round the moon-第26节

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Indeed；　it　is　during　the　full　moon　that　Tycho　is　seen　in　all
its　splendor。　　Then　all　shadows　disappear；　the　foreshortening
of　perspective　disappears；　and　all　proofs　become　white　a
disagreeable　fact：　　for　this　strange　region　would　have　been
marvelous　if　reproduced　with　photographic　exactness。　　It　is
but　a　group　of　hollows；　craters；　circles；　a　network　of　crests；
then；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　a　whole　volcanic　network
cast　upon　this　encrusted　soil。　　One　can　then　understand　that
the　bubbles　of　this　central　eruption　have　kept　their　first　form。
Crystallized　by　cooling；　they　have　stereotyped　that　aspect
which　the　moon　formerly　presented　when　under　the　Plutonian　forces。

The　distance　which　separated　the　travelers　from　the　annular
summits　of　Tycho　was　not　so　great　but　that　they　could　catch
the　principal　details。　　Even　on　the　causeway　forming　the
fortifications　of　Tycho；　the　mountains　hanging　on　to　the
interior　and　exterior　sloping　flanks　rose　in　stories　like
gigantic　terraces。　　They　appeared　to　be　higher　by　300　or　400
feet　to　the　west　than　to　the　east。　　No　system　of　terrestrial
encampment　could　equal　these　natural　fortifications。　　A　town
built　at　the　bottom　of　this　circular　cavity　would　have　been
utterly　inaccessible。

Inaccessible　and　wonderfully　extended　over　this　soil　covered
with　picturesque　projections！　　Indeed；　nature　had　not　left　the
bottom　of　this　crater　flat　and　empty。　　It　possessed　its　own
peculiar　orography；　a　mountainous　system；　making　it　a　world
in　itself。　　The　travelers　could　distinguish　clearly　cones；
central　hills；　remarkable　positions　of　the　soil；　naturally
placed　to　receive　the　_chefs…d'oeuvre_　of　Selenite　architecture。
There　was　marked　out　the　place　for　a　temple；　here　the　ground　of　a
forum；　on　this　spot　the　plan　of　a　palace；　in　another　the　plateau
for　a　citadel；　the　whole　overlooked　by　a　central　mountain　of
1；500　feet。　　A　vast　circle；　in　which　ancient　Rome　could　have
been　held　in　its　entirety　ten　times　over。

〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　enthusiastic　at　the　sight；　〃what
a　grand　town　might　be　constructed　within　that　ring　of　mountains！
A　quiet　city；　a　peaceful　refuge；　beyond　all　human　misery。　　How　calm
and　isolated　those　misanthropes；　those　haters　of　humanity　might
live　there；　and　all　who　have　a　distaste　for　social　life！〃

〃All！　　It　would　be　too　small　for　them；〃　replied　Barbicane　simply。





CHAPTER　XVIII


GRAVE　QUESTIONS


But　the　projectile　had　passed　the　_enceinte_　of　Tycho；　and
Barbicane　and　his　two　companions　watched　with　scrupulous
attention　the　brilliant　rays　which　the　celebrated　mountain　shed
so　curiously　over　the　horizon。

What　was　this　radiant　glory？　　What　geological　phenomenon　had
designed　these　ardent　beams？　　This　question　occupied　Barbicane's　mind。

Under　his　eyes　ran　in　all　directions　luminous　furrows；　raised　at
the　edges　and　concave　in　the　center；　some　twelve　miles；　others
thirty　miles　broad。　　These　brilliant　trains　extended　in　some
places　to　within　600　miles　of　Tycho；　and　seemed　to　cover；
particularly　toward　the　east；　the　northeast　and　the　north；　the
half　of　the　southern　hemisphere。　　One　of　these　jets　extended　as
far　as　the　circle　of　Neander；　situated　on　the　40th　meridian。
Another；　by　a　slight　curve；　furrowed　the　〃Sea　of　Nectar；〃　breaking
against　the　chain　of　Pyrenees；　after　a　circuit　of　800　miles。
Others；　toward　the　west；　covered　the　〃Sea　of　Clouds〃　and
the　〃Sea　of　Humors〃　with　a　luminous　network。　　What　was　the
origin　of　these　sparkling　rays；　which　shone　on　the　plains　as
well　as　on　the　reliefs；　at　whatever　height　they　might　be？
All　started　from　a　common　center；　the　crater　of　Tycho。
They　sprang　from　him。　　Herschel　attributed　their　brilliancy　to
currents　of　lava　congealed　by　the　cold；　an　opinion；　however；
which　has　not　been　generally　adopted。　　Other　astronomers　have
seen　in　these　inexplicable　rays　a　kind　of　moraines；　rows　of
erratic　blocks；　which　had　been　thrown　up　at　the　period　of
Tycho's　formation。

〃And　why　not？〃　asked　Nicholl　of　Barbicane；　who　was　relating　and
rejecting　these　different　opinions。

〃Because　the　regularity　of　these　luminous　lines；　and　the
violence　necessary　to　carry　volcanic　matter　to　such　distances；
is　inexplicable。〃

〃Eh！　by　Jove！〃　replied　Michel　Ardan；　〃it　seems　easy　enough　to　me
to　explain　the　origin　of　these　rays。〃

〃Indeed？〃　said　Barbicane。

〃Indeed；〃　continued　Michel。　　〃It　is　enough　to　say　that　it　is　a
vast　star；　similar　to　that　produced　by　a　ball　or　a　stone　thrown
at　a　square　of　glass！〃

〃Well！〃　replied　Barbicane；　smiling。　　〃And　what　hand　would　be
powerful　enough　to　throw　a　ball　to　give　such　a　shock　as　that？〃

〃The　hand　is　not　necessary；〃　answered　Nicholl；　not　at　all
confounded；　〃and　as　to　the　stone；　let　us　suppose　it　to　be　a　comet。〃

〃Ah！　those　much…abused　comets！〃　exclaimed　Barbicane。　　〃My　brave
Michel；　your　explanation　is　not　bad；　but　your　comet　is　useless。
The　shock　which　produced　that　rent　must　have　some　from　the
inside　of　the　star。　　A　violent　contraction　of　the　lunar　crust；
while　cooling；　might　suffice　to　imprint　this　gigantic　star。〃

〃A　contraction！　something　like　a　lunar　stomach…ache。〃　said
Michel　Ardan。

〃Besides；〃　added　Barbicane；　〃this　opinion　is　that　of　an　English
savant；　Nasmyth；　and　it　seems　to　me　to　sufficiently　explain　the
radiation　of　these　mountains。〃

〃That　Nasmyth　was　no　fool！〃　replied　Michel。

Long　did　the　travelers；　whom　such　a　sight　could　never　weary；
admire　the　splendors　of　Tycho。　　Their　projectile；　saturated　with
luminous　gleams　in　the　double　irradiation　of　sun　and　moon；　must
have　appeared　like　an　incandescent　globe。　　They　had　passed
suddenly　from　excessive　cold　to　intense　heat。　　Nature　was　thus
preparing　them　to　become　Selenites。　　Become　Selenites！　　That　idea
brought　up　once　more　the　question　of　the　habitability　of　the　moon。
After　what　they　had　seen；　could　the　travelers　solve　it？　　Would　they
decide　for　or　against　it？　　Michel　Ardan　persuaded　his　two　friends
to　form　an　opinion；　and　asked　them　directly　if　they　thought　that
men　and　animals　were　represented　in　the　lunar　world。

〃I　think　that　we　can　answer；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃but　according　to
my　idea　the　question　ought　not　to　be　put　in　that　form。　　I　ask　it
to　be　put　differently。〃

〃Put　it　your　own　way；〃　replied　Michel。

〃Here　it　is；〃　continued　Barbicane。　　〃The　problem　is　a　double　one；
and　requires　a　double　solution。　　Is　the　moon　_habitable_？　　Has　the
moon　ever　been　_inhabitable_？〃

〃Good！〃　replied　Nicholl。　　〃First　let　us　see　whether　the　moon
is　habitable。〃

〃To　tell　the　truth；　I　know　nothing　about　it；〃　answered　Michel。

〃And　I　answer　in　the　negative；〃　continued　Barbicane。　　〃In　her
actual　state；　with　her　surrounding　atmosphere　certainly　very
much　reduced；　her　seas　for　the　most　part　dried　up；　her
insufficient　supply　of　water　restricted；　vegetation；　sudden
alternations　of　cold　and　heat；　her　days　and　nights　of　354
hours　the　moon　does　not　seem　habitable　to　me；　nor　does　she
seem　propitious　to　animal　development；　nor　sufficient　for　the
wants　of　existence　as　we　understand　it。〃

〃Agreed；〃　replied　Nicholl。　　〃But　is　not　the　moon　habitable　for
creatures　differently　organized　from　ourselves？〃

〃That　question　is　more　difficult　to　answer；　but　I　will　try；　and
I　ask　Nicholl　if　_motion_　appears　to　him　to　be　a　necessary
result　of　_life_；　whatever　be　its　organization？〃

〃Without　a　doubt！〃　answered　Nicholl。

〃Then；　my　worthy　companion；　I　would　answer　that　we　have　observed
the　lunar　continent　at　a　distance　of　500　yards　at　most；　and　that
nothing　seemed　to　us　to　move　on　the　moon's　surface。　　The　presence
of　any　kind　of　life　would　have　been　betrayed　by　its　attendant　marks；
such　as　divers　buildings；　and　even　by　ruins。　　And　what　have
we　seen？　　Everywhere　and　always　the　geological　works　of　nature；
never　the　work　of　man。　　If；　then；　there　exist　representatives
of　the　animal　kingdom　on　the　moon；　they　must　have　fled　to　those
unfathomable　cavities　which　the　eye　cannot　reach；　which　I　cannot
admit；　for　they　must　have　left　traces　of　their　passage　on　those
plains　which　the　atmosphere　must　cover；　however　slightly　raised
it　may　be。　　These　traces　are　nowhere　visible。　　There　remains　but
one　hypothesis；　that　of　a　living　race　to　which　motion；　which　is
life；　is　foreign。〃

〃One　might　as　well　say；　living　creatures　which　do　not　live；〃
replied　Michel。

〃Just　so；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃which　for　us　has　no　meaning。〃

〃Then　we　may　form　our　opinion？〃　said　Michel。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Nicholl。

〃Very　well；〃　continued　Michel　Ardan；　〃the　Scientific　Commission
assembled　in　the　projectile　of　the　Gun　Club；　after　having
founded　their　argument　on　facts　recently　observed；　decide
unanimously　upon　the　question　of　the　habitability　of　the　moon
‘_No！_　the　moon　is　not　habitable。'〃

This　decision　was　consigned　by　President　Barbicane　to　his
notebook；　where　the　process　of　the　sitting　of　the　6th　of
December　may　be　seen。

〃Now；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃let　us　attack　the　second　question；　an
indispensable　complement　of　the　first。　　I　ask　the　honorable
commission；　if　the　moon　is　not　habitable；　has　she　ever　been
inhabited；　Citizen　Barbicane？〃

〃My　friends；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃I　did　not　undertake　this
journey　in　order　to　form　an　opinion　on　the　past　habitability　of
our　satellite；　but　I　will　add　that　our　perso