round the moon-第24部分

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immense　conflagration。　　Thousands　of　luminous　fragments　lit　up
and　irradiated　space　with　their　fires。　　Every　size；　every　color；
was　there　intermingled。　　There　were　rays　of　yellow　and　pale
yellow；　red；　green；　gray　a　crown　of　fireworks　of　all　colors。
Of　the　enormous　and　much…dreaded　globe　there　remained　nothing
but　these　fragments　carried　in　all　directions；　now　become
asteroids　in　their　turn；　some　flaming　like　a　sword；　some
surrounded　by　a　whitish　cloud；　and　others　leaving　behind　them
trains　of　brilliant　cosmical　dust。

These　incandescent　blocks　crossed　and　struck　each　other；
scattering　still　smaller　fragments；　some　of　which　struck
the　projectile。　　Its　left　scuttle　was　even　cracked　by　a
violent　shock。　　It　seemed　to　be　floating　amid　a　hail　of
howitzer　shells；　the　smallest　of　which　might　destroy
it　instantly。

The　light　which　saturated　the　ether　was　so　wonderfully　intense；
that　Michel；　drawing　Barbicane　and　Nicholl　to　his　window；
exclaimed；　〃The　invisible　moon；　visible　at　last！〃

And　through　a　luminous　emanation；　which　lasted　some　seconds；　the
whole　three　caught　a　glimpse　of　that　mysterious　disc　which　the　eye
of　man　now　saw　for　the　first　time。　　What　could　they　distinguish
at　a　distance　which　they　could　not　estimate？　　Some　lengthened
bands　along　the　disc；　real　clouds　formed　in　the　midst　of　a　very
confined　atmosphere；　from　which　emerged　not　only　all　the　mountains；
but　also　projections　of　less　importance；　its　circles；　its　yawning
craters；　as　capriciously　placed　as　on　the　visible　surface。
Then　immense　spaces；　no　longer　arid　plains；　but　real　seas；　oceans；
widely　distributed；　reflecting　on　their　liquid　surface　all　the
dazzling　magic　of　the　fires　of　space；　and；　lastly；　on　the　surface
of　the　continents；　large　dark　masses；　looking　like　immense　forests
under　the　rapid　illumination　of　a　brilliance。

Was　it　an　illusion；　a　mistake；　an　optical　illusion？　　Could　they
give　a　scientific　assent　to　an　observation　so　superficially　obtained？
Dared　they　pronounce　upon　the　question　of　its　habitability　after
so　slight　a　glimpse　of　the　invisible　disc？

But　the　lightnings　in　space　subsided　by　degrees；　its　accidental
brilliancy　died　away；　the　asteroids　dispersed　in　different
directions　and　were　extinguished　in　the　distance。

The　ether　returned　to　its　accustomed　darkness；　the　stars；　eclipsed
for　a　moment；　again　twinkled　in　the　firmament；　and　the　disc；　so
hastily　discerned；　was　again　buried　in　impenetrable　night。





CHAPTER　XVI


THE　SOUTHERN　HEMISPHERE


The　projectile　had　just　escaped　a　terrible　danger；　and　a　very
unforseen　one。　　Who　would　have　thought　of　such　an　encounter
with　meteors？　　These　erring　bodies　might　create　serious　perils
for　the　travelers。　　They　were　to　them　so　many　sandbanks　upon
that　sea　of　ether　which；　less　fortunate　than　sailors；　they　could
not　escape。　　But　did　these　adventurers　complain　of　space？　　No；　not
since　nature　had　given　them　the　splendid　sight　of　a　cosmical
meteor　bursting　from　expansion；　since　this　inimitable　firework；
which　no　Ruggieri　could　imitate；　had　lit　up　for　some　seconds　the
invisible　glory　of　the　moon。　　In　that　flash；　continents；　seas；
and　forests　had　become　visible　to　them。　　Did　an　atmosphere；
then；　bring　to　this　unknown　face　its　life…giving　atoms？
Questions　still　insoluble；　and　forever　closed　against
human　curiousity！

It　was　then　half…past　three　in　the　afternoon。　　The　projectile
was　following　its　curvilinear　direction　round　the　moon。　　Had　its
course　again　been　altered　by　the　meteor？　　It　was　to　be　feared　so。
But　the　projectile　must　describe　a　curve　unalterably　determined
by　the　laws　of　mechanical　reasoning。　　Barbicane　was　inclined　to
believe　that　this　curve　would　be　rather　a　parabola　than　a　hyperbola。
But　admitting　the　parabola；　the　projectile　must　quickly　have
passed　through　the　cone　of　shadow　projected　into　space　opposite
the　sun。　　This　cone；　indeed；　is　very　narrow；　the　angular　diameter
of　the　moon　being　so　little　when　compared　with　the　diameter　of
the　orb　of　day；　and　up　to　this　time　the　projectile　had　been
floating　in　this　deep　shadow。　　Whatever　had　been　its　speed
（and　it　could　not　have　been　insignificant）；　its　period　of
occultation　continued。　　That　was　evident；　but　perhaps　that　would
not　have　been　the　case　in　a　supposedly　rigidly　parabolical
trajectory　a　new　problem　which　tormented　Barbicane's　brain；
imprisoned　as　he　was　in　a　circle　of　unknowns　which　he　could
not　unravel。

Neither　of　the　travelers　thought　of　taking　an　instant's　repose。
Each　one　watched　for　an　unexpected　fact；　which　might　throw　some
new　light　on　their　uranographic　studies。　　About　five　o'clock；
Michel　Ardan　distributed；　under　the　name　of　dinner；　some　pieces
of　bread　and　cold　meat；　which　were　quickly　swallowed　without
either　of　them　abandoning　their　scuttle；　the　glass　of　which　was
incessantly　encrusted　by　the　condensation　of　vapor。

About　forty…five　minutes　past　five　in　the　evening；　Nicholl；
armed　with　his　glass；　sighted　toward　the　southern　border　of　the
moon；　and　in　the　direction　followed　by　the　projectile；　some
bright　points　cut　upon　the　dark　shield　of　the　sky。　　They　looked
like　a　succession　of　sharp　points　lengthened　into　a　tremulous　line。
They　were　very　bright。　　Such　appeared　the　terminal　line　of　the
moon　when　in　one　of　her　octants。

They　could　not　be　mistaken。　　It　was　no　longer　a　simple　meteor。
This　luminous　ridge　had　neither　color　nor　motion。　　Nor　was　it　a
volcano　in　eruption。　　And　Barbicane　did　not　hesitate　to
pronounce　upon　it。

〃The　sun！〃　he　exclaimed。

〃What！　the　sun？〃　answered　Nicholl　and　Michel　Ardan。

〃Yes；　my　friends；　it　is　the　radiant　orb　itself　lighting　up　the
summit　of　the　mountains　situated　on　the　southern　borders　of
the　moon。　　We　are　evidently　nearing　the　south　pole。〃

〃After　having　passed　the　north　pole；〃　replied　Michel。　　〃We　have
made　the　circuit　of　our　satellite；　then？〃

〃Yes；　my　good　Michel。〃

〃Then；　no　more　hyperbolas；　no　more　parabolas；　no　more　open
curves　to　fear？〃

〃No；　but　a　closed　curve。〃

〃Which　is　called〃

〃An　ellipse。　　Instead　of　losing　itself　in　interplanetary　space；
it　is　probable　that　the　projectile　will　describe　an　elliptical
orbit　around　the　moon。〃

〃Indeed！〃

〃And　that　it　will　become　_her_　satellite。〃

〃Moon　of　the　moon！〃　cried　Michel　Ardan。

〃Only；　I　would　have　you　observe；　my　worthy　friend；〃　replied
Barbicane；　〃that　we　are　none　the　less　lost　for　that。〃

〃Yes；　in　another　manner；　and　much　more　pleasantly；〃　answered　the
careless　Frenchman　with　his　most　amiable　smile。





CHAPTER　XVII


TYCHO


At　six　in　the　evening　the　projectile　passed　the　south　pole　at
less　than　forty　miles　off；　a　distance　equal　to　that　already
reached　at　the　north　pole。　　The　elliptical　curve　was　being
rigidly　carried　out。

At　this　moment　the　travelers　once　more　entered　the　blessed　rays
of　the　sun。　　They　saw　once　more　those　stars　which　move　slowly
from　east　to　west。　　The　radiant　orb　was　saluted　by　a　triple　hurrah。
With　its　light　it　also　sent　heat；　which　soon　pierced　the　metal　walls。
The　glass　resumed　its　accustomed　appearance。　　The　layers　of　ice
melted　as　if　by　enchantment；　and　immediately；　for　economy's　sake；
the　gas　was　put　out；　the　air　apparatus　alone　consuming　its
usual　quantity。

〃Ah！〃　said　Nicholl；　〃these　rays　of　heat　are　good。　　With　what
impatience　must　the　Selenites　wait　the　reappearance　of　the　orb
of　day。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Michel　Ardan；　〃imbibing　as　it　were　the　brilliant
ether；　light　and　heat；　all　life　is　contained　in　them。〃

At　this　moment　the　bottom　of　the　projectile　deviated　somewhat
from　the　lunar　surface；　in　order　to　follow　the　slightly
lengthened　elliptical　orbit。　　From　this　point；　had　the　earth
been　at　the　full；　Barbicane　and　his　companions　could　have
seen　it；　but　immersed　in　the　sun's　irradiation　she　was
quite　invisible。　　Another　spectacle　attracted　their　attention；
that　of　the　southern　part　of　the　moon；　brought　by　the　glasses
to　within　450　yards。　　They　did　not　again　leave　the　scuttles；
and　noted　every　detail　of　this　fantastical　continent。

Mounts　Doerful　and　Leibnitz　formed　two　separate　groups　very　near
the　south　pole。　　The　first　group　extended　from　the　pole　to　the
eighty…fourth　parallel；　on　the　eastern　part　of　the　orb；　the
second　occupied　the　eastern　border；　extending　from　the　65@　of
latitude　to　the　pole。

On　their　capriciously　formed　ridge　appeared　dazzling　sheets；　as
mentioned　by　Pere　Secchi。　　With　more　certainty　than　the
illustrious　Roman　astronomer；　Barbicane　was　enabled　to　recognize
their　nature。

〃They　are　snow；〃　he　exclaimed。

〃Snow？〃　repeated　Nicholl。

〃Yes；　Nicholl；　snow；　the　surface　of　which　is　deeply　frozen。
See　how　they　reflect　the　luminous　rays。　　Cooled　lava　would　never
give　out　such　intense　reflection。　　There　must　then　be　water；
there　must　be　air　on　the　moon。　　As　little　as　you　please；　but　the
fact　can　no　longer　be　contested。〃　　No；　it　could　not　be。　　And　if
ever　Barbicane　should　see　the　earth　again；　his　notes　will　bear
witness　to　this　great　fact　in　his　selenographic　observations。

These　mountains　of　Doerful　and　Leibnitz　rose　in　the　midst　of
plains　of　a　medium　extent；　which　were　bounded　by　an　indefinite
succession　of　circles　and　annular　ramparts。　　These　two　chains
are　the　only　ones　met　with　in　this　region　of　circles