a journey in other worlds-第17节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


it　flashed　back：　　〃Got　your　message　perfectly。　　Wish　you　greatest
luck。　　The　T。　A。　S。　Co。　has　decked　the　Callisto's　pedestal　with
flowers；　and　has　ordered　a　tablet　set　up　on　the　site　to
commemorate　your　celestial　journey。〃
　　　
At　that　moment　the　shadow　swept　by；　and　they　were　in　the　full
blaze　of　cloudless　day。　　The　change　was　so　great　that　for　a
moment　they　were　obliged　to　close　their　eyes。　　The　polished　sides
of　the　Callisto　shone　so　brightly　that　they　knew　they　were　easily
seen。　　The　power　temporarily　diverted　in　sending　them　the　message
then　returned　to　the　work　of　draining　the　Arctic　Ocean；　which；　as
the　north　pole　was　now　returning　to　the　sun；　was　the　thing　to　do；
and　the　travellers　resumed　their　study　of　the　heavenly　bodies。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　II。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SPACE　AND　MARS。

Never　before　had　the　travellers　observed　the　stars　and　planets
under　such　favourable　conditions。　　No　air　or　clouds　intervened；
and　as　the　Callisto　did　not　revolve　on　its　axis　there　was　no
necessity　for　changing　the　direction　of　the　glasses。　　After　an
hour　of　this　interesting　work；　however；　as　it　was　already　late　at
the　longitude　they　had　left　on　earth；　and　as　they　knew　they　had
many　days　in　space　before　them；　they　prepared　to　go　to　bed。　　When
ready；　they　had　only　to　pull　down　the　shades；　for；　as　apergy　was
not　applied　to　them；　but　only　to　the　Callisto；　they　still　looked
upon　the　floor　as　down；　and　closed　the　heavy　curtains　to　have
night　or　darkness。　　They　found　that　the　side　of　the　Callisto
turned　constantly　towards　the　sun　was　becoming　very　warm；　the
double…toughened　glass　windows　making　it　like　a　greenhouse；　but
they　consoled　themselves　with　the　thought　that　the　sun's　power　on
them　was　hourly　becoming　less；　and　they　felt　sure　the　double
walls　and　thick　upholstery　would　protect　them　almost　anywhere
within　the　solar　system　from　the　intense　cold　of　space。　　　　

〃We　could　easily　have　arranged；〃　said　Ayrault；　for　night　and　day
on　alternate　sides　of　the　Callisto　by　having　strips　of　metal
arranged　spirally　on　the　outside　as　on　the　end　of　an　arrow。　
These　would　have　started　us　turning　as　slowly　as　we　like；　since
we　passed　through　the　atmosphere　at　a　comparatively　low　rate　of
speed。〃
　　　
〃I　am　afraid；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃the　motion；　however　slow；　would
have　made　us　dizzy。　　It　would　be　confusing　to　see　the　heavens
turning　about　us；　and　it　would　interfere　with　using　the　glasses。〃
　　　
The　base　and　one　side　of　the　Callisto　had　constant　sunshine；
while　the　other　side　and　the　dome　were　in　the　blackest　night。　
This　dome；　on　account　of　its　shape；　sky　windows；　and　the
completeness　with　which　it　could　be　isolated；　was　an　ideal
observatory；　and　there　was　seldom　a　time　during　their　waking
hours　for　the　rest　of　the　journey　when　it　was　not　occupied　by
one；　two；　or　all　the　observers。
　　　
〃There　is　something　marvellous；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃about　the
condition　of　space。　　Its　absolute　cold　is　appalling；　apparently
because　there　is　nothing　to　absorb　heat；　yet　we　find　the　base　of
this　material　projectile　uncomfortably　warm；　though；　should　we
expose　a　thermometer　in　the　shade　in　front；　we　know　it　would　show
a　temperature　of　three　hundred　to　four　hundred　degrees　below
zerowere　the　instrument　capable　of　recording　it。〃
　　　
Artificial　darkness　having　been　obtained；　the　travellers　were
soon　asleep；　Bearwarden's　dreams　being　regaled　with　thoughts　of
his　company's　triumph；　Ayrault's；　naturally；　with　visions　of
Sylvia；　while　Cortlandt　frequently　started　up；　thinking　he　had
already　made　some　great　astronomical　discovery。
　　　
About　9　A。　M。；　according　to　seventy…fifth　meridian　time；　the
explorers　awoke　feeling　greatly　refreshed。　　The　tank　in　which　the
liquefied　oxygen　was　kept　automatically　gave　off　its　gas　so
evenly　that　the　air　remained　normal；　while　the　lime　contained　in
cups　absorbed　the　carbon　dioxide　as　fast　as　they　exhaled　it。　
They　had　darkened　those　windows　through　which　the　sun　was
actually　pouring；　for；　on　account　of　the　emptiness　of　the
surrounding　ether　and　consequent　absence　of　diffusion　of　light；
nothing　but　the　inky　blackness　of　space　and　the　bright　stars
looked　in　at　the　rest。　　On　raising　the　shades　they　got　an　idea　of
their　speed。　　A　small　crescent；　smaller　than　the　familiar　moon；
accompanied　by　one　still　tinier；　was　all　that　could　be　seen　of
the　earth　and　its　satellite。
　　　
〃We　must；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃be　moving　at　the　rate　of　nearly　a
million　miles　an　hour；　from　the　way　we　have　travelled。〃
　　　
〃We　must　be　doing　fully　a　million；〃　replied　Cortlandt；　〃for　by
this　time　we　are　pretty　well　in　motion；　having　got　a　tremendous
start　when　so　near　the　moon；　with　it　and　the　earth　in　line。〃
　　　
By　steering　straight　for　Jupiter；　instead　of　for　the　place　it
would　occupy　ten　days　later；　they　knew　they　would　swing　past；　for
the　giant　planet；　being　in　rapid　motion；　would　advance；　but　they
did　not　object　to　this；　since　it　would　give　them　a　chance　to
examine　their　new　world　in　case　they　wished　to　do　so　before
alighting；　while；　if　they　preferred　to　land　at　once；　they　could
easily　change　their　course　by　means　of　the　moons；　the　fourth；
from　which　their　car　was　named；　being　the　one　that　they　knew
would　be　of　most　use。　　Their　tremendous　speed　showed　them　they
should　have　time　for　exploration　on　their　arrival；　and　that　they
would　reach　their　destination　sooner　than　they　had　expected。　　The
apergetic　force　being　applied；　as　we　have　seen；　only　to　the
Callisto；　just　as　power　in　starting　is　exerted　on　a　carriage　or
railway　car　and　only　through　it　to　the　passengers；　Ayrault　and
his　companions　had　no　unusual　sensation　except　loss　of　weight；
for；　when　they　were　so　far　from　the　earth；　its　attraction　was
very　slight；　and　no　other　planet　was　near　enough　to　take　its
place。　　After　breakfast；　wishing　to　reach　the　dome；　and　realizing
that　it　would　be　unnecessary　to　climb；　each　in　turn　gave　a　slight
spring　and　was　obliged　to　put　up　his　hands　to　avoid　striking　the
roof。　　In　the　cool　quiet　of　the　dark　dome　it　was　difficult　to
believe　that　only　twenty　feet　away　the　sun　was　shining　with　such
intensity　upon　the　metal　base　as　to　make　it　too　hot　on　the　inside
to　touch　without　gloves。
　　　
The　first　thing　that　attracted　their　attention　was　the　size　and
brilliance　of　Mars。　　Although　this　red　planet　was　over　forty
million　miles　from　the　earth　when　they　started；　they　calculated
that　it　was　less　than　thirty　million　miles　from　them　now；　or　five
millions　nearer　than　it　had　ever　been　to　them　before。　　This
reduction　in　distance；　and　the　clearness　of　the　void　through
which　they　saw　it；　made　it　a　splendid　sight；　its　disk　showing
clearly。　　From　hour　to　hour　its　size　and　brightness　increased；
till　towards　evening　it　looked　like　a　small；　full　moon；　the　sun
shining　squarely　upon　it。　　They　calculated　that　on　the　course
they　were　moving　they　should　pass　about　nine　hundred　thousand
miles　to　the　right　or　behind　it；　since　it　was　moving　towards
their　left。　　They　were　interested　to　see　what　effect　the　mass　of
Mars　would　have　on　the　Callisto；　and　saw　here　a　chance　of　still
further　increasing　their　speed。　　Notwithstanding　its　tremendous
rate；　they　expected　to　see　the　Callisto　swerve　from　its　straight
line　and　move　towards　Mars；　whose　orbital　speed　of　nine　hundred
miles　a　minute　they　thought　would　take　it　out　of　the　Callisto's
way；　so　that　no　actual　collision　would　occur　even　if　their
air…ship　were　left　to　her　own　devices。
　　　
Towards　evening　they　noticed　through　their　glasses　that　several
apparently　island　peaks　in　the　southern　hemisphere；　which　was
turned　towards　them；　became　white；　from　which　they　concluded　that
a　snow…storm　was　in　progress。　　The　south　polar　region　was　also
markedly　glaciated；　though　the　icecap　was　not　as　extensive　as
either　of　those　at　the　poles　of　the　earth。
　　　
〃As　the　Martian　winters　must　be　fully　as　severe　as　ours；〃　said
Cortlandt；　〃on　account　of　their　length；　the　planet's　distance
from　the　sun；　and　the　twenty…seven　and　a　half　degrees　inclination
of　its　axis；　we　can　account　for　the　smallness　of　its　ice…caps
only　by　the　fact　that　its　oceans　cover　but　one　fourth　of　its
surface　instead　of　three　quarters；　as　on　the　earth；　and　there　is
consequently　a　smaller　evaporation　and　rain　and　snow…fall。〃
　　　
They　were　too　much　interested　to　think　of　sleeping　that　night；
and　so；　after　dining　comfortably　returned　to　their　observatory。　
When　within　four　million　miles　of　Mars　the　Callisto　began　to
swerve　perceptibly；　its　curve；　as　when　near　the　moon　beginning
with　a　spiral。　　They　swung　on　unconcernedly；　however；　knowing
they　could　check　their　approach　at　any　time。　　Soon　Mars　appeared
to　have　a　diameter　ten　times　as　great　as　that　of　the　moon；　and
promised　shortly　to　occupy　almost　one　side　of　their　sky。
　
〃We　must　be　on　the　lookout　for　the　satellites；〃　said　Cortlandt；
〃a　collision　with　either　would　be　worse　than　a　wreck　on　a　desert
island。〃
　　　
They　therefore　turned　their　glasses　in　the　direction　of　the
satellites。
　　　
〃Until　Prof。　Hall；　at　Washington；　discovered　the　two　satellites
in　1877；〃　he　continued；　〃Mars　was　supposed　to　be　without　moons。　
The　outer　one；　Deimos；　is　but　six　miles　in　diameter；　and　revolves
about　its　primary　in　thirty　hours　and　eigh