Ms found in a bottle.docx

Ms found in a bottle.docx

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Msfoundinabottle

Ms.FoundinaBottle

EdgarAllanPoe

Quin'aplusqu'unmomentavivre

N'aplusrienadissimuler.

--Quinault--Atys.

OFmycountryandofmyfamilyIhavelittletosay.Illusageandlengthofyearshavedrivenmefromtheone,andestrangedmefromtheother.Hereditarywealthaffordedmeaneducationofnocommonorder,andacontemplativeturnofmindenabledmetomethodizethestoreswhichearlystudyverydiligentlygarneredup.--Beyondallthings,thestudyoftheGermanmoralistsgavemegreatdelight;notfromanyill-advisedadmirationoftheireloquentmadness,butfromtheeasewithwhichmyhabitsofrigidthoughtenabledmetodetecttheirfalsities.Ihaveoftenbeenreproachedwiththearidityofmygenius;adeficiencyofimaginationhasbeenimputedtomeasacrime;andthePyrrhonismofmyopinionshasatalltimesrenderedmenotorious.Indeed,astrongrelishforphysicalphilosophyhas,Ifear,tincturedmymindwithaverycommonerrorofthisage--Imeanthehabitofreferringoccurrences,eventheleastsusceptibleofsuchreference,totheprinciplesofthatscience.Uponthewhole,nopersoncouldbelessliablethanmyselftobeledawayfromthesevereprecinctsoftruthbytheignesfatuiofsuperstition.Ihavethoughtpropertopremisethusmuch,lesttheincredibletaleIhavetotellshouldbeconsideredrathertheravingofacrudeimagination,thanthepositiveexperienceofamindtowhichthereveriesoffancyhavebeenadeadletterandanullity.

Aftermanyyearsspentinforeigntravel,Isailedintheyear18--,fromtheportofBatavia,intherichandpopulousislandofJava,onavoyagetotheArchipelagooftheSundaislands.Iwentaspassenger--havingnootherinducementthanakindofnervousrestlessnesswhichhauntedmeasafiend.

Ourvesselwasabeautifulshipofaboutfourhundredtons,copper-fastened,andbuiltatBombayofMalabarteak.Shewasfreightedwithcotton-woolandoil,fromtheLachadiveislands.Wehadalsoonboardcoir,jaggeree,ghee,cocoa-nuts,andafewcasesofopium.Thestowagewasclumsilydone,andthevesselconsequentlycrank.

Wegotunderwaywithamerebreathofwind,andformanydaysstoodalongtheeasterncoastofJava,withoutanyotherincidenttobeguilethemonotonyofourcoursethantheoccasionalmeetingwithsomeofthesmallgrabsoftheArchipelagotowhichwewerebound.

Oneevening,leaningoverthetaffrail,Iobservedaverysingular,isolatedcloud,totheN.W.Itwasremarkable,aswellforitscolor,asfromitsbeingthefirstwehadseensinceourdeparturefromBatavia.Iwatcheditattentivelyuntilsunset,whenitspreadallatoncetotheeastwardandwestward,girtinginthehorizonwithanarrowstripofvapor,andlookinglikealonglineoflowbeach.Mynoticewassoonafterwardsattractedbythedusky-redappearanceofthemoon,andthepeculiarcharacterofthesea.Thelatterwasundergoingarapidchange,andthewaterseemedmorethanusuallytransparent.AlthoughIcoulddistinctlyseethebottom,yet,heavingthelead,Ifoundtheshipinfifteenfathoms.Theairnowbecameintolerablyhot,andwasloadedwithspiralexhalationssimilartothosearisingfromheatiron.Asnightcameon,everybreathofwinddiedaway,anmoreentirecalmitisimpossibletoconceive.Theflameofacandleburneduponthepoopwithouttheleastperceptiblemotion,andalonghair,heldbetweenthefingerandthumb,hungwithoutthepossibilityofdetectingavibration.However,asthecaptainsaidhecouldperceivenoindicationofdanger,andasweweredriftinginbodilytoshore,heorderedthesailstobefurled,andtheanchorletgo.Nowatchwasset,andthecrew,consistingprincipallyofMalays,stretchedthemselvesdeliberatelyupondeck.Iwentbelow--notwithoutafullpresentimentofevil.Indeed,everyappearancewarrantedmeinapprehendingaSimoom.Itoldthecaptainmyfears;buthepaidnoattentiontowhatIsaid,andleftmewithoutdeigningtogiveareply.Myuneasiness,however,preventedmefromsleeping,andaboutmidnightIwentupondeck.--AsIplacedmyfootupontheupperstepofthecompanion-ladder,Iwasstartledbyaloud,hummingnoise,likethatoccasionedbytherapidrevolutionofamill-wheel,andbeforeIcouldascertainitsmeaning,Ifoundtheshipquiveringtoitscentre.Inthenextinstant,awildernessoffoamhurledusuponourbeam-ends,and,rushingoverusforeandaft,swepttheentiredecksfromstemtostern.

Theextremefuryoftheblastproved,inagreatmeasure,thesalvationoftheship.Althoughcompletelywater-logged,yet,ashermastshadgonebytheboard,sherose,afteraminute,heavilyfromthesea,and,staggeringawhilebeneaththeimmensepressureofthetempest,finallyrighted.

BywhatmiracleIescapeddestruction,itisimpossibletosay.Stunnedbytheshockofthewater,Ifoundmyself,uponrecovery,jammedinbetweenthestern-postandrudder.WithgreatdifficultyIgainedmyfeet,andlookingdizzilyaround,was,atfirst,struckwiththeideaofourbeingamongbreakers;soterrific,beyondthewildestimagination,wasthewhirlpoolofmountainousandfoamingoceanwithinwhichwewereengulfed.Afterawhile,IheardthevoiceofanoldSwede,whohadshippedwithusatthemomentofourleavingport.Ihallooedtohimwithallmystrength,andpresentlyhecamereelingaft.Wesoondiscoveredthatwewerethesolesurvivorsoftheaccident.Allondeck,withtheexceptionofourselves,hadbeensweptoverboard;--thecaptainandmatesmusthaveperishedastheyslept,forthecabinsweredelugedwithwater.Withoutassistance,wecouldexpecttodolittleforthesecurityoftheship,andourexertionswereatfirstparalyzedbythemomentaryexpectationofgoingdown.Ourcablehad,ofcourse,partedlikepack-thread,atthefirstbreathofthehurricane,orweshouldhavebeeninstantaneouslyoverwhelmed.Wescuddedwithfrightfulvelocitybeforethesea,andthewatermadeclearbreachesoverus.Theframe-workofoursternwasshatteredexcessively,and,inalmosteveryrespect,wehadreceivedconsiderableinjury;buttoourextremeJoywefoundthepumpsunchoked,andthatwehadmadenogreatshiftingofourballast.Themainfuryoftheblasthadalreadyblownover,andweapprehendedlittledangerfromtheviolenceofthewind;butwelookedforwardtoitstotalcessationwithdismay;wellbelieving,that,inourshatteredcondition,weshouldinevitablyperishinthetremendousswellwhichwouldensue.Butthisveryjustapprehensionseemedbynomeanslikelytobesoonverified.Forfiveentiredaysandnights--duringwhichouronlysubsistencewasasmallquantityofjaggeree,procuredwithgreatdifficultyfromtheforecastle--thehulkflewataratedefyingcomputation,beforerapidlysucceedingflawsofwind,which,withoutequallingthefirstviolenceoftheSimoom,werestillmoreterrificthananytempestIhadbeforeencountered.Ourcourseforthefirstfourdayswas,withtriflingvariations,S.E.andbyS.;andwemusthaverundownthecoastofNewHolland.--Onthefifthdaythecoldbecameextreme,althoughthewindhadhauledroundapointmoretothenorthward.--Thesunarosewithasicklyyellowlustre,andclamberedaveryfewdegreesabovethehorizon--emittingnodecisivelight.--Therewerenocloudsapparent,yetthewindwasupontheincrease,andblewwithafitfulandunsteadyfury.Aboutnoon,asnearlyaswecouldguess,ourattentionwasagainarrestedbytheappearanceofthesun.Itgaveoutnolight,properlysocalled,butadullandsullenglowwithoutreflection,asifallitsrayswerepolarized.Justbeforesinkingwithintheturgidsea,itscentralfiressuddenlywentout,asifhurriedlyextinguishedbysomeunaccountablepower.Itwasadim,sliver-likerim,alone,asitrusheddowntheunfathomableocean.

Wewaitedinvainforthearrivalofthesixthday--thatdaytomehasnotarrived--totheSwede,neverdidarrive.Thenceforwardwewereenshroudedinpatchydarkness,sothatwecouldnothaveseenanobjectattwentypacesfromtheship.Eternalnightcontinuedtoenvelopus,allunrelievedbythephosphoricsea-brilliancytowhichwehadbeenaccustomedinthetropics.Weobservedtoo,that,althoughthetempestcontinuedtoragewithunabatedviolence,therewasnolongertobediscoveredtheusualappearanceofsurf,orfoam,whichhadhithertoattendedus.Allaroundwerehorror,andthickgloom,andablackswelteringdesertofebony.--SuperstitiousterrorcreptbydegreesintothespiritoftheoldSwede,andmyownsoulwaswrappedupinsilentwonder.Weneglectedallcareoftheship,asworsethanuseless,andsecuringourselves,aswellaspossible,tothestumpofthemizen-mast,lookedoutbitterlyintotheworldofocean.Wehadnomeansofcalculatingtime,norcouldweformanyguessofoursituation.Wewere,however,wellawareofhavingmadefarthertothesouthwardthananypreviousnavigators,andfeltgreatamazementatnotmeetingwiththeusualimpedimentsofice.Inthemeantimeeverymomentthreatenedtobeourlast--everymountainousbillowhurriedtooverwhelmus.TheswellsurpassedanythingIhadimaginedpossible,andthatwewerenotinstantlyburiedisamiracle.Mycompanionspokeofthelightnessofourcargo,andremindedmeoftheexcellentqualitiesofourship;butIcouldnothelpfeelingtheutterhopelessnessofhopeitself,andpreparedmyselfgloomilyforthatdeathwhichIthoughtnothingcoulddeferbeyondanhour,as,witheveryknotofwaytheshipmade,theswellingoftheblackstupendousseasbecamemoredismallyappalling.Attimeswegaspedforbreathatanelevationbeyondthealbatross--attimesbecamedizzywiththevelocityofourdescentin