round the moon-第10章

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learn　from　_them_。〃

〃What！〃　said　Michel；　〃you　believe　that　they　have　artists　like
Phidias；　Michael　Angelo；　or　Raphael？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Poets　like　Homer；　Virgil；　Milton；　Lamartine；　and　Hugo？〃

〃I　am　sure　of　it。〃

〃Philosophers　like　Plato；　Aristotle；　Descartes；　Kant？〃

〃I　have　no　doubt　of　it。〃

〃Scientific　men　like　Archimedes；　Euclid；　Pascal；　Newton？〃

〃I　could　swear　it。〃

〃Comic　writers　like　Arnal；　and　photographers　like　like　Nadar？〃

〃Certain。〃

〃Then；　friend　Barbicane；　if　they　are　as　strong　as　we　are；　and
even　stronger　these　Selenites　why　have　they　not　tried　to
communicate　with　the　earth？　why　have　they　not　launched　a　lunar
projectile　to　our　terrestrial　regions？〃

〃Who　told　you　that　they　have　never　done　so？〃　said　Barbicane　seriously。

〃Indeed；〃　added　Nicholl；　〃it　would　be　easier　for　them　than　for
us；　for　two　reasons；　first；　because　the　attraction　on　the　moon's
surface　is　six　times　less　than　on　that　of　the　earth；　which　would
allow　a　projectile　to　rise　more　easily；　secondly；　because　it
would　be　enough　to　send　such　a　projectile　only　at　8；000　leagues
instead　of　80；000；　which　would　require　the　force　of　projection
to　be　ten　times　less　strong。〃

〃Then；〃　continued　Michel；　〃I　repeat　it；　why　have　they　not　done　it？〃

〃And　I　repeat；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃who　told　you　that　they　have　not
done　it？〃

〃When？〃

〃Thousands　of　years　before　man　appeared　on　earth。〃

〃And　the　projectile　where　is　the　projectile？　　I　demand　to　see
the　projectile。〃

〃My　friend；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃the　sea　covers　five…sixths　of
our　globe。　　From　that　we　may　draw　five　good　reasons　for
supposing　that　the　lunar　projectile；　if　ever　launched；　is　now　at
the　bottom　of　the　Atlantic　or　the　Pacific；　unless　it　sped　into
some　crevasse　at　that　period　when　the　crust　of　the　earth　was　not
yet　hardened。〃

〃Old　Barbicane；〃　said　Michel；　〃you　have　an　answer　for
everything；　and　I　bow　before　your　wisdom。　　But　there　is　one
hypothesis　that　would　suit　me　better　than　all　the　others；　which
is；　the　Selenites；　being　older　than　we；　are　wiser；　and　have　not
invented　gunpowder。〃

At　this　moment　Diana　joined　in　the　conversation　by　a　sonorous　barking。
She　was　asking　for　her　breakfast。

〃Ah！〃　said　Michel　Ardan；　〃in　our　discussion　we　have　forgotten
Diana　and　Satellite。〃

Immediately　a　good…sized　pie　was　given　to　the　dog；　which
devoured　it　hungrily。

〃Do　you　see；　Barbicane；〃　said　Michel；　〃we　should　have　made　a
second　Noah's　ark　of　this　projectile；　and　borne　with　us　to　the
moon　a　couple　of　every　kind　of　domestic　animal。〃

〃I　dare　say；　but　room　would　have　failed　us。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Michel；　〃we　might　have　squeezed　a　little。〃

〃The　fact　is；〃　replied　Nicholl；　〃that　cows；　bulls；　and　horses；
and　all　ruminants；　would　have　been　very　useful　on　the　lunar
continent；　but　unfortunately　the　car　could　neither　have　been
made　a　stable　nor　a　shed。〃

〃Well；　we　might　have　at　least　brought　a　donkey；　only　a　little
donkey；　that　courageous　beast　which　old　Silenus　loved　to　mount。
I　love　those　old　donkeys；　they　are　the　least　favored　animals　in
creation；　they　are　not　only　beaten　while　alive；　but　even　after
they　are　dead。〃

〃How　do　you　make　that　out？〃　asked　Barbicane。　　〃Why；〃　said
Michel；　〃they　make　their　skins　into　drums。〃

Barbicane　and　Nicholl　could　not　help　laughing　at　this　ridiculous　remark。
But　a　cry　from　their　merry　companion　stopped　them。　　The　latter　was
leaning　over　the　spot　where　Satellite　lay。　　He　rose；　saying：

〃My　good　Satellite　is　no　longer　ill。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　Nicholl。

〃No；〃　answered　Michel；　〃he　is　dead！　　There；〃　added　he；　in　a
piteous　tone；　〃that　is　embarrassing。　　I　much　fear；　my　poor
Diana；　that　you　will　leave　no　progeny　in　the　lunar　regions！〃

Indeed　the　unfortunate　Satellite　had　not　survived　its　wound。
It　was　quite　dead。　　Michel　Ardan　looked　at　his　friends　with　a
rueful　countenance。

〃One　question　presents　itself；〃　said　Barbicane。　　〃We　cannot　keep
the　dead　body　of　this　dog　with　us　for　the　next　forty…eight　hours。〃

〃No！　certainly　not；〃　replied　Nicholl；　〃but　our　scuttles　are
fixed　on　hinges；　they　can　be　let　down。　　We　will　open　one；　and
throw　the　body　out　into　space。〃

The　president　thought　for　some　moments；　and　then　said：

〃Yes；　we　must　do　so；　but　at　the　same　time　taking　very　great　precautions。〃

〃Why？〃　asked　Michel。

〃For　two　reasons　which　you　will　understand；〃　answered　Barbicane。
〃The　first　relates　to　the　air　shut　up　in　the　projectile；　and　of
which　we　must　lose　as　little　as　possible。〃

〃But　we　manufacture　the　air？〃

〃Only　in　part。　　We　make　only　the　oxygen；　my　worthy　Michel；　and
with　regard　to　that；　we　must　watch　that　the　apparatus　does　not
furnish　the　oxygen　in　too　great　a　quantity；　for　an　excess　would
bring　us　very　serious　physiological　troubles。　　But　if　we　make
the　oxygen；　we　do　not　make　the　azote；　that　medium　which　the
lungs　do　not　absorb；　and　which　ought　to　remain　intact；　and　that
azote　will　escape　rapidly　through　the　open　scuttles。〃

〃Oh！　the　time　for　throwing　out　poor　Satellite？〃　said　Michel。

〃Agreed；　but　we　must　act　quickly。〃

〃And　the　second　reason？〃　asked　Michel。

〃The　second　reason　is　that　we　must　not　let　the　outer　cold；　which
is　excessive；　penetrate　the　projectile　or　we　shall　be　frozen　to　death。〃

〃But　the　sun？〃

〃The　sun　warms　our　projectile；　which　absorbs　its　rays；　but　it
does　not　warm　the　vacuum　in　which　we　are　floating　at　this　moment。
Where　there　is　no　air；　there　is　no　more　heat　than　diffused　light；
and　the　same　with　darkness；　it　is　cold　where　the　sun's　rays　do　not
strike　direct。　　This　temperature　is　only　the　temperature　produced
by　the　radiation　of　the　stars；　that　is　to　say；　what　the
terrestrial　globe　would　undergo　if　the　sun　disappeared　one　day。〃

〃Which　is　not　to　be　feared；〃　replied　Nicholl。

〃Who　knows？〃　said　Michel　Ardan。　　〃But；　in　admitting　that　the　sun
does　not　go　out；　might　it　not　happen　that　the　earth　might　move
away　from　it？〃

〃There！〃　said　Barbicane；　〃there　is　Michel　with　his　ideas。〃

〃And；〃　continued　Michel；　〃do　we　not　know　that　in　1861　the　earth
passed　through　the　tail　of　a　comet？　　Or　let　us　suppose　a　comet
whose　power　of　attraction　is　greater　than　that　of　the　sun。
The　terrestrial　orbit　will　bend　toward　the　wandering　star；　and
the　earth；　becoming　its　satellite；　will　be　drawn　such　a　distance
that　the　rays　of　the　sun　will　have　no　action　on　its　surface。〃

〃That　_might_　happen；　indeed；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃but　the
consequences　of　such　a　displacement　need　not　be　so　formidable　as
you　suppose。〃

〃And　why　not？〃

〃Because　the　heat　and　cold　would　be　equalized　on　our　globe。
It　has　been　calculated　that；　had　our　earth　been　carried　along　in
its　course　by　the　comet　of　1861；　at　its　perihelion；　that　is；　its
nearest　approach　to　the　sun；　it　would　have　undergone　a　heat
28；000　times　greater　than　that　of　summer。　　But　this　heat；　which
is　sufficient　to　evaporate　the　waters；　would　have　formed　a　thick
ring　of　cloud；　which　would　have　modified　that　excessive
temperature；　hence　the　compensation　between　the　cold　of　the
aphelion　and　the　heat　of　the　perihelion。〃

〃At　how　many　degrees；〃　asked　Nicholl；　〃is　the　temperature　of　the
planetary　spaces　estimated？〃

〃Formerly；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃it　was　greatly　exagerated；　but
now；　after　the　calculations　of　Fourier；　of　the　French　Academy　of
Science；　it　is　not　supposed　to　exceed　60@　Centigrade　below　zero。〃

〃Pooh！〃　said　Michel；　〃that's　nothing！〃

〃It　is　very　much；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃the　temperature　which　was
observed　in　the　polar　regions；　at　Melville　Island　and　Fort
Reliance；　that　is　76@　Fahrenheit　below　zero。〃

〃If　I　mistake　not；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃M。　Pouillet；　another　savant；
estimates　the　temperature　of　space　at　250@　Fahrenheit　below　zero。
We　shall；　however；　be　able　to　verify　these　calculations　for　ourselves。〃

〃Not　at　present；　because　the　solar　rays；　beating　directly
upon　our　thermometer；　would　give；　on　the　contrary；　a　very　high
temperature。　　But；　when　we　arrive　in　the　moon；　during　its
fifteen　days　of　night　at　either　face；　we　shall　have　leisure　to
make　the　experiment；　for　our　satellite　lies　in　a　vacuum。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　a　vacuum？〃　asked　Michel。　　〃Is　it　perfectly　such？〃

〃It　is　absolutely　void　of　air。〃

〃And　is　the　air　replaced　by　nothing　whatever？〃

〃By　the　ether　only；〃　replied　Ba