round the moon-第5节

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shone　through　the　glass；　filling　the　air　in　the　interior　of　the
projectile　with　silvery　reflections。　　The　black　curtain　of　the
firmament　in　reality　heightened　the　moon's　brilliancy；　which　in
this　void　of　ether　unfavorable　to　diffusion　did　not　eclipse　the
neighboring　stars。　　The　heavens；　thus　seen；　presented　quite　a
new　aspect；　and　one　which　the　human　eye　could　never　dream　of。
One　may　conceive　the　interest　with　which　these　bold　men　watched
the　orb　of　night；　the　great　aim　of　their　journey。

In　its　motion　the　earth's　satellite　was　insensibly　nearing　the
zenith；　the　mathematical　point　which　it　ought　to　attain
ninety…six　hours　later。　　Her　mountains；　her　plains；　every
projection　was　as　clearly　discernible　to　their　eyes　as　if　they
were　observing　it　from　some　spot　upon　the　earth；　but　its　light
was　developed　through　space　with　wonderful　intensity。　　The　disc
shone　like　a　platinum　mirror。　　Of　the　earth　flying　from　under
their　feet；　the　travelers　had　lost　all　recollection。

It　was　captain　Nicholl　who　first　recalled　their　attention　to　the
vanishing　globe。

〃Yes；〃　said　Michel　Ardan；　〃do　not　let　us　be　ungrateful　to　it。
Since　we　are　leaving　our　country；　let　our　last　looks　be　directed
to　it。　　I　wish　to　see　the　earth　once　more　before　it　is　quite
hidden　from　my　eyes。〃

To　satisfy　his　companions；　Barbicane　began　to　uncover　the　window
at　the　bottom　of　the　projectile；　which　would　allow　them　to
observe　the　earth　direct。　　The　disc；　which　the　force　of　the
projection　had　beaten　down　to　the　base；　was　removed；　not
without　difficulty。　　Its　fragments；　placed　carefully　against　a　wall；
might　serve　again　upon　occasion。　　Then　a　circular　gap　appeared；
nineteen　inches　in　diameter；　hollowed　out　of　the　lower　part　of
the　projectile。　　A　glass　cover；　six　inches　thick　and　strengthened
with　upper　fastenings；　closed　it　tightly。　　Beneath　was　fixed　an
aluminum　plate；　held　in　place　by　bolts。　　The　screws　being　undone；
and　the　bolts　let　go；　the　plate　fell　down；　and　visible
communication　was　established　between　the　interior　and　the　exterior。

Michel　Ardan　knelt　by　the　glass。　　It　was　cloudy；　seemingly　opaque。

〃Well！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃and　the　earth？〃

〃The　earth？〃　said　Barbicane。　　〃There　it　is。〃

〃What！　that　little　thread；　that　silver　crescent？〃

〃Doubtless；　Michel。　　In　four　days；　when　the　moon　will　be　full；
at　the　very　time　we　shall　reach　it；　the　earth　will　be　new；　and
will　only　appear　to　us　as　a　slender　crescent　which　will　soon
disappear；　and　for　some　days　will　be　enveloped　in　utter　darkness。〃

〃That　the　earth？〃　repeated　Michel　Ardan；　looking　with　all　his
eyes　at　the　thin　slip　of　his　native　planet。

The　explanation　given　by　President　Barbicane　was　correct。
The　earth；　with　respect　to　the　projectile；　was　entering　its
last　phase。　　It　was　in　its　octant；　and　showed　a　crescent　finely
traced　on　the　dark　background　of　the　sky。　　Its　light；　rendered
bluish　by　the　thick　strata　of　the　atmosphere　was　less　intense
than　that　of　the　crescent　moon；　but　it　was　of　considerable
dimensions；　and　looked　like　an　enormous　arch　stretched　across
the　firmament。　　Some　parts　brilliantly　lighted；　especially　on
its　concave　part；　showed　the　presence　of　high　mountains；　often
disappearing　behind　thick　spots；　which　are　never　seen　on　the
lunar　disc。　　They　were　rings　of　clouds　placed　concentrically
round　the　terrestrial　globe。

While　the　travelers　were　trying　to　pierce　the　profound　darkness；
a　brilliant　cluster　of　shooting　stars　burst　upon　their　eyes。
Hundreds　of　meteorites；　ignited　by　the　friction　of　the
atmosphere；　irradiated　the　shadow　of　the　luminous　train；　and
lined　the　cloudy　parts　of　the　disc　with　their　fire。　　At　this
period　the　earth　was　in　its　perihelion；　and　the　month　of
December　is　so　propitious　to　these　shooting　stars；　that
astronomers　have　counted　as　many　as　twenty…four　thousand　in
an　hour。　　But　Michel　Ardan；　disdaining　scientific　reasonings；
preferred　thinking　that　the　earth　was　thus　saluting　the
departure　of　her　three　children　with　her　most　brilliant　fireworks。

Indeed　this　was　all　they　saw　of　the　globe　lost　in　the　solar
world；　rising　and　setting　to　the　great　planets　like　a　simple
morning　or　evening　star！　　This　globe；　where　they　had　left　all
their　affections；　was　nothing　more　than　a　fugitive　crescent！

Long　did　the　three　friends　look　without　speaking；　though　united
in　heart；　while　the　projectile　sped　onward　with　an
ever…decreasing　speed。　　Then　an　irresistible　drowsiness　crept
over　their　brain。　　Was　it　weariness　of　body　and　mind？　　No　doubt；
for　after　the　over…excitement　of　those　last　hours　passed　upon
earth；　reaction　was　inevitable。

〃Well；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃since　we　must　sleep；　let　us　sleep。〃

And　stretching　themselves　on　their　couches；　they　were　all　three
soon　in　a　profound　slumber。

But　they　had　not　forgotten　themselves　more　than　a　quarter　of　an
hour；　when　Barbicane　sat　up　suddenly；　and　rousing　his　companions
with　a　loud　voice；　exclaimed

〃I　have　found　it！〃

〃What　have　you　found？〃　asked　Michel　Ardan；　jumping　from　his　bed。

〃The　reason　why　we　did　not　hear　the　detonation　of　the　Columbiad。〃

〃And　it　is？〃　said　Nicholl。

〃Because　our　projectile　traveled　faster　than　the　sound！〃





CHAPTER　III


THEIR　PLACE　OF　SHELTER


This　curious　but　certainly　correct　explanation　once　given；　the
three　friends　returned　to　their　slumbers。　　Could　they　have　found
a　calmer　or　more　peaceful　spot　to　sleep　in？　　On　the　earth；
houses；　towns；　cottages；　and　country　feel　every　shock　given　to
the　exterior　of　the　globe。　　On　sea；　the　vessels　rocked　by　the
waves　are　still　in　motion；　in　the　air；　the　balloon　oscillates
incessantly　on　the　fluid　strata　of　divers　densities。
This　projectile　alone；　floating　in　perfect　space；　in　the　midst
of　perfect　silence；　offered　perfect　repose。

Thus　the　sleep　of　our　adventurous　travelers　might　have　been
indefinitely　prolonged；　if　an　unexpected　noise　had　not　awakened
them　at　about　seven　o'clock　in　the　morning　of　the　2nd　of
December；　eight　hours　after　their　departure。

This　noise　was　a　very　natural　barking。

〃The　dogs！　it　is　the　dogs！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　rising　at　once。

〃They　are　hungry；〃　said　Nicholl。

〃By　Jove！〃　replied　Michel；　〃we　have　forgotten　them。〃

〃Where　are　they？〃　asked　Barbicane。

They　looked　and　found　one　of　the　animals　crouched　under　the　divan。
Terrified　and　shaken　by　the　initiatory　shock；　it　had　remained
in　the　corner　till　its　voice　returned　with　the　pangs　of　hunger。
It　was　the　amiable　Diana；　still　very　confused；　who　crept　out　of
her　retreat；　though　not　without　much　persuasion；　Michel　Ardan
encouraging　her　with　most　gracious　words。

〃Come；　Diana；〃　said　he：　　〃come；　my　girl！　thou　whose　destiny　will
be　marked　in　the　cynegetic　annals；　thou　whom　the　pagans　would
have　given　as　companion　to　the　god　Anubis；　and　Christians　as
friend　to　St。　Roch；　thou　who　art　rushing　into　interplanetary
space；　and　wilt　perhaps　be　the　Eve　of　all　Selenite　dogs！　come；
Diana；　come　here。〃

Diana；　flattered　or　not；　advanced　by　degrees；　uttering
plaintive　cries。

〃Good；〃　said　Barbicane：　　〃I　see　Eve；　but　where　is　Adam？〃

〃Adam？〃　replied　Michel；　〃Adam　cannot　be　far　off；　he　is　there
somewhere；　we　must　call　him。　　Satellite！　here；　Satellite！〃

But　Satellite　did　not　appear。　　Diana　would　not　leave　off　howling。
They　found；　however；　that　she　was　not　bruised；　and　they　gave　her
a　pie；　which　silenced　her　complaints。　　As　to　Satellite；　he　seemed
quite　lost。　　They　had　to　hunt　a　long　time　before　finding　him　in
one　of　the　upper　compartments　of　the　projectile；　whither　some
unaccountable　shock　must　have　violently　hurled　him。　　The　poor
beast；　much　hurt；　was　in　a　piteous　state。

〃The　devil！〃　said　Michel。

They　brought　the　unfortunate　dog　down　with　great　care。　　Its　skull
had　been　broken　against　the　roof；　and　it　seemed　unlikely　that　he
could　recover　from　such　a　shock。　　Meanwhile；　he　was　stretched
comfortably　on　a　cushion。　　Once　there；　he　heaved　a　sigh。

〃We　will　take　care　of　you；〃　said　Michel；　〃we　are　responsible　for
your　existence。　　I　would　rather　lose　an　arm　than　a　paw　of　my
poor　Satellite。〃

Saying　which；　he　offered　some　water　to　the　wounded　dog；　who
swallowed　it　with　avidity。

This　attention　paid；　the　travelers　watched　the　earth　and　the
moon　attentively。　　The　earth　was　now　only　discernible　by　a
cloudy　disc　ending　in　a　crescent；　rather　more　contracted　than
that　of　the　previous　evening；　but　its　expanse　was　still
enormous；　compared　with　that　of　the　moon；　which　was　approaching
nearer　and　nearer　to　a　perfect　circle。

〃By　Jove！〃　said　Michel　Ardan；　〃I　am　really　sorry　that　we　did　not
start　when　the　earth　was　full；　that　is　to　say；　when　our　globe
was　in　opposition　to　the　sun。〃

〃Why？〃　said　Nicholl。

〃Because　we　should　have　seen　our　continents　and　seas　in　a　new
light　the　first　resplendent　under　the　solar　rays；　the　latter
cloudy　as　represented　on　some　maps　of　the　world。　　I　should　like
to　have　seen　those　poles　of　the　earth　on　which　the　eye　of　man
has　never　yet　rested。

〃I　dare　say；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃but　if　the　earth　had　been
_full_；　the　moon　would　have　been　_new_；　that　is　to　say；
invisible；　because　of　the　rays　of　the　sun。　　It　is　better
for　us　to　see　the　destination　we　wish　to　reach；　than　the　point
of　departure。〃

〃You　are　right；　Barbicane；〃　replied