round the moon-第1部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！




ROUND　THE　MOON　

by　JULES　VERNE




A　SEQUEL　TO

FROM　THE　EARTH　TO　THE　MOON






PRELIMINARY　CHAPTER


THE　FIRST　PART　OF　THIS　WORK；　AND　SERVING　AS　A　PREFACE　TO　THE　SECOND

During　the　year　186…；　the　whole　world　was　greatly　excited　by　a
scientific　experiment　unprecedented　in　the　annals　of　science。
The　members　of　the　Gun　Club；　a　circle　of　artillerymen　formed　at
Baltimore　after　the　American　war；　conceived　the　idea　of
putting　themselves　in　communication　with　the　moon！　yes；　with
the　moon　by　sending　to　her　a　projectile。　　Their　president；
Barbicane；　the　promoter　of　the　enterprise；　having　consulted　the
astronomers　of　the　Cambridge　Observatory　upon　the　subject；　took
all　necessary　means　to　ensure　the　success　of　this　extraordinary
enterprise；　which　had　been　declared　practicable　by　the　majority
of　competent　judges。　　After　setting　on　foot　a　public
subscription；　which　realized　nearly　L1；200；000；　they　began　the
gigantic　work。

According　to　the　advice　forwarded　from　the　members　of　the
Observatory；　the　gun　destined　to　launch　the　projectile　had　to　be
fixed　in　a　country　situated　between　the　0　and　28th　degrees　of
north　or　south　latitude；　in　order　to　aim　at　the　moon　when　at　the
zenith；　and　its　initiatory　velocity　was　fixed　at　twelve　thousand
yards　to　the　second。　　Launched　on　the　1st　of　December；　at　10hrs。
46m。　40s。　P。M。；　it　ought　to　reach　the　moon　four　days　after　its
departure；　that　is　on　the　5th　of　December；　at　midnight
precisely；　at　the　moment　of　her　attaining　her　perigee；　that　is
her　nearest　distance　from　the　earth；　which　is　exactly　86；410
leagues　（French）；　or　238；833　miles　mean　distance　（English）。

The　principal　members　of　the　Gun　Club；　President　Barbicane；
Major　Elphinstone；　the　secretary　Joseph　T。　Maston；　and　other
learned　men；　held　several　meetings；　at　which　the　shape　and
composition　of　the　projectile　were　discussed；　also　the　position
and　nature　of　the　gun；　and　the　quality　and　quantity　of　powder
to　be　used。　　It　was　decided：　　First；　that　the　projectile　should
be　a　shell　made　of　aluminum　with　a　diameter　of　108　inches　and　a
thickness　of　twelve　inches　to　its　walls；　and　should　weigh
19；250　pounds。　　Second；　that　the　gun　should　be　a　Columbiad
cast　in　iron；　900　feet　long；　and　run　perpendicularly　into
the　earth。　　Third；　that　the　charge　should　contain　400；000　pounds
of　gun…cotton；　which；　giving　out　six　billions　of　litres　of　gas　in
rear　of　the　projectile；　would　easily　carry　it　toward　the　orb　of　night。

These　questions　determined　President　Barbicane；　assisted　by
Murchison　the　engineer；　to　choose　a　spot　situated　in　Florida；　in
27@　7'　North　latitude；　and　77@　3'　West　（Greenwich）　longitude。
It　was　on　this　spot；　after　stupendous　labor；　that　the　Columbiad
was　cast　with　full　success。　　Things　stood　thus；　when　an　incident
took　place　which　increased　the　interest　attached　to　this　great
enterprise　a　hundredfold。

A　Frenchman；　an　enthusiastic　Parisian；　as　witty　as　he　was　bold；
asked　to　be　enclosed　in　the　projectile；　in　order　that　he　might
reach　the　moon；　and　reconnoiter　this　terrestrial　satellite。
The　name　of　this　intrepid　adventurer　was　Michel　Ardan。　　He　landed
in　America；　was　received　with　enthusiasm；　held　meetings；　saw
himself　carried　in　triumph；　reconciled　President　Barbicane　to
his　mortal　enemy；　Captain　Nicholl；　and；　as　a　token　of
reconciliation；　persuaded　them　both　to　start　with　him　in
the　projectile。　　The　proposition　being　accepted；　the　shape
of　the　projectile　was　slightly　altered。　　It　was　made　of　a
cylindro…conical　form。　　This　species　of　aerial　car　was　lined　with
strong　springs　and　partitions　to　deaden　the　shock　of　departure。
It　was　provided　with　food　for　a　year；　water　for　some　months；
and　gas　for　some　days。　　A　self…acting　apparatus　supplied　the
three　travelers　with　air　to　breathe。　　At　the　same　time；　on　one
of　the　highest　points　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　the　Gun　Club　had
a　gigantic　telescope　erected；　in　order　that　they　might　be　able
to　follow　the　course　of　the　projectile　through　space。　　All　was
then　ready。

On　the　30th　of　November；　at　the　hour　fixed　upon；　from　the　midst
of　an　extraordinary　crowd　of　spectators；　the　departure　took　place；
and　for　the　first　time；　three　human　beings　quitted　the　terrestrial
globe；　and　launched　into　inter…planetary　space　with　almost　a
certainty　of　reaching　their　destination。　　These　bold　travelers；
Michel　Ardan；　President　Barbicane；　and　Captain　Nicholl；　ought　to
make　the　passage　in　ninety…seven　hours；　thirteen　minutes；　and
twenty　seconds。　　Consequently；　their　arrival　on　the　lunar　disc
could　not　take　place　until　the　5th　of　December　at　twelve　at　night；
at　the　exact　moment　when　the　moon　should　be　full；　and　not　on　the
4th；　as　some　badly　informed　journalists　had　announced。

But　an　unforeseen　circumstance；　viz。；　the　detonation　produced
by　the　Columbiad；　had　the　immediate　effect　of　troubling　the
terrestrial　atmosphere；　by　accumulating　a　large　quantity　of
vapor；　a　phenomenon　which　excited　universal　indignation；　for　the
moon　was　hidden　from　the　eyes　of　the　watchers　for　several　nights。

The　worthy　Joseph　T。　Maston；　the　staunchest　friend　of　the　three
travelers；　started　for　the　Rocky　Mountains；　accompanied　by　the
Hon。　J。　Belfast；　director　of　the　Cambridge　Observatory；　and
reached　the　station　of　Long's　Peak；　where　the　telescope　was
erected　which　brought　the　moon　within　an　apparent　distance　of
two　leagues。　　The　honorable　secretary　of　the　Gun　Club　wished
himself　to　observe　the　vehicle　of　his　daring　friends。

The　accumulation　of　the　clouds　in　the　atmosphere　prevented　all
observation　on　the　5th；　6th；　7th；　8th；　9th；　and　10th　of　December。
Indeed　it　was　thought　that　all　observations　would　have　to　be　put
off　to　the　3d　of　January　in　the　following　year；　for　the　moon
entering　its　last　quarter　on　the　11th；　would　then　only　present
an　ever…decreasing　portion　of　her　disc；　insufficient　to　allow
of　their　following　the　course　of　the　projectile。

At　length；　to　the　general　satisfaction；　a　heavy　storm　cleared
the　atmosphere　on　the　night　of　the　11th　and　12th　of　December；
and　the　moon；　with　half…illuminated　disc；　was　plainly　to　be　seen
upon　the　black　sky。

That　very　night　a　telegram　was　sent　from　the　station　of　Long's
Peak　by　Joseph　T。　Maston　and　Belfast　to　the　gentlemen　of　the
Cambridge　Observatory；　announcing　that　on　the　11th　of　December
at　8h。　47m。　P。M。；　the　projectile　launched　by　the　Columbiad　of
Stones　Hill　had　been　detected　by　Messrs。　Belfast　and　Maston
that　it　had　deviated　from　its　course　from　some　unknown　cause；
and　had　not　reached　its　destination；　but　that　it　had　passed　near
enough　to　be　retained　by　the　lunar　attraction；　that　its
rectilinear　movement　had　been　changed　to　a　circular　one；　and
that　following　an　elliptical　orbit　round　the　star　of　night　it
had　become　its　satellite。　　The　telegram　added　that　the　elements
of　this　new　star　had　not　yet　been　calculated；　and　indeed　three
observations　made　upon　a　star　in　three　different　positions　are
necessary　to　determine　these　elements。　　Then　it　showed　that　the
distance　separating　the　projectile　from　the　lunar　surface　〃might〃
be　reckoned　at　about　2；833　miles。

It　ended　with　the　double　hypothesis：　either　the　attraction　of
the　moon　would　draw　it　to　herself；　and　the　travelers　thus　attain
their　end；　or　that　the　projectile；　held　in　one　immutable　orbit；
would　gravitate　around　the　lunar　disc　to　all　eternity。

With　such　alternatives；　what　would　be　the　fate　of　the　travelers？
Certainly　they　had　food　for　some　time。　　But　supposing　they　did
succeed　in　their　rash　enterprise；　how　would　they　return？
Could　they　ever　return？　　Should　they　hear　from　them？
These　questions；　debated　by　the　most　learned　pens　of　the　day；
strongly　engrossed　the　public　attention。

It　is　advisable　here　to　make　a　remark　which　ought　to　be　well
considered　by　hasty　observers。　　When　a　purely　speculative
discovery　is　announced　to　the　public；　it　cannot　be　done　with　too
much　prudence。　　No　one　is　obliged　to　discover　either　a　planet；
a　comet；　or　a　satellite；　and　whoever　makes　a　mistake　in　such　a
case　exposes　himself　justly　to　the　derision　of　the　mass。
Far　better　is　it　to　wait；　and　that　is　what　the　impatient　Joseph
T。　Maston　should　have　done　before　sending　this　telegram　forth　to
the　world；　which；　according　to　his　idea；　told　the　whole　result
of　the　enterprise。　　Indeed　this　telegram　contained　two　sorts　of
errors；　as　was　proved　eventually。　　First；　errors　of　observation；
concerning　the　distance　of　the　projectile　from　the　surface　of
the　moon；　for　on　the　11th　of　December　it　was　impossible　to　see
it；　and　what　Joseph　T。　Maston　had　seen；　or　thought　he　saw；　could
not　have　been　the　projectile　of　the　Columbiad。　　Second；　errors　of
theory　on　the　fate　in　store　for　the　said　projectile；　for　in　making
it　a　satellite　of　the　moon；　it　was　putting　it　in　direct
contradiction　of　all　mechanical　laws。

One　single　hypothesis　of　the　observers　of　Long's　Peak　could　ever
be　realized；　that　which　foresaw　the　case　of　the　travelers　（if
still　alive）　uniting　their　efforts　with　the　lunar　attraction　to
attain　the　surface　of　the　disc。

Now　these　men；　as　clever　as　they　were　daring；　had　survived　the
terrible　shock　consequent　on　their　departure；　and　it　is　their
journey　in　the　projectile　car　which　is　here　related　in　its　most
dramatic　as　well　as