Путешествие на Луну
The New Citizen of the United States
"Yes,mydearfellow!imagineourmeetingsomeoftheinhabitantsupthere!Wouldyouliketogivethemsuchamelancholynotionofwhatgoesondownhere?toteachthemwhatwaris,toinformthemthatweemployourtimechieflyindevouringeachother,insmashingarmsandlegs,andthattooonaglobewhichiscapableofsupportingahundredbillionsofinhabitants,andwhichactuallydoescontainnearlytwohundredmillions?Why,myworthyfriend,weshouldhavetoturnyououtofdoors!"
"Butstill,ifyouarrivethereinpieces,youwillbeasincompleteasIam."
"Unquestionably,"repliedMichelArdan;"butweshallnot."
Infact,apreparatoryexperiment,triedonthe18thofOctober,hadyieldedthebestresultsandcausedthemostwell-groundedhopesofsuccess.Barbicane,desirousofobtainingsomenotionoftheeffectoftheshockatthemomentoftheprojectile’sdeparture,hadprocureda38-inchmortarfromthearsenalofPensacola.HehadthisplacedonthebankofHillisboroughRoads,inorderthattheshellmightfallbackintothesea,andtheshockbetherebydestroyed.Hisobjectwastoascertaintheextentoftheshockofdeparture,andnotthatofthereturn.
Ahollowprojectilehadbeenpreparedforthiscuriousexperiment.Athickpaddingfasteneduponakindofelasticnetwork,madeofthebeststeel,linedtheinsideofthewalls.Itwasaveritablenestmostcarefullywadded.
"WhatapityIcan’tfindroominthere,"saidJ.T.Maston,regrettingthathisheightdidnotallowofhistryingtheadventure.
