round the moon-第30节

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some　officers　were　standing　together　on　the　poop。　　On　the
appearance　of　the　moon；　their　thoughts　turned　to　that　orb　which
the　eyes　of　a　whole　hemisphere　were　contemplating。　　The　best
naval　glasses　could　not　have　discovered　the　projectile　wandering
around　its　hemisphere；　and　yet　all　were　pointed　toward　that
brilliant　disc　which　millions　of　eyes　were　looking　at　at　the
same　moment。

〃They　have　been　gone　ten　days；〃　said　Lieutenant　Bronsfield
at　last。　　〃What　has　become　of　them？〃

〃They　have　arrived；　lieutenant；〃　exclaimed　a　young　midshipman；
〃and　they　are　doing　what　all　travelers　do　when　they　arrive　in　a
new　country；　taking　a　walk！〃

〃Oh！　　I　am　sure　of　that；　if　you　tell　me　so；　my　young　friend；〃
said　Lieutenant　Bronsfield；　smiling。

〃But；〃　continued　another　officer；　〃their　arrival　cannot
be　doubted。　　The　projectile　was　to　reach　the　moon　when　full
on　the　5th　at　midnight。　　We　are　now　at　the　11th　of　December；　which
makes　six　days。　　And　in　six　times　twenty…four　hours；　without
darkness；　one　would　have　time　to　settle　comfortably。　　I　fancy　I
see　my　brave　countrymen　encamped　at　the　bottom　of　some　valley；
on　the　borders　of　a　Selenite　stream；　near　a　projectile　half…buried
by　its　fall　amid　volcanic　rubbish；　Captain　Nicholl　beginning　his
leveling　operations；　President　Barbicane　writing　out　his　notes；
and　Michel　Ardan　embalming　the　lunar　solitudes　with　the　perfume
of　his〃

〃Yes！　it　must　be　so；　it　is　so！〃　exclaimed　the　young　midshipman；
worked　up　to　a　pitch　of　enthusiasm　by　this　ideal　description　of
his　superior　officer。

〃I　should　like　to　believe　it；〃　replied　the　lieutenant；　who　was
quite　unmoved。　　〃Unfortunately　direct　news　from　the　lunar　world
is　still　wanting。〃

〃Beg　pardon；　lieutenant；〃　said　the　midshipman；　〃but　cannot
President　Barbicane　write？〃

A　burst　of　laughter　greeted　this　answer。

〃No　letters！〃　continued　the　young　man　quickly。　　〃The　postal
administration　has　something　to　see　to　there。〃

〃Might　it　not　be　the　telegraphic　service　that　is　at　fault？〃
asked　one　of　the　officers　ironically。

〃Not　necessarily；〃　replied　the　midshipman；　not　at　all　confused。
〃But　it　is　very　easy　to　set　up　a　graphic　communication　with
the　earth。〃

〃And　how？〃

〃By　means　of　the　telescope　at　Long's　Peak。　　You　know　it　brings
the　moon　to　within　four　miles　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　and　that
it　shows　objects　on　its　surface　of　only　nine　feet　in　diameter。
Very　well；　let　our　industrious　friends　construct　a　giant
alphabet；　let　them　write　words　three　fathoms　long；　and　sentences
three　miles　long；　and　then　they　can　send　us　news　of　themselves。〃

The　young　midshipman；　who　had　a　certain　amount　of　imagination；
was　loudly　applauded；　Lieutenant　Bronsfield　allowing　that　the
idea　was　possible；　but　observing　that　if　by　these　means　they
could　receive　news　from　the　lunar　world　they　could　not　send　any
from　the　terrestrial；　unless　the　Selenites　had　instruments　fit
for　taking　distant　observations　at　their　disposal。

〃Evidently；〃　said　one　of　the　officers；　〃but　what　has　become　of
the　travelers？　what　they　have　done；　what　they　have　seen；　that
above　all　must　interest　us。　　Besides；　if　the　experiment　has
succeeded　（which　I　do　not　doubt）；　they　will　try　it　again。
The　Columbiad　is　still　sunk　in　the　soil　of　Florida。　　It　is　now
only　a　question　of　powder　and　shot；　and　every　time　the　moon　is
at　her　zenith　a　cargo　of　visitors　may　be　sent　to　her。〃

〃It　is　clear；〃　replied　Lieutenant　Bronsfield；　〃that　J。　T。　Maston
will　one　day　join　his　friends。〃

〃If　he　will　have　me；〃　cried　the　midshipman；　〃I　am　ready！〃

〃Oh！　volunteers　will　not　be　wanting；〃　answered　Bronsfield；　〃and
if　it　were　allowed；　half　of　the　earth's　inhabitants　would
emigrate　to　the　moon！〃

This　conversation　between　the　officers　of　the　Susquehanna　was
kept　up　until　nearly　one　in　the　morning。　　We　cannot　say　what
blundering　systems　were　broached；　what　inconsistent　theories
advanced　by　these　bold　spirits。　　Since　Barbicane's　attempt；
nothing　seemed　impossible　to　the　Americans。　　They　had　already
designed　an　expedition；　not　only　of　savants；　but　of　a　whole
colony　toward　the　Selenite　borders；　and　a　complete　army；
consisting　of　infantry；　artillery；　and　cavalry；　to　conquer　the
lunar　world。

At　one　in　the　morning；　the　hauling　in　of　the　sounding…line　was
not　yet　completed；　1；670　fathoms　were　still　out；　which　would
entail　some　hours'　work。　　According　to　the　commander's　orders；
the　fires　had　been　lighted；　and　steam　was　being　got　up。
The　Susquehanna　could　have　started　that　very　instant。

At　that　moment　（it　was　seventeen　minutes　past　one　in　the
morning）　Lieutenant　Bronsfield　was　preparing　to　leave　the　watch
and　return　to　his　cabin；　when　his　attention　was　attracted　by　a
distant　hissing　noise。　　His　comrades　and　himself　first　thought
that　this　hissing　was　caused　by　the　letting　off　of　steam；　but
lifting　their　heads；　they　found　that　the　noise　was　produced　in
the　highest　regions　of　the　air。　　They　had　not　time　to　question
each　other　before　the　hissing　became　frightfully　intense；　and
suddenly　there　appeared　to　their　dazzled　eyes　an　enormous
meteor；　ignited　by　the　rapidity　of　its　course　and　its　friction
through　the　atmospheric　strata。

This　fiery　mass　grew　larger　to　their　eyes；　and　fell；　with
the　noise　of　thunder；　upon　the　bowsprit；　which　it　smashed　close
to　the　stem；　and　buried　itself　in　the　waves　with　a　deafening　roar！

A　few　feet　nearer；　and　the　Susquehanna　would　have　foundered　with
all　on　board！

At　this　instant　Captain　Blomsberry　appeared；　half…dressed；　and
rushing　on　to　the　forecastle…deck；　whither　all　the　officers　had
hurried；　exclaimed；　〃With　your　permission；　gentlemen；　what
has　happened？〃

And　the　midshipman；　making　himself　as　it　were　the　echo　of　the
body；　cried；　〃Commander；　it　is　‘they'　come　back　again！〃





CHAPTER　XXI


J。　T。　MASTON　RECALLED


〃It　is　‘they'　come　back　again！〃　the　young　midshipman　had　said；
and　every　one　had　understood　him。　　No　one　doubted　but　that　the
meteor　was　the　projectile　of　the　Gun　Club。　　As　to　the　travelers
which　it　enclosed；　opinions　were　divided　regarding　their　fate。

〃They　are　dead！〃　said　one。

〃They　are　alive！〃　said　another；　〃the　crater　is　deep；　and　the
shock　was　deadened。〃

〃But　they　must　have　wanted　air；〃　continued　a　third　speaker；
〃they　must　have　died　of　suffocation。〃

〃Burned！〃　replied　a　fourth；　〃the　projectile　was　nothing　but　an
incandescent　mass　as　it　crossed　the　atmosphere。〃

〃What　does　it　matter！〃　they　exclaimed　unanimously；　〃living　or
dead；　we　must　pull　them　out！〃

But　Captain　Blomsberry　had　assembled　his　officers；　and　〃with
their　permission；〃　was　holding　a　council。　　They　must　decide　upon
something　to　be　done　immediately。　　The　more　hasty　ones　were　for
fishing　up　the　projectile。　　A　difficult　operation；　though　not　an
impossible　one。　　But　the　corvette　had　no　proper　machinery；　which
must　be　both　fixed　and　powerful；　so　it　was　resolved　that　they
should　put　in　at　the　nearest　port；　and　give　information　to　the
Gun　Club　of　the　projectile's　fall。

This　determination　was　unanimous。　　The　choice　of　the　port　had
to　be　discussed。　　The　neighboring　coast　had　no　anchorage　on
27@　latitude。　　Higher　up；　above　the　peninsula　of　Monterey；　stands
the　important　town　from　which　it　takes　its　name；　but；　seated　on
the　borders　of　a　perfect　desert；　it　was　not　connected　with　the
interior　by　a　network　of　telegraphic　wires；　and　electricity
alone　could　spread　these　important　news　fast　enough。

Some　degrees　above　opened　the　bay　of　San　Francisco。　　Through　the
capital　of　the　gold　country　communication　would　be　easy　with　the
heart　of　the　Union。　　And　in　less　than　two　days　the　Susquehanna；
by　putting　on　high　pressure；　could　arrive　in　that　port。　　She　must
therefore　start　at　once。

The　fires　were　made　up；　they　could　set　off　immediately。
Two　thousand　fathoms　of　line　were　still　out；　which　Captain
Blomsberry；　not　wishing　to　lose　precious　time　in　hauling　in；
resolved　to　cut。

〃we　will　fasten　the　end　to　a　buoy；〃　said　he；　〃and　that　buoy　will
show　us　the　exact　spot　where　the　projectile　fell。〃

〃Besides；〃　replied　Lieutenant　Bronsfield；　〃we　have　our　situation
exact　27@　7'　north　latitude　and　41@　37'　west　longitude。〃

〃Well；　Mr。　Bronsfield；〃　replied　the　captain；　〃now；　with　your
permission；　we　will　have　the　line　cut。〃

A　strong　buoy；　strengthened　by　a　couple　of　spars；　was　thrown
into　the　ocean。　　The　end　of　the　rope　was　carefully　lashed　to　it；
and；　left　solely　to　the　rise　and　fall　of　the　billows；　the　buoy
would　not　sensibly　deviate　from　the　spot。

At　this　moment　the　engineer　sent　to　inform　the　captain　that
steam　was　up　and　they　could　start；　for　which　agreeable
communication　the　captain　thanked　him。　　The　course　was　then
given　north…northeast；　and　the　corvette；　wearing；　steered　at
full　steam　direct　for　San　Francisco。　　It　was　three　in　the　morning。

Four　hundred　and　fifty　miles　to　cross；　it　was　nothing　for　a　good
vessel　like　the　Susquehanna。　　In　thirty…six　hours　she　had　covered
that　distance；　and　on　the　14th　of　December；　at　twenty…seven
minutes　past　one　at　night；　she　entered　the　bay　of　San　Francisco。

At　the　sight　of　a　ship　of　the　national　navy　arriving　at　full　speed；
with　her　bowsprit　broken；　public　curiosity　was　greatly　roused。
A　dense　crowd　soon　assembled　on　the　quay；　waiting　for　them
to　d