round the moon-第31章

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considered　again。

〃Has　the　moon　been　inhabited？〃　he　asked。

The　answer　was　unanimously　in　the　affirmative。　　But　during　this
discussion；　fruitful　in　somewhat　hazardous　theories；　the
projectile　was　rapidly　leaving　the　moon：　the　lineaments　faded
away　from　the　travelers'　eyes；　mountains　were　confused　in　the
distance；　and　of　all　the　wonderful；　strange；　and　fantastical
form　of　the　earth's　satellite；　there　soon　remained　nothing　but
the　imperishable　remembrance。





CHAPTER　XIX


A　STRUGGLE　AGAINST　THE　IMPOSSIBLE


For　a　long　time　Barbicane　and　his　companions　looked　silently　and
sadly　upon　that　world　which　they　had　only　seen　from　a　distance；
as　Moses　saw　the　land　of　Canaan；　and　which　they　were　leaving
without　a　possibility　of　ever　returning　to　it。　　The　projectile's
position　with　regard　to　the　moon　had　altered；　and　the　base　was
now　turned　to　the　earth。

This　change；　which　Barbicane　verified；　did　not　fail　to　surprise　them。
If　the　projectile　was　to　gravitate　round　the　satellite　in　an
elliptical　orbit；　why　was　not　its　heaviest　part　turned　toward　it；
as　the　moon　turns　hers　to　the　earth？　　That　was　a　difficult　point。

In　watching　the　course　of　the　projectile　they　could　see　that　on
leaving　the　moon　it　followed　a　course　analogous　to　that　traced
in　approaching　her。　　It　was　describing　a　very　long　ellipse；
which　would　most　likely　extend　to　the　point　of　equal　attraction；
where　the　influences　of　the　earth　and　its　satellite　are　neutralized。

Such　was　the　conclusion　which　Barbicane　very　justly　drew　from
facts　already　observed；　a　conviction　which　his　two　friends
shared　with　him。

〃And　when　arrived　at　this　dead　point；　what　will　become　of　us？〃
asked　Michel　Ardan。

〃We　don't　know；〃　replied　Barbicane。

〃But　one　can　draw　some　hypotheses；　I　suppose？〃

〃Two；〃　answered　Barbicane；　〃either　the　projectile's　speed　will
be　insufficient；　and　it　will　remain　forever　immovable　on　this
line　of　double　attraction〃

〃I　prefer　the　other　hypothesis；　whatever　it　may　be；〃　interrupted　Michel。

〃Or；〃　continued　Barbicane；　〃its　speed　will　be　sufficient；　and　it
will　continue　its　elliptical　course；　to　gravitate　forever　around
the　orb　of　night。〃

〃A　revolution　not　at　all　consoling；〃　said　Michel；　〃to　pass　to
the　state　of　humble　servants　to　a　moon　whom　we　are　accustomed　to
look　upon　as　our　own　handmaid。　　So　that　is　the　fate　in　store　for　us？〃

Neither　Barbicane　nor　Nicholl　answered。

〃You　do　not　answer；〃　continued　Michel　impatiently。

〃There　is　nothing　to　answer；〃　said　Nicholl。

〃Is　there　nothing　to　try？〃

〃No；〃　answered　Barbicane。　　〃Do　you　pretend　to　fight　against
the　impossible？〃

〃Why　not？　　Do　one　Frenchman　and　two　Americans　shrink　from　such
a　word？〃

〃But　what　would　you　do？〃

〃Subdue　this　motion　which　is　bearing　us　away。〃

〃Subdue　it？〃

〃Yes；〃　continued　Michel；　getting　animated；　〃or　else　alter　it；
and　employ　it　to　the　accomplishment　of　our　own　ends。〃

〃And　how？〃

〃That　is　your　affair。　　If　artillerymen　are　not　masters　of　their
projectile　they　are　not　artillerymen。　　If　the　projectile　is　to
command　the　gunner；　we　had　better　ram　the　gunner　into　the　gun。
My　faith！　fine　savants！　who　do　not　know　what　is　to　become　of　us
after　inducing　me〃

〃Inducing　you！〃　cried　Barbicane　and　Nicholl。　　〃Inducing　you！
What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃

〃No　recrimination；〃　said　Michel。　　〃I　do　not　complain；　the　trip
has　pleased　me；　and　the　projectile　agrees　with　me；　but　let　us　do
all　that　is　humanly　possible　to　do　the　fall　somewhere；　even　if
only　on　the　moon。〃

〃We　ask　no　better；　my　worthy　Michel；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃but
means　fail　us。〃

〃We　cannot　alter　the　motion　of　the　projectile？〃

〃No。〃

〃Nor　diminish　its　speed？〃

〃No。〃

〃Not　even　by　lightening　it；　as　they　lighten　an　overloaded　vessel？〃

〃What　would　you　throw　out？〃　said　Nicholl。　　〃We　have　no　ballast
on　board；　and　indeed　it　seems　to　me　that　if　lightened　it　would
go　much　quicker。〃

〃Slower。〃

〃Quicker。〃

〃Neither　slower　nor　quicker；〃　said　Barbicane；　wishing　to　make
his　two　friends　agree；　〃for　we　float　is　space；　and　must　no
longer　consider　specific　weight。〃

〃Very　well；〃　cried　Michel　Ardan　in　a　decided　voice；　〃then　their
remains　but　one　thing　to　do。〃

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Nicholl。

〃Breakfast；〃　answered　the　cool；　audacious　Frenchman；　who　always
brought　up　this　solution　at　the　most　difficult　juncture。

In　any　case；　if　this　operation　had　no　influence　on　the
projectile's　course；　it　could　at　least　be　tried　without
inconvenience；　and　even　with　success　from　a　stomachic　point
of　view。　　Certainly　Michel　had　none　but　good　ideas。

They　breakfasted　then　at　two　in　the　morning；　the　hour　mattered　little。
Michel　served　his　usual　repast；　crowned　by　a　glorious　bottle　drawn
from　his　private　cellar。　　If　ideas　did　not　crowd　on　their　brains；
we　must　despair　of　the　Chambertin　of　1853。　　The　repast　finished；
observation　began　again。　　Around　the　projectile；　at　an　invariable
distance；　were　the　objects　which　had　been　thrown　out。　　Evidently；　in
its　translatory　motion　round　the　moon；　it　had　not　passed　through
any　atmosphere；　for　the　specific　weight　of　these　different　objects
would　have　checked　their　relative　speed。

On　the　side　of　the　terrestrial　sphere　nothing　was　to　be　seen。
The　earth　was　but　a　day　old；　having　been　new　the　night　before　at
twelve；　and　two　days　must　elapse　before　its　crescent；　freed　from
the　solar　rays；　would　serve　as　a　clock　to　the　Selenites；　as　in
its　rotary　movement　each　of　its　points　after　twenty…four　hours
repasses　the　same　lunar　meridian。

On　the　moon's　side　the　sight　was　different；　the　orb　shone　in　all
her　splendor　amid　innumerable　constellations；　whose　purity　could
not　be　troubled　by　her　rays。　　On　the　disc；　the　plains　were
already　returning　to　the　dark　tint　which　is　seen　from　the　earth。
The　other　part　of　the　nimbus　remained　brilliant；　and　in　the　midst
of　this　general　brilliancy　Tycho　shone　prominently　like　a　sun。

Barbicane　had　no　means　of　estimating　the　projectile's　speed；　but
reasoning　showed　that　it　must　uniformly　decrease；　according　to
the　laws　of　mechanical　reasoning。　　Having　admitted　that　the
projectile　was　describing　an　orbit　around　the　moon；　this　orbit
must　necessarily　be　elliptical；　science　proves　that　it　must　be　so。
No　motive　body　circulating　round　an　attracting　body　fails　in
this　law。　　Every　orbit　described　in　space　is　elliptical。　　And　why
should　the　projectile　of　the　Gun　Club　escape　this　natural　arrangement？
In　elliptical　orbits；　the　attracting　body　always　occupies　one　of
the　foci；　so　that　at　one　moment　the　satellite　is　nearer；　and　at
another　farther　from　the　orb　around　which　it　gravitates。　　When　the
earth　is　nearest　the　sun　she　is　in　her　perihelion；　and　in　her
aphelion　at　the　farthest　point。　　Speaking　of　the　moon；　she　is
nearest　to　the　earth　in　her　perigee；　and　farthest　from　it　in
her　apogee。　　To　use　analogous　expressions；　with　which　the
astronomers'　language　is　enriched；　if　the　projectile　remains
as　a　satellite　of　the　moon；　we　must　say　that　it　is　in　its
〃aposelene〃　at　its　farthest　point；　and　in　its　〃periselene〃　at
its　nearest。　　In　the　latter　case；　the　projectile　would　attain
its　maximum　of　speed；　and　in　the　former　its　minimum。　　It　was
evidently　moving　toward　its　aposelenitical　point；　and　Barbicane
had　reason　to　think　that　its　speed　would　decrease　up　to　this
point；　and　then　increase　by　degrees　as　it　neared　the　moon。
This　speed　would　even　become　_nil_；　if　this　point　joined　that　of
equal　attraction。　　Barbicane　studied　the　consequences　of　these
different　situations；　and　thinking　what　inference　he　could　draw
from　them；　when　he　was　roughly　disturbed　by　a　cry　from　Michel　Ardan。

〃By　Jove！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃I　must　admit　we　are　down…right　simpletons！〃

〃I　do　not　say　we　are　not；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃but　why？〃

〃Because　we　have　a　very　simple　means　of　checking　this　speed
which　is　bearing　us　from　the　moon；　and　we　do　not　use　it！〃

〃And　what　is　the　means？〃

〃To　use　the　recoil　contained　in　our　rockets。〃

〃Done！〃　said　Nicholl。

〃We　have　not　used　this　force　yet；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃it　is　true；
but　we　will　do　so。〃

〃When？〃　asked　Michel。

〃When　the　time　comes。　　Observe；　my　friends；　that　in　the　position
occupied　by　the　projectile；　an　oblique　position　with　regard　to
the　lunar