round the moon-第15章

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absorption　of　a　dozen　sandwiches。　　He　first　tried　to　get　some
fire；　and　struck　a　match　sharply。　　What　was　his　surprise　to　see
the　sulphur　shine　with　so　extraordinary　a　brilliancy　as　to　be
almost　unbearable　to　the　eye。　　From　the　gas…burner　which　he　lit
rose　a　flame　equal　to　a　jet　of　electric　light。

A　revelation　dawned　on　Nicholl's　mind。　　That　intensity　of　light；
the　physiological　troubles　which　had　arisen　in　him；　the
overexcitement　of　all　his　moral　and　quarrelsome　faculties　he
understood　all。

〃The　oxygen！〃　he　exclaimed。

And　leaning　over　the　air　apparatus；　he　saw　that　the　tap　was
allowing　the　colorless　gas　to　escape　freely；　life…giving；　but　in
its　pure　state　producing　the　gravest　disorders　in　the　system。
Michel　had　blunderingly　opened　the　tap　of　the　apparatus　to　the　full。

Nicholl　hastened　to　stop　the　escape　of　oxygen　with　which　the
atmosphere　was　saturated；　which　would　have　been　the　death　of　the
travelers；　not　by　suffocation；　but　by　combustion。　　An　hour
later；　the　air　less　charged　with　it　restored　the　lungs　to　their
normal　condition。　　By　degrees　the　three　friends　recovered　from
their　intoxication；　but　they　were　obliged　to　sleep　themselves
sober　over　their　oxygen　as　a　drunkard　does　over　his　wine。

When　Michel　learned　his　share　of　the　responsibility　of　this
incident；　he　was　not　much　disconcerted。　　This　unexpected
drunkenness　broke　the　monotony　of　the　journey。　　Many　foolish
things　had　been　said　while　under　its　influence；　but　also
quickly　forgotten。

〃And　then；〃　added　the　merry　Frenchman；　〃I　am　not　sorry　to　have
tasted　a　little　of　this　heady　gas。　　Do　you　know；　my　friends；
that　a　curious　establishment　might　be　founded　with　rooms　of
oxygen；　where　people　whose　system　is　weakened　could　for　a　few
hours　live　a　more　active　life。　　Fancy　parties　where　the　room　was
saturated　with　this　heroic　fluid；　theaters　where　it　should　be
kept　at　high　pressure；　what　passion　in　the　souls　of　the　actors
and　spectators！　what　fire；　what　enthusiasm！　　And　if；　instead　of
an　assembly　only　a　whole　people　could　be　saturated；　what　activity
in　its　functions；　what　a　supplement　to　life　it　would　derive。
From　an　exhausted　nation　they　might　make　a　great　and　strong　one；
and　I　know　more　than　one　state　in　old　Europe　which　ought　to　put
itself　under　the　regime　of　oxygen　for　the　sake　of　its　health！〃

Michel　spoke　with　so　much　animation　that　one　might　have　fancied
that　the　tap　was　still　too　open。　　But　a　few　words　from　Barbicane
soon　shattered　his　enthusiasm。

〃That　is　all　very　well；　friend　Michel；〃　said　he；　〃but　will　you
inform　us　where　these　chickens　came　from　which　have　mixed
themselves　up　in　our　concert？〃

〃Those　chickens？〃

〃Yes。〃

Indeed；　half　a　dozen　chickens　and　a　fine　cock　were　walking
about；　flapping　their　wings　and　chattering。

〃Ah；　the　awkward　things！〃　exclaimed　Michel。　　〃The　oxygen　has
made　them　revolt。〃

〃But　what　do　you　want　to　do　with　these　chickens？〃　asked　Barbicane。

〃To　acclimatize　them　in　the　moon；　by　Jove！〃

〃Then　why　did　you　hide　them？〃

〃A　joke；　my　worthy　president；　a　simple　joke；　which　has　proved　a
miserable　failure。　　I　wanted　to　set　them　free　on　the　lunar
continent；　without　saying　anything。　　Oh；　what　would　have　been
your　amazement　on　seeing　these　earthly…winged　animals　pecking　in
your　lunar　fields！〃

〃You　rascal；　you　unmitigated　rascal；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃you　do
not　want　oxygen　to　mount　to　the　head。　　You　are　always　what　we
were　under　the　influence　of　the　gas；　you　are　always　foolish！〃

〃Ah；　who　says　that　we　were　not　wise　then？〃　replied　Michel　Ardan。

After　this　philosophical　reflection；　the　three　friends　set　about
restoring　the　order　of　the　projectile。　　Chickens　and　cock　were
reinstated　in　their　coop。　　But　while　proceeding　with　this
operation；　Barbicane　and　his　two　companions　had　a　most　desired
perception　of　a　new　phenomenon。　　From　the　moment　of　leaving　the
earth；　their　own　weight；　that　of　the　projectile；　and　the　objects
it　enclosed；　had　been　subject　to　an　increasing　diminution。　　If　they
could　not　prove　this　loss　of　the　projectile；　a　moment　would　arrive
when　it　would　be　sensibly　felt　upon　themselves　and　the　utensils
and　instruments　they　used。

It　is　needless　to　say　that　a　scale　would　not　show　this　loss；　for
the　weight　destined　to　weight　the　object　would　have　lost　exactly
as　much　as　the　object　itself；　but　a　spring　steelyard　for
example；　the　tension　of　which　was　independent　of　the　attraction；
would　have　given　a　just　estimate　of　this　loss。

We　know　that　the　attraction；　otherwise　called　the　weight；　is　in
proportion　to　the　densities　of　the　bodies；　and　inversely　as　the
squares　of　the　distances。　　Hence　this　effect：　　If　the　earth　had
been　alone　in　space；　if　the　other　celestial　bodies　had　been
suddenly　annihilated；　the　projectile；　according　to　Newton's
laws；　would　weigh　less　as　it　got　farther　from　the　earth；　but
without　ever　losing　its　weight　entirely；　for　the　terrestrial
attraction　would　always　have　made　itself　felt；　at　whatever　distance。

But；　in　reality；　a　time　must　come　when　the　projectile　would　no
longer　be　subject　to　the　law　of　weight；　after　allowing　for　the
other　celestial　bodies　whose　effect　could　not　be　set　down　as　zero。
Indeed；　the　projectile's　course　was　being　traced　between
the　earth　and　the　moon。　　As　it　distanced　the　earth；　the
terrestrial　attraction　diminished：　but　the　lunar　attraction
rose　in　proportion。　　There　must　come　a　point　where　these　two
attractions　would　neutralize　each　other：　　the　projectile　would
possess　weight　no　longer。　　If　the　moon's　and　the　earth's
densities　had　been　equal；　this　point　would　have　been　at　an　equal
distance　between　the　two　orbs。　　But　taking　the　different
densities　into　consideration；　it　was　easy　to　reckon　that　this
point　would　be　situated　at　47/60ths　of　the　whole　journey；
_i。e。_；　at　78；514　leagues　from　the　earth。　　At　this　point；　a　body
having　no　principle　of　speed　or　displacement　in　itself；　would
remain　immovable　forever；　being　attracted　equally　by　both　orbs；
and　not　being　drawn　more　toward　one　than　toward　the　other。

Now　if　the　projectile's　impulsive　force　had　been　correctly
calculated；　it　would　attain　this　point　without　speed；　having
lost　all　trace　of　weight；　as　well　as　all　the　objects　within　it。
What　would　happen　then？　　Three　hypotheses　presented　themselves。

1。　Either　it　would　retain　a　certain　amount　of　motion；　and　pass
the　point　of　equal　attraction；　and　fall　upon　the　moon　by　virtue
of　the　excess　of　the　lunar　attraction　over　the　terrestrial。

2。　Or；　its　speed　failing；　and　unable　to　reach　the　point　of　equal
attraction；　it　would　fall　upon　the　moon　by　virtue　of　the　excess
of　the　lunar　attraction　over　the　terrestrial。

3。　Or；　lastly；　animated　with　sufficient　speed　to　enable　it　to
reach　the　neutral　point；　but　not　sufficient　to　pass　it；　it　would
remain　forever　suspended　in　that　spot　like　the　pretended　tomb　of
Mahomet；　between　the　zenith　and　the　nadir。

Such　was　their　situation；　and　Barbicane　clearly　explained　the
consequences　to　his　traveling　companions；　which　greatly
interested　them。　　But　how　should　they　know　when　the　projectile
had　reached　this　neutral　point　situated　at　that　distance；
especially　when　neither　themselves；　nor　the　objects　enclosed　in
the　projectile；　would　be　any　longer　subject　to　the　laws　of　weight？

Up　to　this　time；　the　travelers；　while　admitting　that　this　action
was　constantly　decreasing；　had　not　yet　become　sensible　to　its
total　absence。

But　that　day；　about　eleven　o'clock　in　the　morning；　Nicholl
having　accidentally　let　a　glass　slip　from　his　hand；　the　glass；
instead　of　falling；　remained　suspended　in　the　air。

〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　〃that　is　rather　an　amusing　piece
of　natural　philosophy。〃

And　immediately　divers　other　objects；　firearms　and　bottles；
abandoned　to　themselves；　held　themselves　up　as　by　enchantment。
Diana　too；　placed　in　space　by　Michel；　reproduced；　but　without
any　trick；　the　wonderful　suspension　practiced　by　Caston　and
Robert　Houdin。　　Indeed　the　dog　did　not　seem　to　know　that　she　was
floating　in　air。

The　three　adventurous　companions　were　surprised　and　stupefied；
despite　their　scientific　reasonings。　　They　felt　themselves　being
carried　into　the　domain　of　wonders！　they　felt　that　weight　was
really　wanting　to　their　bodies。　　If　th