round the moon-第20节

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ever　done　before；　either　that　of　Lord　Rosse　or　that　of　the
Rocky　Mountains。　　He　was；　therefore；　under　extremely　favorable
conditions　for　solving　that　great　question　of　the　habitability
of　the　moon；　but　the　solution　still　escaped　him；　he　could
distinguish　nothing　but　desert　beds；　immense　plains；　and　toward
the　north；　arid　mountains。　　Not　a　work　betrayed　the　hand　of　man；
not　a　ruin　marked　his　course；　not　a　group　of　animals　was　to　be
seen　indicating　life；　even　in　an　inferior　degree。　　In　no　part
was　there　life；　in　no　part　was　there　an　appearance　of　vegetation。
Of　the　three　kingdoms　which　share　the　terrestrial　globe　between
them；　one　alone　was　represented　on　the　lunar　and　that　the　mineral。

〃Ah；　indeed！〃　said　Michel　Ardan；　a　little　out　of　countenance；
〃then　you　see　no　one？〃

〃No；〃　answered　Nicholl；　〃up　to　this　time；　not　a　man；　not　an
animal；　not　a　tree！　　After　all；　whether　the　atmosphere　has　taken
refuge　at　the　bottom　of　cavities；　in　the　midst　of　the　circles；
or　even　on　the　opposite　face　of　the　moon；　we　cannot　decide。〃

〃Besides；〃　added　Barbicane；　〃even　to　the　most　piercing　eye　a　man
cannot　be　distinguished　farther　than　three　and　a　half　miles　off；
so　that；　if　there　are　any　Selenites；　they　can　see　our　projectile；
but　we　cannot　see　them。〃

Toward　four　in　the　morning；　at　the　height　of　the　fiftieth
parallel；　the　distance　was　reduced　to　300　miles。　　To　the　left
ran　a　line　of　mountains　capriciously　shaped；　lying　in　the
full　light。　　To　the　right；　on　the　contrary；　lay　a　black　hollow
resembling　a　vast　well；　unfathomable　and　gloomy；　drilled　into
the　lunar　soil。

This　hole　was　the　〃Black　Lake〃；　it　was　Pluto；　a　deep　circle
which　can　be　conveniently　studied　from　the　earth；　between　the
last　quarter　and　the　new　moon；　when　the　shadows　fall　from　west
to　east。

This　black　color　is　rarely　met　with　on　the　surface　of
the　satellite。　　As　yet　it　has　only　been　recognized　in　the　depths
of　the　circle　of　Endymion；　to　the　east　of　the　〃Cold　Sea；〃　in　the
northern　hemisphere；　and　at　the　bottom　of　Grimaldi's　circle；　on
the　equator；　toward　the　eastern　border　of　the　orb。

Pluto　is　an　annular　mountain；　situated　in　51@　north　latitude；
and　9@　east　longitude。　　Its　circuit　is　forty…seven　miles　long
and　thirty…two　broad。

Barbicane　regretted　that　they　were　not　passing　directly　above
this　vast　opening。　　There　was　an　abyss　to　fathom；　perhaps　some
mysterious　phenomenon　to　surprise；　but　the　projectile's　course
could　not　be　altered。　　They　must　rigidly　submit。　　They　could　not
guide　a　balloon；　still　less　a　projectile；　when　once　enclosed
within　its　walls。　　Toward　five　in　the　morning　the　northern
limits　of　the　〃Sea　of　Rains〃　was　at　length　passed。　　The　mounts
of　Condamine　and　Fontenelle　remained　one　on　the　right；　the
other　on　the　left。　　That　part　of　the　disc　beginning　with　60@　was
becoming　quite　mountainous。　　The　glasses　brought　them　to　within
two　miles；　less　than　that　separating　the　summit　of　Mont　Blanc
from　the　level　of　the　sea。　　The　whole　region　was　bristling　with
spikes　and　circles。　　Toward　the　60@　Philolaus　stood　predominant
at　a　height　of　5；550　feet　with　its　elliptical　crater；　and　seen
from　this　distance；　the　disc　showed　a　very　fantastical　appearance。
Landscapes　were　presented　to　the　eye　under　very　different
conditions　from　those　on　the　earth；　and　also　very　inferior　to　them。

The　moon　having　no　atmosphere；　the　consequences　arising　from
the　absence　of　this　gaseous　envelope　have　already　been　shown。
No　twilight　on　her　surface；　night　following　day　and　day　following
night　with　the　suddenness　of　a　lamp　which　is　extinguished　or
lighted　amid　profound　darkness　no　transition　from　cold　to
heat；　the　temperature　falling　in　an　instant　from　boiling　point
to　the　cold　of　space。

Another　consequence　of　this　want　of　air　is　that　absolute
darkness　reigns　where　the　sun's　rays　do　not　penetrate。
That　which　on　earth　is　called　diffusion　of　light；　that　luminous
matter　which　the　air　holds　in　suspension；　which　creates　the
twilight　and　the　daybreak；　which　produces　the　_umbrae_　and
_penumbrae_；　and　all　the　magic　of　_chiaro…oscuro_；　does　not
exist　on　the　moon。　　Hence　the　harshness　of　contrasts；　which
only　admit　of　two　colors；　black　and　white。　　If　a　Selenite
were　to　shade　his　eyes　from　the　sun's　rays；　the　sky　would　seem
absolutely　black；　and　the　stars　would　shine　to　him　as　on　the
darkest　night。　　Judge　of　the　impression　produced　on　Barbicane
and　his　three　friends　by　this　strange　scene！　　Their　eyes
were　confused。　　They　could　no　longer　grasp　the　respective
distances　of　the　different　plains。　　A　lunar　landscape　without
the　softening　of　the　phenomena　of　_chiaro…oscuro_　could　not　be
rendered　by　an　earthly　landscape　painter；　it　would　be　spots　of
ink　on　a　white　page　nothing　more。

This　aspect　was　not　altered　even　when　the　projectile；　at　the
height　of　80@；　was　only　separated　from　the　moon　by　a　distance
of　fifty　miles；　nor　even　when；　at　five　in　the　morning；　it
passed　at　less　than　twenty…five　miles　from　the　mountain　of
Gioja；　a　distance　reduced　by　the　glasses　to　a　quarter　of　a　mile。
It　seemed　as　if　the　moon　might　be　touched　by　the　hand！
It　seemed　impossible　that；　before　long；　the　projectile　would
not　strike　her；　if　only　at　the　north　pole；　the　brilliant　arch
of　which　was　so　distinctly　visible　on　the　black　sky。

Michel　Ardan　wanted　to　open　one　of　the　scuttles　and　throw
himself　on　to　the　moon's　surface！　　A　very　useless　attempt；　for
if　the　projectile　could　not　attain　any　point　whatever　of　the
satellite；　Michel；　carried　along　by　its　motion；　could　not　attain
it　either。

At　that　moment；　at　six　o'clock；　the　lunar　pole　appeared。　　The　disc
only　presented　to　the　travelers'　gaze　one　half　brilliantly　lit　up；
while　the　other　disappeared　in　the　darkness。　　Suddenly　the
projectile　passed　the　line　of　demarcation　between　intense　light
and　absolute　darkness；　and　was　plunged　in　profound　night！





CHAPTER　XIV


THE　NIGHT　OF　THREE　HUNDRED　AND　FIFTY…FOUR　HOURS　AND　A　HALF

At　the　moment　when　this　phenomenon　took　place　so　rapidly；　the
projectile　was　skirting　the　moon's　north　pole　at　less　than
twenty…five　miles　distance。　　Some　seconds　had　sufficed　to　plunge
it　into　the　absolute　darkness　of　space。　　The　transition　was　so
sudden；　without　shade；　without　gradation　of　light；　without
attenuation　of　the　luminous　waves；　that　the　orb　seemed　to　have
been　extinguished　by　a　powerful　blow。

〃Melted；　disappeared！〃　Michel　Ardan　exclaimed；　aghast。

Indeed；　there　was　neither　reflection　nor　shadow。　　Nothing　more
was　to　be　seen　of　that　disc；　formerly　so　dazzling。　　The　darkness
was　complete。　and　rendered　even　more　so　by　the　rays　from　the　stars。
It　was　〃that　blackness〃　in　which　the　lunar　nights　are　insteeped；
which　last　three　hundred　and　fifty…four　hours　and　a　half　at　each
point　of　the　disc；　a　long　night　resulting　from　the　equality　of
the　translatory　and　rotary　movements　of　the　moon。　　The　projectile；
immerged　in　the　conical　shadow　of　the　satellite；　experienced　the
action　of　the　solar　rays　no　more　than　any　of　its　invisible　points。

In　the　interior；　the　obscurity　was　complete。　　They　could　not　see
each　other。　　Hence　the　necessity　of　dispelling　the　darkness。
However　desirous　Barbicane　might　be　to　husband　the　gas；　the
reserve　of　which　was　small；　he　was　obliged　to　ask　from　it　a
fictitious　light；　an　expensive　brilliancy　which　the　sun　then　refused。

〃Devil　take　the　radiant　orb！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　〃which
forces　us　to　expend　gas；　instead　of　giving　us　his　rays　gratuitously。〃

〃Do　not　let　us　accuse　the　sun；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃it　is　not　his
fault；　but　that　of　the　moon；　which　has　come　and　placed　herself
like　a　screen　between　us　and　it。〃

〃It　is　the　sun！〃　continued　Michel。

〃It　is　the　moon！〃　retorted　Nicholl。

An　idle　dispute；　which　Barbicane　put　an　end　to　by　saying：

〃My　friends；　it　is　neither　the　fault　of　the　sun　nor　of　the　moon；
it　is　the　fault　of　the　_projectile_；　which；　instead　of　rigidly
following　its　course；　has　awkwardly　missed　it。　　To　be　more　just；
it　is　the　fault　of　that　unfortunate　meteor　which　has　so
deplorably　altered　our　first　direction。〃

〃Well；〃　replied　Michel　Ardan；　〃as　the　matter　is　settled；　let　us
have　breakfast。　　After　a　whole　night　of　watching　it　is　fair　to
build　ourselves　up　a　little。〃

This　proposal　meeting　with　no　contradiction；　Michel　prepared　the
repast　in　a　few　minutes。　　But　they　ate　for　eating's　sake；　they
drank　without　toasts；　without　hurrahs。　　The　bold　travelers　being
borne　away　into　gloomy　space；　without　their　accustomed
_cortege_　of　rays；　felt　a　vague　uneasiness　in　their　hearts。
The　〃strange〃　shadow　so　dear　to　Victor　Hugo's　pen　bound　them　on
all　sides。　　But　they　talked　over　the　interminable　night　of　three
hundred　and　fifty…four　hours　and　a　half；　nearly　fifteen　days；
which　the　law　of　physics　has　imposed　on　the　inhabitants　of　the　moon。

Barbicane　gave　his　friends　some　explanation　of　the　causes　and
the　consequences　of　this　curious　phenomenon。

〃Curious　indeed；〃　said　they；　〃for；　if　each　hemisphere　of　the
moon　is　deprived　of　solar　light　for　fifteen　days；　that　above
which　we　now　float　does　not　even　enjoy　during　its　long　night　any
view　of　the　earth　so　beautifully　lit　up。　　In　a　word　she　has　no
moon　（applying　this　designation　to　our　globe）　but　on　one　side　of
her　disc。　　Now　if　this　w