Headmittedthatthethingwasdifficultbutnotimpossible，awordwhichheneveruttered。
Theconversationpassedfromthissubjecttoanother，notfailinghimforaninstant。Itseemedtothethreefriendsasthough，underpresentconditions，ideasshotupintheirbrainsasleavesshootatthefirstwarmthofspring。Theyfeltbewildered。Inthemiddleofthequestionsandanswerswhichcrossedeachother，Nichollputonequestionwhichdidnotfindanimmediatesolution。
\"Ah，indeed！\"saidhe;\"itisallverywelltogotothemoon，buthowtogetbackagain？\"
Histwointerlocutorslookedsurprised。Onewouldhavethoughtthatthispossibilitynowoccurredtothemforthefirsttime。
\"Whatdoyoumeanbythat，Nicholl？\"askedBarbicanegravely。
\"Toaskformeanstoleaveacountry，\"addedMichel，\"Whenwehavenotyetarrivedthere，seemstomeratherinopportune。\"
\"Idonotsaythat，wishingtodrawback，\"repliedNicholl;
\"butIrepeatmyquestion，andIask，`Howshallwereturn？’\"
\"Iknownothingaboutit，\"answeredBarbicane。
\"AndI，\"saidMichel，\"ifIhadknownhowtoreturn，Iwouldneverhavestarted。\"
\"There’sananswer！\"criedNicholl。
\"IquiteapproveofMichel’swords，\"saidBarbicane;\"andadd，thatthequestionhasnorealinterest。Later，whenwethinkitisadvisabletoreturn，wewilltakecounseltogether。IftheColumbiadisnotthere，theprojectilewillbe。\"
\"Thatisastepcertainly。Aballwithoutagun！\"
\"Thegun，\"repliedBarbicane，\"canbemanufactured。Thepowdercanbemade。Neithermetals，saltpeter，norcoalcanfailinthedepthsofthemoon，andweneedonlygo8，000leaguesinordertofallupontheterrestrialglobebyvirtueofthemerelawsofweight。\"
\"Enough，\"saidMichelwithanimation。\"Letitbenolongeraquestionofreturning：wehavealreadyentertainedittoolong。
Astocommunicatingwithourformerearthlycolleagues，thatwillnotbedifficult。\"
\"Andhow？\"
\"Bymeansofmeteorslaunchedbylunarvolcanoes。\"
\"Wellthoughtof，Michel，\"saidBarbicaneinaconvincedtoneofvoice。\"Laplacehascalculatedthataforcefivetimesgreaterthanthatofourgunwouldsufficetosendameteorfromthemoontotheearth，andthereisnotonevolcanowhichhasnotagreaterpowerofpropulsionthanthat。\"
\"Hurrah！\"exclaimedMichel;\"thesemeteorsarehandypostmen，andcostnothing。Andhowweshallbeabletolaughatthepost—officeadministration！ButnowIthinkofit————\"
\"Whatdoyouthinkof？\"
\"Acapitalidea。Whydidwenotfastenathreadtoourprojectile，andwecouldhaveexchangedtelegramswiththeearth？\"
\"Thedeuce！\"answeredNicholl。\"Doyouconsidertheweightofathread250，000mileslongnothing？\"
\"Asnothing。TheycouldhavetrebledtheColumbiad’scharge;
theycouldhavequadrupledorquintupledit！\"exclaimedMichel，withwhomtheverbtookahigherintonationeachtime。
\"Thereisbutonelittleobjectiontomaketoyourproposition，\"
repliedBarbicane，\"whichisthat，duringtherotarymotionoftheglobe，ourthreadwouldhavewounditselfrounditlikeachainonacapstan，andthatitwouldinevitablyhavebroughtustotheground。\"
\"Bythethirty—ninestarsoftheUnion！\"saidMichel，\"Ihavenothingbutimpracticableideasto—day;ideasworthyofJ。
T。Maston。ButIhaveanotionthat，ifwedonotreturntoearth，J。T。Mastonwillbeabletocometous。\"
\"Yes，he’llcome，\"repliedBarbicane;\"heisaworthyandacourageouscomrade。Besides，whatiseasier？IsnottheColumbiadstillburiedinthesoilofFlorida？Iscottonandnitricacidwantedwherewithtomanufacturethepyroxyle？
WillnotthemoonpassthezenithofFlorida？Ineighteenyears’timewillshenotoccupyexactlythesameplaceasto—day？\"
\"Yes，\"continuedMichel，\"yes，Mastonwillcome，andwithhimourfriendsElphinstone，Blomsberry，allthemembersoftheGunClub，andtheywillbewellreceived。Andbyandbytheywillruntrainsofprojectilesbetweentheearthandthemoon！
HurrahforJ。T。Maston！\"
Itisprobablethat，iftheHon。J。T。Mastondidnothearthehurrahsutteredinhishonor，hisearsatleasttingled。Whatwashedoingthen？Doubtless，postedintheRockyMountains，atthestationofLong’sPeak，hewastryingtofindtheinvisibleprojectilegravitatinginspace。Ifhewasthinkingofhisdearcompanions，wemustallowthattheywerenotfarbehindhim;andthat，undertheinfluenceofastrangeexcitement，theyweredevotingtohimtheirbestthoughts。
Butwhencethisexcitement，whichwasevidentlygrowinguponthetenantsoftheprojectile？Theirsobrietycouldnotbedoubted。
Thisstrangeirritationofthebrain，mustitbeattributedtothepeculiarcircumstancesunderwhichtheyfoundthemselves，totheirproximitytotheorbofnight，fromwhichonlyafewhoursseparatedthem，tosomesecretinfluenceofthemoonactingupontheirnervoussystem？Theirfaceswereasrosyasiftheyhadbeenexposedtotheroaringflamesofanoven;theirvoicesresoundedinloudaccents;theirwordsescapedlikeachampagnecorkdrivenoutbycarbonicacid;theirgesturesbecameannoying，theywantedsomuchroomtoperformthem;and，strangetosay，theynoneofthemnoticedthisgreattensionofthemind。
\"Now，\"saidNicholl，inashorttone，\"nowthatIdonotknowwhetherweshalleverreturnfromthemoon，Iwanttoknowwhatwearegoingtodothere？\"
\"Whatwearegoingtodothere？\"repliedBarbicane，stampingwithhisfootasifhewasinafencingsaloon;\"Idonotknow。\"
\"Youdonotknow！\"exclaimedMichel，withabellowwhichprovokedasonorousechointheprojectile。
\"No，Ihavenoteventhoughtaboutit，\"retortedBarbicane，inthesameloudtone。
\"Well，Iknow，\"repliedMichel。
\"Speak，then，\"criedNicholl，whocouldnolongercontainthegrowlingofhisvoice。
\"Ishallspeakifitsuitsme，\"exclaimedMichel，seizinghiscompanions’armswithviolence。
\"_Itmust_suityou，\"saidBarbicane，withaneyeonfireandathreateninghand。\"Itwasyouwhodrewusintothisfrightfuljourney，andwewanttoknowwhatfor。\"
\"Yes，\"saidthecaptain，\"nowthatIdonotknow_where_Iamgoing，Iwanttoknow_why_Iamgoing。\"
\"Why？\"exclaimedMichel，jumpingayardhigh，\"why？TotakepossessionofthemooninthenameoftheUnitedStates;toaddafortiethStatetotheUnion;tocolonizethelunarregions;
tocultivatethem，topeoplethem，totransportthitheralltheprodigiesofart，ofscience，andindustry;tocivilizetheSelenites，unlesstheyaremorecivilizedthanweare;andtoconstitutethemarepublic，iftheyarenotalreadyone！\"
\"AndiftherearenoSelenites？\"retortedNicholl，who，undertheinfluenceofthisunaccountableintoxication，wasverycontradictory。
\"WhosaidthattherewerenoSelenites？\"exclaimedMichelinathreateningtone。
\"Ido，\"howledNicholl。
\"Captain，\"saidMichel，\"donotrepreatthatinsolence，orI
willknockyourteethdownyourthroat！\"
Thetwoadversariesweregoingtofalluponeachother，andtheincoherentdiscussionthreatenedtomergeintoafight，whenBarbicaneintervenedwithonebound。
\"Stop，miserablemen，\"saidhe，separatinghistwocompanions;
\"iftherearenoSelenites，wewilldowithoutthem。\"
\"Yes，\"exclaimedMichel，whowasnotparticular;\"yes，wewilldowithoutthem。WehaveonlytomakeSelenites。DownwiththeSelenites！\"
\"Theempireofthemoonbelongstous，\"saidNicholl。
\"Letusthreeconstitutetherepublic。\"
\"Iwillbethecongress，\"criedMichel。
\"AndIthesenate，\"retortedNicholl。
\"AndBarbicane，thepresident，\"howledMichel。
\"Notapresidentelectedbythenation，\"repliedBarbicane。
\"Verywell，apresidentelectedbythecongress，\"criedMichel;
\"andasIamthecongress，youareunanimouslyelected！\"
\"Hurrah！hurrah！hurrah！forPresidentBarbicane，\"exclaimedNicholl。
\"Hip！hip！hip！\"vociferatedMichelArdan。
Thenthepresidentandthesenatestruckupinatremendousvoicethepopularsong\"YankeeDoodle，\"whilefromthecongressresoundedthemasculinetonesofthe\"Marseillaise。\"
Thentheystruckupafranticdance，withmaniacalgestures，idioticstampings，andsomersaultslikethoseofthebonelessclownsinthecircus。Diana，joininginthedance，andhowlinginherturn，jumpedtothetopoftheprojectile。Anunaccountableflappingofwingswasthenheardamidmostfantasticcock—crows，whilefiveorsixhensflutteredlikebatsagainstthewalls。
Thenthethreetravelingcompanions，acteduponbysomeunaccountableinfluenceabovethatofintoxication，inflamedbytheairwhichhadsettheirrespiratoryapparatusonfire，fellmotionlesstothebottomoftheprojectile。
CHAPTERVIII
ATSEVENTY—EIGHTTHOUSANDFIVEHUNDREDANDFOURTEENLEAGUES
Whathadhappened？Whencethecauseofthissingularintoxication，theconsequencesofwhichmighthavebeenverydisastrous？AsimpleblunderofMichel’s，which，fortunately，Nichollwasabletocorrectintime。
Afteraperfectswoon，whichlastedsomeminutes，thecaptain，recoveringfirst，sooncollectedhisscatteredsenses。
Althoughhehadbreakfastedonlytwohoursbefore，hefeltagnawinghunger，asifhehadnoteatenanythingforseveraldays。
Everythingabouthim，stomachandbrain，wereoverexcitedtothehighestdegree。HegotupanddemandedfromMichelasupplementaryrepast。Michel，utterlydoneup，didnotanswer。
Nichollthentriedtopreparesometeadestinedtohelptheabsorptionofadozensandwiches。Hefirsttriedtogetsomefire，andstruckamatchsharply。Whatwashissurprisetoseethesulphurshinewithsoextraordinaryabrilliancyastobealmostunbearabletotheeye。Fromthegas—burnerwhichhelitroseaflameequaltoajetofelectriclight。
ArevelationdawnedonNicholl’smind。Thatintensityoflight，thephysiologicaltroubleswhichhadariseninhim，theoverexcitementofallhismoralandquarrelsomefaculties——heunderstoodall。
\"Theoxygen！\"heexclaimed。
Andleaningovertheairapparatus，hesawthatthetapwasallowingthecolorlessgastoescapefreely，life—giving，butinitspurestateproducingthegravestdisordersinthesystem。
Michelhadblunderinglyopenedthetapoftheapparatustothefull。
Nichollhastenedtostoptheescapeofoxygenwithwhichtheatmospherewassaturated，whichwouldhavebeenthedeathofthetravelers，notbysuffocation，butbycombustion。Anhourlater，theairlesschargedwithitrestoredthelungstotheirnormalcondition。Bydegreesthethreefriendsrecoveredfromtheirintoxication;buttheywereobligedtosleepthemselvessoberovertheiroxygenasadrunkarddoesoverhiswine。
WhenMichellearnedhisshareoftheresponsibilityofthisincident，hewasnotmuchdisconcerted。Thisunexpecteddrunkennessbrokethemonotonyofthejourney。Manyfoolishthingshadbeensaidwhileunderitsinfluence，butalsoquicklyforgotten。
\"Andthen，\"addedthemerryFrenchman，\"Iamnotsorrytohavetastedalittleofthisheadygas。Doyouknow，myfriends，thatacuriousestablishmentmightbefoundedwithroomsofoxygen，wherepeoplewhosesystemisweakenedcouldforafewhoursliveamoreactivelife。Fancypartieswheretheroomwassaturatedwiththisheroicfluid，theaterswhereitshouldbekeptathighpressure;whatpassioninthesoulsoftheactorsandspectators！whatfire，whatenthusiasm！Andif，insteadofanassemblyonlyawholepeoplecouldbesaturated，whatactivityinitsfunctions，whatasupplementtolifeitwouldderive。
Fromanexhaustednationtheymightmakeagreatandstrongone，andIknowmorethanonestateinoldEuropewhichoughttoputitselfundertheregimeofoxygenforthesakeofitshealth！\"
Michelspokewithsomuchanimationthatonemighthavefanciedthatthetapwasstilltooopen。ButafewwordsfromBarbicanesoonshatteredhisenthusiasm。
\"Thatisallverywell，friendMichel，\"saidhe，\"butwillyouinformuswherethesechickenscamefromwhichhavemixedthemselvesupinourconcert？\"
\"Thosechickens？\"
\"Yes。\"
Indeed，halfadozenchickensandafinecockwerewalkingabout，flappingtheirwingsandchattering。
\"Ah，theawkwardthings！\"exclaimedMichel。\"Theoxygenhasmadethemrevolt。\"
\"Butwhatdoyouwanttodowiththesechickens？\"askedBarbicane。
\"Toacclimatizetheminthemoon，byJove！\"
\"Thenwhydidyouhidethem？\"
\"Ajoke，myworthypresident，asimplejoke，whichhasprovedamiserablefailure。Iwantedtosetthemfreeonthelunarcontinent，withoutsayinganything。Oh，whatwouldhavebeenyouramazementonseeingtheseearthly—wingedanimalspeckinginyourlunarfields！\"
\"Yourascal，youunmitigatedrascal，\"repliedBarbicane，\"youdonotwantoxygentomounttothehead。Youarealwayswhatwewereundertheinfluenceofthegas;youarealwaysfoolish！\"
\"Ah，whosaysthatwewerenotwisethen？\"repliedMichelArdan。
Afterthisphilosophicalreflection，thethreefriendssetaboutrestoringtheorderoftheprojectile。Chickensandcockwerereinstatedintheircoop。Butwhileproceedingwiththisoperation，Barbicaneandhistwocompanionshadamostdesiredperceptionofanewphenomenon。Fromthemomentofleavingtheearth，theirownweight，thatoftheprojectile，andtheobjectsitenclosed，hadbeensubjecttoanincreasingdiminution。Iftheycouldnotprovethislossoftheprojectile，amomentwouldarrivewhenitwouldbesensiblyfeltuponthemselvesandtheutensilsandinstrumentstheyused。
Itisneedlesstosaythatascalewouldnotshowthisloss;fortheweightdestinedtoweighttheobjectwouldhavelostexactlyasmuchastheobjectitself;butaspringsteelyardforexample，thetensionofwhichwasindependentoftheattraction，wouldhavegivenajustestimateofthisloss。
Weknowthattheattraction，otherwisecalledtheweight，isinproportiontothedensitiesofthebodies，andinverselyasthesquaresofthedistances。Hencethiseffect：Iftheearthhadbeenaloneinspace，iftheothercelestialbodieshadbeensuddenlyannihilated，theprojectile，accordingtoNewton’slaws，wouldweighlessasitgotfartherfromtheearth，butwithouteverlosingitsweightentirely，fortheterrestrialattractionwouldalwayshavemadeitselffelt，atwhateverdistance。
But，inreality，atimemustcomewhentheprojectilewouldnolongerbesubjecttothelawofweight，afterallowingfortheothercelestialbodieswhoseeffectcouldnotbesetdownaszero。
Indeed，theprojectile’scoursewasbeingtracedbetweentheearthandthemoon。Asitdistancedtheearth，theterrestrialattractiondiminished：butthelunarattractionroseinproportion。Theremustcomeapointwherethesetwoattractionswouldneutralizeeachother：theprojectilewouldpossessweightnolonger。Ifthemoon’sandtheearth’sdensitieshadbeenequal，thispointwouldhavebeenatanequaldistancebetweenthetwoorbs。Buttakingthedifferentdensitiesintoconsideration，itwaseasytoreckonthatthispointwouldbesituatedat47/60thsofthewholejourney，_i。e。_，at78，514leaguesfromtheearth。Atthispoint，abodyhavingnoprincipleofspeedordisplacementinitself，wouldremainimmovableforever，beingattractedequallybybothorbs，andnotbeingdrawnmoretowardonethantowardtheother。
Nowiftheprojectile’simpulsiveforcehadbeencorrectlycalculated，itwouldattainthispointwithoutspeed，havinglostalltraceofweight，aswellasalltheobjectswithinit。
Whatwouldhappenthen？Threehypothesespresentedthemselves。
1。Eitheritwouldretainacertainamountofmotion，andpassthepointofequalattraction，andfalluponthemoonbyvirtueoftheexcessofthelunarattractionovertheterrestrial。
2。Or，itsspeedfailing，andunabletoreachthepointofequalattraction，itwouldfalluponthemoonbyvirtueoftheexcessofthelunarattractionovertheterrestrial。
3。Or，lastly，animatedwithsufficientspeedtoenableittoreachtheneutralpoint，butnotsufficienttopassit，itwouldremainforeversuspendedinthatspotlikethepretendedtombofMahomet，betweenthezenithandthenadir。
Suchwastheirsituation;andBarbicaneclearlyexplainedtheconsequencestohistravelingcompanions，whichgreatlyinterestedthem。Buthowshouldtheyknowwhentheprojectilehadreachedthisneutralpointsituatedatthatdistance，especiallywhenneitherthemselves，northeobjectsenclosedintheprojectile，wouldbeanylongersubjecttothelawsofweight？
Uptothistime，thetravelers，whileadmittingthatthisactionwasconstantlydecreasing，hadnotyetbecomesensibletoitstotalabsence。
Butthatday，abouteleveno’clockinthemorning，Nichollhavingaccidentallyletaglassslipfromhishand，theglass，insteadoffalling，remainedsuspendedintheair。
\"Ah！\"exclaimedMichelArdan，\"thatisratheranamusingpieceofnaturalphilosophy。\"
Andimmediatelydiversotherobjects，firearmsandbottles，abandonedtothemselves，heldthemselvesupasbyenchantment。
Dianatoo，placedinspacebyMichel，reproduced，butwithoutanytrick，thewonderfulsuspensionpracticedbyCastonandRobertHoudin。Indeedthedogdidnotseemtoknowthatshewasfloatinginair。
Thethreeadventurouscompanionsweresurprisedandstupefied，despitetheirscientificreasonings。Theyfeltthemselvesbeingcarriedintothedomainofwonders！theyfeltthatweightwasreallywantingtotheirbodies。Iftheystretchedouttheirarms，theydidnotattempttofall。Theirheadsshookontheirshoulders。Theirfeetnolongerclungtotheflooroftheprojectile。Theywerelikedrunkenmenhavingnostabilityinthemselves。
Fancyhasdepictedmenwithoutreflection，otherswithoutshadow。
Butherereality，bytheneutralizationsofattractiveforces，producedmeninwhomnothinghadanyweight，andwhoweighednothingthemselves。
SuddenlyMichel，takingaspring，leftthefloorandremainedsuspendedintheair，likeMurillo’smonkofthe_CusinedesAnges_。
Thetwofriendsjoinedhiminstantly，andallthreeformedamiraculous\"Ascension\"inthecenteroftheprojectile。
\"Isittobebelieved？isitprobable？isitpossible？\"
exclaimedMichel;\"andyetitisso。Ah！ifRaphaelhadseenusthus，whatan`Assumption’hewouldhavethrownuponcanvas！\"
\"The`Assumption’cannotlast，\"repliedBarbicane。\"Iftheprojectilepassestheneutralpoint，thelunarattractionwilldrawustothemoon。\"
\"Thenourfeetwillbeupontheroof，\"repliedMichel。
\"No，\"saidBarbicane，\"becausetheprojectile’scenterofgravityisverylow;itwillonlyturnbydegrees。\"
\"Thenallourportableswillbeupsetfromtoptobottom，thatisafact。\"
\"Calmyourself，Michel，\"repliedNicholl;\"noupsetistobefeared;notathingwillmove，fortheprojectile’sevolutionwillbeimperceptible。\"
\"Justso，\"continuedBarbicane;\"andwhenithaspassedthepointofequalattraction，itsbase，beingtheheavier，willdrawitperpendicularlytothemoon;but，inorderthatthisphenomenonshouldtakeplace，wemusthavepassedtheneutralline。\"
\"Passtheneutralline，\"criedMichel;\"thenletusdoasthesailorsdowhentheycrosstheequator。\"
AslightsidemovementbroughtMichelbacktowardthepaddedside;thencehetookabottleandglasses，placedthem\"inspace\"beforehiscompanions，and，drinkingmerrily，theysalutedthelinewithatriplehurrah。Theinfluenceoftheseattractionsscarcelylastedanhour;thetravelersfeltthemselvesinsensiblydrawntowardthefloor，andBarbicanefanciedthattheconicalendoftheprojectilewasvaryingalittlefromitsnormaldirectiontowardthemoon。Byaninversemotionthebasewasapproachingfirst;thelunarattractionwasprevailingovertheterrestrial;thefalltowardthemoonwasbeginning，almostimperceptiblyasyet，butbydegreestheattractiveforcewouldbecomestronger，thefallwouldbemoredecided，theprojectile，drawnbyitsbase，wouldturnitsconetotheearth，andfallwithever—increasingspeedontothesurfaceoftheSelenitecontinent;theirdestinationwouldthenbeattained。Nownothingcouldpreventthesuccessoftheirenterprise，andNichollandMichelArdansharedBarbicane’sjoy。
Thentheychattedofallthephenomenawhichhadastonishedthemoneaftertheother，particularlytheneutralizationofthelawsofweight。MichelArdan，alwaysenthusiastic，drewconclusionswhichwerepurelyfanciful。
\"Ah，myworthyfriends，\"heexclaimed，\"whatprogressweshouldmakeifonearthwecouldthrowoffsomeofthatweight，someofthatchainwhichbindsustoher;itwouldbetheprisonersetatliberty;nomorefatigueofeitherarmsorlegs。Or，ifitistruethatinordertoflyontheearth’ssurface，tokeeponeselfsuspendedintheairmerelybytheplayofthemuscles，thererequiresastrengthahundredandfiftytimesgreaterthanthatwhichwepossess，asimpleactofvolition，acaprice，wouldbearusintospace，ifattractiondidnotexist。\"
\"Justso，\"saidNicholl，smiling;\"ifwecouldsucceedinsuppressingweightastheysuppresspainbyanaesthesia，thatwouldchangethefaceofmodernsociety！\"
\"Yes，\"criedMichel，fullofhissubject，\"destroyweight，andnomoreburdens！\"
\"Wellsaid，\"repliedBarbicane;\"butifnothinghadanyweight，nothingwouldkeepinitsplace，notevenyourhatonyourhead，worthyMichel;noryourhouse，whosestonesonlyadherebyweight;noraboat，whosestabilityonthewavesisonlycausedbyweight;noteventheocean，whosewaveswouldnolongerbeequalizedbyterrestrialattraction;andlastly，noteventheatmosphere，whoseatoms，beingnolongerheldintheirplaces，woulddisperseinspace！\"
\"Thatistiresome，\"retortedMichel;\"nothinglikethesematter—of—factpeopleforbringingonebacktothebarereality。\"
\"Butconsoleyourself，Michel，\"continuedBarbicane，\"forifnoorbexistsfromwhencealllawsofweightarebanished，youareatleastgoingtovisitonewhereitismuchlessthanontheearth。\"
\"Themoon？\"
\"Yes，themoon，onwhosesurfaceobjectsweighsixtimeslessthanontheearth，aphenomenoneasytoprove。\"
\"Andweshallfeelit？\"askedMichel。
\"Evidently，astwohundredpoundswillonlyweighthirtypoundsonthesurfaceofthemoon。\"
\"Andourmuscularstrengthwillnotdiminish？\"
\"Notatall;insteadofjumpingoneyardhigh，youwillriseeighteenfeethigh。\"
\"ButweshallberegularHerculesesinthemoon！\"exclaimedMichel。
\"Yes，\"repliedNicholl;\"foriftheheightoftheSelenitesisinproportiontothedensityoftheirglobe，theywillbescarcelyafoothigh。\"
\"Lilliputians！\"ejaculatedMichel;\"IshallplaythepartofGulliver。Wearegoingtorealizethefableofthegiants。
Thisistheadvantageofleavingone’sownplanetandover—runningthesolarworld。\"
\"Onemoment，Michel，\"answeredBarbicane;\"ifyouwishtoplaythepartofGulliver，onlyvisittheinferiorplanets，suchasMercury，Venus，orMars，whosedensityisalittlelessthanthatoftheearth;butdonotventureintothegreatplanets，Jupiter，Saturn，Uranus，Neptune;fortheretheorderwillbechanged，andyouwillbecomeLilliputian。\"
\"Andinthesun？\"
\"Inthesun，ifitsdensityisthirteenhundredandtwenty—fourthousandtimesgreater，andtheattractionistwenty—seventimesgreaterthanonthesurfaceofourglobe，keepingeverythinginproportion，theinhabitantsoughttobeatleasttwohundredfeethigh。\"
\"ByJove！\"exclaimedMichel;\"Ishouldbenothingmorethanapigmy，ashrimp！\"
\"Gulliverwiththegiants，\"saidNicholl。
\"Justso，\"repliedBarbicane。
\"Anditwouldnotbequiteuselesstocarrysomepiecesofartillerytodefendoneself。\"
\"Good，\"repliedNicholl;\"yourprojectileswouldhavenoeffectonthesun;theywouldfallbackupontheearthaftersomeminutes。\"
\"Thatisastrongremark。\"
\"Itiscertain，\"repliedBarbicane;\"theattractionissogreatonthisenormousorb，thatanobjectweighing70，000poundsontheearthwouldweighbut1，920poundsonthesurfaceofthesun。
Ifyouweretofalluponityouwouldweigh——letmesee——about5，000pounds，aweightwhichyouwouldneverbeabletoraiseagain。\"
\"Thedevil！\"saidMichel;\"onewouldwantaportablecrane。
However，wewillbesatisfiedwiththemoonforthepresent;
thereatleastweshallcutagreatfigure。Wewillseeaboutthesunbyandby。\"
CHAPTERIX
THECONSEQUENCESOFADEVIATION
Barbicanehadnownofearoftheissueofthejourney，atleastasfarastheprojectile’simpulsiveforcewasconcerned;itsownspeedwouldcarryitbeyondtheneutralline;itwouldcertainlynotreturntoearth;itwouldcertainlynotremainmotionlessonthelineofattraction。Onesinglehypothesisremainedtoberealized，thearrivaloftheprojectileatitsdestinationbytheactionofthelunarattraction。
Itwasinrealityafallof8，296leaguesonanorb，itistrue，whereweightcouldonlybereckonedatonesixthofterrestrialweight;aformidablefall，nevertheless，andoneagainstwhicheveryprecautionmustbetakenwithoutdelay。
Theseprecautionswereoftwosorts，sometodeadentheshockwhentheprojectileshouldtouchthelunarsoil，otherstodelaythefall，andconsequentlymakeitlessviolent。
Todeadentheshock，itwasapitythatBarbicanewasnolongerabletoemploythemeanswhichhadsoablyweakenedtheshockatdeparture，thatistosay，bywaterusedasspringsandthepartitionbreaks。
Thepartitionsstillexisted，butwaterfailed，fortheycouldnotusetheirreserve，whichwasprecious，incaseduringthefirstdaystheliquidelementshouldbefoundwantingonlunarsoil。
Andindeedthisreservewouldhavebeenquiteinsufficientforaspring。Thelayerofwaterstoredintheprojectileatthetimeofstartingupontheirjourneyoccupiednolessthanthreefeetindepth，andspreadoverasurfaceofnotlessthanfifty—foursquarefeet。Besides，thecisterndidnotcontainone—fifthpartofit;theymustthereforegiveupthisefficientmeansofdeadeningtheshockofarrival。Happily，Barbicane，notcontentwithemployingwater，hadfurnishedthemovablediscwithstrongspringplugs，destinedtolessentheshockagainstthebaseafterthebreakingofthehorizontalpartitions。
Theseplugsstillexisted;theyhadonlytoreadjustthemandreplacethemovabledisc;everypiece，easytohandle，astheirweightwasnowscarcelyfelt，wasquicklymounted。
Thedifferentpieceswerefittedwithouttrouble，itbeingonlyamatterofboltsandscrews;toolswerenotwanting，andsoonthereinstateddisclayonsteelplugs，likeatableonitslegs。
Oneinconvenienceresultedfromthereplacingofthedisc，thelowerwindowwasblockedup;thusitwasimpossibleforthetravelerstoobservethemoonfromthatopeningwhiletheywerebeingprecipitatedperpendicularlyuponher;buttheywereobligedtogiveitup;evenbythesideopeningstheycouldstillseevastlunarregions，asanaeronautseestheearthfromhiscar。
Thisreplacingofthediscwasatleastanhour’swork。Itwaspasttwelvewhenallpreparationswerefinished。Barbicanetookfreshobservationsontheinclinationoftheprojectile，buttohisannoyanceithadnotturnedoversufficientlyforitsfall;
itseemedtotakeacurveparalleltothelunardisc。Theorbofnightshonesplendidlyintospace，whileopposite，theorbofdayblazedwithfire。
Theirsituationbegantomakethemuneasy。
\"Arewereachingourdestination？\"saidNicholl。
\"Letusactasifwewereaboutreachingit，\"repliedBarbicane。
\"Youaresceptical，\"retortedMichelArdan。\"Weshallarrive，andthat，too，quickerthanwelike。\"
ThisanswerbroughtBarbicanebacktohispreparations，andheoccupiedhimselfwithplacingthecontrivancesintendedtobreaktheirdescent。WemayrememberthesceneofthemeetingheldatTampaTown，inFlorida，whenCaptainNichollcameforwardasBarbicane’senemyandMichelArdan’sadversary。ToCaptainNicholl’smaintainingthattheprojectilewouldsmashlikeglass，Michelrepliedthathewouldbreaktheirfallbymeansofrocketsproperlyplaced。
Thus，powerfulfireworks，takingtheirstarting—pointfromthebaseandburstingoutside，could，byproducingarecoil，checktoacertaindegreetheprojectile’sspeed。Theserocketsweretoburninspace，itistrue;butoxygenwouldnotfailthem，fortheycouldsupplythemselveswithit，likethelunarvolcanoes，theburningofwhichhasneveryetbeenstoppedbythewantofatmosphereroundthemoon。
Barbicanehadaccordinglysuppliedhimselfwiththesefireworks，enclosedinlittlesteelguns，whichcouldbescrewedontothebaseoftheprojectile。Inside，thesegunswereflushwiththebottom;outside，theyprotrudedabouteighteeninches。Thereweretwentyofthem。Anopeningleftinthediscallowedthemtolightthematchwithwhicheachwasprovided。Alltheeffectwasfeltoutside。Theburningmixturehadalreadybeenrammedintoeachgun。Theyhad，then，nothingtodobutraisethemetallicbuffersfixedinthebase，andreplacethembytheguns，whichfittedcloselyintheirplaces。
Thisnewworkwasfinishedaboutthreeo’clock，andaftertakingalltheseprecautionsthereremainedbuttowait。Buttheprojectilewasperceptiblynearingthemoon，andevidentlysuccumbedtoherinfluencetoacertaindegree;thoughitsownvelocityalsodrewitinanobliquedirection。Fromtheseconflictinginfluencesresultedalinewhichmightbecomeatangent。Butitwascertainthattheprojectilewouldnotfalldirectlyonthemoon;foritslowerpart，byreasonofitsweight，oughttobeturnedtowardher。
Barbicane’suneasinessincreasedashesawhisprojectileresisttheinfluenceofgravitation。TheUnknownwasopeningbeforehim，theUnknownininterplanetaryspace。Themanofsciencethoughthehadforeseentheonlythreehypothesespossible——thereturntotheearth，thereturntothemoon，orstagnationontheneutralline;andhereafourthhypothesis，bigwithalltheterrorsoftheInfinite，surgedupinopportunely。Tofaceitwithoutflinching，onemustbearesolutesavantlikeBarbicane，aphlegmaticbeinglikeNicholl，oranaudaciousadventurerlikeMichelArdan。
Conversationwasstarteduponthissubject。Othermenwouldhaveconsideredthequestionfromapracticalpointofview;
theywouldhaveaskedthemselveswhithertheirprojectilecarriagewascarryingthem。Notsowiththese;theysoughtforthecausewhichproducedthiseffect。
\"Sowehavebecomedivertedfromourroute，\"saidMichel;\"butwhy？\"
\"Iverymuchfear，\"answeredNicholl，\"that，inspiteofallprecautionstaken，theColumbiadwasnotfairlypointed。
Anerror，howeversmall，wouldbeenoughtothrowusoutofthemoon’sattraction。\"
\"Thentheymusthaveaimedbadly？\"askedMichel。
\"Idonotthinkso，\"repliedBarbicane。\"Theperpendicularityofthegunwasexact，itsdirectiontothezenithofthespotincontestible;andthemoonpassingtothezenithofthespot，weoughttoreachitatthefull。Thereisanotherreason，butitescapesme。\"
\"Arewenotarrivingtoolate？\"askedNicholl。
\"Toolate？\"saidBarbicane。
\"Yes，\"continuedNicholl。\"TheCambridgeObservatory’snotesaysthatthetransitoughttobeaccomplishedinninety—sevenhoursthirteenminutesandtwentyseconds;whichmeanstosay，that_sooner_themoonwill_not_beatthepointindicated，and_later_itwillhavepassedit。\"
\"True，\"repliedBarbicane。\"Butwestartedthe1stofDecember，atthirteenminutesandtwenty—fivesecondstoelevenatnight;
andweoughttoarriveonthe5thatmidnight，attheexactmomentwhenthemoonwouldbefull;andwearenowatthe5thofDecember。Itisnowhalf—pastthreeintheevening;
half—pasteightoughttoseeusattheendofourjourney。
Whydowenotarrive？\"
\"Mightitnotbeanexcessofspeed？\"answeredNicholl;\"forweknownowthatitsinitialvelocitywasgreaterthantheysupposed。\"
\"No！ahundredtimes，no！\"repliedBarbicane。\"Anexcessofspeed，ifthedirectionoftheprojectilehadbeenright，wouldnothavepreventedusreachingthemoon。No，therehasbeenadeviation。Wehavebeenturnedoutofourcourse。\"
\"Bywhom？bywhat？\"askedNicholl。
\"Icannotsay，\"repliedBarbicane。
\"Verywell，then，Barbicane，\"saidMichel，\"doyouwishtoknowmyopiniononthesubjectoffindingoutthisdeviation？\"
\"Speak。\"
\"Iwouldnotgivehalfadollartoknowit。Thatwehavedeviatedisafact。Wherewearegoingmatterslittle;weshallsoonsee。Sincewearebeingbornealonginspaceweshallendbyfallingintosomecenterofattractionorother。\"
MichelArdan’sindifferencedidnotcontentBarbicane。Notthathewasuneasyaboutthefuture，buthewantedtoknowatanycost_why_hisprojectilehaddeviated。
Buttheprojectilecontinueditscoursesidewaystothemoon，andwithitthemassofthingsthrownout。Barbicanecouldevenprove，bytheelevationswhichservedaslandmarksuponthemoon，whichwasonlytwothousandleaguesdistant，thatitsspeedwasbecominguniform——freshproofthattherewasnofall。
Itsimpulsiveforcestillprevailedoverthelunarattraction，buttheprojectile’scoursewascertainlybringingitnearertothemoon，andtheymighthopethatatanearerpointtheweight，predominating，wouldcauseadecidedfall。
Thethreefriends，havingnothingbettertodo，continuedtheirobservations;buttheycouldnotyetdeterminethetopographicalpositionofthesatellite;everyreliefwasleveledunderthereflectionofthesolarrays。
Theywatchedthusthroughthesidewindowsuntileighto’clockatnight。Themoonhadgrownsolargeintheireyesthatitfilledhalfofthefirmament。Thesunononeside，andtheorbofnightontheother，floodedtheprojectilewithlight。
AtthatmomentBarbicanethoughthecouldestimatethedistancewhichseparatedthemfromtheiraimatnomorethan700leagues。
Thespeedoftheprojectileseemedtohimtobemorethan200
yards，orabout170leaguesasecond。Underthecentripetalforce，thebaseoftheprojectiletendedtowardthemoon;butthecentrifugalstillprevailed;anditwasprobablethatitsrectilinealcoursewouldbechangedtoacurveofsomesort，thenatureofwhichtheycouldnotatpresentdetermine。
Barbicanewasstillseekingthesolutionofhisinsolubleproblem。
Hourspassedwithoutanyresult。Theprojectilewasevidentlynearingthemoon，butitwasalsoevidentthatitwouldneverreachher。Astothenearestdistanceatwhichitwouldpassher，thatmustbetheresultoftwoforces，attractionandrepulsion，affectingitsmotion。
\"Iaskbutonething，\"saidMichel;\"thatwemaypassnearenoughtopenetratehersecrets。\"
\"Cursedbethethingthathascausedourprojectiletodeviatefromitscourse，\"criedNicholl。
And，asifalighthadsuddenlybrokeninuponhismind，Barbicaneanswered，\"Thencursedbethemeteorwhichcrossedourpath。\"
\"What？\"saidMichelArdan。
\"Whatdoyoumean？\"exclaimedNicholl。
\"Imean，\"saidBarbicaneinadecidedtone，\"Imeanthatourdeviationisowingsolelytoourmeetingwiththiserringbody。\"
\"Butitdidnotevenbrushusasitpassed，\"saidMichel。
\"Whatdoesthatmatter？Itsmass，comparedtothatofourprojectile，wasenormous，anditsattractionwasenoughtoinfluenceourcourse。\"
\"Solittle？\"criedNicholl。
\"Yes，Nicholl;buthoweverlittleitmightbe，\"repliedBarbicane，\"inadistanceof84，000leagues，itwantednomoretomakeusmissthemoon。\"
CHAPTERX
THEOBSERVERSOFTHEMOON
Barbicanehadevidentlyhitupontheonlyplausiblereasonofthisdeviation。Howeverslightitmighthavebeen，ithadsufficedtomodifythecourseoftheprojectile。Itwasafatality。Theboldattempthadmiscarriedbyafortuitouscircumstance;andunlessbysomeexceptionalevent，theycouldnowneverreachthemoon’sdisc。
Wouldtheypassnearenoughtobeabletosolvecertainphysicalandgeologicalquestionsuntiltheninsoluble？Thiswasthequestion，andtheonlyone，whichoccupiedthemindsoftheseboldtravelers。Astothefateinstoreforthemselves，theydidnotevendreamofit。
Butwhatwouldbecomeofthemamidtheseinfinitesolitudes，thesewhowouldsoonwantair？Afewmoredays，andtheywouldfallstifledinthiswanderingprojectile。Butsomedaystotheseintrepidfellowswasacentury;andtheydevotedalltheirtimetoobservethatmoonwhichtheynolongerhopedtoreach。
Thedistancewhichhadthenseparatedtheprojectilefromthesatellitewasestimatedatabouttwohundredleagues。Undertheseconditions，asregardsthevisibilityofthedetailsofthedisc，thetravelerswerefartherfromthemoonthanaretheinhabitantsofearthwiththeirpowerfultelescopes。
Indeed，weknowthattheinstrumentmountedbyLordRosseatParsonstown，whichmagnifies6，500times，bringsthemoontowithinanapparentdistanceofsixteenleagues。Andmorethanthat，withthepowerfulonesetupatLong’sPeak，theorbofnight，magnified48，000times，isbroughttowithinlessthantwoleagues，andobjectshavingadiameterofthirtyfeetareseenverydistinctly。Sothat，atthisdistance，thetopographicaldetailsofthemoon，observedwithoutglasses，couldnotbedeterminedwithprecision。Theeyecaughtthevastoutlineofthoseimmensedepressionsinappropriatelycalled\"seas，\"buttheycouldnotrecognizetheirnature。Theprominenceofthemountainsdisappearedunderthesplendidirradiationproducedbythereflectionofthesolarrays。Theeye，dazzledasifitwasleaningoverabathofmoltensilver，turnedfromitinvoluntarily;buttheoblongformoftheorbwasquiteclear。
Itappearedlikeagiganticegg，withthesmallendturnedtowardtheearth。Indeedthemoon，liquidandpliableinthefirstdaysofitsformation，wasoriginallyaperfectsphere;butbeingsoondrawnwithintheattractionoftheearth，itbecameelongatedundertheinfluenceofgravitation。Inbecomingasatellite，shelosthernativepurityofform;hercenterofgravitywasinadvanceofthecenterofherfigure;andfromthisfactsomesavantsdrawtheconclusionthattheairandwaterhadtakenrefugeontheoppositesurfaceofthemoon，whichisneverseenfromtheearth。Thisalterationintheprimitiveformofthesatellitewasonlyperceptibleforafewmoments。Thedistanceoftheprojectilefromthemoondiminishedveryrapidlyunderitsspeed，thoughthatwasmuchlessthanitsinitialvelocity——
buteightorninetimesgreaterthanthatwhichpropelsourexpresstrains。Theobliquecourseoftheprojectile，fromitsveryobliquity，gaveMichelArdansomehopesofstrikingthelunardiscatsomepointorother。Hecouldnotthinkthattheywouldneverreachit。No！hecouldnotbelieveit;andthisopinionheoftenrepeated。ButBarbicane，whowasabetterjudge，alwaysansweredhimwithmercilesslogic。
\"No，Michel，no！Wecanonlyreachthemoonbyafall，andwearenotfalling。Thecentripetalforcekeepsusunderthemoon’sinfluence，butthecentrifugalforcedrawsusirresistiblyawayfromit。\"
ThiswassaidinatonewhichquenchedMichelArdan’slasthope。
Theportionofthemoonwhichtheprojectilewasnearingwasthenorthernhemisphere，thatwhichtheselenographicmapsplacebelow;forthesemapsaregenerallydrawnaftertheoutlinegivenbytheglasses，andweknowthattheyreversetheobjects。
Suchwasthe_MappaSelenographica_ofBoeerandMoedlerwhichBarbicaneconsulted。Thisnorthernhemispherepresentedvastplains，dottedwithisolatedmountains。
Atmidnightthemoonwasfull。Atthatprecisemomentthetravelersshouldhavealighteduponit，ifthemischievousmeteorhadnotdivertedtheircourse。TheorbwasexactlyintheconditiondeterminedbytheCambridgeObservatory。Itwasmathematicallyatitsperigee，andatthezenithofthetwenty—eighthparallel。AnobserverplacedatthebottomoftheenormousColumbiad，pointedperpendicularlytothehorizon，wouldhaveframedthemooninthemouthofthegun。Astraightlinedrawnthroughtheaxisofthepiecewouldhavepassedthroughthecenteroftheorbofnight。Itisneedlesstosay，thatduringthenightofthe5th—6thofDecember，thetravelerstooknotaninstant’srest。Couldtheyclosetheireyeswhensonearthisnewworld？No！Alltheirfeelingswereconcentratedinonesinglethought：——See！Representativesoftheearth，ofhumanity，pastandpresent，allcenteredinthem！Itisthroughtheireyesthatthehumanracelookattheselunarregions，andpenetratethesecretsoftheirsatellite！Astrangeemotionfilledtheirheartsastheywentfromonewindowtotheother。
Theirobservations，reproducedbyBarbicane，wererigidlydetermined。
Totakethem，theyhadglasses;tocorrectthem，maps。
Asregardstheopticalinstrumentsattheirdisposal，theyhadexcellentmarineglassesspeciallyconstructedforthisjourney。
Theypossessedmagnifyingpowersof100。Theywouldthushavebroughtthemoontowithinadistance（apparent）oflessthan2，000leaguesfromtheearth。Butthen，atadistancewhichforthreehoursinthemorningdidnotexceedsixty—fivemiles，andinamediumfreefromallatmosphericdisturbances，theseinstrumentscouldreducethelunarsurfacetowithinlessthan1，500yards！
CHAPTERXI
FANCYANDREALITY
\"Haveyoueverseenthemoon？\"askedaprofessor，ironically，ofoneofhispupils。
\"No，sir！\"repliedthepupil，stillmoreironically，\"butImustsayIhavehearditspokenof。\"
Inonesense，thepupil’swittyanswermightbegivenbyalargemajorityofsublunarybeings。Howmanypeoplehaveheardspeakofthemoonwhohaveneverseenit——atleastthroughaglassoratelescope！Howmanyhaveneverexaminedthemapoftheirsatellite！
Inlookingataselenographicmap，onepeculiaritystrikesus。
ContrarytothearrangementfollowedforthatoftheEarthandMars，thecontinentsoccupymoreparticularlythesouthernhemisphereofthelunarglobe。Thesecontinentsdonotshowsuchdecided，clear，andregularboundarylinesasSouthAmerica，Africa，andtheIndianpeninsula。Theirangular，capricious，anddeeplyindentedcoastsarerichingulfsandpeninsulas。TheyremindoneoftheconfusionintheislandsoftheSound，wherethelandisexcessivelyindented。
Ifnavigationeverexistedonthesurfaceofthemoon，itmusthavebeenwonderfullydifficultanddangerous;andwemaywellpitytheSelenitesailorsandhydrographers;theformer，whentheycameupontheseperilouscoasts，thelatterwhentheytookthesoundingsofitsstormybanks。
Wemayalsonoticethat，onthelunarsphere，thesouthpoleismuchmorecontinentalthanthenorthpole。Onthelatter，thereisbutoneslightstripoflandseparatedfromothercontinentsbyvastseas。Towardthesouth，continentsclothealmostthewholeofthehemisphere。ItisevenpossiblethattheSeleniteshavealreadyplantedtheflagononeoftheirpoles，whileFranklin，Ross，Kane，Dumont，d’Urville，andLamberthaveneveryetbeenabletoattainthatunknownpointoftheterrestrialglobe。
Astoislands，theyarenumerousonthesurfaceofthemoon。
Nearlyalloblongorcircular，andasiftracedwiththecompass，theyseemtoformonevastarchipelago，equaltothatcharminggrouplyingbetweenGreeceandAsiaMinor，andwhichmythologyinancienttimesadornedwithmostgracefullegends。
InvoluntarilythenamesofNaxos，Tenedos，andCarpathos，risebeforethemind，andweseekvainlyforUlysses’vesselorthe\"clipper\"oftheArgonauts。SoatleastitwasinMichelArdan’seyes。TohimitwasaGrecianarchipelagothathesawonthemap。Totheeyesofhismatter—of—factcompanions，theaspectofthesecoastsrecalledrathertheparceled—outlandofNewBrunswickandNovaScotia，andwheretheFrenchmandiscoveredtracesoftheheroesoffable，theseAmericansweremarkingthemostfavorablepointsfortheestablishmentofstoresintheinterestsoflunarcommerceandindustry。
Afterwanderingoverthesevastcontinents，theeyeisattractedbythestillgreaterseas。Notonlytheirformation，buttheirsituationandaspectremindoneoftheterrestrialoceans;butagain，asonearth，theseseasoccupythegreaterportionoftheglobe。Butinpointoffact，thesearenotliquidspaces，butplains，thenatureofwhichthetravelershopedsoontodetermine。Astronomers，wemustallow，havegracedthesepretendedseaswithatleastoddnames，whichsciencehasrespecteduptothepresenttime。MichelArdanwasrightwhenhecomparedthismaptoa\"Tendrecard，\"gotupbyaScudaryoraCyranodeBergerac。\"Only，\"saidhe，\"itisnolongerthesentimentalcardoftheseventeenthcentury，itisthecardoflife，veryneatlydividedintotwoparts，onefeminine，theothermasculine;therighthemisphereforwoman，theleftforman。\"
Inspeakingthus，Michelmadehisprosaiccompanionsshrugtheirshoulders。BarbicaneandNicholllookeduponthelunarmapfromaverydifferentpointofviewtothatoftheirfantasticfriend。Nevertheless，theirfantasticfriendwasalittleintheright。Judgeforyourselves。
Inthelefthemispherestretchesthe\"SeaofClouds，\"wherehumanreasonissooftenshipwrecked。Notfaroffliesthe\"SeaofRains，\"fedbyallthefeverofexistence。Nearthisisthe\"SeaofStorms，\"wheremaniseverfightingagainsthispassions，whichtoooftengainthevictory。Then，wornoutbydeceit，treasons，infidelity，andthewholebodyofterrestrialmisery，whatdoeshefindattheendofhiscareer？thatvast\"SeaofHumors，\"barelysoftenedbysomedropsofthewatersfromthe\"GulfofDew！\"Clouds，rain，storms，andhumors——doesthelifeofmancontainaughtbutthese？andisitnotsummedupinthesefourwords？
Therighthemisphere，\"dedicatedtotheladies，\"enclosessmallerseas，whosesignificantnamescontaineveryincidentofafeminineexistence。Thereisthe\"SeaofSerenity，\"overwhichtheyounggirlbends;\"TheLakeofDreams，\"reflectingajoyousfuture;\"TheSeaofNectar，\"withitswavesoftendernessandbreezesoflove;\"TheSeaofFruitfulness;\"\"TheSeaofCrises;\"thenthe\"SeaofVapors，\"whosedimensionsareperhapsalittletooconfined;andlastly，thatvast\"SeaofTranquillity，\"inwhicheveryfalsepassion，everyuselessdream，everyunsatisfieddesireisatlengthabsorbed，andwhosewavesemergepeacefullyintothe\"LakeofDeath！\"
Whatastrangesuccessionofnames！Whatasingulardivisionofthemoon’stwohemispheres，joinedtooneanotherlikemanandwoman，andformingthatsphereoflifecarriedintospace！
AndwasnotthefantasticMichelrightinthusinterpretingthefanciesoftheancientastronomers？Butwhilehisimaginationthusrovedover\"theseas，\"hisgravecompanionswereconsideringthingsmoregeographically。Theywerelearningthisnewworldbyheart。Theyweremeasuringanglesanddiameters。
CHAPTERXII
OROGRAPHICDETAILS
Thecoursetakenbytheprojectile，aswehavebeforeremarked，wasbearingittowardthemoon’snorthernhemisphere。Thetravelerswerefarfromthecentralpointwhichtheywouldhavestruck，hadtheircoursenotbeensubjecttoanirremediabledeviation。
Itwaspastmidnight;andBarbicanethenestimatedthedistanceatsevenhundredandfiftymiles，whichwasalittlegreaterthanthelengthofthelunarradius，andwhichwoulddiminishasitadvancednearertotheNorthPole。Theprojectilewasthennotatthealtitudeoftheequator;butacrossthetenthparallel，andfromthatlatitude，carefullytakenonthemaptothepole，Barbicaneandhistwocompanionswereabletoobservethemoonunderthemostfavorableconditions。Indeed，bymeansofglasses，theabove—nameddistancewasreducedtolittlemorethanfourteenmiles。ThetelescopeoftheRockyMountainsbroughtthemoonmuchnearer;buttheterrestrialatmospheresingularlylesseneditspower。ThusBarbicane，postedinhisprojectile，withtheglassestohiseyes，couldseizeupondetailswhichwerealmostimperceptibletoearthlyobservers。
\"Myfriends，\"saidthepresident，inaseriousvoice，\"Idonotknowwhitherwearegoing;Idonotknowifweshalleverseetheterrestrialglobeagain。Nevertheless，letusproceedasifourworkwouldonedaybyusefultoourfellow—men。Letuskeepourmindsfreefromeveryotherconsideration。Weareastronomers;andthisprojectileisaroomintheCambridgeUniversity，carriedintospace。Letusmakeourobservations！\"
Thissaid，workwasbegunwithgreatexactness;andtheyfaithfullyreproducedthedifferentaspectsofthemoon，atthedifferentdistanceswhichtheprojectilereached。
Atthetimethattheprojectilewasashighasthetenthparallel，northlatitude，itseemedrigidlytofollowthetwentiethdegree，eastlongitude。Wemustheremakeoneimportantremarkwithregardtothemapbywhichtheyweretakingobservations。Intheselenographicalmapswhere，onaccountofthereversingoftheobjectsbytheglasses，thesouthisaboveandthenorthbelow，itwouldseemnaturalthat，onaccountofthatinversion，theeastshouldbetothelefthand，andthewesttotheright。Butitisnotso。Ifthemapwereturnedupsidedown，showingthemoonasweseeher，theeastwouldbetotheleft，andthewesttotheright，contrarytothatwhichexistsonterrestrialmaps。Thefollowingisthereasonofthisanomaly。Observersinthenorthernhemisphere（sayinEurope）seethemooninthesouth——accordingtothem。
Whentheytakeobservations，theyturntheirbackstothenorth，thereversepositiontothatwhichtheyoccupywhentheystudyaterrestrialmap。Astheyturntheirbackstothenorth，theeastisontheirleft，andthewesttotheirright。Toobserversinthesouthernhemisphere（Patagoniaforexample），themoon’swestwouldbequitetotheirleft，andtheeasttotheirright，asthesouthisbehindthem。Suchisthereasonoftheapparentreversingofthesetwocardinalpoints，andwemustbearitinmindinordertobeabletofollowPresidentBarbicane’sobservations。
WiththehelpofBoeerandMoedler’s_MappaSelenographica_，thetravelerswereableatoncetorecognizethatportionofthediscenclosedwithinthefieldoftheirglasses。
\"Whatarewelookingat，atthismoment？\"askedMichel。
\"Atthenorthernpartofthe`SeaofClouds，’\"answeredBarbicane。
\"Wearetoofarofftorecognizeitsnature。Aretheseplainscomposedofaridsand，asthefirstastronomermaintained？
Oraretheynothingbutimmenseforests，accordingtoM。WarrendelaRue’sopinion，whogivesthemoonanatmosphere，thoughaverylowandaverydenseone？Thatweshallknowbyandby。
Wemustaffirmnothinguntilweareinapositiontodoso。\"
This\"SeaofClouds\"isratherdoubtfullymarkedoutuponthemaps。
Itissupposedthatthesevastplainsarestrewnwithblocksoflavafromtheneighboringvolcanoesonitsright，Ptolemy，Purbach，Arzachel。Buttheprojectilewasadvancing，andsensiblynearingit。Soonthereappearedtheheightswhichboundthisseaatthisnorthernlimit。Beforethemroseamountainradiantwithbeauty，thetopofwhichseemedlostinaneruptionofsolarrays。
\"Thatis——？\"askedMichel。
\"Copernicus，\"repliedBarbicane。
\"LetusseeCopernicus。\"
Thismount，situatedin9@northlatitudeand20@eastlongitude，rosetoaheightof10，600feetabovethesurfaceofthemoon。Itisquitevisiblefromtheearth;andastronomerscanstudyitwithease，particularlyduringthephasebetweenthelastquarterandthenewmoon，becausethentheshadowsarethrownlengthwaysfromeasttowest，allowingthemtomeasuretheheights。
ThisCopernicusformsthemostimportantoftheradiatingsystem，situatedinthesouthernhemisphere，accordingtoTychoBrahe。Itrisesisolatedlikeagiganticlighthouseonthatportionofthe\"SeaofClouds，\"whichisboundedbythe\"SeaofTempests，\"thuslightingbyitssplendidraystwooceansatatime。Itwasasightwithoutanequal，thoselongluminoustrains，sodazzlinginthefullmoon，andwhich，passingtheboundarychainonthenorth，extendstothe\"SeaofRains。\"
Atoneo’clockoftheterrestrialmorning，theprojectile，likeaballoonborneintospace，overlookedthetopofthissuperbmount。Barbicanecouldrecognizeperfectlyitschieffeatures。Copernicusiscomprisedintheseriesofringedmountainsofthefirstorder，inthedivisionofgreatcircles。LikeKeplerandAristarchus，whichoverlookthe\"OceanofTempests，\"sometimesitappearedlikeabrilliantpointthroughthecloudylight，andwastakenforavolcanoinactivity。Butitisonlyanextinctone——likeallonthatsideofthemoon。Itscircumferenceshowedadiameterofabouttwenty—twoleagues。Theglassesdiscoveredtracesofstratificationproducedbysuccessiveeruptions，andtheneighborhoodwasstrewnwithvolcanicremainswhichstillchokedsomeofthecraters。
\"Thereexist，\"saidBarbicane，\"severalkindsofcirclesonthesurfaceofthemoon，anditiseasytoseethatCopernicusbelongstotheradiatingclass。Ifwewerenearer，weshouldseetheconesbristlingontheinside，whichinformertimesweresomanyfierymouths。Acuriousarrangement，andonewithoutanexceptiononthelunardisc，isthattheinteriorsurfaceofthesecirclesisthereverseoftheexterior，andcontrarytotheformtakenbyterrestrialcraters。Itfollows，then，thatthegeneralcurveofthebottomofthesecirclesgivesasphereofasmallerdiameterthanthatofthemoon。\"
\"Andwhythispeculiardisposition？\"askedNicholl。
\"Wedonotknow，\"repliedBarbicane。
\"Whatsplendidradiation！\"saidMichel。\"Onecouldhardlyseeafinerspectacle，Ithink。\"
\"Whatwouldyousay，then，\"repliedBarbicane，\"ifchanceshouldbearustowardthesouthernhemisphere？\"
\"Well，Ishouldsaythatitwasstillmorebeautiful，\"retortedMichelArdan。
Atthismomenttheprojectilehungperpendicularlyoverthecircle。
ThecircumferenceofCopernicusformedalmostaperfectcircle，anditssteepescarpmentswereclearlydefined。Theycouldevendistinguishasecondringedenclosure。Aroundspreadagrayishplain，ofawildaspect，onwhicheveryreliefwasmarkedinyellow。
Atthebottomofthecircle，asifenclosedinajewelcase，sparkledforoneinstanttwoorthreeeruptivecones，likeenormousdazzlinggems。Towardthenorththeescarpmentswereloweredbyadepressionwhichwouldprobablyhavegivenaccesstotheinteriorofthecrater。