round the moon-第11节

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see　when　we　get　there。　　Now；　tell　me；　Barbicane；　do　you　believe
that　the　moon　is　an　old　comet？〃

〃There's　an　idea！〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Michel；　with　an　amiable　swagger；　〃I　have　a　few
ideas　of　that　sort。〃

〃But　that　idea　does　not　spring　from　Michel；〃　answered　Nicholl。

〃Well；　then；　I　am　a　plagiarist。〃

〃No　doubt　about　it。　　According　to　the　ancients；　the　Arcadians
pretend　that　their　ancestors　inhabited　the　earth　before　the　moon
became　her　satellite。　　Starting　from　this　fact；　some　scientific
men　have　seen　in　the　moon　a　comet　whose　orbit　will　one　day　bring
it　so　near　to　the　earth　that　it　will　be　held　there　by　its　attraction。〃

〃Is　there　any　truth　in　this　hypothesis？〃　asked　Michel。

〃None　whatever；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃and　the　proof　is；　that　the
moon　has　preserved　no　trace　of　the　gaseous　envelope　which　always
accompanies　comets。〃

〃But；〃　continued　Nicholl；　〃Before　becoming　the　earth's　satellite；
could　not　the　moon；　when　in　her　perihelion；　pass　so　near　the　sun
as　by　evaporation　to　get　rid　of　all　those　gaseous　substances？〃

〃It　is　possible；　friend　Nicholl；　but　not　probable。〃

〃Why　not？〃

〃Because　Faith　I　do　not　know。〃

〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Michel；　〃what　hundred　of　volumes　we　might　make
of　all　that　we　do　not　know！〃

〃Ah！　indeed。　　What　time　is　it？〃　asked　Barbicane。

〃Three　o'clock；〃　answered　Nicholl。

〃How　time　goes；〃　said　Michel；　〃in　the　conversation　of　scientific
men　such　as　we　are！　　Certainly；　I　feel　I　know　too　much！　　I　feel
that　I　am　becoming　a　well！〃

Saying　which；　Michel　hoisted　himself　to　the　roof　of　the　projectile；
〃to　observe　the　moon　better；〃　he　pretended。　　During　this　time　his
companions　were　watching　through　the　lower　glass。　　Nothing　new　to　note！

When　Michel　Ardan　came　down；　he　went　to　the　side　scuttle；　and
suddenly　they　heard　an　exclamation　of　surprise！

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Barbicane。

The　president　approached　the　window；　and　saw　a　sort　of　flattened
sack　floating　some　yards　from　the　projectile。　　This　object
seemed　as　motionless　as　the　projectile；　and　was　consequently
animated　with　the　same　ascending　movement。

〃What　is　that　machine？〃　continued　Michel　Ardan。　　〃Is　it　one　of
the　bodies　which　our　projectile　keeps　within　its　attraction；　and
which　will　accompany　it　to　the　moon？〃

〃What　astonishes　me；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃is　that　the　specific　weight
of　the　body；　which　is　certainly　less　than　that　of　the
projectile；　allows　it　to　keep　so　perfectly　on　a　level　with　it。〃

〃Nicholl；〃　replied　Barbicane；　after　a　moment's　reflection；　〃I　do
not　know　what　the　object　it；　but　I　do　know　why　it　maintains　our　level。〃

〃And　why？〃

〃Because　we　are　floating　in　space；　my　dear　captain；　and　in　space
bodies　fall　or　move　（which　is　the　same　thing）　with　equal　speed
whatever　be　their　weight　or　form；　it　is　the　air；　which　by　its
resistance　creates　these　differences　in　weight。　　When　you　create
a　vacuum　in　a　tube；　the　objects　you　send　through　it；　grains　of
dust　or　grains　of　lead；　fall　with　the　same　rapidity。　　Here　in
space　is　the　same　cause　and　the　same　effect。〃

〃Just　so；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃and　everything　we　throw　out　of　the
projectile　will　accompany　it　until　it　reaches　the　moon。〃

〃Ah！　fools　that　we　are！〃　exclaimed　Michel。

〃Why　that　expletive？〃　asked　Barbicane。

〃Because　we　might　have　filled　the　projectile　with　useful　objects；
books；　instruments；　tools；　etc。　　We　could　have　thrown　them　all
out；　and　all　would　have　followed　in　our　train。　　But　happy　thought！
Why　cannot　we　walk　outside　like　the　meteor？　　Why　cannot　we　launch
into　space　through　the　scuttle？　　What　enjoyment　it　would　be　to
feel　oneself　thus　suspended　in　ether；　more　favored　than　the　birds
who　must　use　their　wings　to　keep　themselves　up！〃

〃Granted；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃but　how　to　breathe？〃

〃Hang　the　air；　to　fail　so　inopportunely！〃

〃But　if　it　did　not　fail；　Michel；　your　density　being　less　than
that　of　the　projectile；　you　would　soon　be　left　behind。〃

〃Then　we　must　remain　in　our　car？〃

〃We　must！〃

〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Michel；　in　a　load　voice。

〃What　is　the　matter；〃　asked　Nicholl。

〃I　know；　I　guess；　what　this　pretended　meteor　is！　　It　is　no
asteroid　which　is　accompanying　us！　　It　is　not　a　piece　of　a　planet。〃

〃What　is　it　then？〃　asked　Barbicane。

〃It　is　our　unfortunate　dog！　　It　is　Diana's　husband！〃

Indeed；　this　deformed；　unrecognizable　object；　reduced　to
nothing；　was　the　body　of　Satellite；　flattened　like　a　bagpipe
without　wind；　and　ever　mounting；　mounting！





CHAPTER　VII


A　MOMENT　OF　INTOXICATION


Thus　a　phenomenon；　curious　but　explicable；　was　happening　under
these　strange　conditions。

Every　object　thrown　from　the　projectile　would　follow　the　same
course　and　never　stop　until　it　did。　　There　was　a　subject　for
conversation　which　the　whole　evening　could　not　exhaust。

Besides；　the　excitement　of　the　three　travelers　increased　as　they
drew　near　the　end　of　their　journey。　　They　expected　unforseen
incidents；　and　new　phenomena；　and　nothing　would　have　astonished
them　in　the　frame　of　mind　they　then　were　in。　　Their　overexcited
imagination　went　faster　than　the　projectile；　whose　speed　was
evidently　diminishing；　though　insensibly　to　themselves。　　But　the
moon　grew　larger　to　their　eyes；　and　they　fancied　if　they
stretched　out　their　hands　they　could　seize　it。

The　next　day；　the　5th　of　November；　at　five　in　the　morning；
all　three　were　on　foot。　　That　day　was　to　be　the　last　of　their
journey；　if　all　calculations　were　true。　　That　very　night；　at
twelve　o'clock；　in　eighteen　hours；　exactly　at　the　full　moon；
they　would　reach　its　brilliant　disc。　　The　next　midnight　would
see　that　journey　ended；　the　most　extraordinary　of　ancient　or
modern　times。　　Thus　from　the　first　of　the　morning；　through　the
scuttles　silvered　by　its　rays；　they　saluted　the　orb　of　night
with　a　confident　and　joyous　hurrah。

The　moon　was　advancing　majestically　along　the　starry　firmament。
A　few　more　degrees；　and　she　would　reach　the　exact　point　where
her　meeting　with　the　projectile　was　to　take　place。

According　to　his　own　observations；　Barbicane　reckoned　that　they
would　land　on　her　northern　hemisphere；　where　stretch　immense　plains；
and　where　mountains　are　rare。　　A　favorable　circumstance　if；　as
they　thought；　the　lunar　atmosphere　was　stored　only　in　its　depths。

〃Besides；〃　observed　Michel　Ardan；　〃a　plain　is　easier　to
disembark　upon　than　a　mountain。　　A　Selenite；　deposited　in　Europe
on　the　summit　of　Mont　Blanc；　or　in　　Asia　on　the　top　of　the
Himalayas；　would　not　be　quite　in　the　right　place。〃

〃And；〃　added　Captain　Nicholl；　〃on　a　flat　ground；　the　projectile
will　remain　motionless　when　it　has　once　touched；　whereas　on　a
declivity　it　would　roll　like　an　avalanche；　and　not　being
squirrels　we　should　not　come　out　safe　and　sound。　　So　it　is　all
for　the　best。〃

Indeed；　the　success　of　the　audacious　attempt　no　longer
appeared　doubtful。　　But　Barbicane　was　preoccupied　with　one
thought；　but　not　wishing　to　make　his　companions　uneasy；　he
kept　silence　on　this　subject。

The　direction　the　projectile　was　taking　toward　the　moon's
northern　hemisphere；　showed　that　her　course　had　been
slightly　altered。　　The　discharge；　mathematically　calculated；
would　carry　the　projectile　to　the　very　center　of　the　lunar　disc。
If　it　did　not　land　there；　there　must　have　been　some　deviation。
What　had　caused　it？　　Barbicane　could　neither　imagine　nor
determine　the　importance　of　the　deviation；　for　there　were　no
points　to　go　by。

He　hoped；　however；　that　it　would　have　no　other　result　than　that
of　bringing　them　nearer　the　upper　border　of　the　moon；　a　region
more　suitable　for　landing。

Without　imparting　his　uneasiness　to　his　companions；　Barbicane
contented　himself　with　constantly　observing　the　moon；　in　order
to　see　whether　the　course　of　the　projectile　would　not　be
altered；　for　the　situation　would　have　been　terrible　if　it　failed
in　its　aim；　and　being　carried　beyond　the　disc　should　be　launched
into　interplanetary　space。　　At　that　moment；　the　moon；　instead　of
appearing　flat　like　a　disc；　showed　its　convexity。　　If　the　sun's
rays　had　struck　it　obliquely；　the　shadow　thrown　would　have　brought
out　the　high　mountains；　which　would　have　been　clearly　detached。
The　eye　might　have　gazed　into　the　crater's　gaping　abysses；
and　followed　the　capricious　fissures　which　wound　through　the
immense　plains。　　But　all　relief　was　as　yet　leveled　in
intense　brilliancy。　　They　could　scarcely　distinguish　those
large　spots　which　give　the　moon　the　appearance　of　a　human　face。

〃Face；　indeed！〃　said　Michel　Ardan；　〃but　I　am　sorry　for　the
amiable　sister　of　Apollo。　　A　very　pitted　face！〃

But　the　travelers；　now　so　near　the　end；　were　incessantly
observing　this　new　world。　　They　imagined　themselves　walking
through　its　unknown　countries；　climbing　its　highest　peaks；
descending　into　its　lowest　depths。　　Here　and　there　they　fancied
they　saw　vast　seas；　scarcely　kept　together　under　so　rarefied　an
atmosphere；　and　water…courses　emptying　the　mountain　tributaries。
Leaning　over　the　abyss；　they　hoped　to　catch　some　sounds　from
that　orb　forever　mute　in　the　solitude　of　space。　　That　last　day
left　them。

They　took　down　the　most　trifling　details。　　A　vague　uneasiness
took　possession　of　them　as　they　neared　the　end。　　This　uneasiness
would　have　been　doubled　had　they　felt　how　their　speed　had　decreased。
It　would　have　seemed　to