CHAPTERXXVIII
ANEWSTAR
Thatverynight，thestartlingnewssoimpatientlyawaited，burstlikeathunderboltovertheUnitedStatesoftheUnion，andthence，dartingacrosstheocean，ranthroughallthetelegraphicwiresoftheglobe。Theprojectilehadbeendetected，thankstothegiganticreflectorofLong'sPeak！
HereisthenotereceivedbythedirectoroftheObservatoryofCambridge。ItcontainsthescientificconclusionregardingthisgreatexperimentoftheGunClub。
LONG'SPEAK，December12。
TotheOfficersoftheObservatoryofCambridge。
TheprojectiledischargedbytheColumbiadatStonesHillhasbeendetectedbyMessrs。BelfastandJ。T。Maston，12thofDecember，at8:47P。M。，themoonhavingenteredherlastquarter。
Thisprojectilehasnotarrivedatitsdestination。Ithaspassedbytheside；butsufficientlyneartoberetainedbythelunarattraction。
Therectilinearmovementhasthusbecomechangedintoacircularmotionofextremevelocity，anditisnowpursuinganellipticalorbitroundthemoon，ofwhichithasbecomeatruesatellite。
Theelementsofthisnewstarwehaveasyetbeenunabletodetermine；wedonotyetknowthevelocityofitspassage。
Thedistancewhichseparatesitfromthesurfaceofthemoonmaybeestimatedatabout2，833miles。
However，twohypothesescomehereintoourconsideration。
1。Eithertheattractionofthemoonwillendbydrawingthemintoitself，andthetravelerswillattaintheirdestination；or，2。Theprojectile，followinganimmutablelaw，willcontinuetogravitateroundthemoontilltheendoftime。
Atsomefuturetime，ourobservationswillbeabletodeterminethispoint，buttillthentheexperimentoftheGunClubcanhavenootherresultthantohaveprovidedoursolarsystemwithanewstar。
J。BELFAST。
Tohowmanyquestionsdidthisunexpected_denouement_giverise？
Whatmysteriousresultswasthefuturereservingfortheinvestigationofscience？Atallevents，thenamesofNicholl，Barbicane，andMichelArdanwerecertaintobeimmortalizedintheannalsofastronomy！
WhenthedispatchfromLong'sPeakhadoncebecomeknown，therewasbutoneuniversalfeelingofsurpriseandalarm。Wasitpossibletogototheaidoftheseboldtravelers？No！fortheyhadplacedthemselvesbeyondthepaleofhumanity，bycrossingthelimitsimposedbytheCreatoronhisearthlycreatures。
Theyhadairenoughfor_two_months；theyhadvictualsenoughfor_twelve；——butafterthat？_Therewasonlyonemanwhowouldnotadmitthatthesituationwasdesperate——healonehadconfidence；andthatwastheirdevotedfriendJ。T。Maston。
Besides，heneverletthemgetoutofsight。HishomewashenceforththepostatLong'sPeak；hishorizon，themirrorofthatimmensereflector。Assoonasthemoonroseabovethehorizon，heimmediatelycaughtherinthefieldofthetelescope；heneverlethergoforaninstantoutofhissight，andfollowedherassiduouslyinhercoursethroughthestellarspaces。Hewatchedwithuntiringpatiencethepassageoftheprojectileacrosshersilverydisc，andreallytheworthymanremainedinperpetualcommunicationwithhisthreefriends，whomhedidnotdespairofseeingagainsomeday。
"Thosethreemen，"saidhe，"havecarriedintospacealltheresourcesofart，science，andindustry。Withthat，onecandoanything；andyouwillseethat，someday，theywillcomeoutallright。"
ROUNDTHEMOON
ASEQUELTOFROMTHEEARTHTOTHEMOON
PRELIMINARYCHAPTER
THEFIRSTPARTOFTHISWORK，ANDSERVINGASAPREFACETOTHESECOND
Duringtheyear186-，thewholeworldwasgreatlyexcitedbyascientificexperimentunprecedentedintheannalsofscience。
ThemembersoftheGunClub，acircleofartillerymenformedatBaltimoreaftertheAmericanwar，conceivedtheideaofputtingthemselvesincommunicationwiththemoon！——yes，withthemoon——bysendingtoheraprojectile。Theirpresident，Barbicane，thepromoteroftheenterprise，havingconsultedtheastronomersoftheCambridgeObservatoryuponthesubject，tookallnecessarymeanstoensurethesuccessofthisextraordinaryenterprise，whichhadbeendeclaredpracticablebythemajorityofcompetentjudges。Aftersettingonfootapublicsubscription，whichrealizednearlyL1，200，000，theybeganthegiganticwork。
AccordingtotheadviceforwardedfromthemembersoftheObservatory，thegundestinedtolaunchtheprojectilehadtobefixedinacountrysituatedbetweenthe0and28thdegreesofnorthorsouthlatitude，inordertoaimatthemoonwhenatthezenith；anditsinitiatoryvelocitywasfixedattwelvethousandyardstothesecond。Launchedonthe1stofDecember，at10hrs。
46m。40s。P。M。，itoughttoreachthemoonfourdaysafteritsdeparture，thatisonthe5thofDecember，atmidnightprecisely，atthemomentofherattainingherperigee，thatishernearestdistancefromtheearth，whichisexactly86，410
leaguesFrench，or238，833milesmeandistanceEnglish。
TheprincipalmembersoftheGunClub，PresidentBarbicane，MajorElphinstone，thesecretaryJosephT。Maston，andotherlearnedmen，heldseveralmeetings，atwhichtheshapeandcompositionoftheprojectilewerediscussed，alsothepositionandnatureofthegun，andthequalityandquantityofpowdertobeused。Itwasdecided:First，thattheprojectileshouldbeashellmadeofaluminumwithadiameterof108inchesandathicknessoftwelveinchestoitswalls；andshouldweigh19，250pounds。Second，thatthegunshouldbeaColumbiadcastiniron，900feetlong，andrunperpendicularlyintotheearth。Third，thatthechargeshouldcontain400，000poundsofgun-cotton，which，givingoutsixbillionsoflitresofgasinrearoftheprojectile，wouldeasilycarryittowardtheorbofnight。
ThesequestionsdeterminedPresidentBarbicane，assistedbyMurchisontheengineer，tochooseaspotsituatedinFlorida，in27@7'Northlatitude，and77@3'WestGreenwichlongitude。
Itwasonthisspot，afterstupendouslabor，thattheColumbiadwascastwithfullsuccess。Thingsstoodthus，whenanincidenttookplacewhichincreasedtheinterestattachedtothisgreatenterpriseahundredfold。
AFrenchman，anenthusiasticParisian，aswittyashewasbold，askedtobeenclosedintheprojectile，inorderthathemightreachthemoon，andreconnoiterthisterrestrialsatellite。
ThenameofthisintrepidadventurerwasMichelArdan。HelandedinAmerica，wasreceivedwithenthusiasm，heldmeetings，sawhimselfcarriedintriumph，reconciledPresidentBarbicanetohismortalenemy，CaptainNicholl，and，asatokenofreconciliation，persuadedthembothtostartwithhimintheprojectile。Thepropositionbeingaccepted，theshapeoftheprojectilewasslightlyaltered。Itwasmadeofacylindro-conicalform。Thisspeciesofaerialcarwaslinedwithstrongspringsandpartitionstodeadentheshockofdeparture。
Itwasprovidedwithfoodforayear，waterforsomemonths，andgasforsomedays。Aself-actingapparatussuppliedthethreetravelerswithairtobreathe。Atthesametime，ononeofthehighestpointsoftheRockyMountains，theGunClubhadagigantictelescopeerected，inorderthattheymightbeabletofollowthecourseoftheprojectilethroughspace。Allwasthenready。
Onthe30thofNovember，atthehourfixedupon，fromthemidstofanextraordinarycrowdofspectators，thedeparturetookplace，andforthefirsttime，threehumanbeingsquittedtheterrestrialglobe，andlaunchedintointer-planetaryspacewithalmostacertaintyofreachingtheirdestination。Theseboldtravelers，MichelArdan，PresidentBarbicane，andCaptainNicholl，oughttomakethepassageinninety-sevenhours，thirteenminutes，andtwentyseconds。Consequently，theirarrivalonthelunardisccouldnottakeplaceuntilthe5thofDecemberattwelveatnight，attheexactmomentwhenthemoonshouldbefull，andnotonthe4th，assomebadlyinformedjournalistshadannounced。
Butanunforeseencircumstance，viz。，thedetonationproducedbytheColumbiad，hadtheimmediateeffectoftroublingtheterrestrialatmosphere，byaccumulatingalargequantityofvapor，aphenomenonwhichexciteduniversalindignation，forthemoonwashiddenfromtheeyesofthewatchersforseveralnights。
TheworthyJosephT。Maston，thestaunchestfriendofthethreetravelers，startedfortheRockyMountains，accompaniedbytheHon。J。Belfast，directoroftheCambridgeObservatory，andreachedthestationofLong'sPeak，wherethetelescopewaserectedwhichbroughtthemoonwithinanapparentdistanceoftwoleagues。ThehonorablesecretaryoftheGunClubwishedhimselftoobservethevehicleofhisdaringfriends。
Theaccumulationofthecloudsintheatmospherepreventedallobservationonthe5th，6th，7th，8th，9th，and10thofDecember。
Indeeditwasthoughtthatallobservationswouldhavetobeputofftothe3dofJanuaryinthefollowingyear；forthemoonenteringitslastquarteronthe11th，wouldthenonlypresentanever-decreasingportionofherdisc，insufficienttoallowoftheirfollowingthecourseoftheprojectile。
Atlength，tothegeneralsatisfaction，aheavystormclearedtheatmosphereonthenightofthe11thand12thofDecember，andthemoon，withhalf-illuminateddisc，wasplainlytobeseenupontheblacksky。
ThatverynightatelegramwassentfromthestationofLong'sPeakbyJosephT。MastonandBelfasttothegentlemenoftheCambridgeObservatory，announcingthatonthe11thofDecemberat8h。47m。P。M。，theprojectilelaunchedbytheColumbiadofStonesHillhadbeendetectedbyMessrs。BelfastandMaston——
thatithaddeviatedfromitscoursefromsomeunknowncause，andhadnotreacheditsdestination；butthatithadpassednearenoughtoberetainedbythelunarattraction；thatitsrectilinearmovementhadbeenchangedtoacircularone，andthatfollowinganellipticalorbitroundthestarofnightithadbecomeitssatellite。Thetelegramaddedthattheelementsofthisnewstarhadnotyetbeencalculated；andindeedthreeobservationsmadeuponastarinthreedifferentpositionsarenecessarytodeterminetheseelements。Thenitshowedthatthedistanceseparatingtheprojectilefromthelunarsurface"might"
bereckonedatabout2，833miles。
Itendedwiththedoublehypothesis:eithertheattractionofthemoonwoulddrawittoherself，andthetravelersthusattaintheirend；orthattheprojectile，heldinoneimmutableorbit，wouldgravitatearoundthelunardisctoalleternity。
Withsuchalternatives，whatwouldbethefateofthetravelers？
Certainlytheyhadfoodforsometime。Butsupposingtheydidsucceedintheirrashenterprise，howwouldtheyreturn？
Couldtheyeverreturn？Shouldtheyhearfromthem？
Thesequestions，debatedbythemostlearnedpensoftheday，stronglyengrossedthepublicattention。
Itisadvisableheretomakearemarkwhichoughttobewellconsideredbyhastyobservers。Whenapurelyspeculativediscoveryisannouncedtothepublic，itcannotbedonewithtoomuchprudence。Nooneisobligedtodiscovereitheraplanet，acomet，orasatellite；andwhoevermakesamistakeinsuchacaseexposeshimselfjustlytothederisionofthemass。
Farbetterisittowait；andthatiswhattheimpatientJosephT。Mastonshouldhavedonebeforesendingthistelegramforthtotheworld，which，accordingtohisidea，toldthewholeresultoftheenterprise。Indeedthistelegramcontainedtwosortsoferrors，aswasprovedeventually。First，errorsofobservation，concerningthedistanceoftheprojectilefromthesurfaceofthemoon，foronthe11thofDecemberitwasimpossibletoseeit；andwhatJosephT。Mastonhadseen，orthoughthesaw，couldnothavebeentheprojectileoftheColumbiad。Second，errorsoftheoryonthefateinstoreforthesaidprojectile；forinmakingitasatelliteofthemoon，itwasputtingitindirectcontradictionofallmechanicallaws。
OnesinglehypothesisoftheobserversofLong'sPeakcouldeverberealized，thatwhichforesawthecaseofthetravelersifstillaliveunitingtheireffortswiththelunarattractiontoattainthesurfaceofthedisc。
Nowthesemen，ascleverastheyweredaring，hadsurvivedtheterribleshockconsequentontheirdeparture，anditistheirjourneyintheprojectilecarwhichishererelatedinitsmostdramaticaswellasinitsmostsingulardetails。Thisrecitalwilldestroymanyillusionsandsurmises；butitwillgiveatrueideaofthesingularchangesinstoreforsuchanenterprise；itwillbringoutthescientificinstinctsofBarbicane，theindustriousresourcesofNicholl，andtheaudacioushumorofMichelArdan。Besidesthis，itwillprovethattheirworthyfriend，JosephT。Maston，waswastinghistime，whileleaningoverthegigantictelescopehewatchedthecourseofthemoonthroughthestarryspace。
CHAPTERI
TWENTYMINUTESPASTTENTOFORTY-SEVENMINUTESPASTTENP。M。
Asteno'clockstruck，MichelArdan，Barbicane，andNicholl，tookleaveofthenumerousfriendstheywereleavingontheearth。
Thetwodogs，destinedtopropagatethecanineraceonthelunarcontinents，werealreadyshutupintheprojectile。
Thethreetravelersapproachedtheorificeoftheenormouscast-irontube，andacraneletthemdowntotheconicaltopoftheprojectile。There，anopeningmadeforthepurposegavethemaccesstothealuminumcar。Thetacklebelongingtothecranebeinghauledfromoutside，themouthoftheColumbiadwasinstantlydisencumberedofitslastsupports。
Nicholl，onceintroducedwithhiscompanionsinsidetheprojectile，begantoclosetheopeningbymeansofastrongplate，heldinpositionbypowerfulscrews。Otherplates，closelyfitted，coveredthelenticularglasses，andthetravelers，hermeticallyenclosedintheirmetalprison，wereplungedinprofounddarkness。
"Andnow，mydearcompanions，"saidMichelArdan，"letusmakeourselvesathome；Iamadomesticatedmanandstronginhousekeeping。Weareboundtomakethebestofournewlodgings，andmakeourselvescomfortable。Andfirstletustryandseealittle。Gaswasnotinventedformoles。"
Sosaying，thethoughtlessfellowlitamatchbystrikingitonthesoleofhisboot；andapproachedtheburnerfixedtothereceptacle，inwhichthecarbonizedhydrogen，storedathighpressure，sufficedforthelightingandwarmingoftheprojectileforahundredandforty-fourhours，orsixdaysandsixnights。Thegascaughtfire，andthuslightedtheprojectilelookedlikeacomfortableroomwiththicklypaddedwalls，furnishedwithacirculardivan，andaroofroundedintheshapeofadome。
MichelArdanexaminedeverything，anddeclaredhimselfsatisfiedwithhisinstallation。
"Itisaprison，"saidhe，"butatravelingprison；and，withtherightofputtingmynosetothewindow，Icouldwellstandaleaseofahundredyears。Yousmile，Barbicane。Haveyouany_arriere-pensee_？Doyousaytoyourself，`Thisprisonmaybeourtomb？'Tomb，perhaps；stillIwouldnotchangeitforMahomet's，whichfloatsinspacebutneveradvancesaninch！"
WhileMichelArdanwasspeaking，BarbicaneandNichollweremakingtheirlastpreparations。
Nicholl'schronometermarkedtwentyminutespasttenP。M。whenthethreetravelerswerefinallyenclosedintheirprojectile。
ThischronometerwassetwithinthetenthofasecondbythatofMurchisontheengineer。Barbicaneconsultedit。
"Myfriends，"saidhe，"itistwentyminutespastten。Atforty-
sevenminutespasttenMurchisonwilllaunchtheelectricsparkonthewirewhichcommunicateswiththechargeoftheColumbiad。
Atthatprecisemomentweshallleaveourspheroid。Thuswestillhavetwenty-sevenminutestoremainontheearth。"
"Twenty-sixminutesthirteenseconds，"repliedthemethodicalNicholl。
"Well！"exclaimedMichelArdan，inagood-humoredtone，"muchmaybedoneintwenty-sixminutes。Thegravestquestionsofmoralsandpoliticsmaybediscussed，andevensolved。
Twenty-sixminuteswellemployedareworthmorethantwenty-sixyearsinwhichnothingisdone。SomesecondsofaPascaloraNewtonaremorepreciousthanthewholeexistenceofacrowdofrawsimpletons——"
"Andyouconclude，then，youeverlastingtalker？"askedBarbicane。
"Iconcludethatwehavetwenty-sixminutesleft，"repliedArdan。
"Twenty-fouronly，"saidNicholl。
"Well，twenty-four，ifyoulike，mynoblecaptain，"saidArdan；
"twenty-fourminutesinwhichtoinvestigate——"
"Michel，"saidBarbicane，"duringthepassageweshallhaveplentyoftimetoinvestigatethemostdifficultquestions。
Forthepresentwemustoccupyourselveswithourdeparture。"
"Arewenotready？"
"Doubtless；buttherearestillsomeprecautionstobetaken，todeadenasmuchaspossiblethefirstshock。"
"Havewenotthewater-cushionsplacedbetweenthepartition-
breaks，whoseelasticitywillsufficientlyprotectus？"
"Ihopeso，Michel，"repliedBarbicanegently，"butIamnotsure。"
"Ah，thejoker！"exclaimedMichelArdan。"Hehopes！——Heisnotsure！——andhewaitsforthemomentwhenweareencasedtomakethisdeplorableadmission！Ibegtobeallowedtogetout！"
"Andhow？"askedBarbicane。
"Humph！"saidMichelArdan，"itisnoteasy；weareinthetrain，andtheguard'swhistlewillsoundbeforetwenty-fourminutesareover。"
"Twenty，"saidNicholl。
Forsomemomentsthethreetravelerslookedateachother。
Thentheybegantoexaminetheobjectsimprisonedwiththem。
"Everythingisinitsplace，"saidBarbicane。"Wehavenowtodecidehowwecanbestplaceourselvestoresisttheshock。
Positioncannotbeanindifferentmatter；andwemust，asmuchaspossible，preventtherushofbloodtothehead。"
"Justso，"saidNicholl。
"Then，"repliedMichelArdan，readytosuittheactiontotheword，"letusputourheadsdownandourfeetintheair，liketheclownsinthegrandcircus。"
"No，"saidBarbicane，"letusstretchourselvesonoursides；weshallresisttheshockbetterthatway。Rememberthat，whentheprojectilestarts，itmatterslittlewhetherweareinitorbeforeit；itamountstomuchthesamething。"
"Ifitisonly`muchthesamething，'Imaycheerup，"saidMichelArdan。
"Doyouapproveofmyidea，Nicholl？"askedBarbicane。
"Entirely，"repliedthecaptain。"We'vestillthirteenminutesandahalf。"
"ThatNichollisnotaman，"exclaimedMichel；"heisachronometerwithseconds，anescape，andeightholes。"
Buthiscompanionswerenotlistening；theyweretakinguptheirlastpositionswiththemostperfectcoolness。Theywereliketwomethodicaltravelersinacar，seekingtoplacethemselvesascomfortablyaspossible。
WemightwellaskourselvesofwhatmaterialsaretheheartsoftheseAmericansmade，towhomtheapproachofthemostfrightfuldangeraddednopulsation。
Threethickandsolidly-madecoucheshadbeenplacedintheprojectile。NichollandBarbicaneplacedtheminthecenterofthediscformingthefloor。Therethethreetravelersweretostretchthemselvessomemomentsbeforetheirdeparture。
Duringthistime，Ardan，notbeingabletokeepstill，turnedinhisnarrowprisonlikeawildbeastinacage，chattingwithhisfriends，speakingtothedogsDianaandSatellite，towhom，asmaybeseen，hehadgivensignificantnames。
"Ah，Diana！Ah，Satellite！"heexclaimed，teasingthem；"soyouaregoingtoshowthemoon-dogsthegoodhabitsofthedogsoftheearth！Thatwilldohonortothecaninerace！Ifeverwedocomedownagain，Iwillbringacrosstypeof`moon-dogs，'
whichwillmakeastir！"
"Ifthere_are_dogsinthemoon，"saidBarbicane。
"Thereare，"saidMichelArdan，"justastherearehorses，cows，donkeys，andchickens。Ibetthatweshallfindchickens。"
"Ahundreddollarsweshallfindnone！"saidNicholl。
"Done，mycaptain！"repliedArdan，claspingNicholl'shand。
"But，bythebye，youhavealreadylostthreebetswithourpresident，asthenecessaryfundsfortheenterprisehavebeenfound，astheoperationofcastinghasbeensuccessful，andlastly，astheColumbiadhasbeenloadedwithoutaccident，sixthousanddollars。"
"Yes，"repliedNicholl。"Thirty-sevenminutessixsecondspastten。"
"Itisunderstood，captain。Well，beforeanotherquarterofanhouryouwillhavetocountninethousanddollarstothepresident；fourthousandbecausetheColumbiadwillnotburst，andfivethousandbecausetheprojectilewillrisemorethansixmilesintheair。"
"Ihavethedollars，"repliedNicholl，slappingthepocketofthiscoat。"Ionlyasktobeallowedtopay。"
"Come，Nicholl。Iseethatyouareamanofmethod，whichIcouldneverbe；butindeedyouhavemadeaseriesofbetsofverylittleadvantagetoyourself，allowmetotellyou。"
"Andwhy？"askedNicholl。
"Because，ifyougainthefirst，theColumbiadwillhaveburst，andtheprojectilewithit；andBarbicanewillnolongerbetheretoreimburseyourdollars。"
"MystakeisdepositedatthebankinBaltimore，"repliedBarbicanesimply；"andifNichollisnotthere，itwillgotohisheirs。"
"Ah，youpracticalmen！"exclaimedMichelArdan；"Iadmireyouthemorefornotbeingabletounderstandyou。"
"Forty-twominutespastten！"saidNicholl。
"Onlyfiveminutesmore！"answeredBarbicane。
"Yes，fivelittleminutes！"repliedMichelArdan；"andweareenclosedinaprojectile，atthebottomofagun900feetlong！
Andunderthisprojectilearerammed400，000poundsofgun-cotton，whichisequalto1，600，000poundsofordinarypowder！AndfriendMurchison，withhischronometerinhand，hiseyefixedontheneedle，hisfingerontheelectricapparatus，iscountingthesecondspreparatorytolaunchingusintointerplanetaryspace。"
"Enough，Michel，enough！"saidBarbicane，inaseriousvoice；
"letusprepare。Afewinstantsaloneseparateusfromaneventfulmoment。Oneclaspofthehand，myfriends。"
"Yes，"exclaimedMichelArdan，moremovedthanhewishedtoappear；andthethreeboldcompanionswereunitedinalastembrace。
"Godpreserveus！"saidthereligiousBarbicane。
MichelArdanandNichollstretchedthemselvesonthecouchesplacedinthecenterofthedisc。
"Forty-sevenminutespastten！"murmuredthecaptain。
"Twentysecondsmore！"Barbicanequicklyputoutthegasandlaydownbyhiscompanions，andtheprofoundsilencewasonlybrokenbythetickingofthechronometermarkingtheseconds。
Suddenlyadreadfulshockwasfelt，andtheprojectile，undertheforceofsixbillionsoflitresofgas，developedbythecombustionofpyroxyle，mountedintospace。
CHAPTERII
THEFIRSTHALF-HOUR
Whathadhappened？Whateffecthadthisfrightfulshockproduced？
Hadtheingenuityoftheconstructorsoftheprojectileobtainedanyhappyresult？Hadtheshockbeendeadened，thankstothesprings，thefourplugs，thewater-cushions，andthepartition-breaks？
Hadtheybeenabletosubduethefrightfulpressureoftheinitiatoryspeedofmorethan11，000yards，whichwasenoughtotraverseParisorNewYorkinasecond？Thiswasevidentlythequestionsuggestedtothethousandspectatorsofthismovingscene。Theyforgottheaimofthejourney，andthoughtonlyofthetravelers。Andifoneofthem——JosephT。Mastonforexample——couldhavecastoneglimpseintotheprojectile，whatwouldhehaveseen？
Nothingthen。Thedarknesswasprofound。Butitscylindro-
conicalpartitionshadresistedwonderfully。Notarentoradentanywhere！Thewonderfulprojectilewasnotevenheatedundertheintensedeflagrationofthepowder，norliquefied，astheyseemedtofear，inashowerofaluminum。
Theinteriorshowedbutlittledisorder；indeed，onlyafewobjectshadbeenviolentlythrowntowardtheroof；butthemostimportantseemednottohavesufferedfromtheshockatall；
theirfixtureswereintact。
Onthemovabledisc，sunkdowntothebottombythesmashingofthepartition-breaksandtheescapeofthewater，threebodieslayapparentlylifeless。Barbicane，Nicholl，andMichelArdan——
didtheystillbreathe？orwastheprojectilenothingnowbutametalcoffin，bearingthreecorpsesintospace？
Someminutesafterthedepartureoftheprojectile，oneofthebodiesmoved，shookitsarms，lifteditshead，andfinallysucceededingettingonitsknees。ItwasMichelArdan。Hefelthimselfallover，gaveasonorous"Hem！"andthensaid:
"MichelArdaniswhole。Howabouttheothers？"
ThecourageousFrenchmantriedtorise，butcouldnotstand。
Hisheadswam，fromtherushofblood；hewasblind；hewasadrunkenman。
"Bur-r！"saidhe。"ItproducesthesameeffectastwobottlesofCorton，thoughperhapslessagreeabletoswallow。"
Then，passinghishandseveraltimesacrosshisforeheadandrubbinghistemples，hecalledinafirmvoice:
"Nicholl！Barbicane！"
Hewaitedanxiously。Noanswer；notevenasightoshowthattheheartsofhiscompanionswerestillbeating。Hecalledagain。
Thesamesilence。
"Thedevil！"heexclaimed。"Theylookasiftheyhadfallenfromafifthstoryontheirheads。Bah！"headded，withthatimperturbableconfidencewhichnothingcouldcheck，"ifaFrenchmancangetonhisknees，twoAmericansoughttobeabletogetontheirfeet。Butfirstletuslightup。"
Ardanfeltthetideoflifereturnbydegrees。Hisbloodbecamecalm，andreturnedtoitsaccustomedcirculation。Anothereffortrestoredhisequilibrium。Hesucceededinrising，drewamatchfromhispocket，andapproachingtheburnerlightedit。
Thereceiverhadnotsufferedatall。Thegashadnotescaped。
Besides，thesmellwouldhavebetrayedit；andinthatcaseMichelArdancouldnothavecarriedalightedmatchwithimpunitythroughthespacefilledwithhydrogen。Thegasmixingwiththeairwouldhaveproducedadetonatingmixture，andtheexplosionwouldhavefinishedwhattheshockhadperhapsbegun。
Whentheburnerwaslit，Ardanleanedoverthebodiesofhiscompanions:theywerelyingoneontheother，aninertmass，Nichollabove，Barbicaneunderneath。
Ardanliftedthecaptain，proppedhimupagainstthedivan，andbegantorubvigorously。Thismeans，usedwithjudgment，restoredNicholl，whoopenedhiseyes，andinstantlyrecoveringhispresenceofmind，seizedArdan'shandandlookedaroundhim。
"AndBarbicane？"saidhe。
"Eachinturn，"repliedMichelArdan。"Ibeganwithyou，Nicholl，becauseyouwereonthetop。NowletuslooktoBarbicane。"Sayingwhich，ArdanandNichollraisedthepresidentoftheGunClubandlaidhimonthedivan。Heseemedtohavesufferedmorethaneitherofhiscompanions；hewasbleeding，butNichollwasreassuredbyfindingthatthehemorrhagecamefromaslightwoundontheshoulder，ameregraze，whichheboundupcarefully。
Still，Barbicanewasalongtimecomingtohimself，whichfrightenedhisfriends，whodidnotsparefriction。
"Hebreathesthough，"saidNicholl，puttinghiseartothechestofthewoundedman。
"Yes，"repliedArdan，"hebreatheslikeamanwhohassomenotionofthatdailyoperation。Rub，Nicholl；letusrubharder。"
AndthetwoimprovisedpractitionersworkedsohardandsowellthatBarbicanerecoveredhissenses。Heopenedhiseyes，satup，tookhistwofriendsbythehands，andhisfirstwordswere——
"Nicholl，arewemoving？"
NichollandArdanlookedateachother；theyhadnotyettroubledthemselvesabouttheprojectile；theirfirstthoughthadbeenforthetraveler，notforthecar。
"Well，arewereallymoving？"repeatedMichelArdan。
"OrquietlyrestingonthesoilofFlorida？"askedNicholl。
"OratthebottomoftheGulfofMexico？"addedMichelArdan。
"Whatanidea！"exclaimedthepresident。
Andthisdoublehypothesissuggestedbyhiscompanionshadtheeffectofrecallinghimtohissenses。Inanycasetheycouldnotdecideonthepositionoftheprojectile。Itsapparentimmovability，andthewantofcommunicationwiththeoutside，preventedthemfromsolvingthequestion。Perhapstheprojectilewasunwindingitscoursethroughspace。Perhapsafterashortriseithadfallenupontheearth，orevenintheGulfofMexico——
afallwhichthenarrownessofthepeninsulaofFloridawouldrendernotimpossible。
Thecasewasserious，theprobleminteresting，andonethatmustbesolvedassoonaspossible。Thus，highlyexcited，Barbicane'smoralenergytriumphedoverphysicalweakness，andherosetohisfeet。Helistened。Outsidewasperfectsilence；butthethickpaddingwasenoughtointerceptallsoundscomingfromtheearth。ButonecircumstancestruckBarbicane，viz。，thatthetemperatureinsidetheprojectilewassingularlyhigh。
Thepresidentdrewathermometerfromitscaseandconsultedit。
Theinstrumentshowed81@Fahr。
"Yes，"heexclaimed，"yes，wearemoving！Thisstiflingheat，penetratingthroughthepartitionsoftheprojectile，isproducedbyitsfrictionontheatmosphericstrata。Itwillsoondiminish，becausewearealreadyfloatinginspace，andafterhavingnearlystifled，weshallhavetosufferintensecold。
"What！"saidMichelArdan。"Accordingtoyourshowing，Barbicane，wearealreadybeyondthelimitsoftheterrestrialatmosphere？"
"Withoutadoubt，Michel。Listentome。Itisfifty-fiveminutespastten；wehavebeengoneabouteightminutes；andifourinitiatoryspeedhasnotbeencheckedbythefriction，sixsecondswouldbeenoughforustopassthroughthefortymilesofatmospherewhichsurroundstheglobe。"
"Justso，"repliedNicholl；"butinwhatproportiondoyouestimatethediminutionofspeedbyfriction？"
"Intheproportionofone-third，Nicholl。Thisdiminutionisconsiderable，butaccordingtomycalculationsitisnothingless。
If，then，wehadaninitiatoryspeedof12，000yards，onleavingtheatmospherethisspeedwouldbereducedto9，165yards。Inanycasewehavealreadypassedthroughthisinterval，and——"
"Andthen，"saidMichelArdan，"friendNichollhaslosthistwobets:fourthousanddollarsbecausetheColumbiaddidnotburst；
fivethousanddollarsbecausetheprojectilehasrisenmorethansixmiles。Now，Nicholl，payup。"
"Letusproveitfirst，"saidthecaptain，"andwewillpayafterward。ItisquitepossiblethatBarbicane'sreasoningiscorrect，andthatIhavelostmyninethousanddollars。Butanewhypothesispresentsitselftomymind，anditannulsthewager。"
"Whatisthat？"askedBarbicanequickly。
"Thehypothesisthat，forsomereasonorother，firewasneversettothepowder，andwehavenotstartedatall。"
"Mygoodness，captain，"exclaimedMichelArdan，"thathypothesisisnotworthyofmybrain！Itcannotbeaseriousone。Forhavewenotbeenhalfannihilatedbytheshock？DidInotrecallyoutolife？Isnotthepresident'sshoulderstillbleedingfromtheblowithasreceived？"
"Granted，"repliedNicholl；"butonequestion。"
"Well，captain？"
"Didyouhearthedetonation，whichcertainlyoughttobeloud？"
"No，"repliedArdan，muchsurprised；"certainlyIdidnothearthedetonation。"
"Andyou，Barbicane？"
"NorI，either。"
"Verywell，"saidNicholl。
"Wellnow，"murmuredthepresident"whydidwenothearthedetonation？"
Thethreefriendslookedateachotherwithadisconcertedair。
Itwasquiteaninexplicablephenomenon。Theprojectilehadstarted，andconsequentlytheremusthavebeenadetonation。
"Letusfirstfindoutwhereweare，"saidBarbicane，"andletdownthispanel。"
Thisverysimpleoperationwassoonaccomplished。
Thenutswhichheldtheboltstotheouterplatesoftheright-handscuttlegavewayunderthepressureoftheEnglishwrench。Theseboltswerepushedoutside，andthebufferscoveredwithIndia-rubberstoppeduptheholeswhichletthemthrough。Immediatelytheouterplatefellbackuponitshingeslikeaporthole，andthelenticularglasswhichclosedthescuttleappeared。Asimilaronewasletintothethickpartitionontheoppositesideoftheprojectile，anotherinthetopofthedome，andfinallyafourthinthemiddleofthebase。
Theycould，therefore，makeobservationsinfourdifferentdirections；thefirmamentbythesideandmostdirectwindows，theearthorthemoonbytheupperandunderopeningsintheprojectile。
Barbicaneandhistwocompanionsimmediatelyrushedtotheuncoveredwindow。Butitwaslitbynorayoflight。
Profounddarknesssurroundedthem，which，however，didnotpreventthepresidentfromexclaiming:
"No，myfriends，wehavenotfallenbackupontheearth；no，norarewesubmergedintheGulfofMexico。Yes！wearemountingintospace。Seethosestarsshininginthenight，andthatimpenetrabledarknessheapedupbetweentheearthandus！"
"Hurrah！hurrah！"exclaimedMichelArdanandNichollinonevoice。
Indeed，thisthickdarknessprovedthattheprojectilehadlefttheearth，forthesoil，brilliantlylitbythemoon-beamswouldhavebeenvisibletothetravelers，iftheyhadbeenlyingonitssurface。Thisdarknessalsoshowedthattheprojectilehadpassedtheatmosphericstrata，forthediffusedlightspreadintheairwouldhavebeenreflectedonthemetalwalls，whichreflectionwaswanting。Thislightwouldhavelitthewindow，andthewindowwasdark。Doubtwasnolongerpossible；thetravelershadlefttheearth。
"Ihavelost，"saidNicholl。
"Icongratulateyou，"repliedArdan。
"Herearetheninethousanddollars，"saidthecaptain，drawingarollofpaperdollarsfromhispocket。
"Willyouhaveareceiptforit？"askedBarbicane，takingthesum。
"Ifyoudonotmind，"answeredNicholl；"itismorebusiness-like。"
Andcoollyandseriously，asifhehadbeenathisstrong-box，thepresidentdrewforthhisnotebook，toreoutablankleaf，wroteaproperreceiptinpencil，datedandsigneditwiththeusualflourish，[1]andgaveittothecaptain，whocarefullyplaceditinhispocketbook。MichelArdan，takingoffhishat，bowedtohistwocompanionswithoutspeaking。Somuchformalityundersuchcircumstanceslefthimspeechless。Hehadneverbeforeseenanythingso"American。"
[1]ThisisapurelyFrenchhabit。
Thisaffairsettled，BarbicaneandNichollhadreturnedtothewindow，andwerewatchingtheconstellations。Thestarslookedlikebrightpointsontheblacksky。Butfromthatsidetheycouldnotseetheorbofnight，which，travelingfromeasttowest，wouldrisebydegreestowardthezenith。ItsabsencedrewthefollowingremarkfromArdan:
"Andthemoon；willsheperchancefailatourrendezvous？"
"Donotalarmyourself，"saidBarbicane；"ourfutureglobeisatitspost，butwecannotseeherfromthisside；letusopentheother。"
"AsBarbicanewasaboutleavingthewindowtoopentheoppositescuttle，hisattentionwasattractedbytheapproachofabrilliantobject。Itwasanenormousdisc，whosecolossaldimensioncouldnotbeestimated。Itsface，whichwasturnedtotheearth，wasverybright。Onemighthavethoughtitasmallmoonreflectingthelightofthelargeone。Sheadvancedwithgreatspeed，andseemedtodescribeanorbitroundtheearth，whichwouldintersectthepassageoftheprojectile。Thisbodyrevolveduponitsaxis，andexhibitedthephenomenaofallcelestialbodiesabandonedinspace。
"Ah！"exclaimedMichelArdan，"Whatisthat？anotherprojectile？"
Barbicanedidnotanswer。Theappearanceofthisenormousbodysurprisedandtroubledhim。Acollisionwaspossible，andmightbeattendedwithdeplorableresults；eithertheprojectilewoulddeviatefromitspath，orashock，breakingitsimpetus，mightprecipitateittoearth；or，lastly，itmightbeirresistiblydrawnawaybythepowerfulasteroid。Thepresidentcaughtataglancetheconsequencesofthesethreehypotheses，eitherofwhichwould，onewayortheother，bringtheirexperimenttoanunsuccessfulandfataltermination。Hiscompanionsstoodsilentlylookingintospace。Theobjectgrewrapidlyasitapproachedthem，andbyanopticalillusiontheprojectileseemedtobethrowingitselfbeforeit。
"ByJove！"exclaimedMichelArdan，"weshallrunintooneanother！"
Instinctivelythetravelersdrewback。Theirdreadwasgreat，butitdidnotlastmanyseconds。Theasteroidpassedseveralhundredyardsfromtheprojectileanddisappeared，notsomuchfromtherapidityofitscourse，asthatitsfacebeingoppositethemoon，itwassuddenlymergedintotheperfectdarknessofspace。
"Ahappyjourneytoyou，"exclaimedMichelArdan，withasighofrelief。"Surelyinfinityofspaceislargeenoughforapoorlittleprojectiletowalkthroughwithoutfear。Now，whatisthisportentousglobewhichnearlystruckus？"
"Iknow，"repliedBarbicane。
"Oh，indeed！youknoweverything。"
"Itis，"saidBarbicane，"asimplemeteorite，butanenormousone，whichtheattractionoftheearthhasretainedasasatellite。"
"Isitpossible！"exclaimedMichelArdan；"theearththenhastwomoonslikeNeptune？"
"Yes，myfriends，twomoons，thoughitpassesgenerallyforhavingonlyone；butthissecondmoonissosmall，anditsspeedsogreat，thattheinhabitantsoftheearthcannotseeit。
ItwasbynoticingdisturbancesthataFrenchastronomer，M。Petit，wasabletodeterminetheexistenceofthissecondsatelliteandcalculateitselements。Accordingtohisobservations，thismeteoritewillaccomplishitsrevolutionaroundtheearthinthreehoursandtwentyminutes，whichimpliesawonderfulrateofspeed。"
"Doallastronomersadmittheexistenceofthissatellite？"
askedNicholl。
"No，"repliedBarbicane；"butif，likeus，theyhadmetit，theycouldnolongerdoubtit。Indeed，Ithinkthatthismeteorite，which，haditstrucktheprojectile，wouldhavemuchembarrassedus，willgiveusthemeansofdecidingwhatourpositioninspaceis。"
"How？"saidArdan。
"Becauseitsdistanceisknown，andwhenwemetit，wewereexactlyfourthousandsixhundredandfiftymilesfromthesurfaceoftheterrestrialglobe。"
"MorethantwothousandFrenchleagues，"exclaimedMichelArdan。
"Thatbeatstheexpresstrainsofthepitifulglobecalledtheearth。"
"Ishouldthinkso，"repliedNicholl，consultinghischronometer；"itiseleveno'clock，anditisonlythirteenminutessincewelefttheAmericancontinent。"
"Onlythirteenminutes？"saidBarbicane。
"Yes，"saidNicholl；"andifourinitiatoryspeedoftwelvethousandyardshasbeenkeptup，weshallhavemadeabouttwentythousandmilesinthehour。"
"Thatisallverywell，myfriends，"saidthepresident，"buttheinsolublequestionstillremains。WhydidwenothearthedetonationoftheColumbiad？"
Forwantofananswertheconversationdropped，andBarbicanebeganthoughtfullytoletdowntheshutterofthesecondside。
Hesucceeded；andthroughtheuncoveredglassthemoonfilledtheprojectilewithabrilliantlight。Nicholl，asaneconomicalman，putoutthegas，nowuseless，andwhosebrilliancypreventedanyobservationoftheinter-planetaryspace。
Thelunardiscshonewithwonderfulpurity。Herrays，nolongerfilteredthroughthevaporyatmosphereoftheterrestrialglobe，shonethroughtheglass，fillingtheairintheinterioroftheprojectilewithsilveryreflections。Theblackcurtainofthefirmamentinrealityheightenedthemoon'sbrilliancy，whichinthisvoidofetherunfavorabletodiffusiondidnoteclipsetheneighboringstars。Theheavens，thusseen，presentedquiteanewaspect，andonewhichthehumaneyecouldneverdreamof。
Onemayconceivetheinterestwithwhichtheseboldmenwatchedtheorbofnight，thegreataimoftheirjourney。
Initsmotiontheearth'ssatellitewasinsensiblynearingthezenith，themathematicalpointwhichitoughttoattainninety-sixhourslater。Hermountains，herplains，everyprojectionwasasclearlydiscernibletotheireyesasiftheywereobservingitfromsomespotupontheearth；butitslightwasdevelopedthroughspacewithwonderfulintensity。Thediscshonelikeaplatinummirror。Oftheearthflyingfromundertheirfeet，thetravelershadlostallrecollection。
ItwascaptainNichollwhofirstrecalledtheirattentiontothevanishingglobe。
"Yes，"saidMichelArdan，"donotletusbeungratefultoit。
Sinceweareleavingourcountry，letourlastlooksbedirectedtoit。Iwishtoseetheearthoncemorebeforeitisquitehiddenfrommyeyes。"
Tosatisfyhiscompanions，Barbicanebegantouncoverthewindowatthebottomoftheprojectile，whichwouldallowthemtoobservetheearthdirect。Thedisc，whichtheforceoftheprojectionhadbeatendowntothebase，wasremoved，notwithoutdifficulty。Itsfragments，placedcarefullyagainstawall，mightserveagainuponoccasion。Thenacirculargapappeared，nineteeninchesindiameter，hollowedoutofthelowerpartoftheprojectile。Aglasscover，sixinchesthickandstrengthenedwithupperfastenings，closedittightly。Beneathwasfixedanaluminumplate，heldinplacebybolts。Thescrewsbeingundone，andtheboltsletgo，theplatefelldown，andvisiblecommunicationwasestablishedbetweentheinteriorandtheexterior。
MichelArdankneltbytheglass。Itwascloudy，seeminglyopaque。
"Well！"heexclaimed，"andtheearth？"
"Theearth？"saidBarbicane。"Thereitis。"
"What！thatlittlethread；thatsilvercrescent？"
"Doubtless，Michel。Infourdays，whenthemoonwillbefull，attheverytimeweshallreachit，theearthwillbenew，andwillonlyappeartousasaslendercrescentwhichwillsoondisappear，andforsomedayswillbeenvelopedinutterdarkness。"
"Thattheearth？"repeatedMichelArdan，lookingwithallhiseyesatthethinslipofhisnativeplanet。
TheexplanationgivenbyPresidentBarbicanewascorrect。
Theearth，withrespecttotheprojectile，wasenteringitslastphase。Itwasinitsoctant，andshowedacrescentfinelytracedonthedarkbackgroundofthesky。Itslight，renderedbluishbythethickstrataoftheatmospherewaslessintensethanthatofthecrescentmoon，butitwasofconsiderabledimensions，andlookedlikeanenormousarchstretchedacrossthefirmament。Somepartsbrilliantlylighted，especiallyonitsconcavepart，showedthepresenceofhighmountains，oftendisappearingbehindthickspots，whichareneverseenonthelunardisc。Theywereringsofcloudsplacedconcentricallyroundtheterrestrialglobe。
Whilethetravelersweretryingtopiercetheprofounddarkness，abrilliantclusterofshootingstarsburstupontheireyes。
Hundredsofmeteorites，ignitedbythefrictionoftheatmosphere，irradiatedtheshadowoftheluminoustrain，andlinedthecloudypartsofthediscwiththeirfire。Atthisperiodtheearthwasinitsperihelion，andthemonthofDecemberissopropitioustotheseshootingstars，thatastronomershavecountedasmanyastwenty-fourthousandinanhour。ButMichelArdan，disdainingscientificreasonings，preferredthinkingthattheearthwasthussalutingthedepartureofherthreechildrenwithhermostbrilliantfireworks。
Indeedthiswasalltheysawoftheglobelostinthesolarworld，risingandsettingtothegreatplanetslikeasimplemorningoreveningstar！Thisglobe，wheretheyhadleftalltheiraffections，wasnothingmorethanafugitivecrescent！
Longdidthethreefriendslookwithoutspeaking，thoughunitedinheart，whiletheprojectilespedonwardwithanever-decreasingspeed。Thenanirresistibledrowsinesscreptovertheirbrain。Wasitwearinessofbodyandmind？Nodoubt；
foraftertheover-excitementofthoselasthourspasseduponearth，reactionwasinevitable。
"Well，"saidNicholl，"sincewemustsleep，letussleep。"
Andstretchingthemselvesontheircouches，theywereallthreesooninaprofoundslumber。
Buttheyhadnotforgottenthemselvesmorethanaquarterofanhour，whenBarbicanesatupsuddenly，androusinghiscompanionswithaloudvoice，exclaimed——
"Ihavefoundit！"
"Whathaveyoufound？"askedMichelArdan，jumpingfromhisbed。
"ThereasonwhywedidnothearthedetonationoftheColumbiad。"
"Anditis——？"saidNicholl。
"Becauseourprojectiletraveledfasterthanthesound！"
CHAPTERIII
THEIRPLACEOFSHELTER
Thiscuriousbutcertainlycorrectexplanationoncegiven，thethreefriendsreturnedtotheirslumbers。Couldtheyhavefoundacalmerormorepeacefulspottosleepin？Ontheearth，houses，towns，cottages，andcountryfeeleveryshockgiventotheexterioroftheglobe。Onsea，thevesselsrockedbythewavesarestillinmotion；intheair，theballoonoscillatesincessantlyonthefluidstrataofdiversdensities。
Thisprojectilealone，floatinginperfectspace，inthemidstofperfectsilence，offeredperfectrepose。
Thusthesleepofouradventuroustravelersmighthavebeenindefinitelyprolonged，ifanunexpectednoisehadnotawakenedthemataboutseveno'clockinthemorningofthe2ndofDecember，eighthoursaftertheirdeparture。
Thisnoisewasaverynaturalbarking。
"Thedogs！itisthedogs！"exclaimedMichelArdan，risingatonce。
"Theyarehungry，"saidNicholl。
"ByJove！"repliedMichel，"wehaveforgottenthem。"
"Wherearethey？"askedBarbicane。
Theylookedandfoundoneoftheanimalscrouchedunderthedivan。
Terrifiedandshakenbytheinitiatoryshock，ithadremainedinthecornertillitsvoicereturnedwiththepangsofhunger。
ItwastheamiableDiana，stillveryconfused，whocreptoutofherretreat，thoughnotwithoutmuchpersuasion，MichelArdanencouragingherwithmostgraciouswords。
"Come，Diana，"saidhe:"come，mygirl！thouwhosedestinywillbemarkedinthecynegeticannals；thouwhomthepaganswouldhavegivenascompaniontothegodAnubis，andChristiansasfriendtoSt。Roch；thouwhoartrushingintointerplanetaryspace，andwiltperhapsbetheEveofallSelenitedogs！come，Diana，comehere。"
Diana，flatteredornot，advancedbydegrees，utteringplaintivecries。
"Good，"saidBarbicane:"IseeEve，butwhereisAdam？"
"Adam？"repliedMichel；"Adamcannotbefaroff；heistheresomewhere；wemustcallhim。Satellite！here，Satellite！"
ButSatellitedidnotappear。Dianawouldnotleaveoffhowling。
Theyfound，however，thatshewasnotbruised，andtheygaveherapie，whichsilencedhercomplaints。AstoSatellite，heseemedquitelost。Theyhadtohuntalongtimebeforefindinghiminoneoftheuppercompartmentsoftheprojectile，whithersomeunaccountableshockmusthaveviolentlyhurledhim。Thepoorbeast，muchhurt，wasinapiteousstate。
"Thedevil！"saidMichel。
Theybroughttheunfortunatedogdownwithgreatcare。Itsskullhadbeenbrokenagainsttheroof，anditseemedunlikelythathecouldrecoverfromsuchashock。Meanwhile，hewasstretchedcomfortablyonacushion。Oncethere，heheavedasigh。
"Wewilltakecareofyou，"saidMichel；"weareresponsibleforyourexistence。IwouldratherloseanarmthanapawofmypoorSatellite。"
Sayingwhich，heofferedsomewatertothewoundeddog，whoswalloweditwithavidity。
Thisattentionpaid，thetravelerswatchedtheearthandthemoonattentively。Theearthwasnowonlydiscerniblebyacloudydiscendinginacrescent，rathermorecontractedthanthatofthepreviousevening；butitsexpansewasstillenormous，comparedwiththatofthemoon，whichwasapproachingnearerandnearertoaperfectcircle。
"ByJove！"saidMichelArdan，"Iamreallysorrythatwedidnotstartwhentheearthwasfull，thatistosay，whenourglobewasinoppositiontothesun。"
"Why？"saidNicholl。
"Becauseweshouldhaveseenourcontinentsandseasinanewlight——thefirstresplendentunderthesolarrays，thelattercloudyasrepresentedonsomemapsoftheworld。Ishouldliketohaveseenthosepolesoftheearthonwhichtheeyeofmanhasneveryetrested。
"Idaresay，"repliedBarbicane；"butiftheearthhadbeen_full_，themoonwouldhavebeen_new_；thatistosay，invisible，becauseoftheraysofthesun。Itisbetterforustoseethedestinationwewishtoreach，thanthepointofdeparture。"
"Youareright，Barbicane，"repliedCaptainNicholl；"and，besides，whenwehavereachedthemoon，weshallhavetimeduringthelonglunarnightstoconsideratourleisuretheglobeonwhichourlikenessesswarm。"
"Ourlikenesses！"exclaimedMichelArdan；"TheyarenomoreourlikenessesthantheSelenitesare！Weinhabitanewworld，peopledbyourselves——theprojectile！IamBarbicane'slikeness，andBarbicaneisNicholl's。Beyondus，aroundus，humannatureisatanend，andwearetheonlypopulationofthismicrocosmuntilwebecomepureSelenites。"
"Inabouteighty-eighthours，"repliedthecaptain。
"Whichmeanstosay？"askedMichelArdan。
"Thatitishalf-pasteight，"repliedNicholl。
"Verywell，"retortedMichel；"thenitisimpossibleformetofindeventheshadowofareasonwhyweshouldnotgotobreakfast。"
Indeedtheinhabitantsofthenewstarcouldnotlivewithouteating，andtheirstomachsweresufferingfromtheimperiouslawsofhunger。MichelArdan，asaFrenchman，wasdeclaredchiefcook，animportantfunction，whichraisednorival。
Thegasgavesufficientheatfortheculinaryapparatus，andtheprovisionboxfurnishedtheelementsofthisfirstfeast。
Thebreakfastbeganwiththreebowlsofexcellentsoup，thankstotheliquefactioninhotwaterofthosepreciouscakesofLiebig，preparedfromthebestpartsoftheruminantsofthePampas。
Tothesoupsucceededsomebeefsteaks，compressedbyanhydraulicpress，astenderandsucculentasifbroughtstraightfromthekitchenofanEnglisheating-house。Michel，whowasimaginative，maintainedthattheywereeven"red。"
Preservedvegetables"fresherthannature，"saidtheamiableMichelsucceededthedishofmeat；andwasfollowedbysomecupsofteawithbreadandbutter，aftertheAmericanfashion。
Thebeveragewasdeclaredexquisite，andwasduetotheinfusionofthechoicestleaves，ofwhichtheemperorofRussiahadgivensomechestsforthebenefitofthetravelers。
Andlastly，tocrowntherepast，ArdanhadbroughtoutafinebottleofNuits，whichwasfound"bychance"intheprovision-box。Thethreefriendsdranktotheunionoftheearthandhersatellite。
And，asifhehadnotalreadydoneenoughforthegenerouswinewhichhehaddistilledontheslopesofBurgundy，thesunchosetobepartoftheparty。Atthismomenttheprojectileemergedfromtheconicalshadowcastbytheterrestrialglobe，andtheraysoftheradiantorbstruckthelowerdiscoftheprojectiledirectoccasionedbytheanglewhichthemoon'sorbitmakeswiththatoftheearth。
"Thesun！"exclaimedMichelArdan。
"Nodoubt，"repliedBarbicane；"Iexpectedit。"
"But，"saidMichel，"theconicalshadowwhichtheearthleavesinspaceextendsbeyondthemoon？"
"Farbeyondit，iftheatmosphericrefractionisnottakenintoconsideration，"saidBarbicane。"Butwhenthemoonisenvelopedinthisshadow，itisbecausethecentersofthethreestars，thesun，theearth，andthemoon，areallinoneandthesamestraightline。Thenthe_nodes_coincidewiththe_phases_ofthemoon，andthereisaneclipse。Ifwehadstartedwhentherewasaneclipseofthemoon，allourpassagewouldhavebeenintheshadow，whichwouldhavebeenapity。"
"Why？"
"Because，thoughwearefloatinginspace，ourprojectile，bathedinthesolarrays，willreceivelightandheat。
Iteconomizesthegas，whichisineveryrespectagoodeconomy。"
Indeed，undertheserayswhichnoatmospherecantemper，eitherintemperatureorbrilliancy，theprojectilegrewwarmandbright，asifithadpassedsuddenlyfromwintertosummer。
Themoonabove，thesunbeneath，wereinundatingitwiththeirfire。
"Itispleasanthere，"saidNicholl。
"Ishouldthinkso，"saidMichelArdan。"Withalittleearthspreadonouraluminumplanetweshouldhavegreenpeasintwenty-fourhours。Ihavebutonefear，whichisthatthewallsoftheprojectilemightmelt。"
"Calmyourself，myworthyfriend，"repliedBarbicane；"theprojectilewithstoodaverymuchhighertemperaturethanthisasitslidthroughthestrataoftheatmosphere。IshouldnotbesurprisedifitdidnotlooklikeameteoronfiretotheeyesofthespectatorsinFlorida。"
"ButthenJ。T。Mastonwillthinkweareroasted！"
"Whatastonishesme，"saidBarbicane，"isthatwehavenotbeen。
Thatwasadangerwehadnotprovidedfor。"
"Ifearedit，"saidNichollsimply。
"Andyounevermentionedit，mysublimecaptain，"exclaimedMichelArdan，claspinghisfriend'shand。
Barbicanenowbegantosettlehimselfintheprojectileasifhewasnevertoleaveit。Onemustrememberthatthisaerialcarhadabasewitha_superficies_offifty-foursquarefeet。