Page:The works of the late Edgar Allan Poe volumes 1-2.djvu/48

 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, how great an 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 eight 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 sixteen-hundredth part of the whole surface of the globe. the sea appeared unruffled part as a mirror, although, by means of the telescope, 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 rencontre, 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 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 man of ignited 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 then have 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, and stalk about in the strange vaulted halls, and ruddy gulfs, and red ghastly chasm: of the hideous and unfathomable