round the moon-第28章

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succession　of　circles　and　annular　ramparts。　　These　two　chains
are　the　only　ones　met　with　in　this　region　of　circles。
Comparatively　but　slightly　marked；　they　throw　up　here　and　there
some　sharp　points；　the　highest　summit　of　which　attains　an
altitude　of　24；600　feet。

But　the　projectile　was　high　above　all　this　landscape；　and　the
projections　disappeared　in　the　intense　brilliancy　of　the　disc。
And　to　the　eyes　of　the　travelers　there　reappeared　that　original
aspect　of　the　lunar　landscapes；　raw　in　tone；　without　gradation
of　colors；　and　without　degrees　of　shadow；　roughly　black　and
white；　from　the　want　of　diffusion　of　light。

But　the　sight　of　this　desolate　world　did　not　fail　to　captivate
them　by　its　very　strangeness。　　They　were　moving　over　this　region
as　if　they　had　been　borne　on　the　breath　of　some　storm；　watching
heights　defile　under　their　feet；　piercing　the　cavities　with　their
eyes；　going　down　into　the　rifts；　climbing　the　ramparts；　sounding
these　mysterious　holes；　and　leveling　all　cracks。　　But　no　trace
of　vegetation；　no　appearance　of　cities；　nothing　but　stratification；
beds　of　lava；　overflowings　polished　like　immense　mirrors；
reflecting　the　sun's　rays　with　overpowering　brilliancy。
Nothing　belonging　to　a　_living_　world　everything　to　a　dead
world；　where　avalanches；　rolling　from　the　summits　of　the　mountains；
would　disperse　noiselessly　at　the　bottom　of　the　abyss；　retaining
the　motion；　but　wanting　the　sound。　　In　any　case　it　was　the　image
of　death；　without　its　being　possible　even　to　say　that　life　had　ever
existed　there。

Michel　Ardan；　however；　thought　he　recognized　a　heap　of　ruins；
to　which　he　drew　Barbicane's　attention。　　It　was　about　the　80th
parallel；　in　30@　longitude。　　This　heap　of　stones；　rather
regularly　placed；　represented　a　vast　fortress；　overlooking　a
long　rift；　which　in　former　days　had　served　as　a　bed　to　the
rivers　of　prehistorical　times。　　Not　far　from　that；　rose　to　a
height　of　17；400　feet　the　annular　mountain　of　Short；　equal　to
the　Asiatic　Caucasus。　　Michel　Ardan；　with　his　accustomed　ardor；
maintained　〃the　evidences〃　of　his　fortress。　　Beneath　it　he
discerned　the　dismantled　ramparts　of　a　town；　here　the　still
intact　arch　of　a　portico；　there　two　or　three　columns　lying　under
their　base；　farther　on；　a　succession　of　arches　which　must　have
supported　the　conduit　of　an　aqueduct；　in　another　part　the　sunken
pillars　of　a　gigantic　bridge；　run　into　the　thickest　parts　of
the　rift。　　He　distinguished　all　this；　but　with　so　much　imagination
in　his　glance；　and　through　glasses　so　fantastical；　that　we　must
mistrust　his　observation。　　But　who　could　affirm；　who　would　dare
to　say；　that　the　amiable　fellow　did　not　really　see　that　which
his　two　companions　would　not　see？

Moments　were　too　precious　to　be　sacrificed　in　idle　discussion。
The　selenite　city；　whether　imaginary　or　not；　had　already
disappeared　afar　off。　　The　distance　of　the　projectile　from　the
lunar　disc　was　on　the　increase；　and　the　details　of　the　soil　were
being　lost　in　a　confused　jumble。　　The　reliefs；　the　circles；
the　craters；　and　the　plains　alone　remained；　and　still　showed
their　boundary　lines　distinctly。　　At　this　moment；　to　the　left；
lay　extended　one　of　the　finest　circles　of　lunar　orography；
one　of　the　curiosities　of　this　continent。　　It　was　Newton；
which　Barbicane　recognized　without　trouble；　by　referring　to
the　_Mappa　Selenographica_。

Newton　is　situated　in　exactly　77@　south　latitude；　and　16@
east　longitude。　　It　forms　an　annular　crater；　the　ramparts　of
which；　rising　to　a　height　of　21；300　feet；　seemed　to　be　impassable。

Barbicane　made　his　companions　observe　that　the　height　of　this
mountain　above　the　surrounding　plain　was　far　from　equaling　the
depth　of　its　crater。　　This　enormous　hole　was　beyond　all
measurement；　and　formed　a　gloomy　abyss；　the　bottom　of　which　the
sun's　rays　could　never　reach。　　There；　according　to　Humboldt；
reigns　utter　darkness；　which　the　light　of　the　sun　and　the　earth
cannot　break。　　Mythologists　could　well　have　made　it　the　mouth　of　hell。

〃Newton；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃is　the　most　perfect　type　of　these
annular　mountains；　of　which　the　earth　possesses　no　sample。
They　prove　that　the　moon's　formation；　by　means　of　cooling；　is
due　to　violent　causes；　for　while；　under　the　pressure　of　internal
fires　the　reliefs　rise　to　considerable　height；　the　depths　withdraw
far　below　the　lunar　level。〃

〃I　do　not　dispute　the　fact；〃　replied　Michel　Ardan。

Some　minutes　after　passing　Newton；　the　projectile　directly
overlooked　the　annular　mountains　of　Moret。　　It　skirted　at　some
distance　the　summits　of　Blancanus；　and　at　about　half…past　seven
in　the　evening　reached　the　circle　of　Clavius。

This　circle；　one　of　the　most　remarkable　of　the　disc；　is　situated
in　58@　south　latitude；　and　15@　east　longitude。　　Its　height　is
estimated　at　22；950　feet。　　The　travelers；　at　a　distance　of
twenty…four　miles　（reduced　to　four　by　their　glasses）　could
admire　this　vast　crater　in　its　entirety。

〃Terrestrial　volcanoes；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃are　but　mole…hills
compared　with　those　of　the　moon。　　Measuring　the　old　craters
formed　by　the　first　eruptions　of　Vesuvius　and　Etna；　we　find　them
little　more　than　three　miles　in　breadth。　　In　France　the　circle
of　Cantal　measures　six　miles　across；　at　Ceyland　the　circle　of
the　island　is　forty　miles；　which　is　considered　the　largest　on
the　globe。　　What　are　these　diameters　against　that　of　Clavius；
which　we　overlook　at　this　moment？〃

〃What　is　its　breadth？〃　asked　Nicholl。

〃It　is　150　miles；〃　replied　Barbicane。　　〃This　circle　is　certainly
the　most　important　on　the　moon；　but　many　others　measure　150；
100；　or　75　miles。〃

〃Ah！　my　friends；〃　exclaimed　Michel；　〃can　you　picture　to
yourselves　what　this　now　peaceful　orb　of　night　must　have　been
when　its　craters；　filled　with　thunderings；　vomited　at　the　same
time　smoke　and　tongues　of　flame。　　What　a　wonderful　spectacle
then；　and　now　what　decay！　　This　moon　is　nothing　more　than　a　thin
carcase　of　fireworks；　whose　squibs；　rockets；　serpents；　and　suns；
after　a　superb　brilliancy；　have　left　but　sadly　broken　cases。
Who　can　say　the　cause；　the　reason；　the　motive　force　of
these　cataclysms？〃

Barbicane　was　not　listening　to　Michel　Ardan；　he　was
contemplating　these　ramparts　of　Clavius；　formed　by　large
mountains　spread　over　several　miles。　　At　the　bottom　of　the
immense　cavity　burrowed　hundreds　of　small　extinguished　craters；
riddling　the　soil　like　a　colander；　and　overlooked　by　a　peak
15；000　feet　high。

Around　the　plain　appeared　desolate。　　Nothing　so　arid　as　these
reliefs；　nothing　so　sad　as　these　ruins　of　mountains；　and　（if　we
may　so　express　ourselves）　these　fragments　of　peaks　and　mountains
which　strewed　the　soil。　　The　satellite　seemed　to　have　burst　at
this　spot。

The　projectile　was　still　advancing；　and　this　movement　did
not　subside。　　Circles；　craters；　and　uprooted　mountains　succeeded
each　other　incessantly。　　No　more　plains；　no　more　seas。　　A　never
ending　Switzerland　and　Norway。　　And　lastly；　in　the　canter　of
this　region　of　crevasses；　the　most　splendid　mountain　on　the
lunar　disc；　the　dazzling　Tycho；　in　which　posterity　will　ever
preserve　the　name　of　the　illustrious　Danish　astronomer。

In　observing　the　full　moon　in　a　cloudless　sky　no　one　has　failed
to　remark　this　brilliant　point　of　the　southern　hemisphere。
Michel　Ardan　used　every　metaphor　that　his　imagination　could
supply　to　designate　it　by。　　To　him　this　Tycho　was　a　focus　of
light；　a　center　of　irradiation；　a　crater　vomiting　rays。　　It　was
the　tire　of　a　brilliant　wheel；　an　_asteria_　enclosing　the　disc
with　its　silver　tentacles；　an　enormous　eye　filled　with　flames；
a　glory　carved　for　Pluto's　head；　a　star　launched　by　the
Creator's　hand；　and　crushed　against　the　face　of　the　moon！

Tycho　forms　such　a　concentration　of　light　that　the　inhabitants
of　the　earth　can　see　it　without　glasses；　though　at　a　distance
of　240；000　miles！　　Imagine；　then；　its　intensity　to　the　eye　of
observers　placed　at　a　distance　of　only　fifty　miles！　　Seen　through
this　pure　ether；　its　brilliancy　was　so　intolerable　that　Barbicane
and　his　friends　were　obliged　to　blacken　their　glasses　with　the　gas
smoke　before　they　could　bear　the　splendor。　　Then　silent；　scarcely
uttering　an　interjection　of　admiration；　they　gazed；　they　contemplated。
All　their　feelings；　all　their