round the moon-第20章

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so　slight　a　glimpse　of　the　invisible　disc？

But　the　lightnings　in　space　subsided　by　degrees；　its　accidental
brilliancy　died　away；　the　asteroids　dispersed　in　different
directions　and　were　extinguished　in　the　distance。

The　ether　returned　to　its　accustomed　darkness；　the　stars；　eclipsed
for　a　moment；　again　twinkled　in　the　firmament；　and　the　disc；　so
hastily　discerned；　was　again　buried　in　impenetrable　night。





CHAPTER　XVI


THE　SOUTHERN　HEMISPHERE


The　projectile　had　just　escaped　a　terrible　danger；　and　a　very
unforseen　one。　　Who　would　have　thought　of　such　an　encounter
with　meteors？　　These　erring　bodies　might　create　serious　perils
for　the　travelers。　　They　were　to　them　so　many　sandbanks　upon
that　sea　of　ether　which；　less　fortunate　than　sailors；　they　could
not　escape。　　But　did　these　adventurers　complain　of　space？　　No；　not
since　nature　had　given　them　the　splendid　sight　of　a　cosmical
meteor　bursting　from　expansion；　since　this　inimitable　firework；
which　no　Ruggieri　could　imitate；　had　lit　up　for　some　seconds　the
invisible　glory　of　the　moon。　　In　that　flash；　continents；　seas；
and　forests　had　become　visible　to　them。　　Did　an　atmosphere；
then；　bring　to　this　unknown　face　its　life…giving　atoms？
Questions　still　insoluble；　and　forever　closed　against
human　curiousity！

It　was　then　half…past　three　in　the　afternoon。　　The　projectile
was　following　its　curvilinear　direction　round　the　moon。　　Had　its
course　again　been　altered　by　the　meteor？　　It　was　to　be　feared　so。
But　the　projectile　must　describe　a　curve　unalterably　determined
by　the　laws　of　mechanical　reasoning。　　Barbicane　was　inclined　to
believe　that　this　curve　would　be　rather　a　parabola　than　a　hyperbola。
But　admitting　the　parabola；　the　projectile　must　quickly　have
passed　through　the　cone　of　shadow　projected　into　space　opposite
the　sun。　　This　cone；　indeed；　is　very　narrow；　the　angular　diameter
of　the　moon　being　so　little　when　compared　with　the　diameter　of
the　orb　of　day；　and　up　to　this　time　the　projectile　had　been
floating　in　this　deep　shadow。　　Whatever　had　been　its　speed
（and　it　could　not　have　been　insignificant）；　its　period　of
occultation　continued。　　That　was　evident；　but　perhaps　that　would
not　have　been　the　case　in　a　supposedly　rigidly　parabolical
trajectory　a　new　problem　which　tormented　Barbicane's　brain；
imprisoned　as　he　was　in　a　circle　of　unknowns　which　he　could
not　unravel。

Neither　of　the　travelers　thought　of　taking　an　instant's　repose。
Each　one　watched　for　an　unexpected　fact；　which　might　throw　some
new　light　on　their　uranographic　studies。　　About　five　o'clock；
Michel　Ardan　distributed；　under　the　name　of　dinner；　some　pieces
of　bread　and　cold　meat；　which　were　quickly　swallowed　without
either　of　them　abandoning　their　scuttle；　the　glass　of　which　was
incessantly　encrusted　by　the　condensation　of　vapor。

About　forty…five　minutes　past　five　in　the　evening；　Nicholl；
armed　with　his　glass；　sighted　toward　the　southern　border　of　the
moon；　and　in　the　direction　followed　by　the　projectile；　some
bright　points　cut　upon　the　dark　shield　of　the　sky。　　They　looked
like　a　succession　of　sharp　points　lengthened　into　a　tremulous　line。
They　were　very　bright。　　Such　appeared　the　terminal　line　of　the
moon　when　in　one　of　her　octants。

They　could　not　be　mistaken。　　It　was　no　longer　a　simple　meteor。
This　luminous　ridge　had　neither　color　nor　motion。　　Nor　was　it　a
volcano　in　eruption。　　And　Barbicane　did　not　hesitate　to
pronounce　upon　it。

〃The　sun！〃　he　exclaimed。

〃What！　the　sun？〃　answered　Nicholl　and　Michel　Ardan。

〃Yes；　my　friends；　it　is　the　radiant　orb　itself　lighting　up　the
summit　of　the　mountains　situated　on　the　southern　borders　of
the　moon。　　We　are　evidently　nearing　the　south　pole。〃

〃After　having　passed　the　north　pole；〃　replied　Michel。　　〃We　have
made　the　circuit　of　our　satellite；　then？〃

〃Yes；　my　good　Michel。〃

〃Then；　no　more　hyperbolas；　no　more　parabolas；　no　more　open
curves　to　fear？〃

〃No；　but　a　closed　curve。〃

〃Which　is　called〃

〃An　ellipse。　　Instead　of　losing　itself　in　interplanetary　space；
it　is　probable　that　the　projectile　will　describe　an　elliptical
orbit　around　the　moon。〃

〃Indeed！〃

〃And　that　it　will　become　_her_　satellite。〃

〃Moon　of　the　moon！〃　cried　Michel　Ardan。

〃Only；　I　would　have　you　observe；　my　worthy　friend；〃　replied
Barbicane；　〃that　we　are　none　the　less　lost　for　that。〃

〃Yes；　in　another　manner；　and　much　more　pleasantly；〃　answered　the
careless　Frenchman　with　his　most　amiable　smile。





CHAPTER　XVII


TYCHO


At　six　in　the　evening　the　projectile　passed　the　south　pole　at
less　than　forty　miles　off；　a　distance　equal　to　that　already
reached　at　the　north　pole。　　The　elliptical　curve　was　being
rigidly　carried　out。

At　this　moment　the　travelers　once　more　entered　the　blessed　rays
of　the　sun。　　They　saw　once　more　those　stars　which　move　slowly
from　east　to　west。　　The　radiant　orb　was　saluted　by　a　triple　hurrah。
With　its　light　it　also　sent　heat；　which　soon　pierced　the　metal　walls。
The　glass　resumed　its　accustomed　appearance。　　The　layers　of　ice
melted　as　if　by　enchantment；　and　immediately；　for　economy's　sake；
the　gas　was　put　out；　the　air　apparatus　alone　consuming　its
usual　quantity。

〃Ah！〃　said　Nicholl；　〃these　rays　of　heat　are　good。　　With　what
impatience　must　the　Selenites　wait　the　reappearance　of　the　orb
of　day。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Michel　Ardan；　〃imbibing　as　it　were　the　brilliant
ether；　light　and　heat；　all　life　is　contained　in　them。〃

At　this　moment　the　bottom　of　the　projectile　deviated　somewhat
from　the　lunar　surface；　in　order　to　follow　the　slightly
lengthened　elliptical　orbit。　　From　this　point；　had　the　earth
been　at　the　full；　Barbicane　and　his　companions　could　have
seen　it；　but　immersed　in　the　sun's　irradiation　she　was
quite　invisible。　　Another　spectacle　attracted　their　attention；
that　of　the　southern　part　of　the　moon；　brought　by　the　glasses
to　within　450　yards。　　They　did　not　again　leave　the　scuttles；
and　noted　every　detail　of　this　fantastical　continent。

Mounts　Doerful　and　Leibnitz　formed　two　separate　groups　very　near
the　south　pole。　　The　first　group　extended　from　the　pole　to　the
eighty…fourth　parallel；　on　the　eastern　part　of　the　orb；　the
second　occupied　the　eastern　border；　extending　from　the　65@　of
latitude　to　the　pole。

On　their　capriciously　formed　ridge　appeared　dazzling　sheets；　as
mentioned　by　Pere　Secchi。　　With　more　certainty　than　the
illustrious　Roman　astronomer；　Barbicane　was　enabled　to　recognize
their　nature。

〃They　are　snow；〃　he　exclaimed。

〃Snow？〃　repeated　Nicholl。

〃Yes；　Nicholl；　snow；　the　surface　of　which　is　deeply　frozen。
See　how　they　reflect　the　luminous　rays。　　Cooled　lava　would　never
give　out　such　intense　reflection。　　There　must　then　be　water；
there　must　be　air　on　the　moon。　　As　little　as　you　please；　but　the
fact　can　no　longer　be　contested。〃　　No；　it　could　not　be。　　And　if
ever　Barbicane　should　see　the　earth　again；　his　notes　will　bear
witness　to　this　great　fact　in　his　selenographic　observations。

These　mountains　of　Doerful　and　Leibnitz　rose　in　the　midst　of
plains　of　a　medium　extent；　which　were　bounded　by　an　indefinite
succession　of　circles　and　annular　ramparts。　　These　two　chains
are　the　only　ones　met　with　in　this　region　of　circles。
Comparatively　but　slightly　marked；　they　throw　up　here　and　there
some　sharp　points；　the　highest　summit　of　which　attains　an
altitude　of　24；600　feet。

But　the　projectile　was　high　above　all　this　landscape；　and　the
projections　disappeared　in　the　intense　brilliancy　of　the　disc。
And　to　the　eyes　of　the　travelers　there　reappeared　that　original
aspect　of　the　lunar　landscapes；　raw　in　tone；　without　gradation
of　colors；　and　without　degrees　of　shadow；　roughly　black　and
white；　from　the　want　of　diffusion　of　light。

But　the　sight　of　this　desolate　world　did　not　fail　to　captivate
them　by　its　very　strangeness。　　They　were　moving　over　this　region
as　if　they　had　been　borne　on　the　breath　of　some　storm；　watching
heights　defile　under　their　feet；　piercing　the　cavities　with　their
eyes；　going　down　into　the　rifts；　climbing　the　ramparts；　sounding
these　mysterious　holes；　and　leveling　all　cracks。　　But　no　trace
of　vegetation；　no　appearance　of　cities；　nothing　but　stratification；
beds　of　lava；　overflowings　polished　like　immense　mirrors；
reflecting　the　sun's　rays　with　overpowering　brilliancy。
Nothing　belonging　to　a　_living_　world　everything　to　a　dead
world；　where　avalanches；　rolling　from　the　summits　of　the　mountains；
would　disperse　noiselessly　at　the　bottom　of　the　abyss；　retaining
the　motion；　but　wanting　the　sound。　　In　any　case　it　was　the　image
of　death；　without　its　being　possible　even　to　say　that　life　had　ever
existed　there。

Michel　Ardan；　however；　thought　he　recognized　a　heap　of　ruins；
to　which　he　drew　Barbicane's　attention。　　It　was　about　the　80th
parallel；　in　30@　longitude。　　This　heap　of　stones；　rather
regularly　placed；　represented　a　vast　fortress；　overlooking　a
long　rift；　which　in　former　days　had　served　as　a　bed　to　the
rivers　of　prehistorical　times。　　Not　far　from　that；　rose　to　a
height　of　17；400　feet　the　annular　mountain　of　Short；　equal　to
the　Asiatic　Caucasus。　　Michel　Ardan；　with　his　accustomed　ardor；
maintained　〃the　evidences〃　of　his　fortress。　　Beneath　it　he
discerned　the　dismantled　ramparts　of　a　town；　here　the　still
intact　arch　of　a　portico；　there　two　or　three　columns　lying　under
their　base；　farther　on；　a　succession　of　arches　which　must　have
supported　the　conduit　of　an　aqueduct；　in　another　part　the　sunken
pillars　of　a　gigantic　bridge；　run　into　the　thickest　parts　of
the　rift。　　He　distinguished　all　this；　but　with　so　much　imagination
in　his　glance；　and　through　glasses　so　fantastical；　that　we　must
mistrust　his　observation。　　But　who　could　affirm；　who　would　dare
to　say；　that　the　amiable　fellow　did　not　really　see　that　which
his　two　companions　would　not　see？

Moments　were　too　precious　to　be　sacrificed　in　idle　discussion。
The　selenite　city；　whether　imaginary　or　not；　had　already
disappeared　afar　off。　　The　distance　of　the　projectile　from　the
lunar　disc　was　on　the　increase；　and　the　details　of　the　soil　were
being　lost　in　a　confused　jumble。　　The　reliefs；　the　circles；
the　craters；　and　the　plains　alone　remained；　and　still　showed
their　boundary　lines　distinctly。　　At　this　moment；　to　the　left；
lay　extended　one　of　the　finest　circles　of　lunar　orography；
one　of　the　curiosities　of　this　continent。　　It　was　Newton；
which　Barbicane　recognized　without　trouble；　by　referring　to
the　_Mappa　Selenographica_。

Newton　is　situated　in　exactly　77@　south　latitude；　and　16@
east　longitude。　　It　forms　an　annular　crater；　the　ramparts　of
which；　rising　to　a　height　of　21；300　feet；　seemed　to　be　impassable。

Barbicane　made　his　companions　observe　that　the　height　of　this
mountain　above　the　surrounding　plain　was　far　from　equaling　the
depth　of　its　crater。　　This　enormous　hole　was　beyond　all
measurement；　and　formed　a　gloomy　abyss；　the　bottom　of　which　the
sun's　rays　could　never　reach。　　There；　according　to　Humboldt；
reigns　utter　darkness；　which　the　light　of　the　sun　and　the　earth
cannot　break。　　Mythologists　could　well　have　made　it　the　mouth　of　hell。

〃Newton；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃is　the　most　perfect　type　of　these
annular　mountains；　of　which　the　earth　possesses　no　sample。
They　prove　that　the　moon's　formation；　by　means　of　cooling；　is
due　to