round the moon-第14章

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the　depths　of　the　moon；　and　we　need　only　go　8；000　leagues　in
order　to　fall　upon　the　terrestrial　globe　by　virtue　of　the　mere
laws　of　weight。〃

〃Enough；〃　said　Michel　with　animation。　　〃Let　it　be　no　longer　a
question　of　returning：　we　have　already　entertained　it　too　long。
As　to　communicating　with　our　former　earthly　colleagues；　that
will　not　be　difficult。〃

〃And　how？〃

〃By　means　of　meteors　launched　by　lunar　volcanoes。〃

〃Well　thought　of；　Michel；〃　said　Barbicane　in　a　convinced　tone
of　voice。　　〃Laplace　has　calculated　that　a　force　five　times　greater
than　that　of　our　gun　would　suffice　to　send　a　meteor　from　the
moon　to　the　earth；　and　there　is　not　one　volcano　which　has　not　a
greater　power　of　propulsion　than　that。〃

〃Hurrah！〃　exclaimed　Michel；　〃these　meteors　are　handy　postmen；
and　cost　nothing。　　And　how　we　shall　be　able　to　laugh　at　the
post…office　administration！　　But　now　I　think　of　it〃

〃What　do　you　think　of？〃

〃A　capital　idea。　　Why　did　we　not　fasten　a　thread　to　our
projectile；　and　we　could　have　exchanged　telegrams　with　the　earth？〃

〃The　deuce！〃　answered　Nicholl。　　〃Do　you　consider　the　weight　of
a　thread　250；000　miles　long　nothing？〃

〃As　nothing。　　They　could　have　trebled　the　Columbiad's　charge；
they　could　have　quadrupled　or　quintupled　it！〃　exclaimed　Michel；
with　whom　the　verb　took　a　higher　intonation　each　time。

〃There　is　but　one　little　objection　to　make　to　your　proposition；〃
replied　Barbicane；　〃which　is　that；　during　the　rotary　motion　of
the　globe；　our　thread　would　have　wound　itself　round　it　like　a
chain　on　a　capstan；　and　that　it　would　inevitably　have　brought　us
to　the　ground。〃

〃By　the　thirty…nine　stars　of　the　Union！〃　said　Michel；　〃I　have
nothing　but　impracticable　ideas　to…day；　ideas　worthy　of　J。
T。　Maston。　　But　I　have　a　notion　that；　if　we　do　not　return　to
earth；　J。　T。　Maston　will　be　able　to　come　to　us。〃

〃Yes；　he'll　come；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃he　is　a　worthy　and　a
courageous　comrade。　　Besides；　what　is　easier？　　Is　not　the
Columbiad　still　buried　in　the　soil　of　Florida？　　Is　cotton　and
nitric　acid　wanted　wherewith　to　manufacture　the　pyroxyle？
Will　not　the　moon　pass　the　zenith　of　Florida？　　In　eighteen
years'　time　will　she　not　occupy　exactly　the　same　place　as　to…day？〃

〃Yes；〃　continued　Michel；　〃yes；　Maston　will　come；　and　with　him
our　friends　Elphinstone；　Blomsberry；　all　the　members　of　the　Gun
Club；　and　they　will　be　well　received。　　And　by　and　by　they　will
run　trains　of　projectiles　between　the　earth　and　the　moon！
Hurrah　for　J。　T。　Maston！〃

It　is　probable　that；　if　the　Hon。　J。　T。　Maston　did　not　hear　the
hurrahs　uttered　in　his　honor；　his　ears　at　least　tingled。　　What　was
he　doing　then？　　Doubtless；　posted　in　the　Rocky　Mountains；　at　the
station　of　Long's　Peak；　he　was　trying　to　find　the　invisible
projectile　gravitating　in　space。　　If　he　was　thinking　of　his　dear
companions；　we　must　allow　that　they　were　not　far　behind　him；　and
that；　under　the　influence　of　a　strange　excitement；　they　were
devoting　to　him　their　best　thoughts。

But　whence　this　excitement；　which　was　evidently　growing　upon　the
tenants　of　the　projectile？　　Their　sobriety　could　not　be　doubted。
This　strange　irritation　of　the　brain；　must　it　be　attributed　to
the　peculiar　circumstances　under　which　they　found　themselves；　to
their　proximity　to　the　orb　of　night；　from　which　only　a　few　hours
separated　them；　to　some　secret　influence　of　the　moon　acting　upon
their　nervous　system？　　Their　faces　were　as　rosy　as　if　they　had
been　exposed　to　the　roaring　flames　of　an　oven；　their　voices
resounded　in　loud　accents；　their　words　escaped　like　a　champagne
cork　driven　out　by　carbonic　acid；　their　gestures　became　annoying；
they　wanted　so　much　room　to　perform　them；　and；　strange　to　say；
they　none　of　them　noticed　this　great　tension　of　the　mind。

〃Now；〃　said　Nicholl；　in　a　short　tone；　〃now　that　I　do　not　know
whether　we　shall　ever　return　from　the　moon；　I　want　to　know　what
we　are　going　to　do　there？〃

〃What　we　are　going　to　do　there？〃　replied　Barbicane；　stamping
with　his　foot　as　if　he　was　in　a　fencing　saloon；　〃I　do　not　know。〃

〃You　do　not　know！〃　exclaimed　Michel；　with　a　bellow　which
provoked　a　sonorous　echo　in　the　projectile。

〃No；　I　have　not　even　thought　about　it；〃　retorted　Barbicane；　in
the　same　loud　tone。

〃Well；　I　know；〃　replied　Michel。

〃Speak；　then；〃　cried　Nicholl；　who　could　no　longer　contain　the
growling　of　his　voice。

〃I　shall　speak　if　it　suits　me；〃　exclaimed　Michel；　seizing　his
companions'　arms　with　violence。

〃_It　must_　suit　you；〃　said　Barbicane；　with　an　eye　on　fire　and　a
threatening　hand。　　〃It　was　you　who　drew　us　into　this　frightful
journey；　and　we　want　to　know　what　for。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　captain；　〃now　that　I　do　not　know　_where_　I　am
going；　I　want　to　know　_why_　I　am　going。〃

〃Why？〃　exclaimed　Michel；　jumping　a　yard　high；　〃why？　　To　take
possession　of　the　moon　in　the　name　of　the　United　States；　to　add
a　fortieth　State　to　the　Union；　to　colonize　the　lunar　regions；
to　cultivate　them；　to　people　them；　to　transport　thither　all　the
prodigies　of　art；　of　science；　and　industry；　to　civilize　the
Selenites；　unless　they　are　more　civilized　than　we　are；　and　to
constitute　them　a　republic；　if　they　are　not　already　one！〃

〃And　if　there　are　no　Selenites？〃　retorted　Nicholl；　who；　under　the
influence　of　this　unaccountable　intoxication；　was　very　contradictory。

〃Who　said　that　there　were　no　Selenites？〃　exclaimed　Michel　in　a
threatening　tone。

〃I　do；〃　howled　Nicholl。

〃Captain；〃　said　Michel；　〃do　not　repreat　that　insolence；　or　I
will　knock　your　teeth　down　your　throat！〃

The　two　adversaries　were　going　to　fall　upon　each　other；　and　the
incoherent　discussion　threatened　to　merge　into　a　fight；　when
Barbicane　intervened　with　one　bound。

〃Stop；　miserable　men；〃　said　he；　separating　his　two　companions；
〃if　there　are　no　Selenites；　we　will　do　without　them。〃

〃Yes；〃　exclaimed　Michel；　who　was　not　particular；　〃yes；　we　will
do　without　them。　　We　have　only　to　make　Selenites。　　Down　with
the　Selenites！〃

〃The　empire　of　the　moon　belongs　to　us；〃　said　Nicholl。

〃Let　us　three　constitute　the　republic。〃

〃I　will　be　the　congress；〃　cried　Michel。

〃And　I　the　senate；〃　retorted　Nicholl。

〃And　Barbicane；　the　president；〃　howled　Michel。

〃Not　a　president　elected　by　the　nation；〃　replied　Barbicane。

〃Very　well；　a　president　elected　by　the　congress；〃　cried　Michel；
〃and　as　I　am　the　congress；　you　are　unanimously　elected！〃

〃Hurrah！　hurrah！　hurrah！　for　President　Barbicane；〃　exclaimed　Nicholl。

〃Hip！　hip！　hip！〃　vociferated　Michel　Ardan。

Then　the　president　and　the　senate　struck　up　in　a　tremendous
voice　the　popular　song　〃Yankee　Doodle；〃　while　from　the　congress
resounded　the　masculine　tones　of　the　〃Marseillaise。〃

Then　they　struck　up　a　frantic　dance；　with　maniacal　gestures；
idiotic　stampings；　and　somersaults　like　those　of　the　boneless
clowns　in　the　circus。　　Diana；　joining　in　the　dance；　and　howling
in　her　turn；　jumped　to　the　top　of　the　projectile。　　An　unaccountable
flapping　of　wings　was　then　heard　amid　most　fantastic　cock…crows；
while　five　or　six　hens　fluttered　like　bats　against　the　walls。

Then　the　three　traveling　companions；　acted　upon　by　some
unaccountable　influence　above　that　of　intoxication；　inflamed　by
the　air　which　had　set　their　respiratory　apparatus　on　fire；　fell
motionless　to　the　bottom　of　the　projectile。





CHAPTER　VIII


AT　SEVENTY…EIGHT　THOUSAND　FIVE　HUNDRED　AND　FOURTEEN　LEAGUES

What　had　happened？　　Whence　the　cause　of　this　singular
intoxication；　the　consequences　of　which　might　have　been
very　disastrous？　　A　simple　blunder　of　Michel's；　which；
fortunately；　Nicholl　was　able　to　correct　in　time。

After　a　perfect　swoon；　which　lasted　some　minutes；　the　captain；
recovering　first；　soon　collected　his　scattered　senses。
Although　he　had　breakfasted　only　two　hours　before；　he　felt　a
gnawing　hunger；　as　if　he　had　not　eaten　anything　for　several　days。
Everything　about　him；　stomach　and　brain；　were　overexcited　to　the
highest　degree。　　He　got　up　and　demanded　from　Michel　a
supplementary　repast。　　Michel；　utterly　done　up；　did　not　answer。

Nicholl　then　tried　to　prepare　some　tea　destined　to　help　the
absorption　of　a　dozen　sandwiches。　　He　first　tried　to　get　some
fire；　and　struck　a　match　sharply。　　What　was　his　surprise　to　see
the　s