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are　chiefly　distributed　over　the　northern　hemisphere。　　Some；　however；
occupy　certain　portions　of　the　southern　hemisphere　also。

About　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　Barbicane　found　that　they　were
above　the　twentieth　lunar　parallel。　　The　distance　of　the
projectile　from　the　moon　was　not　more　than　six　hundred　miles。
Barbicane；　now　perceiving　that　the　projectile　was　steadily
approaching　the　lunar　disc；　did　not　despair；　if　not　of　reaching
her；　at　least　of　discovering　the　secrets　of　her　configuration。





CHAPTER　XIII


LUNAR　LANDSCAPES


At　half…past　two　in　the　morning；　the　projectile　was　over　the
thirteenth　lunar　parallel　and　at　the　effective　distance　of　five
hundred　miles；　reduced　by　the　glasses　to　five。　　It　still　seemed
impossible；　however；　that　it　could　ever　touch　any　part　of　the　disc。
Its　motive　speed；　comparatively　so　moderate；　was　inexplicable　to
President　Barbicane。　　At　that　distance　from　the　moon　it　must　have
been　considerable；　to　enable　it　to　bear　up　against　her　attraction。
Here　was　a　phenomenon　the　cause　of　which　escaped　them　again。
Besides；　time　failed　them　to　investigate　the　cause。　　All　lunar
relief　was　defiling　under　the　eyes　of　the　travelers；　and　they
would　not　lose　a　single　detail。

Under　the　glasses　the　disc　appeared　at　the　distance　of　five
miles。　　What　would　an　aeronaut；　borne　to　this　distance　from　the
earth；　distinguish　on　its　surface？　　We　cannot　say；　since　the
greatest　ascension　has　not　been　more　than　25；000　feet。

This；　however；　is　an　exact　description　of　what　Barbicane　and　his
companions　saw　at　this　height。　　Large　patches　of　different
colors　appeared　on　the　disc。　　Selenographers　are　not　agreed　upon
the　nature　of　these　colors。　　There　are　several；　and　rather
vividly　marked。　　Julius　Schmidt　pretends　that；　if　the
terrestrial　oceans　were　dried　up；　a　Selenite　observer　could　not
distinguish　on　the　globe　a　greater　diversity　of　shades　between
the　oceans　and　the　continental　plains　than　those　on　the　moon
present　to　a　terrestrial　observer。　　According　to　him；　the　color
common　to　the　vast　plains　known　by　the　name　of　〃seas〃　is　a　dark
gray　mixed　with　green　and　brown。　　Some　of　the　large　craters
present　the　same　appearance。　　Barbicane　knew　this　opinion　of　the
German　selenographer；　an　opinion　shared　by　Boeer　and　Moedler。
Observation　has　proved　that　right　was　on　their　side；　and　not　on
that　of　some　astronomers　who　admit　the　existence　of　only　gray　on
the　moon's　surface。　　In　some　parts　green　was　very　distinct；　such
as　springs；　according　to　Julius　Schmidt；　from　the　seas　of
〃Serenity　and　Humors。〃　　Barbicane　also　noticed　large　craters；
without　any　interior　cones；　which　shed　a　bluish　tint　similar　to
the　reflection　of　a　sheet　of　steel　freshly　polished。　　These　colors
belonged　really　to　the　lunar　disc；　and　did　not　result；　as　some
astronomers　say；　either　from　the　imperfection　in　the　objective
of　the　glasses　or　from　the　interposition　of　the　terrestrial　atmosphere。

Not　a　doubt　existed　in　Barbicane's　mind　with　regard　to　it；　as　he
observed　it　through　space；　and　so　could　not　commit　any　optical　error。
He　considered　the　establishment　of　this　fact　as　an　acquisition
to　science。　　Now；　were　these　shades　of　green；　belonging　to
tropical　vegetation；　kept　up　by　a　low　dense　atmosphere？　　He　could
not　yet　say。

Farther　on；　he　noticed　a　reddish　tint；　quite　defined。　　The　same
shade　had　before　been　observed　at　the　bottom　of　an　isolated
enclosure；　known　by　the　name　of　Lichtenburg's　circle；　which　is
situated　near　the　Hercynian　mountains；　on　the　borders　of　the
moon；　but　they　could　not　tell　the　nature　of　it。

They　were　not　more　fortunate　with　regard　to　another　peculiarity
of　the　disc；　for　they　could　not　decide　upon　the　cause　of　it。

Michel　Ardan　was　watching　near　the　president；　when　he　noticed
long　white　lines；　vividly　lighted　up　by　the　direct　rays　of　the　sun。
It　was　a　succession　of　luminous　furrows；　very　different　from　the
radiation　of　Copernicus　not　long　before；　they　ran　parallel　with
each　other。

Michel；　with　his　usual　readiness；　hastened　to　exclaim：

〃Look　there！　cultivated　fields！〃

〃Cultivated　fields！〃　replied　Nicholl；　shrugging　his　shoulders。

〃Plowed；　at　all　events；〃　retorted　Michel　Ardan；　〃but　what
laborers　those　Selenites　must　be；　and　what　giant　oxen　they　must
harness　to　their　plow　to　cut　such　furrows！〃

〃They　are　not　furrows；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃they　are　_rifts_。〃

〃Rifts？　stuff！〃　replied　Michel　mildly；　〃but　what　do　you　mean　by
‘rifts'　in　the　scientific　world？〃

Barbicane　immediately　enlightened　his　companion　as　to　what　he
knew　about　lunar　rifts。　　He　knew　that　they　were　a　kind　of　furrow
found　on　every　part　of　the　disc　which　was　not　mountainous；　that
these　furrows；　generally　isolated；　measured　from　400　to　500
leagues　in　length；　that　their　breadth　varied　from　1；000　to　1；500
yards；　and　that　their　borders　were　strictly　parallel；　but　he
knew　nothing　more　either　of　their　formation　or　their　nature。

Barbicane；　through　his　glasses；　observed　these　rifts　with
great　attention。　　He　noticed　that　their　borders　were　formed　of
steep　declivities；　they　were　long　parallel　ramparts；　and　with　some
small　amount　of　imagination　he　might　have　admitted　the　existence
of　long　lines　of　fortifications；　raised　by　Selenite　engineers。
Of　these　different　rifts　some　were　perfectly　straight；　as　if　cut
by　a　line；　others　were　slightly　curved；　though　still　keeping
their　borders　parallel；　some　crossed　each　other；　some　cut　through
craters；　here　they　wound　through　ordinary　cavities；　such　as
Posidonius　or　Petavius；　there　they　wound　through　the　seas；　such
as　the　〃Sea　of　Serenity。〃

These　natural　accidents　naturally　excited　the　imaginations　of
these　terrestrial　astronomers。　　The　first　observations　had　not
discovered　these　rifts。　　Neither　Hevelius；　Cassin；　La　Hire；　nor
Herschel　seemed　to　have　known　them。　　It　was　Schroeter　who　in
1789　first　drew　attention　to　them。　　Others　followed　who　studied
them；　as　Pastorff；　Gruithuysen；　Boeer；　and　Moedler。　　At　this
time　their　number　amounts　to　seventy；　but；　if　they　have　been
counted；　their　nature　has　not　yet　been　determined；　they　are
certainly　_not_　fortifications；　any　more　than　they　are　the
ancient　beds　of　dried…up　rivers；　for；　on　one　side；　the　waters；
so　slight　on　the　moon's　surface；　could　never　have　worn　such
drains　for　themselves；　and；　on　the　other；　they　often　cross
craters　of　great　elevation。

We　must；　however；　allow　that　Michel　Ardan　had　〃an　idea；〃　and
that；　without　knowing　it；　he　coincided　in　that　respect　with
Julius　Schmidt。

〃Why；〃　said　he；　〃should　not　these　unaccountable　appearances　be
simply　phenomena　of　vegetation？〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Barbicane　quickly。

〃Do　not　excite　yourself；　my　worthy　president；〃　replied　Michel；
〃might　it　not　be　possible　that　the　dark　lines　forming　that
bastion　were　rows　of　trees　regularly　placed？〃

〃You　stick　to　your　vegetation；　then？〃　said　Barbicane。

〃I　like；〃　retorted　Michel　Ardan；　〃to　explain　what　you　savants
cannot　explain；　at　least　my　hypotheses　has　the　advantage　of
indicating　why　these　rifts　disappear；　or　seem　to　disappear；　at
certain　seasons。〃

〃And　for　what　reason？〃

〃For　the　reason　that　the　trees　become　invisible　when　they　lose
their　leaves；　and　visible　again　when　they　regain　them。〃

〃Your　explanation　is　ingenious；　my　dear　companion；〃　replied
Barbicane；　〃but　inadmissible。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because；　so　to　speak；　there　are　no　seasons　on　the　moon's　surface；
and　that；　consequently；　the　phenomena　of　vegetation　of　which　you
speak　cannot　occur。〃

Indeed；　the　slight　obliquity　of　the　lunar　axis　keeps　the　sun　at
an　almost　equal　height　in　every　latitude。　　Above　the　equatorial
regions　the　radiant　orb　almost　invariably　occupies　the　zenith；
and　does　not　pass　the　limits　of　the　horizon　in　the　polar
regions；　thus；　according　to　each　region；　there　reigns　a
perpetual　winter；　spring；　summer；　or　autumn；　as　in　the　planet
Jupiter；　whose　axis　is　but　little　inclined　upon　its　orbit。

What　origin　do　they　attribute　to　these　rifts？　　That　is　a
question　difficult　to　solve。　　They　are　certainly　anterior　to　the
formation　of　craters　and　circles；　for　several　have　introduced
themselves　by　breaking　through　their　circular　ramparts。　　Thus　it
may　be　that；　contemporary　with　the　later　geological　epochs；　they
are　due　to　the　expansion　of　natural　forces。

But　the　projectile　had　now　attained　the　fortieth　degree　of　lunar
latitude；　at　a　distance　not　exceeding　40　miles。　　Through　the
glasses　objects　appeared　to　be　only　four　miles　distant。

At　this　point；　under　their　feet；　rose　Mount　Helicon；　1；520　feet
high；　and　round　about　the　left　rose　moderate　elevations；
enclosing　a　small　portion　of　the　〃Sea　of　Rains；〃　under　the　name
of　the　Gulf　of　Iris。　　The　terrestrial　atmosphere　would　have　to
be　one　hundred　and　seventy　times　more　transparent　than　it　is；
to　allow　astronomers　to　make　perfect　observations　on　the　moon's
surface；　but　in　the　void　in　which　the　projectile　floated　no
fluid　interposed　itself　between　the　eye　of　the　observer　and
the　object　observed。　　And　more；　Barbicane　found　himself　carried
to　a　greater　distance　than　the　most　powerful　telescopes　had
ever　done　before；　either　that　of　Lord　Rosse　or　that　of　the
Rocky　Mountains。　　He　was；　therefore；　under　extremely　favorable
conditions　for　solving　that