The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall

    I have the honor to be, etc., your Excellencies' very humble servant,

HANS PFAALL

    Upon finishing the perusal of this very extraordinary document, Professor Rubadub, 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 Rubadub, 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:

    Imprimis. That certain wags in Rotterdam have certain especial antipathies to certain burgomasters and astronomers.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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 all 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.

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.

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