“Attwentyminutesbeforenineo’clockthatistosay，ashorttimepriortomyclosingupthemouthofthechamber，themercuryattaineditslimit，orrandown，inthebarometer，which，asI
　　mentionedbefore，wasoneofanextendedconstruction。Itthenindicatedanaltitudeonmypartof132，000feet，orfive-and-twentymiles，andIconsequentlysurveyedatthattimeanextentoftheearth’sareaamountingtonolessthanthethreehundred-and-twentiethpartofitsentiresuperficies。Atnineo’clockIhadagainlostsightoflandtotheeastward，butnotbeforeI
　　becameawarethattheballoonwasdriftingrapidlytotheN。N。W。
　　Theconvexityoftheoceanbeneathmewasveryevidentindeed，althoughmyviewwasofteninterruptedbythemassesofcloudwhichfloatedtoandfro。Iobservednowthateventhelightestvaporsneverrosetomorethantenmilesabovethelevelofthesea。
　　“AthalfpastnineItriedtheexperimentofthrowingoutahandfuloffeathersthroughthevalve。TheydidnotfloatasIhadexpected；
　　butdroppeddownperpendicularly，likeabullet，enmasse，andwiththegreatestvelocitybeingoutofsightinaveryfewseconds。I
　　didnotatfirstknowwhattomakeofthisextraordinaryphenomenon；
　　notbeingabletobelievethatmyrateofascenthad，ofasudden，metwithsoprodigiousanacceleration。Butitsoonoccurredtomethattheatmospherewasnowfartooraretosustaineventhefeathers；thattheyactuallyfell，astheyappearedtodo，withgreatrapidity；andthatIhadbeensurprisedbytheunitedvelocitiesoftheirdescentandmyownelevation。
　　“Byteno’clockIfoundthatIhadverylittletooccupymyimmediateattention。Affairswentswimmingly，andIbelievedtheballoontobegoingupwardwitbaspeedincreasingmomentlyalthoughIhadnolongeranymeansofascertainingtheprogressionoftheincrease。I
　　sufferednopainoruneasinessofanykind，andenjoyedbetterspiritsthanIhadatanyperiodsincemydeparturefromRotterdam，busyingmyselfnowinexaminingthestateofmyvariousapparatus，andnowinregeneratingtheatmospherewithinthechamber。ThislatterpointIdeterminedtoattendtoatregularintervalsoffortyminutes，moreonaccountofthepreservationofmyhealth，thanfromsofrequentarenovationbeingabsolutelynecessary。InthemeanwhileIcouldnothelpmakinganticipations。Fancyrevelledinthewildanddreamyregionsofthemoon。Imagination，feelingherselfforonceunshackled，roamedatwillamongtheever-changingwondersofashadowyandunstableland。Nowtherewereboaryandtime-honoredforests，andcraggyprecipices，andwaterfallstumblingwithaloudnoiseintoabysseswithoutabottom。ThenIcamesuddenlyintostillnoondaysolitudes，wherenowindofheaveneverintruded，andwherevastmeadowsofpoppies，andslender，lily-lookingflowersspreadthemselvesoutawearydistance，allsilentandmotionlessforever。
　　ThenagainIjourneyedfardownawayintoanothercountrywhereitwasallonedimandvaguelake，withaboundarylineofclouds。Andoutofthismelancholywateraroseaforestoftalleasterntrees，likeawildernessofdreams。AndIhaveinmindthattheshadowsofthetreeswhichfelluponthelakeremainednotonthesurfacewheretheyfell，butsunkslowlyandsteadilydown，andcommingledwiththewaves，whilefromthetrunksofthetreesothershadowswerecontinuallycomingout，andtakingtheplaceoftheirbrothersthusentombed。“Thisthen。”Isaidthoughtfully，“istheveryreasonwhythewatersofthislakegrowblackerwithage，andmoremelancholyasthehoursrunon。”Butfanciessuchasthesewerenotthesolepossessorsofmybrain。Horrorsofanaturemoststernandmostappallingwouldtoofrequentlyobtrudethemselvesuponmymind，andshaketheinnermostdepthsofmysoulwiththebaresuppositionoftheirpossibility。YetIwouldnotsuffermythoughtsforanylengthoftimetodwellupontheselatterspeculations，rightlyjudgingtherealandpalpabledangersofthevoyagesufficientformyundividedattention。
　　“Atfiveo’clock，p。m。，beingengagedinregeneratingtheatmospherewithinthechamber，Itookthatopportunityofobservingthecatandkittensthroughthevalve。Thecatherselfappearedtosufferagainverymuch，andIhadnohesitationinattributingheruneasinesschieflytoadifficultyinbreathing；butmyexperimentwiththekittenshadresultedverystrangely。Ihadexpected，ofcourse，toseethembetrayasenseofpain，althoughinalessdegreethantheirmother，andthiswouldhavebeensufficienttoconfirmmyopinionconcerningthehabitualenduranceofatmosphericpressure。ButIwasnotpreparedtofindthem，uponcloseexamination，evidentlyenjoyingahighdegreeofhealth，breathingwiththegreatesteaseandperfectregularity，andevincingnottheslightestsignofanyuneasinesswhatever。Icouldonlyaccountforallthisbyextendingmytheory，andsupposingthatthehighlyrarefiedatmospherearoundmightperhapsnotbe，asIhadtakenforgranted，chemicallyinsufficientforthepurposesoflife，andthatapersonborninsuchamediummight，possibly，beunawareofanyinconvenienceattendingitsinhalation，while，uponremovaltothedenserstrataneartheearth，hemightenduretorturesofasimilarnaturetothoseIhadsolatelyexperienced。Ithassincebeentomeamatterofdeepregretthatanawkwardaccident，atthistime，occasionedmethelossofmylittlefamilyofcats，anddeprivedmeoftheinsightintothismatterwhichacontinuedexperimentmighthaveafforded。Inpassingmyhandthroughthevalve，withacupofwaterfortheoldpuss，thesleevesofmyshirtbecameentangledintheloopwhichsustainedthebasket，andthus，inamoment，looseneditfromthebottom。Hadthewholeactuallyvanishedintoair，itcouldnothaveshotfrommysightinamoreabruptandinstantaneousmanner。Positively，therecouldnothaveintervenedthetenthpartofasecondbetweenthedisengagementofthebasketanditsabsoluteandtotaldisappearancewithallthatitcontained。Mygoodwishesfollowedittotheearth，butofcourse，Ihadnohopethateithercatorkittenswouldeverlivetotellthetaleoftheirmisfortune。
　　“Atsixo’clock，Iperceivedagreatportionoftheearth’svisibleareatotheeastwardinvolvedinthickshadow，whichcontinuedtoadvancewithgreatrapidity，until，atfiveminutesbeforeseven，thewholesurfaceinviewwasenvelopedinthedarknessofnight。Itwasnot，however，untillongafterthistimethattheraysofthesettingsunceasedtoilluminetheballoon；andthiscircumstance，althoughofcoursefullyanticipated，didnotfailtogivemeaninfinitedealofpleasure。Itwasevidentthat，inthemorning，IshouldbeholdtherisingluminarymanyhoursatleastbeforethecitizensofRotterdam，inspiteoftheirsituationsomuchfarthertotheeastward，andthus，dayafterday，inproportiontotheheightascended，wouldI
　　enjoythelightofthesunforalongerandalongerperiod。Inowdeterminedtokeepajournalofmypassage，reckoningthedaysfromonetotwenty-fourhourscontinuously，withouttakingintoconsiderationtheintervalsofdarkness。
　　“Atteno’clock，feelingsleepy，Ideterminedtoliedownfortherestofthenight；buthereadifficultypresenteditself，which，obviousasitmayappear，hadescapedmyattentionuptotheverymomentofwhichIamnowspeaking。IfIwenttosleepasIproposed，howcouldtheatmosphereinthechamberberegeneratedintheinterim？Tobreatheitformorethananhour，atthefarthest，wouldbeamatterofimpossibility，or，ifeventhistermcouldbeextendedtoanhourandaquarter，themostruinousconsequencesmightensue。
　　Theconsiderationofthisdilemmagavemenolittledisquietude；anditwillhardlybebelieved，that，afterthedangersIhadundergone，Ishouldlookuponthisbusinessinsoseriousalight，astogiveupallhopeofaccomplishingmyultimatedesign，andfinallymakeupmymindtothenecessityofadescent。Butthishesitationwasonlymomentary。Ireflectedthatmanistheveriestslaveofcustom，andthatmanypointsintheroutineofhisexistencearedeemedessentiallyimportant，whichareonlysoatallbyhishavingrenderedthemhabitual。ItwasverycertainthatIcouldnotdowithoutsleep；butImighteasilybringmyselftofeelnoinconveniencefrombeingawakenedatintervalsofanhourduringthewholeperiodofmyrepose。Itwouldrequirebutfiveminutesatmosttoregeneratetheatmosphereinthefullestmanner，andtheonlyrealdifficultywastocontriveamethodofarousingmyselfatthepropermomentforsodoing。Butthiswasaquestionwhich，Iamwillingtoconfess，occasionedmenolittletroubleinitssolution。Tobesure，Ihadheardofthestudentwho，topreventhisfallingasleepoverhisbooks，heldinonehandaballofcopper，thedinofwhosedescentintoabasinofthesamemetalonthefloorbesidehischair，servedeffectuallytostartlehimup，if，atanymoment，heshouldbeovercomewithdrowsiness。Myowncase，however，wasverydifferentindeed，andleftmenoroomforanysimilaridea；forIdidnotwishtokeepawake，buttobearousedfromslumberatregularintervalsoftime。Iatlengthhituponthefollowingexpedient，which，simpleasitmayseem，washailedbyme，atthemomentofdiscovery，asaninventionfullyequaltothatofthetelescope，thesteam-engine，ortheartofprintingitself。
　　“Itisnecessarytopremise，thattheballoon，attheelevationnowattained，continueditscourseupwardwithanevenandundeviatingascent，andthecarconsequentlyfollowedwithasteadinesssoperfectthatitwouldhavebeenimpossibletodetectinittheslightestvacillationwhatever。ThiscircumstancefavoredmegreatlyintheprojectInowdeterminedtoadopt。Mysupplyofwaterhadbeenputonboardinkegscontainingfivegallonseach，andrangedverysecurelyaroundtheinteriorofthecar。Iunfastenedoneofthese，andtakingtworopestiedthemtightlyacrosstherimofthewicker-workfromonesidetotheother；placingthemaboutafootapartandparallelsoastoformakindofshelf，uponwhichIplacedthekeg，andsteadieditinahorizontalposition。Abouteightinchesimmediatelybelowtheseropes，andfourfeetfromthebottomofthecarIfastenedanothershelfbutmadeofthinplank，beingtheonlysimilarpieceofwoodIhad。Uponthislattershelf，andexactlybeneathoneoftherimsofthekeg，asmallearthernpitcherwasdeposited。Inowboredaholeintheendofthekegoverthepitcher，andfittedinaplugofsoftwood，cutinataperingorconicalshape。ThisplugIpushedinorpulledout，asmighthappen，until，afterafewexperiments，itarrivedatthatexactdegreeoftightness，atwhichthewater，oozingfromthehole，andfallingintothepitcherbelow，wouldfillthelattertothebrimintheperiodofsixtyminutes。This，ofcourse，wasamatterbrieflyandeasilyascertained，bynoticingtheproportionofthepitcherfilledinanygiventime。Havingarrangedallthis，therestoftheplanisobvious。Mybedwassocontriveduponthefloorofthecar，astobringmyhead，inlyingdown，immediatelybelowthemouthofthepitcher。Itwasevident，that，attheexpirationofanhour，thepitcher，gettingfull，wouldbeforcedtorunover，andtorunoveratthemouth，whichwassomewhatlowerthantherim。Itwasalsoevident，thatthewaterthusfallingfromaheightofmorethanfourfeet，couldnotdootherwisethanfalluponmyface，andthatthesureconsequenceswouldbe，towakenmeupinstantaneously，evenfromthesoundestslumberintheworld。
　　“ItwasfullyelevenbythetimeIhadcompletedthesearrangements，andIimmediatelybetookmyselftobed，withfullconfidenceintheefficiencyofmyinvention。NorinthismatterwasIdisappointed。
　　PunctuallyeverysixtyminuteswasIarousedbymytrustychronometer，when，havingemptiedthepitcherintothebung-holeofthekeg，andperformedthedutiesofthecondenser，Iretiredagaintobed。TheseregularinterruptionstomyslumbercausedmeevenlessdiscomfortthanIhadanticipated；andwhenIfinallyarosefortheday，itwasseveno’clock，andthesunhadattainedmanydegreesabovethelineofmyhorizon。
　　“April3d。Ifoundtheballoonatanimmenseheightindeed，andtheearth’sapparentconvexityincreasedinamaterialdegree。Belowmeintheoceanlayaclusterofblackspecks，whichundoubtedlywereislands。FarawaytothenorthwardIperceivedathin，white，andexceedinglybrilliantline，orstreak，ontheedgeofthehorizon，andIhadnohesitationinsupposingittobethesoutherndiskoftheicesofthePolarSea。Mycuriositywasgreatlyexcited，forI