round the moon-第21节

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moon　（applying　this　designation　to　our　globe）　but　on　one　side　of
her　disc。　　Now　if　this　were　the　case　with　the　earth　if；　for
example；　Europe　never　saw　the　moon；　and　she　was　only　visible　at
the　antipodes；　imagine　to　yourself　the　astonishment　of　a
European　on　arriving　in　Australia。〃

〃They　would　make　the　voyage　for　nothing　but　to　see　the　moon！〃
replied　Michel。

〃Very　well！〃　continued　Barbicane；　〃that　astonishment　is　reserved
for　the　Selenites　who　inhabit　the　face　of　the　moon　opposite　to
the　earth；　a　face　which　is　ever　invisible　to　our　countrymen　of
the　terrestrial　globe。〃

〃And　which　we　should　have　seen；〃　added　Nicholl；　〃if　we　had　arrived
here　when　the　moon　was　new；　that　is　to　say　fifteen　days　later。〃

〃I　will　add；　to　make　amends；〃　continued　Barbicane；　〃that　the
inhabitants　of　the　visible　face　are　singularly　favored　by　nature；
to　the　detriment　of　their　brethren　on　the　invisible　face。
The　latter；　as　you　see；　have　dark　nights　of　354　hours；　without
one　single　ray　to　break　the　darkness。　　The　other；　on　the　contrary；
when　the　sun　which　has　given　its　light　for　fifteen　days　sinks
below　the　horizon；　see　a　splendid　orb　rise　on　the　opposite　horizon。
It　is　the　earth；　which　is　thirteen　times　greater　than　the
diminutive　moon　that　we　know　the　earth　which　developes　itself
at　a　diameter　of　two　degrees；　and　which　sheds　a　light　thirteen
times　greater　than　that　qualified　by　atmospheric　strata　the
earth　which　only　disappears　at　the　moment　when　the　sun　reappears
in　its　turn！〃

〃Nicely　worded！〃　said　Michel；　〃slightly　academical　perhaps。〃

〃It　follows；　then；〃　continued　Barbicane；　without　knitting　his
brows；　〃that　the　visible　face　of　the　disc　must　be　very　agreeable
to　inhabit；　since　it　always　looks　on　either　the　sun　when　the
moon　is　full；　or　on　the　earth　when　the　moon　is　new。〃

〃But；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃that　advantage　must　be　well　compensated　by
the　insupportable　heat　which　the　light　brings　with　it。〃

〃The　inconvenience；　in　that　respect；　is　the　same　for　the　two
faces；　for　the　earth's　light　is　evidently　deprived　of　heat。
But　the　invisible　face　is　still　more　searched　by　the　heat　than
the　visible　face。　　I　say　that　for　_you_；　Nicholl；　because　Michel
will　probably　not　understand。〃

〃Thank　you；〃　said　Michel。

〃Indeed；〃　continued　Barbicane；　〃when　the　invisible　face　receives
at　the　same　time　light　and　heat　from　the　sun；　it　is　because　the
moon　is　new；　that　is　to　say；　she　is　situated　between　the　sun　and
the　earth。　　It　follows；　then；　considering　the　position　which　she
occupies　in　opposition　when　full；　that　she　is　nearer　to　the　sun
by　twice　her　distance　from　the　earth；　and　that　distance　may　be
estimated　at　the　two…hundredth　part　of　that　which　separates　the
sun　from　the　earth；　or　in　round　numbers　400；000　miles。　　So　that
invisible　face　is　so　much　nearer　to　the　sun　when　she　receives
its　rays。〃

〃Quite　right；〃　replied　Nicholl。

〃On　the　contrary；〃　continued　Barbicane。

〃One　moment；〃　said　Michel；　interrupting　his　grave　companion。

〃What　do　you　want？〃

〃I　ask　to　be　allowed　to　continue　the　explanation。〃

〃And　why？〃

〃To　prove　that　I　understand。〃

〃Get　along　with　you；〃　said　Barbicane；　smiling。

〃On　the　contrary；〃　said　Michel；　imitating　the　tone　and　gestures
of　the　president；　〃on　the　contrary；　when　the　visible　face　of　the
moon　is　lit　by　the　sun；　it　is　because　the　moon　is　full；　that　is
to　say；　opposite　the　sun　with　regard　to　the　earth。　　The　distance
separating　it　from　the　radiant　orb　is　then　increased　in　round
numbers　to　400；000　miles；　and　the　heat　which　she　receives　must
be　a　little　less。〃

〃Very　well　said！〃　exclaimed　Barbicane。　　〃Do　you　know；　Michel；
that；　for　an　amateur；　you　are　intelligent。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Michel　coolly；　〃we　are　all　so　on　the　Boulevard
des　Italiens。〃

Barbicane　gravely　grasped　the　hand　of　his　amiable　companion；　and
continued　to　enumerate　the　advantages　reserved　for　the　inhabitants
of　the　visible　face。

Among　others；　he　mentioned　eclipses　of　the　sun；　which　only　take
place　on　this　side　of　the　lunar　disc；　since；　in　order　that　they
may　take　place；　it　is　necessary　for　the　moon　to　be　_in
opposition_。　　These　eclipses；　caused　by　the　interposition　of　the
earth　between　the　moon　and　the　sun；　can　last　_two　hours_；　during
which　time；　by　reason　of　the　rays　refracted　by　its　atmosphere；
the　terrestrial　globe　can　appear　as　nothing　but　a　black　point
upon　the　sun。

〃So；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃there　is　a　hemisphere；　that　invisible
hemisphere　which　is　very　ill　supplied；　very　ill　treated；
by　nature。〃

〃Never　mind；〃　replied　Michel；　〃if　we　ever　become　Selenites；　we
will　inhabit　the　visible　face。　　I　like　the　light。〃

〃Unless；　by　any　chance；〃　answered　Nicholl；　〃the　atmosphere　should
be　condensed　on　the　other　side；　as　certain　astronomers　pretend。〃

〃That　would　be　a　consideration；〃　said　Michel。

Breakfast　over；　the　observers　returned　to　their　post。　　They　tried
to　see　through　the　darkened　scuttles　by　extinguishing　all　light
in　the　projectile；　but　not　a　luminous　spark　made　its　way　through
the　darkness。

One　inexplicable　fact　preoccupied　Barbicane。　　Why；　having　passed
within　such　a　short　distance　of　the　moonabout　twenty…five
miles　only　why　the　projectile　had　not　fallen？　　If　its　speed
had　been　enormous；　he　could　have　understood　that　the　fall　would
not　have　taken　place；　but；　with　a　relatively　moderate　speed；
that　resistance　to　the　moon's　attraction　could　not　be　explained。
Was　the　projectile　under　some　foreign　influence？　　Did　some　kind
of　body　retain　it　in　the　ether？　　It　was　quite　evident　that　it
could　never　reach　any　point　of　the　moon。　　Whither　was　it　going？
Was　it　going　farther　from；　or　nearing；　the　disc？　　Was　it　being
borne　in　that　profound　darkness　through　the　infinity　of　space？
How　could　they　learn；　how　calculate；　in　the　midst　of　this　night？
All　these　questions　made　Barbicane　uneasy；　but　he　could　not
solve　them。

Certainly；　the　invisible　orb　was　_there_；　perhaps　only　some　few
miles　off；　but　neither　he　nor　his　companions　could　see　it。
If　there　was　any　noise　on　its　surface；　they　could　not　hear　it。
Air；　that　medium　of　sound；　was　wanting　to　transmit　the　groanings
of　that　moon　which　the　Arabic　legends　call　〃a　man　already　half
granite；　and　still　breathing。〃

One　must　allow　that　that　was　enough　to　aggravate　the　most
patient　observers。　　It　was　just　that　unknown　hemisphere　which
was　stealing　from　their　sight。　　That　face　which　fifteen　days
sooner；　or　fifteen　days　later；　had　been；　or　would　be；　splendidly
illuminated　by　the　solar　rays；　was　then　being　lost　in　utter　darkness。
In　fifteen　days　where　would　the　projectile　be？　　Who　could　say？
Where　would　the　chances　of　conflicting　attractions　have　drawn
it　to？　　The　disappointment　of　the　travelers　in　the　midst　of　this
utter　darkness　may　be　imagined。　　All　observation　of　the　lunar
disc　was　impossible。　　The　constellations　alone　claimed　all　their
attention；　and　we　must　allow　that　the　astronomers　Faye；　Charconac；
and　Secchi；　never　found　themselves　in　circumstances　so　favorable
for　their　observation。

Indeed；　nothing　could　equal　the　splendor　of　this　starry　world；
bathed　in　limpid　ether。　　Its　diamonds　set　in　the　heavenly　vault
sparkled　magnificently。　　The　eye　took　in　the　firmament　from　the
Southern　Cross　to　the　North　Star；　those　two　constellations　which
in　12；000　years；　by　reason　of　the　succession　of　equinoxes；　will
resign　their　part　of　the　polar　stars；　the　one　to　Canopus　in　the
southern　hemisphere；　the　other　to　Wega　in　the　northern。
Imagination　loses　itself　in　this　sublime　Infinity；　amid　which
the　projectile　was　gravitating；　like　a　new　star　created　by　the
hand　of　man。　　From　a　natural　cause；　these　constellations　shone
with　a　soft　luster；　they　did　not　twinkle；　for　there　was　no
atmosphere　which；　by　the　intervention　of　its　layers　unequally
dense　and　of　different　degrees　of　humidity；　produces
this　scintillation。　　These　stars　were　soft　eyes；　looking　out
into　the　dark　night；　amid　the　silence　of　absolute　space。

Long　did　the　travelers　stand　mute；　watching　the　constellated
firmament；　upon　which　the　moon；　like　a　vast　screen；　made　an
enormous　black　hole。　　But　at　length　a　painful　sensation　drew
them　from　their　watchings。　　This　was　an　intense　cold；　which　soon
covered　the　inside　of　the　glass　of　the　scuttles　with　a　thick
coating　of　ice。　　The　sun　was　no　longer　warming　the　projectile
with　its　direct　rays；　and　thus　it　was　losing　the　heat　stored　up
in　its　walls　by　degrees。　　This　heat　was　rapidly　evaporating　into
space　by　radiation；　and　a　considerably　lower　temperature　was
the　result。　　The　humidity　of　the　interior　was　changed　into　ice
upon　contact　with　the　glass；　preventing　all　observation。

Nicholl　consulted　the　thermometer；　and　saw　that　it　had　fallen　to
seventeen　degrees　（Centigrade）　below　zero。　＇3＇　　So　that；　in　spite
of　the　many　reasons　for　economizing；　Barbicane；　after　having
begged　light　from　the　gas；　was　also　obliged　to　beg　for　heat。
The　projectile's　low　temperature　was　no　longer　endurable。
Its　tenants　would　have　been　frozen　to　death。

＇3＇　1@　Fahrenheit。

〃Well！〃　observed　Michel；　〃we　cannot　reasonably　complain　of　the
monotony　of　our　journey！　　What　variety　we　have　had；　at　least
in　temperature。　　Now　we　are　blinded　with　light　and　saturated　with
heat；　like　the　Indians　of　the　Pampas！　now　plunged　into　profou