round the moon-第15部分

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seen　very　distinctly。　　So　that；　at　this　distance；　the
topographical　details　of　the　moon；　observed　without　glasses；
could　not　be　determined　with　precision。　　The　eye　caught　the　vast
outline　of　those　immense　depressions　inappropriately　called
〃seas；〃　but　they　could　not　recognize　their　nature。　　The　prominence
of　the　mountains　disappeared　under　the　splendid　irradiation
produced　by　the　reflection　of　the　solar　rays。　　The　eye；　dazzled
as　if　it　was　leaning　over　a　bath　of　molten　silver；　turned　from
it　involuntarily；　but　the　oblong　form　of　the　orb　was　quite　clear。
It　appeared　like　a　gigantic　egg；　with　the　small　end　turned　toward
the　earth。　　Indeed　the　moon；　liquid　and　pliable　in　the　first　days
of　its　formation；　was　originally　a　perfect　sphere；　but　being　soon
drawn　within　the　attraction　of　the　earth；　it　became　elongated
under　the　influence　of　gravitation。　　In　becoming　a　satellite；
she　lost　her　native　purity　of　form；　her　center　of　gravity　was　in
advance　of　the　center　of　her　figure；　and　from　this　fact　some
savants　draw　the　conclusion　that　the　air　and　water　had　taken
refuge　on　the　opposite　surface　of　the　moon；　which　is　never　seen
from　the　earth。　　This　alteration　in　the　primitive　form　of　the
satellite　was　only　perceptible　for　a　few　moments。　　The　distance
of　the　projectile　from　the　moon　diminished　very　rapidly　under
its　speed；　though　that　was　much　less　than　its　initial　velocity
but　eight　or　nine　times　greater　than　that　which　propels　our
express　trains。　　The　oblique　course　of　the　projectile；　from　its
very　obliquity；　gave　Michel　Ardan　some　hopes　of　striking　the
lunar　disc　at　some　point　or　other。　　He　could　not　think　that　they
would　never　reach　it。　　No！　he　could　not　believe　it；　and　this
opinion　he　often　repeated。　　But　Barbicane；　who　was　a　better
judge；　always　answered　him　with　merciless　logic。

〃No；　Michel；　no！　　We　can　only　reach　the　moon　by　a　fall；　and　we
are　not　falling。　　The　centripetal　force　keeps　us　under　the
moon's　influence；　but　the　centrifugal　force　draws　us
irresistibly　away　from　it。〃

This　was　said　in　a　tone　which　quenched　Michel　Ardan's　last　hope。

The　portion　of　the　moon　which　the　projectile　was　nearing　was　the
northern　hemisphere；　that　which　the　selenographic　maps　place
below；　for　these　maps　are　generally　drawn　after　the　outline
given　by　the　glasses；　and　we　know　that　they　reverse　the　objects。
Such　was　the　_Mappa　Selenographica_　of　Boeer　and　Moedler　which
Barbicane　consulted。　　This　northern　hemisphere　presented　vast
plains；　dotted　with　isolated　mountains。

At　midnight　the　moon　was　full。　　At　that　precise　moment　the
travelers　should　have　alighted　upon　it；　if　the　mischievous
meteor　had　not　diverted　their　course。　　The　orb　was　exactly　in
the　condition　determined　by　the　Cambridge　Observatory。　　It　was
mathematically　at　its　perigee；　and　at　the　zenith　of　the
twenty…eighth　parallel。　　An　observer　placed　at　the　bottom　of　the
enormous　Columbiad；　pointed　perpendicularly　to　the　horizon；
would　have　framed　the　moon　in　the　mouth　of　the　gun。　　A　straight
line　drawn　through　the　axis　of　the　piece　would　have　passed
through　the　center　of　the　orb　of　night。　　It　is　needless　to　say；
that　during　the　night　of　the　5th…6th　of　December；　the　travelers
took　not　an　instant's　rest。　　Could　they　close　their　eyes　when　so
near　this　new　world？　　No！　　All　their　feelings　were　concentrated
in　one　single　thought：　See！　　Representatives　of　the　earth；　of
humanity；　past　and　present；　all　centered　in　them！　　It　is　through
their　eyes　that　the　human　race　look　at　these　lunar　regions；　and
penetrate　the　secrets　of　their　satellite！　　A　strange　emotion
filled　their　hearts　as　they　went　from　one　window　to　the　other。
Their　observations；　reproduced　by　Barbicane；　were　rigidly　determined。
To　take　them；　they　had　glasses；　to　correct　them；　maps。

As　regards　the　optical　instruments　at　their　disposal；　they　had
excellent　marine　glasses　specially　constructed　for　this　journey。
They　possessed　magnifying　powers　of　100。　　They　would　thus　have
brought　the　moon　to　within　a　distance　（apparent）　of　less　than
2；000　leagues　from　the　earth。　　But　then；　at　a　distance　which　for
three　hours　in　the　morning　did　not　exceed　sixty…five　miles；　and
in　a　medium　free　from　all　atmospheric　disturbances；　these
instruments　could　reduce　the　lunar　surface　to　within　less　than
1；500　yards！





CHAPTER　XI


FANCY　AND　REALITY


〃Have　you　ever　seen　the　moon？〃　asked　a　professor；　ironically；
of　one　of　his　pupils。

〃No；　sir！〃　replied　the　pupil；　still　more　ironically；　〃but　I　must
say　I　have　heard　it　spoken　of。〃

In　one　sense；　the　pupil's　witty　answer　might　be　given　by　a　large
majority　of　sublunary　beings。　　How　many　people　have　heard　speak
of　the　moon　who　have　never　seen　it　at　least　through　a　glass　or
a　telescope！　　How　many　have　never　examined　the　map　of　their　satellite！

In　looking　at　a　selenographic　map；　one　peculiarity　strikes　us。
Contrary　to　the　arrangement　followed　for　that　of　the　Earth　and
Mars；　the　continents　occupy　more　particularly　the　southern
hemisphere　of　the　lunar　globe。　　These　continents　do　not　show
such　decided；　clear；　and　regular　boundary　lines　as　South
America；　Africa；　and　the　Indian　peninsula。　　Their　angular；
capricious；　and　deeply　indented　coasts　are　rich　in　gulfs
and　peninsulas。　　They　remind　one　of　the　confusion　in　the
islands　of　the　Sound；　where　the　land　is　excessively　indented。
If　navigation　ever　existed　on　the　surface　of　the　moon；　it　must
have　been　wonderfully　difficult　and　dangerous；　and　we　may　well
pity　the　Selenite　sailors　and　hydrographers；　the　former；　when
they　came　upon　these　perilous　coasts；　the　latter　when　they
took　the　soundings　of　its　stormy　banks。

We　may　also　notice　that；　on　the　lunar　sphere；　the　south　pole　is
much　more　continental　than　the　north　pole。　　On　the　latter；　there
is　but　one　slight　strip　of　land　separated　from　other　continents
by　vast　seas。　　Toward　the　south；　continents　clothe　almost　the
whole　of　the　hemisphere。　　It　is　even　possible　that　the　Selenites
have　already　planted　the　flag　on　one　of　their　poles；　while
Franklin；　Ross；　Kane；　Dumont；　d'Urville；　and　Lambert　have　never
yet　been　able　to　attain　that　unknown　point　of　the　terrestrial　globe。

As　to　islands；　they　are　numerous　on　the　surface　of　the　moon。
Nearly　all　oblong　or　circular；　and　as　if　traced　with　the
compass；　they　seem　to　form　one　vast　archipelago；　equal　to　that
charming　group　lying　between　Greece　and　Asia　Minor；　and　which
mythology　in　ancient　times　adorned　with　most　graceful　legends。
Involuntarily　the　names　of　Naxos；　Tenedos；　and　Carpathos；　rise
before　the　mind；　and　we　seek　vainly　for　Ulysses'　vessel　or　the
〃clipper〃　of　the　Argonauts。　　So　at　least　it　was　in　Michel
Ardan's　eyes。　　To　him　it　was　a　Grecian　archipelago　that　he　saw
on　the　map。　　To　the　eyes　of　his　matter…of…fact　companions；　the
aspect　of　these　coasts　recalled　rather　the　parceled…out　land　of
New　Brunswick　and　Nova　Scotia；　and　where　the　Frenchman
discovered　traces　of　the　heroes　of　fable；　these　Americans
were　marking　the　most　favorable　points　for　the　establishment
of　stores　in　the　interests　of　lunar　commerce　and　industry。

After　wandering　over　these　vast　continents；　the　eye　is　attracted
by　the　still　greater　seas。　　Not　only　their　formation；　but　their
situation　and　aspect　remind　one　of　the　terrestrial　oceans；　but
again；　as　on　earth；　these　seas　occupy　the　greater　portion　of
the　globe。　　But　in　point　of　fact；　these　are　not　liquid　spaces；
but　plains；　the　nature　of　which　the　travelers　hoped　soon
to　determine。　　Astronomers；　we　must　allow；　have　graced　these
pretended　seas　with　at　least　odd　names；　which　science　has
respected　up　to　the　present　time。　　Michel　Ardan　was　right　when
he　compared　this　map　to　a　〃Tendre　card；〃　got　up　by　a　Scudary　or
a　Cyrano　de　Bergerac。　　〃Only；〃　said　he；　〃it　is　no　longer　the
sentimental　card　of　the　seventeenth　century；　it　is　the　card　of
life；　very　neatly　divided　into　two　parts；　one　feminine；　the
other　masculine；　the　right　hemisphere　for　woman；　the　left　for　man。〃

In　speaking　thus；　Michel　made　his　prosaic　companions　shrug
their　shoulders。　　Barbicane　and　Nicholl　looked　upon　the　lunar
map　from　a　very　different　point　of　view　to　that　of　their
fantastic　friend。　　Nevertheless；　their　fantastic　friend　was　a
little　in　the　right。　　Judge　for　yourselves。

In　the　left　hemisphere　stretches　the　〃Sea　of　Clouds；〃　where
human　reason　is　so　often　shipwrecked。　　Not　far　off　lies　the　〃Sea
of　Rains；〃　fed　by　all　the　fever　of　existence。　　Near　this　is　the
〃Sea　of　Storms；〃　where　man　is　ever　fighting　against　his
passions；　which　too　often　gain　the　victory。　　Then；　worn　out　by
deceit；　treasons；　infidelity；　and　the　whole　body　of　terrestrial
misery；　what　does　he　find　at　the　end　of　his　career？　that　vast
〃Sea　of　Humors；〃　barely　softened　by　some　drops　of　the　waters
from　the　〃Gulf　of　Dew！〃　　Clouds；　rain；　storms；　and　humors　does
the　life　of　man　contain　aught　but　these？　and　is　it　not　summed　up
in　these　four　words？

The　right　hemisphere；　〃dedicated　to　the　ladies；〃　encloses
smaller　seas；　whose　significant　names　contain　every　incident　of
a　feminine　existence。　　There　is　the　〃Sea　of　Serenity；〃　over
which　the　young　girl　bends；　〃The　Lake　of　Dreams；〃　reflecting　a
joyous　future；　〃The　Sea　of　Nectar；〃　with　its　waves　of　tenderness
and　breezes　of　love；　〃The　Sea　of　Fruitfulness；〃　〃The　Sea　of
Crises；〃　then　the　〃Sea　of　Vapors；〃　whose　dimensions　are　perhaps
a　little　too　confined；　and　lastly；　that　vast　〃Sea　of
Tranquillity；〃　in　which　every　false　passion；　every　useless
dream；　every　unsatisfied　desire　is　at　length　absorbed；　and　whose
waves　emerge　peacefully　into　the　〃Lake　of　Death！〃

What　a　strange　succession　of　names！　　What　a　singular　division　of
the　moon's　two　hemispheres；　joined　to　one　another　like　man　and
woman；　and　forming　that　sphere　of　life　carried　into　space！
And　was　not　the　fantastic　Michel　right　in　thus　interpreting　the
fancies　of　the　ancient　astronomers？　　But　while　his　imagination
thus　roved　over　〃the　seas；〃　his　grave　companions　were　considering
things　more　geographically。　　They　were　learning　this　new　world
by　heart。　　They　were　measuring　angles　and　diameters。





CHAPTER　XII


OROGRAPHIC　DETAILS


The　course　taken　by　the　projectile；　as　we　have　before　remarked；　was
bearing　it　toward　the　moon's　northern　hemisphere。　　The　travelers
were　far　from