a journey in other worlds-第14章

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than　ours；　it　would　be　a　less　comfortable　globe　than　this；　while；
as　our　president　here　told　us　in　his　T。　A。　S。　Company's　report；
the　axis　of　Venus　is　inclined　to　such　a　degree　that　it　would　be
almost　uninhabitable　for　us。　　It　would　be　as　if　colonists　tried
to　settle　Greenland；　or　had　come　to　North　America　during　its
Glacial　period。　　Neither　Venus　nor　Mars　would　be　a　good　place
now。〃
　　　
〃Where　should　you　propose　to　go？〃　asked　Stillman。
　　　
〃To　Jupiter；　and；　if　possible；　after　that　to　Saturn；〃　replied
Ayrault；　〃the　former's　mean　distance　from　the　sun　is　480；000；000
miles；　but；　as　our　president　showed　us；　its　axis　is　so　nearly
straight　that　I　think；　with　its　internal　warmth；　there　will　be
nothing　to　fear　from　cold。　　Though；　on　account　of　the　planet's
vast　size；　objects　on　its　surface　weigh　more　than　twice　as　much
as　here；　if　I　am　able　to　reach　it　by　means　of　apergy；　the　same
force　will　enable　me　to　regulate　my　weight。　　Will　any　one　go　with
me？〃
　　　
〃Splendid！〃　said　Bearwarden。　　〃If　Mr。　Dumby；　our　vice…president；
will　temporarily　assume　my　office；　nothing　will　give　me　greater
pleasure。〃
　　　
〃So　will　I　go；　if　there　is　room　for　me；〃　said　Cortlandt。　　〃I　will
at　once　resign　my　place　as　Government　expert；　and　consider　it　the
grandest　event　of　my　life。〃
　　　
〃If　I　were　not　afraid　of　leaving　Stillman　here　to　his　own
devices；　I'd　ask　for　a　berth　as　well；〃　said　Deepwaters。
　　　
〃I　am　afraid；〃　said　Stillman；　〃if　you　take　any　more；　you　will　be
overcrowded。〃
　　　
〃Modesty　forbids　his　saying；〃　said　Deepwaters；　〃that　it　wouldn't
do　for　the　country　to　have　all　its　eggs　in　one　basket。〃
　　　
〃Are　you　not　afraid　you　will　find　the　surface　hot；　or　even
molten？〃　asked　Vice…President　Dumby。　　〃With　its　eighty…six
thousand　five　hundred　mile　diameter；　the　amount　of　original
internal　heat　must　have　been　terrific。〃
　　　
〃No；　said　Cortlandt；　〃it　cannot　be　molten；　or　even　in　the　least
degree　luminous；　for；　if　it　were；　its　satellites　would　be　visible
when　they　enter　its　shadow；　whereas　they　entirely　disappear。〃
　　　
〃I　do　not　believe　Jupiter's　surface　is　even　perceptibly　warm；〃
said　Bearwarden。　　〃We　know　that　Algol；　known　to　the　ancients　as
the　'Demon　Star；'　and　several　other　variable　stars；　are
accompanied　by　a　dark　companion；　with　which　they　revolve　about　a
common　centre；　and　which　periodically　obscures　part　of　their
light。　　Now；　some　of　these　non…luminaries　are　nearly　as　large　as
our　sun；　and；　of　course；　many　hundred　times　the　size　of　Jupiter。　
If　these　bodies　have　lost　enough　heat　to　be　invisible；　Jupiter's
surface　at　least　must　be　nearly　cold。〃
　　　
〃In　the　phosphorescence　of　seawater；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃and　in
other　instances　in　Nature；　we　find　light　without　heat；　and　we　may
soon　be　able　to　produce　it　in　the　arts　by　oxidizing　coal　without
the　intervention　of　the　steam　engine；　but　we　never　find　any
considerable　heat　without　light。〃
　　　
〃I　am　convinced；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃that　we　shall　find　Jupiter
habitable　for　intelligent　beings　who　have　been　developed　on　a
more　advanced　sphere　than　itself；　though　I　do　not　believe　it　has
progressed　far　enough　in　its　evolution　to　produce　them。　　I　expect
to　find　it　in　its　Palaeozoic　or　Mesozoic　period；　while　over　a
hundred　years　ago　the　English　astronomer；　Chambers；　thought　that
on　Saturn　there　was　good　reason　for　suspecting　the　presence　of
snow。〃
　　　
〃What　sort　of　spaceship　do　you　propose　to　have？〃　asked　the
vice…president。
　　　
〃As　you　have　to　pass　through　but　little　air；〃　said　Deepwaters；　〃I
should　suggest　a　short…stroke　cylinder　of　large　diameter；　with　a
flat　base　and　dome　roof；　composed　of　aluminum；　or；　still　better；
of　glucinum　or　beryllium　as　it　is　sometimes　called；　which　is
twice　as　good　a　conductor　of　electricity　as　aluminum；　four　times
as　strong；　and　is　the　lightest　of　all　known　metals；　having　a
specific　gravity　of　only　two；　which　last　property　will　be　of
great　use　to　you；　for　of　course　the　more　weight　you　have　to
propel　the　more　apergetic　repulsion　you　will　have　to　develop。〃
　　　
〃I　will　get　some　drawing…paper　I　left　outside　in　my　trap；〃　said
Ayrault；　〃when　with　your　ideas　we　may　arrive　at　something
definite；〃　saying　which；　he　left　the　room。
　　　
〃He　seems　very　cynical　in　his　ideas　of　life　and　the　world　in
general；〃　said　Secretary　Stillman；　〃for　a　man　of　his　age；　and　one
that　is　engaged。〃
　　　
〃You　see；〃　replied　Bearwarden；　〃his　fiancee　is　not　yet　a　senior；
being　in　the　class　of　two　thousand　and　one　at　Vassar；　and　so
cannot　marry　him　for　a　year。　　Not　till　next　June　can　this　sweet
girl　graduate　come　forth　with　her　mortar…board　and　sheepskin　to
enlighten　the　world　and　make　him　happy。　　That　is；　I　suspect；　one
reason　why　he　proposed　this　trip。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　VII。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　HARD　AT　WORK。

　　　
In　a　few　moments　Ayrault　returned　with　pencils；　a　pair　of
compasses；　and　paper。
　　　
〃Let　us　see；　in　the　first　place；〃　said　Deepwaters；　〃how　long　the
journey　will　take。　　Since　a　stone　falls　16。09　feet　the　first
second；　and　64＋　feet　the　next；　it　is　easy　to　calculate　at　what
rate　your　speed　would　increase　with　the　repulsion　twice　that　of
the　ordinary　traction。　　But　I　think　this　would　be　too　slow。　　It
will　be　best　to　treble　or　quadruple　the　apergetic　charge；　which
can　easily　be　done；　in　which　case　your　speed　will　exceed　the
muzzle…velocity　of　a　projectile　from　a　long…range　gun；　in　a　few
seconds。　　As　the　earth's　repulsion　decreases；　the　attraction　of
mars　and　Jupiter　will　increase；　and；　there　being　no　resistance；
your　gait　will　become　more　and　more　rapid　till　it　is　necessary　to
reverse　the　charge　to　avoid　being　dashed　to　pieces　or　being
consumed　like　a　falling　star　by　the　friction　in　passing　through
Jupiter's　atmosphere。　　You　can　be　on　the　safe　side　by　checking
your　speed　in　advance。　　You　must；　of　course；　be　careful　to　avoid
collisions　with　meteors　and　asteroids　but　if　you　do；　they　will　be
of　use　to　you；　for　by　attracting　or　repelling　them　you　can　change
your　course　to　suit　yourself；　and　also　theirs　in　inverse　ratio　to
their　masses。　　Jupiter's　moons　will　be　like　head　and　stern　lines
in　enabling　you　to　choose　the　part　of　the　surface　on　which　you
wish　to　land。　　With　apergy　it　is　as　essential　to　have　some　heavy
body　on　which　to　work；　within　range；　as　to　have　water　about　a
ship's　propellers。　　Whether；　when　apergy　is　developed；
gravitation　is　temporarily　annulled；　or　reversed　like　the　late
attraction　of　a　magnet　when　the　current　is　changed；　or　whether　it
is　merely　overpowered；　in　which　case　your　motion　will　be　the
resultant　of　the　two；　is　an　unsettled　and　not　very　important
point；　for；　though　we　know　but　little　more　of　the　nature　of
electricity　than　was　known　a　hundred　years　ago；　this　does　not
prevent　our　producing　and　using　it。〃
　　　
〃Jupiter；　when　in　opposition；〃　he　continued；　〃is　about
380；000；000　miles　from　us；　and　it　takes　light；　which　travels　at
the　rate　of　190；000　miles　a　second；　just　thirty…four　minutes　to
reach　the　earth　from　Jupiter。　　If　we　suppose　the　average　speed　of
your　ship　to　be　one…　five…hundredth　as　great；　it　will　take　you
just　eleven　days；　nineteen　hours　and　twenty　minutes　to　make　the
journey。　　You　will　have　a　fine　view　of　Mars　and　the　asteroids；
and　when　1；169；000　miles　from　Jupiter；　will　cross　the　orbit　of
Callisto；　the　fifth　moon　in　distance　from　the　giant　planet。　　That
will　be　your　best　point　to　steer　by。〃
　　　
〃I　think；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃as　that　will　be　the　first　member　of
Jupiter's　system　we　pass；　and　as　it　will　guide　us　into　port；　it
would　be　a　good　name　for　our　ship；　and　you　must　christen　her　if
we　have　her　launched。〃
　　　
〃No；　no；〃　said　Deepwaters；　〃Miss　Preston　must　do　that；　but　we
certainly　should　have　a　launch；　for　you　might　have　to　land　in　the
water；　and　you　must　be　sure　the　ship　is　tight。〃
　　　
〃Talking　of　tight　ships；〃　said　Bearwarden；　passing　a　decanter　of
claret　to　Stillman；　〃may　remind　us　that　it　is　time　to　splice　the
'main　brace。'　　There's　a　bottle　of　whisky　and　some　water　just
behind　you；〃　he　added　to　Deepwaters；　〃while　three　minutes　after　I
ring　this　bell；〃　he　said；　pressing　a　button　and　jerking　a　handle
marked　'8；'　〃the　champagne　cocktails　will　be　on　the　desk。〃
　　　
〃I　see　you　know　his　ways；〃　said　Stillman　to　Bearwarden