a journey in other worlds-第12节

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the　magnetism　of　the　earth；　and　it　will　be　forced　from　it　with
equal　or　greater　violence　than　that　with　which　it　is　ordinarily
attracted。　　I　believe　the　earth　has　but　the　same　relation　to
space　that　the　individual　molecule　has　to　any　solid；　liquid；　or
gaseous　matter　we　know；　and　that；　just　as　molecules　strive　to　fly
apart　on　the　application　of　heat；　this　earth　will　repel　that
projectile　when　electricity；　which　we　are　coming　to　look　upon　as
another　form　of　heat；　is　properly　applied。　　It　must　be　so；　and　it
is　the　manifest　destiny　of　the　race　to　improve　it。　　Man　is　a
spirit　cursed　with　a　mortal　body；　which　glues　him　to　the　earth；
and　his　yearning　to　rise；　which　is　innate；　is；　I　believe；　only　a
part　of　his　probation　and　trial。〃
　　　
〃Show　us　how　it　can　be　done；〃　shouted　his　listeners　in　chorus。
　　　
〃Apergy　is　and　must　be　able　to　do　it；〃　Ayrault　continued。　
〃Throughout　Nature　we　find　a　system　of　compensation。　　The
centripetal　force　is　offset　by　the　centrifugal；　and　when；
according　to　the　fable；　the　crystal　complained　of　its　hard　lot　in
being　unable　to　move；　while　the　eagle　could　soar　through　the
upper　air　and　see　all　the　glories　of　the　world；　the　bird　replied；
'My　life　is　but　for　a　moment；　while　you；　set　in　the　rock；　will
live　forever；　and　will　see　the　last　sunrise　that　flashes　upon　the
earth。'
　　　
〃We　know　that　Christ；　while　walking　on　the　waves；　did　not　sink；
and　that　he　and　Elijah　were　carried　up　into　heaven。　　What　became
of　their　material　bodies　we　cannot　　tell；　but　they　were　certainly
superior　to　the　force　of　gravitation。　　We　have　no　reason　to
believe　that　in　miracles　any　natural　law　was　broken；　or　even　set
aside；　but　simply　that　some　other　law；　whose　workings　we　do　not
understand；　became　operative　and　modified　the　law　that　otherwise
would　have　had　things　its　own　way。　　In　apergy　we　undoubtedly　have
the　counterpart　of　gravitation；　which　must　exist；　or　Nature's
system　of　compensation　is　broken。　　May　we　not　believe　that　in
Christ's　transfiguration　on　the　mount；　and　in　the　appearance　of
Moses　and　Elias　with　himdoubtless　in　the　flesh；　since　otherwise
mortal　eyes　could　not　have　seen　themapergy　came　into　play　and
upheld　them；　that　otherwise；　and　if　no　other　modification　had
intervened；　they　would　have　fallen　to　the　ground；　and　that　apergy
was；　in　other　words；　the　working　principle　of　those　miracles？〃
　　　
〃May　we　not　also　believe；〃　added　Cortlandt；　〃that　in　the
transfiguration　Christ's　companions　took　the　substance　of　their
material　bodiesthe　oxygen；　hydrogen；　nitrogen；　and　carbonfrom
the　air　and　the　moisture　it　contained；　for；　though　spiritual
bodies；　be　their　activity　magnetic　or　any　other；　could　of　course
pass　the　absolute　cold　and　void　of　space　without　being　affected；
no　mortal　body　could；　and　that　in　the　same　manner　Elijah's　body
dissolved　into　air　without　the　usual　intervention　of
decomposition；　for　we　know　that；　though　matter　can　easily　change
its　form；　it　can　never　be　destroyed。〃
　　　
All　assented　to　this；　and　Ayrault　continued：　　〃If　apergy　can
annul　gravitation；　I　do　not　see　why　it　should　not　do　more；　for　to
annul　it　the　repulsion　of　the　earth　that　it　produces　must　be　as
great　as　its　attraction；　unless　we　suppose　gravitation　for　the
time　being　to　be　suspended；　but　whether　it　is　or　not；　does　not
affect　the　result　in　this　case；　for；　after　the　apergetic
repulsion　is　brought　to　the　degree　at　which　a　body　does　not　fall；
any　increase　in　the　current's　strength　will　cause　it　to　rise；　and
in　the　case　of　electro…magnets　we　know　that　the　attraction　or
repulsion　has　practically　no　limit。　　This　will　be　of　great
advantage　to　us；〃　he　continued；　〃for　if　a　projectile　could　move
away　from　the　earth　with　no　more　rapid　acceleration　than　that
with　which　it　approaches；　it　would　take　too　long　to　reach　the
nearest　planet；　but　the　maximum　repulsion　being　at　the　start　by
reason　of　its　proximity　to　the　earthfor　apergy；　being　the
counterpart　of　gravitation；　is　subject　to　Newton's　and　Kepler's
lawsthe　acceleration　of　a　body　apergetically　charged　will　be
greatest　at　first。　　Two　inclined　planes　may　have　the　same　fall；
but　a　ball　will　reach　the　bottom　of　one　that　is　steepest　near　the
top　in　less　time　than　on　any　other；　because　the　maximum
acceleration　is　at　the　start。　　We　are　all　tired　of　being　stuck　to
this　cosmical　speck；　with　its　monotonous　ocean；　leaden　sky；　and
single　moon　that　is　useless　more　than　half　the　time；　while　its
size　is　so　microscopic　compared　with　the　universe　that　we　can
traverse　its　great　circle　in　four　days。　　Its　possibilities　are
exhausted；　and　just　as　Greece　became　too　small　for　the
civilization　of　the　Greeks；　and　as　reproduction　is　growth　beyond
the　individual；　so　it　seems　to　me　that　the　future　glory　of　the
human　race　lies　in　exploring　at　least　the　solar　system；　without
waiting　to　become　shades。〃
　　　
〃Should　you　propose　to　go　to　Mars　or　Venus？〃　asked　Cortlandt。
　　　
〃No；〃　replied　Ayrault；　〃we　know　all　about　Mars；　it　is　but　one
seventh　the　size　of　the　earth；　and　as　the　axis　is　inclined　more
than　ours；　it　would　be　a　less　comfortable　globe　than　this；　while；
as　our　president　here　told　us　in　his　T。　A。　S。　Company's　report；
the　axis　of　Venus　is　inclined　to　such　a　degree　that　it　would　be
almost　uninhabitable　for　us。　　It　would　be　as　if　colonists　tried
to　settle　Greenland；　or　had　come　to　North　America　during　its
Glacial　period。　　Neither　Venus　nor　Mars　would　be　a　good　place
now。〃
　　　
〃Where　should　you　propose　to　go？〃　asked　Stillman。
　　　
〃To　Jupiter；　and；　if　possible；　after　that　to　Saturn；〃　replied
Ayrault；　〃the　former's　mean　distance　from　the　sun　is　480；000；000
miles；　but；　as　our　president　showed　us；　its　axis　is　so　nearly
straight　that　I　think；　with　its　internal　warmth；　there　will　be
nothing　to　fear　from　cold。　　Though；　on　account　of　the　planet's
vast　size；　objects　on　its　surface　weigh　more　than　twice　as　much
as　here；　if　I　am　able　to　reach　it　by　means　of　apergy；　the　same
force　will　enable　me　to　regulate　my　weight。　　Will　any　one　go　with
me？〃
　　　
〃Splendid！〃　said　Bearwarden。　　〃If　Mr。　Dumby；　our　vice…president；
will　temporarily　assume　my　office；　nothing　will　give　me　greater
pleasure。〃
　　　
〃So　will　I　go；　if　there　is　room　for　me；〃　said　Cortlandt。　　〃I　will
at　once　resign　my　place　as　Government　expert；　and　consider　it　the
grandest　event　of　my　life。〃
　　　
〃If　I　were　not　afraid　of　leaving　Stillman　here　to　his　own
devices；　I'd　ask　for　a　berth　as　well；〃　said　Deepwaters。
　　　
〃I　am　afraid；〃　said　Stillman；　〃if　you　take　any　more；　you　will　be
overcrowded。〃
　　　
〃Modesty　forbids　his　saying；〃　said　Deepwaters；　〃that　it　wouldn't
do　for　the　country　to　have　all　its　eggs　in　one　basket。〃
　　　
〃Are　you　not　afraid　you　will　find　the　surface　hot；　or　even
molten？〃　asked　Vice…President　Dumby。　　〃With　its　eighty…six
thousand　five　hundred　mile　diameter；　the　amount　of　original
internal　heat　must　have　been　terrific。〃
　　　
〃No；　said　Cortlandt；　〃it　cannot　be　molten；　or　even　in　the　least
degree　luminous；　for；　if　it　were；　its　satellites　would　be　visible
when　they　enter　its　shadow；　whereas　they　entirely　disappear。〃
　　　
〃I　do　not　believe　Jupiter's　surface　is　even　perceptibly　warm；〃
said　Bearwarden。　　〃We　know　that　Algol；　known　to　the　ancients　as
the　'Demon　Star；'　and　several　other　variable　stars；　are
accompanied　by　a　dark　companion；　with　which　they　revolve　about　a
common　centre；　and　which　periodically　obscures　part　of　their
light。　　Now；　some　of　these　non…luminaries　are　nearly　as　large　as
our　sun；　and；　of　course；　many　hundred　times　the　size　of　Jupiter。　
If　these　bodies　have　lost　enough　heat　to　be　invisible；　Jupiter's
surface　at　least　must　be　nearly　cold。〃
　　　
〃In　the　phosphorescence　of　seawater；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃and　in
other　instances　in　Nature；　we　find　light　without　heat；　and　we　may
soon　be　able　to　produce　it　in　the　arts　by　oxidizing　coal　without
the　intervention　of　the　steam　engine；　but　we　never　find　any
considerable　heat　without　light。〃
　　　
〃I　am　convinced；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃that　we　shall　find　Jupiter
habitable　for　intelligent　beings　who　have　been　developed　on　a
more　advanced　sphere　than　itself；　though　I　do　not　believe　it　has
progressed　far　enough　in　its　evolution　to　produce　them。　　I　expect
to　find　it　in　its　Palaeozoic　or　Mesozoic　period；　while　over　a
hundred　years　ago　the　English　astronomer；　Chambers；　thought　that
on　Saturn　there　was　good　reason　for　suspecting　the　presence　of
snow。〃
　　　
〃What　sort　of　spaceship　do　you　propose　to　have？〃　asked　the
vice…president。
　　　
〃As　you　have　to　pass　through　but　little　air；〃　said　Deepwaters；　〃I
should　suggest　a　short…stroke　cylinder　of　large　diameter；　with　a
flat　base　and　dome　roof；　composed　of　aluminum；　or；　still　better；
of　glucinum　or　beryllium　as　it　is　sometimes　called；　which　is
twice　as　good　a　conductor　of　electricity　as　aluminum；　four　times
as　strong；　and　is　the　lightest　of　all　known　metals；　having　a
specific　gravity　of　only　two；　which　last　property　will　be　of
great　use　to　you；　for　of　course　the　more　weight　you　have　to
propel　the　more　apergetic　repulsion　you　will　have　to　develop。〃
　　　
〃I　will　get　some　drawing…paper　I　left　outside　in　my　trap；〃　said
Ayrault；　〃when　with　your　ideas　we　may　arrive　at　something
definite；〃　saying　which；　he　left　the　room。
　　　
〃He　seems　very　cynical　in　his　ideas　of