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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 |