe one half I say—I would be a fool indeed if I did. Still, - I _am_ innocent, and I will make a clean breast if I die for it.” - - What he stated was, in substance, this. He had lately made a - voyage to the Indian Archipelago. A party, of which he formed - one, landed at Borneo, and passed into the interior on an - excursion of pleasure. Himself and a companion had captured the - Ourang-Outang. This companion dying, the animal fell into his own - exclusive possession. After great trouble, occasioned by the - intractable ferocity of his captive during the home voyage, he at - length succeeded in lodging it safely at his own residence in - Paris, where, not to attract toward himself the unpleasant - curiosity of his neighbors, he kept it carefully secluded, until - such time as it should recover from a wound in the foot, received - from a splinter on board ship. His ultimate design was to sell - it. - - Returning home from some sailors’ frolic the night, or rather in - the morning of the murder, he found the beast occupying his own - bed-room, into which it had broken from a closet adjoining, where - it had been, as was thought, securely confined. Razor in hand, - and fully lathered, it was sitting before a looking-glass, - attempting the operation of shaving, in which it had no doubt - previously watched its master through the key-hole of the closet. - Terrified at the sight of so dangerous a weapon in the possession - of an animal so ferocious, and so well able to use it, the man, - for some moments, was at a loss what to do. He had been - accustomed, however, to quiet the creature, even in its fiercest - moods, by the use of a whip, and to this he now resorted. Upon - sight of it, the Ourang-Outang sprang at once through the door of - the chamber, down the stairs, and thence, through a window, - unfortunately open, into the street. - - The Frenchman followed in despair; the ape, razor still in hand, - occasionally stopping to look back and gesticulate at its - pursuer, until the latter had nearly come up with it. It then - again made off. In this manner the chase continued for a long - time. The streets were profoundly quiet, as it was nearly three - o’clock in the morning. In passing down an alley in the rear of - the Rue Morgue, the fugitive’s attention was arrested by a light - gleaming from the open window of Madame L’Espanaye’s chamber, in - the fourth story of her house. Rushing to the building, it - perceived the lightning rod, clambered up with inconceivable - agility, grasped the shutter, which was thrown fully back against - the wall, and, by its means, swung itself directly upon the - headboard of the bed. The whole feat did not occupy a minute. The - shutter was kicked open again by the Ourang-Outang as it entered - the room. - - The sailor, in the meantime, was both rejoiced and perplexed. He - had strong hopes of now recapturing the brute, as it could - scarcely escape from the trap into which it had ventured, except - by the rod, where it might be intercepted as it came down. On the - other hand, there was much cause for anxiety as to what it might - do in the house. This latter reflection urged the man still to - follow the fugitive. A lightning rod is ascended without - difficulty, especially by a sailor; but, when he had arrived as - high as the window, which lay far to his left, his career was - stopped; the most that he could accomplish was to reach over so - as to obtain a glimpse of the interior of the room. At this - glimpse he nearly fell from his hold through excess of horror. - Now it was that those hideous shrieks arose upon the night, which - had startled from slumber the inmates of the Rue Morgue. Madame - L’Espanaye and her daughter, habited in their night clothes, had - apparently been occupied in arranging some papers in the iron - chest already mentioned, which had been wheeled into the middle - of the room. It was open, and its contents lay beside it on the - floor. The victims must have been sitting with their backs toward - the window; and, from the time elapsing between the ingress of - the beast and the screams, it seems probable that it was not - immediately perceived. The flapping-to of the shutter would - naturally have been attributed to the wind. - - As the sailor looked in, the gigantic animal had seized Madame - L’Espanaye by the hair, (which was loose, as she had been combing - it,) and was flourishing the razor about her face, in imitation - of the motions of a barber. The daughter lay prostrate and - motionless; she had swooned. The screams and struggles of the old - lady (during which the hair was torn from her head) had the - effect of changing the probably pacific purposes of the - Ourang-Outang into those of wrath. With one determined sweep of - its muscular arm it nearly severed her head from her body. The - sight of blood inflamed its anger into phrenzy. Gnashing its - teeth, and flashing fire from its eyes, it flew upon the body of - the girl, and imbedded its fearful talons in her throat, - retaining its grasp until she expired. Its wandering and wild - glances fell at this moment upon the head of the bed, over which - the face of its master, rigid with horror, was just discernible. - The fury of the beast, who no doubt bore still in mind the - dreaded whip, was instantly converted into fear. Conscious of - having deserved punishment, it seemed desirous of concealing its - bloody deeds, and skipped about the chamber in an agony of - nervous agitation; throwing down and breaking the furniture as it - moved, and dragging the bed from the bedstead. In conclusion, it - seized first the corpse of the daughter, and thrust it up the - chimney, as it was found; then that of the old lady, which it - immediately hurled through the window headlong. - - As the ape approached the casement with its mutilated burden, the - sailor shrank aghast to the rod, and, rather gliding than - clambering down it, hurried at once home—dreading the - consequences of the butchery, and gladly abandoning, in his - terror, all solicitude about the fate of the Ourang-Outang. The - words heard by the party upon the staircase were the Frenchman’s - exclamations of horror and affright, commingled with the fiendish - jabberings of the brute. - - I have scarcely anything to add. The Ourang-Outang must have - escaped from the chamber, by the rod, just before the breaking of - the door. It must have closed the window as it passed through it. - It was subsequently caught by the owner himself, who obtained for - it a very large sum at the _Jardin des Plantes._ Le Don was - instantly released, upon our narration of the circumstances (with - some comments from Dupin) at the bureau of the Prefect of Police. - This functionary, however well disposed to my friend, could not - altogether conceal his chagrin at the turn which affairs had - taken, and was fain to indulge in a sarcasm or two, about the - propriety of every person minding his own business. - - “Let him talk,” said Dupin, who had not thought it necessary to - reply. “Let him discourse; it will ease his conscience, I am - satisfied with having defeated him in his own castle. - Nevertheless, that he failed in the solution of this mystery, is - by no means that matter for wonder which he supposes it; for, in - truth, our friend the Prefect is somewhat too cunning to be - profound. In his wisdom is no _stamen._ It is all head and no - body, like the pictures of the Goddess Laverna,—or, at best, all - head and shoulders, like a codfish. But he is a good creature - after all. I like him especially for one master stroke of cant, - by which he has attained his reputation for ingenuity. I mean the - way he has ‘_de nier ce qui est, et d’expliquer ce qui n’est - pas._’” (*) - - (*) Rousseau—Nouvelle Heloïse. - - - - -THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET.(*1) - - - A SEQUEL TO “THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE.” - - Es giebt eine Reihe idealischer Begebenheiten, die der Wirklichkeit - parallel lauft. Selten fallen sie zusammen. Menschen und zufalle - modificiren gewohulich die idealische Begebenheit, so dass sie - unvollkommen erscheint, und ihre Folgen gleichfalls unvollkommen - sind. So bei der Reformation; statt des Protestantismus kam das - Lutherthum hervor. - There are ideal series of events which run parallel with the real - ones. They rarely coincide. Men and circumstances generally - modify the ideal train of events, so that it seems imperfect, and - its consequences are equally imperfect. Thus with the - Reformation; instead of Protestantism came - Lutheranism.—_Novalis_.(*2) _Moral Ansichten_. - - There are few persons, even among the calmest thinkers, who have - not occasionally been startled into a vague yet thrilling - half-credence in the supernatural, by coincidences of so - seemingly marvellous a character that, as mere coincidences, the - intellect has been unable to receive them. Such sentiments—for - the half-credences of which I speak have never the full force of - thought—such sentiments are seldom thoroughly stifled unless by - reference to the doctrine of chance, or, as it is technically - termed, the Calculus of Probabilities. Now this Calculus is, in - its essence, purely mathematical; and thus we have the anomaly of - the most rigidly exact in science applied to the shadow and - spirituality of the most intangible in speculation. - - The extraordinary details which I am now called upon to make - public, will be found to form, as regards sequence of time, the - primary branch of a series of scarcely intelligible coincidences, - whose secondary or concluding branch will be recognized by all - readers in the late murder of Mary Cecila Rogers, at New York. - - When, in an article entitled “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” I - endeavored, about a year ago, to depict some very remarkable - features in the mental character of my friend, the Chevalier C. - Auguste Dupin, it did not occur to me that I should ever resume - the subject. This depicting of character constituted my design; - and this design was thoroughly fulfilled in the wild train of - circumstances brought to instance Dupin’s idiosyncrasy. I might - have adduced other examples, but I should have proven no more. - Late events, however, in their surprising development, have - startled me into some farther details, which will carry with them - the air of extorted confession. Hearing what I have lately heard, - it would be indeed strange should I remain silent in regard to - what I both heard and saw so long ago. - - Upon the winding up of the tragedy involved in the deaths of - Madame L’Espanaye and her daughter, the Chevalier dismissed the - affair at once from his attention, and relapsed into his old - habits of moody reverie. Prone, at all times, to abstraction, I - readily fell in with his humor; and, continuing to occupy our - chambers in the Faubourg Saint Germain, we gave the Future to the - winds, and slumbered tranquilly in the Present, weaving the dull - world around us into dreams. - - But these dreams were not altogether uninterrupted. It may - readily be supposed that the part played by my friend, in the - drama at the Rue Morgue, had not failed of its impression upon - the fancies of the Parisian police. With its emissaries, the name - of Dupin had grown into a household word. The simple character of - those inductions by which he had disentangled the mystery never - having been explained even to the Prefect, or to any other - individual than myself, of course it is not surprising that the - affair was regarded as little less than miraculous, or that the - Chevalier’s analytical abilities acquired for him the credit of - intuition. His frankness would have led him to disabuse every - inquirer of such prejudice; but his indolent humor forbade all - farther agitation of a topic whose interest to himself had long - ceased. It thus happened that he found himself the cynosure of - the political eyes; and the cases were not few in which attempt - was made to engage his services at the Prefecture. One of the - most remarkable instances was that of the murder of a young girl - named Marie Rogêt. - - This event occurred about two years after the atrocity in the Rue - Morgue. Marie, whose Christian and family name will at once - arrest attention from their resemblance to those of the - unfortunate “cigar girl,” was the only daughter of the widow - Estelle Rogêt. The father had died during the child’s infancy, - and from the period of his death, until within eighteen months - before the assassination which forms the subject of our - narrative, the mother and daughter had dwelt together in the Rue - Pavée Saint Andrée; (*3) Madame there keeping a pension, assisted - by Marie. Affairs went on thus until the latter had attained her - twenty-second year, when her great beauty attracted the notice of - a perfumer, who occupied one of the shops in the basement of the - Palais Royal, and whose custom lay chiefly among the desperate - adventurers infesting that neighborhood. Monsieur Le Blanc (*4) - was not unaware of the advantages to be derived from the - attendance of the fair Marie in his perfumery; and his liberal - proposals were accepted eagerly by the girl, although with - somewhat more of hesitation by Madame. - - The anticipations of the shopkeeper were realized, and his rooms - soon became notorious through the charms of the sprightly - grisette. She had been in his employ about a year, when her - admirers were thrown info confusion by her sudden disappearance - from the shop. Monsieur Le Blanc was unable to account for her - absence, and Madame Rogêt was distracted with anxiety and terror. - The public papers immediately took up the theme, and the police - were upon the point of making serious investigations, when, one - fine morning, after the lapse of a week, Marie, in good health, - but with a somewhat saddened air, made her re-appearance at her - usual counter in the perfumery. All inquiry, except that of a - private character, was of course immediately hushed. Monsieur Le - Blanc professed total ignorance, as before. Marie, with Madame, - replied to all questions, that the last week had been spent at - the house of a relation in the country. Thus the affair died - away, and was generally forgotten; for the girl, ostensibly to - relieve herself from the impertinence of curiosity, soon bade a - final adieu to the perfumer, and sought the shelter of her - mother’s residence in the Rue Pavée Saint Andrée. - - It was about five months after this return home, that her friends - were alarmed by her sudden disappearance for the second time. - Three days elapsed, and nothing was heard of her. On the fourth - her corpse was found floating in the Seine, * near the shore - which is opposite the Quartier of the Rue Saint Andrée, and at a - point not very far distant from the secluded neighborhood of the - Barrière du Roule. (*6) - - The atrocity of this murder, (for it was at once evident that - murder had been committed,) the youth and beauty of the victim, - and, above all, her previous notoriety, conspired to produce - intense excitement in the minds of the sensitive Parisians. I can - call to mind no similar occurrence producing so general and so - intense an effect. For several weeks, in the discussion of this - one absorbing theme, even the momentous political topics of the - day were forgotten. The Prefect made unusual exertions; and the - powers of the whole Parisian police were, of course, tasked to - the utmost extent. - - Upon the first discovery of the corpse, it was not supposed that - the murderer would be able to elude, for more than a very brief - period, the inquisition which was immediately set on foot. It was - not until the expiration of a week that it was deemed necessary - to offer a reward; and even then this reward was limited to a - thousand francs. In the mean time the investigation proceeded - with vigor, if not always with judgment, and numerous individuals - were examined to no purpose; while, owing to the continual - absence of all clue to the mystery, the popular excitement - greatly increased. At the end of the tenth day it was thought - advisable to double the sum originally proposed; and, at length, - the second week having elapsed without leading to any - discoveries, and the prejudice which always exists in Paris - against the Police having given vent to itself in several serious - émeutes, the Prefect took it upon himself to offer the sum of - twenty thousand francs “for the conviction of the assassin,” or, - if more than one should prove to have been implicated, “for the - conviction of any one of the assassins.” In the proclamation - setting forth this reward, a full pardon was promised to any - accomplice who should come forward in evidence against his - fellow; and to the whole was appended, wherever it appeared, the - private placard of a committee of citizens, offering ten thousand - francs, in addition to the amount proposed by the Prefecture. The - entire reward thus stood at no less than thirty thousand francs, - which will be regarded as an extraordinary sum when we consider - the humble condition of the girl, and the great frequency, in - large cities, of such atrocities as the one described. - - No one doubted now that the mystery of this murder would be - immediately brought to light. But although, in one or two - instances, arrests were made which promised elucidation, yet - nothing was elicited which could implicate the parties suspected; - and they were discharged forthwith. Strange as it may appear, the - third week from the discovery of the body had passed, and passed - without any light being thrown upon the subject, before even a - rumor of the events which had so agitated the public mind, - reached the ears of Dupin and myself. Engaged in researches which - absorbed our whole attention, it had been nearly a month since - either of us had gone abroad, or received a visitor, or more than - glanced at the leading political articles in one of the daily - papers. The first intelligence of the murder was brought us by - G——, in person. He called upon us early in the afternoon of the - thirteenth of July, 18—, and remained with us until late in the - night. He had been piqued by the failure of all his endeavors to - ferret out the assassins. His reputation—so he said with a - peculiarly Parisian air—was at stake. Even his honor was - concerned. The eyes of the public were upon him; and there was - really no sacrifice which he would not be willing to make for the - development of the mystery. He concluded a somewhat droll speech - with a compliment upon what he was pleased to term the tact of - Dupin, and made him a direct, and certainly a liberal - proposition, the precise nature of which I do not feel myself at - liberty to disclose, but which has no bearing upon the proper - subject of my narrative. - - The compliment my friend rebutted as best he could, but the - proposition he accepted at once, although its advantages were - altogether provisional. This point being settled, the Prefect - broke forth at once into explanations of his own views, - interspersing them with long comments upon the evidence; of which - latter we were not yet in possession. He discoursed much, and - beyond doubt, learnedly; while I hazarded an occasional - suggestion as the night wore drowsily away. Dupin, sitting - steadily in his accustomed arm-chair, was the embodiment of - respectful attention. He wore spectacles, during the whole - interview; and an occasional signal glance beneath their green - glasses, sufficed to convince me that he slept not the less - soundly, because silently, throughout the seven or eight - leaden-footed hours which immediately preceded the departure of - the Prefect. - - In the morning, I procured, at the Prefecture, a full report of - all the evidence elicited, and, at the various newspaper offices, - a copy of every paper in which, from first to last, had been - published any decisive information in regard to this sad affair. - Freed from all that was positively disproved, this mass of - information stood thus: - - Marie Rogêt left the residence of her mother, in the Rue Pavée - St. Andrée, about nine o’clock in the morning of Sunday, June the - twenty-second, 18—. In going out, she gave notice to a Monsieur - Jacques St. Eustache, (*7) and to him only, of her intent - intention to spend the day with an aunt who resided in the Rue - des Drômes. The Rue des Drômes is a short and narrow but populous - thoroughfare, not far from the banks of the river, and at a - distance of some two miles, in the most direct course possible, - from the pension of Madame Rogêt. St. Eustache was the accepted - suitor of Marie, and lodged, as well as took his meals, at the - pension. He was to have gone for his betrothed at dusk, and to - have escorted her home. In the afternoon, however, it came on to - rain heavily; and, supposing that she would remain all night at - her aunt’s, (as she had done under similar circumstances before,) - he did not think it necessary to keep his promise. As night drew - on, Madame Rogêt (who was an infirm old lady, seventy years of - age,) was heard to express a fear “that she should never see - Marie again;” but this observation attracted little attention at - the time. - - On Monday, it was ascertained that the girl had not been to the - Rue des Drômes; and when the day elapsed without tidings of her, - a tardy search was instituted at several points in the city, and - its environs. It was not, however until the fourth day from the - period of disappearance that any thing satisfactory was - ascertained respecting her. On this day, (Wednesday, the - twenty-fifth of June,) a Monsieur Beauvais, (*8) who, with a - friend, had been making inquiries for Marie near the Barrière du - Roule, on the shore of the Seine which is opposite the Rue Pavée - St. Andrée, was informed that a corpse had just been towed ashore - by some fishermen, who had found it floating in the river. Upon - seeing the body, Beauvais, after some hesitation, identified it - as that of the perfumery-girl. His friend recognized it more - promptly. - - The face was suffused with dark blood, some of which issued from - the mouth. No foam was seen, as in the case of the merely - drowned. There was no discoloration in the cellular tissue. About - the throat were bruises and impressions of fingers. The arms were - bent over on the chest and were rigid. The right hand was - clenched; the left partially open. On the left wrist were two - circular excoriations, apparently the effect of ropes, or of a - rope in more than one volution. A part of the right wrist, also, - was much chafed, as well as the back throughout its extent, but - more especially at the shoulder-blades. In bringing the body to - the shore the fishermen had attached to it a rope; but none of - the excoriations had been effected by this. The flesh of the neck - was much swollen. There were no cuts apparent, or bruises which - appeared the effect of blows. A piece of lace was found tied so - tightly around the neck as to be hidden from sight; it was - completely buried in the flesh, and was fastened by a knot which - lay just under the left ear. This alone would have sufficed to - produce death. The medical testimony spoke confidently of the - virtuous character of the deceased. She had been subjected, it - said, to brutal violence. The corpse was in such condition when - found, that there could have been no difficulty in its - recognition by friends. - - The dress was much torn and otherwise disordered. In the outer - garment, a slip, about a foot wide, had been torn upward from the - bottom hem to the waist, but not torn off. It was wound three - times around the waist, and secured by a sort of hitch in the - back. The dress immediately beneath the frock was of fine muslin; - and from this a slip eighteen inches wide had been torn entirely - out—torn very evenly and with great care. It was found around her - neck, fitting loosely, and secured with a hard knot. Over this - muslin slip and the slip of lace, the strings of a bonnet were - attached; the bonnet being appended. The knot by which the - strings of the bonnet were fastened, was not a lady’s, but a slip - or sailor’s knot. - - After the recognition of the corpse, it was not, as usual, taken - to the Morgue, (this formality being superfluous,) but hastily - interred not far from the spot at which it was brought ashore. - Through the exertions of Beauvais, the matter was industriously - hushed up, as far as possible; and several days had elapsed - before any public emotion resulted. A weekly paper, (*9) however, - at length took up the theme; the corpse was disinterred, and a - re-examination instituted; but nothing was elicited beyond what - has been already noted. The clothes, however, were now submitted - to the mother and friends of the deceased, and fully identified - as those worn by the girl upon leaving home. - - Meantime, the excitement increased hourly. Several individuals - were arrested and discharged. St. Eustache fell especially under - suspicion; and he failed, at first, to give an intelligible - account of his whereabouts during the Sunday on which Marie left - home. Subsequently, however, he submitted to Monsieur G——, - affidavits, accounting satisfactorily for every hour of the day - in question. As time passed and no discovery ensued, a thousand - contradictory rumors were circulated, and journalists busied - themselves in suggestions. Among these, the one which attracted - the most notice, was the idea that Marie Rogêt still lived—that - the corpse found in the Seine was that of some other unfortunate. - It will be proper that I submit to the reader some passages which - embody the suggestion alluded to. These passages are literal - translations from L’Etoile, (*10) a paper conducted, in general, - with much ability. - - “Mademoiselle Rogêt left her mother’s house on Sunday morning, - June the twenty-second, 18—, with the ostensible purpose of going - to see her aunt, or some other connexion, in the Rue des Drômes. - From that hour, nobody is proved to have seen her. There is no - trace or tidings of her at all.... There has no person, whatever, - come forward, so far, who saw her at all, on that day, after she - left her mother’s door.... Now, though we have no evidence that - Marie Rogêt was in the land of the living after nine o’clock on - Sunday, June the twenty-second, we have proof that, up to that - hour, she was alive. On Wednesday noon, at twelve, a female body - was discovered afloat on the shore of the Barrière de Roule. This - was, even if we presume that Marie Rogêt was thrown into the - river within three hours after she left her mother’s house, only - three days from the time she left her home—three days to an hour. - But it is folly to suppose that the murder, if murder was - committed on her body, could have been consummated soon enough to - have enabled her murderers to throw the body into the river - before midnight. Those who are guilty of such horrid crimes - choose darkness rather the light.... Thus we see that if the body - found in the river was that of Marie Rogêt, it could only have - been in the water two and a half days, or three at the outside. - All experience has shown that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown - into the water immediately after death by violence, require from - six to ten days for decomposition to take place to bring them to - the top of the water. Even where a cannon is fired over a corpse, - and it rises before at least five or six days’ immersion, it - sinks again, if let alone. Now, we ask, what was there in this - case to cause a departure from the ordinary course of nature?... - If the body had been kept in its mangled state on shore until - Tuesday night, some trace would be found on shore of the - murderers. It is a doubtful point, also, whether the body would - be so soon afloat, even were it thrown in after having been dead - two days. And, furthermore, it is exceedingly improbable that any - villains who had committed such a murder as is here supposed, - would have thrown the body in without weight to sink it, when - such a precaution could have so easily been taken.” - - The editor here proceeds to argue that the body must have been in - the water “not three days merely, but, at least, five times three - days,” because it was so far decomposed that Beauvais had great - difficulty in recognizing it. This latter point, however, was - fully disproved. I continue the translation: - - “What, then, are the facts on which M. Beauvais says that he has - no doubt the body was that of Marie Rogêt? He ripped up the gown - sleeve, and says he found marks which satisfied him of the - identity. The public generally supposed those marks to have - consisted of some description of scars. He rubbed the arm and - found hair upon it—something as indefinite, we think, as can - readily be imagined—as little conclusive as finding an arm in the - sleeve. M. Beauvais did not return that night, but sent word to - Madame Rogêt, at seven o’clock, on Wednesday evening, that an - investigation was still in progress respecting her daughter. If - we allow that Madame Rogêt, from her age and grief, could not go - over, (which is allowing a great deal,) there certainly must have - been some one who would have thought it worth while to go over - and attend the investigation, if they thought the body was that - of Marie. Nobody went over. There was nothing said or heard about - the matter in the Rue Pavée St. Andrée, that reached even the - occupants of the same building. M. St. Eustache, the lover and - intended husband of Marie, who boarded in her mother’s house, - deposes that he did not hear of the discovery of the body of his - intended until the next morning, when M. Beauvais came into his - chamber and told him of it. For an item of news like this, it - strikes us it was very coolly received.” - - In this way the journal endeavored to create the impression of an - apathy on the part of the relatives of Marie, inconsistent with - the supposition that these relatives believed the corpse to be - hers. Its insinuations amount to this: that Marie, with the - connivance of her friends, had absented herself from the city for - reasons involving a charge against her chastity; and that these - friends, upon the discovery of a corpse in the Seine, somewhat - resembling that of the girl, had availed themselves of the - opportunity to impress the public with the belief of her death. - But L’Etoile was again over-hasty. It was distinctly proved that - no apathy, such as was imagined, existed; that the old lady was - exceedingly feeble, and so agitated as to be unable to attend to - any duty; that St. Eustache, so far from receiving the news - coolly, was distracted with grief, and bore himself so - frantically, that M. Beauvais prevailed upon a friend and - relative to take charge of him, and prevent his attending the - examination at the disinterment. Moreover, although it was stated - by L’Etoile, that the corpse was re-interred at the public - expense—that an advantageous offer of private sculpture was - absolutely declined by the family—and that no member of the - family attended the ceremonial;—although, I say, all this was - asserted by L’Etoile in furtherance of the impression it designed - to convey—yet all this was satisfactorily disproved. In a - subsequent number of the paper, an attempt was made to throw - suspicion upon Beauvais himself. The editor says: - - “Now, then, a change comes over the matter. We are told that on - one occasion, while a Madame B—— was at Madame Rogêt’s house, M. - Beauvais, who was going out, told her that a gendarme was - expected there, and she, Madame B., must not say anything to the - gendarme until he returned, but let the matter be for him.... In - the present posture of affairs, M. Beauvais appears to have the - whole matter locked up in his head. A single step cannot be taken - without M. Beauvais, for, go which way you will, you run against - him.... For some reason, he determined that nobody shall have any - thing to do with the proceedings but himself, and he has elbowed - the male relatives out of the way, according to their - representations, in a very singular manner. He seems to have been - very much averse to permitting the relatives to see the body.” - - By the following fact, some color was given to the suspicion thus - thrown upon Beauvais. A visitor at his office, a few days prior - to the girl’s disappearance, and during the absence of its - occupant, had observed a rose in the key-hole of the door, and - the name “Marie” inscribed upon a slate which hung near at hand. - - The general impression, so far as we were enabled to glean it - from the newspapers, seemed to be, that Marie had been the victim - of a gang of desperadoes—that by these she had been borne across - the river, maltreated and murdered. Le Commerciel, (*11) however, - a print of extensive influence, was earnest in combating this - popular idea. I quote a passage or two from its columns: - - “We are persuaded that pursuit has hitherto been on a false - scent, so far as it has been directed to the Barrière du Roule. - It is impossible that a person so well known to thousands as this - young woman was, should have passed three blocks without some one - having seen her; and any one who saw her would have remembered - it, for she interested all who knew her. It was when the streets - were full of people, when she went out.... It is impossible that - she could have gone to the Barrière du Roule, or to the Rue des - Drômes, without being recognized by a dozen persons; yet no one - has come forward who saw her outside of her mother’s door, and - there is no evidence, except the testimony concerning her - expressed intentions, that she did go out at all. Her gown was - torn, bound round her, and tied; and by that the body was carried - as a bundle. If the murder had been committed at the Barrière du - Roule, there would have been no necessity for any such - arrangement. The fact that the body was found floating near the - Barrière, is no proof as to where it was thrown into the - water..... A piece of one of the unfortunate girl’s petticoats, - two feet long and one foot wide, was torn out and tied under her - chin around the back of her head, probably to prevent screams. - This was done by fellows who had no pocket-handkerchief.” - - A day or two before the Prefect called upon us, however, some - important information reached the police, which seemed to - overthrow, at least, the chief portion of Le Commerciel’s - argument. Two small boys, sons of a Madame Deluc, while roaming - among the woods near the Barrière du Roule, chanced to penetrate - a close thicket, within which were three or four large stones, - forming a kind of seat, with a back and footstool. On the upper - stone lay a white petticoat; on the second a silk scarf. A - parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief were also here found. - The handkerchief bore the name “Marie Rogêt.” Fragments of dress - were discovered on the brambles around. The earth was trampled, - the bushes were broken, and there was every evidence of a - struggle. Between the thicket and the river, the fences were - found taken down, and the ground bore evidence of some heavy - burthen having been dragged along it. - - A weekly paper, Le Soleil,(*12) had the following comments upon - this discovery—comments which merely echoed the sentiment of the - whole Parisian press: - - “The things had all evidently been there at least three or four - weeks; they were all mildewed down hard with the action of the - rain and stuck together from mildew. The grass had grown around - and over some of them. The silk on the parasol was strong, but - the threads of it were run together within. The upper part, where - it had been doubled and folded, was all mildewed and rotten, and - tore on its being opened..... The pieces of her frock torn out by - the bushes were about three inches wide and six inches long. One - part was the hem of the frock, and it had been mended; the other - piece was part of the skirt, not the hem. They looked like strips - torn off, and were on the thorn bush, about a foot from the - ground..... There can be no doubt, therefore, that the spot of - this appalling outrage has been discovered.” - - Consequent upon this discovery, new evidence appeared. Madame - Deluc testified that she keeps a roadside inn not far from the - bank of the river, opposite the Barrière du Roule. The - neighborhood is secluded—particularly so. It is the usual Sunday - resort of blackguards from the city, who cross the river in - boats. About three o’clock, in the afternoon of the Sunday in - question, a young girl arrived at the inn, accompanied by a young - man of dark complexion. The two remained here for some time. On - their departure, they took the road to some thick woods in the - vicinity. Madame Deluc’s attention was called to the dress worn - by the girl, on account of its resemblance to one worn by a - deceased relative. A scarf was particularly noticed. Soon after - the departure of the couple, a gang of miscreants made their - appearance, behaved boisterously, ate and drank without making - payment, followed in the route of the young man and girl, - returned to the inn about dusk, and re-crossed the river as if in - great haste. - - It was soon after dark, upon this same evening, that Madame - Deluc, as well as her eldest son, heard the screams of a female - in the vicinity of the inn. The screams were violent but brief. - Madame D. recognized not only the scarf which was found in the - thicket, but the dress which was discovered upon the corpse. An - omnibus driver, Valence, (*13) now also testified that he saw - Marie Rogêt cross a ferry on the Seine, on the Sunday in - question, in company with a young man of dark complexion. He, - Valence, knew Marie, and could not be mistaken in her identity. - The articles found in the thicket were fully identified by the - relatives of Marie. - - The items of evidence and information thus collected by myself, - from the newspapers, at the suggestion of Dupin, embraced only - one more point—but this was a point of seemingly vast - consequence. It appears that, immediately after the discovery of - the clothes as above described, the lifeless, or nearly lifeless - body of St. Eustache, Marie’s betrothed, was found in the - vicinity of what all now supposed the scene of the outrage. A - phial labelled “laudanum,” and emptied, was found near him. His - breath gave evidence of the poison. He died without speaking. - Upon his person was found a letter, briefly stating his love for - Marie, with his design of self-destruction. - - “I need scarcely tell you,” said Dupin, as he finished the - perusal of my notes, “that this is a far more intricate case than - that of the Rue Morgue; from which it differs in one important - respect. This is an ordinary, although an atrocious instance of - crime. There is nothing peculiarly outré about it. You will - observe that, for this reason, the mystery has been considered - easy, when, for this reason, it should have been considered - difficult, of solution. Thus; at first, it was thought - unnecessary to offer a reward. The myrmidons of G—— were able at - once to comprehend how and why such an atrocity might have been - committed. They could picture to their imaginations a mode—many - modes—and a motive—many motives; and because it was not - impossible that either of these numerous modes and motives could - have been the actual one, they have taken it for granted that one - of them must. But the case with which these variable fancies were - entertained, and the very plausibility which each assumed, should - have been understood as indicative rather of the difficulties - than of the facilities which must attend elucidation. I have - before observed that it is by prominences above the plane of the - ordinary, that reason feels her way, if at all, in her search for - the true, and that the proper question in cases such as this, is - not so much ‘what has occurred?’ as ‘what has occurred that has - never occurred before?’ In the investigations at the house of - Madame L’Espanaye, (*14) the agents of G—— were discouraged and - confounded by that very unusualness which, to a properly - regulated intellect, would have afforded the surest omen of - success; while this same intellect might have been plunged in - despair at the ordinary character of all that met the eye in the - case of the perfumery-girl, and yet told of nothing but easy - triumph to the functionaries of the Prefecture. - - “In the case of Madame L’Espanaye and her daughter there was, - even at the beginning of our investigation, no doubt that murder - had been committed. The idea of suicide was excluded at once. - Here, too, we are freed, at the commencement, from all - supposition of self-murder. The body found at the Barrière du - Roule, was found under such circumstances as to leave us no room - for embarrassment upon this important point. But it has been - suggested that the corpse discovered, is not that of the Marie - Rogêt for the conviction of whose assassin, or assassins, the - reward is offered, and respecting whom, solely, our agreement has - been arranged with the Prefect. We both know this gentleman well. - It will not do to trust him too far. If, dating our inquiries - from the body found, and thence tracing a murderer, we yet - discover this body to be that of some other individual than - Marie; or, if starting from the living Marie, we find her, yet - find her unassassinated—in either case we lose our labor; since - it is Monsieur G—— with whom we have to deal. For our own - purpose, therefore, if not for the purpose of justice, it is - indispensable that our first step should be the determination of - the identity of the corpse with the Marie Rogêt who is missing. - - “With the public the arguments of L’Etoile have had weight; and - that the journal itself is convinced of their importance would - appear from the manner in which it commences one of its essays - upon the subject—‘Several of the morning papers of the day,’ it - says, ‘speak of the _conclusive_ article in Monday’s Etoile.’ To - me, this article appears conclusive of little beyond the zeal of - its inditer. We should bear in mind that, in general, it is the - object of our newspapers rather to create a sensation—to make a - point—than to further the cause of truth. The latter end is only - pursued when it seems coincident with the former. The print which - merely falls in with ordinary opinion (however well founded this - opinion may be) earns for itself no credit with the mob. The mass - of the people regard as profound only him who suggests _pungent - contradictions_ of the general idea. In ratiocination, not less - than in literature, it is the epigram which is the most - immediately and the most universally appreciated. In both, it is - of the lowest order of merit. - - “What I mean to say is, that it is the mingled epigram and - melodrame of the idea, that Marie Rogêt still lives, rather than - any true plausibility in this idea, which have suggested it to - L’Etoile, and secured it a favorable reception with the public. - Let us examine the heads of this journal’s argument; endeavoring - to avoid the incoherence with which it is originally set forth. - - “The first aim of the writer is to show, from the brevity of the - interval between Marie’s disappearance and the finding of the - floating corpse, that this corpse cannot be that of Marie. The - reduction of this interval to its smallest possible dimension, - becomes thus, at once, an object with the reasoner. In the rash - pursuit of this object, he rushes into mere assumption at the - outset. ‘It is folly to suppose,’ he says, ‘that the murder, if - murder was committed on her body, could have been consummated - soon enough to have enabled her murderers to throw the body into - the river before midnight.’ We demand at once, and very - naturally, why? Why is it folly to suppose that the murder was - committed _within five minutes_ after the girl’s quitting her - mother’s house? Why is it folly to suppose that the murder was - committed at any given period of the day? There have been - assassinations at all hours. But, had the murder taken place at - any moment between nine o’clock in the morning of Sunday, and a - quarter before midnight, there would still have been time enough - ‘to throw the body into the river before midnight.’ This - assumption, then, amounts precisely to this—that the murder was - not committed on Sunday at all—and, if we allow L’Etoile to - assume this, we may permit it any liberties whatever. The - paragraph beginning ‘It is folly to suppose that the murder, - etc.,’ however it appears as printed in L’Etoile, may be imagined - to have existed actually thus in the brain of its inditer—‘It is - folly to suppose that the murder, if murder was committed on the - body, could have been committed soon enough to have enabled her - murderers to throw the body into the river before midnight; it is - folly, we say, to suppose all this, and to suppose at the same - time, (as we are resolved to suppose,) that the body was not - thrown in until after midnight’—a sentence sufficiently - inconsequential in itself, but not so utterly preposterous as the - one printed. - - “Were it my purpose,” continued Dupin, “merely to _make out a - case_ against this passage of L’Etoile’s argument, I might safely - leave it where it is. It is not, however, with L’Etoile that we - have to do, but with the truth. The sentence in question has but - one meaning, as it stands; and this meaning I have fairly stated; - but it is material that we go behind the mere words, for an idea - which these words have obviously intended, and failed to convey. - It was the design of the journalist to say that, at whatever - period of the day or night of Sunday this murder was committed, - it was improbable that the assassins would have ventured to bear - the corpse to the river before midnight. And herein lies, really, - the assumption of which I complain. It is assumed that the murder - was committed at such a position, and under such circumstances, - that the bearing it to the river became necessary. Now, the - assassination might have taken place upon the river’s brink, or - on the river itself; and, thus, the throwing the corpse in the - water might have been resorted to, at any period of the day or - night, as the most obvious and most immediate mode of disposal. - You will understand that I suggest nothing here as probable, or - as cöincident with my own opinion. My design, so far, has no - reference to the facts of the case. I wish merely to caution you - against the whole tone of L’Etoile’s suggestion, by calling your - attention to its ex parte character at the outset. - - “Having prescribed thus a limit to suit its own preconceived - notions; having assumed that, if this were the body of Marie, it - could have been in the water but a very brief time, the journal - goes on to say: - - ‘All experience has shown that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown - into the water immediately after death by violence, require from - six to ten days for sufficient decomposition to take place to - bring them to the top of the water. Even when a cannon is fired - over a corpse, and it rises before at least five or six days’ - immersion, it sinks again if let alone.’ - - “These assertions have been tacitly received by every paper in - Paris, with the exception of Le Moniteur. (*15) This latter print - endeavors to combat that portion of the paragraph which has - reference to ‘drowned bodies’ only, by citing some five or six - instances in which the bodies of individuals known to be drowned - were found floating after the lapse of less time than is insisted - upon by L’Etoile. But there is something excessively - unphilosophical in the attempt on the part of Le Moniteur, to - rebut the general assertion of L’Etoile, by a citation of - particular instances militating against that assertion. Had it - been possible to adduce fifty instead of five examples of bodies - found floating at the end of two or three days, these fifty - examples could still have been properly regarded only as - exceptions to L’Etoile’s rule, until such time as the rule itself - should be confuted. Admitting the rule, (and this Le Moniteur - does not deny, insisting merely upon its exceptions,) the - argument of L’Etoile is suffered to remain in full force; for - this argument does not pretend to involve more than a question of - the probability of the body having risen to the surface in less - than three days; and this probability will be in favor of - L’Etoile’s position until the instances so childishly adduced - shall be sufficient in number to establish an antagonistical - rule. - - “You will see at once that all argument upon this head should be - urged, if at all, against the rule itself; and for this end we - must examine the rationale of the rule. Now the human body, in - general, is neither much lighter nor much heavier than the water - of the Seine; that is to say, the specific gravity of the human - body, in its natural condition, is about equal to the bulk of - fresh water which it displaces. The bodies of fat and fleshy - persons, with small bones, and of women generally, are lighter - than those of the lean and large-boned, and of men; and the - specific gravity of the water of a river is somewhat influenced - by the presence of the tide from sea. But, leaving this tide out - of question, it may be said that very few human bodies will sink - at all, even in fresh water, of their own accord. Almost any one, - falling into a river, will be enabled to float, if he suffer the - specific gravity of the water fairly to be adduced in comparison - with his own—that is to say, if he suffer his whole person to be - immersed, with as little exception as possible. The proper - position for one who cannot swim, is the upright position of the - walker on land, with the head thrown fully back, and immersed; - the mouth and nostrils alone remaining above the surface. Thus - circumstanced, we shall find that we float without difficulty and - without exertion. It is evident, however, that the gravities of - the body, and of the bulk of water displaced, are very nicely - balanced, and that a trifle will cause either to preponderate. An - arm, for instance, uplifted from the water, and thus deprived of - its support, is an additional weight sufficient to immerse the - whole head, while the accidental aid of the smallest piece of - timber will enable us to elevate the head so as to look about. - Now, in the struggles of one unused to swimming, the arms are - invariably thrown upwards, while an attempt is made to keep the - head in its usual perpendicular position. The result is the - immersion of the mouth and nostrils, and the inception, during - efforts to breathe while beneath the surface, of water into the - lungs. Much is also received into the stomach, and the whole body - becomes heavier by the difference between the weight of the air - originally distending these cavities, and that of the fluid which - now fills them. This difference is sufficient to cause the body - to sink, as a general rule; but is insufficient in the cases of - individuals with small bones and an abnormal quantity of flaccid - or fatty matter. Such individuals float even after drowning. - - “The corpse, being supposed at the bottom of the river, will - there remain until, by some means, its specific gravity again - becomes less than that of the bulk of water which it displaces. - This effect is brought about by decomposition, or otherwise. The - result of decomposition is the generation of gas, distending the - cellular tissues and all the cavities, and giving the puffed - appearance which is so horrible. When this distension has so far - progressed that the bulk of the corpse is materially increased - without a corresponding increase of mass or weight, its specific - gravity becomes less than that of the water displaced, and it - forthwith makes its appearance at the surface. But decomposition - is modified by innumerable circumstances—is hastened or retarded - by innumerable agencies; for example, by the heat or cold of the - season, by the mineral impregnation or purity of the water, by - its depth or shallowness, by its currency or stagnation, by the - temperament of the body, by its infection or freedom from disease - before death. Thus it is evident that we can assign no period, - with any thing like accuracy, at which the corpse shall rise - through decomposition. Under certain conditions this result would - be brought about within an hour; under others, it might not take - place at all. There are chemical infusions by which the animal - frame can be preserved forever from corruption; the bi-chloride - of mercury is one. But, apart from decomposition, there may be, - and very usually is, a generation of gas within the stomach, from - the acetous fermentation of vegetable matter (or within other - cavities from other causes), sufficient to induce a distension - which will bring the body to the surface. The effect produced by - the firing of a cannon is that of simple vibration. This may - either loosen the corpse from the soft mud or ooze in which it is - imbedded, thus permitting it to rise when other agencies have - already prepared it for so doing; or it may overcome the tenacity - of some putrescent portions of the cellular tissue; allowing the - cavities to distend under the influence of the gas. - - “Having thus before us the whole philosophy of this subject, we - can easily test by it the assertions of L’Etoile. ‘All experience - shows,’ says this paper, ‘that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown - into the water immediately after death by violence, require from - six to ten days for sufficient decomposition to take place to - bring them to the top of the water. Even when a cannon is fired - over a corpse, and it rises before at least five or six days’ - immersion, it sinks again if let alone.’ - - “The whole of this paragraph must now appear a tissue of - inconsequence and incoherence. All experience does not show that - ‘drowned bodies’ require from six to ten days for sufficient - decomposition to take place to bring them to the surface. Both - science and experience show that the period of their rising is, - and necessarily must be, indeterminate. If, moreover, a body has - risen to the surface through firing of cannon, it will not ‘sink - again if let alone,’ until decomposition has so far progressed as - to permit the escape of the generated gas. But I wish to call - your attention to the distinction which is made between ‘drowned - bodies,’ and ‘bodies thrown into the water immediately after - death by violence.’ Although the writer admits the distinction, - he yet includes them all in the same category. I have shown how - it is that the body of a drowning man becomes specifically - heavier than its bulk of water, and that he would not sink at - all, except for the struggles by which he elevates his arms above - the surface, and his gasps for breath while beneath the - surface—gasps which supply by water the place of the original air - in the lungs. But these struggles and these gasps would not occur - in the body ‘thrown into the water immediately after death by - violence.’ Thus, in the latter instance, the body, as a general - rule, would not sink at all—a fact of which L’Etoile is evidently - ignorant. When decomposition had proceeded to a very great - extent—when the flesh had in a great measure left the bones—then, - indeed, but not till then, should we lose sight of the corpse. - - “And now what are we to make of the argument, that the body found - could not be that of Marie Rogêt, because, three days only having - elapsed, this body was found floating? If drowned, being a woman, - she might never have sunk; or having sunk, might have reappeared - in twenty-four hours, or less. But no one supposes her to have - been drowned; and, dying before being thrown into the river, she - might have been found floating at any period afterwards whatever. - - “‘But,’ says L’Etoile, ‘if the body had been kept in its mangled - state on shore until Tuesday night, some trace would be found on - shore of the murderers.’ Here it is at first difficult to - perceive the intention of the reasoner. He means to anticipate - what he imagines would be an objection to his theory—viz.: that - the body was kept on shore two days, suffering rapid - decomposition—more rapid than if immersed in water. He supposes - that, had this been the case, it might have appeared at the - surface on the Wednesday, and thinks that only under such - circumstances it could so have appeared. He is accordingly in - haste to show that it was not kept on shore; for, if so, ‘some - trace would be found on shore of the murderers.’ I presume you - smile at the sequitur. You cannot be made to see how the mere - duration of the corpse on the shore could operate to multiply - traces of the assassins. Nor can I. - - “‘And furthermore it is exceedingly improbable,’ continues our - journal, ‘that any villains who had committed such a murder as is - here supposed, would have thrown the body in without weight to - sink it, when such a precaution could have so easily been taken.’ - Observe, here, the laughable confusion of thought! No one—not - even L’Etoile—disputes the murder committed _on the body found_. - The marks of violence are too obvious. It is our reasoner’s - object merely to show that this body is not Marie’s. He wishes to - prove that Marie is not assassinated—not that the corpse was not. - Yet his observation proves only the latter point. Here is a - corpse without weight attached. Murderers, casting it in, would - not have failed to attach a weight. Therefore it was not thrown - in by murderers. This is all which is proved, if any thing is. - The question of identity is not even approached, and L’Etoile has - been at great pains merely to gainsay now what it has admitted - only a moment before. ‘We are perfectly convinced,’ it says, - ‘that the body found was that of a murdered female.’ - - “Nor is this the sole instance, even in this division of his - subject, where our reasoner unwittingly reasons against himself. - His evident object, I have already said, is to reduce, as much as - possible, the interval between Marie’s disappearance and the - finding of the corpse. Yet we find him urging the point that no - person saw the girl from the moment of her leaving her mother’s - house. ‘We have no evidence,’ he says, ‘that Marie Rogêt was in - the land of the living after nine o’clock on Sunday, June the - twenty-second.’ As his argument is obviously an ex parte one, he - should, at least, have left this matter out of sight; for had any - one been known to see Marie, say on Monday, or on Tuesday, the - interval in question would have been much reduced, and, by his - own ratiocination, the probability much diminished of the corpse - being that of the grisette. It is, nevertheless, amusing to - observe that L’Etoile insists upon its point in the full belief - of its furthering its general argument. - - “Reperuse now that portion of this argument which has reference - to the identification of the corpse by Beauvais. In regard to the - hair upon the arm, L’Etoile has been obviously disingenuous. M. - Beauvais, not being an idiot, could never have urged, in - identification of the corpse, simply hair upon its arm. No arm is - without hair. The generality of the expression of L’Etoile is a - mere perversion of the witness’ phraseology. He must have spoken - of some peculiarity in this hair. It must have been a peculiarity - of color, of quantity, of length, or of situation. - - “‘Her foot,’ says the journal, ‘was small—so are thousands of - feet. Her garter is no proof whatever—nor is her shoe—for shoes - and garters are sold in packages. The same may be said of the - flowers in her hat. One thing upon which M. Beauvais strongly - insists is, that the clasp on the garter found, had been set back - to take it in. This amounts to nothing; for most women find it - proper to take a pair of garters home and fit them to the size of - the limbs they are to encircle, rather than to try them in the - store where they purchase.’ Here it is difficult to suppose the - reasoner in earnest. Had M. Beauvais, in his search for the body - of Marie, discovered a corpse corresponding in general size and - appearance to the missing girl, he would have been warranted - (without reference to the question of habiliment at all) in - forming an opinion that his search had been successful. If, in - addition to the point of general size and contour, he had found - upon the arm a peculiar hairy appearance which he had observed - upon the living Marie, his opinion might have been justly - strengthened; and the increase of positiveness might well have - been in the ratio of the peculiarity, or unusualness, of the - hairy mark. If, the feet of Marie being small, those of the - corpse were also small, the increase of probability that the body - was that of Marie would not be an increase in a ratio merely - arithmetical, but in one highly geometrical, or accumulative. Add - to all this shoes such as she had been known to wear upon the day - of her disappearance, and, although these shoes may be ‘sold in - packages,’ you so far augment the probability as to verge upon - the certain. What, of itself, would be no evidence of identity, - becomes through its corroborative position, proof most sure. Give - us, then, flowers in the hat corresponding to those worn by the - missing girl, and we seek for nothing farther. If only one - flower, we seek for nothing farther—what then if two or three, or - more? Each successive one is multiple evidence—proof not _added_ - to proof, but multiplied by hundreds or thousands. Let us now - discover, upon the deceased, garters such as the living used, and - it is almost folly to proceed. But these garters are found to be - tightened, by the setting back of a clasp, in just such a manner - as her own had been tightened by Marie, shortly previous to her - leaving home. It is now madness or hypocrisy to doubt. What - L’Etoile says in respect to this abbreviation of the garters - being an usual occurrence, shows nothing beyond its own - pertinacity in error. The elastic nature of the clasp-garter is - self-demonstration of the unusualness of the abbreviation. What - is made to adjust itself, must of necessity require foreign - adjustment but rarely. It must have been by an accident, in its - strictest sense, that these garters of Marie needed the - tightening described. They alone would have amply established her - identity. But it is not that the corpse was found to have the - garters of the missing girl, or found to have her shoes, or her - bonnet, or the flowers of her bonnet, or her feet, or a peculiar - mark upon the arm, or her general size and appearance—it is that - the corpse had each, and _all collectively_. Could it be proved - that the editor of L’Etoile _really_ entertained a doubt, under - the circumstances, there would be no need, in his case, of a - commission de lunatico inquirendo. He has thought it sagacious to - echo the small talk of the lawyers, who, for the most part, - content themselves with echoing the rectangular precepts of the - courts. I would here observe that very much of what is rejected - as evidence by a court, is the best of evidence to the intellect. - For the court, guiding itself by the general principles of - evidence—the recognized and _booked_ principles—is averse from - swerving at particular instances. And this steadfast adherence to - principle, with rigorous disregard of the conflicting exception, - is a sure mode of attaining the maximum of attainable truth, in - any long sequence of time. The practice, in mass, is therefore - philosophical; but it is not the less certain that it engenders - vast individual error. (*16) - - “In respect to the insinuations levelled at Beauvais, you will be - willing to dismiss them in a breath. You have already fathomed - the true character of this good gentleman. He is a busy-body, - with much of romance and little of wit. Any one so constituted - will readily so conduct himself, upon occasion of real - excitement, as to render himself liable to suspicion on the part - of the over acute, or the ill-disposed. M. Beauvais (as it - appears from your notes) had some personal interviews with the - editor of L’Etoile, and offended him by venturing an opinion that - the corpse, notwithstanding the theory of the editor, was, in - sober fact, that of Marie. ‘He persists,’ says the paper, ‘in - asserting the corpse to be that of Marie, but cannot give a - circumstance, in addition to those which we have commented upon, - to make others believe.’ Now, without re-adverting to the fact - that stronger evidence ‘to make others believe,’ could never have - been adduced, it may be remarked that a man may very well be - understood to believe, in a case of this kind, without the - ability to advance a single reason for the belief of a second - party. Nothing is more vague than impressions of individual - identity. Each man recognizes his neighbor, yet there are few - instances in which any one is prepared to give a reason for his - recognition. The editor of L’Etoile had no right to be offended - at M. Beauvais’ unreasoning belief. - - “The suspicious circumstances which invest him, will be found to - tally much better with my hypothesis of romantic busy-bodyism, - than with the reasoner’s suggestion of guilt. Once adopting the - more charitable interpretation, we shall find no difficulty in - comprehending the rose in the key-hole; the ‘Marie’ upon the - slate; the ‘elbowing the male relatives out of the way;’ the - ‘aversion to permitting them to see the body;’ the caution given - to Madame B——, that she must hold no conversation with the - gendarme until his return (Beauvais’); and, lastly, his apparent - determination ‘that nobody should have anything to do with the - proceedings except himself.’ It seems to me unquestionable that - Beauvais was a suitor of Marie’s; that she coquetted with him; - and that he was ambitious of being thought to enjoy her fullest - intimacy and confidence. I shall say nothing more upon this - point; and, as the evidence fully rebuts the assertion of - L’Etoile, touching the matter of apathy on the part of the mother - and other relatives—an apathy inconsistent with the supposition - of their believing the corpse to be that of the perfumery-girl—we - shall now proceed as if the question of identity were settled to - our perfect satisfaction.” - - “And what,” I here demanded, “do you think of the opinions of Le - Commerciel?” - - “That, in spirit, they are far more worthy of attention than any - which have been promulgated upon the subject. The deductions from - the premises are philosophical and acute; but the premises, in - two instances, at least, are founded in imperfect observation. Le - Commerciel wishes to intimate that Marie was seized by some gang - of low ruffians not far from her mother’s door. ‘It is - impossible,’ it urges, ‘that a person so well known to thousands - as this young woman was, should have passed three blocks without - some one having seen her.’ This is the idea of a man long - resident in Paris—a public man—and one whose walks to and fro in - the city, have been mostly limited to the vicinity of the public - offices. He is aware that he seldom passes so far as a dozen - blocks from his own bureau, without being recognized and - accosted. And, knowing the extent of his personal acquaintance - with others, and of others with him, he compares his notoriety - with that of the perfumery-girl, finds no great difference - between them, and reaches at once the conclusion that she, in her - walks, would be equally liable to recognition with himself in - his. This could only be the case were her walks of the same - unvarying, methodical character, and within the same species of - limited region as are his own. He passes to and fro, at regular - intervals, within a confined periphery, abounding in individuals - who are led to observation of his person through interest in the - kindred nature of his occupation with their own. But the walks of - Marie may, in general, be supposed discursive. In this particular - instance, it will be understood as most probable, that she - proceeded upon a route of more than average diversity from her - accustomed ones. The parallel which we imagine to have existed in - the mind of Le Commerciel would only be sustained in the event of - the two individuals traversing the whole city. In this case, - granting the personal acquaintances to be equal, the chances - would be also equal that an equal number of personal rencounters - would be made. For my own part, I should hold it not only as - possible, but as very far more than probable, that Marie might - have proceeded, at any given period, by any one of the many - routes between her own residence and that of her aunt, without - meeting a single individual whom she knew, or by whom she was - known. In viewing this question in its full and proper light, we - must hold steadily in mind the great disproportion between the - personal acquaintances of even the most noted individual in - Paris, and the entire population of Paris itself. - - “But whatever force there may still appear to be in the - suggestion of Le Commerciel, will be much diminished when we take - into consideration the hour at which the girl went abroad. ‘It - was when the streets were full of people,’ says Le Commerciel, - ‘that she went out.’ But not so. It was at nine o’clock in the - morning. Now at nine o’clock of every morning in the week, _with - the exception of Sunday_, the streets of the city are, it is - true, thronged with people. At nine on Sunday, the populace are - chiefly within doors _preparing for church_. No observing person - can have failed to notice the peculiarly deserted air of the - town, from about eight until ten on the morning of every Sabbath. - Between ten and eleven the streets are thronged, but not at so - early a period as that designated. - - “There is another point at which there seems a deficiency of - observation on the part of Le Commerciel. ‘A piece,’ it says, ‘of - one of the unfortunate girl’s petticoats, two feet long, and one - foot wide, was torn out and tied under her chin, and around the - back of her head, probably to prevent screams. This was done, by - fellows who had no pocket-handkerchiefs.’ Whether this idea is, - or is not well founded, we will endeavor to see hereafter; but by - ‘fellows who have no pocket-handkerchiefs’ the editor intends the - lowest class of ruffians. These, however, are the very - description of people who will always be found to have - handkerchiefs even when destitute of shirts. You must have had - occasion to observe how absolutely indispensable, of late years, - to the thorough blackguard, has become the pocket-handkerchief.” - - “And what are we to think,” I asked, “of the article in Le - Soleil?” - - “That it is a vast pity its inditer was not born a parrot—in - which case he would have been the most illustrious parrot of his - race. He has merely repeated the individual items of the already - published opinion; collecting them, with a laudable industry, - from this paper and from that. ‘The things had all evidently been - there,’ he says, ‘at least, three or four weeks, and there can be - _no doubt_ that the spot of this appalling outrage has been - discovered.’ The facts here re-stated by Le Soleil, are very far - indeed from removing my own doubts upon this subject, and we will - examine them more particularly hereafter in connexion with - another division of the theme. - - “At present we must occupy ourselves with other investigations. - You cannot fail to have remarked the extreme laxity of the - examination of the corpse. To be sure, the question of identity - was readily determined, or should have been; but there were other - points to be ascertained. Had the body been in any respect - despoiled? Had the deceased any articles of jewelry about her - person upon leaving home? if so, had she any when found? These - are important questions utterly untouched by the evidence; and - there are others of equal moment, which have met with no - attention. We must endeavor to satisfy ourselves by personal - inquiry. The case of St. Eustache must be re-examined. I have no - suspicion of this person; but let us proceed methodically. We - will ascertain beyond a doubt the validity of the affidavits in - regard to his whereabouts on the Sunday. Affidavits of this - character are readily made matter of mystification. Should there - be nothing wrong here, however, we will dismiss St. Eustache from - our investigations. His suicide, however corroborative of - suspicion, were there found to be deceit in the affidavits, is, - without such deceit, in no respect an unaccountable circumstance, - or one which need cause us to deflect from the line of ordinary - analysis. - - “In that which I now propose, we will discard the interior points - of this tragedy, and concentrate our attention upon its - outskirts. Not the least usual error, in investigations such as - this, is the limiting of inquiry to the immediate, with total - disregard of the collateral or circumstantial events. It is the - mal-practice of the courts to confine evidence and discussion to - the bounds of apparent relevancy. Yet experience has shown, and a - true philosophy will always show, that a vast, perhaps the larger - portion of truth, arises from the seemingly irrelevant. It is - through the spirit of this principle, if not precisely through - its letter, that modern science has resolved to calculate upon - the unforeseen. But perhaps you do not comprehend me. The history - of human knowledge has so uninterruptedly shown that to - collateral, or incidental, or accidental events we are indebted - for the most numerous and most valuable discoveries, that it has - at length become necessary, in any prospective view of - improvement, to make not only large, but the largest allowances - for inventions that shall arise by chance, and quite out of the - range of ordinary expectation. It is no longer philosophical to - base, upon what has been, a vision of what is to be. Accident is - admitted as a portion of the substructure. We make chance a - matter of absolute calculation. We subject the unlooked for and - unimagined to the mathematical _formulae_ of the schools. - - “I repeat that it is no more than fact, that the larger portion - of all truth has sprung from the collateral; and it is but in - accordance with the spirit of the principle involved in this - fact, that I would divert inquiry, in the present case, from the - trodden and hitherto unfruitful ground of the event itself, to - the contemporary circumstances which surround it. While you - ascertain the validity of the affidavits, I will examine the - newspapers more generally than you have as yet done. So far, we - have only reconnoitred the field of investigation; but it will be - strange indeed if a comprehensive survey, such as I propose, of - the public prints, will not afford us some minute points which - shall establish a direction for inquiry.” - - In pursuance of Dupin’s suggestion, I made scrupulous examination - of the affair of the affidavits. The result was a firm conviction - of their validity, and of the consequent innocence of St. - Eustache. In the mean time my friend occupied himself, with what - seemed to me a minuteness altogether objectless, in a scrutiny of - the various newspaper files. At the end of a week he placed - before me the following extracts: - - “About three years and a half ago, a disturbance very similar to - the present, was caused by the disappearance of this same Marie - Rogêt, from the parfumerie of Monsieur Le Blanc, in the Palais - Royal. At the end of a week, however, she re-appeared at her - customary comptoir, as well as ever, with the exception of a - slight paleness not altogether usual. It was given out by - Monsieur Le Blanc and her mother, that she had merely been on a - visit to some friend in the country; and the affair was speedily - hushed up. We presume that the present absence is a freak of the - same nature, and that, at the expiration of a week, or perhaps of - a month, we shall have her among us again.”—Evening Paper—Monday, - June 23. (*17) - - “An evening journal of yesterday, refers to a former mysterious - disappearance of Mademoiselle Rogêt. It is well known that, - during the week of her absence from Le Blanc’s parfumerie, she - was in the company of a young naval officer, much noted for his - debaucheries. A quarrel, it is supposed, providentially led to - her return home. We have the name of the Lothario in question, - who is, at present, stationed in Paris, but, for obvious reasons, - forbear to make it public.”—Le Mercurie—Tuesday Morning, June 24. - (*18) - - “An outrage of the most atrocious character was perpetrated near - this city the day before yesterday. A gentleman, with his wife - and daughter, engaged, about dusk, the services of six young men, - who were idly rowing a boat to and fro near the banks of the - Seine, to convey him across the river. Upon reaching the opposite - shore, the three passengers stepped out, and had proceeded so far - as to be beyond the view of the boat, when the daughter - discovered that she had left in it her parasol. She returned for - it, was seized by the gang, carried out into the stream, gagged, - brutally treated, and finally taken to the shore at a point not - far from that at which she had originally entered the boat with - her parents. The villains have escaped for the time, but the - police are upon their trail, and some of them will soon be - taken.”—Morning Paper—June 25. (*19) - - “We have received one or two communications, the object of which - is to fasten the crime of the late atrocity upon Mennais; (*20) - but as this gentleman has been fully exonerated by a loyal - inquiry, and as the arguments of our several correspondents - appear to be more zealous than profound, we do not think it - advisable to make them public.”—Morning Paper—June 28. (*21) - - “We have received several forcibly written communications, - apparently from various sources, and which go far to render it a - matter of certainty that the unfortunate Marie Rogêt has become a - victim of one of the numerous bands of blackguards which infest - the vicinity of the city upon Sunday. Our own opinion is - decidedly in favor of this supposition. We shall endeavor to make - room for some of these arguments hereafter.”—Evening - Paper—Tuesday, June 31. (*22) - - “On Monday, one of the bargemen connected with the revenue - service, saw a empty boat floating down the Seine. Sails were - lying in the bottom of the boat. The bargeman towed it under the - barge office. The next morning it was taken from thence, without - the knowledge of any of the officers. The rudder is now at the - barge office.”—Le Diligence—Thursday, June 26. - - Upon reading these various extracts, they not only seemed to me - irrelevant, but I could perceive no mode in which any one of them - could be brought to bear upon the matter in hand. I waited for - some explanation from Dupin. - - “It is not my present design,” he said, “to dwell upon the first - and second of those extracts. I have copied them chiefly to show - you the extreme remissness of the police, who, as far as I can - understand from the Prefect, have not troubled themselves, in any - respect, with an examination of the naval officer alluded to. Yet - it is mere folly to say that between the first and second - disappearance of Marie there is no _supposable_ connection. Let - us admit the first elopement to have resulted in a quarrel - between the lovers, and the return home of the betrayed. We are - now prepared to view a second elopement (if we know that an - elopement has again taken place) as indicating a renewal of the - betrayer’s advances, rather than as the result of new proposals - by a second individual—we are prepared to regard it as a ‘making - up’ of the old amour, rather than as the commencement of a new - one. The chances are ten to one, that he who had once eloped with - Marie, would again propose an elopement, rather than that she to - whom proposals of elopement had been made by one individual, - should have them made to her by another. And here let me call - your attention to the fact, that the time elapsing between the - first ascertained, and the second supposed elopement, is a few - months more than the general period of the cruises of our - men-of-war. Had the lover been interrupted in his first villany - by the necessity of departure to sea, and had he seized the first - moment of his return to renew the base designs not yet altogether - accomplished—or not yet altogether accomplished by _him?_ Of all - these things we know nothing. - - “You will say, however, that, in the second instance, there was - no elopement as imagined. Certainly not—but are we prepared to - say that there was not the frustrated design? Beyond St. - Eustache, and perhaps Beauvais, we find no recognized, no open, - no honorable suitors of Marie. Of none other is there any thing - said. Who, then, is the secret lover, of whom the relatives (at - least most of them) know nothing, but whom Marie meets upon the - morning of Sunday, and who is so deeply in her confidence, that - she hesitates not to remain with him until the shades of the - evening descend, amid the solitary groves of the Barrière du - Roule? Who is that secret lover, I ask, of whom, at least, most - of the relatives know nothing? And what means the singular - prophecy of Madame Rogêt on the morning of Marie’s departure?—‘I - fear that I shall never see Marie again.’ - - “But if we cannot imagine Madame Rogêt privy to the design of - elopement, may we not at least suppose this design entertained by - the girl? Upon quitting home, she gave it to be understood that - she was about to visit her aunt in the Rue des Drômes and St. - Eustache was requested to call for her at dark. Now, at first - glance, this fact strongly militates against my suggestion;—but - let us reflect. That she did meet some companion, and proceed - with him across the river, reaching the Barrière du Roule at so - late an hour as three o’clock in the afternoon, is known. But in - consenting so to accompany this individual, (_for whatever - purpose—to her mother known or unknown,_) she must have thought - of her expressed intention when leaving home, and of the surprise - and suspicion aroused in the bosom of her affianced suitor, St. - Eustache, when, calling for her, at the hour appointed, in the - Rue des Drômes, he should find that she had not been there, and - when, moreover, upon returning to the pension with this alarming - intelligence, he should become aware of her continued absence - from home. She must have thought of these things, I say. She must - have foreseen the chagrin of St. Eustache, the suspicion of all. - She could not have thought of returning to brave this suspicion; - but the suspicion becomes a point of trivial importance to her, - if we suppose her not intending to return. - - “We may imagine her thinking thus—‘I am to meet a certain person - for the purpose of elopement, or for certain other purposes known - only to myself. It is necessary that there be no chance of - interruption—there must be sufficient time given us to elude - pursuit—I will give it to be understood that I shall visit and - spend the day with my aunt at the Rue des Drômes—I well tell St. - Eustache not to call for me until dark—in this way, my absence - from home for the longest possible period, without causing - suspicion or anxiety, will be accounted for, and I shall gain - more time than in any other manner. If I bid St. Eustache call - for me at dark, he will be sure not to call before; but, if I - wholly neglect to bid him call, my time for escape will be - diminished, since it will be expected that I return the earlier, - and my absence will the sooner excite anxiety. Now, if it were my - design to return at all—if I had in contemplation merely a stroll - with the individual in question—it would not be my policy to bid - St. Eustache call; for, calling, he will be sure to ascertain - that I have played him false—a fact of which I might keep him for - ever in ignorance, by leaving home without notifying him of my - intention, by returning before dark, and by then stating that I - had been to visit my aunt in the Rue des Drômes. But, as it is my - design never to return—or not for some weeks—or not until certain - concealments are effected—the gaining of time is the only point - about which I need give myself any concern.’ - - “You have observed, in your notes, that the most general opinion - in relation to this sad affair is, and was from the first, that - the girl had been the victim of a gang of blackguards. Now, the - popular opinion, under certain conditions, is not to be - disregarded. When arising of itself—when manifesting itself in a - strictly spontaneous manner—we should look upon it as analogous - with that _intuition_ which is the idiosyncrasy of the individual - man of genius. In ninety-nine cases from the hundred I would - abide by its decision. But it is important that we find no - palpable traces of _suggestion_. The opinion must be rigorously - _the public’s own_; and the distinction is often exceedingly - difficult to perceive and to maintain. In the present instance, - it appears to me that this ‘public opinion’ in respect to a gang, - has been superinduced by the collateral event which is detailed - in the third of my extracts. All Paris is excited by the - discovered corpse of Marie, a girl young, beautiful and - notorious. This corpse is found, bearing marks of violence, and - floating in the river. But it is now made known that, at the very - period, or about the very period, in which it is supposed that - the girl was assassinated, an outrage similar in nature to that - endured by the deceased, although less in extent, was - perpetuated, by a gang of young ruffians, upon the person of a - second young female. Is it wonderful that the one known atrocity - should influence the popular judgment in regard to the other - unknown? This judgment awaited direction, and the known outrage - seemed so opportunely to afford it! Marie, too, was found in the - river; and upon this very river was this known outrage committed. - The connexion of the two events had about it so much of the - palpable, that the true wonder would have been a failure of the - populace to appreciate and to seize it. But, in fact, the one - atrocity, known to be so committed, is, if any thing, evidence - that the other, committed at a time nearly coincident, was not so - committed. It would have been a miracle indeed, if, while a gang - of ruffians were perpetrating, at a given locality, a most - unheard-of wrong, there should have been another similar gang, in - a similar locality, in the same city, under the same - circumstances, with the same means and appliances, engaged in a - wrong of precisely the same aspect, at precisely the same period - of time! Yet in what, if not in this marvellous train of - coincidence, does the accidentally suggested opinion of the - populace call upon us to believe? - - “Before proceeding farther, let us consider the supposed scene of - the assassination, in the thicket at the Barrière du Roule. This - thicket, although dense, was in the close vicinity of a public - road. Within were three or four large stones, forming a kind of - seat with a back and footstool. On the upper stone was discovered - a white petticoat; on the second, a silk scarf. A parasol, - gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief, were also here found. The - handkerchief bore the name, ‘Marie Rogêt.’ Fragments of dress - were seen on the branches around. The earth was trampled, the - bushes were broken, and there was every evidence of a violent - struggle. - - “Notwithstanding the acclamation with which the discovery of this - thicket was received by the press, and the unanimity with which - it was supposed to indicate the precise scene of the outrage, it - must be admitted that there was some very good reason for doubt. - That it was the scene, I may or I may not believe—but there was - excellent reason for doubt. Had the true scene been, as Le - Commerciel suggested, in the neighborhood of the Rue Pavée St. - Andrée, the perpetrators of the crime, supposing them still - resident in Paris, would naturally have been stricken with terror - at the public attention thus acutely directed into the proper - channel; and, in certain classes of minds, there would have - arisen, at once, a sense of the necessity of some exertion to - redivert this attention. And thus, the thicket of the Barrière du - Roule having been already suspected, the idea of placing the - articles where they were found, might have been naturally - entertained. There is no real evidence, although Le Soleil so - supposes, that the articles discovered had been more than a very - few days in the thicket; while there is much circumstantial proof - that they could not have remained there, without attracting - attention, during the twenty days elapsing between the fatal - Sunday and the afternoon upon which they were found by the boys. - ‘They were all _mildewed_ down hard,’ says Le Soleil, adopting - the opinions of its predecessors, ‘with the action of the rain, - and stuck together from _mildew_. The grass had grown around and - over some of them. The silk of the parasol was strong, but the - threads of it were run together within. The upper part, where it - had been doubled and folded, was all _mildewed_ and rotten, and - tore on being opened.’ In respect to the grass having ‘grown - around and over some of them,’ it is obvious that the fact could - only have been ascertained from the words, and thus from the - recollections, of two small boys; for these boys removed the - articles and took them home before they had been seen by a third - party. But grass will grow, especially in warm and damp weather, - (such as was that of the period of the murder,) as much as two or - three inches in a single day. A parasol lying upon a newly turfed - ground, might, in a single week, be entirely concealed from sight - by the upspringing grass. And touching that mildew upon which the - editor of Le Soleil so pertinaciously insists, that he employs - the word no less than three times in the brief paragraph just - quoted, is he really unaware of the nature of this mildew? Is he - to be told that it is one of the many classes of fungus, of which - the most ordinary feature is its upspringing and decadence within - twenty-four hours? - - “Thus we see, at a glance, that what has been most triumphantly - adduced in support of the idea that the articles had been ‘for at - least three or four weeks’ in the thicket, is most absurdly null - as regards any evidence of that fact. On the other hand, it is - exceedingly difficult to believe that these articles could have - remained in the thicket specified, for a longer period than a - single week—for a longer period than from one Sunday to the next. - Those who know any thing of the vicinity of Paris, know the - extreme difficulty of finding seclusion unless at a great - distance from its suburbs. Such a thing as an unexplored, or even - an unfrequently visited recess, amid its woods or groves, is not - for a moment to be imagined. Let any one who, being at heart a - lover of nature, is yet chained by duty to the dust and heat of - this great metropolis—let any such one attempt, even during the - weekdays, to slake his thirst for solitude amid the scenes of - natural loveliness which immediately surround us. At every second - step, he will find the growing charm dispelled by the voice and - personal intrusion of some ruffian or party of carousing - blackguards. He will seek privacy amid the densest foliage, all - in vain. Here are the very nooks where the unwashed most - abound—here are the temples most desecrate. With sickness of the - heart the wanderer will flee back to the polluted Paris as to a - less odious because less incongruous sink of pollution. But if - the vicinity of the city is so beset during the working days of - the week, how much more so on the Sabbath! It is now especially - that, released from the claims of labor, or deprived of the - customary opportunities of crime, the town blackguard seeks the - precincts of the town, not through love of the rural, which in - his heart he despises, but by way of escape from the restraints - and conventionalities of society. He desires less the fresh air - and the green trees, than the utter license of the country. Here, - at the road-side inn, or beneath the foliage of the woods, he - indulges, unchecked by any eye except those of his boon - companions, in all the mad excess of a counterfeit hilarity—the - joint offspring of liberty and of rum. I say nothing more than - what must be obvious to every dispassionate observer, when I - repeat that the circumstance of the articles in question having - remained undiscovered, for a longer period than from one Sunday - to another, in any thicket in the immediate neighborhood of - Paris, is to be looked upon as little less than miraculous. - - “But there are not wanting other grounds for the suspicion that - the articles were placed in the thicket with the view of - diverting attention from the real scene of the outrage. And, - first, let me direct your notice to the date of the discovery of - the articles. Collate this with the date of the fifth extract - made by myself from the newspapers. You will find that the - discovery followed, almost immediately, the urgent communications - sent to the evening paper. These communications, although various - and apparently from various sources, tended all to the same - point—viz., the directing of attention to a gang as the - perpetrators of the outrage, and to the neighborhood of the - Barrière du Roule as its scene. Now here, of course, the - suspicion is not that, in consequence of these communications, or - of the public attention by them directed, the articles were found - by the boys; but the suspicion might and may well have been, that - the articles were not before found by the boys, for the reason - that the articles had not before been in the thicket; having been - deposited there only at so late a period as at the date, or - shortly prior to the date of the communication, by the guilty - authors of these communications themselves. - - “This thicket was a singular—an exceedingly singular one. It was - unusually dense. Within its naturally walled enclosure were three - extraordinary stones, forming a seat with a back and footstool. - And this thicket, so full of a natural art, was in the immediate - vicinity, within a few rods, of the dwelling of Madame Deluc, - whose boys were in the habit of closely examining the shrubberies - about them in search of the bark of the sassafras. Would it be a - rash wager—a wager of one thousand to one—that a day never passed - over the heads of these boys without finding at least one of them - ensconced in the umbrageous hall, and enthroned upon its natural - throne? Those who would hesitate at such a wager, have either - never been boys themselves, or have forgotten the boyish nature. - I repeat—it is exceedingly hard to comprehend how the articles - could have remained in this thicket undiscovered, for a longer - period than one or two days; and that thus there is good ground - for suspicion, in spite of the dogmatic ignorance of Le Soleil, - that they were, at a comparatively late date, deposited where - found. - - “But there are still other and stronger reasons for believing - them so deposited, than any which I have as yet urged. And, now, - let me beg your notice to the highly artificial arrangement of - the articles. On the _upper_ stone lay a white petticoat; on the - _second_, a silk scarf; scattered around, were a parasol, gloves, - and a pocket-handkerchief bearing the name, ‘Marie Rogêt.’ Here - is just such an arrangement as would naturally be made by a not - over-acute person wishing to dispose the articles naturally. But - it is by no means a really natural arrangement. I should rather - have looked to see the things all lying on the ground and - trampled under foot. In the narrow limits of that bower, it would - have been scarcely possible that the petticoat and scarf should - have retained a position upon the stones, when subjected to the - brushing to and fro of many struggling persons. ‘There was - evidence,’ it is said, ‘of a struggle; and the earth was - trampled, the bushes were broken,’—but the petticoat and the - scarf are found deposited as if upon shelves. ‘The pieces of the - frock torn out by the bushes were about three inches wide and six - inches long. One part was the hem of the frock and it had been - mended. They looked like strips torn off.’ Here, inadvertently, - Le Soleil has employed an exceedingly suspicious phrase. The - pieces, as described, do indeed ‘look like strips torn off;’ but - purposely and by hand. It is one of the rarest of accidents that - a piece is ‘torn off,’ from any garment such as is now in - question, by the agency of a thorn. From the very nature of such - fabrics, a thorn or nail becoming entangled in them, tears them - rectangularly—divides them into two longitudinal rents, at right - angles with each other, and meeting at an apex where the thorn - enters—but it is scarcely possible to conceive the piece ‘torn - off.’ I never so knew it, nor did you. To tear a piece off from - such fabric, two distinct forces, in different directions, will - be, in almost every case, required. If there be two edges to the - fabric—if, for example, it be a pocket-handkerchief, and it is - desired to tear from it a slip, then, and then only, will the one - force serve the purpose. But in the present case the question is - of a dress, presenting but one edge. To tear a piece from the - interior, where no edge is presented, could only be effected by a - miracle through the agency of thorns, and no one thorn could - accomplish it. But, even where an edge is presented, two thorns - will be necessary, operating, the one in two distinct directions, - and the other in one. And this in the supposition that the edge - is unhemmed. If hemmed, the matter is nearly out of the question. - We thus see the numerous and great obstacles in the way of pieces - being ‘torn off’ through the simple agency of ‘thorns;’ yet we - are required to believe not only that one piece but that many - have been so torn. ‘And one part,’ too, ‘was the hem of the - frock!’ Another piece was ‘part of the skirt, not the hem,’—that - is to say, was torn completely out through the agency of thorns, - from the uncaged interior of the dress! These, I say, are things - which one may well be pardoned for disbelieving; yet, taken - collectedly, they form, perhaps, less of reasonable ground for - suspicion, than the one startling circumstance of the articles’ - having been left in this thicket at all, by any murderers who had - enough precaution to think of removing the corpse. You will not - have apprehended me rightly, however, if you suppose it my design - to deny this thicket as the scene of the outrage. There might - have been a wrong here, or, more possibly, an accident at Madame - Deluc’s. But, in fact, this is a point of minor importance. We - are not engaged in an attempt to discover the scene, but to - produce the perpetrators of the murder. What I have adduced, - notwithstanding the minuteness with which I have adduced it, has - been with the view, first, to show the folly of the positive and - headlong assertions of Le Soleil, but secondly and chiefly, to - bring you, by the most natural route, to a further contemplation - of the doubt whether this assassination has, or has not, been the - work of a gang. - - “We will resume this question by mere allusion to the revolting - details of the surgeon examined at the inquest. It is only - necessary to say that his published inferences, in regard to the - number of ruffians, have been properly ridiculed as unjust and - totally baseless, by all the reputable anatomists of Paris. Not - that the matter might not have been as inferred, but that there - was no ground for the inference:—was there not much for another? - - “Let us reflect now upon ‘the traces of a struggle;’ and let me - ask what these traces have been supposed to demonstrate. A gang. - But do they not rather demonstrate the absence of a gang? What - struggle could have taken place—what struggle so violent and so - enduring as to have left its ‘traces’ in all directions—between a - weak and defenceless girl and the gang of ruffians imagined? The - silent grasp of a few rough arms and all would have been over. - The victim must have been absolutely passive at their will. You - will here bear in mind that the arguments urged against the - thicket as the scene, are applicable in chief part, only against - it as the scene of an outrage committed by more than a single - individual. If we imagine but one violator, we can conceive, and - thus only conceive, the struggle of so violent and so obstinate a - nature as to have left the ‘traces’ apparent. - - “And again. I have already mentioned the suspicion to be excited - by the fact that the articles in question were suffered to remain - at all in the thicket where discovered. It seems almost - impossible that these evidences of guilt should have been - accidentally left where found. There was sufficient presence of - mind (it is supposed) to remove the corpse; and yet a more - positive evidence than the corpse itself (whose features might - have been quickly obliterated by decay,) is allowed to lie - conspicuously in the scene of the outrage—I allude to the - handkerchief with the name of the deceased. If this was accident, - it was not the accident of a gang. We can imagine it only the - accident of an individual. Let us see. An individual has - committed the murder. He is alone with the ghost of the departed. - He is appalled by what lies motionless before him. The fury of - his passion is over, and there is abundant room in his heart for - the natural awe of the deed. His is none of that confidence which - the presence of numbers inevitably inspires. He is alone with the - dead. He trembles and is bewildered. Yet there is a necessity for - disposing of the corpse. He bears it to the river, but leaves - behind him the other evidences of guilt; for it is difficult, if - not impossible to carry all the burthen at once, and it will be - easy to return for what is left. But in his toilsome journey to - the water his fears redouble within him. The sounds of life - encompass his path. A dozen times he hears or fancies the step of - an observer. Even the very lights from the city bewilder him. - Yet, in time and by long and frequent pauses of deep agony, he - reaches the river’s brink, and disposes of his ghastly - charge—perhaps through the medium of a boat. But now what - treasure does the world hold—what threat of vengeance could it - hold out—which would have power to urge the return of that lonely - murderer over that toilsome and perilous path, to the thicket and - its blood chilling recollections? He returns not, let the - consequences be what they may. He could not return if he would. - His sole thought is immediate escape. He turns his back forever - upon those dreadful shrubberies and flees as from the wrath to - come. - - “But how with a gang? Their number would have inspired them with - confidence; if, indeed confidence is ever wanting in the breast - of the arrant blackguard; and of arrant blackguards alone are the - supposed gangs ever constituted. Their number, I say, would have - prevented the bewildering and unreasoning terror which I have - imagined to paralyze the single man. Could we suppose an - oversight in one, or two, or three, this oversight would have - been remedied by a fourth. They would have left nothing behind - them; for their number would have enabled them to carry all at - once. There would have been no need of return. - - “Consider now the circumstance that in the outer garment of the - corpse when found, ‘a slip, about a foot wide had been torn - upward from the bottom hem to the waist wound three times round - the waist, and secured by a sort of hitch in the back.’ This was - done with the obvious design of affording a handle by which to - carry the body. But would any number of men have dreamed of - resorting to such an expedient? To three or four, the limbs of - the corpse would have afforded not only a sufficient, but the - best possible hold. The device is that of a single individual; - and this brings us to the fact that ‘between the thicket and the - river, the rails of the fences were found taken down, and the - ground bore evident traces of some heavy burden having been - dragged along it!’ But would a number of men have put themselves - to the superfluous trouble of taking down a fence, for the - purpose of dragging through it a corpse which they might have - lifted over any fence in an instant? Would a number of men have - so dragged a corpse at all as to have left evident traces of the - dragging? - - “And here we must refer to an observation of Le Commerciel; an - observation upon which I have already, in some measure, - commented. ‘A piece,’ says this journal, ‘of one of the - unfortunate girl’s petticoats was torn out and tied under her - chin, and around the back of her head, probably to prevent - screams. This was done by fellows who had no - pocket-handkerchiefs.’ - - “I have before suggested that a genuine blackguard is never - without a pocket-handkerchief. But it is not to this fact that I - now especially advert. That it was not through want of a - handkerchief for the purpose imagined by Le Commerciel, that this - bandage was employed, is rendered apparent by the handkerchief - left in the thicket; and that the object was not ‘to prevent - screams’ appears, also, from the bandage having been employed in - preference to what would so much better have answered the - purpose. But the language of the evidence speaks of the strip in - question as ‘found around the neck, fitting loosely, and secured - with a hard knot.’ These words are sufficiently vague, but differ - materially from those of Le Commerciel. The slip was eighteen - inches wide, and therefore, although of muslin, would form a - strong band when folded or rumpled longitudinally. And thus - rumpled it was discovered. My inference is this. The solitary - murderer, having borne the corpse, for some distance (whether - from the thicket or elsewhere) by means of the bandage hitched - around its middle, found the weight, in this mode of procedure, - too much for his strength. He resolved to drag the burthen—the - evidence goes to show that it was dragged. With this object in - view, it became necessary to attach something like a rope to one - of the extremities. It could be best attached about the neck, - where the head would prevent its slipping off. And, now, the - murderer bethought him, unquestionably, of the bandage about the - loins. He would have used this, but for its volution about the - corpse, the hitch which embarrassed it, and the reflection that - it had not been ‘torn off’ from the garment. It was easier to - tear a new slip from the petticoat. He tore it, made it fast - about the neck, and so dragged his victim to the brink of the - river. That this ‘bandage,’ only attainable with trouble and - delay, and but imperfectly answering its purpose—that this - bandage was employed at all, demonstrates that the necessity for - its employment sprang from circumstances arising at a period when - the handkerchief was no longer attainable—that is to say, - arising, as we have imagined, after quitting the thicket, (if the - thicket it was), and on the road between the thicket and the - river. - - “But the evidence, you will say, of Madame Deluc (!) points - especially to the presence of a gang, in the vicinity of the - thicket, at or about the epoch of the murder. This I grant. I - doubt if there were not a dozen gangs, such as described by - Madame Deluc, in and about the vicinity of the Barrière du Roule - at or about the period of this tragedy. But the gang which has - drawn upon itself the pointed animadversion, although the - somewhat tardy and very suspicious evidence of Madame Deluc, is - the only gang which is represented by that honest and scrupulous - old lady as having eaten her cakes and swallowed her brandy, - without putting themselves to the trouble of making her payment. - Et hinc illæ iræ? - - “But what is the precise evidence of Madame Deluc? ‘A gang of - miscreants made their appearance, behaved boisterously, ate and - drank without making payment, followed in the route of the young - man and girl, returned to the inn about dusk, and recrossed the - river as if in great haste.’ - - “Now this ‘great haste’ very possibly seemed greater haste in the - eyes of Madame Deluc, since she dwelt lingeringly and lamentingly - upon her violated cakes and ale—cakes and ale for which she might - still have entertained a faint hope of compensation. Why, - otherwise, since it was about dusk, should she make a point of - the haste? It is no cause for wonder, surely, that even a gang of - blackguards should make haste to get home, when a wide river is - to be crossed in small boats, when storm impends, and when night - approaches. - - “I say approaches; for the night had not yet arrived. It was only - about dusk that the indecent haste of these ‘miscreants’ offended - the sober eyes of Madame Deluc. But we are told that it was upon - this very evening that Madame Deluc, as well as her eldest son, - ‘heard the screams of a female in the vicinity of the inn.’ And - in what words does Madame Deluc designate the period of the - evening at which these screams were heard? ‘It was soon after - dark,’ she says. But ‘soon after dark,’ is, at least, dark; and - ‘about dusk’ is as certainly daylight. Thus it is abundantly - clear that the gang quitted the Barrière du Roule prior to the - screams overheard (?) by Madame Deluc. And although, in all the - many reports of the evidence, the relative expressions in - question are distinctly and invariably employed just as I have - employed them in this conversation with yourself, no notice - whatever of the gross discrepancy has, as yet, been taken by any - of the public journals, or by any of the myrmidons of police. - - “I shall add but one to the arguments against a gang; but this - one has, to my own understanding at least, a weight altogether - irresistible. Under the circumstances of large reward offered, - and full pardon to any king’s evidence, it is not to be imagined, - for a moment, that some member of a gang of low ruffians, or of - any body of men, would not long ago have betrayed his - accomplices. Each one of a gang so placed, is not so much greedy - of reward, or anxious for escape, as fearful of betrayal. He - betrays eagerly and early that he may not himself be betrayed. - That the secret has not been divulged, is the very best of proof - that it is, in fact, a secret. The horrors of this dark deed are - known only to one, or two, living human beings, and to God. - - “Let us sum up now the meagre yet certain fruits of our long - analysis. We have attained the idea either of a fatal accident - under the roof of Madame Deluc, or of a murder perpetrated, in - the thicket at the Barrière du Roule, by a lover, or at least by - an intimate and secret associate of the deceased. This associate - is of swarthy complexion. This complexion, the ‘hitch’ in the - bandage, and the ‘sailor’s knot,’ with which the bonnet-ribbon is - tied, point to a seaman. His companionship with the deceased, a - gay, but not an abject young girl, designates him as above the - grade of the common sailor. Here the well written and urgent - communications to the journals are much in the way of - corroboration. The circumstance of the first elopement, as - mentioned by Le Mercurie, tends to blend the idea of this seaman - with that of the ‘naval officer’ who is first known to have led - the unfortunate into crime. - - “And here, most fitly, comes the consideration of the continued - absence of him of the dark complexion. Let me pause to observe - that the complexion of this man is dark and swarthy; it was no - common swarthiness which constituted the sole point of - remembrance, both as regards Valence and Madame Deluc. But why is - this man absent? Was he murdered by the gang? If so, why are - there only traces of the assassinated girl? The scene of the two - outrages will naturally be supposed identical. And where is his - corpse? The assassins would most probably have disposed of both - in the same way. But it may be said that this man lives, and is - deterred from making himself known, through dread of being - charged with the murder. This consideration might be supposed to - operate upon him now—at this late period—since it has been given - in evidence that he was seen with Marie—but it would have had no - force at the period of the deed. The first impulse of an innocent - man would have been to announce the outrage, and to aid in - identifying the ruffians. This policy would have suggested. He - had been seen with the girl. He had crossed the river with her in - an open ferry-boat. The denouncing of the assassins would have - appeared, even to an idiot, the surest and sole means of - relieving himself from suspicion. We cannot suppose him, on the - night of the fatal Sunday, both innocent himself and incognizant - of an outrage committed. Yet only under such circumstances is it - possible to imagine that he would have failed, if alive, in the - denouncement of the assassins. - - “And what means are ours, of attaining the truth? We shall find - these means multiplying and gathering distinctness as we proceed. - Let us sift to the bottom this affair of the first elopement. Let - us know the full history of ‘the officer,’ with his present - circumstances, and his whereabouts at the precise period of the - murder. Let us carefully compare with each other the various - communications sent to the evening paper, in which the object was - to inculpate a gang. This done, let us compare these - communications, both as regards style and MS., with those sent to - the morning paper, at a previous period, and insisting so - vehemently upon the guilt of Mennais. And, all this done, let us - again compare these various communications with the known MSS. of - the officer. Let us endeavor to ascertain, by repeated - questionings of Madame Deluc and her boys, as well as of the - omnibus driver, Valence, something more of the personal - appearance and bearing of the ‘man of dark complexion.’ Queries, - skilfully directed, will not fail to elicit, from some of these - parties, information on this particular point (or upon - others)—information which the parties themselves may not even be - aware of possessing. And let us now trace the boat picked up by - the bargeman on the morning of Monday the twenty-third of June, - and which was removed from the barge-office, without the - cognizance of the officer in attendance, and without the rudder, - at some period prior to the discovery of the corpse. With a - proper caution and perseverance we shall infallibly trace this - boat; for not only can the bargeman who picked it up identify it, - but the rudder is at hand. The rudder of a sail-boat would not - have been abandoned, without inquiry, by one altogether at ease - in heart. And here let me pause to insinuate a question. There - was no advertisement of the picking up of this boat. It was - silently taken to the barge-office, and as silently removed. But - its owner or employer—how happened he, at so early a period as - Tuesday morning, to be informed, without the agency of - advertisement, of the locality of the boat taken up on Monday, - unless we imagine some connexion with the navy—some personal - permanent connexion leading to cognizance of its minute in - interests—its petty local news? - - “In speaking of the lonely assassin dragging his burden to the - shore, I have already suggested the probability of his availing - himself of a boat. Now we are to understand that Marie Rogêt was - precipitated from a boat. This would naturally have been the - case. The corpse could not have been trusted to the shallow - waters of the shore. The peculiar marks on the back and shoulders - of the victim tell of the bottom ribs of a boat. That the body - was found without weight is also corroborative of the idea. If - thrown from the shore a weight would have been attached. We can - only account for its absence by supposing the murderer to have - neglected the precaution of supplying himself with it before - pushing off. In the act of consigning the corpse to the water, he - would unquestionably have noticed his oversight; but then no - remedy would have been at hand. Any risk would have been - preferred to a return to that accursed shore. Having rid himself - of his ghastly charge, the murderer would have hastened to the - city. There, at some obscure wharf, he would have leaped on land. - But the boat—would he have secured it? He would have been in too - great haste for such things as securing a boat. Moreover, in - fastening it to the wharf, he would have felt as if securing - evidence against himself. His natural thought would have been to - cast from him, as far as possible, all that had held connection - with his crime. He would not only have fled from the wharf, but - he would not have permitted the boat to remain. Assuredly he - would have cast it adrift. Let us pursue our fancies.—In the - morning, the wretch is stricken with unutterable horror at - finding that the boat has been picked up and detained at a - locality which he is in the daily habit of frequenting —at a - locality, perhaps, which his duty compels him to frequent. The - next night, without daring to ask for the rudder, he removes it. - Now where is that rudderless boat? Let it be one of our first - purposes to discover. With the first glimpse we obtain of it, the - dawn of our success shall begin. This boat shall guide us, with a - rapidity which will surprise even ourselves, to him who employed - it in the midnight of the fatal Sabbath. Corroboration will rise - upon corroboration, and the murderer will be traced.” - - [For reasons which we shall not specify, but which to many - readers will appear obvious, we have taken the liberty of here - omitting, from the MSS. placed in our hands, such portion as - details the following up of the apparently slight clew obtained - by Dupin. We feel it advisable only to state, in brief, that the - result desired was brought to pass; and that the Prefect - fulfilled punctually, although with reluctance, the terms of his - compact with the Chevalier. Mr. Poe’s article concludes with the - following words.—Eds. (*23)] - - It will be understood that I speak of coincidences and no more. - What I have said above upon this topic must suffice. In my own - heart there dwells no faith in præter-nature. That Nature and its - God are two, no man who thinks, will deny. That the latter, - creating the former, can, at will, control or modify it, is also - unquestionable. I say “at will;” for the question is of will, and - not, as the insanity of logic has assumed, of power. It is not - that the Deity cannot modify his laws, but that we insult him in - imagining a possible necessity for modification. In their origin - these laws were fashioned to embrace all contingencies which - could lie in the Future. With God all is Now. - - I repeat, then, that I speak of these things only as of - coincidences. And farther: in what I relate it will be seen that - between the fate of the unhappy Mary Cecilia Rogers, so far as - that fate is known, and the fate of one Marie Rogêt up to a - certain epoch in her history, there has existed a parallel in the - contemplation of whose wonderful exactitude the reason becomes - embarrassed. I say all this will be seen. But let it not for a - moment be supposed that, in proceeding with the sad narrative of - Marie from the epoch just mentioned, and in tracing to its - dénouement the mystery which enshrouded her, it is my covert - design to hint at an extension of the parallel, or even to - suggest that the measures adopted in Paris for the discovery of - the assassin of a grisette, or measures founded in any similar - ratiocination, would produce any similar result. - - For, in respect to the latter branch of the supposition, it - should be considered that the most trifling variation in the - facts of the two cases might give rise to the most important - miscalculations, by diverting thoroughly the two courses of - events; very much as, in arithmetic, an error which, in its own - individuality, may be inappreciable, produces, at length, by dint - of multiplication at all points of the process, a result - enormously at variance with truth. And, in regard to the former - branch, we must not fail to hold in view that the very Calculus - of Probabilities to which I have referred, forbids all idea of - the extension of the parallel—forbids it with a positiveness - strong and decided just in proportion as this parallel has - already been long-drawn and exact. This is one of those anomalous - propositions which, seemingly appealing to thought altogether - apart from the mathematical, is yet one which only the - mathematician can fully entertain. Nothing, for example, is more - difficult than to convince the merely general reader that the - fact of sixes having been thrown twice in succession by a player - at dice, is sufficient cause for betting the largest odds that - sixes will not be thrown in the third attempt. A suggestion to - this effect is usually rejected by the intellect at once. It does - not appear that the two throws which have been completed, and - which lie now absolutely in the Past, can have influence upon the - throw which exists only in the Future. The chance for throwing - sixes seems to be precisely as it was at any ordinary time—that - is to say, subject only to the influence of the various other - throws which may be made by the dice. And this is a reflection - which appears so exceedingly obvious that attempts to controvert - it are received more frequently with a derisive smile than with - anything like respectful attention. The error here involved—a - gross error redolent of mischief—I cannot pretend to expose - within the limits assigned me at present; and with the - philosophical it needs no exposure. It may be sufficient here to - say that it forms one of an infinite series of mistakes which - arise in the path of Reason through her propensity for seeking - truth in detail. - -FOOTNOTES—Marie Rogêt - - (*1) Upon the original publication of “Marie Roget,” the - foot-notes now appended were considered unnecessary; but the - lapse of several years since the tragedy upon which the tale is - based, renders it expedient to give them, and also to say a few - words in explanation of the general design. A young girl, Mary - Cecilia Rogers, was murdered in the vicinity of New York; and, - although her death occasioned an intense and long-enduring - excitement, the mystery attending it had remained unsolved at the - period when the present paper was written and published - (November, 1842). Herein, under pretence of relating the fate of - a Parisian grisette, the author has followed in minute detail, - the essential, while merely paralleling the inessential facts of - the real murder of Mary Rogers. Thus all argument founded upon - the fiction is applicable to the truth: and the investigation of - the truth was the object. The “Mystery of Marie Roget” was - composed at a distance from the scene of the atrocity, and with - no other means of investigation than the newspapers afforded. - Thus much escaped the writer of which he could have availed - himself had he been upon the spot, and visited the localities. It - may not be improper to record, nevertheless, that the confessions - of two persons, (one of them the Madame Deluc of the narrative) - made, at different periods, long subsequent to the publication, - confirmed, in full, not only the general conclusion, but - absolutely all the chief hypothetical details by which that - conclusion was attained. - - (*2) The nom de plume of Von Hardenburg. - - (*3) Nassau Street. - - (*4) Anderson. - - (*5) The Hudson. - - (*6) Weehawken. - - (*7) Payne. - - (*8) Crommelin. - - (*9) The New York “Mercury.” - - (*10) The New York “Brother Jonathan,” edited by H. Hastings - Weld, Esq. - - (*11) New York “Journal of Commerce.” - - (*12) Philadelphia “Saturday Evening Post,” edited by C. I. - Peterson, Esq. - - (*13) Adam - - (*14) See “Murders in the Rue Morgue.” - - (*15) The New York “Commercial Advertiser,” edited by Col. Stone. - - (*16) “A theory based on the qualities of an object, will prevent - its being unfolded according to its objects; and he who arranges - topics in reference to their causes, will cease to value them - according to their results. Thus the jurisprudence of every - nation will show that, when law becomes a science and a system, - it ceases to be justice. The errors into which a blind devotion - to principles of classification has led the common law, will be - seen by observing how often the legislature has been obliged to - come forward to restore the equity its scheme had lost.”—Landor. - - (*17) New York “Express” - - (*18) New York “Herald.” - - (*19) New York “Courier and Inquirer.” - - (*20) Mennais was one of the parties originally suspected and - arrested, but discharged through total lack of evidence. - - (*21) New York “Courier and Inquirer.” - - (*22) New York “Evening Post.” - - (*23) Of the Magazine in which the article was originally - published. - - - - -THE BALLOON-HOAX - - -[Astounding News by Express, _via_ Norfolk!—The Atlantic crossed in -Three Days! Signal Triumph of Mr. Monck Mason’s Flying -Machine!—Arrival at Sullivan’s Island, near Charlestown, S.C., of Mr. -Mason, Mr. Robert Holland, Mr. Henson, Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, and four -others, in the Steering Balloon, “Victoria,” after a passage of -Seventy-five Hours from Land to Land! Full Particulars of the Voyage! - The subjoined _jeu d’esprit_ with the preceding heading in - magnificent capitals, well interspersed with notes of admiration, - was originally published, as matter of fact, in the “New York Sun,” - a daily newspaper, and therein fully subserved the purpose of - creating indigestible aliment for the _quidnuncs_ during the few - hours intervening between a couple of the Charleston mails. The - rush for the “sole paper which had the news,” was something beyond - even the prodigious; and, in fact, if (as some assert) the - “Victoria” _did_ not absolutely accomplish the voyage recorded, it - will be difficult to assign a reason why she _should_ not have - accomplished it.] - - The great problem is at length solved! The air, as well as the - earth and the ocean, has been subdued by science, and will become - a common and convenient highway for mankind. _The Atlantic has - been actually crossed in a Balloon!_ and this too without - difficulty—without any great apparent danger—with thorough - control of the machine—and in the inconceivably brief period of - seventy-five hours from shore to shore! By the energy of an agent - at Charleston, S.C., we are enabled to be the first to furnish - the public with a detailed account of this most extraordinary - voyage, which was performed between Saturday, the 6th instant, at - 11, A.M., and 2, P.M., on Tuesday, the 9th instant, by Sir - Everard Bringhurst; Mr. Osborne, a nephew of Lord Bentinck’s; Mr. - Monck Mason and Mr. Robert Holland, the well-known æronauts; Mr. - Harrison Ainsworth, author of “Jack Sheppard,” &c.; and Mr. - Henson, the projector of the late unsuccessful flying - machine—with two seamen from Woolwich—in all, eight persons. The - particulars furnished below may be relied on as authentic and - accurate in every respect, as, with a slight exception, they are - copied _verbatim_ from the joint diaries of Mr. Monck Mason and - Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, to whose politeness our agent is also - indebted for much verbal information respecting the balloon - itself, its construction, and other matters of interest. The only - alteration in the MS. received, has been made for the purpose of - throwing the hurried account of our agent, Mr. Forsyth, into a - connected and intelligible form. - - “THE BALLOON. - - “Two very decided failures, of late—those of Mr. Henson and Sir - George Cayley—had much weakened the public interest in the - subject of aerial navigation. Mr. Henson’s scheme (which at first - was considered very feasible even by men of science,) was founded - upon the principle of an inclined plane, started from an eminence - by an extrinsic force, applied and continued by the revolution of - impinging vanes, in form and number resembling the vanes of a - windmill. But, in all the experiments made with models at the - Adelaide Gallery, it was found that the operation of these fans - not only did not propel the machine, but actually impeded its - flight. The only propelling force it ever exhibited, was the mere - _impetus_ acquired from the descent of the inclined plane; and - this _impetus_ carried the machine farther when the vanes were at - rest, than when they were in motion—a fact which sufficiently - demonstrates their inutility; and in the absence of the - propelling, which was also the _sustaining_ power, the whole - fabric would necessarily descend. This consideration led Sir - George Cayley to think only of adapting a propeller to some - machine having of itself an independent power of support—in a - word, to a balloon; the idea, however, being novel, or original, - with Sir George, only so far as regards the mode of its - application to practice. He exhibited a model of his invention at - the Polytechnic Institution. The propelling principle, or power, - was here, also, applied to interrupted surfaces, or vanes, put in - revolution. These vanes were four in number, but were found - entirely ineffectual in moving the balloon, or in aiding its - ascending power. The whole project was thus a complete failure. - - “It was at this juncture that Mr. Monck Mason (whose voyage from - Dover to Weilburg in the balloon, “Nassau,” occasioned so much - excitement in 1837,) conceived the idea of employing the - principle of the Archimedean screw for the purpose of propulsion - through the air—rightly attributing the failure of Mr. Henson’s - scheme, and of Sir George Cayley’s, to the interruption of - surface in the independent vanes. He made the first public - experiment at Willis’s Rooms, but afterward removed his model to - the Adelaide Gallery. - - “Like Sir George Cayley’s balloon, his own was an ellipsoid. Its - length was thirteen feet six inches—height, six feet eight - inches. It contained about three hundred and twenty cubic feet of - gas, which, if pure hydrogen, would support twenty-one pounds - upon its first inflation, before the gas has time to deteriorate - or escape. The weight of the whole machine and apparatus was - seventeen pounds—leaving about four pounds to spare. Beneath the - centre of the balloon, was a frame of light wood, about nine feet - long, and rigged on to the balloon itself with a network in the - customary manner. From this framework was suspended a wicker - basket or car. - - “The screw consists of an axis of hollow brass tube, eighteen - inches in length, through which, upon a semi-spiral inclined at - fifteen degrees, pass a series of steel wire radii, two feet - long, and thus projecting a foot on either side. These radii are - connected at the outer extremities by two bands of flattened - wire—the whole in this manner forming the framework of the screw, - which is completed by a covering of oiled silk cut into gores, - and tightened so as to present a tolerably uniform surface. At - each end of its axis this screw is supported by pillars of hollow - brass tube descending from the hoop. In the lower ends of these - tubes are holes in which the pivots of the axis revolve. From the - end of the axis which is next the car, proceeds a shaft of steel, - connecting the screw with the pinion of a piece of spring - machinery fixed in the car. By the operation of this spring, the - screw is made to revolve with great rapidity, communicating a - progressive motion to the whole. By means of the rudder, the - machine was readily turned in any direction. The spring was of - great power, compared with its dimensions, being capable of - raising forty-five pounds upon a barrel of four inches diameter, - after the first turn, and gradually increasing as it was wound - up. It weighed, altogether, eight pounds six ounces. The rudder - was a light frame of cane covered with silk, shaped somewhat like - a battle-door, and was about three feet long, and at the widest, - one foot. Its weight was about two ounces. It could be turned - _flat_, and directed upwards or downwards, as well as to the - right or left; and thus enabled the æronaut to transfer the - resistance of the air which in an inclined position it must - generate in its passage, to any side upon which he might desire - to act; thus determining the balloon in the opposite direction. - - “This model (which, through want of time, we have necessarily - described in an imperfect manner,) was put in action at the - Adelaide Gallery, where it accomplished a velocity of five miles - per hour; although, strange to say, it excited very little - interest in comparison with the previous complex machine of Mr. - Henson—so resolute is the world to despise anything which carries - with it an air of simplicity. To accomplish the great desideratum - of ærial navigation, it was very generally supposed that some - exceedingly complicated application must be made of some - unusually profound principle in dynamics. - - “So well satisfied, however, was Mr. Mason of the ultimate - success of his invention, that he determined to construct - immediately, if possible, a balloon of sufficient capacity to - test the question by a voyage of some extent—the original design - being to cross the British Channel, as before, in the Nassau - balloon. To carry out his views, he solicited and obtained the - patronage of Sir Everard Bringhurst and Mr. Osborne, two - gentlemen well known for scientific acquirement, and especially - for the interest they have exhibited in the progress of - ærostation. The project, at the desire of Mr. Osborne, was kept a - profound secret from the public—the only persons entrusted with - the design being those actually engaged in the construction of - the machine, which was built (under the superintendence of Mr. - Mason, Mr. Holland, Sir Everard Bringhurst, and Mr. Osborne,) at - the seat of the latter gentleman near Penstruthal, in Wales. Mr. - Henson, accompanied by his friend Mr. Ainsworth, was admitted to - a private view of the balloon, on Saturday last—when the two - gentlemen made final arrangements to be included in the - adventure. We are not informed for what reason the two seamen - were also included in the party—but, in the course of a day or - two, we shall put our readers in possession of the minutest - particulars respecting this extraordinary voyage. - - “The balloon is composed of silk, varnished with the liquid gum - caoutchouc. It is of vast dimensions, containing more than 40,000 - cubic feet of gas; but as coal gas was employed in place of the - more expensive and inconvenient hydrogen, the supporting power of - the machine, when fully inflated, and immediately after - inflation, is not more than about 2500 pounds. The coal gas is - not only much less costly, but is easily procured and managed. - - “For its introduction into common use for purposes of - aerostation, we are indebted to Mr. Charles Green. Up to his - discovery, the process of inflation was not only exceedingly - expensive, but uncertain. Two, and even three days, have - frequently been wasted in futile attempts to procure a - sufficiency of hydrogen to fill a balloon, from which it had - great tendency to escape, owing to its extreme subtlety, and its - affinity for the surrounding atmosphere. In a balloon - sufficiently perfect to retain its contents of coal-gas - unaltered, in quantity or amount, for six months, an equal - quantity of hydrogen could not be maintained in equal purity for - six weeks. - - “The supporting power being estimated at 2500 pounds, and the - united weights of the party amounting only to about 1200, there - was left a surplus of 1300, of which again 1200 was exhausted by - ballast, arranged in bags of different sizes, with their - respective weights marked upon them—by cordage, barometers, - telescopes, barrels containing provision for a fortnight, - water-casks, cloaks, carpet-bags, and various other indispensable - matters, including a coffee-warmer, contrived for warming coffee - by means of slack-lime, so as to dispense altogether with fire, - if it should be judged prudent to do so. All these articles, with - the exception of the ballast, and a few trifles, were suspended - from the hoop overhead. The car is much smaller and lighter, in - proportion, than the one appended to the model. It is formed of a - light wicker, and is wonderfully strong, for so frail looking a - machine. Its rim is about four feet deep. The rudder is also very - much larger, in proportion, than that of the model; and the screw - is considerably smaller. The balloon is furnished besides with a - grapnel, and a guide-rope; which latter is of the most - indispensable importance. A few words, in explanation, will here - be necessary for such of our readers as are not conversant with - the details of aerostation. - - “As soon as the balloon quits the earth, it is subjected to the - influence of many circumstances tending to create a difference in - its weight; augmenting or diminishing its ascending power. For - example, there may be a deposition of dew upon the silk, to the - extent, even, of several hundred pounds; ballast has then to be - thrown out, or the machine may descend. This ballast being - discarded, and a clear sunshine evaporating the dew, and at the - same time expanding the gas in the silk, the whole will again - rapidly ascend. To check this ascent, the only recourse is, (or - rather _was_, until Mr. Green’s invention of the guide-rope,) the - permission of the escape of gas from the valve; but, in the loss - of gas, is a proportionate general loss of ascending power; so - that, in a comparatively brief period, the best-constructed - balloon must necessarily exhaust all its resources, and come to - the earth. This was the great obstacle to voyages of length. - - “The guide-rope remedies the difficulty in the simplest manner - conceivable. It is merely a very long rope which is suffered to - trail from the car, and the effect of which is to prevent the - balloon from changing its level in any material degree. If, for - example, there should be a deposition of moisture upon the silk, - and the machine begins to descend in consequence, there will be - no necessity for discharging ballast to remedy the increase of - weight, for it is remedied, or counteracted, in an exactly just - proportion, by the deposit on the ground of just so much of the - end of the rope as is necessary. If, on the other hand, any - circumstances should cause undue levity, and consequent ascent, - this levity is immediately counteracted by the additional weight - of rope upraised from the earth. Thus, the balloon can neither - ascend or descend, except within very narrow limits, and its - resources, either in gas or ballast, remain comparatively - unimpaired. When passing over an expanse of water, it becomes - necessary to employ small kegs of copper or wood, filled with - liquid ballast of a lighter nature than water. These float, and - serve all the purposes of a mere rope on land. Another most - important office of the guide-rope, is to point out the - _direction_ of the balloon. The rope _drags_, either on land or - sea, while the balloon is free; the latter, consequently, is - always in advance, when any progress whatever is made: a - comparison, therefore, by means of the compass, of the relative - positions of the two objects, will always indicate the _course_. - In the same way, the angle formed by the rope with the vertical - axis of the machine, indicates the _velocity_. When there is _no_ - angle—in other words, when the rope hangs perpendicularly, the - whole apparatus is stationary; but the larger the angle, that is - to say, the farther the balloon precedes the end of the rope, the - greater the velocity; and the converse. - - “As the original design was to cross the British Channel, and - alight as near Paris as possible, the voyagers had taken the - precaution to prepare themselves with passports directed to all - parts of the Continent, specifying the nature of the expedition, - as in the case of the Nassau voyage, and entitling the - adventurers to exemption from the usual formalities of office: - unexpected events, however, rendered these passports superfluous. - - “The inflation was commenced very quietly at daybreak, on - Saturday morning, the 6th instant, in the Court-Yard of Weal-Vor - House, Mr. Osborne’s seat, about a mile from Penstruthal, in - North Wales; and at 7 minutes past 11, every thing being ready - for departure, the balloon was set free, rising gently but - steadily, in a direction nearly South; no use being made, for the - first half hour, of either the screw or the rudder. We proceed - now with the journal, as transcribed by Mr. Forsyth from the - joint MSS. of Mr. Monck Mason, and Mr. Ainsworth. The body of the - journal, as given, is in the hand-writing of Mr. Mason, and a P. - S. is appended, each day, by Mr. Ainsworth, who has in - preparation, and will shortly give the public a more minute, and - no doubt, a thrillingly interesting account of the voyage. - - “THE JOURNAL. - - “_Saturday, April the 6th_.—Every preparation likely to embarrass - us, having been made over night, we commenced the inflation this - morning at daybreak; but owing to a thick fog, which encumbered - the folds of the silk and rendered it unmanageable, we did not - get through before nearly eleven o’clock. Cut loose, then, in - high spirits, and rose gently but steadily, with a light breeze - at North, which bore us in the direction of the British Channel. - Found the ascending force greater than we had expected; and as we - arose higher and so got clear of the cliffs, and more in the - sun’s rays, our ascent became very rapid. I did not wish, - however, to lose gas at so early a period of the adventure, and - so concluded to ascend for the present. We soon ran out our - guide-rope; but even when we had raised it clear of the earth, we - still went up very rapidly. The balloon was unusually steady, and - looked beautifully. In about ten minutes after starting, the - barometer indicated an altitude of 15,000 feet. The weather was - remarkably fine, and the view of the subjacent country—a most - romantic one when seen from any point,—was now especially - sublime. The numerous deep gorges presented the appearance of - lakes, on account of the dense vapors with which they were - filled, and the pinnacles and crags to the South East, piled in - inextricable confusion, resembling nothing so much as the giant - cities of eastern fable. We were rapidly approaching the - mountains in the South; but our elevation was more than - sufficient to enable us to pass them in safety. In a few minutes - we soared over them in fine style; and Mr. Ainsworth, with the - seamen, was surprised at their apparent want of altitude when - viewed from the car, the tendency of great elevation in a balloon - being to reduce inequalities of the surface below, to nearly a - dead level. At half-past eleven still proceeding nearly South, we - obtained our first view of the Bristol Channel; and, in fifteen - minutes afterward, the line of breakers on the coast appeared - immediately beneath us, and we were fairly out at sea. We now - resolved to let off enough gas to bring our guide-rope, with the - buoys affixed, into the water. This was immediately done, and we - commenced a gradual descent. In about twenty minutes our first - buoy dipped, and at the touch of the second soon afterwards, we - remained stationary as to elevation. We were all now anxious to - test the efficiency of the rudder and screw, and we put them both - into requisition forthwith, for the purpose of altering our - direction more to the eastward, and in a line for Paris. By means - of the rudder we instantly effected the necessary change of - direction, and our course was brought nearly at right angles to - that of the wind; when we set in motion the spring of the screw, - and were rejoiced to find it propel us readily as desired. Upon - this we gave nine hearty cheers, and dropped in the sea a bottle, - enclosing a slip of parchment with a brief account of the - principle of the invention. Hardly, however, had we done with our - rejoicings, when an unforeseen accident occurred which - discouraged us in no little degree. The steel rod connecting the - spring with the propeller was suddenly jerked out of place, at - the car end, (by a swaying of the car through some movement of - one of the two seamen we had taken up,) and in an instant hung - dangling out of reach, from the pivot of the axis of the screw. - While we were endeavoring to regain it, our attention being - completely absorbed, we became involved in a strong current of - wind from the East, which bore us, with rapidly increasing force, - towards the Atlantic. We soon found ourselves driving out to sea - at the rate of not less, certainly, than fifty or sixty miles an - hour, so that we came up with Cape Clear, at some forty miles to - our North, before we had secured the rod, and had time to think - what we were about. It was now that Mr. Ainsworth made an - extraordinary, but to my fancy, a by no means unreasonable or - chimerical proposition, in which he was instantly seconded by Mr. - Holland—viz.: that we should take advantage of the strong gale - which bore us on, and in place of beating back to Paris, make an - attempt to reach the coast of North America. After slight - reflection I gave a willing assent to this bold proposition, - which (strange to say) met with objection from the two seamen - only. As the stronger party, however, we overruled their fears, - and kept resolutely upon our course. We steered due West; but as - the trailing of the buoys materially impeded our progress, and we - had the balloon abundantly at command, either for ascent or - descent, we first threw out fifty pounds of ballast, and then - wound up (by means of a windlass) so much of the rope as brought - it quite clear of the sea. We perceived the effect of this - manoeuvre immediately, in a vastly increased rate of progress; - and, as the gale freshened, we flew with a velocity nearly - inconceivable; the guide-rope flying out behind the car, like a - streamer from a vessel. It is needless to say that a very short - time sufficed us to lose sight of the coast. We passed over - innumerable vessels of all kinds, a few of which were endeavoring - to beat up, but the most of them lying to. We occasioned the - greatest excitement on board all—an excitement greatly relished - by ourselves, and especially by our two men, who, now under the - influence of a dram of Geneva, seemed resolved to give all - scruple, or fear, to the wind. Many of the vessels fired signal - guns; and in all we were saluted with loud cheers (which we heard - with surprising distinctness) and the waving of caps and - handkerchiefs. We kept on in this manner throughout the day, with - no material incident, and, as the shades of night closed around - us, we made a rough estimate of the distance traversed. It could - not have been less than five hundred miles, and was probably much - more. The propeller was kept in constant operation, and, no - doubt, aided our progress materially. As the sun went down, the - gale freshened into an absolute hurricane, and the ocean beneath - was clearly visible on account of its phosphorescence. The wind - was from the East all night, and gave us the brightest omen of - success. We suffered no little from cold, and the dampness of the - atmosphere was most unpleasant; but the ample space in the car - enabled us to lie down, and by means of cloaks and a few - blankets, we did sufficiently well. - - “P.S. (by Mr. Ainsworth.) The last nine hours have been - unquestionably the most exciting of my life. I can conceive - nothing more sublimating than the strange peril and novelty of an - adventure such as this. May God grant that we succeed! I ask not - success for mere safety to my insignificant person, but for the - sake of human knowledge and—for the vastness of the triumph. And - yet the feat is only so evidently feasible that the sole wonder - is why men have scrupled to attempt it before. One single gale - such as now befriends us—let such a tempest whirl forward a - balloon for four or five days (these gales often last longer) and - the voyager will be easily borne, in that period, from coast to - coast. In view of such a gale the broad Atlantic becomes a mere - lake. I am more struck, just now, with the supreme silence which - reigns in the sea beneath us, notwithstanding its agitation, than - with any other phenomenon presenting itself. The waters give up - no voice to the heavens. The immense flaming ocean writhes and is - tortured uncomplainingly. The mountainous surges suggest the idea - of innumerable dumb gigantic fiends struggling in impotent agony. - In a night such as is this to me, a man _lives_—lives a whole - century of ordinary life—nor would I forego this rapturous - delight for that of a whole century of ordinary existence. - - “_Sunday, the seventh_. [Mr. Mason’s MS.] This morning the gale, - by 10, had subsided to an eight or nine—knot breeze, (for a - vessel at sea,) and bears us, perhaps, thirty miles per hour, or - more. It has veered, however, very considerably to the north; and - now, at sundown, we are holding our course due west, principally - by the screw and rudder, which answer their purposes to - admiration. I regard the project as thoroughly successful, and - the easy navigation of the air in any direction (not exactly in - the teeth of a gale) as no longer problematical. We could not - have made head against the strong wind of yesterday; but, by - ascending, we might have got out of its influence, if requisite. - Against a pretty stiff breeze, I feel convinced, we can make our - way with the propeller. At noon, to-day, ascended to an elevation - of nearly 25,000 feet, by discharging ballast. Did this to search - for a more direct current, but found none so favorable as the one - we are now in. We have an abundance of gas to take us across this - small pond, even should the voyage last three weeks. I have not - the slightest fear for the result. The difficulty has been - strangely exaggerated and misapprehended. I can choose my - current, and should I find _all_ currents against me, I can make - very tolerable headway with the propeller. We have had no - incidents worth recording. The night promises fair. - - P.S. [By Mr. Ainsworth.] I have little to record, except the fact - (to me quite a surprising one) that, at an elevation equal to - that of Cotopaxi, I experienced neither very intense cold, nor - headache, nor difficulty of breathing; neither, I find, did Mr. - Mason, nor Mr. Holland, nor Sir Everard. Mr. Osborne complained - of constriction of the chest—but this soon wore off. We have - flown at a great rate during the day, and we must be more than - half way across the Atlantic. We have passed over some twenty or - thirty vessels of various kinds, and all seem to be delightfully - astonished. Crossing the ocean in a balloon is not so difficult a - feat after all. _Omne ignotum pro magnifico. Mem:_ at 25,000 feet - elevation the sky appears nearly black, and the stars are - distinctly visible; while the sea does not seem convex (as one - might suppose) but absolutely and most unequivocally - _concave_.(*1) - - “_Monday, the 8th_. [Mr. Mason’s MS.] This morning we had again - some little trouble with the rod of the propeller, which must be - entirely remodelled, for fear of serious accident—I mean the - steel rod—not the vanes. The latter could not be improved. The - wind has been blowing steadily and strongly from the north-east - all day and so far fortune seems bent upon favoring us. Just - before day, we were all somewhat alarmed at some odd noises and - concussions in the balloon, accompanied with the apparent rapid - subsidence of the whole machine. These phenomena were occasioned - by the expansion of the gas, through increase of heat in the - atmosphere, and the consequent disruption of the minute particles - of ice with which the network had become encrusted during the - night. Threw down several bottles to the vessels below. Saw one - of them picked up by a large ship—seemingly one of the New York - line packets. Endeavored to make out her name, but could not be - sure of it. Mr. Osborne’s telescope made it out something like - “Atalanta.” It is now 12, at night, and we are still going nearly - west, at a rapid pace. The sea is peculiarly phosphorescent. - - “P.S. [By Mr. Ainsworth.] It is now 2, A.M., and nearly calm, as - well as I can judge—but it is very difficult to determine this - point, since we move _with_ the air so completely. I have not - slept since quitting Wheal-Vor, but can stand it no longer, and - must take a nap. We cannot be far from the American coast. - - “_Tuesday, the_ 9_th_. [Mr. Ainsworth’s MS.] _One, P.M. We are in - full view of the low coast of South Carolina_. The great problem - is accomplished. We have crossed the Atlantic—fairly and _easily_ - crossed it in a balloon! God be praised! Who shall say that - anything is impossible hereafter?” - - The Journal here ceases. Some particulars of the descent were - communicated, however, by Mr. Ainsworth to Mr. Forsyth. It was - nearly dead calm when the voyagers first came in view of the - coast, which was immediately recognized by both the seamen, and - by Mr. Osborne. The latter gentleman having acquaintances at Fort - Moultrie, it was immediately resolved to descend in its vicinity. - The balloon was brought over the beach (the tide being out and - the sand hard, smooth, and admirably adapted for a descent,) and - the grapnel let go, which took firm hold at once. The inhabitants - of the island, and of the fort, thronged out, of course, to see - the balloon; but it was with the greatest difficulty that any one - could be made to credit the actual voyage—_the crossing of the - Atlantic_. The grapnel caught at 2, P.M., precisely; and thus the - whole voyage was completed in seventy-five hours; or rather less, - counting from shore to shore. No serious accident occurred. No - real danger was at any time apprehended. The balloon was - exhausted and secured without trouble; and when the MS. from - which this narrative is compiled was despatched from Charleston, - the party were still at Fort Moultrie. Their farther intentions - were not ascertained; but we can safely promise our readers some - additional information either on Monday or in the course of the - next day, at farthest. - - This is unquestionably the most stupendous, the most interesting, - and the most important undertaking, ever accomplished or even - attempted by man. What magnificent events may ensue, it would be - useless now to think of determining. - - (*1) _Note_.—Mr. Ainsworth has not attempted to account for this - phenomenon, which, however, is quite susceptible of explanation. - A line dropped from an elevation of 25,000 feet, perpendicularly - to the surface of the earth (or sea), would form the - perpendicular of a right-angled triangle, of which the base would - extend from the right angle to the horizon, and the hypothenuse - from the horizon to the balloon. But the 25,000 feet of altitude - is little or nothing, in comparison with the extent of the - prospect. In other words, the base and hypothenuse of the - supposed triangle would be so long when compared with the - perpendicular, that the two former may be regarded as nearly - parallel. In this manner the horizon of the æronaut would appear - to be _on a level_ with the car. But, as the point immediately - beneath him seems, and is, at a great distance below him, it - seems, of course, also, at a great distance below the horizon. - Hence the impression of _concavity_; and this impression must - remain, until the elevation shall bear so great a proportion to - the extent of prospect, that the apparent parallelism of the base - and hypothenuse disappears—when the earth’s real convexity must - become apparent. - - - - -MS. FOUND IN A BOTTLE - - -Qui n’a plus qu’un moment a vivre -N’a plus rien a dissimuler. - -—Quinault—Atys. - - Of my country and of my family I have little to say. Ill usage - and length of years have driven me from the one, and estranged me - from the other. Hereditary wealth afforded me an education of no - common order, and a contemplative turn of mind enabled me to - methodize the stores which early study very diligently garnered - up.—Beyond all things, the study of the German moralists gave me - great delight; not from any ill-advised admiration of their - eloquent madness, but from the ease with which my habits of rigid - thought enabled me to detect their falsities. I have often been - reproached with the aridity of my genius; a deficiency of - imagination has been imputed to me as a crime; and the Pyrrhonism - of my opinions has at all times rendered me notorious. Indeed, a - strong relish for physical philosophy has, I fear, tinctured my - mind with a very common error of this age—I mean the habit of - referring occurrences, even the least susceptible of such - reference, to the principles of that science. Upon the whole, no - person could be less liable than myself to be led away from the - severe precincts of truth by the ignes fatui of superstition. I - have thought proper to premise thus much, lest the incredible - tale I have to tell should be considered rather the raving of a - crude imagination, than the positive experience of a mind to - which the reveries of fancy have been a dead letter and a - nullity. - - After many years spent in foreign travel, I sailed in the year - 18— , from the port of Batavia, in the rich and populous island - of Java, on a voyage to the Archipelago of the Sunda islands. I - went as passenger—having no other inducement than a kind of - nervous restlessness which haunted me as a fiend. - - Our vessel was a beautiful ship of about four hundred tons, - copper-fastened, and built at Bombay of Malabar teak. She was - freighted with cotton-wool and oil, from the Lachadive islands. - We had also on board coir, jaggeree, ghee, cocoa-nuts, and a few - cases of opium. The stowage was clumsily done, and the vessel - consequently crank. - - We got under way with a mere breath of wind, and for many days - stood along the eastern coast of Java, without any other incident - to beguile the monotony of our course than the occasional meeting - with some of the small grabs of the Archipelago to which we were - bound. - - One evening, leaning over the taffrail, I observed a very - singular, isolated cloud, to the N.W. It was remarkable, as well - for its color, as from its being the first we had seen since our - departure from Batavia. I watched it attentively until sunset, - when it spread all at once to the eastward and westward, girting - in the horizon with a narrow strip of vapor, and looking like a - long line of low beach. My notice was soon afterwards attracted - by the dusky-red appearance of the moon, and the peculiar - character of the sea. The latter was undergoing a rapid change, - and the water seemed more than usually transparent. Although I - could distinctly see the bottom, yet, heaving the lead, I found - the ship in fifteen fathoms. The air now became intolerably hot, - and was loaded with spiral exhalations similar to those arising - from heat iron. As night came on, every breath of wind died away, - an more entire calm it is impossible to conceive. The 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 yet 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 groped in a corner among a pile of - singular-looking instruments, and decayed charts of navigation. - His manner was a wild mixture of the peevishness of second - childhood, and the solemn dignity of a God. He at length went on - deck, and I saw him no more. - - - A feeling, for which I have no name, has taken possession of my - soul —a sensation which will admit of no analysis, to which the - lessons of bygone times are inadequate, and for which I fear - futurity itself will offer me no key. To a mind constituted like - my own, the latter consideration is an evil. I shall never—I know - that I shall never—be satisfied with regard to the nature of my - conceptions. Yet it is not wonderful that these conceptions are - indefinite, since they have their origin in sources so utterly - novel. A new sense—a new entity is added to my soul. - - - It is long since I first trod the deck of this terrible ship, and - the rays of my destiny are, I think, gathering to a focus. - Incomprehensible men! Wrapped up in meditations of a kind which I - cannot divine, they pass me by unnoticed. Concealment is utter - folly on my part, for the people will not see. It was but just - now that I passed directly before the eyes of the mate; it was no - long while ago that I ventured into the captain’s own private - cabin, and took thence the materials with which I write, and have - written. I shall from time to time continue this journal. It is - true that I may not find an opportunity of transmitting it to the - world, but I will not fall to make the endeavour. At the last - moment I will enclose the MS. in a bottle, and cast it within the - sea. - - - An incident has occurred which has given me new room for - meditation. Are such things the operation of ungoverned chance? I - had ventured upon deck and thrown myself down, without attracting - any notice, among a pile of ratlin-stuff and old sails in the - bottom of the yawl. While musing upon the singularity of my fate, - I unwittingly daubed with a tar-brush the edges of a - neatly-folded studding-sail which lay near me on a barrel. The - studding-sail is now bent upon the ship, and the thoughtless - touches of the brush are spread out into the word DISCOVERY. - - I have made many observations lately upon the structure of the - vessel. Although well armed, she is not, I think, a ship of war. - Her rigging, build, and general equipment, all negative a - supposition of this kind. What she is not, I can easily - perceive—what she is I fear it is impossible to say. I know not - how it is, but in scrutinizing her strange model and singular - cast of spars, her huge size and overgrown suits of canvas, her - severely simple bow and antiquated stern, there will occasionally - flash across my mind a sensation of familiar things, and there is - always mixed up with such indistinct shadows of recollection, an - unaccountable memory of old foreign chronicles and ages long ago. - - - I have been looking at the timbers of the ship. She is built of a - material to which I am a stranger. There is a peculiar character - about the wood which strikes me as rendering it unfit for the - purpose to which it has been applied. I mean its extreme - porousness, considered independently by the worm-eaten condition - which is a consequence of navigation in these seas, and apart - from the rottenness attendant upon age. It will appear perhaps an - observation somewhat over-curious, but this wood would have every - characteristic of Spanish oak, if Spanish oak were distended by - any unnatural means. - - In reading the above sentence a curious apothegm of an old - weather-beaten Dutch navigator comes full upon my recollection. - “It is as sure,” he was wont to say, when any doubt was - entertained of his veracity, “as sure as there is a sea where the - ship itself will grow in bulk like the living body of the - seaman.” - - - About an hour ago, I made bold to thrust myself among a group of - the crew. They paid me no manner of attention, and, although I - stood in the very midst of them all, seemed utterly unconscious - of my presence. Like the one I had at first seen in the hold, - they all bore about them the marks of a hoary old age. Their - knees trembled with infirmity; their shoulders were bent double - with decrepitude; their shrivelled skins rattled in the wind; - their voices were low, tremulous and broken; their eyes glistened - with the rheum of years; and their gray hairs streamed terribly - in the tempest. Around them, on every part of the deck, lay - scattered mathematical instruments of the most quaint and - obsolete construction. - - - I mentioned some time ago the bending of a studding-sail. From - that period the ship, being thrown dead off the wind, has - continued her terrific course due south, with every rag of canvas - packed upon her, from her trucks to her lower studding-sail - booms, and rolling every moment her top-gallant yard-arms into - the most appalling hell of water which it can enter into the mind - of a man to imagine. I have just left the deck, where I find it - impossible to maintain a footing, although the crew seem to - experience little inconvenience. It appears to me a miracle of - miracles that our enormous bulk is not swallowed up at once and - forever. We are surely doomed to hover continually upon the brink - of eternity, without taking a final plunge into the abyss. From - billows a thousand times more stupendous than any I have ever - seen, we glide away with the facility of the arrowy sea-gull; and - the colossal waters rear their heads above us like demons of the - deep, but like demons confined to simple threats and forbidden to - destroy. I am led to attribute these frequent escapes to the only - natural cause which can account for such effect. I must suppose - the ship to be within the influence of some strong current, or - impetuous under-tow. - - - I have seen the captain face to face, and in his own cabin—but, - as I expected, he paid me no attention. Although in his - appearance there is, to a casual observer, nothing which might - bespeak him more or less than man, still, a feeling of - irrepressible reverence and awe mingled with the sensation of - wonder with which I regarded him. In stature he is nearly my own - height; that is, about five feet eight inches. He is of a - well-knit and compact frame of body, neither robust nor - remarkably otherwise. But it is the singularity of the expression - which reigns upon the face—it is the intense, the wonderful, the - thrilling evidence of old age, so utter, so extreme, which - excites within my spirit a sense—a sentiment ineffable. His - forehead, although little wrinkled, seems to bear upon it the - stamp of a myriad of years. His gray hairs are records of the - past, and his grayer eyes are sibyls of the future. The cabin - floor was thickly strewn with strange, iron-clasped folios, and - mouldering instruments of science, and obsolete long-forgotten - charts. His head was bowed down upon his hands, and he pored, - with a fiery unquiet eye, over a paper which I took to be a - commission, and which, at all events, bore the signature of a - monarch. He muttered to himself, as did the first seaman whom I - saw in the hold, some low peevish syllables of a foreign tongue, - and although the speaker was close at my elbow, his voice seemed - to reach my ears from the distance of a mile. - - - The ship and all in it are imbued with the spirit of Eld. The - crew glide to and fro like the ghosts of buried centuries; their - eyes have an eager and uneasy meaning; and when their fingers - fall athwart my path in the wild glare of the battle-lanterns, I - feel as I have never felt before, although I have been all my - life a dealer in antiquities, and have imbibed the shadows of - fallen columns at Balbec, and Tadmor, and Persepolis, until my - very soul has become a ruin. - - - When I look around me I feel ashamed of my former apprehensions. - If I trembled at the blast which has hitherto attended us, shall - I not stand aghast at a warring of wind and ocean, to convey any - idea of which the words tornado and simoom are trivial and - ineffective? All in the immediate vicinity of the ship is the - blackness of eternal night, and a chaos of foamless water; but, - about a league on either side of us, may be seen, indistinctly - and at intervals, stupendous ramparts of ice, towering away into - the desolate sky, and looking like the walls of the universe. - - - As I imagined, the ship proves to be in a current—if that - appellation can properly be given to a tide which, howling and - shrieking by the white ice, thunders on to the southward with a - velocity like the headlong dashing of a cataract. - - - To conceive the horror of my sensations is, I presume, utterly - impossible; yet a curiosity to penetrate the mysteries of these - awful regions, predominates even over my despair, and will - reconcile me to the most hideous aspect of death. It is evident - that we are hurrying onwards to some exciting knowledge—some - never-to-be-imparted secret, whose attainment is destruction. - Perhaps this current leads us to the southern pole itself. It - must be confessed that a supposition apparently so wild has every - probability in its favor. - - - The crew pace the deck with unquiet and tremulous step; but there - is upon their countenances an expression more of the eagerness of - hope than of the apathy of despair. - - In the meantime the wind is still in our poop, and, as we carry a - crowd of canvas, the ship is at times lifted bodily from out the - sea! Oh, horror upon horror!—the ice opens suddenly to the right, - and to the left, and we are whirling dizzily, in immense - concentric circles, round and round the borders of a gigantic - amphitheatre, the summit of whose walls is lost in the darkness - and the distance. But little time will be left me to ponder upon - my destiny! The circles rapidly grow small—we are plunging madly - within the grasp of the whirlpool—and amid a roaring, and - bellowing, and thundering of ocean and of tempest, the ship is - quivering—oh God! and—going down. - - NOTE.—The “MS. Found in a Bottle,” was originally published in - 1831, and it was not until many years afterwards that I became - acquainted with the maps of Mercator, in which the ocean is - represented as rushing, by four mouths, into the (northern) Polar - Gulf, to be absorbed into the bowels of the earth; the Pole - itself being represented by a black rock, towering to a - prodigious height. - - - - -THE OVAL PORTRAIT - - - The château into which my valet had ventured to make forcible - entrance, rather than permit me, in my desperately wounded - condition, to pass a night in the open air, was one of those - piles of commingled gloom and grandeur which have so long frowned - among the Appennines, not less in fact than in the fancy of Mrs. - Radcliffe. To all appearance it had been temporarily and very - lately abandoned. We established ourselves in one of the smallest - and least sumptuously furnished apartments. It lay in a remote - turret of the building. Its decorations were rich, yet tattered - and antique. Its walls were hung with tapestry and bedecked with - manifold and multiform armorial trophies, together with an - unusually great number of very spirited modern paintings in - frames of rich golden arabesque. In these paintings, which - depended from the walls not only in their main surfaces, but in - very many nooks which the bizarre architecture of the château - rendered necessary—in these paintings my incipient delirium, - perhaps, had caused me to take deep interest; so that I bade - Pedro to close the heavy shutters of the room—since it was - already night—to light the tongues of a tall candelabrum which - stood by the head of my bed, and to throw open far and wide the - fringed curtains of black velvet which enveloped the bed itself. - I wished all this done that I might resign myself, if not to - sleep, at least alternately to the contemplation of these - pictures, and the perusal of a small volume which had been found - upon the pillow, and which purported to criticise and describe - them. - - Long, long I read—and devoutly, devotedly I gazed. Rapidly and - gloriously the hours flew by and the deep midnight came. The - position of the candelabrum displeased me, and outreaching my - hand with difficulty, rather than disturb my slumbering valet, I - placed it so as to throw its rays more fully upon the book. - - But the action produced an effect altogether unanticipated. The - rays of the numerous candles (for there were many) now fell - within a niche of the room which had hitherto been thrown into - deep shade by one of the bed-posts. I thus saw in vivid light a - picture all unnoticed before. It was the portrait of a young girl - just ripening into womanhood. I glanced at the painting - hurriedly, and then closed my eyes. Why I did this was not at - first apparent even to my own perception. But while my lids - remained thus shut, I ran over in my mind my reason for so - shutting them. It was an impulsive movement to gain time for - thought—to make sure that my vision had not deceived me—to calm - and subdue my fancy for a more sober and more certain gaze. In a - very few moments I again looked fixedly at the painting. - - That I now saw aright I could not and would not doubt; for the - first flashing of the candles upon that canvas had seemed to - dissipate the dreamy stupor which was stealing over my senses, - and to startle me at once into waking life. - - The portrait, I have already said, was that of a young girl. It - was a mere head and shoulders, done in what is technically termed - a vignette manner; much in the style of the favorite heads of - Sully. The arms, the bosom, and even the ends of the radiant hair - melted imperceptibly into the vague yet deep shadow which formed - the back-ground of the whole. The frame was oval, richly gilded - and filigreed in Moresque. As a thing of art nothing could be - more admirable than the painting itself. But it could have been - neither the execution of the work, nor the immortal beauty of the - countenance, which had so suddenly and so vehemently moved me. - Least of all, could it have been that my fancy, shaken from its - half slumber, had mistaken the head for that of a living person. - I saw at once that the peculiarities of the design, of the - vignetting, and of the frame, must have instantly dispelled such - idea—must have prevented even its momentary entertainment. - Thinking earnestly upon these points, I remained, for an hour - perhaps, half sitting, half reclining, with my vision riveted - upon the portrait. At length, satisfied with the true secret of - its effect, I fell back within the bed. I had found the spell of - the picture in an absolute life-likeliness of expression, which, - at first startling, finally confounded, subdued, and appalled me. - With deep and reverent awe I replaced the candelabrum in its - former position. The cause of my deep agitation being thus shut - from view, I sought eagerly the volume which discussed the - paintings and their histories. Turning to the number which - designated the oval portrait, I there read the vague and quaint - words which follow: - - “She was a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full - of glee. And evil was the hour when she saw, and loved, and - wedded the painter. He, passionate, studious, austere, and having - already a bride in his Art; she a maiden of rarest beauty, and - not more lovely than full of glee; all light and smiles, and - frolicsome as the young fawn; loving and cherishing all things; - hating only the Art which was her rival; dreading only the pallet - and brushes and other untoward instruments which deprived her of - the countenance of her lover. It was thus a terrible thing for - this lady to hear the painter speak of his desire to portray even - his young bride. But she was humble and obedient, and sat meekly - for many weeks in the dark, high turret-chamber where the light - dripped upon the pale canvas only from overhead. But he, the - painter, took glory in his work, which went on from hour to hour, - and from day to day. And he was a passionate, and wild, and moody - man, who became lost in reveries; so that he would not see that - the light which fell so ghastly in that lone turret withered the - health and the spirits of his bride, who pined visibly to all but - him. Yet she smiled on and still on, uncomplainingly, because she - saw that the painter (who had high renown) took a fervid and - burning pleasure in his task, and wrought day and night to depict - her who so loved him, yet who grew daily more dispirited and - weak. And in sooth some who beheld the portrait spoke of its - resemblance in low words, as of a mighty marvel, and a proof not - less of the power of the painter than of his deep love for her - whom he depicted so surpassingly well. But at length, as the - labor drew nearer to its conclusion, there were admitted none - into the turret; for the painter had grown wild with the ardor of - his work, and turned his eyes from canvas merely, even to regard - the countenance of his wife. And he would not see that the tints - which he spread upon the canvas were drawn from the cheeks of her - who sate beside him. And when many weeks had passed, and but - little remained to do, save one brush upon the mouth and one tint - upon the eye, the spirit of the lady again flickered up as the - flame within the socket of the lamp. And then the brush was - given, and then the tint was placed; and, for one moment, the - painter stood entranced before the work which he had wrought; but - in the next, while he yet gazed, he grew tremulous and very - pallid, and aghast, and crying with a loud voice, ‘This is indeed - Life itself!’ turned suddenly to regard his beloved:—She was - dead!” - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, VOL. 1 *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Volume 1</div> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Edgar Allan Poe</div> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: May 19, 2008 [eBook #2147]<br /> -[Most recently updated: January 5, 2022]</div> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: David Widger and Carlo Traverso</div> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, VOL. 1 ***</div> - -<h1>The Works of Edgar Allan Poe</h1> - -<h2>by Edgar Allan Poe</h2> - -<h3>The Raven Edition</h3> - -<hr /> - -<h2>Contents</h2> - -<table summary="" style=""> - -<tr> -<td> <a href="#chap01">PREFACE</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> <a href="#chap02">LIFE OF POE</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> <a href="#chap03">DEATH OF POE</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> <a href="#chap04">THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES OF ONE HANS PFAALL</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> <a href="#chap05">THE GOLD-BUG</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> <a href="#chap06">FOUR BEASTS IN ONE—THE HOMO-CAMELEOPARD</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> <a href="#chap07">THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> <a href="#chap08">THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET.(*1)</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> <a href="#chap09">THE BALLOON-HOAX</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> <a href="#chap10">MS. FOUND IN A BOTTLE</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> <a href="#chap11">THE OVAL PORTRAIT</a></td> -</tr> - -</table> - - <hr /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2><a name="chap01"></a>EDGAR ALLAN POE<br /> -AN APPRECIATION</h2> - -<p class="poem"> - Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster<br /> - Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—<br /> - Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore<br /> - Of “never—never more!” - </p> - <p> - This stanza from “The Raven” was recommended by James Russell Lowell as an - inscription upon the Baltimore monument which marks the resting place of - Edgar Allan Poe, the most interesting and original figure in American - letters. And, to signify that peculiar musical quality of Poe’s genius - which inthralls every reader, Mr. Lowell suggested this additional verse, - from the “Haunted Palace”: - </p> -<p class="poem"> - And all with pearl and ruby glowing<br /> - Was the fair palace door,<br /> - Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,<br /> - And sparkling ever more,<br /> - A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty<br /> - Was but to sing,<br /> - In voices of surpassing beauty,<br /> - The wit and wisdom of their king. -</p> - <p> - Born in poverty at Boston, January 19, 1809, dying under painful - circumstances at Baltimore, October 7, 1849, his whole literary career of - scarcely fifteen years a pitiful struggle for mere subsistence, his memory - malignantly misrepresented by his earliest biographer, Griswold, how - completely has truth at last routed falsehood and how magnificently has - Poe come into his own. For “The Raven,” first published in 1845, and, - within a few months, read, recited and parodied wherever the English - language was spoken, the half-starved poet received $10! Less than a year - later his brother poet, N. P. Willis, issued this touching appeal to the - admirers of genius on behalf of the neglected author, his dying wife and - her devoted mother, then living under very straitened circumstances in a - little cottage at Fordham, N. Y.: - </p> - <p> - “Here is one of the finest scholars, one of the most original men of - genius, and one of the most industrious of the literary profession of our - country, whose temporary suspension of labor, from bodily illness, drops - him immediately to a level with the common objects of public charity. - There is no intermediate stopping-place, no respectful shelter, where, - with the delicacy due to genius and culture, he might secure aid, till, - with returning health, he would resume his labors, and his unmortified - sense of independence.” - </p> - <p> - And this was the tribute paid by the American public to the master who had - given to it such tales of conjuring charm, of witchery and mystery as “The - Fall of the House of Usher” and “Ligeia”; such fascinating hoaxes as “The - Unparalleled Adventure of Hans Pfaall,” “MSS. Found in a Bottle,” “A - Descent Into a Maelstrom” and “The Balloon-Hoax”; such tales of conscience - as “William Wilson,” “The Black Cat” and “The Tell-tale Heart,” wherein - the retributions of remorse are portrayed with an awful fidelity; such - tales of natural beauty as “The Island of the Fay” and “The Domain of - Arnheim”; such marvellous studies in ratiocination as the “Gold-bug,” “The - Murders in the Rue Morgue,” “The Purloined Letter” and “The Mystery of - Marie Roget,” the latter, a recital of fact, demonstrating the author’s - wonderful capability of correctly analyzing the mysteries of the human - mind; such tales of illusion and banter as “The Premature Burial” and “The - System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether”; such bits of extravaganza as - “The Devil in the Belfry” and “The Angel of the Odd”; such tales of - adventure as “The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym”; such papers of keen - criticism and review as won for Poe the enthusiastic admiration of Charles - Dickens, although they made him many enemies among the over-puffed minor - American writers so mercilessly exposed by him; such poems of beauty and - melody as “The Bells,” “The Haunted Palace,” “Tamerlane,” “The City in the - Sea” and “The Raven.” What delight for the jaded senses of the reader is - this enchanted domain of wonder-pieces! What an atmosphere of beauty, - music, color! What resources of imagination, construction, analysis and - absolute art! One might almost sympathize with Sarah Helen Whitman, who, - confessing to a half faith in the old superstition of the significance of - anagrams, found, in the transposed letters of Edgar Poe’s name, the words - “a God-peer.” His mind, she says, was indeed a “Haunted Palace,” echoing - to the footfalls of angels and demons. - </p> - <p> - “No man,” Poe himself wrote, “has recorded, no man has dared to record, - the wonders of his inner life.” - </p> - <p> - In these twentieth century days—of lavish recognition—artistic, - popular and material—of genius, what rewards might not a Poe claim! - </p> - <p> - Edgar’s father, a son of General David Poe, the American revolutionary - patriot and friend of Lafayette, had married Mrs. Hopkins, an English - actress, and, the match meeting with parental disapproval, had himself - taken to the stage as a profession. Notwithstanding Mrs. Poe’s beauty and - talent the young couple had a sorry struggle for existence. When Edgar, at - the age of two years, was orphaned, the family was in the utmost - destitution. Apparently the future poet was to be cast upon the world - homeless and friendless. But fate decreed that a few glimmers of sunshine - were to illumine his life, for the little fellow was adopted by John - Allan, a wealthy merchant of Richmond, Va. A brother and sister, the - remaining children, were cared for by others. - </p> - <p> - In his new home Edgar found all the luxury and advantages money could - provide. He was petted, spoiled and shown off to strangers. In Mrs. Allan - he found all the affection a childless wife could bestow. Mr. Allan took - much pride in the captivating, precocious lad. At the age of five the boy - recited, with fine effect, passages of English poetry to the visitors at - the Allan house. - </p> - <p> - From his eighth to his thirteenth year he attended the Manor House school, - at Stoke-Newington, a suburb of London. It was the Rev. Dr. Bransby, head - of the school, whom Poe so quaintly portrayed in “William Wilson.” - Returning to Richmond in 1820 Edgar was sent to the school of Professor - Joseph H. Clarke. He proved an apt pupil. Years afterward Professor Clarke - thus wrote: - </p> - <p> - “While the other boys wrote mere mechanical verses, Poe wrote genuine - poetry; the boy was a born poet. As a scholar he was ambitious to excel. - He was remarkable for self-respect, without haughtiness. He had a - sensitive and tender heart and would do anything for a friend. His nature - was entirely free from selfishness.” - </p> - <p> - At the age of seventeen Poe entered the University of Virginia at - Charlottesville. He left that institution after one session. Official - records prove that he was not expelled. On the contrary, he gained a - creditable record as a student, although it is admitted that he contracted - debts and had “an ungovernable passion for card-playing.” These debts may - have led to his quarrel with Mr. Allan which eventually compelled him to - make his own way in the world. - </p> - <p> - Early in 1827 Poe made his first literary venture. He induced Calvin - Thomas, a poor and youthful printer, to publish a small volume of his - verses under the title “Tamerlane and Other Poems.” In 1829 we find Poe in - Baltimore with another manuscript volume of verses, which was soon - published. Its title was “Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Other Poems.” Neither - of these ventures seems to have attracted much attention. - </p> - <p> - Soon after Mrs. Allan’s death, which occurred in 1829, Poe, through the - aid of Mr. Allan, secured admission to the United States Military Academy - at West Point. Any glamour which may have attached to cadet life in Poe’s - eyes was speedily lost, for discipline at West Point was never so severe - nor were the accommodations ever so poor. Poe’s bent was more and more - toward literature. Life at the academy daily became increasingly - distasteful. Soon he began to purposely neglect his studies and to - disregard his duties, his aim being to secure his dismissal from the - United States service. In this he succeeded. On March 7, 1831, Poe found - himself free. Mr. Allan’s second marriage had thrown the lad on his own - resources. His literary career was to begin. - </p> - <p> - Poe’s first genuine victory was won in 1833, when he was the successful - competitor for a prize of $100 offered by a Baltimore periodical for the - best prose story. “A MSS. Found in a Bottle” was the winning tale. Poe had - submitted six stories in a volume. “Our only difficulty,” says Mr. - Latrobe, one of the judges, “was in selecting from the rich contents of - the volume.” - </p> - <p> - During the fifteen years of his literary life Poe was connected with - various newspapers and magazines in Richmond, Philadelphia and New York. - He was faithful, punctual, industrious, thorough. N. P. Willis, who for - some time employed Poe as critic and sub-editor on the “Evening Mirror,” - wrote thus: - </p> - <p> - “With the highest admiration for Poe’s genius, and a willingness to let it - alone for more than ordinary irregularity, we were led by common report to - expect a very capricious attention to his duties, and occasionally a scene - of violence and difficulty. Time went on, however, and he was invariably - punctual and industrious. We saw but one presentiment of the man—a quiet, - patient, industrious and most gentlemanly person. - </p> - <p> - “We heard, from one who knew him well (what should be stated in all - mention of his lamentable irregularities), that with a single glass of - wine his whole nature was reversed, the demon became uppermost, and, - though none of the usual signs of intoxication were visible, his will was - palpably insane. In this reversed character, we repeat, it was never our - chance to meet him.” - </p> - <p> - On September 22, 1835, Poe married his cousin, Virginia Clemm, in - Baltimore. She had barely turned thirteen years, Poe himself was but - twenty-six. He then was a resident of Richmond and a regular contributor - to the “Southern Literary Messenger.” It was not until a year later that - the bride and her widowed mother followed him thither. - </p> - <p> - Poe’s devotion to his child-wife was one of the most beautiful features of - his life. Many of his famous poetic productions were inspired by her - beauty and charm. Consumption had marked her for its victim, and the - constant efforts of husband and mother were to secure for her all the - comfort and happiness their slender means permitted. Virginia died January - 30, 1847, when but twenty-five years of age. A friend of the family - pictures the death-bed scene—mother and husband trying to impart - warmth to her by chafing her hands and her feet, while her pet cat was - suffered to nestle upon her bosom for the sake of added warmth. - </p> - <p> - These verses from “Annabel Lee,” written by Poe in 1849, the last year of - his life, tell of his sorrow at the loss of his child-wife: - </p> -<p class="poem"> - <i>I</i> was a child and <i>she</i> was a child,<br /> - In a kingdom by the sea;<br /> - But we loved with a love that was more than love—<br /> - I and my Annabel Lee;<br /> - With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven<br /> - Coveted her and me.<br /> - And this was the reason that, long ago,<br /> - In this kingdom by the sea.<br /> - A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling<br /> - My beautiful Annabel Lee;<br /> - So that her high-born kinsmen came<br /> - And bore her away from me,<br /> - To shut her up in a sepulchre<br /> - In this kingdom by the sea. -</p> - <p> - Poe was connected at various times and in various capacities with the - “Southern Literary Messenger” in Richmond, Va.; “Graham’s Magazine” and - the “Gentleman’s Magazine” in Philadelphia; the “Evening Mirror,” the - “Broadway Journal,” and “Godey’s Lady’s Book” in New York. Everywhere - Poe’s life was one of unremitting toil. No tales and poems were ever - produced at a greater cost of brain and spirit. - </p> - <p> - Poe’s initial salary with the “Southern Literary Messenger,” to which he - contributed the first drafts of a number of his best-known tales, was $10 - a week! Two years later his salary was but $600 a year. Even in 1844, when - his literary reputation was established securely, he wrote to a friend - expressing his pleasure because a magazine to which he was to contribute - had agreed to pay him $20 monthly for two pages of criticism. - </p> - <p> - Those were discouraging times in American literature, but Poe never lost - faith. He was finally to triumph wherever pre-eminent talents win - admirers. His genius has had no better description than in this stanza - from William Winter’s poem, read at the dedication exercises of the - Actors’ Monument to Poe, May 4, 1885, in New York: - </p> -<p class="poem"> - He was the voice of beauty and of woe,<br /> - Passion and mystery and the dread unknown;<br /> - Pure as the mountains of perpetual snow,<br /> - Cold as the icy winds that round them moan,<br /> - Dark as the caves wherein earth’s thunders groan,<br /> - Wild as the tempests of the upper sky,<br /> - Sweet as the faint, far-off celestial tone of angel whispers, fluttering from on high,<br /> - And tender as love’s tear when youth and beauty die. -</p> - <p> - In the two and a half score years that have elapsed since Poe’s - death he has come fully into his own. For a while Griswold’s - malignant misrepresentations colored the public estimate of Poe as man - and as writer. But, thanks to J. H. Ingram, W. F. Gill, Eugene Didier, - Sarah Helen Whitman and others these scandals have been dispelled and Poe - is seen as he actually was—not as a man without failings, it is - true, but as the finest and most original genius in American letters. As - the years go on his fame increases. His works have been translated into - many foreign languages. His is a household name in France and - England—in fact, the latter nation has often uttered the reproach - that Poe’s own country has been slow to appreciate him. But that - reproach, if it ever was warranted, certainly is untrue. - </p> -<p class="right"> -W. H. R. -</p> - -</div><!--end chapter--> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2><a name="chap02"></a>EDGAR ALLAN POE</h2> - -<p class="center"> -By James Russell Lowell -</p> - - <p> - The situation of American literature is anomalous. It has no centre, or, - if it have, it is like that of the sphere of Hermes. It is divided into - many systems, each revolving round its several suns, and often presenting - to the rest only the faint glimmer of a milk-and-water way. Our capital - city, unlike London or Paris, is not a great central heart from which life - and vigor radiate to the extremities, but resembles more an isolated - umbilicus stuck down as near as may be to the centre of the land, and - seeming rather to tell a legend of former usefulness than to serve any - present need. Boston, New York, Philadelphia, each has its literature - almost more distinct than those of the different dialects of Germany; and - the Young Queen of the West has also one of her own, of which some - articulate rumor barely has reached us dwellers by the Atlantic. - </p> - <p> - Perhaps there is no task more difficult than the just criticism of - contemporary literature. It is even more grateful to give praise where it - is needed than where it is deserved, and friendship so often seduces the - iron stylus of justice into a vague flourish, that she writes what seems - rather like an epitaph than a criticism. Yet if praise be given as an - alms, we could not drop so poisonous a one into any man’s hat. The - critic’s ink may suffer equally from too large an infusion of nutgalls or - of sugar. But it is easier to be generous than to be just, and we might - readily put faith in that fabulous direction to the hiding place of truth, - did we judge from the amount of water which we usually find mixed with it. - </p> - <p> - Remarkable experiences are usually confined to the inner life of - imaginative men, but Mr. Poe’s biography displays a vicissitude and - peculiarity of interest such as is rarely met with. The offspring of a - romantic marriage, and left an orphan at an early age, he was adopted by - Mr. Allan, a wealthy Virginian, whose barren marriage-bed seemed the - warranty of a large estate to the young poet. - </p> - <p> - Having received a classical education in England, he returned home and - entered the University of Virginia, where, after an extravagant course, - followed by reformation at the last extremity, he was graduated with the - highest honors of his class. Then came a boyish attempt to join the - fortunes of the insurgent Greeks, which ended at St. Petersburg, where he - got into difficulties through want of a passport, from which he was - rescued by the American consul and sent home. He now entered the military - academy at West Point, from which he obtained a dismissal on hearing of - the birth of a son to his adopted father, by a second marriage, an event - which cut off his expectations as an heir. The death of Mr. Allan, in - whose will his name was not mentioned, soon after relieved him of all - doubt in this regard, and he committed himself at once to authorship for a - support. Previously to this, however, he had published (in 1827) a small - volume of poems, which soon ran through three editions, and excited high - expectations of its author’s future distinction in the minds of many - competent judges. - </p> - <p> - That no certain augury can be drawn from a poet’s earliest lispings there - are instances enough to prove. Shakespeare’s first poems, though brimful - of vigor and youth and picturesqueness, give but a very faint promise of - the directness, condensation and overflowing moral of his maturer works. - Perhaps, however, Shakespeare is hardly a case in point, his “Venus and - Adonis” having been published, we believe, in his twenty-sixth year. - Milton’s Latin verses show tenderness, a fine eye for nature, and a - delicate appreciation of classic models, but give no hint of the author of - a new style in poetry. Pope’s youthful pieces have all the sing-song, - wholly unrelieved by the glittering malignity and eloquent irreligion of - his later productions. Collins’ callow namby-pamby died and gave no sign - of the vigorous and original genius which he afterward displayed. We have - never thought that the world lost more in the “marvellous boy,” - Chatterton, than a very ingenious imitator of obscure and antiquated - dulness. Where he becomes original (as it is called), the interest of - ingenuity ceases and he becomes stupid. Kirke White’s promises were - indorsed by the respectable name of Mr. Southey, but surely with no - authority from Apollo. They have the merit of a traditional piety, which - to our mind, if uttered at all, had been less objectionable in the retired - closet of a diary, and in the sober raiment of prose. They do not clutch - hold of the memory with the drowning pertinacity of Watts; neither have - they the interest of his occasional simple, lucky beauty. Burns having - fortunately been rescued by his humble station from the contaminating - society of the “Best models,” wrote well and naturally from the first. Had - he been unfortunate enough to have had an educated taste, we should have - had a series of poems from which, as from his letters, we could sift here - and there a kernel from the mass of chaff. Coleridge’s youthful efforts - give no promise whatever of that poetical genius which produced at once - the wildest, tenderest, most original and most purely imaginative poems of - modern times. Byron’s “Hours of Idleness” would never find a reader except - from an intrepid and indefatigable curiosity. In Wordsworth’s first - preludings there is but a dim foreboding of the creator of an era. From - Southey’s early poems, a safer augury might have been drawn. They show the - patient investigator, the close student of history, and the unwearied - explorer of the beauties of predecessors, but they give no assurances of a - man who should add aught to stock of household words, or to the rarer and - more sacred delights of the fireside or the arbor. The earliest specimens - of Shelley’s poetic mind already, also, give tokens of that ethereal - sublimation in which the spirit seems to soar above the regions of words, - but leaves its body, the verse, to be entombed, without hope of - resurrection, in a mass of them. Cowley is generally instanced as a wonder - of precocity. But his early insipidities show only a capacity for rhyming - and for the metrical arrangement of certain conventional combinations of - words, a capacity wholly dependent on a delicate physical organization, - and an unhappy memory. An early poem is only remarkable when it displays - an effort of <i>reason,</i> and the rudest verses in which we can trace - some conception of the ends of poetry, are worth all the miracles of - smooth juvenile versification. A school-boy, one would say, might acquire - the regular see-saw of Pope merely by an association with the motion of - the play-ground tilt. - </p> - <p> - Mr. Poe’s early productions show that he could see through the verse to - the spirit beneath, and that he already had a feeling that all the life - and grace of the one must depend on and be modulated by the will of the - other. We call them the most remarkable boyish poems that we have ever - read. We know of none that can compare with them for maturity of purpose, - and a nice understanding of the effects of language and metre. Such pieces - are only valuable when they display what we can only express by the - contradictory phrase of <i>innate experience.</i> We copy one of the - shorter poems, written when the author was only fourteen. There is a - little dimness in the filling up, but the grace and symmetry of the - outline are such as few poets ever attain. There is a smack of ambrosia - about it. - </p> -<p class="center"> - TO HELEN -</p> -<p class="poem"> -Helen, thy beauty is to me<br /> - Like those Nicean barks of yore,<br /> -That gently, o’er a perfumed sea,<br /> - The weary, way-worn wanderer bore<br /> -To his own native shore.<br /> -<br /> -On desperate seas long wont to roam,<br /> - Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face,<br /> -Thy Naiad airs have brought me home<br /> - To the glory that was Greece<br /> -And the grandeur that was Rome.<br /> -<br /> -Lo! in yon brilliant window-niche<br /> - How statue-like I see thee stand!<br /> -The agate lamp within thy hand,<br /> - Ah! Psyche, from the regions which<br /> -Are Holy Land! -</p> - <p> - It is the tendency of the young poet that impresses us. Here is no - “withering scorn,” no heart “blighted” ere it has safely got into its - teens, none of the drawing-room sansculottism which Byron had brought into - vogue. All is limpid and serene, with a pleasant dash of the Greek Helicon - in it. The melody of the whole, too, is remarkable. It is not of that kind - which can be demonstrated arithmetically upon the tips of the fingers. It - is of that finer sort which the inner ear alone <i>can</i> estimate. It - seems simple, like a Greek column, because of its perfection. In a poem - named “Ligeia,” under which title he intended to personify the music of - nature, our boy-poet gives us the following exquisite picture: - </p> -<p class="poem"> - Ligeia! Ligeia!<br /> -My beautiful one,<br /> - Whose harshest idea<br /> -Will to melody run,<br /> - Say, is it thy will,<br /> -On the breezes to toss,<br /> - Or, capriciously still,<br /> -Like the lone albatross,<br /> - Incumbent on night,<br /> -As she on the air,<br /> - To keep watch with delight<br /> -On the harmony there? -</p> - <p> - John Neal, himself a man of genius, and whose lyre has been too long - capriciously silent, appreciated the high merit of these and similar - passages, and drew a proud horoscope for their author. - </p> - <p> - Mr. Poe had that indescribable something which men have agreed to call <i>genius</i>. - No man could ever tell us precisely what it is, and yet there is none who - is not inevitably aware of its presence and its power. Let talent writhe - and contort itself as it may, it has no such magnetism. Larger of bone and - sinew it may be, but the wings are wanting. Talent sticks fast to earth, - and its most perfect works have still one foot of clay. Genius claims - kindred with the very workings of Nature herself, so that a sunset shall - seem like a quotation from Dante, and if Shakespeare be read in the very - presence of the sea itself, his verses shall but seem nobler for the - sublime criticism of ocean. Talent may make friends for itself, but only - genius can give to its creations the divine power of winning love and - veneration. Enthusiasm cannot cling to what itself is unenthusiastic, nor - will he ever have disciples who has not himself impulsive zeal enough to - be a disciple. Great wits are allied to madness only inasmuch as they are - possessed and carried away by their demon, while talent keeps him, as - Paracelsus did, securely prisoned in the pommel of his sword. To the eye - of genius, the veil of the spiritual world is ever rent asunder that it - may perceive the ministers of good and evil who throng continually around - it. No man of mere talent ever flung his inkstand at the devil. - </p> - <p> - When we say that Mr. Poe had genius, we do not mean to say that he has - produced evidence of the highest. But to say that he possesses it at all - is to say that he needs only zeal, industry, and a reverence for the trust - reposed in him, to achieve the proudest triumphs and the greenest laurels. - If we may believe the Longinuses and Aristotles of our newspapers, we - have quite too many geniuses of the loftiest order to render a place among - them at all desirable, whether for its hardness of attainment or its - seclusion. The highest peak of our Parnassus is, according to these - gentlemen, by far the most thickly settled portion of the country, a - circumstance which must make it an uncomfortable residence for individuals - of a poetical temperament, if love of solitude be, as immemorial tradition - asserts, a necessary part of their idiosyncrasy. - </p> - <p> - Mr. Poe has two of the prime qualities of genius, a faculty of vigorous - yet minute analysis, and a wonderful fecundity of imagination. The first - of these faculties is as needful to the artist in words, as a knowledge of - anatomy is to the artist in colors or in stone. This enables him to - conceive truly, to maintain a proper relation of parts, and to draw a - correct outline, while the second groups, fills up and colors. Both of - these Mr. Poe has displayed with singular distinctness in his prose works, - the last predominating in his earlier tales, and the first in his later - ones. In judging of the merit of an author, and assigning him his niche - among our household gods, we have a right to regard him from our own point - of view, and to measure him by our own standard. But, in estimating the - amount of power displayed in his works, we must be governed by his own - design, and placing them by the side of his own ideal, find how much is - wanting. We differ from Mr. Poe in his opinions of the objects of art. He - esteems that object to be the creation of Beauty, and perhaps it is only - in the definition of that word that we disagree with him. But in what we - shall say of his writings, we shall take his own standard as our guide. - The temple of the god of song is equally accessible from every side, and - there is room enough in it for all who bring offerings, or seek in oracle. - </p> - <p> - In his tales, Mr. Poe has chosen to exhibit his power chiefly in that dim - region which stretches from the very utmost limits of the probable into - the weird confines of superstition and unreality. He combines in a very - remarkable manner two faculties which are seldom found united; a power of - influencing the mind of the reader by the impalpable shadows of mystery, - and a minuteness of detail which does not leave a pin or a button - unnoticed. Both are, in truth, the natural results of the predominating - quality of his mind, to which we have before alluded, analysis. It is this - which distinguishes the artist. His mind at once reaches forward to the - effect to be produced. Having resolved to bring about certain emotions in - the reader, he makes all subordinate parts tend strictly to the common - centre. Even his mystery is mathematical to his own mind. To him X is a - known quantity all along. In any picture that he paints he understands the - chemical properties of all his colors. However vague some of his figures - may seem, however formless the shadows, to him the outline is as clear and - distinct as that of a geometrical diagram. For this reason Mr. Poe has no - sympathy with Mysticism. The Mystic dwells in the mystery, is enveloped - with it; it colors all his thoughts; it affects his optic nerve - especially, and the commonest things get a rainbow edging from it. Mr. - Poe, on the other hand, is a spectator <i>ab extra</i>. He analyzes, he - dissects, he watches - </p> -<p class="poem"> - “with an eye serene,<br /> - The very pulse of the machine,” - </p> - <p class="noindent"> - for such it practically is to him, with wheels and cogs and piston-rods, - all working to produce a certain end. - </p> - <p> - This analyzing tendency of his mind balances the poetical, and by giving - him the patience to be minute, enables him to throw a wonderful reality - into his most unreal fancies. A monomania he paints with great power. He - loves to dissect one of these cancers of the mind, and to trace all the - subtle ramifications of its roots. In raising images of horror, also, he - has strange success, conveying to us sometimes by a dusky hint some - terrible <i>doubt</i> which is the secret of all horror. He leaves to - imagination the task of finishing the picture, a task to which only she is - competent. - </p> -<p class="poem"> - “For much imaginary work was there;<br /> - Conceit deceitful, so compact, so kind,<br /> - That for Achilles’ image stood his spear<br /> - Grasped in an armed hand; himself behind<br /> - Was left unseen, save to the eye of mind.” - </p> - <p> - Besides the merit of conception, Mr. Poe’s writings have also that of - form. - </p> - <p> - His style is highly finished, graceful and truly classical. It would be - hard to find a living author who had displayed such varied powers. As an - example of his style we would refer to one of his tales, “The House of - Usher,” in the first volume of his “Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque.” - It has a singular charm for us, and we think that no one could read it - without being strongly moved by its serene and sombre beauty. Had its - author written nothing else, it would alone have been enough to stamp him - as a man of genius, and the master of a classic style. In this tale - occurs, perhaps, the most beautiful of his poems. - </p> - <p> - The great masters of imagination have seldom resorted to the vague and the - unreal as sources of effect. They have not used dread and horror alone, - but only in combination with other qualities, as means of subjugating the - fancies of their readers. The loftiest muse has ever a household and - fireside charm about her. Mr. Poe’s secret lies mainly in the skill with - which he has employed the strange fascination of mystery and terror. In - this his success is so great and striking as to deserve the name of art, - not artifice. We cannot call his materials the noblest or purest, but we - must concede to him the highest merit of construction. - </p> - <p> - As a critic, Mr. Poe was aesthetically deficient. Unerring in his analysis - of dictions, metres and plots, he seemed wanting in the faculty of - perceiving the profounder ethics of art. His criticisms are, however, - distinguished for scientific precision and coherence of logic. They have - the exactness, and at the same time, the coldness of mathematical - demonstrations. Yet they stand in strikingly refreshing contrast with the - vague generalisms and sharp personalities of the day. If deficient in - warmth, they are also without the heat of partisanship. They are - especially valuable as illustrating the great truth, too generally - overlooked, that analytic power is a subordinate quality of the critic. - </p> - <p> - On the whole, it may be considered certain that Mr. Poe has attained an - individual eminence in our literature which he will keep. He has given - proof of power and originality. He has done that which could only be done - once with success or safety, and the imitation or repetition of which - would produce weariness. - </p> - -</div><!--end chapter--> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2><a name="chap03"></a>DEATH OF EDGAR A. POE</h2> - -<p class="center"> -By N. P. Willis -</p> - - <p> - The ancient fable of two antagonistic spirits imprisoned in one body, - equally powerful and having the complete mastery by turns-of one man, that - is to say, inhabited by both a devil and an angel seems to have been - realized, if all we hear is true, in the character of the extraordinary - man whose name we have written above. Our own impression of the nature of - Edgar A. Poe, differs in some important degree, however, from that which - has been generally conveyed in the notices of his death. Let us, before - telling what we personally know of him, copy a graphic and highly finished - portraiture, from the pen of Dr. Rufus W. Griswold, which appeared in a - recent number of the “Tribune”: - </p> - <p> - “Edgar Allen Poe is dead. He died in Baltimore on Sunday, October 7th. - This announcement will startle many, but few will be grieved by it. The - poet was known, personally or by reputation, in all this country; he had - readers in England and in several of the states of Continental Europe; but - he had few or no friends; and the regrets for his death will be suggested - principally by the consideration that in him literary art has lost one of - its most brilliant but erratic stars. - </p> - <p> - “His conversation was at times almost supramortal in its eloquence. His - voice was modulated with astonishing skill, and his large and variably - expressive eyes looked repose or shot fiery tumult into theirs who - listened, while his own face glowed, or was changeless in pallor, as his - imagination quickened his blood or drew it back frozen to his heart. His - imagery was from the worlds which no mortals can see but with the vision - of genius. Suddenly starting from a proposition, exactly and sharply - defined, in terms of utmost simplicity and clearness, he rejected the - forms of customary logic, and by a crystalline process of accretion, built - up his ocular demonstrations in forms of gloomiest and ghastliest - grandeur, or in those of the most airy and delicious beauty, so minutely - and distinctly, yet so rapidly, that the attention which was yielded to - him was chained till it stood among his wonderful creations, till he - himself dissolved the spell, and brought his hearers back to common and - base existence, by vulgar fancies or exhibitions of the ignoblest passion. - </p> - <p> - “He was at all times a dreamer dwelling in ideal realms in heaven or - hell peopled with the creatures and the accidents of his brain. He - walked the streets, in madness or melancholy, with lips moving in - indistinct curses, or with eyes upturned in passionate prayer (never for - himself, for he felt, or professed to feel, that he was already damned, - but) for their happiness who at the moment were objects of his idolatry; - or with his glances introverted to a heart gnawed with anguish, and with a - face shrouded in gloom, he would brave the wildest storms, and all night, - with drenched garments and arms beating the winds and rains, would speak - as if the spirits that at such times only could be evoked by him from the - Aidenn, close by whose portals his disturbed soul sought to forget the - ills to which his constitution subjected him—close by the Aidenn - where were those he loved—the Aidenn which he might never see, but in - fitful glimpses, as its gates opened to receive the less fiery and more - happy natures whose destiny to sin did not involve the doom of death. - </p> - <p> - “He seemed, except when some fitful pursuit subjugated his will and - engrossed his faculties, always to bear the memory of some controlling - sorrow. The remarkable poem of ‘The Raven’ was probably much more nearly - than has been supposed, even by those who were very intimate with him, a - reflection and an echo of his own history. <i>He</i> was that bird’s - </p> -<p class="poem"> - “‘Unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster<br /> -Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—<br /> -Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore<br /> - Of ‘Never—never more.’ -</p> - <p> - “Every genuine author in a greater or less degree leaves in his - works, whatever their design, traces of his personal character: elements - of his immortal being, in which the individual survives the person. While - we read the pages of the ‘Fall of the House of Usher,’ or of - ‘Mesmeric Revelations,’ we see in the solemn and stately - gloom which invests one, and in the subtle metaphysical analysis of both, - indications of the idiosyncrasies of what was most remarkable and - peculiar in the author’s intellectual nature. But we see here only - the better phases of his nature, only the symbols of his juster action, - for his harsh experience had deprived him of all faith in man or woman. - He had made up his mind upon the numberless complexities of the social - world, and the whole system with him was an imposture. This conviction - gave a direction to his shrewd and naturally unamiable character. Still, - though he regarded society as composed altogether of villains, the - sharpness of his intellect was not of that kind which enabled him to cope - with villany, while it continually caused him by overshots to fail of the - success of honesty. He was in many respects like Francis Vivian in - Bulwer’s novel of ‘The Caxtons.’ Passion, in him, - comprehended many of the worst emotions which militate against human - happiness. You could not contradict him, but you raised quick choler; you - could not speak of wealth, but his cheek paled with gnawing envy. The - astonishing natural advantages of this poor boy—his beauty, his - readiness, the daring spirit that breathed around him like a fiery - atmosphere—had raised his constitutional self-confidence into an - arrogance that turned his very claims to admiration into prejudices - against him. Irascible, envious—bad enough, but not the worst, for - these salient angles were all varnished over with a cold, repellant - cynicism, his passions vented themselves in sneers. There seemed to him - no moral susceptibility; and, what was more remarkable in a proud nature, - little or nothing of the true point of honor. He had, to a morbid excess, - that, desire to rise which is vulgarly called ambition, but no wish for - the esteem or the love of his species; only the hard wish to - succeed—not shine, not serve—succeed, that he might have the - right to despise a world which galled his self-conceit. - </p> - <p> - “We have suggested the influence of his aims and vicissitudes upon - his literature. It was more conspicuous in his later than in his earlier - writings. Nearly all that he wrote in the last two or three - years—including much of his best poetry—was in some sense - biographical; in draperies of his imagination, those who had taken the - trouble to trace his steps, could perceive, but slightly concealed, the - figure of himself.” - </p> - <p> - Apropos of the disparaging portion of the above well-written sketch, let - us truthfully say: - </p> - <p> - Some four or five years since, when editing a daily paper in this city, - Mr. Poe was employed by us, for several months, as critic and sub-editor. - This was our first personal acquaintance with him. He resided with his - wife and mother at Fordham, a few miles out of town, but was at his desk - in the office, from nine in the morning till the evening paper went to - press. With the highest admiration for his genius, and a willingness to - let it atone for more than ordinary irregularity, we were led by common - report to expect a very capricious attention to his duties, and - occasionally a scene of violence and difficulty. Time went on, however, - and he was invariably punctual and industrious. With his pale, beautiful, - and intellectual face, as a reminder of what genius was in him, it was - impossible, of course, not to treat him always with deferential courtesy, - and, to our occasional request that he would not probe too deep in a - criticism, or that he would erase a passage colored too highly with his - resentments against society and mankind, he readily and courteously - assented—far more yielding than most men, we thought, on points so - excusably sensitive. With a prospect of taking the lead in another - periodical, he, at last, voluntarily gave up his employment with us, and, - through all this considerable period, we had seen but one presentment of - the man—a quiet, patient, industrious, and most gentlemanly person, - commanding the utmost respect and good feeling by his unvarying - deportment and ability. - </p> - <p> - Residing as he did in the country, we never met Mr. Poe in hours of - leisure; but he frequently called on us afterward at our place of - business, and we met him often in the street—invariably the same - sad mannered, winning and refined gentleman, such as we had always known - him. It was by rumor only, up to the day of his death, that we knew of - any other development of manner or character. We heard, from one who knew - him well (what should be stated in all mention of his lamentable - irregularities), that, with a single glass of wine, his whole nature was - reversed, the demon became uppermost, and, though none of the usual signs - of intoxication were visible, his will was palpably insane. Possessing - his reasoning faculties in excited activity, at such times, and seeking - his acquaintances with his wonted look and memory, he easily seemed - personating only another phase of his natural character, and was accused, - accordingly, of insulting arrogance and bad-heartedness. In this reversed - character, we repeat, it was never our chance to see him. We know it from - hearsay, and we mention it in connection with this sad infirmity of - physical constitution; which puts it upon very nearly the ground of a - temporary and almost irresponsible insanity. - </p> - <p> - The arrogance, vanity, and depravity of heart, of which Mr. Poe was - generally accused, seem to us referable altogether to this reversed phase - of his character. Under that degree of intoxication which only acted upon - him by demonizing his sense of truth and right, he doubtless said and did - much that was wholly irreconcilable with his better nature; but, when - himself, and as we knew him only, his modesty and unaffected humility, as - to his own deservings, were a constant charm to his character. His - letters, of which the constant application for autographs has taken from - us, we are sorry to confess, the greater portion, exhibited this quality - very strongly. In one of the carelessly written notes of which we chance - still to retain possession, for instance, he speaks of “The - Raven”—that extraordinary poem which electrified the world of - imaginative readers, and has become the type of a school of poetry of its - own—and, in evident earnest, attributes its success to the few - words of commendation with which we had prefaced it in this - paper. It will throw light on his sane character to give a literal copy - of the note: - </p> -<p class="right"> -“F<small>ORDHAM</small>, <i>April</i> 20, 1849 -</p> - <p> - “M<small>Y</small> D<small>EAR</small> - W<small>ILLIS</small>—The poem which I inclose, and which I am so - vain as to hope you will like, in some respects, has been just published - in a paper for which sheer necessity compels me to write, now and then. - It pays well as times go-but unquestionably it ought to pay ten prices; - for whatever I send it I feel I am consigning to the tomb of the - Capulets. The verses accompanying this, may I beg you to take out of the - tomb, and bring them to light in the ‘Home Journal?’ If you - can oblige me so far as to copy them, I do not think it will be necessary - to say ‘From the ——,’ that would be too bad; and, - perhaps, ‘From a late —— paper,’ would do. - </p> - <p> - “I have not forgotten how a ‘good word in season’ from - you made ‘The Raven,’ and made ‘Ulalume’ (which - by-the-way, people have done me the honor of attributing to you), - therefore, I <i>would</i> ask you (if I dared) to say something of these - lines if they please you. - </p> -<p class="right"> -“Truly yours ever,<br /> -“E<small>DGAR</small> A. P<small>OE</small>.” - </p> - <p> - In double proof of his earnest disposition to do the best for himself, and - of the trustful and grateful nature which has been denied him, we give - another of the only three of his notes which we chance to retain: - </p> -<p class="right"> -“F<small>ORDHAM</small>, <i>January</i> 22, 1848. -</p> - <p> - “M<small>Y</small> D<small>EAR</small> M<small>R</small>. - W<small>ILLIS</small>—I am about to make an effort at re-establishing - myself in the literary world, and <i>feel</i> that I may depend upon your - aid. - </p> - <p> - “My general aim is to start a Magazine, to be called ‘The Stylus,’ but it - would be useless to me, even when established, if not entirely out of the - control of a publisher. I mean, therefore, to get up a journal which shall - be <i>my own</i> at all points. With this end in view, I must get a list - of at least five hundred subscribers to begin with; nearly two hundred I - have already. I propose, however, to go South and West, among my personal - and literary friends—old college and West Point acquaintances—and - see what I can do. In order to get the means of taking the first step, I - propose to lecture at the Society Library, on Thursday, the 3d of - February, and, that there may be no cause of <i>squabbling</i>, my subject - shall <i>not be literary</i> at all. I have chosen a broad text: ‘The - Universe.’ - </p> - <p> - “Having thus given you <i>the facts</i> of the case, I leave all the rest - to the suggestions of your own tact and generosity. Gratefully, <i>most - gratefully,</i> - </p> -<p class="right"> -“Your friend always,<br /> -“E<small>DGAR</small> A. P<small>OE</small>.” - </p> - <p> - Brief and chance-taken as these letters are, we think they sufficiently - prove the existence of the very qualities denied to Mr. Poe-humility, - willingness to persevere, belief in another’s friendship, and capability - of cordial and grateful friendship! Such he assuredly was when sane. Such - only he has invariably seemed to us, in all we have happened personally to - know of him, through a friendship of five or six years. And so much easier - is it to believe what we have seen and known, than what we hear of only, - that we remember him but with admiration and respect; these descriptions - of him, when morally insane, seeming to us like portraits, painted in - sickness, of a man we have only known in health. - </p> - <p> - But there is another, more touching, and far more forcible evidence that - there was <i>goodness</i> in Edgar A. Poe. To reveal it we are obliged to - venture upon the lifting of the veil which sacredly covers grief and - refinement in poverty; but we think it may be excused, if so we can - brighten the memory of the poet, even were there not a more needed and - immediate service which it may render to the nearest link broken by his - death. - </p> - <p> - Our first knowledge of Mr. Poe’s removal to this city was by a call which - we received from a lady who introduced herself to us as the mother of his - wife. She was in search of employment for him, and she excused her errand - by mentioning that he was ill, that her daughter was a confirmed invalid, - and that their circumstances were such as compelled her taking it upon - herself. The countenance of this lady, made beautiful and saintly with an - evidently complete giving up of her life to privation and sorrowful - tenderness, her gentle and mournful voice urging its plea, her - long-forgotten but habitually and unconsciously refined manners, and her - appealing and yet appreciative mention of the claims and abilities of her - son, disclosed at once the presence of one of those angels upon earth that - women in adversity can be. It was a hard fate that she was watching over. - Mr. Poe wrote with fastidious difficulty, and in a style too much above - the popular level to be well paid. He was always in pecuniary difficulty, - and, with his sick wife, frequently in want of the merest necessaries of - life. Winter after winter, for years, the most touching sight to us, in - this whole city, has been that tireless minister to genius, thinly and - insufficiently clad, going from office to office with a poem, or an - article on some literary subject, to sell, sometimes simply pleading in a - broken voice that he was ill, and begging for him, mentioning nothing but - that “he was ill,” whatever might be the reason for his writing nothing, - and never, amid all her tears and recitals of distress, suffering one - syllable to escape her lips that could convey a doubt of him, or a - complaint, or a lessening of pride in his genius and good intentions. Her - daughter died a year and a half since, but she did not desert him. She - continued his ministering angel—living with him, caring for him, - guarding him against exposure, and when he was carried away by temptation, - amid grief and the loneliness of feelings unreplied to, and awoke from his - self abandonment prostrated in destitution and suffering, <i>begging</i> - for him still. If woman’s devotion, born with a first love, and fed with - human passion, hallow its object, as it is allowed to do, what does not a - devotion like this—pure, disinterested and holy as the watch of an - invisible spirit—say for him who inspired it? - </p> - <p> - We have a letter before us, written by this lady, Mrs. Clemm, on the - morning in which she heard of the death of this object of her untiring - care. It is merely a request that we would call upon her, but we will copy - a few of its words—sacred as its privacy is—to warrant the - truth of the picture we have drawn above, and add force to the appeal we - wish to make for her: - </p> - <p> - “I have this morning heard of the death of my darling Eddie.... Can you - give me any circumstances or particulars?... Oh! do not desert your poor - friend in his bitter affliction!... Ask Mr. —— to come, as I - must deliver a message to him from my poor Eddie.... I need not ask you to - notice his death and to speak well of him. I know you will. But say what - an affectionate son he was to me, his poor desolate mother...” - </p> - <p> - To hedge round a grave with respect, what choice is there, between the - relinquished wealth and honors of the world, and the story of such a - woman’s unrewarded devotion! Risking what we do, in delicacy, by making it - public, we feel—other reasons aside—that it betters the world - to make known that there are such ministrations to its erring and gifted. - What we have said will speak to some hearts. There are those who will be - glad to know how the lamp, whose light of poetry has beamed on their - far-away recognition, was watched over with care and pain, that they may - send to her, who is more darkened than they by its extinction, some token - of their sympathy. She is destitute and alone. If any, far or near, will - send to us what may aid and cheer her through the remainder of her life, - we will joyfully place it in her hands. - </p> - -</div><!--end chapter--> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2><a name="chap04"></a>THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES OF ONE HANS PFAAL (*1)</h2> - - <p> - By late accounts from Rotterdam, that city seems to be in a high state of - philosophical excitement. Indeed, phenomena have there occurred of a - nature so completely unexpected—so entirely novel—so utterly - at variance with preconceived opinions—as to leave no doubt on my - mind that long ere this all Europe is in an uproar, all physics in a - ferment, all reason and astronomy together by the ears. - </p> - <p> - It appears that on the—— day of—— (I am not - positive about the date), a vast crowd of people, for purposes not - specifically mentioned, were assembled in the great square of the Exchange - in the well-conditioned city of Rotterdam. The day was warm—unusually - so for the season—there was hardly a breath of air stirring; and the - multitude were in no bad humor at being now and then besprinkled with - friendly showers of momentary duration, that fell from large white masses - of cloud which chequered in a fitful manner the blue vault of the - firmament. Nevertheless, about noon, a slight but remarkable agitation - became apparent in the assembly: the clattering of ten thousand tongues - succeeded; and, in an instant afterward, ten thousand faces were upturned - toward the heavens, ten thousand pipes descended simultaneously from the - corners of ten thousand mouths, and a shout, which could be compared to - nothing but the roaring of Niagara, resounded long, loudly, and furiously, - through all the environs of Rotterdam. - </p> - <p> - The origin of this hubbub soon became sufficiently evident. From behind - the huge bulk of one of those sharply-defined masses of cloud already - mentioned, was seen slowly to emerge into an open area of blue space, a - queer, heterogeneous, but apparently solid substance, so oddly shaped, so - whimsically put together, as not to be in any manner comprehended, and - never to be sufficiently admired, by the host of sturdy burghers who stood - open-mouthed below. What could it be? In the name of all the vrows and - devils in Rotterdam, what could it possibly portend? No one knew, no one - could imagine; no one—not even the burgomaster Mynheer Superbus Von - Underduk—had the slightest clew by which to unravel the mystery; so, - as nothing more reasonable could be done, every one to a man replaced his - pipe carefully in the corner of his mouth, and cocking up his right eye - towards the phenomenon, puffed, paused, waddled about, and grunted - significantly—then waddled back, grunted, paused, and finally—puffed - again. - </p> - <p> - In the meantime, however, lower and still lower toward the goodly city, - came the object of so much curiosity, and the cause of so much smoke. In a - very few minutes it arrived near enough to be accurately discerned. It - appeared to be—yes! it was undoubtedly a species of balloon; but - surely no such balloon had ever been seen in Rotterdam before. For who, - let me ask, ever heard of a balloon manufactured entirely of dirty - newspapers? No man in Holland certainly; yet here, under the very noses of - the people, or rather at some distance above their noses was the identical - thing in question, and composed, I have it on the best authority, of the - precise material which no one had ever before known to be used for a - similar purpose. It was an egregious insult to the good sense of the - burghers of Rotterdam. As to the shape of the phenomenon, it was even - still more reprehensible. Being little or nothing better than a huge - foolscap turned upside down. And this similitude was regarded as by no - means lessened when, upon nearer inspection, there was perceived a large - tassel depending from its apex, and, around the upper rim or base of the - cone, a circle of little instruments, resembling sheep-bells, which kept - up a continual tinkling to the tune of Betty Martin. But still worse. - Suspended by blue ribbons to the end of this fantastic machine, there - hung, by way of car, an enormous drab beaver hat, with a brim - superlatively broad, and a hemispherical crown with a black band and a - silver buckle. It is, however, somewhat remarkable that many citizens of - Rotterdam swore to having seen the same hat repeatedly before; and indeed - the whole assembly seemed to regard it with eyes of familiarity; while the - vrow Grettel Pfaall, upon sight of it, uttered an exclamation of joyful - surprise, and declared it to be the identical hat of her good man himself. - Now this was a circumstance the more to be observed, as Pfaall, with three - companions, had actually disappeared from Rotterdam about five years - before, in a very sudden and unaccountable manner, and up to the date of - this narrative all attempts had failed of obtaining any intelligence - concerning them whatsoever. To be sure, some bones which were thought to - be human, mixed up with a quantity of odd-looking rubbish, had been lately - discovered in a retired situation to the east of Rotterdam, and some - people went so far as to imagine that in this spot a foul murder had been - committed, and that the sufferers were in all probability Hans Pfaall and - his associates. But to return. - </p> - <p> - The balloon (for such no doubt it was) had now descended to within a - hundred feet of the earth, allowing the crowd below a sufficiently - distinct view of the person of its occupant. This was in truth a very - droll little somebody. He could not have been more than two feet in - height; but this altitude, little as it was, would have been sufficient - to destroy his equilibrium, and tilt him over the edge of his tiny car, - but for the intervention of a circular rim reaching as high as the - breast, and rigged on to the cords of the balloon. The body of the little - man was more than proportionately broad, giving to his entire figure a - rotundity highly absurd. His feet, of course, could not be seen at all, - although a horny substance of suspicious nature was occasionally - protruded through a rent in the bottom of the car, or to speak more - properly, in the top of the hat. His hands were enormously large. His - hair was extremely gray, and collected into a queue behind. His nose was - prodigiously long, crooked, and inflammatory; his eyes full, brilliant, - and acute; his chin and cheeks, although wrinkled with age, were broad, - puffy, and double; but of ears of any kind or character there was not a - semblance to be discovered upon any portion of his head. This odd little - gentleman was dressed in a loose surtout of sky-blue satin, with tight - breeches to match, fastened with silver buckles at the knees. His vest - was of some bright yellow material; a white taffety cap was set jauntily - on one side of his head; and, to complete his equipment, a blood-red silk - handkerchief enveloped his throat, and fell down, in a dainty manner, - upon his bosom, in a fantastic bow-knot of super-eminent dimensions. - </p> - <p> - Having descended, as I said before, to about one hundred feet from the - surface of the earth, the little old gentleman was suddenly seized with a - fit of trepidation, and appeared disinclined to make any nearer approach - to terra firma. Throwing out, therefore, a quantity of sand from a canvas - bag, which, he lifted with great difficulty, he became stationary in an - instant. He then proceeded, in a hurried and agitated manner, to extract - from a side-pocket in his surtout a large morocco pocket-book. This he - poised suspiciously in his hand, then eyed it with an air of extreme - surprise, and was evidently astonished at its weight. He at length opened - it, and drawing there from a huge letter sealed with red sealing-wax and - tied carefully with red tape, let it fall precisely at the feet of the - burgomaster, Superbus Von Underduk. His Excellency stooped to take it up. - But the aeronaut, still greatly discomposed, and having apparently no - farther business to detain him in Rotterdam, began at this moment to make - busy preparations for departure; and it being necessary to discharge a - portion of ballast to enable him to reascend, the half dozen bags which he - threw out, one after another, without taking the trouble to empty their - contents, tumbled, every one of them, most unfortunately upon the back of - the burgomaster, and rolled him over and over no less than one-and-twenty - times, in the face of every man in Rotterdam. It is not to be supposed, - however, that the great Underduk suffered this impertinence on the part of - the little old man to pass off with impunity. It is said, on the contrary, - that during each and every one of his one-and twenty circumvolutions he - emitted no less than one-and-twenty distinct and furious whiffs from his - pipe, to which he held fast the whole time with all his might, and to - which he intends holding fast until the day of his death. - </p> - <p> - In the meantime the balloon arose like a lark, and, soaring far away above - the city, at length drifted quietly behind a cloud similar to that from - which it had so oddly emerged, and was thus lost forever to the wondering - eyes of the good citizens of Rotterdam. All attention was now directed to - the letter, the descent of which, and the consequences attending - thereupon, had proved so fatally subversive of both person and personal - dignity to his Excellency, the illustrious Burgomaster Mynheer Superbus - Von Underduk. That functionary, however, had not failed, during his - circumgyratory movements, to bestow a thought upon the important subject - of securing the packet in question, which was seen, upon inspection, to - have fallen into the most proper hands, being actually addressed to - himself and Professor Rub-a-dub, in their official capacities of President - and Vice-President of the Rotterdam College of Astronomy. It was - accordingly opened by those dignitaries upon the spot, and found to - contain the following extraordinary, and indeed very serious, - communication: - </p> - <p> - “To their Excellencies Von Underduk and Rub-a-dub, President and - Vice-President of the States’ College of Astronomers, in the city - of Rotterdam. - </p> - <p> - “Your Excellencies may perhaps be able to remember an humble artizan, by - name Hans Pfaall, and by occupation a mender of bellows, who, with three - others, disappeared from Rotterdam, about five years ago, in a manner - which must have been considered by all parties at once sudden, and - extremely unaccountable. If, however, it so please your Excellencies, I, - the writer of this communication, am the identical Hans Pfaall himself. It - is well known to most of my fellow citizens, that for the period of forty - years I continued to occupy the little square brick building, at the head - of the alley called Sauerkraut, in which I resided at the time of my - disappearance. My ancestors have also resided therein time out of mind—they, - as well as myself, steadily following the respectable and indeed lucrative - profession of mending of bellows. For, to speak the truth, until of late - years, that the heads of all the people have been set agog with politics, - no better business than my own could an honest citizen of Rotterdam either - desire or deserve. Credit was good, employment was never wanting, and on - all hands there was no lack of either money or good-will. But, as I was - saying, we soon began to feel the effects of liberty and long speeches, - and radicalism, and all that sort of thing. People who were formerly, the - very best customers in the world, had now not a moment of time to think of - us at all. They had, so they said, as much as they could do to read about - the revolutions, and keep up with the march of intellect and the spirit of - the age. If a fire wanted fanning, it could readily be fanned with a - newspaper, and as the government grew weaker, I have no doubt that leather - and iron acquired durability in proportion, for, in a very short time, - there was not a pair of bellows in all Rotterdam that ever stood in need - of a stitch or required the assistance of a hammer. This was a state of - things not to be endured. I soon grew as poor as a rat, and, having a wife - and children to provide for, my burdens at length became intolerable, and - I spent hour after hour in reflecting upon the most convenient method of - putting an end to my life. Duns, in the meantime, left me little leisure - for contemplation. My house was literally besieged from morning till - night, so that I began to rave, and foam, and fret like a caged tiger - against the bars of his enclosure. There were three fellows in particular - who worried me beyond endurance, keeping watch continually about my door, - and threatening me with the law. Upon these three I internally vowed the - bitterest revenge, if ever I should be so happy as to get them within my - clutches; and I believe nothing in the world but the pleasure of this - anticipation prevented me from putting my plan of suicide into immediate - execution, by blowing my brains out with a blunderbuss. I thought it best, - however, to dissemble my wrath, and to treat them with promises and fair - words, until, by some good turn of fate, an opportunity of vengeance - should be afforded me. - </p> - <p> - “One day, having given my creditors the slip, and feeling more than - usually dejected, I continued for a long time to wander about the most - obscure streets without object whatever, until at length I chanced to - stumble against the corner of a bookseller’s stall. Seeing a chair close - at hand, for the use of customers, I threw myself doggedly into it, and, - hardly knowing why, opened the pages of the first volume which came within - my reach. It proved to be a small pamphlet treatise on Speculative - Astronomy, written either by Professor Encke of Berlin or by a Frenchman - of somewhat similar name. I had some little tincture of information on - matters of this nature, and soon became more and more absorbed in the - contents of the book, reading it actually through twice before I awoke to - a recollection of what was passing around me. By this time it began to - grow dark, and I directed my steps toward home. But the treatise had made - an indelible impression on my mind, and, as I sauntered along the dusky - streets, I revolved carefully over in my memory the wild and sometimes - unintelligible reasonings of the writer. There are some particular - passages which affected my imagination in a powerful and extraordinary - manner. The longer I meditated upon these the more intense grew the - interest which had been excited within me. The limited nature of my - education in general, and more especially my ignorance on subjects - connected with natural philosophy, so far from rendering me diffident of - my own ability to comprehend what I had read, or inducing me to mistrust - the many vague notions which had arisen in consequence, merely served as a - farther stimulus to imagination; and I was vain enough, or perhaps - reasonable enough, to doubt whether those crude ideas which, arising in - ill-regulated minds, have all the appearance, may not often in effect - possess all the force, the reality, and other inherent properties, of - instinct or intuition; whether, to proceed a step farther, profundity - itself might not, in matters of a purely speculative nature, be detected - as a legitimate source of falsity and error. In other words, I believed, - and still do believe, that truth, is frequently of its own essence, - superficial, and that, in many cases, the depth lies more in the abysses - where we seek her, than in the actual situations wherein she may be found. - Nature herself seemed to afford me corroboration of these ideas. In the - contemplation of the heavenly bodies it struck me forcibly that I could - not distinguish a star with nearly as much precision, when I gazed on it - with earnest, direct and undeviating attention, as when I suffered my eye - only to glance in its vicinity alone. I was not, of course, at that time - aware that this apparent paradox was occasioned by the center of the - visual area being less susceptible of feeble impressions of light than the - exterior portions of the retina. This knowledge, and some of another kind, - came afterwards in the course of an eventful five years, during which I - have dropped the prejudices of my former humble situation in life, and - forgotten the bellows-mender in far different occupations. But at the - epoch of which I speak, the analogy which a casual observation of a star - offered to the conclusions I had already drawn, struck me with the force - of positive conformation, and I then finally made up my mind to the course - which I afterwards pursued. - </p> - <p> - “It was late when I reached home, and I went immediately to bed. My mind, - however, was too much occupied to sleep, and I lay the whole night buried - in meditation. Arising early in the morning, and contriving again to - escape the vigilance of my creditors, I repaired eagerly to the - bookseller’s stall, and laid out what little ready money I possessed, in - the purchase of some volumes of Mechanics and Practical Astronomy. Having - arrived at home safely with these, I devoted every spare moment to their - perusal, and soon made such proficiency in studies of this nature as I - thought sufficient for the execution of my plan. In the intervals of this - period, I made every endeavor to conciliate the three creditors who had - given me so much annoyance. In this I finally succeeded—partly by - selling enough of my household furniture to satisfy a moiety of their - claim, and partly by a promise of paying the balance upon completion of a - little project which I told them I had in view, and for assistance in - which I solicited their services. By these means—for they were - ignorant men—I found little difficulty in gaining them over to my - purpose. - </p> - <p> - “Matters being thus arranged, I contrived, by the aid of my wife and with - the greatest secrecy and caution, to dispose of what property I had - remaining, and to borrow, in small sums, under various pretences, and - without paying any attention to my future means of repayment, no - inconsiderable quantity of ready money. With the means thus accruing I - proceeded to procure at intervals, cambric muslin, very fine, in pieces of - twelve yards each; twine; a lot of the varnish of caoutchouc; a large and - deep basket of wicker-work, made to order; and several other articles - necessary in the construction and equipment of a balloon of extraordinary - dimensions. This I directed my wife to make up as soon as possible, and - gave her all requisite information as to the particular method of - proceeding. In the meantime I worked up the twine into a net-work of - sufficient dimensions; rigged it with a hoop and the necessary cords; - bought a quadrant, a compass, a spy-glass, a common barometer with some - important modifications, and two astronomical instruments not so generally - known. I then took opportunities of conveying by night, to a retired - situation east of Rotterdam, five iron-bound casks, to contain about fifty - gallons each, and one of a larger size; six tinned ware tubes, three - inches in diameter, properly shaped, and ten feet in length; a quantity of - a particular metallic substance, or semi-metal, which I shall not name, - and a dozen demijohns of a very common acid. The gas to be formed from - these latter materials is a gas never yet generated by any other person - than myself—or at least never applied to any similar purpose. The - secret I would make no difficulty in disclosing, but that it of right - belongs to a citizen of Nantz, in France, by whom it was conditionally - communicated to myself. The same individual submitted to me, without being - at all aware of my intentions, a method of constructing balloons from the - membrane of a certain animal, through which substance any escape of gas - was nearly an impossibility. I found it, however, altogether too - expensive, and was not sure, upon the whole, whether cambric muslin with a - coating of gum caoutchouc, was not equally as good. I mention this - circumstance, because I think it probable that hereafter the individual in - question may attempt a balloon ascension with the novel gas and material I - have spoken of, and I do not wish to deprive him of the honor of a very - singular invention. - </p> - <p> - “On the spot which I intended each of the smaller casks to occupy - respectively during the inflation of the balloon, I privately dug a hole - two feet deep; the holes forming in this manner a circle twenty-five feet - in diameter. In the centre of this circle, being the station designed for - the large cask, I also dug a hole three feet in depth. In each of the five - smaller holes, I deposited a canister containing fifty pounds, and in the - larger one a keg holding one hundred and fifty pounds, of cannon powder. - These—the keg and canisters—I connected in a proper manner - with covered trains; and having let into one of the canisters the end of - about four feet of slow match, I covered up the hole, and placed the cask - over it, leaving the other end of the match protruding about an inch, and - barely visible beyond the cask. I then filled up the remaining holes, and - placed the barrels over them in their destined situation. - </p> - <p> - “Besides the articles above enumerated, I conveyed to the depot, and there - secreted, one of M. Grimm’s improvements upon the apparatus for - condensation of the atmospheric air. I found this machine, however, to - require considerable alteration before it could be adapted to the purposes - to which I intended making it applicable. But, with severe labor and - unremitting perseverance, I at length met with entire success in all my - preparations. My balloon was soon completed. It would contain more than - forty thousand cubic feet of gas; would take me up easily, I calculated, - with all my implements, and, if I managed rightly, with one hundred and - seventy-five pounds of ballast into the bargain. It had received three - coats of varnish, and I found the cambric muslin to answer all the - purposes of silk itself, quite as strong and a good deal less expensive. - </p> - <p> - “Everything being now ready, I exacted from my wife an oath of secrecy in - relation to all my actions from the day of my first visit to the - bookseller’s stall; and promising, on my part, to return as soon as - circumstances would permit, I gave her what little money I had left, and - bade her farewell. Indeed I had no fear on her account. She was what - people call a notable woman, and could manage matters in the world without - my assistance. I believe, to tell the truth, she always looked upon me as - an idle boy, a mere make-weight, good for nothing but building castles in - the air, and was rather glad to get rid of me. It was a dark night when I - bade her good-bye, and taking with me, as aides-de-camp, the three - creditors who had given me so much trouble, we carried the balloon, with - the car and accoutrements, by a roundabout way, to the station where the - other articles were deposited. We there found them all unmolested, and I - proceeded immediately to business. - </p> - <p> - “It was the first of April. The night, as I said before, was dark; there - was not a star to be seen; and a drizzling rain, falling at intervals, - rendered us very uncomfortable. But my chief anxiety was concerning the - balloon, which, in spite of the varnish with which it was defended, began - to grow rather heavy with the moisture; the powder also was liable to - damage. I therefore kept my three duns working with great diligence, - pounding down ice around the central cask, and stirring the acid in the - others. They did not cease, however, importuning me with questions as to - what I intended to do with all this apparatus, and expressed much - dissatisfaction at the terrible labor I made them undergo. They could not - perceive, so they said, what good was likely to result from their getting - wet to the skin, merely to take a part in such horrible incantations. I - began to get uneasy, and worked away with all my might, for I verily - believe the idiots supposed that I had entered into a compact with the - devil, and that, in short, what I was now doing was nothing better than it - should be. I was, therefore, in great fear of their leaving me altogether. - I contrived, however, to pacify them by promises of payment of all scores - in full, as soon as I could bring the present business to a termination. - To these speeches they gave, of course, their own interpretation; - fancying, no doubt, that at all events I should come into possession of - vast quantities of ready money; and provided I paid them all I owed, and a - trifle more, in consideration of their services, I dare say they cared - very little what became of either my soul or my carcass. - </p> - <p> - “In about four hours and a half I found the balloon sufficiently inflated. - I attached the car, therefore, and put all my implements in it—not - forgetting the condensing apparatus, a copious supply of water, and a - large quantity of provisions, such as pemmican, in which much nutriment is - contained in comparatively little bulk. I also secured in the car a pair - of pigeons and a cat. It was now nearly daybreak, and I thought it high - time to take my departure. Dropping a lighted cigar on the ground, as if - by accident, I took the opportunity, in stooping to pick it up, of - igniting privately the piece of slow match, whose end, as I said before, - protruded a very little beyond the lower rim of one of the smaller casks. - This manoeuvre was totally unperceived on the part of the three duns; and, - jumping into the car, I immediately cut the single cord which held me to - the earth, and was pleased to find that I shot upward, carrying with all - ease one hundred and seventy-five pounds of leaden ballast, and able to - have carried up as many more. - </p> - <p> - “Scarcely, however, had I attained the height of fifty yards, when, - roaring and rumbling up after me in the most horrible and tumultuous - manner, came so dense a hurricane of fire, and smoke, and sulphur, and - legs and arms, and gravel, and burning wood, and blazing metal, that my - very heart sunk within me, and I fell down in the bottom of the car, - trembling with unmitigated terror. Indeed, I now perceived that I had - entirely overdone the business, and that the main consequences of the - shock were yet to be experienced. Accordingly, in less than a second, I - felt all the blood in my body rushing to my temples, and immediately - thereupon, a concussion, which I shall never forget, burst abruptly - through the night and seemed to rip the very firmament asunder. When I - afterward had time for reflection, I did not fail to attribute the extreme - violence of the explosion, as regarded myself, to its proper cause—my - situation directly above it, and in the line of its greatest power. But at - the time, I thought only of preserving my life. The balloon at first - collapsed, then furiously expanded, then whirled round and round with - horrible velocity, and finally, reeling and staggering like a drunken man, - hurled me with great force over the rim of the car, and left me dangling, - at a terrific height, with my head downward, and my face outwards, by a - piece of slender cord about three feet in length, which hung accidentally - through a crevice near the bottom of the wicker-work, and in which, as I - fell, my left foot became most providentially entangled. It is impossible—utterly - impossible—to form any adequate idea of the horror of my situation. - I gasped convulsively for breath—a shudder resembling a fit of the - ague agitated every nerve and muscle of my frame—I felt my eyes - starting from their sockets—a horrible nausea overwhelmed me—and - at length I fainted away. - </p> - <p> - “How long I remained in this state it is impossible to say. It must, - however, have been no inconsiderable time, for when I partially recovered - the sense of existence, I found the day breaking, the balloon at a - prodigious height over a wilderness of ocean, and not a trace of land to - be discovered far and wide within the limits of the vast horizon. My - sensations, however, upon thus recovering, were by no means so rife with - agony as might have been anticipated. Indeed, there was much of incipient - madness in the calm survey which I began to take of my situation. I drew - up to my eyes each of my hands, one after the other, and wondered what - occurrence could have given rise to the swelling of the veins, and the - horrible blackness of the fingernails. I afterward carefully examined my - head, shaking it repeatedly, and feeling it with minute attention, until I - succeeded in satisfying myself that it was not, as I had more than half - suspected, larger than my balloon. Then, in a knowing manner, I felt in - both my breeches pockets, and, missing therefrom a set of tablets and a - toothpick case, endeavored to account for their disappearance, and not - being able to do so, felt inexpressibly chagrined. It now occurred to me - that I suffered great uneasiness in the joint of my left ankle, and a dim - consciousness of my situation began to glimmer through my mind. But, - strange to say! I was neither astonished nor horror-stricken. If I felt - any emotion at all, it was a kind of chuckling satisfaction at the - cleverness I was about to display in extricating myself from this dilemma; - and I never, for a moment, looked upon my ultimate safety as a question - susceptible of doubt. For a few minutes I remained wrapped in the - profoundest meditation. I have a distinct recollection of frequently - compressing my lips, putting my forefinger to the side of my nose, and - making use of other gesticulations and grimaces common to men who, at ease - in their arm-chairs, meditate upon matters of intricacy or importance. - Having, as I thought, sufficiently collected my ideas, I now, with great - caution and deliberation, put my hands behind my back, and unfastened the - large iron buckle which belonged to the waistband of my inexpressibles. - This buckle had three teeth, which, being somewhat rusty, turned with - great difficulty on their axis. I brought them, however, after some - trouble, at right angles to the body of the buckle, and was glad to find - them remain firm in that position. Holding the instrument thus obtained - within my teeth, I now proceeded to untie the knot of my cravat. I had to - rest several times before I could accomplish this manoeuvre, but it was at - length accomplished. To one end of the cravat I then made fast the buckle, - and the other end I tied, for greater security, tightly around my wrist. - Drawing now my body upwards, with a prodigious exertion of muscular force, - I succeeded, at the very first trial, in throwing the buckle over the car, - and entangling it, as I had anticipated, in the circular rim of the - wicker-work. - </p> - <p> - “My body was now inclined towards the side of the car, at an angle of - about forty-five degrees; but it must not be understood that I was - therefore only forty-five degrees below the perpendicular. So far from it, - I still lay nearly level with the plane of the horizon; for the change of - situation which I had acquired, had forced the bottom of the car - considerably outwards from my position, which was accordingly one of the - most imminent and deadly peril. It should be remembered, however, that - when I fell in the first instance, from the car, if I had fallen with my - face turned toward the balloon, instead of turned outwardly from it, as it - actually was; or if, in the second place, the cord by which I was - suspended had chanced to hang over the upper edge, instead of through a - crevice near the bottom of the car,—I say it may be readily - conceived that, in either of these supposed cases, I should have been - unable to accomplish even as much as I had now accomplished, and the - wonderful adventures of Hans Pfaall would have been utterly lost to - posterity, I had therefore every reason to be grateful; although, in point - of fact, I was still too stupid to be anything at all, and hung for, - perhaps, a quarter of an hour in that extraordinary manner, without making - the slightest farther exertion whatsoever, and in a singularly tranquil - state of idiotic enjoyment. But this feeling did not fail to die rapidly - away, and thereunto succeeded horror, and dismay, and a chilling sense of - utter helplessness and ruin. In fact, the blood so long accumulating in - the vessels of my head and throat, and which had hitherto buoyed up my - spirits with madness and delirium, had now begun to retire within their - proper channels, and the distinctness which was thus added to my - perception of the danger, merely served to deprive me of the - self-possession and courage to encounter it. But this weakness was, - luckily for me, of no very long duration. In good time came to my rescue - the spirit of despair, and, with frantic cries and struggles, I jerked my - way bodily upwards, till at length, clutching with a vise-like grip the - long-desired rim, I writhed my person over it, and fell headlong and - shuddering within the car. - </p> - <p> - “It was not until some time afterward that I recovered myself sufficiently - to attend to the ordinary cares of the balloon. I then, however, examined - it with attention, and found it, to my great relief, uninjured. My - implements were all safe, and, fortunately, I had lost neither ballast nor - provisions. Indeed, I had so well secured them in their places, that such - an accident was entirely out of the question. Looking at my watch, I found - it six o’clock. I was still rapidly ascending, and my barometer gave a - present altitude of three and three-quarter miles. Immediately beneath me - in the ocean, lay a small black object, slightly oblong in shape, - seemingly about the size, and in every way bearing a great resemblance to - one of those childish toys called a domino. Bringing my telescope to bear - upon it, I plainly discerned it to be a British ninety four-gun ship, - close-hauled, and pitching heavily in the sea with her head to the W.S.W. - Besides this ship, I saw nothing but the ocean and the sky, and the sun, - which had long arisen. - </p> - <p> - “It is now high time that I should explain to your Excellencies the object - of my perilous voyage. Your Excellencies will bear in mind that distressed - circumstances in Rotterdam had at length driven me to the resolution of - committing suicide. It was not, however, that to life itself I had any - positive disgust, but that I was harassed beyond endurance by the - adventitious miseries attending my situation. In this state of mind, - wishing to live, yet wearied with life, the treatise at the stall of the - bookseller opened a resource to my imagination. I then finally made up my - mind. I determined to depart, yet live—to leave the world, yet - continue to exist—in short, to drop enigmas, I resolved, let what - would ensue, to force a passage, if I could, to the moon. Now, lest I - should be supposed more of a madman than I actually am, I will detail, as - well as I am able, the considerations which led me to believe that an - achievement of this nature, although without doubt difficult, and - incontestably full of danger, was not absolutely, to a bold spirit, beyond - the confines of the possible. - </p> - <p> - “The moon’s actual distance from the earth was the first thing to be - attended to. Now, the mean or average interval between the centres of the - two planets is 59.9643 of the earth’s equatorial radii, or only about - 237,000 miles. I say the mean or average interval, but it must be borne in - mind that the form of the moon’s orbit being an ellipse of eccentricity - amounting to no less than 0.05484 of the major semi-axis of the ellipse - itself, and the earth’s centre being situated in its focus, if I could, in - any manner, contrive to meet the moon, as it were, in its perigee, the - above mentioned distance would be materially diminished. But, to say - nothing at present of this possibility, it was very certain that, at all - events, from the 237,000 miles I would have to deduct the radius of the - earth, say 4,000, and the radius of the moon, say 1,080, in all 5,080, - leaving an actual interval to be traversed, under average circumstances, - of 231,920 miles. Now this, I reflected, was no very extraordinary - distance. Travelling on land has been repeatedly accomplished at the rate - of thirty miles per hour, and indeed a much greater speed may be - anticipated. But even at this velocity, it would take me no more than 322 - days to reach the surface of the moon. There were, however, many - particulars inducing me to believe that my average rate of travelling - might possibly very much exceed that of thirty miles per hour, and, as - these considerations did not fail to make a deep impression upon my mind, - I will mention them more fully hereafter. - </p> - <p> - “The next point to be regarded was a matter of far greater importance. - From indications afforded by the barometer, we find that, in ascensions - from the surface of the earth we have, at the height of 1,000 feet, left - below us about one-thirtieth of the entire mass of atmospheric air, that - at 10,600 we have ascended through nearly one-third; and that at 18,000, - which is not far from the elevation of Cotopaxi, we have surmounted - one-half the material, or, at all events, one-half the ponderable, body of - air incumbent upon our globe. It is also calculated that at an altitude - not exceeding the hundredth part of the earth’s diameter—that is, - not exceeding eighty miles—the rarefaction would be so excessive - that animal life could in no manner be sustained, and, moreover, that the - most delicate means we possess of ascertaining the presence of the - atmosphere would be inadequate to assure us of its existence. But I did - not fail to perceive that these latter calculations are founded altogether - on our experimental knowledge of the properties of air, and the mechanical - laws regulating its dilation and compression, in what may be called, - comparatively speaking, the immediate vicinity of the earth itself; and, - at the same time, it is taken for granted that animal life is and must be - essentially incapable of modification at any given unattainable distance - from the surface. Now, all such reasoning and from such data must, of - course, be simply analogical. The greatest height ever reached by man was - that of 25,000 feet, attained in the aeronautic expedition of Messieurs - Gay-Lussac and Biot. This is a moderate altitude, even when compared with - the eighty miles in question; and I could not help thinking that the - subject admitted room for doubt and great latitude for speculation. - </p> - <p> - “But, in point of fact, an ascension being made to any given altitude, the - ponderable quantity of air surmounted in any farther ascension is by no - means in proportion to the additional height ascended (as may be plainly - seen from what has been stated before), but in a ratio constantly - decreasing. It is therefore evident that, ascend as high as we may, we - cannot, literally speaking, arrive at a limit beyond which no atmosphere - is to be found. It must exist, I argued; although it may exist in a state - of infinite rarefaction. - </p> - <p> - “On the other hand, I was aware that arguments have not been - wanting to prove the existence of a real and definite limit to the - atmosphere, beyond which there is absolutely no air whatsoever. But a - circumstance which has been left out of view by those who contend for - such a limit seemed to me, although no positive refutation of their - creed, still a point worthy very serious investigation. On comparing the - intervals between the successive arrivals of Encke’s comet at its - perihelion, after giving credit, in the most exact manner, for all the - disturbances due to the attractions of the planets, it appears that the - periods are gradually diminishing; that is to say, the major axis of the - comet’s ellipse is growing shorter, in a slow but perfectly regular - decrease. Now, this is precisely what ought to be the case, if we suppose - a resistance experienced from the comet from an extremely rare ethereal - medium pervading the regions of its orbit. For it is evident that such a - medium must, in retarding the comet’s velocity, increase its - centripetal, by weakening its centrifugal force. In other words, the - sun’s attraction would be constantly attaining greater power, and - the comet would be drawn nearer at every revolution. Indeed, there is no - other way of accounting for the variation in question. But - again:—The real diameter of the same comet’s nebulosity is - observed to contract rapidly as it approaches the sun, and dilate with - equal rapidity in its departure towards its aphelion. Was I not - justifiable in supposing with M. Valz, that this apparent condensation of - volume has its origin in the compression of the same ethereal medium I - have spoken of before, and which is only denser in proportion to its - solar vicinity? The lenticular-shaped phenomenon, also called the - zodiacal light, was a matter worthy of attention. This radiance, so - apparent in the tropics, and which cannot be mistaken for any meteoric - lustre, extends from the horizon obliquely upward, and follows generally - the direction of the sun’s equator. It appeared to me evidently in - the nature of a rare atmosphere extending from the sun outward, beyond - the orbit of Venus at least, and I believed indefinitely farther.(*2) - Indeed, this medium I could not suppose confined to the path of the - comet’s ellipse, or to the immediate neighborhood of the sun. It - was easy, on the contrary, to imagine it pervading the entire regions of - our planetary system, condensed into what we call atmosphere at the - planets themselves, and perhaps at some of them modified by - considerations, so to speak, purely geological. - </p> - <p> - “Having adopted this view of the subject, I had little further hesitation. - Granting that on my passage I should meet with atmosphere essentially the - same as at the surface of the earth, I conceived that, by means of the - very ingenious apparatus of M. Grimm, I should readily be enabled to - condense it in sufficient quantity for the purposes of respiration. This - would remove the chief obstacle in a journey to the moon. I had indeed - spent some money and great labor in adapting the apparatus to the object - intended, and confidently looked forward to its successful application, if - I could manage to complete the voyage within any reasonable period. This - brings me back to the rate at which it might be possible to travel. - </p> - <p> - “It is true that balloons, in the first stage of their ascensions from the - earth, are known to rise with a velocity comparatively moderate. Now, the - power of elevation lies altogether in the superior lightness of the gas in - the balloon compared with the atmospheric air; and, at first sight, it - does not appear probable that, as the balloon acquires altitude, and - consequently arrives successively in atmospheric strata of densities - rapidly diminishing—I say, it does not appear at all reasonable - that, in this its progress upwards, the original velocity should be - accelerated. On the other hand, I was not aware that, in any recorded - ascension, a diminution was apparent in the absolute rate of ascent; - although such should have been the case, if on account of nothing else, on - account of the escape of gas through balloons ill-constructed, and - varnished with no better material than the ordinary varnish. It seemed, - therefore, that the effect of such escape was only sufficient to - counterbalance the effect of some accelerating power. I now considered - that, provided in my passage I found the medium I had imagined, and - provided that it should prove to be actually and essentially what we - denominate atmospheric air, it could make comparatively little difference - at what extreme state of rarefaction I should discover it—that is to - say, in regard to my power of ascending—for the gas in the balloon - would not only be itself subject to rarefaction partially similar (in - proportion to the occurrence of which, I could suffer an escape of so much - as would be requisite to prevent explosion), but, being what it was, - would, at all events, continue specifically lighter than any compound - whatever of mere nitrogen and oxygen. In the meantime, the force of - gravitation would be constantly diminishing, in proportion to the squares - of the distances, and thus, with a velocity prodigiously accelerating, I - should at length arrive in those distant regions where the force of the - earth’s attraction would be superseded by that of the moon. In accordance - with these ideas, I did not think it worth while to encumber myself with - more provisions than would be sufficient for a period of forty days. - </p> - <p> - “There was still, however, another difficulty, which occasioned me some - little disquietude. It has been observed, that, in balloon ascensions to - any considerable height, besides the pain attending respiration, great - uneasiness is experienced about the head and body, often accompanied with - bleeding at the nose, and other symptoms of an alarming kind, and growing - more and more inconvenient in proportion to the altitude attained.(*3) - This was a reflection of a nature somewhat startling. Was it not probable - that these symptoms would increase indefinitely, or at least until - terminated by death itself? I finally thought not. Their origin was to be - looked for in the progressive removal of the customary atmospheric - pressure upon the surface of the body, and consequent distention of the - superficial blood-vessels—not in any positive disorganization of the - animal system, as in the case of difficulty in breathing, where the - atmospheric density is chemically insufficient for the due renovation of - blood in a ventricle of the heart. Unless for default of this renovation, - I could see no reason, therefore, why life could not be sustained even in - a vacuum; for the expansion and compression of chest, commonly called - breathing, is action purely muscular, and the cause, not the effect, of - respiration. In a word, I conceived that, as the body should become - habituated to the want of atmospheric pressure, the sensations of pain - would gradually diminish—and to endure them while they continued, I - relied with confidence upon the iron hardihood of my constitution. - </p> - <p> - “Thus, may it please your Excellencies, I have detailed some, though by no - means all, the considerations which led me to form the project of a lunar - voyage. I shall now proceed to lay before you the result of an attempt so - apparently audacious in conception, and, at all events, so utterly - unparalleled in the annals of mankind. - </p> - <p> - “Having attained the altitude before mentioned, that is to say three miles - and three-quarters, I threw out from the car a quantity of feathers, and - found that I still ascended with sufficient rapidity; there was, - therefore, no necessity for discharging any ballast. I was glad of this, - for I wished to retain with me as much weight as I could carry, for - reasons which will be explained in the sequel. I as yet suffered no bodily - inconvenience, breathing with great freedom, and feeling no pain whatever - in the head. The cat was lying very demurely upon my coat, which I had - taken off, and eyeing the pigeons with an air of nonchalance. These latter - being tied by the leg, to prevent their escape, were busily employed in - picking up some grains of rice scattered for them in the bottom of the - car. - </p> - <p> - “At twenty minutes past six o’clock, the barometer showed an elevation of - 26,400 feet, or five miles to a fraction. The prospect seemed unbounded. - Indeed, it is very easily calculated by means of spherical geometry, what - a great extent of the earth’s area I beheld. The convex surface of any - segment of a sphere is, to the entire surface of the sphere itself, as the - versed sine of the segment to the diameter of the sphere. Now, in my case, - the versed sine—that is to say, the thickness of the segment beneath - me—was about equal to my elevation, or the elevation of the point of - sight above the surface. ‘As five miles, then, to eight thousand,’ would - express the proportion of the earth’s area seen by me. In other words, I - beheld as much as a sixteen-hundredth part of the whole surface of the - globe. The sea appeared unruffled as a mirror, although, by means of the - spy-glass, I could perceive it to be in a state of violent agitation. The - ship was no longer visible, having drifted away, apparently to the - eastward. I now began to experience, at intervals, severe pain in the - head, especially about the ears—still, however, breathing with - tolerable freedom. The cat and pigeons seemed to suffer no inconvenience - whatsoever. - </p> - <p> - “At twenty minutes before seven, the balloon entered a long series of - dense cloud, which put me to great trouble, by damaging my condensing - apparatus and wetting me to the skin. This was, to be sure, a singular - recontre, for I had not believed it possible that a cloud of this nature - could be sustained at so great an elevation. I thought it best, however, - to throw out two five-pound pieces of ballast, reserving still a weight of - one hundred and sixty-five pounds. Upon so doing, I soon rose above the - difficulty, and perceived immediately, that I had obtained a great - increase in my rate of ascent. In a few seconds after my leaving the - cloud, a flash of vivid lightning shot from one end of it to the other, - and caused it to kindle up, throughout its vast extent, like a mass of - ignited and glowing charcoal. This, it must be remembered, was in the - broad light of day. No fancy may picture the sublimity which might have - been exhibited by a similar phenomenon taking place amid the darkness of - the night. Hell itself might have been found a fitting image. Even as it - was, my hair stood on end, while I gazed afar down within the yawning - abysses, letting imagination descend, as it were, and stalk about in the - strange vaulted halls, and ruddy gulfs, and red ghastly chasms of the - hideous and unfathomable fire. I had indeed made a narrow escape. Had the - balloon remained a very short while longer within the cloud—that is - to say—had not the inconvenience of getting wet, determined me to - discharge the ballast, inevitable ruin would have been the consequence. - Such perils, although little considered, are perhaps the greatest which - must be encountered in balloons. I had by this time, however, attained too - great an elevation to be any longer uneasy on this head. - </p> - <p> - “I was now rising rapidly, and by seven o’clock the barometer indicated an - altitude of no less than nine miles and a half. I began to find great - difficulty in drawing my breath. My head, too, was excessively painful; - and, having felt for some time a moisture about my cheeks, I at length - discovered it to be blood, which was oozing quite fast from the drums of - my ears. My eyes, also, gave me great uneasiness. Upon passing the hand - over them they seemed to have protruded from their sockets in no - inconsiderable degree; and all objects in the car, and even the balloon - itself, appeared distorted to my vision. These symptoms were more than I - had expected, and occasioned me some alarm. At this juncture, very - imprudently, and without consideration, I threw out from the car three - five-pound pieces of ballast. The accelerated rate of ascent thus - obtained, carried me too rapidly, and without sufficient gradation, into a - highly rarefied stratum of the atmosphere, and the result had nearly - proved fatal to my expedition and to myself. I was suddenly seized with a - spasm which lasted for more than five minutes, and even when this, in a - measure, ceased, I could catch my breath only at long intervals, and in a - gasping manner—bleeding all the while copiously at the nose and - ears, and even slightly at the eyes. The pigeons appeared distressed in - the extreme, and struggled to escape; while the cat mewed piteously, and, - with her tongue hanging out of her mouth, staggered to and fro in the car - as if under the influence of poison. I now too late discovered the great - rashness of which I had been guilty in discharging the ballast, and my - agitation was excessive. I anticipated nothing less than death, and death - in a few minutes. The physical suffering I underwent contributed also to - render me nearly incapable of making any exertion for the preservation of - my life. I had, indeed, little power of reflection left, and the violence - of the pain in my head seemed to be greatly on the increase. Thus I found - that my senses would shortly give way altogether, and I had already - clutched one of the valve ropes with the view of attempting a descent, - when the recollection of the trick I had played the three creditors, and - the possible consequences to myself, should I return, operated to deter me - for the moment. I lay down in the bottom of the car, and endeavored to - collect my faculties. In this I so far succeeded as to determine upon the - experiment of losing blood. Having no lancet, however, I was constrained - to perform the operation in the best manner I was able, and finally - succeeded in opening a vein in my right arm, with the blade of my - penknife. The blood had hardly commenced flowing when I experienced a - sensible relief, and by the time I had lost about half a moderate basin - full, most of the worst symptoms had abandoned me entirely. I nevertheless - did not think it expedient to attempt getting on my feet immediately; but, - having tied up my arm as well as I could, I lay still for about a quarter - of an hour. At the end of this time I arose, and found myself freer from - absolute pain of any kind than I had been during the last hour and a - quarter of my ascension. The difficulty of breathing, however, was - diminished in a very slight degree, and I found that it would soon be - positively necessary to make use of my condenser. In the meantime, looking - toward the cat, who was again snugly stowed away upon my coat, I - discovered to my infinite surprise, that she had taken the opportunity of - my indisposition to bring into light a litter of three little kittens. - This was an addition to the number of passengers on my part altogether - unexpected; but I was pleased at the occurrence. It would afford me a - chance of bringing to a kind of test the truth of a surmise, which, more - than anything else, had influenced me in attempting this ascension. I had - imagined that the habitual endurance of the atmospheric pressure at the - surface of the earth was the cause, or nearly so, of the pain attending - animal existence at a distance above the surface. Should the kittens be - found to suffer uneasiness in an equal degree with their mother, I must - consider my theory in fault, but a failure to do so I should look upon as - a strong confirmation of my idea. - </p> - <p> - “By eight o’clock I had actually attained an elevation of seventeen miles - above the surface of the earth. Thus it seemed to me evident that my rate - of ascent was not only on the increase, but that the progression would - have been apparent in a slight degree even had I not discharged the - ballast which I did. The pains in my head and ears returned, at intervals, - with violence, and I still continued to bleed occasionally at the nose; - but, upon the whole, I suffered much less than might have been expected. I - breathed, however, at every moment, with more and more difficulty, and - each inhalation was attended with a troublesome spasmodic action of the - chest. I now unpacked the condensing apparatus, and got it ready for - immediate use. - </p> - <p> - “The view of the earth, at this period of my ascension, was beautiful - indeed. To the westward, the northward, and the southward, as far as I - could see, lay a boundless sheet of apparently unruffled ocean, which - every moment gained a deeper and a deeper tint of blue and began already - to assume a slight appearance of convexity. At a vast distance to the - eastward, although perfectly discernible, extended the islands of Great - Britain, the entire Atlantic coasts of France and Spain, with a small - portion of the northern part of the continent of Africa. Of individual - edifices not a trace could be discovered, and the proudest cities of - mankind had utterly faded away from the face of the earth. From the rock - of Gibraltar, now dwindled into a dim speck, the dark Mediterranean sea, - dotted with shining islands as the heaven is dotted with stars, spread - itself out to the eastward as far as my vision extended, until its entire - mass of waters seemed at length to tumble headlong over the abyss of the - horizon, and I found myself listening on tiptoe for the echoes of the - mighty cataract. Overhead, the sky was of a jetty black, and the stars - were brilliantly visible. - </p> - <p> - “The pigeons about this time seeming to undergo much suffering, I - determined upon giving them their liberty. I first untied one of them, a - beautiful gray-mottled pigeon, and placed him upon the rim of the - wicker-work. He appeared extremely uneasy, looking anxiously around him, - fluttering his wings, and making a loud cooing noise, but could not be - persuaded to trust himself from off the car. I took him up at last, and - threw him to about half a dozen yards from the balloon. He made, however, - no attempt to descend as I had expected, but struggled with great - vehemence to get back, uttering at the same time very shrill and piercing - cries. He at length succeeded in regaining his former station on the rim, - but had hardly done so when his head dropped upon his breast, and he fell - dead within the car. The other one did not prove so unfortunate. To - prevent his following the example of his companion, and accomplishing a - return, I threw him downward with all my force, and was pleased to find - him continue his descent, with great velocity, making use of his wings - with ease, and in a perfectly natural manner. In a very short time he was - out of sight, and I have no doubt he reached home in safety. Puss, who - seemed in a great measure recovered from her illness, now made a hearty - meal of the dead bird and then went to sleep with much apparent - satisfaction. Her kittens were quite lively, and so far evinced not the - slightest sign of any uneasiness whatever. - </p> - <p> - “At a quarter-past eight, being no longer able to draw breath without the - most intolerable pain, I proceeded forthwith to adjust around the car the - apparatus belonging to the condenser. This apparatus will require some - little explanation, and your Excellencies will please to bear in mind that - my object, in the first place, was to surround myself and cat entirely - with a barricade against the highly rarefied atmosphere in which I was - existing, with the intention of introducing within this barricade, by - means of my condenser, a quantity of this same atmosphere sufficiently - condensed for the purposes of respiration. With this object in view I had - prepared a very strong perfectly air-tight, but flexible gum-elastic bag. - In this bag, which was of sufficient dimensions, the entire car was in a - manner placed. That is to say, it (the bag) was drawn over the whole - bottom of the car, up its sides, and so on, along the outside of the - ropes, to the upper rim or hoop where the net-work is attached. Having - pulled the bag up in this way, and formed a complete enclosure on all - sides, and at bottom, it was now necessary to fasten up its top or mouth, - by passing its material over the hoop of the net-work—in other - words, between the net-work and the hoop. But if the net-work were - separated from the hoop to admit this passage, what was to sustain the car - in the meantime? Now the net-work was not permanently fastened to the - hoop, but attached by a series of running loops or nooses. I therefore - undid only a few of these loops at one time, leaving the car suspended by - the remainder. Having thus inserted a portion of the cloth forming the - upper part of the bag, I refastened the loops—not to the hoop, for - that would have been impossible, since the cloth now intervened—but - to a series of large buttons, affixed to the cloth itself, about three - feet below the mouth of the bag, the intervals between the buttons having - been made to correspond to the intervals between the loops. This done, a - few more of the loops were unfastened from the rim, a farther portion of - the cloth introduced, and the disengaged loops then connected with their - proper buttons. In this way it was possible to insert the whole upper part - of the bag between the net-work and the hoop. It is evident that the hoop - would now drop down within the car, while the whole weight of the car - itself, with all its contents, would be held up merely by the strength of - the buttons. This, at first sight, would seem an inadequate dependence; - but it was by no means so, for the buttons were not only very strong in - themselves, but so close together that a very slight portion of the whole - weight was supported by any one of them. Indeed, had the car and contents - been three times heavier than they were, I should not have been at all - uneasy. I now raised up the hoop again within the covering of gum-elastic, - and propped it at nearly its former height by means of three light poles - prepared for the occasion. This was done, of course, to keep the bag - distended at the top, and to preserve the lower part of the net-work in - its proper situation. All that now remained was to fasten up the mouth of - the enclosure; and this was readily accomplished by gathering the folds of - the material together, and twisting them up very tightly on the inside by - means of a kind of stationary tourniquet. - </p> - <p> - “In the sides of the covering thus adjusted round the car, had been - inserted three circular panes of thick but clear glass, through which I - could see without difficulty around me in every horizontal direction. In - that portion of the cloth forming the bottom, was likewise, a fourth - window, of the same kind, and corresponding with a small aperture in the - floor of the car itself. This enabled me to see perpendicularly down, but - having found it impossible to place any similar contrivance overhead, on - account of the peculiar manner of closing up the opening there, and the - consequent wrinkles in the cloth, I could expect to see no objects - situated directly in my zenith. This, of course, was a matter of little - consequence; for had I even been able to place a window at top, the - balloon itself would have prevented my making any use of it. - </p> - <p> - “About a foot below one of the side windows was a circular opening, eight - inches in diameter, and fitted with a brass rim adapted in its inner edge - to the windings of a screw. In this rim was screwed the large tube of the - condenser, the body of the machine being, of course, within the chamber of - gum-elastic. Through this tube a quantity of the rare atmosphere - circumjacent being drawn by means of a vacuum created in the body of the - machine, was thence discharged, in a state of condensation, to mingle with - the thin air already in the chamber. This operation being repeated several - times, at length filled the chamber with atmosphere proper for all the - purposes of respiration. But in so confined a space it would, in a short - time, necessarily become foul, and unfit for use from frequent contact - with the lungs. It was then ejected by a small valve at the bottom of the - car—the dense air readily sinking into the thinner atmosphere below. - To avoid the inconvenience of making a total vacuum at any moment within - the chamber, this purification was never accomplished all at once, but in - a gradual manner—the valve being opened only for a few seconds, then - closed again, until one or two strokes from the pump of the condenser had - supplied the place of the atmosphere ejected. For the sake of experiment I - had put the cat and kittens in a small basket, and suspended it outside - the car to a button at the bottom, close by the valve, through which I - could feed them at any moment when necessary. I did this at some little - risk, and before closing the mouth of the chamber, by reaching under the - car with one of the poles before mentioned to which a hook had been - attached. - </p> - <p> - “By the time I had fully completed these arrangements and filled the - chamber as explained, it wanted only ten minutes of nine o’clock. During - the whole period of my being thus employed, I endured the most terrible - distress from difficulty of respiration, and bitterly did I repent the - negligence or rather fool-hardiness, of which I had been guilty, of - putting off to the last moment a matter of so much importance. But having - at length accomplished it, I soon began to reap the benefit of my - invention. Once again I breathed with perfect freedom and ease—and - indeed why should I not? I was also agreeably surprised to find myself, in - a great measure, relieved from the violent pains which had hitherto - tormented me. A slight headache, accompanied with a sensation of fulness - or distention about the wrists, the ankles, and the throat, was nearly all - of which I had now to complain. Thus it seemed evident that a greater part - of the uneasiness attending the removal of atmospheric pressure had - actually worn off, as I had expected, and that much of the pain endured - for the last two hours should have been attributed altogether to the - effects of a deficient respiration. - </p> - <p> - “At twenty minutes before nine o’clock—that is to say, a short time - prior to my closing up the mouth of the chamber, the mercury attained its - limit, or ran down, in the barometer, which, as I mentioned before, was - one of an extended construction. It then indicated an altitude on my part - of 132,000 feet, or five-and-twenty miles, and I consequently surveyed at - that time an extent of the earth’s area amounting to no less than the - three hundred-and-twentieth part of its entire superficies. At nine - o’clock I had again lost sight of land to the eastward, but not before I - became aware that the balloon was drifting rapidly to the N. N. W. The - convexity of the ocean beneath me was very evident indeed, although my - view was often interrupted by the masses of cloud which floated to and - fro. I observed now that even the lightest vapors never rose to more than - ten miles above the level of the sea. - </p> - <p> - “At half past nine I tried the experiment of throwing out a handful of - feathers through the valve. They did not float as I had expected; but - dropped down perpendicularly, like a bullet, en masse, and with the - greatest velocity—being out of sight in a very few seconds. I did - not at first know what to make of this extraordinary phenomenon; not being - able to believe that my rate of ascent had, of a sudden, met with so - prodigious an acceleration. But it soon occurred to me that the atmosphere - was now far too rare to sustain even the feathers; that they actually - fell, as they appeared to do, with great rapidity; and that I had been - surprised by the united velocities of their descent and my own elevation. - </p> - <p> - “By ten o’clock I found that I had very little to occupy my immediate - attention. Affairs went swimmingly, and I believed the balloon to be going - upward with a speed increasing momently although I had no longer any means - of ascertaining the progression of the increase. I suffered no pain or - uneasiness of any kind, and enjoyed better spirits than I had at any - period since my departure from Rotterdam, busying myself now in examining - the state of my various apparatus, and now in regenerating the atmosphere - within the chamber. This latter point I determined to attend to at regular - intervals of forty minutes, more on account of the preservation of my - health, than from so frequent a renovation being absolutely necessary. In - the meanwhile I could not help making anticipations. Fancy revelled in the - wild and dreamy regions of the moon. Imagination, feeling herself for once - unshackled, roamed at will among the ever-changing wonders of a shadowy - and unstable land. Now there were hoary and time-honored forests, and - craggy precipices, and waterfalls tumbling with a loud noise into abysses - without a bottom. Then I came suddenly into still noonday solitudes, where - no wind of heaven ever intruded, and where vast meadows of poppies, and - slender, lily-looking flowers spread themselves out a weary distance, all - silent and motionless forever. Then again I journeyed far down away into - another country where it was all one dim and vague lake, with a boundary - line of clouds. And out of this melancholy water arose a forest of tall - eastern trees, like a wilderness of dreams. And I have in mind that the - shadows of the trees which fell upon the lake remained not on the surface - where they fell, but sunk slowly and steadily down, and commingled with - the waves, while from the trunks of the trees other shadows were - continually coming out, and taking the place of their brothers thus - entombed. “This then,” I said thoughtfully, “is the very reason why the - waters of this lake grow blacker with age, and more melancholy as the - hours run on.” But fancies such as these were not the sole possessors of - my brain. Horrors of a nature most stern and most appalling would too - frequently obtrude themselves upon my mind, and shake the innermost depths - of my soul with the bare supposition of their possibility. Yet I would not - suffer my thoughts for any length of time to dwell upon these latter - speculations, rightly judging the real and palpable dangers of the voyage - sufficient for my undivided attention. - </p> - <p> - “At five o’clock, p.m., being engaged in regenerating the atmosphere - within the chamber, I took that opportunity of observing the cat and - kittens through the valve. The cat herself appeared to suffer again very - much, and I had no hesitation in attributing her uneasiness chiefly to a - difficulty in breathing; but my experiment with the kittens had resulted - very strangely. I had expected, of course, to see them betray a sense of - pain, although in a less degree than their mother, and this would have - been sufficient to confirm my opinion concerning the habitual endurance of - atmospheric pressure. But I was not prepared to find them, upon close - examination, evidently enjoying a high degree of health, breathing with - the greatest ease and perfect regularity, and evincing not the slightest - sign of any uneasiness whatever. I could only account for all this by - extending my theory, and supposing that the highly rarefied atmosphere - around might perhaps not be, as I had taken for granted, chemically - insufficient for the purposes of life, and that a person born in such a - medium might, possibly, be unaware of any inconvenience attending its - inhalation, while, upon removal to the denser strata near the earth, he - might endure tortures of a similar nature to those I had so lately - experienced. It has since been to me a matter of deep regret that an - awkward accident, at this time, occasioned me the loss of my little family - of cats, and deprived me of the insight into this matter which a continued - experiment might have afforded. In passing my hand through the valve, with - a cup of water for the old puss, the sleeves of my shirt became entangled - in the loop which sustained the basket, and thus, in a moment, loosened it - from the bottom. Had the whole actually vanished into air, it could not - have shot from my sight in a more abrupt and instantaneous manner. - Positively, there could not have intervened the tenth part of a second - between the disengagement of the basket and its absolute and total - disappearance with all that it contained. My good wishes followed it to - the earth, but of course, I had no hope that either cat or kittens would - ever live to tell the tale of their misfortune. - </p> - <p> - “At six o’clock, I perceived a great portion of the earth’s visible area - to the eastward involved in thick shadow, which continued to advance with - great rapidity, until, at five minutes before seven, the whole surface in - view was enveloped in the darkness of night. It was not, however, until - long after this time that the rays of the setting sun ceased to illumine - the balloon; and this circumstance, although of course fully anticipated, - did not fail to give me an infinite deal of pleasure. It was evident that, - in the morning, I should behold the rising luminary many hours at least - before the citizens of Rotterdam, in spite of their situation so much - farther to the eastward, and thus, day after day, in proportion to the - height ascended, would I enjoy the light of the sun for a longer and a - longer period. I now determined to keep a journal of my passage, reckoning - the days from one to twenty-four hours continuously, without taking into - consideration the intervals of darkness. - </p> - <p> - “At ten o’clock, feeling sleepy, I determined to lie down for the rest of - the night; but here a difficulty presented itself, which, obvious as it - may appear, had escaped my attention up to the very moment of which I am - now speaking. If I went to sleep as I proposed, how could the atmosphere - in the chamber be regenerated in the interim? To breathe it for more than - an hour, at the farthest, would be a matter of impossibility, or, if even - this term could be extended to an hour and a quarter, the most ruinous - consequences might ensue. The consideration of this dilemma gave me no - little disquietude; and it will hardly be believed, that, after the - dangers I had undergone, I should look upon this business in so serious a - light, as to give up all hope of accomplishing my ultimate design, and - finally make up my mind to the necessity of a descent. But this hesitation - was only momentary. I reflected that man is the veriest slave of custom, - and that many points in the routine of his existence are deemed - essentially important, which are only so at all by his having rendered - them habitual. It was very certain that I could not do without sleep; but - I might easily bring myself to feel no inconvenience from being awakened - at intervals of an hour during the whole period of my repose. It would - require but five minutes at most to regenerate the atmosphere in the - fullest manner, and the only real difficulty was to contrive a method of - arousing myself at the proper moment for so doing. But this was a question - which, I am willing to confess, occasioned me no little trouble in its - solution. To be sure, I had heard of the student who, to prevent his - falling asleep over his books, held in one hand a ball of copper, the din - of whose descent into a basin of the same metal on the floor beside his - chair, served effectually to startle him up, if, at any moment, he should - be overcome with drowsiness. My own case, however, was very different - indeed, and left me no room for any similar idea; for I did not wish to - keep awake, but to be aroused from slumber at regular intervals of time. I - at length hit upon the following expedient, which, simple as it may seem, - was hailed by me, at the moment of discovery, as an invention fully equal - to that of the telescope, the steam-engine, or the art of printing itself. - </p> - <p> - “It is necessary to premise, that the balloon, at the elevation now - attained, continued its course upward with an even and undeviating ascent, - and the car consequently followed with a steadiness so perfect that it - would have been impossible to detect in it the slightest vacillation - whatever. This circumstance favored me greatly in the project I now - determined to adopt. My supply of water had been put on board in kegs - containing five gallons each, and ranged very securely around the interior - of the car. I unfastened one of these, and taking two ropes tied them - tightly across the rim of the wicker-work from one side to the other; - placing them about a foot apart and parallel so as to form a kind of - shelf, upon which I placed the keg, and steadied it in a horizontal - position. About eight inches immediately below these ropes, and four feet - from the bottom of the car I fastened another shelf—but made of thin - plank, being the only similar piece of wood I had. Upon this latter shelf, - and exactly beneath one of the rims of the keg, a small earthern pitcher - was deposited. I now bored a hole in the end of the keg over the pitcher, - and fitted in a plug of soft wood, cut in a tapering or conical shape. - This plug I pushed in or pulled out, as might happen, until, after a few - experiments, it arrived at that exact degree of tightness, at which the - water, oozing from the hole, and falling into the pitcher below, would - fill the latter to the brim in the period of sixty minutes. This, of - course, was a matter briefly and easily ascertained, by noticing the - proportion of the pitcher filled in any given time. Having arranged all - this, the rest of the plan is obvious. My bed was so contrived upon the - floor of the car, as to bring my head, in lying down, immediately below - the mouth of the pitcher. It was evident, that, at the expiration of an - hour, the pitcher, getting full, would be forced to run over, and to run - over at the mouth, which was somewhat lower than the rim. It was also - evident, that the water thus falling from a height of more than four feet, - could not do otherwise than fall upon my face, and that the sure - consequences would be, to waken me up instantaneously, even from the - soundest slumber in the world. - </p> - <p> - “It was fully eleven by the time I had completed these arrangements, and I - immediately betook myself to bed, with full confidence in the efficiency - of my invention. Nor in this matter was I disappointed. Punctually every - sixty minutes was I aroused by my trusty chronometer, when, having emptied - the pitcher into the bung-hole of the keg, and performed the duties of the - condenser, I retired again to bed. These regular interruptions to my - slumber caused me even less discomfort than I had anticipated; and when I - finally arose for the day, it was seven o’clock, and the sun had attained - many degrees above the line of my horizon. - </p> - <p> - “April 3d. I found the balloon at an immense height indeed, and the - earth’s apparent convexity increased in a material degree. Below me in the - ocean lay a cluster of black specks, which undoubtedly were islands. Far - away to the northward I perceived a thin, white, and exceedingly brilliant - line, or streak, on the edge of the horizon, and I had no hesitation in - supposing it to be the southern disk of the ices of the Polar Sea. My - curiosity was greatly excited, for I had hopes of passing on much farther - to the north, and might possibly, at some period, find myself placed - directly above the Pole itself. I now lamented that my great elevation - would, in this case, prevent my taking as accurate a survey as I could - wish. Much, however, might be ascertained. Nothing else of an - extraordinary nature occurred during the day. My apparatus all continued - in good order, and the balloon still ascended without any perceptible - vacillation. The cold was intense, and obliged me to wrap up closely in an - overcoat. When darkness came over the earth, I betook myself to bed, - although it was for many hours afterward broad daylight all around my - immediate situation. The water-clock was punctual in its duty, and I slept - until next morning soundly, with the exception of the periodical - interruption. - </p> - <p> - “April 4th. Arose in good health and spirits, and was astonished at the - singular change which had taken place in the appearance of the sea. It had - lost, in a great measure, the deep tint of blue it had hitherto worn, - being now of a grayish-white, and of a lustre dazzling to the eye. The - islands were no longer visible; whether they had passed down the horizon - to the southeast, or whether my increasing elevation had left them out of - sight, it is impossible to say. I was inclined, however, to the latter - opinion. The rim of ice to the northward was growing more and more - apparent. Cold by no means so intense. Nothing of importance occurred, and - I passed the day in reading, having taken care to supply myself with - books. - </p> - <p> - “April 5th. Beheld the singular phenomenon of the sun rising while nearly - the whole visible surface of the earth continued to be involved in - darkness. In time, however, the light spread itself over all, and I again - saw the line of ice to the northward. It was now very distinct, and - appeared of a much darker hue than the waters of the ocean. I was - evidently approaching it, and with great rapidity. Fancied I could again - distinguish a strip of land to the eastward, and one also to the westward, - but could not be certain. Weather moderate. Nothing of any consequence - happened during the day. Went early to bed. - </p> - <p> - “April 6th. Was surprised at finding the rim of ice at a very moderate - distance, and an immense field of the same material stretching away off to - the horizon in the north. It was evident that if the balloon held its - present course, it would soon arrive above the Frozen Ocean, and I had now - little doubt of ultimately seeing the Pole. During the whole of the day I - continued to near the ice. Toward night the limits of my horizon very - suddenly and materially increased, owing undoubtedly to the earth’s form - being that of an oblate spheroid, and my arriving above the flattened - regions in the vicinity of the Arctic circle. When darkness at length - overtook me, I went to bed in great anxiety, fearing to pass over the - object of so much curiosity when I should have no opportunity of observing - it. - </p> - <p> - “April 7th. Arose early, and, to my great joy, at length beheld what there - could be no hesitation in supposing the northern Pole itself. It was - there, beyond a doubt, and immediately beneath my feet; but, alas! I had - now ascended to so vast a distance, that nothing could with accuracy be - discerned. Indeed, to judge from the progression of the numbers indicating - my various altitudes, respectively, at different periods, between six A.M. - on the second of April, and twenty minutes before nine A.M. of the same - day (at which time the barometer ran down), it might be fairly inferred - that the balloon had now, at four o’clock in the morning of April the - seventh, reached a height of not less, certainly, than 7,254 miles above - the surface of the sea. This elevation may appear immense, but the - estimate upon which it is calculated gave a result in all probability far - inferior to the truth. At all events I undoubtedly beheld the whole of the - earth’s major diameter; the entire northern hemisphere lay beneath me like - a chart orthographically projected: and the great circle of the equator - itself formed the boundary line of my horizon. Your Excellencies may, - however, readily imagine that the confined regions hitherto unexplored - within the limits of the Arctic circle, although situated directly beneath - me, and therefore seen without any appearance of being foreshortened, were - still, in themselves, comparatively too diminutive, and at too great a - distance from the point of sight, to admit of any very accurate - examination. Nevertheless, what could be seen was of a nature singular and - exciting. Northwardly from that huge rim before mentioned, and which, with - slight qualification, may be called the limit of human discovery in these - regions, one unbroken, or nearly unbroken, sheet of ice continues to - extend. In the first few degrees of this its progress, its surface is very - sensibly flattened, farther on depressed into a plane, and finally, - becoming not a little concave, it terminates, at the Pole itself, in a - circular centre, sharply defined, whose apparent diameter subtended at the - balloon an angle of about sixty-five seconds, and whose dusky hue, varying - in intensity, was, at all times, darker than any other spot upon the - visible hemisphere, and occasionally deepened into the most absolute and - impenetrable blackness. Farther than this, little could be ascertained. By - twelve o’clock the circular centre had materially decreased in - circumference, and by seven P.M. I lost sight of it entirely; the balloon - passing over the western limb of the ice, and floating away rapidly in the - direction of the equator. - </p> - <p> - “April 8th. Found a sensible diminution in the earth’s apparent diameter, - besides a material alteration in its general color and appearance. The - whole visible area partook in different degrees of a tint of pale yellow, - and in some portions had acquired a brilliancy even painful to the eye. My - view downward was also considerably impeded by the dense atmosphere in the - vicinity of the surface being loaded with clouds, between whose masses I - could only now and then obtain a glimpse of the earth itself. This - difficulty of direct vision had troubled me more or less for the last - forty-eight hours; but my present enormous elevation brought closer - together, as it were, the floating bodies of vapor, and the inconvenience - became, of course, more and more palpable in proportion to my ascent. - Nevertheless, I could easily perceive that the balloon now hovered above - the range of great lakes in the continent of North America, and was - holding a course, due south, which would bring me to the tropics. This - circumstance did not fail to give me the most heartful satisfaction, and I - hailed it as a happy omen of ultimate success. Indeed, the direction I had - hitherto taken, had filled me with uneasiness; for it was evident that, - had I continued it much longer, there would have been no possibility of my - arriving at the moon at all, whose orbit is inclined to the ecliptic at - only the small angle of 5° 8′ 48″. - </p> - <p> - “April 9th. To-day the earth’s diameter was greatly diminished, and the - color of the surface assumed hourly a deeper tint of yellow. The balloon - kept steadily on her course to the southward, and arrived, at nine P.M., - over the northern edge of the Mexican Gulf. - </p> - <p> - “April 10th. I was suddenly aroused from slumber, about five o’clock this - morning, by a loud, crackling, and terrific sound, for which I could in no - manner account. It was of very brief duration, but, while it lasted - resembled nothing in the world of which I had any previous experience. It - is needless to say that I became excessively alarmed, having, in the first - instance, attributed the noise to the bursting of the balloon. I examined - all my apparatus, however, with great attention, and could discover - nothing out of order. Spent a great part of the day in meditating upon an - occurrence so extraordinary, but could find no means whatever of - accounting for it. Went to bed dissatisfied, and in a state of great - anxiety and agitation. - </p> - <p> - “April 11th. Found a startling diminution in the apparent diameter of the - earth, and a considerable increase, now observable for the first time, in - that of the moon itself, which wanted only a few days of being full. It - now required long and excessive labor to condense within the chamber - sufficient atmospheric air for the sustenance of life. - </p> - <p> - “April 12th. A singular alteration took place in regard to the - direction of the balloon, and although fully anticipated, afforded me the - most unequivocal delight. Having reached, in its former course, about the - twentieth parallel of southern latitude, it turned off suddenly, at an - acute angle, to the eastward, and thus proceeded throughout the day, - keeping nearly, if not altogether, in the exact plane of the lunar - ellipse. What was worthy of remark, a very perceptible vacillation in the - car was a consequence of this change of route—a vacillation which - prevailed, in a more or less degree, for a period of many hours. - </p> - <p> - “April 13th. Was again very much alarmed by a repetition of the - loud, crackling noise which terrified me on the tenth. Thought long upon - the subject, but was unable to form any satisfactory conclusion. Great - decrease in the earth’s apparent diameter, which now subtended from - the balloon an angle of very little more than twenty-five degrees. The - moon could not be seen at all, being nearly in my zenith. I still - continued in the plane of the ellipse, but made little progress to the - eastward. - </p> - <p> - “April 14th. Extremely rapid decrease in the diameter of the earth. To-day - I became strongly impressed with the idea, that the balloon was now - actually running up the line of apsides to the point of perigee—in - other words, holding the direct course which would bring it immediately to - the moon in that part of its orbit the nearest to the earth. The moon - itself was directly overhead, and consequently hidden from my view. Great - and long-continued labor necessary for the condensation of the atmosphere. - </p> - <p> - “April 15th. Not even the outlines of continents and seas could now be - traced upon the earth with anything approaching distinctness. About twelve - o’clock I became aware, for the third time, of that appalling sound which - had so astonished me before. It now, however, continued for some moments, - and gathered intensity as it continued. At length, while, stupefied and - terror-stricken, I stood in expectation of I knew not what hideous - destruction, the car vibrated with excessive violence, and a gigantic and - flaming mass of some material which I could not distinguish, came with a - voice of a thousand thunders, roaring and booming by the balloon. When my - fears and astonishment had in some degree subsided, I had little - difficulty in supposing it to be some mighty volcanic fragment ejected - from that world to which I was so rapidly approaching, and, in all - probability, one of that singular class of substances occasionally picked - up on the earth, and termed meteoric stones for want of a better - appellation. - </p> - <p> - “April 16th. To-day, looking upward as well as I could, through each of - the side windows alternately, I beheld, to my great delight, a very small - portion of the moon’s disk protruding, as it were, on all sides beyond the - huge circumference of the balloon. My agitation was extreme; for I had now - little doubt of soon reaching the end of my perilous voyage. Indeed, the - labor now required by the condenser had increased to a most oppressive - degree, and allowed me scarcely any respite from exertion. Sleep was a - matter nearly out of the question. I became quite ill, and my frame - trembled with exhaustion. It was impossible that human nature could endure - this state of intense suffering much longer. During the now brief interval - of darkness a meteoric stone again passed in my vicinity, and the - frequency of these phenomena began to occasion me much apprehension. - </p> - <p> - “April 17th. This morning proved an epoch in my voyage. It will be - remembered that, on the thirteenth, the earth subtended an angular - breadth of twenty-five degrees. On the fourteenth this had greatly - diminished; on the fifteenth a still more remarkable decrease was - observable; and, on retiring on the night of the sixteenth, I had 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. - </p> - <p> - “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. - </p> - <p> - “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. - </p> - <p> - “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° 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) - </p> - <p> - “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. - </p> - <p> - “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 hands to the - net-work, I had barely time to observe that the whole country, as far as - the eye could reach, was thickly interspersed with diminutive habitations, - ere I tumbled headlong into the very heart of a fantastical-looking city, - and into the middle of a vast crowd of ugly little people, who none of - them uttered a single syllable, or gave themselves the least trouble to - render me assistance, but stood, like a parcel of idiots, grinning in a - ludicrous manner, and eyeing me and my balloon askant, with their arms set - a-kimbo. I turned from them in contempt, and, gazing upward at the earth - so lately left, and left perhaps for ever, beheld it like a huge, dull, - copper shield, about two degrees in diameter, fixed immovably in the - heavens overhead, and tipped on one of its edges with a crescent border of - the most brilliant gold. No traces of land or water could be discovered, - and the whole was clouded with variable spots, and belted with tropical - and equatorial zones. - </p> - <p> - “Thus, may it please your Excellencies, after a series of great anxieties, - unheard of dangers, and unparalleled escapes, I had, at length, on the - nineteenth day of my departure from Rotterdam, arrived in safety at the - conclusion of a voyage undoubtedly the most extraordinary, and the most - momentous, ever accomplished, undertaken, or conceived by any denizen of - earth. But my adventures yet remain to be related. And indeed your - Excellencies may well imagine that, after a residence of five years upon a - planet not only deeply interesting in its own peculiar character, but - rendered doubly so by its intimate connection, in capacity of satellite, - with the world inhabited by man, I may have intelligence for the private - ear of the States’ College of Astronomers of far more importance than the - details, however wonderful, of the mere voyage which so happily concluded. - This is, in fact, the case. I have much—very much which it would - give me the greatest pleasure to communicate. I have much to say of the - climate of the planet; of its wonderful alternations of heat and cold, of - unmitigated and burning sunshine for one fortnight, and more than polar - frigidity for the next; of a constant transfer of moisture, by - distillation like that in vacuo, from the point beneath the sun to the - point the farthest from it; of a variable zone of running water; of the - people themselves; of their manners, customs, and political institutions; - of their peculiar physical construction; of their ugliness; of their want - of ears, those useless appendages in an atmosphere so peculiarly modified; - of their consequent ignorance of the use and properties of speech; of - their substitute for speech in a singular method of inter-communication; - of the incomprehensible connection between each particular individual in - the moon with some particular individual on the earth—a connection - analogous with, and depending upon, that of the orbs of the planet and the - satellites, and by means of which the lives and destinies of the - inhabitants of the one are interwoven with the lives and destinies of the - inhabitants of the other; and above all, if it so please your Excellencies—above - all, of those dark and hideous mysteries which lie in the outer regions of - the moon—regions which, owing to the almost miraculous accordance of - the satellite’s rotation on its own axis with its sidereal revolution - about the earth, have never yet been turned, and, by God’s mercy, never - shall be turned, to the scrutiny of the telescopes of man. All this, and - more—much more—would I most willingly detail. But, to be - brief, I must have my reward. I am pining for a return to my family and to - my home; and as the price of any farther communication on my part—in - consideration of the light which I have it in my power to throw upon many - very important branches of physical and metaphysical science—I must - solicit, through the influence of your honorable body, a pardon for the - crime of which I have been guilty in the death of the creditors upon my - departure from Rotterdam. This, then, is the object of the present paper. - Its bearer, an inhabitant of the moon, whom I have prevailed upon, and - properly instructed, to be my messenger to the earth, will await your - Excellencies’ pleasure, and return to me with the pardon in question, if - it can, in any manner, be obtained. - </p> - <p> - “I have the honor to be, etc., your Excellencies’ very humble servant, - </p> - <p class="right"> - “H<small>ANS</small> P<small>FAALL</small>.” - </p> - <p> - Upon finishing the perusal of this very extraordinary document, Professor - Rub-a-dub, it is said, dropped his pipe upon the ground in the extremity - of his surprise, and Mynheer Superbus Von Underduk having taken off his - spectacles, wiped them, and deposited them in his pocket, so far forgot - both himself and his dignity, as to turn round three times upon his heel - in the quintessence of astonishment and admiration. There was no doubt - about the matter—the pardon should be obtained. So at least swore, - with a round oath, Professor Rub-a-dub, and so finally thought the - illustrious Von Underduk, as he took the arm of his brother in science, - and without saying a word, began to make the best of his way home to - deliberate upon the measures to be adopted. Having reached the door, - however, of the burgomaster’s dwelling, the professor ventured to suggest - that as the messenger had thought proper to disappear—no doubt - frightened to death by the savage appearance of the burghers of Rotterdam—the - pardon would be of little use, as no one but a man of the moon would - undertake a voyage to so vast a distance. To the truth of this observation - the burgomaster assented, and the matter was therefore at an end. Not so, - however, rumors and speculations. The letter, having been published, gave - rise to a variety of gossip and opinion. Some of the over-wise even made - themselves ridiculous by decrying the whole business; as nothing better - than a hoax. But hoax, with these sort of people, is, I believe, a general - term for all matters above their comprehension. For my part, I cannot - conceive upon what data they have founded such an accusation. Let us see - what they say: - </p> - <p> - Imprimus. That certain wags in Rotterdam have certain especial antipathies - to certain burgomasters and astronomers. - </p> - <p> - Don’t understand at all. - </p> - <p> - Secondly. That an odd little dwarf and bottle conjurer, both of whose - ears, for some misdemeanor, have been cut off close to his head, has been - missing for several days from the neighboring city of Bruges. - </p> - <p> - Well—what of that? - </p> - <p> - Thirdly. That the newspapers which were stuck all over the little balloon - were newspapers of Holland, and therefore could not have been made in the - moon. They were dirty papers—very dirty—and Gluck, the - printer, would take his Bible oath to their having been printed in - Rotterdam. - </p> - <p> - He was mistaken—undoubtedly—mistaken. - </p> - <p> - Fourthly, That Hans Pfaall himself, the drunken villain, and the three - very idle gentlemen styled his creditors, were all seen, no longer than - two or three days ago, in a tippling house in the suburbs, having just - returned, with money in their pockets, from a trip beyond the sea. - </p> - <p> - Don’t believe it—don’t believe a word of it. - </p> - <p> - Lastly. That it is an opinion very generally received, or which ought to - be generally received, that the College of Astronomers in the city of - Rotterdam, as well as other colleges in all other parts of the world,—not - to mention colleges and astronomers in general,—are, to say the - least of the matter, not a whit better, nor greater, nor wiser than they - ought to be. - </p> - <p> - ~~~ End of Text ~~~ - </p> - -<h3>Notes to Hans Pfaal</h3> - - <p> - (*1) NOTE—Strictly speaking, there is but little similarity between - the above sketchy trifle and the celebrated “Moon-Story” of Mr. Locke; but - as both have the character of <i>hoaxes</i> (although the one is in a tone - of banter, the other of downright earnest), and as both hoaxes are on the - same subject, the moon—moreover, as both attempt to give - plausibility by scientific detail—the author of “Hans Pfaall” thinks - it necessary to say, in <i>self-defence,</i> that his own <i>jeu d’esprit</i> - was published in the “Southern Literary Messenger” about three weeks - before the commencement of Mr. L’s in the “New York Sun.” Fancying a - likeness which, perhaps, does not exist, some of the New York papers - copied “Hans Pfaall,” and collated it with the “Moon-Hoax,” by way of - detecting the writer of the one in the writer of the other. - </p> - <p> - As many more persons were actually gulled by the “Moon-Hoax” than would be - willing to acknowledge the fact, it may here afford some little amusement - to show why no one should have been deceived-to point out those - particulars of the story which should have been sufficient to establish - its real character. Indeed, however rich the imagination displayed in this - ingenious fiction, it wanted much of the force which might have been given - it by a more scrupulous attention to facts and to general analogy. That - the public were misled, even for an instant, merely proves the gross - ignorance which is so generally prevalent upon subjects of an astronomical - nature. - </p> - <p> - The moon’s distance from the earth is, in round numbers, 240,000 miles. If - we desire to ascertain how near, apparently, a lens would bring the - satellite (or any distant object), we, of course, have but to divide the - distance by the magnifying or, more strictly, by the space-penetrating - power of the glass. Mr. L. makes his lens have a power of 42,000 times. By - this divide 240,000 (the moon’s real distance), and we have five miles and - five sevenths, as the apparent distance. No animal at all could be seen so - far; much less the minute points particularized in the story. Mr. L. - speaks about Sir John Herschel’s perceiving flowers (the Papaver rheas, - etc.), and even detecting the color and the shape of the eyes of small - birds. Shortly before, too, he has himself observed that the lens would - not render perceptible objects of less than eighteen inches in diameter; - but even this, as I have said, is giving the glass by far too great power. - It may be observed, in passing, that this prodigious glass is said to have - been molded at the glasshouse of Messrs. Hartley and Grant, in Dumbarton; - but Messrs. H. and G.‘s establishment had ceased operations for many years - previous to the publication of the hoax. - </p> - <p> - On page 13, pamphlet edition, speaking of “a hairy veil” over the eyes of - a species of bison, the author says: “It immediately occurred to the acute - mind of Dr. Herschel that this was a providential contrivance to protect - the eyes of the animal from the great extremes of light and darkness to - which all the inhabitants of our side of the moon are periodically - subjected.” But this cannot be thought a very “acute” observation of the - Doctor’s. The inhabitants of our side of the moon have, evidently, no - darkness at all, so there can be nothing of the “extremes” mentioned. In - the absence of the sun they have a light from the earth equal to that of - thirteen full unclouded moons. - </p> - <p> - The topography throughout, even when professing to accord with Blunt’s - Lunar Chart, is entirely at variance with that or any other lunar chart, - and even grossly at variance with itself. The points of the compass, too, - are in inextricable confusion; the writer appearing to be ignorant that, - on a lunar map, these are not in accordance with terrestrial points; the - east being to the left, etc. - </p> - <p> - Deceived, perhaps, by the vague titles, Mare Nubium, Mare Tranquillitatis, - Mare Faecunditatis, etc., given to the dark spots by former astronomers, - Mr. L. has entered into details regarding oceans and other large bodies of - water in the moon; whereas there is no astronomical point more positively - ascertained than that no such bodies exist there. In examining the - boundary between light and darkness (in the crescent or gibbous moon) - where this boundary crosses any of the dark places, the line of division - is found to be rough and jagged; but, were these dark places liquid, it - would evidently be even. - </p> - <p> - The description of the wings of the man-bat, on page 21, is but a literal - copy of Peter Wilkins’ account of the wings of his flying islanders. This - simple fact should have induced suspicion, at least, it might be thought. - </p> - <p> - On page 23, we have the following: “What a prodigious influence must our - thirteen times larger globe have exercised upon this satellite when an - embryo in the womb of time, the passive subject of chemical affinity!” - This is very fine; but it should be observed that no astronomer would have - made such remark, especially to any journal of Science; for the earth, in - the sense intended, is not only thirteen, but forty-nine times larger than - the moon. A similar objection applies to the whole of the concluding - pages, where, by way of introduction to some discoveries in Saturn, the - philosophical correspondent enters into a minute schoolboy account of that - planet—this to the “Edinburgh Journal of Science!” - </p> - <p> - But there is one point, in particular, which should have betrayed the - fiction. Let us imagine the power actually possessed of seeing animals - upon the moon’s surface—what would first arrest the attention of an - observer from the earth? Certainly neither their shape, size, nor any - other such peculiarity, so soon as their remarkable <i>situation</i>. They - would appear to be walking, with heels up and head down, in the manner of - flies on a ceiling. The <i>real</i> observer would have uttered an instant - ejaculation of surprise (however prepared by previous knowledge) at the - singularity of their position; the <i>fictitious</i> observer has not even - mentioned the subject, but speaks of seeing the entire bodies of such - creatures, when it is demonstrable that he could have seen only the - diameter of their heads! - </p> - <p> - It might as well be remarked, in conclusion, that the size, and - particularly the powers of the man-bats (for example, their ability to fly - in so rare an atmosphere—if, indeed, the moon have any), with most - of the other fancies in regard to animal and vegetable existence, are at - variance, generally, with all analogical reasoning on these themes; and - that analogy here will often amount to conclusive demonstration. It is, - perhaps, scarcely necessary to add, that all the suggestions attributed to - Brewster and Herschel, in the beginning of the article, about “a - transfusion of artificial light through the focal object of vision,” etc., - etc., belong to that species of figurative writing which comes, most - properly, under the denomination of rigmarole. - </p> - <p> - There is a real and very definite limit to optical discovery among the - stars—a limit whose nature need only be stated to be understood. - If, indeed, the casting of large lenses were all that is required, - man’s ingenuity would ultimately prove equal to the task, and we - might have them of any size demanded. But, unhappily, in proportion to - the increase of size in the lens, and consequently of space-penetrating - power, is the diminution of light from the object, by diffusion of its - rays. And for this evil there is no remedy within human ability; for an - object is seen by means of that light alone which proceeds from itself, - whether direct or reflected. Thus the only “artificial” light - which could avail Mr. Locke, would be some artificial light which he - should be able to throw—not upon the “focal object of - vision,” but upon the real object to be viewed—to wit: upon - the moon. It has been easily calculated that, when the light proceeding - from a star becomes so diffused as to be as weak as the natural light - proceeding from the whole of the stars, in a clear and moonless night, - then the star is no longer visible for any practical purpose. - </p> - <p> - The Earl of Ross’s telescope, lately constructed in England, has a <i>speculum</i> - with a reflecting surface of 4,071 square inches; the Herschel telescope - having one of only 1,811. The metal of the Earl of Ross’s is 6 feet - diameter; it is 5 1/2 inches thick at the edges, and 5 at the centre. The - weight is 3 tons. The focal length is 50 feet. - </p> - <p> - I have lately read a singular and somewhat ingenious little book, whose - title-page runs thus: “L’Homme dans la lvne ou le Voyage Chimerique fait - au Monde de la Lvne, nouellement decouvert par Dominique Gonzales, - Aduanturier Espagnol, autrem?t dit le Courier volant. Mis en notre - langve par J. B. D. A. Paris, chez Francois Piot, pres la Fontaine de - Saint Benoist. Et chez J. Goignard, au premier pilier de la grand’salle du - Palais, proche les Consultations, MDCXLVII.” Pp. 76. - </p> - <p> - The writer professes to have translated his work from the English of one - Mr. D’Avisson (Davidson?) although there is a terrible ambiguity in the - statement. “J’ en ai eu,” says he “l’original de Monsieur D’Avisson, - medecin des mieux versez qui soient aujourd’huy dans la cõnoissance - des Belles Lettres, et sur tout de la Philosophic Naturelle. Je lui ai - cette obligation entre les autres, de m’ auoir non seulement mis en main - ce Livre en anglois, mais encore le Manuscrit du Sieur Thomas D’Anan, - gentilhomme Eccossois, recommandable pour sa vertu, sur la version duquel - j’ advoue que j’ ay tiré le plan de la mienne.” - </p> - <p> - After some irrelevant adventures, much in the manner of Gil Blas, and - which occupy the first thirty pages, the author relates that, being ill - during a sea voyage, the crew abandoned him, together with a negro - servant, on the island of St. Helena. To increase the chances of - obtaining food, the two separate, and live as far apart as possible. This - brings about a training of birds, to serve the purpose of carrier-pigeons - between them. By and by these are taught to carry parcels of some - weight—and this weight is gradually increased. At length the idea - is entertained of uniting the force of a great number of the birds, with - a view to raising the author himself. A machine is 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 <i>(ganzas)</i> who had strings reaching from their tails to - the machine. - </p> - <p> - 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 <i>ganzas,</i> 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 <i>law;</i> 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. - </p> - <p> - I cannot forbear giving a specimen of the general <i>philosophy</i> of the - volume. - </p> - <p> -“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, <i>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. </i>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. - </p> - <p> -“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 <i>always immediately between the -moon and the earth.</i> I<i> </i>was convinced of this for two reasons-because -my birds always flew in a straight line; and because whenever we -attempted to rest, <i>we were carried insensibly around the globe of the -earth. </i>For I admit the opinion of Copernicus, who maintains that it -never ceases to revolve <i>from the east to the west, </i>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.” - </p> - <p> - 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. - </p> - <p> - 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 question—a - 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 <i>means</i> of the voyage are more - deplorably ill conceived than are even the <i>ganzas</i> 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 <i>jeu d’ esprit</i> 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. - </p> - <p> - In these various <i>brochures</i> the aim is always satirical; the theme - being a description of Lunarian customs as compared with ours. In none is - there any effort at <i>plausibility</i> 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 <i>verisimilitude,</i> 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. - </p> - <p> - (*2) The zodiacal light is probably what the ancients called Trabes. - Emicant Trabes quos docos vocant.—Pliny, lib. 2, p. 26. - </p> - <p> - (*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. - </p> - <p> - (*4) Hevelius 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. - </p> - <p> - 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. - </p> - -</div><!--end chapter--> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2><a name="chap05"></a>THE GOLD-BUG</h2> - -<p class="poem"> -What ho! what ho! this fellow is dancing mad!<br /> -He hath been bitten by the Tarantula. -</p> - -<p class="right"> -<i>—All in the Wrong.</i> -</p> - <p> - 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. - </p> - <p> - 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. - </p> - <p> - 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 and esteem. I found him well educated, with unusual powers of - mind, but infected with misanthropy, and subject to perverse moods of - alternate enthusiasm and melancholy. He had with him many books, but - rarely employed them. His chief amusements were gunning and fishing, or - sauntering along the beach and through the myrtles, in quest of shells or - entomological specimens—his collection of the latter might have - been envied by a Swammerdamm. In these excursions he was usually - accompanied by an old negro, called Jupiter, who had been manumitted - before the reverses of the family, but who could be induced, neither by - threats nor by promises, to abandon what he considered his right of - attendance upon the footsteps of his young “Massa Will.” It is not - improbable that the relatives of Legrand, conceiving him to be somewhat - unsettled in intellect, had contrived to instil this obstinacy into - Jupiter, with a view to the supervision and guardianship of the wanderer. - </p> - <p> - The winters in the latitude of Sullivan’s Island are seldom very - severe, and in the fall of the year it is a rare event indeed when a fire - is considered necessary. About the middle of October, 18—, there - occurred, however, a day of remarkable chilliness. Just before sunset I - scrambled my way through the evergreens to the hut of my friend, whom I - had not visited for several weeks—my residence being, at that time, - in Charleston, a distance of nine miles from the island, while the - facilities of passage and re-passage were very far behind those of the - present day. Upon reaching the hut I rapped, as was my custom, and - getting no reply, sought for the key where I knew it was secreted, - unlocked the door and went in. A fine fire was blazing upon the hearth. - It was a novelty, and by no means an ungrateful one. I threw off an - overcoat, took an arm-chair by the crackling logs, and awaited patiently - the arrival of my hosts. - </p> - <p> - Soon after dark they arrived, and gave me a most cordial welcome. - Jupiter, grinning from ear to ear, bustled about to prepare some - marsh-hens for supper. Legrand was in one of his fits—how else - shall I term them?—of enthusiasm. He had found an unknown bivalve, - forming a new genus, and, more than this, he had hunted down and secured, - with Jupiter’s assistance, a <i>scarabæus</i> which he believed to - be totally new, but in respect to which he wished to have my opinion on - the morrow. - </p> - <p> - “And why not to-night?” I asked, rubbing my hands over the - blaze, and wishing the whole tribe of <i>scarabæi</i> at the devil. - </p> - <p> - “Ah, if I had only known you were here!” said Legrand, - “but it’s so long since I saw you; and how could I foresee - that you would pay me a visit this very night of all others? As I was - coming home I met Lieutenant G——, from the fort, and, very - foolishly, I lent him the bug; so it will be impossible for you to see it - until the morning. Stay here to-night, and I will send Jup down for it at - sunrise. It is the loveliest thing in creation!” - </p> - <p> - “What?—sunrise?” - </p> - <p> - “Nonsense! no!—the bug. It is of a brilliant gold color—about - the size of a large hickory-nut—with two jet black spots near one - extremity of the back, and another, somewhat longer, at the other. The - <i>antennæ</i> are—” - </p> - <p> - “Dey aint no tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a tellin on you,” here - interrupted Jupiter; “de bug is a goole bug, solid, ebery bit of him, - inside and all, sep him wing—neber feel half so hebby a bug in my - life.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, suppose it is, Jup,” replied Legrand, somewhat more earnestly, it - seemed to me, than the case demanded, “is that any reason for your letting - the birds burn? The color”—here he turned to me—“is really - almost enough to warrant Jupiter’s idea. You never saw a more brilliant - metallic lustre than the scales emit—but of this you cannot judge - till tomorrow. In the mean time I can give you some idea of the shape.” - Saying this, he seated himself at a small table, on which were a pen and - ink, but no paper. He looked for some in a drawer, but found none. - </p> - <p> - “Never mind,” said he at length, “this will answer;” and he drew from his - waistcoat pocket a scrap of what I took to be very dirty foolscap, and - made upon it a rough drawing with the pen. While he did this, I retained - my seat by the fire, for I was still chilly. When the design was complete, - he handed it to me without rising. As I received it, a loud growl was - heard, succeeded by a scratching at the door. Jupiter opened it, and a - large Newfoundland, belonging to Legrand, rushed in, leaped upon my - shoulders, and loaded me with caresses; for I had shown him much attention - during previous visits. When his gambols were over, I looked at the paper, - and, to speak the truth, found myself not a little puzzled at what my - friend had depicted. - </p> - <p> - “Well!” I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, - “this <i>is</i> a strange <i>scarabæus</i>, I must confess: new to - me: never saw anything like it before—unless it was a skull, or a - death’s-head—which it more nearly resembles than anything - else that has come under <i>my</i> observation.” - </p> - <p> - “A death’s-head!” echoed Legrand. “Oh—yes—well, it has - something of that appearance upon paper, no doubt. The two upper black - spots look like eyes, eh? and the longer one at the bottom like a mouth—and - then the shape of the whole is oval.” - </p> - <p> - “Perhaps so,” said I; “but, Legrand, I fear you are no artist. I must wait - until I see the beetle itself, if I am to form any idea of its personal - appearance.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, I don’t know,” said he, a little nettled, “I draw tolerably—<i>should</i> - do it at least—have had good masters, and flatter myself that I am - not quite a blockhead.” - </p> - <p> - “But, my dear fellow, you are joking then,” said I, “this is a very - passable <i>skull</i>—indeed, I may say that it is a very <i>excellent</i> skull, - according to the vulgar notions about such specimens of physiology—and - your <i>scarabæus</i> must be the queerest <i>scarabæus</i> in the world - if it resembles it. Why, we may get up a very thrilling bit of - superstition upon this hint. I presume you will call the bug <i>scarabæus - caput hominis</i>, or something of that kind—there are many similar - titles in the Natural Histories. But where are the <i>antennæ</i> you - spoke of?” - </p> - <p> - “The <i>antennæ!</i>” said Legrand, who seemed to be getting unaccountably - warm upon the subject; “I am sure you must see the <i>antennæ</i>. I made - them as distinct as they are in the original insect, and I presume that is - sufficient.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, well,” I said, “perhaps you have—still I don’t see them;” and - I handed him the paper without additional remark, not wishing to ruffle - his temper; but I was much surprised at the turn affairs had taken; his - ill humor puzzled me—and, as for the drawing of the beetle, there - were positively <i>no antennæ</i> visible, and the whole <i>did</i> bear a very - close resemblance to the ordinary cuts of a death’s-head. - </p> - <p> - He received the paper very peevishly, and was about to crumple it, - apparently to throw it in the fire, when a casual glance at the design - seemed suddenly to rivet his attention. In an instant his face grew - violently red—in another as excessively pale. For some minutes he - continued to scrutinize the drawing minutely where he sat. At length he - arose, took a candle from the table, and proceeded to seat himself upon a - sea-chest in the farthest corner of the room. Here again he made an - anxious examination of the paper; turning it in all directions. He said - nothing, however, and his conduct greatly astonished me; yet I thought it - prudent not to exacerbate the growing moodiness of his temper by any - comment. Presently he took from his coat pocket a wallet, placed the paper - carefully in it, and deposited both in a writing-desk, which he locked. He - now grew more composed in his demeanor; but his original air of enthusiasm - had quite disappeared. Yet he seemed not so much sulky as abstracted. As - the evening wore away he became more and more absorbed in reverie, from - which no sallies of mine could arouse him. It had been my intention to - pass the night at the hut, as I had frequently done before, but, seeing my - host in this mood, I deemed it proper to take leave. He did not press me - to remain, but, as I departed, he shook my hand with even more than his - usual cordiality. - </p> - <p> - It was about a month after this (and during the interval I had seen - nothing of Legrand) when I received a visit, at Charleston, from his man, - Jupiter. I had never seen the good old negro look so dispirited, and I - feared that some serious disaster had befallen my friend. - </p> - <p> - “Well, Jup,” said I, “what is the matter now?—how is your master?” - </p> - <p> - “Why, to speak de troof, massa, him not so berry well as mought be.” - </p> - <p> - “Not well! I am truly sorry to hear it. What does he complain of?” - </p> - <p> - “Dar! dat’s it!—him neber ’plain of notin’—but him berry sick - for all dat.” - </p> - <p> - “<i>Very</i> sick, Jupiter!—why didn’t you say so at once? Is he confined - to bed?” - </p> - <p> - “No, dat he aint!—he aint ’fin’d nowhar—dat’s just whar de shoe - pinch—my mind is got to be berry hebby ’bout poor Massa Will.” - </p> - <p> - “Jupiter, I should like to understand what it is you are talking about. - You say your master is sick. Hasn’t he told you what ails him?” - </p> - <p> - “Why, massa, ’taint worf while for to git mad about de matter—Massa - Will say noffin at all aint de matter wid him—but den what make him - go about looking dis here way, wid he head down and he soldiers up, and as - white as a gose? And den he keep a syphon all de time—” - </p> - <p> - “Keeps a what, Jupiter?” - </p> - <p> - “Keeps a syphon wid de figgurs on de slate—de queerest figgurs I - ebber did see. Ise gittin’ to be skeered, I tell you. Hab for to keep - mighty tight eye ’pon him ’noovers. Todder day he gib me slip ’fore de sun up - and was gone de whole ob de blessed day. I had a big stick ready cut for - to gib him deuced good beating when he did come—but Ise sich a fool - dat I hadn’t de heart arter all—he look so berry poorly.” - </p> - <p> - “Eh?—what?—ah yes!—upon the whole I think you had better - not be too severe with the poor fellow—don’t flog him, Jupiter—he - can’t very well stand it—but can you form no idea of what has - occasioned this illness, or rather this change of conduct? Has anything - unpleasant happened since I saw you?” - </p> - <p> - “No, massa, dey aint bin noffin onpleasant <i>since</i> den—‘twas <i>’fore</i> den - I’m feared—‘twas de berry day you was dare.” - </p> - <p> - “How? what do you mean?” - </p> - <p> - “Why, massa, I mean de bug—dare now.” - </p> - <p> - “The what?” - </p> - <p> - “De bug,—I’m berry sartain dat Massa Will bin bit somewhere ’bout de - head by dat goole-bug.” - </p> - <p> - “And what cause have you, Jupiter, for such a supposition?” - </p> - <p> - “Claws enuff, massa, and mouff too. I nebber did see sick a deuced bug—he - kick and he bite ebery ting what cum near him. Massa Will cotch him fuss, - but had for to let him go ’gin mighty quick, I tell you—den was de - time he must ha’ got de bite. I did n’t like de look oh de bug mouff, - myself, no how, so I would n’t take hold ob him wid my finger, but I cotch - him wid a piece ob paper dat I found. I rap him up in de paper and stuff - piece ob it in he mouff—dat was de way.” - </p> - <p> - “And you think, then, that your master was really bitten by the beetle, - and that the bite made him sick?” - </p> - <p> - “I do n’t tink noffin about it—I nose it. What make him dream ’bout - de goole so much, if ’taint cause he bit by de goole-bug? Ise heerd ’bout - dem goole-bugs fore dis.” - </p> - <p> - “But how do you know he dreams about gold?” - </p> - <p> - “How I know? why ’cause he talk about it in he sleep—dat’s how I - nose.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, Jup, perhaps you are right; but to what fortunate circumstance am I - to attribute the honor of a visit from you to-day?” - </p> - <p> - “What de matter, massa?” - </p> - <p> - “Did you bring any message from Mr. Legrand?” - </p> - <p> - “No, massa, I bring dis here pissel;” and here Jupiter handed me a note - which ran thus: - </p> - <p class="p2"> - “M<small>Y</small> D<small>EAR</small> ——Why have I not - seen you for so long a time? I hope you have not been so foolish as to - take offence at any little <i>brusquerie</i> of mine; but no, that is - improbable. Since I saw you I have had great cause for anxiety. I have - something to tell you, yet scarcely know how to tell it, or whether I - should tell it at all. - </p> - <p> - “I have not been quite well for some days past, and poor old Jup annoys me, - almost beyond endurance, by his well-meant attentions. Would you believe - it?—he had prepared a huge stick, the other day, with which to - chastise me for giving him the slip, and spending the day, <i>solus</i>, - among the hills on the main land. I verily believe that my ill looks alone - saved me a flogging. - </p> - <p> - “I have made no addition to my cabinet since we met. - </p> - <p> - “If you can, in any way, make it convenient, come over with Jupiter. <i>Do</i> - come. I wish to see you to-<i>night</i>, upon business of importance. I - assure you that it is of the <i>highest</i> importance. - </p> -<p class="right"> -“Ever yours,<br /> -“W<small>ILLIAM</small> L<small>EGRAND</small>”. -</p> - <p> - There was something in the tone of this note which gave me great - uneasiness. Its whole style differed materially from that of Legrand. What - could he be dreaming of? What new crotchet possessed his excitable brain? - What “business of the highest importance” could he possibly have to - transact? Jupiter’s account of him boded no good. I dreaded lest the - continued pressure of misfortune had, at length, fairly unsettled the - reason of my friend. Without a moment’s hesitation, therefore, I prepared - to accompany the negro. - </p> - <p> - Upon reaching the wharf, I noticed a scythe and three spades, all - apparently new, lying in the bottom of the boat in which we were to - embark. - </p> - <p> - “What is the meaning of all this, Jup?” I inquired. - </p> - <p> - “Him syfe, massa, and spade.” - </p> - <p> - “Very true; but what are they doing here?” - </p> - <p> - “Him de syfe and de spade what Massa Will sis pon my buying for him in de - town, and de debbil’s own lot of money I had to gib for ’em.” - </p> - <p> - “But what, in the name of all that is mysterious, is your ‘Massa Will’ - going to do with scythes and spades?” - </p> - <p> - “Dat’s more dan <i>I</i> know, and debbil take me if I don’t b’lieve ’tis more dan - he know, too. But it’s all cum ob do bug.” - </p> - <p> - Finding that no satisfaction was to be obtained of Jupiter, whose whole - intellect seemed to be absorbed by “de bug,” I now stepped into the boat - and made sail. With a fair and strong breeze we soon ran into the little - cove to the northward of Fort Moultrie, and a walk of some two miles - brought us to the hut. It was about three in the afternoon when we - arrived. Legrand had been awaiting us in eager expectation. He grasped my - hand with a nervous empressement which alarmed me and strengthened the - suspicions already entertained. His countenance was pale even to - ghastliness, and his deep-set eyes glared with unnatural lustre. After - some inquiries respecting his health, I asked him, not knowing what better - to say, if he had yet obtained the <i>scarabæus</i> from Lieutenant - G——. - </p> - <p> - “Oh, yes,” he replied, coloring violently, “I got it from him the next - morning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that <i>scarabæus</i>. Do - you know that Jupiter is quite right about it?” - </p> - <p> - “In what way?” I asked, with a sad foreboding at heart. - </p> - <p> - “In supposing it to be a bug of <i>real gold</i>.” He said this with an air of - profound seriousness, and I felt inexpressibly shocked. - </p> - <p> - “This bug is to make my fortune,” he continued, with a triumphant smile, - “to reinstate me in my family possessions. Is it any wonder, then, that I - prize it? Since Fortune has thought fit to bestow it upon me, I have only - to use it properly and I shall arrive at the gold of which it is the - index. Jupiter; bring me that <i>scarabæus!</i>” - </p> - <p> - “What! de bug, massa? I’d rudder not go fer trubble dat bug—you mus’ - git him for your own self.” Hereupon Legrand arose, with a grave and - stately air, and brought me the beetle from a glass case in which it was - enclosed. It was a beautiful scarabæus, and, at that time, unknown - to naturalists—of course a great prize in a scientific point of - view. There were two round, black spots near one extremity of the back, - and a long one near the other. The scales were exceedingly hard and - glossy, with all the appearance of burnished gold. The weight of the - insect was very remarkable, and, taking all things into consideration, I - could hardly blame Jupiter for his opinion respecting it; but what to make - of Legrand’s concordance with that opinion, I could not, for the life of - me, tell. - </p> - <p> - “I sent for you,” said he, in a grandiloquent tone, when I had completed - my examination of the beetle, “I sent for you, that I might have your - counsel and assistance in furthering the views of Fate and of the bug—” - </p> - <p> - “My dear Legrand,” I cried, interrupting him, “you are certainly unwell, - and had better use some little precautions. You shall go to bed, and I - will remain with you a few days, until you get over this. You are feverish - and—” - </p> - <p> - “Feel my pulse,” said he. - </p> - <p> - I felt it, and, to say the truth, found not the slightest indication of - fever. - </p> - <p> - “But you may be ill and yet have no fever. Allow me this once to prescribe - for you. In the first place, go to bed. In the next—” - </p> - <p> - “You are mistaken,” he interposed, “I am as well as I can expect to be - under the excitement which I suffer. If you really wish me well, you will - relieve this excitement.” - </p> - <p> - “And how is this to be done?” - </p> - <p> - “Very easily. Jupiter and myself are going upon an expedition into the - hills, upon the main land, and, in this expedition we shall need the aid - of some person in whom we can confide. You are the only one we can trust. - Whether we succeed or fail, the excitement which you now perceive in me - will be equally allayed.” - </p> - <p> - “I am anxious to oblige you in any way,” I replied; “but do you mean to - say that this infernal beetle has any connection with your expedition into - the hills?” - </p> - <p> - “It has.” - </p> - <p> - “Then, Legrand, I can become a party to no such absurd proceeding.” - </p> - <p> - “I am sorry—very sorry—for we shall have to try it by - ourselves.” - </p> - <p> - “Try it by yourselves! The man is surely mad!—but stay!—how - long do you propose to be absent?” - </p> - <p> - “Probably all night. We shall start immediately, and be back, at all - events, by sunrise.” - </p> - <p> - “And will you promise me, upon your honor, that when this freak of yours - is over, and the bug business (good God!) settled to your satisfaction, - you will then return home and follow my advice implicitly, as that of your - physician?” - </p> - <p> - “Yes; I promise; and now let us be off, for we have no time to lose.” - </p> - <p> - With a heavy heart I accompanied my friend. We started about four o’clock—Legrand, - Jupiter, the dog, and myself. Jupiter had with him the scythe and spades—the - whole of which he insisted upon carrying—more through fear, it - seemed to me, of trusting either of the implements within reach of his - master, than from any excess of industry or complaisance. His demeanor was - dogged in the extreme, and “dat deuced bug” were the sole words which - escaped his lips during the journey. For my own part, I had charge of a - couple of dark lanterns, while Legrand contented himself with the <i>scarabæus</i>, - which he carried attached to the end of a bit of whip-cord; twirling it to - and fro, with the air of a conjuror, as he went. When I observed this - last, plain evidence of my friend’s aberration of mind, I could scarcely - refrain from tears. I thought it best, however, to humor his fancy, at - least for the present, or until I could adopt some more energetic measures - with a chance of success. In the mean time I endeavored, but all in vain, - to sound him in regard to the object of the expedition. Having succeeded - in inducing me to accompany him, he seemed unwilling to hold conversation - upon any topic of minor importance, and to all my questions vouchsafed no - other reply than “we shall see!” - </p> - <p> - We crossed the creek at the head of the island by means of a skiff, and, - ascending the high grounds on the shore of the main land, proceeded in a - northwesterly direction, through a tract of country excessively wild and - desolate, where no trace of a human footstep was to be seen. Legrand led - the way with decision; pausing only for an instant, here and there, to - consult what appeared to be certain landmarks of his own contrivance upon - a former occasion. - </p> - <p> - In this manner we journeyed for about two hours, and the sun was just - setting when we entered a region infinitely more dreary than any yet seen. - It was a species of table land, near the summit of an almost inaccessible - hill, densely wooded from base to pinnacle, and interspersed with huge - crags that appeared to lie loosely upon the soil, and in many cases were - prevented from precipitating themselves into the valleys below, merely by - the support of the trees against which they reclined. Deep ravines, in - various directions, gave an air of still sterner solemnity to the scene. - </p> - <p> - The natural platform to which we had clambered was thickly overgrown with - brambles, through which we soon discovered that it would have been - impossible to force our way but for the scythe; and Jupiter, by direction - of his master, proceeded to clear for us a path to the foot of an - enormously tall tulip-tree, which stood, with some eight or ten oaks, upon - the level, and far surpassed them all, and all other trees which I had - then ever seen, in the beauty of its foliage and form, in the wide spread - of its branches, and in the general majesty of its appearance. When we - reached this tree, Legrand turned to Jupiter, and asked him if he thought - he could climb it. The old man seemed a little staggered by the question, - and for some moments made no reply. At length he approached the huge - trunk, walked slowly around it, and examined it with minute attention. - When he had completed his scrutiny, he merely said, - </p> - <p> - “Yes, massa, Jup climb any tree he ebber see in he life.” - </p> - <p> - “Then up with you as soon as possible, for it will soon be too dark to see - what we are about.” - </p> - <p> - “How far mus go up, massa?” inquired Jupiter. - </p> - <p> - “Get up the main trunk first, and then I will tell you which way to go—and - here—stop! take this beetle with you.” - </p> - <p> - “De bug, Massa Will!—de goole-bug!” cried the negro, drawing back in - dismay—“what for mus tote de bug way up de tree?—d—n if I do!” - </p> - <p> - “If you are afraid, Jup, a great big negro like you, to take hold of a - harmless little dead beetle, why you can carry it up by this string—but, - if you do not take it up with you in some way, I shall be under the - necessity of breaking your head with this shovel.” - </p> - <p> - “What de matter now, massa?” said Jup, evidently shamed into compliance; - “always want for to raise fuss wid old nigger. Was only funnin any how. <i>Me</i> - feered de bug! what I keer for de bug?” Here he took cautiously hold of - the extreme end of the string, and, maintaining the insect as far from his - person as circumstances would permit, prepared to ascend the tree. - </p> - <p> - In youth, the tulip-tree, or <i>Liriodendron Tulipferum</i>, the most magnificent - of American foresters, has a trunk peculiarly smooth, and often rises to a - great height without lateral branches; but, in its riper age, the bark - becomes gnarled and uneven, while many short limbs make their appearance - on the stem. Thus the difficulty of ascension, in the present case, lay - more in semblance than in reality. Embracing the huge cylinder, as closely - as possible, with his arms and knees, seizing with his hands some - projections, and resting his naked toes upon others, Jupiter, after one or - two narrow escapes from falling, at length wriggled himself into the first - great fork, and seemed to consider the whole business as virtually - accomplished. The risk of the achievement was, in fact, now over, although - the climber was some sixty or seventy feet from the ground. - </p> - <p> - “Which way mus go now, Massa Will?” he asked. - </p> - <p> - “Keep up the largest branch—the one on this side,” said Legrand. The - negro obeyed him promptly, and apparently with but little trouble; - ascending higher and higher, until no glimpse of his squat figure could be - obtained through the dense foliage which enveloped it. Presently his voice - was heard in a sort of halloo. - </p> - <p> - “How much fudder is got for go?” - </p> - <p> - “How high up are you?” asked Legrand. - </p> - <p> - “Ebber so fur,” replied the negro; “can see de sky fru de top ob de tree.” - </p> - <p> - “Never mind the sky, but attend to what I say. Look down the trunk and - count the limbs below you on this side. How many limbs have you passed?” - </p> - <p> - “One, two, tree, four, fibe—I done pass fibe big limb, massa, pon - dis side.” - </p> - <p> - “Then go one limb higher.” - </p> - <p> - In a few minutes the voice was heard again, announcing that the seventh - limb was attained. - </p> - <p> - “Now, Jup,” cried Legrand, evidently much excited, “I want you to work - your way out upon that limb as far as you can. If you see anything - strange, let me know.” By this time what little doubt I might have - entertained of my poor friend’s insanity, was put finally at rest. I had - no alternative but to conclude him stricken with lunacy, and I became - seriously anxious about getting him home. While I was pondering upon what - was best to be done, Jupiter’s voice was again heard. - </p> - <p> - “Mos feerd for to ventur pon dis limb berry far—’tis dead limb putty - much all de way.” - </p> - <p> - “Did you say it was a dead limb, Jupiter?” cried Legrand in a quavering - voice. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, massa, him dead as de door-nail—done up for sartain—done - departed dis here life.” - </p> - <p> - “What in the name heaven shall I do?” asked Legrand, seemingly in the - greatest distress. - </p> - <p> - “Do!” said I, glad of an opportunity to interpose a word, - “why come home and go to bed. Come now!—that’s a fine - fellow. It’s getting late, and, besides, you remember your - promise.” - </p> - <p> - “Jupiter,” cried he, without heeding me in the least, “do you hear me?” - </p> - <p> - “Yes, Massa Will, hear you ebber so plain.” - </p> - <p> - “Try the wood well, then, with your knife, and see if you think it very - rotten.” - </p> - <p> - “Him rotten, massa, sure nuff,” replied the negro in a few moments, “but - not so berry rotten as mought be. Mought ventur out leetle way pon de limb - by myself, dat’s true.” - </p> - <p> - “By yourself!—what do you mean?” - </p> - <p> - “Why I mean de bug. ’Tis <i>berry</i> hebby bug. Spose I drop him down fuss, and - den de limb won’t break wid just de weight ob one nigger.” - </p> - <p> - “You infernal scoundrel!” cried Legrand, apparently much relieved, “what - do you mean by telling me such nonsense as that? As sure as you drop that - beetle I’ll break your neck. Look here, Jupiter, do you hear me?” - </p> - <p> - “Yes, massa, needn’t hollo at poor nigger dat style.” - </p> - <p> - “Well! now listen!—if you will venture out on the limb as far as you - think safe, and not let go the beetle, I’ll make you a present of a silver - dollar as soon as you get down.” - </p> - <p> - “I’m gwine, Massa Will—deed I is,” replied the negro very promptly—“mos - out to the eend now.” - </p> - <p> - “<i>Out to the end!</i>” here fairly screamed Legrand, “do you say you are out to - the end of that limb?” - </p> - <p> - “Soon be to de eend, massa,—o-o-o-o-oh! Lor-gol-a-marcy! what is dis - here pon de tree?” - </p> - <p> - “Well!” cried Legrand, highly delighted, “what is it?” - </p> - <p> - “Why taint noffin but a skull—somebody bin lef him head up de tree, - and de crows done gobble ebery bit ob de meat off.” - </p> - <p> - “A skull, you say!—very well—how is it fastened to the limb?—what - holds it on?” - </p> - <p> - “Sure nuff, massa; mus look. Why dis berry curous sarcumstance, pon my - word—dare’s a great big nail in de skull, what fastens ob it on to - de tree.” - </p> - <p> - “Well now, Jupiter, do exactly as I tell you—do you hear?” - </p> - <p> - “Yes, massa.” - </p> - <p> - “Pay attention, then—find the left eye of the skull.” - </p> - <p> - “Hum! hoo! dat’s good! why dare aint no eye lef at all.” - </p> - <p> - “Curse your stupidity! do you know your right hand from your left?” - </p> - <p> - “Yes, I knows dat—knows all about dat—’tis my lef hand what I - chops de wood wid.” - </p> - <p> - “To be sure! you are left-handed; and your left eye is on the same side as - your left hand. Now, I suppose, you can find the left eye of the skull, or - the place where the left eye has been. Have you found it?” - </p> - <p> - Here was a long pause. At length the negro asked, - </p> - <p> - “Is de lef eye of de skull pon de same side as de lef hand of de skull, - too?—cause de skull aint got not a bit ob a hand at all—nebber - mind! I got de lef eye now—here de lef eye! what mus do wid it?” - </p> - <p> - “Let the beetle drop through it, as far as the string will reach—but - be careful and not let go your hold of the string.” - </p> - <p> - “All dat done, Massa Will; mighty easy ting for to put de bug fru de hole—look - out for him dare below!” - </p> - <p> - During this colloquy no portion of Jupiter’s person could be seen; but the - beetle, which he had suffered to descend, was now visible at the end of - the string, and glistened, like a globe of burnished gold, in the last - rays of the setting sun, some of which still faintly illumined the - eminence upon which we stood. The <i>scarabæus</i> hung quite clear of any - branches, and, if allowed to fall, would have fallen at our feet. Legrand - immediately took the scythe, and cleared with it a circular space, three - or four yards in diameter, just beneath the insect, and, having - accomplished this, ordered Jupiter to let go the string and come down from - the tree. - </p> - <p> - Driving a peg, with great nicety, into the ground, at the precise spot - where the beetle fell, my friend now produced from his pocket a tape - measure. Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk, of the tree - which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached the peg, and - thence farther unrolled it, in the direction already established by the - two points of the tree and the peg, for the distance of fifty feet—Jupiter - clearing away the brambles with the scythe. At the spot thus attained a - second peg was driven, and about this, as a centre, a rude circle, about - four feet in diameter, described. Taking now a spade himself, and giving - one to Jupiter and one to me, Legrand begged us to set about digging as - quickly as possible. - </p> - <p> - To speak the truth, I had no especial relish for such amusement at any - time, and, at that particular moment, would most willingly have declined - it; for the night was coming on, and I felt much fatigued with the - exercise already taken; but I saw no mode of escape, and was fearful of - disturbing my poor friend’s equanimity by a refusal. Could I have - depended, indeed, upon Jupiter’s aid, I would have had no hesitation in - attempting to get the lunatic home by force; but I was too well assured of - the old negro’s disposition, to hope that he would assist me, under any - circumstances, in a personal contest with his master. I made no doubt that - the latter had been infected with some of the innumerable Southern - superstitions about money buried, and that his phantasy had received - confirmation by the finding of the <i>scarabæus</i>, or, perhaps, by - Jupiter’s obstinacy in maintaining it to be “a bug of real gold.” A mind - disposed to lunacy would readily be led away by such suggestions—especially - if chiming in with favorite preconceived ideas—and then I called to - mind the poor fellow’s speech about the beetle’s being “the index of his - fortune.” Upon the whole, I was sadly vexed and puzzled, but, at length, I - concluded to make a virtue of necessity—to dig with a good will, and - thus the sooner to convince the visionary, by ocular demonstration, of the - fallacy of the opinions he entertained. - </p> - <p> - The lanterns having been lit, we all fell to work with a zeal worthy a - more rational cause; and, as the glare fell upon our persons and - implements, I could not help thinking how picturesque a group we composed, - and how strange and suspicious our labors must have appeared to any - interloper who, by chance, might have stumbled upon our whereabouts. - </p> - <p> - We dug very steadily for two hours. Little was said; and our chief - embarrassment lay in the yelpings of the dog, who took exceeding interest - in our proceedings. He, at length, became so obstreperous that we grew - fearful of his giving the alarm to some stragglers in the vicinity—or, - rather, this was the apprehension of Legrand;—for myself, I should - have rejoiced at any interruption which might have enabled me to get the - wanderer home. The noise was, at length, very effectually silenced by - Jupiter, who, getting out of the hole with a dogged air of deliberation, - tied the brute’s mouth up with one of his suspenders, and then returned, - with a grave chuckle, to his task. - </p> - <p> - When the time mentioned had expired, we had reached a depth of five feet, - and yet no signs of any treasure became manifest. A general pause ensued, - and I began to hope that the farce was at an end. Legrand, however, - although evidently much disconcerted, wiped his brow thoughtfully and - recommenced. We had excavated the entire circle of four feet diameter, and - now we slightly enlarged the limit, and went to the farther depth of two - feet. Still nothing appeared. The gold-seeker, whom I sincerely pitied, at - length clambered from the pit, with the bitterest disappointment imprinted - upon every feature, and proceeded, slowly and reluctantly, to put on his - coat, which he had thrown off at the beginning of his labor. In the mean - time I made no remark. Jupiter, at a signal from his master, began to - gather up his tools. This done, and the dog having been unmuzzled, we - turned in profound silence towards home. - </p> - <p> - We had taken, perhaps, a dozen steps in this direction, when, with a loud - oath, Legrand strode up to Jupiter, and seized him by the collar. The - astonished negro opened his eyes and mouth to the fullest extent, let fall - the spades, and fell upon his knees. - </p> - <p> - “You scoundrel,” said Legrand, hissing out the syllables from between his - clenched teeth—“you infernal black villain!—speak, I tell you!—answer - me this instant, without prevarication!—which—which is your - left eye?” - </p> - <p> - “Oh, my golly, Massa Will! aint dis here my lef eye for sartain?” roared - the terrified Jupiter, placing his hand upon his right organ of vision, - and holding it there with a desperate pertinacity, as if in immediate - dread of his master’s attempt at a gouge. - </p> - <p> - “I thought so!—I knew it! hurrah!” vociferated Legrand, letting the - negro go, and executing a series of curvets and caracols, much to the - astonishment of his valet, who, arising from his knees, looked, mutely, - from his master to myself, and then from myself to his master. - </p> - <p> - “Come! we must go back,” said the latter, “the game’s not up yet;” and he - again led the way to the tulip-tree. - </p> - <p> - “Jupiter,” said he, when we reached its foot, “come here! was the skull - nailed to the limb with the face outwards, or with the face to the limb?” - </p> - <p> - “De face was out, massa, so dat de crows could get at de eyes good, widout - any trouble.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, then, was it this eye or that through which you dropped the - beetle?”—here Legrand touched each of Jupiter’s eyes. - </p> - <p> - “’Twas dis eye, massa—de lef eye—jis as you tell me,” and here - it was his right eye that the negro indicated. - </p> - <p> - “That will do—we must try it again.” - </p> - <p> - Here my friend, about whose madness I now saw, or fancied that I saw, - certain indications of method, removed the peg which marked the spot where - the beetle fell, to a spot about three inches to the westward of its - former position. Taking, now, the tape measure from the nearest point of - the trunk to the peg, as before, and continuing the extension in a - straight line to the distance of fifty feet, a spot was indicated, - removed, by several yards, from the point at which we had been digging. - </p> - <p> - Around the new position a circle, somewhat larger than in the former - instance, was now described, and we again set to work with the spades. I - was dreadfully weary, but, scarcely understanding what had occasioned the - change in my thoughts, I felt no longer any great aversion from the labor - imposed. I had become most unaccountably interested—nay, even - excited. Perhaps there was something, amid all the extravagant demeanor of - Legrand—some air of forethought, or of deliberation, which impressed - me. I dug eagerly, and now and then caught myself actually looking, with - something that very much resembled expectation, for the fancied treasure, - the vision of which had demented my unfortunate companion. At a period - when such vagaries of thought most fully possessed me, and when we had - been at work perhaps an hour and a half, we were again interrupted by the - violent howlings of the dog. His uneasiness, in the first instance, had - been, evidently, but the result of playfulness or caprice, but he now - assumed a bitter and serious tone. Upon Jupiter’s again attempting to - muzzle him, he made furious resistance, and, leaping into the hole, tore - up the mould frantically with his claws. In a few seconds he had uncovered - a mass of human bones, forming two complete skeletons, intermingled with - several buttons of metal, and what appeared to be the dust of decayed - woollen. One or two strokes of a spade upturned the blade of a large - Spanish knife, and, as we dug farther, three or four loose pieces of gold - and silver coin came to light. - </p> - <p> - At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the - countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment. He urged - us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered - when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a - large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth. - </p> - <p> - We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense - excitement. During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest - of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had - plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process—perhaps that of - the bi-chloride of mercury. This box was three feet and a half long, three - feet broad, and two and a half feet deep. It was firmly secured by bands - of wrought iron, riveted, and forming a kind of open trelliswork over the - whole. On each side of the chest, near the top, were three rings of iron—six - in all—by means of which a firm hold could be obtained by six - persons. Our utmost united endeavors served only to disturb the coffer - very slightly in its bed. We at once saw the impossibility of removing so - great a weight. Luckily, the sole fastenings of the lid consisted of two - sliding bolts. These we drew back—trembling and panting with - anxiety. In an instant, a treasure of incalculable value lay gleaming - before us. As the rays of the lanterns fell within the pit, there flashed - upwards a glow and a glare, from a confused heap of gold and of jewels, - that absolutely dazzled our eyes. - </p> - <p> - I shall not pretend to describe the feelings with which I gazed. Amazement - was, of course, predominant. Legrand appeared exhausted with excitement, - and spoke very few words. Jupiter’s countenance wore, for some minutes, as - deadly a pallor as it is possible, in nature of things, for any negro’s - visage to assume. He seemed stupefied—thunderstricken. Presently he - fell upon his knees in the pit, and, burying his naked arms up to the - elbows in gold, let them there remain, as if enjoying the luxury of a - bath. At length, with a deep sigh, he exclaimed, as if in a soliloquy: - </p> - <p> - “And dis all cum ob de goole-bug! de putty goole-bug! de poor little - goole-bug, what I boosed in dat sabage kind ob style! Aint you shamed ob - yourself, nigger?—answer me dat!” - </p> - <p> - It became necessary, at last, that I should arouse both master and valet - to the expediency of removing the treasure. It was growing late, and it - behooved us to make exertion, that we might get every thing housed before - daylight. It was difficult to say what should be done, and much time was - spent in deliberation—so confused were the ideas of all. We, - finally, lightened the box by removing two thirds of its contents, when we - were enabled, with some trouble, to raise it from the hole. The articles - taken out were deposited among the brambles, and the dog left to guard - them, with strict orders from Jupiter neither, upon any pretence, to stir - from the spot, nor to open his mouth until our return. We then hurriedly - made for home with the chest; reaching the hut in safety, but after - excessive toil, at one o’clock in the morning. Worn out as we were, it was - not in human nature to do more immediately. We rested until two, and had - supper; starting for the hills immediately afterwards, armed with three - stout sacks, which, by good luck, were upon the premises. A little before - four we arrived at the pit, divided the remainder of the booty, as equally - as might be, among us, and, leaving the holes unfilled, again set out for - the hut, at which, for the second time, we deposited our golden burthens, - just as the first faint streaks of the dawn gleamed from over the - tree-tops in the East. - </p> - <p> - We were now thoroughly broken down; but the intense excitement of the time - denied us repose. After an unquiet slumber of some three or four hours’ - duration, we arose, as if by preconcert, to make examination of our - treasure. - </p> - <p> - The chest had been full to the brim, and we spent the whole day, and the - greater part of the next night, in a scrutiny of its contents. There had - been nothing like order or arrangement. Every thing had been heaped in - promiscuously. Having assorted all with care, we found ourselves possessed - of even vaster wealth than we had at first supposed. In coin there was - rather more than four hundred and fifty thousand dollars—estimating - the value of the pieces, as accurately as we could, by the tables of the - period. There was not a particle of silver. All was gold of antique date - and of great variety—French, Spanish, and German money, with a few - English guineas, and some counters, of which we had never seen specimens - before. There were several very large and heavy coins, so worn that we - could make nothing of their inscriptions. There was no American money. The - value of the jewels we found more difficulty in estimating. There were - diamonds—some of them exceedingly large and fine—a hundred and - ten in all, and not one of them small; eighteen rubies of remarkable - brilliancy;—three hundred and ten emeralds, all very beautiful; and - twenty-one sapphires, with an opal. These stones had all been broken from - their settings and thrown loose in the chest. The settings themselves, - which we picked out from among the other gold, appeared to have been - beaten up with hammers, as if to prevent identification. Besides all this, - there was a vast quantity of solid gold ornaments; nearly two - hundred massive finger and earrings; rich chains—thirty of - these, if I remember; eighty-three very large and heavy crucifixes; five - gold censers of great value; a prodigious golden punch bowl, - ornamented with richly chased vine-leaves and Bacchanalian figures; with - two sword-handles exquisitely embossed, and many other smaller articles - which I cannot recollect. The weight of these valuables exceeded three - hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois; and in this estimate I have not - included one hundred and ninety-seven superb gold watches; three of the - number being worth each five hundred dollars, if one. Many of them were - very old, and as timekeepers valueless; the works having suffered, more - or less, from corrosion—but all were richly jewelled and in cases of - great worth. We estimated the entire contents of the chest, that night, at - a million and a half of dollars; and upon the subsequent disposal of the - trinkets and jewels (a few being retained for our own use), it was found - that we had greatly undervalued the treasure. - </p> - <p> - When, at length, we had concluded our examination, and the intense - excitement of the time had, in some measure, subsided, Legrand, who saw - that I was dying with impatience for a solution of this most - extraordinary riddle, entered into a full detail of all the circumstances - connected with it. - </p> - <p> - “You remember;” said he, “the night when I handed you the rough sketch I - had made of the <i>scarabæus</i>. You recollect also, that I became quite - vexed at you for insisting that my drawing resembled a death’s-head. When - you first made this assertion I thought you were jesting; but afterwards I - called to mind the peculiar spots on the back of the insect, and admitted - to myself that your remark had some little foundation in fact. Still, the - sneer at my graphic powers irritated me—for I am considered a good - artist—and, therefore, when you handed me the scrap of parchment, I - was about to crumple it up and throw it angrily into the fire.” - </p> - <p> - “The scrap of paper, you mean,” said I. - </p> - <p> - “No; it had much of the appearance of paper, and at first I supposed it to - be such, but when I came to draw upon it, I discovered it, at once, to be - a piece of very thin parchment. It was quite dirty, you remember. Well, as - I was in the very act of crumpling it up, my glance fell upon the sketch - at which you had been looking, and you may imagine my astonishment when I - perceived, in fact, the figure of a death’s-head just where, it seemed to - me, I had made the drawing of the beetle. For a moment I was too much - amazed to think with accuracy. I knew that my design was very different in - detail from this—although there was a certain similarity in general - outline. Presently I took a candle, and seating myself at the other end of - the room, proceeded to scrutinize the parchment more closely. Upon turning - it over, I saw my own sketch upon the reverse, just as I had made it. My - first idea, now, was mere surprise at the really remarkable similarity of - outline—at the singular coincidence involved in the fact, that - unknown to me, there should have been a skull upon the other side of the - parchment, immediately beneath my figure of the <i>scarabæus</i>, and that - this skull, not only in outline, but in size, should so closely resemble - my drawing. I say the singularity of this coincidence absolutely stupefied - me for a time. This is the usual effect of such coincidences. The mind - struggles to establish a connexion—a sequence of cause and effect—and, - being unable to do so, suffers a species of temporary paralysis. But, when - I recovered from this stupor, there dawned upon me gradually a conviction - which startled me even far more than the coincidence. I began distinctly, - positively, to remember that there had been no drawing upon the parchment - when I made my sketch of the <i>scarabæus</i>. I became perfectly certain - of this; for I recollected turning up first one side and then the other, - in search of the cleanest spot. Had the skull been then there, of course I - could not have failed to notice it. Here was indeed a mystery which I felt - it impossible to explain; but, even at that early moment, there seemed to - glimmer, faintly, within the most remote and secret chambers of my - intellect, a glow-worm-like conception of that truth which last night’s - adventure brought to so magnificent a demonstration. I arose at once, and - putting the parchment securely away, dismissed all farther reflection - until I should be alone. - </p> - <p> - “When you had gone, and when Jupiter was fast asleep, I betook myself to a - more methodical investigation of the affair. In the first place I - considered the manner in which the parchment had come into my possession. - The spot where we discovered the <i>scarabæus</i> was on the coast of the main - land, about a mile eastward of the island, and but a short distance above - high water mark. Upon my taking hold of it, it gave me a sharp bite, which - caused me to let it drop. Jupiter, with his accustomed caution, before - seizing the insect, which had flown towards him, looked about him for a - leaf, or something of that nature, by which to take hold of it. It was at - this moment that his eyes, and mine also, fell upon the scrap of - parchment, which I then supposed to be paper. It was lying half buried in - the sand, a corner sticking up. Near the spot where we found it, I - observed the remnants of the hull of what appeared to have been a ship’s - long boat. The wreck seemed to have been there for a very great while; for - the resemblance to boat timbers could scarcely be traced. - </p> - <p> - “Well, Jupiter picked up the parchment, wrapped the beetle in it, and gave - it to me. Soon afterwards we turned to go home, and on the way met - Lieutenant G——. I showed him the insect, and he begged me to let him take - it to the fort. Upon my consenting, he thrust it forthwith into his - waistcoat pocket, without the parchment in which it had been wrapped, and - which I had continued to hold in my hand during his inspection. Perhaps he - dreaded my changing my mind, and thought it best to make sure of the prize - at once—you know how enthusiastic he is on all subjects connected - with Natural History. At the same time, without being conscious of it, I - must have deposited the parchment in my own pocket. - </p> - <p> - “You remember that when I went to the table, for the purpose of making a - sketch of the beetle, I found no paper where it was usually kept. I looked - in the drawer, and found none there. I searched my pockets, hoping to find - an old letter, when my hand fell upon the parchment. I thus detail the - precise mode in which it came into my possession; for the circumstances - impressed me with peculiar force. - </p> - <p> - “No doubt you will think me fanciful—but I had already established a - kind of connexion. I had put together two links of a great chain. There - was a boat lying upon a sea-coast, and not far from the boat was a - parchment—not a paper—with a skull depicted upon it. You will, - of course, ask ‘where is the connexion?’ I reply that the skull, or - death’s-head, is the well-known emblem of the pirate. The flag of the - death’s head is hoisted in all engagements. - </p> - <p> - “I have said that the scrap was parchment, and not paper. Parchment is - durable—almost imperishable. Matters of little moment are rarely - consigned to parchment; since, for the mere ordinary purposes of drawing - or writing, it is not nearly so well adapted as paper. This reflection - suggested some meaning—some relevancy—in the death’s-head. I - did not fail to observe, also, the form of the parchment. Although one of - its corners had been, by some accident, destroyed, it could be seen that - the original form was oblong. It was just such a slip, indeed, as might - have been chosen for a memorandum—for a record of something to be - long remembered and carefully preserved.” - </p> - <p> - “But,” I interposed, “you say that the skull was not upon the parchment - when you made the drawing of the beetle. How then do you trace any - connexion between the boat and the skull—since this latter, - according to your own admission, must have been designed (God only knows - how or by whom) at some period subsequent to your sketching the <i>scarabæus?</i>” - </p> - <p> - “Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery; although the secret, at this point, - I had comparatively little difficulty in solving. My steps were sure, and - could afford but a single result. I reasoned, for example, thus: When I - drew the <i>scarabæus</i>, there was no skull apparent upon the parchment. - When I had completed the drawing I gave it to you, and observed you - narrowly until you returned it. You, therefore, did not design the skull, - and no one else was present to do it. Then it was not done by human - agency. And nevertheless it was done. - </p> - <p> - “At this stage of my reflections I endeavored to remember, and did - remember, with entire distinctness, every incident which occurred about - the period in question. The weather was chilly (oh rare and happy - accident!), and a fire was blazing upon the hearth. I was heated with - exercise and sat near the table. You, however, had drawn a chair close to - the chimney. Just as I placed the parchment in your hand, and as you were - in the act of inspecting it, Wolf, the Newfoundland, entered, and leaped - upon your shoulders. With your left hand you caressed him and kept him - off, while your right, holding the parchment, was permitted to fall - listlessly between your knees, and in close proximity to the fire. At one - moment I thought the blaze had caught it, and was about to caution you, - but, before I could speak, you had withdrawn it, and were engaged in its - examination. When I considered all these particulars, I doubted not for a - moment that heat had been the agent in bringing to light, upon the - parchment, the skull which I saw designed upon it. You are well aware that - chemical preparations exist, and have existed time out of mind, by means - of which it is possible to write upon either paper or vellum, so that the - characters shall become visible only when subjected to the action of fire. - Zaffre, digested in aqua regia, and diluted with four times its weight of - water, is sometimes employed; a green tint results. The regulus of cobalt, - dissolved in spirit of nitre, gives a red. These colors disappear at - longer or shorter intervals after the material written upon cools, but - again become apparent upon the re-application of heat. - </p> - <p> - “I now scrutinized the death’s-head with care. Its outer edges—the - edges of the drawing nearest the edge of the vellum—were far more - distinct than the others. It was clear that the action of the caloric had - been imperfect or unequal. I immediately kindled a fire, and subjected - every portion of the parchment to a glowing heat. At first, the only - effect was the strengthening of the faint lines in the skull; but, upon - persevering in the experiment, there became visible, at the corner of the - slip, diagonally opposite to the spot in which the death’s-head was - delineated, the figure of what I at first supposed to be a goat. A closer - scrutiny, however, satisfied me that it was intended for a kid.” - </p> - <p> - “Ha! ha!” said I, “to be sure I have no right to laugh at you—a - million and a half of money is too serious a matter for mirth—but - you are not about to establish a third link in your chain—you will - not find any especial connexion between your pirates and a goat—pirates, - you know, have nothing to do with goats; they appertain to the farming - interest.” - </p> - <p> - “But I have just said that the figure was not that of a goat.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, a kid then—pretty much the same thing.” - </p> - <p> - “Pretty much, but not altogether,” said Legrand. “You may have heard of - one Captain Kidd. I at once looked upon the figure of the animal as a kind - of punning or hieroglyphical signature. I say signature; because its - position upon the vellum suggested this idea. The death’s-head at the - corner diagonally opposite, had, in the same manner, the air of a stamp, - or seal. But I was sorely put out by the absence of all else—of the - body to my imagined instrument—of the text for my context.” - </p> - <p> - “I presume you expected to find a letter between the stamp and the - signature.” - </p> - <p> - “Something of that kind. The fact is, I felt irresistibly impressed with a - presentiment of some vast good fortune impending. I can scarcely say why. - Perhaps, after all, it was rather a desire than an actual belief;—but - do you know that Jupiter’s silly words, about the bug being of solid gold, - had a remarkable effect upon my fancy? And then the series of accidents - and coincidences—these were so very extraordinary. Do you observe - how mere an accident it was that these events should have occurred upon - the sole day of all the year in which it has been, or may be, sufficiently - cool for fire, and that without the fire, or without the intervention of - the dog at the precise moment in which he appeared, I should never have - become aware of the death’s-head, and so never the possessor of the - treasure?” - </p> - <p> - “But proceed—I am all impatience.” - </p> - <p> - “Well; you have heard, of course, the many stories current—the - thousand vague rumors afloat about money buried, somewhere upon the - Atlantic coast, by Kidd and his associates. These rumors must have had - some foundation in fact. And that the rumors have existed so long and so - continuous, could have resulted, it appeared to me, only from the - circumstance of the buried treasure still remaining entombed. Had Kidd - concealed his plunder for a time, and afterwards reclaimed it, the rumors - would scarcely have reached us in their present unvarying form. You will - observe that the stories told are all about money-seekers, not about - money-finders. Had the pirate recovered his money, there the affair would - have dropped. It seemed to me that some accident—say the loss of a - memorandum indicating its locality—had deprived him of the means of - recovering it, and that this accident had become known to his followers, - who otherwise might never have heard that treasure had been concealed at - all, and who, busying themselves in vain, because unguided attempts, to - regain it, had given first birth, and then universal currency, to the - reports which are now so common. Have you ever heard of any important - treasure being unearthed along the coast?” - </p> - <p> - “Never.” - </p> - <p> - “But that Kidd’s accumulations were immense, is well known. I took it for - granted, therefore, that the earth still held them; and you will scarcely - be surprised when I tell you that I felt a hope, nearly amounting to - certainty, that the parchment so strangely found, involved a lost record - of the place of deposit.” - </p> - <p> - “But how did you proceed?” - </p> - <p> - “I held the vellum again to the fire, after increasing the heat; but - nothing appeared. I now thought it possible that the coating of dirt might - have something to do with the failure; so I carefully rinsed the parchment - by pouring warm water over it, and, having done this, I placed it in a tin - pan, with the skull downwards, and put the pan upon a furnace of lighted - charcoal. In a few minutes, the pan having become thoroughly heated, I - removed the slip, and, to my inexpressible joy, found it spotted, in - several places, with what appeared to be figures arranged in lines. Again - I placed it in the pan, and suffered it to remain another minute. Upon - taking it off, the whole was just as you see it now.” - </p> - <p> - Here Legrand, having re-heated the parchment, submitted it to my - inspection. The following characters were rudely traced, in a red tint, - between the death’s-head and the goat: - </p> -<p class="poem"> - “53‡‡†305))6*;4826)4‡.)4‡);806*;48†8¶60))85;1‡(;:‡*8†83(88)5*†<br /> - ;46(;88*96*?;8)*‡(;485);5*†2:*‡(;4956*2(5*—4)8¶8*;4069285);)<br /> - 6†8)4‡‡;1(‡9;48081;8:8‡1;48†85;4)485†528806*81(‡9;48;(88;4(‡?3<br /> - 4;48)4‡;161;:188;‡?;” - </p> - <p> - “But,” said I, returning him the slip, “I am as much in the dark as ever. - Were all the jewels of Golconda awaiting me upon my solution of this - enigma, I am quite sure that I should be unable to earn them.” - </p> - <p> - “And yet,” said Legrand, “the solution is by no means so difficult as you - might be lead to imagine from the first hasty inspection of the - characters. These characters, as any one might readily guess, form a - cipher—that is to say, they convey a meaning; but then, from what is - known of Kidd, I could not suppose him capable of constructing any of the - more abstruse cryptographs. I made up my mind, at once, that this was of a - simple species—such, however, as would appear, to the crude - intellect of the sailor, absolutely insoluble without the key.” - </p> - <p> - “And you really solved it?” - </p> - <p> - “Readily; I have solved others of an abstruseness ten thousand times - greater. Circumstances, and a certain bias of mind, have led me to take - interest in such riddles, and it may well be doubted whether human - ingenuity can construct an enigma of the kind which human ingenuity may - not, by proper application, resolve. In fact, having once established - connected and legible characters, I scarcely gave a thought to the mere - difficulty of developing their import. - </p> - <p> - “In the present case—indeed in all cases of secret writing—the - first question regards the language of the cipher; for the principles of - solution, so far, especially, as the more simple ciphers are concerned, - depend upon, and are varied by, the genius of the particular idiom. In - general, there is no alternative but experiment (directed by - probabilities) of every tongue known to him who attempts the solution, - until the true one be attained. But, with the cipher now before us, all - difficulty was removed by the signature. The pun upon the word ‘Kidd’ is - appreciable in no other language than the English. But for this - consideration I should have begun my attempts with the Spanish and French, - as the tongues in which a secret of this kind would most naturally have - been written by a pirate of the Spanish main. As it was, I assumed the - cryptograph to be English. - </p> - <p> - “You observe there are no divisions between the words. Had there been - divisions, the task would have been comparatively easy. In such case I - should have commenced with a collation and analysis of the shorter words, - and, had a word of a single letter occurred, as is most likely, (a or I, - for example,) I should have considered the solution as assured. But, there - being no division, my first step was to ascertain the predominant letters, - as well as the least frequent. Counting all, I constructed a table, thus: - </p> - <p> - Of the character 8 there are 33. - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - ; “ 26. - 4 “ 19. - ‡ ) “ 16. - * “ 13. - 5 “ 12. - 6 “ 11. - † 1 “ 8. - 0 “ 6. - 9 2 “ 5. - : 3 “ 4. - ? “ 3. - ¶ “ 2. - -. “ 1. -</pre> - <p> - “Now, in English, the letter which most frequently occurs is e. - Afterwards, succession runs thus: <i>a o i d h n r s t u y c f g l m w b k - p q x z</i>. <i>E</i> predominates so remarkably that an individual - sentence of any length is rarely seen, in which it is not the prevailing - character. - </p> - <p> - “Here, then, we leave, in the very beginning, the groundwork for something - more than a mere guess. The general use which may be made of the table is - obvious—but, in this particular cipher, we shall only very partially - require its aid. As our predominant character is 8, we will commence by - assuming it as the <i>e</i> of the natural alphabet. To verify the - supposition, let us observe if the 8 be seen often in couples—for <i>e</i> - is doubled with great frequency in English—in such words, for - example, as ‘meet,’ ‘.fleet,’ ‘speed,’ ‘seen,’ been,’ ‘agree,’ &c. In - the present instance we see it doubled no less than five times, although - the cryptograph is brief. - </p> - <p> - “Let us assume 8, then, as <i>e</i>. Now, of all <i>words</i> in the - language, ‘the’ is most usual; let us see, therefore, whether there are - not repetitions of any three characters, in the same order of collocation, - the last of them being 8. If we discover repetitions of such letters, so - arranged, they will most probably represent the word ‘the.’ Upon - inspection, we find no less than seven such arrangements, the characters - being ;48. We may, therefore, assume that ; represents <i>t</i>, 4 - represents <i>h</i>, and 8 represents <i>e</i>—the last being now - well confirmed. Thus a great step has been taken. - </p> - <p> - “But, having established a single word, we are enabled to establish a - vastly important point; that is to say, several commencements and - terminations of other words. Let us refer, for example, to the last - instance but one, in which the combination ;48 occurs—not far from - the end of the cipher. We know that the ; immediately ensuing is the - commencement of a word, and, of the six characters succeeding this ‘the,’ - we are cognizant of no less than five. Let us set these characters down, - thus, by the letters we know them to represent, leaving a space for the - unknown— - </p> - <p> - t eeth. - </p> - <p> - “Here we are enabled, at once, to discard the ‘th,’ as forming no portion - of the word commencing with the first t; since, by experiment of the - entire alphabet for a letter adapted to the vacancy, we perceive that no - word can be formed of which this <i>th</i> can be a part. We are thus - narrowed into - </p> - <p> - t ee, - </p> - <p class="noindent"> - and, going through the alphabet, if necessary, as before, we arrive at the - word ‘tree,’ as the sole possible reading. We thus gain another letter, <i>r</i>, - represented by (, with the words ‘the tree’ in juxtaposition. - </p> - <p> - “Looking beyond these words, for a short distance, we again see the - combination ;48, and employ it by way of termination to what - immediately precedes. We have thus this arrangement: - </p> - <p> - the tree ;4(‡?34 the, - </p> - <p class="noindent"> - or, substituting the natural letters, where known, it reads thus: - </p> - <p> - the tree thr‡?3h the. - </p> - <p> - “Now, if, in place of the unknown characters, we leave blank spaces, or - substitute dots, we read thus: - </p> - <p> - the tree thr...h the, - </p> - <p class="noindent"> - when the word ‘<i>through</i>’ makes itself evident at once. But this - discovery gives us three new letters, <i>o</i>, <i>u</i> and <i>g</i>, - represented by ‡, ? and 3. - </p> - <p> - “Looking now, narrowly, through the cipher for combinations of known - characters, we find, not very far from the beginning, this arrangement, - </p> - <p> - 83(88, or egree, - </p> - <p class="noindent"> - which, plainly, is the conclusion of the word ‘degree,’ and gives us - another letter, <i>d</i>, represented by †. - </p> - <p> - “Four letters beyond the word ‘degree,’ we perceive the combination - </p> - <p> - ;46(;88. - </p> - <p> - “Translating the known characters, and representing the unknown by dots, - as before, we read thus: - </p> - <p class="center"> - th.rtee, - </p> - <p class="noindent"> - an arrangement immediately suggestive of the word ‘thirteen,’ - and again furnishing us with two new characters, <i>i</i> and <i>n</i>, - represented by 6 and *. - </p> - <p> - “Referring, now, to the beginning of the cryptograph, we find the - combination, - </p> - <p> - 53‡‡†. - </p> - <p> - “Translating as before, we obtain - </p> - <p> - good, - </p> - <p class="noindent"> - which assures us that the first letter is <i>A</i>, and that the first two - words are ‘A good.’ - </p> - <p> - “It is now time that we arrange our key, as far as discovered, in a - tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus: - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - 5 represents a - † “ d - 8 “ e - 3 “ g - 4 “ h - 6 “ i - * “ n - ‡ “ o - ( “ r - ; “ t - ? “ u -</pre> - <p> - “We have, therefore, no less than eleven of the most important letters - represented, and it will be unnecessary to proceed with the details of the - solution. I have said enough to convince you that ciphers of this nature - are readily soluble, and to give you some insight into the rationale of - their development. But be assured that the specimen before us appertains - to the very simplest species of cryptograph. It now only remains to give - you the full translation of the characters upon the parchment, as - unriddled. Here it is: - </p> - <p> - “‘<i>A good glass in the bishop’s hostel in the devil’s seat forty-one - degrees and thirteen minutes northeast and by north main branch seventh - limb east side shoot from the left eye of the death’s-head a bee line from - the tree through the shot fifty feet out</i>.’” - </p> - <p> - “But,” said I, “the enigma seems still in as bad a condition as ever. How - is it possible to extort a meaning from all this jargon about ‘devil’s - seats,’ ‘death’s heads,’ and ‘bishop’s hotels?’” - </p> - <p> - “I confess,” replied Legrand, “that the matter still wears a serious - aspect, when regarded with a casual glance. My first endeavor was to - divide the sentence into the natural division intended by the - cryptographist.” - </p> - <p> - “You mean, to punctuate it?” - </p> - <p> - “Something of that kind.” - </p> - <p> - “But how was it possible to effect this?” - </p> - <p> - “I reflected that it had been a point with the writer to run his words - together without division, so as to increase the difficulty of solution. - Now, a not over-acute man, in pursuing such an object, would be nearly - certain to overdo the matter. When, in the course of his composition, he - arrived at a break in his subject which would naturally require a pause, - or a point, he would be exceedingly apt to run his characters, at this - place, more than usually close together. If you will observe the MS., in - the present instance, you will easily detect five such cases of unusual - crowding. Acting upon this hint, I made the division thus: ‘A good glass - in the Bishop’s hostel in the Devil’s seat—forty-one degrees and - thirteen minutes—northeast and by north—main branch seventh - limb east side—shoot from the left eye of the death’s-head—a - bee-line from the tree through the shot fifty feet out.’” - </p> - <p> - “Even this division,” said I, “leaves me still in the dark.” - </p> - <p> - “It left me also in the dark,” replied Legrand, “for a few days; during - which I made diligent inquiry, in the neighborhood of Sullivan’s Island, - for any building which went by the name of the ‘Bishop’s Hotel;’ for, of - course, I dropped the obsolete word ‘hostel.’ Gaining no information on - the subject, I was on the point of extending my sphere of search, and - proceeding in a more systematic manner, when, one morning, it entered into - my head, quite suddenly, that this ‘Bishop’s Hostel’ might have some - reference to an old family, of the name of Bessop, which, time out of - mind, had held possession of an ancient manor-house, about four miles to - the northward of the island. I accordingly went over to the plantation, - and re-instituted my inquiries among the older negroes of the place. At - length one of the most aged of the women said that she had heard of such a - place as Bessop’s Castle, and thought that she could guide me to it, but - that it was not a castle nor a tavern, but a high rock. - </p> - <p> - “I offered to pay her well for her trouble, and, after some demur, she - consented to accompany me to the spot. We found it without much - difficulty, when, dismissing her, I proceeded to examine the place. The - ‘castle’ consisted of an irregular assemblage of cliffs and rocks—one - of the latter being quite remarkable for its height as well as for its - insulated and artificial appearance. I clambered to its apex, and then felt - much at a loss as to what should be next done. - </p> - <p> - “While I was busied in reflection, my eyes fell upon a narrow ledge in the - eastern face of the rock, perhaps a yard below the summit upon which I - stood. This ledge projected about eighteen inches, and was not more than a - foot wide, while a niche in the cliff just above it gave it a rude - resemblance to one of the hollow-backed chairs used by our ancestors. I - made no doubt that here was the ‘devil’s seat’ alluded to in the MS., and - now I seemed to grasp the full secret of the riddle. - </p> - <p> - “The ‘good glass,’ I knew, could have reference to nothing but a - telescope; for the word ‘glass’ is rarely employed in any other sense by - seamen. Now here, I at once saw, was a telescope to be used, and a - definite point of view, admitting no variation, from which to use it. Nor - did I hesitate to believe that the phrases, ‘forty-one degrees and - thirteen minutes,’ and ‘northeast and by north,’ were intended as - directions for the levelling of the glass. Greatly excited by these - discoveries, I hurried home, procured a telescope, and returned to the - rock. - </p> - <p> - “I let myself down to the ledge, and found that it was impossible to - retain a seat upon it except in one particular position. This fact - confirmed my preconceived idea. I proceeded to use the glass. Of course, - the ‘forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes’ could allude to nothing but - elevation above the visible horizon, since the horizontal direction was - clearly indicated by the words, ‘northeast and by north.’ This latter - direction I at once established by means of a pocket-compass; then, - pointing the glass as nearly at an angle of forty-one degrees of elevation - as I could do it by guess, I moved it cautiously up or down, until my - attention was arrested by a circular rift or opening in the foliage of a - large tree that overtopped its fellows in the distance. In the centre of - this rift I perceived a white spot, but could not, at first, distinguish - what it was. Adjusting the focus of the telescope, I again looked, and now - made it out to be a human skull. - </p> - <p> - “Upon this discovery I was so sanguine as to consider the enigma solved; - for the phrase ‘main branch, seventh limb, east side,’ could refer only to - the position of the skull upon the tree, while ‘shoot from the left eye of - the death’s head’ admitted, also, of but one interpretation, in regard to - a search for buried treasure. I perceived that the design was to drop a - bullet from the left eye of the skull, and that a bee-line, or, in other - words, a straight line, drawn from the nearest point of the trunk through - ‘the shot,’ (or the spot where the bullet fell,) and thence extended to a - distance of fifty feet, would indicate a definite point—and beneath - this point I thought it at least possible that a deposit of value lay - concealed.” - </p> - <p> - “All this,” I said, “is exceedingly clear, and, although ingenious, still - simple and explicit. When you left the Bishop’s Hotel, what then?” - </p> - <p> - “Why, having carefully taken the bearings of the tree, I turned homewards. - The instant that I left ‘the devil’s seat,’ however, the circular rift - vanished; nor could I get a glimpse of it afterwards, turn as I would. - What seems to me the chief ingenuity in this whole business, is the fact - (for repeated experiment has convinced me it is a fact) that the circular - opening in question is visible from no other attainable point of view than - that afforded by the narrow ledge upon the face of the rock. - </p> - <p> - “In this expedition to the ‘Bishop’s Hotel’ I had been attended by - Jupiter, who had, no doubt, observed, for some weeks past, the abstraction - of my demeanor, and took especial care not to leave me alone. But, on the - next day, getting up very early, I contrived to give him the slip, and - went into the hills in search of the tree. After much toil I found it. - When I came home at night my valet proposed to give me a flogging. With - the rest of the adventure I believe you are as well acquainted as myself.” - </p> - <p> - “I suppose,” said I, “you missed the spot, in the first attempt at - digging, through Jupiter’s stupidity in letting the bug fall through the - right instead of through the left eye of the skull.” - </p> - <p> - “Precisely. This mistake made a difference of about two inches and a half - in the ‘shot’—that is to say, in the position of the peg nearest the - tree; and had the treasure been beneath the ‘shot,’ the error would have - been of little moment; but ‘the shot,’ together with the nearest point of - the tree, were merely two points for the establishment of a line of - direction; of course the error, however trivial in the beginning, - increased as we proceeded with the line, and by the time we had gone fifty - feet, threw us quite off the scent. But for my deep-seated impressions - that treasure was here somewhere actually buried, we might have had all - our labor in vain.” - </p> - <p> - “But your grandiloquence, and your conduct in swinging the beetle—how - excessively odd! I was sure you were mad. And why did you insist upon - letting fall the bug, instead of a bullet, from the skull?” - </p> - <p> - “Why, to be frank, I felt somewhat annoyed by your evident suspicions - touching my sanity, and so resolved to punish you quietly, in my own way, - by a little bit of sober mystification. For this reason I swung the - beetle, and for this reason I let it fall it from the tree. An observation - of yours about its great weight suggested the latter idea.” - </p> - <p> - “Yes, I perceive; and now there is only one point which puzzles me. What - are we to make of the skeletons found in the hole?” - </p> - <p> - “That is a question I am no more able to answer than yourself. There - seems, however, only one plausible way of accounting for them—and - yet it is dreadful to believe in such atrocity as my suggestion would - imply. It is clear that Kidd—if Kidd indeed secreted this treasure, - which I doubt not—it is clear that he must have had assistance in - the labor. But this labor concluded, he may have thought it expedient to - remove all participants in his secret. Perhaps a couple of blows with a - mattock were sufficient, while his coadjutors were busy in the pit; - perhaps it required a dozen—who shall tell?” - </p> - -</div><!--end chapter--> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2><a name="chap06"></a>FOUR BEASTS IN ONE—THE HOMO-CAMELEOPARD</h2> - -<p class="poem"> -Chacun a ses vertus. -</p> - -<p class="right"> -—<i>Crébillon’s Xerxes.</i> -</p> - <p> - Antiochus Epiphanes is very generally looked upon as the Gog of the - prophet Ezekiel. This honor is, however, more properly attributable to - Cambyses, the son of Cyrus. And, indeed, the character of the Syrian - monarch does by no means stand in need of any adventitious embellishment. - His accession to the throne, or rather his usurpation of the sovereignty, - a hundred and seventy-one years before the coming of Christ; his attempt - to plunder the temple of Diana at Ephesus; his implacable hostility to the - Jews; his pollution of the Holy of Holies; and his miserable death at - Taba, after a tumultuous reign of eleven years, are circumstances of a - prominent kind, and therefore more generally noticed by the historians of - his time than the impious, dastardly, cruel, silly, and whimsical - achievements which make up the sum total of his private life and - reputation. - </p> - <p> - Let us suppose, gentle reader, that it is now the year of the world three - thousand eight hundred and thirty, and let us, for a few minutes, imagine - ourselves at that most grotesque habitation of man, the remarkable city of - Antioch. To be sure there were, in Syria and other countries, sixteen - cities of that appellation, besides the one to which I more particularly - allude. But ours is that which went by the name of Antiochia Epidaphne, - from its vicinity to the little village of Daphne, where stood a temple to - that divinity. It was built (although about this matter there is some - dispute) by Seleucus Nicanor, the first king of the country after - Alexander the Great, in memory of his father Antiochus, and became - immediately the residence of the Syrian monarchy. In the flourishing times - of the Roman Empire, it was the ordinary station of the prefect of the - eastern provinces; and many of the emperors of the queen city (among whom - may be mentioned, especially, Verus and Valens) spent here the greater - part of their time. But I perceive we have arrived at the city itself. Let - us ascend this battlement, and throw our eyes upon the town and - neighboring country. - </p> - <p> - “What broad and rapid river is that which forces its way, with innumerable - falls, through the mountainous wilderness, and finally through the - wilderness of buildings?” - </p> - <p> - That is the Orontes, and it is the only water in sight, with the exception - of the Mediterranean, which stretches, like a broad mirror, about twelve - miles off to the southward. Every one has seen the Mediterranean; but let - me tell you, there are few who have had a peep at Antioch. By few, I mean, - few who, like you and me, have had, at the same time, the advantages of a - modern education. Therefore cease to regard that sea, and give your whole - attention to the mass of houses that lie beneath us. You will remember - that it is now the year of the world three thousand eight hundred and - thirty. Were it later—for example, were it the year of our Lord - eighteen hundred and forty-five, we should be deprived of this - extraordinary spectacle. In the nineteenth century Antioch is—that - is to say, Antioch will be—in a lamentable state of decay. It will - have been, by that time, totally destroyed, at three different periods, by - three successive earthquakes. Indeed, to say the truth, what little of its - former self may then remain, will be found in so desolate and ruinous a - state that the patriarch shall have removed his residence to Damascus. - This is well. I see you profit by my advice, and are making the most of - your time in inspecting the premises—in - </p> - <p class="poem"> - —satisfying your eyes<br /> - With the memorials and the things of fame<br /> - That most renown this city.— - </p> - <p> - I beg pardon; I had forgotten that Shakespeare will not flourish for - seventeen hundred and fifty years to come. But does not the appearance of - Epidaphne justify me in calling it grotesque? - </p> - <p> - “It is well fortified; and in this respect is as much indebted to nature - as to art.” - </p> - <p> - Very true. - </p> - <p> - “There are a prodigious number of stately palaces.” - </p> - <p> - There are. - </p> - <p> - “And the numerous temples, sumptuous and magnificent, may bear comparison - with the most lauded of antiquity.” - </p> - <p> - All this I must acknowledge. Still there is an infinity of mud huts, and - abominable hovels. We cannot help perceiving abundance of filth in every - kennel, and, were it not for the over-powering fumes of idolatrous - incense, I have no doubt we should find a most intolerable stench. Did you - ever behold streets so insufferably narrow, or houses so miraculously - tall? What gloom their shadows cast upon the ground! It is well the - swinging lamps in those endless colonnades are kept burning throughout the - day; we should otherwise have the darkness of Egypt in the time of her - desolation. - </p> - <p> - “It is certainly a strange place! What is the meaning of yonder singular - building? See! it towers above all others, and lies to the eastward of - what I take to be the royal palace!” - </p> - <p> - That is the new Temple of the Sun, who is adored in Syria under the title - of Elah Gabalah. Hereafter a very notorious Roman Emperor will institute - this worship in Rome, and thence derive a cognomen, Heliogabalus. I dare - say you would like to take a peep at the divinity of the temple. You need - not look up at the heavens; his Sunship is not there—at least not - the Sunship adored by the Syrians. That deity will be found in the - interior of yonder building. He is worshipped under the figure of a large - stone pillar terminating at the summit in a cone or pyramid, whereby is - denoted Fire. - </p> - <p> - “Hark—behold!—who can those ridiculous beings be, half naked, - with their faces painted, shouting and gesticulating to the rabble?” - </p> - <p> - Some few are mountebanks. Others more particularly belong to the race of - philosophers. The greatest portion, however—those especially who - belabor the populace with clubs—are the principal courtiers of the - palace, executing as in duty bound, some laudable comicality of the - king’s. - </p> - <p> - “But what have we here? Heavens! the town is swarming with wild beasts! - How terrible a spectacle!—how dangerous a peculiarity!” - </p> - <p> - Terrible, if you please; but not in the least degree dangerous. Each - animal if you will take the pains to observe, is following, very quietly, - in the wake of its master. Some few, to be sure, are led with a rope about - the neck, but these are chiefly the lesser or timid species. The lion, the - tiger, and the leopard are entirely without restraint. They have been - trained without difficulty to their present profession, and attend upon - their respective owners in the capacity of valets-de-chambre. It is true, - there are occasions when Nature asserts her violated dominions;—but - then the devouring of a man-at-arms, or the throttling of a consecrated - bull, is a circumstance of too little moment to be more than hinted at in - Epidaphne. - </p> - <p> - “But what extraordinary tumult do I hear? Surely this is a loud noise even - for Antioch! It argues some commotion of unusual interest.” - </p> - <p> - Yes—undoubtedly. The king has ordered some novel spectacle—some - gladiatorial exhibition at the hippodrome—or perhaps the massacre of - the Scythian prisoners—or the conflagration of his new palace—or - the tearing down of a handsome temple—or, indeed, a bonfire of a few - Jews. The uproar increases. Shouts of laughter ascend the skies. The air - becomes dissonant with wind instruments, and horrible with clamor of a - million throats. Let us descend, for the love of fun, and see what is - going on! This way—be careful! Here we are in the principal street, - which is called the street of Timarchus. The sea of people is coming this - way, and we shall find a difficulty in stemming the tide. They are pouring - through the alley of Heraclides, which leads directly from the palace;—therefore - the king is most probably among the rioters. Yes—I hear the shouts - of the herald proclaiming his approach in the pompous phraseology of the - East. We shall have a glimpse of his person as he passes by the temple of - Ashimah. Let us ensconce ourselves in the vestibule of the sanctuary; he - will be here anon. In the meantime let us survey this image. What is it? - Oh! it is the god Ashimah in proper person. You perceive, however, that he - is neither a lamb, nor a goat, nor a satyr, neither has he much - resemblance to the Pan of the Arcadians. Yet all these appearances have - been given—I beg pardon—will be given—by the learned of - future ages, to the Ashimah of the Syrians. Put on your spectacles, and - tell me what it is. What is it? - </p> - <p> - “Bless me! it is an ape!” - </p> - <p> - True—a baboon; but by no means the less a deity. His name is a - derivation of the Greek Simia—what great fools are antiquarians! But - see!—see!—yonder scampers a ragged little urchin. Where is he - going? What is he bawling about? What does he say? Oh! he says the king is - coming in triumph; that he is dressed in state; that he has just finished - putting to death, with his own hand, a thousand chained Israelitish - prisoners! For this exploit the ragamuffin is lauding him to the skies! - Hark! here comes a troop of a similar description. They have made a Latin - hymn upon the valor of the king, and are singing it as they go: - </p> - <p class="poem"> - Mille, mille, mille,<br /> - Mille, mille, mille,<br /> - Decollavimus, unus homo!<br /> - Mille, mille, mille, mille, decollavimus!<br /> - Mille, mille, mille,<br /> - Vivat qui mille mille occidit!<br /> - Tantum vini habet nemo<br /> - Quantum sanguinis effudit!(*1) - </p> - <p> - Which may be thus paraphrased: - </p> - <p class="poem"> - A thousand, a thousand, a thousand,<br /> - A thousand, a thousand, a thousand,<br /> - We, with one warrior, have slain!<br /> - A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, a thousand.<br /> - Sing a thousand over again!<br /> - Soho!—let us sing<br /> - Long life to our king,<br /> - Who knocked over a thousand so fine!<br /> - Soho!—let us roar,<br /> - He has given us more<br /> - Red gallons of gore<br /> - Than all Syria can furnish of wine! - </p> - <p> - “Do you hear that flourish of trumpets?” - </p> - <p> - Yes—the king is coming! See! the people are aghast with admiration, and - lift up their eyes to the heavens in reverence. He comes!—he is - coming!—there he is! - </p> - <p> - “Who?—where?—the king?—do not behold him—cannot - say that I perceive him.” - </p> - <p> - Then you must be blind. - </p> - <p> - “Very possible. Still I see nothing but a tumultuous mob of idiots and - madmen, who are busy in prostrating themselves before a gigantic - cameleopard, and endeavoring to obtain a kiss of the animal’s hoofs. See! - the beast has very justly kicked one of the rabble over—and another—and - another—and another. Indeed, I cannot help admiring the animal for - the excellent use he is making of his feet.” - </p> - <p> - Rabble, indeed!—why these are the noble and free citizens of - Epidaphne! Beasts, did you say?—take care that you are not - overheard. Do you not perceive that the animal has the visage of a man? - Why, my dear sir, that cameleopard is no other than Antiochus Epiphanes, - Antiochus the Illustrious, King of Syria, and the most potent of all the - autocrats of the East! It is true, that he is entitled, at times, - Antiochus Epimanes—Antiochus the madman—but that is because - all people have not the capacity to appreciate his merits. It is also - certain that he is at present ensconced in the hide of a beast, and is - doing his best to play the part of a cameleopard; but this is done for the - better sustaining his dignity as king. Besides, the monarch is of gigantic - stature, and the dress is therefore neither unbecoming nor over large. We - may, however, presume he would not have adopted it but for some occasion - of especial state. Such, you will allow, is the massacre of a thousand - Jews. With how superior a dignity the monarch perambulates on all fours! - His tail, you perceive, is held aloft by his two principal concubines, - Elline and Argelais; and his whole appearance would be infinitely - prepossessing, were it not for the protuberance of his eyes, which will - certainly start out of his head, and the queer color of his face, which - has become nondescript from the quantity of wine he has swallowed. Let us - follow him to the hippodrome, whither he is proceeding, and listen to the - song of triumph which he is commencing: - </p> - <p class="poem"> - Who is king but Epiphanes?<br /> - Say—do you know?<br /> - Who is king but Epiphanes?<br /> - Bravo!—bravo!<br /> - There is none but Epiphanes,<br /> - No—there is none:<br /> - So tear down the temples,<br /> - And put out the sun! - </p> - <p> - Well and strenuously sung! The populace are hailing him ‘Prince of Poets,’ - as well as ‘Glory of the East,’ ‘Delight of the Universe,’ and ‘Most - Remarkable of Cameleopards.’ They have encored his effusion, and do you - hear?—he is singing it over again. When he arrives at the - hippodrome, he will be crowned with the poetic wreath, in anticipation of - his victory at the approaching Olympics. - </p> - <p> - “But, good Jupiter! what is the matter in the crowd behind us?” - </p> - <p> - Behind us, did you say?—oh! ah!—I perceive. My friend, it is - well that you spoke in time. Let us get into a place of safety as soon as - possible. Here!—let us conceal ourselves in the arch of this - aqueduct, and I will inform you presently of the origin of the commotion. - It has turned out as I have been anticipating. The singular appearance of - the cameleopard and the head of a man, has, it seems, given offence to the - notions of propriety entertained, in general, by the wild animals - domesticated in the city. A mutiny has been the result; and, as is usual - upon such occasions, all human efforts will be of no avail in quelling the - mob. Several of the Syrians have already been devoured; but the general - voice of the four-footed patriots seems to be for eating up the - cameleopard. ‘The Prince of Poets,’ therefore, is upon his hinder legs, - running for his life. His courtiers have left him in the lurch, and his - concubines have followed so excellent an example. ‘Delight of the - Universe,’ thou art in a sad predicament! ‘Glory of the East,’ thou art in - danger of mastication! Therefore never regard so piteously thy tail; it - will undoubtedly be draggled in the mud, and for this there is no help. - Look not behind thee, then, at its unavoidable degradation; but take - courage, ply thy legs with vigor, and scud for the hippodrome! Remember - that thou art Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus the Illustrious!—also - ‘Prince of Poets,’ ‘Glory of the East,’ ‘Delight of the Universe,’ and - ‘Most Remarkable of Cameleopards!’ Heavens! what a power of speed thou art - displaying! What a capacity for leg-bail thou art developing! Run, Prince!—Bravo, - Epiphanes! Well done, Cameleopard!—Glorious Antiochus!—He - runs!—he leaps!—he flies! Like an arrow from a catapult he - approaches the hippodrome! He leaps!—he shrieks!—he is there! - This is well; for hadst thou, ‘Glory of the East,’ been half a second - longer in reaching the gates of the Amphitheatre, there is not a bear’s - cub in Epidaphne that would not have had a nibble at thy carcase. Let us - be off—let us take our departure!—for we shall find our - delicate modern ears unable to endure the vast uproar which is about to - commence in celebration of the king’s escape! Listen! it has already - commenced. See!—the whole town is topsy-turvy. - </p> - <p> - “Surely this is the most populous city of the East! What a wilderness of - people! what a jumble of all ranks and ages! what a multiplicity of sects - and nations! what a variety of costumes! what a Babel of languages! what a - screaming of beasts! what a tinkling of instruments! what a parcel of - philosophers!” - </p> - <p> - Come let us be off. - </p> - <p> - “Stay a moment! I see a vast hubbub in the hippodrome; what is the meaning - of it, I beseech you?” - </p> - <p> - That?—oh, nothing! The noble and free citizens of Epidaphne being, - as they declare, well satisfied of the faith, valor, wisdom, and divinity - of their king, and having, moreover, been eye-witnesses of his late - superhuman agility, do think it no more than their duty to invest his - brows (in addition to the poetic crown) with the wreath of victory in the - footrace—a wreath which it is evident he must obtain at the - celebration of the next Olympiad, and which, therefore, they now give him - in advance. - </p> - -<h3>Footnotes—Four Beasts</h3> - - <p> - (*1) Flavius Vospicus says, that the hymn here introduced was sung by the - rabble upon the occasion of Aurelian, in the Sarmatic war, having slain, - with his own hand, nine hundred and fifty of the enemy. - </p> - -</div><!--end chapter--> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2><a name="chap07"></a>THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE</h2> - -<p class="letter"> - What song the Syrens sang, or what name Achilles assumed when he hid - himself among women, although puzzling questions, are not beyond - <i>all</i> conjecture. -</p> - -<p class="right"> -—<i>Sir Thomas Browne.</i> -</p> - <p> - The mental features discoursed of as the analytical, are, in themselves, - but little susceptible of analysis. We appreciate them only in their - effects. We know of them, among other things, that they are always to - their possessor, when inordinately possessed, a source of the liveliest - enjoyment. As the strong man exults in his physical ability, delighting in - such exercises as call his muscles into action, so glories the analyst in - that moral activity which <i>disentangles.</i> He derives pleasure from - even the most trivial occupations bringing his talent into play. He is - fond of enigmas, of conundrums, of hieroglyphics; exhibiting in his - solutions of each a degree of <i>acumen</i> which appears to the ordinary - apprehension præternatural. His results, brought about by the very - soul and essence of method, have, in truth, the whole air of intuition. - </p> - <p> - The faculty of re-solution is possibly much invigorated by mathematical - study, and especially by that highest branch of it which, unjustly, and - merely on account of its retrograde operations, has been called, as if - <i>par excellence</i>, analysis. Yet to calculate is not in itself to - analyse. A chess-player, for example, does the one without effort at the - other. It follows that the game of chess, in its effects upon mental - character, is greatly misunderstood. I am not now writing a treatise, but - simply prefacing a somewhat peculiar narrative by observations very much - at random; I will, therefore, take occasion to assert that the higher - powers of the reflective intellect are more decidedly and more usefully - tasked by the unostentatious game of draughts than by all the elaborate - frivolity of chess. In this latter, where the pieces have different and - <i>bizarre</i> motions, with various and variable values, what is only - complex is mistaken (a not unusual error) for what is profound. The - <i>attention</i> is here called powerfully into play. If it flag for an - instant, an oversight is committed resulting in injury or defeat. The - possible moves being not only manifold but involute, the chances of such - oversights are multiplied; and in nine cases out of ten it is the more - concentrative rather than the more acute player who conquers. In - draughts, on the contrary, where the moves are <i>unique</i> and have but - little variation, the probabilities of inadvertence are diminished, and - the mere attention being left comparatively unemployed, what advantages - are obtained by either party are obtained by superior <i>acumen</i>. To - be less abstract, let us suppose a game of draughts where the pieces are - reduced to four kings, and where, of course, no oversight is to be - expected. It is obvious that here the victory can be decided (the players - being at all equal) only by some <i>recherché</i> movement, the result of - some strong exertion of the intellect. Deprived of ordinary resources, - the analyst throws himself into the spirit of his opponent, identifies - himself therewith, and not unfrequently sees thus, at a glance, the sole - methods (sometime indeed absurdly simple ones) by which he may seduce - into error or hurry into miscalculation. - </p> - <p> - Whist has long been noted for its influence upon what is termed the - calculating power; and men of the highest order of intellect have been - known to take an apparently unaccountable delight in it, while eschewing - chess as frivolous. Beyond doubt there is nothing of a similar nature so - greatly tasking the faculty of analysis. The best chess-player in - Christendom <i>may</i> be little more than the best player of chess; but - proficiency in whist implies capacity for success in all those more - important undertakings where mind struggles with mind. When I say - proficiency, I mean that perfection in the game which includes a - comprehension of <i>all</i> the sources whence legitimate advantage may be - derived. These are not only manifold but multiform, and lie frequently - among recesses of thought altogether inaccessible to the ordinary - understanding. To observe attentively is to remember distinctly; and, so - far, the concentrative chess-player will do very well at whist; while the - rules of Hoyle (themselves based upon the mere mechanism of the game) are - sufficiently and generally comprehensible. Thus to have a retentive - memory, and to proceed by “the book,” are points commonly regarded as the - sum total of good playing. But it is in matters beyond the limits of mere - rule that the skill of the analyst is evinced. He makes, in silence, a - host of observations and inferences. So, perhaps, do his companions; and - the difference in the extent of the information obtained, lies not so much - in the validity of the inference as in the quality of the observation. The - necessary knowledge is that of <i>what</i> to observe. Our player confines - himself not at all; nor, because the game is the object, does he reject - deductions from things external to the game. He examines the countenance - of his partner, comparing it carefully with that of each of his opponents. - He considers the mode of assorting the cards in each hand; often counting - trump by trump, and honor by honor, through the glances bestowed by their - holders upon each. He notes every variation of face as the play - progresses, gathering a fund of thought from the differences in the - expression of certainty, of surprise, of triumph, or of chagrin. From the - manner of gathering up a trick he judges whether the person taking it can - make another in the suit. He recognises what is played through feint, by - the manner with which it is thrown upon the table. A casual or inadvertent - word; the accidental dropping or turning of a card, with the accompanying - anxiety or carelessness in regard to its concealment; the counting of the - tricks, with the order of their arrangement; embarrassment, hesitation, - eagerness or trepidation—all afford, to his apparently intuitive - perception, indications of the true state of affairs. The first two or - three rounds having been played, he is in full possession of the contents - of each hand, and thenceforward puts down his cards with as absolute a - precision of purpose as if the rest of the party had turned outward the - faces of their own. - </p> - <p> - The analytical power should not be confounded with ample ingenuity; for - while the analyst is necessarily ingenious, the ingenious man is often - remarkably incapable of analysis. The constructive or combining power, by - which ingenuity is usually manifested, and to which the phrenologists (I - believe erroneously) have assigned a separate organ, supposing it a - primitive faculty, has been so frequently seen in those whose intellect - bordered otherwise upon idiocy, as to have attracted general observation - among writers on morals. Between ingenuity and the analytic ability there - exists a difference far greater, indeed, than that between the fancy and - the imagination, but of a character very strictly analogous. It will be - found, in fact, that the ingenious are always fanciful, and the <i>truly</i> - imaginative never otherwise than analytic. - </p> - <p> - The narrative which follows will appear to the reader somewhat in the - light of a commentary upon the propositions just advanced. - </p> - <p> - Residing in Paris during the spring and part of the summer of 18—, I - there became acquainted with a Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin. This young - gentleman was of an excellent, indeed of an illustrious family, but, - by a variety of untoward events, had been reduced to such poverty that the - energy of his character succumbed beneath it, and he ceased to bestir - himself in the world, or to care for the retrieval of his fortunes. By - courtesy of his creditors, there still remained in his possession a small - remnant of his patrimony; and, upon the income arising from this, he - managed, by means of a rigorous economy, to procure the necessaries of - life, without troubling himself about its superfluities. Books, indeed, - were his sole luxuries, and in Paris these are easily obtained. - </p> - <p> - Our first meeting was at an obscure library in the Rue Montmartre, where - the accident of our both being in search of the same very rare and very - remarkable volume, brought us into closer communion. We saw each other - again and again. I was deeply interested in the little family history - which he detailed to me with all that candor which a Frenchman indulges - whenever mere self is his theme. I was astonished, too, at the vast extent - of his reading; and, above all, I felt my soul enkindled within me by the - wild fervor, and the vivid freshness of his imagination. Seeking in Paris - the objects I then sought, I felt that the society of such a man would be - to me a treasure beyond price; and this feeling I frankly confided to him. - It was at length arranged that we should live together during my stay in - the city; and as my worldly circumstances were somewhat less embarrassed - than his own, I was permitted to be at the expense of renting, and - furnishing in a style which suited the rather fantastic gloom of our - common temper, a time-eaten and grotesque mansion, long deserted through - superstitions into which we did not inquire, and tottering to its fall in - a retired and desolate portion of the Faubourg St. Germain. - </p> - <p> - Had the routine of our life at this place been known to the world, we - should have been regarded as madmen—although, perhaps, as madmen of - a harmless nature. Our seclusion was perfect. We admitted no visitors. - Indeed the locality of our retirement had been carefully kept a secret - from my own former associates; and it had been many years since Dupin had - ceased to know or be known in Paris. We existed within ourselves alone. - </p> - <p> - It was a freak of fancy in my friend (for what else shall I call it?) to - be enamored of the night for her own sake; and into this <i>bizarrerie</i>, - as into all his others, I quietly fell; giving myself up to his wild whims - with a perfect <i>abandon</i>. The sable divinity would not herself dwell - with us always; but we could counterfeit her presence. At the first dawn - of the morning we closed all the messy shutters of our old building; - lighting a couple of tapers which, strongly perfumed, threw out only the - ghastliest and feeblest of rays. By the aid of these we then busied our - souls in dreams—reading, writing, or conversing, until warned by the - clock of the advent of the true Darkness. Then we sallied forth into the - streets arm in arm, continuing the topics of the day, or roaming far and - wide until a late hour, seeking, amid the wild lights and shadows of the - populous city, that infinity of mental excitement which quiet observation - can afford. - </p> - <p> - At such times I could not help remarking and admiring (although from his - rich ideality I had been prepared to expect it) a peculiar analytic - ability in Dupin. He seemed, too, to take an eager delight in its exercise—if - not exactly in its display—and did not hesitate to confess the - pleasure thus derived. He boasted to me, with a low chuckling laugh, that - most men, in respect to himself, wore windows in their bosoms, and was - wont to follow up such assertions by direct and very startling proofs of - his intimate knowledge of my own. His manner at these moments was frigid - and abstract; his eyes were vacant in expression; while his voice, usually - a rich tenor, rose into a treble which would have sounded petulantly but - for the deliberateness and entire distinctness of the enunciation. - Observing him in these moods, I often dwelt meditatively upon the old - philosophy of the Bi-Part Soul, and amused myself with the fancy of a - double Dupin—the creative and the resolvent. - </p> - <p> - Let it not be supposed, from what I have just said, that I am detailing - any mystery, or penning any romance. What I have described in the - Frenchman, was merely the result of an excited, or perhaps of a diseased - intelligence. But of the character of his remarks at the periods in - question an example will best convey the idea. - </p> - <p> - We were strolling one night down a long dirty street in the vicinity of - the Palais Royal. Being both, apparently, occupied with thought, neither - of us had spoken a syllable for fifteen minutes at least. All at once - Dupin broke forth with these words: - </p> - <p> - “He is a very little fellow, that’s true, and would do better - for the <i>Théâtre des Variétés</i>.” - </p> - <p> - “There can be no doubt of that,” I replied unwittingly, and not at first - observing (so much had I been absorbed in reflection) the extraordinary - manner in which the speaker had chimed in with my meditations. In an - instant afterward I recollected myself, and my astonishment was profound. - </p> - <p> - “Dupin,” said I, gravely, “this is beyond my comprehension. I do not - hesitate to say that I am amazed, and can scarcely credit my senses. How - was it possible you should know I was thinking of ——?” Here I - paused, to ascertain beyond a doubt whether he really knew of whom I - thought. - </p> - <p> - “—— of Chantilly,” said he, “why do you - pause? You were remarking to yourself that his diminutive figure unfitted - him for tragedy.” - </p> - <p> - This was precisely what had formed the subject of my reflections. - Chantilly was a <i>quondam</i> cobbler of the Rue St. Denis, who, becoming - stage-mad, had attempted the <i>rôle</i> of Xerxes, in Crébillon’s - tragedy so called, and been notoriously Pasquinaded for his pains. - </p> - <p> - “Tell me, for Heaven’s sake,” I exclaimed, “the method—if method - there is—by which you have been enabled to fathom my soul in this - matter.” In fact I was even more startled than I would have been willing - to express. - </p> - <p> - “It was the fruiterer,” replied my friend, “who brought you to the - conclusion that the mender of soles was not of sufficient height for - Xerxes <i>et id genus omne</i>.” - </p> - <p> - “The fruiterer!—you astonish me—I know no fruiterer - whomsoever.” - </p> - <p> - “The man who ran up against you as we entered the street—it may have - been fifteen minutes ago.” - </p> - <p> - I now remembered that, in fact, a fruiterer, carrying upon his head a - large basket of apples, had nearly thrown me down, by accident, as we - passed from the Rue C—— into the thoroughfare where we stood; - but what this had to do with Chantilly I could not possibly understand. - </p> - <p> - There was not a particle of <i>charlatânerie</i> about Dupin. “I - will explain,” he said, “and that you may comprehend all clearly, we will - first retrace the course of your meditations, from the moment in which I - spoke to you until that of the <i>rencontre</i> with the fruiterer in - question. The larger links of the chain run thus—Chantilly, Orion, - Dr. Nichols, Epicurus, Stereotomy, the street stones, the fruiterer.” - </p> - <p> - There are few persons who have not, at some period of their lives, amused - themselves in retracing the steps by which particular conclusions of their - own minds have been attained. The occupation is often full of interest; and - he who attempts it for the first time is astonished by the apparently - illimitable distance and incoherence between the starting-point and the - goal. What, then, must have been my amazement when I heard the Frenchman - speak what he had just spoken, and when I could not help acknowledging - that he had spoken the truth. He continued: - </p> - <p> - “We had been talking of horses, if I remember aright, just before leaving - the Rue C——. This was the last subject we discussed. As we - crossed into this street, a fruiterer, with a large basket upon his head, - brushing quickly past us, thrust you upon a pile of paving stones - collected at a spot where the causeway is undergoing repair. You stepped - upon one of the loose fragments, slipped, slightly strained your ankle, - appeared vexed or sulky, muttered a few words, turned to look at the pile, - and then proceeded in silence. I was not particularly attentive to what - you did; but observation has become with me, of late, a species of - necessity. - </p> - <p> - “You kept your eyes upon the ground—glancing, with a petulant - expression, at the holes and ruts in the pavement, (so that I saw you were - still thinking of the stones,) until we reached the little alley called - Lamartine, which has been paved, by way of experiment, with the - overlapping and riveted blocks. Here your countenance brightened up, and, - perceiving your lips move, I could not doubt that you murmured the word - ‘stereotomy,’ a term very affectedly applied to this species of pavement. - I knew that you could not say to yourself ‘stereotomy’ without being - brought to think of atomies, and thus of the theories of Epicurus; and - since, when we discussed this subject not very long ago, I mentioned to - you how singularly, yet with how little notice, the vague guesses of that - noble Greek had met with confirmation in the late nebular cosmogony, I - felt that you could not avoid casting your eyes upward to the great <i>nebula</i> - in Orion, and I certainly expected that you would do so. You did look up; - and I was now assured that I had correctly followed your steps. But in - that bitter <i>tirade</i> upon Chantilly, which appeared in yesterday’s ‘<i>Musée</i>,’ - the satirist, making some disgraceful allusions to the cobbler’s change of - name upon assuming the buskin, quoted a Latin line about which we have - often conversed. I mean the line - </p> -<p class="poem"> - Perdidit antiquum litera prima sonum. -</p> - <p> - “I had told you that this was in reference to Orion, formerly written - Urion; and, from certain pungencies connected with this explanation, I was - aware that you could not have forgotten it. It was clear, therefore, that - you would not fail to combine the two ideas of Orion and Chantilly. That - you did combine them I saw by the character of the smile which passed over - your lips. You thought of the poor cobbler’s immolation. So far, you had - been stooping in your gait; but now I saw you draw yourself up to your - full height. I was then sure that you reflected upon the diminutive figure - of Chantilly. At this point I interrupted your meditations to remark that - as, in fact, he was a very little fellow—that Chantilly—he - would do better at the <i>Théâtre des Variétés</i>.” - </p> - <p> - Not long after this, we were looking over an evening edition of the - “Gazette des Tribunaux,” when the following paragraphs arrested our - attention. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Extraordinary Murders</i>.—This morning, about three o’clock, the - inhabitants of the Quartier St. Roch were aroused from sleep by a - succession of terrific shrieks, issuing, apparently, from the fourth story - of a house in the Rue Morgue, known to be in the sole occupancy of one - Madame L’Espanaye, and her daughter, Mademoiselle Camille L’Espanaye. After - some delay, occasioned by a fruitless attempt to procure admission in the - usual manner, the gateway was broken in with a crowbar, and eight or ten - of the neighbors entered accompanied by two <i>gendarmes</i>. By this time - the cries had ceased; but, as the party rushed up the first flight of - stairs, two or more rough voices in angry contention were distinguished - and seemed to proceed from the upper part of the house. As the second - landing was reached, these sounds, also, had ceased and everything - remained perfectly quiet. The party spread themselves and hurried from - room to room. Upon arriving at a large back chamber in the fourth story, - (the door of which, being found locked, with the key inside, was forced - open,) a spectacle presented itself which struck every one present not - less with horror than with astonishment. - </p> - <p> - “The apartment was in the wildest disorder—the furniture broken and - thrown about in all directions. There was only one bedstead; and from this - the bed had been removed, and thrown into the middle of the floor. On a - chair lay a razor, besmeared with blood. On the hearth were two or three - long and thick tresses of grey human hair, also dabbled in blood, and - seeming to have been pulled out by the roots. Upon the floor were found - four Napoleons, an ear-ring of topaz, three large silver spoons, three - smaller of <i>métal d’Alger</i>, and two bags, containing nearly - four thousand francs in gold. The drawers of a <i>bureau</i>, which stood - in one corner were open, and had been, apparently, rifled, although many - articles still remained in them. A small iron safe was discovered under - the <i>bed</i> (not under the bedstead). It was open, with the key still - in the door. It had no contents beyond a few old letters, and other papers - of little consequence. - </p> - <p> - “Of Madame L’Espanaye no traces were here seen; but an unusual quantity of - soot being observed in the fire-place, a search was made in the chimney, - and (horrible to relate!) the corpse of the daughter, head downward, was - dragged therefrom; it having been thus forced up the narrow aperture for a - considerable distance. The body was quite warm. Upon examining it, many - excoriations were perceived, no doubt occasioned by the violence with - which it had been thrust up and disengaged. Upon the face were many severe - scratches, and, upon the throat, dark bruises, and deep indentations of - finger nails, as if the deceased had been throttled to death. - </p> - <p> - “After a thorough investigation of every portion of the house, without - farther discovery, the party made its way into a small paved yard in the - rear of the building, where lay the corpse of the old lady, with her - throat so entirely cut that, upon an attempt to raise her, the head fell - off. The body, as well as the head, was fearfully mutilated—the - former so much so as scarcely to retain any semblance of humanity. - </p> - <p> - “To this horrible mystery there is not as yet, we believe, the slightest - clew.” - </p> - <p> - The next day’s paper had these additional particulars. - </p> - <p> - “<i>The Tragedy in the Rue Morgue.</i>—Many individuals have been examined - in relation to this most extraordinary and frightful affair” [The word - ‘affaire’ has not yet, in France, that levity of import which it conveys - with us], “but nothing whatever has transpired to throw light upon it. We - give below all the material testimony elicited. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Pauline Dubourg</i>, laundress, deposes that she has known both the - deceased for three years, having washed for them during that period. The - old lady and her daughter seemed on good terms—very affectionate - towards each other. They were excellent pay. Could not speak in regard to - their mode or means of living. Believed that Madame L. told fortunes for a - living. Was reputed to have money put by. Never met any persons in the - house when she called for the clothes or took them home. Was sure that - they had no servant in employ. There appeared to be no furniture in any - part of the building except in the fourth story. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Pierre Moreau</i>, tobacconist, deposes that he has been in the habit - of selling small quantities of tobacco and snuff to Madame L’Espanaye for - nearly four years. Was born in the neighborhood, and has always resided - there. The deceased and her daughter had occupied the house in which the - corpses were found, for more than six years. It was formerly occupied by a - jeweller, who under-let the upper rooms to various persons. The house was - the property of Madame L. She became dissatisfied with the abuse of the - premises by her tenant, and moved into them herself, refusing to let any - portion. The old lady was childish. Witness had seen the daughter some - five or six times during the six years. The two lived an exceedingly - retired life—were reputed to have money. Had heard it said among the - neighbors that Madame L. told fortunes—did not believe it. Had never - seen any person enter the door except the old lady and her daughter, a - porter once or twice, and a physician some eight or ten times. - </p> - <p> - “Many other persons, neighbors, gave evidence to the same effect. No one - was spoken of as frequenting the house. It was not known whether there - were any living connexions of Madame L. and her daughter. The shutters of - the front windows were seldom opened. Those in the rear were always - closed, with the exception of the large back room, fourth story. The house - was a good house—not very old. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Isidore Musèt</i>, <i>gendarme</i>, deposes that he was called to the - house about three o’clock in the morning, and found some twenty or thirty - persons at the gateway, endeavoring to gain admittance. Forced it open, at - length, with a bayonet—not with a crowbar. Had but little difficulty - in getting it open, on account of its being a double or folding gate, and - bolted neither at bottom not top. The shrieks were continued until the - gate was forced—and then suddenly ceased. They seemed to be screams - of some person (or persons) in great agony—were loud and drawn out, - not short and quick. Witness led the way up stairs. Upon reaching the - first landing, heard two voices in loud and angry contention—the one - a gruff voice, the other much shriller—a very strange voice. Could - distinguish some words of the former, which was that of a Frenchman. Was - positive that it was not a woman’s voice. Could distinguish the words ‘<i>sacré</i>’ - and ‘<i>diable.</i>’ The shrill voice was that of a foreigner. Could not - be sure whether it was the voice of a man or of a woman. Could not make - out what was said, but believed the language to be Spanish. The state of - the room and of the bodies was described by this witness as we described - them yesterday. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Henri Duval</i>, a neighbor, and by trade a silver-smith, deposes that - he was one of the party who first entered the house. Corroborates the - testimony of Musèt in general. As soon as they forced an entrance, - they reclosed the door, to keep out the crowd, which collected very fast, - notwithstanding the lateness of the hour. The shrill voice, this witness - thinks, was that of an Italian. Was certain it was not French. Could not - be sure that it was a man’s voice. It might have been a woman’s. Was not - acquainted with the Italian language. Could not distinguish the words, but - was convinced by the intonation that the speaker was an Italian. Knew - Madame L. and her daughter. Had conversed with both frequently. Was sure - that the shrill voice was not that of either of the deceased. - </p> - <p> - “——<i>Odenheimer, restaurateur.</i> This witness volunteered his - testimony. Not speaking French, was examined through an interpreter. Is a - native of Amsterdam. Was passing the house at the time of the shrieks. - They lasted for several minutes—probably ten. They were long and - loud—very awful and distressing. Was one of those who entered the - building. Corroborated the previous evidence in every respect but one. Was - sure that the shrill voice was that of a man—of a Frenchman. Could - not distinguish the words uttered. They were loud and quick—unequal—spoken - apparently in fear as well as in anger. The voice was harsh—not so - much shrill as harsh. Could not call it a shrill voice. The gruff voice - said repeatedly ‘<i>sacré</i>,’ ‘<i>diable</i>,’ and once ‘<i>mon - Dieu.</i>’ - </p> - <p> - “<i>Jules Mignaud</i>, banker, of the firm of Mignaud et Fils, Rue - Deloraine. Is the elder Mignaud. Madame L’Espanaye had some property. Had - opened an account with his banking house in the spring of the year—(eight - years previously). Made frequent deposits in small sums. Had checked for - nothing until the third day before her death, when she took out in person - the sum of 4000 francs. This sum was paid in gold, and a clerk went home - with the money. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Adolphe Le Bon</i>, clerk to Mignaud et Fils, deposes that on the day - in question, about noon, he accompanied Madame L’Espanaye to her residence - with the 4000 francs, put up in two bags. Upon the door being opened, - Mademoiselle L. appeared and took from his hands one of the bags, while - the old lady relieved him of the other. He then bowed and departed. Did - not see any person in the street at the time. It is a by-street—very - lonely. - </p> - <p> - “<i>William Bird</i>, tailor deposes that he was one of the party who - entered the house. Is an Englishman. Has lived in Paris two years. Was one - of the first to ascend the stairs. Heard the voices in contention. The - gruff voice was that of a Frenchman. Could make out several words, but - cannot now remember all. Heard distinctly ‘<i>sacré</i>’ and ‘<i>mon - Dieu.</i>’ There was a sound at the moment as if of several persons - struggling—a scraping and scuffling sound. The shrill voice was very - loud—louder than the gruff one. Is sure that it was not the voice of - an Englishman. Appeared to be that of a German. Might have been a woman’s - voice. Does not understand German. - </p> - <p> - “Four of the above-named witnesses, being recalled, deposed that the door - of the chamber in which was found the body of Mademoiselle L. was locked - on the inside when the party reached it. Every thing was perfectly silent—no - groans or noises of any kind. Upon forcing the door no person was seen. - The windows, both of the back and front room, were down and firmly - fastened from within. A door between the two rooms was closed, but not - locked. The door leading from the front room into the passage was locked, - with the key on the inside. A small room in the front of the house, on the - fourth story, at the head of the passage was open, the door being ajar. - This room was crowded with old beds, boxes, and so forth. These were - carefully removed and searched. There was not an inch of any portion of - the house which was not carefully searched. Sweeps were sent up and down - the chimneys. The house was a four story one, with garrets (<i>mansardes.</i>) - A trap-door on the roof was nailed down very securely—did not appear - to have been opened for years. The time elapsing between the hearing of - the voices in contention and the breaking open of the room door, was - variously stated by the witnesses. Some made it as short as three minutes—some - as long as five. The door was opened with difficulty. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Alfonzo Garcio</i>, undertaker, deposes that he resides in the Rue - Morgue. Is a native of Spain. Was one of the party who entered the house. - Did not proceed up stairs. Is nervous, and was apprehensive of the - consequences of agitation. Heard the voices in contention. The gruff voice - was that of a Frenchman. Could not distinguish what was said. The shrill - voice was that of an Englishman—is sure of this. Does not understand - the English language, but judges by the intonation. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Alberto Montani</i>, confectioner, deposes that he was among the first - to ascend the stairs. Heard the voices in question. The gruff voice was - that of a Frenchman. Distinguished several words. The speaker appeared to - be expostulating. Could not make out the words of the shrill voice. Spoke - quick and unevenly. Thinks it the voice of a Russian. Corroborates the - general testimony. Is an Italian. Never conversed with a native of Russia. - </p> - <p> - “Several witnesses, recalled, here testified that the chimneys of all the - rooms on the fourth story were too narrow to admit the passage of a human - being. By ‘sweeps’ were meant cylindrical sweeping brushes, such as are - employed by those who clean chimneys. These brushes were passed up and - down every flue in the house. There is no back passage by which any one - could have descended while the party proceeded up stairs. The body of - Mademoiselle L’Espanaye was so firmly wedged in the chimney that it could - not be got down until four or five of the party united their strength. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Paul Dumas</i>, physician, deposes that he was called to view the - bodies about day-break. They were both then lying on the sacking of the - bedstead in the chamber where Mademoiselle L. was found. The corpse of the - young lady was much bruised and excoriated. The fact that it had been - thrust up the chimney would sufficiently account for these appearances. - The throat was greatly chafed. There were several deep scratches just - below the chin, together with a series of livid spots which were evidently - the impression of fingers. The face was fearfully discolored, and the - eye-balls protruded. The tongue had been partially bitten through. A large - bruise was discovered upon the pit of the stomach, produced, apparently, - by the pressure of a knee. In the opinion of M. Dumas, Mademoiselle - L’Espanaye had been throttled to death by some person or persons unknown. - The corpse of the mother was horribly mutilated. All the bones of the - right leg and arm were more or less shattered. The left <i>tibia</i> much - splintered, as well as all the ribs of the left side. Whole body - dreadfully bruised and discolored. It was not possible to say how the - injuries had been inflicted. A heavy club of wood, or a broad bar of iron—a - chair—any large, heavy, and obtuse weapon would have produced such - results, if wielded by the hands of a very powerful man. No woman could - have inflicted the blows with any weapon. The head of the deceased, when - seen by witness, was entirely separated from the body, and was also - greatly shattered. The throat had evidently been cut with some very sharp - instrument—probably with a razor. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Alexandre Etienne</i>, surgeon, was called with M. Dumas to view the - bodies. Corroborated the testimony, and the opinions of M. Dumas. - </p> - <p> - “Nothing farther of importance was elicited, although several other - persons were examined. A murder so mysterious, and so perplexing in all - its particulars, was never before committed in Paris—if indeed a - murder has been committed at all. The police are entirely at fault—an - unusual occurrence in affairs of this nature. There is not, however, the - shadow of a clew apparent.” - </p> - <p> - The evening edition of the paper stated that the greatest excitement still - continued in the Quartier St. Roch—that the premises in question had - been carefully re-searched, and fresh examinations of witnesses - instituted, but all to no purpose. A postscript, however, mentioned that - Adolphe Le Bon had been arrested and imprisoned—although nothing - appeared to criminate him, beyond the facts already detailed. - </p> - <p> - Dupin seemed singularly interested in the progress of this affair—at - least so I judged from his manner, for he made no comments. It was only - after the announcement that Le Bon had been imprisoned, that he asked me - my opinion respecting the murders. - </p> - <p> - I could merely agree with all Paris in considering them an insoluble - mystery. I saw no means by which it would be possible to trace the - murderer. - </p> - <p> - “We must not judge of the means,” said Dupin, “by this shell of an - examination. The Parisian police, so much extolled for <i>acumen</i>, are - cunning, but no more. There is no method in their proceedings, beyond the - method of the moment. They make a vast parade of measures; but, not - unfrequently, these are so ill adapted to the objects proposed, as to put - us in mind of Monsieur Jourdain’s calling for his <i>robe-de-chambre—pour - mieux entendre la musique.</i> The results attained by them are not - unfrequently surprising, but, for the most part, are brought about by - simple diligence and activity. When these qualities are unavailing, their - schemes fail. Vidocq, for example, was a good guesser and a persevering - man. But, without educated thought, he erred continually by the very - intensity of his investigations. He impaired his vision by holding the - object too close. He might see, perhaps, one or two points with unusual - clearness, but in so doing he, necessarily, lost sight of the matter as a - whole. Thus there is such a thing as being too profound. Truth is not - always in a well. In fact, as regards the more important knowledge, I do - believe that she is invariably superficial. The depth lies in the valleys - where we seek her, and not upon the mountain-tops where she is found. The - modes and sources of this kind of error are well typified in the - contemplation of the heavenly bodies. To look at a star by glances—to - view it in a side-long way, by turning toward it the exterior portions of - the <i>retina</i> (more susceptible of feeble impressions of light than - the interior), is to behold the star distinctly—is to have the best - appreciation of its lustre—a lustre which grows dim just in - proportion as we turn our vision <i>fully</i> upon it. A greater number of - rays actually fall upon the eye in the latter case, but, in the former, - there is the more refined capacity for comprehension. By undue profundity - we perplex and enfeeble thought; and it is possible to make even Venus - herself vanish from the firmament by a scrutiny too sustained, too - concentrated, or too direct. - </p> - <p> - “As for these murders, let us enter into some examinations for ourselves, - before we make up an opinion respecting them. An inquiry will afford us - amusement,” [I thought this an odd term, so applied, but said nothing] - “and, besides, Le Bon once rendered me a service for which I am not - ungrateful. We will go and see the premises with our own eyes. I know G——, - the Prefect of Police, and shall have no difficulty in obtaining the - necessary permission.” - </p> - <p> - The permission was obtained, and we proceeded at once to the Rue Morgue. - This is one of those miserable thoroughfares which intervene between the - Rue Richelieu and the Rue St. Roch. It was late in the afternoon when we - reached it, as this quarter is at a great distance from that in which we - resided. The house was readily found; for there were still many persons - gazing up at the closed shutters, with an objectless curiosity, from the - opposite side of the way. It was an ordinary Parisian house, with a - gateway, on one side of which was a glazed watch-box, with a sliding panel - in the window, indicating a <i>loge de concierge.</i> Before going in we - walked up the street, turned down an alley, and then, again turning, - passed in the rear of the building—Dupin, meanwhile examining the - whole neighborhood, as well as the house, with a minuteness of attention - for which I could see no possible object. - </p> - <p> - Retracing our steps, we came again to the front of the dwelling, rang, - and, having shown our credentials, were admitted by the agents in charge. - We went up stairs—into the chamber where the body of Mademoiselle - L’Espanaye had been found, and where both the deceased still lay. The - disorders of the room had, as usual, been suffered to exist. I saw nothing - beyond what had been stated in the “Gazette des Tribunaux.” Dupin - scrutinized every thing—not excepting the bodies of the victims. We - then went into the other rooms, and into the yard; a <i>gendarme</i> - accompanying us throughout. The examination occupied us until dark, when - we took our departure. On our way home my companion stepped in for a - moment at the office of one of the daily papers. - </p> - <p> - I have said that the whims of my friend were manifold, and that <i>Je les - ménageais</i>:—for this phrase there is no English equivalent. - It was his humor, now, to decline all conversation on the subject of the - murder, until about noon the next day. He then asked me, suddenly, if I - had observed any thing <i>peculiar</i> at the scene of the atrocity. - </p> - <p> - There was something in his manner of emphasizing the word “peculiar,” - which caused me to shudder, without knowing why. - </p> - <p> - “No, nothing <i>peculiar</i>,” I said; “nothing more, at least, than we - both saw stated in the paper.” - </p> - <p> - “The ‘Gazette,’” he replied, “has not entered, I fear, into the unusual - horror of the thing. But dismiss the idle opinions of this print. It - appears to me that this mystery is considered insoluble, for the very - reason which should cause it to be regarded as easy of solution—I - mean for the <i>outré</i> character of its features. The police are - confounded by the seeming absence of motive—not for the murder - itself—but for the atrocity of the murder. They are puzzled, too, by - the seeming impossibility of reconciling the voices heard in contention, - with the facts that no one was discovered up stairs but the assassinated - Mademoiselle L’Espanaye, and that there were no means of egress without - the notice of the party ascending. The wild disorder of the room; the - corpse thrust, with the head downward, up the chimney; the frightful - mutilation of the body of the old lady; these considerations, with those - just mentioned, and others which I need not mention, have sufficed to - paralyze the powers, by putting completely at fault the boasted <i>acumen</i>, - of the government agents. They have fallen into the gross but common error - of confounding the unusual with the abstruse. But it is by these - deviations from the plane of the ordinary, that reason feels its way, if - at all, in its search for the true. In investigations such as we are now - pursuing, it should not be so much asked ‘what has occurred,’ as ‘what has - occurred that has never occurred before.’ In fact, the facility with which - I shall arrive, or have arrived, at the solution of this mystery, is in - the direct ratio of its apparent insolubility in the eyes of the police.” - </p> - <p> - I stared at the speaker in mute astonishment. - </p> - <p> - “I am now awaiting,” continued he, looking toward the door of our - apartment—“I am now awaiting a person who, although perhaps not the - perpetrator of these butcheries, must have been in some measure implicated - in their perpetration. Of the worst portion of the crimes committed, it is - probable that he is innocent. I hope that I am right in this supposition; - for upon it I build my expectation of reading the entire riddle. I look - for the man here—in this room—every moment. It is true that he - may not arrive; but the probability is that he will. Should he come, it - will be necessary to detain him. Here are pistols; and we both know how to - use them when occasion demands their use.” - </p> - <p> - I took the pistols, scarcely knowing what I did, or believing what I - heard, while Dupin went on, very much as if in a soliloquy. I have already - spoken of his abstract manner at such times. His discourse was addressed - to myself; but his voice, although by no means loud, had that intonation - which is commonly employed in speaking to some one at a great distance. - His eyes, vacant in expression, regarded only the wall. - </p> - <p> - “That the voices heard in contention,” he said, “by the party upon the - stairs, were not the voices of the women themselves, was fully proved by - the evidence. This relieves us of all doubt upon the question whether the - old lady could have first destroyed the daughter and afterward have - committed suicide. I speak of this point chiefly for the sake of method; - for the strength of Madame L’Espanaye would have been utterly unequal to - the task of thrusting her daughter’s corpse up the chimney as it was - found; and the nature of the wounds upon her own person entirely preclude - the idea of self-destruction. Murder, then, has been committed by some - third party; and the voices of this third party were those heard in - contention. Let me now advert—not to the whole testimony respecting - these voices—but to what was <i>peculiar</i> in that testimony. Did - you observe any thing peculiar about it?” - </p> - <p> - I remarked that, while all the witnesses agreed in supposing the gruff - voice to be that of a Frenchman, there was much disagreement in regard to - the shrill, or, as one individual termed it, the harsh voice. - </p> - <p> - “That was the evidence itself,” said Dupin, “but it was not the - peculiarity of the evidence. You have observed nothing distinctive. Yet - there <i>was</i> something to be observed. The witnesses, as you remark, - agreed about the gruff voice; they were here unanimous. But in regard to - the shrill voice, the peculiarity is—not that they disagreed—but - that, while an Italian, an Englishman, a Spaniard, a Hollander, and a - Frenchman attempted to describe it, each one spoke of it as that <i>of a - foreigner</i>. Each is sure that it was not the voice of one of his own - countrymen. Each likens it—not to the voice of an individual of any - nation with whose language he is conversant—but the converse. The - Frenchman supposes it the voice of a Spaniard, and ‘might have - distinguished some words <i>had he been acquainted with the Spanish.</i>’ - The Dutchman maintains it to have been that of a Frenchman; but we find it - stated that ‘<i>not understanding French this witness was examined through - an interpreter.</i>’ The Englishman thinks it the voice of a German, and ‘<i>does - not understand German.</i>’ The Spaniard ‘is sure’ that it was that of an - Englishman, but ‘judges by the intonation’ altogether, ‘<i>as he has no - knowledge of the English.</i>’ The Italian believes it the voice of a - Russian, but ‘<i>has never conversed with a native of Russia.</i>’ A - second Frenchman differs, moreover, with the first, and is positive that - the voice was that of an Italian; but, <i>not being cognizant of that - tongue</i>, is, like the Spaniard, ‘convinced by the intonation.’ Now, how - strangely unusual must that voice have really been, about which such - testimony as this <i>could</i> have been elicited!—in whose <i>tones</i>, - even, denizens of the five great divisions of Europe could recognise - nothing familiar! You will say that it might have been the voice of an - Asiatic—of an African. Neither Asiatics nor Africans abound in - Paris; but, without denying the inference, I will now merely call your - attention to three points. The voice is termed by one witness ‘harsh - rather than shrill.’ It is represented by two others to have been ‘quick - and <i>unequal.</i>’ No words—no sounds resembling words—were - by any witness mentioned as distinguishable. - </p> - <p> - “I know not,” continued Dupin, “what impression I may have made, so far, - upon your own understanding; but I do not hesitate to say that legitimate - deductions even from this portion of the testimony—the portion - respecting the gruff and shrill voices—are in themselves sufficient - to engender a suspicion which should give direction to all farther - progress in the investigation of the mystery. I said ‘legitimate - deductions;’ but my meaning is not thus fully expressed. I designed to - imply that the deductions are the <i>sole</i> proper ones, and that the - suspicion arises <i>inevitably</i> from them as the single result. What - the suspicion is, however, I will not say just yet. I merely wish you to - bear in mind that, with myself, it was sufficiently forcible to give a - definite form—a certain tendency—to my inquiries in the - chamber. - </p> - <p> - “Let us now transport ourselves, in fancy, to this chamber. What shall we - first seek here? The means of egress employed by the murderers. It is not - too much to say that neither of us believe in præternatural events. - Madame and Mademoiselle L’Espanaye were not destroyed by spirits. The - doers of the deed were material, and escaped materially. Then how? - Fortunately, there is but one mode of reasoning upon the point, and that - mode <i>must</i> lead us to a definite decision. Let us examine, - each by each, the possible means of egress. It is clear that the assassins - were in the room where Mademoiselle L’Espanaye was found, or at least in - the room adjoining, when the party ascended the stairs. It is then only - from these two apartments that we have to seek issues. The police have - laid bare the floors, the ceilings, and the masonry of the walls, in every - direction. No <i>secret</i> issues could have escaped their vigilance. - But, not trusting to <i>their</i> eyes, I examined with my own. There - were, then, no secret issues. Both doors leading from the rooms into the - passage were securely locked, with the keys inside. Let us turn to the - chimneys. These, although of ordinary width for some eight or ten feet - above the hearths, will not admit, throughout their extent, the body of a - large cat. The impossibility of egress, by means already stated, being - thus absolute, we are reduced to the windows. Through those of the front - room no one could have escaped without notice from the crowd in the - street. The murderers <i>must</i> have passed, then, through those of the - back room. Now, brought to this conclusion in so unequivocal a manner as - we are, it is not our part, as reasoners, to reject it on account of - apparent impossibilities. It is only left for us to prove that these - apparent ‘impossibilities’ are, in reality, not such. - </p> - <p> - “There are two windows in the chamber. One of them is unobstructed by - furniture, and is wholly visible. The lower portion of the other is hidden - from view by the head of the unwieldy bedstead which is thrust close up - against it. The former was found securely fastened from within. It - resisted the utmost force of those who endeavored to raise it. A large - gimlet-hole had been pierced in its frame to the left, and a very stout - nail was found fitted therein, nearly to the head. Upon examining the - other window, a similar nail was seen similarly fitted in it; and a - vigorous attempt to raise this sash, failed also. The police were now - entirely satisfied that egress had not been in these directions. And, <i>therefore</i>, - it was thought a matter of supererogation to withdraw the nails and open - the windows. - </p> - <p> - “My own examination was somewhat more particular, and was so for the - reason I have just given—because here it was, I knew, that all - apparent impossibilities <i>must</i> be proved to be not such in reality. - </p> - <p> - “I proceeded to think thus—<i>a posteriori</i>. The murderers - did escape from one of these windows. This being so, they could not have - refastened the sashes from the inside, as they were found fastened;—the - consideration which put a stop, through its obviousness, to the scrutiny - of the police in this quarter. Yet the sashes <i>were</i> fastened. They - <i>must</i>, then, have the power of fastening themselves. There was no - escape from this conclusion. I stepped to the unobstructed casement, - withdrew the nail with some difficulty and attempted to raise the sash. It - resisted all my efforts, as I had anticipated. A concealed spring must, I - now know, exist; and this corroboration of my idea convinced me that my - premises at least, were correct, however mysterious still appeared the - circumstances attending the nails. A careful search soon brought to light - the hidden spring. I pressed it, and, satisfied with the discovery, - forbore to upraise the sash. - </p> - <p> - “I now replaced the nail and regarded it attentively. A person passing out - through this window might have reclosed it, and the spring would have - caught—but the nail could not have been replaced. The conclusion was - plain, and again narrowed in the field of my investigations. The assassins - <i>must</i> have escaped through the other window. Supposing, then, the - springs upon each sash to be the same, as was probable, there <i>must</i> - be found a difference between the nails, or at least between the modes of - their fixture. Getting upon the sacking of the bedstead, I looked over the - head-board minutely at the second casement. Passing my hand down behind - the board, I readily discovered and pressed the spring, which was, as I - had supposed, identical in character with its neighbor. I now looked at - the nail. It was as stout as the other, and apparently fitted in the same - manner—driven in nearly up to the head. - </p> - <p> - “You will say that I was puzzled; but, if you think so, you must have - misunderstood the nature of the inductions. To use a sporting phrase, I - had not been once ‘at fault.’ The scent had never for an instant been - lost. There was no flaw in any link of the chain. I had traced the secret - to its ultimate result,—and that result was <i>the nail.</i> It had, - I say, in every respect, the appearance of its fellow in the other window; - but this fact was an absolute nullity (conclusive us it might seem to be) - when compared with the consideration that here, at this point, terminated - the clew. ‘There <i>must</i> be something wrong,’ I said, ‘about the - nail.’ I touched it; and the head, with about a quarter of an inch of the - shank, came off in my fingers. The rest of the shank was in the - gimlet-hole where it had been broken off. The fracture was an old one (for - its edges were incrusted with rust), and had apparently been accomplished - by the blow of a hammer, which had partially imbedded, in the top of the - bottom sash, the head portion of the nail. I now carefully replaced this - head portion in the indentation whence I had taken it, and the resemblance - to a perfect nail was complete—the fissure was invisible. Pressing - the spring, I gently raised the sash for a few inches; the head went up - with it, remaining firm in its bed. I closed the window, and the semblance - of the whole nail was again perfect. - </p> - <p> - “The riddle, so far, was now unriddled. The assassin had escaped through - the window which looked upon the bed. Dropping of its own accord upon his - exit (or perhaps purposely closed), it had become fastened by the spring; - and it was the retention of this spring which had been mistaken by the - police for that of the nail,—farther inquiry being thus considered - unnecessary. - </p> - <p> - “The next question is that of the mode of descent. Upon this point I had - been satisfied in my walk with you around the building. About five feet - and a half from the casement in question there runs a lightning-rod. From - this rod it would have been impossible for any one to reach the window - itself, to say nothing of entering it. I observed, however, that the - shutters of the fourth story were of the peculiar kind called by Parisian - carpenters <i>ferrades</i>—a kind rarely employed at the present - day, but frequently seen upon very old mansions at Lyons and Bordeaux. - They are in the form of an ordinary door (a single, not a folding door), - except that the lower half is latticed or worked in open trellis—thus - affording an excellent hold for the hands. In the present instance these - shutters are fully three feet and a half broad. When we saw them from the - rear of the house, they were both about half open—that is to say, - they stood off at right angles from the wall. It is probable that the - police, as well as myself, examined the back of the tenement; but, if so, - in looking at these <i>ferrades</i> in the line of their breadth (as they - must have done), they did not perceive this great breadth itself, or, at - all events, failed to take it into due consideration. In fact, having once - satisfied themselves that no egress could have been made in this quarter, - they would naturally bestow here a very cursory examination. It was clear - to me, however, that the shutter belonging to the window at the head of - the bed, would, if swung fully back to the wall, reach to within two feet - of the lightning-rod. It was also evident that, by exertion of a very - unusual degree of activity and courage, an entrance into the window, from - the rod, might have been thus effected. By reaching to the distance - of two feet and a half (we now suppose the shutter open to its whole - extent) a robber might have taken a firm grasp upon the trellis-work. - Letting go, then, his hold upon the rod, placing his feet securely against - the wall, and springing boldly from it, he might have swung the shutter so - as to close it, and, if we imagine the window open at the time, might even - have swung himself into the room. - </p> - <p> - “I wish you to bear especially in mind that I have spoken of a <i>very</i> - unusual degree of activity as requisite to success in so hazardous and so - difficult a feat. It is my design to show you, first, that the thing might - possibly have been accomplished:—but, secondly and <i>chiefly</i>, I - wish to impress upon your understanding the <i>very extraordinary</i>—the - almost præternatural character of that agility which could have - accomplished it. - </p> - <p> - “You will say, no doubt, using the language of the law, that ‘to make out - my case,’ I should rather undervalue, than insist upon a full estimation - of the activity required in this matter. This may be the practice in law, - but it is not the usage of reason. My ultimate object is only the truth. - My immediate purpose is to lead you to place in juxtaposition, that <i>very - unusual</i> activity of which I have just spoken with that <i>very - peculiar</i> shrill (or harsh) and <i>unequal</i> voice, about whose - nationality no two persons could be found to agree, and in whose utterance - no syllabification could be detected.” - </p> - <p> - At these words a vague and half-formed conception of the meaning of Dupin - flitted over my mind. I seemed to be upon the verge of comprehension - without power to comprehend—as men, at times, find themselves upon the - brink of remembrance without being able, in the end, to remember. My - friend went on with his discourse. - </p> - <p> - “You will see,” he said, “that I have shifted the question from the mode - of egress to that of ingress. It was my design to convey the idea that - both were effected in the same manner, at the same point. Let us now - revert to the interior of the room. Let us survey the appearances here. - The drawers of the bureau, it is said, had been rifled, although many - articles of apparel still remained within them. The conclusion here is - absurd. It is a mere guess—a very silly one—and no more. How - are we to know that the articles found in the drawers were not all these - drawers had originally contained? Madame L’Espanaye and her daughter lived - an exceedingly retired life—saw no company—seldom went out—had - little use for numerous changes of habiliment. Those found were at least - of as good quality as any likely to be possessed by these ladies. If a - thief had taken any, why did he not take the best—why did he not - take all? In a word, why did he abandon four thousand francs in gold to - encumber himself with a bundle of linen? The gold <i>was</i> abandoned. - Nearly the whole sum mentioned by Monsieur Mignaud, the banker, was - discovered, in bags, upon the floor. I wish you, therefore, to discard - from your thoughts the blundering idea of <i>motive</i>, engendered in the - brains of the police by that portion of the evidence which speaks of money - delivered at the door of the house. Coincidences ten times as remarkable - as this (the delivery of the money, and murder committed within three days - upon the party receiving it), happen to all of us every hour of our lives, - without attracting even momentary notice. Coincidences, in general, are - great stumbling-blocks in the way of that class of thinkers who have been - educated to know nothing of the theory of probabilities—that theory - to which the most glorious objects of human research are indebted for the - most glorious of illustration. In the present instance, had the gold been - gone, the fact of its delivery three days before would have formed - something more than a coincidence. It would have been corroborative of - this idea of motive. But, under the real circumstances of the case, if we - are to suppose gold the motive of this outrage, we must also imagine the - perpetrator so vacillating an idiot as to have abandoned his gold and his - motive together. - </p> - <p> - “Keeping now steadily in mind the points to which I have drawn your - attention—that peculiar voice, that unusual agility, and that - startling absence of motive in a murder so singularly atrocious as this—let - us glance at the butchery itself. Here is a woman strangled to death by - manual strength, and thrust up a chimney, head downward. Ordinary - assassins employ no such modes of murder as this. Least of all, do they - thus dispose of the murdered. In the manner of thrusting the corpse up the - chimney, you will admit that there was something <i>excessively outré</i>—something - altogether irreconcilable with our common notions of human action, even - when we suppose the actors the most depraved of men. Think, too, how great - must have been that strength which could have thrust the body <i>up</i> - such an aperture so forcibly that the united vigor of several persons was - found barely sufficient to drag it <i>down!</i> - </p> - <p> - “Turn, now, to other indications of the employment of a vigor most - marvellous. On the hearth were thick tresses—very thick tresses—of - grey human hair. These had been torn out by the roots. You are aware of - the great force necessary in tearing thus from the head even twenty or - thirty hairs together. You saw the locks in question as well as myself. - Their roots (a hideous sight!) were clotted with fragments of the flesh of - the scalp—sure token of the prodigious power which had been exerted - in uprooting perhaps half a million of hairs at a time. The throat of the - old lady was not merely cut, but the head absolutely severed from the - body: the instrument was a mere razor. I wish you also to look at the <i>brutal</i> - ferocity of these deeds. Of the bruises upon the body of Madame L’Espanaye - I do not speak. Monsieur Dumas, and his worthy coadjutor Monsieur Etienne, - have pronounced that they were inflicted by some obtuse instrument; and so - far these gentlemen are very correct. The obtuse instrument was clearly - the stone pavement in the yard, upon which the victim had fallen from the - window which looked in upon the bed. This idea, however simple it may now - seem, escaped the police for the same reason that the breadth of the - shutters escaped them—because, by the affair of the nails, their - perceptions had been hermetically sealed against the possibility of the - windows having ever been opened at all. - </p> - <p> - “If now, in addition to all these things, you have properly reflected upon - the odd disorder of the chamber, we have gone so far as to combine the - ideas of an agility astounding, a strength superhuman, a ferocity brutal, - a butchery without motive, a <i>grotesquerie</i> in horror absolutely - alien from humanity, and a voice foreign in tone to the ears of men of - many nations, and devoid of all distinct or intelligible syllabification. - What result, then, has ensued? What impression have I made upon your - fancy?” - </p> - <p> - I felt a creeping of the flesh as Dupin asked me the question. “A madman,” - I said, “has done this deed—some raving maniac, escaped from a - neighboring <i>Maison de Santé.</i>” - </p> - <p> - “In some respects,” he replied, “your idea is not irrelevant. But the - voices of madmen, even in their wildest paroxysms, are never found to - tally with that peculiar voice heard upon the stairs. Madmen are of some - nation, and their language, however incoherent in its words, has always - the coherence of syllabification. Besides, the hair of a madman is not - such as I now hold in my hand. I disentangled this little tuft from the - rigidly clutched fingers of Madame L’Espanaye. Tell me what you can make - of it.” - </p> - <p> - “Dupin!” I said, completely unnerved; “this hair is most unusual—this - is no <i>human</i> hair.” - </p> - <p> - “I have not asserted that it is,” said he; “but, before we decide this - point, I wish you to glance at the little sketch I have here traced upon - this paper. It is a <i>fac-simile</i> drawing of what has been described - in one portion of the testimony as ‘dark bruises, and deep indentations of - finger nails,’ upon the throat of Mademoiselle L’Espanaye, and in another - (by Messrs. Dumas and Etienne,) as a ‘series of livid spots, evidently the - impression of fingers.’ - </p> - <p> - “You will perceive,” continued my friend, spreading out the paper upon the - table before us, “that this drawing gives the idea of a firm and fixed - hold. There is no <i>slipping</i> apparent. Each finger has retained—possibly - until the death of the victim—the fearful grasp by which it - originally imbedded itself. Attempt, now, to place all your fingers, at - the same time, in the respective impressions as you see them.” - </p> - <p> - I made the attempt in vain. - </p> - <p> - “We are possibly not giving this matter a fair trial,” he said. “The paper - is spread out upon a plane surface; but the human throat is cylindrical. - Here is a billet of wood, the circumference of which is about that of the - throat. Wrap the drawing around it, and try the experiment again.” - </p> - <p> - I did so; but the difficulty was even more obvious than before. “This,” I - said, “is the mark of no human hand.” - </p> - <p> - “Read now,” replied Dupin, “this passage from Cuvier.” - </p> - <p> - It was a minute anatomical and generally descriptive account of the large - fulvous Ourang-Outang of the East Indian Islands. The gigantic stature, - the prodigious strength and activity, the wild ferocity, and the imitative - propensities of these mammalia are sufficiently well known to all. I - understood the full horrors of the murder at once. - </p> - <p> - “The description of the digits,” said I, as I made an end of reading, “is - in exact accordance with this drawing. I see that no animal but an - Ourang-Outang, of the species here mentioned, could have impressed the - indentations as you have traced them. This tuft of tawny hair, too, is - identical in character with that of the beast of Cuvier. But I cannot - possibly comprehend the particulars of this frightful mystery. Besides, - there were <i>two</i> voices heard in contention, and one of them was - unquestionably the voice of a Frenchman.” - </p> - <p> - “True; and you will remember an expression attributed almost unanimously, - by the evidence, to this voice,—the expression, ‘<i>mon Dieu!</i>’ - This, under the circumstances, has been justly characterized by one of the - witnesses (Montani, the confectioner,) as an expression of remonstrance or - expostulation. Upon these two words, therefore, I have mainly built my - hopes of a full solution of the riddle. A Frenchman was cognizant of the - murder. It is possible—indeed it is far more than probable—that - he was innocent of all participation in the bloody transactions which took - place. The Ourang-Outang may have escaped from him. He may have traced it - to the chamber; but, under the agitating circumstances which ensued, he - could never have re-captured it. It is still at large. I will not pursue - these guesses—for I have no right to call them more—since the - shades of reflection upon which they are based are scarcely of sufficient - depth to be appreciable by my own intellect, and since I could not pretend - to make them intelligible to the understanding of another. We will call - them guesses then, and speak of them as such. If the Frenchman in question - is indeed, as I suppose, innocent of this atrocity, this advertisement - which I left last night, upon our return home, at the office of ‘Le - Monde’ (a paper devoted to the shipping interest, and much sought by - sailors), will bring him to our residence.” - </p> - <p> - He handed me a paper, and I read thus: - </p> - <p class="p2"> - C<small>AUGHT</small>—<i>In the Bois de Boulogne, early in the morning of the ——inst.,</i> - (the morning of the murder),owner <i>a very large, tawny Ourang-Outang of the - Bornese species. The owner (who is ascertained to be a sailor, belonging - to a Maltese vessel) may have the animal again, upon identifying it - satisfactorily, and paying a few charges arising from its capture and - keeping. Call at No. ——, Rue ——, Faubourg St. - Germain—au troisième.</i> - </p> - <p class="p2"> - “How was it possible,” I asked, “that you should know the man to be a - sailor, and belonging to a Maltese vessel?” - </p> - <p> - “I do <i>not</i> know it,” said Dupin. “I am not <i>sure</i> of it. Here, - however, is a small piece of ribbon, which from its form, and from its - greasy appearance, has evidently been used in tying the hair in one of - those long <i>queues</i> of which sailors are so fond. Moreover, this knot - is one which few besides sailors can tie, and is peculiar to the Maltese. - I picked the ribbon up at the foot of the lightning-rod. It could not have - belonged to either of the deceased. Now if, after all, I am wrong in my - induction from this ribbon, that the Frenchman was a sailor belonging to a - Maltese vessel, still I can have done no harm in saying what I did in the - advertisement. If I am in error, he will merely suppose that I have been - misled by some circumstance into which he will not take the trouble to - inquire. But if I am right, a great point is gained. Cognizant although - innocent of the murder, the Frenchman will naturally hesitate about - replying to the advertisement—about demanding the Ourang-Outang. He - will reason thus:—‘I am innocent; I am poor; my Ourang-Outang is of - great value—to one in my circumstances a fortune of itself—why - should I lose it through idle apprehensions of danger? Here it is, within - my grasp. It was found in the Bois de Boulogne—at a vast distance - from the scene of that butchery. How can it ever be suspected that a brute - beast should have done the deed? The police are at fault—they have - failed to procure the slightest clew. Should they even trace the animal, - it would be impossible to prove me cognizant of the murder, or to - implicate me in guilt on account of that cognizance. Above all, <i>I am - known.</i> The advertiser designates me as the possessor of the beast. I - am not sure to what limit his knowledge may extend. Should I avoid - claiming a property of so great value, which it is known that I possess, I - will render the animal at least, liable to suspicion. It is not my policy - to attract attention either to myself or to the beast. I will answer the - advertisement, get the Ourang-Outang, and keep it close until this matter - has blown over.’” - </p> - <p> - At this moment we heard a step upon the stairs. - </p> - <p> - “Be ready,” said Dupin, “with your pistols, but neither use them nor show - them until at a signal from myself.” - </p> - <p> - The front door of the house had been left open, and the visitor had - entered, without ringing, and advanced several steps upon the staircase. - Now, however, he seemed to hesitate. Presently we heard him descending. - Dupin was moving quickly to the door, when we again heard him coming up. - He did not turn back a second time, but stepped up with decision, and - rapped at the door of our chamber. - </p> - <p> - “Come in,” said Dupin, in a cheerful and hearty tone. - </p> - <p> - A man entered. He was a sailor, evidently,—a tall, stout, and - muscular-looking person, with a certain dare-devil expression of - countenance, not altogether unprepossessing. His face, greatly sunburnt, - was more than half hidden by whisker and <i>mustachio.</i> He had with him - a huge oaken cudgel, but appeared to be otherwise unarmed. He bowed - awkwardly, and bade us “good evening,” in French accents, which, although - somewhat Neufchatelish, were still sufficiently indicative of a Parisian - origin. - </p> - <p> - “Sit down, my friend,” said Dupin. “I suppose you have called about the - Ourang-Outang. Upon my word, I almost envy you the possession of him; a - remarkably fine, and no doubt a very valuable animal. How old do you - suppose him to be?” - </p> - <p> - The sailor drew a long breath, with the air of a man relieved of some - intolerable burden, and then replied, in an assured tone: - </p> - <p> - “I have no way of telling—but he can’t be more than four or five - years old. Have you got him here?” - </p> - <p> - “Oh no, we had no conveniences for keeping him here. He is at a livery - stable in the Rue Dubourg, just by. You can get him in the morning. Of - course you are prepared to identify the property?” - </p> - <p> - “To be sure I am, sir.” - </p> - <p> - “I shall be sorry to part with him,” said Dupin. - </p> - <p> - “I don’t mean that you should be at all this trouble for nothing, sir,” - said the man. “Couldn’t expect it. Am very willing to pay a reward for the - finding of the animal—that is to say, any thing in reason.” - </p> - <p> - “Well,” replied my friend, “that is all very fair, to be sure. Let me - think!—what should I have? Oh! I will tell you. My reward shall be - this. You shall give me all the information in your power about these - murders in the Rue Morgue.” - </p> - <p> - Dupin said the last words in a very low tone, and very quietly. Just as - quietly, too, he walked toward the door, locked it and put the key in his - pocket. He then drew a pistol from his bosom and placed it, without the - least flurry, upon the table. - </p> - <p> - The sailor’s face flushed up as if he were struggling with suffocation. He - started to his feet and grasped his cudgel, but the next moment he fell - back into his seat, trembling violently, and with the countenance of death - itself. He spoke not a word. I pitied him from the bottom of my heart. - </p> - <p> - “My friend,” said Dupin, in a kind tone, “you are alarming yourself - unnecessarily—you are indeed. We mean you no harm whatever. I pledge - you the honor of a gentleman, and of a Frenchman, that we intend you no - injury. I perfectly well know that you are innocent of the atrocities in - the Rue Morgue. It will not do, however, to deny that you are in some - measure implicated in them. From what I have already said, you must know - that I have had means of information about this matter—means of - which you could never have dreamed. Now the thing stands thus. You have - done nothing which you could have avoided—nothing, certainly, which - renders you culpable. You were not even guilty of robbery, when you might - have robbed with impunity. You have nothing to conceal. You have no reason - for concealment. On the other hand, you are bound by every principle of - honor to confess all you know. An innocent man is now imprisoned, charged - with that crime of which you can point out the perpetrator.” - </p> - <p> - The sailor had recovered his presence of mind, in a great measure, while - Dupin uttered these words; but his original boldness of bearing was all - gone. - </p> - <p> - “So help me God!” said he, after a brief pause, “I <i>will</i> tell you all I - know about this affair;—but I do not expect you to believe one half - I say—I would be a fool indeed if I did. Still, I <i>am</i> innocent, and I - will make a clean breast if I die for it.” - </p> - <p> - What he stated was, in substance, this. He had lately made a voyage to the - Indian Archipelago. A party, of which he formed one, landed at Borneo, and - passed into the interior on an excursion of pleasure. Himself and a - companion had captured the Ourang-Outang. This companion dying, the animal - fell into his own exclusive possession. After great trouble, occasioned by - the intractable ferocity of his captive during the home voyage, he at - length succeeded in lodging it safely at his own residence in Paris, - where, not to attract toward himself the unpleasant curiosity of his - neighbors, he kept it carefully secluded, until such time as it should - recover from a wound in the foot, received from a splinter on board ship. - His ultimate design was to sell it. - </p> - <p> - Returning home from some sailors’ frolic the night, or rather in the - morning of the murder, he found the beast occupying his own bed-room, into - which it had broken from a closet adjoining, where it had been, as was - thought, securely confined. Razor in hand, and fully lathered, it was - sitting before a looking-glass, attempting the operation of shaving, in - which it had no doubt previously watched its master through the key-hole - of the closet. Terrified at the sight of so dangerous a weapon in the - possession of an animal so ferocious, and so well able to use it, the man, - for some moments, was at a loss what to do. He had been accustomed, - however, to quiet the creature, even in its fiercest moods, by the use of - a whip, and to this he now resorted. Upon sight of it, the Ourang-Outang - sprang at once through the door of the chamber, down the stairs, and - thence, through a window, unfortunately open, into the street. - </p> - <p> - The Frenchman followed in despair; the ape, razor still in hand, - occasionally stopping to look back and gesticulate at its pursuer, until - the latter had nearly come up with it. It then again made off. In this - manner the chase continued for a long time. The streets were profoundly - quiet, as it was nearly three o’clock in the morning. In passing down an - alley in the rear of the Rue Morgue, the fugitive’s attention was arrested - by a light gleaming from the open window of Madame L’Espanaye’s chamber, - in the fourth story of her house. Rushing to the building, it perceived - the lightning rod, clambered up with inconceivable agility, grasped the - shutter, which was thrown fully back against the wall, and, by its means, - swung itself directly upon the headboard of the bed. The whole feat did - not occupy a minute. The shutter was kicked open again by the - Ourang-Outang as it entered the room. - </p> - <p> - The sailor, in the meantime, was both rejoiced and perplexed. He had - strong hopes of now recapturing the brute, as it could scarcely escape - from the trap into which it had ventured, except by the rod, where it - might be intercepted as it came down. On the other hand, there was much - cause for anxiety as to what it might do in the house. This latter - reflection urged the man still to follow the fugitive. A lightning rod is - ascended without difficulty, especially by a sailor; but, when he had - arrived as high as the window, which lay far to his left, his career was - stopped; the most that he could accomplish was to reach over so as to - obtain a glimpse of the interior of the room. At this glimpse he nearly - fell from his hold through excess of horror. Now it was that those hideous - shrieks arose upon the night, which had startled from slumber the inmates - of the Rue Morgue. Madame L’Espanaye and her daughter, habited in their - night clothes, had apparently been occupied in arranging some papers in - the iron chest already mentioned, which had been wheeled into the middle - of the room. It was open, and its contents lay beside it on the floor. The - victims must have been sitting with their backs toward the window; and, - from the time elapsing between the ingress of the beast and the screams, - it seems probable that it was not immediately perceived. The flapping-to - of the shutter would naturally have been attributed to the wind. - </p> - <p> - As the sailor looked in, the gigantic animal had seized Madame L’Espanaye - by the hair, (which was loose, as she had been combing it,) and was - flourishing the razor about her face, in imitation of the motions of a - barber. The daughter lay prostrate and motionless; she had swooned. The - screams and struggles of the old lady (during which the hair was torn from - her head) had the effect of changing the probably pacific purposes of the - Ourang-Outang into those of wrath. With one determined sweep of its - muscular arm it nearly severed her head from her body. The sight of blood - inflamed its anger into phrenzy. Gnashing its teeth, and flashing fire - from its eyes, it flew upon the body of the girl, and imbedded its fearful - talons in her throat, retaining its grasp until she expired. Its wandering - and wild glances fell at this moment upon the head of the bed, over which - the face of its master, rigid with horror, was just discernible. The fury - of the beast, who no doubt bore still in mind the dreaded whip, was - instantly converted into fear. Conscious of having deserved punishment, it - seemed desirous of concealing its bloody deeds, and skipped about the - chamber in an agony of nervous agitation; throwing down and breaking the - furniture as it moved, and dragging the bed from the bedstead. In - conclusion, it seized first the corpse of the daughter, and thrust it up - the chimney, as it was found; then that of the old lady, which it - immediately hurled through the window headlong. - </p> - <p> - As the ape approached the casement with its mutilated burden, the sailor - shrank aghast to the rod, and, rather gliding than clambering down it, - hurried at once home—dreading the consequences of the butchery, and - gladly abandoning, in his terror, all solicitude about the fate of the - Ourang-Outang. The words heard by the party upon the staircase were the - Frenchman’s exclamations of horror and affright, commingled with the - fiendish jabberings of the brute. - </p> - <p> - I have scarcely anything to add. The Ourang-Outang must have escaped from - the chamber, by the rod, just before the breaking of the door. It must have - closed the window as it passed through it. It was subsequently caught by - the owner himself, who obtained for it a very large sum at the <i>Jardin - des Plantes.</i> Le Don was instantly released, upon our narration of the - circumstances (with some comments from Dupin) at the bureau of the Prefect - of Police. This functionary, however well disposed to my friend, could not - altogether conceal his chagrin at the turn which affairs had taken, and - was fain to indulge in a sarcasm or two, about the propriety of every - person minding his own business. - </p> - <p> - “Let him talk,” said Dupin, who had not thought it necessary to reply. - “Let him discourse; it will ease his conscience, I am satisfied with - having defeated him in his own castle. Nevertheless, that he failed in the - solution of this mystery, is by no means that matter for wonder which he - supposes it; for, in truth, our friend the Prefect is somewhat too cunning - to be profound. In his wisdom is no <i>stamen.</i> It is all head and no - body, like the pictures of the Goddess Laverna,—or, at best, all - head and shoulders, like a codfish. But he is a good creature after all. I - like him especially for one master stroke of cant, by which he has - attained his reputation for ingenuity. I mean the way he has ‘<i>de nier - ce qui est, et d’expliquer ce qui n’est pas.</i>’” (*) - </p> - <p> - (*) Rousseau—Nouvelle Heloïse. - </p> - -</div><!--end chapter--> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2><a name="chap08"></a>THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET.(*1)</h2> - - <h3> - A SEQUEL TO “THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE.” - </h3> -<p class="poem"> - Es giebt eine Reihe idealischer Begebenheiten, die der Wirklichkeit - parallel lauft. Selten fallen sie zusammen. Menschen und zufalle - modificiren gewohulich die idealische Begebenheit, so dass sie - unvollkommen erscheint, und ihre Folgen gleichfalls unvollkommen - sind. So bei der Reformation; statt des Protestantismus kam das - Lutherthum hervor.<br /> - There are ideal series of events which run parallel with the real - ones. They rarely coincide. Men and circumstances generally modify - the ideal train of events, so that it seems imperfect, and its - consequences are equally imperfect. Thus with the Reformation; - instead of Protestantism came Lutheranism.—<i>Novalis</i>.(*2) <i>Moral Ansichten</i>. -</p> - <p> - There are few persons, even among the calmest thinkers, who have not - occasionally been startled into a vague yet thrilling half-credence in the - supernatural, by coincidences of so seemingly marvellous a character that, - as mere coincidences, the intellect has been unable to receive them. Such - sentiments—for the half-credences of which I speak have never the - full force of thought—such sentiments are seldom thoroughly stifled - unless by reference to the doctrine of chance, or, as it is technically - termed, the Calculus of Probabilities. Now this Calculus is, in its - essence, purely mathematical; and thus we have the anomaly of the most - rigidly exact in science applied to the shadow and spirituality of the - most intangible in speculation. - </p> - <p> - The extraordinary details which I am now called upon to make public, will - be found to form, as regards sequence of time, the primary branch of a - series of scarcely intelligible coincidences, whose secondary or - concluding branch will be recognized by all readers in the late murder of - Mary Cecila Rogers, at New York. - </p> - <p> - When, in an article entitled “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” I - endeavored, about a year ago, to depict some very remarkable features in - the mental character of my friend, the Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, it did - not occur to me that I should ever resume the subject. This depicting of - character constituted my design; and this design was thoroughly fulfilled - in the wild train of circumstances brought to instance Dupin’s - idiosyncrasy. I might have adduced other examples, but I should have - proven no more. Late events, however, in their surprising development, - have startled me into some farther details, which will carry with them the - air of extorted confession. Hearing what I have lately heard, it would be - indeed strange should I remain silent in regard to what I both heard and - saw so long ago. - </p> - <p> - Upon the winding up of the tragedy involved in the deaths of Madame - L’Espanaye and her daughter, the Chevalier dismissed the affair at once - from his attention, and relapsed into his old habits of moody reverie. - Prone, at all times, to abstraction, I readily fell in with his humor; - and, continuing to occupy our chambers in the Faubourg Saint Germain, we - gave the Future to the winds, and slumbered tranquilly in the Present, - weaving the dull world around us into dreams. - </p> - <p> - But these dreams were not altogether uninterrupted. It may readily be - supposed that the part played by my friend, in the drama at the Rue - Morgue, had not failed of its impression upon the fancies of the Parisian - police. With its emissaries, the name of Dupin had grown into a household - word. The simple character of those inductions by which he had - disentangled the mystery never having been explained even to the Prefect, - or to any other individual than myself, of course it is not surprising - that the affair was regarded as little less than miraculous, or that the - Chevalier’s analytical abilities acquired for him the credit of intuition. - His frankness would have led him to disabuse every inquirer of such - prejudice; but his indolent humor forbade all farther agitation of a topic - whose interest to himself had long ceased. It thus happened that he found - himself the cynosure of the political eyes; and the cases were not few in - which attempt was made to engage his services at the Prefecture. One of - the most remarkable instances was that of the murder of a young girl named - Marie Rogêt. - </p> - <p> - This event occurred about two years after the atrocity in the Rue Morgue. - Marie, whose Christian and family name will at once arrest attention from - their resemblance to those of the unfortunate “cigar girl,” was the only - daughter of the widow Estelle Rogêt. The father had died during the - child’s infancy, and from the period of his death, until within eighteen - months before the assassination which forms the subject of our narrative, - the mother and daughter had dwelt together in the Rue Pavée Saint - Andrée; (*3) Madame there keeping a pension, assisted by Marie. - Affairs went on thus until the latter had attained her twenty-second year, - when her great beauty attracted the notice of a perfumer, who occupied one - of the shops in the basement of the Palais Royal, and whose custom lay - chiefly among the desperate adventurers infesting that neighborhood. - Monsieur Le Blanc (*4) was not unaware of the advantages to be derived - from the attendance of the fair Marie in his perfumery; and his liberal - proposals were accepted eagerly by the girl, although with somewhat more - of hesitation by Madame. - </p> - <p> - The anticipations of the shopkeeper were realized, and his rooms soon - became notorious through the charms of the sprightly grisette. She had - been in his employ about a year, when her admirers were thrown info - confusion by her sudden disappearance from the shop. Monsieur Le Blanc was - unable to account for her absence, and Madame Rogêt was distracted - with anxiety and terror. The public papers immediately took up the theme, - and the police were upon the point of making serious investigations, when, - one fine morning, after the lapse of a week, Marie, in good health, but - with a somewhat saddened air, made her re-appearance at her usual counter - in the perfumery. All inquiry, except that of a private character, was of - course immediately hushed. Monsieur Le Blanc professed total ignorance, as - before. Marie, with Madame, replied to all questions, that the last week - had been spent at the house of a relation in the country. Thus the affair - died away, and was generally forgotten; for the girl, ostensibly to - relieve herself from the impertinence of curiosity, soon bade a final - adieu to the perfumer, and sought the shelter of her mother’s residence in - the Rue Pavée Saint Andrée. - </p> - <p> - It was about five months after this return home, that her friends were - alarmed by her sudden disappearance for the second time. Three days - elapsed, and nothing was heard of her. On the fourth her corpse was found - floating in the Seine, * near the shore which is opposite the Quartier of - the Rue Saint Andrée, and at a point not very far distant from the - secluded neighborhood of the Barrière du Roule. (*6) - </p> - <p> - The atrocity of this murder, (for it was at once evident that murder had - been committed,) the youth and beauty of the victim, and, above all, her - previous notoriety, conspired to produce intense excitement in the minds - of the sensitive Parisians. I can call to mind no similar occurrence - producing so general and so intense an effect. For several weeks, in the - discussion of this one absorbing theme, even the momentous political - topics of the day were forgotten. The Prefect made unusual exertions; and - the powers of the whole Parisian police were, of course, tasked to the - utmost extent. - </p> - <p> - Upon the first discovery of the corpse, it was not supposed that the - murderer would be able to elude, for more than a very brief period, the - inquisition which was immediately set on foot. It was not until the - expiration of a week that it was deemed necessary to offer a reward; and - even then this reward was limited to a thousand francs. In the mean time - the investigation proceeded with vigor, if not always with judgment, and - numerous individuals were examined to no purpose; while, owing to the - continual absence of all clue to the mystery, the popular excitement - greatly increased. At the end of the tenth day it was thought advisable to - double the sum originally proposed; and, at length, the second week having - elapsed without leading to any discoveries, and the prejudice which always - exists in Paris against the Police having given vent to itself in several - serious émeutes, the Prefect took it upon himself to offer the sum - of twenty thousand francs “for the conviction of the assassin,” or, if - more than one should prove to have been implicated, “for the conviction of - any one of the assassins.” In the proclamation setting forth this reward, - a full pardon was promised to any accomplice who should come forward in - evidence against his fellow; and to the whole was appended, wherever it - appeared, the private placard of a committee of citizens, offering ten - thousand francs, in addition to the amount proposed by the Prefecture. The - entire reward thus stood at no less than thirty thousand francs, which - will be regarded as an extraordinary sum when we consider the humble - condition of the girl, and the great frequency, in large cities, of such - atrocities as the one described. - </p> - <p> - No one doubted now that the mystery of this murder would be immediately - brought to light. But although, in one or two instances, arrests were made - which promised elucidation, yet nothing was elicited which could implicate - the parties suspected; and they were discharged forthwith. Strange as it - may appear, the third week from the discovery of the body had passed, and - passed without any light being thrown upon the subject, before even a - rumor of the events which had so agitated the public mind, reached the - ears of Dupin and myself. Engaged in researches which absorbed our whole - attention, it had been nearly a month since either of us had gone abroad, - or received a visitor, or more than glanced at the leading political - articles in one of the daily papers. The first intelligence of the murder - was brought us by G——, in person. He called upon us early in - the afternoon of the thirteenth of July, 18—, and remained with us - until late in the night. He had been piqued by the failure of all his - endeavors to ferret out the assassins. His reputation—so he said - with a peculiarly Parisian air—was at stake. Even his honor was - concerned. The eyes of the public were upon him; and there was really no - sacrifice which he would not be willing to make for the development of the - mystery. He concluded a somewhat droll speech with a compliment upon what - he was pleased to term the tact of Dupin, and made him a direct, and - certainly a liberal proposition, the precise nature of which I do not feel - myself at liberty to disclose, but which has no bearing upon the proper - subject of my narrative. - </p> - <p> - The compliment my friend rebutted as best he could, but the proposition he - accepted at once, although its advantages were altogether provisional. - This point being settled, the Prefect broke forth at once into - explanations of his own views, interspersing them with long comments upon - the evidence; of which latter we were not yet in possession. He discoursed - much, and beyond doubt, learnedly; while I hazarded an occasional - suggestion as the night wore drowsily away. Dupin, sitting steadily in his - accustomed arm-chair, was the embodiment of respectful attention. He wore - spectacles, during the whole interview; and an occasional signal glance - beneath their green glasses, sufficed to convince me that he slept not the - less soundly, because silently, throughout the seven or eight - leaden-footed hours which immediately preceded the departure of the - Prefect. - </p> - <p> - In the morning, I procured, at the Prefecture, a full report of all the - evidence elicited, and, at the various newspaper offices, a copy of every - paper in which, from first to last, had been published any decisive - information in regard to this sad affair. Freed from all that was - positively disproved, this mass of information stood thus: - </p> - <p> - Marie Rogêt left the residence of her mother, in the Rue Pavée - St. Andrée, about nine o’clock in the morning of Sunday, June the - twenty-second, 18—. In going out, she gave notice to a Monsieur - Jacques St. Eustache, (*7) and to him only, of her intent intention to - spend the day with an aunt who resided in the Rue des Drômes. The - Rue des Drômes is a short and narrow but populous thoroughfare, not - far from the banks of the river, and at a distance of some two miles, in - the most direct course possible, from the pension of Madame Rogêt. - St. Eustache was the accepted suitor of Marie, and lodged, as well as took - his meals, at the pension. He was to have gone for his betrothed at dusk, - and to have escorted her home. In the afternoon, however, it came on to - rain heavily; and, supposing that she would remain all night at her - aunt’s, (as she had done under similar circumstances before,) he did not - think it necessary to keep his promise. As night drew on, Madame Rogêt - (who was an infirm old lady, seventy years of age,) was heard to express a - fear “that she should never see Marie again;” but this observation - attracted little attention at the time. - </p> - <p> - On Monday, it was ascertained that the girl had not been to the Rue des Drômes; - and when the day elapsed without tidings of her, a tardy search was - instituted at several points in the city, and its environs. It was not, - however until the fourth day from the period of disappearance that any - thing satisfactory was ascertained respecting her. On this day, - (Wednesday, the twenty-fifth of June,) a Monsieur Beauvais, (*8) who, with - a friend, had been making inquiries for Marie near the Barrière du - Roule, on the shore of the Seine which is opposite the Rue Pavée - St. Andrée, was informed that a corpse had just been towed ashore - by some fishermen, who had found it floating in the river. Upon seeing the - body, Beauvais, after some hesitation, identified it as that of the - perfumery-girl. His friend recognized it more promptly. - </p> - <p> - The face was suffused with dark blood, some of which issued from the - mouth. No foam was seen, as in the case of the merely drowned. There was - no discoloration in the cellular tissue. About the throat were bruises and - impressions of fingers. The arms were bent over on the chest and were - rigid. The right hand was clenched; the left partially open. On the left - wrist were two circular excoriations, apparently the effect of ropes, or - of a rope in more than one volution. A part of the right wrist, also, was - much chafed, as well as the back throughout its extent, but more - especially at the shoulder-blades. In bringing the body to the shore the - fishermen had attached to it a rope; but none of the excoriations had been - effected by this. The flesh of the neck was much swollen. There were no - cuts apparent, or bruises which appeared the effect of blows. A piece of - lace was found tied so tightly around the neck as to be hidden from sight; - it was completely buried in the flesh, and was fastened by a knot which lay - just under the left ear. This alone would have sufficed to produce death. - The medical testimony spoke confidently of the virtuous character of the - deceased. She had been subjected, it said, to brutal violence. The corpse - was in such condition when found, that there could have been no difficulty - in its recognition by friends. - </p> - <p> - The dress was much torn and otherwise disordered. In the outer garment, a - slip, about a foot wide, had been torn upward from the bottom hem to the - waist, but not torn off. It was wound three times around the waist, and - secured by a sort of hitch in the back. The dress immediately beneath the - frock was of fine muslin; and from this a slip eighteen inches wide had - been torn entirely out—torn very evenly and with great care. It was - found around her neck, fitting loosely, and secured with a hard knot. Over - this muslin slip and the slip of lace, the strings of a bonnet were - attached; the bonnet being appended. The knot by which the strings of the - bonnet were fastened, was not a lady’s, but a slip or sailor’s knot. - </p> - <p> - After the recognition of the corpse, it was not, as usual, taken to the - Morgue, (this formality being superfluous,) but hastily interred not far - from the spot at which it was brought ashore. Through the exertions of - Beauvais, the matter was industriously hushed up, as far as possible; and - several days had elapsed before any public emotion resulted. A weekly - paper, (*9) however, at length took up the theme; the corpse was - disinterred, and a re-examination instituted; but nothing was elicited - beyond what has been already noted. The clothes, however, were now - submitted to the mother and friends of the deceased, and fully identified - as those worn by the girl upon leaving home. - </p> - <p> - Meantime, the excitement increased hourly. Several individuals were - arrested and discharged. St. Eustache fell especially under suspicion; and - he failed, at first, to give an intelligible account of his whereabouts - during the Sunday on which Marie left home. Subsequently, however, he - submitted to Monsieur G——, affidavits, accounting - satisfactorily for every hour of the day in question. As time passed and - no discovery ensued, a thousand contradictory rumors were circulated, and - journalists busied themselves in suggestions. Among these, the one which - attracted the most notice, was the idea that Marie Rogêt still - lived—that the corpse found in the Seine was that of some other - unfortunate. It will be proper that I submit to the reader some passages - which embody the suggestion alluded to. These passages are literal - translations from L’Etoile, (*10) a paper conducted, in general, with much - ability. - </p> - <p> - “Mademoiselle Rogêt left her mother’s house on Sunday morning, June - the twenty-second, 18—, with the ostensible purpose of going to see - her aunt, or some other connexion, in the Rue des Drômes. From that - hour, nobody is proved to have seen her. There is no trace or tidings of - her at all.... There has no person, whatever, come forward, so far, who - saw her at all, on that day, after she left her mother’s door.... Now, - though we have no evidence that Marie Rogêt was in the land of the - living after nine o’clock on Sunday, June the twenty-second, we have proof - that, up to that hour, she was alive. On Wednesday noon, at twelve, a - female body was discovered afloat on the shore of the Barrière de - Roule. This was, even if we presume that Marie Rogêt was thrown - into the river within three hours after she left her mother’s house, only - three days from the time she left her home—three days to an hour. - But it is folly to suppose that the murder, if murder was committed on her - body, could have been consummated soon enough to have enabled her - murderers to throw the body into the river before midnight. Those who are - guilty of such horrid crimes choose darkness rather the light.... Thus we - see that if the body found in the river was that of Marie Rogêt, it - could only have been in the water two and a half days, or three at the - outside. All experience has shown that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown - into the water immediately after death by violence, require from six to - ten days for decomposition to take place to bring them to the top of the - water. Even where a cannon is fired over a corpse, and it rises before at - least five or six days’ immersion, it sinks again, if let alone. Now, we - ask, what was there in this case to cause a departure from the ordinary - course of nature?... If the body had been kept in its mangled state on - shore until Tuesday night, some trace would be found on shore of the - murderers. It is a doubtful point, also, whether the body would be so soon - afloat, even were it thrown in after having been dead two days. And, - furthermore, it is exceedingly improbable that any villains who had - committed such a murder as is here supposed, would have thrown the body in - without weight to sink it, when such a precaution could have so easily - been taken.” - </p> - <p> - The editor here proceeds to argue that the body must have been in the - water “not three days merely, but, at least, five times three days,” - because it was so far decomposed that Beauvais had great difficulty in - recognizing it. This latter point, however, was fully disproved. I - continue the translation: - </p> - <p> - “What, then, are the facts on which M. Beauvais says that he has no doubt - the body was that of Marie Rogêt? He ripped up the gown sleeve, and - says he found marks which satisfied him of the identity. The public - generally supposed those marks to have consisted of some description of - scars. He rubbed the arm and found hair upon it—something as - indefinite, we think, as can readily be imagined—as little - conclusive as finding an arm in the sleeve. M. Beauvais did not return - that night, but sent word to Madame Rogêt, at seven o’clock, on - Wednesday evening, that an investigation was still in progress respecting - her daughter. If we allow that Madame Rogêt, from her age and - grief, could not go over, (which is allowing a great deal,) there - certainly must have been some one who would have thought it worth while to - go over and attend the investigation, if they thought the body was that of - Marie. Nobody went over. There was nothing said or heard about the matter - in the Rue Pavée St. Andrée, that reached even the occupants - of the same building. M. St. Eustache, the lover and intended husband of - Marie, who boarded in her mother’s house, deposes that he did not hear of - the discovery of the body of his intended until the next morning, when M. - Beauvais came into his chamber and told him of it. For an item of news - like this, it strikes us it was very coolly received.” - </p> - <p> - In this way the journal endeavored to create the impression of an apathy - on the part of the relatives of Marie, inconsistent with the supposition - that these relatives believed the corpse to be hers. Its insinuations - amount to this: that Marie, with the connivance of her friends, had - absented herself from the city for reasons involving a charge against her - chastity; and that these friends, upon the discovery of a corpse in the - Seine, somewhat resembling that of the girl, had availed themselves of the - opportunity to impress the public with the belief of her death. But - L’Etoile was again over-hasty. It was distinctly proved that no apathy, - such as was imagined, existed; that the old lady was exceedingly feeble, - and so agitated as to be unable to attend to any duty; that St. Eustache, - so far from receiving the news coolly, was distracted with grief, and bore - himself so frantically, that M. Beauvais prevailed upon a friend and - relative to take charge of him, and prevent his attending the examination - at the disinterment. Moreover, although it was stated by L’Etoile, that - the corpse was re-interred at the public expense—that an - advantageous offer of private sculpture was absolutely declined by the - family—and that no member of the family attended the ceremonial;—although, - I say, all this was asserted by L’Etoile in furtherance of the impression - it designed to convey—yet all this was satisfactorily disproved. In - a subsequent number of the paper, an attempt was made to throw suspicion - upon Beauvais himself. The editor says: - </p> - <p> - “Now, then, a change comes over the matter. We are told that on one - occasion, while a Madame B—— was at Madame Rogêt’s - house, M. Beauvais, who was going out, told her that a gendarme was - expected there, and she, Madame B., must not say anything to the gendarme - until he returned, but let the matter be for him.... In the present - posture of affairs, M. Beauvais appears to have the whole matter locked up - in his head. A single step cannot be taken without M. Beauvais, for, go - which way you will, you run against him.... For some reason, he determined - that nobody shall have any thing to do with the proceedings but himself, - and he has elbowed the male relatives out of the way, according to their - representations, in a very singular manner. He seems to have been very - much averse to permitting the relatives to see the body.” - </p> - <p> - By the following fact, some color was given to the suspicion thus thrown - upon Beauvais. A visitor at his office, a few days prior to the girl’s - disappearance, and during the absence of its occupant, had observed a rose - in the key-hole of the door, and the name “Marie” inscribed upon a slate - which hung near at hand. - </p> - <p> - The general impression, so far as we were enabled to glean it from the - newspapers, seemed to be, that Marie had been the victim of a gang of - desperadoes—that by these she had been borne across the river, - maltreated and murdered. Le Commerciel, (*11) however, a print of - extensive influence, was earnest in combating this popular idea. I quote a - passage or two from its columns: - </p> - <p> - “We are persuaded that pursuit has hitherto been on a false scent, so far - as it has been directed to the Barrière du Roule. It is impossible - that a person so well known to thousands as this young woman was, should - have passed three blocks without some one having seen her; and any one who - saw her would have remembered it, for she interested all who knew her. It - was when the streets were full of people, when she went out.... It is - impossible that she could have gone to the Barrière du Roule, or to - the Rue des Drômes, without being recognized by a dozen persons; - yet no one has come forward who saw her outside of her mother’s door, and - there is no evidence, except the testimony concerning her expressed - intentions, that she did go out at all. Her gown was torn, bound round - her, and tied; and by that the body was carried as a bundle. If the murder - had been committed at the Barrière du Roule, there would have been - no necessity for any such arrangement. The fact that the body was found - floating near the Barrière, is no proof as to where it was thrown - into the water..... A piece of one of the unfortunate girl’s petticoats, - two feet long and one foot wide, was torn out and tied under her chin - around the back of her head, probably to prevent screams. This was done by - fellows who had no pocket-handkerchief.” - </p> - <p> - A day or two before the Prefect called upon us, however, some important - information reached the police, which seemed to overthrow, at least, the - chief portion of Le Commerciel’s argument. Two small boys, sons of a - Madame Deluc, while roaming among the woods near the Barrière du - Roule, chanced to penetrate a close thicket, within which were three or - four large stones, forming a kind of seat, with a back and footstool. On - the upper stone lay a white petticoat; on the second a silk scarf. A - parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief were also here found. The - handkerchief bore the name “Marie Rogêt.” Fragments of dress were - discovered on the brambles around. The earth was trampled, the bushes were - broken, and there was every evidence of a struggle. Between the thicket - and the river, the fences were found taken down, and the ground bore - evidence of some heavy burthen having been dragged along it. - </p> - <p> - A weekly paper, Le Soleil,(*12) had the following comments upon this - discovery—comments which merely echoed the sentiment of the whole - Parisian press: - </p> - <p> - “The things had all evidently been there at least three or four weeks; - they were all mildewed down hard with the action of the rain and stuck - together from mildew. The grass had grown around and over some of them. - The silk on the parasol was strong, but the threads of it were run - together within. The upper part, where it had been doubled and folded, was - all mildewed and rotten, and tore on its being opened..... The pieces of - her frock torn out by the bushes were about three inches wide and six - inches long. One part was the hem of the frock, and it had been mended; - the other piece was part of the skirt, not the hem. They looked like - strips torn off, and were on the thorn bush, about a foot from the - ground..... There can be no doubt, therefore, that the spot of this - appalling outrage has been discovered.” - </p> - <p> - Consequent upon this discovery, new evidence appeared. Madame Deluc - testified that she keeps a roadside inn not far from the bank of the - river, opposite the Barrière du Roule. The neighborhood is secluded—particularly - so. It is the usual Sunday resort of blackguards from the city, who cross - the river in boats. About three o’clock, in the afternoon of the Sunday in - question, a young girl arrived at the inn, accompanied by a young man of - dark complexion. The two remained here for some time. On their departure, - they took the road to some thick woods in the vicinity. Madame Deluc’s - attention was called to the dress worn by the girl, on account of its - resemblance to one worn by a deceased relative. A scarf was particularly - noticed. Soon after the departure of the couple, a gang of miscreants made - their appearance, behaved boisterously, ate and drank without making - payment, followed in the route of the young man and girl, returned to the - inn about dusk, and re-crossed the river as if in great haste. - </p> - <p> - It was soon after dark, upon this same evening, that Madame Deluc, as well - as her eldest son, heard the screams of a female in the vicinity of the - inn. The screams were violent but brief. Madame D. recognized not only the - scarf which was found in the thicket, but the dress which was discovered - upon the corpse. An omnibus driver, Valence, (*13) now also testified that - he saw Marie Rogêt cross a ferry on the Seine, on the Sunday in - question, in company with a young man of dark complexion. He, Valence, - knew Marie, and could not be mistaken in her identity. The articles found - in the thicket were fully identified by the relatives of Marie. - </p> - <p> - The items of evidence and information thus collected by myself, from the - newspapers, at the suggestion of Dupin, embraced only one more point—but - this was a point of seemingly vast consequence. It appears that, - immediately after the discovery of the clothes as above described, the - lifeless, or nearly lifeless body of St. Eustache, Marie’s betrothed, was - found in the vicinity of what all now supposed the scene of the outrage. A - phial labelled “laudanum,” and emptied, was found near him. His breath - gave evidence of the poison. He died without speaking. Upon his person was - found a letter, briefly stating his love for Marie, with his design of - self-destruction. - </p> - <p> - “I need scarcely tell you,” said Dupin, as he finished the perusal of my - notes, “that this is a far more intricate case than that of the Rue - Morgue; from which it differs in one important respect. This is an - ordinary, although an atrocious instance of crime. There is nothing - peculiarly outré about it. You will observe that, for this reason, - the mystery has been considered easy, when, for this reason, it should - have been considered difficult, of solution. Thus; at first, it was - thought unnecessary to offer a reward. The myrmidons of G—— - were able at once to comprehend how and why such an atrocity might have - been committed. They could picture to their imaginations a mode—many - modes—and a motive—many motives; and because it was not - impossible that either of these numerous modes and motives could have been - the actual one, they have taken it for granted that one of them must. But - the case with which these variable fancies were entertained, and the very - plausibility which each assumed, should have been understood as indicative - rather of the difficulties than of the facilities which must attend - elucidation. I have before observed that it is by prominences above the - plane of the ordinary, that reason feels her way, if at all, in her search - for the true, and that the proper question in cases such as this, is not - so much ‘what has occurred?’ as ‘what has occurred that has never occurred - before?’ In the investigations at the house of Madame L’Espanaye, (*14) - the agents of G—— were discouraged and confounded by that very - unusualness which, to a properly regulated intellect, would have afforded - the surest omen of success; while this same intellect might have been - plunged in despair at the ordinary character of all that met the eye in - the case of the perfumery-girl, and yet told of nothing but easy triumph - to the functionaries of the Prefecture. - </p> - <p> - “In the case of Madame L’Espanaye and her daughter there was, even at the - beginning of our investigation, no doubt that murder had been committed. - The idea of suicide was excluded at once. Here, too, we are freed, at the - commencement, from all supposition of self-murder. The body found at the - Barrière du Roule, was found under such circumstances as to leave - us no room for embarrassment upon this important point. But it has been - suggested that the corpse discovered, is not that of the Marie Rogêt - for the conviction of whose assassin, or assassins, the reward is offered, - and respecting whom, solely, our agreement has been arranged with the - Prefect. We both know this gentleman well. It will not do to trust him too - far. If, dating our inquiries from the body found, and thence tracing a - murderer, we yet discover this body to be that of some other individual - than Marie; or, if starting from the living Marie, we find her, yet find - her unassassinated—in either case we lose our labor; since it is - Monsieur G—— with whom we have to deal. For our own purpose, - therefore, if not for the purpose of justice, it is indispensable that our - first step should be the determination of the identity of the corpse with - the Marie Rogêt who is missing. - </p> - <p> - “With the public the arguments of L’Etoile have had weight; and that the - journal itself is convinced of their importance would appear from the - manner in which it commences one of its essays upon the subject—‘Several - of the morning papers of the day,’ it says, ‘speak of the <i>conclusive</i> - article in Monday’s Etoile.’ To me, this article appears conclusive of - little beyond the zeal of its inditer. We should bear in mind that, in - general, it is the object of our newspapers rather to create a sensation—to - make a point—than to further the cause of truth. The latter end is - only pursued when it seems coincident with the former. The print which - merely falls in with ordinary opinion (however well founded this opinion - may be) earns for itself no credit with the mob. The mass of the people - regard as profound only him who suggests <i>pungent contradictions</i> of - the general idea. In ratiocination, not less than in literature, it is the - epigram which is the most immediately and the most universally - appreciated. In both, it is of the lowest order of merit. - </p> - <p> - “What I mean to say is, that it is the mingled epigram and melodrame of - the idea, that Marie Rogêt still lives, rather than any true - plausibility in this idea, which have suggested it to L’Etoile, and - secured it a favorable reception with the public. Let us examine the heads - of this journal’s argument; endeavoring to avoid the incoherence with - which it is originally set forth. - </p> - <p> - “The first aim of the writer is to show, from the brevity of the interval - between Marie’s disappearance and the finding of the floating corpse, that - this corpse cannot be that of Marie. The reduction of this interval to its - smallest possible dimension, becomes thus, at once, an object with the - reasoner. In the rash pursuit of this object, he rushes into mere - assumption at the outset. ‘It is folly to suppose,’ he says, ‘that the - murder, if murder was committed on her body, could have been consummated - soon enough to have enabled her murderers to throw the body into the river - before midnight.’ We demand at once, and very naturally, why? Why is it - folly to suppose that the murder was committed <i>within five minutes</i> - after the girl’s quitting her mother’s house? Why is it folly to suppose - that the murder was committed at any given period of the day? There have - been assassinations at all hours. But, had the murder taken place at any - moment between nine o’clock in the morning of Sunday, and a quarter before - midnight, there would still have been time enough ‘to throw the body into - the river before midnight.’ This assumption, then, amounts precisely to - this—that the murder was not committed on Sunday at all—and, - if we allow L’Etoile to assume this, we may permit it any liberties - whatever. The paragraph beginning ‘It is folly to suppose that the murder, - etc.,’ however it appears as printed in L’Etoile, may be imagined to have - existed actually thus in the brain of its inditer—‘It is folly to - suppose that the murder, if murder was committed on the body, could have - been committed soon enough to have enabled her murderers to throw the body - into the river before midnight; it is folly, we say, to suppose all this, - and to suppose at the same time, (as we are resolved to suppose,) that the - body was not thrown in until after midnight’—a sentence sufficiently - inconsequential in itself, but not so utterly preposterous as the one - printed. - </p> - <p> - “Were it my purpose,” continued Dupin, “merely to <i>make out a case</i> - against this passage of L’Etoile’s argument, I might safely leave it where - it is. It is not, however, with L’Etoile that we have to do, but with the - truth. The sentence in question has but one meaning, as it stands; and - this meaning I have fairly stated; but it is material that we go behind - the mere words, for an idea which these words have obviously intended, and - failed to convey. It was the design of the journalist to say that, at - whatever period of the day or night of Sunday this murder was committed, - it was improbable that the assassins would have ventured to bear the - corpse to the river before midnight. And herein lies, really, the - assumption of which I complain. It is assumed that the murder was - committed at such a position, and under such circumstances, that the - bearing it to the river became necessary. Now, the assassination might - have taken place upon the river’s brink, or on the river itself; and, - thus, the throwing the corpse in the water might have been resorted to, at - any period of the day or night, as the most obvious and most immediate - mode of disposal. You will understand that I suggest nothing here as - probable, or as cöincident with my own opinion. My design, so far, - has no reference to the facts of the case. I wish merely to caution you - against the whole tone of L’Etoile’s suggestion, by calling your attention - to its ex parte character at the outset. - </p> - <p> - “Having prescribed thus a limit to suit its own preconceived notions; - having assumed that, if this were the body of Marie, it could have been in - the water but a very brief time, the journal goes on to say: - </p> - <p> - ‘All experience has shown that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown into the - water immediately after death by violence, require from six to ten days - for sufficient decomposition to take place to bring them to the top of the - water. Even when a cannon is fired over a corpse, and it rises before at - least five or six days’ immersion, it sinks again if let alone.’ - </p> - <p> - “These assertions have been tacitly received by every paper in Paris, with - the exception of Le Moniteur. (*15) This latter print endeavors to combat - that portion of the paragraph which has reference to ‘drowned bodies’ - only, by citing some five or six instances in which the bodies of - individuals known to be drowned were found floating after the lapse of - less time than is insisted upon by L’Etoile. But there is something - excessively unphilosophical in the attempt on the part of Le Moniteur, to - rebut the general assertion of L’Etoile, by a citation of particular - instances militating against that assertion. Had it been possible to - adduce fifty instead of five examples of bodies found floating at the end - of two or three days, these fifty examples could still have been properly - regarded only as exceptions to L’Etoile’s rule, until such time as the - rule itself should be confuted. Admitting the rule, (and this Le Moniteur - does not deny, insisting merely upon its exceptions,) the argument of - L’Etoile is suffered to remain in full force; for this argument does not - pretend to involve more than a question of the probability of the body - having risen to the surface in less than three days; and this probability - will be in favor of L’Etoile’s position until the instances so childishly - adduced shall be sufficient in number to establish an antagonistical rule. - </p> - <p> - “You will see at once that all argument upon this head should be urged, if - at all, against the rule itself; and for this end we must examine the - rationale of the rule. Now the human body, in general, is neither much - lighter nor much heavier than the water of the Seine; that is to say, the - specific gravity of the human body, in its natural condition, is about - equal to the bulk of fresh water which it displaces. The bodies of fat and - fleshy persons, with small bones, and of women generally, are lighter than - those of the lean and large-boned, and of men; and the specific gravity of - the water of a river is somewhat influenced by the presence of the tide - from sea. But, leaving this tide out of question, it may be said that very - few human bodies will sink at all, even in fresh water, of their own - accord. Almost any one, falling into a river, will be enabled to float, if - he suffer the specific gravity of the water fairly to be adduced in - comparison with his own—that is to say, if he suffer his whole - person to be immersed, with as little exception as possible. The proper - position for one who cannot swim, is the upright position of the walker on - land, with the head thrown fully back, and immersed; the mouth and - nostrils alone remaining above the surface. Thus circumstanced, we shall - find that we float without difficulty and without exertion. It is evident, - however, that the gravities of the body, and of the bulk of water - displaced, are very nicely balanced, and that a trifle will cause either - to preponderate. An arm, for instance, uplifted from the water, and thus - deprived of its support, is an additional weight sufficient to immerse the - whole head, while the accidental aid of the smallest piece of timber will - enable us to elevate the head so as to look about. Now, in the struggles - of one unused to swimming, the arms are invariably thrown upwards, while - an attempt is made to keep the head in its usual perpendicular position. - The result is the immersion of the mouth and nostrils, and the inception, - during efforts to breathe while beneath the surface, of water into the - lungs. Much is also received into the stomach, and the whole body becomes - heavier by the difference between the weight of the air originally - distending these cavities, and that of the fluid which now fills them. - This difference is sufficient to cause the body to sink, as a general - rule; but is insufficient in the cases of individuals with small bones and - an abnormal quantity of flaccid or fatty matter. Such individuals float - even after drowning. - </p> - <p> - “The corpse, being supposed at the bottom of the river, will there remain - until, by some means, its specific gravity again becomes less than that of - the bulk of water which it displaces. This effect is brought about by - decomposition, or otherwise. The result of decomposition is the generation - of gas, distending the cellular tissues and all the cavities, and giving - the puffed appearance which is so horrible. When this distension has so - far progressed that the bulk of the corpse is materially increased without - a corresponding increase of mass or weight, its specific gravity becomes - less than that of the water displaced, and it forthwith makes its - appearance at the surface. But decomposition is modified by innumerable - circumstances—is hastened or retarded by innumerable agencies; for - example, by the heat or cold of the season, by the mineral impregnation or - purity of the water, by its depth or shallowness, by its currency or - stagnation, by the temperament of the body, by its infection or freedom - from disease before death. Thus it is evident that we can assign no - period, with any thing like accuracy, at which the corpse shall rise - through decomposition. Under certain conditions this result would be - brought about within an hour; under others, it might not take place at - all. There are chemical infusions by which the animal frame can be - preserved forever from corruption; the bi-chloride of mercury is one. But, - apart from decomposition, there may be, and very usually is, a generation - of gas within the stomach, from the acetous fermentation of vegetable - matter (or within other cavities from other causes), sufficient to induce a - distension which will bring the body to the surface. The effect produced - by the firing of a cannon is that of simple vibration. This may either - loosen the corpse from the soft mud or ooze in which it is imbedded, thus - permitting it to rise when other agencies have already prepared it for so - doing; or it may overcome the tenacity of some putrescent portions of the - cellular tissue; allowing the cavities to distend under the influence of - the gas. - </p> - <p> - “Having thus before us the whole philosophy of this subject, we can easily - test by it the assertions of L’Etoile. ‘All experience shows,’ says this - paper, ‘that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown into the water immediately - after death by violence, require from six to ten days for sufficient - decomposition to take place to bring them to the top of the water. Even - when a cannon is fired over a corpse, and it rises before at least five or - six days’ immersion, it sinks again if let alone.’ - </p> - <p> - “The whole of this paragraph must now appear a tissue of inconsequence and - incoherence. All experience does not show that ‘drowned bodies’ require - from six to ten days for sufficient decomposition to take place to bring - them to the surface. Both science and experience show that the period of - their rising is, and necessarily must be, indeterminate. If, moreover, a - body has risen to the surface through firing of cannon, it will not ‘sink - again if let alone,’ until decomposition has so far progressed as to - permit the escape of the generated gas. But I wish to call your attention - to the distinction which is made between ‘drowned bodies,’ and ‘bodies - thrown into the water immediately after death by violence.’ Although the - writer admits the distinction, he yet includes them all in the same - category. I have shown how it is that the body of a drowning man becomes - specifically heavier than its bulk of water, and that he would not sink at - all, except for the struggles by which he elevates his arms above the - surface, and his gasps for breath while beneath the surface—gasps - which supply by water the place of the original air in the lungs. But - these struggles and these gasps would not occur in the body ‘thrown into - the water immediately after death by violence.’ Thus, in the latter - instance, the body, as a general rule, would not sink at all—a fact - of which L’Etoile is evidently ignorant. When decomposition had proceeded - to a very great extent—when the flesh had in a great measure left - the bones—then, indeed, but not till then, should we lose sight of - the corpse. - </p> - <p> - “And now what are we to make of the argument, that the body found could - not be that of Marie Rogêt, because, three days only having - elapsed, this body was found floating? If drowned, being a woman, she - might never have sunk; or having sunk, might have reappeared in - twenty-four hours, or less. But no one supposes her to have been drowned; - and, dying before being thrown into the river, she might have been found - floating at any period afterwards whatever. - </p> - <p> - “‘But,’ says L’Etoile, ‘if the body had been kept in its mangled state on - shore until Tuesday night, some trace would be found on shore of the - murderers.’ Here it is at first difficult to perceive the intention of the - reasoner. He means to anticipate what he imagines would be an objection to - his theory—viz.: that the body was kept on shore two days, suffering - rapid decomposition—more rapid than if immersed in water. He - supposes that, had this been the case, it might have appeared at the - surface on the Wednesday, and thinks that only under such circumstances it - could so have appeared. He is accordingly in haste to show that it was not - kept on shore; for, if so, ‘some trace would be found on shore of the - murderers.’ I presume you smile at the sequitur. You cannot be made to see - how the mere duration of the corpse on the shore could operate to multiply - traces of the assassins. Nor can I. - </p> - <p> - “‘And furthermore it is exceedingly improbable,’ continues our journal, - ‘that any villains who had committed such a murder as is here supposed, - would have thrown the body in without weight to sink it, when such a - precaution could have so easily been taken.’ Observe, here, the laughable - confusion of thought! No one—not even L’Etoile—disputes the - murder committed <i>on the body found</i>. The marks of violence are too - obvious. It is our reasoner’s object merely to show that this body is not - Marie’s. He wishes to prove that Marie is not assassinated—not that - the corpse was not. Yet his observation proves only the latter point. Here - is a corpse without weight attached. Murderers, casting it in, would not - have failed to attach a weight. Therefore it was not thrown in by - murderers. This is all which is proved, if any thing is. The question of - identity is not even approached, and L’Etoile has been at great pains - merely to gainsay now what it has admitted only a moment before. ‘We are - perfectly convinced,’ it says, ‘that the body found was that of a murdered - female.’ - </p> - <p> - “Nor is this the sole instance, even in this division of his subject, - where our reasoner unwittingly reasons against himself. His evident - object, I have already said, is to reduce, as much as possible, the - interval between Marie’s disappearance and the finding of the corpse. Yet - we find him urging the point that no person saw the girl from the moment - of her leaving her mother’s house. ‘We have no evidence,’ he says, ‘that - Marie Rogêt was in the land of the living after nine o’clock on - Sunday, June the twenty-second.’ As his argument is obviously an ex parte - one, he should, at least, have left this matter out of sight; for had any - one been known to see Marie, say on Monday, or on Tuesday, the interval in - question would have been much reduced, and, by his own ratiocination, the - probability much diminished of the corpse being that of the grisette. It - is, nevertheless, amusing to observe that L’Etoile insists upon its point - in the full belief of its furthering its general argument. - </p> - <p> - “Reperuse now that portion of this argument which has reference to the - identification of the corpse by Beauvais. In regard to the hair upon the - arm, L’Etoile has been obviously disingenuous. M. Beauvais, not being an - idiot, could never have urged, in identification of the corpse, simply - hair upon its arm. No arm is without hair. The generality of the - expression of L’Etoile is a mere perversion of the witness’ phraseology. - He must have spoken of some peculiarity in this hair. It must have been a - peculiarity of color, of quantity, of length, or of situation. - </p> - <p> - “‘Her foot,’ says the journal, ‘was small—so are thousands of feet. - Her garter is no proof whatever—nor is her shoe—for shoes and - garters are sold in packages. The same may be said of the flowers in her - hat. One thing upon which M. Beauvais strongly insists is, that the clasp - on the garter found, had been set back to take it in. This amounts to - nothing; for most women find it proper to take a pair of garters home and - fit them to the size of the limbs they are to encircle, rather than to try - them in the store where they purchase.’ Here it is difficult to suppose - the reasoner in earnest. Had M. Beauvais, in his search for the body of - Marie, discovered a corpse corresponding in general size and appearance to - the missing girl, he would have been warranted (without reference to the - question of habiliment at all) in forming an opinion that his search had - been successful. If, in addition to the point of general size and contour, - he had found upon the arm a peculiar hairy appearance which he had - observed upon the living Marie, his opinion might have been justly - strengthened; and the increase of positiveness might well have been in the - ratio of the peculiarity, or unusualness, of the hairy mark. If, the feet - of Marie being small, those of the corpse were also small, the increase of - probability that the body was that of Marie would not be an increase in a - ratio merely arithmetical, but in one highly geometrical, or accumulative. - Add to all this shoes such as she had been known to wear upon the day of - her disappearance, and, although these shoes may be ‘sold in packages,’ - you so far augment the probability as to verge upon the certain. What, of - itself, would be no evidence of identity, becomes through its - corroborative position, proof most sure. Give us, then, flowers in the hat - corresponding to those worn by the missing girl, and we seek for nothing - farther. If only one flower, we seek for nothing farther—what then - if two or three, or more? Each successive one is multiple evidence—proof - not <i>added</i> to proof, but multiplied by hundreds or thousands. Let us - now discover, upon the deceased, garters such as the living used, and it - is almost folly to proceed. But these garters are found to be tightened, - by the setting back of a clasp, in just such a manner as her own had been - tightened by Marie, shortly previous to her leaving home. It is now - madness or hypocrisy to doubt. What L’Etoile says in respect to this - abbreviation of the garters being an usual occurrence, shows nothing - beyond its own pertinacity in error. The elastic nature of the - clasp-garter is self-demonstration of the unusualness of the abbreviation. - What is made to adjust itself, must of necessity require foreign - adjustment but rarely. It must have been by an accident, in its strictest - sense, that these garters of Marie needed the tightening described. They - alone would have amply established her identity. But it is not that the - corpse was found to have the garters of the missing girl, or found to have - her shoes, or her bonnet, or the flowers of her bonnet, or her feet, or a - peculiar mark upon the arm, or her general size and appearance—it is - that the corpse had each, and <i>all collectively</i>. Could it be proved - that the editor of L’Etoile <i>really</i> entertained a doubt, under the - circumstances, there would be no need, in his case, of a commission de - lunatico inquirendo. He has thought it sagacious to echo the small talk of - the lawyers, who, for the most part, content themselves with echoing the - rectangular precepts of the courts. I would here observe that very much of - what is rejected as evidence by a court, is the best of evidence to the - intellect. For the court, guiding itself by the general principles of - evidence—the recognized and <i>booked</i> principles—is averse - from swerving at particular instances. And this steadfast adherence to - principle, with rigorous disregard of the conflicting exception, is a sure - mode of attaining the maximum of attainable truth, in any long sequence of - time. The practice, in mass, is therefore philosophical; but it is not the - less certain that it engenders vast individual error. (*16) - </p> - <p> - “In respect to the insinuations levelled at Beauvais, you will be willing - to dismiss them in a breath. You have already fathomed the true character - of this good gentleman. He is a busy-body, with much of romance and little - of wit. Any one so constituted will readily so conduct himself, upon - occasion of real excitement, as to render himself liable to suspicion on - the part of the over acute, or the ill-disposed. M. Beauvais (as it - appears from your notes) had some personal interviews with the editor of - L’Etoile, and offended him by venturing an opinion that the corpse, - notwithstanding the theory of the editor, was, in sober fact, that of - Marie. ‘He persists,’ says the paper, ‘in asserting the corpse to be that - of Marie, but cannot give a circumstance, in addition to those which we - have commented upon, to make others believe.’ Now, without re-adverting to - the fact that stronger evidence ‘to make others believe,’ could never have - been adduced, it may be remarked that a man may very well be understood to - believe, in a case of this kind, without the ability to advance a single - reason for the belief of a second party. Nothing is more vague than - impressions of individual identity. Each man recognizes his neighbor, yet - there are few instances in which any one is prepared to give a reason for - his recognition. The editor of L’Etoile had no right to be offended at M. - Beauvais’ unreasoning belief. - </p> - <p> - “The suspicious circumstances which invest him, will be found to tally - much better with my hypothesis of romantic busy-bodyism, than with the - reasoner’s suggestion of guilt. Once adopting the more charitable - interpretation, we shall find no difficulty in comprehending the rose in - the key-hole; the ‘Marie’ upon the slate; the ‘elbowing the male relatives - out of the way;’ the ‘aversion to permitting them to see the body;’ the - caution given to Madame B——, that she must hold no - conversation with the gendarme until his return (Beauvais’); and, lastly, - his apparent determination ‘that nobody should have anything to do with - the proceedings except himself.’ It seems to me unquestionable that - Beauvais was a suitor of Marie’s; that she coquetted with him; and that he - was ambitious of being thought to enjoy her fullest intimacy and - confidence. I shall say nothing more upon this point; and, as the evidence - fully rebuts the assertion of L’Etoile, touching the matter of apathy on - the part of the mother and other relatives—an apathy inconsistent - with the supposition of their believing the corpse to be that of the - perfumery-girl—we shall now proceed as if the question of identity - were settled to our perfect satisfaction.” - </p> - <p> - “And what,” I here demanded, “do you think of the opinions of Le - Commerciel?” - </p> - <p> - “That, in spirit, they are far more worthy of attention than any which - have been promulgated upon the subject. The deductions from the premises - are philosophical and acute; but the premises, in two instances, at least, - are founded in imperfect observation. Le Commerciel wishes to intimate - that Marie was seized by some gang of low ruffians not far from her - mother’s door. ‘It is impossible,’ it urges, ‘that a person so well known - to thousands as this young woman was, should have passed three blocks - without some one having seen her.’ This is the idea of a man long resident - in Paris—a public man—and one whose walks to and fro in the - city, have been mostly limited to the vicinity of the public offices. He - is aware that he seldom passes so far as a dozen blocks from his own - bureau, without being recognized and accosted. And, knowing the extent of - his personal acquaintance with others, and of others with him, he compares - his notoriety with that of the perfumery-girl, finds no great difference - between them, and reaches at once the conclusion that she, in her walks, - would be equally liable to recognition with himself in his. This could - only be the case were her walks of the same unvarying, methodical - character, and within the same species of limited region as are his own. - He passes to and fro, at regular intervals, within a confined periphery, - abounding in individuals who are led to observation of his person through - interest in the kindred nature of his occupation with their own. But the - walks of Marie may, in general, be supposed discursive. In this particular - instance, it will be understood as most probable, that she proceeded upon - a route of more than average diversity from her accustomed ones. The - parallel which we imagine to have existed in the mind of Le Commerciel - would only be sustained in the event of the two individuals traversing - the whole city. In this case, granting the personal acquaintances to be - equal, the chances would be also equal that an equal number of personal - rencounters would be made. For my own part, I should hold it not only as - possible, but as very far more than probable, that Marie might have - proceeded, at any given period, by any one of the many routes between her - own residence and that of her aunt, without meeting a single individual - whom she knew, or by whom she was known. In viewing this question in its - full and proper light, we must hold steadily in mind the great - disproportion between the personal acquaintances of even the most noted - individual in Paris, and the entire population of Paris itself. - </p> - <p> - “But whatever force there may still appear to be in the suggestion of Le - Commerciel, will be much diminished when we take into consideration the - hour at which the girl went abroad. ‘It was when the streets were full of - people,’ says Le Commerciel, ‘that she went out.’ But not so. It was at - nine o’clock in the morning. Now at nine o’clock of every morning in the - week, <i>with the exception of Sunday</i>, the streets of the city are, it - is true, thronged with people. At nine on Sunday, the populace are chiefly - within doors <i>preparing for church</i>. No observing person can have - failed to notice the peculiarly deserted air of the town, from about eight - until ten on the morning of every Sabbath. Between ten and eleven the - streets are thronged, but not at so early a period as that designated. - </p> - <p> - “There is another point at which there seems a deficiency of observation - on the part of Le Commerciel. ‘A piece,’ it says, ‘of one of the - unfortunate girl’s petticoats, two feet long, and one foot wide, was torn - out and tied under her chin, and around the back of her head, probably to - prevent screams. This was done, by fellows who had no - pocket-handkerchiefs.’ Whether this idea is, or is not well founded, we - will endeavor to see hereafter; but by ‘fellows who have no - pocket-handkerchiefs’ the editor intends the lowest class of ruffians. - These, however, are the very description of people who will always be - found to have handkerchiefs even when destitute of shirts. You must have - had occasion to observe how absolutely indispensable, of late years, to - the thorough blackguard, has become the pocket-handkerchief.” - </p> - <p> - “And what are we to think,” I asked, “of the article in Le Soleil?” - </p> - <p> - “That it is a vast pity its inditer was not born a parrot—in which - case he would have been the most illustrious parrot of his race. He has - merely repeated the individual items of the already published opinion; - collecting them, with a laudable industry, from this paper and from that. - ‘The things had all evidently been there,’ he says, ‘at least, three or - four weeks, and there can be <i>no doubt</i> that the spot of this - appalling outrage has been discovered.’ The facts here re-stated by Le - Soleil, are very far indeed from removing my own doubts upon this subject, - and we will examine them more particularly hereafter in connexion with - another division of the theme. - </p> - <p> - “At present we must occupy ourselves with other investigations. You cannot - fail to have remarked the extreme laxity of the examination of the corpse. - To be sure, the question of identity was readily determined, or should - have been; but there were other points to be ascertained. Had the body - been in any respect despoiled? Had the deceased any articles of jewelry - about her person upon leaving home? if so, had she any when found? These - are important questions utterly untouched by the evidence; and there are - others of equal moment, which have met with no attention. We must endeavor - to satisfy ourselves by personal inquiry. The case of St. Eustache must be - re-examined. I have no suspicion of this person; but let us proceed - methodically. We will ascertain beyond a doubt the validity of the - affidavits in regard to his whereabouts on the Sunday. Affidavits of this - character are readily made matter of mystification. Should there be - nothing wrong here, however, we will dismiss St. Eustache from our - investigations. His suicide, however corroborative of suspicion, were - there found to be deceit in the affidavits, is, without such deceit, in no - respect an unaccountable circumstance, or one which need cause us to - deflect from the line of ordinary analysis. - </p> - <p> - “In that which I now propose, we will discard the interior points of this - tragedy, and concentrate our attention upon its outskirts. Not the least - usual error, in investigations such as this, is the limiting of inquiry to - the immediate, with total disregard of the collateral or circumstantial - events. It is the mal-practice of the courts to confine evidence and - discussion to the bounds of apparent relevancy. Yet experience has shown, - and a true philosophy will always show, that a vast, perhaps the larger - portion of truth, arises from the seemingly irrelevant. It is through the - spirit of this principle, if not precisely through its letter, that modern - science has resolved to calculate upon the unforeseen. But perhaps you do - not comprehend me. The history of human knowledge has so uninterruptedly - shown that to collateral, or incidental, or accidental events we are - indebted for the most numerous and most valuable discoveries, that it has - at length become necessary, in any prospective view of improvement, to - make not only large, but the largest allowances for inventions that shall - arise by chance, and quite out of the range of ordinary expectation. It is - no longer philosophical to base, upon what has been, a vision of what is - to be. Accident is admitted as a portion of the substructure. We make - chance a matter of absolute calculation. We subject the unlooked for and - unimagined to the mathematical <i>formulae</i> of the schools. - </p> - <p> - “I repeat that it is no more than fact, that the larger portion of all - truth has sprung from the collateral; and it is but in accordance with the - spirit of the principle involved in this fact, that I would divert - inquiry, in the present case, from the trodden and hitherto unfruitful - ground of the event itself, to the contemporary circumstances which - surround it. While you ascertain the validity of the affidavits, I will - examine the newspapers more generally than you have as yet done. So far, - we have only reconnoitred the field of investigation; but it will be - strange indeed if a comprehensive survey, such as I propose, of the public - prints, will not afford us some minute points which shall establish a - direction for inquiry.” - </p> - <p> - In pursuance of Dupin’s suggestion, I made scrupulous examination of the - affair of the affidavits. The result was a firm conviction of their - validity, and of the consequent innocence of St. Eustache. In the mean - time my friend occupied himself, with what seemed to me a minuteness - altogether objectless, in a scrutiny of the various newspaper files. At - the end of a week he placed before me the following extracts: - </p> - <p> - “About three years and a half ago, a disturbance very similar to the - present, was caused by the disappearance of this same Marie Rogêt, - from the parfumerie of Monsieur Le Blanc, in the Palais Royal. At the end - of a week, however, she re-appeared at her customary comptoir, as well as - ever, with the exception of a slight paleness not altogether usual. It was - given out by Monsieur Le Blanc and her mother, that she had merely been on - a visit to some friend in the country; and the affair was speedily hushed - up. We presume that the present absence is a freak of the same nature, and - that, at the expiration of a week, or perhaps of a month, we shall have - her among us again.”—Evening Paper—Monday, June 23. (*17) - </p> - <p> - “An evening journal of yesterday, refers to a former mysterious - disappearance of Mademoiselle Rogêt. It is well known that, during - the week of her absence from Le Blanc’s parfumerie, she was in the company - of a young naval officer, much noted for his debaucheries. A quarrel, it - is supposed, providentially led to her return home. We have the name of - the Lothario in question, who is, at present, stationed in Paris, but, for - obvious reasons, forbear to make it public.”—Le Mercurie—Tuesday - Morning, June 24. (*18) - </p> - <p> - “An outrage of the most atrocious character was perpetrated near this city - the day before yesterday. A gentleman, with his wife and daughter, - engaged, about dusk, the services of six young men, who were idly rowing a - boat to and fro near the banks of the Seine, to convey him across the - river. Upon reaching the opposite shore, the three passengers stepped out, - and had proceeded so far as to be beyond the view of the boat, when the - daughter discovered that she had left in it her parasol. She returned for - it, was seized by the gang, carried out into the stream, gagged, brutally - treated, and finally taken to the shore at a point not far from that at - which she had originally entered the boat with her parents. The villains - have escaped for the time, but the police are upon their trail, and some - of them will soon be taken.”—Morning Paper—June 25. (*19) - </p> - <p> - “We have received one or two communications, the object of which is to - fasten the crime of the late atrocity upon Mennais; (*20) but as this - gentleman has been fully exonerated by a loyal inquiry, and as the - arguments of our several correspondents appear to be more zealous than - profound, we do not think it advisable to make them public.”—Morning - Paper—June 28. (*21) - </p> - <p> - “We have received several forcibly written communications, apparently from - various sources, and which go far to render it a matter of certainty that - the unfortunate Marie Rogêt has become a victim of one of the - numerous bands of blackguards which infest the vicinity of the city upon - Sunday. Our own opinion is decidedly in favor of this supposition. We - shall endeavor to make room for some of these arguments hereafter.”—Evening - Paper—Tuesday, June 31. (*22) - </p> - <p> - “On Monday, one of the bargemen connected with the revenue service, saw a - empty boat floating down the Seine. Sails were lying in the bottom of the - boat. The bargeman towed it under the barge office. The next morning it - was taken from thence, without the knowledge of any of the officers. The - rudder is now at the barge office.”—Le Diligence—Thursday, - June 26. - </p> - <p> - Upon reading these various extracts, they not only seemed to me - irrelevant, but I could perceive no mode in which any one of them could be - brought to bear upon the matter in hand. I waited for some explanation - from Dupin. - </p> - <p> - “It is not my present design,” he said, “to dwell upon the first and - second of those extracts. I have copied them chiefly to show you the - extreme remissness of the police, who, as far as I can understand from the - Prefect, have not troubled themselves, in any respect, with an examination - of the naval officer alluded to. Yet it is mere folly to say that between - the first and second disappearance of Marie there is no <i>supposable</i> - connection. Let us admit the first elopement to have resulted in a quarrel - between the lovers, and the return home of the betrayed. We are now - prepared to view a second elopement (if we know that an elopement has - again taken place) as indicating a renewal of the betrayer’s advances, - rather than as the result of new proposals by a second individual—we - are prepared to regard it as a ‘making up’ of the old amour, rather than - as the commencement of a new one. The chances are ten to one, that he who - had once eloped with Marie, would again propose an elopement, rather than - that she to whom proposals of elopement had been made by one individual, - should have them made to her by another. And here let me call your - attention to the fact, that the time elapsing between the first - ascertained, and the second supposed elopement, is a few months more than - the general period of the cruises of our men-of-war. Had the lover been - interrupted in his first villany by the necessity of departure to sea, and - had he seized the first moment of his return to renew the base designs not - yet altogether accomplished—or not yet altogether accomplished by <i>him?</i> - Of all these things we know nothing. - </p> - <p> - “You will say, however, that, in the second instance, there was no - elopement as imagined. Certainly not—but are we prepared to say that - there was not the frustrated design? Beyond St. Eustache, and perhaps - Beauvais, we find no recognized, no open, no honorable suitors of Marie. - Of none other is there any thing said. Who, then, is the secret lover, of - whom the relatives (at least most of them) know nothing, but whom Marie - meets upon the morning of Sunday, and who is so deeply in her confidence, - that she hesitates not to remain with him until the shades of the evening - descend, amid the solitary groves of the Barrière du Roule? Who is - that secret lover, I ask, of whom, at least, most of the relatives know - nothing? And what means the singular prophecy of Madame Rogêt on - the morning of Marie’s departure?—‘I fear that I shall never see - Marie again.’ - </p> - <p> - “But if we cannot imagine Madame Rogêt privy to the design of - elopement, may we not at least suppose this design entertained by the - girl? Upon quitting home, she gave it to be understood that she was about - to visit her aunt in the Rue des Drômes and St. Eustache was - requested to call for her at dark. Now, at first glance, this fact - strongly militates against my suggestion;—but let us reflect. That - she did meet some companion, and proceed with him across the river, - reaching the Barrière du Roule at so late an hour as three o’clock - in the afternoon, is known. But in consenting so to accompany this - individual, (<i>for whatever purpose—to her mother known or unknown,</i>) - she must have thought of her expressed intention when leaving home, and of - the surprise and suspicion aroused in the bosom of her affianced suitor, - St. Eustache, when, calling for her, at the hour appointed, in the Rue des - Drômes, he should find that she had not been there, and when, - moreover, upon returning to the pension with this alarming intelligence, - he should become aware of her continued absence from home. She must have - thought of these things, I say. She must have foreseen the chagrin of St. - Eustache, the suspicion of all. She could not have thought of returning to - brave this suspicion; but the suspicion becomes a point of trivial - importance to her, if we suppose her not intending to return. - </p> - <p> - “We may imagine her thinking thus—‘I am to meet a certain person for - the purpose of elopement, or for certain other purposes known only to - myself. It is necessary that there be no chance of interruption—there - must be sufficient time given us to elude pursuit—I will give it to - be understood that I shall visit and spend the day with my aunt at the Rue - des Drômes—I well tell St. Eustache not to call for me until - dark—in this way, my absence from home for the longest possible - period, without causing suspicion or anxiety, will be accounted for, and I - shall gain more time than in any other manner. If I bid St. Eustache call - for me at dark, he will be sure not to call before; but, if I wholly - neglect to bid him call, my time for escape will be diminished, since it - will be expected that I return the earlier, and my absence will the sooner - excite anxiety. Now, if it were my design to return at all—if I had - in contemplation merely a stroll with the individual in question—it - would not be my policy to bid St. Eustache call; for, calling, he will be - sure to ascertain that I have played him false—a fact of which I - might keep him for ever in ignorance, by leaving home without notifying - him of my intention, by returning before dark, and by then stating that I - had been to visit my aunt in the Rue des Drômes. But, as it is my - design never to return—or not for some weeks—or not until - certain concealments are effected—the gaining of time is the only - point about which I need give myself any concern.’ - </p> - <p> - “You have observed, in your notes, that the most general opinion in - relation to this sad affair is, and was from the first, that the girl had - been the victim of a gang of blackguards. Now, the popular opinion, under - certain conditions, is not to be disregarded. When arising of itself—when - manifesting itself in a strictly spontaneous manner—we should look - upon it as analogous with that <i>intuition</i> which is the idiosyncrasy - of the individual man of genius. In ninety-nine cases from the hundred I - would abide by its decision. But it is important that we find no palpable - traces of <i>suggestion</i>. The opinion must be rigorously <i>the - public’s own</i>; and the distinction is often exceedingly difficult to - perceive and to maintain. In the present instance, it appears to me that - this ‘public opinion’ in respect to a gang, has been superinduced by the - collateral event which is detailed in the third of my extracts. All Paris - is excited by the discovered corpse of Marie, a girl young, beautiful and - notorious. This corpse is found, bearing marks of violence, and floating - in the river. But it is now made known that, at the very period, or about - the very period, in which it is supposed that the girl was assassinated, - an outrage similar in nature to that endured by the deceased, although - less in extent, was perpetuated, by a gang of young ruffians, upon the - person of a second young female. Is it wonderful that the one known - atrocity should influence the popular judgment in regard to the other - unknown? This judgment awaited direction, and the known outrage seemed so - opportunely to afford it! Marie, too, was found in the river; and upon - this very river was this known outrage committed. The connexion of the two - events had about it so much of the palpable, that the true wonder would - have been a failure of the populace to appreciate and to seize it. But, in - fact, the one atrocity, known to be so committed, is, if any thing, - evidence that the other, committed at a time nearly coincident, was not so - committed. It would have been a miracle indeed, if, while a gang of - ruffians were perpetrating, at a given locality, a most unheard-of wrong, - there should have been another similar gang, in a similar locality, in the - same city, under the same circumstances, with the same means and - appliances, engaged in a wrong of precisely the same aspect, at precisely - the same period of time! Yet in what, if not in this marvellous train of - coincidence, does the accidentally suggested opinion of the populace call - upon us to believe? - </p> - <p> - “Before proceeding farther, let us consider the supposed scene of the - assassination, in the thicket at the Barrière du Roule. This - thicket, although dense, was in the close vicinity of a public road. - Within were three or four large stones, forming a kind of seat with a back - and footstool. On the upper stone was discovered a white petticoat; on the - second, a silk scarf. A parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief, were - also here found. The handkerchief bore the name, ‘Marie Rogêt.’ - Fragments of dress were seen on the branches around. The earth was - trampled, the bushes were broken, and there was every evidence of a - violent struggle. - </p> - <p> - “Notwithstanding the acclamation with which the discovery of this thicket - was received by the press, and the unanimity with which it was supposed to - indicate the precise scene of the outrage, it must be admitted that there - was some very good reason for doubt. That it was the scene, I may or I may - not believe—but there was excellent reason for doubt. Had the true - scene been, as Le Commerciel suggested, in the neighborhood of the Rue Pavée - St. Andrée, the perpetrators of the crime, supposing them still - resident in Paris, would naturally have been stricken with terror at the - public attention thus acutely directed into the proper channel; and, in - certain classes of minds, there would have arisen, at once, a sense of the - necessity of some exertion to redivert this attention. And thus, the - thicket of the Barrière du Roule having been already suspected, the - idea of placing the articles where they were found, might have been - naturally entertained. There is no real evidence, although Le Soleil so - supposes, that the articles discovered had been more than a very few days - in the thicket; while there is much circumstantial proof that they could - not have remained there, without attracting attention, during the twenty - days elapsing between the fatal Sunday and the afternoon upon which they - were found by the boys. ‘They were all <i>mildewed</i> down hard,’ says Le - Soleil, adopting the opinions of its predecessors, ‘with the action of the - rain, and stuck together from <i>mildew</i>. The grass had grown around - and over some of them. The silk of the parasol was strong, but the threads - of it were run together within. The upper part, where it had been doubled - and folded, was all <i>mildewed</i> and rotten, and tore on being opened.’ - In respect to the grass having ‘grown around and over some of them,’ it is - obvious that the fact could only have been ascertained from the words, and - thus from the recollections, of two small boys; for these boys removed the - articles and took them home before they had been seen by a third party. - But grass will grow, especially in warm and damp weather, (such as was - that of the period of the murder,) as much as two or three inches in a - single day. A parasol lying upon a newly turfed ground, might, in a single - week, be entirely concealed from sight by the upspringing grass. And - touching that mildew upon which the editor of Le Soleil so pertinaciously - insists, that he employs the word no less than three times in the brief - paragraph just quoted, is he really unaware of the nature of this mildew? - Is he to be told that it is one of the many classes of fungus, of which - the most ordinary feature is its upspringing and decadence within - twenty-four hours? - </p> - <p> - “Thus we see, at a glance, that what has been most triumphantly adduced in - support of the idea that the articles had been ‘for at least three or four - weeks’ in the thicket, is most absurdly null as regards any evidence of - that fact. On the other hand, it is exceedingly difficult to believe that - these articles could have remained in the thicket specified, for a longer - period than a single week—for a longer period than from one Sunday - to the next. Those who know any thing of the vicinity of Paris, know the - extreme difficulty of finding seclusion unless at a great distance from - its suburbs. Such a thing as an unexplored, or even an unfrequently - visited recess, amid its woods or groves, is not for a moment to be - imagined. Let any one who, being at heart a lover of nature, is yet - chained by duty to the dust and heat of this great metropolis—let - any such one attempt, even during the weekdays, to slake his thirst for - solitude amid the scenes of natural loveliness which immediately surround - us. At every second step, he will find the growing charm dispelled by the - voice and personal intrusion of some ruffian or party of carousing - blackguards. He will seek privacy amid the densest foliage, all in vain. - Here are the very nooks where the unwashed most abound—here are the - temples most desecrate. With sickness of the heart the wanderer will flee - back to the polluted Paris as to a less odious because less incongruous - sink of pollution. But if the vicinity of the city is so beset during the - working days of the week, how much more so on the Sabbath! It is now - especially that, released from the claims of labor, or deprived of the - customary opportunities of crime, the town blackguard seeks the precincts - of the town, not through love of the rural, which in his heart he - despises, but by way of escape from the restraints and conventionalities - of society. He desires less the fresh air and the green trees, than the - utter license of the country. Here, at the road-side inn, or beneath the - foliage of the woods, he indulges, unchecked by any eye except those of - his boon companions, in all the mad excess of a counterfeit hilarity—the - joint offspring of liberty and of rum. I say nothing more than what must - be obvious to every dispassionate observer, when I repeat that the - circumstance of the articles in question having remained undiscovered, for - a longer period than from one Sunday to another, in any thicket in - the immediate neighborhood of Paris, is to be looked upon as little less - than miraculous. - </p> - <p> - “But there are not wanting other grounds for the suspicion that the - articles were placed in the thicket with the view of diverting attention - from the real scene of the outrage. And, first, let me direct your notice - to the date of the discovery of the articles. Collate this with the date - of the fifth extract made by myself from the newspapers. You will find - that the discovery followed, almost immediately, the urgent communications - sent to the evening paper. These communications, although various and - apparently from various sources, tended all to the same point—viz., - the directing of attention to a gang as the perpetrators of the outrage, - and to the neighborhood of the Barrière du Roule as its scene. Now - here, of course, the suspicion is not that, in consequence of these - communications, or of the public attention by them directed, the articles - were found by the boys; but the suspicion might and may well have been, - that the articles were not before found by the boys, for the reason that - the articles had not before been in the thicket; having been deposited - there only at so late a period as at the date, or shortly prior to the - date of the communication, by the guilty authors of these communications - themselves. - </p> - <p> - “This thicket was a singular—an exceedingly singular one. It was - unusually dense. Within its naturally walled enclosure were three - extraordinary stones, forming a seat with a back and footstool. And this - thicket, so full of a natural art, was in the immediate vicinity, within a - few rods, of the dwelling of Madame Deluc, whose boys were in the habit of - closely examining the shrubberies about them in search of the bark of the - sassafras. Would it be a rash wager—a wager of one thousand to one—that - a day never passed over the heads of these boys without finding at least - one of them ensconced in the umbrageous hall, and enthroned upon its - natural throne? Those who would hesitate at such a wager, have either - never been boys themselves, or have forgotten the boyish nature. I repeat—it - is exceedingly hard to comprehend how the articles could have remained in - this thicket undiscovered, for a longer period than one or two days; and - that thus there is good ground for suspicion, in spite of the dogmatic - ignorance of Le Soleil, that they were, at a comparatively late date, - deposited where found. - </p> - <p> - “But there are still other and stronger reasons for believing them so - deposited, than any which I have as yet urged. And, now, let me beg your - notice to the highly artificial arrangement of the articles. On the <i>upper</i> - stone lay a white petticoat; on the <i>second</i>, a silk scarf; scattered around, - were a parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief bearing the name, ‘Marie - Rogêt.’ Here is just such an arrangement as would naturally be made - by a not over-acute person wishing to dispose the articles naturally. But - it is by no means a really natural arrangement. I should rather have - looked to see the things all lying on the ground and trampled under foot. - In the narrow limits of that bower, it would have been scarcely possible - that the petticoat and scarf should have retained a position upon the - stones, when subjected to the brushing to and fro of many struggling - persons. ‘There was evidence,’ it is said, ‘of a struggle; and the earth - was trampled, the bushes were broken,’—but the petticoat and the - scarf are found deposited as if upon shelves. ‘The pieces of the frock - torn out by the bushes were about three inches wide and six inches long. - One part was the hem of the frock and it had been mended. They looked like - strips torn off.’ Here, inadvertently, Le Soleil has employed an - exceedingly suspicious phrase. The pieces, as described, do indeed ‘look - like strips torn off;’ but purposely and by hand. It is one of the rarest - of accidents that a piece is ‘torn off,’ from any garment such as is now - in question, by the agency of a thorn. From the very nature of such - fabrics, a thorn or nail becoming entangled in them, tears them - rectangularly—divides them into two longitudinal rents, at right - angles with each other, and meeting at an apex where the thorn enters—but - it is scarcely possible to conceive the piece ‘torn off.’ I never so knew - it, nor did you. To tear a piece off from such fabric, two distinct - forces, in different directions, will be, in almost every case, required. - If there be two edges to the fabric—if, for example, it be a - pocket-handkerchief, and it is desired to tear from it a slip, then, and - then only, will the one force serve the purpose. But in the present case - the question is of a dress, presenting but one edge. To tear a piece from - the interior, where no edge is presented, could only be effected by a - miracle through the agency of thorns, and no one thorn could accomplish - it. But, even where an edge is presented, two thorns will be necessary, - operating, the one in two distinct directions, and the other in one. And - this in the supposition that the edge is unhemmed. If hemmed, the matter - is nearly out of the question. We thus see the numerous and great - obstacles in the way of pieces being ‘torn off’ through the simple agency - of ‘thorns;’ yet we are required to believe not only that one piece but - that many have been so torn. ‘And one part,’ too, ‘was the hem of the - frock!’ Another piece was ‘part of the skirt, not the hem,’—that is - to say, was torn completely out through the agency of thorns, from the - uncaged interior of the dress! These, I say, are things which one may well - be pardoned for disbelieving; yet, taken collectedly, they form, perhaps, - less of reasonable ground for suspicion, than the one startling - circumstance of the articles’ having been left in this thicket at all, by - any murderers who had enough precaution to think of removing the corpse. - You will not have apprehended me rightly, however, if you suppose it my - design to deny this thicket as the scene of the outrage. There might have - been a wrong here, or, more possibly, an accident at Madame Deluc’s. But, - in fact, this is a point of minor importance. We are not engaged in an - attempt to discover the scene, but to produce the perpetrators of the - murder. What I have adduced, notwithstanding the minuteness with which I - have adduced it, has been with the view, first, to show the folly of the - positive and headlong assertions of Le Soleil, but secondly and chiefly, - to bring you, by the most natural route, to a further contemplation of the - doubt whether this assassination has, or has not, been the work of a gang. - </p> - <p> - “We will resume this question by mere allusion to the revolting details of - the surgeon examined at the inquest. It is only necessary to say that his - published inferences, in regard to the number of ruffians, have been - properly ridiculed as unjust and totally baseless, by all the reputable - anatomists of Paris. Not that the matter might not have been as inferred, - but that there was no ground for the inference:—was there not much - for another? - </p> - <p> - “Let us reflect now upon ‘the traces of a struggle;’ and let me ask what - these traces have been supposed to demonstrate. A gang. But do they not - rather demonstrate the absence of a gang? What struggle could have taken - place—what struggle so violent and so enduring as to have left its - ‘traces’ in all directions—between a weak and defenceless girl and - the gang of ruffians imagined? The silent grasp of a few rough arms and - all would have been over. The victim must have been absolutely passive at - their will. You will here bear in mind that the arguments urged against - the thicket as the scene, are applicable in chief part, only against it as - the scene of an outrage committed by more than a single individual. If we - imagine but one violator, we can conceive, and thus only conceive, the - struggle of so violent and so obstinate a nature as to have left the - ‘traces’ apparent. - </p> - <p> - “And again. I have already mentioned the suspicion to be excited by the - fact that the articles in question were suffered to remain at all in the - thicket where discovered. It seems almost impossible that these evidences - of guilt should have been accidentally left where found. There was - sufficient presence of mind (it is supposed) to remove the corpse; and yet - a more positive evidence than the corpse itself (whose features might have - been quickly obliterated by decay,) is allowed to lie conspicuously in the - scene of the outrage—I allude to the handkerchief with the name of - the deceased. If this was accident, it was not the accident of a gang. We - can imagine it only the accident of an individual. Let us see. An - individual has committed the murder. He is alone with the ghost of the - departed. He is appalled by what lies motionless before him. The fury of - his passion is over, and there is abundant room in his heart for the - natural awe of the deed. His is none of that confidence which the presence - of numbers inevitably inspires. He is alone with the dead. He trembles and - is bewildered. Yet there is a necessity for disposing of the corpse. He - bears it to the river, but leaves behind him the other evidences of guilt; - for it is difficult, if not impossible to carry all the burthen at once, - and it will be easy to return for what is left. But in his toilsome - journey to the water his fears redouble within him. The sounds of life - encompass his path. A dozen times he hears or fancies the step of an - observer. Even the very lights from the city bewilder him. Yet, in time - and by long and frequent pauses of deep agony, he reaches the river’s - brink, and disposes of his ghastly charge—perhaps through the medium - of a boat. But now what treasure does the world hold—what threat of - vengeance could it hold out—which would have power to urge the - return of that lonely murderer over that toilsome and perilous path, to - the thicket and its blood chilling recollections? He returns not, let the - consequences be what they may. He could not return if he would. His sole - thought is immediate escape. He turns his back forever upon those dreadful - shrubberies and flees as from the wrath to come. - </p> - <p> - “But how with a gang? Their number would have inspired them with - confidence; if, indeed confidence is ever wanting in the breast of the - arrant blackguard; and of arrant blackguards alone are the supposed gangs - ever constituted. Their number, I say, would have prevented the - bewildering and unreasoning terror which I have imagined to paralyze the - single man. Could we suppose an oversight in one, or two, or three, this - oversight would have been remedied by a fourth. They would have left - nothing behind them; for their number would have enabled them to carry all - at once. There would have been no need of return. - </p> - <p> - “Consider now the circumstance that in the outer garment of the corpse - when found, ‘a slip, about a foot wide had been torn upward from the - bottom hem to the waist wound three times round the waist, and secured by - a sort of hitch in the back.’ This was done with the obvious design of - affording a handle by which to carry the body. But would any number of men - have dreamed of resorting to such an expedient? To three or four, the - limbs of the corpse would have afforded not only a sufficient, but the - best possible hold. The device is that of a single individual; and this - brings us to the fact that ‘between the thicket and the river, the rails - of the fences were found taken down, and the ground bore evident traces of - some heavy burden having been dragged along it!’ But would a number of men - have put themselves to the superfluous trouble of taking down a fence, for - the purpose of dragging through it a corpse which they might have lifted - over any fence in an instant? Would a number of men have so dragged a - corpse at all as to have left evident traces of the dragging? - </p> - <p> - “And here we must refer to an observation of Le Commerciel; an observation - upon which I have already, in some measure, commented. ‘A piece,’ says - this journal, ‘of one of the unfortunate girl’s petticoats was torn out - and tied under her chin, and around the back of her head, probably to - prevent screams. This was done by fellows who had no - pocket-handkerchiefs.’ - </p> - <p> - “I have before suggested that a genuine blackguard is never without a - pocket-handkerchief. But it is not to this fact that I now especially - advert. That it was not through want of a handkerchief for the purpose - imagined by Le Commerciel, that this bandage was employed, is rendered - apparent by the handkerchief left in the thicket; and that the object was - not ‘to prevent screams’ appears, also, from the bandage having been - employed in preference to what would so much better have answered the - purpose. But the language of the evidence speaks of the strip in question - as ‘found around the neck, fitting loosely, and secured with a hard knot.’ - These words are sufficiently vague, but differ materially from those of Le - Commerciel. The slip was eighteen inches wide, and therefore, although of - muslin, would form a strong band when folded or rumpled longitudinally. - And thus rumpled it was discovered. My inference is this. The solitary - murderer, having borne the corpse, for some distance (whether from the - thicket or elsewhere) by means of the bandage hitched around its middle, - found the weight, in this mode of procedure, too much for his strength. He - resolved to drag the burthen—the evidence goes to show that it was - dragged. With this object in view, it became necessary to attach something - like a rope to one of the extremities. It could be best attached about the - neck, where the head would prevent its slipping off. And, now, the - murderer bethought him, unquestionably, of the bandage about the loins. He - would have used this, but for its volution about the corpse, the hitch - which embarrassed it, and the reflection that it had not been ‘torn off’ - from the garment. It was easier to tear a new slip from the petticoat. He - tore it, made it fast about the neck, and so dragged his victim to the - brink of the river. That this ‘bandage,’ only attainable with trouble and - delay, and but imperfectly answering its purpose—that this bandage - was employed at all, demonstrates that the necessity for its employment - sprang from circumstances arising at a period when the handkerchief was no - longer attainable—that is to say, arising, as we have imagined, - after quitting the thicket, (if the thicket it was), and on the road - between the thicket and the river. - </p> - <p> - “But the evidence, you will say, of Madame Deluc (!) points especially to - the presence of a gang, in the vicinity of the thicket, at or about the - epoch of the murder. This I grant. I doubt if there were not a dozen - gangs, such as described by Madame Deluc, in and about the vicinity of the - Barrière du Roule at or about the period of this tragedy. But the - gang which has drawn upon itself the pointed animadversion, although the - somewhat tardy and very suspicious evidence of Madame Deluc, is the only - gang which is represented by that honest and scrupulous old lady as having - eaten her cakes and swallowed her brandy, without putting themselves to - the trouble of making her payment. Et hinc illæ iræ? - </p> - <p> - “But what is the precise evidence of Madame Deluc? ‘A gang of miscreants - made their appearance, behaved boisterously, ate and drank without making - payment, followed in the route of the young man and girl, returned to the - inn about dusk, and recrossed the river as if in great haste.’ - </p> - <p> - “Now this ‘great haste’ very possibly seemed greater haste in the eyes of - Madame Deluc, since she dwelt lingeringly and lamentingly upon her - violated cakes and ale—cakes and ale for which she might still have - entertained a faint hope of compensation. Why, otherwise, since it was - about dusk, should she make a point of the haste? It is no cause for - wonder, surely, that even a gang of blackguards should make haste to get - home, when a wide river is to be crossed in small boats, when storm - impends, and when night approaches. - </p> - <p> - “I say approaches; for the night had not yet arrived. It was only about - dusk that the indecent haste of these ‘miscreants’ offended the sober eyes - of Madame Deluc. But we are told that it was upon this very evening that - Madame Deluc, as well as her eldest son, ‘heard the screams of a female in - the vicinity of the inn.’ And in what words does Madame Deluc designate - the period of the evening at which these screams were heard? ‘It was soon - after dark,’ she says. But ‘soon after dark,’ is, at least, dark; and - ‘about dusk’ is as certainly daylight. Thus it is abundantly clear that - the gang quitted the Barrière du Roule prior to the screams - overheard (?) by Madame Deluc. And although, in all the many reports of - the evidence, the relative expressions in question are distinctly and - invariably employed just as I have employed them in this conversation with - yourself, no notice whatever of the gross discrepancy has, as yet, been - taken by any of the public journals, or by any of the myrmidons of police. - </p> - <p> - “I shall add but one to the arguments against a gang; but this one has, to - my own understanding at least, a weight altogether irresistible. Under the - circumstances of large reward offered, and full pardon to any king’s - evidence, it is not to be imagined, for a moment, that some member of a - gang of low ruffians, or of any body of men, would not long ago have - betrayed his accomplices. Each one of a gang so placed, is not so much - greedy of reward, or anxious for escape, as fearful of betrayal. He - betrays eagerly and early that he may not himself be betrayed. That the - secret has not been divulged, is the very best of proof that it is, in - fact, a secret. The horrors of this dark deed are known only to one, or - two, living human beings, and to God. - </p> - <p> - “Let us sum up now the meagre yet certain fruits of our long analysis. We - have attained the idea either of a fatal accident under the roof of Madame - Deluc, or of a murder perpetrated, in the thicket at the Barrière - du Roule, by a lover, or at least by an intimate and secret associate of - the deceased. This associate is of swarthy complexion. This complexion, - the ‘hitch’ in the bandage, and the ‘sailor’s knot,’ with which the - bonnet-ribbon is tied, point to a seaman. His companionship with the - deceased, a gay, but not an abject young girl, designates him as above the - grade of the common sailor. Here the well written and urgent - communications to the journals are much in the way of corroboration. The - circumstance of the first elopement, as mentioned by Le Mercurie, tends to - blend the idea of this seaman with that of the ‘naval officer’ who is - first known to have led the unfortunate into crime. - </p> - <p> - “And here, most fitly, comes the consideration of the continued absence of - him of the dark complexion. Let me pause to observe that the complexion of - this man is dark and swarthy; it was no common swarthiness which - constituted the sole point of remembrance, both as regards Valence and - Madame Deluc. But why is this man absent? Was he murdered by the gang? If - so, why are there only traces of the assassinated girl? The scene of the - two outrages will naturally be supposed identical. And where is his - corpse? The assassins would most probably have disposed of both in the - same way. But it may be said that this man lives, and is deterred from - making himself known, through dread of being charged with the murder. This - consideration might be supposed to operate upon him now—at this late - period—since it has been given in evidence that he was seen with - Marie—but it would have had no force at the period of the deed. The - first impulse of an innocent man would have been to announce the outrage, - and to aid in identifying the ruffians. This policy would have suggested. - He had been seen with the girl. He had crossed the river with her in an - open ferry-boat. The denouncing of the assassins would have appeared, even - to an idiot, the surest and sole means of relieving himself from - suspicion. We cannot suppose him, on the night of the fatal Sunday, both - innocent himself and incognizant of an outrage committed. Yet only under - such circumstances is it possible to imagine that he would have failed, if - alive, in the denouncement of the assassins. - </p> - <p> - “And what means are ours, of attaining the truth? We shall find these - means multiplying and gathering distinctness as we proceed. Let us sift to - the bottom this affair of the first elopement. Let us know the full - history of ‘the officer,’ with his present circumstances, and his - whereabouts at the precise period of the murder. Let us carefully compare - with each other the various communications sent to the evening paper, in - which the object was to inculpate a gang. This done, let us compare these - communications, both as regards style and MS., with those sent to the - morning paper, at a previous period, and insisting so vehemently upon the - guilt of Mennais. And, all this done, let us again compare these various - communications with the known MSS. of the officer. Let us endeavor to - ascertain, by repeated questionings of Madame Deluc and her boys, as well - as of the omnibus driver, Valence, something more of the personal - appearance and bearing of the ‘man of dark complexion.’ Queries, skilfully - directed, will not fail to elicit, from some of these parties, information - on this particular point (or upon others)—information which the - parties themselves may not even be aware of possessing. And let us now - trace the boat picked up by the bargeman on the morning of Monday the - twenty-third of June, and which was removed from the barge-office, without - the cognizance of the officer in attendance, and without the rudder, at - some period prior to the discovery of the corpse. With a proper caution - and perseverance we shall infallibly trace this boat; for not only can the - bargeman who picked it up identify it, but the rudder is at hand. The - rudder of a sail-boat would not have been abandoned, without inquiry, by - one altogether at ease in heart. And here let me pause to insinuate a - question. There was no advertisement of the picking up of this boat. It - was silently taken to the barge-office, and as silently removed. But its - owner or employer—how happened he, at so early a period as Tuesday - morning, to be informed, without the agency of advertisement, of the - locality of the boat taken up on Monday, unless we imagine some connexion - with the navy—some personal permanent connexion leading to - cognizance of its minute in interests—its petty local news? - </p> - <p> - “In speaking of the lonely assassin dragging his burden to the shore, I - have already suggested the probability of his availing himself of a boat. - Now we are to understand that Marie Rogêt was precipitated from a - boat. This would naturally have been the case. The corpse could not have - been trusted to the shallow waters of the shore. The peculiar marks on the - back and shoulders of the victim tell of the bottom ribs of a boat. That - the body was found without weight is also corroborative of the idea. If - thrown from the shore a weight would have been attached. We can only - account for its absence by supposing the murderer to have neglected the - precaution of supplying himself with it before pushing off. In the act of - consigning the corpse to the water, he would unquestionably have noticed - his oversight; but then no remedy would have been at hand. Any risk would - have been preferred to a return to that accursed shore. Having rid himself - of his ghastly charge, the murderer would have hastened to the city. - There, at some obscure wharf, he would have leaped on land. But the boat—would - he have secured it? He would have been in too great haste for such things - as securing a boat. Moreover, in fastening it to the wharf, he would have - felt as if securing evidence against himself. His natural thought would - have been to cast from him, as far as possible, all that had held - connection with his crime. He would not only have fled from the wharf, but - he would not have permitted the boat to remain. Assuredly he would have - cast it adrift. Let us pursue our fancies.—In the morning, the - wretch is stricken with unutterable horror at finding that the boat has - been picked up and detained at a locality which he is in the daily habit - of frequenting —at a locality, perhaps, which his duty compels him - to frequent. The next night, without daring to ask for the rudder, he - removes it. Now where is that rudderless boat? Let it be one of our first - purposes to discover. With the first glimpse we obtain of it, the dawn of - our success shall begin. This boat shall guide us, with a rapidity which - will surprise even ourselves, to him who employed it in the midnight of - the fatal Sabbath. Corroboration will rise upon corroboration, and the - murderer will be traced.” - </p> - <p> - [For reasons which we shall not specify, but which to many readers will - appear obvious, we have taken the liberty of here omitting, from the MSS. - placed in our hands, such portion as details the following up of the - apparently slight clew obtained by Dupin. We feel it advisable only to - state, in brief, that the result desired was brought to pass; and that the - Prefect fulfilled punctually, although with reluctance, the terms of his - compact with the Chevalier. Mr. Poe’s article concludes with the following - words.—Eds. (*23)] - </p> - <p> - It will be understood that I speak of coincidences and no more. What I - have said above upon this topic must suffice. In my own heart there dwells - no faith in præter-nature. That Nature and its God are two, no man - who thinks, will deny. That the latter, creating the former, can, at will, - control or modify it, is also unquestionable. I say “at will;” for the - question is of will, and not, as the insanity of logic has assumed, of - power. It is not that the Deity cannot modify his laws, but that we insult - him in imagining a possible necessity for modification. In their origin - these laws were fashioned to embrace all contingencies which could lie in - the Future. With God all is Now. - </p> - <p> - I repeat, then, that I speak of these things only as of coincidences. And - farther: in what I relate it will be seen that between the fate of the - unhappy Mary Cecilia Rogers, so far as that fate is known, and the fate of - one Marie Rogêt up to a certain epoch in her history, there has - existed a parallel in the contemplation of whose wonderful exactitude the - reason becomes embarrassed. I say all this will be seen. But let it not - for a moment be supposed that, in proceeding with the sad narrative of - Marie from the epoch just mentioned, and in tracing to its dénouement - the mystery which enshrouded her, it is my covert design to hint at an - extension of the parallel, or even to suggest that the measures adopted in - Paris for the discovery of the assassin of a grisette, or measures founded - in any similar ratiocination, would produce any similar result. - </p> - <p> - For, in respect to the latter branch of the supposition, it should be - considered that the most trifling variation in the facts of the two cases - might give rise to the most important miscalculations, by diverting - thoroughly the two courses of events; very much as, in arithmetic, an - error which, in its own individuality, may be inappreciable, produces, at - length, by dint of multiplication at all points of the process, a result - enormously at variance with truth. And, in regard to the former branch, we - must not fail to hold in view that the very Calculus of Probabilities to - which I have referred, forbids all idea of the extension of the parallel—forbids - it with a positiveness strong and decided just in proportion as this - parallel has already been long-drawn and exact. This is one of those - anomalous propositions which, seemingly appealing to thought altogether - apart from the mathematical, is yet one which only the mathematician can - fully entertain. Nothing, for example, is more difficult than to convince - the merely general reader that the fact of sixes having been thrown twice - in succession by a player at dice, is sufficient cause for betting the - largest odds that sixes will not be thrown in the third attempt. A - suggestion to this effect is usually rejected by the intellect at once. It - does not appear that the two throws which have been completed, and which - lie now absolutely in the Past, can have influence upon the throw which - exists only in the Future. The chance for throwing sixes seems to be - precisely as it was at any ordinary time—that is to say, subject - only to the influence of the various other throws which may be made by the - dice. And this is a reflection which appears so exceedingly obvious that - attempts to controvert it are received more frequently with a derisive - smile than with anything like respectful attention. The error here - involved—a gross error redolent of mischief—I cannot pretend - to expose within the limits assigned me at present; and with the - philosophical it needs no exposure. It may be sufficient here to say that - it forms one of an infinite series of mistakes which arise in the path of - Reason through her propensity for seeking truth in detail. - </p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES—Marie Rogêt</h3> - - <p> - (*1) Upon the original publication of “Marie Roget,” the foot-notes now - appended were considered unnecessary; but the lapse of several years since - the tragedy upon which the tale is based, renders it expedient to give - them, and also to say a few words in explanation of the general design. A - young girl, Mary Cecilia Rogers, was murdered in the vicinity of New York; - and, although her death occasioned an intense and long-enduring - excitement, the mystery attending it had remained unsolved at the period - when the present paper was written and published (November, 1842). Herein, - under pretence of relating the fate of a Parisian grisette, the author has - followed in minute detail, the essential, while merely paralleling the - inessential facts of the real murder of Mary Rogers. Thus all argument - founded upon the fiction is applicable to the truth: and the investigation - of the truth was the object. The “Mystery of Marie Roget” was composed at - a distance from the scene of the atrocity, and with no other means of - investigation than the newspapers afforded. Thus much escaped the writer - of which he could have availed himself had he been upon the spot, and - visited the localities. It may not be improper to record, nevertheless, - that the confessions of two persons, (one of them the Madame Deluc of the - narrative) made, at different periods, long subsequent to the publication, - confirmed, in full, not only the general conclusion, but absolutely all - the chief hypothetical details by which that conclusion was attained. - </p> - <p> - (*2) The nom de plume of Von Hardenburg. - </p> - <p> - (*3) Nassau Street. - </p> - <p> - (*4) Anderson. - </p> - <p> - (*5) The Hudson. - </p> - <p> - (*6) Weehawken. - </p> - <p> - (*7) Payne. - </p> - <p> - (*8) Crommelin. - </p> - <p> - (*9) The New York “Mercury.” - </p> - <p> - (*10) The New York “Brother Jonathan,” edited by H. Hastings Weld, Esq. - </p> - <p> - (*11) New York “Journal of Commerce.” - </p> - <p> - (*12) Philadelphia “Saturday Evening Post,” edited by C. I. Peterson, Esq. - </p> - <p> - (*13) Adam - </p> - <p> - (*14) See “Murders in the Rue Morgue.” - </p> - <p> - (*15) The New York “Commercial Advertiser,” edited by Col. Stone. - </p> - <p> - (*16) “A theory based on the qualities of an object, will prevent its - being unfolded according to its objects; and he who arranges topics in - reference to their causes, will cease to value them according to their - results. Thus the jurisprudence of every nation will show that, when law - becomes a science and a system, it ceases to be justice. The errors into - which a blind devotion to principles of classification has led the common - law, will be seen by observing how often the legislature has been obliged - to come forward to restore the equity its scheme had lost.”—Landor. - </p> - <p> - (*17) New York “Express” - </p> - <p> - (*18) New York “Herald.” - </p> - <p> - (*19) New York “Courier and Inquirer.” - </p> - <p> - (*20) Mennais was one of the parties originally suspected and arrested, - but discharged through total lack of evidence. - </p> - <p> - (*21) New York “Courier and Inquirer.” - </p> - <p> - (*22) New York “Evening Post.” - </p> - <p> - (*23) Of the Magazine in which the article was originally published. - </p> - -</div><!--end chapter--> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2><a name="chap09"></a>THE BALLOON-HOAX</h2> - -<p class="letter"> -[Astounding News by Express, <i>via</i> Norfolk!—The Atlantic crossed in -Three Days! Signal Triumph of Mr. Monck Mason’s Flying -Machine!—Arrival at Sullivan’s Island, near Charlestown, S.C., of -Mr. Mason, Mr. Robert Holland, Mr. Henson, Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, and four -others, in the Steering Balloon, “Victoria,” after a passage of -Seventy-five Hours from Land to Land! Full Particulars of the Voyage!<br /> - The subjoined <i>jeu d’esprit</i> with the preceding heading in -magnificent capitals, well interspersed with notes of admiration, was -originally published, as matter of fact, in the “New York Sun,” a -daily newspaper, and therein fully subserved the purpose of creating -indigestible aliment for the <i>quidnuncs</i> during the few hours intervening -between a couple of the Charleston mails. The rush for the “sole paper -which had the news,” was something beyond even the prodigious; and, in -fact, if (as some assert) the “Victoria” <i>did</i> not absolutely -accomplish the voyage recorded, it will be difficult to assign a reason why she -<i>should</i> not have accomplished it.] -</p> - <p> - The great problem is at length solved! The air, as well as the earth and - the ocean, has been subdued by science, and will become a common and - convenient highway for mankind. <i>The Atlantic has been actually crossed - in a Balloon!</i> and this too without difficulty—without any great - apparent danger—with thorough control of the machine—and in - the inconceivably brief period of seventy-five hours from shore to shore! - By the energy of an agent at Charleston, S.C., we are enabled to be the - first to furnish the public with a detailed account of this most - extraordinary voyage, which was performed between Saturday, the 6th - instant, at 11, A.M., and 2, P.M., on Tuesday, the 9th instant, by Sir - Everard Bringhurst; Mr. Osborne, a nephew of Lord Bentinck’s; Mr. Monck - Mason and Mr. Robert Holland, the well-known æronauts; Mr. Harrison - Ainsworth, author of “Jack Sheppard,” &c.; and Mr. Henson, the - projector of the late unsuccessful flying machine—with two seamen - from Woolwich—in all, eight persons. The particulars furnished below - may be relied on as authentic and accurate in every respect, as, with a - slight exception, they are copied <i>verbatim</i> from the joint diaries - of Mr. Monck Mason and Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, to whose politeness our - agent is also indebted for much verbal information respecting the balloon - itself, its construction, and other matters of interest. The only - alteration in the MS. received, has been made for the purpose of throwing - the hurried account of our agent, Mr. Forsyth, into a connected and - intelligible form. - </p> - <p> - “THE BALLOON. - </p> - <p> - “Two very decided failures, of late—those of Mr. Henson and Sir - George Cayley—had much weakened the public interest in the subject - of aerial navigation. Mr. Henson’s scheme (which at first was considered - very feasible even by men of science,) was founded upon the principle of - an inclined plane, started from an eminence by an extrinsic force, applied - and continued by the revolution of impinging vanes, in form and number - resembling the vanes of a windmill. But, in all the experiments made with - models at the Adelaide Gallery, it was found that the operation of these - fans not only did not propel the machine, but actually impeded its flight. - The only propelling force it ever exhibited, was the mere <i>impetus</i> - acquired from the descent of the inclined plane; and this <i>impetus</i> - carried the machine farther when the vanes were at rest, than when they - were in motion—a fact which sufficiently demonstrates their - inutility; and in the absence of the propelling, which was also the <i>sustaining</i> - power, the whole fabric would necessarily descend. This consideration led - Sir George Cayley to think only of adapting a propeller to some machine - having of itself an independent power of support—in a word, to a - balloon; the idea, however, being novel, or original, with Sir George, - only so far as regards the mode of its application to practice. He - exhibited a model of his invention at the Polytechnic Institution. The - propelling principle, or power, was here, also, applied to interrupted - surfaces, or vanes, put in revolution. These vanes were four in number, - but were found entirely ineffectual in moving the balloon, or in aiding - its ascending power. The whole project was thus a complete failure. - </p> - <p> - “It was at this juncture that Mr. Monck Mason (whose voyage from Dover to - Weilburg in the balloon, “Nassau,” occasioned so much excitement in 1837,) - conceived the idea of employing the principle of the Archimedean screw for - the purpose of propulsion through the air—rightly attributing the - failure of Mr. Henson’s scheme, and of Sir George Cayley’s, to the - interruption of surface in the independent vanes. He made the first public - experiment at Willis’s Rooms, but afterward removed his model to the - Adelaide Gallery. - </p> - <p> - “Like Sir George Cayley’s balloon, his own was an ellipsoid. Its length - was thirteen feet six inches—height, six feet eight inches. It - contained about three hundred and twenty cubic feet of gas, which, if pure - hydrogen, would support twenty-one pounds upon its first inflation, before - the gas has time to deteriorate or escape. The weight of the whole machine - and apparatus was seventeen pounds—leaving about four pounds to - spare. Beneath the centre of the balloon, was a frame of light wood, about - nine feet long, and rigged on to the balloon itself with a network in the - customary manner. From this framework was suspended a wicker basket or - car. - </p> - <p> - “The screw consists of an axis of hollow brass tube, eighteen inches in - length, through which, upon a semi-spiral inclined at fifteen degrees, - pass a series of steel wire radii, two feet long, and thus projecting a - foot on either side. These radii are connected at the outer extremities by - two bands of flattened wire—the whole in this manner forming the - framework of the screw, which is completed by a covering of oiled silk cut - into gores, and tightened so as to present a tolerably uniform surface. At - each end of its axis this screw is supported by pillars of hollow brass - tube descending from the hoop. In the lower ends of these tubes are holes - in which the pivots of the axis revolve. From the end of the axis which is - next the car, proceeds a shaft of steel, connecting the screw with the - pinion of a piece of spring machinery fixed in the car. By the operation - of this spring, the screw is made to revolve with great rapidity, - communicating a progressive motion to the whole. By means of the rudder, - the machine was readily turned in any direction. The spring was of great - power, compared with its dimensions, being capable of raising forty-five - pounds upon a barrel of four inches diameter, after the first turn, and - gradually increasing as it was wound up. It weighed, altogether, eight - pounds six ounces. The rudder was a light frame of cane covered with silk, - shaped somewhat like a battle-door, and was about three feet long, and at - the widest, one foot. Its weight was about two ounces. It could be turned - <i>flat</i>, and directed upwards or downwards, as well as to the right or - left; and thus enabled the æronaut to transfer the resistance of - the air which in an inclined position it must generate in its passage, to - any side upon which he might desire to act; thus determining the balloon - in the opposite direction. - </p> - <p> - “This model (which, through want of time, we have necessarily described in - an imperfect manner,) was put in action at the Adelaide Gallery, where it - accomplished a velocity of five miles per hour; although, strange to say, - it excited very little interest in comparison with the previous complex - machine of Mr. Henson—so resolute is the world to despise anything - which carries with it an air of simplicity. To accomplish the great - desideratum of ærial navigation, it was very generally supposed - that some exceedingly complicated application must be made of some - unusually profound principle in dynamics. - </p> - <p> - “So well satisfied, however, was Mr. Mason of the ultimate success of his - invention, that he determined to construct immediately, if possible, a - balloon of sufficient capacity to test the question by a voyage of some - extent—the original design being to cross the British Channel, as - before, in the Nassau balloon. To carry out his views, he solicited and - obtained the patronage of Sir Everard Bringhurst and Mr. Osborne, two - gentlemen well known for scientific acquirement, and especially for the - interest they have exhibited in the progress of ærostation. The - project, at the desire of Mr. Osborne, was kept a profound secret from the - public—the only persons entrusted with the design being those - actually engaged in the construction of the machine, which was built - (under the superintendence of Mr. Mason, Mr. Holland, Sir Everard - Bringhurst, and Mr. Osborne,) at the seat of the latter gentleman near - Penstruthal, in Wales. Mr. Henson, accompanied by his friend Mr. - Ainsworth, was admitted to a private view of the balloon, on Saturday last—when - the two gentlemen made final arrangements to be included in the adventure. - We are not informed for what reason the two seamen were also included in - the party—but, in the course of a day or two, we shall put our - readers in possession of the minutest particulars respecting this - extraordinary voyage. - </p> - <p> - “The balloon is composed of silk, varnished with the liquid gum - caoutchouc. It is of vast dimensions, containing more than 40,000 cubic - feet of gas; but as coal gas was employed in place of the more expensive - and inconvenient hydrogen, the supporting power of the machine, when fully - inflated, and immediately after inflation, is not more than about 2500 - pounds. The coal gas is not only much less costly, but is easily procured - and managed. - </p> - <p> - “For its introduction into common use for purposes of aerostation, we are - indebted to Mr. Charles Green. Up to his discovery, the process of - inflation was not only exceedingly expensive, but uncertain. Two, and even - three days, have frequently been wasted in futile attempts to procure a - sufficiency of hydrogen to fill a balloon, from which it had great - tendency to escape, owing to its extreme subtlety, and its affinity for - the surrounding atmosphere. In a balloon sufficiently perfect to retain - its contents of coal-gas unaltered, in quantity or amount, for six months, - an equal quantity of hydrogen could not be maintained in equal purity for - six weeks. - </p> - <p> - “The supporting power being estimated at 2500 pounds, and the united - weights of the party amounting only to about 1200, there was left a - surplus of 1300, of which again 1200 was exhausted by ballast, arranged in - bags of different sizes, with their respective weights marked upon them—by - cordage, barometers, telescopes, barrels containing provision for a - fortnight, water-casks, cloaks, carpet-bags, and various other - indispensable matters, including a coffee-warmer, contrived for warming - coffee by means of slack-lime, so as to dispense altogether with fire, if - it should be judged prudent to do so. All these articles, with the - exception of the ballast, and a few trifles, were suspended from the hoop - overhead. The car is much smaller and lighter, in proportion, than the one - appended to the model. It is formed of a light wicker, and is wonderfully - strong, for so frail looking a machine. Its rim is about four feet deep. - The rudder is also very much larger, in proportion, than that of the - model; and the screw is considerably smaller. The balloon is furnished - besides with a grapnel, and a guide-rope; which latter is of the most - indispensable importance. A few words, in explanation, will here be - necessary for such of our readers as are not conversant with the details - of aerostation. - </p> - <p> - “As soon as the balloon quits the earth, it is subjected to the influence - of many circumstances tending to create a difference in its weight; - augmenting or diminishing its ascending power. For example, there may be a - deposition of dew upon the silk, to the extent, even, of several hundred - pounds; ballast has then to be thrown out, or the machine may descend. - This ballast being discarded, and a clear sunshine evaporating the dew, - and at the same time expanding the gas in the silk, the whole will again - rapidly ascend. To check this ascent, the only recourse is, (or rather <i>was</i>, - until Mr. Green’s invention of the guide-rope,) the permission of the - escape of gas from the valve; but, in the loss of gas, is a proportionate - general loss of ascending power; so that, in a comparatively brief period, - the best-constructed balloon must necessarily exhaust all its resources, - and come to the earth. This was the great obstacle to voyages of length. - </p> - <p> - “The guide-rope remedies the difficulty in the simplest manner - conceivable. It is merely a very long rope which is suffered to trail from - the car, and the effect of which is to prevent the balloon from changing - its level in any material degree. If, for example, there should be a - deposition of moisture upon the silk, and the machine begins to descend in - consequence, there will be no necessity for discharging ballast to remedy - the increase of weight, for it is remedied, or counteracted, in an exactly - just proportion, by the deposit on the ground of just so much of the end - of the rope as is necessary. If, on the other hand, any circumstances - should cause undue levity, and consequent ascent, this levity is - immediately counteracted by the additional weight of rope upraised from - the earth. Thus, the balloon can neither ascend or descend, except within - very narrow limits, and its resources, either in gas or ballast, remain - comparatively unimpaired. When passing over an expanse of water, it - becomes necessary to employ small kegs of copper or wood, filled with - liquid ballast of a lighter nature than water. These float, and serve all - the purposes of a mere rope on land. Another most important office of the - guide-rope, is to point out the <i>direction</i> of the balloon. The rope - <i>drags</i>, either on land or sea, while the balloon is free; the - latter, consequently, is always in advance, when any progress whatever is - made: a comparison, therefore, by means of the compass, of the relative - positions of the two objects, will always indicate the <i>course</i>. In - the same way, the angle formed by the rope with the vertical axis of the - machine, indicates the <i>velocity</i>. When there is <i>no</i> angle—in - other words, when the rope hangs perpendicularly, the whole apparatus is - stationary; but the larger the angle, that is to say, the farther the - balloon precedes the end of the rope, the greater the velocity; and the - converse. - </p> - <p> - “As the original design was to cross the British Channel, and alight as - near Paris as possible, the voyagers had taken the precaution to prepare - themselves with passports directed to all parts of the Continent, - specifying the nature of the expedition, as in the case of the Nassau - voyage, and entitling the adventurers to exemption from the usual - formalities of office: unexpected events, however, rendered these - passports superfluous. - </p> - <p> - “The inflation was commenced very quietly at daybreak, on Saturday - morning, the 6th instant, in the Court-Yard of Weal-Vor House, Mr. - Osborne’s seat, about a mile from Penstruthal, in North Wales; and at 7 - minutes past 11, every thing being ready for departure, the balloon was - set free, rising gently but steadily, in a direction nearly South; no use - being made, for the first half hour, of either the screw or the rudder. We - proceed now with the journal, as transcribed by Mr. Forsyth from the joint - MSS. of Mr. Monck Mason, and Mr. Ainsworth. The body of the journal, as - given, is in the hand-writing of Mr. Mason, and a P. S. is appended, each - day, by Mr. Ainsworth, who has in preparation, and will shortly give the - public a more minute, and no doubt, a thrillingly interesting account of - the voyage. - </p> - <p> - “THE JOURNAL. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Saturday, April the 6th</i>.—Every preparation likely to - embarrass us, having been made over night, we commenced the inflation this - morning at daybreak; but owing to a thick fog, which encumbered the folds - of the silk and rendered it unmanageable, we did not get through before - nearly eleven o’clock. Cut loose, then, in high spirits, and rose gently - but steadily, with a light breeze at North, which bore us in the direction - of the British Channel. Found the ascending force greater than we had - expected; and as we arose higher and so got clear of the cliffs, and more - in the sun’s rays, our ascent became very rapid. I did not wish, however, - to lose gas at so early a period of the adventure, and so concluded to - ascend for the present. We soon ran out our guide-rope; but even when we - had raised it clear of the earth, we still went up very rapidly. The - balloon was unusually steady, and looked beautifully. In about ten minutes - after starting, the barometer indicated an altitude of 15,000 feet. The - weather was remarkably fine, and the view of the subjacent country—a - most romantic one when seen from any point,—was now especially - sublime. The numerous deep gorges presented the appearance of lakes, on - account of the dense vapors with which they were filled, and the pinnacles - and crags to the South East, piled in inextricable confusion, resembling - nothing so much as the giant cities of eastern fable. We were rapidly - approaching the mountains in the South; but our elevation was more than - sufficient to enable us to pass them in safety. In a few minutes we soared - over them in fine style; and Mr. Ainsworth, with the seamen, was surprised - at their apparent want of altitude when viewed from the car, the tendency - of great elevation in a balloon being to reduce inequalities of the - surface below, to nearly a dead level. At half-past eleven still - proceeding nearly South, we obtained our first view of the Bristol - Channel; and, in fifteen minutes afterward, the line of breakers on the - coast appeared immediately beneath us, and we were fairly out at sea. We - now resolved to let off enough gas to bring our guide-rope, with the buoys - affixed, into the water. This was immediately done, and we commenced a - gradual descent. In about twenty minutes our first buoy dipped, and at the - touch of the second soon afterwards, we remained stationary as to - elevation. We were all now anxious to test the efficiency of the rudder - and screw, and we put them both into requisition forthwith, for the - purpose of altering our direction more to the eastward, and in a line for - Paris. By means of the rudder we instantly effected the necessary change - of direction, and our course was brought nearly at right angles to that of - the wind; when we set in motion the spring of the screw, and were rejoiced - to find it propel us readily as desired. Upon this we gave nine hearty - cheers, and dropped in the sea a bottle, enclosing a slip of parchment - with a brief account of the principle of the invention. Hardly, however, - had we done with our rejoicings, when an unforeseen accident occurred - which discouraged us in no little degree. The steel rod connecting the - spring with the propeller was suddenly jerked out of place, at the car - end, (by a swaying of the car through some movement of one of the two - seamen we had taken up,) and in an instant hung dangling out of reach, - from the pivot of the axis of the screw. While we were endeavoring to - regain it, our attention being completely absorbed, we became involved in - a strong current of wind from the East, which bore us, with rapidly - increasing force, towards the Atlantic. We soon found ourselves driving - out to sea at the rate of not less, certainly, than fifty or sixty miles - an hour, so that we came up with Cape Clear, at some forty miles to our - North, before we had secured the rod, and had time to think what we were - about. It was now that Mr. Ainsworth made an extraordinary, but to my - fancy, a by no means unreasonable or chimerical proposition, in which he - was instantly seconded by Mr. Holland—viz.: that we should take - advantage of the strong gale which bore us on, and in place of beating - back to Paris, make an attempt to reach the coast of North America. After - slight reflection I gave a willing assent to this bold proposition, which - (strange to say) met with objection from the two seamen only. As the - stronger party, however, we overruled their fears, and kept resolutely - upon our course. We steered due West; but as the trailing of the buoys - materially impeded our progress, and we had the balloon abundantly at - command, either for ascent or descent, we first threw out fifty pounds of - ballast, and then wound up (by means of a windlass) so much of the rope as - brought it quite clear of the sea. We perceived the effect of this - manoeuvre immediately, in a vastly increased rate of progress; and, as the - gale freshened, we flew with a velocity nearly inconceivable; the - guide-rope flying out behind the car, like a streamer from a vessel. It is - needless to say that a very short time sufficed us to lose sight of the - coast. We passed over innumerable vessels of all kinds, a few of which - were endeavoring to beat up, but the most of them lying to. We occasioned - the greatest excitement on board all—an excitement greatly relished - by ourselves, and especially by our two men, who, now under the influence - of a dram of Geneva, seemed resolved to give all scruple, or fear, to the - wind. Many of the vessels fired signal guns; and in all we were saluted - with loud cheers (which we heard with surprising distinctness) and the - waving of caps and handkerchiefs. We kept on in this manner throughout the - day, with no material incident, and, as the shades of night closed around - us, we made a rough estimate of the distance traversed. It could not have - been less than five hundred miles, and was probably much more. The - propeller was kept in constant operation, and, no doubt, aided our - progress materially. As the sun went down, the gale freshened into an - absolute hurricane, and the ocean beneath was clearly visible on account - of its phosphorescence. The wind was from the East all night, and gave us - the brightest omen of success. We suffered no little from cold, and the - dampness of the atmosphere was most unpleasant; but the ample space in the - car enabled us to lie down, and by means of cloaks and a few blankets, we - did sufficiently well. - </p> - <p> - “P.S. (by Mr. Ainsworth.) The last nine hours have been unquestionably the - most exciting of my life. I can conceive nothing more sublimating than the - strange peril and novelty of an adventure such as this. May God grant that - we succeed! I ask not success for mere safety to my insignificant person, - but for the sake of human knowledge and—for the vastness of the - triumph. And yet the feat is only so evidently feasible that the sole - wonder is why men have scrupled to attempt it before. One single gale such - as now befriends us—let such a tempest whirl forward a balloon for - four or five days (these gales often last longer) and the voyager will be - easily borne, in that period, from coast to coast. In view of such a gale - the broad Atlantic becomes a mere lake. I am more struck, just now, with - the supreme silence which reigns in the sea beneath us, notwithstanding - its agitation, than with any other phenomenon presenting itself. The - waters give up no voice to the heavens. The immense flaming ocean writhes - and is tortured uncomplainingly. The mountainous surges suggest the idea - of innumerable dumb gigantic fiends struggling in impotent agony. In a - night such as is this to me, a man <i>lives</i>—lives a whole - century of ordinary life—nor would I forego this rapturous delight - for that of a whole century of ordinary existence. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Sunday, the seventh</i>. [Mr. Mason’s MS.] This morning the gale, by - 10, had subsided to an eight or nine—knot breeze, (for a vessel at - sea,) and bears us, perhaps, thirty miles per hour, or more. It has - veered, however, very considerably to the north; and now, at sundown, we - are holding our course due west, principally by the screw and rudder, - which answer their purposes to admiration. I regard the project as - thoroughly successful, and the easy navigation of the air in any direction - (not exactly in the teeth of a gale) as no longer problematical. We could - not have made head against the strong wind of yesterday; but, by - ascending, we might have got out of its influence, if requisite. Against a - pretty stiff breeze, I feel convinced, we can make our way with the - propeller. At noon, to-day, ascended to an elevation of nearly 25,000 - feet, by discharging ballast. Did this to search for a more direct - current, but found none so favorable as the one we are now in. We have an - abundance of gas to take us across this small pond, even should the voyage - last three weeks. I have not the slightest fear for the result. The - difficulty has been strangely exaggerated and misapprehended. I can choose - my current, and should I find <i>all</i> currents against me, I can make - very tolerable headway with the propeller. We have had no incidents worth - recording. The night promises fair. - </p> - <p> - P.S. [By Mr. Ainsworth.] I have little to record, except the fact (to me - quite a surprising one) that, at an elevation equal to that of Cotopaxi, I - experienced neither very intense cold, nor headache, nor difficulty of - breathing; neither, I find, did Mr. Mason, nor Mr. Holland, nor Sir - Everard. Mr. Osborne complained of constriction of the chest—but - this soon wore off. We have flown at a great rate during the day, and we - must be more than half way across the Atlantic. We have passed over some - twenty or thirty vessels of various kinds, and all seem to be delightfully - astonished. Crossing the ocean in a balloon is not so difficult a feat - after all. <i>Omne ignotum pro magnifico. Mem:</i> at 25,000 feet - elevation the sky appears nearly black, and the stars are distinctly - visible; while the sea does not seem convex (as one might suppose) but - absolutely and most unequivocally <i>concave</i>.(*1) - </p> - <p> - “<i>Monday, the 8th</i>. [Mr. Mason’s MS.] This morning we had again some - little trouble with the rod of the propeller, which must be entirely - remodelled, for fear of serious accident—I mean the steel rod—not - the vanes. The latter could not be improved. The wind has been blowing - steadily and strongly from the north-east all day and so far fortune seems - bent upon favoring us. Just before day, we were all somewhat alarmed at - some odd noises and concussions in the balloon, accompanied with the - apparent rapid subsidence of the whole machine. These phenomena were - occasioned by the expansion of the gas, through increase of heat in the - atmosphere, and the consequent disruption of the minute particles of ice - with which the network had become encrusted during the night. Threw down - several bottles to the vessels below. Saw one of them picked up by a large - ship—seemingly one of the New York line packets. Endeavored to make - out her name, but could not be sure of it. Mr. Osborne’s telescope made it - out something like “Atalanta.” It is now 12, at night, and we are still - going nearly west, at a rapid pace. The sea is peculiarly phosphorescent. - </p> - <p> - “P.S. [By Mr. Ainsworth.] It is now 2, A.M., and nearly calm, as well as I - can judge—but it is very difficult to determine this point, since we - move <i>with</i> the air so completely. I have not slept since quitting - Wheal-Vor, but can stand it no longer, and must take a nap. We cannot be - far from the American coast. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Tuesday, the</i> 9<i>th</i>. [Mr. Ainsworth’s MS.] <i>One, P.M. We are - in full view of the low coast of South Carolina</i>. The great problem is - accomplished. We have crossed the Atlantic—fairly and <i>easily</i> - crossed it in a balloon! God be praised! Who shall say that anything is - impossible hereafter?” - </p> - <p> - The Journal here ceases. Some particulars of the descent were - communicated, however, by Mr. Ainsworth to Mr. Forsyth. It was nearly dead - calm when the voyagers first came in view of the coast, which was - immediately recognized by both the seamen, and by Mr. Osborne. The latter - gentleman having acquaintances at Fort Moultrie, it was immediately - resolved to descend in its vicinity. The balloon was brought over the - beach (the tide being out and the sand hard, smooth, and admirably adapted - for a descent,) and the grapnel let go, which took firm hold at once. The - inhabitants of the island, and of the fort, thronged out, of course, to - see the balloon; but it was with the greatest difficulty that any one - could be made to credit the actual voyage—<i>the crossing of the - Atlantic</i>. The grapnel caught at 2, P.M., precisely; and thus the whole - voyage was completed in seventy-five hours; or rather less, counting from - shore to shore. No serious accident occurred. No real danger was at any - time apprehended. The balloon was exhausted and secured without trouble; - and when the MS. from which this narrative is compiled was despatched from - Charleston, the party were still at Fort Moultrie. Their farther - intentions were not ascertained; but we can safely promise our readers - some additional information either on Monday or in the course of the next - day, at farthest. - </p> - <p> - This is unquestionably the most stupendous, the most interesting, and the - most important undertaking, ever accomplished or even attempted by man. - What magnificent events may ensue, it would be useless now to think of - determining. - </p> - <p> - (*1) <i>Note</i>.—Mr. Ainsworth has not attempted to account for - this phenomenon, which, however, is quite susceptible of explanation. A - line dropped from an elevation of 25,000 feet, perpendicularly to the - surface of the earth (or sea), would form the perpendicular of a - right-angled triangle, of which the base would extend from the right angle - to the horizon, and the hypothenuse from the horizon to the balloon. But - the 25,000 feet of altitude is little or nothing, in comparison with the - extent of the prospect. In other words, the base and hypothenuse of the - supposed triangle would be so long when compared with the perpendicular, - that the two former may be regarded as nearly parallel. In this manner the - horizon of the æronaut would appear to be <i>on a level</i> with - the car. But, as the point immediately beneath him seems, and is, at a - great distance below him, it seems, of course, also, at a great distance - below the horizon. Hence the impression of <i>concavity</i>; and this - impression must remain, until the elevation shall bear so great a - proportion to the extent of prospect, that the apparent parallelism of the - base and hypothenuse disappears—when the earth’s real convexity must - become apparent. - </p> - -</div><!--end chapter--> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2><a name="chap10"></a>MS. FOUND IN A BOTTLE</h2> - -<p class="poem"> -Qui n’a plus qu’un moment a vivre<br /> -N’a plus rien a dissimuler. -</p> - -<p class="right"> -—Quinault—Atys. -</p> - <p> - Of my country and of my family I have little to say. Ill usage and length - of years have driven me from the one, and estranged me from the other. - Hereditary wealth afforded me an education of no common order, and a - contemplative turn of mind enabled me to methodize the stores which early - study very diligently garnered up.—Beyond all things, the study of - the German moralists gave me great delight; not from any ill-advised - admiration of their eloquent madness, but from the ease with which my - habits of rigid thought enabled me to detect their falsities. I have often - been reproached with the aridity of my genius; a deficiency of imagination - has been imputed to me as a crime; and the Pyrrhonism of my opinions has - at all times rendered me notorious. Indeed, a strong relish for physical - philosophy has, I fear, tinctured my mind with a very common error of this - age—I mean the habit of referring occurrences, even the least - susceptible of such reference, to the principles of that science. Upon the - whole, no person could be less liable than myself to be led away from the - severe precincts of truth by the ignes fatui of superstition. I have - thought proper to premise thus much, lest the incredible tale I have to - tell should be considered rather the raving of a crude imagination, than - the positive experience of a mind to which the reveries of fancy have been - a dead letter and a nullity. - </p> - <p> - After many years spent in foreign travel, I sailed in the year 18— , - from the port of Batavia, in the rich and populous island of Java, on a - voyage to the Archipelago of the Sunda islands. I went as passenger—having - no other inducement than a kind of nervous restlessness which haunted me - as a fiend. - </p> - <p> - Our vessel was a beautiful ship of about four hundred tons, - copper-fastened, and built at Bombay of Malabar teak. She was freighted - with cotton-wool and oil, from the Lachadive islands. We had also on board - coir, jaggeree, ghee, cocoa-nuts, and a few cases of opium. The stowage - was clumsily done, and the vessel consequently crank. - </p> - <p> - We got under way with a mere breath of wind, and for many days stood along - the eastern coast of Java, without any other incident to beguile the - monotony of our course than the occasional meeting with some of the small - grabs of the Archipelago to which we were bound. - </p> - <p> - One evening, leaning over the taffrail, I observed a very singular, - isolated cloud, to the N.W. It was remarkable, as well for its color, as - from its being the first we had seen since our departure from Batavia. I - watched it attentively until sunset, when it spread all at once to the - eastward and westward, girting in the horizon with a narrow strip of - vapor, and looking like a long line of low beach. My notice was soon - afterwards attracted by the dusky-red appearance of the moon, and the - peculiar character of the sea. The latter was undergoing a rapid change, - and the water seemed more than usually transparent. Although I could - distinctly see the bottom, yet, heaving the lead, I found the ship in - fifteen fathoms. The air now became intolerably hot, and was loaded with - spiral exhalations similar to those arising from heat iron. As night came - on, every breath of wind died away, an more entire calm it is impossible - to conceive. The 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. - </p> - <p> - 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. - </p> - <p> - 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. - </p> - <p> - We waited in vain for the arrival of the sixth day—that day to me - has not yet 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. - </p> - <p> - 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. - </p> - <p> - 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. - </p> - <p> - 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. - </p> - <p> - 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 - groped in a corner among a pile of singular-looking instruments, and - decayed charts of navigation. His manner was a wild mixture of the - peevishness of second childhood, and the solemn dignity of a God. He at - length went on deck, and I saw him no more. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - A feeling, for which I have no name, has taken possession of my soul - —a sensation which will admit of no analysis, to which the lessons - of bygone times are inadequate, and for which I fear futurity itself will - offer me no key. To a mind constituted like my own, the latter - consideration is an evil. I shall never—I know that I shall never—be - satisfied with regard to the nature of my conceptions. Yet it is not - wonderful that these conceptions are indefinite, since they have their - origin in sources so utterly novel. A new sense—a new entity is - added to my soul. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - It is long since I first trod the deck of this terrible ship, and the rays - of my destiny are, I think, gathering to a focus. Incomprehensible men! - Wrapped up in meditations of a kind which I cannot divine, they pass me by - unnoticed. Concealment is utter folly on my part, for the people will not - see. It was but just now that I passed directly before the eyes of the - mate; it was no long while ago that I ventured into the captain’s own - private cabin, and took thence the materials with which I write, and have - written. I shall from time to time continue this journal. It is true that - I may not find an opportunity of transmitting it to the world, but I will - not fall to make the endeavour. At the last moment I will enclose the MS. - in a bottle, and cast it within the sea. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - An incident has occurred which has given me new room for meditation. Are - such things the operation of ungoverned chance? I had ventured upon deck - and thrown myself down, without attracting any notice, among a pile of - ratlin-stuff and old sails in the bottom of the yawl. While musing upon - the singularity of my fate, I unwittingly daubed with a tar-brush the - edges of a neatly-folded studding-sail which lay near me on a barrel. The - studding-sail is now bent upon the ship, and the thoughtless touches of - the brush are spread out into the word D<small>ISCOVERY</small>. - </p> - <p> - I have made many observations lately upon the structure of the vessel. - Although well armed, she is not, I think, a ship of war. Her rigging, - build, and general equipment, all negative a supposition of this kind. - What she is not, I can easily perceive—what she is I fear it is - impossible to say. I know not how it is, but in scrutinizing her strange - model and singular cast of spars, her huge size and overgrown suits of - canvas, her severely simple bow and antiquated stern, there will - occasionally flash across my mind a sensation of familiar things, and - there is always mixed up with such indistinct shadows of recollection, an - unaccountable memory of old foreign chronicles and ages long ago. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - I have been looking at the timbers of the ship. She is built of a material - to which I am a stranger. There is a peculiar character about the wood - which strikes me as rendering it unfit for the purpose to which it has - been applied. I mean its extreme porousness, considered independently by - the worm-eaten condition which is a consequence of navigation in these - seas, and apart from the rottenness attendant upon age. It will appear - perhaps an observation somewhat over-curious, but this wood would have - every characteristic of Spanish oak, if Spanish oak were distended by any - unnatural means. - </p> - <p> - In reading the above sentence a curious apothegm of an old weather-beaten - Dutch navigator comes full upon my recollection. “It is as sure,” he was - wont to say, when any doubt was entertained of his veracity, “as sure as - there is a sea where the ship itself will grow in bulk like the living - body of the seaman.” - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - About an hour ago, I made bold to thrust myself among a group of the crew. - They paid me no manner of attention, and, although I stood in the very - midst of them all, seemed utterly unconscious of my presence. Like the one - I had at first seen in the hold, they all bore about them the marks of a - hoary old age. Their knees trembled with infirmity; their shoulders were - bent double with decrepitude; their shrivelled skins rattled in the wind; - their voices were low, tremulous and broken; their eyes glistened with the - rheum of years; and their gray hairs streamed terribly in the tempest. - Around them, on every part of the deck, lay scattered mathematical - instruments of the most quaint and obsolete construction. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - I mentioned some time ago the bending of a studding-sail. From that period - the ship, being thrown dead off the wind, has continued her terrific - course due south, with every rag of canvas packed upon her, from her - trucks to her lower studding-sail booms, and rolling every moment her - top-gallant yard-arms into the most appalling hell of water which it can - enter into the mind of a man to imagine. I have just left the deck, where - I find it impossible to maintain a footing, although the crew seem to - experience little inconvenience. It appears to me a miracle of miracles - that our enormous bulk is not swallowed up at once and forever. We are - surely doomed to hover continually upon the brink of eternity, without - taking a final plunge into the abyss. From billows a thousand times more - stupendous than any I have ever seen, we glide away with the facility of - the arrowy sea-gull; and the colossal waters rear their heads above us - like demons of the deep, but like demons confined to simple threats and - forbidden to destroy. I am led to attribute these frequent escapes to the - only natural cause which can account for such effect. I must suppose - the ship to be within the influence of some strong current, or impetuous - under-tow. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - I have seen the captain face to face, and in his own cabin—but, as I - expected, he paid me no attention. Although in his appearance there is, to - a casual observer, nothing which might bespeak him more or less than - man, still, a feeling of irrepressible reverence and awe mingled with the - sensation of wonder with which I regarded him. In stature he is nearly my - own height; that is, about five feet eight inches. He is of a well-knit - and compact frame of body, neither robust nor remarkably otherwise. But it - is the singularity of the expression which reigns upon the face—it - is the intense, the wonderful, the thrilling evidence of old age, so - utter, so extreme, which excites within my spirit a sense—a - sentiment ineffable. His forehead, although little wrinkled, seems to bear - upon it the stamp of a myriad of years. His gray hairs are records - of the past, and his grayer eyes are sibyls of the future. The cabin floor - was thickly strewn with strange, iron-clasped folios, and mouldering - instruments of science, and obsolete long-forgotten charts. His head was - bowed down upon his hands, and he pored, with a fiery unquiet eye, over a - paper which I took to be a commission, and which, at all events, bore the - signature of a monarch. He muttered to himself, as did the first seaman - whom I saw in the hold, some low peevish syllables of a foreign tongue, - and although the speaker was close at my elbow, his voice seemed to reach - my ears from the distance of a mile. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - The ship and all in it are imbued with the spirit of Eld. The crew glide - to and fro like the ghosts of buried centuries; their eyes have an eager - and uneasy meaning; and when their fingers fall athwart my path in the - wild glare of the battle-lanterns, I feel as I have never felt before, - although I have been all my life a dealer in antiquities, and have imbibed - the shadows of fallen columns at Balbec, and Tadmor, and Persepolis, until - my very soul has become a ruin. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - When I look around me I feel ashamed of my former apprehensions. If I - trembled at the blast which has hitherto attended us, shall I not stand - aghast at a warring of wind and ocean, to convey any idea of which the - words tornado and simoom are trivial and ineffective? All in the immediate - vicinity of the ship is the blackness of eternal night, and a chaos of - foamless water; but, about a league on either side of us, may be seen, - indistinctly and at intervals, stupendous ramparts of ice, towering away - into the desolate sky, and looking like the walls of the universe. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - As I imagined, the ship proves to be in a current—if that appellation can - properly be given to a tide which, howling and shrieking by the white ice, - thunders on to the southward with a velocity like the headlong dashing of - a cataract. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - To conceive the horror of my sensations is, I presume, utterly impossible; - yet a curiosity to penetrate the mysteries of these awful regions, - predominates even over my despair, and will reconcile me to the most - hideous aspect of death. It is evident that we are hurrying onwards to - some exciting knowledge—some never-to-be-imparted secret, whose - attainment is destruction. Perhaps this current leads us to the southern - pole itself. It must be confessed that a supposition apparently so wild - has every probability in its favor. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - The crew pace the deck with unquiet and tremulous step; but there is upon - their countenances an expression more of the eagerness of hope than of the - apathy of despair. - </p> - <p> - In the meantime the wind is still in our poop, and, as we carry a crowd of - canvas, the ship is at times lifted bodily from out the sea! Oh, - horror upon horror!—the ice opens suddenly to the right, and to the left, - and we are whirling dizzily, in immense concentric circles, round and - round the borders of a gigantic amphitheatre, the summit of whose walls is - lost in the darkness and the distance. But little time will be left me to - ponder upon my destiny! The circles rapidly grow small—we are - plunging madly within the grasp of the whirlpool—and amid a roaring, - and bellowing, and thundering of ocean and of tempest, the ship is - quivering—oh God! and—going down. - </p> - <p> - NOTE.—The “MS. Found in a Bottle,” was originally published in 1831, - and it was not until many years afterwards that I became acquainted with - the maps of Mercator, in which the ocean is represented as rushing, by - four mouths, into the (northern) Polar Gulf, to be absorbed into the - bowels of the earth; the Pole itself being represented by a black rock, - towering to a prodigious height. - </p> - -</div><!--end chapter--> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2><a name="chap11"></a>THE OVAL PORTRAIT</h2> - - <p> - The château into which my valet had ventured to make forcible entrance, - rather than permit me, in my desperately wounded condition, to pass a - night in the open air, was one of those piles of commingled gloom and - grandeur which have so long frowned among the Appennines, not less in fact - than in the fancy of Mrs. Radcliffe. To all appearance it had been - temporarily and very lately abandoned. We established ourselves in one of - the smallest and least sumptuously furnished apartments. It lay in a - remote turret of the building. Its decorations were rich, yet tattered and - antique. Its walls were hung with tapestry and bedecked with manifold and - multiform armorial trophies, together with an unusually great number of - very spirited modern paintings in frames of rich golden arabesque. In - these paintings, which depended from the walls not only in their main - surfaces, but in very many nooks which the bizarre architecture of the - château rendered necessary—in these paintings my incipient delirium, - perhaps, had caused me to take deep interest; so that I bade Pedro to - close the heavy shutters of the room—since it was already night—to - light the tongues of a tall candelabrum which stood by the head of my bed, and - to throw open far and wide the fringed curtains of black velvet which - enveloped the bed itself. I wished all this done that I might resign - myself, if not to sleep, at least alternately to the contemplation of - these pictures, and the perusal of a small volume which had been found - upon the pillow, and which purported to criticise and describe them. - </p> - <p> - Long, long I read—and devoutly, devotedly I gazed. Rapidly and - gloriously the hours flew by and the deep midnight came. The position of - the candelabrum displeased me, and outreaching my hand with difficulty, - rather than disturb my slumbering valet, I placed it so as to throw its - rays more fully upon the book. - </p> - <p> - But the action produced an effect altogether unanticipated. The rays of - the numerous candles (for there were many) now fell within a niche of the - room which had hitherto been thrown into deep shade by one of the - bed-posts. I thus saw in vivid light a picture all unnoticed before. It - was the portrait of a young girl just ripening into womanhood. I glanced - at the painting hurriedly, and then closed my eyes. Why I did this was not - at first apparent even to my own perception. But while my lids remained - thus shut, I ran over in my mind my reason for so shutting them. It was an - impulsive movement to gain time for thought—to make sure that my - vision had not deceived me—to calm and subdue my fancy for a more - sober and more certain gaze. In a very few moments I again looked fixedly - at the painting. - </p> - <p> - That I now saw aright I could not and would not doubt; for the first - flashing of the candles upon that canvas had seemed to dissipate the - dreamy stupor which was stealing over my senses, and to startle me at once - into waking life. - </p> - <p> - The portrait, I have already said, was that of a young girl. It was a mere - head and shoulders, done in what is technically termed a vignette manner; - much in the style of the favorite heads of Sully. The arms, the bosom, and - even the ends of the radiant hair melted imperceptibly into the vague yet - deep shadow which formed the back-ground of the whole. The frame was oval, - richly gilded and filigreed in Moresque. As a thing of art nothing could - be more admirable than the painting itself. But it could have been neither - the execution of the work, nor the immortal beauty of the countenance, - which had so suddenly and so vehemently moved me. Least of all, could it - have been that my fancy, shaken from its half slumber, had mistaken the - head for that of a living person. I saw at once that the peculiarities of - the design, of the vignetting, and of the frame, must have instantly - dispelled such idea—must have prevented even its momentary - entertainment. Thinking earnestly upon these points, I remained, for an - hour perhaps, half sitting, half reclining, with my vision riveted upon - the portrait. At length, satisfied with the true secret of its effect, I - fell back within the bed. I had found the spell of the picture in an - absolute life-likeliness of expression, which, at first startling, finally - confounded, subdued, and appalled me. With deep and reverent awe I - replaced the candelabrum in its former position. The cause of my deep - agitation being thus shut from view, I sought eagerly the volume which - discussed the paintings and their histories. Turning to the number which - designated the oval portrait, I there read the vague and quaint words - which follow: - </p> - <p> - “She was a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of glee. - And evil was the hour when she saw, and loved, and wedded the painter. He, - passionate, studious, austere, and having already a bride in his Art; she - a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of glee; all - light and smiles, and frolicsome as the young fawn; loving and cherishing - all things; hating only the Art which was her rival; dreading only the - pallet and brushes and other untoward instruments which deprived her of - the countenance of her lover. It was thus a terrible thing for this lady - to hear the painter speak of his desire to portray even his young bride. - But she was humble and obedient, and sat meekly for many weeks in the - dark, high turret-chamber where the light dripped upon the pale canvas - only from overhead. But he, the painter, took glory in his work, which - went on from hour to hour, and from day to day. And he was a passionate, - and wild, and moody man, who became lost in reveries; so that he would not - see that the light which fell so ghastly in that lone turret withered the - health and the spirits of his bride, who pined visibly to all but him. Yet - she smiled on and still on, uncomplainingly, because she saw that the - painter (who had high renown) took a fervid and burning pleasure in his - task, and wrought day and night to depict her who so loved him, yet who - grew daily more dispirited and weak. And in sooth some who beheld the - portrait spoke of its resemblance in low words, as of a mighty marvel, and - a proof not less of the power of the painter than of his deep love for her - whom he depicted so surpassingly well. But at length, as the labor drew - nearer to its conclusion, there were admitted none into the turret; for - the painter had grown wild with the ardor of his work, and turned his eyes - from canvas merely, even to regard the countenance of his wife. And he - would not see that the tints which he spread upon the canvas were drawn - from the cheeks of her who sate beside him. And when many weeks had - passed, and but little remained to do, save one brush upon the mouth and - one tint upon the eye, the spirit of the lady again flickered up as the - flame within the socket of the lamp. And then the brush was given, and - then the tint was placed; and, for one moment, the painter stood entranced - before the work which he had wrought; but in the next, while he yet gazed, - he grew tremulous and very pallid, and aghast, and crying with a loud - voice, ‘This is indeed Life itself!’ turned suddenly to regard his - beloved:—She was dead!” - </p> - -</div><!--end chapter--> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, VOL. 1 ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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A few characters will be missed in the -coded text in the "Gold Bug". Italics have been preserved to the -extent possible with the italicized words bracketed with the -underscore "_" character. A global delete will remove these -characters if readability is a problem. The set consists of five -volumes, the most popular works of Poe. Occasional printer's errors -have been corrected without comment. For conversion to MAC or UNIX -or DOS formats a shareware program "TEXTPAD" may be helpful. A space -has been preserved before the end-of-line marker to assist in -conversion to word-processing programs. A 70 character line is used. -The use of editorial notes is kept to a minimum, where necessary -they are enclosed in braces "{}" as are images -- {image}.] - - - - - -The Raven Edition - -THE WORKS OF -EDGAR ALLAN POE - -IN FIVE VOLUMES - - - - -VOLUME I Contents - -Edgar Allan Poe, An Appreciation -Life of Poe, by James Russell Lowell -Death of Poe, by N. P. Willis -The Unparalled Adventures of One Hans Pfall -The Gold Bug -Four Beasts in One -The Murders in the Rue Morgue -The Mystery of Marie Rogt -The Balloon Hoax -MS. Found in a Bottle -The Oval Portrait - - - - -EDGAR ALLAN POE - -AN APPRECIATION - - -Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster -Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-- -Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore - Of "never--never more!" - -THIS stanza from "The Raven" was recommended by James Russell Lowell -as an inscription upon the Baltimore monument which marks the resting -place of Edgar Allan Poe, the most interesting and original figure in -American letters. And, to signify that peculiar musical quality of -Poe's genius which inthralls every reader, Mr. Lowell suggested this -additional verse, from the "Haunted Palace": - -And all with pearl and ruby glowing - Was the fair palace door, -Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing, - And sparkling ever more, -A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty - Was but to sing, -In voices of surpassing beauty, - The wit and wisdom of their king. - - -Born in poverty at Boston, January 19 1809, dying under painful -circumstances at Baltimore, October 7, 1849, his whole literary -career of scarcely fifteen years a pitiful struggle for mere -subsistence, his memory malignantly misrepresented by his earliest -biographer, Griswold, how completely has truth at last routed -falsehood and how magnificently has Poe come into his own, For "The -Raven," first published in 1845, and, within a few months, read, -recited and parodied wherever the English language was spoken, the -half-starved poet received $10! Less than a year later his brother -poet, N. P. Willis, issued this touching appeal to the admirers of -genius on behalf of the neglected author, his dying wife and her -devoted mother, then living under very straitened circumstances in a -little cottage at Fordham, N. Y.: - -"Here is one of the finest scholars, one of the most original men of -genius, and one of the most industrious of the literary profession of -our country, whose temporary suspension of labor, from bodily -illness, drops him immediately to a level with the common objects of -public charity. There is no intermediate stopping-place, no -respectful shelter, where, with the delicacy due to genius and -culture, he might secure aid, till, with returning health, he would -resume his labors, and his unmortified sense of independence." - -And this was the tribute paid by the American public to the master -who had given to it such tales of conjuring charm, of witchery and -mystery as "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "Ligeia"; such -fascinating hoaxes as "The Unparalleled Adventure of Hans Pfaall," -"MSS. Found in a Bottle," "A Descent Into a Maelstrom" and "The -Balloon Hoax"; such tales of conscience as "William Wilson," "The -Black Cat" and "The Tell-tale Heart," wherein the retributions of -remorse are portrayed with an awful fidelity; such tales of natural -beauty as "The Island of the Fay" and "The Domain of Arnheim"; such -marvellous studies in ratiocination as the "Gold-bug," "The Murders -in the Rue Morgue," "The Purloined Letter" and "The Mystery of Marie -Roget," the latter, a recital of fact, demonstrating the author's -wonderful capability of correctly analyzing the mysteries of the -human mind; such tales of illusion and banter as "The Premature -Burial" and "The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether"; such bits -of extravaganza as "The Devil in the Belfry" and "The Angel of the -Odd"; such tales of adventure as "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon -Pym"; such papers of keen criticism and review as won for Poe the -enthusiastic admiration of Charles Dickens, although they made him -many enemies among the over-puffed minor American writers so -mercilessly exposed by him; such poems of beauty and melody as "The -Bells," "The Haunted Palace," "Tamerlane," "The City in the Sea" and -"The Raven." What delight for the jaded senses of the reader is this -enchanted domain of wonder-pieces! What an atmosphere of beauty, -music, color! What resources of imagination, construction, analysis -and absolute art! One might almost sympathize with Sarah Helen -Whitman, who, confessing to a half faith in the old superstition of -the significance of anagrams, found, in the transposed letters of -Edgar Poe's name, the words "a God-peer." His mind, she says, was -indeed a "Haunted Palace," echoing to the footfalls of angels and -demons. - -"No man," Poe himself wrote, "has recorded, no man has dared to -record, the wonders of his inner life." - -In these twentieth century days -of lavish recognition-artistic, -popular and material-of genius, what rewards might not a Poe claim! - -Edgar's father, a son of General David Poe, the American -revolutionary patriot and friend of Lafayette, had married Mrs. -Hopkins, an English actress, and, the match meeting with parental -disapproval, had himself taken to the stage as a profession. -Notwithstanding Mrs. Poe's beauty and talent the young couple had a -sorry struggle for existence. When Edgar, at the age of two years, -was orphaned, the family was in the utmost destitution. Apparently -the future poet was to be cast upon the world homeless and -friendless. But fate decreed that a few glimmers of sunshine were to -illumine his life, for the little fellow was adopted by John Allan, a -wealthy merchant of Richmond, Va. A brother and sister, the remaining -children, were cared for by others. - -In his new home Edgar found all the luxury and advantages money could -provide. He was petted, spoiled and shown off to strangers. In Mrs. -Allan he found all the affection a childless wife could bestow. Mr. -Allan took much pride in the captivating, precocious lad. At the age -of five the boy recited, with fine effect, passages of English poetry -to the visitors at the Allan house. - -From his eighth to his thirteenth year he attended the Manor House -school, at Stoke-Newington, a suburb of London. It was the Rev. Dr. -Bransby, head of the school, whom Poe so quaintly portrayed in -"William Wilson." Returning to Richmond in 1820 Edgar was sent to the -school of Professor Joseph H. Clarke. He proved an apt pupil. Years -afterward Professor Clarke thus wrote: - -"While the other boys wrote mere mechanical verses, Poe wrote genuine -poetry; the boy was a born poet. As a scholar he was ambitious to -excel. He was remarkable for self-respect, without haughtiness. He -had a sensitive and tender heart and would do anything for a friend. -His nature was entirely free from selfishness." - -At the age of seventeen Poe entered the University of Virginia at -Charlottesville. He left that institution after one session. Official -records prove that he was not expelled. On the contrary, he gained a -creditable record as a student, although it is admitted that he -contracted debts and had "an ungovernable passion for card-playing." -These debts may have led to his quarrel with Mr. Allan which -eventually compelled him to make his own way in the world. - -Early in 1827 Poe made his first literary venture. He induced Calvin -Thomas, a poor and youthful printer, to publish a small volume of his -verses under the title "Tamerlane and Other Poems." In 1829 we find -Poe in Baltimore with another manuscript volume of verses, which was -soon published. Its title was "Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Other Poems." -Neither of these ventures seems to have attracted much attention. - -Soon after Mrs. Allan's death, which occurred in 1829, Poe, through -the aid of Mr. Allan, secured admission to the United States Military -Academy at West Point. Any glamour which may have attached to cadet -life in Poe's eyes was speedily lost, for discipline at West Point -was never so severe nor were the accommodations ever so poor. Poe's -bent was more and more toward literature. Life at the academy daily -became increasingly distasteful. Soon he began to purposely neglect -his studies and to disregard his duties, his aim being to secure his -dismissal from the United States service. In this he succeeded. On -March 7, 1831, Poe found himself free. Mr. Allan's second marriage -had thrown the lad on his own resources. His literary career was to -begin. - -Poe's first genuine victory was won in 1833, when he was the -successful competitor for a prize of $100 offered by a Baltimore -periodical for the best prose story. "A MSS. Found in a Bottle" was -the winning tale. Poe had submitted six stories in a volume. "Our -only difficulty," says Mr. Latrobe, one of the judges, "was in -selecting from the rich contents of the volume." - -During the fifteen years of his literary life Poe was connected with -various newspapers and magazines in Richmond, Philadelphia and New -York. He was faithful, punctual, industrious, thorough. N. P. Willis, -who for some time employed Poe as critic and sub-editor on the -"Evening Mirror," wrote thus: - -"With the highest admiration for Poe's genius, and a willingness to -let it alone for more than ordinary irregularity, we were led by -common report to expect a very capricious attention to his duties, -and occasionally a scene of violence and difficulty. Time went on, -however, and he was invariably punctual and industrious. We saw but -one presentiment of the man-a quiet, patient, industrious and most -gentlemanly person. - -"We heard, from one who knew him well (what should be stated in all -mention of his lamentable irregularities), that with a single glass -of wine his whole nature was reversed, the demon became uppermost, -and, though none of the usual signs of intoxication were visible, his -will was palpably insane. In this reversed character, we repeat, it -was never our chance to meet him." - -On September 22, 1835, Poe married his cousin, Virginia Clemm, in -Baltimore. She had barely turned thirteen years, Poe himself was but -twenty-six. He then was a resident of Richmond and a regular -contributor to the "Southern Literary Messenger." It was not until a -year later that the bride and her widowed mother followed him thither. - -Poe's devotion to his child-wife was one of the most beautiful -features of his life. Many of his famous poetic productions were -inspired by her beauty and charm. Consumption had marked her for its -victim, and the constant efforts of husband and mother were to secure -for her all the comfort and happiness their slender means permitted. -Virginia died January 30, 1847, when but twenty-five years of age. A -friend of the family pictures the death-bed scene--mother and husband -trying to impart warmth to her by chafing her hands and her feet, -while her pet cat was suffered to nestle upon her bosom for the sake -of added warmth. - -These verses from "Annabel Lee," written by Poe in 1849, the last -year of his life, tell of his sorrow at the loss of his child-wife: - -I was a child and _she_ was a child, - In a kingdom by the sea; - -But we loved with _a _love that was more than love-- - I and my Annabel Lee; - -With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven - Coveted her and me. -And this was the reason that, long ago; - In this kingdom by the sea. -A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling - My beautiful Annabel Lee; - -So that her high-born kinsmen came - And bore her away from me, -To shut her up in a sepulchre - In this kingdom by the sea, - - -Poe was connected at various times and in various capacities with the -"Southern Literary Messenger" in Richmond, Va.; "Graham's Magazine" -and the "Gentleman's Magazine" in Philadelphia.; the "Evening -Mirror," the "Broadway journal," and "Godey's Lady's Book" in New -York. Everywhere Poe's life was one of unremitting toil. No tales and -poems were ever produced at a greater cost of brain and spirit. - -Poe's initial salary with the "Southern Literary Messenger," to which -he contributed the first drafts of a number of his best-known tales, -was $10 a week! Two years later his salary was but $600 a year. Even -in 1844, when his literary reputation was established securely, he -wrote to a friend expressing his pleasure because a magazine to which -he was to contribute had agreed to pay him $20 monthly for two pages -of criticism. - -Those were discouraging times in American literature, but Poe never -lost faith. He was finally to triumph wherever pre-eminent talents -win admirers. His genius has had no better description than in this -stanza from William Winter's poem, read at the dedication exercises -of the Actors' Monument to Poe, May 4, 1885, in New York: - -He was the voice of beauty and of woe, -Passion and mystery and the dread unknown; -Pure as the mountains of perpetual snow, -Cold as the icy winds that round them moan, -Dark as the eaves wherein earth's thunders groan, -Wild as the tempests of the upper sky, -Sweet as the faint, far-off celestial tone of angel - whispers, fluttering from on high, -And tender as love's tear when youth and beauty die. - - -In the two and a half score years that have elapsed since Poe's death -he has come fully into his own. For a while Griswold's malignant -misrepresentations colored the public estimate of Poe as man and as -writer. But, thanks to J. H. Ingram, W. F. Gill, Eugene Didier, Sarah -Helen Whitman and others these scandals have been dispelled and Poe -is seen as he actually was-not as a man without failings, it is true, -but as the finest and most original genius in American letters. As -the years go on his fame increases. His works have been translated -into many foreign languages. His is a household name in France and -England-in fact, the latter nation has often uttered the reproach -that Poe's own country has been slow to appreciate him. But that -reproach, if it ever was warranted, certainly is untrue. - - W. H. R. - -~~~~~~ End of Text ~~~~~~ - -========== - -EDGAR ALLAN POE{*1} - -BY JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL - - -THE situation of American literature is anomalous. It has no centre, -or, if it have, it is like that of the sphere of Hermes. It is, -divided into many systems, each revolving round its several suns, and -often presenting to the rest only the faint glimmer of a -milk-and-water way. Our capital city, unlike London or Paris, is not -a great central heart from which life and vigor radiate to the -extremities, but resembles more an isolated umbilicus stuck down as -near a's may be to the centre of the land, and seeming rather to tell -a legend of former usefulness than to serve any present need. Boston, -New York, Philadelphia, each has its literature almost more distinct -than those of the different dialects of Germany; and the Young Queen -of the West has also one of her own, of which some articulate rumor -barely has reached us dwellers by the Atlantic. - -Perhaps there is no task more difficult than the just criticism of -contemporary literature. It is even more grateful to give praise -where it is needed than where it is deserved, and friendship so often -seduces the iron stylus of justice into a vague flourish, that she -writes what seems rather like an epitaph than a criticism. Yet if -praise be given as an alms, we could not drop so poisonous a one into -any man's hat. The critic's ink may suffer equally from too large an -infusion of nutgalls or of sugar. But it is easier to be generous -than to be just, and we might readily put faith in that fabulous -direction to the hiding place of truth, did we judge from the amount -of water which we usually find mixed with it. - -Remarkable experiences are usually confined to the inner life of -imaginative men, but Mr. Poe's biography displays a vicissitude and -peculiarity of interest such as is rarely met with. The offspring of -a romantic marriage, and left an orphan at an early age, he was -adopted by Mr. Allan, a wealthy Virginian, whose barren marriage-bed -seemed the warranty of a large estate to the young poet. - -Having received a classical education in England, he returned home -and entered the University of Virginia, where, after an extravagant -course, followed by reformation at the last extremity, he was -graduated with the highest honors of his class. Then came a boyish -attempt to join the fortunes of the insurgent Greeks, which ended at -St. Petersburg, where he got into difficulties through want of a -passport, from which he was rescued by the American consul and sent -home. He now entered the military academy at West Point, from which -he obtained a dismissal on hearing of the birth of a son to his -adopted father, by a second marriage, an event which cut off his -expectations as an heir. The death of Mr. Allan, in whose will his -name was not mentioned, soon after relieved him of all doubt in this -regard, and he committed himself at once to authorship for a support. -Previously to this, however, he had published (in 1827) a small -volume of poems, which soon ran through three editions, and excited -high expectations of its author's future distinction in the minds of -many competent judges. - -That no certain augury can be drawn from a poet's earliest lispings -there are instances enough to prove. Shakespeare's first poems, -though brimful of vigor and youth and picturesqueness, give but a -very faint promise of the directness, condensation and overflowing -moral of his maturer works. Perhaps, however, Shakespeare is hardly a -case in point, his "Venus and Adonis" having been published, we -believe, in his twenty-sixth year. Milton's Latin verses show -tenderness, a fine eye for nature, and a delicate appreciation of -classic models, but give no hint of the author of a new style in -poetry. Pope's youthful pieces have all the sing-song, wholly -unrelieved by the glittering malignity and eloquent irreligion of his -later productions. Collins' callow namby-pamby died and gave no sign -of the vigorous and original genius which he afterward displayed. We -have never thought that the world lost more in the "marvellous boy," -Chatterton, than a very ingenious imitator of obscure and antiquated -dulness. Where he becomes original (as it is called), the interest of -ingenuity ceases and he becomes stupid. Kirke White's promises were -indorsed by the respectable name of Mr. Southey, but surely with no -authority from Apollo. They have the merit of a traditional piety, -which to our mind, if uttered at all, had been less objectionable in -the retired closet of a diary, and in the sober raiment of prose. -They do not clutch hold of the memory with the drowning pertinacity of -Watts; neither have they the interest of his occasional simple, lucky -beauty. Burns having fortunately been rescued by his humble station -from the contaminating society of the "Best models," wrote well and -naturally from the first. Had he been unfortunate enough to have had -an educated taste, we should have had a series of poems from which, as -from his letters, we could sift here and there a kernel from the mass -of chaff. Coleridge's youthful efforts give no promise whatever of -that poetical genius which produced at once the wildest, tenderest, -most original and most purely imaginative poems of modem times. -Byron's "Hours of Idleness" would never find a reader except from an -intrepid and indefatigable curiosity. In Wordsworth's first preludings -there is but a dim foreboding of the creator of an era. From Southey's -early poems, a safer augury might have been drawn. They show the -patient investigator, the close student of history, and the unwearied -explorer of the beauties of predecessors, but they give no assurances -of a man who should add aught to stock of household words, or to the -rarer and more sacred delights of the fireside or the arbor. The -earliest specimens of Shelley's poetic mind already, also, give tokens -of that ethereal sublimation in which the spirit seems to soar above -the regions of words, but leaves its body, the verse, to be entombed, -without hope of resurrection, in a mass of them. Cowley is generally -instanced as a wonder of precocity. But his early insipidities show -only a capacity for rhyming and for the metrical arrangement of -certain conventional combinations of words, a capacity wholly -dependent on a delicate physical organization, and an unhappy memory. -An early poem is only remarkable when it displays an effort of -_reason, _and the rudest verses in which we can trace some conception -of the ends of poetry, are worth all the miracles of smooth juvenile -versification. A school-boy, one would say, might acquire the regular -see-saw of Pope merely by an association with the motion of the -play-ground tilt. - -Mr. Poe's early productions show that he could see through the verse -to the spirit beneath, and that he already had a feeling that all the -life and grace of the one must depend on and be modulated by the will -of the other. We call them the most remarkable boyish poems that we -have ever read. We know of none that can compare with them for -maturity of purpose, and a nice understanding of the effects of -language and metre. Such pieces are only valuable when they display -what we can only express by the contradictory phrase of _innate -experience. _We copy one of the shorter poems, written when the -author was only fourteen. There is a little dimness in the filling -up, but the grace and symmetry of the outline are such as few poets -ever attain. There is a smack of ambrosia about it. - -TO HELEN - -Helen, thy beauty is to me - Like those Nicean barks of yore, -That gently, o'er a perfumed sea, - The weary, way-worn wanderer bore -To his own native shore. - -On desperate seas long wont to roam, - Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, -Thy Naiad airs have brought me home - To the glory that was Greece -And the grandeur that was Rome. - -Lo! in yon brilliant window-niche - How statue-like I see thee stand! -The agate lamp within thy hand, - Ah! Psyche, from the regions which -Are Holy Land! - - -It is the tendency of the young poet that impresses us. Here is no -"withering scorn," no heart "blighted" ere it has safely got into its -teens, none of the drawing-room sansculottism which Byron had brought -into vogue. All is limpid and serene, with a pleasant dash of the -Greek Helicon in it. The melody of the whole, too, is remarkable. It -is not of that kind which can be demonstrated arithmetically upon the -tips of the fingers. It is of that finer sort which the inner ear -alone _can _estimate. It seems simple, like a Greek column, because -of its perfection. In a poem named "Ligeia," under which title he -intended to personify the music of nature, our boy-poet gives us the -following exquisite picture: - - Ligeia! Ligeia! -My beautiful one, - Whose harshest idea -Will to melody run, - Say, is it thy will, -On the breezes to toss, - Or, capriciously still, -Like the lone albatross, - Incumbent on night, -As she on the air, - To keep watch with delight -On the harmony there? - -John Neal, himself a man of genius, and whose lyre has been too -long capriciously silent, appreciated the high merit of these and -similar passages, and drew a proud horoscope for their author. - -Mr. Poe had that indescribable something which men have agreed to -call _genius_. No man could ever tell us precisely what it is, and -yet there is none who is not inevitably aware of its presence and its -power. Let talent writhe and contort itself as it may, it has no such -magnetism. Larger of bone and sinew it may be, but the wings are -wanting. Talent sticks fast to earth, and its most perfect works have -still one- foot of clay. Genius claims kindred with the very workings -of Nature herself, so that a sunset shall seem like a quotation from -Dante, and if Shakespeare be read in the very presence of the sea -itself, his verses shall but seem nobler for the sublime criticism of -ocean. Talent may make friends for itself, but only genius can give -to its creations the divine power of winning love and veneration. -Enthusiasm cannot cling to what itself is unenthusiastic, nor will he -ever have disciples who has not himself impulsive zeal enough to be a -disciple. Great wits are allied to madness only inasmuch as they are -possessed and carried away by their demon, While talent keeps him, as -Paracelsus did, securely prisoned in the pommel of his sword. To the -eye of genius, the veil of the spiritual world is ever rent asunder -that it may perceive the ministers of good and evil who throng -continually around it. No man of mere talent ever flung his inkstand -at the devil. - -When we say that Mr. Poe had genius, we do not mean to say that he -has produced evidence of the highest. But to say that he possesses it -at all is to say that he needs only zeal, industry, and a reverence -for the trust reposed in him, to achieve the proudest triumphs and -the greenest laurels. If we may believe the Longinuses; and -Aristotles of our newspapers, we have quite too many geniuses of the -loftiest order to render a place among them at all desirable, whether -for its hardness of attainment or its seclusion. The highest peak of -our Parnassus is, according to these gentlemen, by far the most -thickly settled portion of the country, a circumstance which must -make it an uncomfortable residence for individuals of a poetical -temperament, if love of solitude be, as immemorial tradition asserts, -a necessary part of their idiosyncrasy. - -Mr. Poe has two of the prime qualities of genius, a faculty of -vigorous yet minute analysis, and a wonderful fecundity of -imagination. The first of these faculties is as needful to the artist -in words, as a knowledge of anatomy is to the artist in colors or in -stone. This enables him to conceive truly, to maintain a proper -relation of parts, and to draw a correct outline, while the second -groups, fills up and colors. Both of these Mr. Poe has displayed with -singular distinctness in his prose works, the last predominating in -his earlier tales, and the first in his later ones. In judging of the -merit of an author, and assigning him his niche among our household -gods, we have a right to regard him from our own point of view, and -to measure him by our own standard. But, in estimating the amount of -power displayed in his works, we must be governed by his own design, -and placing them by the side of his own ideal, find how much is -wanting. We differ from Mr. Poe in his opinions of the objects of -art. He esteems that object to be the creation of Beauty, and perhaps -it is only in the definition of that word that we disagree with him. -But in what we shall say of his writings, we shall take his own -standard as our guide. The temple of the god of song is equally. -accessible from every side, and there is room enough in it for all -who bring offerings, or seek in oracle. - -In his tales, Mr. Poe has chosen to exhibit his power chiefly in that -dim region which stretches from the very utmost limits of the -probable into the weird confines of superstition and unreality. He -combines in a very remarkable manner two faculties which are seldom -found united; a power of influencing the mind of the reader by the -impalpable shadows of mystery, and a minuteness of detail which does -not leave a pin or a button unnoticed. Both are, in truth, the -natural results of the predominating quality of his mind, to which we -have before alluded, analysis. It is this which distinguishes the -artist. His mind at once reaches forward to the effect to be -produced. Having resolved to bring about certain emotions in the -reader, he makes all subordinate parts tend strictly to the common -centre. Even his mystery is mathematical to his own mind. To him X is -a known quantity all along. In any picture that he paints he -understands the chemical properties of all his colors. However vague -some of his figures may seem, however formless the shadows, to him -the outline is as clear and distinct as that of a geometrical -diagram. For this reason Mr. Poe has no sympathy with Mysticism. The -Mystic dwells in the mystery, is enveloped with it; it colors all his -thoughts; it affects his optic nerve especially, and the commonest -things get a rainbow edging from it. Mr. Poe, on the other hand, is a -spectator _ab extra_. He analyzes, he dissects, he watches - - "with an eye serene, -The very pulse of the machine," - - -for such it practically is to him, with wheels and cogs and -piston-rods, all working to produce a certain end. - -This analyzing tendency of his mind balances the poetical, and by -giving him the patience to be minute, enables him to throw a -wonderful reality into his most unreal fancies. A monomania he paints -with great power. He loves to dissect one of these cancers of the -mind, and to trace all the subtle ramifications of its roots. In -raising images of horror, also, he has strange success, conveying to -us sometimes by a dusky hint some terrible _doubt _which is the -secret of all horror. He leaves to imagination the task of finishing -the picture, a task to which only she is competent. - -"For much imaginary work was there; -Conceit deceitful, so compact, so kind, -That for Achilles' image stood his spear -Grasped in an armed hand; himself behind -Was left unseen, save to the eye of mind." - -Besides the merit of conception, Mr. Poe's writings have also that of -form. - -His style is highly finished, graceful and truly classical. It would -be hard to find a living author who had displayed such varied powers. -As an example of his style we would refer to one of his tales, "The -House of Usher," in the first volume of his "Tales of the Grotesque -and Arabesque." It has a singular charm for us, and we think that no -one could read it without being strongly moved by its serene and -sombre beauty. Had its author written nothing else, it would alone -have been enough to stamp him as a man of genius, and the master of a -classic style. In this tale occurs, perhaps, the most beautiful of -his poems. - -The great masters of imagination have seldom resorted to the vague -and the unreal as sources of effect. They have not used dread and -horror alone, but only in combination with other qualities, as means -of subjugating the fancies of their readers. The loftiest muse has -ever a household and fireside charm about her. Mr. Poe's secret lies -mainly in the skill with which he has employed the strange -fascination of mystery and terror. In this his success is so great -and striking as to deserve the name of art, not artifice. We cannot -call his materials the noblest or purest, but we must concede to him -the highest merit of construction. - -As a critic, Mr. Poe was aesthetically deficient. Unerring in his -analysis of dictions, metres and plots, he seemed wanting in the -faculty of perceiving the profounder ethics of art. His criticisms -are, however, distinguished for scientific precision and coherence of -logic. They have the exactness, and at the same time, the coldness of -mathematical demonstrations. Yet they stand in strikingly refreshing -contrast with the vague generalisms and sharp personalities of the -day. If deficient in warmth, they are also without the heat of -partisanship. They are especially valuable as illustrating the great -truth, too generally overlooked, that analytic power is a subordinate -quality of the critic. - -On the whole, it may be considered certain that Mr. Poe has attained -an individual eminence in our literature which he will keep. He has -given proof of power and originality. He has done that which could -only be done once with success or safety, and the imitation or -repetition of which would produce weariness. - -~~~~~~ End of Text ~~~~~~ - -====== - -DEATH OF EDGAR A. POE - -BY N. P. WILLIS - - -THE ancient fable of two antagonistic spirits imprisoned in one body, -equally powerful and having the complete mastery by turns-of one man, -that is to say, inhabited by both a devil and an angel seems to have -been realized, if all we hear is true, in the character of the -extraordinary man whose name we have written above. Our own -impression of the nature of Edgar A. Poe, differs in some important -degree, however, from that which has been generally conveyed in the -notices of his death. Let us, before telling what we personally know -of him, copy a graphic and highly finished portraiture, from the pen -of Dr. Rufus W. Griswold, which appeared in a recent number of the -"Tribune:"{*1} - -"Edgar Allen Poe is dead. He died in Baltimore on Sunday, October -7th. This announcement will startle many, but few will be grieved by -it. The poet was known, personally or by reputation, in all this -country; he had readers in England and in several of the states of -Continental Europe; but he had few or no friends; and the regrets for -his death will be suggested principally by the consideration that in -him literary art has lost one of its most brilliant but erratic stars. - -"His conversation was at times almost supramortal in its eloquence. -His voice was modulated with astonishing skill, and his large and -variably expressive eyes looked repose or shot fiery tumult into -theirs who listened, while his own face glowed, or was changeless in -pallor, as his imagination quickened his blood or drew it back frozen -to his heart. His imagery was from the worlds which no mortals can -see but with the vision of genius. Suddenly starting from a -proposition, exactly and sharply defined, in terms of utmost -simplicity and clearness, he rejected the forms of customary logic, -and by a crystalline process of accretion, built up his ocular -demonstrations in forms of gloomiest and ghastliest grandeur, or in -those of the most airy and delicious beauty, so minutely and -distinctly, yet so rapidly, that the attention which was yielded to -him was chained till it stood among his wonderful creations, till he -himself dissolved the spell, and brought his hearers back to common -and base existence, by vulgar fancies or exhibitions of the ignoblest -passion. - -"He was at all times a dreamer-dwelling in ideal realms-in heaven or -hell-peopled with the creatures and the accidents of his brain. He -walked-the streets, in madness or melancholy, with lips moving in -indistinct curses, or with eyes upturned in passionate prayer (never -for himself, for he felt, or professed to feel, that he was already -damned, but) for their happiness who at the moment were objects of -his idolatry; or with his glances introverted to a heart gnawed with -anguish, and with a face shrouded in gloom, he would brave the -wildest storms, and all night, with drenched garments and arms -beating the winds and rains, would speak as if the spirits that at -such times only could be evoked by him from the Aidenn, close by -whose portals his disturbed soul sought to forget the ills to which -his constitution subjected him---close by the Aidenn where were those -he loved-the Aidenn which he might never see, but in fitful glimpses, -as its gates opened to receive the less fiery and more happy natures -whose destiny to sin did not involve the doom of death. - -"He seemed, except when some fitful pursuit subjugated his will and -engrossed his faculties, always to bear the memory of some -controlling sorrow. The remarkable poem of 'The Raven' was probably -much more nearly than has been supposed, even by those who were very -intimate with him, a reflection and an echo of his own history. _He_ -was that bird's - -" ' unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster -Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-- -Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore - Of 'Never-never more.' - - -"Every genuine author in a greater or less degree leaves in his -works, whatever their design, traces of his personal character: -elements of his immortal being, in which the individual survives the -person. While we read the pages of the 'Fall of the House of Usher,' -or of 'Mesmeric Revelations,' we see in the solemn and stately gloom -which invests one, and in the subtle metaphysical analysis of both, -indications of the idiosyncrasies of what was most remarkable and -peculiar in the author's intellectual nature. But we see here only -the better phases of his nature, only the symbols of his juster -action, for his harsh experience had deprived him of all faith in man -or woman. He had made up his mind upon the numberless complexities of -the social world, and the whole system with him was an imposture. -This conviction gave a direction to his shrewd and naturally -unamiable character. Still, though he regarded society as composed -altogether of villains, the sharpness of his intellect was not of -that kind which enabled him to cope with villany, while it -continually caused him by overshots to fail of the success of -honesty. He was in many respects like Francis Vivian in Bulwer's -novel of 'The Caxtons.' Passion, in him, comprehended -many of the -worst emotions which militate against human happiness. You could not -contradict him, but you raised quick choler; you could not speak of -wealth, but his cheek paled with gnawing envy. The astonishing -natural advantages of this poor boy--his beauty, his readiness, the -daring spirit that breathed around him like a fiery atmosphere--had -raised his constitutional self-confidence into an arrogance that -turned his very claims to admiration into prejudices against him. -Irascible, envious--bad enough, but not the worst, for these salient -angles were all varnished over with a cold, repellant cynicism, his -passions vented themselves in sneers. There seemed to him no moral -susceptibility; and, what was more remarkable in a proud nature, -little or nothing of the true point of honor. He had, to a morbid -excess, that, desire to rise which is vulgarly called ambition, but -no wish for the esteem or the love of his species; only the hard wish -to succeed-not shine, not serve -succeed, that he might have the -right to despise a world which galled his self-conceit. - -"We have suggested the influence of his aims and vicissitudes upon -his literature. It was more conspicuous in his later than in his -earlier writings. Nearly all that he wrote in the last two or three -years-including much of his best poetry-was in some sense -biographical; in draperies of his imagination, those who had taken -the trouble to trace his steps, could perceive, but slightly -concealed, the figure of himself." - -Apropos of the disparaging portion of the above well-written sketch, -let us truthfully say: - -Some four or five years since, when editing a daily paper in this -city, Mr. Poe was employed by us, for several months, as critic and -sub-editor. This was our first personal acquaintance with him. He -resided with his wife and mother at Fordham, a few miles out of town, -but was at his desk in the office, from nine in the morning till the -evening paper went to press. With the highest admiration for his -genius, and a willingness to let it atone for more than ordinary -irregularity, we were led by common report to expect a very -capricious attention to his duties, and occasionally a scene of -violence and difficulty. Time went on, however, and he was invariably -punctual and industrious. With his pale, beautiful, and intellectual -face, as a reminder of what genius was in him, it was impossible, of -course, not to treat him always with deferential courtesy, and, to -our occasional request that he would not probe too deep in a -criticism, or that he would erase a passage colored too highly with -his resentments against society and mankind, he readily and -courteously assented-far more yielding than most men, we thought, on -points so excusably sensitive. With a prospect of taking the lead in -another periodical, he, at last, voluntarily gave up his employment -with us, and, through all this considerable period, we had seen but -one presentment of the man-a quiet, patient, industrious, and most -gentlemanly person, commanding the utmost respect and good feeling by -his unvarying deportment and ability. - -Residing as he did in the country, we never met Mr. Poe in hours of -leisure; but he frequently called on us afterward at our place of -business, and we met him often in the street-invariably the same sad -mannered, winning and refined gentleman, such as we had always known -him. It was by rumor only, up to the day of his death, that we knew -of any other development of manner or character. We heard, from one -who knew him well (what should be stated in all mention of his -lamentable irregularities), that, with a single glass of wine, his -whole nature was reversed, the demon became uppermost, and, though -none of the usual signs of intoxication were visible, his will was -palpably insane. Possessing his reasoning faculties in excited -activity, at such times, and seeking his acquaintances with his -wonted look and memory, he easily seemed personating only another -phase of his natural character, and was accused, accordingly, of -insulting arrogance and bad-heartedness. In this reversed character, -we repeat, it was never our chance to see him. We know it from -hearsay, and we mention it in connection with this sad infirmity of -physical constitution; which puts it upon very nearly the ground of a -temporary and almost irresponsible insanity. - -The arrogance, vanity, and depravity of heart, of which Mr. Poe was -generally accused, seem to us referable altogether to this reversed -phase of his character. Under that degree of intoxication which only -acted upon him by demonizing his sense of truth and right, he -doubtless said and did much that was wholly irreconcilable with his -better nature; but, when himself, and as we knew him only, his -modesty and unaffected humility, as to his own deservings, were a -constant charm to his character. His letters, of which the constant -application for autographs has taken from us, we are sorry to -confess, the greater portion, exhibited this quality very strongly. -In one of the carelessly written notes of which we chance still to -retain possession, for instance, he speaks of "The Raven"--that -extraordinary poem which electrified the world of imaginative -readers, and has become the type of a school of poetry of its -own-and, in evident earnest, attributes its success to the few words -of commendation with which we had prefaced it in this paper. -It will -throw light on his sane character to give a literal copy of the note: - - "FORDHAM, April 20, 1849 - - -"My DEAR WILLIS--The poem which I inclose, and which I am so vain as -to hope you will like, in some respects, has been just published in a -paper for which sheer necessity compels me to write, now and then. It -pays well as times go-but unquestionably it ought to pay ten prices; -for whatever I send it I feel I am consigning to the tomb of the -Capulets. The verses accompanying this, may I beg you to take out of -the tomb, and bring them to light in the 'Home journal?' If you can -oblige me so far as to copy them, I do not think it will be necessary -to say 'From the ----, that would be too bad; and, perhaps, 'From a -late ---- paper,' would do. - -"I have not forgotten how a 'good word in season' from you made 'The -Raven,' and made 'Ulalume' (which by-the-way, people have done me the -honor of attributing to you), therefore, I would ask you (if I dared) -to say something of these lines if they please you. - - "Truly yours ever, - - "EDGAR A. POE." - - -In double proof of his earnest disposition to do the best for -himself, and of the trustful and grateful nature which has been -denied him, we give another of the only three of his notes which we -chance to retain : - - "FORDHAM, January 22, 1848. - - -"My DEAR MR. WILLIS-I am about to make an effort at re-establishing -myself in the literary world, and _feel _that I may depend upon your -aid. - -"My general aim is to start a Magazine, to be called 'The Stylus,' -but it would be useless to me, even when established, if not entirely -out of the control of a publisher. I mean, therefore, to get up a -journal which shall be _my own_ at all points. With this end in view, -I must get a list of at least five hundred subscribers to begin with; -nearly two hundred I have already. I propose, however, to go South -and West, among my personal and literary friends--old college and -West Point acquaintances -and see what I can do. In order to get the -means of taking the first step, I propose to lecture at the Society -Library, on Thursday, the 3d of February, and, that there may be no -cause of _squabbling_, my subject shall _not be literary _at all. I -have chosen a broad text: 'The Universe.' - -"Having thus given you _the facts_ of the case, I leave all the rest -to the suggestions of your own tact and generosity. Gratefully, _most -gratefully,_ - - _"Your friend always, - - "EDGAR A. POE._" - - -Brief and chance-taken as these letters are, we think they -sufficiently prove the existence of the very qualities denied to Mr. -Poe-humility, willingness to persevere, belief in another's -friendship, and capability of cordial and grateful friendship! Such -he assuredly was when sane. Such only he has invariably seemed to us, -in all we have happened personally to know of him, through a -friendship of five or six years. And so much easier is it to believe -what we have seen and known, than what we hear of only, that we -remember him but with admiration and respect; these descriptions of -him, when morally insane, seeming to us like portraits, painted in -sickness, of a man we have only known in health. - -But there is another, more touching, and far more forcible evidence -that there was _goodness _in Edgar A. Poe. To reveal it we are -obliged to venture upon the lifting of the veil which sacredly covers -grief and refinement in poverty; but we think it may be excused, if -so we can brighten the memory of the poet, even were there not a more -needed and immediate service which it may render to the nearest link -broken by his death. - -Our first knowledge of Mr. Poe's removal to this city was by a call -which we received from a lady who introduced herself to us as the -mother of his wife. She was in search of employment for him, and she -excused her errand by mentioning that he was ill, that her daughter -was a confirmed invalid, and that their circumstances were such as -compelled her taking it upon herself. The countenance of this lady, -made beautiful and saintly with an evidently complete giving up of -her life to privation and sorrowful tenderness, her gentle and -mournful voice urging its plea, her long-forgotten but habitually and -unconsciously refined manners, and her appealing and yet appreciative -mention of the claims and abilities of her son, disclosed at once the -presence of one of those angels upon earth that women in adversity -can be. It was a hard fate that she was watching over. Mr. Poe wrote -with fastidious difficulty, and in a style too much above the popular -level to be well paid. He was always in pecuniary difficulty, and, -with his sick wife, frequently in want of the merest necessaries of -life. Winter after winter, for years, the most touching sight to us, -in this whole city, has been that tireless minister to genius, thinly -and insufficiently clad, going from office to office with a poem, or -an article on some literary subject, to sell, sometimes simply -pleading in a broken voice that he was ill, and begging for him, -mentioning nothing but that "he was ill," whatever might be the -reason for his writing nothing, and never, amid all her tears and -recitals of distress, suffering one syllable to escape her lips that -could convey a doubt of him, or a complaint, or a lessening of pride -in his genius and good intentions. Her daughter died a year and a -half since, but she did not desert him. She continued his ministering -angel--living with him, caring for him, guarding him against -exposure, and when he was carried away by temptation, amid grief and -the loneliness of feelings unreplied to, and awoke from his self -abandonment prostrated in destitution and suffering, _begging _for -him still. If woman's devotion, born with a first love, and fed with -human passion, hallow its object, as it is allowed to do, what does -not a devotion like this-pure, disinterested and holy as the watch of -an invisible spirit-say for him who inspired it? - -We have a letter before us, written by this lady, Mrs. Clemm, on the -morning in which she heard of the death of this object of her -untiring care. It is merely a request that we would call upon her, -but we will copy a few of its words--sacred as its privacy is--to -warrant the truth of the picture we have drawn above, and add force -to the appeal we wish to make for her: - -"I have this morning heard of the death of my darling Eddie. . . . -Can you give me any circumstances or particulars? . . . Oh! do not -desert your poor friend in his bitter affliction! . . . Ask -Mr. -- -to come, as I must deliver a message to him from my poor Eddie. . . . -I need not ask you to notice his death and to speak well of him. I -know you will. But say what an affectionate son he was to me, his -poor desolate mother. . ." - -To hedge round a grave with respect, what choice is there, between -the relinquished wealth and honors of the world, and the story of -such a woman's unrewarded devotion! Risking what we do, in delicacy, -by making it public, we feel--other reasons aside--that it betters -the world to make known that there are such ministrations to its -erring and gifted. What we have said will speak to some hearts. There -are those who will be glad to know how the lamp, whose light of -poetry has beamed on their far-away recognition, was watched over -with care and pain, that they may send to her, who is more darkened -than they by its extinction, some token of their sympathy. She is -destitute and alone. If any, far or near, will send to us what may -aid and cheer her through the remainder of her life, we will joyfully -place it in her bands. - -~~~~~ End of Text ~~~~~~ - -========== - - - The Unparalleled Adventures of - - One Hans Pfaal {*1} - -BY late accounts from Rotterdam, that city seems to be in a high -state of philosophical excitement. Indeed, phenomena have there -occurred of a nature so completely unexpected -- so entirely novel -- -so utterly at variance with preconceived opinions -- as to leave no -doubt on my mind that long ere this all Europe is in an uproar, all -physics in a ferment, all reason and astronomy together by the ears. - -It appears that on the -- -- day of -- -- (I am not positive about -the date), a vast crowd of people, for purposes not specifically -mentioned, were assembled in the great square of the Exchange in the -well-conditioned city of Rotterdam. The day was warm -- unusually so -for the season -- there was hardly a breath of air stirring; and the -multitude were in no bad humor at being now and then besprinkled with -friendly showers of momentary duration, that fell from large white -masses of cloud which chequered in a fitful manner the blue vault of -the firmament. Nevertheless, about noon, a slight but remarkable -agitation became apparent in the assembly: the clattering of ten -thousand tongues succeeded; and, in an instant afterward, ten -thousand faces were upturned toward the heavens, ten thousand pipes -descended simultaneously from the corners of ten thousand mouths, and -a shout, which could be compared to nothing but the roaring of -Niagara, resounded long, loudly, and furiously, through all the -environs of Rotterdam. - -The origin of this hubbub soon became sufficiently evident. From -behind the huge bulk of one of those sharply-defined masses of cloud -already mentioned, was seen slowly to emerge into an open area of -blue space, a queer, heterogeneous, but apparently solid substance, -so oddly shaped, so whimsically put together, as not to be in any -manner comprehended, and never to be sufficiently admired, by the -host of sturdy burghers who stood open-mouthed below. What could it -be? In the name of all the vrows and devils in Rotterdam, what could -it possibly portend? No one knew, no one could imagine; no one -- not -even the burgomaster Mynheer Superbus Von Underduk -- had the -slightest clew by which to unravel the mystery; so, as nothing more -reasonable could be done, every one to a man replaced his pipe -carefully in the corner of his mouth, and cocking up his right eye -towards the phenomenon, puffed, paused, waddled about, and grunted -significantly -- then waddled back, grunted, paused, and finally -- -puffed again. - -In the meantime, however, lower and still lower toward the goodly -city, came the object of so much curiosity, and the cause of so much -smoke. In a very few minutes it arrived near enough to be accurately -discerned. It appeared to be -- yes! it was undoubtedly a species of -balloon; but surely no such balloon had ever been seen in Rotterdam -before. For who, let me ask, ever heard of a balloon manufactured -entirely of dirty newspapers? No man in Holland certainly; yet here, -under the very noses of the people, or rather at some distance above -their noses was the identical thing in question, and composed, I have -it on the best authority, of the precise material which no one had -ever before known to be used for a similar purpose. It was an -egregious insult to the good sense of the burghers of Rotterdam. As -to the shape of the phenomenon, it was even still more reprehensible. -Being little or nothing better than a huge foolscap turned upside -down. And this similitude was regarded as by no means lessened when, -upon nearer inspection, there was perceived a large tassel depending -from its apex, and, around the upper rim or base of the cone, a -circle of little instruments, resembling sheep-bells, which kept up a -continual tinkling to the tune of Betty Martin. But still worse. -Suspended by blue ribbons to the end of this fantastic machine, there -hung, by way of car, an enormous drab beaver hat, with a brim -superlatively broad, and a hemispherical crown with a black band and -a silver buckle. It is, however, somewhat remarkable that many -citizens of Rotterdam swore to having seen the same hat repeatedly -before; and indeed the whole assembly seemed to regard it with eyes -of familiarity; while the vrow Grettel Pfaall, upon sight of it, -uttered an exclamation of joyful surprise, and declared it to be the -identical hat of her good man himself. Now this was a circumstance -the more to be observed, as Pfaall, with three companions, had -actually disappeared from Rotterdam about five years before, in a -very sudden and unaccountable manner, and up to the date of this -narrative all attempts had failed of obtaining any intelligence -concerning them whatsoever. To be sure, some bones which were thought -to be human, mixed up with a quantity of odd-looking rubbish, had -been lately discovered in a retired situation to the east of -Rotterdam, and some people went so far as to imagine that in this -spot a foul murder had been committed, and that the sufferers were in -all probability Hans Pfaall and his associates. But to return. - -The balloon (for such no doubt it was) had now descended to within a -hundred feet of the earth, allowing the crowd below a sufficiently -distinct view of the person of its occupant. This was in truth a very -droll little somebody. He could not have been more than two feet in -height; but this altitude, little as it was, would have been -sufficient to destroy his equilibrium, and tilt him over the edge of -his tiny car, but for the intervention of a circular rim reaching as -high as the breast, and rigged on to the cords of the balloon. The -body of the little man was more than proportionately broad, giving to -his entire figure a rotundity highly absurd. His feet, of course, -could not be seen at all, although a horny substance of suspicious -nature was occasionally protruded through a rent in the bottom of the -car, or to speak more properly, in the top of the hat. His hands were -enormously large. His hair was extremely gray, and collected in a cue -behind. His nose was prodigiously long, crooked, and inflammatory; -his eyes full, brilliant, and acute; his chin and cheeks, although -wrinkled with age, were broad, puffy, and double; but of ears of any -kind or character there was not a semblance to be discovered upon any -portion of his head. This odd little gentleman was dressed in a loose -surtout of sky-blue satin, with tight breeches to match, fastened -with silver buckles at the knees. His vest was of some bright yellow -material; a white taffety cap was set jauntily on one side of his -head; and, to complete his equipment, a blood-red silk handkerchief -enveloped his throat, and fell down, in a dainty manner, upon his -bosom, in a fantastic bow-knot of super-eminent dimensions. - -Having descended, as I said before, to about one hundred feet from -the surface of the earth, the little old gentleman was suddenly -seized with a fit of trepidation, and appeared disinclined to make -any nearer approach to terra firma. Throwing out, therefore, a -quantity of sand from a canvas bag, which, he lifted with great -difficulty, he became stationary in an instant. He then proceeded, in -a hurried and agitated manner, to extract from a side-pocket in his -surtout a large morocco pocket-book. This he poised suspiciously in -his hand, then eyed it with an air of extreme surprise, and was -evidently astonished at its weight. He at length opened it, and -drawing there from a huge letter sealed with red sealing-wax and tied -carefully with red tape, let it fall precisely at the feet of the -burgomaster, Superbus Von Underduk. His Excellency stooped to take it -up. But the aeronaut, still greatly discomposed, and having -apparently no farther business to detain him in Rotterdam, began at -this moment to make busy preparations for departure; and it being -necessary to discharge a portion of ballast to enable him to -reascend, the half dozen bags which he threw out, one after another, -without taking the trouble to empty their contents, tumbled, every -one of them, most unfortunately upon the back of the burgomaster, and -rolled him over and over no less than one-and-twenty times, in the -face of every man in Rotterdam. It is not to be supposed, however, -that the great Underduk suffered this impertinence on the part of the -little old man to pass off with impunity. It is said, on the -contrary, that during each and every one of his one-and twenty -circumvolutions he emitted no less than one-and-twenty distinct and -furious whiffs from his pipe, to which he held fast the whole time -with all his might, and to which he intends holding fast until the -day of his death. - -In the meantime the balloon arose like a lark, and, soaring far away -above the city, at length drifted quietly behind a cloud similar to -that from which it had so oddly emerged, and was thus lost forever to -the wondering eyes of the good citizens of Rotterdam. All attention -was now directed to the letter, the descent of which, and the -consequences attending thereupon, had proved so fatally subversive of -both person and personal dignity to his Excellency, the illustrious -Burgomaster Mynheer Superbus Von Underduk. That functionary, however, -had not failed, during his circumgyratory movements, to bestow a -thought upon the important subject of securing the packet in -question, which was seen, upon inspection, to have fallen into the -most proper hands, being actually addressed to himself and Professor -Rub-a-dub, in their official capacities of President and -Vice-President of the Rotterdam College of Astronomy. It was -accordingly opened by those dignitaries upon the spot, and found to -contain the following extraordinary, and indeed very serious, -communications. - -To their Excellencies Von Underduk and Rub-a-dub, President and -Vice-President of the States' College of Astronomers, in the city of -Rotterdam. - -"Your Excellencies may perhaps be able to remember an humble artizan, -by name Hans Pfaall, and by occupation a mender of bellows, who, with -three others, disappeared from Rotterdam, about five years ago, in a -manner which must have been considered by all parties at once sudden, -and extremely unaccountable. If, however, it so please your -Excellencies, I, the writer of this communication, am the identical -Hans Pfaall himself. It is well known to most of my fellow citizens, -that for the period of forty years I continued to occupy the little -square brick building, at the head of the alley called Sauerkraut, in -which I resided at the time of my disappearance. My ancestors have -also resided therein time out of mind -- they, as well as myself, -steadily following the respectable and indeed lucrative profession of -mending of bellows. For, to speak the truth, until of late years, -that the heads of all the people have been set agog with politics, no -better business than my own could an honest citizen of Rotterdam -either desire or deserve. Credit was good, employment was never -wanting, and on all hands there was no lack of either money or -good-will. But, as I was saying, we soon began to feel the effects of -liberty and long speeches, and radicalism, and all that sort of -thing. People who were formerly, the very best customers in the -world, had now not a moment of time to think of us at all. They had, -so they said, as much as they could do to read about the revolutions, -and keep up with the march of intellect and the spirit of the age. If -a fire wanted fanning, it could readily be fanned with a newspaper, -and as the government grew weaker, I have no doubt that leather and -iron acquired durability in proportion, for, in a very short time, -there was not a pair of bellows in all Rotterdam that ever stood in -need of a stitch or required the assistance of a hammer. This was a -state of things not to be endured. I soon grew as poor as a rat, and, -having a wife and children to provide for, my burdens at length -became intolerable, and I spent hour after hour in reflecting upon -the most convenient method of putting an end to my life. Duns, in the -meantime, left me little leisure for contemplation. My house was -literally besieged from morning till night, so that I began to rave, -and foam, and fret like a caged tiger against the bars of his -enclosure. There were three fellows in particular who worried me -beyond endurance, keeping watch continually about my door, and -threatening me with the law. Upon these three I internally vowed the -bitterest revenge, if ever I should be so happy as to get them within -my clutches; and I believe nothing in the world but the pleasure of -this anticipation prevented me from putting my plan of suicide into -immediate execution, by blowing my brains out with a blunderbuss. I -thought it best, however, to dissemble my wrath, and to treat them -with promises and fair words, until, by some good turn of fate, an -opportunity of vengeance should be afforded me. - -"One day, having given my creditors the slip, and feeling more than -usually dejected, I continued for a long time to wander about the -most obscure streets without object whatever, until at length I -chanced to stumble against the corner of a bookseller's stall. Seeing -a chair close at hand, for the use of customers, I threw myself -doggedly into it, and, hardly knowing why, opened the pages of the -first volume which came within my reach. It proved to be a small -pamphlet treatise on Speculative Astronomy, written either by -Professor Encke of Berlin or by a Frenchman of somewhat similar name. -I had some little tincture of information on matters of this nature, -and soon became more and more absorbed in the contents of the book, -reading it actually through twice before I awoke to a recollection of -what was passing around me. By this time it began to grow dark, and I -directed my steps toward home. But the treatise had made an indelible -impression on my mind, and, as I sauntered along the dusky streets, I -revolved carefully over in my memory the wild and sometimes -unintelligible reasonings of the writer. There are some particular -passages which affected my imagination in a powerful and -extraordinary manner. The longer I meditated upon these the more -intense grew the interest which had been excited within me. The -limited nature of my education in general, and more especially my -ignorance on subjects connected with natural philosophy, so far from -rendering me diffident of my own ability to comprehend what I had -read, or inducing me to mistrust the many vague notions which had -arisen in consequence, merely served as a farther stimulus to -imagination; and I was vain enough, or perhaps reasonable enough, to -doubt whether those crude ideas which, arising in ill-regulated -minds, have all the appearance, may not often in effect possess all -the force, the reality, and other inherent properties, of instinct or -intuition; whether, to proceed a step farther, profundity itself -might not, in matters of a purely speculative nature, be detected as -a legitimate source of falsity and error. In other words, I believed, -and still do believe, that truth, is frequently of its own essence, -superficial, and that, in many cases, the depth lies more in the -abysses where we seek her, than in the actual situations wherein she -may be found. Nature herself seemed to afford me corroboration of -these ideas. In the contemplation of the heavenly bodies it struck me -forcibly that I could not distinguish a star with nearly as much -precision, when I gazed on it with earnest, direct and undeviating -attention, as when I suffered my eye only to glance in its vicinity -alone. I was not, of course, at that time aware that this apparent -paradox was occasioned by the center of the visual area being less -susceptible of feeble impressions of light than the exterior portions -of the retina. This knowledge, and some of another kind, came -afterwards in the course of an eventful five years, during which I -have dropped the prejudices of my former humble situation in life, -and forgotten the bellows-mender in far different occupations. But at -the epoch of which I speak, the analogy which a casual observation of -a star offered to the conclusions I had already drawn, struck me with -the force of positive conformation, and I then finally made up my -mind to the course which I afterwards pursued. - -"It was late when I reached home, and I went immediately to bed. My -mind, however, was too much occupied to sleep, and I lay the whole -night buried in meditation. Arising early in the morning, and -contriving again to escape the vigilance of my creditors, I repaired -eagerly to the bookseller's stall, and laid out what little ready -money I possessed, in the purchase of some volumes of Mechanics and -Practical Astronomy. Having arrived at home safely with these, I -devoted every spare moment to their perusal, and soon made such -proficiency in studies of this nature as I thought sufficient for the -execution of my plan. In the intervals of this period, I made every -endeavor to conciliate the three creditors who had given me so much -annoyance. In this I finally succeeded -- partly by selling enough of -my household furniture to satisfy a moiety of their claim, and partly -by a promise of paying the balance upon completion of a little -project which I told them I had in view, and for assistance in which -I solicited their services. By these means -- for they were ignorant -men -- I found little difficulty in gaining them over to my purpose. - -"Matters being thus arranged, I contrived, by the aid of my wife and -with the greatest secrecy and caution, to dispose of what property I -had remaining, and to borrow, in small sums, under various pretences, -and without paying any attention to my future means of repayment, no -inconsiderable quantity of ready money. With the means thus accruing -I proceeded to procure at intervals, cambric muslin, very fine, in -pieces of twelve yards each; twine; a lot of the varnish of -caoutchouc; a large and deep basket of wicker-work, made to order; -and several other articles necessary in the construction and -equipment of a balloon of extraordinary dimensions. This I directed -my wife to make up as soon as possible, and gave her all requisite -information as to the particular method of proceeding. In the -meantime I worked up the twine into a net-work of sufficient -dimensions; rigged it with a hoop and the necessary cords; bought a -quadrant, a compass, a spy-glass, a common barometer with some -important modifications, and two astronomical instruments not so -generally known. I then took opportunities of conveying by night, to -a retired situation east of Rotterdam, five iron-bound casks, to -contain about fifty gallons each, and one of a larger size; six -tinned ware tubes, three inches in diameter, properly shaped, and ten -feet in length; a quantity of a particular metallic substance, or -semi-metal, which I shall not name, and a dozen demijohns of a very -common acid. The gas to be formed from these latter materials is a -gas never yet generated by any other person than myself -- or at -least never applied to any similar purpose. The secret I would make -no difficulty in disclosing, but that it of right belongs to a -citizen of Nantz, in France, by whom it was conditionally -communicated to myself. The same individual submitted to me, without -being at all aware of my intentions, a method of constructing -balloons from the membrane of a certain animal, through which -substance any escape of gas was nearly an impossibility. I found it, -however, altogether too expensive, and was not sure, upon the whole, -whether cambric muslin with a coating of gum caoutchouc, was not -equally as good. I mention this circumstance, because I think it -probable that hereafter the individual in question may attempt a -balloon ascension with the novel gas and material I have spoken of, -and I do not wish to deprive him of the honor of a very singular -invention. - -"On the spot which I intended each of the smaller casks to occupy -respectively during the inflation of the balloon, I privately dug a -hole two feet deep; the holes forming in this manner a circle -twenty-five feet in diameter. In the centre of this circle, being the -station designed for the large cask, I also dug a hole three feet in -depth. In each of the five smaller holes, I deposited a canister -containing fifty pounds, and in the larger one a keg holding one -hundred and fifty pounds, of cannon powder. These -- the keg and -canisters -- I connected in a proper manner with covered trains; and -having let into one of the canisters the end of about four feet of -slow match, I covered up the hole, and placed the cask over it, -leaving the other end of the match protruding about an inch, and -barely visible beyond the cask. I then filled up the remaining holes, -and placed the barrels over them in their destined situation. - -"Besides the articles above enumerated, I conveyed to the depot, and -there secreted, one of M. Grimm's improvements upon the apparatus for -condensation of the atmospheric air. I found this machine, however, -to require considerable alteration before it could be adapted to the -purposes to which I intended making it applicable. But, with severe -labor and unremitting perseverance, I at length met with entire -success in all my preparations. My balloon was soon completed. It -would contain more than forty thousand cubic feet of gas; would take -me up easily, I calculated, with all my implements, and, if I managed -rightly, with one hundred and seventy-five pounds of ballast into the -bargain. It had received three coats of varnish, and I found the -cambric muslin to answer all the purposes of silk itself, quite as -strong and a good deal less expensive. - -"Everything being now ready, I exacted from my wife an oath of -secrecy in relation to all my actions from the day of my first visit -to the bookseller's stall; and promising, on my part, to return as -soon as circumstances would permit, I gave her what little money I -had left, and bade her farewell. Indeed I had no fear on her account. -She was what people call a notable woman, and could manage matters in -the world without my assistance. I believe, to tell the truth, she -always looked upon me as an idle boy, a mere make-weight, good for -nothing but building castles in the air, and was rather glad to get -rid of me. It was a dark night when I bade her good-bye, and taking -with me, as aides-de-camp, the three creditors who had given me so -much trouble, we carried the balloon, with the car and accoutrements, -by a roundabout way, to the station where the other articles were -deposited. We there found them all unmolested, and I proceeded -immediately to business. - -"It was the first of April. The night, as I said before, was dark; -there was not a star to be seen; and a drizzling rain, falling at -intervals, rendered us very uncomfortable. But my chief anxiety was -concerning the balloon, which, in spite of the varnish with which it -was defended, began to grow rather heavy with the moisture; the -powder also was liable to damage. I therefore kept my three duns -working with great diligence, pounding down ice around the central -cask, and stirring the acid in the others. They did not cease, -however, importuning me with questions as to what I intended to do -with all this apparatus, and expressed much dissatisfaction at the -terrible labor I made them undergo. They could not perceive, so they -said, what good was likely to result from their getting wet to the -skin, merely to take a part in such horrible incantations. I began to -get uneasy, and worked away with all my might, for I verily believe -the idiots supposed that I had entered into a compact with the devil, -and that, in short, what I was now doing was nothing better than it -should be. I was, therefore, in great fear of their leaving me -altogether. I contrived, however, to pacify them by promises of -payment of all scores in full, as soon as I could bring the present -business to a termination. To these speeches they gave, of course, -their own interpretation; fancying, no doubt, that at all events I -should come into possession of vast quantities of ready money; and -provided I paid them all I owed, and a trifle more, in consideration -of their services, I dare say they cared very little what became of -either my soul or my carcass. - -"In about four hours and a half I found the balloon sufficiently -inflated. I attached the car, therefore, and put all my implements in -it -- not forgetting the condensing apparatus, a copious supply of -water, and a large quantity of provisions, such as pemmican, in which -much nutriment is contained in comparatively little bulk. I also -secured in the car a pair of pigeons and a cat. It was now nearly -daybreak, and I thought it high time to take my departure. Dropping a -lighted cigar on the ground, as if by accident, I took the -opportunity, in stooping to pick it up, of igniting privately the -piece of slow match, whose end, as I said before, protruded a very -little beyond the lower rim of one of the smaller casks. This -manoeuvre was totally unperceived on the part of the three duns; and, -jumping into the car, I immediately cut the single cord which held me -to the earth, and was pleased to find that I shot upward, carrying -with all ease one hundred and seventy-five pounds of leaden ballast, -and able to have carried up as many more. - -"Scarcely, however, had I attained the height of fifty yards, when, -roaring and rumbling up after me in the most horrible and tumultuous -manner, came so dense a hurricane of fire, and smoke, and sulphur, -and legs and arms, and gravel, and burning wood, and blazing metal, -that my very heart sunk within me, and I fell down in the bottom of -the car, trembling with unmitigated terror. Indeed, I now perceived -that I had entirely overdone the business, and that the main -consequences of the shock were yet to be experienced. Accordingly, in -less than a second, I felt all the blood in my body rushing to my -temples, and immediately thereupon, a concussion, which I shall never -forget, burst abruptly through the night and seemed to rip the very -firmament asunder. When I afterward had time for reflection, I did -not fail to attribute the extreme violence of the explosion, as -regarded myself, to its proper cause -- my situation directly above -it, and in the line of its greatest power. But at the time, I thought -only of preserving my life. The balloon at first collapsed, then -furiously expanded, then whirled round and round with horrible -velocity, and finally, reeling and staggering like a drunken man, -hurled me with great force over the rim of the car, and left me -dangling, at a terrific height, with my head downward, and my face -outwards, by a piece of slender cord about three feet in length, -which hung accidentally through a crevice near the bottom of the -wicker-work, and in which, as I fell, my left foot became most -providentially entangled. It is impossible -- utterly impossible -- -to form any adequate idea of the horror of my situation. I gasped -convulsively for breath -- a shudder resembling a fit of the ague -agitated every nerve and muscle of my frame -- I felt my eyes -starting from their sockets -- a horrible nausea overwhelmed me -- -and at length I fainted away. - -"How long I remained in this state it is impossible to say. It must, -however, have been no inconsiderable time, for when I partially -recovered the sense of existence, I found the day breaking, the -balloon at a prodigious height over a wilderness of ocean, and not a -trace of land to be discovered far and wide within the limits of the -vast horizon. My sensations, however, upon thus recovering, were by -no means so rife with agony as might have been anticipated. Indeed, -there was much of incipient madness in the calm survey which I began -to take of my situation. I drew up to my eyes each of my hands, one -after the other, and wondered what occurrence could have given rise -to the swelling of the veins, and the horrible blackness of the -fingernails. I afterward carefully examined my head, shaking it -repeatedly, and feeling it with minute attention, until I succeeded -in satisfying myself that it was not, as I had more than half -suspected, larger than my balloon. Then, in a knowing manner, I felt -in both my breeches pockets, and, missing therefrom a set of tablets -and a toothpick case, endeavored to account for their disappearance, -and not being able to do so, felt inexpressibly chagrined. It now -occurred to me that I suffered great uneasiness in the joint of my -left ankle, and a dim consciousness of my situation began to glimmer -through my mind. But, strange to say! I was neither astonished nor -horror-stricken. If I felt any emotion at all, it was a kind of -chuckling satisfaction at the cleverness I was about to display in -extricating myself from this dilemma; and I never, for a moment, -looked upon my ultimate safety as a question susceptible of doubt. -For a few minutes I remained wrapped in the profoundest meditation. I -have a distinct recollection of frequently compressing my lips, -putting my forefinger to the side of my nose, and making use of other -gesticulations and grimaces common to men who, at ease in their -arm-chairs, meditate upon matters of intricacy or importance. Having, -as I thought, sufficiently collected my ideas, I now, with great -caution and deliberation, put my hands behind my back, and unfastened -the large iron buckle which belonged to the waistband of my -inexpressibles. This buckle had three teeth, which, being somewhat -rusty, turned with great difficulty on their axis. I brought them, -however, after some trouble, at right angles to the body of the -buckle, and was glad to find them remain firm in that position. -Holding the instrument thus obtained within my teeth, I now proceeded -to untie the knot of my cravat. I had to rest several times before I -could accomplish this manoeuvre, but it was at length accomplished. -To one end of the cravat I then made fast the buckle, and the other -end I tied, for greater security, tightly around my wrist. Drawing -now my body upwards, with a prodigious exertion of muscular force, I -succeeded, at the very first trial, in throwing the buckle over the -car, and entangling it, as I had anticipated, in the circular rim of -the wicker-work. - -"My body was now inclined towards the side of the car, at an angle of -about forty-five degrees; but it must not be understood that I was -therefore only forty-five degrees below the perpendicular. So far -from it, I still lay nearly level with the plane of the horizon; for -the change of situation which I had acquired, had forced the bottom -of the car considerably outwards from my position, which was -accordingly one of the most imminent and deadly peril. It should be -remembered, however, that when I fell in the first instance, from the -car, if I had fallen with my face turned toward the balloon, instead -of turned outwardly from it, as it actually was; or if, in the second -place, the cord by which I was suspended had chanced to hang over the -upper edge, instead of through a crevice near the bottom of the car, --- I say it may be readily conceived that, in either of these -supposed cases, I should have been unable to accomplish even as much -as I had now accomplished, and the wonderful adventures of Hans -Pfaall would have been utterly lost to posterity, I had therefore -every reason to be grateful; although, in point of fact, I was still -too stupid to be anything at all, and hung for, perhaps, a quarter of -an hour in that extraordinary manner, without making the slightest -farther exertion whatsoever, and in a singularly tranquil state of -idiotic enjoyment. But this feeling did not fail to die rapidly away, -and thereunto succeeded horror, and dismay, and a chilling sense of -utter helplessness and ruin. In fact, the blood so long accumulating -in the vessels of my head and throat, and which had hitherto buoyed -up my spirits with madness and delirium, had now begun to retire -within their proper channels, and the distinctness which was thus -added to my perception of the danger, merely served to deprive me of -the self-possession and courage to encounter it. But this weakness -was, luckily for me, of no very long duration. In good time came to -my rescue the spirit of despair, and, with frantic cries and -struggles, I jerked my way bodily upwards, till at length, clutching -with a vise-like grip the long-desired rim, I writhed my person over -it, and fell headlong and shuddering within the car. - -"It was not until some time afterward that I recovered myself -sufficiently to attend to the ordinary cares of the balloon. I then, -however, examined it with attention, and found it, to my great -relief, uninjured. My implements were all safe, and, fortunately, I -had lost neither ballast nor provisions. Indeed, I had so well -secured them in their places, that such an accident was entirely out -of the question. Looking at my watch, I found it six o'clock. I was -still rapidly ascending, and my barometer gave a present altitude of -three and three-quarter miles. Immediately beneath me in the ocean, -lay a small black object, slightly oblong in shape, seemingly about -the size, and in every way bearing a great resemblance to one of -those childish toys called a domino. Bringing my telescope to bear -upon it, I plainly discerned it to be a British ninety four-gun ship, -close-hauled, and pitching heavily in the sea with her head to the -W.S.W. Besides this ship, I saw nothing but the ocean and the sky, -and the sun, which had long arisen. - -"It is now high time that I should explain to your Excellencies the -object of my perilous voyage. Your Excellencies will bear in mind -that distressed circumstances in Rotterdam had at length driven me to -the resolution of committing suicide. It was not, however, that to -life itself I had any, positive disgust, but that I was harassed -beyond endurance by the adventitious miseries attending my situation. -In this state of mind, wishing to live, yet wearied with life, the -treatise at the stall of the bookseller opened a resource to my -imagination. I then finally made up my mind. I determined to depart, -yet live -- to leave the world, yet continue to exist -- in short, to -drop enigmas, I resolved, let what would ensue, to force a passage, -if I could, to the moon. Now, lest I should be supposed more of a -madman than I actually am, I will detail, as well as I am able, the -considerations which led me to believe that an achievement of this -nature, although without doubt difficult, and incontestably full of -danger, was not absolutely, to a bold spirit, beyond the confines of -the possible. - -"The moon's actual distance from the earth was the first thing to be -attended to. Now, the mean or average interval between the centres of -the two planets is 59.9643 of the earth's equatorial radii, or only -about 237,000 miles. I say the mean or average interval. But it must -be borne in mind that the form of the moon's orbit being an ellipse -of eccentricity amounting to no less than 0.05484 of the major -semi-axis of the ellipse itself, and the earth's centre being -situated in its focus, if I could, in any manner, contrive to meet -the moon, as it were, in its perigee, the above mentioned distance -would be materially diminished. But, to say nothing at present of -this possibility, it was very certain that, at all events, from the -237,000 miles I would have to deduct the radius of the earth, say -4,000, and the radius of the moon, say 1080, in all 5,080, leaving an -actual interval to be traversed, under average circumstances, of -231,920 miles. Now this, I reflected, was no very extraordinary -distance. Travelling on land has been repeatedly accomplished at the -rate of thirty miles per hour, and indeed a much greater speed may be -anticipated. But even at this velocity, it would take me no more than -322 days to reach the surface of the moon. There were, however, many -particulars inducing me to believe that my average rate of travelling -might possibly very much exceed that of thirty miles per hour, and, -as these considerations did not fail to make a deep impression upon -my mind, I will mention them more fully hereafter. - -"The next point to be regarded was a matter of far greater -importance. From indications afforded by the barometer, we find that, -in ascensions from the surface of the earth we have, at the height of -1,000 feet, left below us about one-thirtieth of the entire mass of -atmospheric air, that at 10,600 we have ascended through nearly -one-third; and that at 18,000, which is not far from the elevation of -Cotopaxi, we have surmounted one-half the material, or, at all -events, one-half the ponderable, body of air incumbent upon our -globe. It is also calculated that at an altitude not exceeding the -hundredth part of the earth's diameter -- that is, not exceeding -eighty miles -- the rarefaction would be so excessive that animal -life could in no manner be sustained, and, moreover, that the most -delicate means we possess of ascertaining the presence of the -atmosphere would be inadequate to assure us of its existence. But I -did not fail to perceive that these latter calculations are founded -altogether on our experimental knowledge of the properties of air, -and the mechanical laws regulating its dilation and compression, in -what may be called, comparatively speaking, the immediate vicinity of -the earth itself; and, at the same time, it is taken for granted that -animal life is and must be essentially incapable of modification at -any given unattainable distance from the surface. Now, all such -reasoning and from such data must, of course, be simply analogical. -The greatest height ever reached by man was that of 25,000 feet, -attained in the aeronautic expedition of Messieurs Gay-Lussac and -Biot. This is a moderate altitude, even when compared with the eighty -miles in question; and I could not help thinking that the subject -admitted room for doubt and great latitude for speculation. - -"But, in point of fact, an ascension being made to any given -altitude, the ponderable quantity of air surmounted in any farther -ascension is by no means in proportion to the additional height -ascended (as may be plainly seen from what has been stated before), -but in a ratio constantly decreasing. It is therefore evident that, -ascend as high as we may, we cannot, literally speaking, arrive at a -limit beyond which no atmosphere is to be found. It must exist, I -argued; although it may exist in a state of infinite rarefaction. - -"On the other hand, I was aware that arguments have not been wanting -to prove the existence of a real and definite limit to the -atmosphere, beyond which there is absolutely no air whatsoever. But a -circumstance which has been left out of view by those who contend for -such a limit seemed to me, although no positive refutation of their -creed, still a point worthy very serious investigation. On comparing -the intervals between the successive arrivals of Encke's comet at its -perihelion, after giving credit, in the most exact manner, for all -the disturbances due to the attractions of the planets, it appears -that the periods are gradually diminishing; that is to say, the major -axis of the comet's ellipse is growing shorter, in a slow but -perfectly regular decrease. Now, this is precisely what ought to be -the case, if we suppose a resistance experienced from the comet from -an extremely rare ethereal medium pervading the regions of its orbit. -For it is evident that such a medium must, in retarding the comet's -velocity, increase its centripetal, by weakening its centrifugal -force. In other words, the sun's attraction would be constantly -attaining greater power, and the comet would be drawn nearer at every -revolution. Indeed, there is no other way of accounting for the -variation in question. But again. The real diameter of the same -comet's nebulosity is observed to contract rapidly as it approaches -the sun, and dilate with equal rapidity in its departure towards its -aphelion. Was I not justifiable in supposing with M. Valz, that this -apparent condensation of volume has its origin in the compression of -the same ethereal medium I have spoken of before, and which is only -denser in proportion to its solar vicinity? The lenticular-shaped -phenomenon, also called the zodiacal light, was a matter worthy of -attention. This radiance, so apparent in the tropics, and which -cannot be mistaken for any meteoric lustre, extends from the horizon -obliquely upward, and follows generally the direction of the sun's -equator. It appeared to me evidently in the nature of a rare -atmosphere extending from the sun outward, beyond the orbit of Venus -at least, and I believed indefinitely farther.{*2} Indeed, this -medium I could not suppose confined to the path of the comet's -ellipse, or to the immediate neighborhood of the sun. It was easy, on -the contrary, to imagine it pervading the entire regions of our -planetary system, condensed into what we call atmosphere at the -planets themselves, and perhaps at some of them modified by -considerations, so to speak, purely geological. - -Having adopted this view of the subject, I had little further -hesitation. Granting that on my passage I should meet with atmosphere -essentially the same as at the surface of the earth, I conceived -that, by means of the very ingenious apparatus of M. Grimm, I should -readily be enabled to condense it in sufficient quantity for the -purposes of respiration. This would remove the chief obstacle in a -journey to the moon. I had indeed spent some money and great labor in -adapting the apparatus to the object intended, and confidently looked -forward to its successful application, if I could manage to complete -the voyage within any reasonable period. This brings me back to the -rate at which it might be possible to travel. - -"It is true that balloons, in the first stage of their ascensions -from the earth, are known to rise with a velocity comparatively -moderate. Now, the power of elevation lies altogether in the superior -lightness of the gas in the balloon compared with the atmospheric -air; and, at first sight, it does not appear probable that, as the -balloon acquires altitude, and consequently arrives successively in -atmospheric strata of densities rapidly diminishing -- I say, it does -not appear at all reasonable that, in this its progress upwards, the -original velocity should be accelerated. On the other hand, I was not -aware that, in any recorded ascension, a diminution was apparent in -the absolute rate of ascent; although such should have been the case, -if on account of nothing else, on account of the escape of gas -through balloons ill-constructed, and varnished with no better -material than the ordinary varnish. It seemed, therefore, that the -effect of such escape was only sufficient to counterbalance the -effect of some accelerating power. I now considered that, provided in -my passage I found the medium I had imagined, and provided that it -should prove to be actually and essentially what we denominate -atmospheric air, it could make comparatively little difference at -what extreme state of rarefaction I should discover it -- that is to -say, in regard to my power of ascending -- for the gas in the balloon -would not only be itself subject to rarefaction partially similar (in -proportion to the occurrence of which, I could suffer an escape of so -much as would be requisite to prevent explosion), but, being what it -was, would, at all events, continue specifically lighter than any -compound whatever of mere nitrogen and oxygen. In the meantime, the -force of gravitation would be constantly diminishing, in proportion -to the squares of the distances, and thus, with a velocity -prodigiously accelerating, I should at length arrive in those distant -regions where the force of the earth's attraction would be superseded -by that of the moon. In accordance with these ideas, I did not think -it worth while to encumber myself with more provisions than would be -sufficient for a period of forty days. - -"There was still, however, another difficulty, which occasioned me -some little disquietude. It has been observed, that, in balloon -ascensions to any considerable height, besides the pain attending -respiration, great uneasiness is experienced about the head and body, -often accompanied with bleeding at the nose, and other symptoms of an -alarming kind, and growing more and more inconvenient in proportion -to the altitude attained.{*3} This was a reflection of a nature -somewhat startling. Was it not probable that these symptoms would -increase indefinitely, or at least until terminated by death itself? -I finally thought not. Their origin was to be looked for in the -progressive removal of the customary atmospheric pressure upon the -surface of the body, and consequent distention of the superficial -blood-vessels -- not in any positive disorganization of the animal -system, as in the case of difficulty in breathing, where the -atmospheric density is chemically insufficient for the due renovation -of blood in a ventricle of the heart. Unless for default of this -renovation, I could see no reason, therefore, why life could not be -sustained even in a vacuum; for the expansion and compression of -chest, commonly called breathing, is action purely muscular, and the -cause, not the effect, of respiration. In a word, I conceived that, -as the body should become habituated to the want of atmospheric -pressure, the sensations of pain would gradually diminish -- and to -endure them while they continued, I relied with confidence upon the -iron hardihood of my constitution. - -"Thus, may it please your Excellencies, I have detailed some, though -by no means all, the considerations which led me to form the project -of a lunar voyage. I shall now proceed to lay before you the result -of an attempt so apparently audacious in conception, and, at all -events, so utterly unparalleled in the annals of mankind. - -"Having attained the altitude before mentioned, that is to say three -miles and three-quarters, I threw out from the car a quantity of -feathers, and found that I still ascended with sufficient rapidity; -there was, therefore, no necessity for discharging any ballast. I was -glad of this, for I wished to retain with me as much weight as I -could carry, for reasons which will be explained in the sequel. I as -yet suffered no bodily inconvenience, breathing with great freedom, -and feeling no pain whatever in the head. The cat was lying very -demurely upon my coat, which I had taken off, and eyeing the pigeons -with an air of nonchalance. These latter being tied by the leg, to -prevent their escape, were busily employed in picking up some grains -of rice scattered for them in the bottom of the car. - -"At twenty minutes past six o'clock, the barometer showed an -elevation of 26,400 feet, or five miles to a fraction. The prospect -seemed unbounded. Indeed, it is very easily calculated by means of -spherical geometry, what a great extent of the earth's area I beheld. -The convex surface of any segment of a sphere is, to the entire -surface of the sphere itself, as the versed sine of the segment to -the diameter of the sphere. Now, in my case, the versed sine -- that -is to say, the thickness of the segment beneath me -- was about equal -to my elevation, or the elevation of the point of sight above the -surface. "As five miles, then, to eight thousand," would express the -proportion of the earth's area seen by me. In other words, I beheld -as much as a sixteen-hundredth part of the whole surface of the -globe. The sea appeared unruffled as a mirror, although, by means of -the spy-glass, I could perceive it to be in a state of violent -agitation. The ship was no longer visible, having drifted away, -apparently to the eastward. I now began to experience, at intervals, -severe pain in the head, especially about the ears -- still, however, -breathing with tolerable freedom. The cat and pigeons seemed to -suffer no inconvenience whatsoever. - -"At twenty minutes before seven, the balloon entered a long series of -dense cloud, which put me to great trouble, by damaging my condensing -apparatus and wetting me to the skin. This was, to be sure, a -singular recontre, for I had not believed it possible that a cloud of -this nature could be sustained at so great an elevation. I thought it -best, however, to throw out two five-pound pieces of ballast, -reserving still a weight of one hundred and sixty-five pounds. Upon -so doing, I soon rose above the difficulty, and perceived -immediately, that I had obtained a great increase in my rate of -ascent. In a few seconds after my leaving the cloud, a flash of vivid -lightning shot from one end of it to the other, and caused it to -kindle up, throughout its vast extent, like a mass of ignited and -glowing charcoal. This, it must be remembered, was in the broad light -of day. No fancy may picture the sublimity which might have been -exhibited by a similar phenomenon taking place amid the darkness of -the night. Hell itself might have been found a fitting image. Even as -it was, my hair stood on end, while I gazed afar down within the -yawning abysses, letting imagination descend, as it were, and stalk -about in the strange vaulted halls, and ruddy gulfs, and red ghastly -chasms of the hideous and unfathomable fire. I had indeed made a -narrow escape. Had the balloon remained a very short while longer -within the cloud -- that is to say -- had not the inconvenience of -getting wet, determined me to discharge the ballast, inevitable ruin -would have been the consequence. Such perils, although little -considered, are perhaps the greatest which must be encountered in -balloons. I had by this time, however, attained too great an -elevation to be any longer uneasy on this head. - -"I was now rising rapidly, and by seven o'clock the barometer -indicated an altitude of no less than nine miles and a half. I began -to find great difficulty in drawing my breath. My head, too, was -excessively painful; and, having felt for some time a moisture about -my cheeks, I at length discovered it to be blood, which was oozing -quite fast from the drums of my ears. My eyes, also, gave me great -uneasiness. Upon passing the hand over them they seemed to have -protruded from their sockets in no inconsiderable degree; and all -objects in the car, and even the balloon itself, appeared distorted -to my vision. These symptoms were more than I had expected, and -occasioned me some alarm. At this juncture, very imprudently, and -without consideration, I threw out from the car three five-pound -pieces of ballast. The accelerated rate of ascent thus obtained, -carried me too rapidly, and without sufficient gradation, into a -highly rarefied stratum of the atmosphere, and the result had nearly -proved fatal to my expedition and to myself. I was suddenly seized -with a spasm which lasted for more than five minutes, and even when -this, in a measure, ceased, I could catch my breath only at long -intervals, and in a gasping manner -- bleeding all the while -copiously at the nose and ears, and even slightly at the eyes. The -pigeons appeared distressed in the extreme, and struggled to escape; -while the cat mewed piteously, and, with her tongue hanging out of -her mouth, staggered to and fro in the car as if under the influence -of poison. I now too late discovered the great rashness of which I -had been guilty in discharging the ballast, and my agitation was -excessive. I anticipated nothing less than death, and death in a few -minutes. The physical suffering I underwent contributed also to -render me nearly incapable of making any exertion for the -preservation of my life. I had, indeed, little power of reflection -left, and the violence of the pain in my head seemed to be greatly on -the increase. Thus I found that my senses would shortly give way -altogether, and I had already clutched one of the valve ropes with -the view of attempting a descent, when the recollection of the trick -I had played the three creditors, and the possible consequences to -myself, should I return, operated to deter me for the moment. I lay -down in the bottom of the car, and endeavored to collect my -faculties. In this I so far succeeded as to determine upon the -experiment of losing blood. Having no lancet, however, I was -constrained to perform the operation in the best manner I was able, -and finally succeeded in opening a vein in my right arm, with the -blade of my penknife. The blood had hardly commenced flowing when I -experienced a sensible relief, and by the time I had lost about half -a moderate basin full, most of the worst symptoms had abandoned me -entirely. I nevertheless did not think it expedient to attempt -getting on my feet immediately; but, having tied up my arm as well as -I could, I lay still for about a quarter of an hour. At the end of -this time I arose, and found myself freer from absolute pain of any -kind than I had been during the last hour and a quarter of my -ascension. The difficulty of breathing, however, was diminished in a -very slight degree, and I found that it would soon be positively -necessary to make use of my condenser. In the meantime, looking -toward the cat, who was again snugly stowed away upon my coat, I -discovered to my infinite surprise, that she had taken the -opportunity of my indisposition to bring into light a litter of three -little kittens. This was an addition to the number of passengers on -my part altogether unexpected; but I was pleased at the occurrence. -It would afford me a chance of bringing to a kind of test the truth -of a surmise, which, more than anything else, had influenced me in -attempting this ascension. I had imagined that the habitual endurance -of the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the earth was the -cause, or nearly so, of the pain attending animal existence at a -distance above the surface. Should the kittens be found to suffer -uneasiness in an equal degree with their mother, I must consider my -theory in fault, but a failure to do so I should look upon as a -strong confirmation of my idea. - -"By eight o'clock I had actually attained an elevation of seventeen -miles above the surface of the earth. Thus it seemed to me evident -that my rate of ascent was not only on the increase, but that the -progression would have been apparent in a slight degree even had I -not discharged the ballast which I did. The pains in my head and ears -returned, at intervals, with violence, and I still continued to bleed -occasionally at the nose; but, upon the whole, I suffered much less -than might have been expected. I breathed, however, at every moment, -with more and more difficulty, and each inhalation was attended with -a troublesome spasmodic action of the chest. I now unpacked the -condensing apparatus, and got it ready for immediate use. - -"The view of the earth, at this period of my ascension, was beautiful -indeed. To the westward, the northward, and the southward, as far as -I could see, lay a boundless sheet of apparently unruffled ocean, -which every moment gained a deeper and a deeper tint of blue and -began already to assume a slight appearance of convexity. At a vast -distance to the eastward, although perfectly discernible, extended -the islands of Great Britain, the entire Atlantic coasts of France -and Spain, with a small portion of the northern part of the continent -of Africa. Of individual edifices not a trace could be discovered, -and the proudest cities of mankind had utterly faded away from the -face of the earth. From the rock of Gibraltar, now dwindled into a -dim speck, the dark Mediterranean sea, dotted with shining islands as -the heaven is dotted with stars, spread itself out to the eastward as -far as my vision extended, until its entire mass of waters seemed at -length to tumble headlong over the abyss of the horizon, and I found -myself listening on tiptoe for the echoes of the mighty cataract. -Overhead, the sky was of a jetty black, and the stars were -brilliantly visible. - -"The pigeons about this time seeming to undergo much suffering, I -determined upon giving them their liberty. I first untied one of -them, a beautiful gray-mottled pigeon, and placed him upon the rim of -the wicker-work. He appeared extremely uneasy, looking anxiously -around him, fluttering his wings, and making a loud cooing noise, but -could not be persuaded to trust himself from off the car. I took him -up at last, and threw him to about half a dozen yards from the -balloon. He made, however, no attempt to descend as I had expected, -but struggled with great vehemence to get back, uttering at the same -time very shrill and piercing cries. He at length succeeded in -regaining his former station on the rim, but had hardly done so when -his head dropped upon his breast, and he fell dead within the car. -The other one did not prove so unfortunate. To prevent his following -the example of his companion, and accomplishing a return, I threw him -downward with all my force, and was pleased to find him continue his -descent, with great velocity, making use of his wings with ease, and -in a perfectly natural manner. In a very short time he was out of -sight, and I have no doubt he reached home in safety. Puss, who -seemed in a great measure recovered from her illness, now made a -hearty meal of the dead bird and then went to sleep with much -apparent satisfaction. Her kittens were quite lively, and so far -evinced not the slightest sign of any uneasiness whatever. - -"At a quarter-past eight, being no longer able to draw breath without -the most intolerable pain, I proceeded forthwith to adjust around the -car the apparatus belonging to the condenser. This apparatus will -require some little explanation, and your Excellencies will please to -bear in mind that my object, in the first place, was to surround -myself and cat entirely with a barricade against the highly rarefied -atmosphere in which I was existing, with the intention of introducing -within this barricade, by means of my condenser, a quantity of this -same atmosphere sufficiently condensed for the purposes of -respiration. With this object in view I had prepared a very strong -perfectly air-tight, but flexible gum-elastic bag. In this bag, which -was of sufficient dimensions, the entire car was in a manner placed. -That is to say, it (the bag) was drawn over the whole bottom of the -car, up its sides, and so on, along the outside of the ropes, to the -upper rim or hoop where the net-work is attached. Having pulled the -bag up in this way, and formed a complete enclosure on all sides, and -at bottom, it was now necessary to fasten up its top or mouth, by -passing its material over the hoop of the net-work -- in other words, -between the net-work and the hoop. But if the net-work were separated -from the hoop to admit this passage, what was to sustain the car in -the meantime? Now the net-work was not permanently fastened to the -hoop, but attached by a series of running loops or nooses. I -therefore undid only a few of these loops at one time, leaving the -car suspended by the remainder. Having thus inserted a portion of the -cloth forming the upper part of the bag, I refastened the loops -- -not to the hoop, for that would have been impossible, since the cloth -now intervened -- but to a series of large buttons, affixed to the -cloth itself, about three feet below the mouth of the bag, the -intervals between the buttons having been made to correspond to the -intervals between the loops. This done, a few more of the loops were -unfastened from the rim, a farther portion of the cloth introduced, -and the disengaged loops then connected with their proper buttons. In -this way it was possible to insert the whole upper part of the bag -between the net-work and the hoop. It is evident that the hoop would -now drop down within the car, while the whole weight of the car -itself, with all its contents, would be held up merely by the -strength of the buttons. This, at first sight, would seem an -inadequate dependence; but it was by no means so, for the buttons -were not only very strong in themselves, but so close together that a -very slight portion of the whole weight was supported by any one of -them. Indeed, had the car and contents been three times heavier than -they were, I should not have been at all uneasy. I now raised up the -hoop again within the covering of gum-elastic, and propped it at -nearly its former height by means of three light poles prepared for -the occasion. This was done, of course, to keep the bag distended at -the top, and to preserve the lower part of the net-work in its proper -situation. All that now remained was to fasten up the mouth of the -enclosure; and this was readily accomplished by gathering the folds -of the material together, and twisting them up very tightly on the -inside by means of a kind of stationary tourniquet. - -"In the sides of the covering thus adjusted round the car, had been -inserted three circular panes of thick but clear glass, through which -I could see without difficulty around me in every horizontal -direction. In that portion of the cloth forming the bottom, was -likewise, a fourth window, of the same kind, and corresponding with a -small aperture in the floor of the car itself. This enabled me to see -perpendicularly down, but having found it impossible to place any -similar contrivance overhead, on account of the peculiar manner of -closing up the opening there, and the consequent wrinkles in the -cloth, I could expect to see no objects situated directly in my -zenith. This, of course, was a matter of little consequence; for had -I even been able to place a window at top, the balloon itself would -have prevented my making any use of it. - -"About a foot below one of the side windows was a circular opening, -eight inches in diameter, and fitted with a brass rim adapted in its -inner edge to the windings of a screw. In this rim was screwed the -large tube of the condenser, the body of the machine being, of -course, within the chamber of gum-elastic. Through this tube a -quantity of the rare atmosphere circumjacent being drawn by means of -a vacuum created in the body of the machine, was thence discharged, -in a state of condensation, to mingle with the thin air already in -the chamber. This operation being repeated several times, at length -filled the chamber with atmosphere proper for all the purposes of -respiration. But in so confined a space it would, in a short time, -necessarily become foul, and unfit for use from frequent contact with -the lungs. It was then ejected by a small valve at the bottom of the -car -- the dense air readily sinking into the thinner atmosphere -below. To avoid the inconvenience of making a total vacuum at any -moment within the chamber, this purification was never accomplished -all at once, but in a gradual manner -- the valve being opened only -for a few seconds, then closed again, until one or two strokes from -the pump of the condenser had supplied the place of the atmosphere -ejected. For the sake of experiment I had put the cat and kittens in -a small basket, and suspended it outside the car to a button at the -bottom, close by the valve, through which I could feed them at any -moment when necessary. I did this at some little risk, and before -closing the mouth of the chamber, by reaching under the car with one -of the poles before mentioned to which a hook had been attached. - -"By the time I had fully completed these arrangements and filled the -chamber as explained, it wanted only ten minutes of nine o'clock. -During the whole period of my being thus employed, I endured the most -terrible distress from difficulty of respiration, and bitterly did I -repent the negligence or rather fool-hardiness, of which I had been -guilty, of putting off to the last moment a matter of so much -importance. But having at length accomplished it, I soon began to -reap the benefit of my invention. Once again I breathed with perfect -freedom and ease -- and indeed why should I not? I was also agreeably -surprised to find myself, in a great measure, relieved from the -violent pains which had hitherto tormented me. A slight headache, -accompanied with a sensation of fulness or distention about the -wrists, the ankles, and the throat, was nearly all of which I had now -to complain. Thus it seemed evident that a greater part of the -uneasiness attending the removal of atmospheric pressure had actually -worn off, as I had expected, and that much of the pain endured for -the last two hours should have been attributed altogether to the -effects of a deficient respiration. - -"At twenty minutes before nine o'clock -- that is to say, a short -time prior to my closing up the mouth of the chamber, the mercury -attained its limit, or ran down, in the barometer, which, as I -mentioned before, was one of an extended construction. It then -indicated an altitude on my part of 132,000 feet, or five-and-twenty -miles, and I consequently surveyed at that time an extent of the -earth's area amounting to no less than the three -hundred-and-twentieth part of its entire superficies. At nine o'clock -I had again lost sight of land to the eastward, but not before I -became aware that the balloon was drifting rapidly to the N. N. W. -The convexity of the ocean beneath me was very evident indeed, -although my view was often interrupted by the masses of cloud which -floated to and fro. I observed now that even the lightest vapors -never rose to more than ten miles above the level of the sea. - -"At half past nine I tried the experiment of throwing out a handful -of feathers through the valve. They did not float as I had expected; -but dropped down perpendicularly, like a bullet, en masse, and with -the greatest velocity -- being out of sight in a very few seconds. I -did not at first know what to make of this extraordinary phenomenon; -not being able to believe that my rate of ascent had, of a sudden, -met with so prodigious an acceleration. But it soon occurred to me -that the atmosphere was now far too rare to sustain even the -feathers; that they actually fell, as they appeared to do, with great -rapidity; and that I had been surprised by the united velocities of -their descent and my own elevation. - -"By ten o'clock I found that I had very little to occupy my immediate -attention. Affairs went swimmingly, and I believed the balloon to be -going upward with a speed increasing momently although I had no -longer any means of ascertaining the progression of the increase. I -suffered no pain or uneasiness of any kind, and enjoyed better -spirits than I had at any period since my departure from Rotterdam, -busying myself now in examining the state of my various apparatus, -and now in regenerating the atmosphere within the chamber. This -latter point I determined to attend to at regular intervals of forty -minutes, more on account of the preservation of my health, than from -so frequent a renovation being absolutely necessary. In the meanwhile -I could not help making anticipations. Fancy revelled in the wild and -dreamy regions of the moon. Imagination, feeling herself for once -unshackled, roamed at will among the ever-changing wonders of a -shadowy and unstable land. Now there were boary and time-honored -forests, and craggy precipices, and waterfalls tumbling with a loud -noise into abysses without a bottom. Then I came suddenly into still -noonday solitudes, where no wind of heaven ever intruded, and where -vast meadows of poppies, and slender, lily-looking flowers spread -themselves out a weary distance, all silent and motionless forever. -Then again I journeyed far down away into another country where it -was all one dim and vague lake, with a boundary line of clouds. And -out of this melancholy water arose a forest of tall eastern trees, -like a wilderness of dreams. And I have in mind that the shadows of -the trees which fell upon the lake remained not on the surface where -they fell, but sunk slowly and steadily down, and commingled with the -waves, while from the trunks of the trees other shadows were -continually coming out, and taking the place of their brothers thus -entombed. "This then," I said thoughtfully, "is the very reason why -the waters of this lake grow blacker with age, and more melancholy as -the hours run on." But fancies such as these were not the sole -possessors of my brain. Horrors of a nature most stern and most -appalling would too frequently obtrude themselves upon my mind, and -shake the innermost depths of my soul with the bare supposition of -their possibility. Yet I would not suffer my thoughts for any length -of time to dwell upon these latter speculations, rightly judging the -real and palpable dangers of the voyage sufficient for my undivided -attention. - -"At five o'clock, p.m., being engaged in regenerating the atmosphere -within the chamber, I took that opportunity of observing the cat and -kittens through the valve. The cat herself appeared to suffer again -very much, and I had no hesitation in attributing her uneasiness -chiefly to a difficulty in breathing; but my experiment with the -kittens had resulted very strangely. I had expected, of course, to -see them betray a sense of pain, although in a less degree than their -mother, and this would have been sufficient to confirm my opinion -concerning the habitual endurance of atmospheric pressure. But I was -not prepared to find them, upon close examination, evidently enjoying -a high degree of health, breathing with the greatest ease and perfect -regularity, and evincing not the slightest sign of any uneasiness -whatever. I could only account for all this by extending my theory, -and supposing that the highly rarefied atmosphere around might -perhaps not be, as I had taken for granted, chemically insufficient -for the purposes of life, and that a person born in such a medium -might, possibly, be unaware of any inconvenience attending its -inhalation, while, upon removal to the denser strata near the earth, -he might endure tortures of a similar nature to those I had so lately -experienced. It has since been to me a matter of deep regret that an -awkward accident, at this time, occasioned me the loss of my little -family of cats, and deprived me of the insight into this matter which -a continued experiment might have afforded. In passing my hand -through the valve, with a cup of water for the old puss, the sleeves -of my shirt became entangled in the loop which sustained the basket, -and thus, in a moment, loosened it from the bottom. Had the whole -actually vanished into air, it could not have shot from my sight in a -more abrupt and instantaneous manner. Positively, there could not -have intervened the tenth part of a second between the disengagement -of the basket and its absolute and total disappearance with all that -it contained. My good wishes followed it to the earth, but of course, -I had no hope that either cat or kittens would ever live to tell the -tale of their misfortune. - -"At six o'clock, I perceived a great portion of the earth's visible -area to the eastward involved in thick shadow, which continued to -advance with great rapidity, until, at five minutes before seven, the -whole surface in view was enveloped in the darkness of night. It was -not, however, until long after this time that the rays of the setting -sun ceased to illumine the balloon; and this circumstance, although -of course fully anticipated, did not fail to give me an infinite deal -of pleasure. It was evident that, in the morning, I should behold the -rising luminary many hours at least before the citizens of Rotterdam, -in spite of their situation so much farther to the eastward, and -thus, day after day, in proportion to the height ascended, would I -enjoy the light of the sun for a longer and a longer period. I now -determined to keep a journal of my passage, reckoning the days from -one to twenty-four hours continuously, without taking into -consideration the intervals of darkness. - -"At ten o'clock, feeling sleepy, I determined to lie down for the -rest of the night; but here a difficulty presented itself, which, -obvious as it may appear, had escaped my attention up to the very -moment of which I am now speaking. If I went to sleep as I proposed, -how could the atmosphere in the chamber be regenerated in the -interim? To breathe it for more than an hour, at the farthest, would -be a matter of impossibility, or, if even this term could be extended -to an hour and a quarter, the most ruinous consequences might ensue. -The consideration of this dilemma gave me no little disquietude; and -it will hardly be believed, that, after the dangers I had undergone, -I should look upon this business in so serious a light, as to give up -all hope of accomplishing my ultimate design, and finally make up my -mind to the necessity of a descent. But this hesitation was only -momentary. I reflected that man is the veriest slave of custom, and -that many points in the routine of his existence are deemed -essentially important, which are only so at all by his having -rendered them habitual. It was very certain that I could not do -without sleep; but I might easily bring myself to feel no -inconvenience from being awakened at intervals of an hour during the -whole period of my repose. It would require but five minutes at most -to regenerate the atmosphere in the fullest manner, and the only real -difficulty was to contrive a method of arousing myself at the proper -moment for so doing. But this was a question which, I am willing to -confess, occasioned me no little trouble in its solution. To be sure, -I had heard of the student who, to prevent his falling asleep over -his books, held in one hand a ball of copper, the din of whose -descent into a basin of the same metal on the floor beside his chair, -served effectually to startle him up, if, at any moment, he should be -overcome with drowsiness. My own case, however, was very different -indeed, and left me no room for any similar idea; for I did not wish -to keep awake, but to be aroused from slumber at regular intervals of -time. I at length hit upon the following expedient, which, simple as -it may seem, was hailed by me, at the moment of discovery, as an -invention fully equal to that of the telescope, the steam-engine, or -the art of printing itself. - -"It is necessary to premise, that the balloon, at the elevation now -attained, continued its course upward with an even and undeviating -ascent, and the car consequently followed with a steadiness so -perfect that it would have been impossible to detect in it the -slightest vacillation whatever. This circumstance favored me greatly -in the project I now determined to adopt. My supply of water had been -put on board in kegs containing five gallons each, and ranged very -securely around the interior of the car. I unfastened one of these, -and taking two ropes tied them tightly across the rim of the -wicker-work from one side to the other; placing them about a foot -apart and parallel so as to form a kind of shelf, upon which I placed -the keg, and steadied it in a horizontal position. About eight inches -immediately below these ropes, and four feet from the bottom of the -car I fastened another shelf -- but made of thin plank, being the -only similar piece of wood I had. Upon this latter shelf, and exactly -beneath one of the rims of the keg, a small earthern pitcher was -deposited. I now bored a hole in the end of the keg over the pitcher, -and fitted in a plug of soft wood, cut in a tapering or conical -shape. This plug I pushed in or pulled out, as might happen, until, -after a few experiments, it arrived at that exact degree of -tightness, at which the water, oozing from the hole, and falling into -the pitcher below, would fill the latter to the brim in the period of -sixty minutes. This, of course, was a matter briefly and easily -ascertained, by noticing the proportion of the pitcher filled in any -given time. Having arranged all this, the rest of the plan is -obvious. My bed was so contrived upon the floor of the car, as to -bring my head, in lying down, immediately below the mouth of the -pitcher. It was evident, that, at the expiration of an hour, the -pitcher, getting full, would be forced to run over, and to run over -at the mouth, which was somewhat lower than the rim. It was also -evident, that the water thus falling from a height of more than four -feet, could not do otherwise than fall upon my face, and that the -sure consequences would be, to waken me up instantaneously, even from -the soundest slumber in the world. - -"It was fully eleven by the time I had completed these arrangements, -and I immediately betook myself to bed, with full confidence in the -efficiency of my invention. Nor in this matter was I disappointed. -Punctually every sixty minutes was I aroused by my trusty -chronometer, when, having emptied the pitcher into the bung-hole of -the keg, and performed the duties of the condenser, I retired again -to bed. These regular interruptions to my slumber caused me even less -discomfort than I had anticipated; and when I finally arose for the -day, it was seven o'clock, and the sun had attained many degrees -above the line of my horizon. - -"April 3d. I found the balloon at an immense height indeed, and the -earth's apparent convexity increased in a material degree. Below me -in the ocean lay a cluster of black specks, which undoubtedly were -islands. Far away to the northward I perceived a thin, white, and -exceedingly brilliant line, or streak, on the edge of the horizon, -and I had no hesitation in supposing it to be the southern disk of -the ices of the Polar Sea. My curiosity was greatly excited, for I -had hopes of passing on much farther to the north, and might -possibly, at some period, find myself placed directly above the Pole -itself. I now lamented that my great elevation would, in this case, -prevent my taking as accurate a survey as I could wish. Much, -however, might be ascertained. Nothing else of an extraordinary -nature occurred during the day. My apparatus all continued in good -order, and the balloon still ascended without any perceptible -vacillation. The cold was intense, and obliged me to wrap up closely -in an overcoat. When darkness came over the earth, I betook myself to -bed, although it was for many hours afterward broad daylight all -around my immediate situation. The water-clock was punctual in its -duty, and I slept until next morning soundly, with the exception of -the periodical interruption. - -"April 4th. Arose in good health and spirits, and was astonished at -the singular change which had taken place in the appearance of the -sea. It had lost, in a great measure, the deep tint of blue it had -hitherto worn, being now of a grayish-white, and of a lustre dazzling -to the eye. The islands were no longer visible; whether they had -passed down the horizon to the southeast, or whether my increasing -elevation had left them out of sight, it is impossible to say. I was -inclined, however, to the latter opinion. The rim of ice to the -northward was growing more and more apparent. Cold by no means so -intense. Nothing of importance occurred, and I passed the day in -reading, having taken care to supply myself with books. - -"April 5th. Beheld the singular phenomenon of the sun rising while -nearly the whole visible surface of the earth continued to be -involved in darkness. In time, however, the light spread itself over -all, and I again saw the line of ice to the northward. It was now -very distinct, and appeared of a much darker hue than the waters of -the ocean. I was evidently approaching it, and with great rapidity. -Fancied I could again distinguish a strip of land to the eastward, -and one also to the westward, but could not be certain. Weather -moderate. Nothing of any consequence happened during the day. Went -early to bed. - -"April 6th. Was surprised at finding the rim of ice at a very -moderate distance, and an immense field of the same material -stretching away off to the horizon in the north. It was evident that -if the balloon held its present course, it would soon arrive above -the Frozen Ocean, and I had now little doubt of ultimately seeing the -Pole. During the whole of the day I continued to near the ice. Toward -night the limits of my horizon very suddenly and materially -increased, owing undoubtedly to the earth's form being that of an -oblate spheroid, and my arriving above the flattened regions in the -vicinity of the Arctic circle. When darkness at length overtook me, I -went to bed in great anxiety, fearing to pass over the object of so -much curiosity when I should have no opportunity of observing it. - -"April 7th. Arose early, and, to my great joy, at length beheld what -there could be no hesitation in supposing the northern Pole itself. -It was there, beyond a doubt, and immediately beneath my feet; but, -alas! I had now ascended to so vast a distance, that nothing could -with accuracy be discerned. Indeed, to judge from the progression of -the numbers indicating my various altitudes, respectively, at -different periods, between six A.M. on the second of April, and -twenty minutes before nine A.M. of the same day (at which time the -barometer ran down), it might be fairly inferred that the balloon had -now, at four o'clock in the morning of April the seventh, reached a -height of not less, certainly, than 7,254 miles above the surface of -the sea. This elevation may appear immense, but the estimate upon -which it is calculated gave a result in all probability far inferior -to the truth. At all events I undoubtedly beheld the whole of the -earth's major diameter; the entire northern hemisphere lay beneath me -like a chart orthographically projected: and the great circle of the -equator itself formed the boundary line of my horizon. Your -Excellencies may, however, readily imagine that the confined regions -hitherto unexplored within the limits of the Arctic circle, although -situated directly beneath me, and therefore seen without any -appearance of being foreshortened, were still, in themselves, -comparatively too diminutive, and at too great a distance from the -point of sight, to admit of any very accurate examination. -Nevertheless, what could be seen was of a nature singular and -exciting. Northwardly from that huge rim before mentioned, and which, -with slight qualification, may be called the limit of human discovery -in these regions, one unbroken, or nearly unbroken, sheet of ice -continues to extend. In the first few degrees of this its progress, -its surface is very sensibly flattened, farther on depressed into a -plane, and finally, becoming not a little concave, it terminates, at -the Pole itself, in a circular centre, sharply defined, whose -apparent diameter subtended at the balloon an angle of about -sixty-five seconds, and whose dusky hue, varying in intensity, was, -at all times, darker than any other spot upon the visible hemisphere, -and occasionally deepened into the most absolute and impenetrable -blackness. Farther than this, little could be ascertained. By twelve -o'clock the circular centre had materially decreased in -circumference, and by seven P.M. I lost sight of it entirely; the -balloon passing over the western limb of the ice, and floating away -rapidly in the direction of the equator. - -"April 8th. Found a sensible diminution in the earth's apparent -diameter, besides a material alteration in its general color and -appearance. The whole visible area partook in different degrees of a -tint of pale yellow, and in some portions had acquired a brilliancy -even painful to the eye. My view downward was also considerably -impeded by the dense atmosphere in the vicinity of the surface being -loaded with clouds, between whose masses I could only now and then -obtain a glimpse of the earth itself. This difficulty of direct -vision had troubled me more or less for the last forty-eight hours; -but my present enormous elevation brought closer together, as it -were, the floating bodies of vapor, and the inconvenience became, of -course, more and more palpable in proportion to my ascent. -Nevertheless, I could easily perceive that the balloon now hovered -above the range of great lakes in the continent of North America, and -was holding a course, due south, which would bring me to the tropics. -This circumstance did not fail to give me the most heartful -satisfaction, and I hailed it as a happy omen of ultimate success. -Indeed, the direction I had hitherto taken, had filled me with -uneasiness; for it was evident that, had I continued it much longer, -there would have been no possibility of my arriving at the moon at -all, whose orbit is inclined to the ecliptic at only the small angle -of 5 degrees 8' 48". - -"April 9th. To-day the earth's diameter was greatly diminished, and -the color of the surface assumed hourly a deeper tint of yellow. The -balloon kept steadily on her course to the southward, and arrived, at -nine P.M., over the northern edge of the Mexican Gulf. - -"April 10th. I was suddenly aroused from slumber, about five o'clock -this morning, by a loud, crackling, and terrific sound, for which I -could in no manner account. It was of very brief duration, but, while -it lasted resembled nothing in the world of which I had any previous -experience. It is needless to say that I became excessively alarmed, -having, in the first instance, attributed the noise to the bursting -of the balloon. I examined all my apparatus, however, with great -attention, and could discover nothing out of order. Spent a great -part of the day in meditating upon an occurrence so extraordinary, -but could find no means whatever of accounting for it. Went to bed -dissatisfied, and in a state of great anxiety and agitation. - -"April 11th. Found a startling diminution in the apparent diameter of -the earth, and a considerable increase, now observable for the first -time, in that of the moon itself, which wanted only a few days of -being full. It now required long and excessive labor to condense -within the chamber sufficient atmospheric air for the sustenance of -life. - -"April 12th. A singular alteration took place in regard to the -direction of the balloon, and although fully anticipated, afforded me -the most unequivocal delight. Having reached, in its former course, -about the twentieth parallel of southern latitude, it turned off -suddenly, at an acute angle, to the eastward, and thus proceeded -throughout the day, keeping nearly, if not altogether, in the exact -plane of the lunar elipse. What was worthy of remark, a very -perceptible vacillation in the car was a consequence of this change -of route -- a vacillation which prevailed, in a more or less degree, -for a period of many hours. - -"April 13th. Was again very much alarmed by a repetition of the loud, -crackling noise which terrified me on the tenth. Thought long upon -the subject, but was unable to form any satisfactory conclusion. -Great decrease in the earth's apparent diameter, which now subtended -from the balloon an angle of very little more than twenty-five -degrees. The moon could not be seen at all, being nearly in my -zenith. I still continued in the plane of the elipse, but made little -progress to the eastward. - -"April 14th. Extremely rapid decrease in the diameter of the earth. -To-day I became strongly impressed with the idea, that the balloon -was now actually running up the line of apsides to the point of -perigee- in other words, holding the direct course which would bring -it immediately to the moon in that part of its orbit the nearest to -the earth. The moon iself was directly overhead, and consequently -hidden from my view. Great and long-continued labor necessary for the -condensation of the atmosphere. - -"April 15th. Not even the outlines of continents and seas could now -be traced upon the earth with anything approaching distinctness. -About twelve o'clock I became aware, for the third time, of that -appalling sound which had so astonished me before. It now, however, -continued for some moments, and gathered intensity as it continued. -At length, while, stupefied and terror-stricken, I stood in -expectation of I knew not what hideous destruction, the car vibrated -with excessive violence, and a gigantic and flaming mass of some -material which I could not distinguish, came with a voice of a -thousand thunders, roaring and booming by the balloon. When my fears -and astonishment had in some degree subsided, I had little difficulty -in supposing it to be some mighty volcanic fragment ejected from that -world to which I was so rapidly approaching, and, in all probability, -one of that singular class of substances occasionally picked up on -the earth, and termed meteoric stones for want of a better -appellation. - -"April 16th. To-day, looking upward as well as I could, through each -of the side windows alternately, I beheld, to my great delight, a -very small portion of the moon's disk protruding, as it were, on all -sides beyond the huge circumference of the balloon. My agitation was -extreme; for I had now little doubt of soon reaching the end of my -perilous voyage. Indeed, the labor now required by the condenser had -increased to a most oppressive degree, and allowed me scarcely any -respite from exertion. Sleep was a matter nearly out of the question. -I became quite ill, and my frame trembled with exhaustion. It was -impossible that human nature could endure this state of intense -suffering much longer. During the now brief interval of darkness a -meteoric stone again passed in my vicinity, and the frequency of -these phenomena began to occasion me much apprehension. - -"April 17th. This morning proved an epoch in my voyage. It will be -remembered that, on the thirteenth, the earth subtended an angular -breadth of twenty-five degrees. On the fourteenth this had greatly -diminished; on the fifteenth a still more remarkable decrease was -observable; and, on retiring on the night of the sixteenth, I had -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 hands to the -net-work, I had barely time to observe that the whole country, as far -as the eye could reach, was thickly interspersed with diminutive -habitations, ere I tumbled headlong into the very heart of a -fantastical-looking city, and into the middle of a vast crowd of ugly -little people, who none of them uttered a single syllable, or gave -themselves the least trouble to render me assistance, but stood, like -a parcel of idiots, grinning in a ludicrous manner, and eyeing me and -my balloon askant, with their arms set a-kimbo. I turned from them in -contempt, and, gazing upward at the earth so lately left, and left -perhaps for ever, beheld it like a huge, dull, copper shield, about -two degrees in diameter, fixed immovably in the heavens overhead, and -tipped on one of its edges with a crescent border of the most -brilliant gold. No traces of land or water could be discovered, and -the whole was clouded with variable spots, and belted with tropical -and equatorial zones. - -"Thus, may it please your Excellencies, after a series of great -anxieties, unheard of dangers, and unparalleled escapes, I had, at -length, on the nineteenth day of my departure from Rotterdam, arrived -in safety at the conclusion of a voyage undoubtedly the most -extraordinary, and the most momentous, ever accomplished, undertaken, -or conceived by any denizen of earth. But my adventures yet remain to -be related. And indeed your Excellencies may well imagine that, after -a residence of five years upon a planet not only deeply interesting -in its own peculiar character, but rendered doubly so by its intimate -connection, in capacity of satellite, with the world inhabited by -man, I may have intelligence for the private ear of the States' -College of Astronomers of far more importance than the details, -however wonderful, of the mere voyage which so happily concluded. -This is, in fact, the case. I have much -- very much which it would -give me the greatest pleasure to communicate. I have much to say of -the climate of the planet; of its wonderful alternations of heat and -cold, of unmitigated and burning sunshine for one fortnight, and more -than polar frigidity for the next; of a constant transfer of -moisture, by distillation like that in vacuo, from the point beneath -the sun to the point the farthest from it; of a variable zone of -running water, of the people themselves; of their manners, customs, -and political institutions; of their peculiar physical construction; -of their ugliness; of their want of ears, those useless appendages in -an atmosphere so peculiarly modified; of their consequent ignorance -of the use and properties of speech; of their substitute for speech -in a singular method of inter-communication; of the incomprehensible -connection between each particular individual in the moon with some -particular individual on the earth -- a connection analogous with, -and depending upon, that of the orbs of the planet and the -satellites, and by means of which the lives and destinies of the -inhabitants of the one are interwoven with the lives and destinies of -the inhabitants of the other; and above all, if it so please your -Excellencies -- above all, of those dark and hideous mysteries which -lie in the outer regions of the moon -- regions which, owing to the -almost miraculous accordance of the satellite's rotation on its own -axis with its sidereal revolution about the earth, have never yet -been turned, and, by God's mercy, never shall be turned, to the -scrutiny of the telescopes of man. All this, and more- much more -- -would I most willingly detail. But, to be brief, I must have my -reward. I am pining for a return to my family and to my home, and as -the price of any farther communication on my part -- in consideration -of the light which I have it in my power to throw upon many very -important branches of physical and metaphysical science -- I must -solicit, through the influence of your honorable body, a pardon for -the crime of which I have been guilty in the death of the creditors -upon my departure from Rotterdam. This, then, is the object of the -present paper. Its bearer, an inhabitant of the moon, whom I have -prevailed upon, and properly instructed, to be my messenger to the -earth, will await your Excellencies' pleasure, and return to me with -the pardon in question, if it can, in any manner, be obtained. - -"I have the honor to be, etc., your Excellencies' very humble -servant, - -HANS PFAALL." - -Upon finishing the perusal of this very extraordinary document, -Professor Rub-a-dub, it is said, dropped his pipe upon the ground in -the extremity of his surprise, and Mynheer Superbus Von Underduk -having taken off his spectacles, wiped them, and deposited them in -his pocket, so far forgot both himself and his dignity, as to turn -round three times upon his heel in the quintessence of astonishment -and admiration. There was no doubt about the matter -- the pardon -should be obtained. So at least swore, with a round oath, Professor -Rub-a-dub, and so finally thought the illustrious Von Underduk, as he -took the arm of his brother in science, and without saying a word, -began to make the best of his way home to deliberate upon the -measures to be adopted. Having reached the door, however, of the -burgomaster's dwelling, the professor ventured to suggest that as the -messenger had thought proper to disappear -- no doubt frightened to -death by the savage appearance of the burghers of Rotterdam -- the -pardon would be of little use, as no one but a man of the moon would -undertake a voyage to so vast a distance. To the truth of this -observation the burgomaster assented, and the matter was therefore at -an end. Not so, however, rumors and speculations. The letter, having -been published, gave rise to a variety of gossip and opinion. Some of -the over-wise even made themselves ridiculous by decrying the whole -business; as nothing better than a hoax. But hoax, with these sort of -people, is, I believe, a general term for all matters above their -comprehension. For my part, I cannot conceive upon what data they -have founded such an accusation. Let us see what they say: - -Imprimus. That certain wags in Rotterdam have certain especial -antipathies to certain burgomasters and astronomers. - -Don't understand at all. - -Secondly. That an odd little dwarf and bottle conjurer, both of whose -ears, for some misdemeanor, have been cut off close to his head, has -been missing for several days from the neighboring city of Bruges. - -Well -- what of that? - -Thirdly. That the newspapers which were stuck all over the little -balloon were newspapers of Holland, and therefore could not have been -made in the moon. They were dirty papers -- very dirty -- and Gluck, -the printer, would take his Bible oath to their having been printed -in Rotterdam. - -He was mistaken -- undoubtedly -- mistaken. - -Fourthly, That Hans Pfaall himself, the druken villain, and the three -very idle gentlemen styled his creditors, were all seen, no longer -than two or three days ago, in a tippling house in the suburbs, -having just returned, with money in their pockets, from a trip beyond -the sea. - -Don't believe it -- don't believe a word of it. - -Lastly. That it is an opinion very generally received, or which ought -to be generally received, that the College of Astronomers in the city -of Rotterdam, as well as other colleges in all other parts of the -world, -- not to mention colleges and astronomers in general, -- are, -to say the least of the matter, not a whit better, nor greater, nor -wiser than they ought to be. - -~~~ End of Text ~~~ - -Notes to Hans Pfaal - -{*1} NOTE--Strictly speaking, there is but little similarity between -the above sketchy trifle and the celebrated "Moon-Story" of Mr. -Locke; but as both have the character of _hoaxes _(although the one -is in a tone of banter, the other of downright earnest), and as both -hoaxes are on the same subject, the moon--moreover, as both attempt -to give plausibility by scientific detail--the author of "Hans -Pfaall" thinks it necessary to say, in _self-defence, _that his own -_jeu d'esprit _was published in the "Southern Literary Messenger" -about three weeks before the commencement of Mr. L's in the "New York -Sun." Fancying a likeness which, perhaps, does not exist, some of the -New York papers copied "Hans Pfaall," and collated it with the -"Moon-Hoax," by way of detecting the writer of the one in the writer -of the other. - -As many more persons were actually gulled by the "Moon-Hoax" than -would be willing to acknowledge the fact, it may here afford some -little amusement to show why no one should have been deceived-to -point out those particulars of the story which should have been -sufficient to establish its real character. Indeed, however rich the -imagination displayed in this ingenious fiction, it wanted much of -the force which might have been given it by a more scrupulous -attention to facts and to general analogy. That the public were -misled, even for an instant, merely proves the gross ignorance which -is so generally prevalent upon subjects of an astronomical nature. - -The moon's distance from the earth is, in round numbers, 240,000 -miles. If we desire to ascertain how near, apparently, a lens would -bring the satellite (or any distant object), we, of course, have but -to divide the distance by the magnifying or, more strictly, by the -space-penetrating power of the glass. Mr. L. makes his lens have a -power of 42,000 times. By this divide 240,000 (the moon's real -distance), and we have five miles and five sevenths, as the apparent -distance. No animal at all could be seen so far; much less the minute -points particularized in the story. Mr. L. speaks about Sir John -Herschel's perceiving flowers (the Papaver rheas, etc.), and even -detecting the color and the shape of the eyes of small birds. Shortly -before, too, he has himself observed that the lens would not render -perceptible objects of less than eighteen inches in diameter; but -even this, as I have said, is giving the glass by far too great -power. It may be observed, in passing, that this prodigious glass is -said to have been molded at the glasshouse of Messrs. Hartley and -Grant, in Dumbarton; but Messrs. H. and G.'s establishment had ceased -operations for many years previous to the publication of the hoax. - -On page 13, pamphlet edition, speaking of "a hairy veil" over the -eyes of a species of bison, the author says: "It immediately occurred -to the acute mind of Dr. Herschel that this was a providential -contrivance to protect the eyes of the animal from the great extremes -of light and darkness to which all the inhabitants of our side of the -moon are periodically subjected." But this cannot be thought a very -"acute" observation of the Doctor's. The inhabitants of our side of -the moon have, evidently, no darkness at all, so there can be nothing -of the "extremes" mentioned. In the absence of the sun they have a -light from the earth equal to that of thirteen full unclouded moons. - -The topography throughout, even when professing to accord with -Blunt's Lunar Chart, is entirely at variance with that or any other -lunar chart, and even grossly at variance with itself. The points of -the compass, too, are in inextricable confusion; the writer appearing -to be ignorant that, on a lunar map, these are not in accordance with -terrestrial points; the east being to the left, etc. - -Deceived, perhaps, by the vague titles, Mare Nubium, Mare -Tranquillitatis, Mare Faecunditatis, etc., given to the dark spots by -former astronomers, Mr. L. has entered into details regarding oceans -and other large bodies of water in the moon; whereas there is no -astronomical point more positively ascertained than that no such -bodies exist there. In examining the boundary between light and -darkness (in the crescent or gibbous moon) where this boundary -crosses any of the dark places, the line of division is found to be -rough and jagged; but, were these dark places liquid, it would -evidently be even. - -The description of the wings of the man-bat, on page 21, is but a -literal copy of Peter Wilkins' account of the wings of his flying -islanders. This simple fact should have induced suspicion, at least, -it might be thought. - -On page 23, we have the following: "What a prodigious influence must -our thirteen times larger globe have exercised upon this satellite -when an embryo in the womb of time, the passive subject of chemical -affinity!" This is very fine; but it should be observed that no -astronomer would have made such remark, especially to any journal of -Science; for the earth, in the sense intended, is not only thirteen, -but forty-nine times larger than the moon. A similar objection -applies to the whole of the concluding pages, where, by way of -introduction to some discoveries in Saturn, the philosophical -correspondent enters into a minute schoolboy account of that planet --- this to the "Edinburgh journal of Science!" - -But there is one point, in particular, which should have betrayed the -fiction. Let us imagine the power actually possessed of seeing -animals upon the moon's surface -- what would first arrest the -attention of an observer from the earth? Certainly neither their -shape, size, nor any other such peculiarity, so soon as their -remarkable _situation_. They would appear to be walking, with heels -up and head down, in the manner of flies on a ceiling. The _real_ -observer would have uttered an instant ejaculation of surprise -(however prepared by previous knowledge) at the singularity of their -position; the _fictitious_ observer has not even mentioned the -subject, but speaks of seeing the entire bodies of such creatures, -when it is demonstrable that he could have seen only the diameter of -their heads! - -It might as well be remarked, in conclusion, that the size, and -particularly the powers of the man-bats (for example, their ability -to fly in so rare an atmosphere--if, indeed, the moon have any), with -most of the other fancies in regard to animal and vegetable -existence, are at variance, generally, with all analogical reasoning -on these themes; and that analogy here will often amount to -conclusive demonstration. It is, perhaps, scarcely necessary to add, -that all the suggestions attributed to Brewster and Herschel, in the -beginning of the article, about "a transfusion of artificial light -through the focal object of vision," etc., etc., belong to that -species of figurative writing which comes, most properly, under the -denomination of rigmarole. - -There is a real and very definite limit to optical discovery among -the stars--a limit whose nature need only be stated to be understood. -If, indeed, the casting of large lenses were all that is required, -man's ingenuity would ultimately prove equal to the task, and we -might have them of any size demanded. But, unhappily, in proportion -to the increase of size in the lens, and consequently of -space-penetrating power, is the diminution of light from the object, -by diffusion of its rays. And for this evil there is no remedy within -human ability; for an object is seen by means of that light alone -which proceeds from itself, whether direct or reflected. Thus the -only "artificial" light which could avail Mr. Locke, would be some -artificial light which he should be able to throw-not upon the "focal -object of vision," but upon the real object to be viewed-to wit: upon -the moon. It has been easily calculated that, when the light -proceeding from a star becomes so diffused as to be as weak as the -natural light proceeding from the whole of the stars, in a clear and -moonless night, then the star is no longer visible for any practical -purpose. - -The Earl of Ross's telescope, lately constructed in England, has a -_speculum_ with a reflecting surface of 4,071 square inches; the -Herschel telescope having one of only 1,811. The metal of the Earl of -Ross's is 6 feet diameter; it is 5 1/2 inches thick at the edges, and -5 at the centre. The weight is 3 tons. The focal length is 50 feet. - -I have lately read a singular and somewhat ingenious little book, -whose title-page runs thus: "L'Homme dans la lvne ou le Voyage -Chimerique fait au Monde de la Lvne, nouuellement decouuert par -Dominique Gonzales, Aduanturier Espagnol, autremt dit le Courier -volant. Mis en notre langve par J. B. D. A. Paris, chez Francois -Piot, pres la Fontaine de Saint Benoist. Et chez J. Goignard, au -premier pilier de la grand'salle du Palais, proche les Consultations, -MDCXLVII." Pp. 76. - -The writer professes to have translated his work from the English of -one Mr. D'Avisson (Davidson?) although there is a terrible ambiguity -in the statement. "J' en ai eu," says he "l'original de Monsieur -D'Avisson, medecin des mieux versez qui soient aujourd'huy dans la -cnoissance des Belles Lettres, et sur tout de la Philosophic -Naturelle. Je lui ai cette obligation entre les autres, de m' auoir -non seulement mis en main cc Livre en anglois, mais encore le -Manuscrit du Sieur Thomas D'Anan, gentilhomme Eccossois, -recommandable pour sa vertu, sur la version duquel j' advoue que j' -ay tir le plan de la mienne." - -After some irrelevant adventures, much in the manner of Gil Blas, and -which occupy the first thirty pages, the author relates that, being -ill during a sea voyage, the crew abandoned him, together with a -negro servant, on the island of St. Helena. To increase the chances -of obtaining food, the two separate, and live as far apart as -possible. This brings about a training of birds, to serve the purpose -of carrier-pigeons between them. By and by these are taught to carry -parcels of some weight-and this weight is gradually increased. At -length the idea is entertained of uniting the force of a great number -of the birds, with a view to raising the author himself. A machine is -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 -question--a 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 and esteem. I found him well -educated, with unusual powers of mind, but infected with misanthropy, -and subject to perverse moods of alternate enthusiasm and melancholy. -He had with him many books, but rarely employed them. His chief -amusements were gunning and fishing, or sauntering along the beach -and through the myrtles, in quest of shells or entomological -specimens; - his collection of the latter might have been envied by a -Swammerdamm. In these excursions he was usually accompanied by an old -negro, called Jupiter, who had been manumitted before the reverses of -the family, but who could be induced, neither by threats nor by -promises, to abandon what he considered his right of attendance upon -the footsteps of his young "Massa Will." It is not improbable that -the relatives of Legrand, conceiving him to be somewhat unsettled in -intellect, had contrived to instil this obstinacy into Jupiter, with -a view to the supervision and guardianship of the wanderer. - - The winters in the latitude of Sullivan's Island are seldom very -severe, and in the fall of the year it is a rare event indeed when a -fire is considered necessary. About the middle of October, 18-, there -occurred, however, a day of remarkable chilliness. Just before sunset -I scrambled my way through the evergreens to the hut of my friend, -whom I had not visited for several weeks - my residence being, at -that time, in Charleston, a distance of nine miles from the Island, -while the facilities of passage and re-passage were very far behind -those of the present day. Upon reaching the hut I rapped, as was my -custom, and getting no reply, sought for the key where I knew it was -secreted, unlocked the door and went in. A fine fire was blazing upon -the hearth. It was a novelty, and by no means an ungrateful one. I -threw off an overcoat, took an arm-chair by the crackling -logs, and awaited patiently the arrival of my hosts. - - Soon after dark they arrived, and gave me a most cordial welcome. -Jupiter, grinning from ear to ear, bustled about to prepare some -marsh-hens for supper. Legrand was in one of his fits - how else -shall I term them? - of enthusiasm. He had found an unknown bivalve, -forming a new genus, and, more than this, he had hunted down and -secured, with Jupiter's assistance, a scarabus which he believed to -be totally new, but in respect to which he wished to have my opinion -on the morrow. - - "And why not to-night?" I asked, rubbing my hands over the blaze, -and wishing the whole tribe of scarabi at the devil. - - "Ah, if I had only known you were here!" said Legrand, "but it's -so long since I saw you; and how could I foresee that you would pay -me a visit this very night of all others? As I was coming home I met -Lieutenant G--, from the fort, and, very foolishly, I lent him the -bug; so it will be impossible for you to see it until the morning. -Stay here to-night, and I will send Jup down for it at sunrise. It is -the loveliest thing in creation!" - - "What? - sunrise?" - - "Nonsense! no! - the bug. It is of a brilliant gold color - about -the size of a large hickory-nut - with two jet black spots near one -extremity of the back, and another, somewhat longer, at the other. -The antenn are - " - - "Dey aint no tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a tellin on you," -here interrupted Jupiter; "de bug is a goole bug, solid, ebery bit of -him, inside and all, sep him wing - neber feel half so hebby a bug in -my life." - - "Well, suppose it is, Jup," replied Legrand, somewhat more -earnestly, it seemed to me, than the case demanded, "is that any -reason for your letting the birds burn? The color" - here he turned -to me - "is really almost enough to warrant Jupiter's idea. You never -saw a more brilliant metallic lustre than the scales emit - but of -this you cannot judge till tomorrow. In the mean time I can give you -some idea of the shape." Saying this, he seated himself at a small -table, on which were a pen and ink, but no paper. He looked for some -in a drawer, but found none. - - "Never mind," said he at length, "this will answer;" and he -drew from his waistcoat pocket a scrap of what I took to be very -dirty foolscap, and made upon it a rough drawing with the pen. While -he did this, I retained my seat by the fire, for I was still chilly. -When the design was complete, he handed it to me without rising. As I -received it, a loud growl was heard, succeeded by a scratching at the -door. Jupiter opened it, and a large Newfoundland, belonging to -Legrand, rushed in, leaped upon my shoulders, and loaded me with -caresses; for I had shown him much attention during previous visits. -When his gambols were over, I looked at the paper, and, to speak the -truth, found myself not a little puzzled at what my friend had -depicted. - - "Well!" I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, "this is -a strange scarabus, I must confess: new to me: never saw anything -like it before - unless it was a skull, or a death's-head - which it -more nearly resembles than anything else that has come under my -observation." - - "A death's-head!" echoed Legrand -"Oh - yes - well, it has -something of that appearance upon paper, no doubt. The two upper -black spots look like eyes, eh? and the longer one at the bottom like -a mouth - and then the shape of the whole is oval." - - "Perhaps so," said I; "but, Legrand, I fear you are no artist. I -must wait until I see the beetle itself, if I am to form any idea of -its personal appearance." - - "Well, I don't know," said he, a little nettled, "I draw -tolerably - should do it at least - have had good masters, and -flatter myself that I am not quite a blockhead." - - "But, my dear fellow, you are joking then," said I, "this is a -very passable skull - indeed, I may say that it is a very excellent -skull, according to the vulgar notions about such specimens of -physiology - and your scarabus must be the queerest scarabus in the -world if it resembles it. Why, we may get up a very thrilling bit of -superstition upon this hint. I presume you will call the bug -scarabus caput hominis, or something of that kind - there are many -similar titles in the Natural Histories. But where are the antenn -you spoke of?" - - "The antenn!" said Legrand, who seemed to be getting -unaccountably warm upon the subject; "I am sure you must see the -antenn. I made them as distinct as they are in the original insect, -and I presume that is sufficient." - - "Well, well," I said, "perhaps you have - still I don't see -them;" and I handed him the paper without additional remark, not -wishing to ruffle his temper; but I was much surprised at the turn -affairs had taken; his ill humor puzzled me - and, as for the drawing -of the beetle, there were positively no antenn visible, and the -whole did bear a very close resemblance to the ordinary cuts of a -death's-head. - - He received the paper very peevishly, and was about to crumple -it, apparently to throw it in the fire, when a casual glance at the -design seemed suddenly to rivet his attention. In an instant his face -grew violently red - in another as excessively pale. For some minutes -he continued to scrutinize the drawing minutely where he sat. At -length he arose, took a candle from the table, and proceeded to seat -himself upon a sea-chest in the farthest corner of the room. Here -again he made an anxious examination of the paper; turning it in all -directions. He said nothing, however, and his conduct greatly -astonished me; yet I thought it prudent not to exacerbate the growing -moodiness of his temper by any comment. Presently he took from his -coat pocket a wallet, placed the paper carefully in it, and deposited -both in a writing-desk, which he locked. He now grew more composed in -his demeanor; but his original air of enthusiasm had quite -disappeared. Yet he seemed not so much sulky as abstracted. As the -evening wore away he became more and more absorbed in reverie, from -which no sallies of mine could arouse him. It had been my intention -to pass the night at the hut, as I had frequently done before, but, -seeing my host in this mood, I deemed it proper to take leave. He did -not press me to remain, but, as I departed, he shook my hand with -even more than his usual cordiality. - - It was about a month after this (and during the interval I had -seen nothing of Legrand) when I received a visit, at Charleston, from -his man, Jupiter. I had never seen the good old negro look so -dispirited, and I feared that some serious disaster had befallen my -friend. - - "Well, Jup," said I, "what is the matter now? - how is your -master?" - - "Why, to speak de troof, massa, him not so berry well as mought -be." - - "Not well! I am truly sorry to hear it. What does he complain -of?" - - "Dar! dat's it! - him neber plain of notin - but him berry sick -for all dat." - - "Very sick, Jupiter! - why didn't you say so at once? Is he -confined to bed?" - - "No, dat he aint! - he aint find nowhar - dat's just whar de shoe -pinch - my mind is got to be berry hebby bout poor Massa Will." - - "Jupiter, I should like to understand what it is you are talking -about. You say your master is sick. Hasn't he told you what ails -him?" - - "Why, massa, taint worf while for to git mad about de matter - -Massa Will say noffin at all aint de matter wid him - but den what -make him go about looking dis here way, wid he head down and he -soldiers up, and as white as a gose? And den he keep a syphon all de -time - " - - "Keeps a what, Jupiter?" - - "Keeps a syphon wid de figgurs on de slate - de queerest figgurs -I ebber did see. Ise gittin to be skeered, I tell you. Hab for to -keep mighty tight eye pon him noovers. Todder day he gib me slip fore -de sun up and was gone de whole ob de blessed day. I had a big stick -ready cut for to gib him deuced good beating when he did come - but -Ise sich a fool dat I hadn't de heart arter all - he look so berry -poorly." - - "Eh? - what? - ah yes! - upon the whole I think you had better -not be too severe with the poor fellow - don't flog him, Jupiter - he -can't very well stand it - but can you form no idea of what has -occasioned this illness, or rather this change of conduct? Has -anything unpleasant happened since I saw you?" - - "No, massa, dey aint bin noffin unpleasant since den - 'twas fore -den I'm feared - 'twas de berry day you was dare." - - "How? what do you mean?" - - "Why, massa, I mean de bug - dare now." - - "The what?" - - "De bug, - I'm berry sartain dat Massa Will bin bit somewhere -bout de head by dat goole-bug." - - "And what cause have you, Jupiter, for such a supposition?" - - "Claws enuff, massa, and mouth too. I nebber did see sick a -deuced bug - he kick and he bite ebery ting what cum near him. Massa -Will cotch him fuss, but had for to let him go gin mighty quick, I -tell you - den was de time he must ha got de bite. I did n't like de -look oh de bug mouff, myself, no how, so I would n't take hold ob him -wid my finger, but I cotch him wid a piece ob paper dat I found. I -rap him up in de paper and stuff piece ob it in he mouff - dat was de -way." - - "And you think, then, that your master was really bitten by the -beetle, and that the bite made him sick?" - - "I do n't tink noffin about it - I nose it. What make him dream -bout de goole so much, if taint cause he bit by de goole-bug? Ise -heerd bout dem goole-bugs fore dis." - - "But how do you know he dreams about gold?" - - "How I know? why cause he talk about it in he sleep - dat's how I -nose." - - "Well, Jup, perhaps you are right; but to what fortunate -circumstance am I to attribute the honor of a visit from you to-day?" - - "What de matter, massa?" - - "Did you bring any message from Mr. Legrand " - - "No, massa, I bring dis here pissel;" and here Jupiter handed me -a note which ran thus: - - MY DEAR -- - - Why have I not seen you for so long a time? I hope you have not -been so foolish as to take offence at any little _brusquerie_ of -mine; but no, that is improbable. Since I saw you I have had great -cause for anxiety. I have something to tell you, yet scarcely know -how to tell it, or whether I should tell it at all. - - I have not been quite well for some days past, and poor old Jup -annoys me, almost beyond endurance, by his well-meant attentions -Would you believe it? - he had prepared a huge stick, the other day, -with which to chastise me for giving him the slip, and spending the -day, _solus_, among the hills on the main land. I verily believe that -my ill looks alone saved me a flogging. - - I have made no addition to my cabinet since we met. - - If you can, in any way, make it convenient, come over with -Jupiter. _Do_ come. I wish to see you to-_night_, upon business of -importance. I assure you that it is of the _highest_ importance. - - Ever yours, WILLIAM LEGRAND. - - There was something in the tone of this note which gave me great -uneasiness. Its whole style differed materially from that of Legrand. -What could he be dreaming of? What new crotchet possessed his -excitable brain? What "business of the highest importance" could he -possibly have to transact? Jupiter's account of him boded no good. I -dreaded lest the continued pressure of misfortune had, at length, -fairly unsettled the reason of my friend. Without a moment's -hesitation, therefore, I prepared to accompany the negro. - - Upon reaching the wharf, I noticed a scythe and three spades, all -apparently new, lying in the bottom of the boat in which we were to -embark. - - "What is the meaning of all this, Jup?" I inquired. - - "Him syfe, massa, and spade." - - "Very true; but what are they doing here?" - - "Him de syfe and de spade what Massa Will sis pon my buying for -him in de town, and de debbils own lot of money I had to gib for em." - - "But what, in the name of all that is mysterious, is your 'Massa -Will' going to do with scythes and spades?" - - "Dat's more dan I know, and debbil take me if I don't blieve 'tis -more dan he know, too. But it's all cum ob do bug." - - Finding that no satisfaction was to be obtained of Jupiter, whose -whole intellect seemed to be absorbed by "de bug," I now stepped into -the boat and made sail. With a fair and strong breeze we soon ran -into the little cove to the northward of Fort Moultrie, and a walk of -some two miles brought us to the hut. It was about three in the -afternoon when we arrived. Legrand had been awaiting us in eager -expectation. He grasped my hand with a nervous empressement which -alarmed me and strengthened the suspicions already entertained. His -countenance was pale even to ghastliness, and his deep-set eyes -glared with unnatural lustre. After some inquiries respecting his -health, I asked him, not knowing what better to say, if he had yet -obtained the scarabus from Lieutenant G --. - - "Oh, yes," he replied, coloring violently, "I got it from him the -next morning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that scarabus. Do -you know that Jupiter is quite right about it?" - - "In what way?" I asked, with a sad foreboding at heart. - - "In supposing it to be a bug of real gold." He said this with an -air of profound seriousness, and I felt inexpressibly shocked. - - "This bug is to make my fortune," he continued, with a triumphant -smile, "to reinstate me in my family possessions. Is it any wonder, -then, that I prize it? Since Fortune has thought fit to bestow it -upon me, I have only to use it properly and I shall arrive at the -gold of which it is the index. Jupiter; bring me that scarabus!" - - "What! de bug, massa? I'd rudder not go fer trubble dat bug - you -mus git him for your own self." Hereupon Legrand arose, with a grave -and stately air, and brought me the beetle from a glass case in which -it was enclosed. It was a beautiful scarabus, and, at that time, -unknown to naturalists - of course a great prize in a scientific -point of view. There were two round, black spots near one extremity -of the back, and a long one near the other. The scales were -exceedingly hard and glossy, with all the appearance of burnished -gold. The weight of the insect was very remarkable, and, taking all -things into consideration, I could hardly blame Jupiter for his -opinion respecting it; but what to make of Legrand's concordance with -that opinion, I could not, for the life of me, tell. - - "I sent for you," said he, in a grandiloquent tone, when I had -completed my examination of the beetle, "I sent for you, that I might -have your counsel and assistance in furthering the views of Fate and -of the bug" - - - "My dear Legrand," I cried, interrupting him, "you are certainly -unwell, and had better use some little precautions. You shall go to -bed, and I will remain with you a few days, until you get over this. -You are feverish and" - - - "Feel my pulse," said he. - - I felt it, and, to say the truth, found not the slightest -indication of fever. - - "But you may be ill and yet have no fever. Allow me this once to -prescribe for you. In the first place, go to bed. In the next" - - - "You are mistaken," he interposed, "I am as well as I can expect -to be under the excitement which I suffer. If you really wish me -well, you will relieve this excitement." - - "And how is this to be done?" - - "Very easily. Jupiter and myself are going upon an expedition -into the hills, upon the main land, and, in this expedition we shall -need the aid of some person in whom we can confide. You are the only -one we can trust. Whether we succeed or fail, the excitement which -you now perceive in me will be equally allayed." - - "I am anxious to oblige you in any way," I replied; "but do you -mean to say that this infernal beetle has any connection with your -expedition into the hills?" - - "It has." - - "Then, Legrand, I can become a party to no such absurd -proceeding." - - "I am sorry - very sorry - for we shall have to try it by -ourselves." - - "Try it by yourselves! The man is surely mad! - but stay! - how -long do you propose to be absent?" - - "Probably all night. We shall start immediately, and be back, at -all events, by sunrise." - - "And will you promise me, upon your honor, that when this freak -of yours is over, and the bug business (good God!) settled to your -satisfaction, you will then return home and follow my advice -implicitly, as that of your physician?" - - "Yes; I promise; and now let us be off, for we have no time to -lose." - - With a heavy heart I accompanied my friend. We started about four -o'clock - Legrand, Jupiter, the dog, and myself. Jupiter had with him -the scythe and spades - the whole of which he insisted upon carrying -- more through fear, it seemed to me, of trusting either of the -implements within reach of his master, than from any excess of -industry or complaisance. His demeanor was dogged in the extreme, and -"dat deuced bug" were the sole words which escaped his lips during -the journey. For my own part, I had charge of a couple of dark -lanterns, while Legrand contented himself with the scarabus, which -he carried attached to the end of a bit of whip-cord; twirling it to -and fro, with the air of a conjuror, as he went. When I observed this -last, plain evidence of my friend's aberration of mind, I could -scarcely refrain from tears. I thought it best, however, to humor his -fancy, at least for the present, or until I could adopt some more -energetic measures with a chance of success. In the mean time I -endeavored, but all in vain, to sound him in regard to the object of -the expedition. Having succeeded in inducing me to accompany him, he -seemed unwilling to hold conversation upon any topic of minor -importance, and to all my questions vouchsafed no other reply than -"we shall see!" - - We crossed the creek at the head of the island by means of a -skiff; and, ascending the high grounds on the shore of the main land, -proceeded in a northwesterly direction, through a tract of country -excessively wild and desolate, where no trace of a human footstep was -to be seen. Legrand led the way with decision; pausing only for an -instant, here and there, to consult what appeared to be certain -landmarks of his own contrivance upon a former occasion. - - In this manner we journeyed for about two hours, and the sun was -just setting when we entered a region infinitely more dreary than any -yet seen. It was a species of table land, near the summit of an -almost inaccessible hill, densely wooded from base to pinnacle, and -interspersed with huge crags that appeared to lie loosely upon the -soil, and in many cases were prevented from precipitating themselves -into the valleys below, merely by the support of the trees against -which they reclined. Deep ravines, in various directions, gave an air -of still sterner solemnity to the scene. - - The natural platform to which we had clambered was thickly -overgrown with brambles, through which we soon discovered that it -would have been impossible to force our way but for the scythe; and -Jupiter, by direction of his master, proceeded to clear for us a path -to the foot of an enormously tall tulip-tree, which stood, with some -eight or ten oaks, upon the level, and far surpassed them all, and -all other trees which I had then ever seen, in the beauty of its -foliage and form, in the wide spread of its branches, and in the -general majesty of its appearance. When we reached this tree, Legrand -turned to Jupiter, and asked him if he thought he could climb it. The -old man seemed a little staggered by the question, and for some -moments made no reply. At length he approached the huge trunk, walked -slowly around it, and examined it with minute attention. When he had -completed his scrutiny, he merely said, - - "Yes, massa, Jup climb any tree he ebber see in he life." - - "Then up with you as soon as possible, for it will soon be too -dark to see what we are about." - - "How far mus go up, massa?" inquired Jupiter. - - "Get up the main trunk first, and then I will tell you which way -to go - and here - stop! take this beetle with you." - - "De bug, Massa Will! - de goole bug!" cried the negro, drawing -back in dismay - "what for mus tote de bug way up de tree? - d-n if I -do!" - - "If you are afraid, Jup, a great big negro like you, to take hold -of a harmless little dead beetle, why you can carry it up by this -string - but, if you do not take it up with you in some way, I shall -be under the necessity of breaking your head with this shovel." - - "What de matter now, massa?" said Jup, evidently shamed into -compliance; "always want for to raise fuss wid old nigger. Was only -funnin any how. Me feered de bug! what I keer for de bug?" Here he -took cautiously hold of the extreme end of the string, and, -maintaining the insect as far from his person as circumstances would -permit, prepared to ascend the tree. - - In youth, the tulip-tree, or Liriodendron Tulipferum, the most -magnificent of American foresters, has a trunk peculiarly smooth, and -often rises to a great height without lateral branches; but, in its -riper age, the bark becomes gnarled and uneven, while many short -limbs make their appearance on the stem. Thus the difficulty of -ascension, in the present case, lay more in semblance than in -reality. Embracing the huge cylinder, as closely as possible, with -his arms and knees, seizing with his hands some projections, and -resting his naked toes upon others, Jupiter, after one or two narrow -escapes from falling, at length wriggled himself into the first great -fork, and seemed to consider the whole business as virtually -accomplished. The risk of the achievement was, in fact, now over, -although the climber was some sixty or seventy feet from the ground. - - "Which way mus go now, Massa Will?" he asked. - - "Keep up the largest branch - the one on this side," said -Legrand. The negro obeyed him promptly, and apparently with but -little trouble; ascending higher and higher, until no glimpse of his -squat figure could be obtained through the dense foliage which -enveloped it. Presently his voice was heard in a sort of halloo. - - "How much fudder is got for go?" - - "How high up are you?" asked Legrand. - - "Ebber so fur," replied the negro; "can see de sky fru de top ob -de tree." - - "Never mind the sky, but attend to what I say. Look down the -trunk and count the limbs below you on this side. How many limbs have -you passed?" - - "One, two, tree, four, fibe - I done pass fibe big limb, massa, -pon dis side." - - "Then go one limb higher." - - In a few minutes the voice was heard again, announcing that the -seventh limb was attained. - - "Now, Jup," cried Legrand, evidently much excited, "I want you to -work your way out upon that limb as far as you can. If you see -anything strange, let me know." By this time what little doubt I -might have entertained of my poor friend's insanity, was put finally -at rest. I had no alternative but to conclude him stricken with -lunacy, and I became seriously anxious about getting him home. While -I was pondering upon what was best to be done, Jupiter's voice was -again heard. - - "Mos feerd for to ventur pon dis limb berry far - tis dead limb -putty much all de way." - - "Did you say it was a dead limb, Jupiter?" cried Legrand in a -quavering voice. - - "Yes, massa, him dead as de door-nail - done up for sartain - -done departed dis here life." - - "What in the name heaven shall I do?" asked Legrand, seemingly in -the greatest distress. "Do!" said I, glad of an opportunity to -interpose a word, "why come home and go to bed. Come now! - that's a -fine fellow. It's getting late, and, besides, you remember your -promise." - - "Jupiter," cried he, without heeding me in the least, "do you -hear me?" - - "Yes, Massa Will, hear you ebber so plain." - - "Try the wood well, then, with your knife, and see if you think -it very rotten." - - "Him rotten, massa, sure nuff," replied the negro in a few -moments, "but not so berry rotten as mought be. Mought ventur out -leetle way pon de limb by myself, dat's true." - - "By yourself! - what do you mean?" - - "Why I mean de bug. 'Tis berry hebby bug. Spose I drop him down -fuss, and den de limb won't break wid just de weight ob one nigger." - - "You infernal scoundrel!" cried Legrand, apparently much -relieved, "what do you mean by telling me such nonsense as that? As -sure as you drop that beetle I'll break your neck. Look here, -Jupiter, do you hear me?" - - "Yes, massa, needn't hollo at poor nigger dat style." - - "Well! now listen! - if you will venture out on the limb as far -as you think safe, and not let go the beetle, I'll make you a present -of a silver dollar as soon as you get down." - - "I'm gwine, Massa Will - deed I is," replied the negro very -promptly - "mos out to the eend now." - - "Out to the end!" here fairly screamed Legrand, "do you say you -are out to the end of that limb?" - - "Soon be to de eend, massa, - o-o-o-o-oh! Lor-gol-a-marcy! what -is dis here pon de tree?" - - "Well!" cried Legrand, highly delighted, "what is it?" - - "Why taint noffin but a skull - somebody bin lef him head up de -tree, and de crows done gobble ebery bit ob de meat off." - - "A skull, you say! - very well! - how is it fastened to the limb? -- what holds it on?" - - "Sure nuff, massa; mus look. Why dis berry curous sarcumstance, -pon my word - dare's a great big nail in de skull, what fastens ob it -on to de tree." - - "Well now, Jupiter, do exactly as I tell you - do you hear?" - - "Yes, massa." - - "Pay attention, then! - find the left eye of the skull." - - "Hum! hoo! dat's good! why dare aint no eye lef at all." - - "Curse your stupidity! do you know your right hand from your -left?" - - "Yes, I nose dat - nose all bout dat - tis my lef hand what I -chops de wood wid." - - "To be sure! you are left-handed; and your left. eye is on the -same side as your left hand. Now, I suppose, you can find the left -eye of the skull, or the place where the left eye has been. Have you -found it?" - - Here was a long pause. At length the negro asked, - - "Is de lef eye of de skull pon de same side as de lef hand of de -skull, too? - cause de skull aint got not a bit ob a hand at all - -nebber mind! I got de lef eye now - here de lef eye! what mus do wid -it?" - - "Let the beetle drop through it, as far as the string will reach -- but be careful and not let go your hold of the string." - - "All dat done, Massa Will; mighty easy ting for to put de bug fru -de hole - look out for him dare below!" - - During this colloquy no portion of Jupiter's person could be -seen; but the beetle, which he had suffered to descend, was now -visible at the end of the string, and glistened, like a globe of -burnished gold, in the last rays of the setting sun, some of which -still faintly illumined the eminence upon which we stood. The -scarabus hung quite clear of any branches, and, if allowed to fall, -would have fallen at our feet. Legrand immediately took the scythe, -and cleared with it a circular space, three or four yards in -diameter, just beneath the insect, and, having accomplished this, -ordered Jupiter to let go the string and come down from the tree. - - Driving a peg, with great nicety, into the ground, at the precise -spot where the beetle fell, my friend now produced from his pocket a -tape measure. Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk, -of the tree which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached -the peg, and thence farther unrolled it, in the direction already -established by the two points of the tree and the peg, for the -distance of fifty feet - Jupiter clearing away the brambles with the -scythe. At the spot thus attained a second peg was driven, and about -this, as a centre, a rude circle, about four feet in diameter, -described. Taking now a spade himself, and giving one to Jupiter and -one to me, Legrand begged us to set about digging as quickly as -possible. - - To speak the truth, I had no especial relish for such amusement -at any time, and, at that particular moment, would most willingly -have declined it; for the night was coming on, and I felt much -fatigued with the exercise already taken; but I saw no mode of -escape, and was fearful of disturbing my poor friend's equanimity by -a refusal. Could I have depended, indeed, upon Jupiter's aid, I would -have had no hesitation in attempting to get the lunatic home by -force; but I was too well assured of the old negro's disposition, to -hope that he would assist me, under any circumstances, in a personal -contest with his master. I made no doubt that the latter had been -infected with some of the innumerable Southern superstitions about -money buried, and that his phantasy had received confirmation by the -finding of the scarabus, or, perhaps, by Jupiter's obstinacy in -maintaining it to be "a bug of real gold." A mind disposed to lunacy -would readily be led away by such suggestions - especially if chiming -in with favorite preconceived ideas - and then I called to mind the -poor fellow's speech about the beetle's being "the index of his -fortune." Upon the whole, I was sadly vexed and puzzled, but, at -length, I concluded to make a virtue of necessity - to dig with a -good will, and thus the sooner to convince the visionary, by ocular -demonstration, of the fallacy of the opinions he entertained. - - The lanterns having been lit, we all fell to work with a zeal -worthy a more rational cause; and, as the glare fell upon our persons -and implements, I could not help thinking how picturesque a group we -composed, and how strange and suspicious our labors must have -appeared to any interloper who, by chance, might have stumbled upon -our whereabouts. - - We dug very steadily for two hours. Little was said; and our -chief embarrassment lay in the yelpings of the dog, who took -exceeding interest in our proceedings. He, at length, became so -obstreperous that we grew fearful of his giving the alarm to some -stragglers in the vicinity; - or, rather, this was the apprehension -of Legrand; - for myself, I should have rejoiced at any interruption -which might have enabled me to get the wanderer home. The noise was, -at length, very effectually silenced by Jupiter, who, getting out of -the hole with a dogged air of deliberation, tied the brute's mouth up -with one of his suspenders, and then returned, with a grave chuckle, -to his task. - - When the time mentioned had expired, we had reached a depth of -five feet, and yet no signs of any treasure became manifest. A -general pause ensued, and I began to hope that the farce was at an -end. Legrand, however, although evidently much disconcerted, wiped -his brow thoughtfully and recommenced. We had excavated the entire -circle of four feet diameter, and now we slightly enlarged the limit, -and went to the farther depth of two feet. Still nothing appeared. -The gold-seeker, whom I sincerely pitied, at length clambered from -the pit, with the bitterest disappointment imprinted upon every -feature, and proceeded, slowly and reluctantly, to put on his coat, -which he had thrown off at the beginning of his labor. In the mean -time I made no remark. Jupiter, at a signal from his master, began to -gather up his tools. This done, and the dog having been unmuzzled, we -turned in profound silence towards home. - - We had taken, perhaps, a dozen steps in this direction, when, -with a loud oath, Legrand strode up to Jupiter, and seized him by the -collar. The astonished negro opened his eyes and mouth to the fullest -extent, let fall the spades, and fell upon his knees. - - "You scoundrel," said Legrand, hissing out the syllables from -between his clenched teeth - "you infernal black villain! - speak, I -tell you! - answer me this instant, without prevarication! - which - -which is your left eye?" - - "Oh, my golly, Massa Will! aint dis here my lef eye for sartain?" -roared the terrified Jupiter, placing his hand upon his right organ -of vision, and holding it there with a desperate pertinacity, as if -in immediate dread of his master's attempt at a gouge. - - "I thought so! - I knew it! hurrah!" vociferated Legrand, letting -the negro go, and executing a series of curvets and caracols, much to -the astonishment of his valet, who, arising from his knees, looked, -mutely, from his master to myself, and then from myself to his -master. - - "Come! we must go back," said the latter, "the game's not up -yet;" and he again led the way to the tulip-tree. - - "Jupiter," said he, when we reached its foot, "come here! was the -skull nailed to the limb with the face outwards, or with the face to -the limb?" - - "De face was out, massa, so dat de crows could get at de eyes -good, widout any trouble." - - "Well, then, was it this eye or that through which you dropped -the beetle?" - here Legrand touched each of Jupiter's eyes. - - "Twas dis eye, massa - de lef eye - jis as you tell me," and here -it was his right eye that the negro indicated. - - "That will do - must try it again." - - Here my friend, about whose madness I now saw, or fancied that I -saw, certain indications of method, removed the peg which marked the -spot where the beetle fell, to a spot about three inches to the -westward of its former position. Taking, now, the tape measure from -the nearest point of the trunk to the peg, as before, and continuing -the extension in a straight line to the distance of fifty feet, a -spot was indicated, removed, by several yards, from the point at -which we had been digging. - - Around the new position a circle, somewhat larger than in the -former instance, was now described, and we again set to work with the -spades. I was dreadfully weary, but, scarcely understanding what had -occasioned the change in my thoughts, I felt no longer any great -aversion from the labor imposed. I had become most unaccountably -interested - nay, even excited. Perhaps there was something, amid all -the extravagant demeanor of Legrand - some air of forethought, or of -deliberation, which impressed me. I dug eagerly, and now and then -caught myself actually looking, with something that very much -resembled expectation, for the fancied treasure, the vision of which -had demented my unfortunate companion. At a period when such vagaries -of thought most fully possessed me, and when we had been at work -perhaps an hour and a half, we were again interrupted by the violent -howlings of the dog. His uneasiness, in the first instance, had been, -evidently, but the result of playfulness or caprice, but he now -assumed a bitter and serious tone. Upon Jupiter's again attempting to -muzzle him, he made furious resistance, and, leaping into the hole, -tore up the mould frantically with his claws. In a few seconds he had -uncovered a mass of human bones, forming two complete skeletons, -intermingled with several buttons of metal, and what appeared to be -the dust of decayed woollen. One or two strokes of a spade upturned -the blade of a large Spanish knife, and, as we dug farther, three or -four loose pieces of gold and silver coin came to light. - - At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be -restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme -disappointment He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and -the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, -having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay -half buried in the loose earth. - - We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of -more intense excitement. During this interval we had fairly unearthed -an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and -wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing -process - perhaps that of the Bi-chloride of Mercury. This box was -three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet -deep. It was firmly secured by bands of wrought iron, riveted, and -forming a kind of open trelliswork over the whole. On each side of -the chest, near the top, were three rings of iron - six in all - by -means of which a firm hold could be obtained by six persons. Our -utmost united endeavors served only to disturb the coffer very -slightly in its bed. We at once saw the impossibility of removing so -great a weight. Luckily, the sole fastenings of the lid consisted of -two sliding bolts. These we drew back - trembling and panting with -anxiety. In an instant, a treasure of incalculable value lay gleaming -before us. As the rays of the lanterns fell within the pit, there -flashed upwards a glow and a glare, from a confused heap of gold and -of jewels, that absolutely dazzled our eyes. - - I shall not pretend to describe the feelings with which I gazed. -Amazement was, of course, predominant. Legrand appeared exhausted -with excitement, and spoke very few words. Jupiter's -countenance wore, for some minutes, as deadly a pallor as it is -possible, in nature of things, for any negro's visage to assume. He -seemed stupified - thunderstricken. Presently he fell upon his knees -in the pit, and, burying his naked arms up to the elbows in gold, let -them there remain, as if enjoying the luxury of a bath. At length, -with a deep sigh, he exclaimed, as if in a soliloquy, - - "And dis all cum ob de goole-bug! de putty goole bug! de poor -little goole-bug, what I boosed in dat sabage kind ob style! Aint you -shamed ob yourself, nigger? - answer me dat!" - - It became necessary, at last, that I should arouse both master -and valet to the expediency of removing the treasure. It was growing -late, and it behooved us to make exertion, that we might get every -thing housed before daylight. It was difficult to say what should be -done, and much time was spent in deliberation - so confused were the -ideas of all. We, finally, lightened the box by removing two thirds -of its contents, when we were enabled, with some trouble, to raise it -from the hole. The articles taken out were deposited among the -brambles, and the dog left to guard them, with strict orders from -Jupiter neither, upon any pretence, to stir from the spot, nor to -open his mouth until our return. We then hurriedly made for home with -the chest; reaching the hut in safety, but after excessive toil, at -one o'clock in the morning. Worn out as we were, it was not in human -nature to do more immediately. We rested until two, and had supper; -starting for the hills immediately afterwards, armed with three stout -sacks, which, by good luck, were upon the premises. A little before -four we arrived at the pit, divided the remainder of the booty, as -equally as might be, among us, and, leaving the holes unfilled, again -set out for the hut, at which, for the second time, we deposited our -golden burthens, just as the first faint streaks of the dawn gleamed -from over the tree-tops in the East. - - We were now thoroughly broken down; but the intense excitement of -the time denied us repose. After an unquiet slumber of some three or -four hours' duration, we arose, as if by preconcert, to make -examination of our treasure. - - The chest had been full to the brim, and we spent the whole day, -and the greater part of the next night, in a scrutiny of its -contents. There had been nothing like order or arrangement. Every -thing had been heaped in promiscuously. Having assorted all with -care, we found ourselves possessed of even vaster wealth than we had -at first supposed. In coin there was rather more than four hundred -and fifty thousand dollars - estimating the value of the pieces, as -accurately as we could, by the tables of the period. There was not a -particle of silver. All was gold of antique date and of great variety -- French, Spanish, and German money, with a few English guineas, and -some counters, of which we had never seen specimens before. There -were several very large and heavy coins, so worn that we could make -nothing of their inscriptions. There was no American money. The value -of the jewels we found more difficulty in estimating. There were -diamonds - some of them exceedingly large and fine - a hundred and -ten in all, and not one of them small; eighteen rubies of remarkable -brilliancy; - three hundred and ten emeralds, all very beautiful; and -twenty-one sapphires, with an opal. These stones had all been broken -from their settings and thrown loose in the chest. The settings -themselves, which we picked out from among the other gold, appeared -to have been beaten up with hammers, as if to prevent identification. -Besides all this, there was a vast quantity of solid gold ornaments; -- nearly two hundred massive finger and earrings; - rich chains - -thirty of these, if I remember; - eighty-three very large and heavy -crucifixes; - five gold censers of great value; - a prodigious golden -punch bowl, ornamented with richly chased vine-leaves and -Bacchanalian figures; with two sword-handles exquisitely embossed, -and many other smaller articles which I cannot recollect. The weight -of these valuables exceeded three hundred and fifty pounds -avoirdupois; and in this estimate I have not included one hundred and -ninety-seven superb gold watches; three of the number being worth -each five hundred dollars, if one. Many of them were very old, and as -time keepers valueless; the works having suffered, more or less, from -corrosion - but all were richly jewelled and in cases of great worth. -We estimated the entire contents of the chest, that night, at a -million and a half of dollars; and upon the subsequent disposal of -the trinkets and jewels (a few being retained for our own -use), it was found that we had greatly undervalued the treasure. -When, at length, we had concluded our examination, and the intense -excitement of the time had, in some measure, subsided, Legrand, who -saw that I was dying with impatience for a solution of this most -extraordinary riddle, entered into a full detail of all the -circumstances connected with it. - - "You remember;" said he, "the night when I handed you the rough -sketch I had made of the scarabus. You recollect also, that I became -quite vexed at you for insisting that my drawing resembled a -death's-head. When you first made this assertion I thought you were -jesting; but afterwards I called to mind the peculiar spots on the -back of the insect, and admitted to myself that your remark had some -little foundation in fact. Still, the sneer at my graphic powers -irritated me - for I am considered a good artist - and, therefore, -when you handed me the scrap of parchment, I was about to crumple it -up and throw it angrily into the fire." - - "The scrap of paper, you mean," said I. - - "No; it had much of the appearance of paper, and at first I -supposed it to be such, but when I came to draw upon it, I discovered -it, at once, to be a piece of very thin parchment. It was quite -dirty, you remember. Well, as I was in the very act of crumpling it -up, my glance fell upon the sketch at which you had been looking, and -you may imagine my astonishment when I perceived, in fact, the figure -of a death's-head just where, it seemed to me, I had made the drawing -of the beetle. For a moment I was too much amazed to think with -accuracy. I knew that my design was very different in detail from -this - although there was a certain similarity in general outline. -Presently I took a candle, and seating myself at the other end of the -room, proceeded to scrutinize the parchment more closely. Upon -turning it over, I saw my own sketch upon the reverse, just as I had -made it. My first idea, now, was mere surprise at the really -remarkable similarity of outline - at the singular coincidence -involved in the fact, that unknown to me, there should have been a -skull upon the other side of the parchment, immediately beneath my -figure of the scarabus, and that this skull, not only in outline, -but in size, should so closely resemble my drawing. I say -the singularity of this coincidence absolutely stupified me for a -time. This is the usual effect of such coincidences. The mind -struggles to establish a connexion - a sequence of cause and effect - -and, being unable to do so, suffers a species of temporary paralysis. -But, when I recovered from this stupor, there dawned upon me -gradually a conviction which startled me even far more than the -coincidence. I began distinctly, positively, to remember that there -had been no drawing upon the parchment when I made my sketch of the -scarabus. I became perfectly certain of this; for I recollected -turning up first one side and then the other, in search of the -cleanest spot. Had the skull been then there, of course I could not -have failed to notice it. Here was indeed a mystery which I felt it -impossible to explain; but, even at that early moment, there seemed -to glimmer, faintly, within the most remote and secret chambers of my -intellect, a glow-worm-like conception of that truth which last -night's adventure brought to so magnificent a demonstration. I arose -at once, and putting the parchment securely away, dismissed all -farther reflection until I should be alone. - - "When you had gone, and when Jupiter was fast asleep, I betook -myself to a more methodical investigation of the affair. In the first -place I considered the manner in which the parchment had come into my -possession. The spot where we discovered the scarabaeus was on the -coast of the main land, about a mile eastward of the island, and but -a short distance above high water mark. Upon my taking hold of it, it -gave me a sharp bite, which caused me to let it drop. Jupiter, with -his accustomed caution, before seizing the insect, which had flown -towards him, looked about him for a leaf, or something of that -nature, by which to take hold of it. It was at this moment that his -eyes, and mine also, fell upon the scrap of parchment, which I then -supposed to be paper. It was lying half buried in the sand, a corner -sticking up. Near the spot where we found it, I observed the remnants -of the hull of what appeared to have been a ship's long boat. The -wreck seemed to have been there for a very great while; for the -resemblance to boat timbers could scarcely be traced. - - "Well, Jupiter picked up the parchment, wrapped the beetle in it, -and gave it to me. Soon afterwards we turned to go home, and on the -way met Lieutenant G-. I showed him the insect, and he begged me to -let him take it to the fort. Upon my consenting, he thrust it -forthwith into his waistcoat pocket, without the parchment in which -it had been wrapped, and which I had continued to hold in my hand -during his inspection. Perhaps he dreaded my changing my mind, and -thought it best to make sure of the prize at once - you know how -enthusiastic he is on all subjects connected with Natural History. At -the same time, without being conscious of it, I must have deposited -the parchment in my own pocket. - - "You remember that when I went to the table, for the purpose of -making a sketch of the beetle, I found no paper where it was usually -kept. I looked in the drawer, and found none there. I searched my -pockets, hoping to find an old letter, when my hand fell upon the -parchment. I thus detail the precise mode in which it came into my -possession; for the circumstances impressed me with peculiar force. - - "No doubt you will think me fanciful - but I had already -established a kind of connexion. I had put together two links of a -great chain. There was a boat lying upon a sea-coast, and not far -from the boat was a parchment - not a paper - with a skull depicted -upon it. You will, of course, ask 'where is the connexion?' I reply -that the skull, or death's-head, is the well-known emblem of the -pirate. The flag of the death's head is hoisted in all engagements. - - "I have said that the scrap was parchment, and not paper. -Parchment is durable - almost imperishable. Matters of little moment -are rarely consigned to parchment; since, for the mere ordinary -purposes of drawing or writing, it is not nearly so well adapted as -paper. This reflection suggested some meaning - some relevancy - in -the death's-head. I did not fail to observe, also, the form of the -parchment. Although one of its corners had been, by some accident, -destroyed, it could be seen that the original form was oblong. It was -just such a slip, indeed, as might have been chosen for a memorandum -- for a record of something to be long remembered and carefully -preserved." - - "But," I interposed, "you say that the skull was not upon the -parchment when you made the drawing of the beetle. How then do you -trace any connexion between the boat and the skull - since this -latter, according to your own admission, must have been designed (God -only knows how or by whom) at some period subsequent to your -sketching the scarabus?" - - "Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery; although the secret, at -this point, I had comparatively little difficulty in solving. My -steps were sure, and could afford but a single result. I reasoned, -for example, thus: When I drew the scarabus, there was no skull -apparent upon the parchment. When I had completed the drawing I gave -it to you, and observed you narrowly until you returned it. You, -therefore, did not design the skull, and no one else was present to -do it. Then it was not done by human agency. And nevertheless it was -done. "At this stage of my reflections I endeavored to remember, and -did remember, with entire distinctness, every incident which occurred -about the period in question. The weather was chilly (oh rare and -happy accident!), and a fire was blazing upon the hearth. I was -heated with exercise and sat near the table. You, however, had drawn -a chair close to the chimney. Just as I placed the parchment in your -hand, and as you were in the act of in. inspecting it, Wolf, the -Newfoundland, entered, and leaped upon your shoulders. With your left -hand you caressed him and kept him off, while your right, holding the -parchment, was permitted to fall listlessly between your knees, and -in close proximity to the fire. At one moment I thought the blaze had -caught it, and was about to caution you, but, before I could speak, -you had withdrawn it, and were engaged in its examination. When I -considered all these particulars, I doubted not for a moment that -heat had been the agent in bringing to light, upon the parchment, the -skull which I saw designed upon it. You are well aware that chemical -preparations exist, and have existed time out of mind, by means of -which it is possible to write upon either paper or vellum, so that -the characters shall become visible only when subjected to the action -of fire. Zaffre, digested in aqua regia, and diluted with four times -its weight of water, is sometimes employed; a green tint results. The -regulus of cobalt, dissolved in spirit of nitre, gives a red. These -colors disappear at longer or shorter intervals after the material -written upon cools, but again become apparent upon the -re-application of heat. - - "I now scrutinized the death's-head with care. Its outer edges - -the edges of the drawing nearest the edge of the vellum - were far -more distinct than the others. It was clear that the action of the -caloric had been imperfect or unequal. I immediately kindled a fire, -and subjected every portion of the parchment to a glowing heat. At -first, the only effect was the strengthening of the faint lines in -the skull; but, upon persevering in the experiment, there became -visible, at the corner of the slip, diagonally opposite to the spot -in which the death's-head was delineated, the figure of what I at -first supposed to be a goat. A closer scrutiny, however, satisfied me -that it was intended for a kid." - - "Ha! ha!" said I, "to be sure I have no right to laugh at you - a -million and a half of money is too serious a matter for mirth - but -you are not about to establish a third link in your chain - you will -not find any especial connexion between your pirates and a goat - -pirates, you know, have nothing to do with goats; they appertain to -the farming interest." - - "But I have just said that the figure was not that of a goat." - - "Well, a kid then - pretty much the same thing." - - "Pretty much, but not altogether," said Legrand. "You may have -heard of one Captain Kidd. I at once looked upon the figure of the -animal as a kind of punning or hieroglyphical signature. I say -signature; because its position upon the vellum suggested this idea. -The death's-head at the corner diagonally opposite, had, in the same -manner, the air of a stamp, or seal. But I was sorely put out by the -absence of all else - of the body to my imagined instrument - of the -text for my context." - - "I presume you expected to find a letter between the stamp and -the signature." - - "Something of that kind. The fact is, I felt irresistibly -impressed with a presentiment of some vast good fortune impending. I -can scarcely say why. Perhaps, after all, it was rather a desire than -an actual belief; - but do you know that Jupiter's silly words, about -the bug being of solid gold, had a remarkable effect upon my fancy? -And then the series of accidents and coincidences - these were so -very extraordinary. Do you observe how mere an accident it was that -these events should have occurred upon the sole day of all the year -in which it has been, or may be, sufficiently cool for fire, and that -without the fire, or without the intervention of the dog at the -precise moment in which he appeared, I should never have become aware -of the death's-head, and so never the possessor of the treasure?" - - "But proceed - I am all impatience." - - "Well; you have heard, of course, the many stories current - the -thousand vague rumors afloat about money buried, somewhere upon the -Atlantic coast, by Kidd and his associates. These rumors must have -had some foundation in fact. And that the rumors have existed so long -and so continuous, could have resulted, it appeared to me, only from -the circumstance of the buried treasure still remaining entombed. Had -Kidd concealed his plunder for a time, and afterwards reclaimed it, -the rumors would scarcely have reached us in their present unvarying -form. You will observe that the stories told are all about -money-seekers, not about money-finders. Had the pirate recovered his -money, there the affair would have dropped. It seemed to me that some -accident - say the loss of a memorandum indicating its locality - had -deprived him of the means of recovering it, and that this accident -had become known to his followers, who otherwise might never have -heard that treasure had been concealed at all, and who, busying -themselves in vain, because unguided attempts, to regain it, had -given first birth, and then universal currency, to the reports which -are now so common. Have you ever heard of any important treasure -being unearthed along the coast?" - - "Never." - - "But that Kidd's accumulations were immense, is well known. I -took it for granted, therefore, that the earth still held them; and -you will scarcely be surprised when I tell you that I felt a hope, -nearly amounting to certainty, that the parchment so strangely found, -involved a lost record of the place of deposit." - - "But how did you proceed?" - - "I held the vellum again to the fire, after increasing the heat; -but nothing appeared. I now thought it possible that the coating of -dirt might have something to do with the failure; so I carefully -rinsed the parchment by pouring warm water over it, and, -having done this, I placed it in a tin pan, with the skull downwards, -and put the pan upon a furnace of lighted charcoal. In a few minutes, -the pan having become thoroughly heated, I removed the slip, and, to -my inexpressible joy, found it spotted, in several places, with what -appeared to be figures arranged in lines. Again I placed it in the -pan, and suffered it to remain another minute. Upon taking it off, -the whole was just as you see it now." Here Legrand, having re-heated -the parchment, submitted it to my inspection. The following -characters were rudely traced, in a red tint, between the -death's-head and the goat: - -"53305))6*;4826)4)4;806*;48860))85;1-(;:*8-83(88)5* - -;46(;88*96*?;8)*(;485);5*2:*(;4956*2(5*- 4)88*;40692 - -85);)68)4;1(9;48081;8:81;4885;4)485528806*81(9;48; - -(88;4(?34;48)4;161;:188;?;" - - "But," said I, returning him the slip, "I am as much in the dark -as ever. Were all the jewels of Golconda awaiting me upon my solution -of this enigma, I am quite sure that I should be unable to earn -them." - - "And yet," said Legrand, "the solution is by no means so -difficult as you might be lead to imagine from the first hasty -inspection of the characters. These characters, as any one might -readily guess, form a cipher - that is to say, they convey a meaning; -but then, from what is known of Kidd, I could not suppose him capable -of constructing any of the more abstruse cryptographs. I made up my -mind, at once, that this was of a simple species - such, however, as -would appear, to the crude intellect of the sailor, absolutely -insoluble without the key." - - "And you really solved it?" - - "Readily; I have solved others of an abstruseness ten thousand -times greater. Circumstances, and a certain bias of mind, have led me -to take interest in such riddles, and it may well be doubted whether -human ingenuity can construct an enigma of the kind which human -ingenuity may not, by proper application, resolve. In fact, having -once established connected and legible characters, I scarcely gave a -thought to the mere difficulty of developing their import. - - "In the present case - indeed in all cases of secret writing - -the first question regards the language of the cipher; for the -principles of solution, so far, especially, as the more simple -ciphers are concerned, depend upon, and are varied by, the genius of -the particular idiom. In general, there is no alternative but -experiment (directed by probabilities) of every tongue known to him -who attempts the solution, until the true one be attained. But, with -the cipher now before us, all difficulty was removed by the -signature. The pun upon the word 'Kidd' is appreciable in no other -language than the English. But for this consideration I should have -begun my attempts with the Spanish and French, as the tongues in -which a secret of this kind would most naturally have been written by -a pirate of the Spanish main. As it was, I assumed the cryptograph to -be English. - - "You observe there are no divisions between the words. Had there -been divisions, the task would have been comparatively easy. In such -case I should have commenced with a collation and analysis of the -shorter words, and, had a word of a single letter occurred, as is -most likely, (a or I, for example,) I should have considered the -solution as assured. But, there being no division, my first step was -to ascertain the predominant letters, as well as the least frequent. -Counting all, I constructed a table, thus: - - Of the character 8 there are 33. - - ; " 26. - - 4 " 19. - - ) " 16. - - * " 13. - - 5 " 12. - - 6 " 11. - - 1 " 8. - - 0 " 6. - - 9 2 " 5. - - : 3 " 4. - - ? " 3. - - " 2. - - -. " 1. - - "Now, in English, the letter which most frequently occurs is e. -Afterwards, succession runs thus: _a o i d h n r s t u y c f g l m w -b k p q x z_. _E_ predominates so remarkably that an individual -sentence of any length is rarely seen, in which it is not the -prevailing character. - - "Here, then, we leave, in the very beginning, the groundwork for -something more than a mere guess. The general use which may be made -of the table is obvious - but, in this particular cipher, we shall -only very partially require its aid. As our predominant character is -8, we will commence by assuming it as the _e_ of the natural -alphabet. To verify the supposition, let us observe if the 8 be seen -often in couples - for _e_ is doubled with great frequency in English -- in such words, for example, as 'meet,' '.fleet,' 'speed,' 'seen,' -been,' 'agree,' &c. In the present instance we see it doubled no less -than five times, although the cryptograph is brief. - - "Let us assume 8, then, as _e_. Now, of all _words_ in the -language, 'the' is most usual; let us see, therefore, whether there -are not repetitions of any three characters, in the same order of -collocation, the last of them being 8. If we discover repetitions of -such letters, so arranged, they will most probably represent the word -'the.' Upon inspection, we find no less than seven such arrangements, -the characters being ;48. We may, therefore, assume that ; represents -_t_, 4 represents _h_, and 8 represents _e_ - the last being now well -confirmed. Thus a great step has been taken. - - "But, having established a single word, we are enabled to -establish a vastly important point; that is to say, several -commencements and terminations of other words. Let us refer, for -example, to the last instance but one, in which the combination ;48 -occurs - not far from the end of the cipher. We know that the ; -immediately ensuing is the commencement of a word, and, of the six -characters succeeding this 'the,' we are cognizant of no less than -five. Let us set these characters down, thus, by the letters we know -them to represent, leaving a space for the unknown - - -t eeth. - - "Here we are enabled, at once, to discard the 'th,' as forming no -portion of the word commencing with the first t; since, by experiment -of the entire alphabet for a letter adapted to the vacancy, we -perceive that no word can be formed of which this _th_ can be a part. -We are thus narrowed into - -t ee, - -and, going through the alphabet, if necessary, as before, we arrive -at the word 'tree,' as the sole possible reading. We thus gain -another letter, _r_, represented by (, with the words 'the tree' in -juxtaposition. - - "Looking beyond these words, for a short distance, we again see -the combination ;48, and employ it by way of _termination_ to what -immediately precedes. We have thus this arrangement: - -the tree ;4(?34 the, - -or, substituting the natural letters, where known, it reads thus: - -the tree thr?3h the. - - "Now, if, in place of the unknown characters, we leave blank -spaces, or substitute dots, we read thus: - -the tree thr...h the, - -when the word '_through_' makes itself evident at once. But this -discovery gives us three new letters, _o_, _u_ and _g_, represented -by ? and 3. - - "Looking now, narrowly, through the cipher for combinations of -known characters, we find, not very far from the beginning, this -arrangement, - -83(88, or egree, - -which, plainly, is the conclusion of the word 'degree,' and gives us -another letter, _d_, represented by . - - "Four letters beyond the word 'degree,' we perceive the -combination - -;46(;88. - - "Translating the known characters, and representing the unknown -by dots, as before, we read thus: th rtee. an arrangement immediately -suggestive of the word 'thirteen,' and again furnishing us with two -new characters, _i_ and _n_, represented by 6 and *. - - "Referring, now, to the beginning of the cryptograph, we find the -combination, - -53. - - "Translating, as before, we obtain - -good, - -which assures us that the first letter is _A_, and that the first two -words are 'A good.' - - "It is now time that we arrange our key, as far as discovered, in -a tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus: - - 5 represents a - - " d - - 8 " e - - 3 " g - - 4 " h - - 6 " i - - * " n - - " o - - ( " r - - ; " t - - "We have, therefore, no less than ten of the most important -letters represented, and it will be unnecessary to proceed with the -details of the solution. I have said enough to convince you that -ciphers of this nature are readily soluble, and to give you some -insight into the rationale of their development. But be assured that -the specimen before us appertains to the very simplest species of -cryptograph. It now only remains to give you the full translation of -the characters upon the parchment, as unriddled. Here it is: - - " '_A good glass in the bishop's hostel in the devil's seat -forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes northeast and by north main -branch seventh limb east side shoot from the left eye of the -death's-head a bee line from the tree through the shot fifty feet -out_.' " - - "But," said I, "the enigma seems still in as bad a condition as -ever. How is it possible to extort a meaning from all this jargon -about 'devil's seats,' 'death's heads,' and 'bishop's hotels?' " - - "I confess," replied Legrand, "that the matter still wears a -serious aspect, when regarded with a casual glance. My first endeavor -was to divide the sentence into the natural division intended by the -cryptographist." - - "You mean, to punctuate it?" - - "Something of that kind." - - "But how was it possible to effect this?" - - "I reflected that it had been a point with the writer to run his -words together without division, so as to increase the difficulty of -solution. Now, a not over-acute man, in pursuing such an object would -be nearly certain to overdo the matter. When, in the course of his -composition, he arrived at a break in his subject which would -naturally require a pause, or a point, he would be exceedingly apt to -run his characters, at this place, more than usually close together. -If you will observe the MS., in the present instance, you will easily -detect five such cases of unusual crowding. Acting upon this hint, I -made the division thus: 'A good glass in the Bishop's hostel in the -Devil's seat - forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes - northeast and -by north - main branch seventh limb east side - shoot from the left -eye of the death's-head - a bee-line from the tree through the shot -fifty feet out.' " - - "Even this division," said I, "leaves me still in the dark." - - "It left me also in the dark," replied Legrand, "for a few days; -during which I made diligent inquiry, in the neighborhood of -Sullivan's Island, for any building which went by the name of the -'Bishop's Hotel;' for, of course, I dropped the obsolete word -'hostel.' Gaining no information on the subject, I was on the point -of extending my sphere of search, and proceeding in a more systematic -manner, when, one morning, it entered into my head, quite suddenly, -that this 'Bishop's Hostel' might have some reference to an old -family, of the name of Bessop, which, time out of mind, had held -possession of an ancient manor-house, about four miles to the -northward of the Island. I accordingly went over to the plantation, -and re-instituted my inquiries among the older negroes of the place. -At length one of the most aged of the women said that she had heard -of such a place as Bessop's Castle, and thought that she could guide -me to it, but that it was not a castle nor a tavern, but a high rock. - - "I offered to pay her well for her trouble, and, after some -demur, she consented to accompany me to the spot. We found it without -much difficulty, when, dismissing her, I proceeded to examine the -place. The 'castle' consisted of an irregular assemblage of cliffs -and rocks - one of the latter being quite remarkable for its height -as well as for its insulated and artificial appearance I clambered to -its apex, and then felt much at a loss as to what should be next -done. - - "While I was busied in reflection, my eyes fell upon a narrow -ledge in the eastern face of the rock, perhaps a yard below the -summit upon which I stood. This ledge projected about eighteen -inches, and was not more than a foot wide, while a niche in the cliff -just above it, gave it a rude resemblance to one of the hollow-backed -chairs used by our ancestors. I made no doubt that here was the -'devil's seat' alluded to in the MS., and now I seemed to grasp the -full secret of the riddle. - - "The 'good glass,' I knew, could have reference to nothing but a -telescope; for the word 'glass' is rarely employed in any other sense -by seamen. Now here, I at once saw, was a telescope to be used, and a -definite point of view, admitting no variation, from which to use it. -Nor did I hesitate to believe that the phrases, "forty-one degrees -and thirteen minutes,' and 'northeast and by north,' were intended as -directions for the levelling of the glass. Greatly excited by these -discoveries, I hurried home, procured a telescope, and returned to -the rock. - - "I let myself down to the ledge, and found that it was impossible -to retain a seat upon it except in one particular position. This fact -confirmed my preconceived idea. I proceeded to use the glass. Of -course, the 'forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes' could allude to -nothing but elevation above the visible horizon, since the horizontal -direction was clearly indicated by the words, 'northeast and by -north.' This latter direction I at once established by means of a -pocket-compass; then, pointing the glass as nearly at an angle of -forty-one degrees of elevation as I could do it by guess, I moved it -cautiously up or down, until my attention was arrested by a circular -rift or opening in the foliage of a large tree that overtopped its -fellows in the distance. In the centre of this rift I perceived a -white spot, but could not, at first, distinguish what it was. -Adjusting the focus of the telescope, I again looked, and now made it -out to be a human skull. - - "Upon this discovery I was so sanguine as to consider the enigma -solved; for the phrase 'main branch, seventh limb, east side,' could -refer only to the position of the skull upon the tree, while 'shoot -from the left eye of the death's head' admitted, also, of but one -interpretation, in regard to a search for buried treasure. I -perceived that the design was to drop a bullet from the left eye of -the skull, and that a bee-line, or, in other words, a straight line, -drawn from the nearest point of the trunk through 'the shot,' (or the -spot where the bullet fell,) and thence extended to a distance of -fifty feet, would indicate a definite point - and beneath this point -I thought it at least possible that a deposit of value lay -concealed." - - "All this," I said, "is exceedingly clear, and, although -ingenious, still simple and explicit. When you left the Bishop's -Hotel, what then?" - - "Why, having carefully taken the bearings of the tree, I turned -homewards. The instant that I left 'the devil's seat,' however, the -circular rift vanished; nor could I get a glimpse of it afterwards, -turn as I would. What seems to me the chief ingenuity in this whole -business, is the fact (for repeated experiment has convinced me it is -a fact) that the circular opening in question is visible from no -other attainable point of view than that afforded by the narrow ledge -upon the face of the rock. - - "In this expedition to the 'Bishop's Hotel' I had been attended -by Jupiter, who had, no doubt, observed, for some weeks past, the -abstraction of my demeanor, and took especial care not to leave me -alone. But, on the next day, getting up very early, I contrived to -give him the slip, and went into the hills in search of the tree. -After much toil I found it. When I came home at night my valet -proposed to give me a flogging. With the rest of the adventure I -believe you are as well acquainted as myself." - - "I suppose," said I, "you missed the spot, in the first attempt -at digging, through Jupiter's stupidity in letting the bug fall -through the right instead of through the left eye of the skull." - - "Precisely. This mistake made a difference of about two inches -and a half in the 'shot' - that is to say, in the position of the peg -nearest the tree; and had the treasure been beneath the 'shot,' the -error would have been of little moment; but 'the shot,' together with -the nearest point of the tree, were merely two points for the -establishment of a line of direction; of course the error, however -trivial in the beginning, increased as we proceeded with the line, -and by the time we had gone fifty feet, threw us quite off the scent. -But for my deep-seated impressions that treasure was here somewhere -actually buried, we might have had all our labor in vain." - - "But your grandiloquence, and your conduct in swinging the beetle -- how excessively odd! I was sure you were mad. And why did you -insist upon letting fall the bug, instead of a bullet, from the -skull?" - - "Why, to be frank, I felt somewhat annoyed by your evident -suspicions touching my sanity, and so resolved to punish you quietly, -in my own way, by a little bit of sober mystification. For this -reason I swung the beetle, and for this reason I let it fall it from -the tree. An observation of yours about its great weight suggested -the latter idea." - - "Yes, I perceive; and now there is only one point which puzzles -me. What are we to make of the skeletons found in the hole?" - - "That is a question I am no more able to answer than yourself. -There seems, however, only one plausible way of accounting for them - -and yet it is dreadful to believe in such atrocity as my suggestion -would imply. It is clear that Kidd - if Kidd indeed secreted this -treasure, which I doubt not - it is clear that he must have had -assistance in the labor. But this labor concluded, he may have -thought it expedient to remove all participants in his secret. -Perhaps a couple of blows with a mattock were sufficient, while his -coadjutors were busy in the pit; perhaps it required a dozen - who -shall tell?" - -_ - -_ - -~~~ End of Text ~~~ - -========== - - - FOUR BEASTS IN ONE - - THE HOMO-CAMELEOPARD - - Chacun a ses vertus. - --_Crebillon's Xerxes._ - -ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES is very generally looked upon as the Gog of the -prophet Ezekiel. This honor is, however, more properly attributable -to Cambyses, the son of Cyrus. And, indeed, the character of the -Syrian monarch does by no means stand in need of any adventitious -embellishment. His accession to the throne, or rather his usurpation -of the sovereignty, a hundred and seventy-one years before the coming -of Christ; his attempt to plunder the temple of Diana at Ephesus; his -implacable hostility to the Jews; his pollution of the Holy of -Holies; and his miserable death at Taba, after a tumultuous reign of -eleven years, are circumstances of a prominent kind, and therefore -more generally noticed by the historians of his time than the -impious, dastardly, cruel, silly, and whimsical achievements which -make up the sum total of his private life and reputation. - -Let us suppose, gentle reader, that it is now the year of the world -three thousand eight hundred and thirty, and let us, for a few -minutes, imagine ourselves at that most grotesque habitation of man, -the remarkable city of Antioch. To be sure there were, in Syria and -other countries, sixteen cities of that appellation, besides the one -to which I more particularly allude. But ours is that which went by -the name of Antiochia Epidaphne, from its vicinity to the little -village of Daphne, where stood a temple to that divinity. It was -built (although about this matter there is some dispute) by Seleucus -Nicanor, the first king of the country after Alexander the Great, in -memory of his father Antiochus, and became immediately the residence -of the Syrian monarchy. In the flourishing times of the Roman Empire, -it was the ordinary station of the prefect of the eastern provinces; -and many of the emperors of the queen city (among whom may be -mentioned, especially, Verus and Valens) spent here the greater part -of their time. But I perceive we have arrived at the city itself. Let -us ascend this battlement, and throw our eyes upon the town and -neighboring country. - -"What broad and rapid river is that which forces its way, with -innumerable falls, through the mountainous wilderness, and finally -through the wilderness of buildings?" - -That is the Orontes, and it is the only water in sight, with the -exception of the Mediterranean, which stretches, like a broad mirror, -about twelve miles off to the southward. Every one has seen the -Mediterranean; but let me tell you, there are few who have had a peep -at Antioch. By few, I mean, few who, like you and me, have had, at -the same time, the advantages of a modern education. Therefore cease -to regard that sea, and give your whole attention to the mass of -houses that lie beneath us. You will remember that it is now the year -of the world three thousand eight hundred and thirty. Were it later --- for example, were it the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and -forty-five, we should be deprived of this extraordinary spectacle. In -the nineteenth century Antioch is -- that is to say, Antioch will be --- in a lamentable state of decay. It will have been, by that time, -totally destroyed, at three different periods, by three successive -earthquakes. Indeed, to say the truth, what little of its former self -may then remain, will be found in so desolate and ruinous a state -that the patriarch shall have removed his residence to Damascus. This -is well. I see you profit by my advice, and are making the most of -your time in inspecting the premises -- in - --satisfying your eyes - -With the memorials and the things of fame - -That most renown this city.- - -I beg pardon; I had forgotten that Shakespeare will not flourish for -seventeen hundred and fifty years to come. But does not the -appearance of Epidaphne justify me in calling it grotesque? - -"It is well fortified; and in this respect is as much indebted to -nature as to art." - -Very true. - -"There are a prodigious number of stately palaces." - -There are. - -"And the numerous temples, sumptuous and magnificent, may bear -comparison with the most lauded of antiquity." - -All this I must acknowledge. Still there is an infinity of mud huts, -and abominable hovels. We cannot help perceiving abundance of filth -in every kennel, and, were it not for the over-powering fumes of -idolatrous incense, I have no doubt we should find a most intolerable -stench. Did you ever behold streets so insufferably narrow, or houses -so miraculously tall? What gloom their shadows cast upon the ground! -It is well the swinging lamps in those endless colonnades are kept -burning throughout the day; we should otherwise have the darkness of -Egypt in the time of her desolation. - -"It is certainly a strange place! What is the meaning of yonder -singular building? See! it towers above all others, and lies to the -eastward of what I take to be the royal palace." - -That is the new Temple of the Sun, who is adored in Syria under the -title of Elah Gabalah. Hereafter a very notorious Roman Emperor will -institute this worship in Rome, and thence derive a cognomen, -Heliogabalus. I dare say you would like to take a peep at the -divinity of the temple. You need not look up at the heavens; his -Sunship is not there -- at least not the Sunship adored by the -Syrians. That deity will be found in the interior of yonder building. -He is worshipped under the figure of a large stone pillar terminating -at the summit in a cone or pyramid, whereby is denoted Fire. - -"Hark -- behold! -- who can those ridiculous beings be, half naked, -with their faces painted, shouting and gesticulating to the rabble?" - -Some few are mountebanks. Others more particularly belong to the race -of philosophers. The greatest portion, however -- those especially -who belabor the populace with clubs -- are the principal courtiers of -the palace, executing as in duty bound, some laudable comicality of -the king's. - -"But what have we here? Heavens! the town is swarming with wild -beasts! How terrible a spectacle! -- how dangerous a peculiarity!" - -Terrible, if you please; but not in the least degree dangerous. Each -animal if you will take the pains to observe, is following, very -quietly, in the wake of its master. Some few, to be sure, are led -with a rope about the neck, but these are chiefly the lesser or timid -species. The lion, the tiger, and the leopard are entirely without -restraint. They have been trained without difficulty to their present -profession, and attend upon their respective owners in the capacity -of valets-de-chambre. It is true, there are occasions when Nature -asserts her violated dominions; -- but then the devouring of a -man-at-arms, or the throttling of a consecrated bull, is a -circumstance of too little moment to be more than hinted at in -Epidaphne. - -"But what extraordinary tumult do I hear? Surely this is a loud noise -even for Antioch! It argues some commotion of unusual interest." - -Yes -- undoubtedly. The king has ordered some novel spectacle -- some -gladiatorial exhibition at the hippodrome -- or perhaps the massacre -of the Scythian prisoners -- or the conflagration of his new palace --- or the tearing down of a handsome temple -- or, indeed, a bonfire -of a few Jews. The uproar increases. Shouts of laughter ascend the -skies. The air becomes dissonant with wind instruments, and horrible -with clamor of a million throats. Let us descend, for the love of -fun, and see what is going on! This way -- be careful! Here we are in -the principal street, which is called the street of Timarchus. The -sea of people is coming this way, and we shall find a difficulty in -stemming the tide. They are pouring through the alley of Heraclides, -which leads directly from the palace; -- therefore the king is most -probably among the rioters. Yes; -- I hear the shouts of the herald -proclaiming his approach in the pompous phraseology of the East. We -shall have a glimpse of his person as he passes by the temple of -Ashimah. Let us ensconce ourselves in the vestibule of the sanctuary; -he will be here anon. In the meantime let us survey this image. What -is it? Oh! it is the god Ashimah in proper person. You perceive, -however, that he is neither a lamb, nor a goat, nor a satyr, neither -has he much resemblance to the Pan of the Arcadians. Yet all these -appearances have been given -- I beg pardon -- will be given -- by -the learned of future ages, to the Ashimah of the Syrians. Put on -your spectacles, and tell me what it is. What is it? - -"Bless me! it is an ape!" - -True -- a baboon; but by no means the less a deity. His name is a -derivation of the Greek Simia -- what great fools are antiquarians! -But see! -- see! -- yonder scampers a ragged little urchin. Where is -he going? What is he bawling about? What does he say? Oh! he says the -king is coming in triumph; that he is dressed in state; that he has -just finished putting to death, with his own hand, a thousand chained -Israelitish prisoners! For this exploit the ragamuffin is lauding him -to the skies. Hark! here comes a troop of a similar description. They -have made a Latin hymn upon the valor of the king, and are singing it -as they go: - -Mille, mille, mille, - -Mille, mille, mille, - -Decollavimus, unus homo! - -Mille, mille, mille, mille, decollavimus! - -Mille, mille, mille, - -Vivat qui mille mille occidit! - -Tantum vini habet nemo - -Quantum sanguinis effudit!{*1} - -Which may be thus paraphrased: - -A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, - -A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, - -We, with one warrior, have slain! - -A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, a thousand. - -Sing a thousand over again! - -Soho! -- let us sing - -Long life to our king, - -Who knocked over a thousand so fine! - -Soho! -- let us roar, - -He has given us more - -Red gallons of gore - -Than all Syria can furnish of wine! - -"Do you hear that flourish of trumpets?" - -Yes: the king is coming! See! the people are aghast with admiration, -and lift up their eyes to the heavens in reverence. He comes; -- he -is coming; -- there he is! - -"Who? -- where? -- the king? -- do not behold him -- cannot say that -I perceive him." - -Then you must be blind. - -"Very possible. Still I see nothing but a tumultuous mob of idiots -and madmen, who are busy in prostrating themselves before a gigantic -cameleopard, and endeavoring to obtain a kiss of the animal's hoofs. -See! the beast has very justly kicked one of the rabble over -- and -another -- and another -- and another. Indeed, I cannot help admiring -the animal for the excellent use he is making of his feet." - -Rabble, indeed! -- why these are the noble and free citizens of -Epidaphne! Beasts, did you say? -- take care that you are not -overheard. Do you not perceive that the animal has the visage of a -man? Why, my dear sir, that cameleopard is no other than Antiochus -Epiphanes, Antiochus the Illustrious, King of Syria, and the most -potent of all the autocrats of the East! It is true, that he is -entitled, at times, Antiochus Epimanes -- Antiochus the madman -- but -that is because all people have not the capacity to appreciate his -merits. It is also certain that he is at present ensconced in the -hide of a beast, and is doing his best to play the part of a -cameleopard; but this is done for the better sustaining his dignity -as king. Besides, the monarch is of gigantic stature, and the dress -is therefore neither unbecoming nor over large. We may, however, -presume he would not have adopted it but for some occasion of -especial state. Such, you will allow, is the massacre of a thousand -Jews. With how superior a dignity the monarch perambulates on all -fours! His tail, you perceive, is held aloft by his two principal -concubines, Elline and Argelais; and his whole appearance would be -infinitely prepossessing, were it not for the protuberance of his -eyes, which will certainly start out of his head, and the queer color -of his face, which has become nondescript from the quantity of wine -he has swallowed. Let us follow him to the hippodrome, whither he is -proceeding, and listen to the song of triumph which he is commencing: - -Who is king but Epiphanes? - -Say -- do you know? - -Who is king but Epiphanes? - -Bravo! -- bravo! - -There is none but Epiphanes, - -No -- there is none: - -So tear down the temples, - -And put out the sun! - -Well and strenuously sung! The populace are hailing him 'Prince of -Poets,' as well as 'Glory of the East,' 'Delight of the Universe,' -and 'Most Remarkable of Cameleopards.' They have encored his -effusion, and do you hear? -- he is singing it over again. When he -arrives at the hippodrome, he will be crowned with the poetic wreath, -in anticipation of his victory at the approaching Olympics. - -"But, good Jupiter! what is the matter in the crowd behind us?" - -Behind us, did you say? -- oh! ah! -- I perceive. My friend, it is -well that you spoke in time. Let us get into a place of safety as -soon as possible. Here! -- let us conceal ourselves in the arch of -this aqueduct, and I will inform you presently of the origin of the -commotion. It has turned out as I have been anticipating. The -singular appearance of the cameleopard and the head of a man, has, it -seems, given offence to the notions of propriety entertained, in -general, by the wild animals domesticated in the city. A mutiny has -been the result; and, as is usual upon such occasions, all human -efforts will be of no avail in quelling the mob. Several of the -Syrians have already been devoured; but the general voice of the -four-footed patriots seems to be for eating up the cameleopard. 'The -Prince of Poets,' therefore, is upon his hinder legs, running for his -life. His courtiers have left him in the lurch, and his concubines -have followed so excellent an example. 'Delight of the Universe,' -thou art in a sad predicament! 'Glory of the East,' thou art in -danger of mastication! Therefore never regard so piteously thy tail; -it will undoubtedly be draggled in the mud, and for this there is no -help. Look not behind thee, then, at its unavoidable degradation; but -take courage, ply thy legs with vigor, and scud for the hippodrome! -Remember that thou art Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus the -Illustrious! -- also 'Prince of Poets,' 'Glory of the East,' 'Delight -of the Universe,' and 'Most Remarkable of Cameleopards!' Heavens! -what a power of speed thou art displaying! What a capacity for -leg-bail thou art developing! Run, Prince! -- Bravo, Epiphanes! Well -done, Cameleopard! -- Glorious Antiochus! -- He runs! -- he leaps! -- -he flies! Like an arrow from a catapult he approaches the hippodrome! -He leaps! -- he shrieks! -- he is there! This is well; for hadst -thou, 'Glory of the East,' been half a second longer in reaching the -gates of the Amphitheatre, there is not a bear's cub in Epidaphne -that would not have had a nibble at thy carcase. Let us be off -- let -us take our departure! -- for we shall find our delicate modern ears -unable to endure the vast uproar which is about to commence in -celebration of the king's escape! Listen! it has already commenced. -See! -- the whole town is topsy-turvy. - -"Surely this is the most populous city of the East! What a wilderness -of people! what a jumble of all ranks and ages! what a multiplicity -of sects and nations! what a variety of costumes! what a Babel of -languages! what a screaming of beasts! what a tinkling of -instruments! what a parcel of philosophers!" - -Come let us be off. - -"Stay a moment! I see a vast hubbub in the hippodrome; what is the -meaning of it, I beseech you?" - -That? -- oh, nothing! The noble and free citizens of Epidaphne being, -as they declare, well satisfied of the faith, valor, wisdom, and -divinity of their king, and having, moreover, been eye-witnesses of -his late superhuman agility, do think it no more than their duty to -invest his brows (in addition to the poetic crown) with the wreath of -victory in the footrace -- a wreath which it is evident he must -obtain at the celebration of the next Olympiad, and which, therefore, -they now give him in advance. - -~~~ End of Text ~~~ - -Footnotes -- Four Beasts - -{*1} Flavius Vospicus says, that the hymn here introduced was sung by -the rabble upon the occasion of Aurelian, in the Sarmatic war, having -slain, with his own hand, nine hundred and fifty of the enemy. - - -========== - - - THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE - -What song the Syrens sang, or what name Achilles assumed when he hid -himself among women, although puzzling questions, are not beyond -_all_ conjecture. - - --_Sir Thomas Browne._ - - -The mental features discoursed of as the analytical, are, in -themselves, but little susceptible of analysis. We appreciate them -only in their effects. We know of them, among other things, that they -are always to their possessor, when inordinately possessed, a source -of the liveliest enjoyment. As the strong man exults in his physical -ability, delighting in such exercises as call his muscles into -action, so glories the analyst in that moral activity which -_disentangles._ He derives pleasure from even the most trivial -occupations bringing his talent into play. He is fond of enigmas, of -conundrums, of hieroglyphics; exhibiting in his solutions of each a -degree of _acumen_ which appears to the ordinary apprehension -prternatural. His results, brought about by the very soul and -essence of method, have, in truth, the whole air of intuition. - -The faculty of re-solution is possibly much invigorated by -mathematical study, and especially by that highest branch of it -which, unjustly, and merely on account of its retrograde operations, -has been called, as if _par excellence_, analysis. Yet to calculate -is not in itself to analyse. A chess-player, for example, does the -one without effort at the other. It follows that the game of chess, -in its effects upon mental character, is greatly misunderstood. I am -not now writing a treatise, but simply prefacing a somewhat peculiar -narrative by observations very much at random; I will, therefore, -take occasion to assert that the higher powers of the reflective -intellect are more decidedly and more usefully tasked by the -unostentatious game of draughts than by a the elaborate frivolity of -chess. In this latter, where the pieces have different and _bizarre_ -motions, with various and variable values, what is only complex is -mistaken (a not unusual error) for what is profound. The _attention_ -is here called powerfully into play. If it flag for an instant, an -oversight is committed resulting in injury or defeat. The possible -moves being not only manifold but involute, the chances of such -oversights are multiplied; and in nine cases out of ten it is the -more concentrative rather than the more acute player who conquers. In -draughts, on the contrary, where the moves are _unique_ and have but -little variation, the probabilities of inadvertence are diminished, -and the mere attention being left comparatively unemployed, what -advantages are obtained by either party are obtained by superior -_acumen_. To be less abstract - Let us suppose a game of draughts -where the pieces are reduced to four kings, and where, of course, no -oversight is to be expected. It is obvious that here the victory can -be decided (the players being at all equal) only by some _recherch_ -movement, the result of some strong exertion of the intellect. -Deprived of ordinary resources, the analyst throws himself into the -spirit of his opponent, identifies himself therewith, and not -unfrequently sees thus, at a glance, the sole methods (sometime -indeed absurdly simple ones) by which he may seduce into error or -hurry into miscalculation. - -Whist has long been noted for its influence upon what is termed the -calculating power; and men of the highest order of intellect have -been known to take an apparently unaccountable delight in it, while -eschewing chess as frivolous. Beyond doubt there is nothing of a -similar nature so greatly tasking the faculty of analysis. The best -chess-player in Christendom _may_ be little more than the best player -of chess; but proficiency in whist implies capacity for success in -all those more important undertakings where mind struggles with mind. -When I say proficiency, I mean that perfection in the game which -includes a comprehension of _all_ the sources whence legitimate -advantage may be derived. These are not only manifold but multiform, -and lie frequently among recesses of thought altogether inaccessible -to the ordinary understanding. To observe attentively is to remember -distinctly; and, so far, the concentrative chess-player will do very -well at whist; while the rules of Hoyle (themselves based upon the -mere mechanism of the game) are sufficiently and generally -comprehensible. Thus to have a retentive memory, and to proceed by -"the book," are points commonly regarded as the sum total of good -playing. But it is in matters beyond the limits of mere rule that the -skill of the analyst is evinced. He makes, in silence, a host of -observations and inferences. So, perhaps, do his companions; and the -difference in the extent of the information obtained, lies not so -much in the validity of the inference as in the quality of the -observation. The necessary knowledge is that of _what_ to observe. -Our player confines himself not at all; nor, because the game is the -object, does he reject deductions from things external to the game. -He examines the countenance of his partner, comparing it carefully -with that of each of his opponents. He considers the mode of -assorting the cards in each hand; often counting trump by trump, and -honor by honor, through the glances bestowed by their holders upon -each. He notes every variation of face as the play progresses, -gathering a fund of thought from the differences in the expression of -certainty, of surprise, of triumph, or of chagrin. From the manner of -gathering up a trick he judges whether the person taking it can make -another in the suit. He recognises what is played through feint, by -the air with which it is thrown upon the table. A casual or -inadvertent word; the accidental dropping or turning of a card, with -the accompanying anxiety or carelessness in regard to its -concealment; the counting of the tricks, with the order of their -arrangement; embarrassment, hesitation, eagerness or trepidation - -all afford, to his apparently intuitive perception, indications of -the true state of affairs. The first two or three rounds having been -played, he is in full possession of the contents of each hand, and -thenceforward puts down his cards with as absolute a precision of -purpose as if the rest of the party had turned outward the faces of -their own. - -The analytical power should not be confounded with ample ingenuity; -for while the analyst is necessarily ingenious, the ingenious man is -often remarkably incapable of analysis. The constructive or combining -power, by which ingenuity is usually manifested, and to which the -phrenologists (I believe erroneously) have assigned a separate organ, -supposing it a primitive faculty, has been so frequently seen in -those whose intellect bordered otherwise upon idiocy, as to have -attracted general observation among writers on morals. Between -ingenuity and the analytic ability there exists a difference far -greater, indeed, than that between the fancy and the imagination, but -of a character very strictly analogous. It will be found, in fact, -that the ingenious are always fanciful, and the _truly_ imaginative -never otherwise than analytic. - -The narrative which follows will appear to the reader somewhat in the -light of a commentary upon the propositions just advanced. - -Residing in Paris during the spring and part of the summer of 18--, I -there became acquainted with a Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin. This young -gentleman was of an excellent - indeed of an illustrious family, but, -by a variety of untoward events, had been reduced to such poverty -that the energy of his character succumbed beneath it, and he ceased -to bestir himself in the world, or to care for the retrieval of his -fortunes. By courtesy of his creditors, there still remained in his -possession a small remnant of his patrimony; and, upon the income -arising from this, he managed, by means of a rigorous economy, to -procure the necessaries of life, without troubling himself about its -superfluities. Books, indeed, were his sole luxuries, and in Paris -these are easily obtained. - -Our first meeting was at an obscure library in the Rue Montmartre, -where the accident of our both being in search of the same very rare -and very remarkable volume, brought us into closer communion. We saw -each other again and again. I was deeply interested in the little -family history which he detailed to me with all that candor which a -Frenchman indulges whenever mere self is his theme. I was astonished, -too, at the vast extent of his reading; and, above all, I felt my -soul enkindled within me by the wild fervor, and the vivid freshness -of his imagination. Seeking in Paris the objects I then sought, I -felt that the societyof such a man would be to me a treasure beyond -price; and this feeling I frankly confided to him. It was at length -arranged that we should live together during my stay in the city; and -as my worldly circumstances were somewhat less embarrassed than his -own, I was permitted to be at the expense of renting, and furnishing -in a style which suited the rather fantastic gloom of our common -temper, a time-eaten and grotesque mansion, long deserted through -superstitions into which we did not inquire, and tottering to its -fall in a retired and desolate portion of the Faubourg St. Germain. - -Had the routine of our life at this place been known to the world, we -should have been regarded as madmen - although, perhaps, as madmen of -a harmless nature. Our seclusion was perfect. We admitted no -visitors. Indeed the locality of our retirement had been carefully -kept a secret from my own former associates; and it had been many -years since Dupin had ceased to know or be known in Paris. We existed -within ourselves alone. - -It was a freak of fancy in my friend (for what else shall I call it?) -to be enamored of the Night for her own sake; and into this -_bizarrerie_, as into all his others, I quietly fell; giving myself -up to his wild whims with a perfect _abandon_. The sable divinity -would not herself dwell with us always; but we could counterfeit her -presence. At the first dawn of the morning we closed all the messy -shutters of our old building; lighting a couple of tapers which, -strongly perfumed, threw out only the ghastliest and feeblest of -rays. By the aid of these we then busied our souls in dreams - -reading, writing, or conversing, until warned by the clock of the -advent of the true Darkness. Then we sallied forth into the streets -arm in arm, continuing the topics of the day, or roaming far and wide -until a late hour, seeking, amid the wild lights and shadows of the -populous city, that infinity of mental excitement which quiet -observation can afford. - -At such times I could not help remarking and admiring (although from -his rich ideality I had been prepared to expect it) a peculiar -analytic ability in Dupin. He seemed, too, to take an eager delight -in its exercise - if not exactly in its display - and did not -hesitate to confess the pleasure thus derived. He boastedto me, with -a low chuckling laugh, that most men, in respect to himself, wore -windows in their bosoms, and was wont to follow up such assertions by -direct and very startling proofs of his intimate knowledge of my own. -His manner at these moments was frigid and abstract; his eyes were -vacant in expression; while his voice, usually a rich tenor, rose -into a treble which would have sounded petulantly but for the -deliberateness and entire distinctness of the enunciation. Observing -him in these moods, I often dwelt meditatively upon the old -philosophy of the Bi-Part Soul, and amused myself with the fancy of a -double Dupin - the creative and the resolvent. - -Let it not be supposed, from what I have just said, that I am -detailing any mystery, or penning any romance. What I have described -in the Frenchman, was merely the result of an excited, or perhaps of -a diseased intelligence. But of the character of his remarks at the -periods in question an example will best convey the idea. - -We were strolling one night down a long dirty street in the vicinity -of the Palais Royal. Being both, apparently, occupied with thought, -neither of us had spoken a syllable for fifteen minutes at least. All -at once Dupin broke forth with these words: - -"He is a very little fellow, that's true, and would do better for the -_Thtre des Varits_." - -"There can be no doubt of that," I replied unwittingly, and not at -first observing (so much had I been absorbed in reflection) the -extraordinary manner in which the speaker had chimed in with my -meditations. In an instant afterward I recollected myself, and my -astonishment was profound. - -"Dupin," said I, gravely, "this is beyond my comprehension. I do not -hesitate to say that I am amazed, and can scarcely credit my senses. -How was it possible you should know I was thinking of ----- ?" Here I -paused, to ascertain beyond a doubt whether he really knew of whom I -thought. - --- "of Chantilly," said he, "why do you pause? You were remarking to -yourself that his diminutive figure unfitted him for tragedy." - -This was precisely what had formed the subject of my reflections. -Chantilly was a _quondam_ cobbler of the Rue St. Denis, who, becoming -stage-mad, had attempted the _rle_ of Xerxes, in Crbillon's tragedy -so called, and been notoriously Pasquinaded for his pains. - -"Tell me, for Heaven's sake," I exclaimed, "the method - if method -there is - by which you have been enabled to fathom my soul in this -matter." In fact I was even more startled than I would have been -willing to express. - -"It was the fruiterer," replied my friend, "who brought you to the -conclusion that the mender of soles was not of sufficient height for -Xerxes _et id genus omne_." - -"The fruiterer! - you astonish me - I know no fruiterer whomsoever." - -"The man who ran up against you as we entered the street - it may -have been fifteen minutes ago." - -I now remembered that, in fact, a fruiterer, carrying upon his head a -large basket of apples, had nearly thrown me down, by accident, as we -passed from the Rue C ---- into the thoroughfare where we stood; but -what this had to do with Chantilly I could not possibly understand. - -There was not a particle of _charltanerie_ about Dupin. "I will -explain," he said, "and that you may comprehend all clearly, we will -first retrace the course of your meditations, from the moment in -which I spoke to you until that of the _rencontre_ with the fruiterer -in question. The larger links of the chain run thus - Chantilly, -Orion, Dr. Nichols, Epicurus, Stereotomy, the street stones, the -fruiterer." - -There are few persons who have not, at some period of their lives, -amused themselves in retracing the steps by which particular -conclusions of their own minds have been attained. The occupation is -often full of interest and he who attempts it for the first time is -astonished by the apparently illimitable distance and incoherence -between the starting-point and the goal. What, then, must have been -my amazement when I heard the Frenchman speak what he had just -spoken, and when I could not help acknowledging that he had spoken -the truth. He continued: - -"We had been talking of horses, if I remember aright, just before -leaving the Rue C ---- . This was the last subject we discussed. As -we crossed into this street, a fruiterer, with a large basket upon -his head, brushing quickly past us, thrust you upon a pile of paving -stones collected at a spot where the causeway is undergoing repair. -You stepped upon one of the loose fragments, slipped, slightly -strained your ankle, appeared vexed or sulky, muttered a few words, -turned to look at the pile, and then proceeded in silence. I was not -particularly attentive to what you did; but observation has become -with me, of late, a species of necessity. - -"You kept your eyes upon the ground - glancing, with a petulant -expression, at the holes and ruts in the pavement, (so that I saw you -were still thinking of the stones,) until we reached the little alley -called Lamartine, which has been paved, by way of experiment, with -the overlapping and riveted blocks. Here your countenance brightened -up, and, perceiving your lips move, I could not doubt that you -murmured the word 'stereotomy,' a term very affectedly applied to -this species of pavement. I knew that you could not say to yourself -'stereotomy' without being brought to think of atomies, and thus of -the theories of Epicurus; and since, when we discussed this subject -not very long ago, I mentioned to you how singularly, yet with how -little notice, the vague guesses of that noble Greek had met with -confirmation in the late nebular cosmogony, I felt that you could not -avoid casting your eyes upward to the great _nebula_ in Orion, and I -certainly expected that you would do so. You did look up; and I was -now assured that I had correctly followed your steps. But in that -bitter _tirade_ upon Chantilly, which appeared in yesterday's -'_Muse_,' the satirist, making some disgraceful allusions to the -cobbler s change of name upon assuming the buskin, quoted a Latin -line about which we have often conversed. I mean the line - -Perdidit antiquum litera sonum. - -I had told you that this was in reference to Orion, formerly written -Urion; and, from certain pungencies connected with this explanation, -I was aware that you could not have forgotten it. It was clear, -therefore, that you would not fail to combine the two ideas of Orion -and Chantilly. That you did combine them I saw by the character of -the smile which passed over your lips. You thought of the poor -cobbler's immolation. So far, you had been stooping in your gait; but -now I saw you draw yourself up to your full height. I was then sure -that you reflected upon the diminutive figure of Chantilly. At this -point I interrupted your meditations to remark that as, in fact, he -was a very little fellow - that Chantilly - he would do better at the -_Thtre des Varits_." - -Not long after this, we were looking over an evening edition of the -"Gazette des Tribunaux," when the following paragraphs arrested our -attention. - -"EXTRAORDINARY MURDERS. - This morning, about three o'clock, the -inhabitants of the Quartier St. Roch were aroused from sleep by a -succession of terrific shrieks, issuing, apparently, from the fourth -story of a house in the Rue Morgue, known to be in the sole occupancy -of one Madame L'Espanaye, and her daughter Mademoiselle Camille -L'Espanaye. After some delay, occasioned by a fruitless attempt to -procure admission in the usual manner, the gateway was broken in with -a crowbar, and eight or ten of the neighbors entered accompanied by -two _gendarmes_. By this time the cries had ceased; but, as the party -rushed up the first flight of stairs, two or more rough voices in -angry contention were distinguished and seemed to proceed from the -upper part of the house. As the second landing was reached, these -sounds, also, had ceased and everything remained perfectly quiet. The -party spread themselves and hurried from room to room. Upon arriving -at a large back chamber in the fourth story, (the door of which, -being found locked, with the key inside, was forced open,) a -spectacle presented itself which struck every one present not less -with horror than with astonishment. - -"The apartment was in the wildest disorder - the furniture broken and -thrown about in all directions. There was only one bedstead; and from -this the bed had been removed, and thrown into the middle of the -floor. On a chair lay a razor, besmeared with blood. On the hearth -were two or three long and thick tresses of grey human hair, also -dabbled in blood, and seeming to have been pulled out by the roots. -Upon the floor were found four Napoleons, an ear-ring of topaz, three -large silver spoons, three smaller of_ mtal d'Alger_, and two bags, -containing nearly four thousand francs in gold. The drawers of a -_bureau_, which stood in one corner were open, and had been, -apparently, rifled, although many articles still remained in them. A -small iron safe was discovered under the _bed_ (not under the -bedstead). It was open, with the key still in the door. It had no -contents beyond a few old letters, and other papers of little -consequence. - -"Of Madame L'Espanaye no traces were here seen; but an unusual -quantity of soot being observed in the fire-place, a search was made -in the chimney, and (horrible to relate!) the corpse of the -daughter, head downward, was dragged therefrom; it having been thus -forced up the narrow aperture for a considerable distance. The body -was quite warm. Upon examining it, many excoriations were perceived, -no doubt occasioned by the violence with which it had been thrust up -and disengaged. Upon the face were many severe scratches, and, upon -the throat, dark bruises, and deep indentations of finger nails, as -if the deceased had been throttled to death. - -"After a thorough investigation of every portion of the house, -without farther discovery, the party made its way into a small paved -yard in the rear of the building, where lay the corpse of the old -lady, with her throat so entirely cut that, upon an attempt to raise -her, the head fell off. The body, as well as the head, was fearfully -mutilated - the former so much so as scarcely to retain any semblance -of humanity. - -"To this horrible mystery there is not as yet, we believe, the -slightest clew." - -The next day's paper had these additional particulars. - -"_The Tragedy in the Rue Morgue._ Many individuals have been examined -in relation to this most extraordinary and frightful affair. [The -word 'affaire' has not yet, in France, that levity of import which it -conveys with us,] "but nothing whatever has transpired to throw light -upon it. We give below all the material testimony elicited. - -"_Pauline Dubourg_, laundress, deposes that she has known both the -deceased for three years, having washed for them during that period. -The old lady and her daughter seemed on good terms - very -affectionate towards each other. They were excellent pay. Could not -speak in regard to their mode or means of living. Believed that -Madame L. told fortunes for a living. Was reputed to have money put -by. Never met any persons in the house when she called for the -clothes or took them home. Was sure that they had no servant in -employ. There appeared to be no furniture in any part of the building -except in the fourth story. - -"_Pierre Moreau_, tobacconist, deposes that he has been in the habit -of selling small quantities of tobacco and snuff to Madame L'Espanaye -for nearly four years. Was born in the neighborhood, and has always -resided there. The deceased and her daughter had occupied the house -in which the corpses were found, for more than six years. It was -formerly occupied by a jeweller, who under-let the upper rooms to -various persons. The house was the property of Madame L. She became -dissatisfied with the abuse of the premises by her tenant, and moved -into them herself, refusing to let any portion. The old lady was -childish. Witness had seen the daughter some five or six times during -the six years. The two lived an exceedingly retired life - were -reputed to have money. Had heard it said among the neighbors that -Madame L. told fortunes - did not believe it. Had never seen any -person enter the door except the old lady and her daughter, a porter -once or twice, and a physician some eight or ten times. - -"Many other persons, neighbors, gave evidence to the same effect. No -one was spoken of as frequenting the house. It was not known whether -there were any living connexions of Madame L. and her daughter. The -shutters of the front windows were seldom opened. Those in the rear -were always closed, with the exception of the large back room, fourth -story. The house was a good house - not very old. - -"_Isidore Muset_, _gendarme_, deposes that he was called to the house -about three o'clock in the morning, and found some twenty or thirty -persons at the gateway, endeavoring to gain admittance. Forced it -open, at length, with a bayonet - not with a crowbar. Had but little -difficulty in getting it open, on account of its being a double or -folding gate, and bolted neither at bottom not top. The shrieks were -continued until the gate was forced - and then suddenly ceased. They -seemed to be screams of some person (or persons) in great agony - -were loud and drawn out, not short and quick. Witness led the way up -stairs. Upon reaching the first landing, heard two voices in loud and -angry contention - the one a gruff voice, the other much shriller - a -very strange voice. Could distinguish some words of the former, which -was that of a Frenchman. Was positive that it was not a woman's -voice. Could distinguish the words '_sacr_' and '_diable._' The -shrill voice was that of a foreigner. Could not be sure whether it -was the voice of a man or of a woman. Could not make out what was -said, but believed the language to be Spanish. The state of the room -and of the bodies was described by this witness as we described them -yesterday. - -"_Henri Duval_, a neighbor, and by trade a silver-smith, deposes that -he was one of the party who first entered the house. Corroborates the -testimony of Must in general. As soon as they forced an entrance, -they reclosed the door, to keep out the crowd, which collected very -fast, notwithstanding the lateness of the hour. The shrill voice, -this witness thinks, was that of an Italian. Was certain it was not -French. Could not be sure that it was a man's voice. It might have -been a woman's. Was not acquainted with the Italian language. Could -not distinguish the words, but was convinced by the intonation that -the speaker was an Italian. Knew Madame L. and her daughter. Had -conversed with both frequently. Was sure that the shrill voice was -not that of either of the deceased. - -"-- _Odenheimer, restaurateur._ This witness volunteered his -testimony. Not speaking French, was examined through an interpreter. -Is a native of Amsterdam. Was passing the house at the time of the -shrieks. They lasted for several minutes - probably ten. They were -long and loud - very awful and distressing. Was one of those who -entered the building. Corroborated the previous evidence in every -respect but one. Was sure that the shrill voice was that of a man - -of a Frenchman. Could not distinguish the words uttered. They were -loud and quick - unequal - spoken apparently in fear as well as in -anger. The voice was harsh - not so much shrill as harsh. Could not -call it a shrill voice. The gruff voice said repeatedly '_sacr_,' -'_diable_,' and once '_mon Dieu._' - -"_Jules Mignaud_, banker, of the firm of Mignaud et Fils, Rue -Deloraine. Is the elder Mignaud. Madame L'Espanaye had some property. -Had opened an account with his banking house in the spring of the -year - (eight years previously). Made frequent deposits in small -sums. Had checked for nothing until the third day before her death, -when she took out in person the sum of 4000 francs. This sum was paid -in gold, and a clerk went home with the money. - -"_Adolphe Le Bon_, clerk to Mignaud et Fils, deposes that on the day -in question, about noon, he accompanied Madame L'Espanaye to her -residence with the 4000 francs, put up in two bags. Upon the door -being opened, Mademoiselle L. appeared and took from his hands one of -the bags, while the old lady relieved him of the other. He then bowed -and departed. Did not see any person in the street at the time. It is -a bye-street - very lonely. - -"_William Bird_, tailor deposes that he was one of the party who -entered the house. Is an Englishman. Has lived in Paris two years. -Was one of the first to ascend the stairs. Heard the voices in -contention. The gruff voice was that of a Frenchman. Could make out -several words, but cannot now remember all. Heard distinctly -'_sacr_' and '_mon Dieu._' There was a sound at the moment as if of -several persons struggling - a scraping and scuffling sound. The -shrill voice was very loud - louder than the gruff one. Is sure that -it was not the voice of an Englishman. Appeared to be that of a -German. Might have been a woman's voice. Does not understand German. - -"Four of the above-named witnesses, being recalled, deposed that the -door of the chamber in which was found the body of Mademoiselle L. -was locked on the inside when the party reached it. Every thing was -perfectly silent - no groans or noises of any kind. Upon forcing the -door no person was seen. The windows, both of the back and front -room, were down and firmly fastened from within. A door between the -two rooms was closed, but not locked. The door leading from the front -room into the passage was locked, with the key on the inside. A small -room in the front of the house, on the fourth story, at the head of -the passage was open, the door being ajar. This room was crowded with -old beds, boxes, and so forth. These were carefully removed and -searched. There was not an inch of any portion of the house which was -not carefully searched. Sweeps were sent up and down the chimneys. -The house was a four story one, with garrets (_mansardes._) A -trap-door on the roof was nailed down very securely - did not appear -to have been opened for years. The time elapsing between the hearing -of the voices in contention and the breaking open of the room door, -was variously stated by the witnesses. Some made it as short as three -minutes - some as long as five. The door was opened with difficulty. - -"_Alfonzo Garcio_, undertaker, deposes that he resides in the Rue -Morgue. Is a native of Spain. Was one of the party who entered the -house. Did not proceed up stairs. Is nervous, and was apprehensive of -the consequences of agitation. Heard the voices in contention. The -gruff voice was that of a Frenchman. Could not distinguish what was -said. The shrill voice was that of an Englishman - is sure of this. -Does not understand the English language, but judges by the -intonation. - -"_Alberto Montani_, confectioner, deposes that he was among the first -to ascend the stairs. Heard the voices in question. The gruff voice -was that of a Frenchman. Distinguished several words. The speaker -appeared to be expostulating. Could not make out the words of the -shrill voice. Spoke quick and unevenly. Thinks it the voice of a -Russian. Corroborates the general testimony. Is an Italian. Never -conversed with a native of Russia. - -"Several witnesses, recalled, here testified that the chimneys of all -the rooms on the fourth story were too narrow to admit the passage of -a human being. By 'sweeps' were meant cylindrical sweeping brushes, -such as are employed by those who clean chimneys. These brushes were -passed up and down every flue in the house. There is no back passage -by which any one could have descended while the party proceeded up -stairs. The body of Mademoiselle L'Espanaye was so firmly wedged in -the chimney that it could not be got down until four or five of the -party united their strength. - -"_Paul Dumas_, physician, deposes that he was called to view the -bodies about day-break. They were both then lying on the sacking of -the bedstead in the chamber where Mademoiselle L. was found. The -corpse of the young lady was much bruised and excoriated. The fact -that it had been thrust up the chimney would sufficiently account for -these appearances. The throat was greatly chafed. There were several -deep scratches just below the chin, together with a series of livid -spots which were evidently the impression of fingers. The face was -fearfully discolored, and the eye-balls protruded. The tongue had -been partially bitten through. A large bruise was discovered upon the -pit of the stomach, produced, apparently, by the pressure of a knee. -In the opinion of M. Dumas, Mademoiselle L'Espanaye had been -throttled to death by some person or persons unknown. The corpse of -the mother was horribly mutilated. All the bones of the right leg and -arm were more or less shattered. The left _tibia_ much splintered, as -well as all the ribs of the left side. Whole body dreadfully bruised -and discolored. It was not possible to say how the injuries had been -inflicted. A heavy club of wood, or a broad bar of iron - a chair - -any large, heavy, and obtuse weapon would have produced such results, -if wielded by the hands of a very powerful man. No woman could have -inflicted the blows with any weapon. The head of the deceased, when -seen by witness, was entirely separated from the body, and was also -greatly shattered. The throat had evidently been cut with some very -sharp instrument - probably with a razor. - -"_Alexandre Etienne_, surgeon, was called with M. Dumas to view the -bodies. Corroborated the testimony, and the opinions of M. Dumas. - -"Nothing farther of importance was elicited, although several other -persons were examined. A murder so mysterious, and so perplexing in -all its particulars, was never before committed in Paris - if indeed -a murder has been committed at all. The police are entirely at fault -- an unusual occurrence in affairs of this nature. There is not, -however, the shadow of a clew apparent." - -The evening edition of the paper stated that the greatest excitement -still continued in the Quartier St. Roch - that the premises in -question had been carefully re-searched, and fresh examinations of -witnesses instituted, but all to no purpose. A postscript, however, -mentioned that Adolphe Le Bon had been arrested and imprisoned - -although nothing appeared to criminate him, beyond the facts already -detailed. - -Dupin seemed singularly interested in the progress of this affair -- -at least so I judged from his manner, for he made no comments. It was -only after the announcement that Le Bon had been imprisoned, that he -asked me my opinion respecting the murders. - -I could merely agree with all Paris in considering them an insoluble -mystery. I saw no means by which it would be possible to trace the -murderer. - -"We must not judge of the means," said Dupin, "by this shell of an -examination. The Parisian police, so much extolled for _acumen_, are -cunning, but no more. There is no method in their proceedings, beyond -the method of the moment. They make a vast parade of measures; but, -not unfrequently, these are so ill adapted to the objects proposed, -as to put us in mind of Monsieur Jourdain's calling for his -_robe-de-chambre - pour mieux entendre la musique._ The results -attained by them are not unfrequently surprising, but, for the most -part, are brought about by simple diligence and activity. When these -qualities are unavailing, their schemes fail. Vidocq, for example, -was a good guesser and a persevering man. But, without educated -thought, he erred continually by the very intensity of his -investigations. He impaired his vision by holding the object too -close. He might see, perhaps, one or two points with unusual -clearness, but in so doing he, necessarily, lost sight of the matter -as a whole. Thus there is such a thing as being too profound. Truth -is not always in a well. In fact, as regards the more important -knowledge, I do believe that she is invariably superficial. The depth -lies in the valleys where we seek her, and not upon the mountain-tops -where she is found. The modes and sources of this kind of error are -well typified in the contemplation of the heavenly bodies. To look at -a star by glances - to view it in a side-long way, by turning toward -it the exterior portions of the _retina_ (more susceptible of feeble -impressions of light than the interior), is to behold the star -distinctly - is to have the best appreciation of its lustre - a -lustre which grows dim just in proportion as we turn our vision -_fully_ upon it. A greater number of rays actually fall upon the eye -in the latter case, but, in the former, there is the more refined -capacity for comprehension. By undue profundity we perplex and -enfeeble thought; and it is possible to make even Venus herself -vanish from the firmanent by a scrutiny too sustained, too -concentrated, or too direct. - -"As for these murders, let us enter into some examinations for -ourselves, before we make up an opinion respecting them. An inquiry -will afford us amusement," [I thought this an odd term, so applied, -but said nothing] "and, besides, Le Bon once rendered me a service -for which I am not ungrateful. We will go and see the premises with -our own eyes. I know G----, the Prefect of Police, and shall have no -difficulty in obtaining the necessary permission." - -The permission was obtained, and we proceeded at once to the Rue -Morgue. This is one of those miserable thoroughfares which intervene -between the Rue Richelieu and the Rue St. Roch. It was late in the -afternoon when we reached it; as this quarter is at a great distance -from that in which we resided. The house was readily found; for there -were still many persons gazing up at the closed shutters, with an -objectless curiosity, from the opposite side of the way. It was an -ordinary Parisian house, with a gateway, on one side of which was a -glazed watch-box, with a sliding panel in the window, indicating a -_loge de concierge._ Before going in we walked up the street, turned -down an alley, and then, again turning, passed in the rear of the -building - Dupin, meanwhile examining the whole neighborhood, as well -as the house, with a minuteness of attention for which I could see no -possible object. - -Retracing our steps, we came again to the front of the dwelling, -rang, and, having shown our credentials, were admitted by the agents -in charge. We went up stairs - into the chamber where the body of -Mademoiselle L'Espanaye had been found, and where both the deceased -still lay. The disorders of the room had, as usual, been suffered to -exist. I saw nothing beyond what had been stated in the "Gazette des -Tribunaux." Dupin scrutinized every thing - not excepting the bodies -of the victims. We then went into the other rooms, and into the yard; -a _gendarme_ accompanying us throughout. The examination occupied us -until dark, when we took our departure. On our way home my companion -stepped in for a moment at the office of one of the daily papers. - -I have said that the whims of my friend were manifold, and that _Je -les mnagais_: - for this phrase there is no English equivalent. It -was his humor, now, to decline all conversation on the subject of the -murder, until about noon the next day. He then asked me, suddenly, if -I had observed any thing _peculiar_ at the scene of the atrocity. - -There was something in his manner of emphasizing the word "peculiar," -which caused me to shudder, without knowing why. - -"No, nothing _peculiar_," I said; "nothing more, at least, than we -both saw stated in the paper." - -"The 'Gazette,' " he replied, "has not entered, I fear, into the -unusual horror of the thing. But dismiss the idle opinions of this -print. It appears to me that this mystery is considered insoluble, -for the very reason which should cause it to be regarded as easy of -solution - I mean for the _outr_ character of its features. The -police are confounded by the seeming absence of motive - not for the -murder itself - but for the atrocity of the murder. They are puzzled, -too, by the seeming impossibility of reconciling the voices heard in -contention, with the facts that no one was discovered up stairs but -the assassinated Mademoiselle L'Espanaye, and that there were no -means of egress without the notice of the party ascending. The wild -disorder of the room; the corpse thrust, with the head downward, up -the chimney; the frightful mutilation of the body of the old lady; -these considerations, with those just mentioned, and others which I -need not mention, have sufficed to paralyze the powers, by putting -completely at fault the boasted _acumen_, of the government agents. -They have fallen into the gross but common error of confounding the -unusual with the abstruse. But it is by these deviations from the -plane of the ordinary, that reason feels its way, if at all, in its -search for the true. In investigations such as we are now pursuing, -it should not be so much asked 'what has occurred,' as 'what has -occurred that has never occurred before.' In fact, the facility with -which I shall arrive, or have arrived, at the solution of this -mystery, is in the direct ratio of its apparent insolubility in the -eyes of the police." - -I stared at the speaker in mute astonishment. - -"I am now awaiting," continued he, looking toward the door of our -apartment - "I am now awaiting a person who, although perhaps not the -perpetrator of these butcheries, must have been in some measure -implicated in their perpetration. Of the worst portion of the crimes -committed, it is probable that he is innocent. I hope that I am right -in this supposition; for upon it I build my expectation of reading -the entire riddle. I look for the man here - in this room - every -moment. It is true that he may not arrive; but the probability is -that he will. Should he come, it will be necessary to detain him. -Here are pistols; and we both know how to use them when occasion -demands their use." - -I took the pistols, scarcely knowing what I did, or believing what I -heard, while Dupin went on, very much as if in a soliloquy. I have -already spoken of his abstract manner at such times. His discourse -was addressed to myself; but his voice, although by no means loud, -had that intonation which is commonly employed in speaking to some -one at a great distance. His eyes, vacant in expression, regarded -only the wall. - -"That the voices heard in contention," he said, "by the party upon -the stairs, were not the voices of the women themselves, was fully -proved by the evidence. This relieves us of all doubt upon the -question whether the old lady could have first destroyed the daughter -and afterward have committed suicide. I speak of this point chiefly -for the sake of method; for the strength of Madame L'Espanaye would -have been utterly unequal to the task of thrusting her daughter's -corpse up the chimney as it was found; and the nature of the wounds -upon her own person entirely preclude the idea of self-destruction. -Murder, then, has been committed by some third party; and the voices -of this third party were those heard in contention. Let me now advert -- not to the whole testimony respecting these voices - but to what -was _peculiar_ in that testimony. Did you observe any thing peculiar -about it?" - -I remarked that, while all the witnesses agreed in supposing the -gruff voice to be that of a Frenchman, there was much disagreement in -regard to the shrill, or, as one individual termed it, the harsh -voice. - -"That was the evidence itself," said Dupin, "but it was not the -peculiarity of the evidence. You have observed nothing distinctive. -Yet there _was_ something to be observed. The witnesses, as you -remark, agreed about the gruff voice; they were here unanimous. But -in regard to the shrill voice, the peculiarity is - not that they -disagreed - but that, while an Italian, an Englishman, a Spaniard, a -Hollander, and a Frenchman attempted to describe it, each one spoke -of it as that _of a foreigner_. Each is sure that it was not the -voice of one of his own countrymen. Each likens it - not to the voice -of an individual of any nation with whose language he is conversant - -but the converse. The Frenchman supposes it the voice of a Spaniard, -and 'might have distinguished some words _had he been acquainted with -the Spanish._' The Dutchman maintains it to have been that of a -Frenchman; but we find it stated that '_not understanding French this -witness was examined through an interpreter._' The Englishman thinks -it the voice of a German, and '_does not understand German._' The -Spaniard 'is sure' that it was that of an Englishman, but 'judges by -the intonation' altogether, '_as he has no knowledge of the -English._' The Italian believes it the voice of a Russian, but '_has -never conversed with a native of Russia._' A second Frenchman -differs, moreover, with the first, and is positive that the voice was -that of an Italian; but, _not being cognizant of that tongue_, is, -like the Spaniard, 'convinced by the intonation.' Now, how strangely -unusual must that voice have really been, about which such testimony -as this _could_ have been elicited! - in whose _tones_, even, -denizens of the five great divisions of Europe could recognise -nothing familiar! You will say that it might have been the voice of -an Asiatic - of an African. Neither Asiatics nor Africans abound in -Paris; but, without denying the inference, I will now merely call -your attention to three points. The voice is termed by one witness -'harsh rather than shrill.' It is represented by two others to have -been 'quick and _unequal._' No words - no sounds resembling words - -were by any witness mentioned as distinguishable. - -"I know not," continued Dupin, "what impression I may have made, so -far, upon your own understanding; but I do not hesitate to say that -legitimate deductions even from this portion of the testimony - the -portion respecting the gruff and shrill voices - are in themselves -sufficient to engender a suspicion which should give direction to all -farther progress in the investigation of the mystery. I said -'legitimate deductions;' but my meaning is not thus fully expressed. -I designed to imply that the deductions are the _sole_ proper ones, -and that the suspicion arises _inevitably_ from them as the single -result. What the suspicion is, however, I will not say just yet. I -merely wish you to bear in mind that, with myself, it was -sufficiently forcible to give a definite form - a certain tendency - -to my inquiries in the chamber. - -"Let us now transport ourselves, in fancy, to this chamber. What -shall we first seek here? The means of egress employed by the -murderers. It is not too much to say that neither of us believe in -prternatural events. Madame and Mademoiselle L'Espanaye were not -destroyed by spirits. The doers of the deed were material, and -escaped materially. Then how? Fortunately, there is but one mode of -reasoning upon the point, and that mode _must_ lead us to a definite -decision. - Let us examine, each by each, the possible means of -egress. It is clear that the assassins were in the room where -Mademoiselle L'Espanaye was found, or at least in the room adjoining, -when the party ascended the stairs. It is then only from these two -apartments that we have to seek issues. The police have laid bare the -floors, the ceilings, and the masonry of the walls, in every -direction. No _secret_ issues could have escaped their vigilance. -But, not trusting to _their_ eyes, I examined with my own. There -were, then, no secret issues. Both doors leading from the rooms into -the passage were securely locked, with the keys inside. Let us turn -to the chimneys. These, although of ordinary width for some eight or -ten feet above the hearths, will not admit, throughout their extent, -the body of a large cat. The impossibility of egress, by means -already stated, being thus absolute, we are reduced to the windows. -Through those of the front room no one could have escaped without -notice from the crowd in the street. The murderers _must_ have -passed, then, through those of the back room. Now, brought to this -conclusion in so unequivocal a manner as we are, it is not our part, -as reasoners, to reject it on account of apparent impossibilities. It -is only left for us to prove that these apparent 'impossibilities' -are, in reality, not such. - -"There are two windows in the chamber. One of them is unobstructed by -furniture, and is wholly visible. The lower portion of the other is -hidden from view by the head of the unwieldy bedstead which is thrust -close up against it. The former was found securely fastened from -within. It resisted the utmost force of those who endeavored to raise -it. A large gimlet-hole had been pierced in its frame to the left, -and a very stout nail was found fitted therein, nearly to the head. -Upon examining the other window, a similar nail was seen similarly -fitted in it; and a vigorous attempt to raise this sash, failed also. -The police were now entirely satisfied that egress had not been in -these directions. And, _therefore_, it was thought a matter of -supererogation to withdraw the nails and open the windows. - -"My own examination was somewhat more particular, and was so for the -reason I have just given - because here it was, I knew, that all -apparent impossibilities _must_ be proved to be not such in reality. - -"I proceeded to think thus - _ posteriori_. The murderers did escape -from one of these windows. This being so, they could not have -refastened the sashes from the inside, as they were found fastened; - -the consideration which put a stop, through its obviousness, to the -scrutiny of the police in this quarter. Yet the sashes _were_ -fastened. They _must_, then, have the power of fastening themselves. -There was no escape from this conclusion. I stepped to the -unobstructed casement, withdrew the nail with some difficulty and -attempted to raise the sash. It resisted all my efforts, as I had -anticipated. A concealed spring must, I now know, exist; and this -corroboration of my idea convinced me that my premises at least, were -correct, however mysterious still appeared the circumstances -attending the nails. A careful search soon brought to light the -hidden spring. I pressed it, and, satisfied with the discovery, -forbore to upraise the sash. - -"I now replaced the nail and regarded it attentively. A person -passing out through this window might have reclosed it, and the -spring would have caught - but the nail could not have been replaced. -The conclusion was plain, and again narrowed in the field of my -investigations. The assassins _must_ have escaped through the other -window. Supposing, then, the springs upon each sash to be the same, -as was probable, there _must_ be found a difference between the -nails, or at least between the modes of their fixture. Getting upon -the sacking of the bedstead, I looked over the head-board minutely at -the second casement. Passing my hand down behind the board, I readily -discovered and pressed the spring, which was, as I had supposed, -identical in character with its neighbor. I now looked at the nail. -It was as stout as the other, and apparently fitted in the same -manner - driven in nearly up to the head. - -"You will say that I was puzzled; but, if you think so, you must have -misunderstood the nature of the inductions. To use a sporting phrase, -I had not been once 'at fault.' The scent had never for an instant -been lost. There was no flaw in any link of the chain. I had traced -the secret to its ultimate result, - and that result was _the nail._ -It had, I say, in every respect, the appearance of its fellow in the -other window; but this fact was an absolute nullity (conclusive us it -might seem to be) when compared with the consideration that here, at -this point, terminated the clew. 'There _must_ be something wrong,' I -said, 'about the nail.' I touched it; and the head, with about a -quarter of an inch of the shank, came off in my fingers. The rest of -the shank was in the gimlet-hole where it had been broken off. The -fracture was an old one (for its edges were incrusted with rust), and -had apparently been accomplished by the blow of a hammer, which had -partially imbedded, in the top of the bottom sash, the head portion -of the nail. I now carefully replaced this head portion in the -indentation whence I had taken it, and the resemblance to a perfect -nail was complete - the fissure was invisible. Pressing the spring, I -gently raised the sash for a few inches; the head went up with it, -remaining firm in its bed. I closed the window, and the semblance of -the whole nail was again perfect. - -"The riddle, so far, was now unriddled. The assassin had escaped -through the window which looked upon the bed. Dropping of its own -accord upon his exit (or perhaps purposely closed), it had become -fastened by the spring; and it was the retention of this spring which -had been mistaken by the police for that of the nail, - farther -inquiry being thus considered unnecessary. - -"The next question is that of the mode of descent. Upon this point I -had been satisfied in my walk with you around the building. About -five feet and a half from the casement in question there runs a -lightning-rod. From this rod it would have been impossible for any -one to reach the window itself, to say nothing of entering it. I -observed, however, that the shutters of the fourth story were of the -peculiar kind called by Parisian carpenters _ferrades_ - a kind -rarely employed at the present day, but frequently seen upon very old -mansions at Lyons and Bourdeaux. They are in the form of an ordinary -door, (a single, not a folding door) except that the lower half is -latticed or worked in open trellis - thus affording an excellent hold -for the hands. In the present instance these shutters are fully three -feet and a half broad. When we saw them from the rear of the house, -they were both about half open - that is to say, they stood off at -right angles from the wall. It is probable that the police, as well -as myself, examined the back of the tenement; but, if so, in looking -at these _ferrades_ in the line of their breadth (as they must have -done), they did not perceive this great breadth itself, or, at all -events, failed to take it into due consideration. In fact, having -once satisfied themselves that no egress could have been made in this -quarter, they would naturally bestow here a very cursory examination. -It was clear to me, however, that the shutter belonging to the window -at the head of the bed, would, if swung fully back to the wall, reach -to within two feet of the lightning-rod. It was also evident that, by -exertion of a very unusual degree of activity and courage, an -entrance into the window, from the rod, might have been thus -effected. - By reaching to the distance of two feet and a half (we -now suppose the shutter open to its whole extent) a robber might have -taken a firm grasp upon the trellis-work. Letting go, then, his hold -upon the rod, placing his feet securely against the wall, and -springing boldly from it, he might have swung the shutter so as to -close it, and, if we imagine the window open at the time, might even -have swung himself into the room. - -"I wish you to bear especially in mind that I have spoken of a _very_ -unusual degree of activity as requisite to success in so hazardous -and so difficult a feat. It is my design to show you, first, that the -thing might possibly have been accomplished: - but, secondly and -_chiefly_, I wish to impress upon your understanding the _very -extraordinary_ - the almost prternatural character of that agility -which could have accomplished it. - -"You will say, no doubt, using the language of the law, that 'to make -out my case,' I should rather undervalue, than insist upon a full -estimation of the activity required in this matter. This may be the -practice in law, but it is not the usage of reason. My ultimate -object is only the truth. My immediate purpose is to lead you to -place in juxta-position, that _very unusual_ activity of which I have -just spoken with that _very peculiar_ shrill (or harsh) and _unequal_ -voice, about whose nationality no two persons could be found to -agree, and in whose utterance no syllabification could be detected." - -At these words a vague and half-formed conception of the meaning of -Dupin flitted over my mind. I seemed to be upon the verge of -comprehension without power to comprehend - men, at times, find -themselves upon the brink of remembrance without being able, in the -end, to remember. My friend went on with his discourse. - -"You will see," he said, "that I have shifted the question from the -mode of egress to that of ingress. It was my design to convey the -idea that both were effected in the same manner, at the same point. -Let us now revert to the interior of the room. Let us survey the -appearances here. The drawers of the bureau, it is said, had been -rifled, although many articles of apparel still remained within them. -The conclusion here is absurd. It is a mere guess - a very silly one -- and no more. How are we to know that the articles found in the -drawers were not all these drawers had originally contained? Madame -L'Espanaye and her daughter lived an exceedingly retired life - saw -no company - seldom went out - had little use for numerous changes of -habiliment. Those found were at least of as good quality as any -likely to be possessed by these ladies. If a thief had taken any, why -did he not take the best - why did he not take all? In a word, why -did he abandon four thousand francs in gold to encumber himself with -a bundle of linen? The gold _was _abandoned. Nearly the whole sum -mentioned by Monsieur Mignaud, the banker, was discovered, in bags, -upon the floor. I wish you, therefore, to discard from your thoughts -the blundering idea of _motive_, engendered in the brains of the -police by that portion of the evidence which speaks of money -delivered at the door of the house. Coincidences ten times as -remarkable as this (the delivery of the money, and murder committed -within three days upon the party receiving it), happen to all of us -every hour of our lives, without attracting even momentary notice. -Coincidences, in general, are great stumbling-blocks in the way of -that class of thinkers who have been educated to know nothing of the -theory of probabilities - that theory to which the most glorious -objects of human research are indebted for the most glorious of -illustration. In the present instance, had the gold been gone, the -fact of its delivery three days before would have formed something -more than a coincidence. It would have been corroborative of this -idea of motive. But, under the real circumstances of the case, if we -are to suppose gold the motive of this outrage, we must also imagine -the perpetrator so vacillating an idiot as to have abandoned his gold -and his motive together. - -"Keeping now steadily in mind the points to which I have drawn your -attention - that peculiar voice, that unusual agility, and that -startling absence of motive in a murder so singularly atrocious as -this - let us glance at the butchery itself. Here is a woman -strangled to death by manual strength, and thrust up a chimney, head -downward. Ordinary assassins employ no such modes of murder as this. -Least of all, do they thus dispose of the murdered. In the manner of -thrusting the corpse up the chimney, you will admit that there was -something _excessively outr_ - something altogether irreconcilable -with our common notions of human action, even when we suppose the -actors the most depraved of men. Think, too, how great must have been -that strength which could have thrust the body _up_ such an aperture -so forcibly that the united vigor of several persons was found barely -sufficient to drag it _down!_ - -"Turn, now, to other indications of the employment of a vigor most -marvellous. On the hearth were thick tresses - very thick tresses - -of grey human hair. These had been torn out by the roots. You are -aware of the great force necessary in tearing thus from the head even -twenty or thirty hairs together. You saw the locks in question as -well as myself. Their roots (a hideous sight!) were clotted with -fragments of the flesh of the scalp - sure token of the prodigious -power which had been exerted in uprooting perhaps half a million of -hairs at a time. The throat of the old lady was not merely cut, but -the head absolutely severed from the body: the instrument was a mere -razor. I wish you also to look at the _brutal_ ferocity of these -deeds. Of the bruises upon the body of Madame L'Espanaye I do not -speak. Monsieur Dumas, and his worthy coadjutor Monsieur Etienne, -have pronounced that they were inflicted by some obtuse instrument; -and so far these gentlemen are very correct. The obtuse instrument -was clearly the stone pavement in the yard, upon which the victim had -fallen from the window which looked in upon the bed. This idea, -however simple it may now seem, escaped the police for the same -reason that the breadth of the shutters escaped them - because, by -the affair of the nails, their perceptions had been hermetically -sealed against the possibility of the windows having ever been opened -at all. - -"If now, in addition to all these things, you have properly reflected -upon the odd disorder of the chamber, we have gone so far as to -combine the ideas of an agility astounding, a strength superhuman, a -ferocity brutal, a butchery without motive, a _grotesquerie_ in -horror absolutely alien from humanity, and a voice foreign in tone to -the ears of men of many nations, and devoid of all distinct or -intelligible syllabification. What result, then, has ensued? What -impression have I made upon your fancy?" - -I felt a creeping of the flesh as Dupin asked me the question. "A -madman," I said, "has done this deed - some raving maniac, escaped -from a neighboring _Maison de Sant._" - -"In some respects," he replied, "your idea is not irrelevant. But the -voices of madmen, even in their wildest paroxysms, are never found to -tally with that peculiar voice heard upon the stairs. Madmen are of -some nation, and their language, however incoherent in its words, has -always the coherence of syllabification. Besides, the hair of a -madman is not such as I now hold in my hand. I disentangled this -little tuft from the rigidly clutched fingers of Madame L'Espanaye. -Tell me what you can make of it." - -"Dupin!" I said, completely unnerved; "this hair is most unusual - -this is no _human_ hair." - -"I have not asserted that it is," said he; "but, before we decide -this point, I wish you to glance at the little sketch I have here -traced upon this paper. It is a _fac-simile_ drawing of what has been -described in one portion of the testimony as 'dark bruises, and deep -indentations of finger nails,' upon the throat of Mademoiselle -L'Espanaye, and in another, (by Messrs. Dumas and Etienne,) as a -'series of livid spots, evidently the impression of fingers.' - -"You will perceive," continued my friend, spreading out the paper -upon the table before us, "that this drawing gives the idea of a firm -and fixed hold. There is no _slipping_ apparent. Each finger has -retained - possibly until the death of the victim - the fearful grasp -by which it originally imbedded itself. Attempt, now, to place all -your fingers, at the same time, in the respective impressions as you -see them." - -I made the attempt in vain. - -"We are possibly not giving this matter a fair trial," he said. "The -paper is spread out upon a plane surface; but the human throat is -cylindrical. Here is a billet of wood, the circumference of which is -about that of the throat. Wrap the drawing around it, and try the -experiment again." - -I did so; but the difficulty was even more obvious than before. -"This," I said, "is the mark of no human hand." - -"Read now," replied Dupin, "this passage from Cuvier." - -It was a minute anatomical and generally descriptive account of the -large fulvous Ourang-Outang of the East Indian Islands. The gigantic -stature, the prodigious strength and activity, the wild ferocity, and -the imitative propensities of these mammalia are sufficiently well -known to all. I understood the full horrors of the murder at once. - -"The description of the digits," said I, as I made an end of reading, -"is in exact accordance with this drawing. I see that no animal but -an Ourang-Outang, of the species here mentioned, could have impressed -the indentations as you have traced them. This tuft of tawny hair, -too, is identical in character with that of the beast of Cuvier. But -I cannot possibly comprehend the particulars of this frightful -mystery. Besides, there were _two_ voices heard in contention, and -one of them was unquestionably the voice of a Frenchman." - -"True; and you will remember an expression attributed almost -unanimously, by the evidence, to this voice, - the expression, '_mon -Dieu!_' This, under the circumstances, has been justly characterized -by one of the witnesses (Montani, the confectioner,) as an expression -of remonstrance or expostulation. Upon these two words, therefore, I -have mainly built my hopes of a full solution of the riddle. A -Frenchman was cognizant of the murder. It is possible - indeed it is -far more than probable - that he was innocent of all participation in -the bloody transactions which took place. The Ourang-Outang may have -escaped from him. He may have traced it to the chamber; but, under -the agitating circumstances which ensued, he could never have -re-captured it. It is still at large. I will not pursue these guesses -- for I have no right to call them more - since the shades of -reflection upon which they are based are scarcely of sufficient depth -to be appreciable by my own intellect, and since I could not pretend -to make them intelligible to the understanding of another. We will -call them guesses then, and speak of them as such. If the Frenchman -in question is indeed, as I suppose, innocent of this atrocity, this -advertisement which I left last night, upon our return home, at the -office of 'Le Monde,' (a paper devoted to the shipping interest, and -much sought by sailors,) will bring him to our residence." - -He handed me a paper, and I read thus: - -CAUGHT - _In the Bois de Boulogne, early in the morning of the - -inst.,_ (the morning of the murder,) _a very large, tawny -Ourang-Outang of the Bornese species. The owner, (who is ascertained -to be a sailor, belonging to a Maltese vessel,) may have the animal -again, upon identifying it satisfactorily, and paying a few charges -arising from its capture and keeping. Call at No. ---- , Rue ----, -Faubourg St. Germain - au troisime._ - -"How was it possible," I asked, "that you should know the man to be a -sailor, and belonging to a Maltese vessel?" - -"I do _not_ know it," said Dupin. "I am not _sure_ of it. Here, -however, is a small piece of ribbon, which from its form, and from -its greasy appearance, has evidently been used in tying the hair in -one of those long _queues_ of which sailors are so fond. Moreover, -this knot is one which few besides sailors can tie, and is peculiar -to the Maltese. I picked the ribbon up at the foot of the -lightning-rod. It could not have belonged to either of the deceased. -Now if, after all, I am wrong in my induction from this ribbon, that -the Frenchman was a sailor belonging to a Maltese vessel, still I can -have done no harm in saying what I did in the advertisement. If I am -in error, he will merely suppose that I have been misled by some -circumstance into which he will not take the trouble to inquire. But -if I am right, a great point is gained. Cognizant although innocent -of the murder, the Frenchman will naturally hesitate about replying -to the advertisement - about demanding the Ourang-Outang. He will -reason thus: - 'I am innocent; I am poor; my Ourang-Outang is of -great value - to one in my circumstances a fortune of itself - why -should I lose it through idle apprehensions of danger? Here it is, -within my grasp. It was found in the Bois de Boulogne - at a vast -distance from the scene of that butchery. How can it ever be -suspected that a brute beast should have done the deed? The police -are at fault - they have failed to procure the slightest clew. Should -they even trace the animal, it would be impossible to prove me -cognizant of the murder, or to implicate me in guilt on account of -that cognizance. Above all, _I am known._ The advertiser designates -me as the possessor of the beast. I am not sure to what limit his -knowledge may extend. Should I avoid claiming a property of so great -value, which it is known that I possess, I will render the animal at -least, liable to suspicion. It is not my policy to attract attention -either to myself or to the beast. I will answer the advertisement, -get the Ourang-Outang, and keep it close until this matter has blown -over.' " - -At this moment we heard a step upon the stairs. - -"Be ready," said Dupin, "with your pistols, but neither use them nor -show them until at a signal from myself." - -The front door of the house had been left open, and the visiter had -entered, without ringing, and advanced several steps upon the -staircase. Now, however, he seemed to hesitate. Presently we heard -him descending. Dupin was moving quickly to the door, when we again -heard him coming up. He did not turn back a second time, but stepped -up with decision, and rapped at the door of our chamber. - -"Come in," said Dupin, in a cheerful and hearty tone. - -A man entered. He was a sailor, evidently, - a tall, stout, and -muscular-looking person, with a certain dare-devil expression of -countenance, not altogether unprepossessing. His face, greatly -sunburnt, was more than half hidden by whisker and _mustachio._ He -had with him a huge oaken cudgel, but appeared to be otherwise -unarmed. He bowed awkwardly, and bade us "good evening," in French -accents, which, although somewhat Neufchatelish, were still -sufficiently indicative of a Parisian origin. - -"Sit down, my freind," said Dupin. "I suppose you have called about -the Ourang-Outang. Upon my word, I almost envy you the possession of -him; a remarkably fine, and no doubt a very valuable animal. How old -do you suppose him to be?" - -The sailor drew a long breath, with the air of a man relieved of some -intolerable burden, and then replied, in an assured tone: - -"I have no way of telling - but he can't be more than four or five -years old. Have you got him here?" - -"Oh no, we had no conveniences for keeping him here. He is at a -livery stable in the Rue Dubourg, just by. You can get him in the -morning. Of course you are prepared to identify the property?" - -"To be sure I am, sir." - -"I shall be sorry to part with him," said Dupin. - -"I don't mean that you should be at all this trouble for nothing, -sir," said the man. "Couldn't expect it. Am very willing to pay a -reward for the finding of the animal - that is to say, any thing in -reason." - -"Well," replied my friend, "that is all very fair, to be sure. Let me -think! - what should I have? Oh! I will tell you. My reward shall be -this. You shall give me all the information in your power about these -murders in the Rue Morgue." - -Dupin said the last words in a very low tone, and very quietly. Just -as quietly, too, he walked toward the door, locked it and put the key -in his pocket. He then drew a pistol from his bosom and placed it, -without the least flurry, upon the table. - -The sailor's face flushed up as if he were struggling with -suffocation. He started to his feet and grasped his cudgel, but the -next moment he fell back into his seat, trembling violently, and with -the countenance of death itself. He spoke not a word. I pitied him -from the bottom of my heart. - -"My friend," said Dupin, in a kind tone, "you are alarming yourself -unnecessarily - you are indeed. We mean you no harm whatever. I -pledge you the honor of a gentleman, and of a Frenchman, that we -intend you no injury. I perfectly well know that you are innocent of -the atrocities in the Rue Morgue. It will not do, however, to deny -that you are in some measure implicated in them. From what I have -already said, you must know that I have had means of information -about this matter - means of which you could never have dreamed. Now -the thing stands thus. You have done nothing which you could have -avoided - nothing, certainly, which renders you culpable. You were -not even guilty of robbery, when you might have robbed with impunity. -You have nothing to conceal. You have no reason for concealment. On -the other hand, you are bound by every principle of honor to confess -all you know. An innocent man is now imprisoned, charged with that -crime of which you can point out the perpetrator." - -The sailor had recovered his presence of mind, in a great measure, -while Dupin uttered these words; but his original boldness of bearing -was all gone. - -"So help me God," said he, after a brief pause, "I will tell you all -I know about this affair; - but I do not expect you to believe one -half I say - I would be a fool indeed if I did. Still, I am innocent, -and I will make a clean breast if I die for it." - -What he stated was, in substance, this. He had lately made a voyage -to the Indian Archipelago. A party, of which he formed one, landed at -Borneo, and passed into the interior on an excursion of pleasure. -Himself and a companion had captured the Ourang- Outang. This -companion dying, the animal fell into his own exclusive possession. -After great trouble, occasioned by the intractable ferocity of his -captive during the home voyage, he at length succeeded in lodging it -safely at his own residence in Paris, where, not to attract toward -himself the unpleasant curiosity of his neighbors, he kept it -carefully secluded, until such time as it should recover from a wound -in the foot, received from a splinter on board ship. His ultimate -design was to sell it. - -Returning home from some sailors' frolic the night, or rather in the -morning of the murder, he found the beast occupying his own bed-room, -into which it had broken from a closet adjoining, where it had been, -as was thought, securely confined. Razor in hand, and fully lathered, -it was sitting before a looking-glass, attempting the operation of -shaving, in which it had no doubt previously watched its master -through the key-hole of the closet. Terrified at the sight of so -dangerous a weapon in the possession of an animal so ferocious, and -so well able to use it, the man, for some moments, was at a loss what -to do. He had been accustomed, however, to quiet the creature, even -in its fiercest moods, by the use of a whip, and to this he now -resorted. Upon sight of it, the Ourang-Outang sprang at once through -the door of the chamber, down the stairs, and thence, through a -window, unfortunately open, into the street. - -The Frenchman followed in despair; the ape, razor still in hand, -occasionally stopping to look back and gesticulate at its pursuer, -until the latter had nearly come up with it. It then again made off. -In this manner the chase continued for a long time. The streets were -profoundly quiet, as it was nearly three o'clock in the morning. In -passing down an alley in the rear of the Rue Morgue, the fugitive's -attention was arrested by a light gleaming from the open window of -Madame L'Espanaye's chamber, in the fourth story of her house. -Rushing to the building, it perceived the lightning rod, clambered up -with inconceivable agility, grasped the shutter, which was thrown -fully back against the wall, and, by its means, swung itself directly -upon the headboard of the bed. The whole feat did not occupy a -minute. The shutter was kicked open again by the Ourang-Outang as it -entered the room. - -The sailor, in the meantime, was both rejoiced and perplexed. He had -strong hopes of now recapturing the brute, as it could scarcely -escape from the trap into which it had ventured, except by the rod, -where it might be intercepted as it came down. On the other hand, -there was much cause for anxiety as to what it might do in the house. -This latter reflection urged the man still to follow the fugitive. A -lightning rod is ascended without difficulty, especially by a sailor; -but, when he had arrived as high as the window, which lay far to his -left, his career was stopped; the most that he could accomplish was -to reach over so as to obtain a glimpse of the interior of the room. -At this glimpse he nearly fell from his hold through excess of -horror. Now it was that those hideous shrieks arose upon the night, -which had startled from slumber the inmates of the Rue Morgue. Madame -L'Espanaye and her daughter, habited in their night clothes, had -apparently been occupied in arranging some papers in the iron chest -already mentioned, which had been wheeled into the middle of the -room. It was open, and its contents lay beside it on the floor. The -victims must have been sitting with their backs toward the window; -and, from the time elapsing between the ingress of the beast and the -screams, it seems probable that it was not immediately perceived. The -flapping-to of the shutter would naturally have been attributed to -the wind. - -As the sailor looked in, the gigantic animal had seized Madame -L'Espanaye by the hair, (which was loose, as she had been combing -it,) and was flourishing the razor about her face, in imitation of -the motions of a barber. The daughter lay prostrate and motionless; -she had swooned. The screams and struggles of the old lady (during -which the hair was torn from her head) had the effect of changing the -probably pacific purposes of the Ourang-Outang into those of wrath. -With one determined sweep of its muscular arm it nearly severed her -head from her body. The sight of blood inflamed its anger into -phrenzy. Gnashing its teeth, and flashing fire from its eyes, it flew -upon the body of the girl, and imbedded its fearful talons in her -throat, retaining its grasp until she expired. Its wandering and wild -glances fell at this moment upon the head of the bed, over which the -face of its master, rigid with horror, was just discernible. The fury -of the beast, who no doubt bore still in mind the dreaded whip, was -instantly converted into fear. Conscious of having deserved -punishment, it seemed desirous of concealing its bloody deeds, and -skipped about the chamber in an agony of nervous agitation; throwing -down and breaking the furniture as it moved, and dragging the bed -from the bedstead. In conclusion, it seized first the corpse of the -daughter, and thrust it up the chimney, as it was found; then that of -the old lady, which it immediately hurled through the window -headlong. - -As the ape approached the casement with its mutilated burden, the -sailor shrank aghast to the rod, and, rather gliding than clambering -down it, hurried at once home - dreading the consequences of the -butchery, and gladly abandoning, in his terror, all solicitude about -the fate of the Ourang-Outang. The words heard by the party upon the -staircase were the Frenchman's exclamations of horror and affright, -commingled with the fiendish jabberings of the brute. - -I have scarcely anything to add. The Ourang-Outang must have escaped -from the chamber, by the rod, just before the break of the door. It -must have closed the window as it passed through it. It was -subsequently caught by the owner himself, who obtained for it a very -large sum at the _Jardin des Plantes._ Le Don was instantly released, -upon our narration of the circumstances (with some comments from -Dupin) at the bureau of the Prefect of Police. This functionary, -however well disposed to my friend, could not altogether conceal his -chagrin at the turn which affairs had taken, and was fain to indulge -in a sarcasm or two, about the propriety of every person minding his -own business. - -"Let him talk," said Dupin, who had not thought it necessary to -reply. "Let him discourse; it will ease his conscience, I am -satisfied with having defeated him in his own castle. Nevertheless, -that he failed in the solution of this mystery, is by no means that -matter for wonder which he supposes it; for, in truth, our friend the -Prefect is somewhat too cunning to be profound. In his wisdom is no -_stamen._ It is all head and no body, like the pictures of the -Goddess Laverna, -- or, at best, all head and shoulders, like a -codfish. But he is a good creature after all. I like him especially -for one master stroke of cant, by which he has attained his -reputation for ingenuity. I mean the way he has '_de nier ce qui est, -et d'expliquer ce qui n'est pas._' " * - -* Rousseau - Nouvelle Heloise. - - - -~~~ End of Text ~~~ - -========== - - - - THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET.{*1} - - A SEQUEL TO "THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE." - - -Es giebt eine Reihe idealischer Begebenheiten, die der Wirklichkeit -parallel lauft. Selten fallen sie zusammen. Menschen und zufalle -modifieiren gewohulich die idealische Begebenheit, so dass sie -unvollkommen erscheint, und ihre Folgen gleichfalls unvollkommen -sind. So bei der Reformation; statt des Protestantismus kam das -Lutherthum hervor. - -There are ideal series of events which run parallel with the real -ones. They rarely coincide. Men and circumstances generally modify -the ideal train of events, so that it seems imperfect, and its -consequences are equally imperfect. Thus with the Reformation; -instead of Protestantism came Lutheranism. - - - Novalis. {*2} Moral Ansichten. - -THERE are few persons, even among the calmest thinkers, who have not -occasionally been startled into a vague yet thrilling half-credence -in the supernatural, by coincidences of so seemingly marvellous a -character that, as mere coincidences, the intellect has been unable -to receive them. Such sentiments - for the half-credences of which I -speak have never the full force of thought - such sentiments are -seldom thoroughly stifled unless by reference to the doctrine of -chance, or, as it is technically termed, the Calculus of -Probabilities. Now this Calculus is, in its essence, purely -mathematical; and thus we have the anomaly of the most rigidly exact -in science applied to the shadow and spirituality of the most -intangible in speculation. - -The extraordinary details which I am now called upon to make public, -will be found to form, as regards sequence of time, the primary -branch of a series of scarcely intelligible coincidences, whose -secondary or concluding branch will be recognized by all readers in -the late murder of Mary Cecila Rogers, at New York. - -When, in an article entitled "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," I -endeavored, about a year ago, to depict some very remarkable features -in the mental character of my friend, the Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, -it did not occur to me that I should ever resume the subject. This -depicting of character constituted my design; and this design was -thoroughly fulfilled in the wild train of circumstances brought to -instance Dupin's idiosyncrasy. I might have adduced other examples, -but I should have proven no more. Late events, however, in their -surprising development, have startled me into some farther details, -which will carry with them the air of extorted confession. Hearing -what I have lately heard, it would be indeed strange should I remain -silent in regard to what I both heard and saw so long ago. - -Upon the winding up of the tragedy involved in the deaths of Madame -L'Espanaye and her daughter, the Chevalier dismissed the affair at -once from his attention, and relapsed into his old habits of moody -reverie. Prone, at all times, to abstraction, I readily fell in with -his humor; and, continuing to occupy our chambers in the Faubourg -Saint Germain, we gave the Future to the winds, and slumbered -tranquilly in the Present, weaving the dull world around us into -dreams. - -But these dreams were not altogether uninterrupted. It may readily be -supposed that the part played by my friend, in the drama at the Rue -Morgue, had not failed of its impression upon the fancies of the -Parisian police. With its emissaries, the name of Dupin had grown -into a household word. The simple character of those inductions by -which he had disentangled the mystery never having been explained -even to the Prefect, or to any other individual than myself, of -course it is not surprising that the affair was regarded as little -less than miraculous, or that the Chevalier's analytical abilities -acquired for him the credit of intuition. His frankness would have -led him to disabuse every inquirer of such prejudice; but his -indolent humor forbade all farther agitation of a topic whose -interest to himself had long ceased. It thus happened that he found -himself the cynosure of the policial eyes; and the cases were not few -in which attempt was made to engage his services at the Prefecture. -One of the most remarkable instances was that of the murder of a -young girl named Marie Rogt. - -This event occurred about two years after the atrocity in the Rue -Morgue. Marie, whose Christian and family name will at once arrest -attention from their resemblance to those of the unfortunate "cigar- -girl," was the only daughter of the widow Estelle Rogt. The father -had died during the child's infancy, and from the period of his -death, until within eighteen months before the assassination which -forms the subject of our narrative, the mother and daughter had dwelt -together in the Rue Pave Saint Andre; {*3} Madame there keeping a -pension, assisted by Marie. Affairs went on thus until the latter had -attained her twenty-second year, when her great beauty attracted the -notice of a perfumer, who occupied one of the shops in the basement -of the Palais Royal, and whose custom lay chiefly among the desperate -adventurers infesting that neighborhood. Monsieur Le Blanc {*4} was -not unaware of the advantages to be derived from the attendance of -the fair Marie in his perfumery; and his liberal proposals were -accepted eagerly by the girl, although with somewhat more of -hesitation by Madame. - -The anticipations of the shopkeeper were realized, and his rooms soon -became notorious through the charms of the sprightly grisette. She -had been in his employ about a year, when her admirers were thrown -info confusion by her sudden disappearance from the shop. Monsieur Le -Blanc was unable to account for her absence, and Madame Rogt was -distracted with anxiety and terror. The public papers immediately -took up the theme, and the police were upon the point of making -serious investigations, when, one fine morning, after the lapse of a -week, Marie, in good health, but with a somewhat saddened air, made -her re-appearance at her usual counter in the perfumery. All inquiry, -except that of a private character, was of course immediately hushed. -Monsieur Le Blanc professed total ignorance, as before. Marie, with -Madame, replied to all questions, that the last week had been spent -at the house of a relation in the country. Thus the affair died away, -and was generally forgotten; for the girl, ostensibly to relieve -herself from the impertinence of curiosity, soon bade a final adieu -to the perfumer, and sought the shelter of her mother's residence in -the Rue Pave Saint Andre. - -It was about five months after this return home, that her friends -were alarmed by her sudden disappearance for the second time. Three -days elapsed, and nothing was heard of her. On the fourth her corpse -was found floating in the Seine, * near the shore which is opposite -the Quartier of the Rue Saint Andree, and at a point not very far -distant from the secluded neighborhood of the Barrire du Roule. {*6} - -The atrocity of this murder, (for it was at once evident that murder -had been committed,) the youth and beauty of the victim, and, above -all, her previous notoriety, conspired to produce intense excitement -in the minds of the sensitive Parisians. I can call to mind no -similar occurrence producing so general and so intense an effect. For -several weeks, in the discussion of this one absorbing theme, even -the momentous political topics of the day were forgotten. The Prefect -made unusual exertions; and the powers of the whole Parisian police -were, of course, tasked to the utmost extent. - -Upon the first discovery of the corpse, it was not supposed that the -murderer would be able to elude, for more than a very brief period, -the inquisition which was immediately set on foot. It was not until -the expiration of a week that it was deemed necessary to offer a -reward; and even then this reward was limited to a thousand francs. -In the mean time the investigation proceeded with vigor, if not -always with judgment, and numerous individuals were examined to no -purpose; while, owing to the continual absence of all clue to the -mystery, the popular excitement greatly increased. At the end of the -tenth day it was thought advisable to double the sum originally -proposed; and, at length, the second week having elapsed without -leading to any discoveries, and the prejudice which always exists in -Paris against the Police having given vent to itself in several -serious meutes, the Prefect took it upon himself to offer the sum of -twenty thousand francs "for the conviction of the assassin," or, if -more than one should prove to have been implicated, "for the -conviction of any one of the assassins." In the proclamation setting -forth this reward, a full pardon was promised to any accomplice who -should come forward in evidence against his fellow; and to the whole -was appended, wherever it appeared, the private placard of a -committee of citizens, offering ten thousand francs, in addition to -the amount proposed by the Prefecture. The entire reward thus stood -at no less than thirty thousand francs, which will be regarded as an -extraordinary sum when we consider the humble condition of the girl, -and the great frequency, in large cities, of such atrocities as the -one described. - -No one doubted now that the mystery of this murder would be -immediately brought to light. But although, in one or two instances, -arrests were made which promised elucidation, yet nothing was -elicited which could implicate the parties suspected; and they were -discharged forthwith. Strange as it may appear, the third week from -the discovery of the body had passed, and passed without any light -being thrown upon the subject, before even a rumor of the events -which had so agitated the public mind, reached the ears of Dupin and -myself. Engaged in researches which absorbed our whole attention, it -had been nearly a month since either of us had gone abroad, or -received a visiter, or more than glanced at the leading political -articles in one of the daily papers. The first intelligence of the -murder was brought us by G ----, in person. He called upon us early -in the afternoon of the thirteenth of July, 18--, and remained with -us until late in the night. He had been piqued by the failure of all -his endeavors to ferret out the assassins. His reputation - so he -said with a peculiarly Parisian air - was at stake. Even his honor -was concerned. The eyes of the public were upon him; and there was -really no sacrifice which he would not be willing to make for the -development of the mystery. He concluded a somewhat droll speech with -a compliment upon what he was pleased to term the tact of Dupin, and -made him a direct, and certainly a liberal proposition, the precise -nature of which I do not feel myself at liberty to disclose, but -which has no bearing upon the proper subject of my narrative. - -The compliment my friend rebutted as best he could, but the -proposition he accepted at once, although its advantages were -altogether provisional. This point being settled, the Prefect broke -forth at once into explanations of his own views, interspersing them -with long comments upon the evidence; of which latter we were not yet -in possession. He discoursed much, and beyond doubt, learnedly; while -I hazarded an occasional suggestion as the night wore drowsily away. -Dupin, sitting steadily in his accustomed arm-chair, was the -embodiment of respectful attention. He wore spectacles, during the -whole interview; and an occasional signal glance beneath their green -glasses, sufficed to convince me that he slept not the less soundly, -because silently, throughout the seven or eight leaden-footed hours -which immediately preceded the departure of the Prefect. - -In the morning, I procured, at the Prefecture, a full report of all -the evidence elicited, and, at the various newspaper offices, a copy -of every paper in which, from first to last, had been published any -decisive information in regard to this sad affair. Freed from all -that was positively disproved, this mass of information stood thus: - -Marie Rogt left the residence of her mother, in the Rue Pave St. -Andre, about nine o'clock in the morning of Sunday June the -twenty-second, 18--. In going out, she gave notice to a Monsieur -Jacques St. Eustache, {*7} and to him only, of her intent intention -to spend the day with an aunt who resided in the Rue des Drmes. The -Rue des Drmes is a short and narrow but populous thoroughfare, not -far from the banks of the river, and at a distance of some two miles, -in the most direct course possible, from the pension of Madame Rogt. -St. Eustache was the accepted suitor of Marie, and lodged, as well as -took his meals, at the pension. He was to have gone for his betrothed -at dusk, and to have escorted her home. In the afternoon, however, it -came on to rain heavily; and, supposing that she would remain all -night at her aunt's, (as she had done under similar circumstances -before,) he did not think it necessary to keep his promise. As night -drew on, Madame Rogt (who was an infirm old lady, seventy years of -age,) was heard to express a fear "that she should never see Marie -again;" but this observation attracted little attention at the time. - -On Monday, it was ascertained that the girl had not been to the Rue -des Drmes; and when the day elapsed without tidings of her, a tardy -search was instituted at several points in the city, and its -environs. It was not, however until the fourth day from the period of -disappearance that any thing satisfactory was ascertained respecting -her. On this day, (Wednesday, the twenty-fifth of June,) a Monsieur -Beauvais, {*8} who, with a friend, had been making inquiries for -Marie near the Barrire du Roule, on the shore of the Seine which is -opposite the Rue Pave St. Andre, was informed that a corpse had -just been towed ashore by some fishermen, who had found it floating -in the river. Upon seeing the body, Beauvais, after some hesitation, -identified it as that of the perfumery-girl. His friend recognized it -more promptly. - -The face was suffused with dark blood, some of which issued from the -mouth. No foam was seen, as in the case of the merely drowned. There -was no discoloration in the cellular tissue. About the throat were -bruises and impressions of fingers. The arms were bent over on the -chest and were rigid. The right hand was clenched; the left partially -open. On the left wrist were two circular excoriations, apparently -the effect of ropes, or of a rope in more than one volution. A part -of the right wrist, also, was much chafed, as well as the back -throughout its extent, but more especially at the shoulder-blades. In -bringing the body to the shore the fishermen had attached to it a -rope; but none of the excoriations had been effected by this. The -flesh of the neck was much swollen. There were no cuts apparent, or -bruises which appeared the effect of blows. A piece of lace was found -tied so tightly around the neck as to be hidden from sight; it was -completely buried in the flesh, and was fasted by a knot which lay -just under the left ear. This alone would have sufficed to produce -death. The medical testimony spoke confidently of the virtuous -character of the deceased. She had been subjected, it said, to brutal -violence. The corpse was in such condition when found, that there -could have been no difficulty in its recognition by friends. - -The dress was much torn and otherwise disordered. In the outer -garment, a slip, about a foot wide, had been torn upward from the -bottom hem to the waist, but not torn off. It was wound three times -around the waist, and secured by a sort of hitch in the back. The -dress immediately beneath the frock was of fine muslin; and from this -a slip eighteen inches wide had been torn entirely out - torn very -evenly and with great care. It was found around her neck, fitting -loosely, and secured with a hard knot. Over this muslin slip and the -slip of lace, the strings of a bonnet were attached; the bonnet being -appended. The knot by which the strings of the bonnet were fastened, -was not a lady's, but a slip or sailor's knot. - -After the recognition of the corpse, it was not, as usual, taken to -the Morgue, (this formality being superfluous,) but hastily interred -not far front the spot at which it was brought ashore. Through the -exertions of Beauvais, the matter was industriously hushed up, as far -as possible; and several days had elapsed before any public emotion -resulted. A weekly paper, {*9} however, at length took up the theme; -the corpse was disinterred, and a re-examination instituted; but -nothing was elicited beyond what has been already noted. The clothes, -however, were now submitted to the mother and friends of the -deceased, and fully identified as those worn by the girl upon leaving -home. - -Meantime, the excitement increased hourly. Several individuals were -arrested and discharged. St. Eustache fell especially under -suspicion; and he failed, at first, to give an intelligible account -of his whereabouts during the Sunday on which Marie left home. -Subsequently, however, he submitted to Monsieur G----, affidavits, -accounting satisfactorily for every hour of the day in question. As -time passed and no discovery ensued, a thousand contradictory rumors -were circulated, and journalists busied themselves in suggestions. -Among these, the one which attracted the most notice, was the idea -that Marie Rogt still lived - that the corpse found in the Seine was -that of some other unfortunate. It will be proper that I submit to -the reader some passages which embody the suggestion alluded to. -These passages are literal translations from L'Etoile, {*10} a paper -conducted, in general, with much ability. - -"Mademoiselle Rogt left her mother's house on Sunday morning, June -the twenty-second, 18--, with the ostensible purpose of going to see -her aunt, or some other connexion, in the Rue des Drmes. From that -hour, nobody is proved to have seen her. There is no trace or tidings -of her at all. . . . There has no person, whatever, come forward, so -far, who saw her at all, on that day, after she left her mother's -door. . . . Now, though we have no evidence that Marie Rogt was in -the land of the living after nine o'clock on Sunday, June the -twenty-second, we have proof that, up to that hour, she was alive. On -Wednesday noon, at twelve, a female body was discovered afloat on the -shore of the Barrire de Roule. This was, even if we presume that -Marie Rogt was thrown into the river within three hours after she -left her mother's house, only three days from the time she left her -home - three days to an hour. But it is folly to suppose that the -murder, if murder was committed on her body, could have been -consummated soon enough to have enabled her murderers to throw the -body into the river before midnight. Those who are guilty of such -horrid crimes, choose darkness rather the light . . . . Thus we see -that if the body found in the river was that of Marie Rogt, it could -only have been in the water two and a half days, or three at the -outside. All experience has shown that drowned bodies, or bodies -thrown into the water immediately after death by violence, require -from six to ten days for decomposition to take place to bring them to -the top of the water. Even where a cannon is fired over a corpse, and -it rises before at least five or six days' immersion, it sinks again, -if let alone. Now, we ask, what was there in this cave to cause a -departure from the ordinary course of nature? . . . If the body had -been kept in its mangled state on shore until Tuesday night, some -trace would be found on shore of the murderers. It is a doubtful -point, also, whether the body would be so soon afloat, even were it -thrown in after having been dead two days. And, furthermore, it is -exceedingly improbable that any villains who had committed such a -murder as is here supposed, would have throw the body in without -weight to sink it, when such a precaution could have so easily been -taken." - -The editor here proceeds to argue that the body must have been in the -water "not three days merely, but, at least, five times three days," -because it was so far decomposed that Beauvais had great difficulty -in recognizing it. This latter point, however, was fully disproved. I -continue the translation: - -"What, then, are the facts on which M. Beauvais says that he has no -doubt the body was that of Marie Rogt? He ripped up the gown sleeve, -and says he found marks which satisfied him of the identity. The -public generally supposed those marks to have consisted of some -description of scars. He rubbed the arm and found hair upon it - -something as indefinite, we think, as can readily be imagined - as -little conclusive as finding an arm in the sleeve. M. Beauvais did -not return that night, but sent word to Madame Rogt, at seven -o'clock, on Wednesday evening, that an investigation was still in -progress respecting her daughter. If we allow that Madame Rogt, from -her age and grief, could not go over, (which is allowing a great -deal,) there certainly must have been some one who would have thought -it worth while to go over and attend the investigation, if they -thought the body was that of Marie. Nobody went over. There was -nothing said or heard about the matter in the Rue Pave St. Andre, -that reached even the occupants of the same building. M. St. -Eustache, the lover and intended husband of Marie, who boarded in her -mother's house, deposes that he did not hear of the discovery of the -body of his intended until the next morning, when M. Beauvais came -into his chamber and told him of it. For an item of news like this, -it strikes us it was very coolly received." - -In this way the journal endeavored to create the impression of an -apathy on the part of the relatives of Marie, inconsistent with the -supposition that these relatives believed the corpse to be hers. Its -insinuations amount to this: - that Marie, with the connivance of her -friends, had absented herself from the city for reasons involving a -charge against her chastity; and that these friends, upon the -discovery of a corpse in the Seine, somewhat resembling that of the -girl, had availed themselves of the opportunity to impress press the -public with the belief of her death. But L'Etoile was again -over-hasty. It was distinctly proved that no apathy, such as was -imagined, existed; that the old lady was exceedingly feeble, and so -agitated as to be unable to attend to any duty, that St. Eustache, so -far from receiving the news coolly, was distracted with grief, and -bore himself so frantically, that M. Beauvais prevailed upon a friend -and relative to take charge of him, and prevent his attending the -examination at the disinterment. Moreover, although it was stated by -L'Etoile, that the corpse was re-interred at the public expense - -that an advantageous offer of private sculpture was absolutely -declined by the family - and that no member of the family attended -the ceremonial: - although, I say, all this was asserted by L'Etoile -in furtherance of the impression it designed to convey - yet all this -was satisfactorily disproved. In a subsequent number of the paper, an -attempt was made to throw suspicion upon Beauvais himself. The editor -says: - -"Now, then, a change comes over the matter. We are told that on one -occasion, while a Madame B---- was at Madame Rogt's house, M. -Beauvais, who was going out, told her that a gendarme was expected -there, and she, Madame B., must not say anything to the gendarme -until he returned, but let the matter be for him. . . . In the -present posture of affairs, M. Beauvais appears to have the whole -matter looked up in his head. A single step cannot be taken without -M. Beauvais; for, go which way you will, you run against him. . . . -For some reason, he determined that nobody shall have any thing to do -with the proceedings but himself, and he has elbowed the male -relatives out of the way, according to their representations, in a -very singular manner. He seems to have been very much averse to -permitting the relatives to see the body." - -By the following fact, some color was given to the suspicion thus -thrown upon Beauvais. A visiter at his office, a few days prior to -the girl's disappearance, and during the absence of its occupant, had -observed a rose in the key-hole of the door, and the name "Marie" -inscribed upon a slate which hung near at hand. - -The general impression, so far as we were enabled to glean it from -the newspapers, seemed to be, that Marie had been the victim of a -gang of desperadoes - that by these she had been borne across the -river, maltreated and murdered. Le Commerciel, {*11} however, a print -of extensive influence, was earnest in combating this popular idea. I -quote a passage or two from its columns: - -"We are persuaded that pursuit has hitherto been on a false scent, so -far as it has been directed to the Barrire du Roule. It is -impossible that a person so well known to thousands as this young -woman was, should have passed three blocks without some one having -seen her; and any one who saw her would have remembered it, for she -interested all who knew her. It was when the streets were full of -people, when she went out. . . . It is impossible that she could have -gone to the Barrire du Roule, or to the Rue des Drmes, without -being recognized by a dozen persons; yet no one has come forward who -saw her outside of her mother's door, and there is no evidence, -except the testimony concerning her expressed intentions, that she -did go out at all. Her gown was torn, bound round her, and tied; and -by that the body was carried as a bundle. If the murder had been -committed at the Barrire du Roule, there would have been no -necessity for any such arrangement. The fact that the body was found -floating near the Barrire, is no proof as to where it was thrown -into the water. . . . . A piece of one of the unfortunate girl's -petticoats, two feet long and one foot wide, was torn out and tied -under her chin around the back of her head, probably to prevent -screams. This was done by fellows who had no pocket-handkerchief." - -A day or two before the Prefect called upon us, however, some -important information reached the police, which seemed to overthrow, -at least, the chief portion of Le Commerciel's argument. Two small -boys, sons of a Madame Deluc, while roaming among the woods near the -Barrire du Roule, chanced to penetrate a close thicket, within which -were three or four large stones, forming a kind of seat, with a back -and footstool. On the upper stone lay a white petticoat; on the -second a silk scarf. A parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief -were also here found. The handkerchief bore the name "Marie Rogt." -Fragments of dress were discovered on the brambles around. The earth -was trampled, the bushes were broken, and there was every evidence of -a struggle. Between the thicket and the river, the fences were found -taken down, and the ground bore evidence of some heavy burthen having -been dragged along it. - -A weekly paper, Le Soleil,{*12} had the following comments upon this -discovery -- comments which merely echoed the sentiment of the whole -Parisian press: - -"The things had all evidently been there at least three or four -weeks; they were all mildewed down hard with the action of the rain -and stuck together from mildew. The grass had grown around and over -some of them. The silk on the parasol was strong, but the threads of -it were run together within. The upper part, where it had been -doubled and folded, was all mildewed and rotten, and tore on its -being opened. . . . . The pieces of her frock torn out by the bushes -were about three inches wide and six inches long. One part was the -hem of the frock, and it had been mended; the other piece was part of -the skirt, not the hem. They looked like strips torn off, and were on -the thorn bush, about a foot from the ground. . . . . There can be no -doubt, therefore, that the spot of this appalling outrage has been -discovered." - -Consequent upon this discovery, new evidence appeared. Madame Deluc -testified that she keeps a roadside inn not far from the bank of the -river, opposite the Barrire du Roule. The neighborhood is secluded --- particularly so. It is the usual Sunday resort of blackguards from -the city, who cross the river in boats. About three o'clock, in the -afternoon of the Sunday in question, a young girl arrived at the inn, -accompanied by a young man of dark complexion. The two remained here -for some time. On their departure, they took the road to some thick -woods in the vicinity. Madame Deluc's attention was called to the -dress worn by the girl, on account of its resemblance to one worn by -a deceased relative. A scarf was particularly noticed. Soon after the -departure of the couple, a gang of miscreants made their appearance, -behaved boisterously, ate and drank without making payment, followed -in the route of the young man and girl, returned to the inn about -dusk, and re-crossed the river as if in great haste. - -It was soon after dark, upon this same evening, that Madame Deluc, as -well as her eldest son, heard the screams of a female in the vicinity -of the inn. The screams were violent but brief. Madame D. recognized -not only the scarf which was found in the thicket, but the dress -which was discovered upon the corpse. An omnibus driver, Valence, -{*13} now also testified that he saw Marie Rogt cross a ferry on the -Seine, on the Sunday in question, in company with a young man of dark -complexion. He, Valence, knew Marie, and could not be mistaken in her -identity. The articles found in the thicket were fully identified by -the relatives of Marie. - -The items of evidence and information thus collected by myself, from -the newspapers, at the suggestion of Dupin, embraced only one more -point -- but this was a point of seemingly vast consequence. It -appears that, immediately after the discovery of the clothes as above -described, the lifeless, or nearly lifeless body of St. Eustache, -Marie's betrothed, was found in the vicinity of what all now supposed -the scene of the outrage. A phial labelled "laudanum," and emptied, -was found near him. His breath gave evidence of the poison. He died -without speaking. Upon his person was found a letter, briefly stating -his love for Marie, with his design of self- destruction. - -"I need scarcely tell you," said Dupin, as he finished the perusal of -my notes, "that this is a far more intricate case than that of the -Rue Morgue; from which it differs in one important respect. This is -an ordinary, although an atrocious instance of crime. There is -nothing peculiarly outr about it. You will observe that, for this -reason, the mystery has been considered easy, when, for this reason, -it should have been considered difficult, of solution. Thus; at -first, it was thought unnecessary to offer a reward. The myrmidons of -G--- were able at once to comprehend how and why such an atrocity -might have been committed. They could picture to their imaginations a -mode - many modes - and a motive - many motives; and because it was -not impossible that either of these numerous modes and motives could -have been the actual one, they have taken it for granted that one of -them must. But the case with which these variable fancies were -entertained, and the very plausibility which each assumed, should -have been understood as indicative rather of the difficulties than of -the facilities which must attend elucidation. I have before observed -that it is by prominences above the plane of the ordinary, that -reason feels her way, if at all, in her search for the true, and that -the proper question in cases such as this, is not so much 'what has -occurred?' as 'what has occurred that has never occurred before?' In -the investigations at the house of Madame L'Espanaye, {*14} the -agents of G---- were discouraged and confounded by that very -unusualness which, to a properly regulated intellect, would have -afforded the surest omen of success; while this same intellect might -have been plunged in despair at the ordinary character of all that -met the eye in the case of the perfumery-girl, and yet told of -nothing but easy triumph to the functionaries of the Prefecture. - -"In the case of Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter there was, even at -the beginning of our investigation, no doubt that murder had been -committed. The idea of suicide was excluded at once. Here, too, we -are freed, at the commencement, from all supposition of self- murder. -The body found at the Barrire du Roule, was found under such -circumstances as to leave us no room for embarrassment upon this -important point. But it has been suggested that the corpse -discovered, is not that of the Marie Rogt for the conviction of -whose assassin, or assassins, the reward is offered, and respecting -whom, solely, our agreement has been arranged with the Prefect. We -both know this gentleman well. It will not do to trust him too far. -If, dating our inquiries from the body found, and thence tracing a -murderer, we yet discover this body to be that of some other -individual than Marie; or, if starting from the living Marie, we find -her, yet find her unassassinated -- in either case we lose our labor; -since it is Monsieur G---- with whom we have to deal. For our own -purpose, therefore, if not for the purpose of justice, it is -indispensable that our first step should be the determination of the -identity of the corpse with the Marie Rogt who is missing. - -"With the public the arguments of L'Etoile have had weight; and that -the journal itself is convinced of their importance would appear from -the manner in which it commences one of its essays upon the subject - -'Several of the morning papers of the day,' it says, 'speak of the -_conclusive_ article in Monday's Etoile.' To me, this article appears -conclusive of little beyond the zeal of its inditer. We should bear -in mind that, in general, it is the object of our newspapers rather -to create a sensation -- to make a point - than to further the cause -of truth. The latter end is only pursued when it seems coincident -with the former. The print which merely falls in with ordinary -opinion (however well founded this opinion may be) earns for itself -no credit with the mob. The mass of the people regard as profound -only him who suggests _pungent contradictions_ of the general idea. -In ratiocination, not less than in literature, it is the epigram -which is the most immediately and the most universally appreciated. -In both, it is of the lowest order of merit. - -"What I mean to say is, that it is the mingled epigram and melodrame -of the idea, that Marie Rogt still lives, rather than any true -plausibility in this idea, which have suggested it to L'Etoile, and -secured it a favorable reception with the public. Let us examine the -heads of this journal's argument; endeavoring to avoid the -incoherence with which it is originally set forth. - -"The first aim of the writer is to show, from the brevity of the -interval between Marie's disappearance and the finding of the -floating corpse, that this corpse cannot be that of Marie. The -reduction of this interval to its smallest possible dimension, -becomes thus, at once, an object with the reasoner. In the rash -pursuit of this object, he rushes into mere assumption at the outset. -'It is folly to suppose,' he says, 'that the murder, if murder was -committed on her body, could have been consummated soon enough to -have enabled her murderers to throw the body into the river before -midnight.' We demand at once, and very naturally, why? Why is it -folly to suppose that the murder was committed _within five minutes_ -after the girl's quitting her mother's house? Why is it folly to -suppose that the murder was committed at any given period of the day? -There have been assassinations at all hours. But, had the murder -taken place at any moment between nine o'clock in the morning of -Sunday, and a quarter before midnight, there would still have been -time enough 'to throw the body into the river before midnight.' This -assumption, then, amounts precisely to this - that the murder was not -committed on Sunday at all - and, if we allow L'Etoile to assume -this, we may permit it any liberties whatever. The paragraph -beginning 'It is folly to suppose that the murder, etc.,' however it -appears as printed in L'Etoile, may be imagined to have existed -actually thus in the brain of its inditer - 'It is folly to suppose -that the murder, if murder was committed on the body, could have been -committed soon enough to have enabled her murderers to throw the body -into the river before midnight; it is folly, we say, to suppose all -this, and to suppose at the same time, (as we are resolved to -suppose,) that the body was not thrown in until after midnight' -- a -sentence sufficiently inconsequential in itself, but not so utterly -preposterous as the one printed. - -"Were it my purpose," continued Dupin, "merely to _make out a case_ -against this passage of L'Etoile's argument, I might safely leave it -where it is. It is not, however, with L'Etoile that we have to do, -but with the truth. The sentence in question has but one meaning, as -it stands; and this meaning I have fairly stated: but it is material -that we go behind the mere words, for an idea which these words have -obviously intended, and failed to convey. It was the design of the -journalist to say that, at whatever period of the day or night of -Sunday this murder was committed, it was improbable that the -assassins would have ventured to bear the corpse to the river before -midnight. And herein lies, really, the assumption of which I -complain. It is assumed that the murder was committed at such a -position, and under such circumstances, that the bearing it to the -river became necessary. Now, the assassination might have taken place -upon the river's brink, or on the river itself; and, thus, the -throwing the corpse in the water might have been resorted to, at any -period of the day or night, as the most obvious and most immediate -mode of disposal. You will understand that I suggest nothing here as -probable, or as cincident with my own opinion. My design, so far, -has no reference to the facts of the case. I wish merely to caution -you against the whole tone of L'Etoile's suggestion, by calling your -attention to its ex parte character at the outset. - -"Having prescribed thus a limit to suit its own preconceived notions; -having assumed that, if this were the body of Marie, it could have -been in the water but a very brief time; the journal goes on to say: - -'All experience has shown that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown into -the water immediately after death by violence, require from six to -ten days for sufficient decomposition to take place to bring them to -the top of the water. Even when a cannon is fired over a corpse, and -it rises before at least five or six days' immersion, it sinks again -if let alone.' - -"These assertions have been tacitly received by every paper in Paris, -with the exception of Le Moniteur. {*15} This latter print endeavors -to combat that portion of the paragraph which has reference to -'drowned bodies' only, by citing some five or six instances in which -the bodies of individuals known to be drowned were found floating -after the lapse of less time than is insisted upon by L'Etoile. But -there is something excessively unphilosophical in the attempt on the -part of Le Moniteur, to rebut the general assertion of L'Etoile, by a -citation of particular instances militating against that assertion. -Had it been possible to adduce fifty instead of five examples of -bodies found floating at the end of two or three days, these fifty -examples could still have been properly regarded only as exceptions -to L'Etoile's rule, until such time as the rule itself should be -confuted. Admitting the rule, (and this Le Moniteur does not deny, -insisting merely upon its exceptions,) the argument of L'Etoile is -suffered to remain in full force; for this argument does not pretend -to involve more than a question of the probability of the body having -risen to the surface in less than three days; and this probability -will be in favor of L'Etoile's position until the instances so -childishly adduced shall be sufficient in number to establish an -antagonistical rule. - -"You will see at once that all argument upon this head should be -urged, if at all, against the rule itself; and for this end we must -examine the rationale of the rule. Now the human body, in general, is -neither much lighter nor much heavier than the water of the Seine; -that is to say, the specific gravity of the human body, in its -natural condition, is about equal to the bulk of fresh water which it -displaces. The bodies of fat and fleshy persons, with small bones, -and of women generally, are lighter than those of the lean and -large-boned, and of men; and the specific gravity of the water of a -river is somewhat influenced by the presence of the tide from sea. -But, leaving this tide out of question, it may be said that very few -human bodies will sink at all, even in fresh water, of their own -accord. Almost any one, falling into a river, will be enabled to -float, if he suffer the specific gravity of the water fairly to be -adduced in comparison with his own - that is to say, if he suffer his -whole person to be immersed, with as little exception as possible. -The proper position for one who cannot swim, is the upright position -of the walker on land, with the head thrown fully back, and immersed; -the mouth and nostrils alone remaining above the surface. Thus -circumstanced, we shall find that we float without difficulty and -without exertion. It is evident, however, that the gravities of the -body, and of the bulk of water displaced, are very nicely balanced, -and that a trifle will cause either to preponderate. An arm, for -instance, uplifted from the water, and thus deprived of its support, -is an additional weight sufficient to immerse the whole head, while -the accidental aid of the smallest piece of timber will enable us to -elevate the head so as to look about. Now, in the struggles of one -unused to swimming, the arms are invariably thrown upwards, while an -attempt is made to keep the head in its usual perpendicular position. -The result is the immersion of the mouth and nostrils, and the -inception, during efforts to breathe while beneath the surface, of -water into the lungs. Much is also received into the stomach, and the -whole body becomes heavier by the difference between the weight of -the air originally distending these cavities, and that of the fluid -which now fills them. This difference is sufficient to cause the body -to sink, as a general rule; but is insufficient in the cases of -individuals with small bones and an abnormal quantity of flaccid or -fatty matter. Such individuals float even after drowning. - -"The corpse, being supposed at the bottom of the river, will there -remain until, by some means, its specific gravity again becomes less -than that of the bulk of water which it displaces. This effect is -brought about by decomposition, or otherwise. The result of -decomposition is the generation of gas, distending the cellular -tissues and all the cavities, and giving the puffed appearance which -is so horrible. When this distension has so far progressed that the -bulk of the corpse is materially increased without a corresponding -increase of mass or weight, its specific gravity becomes less than -that of the water displaced, and it forthwith makes its appearance at -the surface. But decomposition is modified by innumerable -circumstances - is hastened or retarded by innumerable agencies; for -example, by the heat or cold of the season, by the mineral -impregnation or purity of the water, by its depth or shallowness, by -its currency or stagnation, by the temperament of the body, by its -infection or freedom from disease before death. Thus it is evident -that we can assign no period, with any thing like accuracy, at which -the corpse shall rise through decomposition. Under certain conditions -this result would be brought about within an hour; under others, it -might not take place at all. There are chemical infusions by which -the animal frame can be preserved foreverfrom corruption; the -Bi-chloride of Mercury is one. But, apart from decomposition, there -may be, and very usually is, a generation of gas within the stomach, -from the acetous fermentation of vegetable matter (or within other -cavities from other causes) sufficient to induce a distension which -will bring the body to the surface. The effect produced by the firing -of a cannon is that of simple vibration. This may either loosen the -corpse from the soft mud or ooze in which it is imbedded, thus -permitting it to rise when other agencies have already prepared it -for so doing; or it may overcome the tenacity of some putrescent -portions of the cellular tissue; allowing the cavities to distend -under the influence of the gas. - -"Having thus before us the whole philosophy of this subject, we can -easily test by it the assertions of L'Etoile. 'All experience shows,' -says this paper, 'that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown into the -water immediately after death by violence, require from six to ten -days for sufficient decomposition to take place to bring them to the -top of the water. Even when a cannon is fired over a corpse, and it -rises before at least five or six days' immersion, it sinks again if -let alone.' - -"The whole of this paragraph must now appear a tissue of -inconsequence and incoherence. All experience does not show that -'drowned bodies' require from six to ten days for sufficient -decomposition to take place to bring them to the surface. Both -science and experience show that the period of their rising is, and -necessarily must be, indeterminate. If, moreover, a body has risen to -the surface through firing of cannon, it will not 'sink again if let -alone,' until decomposition has so far progressed as to permit the -escape of the generated gas. But I wish to call your attention to the -distinction which is made between 'drowned bodies,' and 'bodies -thrown into the water immediately after death by violence.' Although -the writer admits the distinction, he yet includes them all in the -same category. I have shown how it is that the body of a drowning man -becomes specifically heavier than its bulk of water, and that he -would not sink at all, except for the struggles by which he elevates -his arms above the surface, and his gasps for breath while beneath -the surface - gasps which supply by water the place of the original -air in the lungs. But these struggles and these gasps would not occur -in the body 'thrown into the water immediately after death by -violence.' Thus, in the latter instance, the body, as a general rule, -would not sink at all - a fact of which L'Etoile is evidently -ignorant. When decomposition had proceeded to a very great extent - -when the flesh had in a great measure left the bones - then, indeed, -but not till then, should we lose sight of the corpse. - -"And now what are we to make of the argument, that the body found -could not be that of Marie Rogt, because, three days only having -elapsed, this body was found floating? If drowned, being a woman, she -might never have sunk; or having sunk, might have reappeared in -twenty-four hours, or less. But no one supposes her to have been -drowned; and, dying before being thrown into the river, she might -have been found floating at any period afterwards whatever. - -" 'But,' says L'Etoile, 'if the body had been kept in its mangled -state on shore until Tuesday night, some trace would be found on -shore of the murderers.' Here it is at first difficult to perceive -the intention of the reasoner. He means to anticipate what he -imagines would be an objection to his theory - viz: that the body was -kept on shore two days, suffering rapid decomposition - morerapid -than if immersed in water. He supposes that, had this been the case, -it might have appeared at the surface on the Wednesday, and thinks -that only under such circumstances it could so have appeared. He is -accordingly in haste to show that it was not kept on shore; for, if -so, 'some trace would be found on shore of the murderers.' I presume -you smile at the sequitur. You cannot be made to see how the mere -duration of the corpse on the shore could operate to multiply traces -of the assassins. Nor can I. - -" 'And furthermore it is exceedingly improbable,' continues our -journal, 'that any villains who had committed such a murder as is -here supposed, would have thrown the body in without weight to sink -it, when such a precaution could have so easily been taken.' Observe, -here, the laughable confusion of thought! No one - not even L'Etoile -- disputes the murder committed _on the body found_. The marks of -violence are too obvious. It is our reasoner's object merely to show -that this body is not Marie's. He wishes to prove that Marie is not -assassinated - not that the corpse was not. Yet his observation -proves only the latter point. Here is a corpse without weight -attached. Murderers, casting it in, would not have failed to attach a -weight. Therefore it was not thrown in by murderers. This is all -which is proved, if any thing is. The question of identity is not -even approached, and L'Etoile has been at great pains merely to -gainsay now what it has admitted only a moment before. 'We are -perfectly convinced,' it says, 'that the body found was that of a -murdered female.' - -"Nor is this the sole instance, even in this division of his subject, -where our reasoner unwittingly reasons against himself. His evident -object, I have already said, is to reduce, us much as possible, the -interval between Marie's disappearance and the finding of the corpse. -Yet we find him urging the point that no person saw the girl from the -moment of her leaving her mother's house. 'We have no evidence,' he -says, 'that Marie Rogt was in the land of the living after nine -o'clock on Sunday, June the twenty-second.' As his argument is -obviously an ex parte one, he should, at least, have left this matter -out of sight; for had any one been known to see Marie, say on Monday, -or on Tuesday, the interval in question would have been much reduced, -and, by his own ratiocination, the probability much diminished of the -corpse being that of the grisette. It is, nevertheless, amusing to -observe that L'Etoile insists upon its point in the full belief of -its furthering its general argument. - -"Reperuse now that portion of this argument which has reference to -the identification of the corpse by Beauvais. In regard to the hair -upon the arm, L'Etoile has been obviously disingenuous. M. Beauvais, -not being an idiot, could never have urged, in identification of the -corpse, simply hair upon its arm. No arm is without hair. The -generality of the expression of L'Etoile is a mere perversion of the -witness' phraseology. He must have spoken of some peculiarity in this -hair. It must have been a peculiarity of color, of quantity, of -length, or of situation. - -" 'Her foot,' says the journal, 'was small - so are thousands of -feet. Her garter is no proof whatever - nor is her shoe - for shoes -and garters are sold in packages. The same may be said of the flowers -in her hat. One thing upon which M. Beauvais strongly insists is, -that the clasp on the garter found, had been set back to take it in. -This amounts to nothing; for most women find it proper to take a pair -of garters home and fit them to the size of the limbs they are to -encircle, rather than to try them in the store where they purchase.' -Here it is difficult to suppose the reasoner in earnest. Had M. -Beauvais, in his search for the body of Marie, discovered a corpse -corresponding in general size and appearance to the missing girl, he -would have been warranted (without reference to the question of -habiliment at all) in forming an opinion that his search had been -successful. If, in addition to the point of general size and contour, -he had found upon the arm a peculiar hairy appearance which he had -observed upon the living Marie, his opinion might have been justly -strengthened; and the increase of positiveness might well have been -in the ratio of the peculiarity, or unusualness, of the hairy mark. -If, the feet of Marie being small, those of the corpse were also -small, the increase of probability that the body was that of Marie -would not be an increase in a ratio merely arithmetical, but in one -highly geometrical, or accumulative. Add to all this shoes such as -she had been known to wear upon the day of her disappearance, and, -although these shoes may be 'sold in packages,' you so far augment -the probability as to verge upon the certain. What, of itself, would -be no evidence of identity, becomes through its corroborative -position, proof most sure. Give us, then, flowers in the hat -corresponding to those worn by the missing girl, and we seek for -nothing farther. If only one flower, we seek for nothing farther - -what then if two or three, or more? Each successive one is multiple -evidence - proof not _added_ to proof, but multiplied by hundreds or -thousands. Let us now discover, upon the deceased, garters such as -the living used, and it is almost folly to proceed. But these garters -are found to be tightened, by the setting back of a clasp, in just -such a manner as her own had been tightened by Marie, shortly -previous to her leaving home. It is now madness or hypocrisy to -doubt. What L'Etoile says in respect to this abbreviation of the -garter's being an usual occurrence, shows nothing beyond its own -pertinacity in error. The elastic nature of the clasp-garter is -self-demonstration of the unusualness of the abbreviation. What is -made to adjust itself, must of necessity require foreign adjustment -but rarely. It must have been by an accident, in its strictest sense, -that these garters of Marie needed the tightening described. They -alone would have amply established her identity. But it is not that -the corpse was found to have the garters of the missing girl, or -found to have her shoes, or her bonnet, or the flowers of her bonnet, -or her feet, or a peculiar mark upon the arm, or her general size and -appearance - it is that the corpse had each, and _all collectively_. -Could it be proved that the editor of L'Etoile _really_ entertained a -doubt, under the circumstances, there would be no need, in his case, -of a commission de lunatico inquirendo. He has thought it sagacious -to echo the small talk of the lawyers, who, for the most part, -content themselves with echoing the rectangular precepts of the -courts. I would here observe that very much of what is rejected as -evidence by a court, is the best of evidence to the intellect. For -the court, guiding itself by the general principles of evidence - the -recognized and _booked_ principles - is averse from swerving at -particular instances. And this steadfast adherence to principle, with -rigorous disregard of the conflicting exception, is a sure mode of -attaining the maximum of attainable truth, in any long sequence of -time. The practice, in mass, is therefore philosophical; but it is -not the less certain that it engenders vast individual error. {*16} - -"In respect to the insinuations levelled at Beauvais, you will be -willing to dismiss them in a breath. You have already fathomed the -true character of this good gentleman. He is a busy-body, with much -of romance and little of wit. Any one so constituted will readily so -conduct himself, upon occasion of real excitement, as to render -himself liable to suspicion on the part of the over acute, or the -ill- disposed. M. Beauvais (as it appears from your notes) had some -personal interviews with the editor of L'Etoile, and offended him by -venturing an opinion that the corpse, notwithstanding the theory of -the editor, was, in sober fact, that of Marie. 'He persists,' says -the paper, 'in asserting the corpse to be that of Marie, but cannot -give a circumstance, in addition to those which we have commented -upon, to make others believe.' Now, without re-adverting to the fact -that stronger evidence 'to make others believe,' could never have -been adduced, it may be remarked that a man may very well be -understood to believe, in a case of this kind, without the ability to -advance a single reason for the belief of a second party. Nothing is -more vague than impressions of individual identity. Each man -recognizes his neighbor, yet there are few instances in which any one -is prepared to give a reason for his recognition. The editor of -L'Etoile had no right to be offended at M. Beauvais' unreasoning -belief. - -"The suspicious circumstances which invest him, will be found to -tally much better with my hypothesis of romantic busy-bodyism, than -with the reasoner's suggestion of guilt. Once adopting the more -charitable interpretation, we shall find no difficulty in -comprehending the rose in the key-hole; the 'Marie' upon the slate; -the 'elbowing the male relatives out of the way;' the 'aversion to -permitting them to see the body;' the caution given to Madame B----, -that she must hold no conversation with the gendarme until his return -(Beauvais'); and, lastly, his apparent determination 'that nobody -should have anything to do with the proceedings except himself.' It -seems to me unquestionable that Beauvais was a suitor of Marie's; -that she coquetted with him; and that he was ambitious of being -thought to enjoy her fullest intimacy and confidence. I shall say -nothing more upon this point; and, as the evidence fully rebuts the -assertion of L'Etoile, touching the matter of apathy on the part of -the mother and other relatives - an apathy inconsistent with the -supposition of their believing the corpse to be that of the -perfumery- girl - we shall now proceed as if the question of identity -were settled to our perfect satisfaction." - -"And what," I here demanded, "do you think of the opinions of Le -Commerciel?" - -"That, in spirit, they are far more worthy of attention than any -which have been promulgated upon the subject. The deductions from the -premises are philosophical and acute; but the premises, in two -instances, at least, are founded in imperfect observation. Le -Commerciel wishes to intimate that Marie was seized by some gang of -low ruffians not far from her mother's door. 'It is impossible,' it -urges, 'that a person so well known to thousands as this young woman -was, should have passed three blocks without some one having seen -her.' This is the idea of a man long resident in Paris - a public man -- and one whose walks to and fro in the city, have been mostly -limited to the vicinity of the public offices. He is aware that he -seldom passes so far as a dozen blocks from his own bureau, without -being recognized and accosted. And, knowing the extent of his -personal acquaintance with others, and of others with him, he -compares his notoriety with that of the perfumery-girl, finds no -great difference between them, and reaches at once the conclusion -that she, in her walks, would be equally liable to recognition with -himself in his. This could only be the case were her walks of the -same unvarying, methodical character, and within the same species of -limited region as are his own. He passes to and fro, at regular -intervals, within a confined periphery, abounding in individuals who -are led to observation of his person through interest in the kindred -nature of his occupation with their own. But the walks of Marie may, -in general, be supposed discursive. In this particular instance, it -will be understood as most probable, that she proceeded upon a route -of more than average diversity from her accustomed ones. The parallel -which we imagine to have existed in the mind of Le Commerciel would -only be sustained in the event of the two individuals' traversing the -whole city. In this case, granting the personal acquaintances to be -equal, the chances would be also equal that an equal number of -personal rencounters would be made. For my own part, I should hold it -not only as possible, but as very far more than probable, that Marie -might have proceeded, at any given period, by any one of the many -routes between her own residence and that of her aunt, without -meeting a single individual whom she knew, or by whom she was known. -In viewing this question in its full and proper light, we must hold -steadily in mind the great disproportion between the personal -acquaintances of even the most noted individual in Paris, and the -entire population of Paris itself. - -"But whatever force there may still appear to be in the suggestion of -Le Commerciel, will be much diminished when we take into -consideration the hour at which the girl went abroad. 'It was when -the streets were full of people,' says Le Commerciel, 'that she went -out.' But not so. It was at nine o'clock in the morning. Now at nine -o'clock of every morning in the week, _with the exception of Sunday_, -the streets of the city are, it is true, thronged with people. At -nine on Sunday, the populace are chiefly within doors _preparing for -church_. No observing person can have failed to notice the peculiarly -deserted air of the town, from about eight until ten on the morning -of every Sabbath. Between ten and eleven the streets are thronged, -but not at so early a period as that designated. - -"There is another point at which there seems a deficiency of -observation on the part of Le Commerciel. 'A piece,' it says, 'of one -of the unfortunate girl's petticoats, two feet long, and one foot -wide, was torn out and tied under her chin, and around the back of -her head, probably to prevent screams. This was done, by fellows who -had no pocket-handkerchiefs.' Whether this idea is, or is not well -founded, we will endeavor to see hereafter; but by 'fellows who have -no pocket-handkerchiefs' the editor intends the lowest class of -ruffians. These, however, are the very description of people who will -always be found to have handkerchiefs even when destitute of shirts. -You must have had occasion to observe how absolutely indispensable, -of late years, to the thorough blackguard, has become the -pocket-handkerchief." - -"And what are we to think," I asked, "of the article in Le Soleil?" - -"That it is a vast pity its inditer was not born a parrot - in which -case he would have been the most illustrious parrot of his race. He -has merely repeated the individual items of the already published -opinion; collecting them, with a laudable industry, from this paper -and from that. 'The things had all evidently been there,' he says,'at -least, three or four weeks, and there can be _no doubt_ that the spot -of this appalling outrage has been discovered.' The facts here -re-stated by Le Soleil, are very far indeed from removing my own -doubts upon this subject, and we will examine them more particularly -hereafter in connexion with another division of the theme. - -"At present we must occupy ourselves with other investigations You -cannot fail to have remarked the extreme laxity of the examination of -the corpse. To be sure, the question of identity was readily -determined, or should have been; but there were other points to be -ascertained. Had the body been in any respect despoiled? Had the -deceased any articles of jewelry about her person upon leaving home? -if so, had she any when found? These are important questions utterly -untouched by the evidence; and there are others of equal moment, -which have met with no attention. We must endeavor to satisfy -ourselves by personal inquiry. The case of St. Eustache must be -re-examined. I have no suspicion of this person; but let us proceed -methodically. We will ascertain beyond a doubt the validity of the -affidavits in regard to his whereabouts on the Sunday. Affidavits of -this character are readily made matter of mystification. Should there -be nothing wrong here, however, we will dismiss St. Eustache from our -investigations. His suicide, however corroborative of suspicion, were -there found to be deceit in the affidavits, is, without such deceit, -in no respect an unaccountable circumstance, or one which need cause -us to deflect from the line of ordinary analysis. - -"In that which I now propose, we will discard the interior points of -this tragedy, and concentrate our attention upon its outskirts. Not -the least usual error, in investigations such as this, is the -limiting of inquiry to the immediate, with total disregard of the -collateral or circumstantial events. It is the mal-practice of the -courts to confine evidence and discussion to the bounds of apparent -relevancy. Yet experience has shown, and a true philosophy will -always show, that a vast, perhaps the larger portion of truth, arises -from the seemingly irrelevant. It is through the spirit of this -principle, if not precisely through its letter, that modern science -has resolved to calculate upon the unforeseen. But perhaps you do not -comprehend me. The history of human knowledge has so uninterruptedly -shown that to collateral, or incidental, or accidental events we are -indebted for the most numerous and most valuable discoveries, that it -has at length become necessary, in any prospective view of -improvement, to make not only large, but the largest allowances for -inventions that shall arise by chance, and quite out of the range of -ordinary expectation. It is no longer philosophical to base, upon -what has been, a vision of what is to be. Accident is admitted as a -portion of the substructure. We make chance a matter of absolute -calculation. We subject the unlooked for and unimagined, to the -mathematical _formulae_ of the schools. - -"I repeat that it is no more than fact, that the larger portion of -all truth has sprung from the collateral; and it is but in accordance -with the spirit of the principle involved in this fact, that I would -divert inquiry, in the present case, from the trodden and hitherto -unfruitful ground of the event itself, to the contemporary -circumstances which surround it. While you ascertain the validity of -the affidavits, I will examine the newspapers more generally than you -have as yet done. So far, we have only reconnoitred the field of -investigation; but it will be strange indeed if a comprehensive -survey, such as I propose, of the public prints, will not afford us -some minute points which shall establish a direction for inquiry." - -In pursuance of Dupin's suggestion, I made scrupulous examination of -the affair of the affidavits. The result was a firm conviction of -their validity, and of the consequent innocence of St. Eustache. In -the mean time my friend occupied himself, with what seemed to me a -minuteness altogether objectless, in a scrutiny of the various -newspaper files. At the end of a week he placed before me the -following extracts: - -"About three years and a half ago, a disturbance very similar to the -present, was caused by the disappearance of this same Marie Rogt, -from the parfumerie of Monsieur Le Blanc, in the Palais Royal. At the -end of a week, however, she re-appeared at her customary comptoir, as -well as ever, with the exception of a slight paleness not altogether -usual. It was given out by Monsieur Le Blanc and her mother, that she -had merely been on a visit to some friend in the country; and the -affair was speedily hushed up. We presume that the present absence is -a freak of the same nature, and that, at the expiration of a week, or -perhaps of a month, we shall have her among us again." - Evening -Paper - Monday June 23. {*17} - -"An evening journal of yesterday, refers to a former mysterious -disappearance of Mademoiselle Rogt. It is well known that, during -the week of her absence from Le Blanc's parfumerie, she was in the -company of a young naval officer, much noted for his debaucheries. A -quarrel, it is supposed, providentially led to her return home. We -have the name of the Lothario in question, who is, at present, -stationed in Paris, but, for obvious reasons, forbear to make it -public." - Le Mercurie - Tuesday Morning, June 24. {*18} - -"An outrage of the most atrocious character was perpetrated near this -city the day before yesterday. A gentleman, with his wife and -daughter, engaged, about dusk, the services of six young men, who -were idly rowing a boat to and fro near the banks of the Seine, to -convey him across the river. Upon reaching the opposite shore, the -three passengers stepped out, and had proceeded so far as to be -beyond the view of the boat, when the daughter discovered that she -had left in it her parasol. She returned for it, was seized by the -gang, carried out into the stream, gagged, brutally treated, and -finally taken to the shore at a point not far from that at which she -had originally entered the boat with her parents. The villains have -escaped for the time, but the police are upon their trail, and some -of them will soon be taken." - Morning Paper - June 25. {*19} - -"We have received one or two communications, the object of which is -to fasten the crime of the late atrocity upon Mennais; {*20} but as -this gentleman has been fully exonerated by a loyal inquiry, and as -the arguments of our several correspondents appear to be more zealous -than profound, we do not think it advisable to make them public." - -Morning Paper - June 28. {*21} - -"We have received several forcibly written communications, apparently -from various sources, and which go far to render it a matter of -certainty that the unfortunate Marie Rogt has become a victim of one -of the numerous bands of blackguards which infest the vicinity of the -city upon Sunday. Our own opinion is decidedly in favor of this -supposition. We shall endeavor to make room for some of these -arguments hereafter." - Evening Paper - Tuesday, June 31. {*22} - -"On Monday, one of the bargemen connected with the revenue service, -saw a empty boat floating down the Seine. Sails were lying in the -bottom of the boat. The bargeman towed it under the barge office. The -next morning it was taken from thence, without the knowledge of any -of the officers. The rudder is now at the barge office." - Le -Diligence - Thursday, June 26. § - -Upon reading these various extracts, they not only seemed to me -irrelevant, but I could perceive no mode in which any one of them -could be brought to bear upon the matter in hand. I waited for some -explanation from Dupin. - -"It is not my present design," he said, "to dwell upon the first and -second of those extracts. I have copied them chiefly to show you the -extreme remissness of the police, who, as far as I can understand -from the Prefect, have not troubled themselves, in any respect, with -an examination of the naval officer alluded to. Yet it is mere folly -to say that between the first and second disappearance of Marie, -there is no _supposable_ connection. Let us admit the first elopement -to have resulted in a quarrel between the lovers, and the return home -of the betrayed. We are now prepared to view a second elopement (if -we know that an elopement has again taken place) as indicating a -renewal of the betrayer's advances, rather than as the result of new -proposals by a second individual - we are prepared to regard it as a -'making up' of the old amour, rather than as the commencement of a -new one. The chances are ten to one, that he who had once eloped with -Marie, would again propose an elopement, rather than that she to whom -proposals of elopement had been made by one individual, should have -them made to her by another. And here let me call your attention to -the fact, that the time elapsing between the first ascertained, and -the second supposed elopement, is a few months more than the general -period of the cruises of our men-of-war. Had the lover been -interrupted in his first villany by the necessity of departure to -sea, and had he seized the first moment of his return to renew the -base designs not yet altogether accomplished - or not yet altogether -accomplished by _him?_ Of all these things we know nothing. - -"You will say, however, that, in the second instance, there was no -elopement as imagined. Certainly not - but are we prepared to say -that there was not the frustrated design? Beyond St. Eustache, and -perhaps Beauvais, we find no recognized, no open, no honorable -suitors of Marie. Of none other is there any thing said. Who, then, -is the secret lover, of whom the relatives (at least most of them) -know nothing, but whom Marie meets upon the morning of Sunday, and -who is so deeply in her confidence, that she hesitates not to remain -with him until the shades of the evening descend, amid the solitary -groves of the Barrire du Roule? Who is that secret lover, I ask, of -whom, at least, most of the relatives know nothing? And what means -the singular prophecy of Madame Rogt on the morning of Marie's -departure? -- 'I fear that I shall never see Marie again.' - -"But if we cannot imagine Madame Rogt privy to the design of -elopement, may we not at least suppose this design entertained by the -girl? Upon quitting home, she gave it to be understood that she was -about to visit her aunt in the Rue des Drmes and St. Eustache was -requested to call for her at dark. Now, at first glance, this fact -strongly militates against my suggestion; - but let us reflect. That -she did meet some companion, and proceed with him across the river, -reaching the Barrire du Roule at so late an hour as three o'clock in -the afternoon, is known. But in consenting so to accompany this -individual, (_for whatever purpose -- to her mother known or -unknown,_) she must have thought of her expressed intention when -leaving home, and of the surprise and suspicion aroused in the bosom -of her affianced suitor, St. Eustache, when, calling for her, at the -hour appointed, in the Rue des Drmes, he should find that she had -not been there, and when, moreover, upon returning to the pension -with this alarming intelligence, he should become aware of her -continued absence from home. She must have thought of these things, I -say. She must have foreseen the chagrin of St. Eustache, the -suspicion of all. She could not have thought of returning to brave -this suspicion; but the suspicion becomes a point of trivial -importance to her, if we suppose her not intending to return. - -"We may imagine her thinking thus - 'I am to meet a certain person -for the purpose of elopement, or for certain other purposes known -only to myself. It is necessary that there be no chance of -interruption - there must be sufficient time given us to elude -pursuit - I will give it to be understood that I shall visit and -spend the day with my aunt at the Rue des Drmes - I well tell St. -Eustache not to call for me until dark - in this way, my absence from -home for the longest possible period, without causing suspicion or -anxiety, will be accounted for, and I shall gain more time than in -any other manner. If I bid St. Eustache call for me at dark, he will -be sure not to call before; but, if I wholly neglect to bid him call, -my time for escape will be diminished, since it will be expected that -I return the earlier, and my absence will the sooner excite anxiety. -Now, if it were my design to return at all - if I had in -contemplation merely a stroll with the individual in question - it -would not be my policy to bid St. Eustache call; for, calling, he -will be sure to ascertain that I have played him false - a fact of -which I might keep him for ever in ignorance, by leaving home without -notifying him of my intention, by returning before dark, and by then -stating that I had been to visit my aunt in the Rue des Drmes. But, -as it is my design never to return - or not for some weeks - or not -until certain concealments are effected - the gaining of time is the -only point about which I need give myself any concern.' - -"You have observed, in your notes, that the most general opinion in -relation to this sad affair is, and was from the first, that the girl -had been the victim of a gang of blackguards. Now, the popular -opinion, under certain conditions, is not to be disregarded. When -arising of itself -- when manifesting itself in a strictly -spontaneous manner -- we should look upon it as analogous with that -_intuition_ which is the idiosyncrasy of the individual man of -genius. In ninety-nine cases from the hundred I would abide by its -decision. But it is important that we find no palpable traces of -_suggestion_. The opinion must be rigorously _the public's own_; and -the distinction is often exceedingly difficult to perceive and to -maintain. In the present instance, it appears to me that this 'public -opinion' in respect to a gang, has been superinduced by the -collateral event which is detailed in the third of my extracts. All -Paris is excited by the discovered corpse of Marie, a girl young, -beautiful and notorious. This corpse is found, bearing marks of -violence, and floating in the river. But it is now made known that, -at the very period, or about the very period, in which it is supposed -that the girl was assassinated, an outrage similar in nature to that -endured by the deceased, although less in extent, was perpetuated, by -a gang of young ruffians, upon the person of a second young female. -Is it wonderful that the one known atrocity should influence the -popular judgment in regard to the other unknown? This judgment -awaited direction, and the known outrage seemed so opportunely to -afford it! Marie, too, was found in the river; and upon this very -river was this known outrage committed. The connexion of the two -events had about it so much of the palpable, that the true wonder -would have been a failure of the populace to appreciate and to seize -it. But, in fact, the one atrocity, known to be so committed, is, if -any thing, evidence that the other, committed at a time nearly -coincident, was not so committed. It would have been a miracle -indeed, if, while a gang of ruffians were perpetrating, at a given -locality, a most unheard-of wrong, there should have been another -similar gang, in a similar locality, in the same city, under the same -circumstances, with the same means and appliances, engaged in a wrong -of precisely the same aspect, at precisely the same period of time! -Yet in what, if not in this marvellous train of coincidence, does the -accidentally suggested opinion of the populace call upon us to -believe? - -"Before proceeding farther, let us consider the supposed scene of the -assassination, in the thicket at the Barrire du Roule. This thicket, -although dense, was in the close vicinity of a public road. Within -were three or four large stones, forming a kind of seat with a back -and footstool. On the upper stone was discovered a white petticoat; -on the second, a silk scarf. A parasol, gloves, and a -pocket-handkerchief, were also here found. The handkerchief bore the -name, 'Marie Rogt.' Fragments of dress were seen on the branches -around. The earth was trampled, the bushes were broken, and there was -every evidence of a violent struggle. - -"Notwithstanding the acclamation with which the discovery of this -thicket was received by the press, and the unanimity with which it -was supposed to indicate the precise scene of the outrage, it must be -admitted that there was some very good reason for doubt. That it was -the scene, I may or I may not believe - but there was excellent -reason for doubt. Had the true scene been, as Le Commerciel -suggested, in the neighborhood of the Rue Pave St. Andre, the -perpetrators of the crime, supposing them still resident in Paris, -would naturally have been stricken with terror at the public -attention thus acutely directed into the proper channel; and, in -certain classes of minds, there would have arisen, at once, a sense -of the necessity of some exertion to redivert this attention. And -thus, the thicket of the Barrire du Roule having been already -suspected, the idea of placing the articles where they were found, -might have been naturally entertained. There is no real evidence, -although Le Soleil so supposes, that the articles discovered had been -more than a very few days in the thicket; while there is much -circumstantial proof that they could not have remained there, without -attracting attention, during the twenty days elapsing between the -fatal Sunday and the afternoon upon which they were found by the -boys. 'They were all _mildewed_ down hard,' says Le Soleil, adopting -the opinions of its predecessors, 'with the action of the rain, and -stuck together from _mildew_. The grass had grown around and over -some of them. The silk of the parasol was strong, but the threads of -it were run together within. The upper part, where it bad been -doubled and folded, was all _mildewed_ and rotten, and tore on being -opened.' In respect to the grass having '.grown around and over some -of them,' it is obvious that the fact could only have been -ascertained from the words, and thus from the recollections, of two -small boys; for these boys removed the articles and took them home -before they had been seen by a third party. But grass will grow, -especially in warm and damp weather, (such as was that of the period -of the murder,) as much as two or three inches in a single day. A -parasol lying upon a newly turfed ground, might, in a single week, be -entirely concealed from sight by the upspringing grass. And touching -that mildew upon which the editor of Le Soleil so pertinaciously -insists, that he employs the word no less than three times in the -brief paragraph just quoted, is he really unaware of the nature of -this mildew? Is he to be told that it is one of the many classes of -fungus, of which the most ordinary feature is its upspringing and -decadence within twenty-four hours? - -"Thus we see, at a glance, that what has been most triumphantly -adduced in support of the idea that the articles bad been 'for at -least three or four weeks' in the thicket, is most absurdly null as -regards any evidence of that fact. On the other hand, it is -exceedingly difficult to believe that these articles could have -remained in the thicket specified, for a longer period than a single -week - for a longer period than from one Sunday to the next. Those -who know any thing of the vicinity of Paris, know the extreme -difficulty of finding seclusion unless at a great distance from its -suburbs. Such a thing as an unexplored, or even an unfrequently -visited recess, amid its woods or groves, is not for a moment to be -imagined. Let any one who, being at heart a lover of nature, is yet -chained by duty to the dust and heat of this great metropolis - let -any such one attempt, even during the weekdays, to slake his thirst -for solitude amid the scenes of natural loveliness which immediately -surround us. At every second step, he will find the growing charm -dispelled by the voice and personal intrusion of some ruffian or -party of carousing blackguards. He will seek privacy amid the densest -foliage, all in vain. Here are the very nooks where the unwashed most -abound - here are the temples most desecrate. With sickness of the -heart the wanderer will flee back to the polluted Paris as to a less -odious because less incongruous sink of pollution. But if the -vicinity of the city is so beset during the working days of the week, -how much more so on the Sabbath! It is now especially that, released -from the claims of labor, or deprived of the customary opportunities -of crime, the town blackguard seeks the precincts of the town, not -through love of the rural, which in his heart he despises, but by way -of escape from the restraints and conventionalities of society. He -desires less the fresh air and the green trees, than the utter -license of the country. Here, at the road-side inn, or beneath the -foliage of the woods, he indulges, unchecked by any eye except those -of his boon companions, in all the mad excess of a counterfeit -hilarity - the joint offspring of liberty and of rum. I say nothing -more than what must be obvious to every dispassionate observer, when -I repeat that the circumstance of the articles in question having -remained undiscovered, for a longer period - than from one Sunday to -another, in any thicket in the immediate neighborhood of Paris, is to -be looked upon as little less than miraculous. - -"But there are not wanting other grounds for the suspicion that the -articles were placed in the thicket with the view of diverting -attention from the real scene of the outrage. And, first, let me -direct your notice to the date of the discovery of the articles. -Collate this with the date of the fifth extract made by myself from -the newspapers. You will find that the discovery followed, almost -immediately, the urgent communications sent to the evening paper. -These communications, although various and apparently from various -sources, tended all to the same point - viz., the directing of -attention to a gang as the perpetrators of the outrage, and to the -neighborhood of the Barrire du Roule as its scene. Now here, of -course, the suspicion is not that, in consequence of these -communications, or of the public attention by them directed, the -articles were found by the boys; but the suspicion might and may well -have been, that the articles were not before found by the boys, for -the reason that the articles had not before been in the thicket; -having been deposited there only at so late a period as at the date, -or shortly prior to the date of the communications by the guilty -authors of these communications themselves. - -"This thicket was a singular - an exceedingly singular one. It was -unusually dense. Within its naturally walled enclosure were three -extraordinary stones, forming a seat with a back and footstool. And -this thicket, so full of a natural art, was in the immediate -vicinity, within a few rods, of the dwelling of Madame Deluc, whose -boys were in the habit of closely examining the shrubberies about -them in search of the bark of the sassafras. Would it be a rash wager -- a wager of one thousand to one -- that a day never passed over the -heads of these boys without finding at least one of them ensconced in -the umbrageous hall, and enthroned upon its natural throne? Those who -would hesitate at such a wager, have either never been boys -themselves, or have forgotten the boyish nature. I repeat -- it is -exceedingly hard to comprehend how the articles could have remained -in this thicket undiscovered, for a longer period than one or two -days; and that thus there is good ground for suspicion, in spite of -the dogmatic ignorance of Le Soleil, that they were, at a -comparatively late date, deposited where found. - -"But there are still other and stronger reasons for believing them so -deposited, than any which I have as yet urged. And, now, let me beg -your notice to the highly artificial arrangement of the articles. On -the upper stone lay a white petticoat; on the second a silk scarf; -scattered around, were a parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief -bearing the name, 'Marie Rogt.' Here is just such an arrangement as -would naturally be made by a not over-acute person wishing to dispose -the articles naturally. But it is by no means a really natural -arrangement. I should rather have looked to see the things all lying -on the ground and trampled under foot. In the narrow limits of that -bower, it would have been scarcely possible that the petticoat and -scarf should have retained a position upon the stones, when subjected -to the brushing to and fro of many struggling persons. 'There was -evidence,' it is said, 'of a struggle; and the earth was trampled, -the bushes were broken,' - but the petticoat and the scarf are found -deposited as if upon shelves. 'The pieces of the frock torn out by -the bushes were about three inches wide and six inches long. One part -was the hem of the frock and it had been mended. They looked like -strips torn off.' Here, inadvertently, Le Soleil has employed an -exceedingly suspicious phrase. The pieces, as described, do indeed -'look like strips torn off;' but purposely and by hand. It is one of -the rarest of accidents that a piece is 'torn off,' from any garment -such as is now in question, by the agency of a thorn. From the very -nature of such fabrics, a thorn or nail becoming entangled in them, -tears them rectangularly - divides them into two longitudinal rents, -at right angles with each other, and meeting at an apex where the -thorn enters - but it is scarcely possible to conceive the piece -'torn off.' I never so knew it, nor did you. To tear a piece off from -such fabric, two distinct forces, in different directions, will be, -in almost every case, required. If there be two edges to the fabric - -if, for example, it be a pocket- handkerchief, and it is desired to -tear from it a slip, then, and then only, will the one force serve -the purpose. But in the present case the question is of a dress, -presenting but one edge. To tear a piece from the interior, where no -edge is presented, could only be effected by a miracle through the -agency of thorns, and no one thorn could accomplish it. But, even -where an edge is presented, two thorns will be necessary, operating, -the one in two distinct directions, and the other in one. And this in -the supposition that the edge is unhemmed. If hemmed, the matter is -nearly out of the question. We thus see the numerous and great -obstacles in the way of pieces being 'torn off' through the simple -agency of 'thorns;' yet we are required to believe not only that one -piece but that many have been so torn. 'And one part,' too, 'was the -hem of the frock!' Another piece was 'part of the skirt, not the -hem,' - that is to say, was torn completely out through the agency of -thorns, from the uncaged interior of the dress! These, I say, are -things which one may well be pardoned for disbelieving; yet, taken -collectedly, they form, perhaps, less of reasonable ground for -suspicion, than the one startling circumstance of the articles' -having been left in this thicket at all, by any murderers who had -enough precaution to think of removing the corpse. You will not have -apprehended me rightly, however, if you suppose it my design to deny -this thicket as the scene of the outrage. There might have been a -wrong here, or, more possibly, an accident at Madame Deluc's. But, in -fact, this is a point of minor importance. We are not engaged in an -attempt to discover the scene, but to produce the perpetrators of the -murder. What I have adduced, notwithstanding the minuteness with -which I have adduced it, has been with the view, first, to show the -folly of the positive and headlong assertions of Le Soleil, but -secondly and chiefly, to bring you, by the most natural route, to a -further contemplation of the doubt whether this assassination has, or -has not been, the work of a gang. - -"We will resume this question by mere allusion to the revolting -details of the surgeon examined at the inquest. It is only necessary -to say that is published inferences, in regard to the number of -ruffians, have been properly ridiculed as unjust and totally -baseless, by all the reputable anatomists of Paris. Not that the -matter might not have been as inferred, but that there was no ground -for the inference: - was there not much for another? - -"Let us reflect now upon 'the traces of a struggle;' and let me ask -what these traces have been supposed to demonstrate. A gang. But do -they not rather demonstrate the absence of a gang? What struggle -could have taken place - what struggle so violent and so enduring as -to have left its 'traces' in all directions - between a weak and -defenceless girl and the gang of ruffians imagined? The silent grasp -of a few rough arms and all would have been over. The victim must -have been absolutely passive at their will. You will here bear in -mind that the arguments urged against the thicket as the scene, are -applicable in chief part, only against it as the scene of an outrage -committed by more than a single individual. If we imagine but one -violator, we can conceive, and thus only conceive, the struggle of so -violent and so obstinate a nature as to have left the 'traces' -apparent. - -"And again. I have already mentioned the suspicion to be excited by -the fact that the articles in question were suffered to remain at all -in the thicket where discovered. It seems almost impossible that -these evidences of guilt should have been accidentally left where -found. There was sufficient presence of mind (it is supposed) to -remove the corpse; and yet a more positive evidence than the corpse -itself (whose features might have been quickly obliterated by decay,) -is allowed to lie conspicuously in the scene of the outrage - I -allude to the handkerchief with the name of the deceased. If this was -accident, it was not the accident of a gang. We can imagine it only -the accident of an individual. Let us see. An individual has -committed the murder. He is alone with the ghost of the departed. He -is appalled by what lies motionless before him. The fury of his -passion is over, and there is abundant room in his heart for the -natural awe of the deed. His is none of that confidence which the -presence of numbers inevitably inspires. He is alone with the dead. -He trembles and is bewildered. Yet there is a necessity for disposing -of the corpse. He bears it to the river, but leaves behind him the -other evidences of guilt; for it is difficult, if not impossible to -carry all the burthen at once, and it will be easy to return for what -is left. But in his toilsome journey to the water his fears redouble -within him. The sounds of life encompass his path. A dozen times he -hears or fancies the step of an observer. Even the very lights from -the city bewilder him. Yet, in time and by long and frequent pauses -of deep agony, he reaches the river's brink, and disposes of his -ghastly charge - perhaps through the medium of a boat. But now what -treasure does the world hold - what threat of vengeance could it hold -out - which would have power to urge the return of that lonely -murderer over that toilsome and perilous path, to the thicket and its -blood chilling recollections? He returns not, let the consequences be -what they may. He could not return if he would. His sole thought is -immediate escape. He turns his back forever upon those dreadful -shrubberies and flees as from the wrath to come. - -"But how with a gang? Their number would have inspired them with -confidence; if, indeed confidence is ever wanting in the breast of -the arrant blackguard; and of arrant blackguards alone are the -supposed gangs ever constituted. Their number, I say, would have -prevented the bewildering and unreasoning terror which I have -imagined to paralyze the single man. Could we suppose an oversight in -one, or two, or three, this oversight would have been remedied by a -fourth. They would have left nothing behind them; for their number -would have enabled them to carry all at once. There would have been -no need of return. - -"Consider now the circumstance that in the outer garment of the -corpse when found, 'a slip, about a foot wide had been torn upward -from the bottom hem to the waist wound three times round the waist, -and secured by a sort of hitch in the back.' This was done with the -obvious design of affording a handle by which to carry the body. But -would any number of men have dreamed of resorting to such an -expedient? To three or four, the limbs of the corpse would have -afforded not only a sufficient, but the best possible hold. The -device is that of a single individual; and this brings us to the fact -that 'between the thicket and the river, the rails of the fences were -found taken down, and the ground bore evident traces of some heavy -burden having been dragged along it!' But would a number of men have -put themselves to the superfluous trouble of taking down a fence, for -the purpose of dragging through it a corpse which they might have -lifted over any fence in an instant? Would a number of men have so -dragged a corpse at all as to have left evident traces of the -dragging? - -"And here we must refer to an observation of Le Commerciel; an -observation upon which I have already, in some measure, commented. 'A -piece,' says this journal, 'of one of the unfortunate girl's -petticoats was torn out and tied under her chin, and around the back -of her head, probably to prevent screams. This was done by fellows -who had no pocket-handkerchiefs.' - -"I have before suggested that a genuine blackguard is never without a -pocket-handkerchief. But it is not to this fact that I now especially -advert. That it was not through want of a handkerchief for the -purpose imagined by Le Commerciel, that this bandage was employed, is -rendered apparent by the handkerchief left in the thicket; and that -the object was not 'to prevent screams' appears, also, from the -bandage having been employed in preference to what would so much -better have answered the purpose. But the language of the evidence -speaks of the strip in question as 'found around the neck, fitting -loosely, and secured with a hard knot.' These words are sufficiently -vague, but differ materially from those of Le Commerciel. The slip -was eighteen inches wide, and therefore, although of muslin, would -form a strong band when folded or rumpled longitudinally. And thus -rumpled it was discovered. My inference is this. The solitary -murderer, having borne the corpse, for some distance, (whether from -the thicket or elsewhere) by means of the bandage hitched around its -middle, found the weight, in this mode of procedure, too much for his -strength. He resolved to drag the burthen - the evidence goes to show -that it was dragged. With this object in view, it became necessary to -attach something like a rope to one of the extremities. It could be -best attached about the neck, where the head would prevent its -slipping off. And, now, the murderer bethought him, unquestionably, -of the bandage about the loins. He would have used this, but for its -volution about the corpse, the hitch which embarrassed it, and the -reflection that it had not been 'torn off' from the garment. It was -easier to tear a new slip from the petticoat. He tore it, made it -fast about the neck, and so dragged his victim to the brink of the -river. That this 'bandage,' only attainable with trouble and delay, -and but imperfectly answering its purpose - that this bandage was -employed at all, demonstrates that the necessity for its employment -sprang from circumstances arising at a period when the handkerchief -was no longer attainable -- that is to say, arising, as we have -imagined, after quitting the thicket, (if the thicket it was), and on -the road between the thicket and the river. - -"But the evidence, you will say, of Madame Deluc, (!) points -especially to the presence of a gang, in the vicinity of the thicket, -at or about the epoch of the murder. This I grant. I doubt if there -were not a dozen gangs, such as described by Madame Deluc, in and -about the vicinity of the Barrire du Roule at or about the period of -this tragedy. But the gang which has drawn upon itself the pointed -animadversion, although the somewhat tardy and very suspicious -evidence of Madame Deluc, is the only gang which is represented by -that honest and scrupulous old lady as having eaten her cakes and -swallowed her brandy, without putting themselves to the trouble of -making her payment. Et hinc ill ir? - -"But what is the precise evidence of Madame Deluc? 'A gang of -miscreants made their appearance, behaved boisterously, ate and drank -without making payment, followed in the route of the young man and -girl, returned to the inn about dusk, and recrossed the river as if -in great haste.' - -"Now this 'great haste' very possibly seemed greater haste in the -eyes of Madame Deluc, since she dwelt lingeringly and lamentingly -upon her violated cakes and ale - cakes and ale for which she might -still have entertained a faint hope of compensation. Why, otherwise, -since it was about dusk, should she make a point of the haste? It is -no cause for wonder, surely, that even a gang of blackguards should -make haste to get home, when a wide river is to be crossed in small -boats, when storm impends, and when night approaches. - -"I say approaches; for the night had not yet arrived. It was only -about dusk that the indecent haste of these 'miscreants' offended the -sober eyes of Madame Deluc. But we are told that it was upon this -very evening that Madame Deluc, as well as her eldest son, 'heard the -screams of a female in the vicinity of the inn.' And in what words -does Madame Deluc designate the period of the evening at which these -screams were heard? 'It was soon after dark,' she says. But 'soon -after dark,' is, at least, dark; and 'about dusk' is as certainly -daylight. Thus it is abundantly clear that the gang quitted the -Barrire du Roule prior to the screams overheard (?) by Madame Deluc. -And although, in all the many reports of the evidence, the relative -expressions in question are distinctly and invariably employed just -as I have employed them in this conversation with yourself, no notice -whatever of the gross discrepancy has, as yet, been taken by any of -the public journals, or by any of the Myrmidons of police. - -"I shall add but one to the arguments against a gang; but this one -has, to my own understanding at least, a weight altogether -irresistible. Under the circumstances of large reward offered, and -full pardon to any King's evidence, it is not to be imagined, for a -moment, that some member of a gang of low ruffians, or of any body of -men, would not long ago have betrayed his accomplices. Each one of a -gang so placed, is not so much greedy of reward, or anxious for -escape, as fearful of betrayal. He betrays eagerly and early that he -may not himself be betrayed. That the secret has not been divulged, -is the very best of proof that it is, in fact, a secret. The horrors -of this dark deed are known only to one, or two, living human beings, -and to God. - -"Let us sum up now the meagre yet certain fruits of our long -analysis. We have attained the idea either of a fatal accident under -the roof of Madame Deluc, or of a murder perpetrated, in the thicket -at the Barrire du Roule, by a lover, or at least by an intimate and -secret associate of the deceased. This associate is of swarthy -complexion. This complexion, the 'hitch' in the bandage, and the -'sailor's knot,' with which the bonnet-ribbon is tied, point to a -seaman. His companionship with the deceased, a gay, but not an abject -young girl, designates him as above the grade of the common sailor. -Here the well written and urgent communications to the journals are -much in the way of corroboration. The circumstance of the first -elopement, as mentioned by Le Mercurie, tends to blend the idea of -this seaman with that of the 'naval officer' who is first known to -have led the unfortunate into crime. - -"And here, most fitly, comes the consideration of the continued -absence of him of the dark complexion. Let me pause to observe that -the complexion of this man is dark and swarthy; it was no common -swarthiness which constituted the sole point of remembrance, both as -regards Valence and Madame Deluc. But why is this man absent? Was he -murdered by the gang? If so, why are there only traces of the -assassinated girl? The scene of the two outrages will naturally be -supposed identical. And where is his corpse? The assassins would most -probably have disposed of both in the same way. But it may be said -that this man lives, and is deterred from making himself known, -through dread of being charged with the murder. This consideration -might be supposed to operate upon him now - at this late period - -since it has been given in evidence that he was seen with Marie - but -it would have had no force at the period of the deed. The first -impulse of an innocent man would have been to announce the outrage, -and to aid in identifying the ruffians. This policy would have -suggested. He had been seen with the girl. He had crossed the river -with her in an open ferry-boat. The denouncing of the assassins would -have appeared, even to an idiot, the surest and sole means of -relieving himself from suspicion. We cannot suppose him, on the night -of the fatal Sunday, both innocent himself and incognizant of an -outrage committed. Yet only under such circumstances is it possible -to imagine that he would have failed, if alive, in the denouncement -of the assassins. - -"And what means are ours, of attaining the truth? We shall find these -means multiplying and gathering distinctness as we proceed. Let us -sift to the bottom this affair of the first elopement. Let us know -the full history of 'the officer,' with his present circumstances, -and his whereabouts at the precise period of the murder. Let us -carefully compare with each other the various communications sent to -the evening paper, in which the object was to inculpate a gang. This -done, let us compare these communications, both as regards style and -MS., with those sent to the morning paper, at a previous period, and -insisting so vehemently upon the guilt of Mennais. And, all this -done, let us again compare these various communications with the -known MSS. of the officer. Let us endeavor to ascertain, by repeated -questionings of Madame Deluc and her boys, as well as of the omnibus -driver, Valence, something more of the personal appearance and -bearing of the 'man of dark complexion.' Queries, skilfully directed, -will not fail to elicit, from some of these parties, information on -this particular point (or upon others) - information which the -parties themselves may not even be aware of possessing. And let us -now trace the boatpicked up by the bargeman on the morning of Monday -the twenty-third of June, and which was removed from the -barge-office, without the cognizance of the officer in attendance, -and without the rudder, at some period prior to the discovery of the -corpse. With a proper caution and perseverance we shall infallibly -trace this boat; for not only can the bargeman who picked it up -identify it, but the rudder is at hand. The rudder of a sail-boat -would not have been abandoned, without inquiry, by one altogether at -ease in heart. And here let me pause to insinuate a question. There -was no advertisement of the picking up of this boat. It was silently -taken to the barge-office, and as silently removed. But its owner or -employer - how happened he, at so early a period as Tuesday morning, -to be informed, without the agency of advertisement, of the locality -of the boat taken up on Monday, unless we imagine some connexion with -the navy - some personal permanent connexion leading to cognizance of -its minute in interests - its petty local news? - -"In speaking of the lonely assassin dragging his burden to the shore, -I have already suggested the probability of his availing himself of a -boat. Now we are to understand that Marie Rogt was precipitated from -a boat. This would naturally have been the case. The corpse could not -have been trusted to the shallow waters of the shore. The peculiar -marks on the back and shoulders of the victim tell of the bottom ribs -of a boat. That the body was found without weight is also -corroborative of the idea. If thrown from the shore a weight would -have been attached. We can only account for its absence by supposing -the murderer to have neglected the precaution of supplying himself -with it before pushing off. In the act of consigning the corpse to -the water, he would unquestionably have noticed his oversight; but -then no remedy would have been at hand. Any risk would have been -preferred to a return to that accursed shore. Having rid himself of -his ghastly charge, the murderer would have hastened to the city. -There, at some obscure wharf, he would have leaped on land. But the -boat - would he have secured it? He would have been in too great -haste for such things as securing a boat. Moreover, in fastening it -to the wharf, he would have felt as if securing evidence against -himself. His natural thought would have been to cast from him, as far -as possible, all that had held connection with his crime. He would -not only have fled from the wharf, but he would not have permitted -the boat to remain. Assuredly he would have cast it adrift. Let us -pursue our fancies. - In the morning, the wretch is stricken with -unutterable horror at finding that the boat has been picked up and -detained at a locality which he is in the daily habit of frequenting -- at a locality, perhaps, which his duty compels him to frequent. The -next night, without daring to ask for the rudder, he removes it. Now -where is that rudderless boat? Let it be one of our first purposes to -discover. With the first glimpse we obtain of it, the dawn of our -success shall begin. This boat shall guide us, with a rapidity which -will surprise even ourselves, to him who employed it in the midnight -of the fatal Sabbath. Corroboration will rise upon corroboration, and -the murderer will be traced." - -[For reasons which we shall not specify, but which to many readers -will appear obvious, we have taken the liberty of here omitting, from -the MSS. placed in our hands, such portion as details the following -up of the apparently slight clew obtained by Dupin. We feel it -advisable only to state, in brief, that the result desired was -brought to pass; and that the Prefect fulfilled punctually, although -with reluctance, the terms of his compact with the Chevalier. Mr. -Poe's article concludes with the following words. - Eds. {*23}] - -It will be understood that I speak of coincidences and no more. What -I have said above upon this topic must suffice. In my own heart there -dwells no faith in prter-nature. That Nature and its God are two, no -man who thinks, will deny. That the latter, creating the former, can, -at will, control or modify it, is also unquestionable. I say "at -will;" for the question is of will, and not, as the insanity of logic -has assumed, of power. It is not that the Deity cannot modify his -laws, but that we insult him in imagining a possible necessity for -modification. In their origin these laws were fashioned to embrace -all contingencies which could lie in the Future. With God all is Now. - -I repeat, then, that I speak of these things only as of coincidences. -And farther: in what I relate it will be seen that between the fate -of the unhappy Mary Cecilia Rogers, so far as that fate is known, and -the fate of one Marie Rogt up to a certain epoch in her history, -there has existed a parallel in the contemplation of whose wonderful -exactitude the reason becomes embarrassed. I say all this will be -seen. But let it not for a moment be supposed that, in proceeding -with the sad narrative of Marie from the epoch just mentioned, and in -tracing to its dnouement the mystery which enshrouded her, it is my -covert design to hint at an extension of the parallel, or even to -suggest that the measures adopted in Paris for the discovery of the -assassin of a grisette, or measures founded in any similar -ratiocination, would produce any similar result. - -For, in respect to the latter branch of the supposition, it should be -considered that the most trifling variation in the facts of the two -cases might give rise to the most important miscalculations, by -diverting thoroughly the two courses of events; very much as, in -arithmetic, an error which, in its own individuality, may be -inappreciable, produces, at length, by dint of multiplication at all -points of the process, a result enormously at variance with truth. -And, in regard to the former branch, we must not fail to hold in view -that the very Calculus of Probabilities to which I have referred, -forbids all idea of the extension of the parallel: - forbids it with -a positiveness strong and decided just in proportion as this parallel -has already been long-drawn and exact. This is one of those anomalous -propositions which, seemingly appealing to thought altogether apart -from the mathematical, is yet one which only the mathematician can -fully entertain. Nothing, for example, is more difficult than to -convince the merely general reader that the fact of sixes having been -thrown twice in succession by a player at dice, is sufficient cause -for betting the largest odds that sixes will not be thrown in the -third attempt. A suggestion to this effect is usually rejected by the -intellect at once. It does not appear that the two throws which have -been completed, and which lie now absolutely in the Past, can have -influence upon the throw which exists only in the Future. The chance -for throwing sixes seems to be precisely as it was at any ordinary -time - that is to say, subject only to the influence of the various -other throws which may be made by the dice. And this is a reflection -which appears so exceedingly obvious that attempts to controvert it -are received more frequently with a derisive smile than with anything -like respectful attention. The error here involved - a gross error -redolent of mischief - I cannot pretend to expose within the limits -assigned me at present; and with the philosophical it needs no -exposure. It may be sufficient here to say that it forms one of an -infinite series of mistakes which arise in the path or Reason through -her propensity for seeking truth in detail. - - -~~~ End of Text ~~~ - - -FOOTNOTES--Marie Rogt - -{*1} Upon the original publication of "Marie Roget," the foot-notes -now appended were considered unnecessary; but the lapse of several -years since the tragedy upon which the tale is based, renders it -expedient to give them, and also to say a few words in explanation of -the general design. A young girl, Mary Cecilia Rogers, was murdered -in the vicinity of New York; and, although her death occasioned an -intense and long-enduring excitement, the mystery attending it had -remained unsolved at the period when the present paper was written -and published (November, 1842). Herein, under pretence of relating -the fate of a Parisian grisette, the author has followed in minute -detail, the essential, while merely paralleling the inessential facts -of the real murder of Mary Rogers. Thus all argument founded upon the -fiction is applicable to the truth: and the investigation of the -truth was the object. The "Mystery of Marie Roget" was composed at a -distance from the scene of the atrocity, and with no other means of -investigation than the newspapers afforded. Thus much escaped the -writer of which he could have availed himself had he been upon the -spot, and visited the localities. It may not be improper to record, -nevertheless, that the confessions of two persons, (one of them the -Madame Deluc of the narrative) made, at different periods, long -subsequent to the publication, confirmed, in full, not only the -general conclusion, but absolutely all the chief hypothetical details -by which that conclusion was attained. - -{*2} The nom de plume of Von Hardenburg. - -{*3} Nassau Street. - -{*4} Anderson. - -{*5} The Hudson. - -{*6} Weehawken. - -{*7} Payne. - -{*8} Crommelin. - -{*9} The New York "Mercury." - -(*10} The New York "Brother Jonathan," edited by H. Hastings Weld, -Esq. - -{*11} New York "Journal of Commerce." - -{*12} Philadelphia "Saturday Evening Post," edited by C. I. Peterson, -Esq. - -{*13} Adam - -{*14} See "Murders in the Rue Morgue." - -{*15} The New York "Commercial Advertiser," edited by Col. Stone. - -{*16} "A theory based on the qualities of an object, will prevent its -being unfolded according to its objects; and he who arranges topics -in reference to their causes, will cease to value them according to -their results. Thus the jurisprudence of every nation will show that, -when law becomes a science and a system, it ceases to be justice. The -errors into which a blind devotion to principles of classification -has led the common law, will be seen by observing how often the -legislature has been obliged to come forward to restore the equity -its scheme had lost." - Landor. - -{*17} New York "Express" - -{*18} NewYork "Herald." - -{*19} New York "Courier and Inquirer." - -{*20} Mennais was one of the parties originally suspected and -arrested, but discharged through total lack of evidence. - -{*21} New York "Courier and Inquirer." - -{*22} New York "Evening Post." - -{*23} Of the Magazine in which the article was originally published. - - -========== - - - - THE BALLOON-HOAX - - [Astounding News by Express, _via_ Norfolk! - The Atlantic -crossed in Three Days! Signal Triumph of Mr. Monck Mason's Flying -Machine! - Arrival at Sullivan's Island, near Charlestown, S.C., of -Mr. Mason, Mr. Robert Holland, Mr. Henson, Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, -and four others, in the Steering Balloon, "Victoria," after a passage -of Seventy-five Hours from Land to Land! Full Particulars of the -Voyage! - - The subjoined _jeu d'esprit_ with the preceding heading in -magnificent capitals, well interspersed with notes of admiration, was -originally published, as matter of fact, in the "New York Sun," a -daily newspaper, and therein fully subserved the purpose of creating -indigestible aliment for the _quidnuncs_ during the few hours -intervening between a couple of the Charleston mails. The rush for -the "sole paper which had the news," was something beyond even the -prodigious; and, in fact, if (as some assert) the "Victoria" _did_ -not absolutely accomplish the voyage recorded, it will be difficult -to assign a reason why she _should_ not have accomplished it.] - - THE great problem is at length solved! The air, as well as the -earth and the ocean, has been subdued by science, and will become a -common and convenient highway for mankind. _The Atlantic has been -actually crossed in a Balloon!_ and this too without difficulty - -without any great apparent danger - with thorough control of the -machine - and in the inconceivably brief period of seventy-five hours -from shore to shore! By the energy of an agent at Charleston, S.C., -we are enabled to be the first to furnish the public with a detailed -account of this most extraordinary voyage, which was performed -between Saturday, the 6th instant, at 11, A.M., and 2, P.M., on -Tuesday, the 9th instant, by Sir Everard Bringhurst; Mr. Osborne, a -nephew of Lord Bentinck's; Mr. Monck Mason and Mr. Robert Holland, -the well-known ronauts; Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, author of "Jack -Sheppard," &c.; and Mr. Henson, the projector of the late -unsuccessful flying machine - with two seamen from Woolwich - in all, -eight persons. The particulars furnished below may be relied on as -authentic and accurate in every respect, as, with a slight exception, -they are copied _verbatim_ from the joint diaries of Mr. Monck Mason -and Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, to whose politeness our agent is also -indebted for much verbal information respecting the balloon itself, -its construction, and other matters of interest. The only alteration -in the MS. received, has been made for the purpose of throwing the -hurried account of our agent, Mr. Forsyth, into a connected and -intelligible form. - -"THE BALLOON. - - "Two very decided failures, of late - those of Mr. Henson and Sir -George Cayley - had much weakened the public interest in the subject -of aerial navigation. Mr. Henson's scheme (which at first was -considered very feasible even by men of science,) was founded upon -the principle of an inclined plane, started from an eminence by an -extrinsic force, applied and continued by the revolution of impinging -vanes, in form and number resembling the vanes of a windmill. But, -in all the experiments made with models at the Adelaide Gallery, it -was found that the operation of these fans not only did not propel -the machine, but actually impeded its flight. The only propelling -force it ever exhibited, was the mere _impetus_ acquired from the -descent of the inclined plane; and this _impetus_ carried the -machine farther when the vanes were at rest, than when they were in -motion - a fact which sufficiently demonstrates their inutility; -and in the absence of the propelling, which was also the _sustaining_ -power, the whole fabric would necessarily descend. This -consideration led Sir George Cayley to think only of adapting a -propeller to some machine having of itself an independent power of -support - in a word, to a balloon; the idea, however, being novel, -or original, with Sir George, only so far as regards the mode of its -application to practice. He exhibited a model of his invention at -the Polytechnic Institution. The propelling principle, or power, was -here, also, applied to interrupted surfaces, or vanes, put in -revolution. These vanes were four in number, but were found entirely -ineffectual in moving the balloon, or in aiding its ascending power. -The whole project was thus a complete failure. - - "It was at this juncture that Mr. Monck Mason (whose voyage from -Dover to Weilburg in the balloon, "Nassau," occasioned so much -excitement in 1837,) conceived the idea of employing the principle of -the Archimedean screw for the purpose of propulsion through the air - -rightly attributing the failure of Mr. Henson's scheme, and of Sir -George Cayley's, to the interruption of surface in the independent -vanes. He made the first public experiment at Willis's Rooms, but -afterward removed his model to the Adelaide Gallery. - - "Like Sir George Cayley's balloon, his own was an ellipsoid. Its -length was thirteen feet six inches - height, six feet eight inches. -It contained about three hundred and twenty cubic feet of gas, which, -if pure hydrogen, would support twenty-one pounds upon its first -inflation, before the gas has time to deteriorate or escape. The -weight of the whole machine and apparatus was seventeen pounds - -leaving about four pounds to spare. Beneath the centre of the -balloon, was a frame of light wood, about nine feet long, and rigged -on to the balloon itself with a network in the customary manner. -From this framework was suspended a wicker basket or car. - - "The screw consists of an axis of hollow brass tube, eighteen -inches in length, through which, upon a semi-spiral inclined at -fifteen degrees, pass a series of steel wire radii, two feet long, -and thus projecting a foot on either side. These radii are connected -at the outer extremities by two bands of flattened wire - the whole -in this manner forming the framework of the screw, which is completed -by a covering of oiled silk cut into gores, and tightened so as to -present a tolerably uniform surface. At each end of its axis this -screw is supported by pillars of hollow brass tube descending from -the hoop. In the lower ends of these tubes are holes in which the -pivots of the axis revolve. From the end of the axis which is next -the car, proceeds a shaft of steel, connecting the screw with the -pinion of a piece of spring machinery fixed in the car. By the -operation of this spring, the screw is made to revolve with great -rapidity, communicating a progressive motion to the whole. By means -of the rudder, the machine was readily turned in any direction. The -spring was of great power, compared with its dimensions, being -capable of raising forty-five pounds upon a barrel of four inches -diameter, after the first turn, and gradually increasing as it was -wound up. It weighed, altogether, eight pounds six ounces. The -rudder was a light frame of cane covered with silk, shaped somewhat -like a battledoor, and was about three feet long, and at the widest, -one foot. Its weight was about two ounces. It could be turned -_flat_, and directed upwards or downwards, as well as to the right or -left; and thus enabled the ronaut to transfer the resistance of -the air which in an inclined position it must generate in its -passage, to any side upon which he might desire to act; thus -determining the balloon in the opposite direction. - - "This model (which, through want of time, we have necessarily -described in an imperfect manner,) was put in action at the Adelaide -Gallery, where it accomplished a velocity of five miles per hour; -although, strange to say, it excited very little interest in -comparison with the previous complex machine of Mr. Henson - so -resolute is the world to despise anything which carries with it an -air of simplicity. To accomplish the great desideratum of rial -navigation, it was very generally supposed that some exceedingly -complicated application must be made of some unusually profound -principle in dynamics. - - "So well satisfied, however, was Mr. Mason of the ultimate -success of his invention, that he determined to construct -immediately, if possible, a balloon of sufficient capacity to test -the question by a voyage of some extent - the original design being -to cross the British Channel, as before, in the Nassau balloon. To -carry out his views, he solicited and obtained the patronage of Sir -Everard Bringhurst and Mr. Osborne, two gentlemen well known for -scientific acquirement, and especially for the interest they have -exhibited in the progress of rostation. The project, at the desire -of Mr. Osborne, was kept a profound secret from the public - the only -persons entrusted with the design being those actually engaged in the -construction of the machine, which was built (under the -superintendence of Mr. Mason, Mr. Holland, Sir Everard Bringhurst, -and Mr. Osborne,) at the seat of the latter gentleman near -Penstruthal, in Wales. Mr. Henson, accompanied by his friend Mr. -Ainsworth, was admitted to a private view of the balloon, on Saturday -last - when the two gentlemen made final arrangements to be included -in the adventure. We are not informed for what reason the two seamen -were also included in the party - but, in the course of a day or two, -we shall put our readers in possession of the minutest particulars -respecting this extraordinary voyage. - - "The balloon is composed of silk, varnished with the liquid gum -caoutchouc. It is of vast dimensions, containing more than 40,000 -cubic feet of gas; but as coal gas was employed in place of the -more expensive and inconvenient hydrogen, the supporting power of the -machine, when fully inflated, and immediately after inflation, is not -more than about 2500 pounds. The coal gas is not only much less -costly, but is easily procured and managed. - - "For its introduction into common use for purposes of -aerostation, we are indebted to Mr. Charles Green. Up to his -discovery, the process of inflation was not only exceedingly -expensive, but uncertain. Two, and even three days, have frequently -been wasted in futile attempts to procure a sufficiency of hydrogen -to fill a balloon, from which it had great tendency to escape, owing -to its extreme subtlety, and its affinity for the surrounding -atmosphere. In a balloon sufficiently perfect to retain its contents -of coal-gas unaltered, in quantity or amount, for six months, an -equal quantity of hydrogen could not be maintained in equal purity -for six weeks. - - "The supporting power being estimated at 2500 pounds, and the -united weights of the party amounting only to about 1200, there was -left a surplus of 1300, of which again 1200 was exhausted by ballast, -arranged in bags of different sizes, with their respective weights -marked upon them - by cordage, barometers, telescopes, barrels -containing provision for a fortnight, water-casks, cloaks, -carpet-bags, and various other indispensable matters, including a -coffee-warmer, contrived for warming coffee by means of slack-lime, -so as to dispense altogether with fire, if it should be judged -prudent to do so. All these articles, with the exception of the -ballast, and a few trifles, were suspended from the hoop overhead. -The car is much smaller and lighter, in proportion, than the one -appended to the model. It is formed of a light wicker, and is -wonderfully strong, for so frail looking a machine. Its rim is about -four feet deep. The rudder is also very much larger, in proportion, -than that of the model; and the screw is considerably smaller. The -balloon is furnished besides with a grapnel, and a guide-rope; -which latter is of the most indispensable importance. A few words, in -explanation, will here be necessary for such of our readers as are -not conversant with the details of aerostation. - - "As soon as the balloon quits the earth, it is subjected to the -influence of many circumstances tending to create a difference in its -weight; augmenting or diminishing its ascending power. For -example, there may be a deposition of dew upon the silk, to the -extent, even, of several hundred pounds; ballast has then to be -thrown out, or the machine may descend. This ballast being -discarded, and a clear sunshine evaporating the dew, and at the same -time expanding the gas in the silk, the whole will again rapidly -ascend. To check this ascent, the only recourse is, (or rather -_was_, until Mr. Green's invention of the guide-rope,) the permission -of the escape of gas from the valve; but, in the loss of gas, is a -proportionate general loss of ascending power; so that, in a -comparatively brief period, the best-constructed balloon must -necessarily exhaust all its resources, and come to the earth. This -was the great obstacle to voyages of length. - - "The guide-rope remedies the difficulty in the simplest manner -conceivable. It is merely a very long rope which is suffered to -trail from the car, and the effect of which is to prevent the balloon -from changing its level in any material degree. If, for example, -there should be a deposition of moisture upon the silk, and the -machine begins to descend in consequence, there will be no necessity -for discharging ballast to remedy the increase of weight, for it is -remedied, or counteracted, in an exactly just proportion, by the -deposit on the ground of just so much of the end of the rope as is -necessary. If, on the other hand, any circumstances should cause -undue levity, and consequent ascent, this levity is immediately -counteracted by the additional weight of rope upraised from the -earth. Thus, the balloon can neither ascend or descend, except -within very narrow limits, and its resources, either in gas or -ballast, remain comparatively unimpaired. When passing over an -expanse of water, it becomes necessary to employ small kegs of copper -or wood, filled with liquid ballast of a lighter nature than water. -These float, and serve all the purposes of a mere rope on land. -Another most important office of the guide-rope, is to point out the -_direction_ of the balloon. The rope _drags_, either on land or sea, -while the balloon is free; the latter, consequently, is always in -advance, when any progress whatever is made: a comparison, -therefore, by means of the compass, of the relative positions of the -two objects, will always indicate the _course_. In the same way, the -angle formed by the rope with the vertical axis of the machine, -indicates the _velocity_. When there is _no_ angle - in other words, -when the rope hangs perpendicularly, the whole apparatus is -stationary; but the larger the angle, that is to say, the farther -the balloon precedes the end of the rope, the greater the velocity; -and the converse. - - "As the original design was to cross the British Channel, and -alight as near Paris as possible, the voyagers had taken the -precaution to prepare themselves with passports directed to all parts -of the Continent, specifying the nature of the expedition, as in the -case of the Nassau voyage, and entitling the adventurers to exemption -from the usual formalities of office: unexpected events, however, -rendered these passports superfluous. - - "The inflation was commenced very quietly at daybreak, on -Saturday morning, the 6th instant, in the Court-Yard of Weal-Vor -House, Mr. Osborne's seat, about a mile from Penstruthal, in North -Wales; and at 7 minutes past 11, every thing being ready for -departure, the balloon was set free, rising gently but steadily, in a -direction nearly South; no use being made, for the first half hour, -of either the screw or the rudder. We proceed now with the journal, -as transcribed by Mr. Forsyth from the joint MSS. Of Mr. Monck -Mason, and Mr. Ainsworth. The body of the journal, as given, is in -the hand-writing of Mr. Mason, and a P. S. is appended, each day, -by Mr. Ainsworth, who has in preparation, and will shortly give the -public a more minute, and no doubt, a thrillingly interesting account -of the voyage. - -"THE JOURNAL. - - "_Saturday, April the 6th_. - Every preparation likely to -embarrass us, having been made over night, we commenced the inflation -this morning at daybreak; but owing to a thick fog, which -encumbered the folds of the silk and rendered it unmanageable, we did -not get through before nearly eleven o'clock. Cut loose, then, in -high spirits, and rose gently but steadily, with a light breeze at -North, which bore us in the direction of the British Channel. Found -the ascending force greater than we had expected; and as we arose -higher and so got clear of the cliffs, and more in the sun's rays, -our ascent became very rapid. I did not wish, however, to lose gas -at so early a period of the adventure, and so concluded to ascend for -the present. We soon ran out our guide-rope; but even when we had -raised it clear of the earth, we still went up very rapidly. The -balloon was unusually steady, and looked beautifully. In about ten -minutes after starting, the barometer indicated an altitude of 15,000 -feet. The weather was remarkably fine, and the view of the subjacent -country - a most romantic one when seen from any point, - was now -especially sublime. The numerous deep gorges presented the appearance -of lakes, on account of the dense vapors with which they were filled, -and the pinnacles and crags to the South East, piled in inextricable -confusion, resembling nothing so much as the giant cities of eastern -fable. We were rapidly approaching the mountains in the South; but -our elevation was more than sufficient to enable us to pass them in -safety. In a few minutes we soared over them in fine style; and -Mr. Ainsworth, with the seamen, was surprised at their apparent want -of altitude when viewed from the car, the tendency of great elevation -in a balloon being to reduce inequalities of the surface below, to -nearly a dead level. At half-past eleven still proceeding nearly -South, we obtained our first view of the Bristol Channel; and, in -fifteen minutes afterward, the line of breakers on the coast appeared -immediately beneath us, and we were fairly out at sea. We now -resolved to let off enough gas to bring our guide-rope, with the -buoys affixed, into the water. This was immediately done, and we -commenced a gradual descent. In about twenty minutes our first buoy -dipped, and at the touch of the second soon afterwards, we remained -stationary as to elevation. We were all now anxious to test the -efficiency of the rudder and screw, and we put them both into -requisition forthwith, for the purpose of altering our direction more -to the eastward, and in a line for Paris. By means of the rudder we -instantly effected the necessary change of direction, and our course -was brought nearly at right angles to that of the wind; when we set -in motion the spring of the screw, and were rejoiced to find it -propel us readily as desired. Upon this we gave nine hearty cheers, -and dropped in the sea a bottle, enclosing a slip of parchment with a -brief account of the principle of the invention. Hardly, however, -had we done with our rejoicings, when an unforeseen accident occurred -which discouraged us in no little degree. The steel rod connecting -the spring with the propeller was suddenly jerked out of place, at -the car end, (by a swaying of the car through some movement of one of -the two seamen we had taken up,) and in an instant hung dangling out -of reach, from the pivot of the axis of the screw. While we were -endeavoring to regain it, our attention being completely absorbed, we -became involved in a strong current of wind from the East, which bore -us, with rapidly increasing force, towards the Atlantic. We soon -found ourselves driving out to sea at the rate of not less, -certainly, than fifty or sixty miles an hour, so that we came up with -Cape Clear, at some forty miles to our North, before we had secured -the rod, and had time to think what we were about. It was now that -Mr. Ainsworth made an extraordinary, but to my fancy, a by no means -unreasonable or chimerical proposition, in which he was instantly -seconded by Mr. Holland - viz.: that we should take advantage of the -strong gale which bore us on, and in place of beating back to Paris, -make an attempt to reach the coast of North America. After slight -reflection I gave a willing assent to this bold proposition, which -(strange to say) met with objection from the two seamen only. As the -stronger party, however, we overruled their fears, and kept -resolutely upon our course. We steered due West; but as the -trailing of the buoys materially impeded our progress, and we had the -balloon abundantly at command, either for ascent or descent, we first -threw out fifty pounds of ballast, and then wound up (by means of a -windlass) so much of the rope as brought it quite clear of the sea. -We perceived the effect of this manoeuvre immediately, in a vastly -increased rate of progress; and, as the gale freshened, we flew -with a velocity nearly inconceivable; the guide-rope flying out -behind the car, like a streamer from a vessel. It is needless to say -that a very short time sufficed us to lose sight of the coast. We -passed over innumerable vessels of all kinds, a few of which were -endeavoring to beat up, but the most of them lying to. We occasioned -the greatest excitement on board all - an excitement greatly relished -by ourselves, and especially by our two men, who, now under the -influence of a dram of Geneva, seemed resolved to give all scruple, -or fear, to the wind. Many of the vessels fired signal guns; and -in all we were saluted with loud cheers (which we heard with -surprising distinctness) and the waving of caps and handkerchiefs. We -kept on in this manner throughout the day, with no material incident, -and, as the shades of night closed around us, we made a rough -estimate of the distance traversed. It could not have been less than -five hundred miles, and was probably much more. The propeller was -kept in constant operation, and, no doubt, aided our progress -materially. As the sun went down, the gale freshened into an -absolute hurricane, and the ocean beneath was clearly visible on -account of its phosphorescence. The wind was from the East all -night, and gave us the brightest omen of success. We suffered no -little from cold, and the dampness of the atmosphere was most -unpleasant; but the ample space in the car enabled us to lie down, -and by means of cloaks and a few blankets, we did sufficiently well. - - "P.S. (by Mr. Ainsworth.) The last nine hours have been -unquestionably the most exciting of my life. I can conceive nothing -more sublimating than the strange peril and novelty of an adventure -such as this. May God grant that we succeed! I ask not success for -mere safety to my insignificant person, but for the sake of human -knowledge and - for the vastness of the triumph. And yet the feat is -only so evidently feasible that the sole wonder is why men have -scrupled to attempt it before. One single gale such as now befriends -us - let such a tempest whirl forward a balloon for four or five days -(these gales often last longer) and the voyager will be easily borne, -in that period, from coast to coast. In view of such a gale the -broad Atlantic becomes a mere lake. I am more struck, just now, with -the supreme silence which reigns in the sea beneath us, -notwithstanding its agitation, than with any other phenomenon -presenting itself. The waters give up no voice to the heavens. The -immense flaming ocean writhes and is tortured uncomplainingly. The -mountainous surges suggest the idea of innumerable dumb gigantic -fiends struggling in impotent agony. In a night such as is this to -me, a man _lives_ - lives a whole century of ordinary life - nor -would I forego this rapturous delight for that of a whole century of -ordinary existence. - - "_Sunday, the seventh_. [Mr. Mason's MS.] This morning the gale, -by 10, had subsided to an eight or nine - knot breeze, (for a vessel -at sea,) and bears us, perhaps, thirty miles per hour, or more. It -has veered, however, very considerably to the north; and now, at -sundown, we are holding our course due west, principally by the screw -and rudder, which answer their purposes to admiration. I regard the -project as thoroughly successful, and the easy navigation of the air -in any direction (not exactly in the teeth of a gale) as no longer -problematical. We could not have made head against the strong wind -of yesterday; but, by ascending, we might have got out of its -influence, if requisite. Against a pretty stiff breeze, I feel -convinced, we can make our way with the propeller. At noon, to-day, -ascended to an elevation of nearly 25,000 feet, by discharging -ballast. Did this to search for a more direct current, but found -none so favorable as the one we are now in. We have an abundance of -gas to take us across this small pond, even should the voyage last -three weeks. I have not the slightest fear for the result. The -difficulty has been strangely exaggerated and misapprehended. I can -choose my current, and should I find _all_ currents against me, I can -make very tolerable headway with the propeller. We have had no -incidents worth recording. The night promises fair. - - P.S. [By Mr. Ainsworth.] I have little to record, except the -fact (to me quite a surprising one) that, at an elevation equal to -that of Cotopaxi, I experienced neither very intense cold, nor -headache, nor difficulty of breathing; neither, I find, did Mr. -Mason, nor Mr. Holland, nor Sir Everard. Mr. Osborne complained of -constriction of the chest - but this soon wore off. We have flown at -a great rate during the day, and we must be more than half way across -the Atlantic. We have passed over some twenty or thirty vessels of -various kinds, and all seem to be delightfully astonished. Crossing -the ocean in a balloon is not so difficult a feat after all. _Omne -ignotum pro magnifico. Mem:_ at 25,000 feet elevation the sky -appears nearly black, and the stars are distinctly visible; while -the sea does not seem convex (as one might suppose) but absolutely -and most unequivocally _concave_.{*1} - - "_Monday, the 8th_. [Mr. Mason's MS.] This morning we had again -some little trouble with the rod of the propeller, which must be -entirely remodelled, for fear of serious accident - I mean the steel -rod - not the vanes. The latter could not be improved. The wind has -been blowing steadily and strongly from the north-east all day and -so far fortune seems bent upon favoring us. Just before day, we were -all somewhat alarmed at some odd noises and concussions in the -balloon, accompanied with the apparent rapid subsidence of the whole -machine. These phenomena were occasioned by the expansion of the -gas, through increase of heat in the atmosphere, and the consequent -disruption of the minute particles of ice with which the network had -become encrusted during the night. Threw down several bottles to the -vessels below. Saw one of them picked up by a large ship - seemingly -one of the New York line packets. Endeavored to make out her name, -but could not be sure of it. Mr. Osborne's telescope made it out -something like "Atalanta." It is now 12, at night, and we are still -going nearly west, at a rapid pace. The sea is peculiarly -phosphorescent. - - "P.S. [By Mr. Ainsworth.] It is now 2, A.M., and nearly calm, as -well as I can judge - but it is very difficult to determine this -point, since we move _with_ the air so completely. I have not slept -since quitting Wheal-Vor, but can stand it no longer, and must take a -nap. We cannot be far from the American coast. - - "_Tuesday, the _9_th_. [Mr. Ainsworth's MS.] _One, P.M. We are -in full view of the low coast of South Carolina_. The great problem -is accomplished. We have crossed the Atlantic - fairly and _easily_ -crossed it in a balloon! God be praised! Who shall say that -anything is impossible hereafter?" - - The Journal here ceases. Some particulars of the descent were -communicated, however, by Mr. Ainsworth to Mr. Forsyth. It was -nearly dead calm when the voyagers first came in view of the coast, -which was immediately recognized by both the seamen, and by Mr. -Osborne. The latter gentleman having acquaintances at Fort Moultrie, -it was immediately resolved to descend in its vicinity. The balloon -was brought over the beach (the tide being out and the sand hard, -smooth, and admirably adapted for a descent,) and the grapnel let go, -which took firm hold at once. The inhabitants of the island, and of -the fort, thronged out, of course, to see the balloon; but it was -with the greatest difficulty that any one could be made to credit the -actual voyage - _the crossing of the Atlantic_. The grapnel caught -at 2, P.M., precisely; and thus the whole voyage was completed in -seventy-five hours; or rather less, counting from shore to shore. -No serious accident occurred. No real danger was at any time -apprehended. The balloon was exhausted and secured without trouble; - and when the MS. from which this narrative is compiled was -despatched from Charleston, the party were still at Fort Moultrie. -Their farther intentions were not ascertained; but we can safely -promise our readers some additional information either on Monday or -in the course of the next day, at farthest. - - This is unquestionably the most stupendous, the most interesting, -and the most important undertaking, ever accomplished or even -attempted by man. What magnificent events may ensue, it would be -useless now to think of determining. - - - -~~~ End of Text ~~~ - -{*1} _Note_. - Mr. Ainsworth has not attempted to account for this -phenomenon, which, however, is quite susceptible of explanation. A -line dropped from an elevation of 25,000 feet, perpendicularly to the -surface of the earth (or sea), would form the perpendicular of a -right-angled triangle, of which the base would extend from the right -angle to the horizon, and the hypothenuse from the horizon to the -balloon. But the 25,000 feet of altitude is little or nothing, in -comparison with the extent of the prospect. In other words, the base -and hypothenuse of the supposed triangle would be so long when -compared with the perpendicular, that the two former may be regarded -as nearly parallel. In this manner the horizon of the ronaut would -appear to be _on a level_ with the car. But, as the point immediately -beneath him seems, and is, at a great distance below him, it seems, -of course, also, at a great distance below the horizon. Hence the -impression of _concavity_; and this impression must remain, until -the elevation shall bear so great a proportion to the extent of -prospect, that the apparent parallelism of the base and hypothenuse -disappears - when the earth's real convexity must become apparent. - - - - -========== - - MS. FOUND IN A BOTTLE - - Qui n'a plus qu'un moment a vivre - - N'a plus rien a dissimuler. - - -- Quinault -- Atys. - -OF my country and of my family I have little to say. Ill usage and -length of years have driven me from the one, and estranged me from -the other. Hereditary wealth afforded me an education of no common -order, and a contemplative turn of mind enabled me to methodize the -stores which early study very diligently garnered up. -- Beyond all -things, the study of the German moralists gave me great delight; not -from any ill-advised admiration of their eloquent madness, but from -the ease with which my habits of rigid thought enabled me to detect -their falsities. I have often been reproached with the aridity of my -genius; a deficiency of imagination has been imputed to me as a -crime; and the Pyrrhonism of my opinions has at all times rendered me -notorious. Indeed, a strong relish for physical philosophy has, I -fear, tinctured my mind with a very common error of this age -- I -mean the habit of referring occurrences, even the least susceptible -of such reference, to the principles of that science. Upon the whole, -no person could be less liable than myself to be led away from the -severe precincts of truth by the ignes fatui of superstition. I have -thought proper to premise thus much, lest the incredible tale I have -to tell should be considered rather the raving of a crude -imagination, than the positive experience of a mind to which the -reveries of fancy have been a dead letter and a nullity. - -After many years spent in foreign travel, I sailed in the year 18 -- -, from the port of Batavia, in the rich and populous island of Java, -on a voyage to the Archipelago of the Sunda islands. I went as -passenger -- having no other inducement than a kind of nervous -restlessness which haunted me as a fiend. - -Our vessel was a beautiful ship of about four hundred tons, -copper-fastened, and built at Bombay of Malabar teak. She was -freighted with cotton-wool and oil, from the Lachadive islands. We -had also on board coir, jaggeree, ghee, cocoa-nuts, and a few cases -of opium. The stowage was clumsily done, and the vessel consequently -crank. - -We got under way with a mere breath of wind, and for many days stood -along the eastern coast of Java, without any other incident to -beguile the monotony of our course than the occasional meeting with -some of the small grabs of the Archipelago to which we were bound. - -One evening, leaning over the taffrail, I observed a very singular, -isolated cloud, to the N.W. It was remarkable, as well for its color, -as from its being the first we had seen since our departure from -Batavia. I watched it attentively until sunset, when it spread all at -once to the eastward and westward, girting in the horizon with a -narrow strip of vapor, and looking like a long line of low beach. My -notice was soon afterwards attracted by the dusky-red appearance of -the moon, and the peculiar character of the sea. The latter was -undergoing a rapid change, and the water seemed more than usually -transparent. Although I could distinctly see the bottom, yet, heaving -the lead, I found the ship in fifteen fathoms. The air now became -intolerably hot, and was loaded with spiral exhalations similar to -those arising from heat iron. As night came on, every breath of wind -died away, an more entire calm it is impossible to conceive. The -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 groped in a corner among a pile of -singular-looking instruments, and decayed charts of navigation. His -manner was a wild mixture of the peevishness of second childhood, and -the solemn dignity of a God. He at length went on deck, and I saw him -no more. - - * * * * * * * * - -A feeling, for which I have no name, has taken possession of my soul --- a sensation which will admit of no analysis, to which the lessons -of bygone times are inadequate, and for which I fear futurity itself -will offer me no key. To a mind constituted like my own, the latter -consideration is an evil. I shall never -- I know that I shall never --- be satisfied with regard to the nature of my conceptions. Yet it -is not wonderful that these conceptions are indefinite, since they -have their origin in sources so utterly novel. A new sense -- a new -entity is added to my soul. - - * * * * * * * * - -It is long since I first trod the deck of this terrible ship, and the -rays of my destiny are, I think, gathering to a focus. -Incomprehensible men! Wrapped up in meditations of a kind which I -cannot divine, they pass me by unnoticed. Concealment is utter folly -on my part, for the people will not see. It was but just now that I -passed directly before the eyes of the mate -- it was no long while -ago that I ventured into the captain's own private cabin, and took -thence the materials with which I write, and have written. I shall -from time to time continue this Journal. It is true that I may not -find an opportunity of transmitting it to the world, but I will not -fall to make the endeavour. At the last moment I will enclose the MS. -in a bottle, and cast it within the sea. - - * * * * * * * * - -An incident has occurred which has given me new room for meditation. -Are such things the operation of ungoverned Chance? I had ventured -upon deck and thrown myself down, without attracting any notice, -among a pile of ratlin-stuff and old sails in the bottom of the yawl. -While musing upon the singularity of my fate, I unwittingly daubed -with a tar-brush the edges of a neatly-folded studding-sail which lay -near me on a barrel. The studding-sail is now bent upon the ship, and -the thoughtless touches of the brush are spread out into the word -DISCOVERY. - -I have made many observations lately upon the structure of the -vessel. Although well armed, she is not, I think, a ship of war. Her -rigging, build, and general equipment, all negative a supposition of -this kind. What she is not, I can easily perceive -- what she is I -fear it is impossible to say. I know not how it is, but in -scrutinizing her strange model and singular cast of spars, her huge -size and overgrown suits of canvas, her severely simple bow and -antiquated stern, there will occasionally flash across my mind a -sensation of familiar things, and there is always mixed up with such -indistinct shadows of recollection, an unaccountable memory of old -foreign chronicles and ages long ago. - - * * * * * * * * - -I have been looking at the timbers of the ship. She is built of a -material to which I am a stranger. There is a peculiar character -about the wood which strikes me as rendering it unfit for the purpose -to which it has been applied. I mean its extreme porousness, -considered independently by the worm-eaten condition which is a -consequence of navigation in these seas, and apart from the -rottenness attendant upon age. It will appear perhaps an observation -somewhat over-curious, but this wood would have every characteristic -of Spanish oak, if Spanish oak were distended by any unnatural means. - -In reading the above sentence a curious apothegm of an old -weather-beaten Dutch navigator comes full upon my recollection. "It -is as sure," he was wont to say, when any doubt was entertained of -his veracity, "as sure as there is a sea where the ship itself will -grow in bulk like the living body of the seaman." - - * * * * * * * * - -About an hour ago, I made bold to thrust myself among a group of the -crew. They paid me no manner of attention, and, although I stood in -the very midst of them all, seemed utterly unconscious of my -presence. Like the one I had at first seen in the hold, they all bore -about them the marks of a hoary old age. Their knees trembled with -infirmity; their shoulders were bent double with decrepitude; their -shrivelled skins rattled in the wind; their voices were low, -tremulous and broken; their eyes glistened with the rheum of years; -and their gray hairs streamed terribly in the tempest. Around them, -on every part of the deck, lay scattered mathematical instruments of -the most quaint and obsolete construction. - - * * * * * * * * - -I mentioned some time ago the bending of a studding-sail. From that -period the ship, being thrown dead off the wind, has continued her -terrific course due south, with every rag of canvas packed upon her, -from her trucks to her lower studding-sail booms, and rolling every -moment her top-gallant yard-arms into the most appalling hell of -water which it can enter into the mind of a man to imagine. I have -just left the deck, where I find it impossible to maintain a footing, -although the crew seem to experience little inconvenience. It appears -to me a miracle of miracles that our enormous bulk is not swallowed -up at once and forever. We are surely doomed to hover continually -upon the brink of Eternity, without taking a final plunge into the -abyss. From billows a thousand times more stupendous than any I have -ever seen, we glide away with the facility of the arrowy sea-gull; -and the colossal waters rear their heads above us like demons of the -deep, but like demons confined to simple threats and forbidden to -destroy. I am led to attribute these frequent escapes to the only -natural cause which can account for such effect. -- I must suppose -the ship to be within the influence of some strong current, or -impetuous under-tow. - - * * * * * * * * - -I have seen the captain face to face, and in his own cabin -- but, as -I expected, he paid me no attention. Although in his appearance there -is, to a casual observer, nothing which might bespeak him more or -less than man-still a feeling of irrepressible reverence and awe -mingled with the sensation of wonder with which I regarded him. In -stature he is nearly my own height; that is, about five feet eight -inches. He is of a well-knit and compact frame of body, neither -robust nor remarkably otherwise. But it is the singularity of the -expression which reigns upon the face -- it is the intense, the -wonderful, the thrilling evidence of old age, so utter, so extreme, -which excites within my spirit a sense -- a sentiment ineffable. His -forehead, although little wrinkled, seems to bear upon it the stamp -of a myriad of years. -- His gray hairs are records of the past, and -his grayer eyes are Sybils of the future. The cabin floor was thickly -strewn with strange, iron-clasped folios, and mouldering instruments -of science, and obsolete long-forgotten charts. His head was bowed -down upon his hands, and he pored, with a fiery unquiet eye, over a -paper which I took to be a commission, and which, at all events, bore -the signature of a monarch. He muttered to himself, as did the first -seaman whom I saw in the hold, some low peevish syllables of a -foreign tongue, and although the speaker was close at my elbow, his -voice seemed to reach my ears from the distance of a mile. - - * * * * * * * * - -The ship and all in it are imbued with the spirit of Eld. The crew -glide to and fro like the ghosts of buried centuries; their eyes have -an eager and uneasy meaning; and when their fingers fall athwart my -path in the wild glare of the battle-lanterns, I feel as I have never -felt before, although I have been all my life a dealer in -antiquities, and have imbibed the shadows of fallen columns at -Balbec, and Tadmor, and Persepolis, until my very soul has become a -ruin. - - * * * * * * * * - -When I look around me I feel ashamed of my former apprehensions. If I -trembled at the blast which has hitherto attended us, shall I not -stand aghast at a warring of wind and ocean, to convey any idea of -which the words tornado and simoom are trivial and ineffective? All -in the immediate vicinity of the ship is the blackness of eternal -night, and a chaos of foamless water; but, about a league on either -side of us, may be seen, indistinctly and at intervals, stupendous -ramparts of ice, towering away into the desolate sky, and looking -like the walls of the universe. - - * * * * * * * * - -As I imagined, the ship proves to be in a current; if that -appellation can properly be given to a tide which, howling and -shrieking by the white ice, thunders on to the southward with a -velocity like the headlong dashing of a cataract. - - * * * * * * * * - -To conceive the horror of my sensations is, I presume, utterly -impossible; yet a curiosity to penetrate the mysteries of these awful -regions, predominates even over my despair, and will reconcile me to -the most hideous aspect of death. It is evident that we are hurrying -onwards to some exciting knowledge -- some never-to-be-imparted -secret, whose attainment is destruction. Perhaps this current leads -us to the southern pole itself. It must be confessed that a -supposition apparently so wild has every probability in its favor. - - * * * * * * * * - -The crew pace the deck with unquiet and tremulous step; but there is -upon their countenances an expression more of the eagerness of hope -than of the apathy of despair. - -In the meantime the wind is still in our poop, and, as we carry a -crowd of canvas, the ship is at times lifted bodily from out the sea --- Oh, horror upon horror! the ice opens suddenly to the right, and -to the left, and we are whirling dizzily, in immense concentric -circles, round and round the borders of a gigantic amphitheatre, the -summit of whose walls is lost in the darkness and the distance. But -little time will be left me to ponder upon my destiny -- the circles -rapidly grow small -- we are plunging madly within the grasp of the -whirlpool -- and amid a roaring, and bellowing, and thundering of -ocean and of tempest, the ship is quivering, oh God! and -- going -down. - -NOTE. -- The "MS. Found in a Bottle," was originally published in -1831, and it was not until many years afterwards that I became -acquainted with the maps of Mercator, in which the ocean is -represented as rushing, by four mouths, into the (northern) Polar -Gulf, to be absorbed into the bowels of the earth; the Pole itself -being represented by a black rock, towering to a prodigious height. - - -~~~ End of Text ~~~ - - -======== - - The Oval Portrait - -THE chateau into which my valet had ventured to make forcible -entrance, rather than permit me, in my desperately wounded condition, -to pass a night in the open air, was one of those piles of commingled -gloom and grandeur which have so long frowned among the Appennines, -not less in fact than in the fancy of Mrs. Radcliffe. To all -appearance it had been temporarily and very lately abandoned. We -established ourselves in one of the smallest and least sumptuously -furnished apartments. It lay in a remote turret of the building. Its -decorations were rich, yet tattered and antique. Its walls were hung -with tapestry and bedecked with manifold and multiform armorial -trophies, together with an unusually great number of very spirited -modern paintings in frames of rich golden arabesque. In these -paintings, which depended from the walls not only in their main -surfaces, but in very many nooks which the bizarre architecture of -the chateau rendered necessary -- in these paintings my incipient -delirium, perhaps, had caused me to take deep interest; so that I -bade Pedro to close the heavy shutters of the room -- since it was -already night -- to light the tongues of a tall candelabrum which -stood by the head of my bed -- and to throw open far and wide the -fringed curtains of black velvet which enveloped the bed itself. I -wished all this done that I might resign myself, if not to sleep, at -least alternately to the contemplation of these pictures, and the -perusal of a small volume which had been found upon the pillow, and -which purported to criticise and describe them. - -Long -- long I read -- and devoutly, devotedly I gazed. Rapidly and -gloriously the hours flew by and the deep midnight came. The position -of the candelabrum displeased me, and outreaching my hand with -difficulty, rather than disturb my slumbering valet, I placed it so -as to throw its rays more fully upon the book. - -But the action produced an effect altogether unanticipated. The rays -of the numerous candles (for there were many) now fell within a niche -of the room which had hitherto been thrown into deep shade by one of -the bed-posts. I thus saw in vivid light a picture all unnoticed -before. It was the portrait of a young girl just ripening into -womanhood. I glanced at the painting hurriedly, and then closed my -eyes. Why I did this was not at first apparent even to my own -perception. But while my lids remained thus shut, I ran over in my -mind my reason for so shutting them. It was an impulsive movement to -gain time for thought -- to make sure that my vision had not deceived -me -- to calm and subdue my fancy for a more sober and more certain -gaze. In a very few moments I again looked fixedly at the painting. - -That I now saw aright I could not and would not doubt; for the first -flashing of the candles upon that canvas had seemed to dissipate the -dreamy stupor which was stealing over my senses, and to startle me at -once into waking life. - -The portrait, I have already said, was that of a young girl. It was a -mere head and shoulders, done in what is technically termed a -vignette manner; much in the style of the favorite heads of Sully. -The arms, the bosom, and even the ends of the radiant hair melted -imperceptibly into the vague yet deep shadow which formed the -back-ground of the whole. The frame was oval, richly gilded and -filigreed in Moresque. As a thing of art nothing could be more -admirable than the painting itself. But it could have been neither -the execution of the work, nor the immortal beauty of the -countenance, which had so suddenly and so vehemently moved me. Least -of all, could it have been that my fancy, shaken from its half -slumber, had mistaken the head for that of a living person. I saw at -once that the peculiarities of the design, of the vignetting, and of -the frame, must have instantly dispelled such idea -- must have -prevented even its momentary entertainment. Thinking earnestly upon -these points, I remained, for an hour perhaps, half sitting, half -reclining, with my vision riveted upon the portrait. At length, -satisfied with the true secret of its effect, I fell back within the -bed. I had found the spell of the picture in an absolute -life-likeliness of expression, which, at first startling, finally -confounded, subdued, and appalled me. With deep and reverent awe I -replaced the candelabrum in its former position. The cause of my deep -agitation being thus shut from view, I sought eagerly the volume -which discussed the paintings and their histories. Turning to the -number which designated the oval portrait, I there read the vague and -quaint words which follow: - -"She was a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of -glee. And evil was the hour when she saw, and loved, and wedded the -painter. He, passionate, studious, austere, and having already a -bride in his Art; she a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely -than full of glee; all light and smiles, and frolicsome as the young -fawn; loving and cherishing all things; hating only the Art which was -her rival; dreading only the pallet and brushes and other untoward -instruments which deprived her of the countenance of her lover. It -was thus a terrible thing for this lady to hear the painter speak of -his desire to portray even his young bride. But she was humble and -obedient, and sat meekly for many weeks in the dark, high -turret-chamber where the light dripped upon the pale canvas only from -overhead. But he, the painter, took glory in his work, which went on -from hour to hour, and from day to day. And he was a passionate, and -wild, and moody man, who became lost in reveries; so that he would -not see that the light which fell so ghastly in that lone turret -withered the health and the spirits of his bride, who pined visibly -to all but him. Yet she smiled on and still on, uncomplainingly, -because she saw that the painter (who had high renown) took a fervid -and burning pleasure in his task, and wrought day and night to depict -her who so loved him, yet who grew daily more dispirited and weak. -And in sooth some who beheld the portrait spoke of its resemblance in -low words, as of a mighty marvel, and a proof not less of the power -of the painter than of his deep love for her whom he depicted so -surpassingly well. But at length, as the labor drew nearer to its -conclusion, there were admitted none into the turret; for the painter -had grown wild with the ardor of his work, and turned his eyes from -canvas merely, even to regard the countenance of his wife. And he -would not see that the tints which he spread upon the canvas were -drawn from the cheeks of her who sate beside him. And when many weeks -bad passed, and but little remained to do, save one brush upon the -mouth and one tint upon the eye, the spirit of the lady again -flickered up as the flame within the socket of the lamp. And then the -brush was given, and then the tint was placed; and, for one moment, -the painter stood entranced before the work which he had wrought; but -in the next, while he yet gazed, he grew tremulous and very pallid, -and aghast, and crying with a loud voice, 'This is indeed Life -itself!' turned suddenly to regard his beloved: -- She was dead!" - - - - - -End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Works of Edgar Allan Poe V. 1 - diff --git a/old/poe1v10.zip b/old/poe1v10.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 751ecee..0000000 --- a/old/poe1v10.zip +++ /dev/null |